Author's Note: So this was going to be an epilogue, but it's really just the last chapter. I decided there wasn't a need for an epilogue here. Thanks for reading!

one month later...

Face jogged alone toward the main road in Bad Rock. Maggie had been slowly getting him accustomed to strenuous physical activity again, and today was the first time he was allowed to go for a run on his own. Town was about a mile from Maggie's house, so it was a good starter run for him, coming off of an injury.

The Sheriff's office came into his view, and he smiled. Maggie had instructed him to stop there, rest for a few minutes, then turn around and run back to the house. He finally came to the steps of the Sheriff's office, and sat down tiredly to catch his breath. He took a long drink from the water bottle he'd brought along.

After taking a few minutes to catch his breath, Face got to his feet and started running back the way he'd come.

"It's been nice having you here," Maggie said as she and Hannibal rocked on the front porch swing. Hannibal pulled her in closer to him, and she rested her head on his shoulder.

"It's been a good month."

"Are you sure you can't stay longer?"

"I'd stay forever if I could. If we stay any longer, the Military will catch up with us for sure."

"Well, I'm going to enjoy you while I have you," Maggie said seductively.

"Sounds good to me."

He leaned down and kissed her, and she snuggled up against him on the swing. Hannibal glanced up, and saw Face coming down the street.

"Face is back."

Maggie sat up as Face jogged up the walk and up onto the porch, and stopped by the front door.

"How do you feel?" Maggie asked immediately.

"It still hurts, but I can handle it."

"Let's go inside and I'll take a look."

Face nodded, and the three of them made their way into the house. Murdock was sitting at the kitchen table, playing a game of invisible cards. Face followed Maggie into her exam room, while Hannibal hung back with Murdock.

"Are you winning?" Hannibal asked him with a smile.

"Yep, I'm the Rummy champ of the VA," Murdock said.

"Excellent, Captain. Where's B.A.?"

"Out working on the van. He wanted to change her oil before we got back on the road."

"Thanks."

Hannibal went outside and made his way over to the garage. B.A. had the van up on makeshift risers, and he was underneath it.

"How's she coming, B.A.?"

B.A. did not respond to him.

"Listen B.A., I know you're still upset with me. You have every right to be."

B.A. slid out from under the van and got to his feet.

"That night in the woods, you took all the morals you taught us and threw them away. You was gonna kill that man, Hannibal. That's not how we roll, and you know it. I just don't know if I can trust you as a leader anymore."

Hannibal looked into his Sergeant's eyes. They were filled with anger and resentment.

"I'm not gonna stand here and make excuses for my behavior. I turned my back on you guys, and I did something stupid and irresponsible."

"You a stubborn fool, Hannibal. You always was, even in 'Nam. Faceman had to force you to get out of that VC camp with us."

"You remember that."

"Yeah. I remember Faceman telling us that you wanted to die rather than get out of there without us."

Hannibal nodded.

"You was always a loyal friend to me, Hannibal, and that's why I'm not walkin' away from the team. You and me personally, we ain't gonna be okay for a long time."

"I deserve that."

B.A. held out a greasy hand to Hannibal. They shook hands amicably.

"Now get outta here. I gotta finish the lube job on the van, and I don't need any more distractions."

"Okay, B.A. Come inside in about an hour for lunch."

B.A. lay back down and slid under the van again.

"Will do."

Hannibal turned and walked back into the house. Face and Maggie were coming out of the exam room as he came back inside.

"What's the verdict, Maggie?"

"He's healing up nicely. The run today didn't make anything worse, and his pain is finally below a 5. I'd say he's good to go."

Face nodded and looked away.

"What's wrong, Face?" Hannibal asked.

"Nothing."

"That usually means you have something on your mind." Hannibal said.

"I'll be in my office," Maggie interjected, and left them alone.

"What's on your mind?" Hannibal asked. "And don't say 'nothing' because I know you're lying."

"I owe you an apology."

"What for?"

"When you first brought me here, I was angry. I lashed out at you in the van."

"You had every right to do that."

"No, I didn't. I should have told you right away about what happened. Instead, I let it bottle up inside, and let it all out on you when you were only trying to help."

"Sit down."

Face moved to the table and pulled out a chair. Hannibal pulled another chair around and sat across from him.

"Do you know why I push you harder than everyone else?"

Face shrugged.

"Being someone else is a part of who you are, Face. I've watched you run a con, and you are so convincing, that I think sometimes you convince yourself that you're someone else. The reason I ride you harder than B.A. and Murdock is to keep you grounded in reality."

"Keep me grounded in reality? I thought Murdock was the insane one."

"Murdock knows when to stow it and get down to business. Do you remember the time you set up that fake movie premiere, and it made the papers?"

"You can't use that example-"

"Stow it, Lieutenant, I'm not through. That con job made the papers, and Decker was about to get the jump on you in front of over 100 people. If I hadn't seen that and come down there, he would have hauled you off to jail and we wouldn't have been able to get you out. Do you realize that?"

"Yeah, but-"

"When I found you in that theater, it took me 10 minutes to snap you back into reality. You were so into that con job that you didn't even see Decker in the crowd. I had to bring you back and point him out to you. Face, the reason I ride your ass is to keep you more alert to what's around you. Do you understand?"

"Yeah, I understand."

Hannibal saw the sullen look on his Lieutenant's face, and sighed.

"Hey, both of us made mistakes that week, Face. I went Commando on you and everyone else, abandoned you when you needed my help and support, and dragged B.A. and Murdock into a half-assed plan that could have gotten all of us indicted for attempted murder, on top of the Military charges hanging over our heads. Apologizing to all of you is not going to make that go away."

"I guess you could say the plan didn't come together on this one," Face said with a grin. Hannibal laughed.

"No, it didn't, did it?"

A scream from outside drew their attention to the door. Murdock burst through it and dashed for Hannibal.

"Tell him to leave me alone, Hannibal!"

"You crazy fool, I told you not to touch my tools!"

"I told you, it was Billy!"

"That stupid invisible dog didn't take no hammer! You did! Give it back or I'll hammer your head!"

"Murdock..." Hannibal interjected.

"I only borrowed it for a second, Big Guy... I'll go get it for you."

"It better not be broken, or I'm gonna break your head!"

"Calm down, B.A.," Hannibal said. "Did you finish the lube job on the van?"

"Yeah, only now I need to fix the brakes. She should be good as new by tonight."

"Why don't you go work on it, and I'll get your hammer from Murdock."

"Okay, Hannibal."

Face grinned as B.A. went back outside.

"I think everything's back to normal, wouldn't you say?"

Hannibal grinned and took a cigar out of his shirt pocket.

"Absolutely."

the next morning...

"How long are they going to take in there with Face's exam?" Murdock whined as he climbed into the back of the van.

"Shut up fool, and take this bag," B.A. said, throwing a duffel bag at Murdock.

Up on the porch, the screen door opened, and Face, Hannibal and Maggie came outside. Face turned to Maggie.

"Thanks for everything. I don't know what I'd have done without you."

"Anytime, Jim," she said with a wink.

Face smiled and kissed her on the cheek. He jogged down the steps and toward the van, where Murdock and B.A. were loading their things into the back.

Hannibal turned and took Maggie's hands.

"You always know how to knock sense into this stubborn skull of mine. I don't know what I'd do without you."

"You'd probably be in jail," she said, smiling.

Hannibal leaned down and kissed her. She melted into it, and he pulled her into his arms, to deepen the kiss.

"I wish you could stay."

"You know why I can't."

"Colonel! Let's go!" Face shouted from the van.

Hannibal smiled.

"For once, my team is shouting at me to hurry up."

He kissed her again and slowly walked down the porch steps.

"Hannibal!" Maggie shouted.

He stopped and turned immediately. She walked down the steps and took off the cross around her neck. She put it in Hannibal's hand, and closed his fingers around it.

"Whenever you're being stubborn and pigheaded, use that as a reminder of what I said the night we broke you out of jail."

Hannibal kissed her.

"Thanks, Maggie."

"Hannibal! We have to go! Decker knows where we are!"

Hannibal squeezed her hand and ran down the walk, and hopped into the front seat of the van. As they pulled away, something occurred to him, and he turned in his seat.

"Hey Face, why did she call you Jim?"

END (for real this time!)