Title: The Good Son
Chapter 22 – A Brand New Start

A/N; I want to extend a HUGE THANK YOU to all you dear readers for letting me extend this story up to now and sticking with it and providing your AMAZING feedback! I seriously won't have come this far without you all! We have reached the happy ending to this adventure and I hope you all like it!

Ed listens to Clark talk about the party, most of it not making any sense to him at all; his brain still wanting to know if anything more 'intimate' happened. Just ask already, his brain urges in frustration.

"And about the um…other stuff we talked about," Ed manages in a weak tone, his heart rate already elevated.

"Other stuff dad?" Clark looks over at his father with a small smile. "What other stuff?"

He knows he's got you! His brain chides in derision as he Ed's face offers a frown.

"Oh the um…yeah never mi…"

"We didn't have sex if that's what you're asking," Clark puts his father's mind at ease as they pull into the garage. "I mean it's not like I didn't want to or…" his voice trails off as Ed tries to down play his somewhat horrified expression.

Get a grip, he's growing up – you were exactly the same as him! Why do you think I'm worried?

"Clark…you know…" Ed starts and then stops, looking over at his son with a warm smile. "Just make sure you think things through when making big decisions."

"Big decisions? Dad we just kissed," Clark offers with a slight moan.

"A kiss…huh, how was it?" He asks and then stops in haste.

"It was great," Clark answers with a wide smile as they both get out of the car.

"It was great…" Ed repeats as he puts his arm playfully around Clark's neck and ruffles his hair.

"When did you and mom…you know…"

"Have sex for the first time? When we got married," Ed remarks in a serious tone as they head into the house.

"You're such a liar dad," Clark teases his father as the door shuts behind them.

"Give me a break will you, this growing up stuff isn't easy on me," Ed mentions in a quieter tone, it being nearly midnight by the time they got home. "I'm glad you had fun tonight."

"Yeah me too," Clark answers with a happy smile. "Am looking forward to next week actually…just back to normal."

"Normal," Ed sighs as he thinks about facing his own team and Greg's forthcoming tongue scolding on Monday. "Yeah."

"You gonna get in trouble or something?"

"Probably just an I told you so lecture from the boss," Ed huffs as they climb the stairs. "See how easy you got it?"

"I thought Mr. Parker was a softie?"

"Have you seen him upset?" Ed retorts as they reach Clark's bedroom.

"Really he'll be mad?"

"He'll be okay. You gonna be okay tonight?"

"Yeah I think I'll have some happier thoughts to keep my mind occupied tonight."

"Goodnight Clark," Ed whispers as he gives his son a warm hug.

"Night dad," Clark replies back before disappearing into his room.

Ed flips off the hallway light and then heads for his own bedroom, where after he closes the door Sophie flips on the light and looks at her husband with an inquiring glance.

"Well?"

"A kiss…"

"His first," she smiles as she pulls back the covers on his side of the bed. "Was he happy?"

"Ecstatic."

"Good. What else?"

XXXXXXXX

Sunday was spent just relaxing around the house as a family, Clark spending most of the day talking to Amber on the phone or online but breaking for meals and to help with some household chores as normal. Ed couldn't have been happier for Clark's mood and had to in part attribute that to Amber and how she made Clark feel. But it was the fact that Clark didn't wake up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat, admitting he just watched himself get shot - again. That thought comforted him all day and he knows that school now for Clark would be better. In truth it was almost a terrible inner confession to acknoweldge, because that meant being happy someone was dead, but he wasn't happy about the death part exactly; Clark was free, thats what was comforting the most. After supper the three of them play a game of cards, Ed's mind delighting in his family's happy banter.

But as Ed goes to bed that night, his mind is now wondering just what Greg would say to him the following day; his sleep wasn't as restful as expected.

"Morning," Greg greets Ed early Monday morning; Ed wanting to get in earlier than everyone else and talk to his boss and friend and get it over with.

"Morning," Ed answers with an almost hesitant tone; his slightly weary frame easing down into a chair on the other side of the team one meeting table.

"How's Clark?"

"He's good. Was anxious about today because it's the first day in a while that he won't have to worry about looking over his back."

"His father feeling the same way?"

"Yeah I just…" Ed pauses as he leans back in his chair, "just never thought it would get that far you know?"

"Ed…"

"I know…I deserve the I told you so speech so lemme have it."

"While that might be true, I'm not gonna give that this time," Greg huffs as he leans forward, his hands folding on the table top before him.

"Why not?"

"Becuase you are expecting it," Greg retorts and Ed slighlty huffs. "I think you learned a very valuable lesson that taught you more than anything I could say."

"Don't keep the team in the dark."

"We're here for you buddy."

"I know and I thought I was keeping them from harm. I remember with Tomasic…."

"And Jules getting shot, Ed that wasn't…"

"It was my fault. She was up there looking for a shooter targeting me," Ed tries to explain as he too looks forward. "I couldn't have that again."

"But this time it nearly cost you your own son and your own life."

"I know," Ed sighs as he looks at Greg and shakes his head. "If Wordy hadn't come when he did…I know…I turned my back on my best friend and team member…"

"Thankfully he knows you and didn't give up."

"I didn't want to quit."

"You my friend are a force to be reckoned with when you're upset and emotional."

"I hate emotional," Ed smirks.

"I know you do because it makes you lose focus; at least that's what you tell the team. The only way you saw out was your own doing when it wasn't your doing…"

"Boss, I arrested…"

"You did your job, remember that."

"And if it happens again?" Ed ponders with a heavy sigh.

"Well you can't quit because then we'd all have the same issues right?"

"Wordy said that."

"He was right," Greg nods his head. "Will it happen again? Maybe…maybe not. But what you can do if there is a next time is be honest from the start…tell the team straight up the facts…we're here for each other, family remember? We take the heat off each other, we take care of each other, that's what we do."

"Way to go team leader," Ed groans as he leans back in his chair and casts his gaze into the distance.

"Well I know a thing or two about my team leader that he sometimes likes to forget."

"Yeah what's that?"

"He's human," Greg smiles. "Can't fault him for that."

"But…"

"But he's gonna get truck duty today for…"

"Seriously?" Ed asks with a heavy frown.

"This isn't just about pulling rank, it's about proving to Holleran that you have one more easier day and then you can be back in action."

"I wasn't shot," Ed protests and then falls back. "Right."

"That'll be my I told you so," Greg smirks and Ed merely purses his lips but says nothing. "And pulling rank," he lightly chuckles. "I'm glad you're both okay. Matching scars now right?" Greg nods to Ed's upper arm.

"Like father like son."

"Scary right?" Greg retorts.

"Very," Ed agrees with a softer smile. "I'm really sorry…"

"I know you are but it's over right? I know you learned your valuable lesson and it's done. Enough said," Greg's hand gently but firmly makes a firm slap on the table. "Clear minds out there…that's what I want."

"Today that's what you got, I promise you that."

"Good to hear. Now if only I could send you to your room to make you think about it," Greg smirks as they both stand up. "Or maybe just to the gym?"

"The gym I'll take," Ed nods as he turns and heads for the locker room, Greg watching with a small frown, trying to fight back the inner feeling of anxiety.

"Hey you made it," Wordy teases Ed as Ed walks up to his locker and gives his best friend a sideways glance. "How long did you spend in detention?"

"I get the truck today," Ed laments as he opens his locker and pauses as he looks at a picture of himself and Clark – smiling, and then back at Wordy, "hey it was better than desk duty which is what I had expected."

"Well I can still put in a good word for you," Wordy smiles before his face turns serious. "And I will unless you fess up."

"Oh you're worse than Sophie," Ed retorts with a smile.

"Well?" Wordy presses, leaning against the door to Ed's locker and preventing him from closing it.

"A kiss okay…yes his first and that was it."

"And the dancing?"

"He hated the dancing," both of them deadpan at once and then smile. "See…just like his old man."

"Hey I didn't mind dancing."

"Standing in a dark corner while music is playing making out isn't dancing," Wordy chuckles as he slaps Ed on the back; Ed's face returning a mock pout. "Don't even try to deny it my friend."

"I didn't ask Clark if he did that…I wanted to but I had to give him some privacy."

"Ah yes ever wise. And the um…"

"The what?" Ed looks at Wordy directly.

"Did they…"

"Run off to city hall and get married as in my nightmare? No actually they didn't," Ed replies in teasing tone as Wordy just rolls his eyes. "The rest…is between me and Clark."

"Fair enough. And the rest of the weekend?"

"Was spent relaxing…and thinking."

"Which for you can be just as dangerous as being in the line of fire," Wordy states in a lower tone, his voice edging away from sarcasm and opting for something more serious. "And what did you conclude?"

"Wordy when I heard Jules was shot by…"

"Ah…" Wordy interrupts and Ed stops and looks at him. "You thought you'd possibly be responsible for another team member's near death?"

"Thought had crossed my mind. How could I live with you or anyone else being shot or killed because of me?"

"Instead you just had to worry about your son? Or yourself?"

"I know Greg said the same thing," Ed sighs as he looks away and slightly shakes his head. "But he said the same as you that we all take risks and chances and that's part of the job."

"And to be open next time right?"

"Did you two talk before you called me?"

"You thought I'd take you on in that frame of mind alone?" Wordy counters and Ed's lips break into a soft smile. "My friend I am many things but plain crazy isn't one of them," he smiles as he gives Ed a friendly pat on the back.

"Oh really? Because I know there was that time with the dog, when you jumped the fence to…"

"Okay first off I didn't know the dog was in there and secondly..." Wordy starts in his defense as Ed finally closes his locker and both of them head for the gym, leaving light laughter in their wake.

Ed starts into his lighter than normal workout, his body still feeling the strain of recovery and mild inactivity over the past few days, watching the rest of the team enter and listening to his best friend go on about some other story involving a mangy watchdog. He watches his boss and friend enter the workout room, smile and nod and knows that everything was back on the right track; all was on the way to being forgiven.

The workout concludes and sure enough not twenty minutes later, Winnie's voice is heard over the intercom with a 'team one hot call' alert and it's back to business as usual. Being stationed in the truck wasn't as bad as expected as it did give Ed time to work out all the inner anxiety that had still been festering over the weekend about facing Greg and the rest of the team after what he had put them through.

Throughout the course of the day and the call, each member of the team had come and told him welcome back and asked how Clark was doing and if he too was okay.

"So how was today?" Greg asks as he and Ed sit in the quiet team one briefing room at the end of their typical manic Monday.

"Long and tiring as expected," Ed answers in truth, "but I'm glad I was here. The job…it's my life."

"It's a big part of it yeah," Greg replies with a small nod, "but you do have other things in your life as well."

"Ah yes and time to get home to them right?"

"Copy that," Greg smirks as they both stand up and Greg looks at Ed with an inspecting glance.

"Boss I'm fine, really. I'm tired but my mind gave up replaying the events as soon as we got on scene. Sleeping will hopefully be better for both me and Clark and we…we just take it one day at a time right?"

"That's all we can do. See you tomorrow Eddie."

"Yeah, goodnight."

Ed takes his leave and heads for the locker room to change and then head for home. What he told Greg was the truth, his mind was occupied with the job today but it was at night when he was supposed to be at rest that the nightmares of the past few weeks would still creep into his subconscious. But knowing that they were just figments of memories made it better; Clark was safe and that's all that really mattered.

"I'm home," Ed calls out as he enters his home.

"Hey dad," Clark greets as he looks up from his laptop. "Well?"

"Yes I still have a job," Ed shakes his head as he enters he living room and slumps down onto the couch beside his son who slightly moves. "What? I can't see."

"I'm talking to Amber and its um…private."

"Private...okay," Ed nods as he leans forward and pats Clark on the back. "How was school?" He asks as Sophie leans against the doorframe to watch with a contented smile.

Clark quickly tells Amber he needs a five min time out and then turns to his father with a small shrug. "It was okay. Some of the kids…" he starts into his day, Ed's attention completely captivated by his beloved son for the next few minutes. If this ordeal had taught him anything it was that life was too precious to take the small everyday things for granted and that each minute with his family was to be cherished.

"Another party really? Can I come to this one?"

"Dad...what?"

"Clark, I'm kidding. Now...tell me more."

Ed looks at his son and smiles, Greg was right, the job was only part of his life, his family was the rest; his son...his good and beloved son had nearly been taken and that was one risk he never wanted to face and so knew the lesson was that honesty really was the best policy in all things.

"So can I borrow that cologne?"

"No...we'll go buy your own. Come on...supper time," Ed smiles as he and Clark stand up and head into the kitchen laughing and talking. Taking time with his family for granted was something he'd never do again.

THE END!

A/N: Alright everyone we have reached the end. Hope you all liked it and please stay tuned for more Ed/Wordy adventures on the way! Please leave a final review if you liked this happy ending/story/ and would like more and thanks so much in advance!