Ok, so two months since the last update. I'm sorry for taking the time. Thanks to patrickpopp, YaleAceBella12, decadenceofmysoul, Daisyangel, and the guest Coco for your reviews. As always I appreciate knowing how you guys feel about these chapters.

Scenes from and references to 7x8, 7x9, 7x11.

Veteran's day snuck up on her like a bat in the night, mostly due to long patrols and poker games. After that week, she was more than ready to spend the weekend decompressing and relaxing. All that tension came rushing back Sunday night as she caught a major news story coming out of New York City. "Coward Cop Ducks and Covers" read the headline of an article from The Post's website. The more she read up on that story, the more she started to wonder if he deserved his badge after not interfering in a robbery taking place right in front of him. From the few articles she could find, it didn't sound like he did. A small voice inside her, that sounded suspiciously like Jamie and her mom, told her there had to be more to the story. There was barely anyone on the force who would just let a robbery happen. Sure enough, when she dug even deeper, she found two articles and a few comments that pointed out one tiny fact that would completely change the story and make it a non-issue. The fact the sergeant hadn't been alone in the store. His ten-year-old daughter had been with him. If that was true, she didn't blame him for one second for not taking action. She knew her family wouldn't either. Then her phone rang. She checked the name and grinned.

"Hey, Uncle Jamie," Anna said as the phone connected.

"Hey, you busy?" he answered.

"No, not really. What's up?"

"We're about to sit for dinner. Do you want to listen in? I know you've been missing it."

"I would love that, if Grampa isn't going to have a problem with a cell phone at the table."

"For my granddaughter in Florida, I'll make an exception, this time," Frank said.

"You had me on speaker? Come on, Uncle Jamie," Anna protested.

"You'll be ok," Jamie answered.

Anna rolled her eyes then made herself a TV dinner. She plopped down on her couch with the TV low listening as her family said grace and began to talk. It reminded her of what she was missing and a small part of her begged her to reconsider staying in Miami. At least, until they brought up the case she had been reading about. "You say that like Reed's got blood on his hands," Nicky argued. Anna wasn't sure who she was arguing with as she wasn't exactly paying attention, but it didn't take long to figure it out.

"I make it sound like that because he does." Of course it would be Henry. The old set-in-his-ways patriarch who just made it worse by not seeming to be open to another idea.

Sean prompted about the fact his daughter had been with him to which Frank acknowledged. What Jack said next stuck with Anna and threw her back three years to April 2013. They had had this conversation back then about another robbery, and whether or not that cop should have acted.

"But he did take action, he called 9-1-1," Jack said. Even that seemed too little, too late for Henry.

The other thing that stuck with Anna was what her mom said in response to Frank's statement that the bodega owner had family too. "But at this table, we always say family comes first," Linda said.

In the beats of silence that followed, Anna realized that her dad, aunt, and she were the only ones who hadn't commented on the situation. Her father spoke up with the stance she expected of him. "In my book, he did the right thing," Danny said, agreeing with his brother, niece, and wife. While he didn't like that the shop owner had died, the cop deserved credit for protecting his child.

As Frank explained he could only see the situation one way, Anna remembered a lesson he had taught her. The easiest way to get someone on your side is to get them to put themselves in your shoes and get them to make the same decision but she had to do it delicately so as to not come off preachy. "That's who I am in this," Frank finished.

"You're right, you can't change the facts," Anna said gently, "But at the end of the day, you're still the boss and the decision still resides with you. You still get to make the ultimate judgment call no matter what any person or guideline might say."

"It's not that simple, Anna," Frank said.

"Shouldn't have been that simple three years ago either but it was. That so-called drunk cop who diffused a robbery despite a .08 BAC. Officer Grasso, I believe his name was. Everyone wanted you to fire him but you put him on probation instead. Now another cop made the same decision, to do the right thing no matter the consequences, and you're just going to let him hang. I don't understand how you can let that happen. You say that you can't see this any other way, but you're a cop's cop, a father, and a grandfather and if you were to put yourself in the same situation, I think you would have made the same decision." Anna could hear her phone dinging with an incoming text message but chose to ignore it. She also did her best to keep any heat or anger out of her voice. "Any good parent would've made the same decision. And if you really can't let that influence your decision then—" her phone dinged with three rapid fire texts. These she couldn't ignore. She checked to see a text from Nate. 'Game's up' it said. The next three texts said: 'Big draw', 'meet in 20', 'you in?' Anna sighed.

"Everything ok?" Linda asked.

"My boss. Meeting coming up; wants to make sure I'm ready. Anyway, as P.C. I hope it weighs less on your mind that you're disciplining this officer for inadvertently causing the death of a stranger than—Jiminy Christmas, what do you—Crap." She cut herself off when she saw he was now calling. "Sorry, guys, I gotta go. I love you all." Just before she hung up, she could hear her brothers, cousin, and uncle echoed the sentiment. When the call connected, she didn't bother to hide her irritation. "This had better be the best shot we have at a massive take down or—"

"It is," Nate said.

"Good. Tell me about it."

A day later, she searched for press clippings of Frank's final decision. She wasn't disappointed. The story essentially boiled down to the sergeant receiving a formal reprimand. When asked if he thought the cop had done the right thing, Frank was quoted being diplomatic at best in his answer like he had been with Officer Grasso. She knew he couldn't say exactly what he was thinking, but sometimes, she wished he'd be a little more clear about his support for good cops. Her game the previous night had gone well and led to the seizure of over $1,000,000 and at least 15 arrests. While she didn't particularly care about the numbers added to her record, she was glad to get these guys off the streets.

Anna closed her laptop and picked up her phone. She stared at her reflection in the dark screen. She ran her hand through her hair, growling when it got snagged on a few tangles. It was like her brain was on autopilot when she dialed a number and it connected. "Hey," his deep voice rumbled across the line.

"Hey, you busy?" she asked.

"No, everything ok?"

"I missed you."

"I miss you too."

"When you say it like that, Jim, it makes me feel like you don't believe me."

"Anna," he said plainly. "I do believe you but I also know you, which means I know you didn't just call me to tell me you miss me."

Anna smiled softly. She loved how much he could read her. "You're right. I wanted to know how you're doing. We haven't spoken in a while and I guess I worry about you."

"I appreciate that but there's really nothing to worry about. The job's great, family's doing well, and no tough cases. What about you?"

"I'm ok."

"Anna, you can talk to me."

"I know that and I greatly appreciate having you for that. I was just worried about telling you what happened."

"Why?"

"Because it's kinda horrible."

"More of the reason to tell me. I don't really like the idea of you suffering alone."

"I . . . earlier today we responded to a car accident. Uncle with his niece and nephew; he died on impact, she walked away with a few scrapes and bruises, and the nephew seemed unlikely at the scene but he developed complications at the hospital that they couldn't compensate for. He passed an hour ago." Mike had been great on the scene too. He had pushed her over to the niece, a young teenager, to keep them both busy and buy some time to get both the uncle and her brother from the car. It also kept the girl from seeing what had really happened and had given them time to talk. Anna had used the time to comfort the girl and get to know her a bit.

"I'm sorry. That can be tough. How'd it happen?" Jim asked, drawing her out of her thoughts.

"Overcorrected on a wet road."

"No one to blame. Those are the worst cases. Is there anything—How old was the girl?"

"15. I talked to her on the scene. She was in shock but she told me her uncle was a great guy."

"Reminds you of you and Joe?"

The more the girl had talked about her relationship with her uncle, the more Anna had related it to her relationship with Joe. "Yeah and what sucks even more about it is she's already lost her parents. Now it's just her and her grandma." The girl hadn't been too upset when she had mentioned losing her parents but she did seem upset that she had lost her uncle. Anna hadn't gotten to stick around to find out how the girl felt now that she had lost her brother, but with two brothers of her own she knew the girl was going to be heartbroken. Anna would feel the same.

"It will take some time to adjust but I'm sure she'll do fine."

"Yeah, you're right."

"I know this is hard on you, honey, and I'm sure no one is expecting you to just get over it. How are you feeling?"

"I feel so bad for her. It nearly killed me when I lost Uncle Joe and again a few years later when Sean was really hurt. I can't imagine both at once." She paused for a moment or two as she went back over everything that had happened in her mind. "I'm also kinda in awe of her."

"Why's that?" Jim asked curiously.

"Before we sent her to the hospital, she was telling me how you can't let the bad things in life outweigh all the good in the world. There is good blooming in all the little things around you. Even after she lost her parents, she said it hurt but she tries to find a reason to smile every day."

"Sounds like you should honor her by doing the same. I don't think she'd want you to feel bad for her. If she wants to find the good, maybe that's why you met her."

"As sorta 'all part of the grander plan' and whatnot?" How could someone make it okay for this girl to lose two of her three remaining family members just so Anna could learn a lesson? Then again, maybe it wasn't only so Anna could learn a lesson, maybe it was about both of them learning something though she couldn't fathom what lesson this girl also needed to learn after losing her parents.

"I know that you don't really have that kind of faith in God and the like but maybe this could help," Jim told her.

"Maybe, though I'm not really sure how. How do you still believe?"

"Because even with the tough cases I see miracles I can't explain everyday. I have to believe."

"Jim, thank you. I can't tell you how much this has helped. I wasn't sure why I called you in the first place but like always you make me feel better."

"I'm glad I can be of some help."

"You know that's not why I called." She didn't mean to make him feel like she had only called so he could help her figure it out or he could be some sort of moral support. He meant way more to her than that and she really hoped he knew it.

"I know, but I'm really glad I could help you. I don't like it when you are unsettled. Seems like the world isn't right."

Anna smiled softly. It was really nice to have someone care about her being happy. She knew her family did but, with Jim, it felt like it was one of his top priorities and he wanted her happy just so she was happy. "Again, thank you."

"Of course, Anna. Take care of yourself. You need anything, you let me know."

"Will do."

Over the following week, things were quiet on her patrols with Mike and no sting operations popped up from Nate. There was also no major news out of New York to bother her. In fact, the only mention of New York came in the form of a phone call from Nicky. "Did you know my mother's been arrested?" Nicky asked not bothering with the pleasantries she would have if it was anyone else.

"Hello to you too, Nicky," Anna answered lightly. First, she wondered how Nicky had found out then she wondered if it was the shock that was throwing Nicky off.

"Yes, yes, hello. Now, please answer my question." She sounded no less irritated than she had been a few moments earlier.

"With the exception of my brothers and my mom, as far as I know, Uncle Jamie is the only Reagan that hasn't been."

"Hadn't been. He got arrested this weekend. Got into a fight at a wedding. You knew about Uncle Danny too?"

"Well, like father, like daughter."

"Like ... What?"

"Yeah, I've been arrested too. Arrested twice, put in a holding cell three ... twice, but only once were those both in the same occurrence."

"I feel like I don't even know you anymore. Pops was arrested for picketing, Grandpa and Uncle Jamie for a bar fight, my mom for drinking and skinny dipping, me for supposed drug possession, and Uncle Danny for skipping school. What about you?"

"I know Uncle Joe was held in the Tombs for a few hours when he was a kid as part of Pops' own version of Scared Straight. Uncle Joe did the same to me when I was 10 at a holding cell in his precinct. When I was 16, I was arrested for supposedly drinking and driving underage but never put in a holding cell and finally three months ago. Three weeks before I got shot, I was arrested and put in a holding cell in Dade County for three nights because I ... I was in the wrong place at the wrong time." In truth, the so-called arrest had been part of her undercover job but she couldn't tell Nicky that.

"It took them that long to figure it out?"

"Was arrested Friday night with like 50 people. They had to sort it out." Rather, Nate wanted to make sure a lawyer wasn't sent for her. Nothing would blow her cover faster than not being there when a lawyer showed up to bail her out. "When I got out, I went home and took an hour-long shower but still felt dirty. Why are you bringing it up?"

"You know how these things go. How'd you find out about my mom?"

"My mom told me. After they sorted out what really happened with Jim's brother Jake, she told me that she was proud of me for not drinking when I had the chance, apparently unlike my aunt and she didn't mean Aunt Wendy. She said it happened in New Jersey on a beach. Wouldn't tell me everything, just that she had been arrested. That it had left Jamie as the only Reagan who hadn't been arrested. And her, because she's the good kid."

"I bet."

"She's an angel to put up with my dad," Anna said.

"That's what my mom says," Nicky answered. They talked about a few other things before hanging up.

Anna knew her week wasn't going to be a great one early in January when she got into work and the station house was nearly silent. She had just finished getting ready for her shift and stepped out of the locker room only to be pushed back in. "Detective," she said, seeing Detective Kim blocking her path.

"Officer, I'll keep this to the point. Captain Maldone was killed in a boating accident yesterday. He served out of this district for most of his career before he was promoted to captain. Several officers still here served with him, including your partner. If you notice he's not himself today, that's probably why."

Anna stared at the detective for a few minutes as she processed the information. "You know what my grandma would say?" Anna asked wistfully. "Grief on an empty stomach makes everything worse. The best thing to do is make them something so they're not worried about that too."

"Your grandmother wasn't southern, was she?"

"No, born and raised in New York."

"It's what we call Southern Hospitality. No matter what's going on, food always helps."

"Thanks for the heads up, Detective."

Sure enough, Mike was quiet all day. Anna respected his privacy and grief by not asking. After shift, she went home and pulled out her cookbook to find something to make for the guys at the house. It was then that her phone rang and she got a strong feeling of déjà vu. She put it on speaker and hardly got more than a hello out before Nicky was off and ranting, just like the last time. Anna had a hard time following the rant other than something was completely unfair. She was certain that it wasn't probably as bad as Nicky was making it out to be, sometimes she got dramatic for no good reason, but she wasn't going to tell her cousin that. Instead, she'd hold her tongue until her cousin was done and hope there was an easier way to break it to her.

"Come on, Anna, back me up here and make me feel better," Nicky said, finally taking a breath.

"I'm sure it's totally unfair," Anna said.

"And yet you don't sound like you believe that for a second."

"Because I stopped listening after the fifth 'It's not fair'. Is it really not fair, Nicky?"

"Yes, I've had these plans for a month and now I have to cut them short because I have to have dinner with my dad."

"Have to?"

"Well, I agreed but it doesn't feel all that much like a choice."

"He's your dad, I'm sure he'd understand if you just grabbed some fast food and were in and out in less than 30." Anna angrily flipped the page in her recipe book not finding what she was looking for. Nothing seemed to be standing out to her as just the right thing. It needed to be something grab and go that everyone would like and would go over well.

"My mom wouldn't like that."

Anna rolled her eyes. Of course Nicky didn't want to get on her mom's bad side by making her own choices. "And how many times has your dad flaked on you or not been in touch when you really needed him?"

"It's not that's not the point, Anna. I just feel like every Sunday and birthday and holiday is always reserved for family and when I have one weekend to do stuff with my friends before school starts again, I can't because, yet again, family stuff."

Now Anna had heard enough. She slammed the book shut and braced her hands against the counter, taking a deep breath in before slowly releasing it. It wouldn't do to yell at her cousin. "Do you have any friends who can only go home on school breaks? Kids from upstate or Iowa, Oregon, Mississippi, Kansas, or Texas?"

"Of course I do. Let me tell you, they've got it good. No family obligations, no one making you change your plans, just free to live your life your way with whatever strikes your fancy. But I guess I don't have to tell you that. You've been living that for the last two years," Nicky huffily stated. This was really not how Anna had expected this conversation to go. Now, it looked like Anna would have school her cousin even if her cousin didn't want to hear it so she'd realize exactly what she was lucky to have.

"You're right and you have a point but let me ask you this. When you got arrested, who was right there with a lawyer the next morning? Who never made you face the DA alone? Who's probably saved you hundreds on meal fees? Who would be there if you got dumped and wanted to watch trashy movies and eat junk food? Who's ready with a hug after a 20-minute drive? Who is finally trying to make up for all the dinners he's missed over the last six years?"

"Anna, I—"

But Anna wasn't done. Though she knew her family could be suffocating at times, they were also very lucky to have a family that was there for them at the drop of a hat and Nicky needed to understand that. "I don't think you get it, Nicky. When I was arrested, I couldn't call my parents because there was nothing they could do. When you're so far from home, it feels great at first, but then you realize what you're missing. I can't hug my mom, have dinner with my dad, play catch with either of my brothers, or even spend an afternoon hitting dozens of stores with my cousin. You'd never know the power of a hug or even just a dinner until you go without. You get lonely after a while. You probably know more about the ongoings of my brothers' lives than I do at this point."

"Well, when you put it that way, I really do get it," Nicky said slowly.

"Nicky, don't get me wrong, I do believe all that, but after you turn 18, family stuff should be optional because how can you appreciate something if it's all you've ever known?

"By knowing that some people don't get all of that?"

"Maybe."

"This is why I call you when I'm having issues. You always have something for me even if it's not really what I want to hear."

"I do try."

"Is everything alright? You know, more than me being selfish? You sound really off."

Anna sighed. Maybe her cousin could help her figure it out. Though she, like her mom, wasn't the best cook, she did spend every Sunday for the last 20 years at the same dinner table and had experienced dozens upon dozens of recipes. Maybe Anna was just missing something. "It's not you. More than half the guys down at the station served under this one captain and he passed in a boating accident. I wanted to make something for them but nothing seems right, especially right after Christmas."

"Not even Great-Grandma Betty's Apple Tart? That always made me feel warm and fuzzy on the inside. And when Grandpa Boyle died Grandma Mary made five dozen of them in miniature form for the reception after the funeral and every one seemed to like them."

"Nicky, you're a genius."

"I don't hear that often enough. I'll let you go so you can make them but done forget the cinnamon," Nicky warned her.

Though not a traditional ingredient in the tart, it pulled everything together and was what made it feel so homemade. "Right, later," Anna answered, already flipping through the book to find the handprinted recipe in the desert section. Though she had only been nine when her grandma had passed in September of 2005, on a visit home after she had gotten her place, she had gone through the kitchen and found some old recipes from her grandma and great-grandma though both were notorious for not writing them down. She copied each one by hand then tucked them into the cookbook Erin had bought her for her 19th birthday. She got the ingredients ready and began to bake to have them ready for her shift the next day.

I would love to know if there is anything you'd like to see in this story. I can't promise that it will happen but it's good to know what you guys like.