Final chapter! Thanks to all those that have reviewed! Reviews are love! I'm hoping to have another story out in the next week or so, but I haven't gotten far on it, so if anyone has a good Eliot/Parker-with-a-sibling-type-relationship idea, let me know!

Enjoy!

I don't own Leverage

Eliot POV

The team Hardison sent for them arrived about an hour later. The team consisted of four men, all equipped with food, water and oxygen in case either the hitter or the thief needed them. Hardison hadn't mentioned anything to them about their mission to get the notebook or finding Alan. He had just told them that they had started climbing the mountain and Parker had gotten sick.

When Eliot heard them tramping through the snow, Parker still had her head contently on his shoulder. She had woken up nearly forty five minutes ago, but hadn't budged from her position. Eliot knew that she was seeking comfort and possibly warmth and he wasn't going to do anything to mess that up. He was quite happy where he was at.

But he also knew that they would be in trouble if they didn't get back before the sun went down. It was common knowledge that the winds picked up during the night and the temperatures dropped significantly. Even the tent wouldn't protect them from the cold. So when the team approached the tent, Eliot roused Parker.

"Time to go darlin'."

She picked her head up and looked at him with a drowsy expression. She hadn't been fully conscious and hadn't heard the climbers' approach.

"It's time to go back to the base camp. The rescue team has arrived."

Her mind was working slower than normal and she was still getting her wits about her when one of the rescue team members tugged open the zipper. He poked his head inside.

"Mind if we come in for a bit?" he asked with a smile. Eliot waved them in.

The first guy looked nice enough. He was a red head in his mid twenties with freckles splashed across his face Eliot remembered seeing the second guy briefly back at the base camp. If he remembered correctly, this guy had known Alan and was named Bryce. The third guy Eliot also recognized, but only vaguely. Eliot knew he had military training by the way he sat. It was a very distinctive position. The fourth guy Eliot didn't recognize, but by the way he handled himself, he was a very experienced climber.

"How are you two holding up?" Bryce asked.

"We're ready to get back," Eliot replied.

"Well you're in good hands," the redhead said. "Evan and Jacob," he indicated the third and fourth guy respectively, "are both experienced climbers along with myself and Bryce. My name is Andrew, by the way." Eliot liked Andrew. He didn't seem to be hiding anything, which was refreshing considering his line of work. "So how are you feeling?" he asked Parker.

She shrugged.

"I'm okay."

"She gets sick when she exerts herself too much," Eliot added quickly. "It's the altitude."

"That gets lots of people," Jacob said. "How bad did it hit you?" Parker started shrugging again but Eliot overrode her.

"She almost passed out earlier." All four of the guys frowned.

"Not fun," Andrew said worriedly. "But you've been fine for awhile?"

"Yeah," she replied. Andrew looked to Eliot for confirmation. He nodded.

"When we head out again, we'll go slow." Then Andrew turned to Eliot. "Are you doing okay with the altitude?"

"For the most part. I've had a headache for awhile, but I'm doing okay."

"Good. Are you ready to head out?"

Eliot and Parker both agreed and they gathered up the few supplies that they had. Parker ended up carrying almost nothing and Eliot ended up with very little. Andrew went first, followed by Eliot and Evan and then Parker. Bryce and Jacob claimed the end of the train so they could watch over the rest of them.

They walked in single file in order to avoid getting separated. Andrew and Jacob both had ear buds that they used to keep in constant contact with each other. Jacob helped Andrew adjust his speed and told him when to stop if any of them needed a break.

At Jacob's request, Andrew found a sheltered place for them to take a break about half of the way down. Eliot kept his back to the wind, but he stood in a position where he could watch Parker. Evan, Andrew and Jacob all stood above Eliot and Parker, creating a small shield for them from the snow. Bryce handed her an oxygen tank, which she only used for a minute or two before handing it back.

Like Eliot expected, Parker endured her tiredness quietly. She wasn't one to complain. At least not about her real problems or discomforts. It was a well known fact that Parker would complain about boredom until Hardison finally gave her a hypothetical building to break into in under a certain amount of time. She would often figure those games out pretty quickly and Eliot would have to entertain her by teaching her to cook or fight. Real things, however, could remain a secret until they noticed that the thief was quieter than normal. Sickness and injuries had to be sought out.

Therefore, Eliot kept a close eye on Parker. She seemed pretty alert, though, so when they started off again he didn't worry too much. There were four other men that knew how to handle themselves and would help her if she needed it. Even so, he continually listened for her increased panting or the loud crunching of snow that would indicate that she had fallen. He didn't hear either of these sounds, however, and they continued without incident.

Nate and Sophie were waiting for them at the base camp, but Hardison was nowhere in sight. Both Eliot and Parker submitted to a hug from Sophie; even the rescue team members received hugs. Nate didn't express his anxiety as much as Sophie did, but he still clapped Eliot on the back.

"Glad to have you back."

"Glad to be back. Are we ready to go back to Boston?"

"Hardison is getting us a helicopter and we already have plane tickets for tomorrow. I want you two to rest before we get on the plane." Eliot had heard of people getting sick on planes because of the thinner air in the cabin. Although it was pressurized, it still wasn't quite as thick as at sea level. Even so, Eliot couldn't wait to get back home and spend some time resting on his own terms.

Parker POV

It had been such a long day and Parker was ready to go home. Now that she was safe at the base camp with her team, Parker finally had time to think about the last few hours.

She realized as she was standing next to her team that throughout the entire ordeal the only time she had been truly scared was when Eliot had left her to get the oxygen tank. The rest of the time she had been confused, nervous and in pain, but she hadn't ever been sincerely afraid. As this realization dawned on Parker, she paused. She had trusted Eliot to take care of her. She had completely and entirely trusted him. Even though he was protecting her from the weather and the altitude, something he couldn't control at all, she had never doubted that she would be fine.

This was a real threshold for Parker. She couldn't remember one time in her entire life that she had trusted one person so much. Yes, she trusted the team to take care of her, but she always had some control over the situation, just in case. She always had her harnesses hidden around the apartment, just in case she needed to leave quickly. Or flee. Up on the mountain, it had never once occurred to her to leave Eliot and try to make it on her own though.

In the past, abandoning the job to take care of herself was always the answer, whether she had partners or not. As far as she knew, her partners had escaped each time. She had only ever worked with other people once or twice before her current team, and those encounters hadn't gone very well. The first time she had barely gotten out alive and the second time she had gotten out fine, but with nothing to show for it.

When she first met the Leverage team, she thought of leaving right then and there. Hardison looked like a college kid with way too much time on his hands and Eliot… Eliot looked like a thug that could attack her at any moment. Unlike Hardison, he was always very focused and serious. For a normal job, this would be an asset. Eliot's stature and obvious ability to fight made Parker very nervous around him though.

Now, however, those exact same features brought her a sense of protection and security. If Eliot was near her, there was no doubt in her mind that he would do whatever he had to to keep her safe. Even if that meant taking damage himself. That was the part that always floored Parker. It was completely against her nature to let any harm come to her, but it was literally his job to through himself between her and anyone else who would want to hurt her. It wasn't just a job to him though, she realized. It was his lifestyle, his personality. Even when there wasn't a real threat of danger, Eliot was always nearby ready to be her brother, cousin, boyfriend, or even on some occasions a stalker to get rid of any guys that were trying to flirt with Parker.

A soft touch on her shoulder brought her back to reality. It was Jacob, who wanted her to see the camp doctor just in case. When the rest of the team followed a few minutes later, she was sitting with the doctor who was looking her over. The doctor claimed that she would be fine and it was just a bad case of altitude sickness. He had also looked at her shoulder, which was just bruised. Parker wasn't accustomed to letting others check her for injuries, though, and that combined with the unknown environment and situation left her agitated. She kept glancing around nervously and looked like she was ready to bolt. The doctor was just starting to talk with Jacob, but was also including Parker in the conversation. Although unintentional, he was preventing her from leaving. Nate came to her rescue.

"I think we need to get out of here," he said smoothly. "Our helicopter is coming soon and we need to pack up." The look Parker gave him was one of pure gratitude.

"Oh, of course," the doctor said. He seemed to just realize that Parker was not fully comfortable. "By all means go. Have a safe trip and get better soon." Parker took Nate's hand and he led her out of the tent and over to Hardison's tent. Eliot went to the main tent to double check that Drexel had indeed been taken into custody.

"We're going to make sure that everything worked out with Drexel," Sophie said. "We'll see you later, okay?" Parker knew it was their excuse to give her and the hacker some time to themselves. She smiled and nodded, allowing them to leave without question.

She entered the tent hesitantly. Hardison was sitting on his computer booking hotel rooms for the night with two or three orange soda bottles scattered around him. A cautious smile broke out on his face when he saw her.

"Hey," he said as he hurried over to her, originally intending to give her a hug but stopping just before, unsure of what she would accept.

He raised his hand for her to fist bump, then opened it for a high five, and then opened his arms for a hug. She didn't respond right away and he lowered his arms slowly. The next moment, she was hugging him tightly.

"Hey, hey, you're okay," he said soothingly as he wrapped his arms around her. "You're okay." She buried her face in his shoulder; he tightened his grip.

"It's been a long day," she mumbled.

"I know, baby girl, I know," he said comfortingly. "Our helicopter is on its way. We'll be back at sea level in a matter of hours. You'll feel better once we get you some real rest."

"I feel fine," she protested immediately.

"I'm sure you do," he said quietly, not believing her at all. Physically, she probably felt fine, but emotionally and mentally she was a wreck. And she had good reason to be. He would just have to keep an eye on her to make sure she didn't try anything too strenuous. They sat down on one of the trunks and Hardison was surprised when she didn't make any move to pull away from him.

The rest of the team walked in and found them still sitting there ten minutes later. Hardison jumped and started to remove his arm, but Parker grabbed it and held it in place. Sophie gave them a sweet smile and Nate pretended not to see and went right back out to check on the helicopter while Eliot set about gathering up the last of their supplies.

"Hey, man," Hardison said worriedly. "Don't forget my laptop."

"I know Hardison," Eliot growled, but Parker knew he wasn't angry.

Nate came running in a few minutes later.

"The helicopter is here," he reported.

"Are we all ready?" Sophie asked, surveying the tent to make sure they didn't forget anything. They all gave some form of agreement and they all filed out of the tent. Hardison kept his arm around Parker.

"C'mon," he said casually. "Let's go home."

Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed my alternate ending!