Disclaimer: I wish I owned BlueBloods but I don't. I wrote this for fun so I thought I'd share after reading some of the great fics posted here. I'm not in law enforcement or in the medical field so I hope I didn't mess anything up too badly. Love the show. I like Jamie and Eddie's characters, love Frank and a good dose of brotherly angst with Danny. Not a big fan of Erin or Nicki so left them out for the most part.
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A smooth shaft of sunlight filtered through the corner of a bedroom window in the neatly appointed Lower East Side apartment, crawling slowly across the scattered blanket folds and heralding the arrival of an early summer morning. Almost on cue, the blinking alarm clock on the nearby nightstand broke the quiet stillness of the room with an ever-increasing volume of shrill tones designed to draw the occupant out of the depths of sleep. With a small groan and with his eyes remaining firmly closed against the intruding light, Jamie Reagan stretched his right arm towards the annoying sound and, with practiced aim, silenced the offending noise with a quick swipe of his hand across the sleep bar, granting a five minute stay of execution against the inevitable.
Far from feeling rested, Jamie paused briefly to reflect on the dull ache at the base of his skull before rolling onto his back and forcing his eyes open. It took a few moments before his muddled thoughts cleared and he remembered the cause behind his discomfort.
Danny.
To be fair it was the few tumblers of scotch he took solace in after he hung up abruptly on his aggravated older brother that had clung to his brain through the night and contributed to a restless sleep. Danny. Damn it. After five years on patrol with the NYPD he could still get under Jamie's skin and dash his confidence in an instant with just a few gruffly uttered words.
"So Kid, a little birdie told me you are planning on sitting for the Sergeant's exam next month. Seriously? You think you are ready for that?"
Jamie wasn't even sure why he had been surprised at his brother's reaction, then again maybe he hadn't been. "You know Danny it figures you have to call me just to tell me I'm not good enough for something. I should expect it, it's not like you'd ever support anything I choose to do." With that he had hung up the phone.
Jamie swore Danny must have had TARU wire his apartment with a direct line to his older brother a few months back when they fortified his home against the threat from a vengeful thug after Jamie intervened in the man's abusive relationship with an ex-girlfriend. Of course Danny had seen the danger well before his little brother in that situation which culminated in his partner's kidnapping, several destroyed police cruisers and second degree burns on Jamie's arm from a Molotov cocktail thrown through the driver's side window while he and Eddie were on patrol.
Eddie. Thank God Danny's intuition had been right that day and they had rescued her before, well before... Jamie groaned and drew his hand up to pinch the bridge of his nose. Hard. He couldn't bring himself to go there again. He hadn't even mentioned his intention to take the exam to his partner Eddie. The feelings of insecurity surfaced again, the ones he had tried to wash away with alcohol last night. Maybe Danny was right, he wasn't ready for that kind of responsibility if he couldn't even recognize when he or his partner were in danger. Then again, maybe he had been too preoccupied with his feelings for her to notice. It was becoming more obvious to him that a decision needed to be made. He had to define this relationship with Eddie before something happened they would both regret. That had been part of his impulsive reasoning to take the upcoming Sergeant's exam. Perhaps if he passed and was offered a promotion it would knock him out of his comfort zone and force him to make a move. As much as he loved riding with Eddie as his partner he was starting to be certain he needed more at this point.
A soft click and the shrill tones from the alarm clock permeated the space again. Time to face the music, literally. Jamie swung his legs over the side of the bed, wincing at the discomfort the quick movement caused his tired brain and turned off the alarm again, this time permanently. On tap for today, a day tour followed by an evening gathering at his father's house in Bay Ridge for Sean's birthday party. Great. No avoiding the inevitable fallout with his big brother then, a brief glance at his phone showing a number of messages received from a familiar number after he silenced it. Jamie smirked. Danny really hated being dismissed. He was a little surprised he had not received a personal visit from his irate sibling yet this morning, but then he remembered Sean's birthday wish was to go whale watching today on a tour boat out of Rockaway, Queens. Linda had booked a family package for everyone with the exception of Jamie, who was scheduled to work, and Frank, who did not think his security detail would appreciate an afternoon on the high seas. Jamie thanked his lucky stars that not only would he not be trapped on a boat miles off the coast for hours with Danny today, but his brother would have limited cell phone access and therefore little chance to harass him further. He wondered if that was part of the appeal for Sean in scheduling the offshore adventure, knowing that his dad was often called away on a case during family outings. Smart kid.
With that thought, Jamie made his way to the bathroom for a quick shower and shave before dressing and grabbing a bite of breakfast with some coffee on his way out of the door on his way to work.
