I'm sorry for the long wait for this chapter. At least it's a longer one. I was having a hard time getting a certain conversation to read right. I'm hoping it works. Thank you so much for your patience and for all the absolutely lovely comments and encouragement. I hope it was worth the wait. Happy reading.
Pick Up on Aisle 10: Chapter 12
On his drive home, Danny found himself replaying the conversation in his head. He considered what his father had said, and his tone of voice as well as his expressions. Was he being too judgmental?
When he arrived, he pulled into his driveway and sat looking at the house, his thoughts continuing to run. Lights shown from the windows indicated that at least one of the boys was home.
Taking out his phone, he pulled up a number, smiled, and sent off a quick text message.
'FYI: We're busted'
Moments later, it rang.
"What do you mean?"
"Dad knows."
"You told him?"
"No. I confirmed, but he had figured it out.."
He heard Abigail sigh on the other end. "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. He was a detective, after all."
"Yeah, he was. And he could still detect circles around me. And Pops could outdo both of us."
"Eh. You're pretty decent at it, too," she told him with a laugh.
"Thanks."
"So, what gave us away?"
"Apparently, I've been stopping by his office more often and he doesn't think it's because I miss him."
"True."
"And you taking your boys on vacation the same week Sean, Jack, and I headed out of town."
"That could be a coincidence."
"Could be, but he didn't think so."
"It was a really nice week, though, wasn't it?"
"It was," he agreed, grinning in the darkness.
"Anything else?"
"Yeah. You left a jacket in my car."
"That could belong to your partner. We're about the same size."
"But she doesn't leave blonde hair on her jacket. Or the car seat. Or on me," he reminded her.
She was silent for a few moments.
"How did he take it?"
"Okay. Said he was happy for us. He thinks highly of you, Abs."
"I know. I just wasn't sure how he'd feel about me dating his son."
Now it was his turn to sigh. "Right now, he probably thinks more of you than he does of me," he admitted.
"Why? What's going on?"
He recalled his promise.
"I'm just worried about him and expressed my concern. It didn't go over well."
"Is he okay?" she asked, concern evident in her voice. "His schedule has been a little erratic recently and I know his detail was at St Victors the other day. He told us that he's fine, but I worry. I know he's your Dad and just my boss, but after losing Brian and my dad and with mom's diagnosis, I just don't know that I want to think about losing someone else."
"It's okay, Abby," he assured her. "He really is okay. It's nothing to do with his health. Physically, anyway."
"You're worried about his mental health?"
"No. Mentally, he's fine, too. This is about some decisions he's making. Personal decisions. More about his judgment in this case, I suppose. Nothing at all to do with his professional decisions."
She was silent for a moment.
"Does this by chance have to do with a woman?" she asked. "A woman named Lucy, maybe?"
Now it was his turn to pause.
"I was asked not to discuss the matter, but if it did, hypothetically, involve a woman, who was, by chance, named…Lacy…what do you know?"
"Honestly, not much," she told him. "About a week or so back, this hypothetical woman showed up at the office. No appointment, but asked if your father could possibly see her. She said it was personal and important, but shouldn't take more than about 5 or 10 minutes of his time."
"And he saw her."
"He was on a call at the time but she said she would wait. When he was free, I told him she was here and he said to send her in. As promised, she was out in about 10 minutes. I looked in on him a few minutes later and he was just kind of staring off into space, deep in thought. He had me cancel the rest of his appointments for the day and stayed holed up in his office."
"And have you seen her since? Or has he said anything? Hypothetically?"
"No. She hasn't been back. And he hasn't mentioned her. Though I did notice blonde hair on his overcoat one morning when he was late getting here. Said he was checking in on a sick friend."
"What was your impression of her when you saw her?" Danny probed. "What was she like?"
"I only exchanged a few words with her," she reminded him.
"I know. But your impression?"
She thought for a moment. "Small. Maybe 5'2" or so. Long blonde hair. Green eyes. Late 30's, early 40's probably. Pretty. Quiet. Very controlled. An observer. When she sat down to wait, she was tense. Sitting straight and still. Except for her hands. Her hair was in a braid and she was fiddling with the end of it."
"So, nervous."
"Yeah, I suppose."
"Like she was trying to pull something shady."
"No," Abigail countered. "More like she wasn't sure how she was going to be received."
"Hmm."
"Is Frank involved with this woman somehow?" she asked. "Romantically?"
"Did it seem that way when you saw them together?"
"Actually, they both seemed nervous." After a moment, she continued. "Like when you're around someone you're attracted to and aren't entirely sure how to act."
He grunted.
"So? What's going on?"
"This is all hypothetical, remember? I shouldn't even be talking about this."
"Okay. Hypothetically, do you have a problem with your father being romantically interested in another woman?"
He hesitated just a moment too long. "Of course not."
"Because it doesn't mean he loves your mother any less. Do you love Linda any less because you told me you love me?"
"Of course not," he repeated. "I'll always love her. But I love you, too."
"Can't he do the same?"
"He better not love you like I do," he joked.
She laughed. "You know what I mean, Danny."
"I do. It's just…different. It's complicated. And fast. Hypothetically."
"I know you love your dad and want to look out for him, but I need to say a few things that I want you to think about, okay?"
"Okay."
"There's definitely something going on with him," she admitted. "These last few days, I keep noticing these little, secretive smiles. A sparkle in his eyes. Sometimes, he's got his phone out, texting or looking at something. And there's something there that I haven't seen from him before. Something good."
She paused, collecting her thoughts. "Secondly, Frank Reagan is one of the most intelligent, most intuitive people I've ever known. He reads people in a way that most cops only dream about. You and Jamie are good, but you don't have his experience yet."
"He's always been that way. We could never get away with anything as kids. It's like, he could look at us and just know when we'd been up to something that we shouldn't have been."
"I'm not saying he's perfect, but most of the time, if I know nothing about a person except his opinion of them, I'm going to trust that."
"Yeah," he agreed, "But when it involves a beautiful woman, even the brightest of men can be led astray."
"And…last, but probably most importantly…your dad is a grown man. He gets to make his own decisions, He gets to decide what he wants or doesn't want. What he thinks is best for him. And he doesn't have to take anyone else's opinion into consideration."
"Yeah, but…"
"No. No 'buts.' He gets to decide. He gets to live with the consequences, good or bad. You can't protect him from that anymore than you can protect Jack or Sean"
"I know. I just hate to see it."
"I know you do. That's part of what I love about you. You are so protective of the people you care about. But sometimes, you can't. You just have to love them enough to respect the decisions they make. Support them, whether you agree or not."
"Not always easy to do, Abs."
"No, but it's what we do for people we love."
"Yeah, we do. Like it or not."
"And don't you forget it, Danny."
"I won't. Thanks for the reminder, hon."
"Just think about what I said, okay?"
"Copy that."
"Night. Love you."
"Love you, too, Abigail."
Ending the call, he looked down at his phone, smiling in the darkness at the picture attached to her contact information. After a moment, he opened his photo app and scrolled through several more photos from their recent trip.
They had talked about how blessed they both felt to have been given a second chance at love.
Could this Lucy woman be that for his father?
Gramps seemed to think so, and Abigail had a feeling that there was something between them.
Dad certainly did.
If three of the best detectives he knew thought so, maybe he should seriously consider the idea.
The next morning, Lucy found herself up early, getting her morning quiet time and breakfast taken care of before she sat to fold laundry and await Frank's morning phone call. She hoped that he had had a chance to speak with his son and make peace.
He had told her not to worry, but she did. In spite of his reassurances, she was fearful of causing strife between him and his children. As much as she wanted him in the lives of their children, she didn't want to contribute to any discord with the ones he already had.
When the phone finally rang, she answered it with a smile.
"Good morning."
"Good morning. How are you doing this morning?" he asked.
"Nice and quiet so far," she reported. "The kids are behaving themselves this morning."
"Morning sickness in check?"
"I'm thinking maybe the worst of it has passed. Hoping so, anyway, even though the worst of it really wasn't bad."
"It looked bad enough the other morning," he commented.
"Well, it wasn't pleasant, but it never really kept me from doing what I needed to do. I never had to call in from work."
"Speaking of work, aren't you supposed to be cutting back? Why are you still working long shifts?"
"The schedule was already made through next week, so my shifts should be shorter after that. And I found coverage for a day, so I'm at 4 days this week instead of 5."
He considered a moment. "It's not going to cause financial hardship for you, is it? Cutting back on your hours? Because I can help out if needed."
"That won't be necessary," she assured him. "I've worked the long hours because I love my job and I didn't really have much of a life outside of it. I'm salaried and have been there long enough to have some say about the shifts I work."
"Good."
"Speaking of kids and their behavior…" she continued.
Frank sighed. "Danny came over last night."
"And…"
"I really don't want you worrying about this, Lucy."
"Meaning it didn't go well," she deduced.
"Not as well as I hoped, but not as badly as I feared, either. He sat and listened to what I had to say. I gave him the highlights about what happened that night."
"The highlights?"
"Not THOSE highlights," he clarified with a laugh. "The situation leading up to what happened. How we've spent time together since and talked about things the last week or so. About the plans we've made, the ones we're still in the process of making."
"And he listened?"
"More or less. He wasn't particularly happy about it, but he listened. And I did finally get him to admit that he's dating my primary aide, Detective Baker."
"She's the blonde detective at your office door?"
"That's her. She handles my calendar, keeps me updated on what's going on in the department and the community. She's also a part of my security detail."
"Your last line of defense."
"No, that's actually my Colt Fitz Special, but someone would have to get through her first. She's been a part of my inner circle for years and is invaluable to me."
"She seems very good at her job. Very protective over you. When I showed up at your office and asked if I could have a few minutes of your time, I felt like she was studying me closely. Judging my motives. If I'd had to wait much longer, I might have confessed everything to her."
"She has the same effect on me," he admitted.'
Lucy laughed in response and he found himself smiling at the sound.
"You said you have the next few days off, right?" he asked.
"I do. Off at 10 tonight and don't have to be back until late Sunday night. I'll be pulling overnight next week."
"I was thinking maybe we could go out to dinner one night. Maybe catch a movie or hit one of the museums."
"That sounds like fun," she replied.
"And maybe you could join us for Sunday dinner. Meet the family."
He listened to the silence for several moments.
"If you're ready for that."
She took a deep breath. "Can I think about it? Let you know?"
"Absolutely," he agreed. "If not this Sunday, then another. Whenever you feel ready."
"Are you ready?" she asked.
It was his turn to take a deep breath..
"I think so."
They continued talking until he arrived at 1PP. As he was about to enter the elevator, he saw Baker coming towards him and waited for her, a knowing grin on his face. When he stepped in next to her, she faced the doors, refusing to meet his gaze.
Finally, she sighed.
"I know you know."
"I figured you did."
"You're pretty proud of yourself for figuring us out, aren't you?"
"I suppose I am," he replied. "I've still got it."
She finally turned to face him.
"You're not the only one," she told him, reaching over to pluck a long blonde hair from his lapel. She held it up, eyebrow raised.
Throwing his head back, he laughed.
"No. No, I'm not."
"You're good with this?" she asked.
"Yeah, Abigail, I'm good with this." He laid an arm around her shoulders, pulling her in for a brief hug. "I'm happy for you both."
Danny felt an overwhelming sense of familiarity as he walked into the emergency room at St Victors. There had been a number of changes over the years, but there was enough still the same.
Including the dark haired woman walking towards him. He searched his memory for her name.
Barbie?
Sally?
Annie?
"Danny Reagan!" she exclaimed, reaching over to lay her hand on his arm. "It's so great to see you again!"
"You, too…Bonnie," he replied, quickly glancing at her nametag.
"It's been a long time. How are you and your boys doing?"
"We're doing good. Boys are both in college now."
"Good for them. We still miss Linda around here. I know you do, too."
"Yeah, we do."
She smiled and stepped closer. "Chris and I are divorced. He traded me in on a younger model a couple of years ago."
"I'm sorry to hear that," he replied, moving back a step.
"I'm finding it really hard to get back into dating. Have you managed?"
"I have," he told her. "Took a while, but I'm seeing someone regularly now."
Her smile cooled a fraction and she removed her hand from his arm.
"Good for you. Was there something you needed?"
His eyes scanned the room, looking for a petite blonde woman before he returned his gaze to her.
"Yeah. Do you know a doctor here by the name of Lucy Makenna?"
"Of course. She's one of the department supervisors and an amazing doctor. Really smart and dedicated. If she's looking after someone for you, they're in the best possible hands."
"No, nothing like that," Danny told her.
"Well, if you're investigating her about some kind of criminal matter, you're barking up the wrong tree. She's not really the kind of person to go around breaking laws."
"You know her pretty well?"
Bonnie considered for a moment. "No, I don't really. I've worked with her for years and you get to know the kind of person someone is when you see them under pressure, but I really don't know her personally. She's kind of…"
"Snobby? Stuck up?"
"Not at all," she laughed. "I was going to say very quiet. Reserved. Private, even. She's an observer. A listener. If you sit down with her, you end up telling her a whole lot more than she tells you. But she doesn't hesitate to speak up when she needs to."
"LIke when?"
"Oh, she'll go toe to toe with administration or with another doctor for a patient. Or for anyone, actually. I'm sure Linda told you about Dr. A-hole."
"Doctor who?"
She laughed again. "Dr Aholie, actually, but he may have been referred to otherwise behind his back."
"I'm guessing not fondly."
"Definitely not. A lot of doctors come through with that 'better than you' attitude, but he was one of the worst. Linda questioned him about something one day and he went off on a rant about how he was the doctor and she had no right to question his orders. That none of the staff should ever say anything to a doctor unless he asked them something. Dr Mak overhead and tore him a new one."
"Really?"
"Yup. Chewed him up one side and down the other about treating people with respect. Whether they were patients or staff, in her ER, you were expected to show common courtesy to everyone. MAs, PAs, nurses, janitors, housekeeping, maintenance or anyone else who happened to be on the floor. Told him that everyone else doing their job made her job easier and he would do well to remember that. That a good support team could be the difference between a good doctor and a great one."
"So, was she friends with Linda?"
The woman chewed her lip for a moment, considering.
"Not exactly. They worked together quite a bit, but their interactions always seemed to remain very professional. They respected each other and worked well together. Seemed to understand each other even without talking. But when things quieted down, they basically kept their distance."
"Do you know why? Did they have a disagreement about something?"
"Not that I know of. Linda just didn't seem comfortable about her."
He caught sight of a woman heading towards the desk, nodding as she listened to the burly man beside her. Looking almost comically tiny next to him, she wore a white coat over pale pink scrubs, the pockets filled with the various tools of the medical trade.
Listening to him,she nodded from time to time. When she took hold of his arm to examine the bandage, she turned enough for Danny to see the long blonde braid hanging down her back.
Now that he saw her, she did look vaguely familiar. He had probably seen her before when visiting Linda.
Bonnie noticed his distraction and followed his gaze.
"Shit," she muttered. "I forgot all about Mr. Abernathy." Throwing Danny a quick smile, she headed across the room to the duo. She took the file from the other woman's hand, clearly trying to explain something.
He saw the smaller woman flick her gaze to him for a moment before turning her attention back to Bonnie and the patient. Finally, the dark haired woman and the patient headed back towards the treatment rooms. The other woman took a deep breath, then crossed towards him.
She stopped in front of him, hands on her hips, and looked up.
"Sorry," he told her, raising his hands in surrender. "Didn't mean to distract her from her work."
"Fortunately, not an emergency. He just prefers her to do his dressing changes. But, yeah. You should both know better."
She looked around, making sure everything was wall in hand, then turned back to him and held out her hand.
"Lucy Makenna," she told him. "But you already know that."
He finally reached out, wrapping her hand in his.
"Danny Reagan. And, ditto."
"What brings you to the ER today, Detective Reagan? Is everything okay? Your dad okay? Henry?"
"Everyone's fine, Doc." He studied her. "To be honest, I'm not entirely sure why I'm here."
"Well, from my talk with your father this morning, I know you're not looking to join my fan club," she commented with a small grin.
He shrugged. "I guess maybe I just wanted to get a look at you. See if you set off any alarms for me."
"And?"
"And…you're not what I expected."
"You were expecting…what? Horns, fangs, and tail? Malicious, predatory gleam in the eyes?"
Danny shook his head. "Nah. Dad said you were cute, so that kind of precludes the horns, fangs and tail. Don't think he's into that. And if he is, I really don't want to know."
"Not that I know of."
She glanced to the waiting area again, making sure things weren't backing up on them. When she turned back to Danny, she noticed him looking around the room as well.
"Are you okay?"
He looked at her.
"Being here? Linda's workplace?"
"It's fine. Mostly." Shaking himself, he glanced around again. "I guess a part of me keeps expecting her to come around a corner or out of one of those doors," he admitted.
Lucy smiled sympathetically. "I'm sorry. She's missed here, too. She was a great nurse. I always knew I could count on her, no matter how rough things got around here."
"Really? Because I heard that the two of you weren't particularly friendly."
"I suppose not. It's not that we were unfriendly to one another," she explained, "It's just that she very much wanted to keep a distance between us, keep things on a professional basis only."
"Why do you think that was?"
The woman sighed. "You know that I'm a widow myself, right?"
He nodded. "He was a cop, died in the Towers on 9/11."
"That's right. Meaning I was a walking, talking, living, breathing, sometimes bleeding, figuratively, of course, reminder that the work you do is risky and that, sometimes, cops don't make it home to their families."
She looked up at him. "I exemplified what she feared most, and avoiding personal interactions with me allowed her to think about that a little less."
"I guess I can kind of understand that," he commented. "I'm sure she didn't mean anything personal by it."
"I understood, too, and never did take it personally," she replied, waving her hand dismissively. "Just like I'm not going to take it personally that you don't like me."
"I don't not like you," he protested. "I don't really know you well enough to feel one way or the other about you."
"Fine. You don't like the situation. You don't trust me. Again, you don't know me well enough to."
Before he could say anything, she continued.
"Again, I'm not taking it personally. You cops don't generally trust easily."
"Yeah. I'm sure you're a decent enough person, but…"
"This is your dad."
"This is my dad. My family."
"I can't say I understand. Not really. The night that Francis and I met, he was talking about his family. About his kids and grandkids. About Henry. And your mother. And it was the most amazing thing I ever heard. I thought that families like that…families that actually care about each other, look out for each other, protect each other…I thought that kind of stuff was fairy tales, stuff made up for books and movies."
"I got the impression from Dad and Gramps that your family life wasn't exactly fairy tale stuff."
"Unless we're talking the original Grimm's fairy tales, definitely not," she admitted.
Silence settled as they both looked over the room again.
"You said he talked to you about my mom?"
"He did. She sounds like a very special lady."
"That she was." He watched her, wanting to see her reaction to his next statement. "She was the love of his life, you know."
She smiled up at him. "I'm well aware of that. Love at first sight, I understand. I'm also aware that he still loves her and always will. I don't expect that to change just because I'm in his life."
"And you're okay being with that?"
"I am. I had my own great love. And he's okay with that. I'm not fooling myself that he loves me or that he ever will. But we do care about each other. We enjoy spending time together. And we care about our kids."
"Do you think that's enough to base a marriage on?"
"I think we can make it work if that's what we decide to do."
"I just don't know, Doc."
"What don't you know, Danny? What are you concerned about?"
"All of it. You barely know each other. Have you really talked about the important things? Your teams? Football? Baseball? Hockey? Basketball? Toilet paper over or under? Pineapple on pizza?"
"Yeah. Jets. Texas Rangers. Rangers. Celtics. Over. Not on mine." She shrugged. "He says we can deal with it."
"Then there's the whole thing with the paternity testing."
"That bothers you."
"Course it does. I understand the reasons you don't want to risk it. I really do. I just don't have his level of trust in you."
"That's fair.."
"I want to trust. To believe that this can work. I really do want my Dad to be happy again and I know finding someone else won't change his feelings for mom, but I really don't want to see him hurt or taken advantage of either. I know…it's his life and his decision…but…marriage is a big commitment. In his mind, a forever commitment."
Lucy nodded. "I understand. And I'm still torn about the marriage idea."
"Why's that?"
"That whole thing about taking advantage…I feel like I would be doing that. Letting Francis and Henry look out for me when I'll be giving back little in return. Your father wants to be married so he can watch out for me. Take care of me. I'm not comfortable with that. I'm not used to that. As long as I can remember, I've been pretty much the only one taking care of me."
"What about you husband? Surely he had your back?"
"He did. But the first 5 years we were married, he was still on active duty and was deployed overseas so I was a military spouse."
"Yeah? Where was he?"
"I don't know," she told him. "He was in one of those units where he couldn't talk about where he was or what he was doing. All I know is he got awards and commendations for marksmanship and that when he got back, there were nights…"
Her voice caught.
"I had more than a few of those nights myself after Fallujah," Danny assured her.
She nodded her understanding.
"The last 3 years were great, though. We had each other, we both had careers we loved. We were building a home and a family. Then it was gone and it was back to just me. And I got used to that again."
"And it's a big risk to let someone in like that again," he concluded.
"It is. And I've just gotten more independent over the years. I just can't imagine sitting around with my feet up while your dad and Henry do for me. It just isn't right."
"What did you think would happen when you told him? Did you not think he would want to be involved? Why even tell him if you didn't want that?"
"I don't know," she admitted. "I didn't really know him well enough to know for certain. I was in shock. I was confused and terrified. At first, I wasn't going to tell him at all, but I knew that wasn't an option."
"Why not?" he asked. "Not that I'm saying you shouldn't have, but why?"
After another look around the waiting room, she sighed.
"Because of your nephew, Joe. He tries to cover it up, but he's still so angry at Paula for what she did. For keeping him from your family and from his father. And I did not want to have your father's ire directed at me."
"Understandable."
"So, I thought maybe wait and tell him once the baby was actually born, since my age and some other factors meant that I was still far more likely to lose it than to have it. Even now, it's still a possibility. Maybe I should have waited, but I also wanted to try to make sure that the baby would be taken care of if something happened to me. I wanted…hoped…that he might be willing to do something so that he or she wouldn't end up in foster care. So, I decided to talk to him before I lost my nerve."
She laughed lightly. "Honestly, I was about this close to leaving," she told him, showing her thumb and forefinger spaced about a centimeter apart. "The way that Detective Baker was watching me, I was afraid she could see right through me."
Danny grinned. "Yeah. She does have that look down."
"Congratulations, by the way. She's lovely."
"She is," he agreed, his face taking on the look of a love-struck teenager. ""She's great."
"Your dad is happy for you. He thinks you two make a great match."
"But he doesn't understand why I can't say the same."
Lucy nodded.
"I just have a hard time supporting this whole thing," Danny agreed. "I have a problem with my Father making a lifetime commitment to someone that he barely knows. Someone that we know virtually nothing about. No offense."
"None taken. It's all happening very fast, and I'm glad that Francis has people in his life that are so protective of him. That's another reason why I'm hesitant about accepting his proposal."
"Because of me?"
"Your family. I know you didn't take the news well, and from what Henry has said, I should expect about the same from the rest of the family. And that bothers me. I don't want to be the cause of any conflict between Francis and his family."
"There will be trouble. We Reagans look out for each other and I can't imagine anyone else being okay with this either. We all want to look out for Dad and for Gramps."
"Because you love them. They're good men. Good fathers and grandfathers and family men."
"Yes."
"Which is part of why I'm torn. I don't want to be a burden or take advantage of them or cause problems between them and the rest of the family, but I want that for my kids. I don't have family, but I want them to have people other than just me. Especially since I'm terrified of screwing this up because I have no idea what I'm doing. I want to know that they'll be taken care of if something happens to me. I don't want them to end up in foster care. I want them to have that good father and that good grandfather who love them. I think they deserve that. Don't you think your siblings deserve that, Danny?"
"Siblings," he murmured, the realization hitting him that, should things work out, he would be a big brother again.
She was clearly fighting tears now and quickly dug a tissue from her pocket.
"And I know it's horrible and selfish, but I want that, too. I want to have that in my life again. I want to have at least one person who cares if I make it home safely. Who will listen to me complain when I've had a bad day and reassure me when I'm scared and keep my hair out of the toilet when I'm throwing up."
"There's absolutely nothing wrong with that."
They both turned to find Frank standing and watching them. He offered Lucy one of the coffee cups he was holding.
"I thought I'd stop by and see if you might be ready for a dinner break. I could get something delivered or we could visit the cafeteria. I certainly didn't expect to find you being harassed," he told her, scowling at his son.
"He's not harassing me," she corrected, taking a sip from the cup and sighing with pleasure. "Thank you."
"Really? Because you look upset," he commented, squeezing her hand as he passed her a handkerchief.
"I'm hormonal," she told him. "My emotions are all over the place. I cry, I laugh, I lose my temper. All within a minute's time. Don't even need a reason. I think I even overheard one of the nurses muttering about me needing a psych consult."
"I'm sorry.: He pulled her into a quick hug. "What can I do?"
"Actually, food sounds great. I was planning to grab something during a lull. The cafeteria has a few things that are pretty decent."
"We'll do that then," he replied.
"I'll just let them know where I'm heading," she told them. "Would you like to join us, Danny?"
"No, thanks. I've still got to get some paperwork turned in before I get in trouble with my boss."
She nodded, then turned towards the counter just as one of the nurses approached them.
"Hey, Lucy. Got a paramedic on the radio. 2 ambulances about 3 minutes out. Sports car versus box truck. Guess what we're getting?"
Throwing Frank a rueful smile, she slipped into take charge mode and headed quickly towards the ambulance bays, shouting instructions to her team as she walked.
He watched her walk away, then turned back to his son.
"Join me for dinner?" he asked. "Pops has a date tonight, so I'm on my own."
"If you're buying and somewhere other than the cafeteria, I'd love to."
Later that night, Frank sat in the living room, trying to concentrate on his book and not the time. It was almost midnight and Pops wasn't home yet and Lucy hadn't called. About that time, he heard the back door open and the alarm reset. A few minutes later, Henry walked into the room and settled into his chair.
"Did you and Donna enjoy yourselves, Pops?"
"We did. Movie. Late dinner. Nice talk. Now I'm home safely and you can go to bed."
"Not yet," Frank told him, checking his phone to be sure he hadn't missed a call or text. "Lucy hasn't called yet."
"She hasn't? Wasn't she supposed to be off a couple of hours ago?"
"She was. Of course, I know that she doesn't get to just clock out and leave according to her schedule and it sounded like they had a major accident coming in when I stopped by on my way home from work."
"Checking up on her?"
The younger man shrugged. "Since you were out anyway, I thought maybe we could grab a bite to eat together if she wasn't too busy. I know how crazy things can get in that type of work and wanted to be sure she was eating something."
"Good thought. What did you have?"
"Like I said, they got alerted that there were ambulances on the way from a bad accident, so she couldn't take her break right then. I ended up taking Danny out instead, since he was there, too."
"Why was he there?"
"Said he just wanted to see her. Get an impression of what she was like."
"And?"
He shrugged again. "He says he's still not completely sold on her, but she did give him some things to think about."
"That's good."
"I think I made it clear that I'm going to do what I think is right, regardless of what he or the others think."
When his phone rang, he grabbed it quickly and answered.
"Hey, Lucy."
His brow furrowed when she didn't respond.
"Lucy?"
He and Henry shared a concerned look.
"Are you there, Lucy?"
Finally, he heard a sniffle and a shuddering breath.
"I'm here, Francis. I'm sorry."
He could hear that she had been crying.
"What's wrong, Sweetheart? Talk to me."
"I'm sorry it's so late. The babies are fine. I'm fine."
"You don't sound fine."
"Rough day at work," she explained.
"Are you still at the hospital or are you at home?" he asked, standing up and starting towards the stairs. "I'm coming over."
"Out front."
He stopped.
"Out front? Of my house?"
"Yeah. Is it too late? I just need…"
He moved quickly to the front door, stopping to disarm the alarm.
"What's wrong?" Henry asked.
"She's out front."
As he stepped outside, a figure emerged from the darkness and he recognized one of the officers from his detail. The man stepped in front of him, blocking his path.
"I'm going to have to ask you to stay inside, Sir. We just had an unidentified vehicle park in front."
"It's a friend," Frank explained. When the man didn't move, sighed heavily. "Dark green classic Mustang?"
"Yes, sir. You should let us verify."
"It's fine," he insisted, pushing past the other man and hurrying down the walk to the car parked at the curb. He saw her, arms and head resting on the steering wheel, and he knocked lightly on the window. When she looked up, he could make out the tears streaming down her face.
He pulled at the handle, prompting her to reach over and unlock the door. Squatting next to her, he reached over to stroke her face.
"It's okay, Lucy."
She sniffled again, grabbing a tissue to wipe her face before looking at him.
"Do you still want to marry me?" she asked.
"Of course," he assured her.
"Okay."
"Okay?"
"Let's do it."
Thank you for reading. That conversation between Danny and Lucy was what held me up. I rewrote it multiple times, trying to get it to feel right. I hope it worked and sounded true to Danny and I hope you enjoyed the chapter as a whole. I'd love to know what you throught. Chapter 13 underway.