A/N: I don't own Disney - no copyright infringement intended, purely for entertainment use.

Chapter 8: Better Then Fairytales

Eddie stands under the warm spray of the shower head washing away the grime of the day. She reaches for her bottle of shampoo, flips the cap open, squirts some in her hand and proceeds to lather her hair up but she only gets a few seconds into the process when her nose picks up the scent of shampoo and her body decides it no longer likes the smell "Oh god…" She breathes out as her stomach lurches and she starts to feel a little light headed. She tries to get her head under the spray to rinse it out but the contents of her stomach start to rumble up so instead - dripping wet - she has no choice but to hurry out of the tub and over to the toilet. She quickly pulls her dangling wet hair back out of the way and throws up.

Once she finishes, she reaches to flush then for a tissue but her hands are wet and covered in soap so the paper material just dissolves into a clumpy wet mess on contact.

But that soap…

The lingering smell…

The lightheadedness…

Oh god she realizes - the mess she is creating around her – everything is now wet – the floor, the mat, the toilet…

…But that damn smell. It is all still right around her in her hair!

Now shivering cold, Eddie knows she needs to get back into the shower to not only warm up but rinse the smell out that is still making her head spin. She tries to stand but the lightheadedness makes it hard. She reaches for the lip of the sink to try to steady herself but being wet and covered in soap, her hand slips and she falters. Normally one to fight through and do things on her own, Eddie does the one thing she rarely does – she calls for help…

"JAMIE!"

Standing in the kitchen rinsing a dish, the sound of panic in his wife's voice makes Jamie's blood run cold as he drops what he's doing and bolts for the bathroom.

When he gets there, he sees his wife on the floor half way between the tub and the toilet wet, cold and shivering.

"Eddie…" he breathes out in absolute dismay as he makes a beeline for her "What happened?"

"The shampoo." She whimpers "The smell. I threw up." She tries to explain as tears well in her eyes "I need to rinse - lightheaded. I can't take the smell."

Jamie immediately gets it – she needs his help so he whips his shirt up on off over his head and quickly removes his pants before reaching for his wife "Come on." Jamie gently prompts as he helps her up being sure to support her weight. "Careful, its wet." He cautions of the floor as he gets them both back into the tub and gets Eddie under the shower spray where he starts rinsing her hair and all Eddie can do is cling to her husband for support as she tries not to pass out.

Eddie has no idea how long they are under the water, likely not more then a minute - two tops but it feels like an eternity and all she wants to do was get off her feet…

"Okay come on." Jamie gently prompts a moment later as he turns the water off, reaches for a towel to wrap around her and dry her off "We're done. Can you step out of the tub?"

Eddie nods a slight yes and so carefully and with Jamie's full support, she gets out of the tub.

"Okay can you hold onto the sink for a second so I can grab your robe off the door?" Jamie asks.

Eddie shakes her head no "Don't let go." She pleads.

"Okay I won't." Jamie promises as he instead moves them both slowly towards the door and second he gets close enough he stretches his arm out to yank her robe off the door. "Okay here we go." He prompts as he covers her back and helps her slip her arms into her big, comfy, fluffy and most importantly warm robe.

He rubs her arms through the material a few times trying to get her warm "Okay do you feel like your going to throw up again or do you want to go lay down?" He asks before reaching for another towel to dry her hair.

"Right now I just need to sit." She mumbles as she goes to just sink to the floor but Jamie stops her.

"Okay but you can't sit on the floor, its all wet." Jamie prompts as he instead flips the toilet lid down with his foot and guides her to sit.

Finally off her feet, Eddie drops her head into her hands at her knees and takes a few moments to simply breath and regain her equilibrium. As she does, Jamie crouches in front of her drying her hair. It is only when she finally raises her head back up again and the room stops spinning that it registers with Eddie the state the bathroom is in as she looks around and then at Jamie in front of her to see him in his boxers dripping wet. "Oh god you're all wet." She whines in despair "Jamie go dry off…" She insists as she grabs her hair towel away from him "You're going to get cold!"

"I'm fine." Jamie promises but he grabs another towel and begins to dry himself off before grabbing another towel, dropping it to the floor and starting to sop up the water.

"Look at the mess I created." Eddie sobs in frustration.

"Hey." Jamie gently chides "None of that okay. Everything is fine. Most importantly YOU'RE fine. This is just a little water."

Eddie shakes her head in rejection "I used that shampoo yesterday Jamie. Yesterday! And it was fine! Today it knocked me on my ass!"

Jamie tries to offer his wife a small sympathetic smile.

"It's so frustrating!" Eddie vents before looking down at her stomach "Why do you hate me?"

"Whoa." Jamie breathes out as he stops all movement and focuses solely on his wife "Eddie, this is normal. The majority of pregnant women go through this okay? Our child does NOT hate you."

"Well it feels like they do!"

"Eddie…"

"Okay just stop!" Eddie demands "Look thank you for your help but I'm fine now. You can go."

"No." Jamie rejects.

"No?"

"You can try to push me away. Snap at me. Yell at me but I'm not going anywhere. This right here says I don't have to." Jamie states as he lifts his left hand to display his wedding ring "That's our baby you're carrying – yours and mine and right now you have to do most of the work so if you think I'm going to just quietly step away when you get a little cranky because of your changing hormones – which is again NORMAL - you got another thought coming! You're stuck with me."

As much as Eddie wanted to throttle him for calling her cranky she loved him more for his determination to stick by and support her in any way he could but mostly for not treating her any differently. He was still challenging her and calling her out on her crap even when she wasn't making it easy for him.

"Don't call me cranky." She half heartedly pouts as tears well in her eyes "I'm frustrated."

Jamie smiles at his wife "I know. I'm frustrated too. I'm frustrated I can't help you more and I'm frustrated that I know you needing my help is making you frustrated."

"That's not why I'm frustrated." Eddie counters frustrated "I'm frustrated because I really don't understand how other women out there go through pregnancies by themselves. Jamie you might not think your doing much right now but you really are. Its little things like this basket, the mat, and throw pillow, the tea, constantly making sure I'm okay – helping me off the floor just now! No matter what I need, you're there. I couldn't do this without you yet other women out there do it all the time!"

"If you had to, you could do it." Jamie reassures her "Of that I have no doubt."

Eddie looks up and smiles at her husband "But I don't have too."

Jamie smiles back and shakes his head "No you don't."

"Can you make me some tea?" Eddie hopefully asks.

"What? Really?" Jamie tosses back in mock annoyance as he walks to the door picks up the pillow from just out the door and hands it to his wife "You are sooooo demanding! Wasn't helping you off the floor just now enough?" he adds as he steps back, raises his eyebrows cheekily at his wife and waits "I know you wanted to do this yesterday so come on…" he prompts as he gestures with his hands for her to let him have it.

Scrunching her nose up at him, Eddie hucks the pillow at him.

Jamie easily catches it and laughs "Feel better?"

"Yes, thank you."

"Good." Jamie accepts as he drops the pillow back outside the door. "Now I'll go make you your tea."

"Can you help me to the couch?" Eddie hopefully inquires "I'm sure I could make it there on my own but…"

"You'd like my help." Jamie happily notes.

Eddie nods.

"Come on you weakling." Jamie jokes as he moves to help her up.

"Oh!" Eddie retorts as she pokes him in the side before letting him help her up "You're gonna pay for that later when I want chocolate covered ribs at 3am in the morning one night."

"Oh gross." Jamie states in disgust as they slowly walk out of the bathroom together.

"Oh and once you help me to the couch go put some dry clothes on." Eddie instructs "Your boxers are still dripping water everywhere."

"Again, your fault, not mine." Jamie retorts.

Eddie stops them from walking a moment so she can lean up and place a kiss on Jamie's cheek "Thank you for not treating me any differently."

"Don't get all mushy on me." Jamie rejects as he starts them walking again.

"But you like it when I get all mushy on you." Eddie reminds him as a small but tired smile graces her face.

Jamie smiles "Okay I do."

"Oh maybe mushy bananas and ribs." Eddie suddenly states.

Jamie's face again scrunches up in disgust "How is it the smell of a flowery shampoo makes you want to hurl but talking about eating mushy bananas and ribs together doesn't?" Jamie wonders as he helps her to sit on the couch. "Because the image of what you just described is making me what to throw up."

Eddie shrugs before leaning her head back and closing her eyes "I have no idea what does and doesn't trigger this baby and it's not like we can do smell tests to try to figure it out because apparently it changes from day to day."

"The kid clearly gets that from your wild side…" Jamie points out as he moves to the kitchen to activate the kettle and start heating water "…because I've always liked order."

"So you're saying everything I'm experiencing is my fault?" Eddie questions in disbelief but after a few moments, when she gets no reply, she pops her eyes open to see Jamie is no longer in the room "Oh." She breathes out realizing he's gone to change. She closes her eyes again "YOU KNOW YOU COULD HAVE TOLD ME YOU WERE LEAVING THE ROOM INSTEAD OF ME SITTING HERE TALKING TO MYSELF!" She calls.

"SORRY!" Jamie's voice sounds from the bedroom.

"I'll forgive you." Eddie mumbles to herself.

Silence.

"But you know..." Jamie begins as he walks back into the room dressed in dry pants and pulling a dry tshirt over his head "…maybe smell test the bath products each day BEFORE you step in the shower just to avoid a repeat of today."

"Oh good idea." Eddie notes "Very pragmatic."

"Because I have to tell you…" Jamie begins as he moves back into the kitchen to grab a mug and the fresh ginger "…hearing you call my name in a panic made my heart drop to my feet…" He explains as he grabs the grater and starts to grate the ginger over the mug "…and in a way it was scarier than watching you fall down a flight of stairs after I thought you got shot because at least then I immediately saw what I was dealing with but in the five seconds it took me to get to the bathroom I swear my mind ran through a hundred different worst case scenarios."

"Oh Jamie I didn't mean too..."

"Don't apologize." Jamie interrupts as he puts the grater down and reaches for the kettle "I didn't tell you that to make you feel bad." He adds as the pours the steaming water into the mug "I told you that because I need you to know I prefer you did what you did today – you called for my help." He reveals as he puts the kettle down, reaches for a spoon and stirs the tea. "Maybe next time just call a little sooner, that's all. I'd rather it be a bunch of small little nothings then one big massive oh god its almost too late kind of deals."

Eddie shakes her head in rejection "I am not calling you for every little thing."

"That's not what I'm saying…" Jamie counters as he reaches into the freezer to grab a couple small ice chips "…but you getting lightheaded in the shower was not a little thing." He continues as he drops the chips into the mug to temper the water "The floor got wet, you could have slipped. That's dangerous." He finishes as he stirs the tea again.

"Well…" Edie defiantly tosses out "…how about you make me a list of the things you'll let me do on my own so I know when I should and shouldn't call you k?"

Jamie smiles as he picks up the mug and walks to the couch "Now you're just being stubborn."

"Oh, and that makes you smile?" Eddie retorts unimpressed.

"Yes because that means I know you're feeling better." Jamie points out as he holds the mug out towards his wife "You sure you even need this tea?" He questions with a smirk.

"Just give it here." Eddie retorts as she takes it "Now get me my slippers please. My feet are getting cold." She instructs before taking a drink.

Jamie leans over and places a kiss on his wife's head "Coming right up." He promises before turning to disappear down the hall.

"OH AND MY HAIR BRUSH PLEASE!" Eddie calls.

"SO DEMANDING!" Jamie calls back.

"YOU USED THAT ONE TODAY ALREADY!" Eddie calls back "YOU NEED NEW MATERIAL!"

Silence as Eddie sips her tea.

"Bossy then." Jamie states a moment later when he walks back in the room with Eddie's slippers and hair brush.

Eddie again looks at her husband unimpressed as he walks towards her "So let me get this straight. You want me to ask you for help but when I do, you call me bossy and demanding?" she states as she holds her mug out to him.

"I know fun right?" Jamie retorts with a grin as he reaches the couch, takes the mug from Eddie, places it on the coffee table then hands her her bush.

"You are such an ass." Eddie tosses at him as she begins to brush her hair while Jamie slips her slippers onto her feet.

"Now would an ass be sliding your slippers on your feet there Cinderella?" Jamie challenges.

"Well it certainly doesn't make you Prince Charming!" Eddie retorts in a huff.

"Oh it literally does." Jamie counters "It's in the Disney rule book. You slip a slipper onto a Princess's foot and if it fits, you're her Prince Charming and these fit perfectly."

"That only applies to GLASS slippers." Eddie rejects.

Jamie smiles at his wife "You'd think but the rule book only says slippers."

"No it doesn't." Eddie again rejects.

"Yes it does." Jamie insists.

"Okay I doubt there is even such a thing as a Disney rule book…" Eddie dismisses "…So why are we even having this conversation?"

"Oh there is too a Disney rule book!" Jamie insists "And I can prove it!"

"Oh really how?" Eddie prompts.

Smiling, Jamie moves to grab his phone off the kitchen table and dials a number.

"Who are you calling?" Eddie questions.

"Our resident Disney expert." Jamie explains "Hey Rosa, it's Jamie. Is Mia around? I need her to settle a disagreement Eddie and I are having but before you get her, can we switch and make this a video call? Great."

Eddie curiously watches as Jamie and Rosa connect via video chat and Mia appears on the screen.

"Hiiiiii!" Mia enthusiastically greets.

"Hey Mia." Jamie returns as he sits down on the couch next to Eddie "I need you to settle a disagreement your Aunt and I are having."

"Okay…" Mia slowly agrees.

"Could you get your Disney rule book for me please." Jamie smugly asks.

Eddie's mouth drops slightly open as she watches Mia shrug and reply "Sure." before disappearing from view a few moments before reappearing with a book in hand.

"Great." Jamie accepts "Now please show your Aunt Eddie the cover."

Mia turns the book around where Eddie sees "The Wonderful World of Disney Rule Book."

Annoyed, Eddie tries to take a deep calming breath now knowing EXACTLY where this conversation is leading…

"Now can you turn to the section regarding the Cinderella /Prince Charming slipper rule please." Jamie prompts.

"Okay." Mia again shrugs as she flips the book open and searches for the appropriate page "Got it."

"Now in that rule…" Jamie begins "…does it say it must be a glass slipper or just a slipper placed onto the Princess's foot?"

"Ugh." Mia groans "We've already had this conversation Uncle Jamie. You know it just says slipper but it SHOULD say glass slipper!" Mia insists.

Jamie turns to look triumphantly at his wife.

Eddie shakes her head at his antics "Mia, show me the page please." Eddie insists.

Mia turns the book around bringing it close to the phone so Eddie can read the 'rule' herself and sure enough, there on the page it says just 'slipper'.

A giddy Jamie leans over to his wife "Told you."

Eddie dismissively waves him off "It's just a misprint."

"That's what I say too!" Mia agrees.

"But the fact remains…" Jamie points out "The rule book does indeed just say slipper so it applies. Thank you Mia. You have been a great help – you may now return to your homework."

"Great." Mia grumbles "Bye." She adds before ending the call.

"Alright there my Princess…" Jamie smugly and triumphantly begins as he places his phone on the coffee table before turning his attention solely onto his wife "I will accept your apology now by hearing those three little words I love so much come out of your mouth."

"How is it you knew that book existed and I didn't?" Eddie inquires instead.

"That doesn't sound like my apology." Jamie counters undeterred.

"Because its not." Eddie flatly replies "You had inside information. That's cheating."

"That is not cheating!" Jamie rejects.

"Yes it is!"

"You're just mad because I was proved right." Jamie insists "Now come on Eddie, just three little words…"

"You. Are. Annoying." Eddie tosses out.

Jamie frowns "Not the three words I'm looking for."

Eddie simply smiles defiantly at her husband.

"So first I'm an ass. Now I'm annoying." Jamie notes "Wow. You do remember I'm the guy that just picked you up of the bathroom floor a little while ago right because that guy doesn't sound like an ass or annoying. He does however sound a little hurt that his wife just won't say those three little words he would very much like to hear."

"Alright fine!" Eddie relents in guilt knowing he was right "I. Am. Sorry!"

"I thought we agreed we weren't going to say I'm sorry anymore?"

Eddie throws her hands up in the air "Are you trying to drive me crazy? Because I'm not all over the place enough as it is? You just asked me to apologize so I did!"

"Those aren't the three little words I was talking about though." Jamie replies.

Eddie looks at her husband in bewilderment "They aren't? Then what three words?"

Jamie shakes his head "It hurts right here in the heart..." Jamie states as he taps his finger over his heart "…that you don't know which three words."

For a moment Eddie continues to look at her husband thoroughly confused but slowly she equates the word heart with three little words "oh." She finally breathes out in realization before smiling at her husband "I love you."

A very big grin breaks out onto Jamie face "Thank you now was that so hard?"

"You know you could have just said I love you first and I would have replied in kind." Eddie points out. "No need for the dramatics."

"But where would the fun have been in that?"

"You're an ass." Eddie repeats as she leans over and drops her head on her husband's shoulder.

"I'm your Prince Charming." Jamie corrects.

"Well Prince Charming could you give me a kiss so I can go to sleep, I need a nap."

"Sure I can kiss you…" Jamie points out as he leans over and kisses Eddie's head while lifting his feet to rest on the coffee table "… but the fairytale says you're supposed to wake up when that happens not fall asleep." He adds as he grabs the pillow beside him on the couch and places it on his lap.

"That's Sleeping Beauty." Eddie corrects with a yawn as she lays down on the couch resting her head on the pillow "You're mixing up your fairytales. Besides I think we're safe. I didn't eat any apples today – just ginger."

"Now who's mixing up fairytales?" Jamie laughs as he grabs the throw off the back of the couch and covers his wife with it "The poison apple is eaten by Snow White not Sleeping Beauty."

"Right." Eddie murmurs almost already asleep as she snuggles under the cover "Clearly we're both going to have to brush up on our fairytales…"

"Sure but no fairytale could ever beat this." He whispers to her as he moves a strand of her wayward hair off her face to place it behind her ear before watching her breathing even out as she drifts off to sleep against him. Smiling, Jamie then carefully reaches onto the side table and picks up a book – What To Expect When Expecting - with 2 bookmarks sticking out of it. He opens it to his previously placed bookmark and continues to read…

…..