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phantismaFandom: Leverage (Vamp!Nate verse)
Title: The Sky Rains Red, Part Four (Part One & Part Two & Part Three)
Pairings/Characters: Nate/Eliot, Parker, Sophie, Hardison, Ryna (OFC), Sterling
Rating: NC-17 (for violence)
Word Count: 2741
Summary: Follows Close the Door, Pull the Shades and I'll Find A Way. Eliot may have found a way to save Nate, but the cure itself might still kill the vampire. Hardison and Sophie discover that getting Nate through this may not be the only challenge they have to face.
A/Ns & Summary: Fourth chapter of at least five. Bondage of a sort. Upset little girl.
"Nate, can you hear me? Need you to wake up. Need you to feed. Come on."
He hears the words from a distance, like miles of tunnel and he fights consciousness, knowing instinctively that consciousness is going to hurt. Something warm hovers over him, something living.
There's a low growl echoing around him, coming from him. A splash touches his lips, wet, hot. His tongue moves, his eyes open as the taste explodes and his body roars to life, reaching for the source of the blood.
The bed rattles, shakes with his effort and Eliot pulls away. Eliot. Nate recognizes him, recognizes the taste of him in his mouth, but he's restrained, his arms and feet chained and Eliot holds one hand over his bleeding wrist.
Nate growls, pulling at the restraints as Eliot approaches again slowly. "Easy. I'm going to feed you, but you gotta relax."
The words filter through the need and hunger and rage that fill his mind and Nate tries, really tries to settle. His fangs are down, his mouth open. Eliot moves closer, holding his arm up over Nate's face. "That's it, easy."
Eliot moves his thumb off the wound and blood drips into Nate's open mouth, hot, rich. It triggers a slide of memories, his body tightening. The first time Eliot seduced him, the way the heat filled him, burning into him, the craving born in those first moments. Long before Nate is done, Eliot pulls back, his hand once more closing over the wound.
"More." Nate growls, his head turning to follow Eliot's movements.
"Not yet. We have to be sure."
Nate thinks he should understand, but can't make sense of it, frowning up at Eliot as the fangs retreat and his brow eases back. "Eliot?"
He remembers bits and pieces, all strung along periods of black. Eliot's wrapping a bandage around his wrist as he comes to kneel beside the bed. "It's okay Nate. You're going to be fine."
Nate squints at him. "So hungry." It isn't what he means to say, but his impulse control seems to be nearly non-existent.
"I know." Eliot tapes down the bandage, than lifts his hand to rest on Nate's chest. "I know, and if this goes well, I'll feed you everything you need. But we have to make sure first."
"Sure…" There was a drug. Suddenly he remembers Eliot telling him that. In the blood. Something that changed him, made him kill. Nearly made him kill Ryna. Nate swallows, licks at his lips as if he can somehow pull more blood into him that way, as if it's just out of his reach. So fucking hungry. Starving.
The growl is back, almost like he can't control it…or exactly like because it doesn't stop even as he thinks that. He's shaking, trembling. The small bit of blood he's swallowed is nowhere near enough. His body is cold, like he hasn't fed properly in days.
He realizes Eliot is talking to him, but he can't make sense of the words. Rage swells inside him, hunger fueled rage and his screams knock Eliot away, the bed rattling against the floor as he tries to free himself.
"Damn it." Nate's teeth dig into his lips and his fingernails claw at the bed. "Nate, damn it all to fuck." Eliot's got something in his hands as he approaches. "Come on, pull it together."
Eliot is waiting for something, waiting for Nate.
Nate swallows, closes his eyes. His thoughts are sluggish, but he can push them through the haze of rage. "Eliot." His voice is gruffer than it had been moments before. "Eliot." It helps a little, the knowledge that Eliot is there, that Eliot won't let him die, not if he can help it. Nate nods, licks his lips. "Okay…I'm okay…"
It isn't entirely the truth, but Eliot puts the needle away. "Rest, Nate. I'll be back in a bit."
He feels Eliot's withdrawal like a blanket of snow laid over his grave, keeps his eyes closed and hopes for sleep to pull him under.
Eliot slams out of the room, slams into the next room where Hardison is still working feverishly at his computer. "Fuck. Fuck. Fuck."
Hardison looks up at him. "I take it that didn't go well?"
Eliot fumes and tosses a chair into a wall before inhaling deeply and pushing his hair out of his face. "No, not as well as I want."
Hardison nods, his eyes going a little soft around the edges. "We knew it was going to be tough."
Eliot closes his eyes, but he can still see the way Nate's body went rigid, the way his eyes filled with dark and had he been loose, Eliot is fairly certain he wouldn't be standing here. "He pulled it together though…I think a little longer and maybe we'll try again."
Hardison didn't say what they both were thinking. Much longer and there wasn't going to be a Nate to try to revive. "What about you?"
"Sophie's dropped the package." Hardison's fingers flew on the keys.
"You think he'll take the bait?"
Hardison looks up at him and shrugs. "It's Sterling. Who knows." He glances at the clock, then up at Eliot. "You better get moving, Ryna's field trip is just about over."
"Right. You call me if anything changes. I'll be back once she's in bed."
Eliot jogs out to the truck, heading for the school. He'd promised he'd be there when they got back because Ryna has been riding him like crazy about the time he spends with her…not that he minds really. He loves the girl like nobody's business, but he needs to take care of Nate too.
And he should be out there with Sophie because Sterling doesn't play nice. He doesn't like the plan, but he's been outvoted and that leaves him going to fetch his daughter and babysitting Nate while Sophie and Parker and Hardison take the risks.
And Sterling isn't even the biggest one. Just the one they can put a name to at the moment. Like Nate, Sterling is being manipulated by bigger players in some scheme that at first glance seems random and disorganized, but when Hardison started peeling back they layers they'd found a complex web of deceit and violence and drugs.
Eliot pulls into the school as the kids are piling off the bus, waits while Ryna gets her things organized and waves at him before the teacher lets the kids go. She runs to the truck all smiles and pulls the door open, climbing inside.
"I take it you had a good day?" Eliot asks as she slides over the seat to kiss his cheek in greeting.
"The best. I got to hit stuff." Eliot chuckles and gets them moving into traffic. "There were these big pillows people jump into, but they wouldn't let us jump, but they let us hit them over and over."
"Meet anyone famous?" Eliot asks, watching her squinting out the window.
"Nah, they all went home. They only invited us cause they were all done and packing up to leave…but we got to see how the cameras work and what the director does and we met this guy who says his job is to stand and hold Johnny Depp's coffee all day…well, except when he's drinking it." She put a hand out to touch his arm. "Hey."
Eliot frowns and looks at her. "Hey what?"
"I thought you said I could go see Nate."
"I did." Eliot nods.
"Then why are we going home?"
He didn't want to tell her that Nate wasn't better, that he'd been wrong. "Ryna, honey, I just figured you should do your homework first, have dinner."
"I don't have homework, we went on a field trip, remember? And I'm not hungry. I want to see Nate."
"Not today, darling. He's…not ready for you."
"Well tough. I'm ready for him. I've been waiting. I've been good about it. I'm all done being good about it. Now."
She crosses her arms and looks out the window and Eliot knows he's the grown up here, knows he doesn't have to give in, that it's wrong to give in, but he also knows she can make his life hell if he doesn't. He sighs and turns at the next signal light, sending them back toward the place they've been hiding Nate.
Once he parks he turns to look at his daughter. "You listen to me, young lady. This is very important. You do not touch him. You do not get within an arm's reach of him. He's is still very sick."
Her blue eyes are big and something close to fear shines in them for a moment before she nods and opened the door on her side of the truck. Hardison opens his mouth to say something as they pass through, but Eliot just holds up his hand and keeps moving. "Okay, now, he's lost a lot of weight, and he looks pretty bad." Eliot says and Ryna responds by crossing her arms. "Right."
He gets the room open and holds out his hand for her to take. After only a slight hesitation, she takes it and follows him inside. He stops them well away from the bed where Nate is chained and feels her shiver. "Can he hear us?"
Eliot nods slowly. "Yeah, he can. Sometimes he wakes up when I talk to him."
"Can we go a little closer?" Her feet shuffle on the floor as Eliot guides her forward. "Nate?"
Her voice is tiny in the open space of the room, but he sees Nate flinch a little. She clears her throat and tries again. "Nate, it's Ryna. Eliot brought me to see you."
Eliot is surprised when Nate's eyes open, focusing first on him, then on Ryna, who grins up at Eliot. "R-r-r…" Nate licks his lips, the blue in his eyes clearer than they'd been before. "Ryna."
She pulls a little on Eliot's hand, trying to get closer. Nate's eyes widen and Eliot pulls her back, picking her up when she starts to protest. "I told you, not to close." Eliot says softly in her ear, his eyes on Nate's face.
"He needs us." Ryan whispers. "Look at him."
Eliot doesn't need to look at Nate to know what he needs. He can feel it in the pit of his stomach. "Just a little longer." Eliot whispers back, though he's not sure if it's meant for her or for himself.
"Hungry." Nate murmurs, his voice rough. Ryna shivers in Eliot's arms.
Eliot moves just a little closer, holding Ryna away from Nate. He looks into Nate's face, looking for signs of the monster in his eyes. There is only confusion and hunger, need and affection. "Nate?"
He licks his lips and nods. "Okay. Just…hold on."
He takes Ryna to the door. "You wait outside for just a minute, okay?"
"No, I want to stay." She pushes back at him, but he puts his foot down.
"Ryna, if you want me to help Nate, you have to wait outside. If this works, I'll let you back in."
"Promise?"
"Promise." Eliot pulls the door shut and crosses back to the bed, unwrapping the bandages on his wrist, squeezing the wound and coaxing blood from it. As the first drops land on his mouth, Nate's lips open, his head lifting off the bed, his hands straining at the chains. His eyes don't close, just stay focused on Eliot and Eliot finds himself lowering his wrist until the skin brushes Nate's lips.
Nate is shaking, but he's in control, taking what Eliot offers and even though he could now, not biting, not draining. He lowers his head and his eyes finally close. Eliot draws his hand away, pressing his thumb against his wrist to stop the bleeding.
Eliot slips to his knees by the bed, wrapping his wrist again. His hand rests on Nate's chest, his eyes watching Nate's face. "I'm okay." Nate says softly, his eyes still closed.
Eliot feels relief wash through him, stinging at the corners of his eyes. "Nate, man…you had me scared."
Nate's hand moves, as much as it can with the chains and Eliot's hand slips into his, holding it tight. "I wasn't sure…"
Nate is quiet and when Eliot looks up, Nate is staring at the door. Eliot turns to find Ryna standing there. "Ryna, I told you to wait outside."
"I want to see." Ryna says, stepping into the room.
"It's okay. Let her see what I am." Nate says, his voice oddly hollow.
She lips into Eliot's lap, her small hand joining Eliot's on Nate's. "I told Eliot you would get better."
Her free hand rubs over the bandages on Eliot's wrist where fresh blood stained them. "Did he eat?"
Eliot nods, unable to find words.
"She knows?" Nate asks.
"I'm not a moron." Ryna answers for Eliot. "It didn't take much to figure out."
There's pain in the expression on Nate's face, even as his thumb caresses the back of Ryna's hand. "I'm sorry." Nate says, turning his face away.
Ryna's hands shift to the metal around Nate's wrists, looking up at Eliot. "You're going to let him go now, right?" He hears Nate's gasp, feels the way he pulls away, despite the restraints.
"No." Nate growls out. "No. Not yet."
"We have to make sure he's okay first, Ryna."
Her eyes are big as she turns back to Nate, standing and putting her little hand on his chest. "You remember now, right? You remember who I am?"
Nate nods, his eyes closed. "I remember everything Ryna."
Eliot hears what he doesn't say, the guilt, the sinking feeling of knowing he'd killed innocent people, that he'd killed a child. He pulls Ryna back to him. "Let's let Nate sleep, okay, Ryna? He needs rest."
Her little hand moves to fast for Eliot to stop her, grabbing Nate's chin, her fingers way too close to his mouth. "You get better. Eliot needs you to come home." She leans in then, whispering something in Nate's ear before she lets Eliot pull her away.
Eliot breathes a little easier once they're outside the room, but he's still a little dizzy from the feeding and from Ryna's boldness. He pulls his hands through his hair and exhales slowly. Parker's head pops out of the room they're hunkered down in when he's not in the vault with Nate.
"We got him."
"Sterling?" Eliot bustles Ryna into the room, where Sophie and Hardison are watching Hardison's laptop.
"Right there. He went for it." Sophie says, sounding a little surprised. Sterling's face turns to the camera, holding up the package. He pulls a telephone out of the box and turns his back to the camera. A few seconds later a message pops up on the screen.
"I want Nathan Ford."
Eliot can feel his heart pounding, anger bubbling up inside him. "Sophie, take Ryna home."
"No." Ryna stomps her foot, grabbing at Eliot's hand.
"Eliot, stick to the plan."
"Fuck the plan." Eliot points to the screen, to Sterling's smug face. "He knows something."
"All the more reason to go carefully." Sophie insists. "Hardison, send the response."
Hardison looks to Eliot, his fingers on the keyboard. Eliot fumes, but nods.
"Make an offer."
Sterling stares at the camera for a moment, then a response pops up. "6pm, bus station." Then he drops the phone in the trash can and walks out of the camera's range.
"Well, that went well." Sophie says, rubbing her hands together. "Parker, you and Hardison get us set up. Eliot take Ryna home. We'll come by after the meet."
"You can't expect me to sit this out." Eliot says, hands on his hips. Ryna echoes his posture and his glare at Sophie.
"Me too."
Eliot shakes his head and turns to Ryna. "No."
"Yes."
"No."
"It is something Sterling won't expect." Parker says thoughtfully.
"No." Eliot says emphatically, shaking his head. "No."
"Then take her home." Sophie responds, eyebrow raised at him.
"She's just a little girl."
"Exactly." Hardison says, his eyes lighting up. "He won't expect it, he won't hurt her. We coach her, put a comm. in her ear. Less risk for all of us."
"Except for Ryna." Eliot counters.
"She'll be fine."
"I want to help." Ryna says, tugging on his hand.
Eliot is out numbered and he knows it, but he doesn't like it. Doesn't like any of it. "He hurts her, I kill him. And then the rest of you."
Title: The Sky Rains Red, Part Four (Part One & Part Two & Part Three)
Pairings/Characters: Nate/Eliot, Parker, Sophie, Hardison, Ryna (OFC), Sterling
Rating: NC-17 (for violence)
Word Count: 2741
Summary: Follows Close the Door, Pull the Shades and I'll Find A Way. Eliot may have found a way to save Nate, but the cure itself might still kill the vampire. Hardison and Sophie discover that getting Nate through this may not be the only challenge they have to face.
A/Ns & Summary: Fourth chapter of at least five. Bondage of a sort. Upset little girl.
"Nate, can you hear me? Need you to wake up. Need you to feed. Come on."
He hears the words from a distance, like miles of tunnel and he fights consciousness, knowing instinctively that consciousness is going to hurt. Something warm hovers over him, something living.
There's a low growl echoing around him, coming from him. A splash touches his lips, wet, hot. His tongue moves, his eyes open as the taste explodes and his body roars to life, reaching for the source of the blood.
The bed rattles, shakes with his effort and Eliot pulls away. Eliot. Nate recognizes him, recognizes the taste of him in his mouth, but he's restrained, his arms and feet chained and Eliot holds one hand over his bleeding wrist.
Nate growls, pulling at the restraints as Eliot approaches again slowly. "Easy. I'm going to feed you, but you gotta relax."
The words filter through the need and hunger and rage that fill his mind and Nate tries, really tries to settle. His fangs are down, his mouth open. Eliot moves closer, holding his arm up over Nate's face. "That's it, easy."
Eliot moves his thumb off the wound and blood drips into Nate's open mouth, hot, rich. It triggers a slide of memories, his body tightening. The first time Eliot seduced him, the way the heat filled him, burning into him, the craving born in those first moments. Long before Nate is done, Eliot pulls back, his hand once more closing over the wound.
"More." Nate growls, his head turning to follow Eliot's movements.
"Not yet. We have to be sure."
Nate thinks he should understand, but can't make sense of it, frowning up at Eliot as the fangs retreat and his brow eases back. "Eliot?"
He remembers bits and pieces, all strung along periods of black. Eliot's wrapping a bandage around his wrist as he comes to kneel beside the bed. "It's okay Nate. You're going to be fine."
Nate squints at him. "So hungry." It isn't what he means to say, but his impulse control seems to be nearly non-existent.
"I know." Eliot tapes down the bandage, than lifts his hand to rest on Nate's chest. "I know, and if this goes well, I'll feed you everything you need. But we have to make sure first."
"Sure…" There was a drug. Suddenly he remembers Eliot telling him that. In the blood. Something that changed him, made him kill. Nearly made him kill Ryna. Nate swallows, licks at his lips as if he can somehow pull more blood into him that way, as if it's just out of his reach. So fucking hungry. Starving.
The growl is back, almost like he can't control it…or exactly like because it doesn't stop even as he thinks that. He's shaking, trembling. The small bit of blood he's swallowed is nowhere near enough. His body is cold, like he hasn't fed properly in days.
He realizes Eliot is talking to him, but he can't make sense of the words. Rage swells inside him, hunger fueled rage and his screams knock Eliot away, the bed rattling against the floor as he tries to free himself.
"Damn it." Nate's teeth dig into his lips and his fingernails claw at the bed. "Nate, damn it all to fuck." Eliot's got something in his hands as he approaches. "Come on, pull it together."
Eliot is waiting for something, waiting for Nate.
Nate swallows, closes his eyes. His thoughts are sluggish, but he can push them through the haze of rage. "Eliot." His voice is gruffer than it had been moments before. "Eliot." It helps a little, the knowledge that Eliot is there, that Eliot won't let him die, not if he can help it. Nate nods, licks his lips. "Okay…I'm okay…"
It isn't entirely the truth, but Eliot puts the needle away. "Rest, Nate. I'll be back in a bit."
He feels Eliot's withdrawal like a blanket of snow laid over his grave, keeps his eyes closed and hopes for sleep to pull him under.
Eliot slams out of the room, slams into the next room where Hardison is still working feverishly at his computer. "Fuck. Fuck. Fuck."
Hardison looks up at him. "I take it that didn't go well?"
Eliot fumes and tosses a chair into a wall before inhaling deeply and pushing his hair out of his face. "No, not as well as I want."
Hardison nods, his eyes going a little soft around the edges. "We knew it was going to be tough."
Eliot closes his eyes, but he can still see the way Nate's body went rigid, the way his eyes filled with dark and had he been loose, Eliot is fairly certain he wouldn't be standing here. "He pulled it together though…I think a little longer and maybe we'll try again."
Hardison didn't say what they both were thinking. Much longer and there wasn't going to be a Nate to try to revive. "What about you?"
"Sophie's dropped the package." Hardison's fingers flew on the keys.
"You think he'll take the bait?"
Hardison looks up at him and shrugs. "It's Sterling. Who knows." He glances at the clock, then up at Eliot. "You better get moving, Ryna's field trip is just about over."
"Right. You call me if anything changes. I'll be back once she's in bed."
Eliot jogs out to the truck, heading for the school. He'd promised he'd be there when they got back because Ryna has been riding him like crazy about the time he spends with her…not that he minds really. He loves the girl like nobody's business, but he needs to take care of Nate too.
And he should be out there with Sophie because Sterling doesn't play nice. He doesn't like the plan, but he's been outvoted and that leaves him going to fetch his daughter and babysitting Nate while Sophie and Parker and Hardison take the risks.
And Sterling isn't even the biggest one. Just the one they can put a name to at the moment. Like Nate, Sterling is being manipulated by bigger players in some scheme that at first glance seems random and disorganized, but when Hardison started peeling back they layers they'd found a complex web of deceit and violence and drugs.
Eliot pulls into the school as the kids are piling off the bus, waits while Ryna gets her things organized and waves at him before the teacher lets the kids go. She runs to the truck all smiles and pulls the door open, climbing inside.
"I take it you had a good day?" Eliot asks as she slides over the seat to kiss his cheek in greeting.
"The best. I got to hit stuff." Eliot chuckles and gets them moving into traffic. "There were these big pillows people jump into, but they wouldn't let us jump, but they let us hit them over and over."
"Meet anyone famous?" Eliot asks, watching her squinting out the window.
"Nah, they all went home. They only invited us cause they were all done and packing up to leave…but we got to see how the cameras work and what the director does and we met this guy who says his job is to stand and hold Johnny Depp's coffee all day…well, except when he's drinking it." She put a hand out to touch his arm. "Hey."
Eliot frowns and looks at her. "Hey what?"
"I thought you said I could go see Nate."
"I did." Eliot nods.
"Then why are we going home?"
He didn't want to tell her that Nate wasn't better, that he'd been wrong. "Ryna, honey, I just figured you should do your homework first, have dinner."
"I don't have homework, we went on a field trip, remember? And I'm not hungry. I want to see Nate."
"Not today, darling. He's…not ready for you."
"Well tough. I'm ready for him. I've been waiting. I've been good about it. I'm all done being good about it. Now."
She crosses her arms and looks out the window and Eliot knows he's the grown up here, knows he doesn't have to give in, that it's wrong to give in, but he also knows she can make his life hell if he doesn't. He sighs and turns at the next signal light, sending them back toward the place they've been hiding Nate.
Once he parks he turns to look at his daughter. "You listen to me, young lady. This is very important. You do not touch him. You do not get within an arm's reach of him. He's is still very sick."
Her blue eyes are big and something close to fear shines in them for a moment before she nods and opened the door on her side of the truck. Hardison opens his mouth to say something as they pass through, but Eliot just holds up his hand and keeps moving. "Okay, now, he's lost a lot of weight, and he looks pretty bad." Eliot says and Ryna responds by crossing her arms. "Right."
He gets the room open and holds out his hand for her to take. After only a slight hesitation, she takes it and follows him inside. He stops them well away from the bed where Nate is chained and feels her shiver. "Can he hear us?"
Eliot nods slowly. "Yeah, he can. Sometimes he wakes up when I talk to him."
"Can we go a little closer?" Her feet shuffle on the floor as Eliot guides her forward. "Nate?"
Her voice is tiny in the open space of the room, but he sees Nate flinch a little. She clears her throat and tries again. "Nate, it's Ryna. Eliot brought me to see you."
Eliot is surprised when Nate's eyes open, focusing first on him, then on Ryna, who grins up at Eliot. "R-r-r…" Nate licks his lips, the blue in his eyes clearer than they'd been before. "Ryna."
She pulls a little on Eliot's hand, trying to get closer. Nate's eyes widen and Eliot pulls her back, picking her up when she starts to protest. "I told you, not to close." Eliot says softly in her ear, his eyes on Nate's face.
"He needs us." Ryan whispers. "Look at him."
Eliot doesn't need to look at Nate to know what he needs. He can feel it in the pit of his stomach. "Just a little longer." Eliot whispers back, though he's not sure if it's meant for her or for himself.
"Hungry." Nate murmurs, his voice rough. Ryna shivers in Eliot's arms.
Eliot moves just a little closer, holding Ryna away from Nate. He looks into Nate's face, looking for signs of the monster in his eyes. There is only confusion and hunger, need and affection. "Nate?"
He licks his lips and nods. "Okay. Just…hold on."
He takes Ryna to the door. "You wait outside for just a minute, okay?"
"No, I want to stay." She pushes back at him, but he puts his foot down.
"Ryna, if you want me to help Nate, you have to wait outside. If this works, I'll let you back in."
"Promise?"
"Promise." Eliot pulls the door shut and crosses back to the bed, unwrapping the bandages on his wrist, squeezing the wound and coaxing blood from it. As the first drops land on his mouth, Nate's lips open, his head lifting off the bed, his hands straining at the chains. His eyes don't close, just stay focused on Eliot and Eliot finds himself lowering his wrist until the skin brushes Nate's lips.
Nate is shaking, but he's in control, taking what Eliot offers and even though he could now, not biting, not draining. He lowers his head and his eyes finally close. Eliot draws his hand away, pressing his thumb against his wrist to stop the bleeding.
Eliot slips to his knees by the bed, wrapping his wrist again. His hand rests on Nate's chest, his eyes watching Nate's face. "I'm okay." Nate says softly, his eyes still closed.
Eliot feels relief wash through him, stinging at the corners of his eyes. "Nate, man…you had me scared."
Nate's hand moves, as much as it can with the chains and Eliot's hand slips into his, holding it tight. "I wasn't sure…"
Nate is quiet and when Eliot looks up, Nate is staring at the door. Eliot turns to find Ryna standing there. "Ryna, I told you to wait outside."
"I want to see." Ryna says, stepping into the room.
"It's okay. Let her see what I am." Nate says, his voice oddly hollow.
She lips into Eliot's lap, her small hand joining Eliot's on Nate's. "I told Eliot you would get better."
Her free hand rubs over the bandages on Eliot's wrist where fresh blood stained them. "Did he eat?"
Eliot nods, unable to find words.
"She knows?" Nate asks.
"I'm not a moron." Ryna answers for Eliot. "It didn't take much to figure out."
There's pain in the expression on Nate's face, even as his thumb caresses the back of Ryna's hand. "I'm sorry." Nate says, turning his face away.
Ryna's hands shift to the metal around Nate's wrists, looking up at Eliot. "You're going to let him go now, right?" He hears Nate's gasp, feels the way he pulls away, despite the restraints.
"No." Nate growls out. "No. Not yet."
"We have to make sure he's okay first, Ryna."
Her eyes are big as she turns back to Nate, standing and putting her little hand on his chest. "You remember now, right? You remember who I am?"
Nate nods, his eyes closed. "I remember everything Ryna."
Eliot hears what he doesn't say, the guilt, the sinking feeling of knowing he'd killed innocent people, that he'd killed a child. He pulls Ryna back to him. "Let's let Nate sleep, okay, Ryna? He needs rest."
Her little hand moves to fast for Eliot to stop her, grabbing Nate's chin, her fingers way too close to his mouth. "You get better. Eliot needs you to come home." She leans in then, whispering something in Nate's ear before she lets Eliot pull her away.
Eliot breathes a little easier once they're outside the room, but he's still a little dizzy from the feeding and from Ryna's boldness. He pulls his hands through his hair and exhales slowly. Parker's head pops out of the room they're hunkered down in when he's not in the vault with Nate.
"We got him."
"Sterling?" Eliot bustles Ryna into the room, where Sophie and Hardison are watching Hardison's laptop.
"Right there. He went for it." Sophie says, sounding a little surprised. Sterling's face turns to the camera, holding up the package. He pulls a telephone out of the box and turns his back to the camera. A few seconds later a message pops up on the screen.
"I want Nathan Ford."
Eliot can feel his heart pounding, anger bubbling up inside him. "Sophie, take Ryna home."
"No." Ryna stomps her foot, grabbing at Eliot's hand.
"Eliot, stick to the plan."
"Fuck the plan." Eliot points to the screen, to Sterling's smug face. "He knows something."
"All the more reason to go carefully." Sophie insists. "Hardison, send the response."
Hardison looks to Eliot, his fingers on the keyboard. Eliot fumes, but nods.
"Make an offer."
Sterling stares at the camera for a moment, then a response pops up. "6pm, bus station." Then he drops the phone in the trash can and walks out of the camera's range.
"Well, that went well." Sophie says, rubbing her hands together. "Parker, you and Hardison get us set up. Eliot take Ryna home. We'll come by after the meet."
"You can't expect me to sit this out." Eliot says, hands on his hips. Ryna echoes his posture and his glare at Sophie.
"Me too."
Eliot shakes his head and turns to Ryna. "No."
"Yes."
"No."
"It is something Sterling won't expect." Parker says thoughtfully.
"No." Eliot says emphatically, shaking his head. "No."
"Then take her home." Sophie responds, eyebrow raised at him.
"She's just a little girl."
"Exactly." Hardison says, his eyes lighting up. "He won't expect it, he won't hurt her. We coach her, put a comm. in her ear. Less risk for all of us."
"Except for Ryna." Eliot counters.
"She'll be fine."
"I want to help." Ryna says, tugging on his hand.
Eliot is out numbered and he knows it, but he doesn't like it. Doesn't like any of it. "He hurts her, I kill him. And then the rest of you."
