Nate parked his car in his usual space in the apartment complex's parking lot, and made his way inside, helping Rachel up the stairs. His intention was to go immediately to his own apartment and check in with his crew before he determined what his next steps were. That plan just wasn't destined to happen, though, and as he came through the upstairs door from the staircase, he was met by two men in black suits. For a moment, his only thought was that he wished Eliot was here, as he would probably be able to identify them, along with their branch and specific duty assignment. As they stepped up on either side of him, he felt Rachel's fear, as she edged closer to him. He nodded reassuringly, as he spoke.

"Gentlemen, I live here. I'm just going to my apartment. Nothing to get excited about."

"Come with us, sir. Ma'am."

"All right." Not knowing what else to do, Nate followed the two men, who moved up to one of the doors and knocked in a particular pattern. After a moment, the door swung open and they were escorted inside. The door closed behind them with a snap, and they were escorted to an inner door as well. One of the men spoke quietly into a wrist communicator, and the door opened after only a few seconds.

The two men escorting them stopped at a small bank of furniture that sat in one corner of the room. "Sit down," they said, enthusiastically. When their 'guests' responded with somewhat less enthusiasm, they repeated the request, with somewhat more authority in their voices. Nate and the two guards were fully engaged in a staring contest, when a voice sounded from the corner.

"Mr. Ford, I would suggest you and the lady sit down before I have my men sit you down. That's not the kind of attention you want to draw to yourself or your team. Not here. Not now." Too shocked to respond, Nate sat. Rachel, not knowing what else to do, followed suit. "Now then. That's better. Much more comfortable. May I offer you something?" he asked, indicating the small wet bar he had set up.

Nate stared at the man sitting across from him and didn't answer. After a moment, the man said, "Very well." He looked at the guards. "Wait outside."

When the guards had left the room, Nate said, "I'm guessing you have questions, Colonel. I will answer as many of them as I can for you, but this young woman needs medical attention first." Vance nodded and spoke softly into his wrist communicator, turning away just enough that no one could make out exactly what it was he said. A few moments later, the door opened, and the authoritative voice of Kitty Carrington carried in from the hallway.

"That's quite all right, gentlemen. You don't need to accompany me." She stalked inside and closed the door firmly behind her. Rachel shrank a little at the bearing of the woman standing before her. Doc looked at her appraisingly, and her voice was gentle when she said, "I'll need to examine you to make sure you are all right. Come on. Let's get you somewhere where we have a little bit more privacy."

Rachel nodded, and allowed Doc to steer her out the door and across the hall to the makeshift office she had set up.

(0o0)

Looking back at Colonel Vance, Nate waited for the man to ask his questions. The Colonel studied some paperwork on his makeshift desk for a few minutes, and then asked, "Where did the girl come from?"

"She's a part of the case we are working. She was a hostage we rescued."

"From where?"

"I'm not sure why you need that information."

"Because I'm trying to protect you."

"And I have people I have to protect as well, or did you forget?"

"The best way you can do that, at this point, is to tell me what is going on, and let me protect all of you. This is bigger than you and your team."

"Tell me, Colonel, what happens when our activities clash with your duty?"

"Spencer can tell you—I've always cared more about what's right than about what's legal, and you people seem to do the right thing. Hell, you've done right by Spencer, as far as I can tell. I don't blame you for being careful, but you brought me here to help keep you safe. I can't do that if I don't know what it is you are doing."

"I guess I'm just used to taking care of myself."

At that moment, an angry Eliot burst through the door, kicking it aside, and strode right up to Vance. His eyes were the dark blue grey of storm clouds over the ocean, and his face was lightning and thunder. A lesser man would have flinched away from him, but Vance wasn't what he was for nothing. He stood his ground, calmly watching the younger man for signs that his anger was abating. This iteration of Eliot was actually far preferable to some he had seen in the past. It was when the man got deathly quiet and very polite that a person really had to worry.

"What are you doing here, Vance?" he growled. "And what's your business with my team?"

There it was. The voice he had learned from experience to be exceedingly cautious of.

"He's here to help us," Nate said. Eliot ignored him.

"Medical emergency. That Hepatitis that some of the men came back with—well, it started an epidemic. SG declared it a military mission. It was either me or the feds."

"You ARE a FED," Eliot roared, in no mood for games.

"You know what I mean," Vance said, and his voice held a note of warning, reminding Eliot of exactly how evenly matched they were. The men stood toe to toe, staring at one another, and neither of them were willing to back down.

"Oh, for Pete's sake. Sit down and talk about this like the decorated military officers and the friends you are, instead of acting like two teenaged boys going at it in dad's garage over some girl." Doc's voice held a note of scorn that was rarely heard there, and she took it in turns to glare at them both. Without a word, Vance sat, leaving Eliot standing toe to toe with Doc.

"And for your information," she continued, making circles around the man, still glaring at him, "I asked your Mr. Ford for permission to call Vance here. I knew the epidemic part of this was about to get messy from a military standpoint, and I didn't think you'd want your team in the middle of all of that. You were unconscious, and therefore, I couldn't ask you what you wanted to do, so I just tried to do right by you. I couldn't see how it would benefit your team to have Federal Agents pawing through everything, and potentially getting curious. I'm sorry, Eliot."

"See that it doesn't happen again. They are my team. Mine. And my responsibility." With a frustrated growl, he stalked out of the room.