They are. Question is if they're cute enough to risk a criminal record for. [And yes, there's a story there...a long, slightly complicated story involving their adopted son who is not actually their son but her husband's CI, the life he left behind in Lima, and the two younger siblings that go with it.
...I'm gonna say you lost me there. [Though Joelle has a story of her own, one about spending two years in the Middle East with only about four people she trusted, and having to leave them all behind.] Can I ask for an explanation?
Not surprising. Afraid I tend to just launch into things. A few nights ago...my kid thought jumping the fence to the Central Park Zoo would be a good idea. Apparently, she wanted to see the Polar Bears.
[And oh look, she's picked up Peter's habit of just referring to them like they're their children. But really, it's easier than having to explain the whole convoluted tale.]
[She chuckles absently, running her finger around the rim of her coffee cup. It reminds her of her partnership with Ryan - he was always plucking her by the collar before she could run off, sometimes literally.]
[That makes her laugh.] Somebody has to do it. And honestly, I like the routine. It's nice to know I get to go home every night, when some of my colleagues out doing the dirty work aren't so lucky.
Parker nods with the utmost confidence."They're the ones that keep Santa safe." Sure, it wasn't Christmas anymore, but she firmly believed that there was no 'good' time to take down the decorations. And despite her career choice as a thief, who was she to steal away whatever Christmas spirit was still lingering.
"I can imagine they'd be pretty intimidating too. I mean, they can mess you up." Or so Animal Planet led her to believe. Polar Bears might be pretty, but they're not exactly animals you want to run into unprepared.
"Mhm," Parker grins, clearly approving of this lady's opinions - it saves her the trouble of trying to convince the stranger otherwise. Most people didn't like to see the pictures Parker had to prove it, but they were quick to stop arguing with her after they saw them.
After a beat, her eyes narrow with vague suspicion. "You believe in Santa Claus, right?"
"A lot of people." Parker nods solemnly, "But they have it all wrong. You and me? We're the smart ones. And the kids - they're pretty smart too." Except the ones that are mean, but even those guys believe, so during Christmas, they were all right.
"Did you come here looking for someone?" The bar is their unofficial client meeting place, but Nate never told them when he set up a meeting. Parker's secretly hoping this lady will need their... 'services', because she likes her already.
Christmas seemed to be the great equalizer, at least as far as children were concerned. From the 1st to the 25th of December, every child had the fear of Santa put into them.
"Just waiting for my husband. He had a meeting in the area and one of my clients is around here so we thought we'd meet up, actually get to see one another."
Parker gives a sage nod, like meeting up with a husband is something that she understands, something that makes sense to her. Maybe if it was all part of a long con, that she would understand - but marriage and love are in the box labelled 'mystery'. It didn't mean the acting lessons weren't paying off, and she's pretty sure she sells it.
"What's his name?" It would probably be considered none of her business, but that's never gotten in the way of her curiosity before. Besides which, she's genuine and curious, eager to find a reason to stick around and continue talking to this lovely lady who wasn't trying to put a damper on Parker's enthusiasm.
[Neal sighs and takes a sip of coffee. He knows that Sierra is probably going to kill him for telling Elizabeth, but he needed to tell someone and she was it.]
She's been taking lessons from Mozzie. This is exactly what I hoped to avoid.
Have you talked to Mozzie about it? Tried cutting it off at the source? [Because talking to Mozzie seemed like it would be a bit more productive than talking to the teenager. A bit. Or it could be not productive at all. It all depended on what sort of mood Mozzie was in.]
So you think there was more to this than just Conman 101. [It wasn't a question because with the look on Neal's face it didn't have to be. She knows. She and Peter both and she can see why Neal is so worried.] Does she seem okay now?
[Because before they jumped to any conclusions, and there were several one could jump to, she needed to know the whole of the situation. If it was a fleeting moment, that was one thing. They could deal with that. If it was longer term, well...then there were a few things that could lead to that, one of which would possibly end with Elizabeth kicking Mozzie's ass. From what she could tell, the girl was already wary of her mess and treatment. She didn't need Mozzie's rumblings on top of that.]
Mozzie thinks two steps ahead of everyone. [Neal rubs the back of his neck and shrugs.] I haven't brought it up to her again. The thing with Sierra is...you can't push her too much. Especially if she's in a mood.
[The last thing he wants is to set his sister off. That would be very bad for all of them. He's always been more understanding of his sister than their parents, knowing the best ways of dealing with her. When Hitler and Eva would just push and push and push until she had one of her episodes as they called it.]
That he does. [And sometimes that's exactly what they don't want.] How much does he know? About your past, their situation?
[And yes, she is delicately asking if Mozzie might be using Sierra's condition to his advantage. Not that she believes he would ever do it maliciously. Mozzie just doesn't like to let an opportunity pass him by.]
Not everything. He knows our situation at home wasn't the best and that's why I left as soon as I got the chance. But he doesn't know about Sierra's condition. I think it's a force of habit not to talk about it.
[Although Peter and Elizabeth are a different story. He's closer to them than he is his own family. With the exception of Blaine and Sierra.]
[She nods.] I'll have Peter talk to Moz and I'll see what I can do about Sierra. Perhaps suggest that if she finds herself lacking for stimulation that I could use an extra set of hands.
You're not alone in this, Neal. And neither are they. Not anymore.
[Neal smiles at the affection from Elizabeth. They had never gotten that from their own parents so that the Burkes cared about his siblings mattered a lot to Neal]
I'm glad Sierra has you and Peter for role models.
[Elizabeth doesn't understand that. She really doesn't. The three of them are so ridiculously talented. And great kids to boot. They were the type that had they been hers and Peter's they would have been at every school play or art show. Every concert and dance recital. But some people just weren't meant to be parents. She got that. It was just a shame that people like the Andersons had to suffer for it.]
You're her role model, Neal. Everything you've gone through. The way you've changed your life around...you're her hero. Don't ever doubt that.
[To their parents, the Anderson children have always been pawns. They're a status symbol. That's one of the reasons Cooper had rebelled. He'd gotten tired of being, their son "the actor". So, he decided to use his talents for other reasons. Of course, it had gotten him caught in the end.]
Comments
Her life is never dull.]
[And oh look, she's picked up Peter's habit of just referring to them like they're their children. But really, it's easier than having to explain the whole convoluted tale.]
[She chuckles absently, running her finger around the rim of her coffee cup. It reminds her of her partnership with Ryan - he was always plucking her by the collar before she could run off, sometimes literally.]
I've got a soft spot for dolphins, myself.
Oh? [Elizabeth smiles.] How did that come about?
After a beat, her eyes narrow with vague suspicion. "You believe in Santa Claus, right?"
"Did you come here looking for someone?" The bar is their unofficial client meeting place, but Nate never told them when he set up a meeting. Parker's secretly hoping this lady will need their... 'services', because she likes her already.
"Just waiting for my husband. He had a meeting in the area and one of my clients is around here so we thought we'd meet up, actually get to see one another."
"What's his name?" It would probably be considered none of her business, but that's never gotten in the way of her curiosity before. Besides which, she's genuine and curious, eager to find a reason to stick around and continue talking to this lovely lady who wasn't trying to put a damper on Parker's enthusiasm.
She's been taking lessons from Mozzie. This is exactly what I hoped to avoid.
[Talking to Sierra is next to impossible. Especially when she has her mind set on something.]
But, the whole thing made sense in Sierra's head. That's the scariest part.
[Because before they jumped to any conclusions, and there were several one could jump to, she needed to know the whole of the situation. If it was a fleeting moment, that was one thing. They could deal with that. If it was longer term, well...then there were a few things that could lead to that, one of which would possibly end with Elizabeth kicking Mozzie's ass. From what she could tell, the girl was already wary of her mess and treatment. She didn't need Mozzie's rumblings on top of that.]
[The last thing he wants is to set his sister off. That would be very bad for all of them. He's always been more understanding of his sister than their parents, knowing the best ways of dealing with her. When Hitler and Eva would just push and push and push until she had one of her episodes as they called it.]
[And yes, she is delicately asking if Mozzie might be using Sierra's condition to his advantage. Not that she believes he would ever do it maliciously. Mozzie just doesn't like to let an opportunity pass him by.]
[Although Peter and Elizabeth are a different story. He's closer to them than he is his own family. With the exception of Blaine and Sierra.]
You're not alone in this, Neal. And neither are they. Not anymore.
I appreciate any help, Elizabeth. Thank you.
Of course. [She smiles, kissing his forehead, because let's face it...all three of them have now been adopted by the Burkes.]
I'm glad Sierra has you and Peter for role models.
You're her role model, Neal. Everything you've gone through. The way you've changed your life around...you're her hero. Don't ever doubt that.
I'm not the best role model for her, Elizabeth.
Maybe, maybe not. But you're one all the same. How you harness that power is up to you.