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Crisis & Catharsis -- Part XXV Two weeks later… Bo was sitting at his desk, flipping through some paperwork when there was a knock on his door. “It’s open,” he said without looking up.   Hugh pushed open the door and walked into the room. “You got a minute, Commissioner?”   Bo looked up. “Sure, Hugh. Have a seat. What’s on your mind?”   Hugh sat in one of the chairs in front of Bo’s desk. “How is Nora?”   “She seems to be getting back to her old self.”   Hugh nodded. “That’s good to hear. Do you think that might include coming back to work anytime soon?”   Bo shrugged. “I can’t say. I know she’s enjoying having this time with Matthew. He’s been through a lot lately and a little extra attention from his mom is welcome at the moment.”   “You’ve been spending a lot of time over there, too.”   Bo nodded. “Yeah, I guess I have. Matthew was really angry with me after what Paige did to Nora. We’re trying to work through it but it’s been slow going. He’s a stubborn little guy and devoted to his mom.”   Hugh grinned. “Sounds like someone else I know?”   Bo smiled. “I’m sure I have no idea what you’re talking about. Is that why you came in here?”   “No, it’s not. I wanted to know where we stand on the Turner case. We go to trial next week and I don’t want any surprises.”   Bo shuffled through the files on his desk. “I saw it earlier. I think we’re ready on that one. John is going to be testifying.”   Hugh nodded. “Do you think it would be okay for me to talk to Nora about this one? I just want to make sure we’ve got everything in order. I don’t want this one to get away.”   Bo handed the file to Hugh. “Sure. I think she’d be happy to give it a look.”   Hugh stood. “Thanks. I have a meeting this morning but I think I’ll grab some lunch and run by her house when I'm finished.”   Bo nodded. “I’m sure she’ll welcome the distraction. She’s enjoying the time off, but Nora’s not exactly domestic, if you know what I mean.”   Hugh laughed. “That doesn’t surprise me. Thanks, Bo.”   Hugh walked through the door and was met by Rex on his way in. “Commish, how’s it going?”   Bo motioned Rex in. “Balsom. To what do I owe the pleasure?”   Rex looked outside before closing the door and flicking the shades closed. Bo watched him with an amused grin. “What’s got you all ‘James Bond’ on me?”   Rex plopped into the chair in front of Bo’s desk. “What do you mean?”   Bo shook his head. “Out with it, Rex. I don’t have time for games today.”   “Okay, fine. You asked me to help you with a ‘project,’ remember?”   Bo set aside his file. “I asked you to get information by LEGAL means. You did remember, that part, right?”   Rex grinned. “You know me, Commish.”   Bo nodded. “Yeah, I know you and that’s why I’m asking if you did this the legal way.”   “I didn’t do any breaking and entering, if that’s what you’re asking.”   Bo sighed. “Do I want to know how you got it?”   Rex glanced around the room before looking at Bo with a smile. “I ‘befriended’ the Super’s daughter and she asked me to help with a repair in his condo. That legal enough for you?”   Bo nodded. “Sounds like you were invited in by someone who had business in the condo. That’s legal.”   Rex grinned again. “See, I know how to do legal. And believe me, it was a sacrifice on my part to have to pretend to be into the Super’s daughter. She’s not exactly what Matthew would call hot.”   Bo frowned. “Could you refrain from teaching Matthew to divide women into ‘hot’ and ‘not hot’ categories? Don’t make me regret letting him hang out with you.”   Rex laughed. “What makes you so sure he didn’t tell ME about hot girls?”   Bo shook his head. “Don’t even go there, Balsom. What did you find?”   Rex sat forward in his chair. “I found a ‘substance’ in Dr. Scary’s bathroom.”   Bo sighed. “What were you doing in his bathroom?”   Rex shrugged. “I figured no way he would keep incriminating evidence in his kitchen. Besides, I had a headache, so I decided to toss his medicine cabinet. Given that he’s a doctor, I thought it was the perfect place to find the good stuff.”   “So what did you find?”   Rex looked around again, lowering his voice. “A vial.”   “Will you knock it off, Balsom,” Bo said impatiently. “No one can hear us in here. You found a vial of what?”   Rex sat back with a shrug. “Don’t know. I took a small sample – being careful not to leave fingerprints – and it’s with Benny in the lab right now.”   Bo smiled. “Good work, Balsom. I’m impressed!”   Rex grinned back at him. “Does this mean I get my police issue now?”   Bo shook his head. “Keep dreaming, Balsom.”   ********************** Nora stood at the bottom of the stairs as Matthew trudged down, his backpack slung over his shoulder. “You ready for school?”   Matthew shook his head. “Do I hafta go?”   Nora nodded. “Yes, you’ve missed enough school.”   Matthew hung his head. “But I don’t feel good.”   Nora put her hand to his forehead. “You don’t feel warm.”   Matthew shrugged. “I think it’s my stomach.”   Nora crouched in front of him and looked into his eyes. “Is it really or are you avoiding something at school?”   Matthew sighed and tried to avoid her stare. “I think it’s probably something serious. Maybe I have acid reflux?”   Nora tried to hide her smile. “Acid reflux? Where would you have gotten that?”   Matthew shrugged. “Maybe I caught it when I was playing with Stevie yesterday?”   Nora couldn’t help but laugh. “I doubt you got acid reflux from Stevie. What’s really going on?”   Matthew looked away. “Nothin’. I’m okay.”   Nora nodded. “I see. And yet you feel sick. Come with me.” Nora took his hand and led him to the couch. She took his backpack off his shoulders and tossed it in the chair. She sat next to him and wiped the hair out of his eyes. “Now tell me why you don’t want to go to school. Is it the other kids?”   Matthew shook his head. “No.”   “Is someone bullying you?”   “No.”   “Did your teacher grow an extra eye?”   Matthew smiled. “No.”   Nora put her hand under his chin and tilted his face toward hers. “Can I get more than a one syllable answer?”   Matthew took a deep breath. “I wanna stay here with you, that’s all.”   Nora nodded. “I see. Not that I’m not flattered, but why would you prefer to sit around the house with me instead of hanging out with your buddies?”   Matthew shrugged. “I just wanna make sure you’re okay.”   Nora put her arms around him. “I’m fine now, Matthew. No more dizzy spells, no more doctors.”   Matthew looked up at her with tears in his eyes. “What if Paige comes back to try to hurt you again?”   Nora pulled him tight against her chest. “Oh, Matthew. Paige isn’t coming back.”   Matthew shook his head. “But what if she does? You would be here all alone.”   Nora pulled back. “Look at me, Matthew. Paige isn’t coming back. Ever. Okay? Your dad and I aren’t going to let her back into our lives. She’s not going to hurt you or me ever again. That’s a promise.”   Matthew looked doubtful. “Can I stay home just one more day, just in case?”   Nora shook her head. “I love you, Matthew. And it’s my job as your mom to do what I think is best for you. And right now, what’s best is for you to get back to school.”   “But you’re not back to work,” Matthew countered. Nora shook her head. “That’s true. But I took some time off to be with you. It’s different.”   Matthew nodded. “I wanna take some time off school to be with you. How is it different?”   Nora sighed. “Because I don’t have to work. You need to be in school. It’s what kids do. You’ve missed enough time. You don’t want to fall behind your class, do you?”   Matthew shook his head. “No, I guess not.”   Nora smiled. “Then it’s time to go back to school, buddy.”   Matthew looked at her seriously. “And you’ll be here when I get back?”   Nora nodded. “Yup. In fact, I’ll drop you at school and pick you up too. How’s that?”   Matthew smiled. “I’d like that.”   “Then that’s what we’ll do. Go get your jacket.”   ******************* John knocked on the door to Bo’s office, pushing it open. “You got a minute, Boss?”   Bo looked past Rex. “Sure. Come on in, John.”   John closed the door behind him and stood in front of Bo’s desk. “I have something I think you should see.”   Bo noted the package in John’s hand. “What is it?”   John glanced at Rex before answering. “I’m not sure exactly.”   Bo looked at Rex. “It’s okay, John. He’s helping me with something. What ya got?”   John shrugged. “It’s addressed to you. One of the guys found it in the squad room and no one knows how it got there.”   “Did you have it tested?”   John nodded. “It’s not a bomb. But the return address is a fake Canadian address. We checked it out.”   Bo reached out to John. “Let me see.”   John handed the package to Bo and watched as Bo slowly ripped it open. Inside was a VCR tape, a manila envelope and a note. Bo set aside the tape and opened the note, reading it out loud.   “Dear Bo, I’m sorry for the way everything turned out between us. I know you probably don’t believe me but I hope that this will prove it to you. I hope this helps you take down Spencer and keep your family safe. Take care. Paige”   Bo folded the note and picked up the tape, handing it to Rex. “Make yourself useful and pop this in the machine over there.”   Rex took the tape as Bo opened the manila envelope. Bo’s phone rang on his desk. He reached over and picked it up. “Buchanan.”   “Commissioner, it’s Benny.”   “What you got for me, Benny?”   Rex watched closely as Bo nodded, listening to the report from his lab tech. “Thanks, buddy. Beer’s on me at the next happy hour.”   Bo hung up and turned to Rex. “You were right. The sample you brought in was Hemlock.”   Rex smiled. “So if Benny gets a beer for running the test, you really owe me for finding the stuff in the first place!”   Bo shook his head. “Unfortunately, that’s true.”   Rex grinned. “Can I get a gun now?”   Bo frowned. “Not a chance. We can negotiate terms later. Play that tape.”   Rex hit ‘play’ on the remote and Paige appeared on the screen. “Want me to turn it off?”   Bo shook his head. “No, I want to hear what she has to say. Turn it up.”   “Hi, Bo,” Paige began. “I know you’re surprised to see me again. I have a confession to make and I thought this was the best way to do it. When I was married to Spencer, we were interns at a hospital in Buffalo. We were both inexperienced but in constant competition to show each other up. One night, we were on duty together. It was a slow night, so I snuck down to the local liquor store for a little something to keep us awake. We had had a few drinks when a call came in from a major wreck on the interstate. The attending took the most critically hurt and we were assigned the less severely injured. One man needed an airway which would have been simple if I hadn't been drinking. I punctured his lung and didn’t even realize I had done it until the man was dead. Spencer covered it up by making it appear the injury was sustained in the wreck, but he knew I caused it. The envelope contains the original medical workup and the doctored one. You will notice my handwriting on the initial report. Spencer ‘fixed’ the second one and sent it to the medical review board and I was cleared of negligence. Spencer used the original file to taunt me. It is real and proves what happened that night. My negligence caused that man’s death but I can’t go to jail. I just want you to use it to take down Spencer. Good luck, Bo.”   The screen went blank and Bo reached for the manila envelope. He opened it slowly and pulled out the reports. Just as Paige said, the conflicting reports proved that she had been negligent the night her patient died.   Bo took a deep breath. “Wow, this is the last thing I expected today.”   John watched him closely. “What do you want to do, Bo?”   Rex headed for the door. “We go get the bastard.”   “Hold it, Balsom,” Bo yelled, stopping Rex in his tracks. “This is a police matter. You’ve done your part and we’ll take it from here.”   “Come on, Commish. I want in on the good stuff. Let me come along to watch. I’ll stay out of the way.”   Bo shook his head. “I don’t trust you, Balsom.”   Rex crossed his heart. “Honest, Commish. I’ll be good.”   Bo looked at John, who nodded. “Okay, but you stay in the back.”   “Absolutely,” Rex said as he rushed out the door before Bo could change his mind.   Bo stood staring at the reports in his hand. John stopped in the doorway, looking back at him. “You okay, Bo?”   “Yeah, I think I finally am. Wait until Nora hears about this,” Bo said as he grabbed his jacket and rushed past John.   ************************* Nora dried her hands on a towel as she walked to the front door. “Hugh, hi,” she said as she pulled the door open. “I wasn’t expecting you.”   Hugh held up the takeout bag. “I brought lunch. Have you eaten?”   Nora shook her head. “No, I was just cleaning up from breakfast, actually. Come on in.”   Hugh moved past her into the living room, placed the bag on the coffee table and removed his jacket. “How are you feeling?”   Nora took the bag off the table. “Fine. I got a clean bill of health from Michael the other day. Let’s take this in the kitchen and eat in there.”   Hugh followed her into the kitchen and took a seat at the table. Nora grabbed some plates out of the cupboard and set one in front of Hugh. “So what brings you by?”   Hugh opened the Chinese food container and dumped its contents onto the plate. “I wanted to pick your brain on the Turner case. We go to trial next week.”   Nora nodded. “I’m sure it’s a slam dunk. You’ll be fine.”   Hugh shook his head. “I wish I had your confidence. Evangeline is his attorney and I don’t relish going up against her.”   Nora smiled. “She’s tough but this is not a winning client for her. Did you bring the file?”   Hugh shook his head. “No. I guess I just came for moral support. And to ask you a question.”   Nora set down her takeout box. “Shoot.”   “When are you coming back to work?”   Nora looked at him slowly. “When am I coming back to work?” she repeated.   Hugh nodded. “Yeah. We’re kinda swamped right now and we’re desperately hoping our fearless leader will be back soon.”   Nora looked away and took a deep breath. “I don’t think I’m coming back.”   Hugh was surprised. “Ever?”   Nora shook her head. “After what happened with Daniel, I just don’t feel at ease in his old office. I tried and it doesn’t work for me. This episode with Paige has really made me re-evaluate my career and I realized it’s not as important as I thought it was. My son has been through a lot this year and it’s important to him that I be here. That makes it important to me.”   Hugh nodded. “I understand. Are you giving up law altogether?”   Nora shrugged. “I honestly don’t know right now. Probably not. I’ve always felt more comfortable as a defense attorney. I’ll probably pick up a few cases here and there to…”   Nora stopped speaking and followed Hugh’s look. He was looking over her shoulder at the tiny TV on her counter. A ‘Breaking News’ logo was splashed across the screen. Nora grabbed the remote and turned the sound up.   “We interrupt this program with breaking news. We are outside the Harbor View Condominiums, which are surrounded by the Llanview PD Swat team. Sources tell me that Commissioner Bo Buchanan is inside, where he is attempting to arrest Dr. Spencer Truman. Neighbors report hearing gunshots soon after the Commissioner entered the complex.”   Nora got up from the table. “Oh my God, Bo.”   “We have been on the scene for the past 15 minutes and there has been no movement from inside the complex. Lieutenant John McBain is in charge of the Swat team. We will try to get a comment from him as soon as this standoff concludes. This is….”   Nora snapped off the TV. “I need to get over there.”   Hugh jumped up. “I don’t think that’s a good idea, Nora. It looks like an intense situation.”   Nora glared at him. “I’m going down there. Did you hear her say shots were fired? Bo could be hurt.”   Hugh nodded. “Okay but at least let me drive you.”   Nora grabbed her purse. “Fine. Let’s go!”   ********************** Bo watched Spencer warily. “Come on, Spencer. You know this doesn’t end well for you. Give me the gun and let’s walk out of here.”   Spencer shook his head. “This ends when I say so, Buchanan.”   Bo watched the nose of Spencer's gun carefully. “We just came here to talk. Nobody was anticipating violence. We can just take this down to the station. What do you say?”   Spencer sighed. “Do you really think I’m that stupid, Buchanan?”   Before Bo could answer, John’s voice sounded through the megaphone in the courtyard. “Everything all right in there, Commissioner?”   Spencer waved his gun at Bo. “You tell him to back off.”   Bo shook his head. “He’s not going anywhere, Spencer. I told you this place is surrounded.”   Spencer leveled the gun at Bo. “You back him off or this ends with a bullet in your head. You hear me?”   Bo nodded. “Take it easy, Spencer.” He turned his attention to the window. “John!” he shouted. “We’re okay in here. Tell the men to stand down.”   “Is anyone hurt?”   “Nobody’s hurt. We’re just talking. Tell the men to hold their fire.”   John motioned to the Swat team. “Get the men into position. If anyone has a clean shot, take it. But ONLY if the Commissioner is out of the line of fire. You got it?”   “Yes, Sir.” The leader of the Swat team signaled to his men and they fanned out to take their positions. Rex walked up to John. “What do you want me to do?”   John looked at him impatiently. “I want you to stay out of the way. Go over there behind the squad car and stay there. I don’t need to worry about you.”   Rex started to protest but John’s icy glare made him reconsider. He turned as if to go back to the squad car before reversing course and dashing through the doorway of the complex before John could stop him. John swore under his breath before snapping on his walkie-talkie. “This is McBain. We have a civilian loose in the complex. He is unarmed. White male, mid-20s, spiky hair. If you see him, get him back out here. Just don’t shoot him. He is a friend of the Commissioner. Over.”   Inside the condo, Spencer sat on a stool near the kitchen, calmly watching Bo. “So now you know what’s really been going on for the past few months.”   Bo nodded. “What I still don’t know is why. Nora was no threat to you. Was this all about getting back at Paige?”   Spencer grinned. “She killed a man. She should have to pay for that, shouldn’t she?”   Bo shook his head. “But why involve Nora? She had nothing to do with Paige except through me.”   Spencer chuckled. “That’s what made it so fun. Paige seemed to be getting everything she ever wanted with you and your little son. How sweet it was to watch her lose it all.”   “You’re one twisted bastard, Spencer.”   Spencer grinned and held up his glass in a mock salute. “I appreciate the compliment, Buchanan.”   Bo was about to respond when movement in the hallway behind Spencer caught his eye. He nearly rolled his eyes in frustration as Rex signaled to him. Bo slightly shook his head as he moved to the left of Spencer to keep Rex out of his line of vision.   Outside, John was directing his forces when Nora rushed up to him, followed closely by Hugh. John saw her coming and grabbed her arms as she reached him.   “Nora, I need you to stay back. This is a police operation.”   Nora shook her arms free. “Where is he, John? What’s going on?”   “He’s inside with Truman. We came to serve a warrant and things got out of control.”   Nora peered toward the condos. “The news said there were shots fired. Is that true?”   John nodded. “Bo said no one was hurt. We spoke to him a short time ago. I really need you to move to the back. I don’t need another civilian to worry about.” “Another civilian? Who went in there?”   John shook his head in disgust. “Balsom. He ran into the main entrance about 10 minutes ago. I’ve got my men looking out for him. The Swat team has the place surrounded. We’re doing everything we can, Nora. Please move back behind the squad cars.”   Hugh put his hands gently on her shoulders. “Come on, Nora. Let him do his job.”   Nora looked pleadingly at John. “Get him out of there, okay?”   John nodded. “That’s my job. We’re doing everything we can.”   Nora let Hugh lead her behind the police cars where she could watch the building as she silently prayed that Bo would be all right.   Inside the condo, Spencer was bragging about how he had set Paige up and Bo hadn’t even seen it coming. Bo kept him talking as Rex maneuvered into position behind him. Bo signaled to Rex, who let out a yell to distract Spencer while Bo rushed him. Both men jumped on Spencer at the same time and Bo managed to knock the gun out of his hand. Rex grabbed it and jumped up, aiming the gun at Spencer. “Come on, scumbag. Just give me a reason to use this.”   Bo snapped his cuffs on Spencer. “Put that down, Balsom, before you hurt someone.”   Rex kept his aim. “I know how to handle this. You taught me, remember?”   Bo grabbed the gun from Rex’s hand. “What I remember is that your aim left much to be desired. Nice work, but how the hell did you get in here?”   Rex grinned. “You knew I would rescue you, didn’t you, Commish?”   Bo shook his head. “I should have known you would do something stupid. Do I want to know how you got in here?”   Rex shook his head with a smile. “Nah. Let’s just say that the Super’s daughter showed me a few secrets about these condos.”   Bo couldn’t help but laugh. “Balsom you are something else.”   Rex laughed. “Hey, it was legal. You told me to keep it legal.”   “Yeah, I did.” Bo held out his hand. “And thanks.”   Rex pretended to shake his hand and moved in for a hug instead. “It’s what Batman does for Robin.”   Bo playfully pushed him away. “No way you are Batman in this partnership.”   Rex grinned. “So we’re a partnership now? I like the sound of that!”   Bo smiled back as he hoisted Spencer up and led him out of the condo. Rex followed him and they made their way down to the courtyard. “Hold your fire,” Bo yelled. “We’re coming out.”   Bo led Spencer out and they were immediately swarmed by the Swat team. Nora lost sight of Bo as she tried to reach him through the throng of policemen. She finally caught sight of him. “Bo!” she yelled as she rushed toward him.   Bo heard his name being called and turned just in time to catch Nora as she launched herself into his arms. He held her close as she whispered in his ear, “Thank God” over and over again.   He slowly moved her back to look in her eyes. “What are you doing here?”   Nora finally released the tears she had been holding since she heard the news report. “We heard you were inside. I was so scared. What were you thinking going after him?”   Bo wiped away her tears. “It’s okay now. No harm done.”   Nora shook her head. “You could have been killed!”   “Hey, let’s not go there, okay?” Bo turned as he heard John call his name. He turned back to Nora. “Listen, I need to get to the station and fill out the paperwork. Why don’t you pick up Matthew at school and head home. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”   Nora held onto him, shaking her head. “I want to stay.”   Bo took her face in his hands. “I’m fine. I swear. Please go home and I’ll see you soon.”   Hugh walked up to them. “Nice job, Commissioner.”   Bo nodded. “Thanks, Hugh. Do me a favor and drop Nora at her house before you head to the station.”   Hugh nodded. “No problem. You ready to go, Nora?”   Nora gave Bo one last hug before releasing him and following Hugh out of the chaos. Bo watched them leave before turning his attention back to John. “Let’s get him out of here and down to the station for booking.”   John nodded. “My pleasure. Move it, Truman.”   Bo followed John to the squad car and he loaded Spencer into the back. Bo watched the car pull away, then searched the crowd for Rex and signaled to him. Rex piled into a squad car with Bo and they left the scene.   ************************* Matthew marched in ahead of Nora, tossing his backpack on the couch on his way to the kitchen. “Hey, hey, hey, hey,” Nora called after him. “Get back here and pick that up, Mister.”   Matthew emerged from the kitchen and grabbed the offending backpack off the couch. “Sorry, mom,” he muttered as he trudged into Nora’s office and set it on the chair.   Nora tried to hide her smile. “How was school?”   “Fine.”   “Just fine?”   “Yup.”   Nora sat on the couch and patted the cushion next to her. “Have a seat. I want to talk to you.”   Matthew sat beside her. “Did I do something wrong?”   Nora shook her head. “Nope. This is about your dad.”   Matthew sighed. “Are you guys fighting again?”   Nora cocked her head at him. “Why would you ask that?”   Matthew shrugged. “You seemed upset in the car on the way home. When you act that way, it’s usually because of dad. You guys have been getting along better but I don’t expect that to last.”   Nora smiled. “Well, you’re wrong this time. Bo and I are getting along fine and I’m not upset with him. But something happened to your dad today that I know your friends will be talking about so I wanted to discuss it with you first.”   “What happened? Did dad get shot?”   Nora put her arms around him. “No, sweetie. He didn’t get shot. There was a hostage situation and your dad was involved.”   Matthew’s eyes got big. “Is dad being held hostage?”   Nora shook her head firmly. “No, Matthew. Your dad is fine. He was trying to arrest Spencer Truman.”   “Isn’t he a doctor?” Matthew interrupted. Nora nodded. “Why would dad arrest a doctor?”   Nora shrugged. “I’m not sure. I don’t know the whole story. I barely got to talk to your dad. I just know he’s okay and that’s what’s important. But the news reporters were there so I know you will hear about it. I just wanted to speak to you first, okay?”   Matthew nodded. “Okay, Mom. Can I call dad and make sure he’s okay?”   “Um, why don’t you wait. I’m sure your dad is busy. He said he would come over as soon as he’s finished at the station.”   “Then can I have some ice cream while I wait?”   Nora smiled. “You are quite the negotiator.” Matthew gave her his best pleading grin. “Okay, one scoop. You haven’t had dinner yet.”   Matthew jumped off the couch. “It’ll be a snack. Thanks, mom!”   Nora chuckled as she watched him disappear into the kitchen. She turned when she heard a soft knock at the front door. “Bo!” She rushed to the door and threw it open, pulling Bo into her arms.   Bo returned her hug. “This feels good.”   Nora turned her head and kissed his cheek. “I’m so glad you’re okay.” She leaned back and swatted him on the arm. “What were you thinking going in there like that?”   Bo backed away, holding his arm. “Ow! Take it easy, will ya? I’ve taken enough of a beating today.”   Nora was horrified. “Did he hurt you?” She pulled Bo into the house. “Come sit on the couch. Where did you get hurt?”   Bo allowed her to propel him to the couch. He held up his hands as he sat. “Nora, take it easy. I’m fine.”   Nora shook her head, tears in her eyes. “You’re hurt.” Bo took her by the shoulders. “I’m fine. I’m just getting a little too old to be wrestling perps to the ground. I think I bruised my shoulder.”   Nora couldn’t stop the tears. Bo pulled her into his arms. “What is this?”   Nora shook her head but she allowed him to continue holding her. “It’s nothing.”   Bo pulled back and looked at her. “I know you, Nora. It’s not nothing. Tell me.”   Matthew came through the kitchen door. “Dad! You’re here!”   Nora wiped her eyes and pulled away as Matthew jumped into Bo’s lap. Bo held him close. “Hey, bud. How’s it going?”   Matthew looked up at him with awe. “Mom said you were a hostage today! That’s cool! Why were you arresting Dr. Truman? I saw you on the news when I was in the kitchen. I saw Rex too. Is he a cop now?”   Bo laughed. “Slow down, son. Give me time to answer. It’s not cool being a hostage. I had to arrest Dr. Truman because he did something wrong. You shouldn’t be watching the news. And Rex is most definitely not a cop.”   Matthew smiled. “He doesn’t seem like a cop to me either.”   Bo shook his head. “No, he doesn’t.”   Matthew looked at him cautiously. “So you’re really all right?”   Bo nodded. “Yeah, I’m all right. A few bruises but nothing to worry about.”   Matthew climbed off of Bo’s lap. “Can I go call Stevie? I wanna tell him my dad was a hostage. His dad sells junkie cars. It’s not exciting like what you do!”   Bo held Matthew in front of him. “It’s my job, Matthew. It's not supposed to be exciting. In fact, I prefer when it’s not exciting.”   “Are you going to take another leave of absence vacation?”   Bo smiled. “Maybe. Would you like that?”   Matthew nodded. “Yeah. It was fun when we could hang out together. Mom is taking a break from working too. We could all hang out together.”   “Well, then I’ll think about it. How ‘bout a hug for your old man before you go call Stevie?” Bo took him in his arms and kissed the top of Matthew’s head. “I love you, buddy.”   Matthew pulled away. “Love you too, dad. Back in a minute.” He ran up the stairs.   Bo watched him go and turned his attention back to Nora. “It’s so easy for him, isn’t it?” Bo saw the serious look in her eyes. “Not so easy for you, is it?”   Nora shook her head. “I hate this. Are you going to tell me what happened?”   Bo gently held her hands. “I got proof that Spencer was the one who was poisoning you through Paige. Rex found a vial in his medicine cabinet. We tested it and it was Hemlock. Just as that was happening, we also got a video tape from Paige with the files proving she killed someone in Buffalo when she and Spencer were both residents. The files proved that Spencer covered for her with the hospital board. So, we have him for the poisoning and for the murder cover up. Should be a pretty easy case for you, Counselor.”   Nora shook her head. “We need to talk about that.”   Bo was confused. “What do you mean? Of course Hugh will prosecute but I’m sure you will be with him every step of the way, right?”   Nora avoided his eyes. “I’m not going back to the DA’s office,” she said quietly.   Bo was surprised. “What? Why not?”   Nora shrugged. “It’s never been my passion, Bo. I miss being a defense attorney and getting to choose my cases. I want to practice law like I used to. And I want to have more flexibility to spend time with Matthew. These past couple weeks have made me realize how he’s growing up and I’m missing it. I want to pick my cases and be home when Matthew gets home from school.” Bo nodded slowly. “Well, I can’t argue with that. I’m sorry to see you go. I’ll miss seeing you around the station.”   Nora laughed. “Yeah, who will you have to fight with if I’m not around?”   Bo looked at her seriously. “I’m enjoying the fact that we’re not fighting anymore, Nora. I’d like to continue that whether you’re the DA or not.”   Nora nodded slowly. “I’d like that too. You know, I’d appreciate it if you were around to help me raise Matthew too. I’m getting used to this two parent thing we have going on.”   Bo smiled. “I plan on keeping it going too, Nora.”   “How can you with all the shooting and poisoning and God knows what else?”   Bo moved closer to her on the couch. “Hey, that’s all behind us now. Truman is going away for a long time.”   Nora shook her head. “There will always be a Spencer Truman, Bo. It goes with your territory. And I love you for it but it scares me.”   Bo watched her carefully. “Are you saying you care?”   Nora shrugged. “Maybe. But it’s hard to commit. I mean, we’d have a lot of obstacles to overcome.”   Bo tilted her head to look at him. “We have had a terrible year. But we’ve come through it. Our son has come through it and we’re committed to making his childhood better than it was this year. We’re not fighting anymore. We’re communicating and laughing and enjoying each other’s company again. Spencer Truman is out of the picture and so are Daniel and Paige.”   “Speaking of Paige, are you going to go after her?”   Bo shook his head. “I’m not sure where I’d look. The package was sent from Canada but it was a fake address and it was sent 4 days ago. She could be anywhere by now. I’m inclined to just let it go since it happened in Buffalo and that’s not my jurisdiction. I’ll forward them the file after Spencer’s trial.”   Nora put her hand to his face with a wide smile. “So it’s over?” Bo shook his head. Her smile vanished. “It’s not over? What do you mean?”   Bo smiled as he took her face in his hands. “No, Red. It’s not over.” He leaned forward and kissed her softly. “It’s just begun…”   The End.