Jamie picked Gracie up early Saturday, despite his mother's request to keep her granddaughter until lunchtime, at least. It was a beautiful summer day in New York and Jamie was ready to have his little girl back in his arms. He wanted to take her to the park, he couldn't think of a better way to spend his Saturday. He promised he and Gracie would come over for dinner though.
Gracie was excited to see her dad. She had him wrapped around her little fingers too. Jamie knew it, and he wouldn't have it any other way. He loved it when he had the weekends off. He felt like he didn't get to spend enough time with her. Gracie, though, she never went without. Jamie was a better father than he gave himself credit for.
He pushed her on the swings and listened to her giggle. You would never know she lacked a mother's love. Jamie made up for that ten times over. He certainly had kept his promise to the little girl. The one he made her that day a little over a year ago when her mother left. She didn't know any different.
Gracie loved their time at the park. She would chase her daddy around, and he would chase her back. Dressed in a pink romper with her pigtails bobbing as she trotted around the playground, she looked like a doll.
Jamie earned his fair share of stares too, some because he was a handsome man, but mostly because of his admiration and devotion to his daughter.
When she wanted to slide, Jamie slid with her, when she wanted to swing, Jamie pushed her, when she wanted to do the monkey bars, Jamie held her up and guided her along. He would never complain. He would do anything and everything to make his little girl happy. Anyone could see that.
Their park time had to come to an end; however, when Gracie grew tired. Jamie took her back to his parents for a nap and helped his mother prepare for dinner that night. He always did love helping any way that he could and looked for every opportunity to do so.
It was early afternoon, and Jamie preferred an early dinner so he could get Gracie home in time for their bedtime routine. Bath time and storytime, that was important to Jamie , and Gracie loved it too. While his little girl napped, Jamie and his mother, Mary, started dinner.
His parent's house is bigger than his, but not by much. Since their kids were grown, his mom had made Gracie a bedroom of her own, and when the adored toddler made it clear how much she loved piggies, her grandma made sure they were all over her room.
Gracie was sleeping peacefully, and Jamie was attempting to make the pasta. His mother was a wonderful cook and to be honest, he missed her home-cooked meals. She insisted on homemade pasta, the stuff from the box is horrible, she would say.
Jamie would cook for him and Gracie when his work schedule allowed, but he wasn't anywhere the cook his mother was. He was struggling with the pasta and his mother thought it was adorable. The fact that he even tried melted his mother's heart.
She had her son's company for the afternoon and she loved that. She would also use the opportunity to talk to him about the pretty blonde girl that her oldest son had told her about earlier.
"Mom, this stuff is so sticky, how the heck do you do this," Jamie asks her, as he raises his hands to show her his failed attempt. Her grown son really is adorable with the gooey mixture stuck in between his fingers, but he is trying, and she loves it.
"Here, son…let me." She says as she shoos him out of her way. "Go wash your hands," she says laughing, shaking her head at him.
While Jamie washes his hands, Mary takes the opportunity to ask him about his night with Danny.
"How was your night, son?"
"It was great, thanks again for watching Gracie."
"You went out with Danny, right?" She is creating her opening and Jamie knows his brother must have said something to her.
"Yeah, we had a couple of drinks, ran into Erin too," he adds, hoping it would stop there.
"I heard," she says as she lets a cheeky smile escape. That was confirmation that Danny had given their mom all the details from last night.
"I also heard she has a really pretty friend and you're going to ask her out." His mother looks at him with hope in her eyes, and Jamie shakes his head, lightly pinching the bridge of his nose. He really wishes Danny was here right now, he owes him a swift kick in the ass for that one.
"Well, you heard wrong," he is quick to say. His mom stops what she is doing and looks at him and he doesn't miss the disappointment in her eyes.
"Jamie …"
"Mom…?" He responds with the same questioning tone.
"Danny said you had a great time with her, and that you told him that yourself. Why won't you ask her out?"
Jamie is starting to get annoyed, but mostly at Danny for not staying out of his business. He would never let his mother think he was annoyed with her. He was too sweet a man.
"Seriously mom, I just went on that date you set up for me like a week ago. Actually, I've agreed to every date you've set me up on in the last year. Why is this so important to you," he asks.
"I just want you to be happy, son," she tells him honestly.
"I am happy mom," he assures her as he reaches for the mixing bowl to start on the meatballs. She knows she isn't getting anywhere with him tonight, and she has no choice but to let it rest for now.
They enjoyed their time together almost as much as Gracie enjoyed her spaghetti. She was adorable the way she used her hands to shove the pasta in her mouth, and no one at the table cared about the mess that was being made by the toddler.
They managed to get through dinner without any more talk of Jamie 's personal life, and he was relieved. He enjoyed the rest of his weekend off with Gracie while they cleaned up around their home. Gracie had to help, of course, she loved to follow her dad around, and did exactly what he did.
Eddie spent the weekend with housework, laundry, and paid a few bills online. She found time to fit in a few phone calls to her mother and grandmother as well, and they talked about work and her upcoming trial the next week.
She wanted to tell them about Jamie and how she enjoyed herself outside of her apartment, with a man, for the first time since the attack she suffered at the hands of Jake Singer almost a year ago, but she decided to wait. She knew her family would have more questions than she cared to answer and she wasn't sure she even had the answers.
She knew she felt those flutters a couple of nights ago, but she still wasn't sure she was ready to accept anything more, and truthfully, she didn't know anything about Jamie other than he was her boss's brother. Was he single? Was he even interested in her? She was confused and knew she didn't want to talk about it for now.
On Monday morning, while Eddie is getting ready for work, she is debating with herself as she finishes her makeup. Should she ask Erin more about her brother? Maybe she will, but then, she also has her first big trial later this morning and decides that is where her focus needs to be.
She finishes her routine and puts on one of her best suits, a white pencil skirt and jacket, with silver buttons, and a light blue silk shirt. Her hair is once again in that French twist, and her appearance is most professional.
She smooths her jacket in front of her mirror before she grabs her purse and hurries out the door. She makes sure to leave with enough time to grab a coffee for herself and Erin before meeting at the courthouse.
Eddie is standing at the coffee cart outside the courthouse as she orders two large coffees, both black, for her and Erin. She hands the vendor a twenty and accepts the coffees and her change in return, dropping a few dollars into the tip jar.
As she turns around with a coffee in each hand, she collides into the man in line behind her.
"I'm so sorry," she immediately responds, managing to save both drinks from splashing on either of them. She realizes she has just plowed into a police officer.
"I'm so sorry, officer…I, she pauses as she meets his eyes. "Jamie ," she asks, confused. She had no idea Erin's brother was a cop. Jamie has already reached for her elbows to steady her before he realizes who she is. As soon as it hits him, he smiles at her.
"You're making a habit of this," he says to her. That grin of his is causing those butterflies to stir around in her again and she is embarrassed now. He did remember, she thinks, and she looks away from him briefly, wondering what to say next.
"I didn't know you were a cop," she says, the same time the vendor at the cart hands Jamie a coffee.
"Your regular, Sergeant," he says, as Jamie hands him a few dollars and offers his thanks. He shrugs his shoulders at her as they move out of the way for the next in line.
"Sergeant," he corrects her with a smirk, and she smiles shyly back at him.
"Right…sorry."
They walk together for a few minutes, Eddie is heading towards the court building, and Jamie isn't sure why he is still walking beside her, but he is. He is interested in this woman, and he isn't sure how to feel at the moment.
"So," she says to him. "I didn't think you recognized me the other night," and she sounds a little embarrassed when she says that.
"I didn't at first, you look a lot different with your hair down," he tells her as he smiles.
"I'm really sorry for bumping into you…twice," she says laughing.
"You can stop apologizing, you know," he tells her sweetly, wondering why she feels it is so important to continue to apologize. The flutters are taking over now, and Eddie has no idea what to say next.
"So," he says, and then they are interrupted by the static of Jamie 's police radio.
"3-2 Sergeant, burglary in progress on the corner of Centre and Walker," the voice announces, and Jamie clicks the button on the radio holstered on his shoulder.
"3-2 Sergeant responding," he replies, then releases the button. "I have to go," he says, tilting his head towards his car.
"Of course," she replies as she nods.
"Maybe I'll see you around sometime," he says hastily as he heads for his patrol car parked on the other side of the coffee vendor. He didn't realize he had walked so far away from it. Eddie is standing there, still a little dazed from the encounter and still trying to fight off those butterflies that are so active in her stomach right now.
And then, "Hey, maybe watch where you're walking from now on, huh," he shouts back, pointing towards her as he picks up his pace. He has a little time to make up for now, but he is smiling at her and all Eddie can think is about how sexy her boss's brother is, as she turns to walk up the steps of the court building.
Jamie makes it to his patrol car, throws it in gear, and speeds off. He is distracted though. All he can think about is the encounter he just had with Eddie. He isn't sure why he is feeling this way. He hasn't felt this way in a long time. He has been steady to reassure his parents he is fine and has no interest in dating anyone, but now he is questioning himself.
There is something about this woman that has his heart racing. He thinks about her as he rushes to the call he is responding to, wondering if maybe his brother and mother were right? Maybe he should ask her out. If he runs into her again, he might. But then, he thinks about Gracie.
Eddie is inside the court building now, and she greets Erin with the extra coffee. They had agreed to meet early to prep for Eddie's first trial in New York, but she is distracted and Erin can tell.
Erin seems concerned, wondering what is wrong. She hasn't gotten the impression that Eddie would be nervous about a trial, it's not like it is her first one ever. She had tried many cases in California before moving here, and she was very successful there.
Erin spends the next hour prepping Eddie and decides that she is ready, and they agree to meet for a late lunch when she is done.
Eddie managed to pull herself together and had a great first day in the courtroom. When she is finished, she heads down the front steps of the building to find Erin waiting for her.
"How'd it go," Erin asks her as she approaches. Eddie is flashing a grin that gives Erin her answer immediately.
"Amazing," she tells her with excitement.
"Good…you ready for lunch?"
The diner they had chosen is a few blocks away so they make small talk about the trial as they walk, and Eddie is wondering if she should mention her encounter with Jamie from earlier this morning. She still isn't sure about him, and the more she contemplates it to herself, she begins to wonder how Erin would feel about it and decides to keep it to herself for now.
As they approach the diner, Eddie grabs the door and holds it open for her boss. They are seated when Erin speaks.
"So, sorry about the other night," she says. Eddie squints her eyes slightly and tilts her head, silently asking her what she is referring to.
"My brothers," Erin reminds her. "They crashed our girls' night. I hope it wasn't too uncomfortable," she continues, apologetically.
"Not at all," Eddie assures her as the waitress sets two glasses of water in front of them. "Jamie is really nice," she says shyly, and Erin looks up from her menu abruptly, meeting Eddie's eyes.
Erin thinks she knows where this is going and begins to worry a bit. She knows Jamie isn't interested in anyone right now, and she is the only one in his family who respects that.
"He's unavailable," she tells her bluntly, and Eddie is shocked at the obtrusiveness of her statement. She hadn't said anything else about Jamie , so she wondered why Erin was so quick to announce that.
Erin feels like she needs to stop her before this goes any further. Truthfully, Erin doesn't think anyone is good enough for her brother and niece, and she doesn't want to see him get hurt again. She likes Eddie, but she isn't sure about her yet.
Every time Erin has asked her about why she left Los Angeles, Eddie's answer was always simply that she just wanted something new and different, and then she would change the subject. She didn't have anything more to say and Erin wondered if there was something she was hiding or running away from. She liked her though, so she left it alone. But now that Eddie was showing an interest in her brother, she feels she needs to protect him and Gracie.
Eddie nods towards Erin, then looks down at her own menu. She can't help but wonder if Jamie really is unavailable or if he and Erin had talked about her over the weekend and he just isn't interested. Either way, it doesn't matter now.
Jamie 's tour had finally ended, and he was picking up Gracie from his parents. He was later than he wanted to be, so he didn't have time for much conversation with them when he got there. That was a good thing because he was still struggling with the emotions he was feeling over the encounter he had with Eddie earlier that morning and he didn't feel like explaining himself to either of his parents that day.
Gracie was excited to see her daddy walk through the door, she always was. He picked her up and offered his mother a sweet kiss on the cheek, letting her know he was sorry he had to rush off, but he needed to get Gracie home. He knew the moment he saw his little girls' face that night, that she would be the only girl in his life for now.
A/N: Well there you have it. The first five chapters. Let me know if you like them and if I should continue to post the rest of this story. I know it's quite different from what we know about the show, and there are new characters, but as I mentioned, it's a total alternate universe that I enjoyed writing so let me know what you think.