Chapter 32: Type - Bossy and Opinionated

Eddie sits in the surveillance van with her feet up stretched out onto the seat of the chair next to her eating snacks as she watches Jamie, Danny and Maria on the camera feeds into a boutique men's clothing store waiting.

Suddenly the door to the van opens and Erin enters.

Eddie looks over "Hey!" She greets.

Erin can't help but chuckle at the sight of her sister in law before her "Did I miss anything?"

"Nope." Eddie confirms as she slowly goes to sit up and lower her feet to the ground "Here have a seat."

"I can stand if you need to keep them elevated." Erin offers.

"Nah." Eddie rejects "I'm good. Want any snacks?"

"Who are you talking too?" Jamie's voice suddenly inquires over the coms.

"Erin." Eddie replies.

"Oh did she finally decide to join us for this super exciting adventure she is making us take?" Danny sarcastically adds.

Eddie giggles at his attitude.

"What?" Erin inquires.

"Danny's bored and blaming you." Eddie explains before flicking a switch in the van "Here listen for yourself."

"We've been at this all day and no bites." Danny defends "If you want my opinion..."

"We don't." Erin interrupts.

Danny's face scrunches up in discontent "Ah Eddie really? You gave her access to the coms?"

"It's my Op." Erin reminds her older brother.

"But my team." Jamie reminds his sister "And right now I don't need opinions from either of you."

"Then how about mine?" Maria pipes in "Because I agree with Danny. This is a bust."

"You know if anyone else wants to take the Sergeant's exam and take over feel free." Jamie counters annoyed "Until then pretty sure its my call."

Danny coughs out "Teamwork." Before coughing again.

"Teamwork yes." Jamie confirms "Democracy, no." He rejects "Still my call."

"You know what you should do?" Eddie adds in "Shop."

"Excuse me?" Jamie questions.

"You're in a men's clothing store." Eddie points out "If you're bored, shop. You could use some new shirts anyway."

"Eddie we are on the job." Jamie reminds her "We are not shopping."

"No hang on." Danny interrupts as he eyes a gawd awful looking shirt, picks it up and walks over to his brother "I think this one would be perfect for you."

"Absolutely NOT!" Eddie immediately rejects as she looks at the screen "Put that down right now!"

Jamie chuckles in amusement at his wife's reaction "I don't know." He then ponders deciding to have a bit of fun with her as he takes the shirt from his brother and looks it over "Hmmmmmm…."

"Jamie…" Eddie warns.

"You're the once that suggested we shop." Jamie shoots back.

"Jamie that shirt is a crime against fashion everywhere." Eddie retorts "You buy that and I'll arrest you myself!"

"Okay..." Danny jumps in "We don't need to know what kind of kinky…"

"ENOUGH!" Jamie commands in an attempt to halt the current conversation before sighing and putting the shirt back on the rack "Okay we give it another half hour and if our perp doesn't show up we call it a day okay?"

"Fine." Danny relents.

Silence.

Suddenly Jamie starts fingering through the shirts on the rack actually shopping. He pulls one out to look at it.

Eddie squints at the screen "No." She rejects again.

"What? What's wrong with this one?" Jamie seriously questions "I like it."

"No." Eddie repeats.

"Gee and here I thought I was the one that would be wearing it." Jamie retorts as the shop door opens and a woman enters.

Danny, Jamie and Maria all look over but see its not their target so they ignore her.

"Yes but I'm the one usually standing next to you when you do…" Eddie explains "…so what you wear reflects on me and it's a no. Move on."

Sighing, Jamie puts the shirt back and picks up another one "This one?" He asks.

"Hmmmm." Eddie ponders "Yeah that one's pretty good, keep that one for now but keep looking."

Jamie slings the shirt over this arm but keeps fingering through the rack.

Suddenly Danny thrusts another horribly patterned shirt in front of his brother "Here."

Jamie looks over and a look of disgust appears on his face.

"What?" Danny laughs "I could totally see Jamie Reagan wearing this!" he laughs in absolute amusement.

The woman looks over in surprise at hearing Jamie's name.

"Get away from me with that." Jamie tosses at his brother.

"Fine." Danny laughs as he moves away.

The woman steps forward "Jamie? Jamie Reagan?"

Jamie looks up to see the same woman that just entered the store before him "Um yes…" he slowly confirms.

A huge smile appears on the woman's face "It's me! Theresa! Theresa Manchini!"

"Oh geez!" Erin suddenly laughs out at hearing the name.

Eddie looks over at Erin in slight confusion "Why 'oh geez'?"

Erin hits the button to disconnect the van's com system "She was Jamie's first crush." Erin quickly and giddily explains to her sister in law before activating the coms again and focusing her attention on the monitor.

Eddie blinks her eyes a couple time in shock "What? What do you mean?"

"From grade school." Erin quickly whispers "Now shhhh." She chides in amusement "I want to hear this!"

Looking completely caught off guard, Jamie gets a little tongue tied…

"Oh um… wow… um… Theresa." Jamie stutters out "Nice to um see you."

"Oh my god!" Theresa cries in glee as she throws her arms around his neck in a big hug while Danny and Maria watch with amused eyes "This is so cool! What are you doing here?"

"Um…" Jamie hesitates.

"We should go get a coffee or something and catch up!" Theresa suddenly decides.

"Oh um well no I…"

"Nonsense!" Theresa dismisses "Of course you can! We haven't seen each other in years!"

Erin snickers "Still bossy." She muses to herself.

Eddie gives her a quick sideways glance then looks back at the screen and her husband.

"I…I can't." Jamie stutters as he looks down at the shirt in his hands "I'm ah…I'm in the middle of…"

"What on earth are you buying?" Theresa laughs as she looks down at the shirt in his hands.

"Well…" Jamie begins.

"Oh you don't want that shirt." Theresa decides.

"Excuse me?" Eddie states in unamused disbelief and disdain "Do not put that shirt back!" She seriously warns her husband as she watches Theresa take the shirt from his hands and put it back on the rack.

"Okay let's see…" Theresa mutters as she begins fingering the rack herself looking for a shirt for Jamie.

"Okay what is her problem?" Eddie demands as Jamie just simply stands there listening to his wife in his ear and watching his childhood crush in front of him not really sure what to do.

Watching her brother on the screen, Erin can't help but chuckle "Well…" She begins "Bossy and opinionated #2..." she adds as she gestures at Eddie "...meet bossy and opinionated #1." She finishes as she moves her hands to gesture at the screen.

Maria looks across the room at Danny in complete amusement "And you wanted to leave!" She snickers.

Eddie's mouth drops open "WHAT?" She counters "I am NOTHING like her!"

"Here you want this one instead." Theresa states as she takes a shirt and holds it up against Jamie's chest.

"Oh for the love of God, that's it!" Eddie cries in super annoyance as she gets up and exits the van "Nobody tells my husband what he can and can't buy but me!"

"Uh oh." Erin breathes out "Heads up pregnant lady on the way!" She quips into the microphone.

Eddie comes breezing into the shop on a mission and heads straight for her husband. She steps right in between Jamie and Theresa. She faces Jamie, cups his face in her hands and plants a nice big kiss on his lips "Hi Babe, sorry I'm late." Eddie sweetly apologizes "Did you find the shirt you were looking for? Oh god what is that?" She inquires in disgust as she looks at the shirt Theresa handed him in his hands "Yeah you're not getting that." She emphatically decides as she takes the shirt and swings it backwards thrusting it at Theresa behind her who has no choice but to quickly reach up and grab it "Here Honey, you can put that back and go help another customer now."

"Oh…" Theresa begins "…but I don't work…"

"I'll help my husband find what he needs okay?" Eddie interrupts "Byeeeeeee!" She definitively sings as she turns Jamie around and pushes him in the direction of a different rack of shirts.

"Well I'm no longer bored." Danny admits.

"Me neither!" Maria chimes in.

"This is better then watching a movie!" Danny tacks on.

"You're supposed to be in the van." Jamie flatly reminds his wife as he turns around to face her.

"Well someone had to save your ass from little miss boss boss over there because clearly these two…" Eddie chides as she glances between Danny and Maria to see them both shrug in deflection "…weren't going to do it! I mean she wouldn't even let you get a word in edgewise!"

"Because you are?" Jamie points out.

"Yes, that was three words right there." Eddie retorts.

"But neither of you would let me pick out my own shirt." Jamie reminds his wife.

Eddie narrows her eyes "Oh you want to pick out your own shirt? Fine! Go ahead! Go." She invites "Pick whatever you want."

"Oh so if I picked this one…" Jamie states as he reaches over and picks up the first gawd awful patterned shirt he sees "…you would be okay with that? You would have no opinion?"

Eddie's face twists and contorts as she holds back her true opinion "Uh huh." She mutters out in a high pitched forced tone.

"Really?" Jamie challenges "Okay how about this one?" he adds as he grabs an even worse looking shirt "Come on. You can't tell me you have no opinion on this. None?"

Eddie desperately tries to hold her tongue but Jamie just tilts his head and gives her a challenging look.

"Okay it's gawd awful Jamie." Eddie finally breaks "I mean seriously! You will not be caught dead in that thing if I have anything to say about it!"

Jamie smiles and chuckles "There feel better?"

"I can't believe that woman is your type!" Eddie continues ranting "I am nothing like her!"

"Says the bossy and opinionated one." Danny points out in a chuckle.

"Excuse me." Theresa interrupts having heard everything "You know I'm still here right?"

"God could this day get any worse." Jamie mutters under his breath.

"Could have just called it a day when Baez and I suggested it." Danny points out "Then you wouldn't be in this mess."

"Okay you know what?" Jamie decides "I'm not in any mess and yes bossy and opinionated IS my type. There I said it. Are you all happy now?" He challenges as he looks around at everyone "Because I know I am…" He continues as he looks directly and very expectantly at his wife "…every day being married to you."

A happy, adoring smile appears on Eddie's face as she looks at her husband then suddenly she whips around to face Theresa and extends her hand out "Hi! I'm Eddie!" She brightly greets "I'm Jamie's wife."

"Hi, I'm Theresa." Theresa greets with equal enthusiasm as she reaches out to shake her hand.

"I bet you have a lot of great stories you could tell me huh?" Eddie giddily inquires.

A grin breaks out onto Theresa's face as Jamie's lips purse together not at all liking that idea "You want to grab a coffee?" Theresa inquires.

Eddie smiles at her "Can't do coffee." She rejects as she points at her stomach "Pregnant. But I'd love to talk over a smoothie!"

Theresa's eyes light up "Ohhhhh you're pregnant! Jay-mee!" she chides in a song song voice as she lightly but repeatedly pokes him with a single finger a few times in his chest "Why didn't you tell me you were going to be a Dad! Is it your first?"

"It is!" Eddie replies.

"I have two of my own." Theresa offers "They are such a joy, but rascals all at the same time! Here…" she adds as she pulls out her phone to start showing photos.

"Um on the job." Jamie lowly tries to remind his wife just needing this entire exchange to end.

"Right." Eddie remembers as she looks at Theresa "Can't right now - we are working." She politely explains "But would love a raincheck though."

"It's a date!" Theresa quips.

"Here let me give you my number." Eddie offers as she moves to guide Theresa to exit the store "Wait what was your reason for coming in here?"

"Oh nothing important, I was just browsing for my husband." Theresa explains "I love him but he has horrible taste in clothing."

"Jamie's not that bad." Eddie admits "But sometimes…" She continues as she and Theresa disappear out the door – their conversation fading away to everyone left in the store.

Slightly stunned, Jamie just watches the two women leave as Danny walks to his side "In all the ways that could have ended did you think that would be the one?"

Jamie huffs out a breath of air "Honestly? Yes because that's Eddie. 100% Eddie."

"Awe that's sweet Babe but heads up." Eddie's voice sounds "I think our target is on his way in."

Danny and Jamie immediately split up and move into position "And you wanted to leave." Jamie tosses out over the coms right before the door opens and true enough - their target enters…

…..

Jamie and Erin stand on the sidewalk with the store owner talking.

Danny and Baez lead the handcuffed perp to their squad car.

Eddie sits in the van filling out paperwork.

Jamie and Erin bid farewell to the owner and walk to the van while Danny and Baez drive away in the car.

Jamie opens the door to the van and barely gets inside when Eddie slides the form she is working on over slightly away from her on the desk and holds a pen out "SIGN!" She demands to her husband.

Curious, Jamie walks over and a look of surprise appears on his face as he looks at the paper on the desk "You have this completed already?"

"Well you put me in charge of the paperwork." Eddie explains "So I'm doing the paperwork."

"Okay." Jamie replies as he takes the pen, clicks it open, signs his name at the bottom then hands the pen back to Eddie, picks up the file, closes it and hands it backwards to Erin "Here you go."

Erin looks back and forth between her brother and sister in law in complete surprise as she takes the file "Just like that?" she questions "You didn't even read it!"

"I skimmed it." Jamie offers.

"Really?" Erin challenges.

"What you don't trust me?" Eddie chimes in.

"It's not about trust." Erin deflects.

"I did train her you know." Jamie reminds his sister.

"And I did pass the Sergeant's exam with flying colors." Eddie points out.

"I know but still…" Erin waivers.

"Fine!" Jamie relents as he snatches the file back and flips it open "Uh huh. Yup." He mutters as he quickly reads it over "Good. That's right. Yup." he adds before abruptly flipping it closed and again holding it out to Erin "Like I said, good to go."

Erin narrows her eyes but takes the file as Eddie sweetly smiles at her.

Erin opens it and reads – slow and carefully looking for any mistakes.

She doesn't find any.

"Well!" Erin quips as she flips the file closed "Excellent work." she commends "Gotta say this is the first time I've ever had the completed paperwork in my hands while still on the scene. You two are setting a very dangerous precedent here." she warns "I might just expect this every time from now on."

Jamie huffs out a laugh "We make no promises." He counters "We only do what we can."

"Well you done good!" Erin quips impressed before turning to leave "I see why you two make good partners."

Eddie's mouth drops open slightly "You're just seeing that now?" She calls after her sister in law in disbelief but Erin is already out the door so Eddie turns to look at her husband "After all these years she can't possibly just be seeing that now."

Jamie's only response is to shrug.

Beat.

"Did I actually get everything right?" Eddie asks a moment later.

Jamie laughs a little at her question "Yes you did." he confirms.

"Sweet!" Eddie triumphantly quips.

"Did you doubt that?" Jamie questions.

"Absolutely not!" Eddie over confidentially declares.

"Then why did you ask?" Jamie presses.

"Oh you know what?" Eddie deflects instead as she starts shutting down all the monitors "Baby feels like a hamburger! Let's stop for food on the way back to the precinct!"

"Oh baby wants the hamburger?" Jamie challenges "You sure you're not just using the baby as an excuse to get me to stop for greasy food?"

"Would you if I didn't?" Eddie counters back as she gathers up her purse and heads to exit the van.

"When have I ever not?" Jamie retorts as he moves to follow then pauses "Wait I need to call TARU and…"

"Already done." Eddie interrupts as she pulls her phone out to look at the time "They should be here in 10 minutes to drive the van back."

Jamie looks at his wife impressed "Well look at you."

"Look at me what?" Eddie challenges as she locks the door to the van "I'm paperwork and apparently OPS now. Just doing my job."

Jamie smiles proudly at his wife "Yes you are."

"You know, if it wasn't for the fact that your paycheque lands in my bank account anyway…" Eddie arrogantly tosses out as she turns to head back in the direction of the men's store "I might actually ask for a pay raise."

"Well good thing it does then." Jamie counters "Wait why are we headed back inside?"

"Because we have to wait for TARU so might as well get you some new shirts in the meantime!" Eddie informs her husband.

For a moment Jamie hangs his head in defeat but then he gets an idea so he quickly lifts his head and moves to follow "Okay but Danny showed me this one – its very tropical – its white with purple and orange designs and…"

"NO!" Eddie emphatically rejects

"Would be perfect on a trip to say the Caribbean…" Jamie points out.

Eddie immediately stops walking and slowly turns to face her husband.

Jamie nonchalantly shrugs "Just saying."

Eddie's mouth curves up into a smile "Show me." she instructs but then her eyes go wide in absolute excitement "Jamie!" She realizes "I can wear my hat!"

Jamie smiles "Yup."

…..

A/N: IMO Season 13 didn't give us much to work with in terms of Jamko but there are a few things that I will be incorporating into my story like the tropical shirt above. :) I just could NOT resist!