Henry watched his grandson closely as first his head, then his whole body disappeared into the kitchen. "You know who called this morning?", he asked, his gaze still at the kitchen's door.
Frank sighed. "No, I don't, pop, I was at work this morning." "I know", finally Henry looked at his son, disapproval wrinkling his lips as he said, "you work too hard, Francis. You should allow yourself at least one day without getting up at six. But that's not what I'm talking about right now." He paused.
With another sigh, Frank put down the paper. "Who did call you, pop?"
"Well, I didn't believe it myself at first." Now that he had his son's attention, Henry was in no hurry anymore. "It was around nine in the morning, I thought it was you. When I recognized a female voice, I thought it was Erin at first. But I know Erin's voice on a phone, and this one was far shriller. I didn't like it…and then I remembered it." He shot a quick glance to the door again, then looked directly at his son. "It was Sydney, Francis."
"Sydney Davenport?" Frank tried to keep his voice even. Henry smirked. "How many Sydneys do we know?"
"Right." Frank nodded. "What did she want?" "I don't know, I hung up once I knew who was talking." Henry frowned. "That probably wasn't such a good idea."
"Probably." Frank looked at his father in the same disapproving way Henry had looked at him. "Why did you do that? I thought you like her." Henry snuffled.
"You gave her a nickname." "Oh, don't remind me of that!" The old man held up his hands as if in surrender. "I did it to support her", he declared, "I thought if she was strong enough to fight back Danny, she would be strong enough to live with a police officer. But now I think it was only a sign of…" He waved aside. Frank nodded in understanding. "I hoped she would grow with the challenge of being a cop's wife. But not everybody can be a Linda Reagan."
"What about Linda?" Danny came out of the kitchen, quickly shutting the door behind him. "You shouldn't go inside right now, plates are flying low." He sat down opposite to his father. "What about Linda?" Frank smiled at the protective tone in his son's voice. "We just talked about how strong she is. It's not easy to live a life in waiting." Danny nodded. "I know. I just hope I…"
"You are making her happy, Daniel", Henry interrupted gruffly. His eyes, however, were gleaming with pride. Danny smiled. "I try to, at least." Then he frowned. "You overheard us?" "Not this time. What were talking about?"
"Not this time?" Danny looked at his elders in irritation. "Hoy many times are you overhearing us in the kitchen?"
Henry chuckled, leaving it to Frank to speak: "We were talking about Sydney. She…"
"Okay, so you were overhearing us!" Danny stood up.
"No, we didn't!" Henry shouted back, angry now. "Now sit down and don't dare accusing your father again. Or me, for that matter." Before Danny could excuse himself, the kitchen door opened again, Erin and Linda rushing out. "Everything okay here?"
"Yes, darling, we're fine." Frank still sat on the couch, smiling at the confusion around him.
Family.
Erin looked at her father, then at her brother. Danny raised his eyebrows, and Erin's eyes shot straight back at Frank again. "You know about Sydney?" "Erin!" Danny hissed. Henry looked at his granddaughter. "You know about Sydney?"
Linda started to laugh. After a short moment and a very irritated look around the family, Danny laughed with her. That act of matrimonial loyalty made Frank laugh and Erin fell in, though Frank could see the flickering in her face. She wouldn't admit it, but she missed being married. She missed being loved and desired and supported by a man she had chosen, and who had chosen her. Henry was the last to laugh, but his voice was the loudest.
"Okay", Erin said eventually, getting earnest again. "I do appreciate this situation – somehow –" the last word made Danny chuckle, "but why are we just laughing?" "Do we really need a reason?", Henry asked back. Danny put his arm around his sister. "For state attorney Reagan-Boyle, there always has to be a reason, Grandpa. Ouch!" He jerked back as Erin pinched his arm. Linda wiped the tears of laughter out of her eyes. "Honestly, boys. What's so funny about Sydney?"
The men grew silent. "Nothing", Danny said eventually. "Just that Erin wasn't the only one she called today. She tried Grandpa too, but he hung her up once he knew who she was. She's an ambitious girl who lives her life, so let her live it." "We were never intruding in her life!", Erin protested. "She called me! I wouldn't have started the topic ever again. Because your detectively right questions well and good, Danny, but Jamie loved her! He loved Sydney, and you can't just stop love somebody because you want to. It doesn't work that way, trust me." She bit her lip as if she had said too much, then closed her eyes to regain her composure. Linda touched her arm in sympathy, but Erin shook the hand away. "All I want to say", she said very calmy, "is that Sydney obviously tries to find a way back into this family. Or at least into our thoughts, and some people can't separate their thoughts from their feelings. Brain and heart work together, and then heart takes over brain."
"That's Jamie"; Frank agreed. "Did you talk to her, Erin?" She shook her head. "Not really. I helped her with a problem she had at work, but I tried to say nothing about Jamie or our family, nothing more than the general we're-alive-stuff. I told her she…" She suddenly closed her eyes. "God, no!" "What? You remember something?" Danny went all detective again, and Henry smiled at his son. You didn't stop being a cop on Sundays.
"I told Sydney that if she really wanted to know how Jamie is, she should call him herself." Erin buried her face in her hands. "Don't say it, Danny!"
Frank patted his daughter's back. "I guess if she really wants to call Jamie, she will do in any case. I'd be surprised if a clever girl like Sydney wouldn't figure out that for herself." "In any case I hope she figures out something else", Henry growled. "To keep away from our family!"
"Pop, could you…" The discussion was ended abruptly as Nicky stormed into the house, laughing. "Yes, we did!", she yelled to the door. The adults looked at each other, thankful for the warning. Jamie had taken the kids out over an hour before, to enjoy the snow as long as it was lingering. "Was it fun?", Erin asked her daughter. "Oh yeah! We made a snowball fight, Jack and me against Sean and uncle Jamie, and we won!" Smiling triumphantly, she unlaced her boots. "No, you didn't!", Sean cried as he followed her, his cheeks still red. Jack and Jamie appeared shortly after them, laughing too, snowflakes clustering on their hair and clothes. "I'm afraid she did, Sean", Jamie said, seeming out of breath, "but looking out there I think the snow will still be there next week, so you can get your revenge." "Next week?" Jack looked disappointed. Jamie helped him doffing the parka. "That is, if you want to have me in. But maybe you could convince your dad to go out with the three of you. When we were kids, he always was the first in for a round." He smiled at Danny who couldn't help but smile too. "Yeah, I remember. You still don't know how to form the balls then, don't you, kid?" "Well, I do", Erin said smugly, "so if you're in for revenge with your boys, Nicky and I will be there." "You're sure? We do it!"
Jamie's eyes found his father's. "Did I miss something?", he murmured, looking at the crowd of the family all gathered around their children. Frank smiled at the observation skills his youngest son had developed in the past months. Renzulli seemed to be a good teacher.
"Everything and nothing, Jamie"; he said eventually, "nothing that wouldn't…" He stopped shortly.
"Dad?" Jamie was alarmed, and Frank couldn't blame him. For a long time, news had only been bad for them. He smiled reassuringly and laid a hand on the Rookie's shoulder. "Nothing that won't sort itself out in the next three days, I guess, and it's not dangerous. You'll see."
Yeah…the next chapter will be the last… now guess who Sydney will call next. ;) Thank you very much for all who read and review, hope you still like it!
