Last chapter. Posting early because I am ready to finish up with this story.

Chapter 11

Jamie pulled his car up along one of the many winding roads through Green-Wood Cemetery searching for the section the woman at the office had directed him to. He'd meant to come out here sooner after the verdict, but he'd gotten caught up in one thing or another and had just never made it out.

Jamie came to a stop once he found the area he was looking for, putting the car in park and shutting off the engine, but he remained in his seat. He stared out across the large green expanse nestled in the middle of Brooklyn and realized he was just trying to kid himself. The reason he hadn't come out here wasn't because he'd been working or busy with anything else, but because like that first day after everything happened back in August, he'd wanted to avoid it. The trial should have been the end of it, but it all just kept niggling at the back of his head. The funeral had provided some closure. The trial, however, had reopened a wound that had managed to slowly heal and, although, he hadn't reverted into an angry, hollow shell of himself, it still weighed on his heart.

Despite the fact that the jury found Brian Monroe guilty of the murder charges, closure for him was not only seeing Aidan's father pay for his crimes, but accepting fully that he did all he could for the boy and that he couldn't take blame for someone else's actions. He'd always wish his help would have come sooner, but he knew there was nothing else he could have done differently to change the outcome.

Jamie grabbed a small bouquet of flowers from the passenger's seat and stepped out of the car. There was a chill in the late fall air and he zipped his jacket up just a little further to block it out. Jamie made his way to the front of the car and studied the small map from the cemetery office. He looked to the left and spotted the newly placed headstone about fifty feet away, surrounded by squares of recently laid sod that stood out against the rest of the lawn. He walked across the lawn and studied the granite headstone adorned with an etching of an angel.

Aidan James Monroe

December 2, 2013 - August 13, 2014

May the Angels Lead You into Paradise

Jamie crouched down in front of the headstone, placing the bouquet against the base. He remained there, going through the lines of the hymn in his head.

"Officer Reagan?"

Jamie startled and got up quickly, turning in the direction of the voice. He was surprised to find Melissa Newman approaching and nervously clutching a small bear in her hands.

Equally nervous, Jamie stuffed his hands into his pockets. He didn't expect to run into anyone here. "Melissa." Jamie glanced at the headstone quickly and turned back to Aidan's mother. "Sorry. I, uh, I just wanted to pay my respects."

Melissa gave him a small smile, despite the profound sadness in her eyes. "I appreciate that." She came to a stop beside him. "I appreciate everything you tried to do. I never got a chance to tell you that." Melissa looked down at the plush toy in her hands. "I never got a chance to thank you," she said softly.

"You don't need to -"

"Officer Reagan -"

"It's Jamie," he corrected her.

"Jamie," Melissa repeated and nodded. "I struggled to keep myself afloat with Aidan. Battled with Brian to try and make him want to be the father Aidan deserved to have. I thought that if he would just spend time with him, force him to spend time with him, he'd fall in love with him the way I did." She got teary-eyed. "It was stupid."

"That's not stupid," Jamie tried to assure her.

"If I had just cut my losses, Aidan might be here today," Melissa said sadly.

Jamie shook his head. "You can't blame yourself." Jamie lowered his head to meet her eyes. "Trust me."

"I'm his mother. I'll always be responsible," she said with a sad shrug. Melissa looked off in the distance. "The photos..when I saw them, you weren't just trying to provide first aid. It was clear that you cared and it was good to know Aidan had that at the end. I'm grateful."

Jamie wasn't sure what to say. But he knew that saying anything to dispute the comfort she felt Aidan had at the end would be wrong. "You're welcome."

Their eyes met one more time and Jamie found the peace he'd hope he'd find by coming here. He hoped that Melissa Newman could find that one day as well.

Jamie was making his way up the sidewalk to the NYPD Training Center in Queens when he saw his partner coming towards him from the opposite direction. "Hey," he called out to her.

Eddie smiled when she spotted him and met him near the entrance. "Hey, back. How is it we ended up getting stuck with the same recertification course?" she asked.

"Yeah, as if I don't see enough of your mug as it is," Jamie responded, feigning annoyance.

Eddie huffed out a breath. "You should consider yourself lucky. And maybe, if you play your cards right, you won't get stuck with an actual fat, sweaty Hungarian guy as your partner when it's your turn with CPR Annie," she shot back.

One side of Jamie's mouth curved up before he turned to make his way up to the entrance of the building. "Let's hope," he said.

Eddie grimaced slightly as she considered what she said and what they would be doing today. She walked quickly to catch up with her partner. "Is it weird to be doing this after last summer?" she asked.

"Nah," he said as he stepped through the doors, barely meeting Eddie's eyes as he replied.

Eddie's forehead creased and she gave him a look as they stopped near the front desk to sign in.

Jamie smiled at her, thinking that he knew better than to try and get anything past her. "Well, kind of. But it's okay," he said honestly.

Eddie turned to face the front of the line, not wanting to press the issue. "Okay," she said with a tinge of doubt.

Jamie took a step forward when he reached the sign-in sheet. "Really," he assured her as he signed his name. Jamie handed Eddie the pen and said, "I'll always wish things could have ended differently, but I'm done feeling responsible for what that guy did," he shared.

Eddie put down the pen and eyed him for a moment before she led him down the hallway in the direction of their assigned meeting room.

It was Jamie's turn to catch up with his partner. "And this is a refresher course. I know this stuff just as well as you do," he said as their eyes met again.

Eddie smiled at him. "So long as you don't forget that," she told him.

"I won't," he said. "And how can I anyway? When I got you and everyone else to remind me," Jamie added.

"Again, you should consider yourself lucky," she said and went ahead of him into the meeting room.

Jamie smiled to himself. "I do," he whispered.

The End.

**I battled with the ending of this story, so hopefully, it was a satisfying one. All of your reviews were appreciated! Hoping to start posting something a little more cheerful in the next day or so - a continuation of the Eddie/Jamie universe I created.