Nate and Sophie sat opposite Elaine Jenkins that evening at McRory's.

"So the cops arrested Decan and the gangsters he was involved in this afternoon," Nate explained. "They'll be going away for a long, long time."

The woman smiled. "Thank you, thank you both."

"Don't thank us yet," Nate said as he pulled out two sets of keys from his pocket and handed them to Elaine.

"What's this?" she asked surprised.
"That," Sophie said pointing at one of the keys. "Is the key to Carter's restaurant, which, thanks to our FBI, well ex FBI friend, is now yours."

"I don't how how much you cook or know about restaurants but you could sell it or do whatever you want with it. A source of income to repair your home," Nate explained.

"And the other?" The woman asked eagerly.

"That is the key to Decan's garage. His state of the art, fully equipped garage," Nate stated and tears started running down Elaine's eyes.

"Thank you," she said. "I don't know how to thank you."

"Just help your brother keep doing what he's doing, that's thanks enough."

The woman nodded and, after picking the keys up from the table, walked out the door, smiling in disbelief.

"She seems like a nice kid," Nate remarked to Eliot as they sat a table in the bar. He glanced over at the teenager, deep in conversation with Sophie and Parker. Eliot turned his head to her and smiled.

"She is," he agreed.

"So what's the back story?" Hardison asked and Eliot took a sip of his beer.

"Whadya mean?"

"He means," Nate said, "how come your sister and niece lived with you? Surely she had a partner or husband..."

"Hayley was sixteen when she got pregnant," Eliot stated bluntly. "Sixteen. That's Abby's age. She was still a kid and our deadbeat father kicked her out. I had a house on base, took them in; it made sense. And then after Hayley died I raised her as best as I could."

"And the father?" Nate enquired.

"Never wanted anything to do with either of them."

"I just can't imagine it man," Hardison said, trying to lighten the mood.

"Imagine what?"

"You being all parenty and lovable and whatnot. But I like her, I reckon she'll fit in well," the hacker said, which pleased Eliot. He wasn't sure what sort of an impact Abby would have on the team but he certainly was glad that they liked her. "Imma go get me another drink," Hardison said as he stood up and left the table.

"What are you thinking Nate?" Eliot asked, wanting to hear the man's opinion.

"Things are going to be different," he replied simply. "So she's living with you?" Nate asked and Eliot nodded. "For how long?"

"Since Moreau."

"I don't like to ask this Eliot but is this going to be a problem? Can we continue to count on you?"

"You've been able to count on me for the last few job's we've run and Abby's been in my life," the hitter replied unphased by Nate's uncomfortable question; it was an inevitable one and one he had expected Nate, or any decent leader to ask. "Should be easier now that I'm not concentrating on hiding her."

"Why did you hide her?" Nate asked; the answer he had been given back at the safe house had not satisfied him.

"I already told you..."

"No," Nate interjected. "The real reason."

"There were a lot of reason's Nate," Eliot said after a brief pause. "I am, and I always will be worried about her safety. I didn't know how the team was going to react. How you were going to react."

"React to Abby or Moreau?"

"Both."

"And?" Nate asked, sensing there was still something else.

"All of those... things that I've done were to protect her. Now I can deal with people judging me for those things; that's my burden but she doesn't need that too."

"You thought we were going to judge her?"

"I was worried she was going to blame herself." he said simply as he took a long sip of his beer.

"Why would that depend on her meeting us?"

"Because having her meet you guys means that she's in our world. Things are gonna start to click for her."

"You can't protect her from everything you know Eliot," Nate said before quickly moving on. "Anyway, you asked me what I thought," he continued. "I think it'll be good for us, and for you," the mastermind stated and Eliot raised an eyebrow out of surprise. "After Moreau, you need something good. She's intelligent, kind hearted. Yes. I think she'll be good for us."

"I appreciate that."

"So what was Eliot like as a parent?" Sophie enquired as they sat at the bar, her uncle behind her shoulder talking to the other men.

"He's the best," she replied.

"I can't imagine Eliot being all nice and parental," Parker stated bluntly.

"Oh?" Abby asked.

"Yeah he's usually all angry and gruff," the thief elaborated.

"Yeah, I think he got a bit like that after ma died. But he's the best uncle, father, parent person anyone could ask for."

"You don't really look like him," Parker commented.

"No," Abby laughed, "I hear that a lot. Don't look like my ma either. Apparently my personality is all Spencer and I look like my father."

"Have you ever met your father?" Sophie asked.

"Nah, he never wanted anything to do with my ma or me. So, I could care less about him," she replied although in truth she was curious about him.

"Are you fine with he does?" Sophie asked; the question had been on her mind for a while. She had always found it hard to believe when someone in their line of work had an actual, blood and flesh family; she wondered how it would ever work.

"What you mean with the conning and the stealing? I think the world needs more people who are willing to help other so... altruistically. So I like it," she replied.

"I think she means the whole Eliot getting punched a lot thing," Parker not so quietly whispered in her ear, causing her to receive a death glare from Sophie.

"Oh," Abby said as she stared down at her glass. "I grew up with El being in the service and being a retrieval, hit..." her voice trailed off slightly, not liking to verbalise her uncle's unsavoury past. "I grew up with him leading a dangerous life. I never knew if he was coming home. I've always had to live with that and I'll never really be okay with that. But he's got something good here, people who care about him and won't leave him to die... let's put it this way. This job, right here, this is probably one of the safest he's ever had. So I am more than okay with it," she concluded as she sipped back the last of her cola.

Suddenly Parker's eyes lit up out of realisation.

"This means we have someone else to steal with!" the thief yelled out and the team thanked their lucky stars that the bar was closed to the public.

"No," Eliot said, overhearing Parker's remark. He stood up, moaning slightly out of pain. "You are not teaching her to pick locks and rob museums," he said pointing at Parker. "You are not teaching her how to hack or enhancing her already too geeky nature," this time turning to Hardison. "You are not teaching her how to manipulate and con people or spend 5000 dollars on pair of shoes," he said, now pointing at Sophie. "And you," he said turning to Nate. "You are not teaching her how to drink."

"But it'd be fun!" Parker whined. "The stealing part, not the drinking."

"I wouldn't mind it," Abby said softly. "The stealing part."

"No," her uncle replied.

"We'll wear him down eventually," Hardison stated.
"No." Eliot said again.

"A six person crew is more rounded," Sophie added.

"No!" Eliot protested once more.

"Think about it, its perfect. I can already speak like five languages, I know how to fight pretty damn well and I've already grifted," she exclaimed and the team looked at her in surprise. "Guy in Miami, long story," she stated.

"No," Eliot said again. "You go to school, get good grades and maybe..."
"He said maybe!" Abby exclaimed, giving Parker a high-five.
Nate smiled quietly on the other side of the bar as he watched his family quarrel playful as all families should, realising for the first time just how perfect his life was and how he didn't want it to change.

They were all growing together, and were all, finally, happy.

~Fin~

Sorry it took so long, my friends and I went away on an impromptu camping trip. But better late than never.

Thanks a million for reading =). And thanks to all my wonderful reviewers.

Please review even if you're reading this waaay after it was originally posted.

In terms of a threequel, maybe a month; I'm pretty busy and don't exactly have a solid plotline.

I'm thinking just lots of little stories in one big story thing (If that makes sense)

Let me know what you think =)

Have an amazing day and keep smiling!