Chapter 3

Frank's view

A few days have passed since the disastrous meal...it was already Friday and true to Danny's words, the rest of the family hadn't heard anything from him, Linda or the boys. Although I was sure Pops was at least talking to Danny on the phone...since he didn't seem like he was worried about his eldest grandson. However, every time he asked Pops about Danny, he was dismissed with a quick: "You have his number, Francis, call him yourself.".

But I had no idea what to say to him. That I felt like a failure as a father? That i'm sorry? Of course I'm incredibly proud of him? It was all true...and yet I just couldn't bring myself to call him.

"Sir? Frank?" a voice brought me out of my thoughts. Confused, I saw that I was holding a speech for the next press conference and sitting at my desk in One PP. Baker and Garrett sat in front of me and looked at me with concern.

I must have drifted off in the middle of the conversation with my thoughts about Danny. "Sorry...where were we?" I tried to deflect the situation and stood upright again...which caused Baker and Garrett to give each other knowing looks. "Is everything okay, sir? You've been a bit...absent since Monday," Baker asked quickly.

Sighing, I ran my hands through my hair...and had to pause when I realized what I was doing...Danny had the same habit of running his hands through his hair when he was stressed or didn't know what to say. My thoughts had once again turned to Danny... but before I could drift off again, Garrett cleared his throat loudly.

"Frank? What's going on?" I just had to talk to someone...Pops won't tell me anything, Erin and Jamie are confused themselves, and I don't trust anyone other than my family more than the two in front of me...which is why I just started talking. "It's about Danny...at the last Sunday dinner it got a little louder than usual and now he doesn't say a word to me, Erin or Jamie anymore...and to be honest I think it's all my fault.", I could practically see the shocked looks on their faces...yes, it wasn't often that I admitted I had made a mistake.

Before any of them could say anything, I continued talking and told everything that had happened at dinner...I didn't leave anything out...not even the part where Pops called me out. When I was finished, I looked up expectantly, hoping for insight, and saw Garrett shaking his head incomprehensibly and Baker just raising her eyebrow in warning.

"Oh Frank...how many times have I told you that Danny should be your son first and not your obedient soldier?" Garrett asked. "Danny isn't my soldier, Garrett, he's one of my detectives and I can't just give him special treatment just because he's my son."

Now Baker also joined in, as Garrett had stood up and was pacing around the room. "Sir, what Garrett meant by soldier is that you work Danny much harder than any other detective. You demand more from him, are harsher in your tone with him, and don't give him any of the praise he more than deserves...you belittle him, sir."

Without waiting for an answer or defense from me, Garrett took the floor again: "Frank...every time Danny had a high-profile case and solved it brilliantly...did you even praise him once? If not officially with an award, then at least privately at home, right?" Indignant, I tried to defend myself... of course I praised my son! However, when I thought about it... I couldn't think of a case... that couldn't be right... could it?

"The Khan case," I explained with relief and was about to smile with satisfaction when I saw the horrified faces in front of me. "Sir...that was almost 2 years ago!" No...that couldn't be right. Had it really been 2 years since I praised my son? I kept thinking feverishly...but I couldn't think of anything else...no wonder Baker and Garrett looked at me so horrified...i was it too.

"What about the case where Erin was a hostage in the courtroom and Danny saved her?" Baker tried to help me...but again I couldn't think of anything. "I was so relieved that Erin was okay and then the fuss with the press…" even I had to admit that it all sounded like a cheap excuse.

"Or the thing where you got shot, sir? It was Danny who found out the perpetrator and stopped him in time..." Baker tried again and this time I only remembered how I proudly praised Jamie for helping to arrest the shooter. "No...I was so busy with the ceremony and Joe...I just praised Jamie..."

That couldn't be true...I hadn't even praised Danny for 2 years, only criticized him and pushed him to be better, to do more and just not to bring shame on the Reagan name...I have completely failed as a father…

"None of us doubt that Danny is important to you Frank...but I have to admit...unlike Jamie or Erin...I never heard you talk proudly about Danny. You only talk about him if he attracts negative attention. And you don't treat Jamie so harshly, even though he's also one of your officers. As an outsider, it looks like Danny is the black sheep of the family," Garrett explained and I had to agree with him...it wasn't just as an outsider that it looked that way...Danny himself thought that way...and none of us, especially I, gave him a reason to think differently of himself.

"Thanks Baker, Garrett...you helped me a lot."

End of Chapter 3

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LG