A/N: Thank you all so much for the fantastic reviews. They mean so much. :) See the first chapter for the disclaimer. I hope you guys enjoy this one, and please review. :)

Chapter Seventeen

Maria looked up as Danny walked back into the precinct with his notebook. "Jamie finally opened up?" she asked.

Danny nodded solemnly. "We can put this case to bed," he replied, sitting down behind his computer.

She nodded. "That's a good thing. So why do you look like crap?"

He didn't respond with anything more than a sigh.

"Danny, look," she said, moving to lean against his desk. "He's a young kid who survived hell physically. The rest? It's just aftermath. You, of all people, should know how to help him with that."

He looked up at her with a slight glare.

"Marine through and through, you think I couldn't guess when you served, and that somethin' bad went down?"

He shook his head and looked back at his computer.

"Type it up, put the case to bed, then take a few days," she advised. "Take care of your brother. He needs you more than I do."

"Oh, I don't know about that," Danny teased back lightly. "Someone's gotta keep you in line."

She shrugged with a small smile. "I got the Sarge."

"You really think that's good enough?"

"I'm gonna tell him you said that."

Danny smiled softly. "Thanks, Maria."

She shrugged. "Anytime." She moved away from his desk to sit back at hers. "I was serious about you takin' some time, though."

"I know you were."

"You've been like an angry zombie lately," she commented. "And, believe me, I don't blame you. Anyone goes after a member of my family, and I'd be the same way. But, now that the case is over, I think you need to take care of yourself and your family."

Danny didn't respond as he started typing up Jamie's statement.

"Your kid brother's gonna need you, even if he tells you he doesn't. And, given that he's a lot like you, he's definitely gonna tell you he's fine when he's not."

"I know," Danny said. "He's been doin' that all along. Except he's a bad liar. I wonder how he survives undercover."

"You know him too well," Maria replied. "That's why you see through all his lies. But it can't be easy seein' a 15 year old kid get killed in front of you for no reason."

He nodded. "Apparently, they were picked to be me, Erin, and Nicki."

She shook her head. "That's rough. How's Jamie takin' it?"

He shook his head in lieu of a verbal response.

"Sydney drop by to see him yet?" she asked, changing topics.

"I think she's still hidin' out," Danny replied. "Might be too busy, I don't know. I think she's more scared to see him than anything else."

"Can't say I blame her. I don't think I'd wanna face a room full of Reagans, no matter how long it's been since the breakup. But I'd think closure for them would be a good thing."

"What makes you think they never got closure?"

Maria shrugged. "He's still single. You said she's still carryin' a torch for him. You think they'll ever get back together?"

"Want me to call Linda so you two can discuss this?"

Maria chuckled softly. "Point taken."

Danny continued typing for a few minutes before saying, "no."

"No, what?" Maria asked.

"No, I don't think they'll get back together. They may still love each other, but they're both too involved in the work they do. She's close to becomin' a partner, she's not going to allow someone to distract her. And Jamie… he's too busy with the job, and who knows where his head is right now."

Maria nodded. "I keep forgetting it wasn't that long ago we lost Officer Cruz, too."

Danny closed his eyes, and Maria knew she'd struck a nerve. Rather than call it out, though, she waited for Danny to say something.

He didn't.

"I'm sorry," she said after a few minutes.

"You and me both," he replied dismally.

"You doin' okay with everythin'?"

Danny shrugged. "Jamie's awake and talking. I'm okay with that. Rest is aftermath, right?"

"Right," she replied.

The two of them allowed silence to continue as Danny typed up Jamie's statement. Once it was finished, he printed it out for Jamie to sign for the file.

"Gonna get him to do that now, or wait?" she asked.

Danny shook his head. "Better get it over and done with," he replied.

Maria nodded. "Tell him I said hi and that I hope he's feelin' better."

"Will do."

Maria gave Danny a small smile as he grabbed his coat and headed back out the door.