"Sophie Deveroux."

Sophie turned around her face lighting up, "Cassie! Darling!" she crossed the bar floor and threw her arms around a petite young woman with dark butterscotch hair pulled back from her face.

"It's so good to see you again." she said.

"Let me introduce you to everyone." Sophie said leading her over, "This is Nate Ford, Alec Hardison, Eliot Spencer and Parker. This is Cassandra Michaels."

"Pleasure." Cassie smiled warmly.

"How do you know Sophie?" Nate asked.

"Vienna, last time." Cassie said glancing over at Sophie who smiled at the memory.

"What exactly is it that you do?" Parker asked.

"I'm a painter." she said.

"Have you sold many paintings?" Nate asked.

"Oh yes." Cassie smiled. "For quiet impressive sums."

"Under your own name?"

"Well I never said that." she joked.

"You're a forger." Eliot said.

Cassie met his gaze, "I'm a painter. And a great admirer of the masters."

"You know..." Sophie said thoughtfully, "A forgery might be just the thing for this job, Nate."

Nate regarded Cassie, "How would you like a job, Cassie?"

–

"This is Carter Sheridan. He fired our client, Natalie, without cause three weeks ago and still owes her a month's wages and severance pay. We're going to get it for her. This is our in."

Hardison brought up a photograph of Sheridan standing in front of a cubist painting. "Metzinger." Cassie said appreciatively. "Guy has good taste."

"Can you get us a forgery?" Nate asked.

"Shouldn't take me more than a week." she said studying the image closely. "This is a good enough quality for me to do it from."

He clapped his hands together. "Right, so we need to steal the original."

Parker spoke up, "There are sensors on the frame of the painting but not on the canvas. We could just cut the painting out."

"You are not going to 'just cut' a Metzinger out!" Sophie cried.

"What if we cut out the forgery?" Nate said. "And left the painting somewhere else?"

"It'll look like Sheridan orchestrated a break in to get an insurance pay out." Eliot said.

"On a painting that was a forgery to begin with." Hardison smirked.

"Cassie, it needs to be a good forgery but not too good." Nate said.

She scowled, "I can use too new paints. First test they run they'll find out it's a forgery." Eliot chuckled at her reluctance, "Just so we all know," Cassie said holding up a finger, "I could do a perfect one."

"Naturally." Sophie soothed, "In fact going against our nature is really more of a challenge."

Nate rolled his eyes.

–

"All right," Nate said over the comms, "Parker, Hardison you're on the vault. Eliot, Cassie, gardening duty. Sophie and I will keep an eye on Sheridan."

Eliot pressed a finger against his ear, "Copy that. Headed to the elevator now."

Hardison overrode the security lock down and all four piled into the elevator. "Give me a boost." Parker said and Eliot laced his fingers together giving her a foothold.

"Man, I hate this." Hardison grumbled.

"Careful with that." Cassie said handing the empty frame through the elevator ceiling.

"Oh, sure. Watch out for the wooden frame. Never mind the hacker about to free fall down an elevator shaft."

"Quit complaining." Eliot growled.

"See you later." Parker said chipperly before jumping out of sight dragging Hardison with her.

Eliot rolled his eyes as he and Cassie rode the elevator up to the top floor.

Downstairs in the party Nate whispered;"How we doing guys?"

"Disabling sensors." Came Hardison's voice.

Eliot unscrewed the cover and plugged the device Hardison had given him in. The light turned green and the door clicked open. "In Sheridan's office." Eliot said. "Top drawer or bottom?" he asked Cassie.

She rumaged around until she found a roll of tape. "Here. Stick it to the underside of his desk."

"Like it." he said disappearing underneath the mahogany with the case.

"We got it." came Parker's voice.

"OK." said Nate, "Wait until Cassie and Eliot are clear then set off the alarm.

"I can do that remotely from Lucille." said Hardison, "Waiting on your signal Eliot."

Eliot and Cassie headed back towards the elevator. The bell dinged and they stopped dead in the hallway. Nate spoke up, "Guys? Guys?"

"Someone's coming." Eliot hissed.

"This only works if we were never here." Nate said.

Cassie and Eliot sprinted back down the corridor. "Here." Cassie dragged him under the assistant's desk. They wedged themselves against the back board of the desk. Cassie held her breath. The footsteps walked up to the desk, paused and then back down to the elevator. "OK. We're heading down now." she said quietly.

Eliot pressed the button for the ground floor and reached into his duffle bag and tossed Cassie a handful of red satin.

She tugged off her gloves and stripped off her soft black top, "Eyes front and centre cowboy." she said. Eliot grinned ruefully and turned his back changing quickly. "OK. Zip." Cassie held her hair out of the way. His fingers grazed over the skin of her back.

"Almost there." Eliot said as Cassie fixed his tie. The slipped out into the bustling atrium. "Clear."

"Roger that." Hardison said gleefully setting off alarms. "Police response time; three minutes."

Party guests looked around in confusion as sirens filled the air. "That's our cue." Nate said.

"Shall we?" Eliot offered Cassie his arm.

She smiled and took it. "Lets."

–

"Job well done." Sophie said over her wineglass.

"What's going to happen to the real painting?" Cassie asked.

"Give it a couple of months and then it'll be anonymously donated to a museum." Nate said.

"Are you sure? It'd look great over my couch." Sophie said.

"I don't think so." Nate grinned and wandered over to where Hardison and Eliot were playing pool. Parker quickly started placing bets.

Sophie followed Cassie's gaze. "He likes you, you know." she smiled.

"Who?" Cassie feigned confusion.

"Why not?" Sophie asked, choosing to ignore her question.

Cassie's mouth twitched. "I don't get involved with con artists. I learned the hard way how... complicated it can get."

"Want a game, Cassie?" Hardison asked.

"I never really learned how." Cassie shrugged leaning against the green baize.

"You don't know how to play pool?" Eliot said incredulously.

She shrugged again. "Am I missing out?"

"Yes." he said shortly. "C'mere." he handed her a cue. "Pool, one oh one."

Half an hour later and a couple of beers in Cassie laughed, "I think I'm ready for a game."

Eliot raised his eyebrow, "You think so, huh?"

"Scared?" she grinned.

"Rack 'em up."

Cassie chalked up her cue, "You want to break?"

Eliot tossed his hair back, "Alright." the cue kissed the white sending balls scattering across the table. A red rolled into the side pocket. He grinned and set up another shot.

"So I'm yellow now right?"

"That's right."

"OK." She tilted her head scanning the table. "Hmmm. Excuse me." she nudged him to the side with her hip.

Eliot laughed and leant on his cue. "You want some advice?"

"Um. No. I think I'm alright." she bent over the table and sank a yellow ball. Eliot's brow furrowed. "Was that OK?" she asked widening her eyes innocently.

"You've played pool before." he said.

Cassie held up her thumb and finger almost touching. "Lil' bit."

"Aw man. You just got grifted." Hardison laughed.

Cassie was chuckling as she pulled her phone out of her back pocket. She glanced at the screen, "Cesare." she turned away slightly and began speaking rapidly in Italian. Hardison was still mocking Eliot when Cassie let out a fluid stream of what he was pretty sure were swear words. "Bene." she snapped ending the call. "Hate to love you and leave you darlings but," she raised the phone, "Roma calls."

Sophie hugged her, "Drop in any time." she said warmly.

Cassie smiled at the crew and waved as she headed out of the bar.

"I like her." Parker announced. Eliot leant on his cue and smiled.