A/N: Sorry this took so long I had a busy week… I hope yours was better than mine! I took a mini break from this to write another smutty one shot Eliot/Parker fic. It's called "I Dated A Lot of Models" based on The Runway Job. Check it out if you want!

Anyways, here's the new chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own Leverage or any of the characters. If I did, Parker and Eliot would be together and this would be an episode.

The team was sitting in their headquarters as Hardison told them about a new job. Nate had called early that morning and asked Eliot to meet a client with him. An older woman had come to them because of a corrupt lawyer, Johnny Moore. She wanted to sue her old employer and had paid thousands of dollars up front for Moore to get her the most money possible out of the case. Turns out he was getting paid off by the companies to lose the cases he was working on. Now the Leverage team had to catch him in the act and take him for all he was worth.

Eliot had arrived before Parker and they now sat without touching on the couch. Eliot didn't think the team suspected anything. Except maybe Sophie who had barely missed the growl Eliot gave when Hardison started making googly eyes at Parker. Eliot had to stop himself from grabbing Parker and pulling her away from him. On the plus side, Eliot didn't see Parker react to Hardison, so she was oblivious or just wasn't interested.

"Alright so we're going with the Apple Pie Scam," Nate said. "So Eliot, Parker, we're going to need you two to be the lifeguards and Sophie and I will be the tourists. Hardison you'll be with Lucille."

"Hell yeah, baby!" Hardison said, smiling and nodding his head.

"Who is this baby you're referring to?" Nate asked, earning a groan from the other team. They all stood and got prepared for the job to come. Eliot went to his closet and started grabbing things he would need.

"We get to be lifeguards," Parker whispered in Eliot's ear, startling him.

"Dammit, Parker!" Eliot whirled around to face her. "You can't just sneak up on people like that!"

Parker was so close to him, that Eliot could feel her breath on his neck. It made his skin prickle and tingle where he could feel the warm air coming from her mouth. He looked at her lips. So soft and smooth, and he briefly flashed back to the previous night. Her body so soft and smooth. How she felt around him.

"What should I say to Hardison?" Parker asked bluntly, snapping him out of his trance.

"Why are you asking me?" Eliot snapped. "Go ask Sophie for relationship advice."

"I already did, remember?" Parker shook her head. "That's why I came to you. I trust you, Eliot. And I feel better around you."

"Well you need to make that decision for yourself Parker. And I don't want to be dragged around if you can't make a decision fast enough." Eliot walked away with his bag full of equipment, leaving Parker standing alone.

"Eliot, are you in position?" Nate said over the coms. Eliot sat up in a lifeguard chair, overlooking the sandy beach and the blue water.

"Ready," Eliot responded.

He looked to his right, where Parker sat in her own lifeguard chair, and sighed. He didn't know what to do about this girl. It had always been hard for him to express anything he was feeling. That's why he loved cooking so much. It was like expressing without actually doing any talking. But maybe that's why he felt so right with Parker. He didn't need to talk for her to know how he was feeling, what he was doing. That's why their jobs went so well when they were paired up. They worked like a well-oiled machine.

He could see Parker clearly from where he was. She looked incredible in the cliché, red, life-guarding bathing suit. Eliot stared at the curve of her back as she relaxed in the sun, her golden hair flowing over her shoulders. How good it would feel to have his hands on that back, his fingers tangled in her hair.

Eliot was brought out of his daydream for the second time that day, but this time by Nate's voice, "Alright Eliot, the mark is in place. Go Sophie and Parker."

Immediately, Sophie, who was out in the water, started splashing around and pretended she was drowning. Parker leapt down from her post and swam out to Sophie, dragging her back into shore. As they reached the shore Eliot heard Sophie, both in his com and from across the beach, screaming about suing the whole institute of lifeguards. If there was such a thing.

"Incoming," Eliot said as he watched the mark get up from sunbathing and walk towards Sophie and Parker.

"Hi Miss…?" Johnny Moore looked at Sophie.

"Harper," Sophie said in a thick New Jersey accent. "Rosie Harper."

"Well, Miss Harper, I heard you talking about suing this group of lifeguards and I think I could help…"

The job had gone smoothly, Johnny Moore had been hooked from the first moment and hadn't had any time to even think about what was happening to him.

The team had decided to celebrate and Eliot was cooking. They all sat at Nate's dining table laughing and eating and drinking. At the end of the evening they were saying their good-byes and walking out the of the headquarters. Parker was walking towards her car when Hardison caught up with her.

"Hey girl," he smiled. "So I was thinking I could pick you up tomorrow, you know?"

Parker paused, not quite sure how to respond. It was like she knew how she felt but she didn't know how to say it.

"Hardison?" Parker asked.

"Yeah?"

"I can't go out with you again," she said in a rush.

"Why not?" Hardison asked, looking confused. "We had fun the first time."

"I just… I just can't, okay?" Parker turned and walked quickly to her car, pulling out and leaving Hardison looking after her.

Parker arrived at Eliot's in no time at all. He seemed a little taken aback that she had used the front door to enter his apartment this time, but could tell that something was off with her. He decided to let her tell him when she was ready.

They sat on Eliot's couch, watching some sort of spy action film. Parker was getting mad at all the mistakes they were making and she kept swearing at the television. At a slow moment in the film, Parker tilted her head to look at Eliot and said, "I choose you. I told Hardison I couldn't go out with him again."

Eliot smiled and nodded. "I'm glad Parker."

"Eliot?" she spoke again. "I'm worried."

"About what darlin'?" He pulled his arm around her, holding her just a little tighter, and she snuggled into his shoulder.

Parker took a deep breath and said, "About how this might change the team."

"Why's it gotta change the team?" he asked. Although she didn't specify what it was, Eliot had a feeling that she was talking about what was happening between them at that moment.

"I don't know, but I don't want it to." Parker shrugged and turned back to the movie.

A few minutes later she pushed herself into a fully seated position and faced Eliot.

"But what if it does change the team."

Eliot grabbed the remote and paused the movie, focusing his attention on her.

"Remember when Sophie and Nate got together?" Eliot asked her. "We just wanted to know what kind of thing was going on with them. Where they were in relation to the rest of us. 'Cause we've gotta watch each other's backs. No matter who it is. But I promise that I will never let anything happen to you."

Parker gave Eliot a small smile. He might not think that he was the best with words, but it made her happy when he used so many in such a nice way.

"But I'm scared, Eliot. I don't want the team to be different around us and I… I don't want you to be in any more danger because of me."

"This is scary for me too, Parker. And honestly, I feel like I might lose you at any moment when you're not completely safe in my arms. But I think we can do this and I think the team will be supportive. I mean, Nate and Sophie didn't change anything."

Parker leaned back into his shoulder, smiling and much more content.

"Thank you," she whispered.

"I should be thanking you, Parker," Eliot said and kissed the top of her head.

"What for?" she looked at him, puzzled.

"For being here with me."

She snuggled into his side, feeling the warmth of his body against hers and the perfect fit of his arm around her shoulders. Parker felt safe and comfortable and home.

Sorry, no smut this time... :P Thanks for reading! And thanks for all the reviews, you guys are the best!

xoxo