Chapter 20: Something In The Water

Erin and Danny watch their father disappear into another room and the second he's gone, a wide grin creeps up Erin's face as she saunters up to her brother's side.

"So you and Maria huh?" She this time very playfully ribs while giving her brother a little shoulder nudge "I knew when you called Elena 'our' girl..."

"It's not exactly what you think." Danny interrupts in correction.

Erin pauses a brief moment "And what is it I think?" She prompts.

"We aren't sleeping together." Danny retorts.

"Then what are you doing?" Erin questions.

"I'm… We're…" Danny hesitates "Oh hell I don't even know how to explain it." He admits in a mixture of defeat but also frustration.

Sensing now is not the time to joke, Erin turns serious and gently prompts "Just try." so Danny takes a deep breath "Linda's been gone for years. The boys are grown and out on their own now and this job, it…"

"Takes a toll." Erin deduces.

Danny nods "I need some balance."

"I can understand that." Erin accepts before cautiously adding "But Danny are you really sure about this?" She challenges "Your partner?"

"What's wrong with my partner?" Danny defends.

"Nothing." Erin returns "But you watched Jamie and Eddie go from being partners on the job to partners in life." She explains.

"So?"

"So maybe you look at them and it clouds your judgement about what you feel for your partner?"

"What?" Danny immediately rejects "NO!"

"Let me ask you something then." Erin calmly but very straight forwardly prompts "Do you love Maria?"

"Yes." Danny admits without hesitation.

More than a little surprised he actually answered her, Erin now curiously eyes her brother wondering exactly how far she can go before he shuts her down "Like Linda?" She cautiously prompts "…or different?"

For a good long moment Danny just stands there pondering that "Different." He finally admits.

"How so?" Erin prompts.

Again Danny ponders that "She's my partner. We talk. We laugh. We challenge each other. We have each other's backs. I'd do anything for her."

"So... more like a friend?" Erin slowly tries to clarify but Danny immediately shakes his head in rejection "No the connection we have it's… it's deeper than just friendship."

"So you're not just settling then?" Erin prompts "Gravitating towards Maria because you want to feel that connection with someone again but you also don't want to jump back into the cesspool of dating at your age?"

"EXCUSE ME?"

"Danny she's the safe, known entity." Erin points out.

"Okay you need to stop right now." Danny unhappily instructs "I don't just want to feel that connection, I already DO feel it."

"Okay." Erin accepts "And you know I'm only saying this so you really think about things Danny." She explains "I was all for Jamie and Eddie getting together and I'm glad they did, and if that's what you decide you want with Maria, I'll be happy for you too but getting together did fundamentally change Jamie and Eddie's relationship. They aren't partners on the job anymore so you need to ask yourself if that is truly the route you want to take because once you do, you can't go back."

"I know that Erin." Danny counters.

"So?" Erin prompts but as Danny opens his mouth and begins to say "It's complicated." the sound of Eddie's voice stops him.

"Seriously…" Eddie tells her husband in awe as she and Jamie start coming down the stairs "Can't we just hire your grandfather to replicate what he did in your old room for the apartment?"

Erin leans over to her older brother "Maybe talk to Jamie." She quietly suggests "If anyone can understand the work partner turned romantic partner scenario - it's him."

Both oblivious to the conversation Erin and Danny are having, Jamie continues "If I say the word 'hire' to him, he'll cuff me upside the head." He counters to his wife as the couple steps back onto the main floor of the house.

Unsure, Danny turns to look at his sister and in response, Erin nods in encouragement and knocks her head towards Jamie right as Jamie looks up and sees that.

"What?" Jamie suspiciously questions his sister "What's with that look and the head knock?"

"Danny has something he'd like to talk to you about." Erin initiates causing Danny to turn his head and glare at his sister – unhappy she took away his decision to decide for himself.

"You'll thank me later." Erin promises Danny while Jamie raises an eyebrow at his brother "Me?" He questions in surprise "You want to talk to me? About what?"

In response Danny looks at his younger brother and just sighs. As much as he hated the idea, his sister was right – Jamie was probably the only other person that did understand his predicament.

Was it a predicament? He silently questions of himself. He wasn't even sure…

"Is this about father to be advice?" Eddie pipes up "Because I'd actually like to hear that if it is."

"It's not." Erin flat out rejects.

At Erin's interjection, Jamie and Eddie first look at her then shift their attention to focus on Danny.

"Okay now I'm curious." Jamie admits "Or afraid." He tacks on in after thought.

A scowl appears on Danny's face "Oh just come on." He instructs his younger brother as he gets up and pushes past him on his way to the kitchen.

"Well gee." Jamie notes as the momentum of his brother's push turns his upper body slightly backwards "You're really selling me on this talk!" He calls after him as he watches his brother go.

Knowing the window of Danny being open to talking is a small one at best, Erin gives her younger brother a light slap of admonishment on his arm to get his attention and when he turns his head to glare at her – himself unhappy his older siblings seem to be literally 'pushing' him around - she gives him a serious prompting look "Just go." She instructs with another knock of her head in the direction Danny went.

Eying his sister, Jamie frowns a bit as he realizes whatever is going on is nothing to joke about so he obediently turns and simply heads after his brother.

Having witnessed the entire exchange, Eddie watches the brothers disappear into the kitchen then turns to look at Erin in concern "Is everything okay?"

Erin sighs "Danny just has a decision to make and I'm hoping Jamie can help him with that."

Eddie eyes Erin "So this is about him and Maria." She deduces.

A look of impressed, surprised appears on Erin's face.

"Oh come on Erin." Eddie laughingly chides "I see the signs. Jamie and I have been there - and done that…" She notes "And we both bought into a hell of a lot more then just the tshirt."

"True." Erin relents with a slight chuckle "You bought the whole damn cake."

"Four tiered chocolate." Eddie profusely nods in confirmation of what her wedding cake was "Very expensive." She cheekily adds causing Erin to let out a bigger laugh.

"It was very good though." Erin admits.

"Very good indeed." Eddie wholeheartedly confirms as the hints of a wicked little grin creeps up on her face at the memory of Jamie indeed licking remnants of it off her after in what was a private, but much cherished and intimate, stolen moment between the two.

But then Erin sighs bringing Eddie's attention back to the conversation about Danny "I just don't want to see him get hurt." She admits as she stares off in the direction of the kitchen "Loosing Linda was… "

"I know." Eddie confirms as she instead glances back up the stairs "But he does seem happier anytime Maria and especially Elena are around."

"See that's what worries me though." Erin admits "The focus seems to be more on Elena then building something solid between him and Maria."

"True." Eddie admittedly muses "But I can actually see that."

Erin curiously looks at Eddie "How?"

"Okay…" Eddie states as she pauses a bit "How do I explain this…" She ponders "With Jamie and me…" She finally begins "…we both decided we weren't going to act on our feelings but that didn't stop our feeling so we developed this kind of a crutch where we almost constantly had to be touching the other one – a slap on the arm, a shoulder push, a side nudge – it didn't matter, it was just something that for even the briefest of moments would physically link one of us to the other and I see Elena as being that link between Danny and Maria."

Erin frowns a little as she looks at her sister in law "Bit of a stretch there isn't is?" she challenges.

"Hear me out." Eddie quickly prompts "Elena is their excuse to spend more time with one another without admitting what they are feeling." She explains "She was Danny's excuse for bringing the both of them here to Sunday dinner right? I mean as fun as it was, did we all really need to engage in a food fight?" She challenges with a slight raise of her eyebrows.

"No." Erin slowly admits.

"Or…" Eddie continues "…how about the babysitting emergency that gave him the perfect excuse to incorporate them into the family by having you and then me and Jamie look after Elena?"

Erin ponders that and slowly nods in agreement "I can see what you're saying."

"I mean I even played matchmaker a bit when we all went to Kudoba and you have to admit, that went well didn't it?" she presses before getting a thought "Ooooooh we should covertly set them up on a date!" She excitedly decides "Just the two of them this time though! You know give them a little push!"

"Oh." Erin trepidly begins "I don't know about that."

"No, no…" Eddie rejects as she runs with the idea "Jamie and I can watch Elena – it will really give them a chance to talk."

"Maybe let's see what comes of Danny's conversation with Jamie first." Erin prompts.

"True." Eddie reluctantly decides as both women now focus on looking in the direction of the kitchen…

….

Standing at the sink in the kitchen, Erin's Jack finishes rinsing a dish and places it in the dishwasher. He turns to the center island to grab more dishes when he sees the door open and Danny enter. Without saying a word, Danny heads to the center island and begins to absently move dishes around as a distraction.

"Oh good." Jack quips right as the door opens again and Jamie enters "Finally. Help!"

Hearing Jack's words, Jamie abruptly stops walking. He lock eyes with his brother in law, shakes his head no then slightly knocks his head out towards the exit requesting Jack give them the room.

Jack looks at Jamie then back at Danny "I'll just be in the dining room." Jack decides before quickly departing leaving Jamie and Danny alone.

Jamie watches his brother in law leave then turns his head back in Danny's direction to see him still just moving dishes around so Jamie moves to lean his backside against the kitchen counter on the side and for a moment just continues to thoughtfully watch him "So..." He finally queries in an attempt to get the ball rolling "What's up?"

"So you and Eddie…" Danny awkwardly begins.

"Yeah." Jamie indifferently states "What about us?"

"How did you…" Danny queries as he turns to lean his own backside against the island but still not look at his brother, he instead looks down at his own hands "I mean you two danced around one another for a long time."

"We did." Jamie slowly confirms as he tries to figure out where this conversation is going…

Suddenly Danny looks up and over directly at his brother "Why?" he seriously questions.

Jamie takes a moment to study his brother "You know why." He counters "She was my partner and a damn good one. Riding with her made me look forward to going to work everyday."

"And when your tour was over?" Danny curiously inquires.

Jamie narrows his eyes at his brother still trying to decipher the reason for this line of questioning but he continues to answer "When our tour was over, I still wanted to spend time with her." He replies "That's what made it so… tricky. I wanted the best of both worlds."

"Right." Danny knowingly agrees "And now?" He presses.

"And now what?" Jamie a little defensively prompts "She's my better half." He admits but all this focus on him and Eddie is starting to get his back up "Danny where is this going?" he flat out asks.

But Danny doesn't answer that - instead he pushes on with "Any regrets?"

Again Jamie eyes his brother at his line of inquisition "Danny…" he warns "I'm a happily married man with a baby on the way." He counters "I'm good."

"No I know that." Danny quickly and dismissively confirms "What I mean is any regrets in taking so long to get together?"

Now suddenly it twigs for Jamie. This entire conversation was not actually about him and his wife "Yes and no." he honestly admits "Yes in the time we wasted that we could have been together but no because in the years we spent together as just partners we got to know one another on a level that's hard to describe. We built such a solid base during that time and I'm not sure that would have happened if we had gotten together sooner."

"Right." Danny absently notes as his mind wonders away thinking about everything his brother said.

Jamie had always been quite intuitive and he could tell he and his brother were on the verge of getting close to where the true route of this conversation was meant to go so he dawns a cautious tone "Danny…" he gently prompts again "What's this all about?"

Danny takes a deep breath knowing once he says this there is no going back but he presses forward anyway "Baez."

And there it was.

"Oh." Jamie simply notes in understanding "…Understood." He knowingly adds.

Danny sighs "Yeah Erin thought you might."

"Right." Jamie notes with an up and down nod of his head "Makes sense." He adds before he just can't help himself and a big ol' grin creeps up on his face "So you and Baez huh?" he ribs a little before a thoughtful look appears on his face "Does Dad know?" He can't help but curiously inquire.

"Okay…" Danny defends "We haven't done anything that crosses a line."

"But you want to." Jamie notes in complete understanding.

In response, Danny only heavily sighs.

"Come on Danny." Jamie prompts "I know this isn't the kind of topic you and I are used to openly discussing…"

Danny awkwardly scoffs "You think?"

"But we're here." Jamie continues "For good reason." He adds "I mean unless you want me to tag out and send Eddie in because she's way better at this kind of stuff then I am." He jokes in an attempt to balance out the heaviness of the conversation a bit.

"Sure." Danny scoffs in exasperation "Let's just get the whole family involved. I mean first Gramps, then Erin – you…" he notes with a flip of a hand towards his younger brother "… so why not add Eddie and Dad too."

"I'll arrange a family meeting." Jamie simply and flatly counters causing Danny to snap his head over and glare at his brother but the look Jamie now gives him in return tells Danny he isn't being serious so Danny relaxes a bit.

"Come on Danny." Jamie prompts again "I get it, the partnership I built with Eddie was a kind of deeper connection I couldn't deny and if you have that with Maria now – well all I'm going to say is don't wait for one of you to almost get assassinated to act on it."

Danny cringes a bit at the memory "Right." He notes in understanding.

"So?" Jamie insinuatingly prompts.

"So…" Danny slowly decides "I think I need to talk to my partner."

A huge smile plays on Jamie's face "That a boy!" he playfully encourages.

Danny rolls his eyes at his brother's ribbing "Shut up." He grumbles.

Jamie tempers his humor down and dawns a more neutral face "Seriously Danny." He adds "If it's what you want, go for it." He encourages "I have absolutely no regrets in moving from partners on the job to partners in life with Eddie and you deserve to be happy - Linda would WANT you to be happy." He gently reiterates causing his brother to squeeze his eyes closed, lift his chin to the sky and subtly nod his head in agreement.

"And…" Jamie adds "…you know we'll all support you."

Danny lowers his head, opens his eyes and offers his brother a small appreciative smile "Thanks."

Beat.

"Even Dad." Jamie suddenly states "Eventually." He tacks on with a slight back and forth pondering tilt of his head.

"Ugh." Danny groans out in remembrance of the drama Jamie and Eddie getting together created for the Police Commissioner while Jamie continues on with his point

"You know after one of you takes the Sergeant's exam – which I do hear is coming up again…" he reveals "…places first and moves precincts."

Danny heavily sighs as a scowl of rejection appears on his face "Thanks but no."

"Oh to clarify, I didn't actually mean you." Jamie bemusingly counters "I meant Maria."

Danny sighs.

"Sergeant's test aside…" Jamie a bit more seriously reiterates "…that is the reality of it. You won't be able to work together anymore."

Danny nods in understanding "I know."

"But it would be nice for my kid…" Jamie a bit selfishly adds "...to have a cousin around the same age to play with."

A big smile plays on Danny's face as he turns the tables on his brother "Little Jamko."

Now Jamie rolls his eyes "Shut up."

"That would really make a great middle name." Danny continues to rib "You should consider it."

Scrunching his face up in disgust Jamie groans out "Oh my god." in complete rejection as he pushes himself off the edge of the counter "If this is where this conversation is going now..." Jamie decides as he moves to leave the kitchen "…we're done."

"What?" Danny laughingly prompts as he moves to follow his brother and they head back into the living room where Erin and Eddie are still waiting "I'm just saying!"

"Just go upstairs and talk to her." Jamie instructs as he reaches back and now gives his brother a little shove forward in front of him towards the stairs.

"Oh I'm going." Danny grumbles but as he passes his sister and sister in law, he can't help but glance in their direction to see them both smiling widely at him "Not one word." He warns.

"What?" Erin laughs as Danny moves past them to start climbing the stairs "We didn't say a thing!"

"But you were thinking it!" Danny returns right before he disappears from view and the second he does, Erin and Eddie both turn to look expectantly at Jamie.

"So?" Erin eagerly prompts but Jamie tries to deflect "Not really my place to say."

"Jameson Reagan." Erin warns "You spill right now…"

"Or you will regret it!" Eddie profusely adds with a look that tells Jamie his wife means business.

Knowing there is no way he would survive the both of them ganging up on him, Jamie relents.

"Okay fine!" He huffs out before looking between his wife and sister trying to figure out how he can appease them by saying this in a way they will understand without him actually having to say it – he wanted to be able to have true deniability with Danny later if need be…

…and then it comes to him so he turns to look his sister square in the eye…

"You know that line in the sand we talked about years ago?" he prompts.

"Yes…" Erin slowly but knowingly prompts.

Jamie puffs his cheeks and then using his hand blows out a breath of air and spread his fingers like he's blowing the sand away.

"Damn." Erin breathes out in immediate understanding.

"And you did not hear that from me." Jamie seriously adds before he simply turns to walk away with a confused Eddie quickly following after him "What? Where are you going?" She demands "What does that mean?" she pesters "I don't know what that means!" and right as the couple begins to disappear into another room Erin hears her brother say "Yes you do. It means us." followed by Eddie's excited voice exclaiming "I knew it!" so Erin just shakes her head in disbelief.

"What are the odds?" she mutters to herself at the thought for BOTH her brothers falling for their work partners but then another thought hits her… "Oh who am I kidding…" she suddenly realizes "Joe hooked up with Paula from the academy to create Joe and I basically did the exact same thing when I fell for Jack years ago. We were working together." She states before suspiciously narrowing her eyes and looking around at the house itself "Must be something in the water in this place." She decides.

….