A Bit Late, but I've just realised I can add a comment or two here. I hope you are enjoying this so far, there's a lot more to come. One point. The story was conceived before the series was cancelled and was adapted without Sophie and Nate, at the time I christened Kat as Tabby, I had no idea that a girl with this name would crop up in series 5. Very weird coincidence! If no-one had realised yet , I'm a confirmed Kaniac.

Chapter 4

They were home. This time they had been gone for a whole seven days, where she knew not. She had felt….deserted, which was insane because she had no reason to feel she was in any way part of their lives, or rather, Eliot's life!

Eliot had arrived in booth number six as was his wont. Tabby arrived happily with the coffee. It took her no more than two seconds to realise that something here wasn't right.

He was not his normal self, in fact he was tidier than usual, he tended to slop into the restaurant because he didn't need to make the effort. Today he had shaved, although he still had the soul patch and the strip, and his clothes were….just different.

When he smiled at her there was a strain about the eyes and lips, and for once it wasn't just weariness.

"How's things?" she enquired rather cautiously.

"Fine." He replied.

Or not! It then dawned on Tabby that it wasn't strain, it was pain. He was definitely in some discomfort. She sat down opposite him. As usual there were bruises, on his cheek and on his chin, but they were not enough to cause that look.

"Where does it hurt?"

He raised his eyebrows at her, he hadn't realised it was that obvious, he was used to pain, he generally covered it well. "It'll be fine when the pain killers kick in."

Tabby looked down at his hand on the table, all the knuckles were covered in thick sticking plaster. She couldn't help herself, she lightly brushed her fingers over his, avoiding the injuries. "What happened?"

"It got a little rough."

More than a little by the look of things. She wondered, from the look of his eyes, if he was a little concussed. "Shouldn't you have gone to the hospital?"

"Not likely, hate hospitals. They ask too many questions."

"But…. You could say you fell?"

Eliot gave a small bark of laughter, and winced. "Somehow I don't think they would believe that." He reached forward to get the cream and his jacket swung open slightly, just enough for Tabby to see the blood seeping through his shirt.

"You're bleeding!" She exclaimed.

He looked down at his front. "Dammit. I didn't stick that together too well." He pushed himself to his feet. "I'd better go and do a bit more plastering."

Tabby jumped to her feet. "I'm coming with you."

He stared at her, she wondered for a second if she'd pushed a boundary too far just by saying that!

"Pardon?"

"Well, you didn't make much of a job of it the first time. Maybe I can do better."

The ghost of a smile crossed his strained features. "Probably! I can't really see to do it, if I lie flat I can't see and mirrors just make things so complicated."

To her surprise he caught her hand in his undamaged one and led her up the stairs to their office.

Parker and Hardison were perusing files.

"Couldn't they have helped you?" Tabby demanded a little hotly.

"We tried." Parker retaliated. "He's not the easiest of patients. Maybe Nurse Tabby will have better luck!

Tabby flushed at her sarky tone, she saw Hardison elbow her in the ribs. "We are not too good with injuries." He elaborated. "Eliot is usually the doctor."

Eliot sat carefully on the wide couch.

"Pain killers not working?" Hardison enquired. Tabby couldn't believe how casual they were about this, his friend was bleeding everywhere and he was just…! She looked at Hardison again and realised she was doing him an injustice, he was concerned. He regarded Tabby solemnly. "He takes being injured very lightly."

"Shit happens." Eliot grated. He was fumbling to unbutton his shirt, obviously the knuckles were sore enough to make even that difficult. Tabby knelt in front of him and pushed his hands away so she could do it, she missed the look that passed between Parker and Hardison.

She was supposed to be looking only at the injury, but she couldn't help but register the obvious strength of his muscled chest, and the scars he already bore! The wound across his abdomen was going to add to those!

The dressing taped to the wound was red with blood and it was seeping out of the bottom.

"Lie down." She ordered sharply.

"Bossy." Eliot grumbled softly, but he did as he was told.

Tabby carefully removed the sticking plaster and dressings and steri-strips, it wasn't hard, it was so wet it was barely stuck at all. What greeted her was not what she had expected. She hadn't really known what this would be, but she had somehow expected a gash, or a nasty scrape. This was neither, it was obviously a knife wound and it was deep. It needed stitching, not sticking!

"This needs stitching!"

"I can't stitch myself." Eliot growled.

"Then go to hospital!"

"No! And that pair are useless, they won't do it either, so stick it up."

Tabby looked at the other two, Parker had now arrived at her side armed with a complete first aid kit, pads, gauze, antiseptic, the works!

"The steri-strips aren't enough. He wanted us to stitch it. Neither of us can. I thought I could but when it came down to it this was as far as I got." She held up the threaded needle. "Can you do it?" Tabby stared at her in disbelief as she continued. "It needs doing before it swells any more. We've kept it down with ice so far."

Tabby looked back at the wound and then up to Eliot's face. "Please?" He murmured softly.

She stared back at the gaping wound. "But you need anaesthetic of some sort."

"Ice." Parker insisted. "We can use ice. I should have got something from the emergency room or somewhere but he didn't tell us how bad it was and now, well, that will take time."

She looked back at Parker. "You do it."

Parker shuddered, "I can't. I thought I could, but I can't."

Tabby slowly took the needle from her hand. From what she'd heard Parker could jump off a high rise building on a zip line, but she couldn't do this? Well, she could stand naked in front of a crowd of people, so could she do this?

She had to, for Eliot. She'd once had her arm stitched when she had fallen off a swing as a child. Once she'd had it numbed she had watched with interest as the doctor sewed, she could remember what he'd done, so…she had to try. But to push a needle into Eliot….?

"No different from an injection, just several times." Eliot grated hoarsely. "Do it, please. I won't move, just get on with it."

"Eliot…" Tabby entreated softly.

"Dammit, girl. I've been tortured. What's a few stitches?"

Tortured? Tabby stared at him in horror, she looked back at the wound and steeled herself. Hardison arrived with the ice and handed Eliot a leather belt. Eliot took it with a grunt of laughter.

"It might have a few teeth marks in it!"

"I reckon I can spare it, man." Hardison replied sardonically.

Tabby gathered her courage, removed the ice and shoved the needle in, she felt his muscles tense but he didn't make a sound. She tuned it all out, the way she did when she was on stage with all those eyes on her, the first push of the needle was the worst.

The cut was over five inches long, she closed it with just four stitches, far less than a professional would have used, but she couldn't face putting him through any more. The bits in between could be plastered, it would scar worse than if it had been done professionally, but there was little she could do about that! Only once did he make a sound and she didn't look at him at all.

Hardison and Parker hovered, handing her scissors, needles, ice and mopping up as necessary. By the time she had finished she felt numb, her insides were churning and her fingers trembling.

"That looks good, Tabby." Hardison placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "You done real good, girl. And he's not passed out yet."

Tabby finally ventured a look at Eliot's face; pale, sweaty and pained was the only description. Suddenly she had to get out, get to the bathroom before she threw up.

"Bathroom." She gasped, struggling to her feet.

Parker pointed, she ran.

She threw up violently, she didn't ever remember feeling this sick in her life. After, she stared at herself in the mirror. This was stupid, she'd done it, it was over, why should she still feel sick? How she'd done it she really didn't know, if she could ever do it again, she didn't know, please God she would never need to!

There was a tap on the door. "Tabby?" It was Hardison. "You Ok?"

"Yes." She replied shakily.

"Come out and we'll have some coffee, or maybe something stronger if you need it."

Tabby emerged back into the office. Eliot was now seated on the sofa, fully dressed and looking slightly less pale.

"Are you Ok?" Tabby questioned rather shakily.

He reached out and caught her hand, pulling her to sit beside him. "Fine, It's lovely when it stops." He put his arm around her and hugged her close, planting a kiss on her temple. "Thank you." He muttered huskily.

"You're welcome." Tabby whispered softly.

Parker plonked a coffee in front of both of them and it dawned on Tabby exactly how this had all started.

"I need to get back to work." She made to get up.

"Drink that first." Hardison insisted, and vanished back into the kitchen area.

Tabby wriggled rather restlessly on the couch, much as she would like to stay here with Eliot, who was still looking pale and shaky, she really had to get back to work.

Five minutes later she stood up. "I have to go. Mikel will be wondering what I'm doing."

Hardison re-entered the lounge. "No he won't, he's given you the rest of the day off."

Tabby stared at him. "But…"

"But nothing, I went to see him and told him what you just done for Eliot. He agreed you don't need to work today."

Tabby sat back down with a bump, it was quite a relief, she did still feel a bit odd herself.

"Let's crash here for a while and watch a movie." Hardison suggested.

Eliot eyes him rather warily, it was the first time for weeks Hardison had suggested any such thing, recently he had seemed happier if Eliot made himself scarce. "Is there a game on?" He asked.

"Could be, man." He flicked onto one of the numerous sports channels. "This one?"

"You choose." Eliot suggested.

Tabby was aware of the rather odd look Hardison gave him, sort of relieved, almost grateful. He flicked through until he found a game involving a team from Texas. "That one?"

"Fine." The look that passed between them this time included understanding and not a little fondness and respect she surmised. When she had seen them together previously there had definitely been an edge of tension. She had been surprised how annoyed Eliot had seemed with the man he professed to be his friend. Now she could actually see the affection which was buried deep, neither of them was happy with the tense state of affairs. "Good choice, man." Eliot finished huskily.

He settled back into the seat next to Tabby and to her surprise put his arm around her again and pulled her closer.

"Thanks, Kitten, you've no idea how much better that feels."

A few seconds later Parker arrived on her other side armed with a huge bowl of popcorn, and Hardison reappeared with beer and orange soda. Suddenly Tabby felt like she belonged, it was a nice feeling.

She stayed for the rest of the day and Parker in particular regaled her with all sorts of horror stories about their life and their job. A great many of the stories were poking fun at Hardison about hanging upside down on zip lines, and off buildings. The vision of Eliot dressed and having to carry off the part of Santa Claus made her giggle a lot. Parker gleefully recounted that Hardison had raised more bids in the auction when the guys had been 'sold off' to rich women. Hardison crowed, Eliot grumbled, but none of it was barbed. They even got into a very heated discussion about an unresolved disappearance of a sandwich, which Tabby found very confusing and Parker found hysterically funny. By the end of the day she knew them all a lot better and finally felt that she'd been accepted as at least a friend.

As a relationship with Eliot it was not all she wanted, but it was a start