salute ➳ 〚h.s.〛 〚a.u.〛

chapter 32 - perplexing puzzles & new nieces

"You haven't said much, Piper."

"That's because there's nothing to say."

"I wouldn't say nothing." Dr. Weber glanced up from her notepad. "You're here with me today for a reason."

The only reason she was there was because Liam, as her field supervisor and therefore her boss, had registered her for mandatory therapy sessions. Piper was the first to admit that the field mission had been tough and that she was still haunted by the moment that gun went off in her hand, but it wasn't something that was going to be fixed by therapy sessions, not when there were more important things that needed to be done.

She wanted to blame Liam but she knew this wasn't him — this had Harry written all over it. He'd been hovering over her since they got back from the mission, trying to get her to talk about how she was feeling and why she was upset.

She hated to admit it but she was embarrassed to talk about this with Harry. He'd shown that he clearly understood how difficult it was — that was obvious from what he'd told her back in Italy, crouching in front of her on that runway. But there was something inside her that still felt ashamed discussing how shaken she felt with someone who was practically a super hero, always in control.

So she'd brushed off his attempts to really open up about what had happened, pushing him away when he tried to be persistent. And he'd gotten his revenge by making her do these stupid mandatory therapy sessions. It might be Liam's name written on the requisition form but it was only at Harry's insistence.

"I don't know what you've been told," Piper said with an aggravated sigh, "but I really don't think this session is necessary. Yes, the field mission was a little traumatizing and there are some things about it that I would've liked to have gone differently, but I'm fine. It's not affecting my work —"

"But it is affecting your sleep right?" Piper froze, her hands dropping from where she'd been waving them around a little erratically. "I've been told there have been some nightmares?"

She was going to kill Harry. That wasn't his to share. It was true that she'd been having nightmares over the last week since they'd gotten home, ones that left her gasping for breath in the middle of the night covered in cold sweat. She hardly remembered them, only vague images of bodies strewn in lifeless positions and the repetitive firing of a gun, but it was enough to leave her shaking and crying when she woke. After the first, Harry had been scared to death at her reaction, asking worriedly what was wrong. By last night, he'd gotten so used to dealing with them that he hardly woke before he was pulling her into his arms, holding her as tight as he could.

Did she feel guilty for Harry having to deal with her vivid dreams and subsequent panic episodes? Yes. Did that give him permission to air her dirty laundry to some stranger who was only there to check boxes on a form that would say whether she was sane enough for field missions? Absolutely not.

"Those dreams are none of your business," Piper snapped, a little more aggressively than she intended.

"Piper, I'm here to help you —"

They were interrupted by a knock at the door and Piper sighed with relief. She was hoping desperately that whoever was coming through that door was someone who could put a stop to this.

It was Liam who poked his head in, a sheepish look on his face as his gaze drifted between Piper and Dr. Weber. "Sorry to interrupt," he said in that polite, charming voice he had that seemed to sway everyone to his favour. "But I need to steal Piper away."

"Our appointment isn't finished for another 25 minutes, Agent Payne."

"I'm sorry but I have to insist."