A/N: There is a scene towards the end of this chapter that warrants an "M" rating.

The funeral service for Henry Reagan was held at St. Joseph's Church. The Governor and Lieutenant Governor of New York respectively, the Mayor of New York City, and the precinct Chiefs from the five boroughs of the NYPD – all in their full dress blues – had come to pay their respects.

Frank, Danny, and Jamie were in their dress blues as well. Frank walked a fine line between honoring the man who was his father, but also his predecessor as commissioner. Danny and Jamie walked the line as cops who wanted to pay respect to their beloved grandpa as well as a former Commissioner.

If she had it her way, Kara would be right up there in the same pew as Jamie, holding his hand and being there for emotional support as his girlfriend. But they both knew it would be inappropriate for an occasion such as this. Few people knew about their relationship except for Eddie, the Reagans and Seargeant Renzulli, which is how they both wanted it.

But on a day such as this, Kara wished that weren't so. She wished she could hold his hand or place a comforting hand on his knee and just be there for him like any other girlfriend would – to Hell with the cameras and the press. In the end, though, she knew it was for the best as she sat in a couple pews behind the Reagan Family with Eddie by her side. She and Eddie had been given the task of representing the 1-2 at the funeral by Renzulli.

At the reception at the Reagan Family Home in Bay Ridge, Frank, Danny, Jamie, Erin, and Nicky held court, thanking everyone for coming.

Kara and Eddie kept their distance from Jamie and the Reagans and mingled with other NYPD officers. Eddie wandered outside to the backyard and saw Sean.

"Hey, Sean!" Eddie greeted him warmly.

Sean looked up.

"Officer Janko!" he greeted.

He stood up and gave her a big hug. They had formed a bond since Eddie found him by his mom's gravesite and gave him a ride home. Eddie had become like an unofficial big sister to him.

"Oh, I missed my little bro!" she said to him, still hugging him.

"Come on," Sean said, cheeks turning scarlet as they pulled apart. "Don't get all mushy on me."

"You're my little brother!" she joked. "I need to keep you on your toes!"

"Yeah yeah yeah," Sean said.

A few seconds of silence passed between them.

"So how's it going?" Eddie asked Sean as they sat on a bench. "Really?"

"Okay, I guess," Sean said. "I knew, in the back of my mind that Pop was older than the rest of us."

Eddie nodded.

"Still, you don't think it'll ever happen," he concluded. He then sighed. "But it does."

Eddie knew Sean was thinking about his mom and not just Henry.

Sean looked at the ground, then at Eddie. "Don't worry, I'm not going to cry like I did at the cemetery."

Eddie gave him a sad smile. "It's okay if you do," she said as she put a hand on his shoulder.

Sean nodded. A stray tear or two escaped his eye. Eddie pulled him in for side hug, lightly kissing the top of his head.

Inside, Kara was taking a moment to herself in one of the side-rooms, lost in thought. She didn't hear someone come in and close the door.

"Hey."

Kara jumped.

"Sorry," Jamie said with a smile.

"No, it's fine," Kara said.

Jamie went in to hug her.

Aware of their surroundings and who was out there, Kara began to ask, "But what about…?"

"I don't care," Jamie said and wrapped his arms around her. In that moment, Jamie let the tears escape him.

"I'm sorry, babe," Kara said as she kissed the side of his head repeatedly, tears escaping her own eyes. "I am so, so sorry."

Five minutes later, all the tears having left his body, Jamie and Kara exited the side-room. Erin walked up to them, noticing Jamie's red and puffy eyes.

"Everything okay?" Erin asked.

"Yeah," Jamie answered, "just needed a couple minutes."

Erin nodded understandingly.

"Um," Jamie said to both Erin and Kara, cocking his head towards the living room, "I'm gonna head back out there."

"Sure," Erin said.

"When you're done, let me know and I'll drive you back to the city," Kara said.

"What about Eddie?" Jamie asked, knowing they had sat together at the memorial service.

"She took her own car," Kara said.

"Ah," Jamie said, nodding. He smiled and placed a hand on her arm. "I'll let you know."

As Jamie walked away, Kara looked at Erin.

"I know you've heard this a hundred times already," Kara said, "but I really am sorry about your grandpa's passing."

For the first time all day, Erin smiled a genuine smile. "Thank you," she said. "I just wish you had gotten to know him better." Kara had been to the Reagan House a few times for Sunday dinner when she didn't have a shift and she had a good rapport with Henry.

"I wish that, too," Kara said. "He was always so kind to me, like I was already part of the family."

Erin smiled. "He had the effect on everybody."

A beat passed.

"For what it's worth…" Erin said, looking right into Kara's eyes. "I think you and Jamie are great together. He lights up when he talks about you."

Kara smiled, slightly embarrassed, but mostly touched Erin would take time to say that on a day such as this. "Thank you," she said. "He lights up my world, too. Don't get me wrong, I've had other relationships and none of them were bad per se, but they weren't… They weren't what I feel for him. Not by a long shot."

Erin smiled. "I'm glad."

"Oh! Ms. Reagan!" a voice called out.

Kara and Erin turned and it was Mayor Clark. Erin glanced apologetically at Kara, but Kara nodded as if to say, Go for it, I understand.

"Hello, Mr. Mayor," Erin said as she walked towards him…

Later that night, Jamie walked through the door of his apartment, Kara following him. Jamie was still wound up from an emotional day of memories of Pop as well as talking to so many people.

Jamie looked at his girlfriend, who – even when she was two rows behind him at the memorial service – was still emotionally right by his side.

"Thank you," Jamie said, "for everything."

Kara smiled. "No problem."

"I got to remember to thank Renzulli for letting you and Eddie represent the 1-2," he said.

"I think he knew it would help you knowing at least two people there aside from family," she reasoned.

Jamie nodded.

"But even if the Sarge didn't make us go as representatives," Kara continued. "I still would've gone."

Jamie smiled and pulled Kara in for a hug.

They stood there for five, ten, fifteen, twenty seconds, holding one another. Kara felt small warm wet drops on her shoulder. She pulled back and Jamie was tearing up again.

"Hey," she said softly, pulling him back in for a hug, kissing him gently on the cheek. "I'm right here, babe. Just let it all out, okay?"

Jamie did just that.

Once all the tears had left him, Kara pulled apart from Jamie slightly to tenderly kiss him on the lips.

She looked at Jamie who stood there, vulnerable.

She kissed him again.

And again.

She kissed his lips again, which led to a trail of tender kisses on his cheek, his jawline, and his neck, accentuating those kisses with her tongue.

Jamie moaned. Truth be told, he needed this release, but he didn't want Kara to feel like she had to do this for him.

"Kara," he began, "you don't have to – "

"Shhhh," she chided. "Let me give you some comfort," she half-whispered as she unbuttoned his shirt and placed warm kisses on his bare chest and worked her way back up his neck and to his lips, this time increasing in passion.

Unable to resist any longer, Jamie's body tensed as he lifted Kara off the floor and she wrapped her legs around his waist. She lifted up her arms as Jamie took off her shirt and tossed it onto the floor as they headed towards his bedroom and sloppily kissed. But they didn't care as it was raw and emotional, just like the entire day had been.

Closing the bedroom door, Jamie set Kara down on the edge of his bed and leaned down to kiss her passionately once more. Randomly he pulled away.

"Jamie," Kara began, concerned. "Are… Are you okay?"

Jamie looked at her, eyes aflame with conviction. He got down to her level as she sat on the edge of his bed, both hands cupping her face.

"I love you, Kara," he said.

A tear escaped Kara's eye and a smile came to her. "I love you, too."

Jamie leaned in to kiss her once more, groaning as Kara undid her bra, tossed it to the side of the bed, and moved her hands to quickly unbuckle Jamie's belt.

As Jamie hurriedly took off his pants and boxer-briefs, Kara made quick work of her uniform pants and her panties.

Both naked, Kara lovingly extended her hand out to her Jamie with a smile.

As Jamie began to get onto the bed, Kara spread her legs, waiting for Jamie's manhood to penetrate the warmth that was inside her.

Jamie and Kara connected, Kara's hands on Jamie's upper back for support. They had done this before, but with their declaration of love, it felt new all over again.

Slowly, their bodies moved to the rhythm of their own making…