Hannibal, Murdock and B.A. looked at each other each thinking the same thing. It was Murdock that spoke first. "You would have thought that would be the first thing out of his mouth."

"Much as I hate agreein' with you, fool, you right. That car is his baby."

Hannibal frowned. "Damn…that just tells us how much he's hurting." But something told him it went deeper than his physical injuries.

As the sun rose the next morning, Face too rose but not without a little assistance from Murdock.

"Let's take it slow, Face."

Face nodded, but it wasn't as if he had much choice in the matter. As soon as he was vertical the world began to tilt and his knees buckled.

"Whoa there, partner," Murdock said as he quickly grabbed Face by the waist so as not to grab his injured arm. "Maybe you shouldn't be on your feet yet."

"M'fine," Face breathed.

"No…you're green."

"Just gimme a sec."

"Don't worry…we're not moving until your coloring is a little less like Kermit the Frog and bit more Miss Piggy."

"Oink," Face quipped, but then swayed once more.

"Nice try," Murdock smiled.

A couple of minutes later Face was able to start the short trip to the kitchen under the watchful eye of Murdock who hadn't wanted to let go. When they arrived Hannibal stood and pulled out a chair.

"Hey man…you look like crap," B.A. stated bluntly as he watched Face gingerly sit.

Face gave a slight smile and quipped, "and you look like a jewelry store threw up on you."

Hannibal and Murdock chuckled at the banter, but they could all see that Face was putting up a front to hide his discomfort.

"Our first order of business is to find Face's 'Vette…and if we find the 'Vette hopefully we find Amy." Hannibal leaned forward and rested his elbows on the table. "Let's start at the pier…maybe somebody saw something."

"I been thinkin', colonel," B.A. started,

"Uh-oh," Murdock teased.

"Shut-up, fool. At least when I think steam don't come outta my ears. As I was sayin', if a call is made from the 'Vette I can use the equipment in my van to trace it. We just have to hope she makes a call."

"What are we waiting for," Face said eagerly. "Let's get out to the van and get going."

"You aren't going anywhere, lieutenant…except perhaps back to bed."

"Hannibal, I'm fine." Face watched as the others rolled their eyes at him.

"Oh yeah? Is that why it took you ten minutes to shuffle a few feet from the couch to the kitchen?"

"I said I was fine."

Hannibal shrugged his shoulders. "Okay…have it your way. But at least eat something and have a cup of coffee first."

Face wasn't hungry, but he figured if he argued it wouldn't do him any good. Halfway through his cup of coffee his vision began to blur. Face rubbed his eyes with the hand from his good arm and tried to get them to focus.

"You okay, muchacho?" Murdock asked in a concerned voice.

"Told you I was…," Face mumbled before pitching forward.

"Fine," Hannibal finished, catching Face just before his head hit the table and easing him back.

Murdock's eyes grew wide. "You…you drugged him?"

Hannibal nodded while holding the unconscious Face against him. "As much as I hated doing it, it was the only way to get him to stay behind and rest."

"He's ain't gonna be feelin' too good when he wakes up…you know how good them drugs go over with the Faceman."

"True, but it's much better than him bouncing around in a van all day. Speaking of the van, let's get ready to move out."

Once they got Face settled into a bed Hannibal covered him with a blanket, leaned over and whispered, "I'm sorry, kid." Turning to Murdock he said, "Captain, you stay here with Face."

"Yes, sir. Billy and I will take good care of him." Murdock bent over and petted his invisible dog.

"Oh, man, Hannibal…but who gonna take care of the fool?"

Hannibal laughed and patted B.A. on the back and winked. "Billy will."

B.A. groaned and muttered as the duo headed out for the van.

"Nothin'...so nobody saw nothin'?" B.A. asked a couple of hours later they drove away from the pier.

"I'm afraid not. And assuming from your cheery disposition, I guess there were no calls either."

"Nah, man. We back to square one."

"Okay...let's head back and check in on Face."

The ringing of the phone made them both jump. Hannibal and B.A. shared a look; very few had the number...and Amy was one of them.

Hannibal picked up the receiver and didn't have a chance to speak before the familiar voice asked, "How is he?"

Hannibal nodded at B.A. who began tracing the call and responded, "I assume you're referring to Face. He's been better."

"I...I didn't want him to get hurt."

Hannibal had a hard time hiding his irritation at the situation she had put Face in. "But he did...and then you stole his car. Now I think we at least deserve an explanation."

"It's complicated..."

Trying to soften his approach he said gently, "Now look, kid. Whatever trouble you're in, we can help you."

"No...it's my fault Face got hurt...I won't take that risk again."

Hannibal was stalling trying to give B.A. enough time. "Face is going to be okay, but it's you he's worried about."

Amy's voice seemed to lift. "He is?"

"Yes, we all are. Let us in."

"I'm...I'm sorry. I can't. Look...I'll get Face's car back to him soon."

B.A. gave Hannibal a thumbs up sign indicating that the trace had been successful and immediately pulled out onto the road.

"Amy..."

"I'm sorry...really I am. I gotta go."

There was a click and Hannibal hung up the phone. "You got it?"

"Yeah...I got it."

"Nice, B.A."

"She holed up in a motel about twenty minutes north of here. But I'll get us there in fifteen."

True to his word, fifteen minutes later they pulled into the parking lot of the seedy motel and immediately spotted Face's car. After greasing the palm of the desk attendant, they made their way up to Amy's room.

Getting into the room wasn't a problem; with B.A.'s muscle it never was. Getting Amy to agree to leave with them, however, was not so easy. It required B.A. to flex his other muscle: his mouth. "Listen Mama, you can either walk outta here or I'll carry ya...but either way you comin' with us. Now stop the jibber-jabber and move."

Amy was silent as she sat in Hannibal's usual seat in the van. She stared out the window and saw Face's Corvette following closely behind with Hannibal at the wheel. Face. She didn't want to see him again; it hurt too much. She was kicking herself for ever calling him the day before, but she didn't know where else to turn. And now she was headed straight back to him...and the memories.

Face woke to the sound of voices coming from the living room. Disoriented, he tried to remember how he wound up in bed when the last thing he remembered was sitting at the kitchen table.

"That son of a …," Face cursed as he realized what must have happened.

Hannibal appeared in the doorway moments later. "You called?"

"You drugged me," Face seethed, struggling to push himself up with his good arm.

Hannibal rushed over and helped ease him up. "I'm sorry, kid. It was for your own good."

Face closed his eyes and swallowed back the bile that had risen to his throat from the change in body position. By the time his stomach had settled down enough to open them back up, Murdock and B.A. had entered the room. Amy was standing back in the doorway, but was blocked from his view by B.A.'s hulking figure.

"How're you feelin', man?"

"Just peachy, B.A.," Face deadpanned. "For a guy that has been stabbed, robbed, and drugged."

"I'm so…so…sorry, Face."

B.A. stepped out of the way revealing the attractive brunette whose eyes were moist with tears.

Face's heart started to beat faster and his palms grew sweaty. "Are…are you okay?" he finally managed to stutter out.

"I should be asking you that," Amy smiled swiping at her eyes to prevent the tears from falling.

"I'm better now that I know you're safe."

'There's something going on between those two,' Hannibal thought watching the uncomfortable way they were looking at each other. Dismissing it as a reaction to the events from the day prior, Hannibal decided it was time to figure out what was going on that led them here. "Okay, Amy…what's going on?"

Amy bit at her lip nervously before responding, "I don't even know where to start?"

"Just take it from the top."

"Yeah…we all ears, mama."

Murdock removed his cap and scratched his head. "Really? I thought we were all people, but…"

"Murdock!" B.A. growled grabbing the cap and hitting him over the head with it.

Hannibal led the nervous reported over to the window seat and gently pushed her down onto it. It seemed like an eternity before she began to tell her story.

"It all happened so quickly. A couple of months ago I went to Sicily to follow a lead about Gianni Morandi."

"The mob boss out of Chicago?" Hannibal asked.

"Yes. After disappearing from the States I learned that he took up residence in a secluded Villa. I became curious why a man at the prime of his life suddenly takes off...there had to be a reason, and a front page one at that."

"Aw, man...you and your front page," B.A. muttered.

"I know it's hard to understand, but it's what I do...it's in my blood. This time, however, I got too involved...and it became personal." Amy looked at Face and then quickly away. "My sources told me that Gianni was looking for a decorator to redo a couple of his rooms and I went in undercover."

"What do you know about decorating?"

"Well, I took some classes in college, and the rest I just made up as I went along. All that time I spent with Face finally came in handy for something."

Face winced and his head drooped slightly at the words.

"I...um...I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that. Anyway, I started as Gianni's decorator and then well we started to see each other socially."

Hannibal's eyebrows went up. "Was this still for the good of your story?"

Amy nodded. "At first, yes. I learned that he was trafficking drugs; when the feds started turning on the heat he decided to go to Italy until things cooled down again. But then...well...," Amy blushed and looked at the ground, "I found myself becoming very attracted to him."

"Oh brother...or in your case...oh sister."

"Exactly, B.A. I knew I had to get out of there...even if it meant abandoning the story. I couldn't allow myself to fall for a mobster, so I broke it off with Gianni."

"But he wasn't exactly ready to let go," Hannibal filled in.

"No."

"He didn't force himself on you, mama...'cause if he did..."

"No...no B.A." She blushed. "He never had to force himself."

It was like a knife to Face's gut. He closed his eyes feeling exhaustion taking over. He felt a hand on his good shoulder followed by Hannibal's voice.

"You okay, kid?"

Face opened his eyes and nodded. "Yeah...fine." Nobody believed him. "Go on, Amy."

That's it, really. I fled in the middle of the night last week, but yesterday Gianni's head guard Rico and his muscle bound crew found me. That's when I called Face."

"Guess I came in handy again."

"Face, I'm really sorry you got hurt...and for stealing your car. When I saw you bleeding and realized that it was all because you helped me, I panicked."

"I wanted to help...and I still do."

"We all do," Murdock added.

"Where is Morandi now? Is he still in Sicily?"

"I'm not sure, but I wouldn't be surprised after his men lost me yesterday that he wouldn't get on a plane and fly out here."

"Man...this dude must have fallen real hard to go to all this trouble?"

"I think a big part of it is that he doesn't like to lose and he's not accustomed to not getting what he wants. That's what makes him so dangerous...he'll fight until things go his way."

"Well, he hasn't met us yet...and we don't like to lose either," Hannibal grinned. "Amy, you stay here with Face. The rest of us have some work to do...let's go."

"Hannibal, I'm not sitting this one out," Face protested. "I wasn't cut that badly."

"I still don't like your color." Hannibal put a hand to Face's forehead. "And you feel a bit warm. Plus we need somebody to stay here with Amy."

"Hannibal..."

"Humor me, kid. I'd rather have you at 100% when we really need you...let us handle the leg work."

Face sighed in defeat knowing that Hannibal was right. But he also didn't want to be left alone with Amy. That's just where he found himself moments later.

TBC…