Title: Trouble is Building

Summary: On the outside it seemed to the rest of the team that it was back to business as usual for Ed, but beneath the surface a whole other scenario was being set in motion; even at home. Ed/Greg Post Ep OS to eppy 5.06 Below the Surface 'contains some spoilers'

Disclaimer: If I owned anything to do with FP Ed would be all mine! Hehe *alas* I own only my DVD's that fuel my imaginative muse Alice.

A/N: hmm okay some great Greg/Dean stuff which you know I will visit with my father/son series but of course these one shots are going to continue to focus on Ed/Greg and Ed's slow downhill emotional slide b/c the show is still only showing snippets in certain eppie but come on … no mention of Ed just walking out on his meeting? Really? Sorry that's a fail for me. Anyhoo I digress lol I know this doesn't have much to go on but I hope you like it nonetheless.

Special thanks to Quebear for suggesting this setting and as always JKokal for her help

Note: Words in italics and double quotes taken directly from episode ( usual disclaimer)

To most not familiar with the daily routine inside the Lane household, it would seem to all, even the team that life was getting mostly back to normal. But appearances can be deceiving to those not looking closely or knowing exactly what to look for.

Greg had kept a careful eye on Ed since the night of the fateful shooting of May Dalton and even more so after he had up and walked out after the meeting that she had requested; a meeting where she had emotionally blindsided him with her statement of forgiveness rather than her wanting a personal target to blame; something Ed could easily cope with.

'Eddie…talk to me. You walked out of that meeting last night…'

'Boss I'm sorry. It was unexpected but I'm glad she said what she did and…and now it's over.'

'Eddie…'

'Boss…I'm good really.'

In that moment he hadn't wanted to push, hoping that Ed's words would be believed by even himself, that he was forgiven for taking the innocent life and now he could find some emotional closure inside and move past those tormented events. But that wasn't the case and although some things were slow to change there were changes for Ed and to Greg that was troublesome.

And a big part had to do with Ed's baby girl Isabelle Lane, Izzy; the darling little child who had captured her father's heart the minute she was born. Greg thinks back to the time when Izzy was all Ed talked about, her first giggle, her first grab of his finger, tossing her first toy, her first genuine smile, sitting up…saying 'dadda' and of course her learning to crawl and get into all kinds of trouble. The talk since May's death had subsided, and although it was subtle, the changes were there and Greg now wonders how things were at home for Ed and his family since May's death. It wasn't up to him to pry into the private lives of his team, but Ed was his closest friend of out all of them and then one he had known the longest; their sons also best friends; he feels inside he owes him that help.

"Morning Eddie," Greg greets a few days after the meeting with Michelle Dalton had taken place.

"Morning," Ed replies with a curt smile and nod as he opens his locker; Greg slowly walking over.

"Hope today's a better start than yesterday," Greg comments.

"Hold up take a breath," Ed warns Greg before Greg storms into the briefing room to talk to Dean the morning before.

"Street fight Ed?"

"We don't know the details," Ed tries to reason.

"I spoke to Terry from 52…he took the call. A bunch of kids fighting. What's he doing getting mixed up in stuff like that?" Greg demands in a heated huff.

"You're gonna ask him. Hey hold up. You go in hot right now it's not gonna help the situation at all."

"Well I don't wanna help the situation…I wanna take a paddle to the little punk. Does this get easier?"

"Well you know I hear they get a little more manageable…when they're 40," Ed smiles.

"You mean learning your son is involved in a street fight? At least he didn't start it."

"Yeah…at least…but he sure ended it," Greg sighs as he remembers the discussion he had with Dean the day before.

"A fourteen year old kid was jumped by four guys…a good Samaritan jumped in to help. Kids' gonna be fine. How does it feel to be called a hero?" Greg asked. When he only got a shrug from Dean he continued. "Okay Dean…I gotta ask. Why?"

"Why step in?"

"Kid's a stranger…the others might have had knives?"

"You need me to explain that to you?" Dean retorted, skillfully negotiating his father. "It was something I saw in the kid's eyes…the one doing the kicking. He was just caught up in it and I felt bad for him. If that makes sense."

"Yeah it makes sense."

"Yeah it made sense…I think this is just the start of things to come though," Greg huffs.

"Just remember what I told you about age."

"Remind me…how old are you again?" Greg counters.

"Thirty forever," Ed retorts as Greg nods with a smile.

"Okay thirty and still one of my toughest kids to control," Greg lightly teases.

"Always," Ed smiles before his face turns serious. "But I'm glad for you Greg. Dean…he's a great kid and has great instincts. Like father like son you know?"

"I know," Greg smiles. "I just worry. That look leap to help before you look…I mean I'm proud but…I worry."

"Yeah. I know I worry to. At least Clark wants a desk job right?"

"For now," Greg nods.

"Meaning?"

"Meaning he hasn't finalized anything just yet right?"

"He's pretty stubborn that way."

"I know his old man. He might end up like you yet," Greg pats Ed on the back. "Speaking of kids…how's Izzy? She gotten into your sock drawer yet?"

"No…no she hasn't," Ed answers with a small smile but his posture instantly changing; his eyes not holding the same sparkle they used to at one time at the mention of his baby girl.

"You guys go to the zoo on the weekend like you had talked about?"

"Yeah…no something came up."

"Ah too bad," Greg comments, his inner anxiety rising at Ed's tense posture. "Maybe this weekend," he mentions as Sam and Spike enter and Greg holds back asking Ed how things are going at home after all this. He knows if he were to ask now how things are at home, Ed would offer his trademark 'fine'; mostly to save face in front of the rest of the team. It was only in private where he could count on the years of trust the two of them had built together that he could openly confess, and then it was like pulling teeth at the best of times.

"Yeah maybe," Ed mumbles as he closes his locker and takes his leave. He rounds the corner and feels his inner countenance instantly sink. After the whole ordeal with May, Greg of course had been the first to reach out and the only one he wanted to open up to a little; the rest of the team close, but Greg and him having more of an established history than the others. Talking about Clark was easy, Izzy not so much anymore.

'She's given you a reason for inner peace Eddie…you need to take it. You need to look past the I can't and come to terms with the I will.'

But there were certain things he didn't want to admit to Greg and was actually worried this morning that his close friend would delve into those waters – that of his home life. As much as he didn't want not admit that things had changed at home, he knows they have. A few weeks prior to May's shooting, his routine was mostly the same, he'd wake up and head for Izzy's room, greeting his precious daughter with an early morning kiss and then seeing if she needed a change or a bottle before heading for the bathroom to shave and shower; sometimes taking her with him under the hot streams.

A faint smile darts across her face as he remembers the first time she ventured into the shower with him, her chubby pink arms swatting his damp bare chest, his face delighting in her laughter as she looked up at him with round adoring eyes. Oh why couldn't he rewind the clock back to those days when things seemed simpler than now?

He watches Greg exiting the locker room with the rest of the team behind him and knows its time to put on his game face and get down to business; thoughts of his daughter and now seemingly strained home life on hold until the professional part of the day was up.

XXXXXXXX

"Don't forget the zoo outing," Greg gently reminds Ed after their day was up. "If only they would stay that age," Greg smirks.

"If only," Ed nods as he grabs his jacket and heads for the door. "Night boss."

"Night Eddie."

Greg watches Ed leave and knows that things still weren't getting any better and as much as Ed tries to tell those around him that his current anxiety was due to Clark not wanting to follow his own professional career path, Greg knows that something else is building inside. Ed still hadn't let go of the guilt of shooting May. Eddie…what aren't you telling me? What's going on?

On the drive Ed's mind battles between what Greg had confided in him about Dean and the fact that while he was happy for Greg and Dean following in his footsteps and trying to get past the fact that Clark didn't want to be like him in a professional sense. But if he thinks about it hard enough he knows that something else deep inside his soul is still eating away at him.

"Ed?" Sophie calls out as he enters their quiet home sometime after the tough day had finally ended.

"Yeah it's me," he calls back as he hangs his coat and then heads into the kitchen; wondering if he could help with dinner. But his attention is quickly diverted to his fussing daughter who was not at all happy to be stuck in her high chair. "What's up with Izzy?"

"She's had a tough day," Sophie sighs as she goes about finishing dinner. Ed plucks his daughter from her chair, but she merely offers him a cross expression and continues fussing. "Must be new teeth coming in."

"Must be…" Ed mumbles as he tries to gently bounce her, something that would normally calm her down. However, it only serves to agitate the young child further, causing her father's irritation to skyrocket. "Izzy…" he states somewhat sharply, drawing a gaze of wonder from his wife as she turns and stares at him.

"Tough day," Ed tries to apologize as he tries to put Izzy back into her chair. "She…I'll try walking her."

"Sing to her…you know she likes that."

"Right," Ed nods as he carries their young daughter into the living room, his words trying to calm her down; his hand on her back trying to lovingly reassure her. "Izzy come on…" Ed huffs in frustration and then quickly scolds himself. It isn't her fault that he was agitated from work; not her fault that his touch wasn't as soft as it was in the past and not her fault that her father was now carrying the burden of depriving a mother of her daughter and future inheritance and he sort of felt guilty for having his.

Not having much success with his present endeavors, Ed cradles Izzy in the crook of his arm and heads upstairs to her room, knowing that normally placing her in her crib and rocking her there would put her to sleep or at least calm her down.

"Here we go," Ed talks gently, placing Izzy in her crib and hoping she'll calm down. She doesn't. Instead she looks up at her father with a very prominent pout, large red rimmed eyes and quivering lips.

"Come on Izzy…work with me here," Ed groans, hearing a small snicker in the background and turning to see Clark walking past the room. "You wanna try it?"

"I'm not the negotiator dad," Clark tosses back as he disappears into his own room, leaving Ed to fight his own paternal battles.

Ed rubs his face and then looks down at his daughter with a frown; her small whimpers unable to tell him exactly what is wrong and his agitation starting to surge. "Tell me what's wrong Izzy," Ed implores and then pulls himself back with a mental face palm. She's a baby…she can't talk…she can't tell you what's wrong. She just needs your love and attention.

He picks her back up and then starts to gently rock her once more, his actions getting a bit rougher until he looks into the mirror and for a few seconds is flashed back to his squaring off against Frank McCormick who was accused of shaking his baby to death.

"Damn it," Ed softly curses as he shakes his head and gives his reflection a stern but silent reprimand before he slows his actions and then turns back to face the room. For another split second he sees Michelle Dalton looking at him with a teary eyed expression; before her hand reaches out, an accusatory finger pointing right at him.

'My baby is dead…you took her from me.'

Ed feels his entire frame shudder as he quickly blinks and then looks back down at Izzy, his vision slightly blurring as his brain forces him to realize that she'll never have grandchildren she could call her own, May being an only child.

'You deprived me of my legacy.' His mind wrongfully accuses in her tone as he takes a deep breath and then looks away, wanting to clear the image of the teary eyed mother reaching out to take his child away as recompense for what he had done to her.

"Izzy…lets go see mummy," Ed whispers as he kisses the top of his daughters head; finally pleased that that simple action seems to quell his daughter's agitation slightly, long enough for him to put her upright and gently rub her back, her tiny fingers grasping at the folds of his sweater as his body flexes with each determined step.

"Izzy's a good girl," he tries as he reaches the kitchen. "She wants you."

"Really? You losing your touch?" She gently ribs, not realizing just what her words were inadvertently doing. And she wouldn't know; his nightly torment of reliving May's death over and over was something he told himself he wouldn't burden his family with. But his doting attention and warm nature toward his daughter had changed and maybe now someone was finally taking notice.

"She's just over tired."

"She was napping until an hour ago."

"Then she's hungry."

"Ed, she's had…"

"I don't know!" Ed snaps, making Sophie quickly turn and Izzy go silent for a few seconds.

"Pardon? Raised voices?"

"Right…sorry…" Ed sighs as he slumps down into a chair close to his still fussing daughter. "Tough day."

"She doesn't take the brunt of it."

"I know…I know," Ed offers in exasperation as he looks at Izzy with a mournful expression.

"Wanna talk about it?"

"Just another close call you know?" Ed replies, his eyes still fixed on Izzy until he looks up and sees Sophie looking at him in question. "That's it."

"You've been tenser than normal these past few weeks."

"That's the job…" Ed huffs as he rubs his face; Izzy finally settling down a little. "A few tough calls as of late, no big deal."

"Ed."

"What? It's no big deal. Clark moving on with his life…maybe that's a big deal."

"Is that what's bothering you?"

"Nothing's bothering me…okay? Nothing," Ed insists with a small exasperated sigh. "Clark is…he's making his own choices and I gotta respect that right?" Ed asks mostly rhetorically, his mind thinking back to the discussion he had with Greg and how proud Greg was and in that instant a small pang of jealously had sprung up and had to be quelled. I won't let my son's career choice ruin my friendship with Greg…I won't.

"Sure," Sophie shrugs as Ed offers his finger to Izzy to gum; finding some relief as his darling baby girl takes his clean digit and starts to gnaw on the end. "She seems calmer now. She just needed you to calm down."

"Right," Ed mutters slightly under his breath. Clark finally joins them and thankfully the conversation turns away from his growing inner tension that his wife was finally starting to notice. After dinner Ed tinkers around with the car in the garage for a bit before fatigue from the days events start to take over and its time to call it a night. He turns off all the lights and then slowly heads upstairs, pausing at the top as he once again hears Izzy fussing in her crib, his mind cursing the teething stage as he slowly wanders into her dimly lit room.

"Shhh Izzy…it's okay," Ed tries to soothe as he flips on the small light and then looks around for her soft teething ring. He finally spies it but as he turns back his mind once again shows him Michelle Dalton's teary face looking at him in that meeting room, remembering her daughter…her dead daughter…the one he took from her.

I'll never have another child…you took my future…she states for the room to hear.

Ed's eyes instantly water as he looks down at Izzy who looks up with a frustrated expression, her little hands wanting to grasp the chew circle dangling above her just out of reach. "Not fair…it's not fair…" he utters miserably as he quickly swallows back emotion and then focuses on his own child and hands her the ring; the item going straight into the baby girls mouth.

He thinks back to a discussion he had with his own father about heritage and family legacy and how important it was to have a good name carried on…didn't matter the sex as the families reputation went with either a boy or a girl; the given last name was just a bonus.

I'll never have that…Ed hears Michelle's anguished voice once more. Never have a grandchild of my own…you took her…took my only child. SHE WAS INNOCENT AND YOU KILLED HER! Her voice ends in a yell and Ed's lips stifle a gasp at the unspoken accusation.

He quickly wipes his eyes and then leans in, kissing Izzy on her forehead before turning off the small bedside light and then leaving the room; almost feeling guilty about the joy he was feeling at seeing his own child subside due to his actions. He passes by Clark's room and hears him gently snoring and smiles; but that smile also fades as he ponders his own heritage safe and loved and Michelle Dalton's, now lying in a cold grave – dead. It's not fair…not fair.

Ed tries to push aside the rising tide of mental misery as he enters his quiet bedroom and starts to undress for the night, telling himself that Michelle had forgiven and he had to move on. But inside he knows he's done nothing yet to personally stand face to face with the guilty demon and slay him once and for all; taking back his sanity and his very future well being.

A few more days…it'll all be fine in a few more days… he tells himself over and over as he slowly climbs into bed and forces himself to get some rest; but much like the nights…weeks prior…a solid night's rest wasn't to be had. Inner forgiveness would have to be sought first and that he would have to do on his own.

XXXXXXXX

Greg arrives early the next morning and enters the quiet room, noticing Ed at the far end looking at a picture of lzzy on his locker door. The night before he had pondered Dean's growing excitement toward being in law enforcement; and as he looks at Ed now he feels it more and more, the fear of watching his beloved son experience anything similar to what his close friend is would mentally kill him. What if Dean were to walk the same path as Ed? Could he handle it? Could I? But as he hears Ed clear his throat his mind snaps back to the problem at hand, his friend's inner emotional turmoil.

"They grow up fast," Greg comments, finally pulling Ed from his somewhat dazed stupor. "Sleep well?"

"May was teething all night."

"What?" Greg is quick to catch the name slip. "What did you just say?"

"What?"

"Ed… you said May was up…"

"No I said Izzy…Izzy was up all night teething," Ed stammers as his core starts to warm.

"Ed you need to…"

"Greg, it was a slip okay and…you know what? It's no big deal."

"Mentioning the name of a deal girl that you…"

"Killed…"

"You use that word very liberally, killed," Greg pauses. "It was an order given by me, we all share the blame and yet you…"

"Greg it was a slip okay? Nothing more. Izzy is fine…okay? Fine."

"Of course she is, are you?"

"A bit tired but…she was up and it's all good. All good."

Oh Eddie…it's not good…now you're giving me the name of the girl you were ordered to kill instead of your own daughter? How are things at home? Greg's mind now wonders if anyone else in his family had noticed the changes? Had his wife? Was his son even looking? The baby of course being oblivious. Had any of them asked him? Michelle Dalton had forgiven him, surely that would have been enough to make mental peace, to come to terms with the tragic events now that the person most personally affected has absolved him of his unnecessary guilt. It was an order. He followed. He was forgiven. He should be on the road to healing but instead was showing signs that things were breaking down not healing.

Greg now knows for certain now that while Ed might be telling everyone around him that he's fine and while the rest of the team will probably believe him, trouble is continuing to build beneath the surface and something needs to be done before permanent damage is done.

THE END!

A/N: Okay so again not much to work on and I hope this wasn't weak but I hope you can see the emotional downhill progression and it makes sense and fits the character. Please do review before you go as I would love your thoughts and thanks so much!