Author's Note: A lot of the story will be of Spike's

Past when he was a teenager. That will be italicized as

Well as him being called Michael, Mike, or Mikey

Because those parts were before he was a cop (where he earned his nickname)

STEINBACH

The movers hauled out the last of the boxes, pulled down the big door, and rolled out.

Michelangelo Scarlatti looked at the new house his family had bought. So many ideas were rushing through his head; He was angry for leaving Italy and coming to this town near Winnipeg. He was sad because he was missing his family and friends. He was happy for his dad getting a new job. Young Michael was brought out of his thoughts when his mom called for him, "Michael, dear, could you come help your father with something in the garage?"

"Coming Ma." Mikey replied as he ran from the yard to the front door. After making his way to the garage, he found his dad examining a garage door button on the wall with wires sticking out. "Oh Mikey, could you help me with this? The garage door won't open and I think it's because of these wires."

"Sure thing dad, just give me one second." Michael grunted out as he worked his hands around the wires, peering at each one. "Ok, just need to join this loose one with the rest and recover this red wire's insulation and voila!" Instantly the door opened up like it was brand new.

"How'd you do that?" His father was astonished with the expertise in his 16 year old son.

"Well I remember one schematic I pulled from the Italia bomb squad where the bomb's wiring was grouped just like these and..." Michael finally stopped remembering how his father felt about this topic.

"Son what have I talked to you before about all of this?" Mr. Scarlatti said with concern "you know that bombs are dangerous and it isn't something you should pursue." he continued starting to raise his voice. Michael tried to intervene, "Sorry, dad, I haven't looked at any" he was cut off by his father who was getting very angry.

"Remember when you burned yourself badly in Italy trying to make one? Huh? You were hospitalized for weeks and the doctors said if had gotten on your chest or face you might not have lived." Mike was doing everything he could not to rage out or bawl into tears while his father kept going on and on. "You can become a chemist or a doctor with the knowledge you have. But instead you're signing your death by building bombs!"

And like that, young Michelangelo Scarlatti was set off like an explosive himself. "You think I don't know what it felt like getting burned by that bomb? I was the one who had to go through all the therapy and surgeries. Yea I was dumb but I've been learning how to diffuse them since because I want to help people!"

Finishing his shouting, Michel stormed out the garage door and started walking down the street. After a minute he could hear his mom shouting out, "Mike, Mike come back... Mike...

TORONTO

Spike... SPIKE COME TO!" Spike looked around for a second not knowing where he was, staring at a ticking bomb, he then realized he was at work. Ed kept shouting into his comm, "SPIKE DO YOU COPY? COME TO!" Not knowing what happened, Spike quickly replied, "Ed I'm here quit shouting, give me a second to look at this."

Ed stated "Spike what are you talking about, you viewed it and everything you only need to diffuse it."

"What? No I just got here Ed, I have no idea what I'm looking at yet." Spike retorted in an irritated tone.

"No time for arguing, Spike if you're correct you only have two minutes to get out of there." Greg intervened while looking at his watch and reviewing the information from Spike that he wrote down earlier.

"Boss I have time give me a second, just let me diffuse this bomb!" Spike shouted, "its very easy I just need to trace the correct wire to the detonator and I'll cut it."

"Ok thirty seconds top's buddy, then I want you gone." Greg replied very worried, what had gone wrong with Spike? He was fine, then went dead silent for five whole minutes!

Spike got out his knife and cut the wire, the timer kept ticking. What? It was the right one, he was sure. He followed it back to the beginning when Greg cut in, "Spike, get out now! That's an order."

"Ok ok I can make it, it's just a quick sprint for meee" as Spike stood up he remembered he had babycakes with him. Crap, he forgot he'd have to carry her all the way down the long hall, with no sideways to take cover. As he stared running with the robot in his arms, he heard a click followed by a blast. Then he blacked out.

"Spike, Spike come in, do you copy?" Greg asked on the comm seconds after he heard the blast. No answer came back for a couple seconds, Greg repeated himself, "Spike do you copy? Are you alright?" Ed responded right after, "Winnie we need EMS at our location. Sam and Wordy, you two are closest to Spike's last known location. Go in and look for him, I'm coming down. Jules maintain your sierra spot, we're still looking for this guy." All four replied with a, "Copy that."

"Think Spike's alright?" Wordy asked as he and Sam were bounding up the stairs due to the elevator being locked down. Sam gruffly replied "Spike knows bombs, so he definitely knows how to take cover from one." Once the two were on maintenence floor, they had to pass through a bunch of equipment and locker rooms before making their way through a door to the beginning of a hall that led to a roof access.

"Boss we're up here, but there's a problem. There's a pile of debris that we won't be able to get around without some tools." Wordy checked in as he and Sam were facing the mountain in front of them. Greg replied, "What do you think you'll need?"

"Probably some saws and axes. Maybe some other power tools as well." Sam replied

"Do you have a read on Spike?" Ed inquired, always wanting information on one of his team when they were down or missing.

"No we don't." Wordy said looking at the mess around him.

"Well until you know of his position you can't start hacking away. You don't want to hit him." Jules added in from her sierra spot.

"Hold on, I think I see something." Sam chimed in making his way around the debris and picking up a bright yellow box. "This is from babycakes, it's one of her readers."

"Are you sure Sam? Not some equipment already up there?" Ed asked, getting a quick and ecstatic reply from Sam. "Yes I'm positive, Spike showed this to me a couple days ago he said it's some new reader not on the market yet. I'm sure of it." Then Sam started digging around the sheet rock and roofing that was in his way.

"Guys I found Spike, he's in this pile of debris. Wordy help me get this beam off his leg." Wordy came in and together they lifted the small support beam up and moved Spike. Then they carefully walked him down the stairs and outside the building to where the EMS was waiting.

ST. PATRICK'S MEMORIAL HOSPITAL

Team one was in the waiting room, Spike had been in the OR for two hours, longer than expected. They all stood up anytime a nurse or doctor walked by in their direction. After about another half hour wait, a doctor came to them.
"Hello I'm Dr. Caraway, head doctor with Mr. Scarlatti's operation. I'm assuming you were with him."

"Yes we are, I'm Sergeant Parker. How is Spike doing?" He asked the question that was on the minds of all the team.

"Well he did bruise a couple ribs, sustain a concussion, and has a grade one sprain in his ankle, but the hardest part was shrapnel that caught in his upper spinal area right where his vest ended. We were able to get it all out though."

"Can we go and see him?" Jules eagerly asked because she didn't see Spike leaving the building sfrom her sniper perch.

"He came to in the OR for a couple seconds, but we put him on a light sedative. He won't be able to have any visitors until he comes to and we do a check on him. That should be about an hour." Dr. Caraway responded. Dealing with patients on teams before, she knew how close they all were.

Ed then followed up by asking, "How long will he need before being able to come back to work?" Thinking for a second, the doctor responded, "The ankle and concussion will take about two weeks. The ribs will fully heal in between three to four. So I'd say for now about twenty days minimum. We will also need to keep him at least one more day for his signs to fully stabilize. We can also determine a more precise recovery time then"

"Ok thank you doctor, we'll be back in a little bit to visit him." Greg replied, noting to inform Holleran of Spike's status. He then turned to his team, "Want to go grab some dinner and come back here?" Ed, Jules, and Sam all agreed. Wordy declined saying he had to go pick up his parents from the airport, but assured he would come back in a few hours to check on Spike.

THE GOOSE

The four members of the team at the table were all thinking the same thing before their food arrived. Sam was the one who finally broke the silence. "So why do you think Spike just froze like that?" Jules immediately jumped right in, "Old case with identical bombs?"

"No I don't think so." Greg replied, taking a sip of his beer, he added. "I've seen him diffuse difficult bombs really quick because he saw near identical schematics like it before. No this had to be really close or personal."

Sam responded, "You gonna ask him about it when you see him?" Greg then thought about it and said, "No I'll let him bring it up. He will but I want it to be on his timing." Jules followed up saying, "Let him have control, play the cards out himself." Greg nodded.

"You ok Ed? you've been really quiet since we got here." Sam asked, knowing when his Team Lead was out of it. Ed just stared out into nothingness, then replied. "I don't get it, something that simple and he screws up. He almost lost his life today diffusing a bomb that he said himself was easy." He then slammed his fist down on the table, getting a couple of looks at him.

"Hey, buddy." Greg leaned over, knowing that Ed was in his usual feeling after one of the team was hurt. "I'm fine Greg, just fine." Ed replied continuing to look out into the same direction. The food then came and Greg said, "Well in that case, we'll eat, head to the hospital, and check on Spike he should be up by then."

AN: I know in my last story that was discontinued, I was very choppy at parts and infrequent on the chapters. I will try this time to be more fluent with transitions and get chapters out more consistently. Also, in the parts of Spike's past, should I reference to him as Spike in third person to make it easier?