Thank you so much for your kind words on the first chapter :) I'm going to try making a story out of this. I can't promise updates will be fast, but please bear with me! Please let me know what you think. Happy New Year!

-Jen

Chapter Two

The first thing that he thinks when he wakes is how much his arm hurts. It feels like there's been something on it for hours, it aches. Shifting a little, Jamie's eyes squint as he opens them, yawning.

"Wow, you don't even have awful morning breath. You're like, annoyingly perfect, Reagan."

Forcing his eyes open, he's met with the sight of Eddie. Her blonde hair is tousled, last night's makeup smeared, and she's naked. In his bed. Naked in his arms, in his bed, with their bodies pressed against each other. The memories of the previous night brought to the forefront of his mind, he stares at her, unsure now of what to say.

"Ah, the 'morning after, this really happened, what the hell do I do' realization," Eddie says with a slow nod. "Mine was about ten minutes ago."

"And what did you decide to do?" Jamie asks after a moment, swallowing slowly. His arm aches, but he makes no move to let her go, knowing that in minutes this could all be over.

"Well...I panicked for about five minutes. I thought about leaving," She admits making a little guilty face. "You know, writing a note saying I was drunk and it was a mistake, that you should ignore everything I said, slipping out before you woke up. I also considered getting up and raiding your kitchen because I'm hungry and also I wanted to eat my feelings."

"But?"

"But then I...looked at you," Eddie says with an annoyed sigh, rolling her eyes a little. "And I know how stupid and cliche that sounds, and I almost hate it, you're making me sound like some corny Lifetime movie, but I looked at you and I...remembered last night. I wasn't drunk, and I do remember, and I don't think it was a mistake," She says softly. Jamie opens his mouth to talk, but she reaches up, covering his mouth. "No, ok, I need you to be quiet, so I can say this. It's hard to say and I want to say it, and then you can react, ok?" Chuckling a little to himself, brought back to the night in his apartment weeks ago when she'd kissed him, Jamie nods.

Eddie sighs, looking at him. "Jamie, I know we could have gone down this road before, but we didn't because of all the problems it can cause. It can complicate things, we know that, and we...we can go over and over, back and forth about what ifs and, and maybes," she says. "We can go to weddings as partners, and tell everyone until we're blue in the face that we're just partners, just friends, and you can punch guys that try to dance with me to your heart's content, but we both know we want more than that, we both know we lay awake at night wondering if it could be our wedding we're dancing at one day." Eddie shakes her head as if she's in disbelief she's saying all this, and he remains silent, knowing somehow she's not done.

"You are...not my type, you drive me absolutely crazy, you're a boy scout, and you are the...best person I think I've ever met, Jamie," Eddie says, her voice cracking a little. "And for the past four years I've spent so much time trying to hate you, because it would make things so much easier. If we could just be friends, if it were just that simple. But you just get me, and when I'm with you I just...I don't know how to explain it. But I meant what I said last night. I love you, Jamie. I don't want to pretend otherwise anymore," Eddie whispers with a slight shake of her head. "And I think after last night and this little spiel, I'm probably going to have to request a new partner anyways, even if you don't feel the same way," She laughs a little, reaching up with one hand to wipe her eyes.

"Can I talk now?" Jamie asks after she's silent for a moment, raising his eyebrows.

"You can, but just, you know...warn me if I should get up and dressed first," Eddie says softly. "Cause if you're going to turn me down, I don't think I wanna be snuggled up naked to you. Wouldn't make for an easy getaway and all."

Jamie tightens his arms around her, pulling her closer against his body. "I think you should stay right here, just like this," He says softly. "How could I turn you down when I feel the same way, Eddie?"

"That day, when we were dancing, I asked you if you ever thought about what we could be missing out on, and then you asked if I ever thought about what we'd be giving up," Eddie points out quietly. "Like it was more important."

"That's not what I meant," Jamie says seriously. "I meant that we had to think about it all, you know? What we could be missing out on, and what we could be giving up. Well, mostly what you could be giving up," He admits. Her brow furrows, and she raises her eyebrows as if saying 'what do you mean,' and he sighs a little. "No one's going to recommend any Reagan for promotion so long as my dad is police commissioner, Eddie. No, that won't be forever, but we don't know how long that could be for, and once everyone knew that you were with me...my girlfriend, or you...you know, wife, if we got there one day, you'd be blacklisted for promotion, too," Jamie says, reddening a little bit as he mentions the possibilities of the future.

"Well...yea, maybe so," Eddie says slowly. "But giving up the chance of a promotion for a while sounds better than giving up the chance at something that could be amazing for life, doesn't it?"

"I wouldn't be giving anything up, Eddie," Jamie murmurs. "I mean, I'd be giving you up as a partner, and that would be a change, yes, but if that meant getting to have this...it's not losing so much as gaining. I just...I want you to be sure. I love you, and I don't want to pretend otherwise anymore, either. I just don't want you to regret anything."

"I worked really hard to get where I am," Eddie says slowly after a minute. "Because of my father, because I grew up with money, because I'm a woman that's a cop. And I know that you did, too, that you have to work hard to prove yourself. For a while, I just wrote off ever finding anyone, having a serious relationship. Work had to be my focus, I had to establish myself, I had to get in there. But now...it's not that it's less important to me, it's not. I love the job, and of course one day I'd like to make detective, but it's not something I need, Jamie. I'm happy where I am with work. Even if it's in small ways, I'm doing good, and I like to think that's putting some good karma back in the world after my dad did some bad. I get to protect people. I get to do some amazing things, and I guess I felt comfortable enough to stop writing off finding love."

"Is that why you've been seeing that psychic?" Jamie asks with a slight eyebrow raise. "Trying to find your soulmate or whatever?"

Eddie laughs, sighing a little, and he feels her shrug. "I guess." She's tracing patterns absently against his chest as she thinks. "I was seeing the psychic hoping she'd lead me to someone that wasn't you," She admits. "But she's actually helped me accept that...you could be. I mean, you clearly think it's a load of crap but you went with me anyways, Reagan. You'd do anything for me and...I can handle not getting a promotion for a while, Jamie, so please don't let that hold you back. You made me aware. I know. And I don't care."

Jamie looks at her for a moment, slowly nodding his head. "Ok then," He finally says. "Then...are we dating? Together? You know, boyfriend and girlfriend?" Jamie asks a bit awkwardly, blushing when Eddie giggles at him, looking away.

"No, no, don't get embarrassed, you're cute," She says, hand resting against his cheek, turning his head back to look at her. "I just, no guy's ever really asked me that before. It was always just...assumed. I've never had anyone ask me to be their girlfriend, I just thought it was sweet. Very you, Reagan." She winks. "And yes. Yes, we're, you know, boyfriend and girlfriend."

Chuckling a little at the teasing, he smiles. "Ok. Good."

"Good," Eddie nods with a smile of her own, a big smile that made her nose crinkle up.

"Good." He says again, leaning in to kiss her gently. After a moment, pulling back, he grimaces a little. "Now, can you get off of my arm before I lose circulation in it for good?"

Expecting her to roll off of it, or sit up, he's surprised when she grins, and rolls on top of him, legs straddling his waist. "Sorry," She says with a guilty smile, leaning in to kiss him. Jamie stretches his arm as he kisses her back, the pins and needles coming on as the blood starts to run, but her lips are a good distraction.

Letting out a groan, breaking the kiss, Eddie's head falls to rest against his shoulder. "I should go home...I have things I have to do...but I really just want to stay here."

"Good," he murmurs. "I want you to stay here, too."

"But grocery shopping and laundry and cleaning and all those other things adults are supposed to do," Eddie sighs, leaning away from him, though he wraps his arms around her waist.

Now able to see her neck, his eyes fall on splotchy red and purple areas, widening. "Uh...I may have gotten a bit over enthusiastic last night…" He murmurs, brushing fingers over the evidence.

"Huh? Oh," Eddie murmurs, looking down at his fingers brushing over her skin. "Don't worry, I bruise easily. I don't mind, it sure felt nice, and I've got makeup."

Continuing to stretch out his still half asleep arm, Jamie raises an eyebrow at her, smiling a little bit. "So that means I can do it some more, then?" He murmurs, leaning up to press his lips to her neck.

"Well, I still have to go do all those things…" she murmurs, though she doesn't sound too convinced about leaving.

"I can think of a lot of things we can do right here," Jamie replies, his teeth gently scraping across her collarbone, Eddie letting out a soft moan.

"How about…" She says slowly, distracted as his lips kiss lower, across the tops of her breasts. "We do one or two of those things now," Eddie murmurs. "And then tonight we can do more."

Pausing in his actions, arms both around her waist now, he nods. "Tonight I could take you on a real date," He muses.

"Maybe we shouldn't, you know, go out...make it obvious. Until we tell people. And we can discuss tonight when that is," She says. "Just so people aren't talking."

"Makes sense," Jamie agrees. "We can have a date in. If you're not opposed to coming back here, I have a plan," He offers. "A surprise plan," He adds, just as she's about to ask what that plan is.

"C'mon, Reagan, what's this plan?" Eddie asks with one of her looks.

"You'll find out at six tonight," He tells her, making it clear he wouldn't clue her in before that.

"Fine," She sighs. "I'll be here, six PM on the dot."

Smiling, Jamie nods. "Perfect. Now, when you said one or two of those things, what did you have in mind?"

"Mmmm, well I was thinking finding some food, and a quick repeat of last night. Not necessarily in that order," Eddie teases, leaning in to lock lips with his, her fingers threading in his hair as she circles her hips against his...

A little over an hour and a half later, the new couple walk out of the cafe right down the street from Jamie's apartment. "I'll see you at six, Mister Reagan," Eddie says with a smile and a wink, knocking her hip gently into his before heading down the street. They'd had a rather lengthy goodbye kiss in his apartment before coming to get coffee and bagels, wanting it to look like two friends just getting breakfast in case anyone they knew happened upon them.

"See you at six," He calls back, watching her walk down the street, the gears in his head turning as he thinks about the coming night. Time to break out the old standby linguine.