The alarm's pleasant tone might as well have sounded like a rooster announcing his presence from the nightstand. Groaning, Eddie turned over to smack the Off button. She opened one eye and saw the ungodliest thing she had seen so far that morning.

5:00AM.

"Ugh!"

She turned over to the other half of the bed. The imprint of where he used to lay was long gone. His scent was long gone. She promised herself she wouldn't cry today. And yet, a tear escaped. Then another. Then a third.

"Okay," she said to herself and perhaps the Universe. "That's enough."

Today had marked two-and-a-half years since Jamie's passing. Sometime overnight while they were both asleep, Jamie passed away from a brain aneurism. An autopsy was performed and there was no real rhyme or reason. Those things happened, sometimes, even to a healthy person like Jamie. To this day, Eddie held on to the fact that he went peacefully in his sleep. She had thought about selling their place and moving, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. Even though he had been gone a little more than two years, this was still their home.

She banged in sick on the first and second anniversary of his death, which was completely understandable. She had thought about banging in sick today, but she knew she needed to press forward. She needed to do it for herself.

-

"Okay," Sergeant Carlson said, "that about covers it. Be safe out there, everybody."

And with that, Roll Call was over.

Eddie looked to Luis Badillo, her partner of three years. "Ready?" she asked with a smile.

"Always!" Luis said, cocksure as usual.

Eddie smirked and shook her head, marveling at her partner's go-forth-and-conquer mentality. She had to admit she had grown to have a great deal of affection for Luis. Lord knows it wasn't easy in the beginning.

Nowadays, though, Eddie blamed herself just as much as her partner for the rough beginning. She had gotten way too comfortable with Jamie as her partner when they were at the 1-2, romantic tension notwithstanding. After a shocking end to her partnership with Maya Thomas at the 2-9 when she was arrested for stealing cash from a crime scene, her partnership with Rachel Witten seemed like a second chance… Until she quit due to stress and exhaustion from the job.

"You haven't had the best record with partners since you got here," Jamie said to Eddie one day when she went to him to complain about Luis, who had just complained to him about Eddie. Jamie was kind of joking. But, also, kind of not.

Jamie didn't hold Eddie responsible for Maya's arrest, but he knew Eddie could've done more to try and break through Maya's overt loyalty to the streets and its questionable ethos over what was required of her as a police officer. He also didn't hold Eddie responsible for Rachel's resignation, but he knew that Eddie's close friendship with Rachel perhaps had blinded her to Rachel's shortcomings.

Then came Luis, a man who wore a cloak of hardened cynicism which covered grief and guilt over the murder of his partner in the line of duty. As a result, he went through partners like some go through protein shakes. But Eddie was not going to make the same mistakes she made with Maya or Rachel. She was going to stick this out and make the partnership work.

And she did. She established trust with him and he established trust with her. They didn't always see eye-to-eye and they sometimes butted heads, but so did she and Jamie when they were partners. In the end, Eddie and Luis had become for the 2-9 what Eddie and Jamie were for the 1-2. The Dynamic Duo. Still no capes, though.

After Jamie's death, Luis stepped up and was a good friend to Eddie in her time of grief, texting her often, checking in with her. After her bereavement leave was over, Luis made a point to invite Eddie to go with him to a post-tour dinner or a round of drinks. Sometimes she did, sometimes not. Sometimes she needed to be by herself and grieve. Cry the ugly cry.

But today was not a day to cry as she determined earlier. It was a day to go to work. That was the best way she could honor Jamie's memory.

The tour had rolled along relatively smoothly. Aside from a few disturbances, no arrests had been made and, most importantly, no paperwork.

"Smooth as the tour went," Luis said to Eddie as they walked out of the precinct in their civies, "I'm glad it's over."

"Me, too," Eddie lied. Truth be told, she did not want to go back to an empty apartment given what today was.

"Hey!" Luis said, knowing what today was. "You want to grab some dinner and drinks from Mack's? We got tomorrow off, so why not?"

Eddies eyes lit up. "Oh, you're speaking my love language! It's on!"

"I thought your love language was words of affirmation," Luis contested, remembering the dumb quiz Eddie made him take to help improve his love life.

"Yes, words of affirmation," Eddie said explained with a crinkle of her nose, "and a side of food and drinks."

"How convenient," Luis sighed.

Eddie let out a playful chuckle.

A few hours and a few drinks in, they were both tipsy.

"So! So!" Luis explains to Eddie, "So she says, 'I just need some time to find myself, be on my own.' My heart's broken, but what are ya gonna do?"

"Oh, Luis…" Eddie replied, eyes full of sympathy and disbelief.

"Exactly! But three hours later, Eddie. Three! Hours! Later! I see her arm-in-arm with another guy."

Eddie's mouth was agape, eyes wide. "No!"

"Yes!" Luis confirms. "So I yelled out to her, 'Find yourself yet?!'"

Eddie and Luis burst into laughter.

Once the laughter died down, Eddie tried to compose herself. "Awwww," she said, eyes full of sympathy once more. "I'm sorry, man."

"Eh," Luis said with a shrug, "what are you going to do?"

Eddie placed a comforting hand on top of Luis' hand. "Seriously," she said, "on behalf of decent women everywhere, I'm sorry. You don't deserve that. No one does." Eddie let her hand lay on Luis' for a few seconds. Luis gave Eddie's hand a tender squeeze. Just then, a look of self-awareness appeared on his face as he withdrew his hand from Eddie's.

"I'm… I'm sorry," Luis said, looking down at the table.

"It's okay," Eddie said dismissively, self-awareness making itself known to her as well. "Let's just say… We were having a moment."

Luis chuckled. Eddie shifted awkwardly in her seat.

"We should probably hit it," Luis said, giving them both the out to stop the awkwardness.

"Yeah," Eddie said. "Let's skedaddle."

"Skedaddle?"

"Yeah," Eddie huffed. "Skedaddle. As in, leave, or leave quickly. Leave with haste."

"I know what it means, Eddie," Luis argued. "It's just something my grandma would say."

"Oh, I know you did not just compare me to a grandma," Eddie said, glaring at Luis.

Luis laughed, raising his hands defensively. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" he said, still laughing. "Why don't I walk you home?" Both had taken their cars to their respective apartments and met up at Mack's, which was a halfway point.

Silence reigned over the walk back to Eddie and Jamie's place. It still hurt, a lot of it did. But having someone like Luis around made it hurt just a little bit less.

As they stood outside the main entrance of the apartment building, Luis broke the silence. "In my own way," Luis said, "I miss him, too, you know."

Eddie looked at Luis quizzically.

"I know he and I didn't always see eye-to-eye," he continued, "but his heart was in the right place with the 2-9."

"I know Jamie thought the same about you," Eddie offered, smiling wistfully. "He knew you were a good cop."

"Really?" Luis asked, genuinely taken aback.

"Yep," Eddie said. And then, the tears came, punctuated by sniffing.

Luis turned and saw the tears, horrified. "Eddie, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to – "

She held up her hand. "No," she said between the tears and sniffles, "It's not your fault. It's not – " As much as she meant it, the tears still continued to cascade down her cheeks like Niagara Falls.

Cautiously, tentatively, Luis pulled Eddie in for a hug, holding her as she sobbed into his chest, rubbing soothing circles on her back. As sad as she was, heartbroken as she was – she couldn't deny how safe she felt in that moment.

Once the sobs were out of her system, Eddie looked down at the sidewalk, embarrassed. She trusted Luis with her life on the job, but she had never been that emotional in front of him. She glanced at him apologetically, eyes red and puffy.

"No apologies needed," Luis assured her.

Eddie smiled a sad smile at her partner, her friend. "Thanks," she said.

Luis smiled. "No problem at all." As he turned and began to walk away, he was interrupted by Eddie.

"Luis?"

Luis turned around to face her.

Eddie put her hands in her pockets, shuffling and looking at the ground, then looked up to see Luis standing face-to-face with her. He was in her personal space and she didn't care.

"I, uh…" she said hesitatingly. "Do you think, maybe, you could stay with me tonight?" As she realized how that might come across, she looked at Luis concerned. "I don't mean it like that…"

But Luis understood. "I know," he assured her.

"I just…" Eddie said before trailing off.

"Don't want to be alone right now," Luis finished.

Eddie nodded her head. Without thinking, she reached out her hand.

"I need my partner," she half-whispered.

Luis took her hand. His thumb caressed hers.

"Your partner's right here."

Into the apartment building, they went.

-

Morning light shone through the living room window, hitting Luis in the eyes. He awoke staring at a ceiling that was not his own.

Wait. Where am I?

He then sat up on a tan couch.

Oh, that's right. I'm at Eddie's.

Just then, Eddie's bedroom door opened. Out she came in a sweat jacket, blue jeans, and a messy pony tail.

She's like a vision.

Luis closed his eyes, reprimanding himself.

Don't go there, Badillo. Don't go there.

"Morning," Luis said, trying to cover his I-just-woke-up voice.

"Good morning," she said, smiling brightly.

Luis returned the smile. "Someone's in a good mood," Luis observed.

"I slept really good last night," Eddie explained. "Honestly, I haven't slept that well in weeks… Want some coffee?"

"Yes, please, and thank you," Luis responded.

Eddie walked over to the kitchen counter, filling up the coffee machine with water and coffee grounds.

"Did you sleep okay?" Eddie asked out of genuine concern.

"Honestly, I did. Best couch ever!"

"Yeaaahhh," Eddie said with a roll of her eyes. "Sure it is."

"I mean it," Luis said as he walked to the counter. "You have good taste in couches."

"Gee thanks," Eddie said with a smirk. "That's what every girl wants to hear from a man who spent the night with her."

A beat passed.

Realizing what she had said, her cheeks turned crimson red. "I… I didn't mean it like that," Eddie said, putting her head in her hands. "Oh, man, I did not mean it like that."

Luis smirked, trying desperately to suppress his laughter. "Hold on," he observed, "I can still see some of your rosy red cheeks. Bury your face in your hands just a little bit more…"

"Oh, shut up, Badillo!" Eddie groaned, not the least bit amused.

The laughter burst forth from Luis. Eddie had to admit, it was a nice laugh.

"Relax, Janko," Luis assured her, "I know what you meant."

Eddie exhaled the whirlwind.

"Look," Luis assured her. "We both know what happened last night. You cried for a bit, we told each some corny jokes, we played cards – Which you cheated at, by the way," he said with an accusatory glance.

"Did not!" Eddie protested.

"All I'm saying," Luis continued, "is what happened between us is between us. It's no one's business but ours."

Eddie nodded her head in thought. It really was no one's business but theirs.

"How's the coffee coming?"

Eddie's train of thought derailed.

"I'm sorry, what?"

"I said," Luis repeated, "how's the coffee coming? I want to get some caffeine in me for my walk of shame."

Eddie glared at her partner. "Whoever told you that you were funny," she declared, "lied to you."

Luis flashed his thousand-watt smile.