"I can't tell you all the times I used to sit out on Ryan's car. We would look up at the sky and watch the planes take off, flying to someplace new. We would lay there and wonder where each of them was going", Andy reminisced as she snuggled against Jack's body on the deck chair. The sound of the breeze against the trees and the crickets chirping in the grass was calming to her. The light of the moon reflected off the water in the pool. It was a beautiful night like no other.
"Its been a while since you thought about him Andy, what are you thinking about?" Jack asked as he intertwined his hand in hers.
"I don't know. I guess I was thinking about how we got here. About how Ryan and I got the most enjoyment out of doing these little trivial things that most people wouldn't even think about. After he died, I never thought I would find another guy who would do that. Then I found our battalion chief Robert Sullivan, and when he died, God I thought the world was playing a huge prank on me. I suddenly found myself on the floor in a million little pieces. But you picked those million little pieces up and now here we are. Counting the stars on our deck. How did I get this lucky?", Andy laughed as Jack sat up in the deck chair.
"You were lucky? I knew from the day I met you Andrea Herrera that I loved you. I kicked myself when I spoke up too late, had that fling with Maya, did things stupidly and too quickly. It felt like I was making all the wrong moves and I felt like an idiot for it, but yet here we are. I got so damn lucky that we found our way back to each other", Jack answered as she joined him in sitting on the deck chair folding her arms on top of her knees.
"After Robert died and I left, why did you stay? Why did you stay behind to pick up all the pieces? I left. I was a mess and I was holding myself together with nothing but tape and glue. How I could even function to work when I came back was a miracle. That was a hell of a year. Ryan, then Rigo, then my Dad, then my husband. I shouldn't have got through it as well as I did but I did it because of you. Because you found me and you stayed and you put me back together again and made me love again and I'm just reciting our wedding vows here", Andy laughed.
"Because I love you, with all of my heart, Andy. Why do you think I proposed after a month of us dating?" he chuckled as she kissed him.
"Mmmm, I could have killed you for that, but I am so glad we did it. I'm happy that I have you and you have me, and we're married", she answered as she pointed at her ring finger where a beautiful diamond ring with a gold band sat. She looked at him as he went silent for a minute, staring up at the night sky. He was never silent unless he was mad about something or thinking.
"Andy?", Jack wondered aloud
"What are you thinking about now?" Andy asked smiling
"The empty space in this big house we had built. We don't need two offices and four guest rooms", he chuckled at he looked up at the light from the second floor windows casting a glow over the pool.
"Oh yeah? And how do you think we can fill that space? More furniture? Taking apart the Aid Car piece by piece and putting it in our house?", she asked playfully.
"I think you know. I want to raise a family here and start something new at a beautiful place that was robbed of this almost 20 years ago now. You built our dream house with me on the site of my childhood home. Now I want children to actually enjoy and grow up on this property", he smiled. "And I wanted to do it with my beautiful, driven, force of nature wife. What do you say we start now?", he smiled as they listened to the chirping of the crickets.
"Alright, coming from your beautiful, driven, force of nature wife, let's think about this seriously for a second, do you even know the first thing about babies?" Andy asked skeptically.
"I know that they love me and I love them. Besides if Dean can do it anyone can do it", laughed Jack.
"And you're sure you want this? The sleepless nights, the spit up, the crying? Me having weird cravings for sushi dipped in ice cream at three in the morning?" asked Andy
"Of course, I'm sure. It can be the second part of our beautiful adventure. We're going to fill our baby's life with love, happiness and excitement. Who knows, I might even go for sushi dipped in ice cream myself", he expressed.
"You're so weird. Wait, how will we fill their life with love, happiness and excitement at work? Honey, we can't quit our jobs." Andy asked skeptically.
"Let Marsha spoil her future grandkids? Hire a nanny?" laughed Jack
"Just make sure she's not one of those Parisian ones we see running off with all the husbands Romeo. You seem to have this all figured out. And I do love you and I think our genes could make one beautifully perfect baby. I guess I just have to say I'm all in. Let's start a family", she agreed as she kissed him
"Really?" he asked
"Really", she affirmed he kissed her.
"I love you so much for this. And for the record you'll never have to worry about the nanny being better than my beautiful wife", he smiled as he picked her up and threw her in the pool. He laughed and disappeared inside, reemerging a second later with a bottle of wine from their wedding.
"Jack Gibson come back here. Its freezing in here. You do realize its March" she scolded playfully as he hopped in with her and set the wine glasses on the edge of the pool.
"It's unseasonably warm mi amor and this calls for a celebration", he smiled as he poured the wine and they toasted to the eventual start of a family.
"What kind of celebration? Good wine and our pool?", she smiled as they kissed in the pool under the moonlight.
"You know it. We could always try skinny dipping? I've never tired it", he smirked.
"Oh yeah, sure with all the houses around us. I can already see it now", Andy teased
"Or we can move this party out of the freezing pool and upstairs", Jack suggested. "Mostly because my feet are starting to go numb. I'll race you upstairs", he added as he climbed out of the pool and grabbed a lingering towel nearby.
"Oh you're on", she yelled as they climbed out and she ran ahead of him up the stairs of their house and to their room.
At the station the next day Andy was having a cup of coffee in the beanery with Maya. The two had made this a Thursday ritual since she came back. It started as a way to check in and mend their friendship after she came home from Connecticut, and kind of stuck as something the two of them just automatically did every Thursday morning.
"Jack started talking about babies again last night. And it wasn't him mentioning that we could maybe have kids someday. He wants to start trying now", Andy mentioned as she sipped her coffee.
"I'm sorry, what?" Maya sputtered as she choked on her coffee mid-sip. This was news to her. Of all the people to want children, Jack didn't register in her mind as one of them.
"Yeah we had a whole discussion on having kids last night. We even started trying", Andy answered
"Gibson wants babies? What happened to the 'I maybe want kids someday but I want to wait a few years' conversation you two had a few nights before the wedding? What did you tell him? I mean do you want kids? Honestly, right now in your career?" Maya asked.
"Yes, he wants a baby, and I told him that I'm all in. I guess now is someday. Besides, I'm not getting any younger. I have my whole life for a career, but only a certain window of time for babies. We talked about that over wine in the pool last night", Andy explained as Vic walked in after grabbing a pear from the fridge.
"You two had wine in the pool? In March?", Maya asked as Vic slid into the seat next to her. Vic had been joining their coffee mornings since the wedding.
"Good Morning you two. Okay, what did I miss? All I heard was Gibson and babies", Vic laughed
"Jack wants to start trying for a baby with Andy", Maya smiled.
"Started", Andy corrected. "We already started trying"
"What? When were you going to tell me this? And I thought he wanted to wait a few years?" Vic asked as Andy rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Why is it such a shock to them that he wants kids? He loves kids" Andy thought to herself as Vic and Maya talked about Jack.
"I knew he would change his mind. I've seen how amazing he is with Prue and Allison. I've seen how amazing you are with Prue and Allison, Andy. He'll be the perfect Dad and you'll be the perfect Mom and you'll have perfect little kids.", laughed Maya as Andy cut her off.
"I don't want my kids to be perfect, all I'll want for them is for them to try their best. And believe me, I will not be the perfect Mom. I mean I won't leave and fake my death, and then come back when they're grown adults and take over literally every part of their lives, so in that way I'm already better than my mom", Andy laughed
"See, you'll be a great mom. And Jack will be an amazing Dad" Vic smiled as she took a sip of Andy's coffee, much to Andy's displeasure.
"I mean, he's amazing with kids. Jenna had to run an errand the other day and he was out there playing football with the boys or just Rowan for that matter. DJ sat on the sidelines and cheered them on while Amelia and I chose dresses for her Barbie dolls. She's learning so much. The boys too. They're getting smarter and more creative each day. You should see Jack's face when he plays with them or Prue, or Allison for that matter. It lights up like a Christmas tree. I think we're ready", Andy answered.
"You're ready for screaming babies and no sleep? Prue is almost three and still drives me up a wall. Want to take her?" Vic laughed
"We'll be fine. I'm actually excited for where this takes us. I just only hope I can be half as good of a parent as my dad was", Andy smiled.
"He would be so proud right now. He's probably looking down at Gibson and yelling "It's about damn time you give me grandkids", laughed Maya
Dean was in the barn cleaning a truck as Jack pulled up a pail of water and a sponge next to him
"Andy and I had the baby conversation last night", Jack started
"Again? How did that happen? Last time you said you wanted to wait a few years" yelled Travis from the front of the truck.
"We both agreed last night that now is the right time and we started trying", Jack explained.
"Congrats Gibson, I knew babysitting Prue would change your mind one day" Dean smirked
"Thanks. I was so happy last night when she told me that she was all in. She's so excited to start trying", Jack answered.
"That's great news. I'll assume the future kid will be needing a fun Uncle Travis?" asked Travis as Dean waved his hands in front of his face to try to stop Travis from explaining himself.
"Yeah to buy them their first concert tickets and hep them dye their hair. If you want Andy or I for that matter to lose our minds then go for it", laughed Jack as he scrubbed the truck down.
"The last time him and Levi babysat Prue, she came back with her ears pierced. I thought Vic was going murder him in his sleep", Dean recalled
"I remember that, she didn't talk to you for a whole week", laughed Jack.
"I still don't know what was wrong with that. Levi and I took her to a reputable place that his doctor roommate Jo picked out. Also, you have to admit they looked good after. Vic even buys her earrings now", Travis defended
"Because she has no choice", explained Dean
"Dude, you got your best friend's boyfriend's daughter's ears pierced without even a word to them. What do you think was wrong with that?" asked Jack.
"Now that I think of it, I wasn't really thinking. I'm sorry about that" Travis answered as Jack and Dean laughed.
"Don't worry about it", laughed Jack. "But seriously Montgomery if I come home and find my kid's ears pierced, you're done"
The guys pulled away from the truck as the alarm sounded and Dean hopped in the driver's side of the Aid Car. Andy went over as Jack climbed in the passenger side and ket the door open. She handed him a folded piece of paper and reached up to kiss him quickly.
"This is for Mrs. Adams. She fell in the shower again. It's the number for a repair man who can put a bar in there. Treat our commuinity like family. The Pruitt Way.", Andy smiled. "I love you" she added
"I love you too", Jack smiled as he shut the door.