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"This isn't the time to be ducking me Jamie."

Jamie moved forward to collect the darts he had just shot into the dartboard and said, "Leave me alone right now Danny."

"Not until you tell me."

Jamie turned and briefly looked at Danny sighing. Danny frowned pointing his beer to Jamie, "What's goin on with you?"

"I told you, nothin."

"In case you forgot I'm the only brother you got, so you might as well just tell me."

"That always going to be your line of defense to get things out of me?"

"Only when you stop makin it my line of defense when it comes to finding out what's goin on with my kid brother so come on, give it up. Tell me, what's got you all twisted up?"

"You really want to know?" Jamie asked with anger.

"Yeah," Danny yelled with frustration as he threw a dart at the dart board.

"I'm angry, I'm frustrated, I'm confused."

Danny frowned at Jamie's outburst, not expecting it. Jamie just sighed, closing his eyes briefly and sinking down on the bar stool while wringing his hands on the bar.

Danny sighed as he walked behind Jamie to sit on the bar stool next to him.

"About Eddie?"

Jamie nodded, avoiding Danny's eyes.

Danny squinted, his detective skills coming into effect, he then sighed when realization hit, "Something happened between you two didn't it?"

Jamie understood what Danny was implying by the look on his brother's face, "No, nothing like that." Jamie then sighed and waited a beat before continuing with, "It's just that the feelings for Eddie I thought I had gotten over are….they are…"Jamie then ducked his head and sighed, "I don't know."

"Jamie, talk to me kid,"

"No!"

"Why not?" Danny replied back with frustration.

"Because we don't usually talk about this sort of stuff."

"What is that? Like a new rule or somethin?"

Jamie turned to face his brother, "No, it's not but Eddie isn't just some random lady I'm getting closer too. She's my partner, who's a cop and you and I are both cops who happen to be the sons of the police commissioner. If I talk about it with you, it puts you in an awkward position."

"Ok that's ridiculous, you're my brother first. Whatever you tell me stays between you and me." Danny said as he gestured between himself and Jamie.

"Really?"

"Yeah really, so tell me what's the problem?"

Jamie turned his palms up like it was obvious, "You don't see the problem?"

"Kid, all I see is two people who really wanna be together but are both too bull headed to cut the crap and just do it."

Jamie just looked down.

"Does it feel like it will be a mistake if you go for it with her?"

"No, not at all," Jamie paused as a small smile flashed across his face, "it feels right, everything else just feels wrong."

Danny frowned, "Everything else? Like what? That even though you two aren't ridin together, you're technically still partners?"

"That's part of it."

"And what's the other part?"

Jamie hesitated before replying with, "If we try to make this work, I just don't want Eddie to look back on it like the only reason we got together was because of…." Jamie faded off, looking down.

Danny sighed and quietly replied with, "The cancer?"

"Yeah."

"You wanna know what I think?"

Jamie just looked up to his brother.

"I think that's just an excuse, an excuse for you not to be together because you're scared if you're with her and it doesn't work out, you'll end up losing her."

The tumblers in Jamie's head were turning at his brother's words as Danny continued with, "I'm really sorry that Eddie is going through what she's going through but maybe you should twist it happening to be a good thing, both the shooting and the cancer."

Jamie frowned, not understanding.

"See it as a really warped blessing in disguise which made you two finally wake up to yourselves and see what was right in front of you all along."

Jamie's lips parted, as he inhaled some air, thinking and letting everything Danny was advising him sink in. Danny gave Jamie a last pointed stare and then got up, patting his brother on the back, "It's just food for thought kid." At that, Danny then walked away to start up a new game of darts.

Two weeks after her shooting, Eddie was being released and was waiting in her hospital room, dressed and packed for Jamie to pick her up. Apart from a short visit everyday to see how she was coping, Jamie had pretty much kept his distance.

"Hey, Officer Janko, good to see you're finally getting out of here."

Eddie smiled back, "I've been telling you for the last two weeks Tom, you can call me Eddie."

Eddie's nurse smiled back at her. He was really handsome and sweet and had taken a liking to Eddie.

"I'm going to miss you, you perked my rounds up with your jokes and," Tom hesitated and then continued softly with, "And your bright smile."

Eddie couldn't help but blush slightly, "Thank you, that's really sweet of you to say, but it's a two-way street, you made my stay here a little less depressing."

"I'm glad I could help." Tom replied with a bright smile which Eddie returned.

He then waited a beat before stepping forward, "I'd really like to see you again…you know outside of this hospital. Do you think that would be alright with you?"

Eddie was a little taken aback replying with, "Oh, I don't know about that."

Tom then gently took Eddie's hand and got out a pen from his shirt pocket as Eddie frowned slightly in confusion, "Here," Tom said as he began writing on the back of Eddie's hand, "this is my number, give it some thought and call me if you change your mind."

Eddie relented, nodding with a soft smile, completely oblivious to the fact that Jamie was now standing in the door way, witnessing what was happening between Eddie and her nurse. Jamie frowned, his jealousy and protectiveness forcing him to step forward, "Hey," Jamie said towards Eddie in greeting.

Eddie looked at Jamie replying back with a soft, "Hey," as she dropped her hand from Tom.

"You ready to go?"

Eddie smiled, "As I'll ever be."

Jamie then turned to look at Tom putting his hand out, "I don't think we've been formally introduced. I'm Jamie Reagan," Tom nodded with a nervous smile as he shook Jamie's hand. Jamie then continued with as he looked briefly to Eddie, "I'm Eddie's partner."

At Jamie's slightly annoyed tone, Tom replied nervously with, "Oh, I'm so sorry. I had no idea that Eddie was involved with anyone, if I did I wouldn't have given her my number."

Jamie nodded, "Don't worry about it."

Eddie was stunned into silence with a frown on her face at what Jamie was insinuating. She finally found her voice, "Oh no, he's just kidding."

Tom now looked to Eddie confused.

"Jamie failed to mention his title. Officer Jamie Reagan is my work partner."

"So there's nothing going on between you two?" Tom asked as he pointed between Jamie and Eddie.

Jamie replied, "Well, actually….." Eddie then cut Jamie off with, "No there's nothing, we just work together."

Tom frowned, not believing her however voiced up before he left with, "Well, you have my number, use it if you want to get some dinner or something."

"I might just do that." Eddie replied with a smile making Jamie roll his eyes.

When Tom was gone and out of ear shot, Jamie looked to Eddie, "You're not really going to go out with that nurse man are you Eddie?"

Eddie shrugged lightly as she picked up her duffel bag with a slight grunt of pain, "Why not? He's cute and sweet and thinks I'm hilarious."

"Yeah, well I don't like him."

Eddie scoffed, "Oh come on Reagan, this protective thing is getting a little old, don't you think?"

Jamie waited a beat as he rolled his lips together, "You think I'm being protective?"

"That or you're jealous." Eddie said and was now waiting for the denial to come rolling from Jamie's mouth.

Jamie shrugged, "Well, I guess I'm jealous then."

Eddie frowned, "What did you just say?"

Jamie ignored the question, trying to ease the tension with, "I also happen to be cute and sweet and think you're hilarious, not to mention smart and beautiful."

"Jamie what are you….."

Jamie cut Eddie's question off with, "I've been doin a lot of thinkin these last two weeks and I'm tired Eddie."

Eddie frowned, confused waiting for Jamie to explain.

"Tired of ignoring how I really feel about you."

Eddie's lips parted in shock at what Jamie was finally admitting to her. She then swallowed before replying with, "What do you feel about me?"

Jamie looked back at Eddie with a soft smile and then responded with, "What do you feel about me?"

"I asked you first Reagan."

"And I asked you second Janko."

Eddie closed her eyes and replied back with frustration, "Jamie."

Jamie laughed lightly as he put his hands up slightly in defense, "Ok, ok." Jamie then stepped towards Eddie until he was toe to toe with her.

"What I feel for you, I haven't felt for anyone else before." He then laughed lightly, "Yes, it's complicated but I think it's worth pursuing."

Eddie was still in slight shock, she hadn't seen this affectionate side of Jamie for a very long time and was finding it hard to form words to respond.

Jamie searched Eddie's eyes, waiting a few beats before softly asking, "Do you?"

Eddie looked down for a second, before looking up, her voice cracking slightly when she responded with, "I think you're confused Jamie." Jamie frowned at that, "You're not thinking clearly and I think that the cancer and my shooting has made you so worried and you're confusing those kinds of feelings for feelings of…."

Jamie shook his head, cutting Eddie off with, "I'm not confused Eddie. I feel like for the first time in three years of knowing each other, I'm finally seeing things for what they really are."

Eddie sighed as she closed her eyes, "Are you sure?"

Jamie waited a beat, his nerves beginning to make a small entrance again. He, however pushed past this and leant down, so that his forehead was resting against Eddie's, their eyes both closed and savoring the moment as Jamie moved his hands so they were resting on Eddie's hips, Eddie's hands moved in response to rest on Jamie's chest.

"I'm sure," Jamie replied softly.

At that Jamie and Eddie opened their eyes and as soon as they connected, they both leant in slowly, giving each other a soft, slow kiss, as if trying to let their feelings override the unfamiliar awkwardness of going from what they were, to what they wanted to both try to be. After a few deep moments, they pulled back before turning the kiss passionate and looked into each other's eyes. Jamie smiled as Eddie let out a light laugh and looked away briefly.