Just Another Job (Leverage)

Fandom: Leverage
Title: Just Another Job
Author: lady_ganesh
Written for: zvi_likes_tv
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Not mine. Too bad, 'cause they're adorable.
Notes: Does a vice-president count as an evil vizier? Golly, I hope so. I wanted to put more Sophie in here but I started bumping up against the word limit. Love to longsufferingly for betaing.



"Now I'm sure," Hardison said, bringing up the Caldswell Company logo on the monitors, "you're all asking yourself one question. What kind of person uses the testimony of real Jewish refugees-- people who, to this day, have to free to Israel or the United States to find freedom-- to make money? Your first guess would be this guy," Hardison said, and a new face flashed on the screen; elderly, frail, smiling gently at the camera. "Edward Cohen, President. Problem is, he doesn't really know what's going on-- he thinks he's helping refugess too. The Vice-President's the one who's really running the scam." He gestured, and the screens were replaced with a new face; this one lean, handsome, venomous. "Al Vance, born John Tinelli. Went into Witness Protection ten years ago to build himself a new life, and decided he'd make his money the old-fashioned way; by cheating adorable old women out of their gelfite fish and lox."

"Charming," Sophie noted.

"Yeah. So anyway, he's our target."

"We could run the Chernobyl liquidators," Eliot suggested.

Nate shook his head. "Too predictable. This guy's probably run that one himself. We need to take a different tack, something softer, more subtle. Sophie, you up to a little wining and dining?"

"Of course." Sophie's smile was warm and eager.

"Nuh-uh," Hardison said. "No go on this job."

"What?" Sophie and Nate both looked up together, their faces charged with surprise.

"Don't tell me he's happily married," Nate objected.

"Not exactly," Hardison said, and pressed the clicker. A series of photos filled the screen; Al Vance, pictured with a series of charming, well-dressed young men.

Comprehension poured over the others like a wave. "Oooh," they said, in unison.

"So we get Eliot to do it," Nate concluded.

This time Eliot and Sophie joined in together. "What?"

"Well, look," Nate said, waving his Scotch glass at the screens. "You're just his type. At least, once we get you to dress the part. I'm sure Sophie can give you some tips. It's just a scam. Like every other scam we've run."

"This job's gonna be a pain in the ass," Eliot grumbled.

"I hope the hell not," Hardison said.

Parker snickered.


"He'll be fine," Parker said with perfect confidence. She and Sophie were in the van, watching Eliot and Al. Mostly Eliot.

"Of course he will," Sophie said, far less certainly.

Parker shrugged. "You taught me. I even made a friend. Eliot's a lot better at this stuff."

It was oddly reassuring. Still, men had different rules. Sophie had made her living judging human nature; she knew there were subtleties she could miss, and that Al-- unlike many of her marks-- might be less interested in the chase and more in the capture. She was good at setting invisible lines; she wasn't as confident that Eliot shared her skill. Eliot had rarely wanted to.

Eliot could certainly charm, though. Sophie thought it was his eyes; he used them well, drawing a target into confidence with just a well-chosen expression. And Al was certainly swallowing the bait.

So to speak.

"Do you think he'll have sex with him?" Parker used, in the same tone of voice she used for everything slightly interesting, including the rate of interest on her long-term investments and the exact beauty products needed to open a Barska biometric security lock.

"I don't have any idea," Sophie said, in the same tone of voice she used for most of Parker's more eccentric statements.

Parker grabbed another handful of popcorn.



"So," Parker said, when Eliot sailed triumphantly into the briefing room. "Are you going to have sex with him?"

"You always know the right questions to ask," Eliot said dryly, cracking open his beer.

"Thank you," Parker said cheerfully. "But you didn't answer. You have to be careful, or Hardison's going to be jealous."

Eliot's eyes swiveled over to her. "He is."

Parker nodded. "He almost pressed the wrong code with the security system yesterday."

"He did?" Suddenly Parker had Eliot's full attention.

"Yeah," she said. "He kept clenching his jaw, too. It was a little weird."

The irony of Parker calling any aspect of human behavior was not lost on Eliot, but the intel on Hardison was far more pressing. "So you think he's interested in me?"

"Of course he's interested in you," she answered, rolling her eyes. "You're very fuckable."

"Do you think I'm fuckable?"

She nodded. "'Course," she said. "I think Sophie thinks you are too, but she's too busy looking at Nate. And Nate's--" she shrugged, that tiny predator's shrug-- "Nate."

"Yeah," Eliot conceded, taking another pull from his bottle. "He's Nate." He thought for a moment. "So you wanna have sex with me."

"Well," Parker thought. "Maybe."

"And Hardison wants to have sex with me."

"Yes," she asserted, nodding. "Definitely."

"Guess this job wasn't such a pain after all," Eliot concluded, grinning. "You think he'd be up for a threesome?"

"One way to find out," she said confidently, and grinned back.