"Can you hear me now?" Jay shouted at the computer.

Mouse's face betrayed no emotion, so he probably couldn't hear a word Jay was saying. His brows scrunched together, like two caterpillars trying to meet, as little valleys and hills formed on his forehead. His hands, off screen, fiddled with his headset's jack.

"Stupid thing. This hardware is older than my grandmother…" he muttered, as he finally managed to shove the jack into his PC.

Jay chose that exact moment to scream Mouse's name with all the power in his lungs at the computer. Mouse practically jumped out of his skin – at least, jumped out of the headset – as the scream hit his ear at full volume.

Another dozen seconds later, they had finally managed to start a normal conversation.

"How's it going, Jay?"

"I should be asking you that." Jay replied, deflecting the question.

"Great, actually. I'm really liking the rest of the team. We're already about to face some action. I … I feel good. Like myself again."

"This was the right decision for you," Jay said, partly a statement, partly a question.

"It was. Thanks, brother."

Jay nodded at the screen, a little frown of worry on his lips. He caught the expression on his face as he glanced away from Mouse's on the screen, and wiped it away with a smile.

"I'm glad, Greg. I'm just sorry I didn't realise it earlier on."

Mouse shook his head and smiled as if it didn't matter anymore. Jay breathed out and asked him, "But really, is everything good? Any…uh, episodes? Bad memories?"

"Well, no," Mouse said slowly. "Sometimes I get a feeling one is coming soon. But I've been talking to one of the veterans here. He's been through much of the same… says it'll be hard coming back the first few days, but then it gets better. I never had it as a rough as you, Jay. I think I'll be ok."

"Good, good. Make a friend or two, you'll need one." Jay smiled, remembering all the times Mouse had saved his life and Jay had saved Mouse's back in Korangal Valley.
"You'll tell me if you need me, won't you?" Jay questioned him.

"Of course, Jay."

"Even if I don't reach out first. You know how it is, you'll always have to be the one reaching out when you're in there. So if you get a chance to talk, just take it. Don't worry about the time difference or if I'm working. There's enough of us in Intelligence for me to step aside for a couple minutes and talk to my brother." The sentences spilled from his mouth in rush. The worry was clear in his face, too.

"Jay. I know. I'll call. Don't worry. You stay safe back home, too."

"I will."

A comfortable silence passed for a moment as the two studied each other's faces on the screen, a melancholic feeling spread through them.

"So…" Mouse began. "How's Intelligence doing without its handsome tech wiz?"

"Ah… just fine." Jay chuckled. "Tony is leaving, too. And Burgess is moving up."

"Wow. Good for her. Where's Antonio off to?"

"Attorney's Office. As a lead investigator. He's happy."

"And you?"

"What about me?"

"Are you happy?"

A goofy grin spread across Jay's face though he tried to suppress it. "I…"
Jay breathed out, as if in disbelief at just how happy he was. "Yes. You can't imagine. Erin… it's just great, being able to live with her. Voight knows, and he doesn't seem to have a problem at all. He hasn't even mentioned it, in fact, which is as much of a blessing as I am expecting from the guy… I don't feel like I'm 'sneaking around dad's back' anymore. I just… yes. I'm happy."

Mouse grinned, eyes squinting as he looked happily at Jay's face, glad that finally someone had come along that was worthy of his friend. Jay ground his teeth together, trying to stop himself from grinning ear to ear.

"Well, what is it, Jay? Spit it out!"

Jay laughed. "Uh, well.." Jay rolled his eyes, embarrassed at himself. "We said 'I love you' to each other. And…she went first."

"Jay!" Mouse replied, slapping the desk in the army comm. tent and drawing looks from some of the more sober soldiers there, also speaking with friends and family. "Jay! I don't know what to say! I'm so happy for you, man!"

Jay chuckled, "Yeah, buddy. Don't get too excited now. It's not your girlfriend."

Mouse didn't react to the jibe; he was still grinning.

Just then, Jay heard keys jangling against the front door.

"That must be her now." Jay told Mouse, trying to see round the corner of the wall. He turned back to the screen and look Mouse in the eye, or as close to that as one can get through a Skype call. "Listen, I meant what I said earlier. Call me. Anytime."

Then he called out to Erin, "Hey, Erin! You alright? I'm talking to Mouse!"

"Huh..? Oh.. yeah, coming!" Jay heard her reply faintly.

Erin padded in stockinged feet up behind his chair, pecked Jay on his cheek, and bent down to wave at the camera. "Hey… bud! How's it going over there?" Jay watched her face on the screen, and saw a smile was plastered on her face.

"Not as great as lover's paradise, I hear!" Mouse grinned back.

Erin let out a breezy laugh, and mumbled something like, "Oh.. what has he been telling you?" Then she straightened back up, her face off-camera. "Listen, I'm off to the shower. Stay safe there, Mouse. We love you."

"Love you too, Erin." Mouse replied, raising an eyebrow at Jay as he did. When her footsteps died away, Mouse couldn't help but mock Jay. "Now we've said our 'I love you's too."

Jay turned back to the screen – he'd been watching Erin walk away. "What? Oh, haha. She said 'we' not 'I' anyway, dumbass." He smiled at Mouse, though rather distractedly.

Mouse let a moment pass and then said, "Listen, I'll call back tomorrow. How's that sound?"

"No, no, don't-"

"Really, Jay, it's fine. I don't have anything new to say anyway. I'll call you tomorrow." Mouse offered again.

Jay looked gratefully at Mouse. His first partner. "Thanks, buddy. Stay safe!"

Jay clicked the laptop closed and listened to the sound of water falling into the bath. He stood up and followed the noise, and found the bathroom door half-open. Erin was sitting on the lip of the tub, in a terry-cloth robe, staring at the running stream and swirling a finger in the water absentmindedly.

"Hey, what happened? Is everything alright with Bunny?" Jay asked.

Erin looked up slowly. She met Jay's eyes, but remained silent. He was confusion and… fear. Fear.

"Erin." Jay said more firmly. "Talk to me."

"Bunny… she says my father's in town. Wants to meet me."

Jay tried to read her face as she voiced the words. Neither of them talked to each other much about their family. They talked about Bunny, that was more out of necessity than anything else. Erin's father? All Jay really knew was that he'd walked out on her a long time ago.

"The flowers… from Leavenworth. It was probably him. It's got to be."

"What do you think he wants?" Jay probed, worry setting into his face. He wanted to hold Erin right then, protect her for just moment from the unfairness of it all. Things were just starting to fall into place. She didn't need to keep reliving the past.

He put his hand on her shoulder, then slid it up to her face, resting his thumb on the soft skin of her earlobe. "Hey. It's ok. You can handle this. We'll handle it together."

Erin nodded, and sighed, exhausted, wishing for the same things Jay had been thinking of a moment before. "I'm sorry. I didn't want… I'll understand if you…"

Jay slipped his hand back behind her head, threading his fingers through her hair and pulling her face against his neck. "Erin," he replied in a scolding tone, hardly considering her offer. "You're the toughest person I know. You don't need me here, I know that. You're strong enough to face this alone. But that doesn't mean I'm going anywhere."

She didn't reply, rather slipped her hands around his narrow waist and breathed in his scent. "I'm sorry I interrupted your call with Mouse."

"Don't worry about it. He'll call tomorrow."

"Okay. How is he?"

"Happy." Jay paused for a second. "Like us."