A/N: Hi all, the timing of the updates for the next bit might be a bit all over the place. Ended up having a family member admitted to hospital so I'm constantly running back and forth between my place, their place and them. I'll still try to update every 2nd day but well.. you know.

Chapter 35: New Member of the Family

Jamie and Eddie knock on Rosa's door.

"Who is it?" Mia sweetly calls from the other side.

"Your Aunt and Uncle." Jamie replies.

"Which ones?" Mia counters through the door.

Jamie and Eddie exchange a look "Your godparents." Eddie replies.

Almost immediately the door swings open "You should just lead with that next time." Mia replies with a grin "Saves us time!"

Jamie just shakes his head at his goddaughter "Alright Kiddo, we're here." He states as they walk inside "What's the big emergency?"

"I want you to meet someone!" Mia excitedly exclaims as she shuts the door.

Jamie leans towards Eddie muttering "Oh god tell me she doesn't have a boyfriend already."

"MR. MOUSE!" Mia calls backwards into the apartment "MR. MOUSE COME PLEASE!"

Eddie leans towards Jamie "I don't think it's a boyfriend." she whispers back.

Silence as everyone waits.

"MR. MOUSE!" Mia calls again.

More silence.

Mia heavily sighs and hangs her head a moment "Hang on." She instructs before lifting her head "I'll be right back." She adds before heading for her bedroom.

Jamie again leans towards Eddie "Did I miss something? Who is Mr. Mouse?"

Eddie shrugs "No idea. I just pray its not a real mouse…"

A moment later Mia walks out of her bedroom carrying a gray tabby cat "Uncle Jamie, Aunt Eddie, this is Mr. Mouse!"

"Oh it's a cat!" Jamie realizes.

"You got a pet." Eddie slowly states in awe.

Mia proudly nods "Yup."

"And he is her responsibility to look after." Rosa's voice sounds.

Looking up, Jamie and Eddie see Rosa walk out of the bedrooms.

"YUP!" Mia states again. "I feed him, I make sure he has enough water, I clean his litter box and most importantly... I play with him! See watch!" She instructs as she puts the cat down then picks up a cat wand and swooshes it along the floor. Mr. Mouse pounces on it. "See!"

"He's cute." Eddie admits "Why Mr. Mouse though?"

Rosa laughs "Oh, you're gonna love this one..."

"HELLO!" Mia chides as she continues to play with the cat "Miss Minnie and Mr. Mouse!"

Jamie huffs out a laugh at the pairing "Of course. We should have seen that coming because, well he does actually look a bit like a mouse being gray and all."

"Exactly!" Mia proudly states.

"So how come a cat?" Eddie curiously inquires.

"Because cats are way more self sufficient." Rosa explains "I don't have time to walk a dog and take it for bathroom breaks."

Eddie nods in agreement "Makes sense."

Suddenly the cat decides he's done playing so he simply walks away.

"Mr. Mouse!" Mia calls as she swooshes the wand again trying to entice the cat back to play but he is having none of it. Instead, he jumps up onto the couch and lays down.

"I don't think that's going to work Mia." Eddie laughs "The saying is cats train people not the other way around."

"How old is he?" Jamie inquires.

"The shelter thinks about 2 years old." Rosa replies "He's very easy going and well tempered." She adds "Not even a screaming baby seems to phase him which was one of my biggest stipulations in choosing him."

"Mr. Mouse!" Mia calls again trying to get the cat to come to her.

"Doesn't seem to know his name yet though." Jamie points out "Although he is a cat so giving him a name like Mr. Mouse might actually be giving him identity issues!" he laughs.

"REAGAN!" Eddie chides.

Suddenly the cat looks over to Eddie, jumps off the couch and walks over to her.

For a moment everyone just looks at the cat as it circles Eddie's feet rubbing up against her legs, purring.

"Um…did this cat just come when I said 'Reagan'?" Eddie wonders.

"Meow!" Goes the cat.

Everyone looks down at the cat then up at one another.

"Reagan." Rosa tries.

The cat turns and walks over to Rosa.

Jamie's mouth falls open.

"Oh my god." Eddie laughs "That's hysterical! You adopted a cat that answers to…"

"REAGAN!" Mia finishes in delight wanting the cat to come to her and it does so she reaches down to hug and pet it "Your name is Reagan!" She gleefully announces.

Jamie just stands there absolutely dumbfounded and speechless…

"Okay hang on." Eddie states in pure amusement as she pulls out her phone "I gotta document this because otherwise NO ONE is going to believe this." She adds as she opens up her camera video app "Okay…" She instructs "Jamie call your cat."

"He's not my cat!" Jamie protests.

"He's a Reagan!" Eddie chides "Just call him!"

"You just did!" Jamie points out.

"Oh I did." Eddie realizes as she looks at the cat "Come here Reagan."

But deciding he's had enough walking back and forth Reagan ignores Eddie and continues to accept pets from Mia.

"Oh come on!" Eddie whines when the cat doesn't do what she wants it to do.

"Let me try Aunt Eddie." Mia suggests as she gets up and moves a little bit away from the cat before turning back towards him "Come on Reagan." She prompts as she pats her leg.

"Okay now I think I'm getting a complex." Jamie mutters.

Unhappy his personal groomer walked away, the cat looks at Mia but doesn't move to follow.

Rosa laughs "It's like when you take your car to the shop because it's making a noise but the second the mechanic is standing there the noise stops. Cats do what they want when they want it."

"Ray-gan." Eddie sweetly tries to coax still holding her phone up "Come on Buddy Auntie Eddie wants to show you off to the rest of your new family!"

"My wife has gone insane." Jamie mutters to himself.

"Hush." Eddie demands of her husband "He'll pick up on your bad attitude."

Jamie just tosses his hands up in the air in defeat while Rosa snickers "You two."

"Uncle Jamie, you try." Mia suggests.

Looking at the young girl, Jamie sighs in defeat - like he was going to deny her – so he crouches down and puts on a welcoming face and attitude "Reagan." he beckons "Come on Bud. Come hang out with me – the only other guy in the room." he tacks on for good measure.

At the sound of Jamie's voice, Reagan turns his head to look at him. The cat eyes him.

"Come on Reagan." Jamie prompts.

A second later Reagan walks over to him.

A genuine and slightly arrogant smile appears on Jamie's face as he pets the cat and looks up at everyone around him "See that's how you do it." he quips before turning his attention back to the cat "Yeah us guys have to stick together huh?"

"Priceless." Eddie decides as she presses stop and lowers her phone "Just priceless. Jamie, Mia…" She then instructs "Get in there let's get a photo of you two together with your cat."

"He is not my cat!" Jamie reiterates as Mia immediately heads over.

"Stop saying that!" Eddie chides as she watches Mia pick up the cat "You'll hurt his feelings."

Jamie rolls his eyes but Mia poses and smiles brightly for the camera so a second later he plasters a smile on his face too.

Snap.

"Perfect!" Eddie quips as she reviews the photo on her phone.

"Send me that." Rosa requests.

"Already on its way." Eddie promises.

"I want it on my tablet!" Mia announces.

"Sure I'll transfer it later." Rosa promises.

"Thank you!" Mia happily quips "Come on Reagan you've been such a god boy let's go get you some treats!"

"And my complex is back." Jamie mutters.

"Not too many." Rosa warns as she watches her daughter and new cat head to the kitchen "Those things are fattening." She laughs out as an after thought.

"Yeah it will go straight to his hips." Jamie calls out in deflection.

"Don't worry he'll only have some cat grass for supper to compensate." Eddie snickers in return.

Jamie turns to look at his wife "That's cute. Very funny." He deadpans knowing she's making a crack about his tendency to eat salads.

Eddie shrugs.

"Why is that funny?" Mia inquires as she gives Reagan some treats.

"Because your Uncle likes to eat salads." Eddie explains.

"Oh." Mia accepts still not really getting it "Okay."

"So speaking of food." Jamie suddenly inquires as he looks at Mia "Anyone been teasing you about yours lately?" he nonchalantly inquires.

"Smooth Reagan." Eddie laughs.

"Meow!" the cat replies.

Mia giggles "I think he likes you Aunt Eddie."

"Well what's not to like." Eddie quips with amused eyes.

"So?" Jamie prompts his goddaughter trying to get back on track.

"So what?" Mia questions having already moved on.

"Is anyone still teasing you about your food?" Jamie presses.

Rosa looks inquisitively at Eddie at Jamie's persistence.

Eddie chuckles "Hey don't look at me, you made him her godfather."

"Oh that. Nah." Mia dismisses.

"Grade school crushes can be so fickle." Rosa laughs.

Eddie's eyes light up "OH! Speaking of grade school crushes!"

Jamie immediately groans.

"Guess who we ran into the other day?" Eddie continues on.

"Do we really need to go there Eddie?" Jamie mutters.

"Jamie's first crush!" Eddie announces.

"Yup." Jamie mutters "We're going there."

Rosa looks over and raises a curious eyebrow "Well how did that happen?"

"We were on the job undercover in a men's clothing store and she just walked in!" Eddie laughs "Jamie looked like a deer caught in headlights!"

"Why?" Mia inquires as she looks at her Uncle.

"Oh don't look at me." Jamie deflects repeating his wife's earlier words "Direct all your inquires to your Aunt. She's the one that wants to tell the story. I'll just be over here playing with Reagan." he mutters as he moves towards the cat.

"Because apparently..." Eddie emphasizes as Jamie picks up Reagan's toy wand and begins to dangle it in the air above the cat "…your uncle has a type – bossy and opinionated."

Jamie heavily sighs "Yes that's right I do. Didn't we establish that already?" he challenges his wife before looking back at the cat trying to get him to play.

Rosa nods in understanding "I can see that." she admits.

Eddie turns to look at Rosa.

"No Uncle Jamie, like this." Mia prompts as she steps forward, takes control of the wand from her uncle and swooshes it along the floor.

"Oh come on Eddie." Rosa laughs "I have one of my own." She explains as she gestures at Mia "It's pretty easy to see."

Eddie looks at Mia "She is bossy and opinionated isn't she?" She realizes before her eyes start to dance and she looks over at her husband. "You really do have a type!"

"What?" Mia questions in confusion but Reagan pounces on the wand distracting Mia.

"Good Job Reagan!" Mia praises "Come on get it!" She prompts as she continues to play with the cat.

Eddie snickers "Saved by the cat."

...