Chapter 12: The Keys To Everything
Jamie opens the door to the box and walks in to see his wife sitting at the table hiccuping from crying so much "Hey." He softly greets.
Looking up Eddie starts to bawl all over again the second she sees him "I LOST MY KEYS!"
Jamie tries not to outwardly cringe "I know." He soothes as he moves inside and shuts the door "Here." He offers as he place the water bottle down in front of her "But hey before we panic let's…"
"I'm a Detective Jamie!" Eddie whines as she swipes the bottle up to open it while Jamie sits down across from her "Don't you think I've – hiccup - already retraced my steps?" She states before taking a drink and swallowing "The last place I had them was yesterday at dinner – hiccup…" she tries to continue but has to stop to drink more water.
Jamie patiently waits as he watches his wife lower the bottle and take a few deep breathes to see if that makes the hiccups go away.
Silence.
"I forgot my sweater in the car remember?" Eddie finally continues on "So I used my keys when I went to get it. I thought I put them back in my purse but they aren't there so I called your Grandfather and he looked, but they aren't in the house or out in the yard. I've checked with Derick – no one has turned them in at the apartment. No one has found them here in the precinct, they aren't in the car, I've torn my purse and my desk apart. I've checked jacket pockets – nothing! – they are NO WHERE!"
Again, Jamie sighs "Okay well that does suck but its not the end of the world Eddie, we can just get you a new set made."
"But I lost my keychain too." Eddie emotionally whines in sadness with a sniffle "The one you gave me."
"Oh." Jamie realizes, his gut wrenching at how distraught his wife looks "Well, I can just get you a new one of that too."
"No I want that one!" Eddie insists "It's sentimental!"
"I… I get that…" Jamie begins as he tries to tread carefully through the mine field… "But in the grand scheme of things it really is just a keychain and it can be replaced."
"NO IT CAN'T!" Eddie feverishly rejects like his suggestion was the worst thing she had ever heard "I want THAT key chain! THAT ONE! You gave it to me! It's sentimental to that specific place and time for us!" She rambles all over again "You can't just replace something like that! How do you not get that?" She questions in exasperation but then her eyes narrow "You're a guy." Eddie then huffs out as she answers her own question "Of course you don't get that! Ugh you are so frustrating!"
Jamie squeezes his eyes shut trying desperately to not only keep up with his wife but somehow come up with some magical solution to make everything better… but all his mind seems to think is 'when can I have my reasonable level headed wife back?' and then he immediately mentally berates himself for even thinking such a thought.
"I have to pee." Eddie suddenly announces before she simply gets up and walks out of the room leaving the door open.
For a moment Jamie just silently sits there thinking what a horrible husband he is so a second later, he drops his forehead to the table and lightly but repeatedly bangs it on the table a few times before sitting back up and sighing. Other then actually finding the keys - he really had no idea how he was going to pull him and his wife out of this one…"
A second later he laughs out an exasperated laugh as a thought hits him "Well I'm an NYPD Sergeant in charge of the NYPD's best detective." He notes "How wrong would it be of me to task him with finding a set of keys? It's not exactly a major crime per say but… to Eddie, it's a major crime…" He reasons "…does that count?" he wonders…
Walking past the door, Danny stops short when he sees his brother sitting there muttering to himself "Uh oh." He knowingly breathes out.
Jamie turns to look at his brother and a wide smile appears on his face.
"Oh no." Danny immediately begins to reject "I know that look. I don't like that look. I don't want to get involved with anything having to DO with that look."
But then the smile drops from Jamie's face and he heavily sighs "You won't. I promise. I won't cross that line."
"What line?" Danny prompts.
"The line that almost had me task you, a major crimes Detective with finding my pregnant wife's lost keys because… well, you know..."
"Because she's pregnant and she lost her keys." Danny finishes in understanding "Well in some circles that would be considered a major crime." He offers.
"Really?" Jamie challenges "In who's circle?"
"Well, her circle. Your circle." Danny explains "But definitely not my circle so... GOOD LUCK WITH THAT!" Danny laughs before walking away "I'm off to solve a real crime. Details are on your desk."
"The real crime will be her exploding because she lost her keys." Jamie mutters to himself "Wait." He suddenly breathes out in realization and without saying anything else, he gets up and heads in the direction of the women's washroom. He knocks on the door then cracks it open a touch "HEY EDDIE!" He calls.
"JAMIE?" Eddie's voice calls back in surprise.
"ARE YOU ALONE IN THERE?" Jamie calls.
"I DON'T KNOW!" Eddie calls back frustrated "I'M IN A STALL!"
"ANYONE ELSE IN HERE?" Jamie calls.
Silence.
Getting no response, Jamie pushes the door opens and enters "Wow." He notes as he looks around "This is nicer than the guy's washroom."
"Jamie what are you doing in here?" Eddie questions annoyed.
Following the sound of her voice, Jamie leans down to look under the stalls looking for his wife's feet. When he finds them, he leans himself against the vanity counter across from the door facing it "And how many times did you barge into the Men's locker room again?"
"You really want to go there right now?" Eddie warns through the door.
"No." Jamie admits "What I came to ask is did you check at home?"
"What?"
"For your keys?" Jamie presses "Did you check the apartment?"
"OF COURSE I CHECKED THE APARTMENT!"
"Okay well I was just asking because when you were listing off the places you checked, you didn't say the apartment."
"YES I DID!" Eddie insists as the sound of a toilet flushing fills the air.
"No, you didn't." Jamie counters.
"YES!" Eddie insists as suddenly the bathroom stall door whips open "I did." She reiterates as she stands there a second facing off with her husband.
"Okay sorry." Jamie relents knowing she really didn't but he had to pick his battles… "Just had to double check." He adds as he watches his wife step forward to stand beside him and wash her hands.
"I honestly don't know where those stupid things went!" Eddie huffs out in annoyance "I mean I know I get it, the book says pregnant women can sometimes be absentminded…" She adds as she turns the water off and moves to swipe a paper towel from the holder "…but I promise you I did NOT just absently misplace them!"
Suddenly the door opens and a female officer enters. She stops short at seeing Jamie.
"He's with me." Eddie simply states like its nothing before tossing the paper towel into the trash.
"Sorry." Jamie apologizes as he stands up straight "We're just leaving."
The officer steps aside allowing Eddie and Jamie to exit.
"Maybe they were stolen." Eddie suddenly thinks when they get in the hall.
Jamie scrunches his face up in rejection "Eddie, I…"
"You think I'm overreacting by saying that don't you?" She challenges "Maybe someone is after my car again! Oh my god! I need to check my baby!" She rushes out as she immediately heads for the door to the stairs that lead to the parking garage.
"Eddie!" Jamie calls "EDDIE WAIT!"
But it was no use, she was already through the door and gone.
"Damn it for a pregnant woman she sure is fast…" Jamie mumbles out as he quickly moves to follow "Eddie wait!" he calls again as he rushes into the stairwell but she doesn't stop.
"I'm not stopping Jamie." Eddie tosses back as she just keeps on hurrying down the stairs again leaving Jamie no choice but to follow.
"Can you at least slow down?" Jamie pleads as he pulls his phone out of his pocket.
"NO!" Eddie rejects "Seconds count!"
"Honest to god." Jamie mutters to himself as he tries to split his focus between watching where he is going and unlocking his phone.
"You think I'm crazy!" Eddie tosses back.
"Not crazy. No." Jamie rejects as he opens up an app.
"So just pregnant, hormonal and overreacting?!" Eddie tosses back.
"How are you moving so fast!" Jamie counters in frustration yet awe.
"I'm not carrying a beach ball yet!" Eddie throws back "Besides I'm descending stairs not climbing them!"
"But you could have taken the elevator!" Jamie points out "Come on load." He mutters to himself.
"What makes the difference?" Eddie questions.
"I don't need you falling!" Jamie explains "Stupid concrete walls." He mutters as he tries to move his phone around to get a signal.
"So now I can't even walk down stairs myself?" Eddie challenges.
"YOU'RE NOT WALKING!" Jamie tosses out.
"Details." Eddie mutters out as she gets to the bottom and pushes the door open into the garage.
"OH MY GOD JAMIE! SHE'S GONE!" Eddie cries out when she doesn't see her Porsche next to the Chevelle.
Finally making it down the stairs and out into the garage himself, Jamie holds his phone up and the app loads. He taps the screen a few times then lets out a sigh as he moves to his wife's side "She's not gone." Jamie rejects as he turns the phone around to show his wife "See. She's at home. Where we left her - because YOU DIDN'T DRIVE TODAY." He reminds her.
For a moment Eddie just looks between her husband and the phone blinking her eyes but then the waterworks start "I AM LOOSING IT AREN'T I?" She cries out in frustration "AAAAARRRRRGGGHHHHH! Why didn't you tell me that sooner? How could I not remember that? I'm an idiot!"
Jamie squeezes his eyes shut mentally kicking himself for the way he handled that.
"Okay hey." He tries to sooth "You are not an idiot and you are not losing it, you're just upset because you lost your keys."
"MY KEYS!" Eddie cries again.
"Is there possibly, maybe, absolutely anything…" Jamie pleads "…that I can do to make you feel better right now?"
"NO!" Eddie rejects.
"Alright then." Jamie accepts in the ultimate defeat.
"I'm tired." Eddie suddenly realizes "Maybe I shouldn't have rushed down those stairs." She admits.
Jamie immediately grows concerned.
"Do you have your keys on you?" Eddie inquires.
"Yes." Jamie replies.
"Open the car." Eddie instructs as she starts walking towards the Chevelle "I need to sit down."
Jamie hurries to get to the car first so he can unlock it and open the door for his wife but instead of getting into the front seat to sit, Eddie moves the seat forward and crawls in the backseat to lay down.
Jamie grows even more concerned as he moves into the front seat to look at his wife in the back seat. "I thought you said sit down? Why are you laying down? Eddie talk to me! Are you okay?"
"What do you think?" Eddie grumbles back in a huff as she twists and turns pulling at her clothes to straight out the lumps trying to get comfortable "I lost my keys. I'm over reacting to everything. I'm running down stairs like a chicken with it's head cut off and I can't even remember that I didn't drive today! I'm a mess!"
"You're pregnant." Jamie points out trying to remind her and him of that.
"THAT'S NO EXCUSE!" Eddie cries back in exasperation before plopping herself onto her back.
"No, it actually is." Jamie corrects "But please stop deflecting and answer my question – are you okay?"
"If you're talking physically, other then feeling a little tired, I'm fine." Eddie flatly replies as she closes her eyes and places her hand on her stomach. "Emotionally? Well… let's just say thank you for putting up with me and leave it at that." She mumbles out with a pout as she fingers start absently drumming over the baby.
A small smile graces Jamie's face as he simply looks at this wife before him. She looked absolutely adorable to him right now and absolutely glowing he realizes and as much as he of course wanted his emotionally stable and reasonable wife back – his pregnant and all over the place wife was just fine too because the baby they are getting at the end of this rollercoaster ride is going to be completely worth it.
Suddenly Jamie clears his throat "Now in an attempt to keep things light..." Jamie begins "…I could say I don't really have a choice in putting up with you because you know, my wagon is hitched to your wagon, but given the circumstances, I won't because your pregnancy hormones might emotionally take that the wrong way instead of the way it was intended which is to say no matter what you do or what happens, I'm not going anywhere."
Eddie stills her hand movements, slowly opens her eyes and turns her head to look at her husband to see him offering her a small hopeful smile. She gives him a small smile in return "Wow that was some nice phrasing there Reagan." Eddie admits "Impressive."
"Thank you." Jamie accepts.
Silence.
"You've been calling me Reagan a lot more recently…" Jamie points out "What's up with that?"
Eddie sighs "What? You don't like it?"
"No, its fine." Jamie promises "I was just curious."
Eddie shrugs "I don't know. Just blame it on the hormones. Blame EVERYTHING on the hormones. You know come to think of it, I really am surprised more pregnant women don't commit crimes – it's the perfect excuse."
"Well if you commit a crime the justice system doesn't really care one way or the other if you are pregnant or not. It only cares if you are guilty or not."
"And the logical one prevails." Eddie announces into the car.
"I do what I can." Jamie retorts.
Suddenly Eddie groans.
"What?"
"Jamie, if I didn't drive today, my keys could be in the car."
Jamie ponders that.
"Could… but I doubt it." Jamie rejects "You had them yesterday at dinner right? Well we haven't used the Porsche all weekend so…"
"Right." Eddie remembers.
"Did you want me to go through your purse and desk?" Jamie offers "Sometimes a second set of eyes helps…"
"Fine." Eddie relents as she starts to sit up "But I swear if we go up there and you find them, I will scream."
"You're going to scream whether I find them or not." Jamie points out.
"Good point." Eddie admits. "Because if you find them, I will scream that they were there the whole time, but if you don't find them, I will scream that they are still missing."
"Exactly."
…
Eddie sits at her desk watching Jamie go through her purse "See not there." She mumbles out as her voice cracks and her eyes start to water again.
Hearing her tone, Jamie looks at his wife and braces himself for yet another outburst.
"Hey Uncle Jamie." A male voice sounds.
Jamie looks up in surprise "Sean?" He questions as Eddie quickly tries to sink further into her chair and disappear. She didn't want to deal with anything else right now – especially family...
"What are you doing here?" Jamie inquires before glancing at Danny's desk "Um… your Dad is out on a case right now."
"That's okay because I actually came to see Aunt Eddie."
A look of surprise appears on Eddie's face and she quickly tries to wipe away her tears "Me?" She questions as she turns in her chair to face her nephew.
"I think I have something that belongs to you." Sean states as he reaches into his pocket and pulls out a set of keys.
Eddie bolts to her feet "MY KEYS!" She cries in relief "Where did you get these?"
"I found them in my bag." Sean states. "I think they might have accidentally fallen inside or something yesterday because if memory serves, your purse was next to my bag on the side table."
"Oh my God Sean!" Eddie breathes out in true thanks as she moves to hug him "Thank you!"
"Yes." Jamie whole heartedly agrees in relief as he watches Sean hand his wife her keys "Thank you."
"Well I gotta run, I got class." Sean states "Just wanted to get these back to you."
"There will be an extra dessert for you next Sunday for sure!" Eddie promises.
"Sounds good!" Sean laughs as he turns to walk away "Later!"
"Bye!" Jamie calls after him and when he looks back at his wife, he sees a big happy smile on her face.
"My keys!" She giddily quips as she jingles them up in the air in front of her in triumph.
Jamie just shakes his head and sighs in relief that this latest crisis in what he is sure will be a long line of them is over.