A/N: Okay I'll keep attempting to do the multiple location ensemble cast scenes with maybe a few Sunday dinner scenes sprinkled in there.
...
Chapter 5: To Know Someone
Jamie and his FIO team walk into the 2-9 precinct escorting a bunch of prisoners in cuffs.
"Oh good you're back!" Eddie's eager voice suddenly sounds as she appears out of nowhere at her husband's side with a file in hand.
For a brief moment Jamie quizzically glances at this wife before focusing his gaze on a Detective "Here…" He instructs as he hands over the guy in his custody to him "…take him to the box."
In response, the Detective nods in understanding so Jamie watches him lead him away and once they are alone, he turns his full attention to his wife and flashes her a quick grin "Missed me that much huh?"
"Cute." Eddie dismisses before flipping the file in her hands out to Jamie "Here."
Jamie takes the file "What's this?"
"I found you a case!" Eddie brightly announces.
Jamie raises a curious eyebrow at this wife "You." He repeats in a little bit of disbelief "Found me a case?"
"Yup!" Eddie proudly reiterates.
Jamie gestures for Eddie to follow him to his office so they can talk in private.
She does and the second they enter Jamie turns to his wife "Eddie..." he begins but Eddie immediately jumps in and cuts him off "Look I know what you are going to say."
"Do you?" Jamie challenges.
"Yes." Eddie admits "It's not my job but after working two weeks in FIO…" She defends "...I think I know the kind of cases you take and I'm telling you…" She insists "...this is your kind of case."
Jamie frowns as he looks at his wife but Eddie just gives him a challenging look and gestures for him to at least open the file in his hands and look before rejecting the notion.
Sighing, Jamie opens the file to read and when Eddie sees his head tilt a bit and his expression become serious, she knows she got it right.
Suddenly Jamie looks up "Eddie where did you get this?"
"Woman called the precinct upset." Eddie explains "I finally calmed her down enough to get her to admit her boyfriend beat her but as soon as I wanted to send a radio car she got spooked. Said she couldn't turn her boyfriend in – she was a nobody and he wasn't. Then she hung up."
Jamie eyes his wife "And you didn't just let it go did you?" he deduces.
"No." Eddie a bit arrogantly confirms "I did not."
"Of course not." Jamie sighs "Go on…"
"I replayed the tape of our conversation and in the background TARU isolated…"
"You got TARU involved." Jamie notes with an air like he should have known that's what she'd do…
"Martins owed me a favor." Eddie quickly dismisses.
"Um… actually it's me he owed a favor too." Jamie corrects.
"Potato. Potatoe." Eddie again dismisses.
Jamie rolls his eyes.
"Are you done pouting so I can finish?" Eddie pointedly challenges.
"Oh well, please go on." Jamie a bit sarcastically invites.
"Anyway…" Eddie continues on like nothing "TARU isolated the background noise to a subway station announcement so then using that to pinpoint the location, I then cross referenced the time of the call and got the video feed. Only three people were using their phones on the platform at the time, two were male, only one female so then using facial recognition the female came back as Carmen Whitfield."
Immediately Jamie connects the dots and an impressed look appears on his face "Chase Caplain's girlfriend."
"Who's names I recognized from the FIO files as a person you've had your eye on..." Eddie agrees "…and if he beat her…"
"…maybe we can flip her." Jamie finishes as Eddie nods in agreement and adds "And then get him on both assault and your racketeering charges."
Jamie looks at his wife a moment in amazed awe before huffing out a little scoff "Boy." He muses "You sure you aren't after my job?" he jokes.
Eddie's eyes begin to dance a little "Maybe." She admits.
Jamie looks at his wife slightly surprised by her admission "Maybe?" He challenges in disbelief.
Eddie shrugs in deflection "Hey I was just taking your Dad's advice about soaking up information to heart so as I was going through your files I paid attention to some of the things you flagged as potential interest to bigger things."
Jamie gives his wife a challenging look "Dad told you that AFTER your stint in FIO." He points out.
A look of pure innocence appears on Eddie's face "Was it before?" She dismissively deflects "I don't really remember..."
"Yes you do." Jamie insists.
"So we're going to follow up right?" Eddie eagerly presses on in deflection instead as she gestures at the file.
"We?" Jamie challenges.
"Yeah, we." Eddie confirms "I'm the initial responding officer."
"Who is a patrol officer on desk duty." Jamie points out before a look of realization appears on his face "Oh now I get why you insinuated you might be after my job." He admits before looking his wife straight in the eyes "Officer Janko, I hate to break it to you but even if you were Sergeant Detective of FIO…" He reminds her "…you would still be pregnant so therefore STILL be on desk duty."
Eddie pouts a little "Party pooper."
"And yet you love me anyway." Jamie arrogantly tosses out as he turns his attention back to the file to again read "How did you even manage to do all this anyway? I thought McNichols had you on a short leash?"
"She's at a comstat meeting today." Eddie reveals.
"Ah." Jamie notes.
"So when the boss is away…" Eddie begins to sweetly and hopefully sing to her husband.
Jamie shakes his head at his wife "Do you want me to get a RIP?"
"She'll never know!" Eddie promises.
"Oh really?" Jamie challenges.
"Yeah." Eddie confirms before dismissively waving her hand "I mean you're FIO – you're all about secrecy."
Jamie scoffs "Not when it comes to taking away her secretary."
"Executive assistant in charge of precinct administration." Eddie corrects.
Jamie gives his wife yet another challenging look at her use of such fancy words.
"No?" Eddie hesitantly questions.
"No." Jamie flatly confirms.
Eddie shrugs "I was just trying it out."
"Well don't let McNichols hear you say that."
"What is Baker's official title anyway?" Eddie thoughtfully queries.
Jamie pauses as he thinks about that "Um…2nd grade Detective…"
"That's her rank, not her 1PP title." Eddie clarifies.
"Look does this really matter?" Jamie inquires.
"No." Eddie admits "We have more important things to do anyway." She insists with a dismissive wave of her hand before plastering her best smile on her face "You need me."
Jamie looks at his wife "Do I now?" he challenges before quickly shifting gears "Wait, that's the wrong answer…" he rejects before plastering his own best smile on his face to match that of his wife's "I always need you." He sweetly states.
Eddie narrows her eyes at her husband knowing that with that response, he's not buying what she's trying to sell "Good answer." She commends anyway.
"I know." Jamie arrogantly boasts.
"So seriously…" Eddie tries one more time "…can I help? Let me help."
"No." Jamie rejects "Good try, but no. I will take it from here."
Eddie sighs in defeat then indifferently shrugs her shoulders "Was worth a shot." She dismissively adds like she's already over it before turning to walk away and as she goes, she tosses a quick but smug "You're welcome!" over her shoulder before disappearing from view…
Jamie shakes his head slightly at his wife as he watches her disappear then looks down at the file in his hands and a small proud smile appears on his face at his wife's good work.
….
An unhappy Danny follows his sister into her office "What do you mean you won't give me a warrant?"
Unhappy herself, Erin walks behind her desk then turns to face her brother before speaking "How many years have you been baring into my office asking for things you can't have? For a first grade detective I really thought you would have picked up on the clues of what you actually need to give ME, for ME, to give YOU..." She emphasizes "...what you want!"
"Are you kidding me?" Danny heatedly counters.
"Do I look like I'm kidding?" Erin argues back "For the umpteenth time, get me something – anything tangible that I can take to a judge but until then, everything you have given me is circumstantial so that's a big fat NO! N.O. NO! Now go. Get out and come back when you have something I can use – wait, no, actually when you do, don't come back yourself, send Maria instead."
Danny looks at his sister completely taken aback by her words "W…what?"
"You heard me." Erin reiterates "Get me what I need and then send Maria with it – now out!" She commands as she points at the door "I have court in an hour and I need to prepare."
A bit speechless and thoroughly confused by his sister's out of the blue request Danny just stands there a bit unsure how to even reply but Erin not missing a beat just shoos her hand in the direction of the door "Go!" She authoritatively reiterates.
Still stunned, Danny opens his mouth to speak but then just closes it, turns and silently walks out as requested.
Watching him leave an amused, satisfied smile appears on Erin's face that she finally found a way to shut her brother up.
….
Frank walks in his office with Sid following "Well another comstat meeting done. Things are looking up Boss!"
"Hmmm." Frank thoughtfully ponders as he moves to sit at his desk.
"Hmmm?" Sid challenges "Why hmmm? The numbers are good. Crime as a whole is down!"
"As a whole yes…" Frank agrees "…but it's up in two specific precincts - the 3-5 and 5-6, that's not good."
"No." Sid agrees "But these things come in waves." He tries to reason causing Frank to give his Lieutenant a bit of an unimpressed challenging look.
"Boy." Frank states "With spin like that you're starting to sound like Garrett."
Sid's face scrunches up in rejection "No I'm not."
"Yeah." Frank insists "You are."
Knowing exactly what his Boss is about to say next, Sid gives in "I'll delve further into those two precincts to figure out what's going on." He sighs in defeat.
A satisfied smiles appears on Frank's face "It's like you read my mind."
"Scary isn't it?" Sid tosses back before turning to head for the door "I'll keep you posted."
….
Erin is sitting at her desk when a hesitant looking Maria appears in her open doorway with a file in hand and knocks "Um Hi Erin?"
Erin looks up.
"Is now a good time?" Maria a bit sheepishly inquires.
A wide, amused smile appears on Erin's face and she lets out a laugh.
"What?" Maria a bit apprehensively questions.
"It's funny, that's all." Erin admits as she stands "Come in, come in!" she warmly invites as she moves around her desk to greet her guest "Danny, and Jamie… and now Eddie too…" She realizes "Usually just storm right in but you… you actually knocked and ASKED if you could see me – so much more civilized and very refreshing!"
"Oh." Maria breathes out as she steps inside.
"I really should have told Danny to send you years ago." Erin admits "Tell me, how long did he rant and rave once he actually recovered from his stunned stupor?"
"Long." Maria admits before dawning a bit of an annoyed look "Thank you for that by the way."
Erin shrugs a little "Sorry." She a bit insincerely apologizes.
"No you're not." Maria counters.
Erin's grin grows "You're right. I'm not."
"Anyway." Maria sighs as she holds the file in her hands out to Erin "As requested, here you go."
Erin takes the file, opens it and peruses the contents. After a moment she flips it closed "See was that so hard?"
Maria crosses her arms "You really want me to tell him that?"
"Would you?" Erin amusingly requests.
"No." Maria rejects. "I'm not getting myself in the middle of your sibling… whatevers."
"Ya kinda already are." Erin points out as she lifts the file in her hands and wiggles it a bit.
Maria sighs in defeat.
….
Eddie is sitting at her desk when McNichols returns to the precinct with a bankers box of files in her hands. She walks straight over to Eddie's desk and puts the box down with a thud "Here you go! Comstat files for filing." McNichols announces "Have fun!" she amusingly quips before simply turning to walk away.
For a moment Eddie looks at the box and groans in defeat "Grrrrreat." She grumbles as she stands and lifts the lid to see files stacked almost all the way to the brim.
….
Danny is sitting in the driver's seat of his squad car when the passenger's door opens and Maria slides into her seat next to him "That was weird."
"Whatever." Danny dismisses "Did you get it?"
"No not whatever." Maria rejects as she flips the warrant in her hand out to her partner "I shouldn't have to be the 'go between' between you and your sister."
"Can we talk about this later?" Danny counters as he folds the warrant back up "We have a warrant to serve!" he giddily announces as he stuffs the paper in his inside suit jacket pocket and moves to start the car.
A look of annoyance crosses Maria face as she reaches for her seatbelt "Somehow I doubt that." She mutters as she clicks it into place.
At hearing her, Danny freezes then slowly pulls back from the steering wheel to look at the woman next to him "What does that mean?"
"Danny I am your partner, not family…"
"Same thing." Danny dismissively interjects.
"No it's not." Maria insists "I should not be put in the middle of your sibling… squabbles or whatever you Reagan's call it!"
For a moment Danny stares at the woman in front of him before a sincere "Sorry." comes out of his mouth.
Maria eyes her partner a second and determines he truly means it "Thank you." she appreciatively accepts at his honest apology.
Beat.
"Can we go now?" Danny prompts.
"Well I'm already seatbelted in." Maria tosses back "So…" she prompts as she gestures out the windshield to the road in front of them.
Rolling his eyes slightly while a small smile graces his face, Danny once again reaches to start the car, shifts into drive and while shoulder checking to pull away, he off the cuff adds "And you are family." in reiteration.
A flash of a small smile appears on Maria's face before she wipes it away "Am not." She stubbornly rejects.
"Are too." Danny counters as he focuses on driving.
"Are we going to do this the entire drive?" Maria challenges.
Danny shrugs "Got nothing better to do." He honestly admits "Literally." He reiterates as he glances over at his partner and flashes her bit of a forced smile "Nothing better."
Studying her partner, Maria can see there is a bit of hidden subtext behind his words so she shifts gears "Hey Danny?"
"Yeah?"
"You want to go to the park with me and Elena?" She asks as a bit of an olive branch "You know…" she quickly tacks on "After we serve this warrant and close our case."
Again, Danny glances at his partner "Sure." He accepts.
Maria gives a nod of her head in acceptance of his acceptance.
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