Based on the beginning of season 4, Episode 6 ‚Growing Boys'. Just a little (hopefully amusing) one-shot about Danny and Linda's not so private private evening.
Do the boys like duck?
I DO NOT OWN ANY BLUE BLOODS CHARACTERS OR STORYLINES!
„I love turkey!", Henry said through a full mouth.
„Yeah, we know, Gramps.", Erin laughed from the other side of the table, for he had said that at least four times during dinner. It was a quiet one this week, as they were all enjoying the delicious, traditional meal to celebrate their all favorite holiday.
„I love Thanksgiving!", Henry said, taking another bite of the unhealthy food he'd only been allowed to eat during this special occasion. The whole table snickered. It was indeed a beautiful thanksgiving, where everybody had made it on time and there were no major crises going on in their lives to raise a heated discussion, which was very unusual. Therefor, whats not to love about?
„I love Turkey", Henry repeated, before adding, „it is my favorite food."
„Yeah, right after every other meat you love.", Nicky laughed, to which her great-grandfather shot her a confused look.
„Like Pork-roast, Chicken, Beef,…" Jamie listed from the seat next to him.
„Don't forget Duck!", Frank mentioned causing his fathers eyes to shot open with excitement.
„We should do duck some time, it's been so long!", he shouted, like a little child one just told he could have a candy after dinner. Everybody had to smile at his excitement.
„Yeah, we should", Linda agreed, „I love duck." She said, giving her husband a knowing look which he returned.
„I don't!", came a silent voice from one end of the table. The room went quiet.
„Why not?", Danny asked his little brother who suddenly realized he'd been saying his thoughts out loud and cursed inwardly.
„Ehm..", he started. Great start, doesn't cause any suspicion!, he snapped at himself. „I don't know, I just… don't like it." He stated lamely. Of course that didn't satisfy the Reagan-clan and Jamie found himself in the hot seat digging up any kind of excuse. It was literally an interrogation for the taste of duck.
„Well…", he began, only to stop again, not knowing what to say. „Does a man really have to show cause for not liking a meal in this family?" He laughed nervously.
„Not if he's that obviously hiding something." Erin said without hesitation.
„Come on, kid, spit it out." Danny joined in. Those two really just get along when they have a common enemy. Jamie thought bitterly.
Then suddenly, he got a little back up. „I don't like duck either." Sean said, drawing the attention to himself and then added: „But I can't explain why."
„Yeah, me neither." His older brother Jack joined him.
For a moment Danny and Linda looked really confused, until Nicky asked what they both were thinking: „Did you two even ever eat duck? I mean I can't remember ever eating duck on sunday's and I'm older than you."
The boy's gave their cousin an angry look, but quickly descended their gazes back down to their plates.
„Yeah, and I can't remember ever making duck at home." Linda confirmed. Unfortunately, Sean protested without thinking: „Yes you did, only last week, when Jack and me were supposed to be at Mike's house."
„Supposed to be?" His father asked in a stern voice. Cursing himself, Sean ducked in his chair, hoping to escape all the expecting looks placed on him. Helplessly, he looked at his older brother.
„Yeah well, Mike had caught the flu and got sick, so his Mom send us home so we wouldn't get it, too." He explained, hoping they would leave it at that, but luck wasn't on his side.
„And you didn't come home?" Danny was getting angrier, wanting to know what his sons did a whole night alone god knows where.
„They spend the night at my place.", Jamie assured him. „It was closer to Mikes. Pass the Patatoes, please." He used his fathers familiar phrase for when he wanted to change the subject.
However, that didn't work.
„And so, you didn't think of driving them home, or at least calling for us to know where our children are?" Danny said, glaring at his brother in anger and disbelief. Jamie's not that irresponsible.
„Yes, we could have called Mike's mother to know everything is fine, and when she would have told us, she send them home, but they never arrived, how du you think we would have felt?" Linda accused him.
„Well," Frank started, looking at the couple, „They certainly wouldn't have been missing for long. But still." he turned to look at Jamie, leaving the sentence unspoken.
„So why didn't you?" Danny kept digging.
„We didn't want to interrupt you." Jack whispered, thinking nobody heard it.
„What?" Danny was getting angrier by the minute by all the short answers. He was never known as the patient one anyway.
„Yeah, we figured you two were probably looking forward to spending a night you know… just the two of you and we thought, why take that away?" Jamie tried to make it sound as normal and convincing as possible.
„That was so nice of you." Danny said with fake gratitude. „Still not buying it, kid."
Damn his detective skills, Jamie thought, trying to blame his brother other than his inability to lie.
„Well?", Danny stressed, when there was no answer from either of the three kids.
Jack, Sean and Jamie shot each other nervous glances, before Sean decided, it was best to tell the truth.
„He did drive us home at first, but…", he started, not sure, how to continue.
„But?", Linda was getting as impatient as her husband, which was unusual and therefor showed her boys, that they would probably face quite the lecture, when they were finished.
„You just seemed so… busy," Jack said carefully, „that we didn't want to interrupt and thought it was best to go stay with uncle Jamie for the night."
„Busy how?", Neither Linda nor Danny quite got what they were talking about. Not to mention the others around the table who shot each others confused looks, as to where this was going.
„ Well they kinda.. saw you quite…", Jamie was looking for the right word, „intimate…"
He couldn't even finish the sentence before several members of the family, including Linda and Danny started choking at something.
„I don't get it!", Nicki said point blank. „Me neither." Henry agreed, still confused.
Erin and Frank looked rather pleased, while Linda and Danny seemed as if they wished to disappear, both hiding their faces somehow with their hands. Jamie couldn't help but smirk at the fact,that now the detective was in the embarrassing situation.
Meanwhile, Sean thought he was doing any good by explaining further: „Well, Mum had prepared duck and there was loud music, like real boring girls-movie-music and Mum and Dad where in the kitchen, dancing…"
„Very closely", Jack added with slight disgust.
„And then they were kissing…" „Very long." „…and Dad…helped Mum to… take of her kitchen gown and then her…"
„I THINK THEY GET IT NOW!" Danny half shouted in embarrassment and anger. He couldn't believe his boy's had seen, what they just described. This was beyond awkward. The rest of the family just giggled.
„But we didn't see no more!", Jack assured his parents who he had noticed were quite uncomfortable right now.
„And Uncle Jamie assured us, that we would get over it, just like he did.", Sean added, again, thinking he was doing some good to the situation. But he didn't.
Jamie blushed even more and Danny and Linda looked almost terrified at him. The dinner table was silent again, now all eyes on Jamie.
„Uhm..", he started, „well…", nervous cough, „you guys remember, before Mum and Dad knew about Linda, and… you" he looked at Danny, „secretly invited her while babysitting me…" At that point both of them already blushed, and Danny could already feel his fathers questioning and accusing look on him from the other side of the table.
„And she brought over leftovers from dinner at her house, which had been duck." Jamie continued, „and you told me not to look through your keyhole…"
Erin couldn't hold back a laugh. „Lets just say you should never say that to a curious six year old!" Jamie concluded, himself not quite successfully hiding a smirk upon seeing Danny speechless.
Almost the whole table burst out laughing, with the exception of the couple in question. Even Jack and Sean seemed to enjoy the situation by now.
And so dinner continued with one very embarrassed couple staying quiet the rest of the evening, within an overly happy and joyful Reagan-family.
Needless to say, that duck wouldn't come up very soon on any of their evening menus.