Big thank yous to everyone who has continued to read this story and to roganjalex, Pharmergirl, YaleAceBella12, patrickpopp, decadenceofmysoul, Daisyangel, Taylor Noelle Hood, and the guest, Coco for all your reviews of the last chapter. I appreciate them all. I still love that people are still digging things between Jim and Anna as I know he's not everyone's favorite.
Scenes from and references to 6x22.
After dessert, Anna was on the screened-in back porch staring through the screen at the dark of the night. Granted, she couldn't see many stars for the glow from the city, but it was still a familiar horizon and it comforted her. The back door opened and shut behind her but she didn't look back to see who it was. "Hey," a soft voice said.
"Hey, Nicky," Anna said, not bothering to turn and look at her cousin. "I'm not sorry for what I said at dinner but I'm sorry for the way it came out."
"Thank you," Nicky said.
Anna went on. "I do understand your point. There should be a way to deescalate the situation so it wouldn't end with blood shed but we don't live in a perfect world and sometimes deadly force is the only option."
"I know, I just wish it wasn't."
"Me too," Anna agreed, finally looking at the younger girl. Each one smiled then stood in silence, observing the night. At least, they did until Jamie came out to join them.
"I'll be inside," Nicky said.
"Did I cross a line?" Anna asked once the back door was shut and Jamie had wrapped an arm around her.
"No. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. Including you and Nicky."
"Ok but—"
"No buts. You're just telling it like you see it." Jamie looked over his shoulder, probably through the kitchen window to see if anyone was in there before turning back to his niece. "How's the training?" he asked, changing the subject. While at first, she hadn't wanted to tell Jamie about applying or even wanting to apply to the academy, she had relented and then shortly after she had been accepted, she had told him that too. He had done exactly what she had thought Joe would have done; been supportive, even if he had his doubts. He told her that of all the kids, he thought that she would be the one most likely to do it and have the drive to stick it out. He had doubled down on that notion when she told him she had been accepted and was finding it more interesting than her business classes.
"I actually just graduated. Top two percent in all my classes and the interview is with the North district of MPD. Pass the interview, pass the psych eval, and I should have no problem with getting the job," Anna said just as softly. She didn't want anyone in the house to know that she had just graduated the Miami police academy and was interviewing for police positions. She was sure none of them would understand. Especially not her parents.
"That's great," Jamie said, wrapping her in a hug. "I'm off on Wednesday. Why don't we hang out?"
"I'd love that. Thanks, Uncle Jamie," Anna said.
"You should go talk with your grandfather. He's missed you."
"I know but I was kinda hoping to hang out out here, at least until Dad left."
"You want to avoid him for some reason?"
"Maybe." She didn't elaborate and Jamie didn't push it.
"Hey, Anna, we're leaving," Jack said a few minutes later as he stuck his head out the back door.
"Later, kid," Anna answered.
"Mom wants a proper hug."
"Have they been out front yet?"
"Not since you got here, why?"
Instead of answering, Anna looked up at her uncle. "Come with me."
"To say goodbye to your parents?" Jamie asked, confused.
"To see something Dad may or may not yell at me about. You'll like it, he'll probably hate it on Mom's behalf."
"You want to tell me what it is?"
"Not yet, maybe I'll get lucky and he won't see it. I doubt that but a girl can dream, right?"
"Now, I got to know."
Anna turned back to look at her brother but found he had already disappeared back into the house. She and Jamie went back inside and found Linda and Danny by the front door. Jack and Sean were nowhere to be seen. "Your brothers already went to the car. Come here," Linda said. Ama went to her mother who instantly wrapped her in a hug. "Take care of yourself and let us know when you're up for dinner, okay?"
"How about Tuesday?" Anna suggested.
"Tuesday sounds great, we'll see you then." Linda said, letting Anna go.
"Bye Mom, bye Dad," Anna said.
Anna made no move toward her dad and he called her on it. "What? No hug for your old man?" Dany asked. Anna looked up at her uncle who smirked causing her to roll her eyes, but she gave her dad a hug as well. He held her close almost as if trying to reassure himself that she really was in his arms. Anna relished the hug wondering when she would receive another one like it. "I love you," Danny whispered so faintly she almost missed it.
"Love you too, Dad," Anna answered. Soon Linda and Danny were headed down the front steps as Anna and Jamie stood on the stoop.
"Boys!" Linda called not seeing them by the Jeep. She looked around and spotted them in the driveway. "Get in the car and away from the bike."
"Awe come on, Mom. We were just looking," Sean protested.
"Did your mom just say bike as in motorcycle?" Jamie asked.
Anna looked at him with a large grin. "Yes, and I wonder how long it'll take her to realize your car is on the curb," Anna answered. They both watched in shock as the foursome walked to the Jeep and got in. As they pulled away, Anna and Jamie waved. Finally, when the Jeep out of sight, they walked to the motorcycle.
"Where'd you get it?" Jamie asked as he looked it over.
"A friend of mine. She got it for her birthday one year then for graduation she got a Triumph. This week though, she needed more cargo space so I lent her the Camaro and she let me borrow this. Her brother taught me to ride, even got a license for it."
"It's a nice bike."
"Yeah, and definitely more comfortable for the 18-hour trip than the Triumph would have been. You wanna take it for a spin?"
"Would love to but ..." Jamie looked down and Anna realized that it was because he didn't have a motorcycle license and therefore couldn't legally.
"Then how about a ride?" she suggested.
"When you come over on Wednesday. I got an early tour tomorrow."
"Alright, I'll see you then," Anna said. Jamie went back inside to say goodbye to the rest of the family. Anna watched the sky until he returned. The pair shared a hug as a black SUV pulled up on the curb. "What's Grampa's detail doing here this late?"
"Don't know. Maybe he has somewhere he needs to be or maybe he forgot something," Jamie told her.
"Maybe." They said goodbye and as Jamie headed off to his car, Anna went back inside. There she found her grandfather just coming down the stairs redressed in a three-piece suit and tie. "Your detail is outside," Anna said, confused.
"I know, thank you." He kissed the top of her head and grabbed his trench coat then he was out the door.
Anna watched him still as confused as she had been when the detail had pulled up. She shook it off then walked back into the den.
Later that night, as she lay in the bed in her uncle Joe's old bedroom, her phone lit up. "Thinking about you," it read.
She smiled seeing that it was from Jim. "In town," she answered, "can we meet?"
"You're here? Since when?"
"5:30, what's up tomorrow?"
"Graveyard shift, meet at noon, our usual place?" They met at the same place nearly every time she was in town, with the exception of when there was snow on the ground. Then they met at his place, or their new favorite diner, not far from where he lived in Brooklyn.
"See you then."
"Be waiting."
She set her phone down and smiled. Monday, she spent the morning with her great-grandfather and enjoyed his delicious pancakes while telling him about Miami and her job at the diner. He loved hearing about that almost as much as she loved hearing about the good, ol' days on the force. "So, where'd you get the bike?" Henry asked as they did the dishes.
"Friend of mine. We traded for the weekend," Anna answered.
"How'd your mom react?"
"I don't think she realized it was mine." She told him what had happened the night before.
"It'll be a sight when you go home tomorrow."
"Yes, it will." Anna said, putting the last glass away. "I'll tell you how it goes." They played a couple rounds of poker as Henry told her what he had been doing lately. Then she caught sight of the time. "Would love to continue to talk but I promised to stop by and see an old friend about noon."
"Where are you meeting and does this friend have a name?"
"You'd be hard pressed to find a person without a name these days." She grinned. He leveled her with a no-nonsense glare. Anna tried not to roll her eyes. "I know you're only asking 'cause you're worried though. I'll be fine; I've known him for years."
"Where?" Henry insisted.
"I said I'd meet him in Owl Head Park. It's about halfway between here and where he works. Bye, Pops, I'll see you for dinner."
"Anna ... Be careful," he answered as she kissed his cheek, then rushed out the back door. It didn't take long for him to hear the motorbike roar to life then down the street. He sent up a prayer for his wife to look after their grandchild then picked up the paper.
"Hey beautiful," Jim said, as he sat down on the bench next to her under the shade of the trees that lined the path at The Terrace of Owl's Head Park. There was even a plaque in the center of the area deeming it that. It was on the far side of the park past the ball courts and the skate park on the Northwestern most edge of the park.
"Hey handsome," she answered, turning to face him. "Did you want to talk here or head back to your place?"
"Here's ok, unless you would like to talk in private?" he suggested.
"No, it's ok. It's colder than I'd like but that's New York for you."
"It's comparative. Temperature always is."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Compared to how it felt even two weeks ago, this is nice. Compared to the temp in Miami, this is cold. Speaking of, how are things in Miami?" Jim asked.
"Good, got my associate's degree in business, graduated the academy, and the diner is busier than ever."
"Have you told your family about the academy?"
"Just my uncle Jamie. As far as I'm concerned, he's the only one that needs to know. He's the only one that won't judge me. My dad and grandfathers will freak out and my aunt will most likely tell everyone and that won't end well either."
"So, what's next?"
"I have an interview on Friday. North district of Miami."
"You think you'll get hired?" He rested an arm along the back of the bench and she smiled softly.
"Hope so. It's the best option."
He swallowed as he stared at the Upper Bay that was just visible through the trees. While he knew why she wanted to stay in Miami and it was good for her to follow through on the dreams she was building down there, part of him still missed her being where he could see her in person every day. "Have you thought about coming back to New York?"
"Couple of times. But every time I start, I start remembering that disappointed look Dad gave me the first time I told him I had a waitressing job. I don't want to see that look ever again." Anna shook her head. "So, what about you? How's the EMS business?"
"Same as always. I didn't see your car on the way in."
"Actually, I borrowed a motorcycle from a friend."
"Sounds like she's a great friend."
"She is. I'm really lucky."
"Yes, you are." They stared at each other then Jim smirked. Anna pouted and slugged his shoulder. "But I'm luckier cause I've got you," Jim said.
Anna smiled and shifted a bit closer to him. They talked a bit more as they watched the water and the few people that were walking by. "As much as I don't want to, I have to go. I promised Pops I'd be home for dinner."
"Oh. Ok. I should get going to. I should have just enough time to grab a bite to eat and get ready for work. You aren't here for long, are you?" he asked.
"Just 'til Friday and I promised my parents I'd see them tomorrow and spend Wednesday with Uncle Jamie. I'm sorry, Jim, you know my family."
"I know. When can I see you again?"
"Wednesday afternoon? When do you work?"
"I don't; my day off."
"How about Wednesday night, say five at our new favorite diner?"
"That'll work," Jim told her. They walked down to Colonial Road and over to the borrowed Harley. "That is one sweet bike."
"I can drop you off if you want a ride. I have an extra helmet."
"There's a bus stop just down the road. I'll be fine."
"If you're sure," she said.
"I am. Take care of yourself," he answered. She nodded and pulled her helmet on before climbing on the bike and taking off.
After dinner with Henry and Frank, Anna plopped down in the sunroom and turned on the national sports channel to see them talking about the upcoming Mets game against the Dodgers. She watched that for a while barely glancing away even when she heard movement in the kitchen.
Finally, she heard footsteps approaching the sunroom and looked up to see Frank heading towards her from the living room. When she noticed the other Reagans behind him, she realized there must have been a press conference or something on. She flipped through the channels until Jamie told her to stop. "There," he said as the mayor's face came on the screen.
"Miguel Santana has been charged in the shooting of NYPD officer Mark Hayes," the mayor said as the family stood and watched. Anna stood between her grandfathers then Jamie, Danny, and Erin to Henry's right in that order. "Now, I know some of you have expressed anger because no charges were brought in the shooting death of Diego Perez. I expressed, publicly, my own anger when that decision was handed down from the grand jury. That was a mistake and I regret it."
"I'll be damned," Henry said as he looked up at his son.
"The death of Diego Perez was a tragedy but it was a tragedy of his own making. The shooting death of Officer Hayes was a cowardly act of vengeance. If Mr. Santana is guilty then Mr. Santana deserves to be punished. But there's been enough violence and as your mayor, I urge everyone to remain calm and let our system work."
The screen switched back to the news reporter and Frank reached for the remote and shut the TV off. Anna looked around to see that everyone but Frank looked shocked.
"It's not every day you see a politician admit he screwed up," Jamie said.
"Any man can make a mistake but it takes a great one to realize it and correct it," Anna commented.
"From the mouth of babes," Henry said.
"Anna's right, it was a mistake, and he owned up to it. Took a lot of guts," Frank said.
"Almost makes me wonder if he got some good career advice," Jamie said.
"Maybe from a certain PC," Erin added. All eyes turned to Frank who neither admitted or denied it.
Instead, he said, "The last couple of days could have been a whole lot worse without the people in this room."
"Hear, hear," Henry agreed. Anna looked down feeling a bit out of place.
"Maybe I don't say it enough, but I'm proud of you," Frank's eyes connected with each of his children's. "All of you," he added, resting a hand on his granddaughter's shoulder. She looked up at him and smiled. "I'm just saying," Frank finished. They all smiled then the men silently lifted their drinks in a toast.
"Somebody get a new bike?" Erin asked, after a moment. They turned to look at her as Anna checked her watch grimacing at the fact that it was still 15 minutes until game time. "The motorcycle in the driveway? People still do call it a bike, right?"
"Yeah," Jamie said.
"Is it yours, kid?" Danny asked, looking at his brother.
"I don't have a motorcycle license, Danny," Jamie said, "as much as I admire a good motorcycle."
Frank's and Danny's minds were both spinning. If it wasn't Jamie's and it wasn't Erin's, not like either thought Erin would own a bike, then it had to be–.
"Am I in trouble?" Anna asked, interrupting their thoughts.
"My granddaughter owns a motorcycle?" Frank asked just as Danny asked "for what?"
"For not mentioning I have a motorcycle license," Anna asked.
"Why would you be in trouble for that?" Henry asked.
Anna looked around the room trying to find a way out. Then she spotted her aunt's empty hands. "Aunt Erin, can I get you something to drink? Tea, water, beer perhaps?"
"Stop trying to wiggle out of this. Why would you be in trouble for owning a bike?" Danny pressed, not giving Erin a chance to answer.
"That's not what I said. I said I had a motorcycle license," Anna said.
"The bike isn't hers, Danny." Jamie threw in.
"Then whose is it?" Frank asked.
"My friend's. She let me borrow it in exchange for the Camaro since she needed a car with a trunk and I needed a way up here," Anna answered, feeling all of two feet tall, especially with what she knew was coming.
Sure enough, her dad had a comment for that. "Your friend let you borrow a motorcycle and drive it cross country in exchange for a Camaro?" Danny accused.
"I'm not a kid anymore, Dad, you can't tell me what to do." Anna stormed out to the screened-in back porch then down to the backyard acting very much like the kid she said she wasn't.
"Nice going, Danny," Jannie sighed then followed his niece.
"She may look every bit like her mom, son," Frank said, "but she reminds me so much of you."
"It was just a question," Danny defended.
"A question that felt like an accusation of bad judgement to her," Erin said.
Danny sighed and quietly sipped his beer.
Sorry Danny and Anna are again fighting in this chapter, hopefully next chapter will be better and hopefully the wait for seeing how Wilder effects Anna pays off.