Five Million Reasons

Chapter 1: Epiphany

"Alright, I'll have a hot tea", said Jamie. He didn't really want anything to drink right now but figured he might as well get something since she's paying. Then Eddie gave him that smile she always made she got her way. He loved how cute she looked when she scrunched up her nose. She started to get out of the car and he managed to mumble, "Thanks." He watched her climb the steps to the coffee shop and all he could think about was how well she filled out the uniform. Most guys see the uniform as a major turn off. Jamie loved how tough it made her look, even though, he regularly teased her about how she looked like a 12-year-old going trick-or-treating on Halloween. The door opened up and she disappeared inside. "Out of sight, not out of mind," Jamie thought. Just then, dispatch came over the radio giving an update on the search for the guy that murdered 5 people over the past week. One of whom was a family friend and coworker with Erin. He really wanted to get this guy. Dispatch added a black 05' BMW 7-series and the description of a new suspect, Dante Sorento. He made a mental note to keep a look out for the car. He and Eddie would be making a few extra traffic stops throughout the day. Despite being in the low fifties outside, it felt hot inside the car. Jamie rolled down his window and found himself just looking at the sky, lost in thought. He had been a little on edge since he almost spilled his guts to Eddie after she had gotten shot. He wanted to talk to her about the way he felt, but he didn't quite know how to bring it up. If only Barry hadn't walked in when he did with those stupid Springsteen tickets.

"Excuse me officer," Jamie hadn't realized that someone had pulled up beside him. He turned his head and saw a black car with an older looking driver with black hair and wearing a sports jacket. Seemed harmless enough. He was probably going to complain about how some young kid cut him off in traffic or something along those lines. He saw it almost every single day and there was nothing he could do about it, but he always tried to hear them out and calm them down. Just as Jamie realized what kind of car had pulled up alongside him; the guy's hand came up and it was holding something…

. . .

"Excuse me," Eddie tried to make her way quickly through the coffee shop. She wanted her coffee fast. She had been craving caffeine since breakfast and had forgotten to grab a cup before she had left the precinct. She made her way through the crowd and took her place at the back of the line. People were glancing at her because her radio was going off. It was dispatch giving an update to the latest string of homicides to occur in New York City. She turned down the volume on her radio so she wouldn't disturb anyone. She tried to listen to the radio, but all she could think about was getting her coffee…maybe a bagel too. She heard the dispatcher say something about a black beamer with New Jersey plates. She'd get the rest from Jamie when she got back to the car. It never ceased to amaze her the amount of stuff he could memorize in that big head of his. She took a quick look around the room. The place was filled with people, some sitting, some standing, and some on their phones or laptops. Next, she glanced out the window and saw a few cars parked along the street. "Nothing unusual," she thought. Back to standing and waiting. Suddenly the hair on the back her neck stood up and a cold shiver went down her spine. "Was that a black BMW sitting on the corner there?" She spun around. It was gone! Every fiber in her body was telling her that something was wrong. The thought of what Jamie said about a Reagan being a possible target popped into her head. Then all she could think about was Jamie. Before she knew it, she was pushing and shoving her way through all the people in the room trying to get to the door…trying to get to Jamie.

. . .

Everything happened in slow motion. As soon as he saw the pistol, time slowed down to a crawl. He saw Sorento raise it and point it right between his eyes. Jamie saw his life flash before him…he saw Eddie standing there in front of the precinct after their first tour together. She was wearing that white V-neck shirt with the matching jacket, the same necklace she always wore, black dress pants, high heels, lipstick, and her beautiful blonde hair let down from its bun. Jamie remembered how short of breath he was and that he loved the sweet-smelling perfume she wore that night. Jamie felt something whiz by his head and heard glass breaking as he fell back against the seats. That snapped him back into reality! All Jamie could do was draw his weapon and return fire, but before he even got it out of the holster he heard two shots ring out.

. . .

Eddie wasn't sure if she hit the guy. She saw the window shattered and Jamie slumped over in the seat. Her heart skipped a beat. The BMW began speeding away and she wanted to just run to Jamie, but she didn't want to let that son of a bitch get away. She ran down the stairs and there was a woman lying in the street trying to avoid the gunshots. Eddie said something to her as she ran by but couldn't quite remember what. She stopped in the middle of the street, raised her weapon, lined up the sights, exhaled slowly, and squeezed the trigger.

. . .

Jamie drew his weapon and got out of the car just in time to see Eddie take a shot at Sorento's BMW, shattering the back window, and sending it screeching into a parked car.

"Jamie!" Eddie turned, signs of relief came across her face as soon as she set eyes on him. "Jamie..."

"I'm ok. Go. Go!" Jamie had to keep his head in the game. At least until they put cuffs on this guy. The two of them took off running towards the wreck. He took the lead, he wanted a little payback. They slowed down and raised their weapons as they approached the car. Jamie went for the driver's side door.

"Jamie," Eddie cautioned.

As he got closer, he saw that the driver looked unconscious. He opened the door slowly and saw that Eddie's shot had found it's mark. A perfect shot to the back of the head. He checked his pulse. Nothing.

"He's D.O.A."

Jamie started cuffing him to the steering wheel. He wasn't taking any chances. As soon as he finished, he turned around to look at Eddie. She was standing there staring at him with a look on her face that he had never seen before.

. . .

Eddie couldn't understand what she was feeling at this moment. The thought of Jamie almost being killed, the thought of never seeing him again, never hearing his voice, or any other number of things they did together scared her. Her mind was wondering. What if he loved her? What if they were meant to be together? Was he her soulmate? Did she love him?

"That was some shot. You saved my life," Jamie said.

Eddie's heart was racing. She had saved his life. She knew he was in danger but had no idea how she did. The feeling in the coffee shop…something had warned her.

"Jamie…it was like I heard a voice. I swear to God."

"That's called a radio," he joked.

Damn him. Why did he have to be such a boy scout?!

"No, serious. Like I knew…I knew you were in trouble before you…even…were like…I was warned." Her heart was about to fly out of her chest. He almost died! I almost lost everything! At that moment, Eddie had an epiphany. She HAD almost lost everything. If Jamie would've been killed her whole world would have collapsed. He was her partner, her best friend, and her soulmate. She loved him with every muscle and fiber in her body and was pissed at herself for it taking almost losing him to figure it out! She loved this man! She was given a second chance and she wasn't about to waste it.

"Jamie!" She surrendered. She sprang forward and wrapped her arms around him and buried her head in his shoulder. She didn't even try to hold her emotions back as she felt his arms wrap around her.

He whispered into her ear, "I'd spend the five million on you."

Those words were music to her ears.

. . .

There they stood, locked in each other's arms, in their own little world. Eddie was crying into his shoulder and, to be honest, he was fighting back tears as well. His mind was sharp, focused. Focused on this woman in his arms. He felt her heart beating a hundred miles an hour. He knew that him almost dying had scared her in the same way that her getting shot had scared him. As he pulled her closer, he smelled something…something sweet. She was wearing the same perfume as she did on the night he met her. An image of her the night he walked her home, the night they had their first kiss, entered his mind. She had been wearing the same perfume then. He remembered how soft her lips had been…how warm her hands were on his chest…how he had wanted to kiss her again. At that moment, Jamie realized how foolish he had been all these years for never pursuing the woman he loved…the woman he held in his arms.

"Hey, Reagan. Reagan! You guys ok?"

Jamie hadn't noticed that two other patrol cars had shown up. He didn't even know how much time had passed. Without letting go of Eddie, he looked at who was speaking. It was his friend Vinny Kincaid, a 4-year veteran of the 12th Precinct, and his new partner Luke Delano. He didn't recognize who was behind him and he wasn't about to let Eddie go to find out.

"Yeah. We're good."