This made me sad. The beginning had me laughing but the ending definitely had me wanting to hug out poor Billy. He must keep so much inside, not wanting to share with anyone unless he's extremely sleep deprived. Tsk. I feel for him. Another great story!

Very sweet story. :)

Another fantastic fic! I just loved Billy's sleep-deprived ramblings, his manic energy. I giggled out loud as I read this fic, and I hardly giggle. So there you go.

What I especially appreciated was how you so skillfully turned a funny, lighthearted fic into something much more somber at the very end. And you did it so seamlessly. My heart hurts for Billy. That was such a great snapshot into Billy's head, his tabletop confession to Michael. Meep!

So much love.

It's a mildly concerning honor to be the resident expert on sleep-deprivation...

You already know I love this fic, but I'll say it again. I'm a big fan of the way you use the mind-altering effects of sleep deprivation to build up and exaggerate Billy's defense mechanisms of humor and exuberance, and then tear them away at the moment when he begins to crash, leaving him bare and vulnerable.

It's also nice to see what a variety of ways we have of tormenting poor Billy!

Wow, that was beautiful and sad and wonderful. What else does Billy thing he doesn't deserve to have now?

You must know that I love the inherent self-torture and self-flagellation in Billy's actions to not allow sleep from taking him. I get delight in that you took an initially humorous situation to a lovely angsty and even heroic conclusion. Billy is such a fun character because he's such a malleable one. He can be humorous without it sounding forced, he can be heroic and have it feel authentic, he can be loving without being mushy and insincere sounding. You did all that here successfully.

Fave Parts:

"I believe in saving my sick days for true illness or injury," Billy said. "Such as when I am copiously bleeding or rendered unconscious for prolonged periods of time. Besides, this coffee is amazing! Truly one of God's greatest wonders on this green, lush earth."

-This was HILARIOUS considering we put him in these situations often, he must be out of sick days

"A mission!" Billy exclaimed, half jumping out of his seat as he interrupted. "A foray into adventure! An escapade of unknown potential! Danger! Intrigue! The stuff of movies! And particularly well-written spy novels!"

"It's hypomania," Casey said. "When the body is deprived of sleep too long, it creates a disjointed feedback loop. The less you sleep, the less you feel like you need to sleep even as your body starts shutting down in other ways. In essence, he's drunk on his own exhaustion. He could stay awake until he dies and he wouldn't even notice."

- Love how a seemingly innocent condition such as lack of sleep could turn perilous for Billy when his fate is in your hands. HEE!

Standing there, Michael had to wonder just how much Billy held at bay for the sake of his job, for the sake of his team. What was Billy living without because he thought he had to, because circumstances gave him no other choice?

More than that, how often did Michael take it for granted?

- Billy sacrifice! I NEVER, EVER get tired of that.

Lovely as always.

thank you for the laugh this morning- I really needed it. :D

favorite parts:

"You were trying to pick up the entire technology department," Casey reminded him.

"Successfully!"

* ok, that part made me burst out laughing...

After Higgins nearly fired them all and Billy was nearly deported from yet another country, Michael realized it could go pretty badly.

* lol. loved it too.

and such a sweet ending with Billy and Michael. I think Billy needs a hug.

I am sad that this is the last of the one-shots, but I'm looking forward to the longer stories as well. :)