A Fresh Start

Chapter Four: A Hard Discussion, a visit, and a New Path

Jamie made it home that night to find Spencer packing for another business trip. This time he was headed to the east coast for two weeks. He would be splitting his time between New York and Washington DC.

"How long will you be in New York?" Jamie asked knowing his family would gladly spend some time with him even if they only wanted details into Jamie's life.

"Two weeks. I'll be in several meetings."

"I can let my family know that you'll be there if you want a homecooked meal and need to get away from the city for bit."

"That would be great. So, what's going on with you?"

Spencer knew him better than almost anyone. Jamie didn't have to say anything.

"I had a heck of a day at work."

Spencer knew about the hostage situation the day before. The media had made it to the market just in time for the hostages to be let out, and Jamie had been holding the door open for them. There wasn't anyway that he wasn't seen by the cameras.

"Well, do you still have a job?" Spencer asked wondering if he would have to visit Jamie in New York again.

"Well, I'm not on probation anymore and I start ESD training next month."

"Wow, Reagan, what does Eddie think?" Spencer wasn't surprised that Jamie would qualify for this program, but from what he knew it was going to be intense. Granted Jamie did graduate first from Harvard Law, so if anyone could do it, he could.

"I don't know yet, and do not say anything to my family about my new path or Eddie. My dad and grandpa will be out here in right around the time you get home. I would like to tell them in person."

"So that when your dad has a heart attack you can call an ambulance right away and not worry about what's going on three-thousand miles away." Spencer laughed. He knew the Reagan's still struggled with Jamie's career change. "Oh, don't worry I will not be the one who breaks the news that you will be a ESD officer in LA to your family. I do NOT have a death sentence. It would be fun to tell them about Eddie though." Spencer laughed, again. "Now why don't you know how Eddie feels about this?"

"Because I haven't talked to her yet. I'm planning on asking her to dinner this week."

"Where are you gonna take her?" Spencer was really happy for Jamie.

"Actually, I'm planning on cooking for her, but I wanted to check with you if I could have the house for a night, but since you headed out of town tomorrow, I know that I'm good."

"The cleaning crew comes tomorrow morning too. I'll make sure that they know to do you side of the house too. I wish you luck, and I'm happy for you."

"Thanks. Ya know that I haven't really been in a relationship since Sydney, and this is big since she has Betty and I thought long and hard about moving forward because it's not just her that would get hurt. They've both been hurt enough. Spence it's crazy I haven't even known her that long, but I'm pretty sure that I love her, and that little girl. I haven't said it yet because I don't want to scare her off."

"I'm happy for you."

With that Spencer went and finished packing and Jamie called his grandpa to talk about his trip out west and told him that Spencer was on his way to New York and DC. He didn't say anything about the training he was going to start in a month.

His next call was to Eddie, asking her when she would be able to come to dinner and he had thought through things more and decided that he'd have his guest room ready for her to go to bed if Eddie couldn't get a sitter. At that time, he decided that going forward that he needed to plan all dates like that and even considered finding a sitter so that on nights when it needed to just be the two of them it could be. He decided that he needed to think through his dates with Eddie more than he ever had in the past. The good thing with Eddie being in the department is that she understands what the life is like the bad thing is that she hears things too and has some idea about what she wants to talk about.

Since Eddie lives in the guest house at her parents' house, she has a sitter most of the time, and her mom promised to watch Betty any night she wanted as long as they got to meet this young man soon. So, Eddie got to talk to Jamie about meeting her parents tonight. She wasn't looking forward to it. She loved her family, but they made her life very difficult at times.

Jamie made fresh fish tacos with an avocado salsa, a green chili rice and a strawberry cheesecake. He had his mom and grandpa to thank for teaching him how to cook. Being the youngest did have some advantages, although not as many as his brothers and sister thought.

"Dinner looks amazing, thank you." Eddie was used to guys taking her out to one of the many expensive restaurants and that are in LA, and she was excited when he invited her over and found out he cooked and hadn't order in.

"Thank you, I hope you like it."

"I know that you had something to talk to me about, but I have something to talk to you about too. From the smell of everything I know that I'm gonna love it." Eddie said nervously, but the food had her stomach rumbling.

"Would you like to go first, or do you want me to since you have an idea about what I need to talk about?" Jamie was nervous because he wanted her to meet his dad and grandpa when they came to visit.

"I'll go, when I dropped Betty off tonight my mom said that she would watch her whenever as long as her and my dad got to meet you soon. Would you be willing to meet my parents?" Eddie rambled nervously.

"Yes. I'd love to meet your parents, and I want to show you something after we finish dinner." Jamie had fixed up the third bedroom upstairs for Betty when they are over if she needs to nap or just have some time to herself. He could only imagine what his dad and grandpa were going to say when they got here and stayed in the room.

"I actually have two things to talk to you about."

Eddie was nervous. She was always afraid that any guy she dated would get scared and run.

"Ok, go for it."

"My dad and grandpa will be here in a couple of weeks, and I would love for you or you and Betty to meet them. I know that this is still new for us, so if you don't want Betty to meet them, I completely understand. I am all in when it comes to us and that us includes Betty for me, but I know my next news may change everything." Jamie paused waiting for any response.

"You're really okay with your dad meeting Betty?" Eddie was shocked.

"Yes. I even had planned on making chicken tacos tonight too incase she wasn't the biggest on fish so she would have something to eat in case you didn't have a sitter. Come with me." Jamie grabbed her hand and they headed upstairs.

"I need to have the next conversation with you, and I knew it wasn't something that she should be a part of, so I set up this room for her. I want her to be comfortable here and if she needs somewhere to go when she's here then this is her room. If you are working or going out with friends, I can watch her too as long as I'm not working. Once you trust me enough to leave her with me." He finished knowing that this was a big step and might have been too much. Eddie had tears running down her face and he wasn't sure if it was a good thing or not.

"Thank you, Jamie." She had to stop she wanted to say I love you. "I'm okay with all of this. She'll love this room. Honestly, I've only dated a couple of guys since she was born and one of them thought that she could just be with my parents all the time and tried to monopolize all my time. The other guy ran when he found out about her. He said that he didn't want anything to do with another guy's kid. Jamie, you've always thought about her and understand that we're a package deal. I would love for her to meet your dad and grandpa. Will they understand?" She didn't know much about Jamie's family.

"Family is everything to us. I would give anything in the world for you to be able to meet my grandma Betty, my mom, and my brother Joe I know that they would all love you and Betty. My mom and grandma Betty would've spoiled her like she did my niece and nephews. They would both wonder what the hell is taking me so long."

Again, Eddie was crying. She had never lost anyone that close to her and she couldn't imagine what pain Jamie lived with everyday missing so many members of his family. "okay" was all she could get out.

"Next month I start training for ESD. Chief Arborghast informed me today, and that I am no longer on probation." Jamie said in one breath afraid of the consequences. He knew being part of the emergency response team could be more dangerous that where he was now, and he was afraid that would be a no go for Eddie.

"I know I heard and I'm proud of you. That is an elite team, and you have to be invited to the training and it can open a lot of doors for you." She said with a small smile. She had known a few of the guys to be recruited for the FBI and other agencies. She was afraid he was going to get hurt or leave for a better opportunity.

"Eddie, I want to do the training, but I want you and Betty in my life too. If joining this division will mean that you want to break up with me than I'll continue down my current path." Jamie said honestly not even thinking about anything that Eddie was.

"Jamie, if we switched places, how would you feel?"

"I would want you to do what makes you happy, and if moving forward with ESD made you happy then I would support you knowing that you would be in more dangerous situations."

Eddie smiled knowing he would probably hate every minute of it but knew he would support her no matter what.

"Jamie, will ESD make you happy?"

"Yes."

"Then I support you."

The next week went by quickly and before he knew it, he was headed to Eddie's parents' house for a Sunday brunch. It was his only day off that week. Jamie was nervous and got more nervous the closer he got the house. He thought that he and Spencer lived in a nice neighborhood, but they had nothing on Eddie and her family. This was Beverly Hills and each house looked like a hotel, not even a small hotel.

When he knocked on the door Betty came running. "Jamie!" she said as she opened the door and jumped into his arms. A huge smile spread across his face. He loved this little girl so much.

"Are you excited about the beach tomorrow?"

"Yes! Mommy said that we can bring our bikes and ride along the beach for a long time and find somewhere to eat lunch too!"

"Yep, and who knows what else we'll find." Jamie and Betty both laughed.

Eddie had been helping her mom get the table ready. Her mother hadn't been happy with how the maid did it. She knew when Betty ran that Jamie was here.

"Hey Jamie. Thanks for coming." She looked down at Betty. "Why don't you help grandma help get the water on the table."

"Okay." Betty said and ran away again.

"Are you ready for this?" Eddie asked happy Jamie had worn a suit.

"Yes, I'm looking forward to meeting your family."

Eddie showed Jamie into the huge dining room where Betty was hopping around the table making sure that everything there and ready because she was hungry.

The table was filled with pancakes, sausage, scrambled eggs, omelets, hashbrowns, French toast, and a beautiful array of fruit. There was a separate area for drinks that had milk, chocolate milk, orange juice, tomato juice, and champagne. The chef and a maid were off to the side ready to serve.

"Jamie, this is my dad Armin, and my mom Lena, and my brother Alex. Everyone this is Jamie."

"I hear that you are a cop like my Edit." Armin says scanning the young man over trying to find something wrong with him other than just his job.

"What is your full name Jamie?" Lena askes thinking it's James.

"Jameson."

No guy will ever be good enough for Eddie after what happened with Betty's dad, so Alex starts to use his skills as an attorney to turn the heat up. It was a plan that he and his dad had cooked up. They didn't want this guy to stick around.

"Jameson, why a cop? Couldn't get into a good enough school for a better career?" Alex asked making Eddie's head shoot up and glare at him.

"Where did you go to school Jameson?" Lena asked curious. She hadn't agreed to the plan with her husband and son. She could tell how happy Eddie and Betty are.

"Harvard." Jamie said watching Alex and Armin's faces drop. "And most of my family is in law enforcement, but I chose to become a cop because I want to help people."

"So, you grew up poor, all of this must look pretty nice. I bet you think that if you were to marry Edit that this lifestyle could be yours someday." Armin said thinking of most people's reactions when they saw their mega mansion. Lena and Armin grew up without much and wanted nothing more than the life they had now, so they couldn't imagine anyone wanting anything different in life.

"You have a beautiful home." Jamie said, at this point he can tell what Eddie's dad and brother are doing. He was used to being interrogated by his family. It didn't bother him, and he was ready for it based on stories Eddie had told about her dad and brother when they were talking about family.

"Your mother is a cop too?" Lena asked wanting to know more about the boy that her daughter seemed to be in love with.

"No, she was a nurse."

"Has Eddie told you that we are all lawyers?" Alex asked.

"Yes, and that you own your own firm, and that you are all very successful."

"Being a cop is dangerous, do you have a backup plan if something happens to you, and you wouldn't be able to be a cop anymore. How would you support yourself and your family?" Armin glares figuring that Jamie doesn't have a plan. To him Jamie looks like a young kid with no idea what anything is or how life really works.

"I would work as a lawyer again." Jamie says with a satisfied smile.

Alex stared at him like he was nuts. "You've worked as a lawyer before. That's hilarious. Why would anyone give this life up, unless you sucked at it. Where did you go to law school?"

"Harvard." Jamie said dryly.

"I doubt that. What year did you graduate?" Alex said knowing that Spencer and Dana went to Harvard Law. Spencer was out of town, but he could call him and confirm.

"Two-Thousand-Seven"

Eddie couldn't take it at this point. "Alex, call Spencer Croft. They graduated together. He can confirm that Jamie not only graduated from Harvard but graduated first in his class from Harvard Law."

"You know Spencer?" Armin asked.

"Yes, he's my best friend and we were roommates at Harvard."

"Are you close with your family?" Lena questioned.

"My family is very close. Depending on what shift I'm working I typically talk to someone in my family every day." Jamie said while missing them a lot right now. He would take Erin and Danny fighting over anything right now.

"Jamie is the youngest of four." Eddie said ready to take Betty into another room if things didn't change soon.

"You have three siblings Jamie?" Betty asked without thinking that she might have interrupted her mom.

"Yes, but my brother Joe died a few years ago."

"I'm sorry. How did he die?" Betty felt sad for him.

"He was killed in the line of duty."

"What do they do?" Lena asked. She was very interested in his family.

"My sister is an assistant district attorney in Manhattan, and my brother is a detective."

Alex and Armin decide that they can't get Jamie, he's a cop and a lawyer and the looks that they were getting from Eddie meant that they would be in trouble as soon as she got them alone.

"Is your dad retired?" Armin wondered.

"No, he thinks about it every so often, but he's still working."

"What does your dad do?" Alex asks, this guy was somewhat of a mystery.

"He's the Police Commissioner of the New York City Police Department."

That seemed to shut everyone up except Betty. "What's that Jamie?"

"Ya know how your mom's and my boss is the police chief?"

"Yes." She looked up at him.

"He's the police chief in New York City. They just called it something different."

"Ok, cool, so when you worked there, he was your boss?"

"Yep. My dad was my boss."

The rest of brunch was nice and Jamie and Eddie both had to head into work. Betty was spending the day with grandma.

The next two weeks went by with Jamie and Eddie both busy at work and Eddie had asked Jamie to watch Betty a couple of days that he was off, and she wasn't. His schedule had begun to open up with his training getting closer.

Today was the day Jamie was waiting for, he was on his way to the airport to pick up his dad and grandpa. He had borrowed Eddie's car because he knew it would be easier for his dad and grandpa to get in and out of it. She was back at the house with Spencer preparing lunch for them.

"Hey dad, grandpa." Jamie yelled when he saw them.

"Jamie!" Henry said happily, he missed the peacekeeper. Without him it was a lot harder to get Danny and Erin to stop fighting. He knew it was a welcome relief for Jamie to have to be that peacekeeper each week.

"Hey Jamie. Do we have far to walk?" Frank asked, he was tired after a long day of travel.

"No, I'm just right here." He said as he walked them into the garage where the Porsche was parked.

Both older men's eyes widened.

"Wow, LAPD pays better the NYPD." Frank said.

"This is a friend's that I'm borrowing. They're back at the house."

The ride to the house is quiet. It had been a while since they'd seen Jamie and they know of at least one time during that time that they almost lost him. They both assumed that the car is Spencer's knowing that Spencer would give or let Jamie borrow anything he has.

Back at the house Eddie, Betty and Spencer are making spaghetti and waiting for Jamie to return home. Eddie was very nervous, but Betty was excited.

"Wow, nice house no wonder you haven't moved out on your own." Henry laughed.

"Yeah, actually Spencer convinced me to stay, and it's worked out well. Come on in, I have a couple people I'd like you to meet."

Frank and Henry stared at each other wondering what he meant. Jamie hadn't talked about his personal life much with them, often when he called, he gave them an update on work and what his latest adventure might have been. He'd recently done a fifty-mile ride on his mountain bike.

Once inside Jamie sat their bags down by the staircase and showed them to the dining room.

"Dad, grandpa, this is Eddie and her daughter Betty." Jamie said picking up Betty and putting a supportive arm around Eddie's shoulders.

"Nice to meet you both, I'm Henry." Henry said with a huge smile.

"And I'm Frank nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you Commissioner, Mr. Reagan." Eddie said nervously.

"Hi Mr. Frank and Mr. Henry, it's so nice to meet you." Betty said before burying her head in Jamie's neck.

"Come on everyone let's eat. Eddie, Betty, and Spencer have been cooking like crazy this morning." Jamie laughed.

"Mr. Jamie was sleeping because he worked very late last night." Betty said not keeping anyone's secrets.

"He did. Do you know what Mr. Jamie does?"

"Yes, he's a detective for LAPD, he helps people, and if mommy has to work, he watches me so I can do something other than play in my room while grandma has friends over or works."

"What do you do Eddie?" Frank asked curious, and a little worried that she might now know what she was getting into dating a cop. He was worried that Jamie could be hurt again.

"LAPD dispatch."

That threw Frank for a moment. Jamie's girlfriend was a cop too.

Lunch is a nice affair with friendly conversation unlike brunch the week before. Eddie and Betty are packing up to head home to get ready for a birthday party for a friend of Betty's and Spencer is headed out with some friends leaving Jamie to tell his dad and grandpa his big news.

"She's really great Jamie." Henry said happy his grandson wasn't alone anymore.

"How did you two meet?" Frank was curious if it was at a work event, since they were both LAPD.

"I was walking on the beach Christmas day when the little whirlwind that is Betty ran into me and knocked me down." Jamie laughed. This was something he'd never forget and always love. It was meant to be.

"Wait, weren't you hurt then?" Henry worried.

"Yeah, so we ended up sitting on the beach for a while, so I could catch my breath after falling. Eddie was mortified, but Betty was trying to be silly to get Eddie to laugh because Eddie had a bad day at work, and it was making her sad. Before we all left, Betty told Eddie that she needed to get my number." Jamie laughed remembering the way Betty asked and kinda pushed her mom in his direction.

"What's the deal with Betty's dad?" Henry wondered.

"He signed over his rights before she was even born. He was on his way to Harvard Law and had no interest in being a dad. He wasn't ready yet and was more focused on the money he would make being a Harvard graduate." Jamie rolled his eyes. He would never understand how anyone could choose anything over Eddie and Betty.

"What does her family do?" Henry asked wondering if they helped Eddie at all.

"They own their own law firm, and her mom, dad, and brother are all lawyers."

Jamie was waiting for more questions, all while getting more nervous about telling him his news.

"Something on your mind?" Frank asked curious about what was on Jamie's mind other than his girlfriend. He was nervous and he had nothing to be nervous about. Eddie and Betty were great.

"Yeah actually, next week I start training for the Emergency Services Division." Jamie said and waited for their reactions. He wasn't expecting them to be thrilled about this. His living so far away made joining this unit harder for him so he knew it would be the same for his family. This was something that no one in his family had ever done before.

"I didn't even know that you'd applied." Frank questioned. It seemed odd that this was the first time he was hearing about this big change. A lot had been going on in his son's life that he didn't know about. He wasn't sure how he felt about that. He and Jamie always shared a close bond that Danny nor Erin understood because they each had their own family and lives. Jamie could always tell when something was bothering someone, and even though he never shared his own problems he always wanted to listen if not help solve everyone else's.

"First of all, dad, I didn't apply to ESD. In the LAPD you have to be invited into the program, and as of about two weeks ago I'm off probation. What else is bothering you dad?"

Henry was sitting and watching for a bit before he got involved. Francis could react badly to things he was unaware of, and he wanted to be able to jump in and help Jamie if needed.

"Why didn't you tell us about Eddie and Betty?" Frank worried his son thought that they wouldn't approve of his life, or that his girlfriend had a child. He'd hoped he'd raised him to know that he would be accepting of his life whatever it was.

"I honestly don't know. In some ways when I'm with them we're in our own little world. Her parents don't really like me, and I was afraid that you guys may not like her or not like the fact that she has a daughter." Jamie said watching both of their faces to see what they were thinking.

"Jameson, we love you first and foremost. We just want you to be happy." Henry said feeling bad that his grandson didn't know that he could trust them with this information.

"I know grandpa, this last year has just been the best and worst of my life if that makes any sense."

"That makes a lot of sense Jamie. Things haven't been the easiest for you since you moved. I think that's why I'm wondering why you want to join such a dangerous division." Frank said thinking of the things that have happened since he moved to California.

"Jamie, do you want to move home?" Henry asked knowing that he could still get back in the NYPD since he hadn't been gone a year yet, but time was running down quickly.

Jamie stared for a minute at both of them. They thought California was causing problems for him. "No, I miss everyone, but I love California. I'm excited about ESD, and who knows what doors it'll open for me."

"What does Eddie think about ESD?" Henry asked wondering if he hadn't learned about Eddie because he wasn't serious about her, but that wasn't the Jamie that he knew, and from what he saw he could tell he loved her and that little girl.

"We had a long talk about it, and she supports me. She knows and understands how dangerous it is. One advantage with her being in dispatch is she hears about or knows about many of the calls. She was working Christmas Eve and she felt bad that she sent us into that situation and that she couldn't get us help fast enough. She's not Sydney, she knows what dating a cop means." Jamie finished know where they were going with this.

"Ok, are you serious about them?" Frank asks wondering if there will be a wedding in the future.

"Yes, I love Eddie and Betty. I haven't told them yet because this is still relatively new. We've only been seeing each other a couple of months."

"I'm happy for you Jameson." Henry had gotten up and given Jamie another much needed pat on the back.

"Thanks, grandpa. Dad are we okay?"

"Yeah Jamie. As long as you're happy, you know that'll I'll support you. Now you do understand that we'll be sharing all of this information with your brother and sister."

"Yeah, but I thought that I should tell you both in person. If this trip wasn't planned, I was going to tell you both about ESD and Eddie and Betty soon. I'll expect their calls."

Once the heavy conversations were out of the way Jamie took the opportunity to show his dad and grandpa to their rooms. Once there they could see that Jamie was serious about Betty since he had created a room for her when she stayed or was just over with Eddie. They weren't surprised, Jamie always was the most caring of the four children. He wanted to help and take care of people.

The next couple of days Jamie takes his dad and grandpa up in the mountains to show them where he loves to mountain bike and he, Eddie and Betty like to go hiking together. They end up having lunch at a local lodge and just enjoy the fact that no one has to work. The next day was Sunday and Jamie had found a church a while ago, and although he didn't go as often as he did back in New York it was still and important part of his life and after mass they made their way to the beach for fish tacos, and to enjoy the weather. Jamie hoped to show them how much he was enjoying his life out in California.

Monday morning meant Frank had to head to his conference, but for Jamie and Henry they got go for a big breakfast and Jamie wanted to take him and show him his current house and meet his partner, Andy. He knew that he would get hell showing up on his day off, but he knew his grandpa would enjoy it.

"Hey Andy, glad your back man." Jamie said as he walked in and was happy to see him at his desk.

"Ok, I know you love your work, but you're supposed to be on vaca." Andy laughed.

"I know, Andy, this is my grandpa Henry, grandpa this is my partner Andy and he's finally back."

"Nice to meet you, Andy. I hope Jamie treats you well."

"Sir, your grandson is an amazing cop and many others agree since he's headed to ESD training next week and then off to greener pastures, but Jamie here has solved some frustrating cases with some stuff that I would've never thought of before. I think he was born a detective and he made my life better because once he was here, I didn't really have to deal with the DA. He took care of all of that." Andy laughed.

Hearing that made Henry really proud. He wasn't surprised. Jamie was one of those lucky people that tended to excel at whatever he did. He could tell that Jamie was trying to get away from the attention. Jamie's always hated any attention. He never understood why, it wasn't as if he got a lot of negative attention. There was something behind that and he wanted to find out what, but he knew his grandson wouldn't talk about it unless he was ready and willing.

Next Jamie and Henry headed to the farmers market so they could make dinner for everyone. Henry had him invite Eddie and Betty over so they could spend more time with them. Frank and Spencer would be home from their days too. It was going to be a big night with everyone there.

The conference meetings were going well for Frank. The only thing he hadn't gotten yet was time with Arborghast. He didn't necessarily have ill will towards the man, but he'd only really had one conversation with him since Jamie moved. Jamie's move hit him harder than he'd realized. Since he lost Joe, he didn't realize how much he really depended on all of his kids. Jamie and Joe were his two kids that were the most alike, and best friends. He saw more of Joe in Jamie than anyone else and now that Jamie was living in California, he'd lost that connection. Now with this ESD thing he was really worried that he was going to bury another son, but again it wasn't his decision to make.

Finally, Frank got his wish, and the meetings were over for the day, and he was able to talk to Arborghast.

"Hi Frank. Welcome to California."

"Thanks, Dino. Looks like California is treating you well."

"It is and my wife is really happy. That makes a hug difference in my life. Have you seen Jamie yet?" He knew that this conversation had nothing to do with the job and everything to do with his son.

"Yeah, my dad and I flew in Friday night. Jamie and my dad had their own adventures today. I can only imagine the stories that I'm gonna hear tonight."

"Frank, when I found out that I was going to be working with Jamie during the Sanfino investigation he wasn't what I expected. I'd worked with Danny in the past and honestly those two couldn't be any more different."

"That's definitely true. I could only imagine your reaction when you found out about Jamie. I didn't want him working that case. He was almost killed with the Blue Templar, and then to infiltrate a crime family before he even had two years on the force was not what I imagined for him."

"Frank he may have only been on the force a little over a year, but that son of yours has more talent than anyone that I've ever met. I was shocked after the arrests were done that he hadn't been promoted to detective. I know I sent in some reviews and recommendations for him to my superiors and I tried to get him assigned to OCCB. Everything I did was turned down and I had a couple people accuse me of using him to elevate myself. Jamie proved himself by first not being called out as a cop in that bar. I heard that several off the officers were obvious that they were cops. No one in that bar ever thought Jamie was. He knows how to blend into different situations. He knows when to draw attention to himself and when to make people notice him."

"I know I heard. He made a couple of calls with Noble while I was in the room, and it amazed me how my son who I thought couldn't lie to save his life just transformed in front of me."

"Jamie impressed me the first time I met him, and each time after that. Yeah, there were a few times where he struggled, but I tempered that with where he was in his career." Arborghast was being nothing but honest with Frank. He knew that the harder questions were coming.

"He was never meant to be a cop, but I think he was the one who wanted it the most. Even more than Danny. I was surprised when you put in your papers and then I heard about this opportunity that you had and I knew that some would follow you, but Jamie said that you had been in contact with him for most of the year."

"Well like I said when Jamie didn't get promoted, I knew that was a disservice to him and the department. In LA you can't apply to be a detective until you've been on the force for four years, so I had to pull some strings, but once I went over his record, I was able to get approval. Jamie's great with the public and I promised him that he would get to pick a specialty after a year, but about a month ago he showed off his amazing talent again and I couldn't let it go to waste." Arborghast was waiting. He knew he wasn't meeting with the commissioner now, but a father of an officer in his command.

"Why the Emergency Services Division?" Frank asked as a worried father.

"A month ago, a guy down on his luck walked into a market and held ten people hostage while he grocery shopped. We had a big operation going on downtown with the FBI that had our hostage negotiators busy, and it was going to be minimum an hour until someone would be able to make it to the market." Arborghast could see the look on Frank's face, and he didn't think it was good.

"Was anyone injured?" Frank was worried Jamie had been hurt again.

"No, and that was all thanks to Jamie. He got a view inside the store and saw that the guy was distraught and hadn't noticed the police presence, so your son changed and made it look like he was just coming into pick up a few things. Frank he was able to talk the guy down and got everyone out. A few minutes later he got the gun from him. It was all against protocol, but his partner said it was amazing to listen to. He got the hostages and the guy out without anyone hurt. He reads people like no one I've ever seen. The mayor called me and said that we need to hire more cops like him. Those are skills that you cannot teach. I've recommended him for ESD to specifically focus on hostage negotiation and rescue, but he'll go through the entire eight-month program, so he'll graduate in November."

Frank was speechless. That was a bold move by any cop. He knew that Danny would have gone in guns blazing, but Jamie's tactics were something that he wouldn't have thought of. ESD made a lot more sense now.

"This is asking a lot and may be inappropriate, but would you keep me updated of his progress. Jamie isn't the most talkative of my children and tends to not share his successes. Thank you for taking the time to talk to this worried father chief." Frank said hoping that he stated what he truly needed to say so that the following day they could go back to just being colleagues.

"Yes, I've noticed that Jamie likes to fade into the background. I noticed that in New York. I'll keep you up to date. Frank Jamie has a bright future here. He's going to go far. I just hope I can keep him here." That call that Jamie had taken care of got a lot of attention on the department and him. The feds had taken notice and were already sniffing around. Arborghast hoped that his girlfriend was enough of a local tie to keep him in LA for a while longer.

"What do you mean?" Frank thought he knew what he meant, but Jamie wasn't even through his fourth year and hadn't even completed a year as an investigator yet.

"The regional direction of the FBI heard about the call, and they are curious about Jamie. With his law degree he's a nice fit in the FBI. If he decides to go that route someday, he could go far in the FBI or any agency he decides to go to."

"My dad had him pegged for my job someday. He figured he was the next Reagan in line for NYPD commissioner, I honestly don't care what he does as long as he's happy."

"I get that. My daughter is a social worker out here and my son is an EMT in New York. My wife is trying to get him to come out here, but that's more about her happiness than his."

"I know how she feels. When Jamie told me about this job, I wanted to tell him no, but he's an adult, and has been for a while. It's hard when you realize that they're not children anymore, and you've lost that ability to tell them what to do. Thanks for the time, Dino. I gotta head home, Jamie's cooking and his girlfriend's coming over again."

"See you tomorrow, Frank. Have a nice night."

With that Frank headed back to Jamie's house. With the start of the conference his detail had made it to town, and LAPD had given him a car.

Dinner's a great affair. Jamie and Henry made Henry's Irish stew full of fresh California veggies and nice big pieces of beef. Betty loved it and even had seconds. She had never seen a guy cook before. Grandpa hardly ever even went into the kitchen unless it was to get something to drink and even then, sometimes, he had the maid get it.

Eddie could tell that Jamie and Henry were close and they had a lot of fun in the kitchen. She and Betty were able to get there earlier than planned because her shift had been cut short because of the rookies in training. They were catching on so some of the vets were let go early. Jamie knew Eddie had a long day, so he just had her sit and relax. Betty helped butter the garlic break and stir the stew. Henry missed when the kids were all that small. He loved being around another younger kid, and not only did she love Jamie, but she shared the name of his beloved wife that he missed every day. He could see Eddie's love for Jamie too. He didn't think that she'd had the best luck dating since she had Betty. He was proud of his grandson he gave Betty as much attention or more when required as he did Eddie. Spencer was happy to have a house full of people and to hear laughter, and more than anything see Jamie happy. During the drive to LA Jamie had opened up to him about Vinny. Spencer knew that Jamie was struggling. He could tell he still had bad days and the domestic on Christmas Eve had set him back a little, that was until he met Eddie.

Frank felt good that Arborghast understood their conversation, and knew it went well and although he couldn't be there watching out for Jamie, he knew that he had someone watching his back. He made a note to watch out for his son too. When he got back to the house he heard laughing and specifically he could hear Jamie laughing and that was something he realized he really hadn't heard much of since Joe died, but really hadn't heard him laugh at all since Vinny died. He wanted to be comfortable, so he went and changed before heading into dinner. When he did get into the kitchen, he found out that they would be sitting in there around the island with the food on the stove. He was happy to see that Eddie seemed more relaxed tonight and he and Eddie were sitting at the island holding hands while Betty told Spencer and his dad stories about things that Mr. Jamie had taken him and her mom to do together.

"Hey sorry I'm late. I got stuck in a meeting. You guys didn't have to wait for me to eat." Frank said worrying that he might have pushed Betty's dinner back later than normal for her.

"Oh no, we wanted to wait." Jamie said happily.

"Henry and Jamie told us all about Sunday dinners today while they were cooking." Eddie smiled at both Jamie and Henry as she said it. It had been a really good day.

"Yep, most Sundays for my entire life and all of Jamie's life too. He even managed to make one at least once a month while he was at Harvard." Frank remembered how happy Mary had been every Sunday that Jamie made it back. The sicker that she got the more he made it home for.

"The way things have been this year even if I was back in New York, I'd have missed just about as many dinners with as busy as I've been with work. The way that my cases have gone I've been more likely to get a Wednesday or Thursday off than a Saturday or Sunday." Jamie said trying to stop the conversation from him returning home in any capacity.

"That's true and the only way out of dinner unless you're too far away to make it. When's school gonna be done Jamie?" Henry wondered knowing he wouldn't make it home before then.

"Early November, I don't have a hard date yet. If you pass courses above a certain level, you qualify for advanced and/or leadership training. You have to have an eighty to qualify at each level and if you fail one you just don't quality for that specification. Members of teams are picked based off of who passes each qualification."

Frank and Henry, they were interested in the training because they each knew that the program was based off of the New York STS training but had some obvious changes. Frank was planning on having a detailed conversation with Jamie come November. He was also planning on having the entire family out for his graduation if it worked. If nothing else, pop, Erin, Danny, and himself would be there if he had to pay for everyone to get there himself. Frank was so lost in thought he hadn't noticed that the conversation had changed.

"Thanksgiving is a big deal in our family. Every year we actually spend it in New York. We go to the parade and then have a nice dinner at whatever restaurant my mom picks in the city." Eddie was saying.

"Dad, I think I should be able to get some time off around Thanksgiving, would it be okay if Eddie and her family had Thanksgiving with us?" Jamie asked unsure if this was too much to ask too soon.

"That sounds great. I was going to try and get your brother and sister out her for your graduation, but if you'll be coming home a few weeks later we can just celebrate then."

"I have to pass first dad." Jamie said and blushed. He had heard stories of how challenging this was going to be, and he just hoped he didn't fail out or let anyone down.

The rest of dinner was spent talking about what they would be doing the next couple of days before Frank and Henry headed home. Jamie wouldn't go back to work until he headed to school the following Monday, but Eddie had to work Wednesday through Saturday. Two days later, Eddie, Betty and Jamie took Frank and Henry to the airport. Both men were happy and sad to be headed home to New York. Their trip was much different than they thought it would be.

They had an unexpected surprise at home. Frank's detail had picked them up from the airport and taken them back to Bay Ridge. Despite the fact that it was a Wednesday night the entire family was at the house making dinner waiting for them.

"What's all this?" Henry asked out of curiosity. He thought that Danny and Linda had to work.

"We just thought this might be nicer than coming home to a quiet house and take out." Erin said without giving away the real reason that she and Danny had planned this little welcome home.

Once dinner was served and everyone was eating, Danny's patience, as little as it is had ran out.

"So, how's the kid?" He had only talked to him a few times, and when he did nothing had changed other than Jamie now lived three-thousand miles away, Jamie was never big on sharing things about his life.

"Doing great." Henry smiled. He missed Jamie every day, but after seeing and spending some quality time with him and his family in California he felt better about the choices his grandson had made.

"Great, really grandpa. Every time I talk to him, he sounds exhausted. I think he's working too much." Erin said full of concern and hoped that her dad and grandpa had made headway in getting him to return home where he belonged.

"Well, that's going to get worse, he was accepted into a training program, and he starts on Monday." Frank said hearing Erin's worry but feeling the same as his father. For the first time in a long time, he knew his youngest was really happy.

"What did Harvard do now?" Danny wondered. Of course, his brainiac little brother would be back in school.

"He's starting training for their Emergency Services Division, that's similar to ESU here. He'll be in training for the next eight months. In LA, you have to be nominated to be accepted into the program."

"How the hell did he do that. He hasn't even been out there that long." Danny wondered, and the dirty look from Linda for the language wasn't missed by him. Tonight, wasn't going to be fun when he got home.

"Nikki, will you take the boys and get your homework finished and help the boys with theirs?" Erin asked if this was how Danny was going to act.

"Yeah mom, come on boys lets go." Nikki and Erin had a conversation about this on the way over after Erin picked Nikki up from school.

"He handled a hostage situation by himself in a way that no other cop I know would have and he impressed a lot of people. He's done a lot of things like that since he started there eight months earlier."

"Ok." Danny said not really surprised, but now more worried about his brother than before.

"Does he do anything besides work?" Erin worried, although she didn't have a life outside of work either.

"And if he doesn't start training until Monday, why didn't he come home for a few days before?" Danny asks, missing his brother.

"Spencer is good at making sure that your brother has a life outside of work. He has a lot of friends out there and he took me to the mountains where he loves to bike and showed me where he goes running on the beach." Henry said remembering the day that Jamie showed him around.

"Okay, well he's always been healthy and active, I guess living out there makes sense." Erin said sadly.

"And we met his girlfriend." Frank said with a smirk and waited for their explosive reactions.

"What's she like? How long have they been together? What does she do?" Erin rambled off faster than any questions could be answered.

"What's her name? What does she look like? It's not Sydney or Dana, right?" Danny asked as soon as Erin finished.

"Her name is Eddie Janko, she works dispatch for LAPD." Frank said giving minimal information knowing it would drive his kids nuts.

"She's a petite spunky blond." Henry said knowing that was a big part of why Jamie loved her.

"And she has the most amazing six-year old daughter who adores Jamie, and Jamie adores her." Frank and Henry smiled at the memory of meeting both Eddie and Betty.

"She has a kid?" Danny asked trying to imagine his kid brother as a dad. No, he was too young that couldn't happen.

"Yes, and she loves to help cook and she had presents for both of us when we arrived." Henry laughed at the cute little surf boards with their names on them and she made them little welcome to California cards.

"Here name is Elisabeth, but she goes by Betty, and she's the reason that Jamie and Eddie met. Betty ran Jamie over when they were all walking on the beach Christmas day." Frank said loving seeing Jamie in a fatherly role.

"Oh boy, the kid isn't even old enough to have a kid of his own though." Danny said without thinking.

"Danny, Jamie's thirty, you already had both of your boys by the time you were his age." Frank laughed. He knew he was guilty too, but his older kids needed to realize that Jamie was an adult now.

"No, he can't be." Erin said not wanting it to be true.

"It's true guys. Jamie is thirty, and I wouldn't be surprised if he's married with a kid sooner than later. I just hope that we're invited."

"Why wouldn't we be invited? It took us over a year to plan our wedding." Linda said. She couldn't imagine not being at Jamie's wedding. He was only six years old when she and Danny had met, and he had been a part of her life for a long time. She missed him more than her own little brother.

"Just a feeling, they've been dating for two months and none of us knew. They like living in their own little world, and after having all of us so ingrained in his life maybe he deserves a little of that privacy."

"But really dad. It's not like he's had it worse than the rest of us." Erin worried, because she could see Jamie eloping just because he hated attention.

"Erin, think about that for just a minute. He's the youngest, he's had me, your mom, grandma Betty and grandpa all giving input plus you Danny and Joe."

"And me." Said Linda being the first one to really understand what Frank was saying. No other member of the family had so much outside interference.

"But that's what family is, and it isn't any different than any of the grand kids." Erin said surprised that Danny hadn't opened his mouth yet.

"Erin he's your brother not one of the grand kids. You have to think of him as an adult."

After Jamie and Eddie dropped the family off at the airport, they made their way back to the house for a few relaxing hours before Eddie had to head into work. Since Jamie had the rest of the week off it had been decided that he'd take care of Betty for her.

"Eddie, I can't thank you enough for the last few days." Jamie said as they watched Betty play in the pool.

"Jamie, it was no big deal, your dad and grandpa are great. Betty and I had a lot of fun. She's going to be talking about that for a long time. I feel bad for her friends at school." Eddie laughed. Her daughter was one heck of a storyteller.

"Eddie I'm gonna say something and if it's too early I'm sorry, but it's how I feel. I love you." Jamie was nervous.

"I love you too, and so does Betty. She wanted to tell you the other day, but I wouldn't let her because I didn't want her to scare you off." Eddie laughed a little this time nervously.

"I love her too. So, with this training we might have to think through getting together more, but my schedule will be more structured. From what I know I'll have my nights and weekends."

"Yeah, but you're going to be tired. I don't want you to stretch yourself too thin." She worried. She's known a few others who had gone through the program, and it was intense.

"How about this. I'll let you know my schedule and we can plan day to day." Jamie said hoping that she understood that no matter what he had going on he wanted to see them.

"Sounds like a plan. After work I'm gonna head home and grab some more things for Betty and I since we'll be here until Sunday. Are you sure that Spencer is okay with us being here?" Eddie worried.

"Oh yeah, before I set up Betty's room, I had a long talk with him. Otherwise, I was going to look at some apartments."

Eddie laughed. "So, you gave him an ultimatum?"

"No, he's my best friend. I asked him. He's been home when Betty's been around and enjoyed his time with her. Eddie, he is honestly okay with this."

"Okay. I have got to leave now or I'm gonna be late. I love you."

"I love you too. See ya later." Jamie smiled and jumped in the pool with Betty.

Life was good and it was just going to keep getting better.