Chapter 30: Some Things Never Change

Jamie and Eddie are sitting on the couch in the living room looking through an Albany Reagan Family photo album when the front door opens and Caitlin comes storming in. She slams the door shut causing Jamie and Eddie to immediately flinch in surprise while also hearing a very unhappy Caitlin yell "JAMIE!".

Eddie turns to look at her husband and frowns "What did you do to make her drop the Uncle?"

Jamie gives his wife a clueless shrug right as Caitlin stocks into the living room.

"YOU!" She barks as she points an accusatory finger at Jamie "You took a picture of his driver's license..." She incredulously begins "...and told him 'now you know where to find him if he ever hurts me?'"

Eddie's mouth drops open.

Jamie quickly runs through a bunch of possible replies in his head but then just honestly goes with "I did."

"Oh lord." Eddie mutters out with a slight shake of her head while an exasperated look of disbelief appears on Caitlin's face.

"Just so you know…" Caitlin continues "…Kyle has been my friend – and that's it, just a friend…" She emphasizes "…since kindergarten…"

"Well one can never be too careful..." Jamie begins to interrupt "…and…"

"HE'S GAY!" Caitlin tosses out in frustration.

"Oh." Jamie mutters out in surprise while Eddie tries not to burst out laughing.

"But even if he wasn't…" Caitlin heatedly continues "…that does not give you the right to threaten anyone I date!"

"I did not threaten Kyle." Jamie calmly defends "I gave him a warning."

"SAME THING!" Caitlin tosses back.

"Not at all." Jamie continues.

"Did I mention The NYC Reagans are very protective of their own?" Eddie chimes in "You might want to ring up Nicky and have a quick chat with her about that."

Slowly Caitlin turns her head to stare at Eddie "Are you kidding me?" she deadpans out.

"Nope." Eddie confirms "Very protective."

"UGH!" Caitlin grunts out in pure frustration before just turning to walk away.

"Love you too!" Jamie calls after her in amusement which causes Eddie's eyes to go a bit wide at his declaration and Caitlin to immediately freeze before ever so slowly turning around to look back at Jamie "W…what?" she stammers out.

"What, what?" Jamie simply repeats back like nothing out of the ordinary just happened.

"That… that last line you just said." Caitlin slowly states as she takes a step back towards the couple.

Looking for clarification Jamie repeats "What, what?"

"NO!" Caitlin rejects in frustration with a frantic back and forth wave of her hand "The one before it!"

"Yeah, what about it?" Jamie simply queries.

"Say it again." Caitlin prompts "Just so I know I heard it right."

"Nah." Jamie dismisses as he stands "You heard it right." He confirms as he starts to walk out of the room "No need to repeat it. I think I'll go for a drive." He decides in deflection before just heading for the front door.

Smiling, Eddie watches him disappear from view and once she hears the door open and close she shifts her attention to Caitlin to see her still just standing there in complete shock "Took him 5 years to finally say that to me." She tells Caitlin before simply dropping her eyes back down to the photo album in her lap and flipping another page "So well done."

Suddenly the sound of the front door opening and closing again is heard and a second later Jamie reappears "Okay we really need to figure out this parking thing." He begins "Because your car is blocking my car." He tells Caitlin "Why can't one of us park in the back garage?"

Still stuck on the whole 'love you' thing, Caitlin absently mutters "It's occupied."

"With what?" Jamie presses on noting this is the second time Caitlin has given that answer "What could possibly be back there taking up space that you don't actually use the garage as a garage?"

Like a slow epiphany, Caitlin first lifts her head then turns to look back at Jamie in thought and for the first time really thinks about that "Something I think you would use and absolutely love." She realizes before just heading for Jamie "Come with me…" She urges as she pushes past him heading out of the room "Both of you." She calls back as she heads for the kitchen, swiping up her keys on the way.

Jamie and Eddie look at one another then move to follow. They enter the kitchen to see Caitlin exiting the house out the back door so they again follow.

They walk up to Caitlin who is waiting for them outside the back garage "Okay stand here." She instructs as she purposefully moves both Jamie and Eddie - who just look at her wondering what she is doing – to stand right in front of the large overhead door "I want you to have the perfect view when I open the door." She explains.

"O…kay…" Eddie slowly breathes out confused.

Happy with their placement, Caitlin flashes an excited, anticipatory smile "Okay don't move." She requests before heading to unlock the man door to the garage, opening the door and then reaching over to hit the button on the garage door opener.

On cue, the overhead door begins to open and as it does a vintage baby blue metallic 1972 Pontiac LeMans 4 door sedan comes into view causing Jamie's mouth to not only fall open but his breath to hitch "Oh my god." He breathes out in shocked awe as he immediately moves into the garage to fully take the car in "Wow. A 4 door sedan." He notes before only briefly glancing at Caitlin for he can't help but look back at the car "Where did you get this? You don't see 4 door sedans anymore – anywhere!"

"Was my Moms." Caitlin replies as Jamie walks around the car "Original owner."

Jamie abruptly stops walking and just turns to stare at Caitlin in even more shock.

"Been sitting here ever since she died." She admits "Haven't used her and haven't had the heart to sell her."

"You haven't used her?" Jamie repeats in disbelief "Why not?"

"Um, she's got no A/C…" Caitlin lists "She's power nothing – not even windows or door locks - and AM radio only."

"Oh." Eddie impressively notes with a small knowing smile as she looks at her husband "His favorite."

Jamie immediately moves to the driver's door "May I?"

"By all means." Caitlin accepts so Jamie opens the door and sinks into the driver's seat "Damn." He breathes out in awe as he takes in the interior "And your Mom was the original owner?" he queries in disbelief.

Caitlin nods "Most of the car is original too. She did have the engine redone…"

Jamie immediately searches out the hood release.

"…I don't know 10 years ago?" Caitlin adds as Jamie finds the release and pops it open.

"And repainted her but it's the original color." Caitlin continues as Jamie without even asking permission this time just gets out of the car and moves to open the hood and once he does his breath hitches at the sight of a car show ready engine "Oh my god." He breathes out in pure delight.

Caitlin smiles "If you want her, she's yours."

Jamie immediately lifts her head from under the hood and looks at Caitlin "W…w…what?" he stammers out in shock.

Raising her eyebrows in surprise herself, Eddie looks at her husband then follows his stunned gaze to look at Caitlin "Oh boy." Eddie lowly mutters to Caitlin "If you thought he loved you before…" She muses before letting her voice trail off into a little chuckle.

Caitlin briefly glances at Eddie but then looks back at Jamie and continues on "Look, I have no use for her and you love old cars like this." She explains before gesturing at Eddie's abdomen "Besides you're going to need a family friendly car."

Excited about the prospect of owning this super rare car, but not wanting to get his hopes up Jamie cautiously prompts "But what about Alex?"

Caitlin crinkles her face up "Did I mention she's got no A/C, power nothing and to be honest, she's horrible on gas."

A wide smile appears on Jamie's face "I now, she's a V8."

Eddie leans slightly towards Caitlin "The Chevelle is a V8 so we're used to that."

"I mean it's horrible for the environment…" Jamie quickly admits "…but the pure, raw power…"

"Oh yeah…" Caitlin laughs in remembrance of sitting the backseat as her mom would gun it and leave others sitting in the dust after a stoplight turns green "She's got power."

Jamie giddily looks at Eddie just silently begging her to agree to accept the car.

For dramatic effect, Eddie slightly tilts her head back and forth as if trying to decide "Hmmmm..." She waivers.

A slight look of alarm that she might actually say no starts to appear on Jamie's face "Eddie…" he prompts but his worries are quickly alleviated when a big smile creeps up on Eddie's face "Oh of course we'll take the car."

Like a happy little kid in a candy store, Jamie moves to give his wife a super quick kiss on her cheek in appreciation before stepping to Caitlin and uncharacteristically just pulling her into his arms in a big hug.

"Oh!" Caitlin exclaims truly surprised at Jamie's move.

"Thank you." Jamie sincerely and a bit emotionally offers.

Caitlin's eyes go a bit wide wondering what alternate reality she fell into because first the 'love you' and now a hug? – she was so NOT used to seeing this side of Jamie, at all - so she looks questioningly at Eddie over his shoulder.

In response, Eddie just knowingly smiles, snickers a bit and shrugs her shoulders "Told you."

"Well you're welcome." Caitlin finally offers out in a little huff of a laugh before offering "I can go get the keys if you want to start her up."

Immediately Jamie pulls back and looks at Caitlin aghast "Start her up?" he repeats in exasperation "You don't just start her up after she's been sitting unused." He chides "I need to change oil and drain the gas, check the…"

"Sorry I offered!" Caitlin backtracks.

Fearing Caitlin is rescinding the offer, a bit of that fear returns to Jamie's face "No, no…" He begins to protest in clarification "I will take those keys. I just meant…"

Caitlin laughs "I think I know what you meant."

Jamie's entire body relaxes "Thank you." He again offers.

Caitlin smiles at her new 'uncle' "No…" she corrects "Thank you – and ah…" She a bit hesitantly adds "… love you too."

Eddie smiles a super bright smile knowing yet more of a bond between the relatives just took place but then Jamie dismissively waves a hand "Don't get all mushy on me." causing a smirk to play on Caitlin's face "And we're back." She a bit mocking tosses out noting this is more in line with what she is used to getting from Jamie.

Trying to remember she just gifted them a car, Jamie cringes a bit "Sorry." He apologizes knowing he needs to make more of an effort.

"No, no." Caitlin rejects "All good, I mean this is what I'm used too – all that touchie feelie stuff was kind of freaking me out anyway." She explains trying to push his buttons before an amused but very challenging smile appears on her face.

Unable to help it, a look of annoyance appears on Jamie's face and before he can stop himself out comes "God you're annoying."

Caitlin's challenging smile turns to a triumphant one "I know right? I'll get the keys!" she sings before heading out the door.

Jamie and Eddie watch her go then Jamie turns to Eddie "I think I finally get it."

Eddie looks at Jamie "Get what?"

"What it feels like to have a younger sibling."

"Oh." Eddie notes.

Looking back, Jamie thinks about his own childhood "God I was annoying." He admits causing Eddie to try to stifle back a laugh as her eyes gravitate back to their 'new' car "You're going to work on this thing all weekend now aren't you?"

"Not all weekend." Jamie corrects before a smile appears on his face "We have Sunday Dinner to attend."

"Attend?" Eddie challenges with a bit of anxiety "Try host!"

Jamie both cringes slightly and smiles in remembrance "Right."

...

A/N: Next up the final chapter - or season finale if this were truly a spin off series.

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