Anything for Family (A Leverage Fan fiction)

Chapter 8: The End

School was sooo not happening today. I threw up again, and this time I was also running fever. It was flu season, so I guess I picked it up somewhere.

The good news is, the team got back in the middle of the night and dad was there. Good. I needed a dad right now, not a boyfriend who didn't know how to be a dad.

I got a call from my aunt. Eliot talked to her for a while, but was upset when he handed me the phone.

"Hello?"

"Sweetie, it's me, your aunt. I have good news! That awful man was put in prison yesterday! I can come get you as soon as you're ready!"

"What? No! I'm not leaving Eliot! I just got comfortable calling him dad, and now you want to take me away from him? It isn't happening."

"Sweetie, Eliot can't take care of you-"

"Yes he can! He's been taking care of me just fine! All of them have! These guys are my family!"

"Honey, no. I'm your family. Your father and I love you!"

"Eliot is my father. You are my aunt. I want to stay with Eliot."

"This isn't up for discussion. He can't take care of you like I can. I adopted you, so you are legally my child. I'm coming on Friday. Say goodbye to your friends and the team and be ready to leave by then." She hung up and I threw the phone onto a chair and ran to the bathroom.

I threw up again, and was shaking with anger. Eliot came in and sat on the floor with me.

"I'm not going to live with her. I love her, but I want to stay here with you, dad. I can't leave. I finally feel like I belong. I refuse to leave you. I don't care what the law is. I'm staying here." Eliot put an arm around me and held me close.

"I'll call your friends and tell them you need them."

"No. I need you and the guys right now." He nodded and stood up.

"You know, she can't keep me away from you forever. I have an idea."

He pulled me to my feet.

"Okay, team. We have a problem. My sister wants Amy back."

"No! Shw can't have her!" Parker shouted. She came up to me and hugged me. I almost cried. Parker was my big sister. Hardison hugged me tight and acted like a big brother.

"We need to convince her to let Amy stay here. Please, Nate. I need my kid. I need her, probably more than she needs me. I'll do anything. She's my kid." Nate looked us over and nodded.

"Hardison, get me everything you can on Eliot's sister. We're going to get her to sign custody over to Eliot." I hugged Nate and thanked him over and over. He hugged me back pushed me away gently.

"Ready to learn something fun, Ames?" asked Sophie. I nodded. "I'm going to teach you to grift, my dear. You'll be the girl who needs her real father." She took me into the next room and we had an acting lesson.

The next day, I went to school with the worst news for my friends.

"Cairo, Shawn, my aunt wants me back. She's coming on Friday to take me away." They threw their arms around me and held me tightly. "Don't worry, guys. My new family is doing everything to keep me. Eliot wants me to stay so badly, and we're going to get my aunt to sign me over to him."

They started planning ways to keep me here.

"We could get her arrested," offered Cairo. This idea was met with much negativity.

"Wait, why doesn't she care about your opinion?"

"Because she's technically my legal guardian and she doesn't think Eliot is able to take care of a child."

"That's stupid!" Shawn said. "If that's the case, I shouldn't go to school here because our teachers don't know how to teach!" I agreed.

Back at home that day, I walked in on the team having a meeting.

"Hey," I said. I was promptly shushed. Oookay then.

By Friday, I had done zero packing and said no goodbyes. I was not leaving. She couldn't make me. Sure, that sounds childish, but it was true.

She arrived and tried to be nice. I would have nothing to do with her, though. I shut myself in my room as soon as I heard her voice. She was greeted by Sophie at the door.

I heard her coming down the hall, and I sat up on my bed. She opened the door and tried to hug me. I pushed her away.

"Why do you want to take me away from here, aunty? I love it here. Eliot is a great dad."

"Honey, you don't have to pretend. He's not in here."

"You think I'm pretending? I'm serious. He's the greatest dad ever! He actually listens to me, something that you and my uncle tend to struggle with. I'm not going anywhere with you. You can't make me."

"Honey, you don't undsrstand. By law, I am required to provide for you because I have custody of you."

"Then give custody to Eliot. I'm staying here."

"I can't just sign you over, sweetie!"

"Yes, you can! I have the paperwork in that folder over there! Eliot wants me to stay here, and so does everyone else! Why don't you care what I want? You haven't ever asked me if I wanted to move here, and now you won't ask me if I want to live with you again? I really don't want to live with you anymore! I love you, but Eliot is my dad and the team is my family."

"Honey, it's going to be okay. Living with me won't be as bad as you think."

"It was bad. I've never felt like I belonged when I lived with you, but here, I know I have a place! Just let me stay here!" She stood up and started yelling at me about families having to stick together. I yelled back, and she stormed out. I slammed my door and sat on the floor, sobbing. I wasn't going anywhere no matter what she did.

I didn't come out until Saturday morning. Eliot made me finally come out of my room and talk to people.

"Amy, she has agreed to sign you over to me." Tears welled up again and I threw my arms around my dad.

"What happened? What did you say?"

"Honey, you know I would do anything for you. We're family."

That day, my aunt signed the papers, Eliot signed, and she left us. I hugged everyone and thanked them all over and over. Then, Parker hugged me tight and whispered, "I was going to miss my litttle sister too much to let her go."

Hardison said something similar. Sophie said it was like she had a neice, and Nate was too tough to say anything out loud. I knew that I had plucked on his heartstrings, though. That night, I called Shawn and Cairo to give them the good news. They squealed and cheered for a few minutes before they both had to go. I fell asleep in my bed that night, thankful for my family who would do literally anything to keep me. I had never felt so loved.

THE END