Disclaimer:The following is a work of fan fiction based on the television series, Flashpoint. It is in no way intended to infringe on the copyrights of anyone who may have legal rights to the characters and settings. I am only using them for a short time and will return them in relatively the same shape as when borrowed. As always, any errors or inconsistencies are of my doing.
Author's note: As good as Priority of Life was (I was lucky enough to find it online), it ended too soon for me. So, I took upon myself to write just a little more. This is technically an AU, but since we don't know what happened after Greg left the room, it could be on the mark – who knows. Hope you enjoy it.
"How?" Sam Braddock asked flatly, his eyes never leaving the retreating form of his Sergeant. He had surmised from the conversation that was occurring as he and the others arrived that the secret was out.
"Honeymoon conversation," Ed Lane said quietly from behind him.
Disbelief shot across Sam's face as he turned to look at his team leader. "Honeymoon conversation," Sam repeated skeptically. Seeing that Ed was not kidding, he cursed softly before moving to stare out the windows at the fading light.
"What honeymoon conversation?" Michaelangelo "Spike" Scarlatti asked glancing back at the latest addition to the team, Rafek Rousseau, to see if he knew what they were talking about. Getting a shake of the head, Spike refocused his attention. "Sam? Ed? What honeymoon conversation?"
"Sam," Ed called out. "Your place, not mine."
Sighing, Sam glanced silently towards the heavens wishing with all of his heart and soul that he had never responded to Jules' question.
"Last month," Sam said reluctantly glancing back, "After Donna's husband got shot, Jules asked me on the way to the truck if I hypothetically ever thought of a honeymoon."
"Yeah, so?" Spike snapped back, still not seeing how a question could cause Parker to be suspended. "What's wrong with that?"
"Nothing," Sam parried hesitantly, "if she and I weren't together."
Looking at Ed, Spike tried to understand what he had just heard. "You mean in the past."
"No," Sam countered blowing out a breath to steady himself before turning to face his teammates. "I mean now."
"But, that's…" Spike sputtered, knowing full well that any rekindling of their earlier relationship would only bring them trouble.
"Exactly," Sam stated flatly.
"When the team got put on probation, Boss gave Toth his word that Sam and Jules wouldn't cross the line again," Ed added, filling in more gaps. "Now that it's happened, he could be forced to resign."
"Oh man," Raf burst out not believing that either Sam or Jules would do such a thing. "You knew that and…."
"I didn't know that. Neither of us did," Sam snapped, cutting him off heatedly. "Do you think Jules or I wanted anything to happen to the Boss?" The memory of Parker's words when he found out about the relationship at Jules' house jumped into his mind. "I put my job on the line for you guys," he murmured, staring into nothing.
"What?" Ed asked, alarmed by Sam's words and the way the color drained from the younger man's face. Moving quickly to his side, Lane grabbed Sam's arm remembering that he had been exposed to the anthrax when he went in to remove the injured hostage. "Sam? You okay?"
"The day the Boss showed up at Jules' house and found me there, he said I put my job on the line for you guys," Sam uttered, feeling sick. "I thought he meant in general, like we do for each other every day and he felt we betrayed that trust somehow. We knew we'd be reassigned, but for Sarge, probation maybe a couple days. But he was really telling us that he had literally put himself on the line for Jules and me… for our relationship."
Swallowing hard, Sam fought the nausea that threatened to cause his stomach to loose what little nutrients left in it. "God," he whispered, turning away back towards the window and pressing his forehead to the cool glass. How was he ever going to tell Jules?
"So what now?" Raf asked, angry and confused that everything he had worked so hard for could easily be stripped from him. It wasn't that he'd be taken from Team One; it was that Team One would be taken from him.
Any answer the rookie may have received was pre-empted by Sam turning suddenly and striding from the room. Behind him, he could hear Ed calling for him, asking him where he was going.
Scanning the immediate area, Braddock ignored the team leader and paused only long enough to speak to the dispatcher. "Ben, is the Boss still here?"
"Far as I know," Ben said unsure of what was fully transpiring.
Heading toward the locker room, Sam diverted when he caught a glimpse of Greg turning the corner down the hallway leading to the exit. "Sarge!" Sam called out, jogging to catch up with the older man.
"Not now Sam," Greg threw over his shoulder not breaking stride.
"Boss…. I'm sorry. Jules and I… we never," Sam broke off, not sure what he could say to make things right again between them.
The ache in the younger man's voice stopped Greg in his tracks. Closing his eyes against the pain he was hearing, as much as he didn't have the emotional fortitude to do this right now, he was afraid he had no choice.
"I'll resign. You and Jules can stay. I'll find something…." A sharp "NO" from Parker cut off Sam.
Greg quickly closed the gap between them. "This isn't about you and Jules," he snapped, locking eyes with Sam, "You hear me? This is about me. This would have happened whether you had that conversation or not."
"Sarge," Sam protested.
"No," Greg countered firmly, shaking his head. "I told Toth that if I had told you two to stop, you would have. But I didn't because I knew I didn't need to. I had faith you would do the right thing if it ever came to a choice between saving each other or doing your job. And today, you did just that," his voice reflected how proud he was of the younger man before his shoulders sagged. "No, it's not you. This is about me. My choices, my decisions."
"But we should have never put you put in a place where you had to make that decision," Braddock countered adamantly. "I get it now. Let me fix this for you." Seeing denial in Parker's features, Sam rushed on. "Don't you see? If I quit, they'll allow you and Jules to stay. The team needs you two more than it does me. You were fine before I got here."
"Sam," Greg said, shaking his head, keeping his tone even. "It's too late for that now. Besides, the team needs you and I need to know you're here watching their backs."
"But if I stay, they're going to reassign one of us, force you to quit, or make Jules and I break up," Sam said flatly.
"We don't know that for sure," Greg assured him. "This thing with Toth isn't over yet."
Sam's eyes darkened with emotion. "You have that much faith?" Swallowing hard, Sam dropped his eyes to the floor. "I can't give her up again," he confessed huskily.
Nodding, Parker reached out and gripped Sam's shoulder. "I know," he said softly. "Just give me some time. Don't do anything right now. You or Jules. You hear me?" Trying to catch Braddock's attention, Greg tipped his head to look in his face. "Sam?"
Reluctantly, Braddock sighed and gave a tight nod to indicate his consent.
"Okay," Greg breathed. Squeezing Sam's shoulder, he added. "Give Jules a hug for me and make sure she understands. Tell her I'll see her in a couple days." Pausing only long enough to pull the younger man into a brief hug, Greg left the building.
A/N I have at least one other scene that is nudging me, so that may be coming in the near future.