Chapter 77: Moving Out

"God who knew we had so much stuff." Eddie mumbles out in annoyance as she and Jamie stand in the living room of their apartment looking around at all the boxes they had already packed and all the stuff still not yet packed.

"Um we did." Jamie points out as he grabs a marker, crouches down and marks an almost already full but still open box 'Photos box 2 of _' "That's why we have a storage unit."

"Right." Eddie mutters as she picks up their framed wedding photo "At least we won't need that anymore." She adds before holding the frame out to Jamie.

"I'm looking forward to seeing my couch again." Jamie notes as he takes the photo, wraps it in a piece of bubble wrap and places it in the box.

Eddie turns to look at her husband "I thought you liked my couch?"

"I do." Jamie replies as he closes the flaps and holds them down "But I like my couch too and now we can have both in the same house."

Eddie ponders that as she picks up the tape gun "Yours can go in the basement." She decides before slapping the end of the tape on the box Jamie is holding shut and sealing it.

"Yes!" Jamie happily breathes out as the couple stands up and Eddie turns her head to look at her husband as realization hits her.

She thrusts the tape gun at his chest so her hands are free "Oh have we decided that will be your 'man' cave." she air quotes.

"Hey…" Jamie defends as he moves to pick up a new flattened box and open it up "…don't pretend you won't be right there beside me watching the games."

Eddie shakes her head at her husband "And here I thought the triple car, heated garage was going to be your play room?" she adds before grabbing a stack of books off the shelf and turning towards her husband to see him running tape along the bottom of the box before flipping it over.

"That's the beauty of this house." Jamie amusingly tells his wife as he puts the tape gun down "We don't have to limit ourselves to one room!" he quips as Eddie holds the books out to him.

Jamie blows out a breath of air and as he looks at the books "Are you sure you don't want to just sort through this stuff now instead of lugging EVERYTHING to the house and figuring out what we actually want to keep later?"

"Jamie, the house has a ton of space." Eddie reasons as she grabs more books "Even with our stuff and Rosa and Mia's stuff, I'm sure their will still be space left over – besides we'll get more for our stuff at a garage sale in that neighborhood then trying to what? Lug want we don't want downstairs and out onto the lawn here for a yard sale?"

Jamie scrunches his face up "Do rich people even go garage saling?" he seriously wonders before continuing to pack books into the box.

An amused smile graces Eddie's face "Can I tell you a secret?"

"Sure."

"Mom goes garage saling."

Jamie stills his packing movements, lifts his head and his mouth drops open a bit as he stares at his wife.

"How do you think she managed to get all that stuff she still has after Dad did what he did!" Eddie tells him.

"Huh." Jamie breathes out impressed as he ponders this new revelation "Lena Janko thrifty. Who knew."

"But don't say anything to her." Eddie advises.

"Why?" Jamie wonders "I think its admirable."

"Because she doesn't know that I know." Eddie explains.

Jamie looks a little sideways at his wife "Oh. Okay… well if she didn't tell you… how do you know?"

"I'm a cop Jamie." Eddie replies "We may not have always gotten along but you don't think I keep tabs on my Mother?"

Jamie huffs out a laugh "Right. So what did you do tail her one Saturday morning?"

Eddie shrugs "Worse ways to spend a Saturday morning."

Jamie bursts out laughing before suddenly stopping "Wait. We're we partners at the time?"

Eddie thinks back "Maybe?" she slowly states "Or could have been just before, I don't remember."

"Damn." Jamie breathes out "Knowing Lena now, I would have loved to have tagged along on that little Op."

"She still does it." Eddie points out "I know we're moving this Saturday but wanna go next Saturday?"

Jamie looks at his wife floored "Shut up. Does Armin know?"

Eddie shakes her head no.

"How does he not know?" Jamie presses "Doesn't he question when Lena comes home with stuff?"

"Are you kidding?" Eddie laughs "After what Dad did? Dad keeps his mouth shut. He don't ask and Mom don't tell."

"Wow." Jamie breathes out.

"I know." Eddie laughs "Because if I did that you'd be all like where'd this come from – especially when it wouldn't show up on the credit card bill."

Suddenly there is a knock on the door so Jamie gets up and moves to answer it but Eddie calls out "WAIT!" So he stops.

"Where's Reagan?" Eddie inquires.

"Oh right." Jamie realizes now remembering they need to be careful. "Still in Mia's room, I think." he replies "I mean I didn't let him out. Did you let him out?"

Eddie shakes her head no.

"Okay so I can answer the door then." Jamie decides before swinging it open to see Mrs. Riley on the other side with a couple of her friends from Mahjong night "We heard you're moving." Mrs. Riley states as she crosses her arms annoyed "Is it true?" She inquires before looking forward into the apartment "Must be. I see boxes."

Jamie nods "It's true."

"Ah." Eddie happily notes as she comes to the door thinking the ladies will miss them but she stops short when Mrs. Riley breathes out "Thank god!"

Eddie makes a slightly taken aback face "Excuse me?"

"We are a quiet complex." One of the other ladies pipes up "Babies." She adds as she points at Eddie's stomach "Are not quiet."

"At least we don't have to worry now!" The other lady adds in.

"Exactly." Mrs. Riley exclaims as all the ladies turn to walk away "Now we no longer need to move forward with our complaints to building management!"

Jamie and Eddie's mouths fall slightly open as they watch them walk away and slowly Jamie shuts the door before turning to look at his wife.

They stare at each other a second then both burst out laughing "Okay well no last Mahjong night now!" Eddie decides.

"Definitely not." Jamie agrees.

"Now I kinda want to stay just to stick it to them!" Eddie notes causing Jamie to laugh some more "No you don't."

"Maybe we can just swing by when she's crying and walk up and down the halls." Eddie counters.

"Eddie!" Jamie chides in laughter.

Eddie indifferently shrugs.

"Let's just get back to work." Jamie decides as he heads to pick up an empty box but when he hears his wife heavily sigh, he puts the box down and turns back towards her to see a forlorned look on her face.

"I will miss this place." Eddie sadly admits as she looks around at the apartment "It was our first home together."

Jamie walks back towards his wife and picks up both her hands in his "I know Babe. We made some really great memories here."

Eddie nods in agreement.

"But those memories are coming with us." Jamie points out.

"Oh don't get all sappy on me." Eddie deflects as she tries to stop her eyes from watering.

Jamie chuckles "Sappy." he repeats as he leans forward and places a super soft kiss on his wife's forehead causing a smile to creep up on her face "Sappy." He states again as he moves to place another kiss on one of her cheeks "Sappy." he adds yet again before kissing her other cheek then pulling back to look at his wife's face.

Eddie pouts a little, lifts her hand and points at her lips "You missed a spot."

The beginnings of a satisfied smile appears on Jamie's face "Oh my mistake." He softly apologizes before leaning forward to meet his wife's lips in a sweet kiss.

The couple breaks apart and again Jamie looks at his wife "Better?"

Suddenly Eddie lifts her hand and slaps her husband's butt as she chirps out a happy "Yup!" before moving past him to pick up a box "Come on Bub, these boxes aren't going to pack themselves!"

Shaking his head, Jamie moves to follow his wife but another knock on the door stops him so he spins around to go answer it but before he can even take a step he hears a key in the lock.

The next second the door opens to reveal Mia returning the key hanging around her neck on a lanyard back against her body with Sally next to her and McNichols behind them still with her hand up in knocking position.

"Okay…" Paula breathes out unaware "Kids got a key now."

"I'm home!" Mia announces.

Eddie looks towards the door and a mischievous look appears on her face "Mia…" She instructs "Go back out in the hall and say that again really, really loudly using your outside voice okay?"

"EDDIE!" Jamie immediately chides before turning to look at his god daughter and reaching to usher her further into the apartment "Mia do NOT do that. Just get in here."

McNichols raises an eyebrow at the exchange "She's trying to stick it to the neighbors. " Jamie lowly explains in a hush to her before looking between Sally and Mia and then back to McNichols "So is everything…?" he cautiously questions.

McNichols nods in confirmation "Ice cream works wonders."

"Good." Jamie accepts happy Mia and Sally worked it out.

"Where's Reagan?" Mia questions.

"Still in your room." Eddie replies.

"Sally come on." Mia prompts as she heads for the archway.

Sally looks at her Mother for permission.

"Just a quick hello." McNichols allows "Then we have to go."

Sally nods in understanding before moving to follow leaving the three adults in an awkward silence.

"So packing up I see." McNichols finally states.

"Yeah." Jamie agrees with slight tilt of his head.

Silence.

"And in case Mia hasn't extended the invitation…" Eddie suddenly pipes up "You and Sally are welcome to come over anytime."

"Hmmmm..." McNichols ponders "Bit of a drive but we'll see."

More silence.

"Well this was fun." McNichols suddenly quips "SALLY!" she loudly calls "Time to go!"

"COMING!" Sally calls back.

McNichols gets a weird look on her face when she catches sight of Eddie grinning at the exchange "What?"

"Are you looking for a new place to rent?" Eddie inquires with dancing eyes "Because this apartment is available after this weekend and the rent is super reasonable – you and Sally will fit right in."

Jamie hangs his head at his wife's comment.

McNichols gives Eddie yet another weird look "Yeah we're good thanks." She deadpans as Sally and Mia come back out into the living room.

"No seriously." Eddie presses "Do you like Mahjong? I think you and Mrs. Riley would get along famously!" She adds causing Jamie to just shake his head at what his wife is trying to do.

"We're good." McNichols reiterates as she heads for the door and gestures for her daughter to come "Say goodbye Sally."

"Bye!" Sally calls as Mother and Daughter step out of the apartment.

"BYE!" Eddie overly loudly calls back as she moves towards the door while Jamie and Mia just bid a normal volume "Bye."

Eddie steps out into the hall "COME BACK ANYTIME!" She hollers after them.

Mia gets a confused look on her face and turns to look at her Uncle "Aren't we all moving at the end of the week? We'll barely be back here, never mind them."

"That's the entire point Mia." Jamie explains as he watches his smiling and amused wife step back inside the apartment and shut the door. She looks up a second later in regret "Oh I should have slammed that." She realizes as she goes to reopen the door but Jamie practically leaps forward to stop her.

He shoots her a silent 'What are you doing?' look.

Eddie shrugs of his look off. "Have we packed up the pots and pans yet?" She then wonders as she moves towards the kitchen "Let's do that next." She giddily decides.

"Huh?" Mia questions thoroughly confused at watching her Aunt and Uncle's actions.

Jamie sighs in defeat "Just go play with Reagan." He instructs their young charge.

Mia shrugs "Okay." She accepts before turning to head back to her room and Jamie heads for the kitchen "Eddie." he hushes out "What are you doing?"

"Packing up the kitchen!" She reiterates as she grabs two pots and is about to bang them together when Jamie reaches out his hands and grabs both her wrists to stop her.

"We have lived here for years…" Jamie tries to reason "And gotten long fine with everyone could you please not do this now?"

Eddie looks at her husband and ponders his words "You're right..." She begins causing Jamie to relax a little in relief "I should wait until after midnight!" She decides instead.

Again, Jamie momentarily hangs his head before looking up "You mean while Mia is sleeping?" He challenges hoping that will finally get through to her.

Eddie frowns "Hmm I guess you're right... now it is!" She quips as she moves to bang the pots together but Jamie maneuvers them out of her hands first.

"NO!" Jamie chides "Out!" He commands as he gestures with the pots for Eddie to leave the kitchen.

Eddie scoffs "What are you banishing me from my own kitchen?"

"Yes!" Jamie decides.

Eddie snorts "Great, then you're in charge of all meals until we move - either you cook or order take out." She decides before turning to walk away "I'll be in Mia's room playing with Reagan."

For a moment Jamie just stands there speechless watching his wife walk away before shaking his head in awe at her ability to still turn their conversations around on him and somehow win…