BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! Eddie and Jamie both groaned as the alarm clock sounded. Jamie hit the snooze button and rolled back over to wrap Eddie in his arms.

"We've got to get up," she mumbled without even opening her eyes.

"I need five more minutes. You kept me up too late last night."

"Ha. That was all you, Mr. Reagan. Come on. We've got to get up. Connor and Kenzie have a field trip this morning and if they're late they can't go and if they don't get to go, I will never hear the end of it."

"Where are they going?"

"Liberty Science Center."

"I love that place. I wish I could chaperone but I can't get out of this court appearance. If I no-show Erin may kill me."

"I know. It's fine. This will be my first time out of this house since having Finn. I'm excited to go… even if it's a field trip with sixty-five seven-year-olds."

"Mama! Get up!" Kenzie yelled as she and Connor sprinted into Jamie and Eddie's room and jumped on the bed. "We gotta go!"

"Have you two slept at all?" Eddie asked, cracking open one eye as the two of them crawled to the top of the bed and wedged their way in between their parents.

"A little bit."
"Well how about you go and put on your uniforms while Daddy and I get up and fix breakfast?"

"What's for breakfast?" Connor asked.

"How about… scrambled eggs and toast?" Jamie asked.

"With bacon?"

"We'll see if we have any. Is Sawyer up yet?"

"Not yet."

"Daddy, are you sure you can't go with us today?" Kenzie asked as she rested her head on Jamie's shoulder.

"Yep. If I go with you, I'm going to get in trouble with Aunt Erin." Jamie scrunched up his face as the "twins" followed suit. "But I want to hear all about it when you get home."

"Mama!" Sawyer yawned as she came stumbling in, dragging her ratty old blanket behind her, "I'm hungry." She looked just like Eddie with her long blond hair going every which direction.

"Hey you," Jamie smiled as she wandered over to his side of the bed. He picked her up and sat her in the middle of the bed with the other two. "Did you have a good sleep?"

"Uh huh." Still not fully awake, she quickly fell over and went back to sleep.

"How about you guys bundle up and stay up here just a little longer while me and Daddy go fix breakfast?" Eddie asked, looking at Connor and Kenzie.

"We gotta get ready!" Connor announced as he jumped up. "Come on Kenz."

The two older kids darted off to put their uniforms on while Sawyer slept soundly in the middle of the bed.

Jamie pulled the covers back up over her, grabbed his suit, went into the bathroom, and got dressed. "Make sure you grab your sweaters," he reminded Connor and Kenzie as he passed by their room on his way downstairs to help Eddie. It didn't take long for the two of them to dress and sprint down the stairs.

"Ok, I've got to get going," Jamie said as he rinsed his breakfast dish and put it in the dish drainer. "You two have fun today and make sure you stay with Mama and Mrs. Higgins. Don't run off. Understand?"

"We won't, Dad," Connor assured him as he got up and gave Jamie a hi-five before putting his plate in the sink.

"Kenzie Reece, copy?"
"Uh huh."
"Bug…" Jamie was looking for some sort of acknowledgement, but Kenzie was completely fixated on trying to build a hut out of her cinnamon waffles. Eddie screwed the lid on a thermos of coffee and handed it to Jamie before giving him a kiss.

"Kenzie. Answer Daddy, please."

"Huh?"
Jamie rolled his eyes as he walked over and knelt down beside her chair so that he was eye-to-eye with her. "Do not go off exploring on your own today. Stay with Mommy and Mrs. Higgins. Yes sir?"

"Yes sir."

"Thank you." He gave her a kiss to the top of the head and gave Eddie one more kiss before heading out the door. "I'll see you guys tonight."

"Ok. Let's go get Sawyer up and get out of here."

Eddie dropped Sawyer at Nursery School and Finn off at the sitter's house before making her way to St. Joe's. They made it just in time to be counted present and head out for their field trip. Kenzie and Connor were both excited as they all piled onto the bus and made their way to the Science Center. Eddie enjoyed watching her two oldest explore every nook and cranny and willingly engage in all of the experiments. Connor was more science-minded, but Kenzie stayed equally as interested.

On the other side of town, Jamie was hanging out in the back of the courtroom waiting on Erin to call him as a witness when Danny breezed in and took a seat beside him.

"Hey."

"Hey Danny. What's up?" he whispered.

"You never called me."
"Oh. Yeah. Sorry. It was a wild night."
"I heard. Are my nieces out of the doghouse yet?"

"They're working on it. Kenzie's back to passing 2nd grade and as long as Sawyer lays off redecorating her room, I think their mama may let them live."

Danny chuckled. "How do you feel about working a case with me?"

"What's the case?"

"Vincent DelFino."
"The leader of the Red Kings?"
"Yep. He supposedly made a deal and needs protection when he helps us bring down the Black Spades. However, I don't very well trust someone who severs people's jugulars for fun. So, while we got people watching his back, we want somebody watching him."
"So it's a looky loo."

"Basically. It's watch my back while I watch somebody who has no problem slitting a throat."

"Yeah. I'm in."
About that time, they heard Erin clear her throat in annoyance. "I said, the court calls Detective Jamie Reagan to the stand."

"Oops. Gotta go."

"Oh she looks mad."

"Yeah…" Jamie muttered.

Danny chuckled. "Have fun," He waved to Erin who looked anything but amused as he got up and left the courtroom.

Jamie got out shortly after lunch and gave Eddie a call. "Hey. How are things going over there?"
"Hey you. Everything's good. The kids are loving the experiments. You know Connor's in Heaven over here."

"What about Kenz?"
"I think she's enjoying it. I mean, she looks happy. I don't think she cares how any of this works, but I think she's enjoying it all the same."

"Have you guys had lunch?"
"We had a peanut butter and jelly and some carrot strips. I'm starving."

"You guys want to meet me for pizza?"

"Oooo. Steppanopolo's?"

"Yeah. Do I need to come over and get you?"

"Nah. We're headed back to the school now. I'll sign them out and we'll be there in about thirty?"

"Sounds good. I'll head on over and order the usual."
"Ok. We'll see you in just a little while. Love you."
"Love you."

Eddie signed out the kids as soon as they made it back to the school. "Hey guys, how do you feel about meeting Daddy for pizza?"
"Just the four of us?" Kenzie asked.

"Yep." Eddie looked in the rearview mirror and saw Kenzie's eyes light up.

"Then, YES!"

"Good. Get your stuff and let's get out of here."

Jamie was sitting in the restaurant when they pulled into the parking lot. He stood when they walked in and waved them over to the table.

"Dad!" Connor yelled as he took out in a dead sprint and ran into Jamie's arms.

"Daddy!" Kenzie followed suit.

"Hey," Eddie smiled as she soon caught up with them and walked straight over to Jamie for a kiss.

"How was it?"

"We had a great time. Right guys?"

Kenzie and Connor chattered non-stop. Jamie listened intently as Eddie dove into her pizza. "Hey Dad, can we go back sometime?" Connor asked. "I want to show you the bed of nails… and the Sherlock Holmes exhibit. We got to solve a mystery looking at a splatter pattern and footprints and everything!"

Jamie gave Eddie a confused/concerned look. "Splatter pattern?"

Eddie just chuckled.
"Uncle D will be so proud!"

"I'm sure he will be."

"Can we go back?"
"Yeah! Just the four of us!" Kenzie hinted. "The little kids wouldn't know what to do."

Jamie shook his head. "Speaking of your siblings, how was Sawyer when you dropped her at school?"

"She was fine. Got out with no complaint. They were having a pudding party today, so I think that helped. Speaking of which, we need to get going so we can pick her up."

"I want to stay with Dad."
"Me too," Kenzie agreed.

"Can't, guys. I have to go back to work to wrap up a few loose ends."
"Whhhhhaaat?"

"Nooooooooo."
Eddie and Jamie both laughed at the twins dramatics. "It's only for a little while. I'll be home by 4:00pm."
"But Dad…"
"If you help Mama with whatever chores need to be done, we'll play when I get home. Deal?"

"Deal," they both agreed.

"You good?" Jamie asked as Eddie got up to head out with the kids.

"Yep. I was just thinking, you come home and wear them down, then we can put them to bed early, and you and I can play."

"Sounds good," he grinned as he wrapped a hand around her waist and gave her a kiss.

"DAD! No." Kenzie and Connor stood covering their eyes, completely grossed out.

"Be careful," she smiled. "We'll see you at 4pm."

Kenzie, Sawyer, and Connor were all anxiously awaiting by the door when Jamie got home. Eddie was feeding Finn and ordered them all to stay put until Jamie actually got inside and put his gun in the safe.

"Let's play with water guns!"
"Let's play soccer!"
"Bubbles!" Sawyer squealed as she tried her best to jump as high as Kenzie and Connor were bouncing.

"Five minutes, guys. Let me change my clothes." Jamie ran upstairs and put on a pair of athletic shorts and a Harvard t-shirt.

"Dinner will be ready at 6pm," Eddie said as she pulled Finn on to her shoulder and patted his back.

"Sounds good," Jamie said as he sat down beside her on the sofa to put on his tennis shoes. "Hey Finn." He gently patted Finn's head, which didn't go unnoticed by his two daughters.

"Daddy! Let's go!" Kenzie urged.

"Let's go!" Sawyer echoed as they each grabbed one of his hands and tugged at him.

"Yell if you need help with dinner." Jamie leaned over and kissed Eddie before getting up and following the kids out into the front yard. Keeping his promise to Eddie, Jamie and the kids played hard for almost two hours. They ran all over the front and back yard, playing soccer, cops and robbers with water guns, tag, and kick the can. They were dirty and exhausted when Eddie called them in for dinner.

"Mama, would you mind if we did showers before dinner? We're all pretty gross," Jamie said, as they all piled inside.

"Ugh, please," Eddie said, wrinkling her nose at the sights and smells standing in front of her.

Thirty minutes and four showers later, the clean and freshly pajama clad crew returned to the dining room.

"We're clean," Jamie smiled as they made their way into the dining room where Eddie was setting the spaghetti, salad, and bread on the table, "and ready for bed."

"I like it. Connor, can you do the prayer, please?"

By the time everyone was finished eating and the dishes were cleared from the table, the kids were exhausted and ready for bed. Sawyer had nodded off mid meal and as much as Kenzie and Connor tried to insist that they weren't tired, neither of them could keep their eyes open. After putting them to bed, Eddie and Jamie made their way into the bedroom for some much anticipated alone time. Eddie slipped into her blue, silk, mini-robe and lit a few candles while Jamie went around and locked the doors and turned off all the lights. When he returned with two champagne flutes and a bottle of bubbly, Eddie was waiting.

"Well hello, Mr. Reagan."

"Hi," Jamie grinned as he shut the bedroom door and placed the glasses and bottle on the side table. Eddie made her way over to him and rose on her tip toes as she kissed him. "Champagne now or later?" he whispered, with his eyes still closed and his arms wrapped around Eddie's waist.

"Later… much later," she giggled as she pulled him down on the bed.

An hour later, their bodies intertwined in the sheets, Eddie looked to Jamie as she lay, running her finger along his sternum. "Hey Jamie?"

"Yeah?"
"I love our life."
"Me too," he smiled as he kissed the top of her head and ran his hand along her shoulder.

"I mean, for the longest, all I ever wanted to be was a cop, and then I met you and all that changed. I wanted to be a cop AND your wife. I never saw myself as anything different. And then we had the kids."
"What's going on in that head of yours?"

"I don't know if it's ok for me to still want to be a cop when I have the very important role of wife and mother. When I married you, I swore that I wouldn't lose myself… and I didn't really. But when I became a mother, all of that had to go away. If I were a teacher or someone who sold make-up or worked in a bookstore, I wouldn't feel as bad about leaving the kids every morning. But a cop? There's always that possibility that I won't come home… and I can't do that to those kids. I cannot leave them without a mother."

"You want to take a break? Because you can. Eddie you don't have to go back to work. We'll be fine."

"Oh, but I do. I've been going insane sitting in this house every day. I want to be out in the streets. It's in my blood… but every time I think about getting back out there, I see Finn… or Sawyer… or Kenzie or Connor. I'm just afraid this new perspective is going to affect my ability to be a good cop."

"You don't see me?" Jamie smiled down at her.

"Reagan, I'm serious!" she playfully slapped his stomach.

"Look, cards on the table, being a husband and a father has changed me to. Every decision I make is 100% affected by whether or not I will be able to walk through that door each night to the five of you."

"So what do you do?"

"Me? I just go into every situation saying I'm coming home. No more going off the reservation… no more cowboy heroics… I do my job and I come home. Nothing is going to keep me from my girls and my two sons. But Babe, whatever you decide, I'll support you. If you want to go back to the job after your maternity leave, I'm behind you. You're the best cop I know. But if you want to stay at home and police a whole different set of animals, I'll support you… because you're also the best mom that I know."

Eddie smiled as she melted into him. How lucky was she? She literally had the perfect guy to do life with.