FF_992224_904196152 1/29/2013

Disclaimer: I don't own Flashpoint - If I did, new episodes would be out every week!


Sam sighed silently. What a roller coaster of a day: First the fear when they'd heard that the boss had been hit. It seemed like forever before they heard his voice saying he was ok. His adrenaline was up and time seemed to slow as they cleared the old glass factory. And then the sinking feeling that moved from his stomach to his toes when he heard and saw Jules with the medic. It was obvious that they'd known each other before. And Sam knew that his role as just Jules' friend had now gotten a lot more complicated.

All thoughts of Jules and her medic friend were firmly put out of his mind as they searched the Immigration Center for Trent and the others. Finding Trent, seeing his body language, noting the tone of his voice, Sam knew this wasn't going to be easy. And for a moment after he'd taken the lead on the negotiation, his thoughts flashed back to Darren Kovaks and how spectacularly bad that incident had turned out. Then he firmly forced those thoughts from his mind as well, and focused on Trent and only Trent. Now time seemed to speed forward as he desperately tried to get through to the troubled teen.

Sam ignored the voices of the boss and his teammates in his ears as they demanded that he move back from the blast radius. He could see that his words were making a difference and he refused to give up on the young soldier before him. Moving closer, he let the young man see his sincerity as he spoke of Victor's betrayal and Danny's faith. He continued speaking, fighting to get his point across, even when he was forced to give up his position and begin a slow retreat. His final words were a plea aimed at Trent's sense of family. His heart sank and he tasted bitter failure in the bile in the back of his throat when he whirled and sprinted for cover, abandoning Trent to his decision.

Sam flinched, hovering protectively over Jules, as the explosion ripped through the atrium. He turned around slowly, frowning at the unmoving body lying covered with dirt and debris. His heart sank even further when he wondered if he'd gotten his message across, but simply a few seconds too late. Time slowed to a crawl as he waited for some sign, some signal from Spike that the young man was gone. And then Trent began moving, struggling to get up and it seemed as if Sam could breathe again.

He flinched when Jules punched his arm, frowning at her angry glare. His frown eased as he recognized her concern, and he squeezed her shoulder in reassurance. Gently separating Trent from his brother, Sam escorted him out to the ambulance. He finally took a breath of relief as he realized that he'd done it. He'd saved the young man from himself and a callous, militant leader. He nodded slightly, acknowledging his teammates who were waiting en masse for him near their vehicles. He gratefully accepted Ed's approving slap on the back and headed back to the barn with his team.

Sam knew the look that crossed the boss's face when Ed asked if he was coming to the Goose. He hung his head, wondering why his best never seemed to be enough. He could never measure up to his father's standards, knowing that he'd never be anything but a disappointment to his father as long as he was not in the military. But today, he'd hoped that he'd made the boss proud. He struggled to put his mask back and braced himself to gracefully accept Greg's excuses. He froze for a second when Greg changed his mind and agreed to come. His laughter came out tinged with relief when Ed reminded Greg that he owed them the first round because he'd gotten shot.

And then his stomach plummeted again when he heard the soft "Julianna" from the medic in the doorway. He struggled to control his emotions, fighting to keep them from showing on his face, while Jules stumbled her way through introductions. He ducked his head again, knowing that he had no claim on Jules' time and that she was free to "catch up" with the other man whenever she wanted. He held his breath when Greg invited Steve along, hoping against hope that the other would decline. When Steve did, it wasn't any better, because the medic just proposed to postpone their reunion to "the next time." Sam didn't want to think about them having a next time. He didn't want to think of them having any time at all. But it wasn't his choice. It was Jules'. He kept his face blank, following his teammates, knowing Jules was turning behind him to take one last look at her old friend. He knew that he was going to have to accept Jules' decision on her relationship with Steve gracefully. Still, he put it out of his mind the best he could – tonight was about celebrating his win. He'd play the mature ex-boyfriend tomorrow.


A/N: I can't help but think that Sam is caught in a flood of emotion both good and bad at different times of the day. And when Greg was about to turn down Ed's offer at the Goose - he just seemed to shrink into himself. This is my take on it.