Chapter Nineteen

Jamie put his phone away inside his jean jacket happy to hang out but looking forward to cuddling with Eddie later.

While at the bar, Victoria sat with her friend Laura...she was a rough and tumble cop reminiscent of Claudia. "You got so lucky with your sergeant he is yum yum!"

"I know isn't he? Love when he looks at me with those eyes of his they are just dreamy."

"Too bad he's married," Laura sighed. "And I think she's pregnant."

Victoria polished off her beer setting it back down. "I know I don't know how I stay focused during tour with him right next to me all the time."

"You need to do that..." Laura replied. Get it out of your system I mean. I bet you that you could never get him to respond thought

Victoria raised an eyebrow at her "oh really? I spend a lot of time around him, I'm certain that I could."

"How certain?" Laura asked. "Put your money where your mouth is?"

"How much you want to bet I can have him in a week?"

"One whole paycheck," Laura replied. "One entire check."

"You're on," Victoria raised a glass accepting the challenge smiling broadly at her friend.

Jamie only drank a couple glasses of O'Doul's, not breaking his promise to Eddie not to indulge again. Victoria looked back at him preparing to approach. "Hey Jamie, can I buy you a drink?"

"Uh no..." Jamie replied. "I don't drink anymore."

"Oh well I was thinking how great a sergeant you've been and wanted to thank you." Victoria sat next to him.

"We've only been on the job a week," Jamie smiled. "But thank you is enough. It's part of my job to see you grow and change."

She moved closer smiling, "I know but I've learned so much in that week and I owe it to you."

Jamie shook his head, and smiled. "I have to go, I promised my wife to be home hours ago."

"It's just, we never really have conversations outside of work. Can we just talk for a few minutes?"

"Not tonight," Jamie replied. "I made my wife a promise. Another time."

"Well she's a very lucky woman to have you Jamie," Victoria smiled moving closer.

"I'm the lucky one," he replied, then stood up and left the bar.

Jamie stepped into the house a little after midnight. Eddie was in her flannel and sitting on the chaise reading a book, sleep having failed to come as she waited for Jamie to come home.

"Hey honey, I told you that you didn't have to wait up," Jamie greeted surprised to see her still awake.

"I couldn't sleep," Eddie replied. "I'm so tired from waiting up for you, but I couldn't sleep. Is everything okay?"

"Officer involved so we went to unwind a bit," Jamie replied. "Lopez and McKenna knew the guy that did it so they were looking for moral support. Come on, let's go to bed. I'm here now…"

"Jamie," Eddie sighed. "I know you are working hard and maybe I'm missing working too, but since you have your new rookie, we barely see you. I do miss you, but I'm way too tired tonight to continue what I had planned."

"I know, I'm so sorry," Jamie sighed. "I shouldn't have gone but…"

"But it's a brotherhood, I get it," Eddie got up and folded up the blanket she had on her legs. "I do get it."

Jamie nodded, "It's just been a run of bad luck with this rookie. But I'm off Friday and Saturday and we will spend those days together. I'll see if dad will watch the kids on Saturday, we can have a special night."

"The surprise is what makes it special," Eddie sighed. "Let's go to bed, you're exhausted, but I do appreciate in all this you kept your promise to me about drinking. I love you for that and much more."

Eddie's words touched Jamie's heart and broke it at the same time. He was letting her down. He was trying to be the best partner, best trainer at work but in that he was letting down the most important person in his life, and that was not acceptable to him, not at all.

Jamie pulled Eddie close to him, "I'm going to fix it, and I promise you I'm going to fix it honey."

Eddie sighed, she knew he was trying, they'd just have to try harder until things settled down. Nothing, not even long hours, could come between them, not anymore.

Eddie gave Jamie a soft kiss, then slid between the sheets turning off the light. Across town, Victoria sat and thought about the bet with Laura. Two weeks to get her Sergeant in bed, that shouldn't be so hard, his wife had him whipped and he was so masculine, she'd appeal to that and he'd be putty in her hands in no time flat.

She began her assault their next tour with a more vivacious layer of make-up and a winning smile. Jamie was on cloud nine after two and a half days with Eddie and the kids. "Sarge, here, listen to this!" Jamie called Renzulli over to listen to his phone. "Max, at Grandpa's house."

Jamie hit play and Max's rendition of New York, New York came out of the phone. "Oh wow, is that you playing?" Victoria asked. "Very talented on top of being a great trainer."

"That's my four-year-old son, Max," Jamie replied. "He's a musical talent like his mother. Isn't that something, Sarge?"

"He's a cutie pie, it's about time you brought those two back for a visit. They have to be ready for college by now."

Jamie laughed, "Not quite, but they do grow up so fast. Eddie's starting to show with our newest one, I found her wearing my pants today, she's going with Linda to get new clothes that fit."

The men shared a laugh of the common pregnancy pitfalls then Jamie hit the road with Tori to defend the streets of New York against crime.

"There, that's better" Eddie smiled. She was able to breathe again in the clothing she picked out. Jamie's pants were way too long."

"I remember having to do that having Sean," Linda replied. "Jack I didn't show until I was almost six months, Sean not so lucky."

"Do you have time for a quick bite before you have to go to work?" Eddie asked ringing up their purchases. She took care to choose very trendy and fashionable, the tops showed off her well-rounded breasts and accentuated her neck. She loved how they looked and how it fell along her body. Jamie would like it too.

"No, I have to run but it was fun shopping with you," Linda replied. "I'll see you next week."

The sisters-in-law hugged and Eddie loaded up her car with the items. It was early yet, the kids wouldn't be done playing at Carlos' until 4. It was the perfect time to swing by the precinct and put a face to the name Victoria.

Jamie and Victoria were processing a collar when Eddie came in. "Hey, Reagan!" Lopez smiled and went to hug Eddie. "How you feeling? You look beautiful."

"Thanks, Ronnie," Eddie replied. "I missed you guys, I thought I'd check in and see what's going on around here. Jamie got a new trainee and I usually know his partners."

"They're just in," Lopez replied. "Go on over I can help Victoria finish the collar."

Eddie smiled and headed over to Jamie, "Hey, there Reagan," she smiled.

Jamie turned and his face lit into a smile. "Hey, honey!" he pulled Eddie into his arms and kissed her. "Eddie, I want you to meet Tori. Tori, this is my wife Eddie, Eddie this is Tori, my new trainee."

Eddie was stricken by how pretty Tori was, she had short, full dark hair, dark eyes, and creamy alabaster skin. "It's nice to meet you," Eddie smiled and leaned into Jamie. "How are you liking the NYPD so far…?"

They made small talk, Eddie was astonished that even in front of her, Victoria kept batting her eyes at Jamie, touching his arm, smiling and praising him. Eddie laughed when Lopez went to help Victoria, "Okay, she is way into you. I didn't flirt with you that much when we were sneaking around. Oh man, you got a live one."

"Ah, no, it's not like that, it's just her personality," Jamie replied.

"I don't know about that, it's hysterical though, she didn't' even try to hide it. Guess she thinks since I wore your pants today…"

Jamie kissed Eddie on the lips, glad to see her happy and laughing. There was a time this would have made her angry at him, he'd gotten angry with her often enough over this type of thing. "You look good in my pants," Jamie replied kissing her smack on the lips. "Just scrumptious."

The entire precinct erupted in applause.

Eddie wasn't the only one that teased Jamie about Victoria. McKenna and several others made note of it too, she was if, nothing else, a big time flirt. A couple days later, Jamie made good on his promise to bring Max and April to the precinct to visit Renzulli. Victoria was working, she was assigned to Lopez to work on her paperwork. "Remember to hold Daddy's hand," Jamie warned the kids. April and Max both obeyed.

"Say hi to Uncle Tony," Jamie told them when Renzulli came out of the office.

"This can't be April, she's gotten so big. She's the image of Eddie though," Renzulli smiled. "You're a very pretty girl sweetie. Got a kiss for me."

Both kids hugged and kissed Renzulli then went and sat on the chairs by Jamie's desk. "Daddy, what this?" April held up part of his radio.

"That's the mouthpiece part of my radio, I use it to talk to the other cops," Jamie explained as April studied it.

"Hey," Victoria greeted. "I didn't know you were coming in today."

"I thought I'd bring the kids by to see Sarge,' Jamie replied. "This…" Jamie ruffled Max's hair. "Is my son Max, he's four and this is my daughter April, she just turned three. Max and April, say hello to Daddy's partner, Officer Tory."

"Daddy, gotta go potty," Max told Jamie not caring for this other person that wasn't Mommom.

"Well, let's go do that then," Jamie replied. "Tory can you watch her for a second?"

"Yeah of course, when you get back you should let me take a picture of you three, it will be adorable for your desk."

"Good idea," Jamie replied. "We'll do it when I get back."

Tory gave April a pen and a piece of paper to draw on. "Do you like to have your picture taken?"

"Yes, pretty picture,' April replied. "Like it…"

"Good girl," Tory replied. "Wouldn't it be fun if I was in the picture too? Should we ask your Daddy?" She handed the little girl a piece of candy.

By the time Jamie got back from the bathroom with Max, April and Victoria were fast friends. When Jamie set up the picture as Victoria suggested, April piped up, "Tory in picture too! Tory too!"

Jamie couldn't help but laugh at her, "Okay, honey, Tory too. We'll get a picture with Daddy's partner."

Tory took the photo selfie style, one child on each of Jamie's knees with herself draped around him. They were all smiling and with Max's darker coloring, it could have been a family shot. It wasn't and never would be anyone that knew the real family would know that, anyone except for Tory.

Eddie was trying on one of her new outfits when Jamie arrived home with the kids. "Hey, did you guys have fun?"

"We sure did, didn't we guys? Tell Mommy about what you guys did," Jamie encouraged chuckling at the kids staring at her.

"I color," April told her mother. "On police paper. Tory give to me. Max doesn't like Officer Tory. He didn't color." April loved to tell about her brother's differences.

Max crossed his arms tightly against his chest pouting, "No, I don't want to color." Jamie shook his head at Max going into the bathroom to change.

While Jamie was changing his phone beeped. The name that flashed was Tory. Eddie noted only Jamie called her that.