I really can't believe people are still interested in reading! I honestly thought interest had dropped off so I'm happy to hear some of y'all have made it through with me.

Erin's eyes snapped open when she heard a cry. She immediately felt Jay tense beneath her. "It's okay," she said quickly, shifting forward from his embrace, "You're home, babe. You're here with me." She took his hand to rest on her heart. "You feel that? I'm here."

"P-Pipes," he choked out, shaking his head rapidly, trying to clear the cobwebs from his head. "Babe, something's wrong, we-" His breath caught. He couldn't get to Piper. His child needed to be met with regulation and stability coming out of a nightmare, not the frantic mess that he'd become the moment he heard her cry out.

"Hey there, Munchkin. You're okay."

Erin held Jay's hand carefully in her own, watching the baby monitor as Will Halstead carefully approached Piper's bed. Her baby girl was trembling against the headboard. "Your parents are across the hallway, in their bed," Will told her, "It's just me, Will. You're safe."

"Mommy," Piper croaked, "Where's Mommy?"

"Right down the hall," he said, holding a hand out, "You want to go see her?"

Piper sniffed and nodded before extending her arms so that Will could lift her up.

"She can't see me like this," Jay gasped, pulling his hand from Erin's chest when he saw his brother pick up his little girl, "It's not fair to her, it's not fair to you, I shouldn't-"

"Hey." Erin shook her head, adjusting the t shirt over her bump. "You're here, babe. You're home. You're getting through this. It's hard, I know, but I'm here, and Will's here. We're going to be fine."

"Your dad's here too," Will explained, rubbing Piper's back as he carried her across the hall, "Everyone's safe."

The little girl nodded again, still trembling. Will was helping her feel better, but she needed to see her mommy and daddy.

"You can do this," Erin insisted, "You're her daddy, Jay. She's safe with you." Her heart cracked at just how unsure her partner looked. "We're both safe with you, just like we talked about. You're our safe place."

"Daddy."

The tearful sound of his name leaving his baby girl's lips cut through the noise in his head. It was Piper. His daughter. She wanted him. She wanted comfort from him. "Hi Noodle bug," Erin greeted, holding out an arm for Piper, while still gripping Jay's hand, "Did you have a bad dream?"

Piper managed another nod. Her daddy looked worried. She could see it on his face. He had been okay all day, but now…now he was different. "I'm sorry," she whimpered, "I-I didn't mean to."

"It's okay," she soothed, offering a smile to her little girl, "We're all safe here." Erin rubbed Jay's fingers gently, hoping that he would find the words to comfort their daughter. "Me and Daddy and the boys are all okay."

Jay drew in a breath, trying to slow his heart. His girls needed him to be steady. They loved him despite everything, and they felt safe with him. "I'm here," he whispered, "I'm alright."

Erin squeezed his hand proudly. "C'mere, sweet girl," she said, gesturing for Will to bring the child closer, "We've got you." She paused, noting just how the little girl was looking at Jay. "You want to go to Daddy?"

She gave a shy nod. Erin squeezed Jay's hand again. "I got you." Jay cleared his throat, "I um, I can take her, Will."

Piper gratefully melted into Jay's arms, burying her face in his neck. "I worried you left," she whimpered, "I worried when I woke up and-and I couldn't see you."

He tentatively placed a hand on her back. "I'm here," Jay repeated, his voice thick, "I'm here."

"Thank you," Erin whispered to Will, offering a grateful smile, "For getting there so quickly."

Will nodded. "You guys okay?" he asked, tilting his head toward his little brother. "I can take her back to bed, if you need."

"It's okay," Jay managed, pressing a kiss to Piper's head. His little girl clung tighter at Will's proposition to take her. He knew that she needed her mommy and daddy. "Thanks, man."

"I have a feeling she's not going to want to go to school today," Erin murmured as she rested against Jay's chest. Her partner had spent the night seated against the headboard with both girls in his arms. Erin had fallen asleep after Piper settled, but she was fairly confident her partner was awake all night. "But we gotta get her back into a routine. I think it helps."

Jay nodded in agreement. He kissed the top of Piper's head. "When is her next appointment with Dr. Murphy?" he asked, "I think…I think she was having bad dreams last night."

Erin furrowed her brow. "She was up again?"

He shook his head. "No, just…just kind of fussy. I was trying to settle her between us but she kept whimpering. The only thing that worked was keeping her here."

"She's craving contact," Erin mused, running a hand over Piper's head as the child snuggled into Jay's chest, "Physical contact." She met Jay's gaze. "In one of the parenting books, there was this chapter on how babies learn that they're safe through physical touch. They get held, rocked and fed, and they learn what it means to be safe." Her breath caught. "But our baby didn't have that. She didn't have that for nine years. Until you."

Jay swallowed the lump in his throat. "You taught her body what it means to feel safe," Erin continued, "You were probably the first person to pick her up and rock her when she was struggling. And you doing that literally rewired our baby's brain to know that being here, with you, and with me, means that she's safe. She's craving that feeling of safety, and she knows that she can get it here."

He managed a nod. "It's why I didn't want to put her down," he whispered, "I just want her to feel safe."

"She does," Erin whispered, "She knows you're safe and that she's safe with you. Just like me." She looked up at Jay, eyes shining with tears. "When I…when I was in the hospital, after the abruption, the OB started talking about options, for delivery. They weren't…they weren't sure if I was going to lose too much blood if they didn't deliver, and they weren't sure the boys would make it if I tried to hold on." She swallowed. "I…I was in and out. Will was there, asking questions about their lungs and development and I remember the OB said that the boys would need a few weeks in the NICU, probably."

"I remember freaking out because it would mean…it would mean we wouldn't get to hold them. They would be alone in the hospital and…and I didn't want that for them. I still don't." Erin wiped her eye quickly. "Noodle spent weeks in the NICU. Bunny abandoned her there. From the minute she was born, she was alone. Nobody was holding her, rocking her, telling her that she was loved…and I know that trauma still runs so deep for her. We see the impact of Bunny's bad choices on our baby every single day and I can't imagine doing that to our boys."

"Babe," Jay breathed, shaking his head slightly, "That was Bunny. That isn't you. Our boys are going to be loved and taken care of the second they come out. They're already being loved and taken care of."

"I know that," Erin sniffed, "I do. But I want to be able to hold them." She swallowed again. "I shouldn't have done it, but I started looking stuff up, on my phone. And babies that don't get physical touch can experience all sorts of lasting effects. Like desperately needing contact, severe anxiety…trouble regulating emotions. It doesn't happen to every kid but still, I don't want that for them."

Jay was quiet for a moment. He understood where his girl was coming from. No part of him wanted his sons to have to struggle, but he also knew that given how much strain they were putting on Erin's body, a stay in the NICU might not be avoidable. "I hear you," he murmured, "I do. But-" He stopped when Piper stirred. "Maybe we can pick this up a little later?"

Erin nodded and wiped her eyes again. "Good morning, sweet girl," she managed, "Did you have a good rest?"

Piper lifted her head before placing it back down on Jay's shoulder. "I want to stay here today," she mumbled sleepily, "But I gotta go to school?"

"Just for a few hours," Erin said, running her fingers through her hair, "I think Will mentioned stopping at the coffee shop by school before for a muffin. You like the apple cinnamon one, right?"

The little girl nodded. "Daddy likes blueberry," she whispered, "And Will likes the lemon one." She let out a soft sigh when Jay kissed the top of her head. "I'm tired."

Jay exchanged a look with Erin. "I think we can pick you up early," he offered, trying to find some middle ground, "That way you get to do some learning, but Mommy and I get extra time with our favorite kid?"

Jay always knew his girl was good at her job, but getting a firsthand look with her working from home left him in awe.

Erin commanded the room in her office, even from her spot on their couch, several miles away from her team. She was quick thinking and direct and Jay was bursting with pride - Erin was truly an incredible leader. He listened in amusement as he busied himself deep-cleaning their home. With Erin's asthma flaring up, he was determined to get the place absolutely spotless.

"You still have stitches in your back," Will cautioned, motioning for Jay to move aside so he could reach the top of the windows, "You've got like one day left, let me do it."

Jay sighed and passed his brother the cloth before glancing into the living room area. Erin was on the phone again. "Can't wait for these to come out," he said, folding his arms across his chest, "Don't forget the-" He stopped when his brother shot him a look.

"This isn't my first rodeo," he replied, wiping down the window pane, "Mom taught us both how to do this, remember?"

He just nodded. "You made her cookies yesterday," Jay murmured, "The butter ones."

"They always made the house smell good," Will remarked lightly, "Didn't realize that they masked the smell of that cheap booze Dad used to drink." He paused mid-wipe. "You know, it's crazy to think how much I missed. Or chose to miss, you know?"

Jay furrowed his brow. "What do you mean?"

"The Dad stuff. I mean, I knew it wasn't great, but I didn't think it was bad. Until I actually started thinking about it. And now, every time I think about it, I see it differently." Will shrugged his shoulders. "Really makes me appreciate Mom even more."

"She was a really good mom," Jay mused, wiping a lower window, "Made up for a lot."

"Erin reminds me a lot of her actually," Will said lightly, "Seeing her and Munchkin. Their relationship is kind of like yours was, from my perspective, anyway." He set the cloth down when Jay looked at him in surprise. "When we were kids, like in elementary school, you and her were like this." He wrapped his index and middle finger together. "I totally made fun of you for being a Mama's boy, but truth be told I was probably just jealous."

Jay swallowed. He really had been a Mama's boy. He loved his mom. And he remembered wanting to spend all the time he could with her. Just like Piper had been reluctant to leave for school that morning, he remembered begging his mom to keep him home just because being with her was better than dealing with the kids at school.

"Erin's an incredible mom," Will continued, picking his cloth back up, "I know I don't have to tell you that, but she really is amazing. And Munchkin really, really loves her."

He nodded. "She is," he said thickly, "And she and Pipes have come so far." Jay glanced down at his watch. "We told her we'd pick her up early. She didn't want to leave today." He rubbed his forehead gently. "I uh, I've been worrying about how she'll handle the boys. I know she says she's excited…but I also know that it means our attention will be diverted."

"Mom was good about being intentional," his brother reminded him, "And I think Munchkin will be okay. She's got two great parents. We only had one." Will dropped the cloth. "I think these windows look good. Let's go get your kid."

"I am officially chopped liver," Will determined, gesturing to Jay and Piper. The duo was in the kitchen, child on his brother's hip, giggling while he prepared some hot chocolate for them. "Dad's back and Uncle Will is back to the bottom of the Halstead totem pole."

Erin snorted. "They're best friends," she said simply, "There's about to be three mini-Jay's in this house." She grinned when Piper dissolved into a fit of laughter. The Halstead brothers had left her home alone for a half hour while they picked up Piper early from school. Seeing her smiling little bug enter the house, hand-in-hand with her partner caused her to immediately end the conference call she was on so that she could soak up the sweetness of having her family back together and on the mend. "What are you two up to in there?"

"Daddy put marshmallows in his nose," Piper said in between giggles, "Look!"

"Those better not be for my hot chocolate," Erin teased, resisting the urge to roll her eyes at Jay's antics. She was over the moon. Jay could be so silly with their little bug just because he knew it could make her laugh, and Erin hadn't gotten the privilege to hear her baby laugh so hard in weeks. It was her favorite sound in the world.

"Jay Halstead, I am not removing anything from your nasal cavity," Will said firmly, putting his hands on his hips, "Sewing up your back in Hank's living room is where I draw the line."

Piper looked at her daddy in confusion. "You had surgery at Hank's house?"

Jay glanced to his brother and fiancé before looking back at his little girl. "Will had to fix my stitches," he said, removing the marshmallow from his nose and placing it in the trash, "No big deal. They're coming out tomorrow."

The little girl looked concerned. "Already?"

"Mm-hm," he replied, pressing a kiss to her head, "I'm hopefully going to get the all clear to start being more active soon. And then after that, I get to go back to work. Desk duty for a while."

Piper instinctively held closer to her daddy. She didn't want him to go back to work. Ever again. She liked him at home with her mommy. She was about to tell him but then instead jumped when there was a knock at the front door.

"It's Hailey," Will announced, peeking through the side door, "She taking you to Dr. Kim?"

Jay nodded and let out a breath. "Yep." He kissed Piper's head again. "Hailey's going to bring me there and then right back here."

Erin watched from her seat on the couch as Piper's demeanor shifted. Immediately, she recognized where she and Jay went wrong. Their little bug did best with clear expectations and routine – so hearing that her daddy was leaving for an appointment at last minute was a complete curve ball that she wasn't expecting at all.

Jay recognized the error as well.

His little girl was frozen, eyes swimming with unshed tears. She looked from Hailey to her mommy and back to him, unsure of what was happening. Her daddy was home. He was supposed to be staying with her, not leaving again.

"We should have told you earlier," he apologized, "But it's just a quick check up. Nothing crazy. And I'll be back before you know it." He gave an apologetic look to Hailey as she stood in their entryway, having walked into a near-meltdown. "Just need a minute."

"No Daddy," Piper insisted, clinging tightly to her daddy, "Don't go, please, please."

"I'm coming back," Jay promised, smoothing her hair back gently, "I promise, Pipes. I just have an appointment and I'm coming right back here."

"Please no," she begged, trembling slightly in his arms, her fists holding onto the material of his t shirt as tightly as she possibly could, "No, no."

Her lower lip wobbled. Piper was trying so hard to be brave, but the idea of letting her daddy leave the house…she didn't want to do that. Last time she let go, he didn't come back.

"It's okay," Erin assured her, "Daddy's coming back. Hailey's going to make sure of it." She gave Jay's partner a grateful smile. "You want to come drink your hot chocolate with me?"

Jay grimaced. His little bug had been giggling and happy not five minutes before, and now he had a tearful and timid child on his hip. "I'm sorry, kiddo," he said gently, "I really am. But I promise, I'm coming back."

Piper bit down on her lip. She wanted to scream and cry and hold onto her daddy for dear life, but she could also tell that he was getting upset because she was upset.

It had also happened right after her nightmare.

That night, she wanted her mommy and daddy so bad, and when Will brought her into their bedroom, Piper immediately sensed something was different. Normally, her daddy rushed in to carry her to their bed. He would give her kisses on her head and rub her back until she felt like she could breathe again.

But when she got into their room, her daddy was like a statue. He was still her daddy, and Piper knew he still loved her and that she was safe with him, but he was worried. Almost…almost like he was scared. And it took a lot longer for him to rub her back and give her kisses.

Realizing that she was upsetting her daddy made Piper want to cry even more. She felt him tense as he was holding her, like he was trying just as she was not to cry. Piper wanted to hold on, but she also wanted to let go. She was so confused and so, so tired.

"I'm coming back," Jay repeated, his voice cracking, "I am." He looked desperately to his brother, who stepped forward to take the child out of his arms. "I love you so much, Pipes."

That did it.

Piper couldn't take it anymore. A sob burst through her lips. Her body shook violently as Will carefully pulled her away from her daddy. She couldn't even hear what the adults were saying over the pounding in her ears and the ache in her chest. She wanted her daddy.

Jay sat on the other side of the couch from his partner, his chest feeling lighter after the conversation with Dr. Kim. It had absolutely crushed him to leave the house while Piper sobbed.

His little girl couldn't even speak through her tears while Will held her. Erin's eyes told him to leave for his appointment, but it was the broken whimpers from his struggling baby girl that gave him pause. He wanted to stay, but he also wanted to leave. He didn't want to listen to her cry. It made all the hair on the back of his neck stand up and his palms were sweaty.

It was a good thing Hailey drove him to Dr. Kim. She was a great partner.

And now, Hailey knew everything.

She was quiet throughout the session, but she was understanding and supportive – everything a good partner should be. Jay let it all tumble from his lips, things that he'd kept back in the years they were partners because he didn't want to drive another one away. He'd already lost Erin. He didn't want to lose someone else.

But Hailey wasn't going anywhere.

She loved him.

She didn't love him like Erin loved him, but Hailey cared for him. Like a brother or best friend. In the year Erin was gone, and when Mouse was gone too, Hailey probably had been his best friend.

And Hailey cared about his girls too. She told him just how much she loved Piper, and how happy she was that he and Erin were together. And she was proud of him too.

"It sounds like Piper has really taken to some of the other adults in her life," Dr. Kim remarked, "She's grown a lot since you first brought her home."

Hailey nodded. "She was incredible on the stand," she offered, giving Jay a smile, "Absolutely crushed it. We're still waiting on a verdict that should come next week, but Piper did an amazing job."

Jay managed a nod in agreement. Piper had been incredible. And he was so, so proud of her. But the sad little bug he left at home left a pit in his stomach. "You look concerned, Jay," Dr. Kim probed, "Do you think her biological parents won't be convicted?"

"No, no, I think they will. She did an amazing job and she's an incredible kid but uh, since I've been home…she's been super clingy," Jay said, rubbing his thumb with his hand nervously, "We uh, we've seen her like this a few times since she's been with us. After a lot of turmoil, especially. And she's had a lot of it. She just wants to be close to us. And don't get me wrong, I love getting to hold her and stuff but um, this afternoon, she just lost it when I was about to leave for here. I tried…I tried to block it out and stay together but I couldn't so I just…I left."

Dr. Kim nodded in understanding. "It's incredibly difficult to watch your child struggle," he said sympathetically, "On top of all you've been through, I'm sure it can feel impossible."

Jay swallowed. "When I can anticipate it, I think I can handle it," he rasped, "It's when…it's when I don't know that it's coming that it throws me off." He let out a heavy breath. "She just wants to be held."

The doctor nodded again. "Touch is incredibly powerful," he said, "Especially for children, and children who didn't experience it in their formative years. Cortisol isn't regulated, neurotransmitters don't kick in to help regulate with mood and emotions…it's likely why Piper just wants to be held by you."

Jay managed another nod. Erin was spot on in her assessment of Piper's need to be close to him. Their sweet baby was just trying to regulate herself, and she knew that usually, her daddy could help. He swallowed again. He loved how much she loved him, and it filled him with pride to know that she sought comfort in him.

But it emptied him to know that he couldn't give it.

"You won't be able to anticipate everything," Dr. Kim continued, "The next part of your recovery will be reminding yourself in those moments that you've handled it before."

He gripped his hands together. "I know," he whispered, "I think…I think I would feel better if there was a plan. In the even that I can't. Some way to…to keep my girls safe, from me, if it comes to that."

"You're not a bad guy here, Jay," Hailey said gently, "You keep talking about yourself like you're going to absolutely flip your lid and while I get it, and I know where you're coming from, I don't think you would ever physically hurt them. But if it helps, maybe that's something you could talk to Erin about. I can help, and I know Will and Hank will want to as well."

Jay blew out a breath. She had a point. He would never hurt his girls intentionally…but there was always that nagging voice in the back of his head. Ugh. He really needed to tell that voice to shove it.

"I really need to talk to Erin," he murmured, "Been tough with Piper so close because I don't want to spook her. But maybe I'll bring it up tomorrow. Pretty sure she's going to still be upset when I get home." He looked up at his doctor. "But I'm going home. I can't be away from them again."

"Will got called in like fifteen minutes ago," Erin explained to Jay and Hailey when they returned, "I told him to go. And she's okay. Used the inhaler as a precaution, and she's taking a shower now."

Jay nodded, relaxing slightly. He'd feel better once he could see his little bug doing alright, but the fact that she wasn't actively sobbing had him feeling a tiny bit better. "He did great," Hailey said, offering a reassuring smile to her former coworker before patting Jay's shoulder, "I'm going to grab those files I promised you and drop them off."

Erin returned the smile. "Thank you," she breathed, "For everything. Really."

"Daddy?"

Jay glanced up the steps to see his little bug, clad in her pajamas, hair still wet from the shower. "Hi kiddo," he said, "I'm back."

Piper hurried down the stairs but then stopped. "I'm sorry," she whispered, shifting on her bare feet slightly, "I didn't…I didn't mean to be so upset."

He shook his head. "You don't have to apologize for that," he replied, holding his hand out to his little girl, "I was pretty sad to leave you too. But I came back, and I'm home now." Jay forced a smile. "Are you hungry for dinner?"

Jay exchanged a glance with Erin as they sat on the couch together, Piper between them. Their little girl was abnormally quiet and had barely touched her dinner. Jay found himself resorting to tactics that he used to use back when Piper first came to live with him – talking about nothing in particular, just hoping that something would resonate with the child.

Erin was trying her best as well, but Jay could sense just how worried she was growing about Piper. It was their first time actually home alone as a family of three in almost three weeks, and Piper's reserved demeanor had the adults silently questioning their decision to have both Will and Hailey leave.

"Are you not hungry, Noodle?" Erin asked after moment of unbearable silence, "Do you want something else for dinner?"

She knew what the parenting books said about picky eaters. But her baby wasn't picky, she was anxious. And if Erin could do anything to ease the little girl from her anxiety, even if it meant getting her whatever she was willing to eat, Erin was going to do it.

Piper shrugged. "I like the gnocchis," she mumbled, "They're good."

Jay wrinkled his brow when Erin gave him another look. "Am I worrying you?" Jay asked as lightly as he could, "Would you feel better if I sat in that chair?"

The little girl shook her head rapidly. "No, no, I like…I want you to be here." She swallowed. "I just…I've just been thinking about school."

Erin immediately bristled. She knew that Piper had been bullied the year before. If any of the little fifth grade shits were picking on her child, they had another thing coming. "Who's causing you problems?" she asked, "I'll sort them out."

"Easy, babe," Jay cautioned, reaching over Piper to rest his fingers on his partner's shoulder, "Is someone hurting you, kiddo?"

Piper shook her head again. "No, nothing like that. Taylor, um, my friend, invited me to her house for a sleepover party." Piper pushed the broccoli around her plate listlessly, "She said me and Maddie and Julia could go to her house to eat dinner and watch a movie for her birthday in January."

Erin and Jay exchanged another look. On one hand, it was great that Piper had friends at school and was invited to a birthday party. And she wasn't being bullied. On the other, their little girl had trouble sleeping in their own home. Neither of them was sure how Piper would handle a sleepover party.

"That's great, Noodle," Erin gushed, forcing a smile, "A sleepover party sounds like fun."

Piper looked up from her plate. "I would be allowed to go?"

"Well, we would want to talk to Taylor's moms first," Jay said, "To make sure that they would be there the whole time, that type of thing. And we would want you to feel comfortable going."

"I never did a sleepover party before," Piper said, setting her fork down, "I…I don't know if I would like it."

"That's perfectly alright," Erin assured her, running a hand over Piper's head, "January isn't for a few weeks, so you have time to think about it."

She shook her head. "I-I used to have to sleep at a lot of different places," she whispered, "That's how come sometimes I feel confused when I wake up." Piper settled further into the couch and Jay's side. "I don't want to do it."

"You always have a home here," Jay promised, placing his plate onto the coffee table. Piper immediately shuffled into his lap, clearly hungry for comfort from her daddy. "This is your home, kiddo. Mommy and I understand that sleeping in other places is hard. But you don't have to decide anything right now. You can still think about it."

He wanted his little girl to have the normal experiences of children her age.

Piper's formative years had been turbulent, to say the least. She missed out on so many normal childhood experiences, and Jay and Erin desperately wanted to provide their little bug with some semblance of normalcy, even if it meant her growing up.

"Maybe we can watch a sleepover movie," Erin suggested lightly, "That way you can see what it's about." She rubbed her bump gently. "And I can email Taylor's moms to get some details."

Piper flinched when there was a knock at the front door. "Hailey's dropping off a few case files for me," Jay said apologetically, carefully getting to his feet with Piper still in his arms, "Just Hailey, Pipes."

He padded to the door, adjusting his little girl slightly on his hip. Jay could tell that the prospect of leaving her parents, even if it was just for a night and even if it wasn't imminent – like literally weeks away – was causing all sorts of turmoil in his baby's head. She wanted her daddy, and he was more than happy to oblige.

"Hey, Halstead," Hailey said after he opened the door, "Case files, as promised." She set the stack of papers onto the table in their entryway and titled her head to the side, noting just how worried Piper looked. "Everything okay? You guys need anything?"

Jay shook his head. "Thanks for goin' out of your way to drop these off," he replied, "Figured I got time for light reading." He rubbed Piper's back gently when Hailey still looked concerned. "This one got invited to a sleepover party in a few weeks, so Erin and I were just telling her about them."

"A sleepover? That sounds awesome," Hailey said, giving the little girl a big smile, "I used to have them with some of my friends when I was a kid. Super fun."

Jay leaned down to kiss the top of Piper's head. "Pipes has never had a sleepover before," he explained, "So we're thinking we'll watch a movie about it tomorrow so she can see what it's like."

Hailey nodded in understanding. "Well, if you ever want to do a practice sleepover, you could come hang with me for a night," she offered, "You could see if you like it, and if you do, then you might feel better about trying it with your friends from school."

Piper's eyes widened. "I could do a sleepover at your house?" she asked, "Really?"

Jay looked at his partner in surprise. Hailey was an amazing partner, but offering to take his little girl for the evening so she would learn what a sleepover party was with someone she trusted outside her parents was above and beyond a partner's responsibility. "I always have fun with my favorite Halstead," Hailey replied, "Just a suggestion, if you want. No pressure or anything."

The little girl looked at Jay, and then to Hailey. "What…what would we do?"

Hailey tapped her chin. "Well, we would probably get some takeout. Maybe some ice cream to make ice cream sundaes, and then we would watch a funny movie. Or play a game. Wherever the night takes us."

"That sounds like a ton of fun," Jay said, finding his voice. It was actually an incredible solution. His little bug would get to understand a sleepover experience with someone she knew and trusted, and Jay and Erin could sleep better knowing that their child was safe.

"Then you and Mommy could have a date," Piper told him, looking at Jay knowingly, "'cause it's been a while since you did that."

Jay's cheeks heated slightly. It had been a while since he took Erin out on a date. Granted, he wouldn't really be able to take her out, but a night just the two of them would be nice, even if it was in their own home. "Great call, Snipes," Hailey told her, giving Erin a reassuring grin over her partner's shoulder. "Your daddy is way overdue to take your mommy on a date."

I don't know what I'm doing just yet (if it's making this installment a few chapters longer or potentially doing a fifth – which feels crazy but it is 2021 so crazier things have happened) but thank you thank you for sharing your thoughts. I write because it's fun for me but I share because of people like you.

And the best part is seeing some of the requests you had that I already wrote. Makes me even more excited to share them (though I might have to expand on them if there's a fifth installment!)

The next chapter is one of my favorites. Been a long time coming :)