Chapter5 Roads to an Unexpected Future

Danny and Maria were two blocks from the house when Danny couldn't get past the silent treatment Maria had been giving him and decided to investigate.

"Hey Baez what gives with the church mouse routine?"

"It's nothing partner I've just got a lot on my mind is all nothing big."

"That's crap Baez and you know it you would've had my ass for losing it at the coffee shop."

"Danny I swear its nothing if it was I'd tell you now get us back to the house I wanna finish that stack of fives I have in my desk before Carver has my head."

"Fine I 'll drop it for now but if you need to talk I'm here."

"Noted."

Danny decided to drop the matter for the time being since he felt like his partner had a wall up he couldn't get over right now.

The duo headed into the squad and headed for their desks and got started on the mountain of paperwork, as the duo was slowly making their way through the mountains of paperwork Maria kept sneaking glances at Danny which was odd for the veteran detective because she never let romance interfere with work before but for some reason this thing she had with Danny was something she couldn't explain but she liked it she just hoped she would have a shot with him.

The duo spent the next four hours going through their unfinished fives stopping for lunch.

"Hey partner what do you say to pizza at Giovanni's?"

"Sorry Danny I have a stop to make"

"Really where you off to?"

Just a stop nothing big I'll be back before the hour is up"

"Suit yourself."

With that Danny headed for pizza while Maria made the short trip to the DA's office hoping Erin was in her office and not in court.

It took Maria about twenty minutes to make the trip to the DA's office luckily, she was able to clear security without an issue and headed up to Erin's eighth floor office.

Maria knocked on the door and went in noticing Erin looking through some case files.

Erin heard Maria walk in and looked up.

"Hey Maria did my brother send you here for a warrant?"

"No Erin this isn't a business call its more personal."

"I see shut the door I'm on lunch now."

Maria shut the door and sat down across from Erin.

"Alright Maria what's up?"

"I know you said you'd do some recon on Danny for me so I came by to see if you could find a way to speed things along not that I'm rushing you but things with Danny have gotten a little more intense a lot faster than I thought they would have."

"How so Maria?"

"Well I know its early but I can already feel myself falling for Danny harder than I've ever fallen for anyone in my life I think I'm not far from asking for a new partner so that's why I'm hoping he's open to at least giving me a shot."

Erin was shocked that her brothers longest reigning partner was currently spilling her guts about Danny.

"Maria calm down I hear you don't worry I see where you're coming from I've been where you are I get it I'll talk to Danny later tonight and get back to you."

"Thanks Erin this means a lot to me."

"No problem Maria enjoy the rest of your day and stay safe."

"I will Erin and thanks for everything."

Maria turned and left Erin's hoping that she was one step closer to potentially finding the one.

Maria looked at her watch and seeing as she still had another half an hour on lunch she went to a little Chinese takeout restaurant and ordered some shrimp fried rice and soda to eat back at the squad.

Maria was able to get her food and head back to the squad with just enough time to eat her lunch luckily Danny was to engrossed in an old case file to notice her which gave her time to come up with a way to dissolve her partnership with Danny if Erin gave her good news.

Just to be on the safe side Maria drafted a formal request for a change of partner knowing that if Danny and her did work out she would have to change partners anyway.

Maria quickly typed up the request and saved it on her flash-drive not wanting to run the risk of it being found by anyone.

As she closed out the file she shot Danny a glance hoping to keep her heart from beating out of her chest.

Meanwhile over on the lower east side Jack and Chris were running their normal beat hoping nothing went wrong especially after the three disorderly conduct complaints they had responded to and the one rather ugly case of domestic violence that resulted in Jack getting a small gash on his cheek.

"Hey Jack its almost quitting time what do you say to a trip to the heights and I'll get you to finally try my friend Tony's chimichurri burgers."

"Chris I'm all for embracing new food but that thing you call a burger is a heart attack on buns."

"Come on Jack it's just a burger patty cut cabbage mayo and ketchup besides its filling I promise try it this once and I'll never bring it up again." Chris said while giving Jack her trademark pout which he was powerless against.

Jack glanced over from the road for moment seeing the pout and gave in.

"Damn you Chris you had to use the pout didn't you." Jack stated know Chris had him wrapped around her finger.

Chris smiled full of glee knowing she had won.

"To answer your question yes I did have to use the pout it was the only thing that would ensure I got my way." Chris stated with a bit of playfulness in her voice.

"Lucky I like you Chris because you are evil.

"I know but that's one of the reasons you like me."

"Shut it Chris we're on the job another couple hours after we get off I'm all yours."

"That's what I was hoping you'd say."

"Christine D'Angelo -Curatola act like an adult please." Jack scolded.

"Oh, my full name I must have been a bad girl."

"Chris, pull it together for a bit longer I mean it."

"Fine have it your way Jack."

As Jack made a turn off heading towards 59th street the radio went off.

"12 foxtrot on the air."

"Go ahead central."

"Reports of a domestic disturbance 249 east 54th"

"10-4 show us responding."

With Jack lit up and headed towards the direction of the call.

Jack and Chris pulled up to a brown stone where they saw the door to the brown stone where the door was half open and a middle age woman was standing on the curb trying to flag the car down.

Jack parked the car and headed towards the short brunette and went to get the story on their call.

"Mam I'm officer Reagan what seems to be the problem?"

"Officer for the past four hours I've heard nothing but loud music and noise coming from this house the music died after I threatened to call the cops but this isn't first time I've had problems at this house it's been constant in and out for the past two months personally I think this is a drug house as well please do something."

"Don't worry mam we'll take care of it step back please."

"Thank you, officer."

Having gotten some background information on the case Jack and Chris headed towards the door and entered.

"Police." Jack called out heading towards the living-room with Chris as backup.

"Living-room is clear Chris heading for the bedroom."

Jack headed towards the bedroom unexpectedly getting hit with a strong smell of pot.

Jack signaled for Chris to cover him while he opened the door he was shocked to find Sean passed out on an inflatable couch holding a semi used weed filled cigar.

Chris also found another teen passed out with four empty beer cans.

"Jack I think we better call the Sargent your brother being here makes this case off-limits to you."

"I know Chris let's just get the info here we'll pass this off at the house let's get this over with."

"Fine we'll do this your way."

Jack woke up his brother already feeling red hot that his brother would be so stupid.

"Sean get up now." Jack barked as he shook his brother awake.

Sean opened his eyes and was clearly stoned out of his mind.

"Aww Jack what the hell are you doing here bro?"

"I should be asking you that question you should be in class right now instead I find you drunk and stoned what the hell?"

"Relax bro its just beer and pot no big deal and stop being loud."

"Stop being loud fuck that Sean I find my kid brother passed out drunk with some burn out I have every right to rip into you so do me a favor shut up and turn around."

With that Jack stood his brother up turned him around and cuffed him.

"What are you doing Jack?"

"Sean Reagan you're under arrest for underage drinking as well as possession and use of marijuana you have the right to remain silent and refuse to answer any questions if you give up that right anything you do say can and will be used against you in a court of law.

You have the right to an attorney and to have one present during any and all questioning if you can't afford an attorney one will be appointed to you."

"Do you understand these rights as I have explained them to you?"

"I do."

After reading Sean his rights he put him back on the inflatable couch while Chris handled Sean's friend Sam Andrews.

Chris had already placed Sam under arrest and read him his rights needless to say he was too high to say anything of substance.

"Jack, we have these two under let's toss the place and take these two in I want to pass this case off ASAP."

"Agreed I just hope we don't find anything my Dad will flip when he finds out I collared my own brother on a minor drug charge not to mention truancy."

"I hear ya."

Jack and Chris tossed the room not finding anything in the draws or in the immediate area but that all changed when Chris found two shoeboxes in the closet.

She was both shocked and upset at what she found.

"Jack, you need to see this."

Jack headed over to Chris and laid his eyes on the contents of the boxes.

"Jesus freaking Christ you've got to be shitting me."

Inside the boxes Jack and Chris found two boxes full of medium sized bags of marijuana along with at least five hundred dollars in cash in one of the boxes.

"Fuck as if this couldn't get any worse now Sean's really screwed".

"Jack let's just get gloved take this down to the car and drop these two off we don't need this mess to get worse for anybody.

"Let's do this I'll get the gloves watch them."

Jack got the gloves carried both boxes out to the car while Chris escorted Sean and Sam out and placed them both in the car after giving them a second toss.

Needless to say, the ride to the twelfth was conducted in silence.

Twenty minutes later Chris and Jack arrived at the station informed the desk Sargent of what happened after filling out the booking sheet and processing both guys and the evidence Jack was sent to Jamie's office along with Chris luckily the desk Sargent had already called Jamie after the paperwork was done.

Jack and Chris waited for Jamie to address them as he took a breath.

"First of all, I'd like to commend for the drugs you got off the streets but make no mistake about it I'm also going to rip into to you for not calling this in you two should know better, so because I'm feeling generous I'm going to issue both of you command disciplines and keep this in house but you two are on notice screw up again like this and you're gone now get out of here."

Chris and Jack left Jamie's office thanking their lucky stars they weren't fired.

"Well that wasn't too bad."

Speak for yourself partner unless Sean has a guardian angel he's screwed not to mention the heat my family has to deal with now."

"Jack relax your brother did something stupid yeah but the most he'll be dealing with is truancy underage drinking and the fact that he was high the boxes are his friends responsibility."

"I hope you're right Chris let's finish out the tour I need to relax".

"Ditto."

Jack and Chris headed back on the street to finish out their tour hoping to keep it drama free.

Four hours later across town Danny was clocking out with Maria seething that Sean had been cutting school high and drunk luckily Sam copped to the drug boxes leaving Sean to deal with the truancy minor drug and alcohol charges which resulted in Sean getting a suspended sentence providing that he stays out of trouble for the remainder of the year or face thirty days in lockup.

Both Danny and Maria both left in silence with a lot on their minds.

While Danny left looking to decompress Maria left hoping she would be one step closer to her goal Sean notwithstanding.

Once Danny got home he found Sean sitting with Erin on the couch.

"Erin what are you doing here?"

"I came to talk to you and keep an eye on my nephew don't worry about I already tore him a new one just relax."

"Thanks Erin."

"Sean give me your phone and go to your room I can't deal with you right now."

Sean gave up his phone and left knowing that his aunt saved him from his dad unleashing hell on him.

Half an hour later Erin sat with Danny sensing he had cooled down enough to be able to deal with her.

"So, Erin what did you want to talk about?"

"Well it's about you actually."

"Spit it out Erin I'm not in the mood."

"Well it's been a while since Linda died you haven't dated since."

"Okay so what?"

"Well while I thought you could get out there again."

"I don't know Erin should I even date again no one will put up with me like Linda."

"Danny I'm not saying you have to get married just get back out there."

"I smell setup here what are you hiding?"

"Nothing I just think you should let yourself be happy besides I wouldn't be setting you up."

"What are you talking about?"

"All I'll say is I know someone who is very interested in you and just wants a shot with you."

"Do I get to meet this person?"

"You will soon just wait."

"Fine whoever it is better be worth it."

"It better be Erin I could use some good news after today."

That does it for this chapter Sean's saga will more layers to it as we go forward

Next chapter will cover Eddie & Nicky's case progress as well as meeting Nicky's admirer some Jamko build and a bit more of Maria and Danny build.