Chapter Twenty Five

Everyone but Henry and Jamie had finally left Jamie and Eddie's new house in Bay Ridge. While they originally fell in love with a house on the island, when a home very close to Frank and Henry's place came on the market that was all one story, Eddie and Jamie jumped on it. Jamie sat on the sofa with Eddie's legs in his lap as she rested her back and released some of the pressure on her back and bottom.

Jamie stroked the bottom of her feet up and down gently. Eddie had kind of been run over that day by the rest of the family. She was still recovering from the virus and Danny, Linda, even Frank had been in a hurry to help set things up. Eddie didn't even know how the rooms turned out. Jamie knew his family meant well, Eddie was still weak but he could see she felt it was just more of the same.

"How about we take a look at the house now that it's quiet?" Jamie suggested.

"I can't go back in the chair yet, I'm so stiff," Eddie replied, disappointed she couldn't explore her house.

"You don't need to go in the chair, I have better idea."

Jamie placed Eddie's legs on the couch then gently scooped her up into his arms. Jamie carefully carried Eddie around their living room first stop of the tour. "This is the living room where we'll sit and cuddle together. When we start our family we'll watch movies together." Jamie knew a conventional family was likely not going to be, but he and Eddie would have children in some manner, they both wanted it so badly.

Eddie smiled imagining sitting with their kids beside them laying on mommy and daddy watching the movie until they fell asleep. She could see Jamie lifting them and carrying the whole family to their huge king size bed.

"That sounds really nice, help with their homework, read to them until they can read," Eddie continued as she laid her head on Jamie's shoulder. "This room needs a redo for sure. No doubt," Eddie laughed. "That couch is ugly but it is comfy."

Jamie laughed moving to the kitchen, "Danny finished helping installing the last of the appliances today." The appliances were mostly black, and each modified to allow Eddie to operate them with straps, magnets, and in the case of the microwave, her voice.

"The kitchen is the soul of the house, don't you think?" Eddie asked Jamie. "Early morning meals, bill paying…at the kitchen table…" Eddie shut her eyes and imagined. "Our little ones coloring and stirring their imaginary soup…"

"You are going to be an amazing Mom," Jamie smiled. "You love with your whole heart."

Jamie kissed Eddie's head and continued walking her room to room. They stood in Henry's room, which would one day be the larger of two spare rooms. "This would make a good nursery, it's close to our room."

"Jamie, we still haven't made love and we are making all these plans for family. They are dreams, I know but…"

Jamie hushed Eddie with a soft kiss, "Dreams can come true. I know they can come true because I have you here, alive and well, in my arms. We'll have a family, we'll adopt two or three children and have family, I promise you."

Eddie sighed and shut her eyes feeling Jamie taking her to their bedroom with the big king size bed. "We will make love in this bed, we'll find out how. We'll hold babies here, we'll grow old here…"

Eddie smiled, "I'll wake you up after a long tour and we'll snuggle and kiss…we have so much time together, there's so much more to come."

Eddie shut her eyes again, she was tired and feeling all of her time being sick the last few weeks, sick and something else, something she couldn't quite remember, but when she could, she would have to act upon it.

"Do you want to pick out the new living room stuff?" Jamie asked settling down once again on the sofa that was left by the previous owners' son. It was generous of him to leave some of the furnishings given he had no use for it and his mother had passed.

"No," Eddie replied keeping her head on Jamie's chest. They had officially moved into the new house that day. Henry had his bed and belongings temporarily set up in the bedroom across from the master. The house was a large open floor plan, mostly modern with the exception of some very rough plumbing. Jamie knew it needed upgrading and some of the walls and flooring needed to be upgraded due to water damage. Jamie hired a worker to repair it the following week.

"What's the matter honey?" Jamie asked. "You're still feeling sick?"

Eddie shrugged, "I just don't feel right, but…" she sighed. "You have to work tomorrow. It's getting really late." Eddie lifted her head. "You better go, you have to work tomorrow." Eddie was trying to put on a brave face. The truth was she still felt weak and she felt that same odd eerie feeling she felt at the facility. Eddie knew it was all in her head, that she felt that way because of what happened, whatever that was. She had to get over this and move on with her life, her new life with Jamie.

Jamie was still at the house a half hour later fussing over Eddie. He made sure her bed was smoothed out and the belts secure in her tub. He made sure all of the appliances he and Henry had meticulously purchased were in working order and were secure so that a pull or tug would not move them. Finally Jamie began to go over Eddie's nightly routine with Henry causing the older man to laugh.

"Jamie, stop worrying! It's not the first time I've watched over her," Henry assured his grandson sighing.

"What if something happens, Pop? I know what to do. If she vomits in the night cause of her stomach or…" This time both Henry and Eddie sighed at his over worrying. Eddie was uneasy too but not for the same reasons as Jamie.

Eddie bit her tongue and pushed her fear down. Turning her chair around Eddie drove the short distance between them reaching for his hand in a slow calculated motion. "It'll be okay; I'm a lot stronger then I was last time and Henry is a great caregiver for me. I do feel better and I haven't been sick to my stomach in over a week."

Jamie smiled at this having seen how much Eddie improved. "I know babe, I just worry about you."

"I know you did that on tour too; drove me crazy," Eddie laughed teasing him. "But there's no need to worry, okay." Eddie didn't know if she meant that for Jamie or for herself.

Jamie leaned over and gave Eddie a kiss goodnight. "I love you, I'll come see you after work tomorrow. I'll bring Indian."

Eddie beamed, "I'll ask Henry to light some candles," she whispered. She'd already talked to Henry about dinners, he would eat with Frank when Jamie was over so they could have their alone time. Eddie had a lot of confidence in this arrangement.

Jamie looked up to see that Henry had given them space to say goodnight. He could hear his grandfather in Eddie's bedroom, soon to be their bedroom preparing her bath. Jamie knelt next to Eddie's chair, tilted her chin towards his own. Slowly Jamie parted his lips and parted Eddie's lips with his own. Their tongues touched and dueled together in a heated kiss filled with love, devotion and promise of so many things to come. "I love you Eddie," Jamie whispered as he pulled back. "I'm only ten minutes from here. I can run over if you need me."

Jamie combed his fingers through her hair, as Eddie slapped at his cheek. "I love you too, I'm going to be fine. I promise you. Sleep well and be safe, please."

"I will, Angel." With one more soft kiss, Jamie left.

When Henry heard the door shut, he appeared in the bedroom doorway. "Your bath is all ready, sweetie. You ready?"

Eddie nodded and drove her chair to the bathroom. "Henry, I just want to say thanks. I know most of this house is state of the art because of either your connections or your money and I…"

"You deserve it," Henry assured Eddie. "You fought long and hard to come from lying in a bed barely able to breathe to how you are now. You can almost put on your blouse, you can wash your face, do your hair and make-up, almost all on your own, I am so proud of that. I can't take my money with me, I want to see it go to good use, so stop being silly." Henry kissed the side of Eddie's head. "Let's get you washed up so you can rest, you need your rest honey."

Eddie nodded, "I do feel very stiff so I think I need a short soak."

Henry nodded and got Eddie undressed and laid her in the tub, fastening her belt and turning on the whirpool. "Move your arms a bit in there…show me how good you move your arms now."

Eddie had to smile, Henry was such a dear. She moved from her shoulder and her elbows wincing at spasticity in her lower right arm. "That hurts…"

Henry reached into the water beginning the bath and rubbing the sore muscles. "Your stomach is spasming, honey, you going to be sick?"

"No, but it hurts, Pop," Eddie sighed. "It hurts really bad."

Henry kept his focus and his cool lifting Eddie out of the tub and laying her on the bed. Henry gently rubbed Eddie's stomach, "It's right here, the torso, sweetie. Take some good deep breaths."

Henry spent an hour on Eddie's bedtime between massaging her torso and applying lotions. He was tired himself when he finally tucked her in. "You call me if you need, otherwise I'll be in at three to turn you." Henry dropped a kiss on Eddie's head. "I love you, my sweetheart."

"Love you too, Pop," Eddie replied her eyes already closing.

Henry went to lock up the house, set the alarm and make himself a bedtime snack. He called Jamie and reassured him that Eddie was feeling fine and had gone to bed.

"Thanks, Pop," Jamie replied letting out a breath he didn't know he was holding. "She's just still not right, you know?"

"I know," Henry replied. "I've got her, Jamie. You take care of you, that's what she needs you to do. That and make sure those people know one of their staff has frisky hands."

Jamie had already lodged a complaint at the assisted living, but with Eddie's memory hazy and no other complaints, there was little that could be done. Jamie knew Eddie planned to keep in touch with Melissa, that girl was a rolling version of the New York Post, if it happened, she'd know about it. For the rest of it, Jamie knew Henry was right, but that still didn't help him settle down, his Eddie radar was going off with good reason.

An hour later, Henry had just fallen asleep when he heard Eddie through the intercom. She wasn't' crying out in pain or calling for him, she was crying. Henry got up slowly and padded into her room, "You all right, sweet girl?"

Eddie pushed up and looked at Henry, "No…" she sobbed and turned her head. "I keep seeing it. I keep feeling it!"

Henry sat on the big bed next to Eddie and held her hand. "Seeing what? That nurse?"

Eddie nodded, "Yes…" She sniffled. "I think he did it on purpose. I think he did and I was so sick…I don't remember much, I can't remember and he might have do it to someone else. He might be doing it right now. I was a cop and someone might be getting hurt…and it's my fault."

Eddie buried her face in Henry's chest as she cried harder than she had in ages. She remembered sobbing like this in her father's arms when she was tiny, she so wanted her father's hug right now.

"It's not your fault," Henry soothed. "You listen. The man that touched you, he is sick. You were sick and vulnerable…it was his fault. It's not your fault he did it, it's not your fault that you can't recall details of him…you were very sick…okay? So you stop this now. Jamie already made a complaint, he's got eyes on it and when you feel better, you get eyes on it too. Do you want Jamie?"

Eddie shook her head, "God no, I can't let him see me like this. He thinks I spent all that time away to get stronger, I can't show this to him."

"All right, all right, sweetheart. Let me sit with you a bit, you'll feel better." Henry kissed her head and cuddled Eddie like he used to hold Betty, Frank, Danny, Erin, Joe and Jamie when they were scared. He was good at this, he was good at comfort, heaven knows he had enough practice.

Eddie did feel better cuddled in Henry's arms. "If that man or any other ever tries to hurt my girl again, I'll shoot him. I still have my gun…I'll use it protecting my family. Sleep knowing that…"

Eddie sighed, she felt safe here, in her house, with Henry watching over her. Slowly but surely Eddie felt sleep return to her and carry her away to a world of dreams, the same dreams that she and Jamie voiced earlier that night. Jamie was right, she always dreamt of having a family, and conventional or not, she had that now. Dreams did come true after all.

A/N: A lot of reviews and private messages were calling for Jamie and/or Eddie to take on the nurse that Eddie's felt touched her, but due to Eddie's memory and fog, she isn't much help…yet! There is a larger storyline here, but trust me, all scores are settled! Thanks for reading. I'm honored you take the time. As always, let me hear from you…I will try to reply as best I can.

Next Update – October 29th – Jamie and Eddie spent a quite night at home. Things heat up a little.