Haggerty's was packed. Mercedes had gotten to know the owner's son and asked a favor to have it closed to the public for this one night. Everyone from the 55 Third Watch was there and enjoying himself or herself. The 2nd generation of 55er's were at one end, talking or laughing with each other as the 1st generation socialized with each other and talked about old times. Carlos came in and hushed everyone.
"They're coming! Everyone act normal!" Carlos ducked to his wife and stood behind her. Mercedes looked to him and smiled as his hand went around her waist. 28 years of marriage, they were still like honeymooners. They all got ready for Jimmy to walk in with Kim, hushing and holding up a sign that said 'Happy Retirement, Doherty'. Kim let Jimmy in and he looked at the group and the sign. They all screamed 'SURPRISE' and moved towards him. Jimmy's face dropped. He only told 2 people that he was retiring, in June. He looked at Kim who shook her head, pointing at Mercedes. Mercedes' eyes widened and she nodded, hugging Jimmy.
"It's about time you retired and made room for someone else to move up!" She kissed his cheek and moved so everyone else could talk to him and congratulate him. She moved to her brother and looked at him.
"Are you going to do this to me when I retire?" He looked down at her warily.
"Hell no, you didn't train me, guide me, and have my back for 15 years. You aren't my boss; I got to kiss some ass." She laughed as she shook his head. He looked over at Jimmy, who had made his way over as the crowd let him be. He looked at Bosco and nodded.
"Congrats, buddy. I thought you were turning into a lifer, like me." Bosco shook his hand as Carlos walked up, holding a drink for Mercedes. She accepted it and leaned against her husband. Jimmy nodded to Bosco.
"Nah, I have grandkids to think about. I need to spend some time with them." Jimmy smiled as they did the knuckle bump. Mercedes looked confused. Joey was dating Emily, and Emily hadn't said anything to anyone about having a kid. She looked at Faith and made her way over.
"Umm..care to share the news?"
"What news?"
"Jimmy just said you have a grandchild on the way. Since Joey is their only child, and he is with your daughter, I only assume."
"Oh, that! They were going to announce it tonight, but I guess Joey got too excited and couldn't hold it in."
"Ah ha. Better get up there and tell us all now, because they told Carlos, and we all know he can't keep a secret!" They both laughed as Joey jumped up on the bar. Emily sat on the stool in front of him.
"Attention! I have an announcement." Joey hushed the crowd and looked around.
"I will make this brief, since I know what party animals we all are. Just a bit of info for you all, a week ago, Emily and I found out we are going to be parents!" The entire room erupted into cheers and congratulations, all over again. Mercedes just shook her head and leaned against the wall between her husband and brother.
"God, I remember those days. All that excitement, man are they in for a surprise. They grow up far too fast."
"Yeah, when are we going to get grandkids?" Carlos looked over at her as she looked up at him with a glare.
"I don't want to be a grandmother yet, it will make face the reality of I am no longer 26!"
"Merc, you haven' been 26 for 25 years! Get over it, we all have." Mo looked down at her and laughed.
~*~*~*~*~
Around 4 AM the party had started to get quiet. Most of the 2nd generation had left, except for Tyrone, Mikey, and Mitchell. They stood wit their parents, as Mercedes looked at Mikey, pulling him to the side.
"Your uncle told me you wanted to talk to me. What about?"
"Ma, why do I look different than the rest of the kids?"
"Mikey.. This may be hard."
"Am I adopted?"
"NO no, hunny. Your not our son, your father, was my brother."
"What?"
"You know how we mention your uncle Mikey a few times a year?"
"Yeah, so?"
"He is your father. He died right after you were born, and we raised you."
"Who is my mother?"
"No one knows. You were dropped off at the firehouse, and she ran. We never got to ID her."
"Are you kidding?"
"No. After 6 months of thought, Carlos and I adopted you. Making you our son. That is why you have the last name Nieto. But in reality, you are my nephew."
"No way! You've been lying to me this entire time! How could you!" He stormed away from her. She ran after him and everyone got quiet as they stopped near the door.
"I did it for your own good! We all agreed Mo, Carlos, Grandma, and me; we all said it was for the best!"
"Go to hell! I never want to talk to you again, Aunt Mercedes." He shoved the door open and she bit her lip, looking around, seeing everyone staring at her. They all knew what was going on, and Kim moved to comfort her. Tyrone ran after his partner and caught up to him.
"Yo, Mikey, hold up!"
"Go away, Tyrone. I don't want to talk to anyone right now."
"Why did you blow up like that on your mom?"
"She's not my mom! She's my fucking Aunt! My Uncle Mikey that they never talk about, he is my father! They adopted me and lied about it the entire time!"
"You're pissed off about that? You were freaking out thinking you weren't even blood!"
"It's like I'm not!"
"You're still their blood! Sarg and Mercedes are your relatives still! Nothing will change that!"
"I don't care! I never want to see any of them again, as long as I live!" With that he ran off, to his car and got in. Ty watched as he sped off, shaking his head.
"They're coming! Everyone act normal!" Carlos ducked to his wife and stood behind her. Mercedes looked to him and smiled as his hand went around her waist. 28 years of marriage, they were still like honeymooners. They all got ready for Jimmy to walk in with Kim, hushing and holding up a sign that said 'Happy Retirement, Doherty'. Kim let Jimmy in and he looked at the group and the sign. They all screamed 'SURPRISE' and moved towards him. Jimmy's face dropped. He only told 2 people that he was retiring, in June. He looked at Kim who shook her head, pointing at Mercedes. Mercedes' eyes widened and she nodded, hugging Jimmy.
"It's about time you retired and made room for someone else to move up!" She kissed his cheek and moved so everyone else could talk to him and congratulate him. She moved to her brother and looked at him.
"Are you going to do this to me when I retire?" He looked down at her warily.
"Hell no, you didn't train me, guide me, and have my back for 15 years. You aren't my boss; I got to kiss some ass." She laughed as she shook his head. He looked over at Jimmy, who had made his way over as the crowd let him be. He looked at Bosco and nodded.
"Congrats, buddy. I thought you were turning into a lifer, like me." Bosco shook his hand as Carlos walked up, holding a drink for Mercedes. She accepted it and leaned against her husband. Jimmy nodded to Bosco.
"Nah, I have grandkids to think about. I need to spend some time with them." Jimmy smiled as they did the knuckle bump. Mercedes looked confused. Joey was dating Emily, and Emily hadn't said anything to anyone about having a kid. She looked at Faith and made her way over.
"Umm..care to share the news?"
"What news?"
"Jimmy just said you have a grandchild on the way. Since Joey is their only child, and he is with your daughter, I only assume."
"Oh, that! They were going to announce it tonight, but I guess Joey got too excited and couldn't hold it in."
"Ah ha. Better get up there and tell us all now, because they told Carlos, and we all know he can't keep a secret!" They both laughed as Joey jumped up on the bar. Emily sat on the stool in front of him.
"Attention! I have an announcement." Joey hushed the crowd and looked around.
"I will make this brief, since I know what party animals we all are. Just a bit of info for you all, a week ago, Emily and I found out we are going to be parents!" The entire room erupted into cheers and congratulations, all over again. Mercedes just shook her head and leaned against the wall between her husband and brother.
"God, I remember those days. All that excitement, man are they in for a surprise. They grow up far too fast."
"Yeah, when are we going to get grandkids?" Carlos looked over at her as she looked up at him with a glare.
"I don't want to be a grandmother yet, it will make face the reality of I am no longer 26!"
"Merc, you haven' been 26 for 25 years! Get over it, we all have." Mo looked down at her and laughed.
~*~*~*~*~
Around 4 AM the party had started to get quiet. Most of the 2nd generation had left, except for Tyrone, Mikey, and Mitchell. They stood wit their parents, as Mercedes looked at Mikey, pulling him to the side.
"Your uncle told me you wanted to talk to me. What about?"
"Ma, why do I look different than the rest of the kids?"
"Mikey.. This may be hard."
"Am I adopted?"
"NO no, hunny. Your not our son, your father, was my brother."
"What?"
"You know how we mention your uncle Mikey a few times a year?"
"Yeah, so?"
"He is your father. He died right after you were born, and we raised you."
"Who is my mother?"
"No one knows. You were dropped off at the firehouse, and she ran. We never got to ID her."
"Are you kidding?"
"No. After 6 months of thought, Carlos and I adopted you. Making you our son. That is why you have the last name Nieto. But in reality, you are my nephew."
"No way! You've been lying to me this entire time! How could you!" He stormed away from her. She ran after him and everyone got quiet as they stopped near the door.
"I did it for your own good! We all agreed Mo, Carlos, Grandma, and me; we all said it was for the best!"
"Go to hell! I never want to talk to you again, Aunt Mercedes." He shoved the door open and she bit her lip, looking around, seeing everyone staring at her. They all knew what was going on, and Kim moved to comfort her. Tyrone ran after his partner and caught up to him.
"Yo, Mikey, hold up!"
"Go away, Tyrone. I don't want to talk to anyone right now."
"Why did you blow up like that on your mom?"
"She's not my mom! She's my fucking Aunt! My Uncle Mikey that they never talk about, he is my father! They adopted me and lied about it the entire time!"
"You're pissed off about that? You were freaking out thinking you weren't even blood!"
"It's like I'm not!"
"You're still their blood! Sarg and Mercedes are your relatives still! Nothing will change that!"
"I don't care! I never want to see any of them again, as long as I live!" With that he ran off, to his car and got in. Ty watched as he sped off, shaking his head.