The usual disclaimers: I do not own Blue Bloods, etc.
This story is purely the work of my overactive imagination.
"My name is Robert McCoy."
"These days most people call me Mr. McCoy, or Mr. District Attorney."
"My friends and family call me Bob."
"She calls me Bobby."
"In fact, she's the only one who uses that name, one I used to hate until I heard her say it."
"Most of the time when she calls me by that name, I find it alluring, enticing, even arousing."
"Today when she called me Bobby, I felt like I was 15 years old again and had disappointed my favorite teacher, you know, the hot one you've got a major crush on and are always trying to impress?"
"I would have thought that she of all people would understand the concept of loyalty to one's family, for the record is clear that first and foremost, her family looks out for and protects one another."
McCoy leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes, interlacing his fingers and resting his hands atop his head, as he reflected about his recent chewing out by his…
He laughed and said out loud: "My girlfriend?" "Friend with benefits?" "I don't even know how to classify our relationship."
"Bad idea to shit where you eat." He softly mused.
"I should have listened to her in the beginning. I had to make a choice. Her or this job, and quite honestly, at least with the job I know where I stand at any given moment. With her, I'm not sure if I'm someone she is interested in building something with, or a toy to bring out whenever she needs her oil changed."
McCoy looked at the clock.
3:30 p.m. on a Thursday afternoon.
He picked up his phone.
"Please tell Mr. Califano I'd like to see him." McCoy directed his secretary.
Albert Califano was the Chief Administrator of the New York County District Attorney's Office, and McCoy's number two.
A few minutes later, Albert Califano walked into McCoy's office.
"You asked to see me?" He inquired of his boss.
"Yes, I did." McCoy replied, passing a piece of paper across the table to his executive officer.
"Until further notice, she's to go to you with any requests or issues regarding administrative issues, or Felix pursuant to any case issues. As of this moment, I'm recusing myself from all involvement with her." He stated.
Califano looked down at the name, not overly surprised at who it was.
"I understand Bob. I'll tell her myself." He acknowledged.
"Thanks Al" McCoy replied in dismissal.
"One more thing Al, I'm going off the grid until Monday morning." McCoy announced.
"What about your protective detail?" Califano inquired.
"They don't need to know." McCoy responded, his look informing his deputy that he would brook no argument.
Once Califano had departed, McCoy called his secretary.
"Hold all my calls and cancel all my appointments through Monday morning." He ordered.
Then he disconnected, walked over to his coat rack and put on his suit coat and outer coat.
McCoy opened his office door and when he confirmed nobody noticed him standing there, he snuck out and exited the Offices of the District Attorney for New York County, ducking his protective detail.
He hopped into a cab and provided an address where he garaged his car. Fortunately, a suitcase with a couple of day's changes of clothes was in the trunk.
Robert McCoy needed to do some reflective thinking and some serious drinking, maybe not in that exact order, to decide just what he wanted out of life, and he couldn't do either within the confines of New York City. She was too close, and he knew that in time, she would begin reaching out to him.
On the way out of town, he made a telephone call to his father's first cousin with a shared last name, and who had at one time briefly held the same office, with the same temptations and the same responsibilities.
"Jack, it's Bob. I need someone to talk to. Can you come up to the family cabin this weekend?" He inquired.
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Meanwhile on the sixth floor of 60 Centre Street, the subject of McCoy's consternation and frustration toiled away with her own demons, and her disappointment that the man she cared about had so egregiously broken the ethical boundaries of his office.
She sincerely comprehended Bobby's loyalty to his surrogate father, but that did not excuse his circumventing the legal process in order to pay off on a personal marker, even if the Commissioner of Corrections hadn't called one in.
There were notifications to be made and reports to be filed regarding the outcome of her investigation, and whatever happened as a result thereof was beyond her control. She had her ethical obligations to honor as well.
Right now, she had a more personal issue to decide and whether recent events had permanently damaged not only her professional, but her personal relationship with her boss.
Erin Reagan sat back in her chair and huffed. "This is what I get for not listening to myself."
She thought back to the morning in her condominium, that McCoy surreptitiously announced that the Governor had contacted him to be the interim D.A., and how she had countered that she never had, nor ever would, sleep with her boss.
"Yet against my better judgment, I've done exactly that." She exasperatedly sighed.
She wished her brother Joe was still alive as he was the one person she could bare her soul to without fear of recrimination.
Danny would judge her, Jamie would be disappointed, and she already knew what her father would say, as he had already made clear to her that he didn't approve of her present relationship.
Erin was lost in such thoughts when her phone rang.
"Reagan" she answered.
"Erin, it's Al. Please come up to seven." He ordered, referencing the top floor of 1 Hogan Place, which comprised the District Attorney's office suite.
"On my way." She replied before disconnecting.
When she arrived, Erin was ushered into the office of the Chief Administrator.
"Have a seat Erin." He stated without any preambles.
"Is there a problem Al?" Erin inquired.
Califano hesitated a moment before answering.
"Whatever's between you and Bob outside of this building is your load to carry, but when it comes inside it becomes mine." He replied.
Erin immediately understood that Califano knew about her relationship with McCoy, but she elected to take the smart route and remain silent.
"Bob has recused himself from any further interaction with you relating to your employment and duties with this office." Califano informed Erin, who was somewhat surprised that Bobby had issued this edict without first discussing with, or advising her.
"If you have an administrative issue, I'm as high as you go. If you have a legal or trial related issue, the Executive ADA is your ceiling" he said, referencing the Office's Chief Trial Attorney. "From this moment on, you are no longer in the DA's chain of command." He firmly stated.
Erin began to reply when Califano looked up.
"Dismissed." He flatly announced.
Erin nodded and headed back to her office on the sixth floor of 60 Center Street.
She never liked Al Califano. He looked like a troll and spoke with a lisp. In fact, he was a dead ringer for the actor Wallace Shawn who played the role of Stuart on the Murphy Brown television series Erin used to watch back in the late 90's.
Once back behind her desk, she removed her cell phone and stared at it, debating whether or not to call McCoy.
She was both hurt and shocked that Bobby would treat her this way, especially as he, by way of his actions, was the offending party, and had used the power of his office to derail her case.
"Is this really the man I've been dating for the past three months and if so, how could I not have seen this side of him?" She inquired of herself.
Her clock read 3:50 p.m. She decided that she had ruffled enough feathers for one day, and would wait until after work before delving into her personal problems with Bobby.
At 4:55 p.m., a friendly face appeared in her doorway.
Erin looked up and gave half a smile. "Hi Alex." She said by way of greeting her investigator.
"Just checking in before I call it a day." He replied, noticing the sad look on the beautiful face.
McBride thought to himself that it was a shame that Erin was involved with the big boss, as he would have otherwise made a move himself, but office romances rarely worked out, and he had no intention of biting the hand which fed him. Also there was the entire Reagan family to consider, particularly Danny and Grandpa Henry.
"You okay, you look like your best friend just told you she didn't want to be friends anymore." He inquired.
Erin raised her eyebrows in acknowledgement as she nodded her head.
"You could say that." She replied, before informing Alex of what had transpired on the seventh floor.
Alex nodded in sympathy.
He thought about all the things he could say, but they would be self-serving and Erin didn't need to hear his opinions when she clearly was still figuring out what was going on.
"If you need someone to talk to, you know how to find me." He smiled before ducking out the door.
Erin watched him leave, and began to wonder had she not been in a relationship with Bobby, whether she would have formed more of an interest in Alex.
5:00 p.m. had arrived and while Erin rarely yelled Yubba Dubba Doo when the whistle blew, she decided this would be one night that she couldn't wait to get out of the office, so that she could speak with McCoy, and attempt to ascertain what, if any, relationship between them remained.
As soon as she got in her car, Erin pulled out her cell phone and pressed the speed dial number for McCoy.
The phone rang one time and went to voice mail.
"Bobby, it's me. Please call me when you get this message, no matter what time it is. We need to talk." She stated, before pressing the end button.
Erin put her phone down and sat for a few minutes, contemplating exactly what she wanted to say to McCoy when he called her back, or more importantly, she wondered if he would call at all.
Finally, she started the car and began the short drive home.
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At the same time, McCoy was northbound on Interstate 87 on his way to the Catskill Mountains when his phone rang. He looked down and noticed the name "ERIN" had come up. He pressed the end button and placed the phone back in the center cradle.
The last thing Robert McCoy was prepared for was to hear Erin dredge up the issues which had sent him on this trip.
His father's cousin would be meeting him at the cabin later that night. He'd work on sorting out his problems with a glass in hand.
"Just be sure you bring a case of scotch Bob." Jack informed his younger relation.
"Maybe some food too, eh Jack?" McCoy chuckled back.
"I wouldn't be opposed to that either." The elder McCoy acknowledged before hanging up.
Robert McCoy would spend the next two hours replaying his relationship with Erin in his head, and trying to determine whether or not he wanted it to continue, if he even had a say in the matter.