75 Godiva, Monday

[vdistinctive]

The Leverage team had been in Fandom more than long enough to know exactly what came after the school prom. Eliot's anticipation of seeing Spike and Gracie again had been tempered by his dread over whatever fresh hell of a revelation of his alternate selves' sex lives. He'd already met a daughter some version of him had had with Sterling, for chrissake, but he knew better to think the island couldn't somehow top that.

But Saturday morning had come and gone, and no "you don't get to be with your partners in my universe" child arrived to taunt him. And it turned out, spending time with a couple kids who belonged to all three of them was really nice.

He leaned back on the couch with his coffee, a giant spread of brunch foods arranged on the coffee table, the end tables, and pretty much every other flat surface not currently occupied by a piece of Hardison's tech (yeah, Eliot lost that battle before it ever began), and watched as Hardison finished setting up a video link to Kathy. Parker was perched on the back of the couch next to him, her knee touching his shoulder, looking about as happy and relaxed as he'd ever seen her, and not just because her mouth was full of chocolate cereal. The kids were sprawled on either side of them, teasing and poking each other in a way that reminded Eliot so much of himself and Trudy as kids it almost hurt. Somehow, after everything, he'd still managed to end up with a family. A large one, even. He could get used to this.

He bit his lip thoughtfully, and took a long sip of his coffee.

Maybe he should start taking steps to make sure he got the chance.

[for the fam, and slow play. AU KIDS!]

Comments

[stoleafamily]

Spike chortled, shooting Hardison a thumb's up, and reaching over to hug Ada. "No, no, I'm not messing up the time-stream or whatever by telling you stuff you haven't done yet. Parker was really clear on why I shouldn't try to do that," he added with a small shudder. He leaned in to whisper to Ada, "But I will tell you the present Eliot is getting the other two for their anniversary." To Hardison, he added, "What if I accidentally told you something so you never had Ada Grace? I would be a sad and lonely only child forever."

[my2dads]

"Nope," Ada said resolutely. "Can't happen. I'm permanent. No matter what, I'm gonna happen. The universe can't pass up on something this good."

She hugged Spike back and whispered, "You should tell me so I can tell you one of the ways I booby-trap your room when I'm mad at you."

[stoleafamily]

"So true!" Spike leaned in and whispered back, "I thought you quit doing that after the butterscotch pudding!"

[my2dads]

"I stopped using food after the butterscotch pudding," Ada corrected. "Oh man, I got into so much trouble..."

[stoleafamily]

"'That is not what food is for!'" Spike mock-thundered, sounding enough like Eliot to be recognizable. "Unless it's for a job, you treat it with respect! And even then it's not for torturing your brother with!" He grinned at her, then whispered, "Trip surprise for Hardison and Parker. Guess where. Aaaand... you're going to like your present." Most definitely.

[my2dads]

Ada squealed and clapped. "That's perfect," she said. "Classic Pop!"

Then, under her breath, she guessed, "Jumping off the Burj Khalifa?"