A/N: Hello all. Yes, I realize this is very late, and I offer no excuses, except to say I'll try to do better. If anyone out there is still following along, thanks for reading and following. If you feel like leaving a review, it would really make my day and make me do a happy dance besides. Thanks again, and I hope you enjoy.

Chapter 10

Captain Bonnano suggested that he be the one to break the news to Gabby's parents about her death. That would serve the joint purpose of keeping the team out of the spotlight, and also allowing Bonnano and by extension, the State Police, to find out what they knew about their daughter's husband. Nate looked at Eliot.

"Somebody will need to check Gabby's place to see if her husband is still there."

"Parker doesn't need to stay by herself, and she has no business going back there right now."

"It's time to call in reinforcements," Nate said, stating the obvious.

"Ya think?" A wave of fatigue washed over Eliot, making his sarcasm more biting than normal. He cursed himself when Nate tilted his head sideways and studied Eliot more closely. Eliot lowered his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Everything okay, Eliot?"

Eliot briefly considered telling Nate that everything was fine, but he knew that they were going to be stretched to the limits on personnel on this one, and he had his own rules about working with the group. The first one of those rules was to Never, Never lie about his own well-being when it could be a danger to the team. He looked at Nate appraisingly for a moment, as if deciding how much to tell him. Finally he made up his mind about something and speared Nate with an icy gaze.

"You really want to know?" Nate nodded. "Meet me in the treatment room in fifteen minutes, and bring the rest of the team with you. I'm only going to explain this once."

Fifteen minutes later, Nate ushered a grumbling Hardison and a curious Sophie into the treatment room Eliot had long ago set up just off of Nate's apartment. Eliot was waiting for them. He smiled widely as he listened to the younger man.

"None of you understand what it is I do, do you? You don't appreciate any of it. I got too much to do to sit here and twiddle my thumbs just 'cuz Eliot says so." Eliot growled and the young man fell mostly silent, still grumbling under his breath.

"Settle down," Eliot growled. "You wouldn't be here if this wasn't important." He smiled his almost wicked, I'm-up-to-something, smile and continued, "But, since you're in such a hurry, you can go first."

Hardison swallowed hard. He recognized that tone of voice. Something was about to happen which he would not like very much. He stole a glance over at Eliot, and for the first time, realized he was wearing surgical gloves. That must mean this was a medical call. When would he learn to keep his mouth shut?

Chuckling quietly, Eliot put a hand on his friend's shoulder and squeezed. He spoke to Nate, though.

"You remember that last mission I went on with Vance?"

"I think so. Tehran, right?"

"Yeah. Well, a couple of the men on that mission are showing signs of Hepatitis. Kat came by earlier to let me know, and she did some tests while she was here. She also shot me full of immuno-globulin, just in case." Without thinking, he rubbed the spot on his rear where she had injected him.

"So what does this mean?"

"It means that I could get sick, although I think if I were going to get sick, it would have already happened." He gazed appraisingly at the mastermind for a moment, then continued, "It also means that you all have had a secondary exposure. SOP in a case like this is to give you all a few days dosage of the antidote and quarantine everybody for a few days, until we know for sure that no one is sick." He paused again, rubbing his forehead as he did so. "Look, Nate, I know this is not happening at the best time, but that's not something I can control."

"And Parker?"

"Well, she's already been exposed, so I think the best we can do is give her a dose as well, and quarantine her with me, so I can keep an eye on her."

"When do you think she'll remember what happened to her?"

Eliot shook his head. He didn't know. "All I can tell you is she'll remember when she's ready."

"Doc won't help?"

"Think that through, Nate. Do you really want my military buddies involved in this? Right now, she's agreed to take care of Gabby's body—that's a separate issue, and one she has a reason to be involved with. Still, she's gonna want a reckoning for that when she comes back to check on me. If you tell her everything, she won't agree to be involved in just a part of this, she can't—she'll be involved in all of it—and bring the rest of the team with her."

"Why?"

"She can't legally know the details of what we are doing without having to report it. And when she reports it, others get involved. It's that simple."

"Okay, so we don't involve your military team. I sure hope you have a plan B."

"Of course. We'll discuss that plan after all of this is done." In private, he thought, but didn't add.

"Sure. What about our guests?"

"They only have a tertiary exposure. We can probably just give them a dose of the vaccine, keep an eye on them tonight, and let them go on about their business tomorrow."

"So this means you'll be giving us all shots," Hardison interrupted.

"Yes, but that's not all it means. It also means that we'll have to lay low for a day or so, to be sure nobody gets sick. I received what's called a primary exposure, so I'll have to take doses of the antidote for the next ten days. You all have received a secondary exposure only, at this point, which means that you won't have to take as many doses of the antidote, but you'll have to do it for more than a day but less than a week. Probably five days. As for our clients and friends, I think they can get by with one dose and a day's quarantine. If I do become ill, your exposure will be upgraded to a primary exposure, and the length of the treatment will be lengthened as well. In just a moment, I'll ask Sophie and Parker to stay here, and ask everyone else to step out into Nate's living room. I'll do a couple of tests, and then administer the antidote. I'll do the same afterwards with you and Hardison.

"Then, we'll all come back in here and do what we can from here for a day or two. When you are free to leave, I won't be, so I'll send some reinforcements with you while you work. Now, gentlemen, if you'll excuse us, I'll need to see the ladies first."

Hardison, grumbling again, only louder this time, allowed Nate to steer him out of the room with a hand on his shoulder. When they were gone, Eliot closed and locked the door behind them, and looked at Sophie.

"I need you to lie down over here." She rose and moved to the cot right next to his. She stretched out, kicking off her shoes as she went. He was finished with the girls ten minutes later. Parker had been a bit of a challenge, but with Sophie there to help, she had allowed him to do what he had to do.

He wondered if Hardison would. Spearing Sophie with an intense gaze, he asked, "Will you escort Parker outside and stay with her, while I see to Nate and Hardison?"

She nodded, then grimaced as the IG made its presence felt. He smiled at her, and tucked a wayward strand of hair behind her ear before he said, "It won't hurt as much if you keep moving."

"Good to know."

He held the door for the girls, expecting Nate and Hardison to see them leave and present themselves. When they still weren't there five minutes later, he growled at no one in particular and said, "Nate! Hardison! Don't make me come and get you" rather loudly.

Nate stepped into Eliot's line of sight in the hallway, and motioned him down to where they were. When he got there, Nate whispered, "Alec excused himself and went upstairs about seven minutes ago, presumably to the water closet, since he couldn't use the one in the treatment room. He hasn't come down."

Eliot nodded and didn't answer. Escorting Nate somewhere that allowed a tad more privacy, he sat the mastermind down and proceeded to examine him. After he drew the blood he needed and probed the liver, Nate broke the silence.

"Now will you fill me in on this other plan you mentioned before?"

"I have another friend I can call in for Parker, and Quinn owes me a favor. He'll provide adequate protection, I believe."

Nate laughed. "I thought all of your friends were either military or fellow hitters."

"Who says she isn't?"

"Then how can she help if Doc can't?"

"Because she's ex-military, which means that like me, she no longer answers to anyone but herself, and those to whom she chooses to answer."

"Meaning she doesn't have to report to anyone, and no one else gets involved."

"Exactly. I've asked her to dinner, so you all can meet her."

"Are you sure Quinn can be trusted?"

"He knows my reputation. We can hire him to protect the team, I think."

Nate nodded. Eliot stripped off his gloves and replaced them with new ones, while Nate was thinking about what he wanted to ask next. When he saw the syringe, he started to roll up his sleeve, but Eliot shook his head.

Raising an eyebrow, Nate gazed at the hitter curiously. Eliot simply stared back at him.

Taking the hint, the mastermind unfastened his belt, and the button on his pants, and then walked over and faced the wall, planting both hands out beside him. Neither of the men made eye contact as Eliot gave him the injection, but Nate cursed softly as he felt the after effects of the IG.

As Nate put his clothing back to rights, he asked, "Are you going to need help with Hardison?"

"No. I can handle it, but if you feel better being there, or you think he'll feel better with you there, you're welcome to come."

Nate followed the hitter out of the alcove they had ducked into, and went to check on the girls, while Eliot made his way upstairs as quietly as possible. Starting with Nate's guest bedroom, he flung the door open and stalked inside. He was unsurprised to find the room empty.

Eliot closed the door behind him without making a sound and headed back down the hallway the way he had come. He stopped briefly outside of Nate's upstairs bathroom, listening. He thought that he had heard water running, but there was no sound coming from there now. After a moment, he moved on down to Nate's master bedroom, knocking lightly on the door as he did so.

"Hardison?" he asked. No answer. He opened the door and quickly cleared the bedroom, en-suite bath and closet. Unless he had somehow managed to sneak downstairs, and Eliot knew within reason that he hadn't, he had to be either in the linen closet or the guest bathroom.

Moving back to the guest bathroom, Eliot turned the doorknob, only to find it locked. "Damn it, Hardison," he growled loudly in his scary voice, "open this door and let me in."

There was no answer and the door remained locked. Had the man crawled out the window? Eliot knew the younger man had an issue with needles, but this was ridiculous. Eliot's patience snapped and he said, "Hardison, open this door or I'll break it down." Nothing happened for almost a minute, and Eliot was getting ready to make good on his threat when he heard a shuffling sound and then a snap as the lock was turned. Eliot counted to ten to give the young man some space, and then carefully opened the door.

He stood in the doorway for a moment, gazing appraisingly at the man before him. Hardison was seated on a small stool Sophie had set up over by the whirlpool tub. He was studying his hands intently and refused to look up.

"Wanna tell me what this is all about?" Eliot asked, softly.

Hardison swallowed hard. "No, I really don't."

"Suit yourself. I'll just do what I have to do, then." With that, Eliot moved to the sink and washed his hands. Then, he drew a pair of gloves out of his bag and pulled them on. He rummaged in the bag for supplies he needed, paying no attention to the younger man. All the while, Hardison was watching him, growing more and more anxious.

"Wait," he said, as Eliot turned back around. "I'm refusing treatment. If you touch me, under the law, it's assault."

"You do realize that if you don't allow Eliot to treat you, you won't be able to work with the team, right?" Both men looked up in surprise to see Nate leaning against the door frame. The older man looked tired, and he looked like he could use a drink.

"Why not? I may not even get sick. Eliot said himself that he may not even get sick."

"Hardison, have you ever seen someone with Hepatitis, up close and personal, I mean?" Hardison shook his head, looking back and forth between the two men, unsure who to answer first.

"I have. It isn't pretty. You could die from it." Eliot told him.

Nate said, "I won't gamble with your health, any more than I would gamble with anyone else's on the team. If you won't allow Eliot to give you the antidote, I can't allow you to work with the team. I hope you'll at least let him examine you to be sure that you aren't already coming down with it. If you won't look after your own health, you have a responsibility not to risk exposing anyone else."

"So, you're willing to risk losing the person who hurt Parker because I won't allow Eliot to give me a shot that may not even work? 'Cuz that's what you're doing if you don't let me work with the team."

"That's a chance we'll have to take."

Hardison wasn't happy that neither of them were backing down. He knew if he insisted on carrying this through to the end, Eliot and Nate would be angry with him, and he might find himself without a place on the team. One of his biggest fears was that they might decide they didn't need him anymore. He couldn't bring himself to say anything.

Eliot looked at Nate. Nate said, "I hesitate to send him off alone. I worry that that will make him a target."

"I can ask my friend Shelley if he'll stay with him. He's had the same exposure."

"Where?"

"How about the safe house on the North side?"

"All right."

Hardison looked back and forth between them, unable to help feeling a little betrayed. "You mean, you're kicking me out?"

"I prefer to think of it as temporarily relocating you for your own safety." The mastermind's voice broke on the last word, causing both Eliot and Hardison to look at him more closely. A bit sheepishly, he continued, "I couldn't stop Sam from getting sick, but if there's any possibility of stopping you… I won't lose any more of my family. I-I can't—" He broke off, looking more lost than Eliot had seen him in a long time. Then, he mumbled an apology and shuffled out of the room.

Eliot leveled an icy stare on the younger man, who was studying the floor again. "Damn it, Hardison," he growled. "Quit this crap and tell me what's going on."

"You wouldn't understand."

"Try me."

"I can't. I'll go on to the safe house." He spoke without looking up. "E-E-Eliot?" he faltered, as he met the hitter's eyes and the man's palpable anger. Eliot didn't answer, but he stared at Hardison, clearly waiting for him to continue, so he did. "Tell Nate I understand why he wants me there, and I don't blame him. I bear him no ill will, and if he sees fit to kick me off the team for this, I'll understand."

"Man, you have a lot to learn," Eliot said, shaking his head. Then, he growled and added, "Go, before I change my mind. And let Shelley in when he gets there, yeah?"' Hardison nodded.

(0o0)

The black SUV pulled up to a pretty bright blue house on a corner lot in the suburbs. The driver parked on the road, careful to avoid blocking other driveways or mailboxes. A tall man stepped out of the car, walking up the walkway with a limp. He rang the doorbell and then stood, waiting for an answer. He didn't receive one. After a moment or two, he knocked on the door. Still no answer.

Nonchalantly, he walked around the house to the back. A beautiful vegetable garden took up about a third of the back yard, standing behind a chain link fence. The rest was tall trees and grassland. Although the garden was well tended, the land, at this moment, was deserted. Hadn't Spencer said that Gabby was afraid her parents and her little sister would be in some danger from her husband? Was that why there was no one home? Bonanno took out his phone and sent a text message, as he walked to the car.