Based off CPD 3x03

You All Good Buddy?

Hank sent Mouse downstairs to get Platt's signature on a requisition form. As he descended the stairs he saw the front desk was quiet busy. He pushed his way through anyways but Platt tried blowing him off.

He decided to sweet talk her into just quickly signing it so he could get back upstairs and away from all the people. If he spent too long down there he'd go crazy. Before he could finish his sweet talking, an arm tackled him from behind and a gun was pressed to his head.

Platt, Roman, Burgess, and every other cop around immediately reacted drawing their own guns pointing them in his direction but at his captor.

He felt his heart beat slow, his focus zone in on what the guy was trying to say. This wasn't his first time with a gun to his head so he knew staying calm was key. He saw Voight come down, and he was looking for Jay behind him, but never saw him.

He worked on keeping his breaths even and control of the situation. "Sergeant I got a shot," he heard Roman yell freaking him out.

"Whoa whoa whoa! Easy... easy... easy... easy..." he said locking eyes with Roman to chill out.

The guys hand shook as he tried to explain about his missing girl. Mouse could feel the gun rattle against his head as his eyes bounced around but he did his best to stay calm.

When the dude wouldn't let him go even though he gave Voight the stuff and threatened his life, Mouse knew he had to reassure his boss he was ok. "I'm cool. Everybody's cool," he said.

Mouse watched Voight take the bag and walk off. He could get out of this, if he really wanted too, but he just had to bide his time. He silently counted in his head as he rearranged the spare office to keep people out. Counting helped keep him calm. He just hoped Jay was being smart and calm too.

Upstairs:

Platt debriefed the commander from her end before Intelligence did their part. The commander had mentioned a SWAT plan and that's all Jay could focus on while Ruzek verifed the credit card story.

Once Voight dispatched them, Jay approached him. "Sarge. That's my friend downstairs. When the time comes for someone to pull the trigger, it should be me. Not SWAT."

"If were lucky, no one is pulling a trigger," Voight replied. It didn't stop Jay from worrying about Mouse though. He'd gotten him this job; he was essentially responsible for him. He wasn't sure what this would do to his head, but he had to know Mouse was ok.

He headed downstairs. Burgess and Roman still had their guns trained on the guy and Mouse while Mouse moved the furniture around. When he saw Jay come downstairs, he could see the worry written all over his face. Dude wanted him to close the door, but Jay spoke quicker, buying him a minute.

"We already have our people following up leads. You all good buddy?" He asked Mouse worry all in his eyes.

Mouse met his look trying to let Jay know he was ok. "We're cool. Everybody's cool," he repeated as dude demanded he close the door. Mouse complied, and he and Jay shared another look before he had to close the blinds too. Mouse could see this was eating Jay, but he had to focus on staying alive before he could worry with Jay.

The dude forces him into a chair keeping the gun trained on him.
"Somebody keeps pointing a gun at me, I'd at least like to get his name," Mouse tried.

"What do you care?" Dude asked moving the gun closer.

"Oh that's an outrageous question to ask. My name's Greg Gerwitz. See everybody calls me Mouse," he spit out quickly.

"Yea?"

"See... see? No big deal."

"Frazier. Jeff Frazier. Now shut up!"

"Listen I can help you if you let me," Mouse tried.

"You're supposed to get me to talk right? Right? Build a rapport with the hostage taker? Do some of that cop psych crap they trained you for." He wildly moved around as he talked which made Mouse nervous but he didn't show it.

"No... no... I'm not a cop!"

"You're not?" Dude asked hearing the sirens outside.

"No. I'm a civilian employee with the CPD. I got like zero tactical value if that's what you think."

"Shut up!" He said moving the gun closer again.

"We're cool," Mouse said knowing he had to back down for the moment. He had no idea what was going on outside, but he knew he had to stay focused on this guy if he wanted to stay alive. He kept counting, blocking out the ranger memories so he wouldn't lose it.

He'd finally moved from the chair to the floor as they listened to the commotion outside. Mouse had gone through his mind analyzing the guy's every move and word since they'd first had contact. If he could just get this guy to talk, he could get out of here.

Taking a chance he spoke. "When did you serve?" The guy didn't answer so Mouse kept going. "Your side arm, it's military issue. M9. When I asked you your name, you said your last name first. I was Rangers," he said trying to keep memories at bay. "In the 75th Regiment. I did two tours in the Korengal Valley."

"Marines. Gunnery sergeant. 6th division," Frazier says. "Took a few strolls through Baghdad." Mouse nods at that letting him know he'd heard him. "I was gone pretty much from the time Sarah was born to when she got her learner's permit."

"That's gotta be hard," Mouse states not knowing what else to say as he keeps his hands moving. His ticks are trying to come out but he's doing his best to keep them at bay.

"You did it. You got me talking. Your sergeant looking for Sarah, can I trust him?"

Mouse tries not to laugh at that. "Hank Voight? You know, picking this district is about the only thing you did right today."

Frazier doesn't respond and the silence returns. Mouse keeps counting in his head. He knows dude is just wanting his daughter back... but this... was putting a strain on him.

In just a few he heard Voight knocking on the door and he was hopeful... hopeful this was gonna be over. He'd tried working a plan of escape in his mind but he didnt have anything solid yet.

Frazier grabs Mouse up and puts the gun back to his head. They look through the blind, and Mouse is trying to find Jay but all he can see is Erin and Voight until Frazier opens the door.

As soon as Mouse is through the door frame his eyes find Jay and SWAT all with guns pointing their way. He knows SWAT guys can be trigger happy and he definitely isn't looking to die today. He stares Jay down trying to see if there is a plan but Frazier is so jumpy with the gun, it's making it hard for him to focus.

He sees Jay glance at the SWAT dude and he knows he's right about them being trigger happy. As they walk further out, he keeps his eyes trained on Jay. It's like it keeps his mind anchored. He sees Jay slightly lower his gun and nod. It's all the sign he needed. He reaches back taking Frazier by surprise and quickly disarms him, turning his own gun on him.

He heard Jay yelling orders at Frazier as he backs into the room dropping the gun.

"What took you so long?!" Jay ask as they cuff Frazier. He knew Mouse could've gotten out of this sooner and there was some reason he hasn't.

"I believed him," Mouse said unable to take his eyes off the guy. It's Voight's voice that breaks them out of the moment and they go back upstairs to get to work on finding Sarah. Mouse listens to the conversation flow around him, trying to see where the missing piece is. Where he can offer help.

Ruzek spills some computer bull shit that Mouse knows he has no clue what he's talking about and he can't help but give him a look getting Ruzek to confess he didn't really do it. It was the only brief moment his mind let him rest.

The team rolls out and for once Mouse's mind doesn't go with them. He's focused on memories of his Ranger days and how he learned to get himself out of tight situations before.

Jay on the other hand as been on edge all day. Seeing Mouse with a gun to his head was definitely messing with him. And knowing Mouse waited it out to get free has left Jay wondering what this has done to Mouse. So when they roll out to pick up the scum kidnapping girls, he is definitely not in the mood to be fucked with.

When the sleezebag decides to run and lie about who he is, Jay shoves him against the gate jamming his gun to his throat to get answers. He is done with this bull shit. The guy keeps with his I don't know so Jay slings him around and cuffs him. He can't help but tell the guy, "That dungeon we found, is a little slice of heaven compared to where you're going." He hopes Voight gives him a run in the cage.

After Voight got a name, the team was gone again and Mouse was left to his thoughts. He decided to head down to the cells to update Frazier. "Look we're not gonna stop looking for your daughter. I just wanted you to know."

Frazier stays quite so Mouse decides to go on until Frazier speaks.
"I lost my house after the first tour. Wife left after the second. I could handle all that. But not being there for my daughter..." He says breaking.

The words are sinking in deep to Mouse's mind. He can almost see where this guy was coming from.

"If this is the one thing I can do, as a father, the one thing... then here we are."

"We're gonna find him," Mouse promises. "I give you my word." He goes to walk off again.

"I'm sorry," Frazier calls out. "For dragging you into this. Man to man."

Mouse gives him a nod. He heads back upstairs to do what he can for the team and to think. Being lost in his thoughts can be a bad thing so he pulls up the traffic cams on his second screen to keep him focused on the case.

After Sarah had been found and reunited with her dad, Voight called Mouse to his office. He knocked, "You wanted to see me sir?" He said entering.

He saw the gun on the desk, and he stood with his hands behind his back waiting. "You did good in there today," Voight started.

"He wasn't a killer sir. Just desperate."

"I stared down the barrel of that gun when he first took you hostage," Voight says pointing at it.

"Sir?" Mouse ask just barely glancing at it.

"Which is odd, because when you turned it into evidence it was unloaded. No bullets in the magazine. Which reduces his charge to wreckless endangerment."

Mouse never flinches as Voight speaks. "Oh," he says as if he didn't know.

"You never saw Frazier load or unload that weapon?"

"No Sergeant. It must've been empty the whole time." Voight stares him down looking to see if Mouse will crack, but he doesn't.

"Then go ahead and reflect that in your write-up."

He can see Voight knows he unloaded it, but he isn't going to call him on it and Mouse is thankful. "Yes, sergeant," he says before turning and leaving.

He heads back downstairs where Jay is waiting with a six pack. He's already started drinking seemingly lost in his own thoughts as Mouse rounds the counter. "Wasn't loaded huh?" he says handing Mouse a beer.

Mouse takes it and smirks at him before turning it up. "You... uh... you remember when Hollinsworth got kidnapped by those hajis?" He opens his drawer and pulls out bullets from a drawer letting them fall between his hands.

Jay watches him looking between him and the bullets. "When we finally tracked him down what did we do?" Mouse gives him a knowing look and Jay responds.

"A lot worse than put a gun to someone's head."

"Yea," Mouse agrees as they share a look.

Jay holds up his beer and Mouse joins him. "Hey. To extenuating circumstances." They clink their beers sharing a smile and Jay actually winks as if it's their secret.

They get halfway through the six pack before Jay cracks. "Do you know what you waiting it out did to me?"

"Put you on edge," Mouse says knowingly. He'd heard from Al how Jay had handled Trevor and he wasn't the least bit surprised.

Jay just grunts his reply and Mouse knocks his foot against Jay's. "I'm here aren't I?"

"That's beside the point man! You had a gun pointed at you for a couple of hours, willingly, Mouse!"

"Jay... I was fine, you saw that."

"You're good at pretending," Jay said nodding to the traffic cameras pulled up on the computer.

"So are you..." Mouse shrugged.

"You know... all I could see... was that time... you managed to get taken from base."

Mouse kept quiet as they sipped the beer. Watching the traffic go by was helping keep his mind calm at the moment as Jay talked. "And how we had no idea how in the hell to get you out... because he we didn't understand shit about your high tech gadgets."

Mouse chuckled. "And then I turned up fine, didn't I?"

"I wanted to strangle you and hug you when I saw you walking into base."

"Yea... yea I got that vibe."

They swapped a few more memories and how they learned to get out of tight spaces during their two tours overseas. They'd polished off the six pack and it was well past late.

"Come on... you're staying with me tonight," Jay said zipping up his hoodie.

"Jay..."

"It's not up for discussion... Greg. We're both bound to have nightmares and you're staying over. End of story."

"Yea... yea copy," Mouse said shutting down the computers.

They headed back to Jay's apartment and settled on the couch turning the Hawks replay on.

They were quiet for a bit. "Still think about it a lot?" Mouse asked.

"Not unless it's triggered... you?" Jay asked giving Mouse a sideways glance.

"Some. Not as much... work helps... I... all I could do today was count... and as I counted... I remembered the first time you made me do it and how much it helped. I'm still here because of you Jay and that... that I'll never forget."

"Me either Mouse... me either."

They ended up on one of Jay's documentaries not long after and they both fell asleep. They'd come a long ways from being Rangers, but at times those memories came back strong. Those were the days they were glad they still had each other.