Author's Note: Hello everyone! I thought it would be nice to write a little story to celebrate the holiday season Blue Bloods style, still hoping at some point we get a Reagan family Christmas but oh well, for now we can write about it. I'm actually looking for someone to help me with an idea I'm developing, so if you're interested, PM me and I can give you a way to contact me. I hope you enjoy this story, here goes nothing!
Disclaimer: I do not own Blue Bloods or any of the characters
Daniel Reagan paced anxiously in front of the snow covered window. The only light was coming from the muted television against the wall, playing whatever random late night reruns were on at this time. Although at this point, it probably wasn't morning anymore.
Concerned, Danny sat on the arm of the couch. He looked at the tree in the opposite corner of the room. The presents from Santa for the kids were already underneath, the adults having taken care of that after putting the three little rascals to bed. But there was still a few presents missing from under the tall tree, and they were from the best gift giver around.
Danny heard footsteps coming down the stairs and turned to look who it was. Scared that it would be one of the kids sneaking downstairs to see what Santa brought them, he hurriedly moved to block the tree, but sighed in relief when he saw it was Joe.
"Couldn't sleep little brother?" Asked Danny as Joe made it to the first floor.
"Not really no, I see you couldn't either."
"Too busy thinking about the other little brother." Danny said, sighing once more.
"Have you heard anything since I went to bed?"
The older man shook his head. "No. Nothing. I'm starting to get a little worried. The last time he called all he said was that he couldn't drive. He was all the way in Hartford."
"Well let's hope that he had the sense to stop for the night and just find a hotel." Said Joe, plopping down onto the couch.
"Jamie's a smart kid, that's why we sent him to Harvard in the first place. He won't try to drive during a blizzard." Danny said, mostly trying to reassure himself.
"C'mon Dan, have you met our brother? He'll do anything to be home for Christmas, especially after he promised the kids he would make his famous homemade cinnamon rolls for their Christmas Day."
"I sure hope not. And I think it already is Christmas Day, little brother. Merry Christmas."
Joe checked his watch with the light from the TV. "You're right, Merry Christmas big brother."
Danny chuckled. "If mom was here, she'd drive to Connecticut herself and pick him up on the side of the road."
Joe nodded. "I wish she was here."
Both brothers sat in silence for a while. While it had been two years since she passed, the feeling of loss was still fresh in their minds.
xxBBxx
Jamie Reagan shivered helplessly in the driver's seat of his car, which had been tilted back all the way in an effort to get some rest. It wasn't working out too well. He had checked all of the hotels in the immediate area, and they were all completely booked.
He was so desperate to stay out of the cold, that he had offered to sleep on the couch in the hotel lobby, and that he would pay. And they promptly kicked him out on his ass. So much for the season of love and peace.
Checking his watch off of the streetlight, he saw that it was already Christmas Day. So much for those stupid cinnamon rolls he promised the kids. He really wished he had one of those right now, as his stomach had been rumbling for an hour now, but he hadn't brought any snacks with him. He had planned on just driving straight through. Damn it, why did he have to have a stupid exam the day before Christmas Eve?
Sighing, Jamie sat up, moving his car seat with him. He couldn't see through the windshield anymore and the wind was still blowing pretty hard. There was no way he was going to drive somewhere any time soon. But he did remember seeing a McDonald's about half a mile before he had stopped. Most were open 24 hours, right? Fueled by the desire for food and warmth, he got out of the car and began walking.
The deathly frigid air hit his body as soon as he got out of the car and the visibility was reduced to what was lit up by the small street light at the edge of the parking lot. Jamie sighed and just walked up the road, not even sure if he was in the middle of the road or not. Nobody was out driving anyways. Even if he was hit, he would be warm and have a bed to sleep in.
His phone had died a few hours ago, a little bit after he had called his family to check in. Maybe whoever the cashier at the McDonald's was would have a phone he could use. That is, if anybody was still awake. He doubted it, but it wouldn't hurt to cry. Pulling his coat tighter around his body, Jamie continued walking, willing to do anything at this point.
xxBBxx
"I doubt I'll be able to go back to sleep now Joe, do you want any hot chocolate or anything?" Danny asked, finally standing to break the silence.
"That would be nice. I do wish that he would call us." Joe sighed, moving to look out the same snowy window Danny had paced in front of earlier.
"Either his phone is dead or he's asleep. Apparently the storm was pretty rough up there, we only got a little of it. They said on 11 o'clock news the storm should have passed by later this morning, but if the power is out up there, he has no way to charge it if he made it to a hotel." Danny said as he walked into the kitchen.
"I suppose you're right. I just wish we knew something. I just hate to think of him being all alone on Christmas." Joe followed Danny to the kitchen and got out the marshmallows.
"Me too, but he'll find a way, knowing him. Why did he wait so long to come here anyway?"
"He was retaking a midterm exam that he was convinced he didn't do very well on the first time. The class it was for is apparently a small one and the professor figured that knowing Jamie he wasn't trying to cheat, so he let him retake it. He's the professor Jamie went to London with." (See my story Opportunity)
"Figures. The kid puts too much pressure on himself" Danny handed Joe his finished cup of hot chocolate.
"He's just a year and a half away from his law degree Danny, there's no way that he's taking any chances. He's worked too hard and come too far to mess up with one exam, but I agree he does. We can take him for a guy's night out sometime when he's here." Joe sipped his mug.
"If he gets here."
"Oh please, stop talking like he's got a life threatening disease. He'll be here, just late. He's got almost three full weeks until he has to go back."
Danny sighed "You're right. I just miss him."
"I can tell, but you better make it clear to him once he's here." Joe stressed the word 'him.'
"What do you mean?" Asked Danny.
"I mean you two have been at odds more often than not lately. You're tearing down his confidence and eventually he won't want you around anymore."
"I don't know what you're talking about, that kid knows how much I love him."
"Danny I don't think-" Joe was cut off by the sound of Danny's phone vibrating from the kitchen counter.
Danny sighed, praying he wasn't being called out on a case. "Reagan."
xxBBxx
Jamie couldn't recall ever being this cold before or having such little visibility. The only thing that even came close was the time he had gotten trapped in a snow pile. He had been shoveling off the driveway when Danny, who had been on the roof hanging Christmas lights moved the wrong way and a lot of snow slid off the roof, and onto his 15 year old body.
He had been trapped for nearly five minutes before Danny rescued him. Jamie didn't expect him to come at all.
Frowning, he pushed away the angry thoughts of his brother and focused on making it to the McDonald's. Finally he managed to see the light of the golden arches through the snow, and he thought he could sing. Jamie felt like crying, but instead he started running and collapsed in front of the door. Causing the man at the register to look up in shock.
Quickly, feeling embarrassed, Jamie stood up and pushed open the door. Immediately the warmth of the restaurant enveloped him and the smell of grease that would usually make him sick made his stomach rumble.
"Are you okay sir?" Asked the man behind the counter, likely in his thirties.
"Yes. I was driving home from school for Christmas, and the storm got so bad I had to pull over. I walked here from my car."
"Okay then, we'll sit down for a bit, what can I get you?"
"Uh, just some water and a cheeseburger. I have a few bucks somewhere. And do you have a phone I could borrow to call my family and let them know what is going on? Mine died." Jamie sat down at one of the tables and relaxed.
"Don't worry about the money. And yeah sure." The man pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and handed it to Jamie before going back to get what he had ordered. He was working register and the kitchen, as they really didn't expect anyone to be there at 1:30 in the morning.
Jamie took the phone and dialed Danny's number, as he didn't want to disrupt Joe's sleep.
"Reagan?" The gruff voice answered.
"Hey Danny."
xxBBxx
"Hey Danny." Said the voice on the other line.
"Kid! Where are you? Are you okay?" At the mention of Jamie's nickname, Joe perked up and began listening to the conversation.
"Yeah I'm okay. I'm still in Connecticut. Every hotel I went to was booked, so I'm camping out in a 24 hour McDonald's for now. My phone died so I'm borrowing the cashier's." Danny was relieved to both hear his baby brother's voice and to know that he was okay.
"A McDonald's? You won't get much sleep there. What are you going to do?"
"It's really the best I can do Danny. I'm going to try and rest the best I can until morning, the storm will have probably stopped by then. Then I suppose I'll wait until the roads are clear enough for me to drive. I've got plenty of gas. At the very latest I should be there by dinner."
"Alright kid. Thanks for calling. The kids will be disappointed they don't get your yummy cinnamon rolls."
"Tell them that they'll get them for New Year's. Tell everyone that I love them and I miss them and I will be there as soon as I can." Jamie said.
"Alright kid, I'll make sure everyone hears your message. We love you, don't forget that. Merry Christmas by the way."
"Merry Christmas Danny." The click on the other end of the phone signaled that Jamie had hung up the phone.
"Well?" Asked Joe eagerly.
"He's alright. Staying in a McDonald's until he's able to keep driving."
"At least he's got shelter from the cold."
"You're right. He said at the very latest he'd be here in time for dinner. Also, he says he loves you and misses you."
"Alright, I say now that we know he's okay it's a nice time to get some rest, what do you say big brother?"
"I say that sounds very nice little brother."
The two brothers smiled at each other and went upstairs to their respective beds to try and get some more sleep.
xxBBxx
Jamie was awoken at 6:30 by the nice cashier, who as no longer in his work uniform. He had fallen asleep pretty quickly after eating in a booth by the window. He sat up slowly.
"I'm off shift now, the new cashier is changing into his uniform. I woke you because people may start coming in, now that the storm has stopped. You should probably stay here for a few more hours until they clear the roads though so you can drive."
Jamie nodded "I'll stay for a bit, and thank you by the way for everything you've done. You were literally a saving grace earlier this morning. I don't have any way to thank you other than to say it."
"It's alright, I just hope you have a safe trip home. If you're ever in the area late again, stop by and have a bite to eat. Good travels to you my friend." The man said. "My name is Jacob Nichols."
"It was nice to meet you, Jacob." Jamie smiled and sat up. He looked out the window. The snow had definitely stopped falling, and all that the storm has left was the massive about of snow everywhere. He knew it would definitely take a while to clear the roads, since they weren't close to the major part of the city. He then had about two and a half more hours of driving to go once he finally got back on the road again. He sighed, this was going to be a long day. But he was determined to make it home for Christmas.
xxBBxx
The sun peeked out over the horizon of Bay Ridge by seven on Christmas morning. Danny was out like a light, having slept much better knowing that Jamie was okay. His wife was sleeping peacefully at his side. He was so comfortable, he could lay there forever. He didn't plan on getting up anytime soon, until…
"MOMMY! DADDY! SANTA CAME!" Came the harsh screech of four year old Sean who made his way into the room his parents were sleeping in, his brother and cousin not far behind. The two boys jumped on the bed, causing the couple to wake up immediately.
Danny frowned and opened his eyes. It was time for this already? The feeling of his two boys worming their way in between their parents reminded him of when Jamie was little and would wake up the whole house on Christmas morning. No, now was not the time for that. Jamie was fine and would be there as soon as possible. He pushed the thought aside and sat up, pulling his sons into a hug.
"Merry Christmas you two, let's go see what Santa brought!"
By the time the adults had made their way downstairs, Jack and Sean were eagerly staring at everything while Nicky was eyeing the small, phone shaped box with her name on it.
Pops was already in the kitchen making cups of coffee, when Sean asked the question Danny had been hoping they'd avoid.
"Where's Uncle Jamie? He promised he would make us cinnamon rolls." The little boy pouted.
"He's on his way Sean, I talked to him earlier this morning. He had to stop because a bad snowstorm hit and spend the night there. But he told me he'd be on his way as soon as the roads were clear enough to drive okay? And he promised that if he couldn't make the cinnamon rolls today, he'd do them on New Year's alright?" The rest of the family listened in on the explanation, as they wanted to know where he was as well.
"Oh. Okay." Sean said sadly. Danny knew he wanted to see his favorite uncle, the one who babysat all the time before he left.
"When did he call? And why did nobody tell me?" Asked Erin, who was clearly annoyed.
"About one this morning, Joe and I were down here having some hot chocolate. The poor kid spent the night in a McDonald's because all of the hotels were booked. He said he'd be here as soon as possible. I didn't exactly want to wake you." Danny said harshly.
"Keep it civil." Interjected Frank. "As long as he's safe it's fine. He'll get here when he gets here."
"But nobody should be alone on Christmas dad." Sighed Joe.
"I know son. But if he says he'll be here, then he will. I have faith in your brother."
xxBBxx
It was almost eleven by the time the roads were clear enough to drive. Jamie had spent his time helping out in the McDonald's, cleaning in order to get another meal before he left. There weren't very many customers who came in, making it easy for Jamie to just relax. By the time he had walked back to the car, it was a little after eleven, and he started driving in an effort to hurry home.
The trip was fairly easy, except for the exhaustion. Driving took a lot out of you, especially when past few days had been extremely busy and he had only gotten an unrestful four hours of sleep the previous night. There weren't very many cars on the road, so traffic was light. Jamie just wanted to get home and see his family and be able to rest for a while, he needed it. He thanked his teachers silently that he had no work to do over the break.
Once he finally made it back to New York, it was around 2:00. With city traffic, it would be almost an hour before he made it to Bay Ridge, but he didn't mind. He had missed the city, as the last time he had been here was for Thanksgiving, and he hadn't really had very much time to enjoy that, as he was only there for a day and a half. He supposed he could go to Boston when missing a big city, but it still wasn't the same. New York was home.
Turning down his father's road, a smile came to his face at the familiar, home feeling. Their neighbors from across the street were outside, kids playing in the snow. He pulled into the driveway and sighed in relief. Home sweet home.
xxBBxx
The smell of the ham when the women took it out of the oven was intoxicating. They were planning on eating at three and then going out to look at Christmas lights once it got dark. Danny's stomach rumbled, catching the attention of Joe.
"I hope he doesn't miss dinner." Joe said.
"There will be food left, he won't starve." Danny said.
"I know that, I mean I don't want him to miss dinner with us and eat all by himself in the kitchen once he gets here. He should be somewhere close by now, don't you think?"
Danny shrugged. "Probably." He glanced at the presents under the tree. The kids had refused to let anybody open any without their Uncle Jamie. Nobody missed opening presents, family tradition.
"Food's ready!" Called Erin from the kitchen. Both brothers looked at each other and sighed, heading off to the dining room.
Once everyone was seated and were about to say grace they heard the front door open and close. Everyone automatically looked in the direction the noise came from.
Footsteps.
A cold, exhausted looking Jamie appeared in the doorway. Sean immediately jumped up and ran to him "Uncle Jamie!
Jamie smiled at his family and hugged Sean tightly. "Hey everybody! I told you I'd be home for Christmas."
Danny and Joe stood up and each put an arm around their brother.
"We missed you kid." The eldest said, smiling.
xxBBxx
"Mm Uncle Jamie, these cinnamon rolls are delicious." Said Nicky, biting into what definitely was not her first one. The rest of the Reagans nodded and hummed in agreement as they watched the Rose Parade.
"I do my best." Jamie smiled, sitting on the couch in between his two brothers.
"These were definitely worth the wait Jamers." Joe grinned.
"Yeah, these were the only reason we even wanted you home." Danny teased.
The family laughed.
"Haha. Well at least these are better than McDonald's." Jamie said.
"Definitely. Now, let's talk about that. That stupid decision to walk outside in a blizzard!" Said Erin, clearly not wanting to let that go.
Jamie groaned. "Oh here we go."
FIN
Author's Note: And there we have it folks, I hope you all enjoyed this little story to celebrate the season. I wish you all very Happy Holidays, whatever it is you celebrate. Please review!I'm actually looking for someone to help me with an idea I'm developing, so if you're interested, PM me and I can give you a way to contact me. I probably won't be seeing you guys again until the New Year, so here we come 2017! And as always, until next time my lovelies.