Chapter Three: Briefing the SRU

Commander Norm Holleran was a veteran cop with experience built up over years of service. From the Academy to the streets, through every department and rank he'd earned, he knew perfectly well how fast gossip could fly. And yet, he was shocked by how fast the news of Parker's miraculous survival spread. Within the hour, two at the most, the whole barn knew the 'late' Sergeant Parker was alive and well. The gossips viciously debated how he'd survived, trading theories that ranged from the ridiculous to…frighteningly accurate. But all seemed to agree that Parker was a selfish coward who'd lied to them all for four months straight and left his former team swinging in the wind.

Norm suspected Sergeant Roenick was behind the 'Parker is a coward' rumor; he'd been jealous of Team One's record for quite some time, hence his rather nasty stunt during Parker's undercover assignment. Still, it didn't matter who had come up with such utter nonsense…what mattered was nipping it in the bud before any member of Team One heard it. He didn't need a full scale brawl breaking out in his headquarters, thank you.

Accordingly, Holleran called in a favor or two and assembled every last one of his officers for an SRU-wide meeting. Several magic-siders attended as well and Norm spied Roy Lane lingering near Team Three – rumor held that Revan and Roy had been quite united in reading Onasi the riot act and scolding him up one side and down the other for pushing his son out of the way of a Killing Curse – and thus ending up in the spell's path – instead of pulling both of them out of the way. Onasi remained intractable and unrepentant, hence Roy's sudden preference for Revan's company.

Shaking his head, Norm glanced over at Dr. Larry Toth. Officially, the psychologist wasn't needed at the meeting – and was busy enough that the commander had hesitated before extending the invitation. But Toth's assistance had proved to be invaluable. Holleran had little doubt that Toth was the sole reason that the mayor had seen sense and permitted Parker to return to the SRU. So he'd invited the doctor and tried not to be too surprised when the man immediately accepted.

With so many people at the meeting, Holleran opened up the briefing room and removed the tables that made up the larger whole. Once the blue poly-carbon panels were open and the steel barrier was up, the commander could stand in the atrium and still be seen by officers in the briefing room. Audio might've been an issue, but Commander Locksley offered to use a discrete Sonorus (1) Charm. Although the Aurors had been religiously avoiding any and all magic use on the techie side of the fence since the loss of the Canadian Ministry of Magic, in the immediate wake of the resounding defeat the Neo Death Eaters had just suffered, Locksley viewed a few small spells as a very low risk. The commander was prepared to allow it, though he made a mental note to have an in-depth discussion with his counterpart on ways to prevent any future assaults on the barn. Once was more than enough.

Clearing his throat and 'raising' his voice, Holleran called, "All right, is everyone here?"

His three Sergeants did a swift head count and tossed him thumbs up. A glance over at Locksley produced another affirmative.

Behind his glasses, dark eyes glinted. "Then let's get started." The commander cast an impartial glare around the room. "I can't say I'm surprised by all the gossip flying around. The juicier the story, the faster it spreads, and the past four months hit the truth is stranger than fiction category about an hour in."

Snickers went 'round the room and Winnie rolled her eyes at the commander's severe understatement.

"That said," Holleran rumbled. "I'm going to set the record straight right here and right now, because if anyone here is stupid enough to call Parker a coward in front of Team One…" A smirk. "…You'll deserve exactly what you get."

Aside from a number of nervous fidgets, none of the officers reacted, though Holleran noted Roy Lane's expression turning positively murderous. Norm suspected it was over the coward gossip. Roy knew first hand that Parker was no coward – if he were, Roy wouldn't have survived getting shot through the heart.

Taking a deep breath, Commander Holleran launched into the story, starting with Castor Troy's initial appearance and rise to the top of Toronto's underworld two decades earlier, only to meet his match in a detective with a personal vendetta and a rookie who'd barely scraped his way through the Academy. Honestly, that had been a surprise. Given Parker's talent, diligence, and work ethic, Norm had been shocked by his abysmal Academy scores and scathing instructor evaluations.

Briefly, the commander outlined the trial and the verdict, adding only that Parker's identity had been kept hidden from the judge and jury. How, almost two years later, the patrol car assigned to Greg Parker had blown sky high, prompting an elaborate cover-up of sorts. Gossip might've run rampant, but Greg's history had been buried as deeply as possible in an attempt to protect him from Castor Troy. It had worked, too; if not for his own habit of reading personnel files cover to cover, he never would've guessed that the SRU's top negotiator had been the rookie who'd arrested the infamous Castor Troy.

From there, Holleran skipped ahead to the SRU's annual picnic and the events of the weekend following. The call from Homicide, the murders of retired detective Sean Archer and his family, and the news that Castor Troy was on the loose once more. Grim, he outlined the rough plan that he and Cragen had come up with, a plan that would have seen Parker tucked away in a safe house until Troy was safely caught.

Tentatively, Winnie raised her hand, bringing the explanation to a halt. "What went wrong, sir?" she asked. "Or… Did it work out just like you said?"

Norm shook his head at once. Meeting his dispatcher's gaze, he explained, "Winnie, if events had gone as I'd wished…" A grimace. "That Monday wouldn't have changed. We still would've needed to make it look like Parker had been caught drinking on-duty."

"But Team One would've known better?" Winnie guessed.

"That's right," Holleran confirmed. "I had no intention of hiding the truth from them." He stopped, sighing heavily. "So, yes, Winnie, something went wrong."

Slowly, haltingly, the commander shared the rest. The sudden orders from the Police Commissioner and the mayor's office. The undercover assignment, pitting Parker against Castor Troy directly as Parker took on a mob boss persona of his own. The war and its escalation as events snowballed into the hot call on Elias's headquarters, his own shooting, and the fire that both Parker and the Troy siblings had ended up in.

But Holleran left out that the fire had been of Parker's own devising; however necessary that tactic had been, there were some who would use that information against his new lieutenant. Either because they would be appalled that a cop had stooped to arson and a shootout or because they were jealous of Parker. The former…they hadn't been there; they had no idea how dangerous Castor Troy had been. No idea of how desperate Parker had been to protect his family – both blood and chosen. The latter… Well, after spending the past six months wrangling himself a second-in-command who could help him handle the paperwork, the personnel, and the politics of the SRU…he wasn't about to give any jealous nellies ammunition.

So Norm Holleran lied about the fire and kept right on lying, claiming that Parker's criminal…associates…had rescued him from the blaze. And having told the first two lies, it was easy to claim that Parker had been too badly injured in the fire to sneak past his minders and get in contact with his boss and coworkers. Without so much as a twitch, Holleran informed his officers that it had taken two months for Parker to recover enough to slip past his 'allies' and make it safely back to the SRU.

Holleran concluded the briefing with the news of Parker's promotion to lieutenant and explained that the details of the brand-new position would be hashed out once the injured officer was pronounced medically sound enough to work again. He heard the unhappy murmurs and mutters, especially from Team Two, but, after glancing at the clock, dismissed the meeting.

With the briefing 'officially' over, Commander Holleran put Team Two on-duty along with most of the SRU's support crew. With a few quiet words to his Sergeants, he guided Dr. Toth away and ostensibly to his office. Not five minutes later, Locksley arrived to 'request' a meeting with the two men. On the magic side of the barn, those in the know assembled once more; Holleran tugged Locksley aside instead of entering the room, a curious Toth tagging along.

"Anne, is it possible to project a few photos on one wall of the room?"

The blonde frowned thoughtfully. "Are they magical?"

Norm shook his head and brought the small stack out. "These were taken by Team One the day after the attack on the barn," he explained.

Locksley took the pictures and started to flip through them, only to freeze at the large, muscular, but gaunt animal depicted. "By Morgana and the Morrigan, is this Parker?" she hissed.

"Yes," Holleran confirmed.

The witch's head shot up, horror shining. "He's not registered!"

Toth blinked in confusion at the declaration and Holleran arched a skeptical brow. "You weren't aware of his Animagus form?"

"I knew he'd been forcibly transformed at McKean, but I had no idea that was his Animagus form," the blonde snapped. "He's Squib-born."

"Which means he doesn't have enough magic to cast spells, not that he has no magic whatsoever," Holleran countered firmly. "He used his form when Young and Callaghan were snatched by those werewolves a few months ago."

Locksley shuddered at the reminder and looked down at the photos again. "Commander, we have to get Parker in here. Animagus forms need to be registered."

"It is." All three turned to the Auror framed in the doorway. One of Onasi's shoulders hiked in a shrug. "Parker's covered under the Calvin Family's British registration, just like his niece and nephew."

Commander Holleran frowned, studying the Auror. "Does the registration need to be transferred here?"

Onasi shook his head. "As long as an Animagus is registered somewhere, they don't need to be registered in their home country." The Auror offered a tiny smirk. "Animagi have been known to register with the ICW directly since the ICW's Animagus Registry isn't open to the public and they do a better job of keeping the information private; most countries let anyone off the street have a gander." Deep brown eyes turned grave. "The Calvin Family registration was sealed by order of the Head of the DMLE, so I definitely wouldn't try to move it here, sir."

Ah. "It wouldn't be sealed anymore."

"No, sir," the Auror replied. "Animagi in law enforcement can have their registrations sealed, regardless of who it's filed with, but we're talking about a family registration, not a personal one."

The commander lifted a hand. "Thank you, Auror Onasi."

"Animagi?" Dr. Toth inquired curiously.

"I'll explain that during the second briefing, Doctor," Holleran rumbled. Switching back to his counterpart, he asked, "Well?"

Commander Locksley stared down at the photos, then sighed and closed her eyes. "I'll arrange it."

As soon as he walked into the room, his officers fell silent. Commander Holleran strode to the front and turned to face his men. Next to him, Locksley started to draw her wand, only to stop at Holleran's signal. Lifting his chin, the commander began, "All right, I assume everyone here has already figured out that I left quite a bit out of the first briefing."

Murmurs of assent spread through the room, all of them eyeing him speculatively.

Sorrowful, the black man returned their regard with a steady demeanor. "Everything I said up until the fire was true, if abbreviated. And it's also true that Parker was rescued from that fire. But he wasn't rescued by one of his undercover identity's criminal associates, he was rescued by a wizard. Instead of taking him to a hospital or returning him to the SRU, this wizard used a magical transportation device known as a Portkey to send him to the Colorado Rocky Mountains." Lifting a hand, he stilled the exclamations of horror. "The subject also put another magical device on Parker, one which prevented him from being able to communicate and forced him into a situation where he had to walk all the way back to Toronto." Ignoring the buzz of confusion, he looked to Team Three and their Sergeant. "Sergeant Cooper, you remember a couple months ago when Constables Callaghan and Young were snatched right before the full moon?"

The stout, muscled cop nodded, a gleam in blue eyes under his short raven hair. "Yes, sir," he replied. Then he faltered, understanding darting across his face. "Wait a sec, someone forced Parker into that animal form of his?"

Commander Holleran sighed heavily and turned to Locksley. "The first picture, please."

His counterpart tilted her chin in acknowledgement and brought out the stack of photos. She frowned a moment, then waved her wand and tapped the picture. An image expanded up and Anne directed it to the wall, enlarging it enough for everyone present to see and brightening it until every last bit of detail was evident.

Of all the pictures he'd given Locksley, the first photo was the only one he'd had already, long before Parker's undercover assignment. It had been taken a day or so after Parker had gotten out of the hospital after Fletcher Stadium. His officer had slipped into his office to explain about the magic booster he'd been dosed with and ask if Holleran wanted to see his gryphon form. Holleran had seen Greg's wary uncertainty and downright fear beneath the almost drug-high glee caused by the excess magic running through his system, but the commander had been undeniably curious about his subordinate's magical talents and not about to turn the offer down. With Parker's permission, he snapped several pictures, promising to keep them as secret as possible, especially since he'd hardly be able to explain why he had photographs of a mythical creature.

Holleran watched his officers, trying not to smile as most of them gawped at the large, impressive predator. Team Three fidgeted, all of them recognizing Parker's Animagus form, and Team Four, newly introduced to magic, whispered to each other. Sergeant Vio looked fascinated, but the others weren't nearly as enthused, with the exception of an intrigued Constable Cabrera, the team's best sniper. Winnie Camden's eyes were wide, but he could also see a touch of speculation, as if she was mentally comparing Parker's Animagus form to something else; Holleran made a note to ask later. Next to her, Kira Marlowe was fairly vibrating with questions, but kept quiet.

Even the magic-siders were interested and muttering to each other; the commander hiked a brow at his counterpart. Leaning closer, she murmured, "Most Animagi transform into non-magical animals, although a few of the stronger Animagi have half-magical forms. A purely magical Animagus form is unheard of."

"Half-magical?" Dr. Toth inquired.

Locksley turned her attention to the psychologist. "Animagi tend to be rare, but it's common knowledge that Hogwarts' Headmistress is an Animagus. Her form looks like a common tabby cat, but I've heard more than a few wizards speculate that it's actually a half-kneazle since she's known to be a powerful witch." At the doctor's arched brow and pointed look, she added, "A kneazle is a magical creature very similar to a cat, with large ears and a plumed tail."

Holleran eyed the woman skeptically. To call magical Animagus forms 'unheard of' didn't make sense to him, particularly since he knew Parker's young charges both possessed magical Animagus forms. Dismissing the issue for the moment, he turned back to his audience. "For those of you still wondering, yes, that is Lieutenant Parker."

Team Four's Constable Young lifted a hand. When Holleran nodded to him, he asked, "Parker is a wizard?"

A half-smile, half-grimace appeared. "No, he's not," the commander replied. "Lieutenant Parker's background is his own business, so all I'll say is that while he possesses a few magical abilities, he doesn't possess enough magic to be considered a full wizard." Gesturing to the image, Holleran explained, "Lieutenant Parker is what the wizarding world refers to as an Animagus; a magical with the ability to transform into a specific animal form." The grimace took over. "Unfortunately, our subject apparently knew that; the device they used is called an Animagus control collar."

Locksley stepped forward and interjected, "It would have forcibly transformed Lieutenant Parker to his Animagus form and prevented any attempts to transform back." The witch sighed heavily. "We intend to make a few discreet inquiries with the Americans and see if we can find out why their Aurors failed to help Lieutenant Parker. From what we've been able to discover thus far, Parker was found by a group of American non-magicals in the know and they contacted an American Auror."

Commander Holleran cleared his throat, pulling attention back to himself. "That part of the investigation is ongoing," he said firmly; if he let Locksley keep going, the entire briefing would be derailed. "Regardless of what occurred on American soil, the fact remains that Lieutenant Parker ended up crossing several states as well as the American-Canadian border on foot in order to return home to Toronto." He surveyed the room, then glanced at his counterpart. "The second picture, please."

"Of course," Commander Locksley replied. She flipped to the second picture in the stack and tapped it with her wand; the image on the wall flexed, switching to the new photograph.

Mentally, Holleran shuddered. The picture had been taken right before Team One had given the then mystery gryphon a bath and the animal was gaunt, ragged, and filthy. If he hadn't known that it was Parker, he never would've connected the starving, neglected creature in the second photo to the well-fed, powerful gryphon in the first. His officers gasped and two of Team Four's constables looked utterly sick as they finally put together just who had helped them stop their mind-controlled teammates and reclaim the barn.

Beside him, Toth's eyes narrowed. "Commander, perhaps we can discuss this further later?"

Turning to the psychologist, Holleran nodded once. Shifting back to his men, he gestured for Locksley to move onto the third photo: Parker's cleaned up, but still rather skinny gryphon form. "I won't embarrass Lieutenant Parker by sharing all the details, but he's going to be off work for a number of weeks. Even when he returns to duty, it will be several more weeks before he's cleared to resume a full workload."

Dark eyes closed briefly, then the commander launched into a thorough, if terse and concise outline of Parker's return as well as why he and his former team had spent an additional week undercover. In his lingering indignation at the mayor's utter gall, the commander opted not to hide the politician's self-serving decision to give Parker three options or the utter idiocy that had led him to hire the twin brother of Toronto's most notorious crime lord. Although he skated over the details of Team One's week undercover, Holleran did make it clear that the Castor Troy chapter of the city's history was finally closed. He capped his explanation with a reminder that Parker's rank was brand-new and thus his duties would likely be flexible until they could hammer out the details, but he would definitely be the first point of contact for the SRU's Sergeants once he was pronounced medically sound and cleared for full duty.

With the second briefing concluded, Holleran dismissed his men and watched as they departed, fresh gossip flying and intense discussions sprouting up right before his eyes. Pinching the bridge of his nose against a sudden headache, the commander wondered if he'd end up paying for his decision to brief the barn on Parker's entire history with Castor Troy. There was, after all, a reason Constable Parker had asked that the arrest be buried and forgotten all those years ago.

"I'm sure they will gossip for several days, but after that, other, far more interesting matters will take priority."

Holleran turned his head, unsurprised that Dr. Toth had figured out what he was thinking. "Really."

Toth nodded. "You were there, Commander; it is history, yes, but it is your history." A tiny shrug. "For them, it is only history. Intriguing to be sure, particularly since Parker is one of them, but they were not directly affected by Castor Troy's actions." A thin smile. "And Parker's reputation in the SRU has far more to do with his work in the unit and his skill at negotiation than anything he did as a young constable."

Commander Holleran considered the doctor's points, then inclined his head in acceptance. "You think I made the right call?"

"I do," Dr. Toth replied. "Better that you set the record straight from the outset than to leave Parker relating the whole miserable story himself however many times he might have been asked about it." The psychologist's expression turned grave. "I fear he will have enough trauma to deal with as it is."

"Let's go back to my office," Holleran suggested, not particularly wanting anyone to overhear the psychologist's assessment of his lieutenant's mental state.

Dr. Toth nodded acceptance and Holleran noted that Commander Locksley fell in behind him as well. When he cast her a skeptical look, she glared right back. "Parker is my subordinate, too, Commander."

Since that was true enough, Holleran sighed, nodded, and led the way back to his office. Once back in his office, he closed the door behind his companions and crossed to his desk. Rather than go around it and sit down, he leaned against the wood and regarded the psychologist and the witch. They made, he admitted, if only to himself, a highly unlikely trio. Two non-magicals and a witch. Two cops and a psychologist with a well-earned reputation for team-busting. And yet, all of them had been united in doing their best to thwart Castor Troy's decades-old revenge on Greg Parker.

With that in mind, Holleran eyed Dr. Toth. "Perhaps you could start with your concerns, Doctor?"

Toth returned Holleran's regard with a solemn, worried expression. "How badly is he injured?"

The commander winced. "Sergeant Lane's assessment put it best; Parker walked every bit of skin off his hands and feet."

Locksley hissed in open dismay and Toth closed his eyes in pure anguish.

"He's physically unable to stand for longer than a few minutes at a stretch and the Healer believes he has nerve damage." The commander heaved a sigh. "His magical core suffered a partial shutdown while Team One was undercover and I know he's currently on a restricted diet. Soup and nutrient potions for another week; his system quite literally cannot handle anything more than that."

"With all of that, you gave him a promotion rather than retirement?" Dr. Toth demanded.

"You called in Baird Queenscove, didn't you?" Locksley interjected.

Holleran arched a brow. "That was Junior Auror Queenscove's recommendation."

The blonde witch nodded and flicked a look at Toth. "Baird is one of the best Healers Magical Canada has, Dr. Toth. If anyone can get Lieutenant Parker back on his feet, he can."

"Your Healers can treat nerve damage and the physical damage caused by long-term abuse and starvation?" Toth inquired, almost acidic.

"It won't be a swift recovery, but, yes, Doctor, they can," Locksley countered.

The psychologist frowned, switching back to Holleran. "Even assuming the physical damage can be recovered from, Commander, the psychological damage caused by such a sequence of events…" He shook his head. "Lieutenant Parker spent two months in extreme isolation! Separated from friends and family, trapped in animal form, unable to communicate in any fashion whatsoever…it's a miracle he's still sane." Again, the doctor shook his head, expression twisting in something like grief. "Even with just a picture, I could see almost every bone in his body. To be that thin, that starved…I have little doubt he went for days at a time without much, if any, food. Such a state is not simply physical – particularly if he ended up scavenging for whatever he could find." The psychologist stopped, visibly shuddering at his own implication and unwilling to carry his thought to its ultimate conclusion. After a few moments, Toth snapped, "To say nothing of the fact that he was forced undercover and ordered to deceive both his teammates and his family!" Dismay shone. "You cannot possibly be considering returning him to duty without counseling."

Commander Holleran scowled. "Dr. Toth, although I could certainly send Parker to a psychiatrist over the undercover assignment and its fallout, the rest of his ordeal falls under the Official Secrets Act."

"Which unfortunately includes the fire and his rescue," Locksley murmured.

The black man flicked a glance at his counterpart. "Commander, are there any wizarding psychiatrists that you know of?"

The blonde considered for several long moments before shaking her head in regret. "I have heard tell of some Healers trained in the art of mind-healing, Commander, but that would be no good to Parker." At the confused looks she received from both men, she shook her head again. "Lieutenant Parker is a Squib-born Wild Mage, Commander Holleran. Wild Mages are known to be highly resistant to any sort of mind magic." A thin, mirthless smile. "That means that he's immune to the Imperius Curse, but it also means he's immune to Legilimency. What little I know about mind-healers is that they use Legilimency to help their patients confront traumatic memories."

Toth's eyes widened in horror. "They read their patients' minds?"

Locksley glared at him. "They are Oath-bound to keep their patients' secrets, Dr. Toth," she snapped. In a calmer tone, she added, "In any case, Parker's native magic renders the option moot. Even if he were to give permission, his power would block any sort of mental intrusion."

Holleran held up a hand before an indignant Toth could voice his opinion of reading another person's mind – even to him, it sounded like a terrible invasion of privacy, more likely to cause mental trauma than heal it. "So that option is out." The commander pinched the bridge of his nose again. "Dr. Toth, I appreciate everything you've brought to light, but unless you can come up with an idea that doesn't violate the Official Secrets Act, I'm afraid we'll have to muddle through ourselves." Lifting his head, he met Toth's gaze. "Rest assured, I will keep as close an eye on Lieutenant Parker as I can once he returns to duty. Since that's not likely to happen for another few months, he'll hopefully have time to recover both physically and mentally."

The psychologist scowled, his distaste for the situation plain. "Are you intending to have Team One recruit another member now that Sergeant Lane is comfortable in his position?"

Holleran blinked at the subject change, but nodded. "I am. SRU policy is for all teams to run with seven members; Team One has been down a man since this mess started."

"I would reconsider that if I were you," Dr. Toth remarked. "I realize that Lieutenant Parker cannot officially be on any SRU teams now or in the future, but I suspect the only thing tethering him to sanity is his former team. If you replace him, you risk robbing him of support that he desperately needs right now." The psychologist paused, expression pointed. "Likewise, I suspect that Team One still regards Lieutenant Parker as their leader. The team's authority structure may have changed, but so long as Parker is a member of the SRU, I have little doubt that they will find ways to defer to him whenever possible."

"You believe they would undermine Sergeant Lane?"

The doctor scoffed. "It wouldn't be undermining, not when Sergeant Lane will be just as guilty as the rest." The psychologist paused, deliberately and pointedly. "Commander, what you fail to understand is how much your top team relies on each other." He shook his head. "When I first arrived here a year ago to evaluate them, I was impressed and appalled in equal measure. They are one of the best teams I have had the pleasure of working with, but they are co-dependent on each other to an extent that frightens me. Parker's removal nearly broke them, even before that atrocious fire." Solemn, he gazed at his companions. "If you demand that Team One find a new team member, they will obey, but I have little doubt that such a team member would be temporary at best."

Holleran froze. He'd never considered that. Never thought about just how much Team One relied on each other. It had been necessary, particularly when they'd been the only SRU team cleared to know about the wizarding world, but the consequences… "Doctor, are you saying that Team One is incapable of working with a new teammate?"

"In the short term, I imagine it would work, if awkwardly," Toth replied. "Long term, however…" He shook his head. "Commander, I would not be surprised if losing one of them ultimately ends with losing all of them. They need each other, on an instinctive, primal level. I doubt they are even consciously aware of that need." He tilted his head towards Locksley. "Perhaps it is even a magical bond, if you will."

The commander swung to his counterpart. "Is that possible?"

The blonde witch swallowed hard. "I don't know," she admitted. "But if Dr. Toth is correct, I suspect only a Healer would be able to tell us one way or another." The Auror Commander grimaced. "Unfortunately, such a magical bond would fall squarely under Healer-Patient confidentiality."

Grim, Holleran stared at the ground. "So, you're saying that Parker needs to be a member of Team One?"

Toth sighed. "It need not be official, Commander Holleran. To take away his new rank is unnecessary, particularly after you have invested such time and effort in promoting him. But leave Team One as a six-man team and make it clear that Parker has a standing invitation to join them during their shifts." The psychologist considered, then nodded thoughtfully. "In fact, given Parker's tendency to lead from the front, I suggest that you allow him to continue to go on hot calls, whether it be with Team One or one of your other teams. It will keep him fresh and allow him to maintain a balance between his new duties and his need to be with his men."

Now there was an idea… Holleran's frown turned thoughtful and he started to nod. "It would have to wait until Parker is physically recovered, but that's a sound proposal, Doctor." A sense of glee emerged. "I believe I can make that work…"

Yes, yes, it would need planning and he'd have to maneuver the apostles until the next year's budget, but if Toth's idea panned out… The commander felt his glee grow at the idea of a challenge, one which would make his men even more effective than they already were. It never occurred to the commander that it was far easier to focus on the challenge of 'keeping' Parker on Team One whilst not keeping him on Team One than to think through the implications of Toth's grim revelation regarding his best people.

[1] Latin for 'loud; noisy'

Author note: It is the Friday after Palm Sunday and that's means it's Good Friday. It also means this Sunday is Easter Sunday, the most important date on the Christian calendar. To honor the occasion of our Lord and Savior's Resurrection, I will be posting a oneshot outtake from "The OMAC Project".

In the meantime, I hope everyone enjoyed and have a Good Friday.