The place looked nearly the exact same as it had the last time Tom had seen it, aside from the new wheelchair access accomadations. He let his eyes wonder around the busy work space, per usual Ioki and Hoffs were having some intense debate over at his desk, Booker was working on some paperwork while talking on the phone in the desk next to that. Blowfish was even busy this morning, working on the electrical socket near the fridge in the middle of the chapel. Captain Fuller was no where around, but that was not unusual, Tom was more than sure that he was in his office screaming at someone on the telephone, wiether it be about a case, another precinct... anything.

Although a sense of happiness washed over him as they entered into the room it was quickly shadowed and erased by a feeling of uneasy sickness that embedded its self into his stomach. It was almost enough to make him vomit, he closed his eyes tightly and leaned back in his chair.

"HEEEEY!" Ioki hopped down from where he was sitting on his desk Judy close behind him. "Welcome back Hanson..." His brows furrow slightly, "You alright?"

"Yeah." The chair bound man smiled opening his eyes and shaking the man's hand who now stood next to him, "Perfect."

"It's wonderful to see you back here." Judy chimed in, " Penhall tell you we switched desks for the time being?"

"Yeah, thanks..."

"Oh please." She smiled, "I'll be glad to get rid of Booker, he's your problem now." She was refering to the fact that Bookers desk was right next to the one Hanson would now be using.

"Gee thanks..."

"Hanson!"

"Hey Blow." Hanson smiled even though he was incresingly becoming even more uncomfortable than he originally was nearly everyones attention now on him, he felt as though he were some sort of circus act. Everyone of course, except for Dennis.

Dennis was actually the exact opposite, he hadn't even looked up from the paperwork in front of him, it was like he was deliberately avoiding the situation in the front section of the chapel... Or maybe deliberately avoiding Tom was more accurate.

"FULLER!" Penhall screamed loud enough that the others were sure they saw the walls shake.

"What is it Penh-" Captain Fuller smiled when he saw who was there waiting, "Hanson!"

"Hiya Coach."

"How does it feel to be back?" He asked approaching the small cluster of people.

"I'm not to sure yet, gimmie a few hours then ask me again."

"Just remember to take things nice and slow..."

"I know."

"And I'm sure if you need anything Booker will be happy to help." His voice rose slightly. "Won't you Dennis?"

"Yeah sure." Came the mumbled response.

"Is he alright?" Tom asked his voice lowered to no more than a whisper.

"Just give him time Tom." The captain smiled almost sadly patting his shoulder, "Why don't you go get settled in?" He then redirected his attention to the others, "You three I need you in my office please..."

"Of course Cap." Penhall nodded, "Be there in a minute."

Taking Hanson over to his desk he put the break on, "Here you go man, if you need anything theres the intercom button there, press it and one of us will come running alright."

"Sure."

"Is there anything I can get for you?"

"No I'm alright,"

"Okay, you sure?"

"Doug go." Tom smiled as politely as he could manage up at the bigger man.

The minute Doug was out of his sight and the others were gone as well, this eerie silence began to naw at Tom... He could almost feel the sweat beginning to form on his upper lip and brow as he swollowed and found himnself glancing over in Booker's direction through the corner of his eye.

He should talk to him, he should say something... But he knew that even the sight of him made Booker uncomfortable, he knew that their first converstation was not going to be any easy one... And he wasn't to sure now was the time as he ran a hand through his haie and began trying to take his focus off the inner termoils chewing and gagging on his insides by looking at the case file in front of him...

"Something is missing here..." He mumbled a moment later as he had read the paperwork in front of him three times now and still couldn't seem to put it together. Closing the file he rested his head back on his hands and closed his eyes for a moment, it seemed a whole lot easier to work when all he had to do was go out and catch the bad guy, then do his own paperwork and be done with it.

Booker could feel his heart rate speed up as he heard the man not more than 10 feet from him sigh and glanced up to see that he was so vastly approaching his wits end, he should go talk to him, he should go see if he could help, this being Tom's first day back... he should be there for him like a friend would... Even though the two of them had always had this awkward hate love friendship thing going on.

Only taking seconds to argue with himself he rose to his feet smoothing out and fidgeting with his jacket as he closed the distance between their desks now finding himself standing right in fron't of Hanson's. "Hey..." His voice was half a mumble as he scratched his upper lip.

Opening his eyes Tom felt a sense of shock come over him as a small smile graced his lips trying to make the other man more comfortable knowing that this had to have been really hard for him to do. "Hey..."

"You uhhhh, you need anything?" His hand now went from his lip to scraching the back of his head as he fidgeted nervously. "I mean you seem like, you know something is bugging you..."

Tom Exhaled loudly a signal that he was letting his guard down even if it was only for a moment, finding even in their awkward convesation and current situation that he could probibly be the most honest with Booker out of everyone he knew, "I just... I'm beginning to wonder if it was the right decision to come back here, I never thought it would be like this you know?"

Dennis nodded moving a few papers to the corner of Hanson's desk and taking a seat on it's edge although he still found his insides twisted part of him... some small part was slowly becoming at ease and actually wanted to be thewre listening. "I know that it's got to be rough..."

"It's just... First you know, everyone is fondling me, wanting to be close to me..." He looked up briefly, "Almost everyone anyway, and they won't just let me get back to work they have to be worried and shadow me... treat me as though I'm glass and I'm going to shatter at any moment..."

"They're worried."

"I know... but then you know... Then on the other hand... I just... I don't know if I can handle the other aspects of being back here, it's not like it was... before the shooting, before the accident, I actually liked my job then... Now all I see are the memories of that day, all I feel is sickness and disgust and... I just this place is nausiating... It makes me want to scream or something."

"What happened Tommy, it is going to stay with you for a long time no matter where you are, and sure being back here," Booker swollowed and inhaled slowly, "You know being where it happened, that's going to bring on stronger feelings then any other time... but your strong man, and once we catch this fucker those too will go away..."

"He could be across the world by now, we're not going to catch him..."

"He shot a cop Hanson, that's not just something they let go of."

"Still... I just,-" Hanson's phone rang interuppting the conversation and he held his finger up toward Booker as he picked it up, "Hanson here."

There was a brief pause before he spoke again, "Don't call me here." He grunted into the reciever, "Tell him that I won't be coming in... ever." He stated very calmly before setting the piece back on it's base.

"Who was that?" Dennis' brow cocked slightly,

"No one...Listen... these walls are beginning to close in on me, I don't smoke but do yo;u want to you know go out and have a cigarette..."

"Yeah." Booker stood up, "Yeah sure."

"Great." Hanson reached down undoing his break and rolling out from behind the desk,

"Do uh, do you you know want me to push you or something?" Booker offered clearing his throat and biting his lip softly,

"If-" Tom glanced up and shook his head seeing the discomfort in the man before him, "You know whatr I got it, I can use the excersise."

"Alright."

Penhall just so happened to be exiting Fullers office Ioki close on his heels as their eyes found the pair exiting the building, "well would you look at that Iokage...It worked like a charm."

"Yeah... I guess Fuller was right." Ioki chuckled patting Penhall on the back shortly before moving around him.

Thanks so much for all your reviews and such, I love critics, and honest opinions so please continue to share them with me, these past few chapters have been harder for me to write, because I know where I want this to go... but it's got to get there, does that make sense? Also I wanted to let all of you know that I will not write slash, so there is no slash in this story, I just can't do it sorry... I do however believe that friendship is a beautiful thing and that is what I love to build on so anyway... stay tuned.

Rosebud