The following hours went by in a blur, though sometimes Eddie felt like it would never end. Especially when Danny Reagan pulled his little brother out of her arms to interrogate them separately, worry for Jamie written so broadly over his face that she wasn't sure he had even recognized her.

As soon as she was alone, Eddie felt every bruise on her body, and despite the warmth of the precinct she was shivering. Was it really just four hours since she had left to patrol?

"Eddie?" Jackie opened another door. "Your turn." She smiled understandingly as Eddie's glance flew to the door Jamie had disappeared ten minutes ago. "Don't worry, he'll wait for you."
"What?" The world around her sped up, and for a second Eddie was afraid she might faint. How on earth could detective Curatola know about her and Jamie? She hadn't been there, hadn't she, and sure as hell Eddie's world was not the same as hers?

"Hey!" Jackie quickly walked towards the young woman, ready to hold her up. "Everything's okay. It was about time, don't you think?"
Only then Eddie remembered. She knew Jackie, of course, they had been working together looking for Sean at Christmas, and both of them had had private talks with the Police Commissioner afterwards. The panic that hadn't really left her since Ed smashed her against the wall dimmed, but somewhere deep down it was still staying, boiling, waiting for the moment Eddie wouldn't be able to hold it anymore.
She took a deep breath. Just a few questions. She had to confirm that Renzulli had had no chance but to shoot, that he hadn't killed a cop but saved two cops. Half an hour, maybe one… she could do that. She was a cop, and she was alive thanks to the sergeant, so the least she owed him was staying focused now.

"Alright. Renzulli'll be fine." Danny sighed. As he closed his eyes he couldn't stop the pictures appear in his head, Jamie lying motionlessly on the floor, bathed in his own blood… a rookie had called for help. Obviously too nervous to find the right code, Mr. Taylor Musgrove had called every cop in the city.
"Damn it, Jamie!" He tried to keep his voice calm but it was hard with all the rage and fear that had filled Danny for the past hour. "What did you think you were doing there alone? You wanted to kill yourself?"
Jamie shrugged. "No, Danny."
"What 'no Danny'? But you were acting like that! Running into a dangerous situation without asking for backup, without your partner, what did you think was gonna happen?"
"I guess, I… I didn't think."
"Great, kid. Really great." Danny dug his fingers into the wood behind him to not shake his little brother. "You didn't think at all. You could have got yourself killed, and you didn't think about it. That's what I meant, that's what I'm always talking about when I say you're not cut out for this job!"

Jamie sighed. "Danny if you want to talk about that let's wait till dinner, okay? I want to go home."
"Home?" Danny frowned. Something was wrong if Jamie didn't get angry about that topic, but right now he was too angry himself to care. "Yeah, go home. Be happy, cause you can go. Others couldn't when they were acting like you. They died. Vinny died, for the same reasons that caused Renzulli to kill a cop, and…"
"He was trying to kill Eddie!" Jamie exploded, "don't you compare Vinny to me, he had no reason at all to go there, but I had! He would have killed her!"
"And dying yourself is better than losing another partner? Jamie…" Danny stopped as Jamie shook his head incredulously. "You really didn't notice it, did you? Well… that means Renzulli owes me twenty bucks. He was sure you'd have noticed, as everyone else."

The detective combined quickly. "You really love her." He shook his head. "Well, then Erin owes me fifty. I told her it was serious this time, but she wasn't sure about it. She said Eddie was too clever and too brash for you to ever dare asking her."
"Well, she lost at that" Jamie's voice was flat with exhaustion and the need to get away. "I asked her out as soon as I left hospital. I just never got to make it happen. And then she cried for help."
"And you thought you'd be best of to save her alone." Danny sighed again. There was no more arguing with his brother today, he knew that look. And actually he had missed it – missed the sign that Jamie was able to filter, and to block out what wasn't important.
"Okay, but we'll talk about that on Sunday. Bring her with you, will you? And kid" – Jamie stopped and the door – "just… remember Eddie Janko isn't the only person that needs you."

"So what you're thinking?" Jackie smirked as she came over to her partner, her eyes riveting on the small but strong woman that was slowly walking towards Jamie Reagan.
Danny slowly shook his head. "Dunno."
Three steps before Eddie reached him, Jamie opened his arms and she ran into them, not at all scared anymore. They kissed shortly, then Jamie gently stroked back her hair and ran down her face till his hand rested on Eddie's shoulder.
"I bet he wants her to go to hospital" Jackie murmured, "she's looking awful there. It's a miracle she can stand."
"You think?" Danny grinned. "I bet she says no."
Jackie laughed. "That's not a bet, Reagan. If she says yes she'll be alone in a hospital bed, whereasi f she says no, she'll pretty sure go to bed with her new boyfriend."
"Jacks, that's my brother you're talking about."
"I know." The detective apparently enjoyed her partner's discomfort. "You always said he had to grow up, didn't you? Well, Reagan… I think he has."

"You're sure?"
"That I don't want another pair of stranger's hands feeling up my body? Yes, definitely." Eddie took a deep breath. She had no tears left to cry but her stomach still was a bunch of butterflies, whirling around and making her sick, and not at all in a good way.
"Okay" Jamie knew when to give up, "then let's go. I'll drive you home." One arm around her shoulders he gently led Eddie through the precinct and to her car.
She stopped. "How will you get… I mean…"
"It's okay, Eddie." His voice so soft she wanted to scream, without really understanding why. "I'll take a cab later on. There's no need to hurry anything, the day's been long enough."