A/N: This chapter is rated "M". The other chapters after this will drop back down to a "T" rating.
Jamie and Kara laid together in the after-glow of making love, bare bodies pressing against each other, a peace covering them like a comforter on a winter's night. It wasn't just the oxytocin that is released after sex, that was a given. What made it more powerful was the certainty, the love that was there.
"I feel so safe in your arms," Kara confessed in the literal midnight hour, her head resting on Jamie's chest. Jamie tightened his hold on her just a little. Instead of tensing up, Kara relaxed even more, the palm of her left hand resting flat on his chest as she sighed peacefully.
She had never really been much of a girly-girl. She had her girly moments, but she was more tomboy than girly-girl to the point some at the 1-2 made assumptions about her sexuality. It didn't bother her, though, because she knew who she was. And in Jamie's arms, she felt like a true woman who didn't lack in anything.
She had a couple prior relationships with men and they were meaningful, but she never assumed she would find "true luuuuuvvvvv" as she jokingly called it. And yet, in a dark room with the moonlight being their only source of light, here she lay with a man she could see herself with possibly for the rest of her life.
"For what it's worth," Jamie said, interrupting her train of thought, "I feel safe with you, too."
Kara smiled sweetly and softly kissed his chest. "Well look at us," she said. "Two characters right out of a cheesy romance novel."
"Well I'll have you know," Jamie said cheekily, "that I like your cheese. It's warm, it's soft, and it's always good."
Kara slowly lifted her head up from Jamie's chest and shot him an unimpressed look. "I know you did not just compare my lady parts to cheese."
"Ummmmm…"
Kara raised an eyebrow, but a smirk slowly appeared on her face.
"I'm going to pay for that, aren't I?" Jamie asked.
"Oh, most definitely," she answered with a mischievous grin. "Starting now."
She began kissing Jamie's stomach, working her way up to his pecs. She licked and sucked her way around his nipples, her hand slowly reaching for his manhood, massaging it just like she did the morning after their first night together. His manhood hard as wood, she slowly lowered herself onto it.
Jamie and Kara grunted and moaned as their bodies connected once more, Kara riding Jamie's manhood, placing her right hand on Jamie's chest for support. This time, she was taking the lead.
She rode Jamie slow, rocking back and forth, her breathing getting heavier along with his.
"You like this, baby?" she asked.
"Yes!" was all Jamie could muster.
"You like how I give it to you?"
"Yes."
"i give it real good, don't I?"
"Absolutely!"
"I'm not cheesy at all, am I?" Kara asked with a grin.
"Never," Jamie replied with a smile.
"I'm the real deal, aren't I?"
"Yes."
"Because you're making love to a real woman, not some stick figure from the Upper West Side?"
"God, yes!"
"You're going to show me more respect next time we hook up, aren't you?" she joked.
"Yes, ma'am," Jamie replied, totally in on it.
"Because you love me, right?"
"Yes."
"No hesitation?"
"No."
"No reservations?"
"No."
"Good! Because… I… Love… Huh! AAAAHHHH!"
Kara's climax reverberated through her whole body and gushed out between her legs, soaking her inner-thigh and Jamie's groin. She braced herself on Jamie's chest for stability, catching her breath.
Jamie took over, still going on his end.
"I love you, Jamie Reagan," she said, still catching her breath and planting a kiss on his lips.
As their lips parted, Jamie climaxed, emptying himself into Kara. Now it was Jamie's turn to catch his breath as Kara still braced herself on his chest.
"I love you, too, Kara Walsh," he finally said.
Satisfied and blissfully spent, Kara slid off of Jamie and plopped down beside him on her back.
"And I'm sorry for comparing you to cheese," he said just now starting to catch his breath.
Kara gently patted Jaime on the chest. "Apology accepted," she said with a big Cheshire cat grin.
They laid there in blissful silence until the silence was interrupted by Kara's phone, still in her pants pocket, which was on the floor at the end of the bed.
"It's 1 o'clock in the morning!" Jamie protested. "Who could be calling you at 1 in the morning?"
"I don't know," Kara said, annoyed. "Probably some overseas telemarketer who doesn't know what time it is here."
Scooting towards the end of the bed, she picked up the phone to see who might be calling.
*Eddie Janko*
"It's Eddie," she said, looking at Jamie. "Hello?"
Kara heard nothing but sobs on the other end of the line. "Kara?" Eddie said, sniffing.
"Eddie?"
Jamie wasn't expecting that. Concerned, he turned on the light on his nightstand.
Kara looked over at Jamie with concern in her eyes. She's crying, she mouthed.
"Eddie. Eddie, what's wrong?" she asked.
"It's Barry," Eddie finally managed. "He and I went for dessert when I got back to the city and he was driving me home and we got in a car accident and he's… He's…"
"He's what, Eddie?" Kara pushed.
"He's in surgery. He's in surgery and it's really bad, Kara. It's really bad… Really…" Eddie burst into sobs.
"Eddie. Eddie!" Kara pleaded. "List… Listen to me, okay? I need you to take a deep breath. Let me hear you do it."
Eddie did as she was told.
"Okay," Kara said calmly as possible. "What hospital are you at?"
"Lutheran," Eddie said.
"Okay, Eddie. Give me…" She looked at the time on her phone. "Give me an hour – "
Jamie tapped Kara on his shoulder. I'm coming with you, he mouthed.
"Jamie's coming, too, okay?" Kara said.
It then clicked with Eddie. "Oh crap," she said, "I totally didn't even think – "
"Don't worry about it, honey, okay?" Kara assured her. "We're on our way." Kara hung up.
She looked at Jamie. "I have never heard her that upset," she said.
Jamie nodded.
"No time for a shower," Kara said to herself more than anyone else. She went into Jamie's bathroom, got a wet washcloth and a dry towel to clean herself up as best as she could. Jamie did the same.
Clean enough, Kara rushed for the drawer of clothes she kept at Jamie's place and hurriedly dressed while Jamie yanked a pair of jeans and a button-up shirt from his closet.
"Should we take our shields with us?" Jamie asked.
Kara shrugged. "Couldn't hurt."
Jamie nodded as he grabbed his shield off his blue overcoat he wore to Henry's memorial. "Where's yours?" he asked.
"Out in the living room."
Jamie scurried out to get her shield, found it, and ran back to give it to her.
"Thanks," she said.
Jamie nodded.
Both dressed with their shields, they hurried out the door into the New York City night.
