The Receiving End of it All

Hey everyone! So I wanted to try for a one-shot just to get myself writing but of course I have trouble keeping one-shots down to one. This is probably (no guarantees, you know me) a three shot based on "Team Player" and foreshadowing some stuff after. There's direct dialogue from the episode but it was getting too confusing notating it when trying to separate it from thoughts so you'll figure it out. The really good dialogue doesn't belong to me and neither does Flashpoint unfortunately.

His focus shifted in and out, aware of what was going on around him but only catches words and phrases as Ed and Spike entered the locker room. His quiet reflection interrupted as the other men chatted in light tones.

"...Craigslist: where priceless family heirlooms go to die." Spike's tone was dripping with bitter irony but Greg was more concerned with his own attempts to clear his mind. He couldn't help his thoughts from racing, cycling between all the people counting on him and all the people looking to him for guidance...for strength.

"But you know, every year the house would smell like wine juice and like yeast and my dad would go down there in the basement every 20 minutes-"

"Spike, come on, let's go. It's late, lot to cover." Greg gave up as he stood and made for the exit of the lockerrom, not bothering to look over his shoulder. He knew that today would be long and hard and he knew that his energy was already gone before their shift even started. It wasn't a good frame of mind to begin the day in but he had no choice but to put on a smile and lead the team like they expected and needed. Greg was barely there but he was at least in the work mindset when the call came through and they began to strategize about the situation they were on their way to.

"Boss, turn your comm off…" It wasn't phrased as a question but Greg desperately wished that he could refuse. He knew by Ed's tone and the hard look in his eyes that this wasn't going to be a pleasant conversation. "You alright?" Ed asked bluntly as Greg shrugged. Of course he's going to want to pick at this. Of course he's going to go into interrogation mode. Greg already felt his mind reeling again as Ed continued to question. "Did you see Spike when he came in today?" The question was not what he had expected and he was caught off guard by its simplicity.

"Yeah…" Greg answered, not sure where the conversation was going.

"His mom's moving back to Italy, selling the house, he's on his own for the first time in his life…did you hear that?" Ed was trying to keep the accusatory skeptism out of his tone but Greg didn't notice it. What? Those are major life changes...I should know about that...I should be keeping a better eye on his since his father passed...another person I've let down...

"How'd I miss that?"

"That's my point, Greg. Usually you don't so I'm gonna ask you again: you alright?" Ee asked with more purpose this time. He already knew the answer to his question but he wanted to hear it from Greg, wanted to help his friend figure out what was wrong and fix it.

"It's just…stuff at home, Eddie." Greg hoped that the topic would be dropped but he knew better. 'Stuff at home' meant a lot of things for a man who went from being single and alone to a man who now had a steady, serious relationship and a recent reconnection with the son he once drove away.

"Is it Marina?" Greg couldn't help but feel an inkling of pride as he thought about the profiler Ed had become. He might not have known about the nightmares that plagued Marina or the intense emotional reaction she was having to being a hostage months earlier, but he knew enough to pick up on the fact that there was something wrong in their relationship.

"I love having her in my life, I do. But, with everything she's been through…she needs a lot of support and she deserves it. She deserves it she deserves someone there, someone to listen…but sometimes…I come home from work and there she is and I'm burned out, I'm on empty, I'm just…" Greg simultaneously had more to say and had no more words to describe the degree to which he was emotionally drained. Now that it was coming out, he almost didn't want to stop it but he had to. He had to remember his place and his surroundings. He was the infallible leader, the wall of support, he could almost 'talk bullets back into the barrel' and his team needed that pillar of strength to lead them through this day safely. Though Ed signaled for him to turn his comm link back on and continue with the call, his steely eyes left no question that they'd be picking this conversation back up later.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

"It can be the strangest things sometimes…like I see red roses and I see his face again…" Marina was trying to hold the tears back as she told Greg about the panic attack that suddenly hit her at the market this morning as she got the ingredients for the dinner they were now sharing.

"Triggers…triggers can be anything. It could take a long time but…that is normal." Greg assured her, lightly taking her hand as he looked sincerely into her eyes. She nodded before gently squeezing his hand back and mumbling that she was going to get some more cheese for the pasta. Greg knew that she was also going to wipe her tears and collect herself. Dean was with friends, she had wanted to cook Greg a nice meal, but she couldn't avoid her demons and he couldn't discourage her from sharing.

He glanced around the table knowing that he should get up and comfort her but he couldn't bring himself to stand. He couldn't bring himself to say a word or even think about what, if anything, to say when she returned to her seat. His eyes settled on the bottle of wine on the table, a nice red that he recognized as he felt his mouth suddenly grow dry. He could almost remember the deep taste of the wine, the flavor that really only served to mask the alcohol he so desperately wanted. He broke his gaze with the bottle and took a large gulp of his water as he let out the breath he hadn't realized he was holding.

"Hey…hey that was good work. And…thanks for letting me know about Spike, I'm gonna talk to him."

"No you're not. You're gonna go home, you're gonna put your feet up. Buddy, you've got too much on your plate let me help you out here."

"Eddie, you're worried about me. You don't need to worry."

"You know what? You used to say that when you had a date with a bottle of scotch. Go home, I'll file the report."

Marina came back to the table, luckily interuppting his thoughts as she sat down and they continued to eat the romantic meal. Greg and Marina washed the dishes together before settling down on the couch and watching a movie. It wasn't anything of interest to Greg, some romantic comedy, he was just happy to take the time and allow his mind to drift. He hoped for a mental reprieve, finally a time when no one's life depended on him fixing things but his thoughts wouldn't quiet. His mind kept returning to that morning and his ignorance of Spike's rapidly changing personal situation. As the movie ended Greg realized that Marina was leaning against him, her eyes fluttering closed. He stroked the side of her face and spoke softly.

"Why don't you go to bed? I've got to pick Dean up at midnight and I think I'll stop by Spike's house." Marina looked at Greg questioningly. "He's packing up, getting ready to move, I just want to see if I can help him out at all." Greg didn't add that he needed to talk to Spike, see where he was at emotionally and, (in his opinion, selfishly) try to clear some of his own conscience.

Hoping to get the next chapter up soonish. I'm in denial and trying at all costs to avoid next Saturday...it's my 20th birthday and I do not want to accept that. So while I'd like to hole up and try to keep time from passing, my family and friends might have a different idea. Either way, this will be finished before classes start because then I'll be pulled back into the whirlwind of life and will never have free time again. So review, let me know what you think!