Thomas blew out a breath as he walked into the bar.  This was probably a bad idea, but to be honest, he didn't really care.  It was late, he had been on a plane for hours, he was tired, and more importantly, he was thirsty.  He could worry about what his bosses thought of him going here later.  Not that they'd care very much.  After all, it was just a bar.  And it wasn't like he was an alcoholic.  Wow.  That made him sound like one.  But he wasn't.  And he was tired.  He needed to be in a bed.  He'd go to the hotel room in a bit.  Right now, all he wanted was a drink.  And he was going to get one.  Great.  And now he sounded like a total drunk.  Terrific.  Not what he had intended, thank you very much.  Oh well.  At least he hadn't said it out loud, so there was that at least.

Without a word to anyone, he sat down on a stool.
"What'll it be?"
"Tequila," he responded.
"Neat or straight?"
"Don't care."  Just give me the damn drink, he thought to himself.  The bartender nodded and went to get the drink.  As the man did so, Thomas looked around.  To be honest, he wasn't entirely comfortable with having his back to the door, but the seat he had taken in had been one of the last ones available and he wasn't going to be a jackass when it was obvious that the place was incredibly busy.  But yeah, it made him a little nervous.  Call it a throwback to the fact that he had just gotten out of the service.  His musing was then interrupted as the man came back with the desired beverage.  "Thank you," he said, giving the guy a smile.  Hey, just because he was tired didn't mean that he couldn't be polite.
 

He had time to spare - at least for now. Julien had wrapped up his training sessions, having hit the gun range to top the day off before he made a b-line for the bar. One alcoholic drink, that was what he was going for.

Sure.

He probably could deal with more, but in case - Julien stuck with one, wanting to keep his reactions sharp as he walked through the door. Pausing briefly, he glanced around - noting a couple new heads saddled up at the bar before heading for one. Listening to the conversations nearby, he caught the familiar tone of someone he had known in the service.

Julien sighed, nodding at the bartender.

Though the man knew his order (having come in often enough to be recognised for his drink), Julien always went for a Scotch (single).

"Would have thought you were a booth person." Julien commented to the man next to him.

When the bartender came back with his drink, Thomas acknowledged the gesture with a small nod and a smile. Hey, no need to be rude just because he was tired as hell. He then took a small swig and grinned. Neat it is, he thought to himself. It certainly hit the spot. And since he had the drink, he was going to enjoy it, even if his back was to everyone. Yeah, that wasn't his favorite thing in the world, but the place was packed and he wasn't going to be a jackass about something the people here had no control over. He was a big boy and could deal with it.

A voice speaking next to him broke Thomas out of his reverie and he turned to see Julian as he commented that he would've thought that he would've been a booth person.
"I am, but they're packed and I'm not gonna be a jerk about it," he responded. And yes, he had censored himself a bit.  "You're looking good, man," he commented.

Julien couldn't hide the fact that he was happy to see his old friend, the bond that they shared ran strong and all the way back to the first day they had joined boot-camp. The show was over and the ice was broken, Julien grinned.

"You're looking good, man,"

"Could say the same about you, buddy! Last I saw of you, you'd been discharged - so, whilst I down my scotch, tell me about your adventures. If you'd have any," Julien said, picking up his scotch and taking the smallest of sips. "What brings you down to Tierney?"

Thomas smiled as Julian said he looked good as well, adding that the last time they had seen each other, he had been medically discharged, encouraging him to tell him about any adventures he may have had as he downed his scotch.
"Well, Sarah and I are still trying to lock down a date. I know, i know---you'd think it'd be easy, but trying to find a date where we can get everyone here at the same time and make sure that's it not too far away for Abigail to travel. I mean, with her immune system, travel's not always the easiest for her," he responded. And unfortunately, they were unable to find a date that worked, which sucked. He just wanted to be married already. Was that really so much to ask?

When Julian asked what had brought them to Tierney, he smiled.
"Job transfer," he responded. "I worked a kidnapping case which apparently impressed someone in the FBI and I got offered a job," he continued. And at least it wasn't a total loss. He had been reunited with Julian, which was a total plus in his opinion. Of course, there was no way he could say that out loud without it sounding weird.

Julien took another precautionary sip as his old friend told his end of the story, picking up from where they had left off - a smile on his face, nodding in understanding as he took it all in. Man, he couldn't believe he was sitting in a bar with his old mate.

"I worked a kidnapping case which apparently impressed someone in the FBI and I got offered a job,"

His brows raised, lips in contact once more with the glass as he took a longer gulp of Scotch, impressed by what he heard, "Medical discharge's working wonders on you. Tom's a big boy now," Julien kept his voice low, and his grin on his face as he slapped his friend on the back. "Got to presume you took it, right?"

Thomas finished his drink and then smirked as Julian stated that the medical discharge had worked wonders for him, saying that he was a big boy, and going on to say that he was presuming that he had taken the job, slapping him on the back.
"And you're still an idiot," he shot back, flashing him a teasing grin. "And yes, I took the job," he confirmed. Hey, he had to something with his life after what had happened. Granted, it wasn't really the end of the world like some medical discharges were, but it had ended his career. "I'm part of a task force. I mostly run down computer searches and stuff since there's no way I can shoot. Not what I thought I'd be doing when I applied for the Academy, but at least I'm still able to do something[/i],"[/color] he continued. Was he upset that he couldn't carry a gun due to the nerve damage? Sure, but hey, at least he hadn't lost his arm completely. And he could fire a gun with his right hand---that was something he had worked on when he was at the Academy---but it still looked and felt a little awkward, which as he said, meant that he couldn't really shoot.

He then fell silent and finished his drink.
"What about you, man? Whatcha up to these days?" he queried, signaling for the bartender to bring him another shot of tequila. Was he knocking 'em back a little harder than usual? Maybe, but hey, he was with a friend that he hadn't seen in a while, so why not celebrate?

OOC
I realized that I never said why Thomas' career was ended when he got shot in the left hand but I figured nerve damage could explain it and why he was originally put in the K-9 unit.

"And you're still an idiot,"

Julien couldn't help the grin nor the chuckle that escaped his lips as his friend retorted, shaking his head to attempt to force some sense of self-control over his actions, "Of course, that much hasn't changed, Tom."

He nodded at the fact that Tom had indeed taken the job, he would have expected nothing less. To which transitioned nicely into an explanation of what his friend and how his friend had gotten the job with the Feds, nodding to the fact that that Tom was still able to do something with his life rather than anything else.

"What about you, man? Whatcha up to these days?"

Once the bartender had been signaled back over, Julien allowed himself another whiskey, though opting for the single this time around before tending to the question that was asked of him. "Man, have you missed quite a party. Transferred from MARSOC to JTF, here in Tierney, had my first mission with them and well, here I am, seeing your pretty mug." Julein smiled.

Thomas grinned as Julian agreed with his statement that he was an idiot, saying that things hadn't changed all that much.
"Good to know," he teased. Glad to see that he's still the same guy I knew back then, he thought to himself. He was well aware of how their choice in lifestyle could change a person. But from what he could tell, Julian was the same guy he had known back then.

He then quirked a brow as the man stated that he had missed a lot, explaining that he had transferred to a joint task force and that he had had his first mission with them and was now talking with him.
"That's pretty cool," he commented. "Hope it was successful," he commented. Not that he expected to be privy as to what it had been about. No, he most likely didn't have the clearance for it, but he could still say that he had hoped that it had gone well.

There was a lot he could say and at the same time, not much. There were protocols surrounding what he needed to do and how he did it, and his friend would know such.

"Hope it was successful,"

Julien nodded, "All safely back." It was a crap answer and he knew it, but it told a lot about how the mission went if they had all made it back in mostly one piece. He fell quiet for a little bit, picking up his drink and taking a sip.

"Just had a thought, mate. Why don't you and Sarah come around to the Foxwell residence and we can all have a good catch up? I know a couple of folks who'd love to see you again." Julien grinned, tilting his head.

Thomas nodded as Julien said that that everyone had come back safely.
"That's good," he responded. Really, what more could one ask for one ask for when on a mission? Probably never to have to go on the mission in the first place in most cases, but he knew that wasn't plausible. Still, barring that, he knew that the one thing everyone hoped for was to return home with as many people as you left the country with. And wow, he was starting to sound depressing.

He then gave himself a mental shake and focused on Julien, smiling at the suggestion that he and Sarah drop by his place so that they could all catch up, adding that he knew of a couple of people who would want to catch up with him.
"Yeah, that sounds great," the man agreed. And it really did. A night of relaxation among friends sounded like just what he needed. He'd have to double check with Sarah to make sure she was feeling up to it, but he couldn't imagine that she'd have a problem with them doing this.

Making sure that he had Thomas's good arm, Julien gave him a friendly pat on the back as his old friend agreed to coming over for a good ol' Foxwell BBQ. It was a rare occasion but the Foxwell's certainly knew how to treat friends like family, never skimping on the meat. Julien grinned.

"That sounds like it's sorted. Let me know what time and date works out for you and Sarah. Any particular dietary requirements that I need to make a note of?"

Thomas smiled as Julian said that they had things sorted out and to let him know what time and day worked for him and sarah, wondering if there were any particular dietary requirements he needed to be aware of.
"Nope," he responded. It'll be good for us to get out, he thought to himself. He hadn't visited with friends in a long time and he knew that Sarah was starting to feel a little cooped up. So really, this was perfect. Not that he was going to say this out load as it would sound weird as hell, but he could admit to himself that he was needing some time spent with friends.

His smile then grew.
"What do you say to another drink? On me?" he queried. Okay, maybe having another one was a bad idea, but he was enjoying himself and he didn't want to go home just yet. Hopefully, Julian didn't have anywhere else to be. But if he did, he'd just pay the tab and go home.