Let me know what you think!

Jay heard the name of his former teammate come out of Ruzek's mouth.

Jason O'Grady.

The same O'Grady whose bed was next to his in basic training.

The same O'Grady who'd been in the Humvee with him while they watched the other members of their team basically evaporate into thin air.

The same O'Grady he'd lost touch with since returning home, the same O'Grady whose funeral he attended two weeks before, the same O'Grady who suffered from the same nightmares and flashbacks as him.

His ears were ringing as he stumbled toward the locker room, unable to take the concerned looks from the rest of his unit. Air was barely entering his lungs as he leaned against the doorframe, bile in his throat, body covered in sweat. He could hear the worried voice of his partner, her name escaping her lips as he shuffled away. He didn't want anyone to see him lose control. He didn't want to lose control, but the unexpected resurgence of the shame and pain and heartbreak of knowing his friend was gone was pushed to the surface, and Jay felt like water was filling his lungs.

Piper looked up from her book, curiosity getting the better of her. She usually didn't listen much to whatever case Intelligence had going on, and Jay and the rest of the unit tried to keep her away from it as much as possible. But this time, the way that Ruzek was looking at Jay nervously had her stomach in knots.

She drew in a breath when the name of Jay's friend hung in the air. Jay's face had paled considerably, and he suddenly looked like he was going to pass out. Piper instantly recognized the situation – Jay needed Erin. He needed the person who made him feel safe when it felt like the world was crashing in on him.

The adults in the bullpen looked nervous as they watched Jay rush away, nobody appearing to know exactly what to do. He'd shaken his head toward Hailey, indicating that he didn't want to be followed. Piper frowned. Erin would know what to do. She always followed him, even when he didn't want her to.

Piper stood from her seat and crept out of the breakroom while the unit exchanged glances silently. They might not know what to do, but she did. She scurried down the hallway and slowed to a stop outside the locker room door, pained gasps for air echoing off the tiled floor.

Jay.

A choked sob reverberated from the lockers, followed by the slamming of a locker door. Piper winced. Her friend was suffering again, ripped right back to the place he'd been weeks before when he first found out that one of his former teammates was dead.

She recognized the feeling as she listened intently. Piper had been there before. Growing up in a multitude of different houses with many different people and families was hard, and sometimes, one comment or memory could make her feel like her heart was going to explode. Her chest would ache and she couldn't do anything to make herself feel better.

But Jay could.

Jay knew just how to get her back. After coming to live with him, Piper suddenly knew how it felt to have someone else carry part of her pain, to have someone help. When the nightmares got too bad, when she got too scared, when she felt like her entire self was melting into a puddle, Jay would bring her back. He could hold her against his chest, no matter how upset she was, allowing her tears to flow, his gentle heartbeat bringing her back. He would whisper that she was safe, that he wasn't going anywhere, that he loved her. Those were the words that brought her back, and the words that she knew Jay needed right now.

Piper watched from the locker room door as Jay drove his fist into the blue locker angrily, letting out a string of obscenities when his knuckles connected with the metal. Another painful gasp burst through his teeth as he tried to stabilize himself on the locker, using the structure as a means to hold himself up.

He turned his head to wipe his eyes and jumped when he saw the little girl standing quietly, observing his swift and near complete unraveling. "Don't come in," he managed, his hot breath coming out in a pant as he tried to regain his cool. He didn't ever want Piper to have to see him like this, the anger flowing through his veins, the hurt in his chest. She'd seen enough anger and hurt to last a lifetime, and he never wanted her to see him, the strong and safe person he'd established himself as, coming undone.

"I'm not afraid of you," Piper whispered, taking a careful step toward the detective, "I know you think I am, but I'm not, I promise." Piper swallowed. "I'm worried."

"Pipes you can't-" Jay tried, cut off by his own breath. He didn't want the little girl anywhere near him, not when he was in the midst of an absolute breakdown, in his workplace no less. His actions felt like they weren't even his, and he couldn't bear the thought of accidentally physically hurting Piper or letting the cruel words in his head scar her emotionally. "I'm not safe for you to be around right now, okay? C-can you go grab Hailey or someone I-"

"I'm not leaving you," Piper informed him, taking another step closer. She could see that Jay was trembling as he leaned against the lockers, his legs barely holding him up. "You said I wasn't going anywhere."

Jay drew in a breath. "You're not but-"

"So I'm staying," she said, reaching for his hand. The little girl tenderly took his already bruising fingers in her own. "Just sit down, okay?"

Jay couldn't believe what was happening, but he did what he was told. He took a tentative seat on the wooden bench, his legs suddenly too shaky to bear weight. He locked eyes with the little girl, her mature and knowing green eyes searching his. "I'm sorry," he managed, his voice breaking, "I'm so sorry you had to see that."

Piper shook her head. "You're allowed to be angry," she whispered, gently stroking his fingers, "Someone killed your friend. Someone is trying to hurt other people like you." She reached up to wipe a tear off his cheek. "I would be angry too."

"I'm angry at myself," he choked out before his brain could tell his lips to stop, "I should have known, I should have done something-"

"You couldn't have known," she told him, wiping another tear away. "It's not your fault. You can be angry but you shouldn't be angry at yourself."

He bit his bottom lip and tried to nod. How the little girl he could still carry on his hip could be so mature was absolutely beyond him. "I'm angry that I let myself lose control," Jay whispered, "That I couldn't keep it together, in front of you."

Piper winkled her brow. "You don't always have to keep it together for me." She squeezed his hand gently. "Just because you got upset doesn't mean I'm going be afraid of you. I know you wouldn't hurt me." Piper took a deep breath. "I know that me being scared of you makes you worried, but you're not like the other people I've seen get mad before." She put a hand on his chest. "You're angry because your heart just really hurts."

That did it.

Piper's gentle mannerisms were enough to break the dam, and Jay found himself holding onto his favorite little person for dear life. She held him as he wept into her small shoulder, unable to keep the tears out of his eyes.

"I um, texted Erin," Hailey said to her boss, who issued a curt nod of agreement, "I think she should at least come pick up Piper."

"Where is she?" Kevin asked, gesturing to the empty breakroom, "She's not in the break room."

"Shit," she hissed, hurrying to the breakroom door, "She's gone." Hailey looked to Kim, "Can you try to find her? I-I think I need to check on Jay."

Kim nodded quickly and went to find Piper, while Hailey hastened down the hallway toward the locker room. Erin had yet to reply, and she was getting worried. Jay seemed to be faring alright after his furlough. The time in Wisconsin had clearly been good for him and she was glad he was getting the help he needed. He'd told her about continuing therapy more regularly while he worked through the death of his friend and the veteran's support meetings, and she'd been really proud of him. Erin and Piper made Jay realize just how much he had to live for.

Hailey stopped at the locker room entrance when she caught sight of her partner in the embrace of the little girl. Piper was holding him up as he sat on the bench, leaning into her tiny form, remnant shudders from the breakdown he'd clearly endured right before shaking his frame.

Piper looked up and made eye contact with the detective before offering a small and confident smile. Hailey exhaled. She certainly was a special kid. Their entire unit had heard the slammed doors and expletives from their ailing teammate but somehow, Piper had gotten Jay to settle. She brought him the comfort and safety he needed.

The detective gave a soft nod and turned away, allowing Piper to continue to help Jay.

Erin hustled into the district, barely managing a wave at her former sergeant behind the desk. "Erin." Hailey's voice stopped her in her tracks.

"What happened?" she asked immediately, the detective's eyes full of worry. It was enough to send her protective instincts into overdrive. "Where's Jay? Where's Piper?"

Hailey took her aside. "Ruzek's CI thinks that O'Grady was murdered. Apparently there's this crew leveraging ex-military personnel to run all sorts of illegal stuff. Another vet died last night. Looks like a suicide, but based on the intel, it might be a cover up."

"Shit," Erin exhaled, "Where is he?"

"In the locker room," Hailey said gently. She caught Erin's arm as she turned to leave. "Piper's with him. He uh, it was different this time. He was angry."

"And Piper's with him?" Erin widened her eyes. She loved Jay, with her whole heart. He was an incredible partner, boyfriend and father-figure. He'd stop at nothing to keep Piper safe, happy and healthy, but the thought of her fragile little sister seeing Jay in a downward spiral was enough to turn her stomach.

Erin remembered all too well the first time she saw Voight really lose his cool. Granted, she'd always known he had anger brewing beneath the surface, but the sight of it had shattered every pedestal she'd put him on in her head. It didn't change how much she loved him, how grateful she was for him, but it did change the way she saw him. Erin knew that was one of Jay's biggest fears – that Piper would be afraid of him.

"She's incredible, Erin," Hailey informed her, offering a small smile. "We heard him from the bullpen. I-I guess she did too and she slipped out without any of us noticing. I went to find him and sent Kim to look for Piper before I found 'em both in the locker room. She was holding him, telling him she wasn't afraid of him."

Tears filled Erin's eyes at the detective's recollection. "What a kid," she whispered, "She's still with him?"

The little girl kissed the top of Jay's head and stroked his back carefully as he leaned against her, feeling his racing heart on the pads of her tiny fingers.

"I'm sorry," he finally whispered against her shoulder, "I uh, I didn't mean to scare you or anything."

Piper shook her head. "You can't scare me away now, Jay. You love my big sister." She smiled when Jay managed a tearful chuckle.

"I love you too, you know," he replied, pulling back to meet her gaze. He smiled when she wiped his eyes again. "I don't know what I'd do without you, Pipes. You brought me back to life."

"You did the same for me," she said knowingly, "If you hadn't found me, I would have never met Erin. And she'd still be in New York, sad that she wasn't here in Chicago with you."

He managed a nod before lifting the little girl into his arms. She wrapped her arms and legs around his torso and held tightly, as if the force of her hug would hold the detective together. "You knew just how to help," he murmured, "I don't know how you do it."

"You do it for me," Piper reminded him, "When I feel like I'm under water, you come pull me out." She rested her head on his shoulder. "I could tell it was what you needed too."

Jay was quiet, allowing the child in his arms to continue to bring his racing heart rate down to a manageable level. He couldn't believe how fortunate he was to have Piper in his life, and that she'd been willing to risk her own sense of safety to try to help him. Her selfless compassion brought tears to his eyes again.

"Hey guys."

Piper and Jay turned to the sound of a familiar raspy voice. Erin was standing in the locker room doorway, eyes damp as she regarded her two favorite people. She managed a watery smile before closing the gap between them, straddling the bench. "I was coming by to surprise you when I got a text from Hailey," she murmured, putting a gentle hand on her partner's back, "You okay?"

Jay nodded. "Pipes uh, got me back," he choked out, relief flooding his veins at his girlfriend's touch. Having both of his girls close by was helping even more. "I'm sorry if you had to come from work-"

"I was coming by anyway," she assured him, stroking Piper's hair gently. It was true. After spending several days with her family, Erin was seriously missing them as she sat at her desk sending emails. She was arguably pretty jealous that Piper and Jay were together, and knew that emails could wait. She'd packed up her stuff and was pulling into the district parking lot when a text message from Hailey nearly stopped her heart. Jay was in trouble again. "I missed you both and I just couldn't wait." Erin leaned down to kiss his shoulder. "I was in the district parking lot when Hailey texted."

Jay exhaled again, his racing heart finally slowing with the addition of Erin. "Thank you," he whispered, "Both of you."

Upon arriving home, Erin sent Jay for a hot shower to relax his muscles while she prepared dinner. There was an easy chicken and creamed spinach recipe that Piper seemed to enjoy, and they still needed to get as much iron into the little girl as they could.

"Are you doing okay, Noodle?" Erin asked, meeting her sister's gaze from across the kitchen island, "I know today was a lot."

Piper nodded. "Jay was really worried that I was afraid of him," she said softly, "He thought that me seeing him mad would make me really scared. I told him I wasn't scared, just worried."

Erin swallowed. Hailey had mentioned that Jay was enraged, but she wasn't sure how much the little girl had seen. "He was really angry," Piper continued, dropping her voice lower, "But I wasn't afraid of him. I was afraid for him. I didn't want him to hurt himself more." She looked at Erin sadly, "He's upset at himself. But it's not his fault."

"I know." Erin rounded the counter to pull Piper into a hug. "You did such a good job today, Noodle. I'm so proud of you." She kissed the top of her sister's head. "It isn't easy seeing people you love hurt, is it?"

Piper shook her head against Erin's shoulder. "Last time I was so worried was when you got hit in the head."

"And I'm okay now," Erin promised, stroking Piper's hair gently, "And Jay's going to be okay too. It might take some time, and he's going to need us, but he'll be okay. I know it."

"I didn't want him to be alone," she whispered, "I heard the conversation and I saw him leave and nobody knew what to do. But I knew I didn't want him to be alone." Piper exhaled. "His fingers probably hurt. He punched a locker."

Erin grimaced. "I'll make sure he ices his hand when he comes down," she said, "Do you want to hop in the shower and put some pajamas on before dinner? Chicken's in the oven, just gotta make the spinach."

Piper nodded and released her sister. "I'm glad Jay has you," she murmured, "He always feels better when you're around."

Jay padded down the steps, his muscles feeling much better after the hot shower Erin had insisted upon. His hand was bothering him after he rammed it into the locker door, but it was nothing compared to how guilty he felt for losing his composure around Piper.

"Why do you have a suitcase?" Erin put the knife she was chopping the spinach with and put her hands on her hips. "Jay?"

"Don't be mad," he started, immediately seeing his girlfriend's nostrils flare in anger, "But I texted Will, I'm going to spend a week or so with him."

Erin shook her head and abandoned the dinner she was preparing, grateful that Piper was upstairs and out of earshot. "I thought we talked about this," she said, standing in front of her partner, "You don't need to leave. We don't want you to leave."

"I-I can't keep doing this to you guys," he said shakily, "It's not safe."

"We're fine," Erin insisted, "Piper's fine too. Worried about you, but she's not afraid."

"What if she's scarred for life?" he said in a choked whisper, "She-she saw me today when I just lost it and I know she's not going to look at me the same and-"

"She told me about it," Erin said gently, "And according to Piper, you didn't lose it on her. You went to go try to handle it alone, and she went to go find you." She squeezed his arm gently. "She didn't want you to try to get through it yourself. She wanted to do for you what you do for her."

"It's just better if I leave," Jay tried, reaching for the door, "It won't be long, I just want to-"

"How many times do I have to tell you that you aren't going anywhere?" Erin demanded, her voice rising, "You aren't going to hurt us, babe."

"I could have," he replied seriously, "I-I lost control, I punched a locker, I could have done something, I could have hurt Piper or you or-"

"You didn't hurt anybody but yourself," she insisted, holding his bruised fingers in her own. "Jay, please. I want to help. We want to help, but we can't do that if you keep blaming yourself and trying to push us away. I-I don't know how else I can show you that we're not afraid."

"Babe-"

"Please," she whispered, hurt replacing the anger in her voice, "Baby, please. I-I can't watch you push me away again." Tears started trickling down her cheeks as she stood in front of their door, preventing his exit. "You promised Piper that you weren't going anywhere. Please don't break that promise to her. It'll hurt far more than seeing you like this."

"You guys keep saying you're not afraid but-"

"We aren't." Piper's small voice came from the top of the steps as she looked into the entryway to see Jay with a suitcase and Erin barricading the door. Both adults turned to her as she hurried down the steps. "Please don't leave."

Jay swallowed. "Pipes I…I could have hurt you today. I can't let that happen again-"

"You didn't hurt me," she insisted, grabbing the suitcase from Jay's hand and dropping it to the floor before holding his hand tightly. "I know you won't hurt me or Erin but you saying you're gonna leave is making her cry." The little girl tugged his hand. "I've been hurt before. I know what those people are like and you're not one of them."

Erin nodded. "We aren't leaving you," she promised, "You walk out of here, we're following. You aren't in this alone."

Jay looked at his girls, their green eyes filled with tears as they looked at him intently. Seeing them so upset was breaking his heart into a million pieces, the guilt creeping in his throat. They'd both been abandoned before, and as much as he wanted to spare them from seeing him in pain, leaving would hurt them more.

He felt like kicking himself. They'd told him over and over that they weren't afraid, that he shouldn't leave, yet here he was, causing them pain all over again. Jay exhaled shakily. "I'm really sorry," he whispered, pulling both of his girls close, "I'm sorry for scaring you. I'll stay, I promise."

Piper buried her face in his leg and Erin swallowed her tears, wrapping her arms around his neck tightly. "That scared me way more than anything," she choked out, "Stop fighting it, babe, please. You're home and safe with us."

He nodded and lifted Piper with one arm. The little girl melted into his neck, hot tears dripping down the collar of his shirt. "I'm sorry," he repeated, "I'm not going anywhere. I promised, and I keep my promises."

Jay kept his promise. Hank put him on desk duty, much to his chagrin, but he couldn't fight it. He knew that his outburst had rattled the whole team and he wasn't in a state that could support a case. Unfortunately, the death of Ruzek's CI's friend was ruled a suicide by the medical examiner, so there was no case for Intelligence to pursue. Instead, they received a different tip from Narcotics about a local dealer, and the team was working the leads there.

He answered phones and did research from his desk, not unfamiliar with desk duty given his three month stint after getting shot in the shoulder on a raid in the fall. Desk duty also gave him more flexibility when it came to Piper, and he was glad that he could keep a closer eye on her after school. The little girl appeared to be doing fine after the diagnosis from his brother, and was dutifully taking the prescribed antibiotics and iron supplements. They hadn't seen any real improvement in the child's tiredness, but at least there weren't any adverse effects.

Erin was keeping him on a short leash as well. She was more than supportive of his needs to attend the veteran's support meetings and therapy, and made sure that he had the space to do that. Instead of staying at the office later, Erin would pick up Piper from the district and continue to work before dinner while Piper did her homework and he attended meetings. Jay knew that her superiors were putting a lot of pressure on his girl, but she continued to maintain that he and Piper were her top priority.

"Allison Chase emailed me today," Erin murmured. She looked up to meet Jay's gaze as they laid in bed. "Piper's foster mom. The one we met-"

"At the mall," he finished, running his fingertips over her shoulder, "I remember her. The one who she has good memories of?"

Erin nodded. "I guess uh, they were in their attic and found the box of Piper's things that she mentioned. Wanted to see if we'd bring Piper by to see the kids and get her stuff. Apparently, the kids uh, they ask about Piper from time to time. She's in some of their family photos."

"Wow." Jay drew in a breath. "That's a lot. Did you bring it up with Pipes yet?"

She shook her head. "I wanted to see what you thought. If it would be too much for her. I-I want to protect her but she should also get to know where she was as a kid." Erin swallowed. "When Jimmy gave me those baby pictures of me I…I felt like I was a real person. I don't know how to describe it but it's a part of my story that I don't remember and never heard about and if there's an opportunity to give Piper a glimpse into the good memories she has then…part of me wants her to have it."

Jay nodded and carefully ran his fingers over her arm to hold her hand. "And the other part of you?"

"Is scared shitless," she said honestly, "Scared that they could have given her a better life. Scared that she'll remember more bad things than good. Scared that it will just make the nightmares worse and she'll suffer more." Erin let out a shaky breath. "I don't know what to do."

"You could ask her," Jay suggested lightly, "Let her know that we would be there the whole time. That she's coming back with us, that no matter what, she's here to stay. You could tell her about you seeing your baby pictures. It uh, might also be a good way to introduce her to some of the other things from her file. Not now, but when she's ready. This way, she has some of the better memories at the forefront."

"That's a good idea," she mused, "How come you're so smart?"

Jay chuckled. "Not just a pretty face, babe." He stroked her hair back gently. "Maybe we get her an appointment set up with Dr. Murphy for the next day too, just in case. You could also give her a call to see what she thinks."

"You're always looking out for her," Erin whispered, "Thank you." She rubbed his bare chest lightly. "How are you doing?"

He exhaled. "I'm alright," he said honestly, "Stable, at least. It's hard thinking one thing, hearing another and not knowing what's true." He sighed again. "It's good I'm at my desk, I know that. I just wish I could be doing something to get justice for O'Grady, if he was actually killed. Something about the whole situation just doesn't track."

"Have the meetings been helping?" she asked, "And Dr. Kim?"

"A bunch," he confirmed, "But uh, what seems to help the most is this, right here." He kissed her nose lightly. "You and Pipes help the most, I think. You keep me present." Jay swallowed, "I keep kicking myself for trying to push you away, but then I get caught back in the cycle of being afraid of hurting you."

"I know you care about us a lot," Erin murmured, "But we can handle it, babe."

"You guys are my whole world," he replied, "And I'd do anything to keep you both safe."

"Hey babe," Jay greeted as Erin entered through the garage, kicking her heels off as she entered, "Long day?"

On the advice of Dr. Kim, Jay started trying to get back into his previous routine. Instead of immersing himself in meetings, he went back to the weekly scheduled sessions but made sure to take time for himself each day. The routine was honestly helping Piper as well, and Jay was glad that he was finally feeling more steady.

"So long," she bemoaned, dropping her briefcase on the kitchen counter before dramatically taking a seat on the barstool, "I swear, the meetings and emails never stop." She stuck her lower lip out, "And I've had a headache all day."

He wrinkled his brow and wiped his hands on the kitchen towel. "Well, Pipes is taking a shower and there's some stir fry on the stove for you." He pressed his fingers against her cheeks before bringing his lips to hers. "You don't feel warm."

"I'm not sick," she promised, "I'm just tired." She wrapped her arms around his torso. "And I missed my boyfriend."

Jay chuckled and kissed the top of her head. "I missed you too." He kissed her nose. "I missed that nose. And those cheeks. And even those ears."

She held tighter, inhaling the familiar smell of her partner. "Hank texted. He said you're doing better."

He pulled back in surprise. "You and Hank text about me?"

"I text with a lot of people about you," she informed him, "Hank, Hailey, Will, Kim, Kevin…" Erin giggled when Jay's jaw dropped. "I'm just kidding, babe. I do like to keep tabs on you though." She rubbed his chest, "I'm used to being able to keep an eye on you all day. And now I gotta wait til we both get home and it just makes me miss you."

"I miss you too," he murmured against the top of her head, "Though it does worry me a bit that my girlfriend is texting my boss."

"He promised to be nicer," Erin insisted, relaxing into her boyfriend's shoulder as he rubbed the back of her head. "Mm. That feels good."

"Have you eaten anything today?" he asked, lightly stroking her hair as she leaned against him. He paused when she didn't reply. "Babe. You gotta eat."

"I know, I forgot," she mumbled, "It was a busy day."

"When you don't eat, you get a headache," he chastised gently, resuming the careful rubbing, "And then you get nauseous, and then your headache continues because you just drink coffee and don't put anything else in your stomach."

"I know, I know," Erin grumbled, "I just forgot today."

"How about some stir fry?" he suggested, "I'll plate some up for you."

"I don't wanna let go of you," she replied, holding tightly to her boyfriend, face pressed into his chest, "I'm comfortable here."

"That may be true, but if you've only had coffee today, I'd say we're about T minus fifteen minutes until you start feeling sick." He glanced at the clock on the oven. His girl was predictable when it came to taking care of herself. She tended to work as hard as she could, which he always admired, but sometimes, it came back to bite her. He'd learned the hard way, after hours of grumpy Erin suffering in silence from headache and then later, nausea, after an eventful day on the job. After that, Jay took it upon himself to keep various granola bars hidden in the 300 when his partner started getting crabby.

Jay sighed when Erin made no moves to let him go. "Alright, hang on," he determined, hoisting his girl into his arms, "If you're not letting go, then neither am I, but it isn't going to stop me from getting some food in you to avoid having an incredibly grumpy girlfriend."

"I'm not grumpy," she retorted as Jay carried her toward the stove to plate up some stir fry. She frowned when he just chuckled. "I'm not!"

"Have a few bites for me, please," he instructed, setting his girl down on the kitchen counter. She had her legs wrapped around him, barely a few inches between them as he held up a forkful of stir fry. He smiled when Erin took a bite. "Was that so hard?"

"Easier to eat when you have someone to feed you," she replied, taking another bite off the fork, "And when there aren't a bunch of douchebag bureaucrats bugging me all damn day."

Jay paused. "Who's bugging you?"

"It's just work," Erin shook her head, taking another bite, "I'm new, I'm a woman, they've been around forever and are pissed I took a job they think was supposed to be theirs."

"Is someone harassing you?" Jay asked pointedly, already feeling his blood start to boil, "Who is it?"

"Easy, tiger," Erin insisted, patting his chest lightly and gesturing for another bite of stir fry, "Nobody's harassing me. They're just pissed about an assignment I gave out, but they'll get over it. I am the boss, anyway."

"Damn right," Jay said, his shoulders relaxing slightly. He'd give anyone who caused his girl trouble a piece of his mind, "My girlfriend, the boss. I like the sound of that." He cocked his head to the side. "How's the headache?"

"Fading already," she said, mouth full of stir fry, "Guess you were right."

"I usually am," he said cheekily, stealing a kiss from her cheek, "I know headachy, grumpy and clingy Erin means Erin forgot to eat today."

"Hey!" she exclaimed, "I was not grumpy or clingy."

"Mm-hm," Jay rolled his eyes and kissed her forehead before bringing her into his chest, "I carried you into the kitchen, babe." He chuckled when she let out an exaggerated huff and leaned into his shoulder. "I can't say I don't love it though. Anything to get my girl in my arms."

I am loooooving the requests! This sequel originally wasn't going to be so long but I still haven't gotten to the good stuff I already planned so hoping you'll stick around for a bit :)