AN: I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. We made ravioli with the turkey, as well as an artichoke heart salad. We also had cranberry-orange muffins, along with the pumpkin pie. Of course, the t. v. was playing in the background the whole time, showing the Macy's Parade, the National Dog Show, a couple of Hallmark movies, & the holiday concert at Disney World.

"Housesitter" was a movie. It wasn't an occupation Holly believed herself suited for. Danny and Linda were away on another of their romantic weekends, and the boys were staying with Frank. The red-head was honored by the task she'd been given, but she still felt slightly out of her depth. Her apartment was a decent size, but it was only a third the size of the house. It didn't help that she hadn't been able to spend these two nights with Jamie, or that he'd been kept occupied with a recent string of robberies. Luckily, this would be coming to an end tonight, when the happy couple returned. The chill from outside started creeping its way in again, forcing Holly to turn up the thermostat another couple of degrees. She was so glad to finally be done with paperwork from her job, and to be able to take the nap her body had been craving. Giving a loud, groaning sigh, she collapsed backwards onto the sofa. She exchanged a few texts with her sister, asking how her two graduate school exams had gone. She also sent a message to her father to ask how he was feeling.

Colton said he was fine, and he asked her, "How's the housesitting going?"

She replied, "All clear at Crow's Nest."

He sent back a smiley face at her use of the codename for Danny and Linda's home. "Casa Reagan", of course, referred to Frank and Henry's house. "The Forum" was Erin's place, while "Launchpad" was Nikki's. And he knew that, whenever Holly mentioned "Heart Haven", she was somewhere with Jamie. There were a couple more basic questions, before the conversation finished. As her eyes slowly drifted shut, the last thing she remembered hearing was the faint thump of her cellphone, hitting the carpet. An indeterminable amount of time later, she starting coming back into consciousness when she felt a soft, ghosting touch against her lips. A smile bloomed across her face. She re-opened her eyes, meeting those of her fiance.

She told him, "The curse is broken. You've freed me with true love's kiss."

Playing along, Jamie asked, "Will it be the first of many?"

"I believe so."

Both laughing, he helped her into a sitting position. She asked why he was done with tour so early. He that he'd decided to take a late lunch, and that Eddie was meeting her boyfriend for the same reason. She started telling him about some upcoming events at the theater.

"Do they want you to sing?"

"Yeah, but I don't know which number to do. They didn't give me any guidelines."

He told her, "So, make your own. We both know you can."

"Thanks, love."

He gave her a quick kiss, before throwing his jacket over the couch arm, and venturing into the kitchen for a drink. When he returned, he found something slightly-unexpected. Holly was lying down again, with his jacket rolled up under her head like another pillow. She hadn't put on her sunglasses, so it wasn't one of her migraines. Clearing his throat to get her attention, he asked her what was wrong.

She told him, "Still a little groggy, I guess. Might be PMS, or something."

She suppressed a giggle over the soft groan Jamie made.

He mumbled, "I'd take 'or something' any day."

"You think I wouldn't?"

She patted a spot behind her, though she really didn't need to ask. He crawled onto the couch, careful not to spill his soda. It wasn't their bed, but it would do. After they were nearly murdered, Jamie treasured their moments together all the more. Even something as simple as an embrace like this meant the world to him. He felt safely anchored, sensing her pulse beneath his thumb as he rubbed it over the inside of her wrist. Stretching his neck and resting his chin on her shoulder, his gaze settled on a certain picture on the wall. It was of Danny and Joe, smiling and fist-bumping in the middle of a crowed room. It was a reception, following the ceremony which featured the promotion to detective. Danny had gotten his own promotion two years before the photo was taken, and he couldn't have been prouder. Jamie sniffed back a tear. He missed Joe all the time, but it was especially strong in moments like this. He would've loved to have had him at the altar with them as a groomsman. It seemed like the image was hypnotizing him, so much so that he didn't feel the thin, wet trails on his cheeks. Holly did sense them, though, when she reached up to touch his face.

"Love? Jamie, what-"

He didn't answer. Following the direction he was looking in, she realized what was making him so upset. She let go a heavy sigh, snuggling back against him and pulling his arms tighter around her body. Her thumb rubbed affectionately over his right elbow.

Softly, she told him, "I'm so sorry. I know how much you miss him. Hell, I never even met the guy, and I miss him."

She heard him make a chuffing noise behind her, which caused the corner of her mouth to twitch up.

She continued, "I'm serious. That's how strongly and vividly you've kept Joe's memory alive."

Jamie replied, "We all do that, even though Danny isn't as open with it."

"I know what you mean. All I can get out of Mr. Tight Lips is 'He would have loved you', 'He was the smiley one', or 'He was a hippie'."

He chuckled out the words "Mr. Tight Lips", before saying, "Well, he's right on all three counts. Joe was the spritely one in the family. He was constantly smiling. He loved everybody, and he didn't hesitate to show it."

"But he knew when it was time to be tough."

"Exactly. That's what made him such a great cop."

There was a brief pause, before Holly asked, "So...what moment was the hardest, in the first couple of years after he died?"

Jamie needed a minute to think that over. There were a lot of hard moments, in the wake of his brother's passing. It was difficult to choose one that stuck out more than the others.

Finally, he said, "I remember picking up his stuff from his girlfriend's place, then sitting outside in my car and looking through it. Listening to the playlist on his iPod was rough. It made me think of all the times I'd lose at shots-and-quarters, and how Joe's payment always was to make me sing."

At this, Holly burst out laughing. Hearing it made him laugh, too. This was one of the things he loved so much about her. She made him feel comfortable discussing heavy subjects, and she also knew how to pull him back to the light.

She said, "No wonder you don't like to show off your voice in public. Too many embarrassing memories."

"Not necessarily. I sang a lot to Nikki, when she was a baby."

"Did you do that with Jack and Sean, too?"

"Are you kidding? You really think Danny would've allowed that? It was always 'My kids. My voice.' Then, he'd laugh at me and walk away."

"Typical big brother."

"Yeah."

A little while later, a car pulled into the driveway, and another couple got out. As grateful as they were for the time away, Danny and Linda were also glad to be home. The blond walked around the back of their car, smiling and linking hands with her husband. When they leaned in for a kiss, they noticed something was off. Danny rarely parked in the garage anyway, but this situation was different. Something was blocking their path.

Linda said, "That's Jamie's squad car."

"Yes, it is."

As he slipped the key into the front door's lock, he cringed at hearing the soft groans and giggles. But then, he realized they weren't coming from upstairs. Rounding a corner into the living room, he was thankful that they were at least clothed while they made out. Holly was on top of Jamie, with his hands curved at the small of her bent-inward back. His left one would occasionaly slide down to her thigh. Hers were resting on his shoulders.

"Yo!"

That stopped them. The couple immediately pulled apart, matching looks of mortification on both of their faces. The tips of Jamie's ears turned red, but his fiance's cheeks put them to shame. Holly mumbled a soft "Oh, God", burying her face in his chest and trying to hide her embarrassment. He cupped the back of his neck, flashing an awkward smile as he turned to look at his brother directly.

"Uh...welcome home, Danny."

Giving into the urge to smile, the man in question leaned against the doorframe and put a hand on his hip.

He said, "You know, most people get a banner for that."

"What's goin' on", asked a familiar voice.

Linda poked her head over her husband's shoulder, bursting into a giggle-fit as she took in the full scene. Jamie's hand went to his face in the classic "kill me now" gesture.

"Why aren't you moving her, little bro?"

"Can't you just pretend you didn't see anything?"

"Hell no."

Then, Danny said, "I think it's time you start plannin' the honeymoon, kid, before you both go crazy."

At that, Jamie grabbed a small decorative pillow and hurled it at Danny's head.

He ducked out of the way, saying, "I'm not touchin' that. It might need to be fumigated", and he glanced sideways at his wife, before continuing, "Forget the rest of our brand-new couch."

"Aw, come on, babe. Let them go. We've seen more than we needed to already."

He waved at a peeking-out Holly, before disappearing into the kitchen. From what little they could see of him, they noticed that he was still twitching with silent laughter.

The red-head turned to Linda and asked, "What are the chances he'll let us forget this?"

"Probably slim to none."

"Great."

She and Jamie were finally comfortable, getting off the couch. He kept his arm draped around her as they walked past Linda, each of them smiling and saying their goodbyes, before leaving the house. Jamie dropped his girl off at the theater, before returning to the precinct to re-start his tour. The embarrassment of being caught like that stayed with Holly for the rest of the day. But the more she thought about it, the funnier it became. It certainly was decent gossip for her friends.

Cassie asked, "Exactly how far gone were you guys, when the lord and lady of the manor walked in?"

"We were just kissing. No big deal."

"No big deal wouldn't have made Danny blush", said Tucker.

"He didn't blush. He was more worried about his precious couch."

He told her, "Hey, I've been there. I remember being fifteen, and coming down into our kitchen to make some tea for a sore throat. My oldest brother and his girlfriend at the time were in there. He had her, sitting up on the counter. I couldn't see one of his hands at first. I knocked on the wall to get their attention."

"What happened next?"

"I almost puked, when that hand I couldn't see before slid out from under her cheerleading skirt."

"Ew", said Cassie.

"Yeah. My thoughts exactly", Tucker replied, taking a long pull from his beer.

It was a great uplifting moment, and it left Holly feeling a bit more open-minded. She didn't feel so isolated in the situation anymore, even though the situation was a small one. Jamie was late in picking her up, and she was starting to get a little antsy. She texted him, saying she was going for a walk around the Freedom Tower.

When he asked her why, she told him, "It just seems like the right place for some introspection. I feel like I need that right now."

The sun was barely visible on the horizon, and an early bite of winter was in the air. Leaning over the carved marble that surrounded the reflecting pool, she could see the faint wisp, whenever she'd exhale. She traced the names closest to her with her fingertip, wondering about all the lives that could've been. Her own life had gone in such a radical direction after that day. How different would things have been, if it hadn't been Danny who'd rescued her and Tricia? Or what if the sisters had never gotten seperated from their parents? The seed that became her love of theater would likely never have been planted. She wouldn't have met Nikki, and later Jamie. Sighing, she looked down at her ring, and she shifted it around her finger. She heard a vehicle pull up behind her, but she didn't pay much attention to it. That was, of course, until she felt a large hand settle on her shoulder.

"Oh", and she turned to her left, "Hi, Frank."

"Hey, sweetheart. Doing okay?"

"Yeah. Um...what are you doing here?"

"Jamie said you might need a ride home. He's finishing some last-minute paperwork, and he knew I'd be heading home by now. He asked me to pick you up."

She smiled and said, "At this hour? The perks of being commissioner."

"There are a few of them."

He stood beside her quietly, his hands resting on the marble, and his eyes staring hard into the water.

After a few minutes, he said only, "Rick Rescorla."

"Hmm?"

"Rick Rescorla. He was a friend of mine for many years."

Frank led Holly around the side of the pool, draping an arm around her shoulders. He explained that Rick had been born in England, but that the man had become an American citizen shortly before the Vietnam War broke out.

"Wait a second", she said, "I know this story. They talked about him on the History Channel. He was", and she paused with the realization, "'The Man Who Predicted 9/11'."

"That, he was. Nobody believed him. They didn't want to imagine an attack like '93 could happen again, and then be a thousand times worse to boot."

"Well, that's understandable, but ignorance isn't always bliss. Half the time, it ends up hurting you."

He sighed and said, "Very true."

Holly wondered why he'd paused mid-step. But when she peeked around him, she understood. He'd stopped in front of the exact spot, where Rick Rescorla's name had been carved. He placed his hand flat beside it, as if reaching out to the beyond in search of his friend. She sensed it wasn't the first time he'd felt that way. She'd long ago been told the story of his other friend, and fellow first-responder, John McKenna. He'd spoken at the man's funeral. She briefly placed her hand over his, comfortingly rubbing her thumb over his knuckles. He flashed a sidways smile at her, as she pulled away.

Leaning on the marble with her forearms, Holly then said, "It's amazing, not only the fact that one incident can affect so many peoples' lives, but also the ways in which those lives are changed. I was thinking about this, just before you showed up."

"I know what you mean. If I hadn't brought a lost twenty-dollar bill to the counter at McDonald's, I would never have met Mary, and I wouldn't have my children and grandchildren. And if you and Tricia had obeyed your parents on 9/11, you wouldn't be part of this family right now."

Meeting his eyes, she asked, "When did you become psychic?"

He smiled, a soft chuckle escaping him as they walked to the van together.

When it began pulling down the road, Holly said, "The last few hours have really opened my mind."

"In what way?"

"Lots of things. I think not taking every innuendo so personally will always be a process, especially in regards to Danny. But I've also learned to appreciate the ripple-effect, too."

"I don't think I've stopped learning, either, sweetheart. That's what makes life exciting."

The corner of her mouth twitched up, as she mused over the idea. Frank handed her a cup of coffee, which he'd picked up on the way to get her.

Taking a sip from his own cup, he asked, "Speaking of exciting, don't you have a special appointment next week?"

Giggling, Holly's cheeks briefly flushed again, and she tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear.

She said, "Yeah. I'm picking out my wedding dress. And no, I'm not bringing Nikki, Linda, or Erin with me. I'm sure you can understand the risk of information leaks."

He huffed, letting go a slight chuckle.

Holly continued, "Besides, they've got the whole bridesmaids thing to look forward to."

"Indeed, they do."

It seemed a lot of people had a lot of things to look forward to. And now, she felt a little better about letting those things happen.

AN: I know I promised to show Holly, getting involved in one of Danny's cases, but the plotline here got away from me. I'm still trying to figure out how that involvement will happen, & I'd love any suggestion you could give for that. The next chapter will be much more light-hearted, as Holly goes looking for the most important item of clothing she'll ever wear.