A/N: Happy Monday Everyone - here is the next update to hopefully add some entertainment to the start of your week, enjoy!

Chapter 4: Money Pits

"You're doing what?" Danny apprehensively inquires to his brother as he stands in Jamie's office watching him get ready to leave.

"Stopping by the baby store." Jamie repeats.

"Oh Kid…" Danny breathes out in alarm.

Jamie stills his movement and frowns "Okay do you think you could stop calling me Kid now?" He inquires.

"Why?" Danny questions.

"Danny, I can't be a kid when I'm having a kid." Jamie points outs.

"Ah but you're still my kid brother." Danny counters as Eddie walks into Jamie's office with a file.

"I do not want you calling me Kid in front of my kid when they are five and then we both reply." Jamie reasons "That's just awkward and wrong."

"Then just don't reply when he calls you Kid." Eddie offers as she breezes past Danny and Jamie to drop the file on Jamie's desk "I'm ready when you are." She tells her husband before turning and walking out of the room just as quick as she entered.

"Did you really have to point that out to him?" Danny calls backward over his shoulder to his sister in law.

"SORRY!" Eddie's voice replies in return.

"She's smarter than you College Boy." Danny chuckles as he turns his attention back to his brother.

"What are you just running through all my nicknames now?" Jamie tosses out annoyed.

"Maybe Harvard." Danny ponders "But then I'm not the golden boy who grew up to become a boy scout… or should I say boy scout that grew up to become the golden boy…either works I suppose."

Jamie looks at his brother unimpressed "Are you done now?" he flatly inquires "I have a store to get too."

"Right!" Danny remembers before turning serious "Jamie…" He begins

"Oh look you know my actual name!"

Danny waves his brother off with his hand telling him to shut up "I'm trying to be serious here for a second okay – you gotta watch yourself here – baby stores are money pits." He warns "You walk in there and suddenly its oh you need this, you need that, you want multiples or this and multiples of that and before you know it, you leave with hundreds if not thousands of dollars worth of crap you don't need."

"Okay that's being a little over dramatic don't you think?" Jamie dismisses.

Danny shakes his head "No. I'm being deadly seriously here Jamie. You walk in one of those stores with a pregnant woman and those sales people pounce on you and prey on the hormones of the pregnant woman and then guilt the unsuspecting father to be who they know will just cave and do anything to make the mother of his baby happy - Jamie, it's hell on earth."

"What's hell on earth?" Eddie inquires as she walks back in.

"According to Danny – baby stores." Jamie explains.

Eddie's face scrunches up "What? Next to Disney I thought those places were always supposed to be the most cheerful, happiest and serene places on earth."

Danny feverishly shakes his head back and forth in rejection "No. Money Pits." He seriously warns again "Do NOT let them talk you into more then you originally intended to get when you walked in! Have a list…" he advises before lifting his hand and pointing his index finger moving it back and forth between his brother and sister in law "…and stick to it!" He warns before departing the office.

Jamie and Eddie watch him leave then turn to look at one another - each scrunching their faces up and dismissing his warning like he's crazy.

Suddenly Danny reappears in the door "Take the Porsche." He seriously advises "That way you have less room to take stuff home."

"Danny…" Jamie begins.

"Take. The. Porsche." Danny presses cutting his brother off before once again turning to walk away.

Slowly Jamie and Eddie turn to look at one another – this time both a little more pensive…

"Maybe we should um... take the Porsche?" Eddie tentatively inquires.

Jamie slowly nods in agreement "Sure..."

….

With Eddie in the driver's seat and Jamie in the passenger seat of the Porsche, the couple pulls up in front of a boutique baby store and get out. As they walk towards the entrance, the store door opens and they see a man with his arms loaded down carrying out multiple bags and boxes with a pregnant lady following and then another person following behind them with yet more bags and boxes.

Jamie and Eddie exchange a look then Eddie stops walking, pulls out her phone and quickly types something.

"What are you doing?" Jamie inquires.

"I'm making a list." Eddie explains.

"I thought we only wanted one or two items." Jamie points out.

"Exactly." Eddie agrees "And Jamie whatever happens when we get inside, you have to promise me – that will not be us when we walk out. No matter what I do or say."

"You really think you're going to go all baby item crazy?" Jamie queries "Eddie that's not exactly your style or mine."

"I know." Eddie agrees "But after seeing that couple walk out combined with Danny's warning, I'd rather be safe then sorry."

"True." Jamie slowly relents "Okay show me the list."

Eddie turns her phone to show Jamie.

"Babe…" Jamie sighs "…that's not a list – it's 3 words - baby reveal items – that could mean anything."

"Well until I see what they have…" Eddie retorts "…I don't really know what it is I want!"

"Okay…" Jamie begins as he grabs Eddie's phone from her "Then I'll add this." He states as he types on her phone a bit before handing it back to her.

Eddie looks at the screen and reads "And that's all, nothing else exclamation point, exclamation point, exclamation point?" She laughs.

Jamie defensively shrugs his shoulders "And not an item more in fact, we could rethink this entire thing and go back to the old fashioned way of simply just announcing that we are having a baby."

"And if this doesn't pan out, we will." Eddie admits "But I want to see what they have first!" She insists before picking up his hand "Now come on! Let's go!" She instructs.

"Why am I suddenly regretting this…" Jamie finds himself saying as he lets his wife pull him with her into the store and the second they push the door open and walk inside Eddie stops short at the sight before her and a happy little pout appears on her face "Oh Jamie, everything is so cute!" she exclaims as she starts to just randomly pick up and touch stuff "Oh look at this cute little onsie!"

"Hiiiiiiiiiii!" An eager female voice suddenly greets from out of nowhere "What can we help you with today?"

Jamie looks over to see a sales associate smiling brightly at them "One thing…" Jamie explains "…baby reveal items. You got a wall of those or something?"

"Oh are we expecting?" the associate giddily inquires as she quickly glances at Jamie but focuses most of her attention on Eddie.

"Yes." Eddie replies as her eyes land on a display crib with a pretty little display mobile set up over it.

"Oh how lovely!" The associate gushes "How far along?" she inquires trying to establish a rapport with Eddie.

"Baby reveal items." Jamie interjects slightly annoyed "That's all we need."

"Yes, yes of course." The associate dismissively agrees before reaching towards the mobile "Here let me just turn this on for you." She helpfully offers and the second she does, Eddie melts.

"Ohhhhh." Eddie happily sighs before looking over at her husband with a little pout and puppy dog eyes.

Jamie takes a deep breath and pulls his phone out of his pocket as he flashes the associate a fake smile "Sorry we have a car with very limited space today so we can't take a lot of items with us – could you please just show us your baby reveal items?"

"But Jamie..." Eddie begins.

"Eddie…" Jamie interrupts "Look at your list." He prompts.

Eddie looks at her husband and when he gestures at her phone she slowly pulls it out and looks at her list. She heavily sighs in defeat "Baby reveal items." She reads "And that's all." She reluctantly repeats "Nothing else." She tells the sales associate with a frown.

"So no mobile?" the associate prompts.

"No." Jamie flatly rejects as he types out a text "No mobile." He repeats before hitting send.

….

Danny is walking out of a coffee shop when his phone dings with a text message. He pulls it out to see a message from his brother. All it says is:

I hate it when u r right.

A smug smile appears on Danny's face as he types a reply.

….

"Then we have these options here…" The associate explains to Eddie as she tries to upsell anything and everything when Jamie's phone dings with a reply.

D: See u just have 2 listen 2 your older brother – he knows everything. U take the Porsche like I told u?

J: Yes but I should have just told them we walked.

D: Oh good 1!

J: no

Danny face scrunches up in confusion when he reads that

D: No what?

J: sorry was saying no 2 associate and accidentally typed it 2 u same time.

Danny laughs.

D: just like the slogan says 'Just say no!'

Danny waits for a reply but doesn't get one so he pockets his phone and walks on.

….

Growing impatient as Eddie and the sales associate chat away about 'options', Jamie suddenly has flashbacks to planning the wedding. All the nights and weekend afternoons picking invitations and color schemes and flowers and while he regretted none of that – this is just a simple baby reveal – it shouldn't be this difficult or time consuming so looking over Eddie's shoulder, Jamie scans the items available. Finally, he points to an item on the shelf "That one." He decides.

"That one?" The sales associate replies with hints of annoyance – it was one of, if not THE cheapest item in the entire store…

Eddie looks at the item then looks back at her husband.

"It's simple. It's compact. It's us." Jamie explains to his wife.

Eddie picks up the item and turns it over in her hands. A smile grows on her face "And completely appropriate to the setting! It's perfect!"

"That's what I thought." Jamie agrees.

"Sold!" Eddie happily quips as she hands the item to the sales associate.

"Well what about..." the associate tries again.

"No." Jamie reiterates "Just that. Nothing more. Please and thank you."

The associate eyes drift to Eddie to see her nodding her head up and down in agreement.

"Um, yeah…okay." The associate begrudgingly states wondering why she bothered wasting her breath… "I'll um… just ring this up."

….

Walking out of the baby boutique feeling a little giddy and bolstered knowing that they just bucked the money pit hole most expectant parents fall into, Jamie tosses his newly purchased package a few times up in the air and recatching it.

"Well you seem quite proud of yourself." Eddie notes as she watches his actions from behind him.

Jamie turns to face his wife now walking backwards towards the car "Here! Catch!" he prompts as he tosses the package at her.

Eddie quickly reaches her hands up and grabs the item "I wonder if they work on commission." Eddie laughs as she tosses the package back at him.

"She would have just made like ten cents on us if she did – if that!" Jamie quips as he catches the package and stops on the sidewalk by the passenger's side of the Porsche.

"It was a good choice." Eddie admits as she walks up to him.

"Thank you." Jamie accepts "I was actually starting to have flashbacks to planning the wedding back there."

"What?" Eddie laughs.

"Don't get me wrong planning the wedding was great but that was a one time thing and I was not about to let a simple baby reveal turn into a full afternoon of picking colors and patterns and material and... and word font!" he states in disgust.

"Jamie everything in that store is off the rack." Eddie points out amused "There was no picking colors or patterns or anything."

"So we think." Jamie notes "But who knows what they have in the backroom."

"JAMIE!" Eddie laughs.

"And when it does come time to actually buy baby items…" Jamie decides "As much as I almost hate to say this because it means I'm roping myself into something I don't necessary want to do but I'm saying it anyway. You are not allowed to step foot inside one of these stores without me. I don't need you buying the entire store out and throwing us into debt."

Eddie's mouth falls open "I would never!"

"Oh Jamie everything is so cute!" Jamie repeats back to her mimicking her voice "Look at this little onsie! Oh the mobile!" He tacks on for good measure before giving his wife a challenging look "And don't forget the puppy dog, pleading eyes look."

Eddie groans "I did do that, didn't I?"

"You did." Jamie reiterates

"Damn these people are good." Eddie notes in awe "Good thing we had the list."

Now Jamie groans "You know I had to text Danny and tell him he was right. That hurt."

Eddie sucks in a breath of air "Oh he's going to hold that over us now isn't he?"

"Oh you know he will!" Jamie replies "But it won't be for long."

Eddie curiously eyes her husband "Really? Why not?"

"Because in 7 months we're going to be the ones in charge of giving him or not giving him access to his new niece or nephew. Eddie, you have no idea the power we are going to suddenly have – over all of them actually."

Eddie looks at her husband slightly confused "What does that mean?"

Jamie simply smiles at his wife "You'll see on Sunday. You've been a member of this family a long time now Eddie but you've never been around us when a new born baby is involved – that's a whole different ballgame."

"Okay…" Eddie tentatively accepts "So tell me."

Jamie shakes his head no "You wouldn't believe me even if I told you. You'll see for yourself on Sunday after everyone finds out."

Eddie eyes her husband "Jamie…" She warns.

"It's nothing bad." He promises.

''What is there like some weird Irish catholic pregnancy ritual I'm going to have to participate in or something?"

"What?" Jamie laughs.

"Well you're not exactly giving me much to go on here Jamie!" Eddie shoots back annoyed.

"Okay can we please forget I even said anything?"

"How long have you known me?" Eddie challenges "Do I ever just let anything 'go'?"

"Okay if you want to play that card…" Jamie counters "I'll play this card – trust me."

Eddie sucks in a deep unhappy breath of air.

Jamie smiles sweetly at her "Please?" he prompts.

"You're lucky I love you." Eddie huffs out.

"So you'll just let this go and wait until Sunday?"

"Fine." Eddie relents. "But I'm not happy about it!"

"Well is there anything I can do to make you happy?"

"Tell me what you're not telling me!" Eddie tosses back.

"Other then that." Jamie flatly counters.

Eddie ponders his offer and then her eyes light up "Get me that mobile?"

Jamie hangs his head and groans in defeat.

"You said anything." Eddie sweetly reminds him.

Jamie takes a deep breath and look up at his wife

"And before we walked into that store…" Jamie points out "…you made me promise you that whatever happened I was not to let us walk out of there with more then what was on the list – 'no matter what I do or say.' I believe you said so that's the promise I am sticking to… besides you don't just buy the first mobile you see." he rejects "We need to shop around. Do research. There is room color and patterns to consider. Do we want animals or objects? It's like planning a wedding Eddie – soooo many options!"

And the second those last words leave his lips, Eddie narrows her eyes at him and she realizes he's playing with her.

He tries not to grin.

"You know you're lucky you're the one holding the napkins." Eddie points out as she starts to head to the driver's side of her car.

"I know." Jamie giddily quips as he turns and proudly displays the package to her over the roof of the car "Because otherwise you would huck them at me!" He adds before looking at the napkins "Congratulations!" he reads before flipping the package over and displaying the reverse side to Eddie "It's a Baby!" He reads again in arrogant delight.

Eddie rolls her eyes "Yes I do know what the napkins say, thank you."

"And I picked it." Jamie boasts "No fuss. No muss. We'd still be in there if I let you decide."

"Just get in the car Jamie." Eddie demands in annoyance as she opens the driver's side door "Or I'll drive away without you."

"Is that anyway to talk to the father of your child?" Jamie jokes as he opens his car door.

"What is with you already?" Eddie wonders in awe as she gets in.

Jamie shrugs as he also slides into his seat "Can't a guy just be happy?"

"Happy, yes." Eddie relents as she closes her door "But this…" She adds as she gestures up and down at her husband.

"Is 100% yours." Jamie finishes as he closes his door.

Eddie purses her lips together as his brazen forward suggestiveness.

"What?" Jamie challenges "Am I wrong?"

"No." Eddie relents with a little laugh "You are not wrong."

"Great." Jamie accepts "Then let's go Babe. Pedal to the metal."

"OKAY SERIOUSLY!" Eddie cries in exasperation "Pedal to the metal? Come here." She demands "Let me feel your forehead, you have to be running a fever…"

"I am perfectly healthy." Jamie reassures her "You're perfectly healthy and that one…" He adds as he points at her stomach "…is perfectly healthy." "So yes maybe I'm being a little giddy but Eddie, we just picked up napkins that say Congratulation it's a Baby that we are using to tell both our families – did you hear that – both - yours and mine - together at Sunday Dinner – if you ask me, life doesn't get much better then this." He simply tells his wife "So can you blame me for just wanting to take a minute and just…enjoy it?"

Eddie smiles at her husband "No." She honestly admits "No I can't."

"Great." Jamie accepts "So let's go then – pedal to metal."

Eddie shakes her head "Sorry, no can do."

Jamie scrunches his face up in confusion "What? Why not?"

"Haven't you heard?" Eddie prompts "We have a baby on board now. Gotta start driving like my husband who drives like my Grandmother…"

"…who's been dead for… wait how many years are we up to now?" Jamie inquires "I think it was what 9? 10 years? when we were engaged so… 14, 15 years?"

Eddie shrugs "Close enough. Now put your seatbelt on Daddy, Momma don't drive until everyone is buckled up."

"Oh safety first!" Jamie impressively notes as he reaches for his "Me likey!"

Eddie looks over at her husband and again smiles "Me too Jamie." She seriously, appreciatively and very lovingly states "Me too."

Jamie offers his wife a smile back, then narrows his eyes in thought.

"What?" Eddie prompts.

Jamie scrunches his nose up "You're not going to be able to fit behind that wheel much longer."

Eddie groans and hangs her head "Well way to ruin a mood smartass."

Jamie shrugs "Just saying."

"Well you know what I say?" Eddie counters "I say I am driving this car until I literally can't even pull myself out of the seat anymore okay and then I'll drive the Chevelle until I pop this kid out but we are NOT – I repeat NOT giving up my Baby! – well this baby…" Eddie tries to clarify as she points at the car "Not this baby." She adds as she points at the abdomen "ANY babies!" She then decides "We are not giving up ANY babies!"

"You sound a little cranky there Baby." Jamie notes amused.

"You want to walk home?" Eddie deadpans unimpressed.

"What just me and my napkins?" Jamie inquires as he again holds them up and grins "We're having a baby Babe."

"If you think that's going to be some kind of get out of jail free card or something you got another thought coming."

"Nah already got one of those." Jamie dismisses with a twinkle "Did you want to see it? It's from my Dad."

"Did I say jail? I meant dog house."

"We don't have a dog." Jamie reminds his wife.

"You're really starting to piss me off." Eddie warns.

"Stress is not good for the baby." Jamie again reminds his wife.

"Then why are you stressing me out?!" Eddie whines in defeat.

"Okay, okay, sorry." Jamie earnestly relents "That's the last thing I want you know that. I… I'm just… happy."

Eddie smiles at her husband too "I'm happy too."

Suddenly Jamie just looks up and around and all over the place.

"What?" Eddie prompts looking round after him trying to figure out what he is looking for or looking at.

"I'm just waiting for lightening to strike or a piano to fall from the sky or something." Jamie admits as he continues to look outside the car and not at his wife.

"Oh do not say that!" Eddie chides before starting to feel a bit queasy "…but I… I do…" Eddie takes a deep breath "…actually get what… what you're saying, it's like…" Eddie takes another deep breath "… like waiting for the other shoe to drop or something." She adds as she takes a deep breath again.

Jamie snaps his fingers and points at his wife "Exactly." he agrees as he finally turns to face his wife to see her eyes closed and her head leaning back against the headrest taking deep breathes "Eddie?" he questions in concern.

"I um… I think…" Eddie slowly begins as her face scrunches up in disgust but Jamie's already tossing the napkins aside and got his door open…

"Yup I'm driving." He finishes as he hurries around the car to the driver's side. He opens the door "Okay come on…" He prompts as he reaches in "Just hang on, lean on me…" he instructs as he helps his wife out of the seat.

"Oh hurry up, I'm going to be sick." Eddie mutters as Jamie moves them both over to the passenger's side of the car as quick but carefully as he can to lower his wife into that seat.

Jamie just settles her in and steps back in time for Eddie to lean over and throw up outside the car onto the street "Ugh." She groans out before sitting back up and leaning her head against the headrest again.

Jamie shuts the door and rushes back to the driver's side. He slides into the seat.

"Get me the um…" Eddie begins but Jamie is already reaching to grab a plastic pail that now lives in the car. "Here." he instructs as he holds it out in front of his wife.

"Thank you." Eddie mutters as she takes it "Drive slow." she instructs.

"Slow I can do." Jamie agrees as he shuts his door and starts the car while glancing sideways at his wife with a concerned frown.

...

A/N: Next up - It's Sunday! :)