~XI~

Lee glanced at his stepson out of the corner of his eye as they rounded the corner of the student union.  "Feeling better, Chief?"

Phillip exhaled loudly, expelling his tension along with his breath. "Yeah, I guess so. At least I don't feel like slugging something anymore. Or someone," he added ominously.

Slapping the boy lightly on the back, he gave a short laugh. "Glad to hear it."

They walked on, each seemingly lost in thought. The campus was unusually quiet for a Saturday night, only the occasional stereo blaring now and then from an open window. Lee smiled wryly. Definitely not the normal state of affairs; the sudden influx of adults must have put a temporary crimp in the usual weekend carousing.

Cutting over to the north quad, they headed towards Phillip's dorm, their footsteps unusually loud on the hard concrete walk.  Lee heard Phillip sigh noisily once more, and he pursed his lips, the sudden likeness to Amanda catching him by surprise.

"Lee, can I ask you something?" Phillip said suddenly, the similarity stronger than ever.

"Um, hmm," he murmured, still feeling oddly off-balance. He usually saw his wife much more clearly in Jamie.

Phillip squinted his eyes, his forehead wrinkling. "You finally worked things out with your uncle, right?"

"Yeah, I did," he replied, his voice catching almost imperceptibly.

"How?"

"You don't ask the easy ones, do you?" he sighed, frowning. "It's complicated. I guess the short answer is – your mother. She helped me see that, where the Colonel was concerned, maybe I didn't have to have the last word after all." He ran a hand briskly through his hair. "I could accept the good things about him and overlook the bad."

"That's it?"

He gave Phillip a long look. "It didn't happen overnight. It took a lot of hard work."

He heard his stepson groan lightly. "I guess you're saying I should talk to Dad."

"I'm not saying you should do anything, Phillip.  I don't know, maybe the best thing to do is to give things a little time."

Phillip laughed. "How about the rest of my life?"

Lee grinned. "I suppose that's one way to go. But the bottom line is – yes, he's your father and yes, he has some pretty strong ideas about the path he thinks you should take, but remember – just because he has an opinion on the matter, there's no law that says you have to agree with it. You're your own person."

"I guess so." Slowing their pace, he absently kicked a stray pebble with his foot. "He's different, you know," he said in a low voice, jamming his hands into his pockets. "Since he got back from Santarilla."

Lee nodded. "I know. An experience like that . . . well, it can . . . change . . . a person," he finished haltingly.

"I know. I try to cut him some slack, I really do, but . . ." Phillip looked up suddenly. "Do you think he and Carrie are gonna split up?"

Lee sighed. "I don't know. It sounds like they're going through a rough spot right now, but I'm sure Joe doesn't want another . . . well, I'm sure he and Carrie both want to make their marriage work." 

"I don't know how she can stand . . ." He stopped abruptly, his mouth falling open as he looked over Lee's shoulder in stunned surprise. "Well, maybe I do," he said, his face pinched.

Turning, Lee followed his gaze. Jim Walters was crossing the quad with none other than Carrie King, his arm wrapped around her possessively. Oblivious to their surroundings, they appeared to be heading straight for the path along the river.

Carrie stumbled slightly, almost falling, and Walters pressed her even closer. "Shit, I can't believe this," he heard Phillip exclaim behind him. The boy started after them, but Lee quickly pulled him back.

"Look, Lee," he protested loudly. "Dad may be a first class jerk, but you saw them! I can't just let her . . ."

"Phillip, listen to me," he said sternly, one eye still tracking the fleeing pair as he caught his stepson by the arms. "I need you to do something for me."

"Lee, we've got to . . ."

He reached quickly into his inside jacket pocket, thrusting a small card into the stunned boy's hand. "Call this number and say, Scarecrow, alpha one, code blue. Got that?"

"Yeah, but . . ."

"I don't think she's going with him willingly." Grimacing, he looked the boy in the eye. "Do you understand?"

He sucked in a breath, nodding solemnly. "What're you gonna do?"

"I'm going to follow them," he said brusquely over his shoulder as he headed towards the river.

Phillip took a step forward. "Let me go with . . ."

Lee stopped abruptly. "No, you're not," he stated in no uncertain terms. "You're going to call in my backup, then go to your dorm room and stay put. Understand?"

"Lee . . ."

"Phillip, I don't have time for a debate," he barked in a tone that brooked no refusal. "I'm losing them. Do as I say . . . now!"

Phillip still looked as if he wanted to argue, but he quickly bit his bottom lip. "Yes, sir."

Waiting only long enough to see his stepson start for his dorm on a brisk run, he disappeared into the shadows.   

TBC