Chapter 107: Rock Solid

Jamie and Eddie walk out of Lamaze class with all the other couples both trying to keep their faces expressionless. They wait for all the others to leave then when they are alone they both just burst out laughing.

"Oh my god, did you see the looks on all their faces when that video ended?" Eddie cries out in laughter.

"I figured sure the guys would look like deers caught in headlights..." Jamie admits "...but I was surprised at the number of women that had that look too."

"Well chalk up a win for having had to deliver babies on the beat!" Eddie lightly quips.

As a sign of his agreement, Jamie makes a fist and holds his hand out to his wife so Eddie makes a fist and meets his in a fist bump.

"What I didn't realize though…" Eddie continues as the couple turns to walk away "…is that Lamaze has become about much more then just breathing."

"Hee hee hee who." Jamie jokes out.

"Yeah you keep making jokes." Eddie warns.

"Oh come on Eddie." Jamie laughs "We'll be fine. We've got this."

"Says the one NOT giving birth." Eddie points out.

"Eddie..." Jamie begins.

"No, no it's fine." Eddie dismisses with a hint of annoyance in her voice.

"Great." Jamie grumbles "Fine." He repeats picking up on the use of that word combined with her tone "Would you like flowers or more jewelry?"

As much as she tries, Eddie can't stop her face from showing a small smile at his defeatist, you win attitude.

"Oh that's a smile." Jamie notes in glee "I may be figuring out this husband code yet!"

Eddie burst out laughing "Husband code?" she challenges.

"Hey I was in the dog house a mere second ago and now look at me!" he boasts "If that's not figuring out the key to the code I don't know what is."

"The fact that you keep saying key to the code at all…" Eddie begins before pausing "Oh hang on. I gotta make a bathroom stop." She adds before hurrying away.

Jamie watches his wife leave then simply looks around killing time as he waits and as he does his eyes zero in on a guy sitting in a chair with his head in his hands and even though he can't see his face he could recognize him as one half of a couple from the Lamaze class so he walks over "Hey you okay?"

Startled, the guy lifts his head to look at Jamie blinking his eyes at him.

Jamie offers him a sympathetic smile "I know, it's a lot to take in isn't it?"

"Oh you're from the class." The guy realizes.

Jamie nods.

"How come you're not freaked out?" the guy questions.

"I'm a cop." Jamie explains "I've delivered babies before."

"Oh." The guy accepts "Then why are you in this class?"

"I've delivered them." Jamie repeats "Just never been having one of my own before – until now and this class is about more then just the actual birthing process."

"Oh." The guy again accepts in understanding.

Silence.

"You'll be fine." Jamie offers the guy "Women have been giving birth since the dawn of time and are way more resilient than us mere guys. I mean I could never do what they do during childbirth."

The guy lets out a completed defeated moan of despair and drops his head back in his hands.

Now feeling slightly awkward that he clearly didn't help, Jamie looks around then hesitantly lifts a hand and lightly pats the guy on the shoulder trying a different method to reassure him and offer support.

….

Eddie walks into the washroom to see a pregnant woman just staring at herself in the mirror with wide overwhelmed 'I don't know what I'm going to do' eyes "You okay?" She cautiously asks.

Startled the woman looks over "Huh?"

"You look a little stunned there." Eddie points out "Oh wait you're from the Lamaze class." She notes "That video freaked you out huh? You'll be fine." She then soothingly promises.

"Oh I know I'll be fine." The woman replies "What I'm really worried about is after seeing that video that my husband is going to faint on me just when I need him most."

"Oh." Eddie accepts.

"What about you?" The woman curiously inquires "You don't seem phased by anything in that class."

Eddie shrugs "I'm a cop so I've delivered babies in the field before and my husband well, he's about as solid as they come so I know when it comes down to it, he'll have my back."

"Great." The woman accepts as she absently looks back in the mirror while thinking about Eddie's words. A second later she turns to look at Eddie again "You want to rent him out?" she half seriously half jokingly questions.

Eddie laughs.

….

Eddie walks out of the washroom and her eyes begin scanning. She sees her husband leaning against a high but deserted volunteer desk absently flipping a pen in his fingers waiting.

She smiles, walks over, leans up and places a light kiss on his cheek.

"What's that for?" Jamie inquires as he stands fully upright and puts the pen down.

"For being you." Eddie simply answers as they begin to walk "And for being mine."

Jamie raises a curious eyebrow at that remark "And what brought this on?" he pompously inquires.

Eddie sighs "One of the women from class was in the washroom trying not to freak out because she's pretty sure that her husband is going to faint on her in deliver right when she needs him most."

"Oh." Jamie accepts as he thinks.

Beat.

"Pretty sure it was the husband then I talked to while waiting for you." Jamie adds.

"And?" Eddie prompts.

Jamie heavily sighs "Yeah pretty sure he'll faint."

Eddie cringes then looks at her husband in thought "Hey want to make a little extra money? The woman asked if I was willing to rent you out after I told her how rock solid you are."

Jamie huffs out a laugh at hearing that "I don't come cheap." He warns playing along.

Eddie stops walking and gestures back in the direction of the washrooms "Should I go back and get her number?"

"No!" Jamie laughs as he reaches out and starts them both walking forward again.

Eddie shrugs "Yeah with our luck we'll go into labor at the exact same time and then you gotta choose – own wife and daughter or a little side money."

"Oh." Jamie notes as he sucks in a breath of air like he's truly wrestling with those options "Tough call. I mean I would be doing it for the family finances… hey if you delivered in the same room I could probably do both." He reasons out.

"The scary thing..." Eddie laughs out "...is that it's you so you probably could."

"Okay that's giving me way too much credit." Jamie dismissively rejects while laughing himself.

"I don't know." Eddie counters "I've seen you manage to keep an entire zoo functioning during a blackout, a massive police raid…" She begins to list.

"Man." Jamie breathes out at the memory "That seems like such a long time ago."

"You ever miss it?" Eddie curiously inquires "Being in patrol?"

"Sometimes." Jamie admits "You?"

"Yeah." Eddie replies.

"Especially the drunks and EDPS." Jamie adds.

"I miss having TV's and paint thrown at us."

"Oh good one." Jamie agrees "Foot patrols in the freezing cold."

"Midnights." Eddie adds in disgust "Where all of the above mentioned can potentially happen in an hour."

"But at the best of times I got to spend 8-12 hours a day in car with the most amazing partner." Jamie adds.

Eddie looks over and smiles "Awwww." She happily sighs out.

"Oh I did you think I was talking about you? I meant Renzulli."

Eddie turns and narrows her eyes at her husband unimpressed to see him smile his best smile at her. Eddie shakes her head at him "What is he even doing now?" She then seriously wonders.

Jamie shrugs "Don't know. I don't think he's at the 12th anymore though."

Silence.

"I loved our lunch breaks." Eddie suddenly adds.

Jamie chuckles "You and food Eddie. You and food."

"Speaking of!" Eddie giddily quips.

"Yes Eddie." Jamie placates "We can stop for food on the way home."

"Yay!" Eddie happily accepts.

….

Jamie sits across from his wife in a diner waiting for their order when a waitress balancing 3 plates walks up "Hi sorry…" She apologizes "Your waitress has a slight emergency she's trying to deal with so who had the burger and fries?"

"Me!" Eddie quips.

"Okay." The waitress accepts as she sets that plate down and Eddie immediately reaches for the ketchup "So you must be the chicken fingers." she deduces as she goes to place that plate down in front of Jamie but Jamie stops her "No her too." He instructs as he points at his wife.

Eddie stops squirting ketchup over the fries and leans back against the seat in the booth to reveal her belly "I'm eating for two."

"Oh!" The waitress laughs "And so the salad is?..." She questions no longer willing to assume anything as she looks back and forth between Jamie and Eddie.

"That's me." Jamie replies.

"Here you go then." The waitress offers as she sets the plate down "Enjoy." She adds before walking away.

"Thank you." Jamie accepts as he reaches across the table and snags a fry off Eddie's plate.

"One of these days I will make you order your own." Eddie warns at seeing his actions.

Jamie flashes his wife an arrogant smile "But not today."

"No." Eddie laughs "Not today."

"Because I'm rock solid." Jamie boasts in delight.

Eddie rolls her eyes "I was wondering how long it would be before I heard about THAT again."

Jamie shrugs "Hey you said it."

"I know I did." Eddie confirms "And I meant it but let's not be making me regret saying it now shall we?"

"Oh I'm just trying to have a little fun." Jamie counters as he reaches for another fry but Eddie slaps his hand away "Hey!" he protests in surprise as he pulls his hand back "What was that for?"

"You have no manners." Eddie simply replies "If you would like a fry the proper thing to do is ASK if you may have one."

Jamie smirks at his wife "Manners?" He challenges.

Eddie nods then points a finger towards a booth behind Jamie with 2 adults and a child "We need to start paying closer attention to stuff like that unless we want ours to turn out like that."

Turning to look, Jamie sees a little boy pretty much creating mayhem at the booth while the parent's struggle to reign him in.

"Oh that will never happen." Jamie promises as he turns back around to look at his wife "Ever."

"How are they letting him get away with that?" Eddie wonders.

"Didn't you say your Dad used to let you get away with all kinds of stuff?" Jamie points out.

"I meant when I was older…" Eddie clarifies as she once again gestures towards the other booth "…but at that age I had manners."

Beat.

"May I have a fry?" Jamie suddenly but very politely asks his wife.

"Yes you may." Eddie cordially replies as she pushes the plate slightly towards him.

"Thank you." Jamie accepts as he takes one.

"You are welcome." Eddie replies.

Another beat.

"See was that so hard?" Eddie questions.

"No." Jamie admits "But then we are sane, reasonable adults not a small child hopped up on sugar in the middle of a temper tantrum."

"Wait so you're saying that WILL happen?" Eddie inquires as she points at the disruptive child again.

"I'm guessing only if we leave them too long with Danny, Erin or your parents."

"Why?" Eddie laughs "Is that what you did with Nicky and the boys when they were younger?"

"NO!" Jamie protests "I was a very responsible Uncle."

"Knowing you, I do believe that." Eddie promises "But that just begs the question that if you never did that with their kids why would Danny and Erin hop ours up on sugar – it's not like they are looking for payback."

Jamie looks across the table at his wife floored "Because it's Danny and Erin!"

Eddie thinks about that then cringes slightly "Right." She accepts "My bad."

Silence as they both eat.

"My Mother will be the worst though." Eddie suddenly pipes up "Oh Edit…" She dismissively begins pretending to be her Mother "It's just a little sugar!"

"Yup." Jamie wholeheartedly agrees.

"And I'll let you be the one to set her straight." Eddie seriously tells her husband.

"Oh no, she likes me." Jamie quickly rejects "She's your Mother."

"Which is why it won't mean anything coming from me." Eddie points out "But if it comes from you..."

Jamie tosses that around in his mind "I do have a way of winning her over." He admits.

Eddie smirks "Yes you do. You came back."

"What?"

"So I never told you this…" Eddie begins "…but the reason Mom always scared off my boyfriends was because she was testing them to see who was willing to come back and fight for me – and you're the only one that ever came back - that's why she likes you so much."

Jamie's mouth drops open in mock shock "So you mean it has nothing to do with my winning personality?"

"Oh shut up." Eddie laughs.

"I already knew that Eddie." Jamie laughs back "Wasn't hard to figure out."

Eddie sighs "Looking back I suppose not but geez, she could have clued me in!"

"Will you be clueing our daughter in when you do the exact same thing to her?" Jamie queries.

"I won't have to do that to her." Eddie dismissively counters "Because any suitor of hers will already have to go through you."

Jamie nods in agreement "Oh you better believe it and I'm seriously considering that police academy obstacle course that Danny joked about at Sunday Dinner as one of the hoops I will make them jump through."

"Oh no, no!" Eddie jokingly rejects "Set up a course in the backyard! That way we can all watch!"

Jamie looks at his wife pondering her suggestion "I'm liking this idea more and more… may I have another fry?"

"Yes you may." Eddie replies as she again nudges her plate slightly in her husband's direction "Thank you for asking."

…..