Cragens Daughter Ch 2

Melinda Warner was surprised when Don Cragen and another woman entered her inner sanctum unannounced. She worked around dead people all the time, but she could still see how angry and upset Don was. She smiled tentatively at them noticing the woman's careful walk and tender way of moving. 'Seriously ill' she decided at once.

"Dr. Warner, this is Sue Gentry. We need a paternity test done on the quick and quiet. She has evidence that you might be able to use. Is there any way you can do this for me? As a special favor?"

"I can try. Who are the participants?"

"Ms. Gentry, her daughter Joanne, a minor, and myself."

Melinda nodded once and turned to get the evidence kit she needed, using that as time to school her face into a professional mask. She had had odder requests, though this was quite a surprise. She was quick to rule the toothbrush would have the required DNA, then she took swabs from Sue Gentrys mouth and Dons. "I'll put a rush on it. I should have it back in 48 hours or sooner. I'll put it on the fastest track possible."

"I appreciate it, Doctor. You can call me at my office with the results before you send up the written report." Don said stiffly.

"I will let you both know." she said.

They left her office and she put the information in an envelope. "I need this sent out by courier now."

Don took Sue back to the precinct house and walked her to her car. "I know this is hard on you, Don. But it's no picnic for me either. And it's going to be hard on Joanne."

"Does she know about your illness?"

"She knows I've been sick. She doesn't know how bad it is. I wanted her to get to know you first before I tell her."

"So you haven't stopped keeping secrets yet? I thought you'd have learned your lesson."

"Don't start with me, Don. I can't change the past and I can't handle this pressure. I'm doing the best I can for myself and my daughter."

"And to hell with anyone else?"

"I can just put her in foster care if you would rather."

"You wouldn't get a chance. I'd take you to court to prevent it. Don't punish her for your mistake."

"I realize you're angry, but don't take it out on her either. I'm begging you, Don. Don't make this harder than it is."

"I'll let you know as soon as the results are in."

"I'll be expecting your call. In the trunk is a box for you. I brought you some things to look through." Sue popped the trunk of her car.

Don pulled out a box that was closed. "What is this?"

"Look it over when you have time. It'll make more sense of all of this. I have to go. I have a treatment." She got in her car and backed out of the parking space.

She didn't look at him as she drove away. He really couldn't blame her. He used the hood of a neaarby car as a table and opened the box. It was filled with pictures of Sue and a child, a baby all mixed together. Must be of Joanne. He reluctantly closed the box and went to store it in his own car. It would have to wait, he had a job to do.

All day he did his job absently. He alternated between smiling because he had a daughter and anger that he'd been denied knowledge of her existence until now. If she was indeed his daughter, but he believed Sue. She'd always been honest before, but this was a lot to dump on him after all this time. If his detectives noticed anything going on with him, they never said anything about it.

He caught himself staring at Elliott several times, wanting to talk to him for a minute, but not knowing what he wanted to say. He was a grown man, for Petes sake, he didn't think he needed parenting advice from Elliott. He beat a retreat to his office and sat down to go over some paperwork. Or at least that was his plan. The words just didn't make the kind of sense to him they usually did and he gave them up as a bad job, but he kept the book open just for appearance sake.

He didn't hear his name called. "Captain, a minute of your time?" Elliott called again a bit louder this time.

"Sure, come in." Don pulled himself out of his reverie. "What's going on?"

Elliott closed the door. "That was my question. Is there a problem I need to know about?"

"What makes you ask that?"

I was just wondering. You seem a bit…preoccupied today and I kept looking at me. Is there something I can help you with?"

Don considered for a minute and finally nodded. "This is personal, I'm not sure if I can share it with you or should, but…."

"You've helped me and my family so many times, I can't imagine it can be worse than what I've been in. If you don't feel comfortable telling me, just know I'm here if you do want to talk."

"Have a seat." Don paused for a minute organizing his thoughts. "You know I'm an alcoholic."

Elliott nodded. "You've never made a secret of it."

"Well, after Marge died, I did briefly go back to the bottle. I'm not going to make any excuses for it. I found myself at the home of a friend one night, she used to be a friend back in my drinking days and one thing led to another and we…well, I have a daughter. I just found out. She's twelve and her mother is dying of liver cancer. That was her that was in here this morning."

"In twelve years, she never told you about the girl?"

"She gave a bunch of excuses, but I'm not buying them."

"Are you sure she's yours?"

"I have a paternity test in the works. I'll know soon. I'm just not sure how to deal with a twelve year old girl. I don't know anything about them."

"There is nothing unusual about them. They're just normal kids. Sometimes they're grouchy, sometimes they're nice. About like captains, I'd say." Elliott grinned at him. "What does she say about all this? What is her name by the way?"

"Her mother calls her Joanne. Her whole name is Donna Joanne Gentry. She doesn't know about me and she doesn't know how sick her mother is, at least that's what Sue said. I kind of have my doubts. Twelve year olds are a lot more savvy than parents give them credit for."

"See you do know something about 12 year old girls." Elliott said with a grin. "I take it you haven't met her?"

"No. Sue left a box of pictures and things for me to look at, but not face to face. She wants to ease into it, but she's terminal so I'm not sure how much time we have to ease anywhere."

"Well, if you need anything or just want to talk you know where to find me."

"Thanks, I might take you up on it."

Elliott got up and moved out the door. Olivia gave him a questioning look but he didn't give anything away. The secret wasn't his to give. He went back to work and so did she. Fin and Munch came in for their evening shift with their usual flare for arguing. Don just ignored them. He made sure he was out of the office by 5:00 and went straight home.

Mrs. Costanza from downstairs had left his apartment spotless as usual and left him some leftovers for dinner. She seemed to want to adopt him, he didn't mind. It gave her peace of mind that he was in the building and he gave her a nice bit of extra income to keep the place neat for him. He followed her cooking instructions and sat down at the table to open the box while it heated.

The pictures weren't in any special order, most of them were unmarked except for dates from the camera. The girl in most of them was laughing and she seemed a happy child. He saw all of her birthday cakes, summers by the beach, some Christmas pictures where she was showing off her presents, school photos, but no men in any of them and only a couple where Sue wasn't the obvious photographer. He saw her go from blond haired baby to darker haired little girl, where she'd lost one of her front teeth then both of them, to longer hair where she was hanging upside down on the monkey bars.

Even though he'd just learned that she was his and had not even met her yet, his heart ached for the complete turn around her world was about to take. She was happy, why couldn't fate have let her grow all the way up happy before crashing her world down around her. He moved the pictures far enough around on the table to put his plate of food, but he kept looking at them while he ate.

He pictured how Marge would have loved this little girl who had the devil in her smile and was a bundle of energy. Just like they'd pictured their kids some day. He hoped Marge, wherever she was in heaven, would forgive him for having this little ray of sunshine in his life and not being able to share it with her.

He finished the box of pictures and went back to some of his favorites while he finished his dinner. He spread them out and eyed them one at a time with great interest. He saw where she'd grown considerably in the last few years. She wore a soccer outfit in some of the pictures and appeared to be athletic. She was going to be tall with long straight hair and blue eyes and that engaging grin.

His home phone rang and he reached over to pick it up. " Cragen." He said before he realized he'd answered it as though it were the office phone.

"You really do spend way too much time at the office." A female voice said into his ear.

"Hi, Sue. Listen, I'm sorry for the way I was earlier…."

"Don't worry about it, Don. I kind of hit you from out of the blue with it. Did you go through the box yet?"

"I just finished. You took a lot of pictures of her. I'm glad, but you aren't in many of them."

"No, I don't want her to remember me as the drunk I was through most of her childhood. I have a few here that she can have when I'm….after I'm…. later. They will show her that I really did love her and did the best I could for her. That's why I'm calling. The doctor said my disease is progressing faster than they had thought and they've shortened my expectancy. I'd like you to come over on Saturday to get to know her. If you have no plans, we could make a day of it and then tell her together who you are."

"I don't have any plans. Is it that bad?"

"Yes. So far I've managed to conceal this from her but I won't for much longer. I need you to be there for her."

"I'll be there. How about 9:30?"

"We're early risers. How about 8:00?"

"Alright. Eight it is. Can I bring you anything? Or get you anything?"

"No, bless your heart. Just you and some comfortable shoes. Hopefully not your black dress shoes."

"What's wrong with my dress shoes?"

"She's a buzz saw. You'll want to bring athletic shoes to go with her. Take my word for it."

"Alright. Thank you, Sue. For the pictures and….and everything."

"I'll see you Saturday morning, Don."

Don spent the next couple of days in a flurry of tense activity. The time seemed to speed by. He went to bed Friday night fighting the urge to drink just one drink to steady his nerves. He had his clothes all laid out for the morning and he laid down not expecting to sleep.

He was awake before his alarm on Saturday morning and decided to get a box of doughnuts to take with. He got a mixture and drove over to Sues house. An ambulance was just pulling away from the house with lights and sirens going.

A New York Department of Childrens services car was there along with several other cars. Don pulled up and got out. A uniformed officer came toward him. "I'm sorry, sir, no one is allowed….."

Don flashed his badge. "I'm a friend of the family." He said not altogether untruthfully. The uniformed officer nodded and moved on to the next group.

Don entered the house where a girl he recognized as Joanne sat belligerently on the couch while a woman tried to talk to her. "You don't have a choice. Your mother is on her way to the hospital and you can't stay here by yourself."

"I won't go." Joanne said stubbornly.

"Don't make me drag you out of here. You can't stay here alone."

"What is going on here?" Don demanded.

"Who are you and what business is it of yours?" the social worker demanded belligerently of him.

Don showed her his badge. "Don Cragen, Special Victims Unit and a friend of the family. Where is Sue?"

"She's on the way to the hospital. Since you're a friend of the family maybe you can persuade Joanne that she can't stay here by herself. She doesn't seem to be listening to me."

"Let me speak to her alone. You can wait outside."

The woman looked about to argue the point but nodded and left with the other uniformed man. Don looked at his daughter. She was looking at him funny. "I don't know you." She said suspiciously.

TBC