Keely stood in the center of an expansive gym. Full of equipment, but empty of people. Eliot had either rented it for private use or simply bought the entire place. He circled her with a self-righteous smile on his smug face, arms crossed, assessing her as he circled.

She wasn't fooled into thinking he had a change of heart. He still was dead set against her spending any time alone with Riddle. She didn't need to be psychic to know what that smile meant. She knew Eliot well enough to know that was the smile he gave when he had a plan, when he was confident in his imminent victory.

She stood in restrained silence, waiting for him to begin.

"First thing, you have to change your eating habits. Your body is a temple. No true warrior would let unhealthy or chemical objects enter their body."

Keely opened her mouth to protest, but then shut it in a thin firm line.

This was some serious BS. She knew for a fact that he hadn't made Sophie or Parker change their diet when he taught them some moves. Parker had the most unbalanced and unhealthy eating habits on the planet! She ate fortune cookies for breakfast for crying out loud!

But she kept her thoughts to herself, because this was more than just about training. This was about willpower. She wouldn't give Eliot any cause to say she wasn't ready to take-on Riddle.

"So that means no more microwave mac n' cheese or take out Thai food."

Keely's eyes screwed up to reach his and her brow crinkled with perplexity.

After moving out from Eliot's place, she rarely managed to cook for herself. Misery and numerous over-time shifts were a bad combination for visiting the farmer's market and cooking wholesome healthy meals everyday, as Eliot had done for her. The microwave and take out were now the new loves of her life. Providing security and support when everything else had failed her.

Yet there was no reason for Eliot to know that. She certainly didn't advertise it. "How do you know…"

Eliot's eyes widened and he sputtered, "I can just tell from looking at you."

Oh…

She suddenly gasped, her eyes grew huge with demon wrath. Was he calling her fat!

Quickly seeing the direction her thoughts had taken, Eliot scrambled to save himself. "No, no! No that! I mean… I can tell from your eyes and your skin tone."

Oh…

She gasped again. Was he calling her ugly!

Eliot roared with exasperation. "I just know you Keely, okay! I know your go to foods when you're upset… or I mean… tired."

Keely audibly ground her teeth together. There was only one person to blame for her stress and wretchedness and he was standing right in front of her. He was directly responsible for all those take out bills!

Eliot waved a hand in front of him, trying to erase their last five minutes of conversation. It clearly had taken a direction he hadn't intended.

"But forget that. The most important thing is to react quickly if you see a threat, your body needs to be trained to move that way."

He took a pen, showed it to her and then deliberately placed it in his front shirt pocket. He threw out his arms.

"Take it…"

Keely's eyes narrowed, shifting her stance. She didn't take this lightly. Taking anything from Eliot outright would be nearly impossible. Her only chance was the element of surprise or perhaps her sight… if it decided to cooperate today.

She lunged towards him, but he easily evaded. She spun and reached again, but his feet danced out of the way. She was able to foresee a few moves, but not enough to actually move faster than him. His reaction time was just too quick!

Soon she found herself bent over, clutching her knees, huffing and puffing, Eliot bowed down to bestow that gosh darn arrogant smile inches away from her red and sweating face.

"Ok… now the stairs."

This is how it went on for days. Sprints, stairs, climbing ropes, suicides, holding poses until she shook and smashed onto the floor, tai chi, krav maga, learning how to disarm in close range, how to hide and evade…. She started everyday early in the morning and ended late at night. And still everyday, it was with that God darn pen. No matter how hard she tried she still couldn't touch it.

She knew Eliot was trying to break her. She knew that he was just pushing her to quit. What he didn't know was that he would have better luck stopping the sun from rising than getting her to quit. Because this wasn't just about the Maroni family, or Riddle, or finishing the con.

She had convinced herself that this was somehow a personal hurdle to get over Eliot himself. If she could make it through this, she would be able to work with Eliot and see him everyday without this gut wrenching pain.

Every time she climbed to ring the bell at the top of the rope, she remembered how he danced with her. When she reached down to tap that line and then spin to run in the opposite direction, she thought of how he trudged through the lagoon to grab hold of her. When she pushed herself up those stairs, images of those mind-bending kisses and reluctance to let her go flashed through her mind. And when she fought him, she thought of his detached face in that barn saying it was all a mistake.

During a particularly challenging sprint, Keely dove to the nearest trashcan to get sick. Eliot was immediately behind her patting her back. She looked up to see his face as ashen as hers felt. "Okay Keely, that's enough. Let's stop this now." She wanted to laugh because she had him. He was going to break before she did.

She shrugged his hand off and spit into the trash can again. "No I have two more to go."

He took hold of her arm firmly, yanking her back. "I said enough Keely!"

Keely stepped on his instep and elbowed his gut in one of the moves he had previously taught her. He let go and bent over to catch his breath. She had finally caught Eliot off-guard. Only sheer surprise made her move successful. Keely reached down and took the pen from his pocket. Swinging it mockingly in front of his face. "And I said I have two more to go. Don't ask me to do something, if you don't expect me to finish it." She tossed the pen at him and started to jog backwards.

"Unlike other people, I always finish what I start."

Keely circled the track and finished those two last laps.

The moment Keely entered her front door, her bag dropped from limp fingers to the floor. Its contents were probably spilled across her apartment, but she couldn't seem to dredge up enough energy to care. With a painful grunt she nudged the door closed and hobbled to the couch. Then she simply fell, like a grand oak that had been suddenly uprooted, she crashed directly onto the couch.

"Owwww…" She groaned as she bounced against the thin cushions, with the prominent springs digging into her.

She whimpered with her face pressed against the corduroy fabric. Everything hurt. From the follicles in her scalp to her toenails. Everything throbbed and ached. She was too tired to move. Too tired to think. Too tired to even think about thinking.

Her stomach growled and she groaned even louder. She was certainly too tired to cook a "well-balanced" nutritious meal right now. She really was too tired to eat. But Eliot was adamant about her restoring the energy she depleted with protein, veggies, and good carbs. All she wanted to do was order pizza. Then Eliot's nagging about "her body being a temple" chirped in her ears. She couldn't very well go through his hell training and yet fall short about the nutrition part.

Maybe she could work up enough energy to have a bowl of cereal and an apple or something… maybe it a few minutes she could work up enough energy to move to the kitchen…may… be….

Keely was awoken from a dead sleep by loud banging at her door. It startled her enough that she rolled right off the couch and landed on the floor with a painful oomph. Rubbing her injured elbow, her head shot up searching for the offending sound. When the door banged again, she groaned and gave it a furious blurry-eyed glare. Are… you… kidding… me right now!

Now after everything she had been through she wasn't even allowed to sleep! She had every intention of ignoring the loud and hateful intruder until she heard her name shouted on the other side of the door. "Keely! Are you there?!"

Keely's brows rose. "Eliot?'

Keely's struggle to the door was made worse when she tripped on her dropped bag crashing into the door.

"You okay?" came Eliot's worried voice. Keely manage to right herself and resume the last shreds of dignity before she creaked the door open, barely wide enough for her to stand in.

"Of course, I'm alright." She flipped back her hair, ignoring the searing pain the careless gesture caused. It reignited her anger towards him. The absolute gall of him! After everything he had put her through first emotionally and now physically, he didn't even give her the courtesy of letting her rest in peace!

He at least had the decency to look guilty, until he pointed at her face. "What happened?" Unable to help herself, Keely leapt sideways to check her hallway mirror. Sure enough there was a large corduroy imprint on the left side of her face. It looked as if she had pressed it onto a George Forman grill. She groaned again furiously rubbing her marked face. Groaning appeared to be the only sound she was capable of anymore.

Eliot's comment bringing attention to an embarrassment, when she was already so exhausted and overwrought, just infuriated her further.

What an inconsiderate metal-headed neanderthal! Why did she like him again? This was good. This was cathartic. Being irritated and angry at him was a much more comfortable feeling than feeling pathetic and heartbroken.

"I fell asleep on the couch okay. Why are you here Eliot?" she growled in her best impression of him.

Eliot lifted his arm, suddenly bringing her attention to the bag in his hand. "I brought your dinner."

Keely shut the door in his face.

Eliot stood momentarily stunned, until he started pounding on the door and calling her name in earnest.

On the other side of the door, she started stomping her feet, frustration momentarily erasing the throbbing pain in her muscles.

Fat flibbitj gibbit fartsmucker! Just when she thought she was able to move forward and slowly get passed her feelings for him, he'd go and do something considerate and thoughtful, and… wretched! And make her heart start pounding all over again! The jerk knew her weakness was food and pure laziness in making it for herself.

Keely let out a deep deep sigh, banging the back of her head on the door where Eliot was still knocking.

He just didn't play fair.

Keely knew she'd have to open the door eventually. Eliot was getting more and more agitated by her lack up response and was seconds away from just busting down the door himself. Then she'd still have Eliot in her apartment… and a door to fix. Besides, who was she kidding? The heavenly smell of whatever Eliot brought was wafting through the door and she didn't have the willpower to resist.

Keely opened the door and was almost struck by Eliot's knocking fist. Eliot looked much more flustered this time. "What the hell was that?"

She retorted flippantly, "I was… I needed a moment, ok."

He lifted a doubting brow at her.

"Maybe I wanted to hide something or…" she was about to say "or someone," but blustered and lost courage at the end. It was too outrageous of a lie for her to pull off with any semblance of believability or dignity.

"… or something…" she finished meekly, frustrated with her lack of ability to lie convincingly.

He narrowed his eyes, but held out the bag to her. Keely reached out for it eagerly, "Thank…."

Then he promptly walked past her into her apartment. Keely squeaked as he expertly slipped past her. Her head darting back and forth to process what just happened.

He walked directly towards the kitchen, "I just have to put something in the oven."

Keely gawked with an open fish mouth, as he started to putter around her kitchen. Opening drawers and turning on the oven.

Eliot… was now in her apartment.

The dilapidated sanctuary she had created to escape him. He was walking around as if it was his home and completely normal. What was happening?!

Too exhausted to argue, Keely trudged behind him and plopped down at her kitchen table, dropping her head on her arms. Whatever… I give up.

Keely nearly dozed off again, when a plate dropped in front of her. It was steak with roasted squash and brown rice. He had even already sliced the steak for her so that she didn't have to make the effort to do it herself. Keely's bleary eyes reached up to glare at him.

How dare he tempt her like this!

She felt like it was the forbidden fruit. That he was somehow tricking her to have feelings for him again. Well, in all honestly the feelings in question had never left.

He sat down next to her and gestured for her to eat. She wanted to say "I hate you!" but all that came out was "Thank you." Darn her politeness!

The first bite nearly brought tears to her eyes. She moaned with pleasure. It was everything she could possibly dream of. After a few more bites, her shakiness and sheer exhaustion abated a bit. She was so immersed in the meal that she hadn't been paying attention to Eliot at all. When she finally glanced up at him, she was so taken aback she almost dropped her fork.

He was staring at her with an intensity that was palpable. Sheer heat seemed to be coming off him in waves.

What was going on? He looked like a wolf about to attack a deer. "Umm... hmm… are you…" she sputtered, "are you hungry?" She held out her fork. "Do you want some?"

At first Eliot, stayed eerily still, just staring at her with an intensity that made her pulse flutter. Just as she shrugged and was about to bring the bite to her mouth instead. Eliot struck out like a snake taking hold of her wrist. Slowly he brought her hand towards him, never losing eye contact with her. He led her fork to his mouth and infinitely slowly, took the bite off the fork. He didn't release his hold on her hand. Keely gulped audibly. Eliot's gaze was like Medusa, freezing her on the spot into stone. Why was he looking at her like that? What was with the super slow motion bite? What… was… happening AGAIN?!

Just when Keely thought she couldn't take anymore, Eliot shook himself. As if shaking off the remnants of a dream. He abruptly let go of her hand and stood up. The chair making a loud squeaking sound as it scraped against the linoleum floors. He headed to the oven, even though it was empty. Keely watched his back rise and fall for a minute, still mindlessly shoving bites of the heavenly dinner into her mouth.

"I'm sorry Keely." He said still facing the oven. Her fork hovered in front of her mouth. He turned and placed his hands on the counter. "I'm sorry. I went too far. I couldn't stand the thought of you being close to Riddle. I thought I could get you to quit, if I made it difficult enough." He shook his head, "I should have known better. You have been through worse things than anyone can imagine. Of course, you would do whatever it takes."

He took step closer, but stopped himself. Still staying a few feet away, as if there was some type of force field keeping him from getting too close.

"It's one of the reasons…" He trailed off. "You never quit," he finished quietly. "Sleep in tomorrow, come to the gym whenever you feel like it."

Keely started to stand up, "But…"

"Don't worry. I'll tell Nate you're ready." He couldn't help coming closer and placed his hands on her shoulders. "Just promise me you'll follow the plan exactly. I'll be in your ear the whole time. If something happens, just delay and I'll get to you. Okay?"

Keely just nodded dumbly, unable to respond to his emphatic outburst.

Eliot ducked his head and let out a breath. He still wasn't happy, but her promise would have to be enough to appease.

He started gathering the items he brought and headed to the door.

"Get some sleep…" he lips curved up slightly for the first time. "… In a bed."