-1Three Tears

Daniel Messer had only ever cried three times in his life, since he could remember that is.

The first was when he lost his first baseball game. At 9 years old, he had found his love for the game and worked really hard with his brother Louie and Dad to train for the big game. He was the youngest person on the team, other than the substitutes that is. His best friend Donald Flack was a sub and at 7 was full of energy and laughs. They had spent all their time during recess and after school just playing Baseball, their other friends thought they were crazy and were getting bored with the game. But Flack and Danny kept playing.

Then one hot Summer day in August, the heat baring down on them, Danny's team: The Bronx Beaters were up against the 11 year-old Westchester Winders. Danny had stood up against them and beat ball after ball into the outfields, he had played his heart out during that game. But they still hadn't made up the numbers and sadly lost.

Most of the players were off to celebrate with their families, Danny walked back with his parents, brother and Flack who was staying for the night. Flack was walking with Louie and Danny's dad, telling them stories and making them laugh as usual. Danny's mother was one of the sweetest women you could ever meet, sadly neither of her sons were really like her, until now. Danny's father had been involved in many gangs and was considered by Danny's friends as a gangster, even by Flack whose own father was a cop and Jack Messer believed in boys being tough. But as Danny and his mother lagged behind, she noticed a few stray tears on his face. Listening carefully, she hard a sniffle.

Stopping her son, she bent down to his eye-level and looked right at him.

"Danny, you played a great game. You really did, even though I don't know much about Baseball, I know you put your heart and soul into that game. So it doesn't matter that you lost. It just matters how hard you worked. You don't always have to win, you just have to play your best. If you think that you're not playing your best, then stop. Think and try again." She gave him a quick hug, but not too motherly as to embarrass him in front of his best friend. But she noticed that the other three didn't even know they had stopped.

Rushing quickly, by the time the pair had reached the others, Danny's tears were gone.

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At 17, Danny had been invited by his brother Louie to hang out with the Tanglewood Boys gang. Danny didn't want to join the gang. Not really. He knew it terrified his mother that one son was in it, and she didn't want another. But Danny hadn't spent anytime with Louie recently, since joining the gang Louie had drifted away from him. Using tough love, Danny didn't like it. He wanted his real brother back, the one who wasn't ashamed to say they loved each other.

That night, Louie had got angry when Danny embarrassed him in front of his friends. All Danny had done was stop them from beating a boy up or so he thought. But Louie had gone berserk and told Danny to get lost. Only years later did Danny find out the truth, Louie had made him get lost to protect him, so Danny wouldn't get into trouble.

But all Danny could think of when he was tearing out of the stadium was how much he hated his brother. He drove without thinking and ended up at Flack's house. He smiled as he realised where he was, at his best friend's house. Flack and Danny had remained best friends since Flack was 6 and Danny was 8, a boy had been beating up Danny and Flack punched the other boy. As a way of saying thanks Danny denied that Flack hit the other boy to the teachers.

Danny jumped out the car, tears threatening to spill as he run up to the porch and pounded on the door. Despite having it bad with his brother, he had to smile when he saw the black curls and cheeky grin at the window belonging to Flack's little sister, Rose. She was only 4 years old but had her big brother wrapped around her little finger, and this was one of those occasions when Flack's parents were out to dinner or something and Flack had offered to look after his little sister.

Danny envied that about Rose, he knew Flack loved her and he showed it. He didn't care if he looked stupid or crazy in front of other people, when he had to cheer up his little sister. Danny just wanted a big brother like Flack, but he knew even if that wasn't possible, Flack was definitely the best friend he could ever have.

"Hey Danny." Flack said as he opened the door. He gathered Rose up in his arms and gave her a quick hug, she smiled at him and held her arms out for Danny.

"Danny, Danny, Danny. My Danny Boy." Rose sang.

"Hey little Rosie-Posie." Danny joked as Flack passed her to him. Flack noticed Danny's face though and settled Rose in front of the TV soon enough. While Flack guided Danny into the Kitchen and got him a drink of water.

"What's up man?" Flack asked. He knew Danny was going out with the Tanglewood Boys tonight and had been totally against it.

"I went for about thirty seconds." Danny summed up. "But they beat this guy, this poor kid. I told them to stop and Louie just made me leave. He told me I was embarrassing him and pushed me away. So I just came here. Straight here, I didn't know what else to do."

Flack didn't know what to say, he knew Danny and Louie had problems so he didn't know what to do to help his friend. But he knew it was just important to be there for his friend. Kids thought it was stupid and gay for friends to hug, but Flack didn't care. He gathered Danny in his arms as the tears finally fell out.

"I just want my brother back. Why does he do this to me?" Danny asked through his sobs. "I just want Louise back."

Flack just let him get it all out, and listened carefully. He knew Danny didn't expect answers but a friend.

The boys were interrupted with a sound at the door. Rose was standing there, watching cautiously.

"Danny Boy, you OK?"

"Yeah, I'm just hurting a bit." he replied wiping his eyes and walking to her.

"You wanna hug, I'm more cuddly than Donnie." She said. Danny laughed and gave Rose a hug, holding her tight, wishing with all his heart it was Louie.

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At 32, Danny was in the CSI game, and working hard. But a cold case had dug up that fateful night, and now Danny was in trouble, on the brink of being arrested. But not as much trouble as his brother.

"We did everything we could forensically. But in the end it was Louie who saved you." Mac said gently. He could see how much pain the young man was in. Mac had never had children and Danny seemed to think of his boss as a surrogate father.

"How is Louie?" Mac asked, not really wanting to know the answer.

"They beat him pretty bad Mac. They beat him real bad." Danny said, finally letting the tears that had been held up all day, come pouring out. Mac did the only thing he could think of which was hold the man tight. Mac was an only child and truth be told, he didn't understand the relationships between siblings all that well.

Especially the ones of the Messer brothers.

When Danny had stopped crying, Mac gave him a bit of time to breath. "Your brothers a fighter like you Danny. He'll try his hardest."

"As long as you try your best." Danny said, echoing his mother from all those years ago. "Yeah."

"Danny, I know you need a friend right now. So why don't you see Flack, I'm here for you but Flack understands better."

"Yeah I was gonna swing by his place."

Mac gave Danny a lift to Flack's apartment and watched the man walk inside, making sure he wouldn't back out. Danny was taken aback when a 19 year old Rose Flack opened the door, once again giving Danny a hug.

"Hey Danny Boy." She greeted. "Donnie told me, I thought I should come over, we knew you'd come here."

"Thanks Rosie Posie."

"Rose get a drink for Danny." Flack ordered. She nodded and disappeared into the Kitchen.

"Come here mate." Flack said as 15 years later, Flack held his best friend in need, tight.