Jamie slid into the passenger seat of the RMP where his partner was waiting to start their day. He handed her the cup of coffee he had just bought from the vendor's cart on the corner, while she signed their ride for the day out of the motor pool. He was whistling softly.

"I guess the wedding date went well," Edie surmised from his demeanor.

Jamie tried to play it cool. He wasn't one to kiss and tell. He also hadn't quite navigated where to draw certain lines when it came to the blonde sitting next to him. They were friends, sure. They were work partners, certainly. He knew he could trust her with his life but still it felt odd to have a conversation with her about a date he had with another woman. Yeah, she had encouraged him to go for it with the pretty tourist but she had also encouraged him to date that lady doctor and that didn't exactly turn out well. She said she wasn't, but Jamie got the feeling Edie had been jealous. He knew his blood had been boiling when that training detective, Ray, took a shine to Edie earlier in the year. As much as he hated so see Edie hurt, deep down Jamie was secretly glad when the guy turned out to be a Casanova who used his position in the department to score with women on their way up. Taking a deliberate sip of his coffee to buy time, Jamie tried in vain to deflect Edie's question. "I didn't have a date. What are you talking about? That would be against department policy."

Rolling her eyes, Edie wasn't going to be dissuaded. "You know as well as I do that you went to her sister's wedding with Maria."

"I was there to guard the ring. It was the only way they would let it out of evidence for the ceremony," Jamie insisted.

"And whose bright idea was that?" Edie retorted. Even though she had encouraged him to go out with the pretty tourist, Edie was envious any time another woman got to have what she was denied: Jamie's full attention.

There really wasn't anything for Jamie to say. He knew better than anyone that he had manipulated the system and found a loophole so he could accompany Maria to her sister's wedding. It wasn't going to deny that she was an attractive woman.

"Since you are being so closed mouthed on the subject, based on the whistling, I'm gonna go with you got some this weekend," Edie concluded as she merged into traffic to start their tour. She knew Jamie wasn't the type to kiss and tell but curiosity was getting the better of her. God, she'd love to know what her handsome partner was like all the way out of uniform. She knew he filled out a pair of jeans quite nicely. She also loved the glimpses she'd gotten of his bare, sculpted chest when she would barge into the men's locker room in the precinct after tour to ambush him, hoping to literally catch him with his pants down.

Unfortunately for Edie, Jamie had made it abundantly clear after their one and only kiss that it was an aberration. He was curious and they had gotten out of their system, well at least he had. Edie had covered her disappointment by saying she had a habit of picking the wrong men. She hoped that made Jamie believe that she thought he was the wrong guy when in reality, part of her thought he could be The One, if they could just get around the damn regulations. She wasn't going to be the one to ask for a new partner. If she did, she may never get to see Jamie, because once their partnership ended she wasn't sure he'd want to spend time with her outside of work. At least this way she was guaranteed five days per week with him. She figured that if he had any interest in her he would have been the one to suggest a change. Instead he kept on being a great partner who had her back but nothing more. She'd take the bread crumbs, but man, did she ever resent women like Maria. For Maria, Jamie had been willing to find a way to bend the rules so he could take her out. Edie knew the other woman was an exotic beauty and she saw how Jamie responded to Maria's charms but it still stung. In the meanwhile she'd continue to try to find somebody suitable to take her mind off one Jamison Reagan and what she couldn't have. Until then, it looked like tonight would be another cold shower and an evening spent with B.O.B.; she better remember to pick up fresh batteries on her way home.

Never one to let something go when she really wanted an answer, Edie tried a different tactic. "Are you seeing her again tonight?"

"Why all the questions?"

"Just want to see you happy," Edie supplied, skirting around the edges of the truth. "So spill. I didn't go to a lavish wedding with an heirloom ring this weekend."

"It wasn't that lavish," Jamie supplied. "It was loud with lots of dancing and lively music."

Edie silently urged him to continue.

"You would have loved the food."

Edie was secretly pleased that Jamie had given her at least a passing thought while out with another woman.

"So, forget about the food. Tell me about the date," Edie directed.

"Forget about the food?" Jamie repeated. "Who are you and what did you do with my partner?"

"Very funny. Now stop evading the question."

"The wedding was fine and Maria boards a plan back to Oaxaca in a few hours," Jamie revealed.

"Are you gonna do the long-distance thing?" Edie pressed.

Shaking his head, Jamie replied, "Nah. Too much trouble."

Edie shrugged. "But she is a very beautiful woman."

"She is," Jamie agreed. "But there are plenty of beautiful women in New York. I don't need to import more." He looked pointedly at his partner but did not elaborate.

"This whole conversation is a little light on details, Reagan," Edie protested Jamie's evasiveness.

"I really don't understand why you are so interested in my love life," Jamie responded.

Edie thought she had him. "There. You admit it. It was more than guard duty or protective detail. You like her."

"Not that it matters. She flies home today and I already told you that we're not doing the long-distance thing," Jamie insisted.

"You never struck me as the nail and bail type," Edie observed.

"'Nail and bail'?" Jamie repeated. He couldn't believe she just said that. "We are not talking about this."

Edie continued to bait him. She seemingly couldn't help herself. "Jeeze. Uptight much?"

"What is with you today? First you practically throw me at the woman. Then you get all mad when I do what you told me to do. It's like you're jealous or something," Jamie accused.

Snorting in derision Edie denied Jamie's allegation. "I am not jealous. Don't flatter yourself."

Jamie eyed her skeptically. "This is exactly what you did with that ER doctor. Why do you insist I go out with these woman if all you are going to do is give me grief afterwards?"

"Grief? I am not giving you grief. When I heard you whistling I merely asked if you got lucky over the weekend. I was just makin' conversation," Edie declared. "Forget I said anything."

"Make conversation about something else other than my alleged sex life," Jamie directed.

Before Edie could say anything else a call came over the radio. "12 David. 10-53; corner of 45th and 8th. 10-54; EMT's en route."

"Another day another car accident," Edie joked as Jamie keyed the mike at his shoulder. "Rodger, that Central. 12-David. Show us responding."

Edie hit the lights and siren, to clear traffic ahead of them as they rushed to the scene.

~~ BB ~~ BB ~~ BB ~~

About a month after Jamie had attended the wedding with Marie, the exotic tourist who had her family heirloom ring stolen by her friend, the partners were almost bored on their day tour. Sometimes it was nice to have a quiet day on patrol. The exciting days punctuated by gun fire and bombs had a tendency to shorten lifespans through stress alone, not to mention the all too real bullets.

It had been a few months since "the incident" as Jamie thought of the night he'd kissed his partner. Edie was a beautiful woman, especially in civilian clothes. She was smart and tough. If only she wasn't his partner. Mixing business and pleasure on The Job was a recipe for disaster and he knew he couldn't risk both of their lives because he was distracted by love. So far, the plan to ignore the whole thing had been working, although he couldn't help but notice that they both seemed to avoid any situation where they had the potential to end up alone. Beers after work were now group affairs with other members of the squad. Neither stayed for more than two drinks, when before they used to linger.

Although Edie had cried in his arms after she shot that guy in the line of duty, they both knew they walked a very fine line that night. When she'd asked him to stay Jamie knew she just couldn't handle her empty apartment but he wished she had been asking for more. He also knew he couldn't give her any more than a shoulder to cry on or there would be no going back. If their partnership was to survive, he had to keep his distance.

For her part, Edie wasn't about to bring the subject up again. She'd meant it when she said their kiss was inevitable. She had developed a small crush on her very attractive partner after he encouraged her to make peace with her father's crimes and then driven out to the prison with her. His reaction the morning after their kiss felt like rejection. The sexual tension between them had been brewing since they met. She didn't want him to get her out of his system. Jamie was sexy, sensitive and smart. Edie knew from experience that there aren't many men like that in the world. She thought it was kind of cool that after graduating from Harvard Law he joined the NYPD rather than some Wall Street law firm so he could understand how the law worked in reality, not just in some ivory tower. Yet she also knew he was too honorable to risk their professional relationship. It didn't matter that his motives were pure; she didn't want to deal with his rejection again, so as difficult as it was, she avoided him and forced herself to not be alone with him outside of their shifts. If he hadn't been such an awesome partner, she would have asked for a transfer. Some days it was excruciatingly painful to only be able to look but not touch.

A small, insecure part of her always wondered if maybe Jamie didn't return her interest or desire. These thoughts usually flashed through Edie's mind when she was at a low point, wondering how the daughter of a criminal could ever think a Harvard educated lawyer who was the son of the City's Top Cop could ever be interested in the likes of her. As far as she could tell, Jamie's taste ran toward smart women who were lawyers and doctors. She tried to push those negative thoughts aside and focus on the smiles, the touches and the fact that she spent more time every day with Jamie Reagan than anybody else on the planet. She tried to convince herself that it was enough.

On this particular day in early summer, Edie's non-relationship with Jamie was the least of her problems. Her cousin's wedding was this weekend. She was going to be surrounded by nosy but well-meaning aunts who would all want to know when she was giving up this foolishness of being a cop and find a nice boy to settle down with. She'd roped an old friend from the Academy into going to the event with her as her pretend longtime boyfriend just to throw the aunts off and hopefully spare herself the lectures about why she was wasting her life, or worse, the pitying inquiries about whether she was a lesbian.

They were cruising through Central Park when Edie's phone rang. "Hey Buzz," she answered happily. She had been fairly pleased with herself when she came up with the fake boyfriend idea and convinced her old buddy to take part.

Edie's face and voice fell simultaneously. "I'm sorry to hear that. I hope you're OK. No, I'll figure something out." Jamming the cell phone back in the cup holder, she muttered, "Damn" under her breath.

Jamie looked at his partner quizzically. "Was that your friend Buzz from the Academy?" Jamie had met a few of Edie's friends from back in the day. As big as the NYPD was, people tended to stay in contact with friends from school. It was a shared bond to have survived that training. Jamie was still in touch with a few of his former classmates from the Academy as well as Harvard Law. "What's he up to?" Jamie was worried when he heard Janko sound distressed.

"Nothing. Ugh. He . . .he got the chicken pox if you can believe it. Went to break up a domestic and their kids were sick. Now he is," Edie revealed.

"Chicken pox?" Jamie reiterated. "That sucks. I remember when Jack and Sean got it. Danny and Linda were more miserable then the kids."

"Apparently it's worse for adults," Edie offered.

"So your friend called you just to tell you he was sick?" Jamie inquired.

"Yes. No," Edie let out a deep breath. "We . . . ah. . . well we kinda had plans this weekend, but now he can't make it."

Jamie suggested, "So do it next weekend."

"Can't," Edie replied looking out the window and mentally going through the names of her male friends trying to come up with a backup plan. She began muttering to herself and mentally ticking names off her fingers. "No. Has a girlfriend. Too young. Married. Too eager. Too. . ugh."

"Janko, what are you mumbling about?" Jamie wanted to know.

"Don't worry about it," Edie dismissed his inquiry. The cold look she gave him encouraged Jamie to say no more. He knew better then to press his partner when she wanted to be left alone.

For the next half hour the pair rode around in silence. The only noise was radio chatter directed at other units.

"Hey, I'm hungry," Jamie's voice pierced through Edie's introspective fog.

"Isn't that my line?" Edie joked half-heartedly.

"Exactly," Jamie confirmed. Glancing at his watch he continued, "It's about 20 minutes past our scheduled meal period but you haven't said a word."

"Sorry," Edie shrugged absently, still staring out the window of the RMP practically ignoring her partner.

"OK, I'll clock us out and we can head over to Salad World; they're having a special on sticks and twigs," Jamie offered.

"Sure, sounds good," Edie mumbled a half-hearted response, which proved she wasn't listening.

"Alright, what gives? Now I know you are ignoring me," Jamie accused.

"I'm not ignoring you," Edie protested.

"You just agreed to eat sticks and twigs at Salad World for lunch," Jamie chided her.

Scowling Edie snapped, "I said I wasn't hungry so it was easier to let you pick whatever rabbit food you wanted."

"Again, something is very wrong if you are not thinking about your stomach and it must be really bad if you claim not to be hungry."

Edie was in no mood. "Just give it a rest. Eat where ever you want and stop trying to psychoanalyze me."

Jamie was hurt. "I'm not trying to psychoanalyze you. I just commented that it's unusual for you not to be hungry. Usually when you get like this, there is a problem."

"You think you know me so well," Edie accused. "But you don't. You're my work partner. Not my shrink. Not my mother. Not my boyfriend. My work partner. So don't think you know everything there is to know about me."

The more she protested, the more Jamie knew something was unquestionably wrong but he also knew that pressing her now was not the way to get her to talk. "There's no need to get so defensive."

Edie ignored Jamie through most of their meal period and scrolled through her phone, sighing repeatedly. Occasionally she'd stop, seem to think, then shake her head in defeat. She merely picked at her Cesar salad with grilled chicken.

As their tour came to end, Jamie suggested, "How about Murphy's for beers? I'm buying."

Edie was still distracted as she had been all afternoon. "Murphy's, nah. I was actually thinking about heading to the Bull and the Bear."

"A Wall Street bar? They don't give anything away in there. It's wing night at Murphy's. What gives?"

Edie glared at her partner. "I just want a change of pace."

Jamie wasn't taking no for an answer. He was more convinced than ever that he'd have to get a few drinks into Edie to get to the bottom of what was bothering her. If they had to be expensive drinks, so be it. "Mind if I join you?"

"Kind of," Edie answered but felt guilty when she saw Jamie's crestfallen face. Blowing out a breath, she reconsidered. Picking up some random guy wasn't going to solve her problem. Buzz had been a perfect solution because he knew her so well and they could use their friendship to fake a romantic relationship but a stranger probably wouldn't work so she was better off getting wings with Reagan and saving her money. "You know what? Let's just go to Murphy's."

Inside Murphy's Edie snagged a hi-top way in the back. She usually preferred to stand at the bar to be in the middle of all the action. This table gave her a great vantage point from which to scan the room, but it kept her out of the fray. She didn't have it in her to make small talk tonight. She knew enough people here; she hoped she'd be able to find somebody to help her solve dilemma.

Jamie returned from the bar and placed two drafts on the table. "So you wanna tell me why we're sitting back here and you don't have a big plate of wings in front of you yet?"

"Not hungry," Edie muttered.

Jamie took a deep breath then settled himself on the bar stool across from his partner. "Now I really know something is wrong. You not being hungry twice in one day. Do I need to call a bus? Talk to me. You have been out of sorts all day; in fact you have kind of been on edge for about a month."

"It's nothing," Edie declared. "It's also not your problem."

Jamie wasn't buying that for a New York minute. "I'm your partner. I got your back. Whatever it is you can tell me."

"Just drop it, Reagan," Edie snarled with a slight edge to her voice. It was sharper then she intended but she really didn't want to talk about it.

"It's been going on for a month." Aloud Jamie began to puzzle this through this mystery that was his partner's bad mood. "It got worse today when Buzz called you." His eyes lit up in fear as he stared at Edie. Conspiratorially, he leaned over the table and whispered, "Are you pregnant?"

Holding up her hand in the classic 'stop' / 'talk to the hand' position Edie rolled her eyes and declared indignantly, "No, I'm not pregnant!" She made a face at him, wondering how he could think that was what was wrong.

Jamie held her gaze. Tempers were getting hotter but neither partner was going to back down. Jamie was sure one way or the other that he could get it out of her.

Unfortunately for her, Kara Walsh didn't notice the visual stand-off occurring between the partners when she decided to interrupt. "I head Buzz got the chicken pox. So what are you going to do about your cousin's wedding?"

Deflated because her friend inadvertently spilled the beans, Edie replied, "I don't know. Tell my family he couldn't come because he was sick, I guess. It is the truth."

"Do you wanna borrow my husband?" Kara offered. "He knows enough about you. Maybe he could pull it off. But I'm working tomorrow night so he could only come down for the wedding itself."

Edie smiled wanly at her friend. "Thanks but it's not like this is the first wedding I will attend alone."

"I know but you said your Aunt was really riding you about still being single," Walsh reminded her friend about previous conversations, not realizing that they were confidential or at least things that Edie didn't want Jamie to know.

"You're up Walsh!" somebody called from over by the pool table summoning Kara away.

Jamie leaned back in his chair. He had solved the mystery of what had his partner so upset but he still didn't know why she was upset. What was the big deal about going stag to a wedding, anyway? He did it all the time.

Edie waved her finger in Jamie's face. "Don't even. No seriously. Don't look at me like that. You know nothing."

"C'mon, Janko," Jamie opened. "So you're cousin is getting married. What is the big deal?"

"You wouldn't understand," she dismissed his concerns.

"Try me," Jamie implored.

"It's stupid," Edie tried to deflect.

"Apparently not," Jamie countered. "You talked to Walsh and your academy buddy, Buzz." Anybody who cared to listen could have heard the disdain in Jamie's voice when he said the other man's name. "I mean what kind of name is that anyway? Is he a bee or something? Buzz." Jamie knew he sounded petulant but he didn't care.

"His name is Bruce. Buzz is just a nickname. He got me through the whole search and seizure thing at the Academy. We all didn't go to Harvard Law School before deciding to become a cop."

"You need a wedding date, is that it?" Jamie postulated.

Looking away, Edie conceded, "Yeah."

"I'm a great wedding date! I clean up nice. Moms and Aunts love me. I have excellent table manners and I look good in the pictures." Jamie bragged.

Edie didn't say anything. She really didn't want to be having this discussion.

"So what time is the wedding tomorrow? Do you need me to pick you up at your apartment," Jamie acted like everything was settled.

Edie resigned herself to the inevitable. "I'm not gonna talk you outta this am I?"

"I'm your partner. I already told you I got your back. We've stared death in the face together more than one and survived. I think we can manage a wedding," Jamie predicted.

"You haven't met my family," Edie replied.

"Not true," Jamie countered. "I met your Dad, but I'm assuming he won't be there."

"No he won't. But this is his sister's daughter's wedding, in New Jersey."

"I can go to Jersey. Hey can we take your car?" Jamie brightened at the prospect of driving Edie's Porsche.

"What makes you think I'm gonna let you get your mitts on my baby?" Edie asked.

"I always drive!" Jamie declared.

"In the RMP at work. This is my car we're talking about," Edie reminded him.

Putting on his best puppy dog face, Jamie begged, "Please?"

"There's a little more to it than just going out to Jersey for the night," Edie broached the subject. In her mind she was wondering if he'd really do everything involved just for the chance to drive her car.

"It's a wedding. How complicated can it be? Show up. Clap politely when the priest declares them husband and wife. Eat. Have some champagne. Fork over a gift. Dance a little. Come home," Jamie laid out all the steps as he understood what was required of a good guest.

"First of all," Edie started seriously. "And no laughing." She pointed at him, silently saying 'this means you'.

To honor the solemnity of the moment, Jamie crossed his fingers over his heart and held up 3 fingers in the Boy Scout promise.

Chuckling, Edie mumbled, "Eagle Scout" to which Jamie replied, "Rich girl."

"What?" Jamie prompted her to continue as he put his hand down. "I promise I will try not to laugh."

"I'm a bridesmaid," Edie shared.

Jamie offered her a crooked half smile. "Really? I get to see you stand up there in one of those poofy matching taffeta get ups?"

"Be serious, Reagan!" She commanded.

"No," Jamie replied holding up his hands as if to frame Edie in a photo. "You in a dress. I will have to make sure my phone is charged so I can take pictures." Edie glared at him but that didn't stop his teasing. "Do you even have legs?" He bent down to look under the table. Rising to resume sitting upright Jamie smugly declared, "This is getting better and better."

"And exactly why I didn't ask you in the first place," Edie stated.

"I'll stop," Jamie promised. "What else do I have to know?"

"Because I'm in the wedding, I am going out there tomorrow for the Rehearsal and the Rehearsal dinner. The wedding is Saturday. You can just come Saturday and then go home," Edie offered.

"Was Buzz coming for the whole weekend or just the wedding?" Jamie asked.

"The whole thing," Edie admitted.

Jamie filed that little tidbit away. The prospect of Edie having a romantic weekend with another man didn't sit well with him. He was actually glad Buzz got the chicken pox.

"I got nothing else going on. We get off at 3:00 o'clock tomorrow and don't report back 'til start of swing on Monday. I'm all yours," Jamie promised. "Rehearsal dinner, wedding and I'm assuming after wedding brunch on Sunday. Anything else I need to know?"

Edie was uncertain. The prospect of spending an entire weekend with Jamie was . . . well let's just say she had mixed emotions about the whole thing. She had gotten pretty good at hiding her feelings on patrol but for 72 hours, she wasn't sure she was that good of an actress. Then she got an idea about how to shorten the whole thing. "What about the famous Reagan Sunday dinners? Won't you get struck by a bolt of lightning or something if you don't show up?"

"I've missed 'em before. It'll be alright," Jamie assured her. "Hey, do I need a tux or will a dark suit be OK?"

The idea of Jamie in a tuxedo made Edie's stomach do a little flip flop. "Do you even own a tux?"

"Of course I do," Jamie replied. "It's even clean." Edie didn't need to know that he didn't have much cause to wear his tuxedo but no self-respecting bachelor in New York City could afford to be without one in his closet. Sadly, these days, his got the most work out when his sister needed a last minute stand in for some charity or office gig she was required to attend.

"OK then. Tux for Saturday. Blazer and slacks for Friday and casual for Sunday, but no jeans," Edie informed her partner of the dress code.

"No problem," Jamie noted her instructions.

Edie thought for a moment, trying to figure out the logistics. "How about I pick you up in the morning before tour. You can leave your bags in my car, then we can head straight out. I wanna try to beat the traffic."

"Picking me up is out of your way. I'm all the way in Brooklyn. Bridge traffic is murder in the morning. I'll just take the subway and meet you at the House. I can stow my gear in your car then," Jamie countered.

"I guess I'll see you tomorrow, then," Edie confirmed before she got up to leave.

Jamie was initially so proud of himself for figuring out why Edie was upset and then solving her problem, he didn't initially realize that she never finished her beer. Looking at the half full glass it also dawned on him that she never helped herself to any wings. It seemed there was more to this wedding then he understood.