Author's Note: I know it's been a long time but well, Uni's been giving me hell, hell in terms of assignments so I've been trying to write this in the morsel of free time I have left. That's why this chapter is so short but I promise that once the storm of work has let up, I'll be plain sailing with the story again! Shouldn't be long though. Keep on reading and reviewing cuz you guys are great! Also, I know some people had a few uh, issues with the last chapter which is understandable but that's why there's this chapter. After the initial shock has worn off, they'll start to see things more clearly, or at least Jamie does.

Chapter 21 – I See Red

Jamie half-collapsed against Danny, who tried to support him. "I don't – what is going on here?" he asked his big brother in exasperation.

"I thought you said he was dead kid," Danny said quietly, still holding onto a trembling Jamie.

"I thought he was!"

"Danny…" Erin was staring fearfully at him, "What are we going to do?"

Danny's eyes swept over the kitchen, assessing everything, from the blood pooling the floor, to the bloody fingerprints smeared all over the kitchen counter and the back door.

"Danny what are we gonna do?" Erin repeated aggressively.

"I'll tell you what we're gonna do," Danny released Jamie who fell against the door frame, watching Danny close the door with his foot and then proceeding to ferret around in the cupboards for the cleaning stuff.

"What are you doing?" Erin gasped.

"I'm gonna bake a cake, what does it look like I'm doing Erin?" Danny snapped, frantically unpacking the cleaning stuff, "I'm gonna get this kitchen cleaned up before Ma and Dad gets home and you're gonna help me! Now grab some gloves and let's get scrubbin!"

"Danny -!"

"Now!"

"Stop!" Jamie yelled suddenly.

Erin and Danny froze. They stared at their brother.

"Jamie?"

"Just – don't clean up. Don't touch anything. Don't get rid of the evidence. Don't pretend like this isn't happening." Jamie staggered towards the chair and dropped onto it. "Erin you were right. Let's tell Dad. Let's call the police. Let's deal with this like the professionals we're supposed to be."

"But Jamie this isn't -" Danny moved towards him cautiously but Jamie halted him with his hand.

"Please. Don't say anything to change my mind Danny. My mind is already made up."

"But we don't know what's gonna happen to you." Danny said in a voice tinged with desperation. "They could think you acted out of craziness – they could take you away from us again. God…they could put you back into hospital! Kid you just gotta ask yourself this - do you want to go back to Corbel? Do you?"

Jamie involuntarily shuddered at the thought, "I don't. Of course I don't." He forced himself to say. "But I don't want any more lying or secrets. It was keeping things a secret that put me in there in the first place remember?"

Danny and Erin fired a quick glance at each other as they remembered Danny's exact words a few days ago.

"He's not dead," Jamie continued in a voice filled with despair, "So… I guess... I have nothing to worry about in terms of attempted murder. Besides, all this, what we're doing, covering it up…it's not who we are."

"I don't care about that," Danny said in a thin voice, "I care about you and what happens to you if this ever gets out. You have no idea how much trouble the press can cause for you Jamie, if you thought things were bad before, just wait and see what happens when they find out about this."

"I can handle them Danny," Jamie responded in a tired voice.

"You can't!"

"I've handled being strapped down to my bed nearly every night, I think I can handle a few asshole reporters!" Jamie protested, feeling his vulnerability being exposed more and more with every passing second, "But I can only get through it if I have your support."

Danny felt his heart twinge as he stared at his little brother. What was he supposed to do?

"Do I have your support?" Jamie asked directly at Danny.

Both brothers stared at each other meaningfully, overwhelmed by Jamie's decisiveness. Neither one wanted to back down. Then, very slowly, Danny nodded.

Erin sniffed, "You don't even have to ask!" She crossed the room in two strides and hugged her brother hard, "Of course we'll support you. Admit it," she threw Danny a sharp look, "You're way out of your depth here. We need Dad."

They heard the front door slam shut. Danny straightened up and Jamie immediately tensed in Erin's arms.

"Shh, it's okay, it's just Dad." Erin soothed, rocking Jamie back and forth like she used to when he was a child.

"Hey, everybody, what -" Joe walked into the kitchen and stopped in the doorway. He gaped, open mouthed at the sight of the blood all over the kitchen. He swore under his breath. "Guys? What the hell?"

Danny didn't answer, he just sunk into a chair, exhausted. Erin couldn't look at any of them.

"He's gone Joe," Jamie whimpered, still clutching onto Erin's arm. "Bachman. He wasn't dead like I thought he was. I guess I didn't hit him as hard as I – thought…"

"So… what's all this? Why are you just sitting here like ducks?" Joe's eyes narrowed as he looked at Danny who just stared back at him, stoically.

"Danny was gonna clean up the kitchen and then try and hunt Bachman down. I told him to just forget the whole thing. I'm gonna tell Dad the truth." Jamie replied firmly, "Where is he?"

"He's – he's upstairs, but Jamie wait!" Joe added hurriedly, as Jamie stood up, "Please just think about what could happen -"

"Not you too!" Jamie growled.

Joe grabbed him roughly by the shoulders, "Jamie listen to me now. If this gets out, stuff is gonna go down."

"Open your eyes! Stuff already has gone down!" Jamie bit back, shrugging himself out of Joe's grip.

"I'm talking about stuff which – we might not be able to control!"

"I don't – look, we've made it this far without the media finding out haven't we? What's – what's one more cover up?" Jamie stammered.

"Damn it, it's not about that!" Joe turned his livid gaze to Danny, "Oh please by all means just sit there!"

"What do you want me to do Joe?" Danny retorted angrily, "I was prepared to do what you asked, we both were. But then Jamie told us to leave it. He won't let us help! So we can't just ignore his wishes."

"Of course we can," Joe said through gritted teeth, "He's in a weird place right now – he's not thinking clearly. He's had a shock and – and – and this is only a way -"

"Joe we're cops, it's not what we do!" Jamie interrupted in a hushed voice. "I mean…" He threw Danny a sheepish look, "Danny I can understand but you… I thought you would be on my side with this one, just like you always are. What's wrong with you?"

Joe shifted uncomfortably, "It's just… I can see red here. I don't want you going back into Corbel. You told me you were never going to go back there again."

"I might not Joe!"

"We don't know that!" Joe paced the kitchen, treading over the blood spots carefully, "We don't know anything!"

"I know you guys are doing this for my protection but I have to grow up. We're talking about – possibly a lifetime running away from Bachman and that I just can't deal." Jamie said with some trepidation. "Face it. If he hadn't show up here tonight we wouldn't have been any closer to catching him than we have of pinning down a cloud and you know it."

Danny sighed in shame.

"And you think this is the easy way out do you?" Joe asked with a pained expression, "I know we're cops Jamie, I know that but – we're family first and – if it means that we need to – to – fine tune a few things which will help you then we'll do them! No questions asked!"

"I'm not questioning your loyalty to me!" Jamie said in irritation, "Do you honestly think I care about that right now. All I wanna do is go find Dad and tell him the truth. It'll break him …I know but -"

"Exactly! We'll find another way!" Joe interjected fiercely.

"Joe there is no other way!" Jamie glared him down, "Now are you made of human parts at all?"

"That's enough you two!" Danny suddenly barked. Jamie and Joe whipped round to face him. "Joe he's right. He's right." Danny heaved a sigh and rubbed his clean-shaven face, "We've been going at this all wrong."

Joe opened his mouth to argue but Erin silenced him with a look. He backed down in defeat.

"Kids are you here?" Frank's thundering yet cheerful voice drifted into the kitchen.

"Yeah we're – we're all here Dad!" Jamie called out in a shaking voice, his eyes never leaving Joe's.

They could hear Frank chuckling as he sauntered down the stairs. All four Reagan siblings wanted nothing more than for him to make everything better.

"Okay." Jamie said softly, steeling himself as their father's footsteps approached. "Here goes."

To Be Continued...