A/N: Hi!

You want the full bio, click on my pen name. Don't care to read that, fine by me. Here's my short story. I'm a diehard Criminal Minds fan. And I've written a few stories in that genre. But that show's fan base is fading like the vine on the branch in fall. The same thing for my second love Madam Secretary.

A friend suggested to me to watch Blue Bloods. And gee, that wasn't a stretch given I fangirled over Tom Sellick back in the original Magnum P.I. days. And damn, he's like fine wine. I got sucked in. I've binge watched and am now caught up to current eps. That said, I'm a writer that gets away with doing stuff in this FF world. If you're looking for the slash stuff between characters, you're at the wrong place. My mantra is "I write for me". I live by that. So that's why I'm here.

So let me be very specific. This story is not following the show timeline or bible. I'm picking bits and pieces to use for the story I want to write. In addition, there is no Jamko. I personally have no problem with the pairing. But as you read, you'll see there are chapters where I'm balancing a bunch of characters. I didn't need to add one more.

My second mantra? I write OCs. Very proudly. Enjoy this one with Frank. Gee why do I like actors named Thomas or Tom? Other than they, in my world, are hot and sexy. I simply provide a bit more female spice into their TV character life.

One more note. My CM fans know this. If any Blue Bloods fans happen to find this story, I promise you this. Like always in my writer world. This story is fully written. You will get (with the codicil of the FF demons that can crop up) a chapter a day. I don't make my readers wait for the next chapter.

All rights to the Blue Bloods characters belong to Panda Productions and CBS Production Studios.

Welcome aboard. Enjoy the cruise.

*Jedi Knight bow*

Chapter 1

Garrett Moore, Sid Gormley and Abigail Baker were sitting in Frank Reagan's office, finalizing the Commissioner's schedule for the next few weeks. "Frank," Garrett said, "I really think you should consider attending this precinct Fall Fling cookout thing in the sixty-fifth. Great PR for you and the department."

"It's on a Friday night," Baker pointed out. Frank softly nodded at her with a hint of a smile.

"Garrett, you know my rule," Frank answered. "Friday night is the only night I have for myself."

"But boss," Sid said.

"No buts Sid," Frank growled back. "I get Friday nights to myself. Period."

"Boss, it's for the kids in the neighborhood," Sid defended.

"Then you attend Sid, representing One PP," Frank replied. "It's my night off." He looked at the three sitting across from his desk. "Anything else?"

"No sir," Baker replied.

"Me either boss," Gormley added as he and Baker rose out of their chairs.

"I'm good as well," Garrett said, watching the two of them leaving Frank's office, slowly rising from his chair. Garrett looked at Frank. "Care to share why this Friday night rule is in steel?"

"No," Frank replied.

"Fine," Garrett said, heading for the door. He turned and looked at Frank with a smile, starting to pull the door handle open. "Gee, if I didn't know you any better, I'd think there was a woman involved." Frank looked at him with no hint of emotion showing on his face.

Garrett Moore knew Frank Reagan better than anyone else in the One PP building. He pushed the office door shut. "Frank, you need to read me in. Because if the press gets a hold of this, I'm facing a PR nightmare."

"There is no nightmare in your world Garrett," Frank sternly replied.

"So, I'm ruling out a high-priced hooker," Moore responded. Frank glared at him. Garrett shook his head and quietly asked. "I still need to know Frank. Who?"

Frank Reagan softly smiled. "Kate McInerney."

Garrett took a few seconds to process the name. He looked at Frank. "Former NYC DA Jack McInerney's widow? The DA who was killed in a car bombing hired by the Gambochi family? In addition, severely wounded a highly respected trauma surgeon nearly five years ago?"

"The only thing that saved Kate's life that night was forgetting her purse in the restaurant," Frank said, shaking his head. "But yes, Garrett, you're right. She was severely wounded in the blast, including losing not only her husband but also her eyesight. And for your record if, and hopefully not in the near future, when the press finds out, Kate and Jack used to play tennis with Mary and me. Danny and their oldest son Jay were on the same Legion baseball team in high school. All of our kids are about the same age. We attended each of the others kids' weddings. Plus Kate and Jack's home is three houses down from my house in the neighborhood. We've been friends for over thirty years."

Garrett sat back down in one of the chairs in front of Frank's desk. "Talk to me," he smiled.

Frank shook his head, thinking back on the memories and smiled at Garrett. "Understand this." Garrett looked at Frank. "At my age, sharing time with a beautiful woman is a gift. And I didn't realize how lonely I was until Kate walked back into my life."

-0000-

Four months earlier on a warm late June day, the SUV carrying Commissioner Frank Reagan pulled into the driveway of his Bay Ridge neighborhood in Brooklyn. Frank smiled, noticing Kate coming down the sidewalk for her early evening walk. "Thanks guys," Frank said, getting out of the SUV. "I appreciate it." He handed his briefcase to one of the members of his security detail. "Do you mind taking that into the house?"

"Not at all," the detective smiled.

Frank walked to the end of the driveway. "Hi Kate," he said. "Good to see you again."

"Hi Frank," Kate smiled back. "Good to be seen again."

"Who's your rock star?" Frank asked with a smile.

Kate beamed, nearing Frank with her left hand holding a guide dog's collar handle. "She is my rock. And her name is Beans."

"Hi Beans," Frank softly said. "I know not to pet her when she's in her guide harness," he directed at Kate.

"Thank you," Kate smiled.

"Mind if I join your walk with Beans Kate?" Frank queried.

"I'd enjoy the company," Kate grinned back.

The two of them headed up the block to the corner of the neighborhood with one of Frank's bodyguards discretely following them. Frank appreciatively admired Beans doing her job, looking both ways, before guiding Kate across the street.

"She's good," Frank commented.

"I trust her with my life Frank," Kate answered.

"You have to. I get that Kate," Frank responded back. "So, what's the story on the name:"

Kate smiled at they kept walking. "There is a couple in Iowa that breed their two labs to have a litter of pups every other year that are to be guide dogs. They donate them." Kate looked at Frank. "A pure-bred lab puppy sells for twelve to eighteen hundred dollars."

"Wow," Frank said. "They are dedicated to the cause."

"Yes, they are," Kate smiled. "Especially their oldest son Joey. A wonderful young man who has Down syndrome. Beans was the only female in a litter of eight pups and the only yellow one with seven chocolate brown male siblings." Frank smiled "The family lives on a farm. One with a big family garden. Joey said after the pups were born 'she's a yellow bean'. Those along the way who continued her training let the name stick to honor Joey and his work."

Frank smiled. "That's a great story." He looked ahead. "Kate, there's a park bench coming up before the shoreline park. Care to sit down and really talk to me?"

Kate smiled and looked at Frank. "Why it took me over four years to re-appear in the neighborhood?"

"Yes," Frank replied.

"Then maybe we should sit down," Kate said. "It's a long story. And thank you for keeping me away from the wind by the bridge. I get too cold there. Even this time of year. That's part of the story."

Frank gently touched Kate's right elbow to guide her and Beans to the bench. He and Kate sat down together. Beans sat down at Kate's feet. Kate shook her head. "It took five surgeries to save my life over two months."

"I know that," Frank replied. "I kept up."

"Thank you to your detectives and Erin for getting the SOBs," Kate said. She shook her head. "Then it was four months of some minor surgeries and in convalescence homes because my sons kept moving me to find one that wasn't a hellhole. After that, it was three more surgeries to repair my lower back and right hip that covered six months with stints back to the convalescence home that we all trusted for another two months. Followed by three months of PT to re-teach me how to walk."

"Damn Kate," Frank said.

Kate shook her head. "I finally walked into my own home sixteen months later. Without Jack there, without my eyesight and a career I loved gone. I shut down."

"I know the feeling," Frank said.

Kate shook her head. "Yes, you do," she smiled at Frank. "But you didn't do it for another fourteen months."

Frank nudged his shoulder into Kate's. "What brought you back?"

Kate grinned. "My granddaughter."

"You finally got one?" Frank asked with a smile.

"Yup," Kate proudly smiled. "Nine grandsons and one granddaughter. Jake and Jenna's youngest. And all the kids swear they are done having kids. Plus, they all tell me Casee is a mini me."

Frank grinned. "Casee?"

Kate beamed back at him. "She's also named after me."

"I love it," Frank smiled, putting his arm around Kate's shoulder. "But that isn't the end of the story."

"No it's not," Kate smiled. "It was six months in a facility in Missouri to learn how to be blind and function." She smiled at Frank. "You know me. I don't do politically correct when I'm not in professional mode."

Frank smiled. "It's still a couple steps better than mine. But I get it. Forget the visually impaired."

"Thank you," Kate smiled. "Back to Missouri. Do not ask me about learning how to read Braille. And then there was a person in my own home after that for another month to teach me how to get around said own home, utilizing what I learned, including how to cook in my own kitchen again." Kate softly laughed. She looked at Frank. "You know me. Guess how that went over?"

Frank lightly laughed. "Like a fart in church. I loved Mary and she was a wonderful cook. But you were the best one in the neighborhood."

"Thank you," Kate smiled, nudging her shoulder into him. "But I did learn the lessons. I no longer felt like a stranger in my home. Six weeks later, I'm in Illinois, getting Beans. With another six-week class. The most important one. We learned to trust each other. After that, I swam and slowly worked my way back to feeling comfortable with myself waiting for the weather to warm up so I could get out. The cold is hard on my back and hip."

Frank rose from the bench. Beans stood up at Kate's feet. Frank rubbed Beans' head and touched Kate's elbow, getting her to stand. "It's good to have you back. But let's head back towards home. That wind is getting chillier coming off the water."

"Yes, it is," Kate replied. "The wind has changed direction after that storm passed this morning."

"You warm enough Kate? You can wear my suitcoat?"

"I'm fine Frank. Thank you," Kate smiled. "So, what's up tonight for you?"

"Have dinner with Pop and find something to watch on TV," Frank answered.

Kate looked at Frank. "Your life is as exciting as mine. How is your dad?"

"He's great health wise," Frank smiled. "He did give up his driver's license a bit ago so there are some age issues. But thank God, so far, they are minor."

"And the kids?"

Frank smiled. "Danny is a now a Detective First Class. Linda is back working as a nurse and their boys are teenagers. You already mentioned Erin, whose DA career is rising. Nicky is a junior in high school."

"They grow up too fast," Kate said, shaking her head. "What about Jamie?"

"He went to Harvard and Harvard Law. And then graduated from the Police Academy," Frank said.

Kate looked at Frank. "I know how close he and Joe were so I'm not surprised."

"What about your boys?" Frank asked.

"Still doing the same thing," Kate said. "Jay and Josh are partners in their engineering firm. Jeff is a tenured professor of music at Columbia and Jake is now principal of Belmont Academy. With maturing kids of their own like your grandkids."

Frank and Kate walked through the cross street. "And what will you do tonight Kate?" Frank asked.

"I've got techno grandkids," Kate smiled. "I've a got a tablet that they download audio books on so I don't have to struggle with reading Braille."

"It's that hard?" Frank asked.

"You try feeling small dots with your lead hand being your right one that was damaged in a bomb blast and arthritic," Kate responded.

"I'll pass," Frank said. "But message delivered."

They got to Frank's driveway. Kate looked at him. "If TV is boring tonight, I've got a bottle of single malt Irish Whiskey. And a pool area you can smoke a cigar in," she smiled.

Frank grinned. "The hell with the baseball game. I'll be there."

True to his word, Frank rang the front doorbell at Kate's home a little after eight-thirty. "Who's there?" came over the intercom system.

"Goldilocks," Frank responded.

"Give me a second," came back over the intercom. Twenty seconds later, Kate opened the door.

"What the hell?" Frank grumbled coming in the door.

"After what happened to me Frank? My sons have made this place into Fort Knox. I appreciate it."

"And I should too," Frank conceded, watching Kate reset the security alarm pad. "My apologies."

"Forgiven," Kate smiled. "Come in."

Beans bounded up to Frank, wagging her tail. "Hi you," Frank smiled, giving Beans a robust rubdown. "You're off duty and enjoying it," he grinned. Beans barked at him and nudged back into his legs for more pets.

"Come on you two," Kate smiled. "The patio waits."

Frank looked around as Kate lead him across the house to the pool area in the back. "Wow, you've made some serious changes to the house."

"We had to," Kate said. "To make it easier for me to get around."

Frank smiled, rubbing Kate's shoulder. "I get it. I love the huge open design." He looked off to the right. "And your kitchen area is wonderful."

Kate smiled. "I got my dream kitchen."

She opened the back patio door. "Make yourself at home Frank. I'll pour our drinks."

Frank walked out into the pool area and shook his head, taking off his jacket. He laid it over the side of the patio couch. It was not the pool area his kids had used when they were young. He thought back on all the times shared between the two families.

Kate came through the door with their drinks. "Explain the upgrade," Frank smiled. He noted Kate immediately following the sound of his voice.

"I told you," Kate said, walking directly towards him. "The boys knew the pool was my harbor. Swimming back then to get out of my funk was my godsend. They made it year-round and added the lap pool for me," Kate nodded.

Frank noted the new lap lane next to the pool. He looked at the overhead closed in roof. "Heated with solar panels."

"I have two sons that are engineers. All four are enlightened. We believe in environmental green." Kate smiled. "And it's cheaper."

Frank shook his head. "We're trying. Nicky, Jack and Sean are kicking Pop's and my ass."

"Good for them," Kate said, handing Frank his drink. "You two conservative Reagans need it. Please sit down," she smiled, waving at a patio couch.

Frank sat down. Kate sat down on his right side, putting her left leg on the couch, bending her knee and then sitting down around it.

"That was easy," Frank smiled.

"Frank, that's my good side. You don't want to hear the bad side," Kate responded. She looked at him. "Are you going to light that cigar or not?"

"Kate?" Frank asked.

"I know your cigar tastes Frank," Kate smiled. "You're sharing that with me."

Frank pulled the cigar out of his jacket pocket along with his lighter. Just then, Beans dropped a rubber ball between his legs that settled into his crotch. Kate laughed, knowing Beans routine. Frank looked at her. "Really?"

"Really," Kate smiled. "You're in."

"And I do what?" Frank asked.

Kate shook her head. "Frank. She's a lab. If they aren't guide dogs, they are bred to be retrievers. In water," she smiled.

"And you're OK with that?"

Kate grinned. "She needs her nightly workout and the pool chemicals are dog friendly." Frank tossed the ball into the deep end of the pool. "Now you are her friend forever." Frank smiled as Beans ran to the shallow end of the pool, jumped in, and swam the entire length of the pool to get the ball. She swam back to steps in the shallow end, got out of the pool and shook her wet coat. She ran to Frank with the ball, depositing it again in his lap.

Kate nudged Frank's shoulder. "Throw it further into the deep end so you can light that cigar."

Frank smiled at her. "You really want part of my cigar," he observed.

"Yes, I do," Kate smiled.

Frank threw the ball into the corner of the deep end and lit the cigar, taking a puff. "So how many more times do I go through my initiation into Beans' fan club?"

Beans got out of the pool, walked to a basket and put her ball into it. She then walked over to the shower area off the pool. Frank shook his head. There was a normal height showerhead. Next to that area was one four feet off the ground. "Really?"

Kate softly laughed. "Just watch." Beans put her paw on the plate at the floor level of the shower. The shower turned on. Beans stood there.

"What is she doing?" Frank asked.

"Letting the water run until it gets warm," Kate answered.

"Oh, come on Kate," Frank replied.

"My dog is that good," Kate smiled at Frank. She set her drink down on the table in front of the couch and got up, putting her hand on Frank's shoulder to help her stand. Kate walked over and got Beans rinsed off. Frank smirked knowing what would come next. Kate started to walk away and Beans stepped off the plate. "Sit," Kate pointed. Beans sat. Kate took a few more steps away and turned. "Now," Kate softly said. Beans stood up and did a mighty shake of her fur coat while Kate pulled a towel from a shelf near the shower area.

Frank clapped his hands. "Bravo you two."

After Kate dried Beans off, she looked at Frank. "Be right back." She and Beans disappeared into the house. A minute later, she reappeared in the pool area.

"Beans is in the library?"

Kate shook her head. "The library is gone. That was Jack's idea. My master bedroom and bath have replaced it." Kate sat down on the couch the same way next to Frank. "Steps are not my friend. I needed that on this level."

"So where is Beans?" Frank asked.

"Share that cigar and I'll answer you," Kate said, holding out her hand. Frank handed her his cigar. Kate took a puff and then a sip of her whiskey. "That's what I'm talking about," she smiled at Frank. "Beans is drying off on the rug outside my shower under the heat lamp in the ceiling that keeps me warm when I get out of the shower." She gave Frank a long look. "You're still not going to ask," she coyly said.

"Give me back my cigar," Frank said. Kate handed it to him. Frank took it from Kate. Then took a deep puff. "And no," he said, exhaling the smoke. "We all in the neighborhood knew you and Jack came from money. Yet you never flaunted it. That was good enough for us."

"Jack's family could afford his Harvard education. But it's my side of the family. My mother's side. Through deaths of great uncles, uncles and brothers due to serving in whatever war, it all trickled down to her."

"Doing?" Frank asked.

"It started out with a delivery service in Chicago and grew into a beer delivery company and then a liquor distribution company," Kate answered. "And they never let the Chicago mafia in."

Frank looked at Kate. "You want another puff?"

"Please," Kate responded, holding out her hand. Frank put the cigar in between her fingers, while taking a sip of his drink.

"So can I ask the bigger question?" Frank said, taking the cigar back from Kate. Kate softly nodded at him, bowing her head. Frank noticed her tensing up. "Why do I get the feeling I'm not going to like the answer?"

"Because you're not," Kate said, taking another sip from her glass. "When I was fifteen, my younger brother Stephen committed suicide. He was twelve. In his note he said he couldn't handle the pain and embarrassment of being sexually abused by our parish priest."

"I'm sorry Kate," Frank said. "And even with what happened the church wouldn't bury him."

"Nope." Kate shook her head. "My parents went to Archdiocese in Chicago for help. And you can imagine how much they contributed to the church."

Frank nodded his head. "And yet they did nothing."

"Yes," Kate said. "Dad got madder than hell and we walked away and never looked back. Their best friends and our neighbors always sang the praises of the Lutheran church they attended. Pastor Bowman even buried Stephen. We joined." She looked at Frank. "No disrespect to your faith. That was a long time ago."

"None taken. And you and Jack?" Frank asked.

"Even though Jack was Catholic, he said he would let the bride choose which church to get married in. When we started having kids, we raised them in both churches. We let them make their own decision when they were old enough. Uncle Stephen swayed them to the Lutheran church."

Frank stood up, putting his cigar in the ashtray on the patio table. "I understand and respect their decision. It's a black eye the Church will never lose." He looked at Kate. "Where's the bottle? I need another drink."

"On the kitchen island," Kate answered. "Bring it out please. I could use another as well."

-0000-

"And…" Garrett smiled.

"Do you share stories of your private life with Cynthia with me?" Frank growled.

"Got it boss," Garrett grinned, rising from his chair and heading to the door. He turned. "Have a good weekend Frank."

"Thanks Garrett," Frank smiled. "You too."

XXX

A/N: To my CM fans reading along, yes I do overlap on names. I'm old and they work.

One PP is One Police Plaza.