Danny glared at the young girl, as she sat in his car. He was still standing beside the car, and still being drenched with the water shooting up from the knocked over hydrant. He heard the sounds of sirens heading their way and groaned, he would never hear the end of this from his fellow detectives.
"Get out of the car!" Danny shouted to be heard over the sound of rushing water.
"Are you kidding? It's wet out there." Sam shouted back, rolling her window back up.
Blue blood
Two hours later, a very frustrated Danny stormed into the 54 precinct. He was met at his desk by his partner and by Sergeant Gromley.
"Five." The Sergeant said.
"Five what?" Danny wanted to know.
"Five Police sedans." The older man said. "You have been responsible for five destroyed cars since you received your detective shield."
"This wasn't my fault." Danny defended himself.
"How is Sam doing?" Jackie asked.
"That kid is as annoying as hell." Danny grumbled. "She's stubborn, pig headed, and….."
"She could be your twin." The Sergeant cut him off.
Danny glared at him for a moment, then sighed and said "She's in a conference room now."
"She being guarded?" Gromely asked.
"Yeah, two very armed officers."
"Wouldn't count on that." Jackie said, nodding her head towards two men walking their way. Both looked nervous.
"Greg, Hank." Danny said to them. "Why aren't you with Sam?"
"She….um….she's gone." Hank said.
"What!" Danny demanded.
"We opened the door to check on her." Hank replied. "She was gone, the crate to the vent was off the wall."
"She snuck out through the air ducts?" Jackie asked in disbelief.
"We sent Mac in to follow her." Greg said. "He's skinny enough to fit. He traced the duct to another one on the outside. She's gone."
"Just great." Danny huffed.
Blue blood
That evening, Danny and Linda were snuggled together on the sofa watching tv. The boys were upstairs.
"You're quiet tonight." Linda said. "Still thinking about Sam?"
"Yeah." Danny replied. "She's full of attitude, but I think she's just scared."
"She's been through a lot." Linda said. "But you are a good man, and so is Jamie. And both of you are looking for her. The two of you will convince her that not all Police are bad."
"You have a lot of faith in us." Danny said.
Before Linda could respond, they heard raised voices and a loud crash from upstairs. Then silence.
"Now what?" Danny moaned as he stood up and quickly headed for the stairs. Linda was right behind him.
They made it upstairs and saw Jack and Sean standing in the hallway, a broken lamp and an over turned table was in the floor between them.
"Are you two okay?" Danny asked.
"Yes Sir." Both boys answered, looking down at their feet.
"What happened?" Linda wanted to know.
Neither boy answered her.
Danny saw one of the boys' hand held games laying in the floor a few feet away.
"I'll tell you what happened." Danny said, "They were arguing over that game."
Both boys remained silent, but started shifting their weight nervously.
"Eyes up." Danny demanded in a stern voice. "Now."
Jack and Sean looked up and both gulped at the stern look they were receiving from both of their parents.
"Explain." Danny said.
"My battery was dead on my game." Sean said. "So I wanted to borrow Jack's."
"He came into my room and took it from my dresser." Jack accused.
"Is that true, Sean?" Linda asked her youngest son.
"Yes Ma'am." The seven-year-old said sadly. He knew he was in trouble. One of the major rules was that they were not allowed in each other's rooms without permission. Or to take someone else's things without permission.
"Then what happened?" Danny asked.
Jack's eyes immediately went back to his feet.
"Eye's up, Jack." Linda said.
Jack slowly looked back up and said "I saw Sean coming out of my room with my game and I grabbed the game back and pushed him. He bumped into the table."
"You pushed your brother?" Danny asked, his voice taking on a sharper tone.
"Yes Sir." The ten-year-old whispered.
"Both of you go to your rooms." Danny ordered. He noticed that neither boy was wearing shoes. He used his shoed foot to slide some of the broken glass around, then he gently picked up and Jack and carried him a couple feet before placing him back down. Then he did the same for Sean. "Go." He said.
Both boys quickly went into their rooms and closed the doors.
"I'll get the broom and dust pan." Linda said, as Danny picked the table up and replaced it against the wall.
When Linda returned, they cleaned up all of the broken glass.
"I really liked that lamp." Linda said, as she dumped the last of the lamp to the trashcan.
"I didn't." Danny replied.
"They both broke big rules this time." Linda said.
"Yeah, I know." Danny said sadly. He knew he had to punish his sons, but he wasn't looking forward to it.
"You okay, or do you want me to handle it?" Linda asked. Danny was the one who normally spanked the boys when they misbehaved with both parents present. But if Danny wasn't there, Linda didn't hesitate to spank them herself.
Danny smiled at his wife and leaned forward to kiss her forehead.
"I'm fine, honey." Danny said. "I know the last time I had to deal with a child abuse case, I was a little more lenient with the boys then normal."
"A little?" Linda asked. "Danny, you let Jack get away with calling another kid a jackass."
"I know." Danny sighed. "But I'm okay. I know that the boys know I would never cross the line and hurt them. And I know I would never cross that line."
"Okay." Linda said. They kissed, then Danny walked to Sean's door and knocked.
"Come in." A small voice said.
Danny opened the door and entered the room, shutting the door behind him.
Sean was sitting on his bed, already near tears. The young boy hated to be in trouble, and he knew he was in big trouble now.
Danny walked over and sat on the bed beside him.
"I'm sorry, Dad." Sean said.
"You know the rules, Sean." Danny said. His voice was even, but firm. "You know you are not allowed in your brother's room without his permission, and you also know you are not allowed to borrow his things without his permission."
"Yes Sir, I know."
"Then why did you do it?"
Sean started playing with the quilt on his bed and didn't answer.
"Sean, I asked a question."
The young boy looked up and said. "I broke his remote car last week, it was an accident. But I still broke it. I didn't think he would let me borrow it."
"So you just snuck into his room and took it?"
"Yes Sir."
"You and Jack will be doing extra chores around the house to pay for the lamp." Danny informed his youngest. "Understood?"
"Yes Sir."
"You've also earned yourself a spanking." He reached over and gently picked the young boy up and placed him on his feet in front of him.
"Why are you being spanked?" Danny asked. He always made sure his sons knew why they were being punished.
"Because I went into Jack's room and took his game." Sean said.
Danny nodded his approval, then he helped Sean over his lap. Danny wrapped an arm around Sean's waist and raised his hand up.
The first swat caused the young boy to jump, the next two brought whimpers from him. Danny continued to spank the jean clad bottom, giving him a total of a dozen swats.
When he was finished, Sean was crying softly. Danny picked his up and settled him in his lap, being careful of his stinging butt.
"It's okay, Bud." Danny soothed. "It's over, all's forgiven."
Danny held his son for a few minutes, long after the tears stopped. Sean always needed cuddling after being punished.
"I'm sorry, Dad." Sean said.
"It's okay, son." Danny soothed him. "You've been punished, you're forgiven."
After another few moments, Danny gently lifted his son and stood him on his fet again.
"I love you, Sean." Danny said.
"I love you too Dad."
Danny smiled at the boy and kissed his forehead.
"It's almost bedtime, get into your pj's."
"Yes Sir."
Danny stood up, ruffled his hair, then left the room. He walked to Jack's door and knocked.
"Come in." The ten-year-old's voice said.
Danny opened the door and saw his oldest son sitting on his bed. He walked over and sat beside him.
"You know you don't hit or shove your brother." Danny said.
"I know Dad, but I just got mad."
"I understand that, son. But you still don't hit your brother. You could have really hurt him. What if the lamp and table would have fallen on him?"
"I didn't think about it." Jack admitted.
"When I was twelve." Danny said, "Your Aunt Erin was ten. She was really annoying me, which was nothing new. We were standing at the top of the stairs, arguing. Then she said something that really made me mad, so I shoved her. She took a step back, and tripped on a toy that was in the floor.
I watched in horror as she fell backwards, towards the stairs. Now we were very lucky, Dad was coming up the stairs to find out what we were arguing about. He caught her just in time."
Jack stared in shock at his Dad. "Sean could have fallen down the stairs, we were real to them."
"That's why you never hit your brother. " Danny said. "I know younger siblings can get on your nerves, and I know Sean had no right to go into your room and take your game. But you had no right shoving him. Things could have turned out much worse."
"I'm really sorry Dad." Jack said, hanging his head. "I would never hurt Sean on purpose."
"I know, Son." Danny said, as he placed a finger under the boy's chin and gently raise his head up. "I know, that no matter how mad you get at your brother, you would never hurt him on purpose. But I also know that accidents happen. That is why we have a no hitting rule. Understand?"
"Yes Sir."
"You and your brother are going to be doing some extra chores around the house to pay for the lamp."
"Yes Sir."
"And you've earned yourself a spanking."
"Yes Sir." Jack said, standing up and standing in front of his Dad. Jack pulled off his glasses and laid them on the night stand.
"Why are you being spanked, Jack?" Danny asked him.
"For shoving Sean." The boy replied.
Danny nodded, then helped his oldest son across his lap.
Danny put a little more force behind his swats, since Jack was older then Sean. The young boy took the first six swats silently, but started whimpering after the seventh. After the twelfth, Jack was crying softly.
Danny stopped the spanking, then helped Jack into a sitting position in his lap. He hugged the crying boy for a few moments, but as soon as the tears stopped Jack pulled free from the hug.
"It's over, Jack." Danny said, as the boy stood up. "Slate's clean."
Danny kissed the boy's forehead and said, "I love you, Jack."
"I love you too, Dad." The boy replied.
Danny stood up and ruffled the boy's hair. "Get into your pj's, it's almost bed time."
"Yes Sir."
Danny walked back downstairs and saw Linda sitting on the sofa, he sank down beside her.
Linda laid her head on his chest and restarted the movie, when Danny's phone rang. Both groaned.
Danny looked at the number, but didn't recognize it.
"Detective Reagan." He said into the phone.
"It's Sam." The voice on the other end said.
"Sam, where are you?"
"Listen, man." Sam said. "I have some more information for you, can you meet me?"
"Yeah, of course." Danny replied. "Where are you?"
"Corner of Fifth and Grey in Stanton Island."
"I'm five minutes away, I'm on my way."
"Thanks." Then the line went dead.
"Sam wants to meet me." Danny said, standing up. "Said she had some information."
"Good luck." Linda smirked.
Danny glared at her, but the glare quickly melted. They kissed, then Danny left. He walked to his car and opened the door, sliding into the driver's seat. He inserted the key and started the car, then jumped as loud music started blaring from the radio. He quickly turned the radio off and looked around, he knew that he had not had the radio on the last time he drove it.
"Damnit!" Danny groaned, when he saw two skunks in the passenger seat. The music must have startled them, because they both had their backs turned away from Danny and their tails in the air. Before Danny had time to react, an extremely foul smelling odor filled the car. Danny quickly opened the door and jumped out, slamming the door closed behind him.
He stood, bent over and gasping for air. That's when he saw a piece of paper taped to the back of his car. He grabbed the paper and grew furious when he read it out loud. "Just a little present, Sam."
TBC
