A/N: Special thanks to Lawslave for the prepost review. This story was written as a special request from one of my most loyal reviewers, devildog3479. The request was for more backstory on the events surrounding Jamie and Eddie's wedding and the conversation Erin had with Jamie. This will be a two shot piece, in the second half I will put the spotlight on Erin revealing to her brother a secret Eddie asked her to keep. These events led to the major blow out in Chapters 19 and 20 of In Sickness and in Health. That will update near midnight. And now…
A Sister's Love
"You doing okay, Eddie?" Linda asked as the cars parked in front of the Reagan home. They had just come from the rehearsal dinner for Eddie and Jamie's wedding that was to take place in just 36 hours.
"Yeah, everything went off perfectly. It didn't feel as strange walking down the aisle alone as I thought it would. It was really nice of Henry to offer but…"
"You want to let Henry have this moment with Jamie," Linda finished for her. "Well, in anything, in less than two days you will have more family than you know what to do with, huh?" She slid her arm around Eddie as they walked inside.
Jamie came up behind them with Danny and Erin. Frank and Henry were trailing with Frank's detail. He wrapped his arms around Eddie's waist and pulled her close. "That dinner was incredible. I'm so glad I let you pick the place."
Eddie leaned back into Jamie's arms, "Yeah, well, between my excellent taste in restaurants and that cooking class I signed up for we'll get some meat on this bones." Eddie dropped her head back and kissed Jamie.
"Hey, you two," Danny scolded "Keep it clean, huh. You only have to wait until Saturday then I don't care how much you suck face, as long as it is in private."
"You're just jealous," Jamie teased. "Because you've been married so long you two stop to fold your clothes."
"You stop and fold your clothes too, Jamie," Danny teased back. "You're too OCD to enjoy sex if you have clothes all over the floor."
Eddie laughed, "That's what you think. I'm pretty good at keeping him distracted."
Erin was strangely quiet as they entered the house. It was difficult for her to think of her little brother getting married, let alone having sex. In her head she knew that Jamie was grown up, but in her heart he was still the happy, smiling little boy she babysat for extra cash and snuggled when he would fall down and scrape his knee.
Linda put on coffee as Frank's detail delivered the two older men to the house. Eddie put out a chocolate cake Henry prepared and Serbian bread she made in her cooking class. It was braided, brushed with sugared glaze and had berries along the top. It looked pretty.
"What's that honey?" Jamie asked his fiancé. When he proposed initially, Eddie said no. When Jamie pressed her, knowing she loved him as much as he loved her, Eddie tearfully confessed she didn't think she would make a good enough wife for him. She hadn't been taught how to keep house, how to set a table…and then here was the matter of her father.
With love and patience, Jamie convinced Eddie none of that mattered to him. They would work those things out together, they would share the responsibilities of the running the house as a team, as the partners they had been since the day they met. Eddie was determined to learn, however and signed up for cooking classes. This was one of her projects.
"It's a Serbian day cake," Eddie replied. "I made it in class yesterday for tonight. It's made for celebrations and what better celebration than our rehearsal?"
As Linda served the coffee, Jamie made a point of trying a large slice of Eddie's bread. It was good, sweet with a very subtle flavor. "This is really good, Pop, you have to try some of this." Jamie handed pieces out to everyone. His heart soared when Eddie beamed with pride.
"So Eddie, you sure you are up for Staten Island for a couple of nights?" Danny asked. "The boys are really excited about their almost Aunt Eddie crashing with us."
"Yeah, Haley can't get her until late tomorrow night so Linda graciously stepped in to help with the final little touches. I don't know what I'd do otherwise."
"I told you," Linda said firmly. "In 34 hours now, you will be part of a huge family that does nothing if not help each other, and I for one am glad that you and Jamie are finally getting married."
Jamie reached across the table and picked up Eddie's hand, "Well, when I got over being afraid of losing her friendship, I realized I would lose it and a lot more if I didn't straighten up."
Erin watched her little brother kiss Eddie's hand. She couldn't help but think that he was making a terrible mistake. Jamie was not on the NYPD fast track yet, but with his superior intelligence, compassion for others, and Harvard law degree he could and should be in the commissioner's chair one day. Eddie was a nice girl, and it was clear that she and Jamie were in love, but she wouldn't be doing her job as a sister if she didn't at least talk to him.
Linda took Eddie into the study to go over the final placement for the flowers at the alter. She was acting for all intents and purposes, acting as the mother of the bride, though no one wanted to admit Eddie inadvertently put her in the role.
Danny follow Frank and Henry into the living room to continue to debate that subject matter of his best man's toast, leaving Erin and Jamie alone. Now was her chance.
Jamie knew his sister well. She had something spinning around in her head. "Okay, spill," Jamie ordered washing out his coffee cup and carefully wrapping the remaining dessert items.
"It's not really something I want to discuss in here, can you go outside?" Erin asked.
Jamie nodded, he stowed the cakes in the fridge and stepped onto the porch. "What's going on Erin, I know this look. You disapprove of something. The readings? Are you upset Eddie asked Linda for help?"
"No, no in fact I'm rather glad she did that," Erin replied. "I'm not sure I'm the right person for that."
Jamie sat on the steps and folded his hands, "Why not?"
"Jamie, have you really thought his thing through?" Erin asked, her heart pounding, knowing she would likely anger her little brother, but sometimes when you loved someone, you had to do things that fell under the category of for their own good.
"Of course, I thought it through," Jamie replied looking up with shocked blue eyes. "Eddie and I have been together for years. It was about time as Dad said when we announced it. She's the other half of my heart."
"I know you think that's true because you have been together for so long and have been friends for so long, but Jamie you need to be really sure about this. Eddie is a nice girl, but she's not…"
"Not what?" Jamie's jaw began to set as he defenses went up. Erin was going to challenge his relationship with Eddie, by putting her down, no less.
"She's not the type of women that will help drive your career and…" This was coming out all wrong. "She's tomboyish, she's not very polished, and then there is the father thing."
"That's not her fault!" Jamie snapped. He stood up and started to pace. "Eddie's mom died when she was really young. She was never taught the things you were. Eddie doesn't even really remember what it's like to have a mother's love. All she knows it was it feels like to be told over and over again you aren't good enough! And now, someone from her own family, that she chose to marry into…"
"Jamie," Erin sighed. "You have the skills and the gifts to be in the PC chair someday. You can do anything. You can have anything you want, you are so smart and so genuinely kind…"
"I don't want the PC chair, Erin. What I want, is to get my gold shield, get bad guys off the streets, and to marry the love of my life. I want to grow old with her, I want to have babies with her. If I finish my career and never advance beyond Detective first grade, oh well."
What Jamie and Erin were not aware of as they discussed this topic, at a very inopportune moment, was the Eddie had stepped into the kitchen to ask Jamie's opinion on a floral placement to find it empty. She heard voices on the porch and stepped closer, fully intending to call to Jamie. That's when she heard Erin's remarks about her and her father.
Eddie began to shake, Erin was against their marriage and Jamie listened to her opinion over everyone else's. Would he…
Eddie heard Jamie's voice but not his word. His back was to the door, Erin had been moving and her voice had carried. "Eddie…" Linda called out. She bit her lip and headed back to the den.
"Eddie?" Linda saw her sister-in-law to be was pale. "What did Jamie say?"
"Oh, I think he's in the living room," Eddie lied. "I just…it just hit me that my Mom and I should be doing this. I'm sorry. I'm so thankful to you for helping, it just…"
Linda nodded and hugged Eddie tight, she felt the younger woman's tears on her chest. "I know, let it go. Let it go…Should I get Jamie?"
Eddie shook her head, "No, I'm okay. I think you're right, the lilies in the middle."
Meanwhile the battle waged on the porch, Jamie not backing down and Erin either. "How can you be doing this to me, less than two days before my wedding?"
"I'm doing it for you. No one else would dare, but I love you, Jamie. I love you so much I am willing to risk your anger to tell you that I do not think this is the right thing for you."
"Erin," Jamie sighed. "I know you love me. I know when Mom died you promised to take care of me and I love you so much for that. So I am asking you, please stop. You are not helping me right now, listening to my own sister, say these things about Eddie, who is going to be my wife, hurts. It really hurts and I do not want to continue this conversation. I love Eddie, I'm going to marry her and if we end up living in a car under the Williamsburg Bridge I am going to be the happiest man alive with her at my side. I think you underestimate her and I really think this is none of your business."
When Jamie stopped pacing, Erin looked up and saw tears in her brother's eyes. Her words had cut him deeply, she never intended this. It had gone too far.
"I'm sorry, Jamie. You're right. I just…I did promise Mom and all I want for you is the best. Nothing with Eddie ever made you get upset like my words just did. I never wanted to hurt you. I do like Eddie and if you are sure…I just want you to be sure, Jamie."
"I am sure," Jamie sighed softly. "She is the only one for me. The only one. I need her like I need air, there is no way I'm not going through with the wedding. I want you to be there, Erin, because you are my big sister and I love you, but if you can't get behind this one hundred percent, then please, do not come."
Those words hit Erin square in the heart, "Oh, Jamie. I'm sorry." She rushed her younger brother and pulled him into a hug. "I don't…I just wanted to make sure and it got out of hand. I didn't mean to hurt you. Of course, I'm behind you and I do like Eddie very much. Let's not ever revisit this again. I won't ever bring it up, I promise."
Jamie hugged Erin back, "I won't either. If Eddie ever heard this…she'd be crushed. If you ever hurt her with words like this Erin…"
"I didn't want to hurt anyone, I just wanted you to be happy. I can see now that you will be happy with this choice, and I am so glad of that. I know what a bad marriage is and I think…based on how you reacted just now and how you two look at each other, you won't know what a bad marriage is. That was my goal."
Jamie put his arm around his sister as they headed back inside. Eddie had dried her tears, fully expecting Jamie to ask her outside to end their life together. She was surprised when he came over to her and pulled her in for a hug, "Don't let Danny get to you He really does love you a whole lot, he's just Danny. I'll call you in the morning and I will see you at the church. I'll be the one in the tuxedo trying to remember how to breathe."
Jamie bent down and took Eddie's lips in a stern kiss. "The next time I do that you'll be Mrs. Reagan."
Eddie smiled, her stomach settling quickly. "Mrs. Reagan…I sure like the sound of that."
Eddie would never forget the words she heard from Erin that day. They cut her to her core, she thought of Erin as a friend, but it was clear that was not true. Erin didn't want her in the family, but it seems she was alone in that endeavor. Jamie loved her, Jamie wanted her, that was enough. It really was.