A/N: Between the 2 possible endings I wrote, I couldn't go with anything but this one. Hope you enjoyed the ride.

Chapter 7

Frank was packing up his briefcase, planning to make his escape from the office and looking forward to the weekend after another stressful week, not that he'd actually been able to relax at home lately. He looked up from his desk when a soft knock sounded at the door.

"Hey," Jamie said when he came through the doorway.

"Hey, Jamie," Frank greeted, surprised to see him in his office so late on a Friday afternoon. He was surprised to see him at all, considering the minimal contact they had the last few weeks.

"Detective Baker said you were alone." Jamie took a few hesitant steps into the office and stopped between the door and Frank's desk. "I was hoping to catch you so we could talk." He didn't want to delay what he had to say.

"Of course. You okay?" Frank moved forward, near the front of his desk.

Jamie bit the inside of his lip as he looked down at the folded sheet of paper that he held in his hands. He was overwhelmed by the results he'd received after tour and wasn't sure how to answer that question right now.

Frank frowned and put his hands into his pockets as he waited him out.

Jamie looked nervously across the room. "I decided to get a DNA test," he revealed.

Frank tried not to show any disappointment. "Okay," he said evenly.

"I mean, I already did it," Jamie clarified. His eyes shot back down to the folded paper for a moment when he saw the surprised look on Frank's face.

"You did?" Frank was stunned. How did he do that when he hadn't...

"Yeah, against Christopher Layne," Jamie added. He didn't miss the way Frank flinched and he looked away again. He felt nervous about what he was about to share because of how he had handled this whole mess to begin with.

But that was the only response from Frank as he prepared himself for whatever Jamie was about to tell him.

"I'm sorry," Jamie started, but paused when he felt tears prickle at the corners of his eyes.

Frank's stomach dropped and he fought to remain in control, expecting to receive the worst kind of news.

"About how I handled everything. I should have trusted you," Jamie continued, his voice fading at the end.

Frank frowned and his head tilted to the side as he struggled to understand what Jamie was telling him. "What are you saying?"

Jamie looked his father in the eyes. "There was no match with Layne," he shared.

Frank thought his legs might go out from under him and he leaned against the edge of his desk as he slowly blew out a breath. It was what he knew in his heart to be true, but was still overwhelming to hear.

Jamie had been relieved by the results, obviously, but things with his own father were left unsettled and he felt responsible for that. "I spent the last two weeks making myself crazy, letting all of these worst case scenarios play out in my head and blaming you when I shouldn't have. If I just would have listened," Jamie shrugged, "but I had to know, otherwise I would have always wondered."

Frank's heart clenched at the fact that Jamie felt any sort of responsibility for this whole mess and that he felt he needed to explain himself. "I understand, Son. I can't imagine that I would have done anything differently in your shoes."

"I'm sorry for taking this out on you, Dad. I know this wasn't easy for you either. And I can't imagine what it was like for you back then," Jamie said. He wouldn't love his mother any less knowing what she had done, but it still rocked him. It had always seemed to him, to everyone, that his parents had the perfect marriage.

Frank stood and took a few steps forward. "Jamie, you have nothing to apologize for," he assured his youngest. "I am still sorry you had to hear about your mom from a stranger. We didn't tell you kids about this because it was a situation we both worked through together and, in some ways, it made us stronger, as strange as that sounds. We both knew we were lucky in that regard because it could easily have turned out very differently."

Jamie nodded and blinked a few times to clear his vision. "You really never had any doubt?" he asked.

Frank pressed his lips together as he regarded his son. "Never," he assured him with a fond smile.

Jamie felt very lucky in that moment.

"You tell Layne?" Frank asked.

"Yeah. I called him on the way over here," Jamie advised.

Frank felt like he could breathe for the first time in what felt like a long time. "You up for a drink with your old man?" he asked.

Jamie smiled and nodded. "Yeah, I am."

Frank smiled in return. He took a few steps forward and did what he'd been wanting to do since that awful Sunday two weeks ago - he hugged his son. When Jamie's arms went around him and he felt his boy shudder in relief, Frank said, "Nothing would have changed, Son. Ever."

Jamie sighed, feeling the heavy weight that had hung around him for the past few weeks suddenly lift. "I love you, Dad."