Title: Too Tough To Die
Chapter 21 – Blood before Blue?

YAY SEASON 7 IS BACK IN FULL SWING! Loved the premiere of course and IMO it was over too fast but maybe they'll have some more Danny nightmares and Wilder will linger a bit longer as my muse continues to plot our new few chaps. But hope you all like this angsty update!

'Recommend another session and maybe some monitoring?'

'I could order you to tell me what that means,' Frank had tossed back seriously. 'I would ask that about any officer under my watch. Monitoring? What do I need to be worried about? Tell me straight up.'

'Your son…may be a ticking time bomb.'

That disconcerted him in the worst way possible. Danny had good instincts and street smarts but when he heard words such as paranoid, obsessed and irrational he had reason to worry. The commissioner in him was concerned about one of his top seasoned detectives not being able to do the day to day rigors of the job without having to worry about him going off on another officer, a suspect or himself. The father in him…the father worried about the mental health of his beloved son and what it meant for him and his family.

'Are you…going to recommend medication or…'

'I have set another session for next week Frank. Just keep an eye on him and…talk to him about this case. See if he'll tell you what he told me. As you know I don't like to medicate or admit to a ward for treatment or observation unless they become a danger to themselves, their co-workers or their family. However, if he doesn't fully open up…fully face his inner demons they will get the better of him and I will have to have him committed.'

'Sheryl…'

'Frank, we're not there yet. You and I have known each other since before we were both married. I'm talking to you as a professional and as a friend. The friend in me…is worried for Danny and will tell you that he's headed for a fall. A big one and to help him before that happens and the professional in me has to step in and force help.'

He leaned back in his chair and looked at the notes he had made during his brief but tense conversation with Doctor Sheryl Higgins.

Paranoid…obsessed….two words he knew Danny would hate to hear, especially in relation to himself.

'Does Thomas Wilder have any inside help?'

'Is that what Danny said?'

'That's for you to find out Frank. I'm just trying to help you as much as I am allowed without breaking too many rules,' she had concluded with a light smile.

And he appreciated everything she told him. But it wasn't her words so much as it was her tone at time in relation to certain words. If Danny has to be admitted t….his brain trailed off as Frank leaned back in his chair and then let his eyes trail over to a picture of himself and Danny taken the day he got his Detective shield.

"I won't let you fall," Frank whispered as he looked back down at his notes. Inside help…she had asked him that pointedly and unless it was something important to Danny, that he mentioned perhaps more than once it was something he needed to take seriously and action as soon as he could.

With that he reached for his phone and called the one person he knows he can trust with this.

"I need to see you. Now, if possible."

XXXXXXXX

"Earth to Danny…"

His head snapped up and looked at his partner with a small frown as Baez's dark eye brows arched. "I'd go home but…I don't want to go to an empty home and just sit and stew."

"Would drive me to drink," Baez retorted as Danny agreed and handed her a thin file. But when she started to talk to him about the case, Cedric Blueridge walked into the homicide area and his mood instantly soured.

"Bastard."

"It was a woman," Baez deadpanned as she swatted Danny's arm, making him look at her with pursed lips. "What's going on? Forget him."

"Feels good to take down a perp deserving of incarceration," Blueridge drawled as he neared the desk nearest the one Danny was seated at.

"Ea-sy," Baez warned as Blueridge neared them.

Danny merely offered a sneer as Blueridge stopped and looked at him with an almost gloating expression.

"Incarceration. That's a big word for you."

"At least I'm out there doing my job instead of sitting on my lazy ass socializing with your hottie partner."

Before another word could be offered, Danny pushed himself up off his chair, ignored Baez's warning for him to let it go and stood a few inches from Blueridge who looked back with a daring grin. He silently dared Danny to do something drastic, take a shot or attack him…hit him in some way so that Blueridge would have proof in front of lots of credible eye witnesses that Danny Reagan was unhinged and even the smallest thing would set him off.

But Blueridge could only inwardly curse when Baez stepped up and Jamie entered the room at the same time. Jamie rushed toward the ensuing rumble while Baez put her hand on Danny's shoulder which halted his actions.

"You have something to say to me Reagan?" Blueridge continued to goad as Jamie's eyes slightly narrowed.

'I need you to do something for me,' Frank started as Jamie looked at his father in wonder. 'I need you to spy on Danny.'

'What?'

"I'm done wasting my time with you," Danny lightly snorted as he purposely pushed past his professional nemesis and headed for the coffee stand as Baez tossed Blueridge an unimpressed look and shuffled back to her desk. Jamie, however, held his ground; not wanting to interfere but not wanting to look away either.

"What's going on?" Eddie asked Jamie in a low tone as he slightly shook his head.

"Don't know yet," Jamie replied slowly as he watched Blueridge's expression darken as his eyes fixated on Danny until he disappeared from view.

'Spy on Danny? What's going on? Was this about his…'

'I can't talk about the session,' Frank interjected in haste. 'So there are a few specifics and Cedric Blueridge is one of them and of course Thomas Wilder is the second. Jamie…this is serious. Has Danny ever mentioned he thinks that someone in the department is helping Wilder?'

'Yes. He's mentioned Blueridge but I know there's bad blood between them so it could be personal bias.'

'We need to find proof IF there is more; I won't take any action on a hunch or personal bias. Your brother's future depends on it.'

'Dad…what's going on?'

Danny came back into the room with a cup of coffee in his grasp, thankful that Blueridge was gone. But for how long? Damn I know that bastard is working with Wilder! I just need to prove it! However, his mind also started to ponder something his doctor had told him 'make sure you have real proof before you keep voicing paranoid expressions about someone helping a man you've called your professional nemesis. Those kinds of accusations can only work against you.'

"Yeah…" Danny huffed as he neared Jamie with a tense expression.

"What was that?"

"Blueridge the blowhard," Danny retorted as he took a sip of his coffee. "What are you doing?"

"Waiting for Eddie. How'd the um…doctor's visit go? You know…what you can tell me?"

"It was whatever," Danny replied sourly. "Just stay away from Blueridge. He's bad news."

'You think Blueridge is helping Wilder?' Jamie had asked his father as they sat in his office, just the two of them and talked about Danny. 'Why would he help Wilder? Wilder is the worst of the worst. Just to screw Danny?'

'I don't know but I need you to find out. I know Danny will try to get that but I need someone objective in this. Wilder has means and I need to know what he's using it for, if he is.'

'I'm related. How can I be objective?' Jamie asked in concern.

'I need someone I can trust.'

And that was it, blood in that moment ran deeper than blue and Jamie knew he had to help his father. To help his father meant he'd be helping Danny and that would help nail Wilder's coffin shut a little bit tighter.

"Trust me he's not interested in talking to me," Jamie replied as he looked at Danny's somewhat tired expression. "I gotta go. See you Sunday."

"Okay."

Danny watched his brother leave and then slowly headed back to his desk and slumped back down into the chair opposite his partner.

"You look tired. Why not go pick up the kids and just rest up on the weekend. Monday, we'll both start fresh."

"You're off another week," Danny reminded her with a small groan.

"Go home," Baez told him straight up. "I'm just going to finish up a few files here and head home…or to the bar for a drink," Baez concluded in sarcasm as Danny chuckled and finished his coffee.

At first he wanted to balk but he told himself that he had been through the emotional wringer today and it was time to just go home and relax with his boys; maybe play some one on two with the basketball hoop in the driveway.

"See you Monday."

"Danny…"

"Yeah?"

"Try to relax. Wilder isn't worth it."

He gave her a nod as he reached for his coat and then slowly headed for the entrance, Blueridge watching from the shadows. Blueridge pulled his phone and dialed a number.

But Blueridge wasn't the only one who was doing some spying. Jamie watched Blueridge from the shadows and wondered who he called. He only said a few words that Jamie couldn't hear but that didn't stop him wondering if it was tied to Wilder in some way.

XXXXXXXX

Danny reached his car and then stopped as he spied a piece of yellow note paper stuck under the driver's side wiper and quickly swiped it and clutched it and opened it in haste.

'The seasons are changing. Keep your coat handy or you'll catch your death. Something like that can stay in your head.'

"What the…hell!" Danny hissed as his fist balled the piece of paper with the typed print on it and contemplated throwing it away. But his brain reminded him that he might need it as it could be evidence. Or it could just be a coincidence, his brain also added as it presented both sides of the story.

So with that he tucked the ball into his inner coat pocket and got into his car; his mood even sourer than it was before. Just go get the boys and get Wilder off your mind.

Back in the precinct Jamie slowly made his way down toward Wilder's cell; after having made sure Blueridge was out on a call and Eddie was writing their last call's notes. He remained in the shadows for a few minutes as silence came from Wilder's cell.

However, just before he had to leave, he heard something that made him stop in his tracks.

"Is detective Reagan still in the building?"

"No," came the simple but truthful reply.

Wilder's question might seem out of place to anyone not familiar with the case, but to Jamie it was important – to a degree. It wasn't incriminating and could only mean that Wilder wanted to see Danny to taunt him or make pointless chatter. But Jamie was glad that Danny was on his way home as after today the last thing he needed was to tangle with Wilder.

Danny reached the boys school and waited in his car; his eyes darting around to make sure that they would be no Wilder look alike sighting's. I'll bet that bastard is somewhere close by…SHOW YOURSELF! Danny's mind inwardly yelled as his fists tightened around the steering wheel.

'I am going to recommend another session.'

'What? Why? I already told you everything and now it's…it's over. What else is there to talk about?' Danny had asked in frustrated anger.

'I would like to just follow up after a week and see how you've progressed.'

She said she'd bring up departmental policy if he said no, so Danny in reality had no choice but to agree to the follow up session the following week.

"Dad?"

"Dad!"

"Hey guys…thought I'd pick you up today," Danny told his sons as he greeted them with a friendly smile; Sean getting into the front.

"Everything okay?" Jacked asked from the back.

"Yup. Finished work a bit early so thought I'd save you both the bus fare," Danny retorted with a smile as he pulled away from the curb. "So…how was school?"

As he listened to his boys as they recalled their day, he tried to tell himself over and over that he was on his way home and everything would be fine. But Wilder was about to change that – even from afar. When Danny pulled up to the intersection and came to a stop, he glanced around and one care over his eyes stopped and rested on…

"Son of a bitch!" Danny cursed as the driver next to his car winked and then instantly sped through the intersection.

"What's going on?"

"Who was that?"

But Danny didn't think about the consequences of having his boys in the car with him as he pulled away at top speed, his regular Jeep not having a police light to keep traffic out of harm's way for his boys.

"What's going on?" Jack asked again as he looked at his father in worry.

"I'm gonna get this guy! I'll get him and prove Wilder paid him!"

"Get who? Wilder…the guy in jail? It's him? He's out?"

"No he's…look just sit back and…"

"You're going kind of fast," Sean mentioned in concern as Danny's brain started to shout out warning that his actions were scaring his sons.

"I can't let him get away!"

"Is Wilder in jail?" Jack asked in wonder.

"Yes!" Danny barked before he caught Jack's scared gaze in the rear view mirror and found himself slowing down. He hadn't gotten a license plate so couldn't call it in and if he called in a Wilder sighting it would be on record, on police record that he was seeing things and that was something that would put fuel in Wilder's fire to get him suspended which is what he knows is Wilder's end game.

Not gonna give it to you you bastard! Danny's mind inwardly roared as he slowed the car to a respectable pace.

"What's going on dad?" Sean asked with a small quiver in his tone as Danny inwardly cursed himself.

"It was…nothing."

"Didn't seem like nothing."

"Sorry about that," Danny offered as he turned the car around and headed back home. He tried to tell himself that that was nothing. That it was just a misunderstanding and his boys would be fine. He'd be wrong.

XXXXXXXX

"You did what?"

"Which one told you?"

"Does it matter?" Linda shot back as Danny sat on the edge of their bed later that night and looked up at her in remorse. "You started a high speed chase with our children in the car because you thought you saw Thomas Wilder? Who's in jail?"

"It was his lookalike!" Danny fired back impatiently. "He's trying to get me worked up and…"

"It's working!" Linda interjected as their argument behind their closed bedroom door.

"I didn't…." Danny started once more with a raised tone before he finally lowered it and slumped back down onto the top of their bed. "I didn't mean to."

"I know," Linda replied as she sat down beside her husband and let his head rest on her shoulder.

"He's got help. I know he does. Someone on the inside. I don't know how he does it. Whether it's Blueridge or…I don't know but I know he's doing it."

"Maybe he only wants you to think he is," Linda gently suggested.

"What? You…you don't believe me?" Danny asked her in shock.

"No, I do but I know how much he's gotten to you and…"

"He's not. He's cunning and devious and filthy rich! He has means," Danny explained. "He found someone. Linda you have to believe me. Tell me…tell me you believe me."

"I believe he wants to get at you any way he can."

"You have to believe he has someone out there who…really?"

"No one else has seen the other person right?"

"Ah now you sound like the damn shrink!" Danny huffed as he dropped his face to his hands and rubbed it with agitation. "This needs to be over soon."

"Come lay down," Linda entreated as she lay down on their pillow and then beckoned him to her side. Danny lay down at his wife's side and closed his eyes while her fingers started to gently massage his tense scalp. "I think this weekend you'll just rest and that should help ease some of this tension."

"Hope so," he agreed as he closed his eyes and tried to get his mind to focus on anything but Wilder's taunting words.

'I'm in your head.'

XXXXXXXX

Saturday Danny spent with his family doing things around the House and found that his mood had improved and Wilder's taunts didn't dominate his thoughts as they did when he was at work. However, when Sunday rolled around, the agitation at facing Monday had started to skyrocket.

'Monday…Wilder's arraignment.

With that aggravating thought in mind, Danny headed up the walk to his father's home for their weekly family dinner and could only pray that everything would go smoothly and Thomas Wilder wouldn't be the talk of their dinnertime conversation.

Would he get his wish?

A/N: alright I hope you all get this alert b/c the system hasn't been working properly as of late *ugh* tsk tsk Danny…or should I say Wilder? *wink* didn't think Frank would just commit his son but will Jamie find proof in time? Will the shrink hear any troubling news? And what does Wilder have planned for Danny up next? Please do review before you go and thanks so much!