A/N: Thanks to everyone who has posted a review. They mean a lot to me and keep me going. Thanks to my wonderful Beta DanniMitchell85 as always. I hope you enjoy the next chapter, more family tension...and Happy Blue Bloods Friday!

AOE01

Chapter 7

Thanksgiving morning, Jamie woke and stretched. For once, he didn't have to worry about work. He had worked the parade the last few years and he was glad to have the day free. Getting out of bed, he couldn't help the smile that appeared on his face as he recalled the previous evening. He'd gone out with Caitlin, nothing fancy, just dinner and a movie. They ended up at a little coffee place after the movie talking about the movie and arguing good naturedly about the finer points of it. He enjoyed himself, even if they disagreed on a few things; he loved every moment he spent with her. When it was getting late, he walked her home and couldn't believe how close they seemed to be getting in such a short time.

Stepping into the shower, Jamie didn't take long to get ready. He dressed comfortably but nice enough in case someone thought to take pictures. Nicky was getting interested in photography and he wondered if Erin had plans to get her a nice camera for Christmas.

Grabbing everything he would need, Jamie left his apartment early. It was his grandfather's favorite holiday and he remembered grimly the Thanksgiving a few years ago when they spent it at the hospital after Henry had a heart attack. Maybe he could get out of the family football game and play a game of chess with his grandfather. He knew he hadn't been spending much time with him and he missed the games as well as the time they spent together.

While he drove over to Brooklyn, he wondered what Caitlin was doing today. He knew she didn't have family here and most of the students were on break over the holidays. A part of him suspected she would spend a lot of time either playing or watching those videos. She told him she was close to finished as long as more submissions didn't come in before the early December deadline. Maybe he could sneak a call to her later today and let her know he was thinking about her.

Walking into the kitchen, he greeted Erin and his father. The aroma of roasted turkey was thick and he got his hand slapped as he tried to sneak a peek at the bird in the oven.

"Get out of there, Jamie Reagan!" his grandfather sternly ordered from across the room, pointing a wooden spoon at him like a weapon. "You should know better."

Jamie looked like a little boy caught in the cookie jar and Henry laughed at his youngest grandson. They never changed no matter how old they got.

"Come help with the salad." Henry ordered.

"Yes, sir." Jamie said amicably. He enjoyed making the salad while he talked with his grandfather. He regaled him with some stories from patrol and Henry laughed, adding stories from his own experiences. Henry was glad to see Jamie in a good mood and hoped it would last the rest of the day. Thanksgiving was a day to spend with family and he didn't want to see Jamie rush off like he did last Sunday.

Danny, Linda, and the boys arrived shortly after. Seeing Linda struggle with several foil covered dishes, Jamie offered to help her bring them in and placed them carefully on the counter. He left quickly after she gave him a quick hug and shooed him out of her way.

Grabbing a beer from the refrigerator before he left, Jamie retreated from the busyness in the kitchen. Linda and Erin both seemed to have things well under control and he knew they would call for help should they need it.

As he walked into the solarium he saw his brother, father, and nephews watching the football game. "Who's winning?" he asked.

They didn't have a favorite team playing, but they watched the game, rooting and arguing about blown calls and bad plays. The whole time, Jamie could sense Danny watching him. He tried to ignore it and hoped Danny would leave him alone. He wanted to enjoy the day with his family and he wanted to do so without fighting.

Jamie enjoyed the game and it wasn't long before Erin came in and announced dinner was ready. They flocked into the dining room and took their accustomed seats. On this special holiday, Henry always said the blessing and he made it a special one. Adding his own petition, Jamie crossed himself after everyone else. As they started passing dishes and loading their plates, Jamie could once again feel Danny's eyes on him.

The meal progressed and the conversation was lively. Neither Jamie nor Danny had much to say, but no one seemed to notice. When they were almost done eating, Danny couldn't stop himself from asking what had been on his mind.

"So, what's new, kid?" Danny asked Jamie while wiping his chin with his napkin, placing it back in his lap when he was done.

"Nothing." Jamie quickly glanced at Danny and then looked back down at his plate.

"Funny thing," Danny continued, "I went to that bar last night to see if maybe you changed your mind about meeting me. Saw your partner there with a bunch of people and you were nowhere to be found."

Jamie shrugged, "Plans change." He didn't meet Danny's eyes as he ate the last of his food.

Linda broke in, trying to avert an argument, "Leave it alone, Danny."

"No, I'm not gonna leave it alone. I want to know what's going on with him," he argued and pointed to Jamie across the table from him. Danny was determined.

"Ever think maybe it's none of your business? If I wanted to tell you, I would." Jamie retorted.

Both Jamie and Danny retreated in stormy silence as the rest of the family changed the subject and talked about something else while throwing the occasional uneasy glance their way. The two brothers sat glaring at each other in a battle of wills. Henry and Frank both knew something was brewing between them, and hoped it would hold until after the holiday.

Danny subsided, thinking about the last few weeks. Jamie's unavailability, touchiness, tiredness, and then there were those pins he had a fit over…

Danny suddenly dropped his fork loudly, "I got it. You're seeing someone," he said triumphantly, looking pointedly at Jamie.

"Whether I am seeing someone or not, it's still none of your business, so back off, Danny," Jamie warned, his voice becoming hard.

Ignoring the tone in Jamie's voice, Danny stormed ahead, defiantly, "I will not, not until you come clean about whatever is going on with you."

Jamie got up abruptly, looking at Danny with fury. He said, heatedly, "It's none of your damn business so leave me the hell alone," before carrying his plate into the kitchen, escaping the tension filled dining room. He'd had enough.

Danny knew he was on to something.

Jamie rinsed his plate off and leaned against the sink trying to calm down. A few minutes later, Henry came in with a stack of dirty dishes and put them on the drain board next to Jamie.

"Well, since you're standing there, start washing." Henry said. He could tell Jamie was still angry and gave him the chore hoping he would cool down and think.

Reaching out automatically, Jamie got to work, his anger dissipating as he did so. After he was finished, he went outside to be alone, closing the kitchen door loudly. Danny watched him from the window and when he started to follow, Frank stopped him.

"Leave him alone, Danny." Frank said, sternly.

Danny looked back to his father. He wore the 'don't mess with me I'm still your father' look. Shrugging his shoulders, Danny turned and went back to the solarium where his family was watching another game.

Usually there was a family football game in the backyard but Frank decided that having Danny and Jamie on opposite sides would just lead to bloodshed from one, the other, or both. Knowing his sons, it would be both.

Jamie came back in after a while and joined the rest of the family. Both Jamie and Danny were like cats circling each other waiting for the other to attack. They remained on opposite sides of the room until Linda finally declared they needed to go. Hugging his nephews goodbye, and kissing Linda on the cheek, Jamie walked them to the door. Danny and Jamie didn't speak to each other and Jamie couldn't help but breathe easier now that Danny had left.

Erin and Nicky had left a while ago, so now he was the only one left. Figuring it was time he left too, Jamie went to find his dad to say goodbye. Walking into the den, he saw his father standing at the wet bar pouring a drink.

"Here," Frank said, as he handed him the glass.

Jamie realized this was his father's way of saying he wanted to talk to him so he took the glass and sat down. Henry joined them and sat in his chair, waving off a drink offer from Frank. The two older men looked at Jamie with concern. Frank sipped his drink, debating what to say.

"Is Danny right?" Frank asked, curious. "Are you seeing someone?"

Frank wasn't really concerned about his sons arguing. They'd argued in the past and would in the future. Jamie could hold his own against Danny and his ambush tactics. The very thing that made Danny a great detective also made him hard to live with as a brother and Frank knew this.

Jamie looked at his father then over at his grandfather who had kept quiet so far. He couldn't lie to his dad or his grandfather; he respected them too much.

"Yes," Jamie admitted, "I've been seeing someone."

A big smile broke across Henry's face and the tension in the room disappeared. That explained everything to Henry and he understood Jamie's absence of late. "Way to go, kid," he said with a laugh, clearly happy about the news.

Jamie could feel his face heat up as he grinned, sheepishly.

Frank leaned forward. "That's great, but why are you keeping it a secret?"

Jamie's face clouded over. He wasn't sure how to explain it. He was still trying to sort out his feelings about Caitlin and wasn't sure how to explain something he didn't really understand himself.

Knowing his youngest child was more of a thinker than any of his other children; Frank gave him time to formulate his thoughts. He refilled Jamie's glass and waited.

Jamie began, "Mostly, I just wasn't ready to talk about it. Just wanted her all to myself for a while, I guess." Jamie took a sip of his drink.

Frank nodded; he could remember the first blush of a relationship when everything was new.

Jamie frowned as he continued, "I also knew the moment I told all of you the very next question would be: when are you bringing her to Sunday dinner?"

Henry broke in, "Well, when are you?"

"Pop!" Frank interjected. He sensed this was what was really bothering Jamie.

"You don't want us to meet her?" Frank asked. This didn't sound like Jamie.

"I do want you to meet her it's just…Sunday dinner would be really difficult for her." Jamie voiced his concern. He stood up and walked around the room, nervously. Frank and Henry watched him, curiously, as he stopped pacing and sat back down, taking another sip of the amber liquid in his glass.

"Why?" Henry asked. It bothered him that Jamie felt he couldn't bring someone he cared about home.

"Caitlin is… she's really quiet and reserved. She needs silence and solitude and our family gatherings are never that. I just…Danny and Erin would eat her alive. There are so many of us that it would overwhelm her, I think." Jamie said carefully, hoping his father would understand.

Frank could see his point. He looked at Jamie critically, "You really care about her don't you, son?"

"Yeah, I really do." Jamie admitted the obvious; his eyes glazing over as thoughts of Caitlin in that little black dress filled his mind.

Frank settled back in his chair, trying to hide his amused smile as he saw Jamie's mesmerized expression. After Jamie shook his head to clear it of the tantalizing image, Frank spoke, suggesting, "Why don't you bring her by for dinner?"

As Jamie started to shake his head, Frank went on, "Dinner one night with just the four of us: grandpa, me, you, and your young lady. Then we can get to know her and if you decide to bring her to Sunday dinner she might feel more comfortable having met the two of us."

Henry added, "I'd like to meet her. She on the job?" he asked hopefully.

Jamie shook his head, giving the first genuine smile they had seen on him, "Nope, music professor."

Henry pursed his lips in appreciation.

They spent a bit more time talking, and Frank was glad to learn his youngest son wasn't keeping anything worrisome from them. He understood now why Danny and Jamie had been going at it. He wondered if Danny would ever learn not to push; Jamie was more private and needed space. He was glad to spend the evening with Jamie and his father. If Frank had learned nothing else in his life, he learned that his family meant everything to him.

As the night grew late, Jamie got up to head back to his place. He felt better having talked to his father and felt he could breathe better now. As he got to the door, he paused when he heard his father speak.

"Your brother cares about you. You might want to talk to him about this." Frank suggested.

"Some things just aren't everyone's business." Jamie said stubbornly.

"I know; but Jamie, he'll understand. He might even have some good advice. Give him a chance; he loves you." Frank dropped the subject. He knew Jamie was listening more than he let on.

"See ya, dad." Jamie smiled as he walked out. He was already thinking about calling Caitlin.