Chapter 3: The News Of The Week
Eddie sits in the passenger's seat of their new vehicle as Jamie drives.
"It's like I've become her secretary!" She unhappily rants.
Jamie heavily sighs "Well she did say she had other plans for you." He points out.
"But a secretary?" Eddie huffs out as Jamie pulls up to park in front of the Reagan family home "I did not spend 10 years on the beat to become a secretary!"
Jamie opens his mouth to speak but he really has no idea what to say – until he sees Erin get out of the passenger's side of her car ahead of them and surprisingly Jack climb out of the driver's side… "Is that Jack?" he can't help but ask as he gestures in his sister's direction "Again?"
Pausing from her ranting, Eddie looks over "It is." She confirms "Wow. Two weeks in a row." She impressively adds while noting the dynamic of their positions in the car which only serves to increase her excitement as she puts two and two together "Wait. Do you think they are back together?"
Not sure he likes the idea of that, Jamie carefully ponders his next words. "I think…" He finally offers "…if they are, Pop's head might explode."
"Oh no it won't." Eddie easily dismisses "Come on!" She eagerly prompts noting Erin and Jack are already almost at the house.
She didn't want to miss this…
….
Frank, Henry, Danny and Sean are already seated at the Reagan Family dinner table when Erin walks in with Jack behind her.
"Jack!" Frank greets with a surprised but tense expression before trying to cover by plastering a forced smile onto his face.
Danny narrows his eyes at his sister and her ex-husband "Again." He can't help but suspiciously note.
"Yup." Jack a bit awkwardly confirms as he glances at Erin and she shrugs a little "Again."
"We weren't expecting you." Henry flatly adds with a scowl on his face "We don't have enough seating."
Both Jack and Erin look over at Henry and Erin frowns "Grandpa, we had 11 people at this table last week. I think we can manage 8 today."
"I'll get another place setting." Sean helpfully offers as he gets up from the table.
Erin shifts her gaze to her nephew and smiles appreciatively at him "Thank you Sean."
So as Sean leaves the room, Jamie and Eddie enter.
"Did we miss the fireworks?" Jamie good naturedly inquires.
"Not yet..." Danny replies "But Gramps did just light the fuse."
"Oh come on you guys!" Eddie jumps in with a slight laugh trying to smooth things over before looking at Jack "I for one think it's great you are here."
"Well you're the only one." Henry unhappily grumbles as Sean returns with a place setting.
Jamie leans towards his wife "See. Boom." He whispers.
"So where am I putting this?" Sean questions as he looks at Erin, Jack, Eddie and Jamie all standing on one side of the table and Danny and his vacate seat on the other.
"Next to me is fine." Erin replies as she reaches to grab another chair for Jack.
Sean shrugs at the lopsidedness of seating at the table but does as requested.
"So Eddie." Erin begins as she, Jack, Eddie, Jamie and Sean all move to take their seats "How are you feeling?"
"Frustrated!" Eddie replies before looking at Frank "I'm a secretary!" she unhappily announces causing Jamie next to her to sigh in defeat.
Frank looks at his daughter in law a bit confused "A secretary?" He repeats.
"YES!" Eddie confirms "I know there is nothing you can do – and I wouldn't want you too." She quickly adds "But I need to vent! She's treating me like her own personal secretary!"
Both a little confused and blindsided by her sudden ranting, Frank cautiously tries to look for clarification "Who?"
"The Captain." Jamie explains.
"O…oh." Frank notes as he tries to process that "What does she have you doing?"
"Answering phones, organizing her calendar, scheduling meetings, typing up reports. I even had to get her coffee!"
"Oh." Frank now accepts in understanding "Interesting."
"Interesting?" Eddie repeats "It's not interesting, it's insulting. I did not spend 10 years on the job to become a secretary! Desk duty sucks!"
Henry let's out an amused chuckle "Don't let Baker hear you say that."
Everyone at the table turns to look at Henry so Henry looks directly across the table at his son "Am I wrong?" he challenges.
Frank heavily sighs "No. Look Eddie…" Frank then begins as he shifts his focus to his daughter in law "If it helps try not to look at as being a secretary – try looking at it as a learning opportunity."
Eddie narrows her eyes at her father in law "How so?"
"Baker knows the ins and outs of what I do and then some. I couldn't function without her and some days I think she is the actual Commissioner, not me."
"Really?" Eddie questions in complete surprise.
Frank nods "She's far from just a secretary. With everything she's learnt, she could do my job, and do it well."
"So…" Eddie slowly states "What you're saying is if I take this opportunity and apply myself, I could be Captain one day?"
"Hey." Frank states as he holds his hands up in surrender "I'm not saying anything other than if given the opportunity, it never hurts to learn and soak up as much information as possible."
"Huh." Eddie breathes out as she begins to look at her current assignment in a new light and as she does her eyes happen to drift over to Jack's left hand on the table beside her and she sees what looks like a wedding ring. She furrows her brow as she looks at it then something makes her shift her eyes to look over at Erin's left hand and when she sees what is clearly a wedding ring there too, her eyes go super wide in realization "Oh. My. God." She breathes out "YOU'RE MARRIED!"
With smiles creeping up on their faces that someone FINALLY noticed, Erin and Jack glance at one another.
"I really thought Danny would be the first to notice." Erin admits to her new husband.
"My money was on Henry." Jack counters back as all the Reagans around the table just sit there is stunned silent shock looking at them.
"But instead…" Erin continues before leaning slightly forward to look at her sister in law "And no offense here, it was the beat cop in a room full of 2 Commissioners, a Sergeant and a Detective! Surprise!" She laughs as she and Jack both lift and wiggle their left hands to fully display their wedding rings "We got remarried!"
"What the hell do you mean you got remarried?" Danny accusatorily jumps in when he finally finds his voice.
"I think I'm having a heart attack." Henry breathes out as he brings a hand to his chest.
Immediately all eyes turn to Henry in concern but when they see him drop his arm and glower at Jack and Erin they all know it was just a tactic to get everyone to look at him.
"Would you like to explain yourself?" Frank a bit unhappily inquires of his daughter.
"Jack and I went down to city hall and we got remarried." Erin simply announces.
The table erupts into mayhem "WHAT? WHEN? AND YOU DIDN'T TELL US? OR INVITE US? WHY WOULD YOU RE MARRY HIM?" Can all be heard as everyone talks one on top of the other.
"WE'RE TELLING YOU NOW!" Erin loudly calls trying to shut everyone up "AND THIS IS EXACTLY WHY WE DIDN'T!" She tacks on.
The room settles down to quiet disgruntled grumblings causing Eddie to frown. She remembered what coming into this family was like and she always thought Jack and Erin belonged together anyway so she plasters an upbeat smile on her face and turns to look at Jack and Erin "Well I think it's great." She warmly offers them "Congratulations!"
Erin and Jack appreciatively smile at her before Jack leans over to Eddie "Can I hide behind you for protection if I need it?" he queries in a mixture of both jest and seriousness.
"Right." Henry seethes not at all finding that funny "Of course you'd hide behind the pregnant lady. So typical."
"Pop." Jamie chides with a slight laugh because even he had to admit – that was kind of funny simply because it was oh so true. He knew Jack could indeed hide behind his mama bear wife if needed.
"I can't believe you two just up and eloped." Danny admits in disbelief.
"Well we'd already done the big wedding thing." Jack points out.
"Yeah and look how well that turned out." Henry again seethes.
"Pop." Jamie sighs "I hate to say this but what's done is done. They are married. You're going to need to get over it."
"The hell I will." Henry unhappily counters back.
"Well this is great." Erin grumbles "I knew there might be some tension but you could at least try to pretend to be happy for me." She challenges her family before looking over at her father "I suppose you want to just take shots too?"
Frank wanted nothing more then to do exactly that – take shots but he, like Jamie also knew that what's done is done and no matter what, Erin is his daughter and he needs to support her so he grits his teeth and plasters a smile on his face "Welcome to the family Jack." He accepts "Again." He can't help but begrudgingly tack on as he momentarily let's his Irish Alzheimers kick into high gear.
Eddie looks around the table at everyone's subdued demeanor "Wow." She notes before settling her gaze on her husband next to her "If we compare this to us announcing both our engagement and desire to keep riding together – ours was a cake walk!"
Henry looks directly at Eddie "That's because we like you." He grumbles out.
"Wow." Jack notes in amazed awe at the level of animosity he is receiving "It's good to be back."
"No it's not." Henry counters calling his bluff.
Erin drops her elbow on the table with a thud and buries her face in her hand.
Eddie looks at Erin then over at Danny "We made an announcement last week about a future addition to the table. Erin made an announcement and upped the numbers this week. You gonna make an announcement next week?" She jokes trying to lighten the mood.
"Hah Hah." Danny awkwardly tries to deflect but as he lets his eyes drift ever so briefly over to Eddie's old high chair safely tucked away in a corner of the dining room until needed, truth be told, he hoped Eddie wasn't that far off. It may not be next week or even next month but maybe one day in the future he too hoped he could be bringing maybe not one, but two people to the table and out of nowhere a thought hits him Hmmm I wonder if they'd let me borrow that high chair for Elena…
"Let's just say Grace." Frank instructs but not really being in the mood to be thankful and say it himself, he looks at his daughter "Erin I think it's your turn."
So as everyone clasps their hands together, Erin looks at Jack and they silently agree to say Grace together "Bless us oh Lord in these thine gifts..." they begin causing everyone to glance up at them and their united front "...which we are about to receive from thy bounty through Christ our Lord Amen."
"Amen." Everyone repeats.
It's only then that Sean looks up and around the table "If Uncle Jack is going to be attending permanently again…" He voices "We need to adjust where everyone sits because this is just lopsided."
In response, everyone silently looks up and around at one another and for the Reagan men it suddenly all really hits them that, like Sean said, Jack is back – permanently.
Every Sunday.
From now on.
Jack...
Not ready to truly accept that notion yet, Frank quickly breaks the silence. "Pass the buns." He requests in deflection.
"Yup, I'll take those peas." Danny quickly tacks on as he just reaches across the table to grab the plate himself.
"Anyone see the roast?" Henry adds so Jamie quickly leans over to pick it up and pass it over "Here you go Pop."
Watching everyone surround themselves in denial, Jack can't help but yet again mutter "Yup. Good to be back." at his 'warm' welcome.
...