"Coming", Erin called out as she ran off from the kitchen where she was making Mia's dinner to the door where someone had knocked meer seconds ago.
Pulling open the door, Erin found Jay standing behind it, one of his hands awkwardly stuffed in his pocket and the other holding onto a grocery bag.
"Hey", she said giving him a smile.
"Hi. I uh..I wanted to stop by and just check on you..um I brought Mia's favorite ice cream, you know as a welcome home gift", Jay explained awkwardly.
"Daddy", Mia exclaimed as she ran in front of Erin and up to Jay. Jay smiled as he swiftly caught Mia in his arms without dropping anything and set her on his hip.
"Daddy, come eat dinner with us. Mommy's making my favorite. Pasta", Mia explained smiling towards Jay.
"Goodness Mia, you practically read my mind", Erin said giving her a big smile before glancing up towards Jay, who just couldn't seem to wipe the smile off his face.
"Mia, why don't you go wash your hands. Dinner is going to be ready any minute now", Erin remarked as she went back into the kitchen.
"Okay", Mia agreed jumping from Jay's arm and off to the bathroom.
"That shirt is just a little too big for her", Jay laughed as he sat at one of the barstools in the kitchen.
"Yeah. They gave it to her at the hospital. None of her clothes really fit right now. I have to go shopping for her tomorrow", Erin explained.
"Come shop tomorrow, Daddy", Mia requested as she came from the bathroom and climbed up the bar stool to sit in his lap.
"I don't know, M&M. I'm not the best shopper", Jay replied in return watching Erin laugh slightly.
"You could get me more toys", Mia stated pouting her lip.
"Nice try", Jay teased tickling her gently, getting to hear those infectious giggles.
"Alright, you two. Dinner is ready", Erin stated sticking two plates of pasta in front of them.
xxx
"Daddy, can you sign my cast", Mia asked sticking out her wrist brace as she laid on Jay's chest as they watched TV and Erin got changed in the other room.
"Sure, sweetie", Jay agreed picking up a pen Erin had sitting on the kitchen table. For a second he hesitated as to whether or not he should sign it as 'Daddy' or 'Jay'.
He opted with 'Daddy'.
"How did that happen M&M", Jay asked after he finished writing on the brace.
Mia looked up at Jay, small tears beginning to swell up in her eyes and Jay worried it was too soon. She was so happy and carefree, no one would even to know what happened to her in the past year.
"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to", Jay said gently rubbing her back.
"I fell on the stairs", Mia answered after a couple moments of silence.
"You know you can tell me anything, right Mia", Jay reminded her.
"I know Daddy", Mia giggled as she wrapped her arms around Jay's neck and continued to watch whatever was on TV.
Erin smiled as she listened to the conversation from her bedroom. She was so happy that Jay had showed up, it almost began to worry her that he hadn't sooner. But here he was, being his usual caring and 'fatherly' self.
Coming out of her bedroom, Erin noticed that Mia was now fast asleep on top of Jay, just like the picture from over a year ago.
"I guess I'm just her personal pillow", Jay whispered making sure to not wake up the sleeping child.
Erin laughed quietly as she sat on the edge of the couch next to Jay's feet. "Do you want me to take her to her room", she asked.
"No, it's fine. Unless you are pushing me to leave", Jay joked.
"No, you can stay", Erin said picking up the remote and flipping through the channels.
"I like when you are here", she whispered. Jay looked towards her and smiled, watching her flip through the channels. Maybe she had not even noticed what she said, but Jay sure liked to hear it.
"I asked her about the brace", Jay stated sitting up, trying to move Mia down to the couch, but she just curled back into his chest.
"She said she fell up the steps at the house", he explained.
Erin set down the remote once she found a channel she liked and ran a hand through her hair, "Did you get to see Sean", she asked.
"I tackled him", Jay said. Erin turned to him shocked, "I may have thrown a few punches too", he continued.
"It just felt necessary, you know", Jay finished looking up towards Erin, who still had that shocked look on her face, and back down towards Mia, gently rubbing her back.
"Did you interview him", Erin asked still watching Jay.
"No, Voight wouldn't let me. He said I was too connected to this case", Jay explained.
"So, no answers", Erin asked.
"No, but trust me now I want them as much as you do", Jay explained.
Erin smiled as she continued to watch Jay trace tiny patterns on Mia's back. She could feel her eyes getting heavy with sleep and she knew Jay must be getting tired to.
Tucking her feet under his legs, Erin laid her head on one of the pillows at the end of the couch, "Stay tonight", she requested.
"I don't want to wake her up. I'll stay here with you. You can come shopping with us tomorrow", Erin finished.
"I would love that", Jay smiled as he watched Erin drift to sleep. He was glad she asked him. Jay knew Erin could easily adapt to life with Mia again, because she did wait for it for over a year. But, he wanted to be there to help in every way he can
xxx
Jay woke up the next morning to the smell of coffee filling Erin's living room and small fingers on his face. Opening his eyes, he saw Mia had somehow gotten back to her original sleeping position on top of Jay.
"Good morning", Erin greeted as she walked over to the couch with two steaming mugs of coffee in her hands.
Jay smiled before he gently lifted Mia off of him and sat up on the other side of the couch. "Thanks", he stated taking the mugs from her hands.
"So, I thought maybe we could go to Target today. I think they will have everything she needs and everything that I can afford", Erin said with a smile.
"Thanks for including me, by the way", Jay thanked her.
"Mia would have dragged you there, even if I didn't invite you", Erin reminded him.
At the sound of her name, Mia shift around the couch searching for anyone to grab on to. Lifting her head up from the pillow, all of Mia's dirty blonde curls bounced all over her face.
"Good Morning Little M", Erin greeted her setting her mug down and reaching her arms out.
Mia smiled as she crawled over Jay and towards Erin, "Good Morning", Mia smiled as she crawled into her lap.
"Are you hungry", Erin asked running her hands through her Mia's hair.
"Not really", Mia said as she leaned back into her mother's chest.
"Alright Mia, name one thing you want today and I will buy it for you", Jay randomly announced.
Mia immediately perked up and began to think about what she wanted, putting her hands on her face in attempt to make a "thinking face".
"Anything", she asked just making sure. "Anything", Jay repeated hearing Erin laugh.
"I think a giant stuffed animal would be amazing", Mia decided. "But, I don't really know what I want", she sighed.
"Well, go think about it while you get dressed", Erin said lifting her off her lap and gently tickling her sides.
Mia giggled as she ran off to her room to get dressed in one of the few outfits that still fit her.
"You really don't have to do that, Jay", Erin explained.
"No, it's fine. I have something I like to call the 'Mia fund', Jay joked.
xxx
Erin scanned through yet another rack in the girl's department, this time pulling out a cute pink sundress. She had already picked out at least ten t-shirts, a couple pairs of shorts, cute skirts, jeans, and almost anything she could get her hands on. Erin loved shopping for Mia and she felt that now she could spoil her daughter.
"Mia", she called out hoping to find her daughter who was messing around somewhere with her partner.
All of a sudden Mia's little head peeked behind a rack of clothes with a pile of stuffed animals in her arms. Of course, Jay followed behind her messing around with a bouncy ball.
"Come stand here, so I can see if this is long enough", Erin requested.
Mia skipped over and stood in front of her mother while Erin made sure it wasn't too short.
"Do you like it", Erin asked. "Yeah I love it", Mia agreed.
"Have you guys found what toys you want", Erin asked looking up at Jay who looked like a kid in a candy store with that giant smile on his face.
"Daddy wants to get the bouncy ball and I want these stuffed animals", Mia said showing them all to her mother.
"But, tell Mommy where we want to go after this", Jay said, earning an eyebrow raise from Erin.
"Can we go to the toy store", Mia asked. "I wanna get new coloring books and crayons and they don't have the ones I want here", she explained.
"Please", Mia began to beg knowing her mother was already not going along with the plan.
"Yeah, please", Jay said as he picked up Mia and set her on his shoulders, causing her to giggle.
"Please. Please. Please", they both repeated.
"Okay, okay. But, go put those toys back and I will go check out", Erin agreed as she rolled her eyes.
"Yeah", both Mia and Jay exclaimed as they ran back to the toys. Erin couldn't help but laugh as they ran away. It was nice to have her back home where she belonged. It was also nice to have Jay here. Because Erin did mean what she said, she liked it better when he was around.
A/N: I've been dying to write this cute little chapter with Jay, Mia, and Erin. If I haven't explained already, I will be getting a lot of writing done because I am on summer break and chapters of my stories are being written so fast. So, I hoped you all enjoyed this chapter and please review!