Lily sat in the shopping cart playing with Jays car keys as he wheeled the cart around the grocery store.
Erin was now in her last month of pregnancy, if it was anything like Jay remembered from her last this was going to be ten times worse. Not that he would say anything but she was a lot bigger which was frustrating her and caused her feet and back pain every single minute of the door and it wasn't helping when she had to run after a toddler all day. So as soon as Jay got the chance to take Lily and keep her occupied he would to give Mumma some time to herself.
She'd started maternity leave a lot sooner then intended. After Jays undercover assignment herself and the team she worked with discovered that she was stressed, couldn't hold her temper and would get overly emotional at the drop of a hat. Jays undercover assignment went off without a problem but it proved to Hank she had to go home and prepare for the little one.
"Dada." Lily said trying to gain his attention.
"Yes Lily?" He questioned looking down at his daughter.
"I dropped them." She held up her hands that the kegs no longer sat in.
"Oh shoot."
"Yeah oh shoot." She said copying him.
He couldn't help but chuckle as he quickly turned around, seeing a very familiar face standing infront of him holding out his set of keys.
"I think someone's missing something."
"Allie!" Jay said happily and surprised, pulling her in for a hug, "I didn't know you were back in Chicago."
"Only for a quick visit and to introduce the parentals to the newest man in my life." She said holding up her left hand, revealing a engagement ring.
"Ah congratulations, he's a lucky man."
They were interrupted by Lily tugging at her fathers shirt, "Daddy. I want mummy."
"Here sweetheart," he said as he grabbed the keys from Allie passing them to his daughter hoping that would keep her occupied.
"She is so beautiful Jay, has your eyes." Allie said admiring Lily's features.
"Sorry how could I forget, you have never met her," he turned to face his daughter, "Lil bear, this is an old friend of daddy's, can you say hi for me?" She shook her head and looked back down to the keys in her hands, "Don't take offence to it, she's going through a stage, we thought it would end after she turned three but nope."
"It's fine," she chuckled, "You seem like an amazing father, it suits you."
"Uh Thankyou."
"So how many have you got now? Erin was pregnant at the reunion wasn't she? That make it two?"
Jays face dropped a little, "Uh..."
"Oh Jay sorry I didn't mean to say anything..."
"No, no," he waved it off, "She had a miscarriage."
"Oh Jay I'm so sorry." Allie said touching Jays forearm.
"It's fine. She's actually pregnant again, due in a month give or take." He smiled.
"That's great Jay, so great. I'm really happy for you, I can't imagine how hard it would be to try again after something so traumatic."
"It makes you stronger at the end of the day."
"Look at her though, she's you and Erin all mixed into one."
"That is usually how it works." Jay joked, earning a little shove.
"You know what I mean dork. Do you know what you guys are having this time round?"
"A boy." He answered with a grin stretched across his face.
"Now I'm sure he will be the spitting image as his father. Those eyes and freckles, just hopefully he doesn't sport the red hair like your brother."
"Let's hope not." They both laughed and then Jay turned to Lily when she threw the keys on the ground and started crying, he picked them up and gave them back to her but she done it again.
"Lilian." Jay said sternly and picked the keys up, tucking them into his pocket as his watch Lily start kicking her little legs into the shopping cart and he cries got a little louder, "Your not having them back if your just going to throw them back onto the ground."
"I want mummy."
Jay turned from his daughter to Allie, "Sorry but I should go check out and get home, I don't think this tantrum is going to stop in the supermarket."
"Don't apologise, it was really good to see you."
"You two," he smiled, "Come on then Lily."
"I want mummy." She tried climbing out of seat she was in.
He grabbed her arm to prevent her from going any further, "Nope, not today Satan." She continued throwing a tantrum as Jay tried as quickly as possible to make his way to registers, "Lily want about a lollipop."
Lily wiped her eyes with the back of her hands, smiling at the lolly Jay had grabbed from the nearest shelf and held up, "Please."
He shook his head, "You and your mother are ridiculous. No matter the issue it's always fixed with sugar."
Erin waddled to the kitchen once she heard Jay in the kitchen, "Afternoon my people."
He went to the other side and kissed the side of her head, rubbing her belly, "How's my little guy going."
"I'm doing great Jay." She snapped.
"I was going to asked how you were too."
She ignored him and went to their daughter, slowly crouching down infront of her, "Hey sweetpea, did you enjoy you day with daddy?"
"No." She shook her head, which made Erin look at Jay confused, he shrugged.
"Why baby girl?"
"I wanted you mummy." The little girl shrugged.
"Well I was always going to be here when you got home, you usually love spending time with daddy." Erin said as he daughter fell into Erin's chest, Jays heart broke, Lily was such a daddy's girl but all of a sudden she didn't want a bar of him.
He crouched down resting his hand on Erin's back, she stood up and leant on the counter, being in a crouching position to be at their daughter height was helping the pressure on her stomach, feet or back at all.
"Lily what's going on?" He asked gentle.
"Mummy won't want me once the baby comes." She said sadly.
Then it all clicked, a couple days ago when Lily started becoming more clingy was when Jay and Erin explained that the baby would be here soon. Lily had already been questioning it but considering she couldn't really understand time, they had just kept saying 'not for a while' but as soon as she heard the word 'soon' it da had freaked her out.
Erin bent back down, "Sweetheart I will always want you, your brother won't change that."
"Yeah Lil, we will always love you. Your always going to be our girl." Jay agreed.
"Pwomise?" She asked softly, causing her parents to smile.
"Promise." They said together.
Lily smiled, "Up mummy."
Erin smiled at her daughter outreached hands, "Sorry sweetheart I can't lift you up, but I'm sure daddy wants a big hug anyway."
"Yeah what do you say Lil bear?" He held out his arms.
She happily went into her fathers arms as he picked her up, she snuggled into his neck, "I swear I could never get use to this."
Erin rubbed Lily's back, "And to think we are about to have another little one. He's going to be so little, I swear the time goes way to quickly."
"Tell me about it, I'm getting grey hairs thinking about it." Jay joked which caused Erin to laugh.
"Hmm I think you've been getting them for a while now." She said searching his hair as his mouth dropped open.
But before Jay could say anything Lily spoke up, "I met daddy's girlfriend today."
Jays face turned red and Erin's face looked horrified, "Er it is not what you think."
"Not what I think? You'd better have some explanation as to what your daughter just said." Erin said waddling off.
"Thanks Lily." Jay said sarcastically to his daughter.
"That's okay daddy." She said happily not knowing what she had done.
He shook his head as a quiet chuckle excaped, "Righto let's get you fed, bathed and put to bed so I can sort all this out with your mother. Otherwise I will be sleeping on the couch tonight."
"But you gotta sleep with mummy. Cause mummy's and daddy's sleep together."
"They sure do Lil bear, they sure do." He said kissing her forehead.
After they'd all eaten and put Lily to bed Jay finished up cleaning the kitchen while Erin done a little reading and got comfy in bed.
Once Jay was finished he walked up to their bedroom, opening the door he looked down straight away then back up to his side of the bed, seeing that his pillow and a spare blanket were on the ground waiting for him to either take to the couch or a guest bed.
He looked up and saw the tears forming in her eyes, "Girlfriend Jay?"
"Girl space friend." He said and smiled, she still looked confused, "Bumped into Allie in the supermarket."
Erin chuckled once she realised, "Oh Jay I'm sorry."
"So can I grab my pillow and come to bed tonight?"
She flung the blanket back and patted the bed, "I'm an idiot. I took the word of a three year old."
"Well she can be very convincing," they both laughed, "And you are pregnant Erin. So blame it on the hormones."
"I feel like I blame everything on these stupid hormones."
"Be over soon remember."
"Thankgod," She smiled, "This little guy is going to be you all over, I can just see it now."
"Allie said the same thing."
"Ah did she now? What else did she say?"
He raised an eyebrow, "Am I sensing some jealousy Erin Halstead?"
"No of course not."
"Mmhm."
She slapped his bare chest, "Maybe a little! But it's not my fault look at me! And I'm sure she looked all beautiful and slim."
"Maybe, not that I was paying attention. But that's besides the point, your still always going to be beautiful in my eyes babe."
"Even if I'm even bigger then last time?"
"Even then."