Michael was getting dressed in the Men's Locker Room at the Twelfth Precinct, lost in his own little bubble. He could still feel Eddie's kisses on his neck and shoulder. He could still feel the softness of her fingertips on his chest and stomach. He could still feel the warmth of her skin against his when he held her in his arms as they drifted off to sleep. In her arms, he didn't have to prove anything.

Further down the row of lockers was Jamie, giving Officer Daniels the side-eye, but, of course, he didn't notice. It didn't bother Jamie so much that Eddie had found someone again, it bothered him that it was someone from the precinct that they all worked in. And yet, he knew he was a hypocrite because he married Kara and Kara worked at the 1-2. Hell, he used to have feelings for Eddie and she still worked at the 1-2. Smiling and shaking his head, he closed his locker. Whatever will be will be. Still, he told himself he'd keep an eye on this Daniels guy…

Some hours later, Eddie knocked on a fifth-story apartment door. The door opened to reveal a smiling Kara.

"Heyyyy!" she greeted.

They embraced.

"Come in, come in!" Kara said. "Can I get you anything before we shove off?"

"No thanks!" Eddie said.

Eddie had agreed to go with Kara to one of her final pre-natal appointments. Due to a stomach flu going around, Jamie couldn't get time off and worked it out with Renzulli so at least Eddie could go with her in his stead.

But as they made pleasant chit-chat, Kara noticed a glow about her sister from another mister, a buoyancy she hadn't seen in some time.

"Sooo… What's got you all sparkling and shiny this morning?" Kara asked.

Eddie looked down, embarrassed.

Come on, Eddie, you're a big girl, she told herself.

"I've started seeing someone," she confessed.

"Really?" Kara said.

"Yeah," Eddie said, looking at her friend.

"Who… Who is he?" Kara asked.

"Michael Daniels… from the precinct."

At first, she was shocked, but once it clicked, she grinned from ear-to-ear.

"I knew it!" Kara said, happily clapping her hands.

Eddie shot her friend an amused look.

"What did you 'know'?" she asked using air quotes.

"Okay, okay," Kara placated, "maybe I didn't know-know, but I'd see you two smile and nod at each other and talk to each other in the Break Room aaaannnnd… Eddie, I'm so happy!"

Kara got up and hugged her gal pal of almost five years. Eddie returned the hug.

As they pulled away, Eddie smiled.

"I was so nervous about telling you," she admitted.

"Why?" a stunned Kara asked.

"Well…" Eddie said, "I just… I know how it might look. My husband is murdered and a mere five months later, boom, I've found someone else."

Kara placed a hand on top of Eddie's.

"Eddie," she said gently. "I got pregnant out of wedlock and didn't realize it until I was nearly two months along. Then I got married when I was almost four months pregnant – in a Catholic chapel, no less. I am the last person to speak on how things look."

Eddie still sat there, unconvinced.

Kara steadied herself.

"I remember talking to a widow," Kara said looking straight into Eddie's eyes, "using all my powers as a police officer, but – more importantly – all of my love as a friend, trying to convince her that she wasn't responsible for her husband's death..."

Eddie remembered the words she yelled.

"IT'S MY FAULT!"

"I SHOULD HAVE BEEN HERE! HE'S DEAD BECAUSE OF ME!"

"This widow was yelling at me and crying because she thought she was pregnant and she held onto that as some kind of hope and when she realized she wasn't…"

"HE'D BE ALIVE AND I'D… I'D… I'D…"

Kara looked solemnly at Eddie.

"I know what you went through and I know that's not something you just magically get over. You would never disrespect Barry's memory by letting some random guy into your life, would you?"

Eddie looked down at the floor and up at Kara. "No," she said, "and Michael isn't a random guy to me. He's a good man and he cares for me, and I care for him."

"Right!" Kara said. "So, if you want to know how I think it looks… I think it looks beautiful."

Eddie teared up.

"Thank you," she said, her voice cracking.

Eddie and Kara embraced again.

"So, when did this all become official?" Kara asked as they pulled away.

"It actually became official yesterday," Eddie explained. "He and I ran into each other at Lee's Park purely by accident. I insisted I drive him back to the city, he took me out for a coffee date and…"

"Aaaannnd?" Kara pressed smiling, probably already knowing the answer.

"He left my place this morning," Eddie said, trying her best not to blush.

"Awwww, honey," Kara gushed, "I'm so happy for youuuuu!"

Eddie smiled.

"Michael and I talked about it," she continued, "and we're telling you, Jamie, and Renzulli, but no one else."

Kara nodded.

"Completely understandable," she said…

Back home from Kara's pre-natal appointment, Eddie pulled out her phone and pressed a couple of buttons and let loose a mischievous grin as the phone on the other end rang a few times.

"Hello?" the familiar voice answered.

"Hello, Officer Daniels," Eddie greeted.

"Oh, hi," Michael answered, walking away from the commotion of the 1-2 towards a more private area of the precinct. "How's it going?"

"Oh, you know, the usual," Eddie said. "Just sitting here, missing my man… Thinking I didn't get to show him enough… Affection last night and how I'd like to remedy that tonight. If he's willing of, course."

Michael looked around to make sure no one else was in ear-shot.

"Yeah, I think he'd be fine with that," he said.

Eddie rolled her eyes and smiled.

"I figured he'd be okay with that," she said, "but it's always good to make sure. Consent is a two-way street, as you know."

Michael smiled.

"I assure you he appreciates that," he said. "He wishes other women had been like that."

As soon as he said that, he cringed. He had said too much.

Eddie paused, her antennae raised.

"Michael…" she began, concerned. "What do you mean by that?"

Michael closed his eyes.

"Uhhh, nothing. Just a… bad experience is all. Hey, look, I got to go, okay? I'll see you later?"

Eddie opened her mouth, but before he could say anything, Michael hung up.

In the precinct, Michael stood, head hung low. The night he tried so hard to forget had just involuntarily made its presence known.

"Hey, Daniels!" Renzulli called. "Let's get going!"

Michael silently sighed.

"Yeah, Sarge! Sorry, I'm on it!"

In her apartment, Eddie sat there, questions swirling around in her head.