Chapter 61: Babies Are Like Cases
Jamie and Eddie walk up to Maria's door and Jamie gestures at the door "Do the honors."
Eddie raises her hand to knock but then pulls back "Maybe this isn't a good idea."
"Why not?" Jamie questions.
"Elena likes me, I want to keep it that way."
Suddenly the door swings open and Maria appears "Hi!" She over enthusiastically greets the couple.
"Well too late now." Eddie mutters under her breath to herself.
"How did you know we were here?" Jamie inquires.
Maria grins "Doorbell cam. Come in, come in." She warmly prompts as she steps aside and Eddie notices how dressed up Maria appears.
"Well don't you look good." Eddie offers as she and Jamie enter and Maria shuts the door.
Maria flashes her a smile as she reaches for a notepad and holds it out to Eddie "Made you some notes." She explains as Eddie takes it "Text if you have any questions." She adds as she reaches for her purse.
"In a hurry?" Jamie observes.
"I got plans." Maria quips.
"Anyone special?" Eddie giddily inquires.
Maria flashes one more smile and reaches for the door "I should be back around 11!" She calls before swinging her door open, exiting and reclosing the door.
Jamie and Eddie stare at the closed door a moment before Eddie looks at her husband "What's your brother up to tonight?"
"I don't know." Jamie replies.
"Text him." Eddie instructs.
"Why?" Jamie questions.
Eddie grows annoyed "To see if he also has 'plans'." She air quotes.
"You just will not let that go will you." Jamie counters instead.
"No." Eddie admits.
Jamie sighs "How about we focus on why we are here okay? Elena."
"Yeah, yeah go see if she needs anything." Eddie absently dismisses.
Jamie raises an eyebrow at his wife.
"What?" She defends.
"I know what you're doing." Jamie counters "You're trying to deflect and maybe wiggle out of having to look after a baby."
"And why would I do that?" Eddie deflects.
"Maybe because you really are afraid you'll be horrible at it." Jamie points out.
Eddie narrows her eyes at her husband in annoyance but she remains silent.
"Eddie come on." Jamie soothingly prompts "You aren't going to suck at being a Mother."
Eddie throws her hands up in the air "So they told you. They told you about my melt down. I knew it!"
"Eddie..."
"I didn't grow up like you…" Eddie begins to rant "I didn't come from a big family with nieces and nephews to practice on."
In the other room Elena starts to cry.
"See!" Eddie points out "What does that mean? Why is she crying? I don't know!"
"And you think I do?" Jamie counters.
"Well don't you?" Eddie presses.
"No. Not until we get in there and work the situation."
Eddie blinks her eyes at her husband "Work the situation? Is that what you Reagan's do? Approach tending to a baby like you're working a case?"
"Got your attention now don't I?" Jamie smugly quips.
Eddie again narrows her eyes at her husband intrigued by his method "Out of my way." She commands a moment later as she pushes past her husband and heads for the crying baby "It's like you're my TO all over again." She mutters as she passes.
"Ah the memories!" Jamie laughs as he follows "If its her diaper, I'll make you hose her down like I used to make you hose out the backseats of the RMPs!"
Eddie abruptly stops walking and slowly turns to glare at her husband "And when I'm pushing this kid out I'll be sure you feel it too."
The smile immediately drops from Jamie's face "Sorry." he mutters.
Eddie eyes him a second longer then turns and heads for Elena's room.
….
Danny sits in the driver's seat waiting when the passenger's door opens and Maria slides into the seat.
"Hi." Danny greets with a big warm smile.
"Hi." Maria returns as she reaches for her seatbelt and Danny starts the car.
….
Jamie stands in the middle of Elena's nursery trying to sooth a very cranky baby in his arms as Eddie stands off to the side with her arms crossed looking very unimpressed "I thought you were supposed to be good at this!"
Jamie throws her a look before once again trying to calm the upset baby "Shhh, shhh, it's okay." he soothes as he rubs circles on her back.
"We are so screwed." Eddie mutters in defeat "It's not her diaper, she's not hungry. Is she sick?" She suddenly adds in alarm.
Jamie reaches to feel her forehead "Doesn't feel warm."
"And your hand is the expert?" Eddie tosses out in disbelief "Shouldn't we take her actual temperature?"
"Eddie feel her forehead yourself." Jamie prompts "She's not even close to being warm."
"So maybe she's cold!" Eddie then counters.
Jamie moves to his wife and begins to hand Elena over to her "Here you try."
"What? Me?" Eddie begins to protest but she has no choice but to take the screaming child into her arms "Okay no, no, it's okay." Eddie tries to sooth but it doesn't work and Elena keeps screaming "Jamie!" Eddie whines but Jamie is too busy running through options in his mind.
"I see those wheels turning Reagan." Eddie prompts as Elena's hand flies up and she jams her little fist in her mouth.
Noticing, a thought pops in Jamie's head "Teething." He suddenly breathes out "Maybe she's teething."
Eddie looks between her husband and the baby in her arms "You think?"
Jamie shrugs.
"Okay so what do we do?" Eddie prompts.
"Ummm." Jamie hesitates "Call Erin or Danny?"
Eddie's mouth drops open at his answer.
"What?" Jamie defends "I was the uncle! I never had to deal with stuff like this!"
Eddie throws her husband an unimpressed look.
"Wait whiskey." Jamie remembers "Rub a little whiskey on their gums."
"Really?" Eddie questions.
Jamie nods.
"Are you sure?" Eddie waivers.
"I swear that's what Danny used to do." Jamie offers.
Eddie hesitates "Call him and confirm." She prompts.
"Eddie…"
"Either you do it or I'm doing it!"
So Jamie pulls out his cellphone…
…
Still driving with Maria in the passenger's seat, Danny's cell phone starts to ring.
Maria looks over into the phone holder "Oh it's Jamie." She notes.
"Interesting." Danny mutters "Answer it and put it on speaker."
So Maria reaches over hits accept call and taps speaker.
"Reagan!" Danny answers.
"Um hey." Jamie greets causing Danny and Maria to exchange a look "It was whiskey you put on the boys gums when they were teething right?"
"Yes!" Danny confirms at the same time Maria's mouth drops open and she says "NO!"
Danny and Maria turn to look at one another while back in Elena's room where Jamie has his phone on speaker Eddie and Jamie exchange a look at hearing Maria's voice.
Eddie silently slaps her husband lightly on the arm I TOLD YOU! She mouths to him.
"What do you mean no?" Danny's voice sounds.
"What do you mean yes!" Maria immediately retorts "Do NOT give my daughter whiskey!"
"Why not?" Danny replies "It's a tried and true method of soothing – our entire family swore by it. Hell, I even applied it to Jamie when he was teething myself!"
"You did?" Jamie states in complete surprise.
"Yeah it was one of those times Mom had her hands full so she was all 'Danny dip your finger in this and rub it on your brother's gums please.'
Maria stares at her partner dumbfounded.
"What?" Danny defends "He was the 4th kid. Teething wasn't a big deal anymore."
"Huh." Jamie mutters out at learning something new he didn't know before.
"Do you have any idea how bad that is for babies!" Maria interrupts "It could damage their liver! She has a teething ring! Use that!"
"Oh." Eddie notes "Good to know."
"It's on my notes to use the teething ring." Maria states.
Eddie cringes and immediately hands Elena over to Jamie "See I knew I would be bad at this!"
At hearing Eddie's words, Danny turns his head to look at his partner with wide eyes while Maria cringes.
"Okay Eddie…" Jamie tries to plead as he manages to get a good hold on Elena "Everyone parents differently there really is no right or wrong."
"Yes there is." Eddie insists as her hand moves to her stomach and her now active baby "Not now please Mommy is having a melt down."
"Yeah it doesn't work that way." Danny notes.
"Okay turn the car around and go back." Maria decides rethinking this entire idea.
"No…" Danny begins to say but out of nowhere gunfire is heard by Danny and Maria over the phone and somewhere outside Maria's for Jamie and Eddie.
"EDDIE GET DOWN!" Jamie prompts as both he with Elena and Eddie on instinct try to take cover.
"Turning around." Danny immediately agrees as he whips the car around in a 180 and Maria flicks on the sirens and lights "Are you guys okay? What's going on? Talk to us!"
"You okay?" Jamie asks his wife.
"Yeah." Eddie confirms "You?"
"Good." Jamie confirms "Here take Elena." He instructs as he hands the baby back over to his wife "Stay here." he adds as he pulls his gun out.
"Be careful." Eddie instructs before watching her husband carefully head out of the room to investigate "Shhhh... it's okay." She tries to sooth the already cranky and now startled baby "You're okay. You're fine. Maria what does her teething ring look like?"
But when Eddie gets no reply she realizes Jamie took his phone that was connected to Danny and Maria with him "Okay teething ring." She decides "We can find that on our own right?" She asks the baby "Sure." She decides "Shhhh…. notes where are the notes…" She mutters as she cautiously moves around with the baby. She finds Maria's notes and speed reads through them "Teething ring on the dresser. Got it." Eddie states as she one again cautiously moves to the dresser and swipes the teething ring up giving it to Elena.
Now, distracted, Elena starts to settle down.
"That's it." Eddie calmly soothes "That feels better doesn't it? Yeah." She continues as she focuses on comforting the baby knowing that's the best way she can help right now.
….
With siren's blaring, Danny screeches the car to a stop in front of Maria's "Talk to me Jamie!"
"Back alley." Jamie replies.
Stepping on the gas, Danny takes off and whips around the corner to enter the alleyway where he again screeches to a stop.
He and Maria see Jamie standing there with a couple of kids.
They immediately but cautiously get out "Everything okay?"
"They were shooting pop cans." Jamie announces as he holds up and offers a gun out to the Detectives.
Danny's mouth drops slightly open "Seriously?"
Jamie nods "Yup."
"What is this the wild wild west?" Danny tosses out as he reaches to take the gun.
"But they do it in the movies!" One kid proclaims in defence.
For a moment Danny stares at the kid in disbelief then looks up at Jamie "Seriously?" he repeats.
Again Jamie nods "Yup."
Danny heavily sighs before looking back at the kids "Get in the car." He chides "We need to have a chat with your parents. You know these kids?" He asks Maria.
Maria shakes her heads.
"You live around here?" Danny asks as he and Maria escort them away.
"No." Jamie hears a kid say as Danny opens the back door and guides the kids inside.
"So much for a night off." Danny mutters before looking back towards his brother "Meet you at the station?"
"Nah you can handle it." Jamie dismisses "I have a baby to look after."
"NO WHISKEY!" Maria calls as she opens the passenger's door.
"YES MOM!" Jamie calls as he heads back towards Maria's door.
"Did he just call me Mom?" Maria states in complete surprise to Danny.
Danny can only snicker in return as he opens the driver's door and the partners disappear inside the car.
….
"EDDIE!" Jamie calls as he enters back into Maria's through the door.
"SHHHHHHH!" Eddie immediately chides as she gestures to the sleeping baby laying against her shoulders in her arms.
"Oh." Jamie breathes out in surprise "She's asleep?" he whispers.
Eddie nods "And now I don't know what to do with her." She whispers back "I'm afraid if I put her down she'll wake up."
Jamie beckons his head towards Elena's room asking Eddie to follow him.
Eddie does.
When they get there, Jamie gestures for Eddie to lay her down in the crib.
Eddie shakes her head no.
Jamie nods his head yes, then reaches over and gently guides Eddie a few steps towards the crib.
Again Eddie shakes her head no.
Jamie gives her a look that say 'Yes. Just do it.'
Taking a deep breath, Eddie ever so slowly and carefully lays Elena down in the crib and she manages to do it without waking her up.
"See." Jamie whispers in his wife's ear before reaching over and pulling Elena's blanket over her.
Eddie blows out a breath of air in relief.
"Let's go." Jamie whispers so he and Eddie quietly slip out of Elena's room shutting the door behind them "You did good Eddie, you got her calm and asleep. Doesn't get much better then that."
"I guess." Eddie accepts before changing the subject "So what happened?"
"Kids shooting pop cans." Jamie offers.
Eddie's mouth drops open a bit "Seriously?"
Jamie laughs at his wife having almost the exact same reaction as his brother "And they say I sound like Danny."
Eddie shakes her head "I REALLY need that vacation."
...
