Damnit… when somebody asks for more I tend to write more… even if I meant it only to be a one-shot… they never stay oneshots. DX
In this one the plot bunnies made Luria talk to Sam after the events in 'Behind the Blue Line'. I swear I love this episode… Okay, I'm going to go finish my next chapter for 'Back to Basic's' now. (And this story may be very difficult to follow nearer the end… any words you don't recognize are Russian.)
Disclaimer: I don't own Flashpoint… just the bartender. 3
It wasn't a dingy bar, not by any means, but it defiantly wouldn't be classified as one of the nicer ones that were in the town. It was the kind of place that, if you wanted to be left alone, you'd be left alone, but if you wanted company, there would be several people that would join you stranger or not.
Greg had briefed her, let her read the transcripts and let the doctor watch the video of the takedown that had happened in the Godwin Arena. He had called her after Sam refused to talk to him about the effects Darren had had on him. She had heard the worry in the older mans voice so her response was immediate. Of course she'd talk to him… at least, she'd try to. Her last attempt had not gone well; she could only hope this time would be different.
And that was how Luria found herself standing inside the door of the 'Red Line' bar, her soft brown eyes glancing around the room for her subject.
Sam heard her before she even got close, could smell her perfume before she came up behind him. In the back of his mind he wondered how fast his drunken body could move as the idea of making a break for the back door got steadily more appealing.
But the idea had come too late as the dark haired woman slid into the stool next to him at the bar. "We need to talk." Luria stated setting her purse on her lap.
"Thanks, but I've got my own therapist." The sniper quipped back, poking the bottle his tequila to show her what he meant.
Luria shook her head sadly as she watched him take another drink out of his glass. "You're not going to find any of your answers in the bottom of a bottle Sam."
"Wasn't planning on findin' them." He replied slouching forward. "To need answers, ya gotta have questions. And, I don't have any questions, so thanks but no thanks doc."
The tall bulky man behind the counter glared at the blonde before muttering something in a language she didn't know. Luria found her self frowning as Sam snorted under his breath before replying in the same dialect. Was that Russian? The bartender's glare deepened as he set a shot glass down in front of the doctor and leaned closer to the sniper next to her.
"Govoritʹ, ili ya pozvonyu Alisa."
Sam's eyes shot up to him, blue eyes darkening a shade in anger. But when the old man didn't give, the blonde fell back in his chair, turning back to the doctor. "Fine, you wanna talk, you go right ahead."
He wasn't pleased, it wasn't hard to tell, but what caught her off guard wasn't the unusual coldness in his words; it was the open look of pain behind his eyes that had replaced the anger. So Luria spoke. She told him, that the things that had happened to Darren hadn't been his fault, and the thing with Matt hadn't been his fault either; that the team still wanted him even though Greg and Ed had put him on a mandatory four day leave.
The sniper just nodded and let her carry on.
--
It was late now; most of the other patrons had left, leaving only a few late night scragglers behind at the bar.
Luria and Sam happened to be two of those scragglers.
The doctor was leaning back in her seat staring absent minded at the neat row of liquors behind the bar. Her jacket, which now sat on the back of her chair with her purse, had come off after the second drink Sam had poured for her. She hadn't wanted to drink, but he had promised her he'd talk some if she drank with him. So she had, and Luria felt the warmth spread across her cheeks as she took another sip of tequila. They had had a good talk, she was happy that the blonde had opened up to her a bit. At least, she thought that was the reason she was happy… it could be the alcohol making her smile.
Sam on the other hand had his head buried in his arms, keeping the low buzzing lights out of his eyes. The sniper was mentally kicking him self for talking as much as he did. No doubt everything he had said to Luria would be retold to Greg, which would be told to Ed… then to Jules, and then- Sam groaned silently to himself at the mere thought of the rest of his team mates knowing what a screw-up he was. 'This is turning out to be a great night.' He added in his mind but he was startled from his own misdoings when he felt a soft touch on his arm.
Blue eyes glanced up warily as Sam felt the doctor follow a familiar line on his arm. One he had mindlessly gone over several times himself.
Luria couldn't help but wince as she trace her finger down the thin white scar that stuck out against the raw, red skin which had been burned by the phosphorous the day previous; normally the scar would have been nearly invisible against Sam's pale skin. When she looked up the doctor saw the blonde watching her with a smirk on his face. She quickly pulled her hand away but Sam just kept watching her before he reached forward and rolled up his sleeve to his elbow, and due to the dim light, three thicker scars, similar to the one she had just touched were revealed to her, also standing out loudly against the burn.
"It came down between two murd'rers, a guy who had jus' killed his family an' myself." he explained letting his arm fall back to the table and Luria couldn't help her eyes go back to the thick white lines. "We weren't getting outta there without one of us dying. Guess who won?" Sam couldn't help but chuckle, the alcohol running through him making the scenario much funnier then it actually had been. The knife fight had been gruesome, Sam had almost lost it a few times, but luck… or whatever he had watching his back had let him walk away from that fight alive.
The dark haired woman couldn't help the shiver that ran down her spine. When had it gotten cold in here?
Sam's grin faded, turning into a thoughtful look as he put his head back down. "Hey, Luria?"
Half lidded brown eyes turned to the sniper. "Yes?"
"You think I could ever save somebody?"
That wasn't quiet what she had been expecting to hear. "Of course you can. You do save people, why would you even ask?"
The younger man sighed not meeting her eyes. "I just feel like I saved more people over in the desert, then I ever have here. And … Because over there, I wasn't confused who the bad guy is…but now, being here in the city, there aren't 'bad guys', just bad decisions. Now I keep going back to Kandahar in my mind and I can't help but wonder what brought those people to do the things they did so we had to take them down… I feel like I'm trying to negotiate the dead."
The two sat in silence for a moment. Then suddenly Luria climbed to her feet and did the last thing Sam expected her to do. Softly she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and the blonde stiffened at the awkward embrace. But when she didn't move away immediately the sniper found himself resting his head on her shoulder.
"I know it's stupid, those people made their choices, and I took them down to save my team mates. The dead are the dead, I guess I don't have to try and save them." Sam muttered and Luria pulled away to look down at him.
"You can spend the rest of your life trying to save other people Sam," she muttered. "But the most important person you will ever save will be yourself."
A look of complete confusion crossed his face as he looked up at her blue eyes silently asking what she meant.
Stepping back the doctor shook her head. "It's not something I can explain to you. You have to find out yourself. Just like the others."
The tall bartender appeared on the other side of the bar. "Taksi zdesʹ." He stated looking at the doctor.
"Your taxi's here." Sam translated for her and Luria nodded turning to slip her jacket back on. She paused however when the police officer spoke again. "Hey… Luria… Thanks… for not making me talk to the Boss or anything," He smiled gingerly. "And for your company, I may not have wanted to talk to you but I kinda enjoyed not being alone."
"You know you can always come to me with any of your problems Sam," Luria stated resting a hand on his shoulder. "Everybody has some sort of issue they need help dealing with; don't be afraid to let us into your world." And with that the doctor grabbed her purse and headed out the door to her waiting taxi.
The blonde leaned back in his chair, watching her leave before he dug in his pocket pulling out his wallet, flipping open to a small picture of him, Matt and another blonde woman. Running his hands over his face Sam sighed heavily. He really did appreciate what the doctor had been trying to do.
But all Sam was waiting for was for Amanda Luria to realize the two different worlds they came from, and that no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't touch his. And he was glad, because she shouldn't. His world was a bloody mess full of dead people and nightmares. Sam didn't want a nice person like the doctor who had been sitting next to him to have to deal with a world like his. She was strong, he'd admit, but he was stronger… His world would destroy her.
( ._.)-c-_-) i pinch u for no reason.
