A/N: I've had about 85% this one shot written for a while - it was an idea that popped into my head as something I'd like to see the show do in season 14 and now that we have - SPOILER ALERT AHEAD - confirmation that Jamie and Eddie go undercover together in the season 14 part 1 finale (14x10) I was able to finish that last 15%.
The Heart of a Saturday Night
Lt. Fleming and a woman sit in the black room of 1PP when the door opens and Jamie enters "Morning Boss." He greets as he moves to take a seat across the table from him while glancing at the woman he doesn't know seated next to Fleming.
In reply, Fleming simply puts his hand on a file on the table and slides it over to Jamie "You're new assignment."
"Okay." Jamie simply accepts now used to Fleming's 'get right to it' attitude as he picks up the file and opens it "Corrupt Sober Living House." he notes.
"For this assignment you'll need a wife." Fleming continues.
"I have a wife." Jamie automatically replies as he pursues the file.
"Yes you do." Fleming confirms before gesturing at the woman next to him "Sergeant Reagan meet Detective Lansing – your new wife."
Jamie immediately looks up and over to the woman to see her smile at him.
"Hi nice to meet you." She greets.
Jamie studies the woman a moment.
Fleming narrows his eyes at Jamie trying to read his face but impressively notes that's getting harder and harder to do "Do you have a problem with that?" He challenges.
"Well my real wife might." Jamie admits.
"I promise we will remain professional." Detective Lansing simply reassures him.
There is a moment of silence around the room as Jamie looks between Fleming and Lansing before he glances back down into the file and scans it looking for information.
"Honey…" Jamie suddenly prompts as he looks up at Lansing "Tell the Lieutenant here the story of how we met again."
"Oh well that's pretty simple actually." Lansing begins as she slips into character and turns her body slightly to address Fleming "We met at a bar."
"She spilt a drink on me." Jamie helpfully adds to Fleming.
"I did." The woman confirms with a little laugh.
"Oh!" Jamie suddenly adds as he gets a thought and looks back at his new 'wife' "Honey I forgot to pick up the dry cleaning." He sheepishly admits "Sorry."
The woman turns her attention to Jamie a moment slightly confused by the direction he took the conversation "Oh." She returns a moment later "Okay." She simply accepts.
At hearing that response, Jamie sighs in defeat and he closed the file in his hands "Yeah this isn't going to work." He decides "Detective Lansing I am sure you are a great intel officer but you and me as husband and wife just isn't going to be believable."
"Are you saying you are turning down the assignment?" Fleming inquires in surprise.
"No." Jamie rejects "What I'm saying is if you want this assignment to work the husband and wife need to be believable and I can give you that – with my real wife."
"Officer Janko is not a member of intelligence." Fleming reminds him.
"No but she is a police officer…" Jamie points out "…and it's a lot easier to get her clearance for this one op then for two strangers to seamlessly know each other's habits, nuances, likes and dislikes in the blink of an eye."
A look of annoyance appears on Fleming's face "Reagan…"
"Look." Jamie adds as he begins to pull his phone out "Give me one minute to prove it to you." he requests as he dials his phone and puts it on speaker.
There is a silence as Jamie, Fleming and Lansing listen to it ring but suddenly Eddie's voice pops on "Hello!" She singly greets her husband as she walks down the hall of the 2-9.
"Hey Babe." Jamie over warmly returns.
Eddie immediately stops walking and pauses a moment before replying "What's wrong?" She prompts.
"Nothing." Jamie flippantly promises.
"There's something." Eddie presses "I can hear it in your voice."
Jamie looks at Fleming as if to say 'SEE!'
"Jamie am I on speaker?" Eddie queries a second later "Why am I on speaker? Are you okay?"
"I'm fine." Jamie promises.
"Then why am I on speaker?"
"I'm finishing a report."
"No you're not." Eddie rejects "I just passed your office, you're not even there. Wait." She realizes "Did you forget to pick up the drycleaning?"
Jamie pauses and holds up a finger as if telling Fleming and Lansing to wait for it…
"You did, didn't you!" Eddie accuses a mere second later.
"Actually yes…" Jamie admits.
"Ugh." Eddie groans out super annoyed causing Fleming to suck in a breath of air hating the fact that Jamie is proving his point – Eddie's reaction is how a real wife would act…
"...but that's not why I'm calling." Jamie adds
"Then get to the point Jamie." Eddie growls annoyed.
"I think I just made it." Jamie admits as he looks at Fleming.
"Did you?" Eddie sarcastically counters "Did you really?"
"Yeah they sound married." Lansing admittedly sighs out to Fleming "You can't manufacture that."
"Who was that?" Eddie demands "Why is she saying we SOUND married? We ARE married!"
"Fine." Fleming relents as he pulls out his phone and starts composing a text message.
"Jamie." Eddie demands "What is going on?"
"You'll find out in a second." Jamie promises and sure enough, a second later McNichols' loud "JANKO!" echoes in the distance over the phone.
Turning to look behind her, Eddie sees McNichols' with her cellphone in hand walking towards her down the hall.
"I gotta go." Eddie breathes out as she starts to lower her phone but she still hears Jamie quickly prompt "No stay on the phone, don't hang up!" so she doesn't actually disconnect the call.
McNichols comes to a stop in front of Eddie "Orders are for you to report to 1PP – forthwith." She adds before simply moving around Eddie and continuing on her path down the hall.
Confused, Eddie turns to watch her boss leave then slowly she lifts the phone back up to her ear "What's going on?" She simply repeats.
A wide smile appears on Jamie's face "I'll meet you out front when you get here."
"O…oh." Eddie slowly accepts now in a bit of understanding "Um…" She then hesitantly adds "Uniform or…"
"Civies." Jamie finishes as he looks at Fleming to see him nod "Yeah Civies." He confirms.
"Ah… okay." Eddie accepts as her brain tries to make sense of everything while she turns and heads for the locker room.
….
Eddie quickly walks up to her husband waiting for her outside the entrance to 1PP.
"Jamie!" she apprehensively hushes out "Why am I here?"
"Not here." Jamie soothes as he gently reaches to start guiding her inside "Will explain once we are inside." He promises as they both go through security.
They get through the check point and Jamie begins leading the way.
"Okay we are inside." Eddie reasons "Now talk!"
"Not this inside." Jamie rejects as they head to an elevator.
"Oh god." Eddie groans in realization as they get to the elevator just as the doors open and others walk off "Are we going back in that room?" She queries as the couple walk inside and turn to face the doors.
"Yes." Jamie confirms as he reaches over to hit a button.
"I didn't do anything! I swear!" Eddie immediately promises her husband "Did I?" she then hesitantly adds "I have no idea what you are working on…" She rambles "…so really I would have no idea if I did anything…" She reasons "But I swear if I did do anything it wasn't on purpose!" She promises as the doors open onto their desired floor.
Jamie can't help but laugh at his wife's ramblings as he guides her out of the elevator "Eddie, you're fine, I promise." He soothes as they walk down the hall "Just wait until we get inside and we'll explain everything."
"We?" Eddie prompts as they reach the door to the black room.
Jamie sighs "Wait until we get inside." He just repeats as he lifts his hand and swipes his access card.
"Oh I didn't realize you had one of those." Eddie admits as the light turns green and the door clicks open.
Jamie rolls his eyes at his wife "Really?" he challenges as he reaches for the door knob "How do you think I get in?" he prompts as he turns the knob and opens the door.
"Well I know." Eddie tosses back as they step inside "But we've never been able to talk about your work so it's never come…" she adds but her voice trails off when she sees 2 people she doesn't know inside the room standing there watching her and Jamie enter "Um hello." She hesitantly greets.
"Officer Edit Janko…" Jamie begins to introduce "Meet my boss Lieutenant Fleming and this is Detective Lansing."
"Hello." Eddie simply repeats.
"Detective Lansing…" Lt Fleming simply begins "…was tagged to play Sergeant Reagan's wife in…"
A very unimpressed look appears on Eddie face "I'm sorry what?" She immediately interrupts.
"...AN UNDERCOVER ASSIGNMENT…" Lt Fleming forcefully and a bit loudly adds to take control of the conversation back "…However Sergeant Reagan made a very convincing case that he didn't need anyone to play his wife because he already has a very capable one that could do the job in you Officer Janko."
A small smile threatens to appear on Eddie's face at hearing that "Oh." She simply accepts as she slyly glances at her husband next to her "Okay." She adds satisfied with that answer "I'm listening."
"Please have a seat." Lt. Fleming offers so everyone takes a seat around the table.
"Before we begin…" Lt. Fleming announces as he puts his hand on a piece of paper with a pen on top of the table and slides it in front of Eddie "Sign."
Eddie looks at Fleming, then down at the paper then over to her husband and when she sees Jamie nod his head with the go ahead, Eddie just picks up the pen, signs her name, puts the pen back down, turns the paper around and slides both items back over to Fleming.
Fleming looks down at her signature "You signed this as Edit Reagan, not Janko."
"Because legally that's what it is." Eddie reveals "And I assume this is a legal document stating I agree to not talk about anything we are about to discuss with anyone outside this room." She explains before her eyes light up as she turns to look at her husband "Wait. Does this mean we can talk about work again?"
"On this case only." Lt Fleming warns.
Eddie's face falls a little "Yes sir." She dutifully accepts as she watches Fleming move his hand to a file and slide that across the table to her.
"Please familiarize yourself with this file."
"Like right now?" Eddie questions as she picks it up.
"No next week." Fleming deadpans back annoyed.
"Sorry." Eddie sheepishly apologizes as she focuses her eyes on the file and begins reading "Of course you mean right now."
"Hmm Charlotte…" Eddie begins to reject a moment later "Really?"
"Charlie." Jamie corrects.
Eddie looks up in thought "Okay that works. Next… we have…"
"Wait why does Charlie work but Charlotte not?" Detective Lansing curiously inquires.
"Because…" Jamie begins to explain "When we first met I was told my new coworker's name would be Charlie."
"So then when I walk up and introduce myself…" Eddie picks up "The look of surprise on his face was totally priceless when he realized I was a girl."
"I thought I hid it well." Jamie defends.
"You didn't." Eddie quickly rejects.
"What I was really surprised at was that you had just graduated the week before." Jamie corrects his wife "So she was COMPLETELY new to the job and I realized I was going to have to teach her EVERYTHING!" he jokes.
"Oh I don't think so!" Eddie immediately rejects.
"I believe you said something to the effect of 'Your my first Bub, be gentle."
"Shut up!" Eddie laughs.
Lansing leans slightly forward on the table "Is that seriously what happened when you two first met."
Jamie and Eddie both shrug "Basically." They reply in unison.
"Yeah." Fleming sighs "You two will do just fine out there together."
"Well I could have just told you that." Eddie tosses back.
Fleming looks at Eddie but gestures his head at Jamie "He did." He flatly relents.
Jamie and Eddie both smile but Lt Fleming's face remains stone cold serious.
"Don't make me regret this." The Lieutenant warns.
"You won't." Eddie quips with a confident smile "So! When does this start?"
"We need to move fast on this." Fleming replies "So we want you in there tomorrow." he adds causing the smile to immediately disappear from Eddie's face "Oh."
"Is that a problem?" Fleming inquires.
"Well it's just..." Eddie hesitantly begins as she looks at Jamie for guidance in what to say "That's um..."
"Our anniversary." Jamie finishes.
"Congratulations." Fleming offers "Doesn't change anything though."
"Of course not Boss." Jamie immediately accepts "We'll make it work."
"Good." Fleming accepts "Now get to work." He commands before heading for the door "Lansing." he prompts wanting the Detective to follow him so she does and they both depart the room leaving Jamie and Eddie alone.
Silence.
"Well there are worse ways to spend an anniversary." Jamie suddenly, sheepishly but yet a bit hopefully points out.
Slowly Eddie nods her head in agreement "True." She sighs out "At least we'll be together." She notes before a look of slight annoyance appears on her face "And not you off with some fake wife."
Jamie tries to keep the smile off his face at seeing his wife's jealousy flare up "See." He reiterates "Just have to look at the positive."
And indeed, the more Eddie does think about it, the more the idea begins to grow on her "Actually I can't think of a better way to spend our anniversary then working together again…" she informs her husband as a smile appears on her face "Partner."
In response to his wife's words, slowly a smile of understanding also appears on Jamie's face "Partner." He cordially returns as the couple each take a moment to appreciate how this might just be a call back to where it all began for them…
"Okay." Eddie suddenly states as she moves to pull out a chair and sit down "Let's get to it!" She eagerly quips as she opens the file and Jamie sits down next to her to begin prep work on their undercover assignment.
...