Chapter 11

A few days later, Jamie and Vinny followed Eddie into the busy midtown restaurant dressed in full uniform. Their faces were stoney; they weren't on meal break, but on duty to carry out a long overdue arrest warrant for one Jake Singer.

Eddie wore her own cadet uniform, her face devoid of any emotion, but on the inside, her stomach was in knots in a mixture of anticipation and fear of whom they'd be seeing today. After Jamie had stopped her from trying to stupidly enact her own version of street justice on Singer the other night, she'd cried in his arms until she had nothing left give. She'd felt so stupid, but Jamie had been a source of strength and comfort. She'd finally allowed herself to see that he had been trying to offer just that since he'd first witnessed for himself what Singer had done to her.

Eddie moved through the popular eatery and came to a stop when she spotted the person they were looking for.

Jamie stopped along side of her, placing his hands on his hips as he followed her line of sight. "Is that him?" he asked.

Eddie's stared at the subject of her nightmares and took a fortifying breath. "Yeah," she whispered, but did not take her eyes off of her assailant.

Jamie looked down at his friend. He could sense her nerves, but he knew she was determined to see this through now. "Ready?" Jamie asked.

Eddie looked Jamie in the eyes, thankful that he had her back. "Yeah," she said confidently.

Jamie nodded at Vinny before walking through a maze of people and tables to the rear of the restaurant. "Jake Singer," he called out as he neared their perp. Singer appeared to be a on a lunch date with another young, attractive blue-eyed blonde; it seemed that he had a type.

Singer's eyes widened slightly as he looked up at the approaching officers, but he paled when when he saw Eddie in her uniform behind them. "You...You're a cop?" he stammered through a nervous laugh.

Vinny walked around Singer and stood opposite his partner just in case they had a runner on their hands.

The raucous restaurant quieted to whispers as curious eyes turned their attention from their meals to the officers now surrounding the nervous young patron and his date.

Eddie stood tall next to Jamie. "Not yet, but that's why they're here; they're gonna arrest you," she told him, feeling as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders while also wishing she had done this sooner.

Singer laughed again as he glanced at his date and then at his audience as perspiration began to dot his upper lip. "Uh, what are you talking about?" he asked innocently.

"Get up, on your feet," Jamie ordered with a wave of his hand. "Hands behind your back," he added. Jamie was making sure they put on a show for the rest of the restaurant; humiliating Singer in front of the world was a little added perk on their part, which they were going to take full advantage of and thoroughly enjoy.

But Singer didn't move. He could only stare back in disbelief as he began to sweat in earnest.

Jamie looked over at his partner. "Get him up," he requested.

Vinny had been quiet up until that point but was happy to be in on this arrest. "Gladly," he said with a smirk as he reached to pull Singer out of the chair. "Get up!" he instructed more forcefully.

Singer slowly got up and Vinny belted out another order for all the restaurant to hear. "Turn around!"

Singer could only stare at Eddie, looking dumbfounded, and ignored the officer next to him.

"Turn around!" Vinny repeated. He grabbed the perp's arm to prod him along, but when he snagged it away, Vinny brought him roughly to his knees and cuffed him. "And now I'm gonna add resisting arrest," he grumbled as he fought to snap the second cuff around the struggling man.

"What's going on?" the startled blonde asked.

Jamie took the opportunity to announce the charges...loudly. "Jake Singer, you're under arrest for sexual abuse in the first degree and assault in the second."

"Get up," Vinny barked and pulled Singer to his feet.

"Sexual assault?" the wide-eyed blonde asked.

"No, this is all a misunderstanding," Singer explained to his date.

Eddie finally spoke up. She had only been able to stare quietly at Singer as Jamie and Vinny arrested him, but broke free from her spell when he claimed her assault was a misunderstanding. Eddie turned toward the other young woman, determined to make Singer pay for what he had done, even if it meant the whole world knew the truth about what happened to her. "It's not a mistake. He attacked me because I wouldn't have sex with him," she told the blonde. "Consider yourself lucky."

Jamie waited until Vinny escorted Singer out in handcuffs before turning to Eddie. "Let's go," he said softly and placed a hand on her back to motion her along.

Eddie's blue eyes met Jamie's, feeling like she could finally breathe again.

Jamie stepped out of the precinct and into another balmy, summer evening. He was dead tired after his long and hard tour and was ready to call it a night, but perked up when he spotted someone waiting for him at the bottom of the precinct steps.

"Hey," Jamie called out.

Eddie pushed off of the railing she had been leaning against and looked at up at Jamie as he made his way down to meet her. They had parted ways outside the restaurant after Vinny had manhandled an uncooperative Singer into the back of their cruiser. Springer had continued to resist arrest and whacked his head pretty hard on his way into the squad car despite Vinny's attempts to 'carefully' load him into the backseat. Jamie had promised to process Singer himself, encouraging Eddie to return to the academy - he was determined to not let Singer disrupt her life any further. She'd left without a chance to thank either of them, but Jamie especially. "So, I heard he won't be arraigned until tomorrow," she stated.

Jamie came to a stop one step above her. "Good," he said.

"Yeah," Eddie replied. She grabbed the strap of her purse, her thumb running nervously up and down the smooth leather strap as she looked up into his eyes. "Um, I just wanted to say that you're a real pain in the ass," she said with a shy smirk. It was always easier to joke around when she got nervous.

Jamie laughed softly.

The smirk fell from Eddie's face and she breathed in deeply. "Thank you for convincing me to come forward," she added, more seriously this time. She didn't think a simple 'thank you' was enough. She was more grateful than he would ever know, but she wasn't sure what else to say or do to express that to him. And on top of that, she felt horrible for the way she'd treated him during the whole mess when all he wanted to do was help her. Eddie was tempted to reach out and hug him, like he'd done the night he had convinced her to come forward, but she held back.

Jamie nodded. He didn't want her thanks; he was just happy he could help her. "No problem," he replied. "How're you doing?" he asked after a moment, his expression. soft and concerned - one that made her melt just a little.

Eddie wasn't sure how to answer and shrugged. "Okay, I guess." She looked at the people coming and going around them before glancing back at Jamie with a funny look. "I'm really hungry. I skipped lunch today to go arrest him with you," she said sheepishly.

Jamie chuckled. "Wow, and you haven't collapsed yet?" he shot back. "Want to go to Anton's and get some ribs?" he offered, remembering how much she enjoyed going there the first time they'd gotten together to study.

Eddie gave him the smile that made his mind go blank. "It's all-you-can-eat Tuesdays," she announced.

A smile remained on Jamie's face as he came off the last step and placed a hand on the small of Eddie's back, guiding her away from the precinct. "Yup. And with your appetite, we might just put them out of business," he quipped.

"Today, I just might," she admitted freely.

Jamie walked alongside her, dropping his hand to his side. They quietly strolled down the sidewalk for about a block, the whole time Jamie was thinking about how grateful he was that she was okay, or would be okay with a little time. He also hoped they could go back to hanging out together without the awkwardness or tension that had been surrounding them over the past week.

Jamie was pulled from his thoughts when he felt Eddie take a hold of his hand and haul him across the street.

"Come on, Jamie. Girl's gotta eat and you're moseying along Fourth Avenue like we got all night," she threw back at him over her shoulder as she led him to the curb.

Jamie quickened his steps as she pulled him along, gripping her hand in return. "Hey, I just worked a twelve hour tour. Cut me some slack, huh?" he complained, doing his best to sound put upon, but all he could focus on was Eddie's smaller hand in his and how right it felt there.

Once they reached the other side, Eddie didn't let go...and neither did Jamie.

"So bossy. I feel sorry for whoever ends up as your partner," he grumbled lightly.

Eddie's mouth dropped open. "Hey! They should consider themselves lucky!" she snapped.

"For what? Having to chase the perps while you stay with the car?" Jamie argued.

Eddie smiled at his reference to an earlier exchange. "That won't be the case with the mini-marathons you make me run with you," she complained.

"I told you, that helps you build endurance," Jamie reminded her.

"I can think of more pleasurable ways to do that," she snapped back with a seductive little grin as they reached their destination. Eddie released his hand to open the door of the restaurant and quickly walked in.

She left behind a bewildered Jamie who stood there until the door almost closed on him. Jamie shook his head and smiled, snatching the handle and pulling the door open just before it shut completely. "I'm in so much trouble," he whispered as he went in search of his dining companion.