Jay was confused.

Marie was perplexed, and, as usual, slightly worried.

Imogen was impressed, she had to admit, but in shock.

Max was just glad to be there.

The four of them stood at the side of the inside courts, watching Eddie dash about with what looked like absolutely no pain at all, his usually damaged arm was not covered with a long gym shirt, the bandages were neat and the area that was slightly exposed on the edges of the wound looked to be actually healing. Sweat trickled down Eddie's neck and his face had gone bright pink but he seemed more determined, confident and agile than he had since before the injury.

"Well" Max said, breaking the stunned silence that rested amongst the quartet, "This really is a turn in the arms race between the other opponents, but on the other hand, I'm glad he's all-right" he emphasised all three puns with a grin on his face. Marie glared at him and he shut his mouth.

"Three puns. That's quite impressive" Jay complimented and Max laughed, pushing a hand through his hair as he went slightly flustered.

"Max, aren't you supposed to be on reception with Adam?" Marie raised an eyebrows and folded her arms. Her voice echoed around the court and, Eddie, who had been listening to the whole conversation with the smallest of smiles on his lips chuckled quietly to himself, not breaking concentration. He looked to the side for a fraction of a second, seeing Max's face drop and he shook his head in amusement.

"I uh..." he stuttered, stepping back from the three pairs of curious eyes staring at him, Marie's getting more intense as the time he was absent from his position went on.

"Now Max" she was firm, yet her red painted lips perked at one side, she tightened her arms over her scarlet coordinated outfit which all matched her rouge themed makeup perfectly, of course. 

Max's trainers skidded he sprinted so fast, his feet thumping down the blue carpet as he took on the corridor. Marie looked back at Eddie and the others followed her actions.

"I don't understand" said Imogen, she was speaking under her breath in a tone that wasn't quite a whisper, glaring down at the floor, almost frustrated. "Jay and I have been working with him non stop, but we all knew he wasn't of usual standard, but we never discussed it or said anything because we didn't want him to over hear. You and I both tried to help him reassess his wounds in that bloody rest room that he sits in. But he's actually..."

"Improved" Jay finished. His face was set firm as he watched his tennis star hit the balls perfectly without wincing, with an unusual confidence. "And by improved, I mean he's improved from before. Which means he had actually been treating his wounds instead of ignoring them and radiating self pity".

"My question is how" Marie pondered aloud. "We all know that he wouldn't just stop giving into the pain over night. Something made him patch himself up properly"

"Well; one things for sure, he's definitely ready for that semi final, I can say it with utter confidence now" he glanced at Imogen, who had assisted him in the rehabitation and training of the tennis golden boy since the start, she nodded in confirmation.

"When a week ago, we were all trying to think of a way to get him to pull out"

"We were all kidding ourselves Marie, he wasn't ready, he had four degree burns in some places"

"Yes but that was months ago"

"He May have trained hard, but if he was treating himself it was never going to work...now it is"

"Yes, exactly. Again, my question is why? How? When? Oh good grief" she ran a hand through her tame blond fringe, making it sick out slightly more from her face, she clasped her lilac coloured clipboard tightly and teetered for a bit on the balls of her feet, biting her lip as she thought over her next actions.

"EDDIE?!" She yelled, making him stop suddenly, his trainers squeaked on the vinyl floor she had recently had re-polished. His hair was wild with how much he had been moving, arms so fluid and painless, and for once actually on show, so much so she could see the light constellations of freckles that she remembered so vividly from staff barbecues and outside tournaments, which were speckled along his arms. His deep blue eyes looked at her questionlightl, he wasn't quite still, waiting to get back into what he was doing if the question was quick. It wasn't this time.

"Can you come here quickly?" She added, a small wavering smile set on her experessions as Eddie frowned, Jay pressed a button from the remote he kept in his pocket and the tennis ball machine stopped. He walked first, with racket in hand over to the little white chair at the side of room where Jay sometimes sat, or where he normally rested, he took the white cloth that he had previously deposited there and wiped at his shining face before strolling over.

Marie had always loved Eddie, even when she first started working at the centre as a simple admin girl and he was in the 14-17 class. It was her job to come round and assess them on how they were doing. Because after doing a three year course at uni and getting a degree in Health and Social Care and then going on to study a fitness course at college, Marie fell in love with the Surrey Tennis Centre and everyone in it.

Quite literally, in one particular case...well, anyway, moving on.

But Eddie was always the one who other's in the office described as the secret gem, because he was so good independently when practising one and one, yet faltered around the other teens. He never spoke and went bright red when you tried. Naturally, maternal Marie took him under her wing and organised one and one classes with the then trainer Barry. They hadn't looked back since, with the exception of the microwave incident of course.

Eddie approached the group with a foreign spring to his step which Marie had never seen before. He held himself well, and ran a hand through his strawberry blonde hair as he pulled off his sweat band. He regarded the three of them carefully, Marie was watching him with a calm yet slightly concerned look as she held the tip of her pen between her dusty pink lips. Imogen folded her arms and narrowed her eyes at him, one leg crossed over the over as she contemplated something deeply. Jay, on the other hand, was postively beaming at him, hands on his hips and shaking his head gleefully.

Eddie did his best not to smirk at the situation. If only they knew.

But even he knew he was acting slightly out of character, the affects were only temporarily he knew, but...still. Better make the most of his sudden attitude and energy.

"Hey guys" he pretended to act confused as from their expressions they looked convinced. "What's up?".

"Are you...okay?

Eddie screwed his face up as his eyebrows narrowed, Marie tilted her head curiously as Jay and Imogen waited patiently.

"Yeah I'm fine...why'd you ask?"

Marie glanced at the pair who pretended to look at something very interesting elsewhere. Marie sighed and rolled her eyes at her colleagues.

"You just seem to have majorly improved in a short period of time...you're perfomance I mean"

Eddie looked hurt. His light brown eyebrows raising in the middle of his head.

"But you said my performance had improved before"

"Oh no Sweetheart it had!" She places her freshly manicured fingertips on his forearm and he didn't even flinch, like he normally would. "It's just improved even more at a great rate!".

"Oh...well, thank you" he flushed red, smiling shyly, yet maintained eye contact which again, Marie noted, was very odd.

"Any um...reasoning behind this change Ed?" Imogen piped up. Eddie glanced up to look at the three of them, all watching him, completely perplexed.

"Guess I've just been feeling inspired lately... I don't know...anyway, it's my lunch break. I'll catch you all later!" He waved enthusiastically, a wide grin on his face as he marched out of the pitch. His racket clattering to the floor.

"HE JUST DROPPED HIS RACKET WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON!" Jay exclaimed as Marie's eyes followed his footsteps down the hall.

"I don't understand" said Imogen "this is just like what happened with..." she stopped short, eyes going wide as she slowly turned her head to look at Jay and Marie, who were back to looking confused.

"No fucking way" she whispered, shaking her head. "I can't believe it. PETER! PEEEEEEETAAAHHH!" Her platinum blonde ponytail bobbled as she dashed from the room.

Marie turned to Jay,

"Am I missing something here, or has someone slipped LCD in the lunches, because everyone's acting..."

"Strange?" He folded his arms, nodding along to her point.

"Exactly. Time to find out what's really going on here" she narrowed her eyes. "But not before we take the council round, Jay you'll be on hand for an interview?"

"Always boss!"