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"Where are we going?" Parker asked.
Hardison had gotten her to pack a bag and wasn't telling her where they were headed off to. It was frustrating her to no end. Which was making him smile. Which just made her more annoyed.
"You'll see soon enough," Hardison said.
"How soon?"
She squinted her eyes in a glare at him. Parker did not want to wait any longer to find out where Hardison was taking her. On a clearly international trip.
"When we get to the airport," he replied.
Then grabbed his share of the bags and headed to the car they were taking to get there. Parker was antsy in her seat waiting to see where they were going to go. And couldn't contain herself as they entered the airport and checked in.
"Switzerland?" she asked, even more confused when she saw their destination.
It was unlike Hardison to chose a place like that. At least not without a very good reason.
"There's a festival next week," he said. "One I think you will really enjoy."
Parker though long and hard while they were in line about what kind of festival it could be.
"The world chocolate day festival?!"
"Yes."
Parker was bored. They were between jobs and none of the international teams needed her advice. Which meant that all she had to do was plan her own heists. Only there wasn't anything all that great to try and break into at the moment.
Which means she was bored.
And lying with her head down and her legs on the back of the couch.
"Hey, babe," Hardison said, "would you be up to helping me with something?"
"Yes!" she said practically jumping off the couch.
Hardison laughed which made her smile. She really loved when he did that. It was always so warm and made her feel like she was safe.
"What are we doing?" she asked.
"A friend asked if we would be up to trying to break into his new building," Hardison said. "With as minimal prep as possible."
That was going to be a lot of fun. No prep break-ins were the best.
"When did he ask you about this?" she asked.
"About an hour ago," Hardison said. "I figured we'd have fun doing it right away."
"Even better."
She knew that she had a look of evil glee on her face. But she didn't really care.
"We should go on a date," Hardison said.
"What kind of date?" Parker asked.
They had been sitting quietly in her hide out when Hardison had said that out of the blue. Though it wasn't all that out of the blue for him. He liked to ask her on dates at random times. Even if she liked them less spontaneous. He liked them at random sometimes.
"An afternoon of fun and then dinner," he said. "I can get us reservations at that Italian place you like."
She thought about it for a moment. They didn’t have anything planned for the rest of the day and it would be nice to get out and do something unrelated to work. They had been teaching her to do that.
"Okay," she said. "You already have an idea for the fun part too?"
"Of course," he said.
Hardison stood up and led the way out. She then followed and watched the city go by as they drove to it. It was to a part that she was not super familiar with so she wasn't sure where they were going.
Until the car stopped. At an indoor trampoline park. That was meant only for adults.
"Come on, Parker," Hardison said. "We are going to be late if we don't leave now."
Parker looked up from where she was digging in her bin of Christmas costumes.
"I need the perfect outfit for this and you haven't even told me what this is other than a Christmas party."
"What you have on is perfect," Hardison said. "It's perfect for being around kids."
That was more than he had told her about what they would be going to than anything else he had. There would be a lot of kids. Who were more important than the adults who would be there.
"Then I guess I am ready," she said and stood up.
They went on their way. It didn't take long to get where they were going. It was obviously a Christmas party of some sort. She knew that before they walked in. There was a lot of screaming as well. From the kids that were already there.
A person, who looked like a volunteer was standing by the door. Who directed them to a specific area of the party.
"We're helping pass out presents," Hardison said.
As she helped she recognized the look of kids like her.
"An escape room?" Parker asked.
She was staring at the room Hardison had led her to. The building had been clearly meant for some form of group activities to be running in different rooms and at first she had been very confused. Until they had gotten to the room he had picked and it was clear to her. It looked like a normal escape room, like the ones that she had seen before.
"Of a sort," Hardison said.
Parker tilted her head to the side and looked at him. He had a smirk that said he had a plan. He had to since a normal escape room wouldn't even be a challenge for them. The she narrowed her eyes at him.
"Which means what exactly?"
"I had some help changing this one up to actually be a challenge for us," he said. "I don't even know what we are getting into."
Parker felt excitement grow in her. It wasn't often that she was challenged without it being for a case. And even less when it was with Hardison.
"Then let's get to it!"
They entered the room with the door closing behind them. Then the escape room began.
They won.
She bounced on her feet waiting for Hardison to finish what he was doing. Parker was trying her best to be patient, but it was hard when she was so excited for what she had planned.
He turned around from his computer and looked at her, with a calm smile.
"Okay," he said. "I am ready for whatever it is you are so excited about."
She grabbed his hand and started to drag him out, only stopping long enough to let Hardison grab his wallet. Parker dragged him all the way to the car, her excitement growing with every step. He didn't even try to stop her from driving.
"Are you going to tell me where we are going?"
"When we get there."
It was only a bit payback for all the times that he had done the same to her.
Soon the ride came to the end and they exited the car. It was a movie theater that neither of them had been to.
Parker went right up to the counter and got the tickets she had bought ahead before handing them to Hardison.
"The Wrath of Khan?" he said. "In an actual theater?"
"Yep! The special anniversary addition."