*Trisha*

James has sobered up fast and now back to not only "depressed James", but frustrated, coordination lacking James.  His frustrations have gotten the best of him, so we leave him alone. He sits on the couch petting his dog and it truly does break my heart to see James this way. Aside from Shower sex, he doesn't want me or my help with anything. But that's not my main concern at the moment. 

My main concern is why the hell Nate is walking into the apartment, with Paul behind him. Something's up. Paul heads straight to his room without saying a word.

"You all look happy. What's going on?" Nate asks.

"What the hell did you do, Nate?" My eyes follow Paul then glare at Nate. He fucked something up. I can tell.

"Evan's with Julia for now." He answers dryly.

"You LEFT her there with Evan and not PAUL?" James stands up with an angry look on his face.

"With JEREMY there?" I add.

"Evan is good. Paul called him. Rossi needs a break. Just for a few days." Nate plops down on the couch and Maggie makes her way to him.

"Paul said he needs a break? Paul would never say he-"

"I say it, ok Trisha? He made a mistake."

"Paul doesn't MAKE mistakes, Nate." I cross my arms.

"Exactly. Which is why he needs a few days to rest and recharge. Refocus and then get his head back in the game." 

"What kind of mistakes??" James asks now wanting to know details.

"He didn't check the apartment before Julia went in. So, he didn't notice the front door was unlocked. I walked right into the fucking apartment, and they were both asleep on the couch. Paul would normally bolt up out of a dead sleep the second he sensed someone in the room. He didn't. He's exhausted. And because he didn't check the apartment first, he didn't know her bedroom door was fucked with and doesn't lock."

"What the hell do you mean fucked with and doesn't lock?" James's chest begins heaving a little harder as the anger rises to his face which is uncommon for James.

"I don't fucking trust Donovan. The door was tampered with. If Paul and I weren't there with Julia tonight...Jeremy could have walked right in. And then right into her bedroom."

"And you fucking left her with the new guy..." James mutters.

"I'm going to call him in a minute for an update."

"You left her there..." He glares at Nate in disbelief.

"What choice do I have Gallo?! Jesus." Nate shakes his head and walks to his room to make the phone call.

I knock on Paul's door before opening it to see him sitting on the edge of his bed with his head in his hands.

"Hey hotstuff. What happened?" I sit down next to him.

"I fucked up, Trish."

"Yeah, well Nate fucks up left and right so he shouldn't be reprimanding anyone."

"I didn't do my job."

"Hey." I nudge him a little with my shoulder. "You've been doing your job for over ten years with a clean sheet. Not once have you made a mistake. You were overdue." I stand up. "I'll go make you a cup of coffee." I leave the room to give him a moment to himself.

Five minutes later Nate comes back into the living room. Everyone watches Paul jet out of the apartment. I glance at James who looks confused. Tired and confused.

"There. Happy?" Nate glances at James. "He's going back."

"You need to cut him some slack, Nate. You do NOT want to piss off Paul." I dump out the coffee and point my finger at my best friend on the couch. "You certainly do NOT want to lose him as an employee. Smarten up for God's sake."

******

*James*

"Whatever. I'm going to bed." Nate goes back into his room. Whatever? Not whatever. If he were to ever lose Paul as a bodyguard everything would go to shit for Julia. Evan is great, sure. But not dedicated the way Rossi is.

"Christ, I can't wait to go back on tour." Trisha sits down next to me and rests her head on my shoulder.

"Re-really? That's what you're thinking about now?" I sound rude, but I mean, c'mon. There are bigger things than Nate's damn tour.

"He's happier when he's on tour, that's all I meant."

"K." I stand up and go to my room.  Maggie follows and then sits with me on the couch.

"You're needy today, Mags." I scruff up her ears as Trisha comes in and closes the door.

"What's happening with us, James?" She sits on the corner of my bed instead of on the couch. "One minute we're having sex and the next you want nothing to do with me."

"Sorry. I don't mean to come off like that. But seriously, Trisha. The last thing anyone is thinking about is Nate's world tour."

"I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about us. Are we even a couple anymore? Are we even friends? I feel like you have distanced yourself from me completely. When things are tough you should be leaning on me for support, not distancing yourself."

"Yeah, you wouldn't get it. And I don't expect you to, ok?" 

And I am way too tired to explain it right now.

******

*Trisha*

I study the man's face for a moment. I wouldn't get it?  He doesn't give me a chance! I bet if Julia were in the room right now he would open up to her no problem. Nate is the same way towards me lately.

"Ok." I leave his room and close the door behind me. Casey and Jonah have gone to their room, probably thinking I was helping James to bed, so I head to Nate's room. But it's empty. I know where the little fish is and walk to his bathroom.

The lights are off and Nate is shoulder deep in a tub of hot water.

"May I help you?" He smirks as I pull up the vanity chair and sit down. I drag my hands down my face in frustration before venting to my best friend.

"We're all falling apart, aren't we?"

"Everyone is just stressed out. That's all Trish. Did something happen between you and Gallo?"

"I don't know. He is pushing me away. He barely talks to me. Certainly not the way he talks to Julia. Am I that hard to open up to?"

"Yes."

I frown hearing Nate's honest opinion.

"Trish. Stop comparing your relationship with James to Julia's relationship with him. They have some weird connection. And Julia is very easy to talk to." Nate sits up a little and takes my hand. "Doll, you're not. Talking to you is sometimes like talking to a brick wall. I'm used to it but other people aren't. You lack.... listening skills."

"What? No I don't. I listen just fine. I'm always listening to you venting left and right."

"No Trish. Listening and ONLY listening. You're a fixer, love. Which is great. But right now, James doesn't want a fixer. Because this problem is bigger than us. It's out of our hands. He just wants someone to listen and be there for him."

"I thought being a fixer would be a positive character trait. You're making it sound like a negative one."

"It's a positive trait when it comes to me. Because I always need a ton of fixing, and you are always the one to help me. But not everyone wants that all the time. Just be a friend for him, ok?  Hold his hand. Let the man cry if he needs to. Just be available to him right now. None of us know what the hell is going on in Gallo's head, but I do know one thing. He's scared. He's scared and a disabled man who may very well spend time in jail. He has no control over his body and relies on other people for pretty much everything. Wouldn't you be scared as hell if it were you?"

Tears well up in my eyes and I nod.

I hate it when Hollan is right.

********