Chapter 145: Genetics

Henry, Frank, Danny and Erin are in the kitchen when the backdoor to the Reagan family home opens and Eddie enters "Okay who wants her?" She tiredly sighs out into the room as she holds the door open and waits for Jamie to enter behind her with Jessie in her carrier.

"Woah." Henry suddenly breathes out in shock the second his grandson comes into view.

Hearing her Grandfather, Erin looks over too "Oh geez." She laughs.

"Wow." Frank notes impressed.

"Yeah…" Danny slowly agrees "…that grew a lot in 2 days."

Jamie and Eddie look up at everyone thoroughly confused.

"What?" Eddie questions of all of them.

"Dad's not the only one sporting some facial hair in this family anymore." Erin explains in amusement as she gestures at Jamie's face "Nice beard."

Eddie looks at Erin confused then turns to look at her husband… and she looks at him – really looks at him for the first time in who knows how long and a look of true surprise appears on her face at seeing her husband with a beard "When did you grow that?"

"What?" Jamie questions as he lifts his free hand to run it over his face "Okay maybe I haven't shaved in a few days… " he admits "…but I wouldn't call it a beard."

Looks of pure amusement appear on all of Jamie's family's faces that apparently just like his wife, Jamie hasn't truly looked at his own appearance lately so Erin looks around and spots a silver reflective tray. She picks it up and walks up to her younger brother "Really?" She challenges as she holds it up to his face so he can look at his own reflection "Then what would you call that?"

"O…oh." Jamie states in true surprise when he indeed sees a beard on his face "When did that happen?"

Laughing in pure amusement, Erin puts the tray down as Danny reaches to take Jessie's carrier from Jamie.

"Alright you two…" Erin begins as she turns her brother to face Eddie "Jamie, I'd like you to meet your wife Eddie and Eddie…" She adds as she turns her sister in law to face Jamie "…meet your husband Jamie."

Eddie places her hands on her hips as she stares at her husband's face "Seriously when did you grow that?" She questions in awe.

Jamie simply just shrugs his shoulders in reply "Honestly no idea." He admits.

Danny shakes his head at the pair "Would you two just go upstairs already…" He lightly chides "…because clearly you both need sleep."

"How did I not notice that?" Eddie stubbornly continues as she and Jamie remain rooted to their spots.

"Hey I'm wearing it and I didn't notice." Jamie deflects.

"Yes but its not like you can see you own face!" Eddie points out "Hell I sleep with you! How have I not noticed that?"

Jamie opens his mouth to answer her but pauses "Yeah I got nothing." He realizes.

"I'm a cop in the NYPD." Eddie mutters out to herself "How did I not notice that?" She continually repeats.

"Because right now you're an over exhausted parent of a newborn." Frank chimes in "So go." He instructs as he motions to the stairs but instead Eddie reaches up to touch Jamie's beard "Hmmmm, feels a bit scratchy."

Danny looks at his father "I think you might need to make it an order."

"Yeah just give me a minute." Eddie deflects "I'm trying to decide if I like it."

"Why?" Jamie questions "It's not like I'm keeping it Eddie."

"You didn't even know you had it." Eddie reminds him.

"Neither did you." Jamie points out.

"Now they are repeating themselves." Erin notes.

"Francis." Henry prompts with a knock of his head towards the second floor.

"Fine." Frank relents before putting on a hat he hasn't worn in a long time "Alright! Get to bed you two!" He orders like a father disciplining his young children "It's past your bedtime, now go!"

Suddenly feeling like a little kid again, Jamie obediently just turns and heads for the stairs "Damn…" Danny breathes out as a little shiver runs through his own body "It's like I'm ten again."

"Completely." Erin agrees in wonder.

"Geez." Eddie notes as she moves to follow her husband "We're going, calm down."

Erin and Danny turn to look expectantly at Frank.

Seeing his two oldest children looking at him Frank prompts "What?"

"Are you just going to let her get away with the back talk?" Danny inquires.

"Yeah." Erin chimes in "Where is the grounding?"

Frank rolls his eyes and Danny and Erin break out into laughter but Jessie begins to cry so Eddie on instinct freezes. A moment later her shoulders sag in defeat and she turns to head towards her daughter but a chorus of "NO!'s" ring out.

"Jameson take your wife upstairs and go to bed!" Henry instructs.

For a moment Jamie's face scrunches up then he just shakes his head "Boy that's something I've never heard in this house before…" He begins as he reaches for Eddie "Instructions to take a girl upstairs and go to bed."

"Parents are always so lax with their youngest child." Danny mockingly points out "They are just too tired too care."

"Plus he's a boy." Erin huffs out in annoyance as she jumps on the bandwagon.

"Shut up." Jamie tosses at his siblings.

"Jessie did you hear that?" Danny needles "Your Dad just told us to shut up!"

Jamie opens his mouth to reply but then just heavily sighs "Yeah I don't have the energy for this."

"GO!" A chorus of voices sound out as everyone points up the stairs.

Jamie and Eddie look at the group before them.

"Me neither." Eddie admits so the couple simply turn and head up the stairs. They walk to Jamie's room and right as Jamie puts his hand on the knob to open it, Eddie stops him "Wait." She requests so Jamie turns to face her.

Eddie cups her husband's face, leans up and kisses him. It's nothing overly passionate or long, its just a kiss but when they break apart Jamie looks at his wife with questioning eyes.

Eddie shrugs "Just wanted to see what it was like kissing you with that beard."

"And?" Jamie questions as he turns, opens the door and let's Eddie go first.

Eddie shrugs as she walks inside "Jury is still out."

"Well I'm going to be out like a light the second my head hits that pillow." Jamie reveals.

"Works for me." Eddie concurs so Jamie crawls onto the bed and then Eddie. Eddie settles her back into her husband's chest but then a moment later she shifts her body around so she's facing her husband and she brings a hand up to his face again.

With his eyes closed Jamie feels his wife's hand on his face "What are you doing?"

"I'm going to sleep." Eddie replies as she again studies her husband's face.

Jamie pops an eye open to see his wife staring at him "Oh is that what you call that?"

"Hey." Eddie defends "I'm trying to in grain it in my head what you look like now or I'm liable to knee you one when I wake up and think I'm in bed with some strange guy."

Jamie can't help but huff out a laugh "Yeah please don't do that."

"I make no promises." Eddie cheekily retorts before leaning over and giving him another kiss "It's growing on me." She admits as she pulls back and settles herself in still facing her husband "Night."

"Night." Jamie returns as they both close their eyes and drift off to sleep.

….

Jamie and Eddie walk down the stairs suspiciously looking around "Why do I not hear crying?" Eddie asks of her husband "She should be in one of her crying fits by now."

"In here!" they hear Henry's voice call so following the sound, Jamie and Eddie move into the sunroom to see Frank sitting in the chair reading his newspaper and Henry sitting on the couch doing his crossword puzzle while they both watch over Jessie who is peacefully sleeping on her stomach on the settee.

Jamie and Eddie stand there a bit speechless.

"Danny mentioned at diner Jessie's crying fits…" Henry explains "…and thought it might be colic."

Franks turns his head to his son and grins "You were colic. After many trials and tribulations your Mother discovered that putting you on your stomach helped to not only calm you but helped you pass gas. Clearly works for Jessie too."

Eddie turns to look at her husband and slaps him on the arm "So this is your fault!"

"I'm sorry!" Jamie immediately apologizes with a flinch.

"You couldn't just pass on your smarts?" Eddie continues unimpressed "You had to pass on colic?"

Henry and Frank both chuckle.

"But you have to remember you can only put her on her stomach while you are awake and monitoring her…" Frank interjects "…so it might not help with sleep in the middle of the night but it at least gives you some relief from the constant crying."

"I'll take it!" Eddie breathes out in complete relief as she moves to hug Frank "Thank you." She sincerely states in true appreciation "Just thank you."

"You're welcome." Frank returns with a smile as he circles an arm around Eddie and lightly pats her back but suddenly Eddie pulls back and looks Frank right in the eye "How long was he colic?" she seriously inquires.

Frank thinks back "It was about a month."

Eddie groans.

"But once we discovered the stomach thing…" Frank continues "…it corrected itself pretty quick after that."

Eddie turns to look at Jamie "You better hope he's right." She warns.

"8 letter word…" Henry suddenly inquires out into the room "…starting with G for the study of inherited characteristics."

Jamie sighs "Genetics."

Henry grins "You got that right!"

…..

"Alright Sweetie." Eddie gently coos as she goes to pick up her daughter "Time to go home." She whispers as she moves to transfer her into the carseat carrier without waking her up and as she settles her in she pauses when she realizes her daughter is now dressed in a onesie she's never seen before. She pulls back to read the saying and a smirk appears on her face so she picks up the carrier and heads into the kitchen where Frank, Henry and Jamie are "Alright." Eddie quietly states as she set the carrier on the kitchen table "Which one of you did this?" she inquires as she looks between Frank and Henry but points at Jessie.

Jamie looks over at his wife and gives her a questioning look.

Eddie simply regestures at the carrier so Jamie walks over and looking inside. There he sees his daughter wearing a onesie that says

'Mom & Dad might wear the badge but I call the shots'

Jamie stares at the onesie then just silently turns to look at his Father and Grandfather.

"I have been waiting since the day she was born for the right moment to trot that out!" Henry quips with a grin "And today is finally the day!"

"Nice Pop." Jamie tosses back with a shake of his head and a heavy sigh.

"Just wait." Frank suddenly adds as he reaches over to the open a drawer and pulls out a flatish gift box "I think mine is better…" he begins to explain as he holds the box out to Jamie "…but I let Pop take the win on this one."

Henry let's out a scoff "Let." He repeats "I won fair and square."

Now curious, Jamie takes the box as Eddie walks over to him. He opens it and inside they both see a onesie that says 'I refuse to take a nap, is that resisting A REST?'

It's impossible for Eddie to not huff out a laugh "Oh lord."

Jamie purses his lips together as he looks up at his Father "Really Dad?"

"Hey." Frank shrugs in amused deflection "It's genetics."

…..

Eddie walks into her bedroom and up to the bassinet to check on at her daughter on her stomach. Satisfied everything is all good she continues on to stand in the doorway between the bedroom and bathroom to see her husband inside half way through shaving his beard off "Aw you're shaving it off?"

Jamie stops shaving and turns to face his wife "You want me to stop?" he challenges.

Eddie bursts out laughing at his face being ½ beard and ½ clean shaven "Now there's a look!"

Without waiting for a real answer, Jamie turns his attention back to look at himself in the mirror and keeps shaving.

"It was a unique look." Eddie admits "One I gotta say I never thought I would see Jamie Reagan sport."

"Would have made one hell of a UC look." Jamie notes.

"Completely." Eddie agrees "You're my husband and if I had passed you wearing that thing on the street I doubt even I would have recognized you!"

"Well no worries because those days are over." Jamie replies.

Other then the shaver humming away, a sudden silence fills the bathroom as Eddie scrunches her face up processing her husband's words "What do you mean?" She finally questions.

"I'm a Lieutenant now." Jamie replies "My UC days are over."

"Oh that's not true." Eddie dismisses.

"Yeah it is Eddie." Jamie confirms as he glances at his wife before carefully adding "And ah… when you come back to work I… I think we need to approach things a bit differently then what we were used to."

Again, Eddie's face scrunches up and her eyes narrow "Okay what does that mean?"

Jamie heavily sighs, puts his shaver down and turns to face his wife "It means for Jessie's sake we can't work the same cases anymore."

With just a look, Eddie demands her husband explain.

"Look when those partners where shot the other week…" Jamie begins "…all I heard in my head was Dad's voice wanting to know what he should do with our kids when we get taken out in the same action."

Eddie makes a shocked expression "WHOA!" She exclaims in total surprise "When did that happen?"

"Right after we got engaged." Jamie reluctantly admits.

"What?" Eddie breathes out stunned so Jamie takes a deep breath...

"You remember right after we got engaged we tended to that building fire where we both went in, you went for the grandpa and before you could get out there was the explosion?"

"Yes." Eddie slowly replies.

"So then I went in after you…" Jamie continues "…which resulted in me getting into it with the firefighter and as a result of that, I got called up to 1PP?"

"Yes." Eddie suspiciously replies.

"Well then." Jamie admits.

Eddie stares at her husband in unamused disbelief "And this is the first I'm hearing of this?"

Jamie shrugs slightly "Sorry." He sheepishly apologizes "With everything else that was going on at the time I didn't want to put that on you too."

"TOO?" Eddie presses.

"Look..." Jamie deflects "My point is, I think Dad was right. For Jessie's sake, we can't work the same cases anymore. We can still run the squad but if it's anything out in the field, no."

Eddie's face twists and contorts as she ponders her husband's words. As much as she wanted to protest that, she had to admit he had a point "I guess you're right." She reluctantly admits.

"Yeah and now I have to admit to Dad that HE was right." Jamie sighs "That is sooo going to suck!"

An amused smile plays on Eddie's face "You'll survive."

Jamie let's out a breath of air "Well that is the goal." He seriously counters before going back to shaving.

...