***So, this idea has been rolling around in my head since the season 2 finale.***

"What time you start last night?" Danny asked Jamie as he skillfully dunked the basketball in his hands.

Jamie closed his eyes in annoyance at yet another point in Danny's favor. "Graveyard shift," he grunted.

"What's wrong, little brother?" Danny teased. "You upset your old ass brother can still whip your ass on the court?" He circled around Jamie, smirking, dribbing the ball.

"Whatever, Danny," Jamie rolled his eyes. "You slept last night. I didn't. I think that has something to do with your performance today." He grabbed the ball and took a chance. It bounced off the rim. "Damn it!"

Danny chuckled. "I didn't sleep well," he admitted.

"Well, you seem like your usual charming self," Jamie shot back good naturedly. "Seems like you slept just fine."

"I'm a father, I'm used to sleep deprivation." He knew that Jamie was done playing because he just slumped down on to the lowest bench of the nearby bleacher. One last shot, and the ball easily swooshed through the net. He then moved over to the bench and sat down beside his brother. "I think I know what has you so distracted." He opened the water bottle and took a long drink, carefully watching Jamie from the corner of his eye.

"Oh yeah?" Jamie questioned, one eyebrow raised.

"Rumor has it that while Jimmy Riordan may be retired, you may have caught another undercover case..." Jamie continued looking at the pavement, appearing to be unwilling to look at Danny. "It's actually quite the compliment. Usually most officers need three to five years before their superiors have enough faith to put them undercover. You did it in, what? A little over a year?" Danny slapped his brother on the back.

Things were still somewhat tense, but they were making good on their Mothers Day talk. They were trying to find a way to be more than just brothers.

Jamie offered him a tense, half smile. "Think I'm ready for another assignment?"

Danny wasn't prepared for that question. He took a deep breath, weighing his words carefully. Truth be told, he knew Jamie was a good cop. He had the instinct for it, even if the way he handled the situations he found himself in were much different than the way Danny would handle them. But Jamie was still his little brother. The idea of him wearing a uniform was scary enough...but add the unknown of undercover work for a still relatively new beat cop...?

"I can't tell you if you're ready or not," he said simply. "Only you know that."

Jamie looked up and was about to say something when a young woman, about 25 years old, caught his eye.

Danny looked over and smirked when he saw her jogging. He elbowed Jamie. "See something you like?"

Jamie shook his head and quietly muttered, "Shut up, Danny."

"Been a long time, huh?" he teased.

"Longer than you know," he groaned. A small blush crept into his cheeks when he realized what he had just admitted to his older brother.

They watched as the young woman slowed, going from a jog to a walk. Her left hand clutched at her side and she breathed heavily. She found a large tree about 20 feet from where the brothers sat and immediately leaned against it, closing her eyes. She focused on her breathing.

"You OK?" Jamie called over.

She peered over at them in the early morning sun. "Great," she softly laughed. She used her right hand to point to her flat stomach where her left hand still rested. "Just a cramp. Now I remember why I never took up running as a hobby."

Danny smirked. "My wife says she runs for the endorphins."

"They never found me," the young woman countered.

"If you already knew that, why're you running?" Jamie asked.

"New Years Resolution." She said it with a straight face.

"But it's the middle of May...?" Jamie smirked.

She smiled. "Better late than never, right? Besides, now I can say I did it. I've decided the next time I run, it'll be for one of two reasons. An axe murderer behind me, or a burger infront of me."

Jamie laughed. "Sounds reasonable."

"I thought so too." Once again, she said it with a straight face before cracking a small smile. When her phone began to ring, she looked down at the caller ID. "I have to take this. Enjoy your game," she motioned towards the ball resting between Jamie and Danny's feet.

Jamie and Danny watched as she walked off, a smile on her face. They could hear her side of the conversation as she slowly made her way back to the path. "I just finished my run at the park...no, your hearing is just fine. I said I went for a run...why are you laughing? It's not *that* funny!" She started to laugh along with the person on the other end of the call.

Jamie couldn't help but chuckle at the animated conversation.

Danny slapped his kid brother on the back. "You gotta get back in the game."

"You aren't talking basketball, are you?"

"Not only was that woman gorgeous, but she seemed sweet."

"You got that from one brief conversation?" Jamie half way smirked. "What makes you such an expert?"

"I found my girl," he shrugged. "And I'm never lettin' her go. Now it's time for you to find yours."

"What makes you think I'm not looking? Not back in the game?"

"When was the last time you had a date?" Danny asked. The silence told him the answer. "That's what I thought. You let that woman walk away without so much as asking her name, let alone her phone number."

"Maybe I didn't make a move because my big brother would've been looking over my shoulder."

"Uh huh. Keep tellin' yourself that's why you sat on your ass and didn't make a move." Danny stood up and walked back onto the court, leaving Jamie to sit and think

***What do you all think? I'm definitely leaning towards another undercover assignment for Jamie while he navigates the waters of romance...and what that undercover assignment might mean in terms of keeping loved ones safe... ***