Down an unknown road

To embrace my fate

Though the road may wander

It will lead me to you

And a thousand years

Would be worth the wait

It may take a lifetime

But somehow I'll see it through

He wasn't used to this. At his age, he wasn't supposed to be making many changes to his life. Not when he was supposed to be retired.

But he got a job. In the police force. Again.

Nothing like before, of course. He wasn't stupid. He couldn't do what he'd done before.

But still, having a job.

Was a big accomplishment.

And the fact that he was responsible for giving his son jobs was even more so. One wrong move and his son could be dead or involved with a dangerous killer. Henry had to be careful; he knew his son was semi-responsible and an adult but he was still Henry's boy.

And Henry still felt his gut sink into his shoes every time his phone rang.

Any day he could get THE call.

He was determined not to let that happen.

Sitting at his computer, Henry released a sigh and stood for a moment to stretch his back muscles. Since when had sitting around all day bothered him so much?

He was getting older. And the added stress from taking on a new job didn't seem to be helping all that much.

But he would follow through. He'd promised Chief Vick that he would. And, no matter what he really said, Shawn was another reason why Henry kept up the fight. Clocked in every day and sat behind a computer, waiting for cases to turn up so he could assign his son to one of them.

Shawn was his reason for a lot of things these days. Henry would never willingly admit that, especially to Shawn, but the facts remained. And it had brought them closer together.

Yes, they now fought more but at least Henry got to see his son on a regular basis; got to talk to him on the phone more than he ever hoped he would.

That was the best part of Henry's job.

His cell phone started vibrating in his pocket. Henry sat again in his chair and didn't even need to glance at the caller ID.

"What do you want, Shawn?" Henry asked.

"Aw, come on Papa Bear. I need to know if there are any new cases... I'm slightly bored here."

"Join the club, kid."

"Woah, tone." Henry rolled his eyes heavenward; he could tell his son was wearing one of those ridiculous grins on his face. It was too large to miss.

"There's nothing new, Shawn. If there was, I'd let you know."

"Would you really?"

"Yes." A pause. Henry wondered what his son was making of these facts. They were true. For now.

"You OK, pops?" Shawn asked, breaking the silence.

"Fine. Why?" Henry couldn't help but wonder after his son's intent...

"You don't look it." Henry whirled around, his gaze landing on Shawn's form over by the front entrance. Henry held up his phone for Shawn to see before snapping it shut.

Shawn took the cue and headed over to his father's desk.

"You should get out more," his son said. "Come on, let's go have lunch."

"I brought a lunch and I'm fine."

"Your lunch is anything but nutritious and you haven't had a good night's sleep in several days. Come on, no cases right now. You, me, Del Taco." Waiting for no response from his father, Shawn grabbed Henry's suit jacket and tossed it at him. Then he turned and walked away, confident his father would follow.

And follow he did. Sometimes Shawn wasn't so bad. His forwardness and powers of observation and deduction occasionally annoyed Henry when Shawn used them against him but today...

Henry found his son waiting in the parking lot, leaning against Henry's old truck.

Without a word, Henry climbed in, unlocking the door for his son.

Once they were on the road, Shawn said, "Guess who visited the Psych office today?"