Chapter Fifty

Jamie was gone for a while running to find Eddie's favorite steak gyros at the food cart about twenty minutes away. While she was resting, her phone chirped, a message from Kara. "Sorry about Connie, you holding up?"

Eddie sighed, "He's a jerk, he couldn't stand the heat anymore I guess. Jamie got really angry, did he say anything about us?"

"No, he can't really say anything about anyone," Kara replied. "I'm surprised Jamie didn't tell you or that his father didn't tell him but Connie was arrested for suspicion of human trafficking this morning, it's been on the TV."

"I haven't watched, I've been getting out of the hospital and picking up the kids with Jamie, it's been an all day thing. Jamie went to get food and I'm supposed to be napping but…" Eddie sighed. "I can't believe he didn't tell me!"

"Well, I can!" Kara replied. "He's protective of you and you might be looked at too, I'm sure he wanted to have some more information before he got you upset. I shouldn't have said anything."

"I'm glad you did," Eddie replied. 'I got shot in the leg it's not like it's a heart attack. I'm not a shrinking violet."

"I know, but you know Jamie, don't' go too hard on him okay?"

Eddie sighed and hung up, she rolled over and turned on the news coverage for there area, it was true, Connie's face was all over it.

Jamie came back an hour later, "I couldn't get a gyro around here so I ended up with lobster roll. You have to move!"

Eddie didn't 'move it was pretty clear she was angry, her body was stiff and her eyes flashing. "What's wrong?"

"Why didn't you tell me?" Eddie asked. "Why didn't you tell me immediately!?"

Jamie looked at the news and saw Eddie knew the truth about Connie. "I was going to tell you during our lunch, Eddie. I didn't want to drop it on you at the hospital."

"And if IAB was waiting for me when I got here?" Eddie asked.

"I knew they wouldn't be," Jamie replied. "I spent a long time this morning talking to my father, it won't come anywhere near you okay?"

'No, not okay!" Eddie snapped. "We are in a relationship, as screwed up as it is, but we are and you shoud have told me. Partners remember? No secrets. This had to do with my job and it would have been easier hearing it from you!"

"I wanted to get you home and settled and speak to my father again before we talked, to see if he had more information,'Jamie explained.

"Excuses, excuses, you should have told me!" Eddie argued as April began to fuss. "Please bring me my daughter, leave the sandwich and give me some space. Please…"

Jamie sighed, he knew he should have spoken to Eddie in the hospital, but she had such a physical trauma he didn't want to upset her. Jamie headed downstairs to get April, "Come here little girl, what are these tears for huh? You missed Mommy? Come on with me, we'll go see Mommy."

Jamie carried April to Eddie's room and handed the baby to her mother. April settled on Eddie's bed, "Thank you. I need to think about this Jamie, please just give me some time. When we were partners you would've wanted to know immediately...the good and the bad. I'm his partner and you should've told me."

Jamie nodded, "I'll be downstairs with Max, just call me if you need anything." She's right I would've wanted to know immediately. partners are partners, good or bad.

Jamie sat on the floor to play with Max, "You okay, buddy? Come to Daddy." Jamie took Max and started to play with him. 'Daddy did a no-no,'" Jamie told the boy.

Max shook his head, "no no no no…" the boy repeated. Jamie laughed and cuddled him to his chest.

This was supposed to be a special time for them to bond, they were trying to make a family in a half a years time, all this time was getting wasted. Jamie stood up and went upstairs with Max, that would get some "family" time and he knew how to fix it with Eddie.

"It's Max and me, can we come in?" Jamie called.

"Yes," Eddie replied. "Come in…Hi Maxy.. Come see me?" Eddie held her arms out. He was as skittish as April was personable. Still, he loved to cuddle with Eddie and did so willingly. Jamie brought the spindles and a few story books and Eddie put aside her anger for the moment. They ate in Eddie's room and Jamie gave the babies their baths. He and Eddie cuddled the children between them and read them their books. Both kids fell asleep to Eddie's lullaby.

Jamie put the babies down in their bed and went to join Eddie. "I have to clean your wound and change your bandages."

Eddie sighed, "I'm sorry I yelled, but I'm very hurt that you lied to me, you knew and you didn't tell me the truth. This is about my partner, and now I'm on the hook…"

"No you aren't" Jamie replied. "I'm…"

"Yes I am," Eddie replied. "IAB is sniffing around then Jamie…if you dad stops it or diverts it…"

"He'll do his best to keep it off you, there's no way you were involved it starts way before you came back to NYPD, Dad will make sure that's known and that's all."

Eddie sighed, "I appreciate that part but…"

While they spoke Jamie's hands tenderly cleaned Eddie's wound and massaged moisturizer into the skin. "You hurting?"

Eddie nodded with her head turned to the side. Jamie leaned over and tenderly kissed the area where Eddie had been shot. "I'm so glad you are home and you are well. I'm sorry that I didn't speak up, but please know, while you think it through I have your very best interests at heart."

Eddie's hand covered Jamie's as he worked, "I know, but you can't do this. You really, really can't."

Jamie nodded, "Let's get you to bed, I'll be right next to you and hold you tight."

Even with the anger, the tension, Eddie wanted nothing more than to be held. "Just hold me tonight," she said firmly. "Just hold me."

Jamie slipped into the bed and pulled Eddie close, "Wake me if you hurt okay?" Jamie gave Eddie a soft kiss on the lips. "I love you."

"Sleep well, Jamie," Eddie whispered. "I love you too."

Jamie woke early the next morning, nothing helped break down Eddie's walls better than pancakes. It was their special breakfast, and he intended to fix her the coveted brown sugar and chip pancakes and feed her those confections in bed until all was well between them. Eddie had been resigned last night, now he would help her be forgiving.

Anita was in the kitchen beginning to make tea and juice for Eddie and Jamie. Jamie smiled, "I'm going to handle this today, can you just see to the babies, okay?"

Anita smiled, "Don't leave my kitchen a mess," she warned and headed to keep an eye on the little ones.

Jamie set to make the pancake batter from scratch, he'd even downloaded the recipe from the internet. Jamie made a stack of three pancakes for each with hot syrup and maple cured bacon. He carefully loaded the tray and carried the food upstairs to Eddie.

Eddie had just woken up and was reaching for her water when Jamie came in. "Hey, leave that I have coffee, fresh juice and Montana brown sugar and chocolate pancakes with maple bacon and syrup. Can you sit up?"

Eddie had some trouble pushing herself into the sitting position so Jamie put the tray down and helped her before serving her the meal. Jamie cut the fluffy pancakes and offered Eddie a bite. "Oh…you do not play fair," Eddie replied as she savored the bite. " You don't have to feed me, I can take care of that and much more myself."

"I know. But sometimes, you need to let people take care a little, you have to let me care even if I make a mistake and protect you too much," Jamie replied. "I know I did, but you were shot, you were sick and I wanted to make it better." He fed her another bite.

Eddie put her arms down after the first few bites and let Jamie continue to feed her. Eddie sighed, "We have to be a team Jamie or we don't work. We started because we were a team and had a common goal. We'll get through this with Connie, but not if one of us is in the dark all the time."

Jamie fed Eddie another bite of pancakes and a bite of bacon. She got a little drip of syrup on her chin. He put the fork down and kissed it off gently. Eddie smiled and moved her lips just a bit to capture Jamie's for a second. "I know you love me," Eddie continued.

Jamie cut her off, "I do love you, more than words, maybe even actions can say. It hurts when you hurt, I guess I was a little selfish then too. I didn't want you to hurt, I wanted to be able to tell you then fix it, I have to remember that's not how we work. We're a team plain and simple, and that's how we're best."

Eddie speared some pancakes with the fork and fed Jamie a bite, "Yes, it's how we're best. I think we need to learn how to share a little more. I need to learn to let you protect just a little bit more and you need to learn how to protect…a whole lot less."

Eddie's smile made Jamie laugh, he knew he got off too easy for this, but he and Eddie had an established relationship now, they could and would forgive each other's trespasses.

Jamie fed Eddie every last bit of the pancakes and bacon, until she was bursting at the seems and a bit sticky. "You need a bath,' Jamie laughed. 'You have it all over your face."

"Well, I wonder how that happened?" she laughed. Jamie only shook his head. "Let me get some plastic and gauze for the leg, then I'll set you up in the jacuzzi in there, that should feel really good on sore muscles."

Jamie left to the kitchen where he quickly cleaned up and located the supplies to wrap Eddie's leg.

No matter what contraption Jamie came up with the leg was going to get wet in the water unless something propped it up. That's when Jamie had an idea. "I'm going to put you in and leave your bad leg hang over until I get inside."

"Oh, I like this already, but what about the kids?" Eddie asked.

"Kids are sound asleep and Anita is listening for them, here you go…is it too hot?"

"No, it's perfect," Eddie sighed feeling the hot water and bubbles from the jets begin to relax her. She kept her wrapped, injured leg on the edge of the tub while Jamie sunk in and drifted so that Eddie was lying on top of him. Jamie bent his legs and served as a human cushion for Eddie. "How's that?"

Eddie closed her eyes, "I'm in a jacuzzi, in my house, with you holding me tight, I would say aside from a whole in my leg, I'm perfect."

Jamie moved a piece of Eddie's hair aside, "You are perfect even with the whole. Oh Eddie I was so scared, I can say that now you're okay. I was so scared that it was over before it even got started."

"I've know that fear too," Eddie replied holding onto Jamie's hand. "But you're okay, and I'm okay, the kids are great and soon we'll be a family, we will, I believe it with all my heart. Tom's off with Sue, he doesn't regret our marriage like I do, he needed it and at the time so did I. We had April coming and we put her first like you did for Max. To me, the highest form of bravery." Eddie stroked Jamie's hand as the bubbles massaged their bodies. "I love you so much for what you did of Maxy, fighting for him, that…"

"He's a good boy, and I love you so much for what you did for him too, I won't forget that,' Jamie replied. "I won't…ever…"

"I know, he was worth every penny and more," Eddie assured Jamie both unaware at that very moment the house was being watched again, though this time no pictures were being taken, just actions and habits mentally recorded for later use.

Even in their awkward physical position, Eddie and Jamie relished in the closeness. Jamie took the face cloth and washed Eddie's back and neck. He traced her breasts with the cloth the subtly let it drop and cupped her with his hands.

"Oh…' Eddie sighed. "That feels good, you feel so good."

She could feel his excitement growing at a rapid pace, the swirling of the water enticing him along with the soft curves of her body pressed against him. Eddie's golden hair was in a sloppy ponytail to stay out of the way while she slept. Jamie reached up and tugged on the scrunchie to release it. He brushed it all to one side with his fingers then began to wet the long tresses until they were damp enough for a shampoo.

Jamie shifted a bit to keep Eddie's leg out of the water while he worked on her hair. His fingers moved nimbly, pressing on all the right places. His hands were magic in her hair, on her skin…Eddie moaned but in pleasure not pain.

With a soft touch, Jamie reached down and felt the difference between the swirling water and Eddie's throbbing center. He knew what she needed, what she wanted and he was going to oblige her directly. "Hold on, sweetheart, hold on…"

Eddie's body was taking over, her hips wiggling upsetting the delicate balance of her leg on Jamie's thighs. "Easy…we can't…"

Too late. Eddie's leg slipped off Jamie's lap hitting the water. Jamie thought quickly, a gift of his genius, and pulled the plug before conjuring up the balance he had acquired climbing everything as a kid. He stood with Eddie in his arms, getting out of the tub and on to the soft carpet there, both of them laughing.

"I have to…" Jamie panted but Eddie was having none of that. Her leg could wait, right now other areas needed attention. She pulled him closer and took his lips, her tongue dancing with his, her hands and good leg fasting him in place with remarkable strength.

Eddie bucked her hips, urging Jamie on. "Love me," she said in a whispered demand. "Right here, take me."

"Your leg…" Jamie sighed even as his body was betraying his better sensibilities.

"Our hearts," Eddie countered and did him in. There on the soft rug, with infinite gentleness and hunger, they joined. Jamie slip his hands under Eddie's bottom to help her body meet his. The action resulted in a strong and deeper physical connection. He kissed her lips as her body spasmed around him to smother and absorb her cries of ecstasy and his own of sheer delight.