Bruised Hearts is the sequel to Coming Home (featuring Hector and I'Lee) and Crosshairs (featuring Jack Hudson). You need to be familiar with the previous stories in order to follow this without a scorecard.

What happens when love begins to blind you to changes? What happens when you become a wee bit obsessed?

The Joes belong to Hasbro and Devil's Due, STFBEye belongs to Paxson/Pebblehut. Original characters are mine. Thanks to my pal and redpen beta Aubrey'smom. ASL is signified by ALL CAPS and any glossing errors are mine. James' signed English is pretty awkward and my decision. It is signified by single quotes. Thoughts are usually in italics. All mistakes at this point are mine, unless this uploader has pulled a Hoover.

Due to some chapter brevity, there are from four to seven chapters per post. This saves you from deathly short reads, and me from posting 53 times.

Rating is K+ due to some use of language due to circumstances. Nothing my 12 can't read.

Bruised Hearts

Prologue-Bullpen (Tuesday morning)

"Did you guys hear about what happened last night?" Lucy was at the coffeepot talking to Tara and Sue.

"Something important?"

"Well, yeah. Bobby walked out on his date with Cheryl from accounting. The whole office is talking about it."

Tara shook her head. "That doesn't sound like Bobby."

Sue raised an eyebrow in question.

"Oh, but it is." The rotor was smug. "I helped set up the date, and Cheryl called last night, upset at Koala Boy's behavior."

The two continued talking as Sue eased away. She wasn't partial to gossip, especially when it concerned one of the team. It was a stressful job without everyone trying to eavesdrop on personal relationships. At her computer, she called up her chat box and sent a message.

SThomas: Lunch? I'll buy.

RManning: Kk.

Bobby looked up to see Myles headed toward the donuts and dashed over in an attempt to grab the last one.

"Ah, ah, ah. I arrived here first. The last of the Krispy Kreme crullers is mine, Manning."

The Aussie grinned as he snaked a long arm out. "Come on, mate, you wouldn't deny a starving man…"

"I would and I am." The blond man took a huge bite out of his donut just as D and Jack entered the Bullpen. And Hudson dropped his bombshell.

One-Manning Residence (Tuesday evening)

Bobby Manning was tired and frustrated. A month ago, Darcy had walked out of his life, leaving him reeling. I thought maybe she was the one. I thought maybe we could have that strong love that I've seen. I want that kind of love. I need it. A month of self-doubt had nearly eaten him alive.

If I didn't have my friends…I… He had relied on his friends for help and support.

During the previous month…

Tara had bought him a stapler and his own family of fuzzy pens.

"What's this?" He held up a purple object. " My desk has been taken over by furry aliens?"

"Well, you are always taking my stapler so I got you your own. And my pens needed some new friends to chat with."

She had also subscribed him to Joke-of-the-Day on a lark. The results had been mixed.

0000

Myles had simply kept quiet about all things feminine. He would only offer to go out to eat once a week, talking about those things that were a distraction from the issue.

"Why do you insist on dragging me to these bloody places?"

"Because, Manning, if it is the last thing I do, you WILL have a real painting on the wall that isn't velvet or Elvis."

The snark and banter were still there during office hours and he appreciated the Bostonian's friendship on a new level.

0000

Jack would come over once or twice a week and they would just watch whatever game was on while tossing back a few cold ones.

"Your turn tonight?"

"Yep. Pizza and LeBatt?"

"Right-o."

Neither talked about women or work, just chilling out. The quiet had been a lifesaver.

0000

Sue offered a listening ear. Well, she couldn't actually hear, and that was probably a good thing. Sometimes, his tone of voice was horrid, and he felt ashamed that he'd even used it in her presence.

"All I wanted was to love her, but she just turned her back on me. Why?"

"Remember when I said that 'sometimes you can be there, but sometimes you can only be'?" He nodded, slowly. "Just be Bobby for now. Love will come in its own time, and sometimes in the most unexpected way."

She never complained. In some ways, he felt she understood his frustrations more than anyone did.

0000

Dimitrius was the strongest.

"You doing good today?"

"I've had better."

"Meet me for lunch and we'll talk."

His quiet support and willingness to talk about Darcy help him to deal with what had gone awry and to move past his funk.

0000

Lucy's solution was to try to set him up with a few women from other units and one or two from her church.

"Oh, come on! You are a great guy and Darla/Jeri/Pauline/Cheryl would love to get to know you."

Now…

He laughed outright thinking about it. Attracting a sheila is not the problem. It's finding one I want to get to know for the rest of my life… That was the crux of the matter. And part of this week's headache.

When he finally decided to try going on a date again, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Almost everyone. Sue was quiet about it, and he was tired of the whole game: the dating, the dancing around issues trying to get to know someone. Rolling his eyes, he thought of his dinner with the lady from accounting.

During the previous week…

"Cheryl Davenport, this is Bobby Manning." Lucy looked pleased.

He plastered on a smile. "Nice to meet you, sheila." When she began to blush just from hearing him talk, his heart dropped. Not another one.

"Pleasure is all mine, Bobby. Would you like to get together after work for drinks?" She gave him a charming smile.

Lucy elbowed him in the ribs, prompting him to reply, "Sure. Why not? Meet you at Del Friscos?"

"Right after work then." Cheryl Davenport walked away, hips swaying.

"See? I told you she was cute."

He ran a hand through his hair. A noise from across the Bullpen caught his attention. Sue was hiding her mouth, trying not to laugh.

CRAZY YOU she signed.

He just nodded a sad smile in his face.

Since it was too late to back out, he met Cheryl Davenport at Del Friscos' bar. She was wearing…well, not her work clothes. Gravity defying was the closest he could come to describing the dress she was…wearing? Or was it wearing her? He couldn't tell. And quite frankly, he discovered he wasn't interested in what she was selling. Making up his mind to leave as soon as was polite, he ordered a beer and tried to chat with the lady. The fourth time she tried to get him to touch her, he slammed the bottle down.

"I'm sorry, sheila, but this isn't going to work." He tossed down a twenty, signaling the bartender. "Make sure she gets a ride home, if she needs one." Without another word, he left.

Now…

Surely Lucy hadn't set him up knowing about Cheryl? My head hurts thinking about it. I don't want to play games anymore. The Aussie groaned and staggered toward the bathroom in search of headache relief. As if the disastrous date hadn't been enough, the following morning was a shocker.

Same week, Tuesday morning…

Walking into the Bullpen, he'd seen Sue moving toward her desk, away from the animated conversation at the coffee pot. Great. Grapevine gossip and Lucy, no less. Barely seated, his IM came up with a message. Sue asked him to lunch, offering to buy. He grinned to himself. You betcha. He typed in his reply. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Myles head for the donut box.

"Ah, ah, ah. I arrived here first. The last of the Krispy Kreme crullers is mine, Manning." The tall Bostonian narrowed his eyes.

Grinning widely, he reached for the last one. "Come on, mate, you wouldn't deny a starving man…"

The last one vanished as the blond man was a bit quicker than he was this morning. "I would and I am."

Both he and Myles turned as Jack made his announcement. "As of today, I will no longer be Sue's training agent. I think it is time for her to get a different aspect by pairing with someone new." Shooting a quick look at the blond analyst, her face revealed a strange confusion.

Naturally, Lucy was flabbergasted. "What?"

When Jack looked his way, he put on the same look as Sue. I don't know what he's thinking. I hope it's not just his interest he's looking out for.

"Is Sue leaving the team?" Tara went straight to the point.

"No."

Dusting his hands, Myles voiced our main question. "Then who, pray tell, will become our eagle eye's new trainer?"

"That would be you."

Now…

Jack deciding, after three years, to let someone else be Sue's training agent. Myles as her new trainer. I didn't see that one coming, not at all. Myles has taken a real shine to teaching Sue and she's doing well but… Ah, I don't know…

He grabbed a couple of Ibuprofen for his headache and downed a glass of water. Looking at himself in the mirror, Bobby grimaced. Mate, you are tired. He made a beeline for his bed, collapsing on top of all the covers. Maybe the world would look better in the morning, when his head wasn't pounding.

Two-Delgado Quarters (Wednesday morning)

Hector Delgado walked out of his bedroom, an envelope in hand. "I'Lee, where did you get these?" He waved two half-court tickets to the Washington Wizards game between her and the monitor.

Without missing a beat, she pushed his hand away, saying, "Ace." Fingers kept tapping at a furious pace.

The sailor stood there for a minute, trying to figure out just exactly what he wanted to ask. Finally, he bent over, placing his head in a position to block the screen. The typing stopped.

"Oh, all right. I won a bet and this was my asking price."

A dark brow raised slightly.

I'Lee waved a hand in question. "I can't beat him at poker, but I can at people guessing."

"This I have to hear," Hector replied, leaning against the desk.

"When you were on assignment three days ago, a bunch of us were in the common room watching a movie. I was keeping an eye on Lance because he's been pestering the new nurse, Erin. Anyway, Ace comes in; starts up a game of Texas Hold 'Em. Bill, of course, can't resist. Dash sat in and I think…" A long finger silenced her story.

"Okay, maybe you could just sum up?" Ocean blues sparkled at her.

"As you wish." The nurse smiled prettily under his gaze. "I bet Ace that Bill would ask Rhonda out if he won a decent hand."

He looked shocked. "I never pegged you as the matchmaking type…although, you would make a cute cupid." Dark eyebrows waggled at her.

She poked him hard on the leg. "I don't do that. It's always…disastrous. Besides, Bill told me earlier that morning that was what he was gonna do. How could I resist?" Crossing her arms, she shot her husband a smug grin.

"Now, that, Princess, was worthy of even me. Does Brad know you set him up?"

A delicate snort answered his question. "Are you kidding?"

He nodded. "So, basketball tickets?" A puzzled smile was on his face.

"You've mentioned catching a game with Crash, but you never specified what kind. This is what Ace came up with." She stood and stretched before wrapping her arms around her husband.

"Sweet deal. You are a born trader, Princess." Hector put the tickets on the desk and snuggled her close. "I love you, woman. Now, pay up…"

"As you wish…" I'Lee loosened her arms and raised them toward his head, resting her hands on his beard. Stroking the soft hair there, she teased the sensitive skin on his neck before pulling his mouth to met hers.

Hector groaned at the duel sensations that were causing his head to spin. He began to slide to the floor, barely keeping hold of his amorous wife as she assaulted his senses. "I'Lee," came his gasp. She refused to let up. Her scent, her touch was sending him out of control. With a last grasp of will, he pulled the chair over on top of them, startling the strawberry blond. "Oh, Princess, I would love nothing more than to stay, but Beach will have my hide…"

"Can't have it, it's mine-"

"And I'd rather spend my off time with you. He's not nearly as fun…"

"Or cute-"

Hector pushed them up off the floor, righting the chair before setting I'Lee in it. "I have to go." He pressed a final kiss to her lips, then headed toward the door.

"Sailor Boy?" The odd note in her voice caused him to pause and turn. A small hand was indicating his forgotten boots next to the desk.

He grinned as he grabbed them, then pounded out the door. "Love you!" The door closed.

She sat with a satisfied smile on her lips. "Always, Hector."

Three-Bullpen (Wednesday morning)

Jack Hudson had a problem. He had pieces of a puzzle, but didn't know what he was solving for. As a training agent, he felt he was too close to Sue to figure out the endgame. And he wanted to move forward in their relationship. So, for her sake and his, he had switched her to Myles to train. Did I do the right thing? Chocolate brown eyes glanced over to see her sitting at her desk, busily working. She's doing that lip thing again… Get a grip, Hudson. He shook his head.

A folder lay on his desk. It was nondescript, like many files, but it tempted and beckoned him. The possibility that it held the answers he was seeking…I could wait until she tells me, but I need to know now. How else can I protect her? Shooting a glance over, he saw her bent over a report, probably one for Randy Pitts. The brown-headed agent took a deep breath and opened the file.

He didn't know what he was expecting, but this wasn't it. Below the name and the picture, the file read like a rap sheet. Lazy. Insubordinate. Lacks direction. This guy is still in the military? I'm surprised he isn't in Leavenworth. He turned to the second, more classified page only to be met with lots of black ink. He flipped through the rest, his concern growing with each glance. Instinct kicked in, and he knew he'd found a missing piece of the puzzle. Who is this guy, and how in the world did Sue Thomas become involved with him? What chapped him most was that she seemed to think he was okay. That much black ink…

Something hit him on the head and landed on the desk, in the middle of the folder. Looking up, Jack saw Bobby grinning at him. The Aussie raised a brow. He's bored.

A squeal from the right drew the attention of the entire Bullpen. Jack noticed the glow that seemed to surround Sue when she was truly happy about something.

"Bobby, they set a date!"

Like a tennis match, every head turned to look at the tall man. His face went from puzzled to sheer delight as she signed a 'J' followed by an 'S'. "Right-o! Good on the old bean."

"Care to share, Manning?" Myles' dry tone expressed everyone's curious question.

"A friend finally set a date to tie on the old ball-and-chain."

"You better behave, or I'll tell her you said that." Sue's joy took any serious threat out of her statement. Lucy and Tara converged on her desk, eager to hear the details, even if it was someone they didn't know.

Jack frowned. The information in the file had given him pause, and now, news from yet another acquaintance only served to darken his mood. "Anyone we know?" He tried to keep the frustration out of his voice.

Sue couldn't notice. But her smile was infectious. "Not really. But I hope you'll get to know them soon."

Unfortunately, Bobby could and did. He tossed several more paper clips and an eraser at his best mate trying to get his attention. To Jack's great relief, D came in, breaking up the discussion at the blond woman's desk. As he turned back to his own, he saw an email alert on the monitor.

RManning: Conference room. NOW.

Looking up, Jack rolled his eyes, but the Aussie's expression was serious as he jerked his head toward the office door. Maybe he can give me some answers. The brown-headed agent picked up the file and followed his friend. Once in the conference room, Bobby turned and locked the door.

"Crash, what is going on?"

"Come again?"

Jack threw the file on the table and pointed to the locked door. A long arm reached for the folder and began thumbing through the information. There was a long silence. When Bobby looked up, questions were in his eyes.

"Sparky…"

"Tell me straight, Crash. Who is this guy?"

Bobby didn't back down. "It's classified, mate, and you know it."

"He's Black Ops," the shorter man hissed. "I recognize it. How could you not tell me?"

Nothing. Just a piercing steel blue stare.

Now that one puzzle piece had fallen into place, Jack began to pace. "Is Sue in danger? Because her file and yours sure as hell don't match up."

"You checked my file?" The Aussie was furious.

"I had to. Two of my team members won't tell me anything, and there are too many unanswered questions." Frustration was evident in his voice.

Bobby leaned on the table, making a point to be eye level with his best friend. "Sparky, I understand your confusion. We're still working out our own answers. You just can't push, especially Sue. It's something bigger that we are. If you push, you force her to have to choose between things instead of embracing all that's being given to her. You have to back off and trust me on this one."

"That's easy for you to say." He rolled his eyes. "What am I supposed to think when I see her with another guy or going other places?"

"One word, mate…Jessica." The Aussie had a stubborn set to his jaw as he crossed his arms.

Jack looked a bit ill. "That was a low, even for you."

"Too right, Sparky, but you needed to hear it. How many times have you stopped me with my past?" His tone was matter-of-fact.

There was a pause. Jack ran his hand through his short brown hair. "I just don't know what to think."

"If you really love her, you'll let her lead."

"Again, easier said that done."

Bobby looked smug. "So? Sue follows you all the time, even when you go against her instincts, and no, I'm not criticizing...just…making an observation. This time, you have to back off."

Jack nodded slowly, thinking about his friend's words.

"And this?" He tapped the table. "If you EVER pull a stunt like this again…" The taller man stopped, his anger visible.

Across the table, brown eyes watched the gears in his best friend's mind wind through many different responses. He could report me. He could tell D. I would deserve it. But I had to know…

Taking a deep breath, Bobby exhaled and spoke in a low tone. "Never bring this up. If she finds out you dug up this file to confront her, you will damage your relationship with her beyond repair."

"Yeah." The shorter man suddenly looked tired. He sat down, resting his head on the table. When he spoke, his voice was muffled. "She just means so much to me. I'm afraid to lose her."

Bobby's heart pounded. "If you don't ease up, you'll never have her." He slid the folder back toward Jack and left the room.