CH. 14: Rollerblades, Go-Carts, and Bowling Balls
The following day, and the kids were still on break from Blessed Hearts, due to the bursting of the pipes. Henry was still sick, and the rest of the Reagan's were having to work, which forced the kids to stay at home on their own, which was always a last resort for the worried parents. Especially after the day before, and the amount of trouble the three got into with their mother there. As usual, Linda didn't leave for work until placing the list of do's and don'ts on the table, and offering up a silent prayer, that they still had a home to come home too, and have all three children still alive. Unfortunately, not even the list of do's and don'ts, nor the lecture Danny gave them the night before seemed to do any good. Andy and Sean were still angry with one another, despite the short reprieve they took from arguing, due to the fear that had been eating them alive after the horror movie they watched. And what made it worse, was knowing she didn't have a door she could close to get away from him. Not to mention, she still had an evening of only being able to get five feet away from her brother to look forward to, when her parents got home.
Jack and Sean woke up on the floor of their sister's room. The house was quiet, showing that both their parents were already away at work, and Andy was still asleep on the bed next to them. "I'm hungry," Jack pulled the blanket off him.
"Me too," Sean agreed, stretching.
"Your always hungry," Andy peered over the edge of her bed.
"I thought you were asleep?" Jack looked at his brother confused.
"I'm a good faker," Andy grinned, before jumping off the bed, so she could pull her house shoes out from under it.
"We should cook something for breakfast?" Jack brightened, thinking how good a plate of scrambled eggs and pancakes could be.
"Can't," Andy burst his bubble, as the three ran down the stairs and into the kitchen.
"Why not?" Sean was obviously on his brother's side.
"Number eight on moms list of do's and don'ts," Andy surprised them both by reminding them of the list that could get them into trouble, if they broke any of the rules. "So, the question is," Andy took a seat in the chair her father usually occupied. "Do we break the rules for one good meal, and risk getting in trouble. Or behave like good little boys and girls and do what our parents say."
"Oh gosh Andy, you sound like a poet," Jack shoved her teasingly.
"Well I certainly don't want to do that," Andy got up out if her chair and dug some orange juice out of the refrigerator.
"So, are we going to do it?" Sean leaned against the kitchen counter, his arms crossed in front of his chest.
"Here's the deal," Andy talked while she pulled a glass out from the cabinet, and filled it to the brim. "We can break the cooking in the kitchen rule, or we can do something fun and break the rule of no rollerblading in the house. Now which is it?"
"Why not do both?" Sean wondered, taking the juice from his sister, and pouring himself a glass.
"Breaking one rule, would only get us extra chores, maybe a little property removal," Andy figured aloud. "But breaking two rules, would get us that, and a few swats with the wooden spoon. Now I can live with the extra chores, as long as it's not bathroom cleanup like I have today," Andy was careful to add. "But as for the swats," she pointed a finger up, trying to make a point. "My butts still smarting from the spanking I got last week, and I'm not in any hurry to activate the sting again."
"I can't believe it Jack, our sister is turning chicken," Sean was trying to activate his sisters ever going need to cause trouble.
"Not going to work," Andy shook her head, her own arms crossed in front of her chest, the same way her brothers were not long ago. "I may not be a genius, but I'm not an idiot."
"Andy's right Sean, now leave her alone. Or I'm telling Mom," Jack warned, knowing that if his brother continued edging his sister on, she wouldn't be able to handle it, and not only Andy would get in trouble, but they would too.
"Since when did you turn into a tattle tell?" Sean grumbled angrily, plopping himself down into one of the kitchen chairs angrily.
"Just drop it Sean, okay," Andy issued her own warning, while distributing the cereal bowls, while Jack distributed the spoons.
"There go the pancakes," Sean said sadly, he wasn't exactly trying to get either of them in trouble. He just really wanted pancakes for breakfast, and he knew he couldn't make them on his own, without his siblings help, especially Andy's, who actually worked in the kitchen from time to time with Pop.
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It was literally only minutes after breakfast, that the three left their dishes covering the table and ran down to the basement to pull on their rollerblades. It was a little difficult, making their way up the basement stairs with their rollerblades strapped to their feet, and they were beginning to wish they would have thought that one through a little better. They had been skating around the house for about 45 seconds, when Andy stopped short, and skated over to the stereo. "We need music."
"What station are you turning on?" Jack skated over to her.
"If Andy's turning it on, it's going to be oldies," Sean put his two cents in.
"That station tends to get me in trouble," Andy admitted, remembering the time she kept throwing lyrics around her grandfather's table at family dinner one Sunday.
"Then don't listen to it," Jack shrugged, coming up with an easy explanation to keep her out of trouble.
"But I just can't help it," Andy said gleefully, pressing the power button on, before cranking up the volume. "It's fun music."
"Yeah, at least until you let your mouth run away with you, like you tend to do, even without the music's help. Unfortunately, when you listen to the music, it only makes things worse for you, in the discipline department," Jack pointed at her.
"Do yourself a favor, and shut-up and skate," Andy shoved him playfully. The chase was on after that, as the three, skated all over the bottom floor of the house, unbeknownst to them, leaving marks all over Linda's floor. "Hey, I like this song," Andy skated back over to the stereo, when the song Johnnie B. Goode came on, so she could turn the volume up even louder than it already was, considering it was already loud enough for everyone in the entire house to hear, regardless of the floor you were on.
"The song should be called Andy B. Goode, with you being in trouble all the time," Sean teased, skating up next to her. "Hey Jack, we should write a song like that, and list all the things Andy's gotten in trouble for in it, it could be like the chorus. After that, one of us could learn to play the guitar, and we could be famous."
"You don't have my permission to use me as a reference, and if you do it without my say so, I could sue you," Andy wasn't thrilled with her brother's idea.
"It is not illegal," Sean argued. "You know something Jack, I really thought Andy was smarter than that," he shrugged, doing his best to get a rise out of her. "I guess I was wrong."
"That's it," Andy shoved her brother so hard, he toppled over the ottoman footstool that was in the room, directly across from the single armchair. "Mom and Dad are having another kid, they don't need Sean anymore, let's kill him Jack!" Andy jumped on top of her youngest brother, who was still sprawled out on the floor.
"Get off me, Andy!" Sean yelled at the top of his lungs in protest.
"Andy! Stop! This is the exact same thing that got you in trouble for last night!" Jack yelled, pulling his sister off their brother.
"I'm sorry," Andy stood up, before brushing herself off. "I lost my head for a minute."
"Somebody's trying not to get in trouble again," Sean sputtered, before getting back on his feet with his brothers help.
"Shut-up Sean," Jack shoved him back down.
"I wasn't really mad," Andy admitted. "I already lost my door, I don't want to lose my bed too." Andy really did like Sean, they were just so much alike at times, that it caused them to argue. But she had to admit, he was her favorite person to not get along with.
A few minutes later, and the three were back to skating, and getting along, at least as best as getting along as they could, when it came to Andy and Sean. Andy wasn't skating very far from the couch, when Sean took the opportunity to enact a little friendly revenge on his sister, and he shoved her into the back of the couch. Andy, who had a little too much momentum on the wheels, was unable to stop, and flipped completely over the couch, her back slamming hard into the coffee table. "Ugh," Andy let out a loud moan, not even thinking about going after Sean, she was in too much pain.
"Andy!" Jack skated over next to her, concern showing in his voice. "Are you okay?"
"I will be in a few minutes," Andy chose to lay where she was, a little longer, trying to gather her bearings, and doing her best to keep the tears at bay.
"That's going to leave a mark," Jack gently rolled her over, so he could look at her back.
"Probably," Andy moaned, with every movement she was forced to make.
"There ain't no probably about it," Sean looked at the blotch of red on his sisters back, where her shirt was raised, as she tried to massage the painful area. "You hit moms table so hard, I'm surprised you didn't break it."
"Well it's your fault," Andy was mad, as Jack and Sean helped her up, and on her feet. Andy stood, but she kept her back hunched over, not really wanting to straighten all the way, knowing that would only cause her more pain.
"I think you better lay down," Jack looked at his sister concerned.
"Me too," Andy tried to drop herself onto the couch, as gently as possible. Andy stretched herself out onto the couch, being careful to lay on her stomach.
"We really need to stop going after one another," Sean said regret in his voice, just knowing they were going to get into trouble over it.
"We're going to have to tell Mom," Jack noticed the area on her back was starting to bruise already.
"No!" Andy and Sean said simultaneously.
"Andy, you could be seriously hurt!" Jack had a point.
"I'm not seriously hurt," Andy was trying not to let on, about the pain that was still shooting up and down her back. "But I will be if mom and dad find out Sean and I were arguing again."
"You sure going to be black and blue tomorrow," Jack sighed, speaking the inevitable.
Sean took a seat on the coffee table, and dropped his chin into his hands. "Are you going to tell mom and dad what I did?" He was almost too afraid to ask.
"No," Andy tried rubbing the affected area of her back again. "I'm not a squealer. Besides, I don't see any way to keep myself out of trouble if I tell them about you. Because they will be wanting to know what started it, and considering we'd get killed if we lied. We'd have to tell them the whole story. And since we got in a fight yesterday, I seriously doubt we'd be able to avoid a paddling. And with my back already in pain, I'd prefer to leave that part out."
"You guys do know, that things never work out for us, when we try to keep things from mom and dad right?" Jack reminded them, taking a seat next to his brother.
"We're just going to have to take that chance," Andy turned her head away from them, and placed it deeper into the side couch cushions.
"We should probably get you an icepack," Jack figured, skating into the kitchen.
With Jack busy in the kitchen, Andy turned her head away from the back of the couch cushions and looked at her youngest brother. "Can you take my rollerblades off please?"
"Yeah sure," Sean was still a little worried, that Andy would decide to tell their parents. "I'm really sorry about your back Andy."
"And I'm sorry, I shoved you earlier," Andy knew that she needed to issue her own apology.
"You two are so much alike, it's scary," Jack interrupted. "And I really wish you'd figure that out, before one of you ends up getting killed."
"I think we're starting to see that," Sean was the first to say, finally beginning to realize that he could have seriously harmed his sister. "Because I really didn't mean for you to get hurt Andy," Sean held the ice pack on his sisters back for her.
"I know Sean," Andy nodded.
"It's about time you two idiots figured that out," Jack took a seat on the single arm chair.
Andy was about to say something to him, when her cell phone rang. Sean picked up the phone that was sitting next to him on the coffee table, and read the ID. "It's Dad."
"Answer it, and tell him I'm in the bathroom," Andy knew that Danny would know something was up just by the tone in her voice.
"You want me to lie?" Sean sounded surprised. "That'll get me in trouble."
"Fine," Andy changed her mind. "Just tell him I'm busy."
"You are not busy," Sean noticed, still holding the ringing phone in his hand.
"Yes, I am, I'm busy being in pain," Andy had a point.
"Hi Daddy," Sean was doing his best to sound innocent, and not make their father curious. Knowing his father was of the curious nature. Andy and Jack covered their mouths with their hands, trying not to laugh at the way Sean was handling their father. "We're doing okay," Sean replied, figuring it wasn't exactly a lie. They were all still breathing after all, and nothing had gotten broken just yet, aside from Andy, just a little bit. "No, we haven't done the extra chores yet, but we're fixing to," Sean covered, completely forgetting about the furniture polishing chore he had been assigned the following day for fighting with his sister. "We know Dad, and we're going to do it," Sean started to roll his eyes, at his father's warning. "Bye love you," Sean hung up.
"You are such a suck up," Andy laughed. "I learned from you," he teased, handing her, her cell phone.
"If Dad knew you were rolling your eyes at him, he'd knock them out of your head," Jack warned, not even kidding.
"That's the beauty of cell phones," Sean smiled mischievously. "And he wanted to remind us to do the extra chore he assigned us last night."
"Aww," Andy moaned complaining. "I forgot about that."
"He said that if we didn't do them, he was shoving both our heads in the toilet," Sean lied, laughing.
"He didn't say that," Andy knew that Danny could be mad at them at times, but he'd never shove his children's heads in the toilet.
"No, but he could do it," Sean giggled, laying on the coffee table.
"Of course, he could, but he won't." Andy pulled herself off the couch. The pain was still there, but it was getting tolerable.
"Where are you going?" Jack obviously, didn't think enough time elapsed for his sister and the ice pack.
"I've got to get up and get to cleaning the bathrooms. You heard Dad," Andy stood up, and walked away.
"Maybe I should do it," Jack thought, volunteering for the dreaded task.
"You can't," And shook her head, pulling the bathroom cleaner out from the cabinet. "I'm the one being punished, and I'll get in more trouble if I'm not the one to do it." Andy leaned over to clean the toilet.
"Mom and Dad wouldn't want you to do it in pain. They aren't that mean." Jack decided to at least help her as much as he could, by cleaning the bathtub.
"I know, but I want them to know that I know why I'm being punished, and I realize that I did wrong." Andy stopped scrubbing the toilet, just long enough to look at him intently.
"Where did that come from? Because that was poetic." Jack knew that his sister was anything but poetic, she was more of a cynic.
"I don't have to tell you, that I'm in trouble all the time. And I just really want them to believe me, when I say I won't do things again." It's going to take more than completing an extra chore to get them to believe that," Jack mumbled. "I know," Andy sighed standing, so she could rub the pain spasm out of her back.
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"Hi Sean," Linda greeted coming home from work.
"Hi Mom, are you feeling better?" Sean asked, from where he stood behind the dining room table, polishing it.
"I'm feeling a little better," Linda walked over to him, before placing a kiss on his head. "Keep up the good work," she gestured at the shining table, before making her way up the stairs, so she could go check on her other two children.
"Mom," Jack whispered, walking out of the bathroom, he shared with his siblings.
"Jack," Linda could tell something was bothering her eldest son, just by the tone of voice and the concerned look he had on his face. "Can I talk to you for a minute?" Jack just couldn't keep it to himself, concerned that his sister could have more than just a little bruising.
"Of course," Linda placed an arm over his shoulder, and led him into his bedroom.
"Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," Jack said truthfully. "But Andy might not be," Jack closed the door behind him, not wanting to risk anyone hearing him tell his mother the whole story.
After promising her son, she wouldn't let on that he told her the truth, Linda made her way into her own bathroom, so she could attempt to pull the truth out of Andy, in getting her to talk, so she could check her out. "How's it coming baby?" Linda walked into the bathroom, where she could wash her hands, and take off her jewelry, while she tried making small talk. Linda was never good at making small talk with one of her children, especially if they were hurt or in trouble. But in order to keep the peace between the three siblings, nor wanting she or her husband to have to deal with another night of arguing.
"It's coming," Andy stifled a moan, straightened her back, from where she was leaning over to clean her parents shower.
"Are you okay Andy? You seem to be in pain when you lean over." Linda was watching her daughters face expressions for signs.
"I'm okay," Andy coughed. She was about done cleaning the bathroom, the only thing left was to pick up the remainder of the cleaning supplies and put them away. Unfortunately, the cleaning supplies were on the floor, and she didn't think there was any way she would be able to pick them up, with showing pain, and letting on to her already suspicious mother. Deciding that she would pick them up later when her mother wasn't in the room. Linda, who considered ordering her daughter to pick them up, let her go, hoping to come up with a better way, in which she could get all three of them together, before busting them.
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"Why are there marks all over my hardwood floors?" Linda asked loud enough for all three of her children to hear, while she carried a hamper of dirty laundry down the stairs. Neither of them said anything, and Linda ignored it at first, at least until she spotted three sets of rollerblades on the floor of the basement, near the wash machine, that she knew wasn't there the day before. "Perfect," Linda said to herself, finding the perfect opportunity to speak to all three of them. Sure, Jack had already told her, but she knew she couldn't let the other two know that, and she hollered at them fiercely. "Andrea, Jack and Sean Reagan! Get down here now!" Andy, Jack and Sean were standing in the basement in front of her in a matter of seconds, knowing better than to keep their mother waiting, especially by the tone of voice she had when yelling up the stairs. "How many times have I told you three to put things away in their proper place after you use them?" Andy, Jack and Sean exchanged confused glances, before looking at their mother, trying to figure out what she was getting at. "The rollerblades in front of my wash machine," she enlightened them, pointing at the rollerblades that she had yet to move.
"Oh," all three of her children's mouths formed the same expression. "Sorry," they apologized, getting the feeling that was the end of it.
"Which means, the three of you had to have been roller blading in the house, because you know you aren't allowed to go outside when your father or I are not home," Linda figured.
"Mom, are you sure you aren't the one that should be a detective?" Andy attempted to change the subject, so it wouldn't go any further and Linda wouldn't find out about her injury.
"The three of you are going to be spending the day scrubbing every mark off my floor. At least maybe that way, you will stay out of trouble. The extra chore your father gave you, certainly hasn't done a bit of good to deter your bad behavior." Linda completely ignored her daughters comment, knowing that if she got on the rabbit trail, her daughter was trying to lead her down, she would end up having an argument with her ten-year-old, and the evening would not end well.
"Awe, but Mom," the three complained, Jack not knowing that they were going to get punished.
"No butts," Linda silenced them instantly. "If you wouldn't have been rollerblading in the house, like I've told you a hundred times. Seriously you three, we don't put things on the list so you won't have any fun when your Dad and I are gone. No rollerblading in the house isn't just something you are not allowed to do when we're gone, it's something you are not allowed to do at all," Linda was flustered with her behavior, that she was having trouble ceasing the lecture.
"We're sorry Mom," her children apologized, beginning to catch their mother's mood.
"I also assume, that is why you seem to be in pain Andrea," Linda surprised her daughter and youngest son so much, that both their heads popped up, and looked her in the eye.
"We didn't mean it mom, honest." Both children said simultaneously, so she wouldn't think that they were really trying to fight one another.
"We will talk about that later, and separately," Linda ushered them up the stairs, and out of the basement. "As for you," she tapped Andy on the shoulder. "I want to check you over, and make sure you aren't seriously hurt."
"I'm pretty sure if it was really bad, I would know it Mom," Andy knew there wasn't much of a chance in trying to convince her mother of it, but she figured it wouldn't hurt to try anyways.
"Just do as I say," Linda took her up the stairs, and into she and her husband's room.
"It's just bruised Mom, I promise," Andy complained, tired of all the attention, everyone was focusing on such a small injury. Thinking it was a good thing she didn't break her leg; her family probably wouldn't let her move. Then again, it wasn't like she would be able to do it anyways, making her way up and down the stairs with crutches would definitely prove to be a challenge.
"Take your shirt off and lay down," Linda wasn't taking no for an answer. Linda examined her daughters back carefully, and after being content that there weren't any bulges or anything out of place, she made her diagnosis. "There is definitely a great deal of bruising, but aside from that, I would say everything is as it should be."
"Told you," Andy said sarcastically.
"Don't sass me," Linda swatted her. Andy started to sit up, but Linda pushed her back down. "I'll rub some bio freeze on it, and give you some ibuprofen to help with the pain and swelling," Linda walked into the bathroom to retrieve the medication in the medicine cabinet. It was literally only seconds, after her mother started to massage the bruised area, that Andy started to scream, complaining that it burned. "Settle down Andrea," Linda let out a frustrated sigh, before reaching for the gun magazine, Danny had on the nightstand by the bed, so she could offer her a bit of relief of air, by waving it above her.
"I don't like that stuff," Andy grumbled.
"Maybe not, but you'll be getting it again before bed. Now put your shirt on and get downstairs and eat dinner."
"Yes Mam, Andy grumbled again, just grateful to have escaped the lecture she figured Linda would have given her about not getting along with her brother.
With Andy downstairs, Linda made her way into Sean's room, so she could get to the bottom of her children's argument, so she would know how to handle it, and decide if some sort of punishment was in order, which she silently prayed it wouldn't be necessary, and it really was as her children said, just a slight case of disagreement and teasing, that led to a round of shoves.
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Linda was just making her way down the stairs, when her husband walked through the front door. "Hey beautiful," Danny caught her off-guard, when he crossed the room in two large steps, and wrapped his arms around her, and placed his lips against her own.
"Danny," Linda hated to pull away from him.
"We have one child in the kitchen, and one in between us," Linda reminded him of the child growing inside her.
"Tell the one in the kitchen to move out," Danny started to kiss her again.
"Danny she's ten, and we already know what she was like when she didn't live with us," Linda reminded him.
"Fine," Danny wasn't happy, but he regretfully let her go. "Don't forget where we left off," he winked at her. "We can send the kids to bed early." He obviously had plans of his own.
"I don't think that's going to happen Danny Boy," Linda placed a hand on his chest, to keep him at bay. "We have to be parents tonight."
"Why?" Danny complained.
Linda gave him a rundown of their children's day, and finally ended with. "I've already talked to Sean, and pretty much got a round of it was an accident and we were only teasing one another. And now that I've done my part, you can talk to Andy." "Let's just send them all to their rooms, and tell them their grounded," Danny suggested teasing.
"As great as that sounds," Linda admitted. "We need to reign our children in, before we come home to one or both of them dead." She made her way into the kitchen, with Danny following close behind her.
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"Hi Daddy," Andy greeted him, just finishing up, with her meal.
"Don't hi Daddy me, you're in trouble," Danny was quick to pin the blame on his eldest and pointed at her.
"I'm sorry," Andy knew she and Sean were wrong, by what they did, but she didn't think it was wrong enough to put him in the mood he was in, and cause him to be angry at her.
"I've already told you this before, but obviously it bears repeating. There are sometimes when the word sorry gets warn out, and all these fights you keep getting into, has given a new meaning to the word when it comes to you." Danny wasn't even giving her a chance to get a word in edgewise, or a chance to explain.
"Yes Sir," Andy was surprised she was even able to get that out. She wanted to say more, but her father refused her.
"These fights have got to stop Andrea," Danny started.
"But Dad, we didn't get in a fight today, not really. And we started to get along this evening, honest." Andy thought that might at least slow him down.
"Andy, you and your brother got in such a bad fight last night, that you fell into the bath tub and pulled the shower curtain down." Danny reminded her, still upset over his children's brief moment of stupidity.
"But we," Andy tried to pick up for them.
"Your older Andrea, and you should know better already," Danny was basically ignoring every word she said. "We've had several discussions regarding the wrongs of fighting. And if I remember correctly, we had one just last week after your brawl in the middle of the store floor, in front of God and all the customers to witness," Danny reminded, his voice curt, with every word he said.
"I'm sorry Dad," Andy apologized for the fifth time. "What else do you want me to say?"
"Sorry doesn't do any good Andy, you just cannot remember not to fight. Which tells me the spankings and grounding sentences, need to be more severe, as well as remove a bit more of your property." Danny was no longer warning her, he knew he had to do something to get it through her thick head.
"I swear Dad, no more fights."
"So, your swearing now," Danny crossed his arms in front of his chest.
"Sorry," Andy was quick to raise her hands in surrender. "Wrong word analogy."
"I'm getting you a dictionary for your birthday," Danny mumbled under his breath.
"But I'm serious Dad, you made your point very clear on my butt last week, and my fighting days are over." Andy swiped her hands in front of her, hoping to make a point.
"That makes me feel a lot better," Danny admitted. "Even if I don't believe you."
"That hurts Dad," Andy brushed aside him and walked out the backdoor.
"Good job Danny, way to support your daughter," Linda patted his back.
"Okay, I admit, that could have gone better," Danny said frustrated, running a hand through his hair.
"You think?" Linda shook her head. "Now you need to stop jumping to conclusions and give your child a chance to speak up for herself, rather than you jumping down her throat."
"I thought you wanted me to be hard on her," Danny was confused. "Considering she gets in trouble so much, I assume she's automatically done something wrong," Danny admitted.
"Which is the same thing you did when you were growing up, if I remember hearing your father correctly," Linda heard a muffled Sean yelling for help, just as she finished her own rant. "Now I'm going to go take care of that," Linda had a feeling Jack was trying to kill his brother again. "You go take care of that," Linda pointed at the back door.
"Women confuse me." Danny mumbled, making his way out the back door.
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"Hey Andy," Danny caught the basketball that she had thrown up at the hoop. "That didn't go very well inside and I want to apologize, I should give you the benefit of the doubt."
"It's fine Dad," Andy winked at him. "I'm not upset. In fact, I did what I was trying to do."
"What was that?" Danny looked at her confused.
"Deception," Andy gave him a large grin.
"Oh great," Danny said sarcastically. "Something else to get you in trouble."
"You have to admit, I did pretty good," Andy took the ball from him.
"Maybe so," Danny nodded. "But you have a long way to go to beat me out," Danny took the ball from her, to make his own shot.
"One on One," Andy smiled up at him hopefully.
"Not this time," Danny turned her down. "Mom said you got hurt."
"It's not that bad," Andy shook her head.
"Why don't you let me be the judge of that," Danny turned her around and raised her shirt.
"Well," Andy asked when Danny didn't say anything, getting tired of the examination process, she had to keep over going, by every member of her family.
"It's in the same shape of my shield," Danny was trying not to laugh, knowing it had to be a little painful, considering the bruising that was starting to appear. "Does it hurt?"
"It's sore," Andy straightened her back, from where she was leaning over so he could get a better look. "But Mom gave me some ibuprofen to help with the pain."
"I'm going to ask one time, and I want that question answered in less than 30 seconds." Danny was trying to get back to business, so he could get the bad part of his day over with. "We're you and your brother just goofing off today, and the teasing led to shoving?"
"Yes Sir," Andy said immediately.
"Then let's put this behind us, and I apologize for seeing you in the wrong, and not giving you a chance to explain," Danny figured his kid had done enough apologizing for things that didn't warrant an apology so he figured he could certainly be man enough to apologize to his own kid.
"It's okay Dad, at least when I get hurt or in trouble, I get your and moms undivided attention." Andy put the ball back in its rightful place, before running inside, leaving her father standing in his place dumbfounded.
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"Linda!" Danny yelled walking through the front door. "We've got to do something about Andy, she doesn't think she's getting enough attention."
"I can see, why she could feel that way. We have both been busy with work, the boys, and talking about the baby. Which is only going to get worse after its born." Linda admitted, finishing up with the loading of the dishwasher.
"Well what do you want to do about it?" Danny took a seat at the kitchen table, so he could eat.
"Easy," Linda shrugged. "We'll ask Jamie to watch the boys and we take Andy out, spend a little one on one time with her," Linda didn't see a problem. "So, when can you do this?" She knew she needed to have an answer to that, before she called Jamie.
"Have you ever noticed, that we never have to do this with our boys?" Danny didn't answer her question, his mind still on his daughter's feelings, regarding the lack of attention.
"When was the last time our boys were wandering the streets of New York after midnight? When was the last time Jack risked his life during a bank robbery to save that of his brothers, because he thought you loved his brother more?" Danny was about to say something, but Linda cut him off. "And when was the last time Sean witnessed a murder, all because of disobedience?" Again, Danny tried to say something, but Linda interrupted him. "I know it doesn't seem like it now. Now that we know that Andy is yours biologically, and we've seen how much she's changed since those first couple of months since she moved in. But that doesn't erase the fact, that for the first nine years of our daughter's life, she has grown up differently than that of our boys. And despite the change we've seen in her, she's never going to be able to forget her past." Linda was near tears just thinking about it.
"So where do you want to take her?" Danny knew that Linda had a point, and there was no need to argue with her, especially considering he knew she was right, unfortunately for him, sometimes he had a tendency to forget the past his daughter came from.
"Something that isn't going to injure her further, or make the boys jealous," Linda knew, that was the last thing they needed to deal with.
"We took her to play putt-putt golf last time, and she injured me," Danny recalled.
"Let's take her ice skating," Linda suggested.
"Great, so she can start falling, and me of course being Dad will try to protect her, and she'll end up accidentally slicing me with her ice skate, and I'll bleed all over the ice."
"It's okay, I'm a nurse," Linda laughed. "Then again, she could bruise her back worse, if she was to fall," she said thinking about her idea a bit further, slowly beginning to change her mind.
"Andy could get hurt walking down the street," Danny mumbled, but he had to admit, he would prefer a better idea.
"Let's go bowling," Linda brightened, coming up with something she liked better.
"I don't think she will fall doing that." Danny was about to say something about Andy rolling the ball backwards, and it hitting him, but Linda was quick to cut him off.
"And we won't talk about the baby, unless she brings it up." "Fine by me," Danny was quick to agree. "babies are difficult."
XXXXXXXX
"I'm afraid it's going to happen," Linda walked into she and her husband's bedroom that evening, after tucking her children in to bed for the night.
"What's going to happen?" Danny looked confused.
"I just caught our daughter reading one of your criminal justice books, under the blanket with a flashlight."
"Are you sure she isn't doing it because she's board? She is grounded after all," Danny reminded her, knowing that Andy did have a tendency to do things she didn't normally do when she was grounded.
"I don't think so," Linda shook her head, thinking. "I've caught her doing it more than once, and I really believe she is going to follow in your footsteps."
Danny sighed, running a hand through his hair, thinking of all the things he had to endure as an NYPD officer. "I have to admit I have mixed emotions on the subject. In one way I feel that New York's finest just got a little better," Danny remembered Frank saying the same to him. "Yet at the same time I worry about her taking on such an ambition."
"Would you say that, if it was one of the boys?" Linda wanted to know.
"I don't know," Danny admitted. "It's a dangerous job no matter what sex you are. But Andy is my little girl."
"We're just going to have to take the book away and tell her no," Linda came up with a conclusion.
"Linda, we can't tell our children what they can and can't do for a living," Danny felt compelled to remind her.
"Why not?" Linda was prepared to do it anyways.
"Don't get too upset just yet Linda, she hated cops before me, and she's only ten years old. What are the chances of her deciding her career, this early in life?" Danny had a point, remembering the first day he met her, and how ill-mannered she was to anyone who wore the uniform.
"The reason she didn't like cops before, was because she never met a cop she liked before you. None of the others believed her story like you did and just took her right back to the place she was trying to get away from." Linda knew she hadn't met Andy until weeks after Danny met her that first time, but she remembered how different Danny was after he encountered the little girl from the street.
XXXXXXXX
"Do you want to go to the pub tonight, and get something to eat?" Eddie asked her partner the following day at the end of their tour.
"Can't," Jamie and Eddie walked out of the precinct.
"Do you have a date?" Eddie was trying to get to the bottom of her partners reply, trying to keep the green-eyed monster at bay, if he was to say yes.
"I have to babysit my nephews tonight."
"How about I come over and help you babysit?" Eddie volunteered, leaning against his car, just outside of the precinct.
"I don't think I'm going to be at home," Jamie shook his head. "Anytime I have a little time with just the boys, I try to do something fun with them."
"So, what were you planning?" Eddie couldn't help but sound curious.
"I don't know," Jamie shrugged. "Bumper cars, go-carts, one of those things." He had yet to fully make up his mind.
"I want to go," Eddie whined, giving him a sweet, yet begging smile.
"If you really want to," Jamie shrugged, he knew Eddie liked to do crazy kid things at times, and she did like his niece and nephews, ever since they were held hostage at the bank.
The two partners made their way to Staten Island, and walked up to the front door. "Aren't you going to knock?" Eddie looked at Jamie, when he placed his hand on the doorknob.
"Why?" Jamie scoffed. "It's just my annoying brothers house, who knows I'm coming." Jamie pushed the door open.
"Hi Uncle Jamie," Andy squirted him in the face with the squirt bottle, the second he walked through the door.
"Andy," Jamie wiped his face with one hand, and put her in a headlock with his free arm.
"Did you miss me?" Andy started to hit him in the stomach playfully.
"Not when you squirt me with a water bottle," Jamie let her go.
"That was actually toilet bowl water," Andy giggled, when she saw the look that fell on his face.
"I am seriously beginning to rethink my decision of never disciplining you," he reached for her again.
"It was a joke Uncle Jamie," Andy stepped back, giggling even more than she was before.
"You better be," Jamie knew she was teasing.
"Andy," Eddie hugged the mischievous yet, smart alek girl, she seemed to gain such an immediate connection to, ever since the moment, she saw the way she made an escape available for Sean, yet how smart alek she was with Jamie when they were locked inside the storage room.
"Officer Janko," Andy sounded just as excited to see her uncles partner, as she was to see her.
"You ready to go have some fun boys?" Jamie asked when he saw his two nephews descending the stairs.
"What are we going to do Uncle Jamie?" Sean asked running up to his uncle.
"It's a surprise," Jamie winked at him.
"Eddie, did you volunteer for this detail?" Linda asked, laughing.
"I did," Eddie admitted. "It'll be fun."
"That's what you think," Danny said, walking into the room.
"Detective," Eddie nodded, looking at him confused, unsure if he was teasing, or being serious.
"You'll see what I mean," was all Danny said, as they walked out of the house.
XXXXXXXX
"She's got the hots for him," Andy said getting in the car with her parents.
"What are you talking about Andy?" Linda turned around in the front seat to question her daughter.
"Officer Janko, she likes Uncle Jamie, I can tell," Andy was giggling again, just thinking about it, making it obvious she was in a good mood, and looking forward to the outing with her parents. Knowing she needed to enjoy every moment before the baby came and things went crazy.
"That's ridiculous Andy," Danny shook his head, and her daughters comment.
"But why?" Andy certainly didn't see it as ridiculous, she liked Eddie. Then again, she loved her Uncle Jamie, and whereas she wanted him to be happy. She also enjoyed having him at her beck and call anytime she needed him. Which seemed to be more and more often, considering he was the one she could play with, but also to talk to when she needed someone who would remain open minded.
"Because their partners," Danny explained. "And it's against department policy to be romantically involved with that person."
"Well that sucks," Andy said plainly.
"Andrea Reagan," Linda corrected. "Don't talk so impertinent about something that feeds and clothes you, like the NYPD does."
"There are ways around these rules though, isn't there?" Andy went straight to her father, ignoring her mother's correction, knowing it was something she figured she would receive again that evening.
"Well yes, but they wouldn't be able to work in the same precinct," Danny admitted.
"I have a solution to that," Andy shrugged. "Officer Janko could go work with you at the 54."
"It isn't that easy Andy," Danny chuckled, lightly. "And your Grandpa would murder Jamie, if something happened."
"You mean if Eddie got pregnant?" Andy asked curiously.
"Andrea!" Danny hated any talk that even resembled sex or pregnancy when it came to his daughter.
"Andy, what would you like for dinner?" Linda asked changing the subject, knowing Danny was probably on the verge of a heart attack.
"I don't know," Andy had to admit, she had no idea what she was hungry for, then again, she was never really given the choice before. But when you lived in a family of 5, she figured that's what happened.
"Anything you want Andy, it's your choice," part of Linda was afraid to give her daughter a choice, due to the sensitive nature of her stomach. After all, it was only two nights ago, that she couldn't even bare the smell of food without being nauseous.
Andy thought about it for several minutes, until she came up with an idea. "Can we get Italian?" Andy asked, carefully. She didn't think it was that expensive, but that still didn't keep her from being careful. Danny and Linda had been her parents for over a year, and they had been through a lot together. But at times, when they were going somewhere with just the three of them, she found herself returning into the same nervous child, she was when she took her first tour of the house with them the day Danny brought her home.
"Is it pizza that you what?" Linda asked.
"If it's okay, I'd like to get lasagna," Andy looked out the window.
"No trouble at all," Linda was doing her absolute best to sound energetic, and as if she was looking forward to it, but deep down, she was dreading it.
XXXXXXXX
They were about halfway through there meal, when Andy excused herself to go to the restroom, allowing Linda a chance to speak truthfully.
"You haven't eaten very much," Danny gestured at his wife's plate.
"I can't," Linda shook her head. She tried to stomach as many small bites as she could in front of her daughter, to keep her from getting suspicious. But she couldn't help but think about the food she had regurgitated just days ago, and think of how much it resembled lasagna. 'Oh my gosh, I sound like Sean,' she thought to herself.
"We're going to need to stop for some Mylanta or something like that," Linda looked at Danny, taking a small sip from her glass of water.
"Why didn't you say something about not being able to handle something so acidic?" Danny sounded worried, afraid that the evening they had planned with their daughter, would turn into something neither of them would enjoy.
"I couldn't do that to my little girl," Linda took a deep breath, in another attempt to keep the meal that was threatening to come up, down.
"You are a wonderful mother Linda," Danny took her by the hand. "And I can't think you enough for treating Andy so well."
"Why wouldn't I?" Linda looked at him, surprised by her husband's comment. "She's my daughter."
"You wanted to take Andy in, before you even met her." Danny reminded her, remembering the day Linda called him and asked him to come home for lunch so they could talk. "You knew of her past, but you didn't even think twice before wanting to adopt her, and raise her right along-side our boys."
"There was something about her, I could see it in you, ever since that first night you came home, and tossed and turned all night long, unable to sleep." She reminded him.
"It's not only that," Danny gave her a small smile. "Never once did you get upset, and take it out on Andy when you found out she was my biological daughter. Not many wives would react like that."
"Danny, I was thrilled when we found out she belonged to you. It answered so many questions, regarding why she did certain things or thought certain ways."
"Maybe so, but thank you," Danny was trying to get a point across, regarding his true feelings, before his daughter returned.
"You don't have to think me Danny," Linda shook her head, wiping a small tear away.
"I love Andy as if she was my own." Danny was about to say something further, when Linda interrupted them. "Now stop being sensitive, and get back to normal, Andy's coming." Linda smiled at him, promising to bring him back to that same sensitive nature, so they could have a few moments of intimacy after the children were in bed, and after the Mylanta had time to take effect. "Andy," Linda asked, just as Andy picked her fork back up to finish eating. "What do you want to be when you grow up?"
"I don't know," Andy shrugged, confused by her mother's question. "I didn't know I needed to be thinking about it."
"You don't," Linda smiled, reassuring her. "I just noticed you were looking at your dad's criminal justice book, and I didn't know if," Linda started to explain, when Andy interrupted.
"I had permission," Andy dropped her fork, thinking she was about to be in trouble. "Dad said, I could, as long I was careful with it," Andy was looking at Danny for help.
"You are not in trouble," Linda reached across the table to touch her hand, to reassure her. "I was just curious to know if you were planning on following in your father's footsteps?"
"Your pushing Linda," Danny muttered under his breath.
"I don't know yet," Andy wasn't sure what else to say, trying to remember if she was suddenly about to graduate high school, and they were preparing to kick her out of the house. "But I was kind of in between NYPD or being a writer, and writing the story of my life."
"That would certainly be an interesting story," Linda admitted.
"Probably a best seller," Danny was thinking of the countless things they had endured so far, and she had barely been living with them for a year.
"Chapter one would be, I was born on a cold day in New York City, and Michelle Gates was in a great deal of pain, and I was charging through." Andy was being dramatic, doing her best to make it sound interesting with her choice of adjectives.
"Andrea," Linda was trying to get her to lower her voice. "That is not appropriate talk in public. In fact, it's not appropriate talk for someone of your age, period."
"And how do you know that's how you were born anyway?" Danny wanted to know the main reason behind her comment. Wondering how much she really knew about her birth, he himself noticing that he didn't know much of anything about it, and he was her father, even if he wasn't at the hospital when she was born.
"I don't," Andy was trying to keep a straight face, but her smile was slowly beginning to crack through. "But it sounded interesting."
"What would chapter two be?" Linda was trying to change the subject, not really wanting to get involved in a birthing conversation, especially not at an Italian restaurant.
"Chapter two would be on the first couple years I lived at the apartment, with Michelle and John Gates."
Danny and Linda noticed how Andy chose to refer to her birth mother by her first name, and by the man she thought was her father for the first nine years of her life, and it made them feel good, thinking of how willing she was to accept Danny as her biological father the second he told her about the possible blood test, and Linda was her mother for all motherly purposes. "What about chapter three?"
"Chapter three and four would be based on the years I spent in and out of foster care, and what my life was like while running the streets. How sometimes I managed to outrun the cops, and other times, about how the found me and drug me back kicking and screaming." Sure, Andy was only five when she landed in foster care, but despite her young age, something as so traumatic as foster care, was something that deemed to be remembered, and Andy did that. "Chapter five would be entitled, 'meeting the detective,' and that is where my readers would see a turning point in the book, and see how things had changed."
"How many chapters are we seeing in the book?" Linda wondered?
"Oh, this is a never-ending book," Andy shook her head laughing.
"That's because you need a chapter for every offense you've committed, and we'd already be up to chapter one hundred, and you've only lived with me for a year," Danny held a hint of fear in his voice.
"Oh, you haven't seen nothing yet," Andy giggled, mischievously, blowing bubbles through her straw and into her water glass.
"You better start coming up with an ending, if you know what's good for you," Danny pointed at her.
"We're done here," Linda took the cup away, before scooting out of the booth to pay the bill.
XXXXXXXX
"Uncle Jamie, can we get some cotton candy?" Sean asked the second they walked through the door.
"After you eat a hot dog?" Jamie walked up to the front counter to pay for the food and wrist bands, while Eddie and the boys went to find a table. "I don't know how your dad can afford this," Jamie shoved the receipt into his pocket. "And he's about to have four."
"He gets paid more than you, he's a detective," Sean reminded him, sarcastically.
"You are about to be watching, while the rest of us participate in the fun," Jamie ruffled the boy's hair.
"Be nice Jamie, he's only teasing," Eddie was quick to pick up for the boy.
"Yeah Uncle Jamie, be nice," Sean spoke up with a mischievous grin crossing his face.
"You are just like your father," Jamie rolled his eyes, "obnoxious."
"I love you Uncle Jamie," Sean looked up at his uncle, his eyes revealing that of a little puppy that wanted you to play with him.
"I love you too," Jamie took a seat in the vacant seat next to his youngest nephew, thinking it was a good thing he didn't have kids of his own just yet, he was too much of a sucker when it came to his nieces and nephews.
"Are we big old enough to drive the go-carts Uncle Jamie?" Jack wondered, knowing there were some places that didn't allow kids to drive the go-carts.
"As long as your tall enough, and with an adult, it's fine," Jamie dug into his hot dog and nachos. "One of you can go with me, and the other can go with Eddie."
"Whoever goes with me, will win," Eddie elbowed the boy sitting next to her.
"How do you know?" Jack laughed, when he felt her elbow against his arm.
"Because I'm a better driver than your uncle?" She winked at him.
"No, you are not," Jamie argued. "The reason I drive is because I want to be alive at the end of our shift. The trouble with you is, you get too excited when we're chasing a perp and you let that show on the accelerator. The problem is, you do it all the time, and not just when we're chasing a perp."
If it wouldn't have been for the word Jamie had used, Eddie would have argued, but she refrained. "Perp Jamie," Eddie wasn't sure if that was appropriate talk in front of children.
"There Reagan's, and they belong to a detective," Jamie shrugged. "They hear worse than that at Sunday dinner."
"It's okay Officer Janko," Sean changed the subject. "Dad never lets his partner drive either. At least that's what she told us the last time we were at the precinct."
"What is it, about these Reagan men, hogging the car?" Eddie was confused, kicking Jamie under the table.
"Owe," Jamie reached down to rub his shin.
"Can we go play now?" Sean was getting anxious, having trouble being still.
"Anything to get away from my complaining partner," Jamie got up.
"Don't worry Uncle Jamie," Jack patted his uncle on the back. "I feel like that all the time, with Andy and Sean."
XXXXXXXX
Danny and Linda surprised Andy, when they pulled into a local bowling alley. Andy held back, when they walked through the door, and she realized where they were at. Linda went straight over to get the bowling shoes, while Danny went over to get the balls. "Andy," he called, when he realized she hadn't followed him. Andy walked over to him slowly, unsure of how to tell him, that she had never gone bowling before. One would have thought, that it would have gotten easier for her to tell him something she didn't know how to do, but it hadn't. And Andy was still afraid, he and Linda were trying to do something special for her, and here she was going to go and ruin it for them. She knew both her brothers knew how to bowl, and that made things worse. Not necessarily for her, who sometimes tended to feel bad when she couldn't do something the boys could, but primarily, because she hated for her parents to feel bad, when they remembered the life she came from, especially Danny, who couldn't help but think, that he could have stopped that life, if he would have at least stayed in contact with Michelle even after the split in their relationship. "You need to stay with me or mom." He really didn't want to have to ruin the evening by being stern with her, but he knew he needed to at least issue a warning, and the only way to do that, was speaking to her stern enough so she would remember, knowing how hard it was for her to pay attention when he said something to her.
"Yes Sir," Andy was barely paying attention to him, despite the stern tone. She was too focused on how she was going to tell him.
"Now what size ball do you need?" He asked, trying to return the evening to a happy one.
"I, I, I don't know how to bowl," she knew she didn't have a choice but to tell him, it wasn't like he wasn't going to find out, the second she stepped up to the lane.
"Don't worry about it," Danny shook his head, not a bit concerned about her worry. "I can teach you."
"You might not want to waste your time," Andy looked down sadly. "You know how it went with the swimming lessons, and how things go when I do something new, like go on a boat."
"I remember," Danny smiled.
"I fell overboard, and you had to jump in and get me." Andy finished her sentence, before Danny interrupted her.
"I doubt you are going to use me as a bowling ball, and I fall behind the pins," Danny again brushed her fear aside, so she wouldn't feel bad.
"I guess we can try," Andy had to admit, that new things had a tendency to interest her, and bowling was one of them.
"We could get the bumpers put on," Linda suggested, looking from her husband to her daughter, overhearing the last of their conversation.
"No," Andy was quick to say, her expression begging. "It'll make me look like a baby."
"Let's let her, give it a shot without them," Danny understood how that could make a ten-year-old feel.
XXXXXXXX
Jamie made a round, around the go-cart lane with Sean, while Eddie raced them with Jack. They had already gone several rounds, with the adults driving, when Jack and Sean started begging for their own chance to drive. "Jamie?" Eddie knew that he had to be the one to make the decision, the boys being his nephews and all.
"Please Uncle Jamie, please?" The two youngest Reagan's, continued with their begging.
"Okay," Jamie and Eddie switched places with the boys, Jamie again thinking of how much of a sucker he was. Jack and Sean, we're going at it rather aggressively, surprisingly much more aggressive than that of the arguing partners. Seconds later, Sean hit Jacks back tire, and spun him out, causing him to crash into the side of the course. Jack and Eddies heads lurched forward in the form of whiplash, and it was only seconds before Jamie and Sean were running to them. Jack and Eddie shook their heads to clear their minds, and they slowly climbed out of the cart.
"Boy," Jamie placed a hand on Jack shoulder, wanting to make sure his nephew was okay, the last thing he wanted to do, was take an injured boy back to his parents. "It's a good thing, you can't drive yet, you'd kill your parent's cars."
"Sorry Uncle Jamie," Jack apologized, looking over the cart.
"It's not your fault," Jamie shook his head, content and grateful that the boy wasn't hurt.
"Sorry," Sean was quick to pick up on his brother's slack, knowing that it really was his fault. "I didn't mean to cause trouble."
"Don't worry about it buddy," Jamie reassured him. "Just remember one thing, what happened with Uncle Jamie, stays with Uncle Jamie."
"We promise," both boys giggled, walking ahead of their uncle and partner.
XXXXXXXX
"You see this line here," Danny ran his foot over the line and the beginning of the lane.
"Yes," Andy nodded, looking from the line, to the ball her father held in his hand, until finally settling on his face.
"You can't step past it," he started out with his explanation. "You can use this whole area back her to get a slight running start if need be." He was careful how he said running start, afraid she might get carried away, and something bad happen.
"And all I need to do is try to knock as many pins down as I can with one ball?" Andy was trying to make sure she understood the rules first.
"Pretty much," Danny nodded.
"You get two tries each turn sweetheart," Linda hoped that would make her daughter not feel so nervous.
"Maybe you should go first Mom," Andy looked at her mother. "You can demonstrate."
Linda picked up her bowling ball, and walked over to the lane. "Be careful Linda," Danny reminded her. "You have your own bowling ball inside you right now."
"I'm as big as a bowling ball," Linda muttered.
"Are you sure you should be doing this?" Danny couldn't help but sound worried. "It's been a while since you've been pregnant." He was trying to be careful by the words he chose, knowing she was like a firecracker ready to explode, anytime one of them said a little too much.
"Don't remind me," Linda glared at him.
"Are you sure it's safe?" Danny decided the hell with it, he'd rather her be mad at him, then him have to worry about the baby.
"I'm a nurse Danny, it's fine. Now let me bowl, and no more talk about the baby," she mumbled, reminding him about them focusing their sole attention on their daughter that evening. Danny stepped back, surrendering, content that his wife knew a bit more about pregnancy than he did. Linda rolled the bowl, and it knocked about half the pins down. "I'm a little rusty," she walked back to the ball retrieving machine.
"When was the last time you went bowling?" Andy asked.
"Years," Linda answered in one word. "I've been busy working and raising children."
"We can tell Linda, don't worry," Danny nudged Andy playfully, laughing.
"I may accidentally get confused and throw the ball the wrong way," Linda didn't see the humor in his comment.
"Just roll the ball mom, I want a turn," Andy was getting excited, bouncing up and down, on the seat she was occupying.
Linda took her next turn, and knocked the remainder of the pins down. "Not too bad, even if I do say so myself," Linda flaunted, walking over to her husband and daughter.
"Flaunt it, if you got it," Andy muttered, walking over to retrieve her ball.
"Where did you get that?" Linda looked back at her daughter, shocked by her comment.
"Television," Andy shrugged.
"We have to start monitoring what she watches on TV," Linda looked at her husband, her eyes wide, and serious.
Andy rolled the ball, but it didn't go very far, before rolling directly into the gutter. "I messed up," Andy said sadly, staring at the floor ashamed, as she walked back to sit next to her mother, who was running the scoreboard.
"Don't feel bad baby, it was your first time," Linda placed a loving arm around her daughter.
"You get another turn," Danny pointed at the board.
"Maybe you should take it," Andy was quick to backdown.
"No," Danny refused her, before pulling her up out of the chair and pointing her back towards the lane. "Reagan's don't give up."
"Give me a break, I've only been a Reagan for a year."
"Which means you have to make up for it," Danny wasn't giving in. He and Linda really didn't want to be the type of parents that forced their children to do things, they didn't necessarily care for. But they also didn't want their children to be the type that didn't want to participate in something, just because they had never done it before. Andy picked up the ball, and walked over the beginning lane. She held the ball out in front of her, and was just trying to gain some strength, knowing she would need it, if she was going to want it to reach the pins. Unfortunately, as soon as she flung the ball backwards, she accidentally released it, and it rolled backwards, where Danny was standing, rather than forward where the pins were. Danny jumped, when he saw the ball rolling towards him, fast and furious, and he had to dive a short distance out of the way, to keep the ball from running into him. "Andrea," Danny pulled himself off the floor.
"Sorry," Andy was quick to apologize, as she ran over to him.
"You did that on purpose, didn't you?" Danny was trying to gain his bearings, thankful that Linda wasn't standing next to him during his altercation with the bowling ball.
"Maybe I did, maybe I didn't," Andy smiled at him menacingly. "But you'll never know."
Hope you all enjoyed the update, and thanks for all the follows, favorites and reviews, they are certainly appreciated... JusticeStandsTRUE