A/N: Why yes, I have been gone for a million years.

But I got motivated from a review and thought: "Awww…I'm a horrible author. My story is wandering around with no one to guide it. I need to let it and it's readers know that I still love them both."

I'll really try to stay on top of it.

If I don't review and remind me that its still out there.

Anyway…

This arc of Stefan kind of flashbacking to where he was after he got shot is almost over. (Like, 4 more chapters at the most) Soon, we'll go back to present day and hear what the Supernaturalists have to say, and why Stefan and Lisa are there.

Disclamer: Don't own it. It's fanfiction. Whatev.

The next two weeks were interesting.

Every morning, Dr. Wellen would come into the room and perform Stefan's routine examination., afterwards giving Stefan a dose of some miracle drug he wouldn't name. Whatever they were giving him, it was working. That's all he knew, and in a place where questions were given vague and mysterious answers, Stefan was learning to keep silent until they decided to give him the information he wanted. They didn't trust him. The fact that they still locked him in his room was proof of that.

Lisa came every day around lunchtime , almost always in a crappy mood. Stefan had made a mental note early on that the nicer he was, the more pissed off she got. He liked it, and he made a game out of how soon he could make her blow up. Granted, it wasn't helping in the "trust" department but with being bound to bed rest and a wheelchair, he had to get his kicks somewhere.

Usually they traveled in silence though, his curiosity usually outweighing her hatred. He was obsessed with this place called "The House." So far, she'd taken him throughout the whole floor (which he had deducted to be the first) and he'd seen a number of rooms. It reminded him of a mansion he'd stayed in once. (Though The House was MUCH larger and was WAY more technologically advanced) It was fashioned after an old house, elegant and Victorian.

His favorite place was the Kitchen (not just because it was were the food was) but because it seemed to be the only part of The House that bustled with activity. People were running around and cooking, screaming, yelling, and stirring. There was always something going on, and it was the only place he was making friends .(with the exception of Dr. Wellen and Lisa on VERY rare occasions) Chef Kinsor was his favorite. Sometimes Lisa would bail on her duty and disappear to God-knew-where leaving him parked in the kitchen. Chef Kinsor was full of stories, her she'd cooked for tons of families. She was a nice older woman who always had a smile for him, and it was finally after a week of conversation he found someone who would supply him with a little bit of answers.

"So, Chef Kinsor. How did you come to work here? " He asked, chewing on an apple. She looked thoughtful for a moment, kneading some sort of dough.

"Well, I guess just like everyone here does. You get contacted and have a sort of interview and then they run all sorts of tests. You know, protocol and stuff."

"But they contacted you?"

"Yeah, it's all very top secret actually. I didn't ask too many questions. All I knew was that they were offering me a job with free lodging , away from the horrible family I was working for and totally cut off from my jerk of an ex. Taste this, does it need anything?" She held out a spoon from the pot she was stirring.

"Needs salt." He said. "So, this agency or whatever it is. It's just a place to live?"

"Not really. The House is just a part of it. The maids, maintenance and cooking staff like me live here on the first floor. The second floor is the lab where Dr. Wellen and his staff live and work. No one knows about the third floor, no one is alowed up there without special clearance. And we're talking about third rank and above."

"Rank?"

"The important people. Well, important agents."

"And where do they live?" He was pleased to finally be getting somewhere. Even though it wasn't far, somewhere was better than left in the dark.

She stopped and gave him a sideways look. For a second he was scared that she was going to clam up on him. But she sighed and started to answer.

"They live at Headquarters in the Agent Dorms. You need special clearance to get there too, but judging by the rate your going, that won't be long." She smiled. Stefan was just getting ready to ask a another question, but as soon as he opened his mouth he felt the chair and his body jerk to the right.

"Thanks for babysitting, Charlotte." He heard Lisa say. "Next time though, why don't you keep the educating to the ABC's."

Stefan turned and saw Chef Kinsor's mouth turn into a hard line. "Sorry Agent Chribble. I wasn't aware that he wasn't completely out of isolation. You bring him by so often." The chair stopped, and Stefan was left facing a wall. Turning all the way around still hurt his chest, so he relied on his sense of hearing to eavesdrop on the conversation.

"It's okay. I'm not mad, you just never know who's watching. You don't want to get reported do you.? Some of the guys aren't as nice as me." Lisa was whispering.

"Of course Leese, after all the times you've covered my tush because of my big mouth, I owe you my word. Not a word." Chef Kinsor spoke with a motherly admiration. So, Stefan thought, Chribble wasn't a total asshole.

Lisa was silent down the hallway. "So, have a nice lunch?" Stefan asked in the best sing-song-look-at-me-I'm-a-nice-guy voice possible. The chair stopped abruptly, and he smirked hearing the low growl Lisa let out. Nice. A record so far. It took him a second to realize that they were by a door, and his chest started to ache a little as he noticed he'd never been here before. His heart started to thrum with excitement to see a new place. Though, as Lisa opened the door, he realized that it wasn't a new place at all . He stared into the greenhouse for the first time from the inside.

If he thought The Kitchen was an amazing place, he now came to the conclusion that the greenhouse was absolutely mind-blowing. The kitchen was a sleepy hollow compared to the vibrant life the greenhouse carried. The smells were sweet and floral all in one, the colors were amazing. The light coming through the canopy felt surprisingly warm, and he imagined that this was as close as it got to being outside.

Lisa pushed him to a little courtyard. There was a tiny fountain trickling water, the perfect piece among the vines and little trees. She stopped him and sat on a stone bench, facing him, she glared. Did the girl not have any other expression? They sat there, and Stefan started to look around the courtyard. He started humming. Lisa cleared her throat. He started whistling. Lisa let out an annoyed sigh. This was going to be good. "Listen." She finally snapped. He stopped, giving the best eye contact he could. It was different without his sun glasses. It actually made him feel a little more in control.

"Everything that you have been told up to this point has been strictly on a need to know basis. That means that anything you've weaseled out of anyone other than Wellen or me is considered stolen information." She paused, crossing her legs and leaning forward. "Now I should report your ass to LAW, then they'll send a report to Lawrence, and he'll have you Memory Wiped so hard that you won't be able to tell shit from a sand castle."

He smirked. "Then why don't you."

"Don't tempt me."

They were staring each other down.

Usually in a time like this, Stefan would have come up with some sarcastic remark and then found a way to conviently disappear . Usually it was him with the upper hand, leaving the other party senseless. But here in the greenhouse, Lisa was the authority. He was the alien here, having no clue how things worked. He saw it as a huge handicap, and he finally decided that he wasn't going to leave here without gaining back some of the respect he'd been stripped of so suddenly.

"Fine."

His tone was submissive and defeated, but he was a confident believer in catching more flies with honey. It was killing him.

She looked a little thrown off, and he made a mental note to celebrate later.

"Can I ask you something?"

He made sure to sound genuinely broken. If she believed she'd won, that she'd scared him into playing nice, he might just get somewhere. If she felt superior, he might be able to coax her into thinking it was charity to let him in on the secrets. Her ego wouldn't be able to resist.

"What." She rolled her eyes. Then, she pulled up her hand and started looking at her nails. Hmm. Now that she "won" she was trying to look bored with him.

Bingo.

"Why don't you guys trust me. It's not like I can run out of here." He pointed to the chair for emphasis. She played with the sleeve of the blue and grey uniform she wore every day.

"You're in isolation. Four weeks."

"And?"

"Listen, I don't make the rules. I just listen to the jackasses that make them."

So. He could spend two more weeks with nothing, or he could work on her more right now and maybe get all the answers he wanted. Honey anyone?

"So, what sort of things are you going to teach me?" He hoped that innocence would work.

She stood up. Apparently it didn't

"It's time for you to go back and see Wellen." She started pushing the chair, and led him out of the green house. It wasn't long before he was back in his room. Before Lisa walked out she stopped before the door.

"Kissing ass gets you no where here. Try it again and I'll Memory Wipe you manually."

"So you're reporting me?"

"No."

"Why?"

"You're so not worth all the paperwork."

They went to The Garden every day after that. Usually their trips were silent, but on the seventh day Lisa took him to the garden and left him there. She returned with two bags and place them on the bench.

"Get up." She said.

The words took a moment to process.

"I wasn't aware I was allowed to do that. Wellen hasn't cleared me yet."

Her foot started tapping.

"So just stand up? It's as easy as that?"

She rolled her eyes.

It was strange, learning to stand again. The times that he'd tried it in recent days had resulted in weak knees and light headedness. But as he stood to his feet, surprisingly he felt strong. It was like the contact to the ground had turned on a switch. If someone had asked him how his injury was, he'd have to think about what injury they'd been talking about.

"Wow." It was all he could say.

"Exactly." She seemed impatient.

"How?" He started to ask. Before he could though, two things happened.

He found himself on the ground.

He was on top of Lisa.

"Not bad for your first time." She said. She smirked and then threw him across the courtyard. "But be more aware of your opponent next time. If you ever fight a third rank, you'll be on you back five minutes ago."

He stood up. It was then that he felt a part of the old Stefan come back. Hard Stefan. Strong Stefan.

He ran over to Lisa in a split second faster than he should have been able to.

"What the Hell have you guys done to me?"

A/N: So? Have I delivered. Is it okay for a "return" (lol) Let me hear from you, drop a review by. Let me know what you like, what you want to see.
Even though it's planned out, I'm always game for new suggestions. =]
Hopefully you'll see me sooner!