Chapter 50: Rank, File, Orders and Commands

Jamie and Eddie stand with Rosa and Mia in their apartment at their extended kitchen counter.

"Alright Rosa, Mia…" Jamie begins "Could you both please get us the courtesy cards we gave you."

Mia suspiciously eyes her uncle "Why?"

"Because I asked nicely?" Jamie sweetly counters.

Rosa silently reaches for her purse while eying both Jamie and Eddie to see them both smiling at them "What's going on?" She questions as she takes her wallet out, opens it and pulls out both Jamie's Sergeant card and Eddie's Detective card. She puts them on the counter "Here."

"Thank you." Eddie states before looking at Mia "Mia, you too please."

Mia stands there still eyeing them suspiciously but doesn't move.

"Please?" Eddie reiterates again with a little more force in her tone.

"Ugh. Fine." Mia relents as she stocks over to her backpack, opens a side compartment and pulls out her cards. She picks two out and puts a third one back in "Did we do something bad?" She asks as she walks back over and hands them out to Jamie "Are you taking them away on us?"

"Not taking them away…" Jamie states as he takes the old cards and sets them aside in a pile with Rosa's old ones "…just replacing them…" He adds as pulls his wallet out "…with new ones." He finishes as he takes out and places one new card and then a second new card down on the counter next to the first card.

Eddie then takes her new cards and sets one overtop of each of Jamie's new cards.

Jamie then slides a set to Mia as Eddie slides a set to Rosa.

Both Rosa and Mia each pick up a set and while Rosa takes a few seconds to really look at them, Mia only briefly glances at them.

"Um these look exactly the same." The young girl states focusing more on the layout and design then what they actually say…

"They're not." Rosa states before looking up at the couple in awe "You got promoted – both of you."

"WHAT?" Mia shrieks "WHERE?" She demands as she looks back down at her cards.

"Right here." Jamie states as he points to his new rank on his card "Lieutenant." He reads off for her.

Mia looks up at Jamie in awe "Lieutenant Reagan!"

"Yup." Jamie confirms with a nod of his head.

"And Sergeant Reagan." Rosa adds as she looks up at Eddie smiling.

"No it's Lieutenant." Mia corrects thinking her Mom is still talking about her Uncle.

"No, it's Sergeant Reagan." Eddie confirms in amusement.

"What?" Mia presses in confusion "You all just said he got promoted."

"He did." Eddie confirms "But so did I. Sergeant Reagan." She repeats as she points at herself.

It takes Mia another brief moment but then her eyes go wide in understanding "OHHHHHH! COOL! Lieutenant and Sergeant Reagan!" She announces "Sounds fancy! Wait, did Uncle Danny get promoted too? Is he going to give me a new card too?"

"Um no he didn't." Jamie replies "He likes being a Detective. He's happy where he is."

"Oh. Cool." Mia accepts with a nod of her head.

Beat.

Suddenly Mia looks up at Jamie in thought "Wait isn't he your older brother?"

"Yes." Jamie confirms.

"Don't even go there Mia." Eddie laughs "It's as simple as it is complicated. Now who's hungry? I say we go out and celebrate. The Lieutenant over here is buying!"

"Which means the Sergeant is also buying." Jamie points out.

"That's what I said!" Eddie reiterates.

"No you didn't." Mia counters.

Rosa shakes her head "It's as simple as it is complicated." She repeats with a laugh "Let's just go."

"Where are we going?" Mia questions.

"You pick." Eddie offers.

"Me?" Mia excitedly questions as she thinks "Oooooo what do I feel like?

…..

Jamie and Eddie walk in the backdoor into the kitchen of the Reagan Family home.

"Well if it isn't Lieutenant Reagan and his lovely wife Sergeant Reagan!" Henry greets with a big proud grin as he bastes the chicken.

"Hi Commissioner." Jamie tosses back with slight huff of a laugh.

"Ugh." Danny groans as he lifts his head up from the fridge after having grabbed a beer "Are we doing the whole formal titles thing again? That was so yesterday – literally."

"Friday." Eddie corrects "But who's counting."

"You apparently." Danny lobs back.

"Now, now." Erin placates as she walks into the room "Am I going to have to referee a fight?" She warns before looking at the beer in her older brother's hand "Where's mine?"

"In the fridge." Danny replies "Get it yourself."

"Get me one too." Jamie request as he watches his sister walk just past Danny to the fridge.

Eddie shakes her head in annoyance at all of them "No consideration for the pregnant."

"What?" Danny questions in confusion as Erin grabs two beers from the fridge and hands one backwards to Jamie.

"No consideration…" Erin begins as she closes the fridge while Jamie steps slightly to the side twisting the cap off his beer "...that she's pregnant…" Erin explains as she turns around to now stand in the middle of a row with her brothers twisting her own cap off her bottle "…and we're all standing in front of her… " She continues as Danny and Jamie both take drinks "…drinking beers." She finishes before taking a drink herself.

Jamie and Danny, lower their bottles then both look over at Eddie.

"Oh sorry." Danny mutters out.

Jamie turns to look at his brother "No, you're not."

A grin breaks out on Danny's face "You're right I'm not!"

Eddie rolls her eyes.

"What?" Danny defends "You outrank me now. This is the only way I can get my entertainment without the possibility of disciplinary action!"

Henry silently chuckles to himself enjoying the show as he puts the chicken back in the oven.

"Like that ever stopped you with me?" Jamie challenges his brother.

Danny shrugs.

"And what's your excuses?" Eddie demands of her husband and her sister in law.

Erin shrugs and gestures at her older brother "He agreed to take over my dish duty if I did this."

"Ah." Eddie notes in understanding "And you?" she presses her husband.

Jamie innocently shrugs and takes another sip of his beer "Just trying to keep the peace. I mean come on Eddie, we have to give him SOMETHING! He is the lowest ranking member of the department at the table now."

Henry, Erin and Danny all raise their arms to look at their watches.

"Not even 5 minutes." Erin notes "I really thought he'd last at least 10 before making that kind of jab."

"Nah I knew." Danny counters "You should have seen the performance these two put on at the precinct. All they needed was their dress blues and it would have been real pomp and circumstance."

Eddie huffs out a laugh "Yeah I can't fit in my dress blues right now – not without some serious alterations.

Frank walks in the kitchen and notices all three of his children standing in a row with beers in their hands "Don't the three of you have your own fridges you can raid?"

"Ah come on Dad who would drink these if we didn't?" Danny challenges.

Franks looks at his father "No idea." He sarcastically tosses out.

Again, Henry chuckles.

"Come on you two prefer the hard stuff." Danny points out "We know you just stock this for us!"

"Okay can we all please stop talking about liquor!" Eddie pleads in annoyance.

"And that's an order." Danny tacks on.

Eddie turns to glare at Danny.

Danny smiles sweetly at her.

Eddie turns to look at Frank "No respect."

"Oh no he respects you." Henry counters "Just in his own Danny fashion."

Erin huffs out a laugh "Danny does NOT have fashion."

Eddie looks back at her brother in law and eyes him up and down "Not in that outfit he doesn't."

"HEY!" Danny protests as Jamie simply smiles before taking a drink of his beer enjoying his wife and sister ganging up on his brother.

"What are you smiling at?" Danny tosses at his younger brother.

"Oh me?" Jamie innocently deflects "Nothing."

"Yeah. Uh huh. Right." Danny mutters before looking down at his clothes "What's wrong with my outfit?"

Suddenly the back door opens and Sean enters. He stops short at seeing everyone and everyone turns to look at him "Hi." He greets.

Danny immediately points at his son's colorful and weirdly designed shirt "Now THERE'S a bad outfit!"

"HEY!" Sean protests.

"Must have gotten his sense of style from you." Erin tells her older brother.

"HEY!" Danny and Sean both protest together causing everyone else in the room to chuckle and laugh.

"Did you want a beer Sean?" Eddie sneers "You might as well stand in a line with the rest of them!"

Awkward silence.

"Oh like we all don't know he drinks." Eddie tosses out "How's Beth?"

"She's good." Sean replies as he opens the fridge and pulls out a beer.

"No." Frank rejects.

Sean freezes, then puts the beer back in and grabs a pop instead.

"Better." Frank mutters.

"How are my renovations coming?" Eddie inquires.

"They're coming." Sean simply replies.

Jamie and Eddie look over at Henry.

"They are." Henry confirms.

"What have you done?" Jamie inquires.

"Stuff." Sean deflects with a shrug.

Again, Jamie and Eddie look over at Henry.

"Stuff." Henry deflects with his own shrug.

Jamie suspiciously looks between his nephew and grandfather "What are you two up to?"

Henry looks at Sean.

Sean looks at Henry.

They both shrug "Stuff." they say in unison.

Eddie looks at Jamie "I think its time we head out there and look for ourselves."

"NO!" Henry immediately rejects "And that's an order!"

Jamie and Eddie eye Henry before Eddie again looks at her husband "He's retired, does that still count?"

"It's an order." Frank states.

Everyone turns to look at him.

"Damn." Eddie mutters as Jamie looks between his grandfather, father and nephew "What are you all up too?"

"Me?" Henry deflects "I'm cooking dinner."

"Yeah I got a table to set." Sean adds as he moves to head off in the direction of the dining room.

"I was just coming for a beer." Frank tacks on as he moves to the fridge "Are there any left?"

"And I'm just going to go somewhere that's not here." Danny quickly adds as he hurries to leave the room.

"Wait for me!" Erin calls as she rushes to follow her older brother leaving Jamie and Eddie alone with Frank and Henry.

"Seriously." Eddie presses "What is going on?"

Frank turns and smiles widely at his daughter in law "Sunday dinner." he deflects before moving to exit the kitchen.

So Jamie and Eddie once again turn to look at Henry.

"Jameson, Edit." Henry formally addresses "Do you trust me?"

"Yes." the couple replies.

"Then when we want you to know, you will know." Henry soothingly tells them "Until then… drop it." he forcefully commands before smiling brightly again "K?"

Jamie and Eddie reluctantly sigh in defeat "Yes Sir. Understood."

"Good." Henry accepts while pointing his finger to a corner of the corner out of his reach "Now one of you get me that bowl and the other one get me the lemons in the fridge.

So Eddie heads for the bowl and Jamie opens the fridge, he looks around and even moves a few items but doesn't see the lemons "Um Pop, I don't see any lemons."

Henry thinks and then sighs "Oh right I was supposed to pick that up yesterday but got side tracked when I got a text." he explains before slyly throwing Jamie and Eddie each a look and snickering to himself at the memory.

With both their backs to Henry, Jamie and Eddie both miss the look.

"Need me to run out and pick some up?" Jamie offers as he turns away from the fridge to face his grandfather as Eddie turns away from the counter and walks over to hand Henry the bowl.

Henry smiles at his grandson "Yes. Thank you that would be great."

"I'll go too." Eddie chimes in so the couple both head for the door and they second they are alone outside and headed to the car Eddie speaks up "So are we really not going to go look and see what they've been doing?"

"No, we're not." Jamie confirms.

"Why not?" Eddie presses "It's our house Jamie!"

"And knowing them they likely have it boobie trapped for us!" Jamie tosses back.

"Really?" Eddie challenges.

"No." Jamie admits "But it's a direct order Eddie." He reminds her.

"We've gone against direct orders before." Eddie points out.

Jamie waivers.

"Come on. That's it." Eddie prods.

"Nope." Jamie finally rejects. "Pop asked us to trust him and I do. I won't disrespect him, or my Dad like that."

Eddie sighs in defeat "You're right. I'm sorry."

"You should be." Jamie tosses back.

Eddie narrows her eyes at her husband

"You are such a bad influence on me." Jamie playfully explains.

Eddie sticks her tongue out at him as they both in get the car.

….

Frank and Sean reenter the kitchen when they hear Jamie and Eddie leave and move to look out the window watching them as they drive way.

"Thank you for backing us up Francis." Henry tells his son.

"You're welcome." Frank accepts.

"You think that will really keep them away?" Sean prompts in uncertainty "Because if they go out there now it will ruin everything."

"Oh I'm not worried." Henry reassures his great grandson "It's your Uncle Jamie. He has too much respect and sense of family duty to go against a direct order from his boss and father."

Frank nods his head "Agreed."

"But we should step up our game." Henry tells Sean.

Now Sean nods his head "Agreed."

…..

It is towards the end of the meal as the Reagans all sit around the table when Danny pulls his cellphone out of his pocket.

"No phones at the table." Henry reminds his grandson.

"Oh trust me." Danny replies with a grin "You'll want to make an exception this time." He promises as he glances at Jamie and Eddie and snickers.

"Oh no!" Jamie immediately protests realizing what his brother is about to do "Don't you dare!"

"Oh I'm daring." Danny laughs as he pulls up his video app, stands and moves to stand next to his father at the end of the table.

"Danny…" Jamie warns.

"Suck it up Buttercup." Danny tosses back "I'm playing it." he adds as he hits play then turns his phone around for everyone to see.

They all watch Jamie get down on one knee and ask Eddie to run the 5-4 squad with him.

Erin, Sean, Henry and Frank's mouth all fall open.

Eddie jostles her head from side to side "That was a pretty good angle." She admits while Jamie just hangs his head in embarrassment.

"Hum hum." Frank declares as he loudly clears his throat "May I?" he commandingly requests as he holds his hand out for Danny's phone.

Danny dutifully hands it over and moves to retake his seat as Frank replays the video.

"Sergeant Edit Marie Reagan…" Jamie hears yet again so he places an elbow on the table and buries his face in his hand "Will you run this squad with me?"

"Okay give it here." Erin requests "I want to see it again too."

"I'm just going to go get dessert." Jamie mutters as he stands to get up.

"Sit." Frank sternly instructs causing Jamie to freeze mid lift then reluctantly sit back down.

"Well." Frank begins as Erin again gestures for the phone but Frank shoots her a no look as he keeps possession of the device "Didn't know officers could just willy nilly pick their own assignments now." Frank unhappily states.

"Crap." Danny mutters as everyone at the table realizes the proposed command change hadn't made it's way through the proper chain of approvals yet.

"Your Commissioner is right." Henry agrees unimpressed as he looks across the table at his son then gives the stink eyes to Danny, Jamie AND Eddie.

Jamie cringes then looks at his older brother "Way to go Danny." he lowly hisses.

"Okay well I wasn't showing that to the Commissioner." Danny then defends "I was showing that to FAMILY at a FAMILY dinner."

"Probably should have stated that as a disclaimer first." Erin points out.

"So are you saying you are going to deny the request for the change in command when it reaches you?" Eddie simply but straight forwardly asks.

"I don't know the answer to that." Frank admits "Because I don't have enough information to be able to make an inform decision but what I do know is I'm not happy about how this all played out."

"Okay well if you want information." Danny offers "Here's some. These two have the respect of the entire squad and they are 100% behind them becoming their commanding officers. You take that away and throw some other person in there and I'd guess you'd have another flu blue on your hands."

Frank looks at his oldest very unimpressed "I don't respond well to threats." He warns.

Danny immediately back tracks "That was not a threat." he promises "That was information. These two have already made them promise that they want perfect paperwork and 110%..." he explains before looking at his younger brother "You really should have let us record all that to present as evidence now." he chides before turning his attention back to his father "And the entire squad readily agreed. You're not going to find better officers to take over for Gee." Danny explains.

Jamie and Eddie both look at Danny a bit surprised by his unexpected and vigorous backing of them.

Silence.

"Yeah I know." Frank suddenly agrees.

Again all eyes turn to look at him, this time in surprised confusion.

"Request already made it's way to my desk." Frank reveals.

"It… it did?" Jamie questions in shock.

"I'm the Commissioner, I know everything." Frank reminds his family.

"Well?" Sean curiously prompts "Are you going to approve the change in command then?"

Frank offers his oldest son his phone back then pulls his own phone out. He cues up a video, hits play and turns his phone around for the entire table to watch.

There they see not only Jamie's proposal but the entire scene including Danny's entrance right through to Eddie getting down on one knee and counter proposing.

When the video finally ends, Frank presses stop and looks up at his stunned family before him "You tell me if I'm approving it or not." he prompts.

"HELL YES!" Sean calls out "Do you have ANY idea how many hits that would get on social media? You'd go viral like that!" He adds as he snaps his fingers.

"I vote yes." Erin agrees with an impressed nod of her head before looking at Eddie and Jamie "Nicely done."

"You already know my vote." Danny tacks on "Y. E. S."

"Pop?" Frank prompts.

Henry chuckles "Oh come now Francis. You already know the answer to that question. I told you my opinion when I sent you that video."

Now all eyes turn to look at Henry in shock at his admission.

"What?" Henry arrogantly defends "I still have my connections too you know." he adds as he lifts his glass "To the new commanding officers of the 5-4 Detective Squad."

"Pooooower Couple!" Danny sing songs.

Jamie looks at his brother then turns to look at his wife "If I had a dollar for every time he said that we could afford that house no problem.

Eddie sighs as Henry and Sean exchange a subtle look.

...