AN: Wow, thank you so much for reading this. Almost at 1000 views on this story! I'm not done this story right now, but I'll start focusing on other characters soon.

After Myles got changed out of his dirty clothes, and bandaged from the scratches caused by the fallen tree, everyone resumed life and proceeded to gather in the cottage's living room. After Wanda provided her guests with a cup of tea, she and Gregory decided to leave the room to give Jack, Sue and Myles some privacy. The aura in the air was intense and awkward, and they both knew that there was more to the story than what they were aware of, and that whatever their problem was, it needed to be settled now. Wanda desperately wanted to eavesdrop on their conversation, but Gregory told her that she would regret her actions. Something inside told him that this conversation wasn't gossip worthy and wasn't going to be pretty.

For a minute, Sue and Jack played the staring game with their friend. What could they say? Where would they start? Both of them felt betrayed by Myles' actions. Weren't they friends and considered each other family? Or were they led astray? To Myles, were they only co-workers and nothing more? It was hard to tell. Finally, Myles started:

"I told you not to follow me. Why did you do it?"

Jack was on the defensive, "It's kind of hard not to, Myles. You left without telling anyone."

Myles responded, "I told my sister."

This was new. Jack squinted, "Myles, she's in Europe. She can't help you if something happens."

Myles shrugged. "What does it matter? I don't have to tell anyone where I'm going. Don't tell me that you two would not do the same? If I were in your position, would I let you be? Of course. What business is yours to me? I'm not your dad."

Jack said, "You left your phone at home."

"Wanda and her husband had a no phone policy. What else was I to do? Your point?"

Sue's blood was starting to boil. He obviously didn't want to talk to them. "Myles, I know where you are coming from, but let's be honest, you are not well. You've been through so much lately and we need to make sure you're alright."

"I'm fine."

Sue frowned. Jack be damned. "If having a massive panic attack after Jack and Bobby put you on forced vacation is any indication that you're fine, then you are the king of denial."

Jack blinked. Myles had a panic attack? He didn't prod any further; instead, he let Sue talk. "The day you left, I tried texting you all afternoon to make sure you were alright, but you didn't answer me. Jack and Bobby tried getting a hold of you too, but you weren't answering them either, so we grew worried. You just shot and killed someone the day before, and you were now on your own, so we wanted to check up on you, and see if there is anything we could help you with around your house."

Jack added, "Your TV and house lights were on, and your car was still in your driveway, so we assumed that you were home. Like Sue said, we tried calling and texting you outside, but you were MIA…"

Myles scoffed, "So you broke into my home?"

Jack replied, "I'm sorry Myles, but we had no choice."

"No choice? Jack, that's breaking and entering."

Having enough, Sue exclaimed, "Shut up! Myles, we thought you killed yourself! Bobby, Jack and I were so worried about you...we were scared…I was scared! Every time I opened a closet, or opened a bathroom door, I thought I was going to find a dead body!" She shook her head. "God, it's so messed up how I was preparing myself for that outcome."

Myles was silent. He could see that Sue's eyes were starting to water. Was she really that hurt and angry by his actions? He better apologize soon, or their friendship could be severely damaged, and Jack could have his head.

Jack still refused to talk. Sue was furious with Myles, and she'd been holding in that fury for a while now; she needed to let it out. "Then, we thought you were lost, and confused somewhere in the city. And we thought that if we didn't find you soon, you would be seriously hurt or dead.

Myles waved a hand. He tried to brush her off, "Sue, I would have been fine."

But Sue didn't back down, "Don't be stupid. You know what you're like when you're having a bad episode, and you can't remember anything. Myles, it's heartbreaking seeing a personality like you slowly deteriorate. All I can do right now is be mad but also thank the Lord that you're alright when we found out you went off with someone."

The more Sue talked, the more Myles was tempted to ask how they found him, but they were FBI agents, so there was really no point in finding out. He licked his lips, then said, "I called you at work to let you know I was fine. That should have been enough to give you some assurance of my safety and leave me alone. Why do you care so much anyway? We're just friends. I'm not your dad. I'm not your fiance. Jack is…"

"I CARE!" Sue, in the heat of the moment, threw her full tea cup at the nearest wall, causing the glass to shatter into dozens of pieces. Both Jack and Myles flinched. She rose to her feet, aimed a finger at the man, and scolded him, "I care because you're my friend, and I see you as my awkward big brother! I also care, because I already put so much time and energy into helping you! For years, I've been there during your panic attacks at work, on the phone, and at your home when Anne was away and you really needed someone there. There were a few times that I was ready to call 911, because you were on the verge of passing out. I was there, because you asked me to, and I wanted to!"

Myles exhaled; obviously, everything was starting to come out now. A lot of this information from Sue was going to be new to Jack.

Sue continued, "I've also helped you find good physicians, psychiatrists that can handle you, specific programs that you've shown interest in taking, and have given you second opinions when you ask them of me. Not only that, but I know everything your psychiatrist talks to you about, the programs you're on, your specific diets, your allergies and your medications. Oh, don't look at me like that; just by your behavior at work alone, and how you were looking at everybody in the last month, I could tell that you weren't taking your medication properly. I also knew that you've stopped seeing Dr. Sanchez three weeks ago, which is another conversation altogether."

Myles raised his voice. "Then, let's talk about it now that it's exposed!"

Jack looked away. Myles' situation was worse than he thought. Now he didn't feel so bad that he put his teammate on forced vacation.

Sue said, "No, like I said, that's a different conversation entirely. I'm trying to get through your thick skull everything that I've done for you since I found you in that staircase having a panic attack six years ago! Out of the goodness of my heart, I taught Levi - my hearing dog - stuff that a PTSD service dog is required to know.

Levi, laying by Sue's feet, whined.

Sue said, "I trained him to help you through your panic attacks, to turn the lights on and off for you, and grab you your medication and water at work if you suddenly needed it. I did all of that for you. You didn't force me. I did that! And this is how you repay me?!"

Myles didn't really know what to say. He'd angered Sue before on several occasions, but this may be a first that she truly unleashed her wrath upon him. "Sue," he tried negotiating, but the woman didn't want to hear it.

Sue's voice started to quiver, "I gave up so much to help you. You have no idea! Not only did I take time out of my life to train Levi, or spend hours on the internet at home finding help for you, but I lied to people. Anytime anyone would ask us why we would leave the room abruptly, or someone would question if you are alright, I would lie! I defended you…I was there for you…and the worst part about all of this, is that I wanted to help you so badly…because I wanted to be your friend, and I thought that helping you with your PTSD was the only way we could find some sort of connection. And we found it…through our problems…telling each other our secrets." She shook her head. "I wish we could have connected some other way, but at the time, I was just a circus freak."

Myles quickly said, "Sue, you're not a circus act. I apologized to you years ago about how I treated you. I'm sorry if you haven't forgiven me, and if my remarks still hurt you to this day…"

"It's not that," Sue said, "I forgave you for that. I just feel…betrayed right now. By leaving without telling us in your vulnerable state, you made me feel like all my hard work was for nothing…just a waste of my time. You made me feel like we weren't friends at all…that I'm still just a co-worker to you." Sue clenched her jaw. She wanted to cry, but only if she were alone with Jack. She hated showing weakness in front of a man like Myles. Before things could get more heated, Sue decided to leave the vicinity, and left through the front door of the cottage.

Before Jack could go after Sue, Myles said, "Sit. I caused this problem, so I'll deal with it."

Myles then set his tea down, and ran after Sue himself to settle this once and for all. For some reason, Jack listened to Myles, but his friend's words didn't stop him from looking out the nearest window and watching the scene unfold. He was hoping that the two weren't going to kill each other, just like the old days.

Outside, Sue didn't get very far before Myles grasped her arm and turned her around to face him. She started to fight him, and throw pathetic punches, but he was able to restrain her. He wanted to tell her to calm down, but he needed her to see his lips, so he grasped both sides of her face, and forced her to look at him. "Sue, look at my words right now."

Sue gave him her full attention.

Continuing to hold her still, Myles said, "Do not EVER think that I am not appreciative of everything you've done. When you do something extraordinary for me, I feel terrible, because I don't know how I can express my appreciation and provide for you in return. The only way I could think of at the time was an eye for an eye; I tell you my secrets, and you can tell me yours. And you were fine with that. You told me your unrequited love for Jack when you were both too chicken to act on your feelings, I kept when you went and almost got yourself killed in Chicago and I had to save your sorry behind a secret, and I know you have a phobia for chipmunks. I'm sorry that you found that this was the only way we could have become friends, but…I didn't know what else to do after you found me having an anxiety attack in that staircase. I'm certain that we might have found another way to connect, but we cannot dwell on what could have been."

Sue tried looking away, but Myles wouldn't let her.

"Sue, I'm not an easy guy to get along with. You know this first hand. I've got flaws. I'm arrogant, I have an ego the size of Jupiter, I'm judgemental, awkward, a burden, and I tend to mess up a lot…"

Sue couldn't believe what she was seeing. Myles was finally opening himself up and intentionally making himself vulnerable. It was pleasing, yet shocking to see. Normally, when they would have private discussions, or engage in friendly chit chat, he spoke in a stoic manner, and was sarcastic, but no matter how serious the discussion, it still seemed like he was hiding how he truly felt. "I'm sorry that I hurt you. I feel awful. It's one of the last things I'd ever want to do to you after everything you've done for me. At the time, I was confused, vulnerable, and could be persuaded easily. I had the mindset that I was a burden, so I should leave the people that care about me for a while and figure out things for myself without weighing anyone down. I made myself believe that you all hated me…"

Sue interrupted, "What? How?"

"Jack and Bobby put me on leave, and you and Tara hate me because I killed Diana."

Tears welled up in Sue's eyes. "I don't know about everyone else, but I'm not mad at you about Diana. I'm mad about you leaving without telling us in your condition. If you were well, I wouldn't bat an eye, but…you're sick…it's different."

Myles let the woman go. "Y-you don't hate me? But I killed a little girl."

Sue shook her head, the tears threatening to fall, "I don't care about Diana, Myles. She was a little girl who made a mistake. That's over now. I care about my friends, especially those I consider family."

Myles nodded. "I understand. I am so, so sorry for leaving everyone the way I did; especially you who worked so hard to get me better. But I was getting worse, and it had nothing to do with you. I needed to stop being a burden and look inside myself in a calming environment to find out what was really wrong and how to put myself back together. I think I found out, but I still need that time alone. I assure you I'm alright."

Myles then saw a tear fall down Sue's cheek. Did he cause that? If it were six years ago, when he first met Sue, he wouldn't have cared about how his decisions affected his teammates, but because that damned woman made him mellow out, and considerate so much over the years, it was now hard work pretending not to care. Myles said softly, "I'm sorry, Sue. My intentions weren't to cause harm. When I made the decision to leave, at the time, I felt like I'd been a burden to everyone (especially to you and Anne) already. Since my condition had worsened, I thought it would be best to run away for two weeks and discover the way to getting better myself before allowing others to continue helping me."

Sue wiped the tears from her face. She then said, "I'm going to ask you a couple of questions. It's what I originally came to ask you. Please answer them without being sarcastic."

"O-okay?"

"Do you know where you are?"

"Lake Moomaw."

"Who are you with?"

"Wanda and Gregory from Brandy Station."

"And why are you here?"

"To fix myself. Don't get me wrong; I can't be fixed without support, but I need to know which direction to go. For years, I've been fighting and temporarily suppressing these visions and voices in my head, but I discovered that I should be accepting them, because I don't think they'll ever leave me. How can I make peace? That's something I have to figure out myself, and I think I can do it here." He assured her, "Sue, I will be alright. As much as Gregory and Wanda get under my skin, they'll take good care of me."

She nodded in understanding. She came here to see if he was okay, and to get clarification and assurance that he was here because he wanted to. As final retaliation, Sue took off her shoe, and whacked Myles on the arm twice. After putting her shoe back on, she said, "Sorry."

Myles chuckled at her actions. "I guess I deserved that. You still don't plan on killing me?"

"Only if you do something stupid like this again."

"Well, I guess I don't have much more time to live then."

Sue then reached out her hand to gesture a handshake. She asked, "Truce?" Although she loved to hand out hugs, she knew that Myles didn't like them much. He always stiffened anyway unless he really needed the hug; which wasn't very often.

But surprisingly, Myles ignored the handshake, and hugged her instead. The hug was quick, but it was a start; at least he had opened up, and offered her his real feelings. Sue knew he would eventually shut down again, and would probably never see this side of the man for the remainder of her years, but she took every crumb she was given. "Thank you," he signed. "Now, let's get back to the house, and I can show you around the place. Their cottage is very impressive. Oh…and please don't tell Jack that I…uh…kind of exposed my feelings here, including hugging you. I fear if he finds out, he'll expect it of me, tell everyone and I won't hear the end of it until I retire."

Sue smiled. "As always, your secret is safe with me."

"Anyway, I'm sure Wanda and her husband will want you to stay for supper and a bonfire. Do you guys have anywhere to be?"

Sue shrugged. "Not until tomorrow."

Chapter 17 is next…

AN: Hmmm...I wonder how Bobby is doing at the office?