Believing In You (Blue Bloods Fanfiction)

↞ Chapter Seventeen ↠

Season Three, Episode Thirteen

Frank and I hadn't spoken since I left his office, because I truly didn't want too.

Not just because of him, but because of me as well.

I felt awful for yelling at him, not that he didn't deserve a good shouting. I just hate getting angry at people, it makes me feel like crap afterwards, and then I'm to upset to talk to them because I am reminded of what they did and how I acted.

Either way, we hadn't spoken.

And it's not like I wanted to turn around and talk to Jameson or any of the other family members. I didn't want them to see Frank and the way he reacted and get angry or upset or anything like that. So it sort of just sat in the pit of my stomach and I thought about it during Danny and I's entire case.

Which is how I ended up getting bit by a rat (I pulled it out of a man's pants and thought it was dead), needed to get a tetanus poke (Linda provided that), and ended up loosing my favorite coat (I was dragged halfway down the road attached to a car).

But the coat's alright, the man who had done it provided me with conflicting feelings.

He had of course, been the one to nearly injure me and Danny in the chase, and released a couple dozen rats into a charity dinner, and was overall not a great guy. But he also put my coat at the tailors and provided me with the receipt.

I picked it up on my way to dinner, happy to find the tear in it fully repaired with no evidence that it was even there.

When I got to the house everyone was still bustling about, and the two boys were quick to take Kenai off of my hands so I busied myself with helping the rest of the family set the table before taking my usual seat in between Jameson at my left and Henry around the corner to my right.

Frank was the one to pray, and as I bowed my head I asked for the will to forgive Frank for what had happened.

The conversation started instantly on the one subject I desperately wanted to avoid. Jack asked a question, something after the protecting everyone and I spoke up despite myself.

"The First Amendment guarantees that you have the right to speak you mind in the place and manner you see fit." It was the truth, and that's why I had no issue speaking.

"So," Sean looks over at the rest of the family. "If I'm bored in math, I can just say, 'Hey, Teach, I'm dying over here.'"

Smiles decorated the faces at the table, and I couldn't help but snort.

"Yeah, you have that right." Linda said it with a smile, before looking at Danny for some help.

"And then 'Teach' has the right to give you a week's worth of detention for being such a knucklehead." Danny leaned forward, shoving another bite of the dinner into his mouth.

"I don't get it." Sean spoke with a groan, and I smiled in an apologetic sort of well.

"Well," Jameson started, and I could see the lawyer in him starting to come out. "Sean, the First Amendment doesn't cover the consequences, just your right to speak up in the first place."

"You still have to use your head." Frank continued, "It's called exercising good judgement. You see the differences Sean?"

Sean bobbled his head from side to side, considering what everyone had to say before smiling. "I think I'll try it."

I snorted, and Danny made a crack at his kid, but the entire table laughed light heartedly.

"Wait," Jack sets his silverware down on the table, looking at all of us with a confused look. "So this, Swint guy, he can just say all these horrible things about everybody, and you just, like, make sure the show goes on?"

"In a nutshell," Frank grimaced. "Yes."

"Sure, cause nutcases have rights." Henry said it seriously, and I could tell he meant it, in his old fashion sort of way. "That's what makes this country so great."

"I disagree with what you are saying," Frank motioned to his dad, "but I will respect your right to say it."

Both Sean and Jack seemed to get the point of it all, and nodded at their grandfather.

"That is, of course, not his  words." I didn't mean to say 'his' in any other way. "A French man called Voltaire said that, and just a bit differently; 'Je désapprouve ce que vous dites, mais je défendrai à mort votre droit de le dire'."

I spoke the words fluently, before picking up my silverware and starting to eat from my plate without a pause.

The table did not continue, and as I looked up, everyone was looking at either Frank or I.

"Since when do you speak French?" Erin asked, at the same time Danny said: 

"The hell is between you two."

I sighed, looking at Henry and waiting for him to reprimand Danny from speaking that way during family dinner.

"Frank and I, had a very specific disagreement." That's all I wanted to say on the subject, but they obviously weren't not satisfied with the response. It got quiet, and Danny leaned back in his chair, his eyes flitting between the two of us. Jameson's hand reached for mine, and I took it gladly, squeezing it for comfort.

I didn't want to look at Frank, but I could tell he was looking at me.

"I walked in on Frank in a meeting with Swint. He introduced me as his future son-in-law, and said I was engaged to Jameson for the sole purpose of pissing off Swint." I looked at Jameson, leaning towards him and speaking a bit quieter to him. "Not that being engaged to you would be terrible not at all."

"Dad!" All three of his kids seemed to turn on him just like that, which is something I did not want. Even Henry shouted 'Francis' at him before Henry lifted his hands in the air.

It looked like he wanted to defend himself, before he sighed and spoke. "I have no excuse." He looked sad, and I was glad that he was at least disappointed in his own actions. "I am sorry Jett."

I considered the apology for only a few seconds, before breaking into a smile and carding a hand through my hard. "Good that, I hate being angry, even if it is for a bloody good reason."

Frank snorted, before apologizing one more time.

"And, I've been giving some thought to your Swint problem, as I've been able to think of anything else." He looked apologetic, and I smiled at everyone at the table, no longer annoyed. "I think, you should ask those around the precincts who would like to volunteer to be at the so-called talk show. I'd like to volunteer, and I am sure I can find more, if you get what I mean."

It took everyone a minute, as they had to think hard about what I was trying to say, before smiling in their own time. Jameson leaned over to me, giving me a big kiss and telling me how much of a genius I was.

"Thank you Jett."

~~~

Translations:

"Je désapprouve ce que vous dites, mais je défendrai à mort votre droit de le dire." = "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.