Chapter 18

Once off the phone Nate returned it to the woman and then met up with Georgi in his room. He quickly checked and redressed his wounds, and the Georgi checked his.

"I don't like the wound to the abdomen Nate. I had to fish that bullet out and it looks like it is a little infected." Georgi said looking at the man. "You will have to have somebody take a look at it."

"Don't worry Georgi I'll have it taken care of when I get home." Nate said, he could feel the heat radiating from the wound and he also knew he had a fever which was probably connected to the infection that had taken root. They had not really been able to treat and dress the wound properly. "So how do we get to Moscow?"

"I have asked a friend to come and pick us up and take you to the airport, is there anything you need from the hotel first?"

"No, no nothing."

"Good, Bronovich thinks you are dead I am sure, but you can't be too careful. So he will pick us up at seven tomorrow morning and drop you off then take me home."

"Excellent." Nate smiled at him. "Then I am going to go and get a good night's sleep on a nice soft bed." Nate said standing up and wishing the man a good night before returning to his room, quickly getting undressed and then almost falling into the bed.

At seven the next morning they were both ready for the journey back to Moscow, Nate had no doubt that there would be tickets waiting for him at the airport although how they would know what flight to book he was not sure, but he trusted that Hardison had made sure it was taken care of. Arriving at the airport some three hours later Nate bid Georgi goodbye thanked his friend and headed into the airport.

Sophie, and the others sat in the living room of their house watching the screens which showed Moscow airport waiting for Hardison's facial recognition programme to tell them that Nate had arrived at the airport. The time difference had made it tricky for them, it was now almost midnight in Portland which would make it about 10:30 in the morning in Moscow by Eliot's reconning. Suddenly Hardison's computers gave an indication that they had a hit and he quickly hit the button to call up the image.

"Nate." Sophie almost sighed. This made it real for her, seeing him made it all real. They watched the man walk towards the ticketing counter and her eyebrows knotted slightly with concern, he looked tired she thought, and he was walking slowly favouring is left side.

"He looks like he is hurt." Hardison said as he watched Nate and saw the same things Sophie did.

"Well you don't get out of what he went through unscathed." Eliot said he too had noticed Nate's gate and his general body language. The man was in pain, well he thought he had probably taken at least one bullet and he doubted he had been looked at by a doctor.

Nate walked to the ticketing counter and gave his name immediately receiving a first-class ticket. Looking at the ticket he saw he had one stop at LAX again. He made his way to the gates as the flight was already boarding and then took his seat in first class.

"Hardison get us a flight to LAX please." Sophie said softly. She was not going to wait for Nate to get home, she wanted to be there when he landed in LA and they could all travel together home to Portland.

"No problem." Hardison smiled at her. He was not going to book them commercial either, they were going to travel charter and then charter again home. They needed time to be with each other and they could not do that on a commercial airplane. "It's an eleven-hour flight out of Moscow so we can leave in the morning, charter."

"Good." Sophie sighed as she watched Nate board the plane and disappear. "Then I am going to go and get some sleep, tomorrow is going to be a big day." She said smiling at all of them.

Sophie walked into the nursery and immediately approached the crib, looking down at her sleeping child she smiled at him and whispered to him that tomorrow they were going to welcome his Daddy home. Then she moved to the daybed and lay down closing her eyes and within minutes she was asleep.

"Hardison make sure there is medical equipment on the flight ok." Eliot said softly.

"Yeah done man." Hardison replied.

"Ok well then I am going to go get some rest too, you two should do the same."

"Right behind you 'bro." Hardison said taking Parkers hand and leading her to their suite.

By the next morning they were ready to go, Hardison had chartered a flight and arranged that they would be at the airport a half hour before Nate's plane landed. Arriving at LAX Hardison told them that Nate's flight was delayed by about twenty minutes and so they all took a seat at the arrivals to wait for him. Sophie sat holding Michael, Eliot stood behind her guarding his family and Hardison and Parker sat together with Parker continually asking Hardison if the plane had arrived yes. Finally the display indicated that Nate's plane was on the ground and that they were disembarking.

They waited as the people flowed through the gates and then Sophie saw him. Her heart nearly stopped as she saw him walking towards her and then she moved. They walked to each other and then stopped.

"Sophie." Nate said as he looked at her and his son. He wanted to say so much but could not get the words out, emotion overwhelmed him as he drank her in and then looked at his son and she could see his eyes tear up.

"Nate…" She whispered looking him over.

Nate stepped forward and put his arms around her and his son then kissed her gently.

"I am so sorry Sophie." He whispered.

"Not your fault Nate." She whispered back.

"He's grown…he…he's…he's wonderful." Nate said looking at his son and then accepting him into his arms as Sophie handed him over. Nate kissed the boy on his head, and she could see the tears in his eyes as he held his son gently whispering his love for him.

"Now we go home." Sophie said turning to look at the other three who had hung back to let Sophie and Nate reunite.

Nate looked at the three and then handed his son back to her. As he did Parker ran forward and threw her arms around him squeezing him tightly and almost toppling him over.

"Parker…" He said as he hugged her back wincing at the pressure she was exerting.

"Are you ok?" She asked quickly letting him go and stepping back looking at him with concern.

"Fine Parker just a little sore is all." He reassured her.

"Nate…" Hardison said stepping up and hugging him. "Don't ever do that again."

"I won't." He said patting the man on the back before turning to look at Eliot.

They said nothing to each other, but Eliot pulled him into a hug which was rare for Eliot to do.

"I have medical equipment on board to check you out." He said into Nate's ear. No matter what the man said, he could see he was in pain, he could feel the heat emanating from him, he had a fever and he had noticed the wince when Parker had hugged him.

"Ok." Nate said not arguing with his Hitter.

"Let's get to the charter and get home shall we?" Sophie said taking Nate's arm again.

"Yes…yes let's go home." Nate smiled at her and then she and he followed Hardison who led them towards the private terminals.