Eliot didn't get back home that weekend. The team took a job out of town, and asked him to stay at the office to monitor the coms. That was pretty weak as stalls went, but it worked. The last thing they needed was to be worried about him while they should be focusing on the con, so Eliot agreed. He was not going to be the distraction that caused them any problems. He did break the rules though. They hadn't been gone 10 minutes before he was down in the gym. It was the first time alone he had been able to get there. Even when he was doing Tai Chi, or trying to work on meditations, someone was hovering nearby. In Parker's case, that was literal, as he often looked up to find her hanging from a ceiling harness. "You guys do get that mediation is a solo kind of thing – right?"

"Go right ahead Eliot – you won't disturb us."

But now, there was silence - solitude. He walked through the area, trying to get comfortable in the environment, slowly flexing his fingers and rubbing out the stiffness is his recently freed hands. He'd always been a quick healer, but the amount of damage he'd suffered had set his usual progressive routine back some. He'd been waiting for this chance, and he was ready now. He stopped in front of the light workout bag. He'd picked up the boxer's tape during his walk, and started carefully wrapping his hands. It was a slow process at the best of time to do this for yourself, and this was by no definition the best of times. Finally, he was ready. He held the bag for a moment to centre it, and himself, then pulled back his arm.

"Touch that bag Eliot and there will be serious consequences"

Eliot jumped about 4 feet in the air and spun to look for the intruder. The TV monitor in the corner had sprung to life, and Hardison was staring down at him, shaking his head bemused, with just a tinge of disappointment. "Really, you didn't think we had figured out your first move when we left. Room is wired dude. Our phones started buzzing practically before we'd left the block. "

"Dammit Hardison – "

"Uh-uh – not this time. You know the deal. You ain't ready for that yet. You gotta give it time man."

"I know how I feel. I'm fine with this."

"You know how you want to feel. Come on Eliot. Be real. You start up too early and it is just gonna slow everything down in the long run."

"Fine." He hated admitting Hardison was right. "Just out of curiosity, what kind of serious consequences were you planning on delivering?" The silence made the Hitter smile. Hardison clearly hadn't thought that threat through. He lightly tapped the bag. "I'll be back" he said, as he switched of the light on his way out.

XXXXXXXXXXX

"Eliot, I'm not sure about this."

"For God's sake Nate, I'm a chauffeur. I drop Sophie off, wait around the corner and pick her up 20 minutes later. I don't really see that tasking my abilities at this point."

"You sitting still for 20 minutes is a big part of my concern."

The rest of the team had been watching this tennis match of an argument for a few minutes now, heads swiveling back and forth between the two men. Sophie was getting a headache.

"Nate, I think Eliot can judge for himself…"

"That's just it Sophie – he's not just judging for himself."

"What Nate – you think I can't figure out what you are really worried about? You think for second I would do this if I thought there was the slightest risk to anyone else. If I'm driving it leaves you three free to get Sophie out in a hurry if this goes south. I see this as giving her 3 healthy options, not one cripple."

Nate winced – "That's not what I meant…"

"Really? You've seen me in the gym trying to work out for the past month. The balance isn't coming back. The timing is gone. The strength is gone. I have no illusion that I can offer protection in the field. Hell, I'm still a liability. I get that."

The silence in the room was deafening. Hardison tried to recover, but couldn't quite find the words he wanted.

"Ah come on man – we don't – I mean, nobody thinks…"

"Dammit Hardison, don't patronize me."

Nate had found his voice again. "When all of this started a few months ago, you told me the one thing you couldn't handle was pity. I take it self-pity wasn't included in that?"

"You think that's what this is? This is self-awareness. Just because I'm a liability in the field doesn't put me off the team. You don't get rid of me that easily." He walked over to the Hardison and took the remote from his hand. The hacker was too surprised to react. A couple of clicks later a blueprint came up on the screen. "There are 4 ways out of the building – main door, back delivery entrance, parking garage entrance and the roof. Parker can be on the roof to help repel if needed. Hardison will be in back entrance to the lobby –there is a fire alarm there that can cause confusion, and if he can't get to that I can put in a 911 call from the car. Not quite as immediate, but it will do. Any of the routes should work then. Nate can be at the main entrance to create any additional diversions and I'll be at the garage exit with the car. Of course, all goes well Sophie just walks out the front as already laid out and I drive around to get her." He tossed the remote back to Hardison. He turned to look at their stunned faces. "More than one way to be a security expert. I'm learning to adapt." He glared for a few more seconds, but was finding it hard to keep a small smirk from slipping onto his face. It was fun to finally get a chance to put them all in their places after these past weeks of being lectured. They kept telling him he could still fit in, and now that he had proved it true, they were speechless, and he was enjoying every second of their discomfort.

Nate slowly started nodding. "OK – you set us up you son-of-a-bitch, but OK. You earned it." He tossed Eliot the keys, pleased to see him catch them. "Don't think for a second we are going to let you stop your physical therapy."

Two hours later Eliot was anxiously tapping his fingers on the steering wheel. He would never admit it out loud, but Nate had been right. The waiting – even for 20 minutes – was killing him. So far, everything was fine, but being next to the action, and not in the middle of it, was not what he was used to. Finally, Sophie gave the tip off to the team that she was on her way down, payout in hand. Before the elevator opened in the lobby, Nate's voice came over the coms.

"Security is at the elevator, and they don't look happy. Something is going on – everybody on alert. "

"Want the alarm pulled?"

"Let's see how this plays – be ready for it."

As the elevator doors opened and she stepped out, one of the guards moved in and took her by the elbow. "You'll be coming with us."

"NOW HARDISON".

The alarm was sounded before the command was finished. Everyone who had been coming or going in the lobby headed for the exits and in the jostling Sophie was able to pull herself free. She turned for the back entrance, judging there were too many guards between her and the front. Nate and Hardison were causing as much confusion as possible in the lobby, tripping or blocking anyone in a security jacket.

The car was running at the back as Sophie came out and was headed straight to the passenger seat when a guard appeared from the alley way blocking her path. He had no idea what hit him as a hand smoothly pulled him back and threw him against the wall. The second guard saw Eliot's fist coming at him in time to duck and counterpunch, but was blocked and went down from a hit to the solar plexus that would have stopped a truck. Eliot was back in the driver's seat long before the injured parties were able to stand up, and the dust the wheels had kicked up was flying in the air as the limo left the alley. Sophie sat open mouthed, staring at Eliot. The car skidded to a stop out front to pick up Nate. Parker was back at ground level meeting Hardison at the van, and they were all away less than a minute after the alarm had been sounded.

Nate looked to the front seat to check on Sophie, concerned by the look on her face. "You hurt – you hit?"

"I'm OK – I think Eliot may have bruised his knuckles"

He looked over to see the hitter flexing the fingers on his right hand.

"What the hell…"

"Believe me Nate – I have no idea what happened. It just – happened. The guy went to grab Sophie and I was on autopilot. I would have bet everything I own I couldn't do what I just did. God knows I can't do it in the gym."

"Wait" – Hardison's voice came through the coms. "Eliot gave someone a whooping and we missed it? Well that ain't fair."

Nate tried to sound angry, but couldn't keep the grin on his face from coming through in his voice. "When we get back to the office we are going to have a little chat about this Eliot."

"Whatever you say dad". Eliot didn't much care what any of them were saying right now. For all of his bravado, all of his trying to adjust, this was first time in months he felt like himself and saw a future that didn't scare him, and nothing was going to take this moment away.