A/N: Thank you all so much for the wonderful reviews! I wish I could guarantee regular postings, but things are crazy right now and getting crazier by the day. Anyway, see the first chapter for the disclaimer. I hope you guys enjoy this one, and please review. :)

Chapter Thirteen

Henry walked in to find the bed empty.

His heart skipped a beat, wondering what had happened to his grandson. He knew that Danny and Erin had just left, and that they had said Jamie was awake and talking. He was doing fine.

So where the hell was he?

The bathroom door opened, and out hopped his battered grandson, who stopped the moment he noticed Henry standing there. Jamie was standing on his (relatively) good foot, holding the IV pole with his (relatively) good hand, waiting for Henry to say something.

"I won't tell if you don't," Henry said with a smile.

Jamie smiled back. "Deal."

Henry moved over to attempt to aid Jamie back into bed, but was waved off.

"I got myself into this mess, I'll get myself out."

Henry backed up, allowing Jamie to hop back to the bed and maneuver himself in. "You got this all figured out already," the older man commented.

Jamie shrugged. "When you gotta go, you gotta go," he replied. "Tubes be damned."

Henry chuckled. "Spoken like a true Reagan."

Jamie smirked.

"So, I take it the pain's not too bad, then," Henry said.

Jamie shrugged again. "I'll live."

"Now you sound like Danny."

"At least I don't talk in my sleep."

Henry smiled as he sat down next to Jamie on the bed. "How are you doing, kid?"

"Fine."

"Any time you wanna stop lying."

Jamie snorted slightly. "Can't get anything past you, can I, Grandpa?"

Henry shook his head.

"My throat still hurts a little," Jamie said. "Everything hurts. And itches. But, I'll live."

Henry nodded. "What do you remember?" he asked.

Jamie made a face as he shook his head. "Bits and pieces. Not much."

This time, Henry didn't call him on his lie. "Anything you want to talk about?"

Jamie shook his head again. "Not right now. Maybe later."

"Anytime, son. You know that."

Jamie nodded. "I know. Thanks."

"So, I think Nicki was going to drop by later," Henry said, changing topics.

"That'd be nice," Jamie said. "I'd like to see her."

"And the boys'll probably be in, too, at some point. They'll be happy to see you."

"They haven't been in yet?"

Henry shrugged. "You were unconscious and on a ventilator in the ICU. They moved you after they took you off, but before that, it would've been tough on the boys if they'd been allowed in there."

Jamie nodded slightly. "I hadn't really thought about it."

"Yeah, well, you're okay now. That's what's important."

Jamie shrugged minutely. "I'm awake. I'm getting better, but I'll be okay when it doesn't hurt half as bad." He absently scratched at the bandages.

"Linda's gonna put mittens on you if you keep doing that," Henry told him.

Jamie smirked. "Erin said the same thing," he replied. "I like a challenge."

Henry shook his head. "Yeah, you're okay."

Jamie smiled.

But both of them knew that he wasn't. There were a lot of issues that they hadn't even scratched the surface of, yet Henry could tell Jamie wasn't about to make that easy for them. Not that Henry could blame him. From what he already knew, Jamie had been through hell. And it wasn't going to be an overnight thing that suddenly he was okay. It would take a while. But they had to start somewhere, and Jamie wasn't giving them much of a jumping off point.

Typical Reagan.

For as many differences as Henry and Jamie had, he could tell that his grandson was definitely cut from the same cloth as the rest of them. Perhaps stronger than the rest of them. Henry couldn't remember the last time any of them had been able to run miles to get away from someone after being half as beat up as Jamie had been.

Then again, it wasn't something that happened every day.

Jamie had survived something that was definitely horrible, and he would get through it with them, but he needed to start the conversation. Otherwise, his Reagan stubbornness would take over and shut everyone out.

"Grandpa?" Jamie asked, interrupting his thoughts.

"Yeah," Henry replied.

"You alright?"

Henry snorted slightly. "I should be asking you that."

"You already did, and I already answered."

Henry smirked. "Okay, Counselor."

Jamie rolled his eyes slightly.

"I'm just worried about you," he told his grandson honestly.

"I'm okay, Grandpa. I'm alive. That's more than I had hoped for."

Henry nodded sadly. "Did Danny tell you they caught them?"

"He mentioned it," Jamie replied. "Told me not to worry about it, though."

Henry chuckled. "Of course he did."

"The family that slays together, huh?"

Henry furrowed his brow. "What do you mean?"

"Well, Andre was a killer. And the other kids… they were pretty damn intent on killing me. That I remember."

Henry nodded. "How'd you get away?"

Jamie shrugged. "I ran."

"Before that," Henry said.

Jamie shook his head. "I don't really know," he replied.

Another lie, Henry realized sadly. Instead of calling him on it, though, Henry simply nodded again, patting his grandson's leg. Though, another grave realization struck Henry as he sat there.

Why was Jamie lying? Was it because he didn't trust them, or was it more about self-preservation?