A/N: The last part of this chapter warrants an "M" rating.

Four months had passed since Barry's memorial service. The first month was emotional Hell on Earth as reality set in that Barry was gone and not coming back. It was truly one day at a time and, some days, it was one hour at a time. Under the watchful eye of Renzulli, Eddie rode a desk. Towards the end of that first month, Detective Walker made a visit to Renzulli's office.

"Janko is clean," Walker said with a smile. "She didn't have anything to do with her husband's murder."

"It's like we knew it all along or something," Renzulli said with a smile, glancing towards Eddie as she was answering phones.

"For the record, I didn't like this anymore than you did," Walker declared, "but we had to put a checkmark by that box. Too often in the past, police officers got too much of the benefit of the doubt."

"I know," Renzulli said with a sigh, "but when it's someone you know like the back of your hand and care for like a sister…"

"It's tough," Walker said.

"Yeah," Renzulli concurred. "So, are you going to get the real S.O.B. that killed Barry?"

"Already on it!" Walker said with a grin. "He doesn't even know it yet, but the circle around him is getting smaller and smaller by the day."

"So, you have a suspect?" Renzulli asked.

"Not really," Walker confessed, "but this is when the perp gets comfortable and sticks his greasy head out into the sunlight again. And he'll slip up. And we'll nail him."

"I'll hold you to it," Renzulli said…

The second month, the fog was not as thick, but still there. With the help of a grief counselor, Eddie made strives to grieve while not letting the grief own or control her, which it sometimes did when she wasn't on the job.

Part of that grieving process, Eddie decided, was to move to a new apartment. With the help of a real estate agent friend of hers, Eddie was able to get a smaller apartment like the one she had before she married. With Barry gone, there was no point in living in such a big apartment with too many memories.

By the fourth month, though it was still hard, Eddie felt she had turned a corner. She felt a layer of fog and haze had been lifted from her world, allowing a little more sunlight in.

Part of letting that sunlight in for her was every week, she went to a local neighborhood park to read, reflect, and journal. At first, she thought the whole thing was a little woo-woo, but it opened her up. It got her in touch with feelings she had buried deep inside her.

Heading back to her car with her head to the ground in thought, she didn't see the man also approaching her until it was too late. Both bumped into each other and fell to the ground.

"Oh ma'am, I'm so sorry, are you okay?" a familiar voice asked.

"Yeah, I'm sorry, I wasn't… Michael?"

"Eddie?"

Eddie straightened out her clothes.

"Hi," she said.

"Hi," he said right back to her.

"Again," Eddie said, "I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention and I didn't mean to – "

"It's okay," Michael said with a reassuring smile. "Today's my Grandma's birthday and she used to bring me here all the time. Just came here to remember her."

Eddie smiled.

For a moment that seemed like forever, they stood there. They both felt a tension since the night Michael comforted Eddie when she had a night terror. True, they had a brief relationship back in the day, but when the breakup happened, there was little, if any drama. Outside of a couple of tender kisses, they hadn't gotten physical, so Michael holding her that night was an extremely intimate act of trust on both their parts. It was a tension neither of them dared to talk about. But stolen glances across the precinct building or nods and smiles said volumes.

And now, here they were.

Eddie looked around.

"How'd you get here?"

"I took the bus," he said with a shrug. "Felt like walking."

"Let me drive you back," Eddie offered. "It's the least I can do after running into you."

Michael paused, lost in thought.

"Please?" Eddie insisted.

"Only on one condition," he finally said

Eddie raised her eyebrow.

"What's that?"

Michael smirked.

"I get to take you on a coffee date."

Eddie soon returned Michael's smirk.

"Well, if you recall, Mr. Daniels, I'm not a cheap date."

"Oh, trust me," Michael said, "my bank account remembers every penny."

Eddie rolled her eyes.

"C'mon, drama queen, let's get some coffee."

Hours went by as Michael and Eddie sat at the Tasty Brew and talked about everything and nothing at the same time, like no time had passed and they had never broken up and they were still two rookies with the whole world ahead of them.

The afternoon turned to evening, but neither of them paid heed until Michael yawned.

"Awww, look who's sleepy," Eddie teased.

"I got to go," he admitted. "I got Roll Call at 8AM."

Eddie nodded.

As they walked out of the Tasty Brew into the New York City night, Eddie shivered.

Michael took off his coat and gave it to her.

"Thanks," she said.

"Since I let you steal my jacket, how about I at least walk you home so I can get it back?" Michael asked.

Eddie had dropped off her car at her new place and since her place and Michael's place weren't far from Tasty Brew, they walked.

"Sure," she said with a smile…

Michael walked Eddie to her apartment door.

"I had a great time, Michael, thank you," she said.

"I did, too," Michael said.

They stood there, exchanging pleasant smiles.

Without thinking, Michael leaned forward and tenderly kissed Eddie on the lips.

At first Eddie stood there, eyes wide, but… She liked it.

She closed her eyes and returned the kiss, her lips tenderly dancing with his.

Michael quickly pulled away, ashamed.

"Eddie, I… I am so sorry. I… I am – "

Eddie placed her hands on his, giving him a warm smile.

"I'm not," she said.

She kissed him tenderly on the lips.

Then she kissed him tenderly on the cheek.

"Would you like to come in?" she asked.

Michael swallowed. He knew if he accepted, there was no going back for either of them. They weren't rookies this time around. This time around, the stakes were high.

He nodded.

Eddie held his hand, caressing the top of it with her thumb while she used her other hand to unlock her apartment door.

They both walked into Eddie's new apartment, Eddie closing and locking the door behind them. Eddie looked at Michael, eyes longing.

"Hold me," she said.

Michael enveloped Eddie in his arms, showering the top of her head with gentle kisses.

Eddie backed away, extending her hand.

"Come to bed with me."

Michael wanted to, he did, but -

"I'm sure," Eddie said, knowing what he was thinking.

Michael's lips crashed into Eddie's, his tongue dancing with hers…

In her bedroom, a naked Michael lay on top of a nude Eddie, their clothes scattered on the floor.

"Are you absolutely sure?" he asked.

Eddie smiled softly, positioning her legs.

"Yes," she said.

Slowly, gently, Michael penetrated the warmth that was inside her.

In an otherwise dark room, their bodies moved as one in the glow of the moonlight that shone through Eddie's bedroom window.