Raising EJ – A Stuart!Trio fic

By Ashley Lotti

Prologue:

"What is it?" Logan asked as he and his roommates, best friend Derek and boyfriend Julian, looked down at their door mat.

"What do you mean what is it?" Julian looked over at Logan and smacked the back of his head. "It's pretty obvious," he looked at Derek.

"Well yeah, I meant what do we do with it?" Both Julian and Logan turned to Derek who was just looking down at his feet in confusion. "Derek?"

"Did it come with a note or something?" Julian asked, reaching down toward the pink bundle on the door step.

"DON'T!" both Derek and Logan pulled him back.

"It's not a bomb you guys," Julian rolled his eyes. "It's a baby."

"A sleeping baby," Derek said. "Do not wake sleeping babies!"

"Well should we at least bring it inside?"

"Her," Julian corrected. Both of them looked at him. "I'm assuming 'it' is a 'her' by the pink blanket." They looked at the baby sleeping in her carrier and nodded. Julian had a point.

"Alright, let's bring HER," Logan emphasized. "Inside. It's LA the fresh air can't possibly be healthy…" he grabbed the carrier by its handle and gently carried her inside. Derek carried the diaper bag and the three of them entered the living room of their apartment.

"Here it is," Julian said, swiping the diaper bag from Derek. "The note…oh…"

"What's oh?" Derek asked.

"Well uh," Julian looked up to Derek. "It's addressed to you Der." Logan and Julian both locked eyes on Derek as he reached out and took the letter from Julian.

Derek,

This is Emma. Emma June Seigerson. She was born three months ago, on September Fourth. She was born happy and healthy. She's our daughter Derek.

I will admit, I am glad I didn't tell you I was pregnant when I found out. You wouldn't have cared. I was just another notch in your bedpost. I spent the 9 months carrying Emma with the plan that I would raise her on my own and conquer the single mother life. But shortly after having her, I learned I can't do it.

Maybe you'll have a better shot at parenting than I will.

"Should we worry that all the color has drained from his face?" Logan asked.

"Shhh," Derek hushed.

Be good to her Derek. Don't try to find me. You can run a paternity test if you want, but I know for a fact you're Emma's father.

Be good to her. Who knows maybe she'll be good for you.

Good Luck,

Hannah

"Hannah?" Derek said. Which one is Hannah?

"Is that the baby's name?" Julian asked.

"No, the mother's," Derek said.

"What, are you babysitting or something?" Logan asked. Derek didn't say anything. Frustrated with his friend's lack of voice, Logan snatched the letter away. Derek hardly protested, just kept staring into space. Logan let out a low whistle and then handed the letter to his boyfriend. Julian's eyebrows shot up into his hairline.

"She can't just do that!" Julian suddenly said. "She can't just LEAVE her baby at the door! What if no one was home? What if you MOVED?" Julian threw his hands up in the air. "Who is this Hannah girl anyway?"

"Tall, blonde hair, made us coffee," Logan chimed in. Both boys looked at him. "What?"

"How do you remember stuff like that?" Julian asked. Logan shrugged.

"What are you going to do?" Derek looked at Emma sleeping in the carrier.

"I don't know…" Derek said. This was all happening too fast. "I need air…"

"No, you're not leaving her with us!" Logan jumped up. "She's your daughter Derek!"

She's your daughter Derek.

The three of them turned to look at the sleeping Emma. Hey, at least she sleeps.

"It'll be like babysitting," Julian shrugged, looking at the other two. "Like when we babysat Der's little sister when we were in high school."

"Only at the end of the night, my parents came home and I was free of responsibility," Derek said. "I can't… I can't be…be a…"

"Father," Logan and Julian said at the same time. Derek sighed and leaned back in the chair.

"You could always put her up for adoption…" Julian, ever the voice of reason.

"No," Derek said. "I can't…I can't do that." It wasn't that he already loved this kid, or anything sappy like that. No, giving up the baby would be like quitting, and as an athlete, Derek had it drilled into his mind never to quit.

Until he could find out where this Hannah was and figure something out with her, Derek would accept the challenge.

Emma June stirred in her carrier and the three men stepped back from her. "Please don't wake up," Logan whispered.

"She's going to have to eventually," Julian replied. Emma opened her eyes and yawned, looking at the three men staring down at her. "Holy shit," Julian and Logan both turned to look at Derek.

"She looks just like you."

"What do we do?" Derek asked.

"You're the one who had younger siblings," Logan said. "How should we know?" Derek looked at the baby again. Emma looked around with wide brown eyes and took in all the unfamiliarity. She didn't know this room or these people or the smells. Everything was different.

And then she freaked. Big wet tears fell from the baby's eyes and she wailed. All three of them covered their ears.

"Ah! Make it stop!" Logan yelled.

"Her!" Julian corrected.

"SHUT UP YOU!"

"Ahhh!" Derek knelt down and unbuckled Emma from her carrier. He picked up the 3 month old and held her out in front of him, wincing as she continued to scream.

"Derek, make her stop!" Julian yelled.

"It's not like she has an off button Julian!" Derek yelled back. "Don't cry Emma, you're alright…" he didn't know what to do; she was going to cry forever, he was sure of it. She began to squirm and scream, her face turning red.

"You're going to drop her!" Logan yelled. He grabbed Emma from under where Derek held her and took her gently, cradling her on her back and against his chest.

It was like magic. It was a fucking miracle.

Emma stopped crying.

"Dude…" Julian looked at Logan and then Derek.

"You're hired." Derek said. "How did you do that?"

"Politicians have to kiss a lot of babies," Logan shrugged. "I've seen my dad do it a million times." He leaned back to Derek, "Here."

"What? No!" Derek stepped back into Julian who nudged him forward.

"Go on man, she's your kid." Derek sighed and held out his arms. Logan placed Emma correctly and Derek froze, afraid he'd move and drop her. Wide, curious brown eyes looked up at Derek, and small fingers clasped around his thumb.

"Um…" he looked at the guys and then back at her. He didn't know what he was feeling at the moment. Here he was, holding a little girl that was supposedly his in his arms; his two best friends were watching him. None of them had a clue of what to do.

"Well Emma June," Derek looked at the little girl with a smirk. "Good luck, we're all going to need it."