Chapter 68: A Shakespearean Moment

Jamie opens the back door to his family home and let's Mia walk in in front of him.

Frank looks up from the kitchen table where he is working on his laptop and smiles "Well this is a nice surprise."

"Yeah give it ten seconds." Jamie states as Mia makes a beeline to the kitchen table to pull a chair out and sit down next to Frank "Not sure you'll feel the same."

"Oh?" Frank curiously queries.

"Mia has something she would like to talk to the Commissioner about." Jamie explains.

"Is that so?" Frank questions as he looks at the young girl before him.

"Yes." Mia definitively announces.

"Alright Mia." Frank states as he closes his laptop "What's on your mind?"

"Mom and I were wrongly arrested by two of your officers today." Mia unamusingly states.

Frank looks at Mia a moment in surprise then looks up at Jamie to see him nod in confirmation.

"And we were racially profiled." Mia unhappily states.

Frank again looks at Mia then up at his son to see Jamie not disagree with her.

Frank sighs "Okay. Start at the beginning."

….

Frank smiles at his psuedo grand god daughter "Well thank you for bringing this to my attention Mia. I will look into it."

"Thank you." Mia appreciatively states.

"Why don't you go see what Mr. Pop is up to…" Frank offers "…while I talk to your Uncle Jamie a second okay?"

Nodding, Mia slides out of her chair and heads for the other room.

Frank watches her leave then once she's gone, he turns his attention to his son and heavily sighs "And you thought it was a good idea to bring this to me why?"

"Why not?" Jamie counters.

"Jamie." Frank warns.

"What?" Jamie presses "Would you have turned Nicky or Jack or Sean away?" he challenges.

"That's not fair Jamie." Frank counters.

"No it's not fair." Jamie agrees "Because like it or not we can think of Rosa and Mia as a part of this family but when they are out there on the streets it apparently doesn't even matter if their have our courtesy cards – they are laughed at and dismissed. Something like that would never happen if Nicky, Jack or Sean produced a courtesy card Dad and you know it. It's wrong."

"But Rosa didn't produce her card." Frank points out.

"No she didn't." Jamie agrees "But that doesn't negate the fact that the officers in question refused to even confirm if Mia had them or not."

Frank again sighs "Jamie… I have 35,000 cops out there. Not all of them are going to make the right decision in a split second. You know that. Police work is messy but I'll look into it." He promises before reaching for his wallet. He opens it up and pulls out two of his own courtesy cards "In the mean time give them these." He instructs as he hold them out to his son.

Jamie reaches to take them "You realize these won't help either if they aren't believed that they have them in the first place right? That's kind of what got everything to the point it went too."

Franks again sighs "I know."

Suddenly Henry and Mia walk back in the room "Who arrested my Mia?" Henry demands "I want names!"

Jamie tilts his head to the side "Mia…" he chides.

"Mr. Pop asked how my day went." Mia defends "So I told him."

"I want names!" Henry repeats again.

"You are not getting names Pop." Frank rejects "I am looking into it alright."

"You better Francis." Henry warns before looking at Mia "Now how about you come with me and let's see what we have in the fridge."

"Ice cream?" Mia hopefully prompts as she follows Henry.

"Ah I said fridge not freezer." Henry counters as he opens the door to look in but doesn't see much that would be appealing to Mia so he closes the fridge door and moves to the freezer door "Alright ice cream." He relents.

"YES!" Mia happily exclaims as she takes the carton Henry hands her and moves to the counter. She puts it down and opens the cutlery drawer while Jamie reaches up to grab her a bowl and hand it to her.

Mia dishes out some ice cream then as Jamie moves to put the ice cream back in the freezer, Mia walks to the table and slides into her seat next to Frank again "So what'cha working on?" She inquires before taking a spoonful of ice cream into her mouth.

"Commissioner stuff." Frank replies.

"Like?" Mia presses.

"Budgets and reports."

"What kind of reports?"

Frank looks at Mia then looks up at Jamie and his father to see them standing together with amused looks on their faces.

Frank sighs "Crime stat reports, officer involved altercation reports…"

"Is it fun?" Mia curiously inquires.

"Not really." Frank replies.

"Then why do you do it?" Mia wonders.

"It's a part of the job." Frank explains.

"But I thought you liked your job?" Mia tries to clarify.

"I do." Frank confirms "It's just there is always a part of a job nobody likes doing. For me – this is it. Any more questions?"

Mia shakes her head "Nah. I'm good." She replies before taking another spoonful of ice cream.

"Excellent." Frank replies "You eat your ice cream. I'll keep doing my job."

Suddenly Jamie reaches over and hands Mia one of Frank's cards "Here. Put this with your others."

Mia takes the card and looks at it. A moment later she looks up at Frank "But what will this help if they don't believe me?" She seriously questions.

"You tell them they better unless they want the full wrath of the Police Commissioner coming down on their heads." Frank states.

Mia shrugs "Worth a shot."

"But this is NOT a get out of jail free card." Frank warns.

"I know. I know." Mia relents "I already got that speech from Uncle Jamie, Aunt Eddie AND Uncle Danny."

"Which is?" Henry prompts.

"Having this card comes with a huge responsibility." Mia explains "I am to use it if I absolutely need too but the goal is to never put myself in a situation where it is required."

"Good." Frank accepts.

"EXCEPT…" Mia points out "That is EXACTLY what happened today."

Frank once again sighs "I know."

"Hurry up and finish your ice cream Mia." Jamie prompts "I think we both need a boxing session."

"Definitely." Mia agrees as she hurries to finish the bowl.

….

Mia sits in the backseat of The Chevelle looking out the window confused as Jamie pulls the car to a stop outside an unfamiliar building "Um where are we? I thought we were going boxing?"

Jamie undoes his seatbelt and looks behind him. He flashes Mia a smile "We are. Come on." he prompts before he gets out and moves his seat forward for Mia to get out.

"When can I start actually sitting in the front seat?" Mia inquires as she gets out "I'm…"

"Ten." Jamie finishes "I know. We can talk to your Mom about that I guess." Jamie adds as he moves to the trunk and Mia follows.

He opens the trunk and takes out a gym bag.

Mia looks at the bag, then looks around at where they are "So again. Where are we going?"

"There." Jamie replies as he gestures with the bag to the building they are in front of as he shuts the trunk.

Mia looks up at the sign and reads 'Donovan's' "And that's supposed to tell me what?"

"Just come on." Jamie prompts as he places a gentle hand on Mia's upper back and guides her to start walking to the building.

They get to the door, he opens it and let's Mia walk in first.

She takes a step inside but then stops and her eyes go wide as she gets her first look at the inside of an actual boxing club.

"Wow." She breathes out in awe as she tries to take everything in.

"JAMIE!" Joe Donovan calls as he moves towards the front door.

"Hey Joe." Jamie greets.

"And who is this?" Joe curiously inquires as he looks at Mia.

"Joe Donovan meet Mia Ruiz, Mia this is Joe Donovan – he owns the place."

"Nice to meet you Mia." Joe offers before quickly looking around "Um don't have much of a lounge area you can wait in…" he adds as he looks quizzically at Jamie wondering why he brought her.

"Oh no." Jamie rejects with a chuckle "She's not sitting on the sidelines, she's here to box too. I've been giving her lessons."

Joe raises his eyebrow "Well then." He quips as he looks curiously at Mia "Let's see what you can do…"

…..

Jamie and Mia walk into a diner after their boxing session "That place was awesome!" Mia excitedly exclaims "And Joe! He's cool!"

Jamie laughs "Glad you had fun – just um… let me break it to your Mom when she gets here okay?" he prompts as they walk over to a booth "I didn't exactly run it by her first that I was going to take you to an actually boxing club."

"Oooooooh are you going to get in trouble?" Mia teases in amusement.

"Quite possibly." Jamie honestly admits.

"Don't worry." Mia reassuringly boasts "I got your back!"

"Jamie?" a familiar male voice greets.

Turning, Jamie sees his nephew standing there "Joe!" Jamie happily greets as the men move to share a man hug "What are you doing here? When did you get back in town?"

"Yesterday." Joe replies as Mia looks up at Joe and immediate recognizes him.

"Detective Joe." She greets.

Joe looks down to see Mia looking up at him "Um Hi…" he slowly greets trying to place her.

"You don't remember me, do you?" Mia prompts.

"Um… sure I do…" Joe slowly insists but after a couple of seconds of silence follows as everyone waits for him to remember, Jamie finally leans over to his nephew.

"It's Mia." Jamie prompts in a whisper.

"Uncle Jamie!" Mia admonishes "I wanted to see if he would figure it out on his own!"

Jamie immediately holds his hands up in amused surrender "Sorry."

Joe's eyes go wide at hearing Mia's words "Uncle Jamie?" he repeats in confusion.

Jamie chuckles as he realizes that even though Joe and Mia know each other, neither one really has any idea of the significance each one has to him – his nephew had after all been out of town deep undercover for quite some time and missed quite a lot.

"Mia..." Jamie begins "I'd like you to meet Detective Joe…"

"I know who he is." Mia reminds him.

A look of pure amusement appears on Jamie's face "No, you don't." he promises.

"Yes I do." Mia insists.

"No." Jamie reiterates "You don't. Now can you please let me finish?"

Mia crosses her arm and rolls her eyes "Fine."

"Thank you." Jamie accepts "Now as I was saying, Mia I'd like you to meet Detective Joe Hill. He's my nephew." he adds with a grin waiting for Mia's reaction.

Slowly Mia's eyes go wide as she looks between Jamie and Joe "Seriously?" She challenges.

Jamie nods yes.

In an instant, Mia throws her arms around Joe "We're cousins!" she gleefully sings in delight.

Jamie now looks at Joe waiting for his reaction.

Completely caught off guard, Joe's entire body freezes up before he blinks his eyes and looks down at the young girl hugging him then up at Jamie thoroughly confused causing Jamie to crack up laughing.

Suddenly Mia pulls back to look at Joe "Wait, are you Uncle Danny or Ms. Erin's kid? You must be Ms. Erin's because you go by Hill not Reagan. How come I've never seen you at Sunday Dinner? Where have you…"

"Okay stop!" Joe suddenly interrupts somehow now even more confused by Mia calling Danny Uncle and Erin Ms. "Can someone please explain to me what's going on?"

"Sorry." Jamie apologizes as he tries to stop laughing "Joe this is Mia Ruiz. You remember, Manny Ruiz's daughter?"

"You saved me and my Mom from kidnappers." Mia reminds him.

"Oh." Joe states as he thinks back "OH!" He repeats again as his mind makes the connection which just makes his confusion grow larger wondering how Mia Ruiz is now calling Jamie 'uncle'.

"Yeah, you're more confused now then ever aren't are?" Jamie muses.

Joe nods.

Jamie again laughs "Want to join us so we can explain?" He offers as he gestures to the booth.

"That would be good." Joe accepts as he slides into the booth facing away from the door across from Mia and then Jamie who both slide into the booth facing the door.

….

"Well you weren't kidding…" Joe huffs out "I missed a lot."

Mia looks from Joe to Jamie "So you had another brother?"

Jamie nods.

"Oh." Mia quietly breathes out in thought as the diner door opens and Rosa enters "I did not know that."

Rosa sees Jamie and Mia seated and makes a beeline for them "Hey." She greets as she walks up.

Jamie, Mia and Joe all look up.

"Hey!" Jamie greets while Mia's face brightens and says "Hi Mommy!"

Rosa turns her attention to the third person at the table "Oh!" She states in surprise "Detective!" She greets "Was not expecting to see you here!"

For a moment Joe looks up at Rosa and he's suddenly hit with how pretty she is "Oh um I um well." Joe stumbles out as he uncharacteristically gets a bit tongue tied as he stares at Rosa.

Jamie looks over and raises an eyebrow slightly was he watches Joe look at Rosa.

"Mommy!" Mia states "Did you know Detective Joe is actually Uncle Jamie's nephew? That makes us cousins!"

A look of surprise appears on Rosa's face as she shifts her gaze to Jamie to see him nod in confirmation "Um no." She laughs a bit in wondered awe "I did not." She adds before turning her attention back to her daughter "And you know that's not technically true right?"

Mia shrugs in indifference.

"Did you um… want to um sit down?" Joe offers as he slides further into the booth and gestures to the seat next to him.

On instinct, Jamie bolts to his feet "Here." He instructs as he steps over and gently places his hands on Rosa's shoulders and guides her to the seat he just vacated "You sit next to Mia. I'll sit next to Joe." He adds as he glances at his nephew to see what he swears is a flash of disappointment cross his face.

Jamie unhappily sighs while Rosa shrugs and moves to sit down next to her daughter and across from Jamie none the wiser to anything.

….

Jamie and Joe smile as they watch Rosa and Mia leave the diner. The moment they are out the door however, Jamie gets up and moves to sit across from his nephew again. He drops the smile from his face and his expression turns deadly serious "What was that?" he demands.

Still smiling, Joe turns to look at his uncle but when he sees the look on Jamie's face his own expression changing to one of slight confusion "Huh?"

"Don't give me that." Jamie snaps "I saw the way you were looking at Rosa and getting all tongue tied. Not gonna happen. Not on my watch." he warns "She's married with a daughter and they have both been through the wringer - lay off."

"What?" Joe questions in surprise.

"You heard me." Jamie insists "You're family but so are they now so it's my job to look out for them. Both of them understood? And they don't need that – at all."

Not really sure what to say as he watches Jamie's protective side shine through, Joe just slowly nods his head in understanding.

"Great!" Jamie accepts satisfied he nipped that in the bud "Now how long are you in town for? You coming to Sunday Dinner?"

At hearing that question, the first thought that pops into Joe's mind is 'Will Rosa be there?' but with the way Jamie just laid into him he thinks better then to say that out loud "Maybe." he admits instead "Maybe."

...