Chapter 49: Proposing Respect

"Hey Jamie." Lieutenant Gee greets as he walks up and knocks his head back towards this office "Can I have a word?"

"Sure." Jamie accepts "Excuse me." He offers before moving to follow his fellow Lieutenant "What's up?" Jamie asks as the two men enter Gee's office and Gee shuts the door.

"Have a seat." Gee offers as he moves to sit behind his desk "Now that you've made Lieutenant – congratulations by the way."

"Thank you." Jamie accepts as he sits across from Gee at his desk.

"I wanted to run something past you."

"Okay."

"I'm thinking of retiring." Gee announces.

"Oh." Jamie states in surprise "Con...gratulations?" he hesitantly offers.

Gee laughs "It is." He confirms "And I want to recommend you to replace me."

Jamie looks at Gee more then a little shocked "Um… me? Why?"

"Because you already know the lay of the land up here. You have the skills, the knowledge and now the rank but most importantly you have their respect." Gee states as he gestures out of his office to all the Detectives in the bullpen.

"I… I honestly don't know what to say." Jamie admits stunned.

"Say yes." Gee prompts "Look I'm not retiring tomorrow – I'm thinking a month or two. That will give me time to wrap up some lose ends and make the transition smooth – what do you say?"

"Well I mean it's a great opportunity but um… I have to talk to Eddie…" Jamie states.

"Of course." Gee accepts "It's a good opportunity for her too." Gee points out.

Jamie looks a little sideways at Gee to see him grin back at him.

"Why do you think I have her proofing requests and added you to the sign off chain?"

Jamie looks at Gee in realization "You planned this all along."

Gee nods "With you moving a step to the side and up, it would give her more responsibility as well – essentially you would both be in charge of the entire squad."

"So the RD division?" Jamie ponders out loud more to himself then Gee but Gee answers anyway

"It would just kind of merge back into the rest of the squad."

"Oh." Jamie breathes out as he takes a moment to just sit there and take it all in and as he does all he can hear is Danny's voice in head saying "Power Couple."

Shaking his head of the thought, Jamie flashes Gee a quick smile "I'll talk to Eddie. When do you need an answer?"

"End of the week would be great."

"Will do." Jamie accepts as he stands and heads for the door. He opens it and exits Gee's office. He looks towards his brother and Maria's desk to see them empty so he heads for his office. He walks inside to see Eddie at her desk working.

She lifts her head when she hears him enter "Hey, caught a case so I sent the minions on their way." She jokes.

Jamie gives her a look.

"Hey if they can call themselves minions I can call them minions – they started it!"

"Yeah so listen…" Jamie seriously begins "…just had an interesting conversation with Gee…"

"Oh?"

"Yeah, and it's one of those you might want to sit down for this Eddie conversations…"

"I am sitting…" Eddie slowly states as she eyes her husband "Jamie, what did he want to talk to you about?"

Jamie takes a deep breath "He's thinking of retiring in a month or two… and wants to recommend me to take over for him."

"You mean like be in charge of the entire 5-4's Detective squad?"

Jamie nods in confirmation "Yes, technically both of us."

Eddie's eyes go wide "What? Me?"

Again, Jamie nods "We'd run it together… kinda of like we have been doing…" Jamie point outs "Gee kind of planned it that way – that's why he's got the squad used to going to you with the paperwork and me signing off."

Eddie's mouth drops open in shock "But… but what about The RD?"

"It would kind of just fold back into the larger unit."

"Oh." Eddie breathes out as she stares off into space a little pondering that before turning to look at her husband "Do you want to?"

Jamie shrugs "It's a great opportunity."

Eddie nods her head in agreement.

Silence.

"You?" Jamie finally prompts.

Eddie blows out a breath "Well I… I mean I'll be on maternity leave soon. Would that even work?"

"Of course it will work." Jamie insists "I'll still be your boss." he adds with a grin "So I promise I won't fire you."

Eddie rolls her eyes "Seriously. Could this really work Jamie? I mean in charge of the entire squad? I wasn't even a detective a whole year!"

"Hey." Jamie shrugs "I was never a detective."

"True." Eddie admits with a little laugh "I feel like we should um… run it by Danny and Maria though too."

"Well Danny did already point out to us we were already running the squad."

"Damn." Eddie breathes out "He really is a great Detective."

"Best in the city." Jamie admits "So…" He suddenly quips "Sergeant Edit Marie Reagan, will you officially run this squad with me?"

"Well Geez!" Eddie laughs "Lieutenant Jameson Reagan, that almost sounded like a marriage proposal!"

"Kinda did, didn't it?" Jamie realizes "So is that a yes or a no?"

"Are you going to get down on one knee?" Eddie instead presses in pure amusement "I feel like I can only answer that if you are down on one knee…"

Jamie rolls his eyes "Um no…" He rejects "I did that once already."

"But look at the answer that got you." Eddie giddily points out just not wanting to let it go.

"Eddie…" Jamie rejects "I am not getting down on one knee!"

"Woah what's this now?" Detective Sheehan questions as he happens by the office door.

Jamie and Eddie look over.

Eddie's eyes start to dance. She and Sheehan had become quite good friends so feeling comfortable enough, Eddie loops him into the joke "Lieutenant Reagan here said to me Sergeant Edit Marie Reagan, will you officially run this squad with me?" Eddie explains in complete amusement "Now to me that sounded a heck of a lot like a marriage proposal so I told the Lieutenant here he should get down on one knee and ask me!"

"And I told her no." Jamie flat out rejects.

A huge grin breaks out on Sheehan's face "Hold that thought." He instructs before quickly moving to Gee's office.

Slightly confused by Sheehan's reaction, Jamie and Eddie both move to the doorway so they can watch him.

They see Sheehan quickly say something to Gee and for a moment Gee just stares at Sheehan but then the next second Gee bursts out laughing.

"He didn't just tell him what we were joking about…" Eddie slowly queries to her husband "Right?"

"God I hope not." Jamie mutters in return as they both watch Gee and Sheehan step of out Gee's office.

"LISTEN UP PEOPLE!" Gee commands to his squad.

All eyes in the bullpen turn to him "I have decided I will be retiring soon."

"What?" "Oh no." "Ah geez." "Congratulations…?" can be heard from different people.

Gee laughs "Thank you and yes, it is congratulations and I already know who I would like to replace me - in a joint effort…" He adds as he gestures in Jamie and Eddie's direction.

"Oh crap." Jamie mutters in realization.

"What?" Eddie lowly questions

"However, it seems when Lieutenant Reagan was asking Sergeant Reagan whether they would accept the positions…"

"Okay it's a yes." Eddie just suddenly interrupts when she gets what's going on "There okay, everybody happy?"

"Actually no." Gee rejects "I think the squad as a whole would benefit and bond together better if they felt like they were a part of the moment don't you?" He challenges as he looks between Jamie and Eddie "Come on, if they are going to be your squad you have to give them this."

"Are you kidding me right now?" Jamie tosses out in disbelief.

"Give us what?" A Detective calls out confused.

"A marriage style proposal asking if they wanted to run the squad together." Gee points out in amusement.

"Get out!" "Seriously?" "Hell yes!" Detective after Detective calls out and laughs "ABSOLUTELY WE WANT TO SEE THAT!"

Jamie slowly closes his eyes wondering how the hell this even happened.

Eddie leans slightly towards her husband "You want me to get down on one knee? This is kind of my fault so I'll do it - you might just have to help me down and then back up again though."

"No." Jamie rejects in frustration and disbelief "I'll do it." he mutters before looking at every Detective in the bullpen "Just know this is the kind of extra mile stuff I'm going to expect from each and every one of you." he warns before taking a deep breath and turning to look at his wife to see her sheepishly and apologetically smile at him.

Shaking his head Jamie lowers himself to one knee in front of his wife and the entire 5-4 Detective squad "Sergeant Edit Marie Reagan, will you run this squad with me?"

There is a moment where Eddie looks at Jamie then out at all the Detectives to see each and every one of them waiting with baited breath…

"Yes!" She loudly and proudly declares.

"WOOHOO!" "YEAH! " "NOW THAT'S HOW YOU DO IT!" Detectives call out in approval.

"DETECTIVES!" Lt Gee announces with a smile "Meet your future bosses!"

At that moment Danny and Maria walk into the entrance of the bullpen and with Jamie still down on one knee, they stop short at the sight before them.

"WHAT THE HELL?" Danny calls out.

Snapping their heads to look over, Jamie immediately groans and drops his head at the sight of his brother knowing he will now never live this down.

"My fault!" Eddie calls as Jamie rises to his feet.

"We leave for 20 minutes and come back to you on one knee?" Danny states in disbelief to his brother as he and Maria walk over "You're already married!"

"He was asking her to run the squad with him." A random Detective in the bullpen calls out in explanation.

Danny turns to look at his brother "Seriously?"

Jamie sighs and nods.

"And I missed it?" Danny tries to clarify.

Eddie nods in confirmation.

Silence.

"Do it again." Danny commands.

Jamie's mouth drops open "No!"

"Are we or are we not a part of this squad?" Danny challenges "Because right now we don't feel like a part of this squad right Baez?" he prompts as he glances at his partner for back up.

"Would be nice…" Maria nonchalantly agrees.

"Do it again!"

"Do it again!" Detectives begin to chant.

Jamie looks at Eddie. Eddie looks at Jamie.

"Oh crap…" Danny breathes out in slight alarm "They're doing that silent communication thing again."

"We want PERFECT paperwork." Eddie calls out.

"AND 110% from all of you!" Jamie demands as he both he and Eddie turn to look at their future command.

"Yes Sir! Yes Ma'am!" A unified chorus returns.

So again Jamie takes a deep breath and begins to sink down to one knee.

"Wait, wait!" Danny instructs as he pulls his phone out to record this for all time.

"Put that away!" Jamie demands as he immediately stands back up.

"Oh hell no." Danny rejects as he opens the camera app.

"Detective Reagan." Jamie warns "Put that away right now, that's an order."

Danny takes in a deep unhappy breath of air but then reluctantly but dutifully lowers his phone knowing he has to obey or he would in one fell swoop wipe out any respect his brother must have as a commanding officer.

"That goes for all of you." Jamie warns as he looks around the room "If you want me to do this – AGAIN…" He reiterates "No recordings."

"No." Eddie suddenly rejects "I'm doing it this time." she decides as she slowly begins to lower herself to one knee.

"Eddie." Jamie hisses as he reaches to try to get her to stand back up.

"Do not argue with me. Just help me to the ground." Eddie demands to her husband "You did it once already now its my turn."

Sighing, Jamie does as instructed and helps his wife get herself on one knee.

It's slightly awkward but they do it.

"Okay." Eddie breathes out as she takes a moment to make sure she's got good balance before looking up at her husband "Lieutenant Jameson Reagan will you run this squad with me?"

"Yes." Jamie immediately replies "Now get off the ground." he prompts in concern as he immediately moves to help her up.

Again its awkward and a bit of a struggle but Eddie with Jamie's help manages to get back on her feet and it is only once she is fully standing that suddenly a round of applause breaks out.

Startled Eddie and Jamie look over at everyone

"That took guts." "Nice team work." "I'm impressed."

Danny walks over to his brother and sister in law "Now that was a nice squad building exercise." he impressively commends in approval before looking out at all the other Detectives "Now seriously did no one record the first proposal before he ordered that we couldn't? Wait! Don't answer that! If you do have it, just send it to me anonymously – please and thanks!"

Jamie opens his mouth to protest as Lieutenant Gee walks up "Don't bother." he chuckles "But don't worry either. If it's out there, I have a feeling it will only be used for good because you two just won their complete respect as their new commanding officers so... you're welcome."

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