"Good morning," Frank greeted Jimmy once he saw the young man was awake.

"Morning," Jimmy mumbled sleepily. "You really didn't have to stay, Frank. I would have been just fine." He told the police commissioner, although deep inside he was kind of glad he did stay with him.

"Someone had to make sure you were alright and I happened to be available." Frank shrugged his shoulders, not wanting to make a bid deal out of it. Besides, the bond he and Jimmy created over the last couple of weeks was undeniably growing stronger. In fact, the commissioner was quite fond of the young man and he wished he could help him cut his ties with the Sanfinos.

"Pancakes?" Frank then asked the young lawyer as he showed him a plate full of luke warm pancakes he made before Jimmy woke up. He couldn't sleep anyway and they both needed to eat.

"Wow, I didn't have these in ages," Jimmy cried out surprised once he saw the breakfast the commissioner prepared for him. "Frank, you really shouldn't have!"

It always took the commissioner by surprise how modest Jimmy was.

"When I was still a detective, I used to made these for my family on Sunday. The kids loved it especially, and I suppose, Mary did too because it gave her a break from all those housework," Frank revealed to Jimmy as he gave him a kind smile. "Besides, after my son beat you the way he did, I think it's the least I could do."

"I could get used to it," Jimmy joked as he opened the cupboard and took some maple syrup out. "Here, it will make it even better." He uttered.

"Jimmy, have you thought about what we were discussing yesterday?" Frank asked the young man after they finished their breakfast. He kept the conversation casual throughout the meal, but now it was time to bring some more serious topics up.

"It's not that easy, Frank." Jimmy shook his head. "You don't just walk away from someone like uncle Phil." He pointed out.

Frank nodded his head as he was thinking about what Jimmy just said, trying to find a way how to address Jimmy's concerns.

"Jimmy, if you are worried that the Sanfinos might hurt you then we can protect you. I promise you, I will personally make sure that no one hurts you." The commissioner tried to ensure the boy.

"Frank, with all do respect, you can't protect me from someone like the Sanfinos. It's not just that they raised me like one of their own, but they have connections everywhere. They not only have their people in mayor's office, but also in your NYPD. Besides, it's not just them. The mob families in the United States are all connected somehow. I would have become a walking target. I would have to look behind my shoulder for the rest of my life, never knowing from where the bullet might come from."

"You give me the names. You start with those working in the NYPD and I swear to you, I'll do everything possible to get you out of there safely. We can put you into a witness protection program, change your whole identity. " Frank suggested.

Jimmy just laughed nervously.

"Seriously, Frank, I think you have no idea what you are standing against."

"Try me!" The commissioner replied calmly. After all, it wouldn't have been the first time his and Phil Santino's paths would cross.

***BB***

"Jimmy's relationship with Frank Reagan is becoming problematic," Phil Sanfino complained to Johnny Tesla as the two of them spoke in Phil's office.

"Do you want me to take care of it?" Johnny asked neutrally. Johnny knew that Bianca had feelings for Jimmy and, frankly, he wouldn't mind if Jimmy was gone.

"Just let him know that he must decide where his loyalty is," Phil stated resolutely. Jimmy has always been an asset for their family, but he might as well as become a threat. And ever since he learned that the commissioner spent the night in Jimmy's apartment, he could well imagine what that was all about. He knew Frank Reagan just too well. After all, he was the one who took Mary away. His Mary! And he wasn't going to let that happened with Jimmy too. He has invested too much into that boy, and he wasn't going to let go of him. Frankly, Jimmy was his masterpiece. He created Jimmy Riordan. He made him what he has become. His ace lawyer. The key to his success. And he wasn't gonna let go of him, not unless it was absolutely necessary.

"Will do!" Johnny nodded his head as he finished his glass of whisky.

"But do not hurt him, Johnny!" Uncle Phil warned Bianca's boyfriend, knowing his temper.

"Don't worry, Phil! I got it!" He said as he got up, ready to leave.

"I mean it, Johnny!" Phil insisted.

"Alright, alright!" Johnny agreed somehow disappointed.

***BB***

"You're really lucky Riordan is not suing you!" Erin told her brother as she and Danny were doing the dishes after Sunday's dinner. "What the hell were you thinking?"

"Hey, what do you mean? I was just doing my job," Danny tried to defend his actions. "Besides, I thought that you and I both agreed that something needed to be done about him."

"I said that we needed to bring him to justice, I didn't think you will make a punching bag from him." Erin stated grumpily. Not that she really minded or anything, but Danny could have got himself into some serious troubles.

"Like you really mind that I taught the kid a lesson," her brother mumbled, drying carefully one of the wine glasses.

"You could have really hurt him," Erin reminded to her brother.

"Come on, sis, Riordan is a tough guy. He grew up between those mobsters, I suppose he is quite used to some friendly punching."

"You call that friendly punching?" Came from behind his back.

Danny turned around and saw that their dad walked into the room without neither him nor Erin noticing.

"You know I didn't mean what I have said," Danny uttered in a low voice, avoiding his father's look.

The commissioner just stayed quiet for a moment, thinking what he should reply to his son. "I'm afraid you did, Danny." He said after a while. "You need to apologize to Mr. Riordan and I want you to mean it." The commissioner stated seriously.

"Come on, dad, you know I would rather spend a week on patrol handing out fines," Danny howled when he imagined himself apologizing to Riordan.

"I bet you would," his father nodded his head before he left the room.

"Perfect. This is just perfect," the detective cursed as he closed the door to the cupboard just little bit too loud.

***BB***

"What the hell is your problem, detective?" Jimmy Riordan asked Danny bitterly. His day already sucked after he and Noble got into a fight over Bianca who told her brother she had feelings for his best friend. Naturally, it didn't go well with Noble. And quite frankly Jimmy didn't need another interaction with Danny Reagan at the moment. Especially, not after detective Reagan has beat him up the way he did the last time.

"We need to have a word," Danny told the younger man as Riordan was about to open the door to his car which was parked on the street in front of his downtown office.

Jimmy just gave detective Reagan annoyed look.

"Listen, detective, I have had a long day and I just want to go home," he pointed out tiredly. "The last thing I need right now is you to punch me again."

"Hey, kid, I'm not here to punch you or anything. I'm just here because I need to talk to you about something," Danny started, but he got soon interrupted by Jimmy.

"Listen, detective Reagan, there is nothing I could have say to you. Just leave me the hell alone!"

The way Riordan just said it struck Danny by surprise. He didn't expect that the young man would react like this. But then, on the other hand, he should have expected it.

"Come on, kid, I need to just talk to you."

"I'm serious, detective. Leave me alone, or I will have a restriction order against you drawn." Jimmy threatened.

"Look, kid, I came to apologize. I'm sorry about the last time. I think I got carried away and crossed the line…"

"You think?" Jimmy asked sarcastically.

"Yeah, I did." Danny agreed. He hated to admit it in front of Riordan, but he knew he deserved an apology.

Suddenly a fire from a shotgun could be heard.

"Fire!" Danny cried out. "Get down!" He shouted at Riordan as he hid himself behind the car. But it was too late because Jimmy just got hit by one of the bullets.

The young man touched his abdomen where the bullet has hit him. He looked at his fingers, they were covered with blood.

And it was in this moment when the second bullet has hit him.

Danny came from his hiding place and fired towards the place where the fire came from. He took Riordan and dragged him to safety.

"Fuck!" He cursed when he saw Jimmy was bleeding excessively from his abdomen.

He pulled a mobile phone from his pocket. "This is detective Reagan. There is a fire on 8th Street West. We have a male victim bleeding from his abdomen, we need a bus!"

"Hey, kid, you need to stay calm, the medics are on their way," he then turned to Jimmy as he put pressure on his shot wound.

"Cold," Jimmy mumbled suddenly.

That wasn't a good sign. The kid was most likely going to a shock. Danny thought for himself as he took his coat off and covered Jimmy with it.

"Where the hell is the bus?" Danny cursed for himself. He knew Riordan did not have much time.

"Hey, kid, you got to stay awake, you hear me?" He told Jimmy when he saw the young man was closing his eyes.

"You know what's funny, detective?" Jimmy asked suddenly as he was coughing some blood.

'Just save you breath, kid," Danny told the young man, worried that Riordan was going to bleed out at the scene.

"In another world we could have actually be friends." He told Danny before he passed out.

"Hey, kid! Open your eyes! Kid!" The detective kept shouting.

Somewhere in the distance sirens could be heard, but Danny feared it might be just too late for Jimmy Riordan whose pulse was barely there. His eyes were closed shut and his breath was less than weak. As a detective, Danny Reagan has witnessed several men and women die on his watch, and he was afraid Jimmy Riordan was going to be one of them.