Author's Note: I apologize for the extended hiatus - got busy with life and school work, not to mention a little bit of writer's block. Don't worry, I haven't abandoned the story!

"Our last song tonight is going to be a cover." There was some hoots and hollers as Tabitha spoke into the microphone on the Ponderosa's stage. "I brought along a special friend to help me sing this duet. Please welcome Kenneth Crane!"

Eliot stalked onto the stage looking a little embarrassed. The women in the crowd responded enthusiastically and he gave them a modest smile. Tabitha had talked him into singing a song with her to make up for Steve and Eric having to cancel. He had been a little reluctant at first but her persuasion techniques were very effective, and in the end he couldn't say no to her.

Glancing at Tabitha, Eliot grabbed the microphone in one hand. Out of habit his eyes briefly scanned the crowd and he brushed his free hand through his hair. He took a deep breath and launched into the opening verse of a country classic.

"There's a full moon over Tulsa,
I hope that it's shining on you.
The nights are getting cold,
In Cherokee County.

There's a blue norther passing through.
I remember green eyes and a rancher's daughter.
But remember is all that I do.
Losing you left a pretty good cowboy,
With nothing to hold on to.

The crowd cheered as their voices blended together during the last verse. Eliot stole a glance a Tabitha, and she was smiling as she strummed the guitar in her hands.

"You're the reason God made Oklahoma,
You're the reason God made Oklahoma.
And I'm sure missing you,
I'm sure missing you.

L*E*V*E*R*A*G*E

L*E*V*E*R*A*G*E

Later, after the show and most of the people had cleared out, Eliot went over to the bar and grabbed them a couple of whiskey shots. Tabitha joined him, their shoulders brushing together.

"Um, excuse me, Mr. Crane?" a timid voice asked from behind. Out of instinct Eliot spun around, and was more than a little surprised when he saw whom the voice belonged to.

A girl in her early twenties with extremely curly blond hair was looking at him expectantly in a mix of awe and fear. It was the girl from the Saddlebag Saloon where the team did that studio job down in Memphis, and he had mistaken her for someone trying to derail the con instead of a fan wanting an autograph.

"I'm sorry to interrupt but I loved the song you sang in Memphis. My friend and I were on a trip and we decided to stop by here," she turned to Tabitha, "I'm a fan of your music, too. I'm sorry, I'm rambling... could I get a picture with both of you?"

Eliot mentally shrugged. Why not? He felt a little bad about the autograph incident and scaring her. "Sure, sweetheart," he smiled.

She squeezed between them and held the camera at arm's length, and it was all over in an instant as they all smiled before the flash fired, momentarily blinding them.

"So, Memphis?" Tabitha raised a brow at Eliot after his fan had thanked him and hurried off.

"Yeah, we worked a job down there. I sort of scared her half to death when she asked me for an autograph the first time."

L*E*V*E*R*A*G*E

L*E*V*E*R*A*G*E

Tabitha woke with a jolt. Without even having to think about it, she instinctively knew that it was September 23rd. She couldn't help it; it was a day that was forever burned into her memory. The nine year anniversary of the horrific car accident that killed her parents. Time had eventually worn away the pain's sharp edge to a dull ache but the anniversary always hit her hard. This year it seemed particularly hard.

She reached across the bed for Eliot and her heart tightened a little when her hand only found empty space. She couldn't help remembering the other times Eliot had left. This time was different because she knew he would be back, unlike their previous encounters over the years where they would have a few days together – maybe even a whole week - before Eliot would have to leave for another job, disappearing into the figurative sunset for who knew how long.

She took a steadying deep breath to gather herself and climbed out of Eliot's bed. Rarely any good came from wallowing in the past.

She needed coffee, and several cups of it.

After she'd showered and dressed, she made her way into the kitchen to make the coffee. A note was waiting for her, propped against the french press on the counter, where Eliot knew she would find it. She smiled a little at the hitter's thoughtfulness as she read the note.

The team needed me and I didn't want to want to wake you. Be back soon, hang in there.

Eliot

Tabitha let her mind wander to the start of her career as she added fresh coffee grounds to the press and filled it with boiling water.

She still vividly remembered walking down the hall to her college art class. At the time she was twenty-three and majoring in art. Her cell phone rang. She paused to answer it and time seemed to stop. Outside it was a partly cloudy day and a ray of sun had just broken through the clouds.

After the accident she was a mess. She wanted to do something crazy and reckless. Just what had playing by the rules gotten her or her parents? On the outside she appeared to be in control but the reality was that she was barely managing to keep it together. Something inside her snapped; perhaps a halfhearted death wish.

And what was more high stakes than art forgery?

Tabitha loved art and she was good at it, too, especially painting. Her teachers had always praised her ability to look at something and recreate its likeness on a sheet of paper or canvas. After the accident and she abandoned college, it took time and a lot of hard work to make a name for herself in the crime world.

That satisfied her for several years but then it just wasn't enough. She was good at art but music was her first love. Her parents had always been very supportive, paying for art classes and guitar lessons. She missed music. So she went into semi retirement, picking the jobs she wanted to, and focused more music. Money was no object and she could have walked into any Nashville record label and bought a record deal; instead, she wanted to start from the ground up, make her parents proud. She started going by her real name again and got her band started with a few musician friends. Since then they'd been playing bars all over the east coast.

She was startled out of her reverie when she absentmindedly grabbed a cup and poured some coffee into it, managing to spill some and burn herself. A curse slipped from her lips and she reached for the sponge to clean up the mess.

Swallowing the lump in her throat, Tabitha padded over to the Monet in progress and pulled off its cover. She had work to do.

L*E*V*E*R*A*G*E

L*E*V*E*R*A*G*E

A couple of hours later Tabitha heard Eliot at the door, not needing keys, just opening it. Coming home. Something she could rarely do since the accident without seeing the face of her mother and father. The simple sound made tears well up.

"Tabby?"

The hitter's eyes fell on her as she wiped away a tear. He was across the room in several strides, carefully stepping over the painting supplies scattered around, and pulling her into his arms.

"Hey." His voice was comforting as she buried her nose in his chest, breathing in the smell of warm leather from his jacket, a hint of gasoline, cotton, and something that was uniquely Eliot.

"Sorry," Tabitha sniffed after a couple minutes, wiping at her eyes.

Eliot cupped her face in his hands, using his thumb to brush away the tears.

"I just miss them, you know?"

"I know," he rumbled and pressed a gentle kiss on her cheek, tasting the warm saltiness as another tear fell. "Hey, it's okay."

Her arms tightened around his neck and her mouth collided with his in a desperate kiss. His own grip tightened; he knew her too well and knew exactly where this was going.

"Tabby..." he hesitated as she fumbled with the buttons of his shirt.

"Eliot...please, I need this."

He met her eyes and leaned in to cover her mouth with his. He hated seeing the hurt in her normally bright eyes. She tried to pull him into a more demanding kiss but he didn't give in. If they were going to do this then it was going to be his way.

"Eliot," Tabitha drew out his name, pleading with him.

"No," Eliot answered firmly. She wanted rough, angry, passionate sex to make her forget, even if only for a little while. He was more than capable of giving her what she wanted but he'd learned that sometimes it just made the hurt worse. He wanted to show her that he cared, that she could count on him, and roughing her up wasn't the way to do it. There would be plenty of time for that later.

He allowed her to remove his shirt and his eyes followed its movement before he lifted her up in his arms and started for the bedroom.

Against the softness of the sheets Eliot took his time, letting the passionate heat smolder between them. He patiently pushed aside her attempts to spur him into a faster pace until she gave in and relinquished control.

He started with her mouth and when she was drunk on his taste, he moved lower, worshiping her entire body. The fiery trail of nips and kisses ended at her lips and he lingered. Her hands were tight in his hair, holding on as she struggled to hold back tears. Their gazes locked.

"I love you." He laced his fingers with hers and flexed his hips, gently sliding into her. Her hand tightened in his as they began to move together.

Tabitha couldn't hold back any longer. Her lips trembled as more tears slid down her cheeks. "I love you, too."