A/N – Takes place sometime in season 2... Before Sophie inevitable comes back. Also goes after "For A Little While," in sequence in this apparent series. This is the most "recent" one. Also, the italics in this case show the time leading up to the present in the story.

He blames Parker for this. After all, if she had just kept her observations to herself, none of this would have happened. But she was Parker, and things with her never did go as smoothly as they could.

"Oooh! Eliot has a hickey!" Parker calls out in excitement as she drops down beside him on the couch.

Eliot glares at the girl, but it has no effect. He wonders if he even slightly intimidates any of them anymore. Rolling his eyes, he bats off Parker's prying fingers as she tries to tug at his collar to get a better look.

"You… away!" he demands, smirking when she huffs and leaves him be.

But of course it's never as simple as that. Hardison has to get involved.

"Damn, El, that's a serious love bite there," Hardison whistles softly, "You found you an animal last night."

Eliot smirks. The boy has no idea.

"None of your business, son."

Hardison peers closer and Eliot fights not to squirm, "Seriously, man, it looks like she really sunk her teeth in. What kind of crazy chicks you messing around with?"

An unexpected bubble of protectiveness for Kara rises up inside of Eliot, and he's growling out a response before he can stop himself. "She's not crazy."

Nate chooses this moment to get involved, eyeing Eliot speculatively. "So, it's more than just last night?"

Eliot just scowls. It's none of their damn business, and he tells them so, in those very words.

"Aww, Eliot has a giiirlfriend," Parker sing-songs, causing Hardison to actually giggle. Even Nate gives a small laugh.

"What's her name?" Hardison asks, recovering from his laughter.

Eliot tells them, once again, that it's none of their damn business, and stares pointedly at the television. He could maintain silence with the best of them.

Grudgingly, Hardison pulls up the latest case, and the topic is changed. For now.

"I'm… sorry," Eliot waves his hand around the room, trying to encompass the entire situation with his apology.

Kara just laughs and settles gracefully on the couch above where he's slumped on the floor. "It's not your fault," she insists.

Eliot leans back, letting his head fall back onto her knees, and he doesn't even mind when she pets his hair.

"Still," he says, "I'm sorry."

He probably should have seen it coming. But hindsight is 50/50 and all that. But really, he probably should have seen it coming.

He's sleeping, as people do at two in the morning. Kara had surprised him the night before with her visit, he'd thought she was in Morocco, but had surprised him even more by being there a second consecutive night. It wasn't her style. But by the time she was done convincing him that staying was a good idea, he was too pleasantly exhausted to even question her. And so, they slept, Kara burrowed in his heat as usual.

And then it all went to hell.

Eliot wakes up suddenly, noting several things at once. First, Kara was no longer in bed. Second, there was somebody in his apartment. And third, and most important and dangerous, Kara's shoes still sat on the floor. This meant whoever dared to break into his apartment was about to deal with a severely pissed off vampire. And if Eliot guesses correctly, the only people dumb enough to break into his apartment at two in the morning were his teammates.

He's right.

He makes it to Kara's side just as she goes to lunge for Hardison, and just moments from her exposing her fangs. Grabbing her quickly by the waist, he tries to calm her down.

"It's just Hardison. We work together. Relax."

Kara reluctantly relaxes, leaning into his hold. "He broke in!" she insisted, "And he has a video camera."

Eliot glares at Hardison who raises his arms in sheepish surrender. "I just wanted to see your girlfriend! The camera was Parker's idea. I swear."

"The crazy blonde?" Kara pins her gaze on Hardison, "Where is she?" She pauses to sniff, getting a definite hint of Jasmine and leather.

Hardison gives her a look, but she ignores him. "She's in the car," he replies.

"No," Kara retorts, "She's right outside the door."

A small 'dammit!' echoes from the hallway and Hardison looks at Eliot in shock, but the hitter merely rolls his eyes and gestures for Hardison to open the door. He does, and Parker stands there, looking as if showing up at somebody's apartment at two AM with a video camera was a common occurrence.

"Wow, you're pretty," Parker says to Kara by way of introduction.

To her credit, Kara isn't even fazed by the blunt words. Instead, she just smiles and thanks Parker.

"They would make really pretty babies," Parker whispers to Hardison, but it isn't soft enough for Kara to miss.

She tenses immediately and Eliot decides enough is enough.

"Hardison, Parker, this is Kara. Now you've seen her. And now you can go. Don't care where you go, just… go."

Parker pouts but reluctantly pulls Hardison back towards the door.

Hardison snaps out of the daze he'd been in since getting a good look at Kara. She really was entrancing. "Sorry, man," he says to Eliot as he's being pulled away by Parker.

Eliot just narrows his eyes. He'll deal with those two tomorrow. Or, later today as it were.

He sighs in relief when he hears the car pull away. Looking down, he realizes the entire encounter had taken place when he was wearing nothing but baggy pajama bottoms. He shrugs with nonchalance until he notices Kara's outfit. She's wearing his robe, and he's struck by how incredibly sexy she looks in it. There's no good reason for it to look so good. It's long and plush and covers her almost entirely. And yet. He sighs again. The "and yet's" of his life seem to come more and more often lately.

He drops to the floor in front of the couch, leaning against it. He looks up at Kara, surprised to find her smiling softly at him.

"Your friends are funny," Kara breaks the silence, still stroking Eliot's hair absently.

"Funny?" Eliot looks up at her in disbelief, "You were two seconds away from ripping out Hardison's throat."

Kara wrinkles her nose, "Well, he shouldn't be breaking in. I wasn't about to let anyone hurt you."

"I can take care of myself, you know," Eliot grumbles, "Professional, here."

"Doesn't mean I can't be protective," Kara insists, giving his hair a little tug, "Only I'm allowed to hurt you."

"You never hurt me," Eliot counters with a moan. Honestly, he never had a hair kink before Kara. But it is what it is.

"Not my fault you like it," Kara teases, tugging again playfully. "Come sit with me," she says, and Eliot is unable to deny her.

They sit for a while in comfortable silence. Kara curls up and rests her head on Eliot's lap, where he takes his turn with the hair stroking.

"What were you like?" Eliot asks suddenly, "Before. You know… just before."

"Before I was turned?" Kara asks, smiling softly when Eliot nods.

She considers for a moment before answering. "I was just a girl," she settles on finally, "just a regular girl. I was turned sometime during the civil war and…"

"Which civil war?" Eliot interrupts, stilling his hand when Kara turns to lay on her back, looking up at him.

"America's," she replies, "I was… wrong, I think. I don't really remember. But I know that I didn't fit in. Was probably a half breed of some kind. Part black or part Indian, or some other insane difference that means nothing when it comes to blood."

Eliot murmurs for her to continue, enthralled in her tale.

"But even though I was wrong, I didn't suffer. I was just a girl. I think I was around 20 when it happened, but we didn't keep track of age like it's done now. I was old enough to be married, but not yet too old to be considered unmarriageable. But then, one morning I woke up, and everything was different."

"What happened next?" Eliot asks.

"The time right after; it's blurred at best. The next thing I really remember is being brought to Europe. My… sire, he loved Europe, although I don't think he was born there. And the rest… baby, I don't want you to know those stories. Please."

The 'please' catches Eliot's attention and he grabs one of her hands with his own. "You don't have to tell me anything else." She smiles up at him and he strokes her cheek gently, "I can see it, you know," he says, almost to himself, "The girl. She's still there."

Kara leans into his touch as she smiles. "What were you like?" she asks.

Eliot is confused at first. "What do you mean?"

"What were you like before?" she repeats, "Before I found you, before you became who you are?"

Eliot can't help but laugh at the question. He never really considered how similar their stories were, even through all the differences. There's no doubt that he is a different man than he once was, even if he hadn't gone through a literal transformation like Kara.

"I was just a boy," he replies, laughing again when she rolls her eyes. "I'm serious!" he insists, "My childhood isn't nearly as traumatic as people seem to think. As a whole, I was just a regular boy. And then I got into things I shouldn't have. And I have stories I don't want you to know either. Like yours, my first few years all blend in together. And then… you found me."

Kara grins, "I'm glad I did."

"You saved me that day," Eliot reminds her, he's never forgotten.

"You paid me back handsomely," Kara smirks and Eliot almost blushes. Almost.

"I'm tired," Eliot says, his temporary energy drained.

"So let's go back to bed," Kara shrugs as she gets up, pulling Eliot with her.

Once she's lost the deceptively sexy robe, Kara crawls back into the bed and curls up next to Eliot once again.

Eliot smiles to himself as she settles in. They don't need words, or grand gestures, or anything more than what they are, to make this work.

When it comes down to it, hitter and vampire fall away, leaving in their wake just a boy and a girl.

And sometimes, it's as simple as that.

THE END