Ch. 1 Suspended
Life continued to be an up and down battle for Andy, Danny and Linda regarding Andy and her school experience. Most of the time, or at least every other week
she would find herself getting detention by getting into some sort of trouble such as not getting along with the other students, or teachers for that matter, and
was constantly receiving the same question. "Andy how could you let this happen," Linda would always ask frustrated? And Andy wouldn't always reply by
saying, "I don't know, trouble just seems to follow me." She was 12 years old, and had been officially adopted in early spring of that year, and the month was
now early May. They were nearing summer vacation, and Andy couldn't wait to be free, especially considering she had just gotten a week's suspension and
was facing an irate Danny Reagan.
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Andy stood staring outside from her upstairs bedroom window. Her day certainly had not turned out the way she had expected. When she had gotten up that
morning, she had no intention in getting a week's suspension for opening her mouth one too many times that week, considering the day before she had
received detention, the principal hoping that would help cure her attitude, but anyone who knew Andy very well, knew that she didn't listen very well. Now on
top of receiving a week's suspension from school, she was also grounded for a week, and was finding it extremely difficult to sit down at that moment, since
Danny had just shown how displeased he was in the form of a spanking. "It's about time you started getting ready for bed," Danny reminded her sometime
later that afternoon just before it was time for her to go to bed. "Yes Sir," Andy turned away from the window and grabbed her pajamas that she already had
laid out on her bed. "I don't see why though, it's not like I have to be up early for school tomorrow," Andy said stopping at the doorway. "Don't remind me,"
Danny wasn't exactly mad at her any longer, yet her not going to school was just going to make things a bit more difficult with him having to drop her off with
his grandfather every morning before work for the next week. "You know I'm sorry right," Andy tried? "I know, I just wish you would have watched your mouth,
and minded the manners, that I know you have," Danny nudged her. Andy shrugged her shoulders, "sometimes they get lost and my mouth gets the better of
me." "Yeah I kind of figured that one out on my own," Danny shook his head still surprised that his daughter managed to get suspended considering she had
only been going to school there for two months. "This school just expects too much from me, considering I didn't even attend school al that often to begin with,
and now you are forcing me to go five days a week," Andy was grasping at straws. "The only reason I am forcing you as you say, is because I want you to
have the best education possible, the better the education, the better opportunity you will have when you grow up, do you understand," Danny explained?
"Yeah I guess your right," Andy shrugged, considering she and Jamie had been talking a lot about her future lately and what she planned to do with her life,
then again she had to admit that she was still coming up blank, and it's not like she was in a rush, she was only twelve. Yet in the Reagan point of view, they
figured if they could even get her partially interested in a career option it might help her schooling run a bit smoother. "In that case, go on and get ready for
bed," Danny stepped aside and out of the doorway.
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"So what all happened with Andy at school, you never got to tell me what all happened," Linda asked Danny later that night after the kids were in bed? Danny
sighed, "where do I even start?" "According to the Principal, it was a long time coming. She has been back talking and disrupting every class and every teacher,
starting fights," Danny was about to continue, when Linda interrupted, "she got into another fight?" Danny nodded, "apparently more than one, and she did
everything I just told you all today." "Wow," Linda looked surprised. "That's what I thought when they called me," Danny sounded as if he was still trying to
believe it himself. "What did you do," Linda wondered aloud? "She is grounded for as long as she is suspended, and I spanked her," Danny replied. "Bet she
didn't like two different forms of consequences," Linda could only imagine the amount of displeasure she showed that afternoon, almost grateful she had to
work late that night. "Yeah she didn't care for it much, but I have been giving her plenty of chances to get her behavior in line, and I have certainly warned her
about consequences she wouldn't like, but I just felt like I had to follow through this time for her own good," Danny replied. "No you were right, I have noticed
that she has had quite an attitude here at home as well when I'm home with them after school, and I cant tell you how many times I was tempted to get my
wooden spoon," Linda admitted. Danny's eyes went wide, "my mom was a menace with that thing, I can't even hold one of those thongs without having
flashbacks," Danny shuttered at the thought. "And here I thought you were just telling your siblings, that you hardly ever got into trouble," Linda smiled at him.
"I may have stretched the truth a bit," Danny admitted. "Sure you did," Linda nodded throwing a pillow at him.
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"Andrea come on," Danny nudged his sleeping daughter. "It's time to get up, I've got to get you over to Gramps so I can get to work and not be late," Danny
replied early Monday morning. Andy moaned, "what is with you getting up at such an ungodly hour," Andy couldn't even focus her eyes on the clock considering
Danny had her bedroom light on and she was busily trying to find the sunglasses she thought she had left on her nightstand. "Its 6:30," Danny replied, "just
enough time for you to get dressed and get some breakfast before we have to leave," Danny hurried out of the room to get breakfast started. Andy rolled over
moaning, him being a morning person tended to drive her crazy at times. Deciding that there was no use in avoiding the inevitable, Andy finally managed to
crawl out of bed and pick out a pair of jeans and an NYPD t-shirt, before she trudged her way down the stairs. The second Andy entered the kitchen, Danny
handed her a plate of eggs and toast, "eat up so we can get going." "I'm not really hungry but I'll try, I'm mostly tired," she admitted. "You can take a nap at
Grandpas since you don't have to go to school," Jack mentioned a bit envious, yet not crazy enough to get suspended. "She isn't going to have time for a nap,"
Danny interrupted, she will be helping Gramps with chores around the house. Yippee, Andy mouthed at her brother discretely. Jack chuckled, "just think on the
bright side Sis, working for Gramps is still better than having to go to school." "That's what I'm hoping," Andy didn't sound very convinced. "Don't count on it,"
Danny interrupted. "I remember when I would do some work for him, he turned into a slave driver." Andy moaned and laid her head on the kitchen table. "But
don't worry, I'll be sure and tell him not to work you to hard." "Thanks," Andy mumbled turning her head just enough to look at him. "Then again, he's never
listened to me before," Danny added before hurrying up the stairs to get his gun and shield.
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"Not sure when I'll be back to pick you up," Danny said looking at Andy later on that morning while dropping her off, although he was really talking to both Andy
and his grandfather. "I have a lot of paperwork on my desk that my sergeant has been bugging me about for the past several days." "Don't worry about us, we
will be just fine" Henry replied. "Thanks again Gramps," Danny said before pointing a finger and giving his daughter a stern look. "Try to be good." "No
promises," Andy shook her head. "I'm not kidding Andy," he added when she didn't reply with the best of comments. "I will," Andy tried to reassure him, before
he started giving her a long lecture, considering he and Linda had been lecturing her for the past couple of days since the suspension. "So you managed to get
yourself suspended, after only two months of going to school," Henry said shaking his head in amazement after Danny left. "Please not another lecture," Andy
tried pleading, "I already know that it's probably just a matter of time before Grandpa gives me one." Henry smiled, "I'm sure he will, he usually questions
anyone and everyone who gets into trouble in this family." "I expected as much," Andy mumbled. "Now what is it, would you like me to do while I'm here, I can't
afford to get into any more trouble with Danny, if I didn't do it." Henry went through the list of chores that Danny had asked him to make for her as he finished
his last cup of coffee, "you can start by changing the sheets in both my room and your grandpas." "Yes Sir," Andy turned away before plugging her headphones
into her iPhone and heading up the stairs and into her grandfather's bedroom. After pulling the sheets off the bed, and tossing them onto the floor next to the
door, Andy proceeded with replacing them with fresh. She loved her grandpa's room, she loved all the old pictures he had on his wall and dresser. There was a
pictures of he and his wife Mary, surrounded by their four children, Danny and Joe on one side, and Erin and Jamie on the other when they were kids. Another
picture of Danny in his military uniform, and another of him in his police uniform. A picture of Erin when she graduated law school, a picture of Jamie when he
graduated high school, and another one of Joe in his police uniform. Surrounded by these we're pictures of Nicki, another one of Jack, then Sean, and also a
picture of herself. Andy smiled when she saw the one of herself, she never remembered seeing it on the wall before, and figured that he had just hung it up
recently. After finishing up with the sheets, Andy trudged her way down the stairs. She started to call her great grandfather a prison warden and ask him what
was next on the list, but thought better of it when she remembered that he could always add more chores to the already lengthy list. "I'm finished with the
sheets," Andy enlightened him after placing them in the wash machine. "What's next," she questioned after taking a quick water break? "Danny's old room is in
dire need of a good going through and cleaning up," Henry mentioned, "but that's a rough job and may be a little difficult for just one person." "I can do it,"
Andy spoke up before running up the stairs, not even giving Henry a chance to reply. Opening the door to the bedroom, Andy almost fell back down the stairs
when she realized that perhaps she was a bit to independent for her own good, and perhaps she should not have opened her big mouth. There was stuff
everywhere. Old clothes hanging out of dresser drawers, tons of dusty CD's on a shelf, basketballs, baseballs, bats, gloves, and just about any other sport
gear you could think of. There were U.S. Marines and NYPD posters hanging all over the wall, and Andy was almost certain that her father must have joined the
marines as soon as he graduated, and as soon as he did his two tours he must have moved back in with his parents, joined the police academy, became a cop,
got married and moved out, without ever bothering to clean his room, then again her brothers may have spent a lot time playing in there, considering she
found a few games spread out on the floor.
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"Smells good Pop," Frank said several hours later coming in through the kitchen door. "It's spaghetti and meatballs Reagan style," Henry replied. "Danny
coming over for lunch," Frank asked taking his suit coat off, wanting to be a bit more comfortable for as long as he could before he had to go back to being the
PC? "He didn't say anything," Henry replied, "but that's never stopped him from popping in unexpectedly for a free meal before." "Where's Andy," Frank asked,
when he noticed that she was nowhere around? "Upstairs, Danny told me to put her to work while she's here," Henry replied, "she's cleaning Danny's old
room," he added. "Danny's room," Frank moaned, "don't you think that's cruel and unusual punishment, knowing the state of that bedroom, considering it has
never been exactly straightened up in awhile." Henry shrugged, "it needed to be done." "I didn't say it didn't, but Danny has already punished her, and we
really don't need to add to it excessively, and that's exactly what that room is," Frank started for the stairs to check on her, hoping she was still alive. "How's it
coming," Frank asked walking through the open door, but only seeing her feet sticking out from the bed, while she threw things like a baseball glove, a board
game, and several other things out from under the bed? "It's coming," Andy sneezed, she figured to be at least the hundredth time. "Come on out and have a
seat," Frank replied, "I want to talk to you for a few minutes." Here it comes, Andy thought to herself, she didn't think she would have been able to avoid a
lecture from her grandfather when she heard he was coming home for lunch. Andy took a seat on the edge of the bed next to her grandfather and looked up at
him, "so how mad at me are you?" "I'm not mad," Frank shook his head. "But you do need to learn to think before you act," he said gently, considering he knew
that Danny had already talked to her. "I know," Andy sighed, "and I'm trying, really I am, it's just sometimes I forget to think." "And how has that been working
out for you," Frank questioned? Andy shrugged, "not very well," she admitted, "Dad keeps telling me I need to think before I open my mouth and say
something I think is intelligent, but that has proved to be easier said than done." Frank smiled and pulled her in for a hug, "try to hang in there kiddo, it will get
easier once you get used to things I promise." "I hope you're right," Andy added, "because I'm still having trouble sitting comfortably today, and I am
absolutely sick of being grounded." "Really," Frank asked holding up her headphones. "Hey, what Daddy doesn't know won't hurt him," Andy smiled
mischievously. "Andy," Frank chided. "I know, I know," she unplugged them from her phone and handed them to him. "Are you going to tell Danny," Andy
thought of the worst possible outcome. "No," Frank replied, "but that doesn't mean it was a good idea." "I know," Andy said quietly. "You are so much like
Danny," Frank couldn't help but chuckled despite the fact he needed to be stern at the moment, yet he just couldn't help it. "Really," Andy asked seriously,
"maybe there is still hope for me yet." "There is," Frank shook his head, "we haven't given up hope on you just yet." "That's good," Andy laughed, "because I
know this isn't the last time I'm going to be in trouble." "I don't doubt it," Frank hugged her. The two sat together for a few more minutes, Andy beaming at all
the work she had been doing in the bedroom, as she told Frank of all the plans she had yet planned, until the two decided that they had given Pop plenty of
time to finish up on lunch. "Hey Gramps," Danny greeted coming in through the kitchen door. "Hey yourself," Henry said turning the fire off on the stove. "How's
Andy doing," Danny asked filling a glass of water? "Is that why you are here," Gramps asked, "or do you just want something to eat?" Well If you got
something to eat, I might as well," Danny grinned. "Mhmm, I figured as much," Henry could see right through his eldest grandson. "I saw Dads entourage
outside. What is he doing here," Danny asked? "Same as you I reckon," Henry replied. Seconds later, and Frank and Andy joined the two other Reagan's
downstairs and at the dinner table. "Dad, I thought you said you weren't going to be back until this evening," Andy asked confused? "Another detective
banged in sick, so I'm going to take some of their shift tonight, so I was given a long lunch today," Danny enlightened her. "Does that mean Mom is going to
pick me up this evening," Andy had an idea roaming around in her head? "Probably," Danny nodded taking a bite of a meatball. "I have a better idea, how
about I just spend the night here, so I can have more time working in your old room, and then you won't have to bring me back tomorrow," Andy suggested. "I
don't know Andy, you are grounded remember," Danny's pointed at her with his fork, "not to mention, it would have to be okay with your grandpa," he nodded
at Frank. "Can I stay grandpa please," Andy was on the edge of her seat. "It's okay with me if your dad wants to lift your grounding sentence for a night,"
Frank replied, knowing this was the first time his granddaughter of just a few months asked to spend the night, and as usual Frank had a difficult time saying
no to his grandchildren when the question was something of a trivial matter like asking to spend the night. "Please Dad," Andy turned to face Danny the
second Frank had finished his last statement. Danny knew he needed to remain constant when it came to disciplining his children, and he usually didn't have
any trouble sticking to a decision, but this time, this time things were different, she was actually wanting to stay so she could keep working. Danny shrugged
no one could deny that she wasn't a hard worker that's for sure. "I don't know Andy, you don't have any clothes," Danny reminded her. "You could go get me
some," Andy looked at him innocently. "I have to go back to work Andy," Danny reminded her. "But you said you had a long lunch," Andy tried. "Long enough to
come by, check on you, grab a bite to eat, and maybe if I'm lucky I can stop by and see your mother at work," Danny had his short time off planned to the last
second. Andy didn't say anything, rather she just looked a little disappointed. Danny sighed, "I'll try to find some time to run by the house and get you some
clothes." "Thanks Dad," a huge smile started to spread across her face. "Your welcome," Danny shook his head thinking of how much of a softy he was
becoming when it came to daddy's little girl.
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It wasn't long after Frank went back to work, and Danny returned with a small bag of clothes for his daughter, and Andy was back to work in the bedroom. "You
need some music playing up in here," Danny announced bringing Andy's bag upstairs to her. "You grounded me remember," Andy tossed a football at him. "I've
already lifted part of your sentence, what's one more," Danny pulled out one of his New Kids On The Block CD's. "But only for today and tomorrow," he added
before turning up the volume. "Just please don't start dancing, no kid should be subject to seeing their parents bust a move," Andy said trying to gain up the
courage to open the closet door. "Hey, I'm a good dancer," Danny argued. "Whatever you say Detective," Andy was prepared to take a dive under the bed just
in case he started dancing. "Why have you been standing in front of the closet door for the past 10 minutes," Danny was exaggerating? "Because I'm worried
things are going to crash down on top of me when I open the door to start cleaning out the closet," Andy enlightened him. "It's not that bad," Danny opened
the door without giving Andy a chance to run. Seconds later, the two found themselves sitting on the floor covered with junk. "I thought you said it wasn't
bad," Andy looked at him. "It wasn't when I left," Danny admitted. "That was over 10 years ago," Andy reminded him. "Your right," a sparkle came into Danny's
eye, "it was all Jack and Sean's fault." Andy scoffed, "the boys aren't even here to defend themselves." "That's the point kid," Danny said glancing at his watch,
"look at the time, it's time for me to get back to work," Danny started for the stairs. "So you open the door and make the mess, and now you are just going to
leave me here to clean it up," Andy hollered down the stairs? "Love you," Danny yelled back before telling Henry goodbye and running out the door.
Andy had been working steadily for most of the afternoon, and was making great progress by the time Frank returned several hours later. The three had just
finished dinner, and Pop had just finished with the dishes when he decided to make his way up the stairs to see the progress that Andy had made in the
bedroom after she recruited her grandfather to help out. Frank had just managed to convince Andy to stop for the night and join himself and Pop in watching a
John Wayne western, when Henry walked in. "She's ready to watch," Frank had a huge smile on his face. "Which one are we going to watch," Henry asked?
"Hmm," Frank looked over at Andy. "Have you seen any John Wayne movies before?" "No," Andy shook her head. "In that case, which one should we start her
out with Pop," Frank looked at Henry? "McClintock," Henry suggested. "Sounds good to me," Frank stood to leave the room. Henry took the lead on the stairs,
followed shortly by Frank, who was then followed by Andy. Henry was still on one of the top stairs, when he lost his balance and tumbled down the remaining
stairs, hitting his head on his way down, causing him to go unconscious. "Pop," Frank ran down the stairs after his father. Henry was still unconscious and
Frank was careful not to move him, wanting to take all necessary precautions. Pulling his phone out of his pocket, Frank hurriedly called it in, "this is
Commissioner Reagan, and I need a bus at my home forthwith," he said before hanging up. "Andy call your Dad," Frank ordered immediately. Andy was on her
cell in seconds, and on the phone with Danny. "Dad, Gramps fell down the stairs and went unconscious, Grandpa has a bus coming," Andy spat out all in one
breath. "I'll be right there," Danny said on the other end of the line, flipping the sirens on, on the Dodge Charger he was driving, considering he was technically
still on duty.
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It wasn't surprising that Danny beat the EMS to his father's home considering he only knew one way to drive, and that was fast. Hurrying into the house, he
was ambushed by Andy, who practically threw herself into Danny's arms in worry. "It's okay," Danny hugged her, "I'm sure he will be fine," Danny was trying to
not only convince her of it, but he and his father both, who he was making eye contact with at that very moment. "How is he," Danny asked after taking a seat
next to his father?" "No change," Frank shook his head, "he's still unconscious." Danny sighed placing a hand on his father's back in reassurance, unsure of
what to say as they waited for the ambulance to arrive.
Hope to get Chapter 2 up soon, and I hope this story will be as good as Least of These. I love to get reviews and follows, and thanks to all who read. JusticeStandsTRUE