Set between Season 7 & 8, spoilers for Season 8 if you haven't started that.
Maria had been to the PCs house many times by now, each time always brought a sense of unease in her stomach for a second, not unlike when you saw the principal walking down the hallway at school. Her close bond with her partner, as with so many productive partnerships on the force, meant that she was a sometime visitor to his family life, both at Danny's house and a much more occasional visit to Bay Ridge.
However the knot in Maria Baez's stomach was tighter than normal as she drove to where she knew she needed to be this Sunday, even if for five minutes.
Pulling up to the curb, she recognized most of the vehicles parked outside the brick house, but there were a few that she didn't immediately recognize. Putting her car in park, Maria exhaled slowly, seeking to curb the adrenaline and nerves she was feeling.
She wondered
how she had gotten to the door so quickly when she realized her mind had wondered during the walk, reality only catching up to her when the catch on the frame clicked, the heavy wooden door opening up to reveal the large frame and stooped shoulders of the PC himself, his eyes red rimmed and eyebrows seeming to be laying upon the eyes below them, the normally larger than life man seeming to be more human than Maria could ever think she could imagine him, and looking tired.
He looked down towards Maria, his tired eyes showing his thoughts, before pursing his mouth, the mustache above swallowing it whole before he nodded slowly, opening the door to let her in.
Now that she was here, she realized she didn't know what to say, instead cautiously placing a hand on his arm. Again, his red rimmed eyes betrayed him, closing quickly before moving about to avoid eye contact, before gesturing towards the kitchen before turning his body towards the living room, where Maria saw several of the other Reagans sitting together quietly. The house was eerily quiet as she walked towards the kitchen, her heels seeming to make too much noise on the wood floor as she walked.
Maria paused as she caught sight of a family picture of her partner, Danny and Linda each with a son in a proud hug outside their house. Judging by the boys age in the photo, it was about two years old. Closing her own eyes, Maria willed the tears threatening in her eyes to well back. Softly swinging open the door, the kitchen was softly lit with the sunlight from the sunny day outside, casting a dark shadow over the side of Danny's face that Maria saw first. He was sitting by himself in the kitchen, an open but barely touched beer sitting in front of him, staring out the window.
Maria opened the fridge, taking out a beer for her self, buried behind the casserole dishes and deli plates that were stacked inside. The kitchen itself had more casserole dishes in the sink, plates and trays of cookies and pies on the counter. Pulling out the chair next to Danny, Maria sat down, now seeing what Danny had been looking at: his boys and Nicky sitting outside together quietly, all engrossed on their phone.
Maria turned away from that view to check on her partner. Like his father, he was eerily still. Danny was usually full of energy and an unstoppable drive, but today he was motionless, watching every movement of his children with red rimmed eyes, the third day stubble less managed than normal, his suit from the funeral still on. She turned back to stare out into the backyard alongside her partner in a quiet companionship.
AN - It's short and quick, but I had that final image in my head and I wanted to get it out. Still stunned by this turn.