Of Boy and Man

These are a series of linked one shots about the relationship Flack created with a kid, Sam Harris, from the episode 'Unusual Suspects'. Sam, Flack and the rest of the team and the original storyline of that episode do not belong to me, they are credited to CBS. Established OC's may make an appearance too.

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Status

"Detective?" Sam Harris looked up at his idol, the guy he thought could save the world.

"What's up Sam?" Don grinned, handing him a can of soda "You wanna go another round?"

"No" Sam grinned cheekily "I think I beat you enough for one day"

"You shoot a mean hoop kid" Don ruffled Sam's hair fondly, taking a long drink from his own can as they sat on the bench.

"Could I still be a cop?" the child asked, well he wasn't a child really now, Don thought, but not a man either. The awkward gawky phase in between that Don remembered well enough. "I mean, after what happened?"

"You wanna be a cop?" Don asked, surprised.

"They asked us at school" Sam replied "And when I said I wanted to be a cop, the teacher said that I'd robbed a bank, so I wouldn't be allowed to"

Don scratched his head, buying himself a little time.

"I don't really know Sam" he said finally "The DA didn't press charges, so you don't have a criminal record"

"Can you find out?" Sam's face was eager "Please Detective?"

"Sure" Don nodded "I'll look into it, and Sam, I think we known each other long enough for you to call me Don huh?"

"I like Detective" Sam replied.

Don smiled, for a while at Sam's age he'd always referred to his father as 'Officer', dropping in the fact his father was a police officer at every opportunity "I know you do" he agreed "But how about you call me Don, but to everyone else, call me Detective Flack?"

"Huh?"

"Well, like now, when we're shootin' hoops, or gettin' a burger, or at the game, you call me Don. But when we see say, a girl you like, or to your friends you call me Detective?"

Sam grinned, but didn't say anything.

"So there is a girl then?" he raised his eyebrows over his can.

"Maybe" Sam looked at his threadbare shoes, Don's gaze followed and he made a mental note to find out the kids size, and when his birthday was. He decided to leave the girls conversation for another day.

"So, what would you like to do in the police?" he asked.

"I dunno" Sam shrugged "Maybe be a Detective, like a homicide detective?"

"I won't lie to you buddy" Don said "It's tough, and you see a lot a stuff that's hard to stomach"

"I guess you do" Sam replied "Do you think I could do it?"

"If you want to do something Sam, you should try" Don mused "If it doesn't work then you have at least tried, you don't try, you don't know"

"So you think I should try and be a cop?" Sam asked him.

"Yeah" Don smiled "I do, but there's other things you can do, apart from being a detective. There's CSI, like the guys I work with, you gotta be pretty smart to do that job"

"Like Detective Taylor?" Sam asked, Don mused that the kid had met most of the team during the investigation, but he always revolved back to himself and Mac.

"Yeah, like Detective Taylor" Don nodded "He collects evidence and helps solves the crime that way, it's very important, but you gotta be all sciency" Don pulled a face "I'm not very sciency"

"I kinda like science" Sam said in a small voice.

"I admire people who do it" Don sensed that the kid wanted his approval, and maybe felt that Don wouldn't approve of his liking of science "I'm not clever enough, and I don't have the patience"

"What else can you do?" Sam asked him "Like in the police?"

"Loads of things" Don said "I used to work on a team that investigated bank robberies, before I moved to homicide. And there's aviation, flying the helicopters, mounted, K9, foot patrol, traffic patrol. And all sorts of different types of detective work"

"I like the idea of helping people" Sam said "Like you do"

Don looked around in surprise as the street lights started to flick on one by one.

"Come on" he said, standing and grabbing the ball "We better get you back to your Mom"

"Really?" Sam looked disappointed, like he always did.

"Yeah" Don felt slightly disappointed too "She'll get worried"

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