Author's Note: Hey all! Thanks to all, as always, who have been reading, Reviewing, following, and what-not this story. You make my creativity seem worth wild : ). I'm glad so many of you are having as much fun with it as I am : ). I've been having SO much fun with it, that I sort'a can't stop writing it (to the great dismay of my other stories and their fans…oopps, sorry, guys. I'll get to them soon…). Anyho, I wrote this last night and figured I'd wait a while to post it. It's been a while. If you've never heard "The Same Old Shillelagh," youtube it. It's such a catchy song. Ahhh, my childhood…I personally love this chapter, and hope you do too!

I don't own or have rights to Flashpoint, or anything else that might be copyrighted, cause, seriously, I can't remember if I used anything else right now…*shrugs*

Defying Precedent

Chapter 3: Popping the Question

The next morning (after Jules woke up, but had to literally claw her way out of Sam's arms as he whimpered in his sleep, "Not the shillelagh!"), Jules found herself whistling "It's the Same Old Shillelagh" song as she drove herself and Sam to work, smirking at the irony of the fact that one of the lines in the song is about the guy joining the police force, and instead of having one night stick, having two. Sam's eye non-consciously twitched slightly every time she whistled the refrain, but he had no idea why…Jules found his reaction just oh so cute and made sure to kiss the corner of his recently twitching eye when they were stopped at a traffic light.

Actually, she found his reaction to the entire situation of her father coming for a visit cute. She knew he actually had nothing really to fear, that her father would simply make cryptic and frightening comments and questions meant only to terrify Sam, but not out of any maliciousness. She knew her father would just be working to get a reaction out of the man who loved his daughter, mostly because he would find it funny. It was the playful psychological warfare of their people. Those in the know, like Jules herself, would find the whole thing hilarious. Jules was looking forward to the show the two men would put on, but was still prepared to step in if Ciaran Callaghan went too far.

She also knew that if she was being completely honest with herself she would know that one of the main reasons she was looking forward to her father's playful toying with Sam was that it would distract him from the issues he had with her. After singing out, rather than whistling, the last words, "he brought from III-EERRR-LAAAAnnnnd,"as she parked in the SRU lot (and subsequently chuckling at Sam's resulting strongest non-conscious eye twitch yet), she became serious and thoughtful and resolved to make sure she had the discussion she needed to have with her dad sooner rather than later. She hoped the time, distance, and shielding they'd both had would help them remain civil and able to come to an understanding of their differences of opinion.

"Last day," Jules said cheerfully as she exited the car and began to walk towards the building with Sam.

"What!" Sam shouted in his distracted and apt to misunderstand state. "Oh, yeah, yeah, last day of work," he forced a smile to his face as he came out of his abstraction.

Cute was cute, but enough was enough.

Jules sighed and stopped Sam right outside the door to headquarters. "Sam. You have nothing to be afraid of." She rose on her tip-toes to plant a kiss on his nose. "My Dad may play around with you like a cat with a mouse for a while, but it'll just be a sort of initiation type thing." She rose again, but this time to plant the kiss on his lips. "It won't take him long to love you like I do," she promised softly.

Sam chuckled, closed his eyes, and laid his forehead against hers. He brought his hand up to lay against the side of her face. "Well, I hope he doesn't love me EXACTLY like you love me."

Jules snorted. "Yeah. That would just be awkward," she replied before accepting one last kiss before work from him.

"Hey, lovebirds!" They both simultaneously frowned as they heard Ed shout from behind them. "Break it up, or get a room!"

Jules sucked in and let out a breath as she opened her eyes and broke apart from Sam. "Go find a peep-show and leave us alone, Ed," Jules retorted with a smirk. Sam coughed out a laugh at her boldness.

"Just say'n. A little professionalism here?" Ed responded with a mock admonishing look.

"Oh, this is completely professionally related. I'm give'n Sam a pep-talk. Help'n him be able to focus on his work."

"Really, Jules?" Ed asked with his lower lip jutting out. "This is gonna help him focus on his work?"

"Papa Callaghan is flying in to meet me tonight…and he can shoot…" Sam trailed off with a dejected look.

Ed looked to Jules who nodded with a knowing look and shrugged, then eyed Sam's deflated form up and down. "He got 'the same old shillelagh,' Jules?" Ed asked with a straight face.

When Jules busted out a laugh, Ed could contain his mirth no longer and gave into it as well. "Good luck with that, Sammo," he patted Sam on the back. "Carry-on, Constable Callaghan," he said as he walked in the door with a smile.

Sam frowned, then narrowed his eyes at Jules.

Jules kissed him one more time, then brought her hand to his face. "Ed's just teasing. Just like my Dad will. You'll be fine," she promised him with a smile. "Now let's go before we repeat the same thing with Commander Holleran…I swear that man secretly loves to pull your chain…"

When they got to the SRU floor, Jules squeezed Sam's hand in one last act of reassurance before he would meet her father and peeled off to change into her uniform.

Immerging from her locker room a short time later, she simply waved to her teammates who were congregated around Winnie at her central desk and continued to walk towards where Greg would predictably be hard at work in 'his office,' or rather, the conference room.

Spotting Greg inside, she knocked on the outside wall as a formality while saying, "Hey, Sarge. Got a minute?"

Greg looked-up at her and smiled. "For you, Officer Callaghan, I've got three."

Jules chuckled and squeezed his shoulder in thanks as she sat down. In response to anyone else, Greg would have said, 'for you, I've got two.' This blatant example of the special bond she had with him only worked to further illuminate and validate the action she was about to request of him.

"Thanks, Boss," she said, but found herself at a loss of words to continue.

Greg smiled and raised his eyebrows at her. "Everything okay, Jules," he asked only marginally succeeding at hiding his concern. Ever since her little hick-up with Post Traumatic Stress and all that it entailed, he had been hyper attentive to make sure she didn't lapse back into any of its symptoms.

Jules smiled and nodded her head, completely aware of where his thoughts had taken him. "Yeah. I just, ahh," she shook her had a little as she changed the track of the question she was about to ask. "My Dad's flying in for a visit tonight. Plane gets in at five, we don't get off 'till six," she said leveling her hands in front of him. "Just wondering if I could cut-out early to pick him up if we're not on a call."

Greg nodded and grinned his consent. "Sure thing, Jules. Not a problem at all."

He looked more deeply into her slightly downcast eyes. "Wow, that's big news. Haven't seen him for a while, right?" he began to profile her in case he would have to negotiate her in some manner in the next couple of days in relation to this matter.

"Yeah." Jules looked up, flicking her eyebrows at Greg with a flat smile. "Just about 10 years…"

"You alright with that?" Greg asked with fatherly concern.

Jules looked up at the ceiling and smiled after she thought about his question truthfully for a second. "Yeah, actually, Boss. Yeah, I think it should be good." A light laugh left her lips. "We've got some things to work out, and I think it'll be good to do that."

Greg nodded and continued to smile encouragingly at her. "Good. That's real good, Jules. I'm glad you're finally gonna get that chance."

"Yeah," Jules returned his nod. This entire conversation had her once again thinking about how Sean should revoke her title of Wordsmith.

"Jules," Greg reached out his hand to grab her shoulder in reassurance or comfort, whichever she might need at the moment. "You know I'm here if you need anything, or things don't go as great as you want them to with your father."

Jules patted his hand on her shoulder and grinned. "Thanks, Boss, but I really do think things will be alright. Umm," she paused to gather her thoughts for a second. "Tell'n you about my Dad and ask'n if I can leave early to pick him up wasn't the main thing I wanted to ask you about though."

Greg frowned slightly in confusion. "Oh?" he coaxed her to elaborate. He was keeping completely focused on his younger counterpart, looking for any signs of distress. He wasn't used to hearing her struggling to find words.

"Yeah, Sarge, umm." She blushed a little and looked away from him for a moment. "It's great that I'm getting back in touch with my Dad and everything, but, ahh, our relationship is still strained." She sighed. "And I know it's gonna be strained for a while as we get to know each other again. Things just don't magically go back to the way they were, especially when people grow and change with time and experience, ya know?" She looked back up at Greg as she asked this question.

Greg nodded and focused on Jules' eyes. "Yeah, Jules. Yeah, that's true."

Jules smiled again and looked straight on at her boss, teacher, confidant in many ways, frequent work partner, friend, and father figure. "What I'm trying to say is, you've been a father to me more in these past 10 years than the man I share a name with has. You've taught me so much, always been there for me, always looked out for me, always watched over me." She paused and smiled to allow for him to remember his words on the night she'd admitted her struggles with PTSD to him, her fears, her shame. She paused to allow him to remember how much he told her he cared about her that night and how in falling into his comforting embrace and surrendering herself to his help and guidance, she'd revealed how much she cared about, trusted, and relied on him too. "You've helped me become the person I am today," she continued.

Greg smiled as a tear of gratitude and joy brimmed his eyes. "Aw, Jules," he reached up to gently pat her face. "You don't know how much you've shaped the person I am today, too."

Jules smiled and wiped a tear out of her eye. "Sarge, I'd like you to walk me down the aisle at my wedding," she finally got out.

Greg's eyes grew wide in surprise and joy as the biggest of smiles lit his face. "Really, Jules? You want ME to do that?"

She just returned his huge smile and nodded her head quickly and vigorously.

"I'd be honored," Greg answered as he stood-up and pulled her into one of the big bear hugs she'd become accustomed to from him from her stint in PTSD therapy.

As they stood in the middle of the conference room hugging while emotional tears of joy and gratitude touched both of their faces, the rest of Team One walked in behind them.

"Oh my God, Boss! Did Jules say yes to you too?" Spike asked in an affected voice of wonder.

Sam did a double take between Greg and Jules, and Spike and reached out to punch the techie's arm with a look of disapproval.

"No, you goof!" Jules laughed out as she wiped a tear from her eye and broke away from Greg. "Sarge said yes to ME!"

"Oh my God, Jules," Raf began, playing along with Spike's joke. "You're leaving Sam for Sarge?"

"Not after the display I saw this morning," Ed said under his breath.

Greg snorted, but then smiled to his team. "I'm walking her down the aisle, you geniuses!" he answered playfully.

The room erupted into cheers of, "That's GREAT!" and "Good for you, Boss!" and, "Can I be the flower-girl?" until Greg started motioning the team to settle down, his joyful smile never leaving his face.

"Alright, guys, alright," he began to the group at large. "Since we're all here now, time for a briefing?" he offered.

"You're gonna need fireworks to top that one, Sarge," Spike smiled as he sat down next to Jules.

Greg shook his head. "Who needs fireworks when you've got Team One?" He turned his head and smiled at Jules, and she was once again reminded of how glad she was that she had decided to stay on Team One.

Additional Author's Note: Hahaha, Jules' line to Ed is probably my favorite of the chapter…Shiggity would totally approve of that one…Also, I personally (you've heard this before) LOVE the Greg-Jules relationship. : ) Next Chapter: Papa Callaghan arrives. Sam will quiver…

Please leave a review. I always love to hear your thoughts and predictions : )

Happy Labor Day Weekend,

Eals