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

[my2dads]

"I can fake it!" Ada protested. "They'll never know! Then you'll be giving me two presents. This one, and the chance to grift the who family! Best big brother!"

[vdistinctive]

"Hey now," Eliot said, giving her a mock-stern look. "You don't con your own crew."

[my2dads]

"But Daaaaaaaaaad!" Ada said, giving him her best pleading eyes. "It's for presents! And what about that Christmas when I was little and you told me I was only getting coal in my stocking?"

[vdistinctive]

"That wasn't a con," Eliot said. Not that he had any idea how deep that little lie had gone. "That was teasing. There's a difference."

[my2dads]

"But Daaaaaaad," Ada pouted. "This is a secret between me'n my big brother! It's sacrosanct!"

Definitely a word she'd picked up from reading, if her pronunciation was any clue.

[vdistinctive]

Eliot gave her an exaggeratedly baffled face. "It's what, now?"

[my2dads]

"Sacrosanct!" Ada repeated. Then, "Sacrosanct? I can never remember which a is long and which one is short."

[vdistinctive]

"See, this is exactly why your dad sticks to basic English, instead of trying to sound all fancy-like." He was definitely overdoing the 'just a country cowboy' thing to tease her some more, yes. "I don't have to remember which one's long and which one's short."

And honestly, he knew that word better in writing that speech too, and now he couldn't figure out how it was supposed to be pronounced either.

[my2dads]

"But Paw," Ada drawled, "you know you like it when I use them there five-dollar words to talk to folks! I sound all hopped-up an' fancy like a big city girl!"

[vdistinctive]

Eliot was laughing too hard to respond properly.

Well done, Ada.

[my2dads]

Ada beamed at him, snuggling close. "I like this," she said to him. "It's different than the first time we visited. You're more like my actual dad now."

[vdistinctive]

Eliot put his arm over her shoulder. "Well, I learned a lot more about how to be one," he said. "I only get a couple of days a year to practice, you know. The first time I met you, I hadn't had any practice at all."

And so he'd sucked at it. Hard.

[my2dads]

"Are you not scared anymore?" Ada asked. "You shouldn't be. Us kids are pretty great."

[vdistinctive]

"You know," Eliot said, giving that question the thought it was due. "I don't think I am. Adoptin' your big sister helped. We kinda saved each other, I think."

[my2dads]

Ada nodded. "She says that, too. That you came and dragged her out of a hole where she couldn't see anything and gave her a light." She snuggled closer. "How'd she save you?"

[vdistinctive]

"She helped me see what I could have," Eliot said. "Her, and your papa, and your Aunt Parker. I was dumb enough it took three whole people to get through to me."

[my2dads]

"Or maybe you were so deep in your hole, it took three people's light to reach you all the way," Ada said, thoughtfully.

[stoleafamily]

"But what if I can't sell it?" Spike said, fake-mournful. "Then we'll both be disappointing them." He grinned over at the others. "Unless you guys want to know what to get her in the future too?"

[my2dads]

"No, no, I believe in you," Ada assured him. "You can sell it!"

"Actually," Hardison teased. "I think you should come over here'n tell me what you got her, so I know an' she still ain't spoiled."

Oh the betrayal. "Pop!"

[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?"