Page 41 of Capturing Perfection

“I trust you, Logan. You know your body; you know your limits. I’ll only intervene if absolutely necessary.”

“I know, Matt. Thank you. One thing I wanted to ask. Why were you at HQ in the first place?”

“I was there consulting on another case. I got a call from Trevor here and ran up the couple of flights to the lab.”

He looked at Trevor. “How…”

Trevor shrugged. “I could tell you were having a flashback. I’ve seen them before. You had your cell on you, and I scrolled through your contacts ‘til I found Matt’s name. I knew you needed him more than you needed me.”

Logan stood and pulled Trevor from the hardback uncomfortable chairs, gathering him in his arms. Trevor’s small arms locked around his waist, and with surprising strength, squeezed him tight. Logan tilted his head so his lips rested against Trevor’s ear, so only his friend could hear him. “Thank you, but you’re mistaken. It was your presence, your voice that helped ground me. I needed you, and you brought me home. I’ll never forget that Trev.”

Logan pulled back and dipped his head to place a soft, chaste kiss on Trevor’s lips. They’d never shared kisses or anything before, but it was the only way Logan could think of to convey his gratitude for Trevor’s support and friendship. A ghost of a smile appeared on Logan’s lips when he heard a low growl from Matt beside them. Logan went back to his seat, accepting his coffee from Ethan’s hand.

Ethan leaned forward and looked down the row of chairs at Trevor. “How did you know?”

“My dad had them when I was a kid. Mostly, it was Logan’s eyes. They were open, but vacant. He’d curled in on himself and I heard some words beneath his breath. It was obvious at that point what was happening. I knew he wasn’t in that lab with us, so I did everything I could think of to draw him out.”

“Do they happen often, Logan?” Ryan asked.

“A lot less now than when I first came home. I’ve been working with Matt for the past year and a half. He’s the one who helped me get the anxiety under control and taught me the grounding techniques to pull free when it does.”

Logan saw Rick, Conor, Calleigh, and the kids come rushing into the waiting area. Rick had Brandon in his arms, Conorhad Michael and Calleigh tried to control a wiggling toddler. Brandon broke free and raced towards him.

“Uncle Logan!”

He kneeled on the floor, gathering the little five-year-old close. After a couple of seconds, he saw Michael standing right behind his brother and opened his arms so all three of them could share the hug. Small hands grasped his cheeks. He stared into the blond hair and intelligent green eyes of Michael.

“Don’t worry, Uncle Logan. Uncle Clay will get better.”

“I pray so, buddy. Until then, I have you to take care of me.”

Twin blond heads nodded in unison. Logan looked up at their parents, waiting a few steps away.

“You all didn’t have to come, but thank you.”

Conor stepped forward. “Yer family.”

And that said it all in Logan’s opinion. His eyes misted over as he realized that these men and women were his family. They were united by friendship and love. When he’d first come home, he’d felt alone, isolated by his hearing loss, anxiety, fear, and anger. Now, his friends surrounded him, supporting one another as strongly as a squad under fire. He’d not only found love, but family.

Rick looked at Ethan. “You okay?”

“Yeah. I was in my office, not the courtrooms. They evacuated us out the back side of the building. We were never near the danger.”

Ryan put his arm around his husband. “Doesn’t matter if you were on the same floor or the same block. Someone threatened your safety, E. That’s unacceptable. Until we know you’re okay, we’ll always worry.”

Ethan kissed Ryan before looking back at Rick and Conor. “I know. That’s why I love you guys.”

“Is there a Logan Callen here?”

Logan turned and saw a nurse in scrubs scanning the room.

He stood and took several steps forward. “I’m Logan Callen.”

“Mr. Callen, please come with me. I’ll take you to meet the surgeon.” She looked at the mass of people gathered in the waiting area. “Are all these people with you?”

“Yes, this is my family.”

She nodded. “You can bring one person with you.”

---