Author's Note: Ok, this is the final chapter to the story which was originally suppose to be a oneshot. Thanks so much to all of my reviewers and silent stalkers! School starts tomorrow. Ugh. I am going to go back and fix all the mistakes and repost the chapters once I get in the tempo of having to go to school again, so please be patient. I hop eyou enjoyed this little escapade.

Disclaimer: I only own Lindsey, even though I wish I had more.

Eliot woke to a quiet room. His vision was blurry at first, but grew steadily better as time wore on. The pain was lower than it had been since he had woken up in a hospital bed, and he attributed that to the drugs that he was pretty sure were coursing through the system. One downside to the pain medication was a surreal feeling that followed his now. His legs were sticking to the sheets, and it was annoying him. He tried to wiggle his legs around, but he managed only to tangle himself up further. Plus, it was extremely hot in the room, and he felt himself starting to sweat, small beads dripping down his face, others slipping into his cast causing it to itch. He braced himself by using his left arm to hold on to the rail on the hospital bed before shifting his wait in order to move his legs. This only succeeded in causing a ripple of pain to shoot up his right side where the bullet had nicked him. Eliot grunted and went to try again.

"Need some help?" Lindsey's voice came form beside him. She startled him and he jumped slightly, his head whirling around until his eyes focused on her. He had been so focused on moving around in the bed that he had not seen Lindsey, who was sitting in the chair next to his hospital bed. She had an amused look on her face. "I think that's the first time I've ever surprised you."

"It's these damn drugs." He grunted. Eliot noticed a small drawing pad lying next to the chair, and saw the edge of a picture. Seems like Lindsey had found a way to keep herself busy. He glanced at the clock and groaned. The nurse must have given him some sedative as well, this was the longest he had ever slept before.

Lindsey got up from the chair and slowly pulled the covers off of him, slapping at Eliot's left hand as he tried to help. He gave her a look, but silently resigned, letting her mother him. Lindsey set the sheets aside then helped Eliot move a bit on the bed, trying not to aggravate his wounds. The two worked together, Lindsey leaning over the bed, trying to control his cast, while Eliot impatiently shifted around, trying to get comfortable. Finally he found a spot where he could relax, and he leaned back in the hospital bed, the little escapade thoroughly exhausting him. He was breathing a little heavy, and the room kept on seeming to get hotter.

"You need anything?" Lindsey asked, concern written all over her face. Eliot thought about saying no, but changed his mind. "It's a little hot, and my cast is itching like crazy."

Lindsey nodded. She could do something about the temperature, but he would have to deal with the cast. She walked over to the thermostat and tried to lower the temperature. It was already set on 75, and wouldn't go down any more. She frowned, and went over to the small sink located in the room, grabbing some paper towels and getting them damp. She then carefully wiped the wet towels over Eliot's face, careful not to touch the wrappings on his head or the small cuts on his face. She gave a soothing smile when she watched him close his eyes and sigh with relief. Unable to help herself, Lindsey leaned forward and gave him a gentle kiss before pulling back and resuming her cooling down duty. This caused Eliot's eyes to open, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. "That made me feel a little better. Can you give me some more of that?"

Lindsey rolled her eyes, but gave him another kiss. This one was slightly longer, and when she pulled away she noticed how dry his lips looked. "Are you thirsty?"

Eliot licked his lips and nodded. "Just a bit."

"I'll ask the nurse to bring you some water." Lindsey said, going to press the button. It was then that Eliot got a full view of what Lindsey was wearing. The clothes looked like something that would come from a hospital gift shop. Her makeup was long gone, and her hair wasn't exactly at its best. "Sweetheart, have you gone home?"

Lindsey turned and shook her head. "No."

Eliot frowned, and gave a large sigh. Then, he heard a voice outside. A voice that, if he remembered right, belonged to…

He shot Lindsey a shocked look. "Was that…"

He watched as she nodded. "Yeah. Your team is here. I told them I would get them when you woke up."

Eliot stood outside of the pretty little bakery located on the streets of Venice. It was a beautiful day, and ever so often a boat would drive past in the waters. Eliot frowned as he heard the roar of a boat motor as the vehicle screamed past him. Venice used to be such a beautiful and clean place, untouched by cars or exhaust. However, since the boats started to use the waterways, the crystal clear water had turned murky. The city was sinking, and Venice was falling apart. His smile turned into a grin, however, when he watched as a beautifully ornate gondola slowly drifted past, a young couple riding next to each other as a man stood in the back, slowly edging the boat along. The couple leaned in for a kiss, and the hitter turned around to give them some privacy. Which brought him face to face with his situation.

Eliot had come to Venice on a mission. A very powerful man who wanted a very powerful object to add to his collection had hired him several weeks ago. This man had tried to hire thieves to steal the object, but they all refused due to the uneventful fact that they would have to engage in physical combat in order to retrieve the item. And so, Eliot was called. The problem was, the object in question would take a while to get out of the country, and he would need a day or two grace period when the previous owner of the artifact did not know that it was stolen. Eliot was pretty new to the stealing business, and a rookie to the old snatch and switch operation. So, he contacted a few of his buddies, who claimed they could set him up with the greatest forger who worked for hire. This person took longer than the average forger, but did one hell of a job, and wouldn't rat you out, no matter who went after them. No one knew their real name, only that they went by Minerva. Eliot had gotten his contact to set a meeting with this Minerva. He hadn't seen the person; they contacted him through the phone. He gave them the details of the object in question, along with the promise of eight thousand dollars in American money for the finished product. It was a bit pricey for the young hitter, but he accepted, he needed this job. So here he was, three weeks later, ready to pick up the artifact. He was scheduled to steal the real item in two nights.

A medium sized black suitcase hung loosely from Eliot's hand. Inside were several stacks of American money, adding up to eight grand. This suitcase was a special one that was sent to him from this Minerva made specifically for this exchange. He glanced at his watch before brushing his long hair from his eyes. He waited several seconds, and then boldly pushed through the front doors of the bakery.

A young woman with hazel eyes and short brown hair was working the counter. On closer inspection, Eliot noticed that the brown wasn't her natural hair color. Pushing that odd thought from his mind, the hitter approached the counter and said the magic words. "A dozen rolls, fresh from the oven. And add in a few cookies." He pointed to the specific kind.

The woman glanced at him a moment then nodded, disappearing into the back room. Several minutes she reappeared, and beckoned for him to follow her. That he did, taking in everything at once, his sensing sharp. She took up him a flight of stairs to a small loft located above the store. Once he was through the doorway the woman closed and locked the door behind her. "Nice to finally meet you, Mr. Spencer."

Eliot's eyebrows raised in surprise, but he quickly covered it up. "Same. Minerva, am I right?"

"Right as you'll ever be." The woman replied, a sly grin coming onto her face. "Let's see, you were the statue, and I correct?"

"Yes ma'am." He stated, using his southern draw. Minerva glanced at him in surprise. She picked up a briefcase that was identical to the one he was holding, and set it on the bed.

Eliot did the same, and tried to strike up a conversation. "Minerva ain't your real name, is it."

"It is for you." She sniped, giving him a look that just asked for him to dig deeper. "I've heard a lot about you, Eliot Spencer. Your new to the game, but very good from what I hear."

The woman took Eliot's briefcase and opened it, her eyes scanning the money as she mentally counted. Satisfied, she clicked it shut then beckoned for Eliot to do the same.

"Is that right?"

Minerva smirked. "Yeah, at retrieving both artifacts and women."

Eliot blushed a bit at that one. It wasn't his fault that there were good looking woman scattered all over the world who seemed to take an interest in southern men who could beat the crap out of someone with their bare hands. "Gotta live, honey."

Minerva laughed. Eliot found himself enjoying her laugh, but quickly shook that thought out of his head. "This better be worth eight grand."

"Oh, it is. My best work yet. Took me all of three weeks to do. It will pass visual inspection, but when the art experts get a look at it, you better be long gone."

Eliot nodded, and went to pick up the suitcase. His fingers hovered over the latches, and he pressed down on the buttons.

Minerva smirked at this, and rounded the bed until she was standing next to him and looked in on the artifact. "How about this. I'll trade you three grand for a dinner."

Eliot looked into her eyes, and found adventure and curiosity staring him back. He barely hesitated. "Deal."

He took one last look at the small golden monkey before shutting the briefcase. Perfect.

"No Parker, you can't bungee jump down the elevator shaft, I don't care how sturdy it may look." Hardison's voice rang out as he gave the blonde thief a strange stare, wondering how she could be asking something like that at a time like this. Him and the rest of the Leverage team, minus Eliot, were sitting in the waiting room, killing time until Eliot woke back up. Nathan had been the first one to arrive, and had been there to meet Sophie, Parker, and Hardison as they each arrived after flying in on the red eye flights from where ever they had been taking their vacations. Hardison had contacted each of them with the news that Eliot had gotten hurt, and told them where to come. He wasn't entirely surprised when they all said they could make it.

There was another woman there with Eliot who had been there when he crashed, the one he had talked to on the phone. However, none of them other than Nate had actually gotten to se her. She hadn't shown herself yet. They had all sat in the waiting chairs as Nate gave them a rundown of Eliot's situation. He wouldn't look like the normal man that they all worked with, and that he was still weak from the surgery and the accident. They all understood that, and just wanted to see him.

The door to Eliot's hospital room opened, and they looked up as a small skinny blonde girl exited the room, wearing a t-shirt and jogging pants and looking like she had seen better days. Nate gave her a small smile, which she didn't return. "He's up."

The other three looked up. So this was the mysterious girl who had been with Eliot. Sophie was the first to stand up and introduce herself. "Sophie Devereaux."

"I'm Lindsey." She said, not bringing up her last name. Mostly because the hospital knew her as her fake last name, and no one knew her actual last name, not even Eliot.

"I'm Alec Hardison."

"Parker."

The two had stood up and said their names. Lindsey looked at Hardison, a cocky grin on her face. "Eliot has told me many stories about you. Is it true that you were once stuck on the ceiling of an elevator?"

Parker snorted in amusement, while Hardison gave her an evil glare. "Possibly…"

"How do you know Eliot?" Sophie asked, always the one to try and get answers from someone. She tried to grill Nate, but he wouldn't say anything.

"I'm a contact of his." Lindsey said with a smile, not sure whether or not Eliot wanted the rest of the team to know about their relationship.

Hardison gave a fake laugh. "Sure, sure man. Ok."

Parker approached the woman. "What do you do?"

Lindsey gave her a once over. "What?"

Parker shrugged. "I steal, Hardison hacks things, Sophie acts, and Nate…well….is Nate. What do you do?"

Lindsey hesitated, and watched as the others all stared at her. She sighed and threw her hands up in defeat. "Alright. You probably know me by the name Minerva."

Hardison's eyes bulged out of his head. "M-Minerva. Like, The Minerva?"

She nodded, a grin spreading widely across her face. Nate's face, on the other hand, did just the opposite. He now knew the reason for Lindsey's strange behavior toward him.

"Oh my god, I have got to get you to make me some identities." Sophie squealed.

"Who?" Parker asked, entirely clueless. Lindsey just rolled her eyes and pointed toward Eliot's room. "He's waiting."

Lindsey was woken from her slumber by a knock on her hotel room door. Hoping that it was Eliot back from whatever it was he was doing, she quickly got up and hopped out of bed, pausing just long enough to pull on one of his t-shirts. If it wasn't Eliot, she didn't want some random person seeing her in her underwear and bra. Lindsey advanced on the door, looking out the peephole as she undid the deadbolt. It was Eliot. Smiling to herself, she quickly opened the door and went to make a smart remark about him being so late. She stopped herself, however, when she got a proper look at him.

Eliot was leaning up against the frame of the door. He looked sweaty and unsteady on his feet. His right arm was gripping his side, although Lindsey couldn't see any blood. Her eyes widened and she stepped aside, allowing Eliot to stumble inside. She took a quick look around the hallways before shutting and relocking the door. "What the hell happened?"

"I'm fine, thanks for asking." Eliot said, staggering over to the bed. He quickly took off his jacket and shirt in order to inspect the damage. Lindsey saw a large bluish purplish bruise starting to spread across Eliot's torso. She sucked in her breath and brought her fingers to her mouth. "Oh my."

Eliot shook his head. "It's fine, just a cracked rib, maybe two." He hissed as his fingers gently probed the edges of the wound. Lindsey walked up to him, resting her hand on his arm. "What happened?" She asked again.

Eliot shrugged. "I wasn't paying attention."

He wouldn't say anything more than that. Lindsey should have known better than to expect that Eliot wouldn't have some sort of job. When he had come to her with two plane tickets for Las Vegas, she allowed herself to believe that the only reason behind the act was because he wanted to take her somewhere nice and spend the week with her and only her. It shouldn't of hurt her that he also had a job while they were there, but it did. At least he had told her that he had some business to take care of and would be gone most of that day.

She continued to stare at the bruise, tears welling in her eyes as her breath became unsteady. Eliot noticed this and frowned, not understanding why she was so upset. "I'm fine, sweetheart."

Lindsey gave a small laugh and shook her head. Sweetheart. That was what he called her. She never heard him call anyone else that. Not that it mattered. She ran her hand through her long hair. She knew what Eliot did, she wasn't stupid. He hurt people, and in that process, he sometimes got hurt himself. However, seeing was something totally different. This was the first time that Lindsey ever saw Eliot with a fresh battle wound, and it scared her.

The tears flowed freely, and Eliot stood up, the pain forgotten as he worried about Lindsey. He stepped forward and wrapped his arms gingerly around her, trying not to press his chest against her body. Lindsey closed her eyes and just stood there, placing her arms around his back.

"What's the matter?" Eliot mumbled.

Lindsey took a deep breath before pulling back. "I-I don't think I can do this."

Eliot froze. "What do you mean?"

Lindsey unraveled herself from him, taking a step back and wrapping her arms around herself in a tight hug. "You are going to go on a job one day, and never come back. One day the wounds will be too much to bear, or you won't find help in time…."

Seeing Eliot freshly hurt so soon after a job had put her mind into overload. It may have only been a cracked rib, but it symbolized much more. People who did what Eliot did never lasted long; they had a very short lifespan. Lindsey was getting too attached, falling too deep, way to fast. She was scared for him, and for herself. Scared of what would happen when the day came that he never came back.

Eliot realized what she was talking about, and looked her straight in the eye. "I know. But it's worth it, ain't it?" He took a step forward and closed his hands around both of Lindsey's arms. "Look me in the eye and tell me it isn't worth it, and I will leave and let you get on with your life."

Lindsey tried hard not to look into his eyes, but she was drawn to them. She stared into the deep blue pools, and saw everything that she ever wanted in them and more. "That's the point, Eliot!"

The hitter frowned. "What is the point? I don't understand!"

"I Love you! I Love you, you son of a bitch! And I don't know what I would do if I wake up one morning and you are dead!"

Eliot froze, staring at Lindsey with wide eyes, a look of surprise on his face. Lindsey stared back at him, sniffling slightly as the tears kept flowing. Part of her wanted him to say it back, to take her in his arms and hug her and kiss her and tell her that he loved her too, and that everything would be ok. But another part of her wanted him to turn away and let her go.

"Only one other person has told me that." Eliot finally whispered.

Lindsey looked up. "What happened?"

"She got tired of waiting."

Lindsey stared at the man that she had loved for so long, and knew for even longer. That seemed like all she ever did for him. Wait. He would show up at her doorstep and stay for some time. Sometime a week, other times it could be for a month. Once he didn't even stay for a whole day. But he would always come back, and each time she would wait. "What now?"

Eliot gave a small smirk. "You give me a kiss then grab the first aid kit in my suitcase, wrap my ribs, and see what happens."

Lindsey smiled. She stepped forward into his arms and gave him a soft kiss on the lips before walking over to his suitcase, pulling out the first aid kit that he said was in there. He hadn't given her what she wanted, but that was ok, because she was willing to wait.

Instead of all crowding into the small hospital room at once, they each entered one at a time. Sophie was the first to go inside. She felt tears welling in her eyes as soon as she caught sight of him. Eliot was sitting up in the bed, playing with a plastic cup that was halfway full with ice. When he saw her enter, he placed the cup on a small stand next to his bed and gave a weak smile, waiting patiently while Sophie made a fuss over him. She ran over to the side of his bed and gave him a hug. The pressure caused his bullet wounds to both hurt, but he managed to contain the groan that was clawing at his throat for her sake.

Hardison entered next. He took one look at Eliot and burst out laughing. "Man, where did you hair go!"

Eliot growled at him, but grinned all the same. He saw the shock that was in the hacker's eyes, and knew that insults and attempted humor was the man's way of dealing with things. Nate had slipped in next, already seeing Eliot. However, this was Eliot first time seeing his boss, since he had been asleep last time Nate had entered the room.

Several minutes lapsed, then Parker silently entered the room. Before Sophie had entered, Parker had run down to the gift shop on the first floor of the hospital and bought a stuffed rabbit. She was holding it by the ears as she hung around the opening at the door. She was unsure of what to do.

Eliot rolled his eyes. "Come on, darlin, get over here." He drawled. Parker gave an impish grin and walked up to the side of Eliot's hospital bed, handing the rabbit to him. "His name is Mr. Tibbles."

Eliot laughed and took the rabbit in his good hand. Then he watched as Parker slowly extended her hand to his head and patted the top of his skull carefully. Eliot frowned at this and sent her a curious glance.

Parker shrugged. "Just making sure it was really gone."

Eliot's eyes narrowed and a large laugh filled the small room. Once everything settled down, Sophie spoke up. "Tell us about this Lindsey girl."

There were several murmurs of agreement coming from the hacker and the thief. Eliot glanced out the small window in his door and saw her standing outside of his room. She had hung back, understanding that this was a team thing and that she didn't need to interfere. Eliot frowned, wondering if it was a good idea to tell them about her. They hadn't really discussed it before, and Eliot guessed that she wanted their relationship to be secret. It made things easier.

"She's a…friend." Eliot finally stuttered.

"Seriously? Come on dude, you could at least come up with a better lie." Hardison said.

Sophie smiled. "I could tell the moment I saw her that you two were together! How long?" She hadn't even needed a confirmation from the source. Sophie could tell when two people really cared about each other, it was what she did.

Eliot frowned and thought back, trying to remember. It had been a long time, and the time when they stopped being contacts and started being more had blurred a little. He shrugged. "Dunno. Six, maybe seven years."

"And you didn't tell us why?"

"Cause you didn't need to know." Eliot snapped, feeling impatient. He knew that his team was interested in his personal life, but he really didn't feel like dealing with this right now. He closed his eyes in order to get a few seconds of peace. He was feeling really tired again, and his wounds were all starting to hurt like hell. However, he wouldn't allow himself to fall asleep while his team was in the room. It was a pride thing. Sophie noticed this, and turned to the others. "I think we should come back later. Glad that you are ok."

Everyone filled out of the room, and once they were out, Lindsey slipped back in, smiling when she saw the rabbit.

"His name is Mr. Tibbles." Eliot mumbled. Lindsey nodded. She noticed how tired Eliot looked, and closed the door and turned off the lights so he could get some sleep. Lindsey leaned over the bed and kissed Eliot lightly on the lips, suppressing a smile when she felt him return the favor. Lindsey sat down in her chair as she watched him slip slowly into slumber. She reached under the bed and pulled out the sketch she was working on. It was a close-up of Eliot's face, his features calm and serene, his eyes closed with sleep. She glanced at his face before picking up her pencil and continuing to draw.

"I Love you."

Lindsey glanced up from where she was working, an irritated look on her face. "Shut up and stop moving, I'm trying to work here."

Somehow, Lindsey had talked Eliot into posing for her so she could draw a portrait. She had him get dressed in a pair of jeans with cowboy boots and his famous belt buckle, along with a plaid button up shirt with a collar, and his favorite cowboy hat. He was sitting on a stool, leaning forward slightly, staring off into the distance. He had called in cliché, but she called it art.

"I'm serious." Eliot said. His comment had been out of the blue, and nothing out of ordinary had happened to prompt him to say it. He had wanted to say it for some time, but the setting never seemed right, or something always got in the way. But now, when both of them were alone and acting normal, it had seemed right.

Lindsey looked up once more from her drawing board. "Oh. That was a little random."

Eliot shrugged, gaining a glare and a grunting noise from Lindsey. "Quit moving!"

"I was kinda expecting a little different reaction here, sweetheart." He said, frowning slightly.

"What do you want me to do? Drop what I am doing, run into your arms, then proceed to kiss you passionately?"

"Well….yeah."

Lindsey snorted. "Don't think so. At least, not until I am finished."

Eliot sighed. Women may be complicated, but none of them could even touch Lindsey.

"I have to go tomorrow." He said, just as nonchalantly as he had said the other words.

This caused Lindsey to stop what she was doing. She put down her brush and looked around the easel to stare at him. Worry was written on her face, did Eliot tell her he loved her just in case he died on this next job?

Eliot caught on to Lindsey's train of thought, and frowned, standing up from where he was sitting. "Nothing like that, darlin'. Nate found a new client."

Lindsey frowned and stood up from the easel, walking around it so that she came face to face with her lover. "You just got here yesterday, and I'm not done yet."

Eliot smiled. "Come with me."

"What?"

"Move to Portland."

Lindsey closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. "We have been through this, Eliot. I can't. I have a good business flow here. I can't exactly leave a sign on the door saying that I have moved."

Eliot crossed his arms, determined to win her over. "There are people who need things forged in Portland too, sweetheart. You could even work for my team."

Lindsey snorted. "Yeah, I'm sure Ford would love that."

Eliot sighed and stepped forward, encircling Lindsey in his arms as he buried his head in her neck. "Please?"

"I've got an idea, why don't you come here?" Lindsey said, enjoying his touch.

"You know I can't do that."

"Well, we are at an impasse, aren't we?"

"I want real food! Not this jello shit!"

Lindsey heard Eliot yelling in the hospital room as she watched a very nervous nurse trying to talk to him. Lindsey was standing outside of the room, just getting back from the cafeteria. She looked around and, finding a trashcan, threw away the jello she had just bought from the cafeteria. Lindsey heard some more yelling from the room, and decided to intervene.

She stepped inside and walked quickly to the bed. While she had been gone, Eliot's doctor had come in and replaced the bandages on his head and wheeled him out of the room in order to do some more check. Eliot had been given the good news that he could be released the next day, if he promised to stay within a five minute drive of the hospital for the next weekly. Fortunately, Lindsey's apartment sat just inside those parameters. She had already talked to Nathan and told him that Eliot wouldn't be back in for work for at least another week. He and the rest of the team were absolutely fine with that. Soon after, they said there goodbyes then departed back to their vacation spots; they had a few more days left.

"I'll talk to him." Lindsey said to the nurse, who thanked her and then quickly exited the room. Lindsey turned to Eliot and gave him a hard stare. "You couldn't deal with just one more day of liquids?"

Eliot shook his head. "I'm a man, Lin. A man's gotta eat meat."

Lindsey sighed, then closed the door to the room before pulling a half-eaten hamburger out of the small thank-you bag she had gotten from the cafeteria. "I was planning on finished it later, but you can have it."

Eliot's eyes lit up as he saw the burger, and gratefully took it from Lindsey. He ate it slowly, savoring each bite. However, it was gone way too fast. Eliot took a few sips from his water and leaned back in the hospital bed. "I can't wait to get out of this damn place."

Lindsey rolled her eyes. "I don't understand how a man in your profession can be so impatient."

"I'm an action kind of guy." He remarked, putting on a snarky grin.

Lindsey just rolled her eyes and pulled the drawing pad out from under the chair that was located next to the hospital bed. She glanced at it, and then handed it to Eliot, who took it with his left hand. He stared at the drawing for a few seconds. "Do I really look like that?"

Lindsey smacked him playfully on the arm. "Shut up, you know you like it."

He grinned and placed it next to Mr. Tibbles, who was occupying some space on his bed.

Lindsey grew quite, looking at Eliot and all the scrapes and wounds that covered his body. "I'm sorry, this is all my fault. We could have been in New York right now…"

Eliot's face softened, and he stroked Lindsey's check with his left hand. "It's ok. It happens sometimes."

Lindsey leaned in to his touch. "But it was all for nothing."

Eliot grinned slyly. Lindsey noticed this, and her eyes lit up. "You didn't!"

"Check my inside jacket pocket."

Lindsey rushed over to where the patient belongings bag was sitting behind the chair. She wrinkled her nose when she pulled the jacket out. It had several holes in it and was covered in blood. All the same, she fished around in the pocket that Eliot told her too until her hand came out holding an envelope that bulged slightly. She opened it to find a few thin stacks of money.

"Don't think that is all of it." Eliot said. He was unable to say anything more due to Lindsey's lips covering his own. He eagerly kissed back, his left hand cupping the back of her head in order to pull her closer. They soon broke for air, and Lindsey couldn't help the wide grin that spread across her face. "You're amazing."

Eliot smirked. "You don't have to keep reminding me, sweetheart."

Lindsey smiled back. "I'll remember that."

A look of horror passed on Eliot's face as he thought about the words he just said, and their meaning. Lindsey just laughed and gave him another small kiss before falling into the chair.

Once again, everything would be ok. They came out on top, despite the odds. They were still breathing, the world was still turning, and somewhere, a drug dealer was a few thousands dollars short. And they would keep living, taking life one day at a time.

Because truly, there was no other way.