Authors Note: This story is my interpretation of what happened to Penhall at the end of "Number One With A Bullet". It always bugged the hell out of me that they never really explained where he went after he resigned. So here you go. And please, please, please review. I need the fix. Thanks and Enjoy.

Disclaimer... Props to Stephen J Cannell and his crew for the wonderful characters. I own nothing but the 21JS dvds and a sweet vintage pinup of Peter Deluise. Please don't sue me.

Chapter 1

Doug yawned sleepily as he readjusted himself in his seat, struggling to keep his eyes on the road. "Only six more miles to the motel." he thought thankfully, anxiously looking forward to a hot shower and a soft bed. He glanced over at the passenger in the seat beside him. Clavo had grown so much over the course of their two years together, maturing into a very precocious little boy . But at the moment he looked more childlike than ever, curled up on the seat with his thumb in his mouth, lost in a blissful slumber. He smiled at the sight of his nephew looking so peaceful. Doug had been so worried about breaking the news of this move to Clavo. But the boy had taken it surprisingly well, even acting a little excited about it. But then again, he had been through so much in his short life that he seemed to have learned to just roll with it. They were very similar in that way, both having lost their families at such a young age. Doug had lost his mother to suicide at the age of six, losing his father ten years later after a lengthy battle with the bottle. He had been separated from his brother for five years after that, the younger man having been unable to cope with the loss of their dad. Joey had spent a few years on the streets, floating around from friend to friend, couch to couch, trying to escape the ghosts of his past. Doug had pretty much given up hope of ever seeing his younger brother again, when suddenly, a few months ago, he had shown up out of nowhere, having apparently graduated the from police academy. It had been a tense reunion to say the least, but in time, the old hurts had begun to heal and they were slowly working on rebuilding their relationship. They had grown closer than ever in the past few weeks, brought together by Doug's shooting. Joey had really stepped up, taking care of Clavo in Doug's absence. Clavo and Joey had bonded over that time as well, although they were more playmates than anything. Doug sighed at the thought of his brother, feeling the guilt start to return. He remembered the look on Joey's face when he had told him he was quitting the force and moving halfway across the country. Joey had looked so devastated that he had almost changed his mind. But in the end, he did what he had to do to keep Clavo safe. He had handed in his badge, ultimately putting an end to his law enforcement career and one of the best periods of his life. But despite his doubts, he knew deep down that he had done the right thing. His only worry now was the uncertainty of what lay ahead.

The lights of the motel sign came into view as a new wave of fatigue rolled over Doug. He sighed in relief as he reached over to rouse his nephew.

"Hey Clavo, wake up buddy. We're at the motel." he said, shaking the boy lightly by the shoulder.

Clavo just turned his head to the side as he mumbled in protest. "Uncle Doug, I'm sleeping, leave me alone."

Doug just laughed at the little boy. That was another thing they had in common, they both hated to be disturbed when they were sleeping.

He pulled into the lot, stopping by the office to pick up their room key. He could feel the tension begin to drain from him as he stepped out of the truck, stretching his muscles before collecting their bags from the floor of the vehicle. He lifted Clavo, who was now snoring softly, effortlessly from the seat, slamming the door with his hip as they made their way to the room. He unlocked the door to the small room, flipping on the light as he entered. He smiled as he saw that the room had two twin sized beds instead of one full sized. He usually didn't mind having to share a bed with Clavo, but the boy was a bit of a kicker, and Doug was so exhausted that all he really wanted was eight hours of uninterrupted slumber. He gently placed Clavo on one of the beds, tucking him in securely beneath the covers. He was thankful he had let Clavo change into his pajamas at the last rest stop. He kissed the boy lightly on the forehead before heading over to flip off the light. He walked into the bathroom, quickly shedding his clothes as he stepped into the small shower, turning the hot water on full blast. As he washed away the dirt of the last few days' travel he could feel his body begin to relax. He turned off the water, stepping out onto the cold tile floor. He dried himself and threw on an old pair of sweats. He felt exhaustion begin to take him as he stepped out of the bathroom and walked over to his bed. He threw back to covers and crawled in, body sinking into the soft mattress as he laid his head on the pillow. He took one last glance at Clavo, making sure he was okay. Seeing that the little boy was still out cold, Doug closed his eyes and let himself drift off into a deep sleep.