It was Friday night, Joe and Jamie were they were working the night tonight, hoping to bust the guys at a party going down tonight. Taylor had been briefed and met Brian who'd she be with earlier today and everything went well!

"Hey, why is Angelina here!?" Jamie said finding Joe when he got in.

"I told her she should could hang here until we were done and I'd take her home, I'm watching her place tonight anyway."

"So we're babysitting now?" Jamie said being a smart ass.

"No she's just sitting up front, minding her own business."

"She'd be safer at the hotel with an officer outside…say we bring her brother in tonight, there's no telling how she'll react, I want her out of here."

"Cmon man she isn't gonna do anything rash!" Joe argued.

"You don't know that!"

"I do!" Joe shouted back.

"You've known her what a week?!" Jamie raised his voice.

"Oh here we go…!" Joe rolled his eyes.

"Your damn right here we go, who put you in charge?" He questioned.

"I don't give two shits who wears the stripes here, it's called having a heart!"

"Guess no one ever taught you, you can't save every puppy in the pound?" Jamie argued back.

"God man, you're being an ASS!" Joe yelled.

"And you're not thinking straight!" Jamie argued.

"Hey!" Eddie interrupted with a raised voice.

"What!?" Joe and Jamie asked in unison.

"I can hear you guys from the damn locker room!" She scolded and then continued when they had nothing to say.

"What the hell is going on!? Why are you guys knocking heads so much lately!?" She asked.

"It's nothing. We're good." Joe said. Eddie raised a brow at Jamie.

"All good. I'll see ya at home." Jamie said, she gave one last glance before leaving them be.

"It's an order, we're rolling out in 15 minutes let's go." Jamie told Joe quieter and left the room leaving him not being able to say anything back.

——

Half hour later

Everyone was in the van. Taylor and Brian were getting set up with mics and cameras.

"I'm starting to get really nervous." She said as Joe was helping hide the wire better.

"Don't be nervous babe." Brian joked and elbowed her.

"Hey I'm not your babe until we get inside." Taylor laughed at him pointing a finger, Joe was in the middle of them and felt uncomfortable. At least Taylor called him out, she must not be interested in him, thank god.

"You'll be fine. Just act normal, and don't wander too far away from him." Jamie said.

"Why?" She wondered.

"Because if shit goes down…" Jaime said.

"Right. And why can't I have a gun? I usually carry!" Taylor asked.

"That's a hazard, we're not messing with that." Joe said.

"Don't you trust me?" Brian asked calling her out.

"Hey it's me. I got trust issues from my past. Sorry." She held her hands up in front of her in surrender.

"We're just thankful your doing this." Jamie told her.

"Hey who knows, maybe I'll wanna become a cop after this." She said joking and making everyone laugh.

A couple minutes later they left and headed in for the party. Joe and Jamie sat back watching and listening in.

"Hey guys! This is my boyfriend Brian." Taylor introduced to a couple of her friends. Joe practically gagged over the words.

"You've been hiding him from us!?" One of the girls said.

"Ha Maybe!" Taylor said laughing.

"Wait is this the one you…?" She stopped thinking Taylor knew what she meant.

"The one she what?" Brian interrupted. Jamie and Joe were nervous, was she gonna say something about being with a cop?

"Is this the infamous booty caller? Best sex you've ever had?!" She blurted. She caught both of them off guard. She was clearly referring to when Taylor was with Joe but that was months ago.

"Fiona!" Taylor snapped at her, she was embarrassed considering Joe and multiple other people were listening in!

"Ha…Damn." Joe said in the van laughing at the situation yet shaking his head in embarrassment.

"This isn't happening." Jamie said out loud to Joe feeling extremely awkward thinking about it.

"For your information this is not the same guy from back then…" Taylor told Fiona trying to remain calm.

"Give me some time I'll show that guy up." Brian said making a joke, little did he know it was Joe in reference.

"Okay next subject please." Jamie radioed to Brian's earpiece not needing any more information on his nephews sex life.

Taylor and Brian changed the subject to talking about the music that was playing and concerts they've been to.

"Sorry." Joe said glancing at Jamie.

"I'm not working a case with a girl your involved with ever again." Jamie shook his head.

"I promise I'm not a player. It just so happens-"

"Just so happens you screw every girl you meet?" Jamie interrupted.

"Oh c'mon man, you really think that?" Joe asked. Brian and Taylor were still just small talking with some of her friends about unimportant things, so Jamie and Joe could talk a minute.

"I just don't want you to have regrets. You gotta be careful, you already thought you knocked up Kelsey, don't just move on to the next and think it's not gonna happen to you." Jamie said.

"I'm not reckless. I'm very safe trust me. I met Taylor on a dating app a couple months back, we talked a lot first. Kelsey and I legit dated after Taylor broke it off and went back to her abusive ex. And then now with Angelina, it's not like that at all. I don't plan on sleeping with her believe it or not." Joe explained.

"You said you were gonna watch her place tonight, your telling me you're gonna sit in the hall all night? I was born at night but it wasn't last night." Jamie informed.

"Whatever, I don't owe you an explanation." Joe felt attacked.

"Your right…it's just, as an outsider looking in, it looks reckless, it looks like you just jump girl to girl, literally, and don't think or care about the consequences it could come with." Jamie said as nice as he could.

"Nah, it's not like that. Promise." Joe assured. Jamie nodded his head meaning he understand and was going to drop it. They both turned there attention back to watching the cameras.

The house was filling up with more and more people. Taylor and Brian hung out by the drinks so the cameras would get a good view of all the people.

——

3 hours had passed with no sign of Felix or Hector. It was getting late, and they didn't think they'd show up now.

"I think we should call it." Jamie said yawning.

"You think?" Joe wondered.

"By this time last week, I'd already responded to the call, the OD's already happened." Jamie reminded.

"True. Getting a little late, besides people are leaving." Joe said watching.

"I'm gonna call them out of there." Jamie grabbed the radio and told them to get out and leave, and that they'll try next time.

——

"That was fun!" Taylor said when they got back into the van.

"You did great." Jamie told her and she started to take her coat off, Brian helped her with her mic and stuff, getting it off.

"Here, I'll get it. You take care of yours." Joe became protective over her. He didn't want Brian pulling moves on her anymore, he just had to witness it in action the last 3 hours. Joe took over helping her and she kept talking about the night, she was on a high, it was quite funny considering nothing even happened, she gave them a good laugh though.

——

On the way back to the precinct, Taylor drove with Joe and Jamie so they could drop her off back home, she didn't have to come back with them considering nothing went down.

"Yup this is me." She said as Jamie stopped along the sidewalk to an apartment building. She lived in a really nice place, granted she probably inherited a lot of money from all the deaths in her family and she made good on a hygienist salary.

"We'll be in touch." Jamie said as she got out of the car.

"Sounds good." She said.

"Yup have a good night." Joe said out the window.

"Can I actually talk to you a minute?" She asked Joe hesitantly, her mood was different from earlier.

"Uh sure…" Joe said glancing at Jamie before getting out. Taylor walked into to her building, expecting Joe to follow.

"You got 7 minutes, no funny business." Jamie told him.

"Promise I will keep my pants on." Joe joked, Jamie laughed too with a head shake.

-

Joe followed Taylor inside and they just stood in the lobby area, no one was around to be nosey.

"Everything alright?" He asked her.

"I couldn't let that comment Fiona made go un-talked about." She said feeling awkward.

"Oh that. Ha, yeah, best sex you've ever had huh?" He blushed with a smile.

"Don't flatter yourself too much, my body count isn't that high." She said crossing her arms and smirking.

"It's all good." Joe was a good sport about it.

"Besides I think we're best just friends, don't you?" She asked. Ouch, that hurt his ego a little.

"Yeah, for sure..." Joe lied, he's never been this drawn to a girl before, each time he sees her he swears the connection is stronger then the last.

"Alright good. I just wanted to clear the air and make sure that didn't change things."

"Of course, we're good." He winked at her ready to head back out.

"Great. I talked to Ang, you staying with her tonight right?" She asked.

"I am."

"Good, she'll be able to sleep better with you there." She said crossing her arms, looking down at her feet and playing around with her sandal.

"That's the plan…" Joe told her with hesitation, this was so awkward.

"Have a good night alright?" He added when she didn't respond.

"Yeah, yup, I will. You too." She did a quick smile before heading upstairs to her apartment. Joe watched her a couple seconds before heading back out to the car.

———

I think Joe is still crushinggg on her!! I think Taylor is too but neither one of them will admit it. They just keep shooing the feelings off to where it's just all festering. I also love the banter Jamie and Joe have through this, they knock heads like brothers yet, Jamie looks at Joe as a son! It's so much fun. Leave your thoughts!