Chapter 85: Knowledge is Power

It's Monday morning and there is a flurry of activity in the new Reagan/Ruiz household as everyone rushes around trying to work out the kinks and adjust the timing of their new routines.

"I clearly didn't get up earlier enough." Eddie mutters as she stands at her kitchen island rushing to fill a barrage of reusable containers and bags with snacks.

"You ready?" Jamie inquires as he enters the room.

"Almost." Eddie replies "Here seal up the ones I've already done."

So Jamie reaches over and begins to close container after container.

"ANYONE SEE MY BACKPACK?" Mia calls from upstairs.

"LIVES ON THE HOOK BY THE FRONT DOOR NOW!" Rosa calls back from somewhere else in the house.

"Oh yeah right." Mia replies as she come bounding down the stairs, grabs it off the hook and puts it on.

"Okay you have your new key?" Rosa prompts as she appears next to her daughter out of nowhere.

Mia nods and shows the lanyard tucked away under her shirt.

"You remember the alarm code?" Rosa presses.

Mia nods.

"Okay I'll be three houses away." She reminds her daughter.

"I know and you're going to be watching me from the window as I come home." Mia tells her Mother "I'll be fine."

"It's a new neighborhood." Rosa reiterates "New surroundings. I need you to be extra alert."

"I know!" Mia exclaims.

"Rosa!" Eddie interrupts from the kitchen "Breathe!"

Rosa huffs out a breath of air "Just wait until it's your daughter heading out the door for the first time by herself in a new neighborhood!" She calls back.

"And we're going." Jamie decides as he finishes bagging all his wife's snacks and reaches to guide her to the door to the garage "Have a good day everyone!" He calls before he ushers Eddie who is quickly grabbing her purse out the door and down the stairs.

"I think I have to get up at least a half hour earlier." Eddie tells her husband as they both head to the Chevelle.

"Noted." Jamie states as he opens the driver's door "But let's see what traffic is like before we settle on that number."

Eddie groans.

…..

"We are actually making good time." Jamie notes impressed as he drives.

"Good." Eddie absently mutters from the passenger's seat as she rummages around in the snack bag.

"What?" Jamie questions as he briefly glances at her.

Eddie heavily sighs in defeat as she gives up and stops looking in the bag "Nothing. I'll just…. never mind It's fine. I'll get them tomorrow."

Jamie again glances at his wife but doesn't say anything as he continues to drive.

…..

Jamie and Eddie are in their office working when Lieutenant Gee is about to walk into their doorway but he pauses just outside when he sees Jamie holding a few papers in one hand and using his other hand to try to find something on his desk but not have any luck. A moment later he watches Eddie who is focused on typing into her computer simply reach over, pick up the stapler on her desk and extend her arm out towards her husband. Jamie silently reaches over, takes it, staples the papers then hands the stapler back. Eddie takes it, puts it back down on her desk and they both go back to doing what they were doing.

"Hey do you have…" Eddie begins a second later.

Jamie just reaches for a file on his desk and hands it out towards his wife.

"Thank you." Eddie accepts as she takes it, opens it up and references the file while continuing to type.

Lieutenant Gee shakes his head in awe as he steps into the doorway "How do you do that?"

Jamie and Eddie look up.

"Do what?" Jamie inquires.

"You read each other's minds." Gee explains "You live together, you work together, you are in each other's orbits practically 24/7. How do you stand it? I mean come on, at some point you must want to kill each other, right?"

Eddie looks at Jamie and Jamie looks at Eddie before they both turn back to face Gee.

"Um no." Jamie slowly rejects.

"No." Eddie agrees.

"But how?" Gee presses "I love my wife and I know she loves me but we could never spend that much time together – we'd drive each other nuts!"

Jamie shrugs "She's my best friend."

"And we don't just love each other…" Eddie points out "We actually LIKE each other."

Jamie nods in agreement causing Gee to again shake his head in awe.

"And it's not like we don't spend time apart." Jamie defends.

"Yeah of course we do!" Eddie quickly tacks on in agreement "I mean you take Mia boxing. I have lunch with friends then there's…"

"Yeah, yeah fine." Gee dismissively interrupts not actually interested in hearing the details "But still. You two are something else."

"We hear that a lot." Jamie states as Eddie nods in agreement.

"This squad better watch out." Gee laughs as he hands a file to Jamie "The official transfer of command papers."

"Oh." Jamie states as he takes the file and opens it up.

There on the paper he sees the official date for when he takes over command of the 5-4 Detective squad and his eyes can't help but drift down to the bottom to see his Father's signature of approval.

"Congratulations." Gee states "It's official so no backing out now."

Jamie flips the file closed and flashes a smile "Wasn't planning too."

"Good." Gee accepts "I'll just let you two get back to it." he states before simply turning to walk away.

Jamie watches him leave then looks back down at the file. Slowly he opens it up and looks at the paper again.

Eddie studies her husband closely and she can see the wheels turning in his brain "You earned this Jamie." she earnestly states "You weren't just handed this because of your hook."

"I know." Jamie states before once again closing the file and setting it down "To be honest though I'm a bit surprised he actually signed off on it" He admits "A little part of me really thought he wouldn't."

"Because he never wants to show favoritism." Eddie adds in understanding.

Jamie nods "Yeah."

"It's because he knows you earned this." Eddie just repeats.

"Never stopped him before." Jamie states before he can stop himself.

Eddie frowns "Jamie."

"It's fine." Jamie interrupts as he flashes his wife a smile.

"You know when I say it's fine…" Eddie points out "You know it's never fine."

Jamie slowly turns his head to look at his wife.

Eddie raises her eyes in a challenge to him.

Jamie huffs out a laugh and shakes his head "Thank you." he states.

"For being able to read you like a book?" Eddie sweetly points out "I put a lot of man hours into that I'll have you know."

Jamie shoots her a look "Ditto."

Eddie flashes him a smile then turns serious "You earned this and I couldn't be prouder of you and I know when your Dad was signing that form, he couldn't have been more proud of you either."

Jamie silently nods his head in agreement thankful for his wife's reassurances and support.

There is a moment of comfortable silence between the couple before Eddie suddenly pipes up "You know what I'm thinking now?"

"Um the same thing you're always thinking." Jamie tosses back "Snacks."

"Exactly!" Eddie giddily states as she whips her bottom drawer open "Hmmm what do we feel like…" she ponders as she rubs her belly with one hand while rummaging through all the different bags and containers containing munchies with the other.

"You have more food in there then the vending machine." Jamie can't help but rib.

Eddie opens her mouth to defend herself but Jamie talks first.

"I know, it's Monday – you restocked for the week. Hey toss me the almonds." he then requests so Eddie grabs a container and lightly lob it over to him "Thank you." he accepts as he catches it, opens it and pops a few in his mouth. He chews as he watches his wife - now using both hands - continue to flip through her options in indecision.

Sighing, Jamie reaches down to his own desk bottom drawer, opens it up, reaches in and pulls out a bag of chips "Here." he offers as he tosses them onto his wife's desk.

Eddie looks at the bag as it lands on her desk and her eyes light up "How did you know that's what I wanted!"

"Because I know you." Jamie laughs as he watches his wife rip the bag open and happily pop a chip in her mouth "…and I realized on the drive in…" He admits "That that's what you were looking for in the car and I left those on the kitchen counter…"

Slowly a small but very appreciative smile appears on Eddie's face that he went the extra mile to get her a replacement "Thank you."

"Sure." Jamie accepts as an email pops up on his phone. He opens it up to read "Okay the range has an opening tomorrow evening at 7pm." he announces "I'll text Rosa to be sure that works."

Eddie nods and again a silence befalls the couple as Eddie chews and Jamie composes a text message.

"We also have a list." Eddie suddenly announces referencing their honey do list as a part of the reason why they get along so well.

"Yup." Jamie agrees as he makes a fist and extends his arm closest to his wife out towards her.

Eddie simply reaches her arm closest to Jamie out and places the palm of her hand over his fist in a shared silent pact before they break apart and respectively put the phone and chip bag in their other hands down and simply both go back to work.

….

Jamie stands with Mia in a cubicle at the range while Eddie stands in the next one over with Rosa.

Watching as Rosa takes her stance and aims the gun, Eddie reaches over and make a few minor adjustments to the placement of her fingers and hands "Okay, that's how you want to hold the gun. If you don't, you'll run the risk of breaking a finger during the ricochet of the firing."

"Oh." Rosa nervously breathes out.

"Now when you're ready…" Eddie instructs "Aim and fire."

Rosa takes a deep breath, does as instructed and pulls the trigger "Oh geez that's powerful." she states in surprise after the gun goes off.

"Yes it is." Eddie agrees.

"Alright." Jamie states in the next cubicle over "Now remember, firing a gun is a very powerful thing and there will be kickback okay?" he tells the young girl "So until you get the hang of it, my hands are going to be right there with yours okay?"

Mia silently nods her head.

When Mia was first told she was going to be going to the firing range to learn about to properly fire and handle a gun she was super excited but now that they are actually here, Jamie's noticed she's turned quite quiet and nervous.

"I know you're nervous." Jamie tells her "And that's okay. That's actually a good thing. That means you understand how serious having control over a gun is. Okay so let's aim…" he instructs as he walks through the process of how to hold the gun with her "Now put your finger on the trigger… and pull."

Mia does and when the gun fires she jumps back in surprise at the force of it and if Jamie's hands weren't right there she might have just outright dropped the gun. She looks up at Jamie with wide eyes.

"See powerful." Jamie reaffirms.

Mia nods her head in complete agreement.

"You want to try again now that you know what to expect?" Jamie inquires.

Again, Mia nods yes so they retake their stances and with complete focus and seriousness Mia and Rosa try to take in everything Jamie and Eddie are teaching them.

…..

"Well?" Eddie questions as all four move from the range back inside the facility to sit on the stools at the tables near the lockers "What did you think?"

Rosa blows out a breath of air "Not entirely sure to be honest."

"Guns are not toys." Mia announces.

Rosa, Jamie and Eddie all turn to look at her.

"No." Jamie agrees "They are not and we are glad you realize that."

"Okay now I feel better." Rosa admits.

Eddie smiles as she gently reaches over and pats Rosa's arm "Good. Now, who's hungry?!"

...