once when I was little]
Oct. 11th, 2011 12:14 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lovethewayyoulieTitle: Once When I Was Little
Characters: Mozzie, Neal Caffrey, Parker, Archie Leach
Rating: PG
Words: 1,005
Disclaimer: No claim on Leverage or White Collar or any of their characters.
Warning: n/a
Author's Notes: Set at the end of S1 of Leverage and beginning of S1 of White Collar.
Summary: Parker was fourteen years old when Mozzie first met her.
Mozzie sat across from Neal, his head tilted a bit, as he studied the tracking anklet around his friend's ankle. “I know someone who might be able to pick it,” he said after a moment. “If she can't, no one can.”
“Oh?”
Mozzie nodded. “She can pick any lock you throw at her. Best thief I know.”
Neal's brows went up. “After me, you mean.”
There was a pause, but Mozz nodded. “Right, after you.”
“You paused.”
Mozzie cleared his throat and pointed to the chess board. “I think it's your move.”
“You paused, Mozzie.”
***
Parker was fourteen years old when Mozzie first met her. He had the misfortune of knowing a man named Archie Leach, and he had the further misfortune of owing Archie Leach. He worked with Archie from time to time, and Archie seemed to like the things that Mozzie could do for him.
Mozzie didn't know that Archie knew where he lived, but there were a lot of things Archie could figure out that that never surprised Mozzie. So when a knock came on his door late one night, he wasn't too shocked to find the thief there in his long, distinguished coat and suit.
“Hello, Mozzie.”
“Archie, hi,” Mozzie greeted, trying to not sound unwelcoming.
“Do you remember six months ago in Seattle?”
There was a brief exhale and a nod. “I do, yes.”
“I'm here to collect on the favor you owe me.” As if he would be there for any other reason.
“You don't say,” Mozzie said, trying to sound calm.
“Oh, I do.”
“What can I do for you?”
“I have a very...sensitive situation on my hands. An important matter that I need close supervision of.”
“And...you want me to...supervise?”
“Yes, Mozzie. I trust I can leave this in your capable hands until I can return to claim it.”
“So this is some kind of object?”
“You could say that,” Archie nodded. He looked to his side and waved slightly towards himself. Mozzie leaned out the door and saw a small girl standing down the hallway. She looked timid and awkward, but she moved towards Archie when motioned.
“This is your important matter? A girl?”
“Her name is Parker.”
Mozzie's first thought was daughter, maybe illegitimate, but he said nothing about it. “I don't...babysit.”
“You will. I can't trust her with just anyone.”
“What do you want me to do with her?”
“You two will figure it out. Just keep her safe until I come back.” Archie gave the girl a light shove through the front door, and she looked back at him with wide and scared eyes. “It's alright, Parker. Mozzie is a friend.”
Mozzie would have hardly considered Archie and himself “friends”, but he didn't want to scare the girl more. He watched as Parker gazed at him for a moment, then moved past him to explore his apartment. He took the moment to step closer to Archie. “You can't be serious. I can't-”
“You can and you will,” Archie said, his voice gruff. Mozzie knew when to not argue with the man so he sighed and nodded. “Keep her away from the windows.” Then he placed his hat on his head and turned to go.
“Wait.” Parker came running over and stopped short of the older man. He turned and looked down at her. “Sir...” she said carefully. “What do I do?”
“Observe,” Archie said. “You are not a part of the scene, merely...outside of it.”
“Yes, sir,” she nodded, taking a step back.
Mozzie watched the exchange, then watched Archie walk out the door without another word. He still didn't know what to make of the situation, but he turned to Parker as he shut the door. He wanted to know who she was and who she belonged to, but they weren't his questions to ask. All he could do was make sure she was still there and alive when Archie returned. She blinked up at him as though she were waiting for something, and he tried to come up with something, anything to say to her. He cleared his throat. “You don't...have to be outside of the scene if you don't want,” he said carefully. “You can...hang out.”
“I don't know how to hang out,” she said with a bit of a frown.
“You know...watch TV, listen to the radio...play games.”
“Those are all distractions,” she said, almost like a robot. “They get in the way.”
“Sometimes distractions are good,” Mozzie replied. “Like chess. It's a game, but it help me think, too.”
“I...never learned,” she said.
“Would you like to?”
“Archie might not like that,” she said uncertainly, glancing at the door.
“We don't have to tell him.” Mozzie shrugged and went to set the game up, leaving Parker no choice but to curiously follow.
***
“Hello?”
“Parker,” Mozzie said, his voice bright.
“Hi,” she said. Her voice was quick, but the hint of recognition was there.
“How are you?”
“O-okay,” she said uncertainly.
“Keeping busy?”
“Not....not really. Right now. I...there was this thing, but...I'm taking a break.
“Any chance I can convince you to swing through New York?”
“Why?”
“I need a little help,” he said.
“I'll be there in the morning,” she replied, before disconnecting.
He blinked a bit, but hung up. He was used to Parker and her less than normal social skills. He smiled though, because he liked to think it wasn't that easy for just anyone to get Parker's help. He returned to his game with Neal, that smile still on his face. “She'll be here in the morning,” he announced.
“I can't believe you paused,” Neal replied in a huff.
Characters: Mozzie, Neal Caffrey, Parker, Archie Leach
Rating: PG
Words: 1,005
Disclaimer: No claim on Leverage or White Collar or any of their characters.
Warning: n/a
Author's Notes: Set at the end of S1 of Leverage and beginning of S1 of White Collar.
Summary: Parker was fourteen years old when Mozzie first met her.
Mozzie sat across from Neal, his head tilted a bit, as he studied the tracking anklet around his friend's ankle. “I know someone who might be able to pick it,” he said after a moment. “If she can't, no one can.”
“Oh?”
Mozzie nodded. “She can pick any lock you throw at her. Best thief I know.”
Neal's brows went up. “After me, you mean.”
There was a pause, but Mozz nodded. “Right, after you.”
“You paused.”
Mozzie cleared his throat and pointed to the chess board. “I think it's your move.”
“You paused, Mozzie.”
Parker was fourteen years old when Mozzie first met her. He had the misfortune of knowing a man named Archie Leach, and he had the further misfortune of owing Archie Leach. He worked with Archie from time to time, and Archie seemed to like the things that Mozzie could do for him.
Mozzie didn't know that Archie knew where he lived, but there were a lot of things Archie could figure out that that never surprised Mozzie. So when a knock came on his door late one night, he wasn't too shocked to find the thief there in his long, distinguished coat and suit.
“Hello, Mozzie.”
“Archie, hi,” Mozzie greeted, trying to not sound unwelcoming.
“Do you remember six months ago in Seattle?”
There was a brief exhale and a nod. “I do, yes.”
“I'm here to collect on the favor you owe me.” As if he would be there for any other reason.
“You don't say,” Mozzie said, trying to sound calm.
“Oh, I do.”
“What can I do for you?”
“I have a very...sensitive situation on my hands. An important matter that I need close supervision of.”
“And...you want me to...supervise?”
“Yes, Mozzie. I trust I can leave this in your capable hands until I can return to claim it.”
“So this is some kind of object?”
“You could say that,” Archie nodded. He looked to his side and waved slightly towards himself. Mozzie leaned out the door and saw a small girl standing down the hallway. She looked timid and awkward, but she moved towards Archie when motioned.
“This is your important matter? A girl?”
“Her name is Parker.”
Mozzie's first thought was daughter, maybe illegitimate, but he said nothing about it. “I don't...babysit.”
“You will. I can't trust her with just anyone.”
“What do you want me to do with her?”
“You two will figure it out. Just keep her safe until I come back.” Archie gave the girl a light shove through the front door, and she looked back at him with wide and scared eyes. “It's alright, Parker. Mozzie is a friend.”
Mozzie would have hardly considered Archie and himself “friends”, but he didn't want to scare the girl more. He watched as Parker gazed at him for a moment, then moved past him to explore his apartment. He took the moment to step closer to Archie. “You can't be serious. I can't-”
“You can and you will,” Archie said, his voice gruff. Mozzie knew when to not argue with the man so he sighed and nodded. “Keep her away from the windows.” Then he placed his hat on his head and turned to go.
“Wait.” Parker came running over and stopped short of the older man. He turned and looked down at her. “Sir...” she said carefully. “What do I do?”
“Observe,” Archie said. “You are not a part of the scene, merely...outside of it.”
“Yes, sir,” she nodded, taking a step back.
Mozzie watched the exchange, then watched Archie walk out the door without another word. He still didn't know what to make of the situation, but he turned to Parker as he shut the door. He wanted to know who she was and who she belonged to, but they weren't his questions to ask. All he could do was make sure she was still there and alive when Archie returned. She blinked up at him as though she were waiting for something, and he tried to come up with something, anything to say to her. He cleared his throat. “You don't...have to be outside of the scene if you don't want,” he said carefully. “You can...hang out.”
“I don't know how to hang out,” she said with a bit of a frown.
“You know...watch TV, listen to the radio...play games.”
“Those are all distractions,” she said, almost like a robot. “They get in the way.”
“Sometimes distractions are good,” Mozzie replied. “Like chess. It's a game, but it help me think, too.”
“I...never learned,” she said.
“Would you like to?”
“Archie might not like that,” she said uncertainly, glancing at the door.
“We don't have to tell him.” Mozzie shrugged and went to set the game up, leaving Parker no choice but to curiously follow.
“Hello?”
“Parker,” Mozzie said, his voice bright.
“Hi,” she said. Her voice was quick, but the hint of recognition was there.
“How are you?”
“O-okay,” she said uncertainly.
“Keeping busy?”
“Not....not really. Right now. I...there was this thing, but...I'm taking a break.
“Any chance I can convince you to swing through New York?”
“Why?”
“I need a little help,” he said.
“I'll be there in the morning,” she replied, before disconnecting.
He blinked a bit, but hung up. He was used to Parker and her less than normal social skills. He smiled though, because he liked to think it wasn't that easy for just anyone to get Parker's help. He returned to his game with Neal, that smile still on his face. “She'll be here in the morning,” he announced.
“I can't believe you paused,” Neal replied in a huff.
