A/N: To the guest reviewer asking about flashbacks - if/when I do flashbacks they are always well labeled using headers like FLASHBACK and FLASHBACK ENDS. On a similar note though you will notice the first line of the below chapter is italicized - when you see that, that is because I am repeating the last line of the last chapter for a better flowing scene.

...

Chapter 9: The Family Motto

"You know I was just thinking the same thing." Danny a bit playfully returns when suddenly there is an unexpected knock on the door so instantly Danny and Maria flip into professional mode as they draw their weapons and move to the door "Who's there?" Danny cautiously demands…

Carmen comes out of the other room holding up a cell phone "I ordered take out."

Looks of absolute disbelief appear on Danny and Maria's faces.

Maria leans up to look out the peep hole to indeed see some delivery guy standing on the other side with a bag of food in his hands so she pulls back and nods in confirmation to Danny. Danny in turn steps towards Carmen "First…" he unhappily instructs as he swipes Carmen's phone out of her hands "Give me that! And second…" he adds as he turns Carmen slightly and gives her a push back into the other room "…get back in there and stay out of sight!" he demands before stuffing her phone in his pocket then again focusing on the door where with Maria covering him, he cracks the door open "Yes?"

"Your order." The person on the other side quips as they hold up the bag.

Danny suspiciously eyes him "Open the bag."

Not used to hearing that, a confused look appears on the guy's face "What?"

"The bag!" Danny insistently repeats "Open the bag!"

"Geez…" the delivery guy huffs out unimpressed "If you think the order's not right, that's between you and the restaurant, I'm just the..."

"JUST SHOW ME!" Danny demands so begrudgingly the guy opens the bag for Danny.

Danny peers in and seeing nothing immediately suspicious he reaches hand in the bag and moves some things around "Alright." He finally accepts as he pulls his hand back out of the bag then swipes the bag out of the delivery guys hand "Thank you." He states before stepping back inside and moving to shut the door.

"HEY!" The guy protests "What about my tip?" he calls but the only reply he gets is the door shutting in his face.

"Unbelievable." Danny mutters as he and Maria step back inside the safe house away from the door "Can you believe that?" he asks his partner as they both start gathering their things.

"Does smell good though." Maria begrudgingly notes of the food.

"I ordered enough for all of us!" Carmen announces as she comes out of the other room but stops at the sight of her protectors putting on their jackets "What are you doing?"

"How did you pay for that order?" Danny demands.

A look of confusion appears on Carmen's face "Credit card."

Danny and Maria roll their eyes.

"Which can be tracked and then traced back here." Maria explains to Carmen.

"Oh." Carmen now notes in regret.

"Yeah." Danny flatly agrees "So go get your stuff." He seriously prompts "Because we're leaving! NOW!"

Immediately Carmen turns and quickly heads back into the other room.

Watching her, Maria waits until she is just out of ear shot "But we're taking the food with us right?" she lowly queries of her partner.

"Of course." Danny replies "If we leave it and her pursuers show up, they can use the temperature of it to gauge how far behind us they are." He pragmatically reasons.

"Good." Maria accepts as Carmen comes running back into the room with her stuff "Because I'm actually a bit hungry." Maria admits as she starts for the door, cautiously opens it, checks the hall then seeing the coast is clear beckons with her head for Carmen and Danny to follow.

"Here, take this." Danny instructs Carmen as he thrusts the bag of food at her then sends her out after Maria with him bringing up the rear.

…..

Eddie is at her desk when McNichols appears "Janko…" She greets through a clearly forced smile and gritted teeth "…come with me."

Apprehensively wondering what she did wrong this time, Eddie immediately stands and moves to follow McNichols who leads her down a secluded hall. They get to a closed door. McNichols stops, turns and simply and silently gestures for Eddie to open the door and enter.

Almost afraid of what is on the other side, Eddie does as requested and the second she steps inside a mixture of surprise and confusion appears on her face at seeing Frank perched on the edge of a desk waiting for her.

"Commissioner…" Eddie slowly greets - her mind swirling with multiple scenarios as to what's going on as McNichols pulls the door shut behind Eddie giving the two inside privacy.

Eddie goes to salute but Frank quickly just waves her off.

"None of that please." He requests before plastering a smile on his face causing Eddie to suspiciously eye him "What's going on? Oh my god!" She suddenly breathes out in a panic "Is Jamie okay?"

"Jamie's fine!" Frank quickly replies "As far as I know anyway." He adds "Everyone is fine." He reiterates in reassurance.

"Okay." Eddie slowly accepts "Then what is this? I've never had a secret private meeting with the police commissioner while at work before."

Frank sighs "I'm not here as the police commissioner."

"You're not?" Eddie questions surprised "Okay…" She slowly ponders wondering what is so urgent Frank, her father in law, would come down to the precinct to talk to her about in person instead of calling, texting or even swinging by the apartment later but then it hits her "Oh." She realizes "Okay, now I think I get it. This is about what happened with my mother isn't it?"

Frank looks up in surprise.

Eddie sighs "She and my father gave me and Jamie a surprise visit this morning."

Frank winces in regret "Oh." He breathes out "Look I'm sorry." He begins "It just came out." He tries to explain "I didn't know she didn't know and…"

"Frank it's fine." Eddie interrupts "I don't blame you." She promises before starting to pace a bit "I know I should have told them earlier - I mean how were you to know they didn't know yet."

"I was surprised." Frank truthfully admits as her watches his daughter in law "Eddie, I don't mean to pry here but, is everything okay between you and your parents? If there is anything I can do to help…"

Eddie stops pacing and smiles appreciatively at her father in law "Thank you for the offer but it's fine – really. It's my fault. I was just putting it off because well, my mother can go a little overboard sometimes and I wasn't ready to deal with that yet but as always, Jamie took it upon himself to smooth things over and in the process inadvertently agreed to be my mother's go to contact for everything baby related." She laughs.

"Oh." Frank breathes out in surprise as he tries to picture that in his head.

"Yeah." Eddie muses "I might be the one with that ends up with the swollen feet and the backaches but knowing he'll be suffering too..." She laughs "…just makes it a little more bearable."

At hearing this, Frank frowns a little "Oh Eddie..." He begins.

"I'm kidding." Eddie promises "I love my parents, I do, but in small doses you know." She adds before backtracking and plastering an apologetic smile on her face "Sorry, you don't need to listen to me ramble on about my parents."

"Hey, anytime." Frank sincerely offers.

"No really, it's okay." Eddie insists "You have an entire police force to command – you don't need to be taking time away from that to be here apologizing to me."

"Well I just know it wasn't my place." Frank reiterates.

"It's fine." Eddie insists "But seriously if there is nothing else, I should go, I have an entire stack of paperwork to go through before end of day."

"Yes of course." Frank accepts "Dismissed." He automatically adds even though he isn't even there as police commissioner.

Eddie smiles one more time at her father in law "Thank you sir." She adds before turning, opening the door and stepping out into the hall. She keeps the smile on her face until she shuts the door behind her but the second she does, she drops the smile. With the exception of Jamie, talking about her parents with any Reagan - let alone Frank himself in the middle of her police precinct full of prying eyes - always left Eddie feeling uncomfortable so she blows out a big breath of air trying to release some of that anxiety. She takes a moment to compose herself, stands a little straighter then starts off down the hall headed back to her desk. She gets there, sits down and not 30 seconds later McNichols appears at her desk again.

"Boy." McNichols muses – and again, not at all in a good way. "You sure are popular with your in laws today."

"Excuse me?" Eddie queries confused.

"Congratulations." McNichols unhappily grumbles "You're sprung for the rest of the day at the request of the DA's office."

Eddie gives McNichols a mixture of a weird curious, thoughtful, but yet still confused look.

….

Erin is still in her office holding Elena in her arms when Jack walks into the doorway and abruptly stops at the sight "Um… this is Erin Reagan's office right?" he jokes.

Immediately Erin turns to face the door "Oh hi." She greets and the second she does Jack's breath hitches a bit in surprise.

"Wow." Jack admits in awe "I literally just had a flashback to you holding Nicky when she was that age."

Erin flashes her husband a melancholy smile.

"But who is this?" Jack inquires as he enters and waves a little at Elena.

"Elena Baez, Maria's daughter." Erin replies before focusing on Elena "Elena can you say hello?"

"O." Elena repeats.

"Close enough!" Erin laughs out while Jack chuckles.

"Do I even want to know how or why you are alone in your office with your brother's partner's daughter?" Jack queries.

While adjusting her hold on Elena on her hip, Erin groans "No."

"Okay." Jack accepts.

Silence.

"So are we bringing her to court with us?" Jack a bit curiously inquires.

"Oh no." Erin profusely rejects "I'm just waiting for my replacement!"

"Knock, knock." Eddie's voice sounds from the doorway.

"And there she is!" Erin brightly sings as she makes a beeline for Eddie and begins to hand the young girl over "Elena Baez this is your new Aunt Eddie."

"Hey. Wait. What?" Eddie begins to question and reject even though she has no choice but to take the child into her arms.

"You started this by taking the statement from Carmen." Erin only half explains as she turns to grab her briefcase "So it's only fitting that you watch Elena now so I can go put the bas… bad man…" Erin quickly corrects for sensitive little listening ear "…that hurt Carmen away!"

"But what does that have to do with Elena?" Eddie questions confused.

Suddenly Jack gets it "Oh you must have Danny and Maria watching…"

Erin nods.

Knowing he's the attorney for Carmen's abuser Jack immediately stops talking and shakes his head in rejection "Yeah." He decides "I don't want to know."

"No you don't." Erin confirms but Eddie who is still thoroughly confused, insistently chimes in with "Well I do! I want to know!" so Erin turns her attention to her sister in law and offers her a smile "Just think of this as a little learning opportunity for you." She advises "A way to wet your feet – a way to dabble in the world of motherhood." She reasons before disappearing out the door with Jack leaving Eddie alone with Elena.

Still stunned with everything that is happening Eddie can only look at the little girl now in her care and awkwardly greet "Um… Hi… I'm Eddie… Aunt Eddie?" She hesitantly questions "Let's just go with Eddie…" She decides.

…..

Facing the doorway, Eddie sits on the couch across from Elena in Erin's office so intently engrossed in playing blocks with the little girl that she doesn't notice when Jamie steps into the doorway. He freezes at the sight before him but then a smile graces his face so he leans against the frame taking a moment to simply watch his wife and the toddler interact. "You know…" he finally begins causing Eddie to finally look up "…for someone on desk duty why is it that lately every time I come back to the precinct after being out in the field…" he jokes "…I find you AREN'T at the precinct?"

Eddie blows out a puff of air at his ribbing "What are you doing here?"

"Erin called me in to testify at the last minute." Jamie explains as he pushes himself of the frame and takes few steps inside "At first I wasn't really sure why." He admits "I had already submitted my affidavit of events but she said she needed me and that when I was done on the stand I needed to come directly to her office."

"To where I am." Eddie picks up in understanding "With a toddler. Cheeky." She admits of her sister in law.

Jamie nods in agreement "Well you did tell everyone we would accept any and all parenting advice." He reminds his wife "So I guess Erin figured giving us actual parenting experience would work too." He reasons right as Elena accidentally knocks over the block tower she is trying to build so Eddie snaps her attention back to the little girl "Whoops!" Eddie exclaims as she immediately helps to stop the blocks from falling on the floor.

"And who exactly do we have the pleasure of looking after today?" Jamie asks as he grabs one of the chairs around Erin's table.

"Maria's daughter Elena." Eddie explains as she positions the blocks back within Elena's reach again.

"Really?" Jamie notes in surprise as he moves to place the chair in triangle to where Eddie and Elena sit on the couch "Wow. She's big already."

"I think this is where I'm supposed to say they grow up fast…" Eddie offers "…and we need to remember to cherish every moment we'll have while they are young."

Jamie bobs his head up and down in agreement "Noted." He states as he moves to sit down in the chair getting himself more eye level with the little girl "Hi Elena." he greets.

Elena glances up at Jamie so now that Jamie has her attention, he smiles at her and greets her again "Hi, I'm Jamie. Is it okay if I join you ladies?"

In return of Jamie's smile, Elena herself smiles then lifts her arm and offers him out a block.

Grinning at the interaction, Eddie happily decides "That's a yes." as she watches her husband take the block from the little girl.

"Thank you Elena." Jamie cordially accepts "Should we build a tower?" he queries to the child "Let's try to build a tower."

….

After having safely and successfully delivered Carmen to the courthouse, Danny and Maria walk down the DA offices hall towards Erin's office to collect Elena. When it comes into view, Danny immediately spots his brother and sister in law through the window taking care of the toddler so he holds a hand out in front of his partner's stomach to stop her forward movement "Wait." He requests.

Unimpressed, Maria looks down at his arm then up at her partner's face "What? I want to get my daughter!"

With his focus still trained inside the office, Danny requests "Just… just wait a minute. I want to see how they do."

"They?" Maria questions.

"Yeah my kid brother and his wife." Danny explains as he gestures towards the window "Eddie's expecting you know."

Maria heavily sighs – she just wanted to hold her daughter "Yes Danny." She placates "So you've mentioned. Can I go now?" She impatiently prompts as she just pushes past her partner heading into the office. She enters while brightly saying "Hey Baby!" and as she makes a beeline for the couch, Jamie moves out of the way so she can pick up her daughter and hug her tight "Mommy missed you! Are you being good for Eddie and Jamie?"

"Ma!" Elena happily greets.

Danny looks at his brother and sister in law "I see you didn't break her. Good job." he ribs "Might be hope for you two yet."

"That's cute." Jamie tosses back unimpressed "Funny."

Danny indifferently shrugs.

"So was it you that set this up?" Jamie inquires of his brother as he gestures between himself, Eddie and Elena but Danny shakes his head in rejection "Nah. I set Erin up. Erin I'm guessing then set you up." He deduces.

"Ah." Jamie simply notes in acceptance and understanding.

Eddie eyes her husband "That's it? You just accept that reasoning?"

"Yeah." Jamie confirms.

"Kids are like hot potatoes in this family." Danny simply explains "You just pass them around to whomever is available when needed."

"Family first." Jamie reiterates causing Eddie to now nod in complete understanding "Oh right." She accepts before pausing in thought "I think I'm going to enjoy that." She decides.

Maria eyes Jamie and Eddie in thought then gestures at Danny "He said the same thing earlier about family first to Erin."

"It's like the family motto." Eddie explains.

"Oh." Maria notes as she adjusts her daughter on his hip while sneaking a little side look at her partner. She had always know The Reagans were a tight knit family – she just didn't realize until this moment that it was their sort of actual motto too… and if that was true, what does that say about the ease at which she and her daughter were somehow incorporated into that…

….

A/N: That closes out that 'arc'. Next chapter should be up on Monday and right now it's looking like 3 chapters next week because well Valentine's Day lands on what should have been a Blue Bloods Friday this year so yes, I felt the need to address that here. :)