A/N - Set two weeks post "The Blue Templar."
"Nah, kid." Jackie Carricolla responded as she motioned towards Jack for him to come over. "You gotta grip it different, like this." She moves his hand down the football, turning it to inspect her work.
Jack squinted at the ball in his hand, turning to look at the woman squatting next to him. "But Dad says that's how girls hold the ball."
"Yeah, and I bet he taught you how to hold the ball like he does?" Jack nods, and Jackie nods back, her eyes rolling behind her aviator sunglasses. "Kid, look at your hand." Jack did as he was told. "Now look at your Dad's hand." Jack looked over to where his father was sitting, next to his mother in one of the benches in the Reagan backyard. "See how much bigger his hand is? One day you'll probably be bigger than he is, but for right now - look... Do you want to throw farther, or like a 'guy'?" Jackie asks, using her fingers for the air quote.
Jack ponders for a moment, then answers with some hesitation. "Well, I'd like to be able to throw farther, but I don't want to be made fun of."
Standing, Jackie ruffles the young boys hair. "Kid, you throw fast and hard, no one will pay attention how you throw it." Jack nods, running off to rejoin his younger brother.
"Danny is going to fit when he finds out you told his son to throw like a girl." Erin Reagan's voice came from behind Jackie. As Jackie turned, Erin offered he the spare beer in her hands, which Jackie gladly accepted with a nod. "As a member of the female Reagan minority, I thank you." Erin says, flashing a conspiratorial grin.
"Ah, Reagan could use some more estrogen in his life." Jackie shrugged, taking a healthy swallow of the cold beer, the late spring heat still very manageable as they reclined in the shade. Looking around, she turned back to Erin. "So where's Jamie at?"
"They're dropping off the Chevelle at the shop today now that IA and everyone else has released it."
Jackie winced at the thought of the beautiful car now all but certainly totaled. Taking another swig, she exhaled as she measured her words. "Man, Jamie got lucky walking away from that. Someone was really looking out for him."
Wrapping her arms around herself, Erin paused as she pondered that. "I like to think it's Joe, still keeping an eye out for us. He always was so overprotective."
"Enh... I'm sure he was, he was a Reagan after all." Erin nods at that. "But I also remember the first time Danny and I worked together in the Two-Three, he asked me out like every time he saw me." Jackie smiled at the memory, sipping at her beer. "Made it hard to say no."
Erin laughs. "Yeah, that sounds like Joe. Always hard to say no to those eyes."
Jackie nods, "Yeah... Wasn't easy to say no to the rest of him either. Where did your family get such good luck genetically, anyways?"
Erin rolls her eyes. "Oh yes, because you got hit by the ugly truck."
Jackie smiles. "I do okay, I guess"
"Do ok with what?" The boyish timber of Jamie Reagan interrupted the women.
"You think Jackie's pretty, Jamie?" Erin asked, looking to put her brother in the hot seat. Jamie paused, looked at Jackie for a second, who crossed her arms at the younger Reagan's pause, waiting for his answer.
Jamie shrugged, looking back at Erin. "Yeah, she does okay." With that, Jamie stole Erin's still mostly full beer and walked away to her open mouthed look of faux-shock.
"Hey! I was drinking that!"
Jackie pointed at Jamie as he walked towards his father. "Now that is why I'm glad I don't have siblings."
Erin rolled her eyes as she stood up to go get a replacement for her absconded beer. "Yeah, well, you can have one of mine."
"Ohhhhh no." Jackie shouts at the retreating Erin while laughing, "I spend enough time with one of your brothers!"
Danny looks up from where he is sitting with Linda, a smirk on his face. "Yeah, and it's the best part of your days, Jack."
Frank Reagan turns from the grill, where he has been nursing his own beer while tending to the steaks. Sharing a mischievous look not unlike the one Erin used earlier with Jackie, the younger patriarch grouses with a smile evident below the bushy mustache. "Danny, don't harass the guests."
Linda shakes her head with a wide grin on her face, stands up and say something to Danny before walking towards the kitchen door. As she passes Jackie, she squeezes her arm. "I'm glad you came today, Jack. We're all glad."
Jackie smiles widely, always enjoying how much the wife of her husband always makes her feel welcome. "Thanks, Lin. I'm glad I came, too. A bit busier than cookouts at your place, though."
Linda glanced at Frank and Henry, who were having a ... discussion on the merits of a certain manner of grilling ...or something.
"Teddy bears, Jackie. Don't let the stars and war stories scare you, they're big teddy bears." Squeezing her arm one more time, Linda moved inside.
Standing up, Jackie made her way past the bickering Reagan patriarchs ("Pop, I've been grilling for fourth years, don't you think I know that?") and took Linda's vacated seat next to Danny, who was watching Jack, Sean, and Nicky play.
Danny nodded at the group of kids playing. "Reminds me of when Erin, Joe, and I were small, Jack." Danny sips at his beer, his thoughts obviously weighing him down. "It was easier when I thought some two-bit skew killed my brother." He pauses, another slow sip. "I'm just so mad, Jack." His silence was accompanied by a hard stare out into nothingness, his mind obviously processing. "We're supposed to have each other's backs out there, Jack. How do I get my head around the idea that a fellow cop killed my brother?"
"They were not cops anymore." Frank Reagan's timbre broke through the silence. "The moment they chose to rob, cheat, and steal while hiding behind a badge..." The Commissioner sighs, his eyebrows knitting together, soft eyes meeting his sons angry ones. "They stopped being cops, Danny."
"Your dad's right. These guys ...they chose to be scum, Danny. Don't let them ruin what we live everyday." Jackie added.
"Dad! You said the steaks would be done five minutes ago!" Erin hollered from the kitchen door.
"Well, your grandfather shifted the flues, took a few more minutes, sweetie."
Henry harrumphed from his spot closer to the grill. "I saved the meat, and that's the thanks I get!"
Erin rolls her eyes, retreating inside. Jackie followed her movement, seeing her interact with Linda. Danny, sensing dinner approaching, called out to the boys to go wash up, Nicky following along. Jackie took another swig of her beer, then exhaling, Jackie turned to Danny.
"Listen, maybe this helps, maybe it doesn't. I think you're missing out on what's important. You have a great family, both between you, Linda and the kids; as well as the rest of your family. Yeah, something shitty happened to your family - but we see it everyday, Danny. Shitty things happen to good people - but if you let that hold you back, you're missing what's in front of you."
"Like what, Jack?"
"Like the fact that you got really lucky with Linda. Do you know how many wives have ever sent me a Christmas card, much less those cookies - went straight to my hips, by the way. Like you have two great kids, one of which I taught to throw a football like a girl."
"Jack! What'dya doing teaching my kids to throw the ball wrong!?"
"Yeah, you'll thank me for that one day."
"Ok, let's go eat these perfectly cooked steaks before they get too cold, guys!" Henry called, handing the platter of meat to Frank.
Danny looks to Jackie. "I got a buck that says they're burnt."
Jackie stands up, laughing. "No chance, Reagan."
Inside, there was a flurry of activity as the table was set, and dishes were brought out. Jackie sat next to Danny, with Jack swinging around to sit next to his great-grandfather.
Frank raised his hand, getting the attention of the others sitting at the table. "I don't want to make a big thing.." There was grousing and heckling around the table at his comment. "But I do want to say something to our guest - Detective Curritola, this family owes you a debt of gratitude. Not only for sticking your career out on the line to help us find the men who killed Joe," Frank pauses at the name, his mustache and eyebrows furrowing, before lifting the eyebrows as he finishes, "but for risking your own life in the process."
"Here here," Erin said.
"Thank you, Jack," Danny said.
Henry and Jamie raised their glasses, and the rest of the table followed suit.
Jackie ducked her head, blushing slightly And raising her beer in reply. "I'm just glad you guys trusted me enough to ask me."
Frank leaned back, smiling around the table. "Now, who wants to say grace?"