FTF: CGR just painted small Styrofoam plates with the initials of my favorite Harry Potter ships. Eccentric, but kinda cool... grins

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Nate's POV

"Elliot, you need to stay focused. You can't keep getting distracted by these kids," reprimanded Nate.

"What? But I… what are you doing?" Elliot asked.

"Who are you talking to?"

"This kid who just bumped into me. What were you saying?" Elliot asked under his breath.

Nate sighed. "Come back", they'd said. "We'll be better than ever," they said. Liars. Elliot was getting sidetracked by random teenagers, Sophie was still chattering about pointillism, and he deduced from Hardison's failure to mock Elliot that their techie was probably playing World of Warcraft instead of paying attention.

He started listening again as he heard the name "Spencer" and groaned loudly. "Elliot, please tell me you did not just betray all of your common sense and blow your cover by telling those kids your last name."

"I don't have a cover. My cover is 'person walking around in an art museum not at all suspiciously'," hissed Elliot.

"Well, your cover is also wearing an ID that says 'Josh Baker'," snapped Nate. "Tell them you're going undercover as a private detective or something."

"Make sure you let them know that this is a secret, that you're letting them in on it because you trust them," advised Sophie. "They'll feel good that you're entrusting them with information and they're less likely to see through it. And tell them before they notice your ID, for goodness' sake."

Elliot complied, and had barely finished his story when a distant-sounding voice asked about his ID. "Tell them it's your cover," said Nate, satisfied that they were free and clear.

That feeling vanished when he heard Elliot say "you got me" in an amused tone.

Elliot proceeded to explain their aims in the simplest manner possible to the devil children—er, teenagers—as Nate proceeded to slam his head into a nearby wall repeatedly.

"Have them meet us at that coffeeshop three blocks down," instructed Sophie, raising her voice over Nate's angry mutters. "It'll just be me, you, Nate, and the kids… Don't let them know about Parker and Hardison."

"I already told them some stuff—" Elliot was cut off by some colorful language from Nate, which, censored, boiled down to "thank you, we're aware."

Elliot cleared his throat. "As I was saying, they're going to expect a techie."

"We'll handle it," answered Sophie hastily, before Nate could snarl out an angry reply.

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CGR: YEAH! New puppy. New chapter. And I finished the first season of Doctor Who today….wow me happy.

FTF: Everybody Google "Television Without Pity Tubey awards", go to the website, and vote for Leverage, gLee, and LOST.

CGR: And Doctor Who. (for the best almost-relationship vote for 'the doctor and the TARDIS'!)

FTF: And review, please! Next chapter will be longer, we promise… we had an idea for a humor bit, but we want to get this chapter out first.