Last Chapter. Trying to see if I can put together an epilogue, maybe some football with Eddie and the boys. :)

Chapter 20

Jamie looked over his shoulder at the clock on the stove and cursed softly. Eddie would be at his apartment soon and he still had a few things to do before dinner would be ready. He grabbed a pot from the lower cabinet and filled it with water, quickly placing it on the back burner to get the water boiling for the pasta before moving on to the eggplant parmesan he was putting together.

He hadn't seen Eddie all week because of their work schedules, so he had invited her over for a home cooked meal and a quiet night in on what was the first night they both had off together. He and Vinny had put in some long tours and on top of that, his only day off during the week had fallen on the two year anniversary of Sydney's death. The day had obviously been on his radar, but unlike a year ago when its approach and subsequent arrival only intensified the grief and loneliness that had enveloped him, this year he found it to be his opportunity to acknowledge a few things that he'd been afraid to admit: that Sydney would not have wanted him to shut himself off from the rest of the world as some sort of homage to her and that he wasn't betraying her by moving on and opening himself up to someone else. It only took about two years, countless nights in with his father and grandfather - understanding that they all shared that common, tragic bond had helped him hear their words of advice - and one spunky, rookie NYPD officer to show him the way.

Jamie had made the drive up to Connecticut late in the morning on the day of the second anniversary to visit Sydney's grave in her hometown of Stamford, Connecticut. He'd made the same drive a year ago and like then, he'd done it alone despite the offers from every adult member of the family to accompany him. Back then, he'd been doing a terrible job of hiding his emotions, but still hoping everyone believed his charade - that he was healing and moving on. Everyone that knew him saw through it, but most didn't know how to help and he had been grateful for that because he hadn't been ready to accept it anyway.

His eyes had misted over as soon as they ran across Sydney's name on the large granite headstone. After placing a bouquet of her favorite roses on her grave, he stayed there for some time, praying and talking to her in his mind. He hoped she knew that he would always love her and that no one would ever replace her, but he was ready now to move on to a new chapter in his life. It had been cathartic and the tears he shed had helped strengthen his healing heart.

After the drive home, Jamie had walked into his darkened apartment and stopped in the entryway as a sudden sense of deja vu passed through him. He had frowned when he realized that it came from that same feeling of loneliness he'd get coming home every night to a dark, desolate apartment after Sydney passed. He hadn't felt that way for several months - since he first met Eddie. It may have taken them some time to finally get together, but just having her friendship in the beginning had been enough to bring a little light into his life.

Jamie looked around his small kitchen to see what he had left to do. He already had the pasta cooking in the pot of boiling water and placed the eggplant in the oven. He was reaching for a bottle of wine when a knock sounded at the door. "Right on time," he said to himself as he left the kitchen.

Eddie's bright smile greeted him as soon as he opened the door. "The smell in the hallway better be coming form this apartment, Reagan," she warned.

"Could be, but Mrs. Hogan down the hall is a pretty darn good cook," he smirked. His elderly neighbor had taken a personal interest in making sure he was fed from time to time after she had learned he was a widower via his gossipy landlord. Lately, after catching Eddie coming and going from his apartment on several occasions, she would just smile knowingly at him whenever they saw each other in the building.

"Hi," Eddie greeted Jamie properly and took a few steps towards him, going up onto her tip toes to kiss his lips.

"Hi back," Jamie whispered in between soft kisses. "Missed you this week," he said while returning the warm hug Eddie had pulled him into.

"Me too," Eddie smiled as she released him.

Jamie couldn't wipe the grin off his face and placed his hand on the small of her back as he guided her further into the apartment. "Come on. I'd ask if you brought your appetite but I know better than to ask stupid questions," he said.

Eddie pursed her lips to hide her amusement. "You promised me a home cooked meal so you better be ready to feed me," she stated while placing her bag and jacket on a living room chair.

"Don't worry. I am," he promised as he stepped back into the kitchen and uncorked the wine.

Eddie was welcomed into the kitchen with a glass of wine after which Jamie went back to work. "Mmm, that's good," she said after her first sip of the cab, her eyes widening at the sight of him moving about the kitchen with such ease. "Wow, Jamie. You made all this?" she asked as she looked around the kitchen at the simmering pots and then over at the dining room table which was set for two. "I'm kinda impressed. Most of the guys I've dated barely knew how to make toast."

Jamie smiled proudly as he took a sip from his glass. "My dad and grandpa always said you needed to know how to cook at least one good meal for a girl," he explained.

"Yeah? They sound like smart men. And...," Eddie paused as she opened the oven door to peak at what was baking inside, both impressed and surprised when she identified the contents of the sheet pan, "eggplant parm is that meal?" she said in astonishment.

Jamie shrugged. "It's a variation. Actually, my grandpa always said the meal should be linguini with garlic and oil, a simple salad and good bread," he recited from memory.

Eddie looked over at the table and then into the small pot of simmering marinara sauce. "I see the salad and bread. What happened to the garlic and oil?" she wondered.

Jamie gave her a sly grin as he took the larger pot off the stove and dumped the cooked noodles into the colander he had placed in the sink. "I then learned that it's not as much fun having to covertly pop mints after that dinner to make out with the girl," he explained.

Eddie laughed, but agreed with that observation. "Good point."

Jamie turned to pull the eggplant out of the oven and began plating their meals as Eddie looked on. "You know, my dad, grandpa and I have this tradition during football season: if we're all free, we get together at my dad's house to watch Thursday night football. The Jets are playing this week. You want to come with me?" he asked, taking a quick peak at his girlfriend to see her reaction as he continued filling their plates.

Surprised by the question, Eddie stood up straight from where she had been leaning against the counter. "Me?" she asked innocently.

"Yeah, you," Jamie confirmed with short laugh.

"Uh...I don't want to impose and that sounds like a guys' night kind of thing," she reasoned.

Satisfied with his culinary skills, Jamie wiped his hands on a dish towel and looked her squarely in the eyes. "You wouldn't be imposing. Besides, if you're up for it, I wanted to introduce you to them," he replied. And he really did. He'd kept things quiet when their relationship went from friends to lovers overnight, but he was ready to let the whole world know she was his girlfriend. And that meant introducing her to the family. But considering how overwhelming they could be sometimes when all gathered together, he wanted to take things slow and introduce her to the older Reagan men first.

"Really?" she said with some apprehension. She cared for Jamie a lot and figured this was coming at some point, but the fact that his father as also the PC and her boss made her extra nervous.

"Yeah, really. But if you don't want to, that's okay...," he trailed off with a gentle smile, not wanting her to feel pressured if she wasn't ready to meet his family. Jamie picked up the two plates and led them to the dining room table.

"No, uh, I do, it's just that your dad," Eddie explained as she followed behind, "he's our boss and I've never met him before."

They both took their seats, Jamie leaning forward to address her concerns. "He won't bite, I promise," he deadpanned, smiling as Eddie gave him an eye roll. "And the Commissioner's hat will be off. They're the easiest going members of the family too and I just wanted you to meet them...and they keep asking about who I've been spending so much time with these past six months, so...," he explained.

Eddie smirked. "So it gets them off your back?" she guessed.

Jamie chuckled. "Maybe, but I really do want you to meet them," he said sincerely while reaching for her hand. "You're important to me, Eddie."

Eddie could feel herself blush, but she didn't care. When she was the recipient of that look - the one that made her feel like the only person in the world that mattered - she'd probably agree to do anything he asked of her. "Then I'd love to," she said.

Jamie's face brightened and he squeezed her hand before letting go. "Great. Now let's eat because I slaved away in that kitchen all afternoon for this," he said.

"Just the way it should be, Reagan," Eddie quipped as she picked up her utensils, looking forward to the rest of their evening together and wherever else this new relationship took them.

Jamie walked into the kitchen from the dining room with the last of the dishes from dinner. His elbow bumped up against the door as he passed by it, setting it in motion so that it swung on its hinges and eventually closed behind him. To anyone who saw it happen, the move appeared accidental, but Jamie preferred to have a little privacy to run something by the older Reagan men.

Jamie placed the dishes on the island and dumped the scraps piled on the top plate into the garbage before walking them over to the sink where his father and grandfather were already hard at work. "I'll take over, gramps," he offered. Henry had been elbow deep in sudsy, hot water, scraping away at the food crusted onto one of his baking dishes while Frank was busy drying the glassware and utensils that had already been washed.

"Don't mind if you do. Thanks, Jamie," the older man said quickly. Henry pulled on the dish towel draped over his right shoulder and dried his hands and arms as he stepped away from the sink. Washing dishes was near the top of his most despised chores and he would never deny someone else the chance to do it for him. Henry took a seat on one of the stools at the island and finished his coffee as Frank and Jamie worked on.

Jamie finished washing the baking dish Henry had abandoned and handed it off to his father. "We still on for football this Thursday?" he casually asked the two men.

"Barring any urgent city business, I plan to be in my chair and in front of the TV with a glass of single malt before kickoff," Frank declared as he continued with his drying duties.

Henry brought his mug down and nodded at his grandson. "I got nowhere else to be and nowhere else I'd rather be. It's Jets-Giants this week, isn't it?" he asked excitedly.

"Yeah, it is," Jamie confirmed as he placed the last dishes in the sink.

"It'll be a great game," Frank said.

"Yeah it will," Henry agreed, looking forward to the match up.

"Uh, so do you guys mind if I bring someone with me?" Jamie asked nervously as he handed another clean plate over to Frank.

The plate in Frank's hand dripped onto the counter as he turned to study his son who was now very focused on scrubbing the next dish. "No at all," Frank answered with a quick glance at Henry.

Henry shrugged back at Frank while one corner of his mouth curled upwards. "Of course not," he said and quickly followed with, "Who are you bringing?"

Jamie turned off the faucet, leaving the few remaining dishes in the water to soak so he could turn around and face his father and grandfather. He knew his answer would lead to more questions and couldn't help but smirk at the hopeful expressions on their faces. "Eddie," Jamie said as he grabbed a dry towel from the counter.

Henry perked up upon hearing the name. "Your rookie friend?" he asked.

"Yes," Jamie nodded, pausing as he looked down at the towel in his hands, "...and, well, she's more than a friend now," he added shyly.

"Yeah?" Frank asked, pleased by the news.

"Yeah. We've been dating for a few months," Jamie clarified while dropping the towel next to the sink. He leaned back against the counter to let the interrogation commence, but he knew these two men would be the easiest members of the family to deal with.

"Really?" Henry asked. He wasn't surprised that Jamie was seeing someone; he had been a lot happier - more like the old Jamie - these past few months. He was just a little surprised that Jamie was finally admitting to it and that they were finally going to be meeting this Eddie that they'd been hearing about.

"Yeah," Jamie reconfirmed.

Frank mirrored Jamie's stance, settling against the counter to get the full story. "Are things going well?"

Jamie looked away, pursing his lips to keep the smile from splitting his face. "They are," he said as he glanced from one man to the other.

The expression on Jamie's face spoke volumes, confirming to Henry and Frank just how much this girl meant to Jamie. There was no need for further questioning on that.

"Uh, and so I thought it might be time to introduce her to everyone but I preferred not to just throw her to the wolves, so to speak," Jamie continued.

"Ahh," Frank nodded in understanding as he exchanged a smile with his father. "So a relatively quiet night with pop and me during some Thursday night football..."

"Would be a lot less nerve wracking than a Sunday dinner with the whole family. So, yeah, that was the plan," Jamie said, hoping the two men agreed with him.

Frank gave Jamie one of his patented smiles. "Sounds like a good one to me," he said.

"Me too," Henry agreed. "I'll make us something good for dinner," he promised.

"You don't have to do that, grandpa. I can pick up some pizza or something," Jamie offered, not wanting to make a big deal about this.

"Nonsense. I can't have her her eating pizza on her first visit over here. So, is she a football fan?" Henry asked. He was eager to learn more about the girl his grandson was so smitten with.

"Yeah. She is," Jamie replied.

Henry perked up again. He loved a girl who enjoyed football. "Jets fan?" he asked, not expecting to hear anything but a 'yes' in response.

Jamie grimaced, knowing how seriously his grandfather took the game. "Not quite."

Henry frowned at Jamie's expression while Frank looked on in amusement. He had a sneaking suspicion about what was coming next.

"What do you mean?" Henry grumbled.

"She's more of a Giants fan," Jamie said, realizing that this probably wasn't the week to bring Eddie over to watch football.

Henry's shoulders sagged a bit. "Oh...," Henry sighed, doing his best to hide his disappointment.

Jamie shared a look with his dad before turning back to his grandfather, concerned by what the older man was thinking. He obviously wanted everyone to like Eddie as much as he did. "Oh?" he parroted.

The slightly tentative expression on Jamie's face made Henry put a halt on any rush to judgment...it was only football after all, right? No one was perfect. "I won't hold it against her," he assured Jamie.

"That's mighty good of you, pop," Frank said with a chuckle before turning to Jamie. "So these wolves you're speaking of, Jamie...are they by any chance your brother and sister?"

"Was there really ever any doubt about who I was referring to?" Jamie snarked.

"Come on now. Wolves is a little harsh, isn't it?" Henry countered.

"I'm sure they'll be nice to her," Frank assured him.

"I'm sure they would. It's how they'd treat me in front of her that has me worried," Jamie admitted.

"Come again?" Frank asked.

Jamie sighed dramatically. "Eddie's assigned to the 5-4. She ran into Danny already and he told her about his coin collection," he huffed.

"So?" Henry said.

"So?" Jamie repeated, his eyes widening at the fact that he needed to remind these two about Danny's habit of torturing his brothers and sister. "What else is he gonna say to try and embarrass me?" he wondered out loud. "And you know once he gets going, Erin will join in."

Frank grimaced at the truth of that statement as he shoved his hands in his pockets. "Well, that's always kind of been their job your whole life."

"Exactly!"

Both men coudn't help chuckling at Jamie's despair.

"So Danny actually told her about his coin collection? And all the other stuff you're famous for swallowing?" Henry inquired.

Jamie let out another sigh. "Not exactly. He only told her to ask me about his coin collection," he said.

"And?" Frank prompted.

"And she did. Eddie's relentless when she senses a good story. Either I caved or she would have heard a more colorful version from Danny full of half truths."

"I gotta tell you Jamie, that whole thing you did as a kid sounds like a made up story all on its own. There's no need to embellish it," Frank said.

Jamie ignored his father's statement. "The point being that no one needs to retell that story," he said adamantly.

"Oh, and it's a doozy of a story. She really forced the whole thing out of you?" Henry asked doubtfully, knowing that Jamie would do anything to leave that story in the past.

"Yeah," Jamie sighed, smiling as he thought of Eddie's contagious laughter when he'd told her the whole story.

Henry chuckled as he shared a look with Frank. "I think I'm gonna like this girl."

The End

Thanks again to everyone that reviewed! I loved hearing your thoughts on this.

There have been questions about whether I will turn this into another series...I will have to think long and hard about that. If I do, I wouldn't want it to be like the other series where I follow the progression of their relationship (that would be too much of a 'been there done that' I think). If any one has any suggestions, I'm happy to listen!

Let's hope for a great Jamie-filled episode tonight! :)