Part 4

The McClellan Juvenile Detention Center was a one level building sprawled over four acres. From a distance it looked like a school with architecture from the 1960's. It was as a visitor got closer to the facility, that the barbed wire fence, and guard posts became noticeable.

The bars on the recreation room windows, and clear window that separated the large gathering room from the guards could not be overlooked as the families visited their locked-up children.

It was to be the first visiting Sunday of two years of Sundays plus holidays, unless the appeal came through. Buck immediately saw the change in Vin as did Chris and JD. His hair had been haphazardly cut. The unevenness detracted from his good looks.

"Vin!" Chris hugged his son, pulling him off his feet. He felt the teen's warm breath against his neck, but no other response. "How are you? Are you okay?" He placed Vin back on his feet. Buck and JD had stood back, giving Chris a few moments alone with the boy.

Vin took a step back, balling up his hands into fists. "I'm not okay. I'm not fine. Don't ask me that-ever." He met his father's glare, and gave a whispered order, "Ever."

Chris reached out to ruffle his son's hair, but stopped, instead placing a hand on the teen's shoulder. "Okay, Vin, okay." Larabee eyed his friend and both decided not to say a word about the chopped up hair, but JD did not understand the silent communication. When the dark haired boy ran forward it was the first thing he addressed with his adopted cousin.

"Vin, what happened to your hair?"

Vin ignored him , and instead accepted the Monopoly game that he had tucked under his arm. Quietly, they set up the board, and started to play. The game only distracted JD for a half an hour before he asked again as he moved his piece, the top hat, on the Monopoly board.

Tanner glared for a moment and crunched the pink money in hand. "I cut it." JD shrank back. Buck rubbed his back in consolation.

Three hours passed in fits and starts, and visiting hours were over. Vin's sullenness increased, and he looked back a couple of times before disappearing into the facility. The threesome collected the Monopoly game and shuffled back the Suburban. Chris clicked in his seatbelt and waited until the other occupants did the same before he started the engine and pulled away from the detention center. He watched it grow smaller in the distance, wondering how long it would take for his stomach to unclench and if he would ever acclimate to seeing his son locked up.

"Look, Buck, JD, I'm sorry. . ." He found himself feeling jealous that Wilmington still had a son, while he was going through hell. It wasn't like when he lost Sarah and Adam. Then there was nothing that could be done to bring them back, but now there was a chance and Chris was driven. Buck reminded him everyday not to quit his job with the Bureau.

Buck shifted in the passenger seat, but JD replied. "For what?"

Chris gave the youngster a small smile at his naiveté. "Vin shouldn't have spoken to you like that."

"That's okay," JD answered in a relax manner, giving his explanation of acceptance. "Vin's just scared."

"Me too," Larabee mumbled under his breath, wondering about the future.

Buck scratched his head, but did not meet his friend's eyes. "I don't know if I'm all right with it Chris. Sorry to say. . ."

Larabee could empathize with the situation. Wilmington needed to protect his charge. "I understand." He didn't want Vin to lose the connection with JD. "Maybe we can use some buffers next time?"

The mustached agent softly chuckled at the suggestion. "As in Nathan and Josiah?"

The next visit was an improvement. Vin had slicked back his hair, so the bad hair cut was less noticeable.

"Hey, Josiah, Nathan," Vin greeted with sullenness.

Sanchez ignored the teen's discomfiture, and embraced him in a bear hug, enveloping him. "I brought you something. . ." The ATF profiler pulled out a leather cord with a wooden cross on it and placed it on Vin's neck.

Tanner brought the necklace up to study it, then let it drop. "I haven't found Jesus, and I don't think he's found me."

"Vin!" Chris admonished, slightly embarrassed. They weren't weekly church goers, but he thought that he had given some beliefs to his son.

Nathan laughed. "I told him it was a bad idea. Rain told him too. She sent some brownies." The medic put the paper plate in the center of the table, and pulled off the tinfoil.

Buck greedily clenched one, and bit in, spitting it out some of it with a gasp. "What is in these?"

"Carob and soy - It was my idea." Nathan took one of the brownies, and popped it in his mouth. He chewed slowly.

Josiah tapped Vin on the shoulder. "God saved you from having one of those brownies." Sanchez eyebrows lifted up and down. "He does work in mysterious ways."

"Yeah, by inventing soy and crap." Wilmington said with a lisp as he tried to wipe the offensive food off his tongue.

Tanner laughed, and the atmosphere became less tense.

It was the best Chris could hope for at the present, until he could get his son released.