They had been at the cabin for two days. Ray had let Blair have the space he needed. He had left Blair at the cabin while he went to town and got some supplies and then went fishing. It was the morning of the 3rd day and Ray came downstairs to see that Blair was already up. He went into the kitchen got a cup of coffee before he went out on the front porch.
Blair was sitting there staring out at the woods. Ray sat in the chair beside him. "How are your legs today?" he asked as he looked at his son from out of the corner of his eye.
"The feeling's returned," Blair said softly. "I haven't tried to get up yet."
"We can do that after breakfast."
"What's the point?"
"Oh, I don't know," Ray said as he turned and looked at Blair. "How about being able to go back to your job?"
Blair snorted.
Ray set his coffee down. He got up and went over to the porch rail then he turned and leaned against it. He folded his arms as he looked at Blair. "I never thought you were a quitter."
Blair gave him a look. "I am no quitter."
"So why are you snorting at the idea of going back to work?"
Blair sighed. "I don't belong there. There are enough people that think I just got the job because Jim and Simon pulled strings with the Chief. Now I'm the guy whose mother tried to have him killed."
"Blair, the people who matter aren't going to think that," Ray said. "I don't think that."
Blair gave him a sad smile. "You're my dad."
Ray grinned. "Exactly. I'm your dad. I'm in your corner every step of the way. So is Jim, if you let him. I know why you didn't want him to come with us. You needed to deal with what happened with your mother…"
"She's not my mother," Blair protested. "Not anymore."
Ray took his chair and turned it to face Blair before he sat back down. "She will always be your mother. None of us will ever understand why she's done the things she has done. Perhaps she is mentally ill. All I know is there is some part of you that still loves her and always will. You may never be able to forgive her for what she's done, I sure as hell won't, but you will still love her. I have seen you struggle with your feelings for your mother ever since your press conference. I've seen you struggle the last few days. I will never be able to justify what she did. None of us will ever be able to justify what she did. But she did do one thing right."
"What's that?" Blair asked as he looked at his father.
"She produced a wonderful, caring man who has always tried to see the best in her," Ray said as he smiled a little. "You try to see the best in all of us. That helps in your police work. Jim's said so. Remember that case you worked last month? The armed robberies that had everyone scratching their heads, even Jim. Yes, his senses led him to the house the robbers had been using, but your intuition told you the woman who answered the door was a hostage, not one of the robbers. You were able to talk them into letting her go before the SWAT team swarmed the house."
"She had just started at the university. I couldn't let them ruin her life. Everyone was convinced she was in on it, even Jim."
"But you knew better."
Blair sighed. "I know. I know I've done some good since I became a detective, but you feel better if I wasn't a detective."
"Okay, I admit, I do worry about you when you're at work," Ray laughed. "I'm your father, it's part of my job to worry. What you need to decide is what is best for you. I can't help you do that, but I know who can. Let me call Jim. You know he's dying to come out here. He's probably sitting in the truck waiting for you to call him."
"Yeah, okay," Blair said as Ray patted his leg before he stood up.
"Good man," Ray said as he walked toward the door. "I'll call him then I'll start breakfast."
"Dad," Blair said as Ray got to the door. He looked back as Blair looked up at him. "Maybe after breakfast we could do those exercises the physical therapist gave me."
Ray just smiled and nodded as he went inside.
That afternoon, Jim and Bodie pulled up in front of the cabin. Jim sighed as he turned off the truck. "You have been waiting 3 days for him to call you and tell you to come up here," Bodie said as he gave Jim a look.
"That's just it though," Jim said as they got out of the tuck. "Blair didn't call. Ray did."
"I promise you, Ray only called because Blair told him to," Bodie said as he got their bags. "Go on."
Jim nodded and walked up to the porch. Bodie just shook his head as he followed the younger man. They went inside and saw Ray helping Blair walk across the living room. Blair grinned as he looked up at his lover. "Hi Jim."
Jim walked over to them. "Take over, will you," Ray said as he traded places with Jim. "I'll go start lunch. Come on Bodie, you can help."
Jim waited until the older couple was in the kitchen. He looked at Blair. "So, you've been obeying doctor's orders?"
"Not really," Blair sighed. "I only started doing the exercises today. If I had started when we first got up here, I probably would have greeted you at the door."
"I understand why you haven't," Jim said as they slowly moved around the living room. "You had a lot to think about."
"I still do," Blair admitted. "It's part of the reason I asked you to come up here. We have things we need to talk about."
"Like what?" Jim asked as they stopped.
"Not now," Blair said as he reached down and pulled his wheelchair to him. "Later. We'll send Ray and Bodie fishing and then we'll talk."
