***HEY there readers. I really enjoyed your reviews. This jealousy thing is a real feeling that sometimes crops up in relationships once a baby comes along. Yes, men can feel this way, even fictional ones. After he had been on call for a week for his EMT job, he wanted time with her but forgot that he maybe should talk to her about it. (Alternate universe Jack is "human" too after all) The important thing is communicating with each other rather than overreacting and leaving. Leaving Elizabeth isn't something we may think Jack would do, even for an hour, but when emotions run high…

Anyway, thank you for reading this and accepting my "creative license" in creating emotions in Jack, or just letting me know how you feel. Please enjoy(and please try to refrain from cursing in your reviews. It's not necessary or constructive).***

When Jack and Elizabeth returned about two hours later, Fin and Charlotte were asleep on the couch by the fire in the living room.

"Ma?" Jack whispered, nudging her shoulder.

Charlotte opened her eyes and then sat up, gently moving Fin to her lap. "She's such an angel, son. You're very fortunate."

"I know I am." He scooped her up and cradled her close. "Thanks for taking care of her."

"You know I'd watch her anytime." She kissed his cheek. "Goodnight, son. Love you."

"Love you too."

Jack locked the door behind his mom and Bill and went to the kitchen. It was spotless, so he headed up to find Elizabeth.

He found her sitting on the bed with the breast pump and all its components sitting on the bed. "That looks complicated," Jack told her as he laid Fin in her crib and came to sit next to Elizabeth.

"I guess it's not." He took the instructions and before long it was put together. "I read that I'll get more milk in the morning so I'll pump tomorrow."

She took it downstairs and sterilized everything and then brought it back upstairs just as Fin was waking up to eat.

"I'll just feed her and then we can get some sleep," she told him.

"Elizabeth. Will you feed her over here?" He put her pillows against the headboard and moved back the comforter. Elizabeth walked over and sat down. She got Finlea settled and sighed. She felt as if they were only slightly in a better place than before. She was still irritated with him for leaving even though they had both apologized.

One thing they hadn't done was fully make up. Any other time they'd had a disagreement, which was very rare, they always made sure to kiss and say "I love you." He hadn't made an effort to do that and neither had she.

"Are we going to be ok?" She felt more tears burning her eyes.

He looked up into her eyes. "Of course we are."

"I love you, Jack." He touched her cheek and smiled.

"I love you too, beautiful." He brought his lips to hers for a brief moment.

Once Fin was done eating she headed to the dresser and then the bathroom.

She fluffed her curls, slipped her new navy silk and lace nightie over her head, and brushed her teeth and then walked back out into the bedroom hoping Jack would be appreciative of her efforts despite being exhausted.

Unfortunately when she walked out, he was already snoring softly. "Oh well," she told herself before turning out the light and getting in to bed.

Before she fell asleep, she felt his arms wrap around her from behind. "Silky," he mumbled, running his fingers over the fabric. "Lacy." He kissed her neck and shoulder and then turned her over to face him. "You're so beautiful."

"Its dark, how can you tell?"

He touched her lip with his thumb and then leaned down and kissed her thoroughly. "I can tell." He kissed her again and then stared into her eyes.

"What?"

"I missed you."

….

Jack woke up early the next morning. He felt for Elizabeth but her side of the bed was cool. He sat up and the crib was empty too.

He headed downstairs and found her in the kitchen, Fin in a bouncy seat on the counter, Elizabeth washing the breast pump and bottles. "Perfect timing. Want to try feeding her with the bottle?"

"Me?"

"Of course."

Jack was a bit nervous but he picked the tiny girl up and sat at the table, noticing she was moving her tongue around in her mouth. Elizabeth handed him a small bottle. "Are you sure you want me to do this?"

"Yep."

He looked down at her and took a deep breath. He stuck the nipple in her mouth gently. It took a few tries, but she eventually started sucking on it. "She's doing it, babe. I'm feeding her." She smiled at his excitement.

She bent down and kissed him. "I'm going to shower. Don't forget to burp her halfway through."

"You're leaving me alone with her?"

"Yep. I'll be back in a bit."

He stared back down into Fin's blueish eyes. "Well, love, it's just you and me."

She kept focused on him as she ate. When it was time to burp her, he took the nipple out of her mouth and gently put her over his cloth covered shoulder. "Ok, Finny, time to burp for Daddy." After a moment, she gave him what he wanted and then started fussing a bit. "You want more?" He moved her back down and put the bottle back in her mouth.

After a half hour, Fin was full and sleeping so Jack laid her in her seat and cleaned her bottle and then made breakfast for him and Elizabeth.

"Something smells good," Elizabeth said as she walked back in the kitchen, wearing his Hunter Creek Emergency t-shirt and yoga pants.

"French toast, sausage, and fresh fruit," he announced.

"Yum." She kissed Fin's cheeks and smiled. "She did good with the bottle?"

"Yep."

"That's good."

"Thank you for letting me feed her. It was great. She stared into my eyes like she was trying to read my mind or something." Elizabeth smiled and stole a piece of banana. Jack put the food on their plates and poured her a cup of coffee.

"Breakfast is served."

She set the cup down and wrapped her arms around his waist. He pulled her as close as he could and held on. "I love you, Jack."

"I love you too." He had missed being able to hold her like that. They hadn't taken the time since the baby came and before that, her belly prevented it. Now, he thoroughly enjoyed her soft body tucked against his, her head against his chest. It was perfect. "You look so good in my shirt," he mumbled against her lips before he kissed her, making her heart pound.

"What are you doing today, Jack?" she wondered once they pulled away and sat down to eat.

"I need to help Pete mend the fences in the back pasture."

"Will that take all day?"

"Yeah, pretty much."

"Ok."

"Did you have something you wanted to do?"

"Later, yes. Tonight is going to be date night in."

"That sounds fun."

"That's the plan. Thought we would make good use of that hot tub out there."

Jack's eyebrows hit his hairline as he thought about that. "Black bikini?"

She blushed. "Maybe. You'll just need to be patient and see."

"Oh good grief! At least give me a hint. You put that idea in my head and now that's all I will think of all day."

"Mission accomplished then."

She had a plan and it did require Charlotte and Bill taking Finlea for the night. That meant at the very least she needed quite a few bags of milk for her to be able to eat every three hours. She would feed her just before Charlotte picked her up around six. Then they would bring her back about seven the next morning.

"You ok, babe?"

"Sure, why?"

"You looked deep in thought."

"I was. Just thinking about tonight is all." She picked up her plate and washed it. "You done with yours?"

"Yes, ma'am." He winked and brought his plate over. "I'll see you tonight?"

"Yes. Dinner at seven."

"I have two words, babe. Black bikini."

She laughed and kissed his cheek. "Love you."

"A kiss on the cheek? That's all I get?"

"Boy, you're needy this morning, cowboy." She gave him a quick peck on the lips. He barely felt it.

Before she knew what was happening, he kissed her deeply, slipping his hands into her damp hair. He felt her sigh and he knew he had gotten her attention. "Later, babe."

…..

Well, if Jack thought about her and the black bikini he loved so much, she didn't know. However, she definitely thought of his kisses after breakfast. She thought of them as she and Finlea walked through the grocery store and when she fed her multiple times throughout the day. She thought of them when she packed the overnight bag for Fin's stay at the lake house and as she showered and shaved her legs and started preparing food.

Charlotte knocked at about six o'clock. "Elizabeth?"

"In the living room, Mom." She was feeding her on the couch.

"Hi, sweetie. All set for tonight?"

"Yes. Her bag is packed there by the door. I just need to get the cooler ready with her milk." Fin was asleep so she laid her on her lap and wrapped her robe around herself again. "Ok, so she just ate so she will eat again at nine and every three hours after that." She stood and burped her as she headed to the kitchen with Charlotte in tow. "The milk is frozen so to thaw it, put the bag in a cup of hot water for a few minutes. Then just pour it in the bottle. She took a bottle for Jack this morning so she should be willing to take these too."

"Don't worry, dear. We will be just fine."

"I know, I am just scared, I guess."

"Its normal to be nervous but you don't have to be."

Elizabeth kissed Fin's round cheeks as she put her in the car seat. "I love you, sweetheart. Be good for Nana."

Elizabeth wiped a tear away and forced a smile. She loaded the frozen bags of milk and an ice pack into the small cooler along with four empty bottles. "I started the car for you. I figured it's easier to have you take our car so you have the car seat base."

Charlotte set the seat down and hugged Elizabeth. "Call me if you need to, but try to just relax and enjoy this time with Jack. You two need this."

"I know and thank you so much. If this works out, we may do it again next month on our anniversary. At least have you watch her while Jack and I go to dinner."

"I'd be happy to."

After a few more kisses, Elizabeth walked to the door with Charlotte and then watched them drive away. It was making her heart hurt to not have Fin nearby. She had to force herself not to call her and tell her to bring her back. She was only six and a half weeks old. "No, I can do this." She headed into the kitchen to check on the roast beef, basting it once again. Then she ran upstairs to get dressed.

….

Charlotte heard Finlea making noises in the back as she drove. She figured she would have a messy diaper sometime soon. To make sure she had a place to change her safely, she drove to town first so she could change her in the parking lot of the grocery.

Fin squeaked as she pulled in and then started whimpering. "Hang on, sweet pea, Nana's gonna change you."

Charlotte got out and opened the door. "Hi, Finny. Do you need a change?" She unbuckled her and laid her on a blanket that she laid on the drivers seat. The cold air rushing into the car made her cry louder. "Its ok. We will do this quickly." She tried to be as quick as possible but she couldn't find the wipes in her bag. "Uh oh. Mama forgot wipes?" Charlotte didn't see any in the car so she used Kleenex. When she was as clean as she could get her, she put a diaper on and wrapped her back up before grabbing her purse and keys and heading into the grocery.

"Good evening, Charlotte. Who you got there?"

"Hi, Phil. This is my granddaughter."

"Oh! Jack's little one?"

"Yeah. Bill and I are watching her tonight but somehow we left without wipes."

"Aisle six will have what you need."

"Thanks, Phil."

"You betcha. She's a beauty, by the way," he said as she walked away.

"Thank you!"

Charlotte grabbed wipes as quick as she could and then headed to the checkout. "Mom?"

Charlotte turned around. "Jack. Aren't you supposed to be home?"

"On my way. I just wanted to get some flowers for Elizabeth." He walked over and kissed Fin. "Hi, sweetheart." Then he noticed what she was buying.

"Wipes?"

"Yeah. Elizabeth forgot to pack them. I was changing her diaper in the parking lot so we came in to get some."

"Oh, sorry about that." He took the wipes and his flowers and purchased them. He walked her out to the car. "Thanks for watching her for a bit. Are we supposed to come get her?"

"No, I'll bring her back around seven in the morning."

"Oh, you're keeping her all night?"

"Yep. Elizabeth gave me the bottles and milk."

"Oh."

"Don't worry, son. We will be just fine."

"I know it's just weird not having her with us. I'm surprised Elizabeth was ok with that."

"It was her idea. She's concerned about you having time together."

"Me too." He kissed her cheek and Fin's again and left for home.

…..

Jack opened the door to a wonderful smell of dinner. "Elizabeth?"

"Upstairs!"

He put the flowers in a vase as he waited. A moment later, he heard footsteps and looked up.

"Good heavens, she's beautiful," he thought to himself. "Oh wow, you look amazing."

She looked down at her dress, smoothing it. It was a burgundy wrap dress that made her waist seem thinner and somehow helped her baby weight disappear a bit. She only needed to lose ten more pounds but it seemed to be right in her abdomen, right where a bikini would expose.

"Hey," he said gently as he stepped forward and grabbed her fingers. "You look so beautiful, sweetheart. Trust me."

"Thank you." She buried her face in his neck and sighed, loving his earthy, manly scent from working outside.

"I brought you flowers." He stepped away so she could see.

"Oh, they're beautiful, thank you." She stepped toward him and kissed him.

"You're welcome. I'm going to go shower real fast and then we can eat."

…..

She picked at her food, hoping he wouldn't notice. However, he was an observant man.

"Elizabeth? What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I'm…I guess I'm not hungry." Jack knew what she was thinking. Her reaction to his compliment about the dress and now pushing her food around.

He took her hand and pulled her over to his lap. "Babe, tell me. I'll listen."

"Just feeling self conscious I guess."

"About what?"

"Lets just say I am not looking forward to wearing a bikini tonight." She tried to stand but he stopped her.

"I'm not going to force you but I need you to realize something. You look great. You just had Fin six and a half weeks ago and I have never been more attracted to you than I am right now."

"Are you being serious? Or are you just trying to make me feel better?"

"You know me better than that, Elizabeth. I'm always honest."

"Yeah." She did know that. He wasn't one to give a compliment just to flatter. He wore his heart on his sleeve and she loved that about him. "Maybe I'll try the bikini."

"We don't need to wear anything as far as I'm concerned," he flirted, his lips meeting her neck.

"The bikini will be fine," she said with a laugh as she moved back to her seat.

After cleaning up dinner, Jack went out to remove the cover from the hot tub and check the temperature.

Elizabeth changed into her bikini, slipped a t-shirt over herself, and grabbed two towels before walking downstairs.

As she removed her cover-up, she could feel Jack's eyes watching her. She knew the top was considerably smaller than it had been a year before but Jack was entranced.

"Good heavens above," he muttered under his breath. "My wife is hot!"