So yeah another Blue Bloods fic-I have come to the conclusion that I will never escape this fandom-it keeps dragging me back in.
This was written after 5x12 because I really had Daddy Jamie feels and TJ was honestly adorable.
So yeah, sappy fluff ahead.
Disclaimer-nothing is mine (wouldn't it be great if they made this cannon though?)
Also I know nothing about the adoption process so if this is inaccurate I apologise
Please read and review
Every Puppy in the Pound.
AU-5X12-Jamie does a lot more than help out TJ. He ends up adopting him, his thought process, the first night and what his family and Eddie think about the whole arrangement.
T.J doesn't seem to mind hanging around the group home reading to the little kids but there's something in the way his mouth twists upwards when Jamie comes in that day that tugs on his heartstrings. "I wish I could get someone like you as a foster parents" the kid confesses in his usually blunt way when Jamie hands him another slice of pizza. "Don't suppose I could live with you?" he later asks in front of Danny and Eddie no less and it's the laugh they both give that makes him pause. Like Jamie couldn't look after a child if his life depended on it despite the fact that both Danny and Erin have dropped their kids on him at the drop of a hat sometimes driving up to Harvard to drop them on him if they couldn't do anything.
He spends a whole night, while Danny is chasing TJ's Aunt staring at the wall before digging up his laptop at 3. AM. He's got a steady job, there a bond their between the two of them clearly and TJ has proved clearly that he can look after himself. He has the room and while Jamie loves his job something inside him since Vinny has been yearning to feel more human.
This is probably the closest he's ever gonna get.
He mentions nothing to Danny as they arrest Chrissie. He says nothing over Sunday dinner as the plan forms and turns over in his mind. He says nothing as he watches TJ play with the younger kids but after Danny leaves he mentions to Eddie just wants a word with the social worker and she leaves him alone.
"I wanna adopt him…foster him whatever" he tells her straight of the bat. She blinks but doesn't laugh him out the office. "You sure?" she asks raising an eyebrow "TJ won't be easy" he nods because the only other time Jamie has ever felt this sure he had ditched Harvard for the uniform he is wearing now. He knows he has debts, knows he has expenses but this just feels…right.
"Ok" she says finally reaching for the papers. "I'll speak to my superior, you're in a steady job with a steady pay and TJ has proved he doesn't need twenty four hour watching. Your family connections might help as well." She sees Jamie's face and smiles "You might wanna tell them now, I can tell TJ this afternoon and if you want you can pick him up tonight and see how it goes…but word gets around-the Commissioner's son thinking of adopting? I imagine someone will let at least Garrett Moore know by tomorrow night"
Oh Good. That's all he needs.
He gets of tour his hands shaking, his spare room is bare as it is but it's got a bed and a chest of draws and TJ seems fine with it. Hell the kid even hugs him when he arrives and that pulls at something in Jamie that makes his spine grow a little because he likes this…this feeling of someone needing something from him…he will be damned if his family keep him from this.
"You sure you don't mind taking me in?" TJ asks only his hands betraying his nervousness and Jamie manages a small smile as he pours the kid some milk because that is what his Mom use to do whenever one of the four of them were ever upset.
"Not if you don't mind staying with me" he says carefully and TJ smiles suddenly one of the rare smiles that Jamie knows he only gives someone he trusts. "No I don't mind" he says shyly something like a blush appearing on his cheeks. "You know there has to be some rules…" Jamie says carefully and TJ nods.
"How about your in bed by ten, you go to school and I have dinner with my family on Sunday's but if you promise not to run away you don't have to go to Church, I need you to trust me, I need to trust you so no more running off…if you have a problem come to me"
When he finishes TJ is blinking rather quickly before nodding once. "Ok" he croaks out before taking another long gulp of milk. "Can we have pizza again Jamie?" he asks finally breaking the ice and Jamie nods "Course we can bud…and if you want we can look about decorating your room"
TJ's smile is worth everything.
And then it all goes to shit. Because he forgets that Erin has friends everywhere.
She corners him outside the precinct leaning against his car. TJ has his assessment today-he has tell the social worker the truth about what living with Jamie is like and Jamie is a little more than nervous and not in the mood to be lectured by his big sister.
"So I got a call from a friend of mine from an old case who now works in CPP." She says without smiling. "Apparently you're looking to adopt your little charity case"
"His name is TJ Erin" he says flatly "And yes I am, he's already living with me"
Erin splutters looking stunned "And do you really think that, that's wise, not to mention he used to be part of a case that you worked, and anyway Jamie you can barely look after yourself never mind a teenage with clear emotional issues"
He gritted his teeth "Once a long time ago we thought the same about you" he paused as her face fell. "I'm doing this regardless of whether or not you like it" he said carefully "So go ring Dad, go ring Danny plan some family meeting or whatever but I am doing this regardless of your opinion"
He had money on who she would ring and it proved right, if it was Danny he reckoned he would know by now. His older brother would have rang and shouted down the phone that he was an idiot or that this was why he shouldn't have become a cop-he couldn't keep his emotions in check.
He shouldn't have let TJ affect him so much but there was something about the kid that made him want to protect.
It's his father.
He makes an appearance at ten that night. TJ's fallen asleep with a shy smile in the spare room, his meeting with the Social Worker has gone well and therefore he can stay indefinitely until the adoption or whatever is cleared. Jamie is still confused on the details.
When he opens the door after cleaning away the curry he bought he comes face to face with his father. He's wearing his Commissioner's face. Oh good. It's going to be one of those talks.
Jamie loathes these talks.
But still he opens the door. "I suppose that you spoke to Erin" he says once the door is shut, "I'd ask you to keep your voice down, TJ's just gotten to sleep and he's not been sleeping well"
His Dad waits until Jamie has sat down with a beer in his hand before he starts which he supposes is nice.
"Your sister rang me to inform me you've decided to adopt that kid you were helping out"
Jamie nods
"Yeah I have, well fostering him right now I have to ask him if he wants to be adopted but that's my endgame"
His Dad pauses "And do you think that you're ready for this? I mean…this isn't gonna be like a newborn, this is a teenager-a teenager I might add with quite a few issues"
Jamie nods again "I prepared for that, we have ground rules established and he trusts me and I trust him"
His Dad nods to himself "You know when this gets out…and it will get out if IA want to investigate…"
"You won't stop it" Jamie finishes for him "I know, this isn't the first time I've done the dance with IA. I know how you work when either me or Danny are under scrutiny"
His Dad to his credit doesn't flinch, so Jamie presses ahead.
"I am doing this, regardless of whether or not you want me to, despite what I am sure will be many criticisms" he rolled his eyes again, honestly he was sick of his family treating him like he was a little kid he was more than capable of looking after himself.
"Ok" his Dad said carefully. "You know you can't save every puppy you find in the pound"
Jamie nodded feeling rather tired. He had had this discussion with Eddie but why the hell couldn't he try?
"What kind of Cop am I if I don't try?" he shrugged refusing to let his father have the last word. "I like this kid, I trust this kid…I…I wish that I could explain this but I can't. All I know is that I want this kid in my life…I wanna be his Dad…if he'll let me"
His Dad swallowed once considering this carefully before nodding. "Bring him over for Sunday dinner then" he said carefully "I can have a word with your siblings and tell them to behave.
The response that Jamie honestly didn't expect makes him breath out a long sigh of relief. He manages a nod with his throat to tight to speak. His father pauses. "I do understand you know" he says finally "I'm not sure I would have gone to the extremes you're going and I still don't think that you understand what the hell you're doing but…I love you and I support you"
He swallowed heavily nodding as his Dad finally stood up. "Thanks" he said carefully. His Dad nodded again as if unsure of what was happening or what the right thing was to say.
He had just shut the door when he realised that TJ had been watching from the shadows. "You ok bud?" he asked letting his hand rest on the strands off black hair. TJ pauses looking skinner in the moonlight, his cheekbones and dark eyes prominent.
"Did you mean what you said to your Dad?" he says his voice small and it hits Jamie like a punch to the solar plexus how very small and young TJ actually is. "Do you really want to be my Dad?"
Jamie has to swallow the bile rising in his throat because while admitting it to his father is one thing there is always the slight possibility that TJ might not want that.
"If that's what you want" he says once he's regained his voice.
And then TJ smiles "I want that" he says awkwardly and Jamie's heart does something that might have him worried if he wasn't sure what it was.
"Ok, we can talk more in the morning. Go back to bed buddy" he said and finally before deciding to throw caution to the wind he pulls TJ into a hug pressing a kiss against the mop of dark hair. It's a few seconds later before TJ melts into the embrace and Jamie realises how touch-starved the poor kid really is.
The next day TJ's up, in the shower and dressed before Jamie has even managed to open one eye. He's in the nicest pair of clothes he owns being a freshly washed pair of jeans and a white form fitting T-Shirt with a decent pair of converse.
"Do you think that your family will like me?" he asks as he sits in the car outside the house (they have skipped Church) and Jamie smiles brushing a hand down the corner of TJ's face "Course they will bud, why wouldn't they?"
And if TJ stays close to his side like a little shadow then Jamie doesn't mention it. It takes no more than seven seconds for the family to recognise him in the doorway. Seven seconds is all it takes, and judging by the looks on his family's faces they not only all know about his decision but they all have different views on it.
Nikki and Jack take TJ into their little group brilliantly. Nikki is talkative telling stories that make the ghost of a smile appear on his face and Jack and Sean seem to like him which is better than Jamie thought. TJ in turn tells them stories about the people he met while on the streets and by the time dinner's ready he has the three of them hanging of his every word.
Both his Grandfather and Linda critically tell Jamie that TJ is underfed. His Grandfather makes him sit next to him pushing Jamie back a chair while he plies TJ with food and critically watches him eat. Jamie is already anticipating the food parcels that his Grandfather and sister in law will be sending over at the earliest possible moment. His Dad asks TJ questions about school which he answers and his Dad seems pleased with the idea that TJ wants his life to carry on as normal as possible-Jamie begins to believe that his Dad is rather impressed that TJ has survived as long as he can on the streets.
Danny doesn't say anything but he's the only person Jamie hasn't heard from since the news that he was adopting TJ got out. Finally his big brother catches his eye and nods once as if to give his approval. Danny won't give more than that Jamie knows but it's better than nothing. Whatever his brother wants to say he will say it on the phone when TJ cannot hear it. Erin is even colder than usual. She doesn't ask questions just stabs at her pork like the pig has personally offended her. The look on her face makes it clear that she disapproves completely of his idea to become a parent to a troubled teenager and TJ curls a little in himself whenever her eyes seem to catch him. Jamie slides an arm around the chair once they hit desert and TJ visibly relaxes at the contact.
Jamie's also pretty sure that even Danny melts a little bit at that.
TJ's quiet all the way home before muttering "I don't think your sister liked me very much"
Jamie makes a mental note to rip Erin a new one when he next speaks to her.
"She doesn't know you yet" he says soothingly brushing his hand through TJ's hair and again the boy relaxes at the contact. "Once she does she'll be fine don't worry" it relaxes TJ just for a few seconds and he smiles again that small smile that makes Jamie feel like he's accomplished something in his life.
TJ's social worker rings him the next day to remind him their still on track with the adoption. Danny stops by with what looks like six different dinners from Linda. "You know what you're setting yourself up for?" he asks carefully and Jamie nods more than aware that TJ is in the next room.
"Good" Danny says flatly "Your gonna be a parent Jay-take it from someone who is one, whatever happens, no matter what you feel, that kid in there he has to come first regardless"
Jamie nods playing with one of the dishes "I know Dan" Danny stares at him for a long time before exhaling "No you don't" he says finally eyeing him up and down "But you will"
Eddie tells him she thinks he's an idiot. She smiles when she says it and that night she turns up with a box of donuts and a bottle of scotch to tell him that she really thinks what he's doing is sweet.
They share the donuts and the scotch and TJ smiles knowingly at him the next day despite Jamie's slight hangover.
Nearly nine months later TJ's adoption is approved. TJ looks close to collapsing with relief when it finally comes through and Jamie realises that despite everything the kid still didn't believe that everything would work out in his favour.
They hug outside the Court Room (or rather TJ hugs him) and then he says the words that nearly knock Jamie over.
"Thanks Dad"
It's just a simple three letter word but Jamie had no idea of the power that it held. It knocks him speechless.
"Your welcome son" and TJ's smile says it all.
Whatever happens now, whatever the world throws at them Jamie knows their gonna be ok.
Because as sappy as it sounds. They have each other.
Feedback is adored...