Feeling good after her first tour Eddie returned to the precinct the following day for a two to ten tour. She walked the hallway in search of partner so they could turn out to their assigned sector. She breathed out soft and slow silently praying for a quiet day. Eddie groaned, her phone ringing in the pants pocket forcing her to fumble with it before answering. "Janko?"
"Eddie, officer Lewis I have a kid here with your courtesy card Sean or something. He and his friends were stopped by the boardwalk for openly drinking a six pack of beer among four guys. Want to come down here?"
Her blue eyes scanned the hallway quickly answering, "Yeah, I'm on my way." Shoving the phone back inside her pocket Eddie rushed to find her partner.
Pulling up ten minutes later Eddie quickly hurried to Officer Lewis and his partner standing on either side of Sean. "Thanks for calling me Dan, what happened exactly," Eddie gave Sean a thin eyed look while she heard from the officers.
"Angela and I were surveying the neighborhood when we found Sean with three other boys and an open case of beer in front of them. He pulled out the courtesy card so I gave you a call since he's your family. Does Reagan know you're here?"
Eddie offered him a quiet look that gave Dan his answer.
"Thanks again, I'd like to talk with Sean alone okay?" She smiled, waiting until the officers walked far enough away before turning to Sean. "Skipping school, drinking really Sean?"
"So you never cut school and drank beer with your friends when you went to high school," Sean retorted with his head bowed.
"Hey, this isn't about me it's about you. Yeah, of course I did but I'm not a Reagan that name is held to a much higher standard because you know it's the right thing not to cut and go drinking with your buddies," Eddie said softly.
Sean lifted his head to meet her eyes though he towered over her. "You're going to tell my dad?"
"No, this can stay between us but this is the only time you get an out understand? Get caught again and you won't get out of it. Let's go I'm sounding like your uncle Jamie and it's scaring the hell out of me." Taking his shirt sleeve Eddie walked back with Sean to the other officers.
After getting Sean off the hook Eddie and her partner drove to their sector, radios perking almost immediately sending them to a job. They pulled up to two men fighting both in possession of knives allowing an arrest to be made. "I'll take them to the cell," Eddie offered once they were processed, walking the two to different cells.
Brushing her hands together Eddie put a hand up, stopping a fellow officer walking by. "Have you seen Sergeant Reagan?"
The officer wordlessly pointed in the direction of officers held by higher ranked officers. Breathing deeply Eddie started that way stopping outside the door, watching Jamie with another Sergeant.
His blue eyes moved over to the door finding Eddie watching him with a look he knew well. "Excuse me a second," he past the sergeant to meet Eddie outside. "Hey, everything okay?"
"No, walk with me." Falling side by side they walked down to the small kitchen Eddie pouring herself a cup of coffee. "I got a call from Officer Lewis about Sean. He was busted cutting class and publicly drinking beer with his friends. When the officers busted him he used a courtesy card I gave him. If Danny finds out about this he's going to be pissed."
"Eddie, relax okay you can't get stressed it isn't good for either of you. You did the right thing helping Sean I would have done the same thing," Jamie watched her face him holding a coffee stirrer.
Her blue eyes looked Jamie over, large and round shaking her head. "No, I promised Sean I wouldn't tell and here I am ratting to you. I'm not even his aunt yet and I already broke a promise, off to a great start."
"Hey, trust me you did a good thing for him," Jamie casually shifted until their arms brushed slightly together, eyes locked on her.
Eddie's eyes flashed up to Jamie, rounded hopefully that he was right catching movement behind. Over Jamie's shoulder she spotted Danny flashing his badge to the desk sergeant admitting him inside. "Well, look whose here."
Jamie turned, forcing a smile as his brother approached them while tucking his shield away. "Hey Danny, come to check out the new digs?"
The stern , pinched face of Danny told him that wasn't the reason for his visit. "No, I came by after being called to Sean's school because he's having problems, fighting, not doing homework. Oh and today I find out he got off for underage drinking," Danny's eyes stared daggers through Eddie.
"Danny, I'm sorry I was trying to help.."
"No, you weren't. Look, just stay away from my kids okay let me raise them and you raise your own." Danny stole a glance from his brother before he stormed out past patrol cops coming inside .
After tour Jamie and Eddie met at a local bar, small and cozy that allows them to talk without shouting over each other. They took a round table in back away from major crowds sitting across from each other. After ordering drinks and a ginger ale for Eddie their hands-slipped across the table slowly , cupping over each other. "Don't worry about Danny okay? Hey, he's a hothead and says things without thinking but you did a good thing."
"I just feel bad and now my hormones are crazy ," Eddie cupped his hands and took a long sigh , meeting his eyes wordlessly.
Jamie gave her hand a gentle squeeze of reassurance while he leaned closer. His voice dropped to just above a whisper huskily, "I hear that you feel bad Eddie but you did good. Danny will see that at dinner tomorrow." Their hands locked spending the evening gazing lovingly into each other's eyes while the conversation turned to their new arrival.
That night Jamie held Eddie a little tighter through bouts of sickness during the early morning hours that kept them up longer then either would have liked. Jamie let Eddie rest longer, bringing her breakfast in bed with a plate and coffee in bed for him.
Rather hen sit in the same pew Jamie and Eddie took the one behind with Erin and Nikki daydreaming the entire time. On their drive home Eddie played with the ring on her finger nearly jumping at her ringtone filling the car. Fishing the device out of her bag Eddie checked the caller ID, swiping ignore. The device pressed again her hand ringing again getting a groan from Eddie. "Everything okay," Jamie quickly looked at her tightly pinched face.
"Yeah, it's my mom she calls me from time to time wanting to meet up but," Eddie sucked in a breath as her phone rang again. Her eyes tore to Jamie's encouraging her as he pulled up in front of the house. She sighed answering, "Hey mom."
Smiling Jamie sat back waiting until she ended the call to walk around and open the door for her. "So since you insisted I answer we have dinner with my mom next week so be prepared for five million questions," Eddie captured his hand to walk in together.
Sunday dinner focused on Jack preparing to leave for college in two days, a transition for him and the family. Neither Eddie nor Jamie spoke much during dinner asking only a question or two mostly directly to Jack. "I love my job," Eddie told Jack smiling. "That's important."
"Did you even go to school for law," Danny stabbed his own food, looking across the table at her thin eyed. "Or anything related to law enforcement? No and that's Pop's point."
"Well I'm with Eddie on this. Studying law gave me a new perspective on everything especially now becoming a cop. So whatever you do and whatever you end up doing college will help give you a fresh perspective," Jamie intervened, eyes locked on his older brother.
The table fell quiet, everyone getting back to dinner aware of the daggers thrown at each other from across the table. Jamie wordlessly cleared when they finished glad for an escape to the kitchen even if it meant scrubbing dishes. His relief didn't last long, only minutes Danny came in carrying dishes. "Here's the last of it."
"Thanks. Hey Danny, look we're not trying to butt in but I think I know why Sean is acting out. He doesn't want Jack to leave so he's becoming a problem to have Jack stay and keep an eye on him," Jamie set the dish he finished inside the machine. "I did the same thing when you left for the Marines. I didn't want you to go."
Danny's eyebrow raised, "Yeah we you and Eddie need to stay out of my business. Jack and Sean are my kids when you have kids raise them however you want."
"You know what Danny we're only trying to help so don't jump down Eddie's throat for it. You don't like it fine go to hell." Jamie turned back to the window, finishing the pile of dishes he left inside soapy water until Danny's footsteps disappeared.
After desert Jamie and Eddie headed back to his apartment having a shorter distance to drive with day tours early. They settled under a single blanket Eddie snuggling in Jamie's arms quietly. "Jamie, what happened with Danny in the kitchen? You came out with this look on your face."
"Yeah, he's being Danny it's nothing Eddie honest. We both said some things but that's how it is with us. I love you Eddie, get some rest."
"Love you too lambchop."