Tough

Chapter One

Chapter One

Jamie woke to the smell of freshly brewed coffee and the sound of sizzling bacon. He could hear his wife gently scolding their youngest to keep her dress on and "sit like a lady."

"Mom? Where's my helmet" Their seven year old son Joey asked. "I have football camp today."

"It's already in the car, honey. Sit down and eat your breakfast. Lila, go sit in your seat. Mommy has pancakes."

Jamie shuffled into the kitchen and kissed his wife good morning. "What time did you come to bed?" he asked.

"Midnight, I had to fix Lila's tutu for dance class. You were already asleep."

Jamie nodded and poured his coffee. "Oh, this is perfect."

"Glad you like it, Reagan," Eddie laughed. "Can you pick up Joey at football camp at four?"

"I can surely try, but I'm this close to breaking that ID theft ring, so if it breaks..."

Eddie nodded, "Don't worry. I'll get him you focus on your work."

When Jamie finally made detective, Eddie decided to take a permanent leave and spent more time with their children. She felt she missed out on too many moments she would never get back. With the money from her trust fund and Jamie's salary increase they managed a nice home in Staten Island not far from Danny and Linda.

"You're the best, Eddie," Jamie replied. "What's on your plate today?"

"Lila has ballet, Joey has camp. I'm going to exercise at the Y, then lunch with Linda. I'll have dinner at six but if you're late I'll keep a plate warm."

Half an hour later Jamie left for work with a hug and kiss for each child and his wife. He walked into the precinct smiling.

"What's with the grin, Reagan?" Captain Renzulli asked his old boot.

Jamie shook his head, "Ten years of marriage, three years dating, and two more as partners and she still amazes me. When I'm with the kids alone and they get wild I'm always a little freaked one of them will really get hurt or something but Eddie, she doesn't even raise her voice."

"She's a terrific mom," Renzulli agreed. "Our women are a lot strong than we want to admit."

Jamie raised his coffee cup to that and got to work.

Eddie met Linda for lunch after her workout. She loved both Linda and Erin dearly but always felt closer to Linda. "All right, so I have to ask this, did your boys ever go through a streaker phase? I swear Lila is naked more than she is dressed and she does not care where she strips."

Linda laughed, "No, I can't say I ever had that one. Jack had a toilet fetish and Sean his was the swallowing thing like Jamie and your Joey."

Eddie took a bite of her salad, "I cannot convince her it isn't nice to show everyone your business and her new phrase, "It's a free country. IT's like she could tell Jamie was once a civil rights lawyer."

Linda burst out laughing at her little niece's antics. "What does Jamie say?"

"I think he's too busy to realize, it's okay. I understand the demands, but it would be nice to have him a little more present some days."

"Amen. Now Danny's squad CO I see him pretty regularly but when he worked major crimes I felt like I was the mistress and the department was the wife more times than I care to admit, but of course you can't let him know."

Eddie's phone rang, "Hello. Yes this is Mrs. Reagan. Oh I am sorry, I will come get her now." She hung up. "I have to go, Lila did a striptease at ballet class." Eddie stood up and reached around for her purse wincing as she did so.

"Are you okay?" Linda asked seeing a look of pain on Eddie's face.

"Yeah, I worked our earlier. I must have pulled something." She opened her purse but Linda waved her off. "Ice it and have Jamie rub muscle cream in when he gets home. I'll see you Sunday."

"See you Sunday," Eddie echoed then rushed off to retrieve her future pole dancer.

When she pulled up at the dancing school, she texted her husband. "Did case break?" She didn't expect a reply but she got one.

"Yep, perp sang like a canary. How's your day?"

"Picking up our offspring from dance, she took off tutu. Parents complained."

"Do you need back up? Ten blocks away. Perp worked in area."

"Yeah, sure, Miss Paulette might need police protection."

Eddie was a fiercely protective mother. She would discipline her daughter's inappropriate behavior and make apologies but if anyone spoke against the girl, Eddie would hit back tenfold.

She waited for Jamie to arrive. He slid his arm around her and went inside.

"Mr. and Mrs. Reagan," the secretary, Mrs. Mercer greeted. "Miss Paulette is waiting in the office."

"Where's my daughter?" Eddie asked.

"She's in the playroom," Mrs. Mercer replied. "She's all right, we pulled her out of class..."

"I want to see my daughter first, if she was pulled out of class she must be upset. I want to see she's okay."

Jamie knew better than to argue, and he also wanted to see his little one. They went to the play room to check on Lila. She ran to them as soon as Jamie's head was visible outside the glass.

They opened the door to their little one running. Jamie scooped her up into his arms. "What are you doing taking off your clothes at dance. You know you aren't supposed to do that."

"Tutu hurt," she replied. "Here..." She showed him where it was making a mark on her waist. "They didn't let me dance, Daddy?"

Jamie hugged her tight, she looked so sad. She was just newly four, she didn't totally understand her actions were wrong. "Go on and play a little more, Mommy and Daddy will see your teacher."

Jamie and Eddie sat across from the academy's director. "I'm sorry but Lila cannot continue to attend this school. This exhibitionism is highly offensive to the other students."

"I understand it is disruptive," but I wouldn't call it exhibitionism," Jamie replied. 'This is the first time..."

"Second, but the last time she only pulled the dress over her head..."

"Lila is only four years old, the other children are also four years old. She doesn't' know enough to have any explicit intentions, it's a phase. The other children are also four years old."

"Regardless, the parents are upset..."

"Numbers," Eddie demanded. "I want the phone numbers of the parents that are so tight they can't cope with a four year old that is going through a phase, in front of other four year olds. None of those kids should have any clue..."

"I can't give that information out..."

Jamie sighed, "I assume we will get a full refund for next term and of course partial refund for this term as well."

A half hour of arguing later, Jamie and Eddie emerged with their daughter and their money. "We are still a great team...and we still play a terrific game of bad cop, worse cop." Jamie gave her a kiss, "You bet we do...you're adorable in Mommy mode..."

Eddie laughed, "You aren't so bad yourself, Dad. Home for dinner?"

"I'll be there by six thirty" Jamie replied then kissed Eddie and Lila before getting into his car to go back to work.