"What did Moreau want in return for the invitation, Eliot?" Nate pursues the question that was hanging in the air between them before the stranger's approach. The paleness returns to Eliot's face. "Moreau wants me to kill Atherton." Nate can hear the dread in Eliot's voice. Sophie immediately interjects. "You can't do that Eliot, you are not man anymore." Sophie's voice rings in his ears as Eliot casts a glance at Gracie before he further acknowledges Nate. "It's the only way." Nate also casts a glance at Gracie. Gracie is someone from Eliot's past and she is obviously someone he trusts or she would not be among them now.

"Well, Eliot, you might just have to kill Atherton." It will soon be time to have Hardison to take a walk in Eliot's previous life. His tone is light given the rather fatal nature of the statement. Gracie gives Nate a wicked smile which tells him that this newcomer is aware of the potential options.

"You know what the Ram's Horn is…?" Gracie wonders if the merry band of misfits knows what is truly at stake given the conversation that she entered upon. This con is a little beyond their usual Robin Hood antics with corporate scions and such. This is less take from the rich and give to the poor. This is national security wrapped up in the DOD with a sprinkle of international espionage. It is time that they were introduced to the world of Damien Moreau.

Before Gracie can elaborate further, Hardison speaks up. "It's a bomb… a really big bomb." Hardison's eyes are glued to the screen before him. Gracie taps her nose as Hardison looks up. He is doing his due diligence as they speak. Gracie knew of the battery grab but wondered if they knew the rest of the story.

"The battery is only part of the bomb." Hardison continues with a mixture of excitement and horror. The truth behind Grace's appearance strikes Eliot like a bolt of lightening. International buyers… he turns to Gracie. "You are one of the buyers. Minerva reigns again."

Sophie's eyes widen with recognition, Grace has been busy. "The arms dealer?" Gracie smiles. "What can I say I am multi-faceted." Grace rolls it off her tongue as the cheeky remark it is intended to be. Hardison looks up his from the Ipad. "Minerva, like in Assassin's Creed?" Gracie smiles followed by a wink. "Age of the Geek, baby." Grace is enjoying Eliot's new friends. Hardison follows Gracie's tease with the reveal. "It's an electro-magnetic bomb." All present look at him with the appropriate level of intrigue. "Like the kind that fries all the electronics in the radius of the blast." Hardison continues the geek speak.

"How big is this bomb." Nate is trying to wrap his head around the scope of this operation. The presence of an MI6 funded arms dealer ups the anty in an already high stakes game. Hardison exchanges a knowing look with Gracie. "About the size of a city… planes falling out of sky kind of chaos." Nate looks at Gracie. He needs to know what she knows. "You in? I would assume that MI6 may have some experience with our current issue?"

"What can I say we dabble, wouldn't miss it, Mr. Ford." Grace has done her homework on the merry band of misfits. You never con a con man. Grace knows exactly who Nathan Ford is. They give each other a nod of mutual acknowledgement. Grace can feel Eliot's stare. Grace runs her hand over Eliot's shoulder with a gentle squeeze. Grace knows Eliot has been through the ringer today and it is only going to get worse tomorrow.

Gracie turns towards the group. "TTFN, ladies and gents." Within a moment, Gracie has disappeared from view as if she fell through the sidewalk itself.

Nate is almost glad to see there is someone to focus Eliot, it is time to make the arrangements. The team heads to the hotel to work out the details.

After a long session, the team has worked through the plan down to the last detail. As everyone settles in for the evening, Eliot does not want to leave them but they are safe for the moment and a little time with Gracie might be just what he needs to level set his own head.

Later:

Eliot sits in a booth in a small mom and pop diner sipping a coffee as he waits for Gracie to arrive. This was always one of his haunts when he was in DC, he knows she will be there. Within 10 minutes, Grace slides into the booth across from him as if he threw up the bat signal. Her appearance draws a slight smile across his lips. This part of his former life feels like slipping on his favorite jeans.

"I hear Chapman got your old gig." Gracie signals for a coffee as she shifts to find a comfortable position. Eliot knows this was not news to Grace. She knows Damien better than anyone. "Apparently, even I can be replaced." Eliot is no longer sure if he is ready for this conversation with someone so close to him though no one would understand this situation better than Grace. "I would go all the way to replaced, Chapman never had your sense of style." Eliot looks up at Gracie. From the look on his face, Gracie knows that Eliot is feeling the weight of the world like Atlas.

"From what I saw, your friends know who you are… who you always were. The dark side never suited you anyway." Grace is nonchalant which puts Eliot oddly at ease. Eliot knows that Gracie speaks the truth. Gracie has kept his deepest secrets. Eliot has nothing to fear, she earned his trust and she is here now. "How did you know?" He stares into the cup as it the answer would appear before his eyes.

"Know what?" Grace continues with the nonchalant attitude as she sips her cover "That I was involved in all of this?" Eliot looks up at Gracie. He needs this answer. He needs to know how she knew. "You are never so lost that you cannot be found, Puddle Duck." Gracie pushes her cup over to the edge for a refill. "You have been keep tabs on me?" Eliot pushes his to the side to join in the refill. "Always, Eliot… forever and always, someone needs to be the Calvary." Eliot locks his gaze with Gracie. His mind drifts back to that moment, the moment which he will never speak of. Grace saved him from himself, from Moreau… It is a debt that he could never repay.

Eliot remembers staring into those grey eyes as she took the gun from his hand. The sound of the magazine bouncing off of the cobblestone echos through Eliot's brain. The feel of the cold rain on his skin as his world fell into darkness. Grace took control at a moment that he was helpless.

Eliot is snapped back to the present with a snap of Gracie's fingers as she commands his attention to finish their conversation about tomorrow and the plan. As time passes and the conversation drifts in and out of misadventures and long forgotten antics, the time to part arrives. Gracie leans down and kisses Eliot on the cheek before she exits.

The next morning, Eliot sits in the car with Chapman. Chapman primps his feathers by bringing up the way things are done. Eliot is painfully aware of how things are done as he watches Atherton's daughter trail him out the door onto the porch. Eliot banishes the thought of the little girl from his head as he takes the gun from the glove box. Eliot drops the mag from it. Bullets are too tempting. If he takes the bullets he will be too tempted to use them… to use them all on Chapman. Eliot focuses on the plan with the bravado necessary to offset Chapman. The hit is quick and clean and goes according to plan. When the deed is done, Chapman drops him off.

Eliot needs to walk this off which was always his way. He almost does not recognize Gracie as she pulls up. He knows he is under surveillance and Grace took that into consideration. Grace pulls up in vintage muscle car with a long blonde wig and sunglasses on. She looks like every woman he would date. Gracie knows him well enough to know that it wouldn't matter who was watching. This would look like the most natural thing in the world.

He gets in the car and pulls Gracie into a kiss to keep up appearances. "Three on your tail." Gracie takes the cue. "It's not about the danger, it's about the fun." She winks as she puts the car in drive. Eliot can't help but crack a smile.