A/N: Sorry for the delay everyone - but better late then never, here is today's chapter!

Chapter 34: 1st Collar

"AAAARRRGGGHH!" Eddie grunts out as she stands next to her bed trying in vane to pull her jeans around her waist to zip and button them but it's a no go.

Sighing, she gives up and plops herself backwards onto the bed to just stare up at the ceiling in defeat.

Walking into the room at that moment, Jamie takes in the sight of his wife "Uh oh." he immediately asks "What's wrong?"

"I'm fat." Eddie flatly replies "That's what's wrong."

"No." Jamie counters "You're pregnant."

"My clothes don't fit anymore." Eddie grumbles.

"Well that is usually what happens when you're pregnant, yes." Jamie points out.

Eddie lifts her head off the bed to look at her husband "Take my pants off." She instructs.

A grin breaks out onto Jamie's face "With pleasure!"

"Get your mind out of the gutter." Eddie throws back "I'm too exhausted from trying to make my pants fit to have the energy to take them off now."

Jamie frowns and moves towards his wife to help her "I thought you went shopping for maternity clothes?" he asks as Eddie lifts her hips to shimmy her pants off her butt.

"No, I was going to go…" Eddie states as Jamie grabs the fabric at the bottom of the pant cuffs and pulls "…but one thing led to another and I haven't made it there yet. Get me a pair of your sweats."

"Oh is that your plan?" Jamie states as he walks over and lays her pants over a chair before opening one of his drawers "You're just going to wear my clothes?"

"Yeah, your sweats and an oversized NYPD tshirt will be my new dress attire for work." Eddie sarcastically tosses back as she watches Jamie rummage through his drawer looking for the right pair "I'm sure the Commissioner will completely approve of that."

"No need to get cheeky." Jamie counters as he picks a pair and tosses them at his wife.

"I know I should be excited about going shopping…" Eddie states as her hands quickly reach up to catch the flying pants "Thank you." She appreciatively states before continuing on "But I'm not."

"Why?" Jamie curiously inquires.

Eddie shrugs as she puts the pants on "Honestly? I don't have the energy – going to the store, picking everything, trying stuff on. Then I've got to shlep it home, wash it, go through my current clothes, box stuff up to make room for the new ones. Ugh! So. Much. Work! … maybe these sweats and an oversized tshirt wouldn't be such a bad idea."

"Well what if someone went with you to help?" Jamie suggests.

Eddie's eyes light up "Would you?"

"What me? Oh god no!" Jamie immediately rejects "I was thinking someone more like Erin or Rosa. You know someone that might have a hot clue what you should be getting."

"Wow." Eddie breathes out "Are you Jamie Reagan saying there is something you are NOT an expert on?" She teases.

"In this case, yes, I admit it. There is." Jamie simply replies.

Eddie laughs before sighing "I guess I can call Rosa. I just don't want to put her out you know."

"Eddie…" Jamie sighs "I think she will actually be offended if you don't call her. Remember she's looking to chip away at that debt she thinks she owes us, besides I bet Mia would love to tag along."

"Oh if Mia comes..." Eddie realizes "I can make her carry all the bags and run back and forth to the racks to get different sizes or colors!"

"See there you go!"

"Okay hand me my phone." Eddie prompts as she gestures to her nightstand "I'm still too tired to move."

Jamie frowns as he reaches to grab and hand her her phone "You should take a nap."

"Stop being so bossy." Eddie tosses back as she dials.

"Not bossy - that's your department." Jamie rejects "Concerned." he corrects.

"Yeah, yeah." Eddie relents "That sounds more like you." She adds with a small smile before speaking into the phone "Hey Rosa it's Eddie…"

…..

Eddie opens her apartment door to see Rosa and Mia on the other side.

"Attentions SSSSSHhhhopperrrrrrrrrsssssss!" Mia gleefully greets "I gots me running shoes on and I'm ready to help! See!" She excitedly prompts as she lifts one foot high up into the air above her waist to display her running shoe.

Eddie can't help but huff out a laugh before looking at Rosa "Now I know where all my energy went. She's got it."

At that moment Mia catches sight of Jamie further inside the apartment "Uncle Jamie are you coming?"

"Sorry Kiddo." He apologizes "This outing is for you girls only."

"What? No!" Mia whines "You have to come!"

"I wish I could." Jamie placates "But I can't.

"Hmph." Mia pouts "Fine. We'll just have all the fun without you then!"

"I know and I'm heartbroken over that." Jamie replies in fake sincerity "Truly I am." he adds causing Eddie and Rosa to both roll their eyes.

…..

"Here." Eddie states as she sticks her hand out beyond the fitting room curtain with a shirt "Let me try the blue one on."

"Okay." Mia states as she takes the shirt and runs back out into the main store area. She heads straight for a specific rack, hangs the shirt in her hand up, grabs a blue one instead and runs back to the fitting room "Here you go!" She announces as she holds the shirt up outside the curtain.

Eddie's hand reaches out and Mia places the shirt in her grasp "Thank you Mia." Eddie states before the shirt disappears inside the room.

A few moments later, Edie pushes the curtain aside and comes out "Well?" She asks.

"Oh I like it!" Mia quips.

Eddie frowns as she looks in the mirror "I don't know. It… it just doesn't feel like me."

"Eddie." Rosa sighs "I hate to break it to you but right now you aren't you – well you are but you are you plus one – you're two."

"Oh good math Mommy!" Mia commends.

Rosa glances at her daughter before turning her attention back to Eddie "For now this is the new you…" Rosa continues "And I have to tell you, you've looked great in everything you've tried on so far."

Eddie sighs as she pulls at the shirt "It's… it's just so… big."

Rosa laughs "Um you have to buy for expansion. If you don't, you'll be back here every week. That's not good for the pocket book or your energy level."

"I think you look very pretty Aunt Eddie." Mia chimes in "Better then that one over there." Mia adds as she gestures to another pregnant woman shopping in the store.

"MIA!" Rosa hushes out "That is not nice!"

"I was just trying to make a point." Mia defends "It's not like that lady heard me!"

"Mia it is not nice to talk bad about other people even if you don't think they can hear you because one day someone will hear you and how would you feel if people said stuff like that about you?" Eddie challenges.

Mia frowns as she thinks "Alright I get it." she relents before turning her head towards the woman "SORRY!" She loudly calls to her.

The pregnant woman looks up and over in confusion.

"Sorry!" Rosa immediately reiterates to the woman "Just a little misunderstanding!" She awkwardly adds before turning her attention back to her daughter "Mia!" he harshly hisses out again in reprimand.

"What?" Mia again defends "You always say to apologize if I do anything wrong so I was apologizing!"

Eddie chuckles "She's got you there."

Just then a sales associate walks up "How are we all doing? Need help with anything?"

"I'm the help!" Mia proudly states.

"I know." The sales associate agrees with a smile "I've seen you run back and forth multiple times. Keep that up and you're going to put me out of a job!"

Mia's eyes go wide in a panic "Oh I don't mean to do that!"

"She's kidding Mia." Eddie promises.

"It's just a little sales associate humor." the associate quips "Well let me know if you need anything." She adds before walking away.

"Alright let's move onto pants." Rosa instructs.

…..

Mia runs back into the main store with yet another item to exchange when she spots a mid term pregnant woman quickly grab an article of clothing off the shelf and stuff it under her shirt.

"Hey! What are you doing?" Mia protests as she runs up to her "Put that back! That's stealing!"

"Leave me alone kid." The woman hisses as her eyes start to dart around in alarm and she tries to move around Mia to leave but with the racks of clothes on either side of them there isn't much of an aisle to move in and Mia keeps side stepping to block her path.

"AUNT EDDIE!" Mia urgently calls "COME QUICK! THIEF!"

In the fitting room, Eddie hears Mia's pleas and like lightening, she grabs her gun from her purse and swipes up her shield as she bolts from the room.

"Get out of my way Kid!" The woman pleads as she really starts to panic.

"No! Thief!" Mia again protests.

"HEY!" Eddie's authoritative voice barks out as she with Rosa quickly following behind appear into view "Stop right there!" Eddie demands as she raises her gun "Police!"

With her eyes wide in fear, the woman reaches out and yanks Mia in front of her almost if she's trying to hide behind her and as she does, the clothing she was trying to steal falls out from under her shirt.

"Don't make this worse." Eddie warns "You let her go and it's a misdemeanor you're charged with. You take her as a hostage and that becomes a felony with guaranteed jail time, is that what you want? Do you want your baby born in prison?"

"What's going on here?" The sales associate from before begins as she steps out of a back room before seeing Eddie with her gun raised "Oh!"

"She was trying to steal something!" Mia calls back.

"Ma'am, step back please." Eddie instructs the associate as she flashes her badge "Everything is under control."

Realizing she is caught, suddenly the woman just lets go of Mia and just breaks down crying.

"Mia, come." Eddie demands as she gestures with her free hand for Mia to come towards her.

Mia immediately complies and as soon as the young girl is within reach, Eddie guides her back behind her and towards Rosa but Eddie's eyes never leave the woman "Rosa, Mia." Eddie instructs "Someone get me my purse, I need my cuffs."

Mia runs back to the change room and five seconds later reappears with Eddie's purse.

Eddie holds her hand out "Cuffs please." She requests so while Rosa takes and holds the purse Mia reaches in.

"Here." Mia states as she fishes the cuffs out and hands them to Eddie.

"Thank you." Eddie accepts as she walks towards the woman "Alright hands behind your back. You're under arrest."

"This is so unfair." The woman cries in true anguish.

"I know." Eddie agrees as she places her gun into the waist of her new pants "You just got collared by a ten year old." She tells her before looking over at the sales associate. "Um can you ring up this outfit I'm wearing?" She requests as she gestures to the clothes she has on "I'm going to need to wear it out of the store."

"Absolutely!" The associate agrees "Was there anything else you were wanting?"

Eddie groans in realization.

"Don't worry, I'm on it." Rosa announces as she steps foward "You deal with her." She tells Eddie as she gestures to the woman in cuffs "And I'll take care of what's back there. I was already piling and sorting everything you wanted anyway."

Eddie smiles appreciatively at Rosa "Thank you."

…..

Jamie is lounging on the couch with his feet up leisurely watching sports on TV when he hears a key in the lock. He immediately turns the TV off and stands.

A moment later the door swings open, Eddie walks in and steps aside to reveal Mia trying to juggle, balance and carry a huge pile of bags as she slowly walks inside with Rosa behind her trying to cautiously guide the young girl and step in to help if she falters.

Jamie raises his eyebrows at the sight "Didn't know we were into child labor." he tosses out and when Mia gets a few steps safely inside the apartment, Rosa suddenly says

"Okay, drop!"

In an instant, Mia releases all the packages and they go tumbling to the floor "I DID IT!" the young girl announces in glee causing Eddie and Rosa to laugh.

Jamie scratches the back of his head "Um you know, I could have come helped you bring this all up from the car." He points out.

"Oh no!" Eddie rejects with a laugh "She wanted to carry them all herself!"

"Yup!" Mia boasts "I'm on a roll today!"

"Mia…" Eddie prompts the young girl "…tell your Uncle Jamie what you did today."

"I got my first collar!" Mia proudly declares.

Jamie again raises a curious eyebrow and looks at his wife.

Eddie nods "She caught a shoplifter today."

"Case 356782." Mia announces.

Eddie again nods "I let her help with the paperwork." she explains.

Mia huffs out a breath of air "There's a lot of paperwork when you make an arrest." she reveals as she looks at Jamie "Did you know that? You must."

"I do." Jamie confirms in slight awe and amusement "So is this the reason why you are all so late?"

Rosa nods "Never a dull moment."

"I wanted to take a picture with the perp – you know to commemorate the occasion…" Mia rambles "…but Aunt Eddie said no." she pouts.

Jamie tries not to laugh "Um, no, your Aunt is right, you can't."

"She isn't a perp." Eddie chides "Okay well technically she is in that she did commit a crime but Sarah – that's her name – doesn't need to be put in jail. She needs help and all the social programs out there that are supposed to be in place to help people like her are failing her. It's sad."

"What do you mean?" Jamie presses.

"She pregnant. She's single." Eddie explains "She lost her job because she's pregnant and missed too many days because of her morning sickness which is just wrong all on its own so she's been using what little money she had left to keep a roof over her head and food in her mouth. She had nothing left for anything else – not even a pair of pregnancy pants.

"Oh." Jamie notes.

"But stealing is wrong…" Mia slowly tries to clarify "…right?"

"Yes." Rosa replies "Stealing is wrong."

"No matter what." Eddie tacks on "It's just sad that it came to that."

Jamie silently nods in agreement.

….

Eddie stands in her bedroom putting the last of her current now unfittable clothes in a box and closes the lid "There!" she exclaims in triumph before walking to her bed where she's got a bunch of other clothes piled "Now you!" she exclaims as she swipes up that same pair of jeans she was trying to fit into earlier "Let's see if this works!"

…..

Standing in the kitchen doing dishes, Jamie looks up and over to the archway when he hears his wife's triumphant and excited voice exclaim from the bedroom "YYYYYEEEESSSSS!"

Curious, Jamie walks to the bedroom "And what's got you so happy?" he queries as he gets to the doorway.

"TA DA!" Eddie proudly exclaims as she raises her hands into the air above her head in triumph proudly showing off that she is wearing her regular jeans.

"And what is that?" Jamie inquires as he gestures to the thick looking elastic around his wife's waist.

"It's a belly band!" Eddie happily exclaims "It let's pregnant women wear their pre-pregnancy clothes."

"How?"

Eddie lifts the band to show Jamie her unbuttoned and unzipped jeans underneath it "It holds them up like magic!"

"Oh." Jamie notes impressed "Had no idea something like that existed."

"Me neither!" Eddie exclaims "But Rosa knew! She's a Guru!"

"So good idea taking her and not me huh?"

"Best idea ever!" Eddie sings.

Jamie just nods his head.

"Awwww are you feeling left out?" Eddie teases.

"Of maternity clothes shopping?" Jamie challenges "Ah no." he promises.

"Then what's with the sullen nod?" Eddie presses.

"That wasn't a sullen nod." Jamie rejects "That was just a nod."

"It was sullen." Eddie insists.

"It was not!"

"Well, it should be sullen." Eddie tells him.

Jamie looks at his wife slightly confused "Why?"

"Because you haven't seen the credit card bill for all this yet." Eddie simply explains.

For a moment, Jamie squeezes his eyes shut and hangs his head but then he lifts his head nodding "You're right, it's a sullen nod." he agrees.

"Told you." Eddie satisfactorily states.

…..