Note: I'm so sorry to have been gone for so long! I can't thank you enough for all the personal messages and notes wondering about how I am and what happened. I had company the entire week of the fourth but that Friday I got really sick. I ended up having something call Pyonephrosis which my doctor said was pneumonia of the kidneys and it got so bad I was nearly septic. I am much better now and I thank you all for sticking around! Love you!

Rick walked in to class five minutes late and had to bite back a laugh at all the frustrated looks his students gave him. "What?" he teased.

"You know what," Barnes glared playfully.

He made a show of pondering the thought for a long moment then took a deep breath. "Oh! Your tests results are due today aren't they?" Everyone started talking at once fussing at him and he held up his hands in defeat. "Ok, ok," he laughed, "Give me a second and I will put them up." He took them out of his bag and pinned them to the board next to the door. He had to move quickly so he didn't get trampled as all twenty men rushed him. He walked back and sat on his desk waiting for them to finish. After many high fives and congratulations they finally made it back to their seats except Grayson who stormed out and slammed the door. "Congratulations gentlemen! You have all passed with 100%!"

"Thank you Mr. Lincoln," Atkins smiled. He now had the skills to achieve his dream of becoming a SWAT member.

"It was all you. I would gladly write a letter of recommendation for any of you."

"I might just hold you too that," Barnes smiled and shook Rick's hand.

"You got it," he nodded.

"Ok Cap, you have to come celebrate with us!"

"No," he laughed, "I couldn't."

"Yes you can," several students said at once.

He eventually relented and went with them for a celebration drink at a local bar.

Drew was sitting in his office at the Center working on some paper work before a meeting with some of the Vets when his phone rang. "Hello."

"Hey babe," Rick smiled into the phone. "The guys wanted to go out and have a celebration drink and are dragging me along. You want to join us?"

"I'd love to but I have a meeting tonight with some of the PTSD patients."

"Shit I forgot. I will tell them I can't stick around and I'll be there in just a few."

"No," Drew shook his head, "you enjoy yourself. You deserve it! Jake and I can handle it this time," he patted the dog in his lap.

"Are you sure? I hate bailing on you like this."

"Tell you what I will give you a call when I'm done and if you're still there then I will join you."

"Sounds perfect. Love you babe."

"Love you more," he smiled and hung up the phone.

"Ok that was so sweet I might need to see a dentist," Emily, Drew's assistant laughed as she handed him a paper to sign.

"Jealous much?" he teased as he signed the requisition form.

She sighed dramatically as she walked out, "very much so. All the good men are taken."

He shook his head and laughed before sitting Jake down on the floor. "Ready to go to work buddy?"

Jake barked once then trotted out the door leading the way as Drew followed. Everyone at the Center loved Jake and he did wonders for the soldier's morale and mood. He seemed to be able to sense when one of the men were getting distraught or stressed during the meetings and would go to them and hop up into their lap to offer comfort and a distraction from the memories.

"Jake!" Zeek smiled scooping the pup up into his arms as soon as they walked into the room. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a treat giving it to him.

Drew watched as Jake made his rounds to each man and woman in the circle and shook his head. "At the rate you all are giving him treats he's going to be so fat he waddles," he laughed. Jake gave him a very indignant look while snarfing down another treat. He pointed at him, "You are going to start going on runs with me."

"Don't listen to him buddy," Nelson scratched behind his ears. "We will still love you no matter what you look like."

"That's what they all say," Sharon rolled her eyes. "Then you put on a little weight, lose a limb and boom no more man." Jake jumped down and pranced over to her. He waited at her feet for her to make the first move. "Don't look at me that way. You may be a dog but you are still male and I don't trust you." Jake gave her his best puppy dog face. "Stop it. Those eyes will get you nowhere. I mean it." She sighed, "Fine but only because you're a dog." She reached down and scratched him.

Jake took it as a win and moved on to Barstow who patted one of the pockets on the lower leg of his fatigues causing something to squeak. Jakes ears perked up and he sniffed and poked at the pocket with his nose making it squeak again. Everyone laughed when Jake got so excited his entire little body shook and he danced around in place before pawing at the lump in the pocket. "If you want it, get it." Jake whined and pranced in place.

"Jake," Drew said in a level voice getting his attention. As soon as the pup looked at him he said, "Seek!" Jake stood on his hind paws and stuck his nose in the pocket pulling the small stuffed giraffe out and pouncing on it playing happily. "Good boy!"

Everyone laughed at the tiny growls and yips as he shook the toy trying to kill it. He took it to Drew and laid it at his feet and looked up expectantly. Drew picked it up and squeaked it before tossing it across the room. Jake ran after it sliding across the slick floor and falling before grabbing it and running back slipping yet again and sliding to a halt on his tummy triumphantly holding the toy in his teeth.

Rick stayed with the guys about three hours but only had a couple of beers. He hadn't heard from Drew and he knew that meant that the session must have been a rough one. He congratulated the guys one last time before saying his goodbyes and leaving. He called an order in at one of their favorite restaurants and stopped to pick up a bottle of chilled wine before picking up the food and heading toward the Center. When he got there Drew's truck and security's cars were the only ones left in the parking lot.

"Hey Mr. Lincoln," Walter, the head of security smiled as he opened the door and let him in.

"Hi Walt," he smiled.

"He and Jake are in his office."

"Thanks," he shook his hand.

Drew looked up when Jake jumped to his feet and stood by the closed door whining. "We will go find daddy soon buddy I promise." He scrubbed his hands over his face.

"I found you first," Rick smiled as he walked into the office. He scratched Jake, sat his bags down on the coffee table and went over to kiss his husband. He stroked his thumb over Drew's jaw and sat on the desk in front of him. "Tough night?"

"Yeah," he sighed leaning into the touch for comfort. "Sharon had a really bad week. Her husband left her saying he couldn't deal with her 'war baggage' and to make it even worse he left her and moved in with the woman he was seeing behind her back."

"Oh man, that's rough."

"The more she talked the louder she got until she was finally yelling in this high pitched squeal that sent Stevens into a flash back of the attack where he got captured because there had been a woman in the building screaming just like that about something. He started fighting which sent Dale into a tail spin because he tried to help and got punched and kicked in the leg for his trouble. It turned in to a big fray and by the time security made it to the room everyone was just in chaos."

"Did anyone get hurt?"

"Nothing major," he shook his head. "Dale took the worst hits, he's got a black eye and a busted nose. Caffee got Sharon calmed down and Walter and I got the guys under control but everyone was really shook up."

Rick lifted Drew's chin, "Did you get hurt?"

Drew smiled, "no. I took a few punches but I did not get hurt. I've got hit harder by little old ladies in the ER." He stood and kissed Rick. "Stop worrying so much."

He stood and pulled him close rubbing his back softly. "It's my job to worry." They stayed in the embrace for a long moment before he finally spoke again. "I brought dinner. I know you have to be starving."

"Yes I am!"

Rick laughed as he led him over to the sofa. They sat down as Rick took out their food and poured some wine. "I figured when you didn't call tonight things had been pretty rough at the meeting so I thought I'd surprise you with your favorite take out."

"Charlie's!" he said excitedly. Charlie's was a locally owned restaurant known for its great southern cooking and amazingly friendly staff. It had been around for decades. Rick put the barbeque out on the table with grilled corn and baked potatoes. He started digging in before Rick had finished pouring the wine.

"I even got you something special Jake!" he said excitedly as he opened a small that two big ribs in it without any sauce.

Jake forced himself up and walked over to the small pan and licked one of the ribs before falling over miserably with a sigh. Drew laughed, "Told you."

"Is he sick?" he picked the pup up and patted his head then rubbed his belly. "What in the world?" he gasped as he felt how distended and tight the little belly was.

"All the guys have been bringing him treats and instead of eating a couple and putting the rest away he's been scarfing them all down," he said around a mouth full of barbeque which made Rick laugh.

"Drew he's a dog. You have to control how many treats he gets. He's not going to stop until he makes himself sick."

"It's not my fault! How is it my fault?"

"Because you're his dad and you have to make the rules."

He glared at Jake who looked at him pitifully. "Fine," he softened. "I will get a treat container and a smaller dish. They can put what they bring him in the container and I will have treats measured out that they can give him while they are there."

"Sounds good," he put Jake down on the chair so he could rest.

They finished their dinner and Rick helped Drew complete some paper work that had to be turned in to the accountants by Monday then they headed out to their trucks. "What the hell?" Rick yelled as Drew stopped in his tracks and looked up. The windows on Blue had been bused out the seats shredded and the tires all slashed.

"Oh my God." He grabbed Rick's arm and stopped him from going toward his truck. "Don't touch anything. Call the police."