A/N My headcanon of Erin eloping because Jack got her pregnant comes into play in this chapter. Other than that, I don't know how this came about

Over the years, Linda O'Shea and Erin Reagan became the best of friends. They set a Friday aside every month for just the two of them. Sometimes they went to get their hair done after school, sometimes they got their nails done. Other times they got pizza and watched a movie. Unless one of them was sick, they never cancelled... which was why Linda was concerned when Erin called her that Friday saying she couldn't make it.

The phone rang in Linda's shared apartment. She was busy juggling the groceries and an open jar of popcorn kernels. "Brie, could you get that?!"

"Yeah!" Brie came out of her bedroom and grabbed the phone off the wall. "O'Shea-Riley residence. This is Brie."

"Hi, Brie. It's Erin- you know, Danny's sister?"

"Hey! What's up?"

"Is Linda there?"

"Yup. Just a second." Brie held the phone out, "Linda It's for you."

"Okay, I'm coming." She heard Brie relay the message as she shut the fridge and closed the popcorn jar. "Can you finish the groceries?"

"Surely," she handed the phone to her roommate and walked into the kitchen.

"Hello?"

"Linda? Hi-"

"Hi, Erin. I'm really looking forward to tonight. It's been forever since I've been down to that pier." They were going to get food from a street vendor, then sit on the pier, and watch the people fish.

"Yeah, about that..." she sounded stressed. "I cant make it."

"Oh no, are you sick?"

"Uh... no, just... something came up... I'll talk to you later?"

"Yeah. I hope everything's okay?"

"It's fine; I gotta go. I'll talk to you later."

"Please." Linda didn't have time to say goodbye as Erin had already hung up. "That was weird."

"What?" Brie asked putting the coffee on the shelf above the fridge.

"Well Erin canceled our plans for tonight. She said she wasn't sick- but that's the only reason we cancel."

"Did she say what it was?"

"No, but she sounded... I don't know. She sounded almost scared..."

"Maybe something happened with the family? Is Danny working tonight?"

Linda nodded, her brow furrowed. "Yeah, he's working. Why?"

She shrugged, "give him a call. He would've been notified if something happened."

"Good idea," she picked up the phone and dialed Danny's desk number. "Please be there..."

She sighed when she heard him say, "Reagan."

"Danny? Hi-"

"Linda? What's wrong? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, I'm fine. No one's hurt here... um... I just got a weird call from Erin.. is your family okay?"

"Far as I know. What's up with Erin?"

"I don't know." Not wanting him to worry, she lied, "she probably just has cramps or a headache or something. She'll be fine, I'm sure."

"Should I call her?" Erin was a pain in the rear, but she was still his sister.

"No, no that's okay. She's gonna call me later. I'll let you know."

"Okay. I love you, babe."

"I love you more."

"Love you most. Gotta go," he hung up, and she figured a criminal had shown up at his desk.

"Well, all's well on Danny's end," Linda sighed. "I'm probably just overreacting."

The following Tuesday, Linda was at Erin's apartment after her classes. They were going to have coffee and cake, before Erin had to meet Jack for a movie then dinner.

Linda had gone into the bathroom, and as she was washing her hands, she noticed the over flowing trash can. She thought nothing of it, until she walked by it and a tissue fell out. She picked it up and was going to put it back in when something else caught her eye. Something that she knew probably spelled trouble for her soon to be sister in law.

Linda sat down on the couch with Erin, "is it just you and me today?" Sometimes the two ladies would bring their best friends.

"Yes, just you and me." Erin poked her butter cream cake.

Linda put her plate on the table, "Okay, now that we're alone, you and I need to have some serious girl talk."

Erin looked at Linda, "girl talk?"

"About what I found in your bathroom trash can."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Erin clearly lied.

"Erin... come on. You're not gonna tell me about the test?"

"You had no right," Linda watched Erin's face slowly crumble and her voice break.

"You may not be blood related, but you are my sister. I hope you know that. You're the best sister I've ever had. You can tell me anything."

"Oh Linda," Erin started crying, and was immediately hugged by her friend.

"You're okay, Erin. It's going to be okay... what happened?"

She pulled back and sniffed, "Jack... Jack and I have been having sex. And... I guess we weren't careful the last time? And now..."

"Now you might be pregnant."

"Yeah. What am I gonna do, Linda? My parents are gonna hate me if I have a baby out of wedlock."

"They're not gonna kill you, Erin."

"You don't know them like I do."

"I know they aren't going to kill you because of a mistake... has Jack asked you to marry him?"

Erin nodded and showed Linda her engagement ring. "He asked me Sunday. But I was just so... focused on this baby, that I forgot to tell everyone."

"First of all- congratulations on your engagement." Linda hated Jack, but she could still be happy for her friend. "Second, I'll come with you to the doctor if you want."

"Really? You'd do that for me?"

Linda shrugged, "you're my sister."

She hugged her friend, hoping the test was wrong.

Linda sat in the waiting room of the obgyn- coincidentally the same office she went to for her bad periods- as Erin was getting tested. She hoped for Erin's sake it was a false alarm, but what if it wasn't? What if Erin really was pregnant? Would she keep the baby? Or would Linda's opinion of Erin lower? The nurse sat there reading a magazine, not really paying attention to the articles. She was too worried for Erin.

Erin walked out, looking like she had seen a ghost. She walked up to Linda, who stood as soon as she saw her come out.

"It's positive, isn't it?"

Erin nodded, trying to hold in her tears. She let Linda lead her to the car where she cried all the way home.

A week later, Linda and Danny were sitting on his parents' living room couch, deciding on some flower arrangements for the wedding reception. They weren't expecting Erin to walk into the room.

"Hey, sis. What's up?"

"Can I talk to Linda alone?"

Danny looked between the ladies, "okay." He left the room, wondering what was so important or secretive that he couldn't hear.

"Erin?" Linda asked, standing up.

"I just thought you should know Jack and I eloped."

"Oh... well... congratulations."

"I'm keeping the baby. That's why we eloped. But don't tell anyone, because I'm going to tell them."

"I won't. I promise." She hugged Erin, "you can do this, Erin. I know you can. And no one's going to know the whole story. No one but you and me."

"Thank you, Linda. You really are a true sister."