Epilogue

The flight had been fairly unremarkable and it didn't take them long to get back to Lucille, in long term parking.

"Oh, sweet baby Lucille, I've missed you so much." Hardison spoke quietly to the steering wheel as he settled into the driver seat.

"Hardison, there is somethin' wrong with you." Eliot grouched as he stepped into the back of the van.

"Hey!" Parker turned a surprised glare on Eliot.

"Doesn't mean there's not something wrong with you too." Eliot tried not to smile at the pleased look on Parker's face as she spun back around in the passenger seat.

Before long they piled out of Lucille, where she was normally kept behind the Brew Pub. Collecting most of their gear they headed up the back steps to their apartments above. Half way up the back stairs Eliot paused.

"Nate and Sophie are here." Eliot resettled his bag on his shoulder.

"What super power told you that?" Hardison groused and stepped past Eliot on the landing.

Eliot growled at Hardison's back.

"The light is on at the top of the stairs and nothing tripped any of the security measures so it has to be Nate and Sophie." Parker smiled and practically flew up the stairs.

Eliot muttered something about smell and situational awareness and Hardison pretended not to hear him.

As soon as they made it through the door the team dropped their gear and found themselves being pulled into a group hug with Sophie.

"Food ought to be ready any minute. Come sit down." Nate called from the kitchen.

Before long they were all gathered around the table. Sophie catching the team up on what they had been doing in Europe. Nate filled in around Sophie's explanations, with details and funny quips, often at Sophie's expense. Sophie mostly ignored him.

"So tell us about this last job?" Nate looked at the three of them but let his focus rest on Parker.

Parker's description was less than concise and Hardison was more than happy to interject with his own opinions. Eliot tried to keep out of it but couldn't completely resist the urge to set the record straight.

After a while Nate and Parker moved off to one of the couches. Eliot's exceptional hearing let him know that Nate was talking with Parker about the dangers of the team leader running off in the middle of the job. Eliot had noticed earlier the look of frustration on Nate's face when Parker was explaining why she had left everyone to go in search of him. Eliot had planned on having a word or two along those lines with Parker but it looked like Nate was taking care of that.

Sophie sidled up next to Eliot where he was leaning on the railing of the landing between the living area below and the bedrooms above. She handed him a beer and nudged his shoulder with her own. "So how were things really? You scared us all pretty badly you know."

"Not gonna lie Soph things got close on this one." Eliot smirked and sipped his beer.

"Remember a while ago when Nate and I first found out about the werewolf thing?" Sophie asked him quietly.

Eliot paused to sip his beer before he nodded. He could smell her emotions shift from curiosity to slightly anxious.

"Remember when we talked about pack bonds?" Sophie seemed to be having a hard time coming to the point.

Eliot flashed back to the memory of that conversation for a moment. He remembered them all sitting around the table eating spaghetti and him answering questions about being a werewolf. There had been a certain point in the conversation where Nate had asked him about pack ties.

"What does that mean exactly? How is that different than family or friends?" Nate grabbed another slice of garlic bread.

"The magic that allows a wolf to change shape also bonds a wolf to his pack. That allows wolves in the same pack to draw on each other for power, to speed up a change, or for faster healing, and, well, all sorts of things like that...

"You said something about drawing power from us? How does that work?" Sophie hadn't touched much of her food yet.

"No, it's not like that for me. You aren't wolves so I don't think it would work. Besides, I wouldn't want to try it. I don't need to take anything from any of you. You all have already given me what I needed most. You are my family." Eliot looked around the table.

Eliot was pretty certain where this conversation was about to head and he kind of wished he could get out of it but he had to admit that he owed Sophie and the others after things had gone so badly on this job. "Yah Soph I remember that conversation."

"You had said, at the time, that you didn't think you could draw on us for power, or healing, or whatever…" Sophie didn't get to finish her thought before Eliot jumped in.

"Sophie, I'm so sorry. If things hadn't been so desperate I never would have tried it. Really I didn't think it was possible before and…" Eliot's rushed explanation was stopped midstream when Sophie placed her hand on his cheek.

"It's okay. Really. I'm so glad that we were able to help you in some way even if I don't understand it. You are always there to keep us safe, so I'm glad we got to return the favor." She smiled gently at him.

"But?" Eliot quirked an eyebrow at her and his eyes flashed yellow.

"Not, but, exactly. I just wanted to know what had changed. You didn't think it was even possible before. So what has changed?"

Eliot looked down and smiled at Hardison reenacting his explanation of how a rabbit totaled their van. Eliot's eyes went yellow again and stayed yellow. "Them." Eliot pointed with the top of his beer bottle. "You." He turned and looked directly at her. "You guys knowing what is going on and still accepting me. Yah, ever since you all found out, I've noticed the bonds getting stronger. Most of the time it's been like background noise, so it took me a while to notice the changes. I can't explain why it works it's just…"

"Magic?" Sophie offered with a wry smile.

"Yah I guess so." Eliot smiled and his eyes faded back to blue.

"I'm so glad you all were able to help those men but I'm really glad you all made it back to us in one piece." Sophie leaned her cheek against Eliot's shoulder.

"Me too." Eliot sighed.

The End