I do hope you enjoy this one. Thanks to Daisyangel, YaleAceBella12, decadenceofmysoul, JazzyBoo1997, the guest Guest 12345, and seleneplaysgames for the reviews on the last chapter. I'm glad you are enjoying this. Hopefully in the next chapter I'll be incorporate Anna letting a little loose and enjoying college.
Scenes from and references to 5x7 and 5x8.
It had been a tough week for Danny. First, he had to work a tough case with his new C.O. It wasn't that she was like a noose around his neck but she was definitely keeping him on a leash. On top of that change, the case he was working involved a newly orphaned baby girl in a squabble between rival drug dealers. That was pushing feelings to the surface he wasn't sure he wanted to deal with. Holding that baby girl in his arms in the DFCS facility, talking to the social worker, brought up memories of holding his baby girl in the hospital nursery as well as her own nursery.
At the end of that day after getting information about his Lieutenant applying to adopt the girl, Danny sat at the kitchen table staring at his phone. He pulled up Anna's contact info, his thumb hovering over the call button. He wanted to call her, to make sure she was okay but he was sure it would only cause a fight despite how badly he wanted to hear her voice. Eventually, he put the phone down and resigned himself to only hearing her voice if Linda put her on speaker phone Sunday at dinner. Deep down he knew he was being stubborn and that he should talk to her and settle it but he couldn't convince himself that he was completely wrong. It was also getting to the point that he wasn't sure what the entire fight was about.
"Danny?" Linda asked softly, placing her hands on his shoulders as she stepped up behind him.
"Tough case. Orphaned baby girl."
"It's always tougher on you when it involves a little girl. Maybe you should call Anna."
"She doesn't want to hear from me." Danny stared at his phone on the table. "I don't even know what to say to her."
"Tell her you love her and you're sorry for what you fought over."
"She knows I love her."
"So it's about the fight then?" Linda asked. Danny stayed silent. "Do you want to tell me what the fight is about?" Again, silence. "Danny, just talk to her." Danny sighed. Linda took a deep breath then leaned down. "I love you and I know you'll figure this out." She kissed his cheek then went up to bed. Danny stared at his hands but soon followed his wife.
On the 22nd of November, Anna stopped at a gas station to fill up before her long trip home early that Saturday morning. She had spent the night before working on a paper for her English class and didn't want to break her steam by waiting to finish it until she got home. She walked inside the gas station and was looking for the right aisle for her road trip snacks when her eyes darted for a brief second and saw the blue uniform of a Miami PD officer. She swallowed hard and did her best to remain calm before reminding herself she did nothing wrong and he was probably just doing his job. He turned to leave the store and eyed her closely. Then he smiled. She stepped out of the doorway, nodding to him but he only took a few steps towards her.
"Anna Reagan, right? Something's different here," he said, looking her over.
Her eyes dropped to his name tag which said Johansen. "Officer Johansen. Yes, I didn't curl my hair today."
"That's all it takes to throw someone off?"
"Yep. And two and a half months of not seeing me. How are you today, Officer?"
"Doing well. Are you headed home for the holiday?"
"Yeah. New York. Long drive but hopefully will end in happy hugs and not another fight with my dad."
"He's just worried about you. Pretty girl so far from home. Please don't take that the wrong way."
"You remind me of my dad. I don't."
"It's really hard when your little ones grow up and they're pretty. Not just to you. You're more than a thousand miles from home and your dad would never forgive himself if something were to happen to you. Dads are used to being their kids' entire world and the older their kids get, the less that's true and the more they feel like you don't want them around. It happened with my own girls but we came to an understanding."
Anna sighed. She knew that made sense deep down, she just didn't have to like it. While Johansen's girls were both older than Anna by a few years, his youngest, a boy was between Anna and Jack. "I understand that, but when he makes you feel stupid and like a child, the last thing you want is to apologize for doing what you think you have to."
"You know ..." Johansen looked around the gas station and then at his car parked just outside the front door for a moment. "If you don't want to go home, you can always stay with my family."
"You often offer a place to stay to college girls you barely know?" Anna asked suspiciously.
"You remind me of my middle child. She is so strong and so bullheaded and so sure that she can stand on her own two feet that I didn't realize how bad things had gotten between us until she started shacking up with this dude who practically drained her in nearly every sense. I see a lot of her in you and I want you to know that you don't have to do this alone."
Anna studied him and realized he was just being open with her and didn't have any ulterior motives. "I know that and I appreciate everything you're trying to teach me. I miss my uncle though, and my brothers, so I gotta go home."
"Okay, well, be safe and call if you need anything."
"Yes, sir." Anna answered. She watched until he left then got her road trip snacks and headed on her way.
She had just crossed into New York on Sunday when her mom texted asking if they should wait for her. Anna texted back they should go ahead and eat and to save her a plate. Though the drive wouldn't be too crowded through New York, something could always happen and she knew her brothers at the very least would be hungry. She pulled up out front of the house and took a few deep, steadying breaths as she sat in her car.
"The family is here. There is no reason to fight with him. It will be okay," Anna reassured herself. She climbed out of her car and walked around to the passenger side, looking up at the house as she leaned back. It really was a beautiful house and part of her was glad to be home. Then the wind whipped through her hair and she was glad that she had put on jeans and her thick jacket before she had left North Carolina that morning. Though the south had been warm, it had dropped over 40 degrees between there and her final destination. She shivered a bit and headed for the front door. She slipped up to the front door and then inside, hanging her coat on the rack by the door, then her bag over it. She went into the kitchen and found a bottle of root beer in the fridge. Knowing she was the only one in the family other than Nicky who drank it, she was grateful for it. After disposing of the lid in trash, she drained about half of it then moved into the dining room and wrapped her arms around Henry. "You know, for a room full of cops, it's kinda easy to sneak up on you," Anna said.
"You really think I didn't clock you coming in the front door?" Frank asked.
"Yes. Because you can't see the front door from there," Anna said. "I know, I've sat there. Maybe my mom could, but the best seat has a current detective in it."
"Plate's in the oven, and root beer for dinner? Anna, you know better," Linda said to stave off any fight that might have been brewing.
"Should I go out and try this again, because I'm feeling a little not welcome here?" Anna said. She looked around the table and then walked back into the kitchen. She carefully pulled the plate out of the warm oven and set it on top then downed the rest of the soda.
When she walked back into the dining room, Jamie was standing beside his chair. He took the plate from her hands and set it on the table then pulled her into a warm, welcoming hug. "I'm glad you're here, Anna," he said. Anna's body relaxed in his arms. Jamie kissed the top of her head and after a moment or two, Anna pulled back.
"I'm glad you're here too," Sean said.
"Thanks, Sean." Anna and Jamie sat down and Anna began to dig into dinner. "So what are talking about this week?" Anna asked.
"Body cameras and cops using them," Nicky said.
"Fact is, I have to be for it in the papers, but did this start with the NYPD saying "Hey, let's try this. It's going to be good for us?" No. It came from outside," Frank said.
"Everything's on cameras these days though," Nicky answered.
"Nicky's got a point," Anna said. "Cameras are everywhere and embracing them can actually help. In my Criminal Justice class, we had to read about a study done where in 12 months with the introduction of body cameras, both civilian complaints and the use of force incidents actually dropped by nearly 75% and the DoJ did a survey where 51% of people say that their behavior would change if they knew they were being filmed. It's why some businesses put up fake cameras to deter shoplifting and vandalism," Anna said.
"It's not that simple, Anna. What may work for one department isn't guaranteed for the whole country. I haven't seen those kind of results here. What I do see is the assumption that a cop will turn the camera off if he wants to hide what he's about to do. An assumption," Frank argued.
"That's not an assumption, that's a fact. The assumption is 'did that happen in this case?' The assumption is that he turned it off. That's not a fact. People will believe any story they're told if it's convincing enough. Reframe the facts here, tell it a different way and you get a completely different outlook. There have been multiple studies that show 90% of the time body cameras and dashboard cameras actually exonerate the officers. The unedited, raw footage from the start of encounter to the end, doesn't lie and doesn't form an opinion, it just shows what happens. When used properly and kept in working condition, the camera tends to show the entire event. If you don't use body cameras, you end up with situations where only part of it is caught on civilian cell phone camera and is blasted through the media and a decision is made before a jury can even be convened. What you want is footage you can control, footage that you know isn't tampered with," Anna said.
It was silent for a moment. "There's a bigger problem here. We are laying down precedent that a cop's word, a man's word, isn't any good unless there is a real-time, digital recording to back it up," Frank sighed.
After a moment, Anna piped up again. "But it's not. Despite what cops are taught and what you say about cops being held to a higher standard, cops are still people and they still lie. Honesty has become less important over the last 50 years or so. People, to include in court rooms, prefer to see the events themselves, which a recording can provide, than to hear it told to them. It's why more and more prosecutors don't base their entire case on eyewitness testimony. Even someone with the best of intentions and purest heart can misremember things. It's why it's best to not sell this as big brother or checking up on your officers but rather another effective tool to help increase community relations. Less people will act like idiots if they are being filmed." Anna could tell not everyone agreed with her so she decided not to say anything else.
"Of course, none of this is to leave the room," Frank said. Everyone agreed with that.
"So how's Miami?" Jamie asked.
"Miami's fine," Anna answered.
"Classes?" Jamie asked.
"Those are fine too."
"What are you taking besides Criminal Justice?"
"Psychology. Math, English, science, history, and economics."
"Honey, I gave you life, please, give me more than six words," Linda said.
"That was seven. Six classes and the word 'and'."
"Maryanna."
Anna sighed and played with the scraps of her dinner. "Anna," Nicky said softly.
"Classes are going fine, no tougher than I expected them to be. I enjoy still having my own room and I love the weather. The only real downside is I miss having a stove and a fridge."
"You miss cooking?" Nicky asked.
"More like baking and left over Chinese."
After dinner and dessert were finished, Frank sat Anna down in the living room. "Tell me how it's really going," he said.
"Nothing I said at dinner was untrue."
"But it was cagy. You can talk to me."
"I know. I'm thinking about looking for a job. Student loans will be easier to pay off if I start paying a little bit now. I'm also considering taking classes over the summer too. Finish my degree faster."
"Don't burn yourself out. College is a time to enjoy yourself. Figure out who you really are."
"Not if figuring out who I really am ends up costing me $60,000 in student loans I can't repay for the next 30 years."
"If something was going on, you'd tell me, wouldn't you?"
"I'd tell my mom or Uncle Jamie, maybe even Pops but as much as I love you, I think there are things you wouldn't want to hear from me."
"I don't think that will ever be true."
"Okay then, I'm staring in an adult film that comes out in two weeks. I just ... I needed the money," Anna said, watching her grandfather for a reaction. Sure enough, there it was. His jaw tightened and Anna could tell he wasn't sure where to go with that statement. He looked severely uncomfortable and she laughed. "I told you so. There are somethings that grandparents just don't want to know about their grandkids, especially a grandparent that's a police commissioner. That was totally hypothetical by the way. The only thing I did to get out there was a campaign for the school. It's just a few, simple pictures. A few in the courtyard, in the cafeteria, and a few in the library. Just average college students doing average things to entice kids to come to the school next semester or school year. No names attached."
"Okay. You're right. Some things I don't want to know. As long as you're safe."
"Of course. Made plenty of friends. I take very good care of myself. I've got a good head on my shoulders. Being in Florida doesn't change who I am."
"I know, sweetheart."
"So you trust me?"
"Of course I trust you. I just don't like that I can't be there."
"That's part of life though, right?"
"Right."
Anna stood and wandered into the kitchen for a bottle of water. She opened the refrigerator door and found one then heard her father behind her. "I'm going to say something but I'm not trying to start a fight," he said.
"What's that?" Anna asked.
"That we're glad you're home. What you said at dinner ... everyone is allowed to have their own opinions and it's better to have facts that back them. Your grandfather isn't mad, he's just ..." Danny trailed off.
Anna shut the refrigerator door and stared at it, not turning to face her father who had been doing dishes at the sink. "He's just from a different time. I know that he's not a technophobe, he just trusts people more than he trusts technology. It's his prerogative. I'm not asking him to change, I'm saying that technology is coming and he should try to figure it out now, before it gets too late," Anna said.
"You going off to college and then coming home for vacation, it's weird. You've been gone for almost three months and a lot can change in that much time."
Anna turned and leaned back against the fridge to eye her father. He was no longer doing the dishes but rather leaning a hip against the kitchen island watching her. "But a lot doesn't. Like the fact you're still angry I chose to go so far away."
"I'm not angry," he stated.
"You just don't like it. You think I should still be that six year old in a purple, princess dress begging for your approval. You are always going to be my dad but I have to live my life my way." She tapped her chest. "Why can't you just understand that?"
"Of course I understand that. Maybe I'm just having trouble adjusting to it."
"So you're taking it out on me?"
"I don't know, Anna," Danny said.
Anna sighed. She twisted the cap off the bottle and angrily took a sip. "I am growing up and I am very smart. You have taught me so much and I have heard so much at that table that I have a healthy respect for law enforcement and I know the law. Maybe not as intricately as Aunt Erin or Uncle Jamie or Uncle Jack, but I know enough to know how far I can bend the line and where it will snap back in my face."
"I know you're smart and this isn't about that."
"Then what is it about?" Anna asked, lifting a hand and staring at him plainly.
Danny pressed his hands down on the kitchen island as he stared at them. Anna watched him for any sort of answer. "Maybe it's about you being 1000 miles away and if something were to happen to you that I couldn't be there for—"
"How am I ever going to learn to stand on my own two feet if I don't hit rock bottom first?" Anna argued loudly.
"Keep it civil in there," Frank called from the other room.
Anna swallowed and tried not to shout. "It's like when you were teaching me to walk. You had to let me fall so I knew how to get back up. My entire life you've told me "you have to get back up. Don't let the world keep you down, just pull yourself back up." Yes, sometimes I'm going to need a hand up but there is going to come a day, hopefully very far in the future, but there will come a day where your hand won't be there and I have to know how to pull myself up without you." Anna pushed off the fridge and placed a hand on her hip as the other gripped her bottle of water tightly.
"I know it's been a long day, but maybe it's best ... an air mattress for a week isn't the best sleep you can have and your bed is in the garage in pieces. Maybe you should stay here," Danny said.
"Maybe you're right." Anna took the change of subject and went back into the living room to clear it with her grandfather who was thoroughly okay with it.
Before Anna left after Thanksgiving, both Jamie and Henry gave her $50 reminding her that they were there for her. When she got back to school she used that $100 to buy a miniature fridge which some friends helped her get up to her room.
I want to say that I apologize if Officer Johansen is coming off a bit creepy, that's not how I meant that at all. It's meant to show a budding friendship between the two and that Anna can be sweet enough to attract friends anywhere she goes.