A/N: This story has gone in a slightly different direction than I thought it would so please let me know what you think. One more chapter to go and this one will be finished. Thank you to everyone that reviewed so far – I really appreciate the feedback!

Three hours later, BA was happy to be in the garage, tinkering with his van. Murdock was 'helping' BA and Hannibal was on the balcony again, chewing on a cigar and reflecting on the past few days.

They'd been together as a team now for almost 16 years and yet Hannibal still saw that little flash of doubt in Face's eyes whenever he made a mistake. Like he was expecting this to be the final straw that would push them all away. Push him away. Hannibal knew he was partly responsible for that. It was born of a twisted sense of frustration that Hannibal couldn't help winding Face up whenever that doubt reared its ugly head. Throwing flames on the fire of his lieutenant's insecurities wasn't necessarily Hannibal's intention but a part of him couldn't help himself. If Face didn't know by now that the team wasn't going anywhere, would never leave him behind, well then Hannibal didn't know how else to drive that point home. Ok, maybe the teasing about Face's worth to the team didn't help. He'd have to work on that.

The front door opened, and Hannibal's attention was drawn to the door, his hand drifting towards his pistol until he saw the pilot slump into the room.

"Captain." Hannibal greeted as Murdock walked past. "How's the van?"

"BA decided it was time for me to make lunch." Murdock sulked, heading for the kitchen.

Hannibal smiled to himself as he heard the refrigerator door open and Murdock rustle around for lunch fixings.

The Colonel took a puff off of his cigar as he turned back towards the ocean and his thoughts.

What was truly bothering him about this whole situation? He'd assured Face that he should accept the pardon and try for a normal life. Gave the kid a one-armed hug and stood back. Watched BA sit in glum silence. Watched Murdock compensate the idea of losing Face by trying to replace him. Face said his goodbyes to Murdock and BA. Hannibal got a glance and a request not to be followed, as if Face was afraid the Colonel might be disappointed with his decision and couldn't face him. Then just like that, Face was gone and despite any hesitation he had about leaving the team behind, he sure did seem to adjust quickly. Hannibal wasn't an overly emotional man but that had to be it.

It was the silence this time, that interrupted Hannibal's thoughts. He walked back into the condo and noticed the kitchen was empty. Suspecting where Murdock had disappeared, he knocked on the master bedroom door and didn't wait for an answer before opening it. Sure enough, his Captain was lying on his back across the foot of the bed, hands crossed behind his head. Murdock turned toward the door as it opened and quickly looked back at Face but not before Hannibal saw the flicker of guilt. Face, sitting up by the headboard with his elbows hanging loosely over his knees, looked almost good as new. Only those who really knew him would see the jittery movement in his hands or the way his eyes were a little slow to track.

"Give us a minute, Captain?" Hannibal's question was less request and more order.

"Or you could stay and warn me what this is all about." Face smiled encouragingly. Murdock opened his mouth to protest as he stared at his friend and Hannibal instantly knew Murdock had already filled in any holes in Face's memory. A poker player, Murdock was not.

"Never mind, Murdock. Where's Billy?" Face tried. "We should take him down to the beach - you know how he loves playing in the ocean."

"Face."

That one word was all Hannibal needed to say to have Murdock patting Face on the leg and throwing a quick 'Good luck!' over his shoulder before hurrying out of the room.

Hannibal shut the door and leaned his shoulder up against the wall next to the bed.

"Feeling better, Lieutenant?"

"A little, but my memory is still cloudy." Face gave an exaggerated sigh and held a hand to his forehead, the picture of a man too unwell to endure a lecture.

"But the gist has come back, yes?" Hannibal leaned forward and pierced Face with his "I Will Know if You're Lying to Me" glare.

How could Hannibal know that ten minutes prior, Murdock had popped in to check on Face and Face had rolled over, stretched and then bolted upright when his memories of the last few days came back full force? Face pondered for a split second before he decided against lying. It wasn't worth the risk.

"Aw, Hannibal. It was a pardon! A chance at freedom. I had every intention of being our agent on the surface." Face protested.

"In between interviews with everyone from Diane Sawyer to that guy in the chicken suit, right Face?"

"Being a public figure comes with a certain amount of responsibility, Hannibal…" Face started, in full con-mode but trailed off as Hannibal's eyes narrowed to slits. "Ok, ok, ok." Damn whatever drug that orderly had given him, he was still loopy and his brain wasn't firing on all cylinders yet.

"Ativan." Hannibal supplied, reading Face's mind.

Face scoffed, both at knowing what he was drugged with and Hannibal's ability to read him so effortlessly.

"I told those guys I wasn't Murdock." Face pouted, rolling his eyes and rubbing the injection site on his neck. "Thanks a lot for the help with that, by the way."

"Lieutenant, I warned you not to let your ego get in the way of good judgement. We all knew there was something fishy about that pardon."

"So you just let them take me away and drug me to the gills." Face accused, pouting.

"No." Hannibal said with just a hint of sarcasm. "But we couldn't exactly tell them who you really are. Besides, I had it all under control."

"You certainly didn't have the laughing under control as they hauled me away. It's nice to know I amuse you."

"Now Face, you know we weren't gonna let them commit you, right?" Hannibal assured him, smirking. Damn, why couldn't he tell the kid that without being a smartass about it?

Face sighed. "I know that, Hannibal." He ran his hand through his hair and looked down at the bedspread, tracing the pattern with his finger.

Hannibal watched him patiently, arms loosely crossed over his chest, belying any expectations he had.

"You know I was going to come back, right?" Face asked quietly, not looking up.

"I know." Hannibal affirmed, realizing he really had known that, right from the beginning. Of course Face would have figured out how to balance his newfound freedom while making sure the team was ok. Face talked a big game and whined and complained about their adventures but he was loyal to the team, through and through.

"So?"

"We're good." Hannibal confirmed.

Face shot him a brilliant smile and just like that, they'd said all they needed to say.

"But." Hannibal pushed himself off the wall and headed for the door. "You might want to atone for all of the Hunk Man that BA had to put up with so he doesn't kill you"

Face groaned and flopped back onto the bed.