Another long one here. See what I do for you guys? Not really, I just couldn't find another place to end it. Thanks to decadenceofmysoul, patrickpopp, Daisyangel, Pharmergirl, the guests MirraRosee and Coco, and to KayleeKane who reviewed chapter 9. Hope this helps you guys out.

Mike stormed back in not long after Anna had asked everyone to leave. He didn't look happy with her. He sat down on the edge of the bed. He stared at her with the same look her dad had given her from time to time. She called it Danny's Detective Look, which meant he already had a vague idea of the answer but he wanted her to tell him and fill in more of the picture. "Cut the crap, little girl, and tell me the truth," he demanded.

"The truth about what, Mike?" Anna asked lightly. Even though he didn't seem very happy about it, she could tell it wasn't something she should be upset about. At least, not something she thought she should be upset about.

"When is the last time you talked to Mario Rodriguez?"

Yep, nothing to stress over. The ADT was prickly and mostly against cops, but he was decent to her and there was no way he'd have taken a shot at her. "Mario?" She wasn't sure why he was asking about him.

"Yeah, him. You've arrested him twice. The first time, he took a swing at you?" Mike reminded her as if she couldn't remember who he was.

"The second time wasn't really an arrest. It was more of hauled in for questioning but had no proof. You can't honestly believe he had anything to do with this, do you?"

"He took a swing at you."

Something wasn't clicking here. He was more upset than he should have been. "That doesn't mean he'd shoot me."

"Anna, come on. They can't find him." Looks like that's what he believed.

Her heart stopped as his last words sank in. Again, there was no way he could have taken a shot at her. He wasn't the type. From what she could remember of Mario's file, guns weren't part of his MO. "What do you mean they can't find him?" He was on parole; he should have to report in any where from once a day to once a month. Typically, it was once a week for guys like Mario.

"He was paroled four weeks ago but his P.O. hasn't seen him since and there's no one at his place." Anna looked back down at her phone and pulled up another contact. She took a deep breath and slowly let it out then called. "You have 10 seconds to tell me where you have been for the past four days or I'll violate you back to jail for life." The first time she had arrested him had been his second felony. Since shooting a cop could be considered a felony and Florida was a three-strike state, the third felony would send him back to prison automatically for life.

"Officer Reagan? What? ... I didn't do anything" Mario protested.

"You have five seconds," she prompted.

"I've ... been in Miami for the last four weeks. Talk to my parole officer."

"Who hasn't seen you since you were paroled."

"There are two feds sitting out front of my place. Ask them."

"Your place? Cops say no one's at your place."

"The place my PO knows about, I got kicked out of last week. I moved into my grandma's place."

"Why didn't you tell your PO?"

"He's got 1000 cases, he doesn't want to hear from me."

"That's not how parole works. Call your PO. We're getting off track. Can you prove you've been in Miami for the last week?"

"Like I said, talk to the Fibbies. Say hello, Anna."

"Hello?" Anna asked.

"Who is this?" a deep voice asked.

"Officer Anna Reagan, Miami PD."

"And what do you think I can do for you?"

"All I want to know is if Mario Rodriguez, probably the guy standing right next to you, has been in Miami for the last week."

"Why would I alibi this guy?"

"Because if he's right, you're also a cop and we're on the same side? Your job will become very hard without the support of the Miami PD."

The man on the other end sighed heavily. Then he confirmed Mario's alibi. The Feds were looking into him for a crime committed two weeks prior for which they believed Mario had some part of. The agent passed her back to Mario who walked back inside. "So, you believe me?"

While it was possible the guy she had just spoken to was just another gangbanger and not an actual FBI agent, he seemed to talk like a cop and there was nothing causing her lie detector senses to go off. She finally answered Mario. "I guess." She wasn't completely sure how much she believed him but maybe some more details would help out.

"What exactly is it that you think I did?"

"I got shot two days ago," she told him wondering how he was going to respond.

"Florida is a three-strike state. Shooting a cop is a felony and I'll go back to prison for good," he stated.

"Not if the shooting happened in New York."

Now she could hear the confusion in his voice. "New York? Why would I go all the way to New York to shoot you? It's so much easier to do in Miami. Anyway, I haven't been out of Miami since I was paroled, and I have no reason to shoot you."

He sounded convincing and like he was telling the truth. With one more push, she got the answer she was looking for and finally believed him. "You better not lie to me."

"Got no reason to. If you can't figure out who did this to you, call me. I can crack some heads and get some answers." That was really convincing. She finally believed him.

"Thanks, Mario, I'll keep that in mind." She took down his new address and hung up. She turned to Mike and narrowed her eyes.

"How long has he been in Miami?" Mike asked reluctantly.

"Never left. Feds have been tailing him for weeks. This means we're out of suspects, right?" While she wasn't angry that Mike hadn't believed her, she was a bit irritated that their only suspect was someone who could have never done it.

Mike drew her out of her thoughts. "In Florida. Detective Kim has been through everyone you've arrested or that seemed to be pissed off at you but nothing. I've seen your dad's face too. It's frustration. He hasn't said it, but I'm a dad. He's worried."

Anna stared up at the ceiling as she rested back against the pillows. Another thought came to her. A thought she wasn't sure she wanted to entertain but in all her years of watching crime shows and hearing stories at the Reagan dining table, she knew it was possible and it made her worry. Bringing it up to Mike though, may not have been a bright idea. At least, not until he convinced her. "I don't want to say this. I don't even know why I'm talking to you; you have all the information you need," she said softly.

"Because you're scared and you need someone to talk to." Mike shifted and watching her closely.

She swallowed. "What if this guy ... if he just wanted to shoot someone?"

Mike reached out and gently touched her hand. He had to calm her worries. "They'll find him. Until then your uncle tells me you'll be safe here."

"I guess," Anna agreed. "You sticking around?"

"I'll go get lunch. Think it over," Mike told her. Anna nodded and he left the room.

It was nearly 20 minutes later when Linda walked back in the room. She stood at the end of the bed watching her daughter. Anna swallowed as she blinked at her mom. "You may be an adult and you may have been leading a successful life in Miami but you are still my daughter. Being on morphine makes you sleepy and loopy but it doesn't excuse your anger. You are becoming more and more like your father everyday and in some ways that's not a bad thing because God knows I will love that man until the world comes to an end, but in other ways I expected better than this from you. You are strong and you are smart and I know you know you overreacted."

Anna did her best to keep her temper in check and keep her voice even. It wouldn't do to get into another fight with her mom. "I got shot having dinner with my uncle. You have said since I was little that we moved out of Manhattan because Staten Island was supposed to be the safest borough in all of New York and Brooklyn was second to it. The P.C. lives in Brooklyn, how dangerous can it be? It's not fair." Anna cut herself off from saying any more as she could feel herself getting angrier.

"I know it's not, but getting angry about things doesn't make things any better."

"It makes me feel better," Anna pointed out.

Linda frowned. "For a few minutes," Linda told her.

Her mom had a point but so, she felt, did she. She took a deep breath and slowly let it out. "I won't apologize for having feelings or expressing them. People always say that the biggest problem with Reagans is they don't talk about their feelings."

Linda stood in silence and Anna refused to break it. It was a tactic she learned playing poker. Don't fill the silence. If someone's got something to hide, they're more likely to fill the awkward silence themselves. She just hoped her mom wouldn't let the silence linger. "There's expressing your anger then there's throwing a temper tantrum."

Anna's first response was to snap that it wasn't a temper tantrum but she knew that would defeat the purpose of her statement, so again she continued to hold quiet and watched her mom.

Linda went on. "My heart breaks for you but there is a line and you should consider whether or not you crossed it since you woke up," Linda said. She walked up to the head of the bed and kissed her daughter's forehead. "I love you." Linda left the room and Anna leaned back into her pillow.

Maybe she had gone too far but she didn't get long to think it over. It was only a few moments before Jamie reentered the room. "Oh great, someone else to tell me I'm being childish and selfish." If she was being honest with herself, she never would have said that. Jamie would never treat her like that even if she was acting that way.

Jamie crossed the room and made himself comfortable in a chair as he considered his next words very carefully. Where his brother would probably be frank and start a fight and his sister wouldn't hold back and make her feel like a child being scolded, Jamie had to come off as an older sibling giving advice. "You have a point; you aren't a child. You have a right to talk until you think enough is enough."

"But she's still my mom and she has the right to worry. No matter how old you get, you'll always be your mom's baby." Anna sighed. "You also think I should apologize for getting angry."

Jamie looked down for a moment. That was a clear indication he wanted to say something but he didn't want to push it too hard. She had seen it with both his siblings, she just never thought it'd be pointed her way. "I think you should do what you feel comfortable with."

"You have a suggestion; you just don't want to say it." He wasn't called buttinsky for no reason.

"You do have a lot of Reagan traits," Jamie said slowly. "Like putting family first and being protective of your siblings and taking steps to getting to the truth of the matter, but all of that comes with, unfortunately, the Reagan stubbornness and temper. As I've told you before, it's something we all work hard to control. Even me. Maybe you shouldn't have snapped but it wasn't necessarily wrong."

Anna huffed out a sigh. "I didn't mean to snap, I never do, but I felt like no one was listening to me. I don't know who shot me and no one I've dealt with holds a grudge. I should have been better. Saw something, heard something." Her anger was coming back but she was starting to see that part of it was frustration at the lack of information and closure.

"You can't always be alert and on edge. It's no way to live. I know it's scary to think that there's this guy that's out there shooting innocent people. Even scarier if he's after cops but we will catch him. No one gets away with it forever."

"Jack the Ripper, Zodiac, the Bible Belt Strangler, the Long Island Serial Killer," she pointed out.

He looked up at her. "Your dad wasn't on those cases," he said passionately.

"Yeah, but Dad's had cases he couldn't solve either."

"Doesn't mean he's stopped trying. Look, don't worry too much about it. You should rest. We can talk more later."

Anna slowly looked around the room for a few moments trying to figure out what to say next. Finally, she changed the subject. "Uncle Jamie, I'm kinda hungry. Do you think you could go get me some ice cream or something sweet, please?"

"Sure, kid," Jamie answered.

Once Jamie was out of the room, Anna picked up her phone and called the third most called contact. "Hey, I know you're probably going to tell me I'm wrong and that I may have exploded too soon, or help me get there anyway, but I was hoping you'd ... I don't know, make me feel better," Anna rattled off when he picked up. She could hear him smile over the phone.

"First off, I'm glad you're ok ... ok enough to call me and secondly, we aren't having this conversation over the phone. I will be there in 20 minutes. I promise."

Anna was enjoying a pint of double chocolate chip when Jim strolled in the room. "Uncle Jamie," she said.

He looked between the two young adults. It was almost like he was trying to gauge the connection between the two. "You sure?" Jamie asked. Though the boy looked familiar, Jamie couldn't quite place him.

"You remember Jim?" Anna asked.

That's right. Jim Miller. Jamie remembered the boy had been Anna's best friend for years and the fact that he had showed up again meant Anna had most likely called him. He stood, deciding to give them privacy. "Right. Sorry I wasn't here when you dropped by last time. It was a long night," Jamie said.

"No worries," Jim answered.

"I'll be outside if you need anything," Jamie told her.

"Close the door," Anna answered. Jamie nodded.

The door closed with a click and Jim sat down on the right side of the bed. Anna took his hand then sat up. "So, tell me what happened," Jim said. Anna collapsed into his arms and told him almost everything that had happened minus the two phone calls. "Hm … What you've been through is no doubt rough," he said slowly. "I can't begin to imagine what you're going through. You deserve to be taken care of and listened to. Parents find it hard to balance both but that doesn't mean they aren't right. Your mom wants to make sure you're ok and your dad may come off as concerned about the case, but it's very real in his mind that he could have lost his only daughter. Maybe you didn't need to get angry even if you felt lost."

"I don't think you're making me feel better," she muttered against him.

Jim smirked and petted the back of her head. "What are you going to do?"

"Apologize to Mom. I shouldn't have gotten so angry."

"And then?"

"I don't know."

Jim tipped her head up. "Take a minute then tell me what happened."

His sparkling blue eyes traced her face. She didn't want to remember what happened but if she didn't talk to him, she'd just be turning it over in her mind. Better to get it out and maybe he could see something she hadn't or something she couldn't remember. "I don't know what I can tell you that I haven't already told everyone else," Anna said.

"Just tell me." She watched him for a few moments. He wasn't a big fan of cop shows and as a paramedic he probably had no experience with solving crimes. "Do you know how many times I've heard you talk about the show 'Crime Profiles?'. It's one of your favorite shows. I watch reruns occasionally and they mention that just taking time to think it over and not stressing about it, can help you remember more than you think."

"Not everything in TV shows works in real life." His expression still told her that he was waiting for her to talk. She did. "I was having dinner with Uncle Jamie at Oster's Cop Bar on 72nd in Bay Ridge. It was a normal night. We left the bar about 7:30, maybe quarter till 8. He walked me to my car and said goodbye. I was looking for my keys when I got shot, twice in the lower back and once in the shoulder."

"Wait a minute, go back."

"Back to what?"

"When you walked out of the bar, what did you see?"

"I don't know, I was talking to Uncle Jamie."

"Think hard."

Anna frowned but thought back. "I don't know. There were a couple people passing by but no one seemed to pay attention to us."

"What about when you said goodbye?"

Anna focused on that moment. She could see her and Jamie talking on the sidewalk, then him hugging her. She tried to remember what was going on around her. The eye always saw more than the brain could process in the moment. There were a couple people around but none she could remember acting suspiciously. "I don't remember anyone acting suspicious."

"Okay. Was anyone watching you?"

She tried to focus on the scene again. "Don't think so. I don't remember anyone. There were people across the street. A guy pulled up behind my car. There were people down the street. I really didn't see anyone watching me."

"Nothing?"

"Nothing." She frowned, rubbing her head.

"Awe," Jim cooed softly, "I know this hurts and you're spinning your wheels to solve this but if you don't have it, you don't have it. I know Detective Baez will understand."

"I just feel like I'm more useless than a murder victim."

"That's not true. You're smart and you notice things. You've given them a place to start and sometimes that's all they need, besides no victim is useless."

"Don't quote me back to me." She frowned as she slowly sat back against her pillows. "Don't tell me you came all the way down here on your lunch break."

"I didn't. l was off today visiting my granddad."

"He lives in Queens right?"

"Bensonhurst. But he works in downtown Brooklyn, just south of Vinegar Hill."

"I don't know where that is."

"North end of Brooklyn just east of the NYC College of Tech."

"That's pretty far north."

"Not quite the drive your granddad has. Bay Ridge to Manhattan."

"That is true," Anna agreed. "Anything else?"

"Nah. I'm good if you are," Jim said. Anna nodded and he kissed her forehead before settling her back against the pillows. Before he stood, he smiled softly at her. "I am so glad you're okay. I—" He stopped and shook his head. He smiled softly again then he opened the door again before he sat back down in a chair by the bed. Jamie joined him.

Later that day, Linda walked in to find Anna resting by herself in the room. She sat down beside the bed and watched her daughter. "How's she doing?" a deep voice asked beside her.

Linda looked up and smiled. "She's resting. Any news?" Linda asked.

"No," Danny said. He sat down on the right side of the bed facing his daughter. He sighed and handed Linda the bag in his hands. Linda opened the bag and found burgers and fries. While Linda was disappointed that it wasn't healthy, it had the effect Danny was hoping for and roused his little girl.

Anna sniffed the air. "Cheeseburgers," Anna said sleepily.

"Hey," Danny said.

"Hi," Anna said softly. "Cheeseburger?" Linda reluctantly handed over one of the burgers. Anna devoured it in a few minutes.

"So, you're feeling better?" Linda asked.

"I apologize. I shouldn't have snapped earlier."

"Thank you."

Anna turned to the fries her mom had handed her. Linda turned to her burger and was halfway through when her phone rang. Seeing that it was Jack, she stepped out to talk to her son. Anna steadfastly stared at her fries.

"Maybe I haven't always been the fairest guy. Raising a daughter, especially one like you, is the hardest thing I've ever done. I never meant to question your judgment or make you feel like you weren't capable of making your own decisions." Anna looked up at him considering his words and what he was talking about. He looked apologetic or remorseful but she wasn't sure how much he actually meant. He sighed. "I'm sorry. I went too far and let it linger for too long. I expected you to let it go so I wouldn't really have to apologize. That was wrong. You're my daughter; you deserve to have a father you can trust. For the last two years, I haven't been that. I'm sorry. I love you and almost losing you showed me how wrong I've been. It shouldn't have taken something like that to make me see it. We can't go back and fix the last two years but we try to make things better going forward."

Anna used every bit of her training that she normally only used for poker games to judge his authenticity. He again he looked more apologetic than she had seen him in a long time. Then something her great-granddad had always said struck her. Something Jamie had quoted earlier. "Great cops make terrible liars." Maybe her dad was telling the truth and he really was sorry for what he said about her going to Miami.

"Is there any way I can make this better for you?" Danny asked. He looked back over his shoulder then scooted up the bed a little. "Johansen says you're a great cop and I know you're smart and dedicated. Miami is lucky to have you since staying in New York wasn't an option."

Anna set her fries aside and wiped her hands off. She took a few deep breaths and slowly let them out. She looked back at her dad. She sighed and crooked a finger at him, motioning him closer.

Danny shifted a bit more on the bed. Anna reached forward, throwing her right arm around his neck. "I love you too," Anna answered. Danny wrapped his arms around his daughter. Being careful of her injured shoulder, he hugged her tight. "I could have been the bigger person and not let it go on so long."

"No. You were hurt and I am the parent. It's my responsibility to own up to what I did wrong."

She nodded against him and held on for a moment or two longer. Then she let her arm drop. "I don't want to sound inconsiderate," Anna said, sitting back, "but when can I go back to Miami?"

Danny took her hand between both of his. "I wish you'd stay. At least until we catch this guy but if I can't, I'd say probably a week. Just to calm your mom. And depending on your doc."

"But you'd be ok if I didn't stick around?"

"I wouldn't like it but I understand."

Just then, Linda walked back in. "Everything good in here?" Linda asked.

"Yeah. Do you think I can go home soon?" Anna asked.

Linda sat down on the other side of the bed and checked Anna's wound. "They'll probably release you tomorrow. Did you fly home or drive?"

"I drove."

"The doctor is going to recommend you don't travel for at least a month but as long as you take it slow and stop every 3 to 4 hours, leaving next week will be ok."

"You'd really let me leave that early?"

"I'd prefer you didn't but like you said earlier, you are an adult and I won't be able to stop you. I take it your boss knows?"

"Yeah, Mike told him."

Linda and Danny exchanged a look. Though Danny knew the reason Anna trusted the man so much, he knew Linda was curious and wondered if his daughter would tell her the truth. "Honey, what can you tell us about Mike?" Linda asked.

"What do you want to know? Mike is just a friend," Anna answered, diving back into her fries.

"Who is old enough to be your father," Linda pointed out.

"He's older than my father. But that's all it is. I live over 1000 miles from my father and the rest of my family. He is just a friend. Like a surrogate father. Someone I could trust when I had no one else. He's just a friend."

"Ok, but you can see our concern," Danny told her. His look was telling her to ease her mom's fears.

"Yes. I met Mike my first day in Miami. I was pushing the speed limit a little because of traffic and he let me off with a verbal warning. I ran into him a few more times at gas stations and I thought it was a little creepy but then on a totally random day, he happened to be at the diner I got hired at. We got to talking. He told me about being on the job and his wife and kids. He's a devoted family man who's been on the MPD force since before I was born. I've met his wife and his son. There is no chance whatsoever of it becoming more than just friends. I promise, Mom."

"Ok."

"Are you going to stay the night?" Anna asked curiously.

"Only if you want us to," Linda said.

Anna looked from her mom to her dad and back. "I think the boys need you more. I'll be okay."

"If you're sure."

"I am." It wasn't long after her parents left that Anna's door opened. She looked up to see her grandfather. "Hey," she said softly.

"Hi, Sweetheart. Are you ok?" He crossed the room and sat down in the chair next to the bed.

"Mostly ok but I do feel kinda guilty." She shifted slightly to look at him.

"Why guilty?"

"I should have heard something, seen something. If he gets away with this or does it again, how do I live with that?"

He smiled slightly. Of course his granddaughter was like that. She was looking out for the rest of the world and putting it before herself. "You let your dad and his partner do their jobs. When they figure it out, there will be 35,000 people looking for him."

"And in the meantime? I don't want anyone to get hurt. If I had—"

Sometimes though, she went too far, spiraling like her father did. Frank cut her off. "Stop. We'll catch him. Rome wasn't built in a day."

"Yeah but they were laying bricks every hour."

"And that's how your dad is working this case."

"I know. I still don't feel better, Grampa."

"I wish I could make you feel better."

"Me too."

So it's not Mario, wonder where this leads us. Huh, guess you'll just have to wait and see.