A/N: Seeing as the actual show gave us no Jamie / Eddie scenes in 14x09 but it was implied that Jamie complains to Eddie about Joe, I decided to fill in some of the blanks with exactly that and maybe offer a reason that explains why I found it odd that nothing about the Jamie / Joe story line was mentioned at Sunday Dinner...
Chapter 7: 14x09 Two of A Kind
After the fight:
Eddie leisurely sits on the couch in her apartment reading her book when the door opens and a slightly disheveled Jamie enters then just flings the door closed in frustration.
Immediately Eddie looks over and raises an eyebrow at not only her husband's disgruntled attitude but his look including a bruised eye and she sucks in a breath of air – so much for a fun night out she thinks "How's the other guy look?" She tentatively inquires.
"Don't get me started." Jamie warns.
Eddie sighs "That bad huh?" She notes as she puts her book down.
"I am so tired of his attitude!" Jamie just begins.
"And he…" Eddie slowly prompts trying to quickly run through in her head who her husband could be referring too "…would be who?"
"My nephew!"
A look of complete confusion appears on Eddie's face "Sean?"
"No the one that doesn't like being labeled a Reagan." Jamie unhappily tosses out "He's a Hill don't you know."
"Oh." Eddie accepts in understanding "You mean Joe. Wait." Eddie suddenly breathes out in realization "You got in a fight with Joe?"
"Yes." Jamie grumbles out before just turning and walking away towards the archway.
Eddie sighs in defeat as she watches her husband disappear from view.
She'd give him a little time to cool off then see if she can get more info out of him about what exactly transpired when suddenly Eddie's phone dings with a message. She opens it to see a message from Badillo that just says 'Heads up.' with a video link.
Tapping the link, Eddie watches the screen to see video of Jamie and Joe fighting then heavily sighs "Oh boy, that's not good..." she mumbles as she gets off the couch and heads in the direction her husband went.
So much for giving him some time to cool off… she thinks as she walks into the doorway of the bedroom and leans against the frame where she watches her husband try not to wince while he removes his shirt "Wanna watch your instant replay?" she inquires.
Jamie looks over in her direction with quizzical eyes.
In response, Eddie lifts and wiggles her phone "Everything we do gets recorded remember?"
Groaning in regret, Jamie moves to just sink himself down to sit on the edge of the bed in defeat "Great." He mumbles out "Just great."
Pushing herself off the door frame. Eddie moves to sit down on the bed next to her husband "Wanna talk about it?" She gently prompts as she gives his shoulder a little nudge.
"No." Jamie mutters before just letting his upper body fall backwards on the bed to stare up at the ceiling.
"K." Eddie accepts with an up and down nod of her head as a silence befalls the pair.
A few moments later, Eddie looks backwards over her shoulder at her husband "How about now?"
"UGH!" Jamie grunts out in exasperation "I just couldn't take it anymore!" he begins before Eddie just silently sits there listening to her husband rant away.
….
After Jamie and Joe get called up to 1PP:
The next evening in what feels like deja vu, Eddie sits on the couch reading her book when the door opens, Jamie enters and she again watches her husband just fling the door shut in frustration.
Eddie heavily sighs.
"Do I want to know?" She prompts as she puts her book down.
"Got called to 1PP after tour." Jamie mumbles out.
Eddie cringes "Well given the video, we knew that might happen."
"With Joe." Jamie grumbles out.
"Oh." Eddie accepts "And?" She slowly prompts.
"Command discipline." Jamie unhappily announces "Back in the bag and to make matters worse, I have to ride with Joe!"
"Whoa hang on…" Eddie interrupts in trepidation as she sits up a little on the couch "Your Dad is making you and Joe ride together?"
"Well it was either that or turn in the stripes." Jamie unhappily explains.
Eddie opens her mouth to say something but Jamie adds
"On nights. In the 7-4."
Shocked and now a bit worried by her husband's words, Eddie just shuts her mouth and her eyes widen. After having listened to her husband rant about what she agrees is Joe's dangerous behavior on the job, she didn't like the sound of this – at all…
….
After Jamie and Joe quarrel over who gets to drive:
Eddie sits at her kitchen table watching her husband bang things around in the kitchen as he gets his food together.
"Then he made a crack about how I'm a bad driver because I crashed the Chevelle." Jamie rants "I mean god Eddie - he just has no clue what happened!"
Eddie looks at her husband and frowns a little – while she felt for him, she also did understand how Joe might make that assumption "Well how is he supposed to know if no one tells him?" she tries to gently prompt.
"He could ask!" Jamie argues back "But he doesn't! He just makes assumptions!"
"Jamie, you don't even like talking to me about your brother Joe. You remember I had to find out about everything that went down with the Blue Templar from Danny because you wouldn't talk to me about it so it's the same thing - how is your nephew Joe supposed to know everything that went down if no one tells him?"
"It's a matter of respect." Jamie points out "Respect for his father, respect for the family." He explains "You know he actually referred to The Chevelle as 'my brother's car' – not his father's car - but my brother's car." He states before shaking his head "Joe never would have raised him to disrespect the family like this."
"So that's where this stems from." Eddie notes in realization.
"My brother Joe was my best friend Eddie." Jamie suddenly opens up "And when he died…" he adds before letting his voice trail off and a far off look appears in his eyes "…then when his son suddenly came into our lives…"
"You thought maybe you'd get a little of that back." Eddie softly deduces before carefully adding "But they are two different people Jamie…"
"You can say that again." Jamie huffs out.
Eddie squeezes her eyes closed for a moment before popping them back open "Jamie I love you but sometimes you are just so stubborn – oddly a trait Joe has too."
"He acts more like Danny then Joe!" Jamie tosses out in irritation causing Eddie to sigh.
This was getting them nowhere. Her husband and nephew clearly needed a little bit more of an intervention than she on her own could provide - they needed the full Reagan style version…
So taking a deep breath, Eddie changes course "Please just remember that when you are out on tour, don't let your emotions cloud your judgement."
"I'm not." Jamie promises "That's why I come home and vent to you."
"Good." Eddie accepts in relief "Just checking."
"But hopefully this doesn't go on much longer." Jamie adds.
"And you say that why?" Eddie cautiously prompts.
"Been called back up to 1PP." Jamie informs his wife.
Eddie lets out a breath of air really hoping maybe her talk with Frank has her father in law changing his mind "Fingers crossed."
...
After 2nd visit to 1PP:
Jamie sits at his desk in the 2-9 working when Eddie in uniform walks by his office then stops when she spots her husband so she backs up a step and stands in his entrance way "Well this is a good sign!"
"Time served." Jamie states as he finishes entering something on his computer then turns to look at his wife and flash her a quick smile.
"Thank god." Eddie breathes out in relief as she takes a step inside the office "Now maybe I can get some sleep!"
"You and Dad both apparently." Jamie states.
"Hah! I knew it!" Eddie tosses out before she can stop herself.
Jamie looks at his wife slightly confused "You knew what?"
"Oh look at the time." Eddie suddenly deflects as she turns to leave "Gotta go! Can't be late for roll call! Later!"
….
Sunday before dinner:
Eddie and Erin are in the Reagan Family kitchen helping Henry when the back door opens and Danny enters "Hey." He greets the group.
"Hey!" Eddie returns as she swipes up a cloth and quickly wipes her hands before taking a step towards her brother in law while briefly glancing into the sunroom to see her husband's attention still focused on the game on TV so she turns her attention back to Danny "Can I talk to you a second?" she lowly inquires.
"This about Jamie and Joe?" Danny questions and when Eddie gives him a surprised look Danny adds "Whole department saw the video."
"DA's office too." Erin pipes up.
"Right." Eddie accepts in defeat "Being Reagans."
"Yup." Danny confirms "So you want me to talk to him don't you?" he inquires of his sister in law.
"Would you?" Eddie hopefully inquires "I can only do so much."
"I smell dish duty!" Erin delightfully sings.
Frowning, Danny looks at his sister but then shifts his eyes to his grandfather to see Henry giving him a nod of agreement so reluctantly Danny gives in "Fine."
"And maybe let's not bring this up at the dinner table?" Eddie hopefully requests as she looks between Erin and Danny.
Danny sighs in concern "That bad huh?"
Eddie nods.
….
Having kept their word, Danny and Erin, with Sean's help, kept the conversation away from all things Jamie and Joe related and dinner went surprisingly smooth.
"Alright." Henry already knowingly questions near the end of dessert "Who's doing the dishes?"
"Me and Jamie." Danny pipes up causing Jamie to immediately look over in surprise.
"I second that!" Erin happily chimes in.
"Oh third." Sean easily agrees.
"It's settled then." Henry decides with a satisfied smile "Daniel. Jameson." He addresses "Get to it."
"Yes Pop." Jamie dutifully accepts as both he and Danny stand and start clearing dishes.
….
"So…" Danny prompts as he and Jamie enter the kitchen with their hands full of the last of the dirty dishes from the table "How was your week?" he inquires as he kicks the kitchen door closed with his foot to give them privacy.
Immediately Jamie sighs in understanding as he sets the dishes on the island "Oh so that's why you volunteered us to do dishes together."
"Hey be thankful I refrained from bringing this up at the table." Danny warns.
"And why is that?" Jamie challenges "Never stopped you before."
"Because I know what it's like having an annoying little brother that I love more than anything but want to throttle half the time."
Jamie looks at his brother completely stunned and really not sure he heard what he just heard "I'm sorry can you repeat that?"
"No." Danny rejects "I said it once, that's all your getting and if you tell anyone I said it, I'll deny it – that's why I shut the door."
"There's the Danny I know." Jamie tosses back.
"And love." Danny tacks on.
Jamie looks at his brother like he's grown two heads "Who are you and what have you done with my brother Danny?"
"You gonna deny it?" Danny challenges "Look we might not always get along but there isn't a damn thing we wouldn't do for one another right?"
Jamie silently gives a slight tip of his head in agreement.
"So same with Joe right?" Danny prompts "Because like you and me – we each have our own way of doing things – so does he."
"Yeah but..."
"But what?" Danny interrupts "He doesn't do what you want, the way you want him too?" he challenges before pointing a finger at himself then pointing at Jamie "Same." He reveals "BUT…" he adds on "...he like you, is his own person and I'm learning to accept that."
Jamie raises an eyebrow at his brother.
"It's still a work in progress." Danny flippantly dismisses.
"Clearly." Jamie tosses back.
"Look all I'm saying is try to meet him half way okay?" Danny prompts.
"I don't have much of a choice do I?" Jamie admits.
"No you don't." Danny agrees.
"You giving Joe this talk too?" Jamie curiously inquires.
"Nah." Danny dismisses with a wave of his hand "Erin's got that covered."
"Oh." Jamie accepts in a bit of surprise before suddenly the kitchen door to the dining room opens to reveal Joe with Erin standing behind him "You're up." She instructs her nephew as she gives him a little push inside.
"Well that's my cue." Danny quips as he turns and walks towards Erin to exit the kitchen.
He passes Joe, steps out the door frame to stand beside Erin then stops and turns to look back inside "Don't break any dishes..." He warns with a point of his finger between his younger brother and nephew "...or Gramps will not be happy."
"Wait, I'm doing dishes?" Joe deduces in true surprise and confusion – he'd never done that before in the Reagan household…
"We're doing dishes." Jamie corrects in understanding.
"Just follow Jamie's lead." Danny instructs.
"He knows what he's doing." Erin tacks on in a double meaning as older brother and sister both look at their younger brother with an encouraging look before briefly glancing at Joe then looking back at Jamie.
Knowing full well what his siblings are trying to do, Jamie looks at his brother and sister then turns his attention to Joe "Come on." He prompts as he picks up a stack of dishes and turns to the sink "You wash, I dry."
"Okay." Joe accepts with an unknowing shrug as he steps forward.
Smiling at the sight, Erin and Danny step back and release their hold on the door but right before it closes all the way cutting off the sound of the conversation inside, they hear Joe say "But why can't you wash and I dry?" and their smiles fade.
"Well?" Eddie's hopeful voice suddenly sounds from behind them.
Sighing, Danny and Erin turn to face their sister in law and a tentative "We'll see." is the only thing Danny can offer in reply…
...