One Reconciliation
Danny yawned and rubbed his eyes as he read through the emails of the victim in his latest case. He paused for a moment and looked over at Baez' desk, he noticed she was packing up to go home. He turned his attention back to the emails but was distracted moments later when he sensed a presence beside him. He looked up to find Baez standing beside his desk wearing her coat with her purse on her shoulder.
"Hey." She smiled.
"Hey." He replied lifting his arms above his head, taking the opportunity to stretch.
"Are you still going over to Jamie's tonight?" She asked perching on the corner of his desk.
"Yup, if I ever get out of here." He confirmed glancing at his watch.
"Good. So, I've been thinking." She began.
"Uh oh." He joked.
"After you apologise, you should invite Jamie and Eddie over for dinner." She suggested.
"Dinner?" He repeated unimpressed, thinking of how much work it would be.
"Yeah, you know, a couples thing." She explained. He just stared at her trying to work out how invested she was in the idea, she stared back and could see him trying to think up an excuse.
"Please Danny?" She pleaded.
"I'll make my tamales." She added as incentive.
"I'm in." He quickly agreed and she grinned standing up.
"I'll let you get back to it. See you later." She told him.
"Much later." He sighed looking at his watch again.
"It's okay, I'll throw something together for dinner for me and the boys. I'll put yours aside and you can reheat it when you get home." She smiled.
"Thanks." He smiled back giving her hand a gentle squeeze. He watched her walk away until she was was gone from view and was about to turn his attention back to the emails when he noticed his partner staring at him across their desks.
"What?" Danny asked gruffly.
"You guys are adorable." Ricky teased grinning.
"Shut up!"
Danny could hear his keys softly jangling in his pocked as he walked down the hall to Jamie's apartment. He reached the door and paused for a minute staring at the brass number as he readied himself for the conversation he was about to have. A another minute passed before he lifted his hand and rapped his knuckles against the door, seconds later he heard the sliding of a chain and the click of a lock. The door opened and Jamie stood in the doorway staring, surprised to see his brother on the other side.
"Hey." Danny spoke first.
"Hey." Jamie replied. Danny stood still, wondering if Jamie was going to let him in. Before he could ask Jamie stood to one side and nodded for him to enter. He walked in and heard Jamie close the door behind him as he made his way to the living room.
"She's not here." Jamie commented as he noticed Danny scanning the apartment.
"Force of habit." Danny explained and Jamie nodded.
"Eddie's visiting her mom. Do you want something to drink?" Jamie offered politely.
"No thanks." Danny declined and the two brothers each took a seat.
"I came to apologise." Danny told him, Jamie just stared waiting to hear more. Danny sighed and shifted uncomfortably as he thought of what to say.
"I shouldn't have blown up at you at dinner. It wasn't fair, you didn't write the rules." Danny spoke honestly and Jamie nodded appreciating it.
"I miss her." Danny reflected.
"Miss her?" Jamie asked confused.
"Maria. I miss her being my partner. I miss coming into work and seeing her across the desk from me. I miss the conversations we'd have in the car on the way to crime scenes. I miss playing good cop bad cop with her, well, actually more like bad cop worse cop. I miss all the little things I never appreciated when we were partners, everything I gave up when I decided to be with her. I miss it, all of it and seeing you getting to be with Eddie and not having to give up anything, I got jealous and I lost it. I'm sorry." Danny finished realising he'd been much more open and honest than he'd intended to be.
"It's okay, we're good. I get it." Jamie empathised and Danny relaxed a little.
"You'll pass on my apology to Eddie?" Danny asked knowing he'd probably upset her too.
"Yeah, of course." Jamie assured him. A silence fell and Jamie stared at Danny.
"You really love her don't you?" Jamie asked.
"Yeah, I really do." Danny confirmed unable to mask a smile.
"It's different with her..." He started.
"Different how?" Jamie probed, deciding to make the most of Danny's uncharacteristic openness.
"It's easier." He admitted guiltily.
"With her being a cop, she understands, the hours, the risk. Like with this..." He gestured to his left arm in its sling.
"She didn't freak out, she was glad I was okay not mad I could have died. She understands the obsession, she'll happily stay up with me and help me work through a case that isn't quite coming together. She gets it. She gets me." He elaborated.
"It's hard for people who aren't cops to understand that it's more than just a job, it's part of who you are." Jamie concurred.
"Especially if you're a Reagan." He added smiling.
"True." Danny chuckled.
"Oh, I almost forgot, Maria wants to have you and Eddie over for dinner." Danny remembered.
"Dinner?" Jamie asked slightly surprised by the offer.
"Yeah, a couples dinner. She's going to make her tamales, they're really good." Danny explained.
"Sounds great. I'll talk to Eddie and we'll get back to you on a date." Jamie accepted.
"Cool. Well, it's late, I should get going." Danny said as he stood. Jamie walked him to the door and opened it, Danny stepped out into the hall.
"Hey, thanks for coming and you know, saying what you said." Jamie told him as he leaned against the door.
"Sure." Danny replied casually, starting to feel uncomfortable with all this openness. He went to leave but hesitated and turned back to face Jamie whose eyes widened slightly.
"About the other thing I said." He started.
"What?" Jamie asked, not sure what Danny was talking about.
"That you only got together because you found a loophole." Danny elaborated and Jamie nodded that he was now following.
"I don't really think that, I know you didn't propose to Eddie just to get around a rule." He assured him.
"Uh, right, of course not." Jamie confirmed. Danny thought he heard something in Jamie's voice but decided not to press.
"Well, uh, see ya." Danny mumbled as he slipped his hands in his pockets.
"Night Danny." Jamie replied and watched him head of down the hall.
As soon as he heard the door close Danny pulled out his phone. He unlocked it, touched the phone app and selected her name. As he pressed the elevator call button he put the phone to his ear, it rang twice before she picked up.
"Hey." Baez' answered.
"Hey, I didn't wake you did I?" He immediately asked.
"Nope, I'm still watching TV." She replied.
"Good. I'm just leaving Jamie's now." He told her.
"Oh, okay."
"Can you do me a favour?" He asked as he watched the elevator doors open.
"Sure." She confirmed and he could hear her smiling.
"Wait up for me."