A/N: Thank you all so much for the fantastic reviews! You're all awesome. See the first chapter for the disclaimer. I hope you all have a safe, fun, and happy New Year! I hope you guys enjoy this chapter, and please review. :)

Chapter Twenty-Three

Danny knocked out a rhythm on Jamie's bedroom door, waiting for the younger man to show signs of life behind it.

Nothing.

Danny continued his rhythm, knowing that eventually, Jamie would get annoyed enough and answer the door. But yet, nothing moved from within the room. Finally, Danny gave up his rhythm and opened the door.

Jamie was lying on the bed with a pillow over his head.

Danny stopped, watching his younger brother for a moment, contemplating his next step. Either Jamie was sleeping, and Danny should leave him alone, or Jamie was ignoring him, and Danny needed to bother him. While he couldn't be sure just what was going on yet, he did take a step forward.

Jamie cringed.

So, either Jamie was awake and waiting for the annoyance, or Jamie was sleeping and having a nightmare. Danny stopped where he was, just watching his younger brother for a moment. Waiting for some reaction.

Jamie gripped the pillow tighter over his head.

Danny walked forward, kneeling down beside his brother's bed. Jamie made a soft noise, and Danny still wasn't a hundred percent sure that the kid wasn't awake. Because if Jamie could convince Danny he was sleeping and having a nightmare, Danny would be nicer and not as annoying.

Jamie snapped up, scaring Danny back from the side of the bed.

Danny narrowed his eyes at his younger brother, who was trying, and failing, to look surprised that Danny was there. "You did that on purpose," Danny claimed.

Jamie feigned innocence. "I have no idea what you're talking about," he replied, rolling onto his side.

"And here I am, comin' over here to be nice and get you out of the house, and you're bein' a jackass."

Jamie smirked. "I learned from the best."

Danny shook his head. "Wise ass. You wanna go out today or not?"

Jamie shrugged slightly. "I don't know. Let me check my busy schedule…"

Danny rolled his eyes, standing up. "I'll be downstairs, ya clown."

Jamie smiled as Danny walked out of the door.

Jamie reached the bottom of the stairs a few minutes later as Danny waited in the living room with Henry. "You're awake," the older man said. "You guys want something to eat?"

"We'll grab something while we're out," Danny replied. "Thanks, Grandpa."

"We will?" Jamie asked.

"Yes, we will."

"Do I get to know where we're eating? Or, even what we're doing?"

"Not after that little stunt you pulled this morning."

Jamie rolled his eyes while Henry smiled.

"We'll see you later, Grandpa," Danny said, opening the front door. "Come on, Hop-along."

"Don't make me whack you with my crutch," Jamie warned.

"You're all talk," Danny countered as Jamie hobbled down the front steps before Danny.

Jamie stopped and swung his crutch in Danny's direction.

Danny rolled his eyes. "I'm not afraid of you, kid."

The banter and light conversation continued through lunch, after which Danny mentioned that he had to pick the boys up from school. With Sean and Jack in the car, the group headed to the park, allowing the kids some time to play under the watchful eyes of Danny and Jamie. The two older Reagans settled on a bench near the playground where the boys were running around.

"So, when are you gonna stop this?" Danny asked abruptly.

Jamie shrugged. "When I run out of energy," he replied.

"Well, you're not sleepin', so that should help you run out faster."

Jamie sighed softly. "Can't sleep."

"I know."

Jamie didn't say anything.

Danny rested his arm along the back of the bench behind Jamie, turning slightly to face the younger man. "Kid, talk to me," he said quietly.

Jamie shifted his weight on the bench, watching his nephews wrestle in the grass.

Danny waited patiently. Or, well, as patiently as he could…

"I wanted to die in there," Jamie admitted under his breath.

Danny wiped at his nose with his left hand while his right grabbed onto the back of the bench behind Jamie's neck.

"God help me, Danny, but I wanted to die in there," Jamie said, looking down at his legs as tears choked him up.

Danny cleared his throat.

"You all say I'm strong, and that you're proud of me…" Jamie sniffled as he shook his head. "I'm not. M'nothin' to be proud of."

Danny breathed out slowly, turning his right hand to grab the back of Jamie's neck gently. "You survived," he said. "You got away. You ran five miles on a broken leg. If that isn't strength, if that isn't somethin' to be proud of, then what is?"

Jamie sniffled again, scrubbing at his face with his left hand.

Danny soothingly ran his thumb up and down Jamie's neck. "Wanting to die, and laying down and dying… those are two different things. You didn't give up."

Jamie swallowed hard.

"No matter how much you wanted to, you didn't. You didn't give up. You beat the odds and got free. And that… that's somethin' to be proud of."

"I didn't get free," Jamie said. "She let me go."

"She let you go, but you still ran," Danny replied. "You still got away, as far as you could. That counts."

Jamie sniffed harshly.

"You're stronger than you've given yourself credit for."

Jamie shook his head bitterly. "No, I'm not," he said. "I'm not. I can't… I can't do this, Danny. I can't."

"Can't do what?" Danny prodded gently.

"It's too much. It's just too much."

Danny pulled Jamie against his shoulder as the younger brother broke down. He glanced up towards his sons, who had stopped wrestling and were watching the older Reagans. Danny nodded at them, and Jack quickly herded Sean to the swings to play and not pay attention to their father and uncle.

Jamie, for his part, was trying to push Danny away. Danny simply held Jamie tighter, causing the younger brother to give up. "M'so sorry, Danny," Jamie cried softly.

Danny bit his lip at the pain in his brother's voice. "You got nothin' to apologize for, kid," he replied gently. "You didn't do anythin' wrong."

Jamie shifted to release himself from Danny's grasp slightly. "I haven't done anythin' right this year."

Danny let up his hold on his brother to catch the younger man's eye, but kept his arm around Jamie's shoulders. "What do you mean?"

"My partner's dead because of me. I let myself get kidnapped…"

"You didn't let that happen," Danny interrupted.

"Didn't I?" Jamie countered bitterly. "I sure as hell didn't fight them off."

"You were injured in the accident. There was blood all over your car. You didn't think Honor was a threat, which I wouldn't either. They got you before you got your gun. You did fight back."

"Just not well enough."

"Two on one, kid."

"You could've fought them off."

Danny shrugged. "Not after a car accident."

Jamie shook his head. "You're lying."

"When you get better, I can help you fight, but I've seen you take down perps. You don't need the lesson. You got ambushed, kid. And you can't ever predict what's gonna happen in those circumstances. One day, you can take them both down by yourself. Another day, you need three people."

"Or just you."

Danny sighed. "I'm a Marine," he said. "Like I said, I can teach you some tricks, but you don't need them. You're a lot stronger than you give yourself credit for."

Jamie sighed painfully, looking down at his legs. "I should've died," he said.

Danny glared and opened his mouth to respond.

"Doctor said I was hurt so bad I shouldn't have lived," Jamie continued before Danny could interject. "He was surprised I ran in the condition I was in. I shouldn't have survived."

"But you did," Danny replied.

Jamie snorted lightly and nodded. "You know what I kept thinking about?"

Danny shook his head.

Jamie looked up to Danny. "I couldn't let you guys lose another family member."

Danny swallowed the lump in his throat at the thought of losing another brother.

Jamie fell silent, sniffling softly as he looked down again.

"Everything that's happened this year… the kidnappin', Vinny dyin'… none of that is your fault," Danny told him, squeezing Jamie's shoulder lightly. "None of that."

Jamie inhaled deeply before sighing.

"I know it's hard," Danny continued. "I know it hurts right now. But wallin' yourself up behind bad jokes and denials doesn't help."

Jamie looked at him pointedly.

"Yeah, I know, who am I to say that?"

Jamie smiled lightly.

"But, I have Linda to talk to when I'm upset. You tend to wear your heart on your sleeve unless you're hurtin'. You need to talk about it. You need to get it out so you can deal with it. Otherwise, it's gonna eat at you."

"Thought that was what I was doin'," Jamie said softly.

"Yeah, I know," Danny replied. "Just keepin' you honest. Might help you sleep at night. And, you know, you can call me and talk if you want. I promise I won't make fun of you too bad."

Jamie rolled his eyes at Danny's smirk. "Gee, thanks."

Danny chuckled softly. "I mean it, kid. You can call me to talk. Anytime."

"I know. Thanks, Danny."

Danny replied by squeezing Jamie's shoulder again.

"But, my jokes aren't bad," Jamie told him.

"Yeah, whatever you say, kid," Danny said lightly.

Danny dropped Jamie off at the DA's office before starting to head home with the kids. After a few moments of silence, Sean said, "Dad?"

"Yeah?" Danny replied, glancing briefly to see his son in the mirror.

"Is Uncle Jamie going to be okay?"

Danny smiled slightly. "Yeah, he'll be alright, Sean."

Though, deep inside, Danny wasn't so sure.