once we met | derek morgan. ✓

10 : escape.

I slip inside the locker room that attaches to Buford's office, this is the place I know he is, the place where we can talk, solving our differences once and for all.

Buford begins to walk out of his office and I have an immediate act of impulse.

"Carl..." I say, making sure I'm loud enough to startle him.

"You've been let go." Buford says, chuckling a bit.

"Looks that way." I say, my tone going deep and heavy, making sure I sound stern and sincere.

"I told 'em it was crazy, thinkin' you were involved in any killing." He says, shrugging his shoulders a bit.

"Really? Gordinski said you're the one who told 'em I drove Damien home." I say, making my sentence sound more like an interrogation.

"Was that supposed to be a secret?" He asks, shrugging his shoulders again, curiousness filling his tone.

"No. That wasn't I don't follow." He says, playing dumb.

"All these years, I kept my mouth shut I let you go on being a hero. Carl Buford, my mentor." I say, my nose flaring up from anger.

"What are you talkin' about?" He asks, playing dumb again.

"God, I was so afraid of you I was afraid of the police, afraid of losing everything I was gaining. But that's how you work, isn't it. You make sure there's a hell of a lot to lose, don't you?" I state, tears welling up in my eyes.

"I don't know what you think you remember." Buford states, shooting me a threatening glare.

"No, no, no. See, it's not what I remember that's gonna hurt you, Carl. Our business is over way too long ago to matter. You're protected by a statute of limitations and that's my fault." I state.

"Then good night." He says in a stern, but quiet tone as he attempts to walk away.

"You set me up. You knew Damien Walters wanted James to call me about you. So you killed him. You killed him because you knew I'd come after you, didn't you?" I ask.

"Now you're just talking crazy." He states in complete and utter denial.

"God, I should have told somebody about you when I was a kid. When you were helping me." I pause, giving my shoulders a small shrug, "Well, you know what happens in cases like this. Once that dam breaks, the flood comes. One kid steps up, just one. And then another one, and another. Because they're not scared of you anymore. They know they're not alone. James Barfield is your dam." I say, my tone going stern as I attempt to hold back my tears.

"Whatever lies James told you..." Buford begins as I immediately interrupt him.

"They're not lies! You did the same thing to me!" I exclaim, choking a bit on tears.

"I did nothing to you, to James." Buford says, flailing his arms a bit in defense.

"One by one, they're gonna pile up until there's so many accusations. You can't say that they're all lies." I inform him, my tone stern and heavy.

"Do you have any idea how many kids I've helped get out of this neighborhood. Hm. How many lives I've provided. Look at you. You'd probably be dead by now." He yells, gesturing his arms towards me.

"Yeah, well, it wasn't for free, was it!?" I exclaim, my hands curling into fists.

"I pulled you out of the gutter." Buford scoffs.

I choke on my tears as I hear that sentence, rage and sadness building in my bones.

"I pulled myself out of the gutter, all the way to the FBI! I did that!" I yell, a few tears escaping from my eyes and rolling down my cheeks.

"You sayin' I had nothin' to do with making you who you are?" Carl says, his tone sincere.

"No, Carl. Actually I'm saying you have everything to do with making me who I am. Because of you I'm somebody who gets to spend the rest of this life making sure guys like you go down." I say, my tone sincere and heavy with rage.

Buford's facial expression goes stern, "Look, Derek..." He pauses, taking a few steps towards me.

I attempt to take a step back, tears rolling down my cheeks as I furiously wipe them away.

"I never did anything to you. You could have said no." He says, shrugging his shoulders.

My body freezes in immediate pain. You could have said no.

I glance up, startled by Gordinski's tone, "You're under arrest, Carl." He says sternly.

Fear flashes across Buford's face, "I've helped a lot of kids!" He exclaims in his own defense.

"Let's go." Gordinski says sternly, slapping the cuffs on Buford's wrists.

"The neighborhood won't be the same without me. It's gonna be worse without the center." Carl says sternly, trying to get under my skin but I ignore him.

"Somebody'll keep this center running. The neighborhood will. I will." I inform him, my tone going stern as he gets closer to me.

"Wait. Wait. Derek... isn't there something you can do for me." Carl asks, stopping in front of me.

"You go to hell." I say sternly, my body full of rage, anger, and sadness.

Gordinski pushes Buford in front of him, causing him to stumble a bit. Gordinski pauses in front of me. He opens his mouth to say something, but doesn't. Coward.

I glance up in the doorway, hearing a few soft sniffles.

Jules. Shit.