Always Home for Sunday Dinner

J is for Jaime

Traffic had been moving at what seemed like a glacial pace. And that only made him slightly more nervous about the upcoming conversation, though he would never let anyone know. It was normal for New York's Police Commissioner Frank Reagan to keep his emotions completely at bay no matter the occasion or person. But as he sat in the backseat of the large black van his detail was driving in the direction of his youngest's home, he couldn't help the rising nerves. He always had a healthy relationship with his son Jaime, similar to his relationship with his late son Joe, and far less tension filled than his relationship with his oldest son Danny. But what he would talk to him about today might just change that. Because he was going to talk to him about him and Eddie remaining partners. There might not have been a rule against them getting married and staying partners, but he knew that that was not a smart idea. He knew that this was an ethical dilemma and he couldn't just turn a blind eye to it because it was his son. He had a job to do and it was important to him that this didn't go up in flames. He knew the notion or even the action would not sit well with his son, who was so set on keeping his current partnership alive. He knew there was a chance it could ruin things with his son, but he knew that it was right for him to question things. He always believed in great things for Jaime ever since he coached him for his first basketball game as a kid. Everything he said and did was to help him not hurt him. And he hoped that's how he would take it. He might not have been one to show favouritism to his children when it came to the job, but he cared. He was proud of them, and he knew they knew that. Or at least part of him hoped so. But this was now something different. He wanted to keep his son safe even if it meant doing something he knew he wouldn't agree with like separating him from the woman he was going to marry at work.

And that's where his train of thought took a detour.

Married. His youngest son, his boy, was getting married. It was in no way what he expected but it was still happening. Jaime had love in his life again, and hopefully this time would find his happily ever after. It had been years since his son had handed him his late wife's wedding ring back explaining that his then fiance Sydney had called off their engagement. He hadn't gotten in a relationship since from what he knew, but his other children might've known differently. But now his youngest would become someone's husband. His mind started to flash back to memories of his youngest from his earliest years up until the moment he graduated from the police academy. But one that he would never forget was the moment he held his youngest in his arms for the first time ever.

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He had been standing next his wife on the hospital, trying to breathe through the contractions. They didn't expect for her to go into labour; her due date wasn't for another week. But it didn't seem like their newest member of the family didn't want to wait. His other three children were waiting for his father to come get them at home, given that they had to rush to the hospital when she felt the pain. Now they were waiting for the doctor to come in and calm them down. And that's exactly what happened. The doctor had walked in and everything went exactly as it had gone 3 times before. This was not a new experience for any of them, but it was still a special one none the less.

He remembered the time he had spent with his wife in that room. She was in labour for 3 hours lying on the hospital bed holding his hand tight, before their newest child finally came into the world. The young child's whaling filled the room, that filled the two adults with happiness. The doctor had wrapped the baby in a cloth before placing him in his mother's arms. He had watched as Mary held him in his hands and a single loving tear fell down her cheek. The youngest Reagan child's crying began to subside as he was rocked slightly in his mother's eyes. Frank had lifted his hand and brushed his finger gently against the little baby's face, marvelling at the little bundle of life in his wife's arms. He had been excited for so long to meet him, and that day had now finally come.

But they weren't the only ones who had been waiting for the arrival of Jaime.

Danny had been sitting with his siblings in the waiting area. Danny's leg was shaking in anticipation. He didn't think he would be so nervous and excited but hearing the sound of his mother screaming didn't help anything. Granted he wasn't supposed to be near his mother's hospital room, but still it wasn't a pleasant sound to hear. And then, his father had walked into the waiting room, with a large smile on his face and said the words they had been waiting to hear.

"Your brother's here," he stated happily. Erin and Joe shot out of their seats in happiness ready to run into the room and smother their mother and their new baby brother. 

"Can we see him?" the young Joe saying loudly.

"Yeah!" Erin chimed in.

"How's mom?" Danny asked calmly, worrying about his mother's well being. He had looked into his eldest son's big hazel eyes and felt his heart warm. He already knew what kind of a man he would grow up to be.

"Your mother's doing great," he told them, "Both her and your brother."

"Come on kids let's go see them," Henry stated, and the two older men led the young Reagan children down the hall to meet their new baby brother. As soon as they arrived the kids walked in slowly with Frank guiding the youngest kids towards the bed where Mary lay holding little Jaime in his arms. He had to slightly hold them back as their first reaction was to run right up to the bed. Joe and Erin didn't hesitate in showering their new baby brother with love and compliments.

"He's so cute!"

"He's so small!"

"Look he's looking at me!"

"What's name mom?"

"Jamison Reagan," Mary told them and their faces beamed the entire time.

"Let's call him Jaime," Erin declared, "You like it mom?"

"I like that," Mary beamed. Frank watched his wife's head turn towards his eldest son who stood at the end of the bed looking down at them from his spot.

"Danny," she stated, "Come see your brother honey." Danny's eyes weren't even looking at her. They simply lay on the little bundle in her arms as he started moving closer to them. He was the only kid that the parents were worried about in terms of the new baby. Despite his siblings excitement Danny had been hot and cold regarding the new addition to the family, and had started acting out. It was as if he saw it as a replacement instead of an addition. Maybe some of that was partially their fault for them paying so much time and attention on the arrival of the new child. But Danny was the oldest; it was his responsibility to look after his siblings. And they had hoped that he would warn up to the young child. The parents held their breaths as they watched the movements of their oldest. Danny didn't say anything. Frank simply watched as his eldest son leaned over his new baby brother and placed a tender kiss on the newborns forehead. The sight of his eldest already carrying for his youngest was one thing he would never forget about that day.

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He was brought back to present day when he finally arrived to his son's apartment building. His security detail stepped out of the passengers side and opened Frank's car door. He placed his sunglasses over his eyes as he stepped out into the New York daylight. He buzzed his son's apartment who rang him in after a couple of minutes.

"Stay out here," Frank ordered his people as he opened the door. He made his way up to his son's apartment his nerves never dissipating, despite his face never showing it. He walked right over his son's front door and simply knocked within minutes the young man twisted the knob and pulled the door open appearing before the commissioner in the doorway. The two of them looked at each other for a few minutes the looks speaking louder than words, before the silence was broken by the younger of the two.

"I'll turn on the coffee," Jaime said simply, already knowing where this was going to go. Frank simply smiled as the two of them walked into the apartment to begin what was guaranteed to be a hard conversation.

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Decided to have a nice story about Frank and Jaime after learning that Frank might have a problem with Jamko staying partners while being married. So I played off of what he might be thinking and I'm totally betting that a tense conversation is going to happen between these two in the actual show. But I hope you enjoy this. More coming soon!