Number 06 │ A Leverage Fanfiction

The Second David Job│ Part 2

<later in the day>

Blackpoole Gallery, 2nd Floor

Maggie adjusted the earpiece again, her fingers fiddling nervously with it. She huffed, clearly unimpressed by the situation.

"Maggie, it won't fall out," Nate's voice buzzed in her ear. Calm, firm, and annoying. "Just pretend it's not there."

She muttered under her breath, sarcasm dripping from her words. "Yeah, just forget my ex-husband's voice in my head, telling me what he thinks I should do."

Mansion Dining Room

The team lounged around the monitor, watching Maggie's every move through the live feed. Her irritated muttering came through loud and clear.

"I'm in therapy to solve this problem," Maggie huffed, but stopped fussing with the earpiece.

Nate hesitated, his voice suddenly careful. "Uh, yeah. Sorry. Parker's on her approach, so I need you to—"

"So nobody else finds it annoying when you nag them in the middle of these things?" Maggie cut in, her tone sharp.

Sophie's voice chimed in, "Why don't I run this one, Nate?"

Mansion Dining Room

Nate froze, his expression caught somewhere between disbelief and indignation. "I don't nag. I just... have a clear big-picture viewpoint."

Hardison smirked, barely containing his laugh. "Actually, you know what? We did kind of like the way Sophie ran the last one."

Eliot leaned back, his arms crossed. "Yeah, yeah. Up until the point where she got us caught. But, you know, it was great until then."

I leaned forward with a grin, "We should let Sophie run the jobs more often. Shake things up a bit."

Nate's eyes narrowed as he pointed at me. "Don't encourage them." Then, with a sigh, he relented. "Yeah, all right. Fine, fine. Sophie's in charge. Happy now?"

The team exchanged smirks, collectively amused by Nate's growing frustration.

Nate's gaze flicked back to the monitor. "Wait, Maggie, you're in therapy? Since when–"

Hardison turned to him, hands raised in warning. "Mmm. None of that. No. No. Don't go there, man. I will cut you off."

Blackpoole Gallery

"What exactly did Parker switch his allergy medication with?" Maggie asked as she spied on Lloyd, sneezing his way through the halls.

Egyptian Room

Sophie's tone was casual, like she was discussing the weather. "Pollen, mostly ragweed. Oh, and dextroamphetamines."

Blackpoole Gallery

Lloyd, oblivious to his sabotaged medication, used his nasal spray with a satisfied sigh. He turned, ready to head down the hall, only to bump straight into Parker.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" Lloyd said, flustered.

"No, I'm so sorry!" Parker chirped back with wide, innocent eyes.

As they stumbled, Parker's fingers worked deftly. She dropped a pair of glasses on the floor, all while smoothly taking Lloyd's real glasses from his pocket and replacing them with her decoy pair.

Lloyd bent down to pick up the glasses on the floor. "Did I step on your glasses?" Parker asked, feigning concern.

"No, no, no, it's fine," Lloyd replied, straightening up, glasses in hand.