A/N: Ducks tomatoes! I know there are some of you who are going to be totally repulsed by this and there are others that are going to cheer. I started this story out wanting to try on this idea and knew I, as in love with Jamko as I am, could never make it work if Jamie was still alive. No worries, I'm not going to do anything like this again once this story is finished though I will continue to do a weekly.

There are probably two or three more chapters to this story. I hope you all stick around for the finish even though it might not be your cup of tea. Honestly it's not mine either, but I had to go with this, it just would not stop bugging me.

Chapter Nine

"Eddie, open the door," Danny called. He had been knocking on the apartment door for five minutes already. "It's Danny…" Danny looked at the package in his hands. "And cake…"

Danny could hear Maggie crying as Eddie finally approached the door. Eddie's eyes were swollen from tears as well. "What do you want Danny?" she asked opening the door.

"I want to talk," Danny replied. "And Dad and Pop sent me with Maggie's cake and her presents are down in the car."

Eddie stepped back. It was not lost on her that Maggie has stopped crying once Danny arrived and was now regarding her uncle curiously. Danny put the cake down on the coffee table and reached for Maggie. The baby reached back and Danny gladly took her into his arms. "It's all right, little one,' Danny soothed. "You didn't do anything wrong. No you didn't…this is all my fault." Danny looked up at Eddie. "I'm sorry her party was ruined."

"It wasn't your fault," Eddie replied. "I had her at a few play groups and she heard other babies saying that. I was working with her on saying grandpa and uncle. If I knew Daddy was going to come out…" Eddie sat down and put her head in her hands. "I really messed things up for you."

Danny sat down and put Maggie on his lap. "Eddie, Maggie is a baby. She is just one year old, she doesn't know better. Linda should know that, we do have two boys that said and did plenty of unpredictable things at this age, at any age. I'm sorry she made such a scene and I'm even more sorry you left before we worked things out."

"What is there to work out? Linda clearly thinks there is more to this…" Eddie moved her hands between them. "Is more than friendship, more than you keeping a promise, she made that clear."

"Things haven't been right for a long time," Danny replied bouncing Maggie up and down on his lap. "It's been like this since she got shot six years ago. There were periods where it was better, where it was tolerable, but she's had trouble keeping control since then."

"I never saw that," Eddie replied. "Everything always looked so perfect on the surface. Everything always seemed…"

"Things aren't always what they seem, Eddie," Danny sighed. "I think we're living proof of that. We seem to everyone like a happy couple with a precious baby girl…we are far from that."

Eddie sighed, "I know that. So many times I'm out with her walking her and…" Eddie stopped. "And I look happy. So many times you and I are sitting here just eating a pizza and playing pat-a-cake with her and we look happy but inside…"

"Eddie," Danny reached over and touched Eddie's bare knee as it peaked out of her dress. "The one place I am happy is here with you and Maggie and there is so much wrong with that!"

"You are only saying that because of what happened at dinner," Eddie replied. "Danny, if you are not happy with your marriage then do something about it. There's counseling, I'm sure the church has something that can help…You have done so much for me, if there is anything I can do."

"To be honest, we've been in marriage counseling for six months," Danny replied. "When I stopped coming over as much, it was after that. Dad counseled us as well but…I think it's done, Eddie. I think it's over and I have no idea how to say that to my kids."

Eddie watched as Maggie little head fell back against Danny's chest. "Let me take her and put her down to sleep, then I have a bottle of Johnny Walker Blue I've been saving, we'll crack her open and talk this out."

"Why don't you get the glasses out and pour, let me put the munchkin to bed?" Danny asked. "But a talk will be great."

Eddie agreed, "She'll need a new diaper okay?"

Danny took Maggie to the bedroom and carefully put a new diaper on her. The baby didn't stir, she was largely unaffected by the day's events. "Sleep well, precious girl. Happy Birthday." Danny leaned over and kissed Maggie's head before going to face Eddie.

Eddie had changed into sweats and a tee shirt and was sitting with two glasses of whiskey. "She's down for the count, I'll bring her presents inside before I leave she can open them tomorrow."

"Thank you, Danny," Eddie replied tucking one leg under her and leaving the other dangling down. "Look, Danny, anyone can see you are not happy and I think that life is way too short to not be happy. If you think you made a go of it, and you tried you absolute best…Your boys are old enough to understand there's a strain and kids would rather be from a broken home than live in one believe me."

Eddie reached across and put her hand on Danny's shoulder. "I'm so sorry, Danny. This is all happening because of me, I…" Eddie's eyes filled with tears. "Nothing has been right this whole year, the only good thing that came out of this is Maggie. I wanted today to change all of that, I wanted to celebrate her birthday and start over with more joy, more hope…"

Danny slid over and put his arms around Eddie. Danny knew her well enough to know she's been holding in this hurt all day and Linda's words and actions only made it worse. Eddie dropped her head on Danny's shoulder. Eddie felt Danny's head drop onto the top of her head, he rocked her as she cried. "What do you say we eat Maggie's cake? Pop is making her a whole new one for Wednesday which is her actual birthday anyway?"

Eddie sniffled and let out a little laugh, "I'd feel like a heel eating my baby girl's cake…It is chocolate though isn't it?"

"Yeah, double chocolate layer," Danny replied. "And Dad sent a HUGE piece."

"Well make we'll have just a little bit."

Danny didn't notice the hours passing as he and Eddie shared a piece of cake and looked back at pictures of Maggie's first year. "She peed all over that red blanket the second I took her diaper off, it was like she was waiting for me."

"Oh look at this one, this is the first time she crawled," Eddie pointed to a picture of Maggie with a big smile on her face. "She was crawling to you. You came for one of your Friday visits and she headed right to you. Maggie loves you so much Danny, but if you have to stop for your sake, then…"

"No," Danny replied. "Oh look at this; that cook out at Dad where she shoved her face in the hot dog…"

Danny and Eddie kept looking over the photos of Maggie, drinking their whiskey and remembering some of the better times of the past year. As Eddie grew tired, her body naturally gravitated towards Danny until she was leaning against him. Danny felt Eddie's body grow heavy, he looked down and saw she was sound asleep. It had been a long time since someone had trusted him enough to fall asleep in his arms, except for Maggie. Danny stood up and leaned over to move Eddie so she was lying straight on the couch.

Eddie felt Danny moving her and placing a cover over her. She slowly opened her eyes and found his face inches from hers. For his part, Danny looked down and did not see his sister-in-law, but a close and dear friend who happened to be a beautiful woman. The invisible magnet that had been drawing them close to each other for the past year seemed to strengthen in that moment as Eddie's head lifted up and Danny's tilted down until their lips met in a passionate and hope filled kiss.