Steve was quiet the whole drive back to the station. That worried Chris. When Steve was quiet it was a sign he was thinking, and Chris really didn't want him thinking about Joe. That was something Chris himself was trying not to do, not that he was managing it.

He'd really f**ked up at the hospital. He knew that. Joe had needed him and he'd pulled away. Need might've been a strong word; Joe clearly could take care of himself. Chris was sure he didn't really need him. Still, he'd seen the hurt in Joe's eyes when he'd pulled away. Hurt and anger. Joe had been pissed. Chris couldn't really blame him.

Chris had panicked when the captain had come in the room. Until then he hadn't thought about what he was doing. Joe was hurt and he was just acting on instinct. He hadn't been thinking then. He was thinking now.

Was this what he really wanted? Joe had just waltzed into his life and taken over. Chris didn't have a choice, didn't have a chance. Things just moved around him, and he didn't have any say, or control.

He hated that. He'd hated it when he was a kid, and he'd hated it with Megan. And now with Joe it was happening again. This time he wasn't just getting pulled along, he was participating it. That made it worse. He was as much at fault as anyone, and he still didn't have any control over it.

Chris was jolted out of his thoughts when the car stopped. He looked up, but they weren't at the station. Steve had pulled off the road at one of the spots they used when they had paperwork to finish or were setting up a speed trap. It was secluded enough that they wouldn't be bothered.

They just sat there quietly. Chris was waiting for Steve to say something. Steve was trying to figure out what to say.

"So what the hell is your problem anyway?" Steve finally managed. It wasn't what he wanted to say, but he couldn't get anything better out.

"What?" Chris was surprised. He knew Steve was going to say something, but he hadn't expected that.

"I mean seriously, what's your problem? Are you going to f**K this one up too?"

"I don't know what you