A/N: To the guest reviewer inquiring as to how many chapters would constitute an actual episode of the show - I honestly have no idea. That's a bit bigger of a beast me as a simple fanfic writer can figure out but I guess if one wanted too, they could pretend each 'arc' of this story is an episode? yeah let's go with that. :)

...

Chapter 16: Off The Rails

While driving on their way to Kudoba, Danny glances at his partner in the passenger seat to see her nervously fidgeting around "You okay?"

"Oh I'm fine." Maria immediately replies "I'm just going to dinner with your sister and your brother and their spouses in what is CLEARLY…" She over emphasizes "…supposed to be a couple's night."

Danny heavily sighs "I already told you – Eddie and I need to talk to Simms and her and Jamie taking Erin and Jack - and by extension us too – out to dinner is the perfect excuse – and it was in fact Eddie's idea." He reminds her.

"Right." Maria agrees "Except why was I…" She again emphasizes "…Eddie's first go to choice of who you should bring?!"

"Um because you're my partner?" Danny simply reasons.

Maria takes in a deep calming breath at the logic behind that "You're right. You're right." She agrees as she tries to get herself in check.

Amused, Danny again glances at his partner "You're nervous." He can't help but rib a little.

Maria turns her head to shoot him a look "Alright smart guy, let's put you in room with my mother and my sisters and see how well you fair!"

Danny thinks about that "Touche." He finally accepts.

….

Jamie and Eddie are in their car driving when Eddie nervously glances at her watch then leans over to looks at the speedometer from the passenger's seat "Okay you can go a little faster." She prompts "I don't want Danny and Maria to get there first and talk to Simms without me!"

"I'm going the speed limit." Jamie points out.

"Right." Eddie agrees "Which is why you can go a little faster!" She reiterates.

Jamie groans "Please tell me we are not having this same conversation yet again."

"I should have just drove." Eddie decides.

"Do you want me to pull over?" Jamie sarcastically tosses at his wife.

"No that will take too much time!" Eddie rejects "I just want you to go a little faster!" She impatiently prompts.

"Yeah…" Jamie unhappily mutters "Reeeeeally looking forward to this."

….

The outdoor restaurant hostess escorts Jack and Erin up to table near the back corner of the restaurant and gestures for them to sit.

"Thank you." Jack states as Erin looks at the table "Um this is a table for six." She notes.

"You said Reagan reservation right?" the hostess inquires.

"Yes." Erin confirms.

"Then this is your table." The hostess replies with a smile.

"Okay." Erin slowly accepts as she quizzically glances at Jack and he shrugs in return "Thank you." He then offers the hostess.

The hostess smiles, nods, and leaves so Jack and Erin move to take their seats "Did Jamie say anything about someone else joining us?" Jack questions.

"Not to me." Erin replies before looking around to take in the atmosphere "Nice place." She admits as her eyes land of Terrence Simms standing off to the side simply standing watch over the area.

"Does have good reviews." Jack notes as Erin lefts out a heavy breath of air.

"Oh great." She mutters.

Immediately picking up on the tone of her voice, Jack looks over at this wife in concern "What? What's wrong?"

"See the security guard over there?" She prompts "Used to be NYPD. He was on a path to reinstatement until my office dropped the ball."

"Well that's not your fault." Jack reasons.

"No actually it literally is my fault." Erin reveals with a frown.

…..

Pulling into the parking lot, Eddie sees Danny and Maria already parked and getting out of their car "They're here!" Eddie huffs out "Hurry up and park!"

"And they are still in the parking lot." Jamie pragmatically points out as he pulls into a space "So I think you're fine." He adds but he barely brings the car to a stop before Eddie is undoing her seatbelt, opening the car door and getting out.

Shaking his head as he shifts into park Jamie quietly mutters "Gotta be the hormones." to himself but in an instant Eddie is leaning back down into the car to look at her husband.

"What did you just say?" she demands.

"Nothing." Jamie immediately deflects "Absolutely nothing."

Eddie eyes her husband a second longer then stands back up and while shutting her door Jamie hears her brightly call "HEY!" over to Danny and Maria like nothing.

"Like I said. Fun." Jamie again mutters before he opens his door and while plastering a smile on his face, gets out "Fancy meeting you here." he greets his brother and Maria as they walk up "This one…" he explains as he hooks his thumb in his wife's direction "…was afraid you'd start without her."

A look of indignation appears on Eddie's face "Was not." She rejects.

Jamie rolls his eyes.

"Are you kidding me?" Danny tosses out "I wasn't born yesterday. I know better than to start before the pregnant woman gets here if I want to live to see tomorrow."

While Jamie tries desperately not to laugh, Eddie places her hands on her hips and glares at her brother in law but Danny plasters a sweet smile on his face

"You look beautiful by the way." He sincerely compliments his sister in law "Absolutely glowing and obviously that must a new dress because I can clearly see your baby bump now…" he rambles as he looks at his partner and then this brother "Doesn't she look glowing?"

"Absolutely." Maria agrees.

"I said the same thing earlier." Jamie tacks on.

Eddie looks at all of them and rolls her eyes "Yeah you can quit trying to placate the pregnant woman cuz I'm not buying it."

Maria offers Eddie a warm, sincere smile "You do look great Eddie." She reiterates causing a smile to now appear on Eddie's face.

"Thank you!" She happily accepts.

"Hang on…" Danny butts in annoyed "How come she gets a big smile when she compliments you and I get an eye roll?"

Jamie shakes his head as he looks down at the ground muttering "You just couldn't quit while you were ahead huh?"

"What?" Danny tosses at his brother.

Jamie lifts his head to look straight at his brother "You just said you weren't born yesterday and wanted to live to see tomorrow and THAT…" he emphasizes "…is what you say next?"

"Okay enough." Maria interjects as she holds both hands up playing referee "How about we all just go inside now okay?"

"Yup." Eddie agrees as she starts for the restaurant like again, nothing happened "Let's find Simms!"

Maria, Danny and Jamie move to follow and as they go, Danny can't help but lean towards his brother in pure amusement and 'snake' his arm up and down mimicking hills "Roller coaster ride." He whispers to him.

Jamie turns his head to throw his brother a look "Yeah, you keep that up and we'll see who's laughing in the end." He warns "Cuz my money's on my wife."

Maria can't help but snicker.

…..

"Hi" Eddie greets the hostess as her eyes begins scanning for Simms "Reservation for Reagan." She requests as Jamie, Danny and Maria walk up behind her.

"Right this way." The hostess accepts as she begins to lead the way but Eddie, as she spots Simms, instead starts on a path straight towards her 'target' "Simms!" She brightly calls as she lifts her hand and waves at him to get his attention.

"And she was afraid I'd start without her?" Danny tosses out in disbelief "Excuse me." He unhappily mutters as he quickly starts to head after his sister in law.

Watching Eddie and Danny head off in a completely different direction, the hostess stops in confusion so Jamie simply prompts "Yeah they're fine. Just show us to our table – they'll find their own way later."

Turning to look at Jamie, the hostess heeds his words then shrugs a little and continues on her path to their table with Jamie and Maria following.

…

Looking up from their positions seated at the table Erin has to do a bit of a double take when she sees the unexpected combo of Jamie and Maria walking towards them "Um…" She hesitates in complete confusion.

"What?" Jamie humorously tosses at his sister as he gestures at Maria next to him "You don't recognize Eddie?"

Unable to stop herself, Maria huffs out a laugh "Okay that was funny." She has to admit.

"W…what are we missing here?" Jack slowly queries confused.

Jamie and Maria both just lift their hands, turn their bodies slightly and point in the direction of Danny, Eddie and Simms so Jack and Erin look over.

"Yeah, that doesn't help." Jack out right admits while Erin suspiciously narrows her eyes "What are they doing?"

"Dad wanted them to talk to Simms." Jamie explains as he and Maria take their seats "Seems someone in your office..." He explains to his sister as he picks up his napkin to fan it out over his lap "…dropped the ball on whether or not to charge him therefore delaying his possible reinstatement with the NYPD."

Erin and Jack exchange a look and seeing that look, it clicks for Jamie "Oh YOU…" he emphasizes as he focuses on his sister "…dropped the ball. Wow. Okay. Didn't see that coming." He admits as he glances back over his shoulder at his wife and brother again "Well this dinner just got more interesting."

….

Watching Danny and Eddie walk up to him, Simms narrows his eyes "What are you two doing here?" he curiously inquires.

"Oh just here for a thank you dinner with family." Eddie explains as looks back out over the restaurant seating searching for their table. She spots Jamie and Maria now seated with Erin and Jack so she gestures over to their table and offers a smile and wave to her husband.

Right on cue, Simms looks over to sees Jamie smile and wave back at his wife but his eyes then gravitate over to Erin "Oh." He breathes out recognizing her.

"So we hear you got cleared." Danny pipes up "Congratulations."

"I did." Simms confirms "Finally." He adds with a sigh.

"Yeah I heard someone in the DA's office dropped the ball." Danny deliberately fishes "That must have been frustrating."

"Yeah." Simms again confirms as he lifts a hand and gestures at Erin "Her."

Danny and Eddie turn to see him pointing at Erin.

"Wait. Her?" Danny questions in disbelief.

Simms nods.

Danny rolls his eyes "Excuse me. Be right back." He promises before he makes a beeline straight for the table and walks right up to his sister "Why the hell would you jam Simms up?" he demands "He's a good cop Erin!"

"Um…." Simms hesitates in concern as he watches Danny heatedly lay into Erin "What is he doing?"

Eddie takes in a deep breath "Oh you know…" she mutters in defeat knowing things just went off the rails "…just what Reagan's always do."

Simms looks at Eddie confused.

"Brother and sister." Eddie simply explains.

"Oh. Right." Simms mutters as he thinks "Reagan."

Eddie looks at Simms a little sideways that he wouldn't have already known that.

"You gotta admit it's a pretty common name." Simms points out.

Eddie's face scrunches up in complete rejection of that idea "Not in this town and especially when it comes to law enforcement."

"This town?" Simms challenges Eddie.

"Figure of speech." Eddie flippantly deflects right as Jack's loud heated voice says "Okay you need to back off Danny!"

"I can fight my own battles Jack!" An already irritated Erin snaps.

"Yeah Jack!" Danny piles on while Jamie jumps in with a sigh saying "Guys we aren't in our own dining room so maybe let's tone..."

"Stay out of this!" Danny snaps at his brother so Jamie just holds his hands up in surrender and backs off his attempt at peacemaking.

"Okay." Simms decides as he makes a beeline for the table with Eddie quickly following.

"I'm going to have to ask you all to tone this down." Simms politely interjects as he steps to Danny's side.

"That's what I just said." Jamie mutters.

Immediately Danny stops talking and turns to look at Simms "Seriously?" he heatedly tosses at him "I'M DEFENDING YOU!"

"And you are in public restaurant…" Simms reminds him and everyone else "…surrounded by many patrons who simply just want to enjoy a nice quiet meal so yeah, I will again have to ask you to tone this down or I will have to ask you to leave."

For a moment Danny simply eyes Simms "Yeah you haven't lost your touch." He decides a second later as Jamie throws his hands up in the air.

"Nope." Eddie agrees with her brother in law.

"Do you still want your job with the NYPD back?" Danny flat out asks.

"Danny." Eddie hisses out.

"Oh what?" Danny defends "Let's just cut to the chase here already."

"Yeah I'd love my job back." Simms flat out admits.

"Great." Danny accepts as he moves to take his seat "Expect a call from the Commissioner."

Everyone at the table just stares at Danny.

Looking up Danny looks at everyone looking at him "What?" he simply questions before picking up his napkin and fanning it out to drape across his lap "Now what's the most expensive thing on the menu."

"Hey!" Jamie protests.

"The lobster." Erin replies.

"I'll get that." Danny decides.

"Me too." Erin agrees.

Jamie looks between his siblings "You get we are having a baby right? And I'm only paying for Jack and Erin…" he adds before gesturing between Danny and Maria "You two are on your own."

"That's not what your wife said." Danny tells his brother.

"I never said that." Eddie interjects as she moves to take her seat.

"Yes you did." Danny insists "I said the department would never pay for this and you said they wouldn't need to because you and Jamie would."

"That is not what I said!" Eddie rejects.

"Close enough." Danny dismisses before looking at his brother "Besides you got that promotion last year to Sergeant Detective Squad so…"

Simms looks at Jamie.

"…congratulations by the way." Danny offers his brother.

Jamie throws his brother a super unimpressed look "You're only saying that because now you want me to pay for your meal." He tosses at him before looking at his wife "And you wonder why I didn't want to do this." which causes Erin to turn to Jamie "So you DID want me to say no!" she accuses her younger brother.

Jamie looks at his sister "Well are you having fun right now?!"

"All I wanted was a nice evening out." Eddie mumbles to herself.

"Great." Danny sighs with a defeated flip of his hand towards Eddie "Now she's gonna cry."

Eddie's mouth drops open while Maria chides "DANNY!"

"Well she's pregnant." Danny defends to his partner "That's just what happens! It's a biproduct of the hormones! I know, I went through it twice!"

"He's right." Jack agrees causing Erin to turn and glare at her husband.

Jamie again looks at his wife "You said it would be fun." He reminds her "Are you having fun? Because I'm having a complete blast." He sarcastically mocks but at that moment a group of 5 figures – all dressing in black hoodies but each with a different streak of color across their hoods – red, white, blue, green and yellow come running and jumping into the dining area from all open sides of the outdoor restaurant – guns waving in their hands.

"GIVE US YOUR WALLETS, MONEY AND JEWELRY NOW!" the ring leader with red demands before firing a warning shot up into the air.

…..

A/N: Oh come on, it couldn't just be a simple dinner out lol.

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