The Enforcement Job **On Hold**

VII

I bolted upright after waking up from another mind scarring nightmare. I've been having them constantly lately. Why? No idea. they just started happening....

In the nightmare, i keep seeing myself hitting and kicking his limp, unconcious body. I will never be rid of the memory. Every single night I experience the same horrid dream.

I slowly climb out of bed, not even bothering to check the time or flip on my fan. I walk to the bathroom and flip on the light, taking in my reflection in the mirror after my eyes adjust to the sudden brightness. My page skin stands out against my messy hair. My bright dark eyes look a slightly lighter and my face is streaked with tears. I sigh and turn on the sink and splash my face with the warm water, waking me up a bit more.

These nightmares have gotten me so stressed out... I don't even know.

At the moment, it is now 8:56 AM.

I go to my closet and slip on a black tank top, red Converse, and my faded gray skinny jeans. i went back into the bathroom and put on my winged eyeliner and put my hair into a ponytail.

"Naaaaaaaaat!!!" I heard Parker yell from my door. i walk over and open it, leaning on the door frame.

"What's up Sparky?" I said slipping a hand into my pocket. She tilted her head at the nickname, which I found quite fitting for her.

"Nate wants to talk to ya!" she said, grabbing me and pulling me to the main room.

"Look what the cat dragged in," Eliot said as i shot him a glare.

"At least we know where the cat went," i said with a smirk as i flicked a piece of his hair. Hardison started laughing but quickly covered it with a cough when he got a death glare from Eliot.

"Just had a lil somethin in my throat- u-um so Nate you wanted to talk to Natalie?" Hardison said, quickly changing the subject.

Nate walked over from his place in the kitchen, sipping his whiskey.

"Ah yes. Natalie," when he said this, my eyes nearly popped out of my head, "one of the greatest enforcers. No family, basically untraceable. That is, if you don't have a Hardison." He said with a slight smirk. I had my hands balled into fists. How dare he.

"Anyway, we've been talking. Sometimes, we need another grifter to help Sophie. Or we need another thief to help Parker with bigger heists. Or maybe Elliot gets locked up again. I guess what I'm saying is that we need an enforcer. What do you say? Will you join us?" Nate said. He held his hand out for me to shake while he held his whiskey in the other.

"So let me get this straight. You want me to work with a drunk, a psychotic, trigger happy blonde, a computer geek, a man with horrid anger issues, and a woman who can't act to save her life?" I exclaimed. They all exchanged looks and looked back at me and nodded slowly, causing me to smirk.

"Well then," I took Nate's whiskey and downed it in one go. "I'm in." I shook Nate's hand.

"Alright, Welcome to Leverage." Nate said, then turned to the others who were grinning. "Hardison, you have a name for the next job yet?"

Hardison grinned and nodded.

"The Enforcement Job."