Only a couple more chapters! I hope you're still enjoying the story!
Now let's see how things are progressing... ;)
Greg walked a few steps ahead of Russell and Nick when they left the briefing room. The shame he felt was just too much, he didn't want Russell and Nick to see it.
"So Greg, you actually attacked her?" Nick asked a bit careful, but with amusement in his voice.
Greg knew there was no way around this talk, so he slowed down to let them keep up with him. "I snapped, alright? It won't happen again and I feel bad... It almost cost us in there. But I didn't cause the bruise!"
It actually helped. The DA didn't believe it was Greg who gave Mrs. Douglas the bruises – he didn't, she made Tyler do it to make it all more dramatic – but instead was as shocked about Greg's behavior as he was himself, which lead him to get an extension on the restraining order. Mrs. Douglas would have to stay a longer distance away from the guys from now on.
"Well honestly, I'm surprised you didn't slap her. I probably would've." Nick patted him on the back.
"What?" Greg stopped. "Nick, despite of all what she did to us, we shouldn't take our anger out on her."
"Would it be better to take it out on someone who isn't responsible for our anger? Don't beat yourself up for what you did, it was about time someone showed her he wouldn't take her shit anymore."
Greg started walking again to keep up with his colleagues. "Russell, you're quiet since we walked out of there. You're disappointed in me, right?"
Russell gave Greg a smile. "Do you want me to? You guys had to endure a lot and it's all because of this woman. I'm not surprised you snapped. Well, actually... I'm on Nick's side. I'm surprised you didn't snap sooner. Or harder."
Greg shook his head. He knew they were right, but for some reason he felt like he needed to feel bad about this. "It was stupid. I should've ignored her, that's what I should've done!"
Russell and Nick rolled their eyes. They were a bit proud of Greg for trying to be mature, but they also didn't think Mrs. Douglas deserved that. "The DA realized how bad you guys were traumatized by that woman, he extended the restraining order, it served a good purpose, that's the important part."
Three days later, Henry was walking around the lab rather lost. He was hungover and it showed. He looked horribly tired and confused.
"Hey man, where are you? I was waiting in your lab for almost ten minutes and you didn't show up," Nick said as he was walking up to the lab rat.
"Sorry. I was... Oh yeah right! I wanted to get coffee!" He walked towards the break room.
"This is your third coffee break! I need my results, man!"
"You'll get them, don't worry... Should I survive this day, that is."
"What happened to you?" Nick asked laughing as he followed Henry inside the break room. "Wild night?"
Henry walked towards the coffee machine, but hit his leg at the chair Greg was sitting in on his way there. "Dammit!"
"Watch your step," Greg said teasing.
"Could you all stop talking, please? My head's killing me..."
"Why did you drink that much when you knew you had to come to work the following day?" Nick asked grinning.
"No, Nick, that's not the important question," Greg chimed in. "The important question is... Why are you texting me weird things when you're drunk, Henry? Is there anything you want to tell me but are afraid I might reject you?"
"...What kind of weird things?" Henry had a rather scared look on his face.
"Relax." Greg giggled. "You said you missed me and stuff like that... When I didn't reply, you seemed to be getting angry."
"I did? I'm sorry... I don't even remember texting you!" He patted himself down. "...Where's my phone?" Nick sat down next to Greg while Henry was getting hysterical. "I need my phone! I... I couldn't have... damn!"
"Calm down, maybe you forgot it at home," Nick suggested.
"No, I had it with me last night and I didn't take it out when I came home today..."
Greg raised an eyebrow as he grinned. "Where did you spend the night, tiger?"
"...What is this, an interrogation?! Mind your own business!"
"I would, but you don't have my results ready." Nick got off his seat and got himself a cup of coffee.
"Oh that's bad..." Henry sat down on the seat Nick just got off of and put his head on the table. "Very bad..."
"What is? You lost your phone, that sucks, but it's not the end of the world." Greg tried to cheer him up. They enjoyed making fun of their colleague when he was just hangover, but he was feeling down now.
"...Wallet's gone, too."
"...Okay, I have to ask. Did a girl flirt with you to rob you?"
"No! Stop saying that!" Henry exclaimed. "I'm sure it's a coincidence... I'll just call Gillian and ask her about it..." He reached down in his pocket, only to remind himself again that his phone was gone. "Dammit!"
The guys couldn't help but laugh. "I hope she was worth it."
"You know, it was weird... It never happened to me before that a girl approached me at a bar. I should've known she was up to something."
Hodges walked in, slamming some files on the table. "Russell wants you to have these."
"What's up with you?" Greg asked, rather shocked at how pissed Hodges looked.
"I'm not his mailman, you know. I'm a busy man, I have better things to do than to play messenger for Russell!" He walked over the coffee machine to fix himself a cup.
"Not too busy to get coffee, huh?" Nick said smirking.
While Nick and Hodges started bickering, Henry grabbed the files on the table. "What the hell?!" he yelled.
"...What?" Greg asked startled, giving him a confused look.
Henry looked Greg up and down. "...Nothing. Uhm... Hodges, you got a minute?"
They walked outside of the break room. Henry had the files clenched in his hand. "Hodges... Who is she?"
"Who? Mrs. Douglas?" Hodges looked at the picture Henry was holding up. "Nick's latest stalker. Why? You've never seen her before?"
"No! Nobody tells me anything! Gosh! It's like I'm not even part of the team, I..." he started rambling.
"...Any particular reason you're asking?"
When Henry wanted to start talking, Nick walked up to them. "Henry, I need my results. I'll wait in the lab..."
Henry was silent until Nick was out of sight. "This woman... It's Gillian!"
"No, her name's Cheryl." Hodges was getting confused and annoyed. "Maybe you should get home until you're sober."
"I am! Listen to me! That's Gilian, the woman I've been with yesterday!"
"...No way!"
"Yeah! And I'm pretty sure she stole my wallet and my cell phone and was texting Greg yesterday with it!"
Henry didn't see Greg walking up to him when he said that. "...What did you just say?"
Henry sighed desperate. "Nothing..."
"You had sex with Mrs. Douglas?!"
As Greg was taking more steps closer to Henry, the lab rat backed up. "I-I didn't know!"
"...And you let her steal your cell phone?" Greg thought about it for a second. "The messages make sense now..."
"Greg, I'm so sorry! Please don't tell Nick!"
"I'll have to tell him! And Russell! ...And the DA. And everyone else who wants to know!"
"Calm down, okay? It's not like I wanted to sleep with Nick's stalker! I didn't know who she was!"
"Everybody in this frickin' lab knows what she looks like, but you don't?!" Greg wasn't able to calm down right now. He was furious.
"Okay, yelling at him won't help matters now, Sanders. Take a deep breath and calm down." Hodges tried to intervene, but it didn't help much. Greg kept on yelling. All the frustration and anger building up for weeks were coming out now, hitting poor Henry. When the two lab rats realized they wouldn't be able to calm Greg down, they decided to wait for him to calm down eventually. They both stood there and listened to his rant.
Russell's attention was brought on the three when he walked by. "Whoa, what is going on here?"
"Henry sle... He... Gosh, I'm so angry, I can't even say it! You tell him!" Greg turned around and walked a few steps.
"Maybe we should talk inside your office..." Henry led Russell away from the scene and into the office.