Pillow Talk

With Friends Like This - A

"I cannot believe that woman!" Eddie ranted over a Stromboli and bottle of soda. "I mean did she just get fired from some other job and wake up thinking that it would be a good idea to get work screwing over the mentally ill? And then to put the blame on us!"

"We do have the blame though," Jamie replied abandoning his dinner. "If not the blame then at least the obligation. She was right, we are the ones that come into contact with these poor people, like we did today. Another set of officers out there and she's in jail, shot or worse."

Eddie stood and slid her arms around Jamie's waist. "She was lucky it was you, Jamie. You find a way to talk to people that make them feel safe. She trusted you, honey and you made a hard situation that much easier."

Jamie turned and tucked Eddie's head under his chin. "You were something too," Jamie replied then laughed a little. "Touch that horn and I'm gonna feed you the steering wheel. Really? And he believed you which was more hysterical."

"Yeah, well I have an aversion to rude, loud cabbies that act like overgrown little boys," Eddie replied. "You barely ate, come back to the table."

"I wanted a beer," Jamie replied and pulled the drink from the fridge.

They returned to their dinner and Jamie tried to turn his attention to other things. "What would you say to a trip upstate this weekend? There's a nice bed and breakfast, the leaves are just starting to turn. Might be nice to relax a little."

"Oh, Jamie, that sounds so nice," Eddie sighed. "If this place has a spa and a hot tub I'm in."

"I'll check," Jamie replied. "You deserve it honey, we have been through a few things, this secrecy is really tense for us both. I'm working so hard though."

"I know you are," Eddie replied. "And I am so proud of you Jamie."

Jamie smiled, "Finish up dinner, I have a couple of calls to make." It was clear to Eddie that Jamie was still struggling with the Strong's situation. She would take care of that for him later. Eddie cleaned up the kitchen and started for the bedroom. "I really appreciate you looking into it," she heard Jamie say softly. "Anything you need, I am there. I promise, I know you suck at case law."

Jamie's laugh peeled out of the bedroom, "Talk to you soon." Jamie hung up as Eddie entered the bedroom.

"We're all set Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at the Caldwell House Bed and Breakfast, ten minute from a top spa and no hot tub, but it does have a claw foot bath tub big enough for two." Jamie crossed the room and pulled Eddie in close so her legs were between his thighs.

"That is music to my ears," Eddie sighed. "What about dinner next week? How will you get out of that?"

"I'll say I am going upstate with a friend," Jamie replied. "I'll just leave off the girl part."

Eddie sighed, "You want to watch TV or go to bed?" She wanted to help Jamie destress but now that phone call was on her mind.

"I think I want to get into more comfortable clothes and snuggle with my beautiful girl."

Eddie forced a smile this time, "Me or whoever it was on the phone just now?"

Jamie's eyebrows shot up into his hair, "That...That was nothing, that was a guy I used to know in school I wanted to ask him about restaurants," Jamie lied. He didn't want her to know what he was thinking of doing until it was done. Eddie held him up to be idolized when he tried things like this, and he didn't want to let her down. "Eddie, God I'd never...I love you too much." Jamie tightened his hold. "Don't ever feel like that ever, please..."

Eddie sighed and let Jamie hold her tight, comforting herself with his words. "I'm sorry, we both had a rough few days."

Jamie changed into sweats and laid down on the bed with Eddie inside of his arms. Carefully he stroked her long blonde hair, "I love you so much..." Eddie whispered to Jamie. "I heard that call and...things are still so secretive, I got scared."

"I know. I know you did, I do too when you do training with other cops. No one but Danny knows about us and thank God he's kept his yap shut until we're ready. You know what I was thinking but he'll say no..."

Eddie played with the little patch of hair on Jamie's chest, "What and who?"

"The NYPD needs more mental health training, like we have the panels on race and sex and religion, we need a specialty panel for that, a training course and all of it. Last year, you were mad at me so we didn't talk about it, my Dad lost a really good friend and a great cop because he didn't know how to deal with an EPD. He had the guy stunned, the man fell in front of a car and died so the cop drank himself stupid and spun out on the JRP. Those men could be alive today but my Dad, he won't go for it."

"Why not?" Eddie asked continuing her hypnotic chest massage. "It's a great idea."

"It's my idea," Jamie replied. "He'll never take an idea from me or Danny and put it to use. He's so afraid of showing favoritism. He's so afraid of appearing unfair he's..."

"Unfair," Eddie finished for him. "I know that you hate it, but you never know he might surprise you honey."

Jamie kissed Eddie's head, thinking over and over again about Jenny Strong, her father, his father...He has a family if things went south, the Strongs had to rely on a city that wasn't willing to help them, that was too busy...Jamie knew Eddie thought this too when he felt her tears.

"What's wrong, baby?" Jamie asked holding her close

"I know how they feel," Eddie replied. "I know how it feels when there is nowhere to turn and you have to just hope for the best every day and know you won't get it. After my Mom died, my dad tried but he drank heavily. She wasn't gone a year before women started showing up. I was the only child, my mom's family was in Serbia, my dad didn't have family...I know it's a smaller scale, but I feel for Mr. Strong. He's got this pain and burden to carry and no place to put it. I so wanted us to be able to help him Jamie, I really wanted us to be able to help him."

Jamie sat up a bit pulling Eddie so he could rock her and let her know that time had passed. Eddie cursed to herself, she so wanted to be there for Jamie and here he was holding her. Funny how time changed plans, even moment to moment.

As Jamie let Eddie excise her emotions over the day, he smiled to himself thinking, "Perhaps we'll be able to help him after all."