JD restrained himself from throwing the can of
Coke in his hands across the break room. I'm 26 for chrissake. It's not
like I'm a little kid who needs to be led to the bathroom. I'm trying to
live my life on my own, or at least I would if they let me. His fuming
continued as he thought back on the incident that had led him here.
Once again the team was about to embark on
a rather strenuous case, in California of all places. Completely out of
their jurisdiction. Not that it stopped AD Travis from assigning it to
them, saying it required Team Seven's particular finesse. A comment that
he followed by ordering them to leave JD home. He didn't want any foolish
mistakes to ruin this case, only veteran agents were going to be a part
of it. Buck and Vin had protested loudly, as had the rest of the team.
But both Travis and Larabee had held their ground. JD didn't have the experience
needed for this case.
Of course I don't have the experience necessary,
JD told himself angrily. I can't exactly get the experience if I
get left behind at every sign of trouble. It was with a troubled sigh that
he returned to his desk to gather his things. Travis had given him the
rest of the day off, presumably so he wouldn't be in the way as they discussed
the case.
+ + + + + + +
By the time Monday rolled around he was beyond
frustration. Buck had smothered him until he left, telling JD every five
minutes that California would be no fun without him. He couldn't help but
smile at the fact that the whole team was determined to not have any fun
just because he wasn't there. He knew better, they would be too busy to
even think about the fact he was missing, but they would have fun doing
it. That's part of what made them the Magnificent Seven, they enjoyed their
jobs and they were the best.
As a result of his pity party, he almost missed
the blinking light on his extension. It blinked slowly, leisurely, a testimony
to what his next three weeks would be as he sat around the office waiting
for the team to return. One message.
In retrospect, JD would see it as a turning
point. He, of all people, knew that he had the experience needed for the
case, even if Chris didn't. But, the constant babying on the team's part
had begun to eat at his self-confidence. Not that they even realized what
they were doing, it wasn't until later that he realized it himself. But,
he needed a chance to prove to himself at least that he was capable of
much more than running computer checks and sitting in a surveillance van.
"Good morning, Mr. Dunne." JD grinned to
himself as he recognized the voice on the message. Nicholas. What the hell
was he doing calling him? JD could clearly remember telling them to take
their floater job and shove it up a certain portion of their anatomy. Yet,
somehow, just now he didn't mind one bit the possibility of rescinding
that opinion. "It has come to our attention that you will be experiencing
some free time in the immediate future. It has been arranged that, if you
chose to accept this assignment, you will be loaned to another team for
an upcoming case. Please notify us by the usual methods if you agree to
rejoin the force. And, JD, it'll be good to have you back." He was still
smiling as he dialed a phone number, hanging up just after the first ring.
It wasn't much longer that AD Travis' secretary
called, stating that another ATF team had requested his help with a sizeable
case back east. He could hear the confusion in her voice as she bit back
any questions she had as to why he wasn't with Larabee in California. JD
was the picture of politeness as he informed her that of course he would
help the team, it was his duty as an ATF agent. Just tell him when his
flight was and he would be there.
There weren't many people in the airplane
hanger when he arrived there, 14 hours after he left Denver International.
Of course, he had been the only passenger on the small Cessna plane that
he brought him there. No chance for conversation, not that he needed it.
He had spent the whole flight reviewing the file that had been waiting
for him at the terminal in Dallas. He had memorized the entire contents
six hours ago, but he still felt the need to review it. It had been three
years since he had done anything of this nature, and he was beginning to
feel the strain of his absence.
Jim had been there, with the rest of the
team waiting to brief him on his role in the mission. He could feel
himself falling back into character as he relaxed, knowing that despite
everything that happened in Denver, no matter what Travis or Larabee thought
about him being too young, he had experience. It's just that it's all classified,
very classified.
"Well, JD, you've gotten your instructions.
I know that you've been out of the field for a while, do you think you
can cope?"
JD just flashed a grin that sent a knife
of apprehension into Jim's gut. If nothing else, he had learned a long
time ago that with this group, you could only expect the unexpected. "No
problem."
As the younger man walked away with Nicholas
to get the final touches of their roles taken care of, Jim couldn't help
but wonder if Larabee had ever realized what a walking trouble magnet JD
was. Or if he realized what a resource he was holding onto, untapped.
+ + + + + + +
One successful mission, one satisfying trip
back into his life from the old days before he joined the ATF, JD returned
to Denver. And to a very upset Team Seven.
"What the hell do you think you were doing,
volunteering to work with some new crack team back east? Were you trying
to get yourself killed?" Buck had started in on him the minute he
walked into the apartment. And it was obvious there would be no respite.
The whole team was there, Nathan was trying to covertly check him for injuries,
Josiah was getting ready to wax poetic and Ezra was just sitting there
with one eyebrow raised at the sight of his arm in a sling. Chris was glaring
at him, though after the mission he'd been through Chris' glare was nothing,
and Vin was wearing an expression that was combination of amusement, pity
and concern.
"I'm fine." JD shrugged, concealing the stab
of pain through his shoulder. He had dislocated it, again. But the mission
had been accomplished, an assortment of highly illegal nuclear weapons
were safely on their way to being destroyed. And, most importantly of all,
he had proven to himself that he was still capable of playing with the
big dogs. Yet, he couldn't help but be glad that he didn't have to on a
regular basis. There was something kinda good about being the kid of a
group. And this was one group that he was glad to be a part of.
He carefully skirted Buck, knowing that they
would understand that he just wanted to go to bed and get some rest. Knowing
that they would still be there when he woke up. Knowing that even though
he wasn't going to be able to tell them the whole truth about where he
had been - he wasn't even going to mention nuclear weapons around Buck
- they would understand in their own way. Oh, Josiah and Ezra for
sure would know that he was keeping something from them, and maybe Vin
and Buck as well. But they wouldn't pry; they wouldn't try to make him
tell them something he couldn't. And that's what he called them friends.
Just before reaching his room, he turned
to look at them. It had taken two weeks with a completely different
group of friends. Ones that he neither loved more nor any less than this
group to realize that there was something he needed to do. Something he
had been trying to avoid for a long time. Despite their overprotectiveness,
their smothering, they were still his brothers in heart. "Hey, guys. I
just wanted to say thanks."
The End
