19

They gathered at a hot, new gastropub in Brooklyn, with Jamie, Maria and Kevin insisting on treating the 4th member of their pack to dinner, drinks and live music to celebrate his birthday. The table they secured was almost at capacity with the addition of McCoy's wife and Romano's fiance, both of whom were engrossed in their own conversation as the teasing commenced, all aimed at the two single men at the table.

McCoy led the playful attack against Jamie over the dueling cover song and thrum of the crowd. Gone was the animosity that existed between the two men at the start of STS. McCoy worked to let go of the misdirected anger aimed at the Commissioner's son, making amends by offering Jamie help with the skills he found challenging and Jamie chose to forgive and forget, sympathizing with the reason behind those initial hard feelings.

"We need to get Reagan here a date," be smirked. Both Sergio and Jamie were single, but the latino man boasted enough about his love life that the others preferred to stay out his dating high jinx. Reagan, on the other hand, seemed to be living the life of a priest.

"No you don't," Jamie assured him, content and relaxed after a long day. He was also very happy with his personal life and didn't need any help in that department, but he had yet to share that with any of these guys. Although, they would know soon enough.

He and Eddie had been dating for over a month and had progressed from the 'getting reacquainted' stage to a full-on relationship. They grew more serious soon after the mishap at his apartment and Danny's surprise arrival. Things were pretty close to perfect and the new couple spent as much time together as they could making up for the months they spent apart.

"Come on! You're the only one here without one!" Sergio blasted, believing his serial dater status somehow qualified him as 'taken' - the guy always had a date, they just didn't stick around for very long.

"Dude, you don't have a steady girlfriend!" Jamie reminded him with a laugh.

Sergio took a chug of his IPA and gave him a serious look. "I'll have a date by the end of the night, thank you very much!" he declared, having already eyed a few ladies at the bar across from them.

The other three ESU trainees did a synchronized roll of their eyes at the overly-confident man's prediction.

Jamie shrugged, knowing he better get to it and deliver the news considering that Eddie would be arriving soon. He invited her out for the festivities tonight since McCoy and Romano were both bringing their partners. He'd bonded pretty well with this group; they had become something of a foursome through training and while off duty, they often commiserated over meals and drinks about the one thing that brought them all together: STS.

Eddie was excited to finally meet the guys he was training with, but let's face it, meeting his new friends was a hell of a lot easier on an outsider than meeting a room full of Reagans. This was their first step to making their relationship public even though the family already knew Eddie was back in his life on a personal level. Danny had only given him a week's reprieve on airing his little secret - that's all his guilty conscience thought Jamie deserved after his Saturday night transgression. If he could get through the relentless teasing at the Reagan family dinner table, he could get through anything these guys had to throw at him, but he preferred to get it over with by the time Eddie arrived.

"I'm doing just fine. Anyhow, I am seeing someone," Jamie said, following the casual announcement with a long sip from his pint as he waited for their reactions.

Eyebrows shot up in unison, followed by the sudden thud of glasses being brought down onto the wooden table.

"No kidding!? I swear I was starting to think you were a monk or something," Sergio joked.

"How is this just coming up now?" Maria asked the others who'd also been in the dark. The brunette hadn't pried into Jamie's personal life after her blunder that first day of STS when she asked about his ex, Sydney, and he was forced to acknowledge his failed engagement in front of these guys, who were still strangers at the time. After a quick apology in private, Jamie never brought up that aspect of his personal life and she wasn't willing to stick her foot in her mouth again by broaching the subject.

Jamie's lips twisted into a sardonic smile. "I don't tell you guys everything."

"That much is clear!" Maria replied, playfully punching him in the arm.

"So who's the girl?" Sergio asked, eager for the scoop.

"Ugh, you make it sound like he's dating some high schooler," the female officer criticized his choice of words.

"That's not what I meant...plus, that would be illegal," Sergio quipped. "Where did you meet this nice, young lady?" he corrected, earning Romano's approval.

"At work," Jamie replied cryptically. But who was he kidding? Eddie would be here soon, they would both get bombarded with questions and most of it would come out.

It wasn't lost on them that Jamie Reagan was holding back on something, but they were cops too and they knew how to get to the bottom of a mystery.

"As in your old house? The 12th?" McCoy clarified. There were a few other female candidates at STS and although it was possible Reagan could have something going on with any one of them, someone from his former house made much more sense.

Jamie nodded and reached for one of the appetizers that had been delivered to the table.

"Really," McCoy drawled, exchanging looks with the others as he pressed on. "Interesting...so she's a cop?" he assumed.

Jamie nodded, distracted by a glimpse of blonde hair near the entrance, but it wasn't Eddie. "Yup, she's a cop," he confirmed.

"Cop from your old house, huh?" Maria repeated out loud.

"Is that even allowed? Like, if you were still there?" Sergio asked.

Jamie kept his mouth closed, busy enjoying one of the lamb gyro croquettes he chose for the table and purposely ignored the question.

"Nope, not allowed," Kevin answered. Everybody knew that.

Sergio kept the inquisition going. "So I guess it's a good thing you're not there anymore, but that leads to another question..."

Jamie swallowed the rest of the appetizer, hoping to bring this to a finish. He glanced again toward the front entrance of the restaurant and with no sign of Eddie, said, "Look, if this is your version of twenty questions, let's get it out of the way, all out of your systems before she gets here."

However, that backfired because it gave them permission to start the inquisition.

"Oh, hold up! We're going to meet this mystery lady cop tonight?!" Sergio belted out gleefully. Now he really had to get his ass in gear and find a date! Reagan was supposed to be his wingman and if he failed to find himself a lady tonight, at least they could be single and dateless together.

"Call her a 'lady cop' and see where that gets ya," Jamie dared him with a smirk.

"I like her already," Maria smiled.

"Well it's only fair, you've met our significant others, except Sergio's, of course, but that's only because he thinks he's still some sort of casanova," McCoy said.

"You laugh now, but I may meet the future Mrs. Campo tonight, in this very restaurant," Sergio warned, more determined as he scanned the ladies at the bar.

"Aww, is that your birthday wish?" Maria teased in good fun.

"Can't tell you or it won't come true," Sergio pouted.

"So what's her name? What's her story?" Kevin prodded, wanting to hear more before the mystery girlfriend appeared and Reagan shot them death glares to be on their best behavior.

"Her name is Eddie Janko, she's been on the force less than two years and we just started dating recently," Jamie said, giving them the bare minimum, but again, that's where he went wrong.

"Of course you did, because Reagan wouldn't break the rules," McCoy laughed.

"Did you both work the same shift?" Maria wondered.

Jamie shrugged. "I guess you could say that."

"'I guess you cou-'" Sergio repeated, his eyes narrowing at Jamie. "What are you leaving out, man?"

"Come on Reagan, spill!" Maria demanded impatiently. She saw how he was eyeing the entrance. They needed to get the scoop now or they may have to question his girlfriend. He shouldn't put it past them.

Jamie rolled his eyes and gave in, sharing the origin of his and Eddie's relationship in a whispered mumble behind his glass. "We 're pa-ners."

"What's that?"

"Say again?"

"We were partners, all right!" Jamie confessed, shaking his head at his annoying friends. "Wow, give you guys half an opportunity, and the questions just don't stop!"

"Woah!

"Ha!"

"Reagan!" McCoy cackled, thoroughly enjoying seeing Jamie squirm under their interrogation. "I guess I was wrong, maybe you do break the rules!"

Sergio was next to escalate the teasing. "Were you two making googly eyes in your RMP?"

One corner of Jamie's mouth curved upward at the variation of the joke already repeated at Sunday dinner and cleared up that common misconception: he may have had feelings for Eddie while they were riding together, but there were never any googly eyes! "In case you weren't listening, we recently started dating. I hadn't seen her in months before that."

The others traded dubious looks, but Sergio was the first to connect the rest of the dots. "Do the math guys, they were partners," he told the others.

"Yeah. So?" McCoy asked.

Campo didn't answer him, instead he turned to Jamie. "She doesn't even have two years on the job," he reminded them as he eyed his buddy.

Jamie's head dropped…he knew what was coming, but it was bound to come out, so it might as well be now.

"Were you her T.O., man?! You devil, you! You got the hots for your rookie!" he laughed, reaching over the empty seat between them to clap him on the back.

"It just keeps getting better and better," Maria giggled.

"You all done yet? She'll be here any minute. Don't make me regret introducing her to you guys," he warned, hoping the blush on his cheeks was gone before Eddie got here.

"Don't worry, Reagan," Maria said with a sympathetic smile. She brought an arm around Jamie's shoulders and tugged him against her in a show of solidarity. "I'll make sure they behave or they're going to get a swift kick under the table from me."

Through all the razzing, Jamie's attention was drawn from the entrance of the pub, missing the moment his significant other made her appearance.

Eddie walked through the front door of the restaurant, looking forward to seeing Jamie and getting a chance to unwind with him and his friends. The drive over to Brooklyn had taken longer than she expected. She was late, not the first impression she wanted to make, but she was here now and some good company and a tall, stiff drink was all she had on her mind.

The place was packed and lively; Eddie barely heard the hostess' attempt to help her over the noise. After letting her know she was here to meet a group, Eddie scanned the tables for Jamie. It wasn't until the party waiting in front of her was taken to their table that she spotted him. Her stomach fluttered, as it seemed to do so often when they saw each other these days, and a smile began to form on her lips until she saw her - the attractive, dark-haired woman with her arm draped over Jamie's shoulders, pulling him in for what looked like a hug as they both smiled and laughed at something she said.

Eddie wasn't a jealous woman, she really wasn't, but her insecurities had a tendency to come out and mess with her head. It was what sabotaged so many of her relationships in the past and it was what kept her from starting a personal relationship with Jamie last summer.

Now her stomach was fluttering for completely different reasons and she was rooted to the floor instead of walking towards Jamie. She didn't understand what she was seeing. It couldn't be what she was thinking because he wouldn't do that to her, but still….

Eddie was debating whether it was a good idea to join him when Jamie's head turned to the front of the restaurant, spotting her immediately. His eyes lit up and he sent her a bright smile as he pulled out of the other woman's embrace.

Eddie remained where she stood with a forced smile of her own, allowing Jamie to make his way to her.

"Hey," he greeted her, lowering his head to capture her lips in a kiss hello. "You made it!"

"Yeah!" Eddie said, faking excitement.

Jamie's head tilted, examining the forced expression on her face. He hoped she hadn't changed her mind about meeting everyone. "You okay?" he asked while affectionately running his hand down the length of her arm.

Eddie shook her head to clear her mind, hating the worried look Jamie was giving her. "Yeah, yeah, it's just been a long day. Traffic on the way over was murder," she said. It was the truth, but not the whole truth.

"Alright then, Janko, let's get you a drink," he smiled, giving her one more kiss before he moved behind her to help her out of her coat.

"Come on, I'll introduce you to everyone," he said. Jamie draped her coat over his forearm and took hold of her cold hand, dismissing the chill of her skin to the weather outside. He squeezed it gently to offer her some warmth.

"Great!" Eddie responded with the same forced smile, earning her another questioning look. If he had a hold of her wrist, his crazy human-lie-detector skills would have given her away completely.

"Let's go," she played along, relaxing her features and squeezing his hand in return. Eddie didn't want to ruin the night because her imagination was in over-drive.

Jamie led Eddie to the table and they were both greeted by five very attentive adults, all waiting for formal introductions.

"Hey, everyone, this is Eddie Janko. Eddie, this is everyone," Jamie began.

Eddie waved hello and smiled politely as Jamie went around the table introducing the group by name, beginning with Campo and McCoy and his wife. Eddie breathed in as Jamie moved along to the two remaining brunettes.

"This is Natalie Walker, she works in dispatch. And this is Maria Romano, also in STS. We graduated from the academy together too," he said, pointing to the last member of the group and the one that had just been embracing him.

Eddie nodded a curt hello, acknowledging the touchy-feely woman. She irrationally cringed to herself over the fact that Jamie spent all day with the dark-haired beauty and had a history with him, until...

"She and Natalie are engaged," he announced as Maria took hold of her fiance's ringed hand.

"When's the wedding again?" he asked. They shared it with the rest of them after they settled in with their drinks, but he may have been distracted by Eddie's imminent arrival.

"October, after training's done and I'm on a truck, hopefully," Maria answered, briefly turning to share a loving smile with Natalie. "It's nice to meet you, Eddie," she said to further welcome the blonde.

"Same here, all of you," Eddie said, her tense shoulders fully relaxing as she took a seat in the chair Jamie held out for her next to Sergio. She looked at Jamie, kicking herself for thinking the worst. "Jamie talks a lot about you guys," she added.

"Funny, our boy here hasn't said a lot about you," Sergio smirked.

"Quit it," Jamie cautioned lightly while signaling the waiter for Eddie's drink.

Eddie smirked, but she wasn't put off by Campo's comment. They enjoyed keeping their relationship to themselves in the beginning, or as much as they could considering Jamie had an intrusive older brother.

The night progressed through dinner, the conversation remaining as lively as the array of music coming from the band. These members of the current ESU class were learning more about each other via the significant others who held nothing back in sharing stories about their partners. Jamie should have known better than to worry about anything his buddies could throw at him or Eddie with the news of their budding relationship. If there was one thing he learned early on about his ex-partner, it was that she could handle herself in any situation. Her quick wit allowed her to fire back and deflect from the topic of their relationship. Unfortunately for Jamie, that involved poking fun at him and their time in the RMP together...

"So he steps up to the driver's side door of this obnoxious, red Mercedes roadster," Eddie carried on, sharing one of the many times the good Catholic boy in Jamie came shining through. She looked over at Jamie, whose head dropped into his palm at her choice of stories to share. "And let me tell you, it wasn't only the car's top that was down, if you catch my drift."

"Ah, jeez," Jamie sighed.

"Poor Reagan turned beet-red about as soon as he looked down at the redhead and caught a good glimpse of her girls. He had no idea where to look after that. He certainly didn't want to look me in the eyes."

"Ugh, I hate it when women do that," Maria grumbled. She'd heard plenty of those stories from other male cops and could read enough into their boasting to know that, more often than not, the women got off scott free.

"Speak for yourself...how come that never happened to me?" Sergio whined.

"So what did he do?" McCoy pressed. There was no way Reagan did anything but cite her and walk away.

"He pulls out his memo book, starts telling her he had to issue her a ticket, but was so distracted, he never told her what she did wrong!" Eddie laughed.

"I don't recall you making any attempt either," Jamie accused his old partner. She didn't say a word to help, she just stood on the other side of the car smirking at him.

"That's 'cause Miss Mercedes Benz only had eyes for you!" Eddie argued. Sure, she had the urge to take over the stop and burst the women's bubble that she had any possibility of getting out of the ticket, but it was too much fun watching Jamie squirm.

"You seem to have that effect on the ladies, Reagan! Who knew?!" Sergio cackled as he pointed at the couple.

Eddie really set herself up for that one didn't she? She glanced at Jamie who silently shrugged back in agreement.

"So what happened next?" Maria pressed.

Eddie laughed as she recalled the rest of the stop. "He proceeds to tell her she ran a light, but then she offers to 'party' with him if he would just forget about her little mistake, all the while making sure plenty of her was still busting out."

"How could you stand it?" Maria wondered.

"To see this guy all flustered, wishing the ground would swallow him up? I only wish I had popcorn!" Eddie teased, sliding her hand down Jamie's arm to take hold of his, before continuing.

"So he politely turns her down and then, she asks if he's gay or something."

"Because, of course, why else would he turn her down," Maria responded with disgust.

"You are so gonna pay for this, Janko," Jamie warned playfully, unable to do anything else but smile in discomfort. Any effort to defend himself would only make the teasing worse.

"I might have wondered the same thing," Campo snickered.

"So he tries to get all professional - still unable to look her in the eyes, mind you - and tells her," Eddie paused to clear her throat, deepening her voice to mimic Jamie's, "No, mam, but even if I were, you're still offering to bribe a law enforcement officer.'"

"He recites the New York Penal Code she's violating, that if he accepted her offer and did not write her a ticket, he'd be violating his oath as a police officer, he would lose his job and she would go to jail for bribing an officer."

"Of course he did! That's the rule-abiding Jameson Reagan we all know and love!" McCoy barked out in laughter.

"I'm doubting the love part right now," Jamie pouted at Eddie.

"Aww, poor baby," Eddie cooed, determined to prove him wrong later.

Once the table was cleared, they settled in with after-dinner drinks. The music had slowed and couples filled the makeshift dance floor, swaying to a familiar ballad. The conversation had died down as well, with Sergio off in search of his future wife and McCoy and Romano focusing on their own partners.

Jamie and Eddie sat quietly, holding hands and reflecting on what had been a good night so far.

Eddie's head moved to the rhythm of the music and she turned to Jamie when an urge struck.

"Hey," she said with a nudge of his shoulder.

"Yeah?" a relaxed Jamie replied, his eyes still focused on the band.

"Let's go dance," she proposed. The music made her want to move, especially if Jamie's arms held her close.

Jamie's nose wrinkled in hesitation, uncertain about complying with her request. "Nah. I'm a terrible dancer," he claimed gently. He always felt self conscious on a dance floor.

Eddie's brow furrowed, giving him her most endearing smile. "You don't have to be good, you just have to have fun. Come on," she pleaded.

"Don't be a wet blanket, Reagan. The lady is asking you to dance," Maria Romano commented from where she sat with an arm around her fiance.

"Come on," Eddie begged again. Jamie wasn't the clubbing type, so a night out dancing probably wasn't ever going to happen, but she didn't want to pass up a chance to slow dance with him.

Jamie caved easily at the puppy dog eyes she added, realizing he would never be able to say no to her again. "Alright, alright," he sighed, smiling at Eddie's obvious excitement as she led him to the dance floor.

The ballad ended as they found a spot in the back and Eddie feared she missed her chance, but the lead guitarist continued on his own, playing the first chords of an old jazz classic while the vocalist waited for her cue.

Eddie sighed, closing her eyes as Jamie pulled her close, one hand sliding down to the small of her back while the other cradled her hand.

Cheek to cheek, they moved instinctively to the music and the rest of the room fell away.

I see trees of green, red roses too

"See, this is nice," Eddie said softly as she caressed the back of his neck.

"Yeah, it is," Jamie agreed, breathing in the floral notes of her perfume. He may have two left feet, but this was worth looking like a fool among a bunch of strangers.

I see them bloom, for me and you

"I had a good time tonight," she shared.

Jamie pulled back, just enough to look into her eyes. "I'm glad. So did I," he said and brought his forehead down to hers.

And I think to myself,

What a wonderful world

"You got a good bunch there," Eddie declared. It still made her a little sad not to be riding with him or to call herself his partner on the job, but she was relieved he found his place within the department. And she wouldn't trade what they had now for the world.

"I do, just not as good as my old partner," he smiled.

Eddie leaned up for a kiss before bringing them closer, clasping both hands behind his neck as he hugged her to him.

I see skies of blue and clouds of white

"Jamie?" she whispered into his ear.

"Yeah?"

The bright blessed days, the dark sacred nights

"You dance just fine," she assured him and closed her eyes to enjoy the moment.

And I think to myself,

What a wonderful world

So Eddie met the friends, but we'll have to see when she'll dare to meet the family. First, we go back to hearing more about Jamie's training.