A/N: Ever feel like life is one step forward and then two steps back? That's me right now. Sigh. Anyhoo, here you go - next update is here. Feedback is appreciated.

Chapter 42: The Hangover

Eddie lays on her side propped up on her elbow on her pillow in bed waiting as she watches her husband next to her still sleeping. Getting impatient, Eddie leans over an blows a little air at his ear.

Jamie mumbles something incoherent and shifts slightly but doesn't wake up so Eddie does it again.

Jamie again mumbles something but this time also lifts his hand to swat at his ear. Eddie quickly moves back out of the way to avoid his hand.

Jamie resettles himself into bed.

Eddie rolls her eyes then leans forward again "Jamie." She quietly prompts in his ear "Get up already. You're going to be late for work." She adds as she gives him a little shove.

Jamie unhappily grumbles incoherently.

Eddie again rolls her eyes and gives his shoulder a harder push "Jamie! Get up!"

"Uggggghhhh." "Jamie reluctantly groans as he is forced back to the land of the living "Why do I feel like a truck ran over me?"

"Because you downed a bottle of whiskey." Eddie simply reminds him.

"I did?" Jamie mumbles out in a fog.

"Oh you did." Eddie confirms "Do you not remember anything from last night?"

"Sleep." Jamie mutters as he turns over and tries to go back to sleep.

"Jamie come on." Eddie impatiently prompts as she gives him another little shove "You can't go back to sleep you have to go to work! Now think! Do you remember anything from last night?"

Jamie groans as he tries to wake up and think.

Damn… thinking hurt…

"I… I remember walking into a bar with Danny…" Jamie slowly admits "But… but anything after that… no not really."

A small smile creeps up onto Eddie's face.

"What happened?" Jamie inquires as he finally but slowly opens his eyes squinting.

God his head hurt…

Eddie wipes the smile from her face "Well from what I can gather, you freaked out because you think we are having a girl…"

Jamie cringes at hearing that.

"So you went out with Danny to talk about it…" Eddie continues "…and ended up drowning your sorrows in a bottle of whiskey…"

Jamie groans "Eddie…" He begins to apologize.

"Not done!" Eddie quickly interrupts "Then…" She continues "Danny had to drive you home and drag your drunk ass up the stairs. Now of course I could have reminded him we have an elevator…" She adds as a side note "…but he deserved to have to drag said drunk ass up the stairs for getting you drunk in the first place."

Jamie squeezes his eyes shut as he tries to remember that but can't.

"Then he dropped you on the couch…" Eddie adds "…and I eventually helped move you here and put you to bed. Ring a bell?"

Jamie sighs "No."

Eddie looks a little sideways at her husband "Really? Nothing? You don't remember anything from last night?"

"No." Jamie repeats before rubbing his hand over his face in regret "God, I'm sorry Babe." He sincerely apologizes before turning his head to look at her "You should not have had to deal with any of that."

Eddie laughs "Why because I'm pregnant?"

"Yes." Jamie sighs.

"With a girl." Eddie points out "Or so you assume."

Jamie groans "Look Eddie I…"

"You had a little freak out." Eddie interrupts "And trust me, we'll talk about all this later when you're feeling better." She promises before offering him a small smile "But don't worry. It's okay. I'm not mad or anything. In fact, if you remember I did a very similar thing and had my own little freak over Mia where you then had to deal with MY drunk ass so I get it."

Jamie can't help but give his wife a small smile in thanks "But you have such a cute drunk ass." He compliments.

"Oh trust me." Eddie counters in amusement "You do too! Now, do you want some water and an aspirin? I can make you my famous hangover breakie."

"Ugh food." Jamie groans in disgust as he grabs his pillow from under his head and flips it up and over to cover his face.

Eddie pats his arm "Don't worry." She patronizes before getting up off the bed "I put the mat and blankie out for you on the bathroom floor. We'll just pretend its like you're pregnant too!"

Jamie removes his pillow from his face to look at his wife "Can I huck my pillow at you then too?" He inquires.

A smirk plays on Eddie's face "Well that is an accepted action during that situation to help one feel better so come on..." She prompts as she gestures with her hands for him to go for it "Bring it." She challenges.

Jamie picks up the pillow, winds up and tosses it at her before groaning in regret "oh too fast of movement." He grumbles "How does that make you feel better when you already feel like crap?"

Eddie easily catches it and laughs "I'm not looking to take out a perp when I do it, just relieve a little bit of stress. Helps me feel a bit more in control."

"Oh." Jamie notes.

"Now come on." Eddie prompts before heading for the door "I know you're feeling the regret of your actions but you still gotta get up and get ready for work."

"Coming." Jamie sighs as he slowly sits up and drops his feet to the floor. He takes another few seconds to ready himself then pushes himself up and off the bed "Ughhhhh." He groans out as he slowly and begrudgingly walks to the bathroom.

….

Jamie quietly walks into the bullpen of the 5-4 with eye concealing sunglasses on hoping he can just make it to his office without anyone seeing him or worse stopping to talk to him. Unbeknownst to him, Danny walks right up behind him and moves towards his ear…

"MORNING!" Danny loudly greets causing Jamie to shudder and cringe in pain "Is it bright in here or something Kid?" Danny laughs "Come on, take those glasses off, let's see those blood shot eyes!"

"Jesus I hate you." Jamie grumbles as he continues on to his office with Danny following.

"Oh cranky." Danny chuckles in amusement.

"That's Sergeant or Boss." Jamie spits back as he sinks to sit in his chair.

"Okay Sergeant Cranky." Danny corrects "Just a wee bit hung over this morning huh?"

"Of course I'm hung over you ass." Jamie growls.

"I'm an ass?" Danny immediately chides "I'm the ass?" He repeats in utter disbelief "How is it I'm the ass when it was me that made sure YOUR drunk ass made it home safe and sound last night?"

"I only got drunk because you ordered the bottle!" Jamie loudly tosses back "God stop yelling…" he then pleads as the sound of his own voice makes his head hurt "I'm clearly getting too old for this…"

Danny nods his head up and down in agreement "You definitely are."

"Can you please just go away?" Jamie pleads.

"Can't." Danny rejects "Not before I tell you we caught a case."

Slowly Jamie turns to look at his brother.

"Okay take those glasses off already." Danny insists "I can't have a serious conversation with you while you're wearing those things – all you'd need is a mustache and you'd look like that 80's TV icon – what was his name again? – the guy with the Red Ferrari?"

Reluctantly, Jamie removes his glasses and Danny immediately grimaces and sucks in a breath of air "Wow you look like hell."

"I feel like hell." Jamie admits "Now how is it you know we caught a case and I don't?"

"Because I literally walked into it." Danny explains "Last night, after I dropped you off."

Jamie sighs "Go on."

Suddenly Maria walks up "Why does the squad car smell like a drunken sailor?"

"More like drunken Sergeant." Danny corrects with a laugh.

Jamie lifts his head to glare at his brother "Bite me."

"Oh this was you two last night." Maria realizes before looking at Danny very unimpressed "How could you let him get drunk like that?"

"What?" Danny counters in surprise.

"You went out for drinks because he was looking for advice…" Maria chides her partner "And you let him do this?"

Danny looks at his partner completely baffled "Hang on here. Why do I get the sense that you are more mad about this then his own wife?"

"Because maybe I am." Maria states miffed "Your brother needed real help last night."

Jamie hisses slightly in pain causing Maria to look at him.

"You don't look good." Maria seriously tells Jamie in concern.

"Oh don't say that." Danny lightly chides his partner "He's a bit sensitive this morning."

"And let me guess..." Maria sighs in disapproval as she looks at Danny "…you're taking every opportunity you can to rub it in right?"

Jamie looks up at Maria "Yup still my favorite Detective."

Danny looks at his brother "I'm hurt by that you know."

"Good." Jamie tosses back "Now can one of you please get them to call off the jack hammering outside the building?"

"No one is doing any jack hammering." Maria slowly informs him.

"Oh so it's just in my head then." Jamie mutters "Great."

"Why don't you just take the day?" Maria suggests.

"Because that's not the Reagan way." Danny informs her.

"Of course." Maria relents "Should have known." she adds before looking around "Where's Eddie?"

"Still home." Jamie grumbles.

"Wait you're sick with a hangover and already at work and your not hung over wife is still at home?" Danny questions.

Jamie sighs "She's pregnant."

"Right." Danny notes "Carry on."

….

With Jamie already gone to work, Eddie walks to the kitchen table with her laptop, phone and a USB drive in her hand. She sits down, opens the laptop then old school style plugs her phone directly into the computer using a cord – she wasn't taking any chances with this going over the wireless network...

She plugs the USB into a separate slot and waits. Once everything registers she opens her camera app and transfers a video and some pictures from her phone to the flashdrive. After everything finishes she removes the USB drive, disconnects the phone and then deletes the pictures and video from her phone being sure to remove them from the trash bin as well. She shuts the laptop, picks up the drive and heads for the bedroom. She walks over to the closet and puts the drive inside the open safe "My secret." She states before closing the safe door and spinning the dial. She moves the clothes back into position to conceal the safe then closes the closet door, turns and heads back out of the bedroom - a big happy and satisfied smile on her face.

...