Eliot woke up with a sore neck and stiff back. He laid down and tried to go back to sleep. Parker was up earlier than him for once and was busy humming in the kitchen. He heard a crashing sound, and slowly made his way to the sound his eyes remaining closed.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you" she had picked up the silverware by the time he made it to the counter, limped onto a barstool and put his head down. "Wow you look pretty beat up," she remarked, "Good morning to you too." He replied dryly. She smiled remembering their too small accommodations.
"Come on stretch it out Sparky," she came over to him and hugged him, he winced in pain. "Ow, Parker that's sore" he complained as she put her arms around him. She massaged his neck and back, his muscles began to relax under her touch.
Eliot opened his eyes surveying the damage she had done to his once well-organized kitchen. Pots and pans were all over the place, the refrigerator door was wide open, and the few dishes he left in the sink had now doubled. He let out a soft growl and started back to the room. "Wait, I made you breakfast." She presented him with toast, two boiled eggs and a glass of orange juice.
"This is what came out of all that mess you made?" he asked incredulously. She smiled sheepishly and shrugged her shoulders. "I couldn't find the toaster." He shook his head in disbelief as he ate his eggs and toast but appreciated her effort.
"I'm sorry I'm not much of a cook, I'm more of a cereal kind of girl." She explained.
"Parker, I didn't marry you for your domestic skills, but thanks for trying, that was a sweet thing to do." She beamed and started to clean up the kitchen. He finished eating, went back to the room to get dressed then headed to the door.
"Where are you going?" she called out. "To my house, I gotta shower and change, I'll be back soon." He closed the door behind him.
She finished cleaning up, went to gather her things to go to her warehouse. Eliot had straightened up the back room, everything back in its place as if they were never there. She giggled at the thought that he probably didn't want anyone to know where they had spent their first night back.
The warehouse which also served as her home was sparse, only holding things she really needed like her rigging, locks, her bed, clothes and of course her stuffed bunnies. She picked up the one Eliot had given her in the hospital. 'Not very homey huh little bunny', she observed thinking about how cozy Becky and John's place was and that her husband had a hand in designing it. She wanted Eliot to feel good here, not like he was at a freak show as he put it, so she got to work.
Eliot felt even better after his shower; he got dressed to meet up with Hardison at the pub to discuss the menu and potential clients. He looked around his house, noting his decor. A big screen TV, sports memorabilia, pictures of him and his buddies in the military on the walls, his heavy bag in a corner and the worn leather sofa he had to admit was well used by his former lady friends. 'I'll have to fix that' he thought as he walked out the door.