Run and Hide

Disclaimer: Don't own anything to do with the show. Any OC's are mine and I randomly create names; any coincidental similarities are just that - coincidence.

A/N: Thanks to everyone for reading and reviewing and alerting and everything else! :) Special thanks to Darcie - that meant more than you know! :)

Okay - so I had to rethink this story; I was losing control of it and running into walls and such. This chapter had been much shorter as it originally was just a transition chapter, but I've decided to get things moving - I combined another part of the next chapter and rearranged stuff - after cutting and pasting and thinking, I came out with this still-long chapter (it had become ginormous until I fiddled with it LOL). In the meantime, hopefully no one's gotten bored with waiting and wandered off. LOL ;)

Chapter 14

Perception is a clash of mind and eye,
the eye believing what it sees,
the mind seeing what it believes. - Robert Brault

Jamie sat on the edge of his bed. It was twelve thirty, and he had gone to bed two hours ago. It had been three days since he'd gone to the farmhouse, and the nightmares were still there. He'd managed to keep his father and grandfather from suspecting anything; in fact, they seemed to be pleased with the progress he was making. He had been acting normally during the day, and they had started to ease off, to let him go his own way. He'd been spending much less time at his father's house and more time out, visiting down at the precinct, or just getting stuff done on his own. However, he hesitated to bring up the possibility of leaving and going back to his own apartment; he knew that they still wouldn't be comfortable with that yet. He'd wait until after the normal family dinner on Sunday before he would try that.

He stood, peering into the hallway. It was quiet. He'd heard his father go to his own room about eleven, just before he fell asleep. He made his way into the bathroom, softly closing the door. He stared at his pale reflection in the mirror. Jake's sneering face floated across his mind.

"You don't control me." Jamie growled in a whisper. "You can't hurt me anymore."

He opened the medicine cabinet to grab this toothbrush. He found that doing normal mundane things could relax him. His hand stopped partway to the brush, his eyes spying the pills his father had been given to help him sleep. His father had taken only a few himself before quitting them, saying he hated the lasting drowsiness and other side effects. Jamie also knew it was the one thing that could make Jake go away, and would allow him to get a restful sleep. He grabbed the bottle, shaking one out into his hand and putting the rest back. He hesitated, then shook his head. He desperately wanted uninterrupted sleep, and if this could help, where was the harm? He swallowed it with a bit of water before quietly making his way back to his room.

~~BB~~

"Hi, Dad."

"Danny, I didn't hear you come in." Frank responded, quickly looking up from the paper. It was Sunday evening, and he could hear the sounds of dinner being prepared in the kitchen. Linda was ordering Henry away from the stove, and Henry was arguing back. "It must be a zoo in there, judging by the sounds."

"Why do you think I'm in here?" Danny smirked. "What's Jamie up to?"

"Getting cleaned up. He'll be down soon."

"How's he doing?"

Frank sighed. "I don't know, son. I thought he was much better."

"Nightmare again?"

"No… at least, I don't think so. I haven't heard anything for the past several nights."

"Then what's up?" Danny asked, sitting on the couch. "You seem to think something is wrong."

"I think he's been taking those sleeping pills I was given a while ago. The ones I stopped taking because I hated the after effects."

"I thought you'd gotten rid of them."

"I wish I had…"

"What makes you think he's taking them?"

Frank sighed. "I was reaching for my toothbrush this morning, and the bottle was turned so that I could see inside it past the label… it looks emptier than before. I only took them for three nights before I quit. There's more than three gone. I'd say he's been taking them since Wednesday. It took him longer to wake up on Thursday, though I'll admit I didn't pay much attention at the time."

"Any other signs?"

"He's been tired lately, and quieter. Nothing seems to be bothering him, but he's different somehow."

Danny stared at his father. "Maybe it's the only way he can get Jake to leave him alone…"

"That's what I'm afraid of."

"Have you talked to him about it?"

"No…" Frank looked down at his hands. "I'm afraid to. I'm afraid he'll take offense to it."

"Dad, those things can be addictive! He can't keep taking them just because he's afraid there will be another nightmare."

"I know that, Danny. Look, I'll try to talk to him… if he feels they're working for him, there may be a lighter dose of something else that we can get him, something less addictive."

"He's going to have to give in and talk about it." Danny warned. "No doctor of any kind is just going to hand out a bottle of sleeping pills randomly. He may not take kindly to that."

"I know that, too, Danny."

"What do you know, Francis?" Henry asked, shuffling into the living room. "Linda kicked me out." he said in response to their quizzical looks. "She's a mad woman when it comes to her cooking."

Danny smirked. "I thought you knew that by now, Gramps."

"You don't need to be a smartass about it, Danny." Henry grumbled. "Francis? You haven't answered me."

"It's nothing, Pop." Frank waved him off. Henry stared searchingly at him, but soon realized that his son wouldn't give in, and Danny was clearly staying out of it. He shrugged. If it was something important, he was sure that someone would tell him.

Erin made her way into the living room. "Linda's nearly finished. She just kicked me out. I must have been doing something wrong."

Danny smirked. "Of course you were. You were trying to cook."

Erin glared at him. "Shut up, Danny. I'm not that bad."

"I don't know, sweetheart… you've come close to burning water…"

"That's not helping, Grandpa!" Erin snapped, yet she was unable to keep a small grin off of her face. "Your birthday cake did turn out a bit lopsided, Dad…"

"I remember that… you couldn't ice it because the icing was too runny and kept pooling on the tray."

"At least I haven't killed anyone with it." Erin defended herself, listening to the laughter of her family.

~~BB~~

Linda turned at a sound, ready to tell off whoever it was that was trying to get involved. Her gaze softened as it landed on her brother-in-law. She smiled.

"Hi, Jamie." She said, taking in his appearance. He looked tired, but otherwise normal. He smiled back.

"Hi, Linda." he replied. "It smells really good in here."

"Thanks, honey. Did you want to help? There are some vegetables that need slicing for the salad… Jamie?"

He was staring at the knife in her hand, a glazed look on his face. She started to approach him, alarmed when he suddenly backed up, bumping into the counter. She quickly put the knife down, blocking his view from it with her body.

"Jamie, look at me!" she ordered softly, placing her hands gently on his face. The cool feeling from her hands seemed to jar him back to reality. He swallowed, his eyes full of panic. "What happened, Jamie?"

"I… I can't…"

"You can't what, honey?" Linda asked, anxiety causing her heart to stomp against her ribcage. "Let me get Danny or your father…"

"No!" he croaked, reaching out to grab her arm. "No, please… don't tell anyone! I'm alright. I'll be fine, just give me a minute."

Linda watched, panic subsiding, as Jamie closed his eyes. He started taking deeper breaths, the anxiety visibly leaving him. His eyes slowly opened, a flush colouring his cheeks.

"Please don't say anything." he pleaded, glancing towards the kitchen door. "Please…"

"Okay, Jamie. I won't tell them. Are you sure you're okay?" she asked, still worried. "What happened?"

Jamie turned his back to her, leaning on the counter and staring at his hands. "It's nothing…"

"Jamie, that wasn't nothing." Linda replied, leaning against the counter next to him. She placed a hand on his arm. "We want to help you, but we can't if you don't let us in."

"I just froze, Linda. It's not a big deal."

"Jamie…" Linda sighed.

"Just leave it alone, okay? I can't do this right now."

Linda stared Jamie, shocked by the aggressiveness in his voice. He had never snapped at her before. "Alright. If that's what you want."

"It is."

"Then it's already forgotten." Linda replied, turning back to the stove. "Dinner should be ready in a few minutes if you want to tell the others." Jamie nodded, immediately leaving the kitchen. Linda stared after him; she wanted to abide by his wishes, but how could she when his behaviour scared her? How could she hide this from Danny?

~~BB~~

"Linda."

Linda ignored her husband as she continued to get ready for bed. She knew exactly what he wanted to talk about, and she had promised Jamie she wouldn't say anything.

"You can't ignore me forever, babe."

"I can try."

"You've already slipped up."

She smiled slightly at the smirk in his voice. She leaned back into him as he wrapped his arms around her waist, nuzzling her cheek.

"You can't ignore this, you know… I know you like it."

Linda sighed, knowing that if he kept going she'd cave in and tell him. "Just leave it alone for now, okay Danny?"

"Something was bothering you at dinner, and I want to know what's wrong." he continued stubbornly.

"Danny…"

"You kept glancing over at Jamie." he told her. "You can't lie to me. You're horrible at lying to me. You can't play poker because of it."

Linda glowered at him. He gave her an innocent smile. Damn him…

"Jamie froze in the kitchen while I was finishing dinner. I asked him if he'd like to help slice vegetables for the salad. I was holding the knife… he fixated on it."

Danny sat on the edge of the bed. "What happened?"

Linda shrugged. "He just stared at the knife, a glazed look on his face, like he was remembering something that happened to him. I made a move to go to him, and he startled. I was still holding the knife in my hand, and he backed up against the counter, panic all over his face."

Danny sighed, scrubbing his hands over his face. "Damn… I actually thought we were getting over that. What else happened?"

"He insisted he was fine, begged me not to tell anyone… and he…" she trailed off, unsure.

"What? Honey, what did he do?" Danny pressed, feeling slightly alarmed at the look on his wife's face. She seemed scared of something, worried, and confused all at the same time.

"I told him I was going to get you or your father. I thought that one of you might be better off handling this instead of me… he grabbed my arm to stop me as I was turning away. He told me to leave it alone… Danny, I've never heard such aggression in his voice, not even when yelling and fighting with you, and he's certainly never snapped at me before."

Danny felt anger slowly burning beneath the surface. "Did he threaten you?" he asked her quietly.

"What?" Linda asked, shocked. "Oh, Danny… no, you know he wouldn't do that." She told him, sitting next to him. He grabbed her hand, holding it tightly.

"I'm not sure of anything anymore." Danny muttered. "No one – and I don't care who it is – no one threatens you or the boys and gets away with it."

"Danny, stop it!" Linda said, frustrated. "He didn't threaten me, and he didn't hurt me. Something is definitely not right with him, though. He was fidgety all through dinner."

"I noticed, but I'll admit that I didn't pay much attention." Danny mumbled. "Dad thinks he's taking those sleeping pills. You know, the ones that Dad stopped taking because he didn't like how they made him feel?"

"I thought your father had gotten rid of those."

"So did I, but he hadn't yet." Danny sighed. "He thinks Jamie's taking them because the bottle has less in it than before."

"Those are strong, and they could be addictive." Linda mused. "Maybe that's what seems to be changing him…"

"I know, that's what I'm worried about. Dad said he was going to try to talk to him tonight, convince him to not take any more."

Linda leaned her head on Danny's shoulder. "He must be desperate if he's taking them in the first place."

Danny nodded, a lump in his throat. He kept on wishing that his brother would just start talking.

~~BB~~

Frank knocked on Jamie's bedroom door. His son had gone to bed only a few minutes before. Jamie opened it, glancing at his father with some confusion.

"Something you need, Dad?"

"Can I come in?"

Jamie shrugged, opening the door all the way. "Sure. What's this about?"

Frank took a seat on the bed, patting the spot next to him. Jamie sat down, still looking confused. "Son… this morning I noticed the pill bottle in the medicine cabinet looked emptier than the last time I saw it. The sleeping pills." he clarified, watching his son carefully and noticing that as soon as he mentioned the pill bottle, Jamie started looking ashamed.

Jamie stared at his feet. "Dad, I… I just wanted something to help me sleep…"

Frank nodded. "Understandable, son. Why do you think I had them in the first place?" he told him. "They're not good pills, though. They're strong, and they shouldn't be taken every night. Jamie… they can become addictive."

"So you think I'm addicted to them?" Jamie snapped, shame immediately colouring his features. "I'm sorry… I didn't mean to snap…"

Frank nodded, frowning at his clasped hands. "Jamie, I don't think you're addicted to them, but I think it's starting. I want you to stop taking them."

"I wasn't going to take one tonight." Jamie mumbled quietly. "I don't like what they're doing either. I walk around in a daze most of the time."

"Good." Frank approved, looking again at Jamie's defeated form. "Did they help you any?"

"That was about the only good thing going for them." Jamie sighed. "I slept the whole night."

"We can get you a prescription for a lighter dose of something less dangerous, Jamie." Frank intoned quietly. "You just need to go in, answer their questions, get checked out…"

"No." Jamie refused. "I'll be okay. I don't want any pills."

Frank knew it had less to do with the pills and more to do with the refusal to talk about what had happened to him. He nodded anyway. "Okay, we'll wait and see how it goes. If you change your mind…"

"I won't."

"If you do," Frank repeated. "Come to me and I'll help you, okay?"

Jamie sighed, deciding not to argue. "Fine. I'll keep it in mind, Dad."

Frank nodded, standing. "Goodnight, Jamie."

"Night Dad." Jamie said, closing his eyes as his father gently touched the top of his head. "Dad…"

Frank turned. "Yes?"

Jamie glanced away. "It's nothing. It can wait."

"Jamie, if there's anything you want to tell me, you can just say it." Frank murmured, hoping Jamie was about to open up. Jamie shook his head.

"It's not important. It can wait until tomorrow."

"Alright." Frank said, trying to keep the disappointment from his voice. "Goodnight, son."

"Goodnight."

Frank closed the door quietly, softly padding down the hall to his room. He lay awake for a long time that night, half listening for any signs of a nightmare from Jamie, and too wound up to sleep. Worry still poked at his mind, filling his brain with questions he could not answer.

~~BB~~

Jamie lay awake in the dark, almost able to physically feel the minutes ticking by. He wanted to get up to get one of the pills, but he forced himself to stay put. His hands shook and his skin felt clammy.

'It's not possible.' he thought to himself. 'I can't have gotten addicted already! It's been less than a week!'

He sighed, getting out of bed. Even his legs felt shaky. He weakly stepped into the hallway, trying to unstick his shirt from his skin. He needed water badly.

Stepping into the bathroom, he reached for the glass by the sink. He stared at the medicine cabinet. Frustrated, he tore his hand from the glass and his eyes from the cabinet, quickly leaving the bathroom. He quietly made his way downstairs, stopping in the kitchen to fill a glass of water. He wandered into the living room, placing the glass on the coffee table. He sank down, exhausted, onto the couch, his elbows on his knees. He pressed his clasped hands onto his forehead, closing his eyes. His whole body felt shaky and his skin felt too warm.

"I hope that glass you're staring into contains water."

Jamie jumped, startled. He glanced up at his father over his entwined fingers. "It does."

"Good." Frank replied, sitting down next to his son. "Are you okay?"

"I'm… yeah, I'm fine." Jamie replied, knowing that his father could tell he was lying. His hands still shook, and tremors occasionally ran down his arms.

"You're not fine." Frank said, sounding as if he were talking about the weather.

"I feel sick…" Jamie agreed, his voice barely audible. "I'm just so tired…"

"I know."

"How do you know?"

"I went through the same thing. Maybe not as severe, but the reason you're sitting here is the main reason I stopped taking them. They weren't worth it."

"I thought you only took three pills. Three nights and you were done…"

"That's true. They're that strong."

"I had an extra couple of days…"

"I know."

"I want one… but I hate them…"

"I know that, too." Frank sighed, gently placing his hand on his son's back. He squeezed his shoulder. "I'll stay here as long as you like."

"Thanks, Dad." Jamie said, feeling grateful.

"Lay down, son." Frank said, trying to get Jamie to lie on his side. Jamie caved, laying his head on the pillow his father had placed on his lap.

"This is embarrassing, Dad." Jamie grumbled. "I'm not ten years old anymore."

"You did this when you were seventeen, son."

"…I did not…"

Frank smiled. "Yes, you did. You'd caught the flu in the middle of summer. It was the sickest you'd ever been; the heat wave we were experiencing wasn't helping anything. You were starting to become delirious. You begged me not to leave."

Jamie could only recall bits and pieces of that period of time. "Yeah, well… still, this is embarrassing."

"It's only you and me here, Jamie."

"And Grandpa if he happens to wander through." Jamie grumbled. Frank smirked.

"He won't say anything." he told him. "Besides, I doubt he'll even wake up."

Jamie nodded. He would never admit it to Danny, but he was enjoying this moment with his father. Frank was gently running his fingers through his hair, calming him. He started feeling sleepy.

"Sleep, son. I'll stay here."

Jamie was already starting to doze off, the shaking in his hands and arms already easing, the warmth of his father's hand on his arm and the lazy, gentle stroking of his hair lulling him into a deep sleep.

~~BB~~

Henry stretched, wandering sleepily into the living room, cup of coffee in hand. No one else seemed to be up yet. Either that or he'd gotten the time wrong and he was the only one left in the house. He stopped short in the doorway, staring fondly at the couch.

Frank was sitting, head against the back of the couch, still fast asleep. His arm was draped protectively over Jamie, who was also still deep in sleep, his head on the cushion resting on his father's lap. Frank suddenly jolted awake.

"Pop?" he asked, his voice hoarse from lack of use.

"Sleep well, Francis?"

Franks swallowed a few times, looking down at Jamie. "Yeah, surprisingly. My back isn't happy, though."

"Is he okay?"

Frank looked at Jamie again. "Yeah… I think so. Just a negative reaction to those damned pills…"

"Much like you had."

"Worse." Frank sighed. "He didn't wake up once during the night, though. Probably the best sleep he's had without the pills."

Henry nodded. "He needs it."

Frank gave his father a small smile. "You're right. He still won't talk, though."

"Give him time. If he's willing to do this, he'll come to you eventually."

"I hope you're right, Pop."

"Of course I am." Henry scoffed. A movement made them both look at Jamie.

Jamie mumbled incoherently, stretching slightly as his eyes opened. He looked around quizzically, glancing up at his father who smiled at him.

"Good morning, son."

Jamie sat up, scrubbing a hand through his hair. "Morning, Dad." He looked over at his grandfather, giving him a sleepy glare.

"I won't say anything to anyone, kiddo." Henry smiled. "Especially Danny."

Jamie nodded, giving an automatic smirk. "Thanks, Gramps."

"There's coffee in the kitchen." Henry told them.

Jamie stretched. "I just need a shower." He mumbled, standing. "Dad…" he trailed off, turning to his father.

Frank waved him off. "Don't mention it, Jamie. You know I'm always here for you."

Jamie gave him a small smile, nodding his thanks. He wandered back upstairs. The men heard the bathroom door close.

Upstairs, Jamie climbed into the shower, letting the warm water wash over his skin. He leaned back against the wall, tears threatening. This just wasn't fair…

~~BB~~

"Dad?"

Frank looked up from his book. It was nearly eight in the evening. "Yes, Jamie?"

"I think it's time for me to go back to my own place…" Jamie fidgeted nervously as he watched for his father's reaction. Henry looked up, surprised.

Frank worried his bottom lip. "Are you sure, son?"

"I'm positive."

"When were you thinking of going?"

Jamie continued to fidget. "Tonight, actually…"

Frank gave him a startled look. "Wouldn't you rather wait for morning?"

"No… I think getting back to my own place will help get things back to normal." Jamie gave him an almost pleading look. "I know I can't get back to work yet, but this is a start at least."

Frank nodded slowly. "You may be right, son." He glanced at his father, who was staring at him with an incredulous look on his face.

"I've already packed up…"

Frank felt a pang in his chest. He knew it was ridiculous, but he couldn't help but feel that Jamie was trying to get away from him as fast as he possibly could. He pasted what he hoped was an accepting smile onto his face. "Then I suppose you're ready to go?"

Jamie nodded, relieved that there were no fireworks. "I am. I just want to get home and relax for a while."

"Sounds like a good idea, son." Frank agreed, trying to keep the nervousness out of his voice. He stood. "I'll walk you out to your car." Jamie nodded.

"I'll just go get my suitcase." he said, heading back upstairs.

Henry looked at Frank. "Have you gone insane, Francis?" he hissed in whisper. "You made progress with him last night… it might not take much more for him to open up! Letting him leave…"

"Is something that was going to have to happen at some point anyway." Frank told his father quietly. "You know that." Henry looked like he was going to say something else, but Jamie was already descending the stairs. He stood at the bottom, nervously fiddling with the strap on the suitcase, glancing in between his father and grandfather.

"I'll call you each day…" Jamie said, looking torn. "Just to let you know how my day was…"

Frank nodded. "I'd like that, son."

Jamie gave him a small smile and picked up his suitcase. He stepped towards the door. Frank opened it for him, following his son out. Jamie opened the car door, placing his case into the backseat. He turned to look at his father. His grandfather stood off to the side, looking unsure and nervous.

"Call me if you need anything, Jamie." Frank told him, giving him a quick hug. He grasped his son gently by the shoulders. "Anything. My phone's always open."

Jamie nodded, swallowing the lump in his throat. "I will, Dad." Henry stepped up to him, looking like he wanted to drag Jamie back into the house.

"Be careful, kiddo." Henry mumbled, pulling his grandson to him. "You can always phone me, too." he told him seriously. Jamie nodded again, giving him a small smile.

"Thank you." was all Jamie said as he climbed into the driver's seat and started the car. The two men stepped back as Jamie started moving, giving them a small wave out the window. They watched as he turned onto the street, continuing to watch as his taillights disappeared.

"I don't like this, Francis." Henry grumbled. "No, that's not it. I hate it."

Frank sighed. "I know, Pop. Believe me, I know. But I can't keep him here forever. He wants to go, and physically there's no reason for him to stay here anymore. He could probably start running and exercising again if he wanted to."

Henry shook his head, sighing. He turned, re-entering the house. Frank stood outside for a long while, staring down the road his son had taken. He hoped it would eventually lead back to him.

~~BB~~

"He went back to his apartment already?"

"Danny, physically he's fine. There's no reason for us to watch him anymore. We can't keep him here forever."

"Yeah, physically… but he's still keeping things in." Danny said, feeling frustration creeping in. "It was just Sunday when..." Danny muttered, immediately pausing as he turned away from his father, scrubbing a hand over his eyes. He glanced behind him, noticing two pairs of accusing eyes staring at him, burning holes in his back. He swallowed, slowly turning around again.

"What was that, Danny?" Frank asked, his voice low and steady. Threatening, almost. "I didn't quite catch that."

"Yeah… I shouldn't have said that…"

"If something was wrong with Jamie, then yes you should have." Frank replied evenly. "You should have said something on Sunday. Now I want you to tell me what it is."

"He just had a little incident… it's nothing major…"

"I'll be the judge of that, Danny." Frank accused.

"He wandered into the kitchen when Linda was still in there. She asked him if he wanted to help cut up some of the vegetables for the salad… he fixated on the knife in her hand and when she went to approach him, he panicked and backed up into the counter. She realized it was the knife that caused the reaction and put it down before calming him down."

"Anything else?"

"When she said she was going to get either you or me to handle this instead of her, he grabbed her arm to stop her and begged her not to tell anyone. He told her to leave it alone… there was an aggressiveness in his voice that she's never heard from him."

Frank nodded sadly. "Is she okay?"

"She's fine, Dad. She knows he didn't have any intent to hurt her or threaten her." Danny reassured him. "Has he taken any more of those pills?"

"No." Frank told him. "He reacted badly to them… it looked very much like withdrawal symptoms to me, mild but uncomfortable. He stayed out here Sunday night, and I stayed with him. When he left last night, I'll admit that I took a look in the medicine cabinet. The pills were still there, untouched."

Danny nodded. "Good. What did he say to you when he left?"

"That he would phone each day to let us know how his day went."

Danny raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Do you think he will?"

Frank hesitated. "I think he'll start out that way… but I don't know how long it will last."

"You think he said it because he knew that the two of you didn't want him to leave?"

"Probably."

Danny sighed. "Maybe I'll pay him a visit tonight. Pizza night, a little brotherly bonding, just some relaxation."

Frank smiled at him. "I think he would like that."

"Maybe he would open up to me."

Frank sighed, giving him a look. "Don't force him."

"Come on, Dad!" Danny grumbled. "You know he won't talk about it any other way!"

"Danny, we know what happened to him…"

"We don't know it from his point of view, only the aftermath of what we can guess at. It's still eating at him."

"I know it is, Danny." Frank responded, fidgeting. "And I worry both about him and the reasons why he's keeping it to himself."

Danny nodded, the gears turning in his brain, trying to piece together the puzzle. "I've got to get back to work, Dad. I'll call Jamie later, see if he's up for a visit."

"You should, son. I think he'd like to see you."

Danny gave a small smirk, not feeling quite so confident. He nodded to his father before opening the door and walking out into the sunshine.

~~BB~~

Jamie sighed, running his fingers through his hair. He was standing on the balcony, squinting into the setting sun. He had gotten home about nine the previous night, spending time unpacking and tidying up. He went to bed an hour later, exhausted. He'd managed to sleep the whole night without any dreams. He woke up at seven, feeling more awake and refreshed than he had in ages.

It had been a good day until about one that afternoon. He'd gone down to the precinct to visit with Renzulli and a couple of the guys he'd gotten to know fairly well. Renzulli had continued to complain about the rookies he had to babysit while the other two officers had made fun of him. Jamie couldn't help but laugh. The two officers had left, each of them clapping Jamie on the back as they went, telling him that they would keep praying he'd be back soon so their Sergeant would quit complaining. Alone with his partner, Renzulli motioned for Jamie to follow him.

# # #

"Jamie, my break's almost over. I've got to get down to the gun range, there are qualifications coming up that I have to supervise."

"Sounds fun." Jamie smirked.

"Don't laugh, kid. I remember your first qualification. You were so nervous you missed the target most of the time." Renzulli grimaced in remembrance. "I was afraid I was going to have to fire you, you were so horrible at it."

"You standing over my shoulder and insulting me wasn't really helping, Sarge."

"I wasn't insulting you, Reagan." Renzulli grinned. "I was trying to make you work harder."

"Calling me a momma's boy wasn't going to make me work harder, Sarge." Jamie smirked again. "Besides, that was rather offending to begin with, considering…"

"Yeah, well, I forgot about that, kid. Frustration does that to me." Tony smiled apologetically. "You forgive me for that, don't you?"

"Yeah, of course." Jamie smiled back. "You already know that."

They were heading into the basement where the gun lockup and range were located. Several shots could be heard, echoing off of the concrete walls. Renzulli pushed open the door, the shots echoing louder.

"You've turned out to be one of the best shots I've seen in quite some time, Reagan." Tony said. "I'll let you take a few shots today if you'd like, just to get warmed up again." Renzulli looked beside him, smirking at his partner. The smirk dropped off his face. "Jamie? Where'd you go?" Jamie was nowhere to be seen. His eyebrows raised in surprise as he turned to look behind him, seeing only the closed door to the range. He frowned, opening the door. Jamie wasn't in sight. He peered back down the hallway from the direction in which they'd come.

Jamie had slid down the wall and was sitting on the floor, his forehead resting on his hands. By the looks of his face, he was struggling with something. Tony approached him, slowly and deliberately, trying not to startle him. He knelt down in front of him.

"Jamie?" he asked, softly, reaching out to place a hand on his arm. He tugged gently, trying to get Jamie to look at him. "Kid, what's wrong? What happened?"

"I don't think I can do this…" Jamie mumbled.

"Do what?" Tony asked, worried. "Come on, Jamie. Let's get you up." Tony stood, pulling Jamie with him. Jamie complied easily. Tony looked up at him, noticing his pale skin, the thin sheen of sweat on his forehead, the nervous biting of his lip. "Follow me, okay? This hallway's going to get busy in a matter of minutes."

Jamie followed, his hands cold as the adrenaline wore off. As soon as he'd heard the shots echoing down the hallway, his heart sped up as his mind forced him back to the campground. He shuddered again, garnering Tony's attention. He felt his Sergeant place a comforting hand on his shoulder as he led him down the hall towards a small room, a room that officers waited in as they waited for their turn to shoot. Tony opened the door, revealing an officer that Jamie had met back in his Academy days. They saw each other occasionally if they happened to work the same shift, but they didn't meet up very often. The officer's face lit up as he noticed his old friend.

"Jamie! I heard you had been skulking around here again! How are you doing?"

"Officer Linden, now's really not a good time." Renzulli sighed. "Out."

"Okay…" Linden mumbled, glancing again at Jamie. His brow furrowed in concern as he took in his shaky, pale appearance. "You okay, Jamie?" he asked, glancing meekly at the Sergeant's scowl. "I'm sorry, Sir… I'll go…"

"Paul…"

"Yeah, Jamie?"

Jamie gave him a weak smile. "I'm okay. Thanks."

Paul nodded, not fully convinced. He turned again towards the door.

"Linden!"

"Sir?"

"You can help me out… direct the others towards the room at the end of the hall. Just say this one's out of commission, okay? I don't want anyone to walk in here."

"Of course, Sir." Paul smiled, happy to be of use. He nodded at Jamie again before leaving, placing himself importantly in the hallway in front of the door.

Inside the room, Renzulli gently pushed Jamie down into a nearby chair. He sat on another one that he had pulled in front of his partner. He watched as Jamie leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "Talk to me, Jamie. What happened?"

Jamie stared at his hands. "Those shots… all I could think of was the shooting I'd witnessed before all this started… and the campground…"

"You're remembering the boy?"

"Yes." Jamie nodded. "And the execution in the campground… Sarge, how am I supposed to do my job when I jump at every little thing?" Jamie's voice had become strained as his eyes pleaded with his friend to help him. Tony felt his own throat tighten as he stared back into Jamie's reddened eyes, even though they were clear of tears.

"It may take some time, kid…" Tony said, placing his hand on Jamie's shoulder as Jamie bent his head. "You'll get through it, I know you will."

# # #

Jamie leaned on the railing, staring down into the street below. Renzulli was right, but Jamie was becoming frustrated with the length of time. He hated being scared. He hated feeling weak.

His cellphone startled him, vibrating in his back pocket. The familiar chimes he'd applied to Danny met his ears as he pulled it out.

"Hello?"

"Kid, did you want pepperoni and cheese or everything-on-it pizza?"

Jamie frowned. "Why?"

"I thought we could spend some time together." Danny said simply. "Hurry up and pick, the guy's getting annoyed with me."

Jamie smirked. "Everything."

"Got it, kid. I'll be by in about half an hour, okay?"

"Sounds good to me." Jamie said, smiling easily at his brother's voice. "See you soon."

He hung up, stuffing the phone back into his pocket. He wandered back inside, picking up the land line phone, dialing his father's number.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Dad."

"Jamie." Frank answered, a smile in his voice. "How was your day, son?"

Jamie swallowed quietly, fighting with himself. He pasted a smile on his lips. "It was good, Dad. I went down to the precinct to visit with Sarge. A few of the other guys were there as well. It was nice to talk with them again."

"That's good, son." Frank replied, hearing the forced smile in Jamie's voice. "What are you doing tonight?"

"Danny called. He's going to bring over a pizza."

"That'll be nice for you two. You haven't seen much of each other these past few days."

"Yeah, Danny's been pretty busy."

They both paused awkwardly. Jamie didn't know what to say and Frank fought the urge to start asking him how he was. Jamie was saved by a knock on his door.

"I've got to go, Dad. Danny just showed up." he said, nodding at Danny who had let himself in.

"Alright, son." Frank replied, not missing the relief in his son's voice. His heart squeezed. "You two have a good time. Don't let Danny out of your sight if he has too many beers, okay? The last boy's night went a bit… funny…"

Jamie smirked, remembering. "I remember that, Dad." He shuddered slightly, remembering Danny streaking down the street, convinced he'd been dared to do it. Their father wasn't too happy, threatening to have him arrested for public indecency. Jamie just wished that some things could be unseen. "I'll watch him. Goodnight, Dad."

"Goodnight, Jamie. Sleep well."

Jamie hung up, turning to his glowering brother. "What?" he asked innocently.

"You really had to bring that up, didn't you?"

"I didn't say anything!"

"You thought it."

"You a mind reader now?" Jamie grumbled teasingly. Danny smirked, punching him lightly on the shoulder.

"I brought beer." Danny said. "You still on the pain meds?"

"No." Jamie replied, looking wearily at the brown bottles. "Haven't been for quite a while now."

"Good." Danny said, noticing his brother's look. "Do you want one? You don't have to, you know."

Jamie took a breath. "No, I'll have one." he told him, reaching for a bottle. He dug around for the bottle opener, cracking the top and handing the opener to his brother. Danny did the same. They tapped their bottles together lightly, an unspoken understanding between them.

"Hungry?" Danny asked, motioning to the pizza box. Jamie smiled.

"Definitely." he replied, opening the box and reaching for a slice.

They ate in silence for several minutes, the only sound coming from the TV playing quietly in the background. Finally feeling full, Jamie leaned on the table, playing with the beer between his hands. He glanced at his brother as Danny finished off the last slice.

"How's work?"

Danny shrugged. "Same as always. Completed a drug raid this afternoon." Danny smirked. "Bastards were too out of it to notice me… all I had to do was pretend to be one of them and the information poured out of them like water."

Jamie smiled wistfully. "Sounds kinda fun…"

Danny looked at him. "You miss it, kid?"

"What, work in general or undercover?"

Danny shrugged again. "Either."

"Yeah, I do. Not the undercover part, really." Jamie grimaced. "The rest of it, though… I miss working with Sarge."

"Word has it that he misses working with you, too." Danny laughed.

Jamie smiled. "I went to see him today. He was complaining about the rookies again."

"He's been doing that a lot from what I hear." Danny grinned. "You've been going back there a lot."

It was Jamie's turn to shrug. "Like I said, I miss it."

Danny peered at him, getting the feeling that Jamie was holding something back. "Yeah, kid. I get it."

Jamie nodded. "I met some of the other guys too. I saw Paul Linden for the first time in months."

"Linden? The goofy looking kid?"

Jamie shot him a look. "Leave him alone, Danny. He passed the physical part with flying colours."

Danny smirked. "He's scrawny."

"Danny…" Jamie sighed.

"What?" Danny asked innocently. "I'm still surprised he made it… he's always looking for approval with everything he does. You can't do that in this job." Danny held up his hand when he noticed Jamie was about to protest. "You have to make split second decisions. He likes to ask first."

Jamie quirked an eyebrow, sighing in agreement. "He has gotten better, Danny, but you're right. He's a good guy, though. He'd do anything for anyone."

"I'd rather have a quick thinker cover my back than some nice guy."

Jamie smirked. "I suppose you're right."

Danny reached for the TV remote, absentmindedly flipping through the channels. He stopped on an action flick, his face lighting up. Jamie laughed.

"Haven't you seen that movie several times, now?"

"Yeah." Danny shrugged. "So?"

"Do you even know the name of it?"

Danny paused. "No?"

Jamie laughed again. "Why do you watch it if you don't even bother to get the name of it?"

"'Cause it's good!"

Jamie snorted. "Sure, Danny. You just like it because you don't need to think."

"What's wrong with that?" Danny asked, smiling innocently. "I think too much during the day, it's nice to watch something that you can just veg out to."

Jamie shook his head, settling sideways on the cushy chair in the living room. Danny stretched out on the couch, opening another beer. Jamie nodded briefly towards it.

"You staying put tonight?"

"Yeah." Danny answered. "Unless you want to kick me out?"

Jamie smiled slightly at his brother. "No."

"Good." Danny said, settling in further.

"You'd probably lie crying in the hallway if I did that." Jamie smirked. "My neighbours wouldn't be happy."

Danny glowered. "Thanks, kid. Thought I meant something to you."

Jamie smirked again, hearing the teasing tone in Danny's voice. "Never."

"Aw…"

They grinned at each other before turning back to the TV. Jamie watched the action with some boredom; he didn't mind action movies, but they weren't his favourite. He just didn't see the hype about tiny plot lines and where the main point is to blow up as much stuff as possible. He just tolerated it for Danny's sake, though he did have an urge to snatch the remote away from him and turn to something else. He yawned, his eyes drowsy... the TV noise seemed to fade further away from consciousness…

~~BB~~

Danny stretched slowly as he floated back into wakefulness, a frown on his face. He swallowed a few times, unsure of what had woken him up. He yawned, cracking open an eye. He stared, confused, at the partially familiar ceiling as he tried to remember where he was. Finally, his brain caught up as he remembered he'd gone over to Jamie's apartment with pizza and beer, and he had crashed on Jamie's couch after the movie had finished. Jamie had already fallen asleep in his chair.

Danny stretched again, trying to make himself more comfortable. He was just dozing off when he heard a sound. He frowned again, peering at the clock in the dim light. It was nearly two in the morning. He sighed, frustrated, as he slowly sat up. He sleepily scratched his head as he glanced over at his brother's sleeping form. He sat up, completely awake, when he realized the sound had come from Jamie. There was a frown on Jamie's face. He mumbled something unintelligible.

Danny got up to stand over his brother. He reached towards him, mindful of Jamie's fists and the fact that Jamie could sit upright at any moment, and gently grasped his shoulder. He shook him lightly. "Jamie." Danny tried. "Hey, kid… wake up…" Jamie shrugged down further, still asleep. "Come on, kid!" Danny whined. "If you jump me here, I'll probably crack my head on your coffee table. Just wake up!"

Jamie frowned again, mumbling as he jerked then slowly cracked open an eye. He squinted at his brother. "Danny? What are you doing?" he rasped through a dry mouth.

"Waking you up, you were dreaming." Danny said, annoyed that Jamie had to bother to question him.

Jamie shrugged. "I don't even remember it, you shouldn't have bothered…"

"That's bull, Jamie." Danny grumbled.

Jamie frowned again, upset. "Whatever, Danny. I'm going to go to bed." He stood, pushing past Danny.

"No." Danny replied, grabbing lightly at his arm. He pulled him back. "I'm tired of this, Jamie. Talk to me."

"There's nothing to talk about!" Jamie muttered, trying to sidestep him again. "I could have been dreaming about puppies for all you know. And all I know is, is that you woke me up!"

Danny snorted. "Puppies with large teeth, maybe."

"I'm going to bed, Danny." Jamie said, leaving no room for argument. He pushed past his stunned brother, hurrying towards his room.

"You can't keep it bottled up, Jamie." Danny told him, not bothering to turn around. "You're going to break, and if you don't start talking, I might not be there when you do." He waited for his brother to answer. He was met with silence. He sighed, sure that Jamie had already left. He turned, only to find his brother steps away from the hallway leading to his room, his back to him. His shoulders were tense, and his fists were clenched. Danny took a tentative step forward. "Jamie?"

Jamie whipped around. "Leave it alone, Danny!" he snarled. Danny took a surprised step back.

"Jamie, what…"

"You wouldn't understand!"

Danny stared at him, feeling positive that Jamie was about to lunge at him. The look of fury across his face was alarming to say the least. "What wouldn't I understand?"

Like a light switch, the anger faded away. Jamie slumped against the wall, exhaustion marring his features. "I'm a cop, Danny. I'm a Reagan… and Jake won't leave me alone!" His fist clenched again as his voice hardened. "I'm supposed to be stronger than this! I'm supposed to be able to control it!"

Danny took a few steps towards Jamie, still leery of him. "You went through hell, Jamie." he started, reaching towards his brother as Jamie snorted with frustration and tried to turn away. "Wait, kid. Just wait. He could have killed you… he nearly succeeded! You can't expect it to not affect you! That's why you need to talk…"

"Shut up, Danny." Jamie snapped, turning away again. He pushed himself away from the wall, stalking towards his bedroom. "Just stop it. You don't get it, you weren't there!"

"I wish I was!" Danny snapped back, frustration getting the better of him. "I wish it was me instead of you! I'd give anything for it to have been me… I hate seeing you like this, Jamie! I wish it had never happened." In his anger, he didn't see the look of fear and horror cross Jamie's features, and by the time he would have noticed, the look was gone.

"Well, it did, Danny!" Jamie muttered, his voice cold. "Are you still drunk?"

"No…"

"Then please leave."

"Jamie…"

"GO!" Jamie glared at him, his eyes bright in the pale light filtering from the living room. Danny stared at him.

"Jamie, I won't just leave you like this…"

"Like what, Danny?" Jamie snapped again. "I'm not made of glass!"

"I know you're not, Jamie." Danny soothed.

"Then get out."

"But…"

"What part of get out don't you understand, Danny?" Jamie cried out, an angry flush colouring his cheeks. "I. Want. You. To. Leave!"

Danny's mouth moved silently. He didn't know where things had gone so wrong. "Fine…" he whispered, his heart squeezing painfully. "It doesn't matter what you say to me, Jamie." he told him, his voice quiet but firm. "I'm not going to leave you to do this alone." He stepped quietly towards the door, gathering his coat. "You know how to reach me, kid."

He closed the door softly behind him before leaning on it. He breathed out, still feeling stunned.

'Dad's going to kill me…' he thought as he made his way down to his car. 'Jamie, I'm so sorry…'

~~BB~~

Jamie sunk down onto his bed, still stunned at what had happened. He couldn't believe he had just kicked his brother out of the apartment.

'Idiot… he was trying to help you!' he thought angrily to himself. He lay on his side, pulling the second pillow to him, hugging it tightly. Ashamed tears filled his eyes.

'Danny… don't go…'

~~BB~~

"Dad, I screwed up." Danny moaned. "I screwed up bad!"

"Danny, calm down and tell me what happened." Frank sighed. His son had surprised him at six in the morning as he was pouring his first cup of coffee. It made him miss his coffee cup completely. He stood at the counter, wiping up the mess as Danny sunk down into a kitchen chair, thumping his forehead onto the table.

"Jamie hates me." he mumbled, his voice muffled. Frank sighed, sitting down across from his son.

"He doesn't hate you."

Danny looked up. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure he does."

"What makes you say that?" Frank asked calmly, positive his son was overreacting.

"I woke up this morning around two. I didn't know what had woken me up until I started to go back to sleep. Jamie was dreaming again. Another nightmare."

"I was hoping those were easing." Frank mumbled. "Sorry, Danny. Continue."

"I woke him up…" Danny paused, glancing at his father. "I told him to talk to me… I got frustrated with his lack of concern about it and started to force him. He got angry. Really angry. He kicked me out."

Frank didn't know whether he should be angry with him or not. "I told you to take it easy, son."

"I know you did, Dad. I'm sorry… I'm just so tired of this!"

"We all are, Danny." Frank told him. "However, he needs to realize, on his own, that he has a problem. He isn't going to talk about it if he feels pushed."

"Well, I did. I pushed him." Danny sighed.

"He'll come back, son." Frank said, softly. He reached over the table, squeezing Danny's arm. "If I know your brother, he isn't going to kick you out of his life. Just be patient."

Danny nodded, unconvinced. "Sure."

"May I ask what you did after you left his place?"

"I ended up driving around for an hour, then drove back to his place. I stayed in the parking lot… I guess I hoped that he might change his mind."

"You slept in your car?"

"I didn't sleep much, but yes."

"You have today off, right?"

"Yes."

"Go home and sleep, Danny. Go see Linda and your boys. Don't give up on Jamie, he'll come back to you. Just give him some time."

Danny nodded, standing up. "Thanks, Dad."

"Take it easy, son." Frank said, watching as Danny left. His heart squeezed in sympathy with the look of sadness on his oldest son's face. 'You'll be okay, Danny. The two of you are strong. That'll never change.'

~~BB~~

"You're weak."

"You're worthless."

"You can't even control Jake when he's dead!"

Jamie's eyes streamed. The sneering faces of his brother, father, and grandfather floated in front of him, the mocking laughter of his sister and the rest of their family tore at his ears. He covered them, turning his face away.

"No…" he mumbled. "You don't mean that…"

"Leave us alone, Jamie!" Danny snarled. "You don't deserve the name!"

"NO!" Jamie screamed out... they continued to laugh…

Jamie's eyes snapped open, still streaming, his throat clogged. He scrambled out of bed, lurching into the bathroom. He leaned over the sink, fighting the nausea. "Don't be ridiculous!" he muttered to himself. He took a few deep breaths, splashing his face with cold water. He stared at his reflection in the mirror, the water dripping off of his skin. He grabbed the towel, roughly wiping off his face. "They don't think of you like that! They love you…"

'But what about you?' Jamie thought to himself. He squeezed the towel in his hands. 'What do you think of yourself?'

~~BB~~

Danny sat outside, staring into his backyard. The boys had gone to school and Linda was busy cleaning up the kitchen before getting ready to run some errands. He stared morosely into his coffee cup. He jumped when his phone buzzed in his pocket, indicating that he'd received a text message. He dug it out, quickly flipping it open.

I'm sorry.

Danny smiled slightly, but didn't want to mess things up further. He texted back quickly.

Don't worry, kid. My fault.

No, it wasn't.

Already forgotten, kiddo.

There was a pause. Danny worried that he somehow managed to lose him again. Finally his phone buzzed in his hand.

Thanks.

Danny smiled again, the tension in his stomach easing. He wandered back inside, heading straight for the bedroom, intending on catching up on the sleep he'd avoided for the last few hours.

~~BB~~

Two days. Two days since he'd fought with Danny. Two since he'd apologized. Yet, he hadn't gone to see him. He hadn't called him. And Danny hadn't contacted him, either.

Jamie rolled over. It was nearly midnight and he couldn't sleep. He still felt horrible for what he'd said and done. Jamie groaned, trying to shut off his whirling brain. He squeezed his eyes shut, hoping he'd fall asleep. Sighing again, he sat up. Maybe some fresh air would help.

He stepped out onto his balcony, staring down into the street below. Even at this late hour, cars still whizzed by and people still had places to go and things to do. Jamie envied them. He missed being busy. The longer he stared, the more he wanted to join them.

'Don't be ridiculous, Reagan.' he thought to himself. 'You need to get to sleep!'

He turned, heading back into his apartment, fully intending on ignoring what he knew he should be doing. He couldn't fall asleep anyway, so what would a short walk hurt? He quickly dressed and stuffed his feet into his shoes. Grabbing his phone and keys, he headed out into the hallway, locking his door behind him.

He had been walking for nearly half an hour, enjoying the cool fresh air when a pair of headlights drove up behind him. A horn honked. Heart thumping, he turned, squinting into the light. The driver's side door opened.

"Jamie, what are you doing?"

"Erin?"

"Yes, it's me. Get in."

Confused, Jamie opened the passenger side door of her car, quickly climbing in. "What are you doing here?"

"Heading home. I've been working a big case these last few days." she told him. "What were you up to?"

Jamie shrugged. "Just walking. I can't sleep."

"You okay?"

"Just bored." Jamie sighed. "I hate not being busy."

"You'll get there, Jamie." Erin told him, patting his arm. Jamie gave her a look. "I'm serious, Jamie. A couple of weeks, and you should be able to start easing back into work. That's what the doctor said, right?"

"Yeah…" Jamie trailed off.

"But?"

"I'm not sure I can, Erin." Jamie mumbled so quietly, Erin had to strain to hear him.

"What do you mean, Jamie?" she asked, concerned.

He hesitated, glancing at her before staring at his hands clasped in his lap. "I've been going back there quite often to see the guys and visit with Sarge."

"That's good, isn't it?"

"It's not if I freeze up…" Jamie grumbled, staring out the window.

Erin reached over, placing her hand on his arm. "Jamie, what are you talking about?"

Jamie sighed, lowering his eyes. "Sarge had to get ready to supervise some qualifications, so I followed him down to the range. I just… froze… when I heard a few practice shots…" Jamie turned his eyes to her. She was watching him, her eyes sad and worried. "I don't even know why, Erin! My mind just turned back to the day Jake…" Jamie stopped, clenching his jaw.

"The day Jake what, Jamie?" Erin prompted. "Hon, you have to admit what happened to you…"

"You think I don't know what happened?" Jamie shot out.

"Jamie, I know you know what happened to you." Erin soothed. "I think you have to hear yourself say it. You have to admit it to yourself."

"I can't…"

Erin's heart squeezed at the pain and tension in her brothers voice. "Why? Why can't you?" Erin waited, her hand still on his arm. He stayed stonily silent. She sighed. She patted his arm once before turning on the car. "I'll drive you home, okay?" Jamie remained silent, staring out the side window.

"Jake kidnapped me." Jamie mumbled. Erin paused, her hand over the gear shift, her foot still pressing the brake. "He kidnapped and tortured me… he almost killed me… I almost wanted him to, just to get away from him…"

Erin took her foot off the brake, turning the car off again. She reached over, pulling him into a hug which he tried to resist. Finally, he slumped towards her, clinging to her. She gently ran her fingers through his hair as she listened to him struggle to keep his tears at bay. She still didn't know why he had initially refused to admit it, but she was glad he had finally given in. "It's going to be okay, Jamie… we're all here to help you."

"I hate him for what he's done…"

"We all do, Jamie." Erin mumbled, still hugging him tightly.

"Even you?" he asked, his voice still muffled by her shoulder. "You don't like hating anyone."

"Especially me…" she grumbled. "No one takes away my babies…"

Jamie pulled away, smirking, his amusement only marred by wiping the dampness from his eyes. "That's creepy, Erin."

Erin smirked back. "Not really. I changed your diapers."

Jamie shuddered. "That's even creepier."

Erin laughed. "Danny and Joe wouldn't touch you. I had to help Mom out somehow so I looked after you." She turned thoughtful. "I wish you were like other babies and hated peas…"

Jamie stared incredulously. "That's gross, Erin…"

Erin shrugged. "That was you. Peas and peaches… made for some messy diapers." she teased lightly.

"Can we please stop talking about when I was a baby?" Jamie grumbled, a small smile on his face. She smiled back.

"Sorry, Jamie. It was funny… everything other kids hated, you loved."

"I like being different."

"And I like that you're different." she cooed, patting his face. He grumbled again and quickly brushed her off.

"Go away, Erin." he muttered. "You're embarrassing."

"No one's around." She grinned.

He gave her a look but couldn't help but smile. "Just take me home, Erin. I could use some sleep."

"You and me both." she sighed, turning the car back on. She pulled away from the curb. The ride back to Jamie's apartment was silent but comfortable. They pulled to a stop in front of his building.

"Thanks, Erin." he smiled, undoing his seatbelt and opening the door. "I'll see you later, okay?"

"Jamie, wait." She called, opening her own door. He met her around her side of the car, looking puzzled.

"What's up?"

She hugged him tightly. "My phone's always open, okay? You call me any time you want."

He nodded, his throat tight. "Thanks, sis."

"I'd do anything, Jamie. You know that." Erin told him softly. She gave him another hug before smiling at him, her smile somewhat watery. She climbed back into her car. He shut her door, waving as she pulled away. Smiling again, he turned and headed back inside his building.

~~TBC~~