Two days later Eliot was limping around the office again, headed to the kitchen. The crutches the doctor had insisted on when Eliot checked himself out against medical advice were resting against the wall near the door, where he had deposited them on entering the room. Hardison stepped forward to block the step up to the kitchen area. "You know – I think the hospital had it wrong when they said there was no head injury. Clearly you have lost the ability to understand English. Stay off your feet. What part of that is giving you problems?" Eliot's glare caused Hardison to take a half step back, but he remained as a roadblock. "Sit – tell me what you want."

With a deep sigh Eliot turned to start back to the sofa. "A beer – and I know you won't give it to me so save your breath."

"Sorry man – but you heard the doc. Not while you're on pain pills." Eliot turned and looked at him, raising an eyebrow. "Damn – you're not takin' your meds are you? And you keep sayin' there's something wrong with Parker. Man, you had surgery; you damn near froze and drowned. You were shot! What is your issue with a couple of little pills?"

"Make me feel – off. Fuzzy."

"And beer doesn't?" That earned him another glare. "Fine – one beer. And you get to explain it to Sophie."

"Explain what to me. Eliot what do you think you're doing?" She reached to intercept the hand-off from Hardison, but Eliot was too fast. "Why are you enabling this behaviour Hardison?"

"'Cause my nana taught me all about self-preservation."

"Sophie – I'm fine. Tired, but fine. One beer is not going to kill me. And it won't interact with the pain meds because they are still in the bottle. Before you ask, yes I am taking the antibiotics." He had reached his destination and dropped on the seat. He carefully raised his leg up to stretch out. He smiled at her. "See – keeping it elevated as ordered."

"No sling for the arm, no crutches, no pain meds. Oh yes, you are the perfect patient aren't you? Did you re-tape your ribs after your shower? Why do I even bother to ask?"

He grinned and pulled the shirt up far enough to show the bandages. She stared back at him, unappeased. "You are going to end up back in the hospital you know."

"Leave him be Sophie." Nate entered the room with Parker following closely behind, carrying pizza. "He's a grown-up – most of the time. He knows his limits." Eliot started to acknowledge Nate's statement. "He doesn't pay any attention to them, but he knows them." The growl from the sofa was low, but clear.

"OK – new subject." He tossed a USB stick to Hardison as the others reached for pizza. A moment later the screen was lit up.

"We are going to try something we don't normally do around here. Rules. Brand new, exciting, carved in stone rules. For EVERYONE." His volume of his last word silenced the grumbling that had started, but did nothing to soften the scowls.

"Number one: During and especially at the end of a job, comms stay active until all team members have checked in and had their status and location acknowledged and confirmed by at least one other team member. Any question on that? Anybody need clarification?"

"Good – Hardison, you can turn it off now."

"That's it – one rule?"

"Rules are made when we learn from our mistakes." He replied to Parker, and then turned to Eliot. "And this was a big one. Too big. We left you hanging, and there is no excuse for it. We are so damned used to you not needing help, that it just doesn't occur to us that sometimes you do. It would help if you were better about asking for it, but we still shouldn't have assumed anything."

Eliot shifted, uncomfortable with the attention on him under the circumstance. "It all worked out. I don't need – or want – a sitter, let alone 4 of them."

"Not sitters Eliot. Teammates. Partners. You had the right to expect us to be there for you. We all have that right. The fact that you are usually the one in the role of guardian doesn't mean you have to go without having someone watching your back. So from now on, we get a bit more vigilant about that. Clear?"

"It's not your job. I'm the protector on the team. It's what I do. Everybody has a role and sticking to it is what makes us – us. You wouldn't expect me to hack into something" Hardison laughed quietly at the mere thought, stopping when he got the look from Eliot "and I don't expect Hardison to take out the security guards."

"We're not talking about Hardison becoming a Ninja. We're talking about making sure that no one gets left behind. And if there is trouble, knowing about it before it reaches the point of search parties and air ambulances. What is so difficult about that concept for you to accept? The idea that you may have to accept help?"

Eliot didn't answer.

"Seriously Eliot – why do you have an issue with us wanting to make sure you're OK? You were certainly pissed off enough about it a couple of days ago."

"I was out of line when…"

"YOU were out of line? Seriously" Sophie stood in front of him, hands on her hips and trembling with anger. "We ignored you completely, and you are the one who was out of line. What is wrong with you?"

"Why can't you just accept things as what they are?" Eliot was tired of this discussion. They'd had it before, more often than he wanted. Of course once was more often than he wanted. "Nobody takes care of me. Nobody is responsible for me. Nobody worries about me. That's the way it is supposed to be. Always has been. Always will be."

There was silence as they looked at their friend. He truly believed what he was saying. It wasn't a complaint, wasn't self-pity. It was simply a statement of fact as in the way he saw his life.

"My God Eliot – do you have any idea how wrong that is?" Nate had a pit in his stomach that went right to the floor. The ache he felt couldn't be put into words. "Why would you think that – why would you accept that?"

"Cause it's true. I keep trying to tell you it's the way things are. You keep trying to think I deserve more. You're wrong. Discussion's over."

He stood to leave, but Parker moved in to block his path, knowing he wouldn't do anything to harm her or force her away.

"You're our friend. That means something to us, even if it doesn't to you. You can't stop us from caring."

"No, but I can stop you from getting hurt. Not going to put you into a place where something could go wrong. If that means walking away, that's what I'll do." How did this escalate out of control? If only he'd kept his mouth shut that night none of this would be happening. "I don't have friends Parker. It's too dangerous. I knew this was a mistake."

"What was – agreeing to join up in the first place? Coming to Boston? Busting me out of prison? What was your mistake Eliot?"

"All of the above."

"So this – us. That was your mistake? Nice man. Really nice." Hardison looked hurt and angry.

"My mistake was in thinking I could fit in with…" Eliot wasn't sure how to finish the sentence. He knew calling them normal or real people would result in a barrage of smart ass responses. He knew it would be worse if he said what he wanted to – better people. Why did they keep insisting he was worthy of their friendship? Why did he let himself think that long enough to get close to them? It always ended badly. At home, in the service, in any group he worked with. He didn't play well with others. "…with anyone."

Parker turned away from him with tears forming that she refused to let him see. She wouldn't be weak in front of him. She didn't completely understand why she was crying, but had a feeling the tears were for him, and feared he'd see them a pity. He'd hate that, and she wouldn't do it to him. Sophie had no such concern as her tears slipped down her cheeks.

"I give up Eliot. I'm sorry we haven't been able get through the barriers you've built. They are just too high and too thick, and like you, far too strong. We could talk to you for hours and it won't help."

Finally – someone had caught on.

"But if you think for a minute it is going to stop us from caring – you're dreaming. You can't stop us. Whether you like it or not, we are your friends." She held up her hand to stop his interruption. "I don't care what you did before. We all have less than stellar histories and we deal with it. Maybe someday you'll want to, or have to, share more with us. That's your call. I trust that if we NEED to know, you'll tell us. But not to shock us, or scare us, or turn us against you. That isn't going to work, so save your energy."

"She's right Eliot. You can walk away, or in this case, limp away, anytime. But it won't change a damn thing. So, I ask it again - Everybody clear on the new rule?"

Hardison nodded. "All good. I'll figure some kind of automatic monitoring system too. Key word to set off an alarm so we all come back on line if anyone triggers it."

Nate nodded. Good idea.

Parker and Sophie nodded their agreement with the rules and the new system. All eyes turned to Eliot.

He sighed. He'd never get through to these people. For all of their misdeeds, questionable backgrounds and illegal activities, they were ridiculously naïve. He'd run out of energy to fight with them anymore. Maybe, for now, he'd try to live up to what they thought. It was a hopeless goal, but he could give it a shot, at least for a while. Sooner or later they'd find out the truth. Given the path they were on now, probably sooner rather than later. He dropped back down to his seat.

"Sure – I live for rules." There was an awkward silence. Time to come up with a new subject. "So – how was the dance?"

Sophie laughed to help release the tension. "Well, it was different. But at least Parker got her 'prom dance'. A little after the fact, but late is better than never. Actually, I guess you and Nate were the only ones who'd been to a prom."

"Yeah- yours was probably pretty memorable." Hardison was grinning. "Girls lined up for their dance with the football hero and all. How many did you have to turn away?" There was no response. "Come on man – share. Let the rest of us live vicariously."

"Didn't go" he said softly.

One of these days, Nate thought to himself, we are going to make an assumption about Eliot that proves to be right.

"Mr. Popular, Mr. High School Star didn't go to the prom? Come on man. What?" Hardison wasn't buying it.

"I had a job. Had to work. Family." And he thought the previous silence had been awkward. "So – Nate. We got a job lined up –or anything?" He was practically begging for a change of subject.

"Yeah – uh. Sure. Hardison, bring up the file I gave you yesterday. I only just started researching the mark."

As they spread out to take their normal places Sophie looked over at Parker with a question on her face. After a moment Parker picked up on it and nodded. Sophie perched on the arm of the sofa next to Eliot. She leaned over and spoke to him quietly.

"When you're back on two feet, you are taking Parker and me dancing. End of discussion." She shifted over to another chair.

Definitely was never going to change these people. Maybe the time had come to stop trying.