Author's Note: Thanks for the replies whovian42 (I haven't been called a cruel author in ages!), Mercedes (for sticking around through the long waits), artychick7 (glad you found the story), The Girl in the White Scarf and Yammy1983 (thanks for reading!).

Sophie stole a glance about the room marking Nate and Hardison's positions about the banquet hall. She noticed Rose breaking free of the tables where a group of her elderly friends were gathered. She walked slowly, but eventually made it to where Lauren was getting a drink.

"Hello," Rose said and offered a wrinkled hand to the other woman.

"Oh, Mrs. Brewer," Lauren said, sounding a little surprised as she shook Rose's hand. "How are you doing?"

Behind them, Paul shifted and glanced around. He pulled out his phone for the dozenth time since arriving and checked it.

Sophie steeled herself and approached the man. "Paul, am I correct?" she said in a sweet tone and offered him a warm smile.

"Yes." He quickly pocketed his phone.

She wrapped herself around his arm. "You should be proud of the business you work for. You've helped so many people." Seeing Nate approach, she waved to him. "Nate, darling, come here. I don't know if you have met Mr. Lumis. He's with Home Keepers."

Nate stepped close to Sophie. "Mr. Lumis. I'm Nathan Ford." They exchanged a firm handshake and a few pleasantries that Paul clearly wasn't interested in. Noticing Sylvia's distressed look, Nate excused himself.

Slipping his empty glass on a nearby table, he closed the space between himself and Community Hope's director.

"I'm still uncomfortable with your ideas, Mr. Ford," Sylvia said as she pulled him to the side.

"I understand—"

"Still," there was a reluctance in her words, "you've done so much in so little time." She shook her head and pulled away. "Ladies and gentlemen! I'd like to introduce some of Community Hope's supporters." She introduced the owners of Laundry King and Murphy's Donuts. They were met with polite applause.

Nate took up position at the edge of the room and watched the proceedings.

Sylvia's smiling demeanor hesitated as she approached Lauren. "This is Lauren Brandt and Paul Lumis from Home Keepers."

The moment the focus was on the couple, Nate shifted to the side and whispered, "Hardison."

The hacker grinned and keyed a sequence into his phone.

The elevator music that permeated every room went silent and Paul's recorded voice crackled about the hall. "Call it a surcharge for the annoyance. You haven't dealt with these old prunes long enough to really get to hating them. In a week or two, you'll be wanting to tack on a service charge too." A beat. "If you tell Lauren about this, I'll bounce you so fast, you won't even feel your head hitting the ground."

All eyes fell to Paul.

"That's the man who fixed my leaky roof," a little old woman, bent over a cane said as she pointed a boney finger at Paul. "He overcharged me and that's when my necklace disappeared.

"He fixed the tile in my bathroom and my change jar vanished!" another voice called out.

Paul retreated a few steps. "I don't know what any of you are talking about." He laughed. "You're all senile."

Rose took a few steps forward. "You hurt my friends."

"I expected you to be skimming from the jobs," Lauren said. "You were stealing from our clients?" She rushed toward him and grabbed his arm. "You monster!"

Swiftly stepping between Rose and the unfolding scene, Sophie moved the elderly woman safely to the side of the room. She stole a glance at Nate.

Charles stepped forward. "Let's settle down, everyone—"

Lauren screamed as Paul sent her flying into Charles. He bolted toward the double doors. Nate was in motion, he wasn't going to let the man out the door but Paul was too quick. Flinging open the doors, he rushed toward the main entrance.

And then promptly stumbled backward into the hall.

"I should have known," he hissed even as his head bobbed unevenly before he fell backwards. He hit the polished wooden floor with a thud and a jangle as jewelry tumbled from one of his coat pockets.

A single golden wedding band rolled across the floor, curving slightly and slowing before toppling into a spin in front of Rose.

"Oh, just like a piñata!"

Sophie turned to find Parker standing next to her grinning wildly. "Where did you," the words died on her lips. "Nevermind." In the doorway, she saw Eliot shake his head and walk off.

Rose carefully approached the unconscious man sprawled across the floor. She stared at an item half hanging out of his pocket. "Isn't that Bernard's watch?"

"What kept you?" Nate asked.

"We got held up," was all Parker said as she handed him the handkerchief full of items she had retrieved from the safe in Paul's office.

"Just stay out of sight," he warned as he headed to where Sophie and Paul were standing.

"Paul, am I correct?" the grifter purred giving him one of her special smiles.

"Yes." The man was very distracted and Nate was certain knew why.

When Nate approached Sophie, he met her slightly outreached hand and handed her the bag.

Sophie gave him that certain look as she lavished a little extra attention on Paul while slipping the contents into his coat pocket.

"I was set up!" Paul called out. He pulled against the two uniformed officers that tried to guide him to the front doors. Spying Parker with Rose, he lunged for the two women, but lost his footing on the polished floor before being roughly dragged to his feet.

"Stealing from little old ladies," one of the officers said with a shake of his head. "You're lucky you're getting out of here with nothing but a tap on the head." He looked back at Charles. "All kinds of crazy tonight. Across town, there's some guy duct taped to a light post in a parking lot. Best part is, he's got like six warrants against him."

As if a weight was lifted, Lauren sank to a bench against the wall. She leaned back and scanned the large room. People were gathered about, whispering softly. Some turning and looking at her. Across the way, she spied a familiar figure seated on a row of benches pressed against the wall.

She smiled when she caught his gaze and mouthed, "Thank you."

Eliot Spencer nodded in quiet acknowledgment.

Lauren shut the door to her office and locked it behind Eliot. "Please," she said. There was fear and urgency in her voice. "I need your help."

Coda

Parker leaned against the long table watching carefully as the old man across from her shifted three of the red disposable cups over the vinyl tablecloth. He lined them up neatly and took his hands away.

Without a word, the thief pointed to the cup on the right and the old man lifted it revealing nothing but empty tabletop.

Parker just stared as the man burst out into a wheezing laughter. He nearly lost his upper dentures as he was cackling so joyously.

"Quit cheating, Walter," Rose said from her seat next to Parker.

"What? I'm not cheating," Walter shot back with a wide grin. He raised an arthritic hand and motioned Parker to lean closer. When the young woman did, he reached behind her ear and with a flick of his fingers, made the little red sponge ball suddenly appear. "It was here all the time," he said with a mischievous look.

Parker returned with a bright smile and held up a watch.

Walter's grey eyes widened. He quickly checked his wrist only to find it bare. "Wait...how did you—"

Rose motioned excitedly to Parker. "It's magic!"

As the excitement and the benefit started to wind down, Sophie found both Eliot and Hardison sitting on the benches against the wall. Hardison was involved with the small computer in his lap. He studied the screen intently. Eliot was a short distance away checking his injuries. A small, red gash under his right eye held the grifter's attention as she sat down between the two men.

"How's everything going?" Hardison asked. He looked up, but his gaze went to Parker across the room who was surrounded by Rose and several of her friends.

"I think we did a little bit of good here." She leaned to her right and lightly bumped Eliot in the shoulder and gave him a warm smile. "I love a happy ending." From her vantage point, she watched as Lauren and Sylvia sat and softly visited. "I don't know if they will ever truly get passed their difference, but I think they might learn to work together. And of course, Rose and her friends got their help." She looked from the hacker to the hitter. "What are you wallflowers hiding back here for?"

Both men looked across the room to the free bar where a very small, elderly woman stood with a cane, oversized glasses and a bright yellow dress. As she toddled past Nate, the mastermind suddenly straightened with a startled look and stared at the grinning old lady.

Eliot and Hardison replied in unison: "Avoiding Granny Grab Ass."

The end