Reaching Out, Suspicions, Just a Man & My Lovely Daughter

Hotel – Sam and Jules

Sam woke and looked at the clock. It was two thirty one in the morning. Jules was curled next to him sound asleep. Sam had a vague recollection of getting to the room. Ed and Wordy had helped him into bed.

Ed had stayed and counted him through the breathing until his breaths became regular. After that Sam didn't recall much. He didn't remember Ed or Wordy leaving or Jules coming to bed. He must have fallen into an exhausted sleep.

Staring at the ceiling Sam felt the pain of killing Matt rising in him. He eased himself out of bed so he did not wake Jules. He walked to the window and stared out at nothing really. Sam pulled out the chair and sat down as memories of Matt overwhelmed him.

He picked up his phone from the table and dialed without really thinking. When it was answered Sam said with a broken hitch in his voice "I miss Matt. Tell me the truth. I need the truth. Was it my fault?"

["No son it was not your fault" General Braddock said softly without any hesitation as he sat in his chair. "It was fully investigated. Matt should not have been there. You were cleared to fire."]

Sam's voice was full of pain "It hurts so much. It feels like my fault. I should have seen him. I should have known he was there. I can't get the image out of my head Dad."

[William dropped his head as tears welled. It was so painful to hear his son's wounded voice but something in his heart rejoiced too. His son called him when he was in need. Something he never thought could ever happen. "I know it is still so hard for you son. Matt meant so much to you. He was there for you when you needed him. It was not your fault. If it was anyone's fault it would be Plouffe's. He was the one to give the all clear."]

"You know I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for Matt. He saved my life Dad. Literally. I tried to commit suicide in the barracks. Had the gun to my chest. Pulled the trigger. Matt knocked it away just in time. He saved me and … I killed him" Sam confessed choking out the last three words.

[Tears dripped "I know son. I know all about that. I'm so glad Matt was there for you. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't give thanks for what Matt and your unit was able to do for you. Especially when I couldn't. I knew that Matt would be the only one able to bring you back from the edge."]

Sam wiped at his tears "You knew?"

[William wiped his tears. It was time to come clean "Yes I knew. I knew a lot of things. Ever wonder why whenever you were in the hospital for longer than a night you were put in that room with the mirror?"]

Sam shook his head "No not really. Just thought it was a room."

["In a way it was but every night you were in the room I was next door watching over you through the one way glass. I knew you could not accept that I loved you. Every time I tried reaching out to you I screwed it up. You are so very important to me but I could never find the right words and actions to show that love."

"I screwed up so many times. Like ordering you not to commit suicide; that was one of the more asinine things I did. It was better this way. I made sure that you had people to watch over you and take care of you. There were so many times I just wanted to walk into that room and hug you son" William confessed.]

Sam grunted lightly "I did often wonder at why the unit was on the unfit for duty list for so long after my captivity. That was you?"

["Yeah, Jasper, Dr. Parker was an old unit mate. I don't think you remember him but he cared for you when you were thirteen and had that really high fever, the time Bella came."

"After your captivity, Jasper helped me make sure the unit was able to stay near you. He, Matt and Jim worked to coordinate your rehab. Jasper kept me apprised of your progress with daily reports."

"Jasper even gave your whole unit sleeping pills after that damned plane crash because I needed to see you and you were in a ward with all of them. I needed to touch you to make sure you were really okay. You were so out of it though you wouldn't have remembered I was there when your back spasmed" William said.]

Sam stared out the window stunned. He had a vague memory of his father rubbing his back and thinking it was a hallucination or wishful thinking that his dad really cared and was really there. My god he was. It was real. Sam was at a loss for words.

[William let the silence linger for a while but then allowed all his emotion to show in his voice "You have always been loved. So … very … deeply … loved. I know you are hurting right now. Missing Matt. Truthfully it was not your fault. It was not your fault."

"Please try to accept that. Knowing what I know about Matt, he would not want you to continue to beat yourself up about that. Matt would want you to let it go and remember him fondly as you find the beauty of life."]

Dropping his head into his hands Sam sighed deeply "Yes he would. Thanks Dad. I needed to hear that. It helps."

His voice a little stronger Sam added "Thanks for always being there for me, whether I knew it or not. You don't know but after the plane crash I thought you were a hallucination. I wanted it to be real so badly. It's good to know it was real. It's good to know that you were really there. Thank you for telling me."

[William responded sincerely "I'm a phone call away anytime you need me. I'll always be there for you." His voice remained soft "Speaking of being there for you, Uncle Mark and Jeff are heading to Medicine Hat as an extra set of eyes and ears."

"I wish I could send Mason's unit or Blaze's unit right now but Mason is still ill and Blaze's unit is in Kandahar and Zachary is with him. But Mark and Jeff will be there. Scott is trying to work out leave too. Scott should know by tomorrow if he can be there. Until then you take care of you and Jules. Let your team help you too. They are all good men."

William's tone became harder "I don't like the sound of that Nealy. I didn't like it when he attacked you in testing either. Watch your back closely son. God knows why, but he may be out to get you."]

Sam blew out a breath "He attacked Jules too. Nealy raped her when she was sixteen. I want to kill him for that Dad."

[Anger flared in William but he remained calm "I understand the feeling son. Exactly how I felt about Dupont. Somehow justice will come to him. You do not need to kill him. You and I both know you won't do that."]

Lifting his head and looking out the window Sam confessed "I'm not so sure Dad. There is this rage that burns so deep. He hurt Jules. Jules. No one hurts Jules and gets away with it. I was so glad it was me that killed Petar Tomasic. I know it was a legal use of lethal force but even if it wasn't I would have fired."

["Samuel I know you. Even though you have that burning rage you will do the right thing. It is who you are. You did not cross that line with Dupont when you had a prime opportunity and you will not cross it now. I know you son. I trust you to do the right thing" William stated firmly.]

Sam felt a sense of being cherished grow in him. It came from deep down. His father knew him. His father had always loved him. His father trusted him.

He was learning new things about his dad that amazed him.

His father was such a strong man. Strong enough to withstand the hurts created by his traumatized child's mind. Strong enough to hold on to hope and love in the face of constant disappointment. His dad found ways to show his love in the face of overwhelming obstacles and never took credit for them.

Sam asked "How do you do it Dad?"

["Do what?" William queried needing clarification.]

"Stay so strong in the face of everything" Sam responded.

[William grinned and his voice was soft as he said "Ahhhh. Son, that is because I have your mother. There is nothing better than the love of a good woman to keep you strong."]

Sam turned and looked at Jules "I think I know what you mean Dad. Thanks. For Everything. I love you Dad."

["I love you to son. You doing okay now?" William asked.]

"Yeah, thanks to being there for me when I needed you" Sam said as his voice broke.

[William's heart was bursting with happiness. His son had reached out to him in his time of need and he had actually helped "Anytime. Day or Night. Anytime."]

"I'll call you later. Okay" Sam said feeling the pain ebbing away and a sense of calm growing after talking with his dad.

["Sounds good. You get some rest now son" William instructed lightly.]

Both said goodbye and hung up. Sam stared at Jules.

The love of a good woman to keep him strong. He had that. With Jules he had that.

Sam put down his phone, crossed the room and crawled into bed. He hugged Jules close to him and fell into a restful sleep.

Vinson's Home – Kitchen

Cindi bounded into the kitchen full of bright smiles "Good Morning Daddy."

Vinson turned from the stove as he finished putting the blueberry pancakes on a plate "Morning Princess. Did you sleep well?" He grabbed his cane in one hand and the plate in the other and headed for the table.

"Yummy blueberry pancakes. Yeah I slept good" Cindi said as she started in on her pancakes.

Mark sat down and sipped his coffee as the Sergeant assigned to security detail entered the kitchen. He said "Help yourself to coffee Hicks."

Hicks nodded "Thanks." He grabbed coffee and sat down. "Everything looks okay so far. What are your plans today?"

Cindi piped up "The sniper competition of course. I can't wait to watch Jules shoot again."

Mark looked at his precious daughter and said "Sorry Princess. I saw on the news this morning that all the competitions are cancelled for today. They won't be doing a sniper competition either. They cut it from the events after what happened yesterday."

Cindi's face fell in disappointment.

Hicks said under his breath "Leave it to Braddock to screw up and ruin the event for everyone."

Mark turned to Hicks "What was that?"

Hicks shrugged "Just another Braddock fuck up. At least this time he didn't actually blow a hole in his friend like he did when he killed his friend Hunter."

Cindi's eyes got wide "Daddy?"

Mark turned to Cindi and said "Not a conversation for your ears Princess. Eat your breakfast please. I will be right out back; I need to speak with Sergeant Hicks privately."

He stood and glared at Hicks "Outside now."

Vinson's Home – Backyard

Vinson turned on Hicks, his voice hard "First of all you will never speak like that in front of my daughter. She is just a little girl. She does not need to hear foul language or things like that. Second of all just what the hell did you mean by that?"

Hicks nodded "Sorry about the language. I will watch what I say going forward. But I'm not sorry about the comment about Braddock."

"You have something against Braddock?" Vinson asked.

"Yeah I do. He got away with murder. He should be in Club Ed for killing Hunter but the General covered it up" Hicks stated.

"Murder? Were you even there?" Vinson ground out.

Hicks glared at Vinson "No but Murphy was and he told me what happened. It got whitewashed because Braddock is the General's son."

Hearing the name Murphy twisted Mark's insides. It was a name he never wanted to hear again. That man was evil. "You don't know what the hell you are talking about."

"You were not there either. You must be snowed by the official version too. I'm so sick of Braddock ass-lickers. I thought you were different Vinson. But apparently not" Hicks growled.

Vinson glared at Hicks. He didn't know him all that well. He had served with him only briefly before he was transferred to the Sudan. He did serve for years with Dave Havervik and Haverlik was actually there when it happened.

"You remember Dave Haverlik?" Vinson asked.

Shrugging Hicks said "Yeah he spent some time in my unit. Transferred to the Sudan for a while. Weak-minded ass committed suicide in Kandahar when he returned. Why?"

Incensed Mark said "Haverlik was a good man. A strong man. Trustworthy. He was there when it happened. I believe his account over Murphy's any day."

"Why would you take Haverlik's word over Murphy's?" Steve asked.

Mark had been told to keep this to himself after the investigation into Braddock's service. That investigation had been grueling and it had triggered memories that had been long buried. Memories buried since the IED hit the Humvee right after he got to the Sudan. By then Murphy and Plouffe were both dead. But they used his testimony to convict Travis on accessory after the fact and accessory to attempted murder with the help of an orderly's testimony too.

Vinson needed to set Hicks straight, he needed enlightenment. Steve was not a bad guy just misinformed. Mark slowly limped to a chair on his back porch and said "Sit down. What I'm going to tell you is classified and you did not hear it from me. Understand Steve."

Steve Hicks sat and looked at Mark questioningly "What?"

"I suppose you were interviewed about Sam Braddock's service just like the rest of us that served when he was in" Mark stated.

Steve leaned back "Yeah, so. I didn't have much to tell. They grilled me for hours about the missions that Braddock did with our unit. Mostly they focused on the one when Braddock was taken. Idiot let the terrorist get the drop on him. They also grilled me extensively on the mission where we went to find Braddock. Your first mission with us, the one where Gleason was killed and Murphy injured."

Vinson nodded "If you are looking for a murderer you have no further to look than Murphy. He murdered Gleason. I saw the whole thing. I took up the position I chose instead of the one Murphy wanted me too. I saw Murphy kill Gleason in cold blood. I overheard Plouffe and Murphy plot to kill Braddock too."

"Travis is in Club Ed because of my testimony and that of an orderly who was supposed to drop a knife for Braddock to commit suicide with. The orderly was paid a large sum of money by Murphy and Travis to do it but he couldn't. I tried to warn Hunter but Plouffe showed up. I tried to say something to Sutton too but Plouffe showed up again. Then I was on my way to the Sudan."

Mark spoke honestly as he held Hicks gaze steady "I was so scared by what I'd seen and heard. There's no training for that kind of situation. I was just a rookie, isolated and alone and didn't know who to trust. It seemed liked Plouffe and Murphy were suspicious and always watching me."

"I didn't think you, Rivera and Lang were involved in Plouffe's schemes but I couldn't take that chance. I was afraid of winding up like Gleason. No one would think twice about a rookie being killed in a mission. So I kept my mouth shut."

Shifting a bit and rubbing his leg because the dull ache never really went away, Vinson continued "The transfer to the Sudan was a relief. Within a few days, I felt safe enough in my new unit to report my suspicions of Plouffe and Murphy. But an IED explosion and severe concussion buried my memories about Gleason and the unit. It wasn't until the intense interrogation into Braddock's SF service that it all came flooding back."

Hicks was staring at Vinson "You are making this up."

Mark responded in a calm and steady voice "No I am not. You can check for yourself about Travis. As for the friendly fire incident I have my suspicions on that. Both Murphy and Plouffe were there. Plouffe was the one to give the all clear signal. Some things that Haverlik told me about what happened makes me think Plouffe and Murphy had a hand in it."

Vinson rubbed his leg again "I also have suspicions on Haverlik's supposed suicide. He was not weak minded. I knew him well enough to know that he was not the type to commit suicide. Plouffe and Murphy were in camp when that happened."

Hicks narrowed his eyes "Are you suggesting that Haverlik was murdered and it was made to look like a suicide?"

Vinson arched a brow as he said "I wouldn't put it past Plouffe and Murphy. I knew Murphy to be a cold blooded killer. What if Haverlik saw something on that mission where Hunter was killed? What if Haverlik figured out Plouffe and Murphy were responsible for Hunter being in Braddock's line of fire? What if Plouffe or Murphy deliberately sent Hunter to his death like Nealy tried to do with the old man?"

Hicks rubbed his face briskly. Could he have Braddock all wrong? He had always thought there was something not quite right with Murphy. He let his mind wander back to both missions. They were on radio silence for three days. Lang had asked to do a health check on Braddock each day but was denied by Gleason.

Lang was denied because Murphy opened his mouth and said a real sniper would be well concealed and could stay in place for weeks. Then Murphy and Travis came back and said …. What did he say? Braddock was gone but it looked like a struggle. But later he heard that Braddock reported not being able to run like Murphy and Travis.

Why would Braddock state that? Why would Murphy and Travis say he was already gone? If they had said the terrorists had gotten Braddock the unit would have high-tailed it after him and rescued Braddock. No unit man would allow another to be taken by those savages if they could prevent it.

Images of Gleason's body came to mind. They were burned into his mind's eye. Wait? They only heard Murphy. They never heard Gleason. He never questioned that before. Murphy was behind Gleason as they headed out. Gleason had the lead. How could the insurgent get the drop on Murphy if the door was in front of Gleason?

Hicks blew out a breath "Jesus Christ. You are not lying are you? Murphy murdered Gleason."

"No not lying" Mark stated.

Hicks rubbed his face and then stood and paced. He stopped and looked at Vinson "So you think that Plouffe and Murphy deliberately sent Hunter out there so Braddock would kill him. You think that Haverlik saw something and that Plouffe and Murphy staged his murder to look like a suicide."

Vinson nodded "Yeah I think that but I have no proof. Nothing but what I know about Plouffe and Murphy. The fact that Plouffe, Murphy and Merrill were all involved in trying to murder both the General and Sam makes it not too much of a stretch. But like I said. I have no proof. I only have suspicions."

Steve sat heavily in the chair "I've been so wrong about Braddock haven't I?"

"Yeah you have. About both of them. Both are honorable men. Neither would cover up if Sam were at fault for Hunter's death. You just have to look at their track records to know that. Have you ever seen the General treat a soldier unfairly? Sure he will dress them down damned hard. But in every instance it is fully deserved" Vinson stated.

Turning to Vinson, Steve said "Thanks for enlightening me. I've been so wrong and talking out my ass for a long time now."

Vinson looked at him hard and said "Yeah, well now you can stop talking out your ass. You can also go apologize to my daughter for your foul language."

Hicks nodded and then smiled "She's quite a little girl Mark. I promise to keep her safe from harm."

Standing Vinson nodded and said "That she is. I wouldn't put it past her to be the first female Special Forces sniper someday."

"She's that good?" Hicks asked.

Grinning Mark said "She's that good. How about we go to the indoor range today and she can show you just how good she is? We will need to stop for some golf balls though. I promised her she could practice shooting like Jules Callaghan."

Hotel – Ed and Greg Room

Ed sat at the table sipping coffee. He looked up when Greg exited the bathroom "Morning."

"Morning Eddie. How did it go with Sam last night?" Greg asked as he headed for the table.

"It was a bit rough. Wordy and I got him in bed. I was able to help Sam get his breathing under control. When he did that his pulse slowed down too. Then he was out like a light" Ed shared.

As he sat down to tie his shoes Greg asked "And Jules?"

"Jules was Jules. She took charge. I doubt she is gonna let Sam out of bed today. Sam might grumble about being coddled but I agree that bed is the best place for him today. If necessary, I can order him to stay in bed. Three shocks like that so close together. Sam's strong but he is still just a man."

Greg chuckled "No ordering will be necessary. Jules can handle Sam. But don't tell Spike that Sam is just a man unless you want an argument."

Ed laughed "Samtastic, right. Yeah well, Sam may be able to handle more than the average bear but even he has his limits. How do you think he will take it that the sniper competition has been cancelled?"

"He'll be pissed. He will not want them to cancel it on account of him. It will be up to you to make him see it was cancelled for the safety of the civilians" Greg answered.

Ed nodded "I can to that. Might get a bit loud but I can make him see it."

Greg took a sip of coffee "I better have Jules out of the room then. Or you'll have a momma bear to deal with too. Jules won't take kindly to you riling up Sam in anyway."

"You wanted to talk to her anyways. Why don't you go see if she wants to have breakfast with you? Wordy, Spike and I can keep an eye on Sam while she is gone" Ed suggested.

Pursing his lips and nodding his head Greg thought that sounded like a good idea. "I'll go see. Who is going to do the check out on the MILES gear for our team?"

Ed answered "That would be me and Spike. I'll make sure Wordy stays with Sam when we head out."

"Sounds like a plan" Greg said as he stood up. "We will reconvene in the strategy room at one pm. Jules's brothers want to continue to help out. I told them to meet us there and we would discuss how."

Finishing his coffee, Ed said "Call me when you are leaving with Jules and I will pop down to their room."

Greg nodded and headed out.

Adela's Coffee Shop

Lisa delivered the breakfast plates to Jules and Greg and smiled "Anything else you need?"

Jules answered "No thank you Lisa. This looks delicious."

Lisa headed off to take care of other customers. This SWAT competition was such a boon to business. She was so overworked and she would be happy when it settled back down to normal; even though she would miss the fantastic tips from all the SWAT teams. Lisa would also miss all the handsome SWAT guys too. They were great eye candy.

Greg took a bite of his toast and watched Jules for a moment as she spread jam on her toast. She looked to be doing okay this morning. She looked rested.

When she had answered the door to hers and Sam's room she had been very quiet. Sam was still sleeping and she did not want to wake him. Jules had stepped into the hall so they could talk.

Jules agreed to go to breakfast and that Wordy would stay with Sam while she was gone. She insisted it be Wordy because there was no likelihood of riling up Sam. Wordy would keep it calm for Sam. Ed and Spike had laughed at that but both agreed Sam needed the rest.

Thirty minutes later they had headed out to walk to Adela's. Ed and Spike headed out to the storage unit to check all their gear and do an inventory.

Taking her time to spread the jam on her toast Jules was stalling. She knew that Greg had spoken with her father and that's what this conversation would be about. She took a bite and slowly chewed before she finally looked up at Greg.

Greg gave Jules a soft smile. He said "Whenever you are ready to talk. We can just enjoy our breakfast first if you want."

Jules gave Greg a small smile "You always know how to read me."

Greg chuckled lightly "Why I get to wear the cool pants."

Jules's grin increased "Yeah breakfast first. I'm starving. You can tell me what changes were made in the competition and the security arrangements while we eat if you want."

Over breakfast Greg filled Jules in on all the changes and the security precautions. As they sipped coffee after they were done Jules became a little somber. Greg watched as he saw Jules retreat behind her walls.

He asked "What would you like to know?"

Jules looked at Greg "I'm not sure."

"I can see that. Your father hurt you badly. You're not sure you can forgive him for what he did" Greg said.

Jules head tilted "How do you do that?"

"I know you Juliana Patricia Callaghan. You are the daughter of my heart. You are special, loved and cared for deeply. You are important to me. I take the time to understand those I love and care about" Greg said openly.

Reaching across the table Jules grasped one of Greg's hands "I've always thought of you like a father. You and Sam are the two men I trust with my heart. You both showed me that I was lovable and put my heart back together. You showed me what a father should be. You accepted me for who I am. You showed me a father could be kind, accepting, that he could stay and he could be great."

Greg blinked at the tears that threatened. Jules's words touched him deeply. "Jules …" Greg's free hand went to his heart "... that touches me here, so very deeply. I'm honored you feel that way about me."

Jules squeezed his hand then said "I wanted you to know that because … I will listen to what you have to say about my father. I will not discount it outright. I trust your insights. But I will need to think on it. I don't know if I will ever be able to forgive him."

"I understand Jules. I trust you to make the right decision for you. Whatever that decision is, just know that I will support you" Greg said.

Then Greg started to tell Jules about his conversation with Patrick. He told her everything except how Sam and Jules really met. He concluded "I see your father is a man in great pain. Patrick realizes his actions were horribly wrong but has no idea how to go about fixing it. Grief and fear can make people behave in ways they would never dream of."

Jules sat quietly absorbing everything Greg told her. She couldn't quite accept it.

Greg said that her father actually said he was envious of Greg. That he had wished he was the one that could have given her comfort in the hospital. But that he was glad that Greg was there for her and did not begrudge him or her that she went to him.

She looked at Greg "That is a lot to think about."

Their hands had not separated the whole time and Greg gently squeezed Jules hand "I know. You need time to think. There is no rush. There is no timetable you have to adhere too. Take this at your own pace. Your father will be there when you are ready to talk."

"He understands that it is up to you. Patrick truly feels what he did is unforgivable and he regrets it so very much. He would like to try and reconcile but he will accept if you cannot forgive him and do not want to be part of his life. Just so you know."

Jules worried her bottom lip and squeezed Greg's hand back "Thank you for talking to him."

"Anything for you Jules" Greg said as he slid out of the booth and came around to hug Jules. As he hugged Jules and she hugged him back Greg whispered "I'd do anything for my lovely daughter."

.

AN: In case you are wondering about Hicks and why he would change … Ed was friends with him. I don't see Ed being friends with a really bad person; Ed is not a bad a judge of character. Hicks was just misinformed, had blinders on and let his personal biases control his thinking. When presented with the truth Hicks is able to see his errors and make adjustments in his thinking.