A/N: Jesco, yes they are engaged.
Gravind Divine, yes I do know how much you love it because I feel the same, times twenty and I'm really glad I've caught your attention.

Chapter twenty-two

"How are we this morning?" Eliot was glad to see it wasn't his usual nurse. Instead Elaine, a woman he enjoyed having around. She brought a motherly feeling while the others tended to annoy him if they stuck around for longer than ten minute stretches.

"As much as I love your company Darlin' I'd say I'm ready to go home."

"Soon enough sugar." She smiled as she pulled the tray with his breakfast across the bed.

"I'm surprised to see you alone in here, I thought for a fact that your brother'd be here at least." The group that visited him was near constant in presence and the least she could say was they were an entertaining bunch.

"He went to find out what happened with my truck." Eliot answered as he began his inspection on what the hospital considered food.

"Was it part of your accident?" She asked as she opened up his fruit cup. His right arm had been placed in a sling after a bad move on his part had caused him to nearly dislocate it again and she knew there was no way he'd be doing that one handedly.

"No, he left it on Sundale." When he had asked last night Nate had admitted to forgetting about his baby and he'd nearly bust.

"You would have been better off leaving a please steal me sign." She laughed sympathetically, Sundale was known for its ticketing and towing and she knew first hand that your car wasn't always returned in the same condition it was taken.

"Tell me about it." He willingly took the pills she had passed him.

"Well don't be too hard on him, he's been worried about you." She warned as she moved to leave. "And when I come back for this tray it better be empty young man."

"Yes ma'am" He smirked though he wasn't at all thrilled with the idea of consuming the plaster that was being considered oatmeal.

"Speaking of the devil." She laughed as she finally exited the room.

"What does that mean?" Nate asked Eliot as he sat his coffee down next to the juice on the tray.

"That it's rude to bring coffee in here when you know I can't have caffeine." Eliot grumbled as he continued his attempt to get something on his spoon. He had been in the position of having to use his left hand before but never while the wrist was damaged.

"Yeah... I'd say sorry but, I'm not." Nate shrugged as he took a sip of the hot liquid, it had been a crazy morning so far. "Though I did bring you back something better than that." He moved the bowl of what he'd guess to possibly be porrage and pulled out the take-out bag he had snuck in. "Cheese Danish or Apple tart?" He didn't really need to ask though as he already knew which one Eliot would take and was quickly proven right.

"So what did you find out?"

"That the fees in this town are outragious." He removed the cap from Eliot's drink before sitting with his own breakfast.

"You're lucky I-"

"Love you." Nate interrupted before Eliot could finish the threat he knew was coming. "Your truck is in the parking lot right now and it's looking the same if not better than we left it."

"You better hope so."

"I know so." Eliot was not a materialistic person so he believed it safe to say that car probably held certain sentiment behind it. "You tired?" He watched as Eliot's eyes drifted the slightest before he snapped them back open.

"Naw," Eliot tried to shake away the exhaustion as he pushed the bed table away. "I just took my meds and they leave my head fuzzy."

"You sure?" Nate had realized he had been having trouble sleeping lately but he figured it normal considering the circumstances. "I wont mind if you want to try and get some rest."

"I'm fine for now." Eliot chose to ignore Nate's worry, he was tired but not enough to face the dreams that left him with less energy than before he went to sleep. "I just want out of this place already."

"So do I Eliot, so do I." He was feeling everything finally catching up with him and it was safe to say he himself was sleep deprived.

"If it bothers you too much to be here I'll understand Nate." His gaze was sincere as he watched Nate move the table completely away from the bed before sitting on it.

"You'll wish you can get rid of me that easily. I'm not leaving this room until you're coming with me."

"You do when you think I don't realize Parker or Hardisons presence is to babysit me while you sleep or shower." Nate was obviously not amused by him throwing fault into the point he had been trying to make.

"Alright then, you'll just have to stop being a hog and give me a spot on the bed and I'll forgo the showers, it's not like hygene is on the top of anyones list right now anyway." Nate pulled on a piece of Eliot's hair that was looking particularly stringy.

"Hey, I've got a reason to stink. It's not easy staying clean when you've been basically confined to a bed and have been refused the use of a tub." He firmly believed that a shower was an important step to good health and was feeling beyond grungy for not having had one.

"You smell fine." He'd prefer a slightly smelly Eliot to a dead one any day.

"I want to bathe." So it might have come out a little whiney but he was an independent person and having to rely on others for the simplest of things was getting on his nerves.

"I can't go against your quacks orders but I'll help you out with a washcloth if it'll make you feel any better." Nate watched as Eliot threw his head back, he was trying his best to be supportive and understanding but even so there was only so much Eliot would allow him to do.

"That's not exactly what I had in mind." As much as he appreciated the offer he wasn't ready to sink to that low yet though he was sure he probably would within the day if not by the next.

"Well that's the best I can do for now, but that's probably a good thing seeing as most of our encounters in the bathroom have been far from innocent."

"You say that as if it's a bad thing." Eliot raised an eyebrow playfully, that may or may not be his fault but he would so blame Nate.

"Not bad just inappropriate for our current setting." Nate shrugged as he simply allowed himself to enjoy the easy banter they had going.

"We should find a better one then." Eliot mumbled as he sat up straighter pulling Nate closer as he did.

"Maybe we should." He agreed as he simply stared for a moment, receiving a look that had him starting a sensual kiss.

Their actions continued but soon Eliot had his hand sliding up Nate's arm to where it was grasping at his neck and was pulling the fingers away. With a last nip to his lower lip Eliot pulled away reluctantly.

"What?" Nate breathed as he tried unsuccessfully to follow Eliot.

"We've got company." Eliot sighed and surely enough mere seconds later the door to his room was pulled open.

"Hey Sparky!" Parker beamed as she brought the same enthusiasm she had in every visit.

"Hey Parker." He returned the greeting if only a little less enthusiastic.

"Are we interrupting?" Sophie questioned as she glanced between the two though she was almost positive she already knew the answer.

"What could you possibly be interrupting?" Nate moved from where he had been sitting on the side of the bed back to his chair with his newly retrieved cup of coffee. If those three didn't have the worst possible timing.

"I don't know, that's why I asked." Now she knew for a fact what they had indeed interrupted and she was taking great amusement in Nates near pouting.

"So, I got you some stuff to help you out while you're in here." Hardison ignored everyone else as he placed his bag on the side of the bed and started pulling things out. "Lotion with aloe, it'll help you to avoid that feeling of wanting to pick or pull at a scab." He knew it would be of use too because he had already caught Eliot scatching at a few. "Some waterless shampoo so you can stop growling about your pretty hair being all messed up."

He passed that bottle over to Nate as it would surely be his job. "Mouthwash, not sayin' that your breath stinks," He quickly added at the look Eliot was giving him. "just use it to kill the bacteria. The last thing any of us need is you catchin' one of the bugs goin' around this place."

"Is there anything in there that wasn't intended to tell me how shitty I look?" Though it wasn't said with much malice as he did appreciate the thought Hardison had obviously put into things.

"He got you some baby wipes and deodorant." Parker shrugged as she began picking at a mostly untouched apple tart from the breakfast plate.

"Oh that's much better." Eliot found himself trying not to laugh at Nate's expression, he had obviously had plans to finish the breakfast Parker was eating.

"Hey, we've also got a nook so you can read whatever you want, a Bonanza box set, and a few dozen of those chewy bars you're always eatin'." Hardison defended as he replaced the items in his bag before placing it to the side.

"Bonanza?" Sophie questioned as she did her daily once over of their hitter.

"It's a series about a widower rancher and his sons." Nate explained simply as he watched Eliot inspect the back of the box.

"My Grandmother hated this show, me and my Papa would watch it on reruns every Wednesday. Whether I liked it or not I had seen every original episode by our fourth summer together, we stopped watching after they brought Candy in." He could still hear his grandfathers speech on how the show went to hell after Adam left it.

"It's cool that you got memories with your dad like that."

"Yeah, it is." Eliot found no need to correct Hardison's error as he set the DVDs to the side. "Thanks man."

"It's no problem," Hardison shrugged off. "if you need anything else just tell me."

"What we need is to figure out our plans for the next month." Nate ignored Eliots lie as it wasn't his business and instead moved to figure out what they all intended to do while Eliot was recovering.

"We're staying with Eliot of course." Parker was first to let her intentions be known.

"Eliot's going back to Boston and you four are going back to work." Eliot spoke sternly, he dd not need a babysitter and he did not need a bored team.

"There's no way you're getting on a plane." Nate refused to let that happen and the other three were showing the same sentiment.

"What do you expect me to do for over a month in Oklahoma?" Eliot tried to get his point across but they didn't seem to care.

"Rest, recuperate, take advantage of the extended vacation time you've been given." Sophie knew from his current vantage point that probably didn't seem appealing but him wanting to go back to Boston seemed outragious at the moment.

"What do you three plan on doing?" Like it or not Eliot wouldn't be getting rid of him but he still needed to know what the others planned on doing.

"Parker already said it Nate, I got no plans." Hardison shook his head at this. Everything they had been through and here they were talking about splitting ways just because they didn't have work.

"If ya'll are intent on staying here I still think you should find a client." Eliot didn't bother with arguing, it wasn't as if they'd listen to him anyway.

"Without a hitter." Parker spoke the obvious as she perched back up on the foot board, she felt like they were on repeat here. They had just gotten their hitter back, hadn't even gotten the chance to work with him yet, and now here they were needing one again.

"Stan still owes me, I'll get him to help out." Eliot offered.

"Even if the man still owes you a favor I doubt he'll be too thrilled to help after the way Nate canned him." Hardison remembered how the man told Nate to be thankful they had a mutual friend before storming off.

"He owes me more than a favor." He knew he really needed to call Stan now to figure out what had gone on, especially since Nate seemed to be avoiding eye contact.

"As much as I'm sure Stan would indeed help us out he's leaving for Europe in two days." Sophie didn't think she wanted to know what Eliot had done for Stan to leave him so indebted, especially in their world where you had to go past out of your way to get help with anything.

"So I'll find someone else."Eliot did not like being the dragging wheel. "I doubt Mika will stay around for a whole month but saving his ass twice should be enough for him to help with a case or two."

"The thing is you'd need a grifter too." Sophie began explaining what she had waited to tell until they were all together. "Stan's trip to Europe isn't a business one and he invited me to go with."

"And you actually accepted!" Both Parker and Nate accused. No matter what Eliot claimed there was a reason he was still in the hospital and Sophie wanting to leave before he'd even be discharged was not acceptable in their opinions.

"Get him to take you to Paris." The others' dramatics were ignored and he was glad to see at least one of them had sense enough to put their impomptu free time to good use.

"Stan likes Paris?" Sophie wasn't surprised with the mixed reactions but it was nice to see Eliot wasn't judging.

"Tell him I said to ask about the Eiffel Tower incident." The glint in Eliot's eye told her it would be an intriguing tale.

"Are you two sure you don't want to use this time for something else?" He wasn't thrilled with Sophies plan to leave but Nate still held himself responsible for knowing exactly where they'd be when it was time to reband.

"Nope" Parker shook her head and with it her ponytail.

"Hardison?" Nate glanced at the man who had been silent since his original protest.

"Naw I've," He stood as he moved to show Eliot and Nate what he had been researching. "found us a place to rent while we're here."

"I don't like it." Parker burst his bubble as she caught a glimpse of the picture he was showing.

"Alright, that's not the only one I found."

"Hardison I have..." Eliot tried to get a word out but was cut off.

"This one is even nicer, I tried callin' the guy yesterday but there was no answer."

"I like this one." Nate passed back the phone after taking a look through the pictures that had been posted. It was a semi furnished four bedroom house that would be more than enough for the short time they needed it.

"Nate that's one.." But Hardison cut him off again.

"I'll call him again." Hardison did such annoyed when all he received was an automatic voicemail. "How does the jackass expect to rent the place out if he never answers?"

"Well maybe he's been preoccupied." Eliot kept a straight face until he saw that Nate had caught on and even then he held back a laugh.

"Well he don't need to list a property if he's too busy to answer the phone."

"Hardison it's my.."

"Naw Eliot, I'm going to get a hold of Tom Hillman and when I do he's gettin' a piece of my mind."

"Tom Hillman?" Eliot asked amused, he had tried but Hardison was making things too good to pass up.

"He sounds familiar?" Nate chimed in.

"Yeah I know him, and I can tell you first hand the guy's a real bastard. Last I heard the poor S.O.B. pulled a stupid stunt that got him hospitalized."

Watching as Parker's eyes lit with understanding made it even harder to hold back the laughter as Hardison was the only one left in the dark.

"He's in this hospital right?" Sophie added to the gag.

"Yep," As Parker started laughing Eliot decided it time to end the joke. "if I'm not mistaken he's in room 457."

"Wait that's," Hardison stopped when he realized what they meant. "that's not funny! I'm tryin' to help you out here and ya'll are jokin' with my ass."

"I tried telling you the place was mine, next time you'll stop and listen." Eliot could tell Hardison was more amused than anything.

"Well you got one thing right," Hardison smirked as he admitted to himself that yes, they had gotten one over on him. "Tom Hillman is indeed a bastard."

He joined in the laughter when Nate complained how he got the brunt of that emotion and received a Bonanza box set tossed in his direction for his effort.

E/N: Some fun and a little fluff to put everyone in a good mood for independence day:)

I hope everyone enjoyed that because the next chapter or two will bring some of those darker more mixed emotions.

Also if there's something you want to see or that I'm possibly missing feel free to tell me, the simplest words can plant the biggest ideas. Thanks for reading and A happy 4th to my fellow Americans!