Author's Note : I like Linda. It's refreshing to see a marriage last, especially when both people have demanding jobs and a family. I can't say that I always want to see them last, but that's just my selfish side speaking.

Disclaimer : "Blue Bloods" and its characters do not belong to me…which is probably a good thing, because if it did, there'd be a lot more romance.

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Danny was working nights…again. Voluntarily, too. Linda had stopped pointing this out to her husband. He hadn't declined a night shift in several months, coming home only to eat, sleep and play with his sons. But Linda didn't complain. What would be the point? Danny would agree with her but keep doing what he wanted to do.

She felt shut out. Family meals at the Reagan's hadn't stopped, but she was beginning to feel like she was there simply in the role as a placeholder for when Danny was unable to attend. Frank had tried to talk to her about it, but Linda believed that marital problems should stay in the marriage. As much as she loved Frank for his concern, it was not his problem or any of his business.

The look of pity coming from Erin and Jamie shamed her. Erin knew the emotional toll of marital problems but still, Linda found it difficult to meet their eyes. Her marriage was failing. She was a failure as a wife. And it was all she could do to simply attend the family meals for the sake of her children.

Lying in bed, Linda glanced at the time and knew that Danny would be home soon. He'd quietly crawl into bed for a few hours of sleep before rising to get dressed for his regular shift. Almost on time, she heard the front door open. The familiar sounds of her husband as he quietly made his way through the house reached her ears and she rolled over so that he wouldn't see that she was still awake.

He was shutting her out. She knew it. He knew it. The entire family knew it…even the kids, although they pretended everything was fine. There was a void between the two of them and Linda had no idea of how to fix it, or if it was even possible to repair such a rift.

The bed dipped as Danny slid under the covers, not even reaching out to touch his wife. Linda bit her lip hard, willing her sobs to remain unheard. A sigh, a groan and within minutes Danny Reagan was sound asleep, as if he had not a single care in the world.

An hour or two of restless sleep had Linda waking up to an empty bed. Already, Danny was up and she could hear him in the kitchen with their sons. Throwing on a robe, Linda made her way downstairs wondering if she should start to speak to a professional about her options.

She entered the kitchen to find Danny ruffling one son's hair as the boy toyed with his breakfast. His other hand was on his cellphone, pressed up against his ear.

"Yeah. This evening? Sounds good. I'll be there." His dark eyes spotted his wife standing in the entranceway to the kitchen. "I'm looking forward to it. Can't wait. Bye."

Sliding the phone into his pocket, Danny didn't break eye contact with Linda. "Morning. Didn't want to wake you. You seemed restless last night."

"Imagine that." Linda said sharply, moving over to pour herself a cup of coffee.

Danny sighed but didn't say anything. Linda was grateful there would be no conversation filled with cold words, especially in front of the boys. Her heart broke as she watched the two of them staring down sadly at their now-forgotten breakfasts.

"Parent-teacher meetings are tonight." She said softly.

"I can't make it." Danny said.

Linda's lips thinned as she straightened up.

"Can I see you in the living room? Now." Linda's voice was cold and brooked no opposition.

"I'm late for work." Danny protested.

"Then you're going to be later." She said, grabbing Danny's arm and pulling him out of the kitchen.

Once in the living room, Linda whirled on Danny, rage firing up her lightly coloured eyes. She knew the boys were still within ear-shot so she kept her anger-filled voice to a whisper.

"I don't care what you're doing, Danny Reagan. If you don't love me. Fine. Tell me. But when it comes to our boys, your sons, you *will* be there for them." Linda jabbed a finger into Danny's chest.

"I can't. Not tonight, Linda." Danny's voice was calm but resolute. "I have plans."

Linda's eyes narrowed. "She can wait."

"No, she can't." Danny argued.

Surprised rocked Linda. Danny was seeing another woman? It wasn't night shift, after all. Staggering back, Linda hit the side of a thickly upholstered chair and she slumped down onto the arm. Her husband had just admitted to another woman. Their marriage was over. Unwilling to shed tears at this point, Linda just stared at Danny who ran a hand through his hair.

"I gotta go." He muttered. Calling out a goodbye to his sons, Linda heard Danny shut the door behind him. Vaguely, she registered her two sons coming into the living room and curling up beside her. Silently, she sat on the arm of the chair being comforted by her boys. The tears still would not fall. Not in front of them.

Blindly following the routine of dropping the boys off at school and going about her daily business, Linda's mind raced at the idea of a life without Danny. Sure, they were no longer kids and the hormonal lust had since mellowed into something more comfortable and reassuring, but she accepted that. She enjoyed being his life partner, having that ability to know what he was thinking with one look and know how he was feeling with just one touch. Their relationship was based on friendship and love…wasn't that enough for him?

Apparently not.

Resisting the urge to call Erin for some recommendations on good divorce lawyers, Linda made it through the day on willpower alone. She smiled as her sons raced into the house demanding that supper be something they wanted. She watched as they did their homework while she made their family meal…family minus one.

She picked her way through supper, making sure the boys ate everything on their plates, while her own remained barely touched. Neither son pointed this out. Linda's heart wrenched knowing that the boys' probably felt their world was crumbling around them and they didn't know why or what they could do to stop it.

"I just want you both to know that I love you. Your dad loves you. And that none of this is your fault." She said before reaching for their plates. Two sets of eyes just stared back at her. "Come on…we don't want to be late for your teachers. I can't wait to hear how wonderful the two of you are."

Groans answered her and Linda smiled at typical childlike response.

Several hours later, Linda crawled into bed, satisfied with her children. They were good boys, smart and well-liked at school. Considering their daddy was a detective and their grandpa was the police commissioner might have had something to do with how the other kids treated them, but Linda knew her sons were polite and respectful to both their schoolmates and their teachers.

She blinked at the sound of the front door being unlocked. Danny was home early from his…well, it wasn't night-shift apparently. Rolling over so that her back was presented to him, Linda heard him enter their bedroom. The bed dipped and she frowned. There had been no undressing. That meant only one thing.

"Linda? I know you're awake. We need to talk." Danny's voice was tired and Linda's heart reached out to him before the cold reality of what this talk was going to be about hit her. She firmly shut her eyes, refusing to let the tears escape.

"Then talk." She said coldly.

"Can you look at me?"

Sighing, Linda rolled over and sat up in the bed. Danny's tie was loosened, his collar undone and his coat was still on. It looked like this was it. He wasn't here to stay. He would say what he needed to say and then be gone.

Linda stared at Danny, unspeaking. She just wanted him to say his words and be gone. She just wanted him to say he was wrong and to stay. She just wanted…

"Things have been rough between us lately." Danny looked away. Linda refused to argue that point. "You've been really good about it, taking care of the boys, keeping plates of food ready for me when I got home, letting me sleep."

"Oh, for God's sake, Danny, just say what you want to say." Linda spat out.

"I wanted to let you know how much you mean to me."

Linda watched as Danny reached into his coat's inner pocket and pulled out an envelope. She expected it to contain divorce papers and since she meant so much to him apparently, Linda thought that was his way of saying the terms were in her favour.

"Open it." Danny held the envelope out.

Controlling her hands from shaking, Linda slowly took the envelope from her husband (for now) and opened it. She pulled out a letter and unfolded it, watching two pieces of paper fall from within. Frowning, she glanced down at the papers and quickly read the letter.

It was handwritten…Danny's hand-writing.

My dearest Linda…

My family and our boys are my world, but you are the sun around which I travel. You keep me in check. You keep me filled with your warmth and love. You keep me...well…me.

I wanted you to know how much I love you but the words just never seemed to be enough. You need more than words from me.

The nights I have not been home must have been lonely and for that I do apologize. But if you have not yet given up on me, perhaps you will allow me to explain…

Love,

Danny

Confusion etched across Linda's face. She looked up at Danny and silently demanded an explanation.

"I was seeing a woman tonight." He said.

Grief stabbed Linda's heart.

"To finalize everything so that you and I can go to Italy."

"Italy." Linda echoed dumbly.

"Italy." Danny smiled weakly. "All these extra shifts, the overtime pay has been going towards those." He pointed at the pieces of paper in Linda's lap. She looked at them and realized they were plane tickets.

"I found a small cottage, just outside of the village where your family is from. I've rented it for a month…for us…you and me."

Linda blinked slowly, still uncertain what was going on.

"Linda?" Danny pleaded softly, reaching out for one of his wife's hands. "Talk to me."

"So, you don't want a divorce?" She asked, still confused as to what was going on.

"Divorce?" Danny's eyebrows shot up. "Have I been that bad?"

"You don't talk to me anymore. You don't make it to supper. Your family looks at me with pity."

"Only because they know you love me and that I wanted this to be a surprise for you!" Danny explained. "They thought I should tell you what I was doing, but I said no."

"You've been working all this extra time for me?" Linda asked, trying to wrap her brain around the news. Danny nodded.

"I wanted to give you something that would last a lifetime. A trip to Italy…to see where your family comes from. Just the two of us."

"What about the boys?" Linda asked.

"Dad said he'll take them and Grandpa will make sure they do their homework."

"That's why Frank wanted to talk to me." Linda said the realization out loud. She frowned at Danny. "Are you sure you don't want a divorce?"

Dark eyes looked lovingly at Linda.

"Come here." Danny whispered, pulling his wife into his arms. "I love you. I loved you when we were young and wild. I love you now that we're old and sedate."

"Old? Sedate?" Linda exclaimed, trying to wriggle out of her husband's arms. They held her secure and in his lap. "I thought you wanted a divorce, Danny Reagan! I thought you were having an affair!"

"Linda, babe, you're all the woman I want." Danny promised, nuzzling her hair with his nose. Her familiar scent reached him and gave him comfort. "I wanted to do this for you."

"I never asked for this. I just wanted you." Linda said softly. Tears, held back until now, finally began to fall. But these were not the unshed tears of pain, but rather those that fell in times of relief and joy.

"I know." Danny rocked the two of them back and forth. "But you do so much for me and our sons and my family. I wanted to give you something back. I love you, Linda. You. Only you."

Twisting in Danny's lap, Linda reached up and cupped her husband's face. She stared into his dark eyes, watching them silently plead for forgiveness, and her heart melted.

"You. Only you." She whispered back, pulling Danny into a kiss. The letter, the tickets were tossed to the floor as all was forgiven. A coat, a tie, a shirt and pants soon joined the letter and tickets.

In another room in the house, two sets of eyes popped open at noises they hadn't heard in some time.

"Night shift ended early tonight." One boy remarked softly.