Bolt from the Blue
By Shaz1
Disclaimer- none of the characters belong to me, they are sadly the property of CBS, I am just borrowing them for a little while again.
This follows on after episode Friendly Fire- so obvious spoilers for that! I decided to write that after watching the episode with my hubby and when I expressed that I wasn't happy with the ending he replied "it is a perfect ending for fanfiction" I felt obliged to write this! Anyway here goes!
Bolt from the Blue
"I'm fine Dad" Danny Reagan sighed as his father pulled up a stool beside his eldest son. It had been one hell of a week for the seasoned detective, and Frank was no fool- he knew when his son was struggling- for all he tried to hide it- it was written all over his face. Danny twisted the beer bottle in his hand, his full gaze locked on the decreasing beverage.
"Sure you are son" Frank replied as he nodded at the barman and ordered a scotch. He had never once doubted his son's actions over the shooting of his fellow officer, but he still felt uneasy over his actions in relation to it. In his head he knew that he had completely done the right thing- to have acted any other way he would have left the whole department, including his son, open for a volley of criticism and allegations, he had had to go by the book and beyond to prove what he knew to be true- that his son had done no wrong. He knew that Danny was taking it very badly that he had nearly cost a fellow officer his life, even though he had accepted that it hadn't been his fault. "How come you haven't headed straight home?" Frank asked the younger man softly as he sipped at his drink. Danny sighed again.
"I felt like a beer" he replied quietly, still not looking at his father. Frank nodded, before resting back in silence, waiting for his son to speak- he didn't have to wait long. "How did you know I was here?" Danny asked softly, his gaze drifting momentarily to his father.
"Linda called me- she was worried" Frank replied honestly. "I am too" he continued, looking at his son to gauge his reaction.
"No need" Danny muttered taking a slug of his beer.
"I meant what I said that anyone one of us would have done the same thing Danny" Frank stated, his concern growing when the detective didn't reply. "Is anything else going on Danny?" the commissioner asked the younger man.
"Like what?" Danny questioned with a sigh, his expression blank and his eyes averted.
"You seem tense lately son, is everything ok?" Frank pressed, taking the rare opportunity to get some information from his eldest son.
"Everything's fine" Danny replied with a long suffering sigh. "You're only saying this now Dad because of the 'anger' stuff they said in the press" Danny stated, a flash of anger in his voice and his eyes burning with rage. Frank looked at his son, a compassion in his eyes that Danny only saw when his father thought of what he had been through in Iraq. The police commissioner stayed silent as he absorbed his son's words, and allowed the younger man to realise his outburst. It took a matter of seconds before Danny's anger had cooled almost as quickly as it had come to the surface. He raised his hands and placed his head in them, massaging his aching forehead. He flinched as a hand clasped his shoulder and squeezed him softly.
"Talk to me Danny" Frank urged his eldest, his concern growing for his son's current mental state.
"Nothing to talk about Dad" the detective whispered finishing his beer and gesturing for another.
"What happened in Iraq that still makes you feel like this?" the commissioner whispered, wishing that after all these years Danny could find the strength to allow the walls he had erected to drop just enough to let his father in.
"It's nothing to do with Iraq" Danny replied angrily. The words a mere hiss, and his grip on the bottle tightening and he struggled to control his anger.
"Is everything ok between you and Linda?" Frank asked softly, knowing that he stood more chance of a lottery win than he did convincing his son to speak about whatever had occurred during his tours of Iraq.
"We argue, everyone argues" Danny replied quietly.
"Did you argue the day of the shooting?" Frank asked piecing things together.
"Things had been a bit tense" Danny replied reluctantly, in a rare display of open emotion. "She was angry that I hadn't mown the lawn the day before" Danny stated, realising how silly it sounded, "then she got mad that I left my dish on the side" he sighed tiredly. He felt completely spent, he loved his job- but he hated how it made his wife feel and the last week had made him question himself more than he had ever done before.
"Is there more to it than the grass and dirty dishes?" Frank asked quietly.
"I don't know Dad, if there is she isn't telling me" Danny replied, frustrated. "She has been really short with me, but I guess I might have snapped a bit at her too" he conceded.
"Your mother and I used to argue sometimes and it was always over silly things, didn't mean that we didn't love each other or that we didn't want to be together. Sometimes it is the little things that cause the build-up of bigger things to all spill over, and then something else happens that makes you realise how much you mean to each other and the silly things become unimportant again" Frank told his son. "Linda loves you Danny and I know that you love her. Maybe things were building up for Linda and then the shooting happened" he concluded.
"Thank god I didn't kill him" Danny whispered, relieved beyond belief that his shot had not been lethal.
"I'll drink to that" Frank agreed, lightly tapping his glass against his son's beer. "I wish you would talk to someone Danny" he told the younger man honestly. He didn't miss the wince that crossed his son's face at his words.
"I don't need to talk Dad, I'm fine" Danny replied.
"Danny it has been years since you finished your last tour and you have never been the same since. I know that war changes a man- but it is more than that with you son. I just wish I knew what you had been through so I could help you to move on" Frank commented, his mind had conjured up a million ideas of what could have happened to his son during his military service, and each thought was worse than the last and it broke his heart to even think that his son could of suffered any of those fates. When Danny had returned from Iraq he had been pale and drawn, he had lost a lot of weight and was as withdrawn as his father had ever known him, but yet refused to utter a word about what had happened to him. Frank knew in his heart of hearts that his son would never fully confide in him about his military service, but he also knew that whatever had happened had irreparably damaged his son and he cursed every god that he knew for that fact- he was just hoping that the recent shooting would not add to the scars that he already tried so adamantly to hide.
"Dad, I nearly killed a cop. I shot him. If he had died how would I have lived with that? It has nothing to do with Iraq Dad- it is all to do with a cop that I shot who nearly died leaving his wife, child and unborn baby" Danny stated his voice raising as his words streamed out- the tension of the week radiating from him. Frank hesitated- before gently squeezing his son's shoulder, hoping to ground the detective.
"You shot him because at the time you had no choice. He didn't die Danny he is doing ok and will be home and recovered in plenty of time for the birth of his child. He forgave you Danny- it's time to forgive yourself" he told his son, his voice steadier than he himself felt. Danny made no reply- however his shoulders slumped as all of the fight drained from his exhausted body. With one last squeeze of his hand Frank drained his scotch and left the bar- leaving his son to his own thoughts.
The End