xp_logs | Scott and Haroun, Wednesday afternoon

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After these emails, Haroun heads upstairs to get some lunch and runs into Scott. After these emails last night, they are not precisely each other's favorite people. They do a whole lot of snarling and talking past each other, and Scott finally pulls rank rather shamelessly.

Haroun headed upstairs, still grumbling under his breath in Arabic about spoiled little pop-princesses and their ability to pull him out of a fascinating problem to go sit on a blanket outside and break bread. The small, inconvenient fact that his stomach was about to leap up his spinal column and throttle his brain was of no consequence whatsoever. Clearly. Just like the email conversation he got into with Scott didn't figure in one whit to his mood. Of all the _gall_, to question his professionalism and competence like that! Who did he think he was dealing with, anyway?

Scott was doing something Jean had always teased him about - namely, reading as he walked. He always protested that he was a past master of the art, and unlikely to run anyone down or walk into walls. Even if he had from time to time.

It nearly became one of those times when he turned a corner and had to do a quick sideways dance to avoid a displeased-looking Haroun.

Haroun dodged out of the way of Scott's oblivious advance, automatically dropping into a combat crouch for a second before straightening up. "You should be more careful." he said, trying very hard to keep his voice neutral. "You could get hurt, walking around that way."

Scott closed the folder he'd been skimming. "Haven't fallen down any stairs yet," he said a bit frostily. Just who he needed to see.

"There's always a first time for everything." he said, the own temperature in his voice dropping rather rapidly. Great. Captain Stick-Up-His-Ass was passing judgement again. Just what he needed.

"Uh-huh." Scott tucked the folder under his arm. "Look, about the personal crack last night? I was out of line, and I'm sorry. But I stand by the rest of it. I could have wrung your neck when I read that email, it was so wrong-headed."

Oh, he's sorry. That just made everything all better. "On which particular count? The one where I said I was checking in with the psych experts, or the one that said I was going to take things slow initially out of concern for Alison's well-being, or the one where you challenged my professionalism and committment?" he asked.

"You really weren't paying attention to what I was saying, were you?" Stubborn ass. "What was the message you were giving with the 'Well, maybe we'll consider giving you your command back eventually' line?"

"It's a goal." he said, trying not to grind his teeth. "Something to shoot for, and something to be aware of. The ultimate goal, the prize that makes all the pain and hard work worth it." Mallethead. "Maybe she'll get it back, maybe she won't. Depends on how hard she works and what kind of progress she makes. She knows that, I know that, Charles knows that, but you don't seem to _get it_, Scott."

"You occasionally have the people skills of a shrub," Scott said flatly. "Why the hell was it necessary to trot out the doubts in front of the entire command staff? She knows they're there. We all know they're there. What she needs now is our belief that she can do it, to help her get back to where she wants to be."

"Because lying to her and ignoring unpleasant truths just makes everything magically all better. No wonder Psych's got a book on you a mile thick, if that's what you think." he growled. "And if we all know it anyway, where's the problem?"

"It didn't need to be said," Scott snapped. "It was rubbing her nose in what happened, when what she wants, with just about every fiber in her being to judge by how enthusiastically she's been throwing herself into what work we're allowing her, is to be back where she was."

Haroun had to restrain the urge to deck his CO right then and there. How could any one person be so blindingly _stupid_? "That's your opinion." he said frostily.

Scott raised an eyebrow. "Yours differs?"

"You could say that. I think that the reality check was, and is, a good idea. All the cards on the table, no holding back out of a misguided deference for her "feelings"." he said. "Just because you avoid an unpleasant truth doesn't mean it's not there."

"And it's your job to drag all the unpleasant truths out in the light? Screw positive reinforcement of any sort - anyone with a problem sinks or swims on their own?"

"Now you're just deliberately being a retard." he snarled. "She'll have as much support as she can possibly desire. More, unless I miss my guess."

"Oh," Scott said, distinctly unamused. "So now the rest of us are what, smothering her?"

"Are you determined to put words in my mouth, or did you just wake up on the wrong side of your life this morning?" he said. "For what she's been through, the kind of hell she's endured, if you give in to your bleeding-heart and swing into action to make it all better for her, _she will never heal_. She has to go deep inside and face her demons. We can't do it for her, no matter how badly you want to. Our job is to help her make that journey."

"Why did you not just drop dead of the irony?" Scott asked caustically. "You tell me I'm putting words in your mouth and then turn around and do the same thing to me? I know damned well it's got to be her work here, and I know damned well that there is no way I or anyone else can fix it for her. You really don't listen at all, do you?"

"No, I don't think you do, Scott. I don't think you have any damned idea what she's got to do and the challenges she faces. Maybe if you spent more time actually _hearing_ what I say instead of gunning it through some sort of fantasyland in your head we could avoid all of this. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go get some lunch."

"Haroun," Scott said sharply as the other man walked past him. "No more of that shit in emails. At least not ones that are CCed to her."

"Is that an order?" he said, stopping but not turning around.

"You're damned right it is. If you have doubts, air them, but either directly to her, one-on-one, or to the rest of us. Try and display a little logic," Scott said. "If it's known, it's known. Not ostentatiously reminding her of it does not constitute lying to her."

"Yes, sir." he snapped out, then continued on his way to the kitchen.