Chapter 59: It's a Start

Eddie and Jamie walk into the hospital.

"Alright. You know which room he's in so lead the way." Eddie instructs.

Grumbling, Jamie slowly leads them down the hall and stops just before a door. He gestures at it but doesn't say anything or make any move to step towards it.

Plastering a smile on her face, Eddie moves to the door, gives a couple of knocks then slowly cracks it open and sticks her head in "Hi!" She brightly greets as she looks inside to see Manny in bed with Rosa and Mia sitting in chairs on either side of him "We're back!" She announces as a way to let Rosa know she brought Jamie with her.

She swings the door open wide and takes a step inside before turning her head to wait for her husband but he doesn't come into view. Sighing unimpressed, Eddie then turns her upper body to look back at Rosa, Manny and Mia "Give me one second." She lightly apologizes before taking a step back out into the hall letting the door close behind her and the second she does a very determined look appears on her face as her eyes search out and find her husband to see he hasn't moved from his spot "Get in there now." She lowly growls.

Jamie throws his wife an unimpressed look of his own but takes the steps necessary to get to the doorway but he again makes no attempt to open the door.

"Really?" Eddie tosses at him "Gonna still make me open the door huh?" she chides in displeasure before once again plastering a smile on her face and swinging the door open "Sorry about that!" She quips "Here we are!" She greets again as she time both she and Jamie step into the room.

Silence.

"Well!" Eddie quips "Isn't this nice. First time all of us have been together in the same room – bit of an occasion don't you think? I mean the circumstances could be better." she quickly realizes as she takes in how badly beat up Manny looks "How you doing? You okay?" she asks him.

Manny nods "I'll be alright thank you."

"Good!" Eddie accepts as her eyes drift to Mia to just see her sitting in a chair looking not too happy. She looks over at Rosa questioningly.

Rosa kind of rolls her eyes and shakes her head letting Eddie know the talk with Mia didn't go so well.

More silence.

"So thank you for looking after the kids so I could come here." Rosa suddenly states to Eddie.

"Sure. Sure." Eddie quickly accepts "No problem!"

Again silence.

"Alright here's what's going to happen!" Eddie suddenly decides "Mia you will apologize to your Uncle Jamie right now."

Mia turns her head and glares at her Aunt "No."

"Mia." Rosa sternly warns "We talked about this…"

"No YOU talked…" Mia harshly interrupts "And I had to sit there listening and YOU ALL LIED TO ME!"

"We never lied to you." Rosa corrects "We just didn't tell you everything."

"Rosa. Eddie." Manny interjects "Can you give Jamie, Mia and I the room please. I think the three of us need to sort this out."

In response to that request Mia simply crosses her arm in front of her chest and a stubborn look appears on her face.

"You sure?" Rosa asks her husband.

Manny nods so silently Rosa and Eddie move to leave.

"We'll be right outside the door." Eddie states before departing.

Silence inside the room.

"Mia." Manny finally sighs.

"I know!" Mia bites back.

"I did some really bad things." Manny tells her.

"You sold drugs Dad! Drugs!"

"Yes he did Mia." Jamie confirms as he finally speaks up "But he also helped us put away some very bad people so even more drugs don't end up on the street and he did that for you and your Mom."

"And if it wasn't your uncle that arrest me…"

Jamie immediately looks over at Manny. It was strange actually hearing him refer to him as Mia's uncle.

Manny looks over at Jamie "Am I the only one that found that a bit weird?"

Jamie shakes his head "No you weren't." he admits.

"What?" Mia presses not understanding.

Suddenly Manny just starts to chuckle a bit "Ow." he then states in regret.

"What?" Mia presses in concern "What's wrong?"

Jamie winces slightly. "Broken ribs are painful." he explains.

"Oh." Mia breathes out.

Silence.

"I'm a firm believer that everything happens for a reason Mia." Manny finally states "Sergeant Reagan…"

"Lieutenant." Mia corrects.

Manny looks up at Jamie.

Jamie nods.

"Okay well congratulations." He offers "But he was still Sergeant Reagan at the time so Sergeant Reagan arresting me led to a chain of events that lead us all here. I'm not going to lie to you, if I had continued doing what I was doing, it likely would not have ended well so in a way your now Uncle Jamie saved my life and I'm grateful that while I'm serving my sentence – for things I did that were wrong…" He reiterates to his daughter "You and your Mom have him and your Aunt Eddie in your corner."

Mia again crosses her arms but this time its in pure annoyance because she knows her Father is right "Fine." she relents as she looks up at Jamie "I'm sorry. I didn't mean what I said."

"TOLD YOU!" Eddie's voice sounds from the other side of the door.

Jamie, Mia and Manny look towards the door to see Eddie pushing it back open "What?" She defends as she walks inside with Rosa following "We said we'd be outside the door, we said nothing about shutting the door all the way and NOT listening in."

Jamie rolls his eyes.

"So are we good?" Rosa cautiously questions as she looks at her daughter.

Mia sighs "Yeah we're good."

"GOOD!" Eddie quips "Now! Like I said earlier, this is quite the occasion having all 5 of us together in the same room so Manny as long a you're feeling up to it, I say we order in and have ourselves a little party!"

Manny eyes Eddie "You mean like take out food instead of prison or hospital grub?"

Eddie nods.

A huge smile plays on Manny's face "I'm in!" he eagerly quips before once again grimacing in pain "Ow." he mumbles out under his breath so Rosa immediately takes a step towards him but Manny motions he's okay so she stops.

"You choose." Jamie offers Manny trying to make up the pain he knows Manny is feeling.

Manny winces again as he eyes Jamie "Anything?"

Getting an idea, Eddie quickly moves to Manny's bed and leans down to whisper something in his ear before pulling back and smiling brightly and expectantly at him.

Manny looks at Eddie in surprise and a little unsure "Really?"

Eddie eagerly nods so Manny takes a deep breath "okay... a 3 pound lobster and a Dom Pérignon."

Eddie cracks up laughing.

Jamie heavily sighs and rolls his eyes "Cute Eddie." He tells his wife unimpressed "He can't have alcohol, he's on pain killers… and neither can you." he points out.

Mia looks between her aunt and uncle "I don't get it."

"It's an inside joke." Eddie explains.

"Okay." Mia accepts still not understanding before looking at her Mother "Do I like lobster?" She wonders "Have I ever had it?"

"We are NOT getting lobster!" Rosa rejects "I will order the food." She then decides instead as she glances at his husband and flashes him a knowing smile while pulling out her phone "I know what to order."

"Here." Jamie states as he takes out his credit card and holds it out to Rosa to use.

Rosa looks from the card up to Jamie.

"Just use it." Jamie instructs.

Rosa takes it then looks at Eddie.

"Get the lobster." Eddie quips with dancing eyes.

…..

Jamie, Eddie, Rosa, Mia and Manny all sit in Manny's hospital room feasting on take out food.

"Mmmmm." Manny moans in appreciation as he savors the food he is eating "Is it wrong of me to say getting beat up was worth it?"

Rosa turns her head to glare at her husband.

"What?" Manny defends "This is the best food I've had all year and I'm eating it with my wife and daughter and…." but his voice trails off as he looks between Jamie and Eddie wondering how to label them "I don't even know what to call you two."

"Hmmmmmm." Mia ponders.

"Oh boy." Jamie breathes out "If we leave it up to her." he adds as he points at Mia "Who knows what we could end up being."

Mia turns to look at her uncle "What does that mean?"

Jamie takes a deep breath and looks at Manny "You know your daughter has proclaimed herself big sister to my daughter right?"

"Your daughter?" Eddie challenges.

"Hey guy talking to guy here." Jamie defends.

"Oh well excuuuuuse me!" Eddie dramatically relents.

Mia places her hands on her hips unimpressed "Is there something wrong with me being her big sister?"

"Yeah." Eddie chimes in as she looks accusatorily at her husband "Is there?"

Jamie sighs "I'll I'm saying is this isn't your conventional set up."

"Set up?" Rosa questions.

Jamie looks at Manny "This is my life – three against one."

"Soon to be four." Manny points out.

"At least Reagan is a guy." Jamie mutters.

"Oh the cat." Manny nods in understanding "Well wish I could help ya man but you sent me jail so… you're on your own!"

Jamie purses his lips together "So… we're at the point now where we are joking about that?" he slowly wonders.

Manny thinks then slowly nods his head and shrugs "I guess so."

"Huh." Jamie mutters before picking up a container of food and offering it to Manny "You want the rest? Might as well eat it now because tomorrow you'll be back to eating cardboard." he over sweetly reminds him.

Looking back and forth between Manny and Jamie, Eddie smirks a little.

"What?" Jamie presses noticing her look.

"Nothing." Eddie dismisses "Just that little exchange sounded a lot like one I'd expect to hear between you and Danny."

"OH!" Mia excitedly exclaims "Uncle Jamie and Daddy are like brothers!"

Jamie and Manny both grow quite uncomfortable at that – neither was ready for THAT declaration… Not even close!

Sensing the awkwardness between the men, Rosa looks at her daughter "But Mia… if they are brothers you and the baby are cousins, not sisters." She points out.

Mia's face goes flat "Oh yeah no, you can't be brothers then." she immediately rejects "I claimed the sisterhood first. Pick something else." The young girl instructs.

Jamie and Manny both let out breathes of air in relief before Jamie turns to look at Manny "Let's just call it… um… ah…friends?" He slowly offers "Okay?" he hesitates.

"Um… yeah." Manny slowly agrees as he thinks "Um sure… friends um works… I guess."

"Great." Jamie still awkwardly accepts.

Mia eyes her Father and Uncle "Hmmmm friends…" she ponders before shrugging in acceptance "It's a start."

Eddie looks between Jamie and Manny and a small but knowing smile crosses her face "Yes it is."

...