Tag to 1x05. My take on how the conversation with Bam Bam should've gone. After a long, hard mission, Wyatt needs a good friend to set him straight.

"Hey, Bam Bam!" Wyatt called down the stairs. "Hold on." Baumgartner paused and turned, a grin spreading across his face.

"Wyatt Logan! What are you doing here?" He asked, pulling the other man into a firm hug. As they pulled apart, he frowned. Wyatt looked terrible. He was pale, his eyes bloodshot and surrounded by dark circles. Dozens of fresh cuts and bruises littered the man's skin and there was a rather painful looking gash near his hairline. Beyond that, Baumgartner could also see the lines of stress and fatigue etched into his friend's face. Years of serving with Wyatt had taught him how to look for just those signs.

"Heard you were stealing our oxygen." Wyatt said hoarsely, the attempt at normal banter sounding forced.

"Well, they dragged me down from Pendleton – won't tell me crap – now they're flying me back." Baumgartner glanced pointedly at the powder burns on Wyatt's hand. "Don't suppose you know what's going on?"

"What do you think?" Wyatt said, a faint smile playing across his lips.

"I figured. Fact that you're here means this thing's seriously FUBAR." Wyatt laughed to himself, but, like before, it sounded false and brittle. "It's good seeing you." Baumgartner paused, scrutinizing the other man. Wyatt's eyes had the jumpy look he usually only saw in junkies…and men fresh out of combat. "You doing okay, Logan?" Wyatt frowned.
"What do you mean?"

"Come on. I know you better than anyone. You look like you went ten rounds with the Hulk and your hands are shaking. What've they got you doing?"

"I…I can't…" Wyatt stammered, clearly taken aback by the question. "You know I can't tell you."

"Did they at least let you get some down time? You're looking rough, man. How long have you been back from whatever they just had you doing?"

"About forty-five minutes, why?"

"Why? Jesus…look, I get it, you can't tell me what's going on, but you know as well as I do what'll if you don't take time to decompress after a firefight. How long are they giving you between missions?" Wyatt paused and thought back.

"Depends. Sometimes it's a day, sometimes it's a few hours. But I'm fine. Little tired, sure, but nothing I haven't done before, right?" He said, clapping Baumgartner on the shoulder in an attempt at levity.

"Wyatt, don't just brush this off." Baumgartner warned. "Take some time and get your head straight. Right now you look like you're barely holding it together. Talk to someone." Wyatt looked away. Baumgartner took a seat on the metal bench and, after a moment, Wyatt joined him.

"Must've been rough." Baumgartner said quietly.

"Yeah." Was all Wyatt said, all he could say.

"You know, the guys back at base, they're all worried about you. First you stop picking up the phone, then you go off the grid. We stopped by your place and all we found was a lot of empty bottles. Next thing we know, we're being told you've been assigned to something with Homeland."

"Yeah." Wyatt repeated, his gaze drilling holes in the tile floor. Baumgartner put a hand on his shoulder.

"Look, I know you're still dealing with what happened to Jess…and with what happened in Syria. I just want to make sure that you're up for whatever this is." Wyatt took a moment, then nodded.

"This assignment," he said slowly "is all that's keeping me sane now." He admitted. "It's hard, but it's important. My team's good."

"Good. Make sure you have each other's backs. I don't wanna hear about you coming back injured." Baumgartner said. He gave Wyatt's shoulder a squeeze, then stood. "I gotta catch my ride, but promise you'll keep in touch, alright? I get that you can't tell me specifics, but you can still talk to me."

"Promise. And…I'm sorry about before. I shouldn't have shut you guys out like that." Baumgartner smiled.

"Just remember you've still got all of us behind you. I'll see you soon, Wyatt. Take care of yourself." They embraced once more, clapping each other on the back.

"You too, Bam Bam."

As Baumgartner walked out of the room, Wyatt sat back down on the bench. Ever since they'd first served together, Bam Bam had always been able to talk him down and set him straight. It calmed him to know that at least that hadn't changed. Earlier he'd told Lucy that he had no one left, but as he sat there, he began to realize that that wasn't exactly true. He still had ten guys back at base who he loved like brothers and could count on for anything. Now today, after seeing the way Lucy and Rufus had fought for him, the loneliness eased. There was still the gaping hole in his life that was Jess, but at least for now, the emptiness didn't feel as bad.