Beauty and Rage (Leverage Fan Fiction)

7. Lips So Good I Forget My Name

The day after Eliot told Hardison that Andy was thinking about moving back to DC, Hardison went to Andy to talk to her.

It was 9:30p.m. when Hardison arrived at the bar Andy worked at.

"We're closed till ten, sweetheart." The dark skinned woman behind the bar spoke as she dried off a glass with a rag.

"Is Andy here?" Hardison moved towards the bar, but the two large men who were playing cards at a table stood up and moved towards him. "Whoa, fellas. I'm a friend."

"Brody, go get Andy for me." The woman behind the bar told one of the men. While Brody left, the woman started to speak to Hardison. "I'm Liza. Andy's talked about you."

"She has?"

"Yeah." The dirty blonde nodded her head. "Said you brought around some guy that's been hanging around.... What was that guy's name that's been walking Andy here, Rex?"

"Eliot, I think." The bodyguard who remained at the table with the cards covering it. "The guy's got long hair and looks like he's up to no good. Better not cause any shit for Andy."

"Eliot's a good person, guys." Hardison chuckled a little nervously. "He doesn't mean any harm." Even though Hardison knew Eliot could take the large hustler on, Eliot wasn't present right now so Hardison needed to play friendly.

"Andy's a sweet girl." Liza pulled a knife from the somewhere behind the bar and pointed to Hardison with it. "I promise I'll hunt you down if you or any of your friends hurt her. She's got a big heart and she doesn't need it broken. I've got friends who know how to make people disappear—,"

"Liza, don't threaten him." Andy cut her friend off as she and Brody entered the bar through a door in the back. "He's okay."

"I'm not threatening, Andy. Just making promises."

"Of course you are." Andy smiled a little at her friend and then looked to Hardison. "What's up?"

"Just wanted to talk to you." His eyes flickered to Liza and the bodyguard duo. "And I think it would be best if we talk alone."

"Come on to the back." Andy nodded her head towards the door she had just come through.

The two went to a back room and sat down around a table.

"Eliot said you were thinking of moving to DC to be closer to your father."

"Eliot can't keep his mouth shut for the life of him, can he?" Andy rubbed her forehead and sighed out. "It was just something I've been thinking."

"Are you not happy here or something? Or is it because you found out about Parker?"

"It has nothing to do with Parker, Hardison." Andy shook her head. "I found out about her and she claims she wants to make things better but she hadn't tried so it has nothing to do with her."

"She's not the bad guy, Andy, you have to understand that." Hardison spoke solemnly. "She's giving you space to think and adjust to having her so close. She's waiting for the right time but the thing is, she doesn't know when the right time will be."

"I don't know either." Andy admitted quietly, running both hands back through her hair. "I just need to adjust to Scott and for right now, I need to figure out how I'm going to get him off my ass. I don't even fucking know what he wants or why he wants to kill me so bad. He's tried two different times to have people kill me and I-I need to focus on staying alive. I can't worry about my relationship with her right now."

"I understand, Andy." Hardison nodded his head. "But that's what Eliot's there for. He's not going to let anything happen to you."

"I don't want to depend on him for anything, Hardison. I'm not like that, you know this. And he's not always going to be around."