The War of Authority

They rode in silence to pick up Loretta at the group home. Raylan really wanted to impart some words of wisdom but none were forthcoming so he embraced the silence along with his son. He left Nate in the car while he went to retrieve Loretta. She came down from upstairs with a new set of clothes on and a subdued manner. She looked down at the floor while Raylan spoke with the case worker. Finally after he agreed to all the rules and restrictions on where she could go and when she had to be back they made their way to the car.

Nate was leaning against the car staring off into the distance. "Hey Loretta, life sucks huh?"

Loretta finally lifted her head and despite her best efforts a tear slid down her cheek. Nate stepped over to her and gave her a hug. She responded by wrapping her arms around him. Raylan stepped around the car and slid into the driver's seat. He was glad one of them could help her in her moment of need. They finally parted and both climbed into the backseat. Raylan, as he did last night, felt like a chauffeur. He drove a few miles and pulled into a pancake house and ushered his charges in, where they found a comfortable table.

Once the waitress came by for the orders, Raylan cleared his throat and prayed for assistance that he not say the wrong thing. "I'm truly sorry Loretta."

"If you hadn't come, I'd be dead too," she said quietly. "Don't be mad at Nate, I asked him to come and he knew if he didn't I would have gone anyway."

"Well don't you worry about Nate, but I do wish you would have come to me before you went after Coover. What you did was very dangerous."

"Yeah and it almost cost you your life." She agreed feeling bad that she had placed both Givens in danger.

"Coover wouldn't have stopped with my dad," Nate said matter- of- factly.

"You were going to shoot him weren't you Nate?" she asked.

Nate was quiet and opened his mouth and then closed it again as the waitress brought their drinks. Once she departed he tried again. "I think I was, all I could envision was my father getting shoved into the abyss. Why shoot him after when I could save three lives instead of only two. Vengeance is one thing but I prefer be more proactive."

"But I can't be proactive, my only option is vengeance," Loretta said sipping her milk.

"Okay guys enough talk about revenge, we need to talk about your statements," Raylan said moving his coffee cup around.

"I'm good," Nate assured.

"I'll just tell them the truth," Loretta said.

"Good place to start," Raylan agreed as their breakfast arrived.

Art wore his 'here we go again' look when Raylan arrived with the kids. Everybody was separated and spoke their piece. They needed to get down to Harlan and meet up with those on the scene, and it was decided that Loretta could return to the group home to finish getting settled while Nate accompanied the crew down to the site. They hadn't been there long when Mags and Doyle showed up.

"Nate go wait over there by that tree," Raylan ordered.

He hesitated but when he saw Mags' face he relented and turned, walking away quickly. He sat down under the tree he had been directed to, allowing the shade to cover him. He saw the agony in Mags' face as what she feared had been confirmed. Her youngest son was dead at the hands of the man standing in front of her. Nate realized if it had gone a different way Nate would have been bearing the burden of Coover's death. His father had protected him by wasting no time and shooting first.

Doyle looked at Raylan with anger in his eyes but Mags seemed to accept what had happened and lay no blame. They had just brought the bodies up and Mags identified her son even though Doyle had attempted to spare her by doing the ID himself. But being the matriarch of the family she had no desire to shirk her responsibilities now. She glanced up at Nate, her face shrouded in the agony of one who had lost someone dear. Nate knew that look as he had also worn it once not so long ago.

He continued to watch the scene below as it wrapped up. Mags was busy pumping Raylan for information on Loretta, in an attempt to see her. But Raylan was emphatic that no such visitation was possible leaving Mags angry and suddenly eager to leave. With the Bennett's departing, Nate lay down and looked up at the sky and studied the clouds until he heard his father's footsteps coming. "Let's go," Raylan said squinting up at the same sky that his son was gazing intently at. "See anything interesting?"

"I was just thinking," Nate sighed as he sat up.

"And dare I ask what you were thinking about?"

Nate brought himself to a standing position and looked at his father. "What would happen to me?"

"Come again?" Raylan asked cocking his head.

"What would happen to me if you died? Do you have a plan, any ideas or would I just get an adjoining room with Loretta?"

"Son, I can understand why you would be thinking about this but now is not really the time."

"Then when?" Nate snapped.

"Hey watch your tone young man," Raylan warned, unhappy with his son's attitude.

"You always avoid the hard subjects, it's my life I deserve to know," Nate said his voice rising.

Raylan looked behind him where the techs were loading the last items into their cars. "You're right you do deserve to know, but now is not the time. We can discuss this later."

"No, tell me now. You'll just put me off again," Nate yelled his anger clearly visible.

"No, where I am going to put you is over my knee if you don't knock it off."

Nate shook his head. "I'm almost twelve Dad, not gonna happen."

"You might not like the odds of that threat," Raylan said moving towards his son. "And you still have several months between you and your birthday, not that it matters."

Nate backed up unsure of what his father's intentions were. "This is the United States; a civilized society," Nate argued.

"You might want to take another look around about the civilized part."

Nate saw the crime techs driving off; the bodies hadn't been too far in front of them. The isolation of the area sent a shiver down his spine as did the memories of last night. "Good point," Nate said swallowing hard.

"Now the way I see it is that I'm the father, your father as a matter of fact, and that title means I get to call the shots."

"Fine, but I want to know what those shots are."

"And I told you that was fine, but when there is a more suitable time," Raylan said stepping closer to Nate. "And guess what? What I say goes, even if you don't like it. Now let's go."

"That's a cop out," Nate said his voice even. Raylan who had turned around and had taken a step away now turned back towards his son. He took two giant steps forward and grabbed his son's arm.

"Look around, we are alone and you know I don't hesitate on much, make your choice right now; keep your mouth shut and come with me or this can go a different way, it's your decision."

"Let's go," Nate mumbled.

"I'm sorry what was that?"

"Let's go," Nate repeated.

"New rule; you look at me when I speak to you, and you look at me when you answer."

Nate looked up despite his efforts his face was strained. "I said let's go."

"Fine choice, you are as smart as they say," Raylan said continuing to hold Nate by the elbow. He steered his seething but defeated son back to the car.

Corporal punishment had come calling with some frequency to the Givens family. Raylan had certainly been familiar with it as Arlo was never one to let anything slide and never lectured; only yelled, belittled and hit. Raylan vowed never to be like that and had never even been on the fringes. He decided early on he wouldn't be a pushover but would never venture in Arlo territory.

While Nate had never suffered as his father had, he was still not a complete stranger to physical punishment, though it had been far from commonplace. Nadine didn't take any crap, and her son knew when he had stepped over that imaginary line that all kids attempt to straddle as they test life and their place in it. She was more than capable of driving a point home when she needed to. One of her 'mom' looks would often put Nate right in his place. Now it was time for Raylan to back up his 'dad' looks. Other than Nate's punishment after his trip into the woods when Raylan had acted out of fear that had turned to anger; he hadn't laid a hand on him any time recently. There had been times in the past, but not often, as generally he had played the part of the Disney Dad quite well in making the most of their visits. But now that Nate was his twenty-four hours it was time to not only lay down the rules but enforce them without blinking.

Nate sat with his arms folded and scowled in the general direction of the glove box while Raylan felt the fury float over to his side of the car as he pulled out onto the road. "Okay, so I get that you're mad at me but if you keep looking like that your face is going to freeze and you'll be forever stuck with that expression."

"Dad, I'll say it again; I'm nearly twelve, not a baby."

"I see, well I never thought you were a baby, and I haven't treated you like one, but if you want respect you have to earn it by showing respect. That means you can't act like a total snot when you don't get what you want."

"I'm just tired of you pushing me aside."

"I'm not pushing you aside son, it's just that there are appropriate times and places for certain discussions and that was not the time or place. I know it must be fresh on your mind after seeing Loretta's predicament, but having a tantrum isn't going to sway me, it will only serve to piss me off."

"So when's a good time then?"

"When I decide."

"See, I knew it. There will be no good time," Nate snapped as he kicked the glove box in front of him.

"Hey now, that's enough," Raylan yelled pulling the car over.

"I just want the truth is that so much to ask for? I'm tired of you putting me off. The Campbell's, my own mother's family are never to be spoken of, a legal guardian is hush hush, this should not be so damn complicated."

Raylan sat quietly while his son ranted unsure of how to respond. "I will tell you one more time son, forget it for right now. When we get home you can spend a couple hours in your room calming down as I'm going to cash this up to all the emotions of the last twenty-four hours. Then if you feel like you can have a civilized conversation we can have a discussion."

"A discussion where you won't answer any of my questions," Nate shouted, anger etched in his young face.

Raylan looked up and down the quiet road and silently asked Nadine for guidance from beyond the grave. He knew what his father would do; there was no question there as Raylan had suffered that humiliation more than a time or two. He so didn't want to be Arlo, but he also didn't want an uncontrollable brat as a son either. There were going to be times when Nate was going to have to listen and do as he was told when he's told to do it, no questions asked. But here he was testing and it was Raylan who was going to fail if he didn't act.

Raylan once again looked up down the road which remained vacant other than their lone car. He unlatched his seatbelt and got out of the car causing Nate to look up his eyes following his father's path around the vehicle. Raylan got to the passenger side door and curled his finger indicating that Nate needed to get out of the car. Suddenly his son didn't look so tough and Raylan was instantly losing his nerve.

"Let's go son," he said holding up the keys in case Nate had any ideas of locking the door. As slowly as possible Nate got out of the car, he avoided looking up at his father as Raylan began to pull his belt through its loops. He took his holstered gun off his belt and opened the back door and lay it down gently. "You may be eleven," Raylan said placing emphasis on the fact that he was still very much eleven and not yet twelve, " but you are also in Kentucky and we have our own rules," he said pulling Nate back by the very trunk he had learned to climb out of earlier that summer.

"I can't believe this," Nate said quietly as he put his hands on the side of the trunk.

"Well you'll be believing it very soon," Raylan assured. "I gave you several chances, but you allowed your anger to dictate your actions along with your mouth, both of which led you here. I have no choice Nate, you didn't give me one."

"Sure you do, you don't have to do this."

"Yes I think I do, your demeanor has told me I have to. You're a good kid and I want to keep it that way. You can be mad at me, you can hate me, but if you don't have respect for me then I can't do my job."

"And you think this will get you my respect?"

"I'm going to take a chance on it."

"And if it doesn't?"

"Then we'll see what else I can find to connect to your ass," Raylan said as he steadied his son and brought the belt down.

The last thing he wanted was to break any of Nate's spirit or gregarious personality, but if it wasn't tempered when it needed to be it wouldn't take much for it to be out of control. Raylan had to establish his role as father and supreme leader of the family.

After they climbed back into the car and Raylan had gotten belted and holstered up they headed back to Lexington. Thankfully the road had remained abandoned and had provided no passing audience. Nate wiped his face of the quiet tears that had fallen. He reminded him so much of himself as a boy trying to be tough after Arlo had gotten done with him. Raylan by no means was as well schooled in driving the belt as his old man was and he kept his concentration on not only location but strength of the blows. He was pretty certain he had remained even throughout the ordeal and had been fair. He was sure Nate didn't see it that way, but he was confident in his actions. He was glad it was over but he was just as glad he did it. His once insolent son was now a bit deflated and hopefully ready to embrace the hierarchy that he had been questioning.

"I'm sorry it had to be this way."

"Whatever," Nate said quietly.

"Son let's not start up all over again."

"I'm not."

"Good, when we get home I think you need to chill out in your room. I need to make some phone calls anyway. Then I promise we can talk."

"I know you'll promise and I know you'll mean it, but it seems like something always gets in the way," Nate said his tear stained face imploring Raylan to see it from his viewpoint.

"I know my job can cause a lot of chaos and I'm sorry about that."

"Are you really thinking about going back to Glynco? I heard you and Winona talking about it."

"Well we have discussed it, what are your thoughts?"

"It would be fine with me I guess."

"No decisions have been made and there has to be a spot for me and Art has to recommend me too. So it's far from a done deal."

"I know, but can you at least keep me posted?"

"Absolutely," Raylan said.

Nate turned on the radio and lost himself in the music and the scenery outside of his window for the remainder of the trip. Raylan eased the car into the driveway noticing hoping that Tommy wasn't going to come running down the street. He was a great kid but he just didn't have whatever was needed to deal with the boy right now.

"If you're looking for Tommy he goes to a tutor during the week." Nate pointed out.

"What happened to you helping him out?"

"It's a summer program so he doesn't lose what he learned last year."

"And you complained about camp."

"Yeah, and he complained about the tutor."

"Nobody's life is perfect," Raylan said smiling as he led them into the house. "Since you seem fairly calm now you can sit and watch TV while I make my calls if you want." Nate turned around and looked up at his father his face sad and his lower lip quivering. "What's wrong bud?"

Nate suddenly embraced his father as his whole body shuddered. "Hey now, what's going on?" Raylan asked rubbing his sons back.

But only Nate's sobs could answer. Raylan just stood and held his son tightly and let him cry it out.

Finally Nate let go and pulled away. "I'm sorry," he said his voice still unsteady, his eyes bloodshot."

"Don't be sorry, just tell me what brought that on?"

"Losing Mom was so hard, the hardest thing ever, but I thought you were going to die last night; that I was going to lose you too. Dad I couldn't stand that thought. I couldn't get the picture of Coover trying to push you down that mine shaft out of my head. Then seeing Loretta's dad's body and Mags face today was too much. All I could think of was that it could have been you." Nate said tears once again falling.

"I'm sorry; sometimes I forget that you are just a kid. I shouldn't have brought you down there."

"No, I had to be there, I had to finish giving the statement there so I could point everything out. And I certainly couldn't expect Loretta to do it. It just hit me in the heart and I couldn't hold it in anymore."

"And that's why you were so adamant about who your guardian would be?"

"I'm on emotional overload, I guess."

"I would say so. I'm sorry about the side of the road."

"No, don't be. It distracted me, I tried to be mad at you so I wouldn't cry and I did hang on…" Nate stopped giving into tears again.

"It's good that you cried, you needed that release."

"I just don't want you to get hurt or worse," Nate said regaining his composure.

"I'll do my best not to, I promise. Come on over here," he said directing Nate to the laptop.

"What about your calls?"

"This time they can wait." Raylan said as he fired up the computer. He went to Facebook and pulled up a man named Cade Campbell. "This guy right here is somebody that your mother and I trust enough to look out for you."

Nate sat down in front of the computer and clicked on the man's profile. "It says he's from Harlan County."

"Some things it may not say are that he is your mother's twin brother and he adored you. He visited you a few times in Florida, but he got deployed to Iraq and thought that he should step aside as I was trying to be a part of your life."

"Is he still in the Army?"

"Yes he is. It was his ticket out of Kentucky. Something he needed as much as your mother did. He is stationed down in Louisiana right now. We e-mail back and forth all the time. I keep him apprised of what you're up to. I was going to introduce you two via electronic magic soon. He said he has a few weeks of leave accrued and maybe he could come up for a visit."

Nate sat and studied the pictures of his uncle on the screen there were lots from Iraq and more from a deployment in Afghanistan. Raylan watched his son take it all in. "Those are the true heroes."

"You are too; you hunt the bad guys here, while they hunt the bad guys over there. What if he had gotten killed in the war, then what?"

"No worries he is alive and well. He couldn't come to her funeral but got back stateside about six months ago."

"What if something happens to him? Is there a plan B?"

"Let's just focus on what's in front of us right now."

Raylan excused himself as Nate took in every nugget he could find about his uncle. He walked to the bathroom and closed the door behind him. He put his hands on the sink and looked at himself in the mirror. He inhaled deeply and then just as Nate had earlier, he began to sob. He did so quietly but his whole body shook as the emotion struggled to come out. He hadn't slept much the previous night and he knew exhaustion was feeding this breakdown but it had been long overdue. He had literally bitten his lip not to cry while Nate had wept earlier. It was important that he stay strong for his son. But he would be lying if he said he wasn't terrified on a regular basis that he would end up dead and leave his son alone. When Nadine was alive he knew his death would be a tragedy and difficult for his son, but now it would be devastating.

Cade had still been in Afghanistan when Nadine was killed and he prayed every night the man came home alive and whole. Once he did, he and Raylan were in regular contact, the relationship was still kept secret until he was sure Cade was truly up to the possibility of fatherhood. He didn't regret keeping it to himself as Nate needed a strong and stable foundation. But he did have a plan B, though it was relatively recent and was somewhat tenuous but the thought of his son going to either set of grandparents or foster care was enough to convince him to act. It was a conversation he had a hard time starting, but once Tim met Arlo and learned of what surrounded Nate he reluctantly agreed to sign the papers. Raylan had noticed Tim began to look at Nate differently after that day but nobody else seemed to notice. He knew a fellow marshal probably wasn't the best choice but his options were few and Tim seemed to understand that. So a Raylan-less future had Cade at bat and Tim in the on-deck circle. Both of which he hoped would never be needed.

"Dad," he heard Nate yell out. "Winona's here."

Raylan splashed some water on his face and flushed the toilet before he left the sanctity of the bathroom. He walked into the living room and saw Nate typing away on the computer with Winona watching him.

"Hey there, how are you this evening?" he asked his ex-wife as brought her close for a hug.

"Better than you, I think. Are you okay?" she asked looking at him.

"Yeah, fine, just tired."

"I can see that." Winona said massaging his shoulders.

"What are you doing Nate?" Raylan asked looking at the laptop.

"Sending a private message to Cade and asking if he'll be my Facebook friend. Is that okay?" Raylan stood quietly as Winona stopped massaging. "I explained that you just told me and I wanted to say hi."

"That's fine, carry on."

"What's he talking about," Winona asked.

"Let's move this to the couch where you can get better leverage and start on my neck." Raylan said pulling her behind him.

"So a soldier is your answer, what if he gets deployed again?" Winona asked after Raylan had explained.

"Look I don't have too many choices here. This was a mutual decision that I hoped we would never need."

"But now you realize it is a strong possibility."

"I never thought Nadine would die before me," Raylan explained keeping his voice low. "Cade is nearing retirement, he's already done two tours, chances are he can get out before he is deployed again."

"Retired? How old is he?"

"Almost thirty-seven, twenty years equals retirement if one so desires in the military. His plan was to do twenty then get out and get another job."

"What's he do in the Army?"

"He's a mechanic, kid could fix anything. His dream was to open his own business."

"Where?"

"Wherever he wanted. He's lived in several states, but I know what you're thinking and no it wouldn't be anywhere near here."

"Wow, it just kind of hit me in the heart, the thought of you, well you know, not being around."

"Yeah, it's been that kind of day."

"Look I'm so sorry about this money fiasco," Winona said quietly speaking of the counterfeit money she had stolen and put back into the evidence locker. She had unfortunately involved Raylan and it had been like a cloud hanging over their head the last few weeks. She knew Nate was suspicious that something was going on and she was sure it had fueled his questionable demeanor of late. Now the whole Loretta/Coover ordeal had only served to push them to the brink.

Harlan County continued to plod along knee deep in its criminal element. Boyd had rallied his crew and had cornered the market on Marijuana. Raylan was keeping a half an eye on it while trying to keep out of Art's crosshairs. Awkwardness abounded whenever they were alone and the silence spoke volumes. Nobody quite knew what the other did or knew and it became clear they weren't going to talk about it.

"When does Nate start school?" Art asked to break up the silence.

"He started this past Monday, year round school." Raylan said relieved that nothing more came from Nate's questions at camp.

"How old is he?"

"He's still eleven; he won't turn twelve until October. He's always hated being the youngest, which is one of the biggest reasons that he begins to say he is almost, whatever his next age will be."

"Hmm, to be young again," Art said with a sigh. "How is it that he is so much younger than his classmates?"

"The district he was in Florida allowed kids to be tested if their birthdays were within three months of the cut-off day."

"And he aced the test?" Art surmised.

"He knew his numbers, sight words and was socially adequate."

Art nodded not the least bit surprised that Nate already had taken the world by storm at age four.

But other than that conversation and a few direct orders the two steered clear of one another focusing only on what was right in front of them. Raylan was convinced that if he asked to go to Glynco, Art would have no issue with saying yes.