Just Promise Me

Author's Note:

Amy and Camila's conversation in this chapter is related to Chapter 13 (I'll Always Support You). This chapter itself is not wholly based on it but, in case you do not understand the conversation between, you can have a look at the aforementioned chapter.

Hope you enjoy this chapter!
If you have any ideas or suggestions please do suggest.

'Wow, I had no idea your house was so big,' Jake said as he carried their bags and held the hands of their eight-year old son Mac and five-year old son Harry.

'Well, not at first. I mean, it was about the size of our house at first but dad kept on renovating it,' informed Amy as she carried a bag and held her daughter Liz's hand.

'Wow, eight kids under our roof back in Brooklyn sounds terrifying. But this place is huge!' Jake said as they entered the house.

'Grandma!' the kids exclaimed as they ran up to hug her.

'Oh, sweeties! How are you all?' Camila asked while hugging them. She then got up to welcome the parents. 'Amy! Jake! How was your flight?' she asked them.

'Oh, it was fine. The kids were a handful though,' replied Amy.

'Oh, I bet. But I hope you two are not too tired for tonight.'

'Oh, that's right!' exclaimed Jake as he remembered something, 'Happy fiftieth anniversary!' he wished her.

'Oh, thank you, Jake. Don't forget to wish Victor though!'

'I know you're joking but I do forget things easily. Could you please tell me where he is?'

'Oh, he's upstairs, first door to your left. That's where all the grandkids are. You could take Mac, Harry and Liz along with you.'

As Jake and the kids left, Camila turned to her daughter. 'It's so good to see you, dear. What's it been? One, one and a half?'

'Two years, mom,' Amy answered, 'Liz was a year old then and now she's three so…'

'I know. And I'm very sorry for my mistakes as is your dad for his. And I'm not just talking about my behavior that day but I had no idea you strained yourself when you were growing up. I'm so sorry. The last thing I want is for you to be mad at me.'

'Mom, it's okay,' Amy said as she hugged her mom, 'All is forgiven.' She should feel her mom smile.

'Just so you know, all the kids will be sleeping in one room and I've made your old room ready.'

'Thanks, mom.'

Just then, Jake came back down. 'Amy, why don't you give Jake a tour of the house? It's his first time here.'

As Amy was about to give Jake the tour, he saw the one thing Amy always talked about, albeit in a disappointed way. 'Ames?' he called. She turned her head around. 'Is that the piano you're always talking about?' he asked as he pointed at it.

'Oh, God,' Amy groaned. 'You know what? We might as well start from here,' she said as they walked over to the piano to look at her picture.

Amy gave Jake the full tour. The tour ended with Amy's room. 'And this,' said Amy as she opened the door, 'is my room, A.K.A. where we will be sleeping for the next one week.'

'Wow,' as he put their bags down, 'you got so many more awards than I imagined.'

'I know,' replied Amy, extremely proud of herself. 'Can you believe you're the first guy, who's not my dad or my brother, to be in this room?'

'Yes,' said Jake, holding a frame that showed Amy wearing big round glasses and carrying five books, 'Yes, I can.'

'Just put that back on the shelf,' Amy mumbled as she sat on the bed.

Jake laughed softly as he did what he was told. He always found it cute when Amy would pout and be upset. He sat on the bed, wrapping an arm around her. 'It's still awesome to be the first guy in Amy Santiago's room,' he said as he kissed the top of her head. That made her smile.

The couple decided that they'd take a nap to recharge. The 'nap' lasted for two hours. After getting up, they started getting ready for the dinner. This was no ordinary dinner. It was a celebration of Victor and Camila being together for fifty years. So, there would be at least a hundred guests, including the cousins and the friends.

'You know what? I've never really gotten to know your brothers even though we've been married for ten years,' Jake said.

'Well, you know they all live at least an hour away from where we do,' Amy said.

'Yeah, but tonight can be fun. I mean I could totally talk with them, have a few drinks.'

'Yeah, that sounds good. Just one thing though.'

'What?'

'Just don't talk about my work, okay? Like, don't even mention it.'

Jake was confused. 'What?' he asked, 'They don't like cops or something?'

'No, it's not that. I mean you can talk about your work, just don't even mention mine,' Amy answered.

'Okay, Ames, I'm so confused here right now.'

Ames got up and walked over to him. 'Look,' she said as she started making his tie, 'they're my brothers and I'm their only sister. Plus, I'm the youngest sibling. No matter what I do, they find a way to ridicule it, even if it is something cool.' She saw her husband got none of it. 'I know you don't really get what I said,' she continued, 'but a few years from now, you'll see what I mean when Mac and Harry take on Liz.'

'Wait, they bullied you?'

'No, not bully. It's just,' Amy didn't know how to describe it and sighed. 'Look,' she said as she proceeded to fix his collar, 'just promise me you won't mention anything about my work. If not for your sake, then for mine.'

'Okay,' he said.

'Thanks,' Amy said as she smiled a bit and kissed him on the cheek. 'I'm gonna go check on the kids. If I'm not back in ten, you can go down yourself,' she said. Jake nodded slowly but he was still trying to understand what Amy had told him.

A few hours into the party, the Santiago children and Jake found themselves all gathered in one place.

'I'm telling you, at the current rate, we're America's gonna be in debt in the next four years,' Andres said.

'Hey, speaking of debts, I caught a 16-year debtor, who kept killed his lender,' said David.

'Oh, shut up, David,' Raul said, 'Why do you always need to talk about who you sent to jail. You don't see Amy brag about being lieutenant.' All of them, including Amy, laughed. All but Jake.

Jake was confused. Yes, she told him not to talk about her work but surely they had to know how far Amy had come along in her career. She was the youngest captain in N.Y.P.D. history for crying out loud. He just had to say something.

'Oh, you guys should know, Amy's a captain now. Yeah, at the Seven-Eight. She's the youngest captain in the history of the N.Y.P.D.,' Jake said. All the brothers laughed as Amy gave Jake a look that could kill. Jake was even more confused now.

'Hey, how many officers transferred out the day you got in?' Juan asked.

'Do you make them do the paperwork again and again until it's up to your standard?' David asked.

Amy abruptly left, leaving their brothers in fits of laughter. Jake wanted to follow her but he knew when he was to leave Amy alone. Suffice to say the rest of the night was awkward for both of them.

After the party, Jake and Amy entered their room. Jake was waiting for the outburst.

'What the hell was that, Jake?' she asked.

Jake sighed. 'I don't know, I'm sorry,' he said.

'I specifically asked you not to talk about my job in front of them and that's the first thing you do.'

'I know that but come on, Ames. They at least needed to know you'd made captain.'

'They knew that!'

'They did?' Jake was so confused at this point in time.

'They just wanted me to say it, so that they could make fun of me,' Amy answered.

'Okay, Ames, I am so, so confused right now.'

Amy sighed as she took his hand as they sat down on the bed. 'Jake,' she said, 'what you did was very sweet. Anywhere else, I'd be proud of you for standing up for me. But these were my brothers. Everything is the exact opposite with them.'

'Ames, can you please just tell me why you don't want to talk about yourself in front of your brothers?' Jake asked.

'Jake, the reason's so stupid…'

'Babe, you married a stupid guy. I'm sure it's not worse than that.' That made Amy smile a bit.

'Okay, you know how I told you you're the first guy to come in my room? Well, the reason behind that is because of my brothers. We went to the same school and if they heard of me being asked out by some guy or even just me having a crush on a guy, they'd just walk up to him and say lame things about me. I know we're married and we have kids and we're so, so happy. But I don't want you or the kids to ever think I'm lame because your opinions matter to me.'

'Ames, trust me, you're not lame. You once chased and took down a perp in a wedding dress, you managed a citywide crisis while in labor, you're the youngest captain in the history of the N.Y.P.D., and, ever since you killed that roach last week, the kids think you're a superhero. Believe me, you are the ultimate wife/mother there has ever been.'

'Thanks, babe,' Amy said as the two of them kissed.

'You know, I broke a promise and I feel so bad. If only I could make up for it,' Jake said suggestively.

'Jake, as much as I want to, my entire family is here.'

'Oh, look who's lame now?'

'Oh, shut up!' exclaimed Amy as she pushed Jake down on the bed and started kissing him.