~oOo~

"Hey, Simon." Ellison poked his head through the office door. "What do you want me to start on? H said that he and Rafe wrapped up the MacDonald case. Anything new come in?"

"I have just the job for you, Detective Ellison," Banks replied, giving Jim a wicked smile. "Your assignments are on your desk.

Ellison glanced over to his desk and spotted a large pile of folders in his in tray. "Not paperwork," he groaned. "You've got to be joking. It'll take me a week to get through all that."

"Exactly my plan. And when you're done there, I have the next few weeks planned out for you as well. The girls in records are doing a complete overhaul of the files and I've kindly offered them your expertise."

"Simon, I'm a detective, not a secretary." The sudden noise behind him made Jim turn his attention toward Rhonda. He gave her a sheepish look as she dumped another pile of files on his desk. "No offence, Rhonda," he muttered.

"Detective or not, my friend, a broken arm is a broken arm, and in this line of work, it's also a liability." Simon's faced turned serious. "And if you think I'm going to tell that boy of yours that he no longer has a father because I sent him out on the street with a handicap, you've got another think coming."

"Point taken," Jim grumbled. "I suppose I should make a start."

"Good, and Jim, while you're making that start, I'd like you to start on this file first. It's the most pressing."

Jim took the file that Simon handed him and glanced at it briefly. "This file has nothing to do with me," he said, handing it back. "And nothing to do with this department either," he clarified. "Last time I looked, it said Major Crime on the door, not Child Protection Agency."

"Last time I looked, detective, kidnapping was a major crime, and last time I looked, I still wore the bigger pants." Simon handed the file back. "And because it's my prerogative, I've assigned this case to you." Banks studied the look on Jim's face, knowing he could only push so far until Ellison completely baulked. Changing tact, he lowered his voice. "Please, Jim, this really is important. Once you've read the boy's file, you'll understand why he did what he did." Simon got to his feet and pulled his overcoat from the stand by the door. He squeezed Jim's shoulder as he passed. "I've got a meeting downtown, so you can use my office."

Jim's demeanour became stiff and uncooperative. "Are you making this an order, sir?" he asked tersely.

"If it has to be that way, then yes, I guess I am." Banks pulled on his coat. "Rhonda, hold all of Detective Ellison's calls. I'll be back in a few hours."

~oOo~

Jim had paled visibly by the time he'd finished reading the file on Lucas Wilder. "My god," he whispered. "How could a father do that to his sons?" How could he have sold his own sons into a life of prostitution, just to support his drug habit?He dusted his fingers over the picture of the battered body of a six-year-old boy before flipping back over to the coroner's report. Scott Wilder had basically bled out due to injuries caused by a vicious rape. The coroner reported that his hysterical nine-year-old brother had dragged his lifeless body into the emergency room, begging for them to save his life. Lucas Wilder was covered in blood himself, and his arm was severely broken. Police sent to the crime scene had found the unconscious body of Max Wilder on the kitchen floor and an arrest was made. To make a long story short, Max Wilder was sent to prison for child abuse, but not for murder. The semen found in Scott's body was not his and his remaining son had refused to tell police who attacked his brother. Lucas was placed in foster care, but ran away a short time later, and his whereabouts had been unknown up until now. The rape and murder of the six-year-old child was never solved.

Jim closed the file, picked up the phone and waited as the line connected. "This is Detective Ellison of the Cascade PD. I'd like to speak to someone in relation to the transfer of a suspect from Bowen County Hospital. Yes, that's right, Lucas Wilder... today, at noon. Good, I'll come by to organise the security arrangements. Thank you."

~oOo~

"Detective Ellison, I'm Doctor Bradshaw. You're here to oversee the security arrangements for Lucas Wilder, I believe?"

Jim shook the hand being offered and gave a slight nod. "How's he doing?"

"I'm afraid that I can't release medical information on my patients, detective. Unless, of course, you have a court order?"

"I'm not asking for a complete medical history, doctor. I know about the injuries he sustained. I just wanted to know how he's doing."

"He's had some setbacks in the last few days, but he appears to be a strong-willed young man. I'm optimistic about a full recovery."

"Can I see him?"

"He's really in no condition to be questioned at the moment."

"I don't want to question him. I just want to see him."

Bradshaw looked at Ellison as if she was assessing whether or not he was a threat to her patient. "All right," she said eventually, "But five minutes is all I can give you. The trip up here has been pretty rough on him."

~oOo~

Ellison closed the door to Lucas' room quietly behind him. He stood still and studied the young man in the bed. Focusing his senses on the teenager's vitals, he listened to the boy's congested lungs as they drew in difficult, raspy breaths. Lucas's eyes were closed, and his upper body was supported by several pillows and covered in a zigzag of wires. Edging closer, he removed the medical chart hanging on the end of the bed, and quickly scanned through the pages. The medical training he had received in the army gave him enough basic knowledge to decipher what he was reading. Along with his other injuries, Lucas had developed pneumonia.

"You here to make an arrest?" Lucas wheezed, his eyes now half open.

"Not at this stage," Ellison replied, replacing the chart. "I haven't actually made a decision as to what I'm going to do yet, although, if I do decide to press charges, you'd likely go away for a long time. I'm sure you know that kidnapping is a very serious offence."

"Yeah, well, so is child abuse."

Jim pushed back his anger. He had no intention of giving the kid an opportunity to bait him. "I'd watch that tongue of yours, kid. It's always wise to play nice with the person who holds your future in his hands."

"If you're not here to arrest me, then why are you here?"

"To satisfy myself that you're not going to be a danger to my son. He wants to come and see you."

Jim heard Lucas' heartbeat increase at the mention of Blair's name and was surprised that his senses had actually been proven accurate by the machine next to the bed.

"Blair, how is he? Is he okay?"

"He's doing alright, considering. Although I suspect that the full ramifications of his abduction might not have surfaced yet."

Lucas turned his head away from Jim and stared out the window. "I didn't mean to hurt him. I thought I was doing the right thing. He reminded me of someone I once knew and I didn't want him to end up the same way."

For a moment, Jim's heart went out to the kid as he was struck with the realisation that if Blair had not been left on his doorstep, then there was every chance that this could be hisson lying here in the hospital... that is, if he even lived to be a teenager. His conscience began to struggle with the idea that Lucas did need to be given a chance. The chance to live a life, free from the physical and sexual abuse he had suffered in the past. The chance to go to school and get the education he deserved and had a right to, and the chance to simply be a normal teenager, with no more difficult decision ahead of him than whether or not he should date the blonde or the redhead. The question was, however, was it up to him to offer this boy the chance? Why should it be his responsibility to provide these things to a child he didn't even know? Why should he give a second chance to boy whose actions very nearly destroyed his life? Could he ever trust a boy like Lucas Wilder?

A round of lung-rattling coughs interrupted his thoughts. He approached the bed to offer some help, but his actions were halted when Lucas held up his hand. "mm... okay. I don't need your help."

A nurse on her rounds pushed her way into the room, her look signalling her displeasure at her patient's current condition. She checked the oxygen line under Lucas' nose before comforting him quietly.

"I think that's enough for today, Detective." Patricia Bradshaw was not far behind the nurse, and her displeasure was measured equally.

Standing aside from the door, she gestured for Jim to leave.

"I'll bring Blair by in a few days, when you're feeling a little better," Jim said, ignoring the harsh stares from both the women in the room.

As he made his way down the hallway, he knew what he had to do, but whether or not he could actually bring himself to do it was an entirely different matter.

~oOo~

Ellison stormed into the bullpen, his mood dark and sullen, causing his associates to stay well out of his line of fire. Since leaving the hospital, he'd been bundled up in a tight cluster of knots. Plucking Lucas's file from his desk, he headed for his intended target. Not bothering to knock, he barged into the office and flung the file down on Simon's desk.

Simon didn't look up. He just stated calmly, "Jim, nice to see you. I noticed you weren't at your desk when I got back. Everything okay?"

Without warning, Jim ran out of steam. He deflated and sank wearily down into an office chair. "Simon, what am I gonna do? I can't take responsibility for that kid. I have my own son to worry about, and besides that, who knows what kind of psychological problems he could be suffering from? I can't put Blair in that kind of risk. I won'tput Blair in that kind of risk."

Simon reached back and grabbed a coffee cup from the table behind his desk. Filling it to the brim, he placed it in front of Jim. "Ellison, think about what you just said for a moment. That kid nearly died to save your son. In your heart, do you really feel that Lucas would pose a threat to Blair?" He took a sip of his own coffee before continuing. "The situation, as it stands, is that when Lucas is physically able, he will be transferred to a juvenile facility. Given the nature of the offence he committed, it's highly unlikely that he will be placed in foster care." Simon paused for a moment to make sure he had Jim's full attention. "That is, of course, unless someone is willing to assume guardianship of the boy. Even then, it would still be a long shot. The judge would need to take into account Lucas' crime and his past history to determine how much of a threat to the community he is. It would go in his favour if, say, the father of the child he kidnapped was willing to support him and take responsibility for him. If this were to happen, I would say the likelihood of him being kept out of jail would be much higher."

Ellison didn't utter a word.

"Jim, look," Simon stated sympathetically, knowing he now at least had Ellison's full attention. "I realise that this is a lot to ask, but considering this is probably the last chance the kid will get at having any decent kind of a life, I think it's something worth considering. Don't you?"

Jim scrubbed his hand over his face and let out a sigh of frustration. He knew all too well what would happen to Lucas if he were to be incarcerated. He might be able to handle himself while in a juvenile facility, but if he were sent to an adult facility in the future, he wouldn't last long. The boy was a good-looking kid, and good-looking young boys were easy prey in jail. "What do I have to do to become his guardian?" he finally asked.

"Well, as it so happens, the wheels are already in motion. The court date is set for the day after tomorrow."

Jim looked at his captain with a mixture of annoyance and gratitude. "How did you know I'd say yes?"

Simon put down his coffee and leaned back in his chair. "Because, my friend, you are a good man."

~oOo~