"Okay… so, aunt Annie will sit here, then we put your grandma next to the door so she can get to the ladies easier, and… Tom? Is that my uncle Tom or your grandpa Tom? I can't read that, this must be… what… come on, what does that mean?"
Linda almost burst with laughter at the sight of her fiancé's face. They were sitting on the couch in the Reagan's living room for almost three hours now, trying to sort out who was to sit where in the church at their wedding. Wedding. They were really going to get married.
Eventually Danny realized the change of mood in Linda, the way her smile had gone softer and brighter. She was more beautiful with every new hour he looked at her. "What you're thinking about?" he asked gently.
Linda kissed him. "We're gonna get married" she whispered, as if it was a secret – and not the first thing Jamie had cried out when they had returned home at Halloween. It had been almost midnight then, and their grandma Betty had already gone to bed – she wasn't feeling well these days. Linda closed her eyes for a moment. She was a nurse for a year by now, and she knew that look in an old person's eyes. The look of exhaustion that couldn't be cured with sleep. Betty was healthy but she was weak. Linda was afraid she wouldn't see her great-grandchildren born.

But right now was not the time to think about that. Danny's lips on her neck, his hair tickling her skin made it hard to worry about anything.

"So…" Joe squatted down on Danny's bed, grinning widely. "Thanks for coming here to this emergency meeting. The matter is… Jamie, get out, you're too young!"
"But I wanna know what you're planning!" Jamie sulked, "and if I can't be here, Erin can't either."
Erin frowned. "And why is that?"
"Because you are a girl! Joe said no women allowed that night."
"Oh!" To Jamie's disappointment, Erin smiled. "So you won't go checking out strip bars. Good decision."
"I… I…" Joe blushed. "I didn't…" He glared at his sister who wasn't the least impressed. Law school already showed its impact on Erin. She wouldn't let anything go without a fight these days, something that all family members agreed to be a very annoying habit. Though not half annoying, as Joe loved to point out, as "the jerk she couldn't get her lips off".

Grandpa Henry stifled a laughter. "Good point, my dear. But…"
"I never had planned anything like that" Joe said hastily, his face red all over, "and now get out, Jamie!"
After a last pleading look to his father Jamie grudgingly left the room. Frank closed the door behind his youngest and waited for a moment, listening for footsteps to walk away.
"Strip clubs are not possible in any way" he said calmly, "since you wouldn't be allowed in, Joseph."

Joe winced at the sound of his full name but then quickly nodded. "Wasn't planned anyway, dad. As I said." He stared at the floor. "But we have to do something. Something more than go in a pub and… watch Danny drinking alcohol."
By now Henry laughed openly and Frank tried in vain to bite back a smile. "Understood, son. What did you think about?"
"Who's coming, anyway?" Erin asked. "Did you really call Danny's friends form the army?"
Joe nodded. "I found seven numbers in Danny's cell, and some fifteen others from school comrades, I guess. But I didn't call them yet, I wasn't sure if… with the Marines and… us not knowing when exactly it will be…"
"You didn't want to invite them to a party that's not sure to happen" their father completed.

"No! It will happen, and if it's only the five of you" Erin cried.
Joe frowned. "Five?"
"Well, even if you won't have me, I guess Jack can come" she snapped.
Frank nodded. "Definitely. But I'm not so sure your grandfather and I should be part of it. Actually we rather must not."
Henry huffed. "Speak for yourself." Then he nodded. "Of course, we'll stay out. And don't worry about the Marines, if they say they come they're ready to come."
"I know, I know" Joe said, "I was just thinking about… what will they have to talk about with Danny's high school friends?"
"Well, one of the main topics in a group of young men is… women" Henry quipped, grinning.
Erin rolled her eyes. "I guess I better be out now, too."
"Don't take it personally, sweetheart" Frank said, gently stroking his daughter's back as he passed and left the room.

Henry shook his head. "What's wrong with her? This is not only because of Danny's wedding-eve."
"No, it's not" Frank sighed. He looked at Joe. "I think your behavior against Jack eats your sister away. I asked you to stop it and accept him as part of the family, remember?"
"Yeah…" Joe shifted uncomfortably. Having grandpa listening to the rebuke made the matter even more serious, and it was true, Frank had more than once told him to shut up about the topic, but how could he? His big sister was throwing herself into an idiot's arms!

Henry noticed his grandson's frustration. "What is it really with Jack and you?" he asked. "You're a Reagan, so I expect you to have reasons for your grudges. And this one you have for your sister's boyfriend, it's not going to go away by itself." He looked at his son, nodding him out. "Just tell me."

Frank frowned at being thrown out of his son's room but didn't say a word. Since Danny's return, the family bindings had shifted more than once. None of them, to Frank's great relief, were broken, but some had become very strong. The provisional union of Erin and Joe to look after Jamie in the eldest's absence had been loose after Danny came home, and so had Jamie's and Joe's temporary closer relationship.
But then it had shown that Danny had more problems taken home than anyone, including himself, had expected. He couldn't be there for Erin when she needed him most, and so she had turned to Joe again, and the bond between them was stronger now than ever. In everything but her relationship with Jack.

"So…" Henry bent forward. "I know as well as you do that he's not good enough for Erin. He's a douche bag. You know that, I know that, we all know it. The lucky thing is, I guess, even Jack himself knows he doesn't deserve her."
"But…" Joe was startled. "If you all know that, why don't you stop her? Why can't I just kick him out? Why doesn't see he's an asshole?"

"Because he's not an asshole to her."
"She always has to come over to him, and when they go out, she always has to pay for herself!"
Henry chuckled. "She told you that?"
"I bet it's that way. When we go out he always talks about how expensive life is and how he just wants a little apartment at the beginning and stuff…" Joe fumed.

"Well, that's maybe because he wants to show he's serious and thinks about life earnestly" Danny offered, looking into the room.
Henry sighed. So much for quality time with his grandson. But his other grandson had a point. "Come in, Danny."
Joe frowned. "You invite him into my room?"
Danny grinned as he fist-bumped his grandfather and sat down next to his brother. "Jamie just saved me from getting killed by the seating plan. Really, man… maybe this whole wedding planner-stuff has a point."
Henry and Joe looked at each other questioningly. "You're joking."
"Wish I was" Danny slumped back and closed his eyes. "Guys, I'm getting married. I'm really going to get married."
"Yap" Joe murmured, "you're gonna get married, get a house, make a whole lot of children and next time we see you it's Christmas. And in two years, Erin's gonna do exactly the same."
Danny didn't even open his eyes. "And in three years it's your turn. Welcome to life, Joey."

Joe's face went grim. "What if I don't want?"
"Don't want what?"
"Get married." He looked to his grandfather. "Leave you all."
Like he would do in September when he would join the army. But Henry knew that right now Joe wasn't afraid of leaving but of being left. He knew that feeling from when his older brother had married, and thousand times worse, when Frank had moved out to marry.
"Besides we won't see each other next time Christmas. We won't go that far away, something little in a calm neighborhood hopefully, but in any case it'll be New York, and I'm not talking about New Jersey here, I really mean New York!"
Joe buried his face in his hands. "You're talking the same shit as Jack."

Henry's smile died away from his lips at his grandson's agony. He didn't want to take Danny down from the cloud he was floating on right now, God knew the boy deserved it, but he couldn't see Joe so lonesome either. "You won't be alone, Joe. Neither of you ever will ever be alone, you hear me? You're brothers. Siblings, I don't want Erin to kill me." He waited for a laughter that didn't come. Danny sat up and looked at his grandfather, still not totally understanding the problem.

Henry looked at his eldest grandson and shook his head. "I know you're both not much of showing emotion and stuff but at least get it in your brother's head that you won't leave him just because you're getting married."
"Grandpa!" Joe yelled embarrassed. Danny hit him on the back. "You really need me saying that? Joe, I'm not gonna leave you. Neither is Erin. And yes, Jack's an idiot sometimes but you know, he tries his best. I think he really wants Erin to be happy and actually that's the only thing that matters. Right? Not you, not me, not dad. It's just Erin. She needs to be happy."

Joe rolled his eyes. "I know. I know, okay? It's just… you just came here, and now you're kind of leaving again. And…"
"And? So you're finally coming to the good part?" Danny grinned.

Joe looked down. "I wanna be a cop, too. But I'm afraid I won't make it to the academy."

Now Henry was startled. Danny's smile widened. "Of course you will! Joey, what else would you want to become, uh? A lawyer? Erin would kill you!"

For the first time a little smile appeared on Joe's face. "You think I can do it?"
Encouragingly Danny put his arm around his brother's shoulders. "Let me say it like Grandpa would: You're a Reagan. Of course you will do it. Come on, if I got in, you're in at any rate. And whatever you need I'll be there to help you."

Henry beamed at his grandsons. It was good to see Joe smile again, and to be honest it was reassuring to know that Danny was planning on staying close to the family. He could not imagine the house without any of the children.
"How did you know what we were talking about, by the way?"

Danny sighed. "Jamie overheard you, came running down and said you two were fighting about Jack. Then Erin stormed down fuming that you were a jealous idiot and... stuff. Now the two of them help Linda organize the meal."

He looked at Joe again. "Hey I know you don't understand it right now, and honestly till I met Linda I didn't either. But once you find that special person… you'll get what I mean. Trust me. And it's not about getting away from you, it's… taking all stuff that you showed me and make the best out of it. It's making the family bigger, not smaller, okay? And no matter what happens, I'll never get a brother like you again."

Joe smiled. "Thank you. And now get out of my room."
Danny jerked back. "What?"
"You're gonna get married, you're gonna get a before-wedding-party you will either never forget or remember nothing. Anyway you're not part of the planning, now get out!"