Baker and Jim struck up an alliance with Big Gus Gullino, offering to cut a deal with the DA for six of his foot soldiers, in exchange for as many addresses as he would be willing to turn over for the BSB. Once they had a list and a warrant for each from Erin, they all hit the trail. It was the day before Christmas. The time when they should've been packing the Jeep to head to Bay Ridge. Instead, Jamie, Eddie, Baez, Danny, Jim, Baker, and Sid all put on their bullet proof vests, and started kicking in doors with the SWAT team approved by Frank.

Christmas Eve and Christmas day both came and went. Twenty-four of the BSB foot soldiers had been arrested on various drugs and weapons charges, but none of them had Millie.

Danny had all but moved into the 5-4 as had Maria. She made sure he ate occasionally and tried to get him to get a few hours of sleep, but both of them were working about twenty-two hours a day. Frank kept check on both of them through Sid.

Danny, Baez, Jim, Jamie and Eddie followed every possible lead. They watched the surveillance video from the school more times than they could count. They kicked in more doors than they walked through. They arrested members of the BSB day after day. The did everything they possibly could, but around day twelve of the investigation, Danny started to lose heart.

He found himself on the front row of the church one evening, completely exhausted and praying for guidance.

"This seat taken?" Father O'Reilly asked.

"Father… I'm…" Danny couldn't get out the words.

"I know that in times like these it's hard to think clearly. It may seem difficult to recall the many comforts that we find in the Bible. This book is full of promises from a loving God… who loves Millie and loves you."
"If God truly loves me, then WHY does he keep taking those that I love? Mom was a saint… a godly woman who helped everyone. Joe, a standup cop… the family peacemaker. And now Millie, an innocent little kid. And forget just the people he's taken from me. What about Jackie, huh? Millie deserves to have her Mom."
"I hear you. And it's times like these that make it hard to believe in the Sovereignty of God. But we have to believe that God has a purpose for all of these trials that he puts us through. There has to be some reason."

"Well when you figure it out, Father, will you let me know?"

"Danny," Baez called softly from the back of the church. "It's time."

"Yeah. Ok," Danny answered as he quickly wiped his eyes and tried to pull himself together.

Father O'Reilly looked at Danny with sympathy as he got up to head out. "Danny, read Hosea 6:1. I'm praying for you."

Danny walked to the back and joined Baez.

"Good talk?"

"More like no answers. Baez what if they…"

"No what ifs," Baez quickly cut him off. "We are finding Millie. We just aren't there yet."

While Danny was losing heart, Dino was losing patience. He cut Millie off the one peanut butter and jelly sandwich they had been serving her a day. She had no idea why. She was cold and scared of the dark closet, and now she was even more hungry. She began to cry again to which Dino and Company were quick to knock her out.

Henry's sixth sense must have kicked in because he had a feeling that he too needed to visit the church. He lit a candle and made his way to the pew to say a prayer when Father O'Reilly joined him.
"Henry?"
"Hi Father. I had a feeling that I needed to be a little closer with my prayers tonight."

"I understand. You know He can hear you from wherever you are."
"I know… but I just have a bad feeling tonight that I can't shake. I just… I don't know. This seemed appropriate."

"Stay as long as you need, Henry. And if it's ok, I'll just stay here with you for a while. For where two or three are gathered…"
"There He is in the midst," Henry smiled.

"Frank! We just got an update!" Garrett announced a few days later as he rushed into the Commissioner's office. Frank turned around from where he was perched in front of the window as Garrett threw his laptop on the Commissioner's desk and hit play. Frank braced himself, knowing it probably wasn't good.

"Commissioner, I wasn't kidding when I said you needed to make amends for your bad behavior. Now you're lucky I haven't dropped your granddaughter in the East River with her mother, but time is running out. You will release my boys within the seventy-two hours or you will find this very hungry child floating downstream. And just so you know, she hasn't eaten in two days, so she will definitely float."

"We've got to make a move now. Millie doesn't have much time. Baker, get Jim."

"Where's Mil's nativity?" Henry asked as he took some Brunswick stew over to Linda.

"Her room," Linda sniffed. "I tried to put it away after Christmas, but she insisted on leaving it on her nightstand. It's been there all year."

"How about we take it back to the house and put it on the mantle? Santa may need the reminder that we're all wanting a Christmas miracle."

He took the small wooden pieces back with him, with Linda's blessing, and carefully placed them right in the middle of the mantle, before sending up yet another prayer for her safe return.

Danny finally came home that night, only for a quick shower and a few hours of sleep. At this point, he was no longer even running on fumes. It was more like adrenaline plus exhaustion. Linda heated up his dinner and quickly made her way upstairs to grab him before he collapsed in bed. When she didn't find him in their room or in their bathroom, she went on the hunt. She found him, standing in Millie's doorway, with a thousand-yard stare.

"Pop came and got her nativity. He wanted to give Santa a reminder that we need a Christmas miracle."

"Where's Atticus?"
"I… I don't know. I haven't been able to bring myself in here."

"She's going to want him. We've got to find that rat."
About that time, Sean walked through. "Are you talking about Atticus? I've got him, Dad. I'm sorry. I just know how Mil is about him sleeping alone… and I took him to my room. I can put him back."
"No buddy, I'm sorry. I'm glad you're taking care of him," Danny said as he gave them both a hug. "Did you open your Christmas presents yet?"

"No. We're waiting on Millie," Jack said softly. "We'll do it when she gets home."

Frank wanted to call in Danny and company but knew that they had to act fast. He, Baker, Gormley and Jim talked it over and decided they had to go back to Gus. Baker and Jim, feeling somewhat annoyed Gus hadn't led them to Dino, and pretty much desperate to offer negotiations, made their way back to Caesar Romano's. Gus chuckled as he saw them walk in, looking for help. Jim was in no mood for ridicule or further negotiations. He felt as though Gus had them chasing their tails and he demanded some sort of credible lead. "I want Dino and I want him now."

"What are you looking for? He's been running the south side for years and you boys in blue have never come at him this hard. Why now? What has he done that's got you on my doorstep?"

"He's kidnapped a six-year-old girl. I find him and he's going away for life… and the guards assigned to his cell might just step away for an hour or two, if you get my drift… leaving you and your boys to move in on the south side permanently. Now WHERE is he?"
Gus, too, had a six-year-old daughter and Jim knew it. They'd held back on their search reason up until this point, but Jim knew know that time was urgent and he was willing to try anything. He was ready to pull out all stops and if that meant tugging at Gus Guffalino's heartstrings, he would do that too.

Gus sat back and took a puff of his cigar. "88635 Lennox Ave Northwest. He got that place about three weeks ago. They own that whole block, so he'll have guys in all of those houses… both sides of the street."

"Guffalino, if this is a setup…"
"It's not," Gus said. "I saw the kid last night in the paper. She's looks just like my Gemma at that age. Have fun, Detective."

Baker and Jim had all of their key players called to the Commissioner's office. They knew Frank would want to be in on the planning of the raid. Of course, he called in backup on top of backup. He also insisted Danny be the last one in the house. He knew he couldn't keep him at home, but he also wasn't letting the purely exhausted and extremely vulnerable one to be the first one through the door. There were 8 houses on the street plus a Pawn Shop, Frank was happy to send fifty members of SWAT, twenty additional uniformed cops, and his trusted group standing in his office, chomping at the bit to go and kick in more doors.

"Go get my granddaughter," he growled as they headed out the door. "Whatever it takes."

"Shoot first, ask questions later," Eddie whispered as she and Jamie headed down the elevator beside Danny and Baez.

"You got that right," Danny muttered. Jim, Sid, Baker, Jamie, and Eddie, poured into 88635 Lennox after SWAT kicked in the door as the other SWAT member and cops took the other houses. There was a house full of people… no small amount of gunfire was exchanged, which didn't end well for the BSB. Unfortunately for Dino, Sid found him first and literally had him in a chokehold quicker than he could turn around. Dino was a big guy and was about to turn the tables when Jim walked up and put a gun right between his eyes. "If one hair on that girl's head is harmed, I WILL blow your brains out, you SOB. WHERE is she?"

"Who?" Dino laughed. "I have no idea what you're talking about, Detective."

That answer did not suit Jim Nusaforo in the slightest. He rared back and pistol whipped the side of Dino's head, splitting it wide open. "I'll ask once more before a bullet goes in your brain. Where's Millie?"

"She was too chatty. Tony had to shut her up."

"Millie!" Jim yelled as he jacked him upside the head once more while Sid put the cuffs on him. "Millie!"

"Mr. Jim?" Millie thought as she roused from sleep. "Mr. Jim!" she yelled as she beat on the closet door. "Mr. Jim! I'm in here!"

Jim, Jamie, and Eddie all locked eyes, guns still raised. "House secure?" Jim asked.

"It's secure," one of the guys from SWAT answered. "Go!"

"Millie!" Jamie yelled again as they all listened to try to distinguish where the cries were coming from.

"The closet!" Eddie yelled as they sprinted over in the direction of the hallway.

"Cover me!" Jim yelled as he ran over and pulled the outside lock open.

"I got you," Jamie said as he and Eddie stepped back and drew their weapons, in case someone was inside with Millie.

Jim flung the door open to reveal his favorite six-year-old, dirty, and sitting in the floor amidst filth.

"MILLIE!"

"Mr. Jim!" Millie jumped straight up and into his arms. How in the world she jumped six feet in the air he will never know. Jim wrapped her up in his arms. "I knew you'd find me, Mr. Jim! Where's Mr. Uncle Danny? I want to go home!"

"You got it, Mil."
"Hey, Cricket!" Jamie smiled for the first time in weeks as he reached out to pat her back. He and Eddie both needed to touch her to make sure she was real.

"Mr. Uncle Jamie!" Millie cried, still with a death grip on Jim, but with one arm stretched out to hug Jamie. "And Ms. Officer Eddie!"

"Hey Mil!"

"Danny, we got her," Baez radioed. "We got her and she's ok!"

When Frank heard that call come out over the radio, he collapsed in his chair. Garrett was the only one there, so he felt it was the ample opportunity to release a few of his own tears. No one was exactly sure how Danny made it to Jim so fast, but he was literally there before any of them could blink.

"Millie!" The normally tough Danny Reagan, could finally relax. He, however, couldn't hold back his emotions. He sobbed as he grabbed Millie from Jim's arms.

"Mr. Uncle Danny! What took you so long?!"

"Sorry, Mil. I've been looking for you night and day."

"You look tired," Millie said as she rubbed the side of his face with her tiny hand.

"A little bit," he smiled weakly as his crew of valiant warriors built a shield of protection around them and escorted them outside to a waiting ambulance.

"I don't want to go in here," Millie said. "Can we go home? I want to see Mrs. Aunt Linda. And Jack. And Seany. And Phil and Gus. And Grandpa and Pop."
"They'll meet us at the hospital. We need to get you checked out."
"I don't like doctors," Millie cried. "I just want to go home! I'm so hungry."

"I know, Baby." Danny said as he held her. "Millie, look at Uncle Danny. Did those men hurt you?" Danny held his breath for a response. He didn't know what he was about to get into. He had no idea what they could've done to her in the two and a half weeks he'd been looking.

"Sometimes. They hit me when I cried too much. But most of the time they just made me take medicine that made me go to sleep."

That statement freaked him out. Why in the world were they drugging his kid? He knew she needed to be checked out. He wasn't quite sure how that was going to go down though. He called Linda on their way to the hospital. "You have her? She's with you?!"

"Yes, Babe. I've got her! She's right here."
"Put her on!"
"Hello?" Millie said as Danny handed her the phone.

"Mil? Is it you?"

"Of course it's me, Mrs. Aunt Linda. Tell Mr. Uncle Danny to bring me home. I want to come see you, Jack, and Seany. I don't want to go to the doctor."

"Don't worry. I'm meeting you there. I'll be there in a few minutes. I'm bringing Jack and Sean too!"

"Ok."
"I love you Millie Rose Reagan!"
"Love you too."