Chapter Twelve

When he returned Eddie was up brushing a hair from Mary's face. "Morning I brought breakfast."

"Hey, where's Bella Beauty?" Eddie asked. "Did you forget her in the bathroom like you did Mary when she was a baby?"

"Hey, I was a new father I didn't know any better. No, my Dad came by and wanted some grandpa time with her, "Jamie smiled

"Oh, good," Eddie replied. "Mary's fever is down so they are going to start some exercises later today."

"Good. You need to eat something Eddie," Jamie offered her the sandwich she liked.

"Is that a bacon, egg, and cheese?" she asked smiling bright. "And coffee?"

"Yeah that nose still amazes me. I bought juice too for you and Mary."

Mary heard her name and perked up a bit, "Juice for me?" She reached out for her drink. She looked much better.

Jamie laughed bringing the juice over giving her a hug before handing over the juice.

Eddie moved to sit closer to Jamie, she felt like she needed to be close to him now, to lean on him. "Did your Dad say anything about Sunday?"

"He asked me to mention to you about coming," Jamie watched Mary sip her juice

"I'll come, this time I'll come..." Eddie replied. "If they let Mary out Saturday like they said, I'll come."

Jamie kissed the side of her head, "That's fair. I have to work but I'll be back after."

Eddie nodded and waited, she wanted him to reach out for her.

"I love you Eddie, make sure to get some sleep too," Jamie kissed her head, hugging her

"I slept really well last night," Eddie assured him. "I love you, be safe."

"I'll call you later," Jamie kissed her one more time then gave one to Mary.

The doctor made good on his word to send Mary home on Friday, Eddie felt terrible she thought that she would prefer they didn't let her go so she could avoid dinner.

Mary was glad to be home and Jamie kept his promise taking the family to Sunday dinner.

"You tell Mommy if you don't feel well okay?" Eddie told Mary as Jamie pushed her small pink wheelchair.

"I will, Mommy. I promise," Mary said leaning back when Jamie lifted the chair inside

Jack and Sean hugged Mary when they saw her and Linda gave her a big kiss. Danny wasn't there, he didn't want to see her come in. Linda and Erin both gave Eddie a hug, "How you doing hon?" Linda asked.

"I'm taking everything day by day," Eddie smiled softly.

"Well, you don't have to worry about anything today, sit back and relax, we're making lamb..." Erin smiled.

"Are you sure I can't help with anything?" Eddie asked feeling bad.

"Not today," Linda replied. "We know it's a lot just having a sick child, never mind only giving birth two months ago and other things.." No one could speak of the loss.

Eddie sighed grateful they didn't say what the other things were. She looked back at Mary talking to Jack and Sean.

Jamie came over to her and slid his arms around her. "You okay? I'm right here you know, I'm here..."

"I know Jamie, thanks. It's just still hard," Eddie whispered.

"I know...you need a minute?" he asked. "Want to go upstairs?"

"Not yet but maybe later thanks," Eddie nestled against him giving a smile.

Jamie put a kiss on her head then got up to go find Frank. He was sitting in the den, "Danny went to pick up ice cream. He didn't think Eddie would come."

"Well she did come Dad, so I hope he's ready for it," Jamie said watching him.

"I hope we all are," Frank replied sipping a whiskey and rubbing his mustache.

Jamie let out a soft breath falling into his own train of thought.

Danny returned with the ice cream a bit later and put it in the fridge. Jamie was with Eddie and Mary, the little girl already tired. "Hey munchkin, how you doing?" Danny asked her softly as he came in.

Eddie instinctively held Mary tighter, she had to take a breath to quell her anger. "Eddie," Danny gave a small smile. Mary looked up at her uncle and started to cry. It was a loud shrill cry, a screech and a sob all at once. She had never made a sound like this before.

"Mary, it's okay. Mommy is here, ssh, tell me what's wrong," Eddie rocked her.

Jamie reached out for her as well and held both of them tight. Mary buried her head against them sobbing and shrieking at once.

"It's okay honey," Eddie tried to soothe her. "Can you back off, she's scared!"

Danny was shocked, he didn't expect Mary to react like that. Jamie felt sick, what did his little girl remember? He tried to take her but she held onto her Mommy.

Sighing quietly Danny turned and walked out of the room not wanting to upset anyone. Linda cleared out the room to give Eddie and Jamie some time to calm Mary. "What is it? Why are you so scared?

"I don't know just felt really scared," Mary sobbed.

"This is Grandpa's house and Mommy and Daddy are here," Jamie comforted with firm reassuring hands.

"I know I can't help it I got really really scared," Mary got more upset unable to say why.

"Jamie, let's take her upstairs to rest."

Jamie gave a quiet nod gently picking Mary up, "I have you honey, it's okay."

Mary fussed but Jamie carried her to the bedroom. "It's okay honey, Daddy has you," Jamie kissed her head settling Mary in his old bed.

Eddie didn't push her anymore, she just rocked and let her settle down. Mary cuddled against her mother's breast calming down to small sobs. She cried herself to sleep in her Mommy's arms. "Go on and eat," Eddie told Jamie. "Bring me a plate."

"I want to be here with her too Eddie," Jamie sighed watching Mary sleep

"She's asleep now and this is your family dinner as you made so clear," Eddie replied. "I can't sit at a table with that man.

Jamie sighed, "Eddie stay with her, but Dad wanted you here and so do I, this is your family too."

"I can't deal with him...She must remember him with the gun..." Eddie sighed. "If your father saw the tape he would understand."

"We don't know what she remembers Eddie, at least think about it okay? "

"I need..." Eddie began. "I need to just...go..."

Jamie sat down and pulled Eddie closer, kissing her head. "Breathe honey."

"It's not helping me..." Eddie replied. "Being here is just too hard, it's too hard."

"Okay come on do you need help getting up? We can go home," Jamie didn't like seeing her like this.

She was shaking head to toe. Jamie carried Mary down and put her on the sofa. On his way back he bumped into his father. "Dad we have to go Eddie is shaking I can't see her like this."

"Can't you at least try?" Danny asked. "I know that something terrible happened but..." Eddie blew her top.

"Something terrible?! You did this! Because of you we lost our-son! Our daughter is hurting!"

"You are babying her just a little bit...She's a tough cookie..." Danny noted.

"She is a baby, our baby! She's still little how dare you! You were supposed to protect them!"

"I was protecting them!" Danny shouted back.

"By drawing fire to them?! That's protecting them?!"

"I didn't!" Danny protested.

"You did and I know why you did too, becaue you only think of yourself, always yourself...I hate you for what you did and I will not sit down at a table with you again. You are not allowed near these children again. Ever!"

Eddie turned on her heel and took Mary, who had been awakened by the yelling to the car. Jamie quickly took Bella and her things to meet her. "I'm sorry, Dad."

Frank nodded and watched as a whole part of his family left devastated. Danny looked at Frank, "Well I guess this was a really bad idea."

"Daniel, the den" Frank commanded. "Now."

Danny hadn't heard that tone in years. He quickly followed Frank to the den and sat. "Why did you have to do that? Why did you have to push her when she got angry with you? She has the right to be angry with you and Jamie!"

"I was doing my job there, Dad! There were bullets flying through the air, at me!"

"And at Jamie and at her children!" Frank emphasized. "It's bad enough that both you and Jamie went against Eddie's wishes for the children. Unfortunately, she was right, it was too dangerous and one of those precious children, your nephew, my grandson, died and another, my granddaughter, your niece, is permanently disabled. You don't seem to grasp the reality of this. You don't…"

"I do!" Danny thundered. "I do know that Joey was killed, I relive that moment every single day. I tried to protect them, I fought back…"

Frank took a breath and turned on the tape.

"Are you all right?" Jamie asked as he drove towards their apartment.

"No," Eddie said stiffly, still angry and shaking. "I knew this was a bad idea, I knew it."

Jamie nodded, "I had no idea Mary would get so upset"

Eddie sighed, "Somewhere in that little head she has the image of her Uncle shooting at her, so yeah, I think she's scared to death of him. He is not to be around her again or Bella, and I swear to God Jamie if you go against me on this again God himself wont' be able to protect you from my wrath!"

Jamie nodded, "You don't' have to remind me every single time we talk that it's my fault! I know it's all my fault!"

"Stop…" Mary whimpered from the backseat. "Stop yelling…no more yelling…"

Eddie and Jamie looked at each other and inhaled sharply, "We're sorry, Buttons," Jamie replied. "Mommy and Daddy are just very tired and we miss Joey."

"Me too," Mary replied. "Joey would play at Grandpa's house with me."

"Yeah, he did," Eddie smiled. 'You hungry? What if we go to Denny's and get big pancakes? Would you like that?"

Mary smiled, at five things were so easy, they could distract her and make her smile with some special attention. There was no special attention in the world that would fix their hearts, not even from each other.