Okay, so I wanted to do a tag for "Lassie did a bad, bad thing." This didn't come quite the way I wanted, but I think it was enough to satisfy my muse. If not, I'll just put another one out! I'm intrigued by the few, subtle ways Henry shows concern for Shawn. So here we go. (By the way, anyone who's reading my story The Last Spencer , I will be continuing it. I've just gotten behind with my writing. Don't fear! (I just have to remember where I was going with it! It will get done.) ~ Jed.

Henry was out of the car before it even stopped in front of Lassiter's house. Juliet ran by him, her gun in her hands. He wasn't far behind when he heard a sound that caused his heart to freeze for a minute. The junior detective in front of him hesitated for a moment before breaking into a sprint toward the door. Years of training and parental instinct kicked Henry back into action and he ran to the house.

When Shawn hadn't come back inside the office he wasn't too concerned. The kid was always running off on some half-cocked idea. It was only when he didn't let them know where he was after a while that he became suspicious. Gus was immediately panicked but Henry knew better than to get worked up over Shawn so quickly. He drove them to the station to ask Juliet if she knew where his son was. When the detective told them Drimmer's lie he felt the calm give way to worry.

Juliet kicked the door open and the other officers ran in right on her six. Gus and Henry stood on either side of her, looking down at Drimmer's bleeding form. One gunshot, one wounded. Shawn had been standing next to Lassiter when they ran in. Henry's mind immediately took in these details, telling him Shawn was okay. He turned to face the boy, who looked okay despite the black eye.

"Shawn. Shawn, are you alright?" He reached up to touch the bruise on his son's face but stopped himself.

"Yeah, yeah, I think so. Hi-fi? Lassie, you were so cool a second ago." He started to fall and Henry put his arm around his back and caught him, setting him upright again.

"Whoa."

Knowing his son would protest the trip to the ER, Henry got him into a vehicle before saying anything about their destination. He didn't miss the way Shawn kept touching the back of his head and he winced as he thought of what must have happened. Despite all the objections and complaints thrown at him, Henry managed to get Shawn to walk into the emergency room with him. They waited for the doctor to see them, Henry flipping through an old Sports Illustrated and Shawn griping.

"Shawn, for someone with such a big headache you're doing an awful lot of talking."

"How'd you know-"

"Come on, kid. You were punched in the face and I'm pretty sure that lump on the back of your head was put there by the butt of a gun. So just shut up and save yourself some trouble."

Surprisingly he did just that. From the corner of his eye Henry could see him touch the back of his head again. Soon a doctor walked up to them and began her examination. Henry appeared to be studying an article in the old magazine, but really he was trying to shut out his emotions. Normally it was easy, but after the night's events he found the task to be a little more difficult than it usually was.

He wasn't used to the fear that paralyzed him when he heard that gunshot. The only thought that had entered his mind was Shawn. The kid was the only thing he had left. No matter how frustrating he was, no matter how many times he did stupid things or broke a promise or missed a dinner or talked his way out of spending time with him or put himself into danger, he was still his son. His wife had left him and gone her separate way; Shawn hated him for it and for every other thing he'd made him do growing up, but it didn't change anything. Shawn was all he had left, and he loved him.

The doctor finished her exam and Henry was brought back to the present. "Congratulations, Shawn. You've gotten yourself a concussion. I'll give you some ibuprofen now and you can take more in four hours. That should be sufficient for the pain." She turned to Henry. "Wake him up every 15 minutes or so tonight." Turning back to Shawn she said, "Take it easy tomorrow, no driving, and you should be back to normal in a day or two. Make sure you put some ice on that knot on your head and maybe your cheek as well." She walked off to see the next patient and Shawn jumped off the bed. He swayed a bit and Henry grabbed his arm to steady him.

"I'm okay." Henry didn't release him.

"Sure you are kid. Come on, let's go home."

Shawn started spouting out nonsense about some old movie or something and Henry shook his head. The kid was definitely okay.