"Team one, gear up. Hot call, young girl on a ledge. 275 North Ave."
The barn exploded with activity. Jules ran to the lockup to grab the weaponry, Sam went to start the SUVs (joys of being the rookie), and the rest of the team scattered to get what they needed.
They tore out of the garage less than 5 minutes after the call.
"Jules you're lead negotiator. Spike and Lou in the truck, we need as much information as possible. Sam, Ed, Wordy, get the net ready if you can. Jules, I'm your second."
With his words, the team scurried to their assignments.
Jules and Greg raced up the stairs, already listening to Spike feed them information. He'd gotten them an ID on the girl, Keegan Anderson. Lou got on the phone with her mother as Jules approached.
"Boss, no joy on the net. Nowhere to anchor it safely."
"Copy that Sam. Get up here, back us up if things go sideways." His voice was soft. He nodded at Jules to begin.
"Keegan?" Jules waited a beat for her to respond. "Keegan, my name is Jules."
Keegan stiffened. "Just go!" Her shout was laced with pain.
"I can't do that." Jules' response was clear, but Sam read the emotion. "Keegan, why are you up here?" She paused, and with no response, continued. "It's really beautiful. You can see a long way from up here." Keegan looked around her. Seeing Jules coming closer, she shuffled closer to the railing.
"Don't come closer. Please." Her tone was desperate.
"I'm staying right where I am. I won't come any closer. Will you tell me why you're up here?"
Lou's voice spoke in her ear. "She reported an attempted rape couple months ago, mother said she's struggled with depression, she was on meds. Says she's been called a couple times to deal with situations at school, but nothing's being done. Mom says dad left when she was younger, has trust issues with men in general. Rape was filed against Austin Gradeigh, also a star baseball player at the school."
Jules turned her head into her shoulder. "Thanks Lou." Turning back to the teen, Jules called out, "Keegan, we know what you did. That was so brave."
Keegan looked at her. "It may have been, but it's made my life hell. Everyone blames me." Keegan stops, as if she's said too much.
Jules kept probing. "Blames you for what?"
Keegan shook her head, and her body began to shake in fear. She climbed over the railing, holding on tightly. Jules didn't think before following her over. She was safely clipped in behind her. Sam watched her and his heart began to race. He resisted going faster, Lou's earlier statement made them wary of re-escalating her.
"Keegan, please. We can help."
Keegan shook her head, jet black hair swirling in the wind. "Everyone blames me. For the team losing, for his conviction, everything. Even fire drills. I hate going to school. I hate it. The admin aren't doing anything. The teachers don't care. I can't take it."
Jules scrambled for an answer. "Suicide won't solve it. There's no absolution in death."
Keegan looked at her.
Jules, sensing her calming, kept going. "Suicide doesn't just affect you. It affects everyone. Your mother, even your father. This will wreck them. And you will have let them win." She met the teen's eyes, and seeing a challenge in them, she reached out. "Just take my hand. Don't let them win."
Keegan reached out, but was startled by feet pouding on the roof behind them. Seeing the three men approaching, Sam leading, she screeched "NO! Stay where you are!"
Jules rolled her eyes internally, her anger starting to bubble up. "Keegan, they're here to help me and my boss. They're here to keep us safe. You're alright, they're going to stay back." Sam resisted coming closer, and a tug from wordy pulled him back.
"Keegan, please. Just take my hand. We can do this together. Please."
Their fingertips brushed, but before Jules latched on, she stumbled and fell.
Jules caught her hand and the safety line caught them. As the rush of blood in her ears silenced, she heard the team calling out. "No harm, no harm, we're both alright. Jules manhandled a stiff, terrified Keegan into a sustainable hold, and spoke calmly. "Pull us up."
When they reached the terrace, they were met by Mrs. Anderson, and she enveloped Keegan in her arms. Sam unclipped the safety line and bundled it up towards Jules. She snatched it from his hands, ice in her eyes.
Sam gulped. That was never good.
She refused to speak to him on the way back to headquarters. He wasn't about to break the silence either. Both were sure they'd made the right call in the heat of the moment. The silence in the car on the way back was stony.
He knew he'd screwed up when she wouldn't even talk to him when they got back, and especially after they debriefed.
He entered her locker room, quietly, as if approaching a cornered animal.
"Jules?" Even with her back to him, he could see the tension thrumming through her muscles.
When she whirled on him, he was lucky she'd already disarmed herself. "What in the HELL were you thinking, Braddock?"
He wasn't sure, really. He also wasn't sure where this had all gone wrong. Thanks to his father, he knew that he could take words in anger. It was words that were meant that hurt the most. He doesn't reply, allowing her to get her anger out.
He didn't dare tell her he'd told the rest of the team to stay the hell away from Jule's locker room no matter what they heard.
"I had it under control! I was fine, until you waltzed in! Always gotta rescue the damsel in distress, don't you? You almost cost a girl her life today!"
Sam swallowed hard. That one had hurt. He let her continue. "She was so close. SO close to coming back, and then you had to act like a knight in shining armor for me, and you sent her right back to red. She doesn't trust men, and you know damn well why! So tell me, Sam, why did you come racing up there? All those men, she lost her connection to me. So thank you. So much."
Her temper seemed to be cooling off. She started to stalk off, trying to calm down, but he can't let her go that easily. He snags her wrist and she whirls again, a hand raised. He doesn't raise one back, but puts up a block as he gently tugs her to him. With the increased closeness comes a re-escalation. "Sam, dammit, let me go! Let me go you ass!"
He bends down to speak softly in her ear. "You know I can't. You know I can't let you go out there like this. We can't do this here. Not now. You can chew me out all you want at home. But we can't do this here." She's now effectively trapped between him and the lockers, held tightly but not uncomfortably. She sags, and the fight goes out of her. Sam feels comfortable sitting on the bench behind him, her wrists now upturned in his hand. He rubs them gently as she comes down, expecting what comes next. It was standard. She would get furious, then the frustration devolved into tears.
"She...she could've died...because of those adults in her life...they were failing her. Sam...oh god...she could've fallen...all that way. Why?" He's not sure what she's asking, but he knows she's not looking for an answer right now. Her cries break his heart, and he pulls her to him again, this time curling her against his chest protectively. He sees a head poke around the door, but shakes his head without identifying who. She's not ready.
Minutes, hell, it could've been hours, passed before she had calmed down enough to speak again. "Please, Sam. Don't...don't do that again."
Now he has to ask. "Do what?" He wants to make sure that he hasn't inadvertently upset her.
"Interrupt my negotiation. It could've gone really, really downhill. Please. Promise me."
It's a promise he's not sure he can keep, but he does. "I promise, that unless necessary, I will not interrupt again."
She nods against his chest, still seeking comfort from him. He'd never tell anyone, but she craved closeness. Touching, hugging, holding hands. If he didn't know better, he would think she was touch starved. He tried to make it up to her every day.
After a while more passes, he whispers in her ear. "Are you ready to go?"
She takes a few moments to decide. She nods, still curled against him. It takes her a few seconds more to disentangle herself.
"Soon, I promise." She knows what he's promising, and it calms her. "I'll meet you outside in a few minutes." He leaves quickly, knowing everyone was waiting for answers.
"Sam?" Ed catches him right outside the door.
"She's cooled down, but...she really just needs to go home." he stops there, out of words.
Ed nods in understanding. "I'd clear it with the Boss, but I'd be inclined to agree, if I was him."
Sam goes off to find him. After a brief, but impassioned conversation, he nods and releases Sam. He takes what has to be the fastest shower and packs his bag haphazardly. He goes to her locker room, only to find her still on the bench. "Jules?"
She turns towards him, eyes still red. "Sorry. I was…" She trails off, losing her train of thought.
Sam was worried, now more than ever. This wasn't good. He helps her up, grateful to see she'd at least packed her bag. "Let's go home." He leads her gently towards the stairs, hidden in the back, rather than through the elevator that was in front of everyone. She follows his steps woodenly. He keeps up a litany of calming words, not actually sure what he's saying, but knowing she needs to be grounded before she can process the events of the day.
She comes back as they're driving out of the lot. "Sam?"
He breathes out, grateful. "Yeah, I'm right here."
"Thank you." He knows that she means more than just for the drive, for getting her out. He lets the silence speak for itself the rest of the way.
When they get home, he loved that it was 'they' now, she waits for him to get out before she does, and attaches herself to him. He adjusts easily, as he always did, and they made their way to the couch. It was one they'd picked together when she redid their living room, and he loved that it was a choice they'd made. Together. He flopped down on it, and she carefully pressed herself between him and the back of the couch. He got as close as he could to her when he felt the shaking begin again. He had promised her he'd hold her through the good, the bad, and the ugly when they reconnected, and he wasn't going to break that promise today.
"I'm sorry." The words were murmured against his chest.
He was at a loss. "Jules?"
She shook her head, not ready to talk yet. That was fine. She would take time, put her thoughts in order, and he was loathe to interrupt. Clearly, she needed the time today. He just held her tightly, like he knew she wanted. She craved pressure when she was upset or stressed, and today definitely qualified as both. He'd found her under piles of blankets, giant stuffed animals, and pillows before. He's glad that this time she's allowing him to help.
He doesn't realize as she falls asleep against him. He's too busy getting lost in his own thoughts. Upsetting her always made him second guess his choices on calls. And with how upset she was, he was worried that he'd really over done things.
It was a good while before she stirred against him. "Sam?"
He was shaken from his thoughts. "Yeah, babe?" He rarely used pet names, but it slipped out. Southern living had been his favorite. It had been the one habit he hadn't been able to kick.
"How…?" He read her thoughts.
"A few hours. But you're alright. You needed it." He knew she wouldn't sleep tonight, rocked by nightmares.
She just curled herself tighter into him. He pressed against her, answering her unasked need. He didn't know why she wanted it, but he would give it nonetheless. "Jules, are you hungry?"
She thought for a second, and shook her head. He didn't particularly fancy leaving her, but if they didn't eat, one of them would be up at 4am starving and foraging for junk food. He lifted her up anyways, and deposited her on a kitchen chair. She tracked his movements with half-lidded eyes. She was so exhausted.
He served her a turkey sandwich with a flourish. It was simple, but packed enough filling stuff to help keep them asleep. She twitched up a smile before she was lost in her thoughts, eating robotically. She finished after he did, and they cleared the table in silence. She didn't protest as he led her to the bedroom.
"Jules, you need to sleep."
She shook her head. She knew what waited there.
"Please?" She shrugged. If she didn't sleep, he wouldn't either. They crawled into bed together, comforted by closeness. She dozed off, Sam following her shortly. He still slept like a military member, quickly and deeply. He had been trained for it. She had no such training.
Her dreams tormented her, having her watch that girl fall, Sam falling, even falling herself.
Every time she woke, shaking, crying, angry, Sam was there. He held her, reassured her, took her anger. At one point, she wasn't really sure when, but it was still the deep darkness of the late night, he pulled them both into a lukewarm bath, with bubbles and candles. She finally calmed, and carefully dozed against Sam's warmth.
When she woke in the bed the next morning, she wasn't surprised to see Sam next to her, tracing circles and shapes onto her back.
"Did...did you sleep last night?"
He nodded gently. "Yeah...yeah. We did."
She realized she hadn't woken after the bath.
She smiled at him. "Thank you." She thought for a moment, remembered her angry words at him yesterday. "Sam...I'm sorry about yesterday."
She was surprised by his next words. "Me too. I shouldn't have acted so recklessly."
"I shouldn't have yelled at you like that."
"How about we both admit we have some faults to work on and leave it at that?"
She nodded. That sounded good.