Authors note: Hey there friends thank you for checking out my new story Moving On. It's the sequel to What's Next. Six months have passed since the Damon case and things are finally getting back to normal at Graceland. Mike and Paige are enjoying married life but a new case and new challenges lie ahead for Graceland's best couple. Sit back, relax and enjoy Chapter 1.
Mike Warren has dealt with many tests in life but none were more stressful than the one he was about to take. It had been six months since his attack by Amelia Damon and had been on medical leave for three of them. He had been preparing himself for the physical test running with Johnny to get his speed back, lifting weights with Jakes to regain his strength, surfing with Paige and Briggs to improve his coordination and doing a version of the obstacle course with Charlie. Mike was now physically fit to return to duty but that was only half the battle. He now sat with Maria Thomas the bureau's top psychiatrist who held Mike's career in her hands. Mike sat directly across from her on the outside he was calm but inside he was a wreck.
"So agent Warren do you prefer to be called Michael or Mike?"
"Mike"
"Great and please call me Maria"
"Ok" he said with hesitation
"I see it's been six months since you were attacked? How are you feeling?"
"Really good my rehab has been on track. I have my strength back after being on bed rest for the first few months after the attack. I feel that I did really well on the physical exam."
"That's great Mike really but what I'm asking is how you're doing" she asked again this time pointing at her head. "Have you been having any nightmares?" That was the question Mike was dreading and she asked it right away. "I have had a few"
Maria flipped through his file, "Why don't you tell me about the incident a month after the accident" Mike lowered his head in shame. "I rather not" Looking up he knew that she wasn't going to let up. "I didn't mean for that to happen I wasn't myself. I didn't mean to hurt her"
The nightmares were bad after he woke up, his body was drenched in sweat, screaming in his sleep, it was hell. The lowest point came a month after the attack. Mike was having a terrible nightmare Paige tried to wake him up. He thought she was Amy and attacked her nearly choking her to death. It took Briggs, Johnny and Jakes to pull him off her with Johnny getting elbowed in the eye in the process.
"I know Mike and she knows it was an accident. So does the rest of your team. I see that you've been going to group counseling since then that's really good Mike. You had a problem and you dealt with it. Not many agents would do that."
"Thank you"
"I spoke to your counselor Lauren and she speaks very highly of you. She says you have made real progress." Mike smiled the group was a bunch of odd balls but like him they were each trying to move on from what terrible event occurred to them.
Maria saw Mike was deep in thought so she brought him back to the present, "But back to my original question how are you doing?"
Mike took a deep breath he could lie but she would know it so he decided to go with the truth. "For the first couple of months since the accident I couldn't close my eyes without seeing her face"
"You're referring to Amelia Damon?"
"Yeah"
"Tell me about the nightmares" Mike fidgeted in his seat not giving Maria eye contact. "Mike I know you don't want to talk about this but in order to really move forward from what happened you need to talk about it. Especially if you want to return to active duty."
"Are you saying that if I don't talk about them then you won't pass me?" he asked defensively
"No Mike but if you don't deal with this then it will affect you professionally like it has personally" That made Mike think to that night he hurt Paige and how sick it made him feel. "The nightmares start off the same I'm at the house Paige and I are in the kitchen making popcorn, grabbing beers while everyone else is in the living room settled in to watch a movie. Paige has the beers while I get the popcorn we go into the living room and Jakes asks for salt. I kiss Paige before I head back to the kitchen. I open the cabinet grab the salt and as I turn Amy is there. I don't get a word in before she stabs me. I call for help but no one hears me as Amy stabs me over and over."
Just telling the dream made him sweat. Maria poured a glass of water and handed it to Mike. "Thank you" Mike then drank half the glass.
"Mike I know this is hard but I want you to tell me about the incident with Paige." Maria noticed how tense Mike became once she brought up the topic as he gripped the arms of the chair. "Do you need a minute Mike?" He shook his head then took a sip of water, "It was a month after the attack. I was having the nightmares nightly but I usually woke up in a cold sweat. I figure they would pass over time but they just got worse as she got more violent. Then that night the dream started off the same up till the first stab"
"What changed?"
"As Amy was about to stab me again Paige showed up and stopped her and as Amy went to stab Paige I attacked her. "I yelled Paige to run as I wrapped my hand around Amy's throat." Mike's knuckles turned white as he gripped the chair harder. "She was slapping me as I felt her slip away. I kept yelling die over and over again The next thing I know Jakes and Briggs are on top of me, Johnny is covering right eye and Charlie is consoling Paige as she tries to breath. They let me up and I see Paige I see the fear in her eyes and I just take off. I hear her try to call out for me but I just run out of the house and down the beach."
"Where were you running to?"
"Nowhere I just ran till I couldn't run anymore. I collapsed on the ground threw up and cried. I was so disgusted with myself. I stayed out all night ashamed to go back. I wandered the beach for hours eventually falling asleep. I woke up having no idea where I was."
"Did you call Paige or your friends after you woke up?"
"No I didn't since I had no phone so I decided to walk down the beach till I could find a phone. I saw a rec building and went inside hoping I could use their phone"
"So that's how you met your counseling group"
For the first time since they met mike flashed a smile, "Yeah here I was this guy with no shoes, no shirt wearing a raggedy pair of Georgetown shorts walking into this meeting." Maria chuckled, "That's quite a first impression."
"Tell me about it. They told me the homeless shelter was down the street." Maria began to laugh loudly and soon Mike joined her. "I'm sorry Mike that was unprofessional"
"No it's fine it was pretty damn funny" Mike said wiping the tears away.
"So what happened next?"
"I was about to ask for a phone but Lauren asked me if I was alright as she noticed my scars from the knife. I don't know why but I just told them my story or what I could anyway about the accident to the night before with Paige. No one said anything they just listened. Lauren said some nice words to me which didn't help but I pretended they did. She offered to call Paige for me and I said ok. Once Lauren was gone Sylvia started laughing at me"
"Who's Sylvia?"
"A lady in the group. She told me boo hoo that my trauma was nothing. She then told me about her wife dying in front of her from a car accident."
"Seriously?"
"Yeah then Walter told his story of being blinded from his abusive dad when he was nine. For the next 20 minutes we all argued about who had the most traumatic experience." Maria sat there with her mouth wide open as Mike continued, "Apparently this is what Lauren does with new people. She lets you share your feelings she plays the sympathetic counselor then leaves as the group gives your crap."
"And that helped?"
"Yeah as we argued I started to feel like myself for the first time in weeks. I was so lost in the argument with the group that I didn't notice Lauren return with Paige."
"What happened next?" Maria already knew but she was still on the edge of her seat. "I walked up to her and I could see the marks around her throat. I asked her how she was and she said she was ok. I told her I was sorry for everything. She didn't say anything she just hugged me and told me she loved me. The moment was a little awkward with the entire group looking at us"
"I can see that"
"I introduced Paige to everyone and vice versa. Paige asked me if I wanted to go home I said yes but Lauren and the other invite me back the next day and well you know the rest. I was afraid to sleep with Paige that night but she insisted. That was the first night since the attack I didn't have a nightmare. I kept going to the group meeting and it helped me deal with my PTSD in an unorthodox way and so far it's helped"
"I can see that Mike so why was it so hard to talk about this? And are you still having nightmares?
Mike sighed, "Because I'm still ashamed at what I did. I nearly choked my wife to death. I know she has forgiven me but I feel like scum. I still have the nightmares but they always end before I get stabbed. They're starting to go away."
Maria reached over taking touching Mike's hand, "You Mike Warren are not scum. You had a problem and you're dealing with it. Now I want you to continue to going to your group meeting and I would like you and I too continue seeing each other for a monthly session at least for the first six months your back on the job."
"What do you mean by that?" Mike asked not trying to get his hopes up.
"I mean as of right now Agent Warren you are officially back on active duty" Mike jumped up and hugged Maria. "I'm sorry it's just I thought you were going to deny me"
"It's ok Mike you should be excited. You have shown that you are determined to heal not only your physical self but your mental self as well. You still have work to do but I believe you can get to where you need to be with the help of the support staff you have around you."
Mike hugged Maria again, "Thank you Maria"
"You're welcome Mike now go celebrate and I will see you in a month."
As he left the office Mike walked with a confidence he hadn't had in months. As he rounded the corner and saw Paige she didn't have to ask what the verdict was she saw it on his face. Paige ran to him jumping in his arms squealing with excitement as she kissed him.
"I'm so proud of you babe I had no doubts that you wouldn't be cleared" she says as she kisses him.
"Thanks babe. I should call everyone and tell them the good news."
"No need they're all waiting for us at the beach to celebrate" Mike looked at her puzzled,
"Like I said Mr. Warren I had no doubts" she said giving him another kiss.
"You are amazing Mrs. Warren"
"I know now let's go celebrate"
