Author: ZombieJazz

Fandom: Chicago PD

Disclaimer: I don't own them. Chicago PD and its characters belong to Dick Wolf. The character of Ethan has been created and developed for the sake of this AU series.

Summary: Erin and Jay work on surviving her pregnancy while still apart. They only have a handful of months left to sort out their relationship and their expectations for their careers and future as a family. Set in the Interesting Dynamics AU and post-S4 finale.

SPOILER ALERT: There are MAJOR spoilers in this collection from Interesting Dynamics, So This is Christmas, Scenes, Aftermath, So It Goes, The Way From Here (including chapters/scenes in So It Goes that have not yet been written or posted), Hereafter, and Onward Thankfully. This series also contains SPOILERS related to SEASON 5 of Chicago PD.

"Hank," Platt hollered as soon as she saw Hank charge up the stairs and in the door. Doing his beeline for the secure entrance – trying to avoid being noticed.

He would've done better going in the back. She'd been in wait for him that morning. She'd thought she wouldn't get the chance to grab him until later in the day. That she'd likely have to corner him in his office and get grumbled at even more than he grumbled about anything. She didn't really care. She'd known him far more than long enough to know that if you weren't on the wrong side of the law – or the cage or the interrogation room table – his bark was usually worse than his bite. Especially when it came to anything like she was about to yank his chain about. And she did have to yank it because he tried to pretend like he hadn't heard her and he didn't have any time to slow down for a few minutes. So, "It's about Erin," she added.

And the brakes got tapped. He jerked a bit in a way that showed his annoyance. Trudy could just about feel his usual huff about it. He'd given her his whole sour lemon face as he turned toward her. But she was used to seeing that gaze too. She had a well-practiced and well-creased one of her own staring at her in the mirror every time she took the chance to look in it. Sometimes it was just better not too.

"That got your attention, didn't it," was what she said to him, though, as he came over. She ignored those sour grapes of his as much as he'd tried to ignore her efforts to get his attention.

All she got out of him with that comment was some raised eyebrows. So she raised hers right back at him. She could play the annoyed sergeant game as good as him too.

He made a little sound, gave a little urgent nod and rolled his hand over at her. "C'mon, Trudy. Both got jobs to do."

She put her elbows down on the desk and looked him straight in the eye. "Six weeks until this baby shower is supposed to be happening, Hank. You've got to give me something to work with."

And he puckered some more at her and shook his head. "Don't know anything about it. Talk to Erin."

"Mmm …," she allowed and straightened, boring eyes into him even more. "See, she seems to feel that you're forcing this baby shower on her."

"Two infants. Cop salaries. They need a truck load of baby stuff," he shrugged.

And she just stared at him - and his interruption – again. Long and real hard. "And since this shower of yours," she stressed and he gave her a smack, "is happening here. She's of the opinion that you should be my contact point."

And that got another smack and a real look like his coffee had been pissed in. "Talk to Halstead."

And she put her elbows back on the countertop. "Detective Halstead has yet to officially acknowledge in the District that he's got his former partner shacked up and knocked up out of state."

And he gave her his own stare down but then pulled out his phone and looked at it. "Get you Olive's number." She supposed that was easier than the whole don't ask, don't tell thing that Halstead was keeping up even now – long in Erin's absence.

"Oh, I've talked to Olive," Platt said. "Her contribution thus far to this thought process is: insect theme."

"Hungry Caterpillar," Hank corrected with a smack. But Trudy only looked at him and he made another absent gesture. "She likely has leftover stuff kicking around from H's b-day."

Trudy only raised her eyebrow at him again. "And making finger sandwiches. Ladybugs—"

"Caterpillars," he graveled flatly.

"And cucumber sandwiches. Does that sound like a baby shower—"

"Don't know anything about baby showers, period."

"Then you're going to have to learn, Hank," she said, "real quick. Because you do know your daughter. And bugs and High Tea is not going to fly. But I need something to work with. Happy to do this for her but I can't pull this out of my ass over night. Guest list. Numbers – at least. I need to get something booked."

That got another grunt. Something resembling minor acknowledgement. "Can't McHolland talk to Hermann? Use Molly's?"

"Mmm …," she acknowledged back but looked at him squarely. "You want to host the baby shower of your pregnant daughter – carrying two of your grandchildren – at a bar. A skuzzy, dark bar that you usually refuse to set foot in."

He put his hand on the counter. "Listen, Trudy, do what you need to do. Host it at my place. At their place. Call Carmine's. He'll give you the backroom. Whatever makes sense."

"Mmm …," she acknowledged again and gave him a little nod. "And, I'd be happy to do that, Hank. But to make sense of any of this: guest. List."

And then he gestured upstairs. "Guest list."

She stared at him. "Everyone or the women? Because, in case you haven't noticed, you haven't really bridged the gender gap upstairs."

"Invite some of the women at Med, 51," he said.

"And friends?" Platt stressed at him plainly.

And he just looked at her. Looked like he really needed to consider that. Or he hadn't considered that.

"Erin has friends, Hank," she put together for him.

"Don't think there's many she'll be wanting to be announcing this to just yet," he grumbled but stared at his phone again, swiping his thumb around. "That Annie kid she's tight with. I'll reach out. See if Erin wants her in on this."

Platt put her elbows back on the counter and considered him as he keyed something into his phone. He was pretty clearly shooting a text off to Erin tout-suite on that one.

"Does she want this co-ed, Hank?" she asked again. "Do you?"

He gave her a glance and then shoved his phone back into his back pocket – apparently done and not expecting an instantaneous response from his girl. It'd be interesting to see if he did manage to get one. Because Trudy sure was having trouble getting Erin on the horn for any of this. At this rate, the thing wasn't just going to be a forced baby shower – that it might as well just get labeled as a surprise party. That wasn't going to be much of a surprise. And Erin hated surprises. But dragging her to this thing on false pretenses might be about the only way to get her to it at this rate.

Hank shrugged a bit. "I just want to make sure they're set up right. That mean it needs to be co-ed, fine. Or just pass the hat around some."

Platt nodded. "Happy to do that too," she said. "But, again, it'd help a whole lot if one of you three would set of a registry."

That got a more annoyed noise out of him and he glanced – glared – at the stairs up to his hideout lair. "Told both of them to get on that."

"Be nice to be able to tell people what they're tossing money in for," she said.

He sighed a bit and looked at her. "Stroller. Car seats. Diapers," he shrugged out.

"And does she have preferences?" she pressed. It got an even more indifferent shrug like it didn't matter in the least. Platt rubbed at both of her temples. "Can you give me the sex of the babies?"

"Not my place to say," he monotoned.

And pursed out frustration. "Okay, a theme or color palette in the nursery?"

"Grey," he said flatly.

She gaped at him. "Grey?" she sputtered.

"Mmm…," he acknowledged. "Helped Halstead out with that lat weekend."

"And you painted a babies' nursery grey?" she mouthed again.

Dear God, as much as part of her wanted to protest being the one assigned baby organization duty – another part of her knew clearly that it was entirely evident that this was not a job that the many men in Erin's life were capable of.

"Bluish grey," he stared at her. "Some sort of aqua, turquoise color. She picked them."

Trudy let out a small sigh of relief. At least Erin could see what was going on. Decorating a nursery could not be left to her father or baby daddy.

"So, boys," she interjected.

But Hank only smacked at her – clearly unimpressed. So she held up a little hand in surrender to let it drop. Though, she did feel that when trying to stock up for babies – plural – the whole keeping their sex secret thing was a little much. It didn't help it along at all in getting them stocked up. She might have to work at cornering Ethan for a few minutes. Offer to give him a police escort between school and his Ability Lab. He'd give her the entire scoop without her so much as having to say 'boo' no matter what he'd been instructed.

"Is there a theme?" she tried instead. "From the nursery that maybe we could translate into the shower – that isn't creepy crawlers?"

"Elephants," he muttered.

"Elephants," Platt echoed and considered it.

Hank was scoping out his escape route again. He'd already started backing away from the counter – leaving his arm there out stretched like she wasn't going to notice that he was trying to make a break for it. When she wasn't near done trying to interrogate him on just how the hell she was supposed to make this special for Erin and worthwhile for the new little family. And not have it cost an arm-and-a-leg or end up as more of a sausage fest than the one they had to work in day-in, day-out. Because it was going to take some arm-twisting, she thought, if she ended up having to get the men from District to attend this thing – and to look like they were having something resembling a good time while they were at it. No games or toilet-paper bonnets going on at this thing. Unless there really was a lot of alcohol flowing for those who could imbiber. She might need more than a bit to get through this whole thing herself. And to wrap her head around Erin Lindsay being all grown-up and mature enough that she was giving birth to a bit of a ready-made, functional family. Time's a funny, funny thing.

Platt let her own little reflection distract her too much from trying to grab Hank's attention back to her, though. And instead he was grabbing someone else's attention instead.

"Burgess," he called at the officer who'd clearly spotted them at the desk and was trying to sneak in in a way to avoid being called on the fact she was running right on time. So, she'd be at least twenty minutes late in Hank's books. He waved her over while she did a bit of a 'who me?' look and a point at the door like she really had to get going quick to her boss to who was staying right there in front of her. But instead she sulked over. "You ever plan a baby shower before?"

"Ah …," Burgess said and looked at Platt. Platt scowled and shook her head hard. "I've been to some …"

"Mmm …," Hank grunted and looked at Platt, patting the countertop and then gesturing between the two of them. "There. Help'er."

And he quickly backed away and bolted for the door upstairs while Platt glared at Burgess.

"Umm … so … this is about Erin's shower? Because, you know, I actually have a girlfriend who booked this room at a craft studio for her shower and they made these floral…"

And Platt shook her head hard until Burgess shut up and gave her that puppy dog look that her year in Intelligence meant she never really managed to pull off quite the same way anymore. The job did that to you. Cute and innocent didn't continue co-exist after you'd spent some time in the real trenches of the job.

"Do you know what Hank's youngest calls me?" she put to her.

"Demogorgon," Burgess intoned.

"Aunt," she nodded, "Trudy."

"Okay," Burgess allowed and gestured like she was going to start on one of her rambling speed talks that were a whole lot more annoying than anything that tumbled out of little Ethan Voight's mouth. "But, I'm just spit-balling here, but—"

And Platt made a zip-it gesture of her lips.

"Mouth-breather," she looked down at her firmly. "Erin gave me the authority to handle this."

"Yeah, but I'm thinking you might have this … more classic perspective of baby showers … and maybe I could help you bring a more modernized—"

"You will be given an assignment," she spat at her abruptly. Burgess looked at her wide-eyed. "Sergeant," she said tapping at her stripes and then pointing at her. "Officer Burgess."

"Okay, but—"

"Attendance estimate," she barked. "End of the week." And Burgess gaped at her some more. Only Trudy just flicked her wrist in dismissal. "Go, go, go. Hop to it."

And Burgess finally did. "Oh, oh …. Okay …"

Leaving her – still with this mess to get sorted. This was just going to be a disaster. Only it wouldn't be. Because this was going to have to be a nice day. The kids of the officers you spend your career working with – your family – they only grow up once. Only have those first baby – or babies – once. This was going to have to be nice. Erin deserved that after putting up with this bunch and CPD.

And Trudy, though, maybe she deserved it just a little too.

She'd never been asked to organize a baby shower before. She wasn't sure she'd ever have a young detective – a young woman – she'd spent a whole lot of years growing up on the job and before ask her either. So this was going to have to be good. Be special for Erin and for Hank and for Jay Halstead and those babies they had on the way.

AUTHOR NOTE:

This is a continuation — jumping forward to the spring — from Onward Thankfully. The chapters in here are likely going to be briefer and more dialogue heavy than other stories. They aren't necessarily going to be written in order and some re-ordering might be necessary.

I likely will still be doing a few more chapters in Onward Thankfully.

And I also have some chapters that I'd like to do in Hereafter (which is the one that's taking S05 and doing re-casts of scenes or new scenes based on the circumstances of the characters as established in this AU). I have several episodes that I'd like to do that with. Some Ethan heavy and a couple Jay/Erin heavy.

But I know some people wanted more of the pregnancy and how they deal and are coping. Thought it might be sort of fun. So here you go. Likely not going to be as progressive, unfolding story. And not sure it will go all the way up to (or include a scene) of the twins being born or shortly thereafter. Will have to see how it goes.

Lots of ideas of things I want to play with. But only so much time. And these days tend to write where inspiration is and what's easiest to write int hat particularly day or moment.

Enjoy. Thanks. Your readership, reviews and feedback are appreciated.