A bit later, Face exited the clinic and came back to the van. He opened the side door and slid into the seat.

"We figured you weren't coming inside," Face said, as if that was a debate they'd had, "so I have a shot for you. Roll up your sleeve."

Hannibal complied. The injection burned, and alcohol from the prep wipe ran into the hole the needle left in his arm. That sting was even worse.

He cleared his throat. "I'm . . . well, I need to say . . . about all that. I—"

"I'm not the one you need to apologize to," Face interrupted in a carefully neutral voice. "I know you're just looking after my interests and well-being when you don't let me whore myself out."

Hannibal snapped his head back, but couldn't hold Face's gaze long.

"I'm sorry, Temp. That was callous and inappropriate."

Face gave him a single nod. He knew that apologies from Hannibal were rare, but when they came they were sincere. He struggled to be gracious about accepting it.

"I'm not making excuses," Hannibal continued. "I think I'm justified to be angry that the woman I love has been cheating on me behind my back. You know?"

Face barked a laugh. It was an abrasive sound, and had nothing to do with his recent sickness. "Yeah, I know. I know, boss. Does she know? Does Stella know you love her? Does she think it's cheating behind your back?"

Hannibal was silent.

"She hit the nail on the head, bossman. You haven't been completely faithful to her, either. You gonna sit there and tell me you've been upfront and honest with her, and that's the real reason you're pissed off? Because you told her you've slept around but she didn't tell you she had another lover?"

Hannibal spun on him again, but Face didn't heed the warning from the older man's hard stare.

"You're gone what, 90% of her time, Hannibal? You're all over the damn place, and I bet you rarely, if ever, even call her. What's she supposed to do? Just wait and let life just pass by, just watch from the sidelines, and wait for you to just show up out of the blue? Wait for someone who may never show up again, and she'd never even know it?

"Is that how you expect her to be—just sitting and ready to jump when you say how high?"

Face's voice rose and cracked with a combination of rales and anger. He saw the fire drain out of the ex-Colonel's eyes, but couldn't help push a little more.

"I know what all of you think about me. A different person every night, a different person every place we go," he continued, the words coming out clipped as if they were bitter in his mouth. "But at least I'm honest with them. At least I don't string them along, and then expect these grand, unrealistic gestures."

"This isn't about you, Face," Hannibal protested. His voice was frail.

"No. No, it's not about me!" he answered loudly. "It's about knowing limits and respecting people!

"Stella isn't us, Hannibal. She's not part of this unit. She's something more—I think she's something more to you! She deserves something more."

Face watched Hannibal push his palms into his eyes. When he finally stopped rubbing his face and his blue eyes found Face's, the younger man realized he was looking at a meek, vulnerable John Hannibal Smith.

That was even rarer than a John Hannibal Smith apology. It was like sighting a unicorn.

"You get coached by Murdock?" Hannibal asked, trying to make it light. "All that sounds like something he'd knock me upside the head with."

Face let him ease the mood. "Maybe just being around him makes some of his brainwaves integrate into mine."

"That may mean we're all in trouble."

"Yep."

The two fell silent.

Eventually Face cleared his throat. "The doc says that B.A.'s not completely back to himself, but he's okay to leave. So . . . we're taking Angel and Mama Baracus back home. Stella rented a Cessna. Murdock, B.A. and I are flying them out tomorrow," he said, then hurried to continue, "Yes, B.A. is coming with us. Flying with us. I know it's unbelievable, and I'm glad you're sitting down to hear that!"

He half-chuckled, then grew serious again.

"You're going to stay here and make amends or break off this thing with Stella."

Hannibal blinked. He opened his mouth to protest; he started to say that they all needed to leave. They'd been here close to a month already, and it wasn't safe to stay any longer—

Face stared him down.

"That was coached by Murdock. He came up with the plan, and everyone agreed it was for the best."

Slowly, Hannibal nodded.