Eddie stood for Roll Call, bright and early at 7AM, last night's kiss with Jamie still weighing on her mind.
It had been half a year since she had her last conversation with Kara and Kara essentially gave her deathbed blessing for Eddie and Jamie to be together.
And yet, Eddie knew Jamie wasn't ready.
Or was he?
Eddie was just starting to open her heart to the idea of really loving someone else and it took her a smidge over a year to do. But she knew in her grief counseling group everyone grieved differently. Even though it could be a stereotype, there was some truth to the trope that widowers were more ready to move on quicker than widows.
"All right, everyone," Renzulli said. "Be safe, out there. Dismissed!"
As the officers dispersed, Renzulli raised his hand.
"Chapman and Janko! A word, please."
Chapman and Janko looked at each other, then walked up to the podium where their Seargeant stood.
"You two are riding together today," Renzulli declared. "We've got a shortage, so it's you two."
Chapman and Eddie both shifted. They hadn't seen each other since Chapman asked her out a couple days ago and Eddie politely turned him down. Chapman took it in stride, but Eddie knew it still had to sting. They both knew this could be awkward.
"Problem?" Renzulli asked.
"No, Sarge," Chapman said.
"No problem at all," Eddie agreed.
Renzulli nodded. He didn't quite believe them, but he didn't have time for drama.
"Good!" he said, calling their bluff. "Be safe out there."
Eddie and Chapman rode in awkward silence for the first hour, answering a false alarm here and a quarrel there.
Then the second hour came. Aside from one call, more awkward silence.
"So," Eddie finally asked. "Are we going to talk about it or what?"
Chapman sighed.
"Eddie…" he began.
"12-Charlie, please respond," the radio squawked.
"Saved by Dispatch," Eddie quipped, giving Chapman the side-eye as she picked up the radio. "12-Charlie, responding, go ahead."
"12-Charlie, we got a possible EDP at Carter's Bodega," Dispatch said.
"Dispatch, show us responding," Eddie said.
Chapman hit the lights…
Eddie and Chapman went into the bodega.
"I just want flowers for my wife!" a man yelled.
"Your card was denied, sir!" the cashier said.
"Please, I'm good for it!" the man yelled.
The cashier looked to see Eddie and Chapman walk in.
"Thank God you're here," the cashier said. "He wants flowers, but his card got declined."
"Sir, what's going on?" Eddie asked. "What's your name?"
The man looked distraught like he had been crying.
"My name's Tony," he said, "and I just want to get some flowers for my wife!"
"Tony, I'm Officer Janko," Eddie said, "and this is Officer Chapman."
"Why don't the three of us go outside and we can talk this out before this gets any worse, okay?" Chapman offered. "No one needs to go to jail over this, right?"
Eddie looked at the cashier.
The cashier nodded. He didn't need any headaches.
"I just want him gone," the cashier said. "If he'll leave, I won't press charges."
Eddie, Chapman, and the upset man walked outside.
"Okay, Tony," Chapman began, "you want to tell us what's going on? Keep in mind this works if you tell us the truth and nothing but the truth."
The man named Tony sighed.
"I just…" he began. "I just wanted to get my wife some flowers. She liked violets and today was her birthday and I was going to get her some… She liked them."
Eddie and Chapman glanced at each other, both catching the usage of the word, liked. As in, past tense.
"Your wife liked flowers?" Eddie asked.
"Yes," the man said.
"Tony… Did your wife pass away?" Chapman asked.
The man nodded.
"Brain tumor," he said. "Doc gave her eight months, but it took her in six."
Eddie noticed Chapman swallow. She looked at him quizzically.
"I'm very sorry about that," Chapman said.
"I really thought I had credit left on the card, but…" the man trailed off.
"Tony, can I tell you something I don't tell a lot of people?" Chapman asked.
The man nodded.
"I got married when I was really young," Chapman said. "I met this beautiful, amazing woman in college. Fell head over heels over for her. I was twenty years old and she was nineteen."
On the outside, Eddie had her game face on, but on the inside, she was shocked. She had no idea.
"Her parents and mine were against it," Chapman continued, "but they knew we were both adults, so they reluctantly gave us their blessing."
The man named Tony smiled a sad smile.
"We were married for three amazing years," Chapman said, smiling wistfully.
Then, Eddie noticed the smile disappeared.
"My wife started having horrible headaches," Chapman continued. "Horrible enough that my usually stubborn wife went to see the doctor and… Long story short, brain tumor."
The man looked at Chapman.
"How long did they give her?" he asked.
"A year," Chapman said. "But she went in five months."
Holy crap, Eddie thought.
"So, I get it, man, I really do," Chapman said. "But you can't let your grief control you like that, okay?"
The man nodded.
"Now, the guy isn't going to press charges," Chapman said, looking at Eddie, then back at the man, "so we're going to let you go."
"But if we find you doing something like this again," Eddie said, "we're going take you in. Got it?"
The man nodded his head…
Back in the RMP, Eddie and Chapman rode in silence.
"Tyler, I had no idea," Eddie finally said compassionately. "I'm so sorry."
"Thanks," Chapman said. "It seems like it happened so long ago. I don't tell many people that."
Eddie nodded.
"Eddie," Chapman said, "there are no hard feelings about you and me."
Eddie was silent.
"I'm serious," Chapman said. "The way I see it, I had the right to ask and you had the right to say yes or no. It wasn't the answer I was hoping for, but… No hard feelings, Eddie, seriously. Life's too short. Trust me, I know."
Eddie nodded.
"I know, too," she said.
"I know you do," Chapman said, knowing she was referring to Barry.
Eddie smiled.
"Well, you got more guts than most so-called men, I'll give you that," she complimented him. "You didn't text me or crap like that. That is so high school."
Chapman chuckled.
"Do me a favor, will you?" Chapman asked jokingly. "Pass that on to the ladies at the precinct. Tyler Chapman – all man, no high school."
Eddie burst out laughing.
"I'll see what I can do," she told him.
The rest of the tour went without a hitch, Eddie and Chapman getting along just fine, any trace remnants of awkwardness gone. After the tour was over and Eddie had changed back into her civies, she spotted Chapman heading for his car.
"Chapman!" she called out.
Chapman turned.
She hurried over to him.
"Do you have a minute?" she asked.
"Sure," he said.
"I really enjoyed working with you," she said.
Chapman smiled.
"Same here," he said.
Eddie hesitated.
"Tyler, um…" she began. "If I could do-over a couple days ago… Knowing what I know now…"
"I wouldn't," Chapman interrupted.
Eddie looked at him.
"Like I said," Chapman said with a smile, "I had the right to ask, and you had the right to say yea or nay."
He jokingly wagged his finger in her face.
"No pity dates, Janko."
Eddie smiled.
"Copy that," she said.
A beat passed.
"If it's okay with you," she continued, "I'd like put in a word with the Sarge that if the opportunity arises again, I'd like to work with you. I think we work well together."
Chapman nodded.
"I think we work well together, also," he said. "I'm in."
They smiled and shook hands.
As Eddie walked away, she pulled out her phone and pressed a few buttons.
In an apartment across town, Jamie sat in silence when his phone rang. He picked it up to see it was Eddie.
"Hello?" he answered.
"Hi," Eddie said as she was walking to her car, "is this a bad time?"
"No, not at all," Jamie replied. "Chelsea's down for, hopefully, a good five hours in a row, and I'm here. What's up?"
Eddie prayed a silent two-second prayer.
"We need to talk," she said when she was done with the prayer, "about us… May I come over?"
Jamie hesitated.
"Okay," he finally mustered...
A half hour later, Jamie received a text on his phone.
I'm here.
Jamie opened the door to see Eddie, a soft smile on her face.
"Hi," she greeted.
"Hi," Jamie greeted back. "Come in."
Eddie came in the apartment and stood facing Jamie.
They stood there, looking at each other, seconds feeling like minutes.
"Do you… Do you want me?" Eddie finally asked.
Jamie swallowed hard. He ached for Kara.
But he also ached for Eddie.
"I do," he answered, "and I know what she told you… I don't want you because of that. I want you because... I want you."
Eddie took a step closer to him, but Jamie held up his hand to stop her.
"I want you," he clarified, "but I also want to take this slow."
Eddie nodded.
"I understand," she said, taking his hands into hers. "I completely understand."
Slowly, cautiously… Jamie pulled Eddie close, and she rested her head on his chest. She could feel his heart beat steady.
This felt right. Both of them knew it felt right.
"Would you…?" Jamie began.
Eddie lifted her head, looking softly at Jamie.
"Would I what?" she asked.
Jamie sighed.
"Do you think maybe you could you stay here tonight?" he asked in a role reversal of what Eddie asked him nearly five years ago.
He caught himself.
"I don't mean like that," he clarified, fearing Eddie would get the wrong idea.
"Oh, I know," Eddie assured him.
She laid her head back on Jamie's chest as they both stood there in the apartment, holding each other.
"I'm not going anywhere," she whispered.
A/N: A couple(ish) more chapters to go!
