Chapter 134: The Ways Of Family
Eddie stands in her bedroom watching her husband get ready for work "How is it time for you to go back to work already? Where did those two weeks go?"
"Time flies when you are sleep deprived." Jamie replies but suddenly he stops his movements and turns to face his wife "You sure you're going to be okay on your own?"
"Ah but I won't be alone will I be?" Eddie reminds him "I'll be with Jessie – and Reagan, and Jamko."
Jamie tosses that around in his mind "Well you're joking about it – that's a good sign."
"Jamie I'll be fine." Eddie promises.
"Famous last words." Jamie counters.
"Gee thanks for the vote of confidence." Eddie tosses back.
"You know that's not what I mean." Jamie relents.
"I know, you're just looking for some kind of valid excuse to use to be able to stay." Eddie states.
Jamie freezes then slowly turns to look at his wife.
"Am I wrong?" Eddie challenges.
Jamie sighs in defeat "No."
Eddie laughs "Jamie one of us needs to go to work – we have a kid – she's expensive – oh please don't forget to pick up more diapers."
"Right." Jamie remembers.
Eddie sighs "You already forgot didn't you?"
"I did not!"
"You did." Eddie deadpans.
"I did." Jamie sheepishly admits.
"Well if you forget again you'll be the one washing all the dish towels she'll be dirtying in their place."
"Okay well with an image like that, no way I'm forgetting now!"
"Good." Eddie accepts as she turns to walk away but then pauses "And you know the right size to get?"
Jamie immediately walks across the hall and into the nursery. He pulls out his phone and snaps a picture of the diaper packaging "Yes." He replies.
Eddie rolls her eyes.
"She was three weeks early Eddie." Jamie defends.
"And how is that an excuse for you not knowing the right size?" Eddie counters "It's been two weeks since her arrival – you should know by now! Get some more wipes too." Eddie adds on as she looks at what they have on hand on the change table.
"Remember when we used to talk about other things?" Jamie inquires as he takes a picture of the wipes too.
"Time before her is a blur. I only vaguely recall that we used to be partners, fell in love and got married – wait did you get promoted? I might have too."
"Twice now for both of us." Jamie replies.
"Oh look at us go." Eddie proudly commends.
"Well it's like you said." Jamie adds "She's expensive."
"But worth every penny!" Eddie adds.
"Yeah I better go to work." Jamie concedes.
Eddie nods in approval.
…..
"Well look who's back!" Danny quips as he watches Jamie walk into the bullpen of the 5-4 "EVERYONE!" He calls out "Look who's back! It's Lieutenant Dad! And hey! And he's got a clean shirt on!"
In response, everyone in the bullpen begins to clap.
"That's cute. That's funny." Jamie calls out to everyone.
"And for those that don't know…" Danny very proudly begins to announce with a great big grin on his face "I delivered her!"
Jamie's eyes zero in on his brother at his words and he takes a deep breath "Here we go."
At hearing his younger brother's words, Danny turns his attention Jamie and offers him an arrogant little shrug "Hey, I'm just saying…"
Jamie rolls his eyes "Get back to work!" He commands as he turns to head to his office. He goes to put his key in the lock but finds the door already ajar. Now suspicious, Jamie pockets his key and glances backwards to see Danny and Maria suddenly completely ignoring him as they look at a file together so he looks forward again, puts the palm of his hand on his door and gives it a little push open and the moment his office interior comes into view his mouth drops at the sight before him for the office is decked out in pink everything – balloons, streamers, paper even a few throw pillows on the chairs and a banner that says "Congratulations! It's a Girl!" He stands there a moment in absolute shock before finally turning his head backwards towards his brother saying "I really need to take that spare set of keys away from you." but Jamie sees his brother with his phone held up recording his reaction while the room breaks out into another round of applause.
"Put that down." Jamie tells his brother.
"Is that an order?" Danny sneers right back "Because I'm pretty sure Eddie would like to see this." He adds as he steps towards and then past his brother to enter the office "Now you see Eddie…" Danny begins to narrate as he takes his phone and begins slowly sweeping it across the room in a panoramic shot "You were supposed to be here for this too – you know BEFORE you went on maternity leave but you had to go having the baby early!" he adds before turning the camera around so he's recording his own face "I beg you, please make him keep this set up like this until you come back."
Jamie yanks on his brother's arm so he can look into the camera himself "No and that's an order." He commands before pushing the phone back towards his brother so Danny's face comes back into view "Well we tried." Danny shrugs into the video and ultimately his sister in law "The Boss has spoken Boss, give my girl a kiss for me."
"HEY THAT'S MY LINE!" Jamie calls out annoyed from off camera as he picks up a pink pillow from off his chair looking around wondering what he's supposed to do with it now.
"But I delivered her!" Danny adds purely as a way to get even more of a rise out of his brother and it works for Jamie tilts his head back and looks up at the ceiling "Lord give me the strength…"
"Aw…" Danny quips in absolute delight of his brother getting all riled up "…it's good to have at least one of you back! Later sis in law!" he quips before pressing stop.
Jamie sighs "Don't you have cases to work on?"
"Of course I do." Danny replies.
"Then could you go work on them?" Jamie tosses back.
"Wow, you're cranky."
"And you're this close to me transferring you." Jamie warns.
"Good one." Danny laughs not believing him for a second.
"Just go." Jamie snarls.
"Okay." Danny quips before turning to exit the office.
"Give me a fussy, cranky, screaming baby any day…" Jamie mutters as he again looks around wondering what to do but a second later Maria silently enters and just offers an empty box out to him.
"Thank you." Jamie appreciatively states as he takes the box and begins to gather everything pink up into it…
"What are you doing with those pillows?" Maria nonchalantly inquires causing Jamie to slowly turn his head to look at her so Maria shrugs in deflection "Elena's on a bit of a pink kick right now so…"
But before she can even finish that sentence Jamie is swiping two pillows up and offering them out to Maria "Here…" He quickly and enthusiastically offers out "…take two."
….
Eddie yawns as she walks down the stairs to the main floor but she slows her pace to a stop when she hears noises coming from the kitchen – she was supposed to be the only one home…
Flipping into cautious mode, Eddie slowly creeps down the stairs and for a moment her eyes dart across the living room into the study to the safe where her weapon is but then she hears a familiar voice "Well why is that there?" and a look of complete confusion appears on her face instead as the new Mother quickly descends the rest of the stairs and moves so she can look into the kitchen "Mom?" She greets in total surprise at the sight of her Mother standing there with her hands on her hips looking into an open cupboard.
Startled at hearing her daughter's voice, Lena spins around to face her "Oh shoot did I wake you up?" She apologizes "I was trying to be quiet but frankly I can't find anything I need in this kitchen! Why is it all arranged differently?"
Eddie opens her mouth to speak but she has so many questions she doesn't even really know where to start "What?" she finally gets out.
"Why is everything in a different spot from when we lived here?" Lena clarifies.
"Mom you never spent any time in the kitchen when we lived here so how would you even know."
"I did so." Lena defends.
"What are you doing here?" Eddie finally inquires "How did you get in?"
"With my key!" Lena simply quips in reply "I figured you might be sleeping and I didn't want to wake you up, you need your sleep so I just let myself in."
Eddie's mouth drops open "Your key?" she challenges.
"Well what?" Lena defends "You think we didn't keep one? Of course we did for this exact reason! Now, I'm here to help so what do you need?"
Suddenly Eddie begins to slap her face "Come on wake up." she prompts herself "This has got to be another nightmare."
"Edit what are you doing?" Lena chides.
"I don't know, hallucinating?" Eddie tosses back.
Lena frowns "Why is it so hard for you to believe I would be here wanting to help? You are my daughter you know."
"Oh I know." Eddie admits "Dad here too?"
"No." Lena huffs out in annoyance.
"Why?" Eddie challenges "Because he didn't think sneaking into a couple of cops' house unannounced was a good idea?"
Lena thinks about that "Oh right."
"Yeah." Eddie deadpans "You're lucky the safe is in the study."
"Is that still the same combo?" Lena wonders.
"MOM!" Eddie chides.
"Oh what?" Lena defends "I was just curious."
Eddie shakes her head.
"Okay seriously though." Lena begins "What do you need?"
"A long hot shower." Eddie sarcastically replies "But I need to figure out what on earth I'm making for lunch then later for supper."
"Hah, hah!" Lena quips in absolute delight as she moves towards her daughter "Then off you go..." She instructs as she turns her daughter around and gently pushes her back towards the stairs "…and when you come back down, I'll have a nice lunch for you."
Eddie turns slightly to try to look questioningly at her Mother but finally she just give in "Okay."
….
Feeling refreshed after her shower, Eddie walks down the stairs to smell an amazing aroma "Oh my god…" She exclaims as she makes her way towards the kitchen to see her Mother had laid out quite the spread "You cooked all this?" Eddie asks her Mother in absolute amazement.
"Oh heavens no!" Lena dismisses as she offers a plate of food out to her daughter "I ordered in – they delivered it while you were in the shower."
"That's more like it." Eddie admits as she takes the plate and jams some food on her fork while surveying the rest of the food "There is a lot of food here Mom." She notes before putting the fork in her mouth.
"It's so you have left overs and don't have to cook…" Lena explains "…at least for a few days."
Eddie offers a small smile to her Mother as she chews "Thank you…" she accepts after swallowing "…but you didn't need to do that." She adds in rejection causing Lena to sigh in exasperation as she watches her daughter take in another fork full.
"Look I may not be able to gift you a house like your father or build my granddaughter a treehouse like her great grandfather and cousin but I do know what it's like trying to take care of a newborn and how sometimes it's the little things like not having to cook that can make all the difference."
"You're the second person to tell me that." Eddie admits.
"Well?" Lena then prompts
"Okay, thank you." Eddie relents "It will be really nice not having to think about what we are eating the next couple of days never mind finding the time and energy to cook it."
"See!" Lena brightly quips in triumph "Listen to your Mother Edit, I know what I'm talking about."
"Yes Mom." Eddie obediently agrees in defeat right as Jessie begins to cry over the monitor "Hey you want to change a diaper?" she hopefully asks her Mother.
In response, Lena reaches into her purse on the counter and pulls out a pair of disposable gloves "I'm on it." She replies as she heads for the stairs pulling the gloves on.
Eddie stares at her Mother again in amazed awe watching her go but a moment later she puts the plate down, reaches over and grabs a pen and some paper
Milk in fridge she writes before placing the pad in a spot her Mother will be sure to see it before she simply turns and heading for a couch "I survived." She reasons as she lays down and pulls a cover over her "Jessie will too." She decides as she closes her eyes trying to find sleep.
….
Jamie pulls The Chevelle into his driveway and slows to a stop at the sight of his mother in law's car blocking his path to the garage "O…kay." He slowly breathes out as he turns the car off "Wasn't expecting that." He admits as he opens his door to get out "Now what am I walking into…" he wonders as he makes his way to the trunk where he opens it up and pulls out the box of pink articles and a box of diapers before making his way up the path to the front door.
He unlocks it, opens it up, steps inside and is just about to call out that he's home as he puts the boxes down when Lena appears out of nowhere and stops him "Shhhhh!" She chides as she points at the couch "Edit is still asleep."
"Oh." Jamie accepts as he looks over in surprise at hearing that then let's his eyes drift back to his Mother in law "Hi…" he slowly greets in wonder.
"Jameson." Lena warmly returns as she moves to give him a hug "How are you doing? How was your first day back at work?"
Jamie again looks at his mother in law in surprise "Oh you knew that was today?"
"Why do you think I'm here?" Lena points out before flippantly explaining "Frank and I keep in touch."
"Oh." Jamie accepts.
Silence.
"So how are things going?" he then asks.
"Edit took a nice long hot shower. Jessie's fed and changed and then fed again…" Lena replies "Mia is now reading her a Disney story – those two together are sooo cute!" Lena quips "And supper is in the fridge."
"Oh." Jamie accepts in pleasant surprise "Okay."
Lena triumphantly smiles at her son in law "Not my first rodeo!"
A smirk plays on Jamie's face "Have you ever been to a rodeo?" he just can't help but ask.
"Oh Jameson." Lena laughs "There is so much about me you don't know."
"Well based on knowing your daughter…" Jamie admits "…I can only image what those things could be."
Lena grins.
….
Eddie is still asleep when Jamie sits on the edge of the couch "Babe." He gently prompts as he gives her a little nudge "Time to get up, Jessie's hungry."
Moaning in rejection, Eddie tries to pull the covers over her head and hide.
"Yeah sorry, that's not going to work." Jamie apologetically sighs as he pulls the covers down off her face "I wish I could do it myself and let you sleep but she's already gone through all the milk you pumped and I'm not anatomically set up to produce more."
"Typical excuse." Eddie mutters before reluctantly cracking an eye open "Wait you're home… how long have I been asleep?"
"I don't know a while I guess but you'd have to ask your Mom."
"Right Mom…" Eddie realizes "Wait is she still here?"
Jamie nods.
"What time is it?" Eddie presses as she slowly removes the cover off her and sits up.
"After 7." Jamie answers.
"At night?" Eddie states in surprise.
Jamie nods.
Wow." Eddie breathes out as she rubs her hands over her face "Is Mia home?"
Again Jamie nods.
"How did I not hear her?" Eddie wonders.
"I'm going to guess your Mother." Jamie admits "She practically pounced on me the second I walked in the door demanding I be quiet because you were sleeping."
Eddie makes a surprised expression "Really?"
Once again, Jamie nods.
"Wow." Eddie again repeats.
"Now I know for sure where your protective streak comes from. I always thought it was her…" Jamie admits "…but I wasn't entirely sure until today."
"And I haven't heard Jessie cry or a dog bark once." Eddie realizes as she stands.
"Again, your Mother." Jamie admits "Seems she's got a lot of tricks up her sleeve."
Eddie stares at her husband a moment at his words "Then why the hell isn't she teaching me them!" she demands as she starts for the stairs.
"Would you have accepted them if she just flat out told you how to do things?" Jamie challenges.
Eddie abruptly stops walking "Stop being so…"
"Right?" Jamie finishes in amusement.
Eddie turns and narrows her eyes at her husband "I'll give you this one." She concedes as she starts for the stairs again "But only because I like sleep."
"Good a reason as any." Jamie accepts but just then Eddie noticed the box of pink items still by the door and so she again stops, points at the box then looks back at her husband "What is this?"
"Oh yeah that." Jamie remembers "The squad decked out our office. I'll show you the video later after you finish feeding Jessie."
"Or you could just come upstairs and show it to me WHILE I feed her. Bring the box." She decides as she starts to climb "Mommy wants show and tell."
Jamie scrunches his face up at hearing that "When did we start talking about ourselves in the third person?" he calls up to her.
Eddie glances backwards "Since all I do all day now is talk to a baby."
"Well that's not true." Jamie rejects as he picks up the box "I'm not a baby." He adds as he moves to follow his wife "Neither are Rosa and Mia then there is always Reagan and Jamko – okay wait I'll give you those two." He concedes "Plus today your Mother is here."
"Do you enjoy proofing me wrong?" Eddie flatly inquires in annoyance "And think very carefully before you answer that question."
"I'm just trying to have a challenging adult conversation with my wife..." Jamie replies "…because I know all she does all day now is talk to a baby."
Eddie can't help but huff out a laugh at hearing that "Your Harvard education was worth every penny."
"Not sure my twenty something self's pocket book would agree." Jamie rejects.
"Oh stop." Eddie chides "Because your forty something self's pocket book is doing just fine."
"True." Jamie admits "But only because I married me a sugar mommy."
Eddie abruptly stops walking at hearing that and whips around to face Jamie with a very unhappy look on her face but when she sees the amused giddy grin on her husband's face she knows he's joking.
"Pink pillow?" Jamie simply offers as he reaches into the box, picks up a pillow then lifts it to display to his wife.
"That thing is hideous." Eddie decides.
Jamie shrugs as he drops it back in the box "Maria took two for Elena – apparently she's on a pink kick."
Eddie turns forwards and begins walking again "Ask her if she wants the rest." She instructs.
"What?" Jamie whines "You mean I packed these up and brought them home for nothing?"
Eddie rolls her eyes "You poor baby. That entire box has got to be what a whole pound? Try carrying a tiny human around for months on end."
"See again you win." Jamie declares "And you didn't spend a fortune on tuition."
"I spent $50,000 on yours… " Eddie arrogantly tosses back as she turns to face her husband "Does that count?" She challenges.
Jamie abruptly stops walking and looks at his wife in complete and total surprise that she would throw that back at him.
"Well that's what you get for calling me your sugar mommy." Eddie sarcastically explains before sticking her tongue out at him.
Jamie tips his head to his wife "Well played." He admits.
"Thank you." Eddie accepts "Oh did you remember to get the diapers?"
"Oh I got diapers." Jamie confidently declares right as Eddie walks into the nursery to see a huge pile of diaper boxes stacked high against the wall and her mouth drops open.
"They were on sale." Jamie explains "So I figured we might as well stock up – we know we're gonna use them."
"Jessica…" Lena's voice coos from across the hall in the master bedroom "…you look so pretty!"
Getting curious looks on their faces, Jamie and Eddie turn and move into their bedroom to see Lena hoovering over Jessie in her bassinet taking pictures with her phone "Now I know you're getting hungry but just move your hand from your mouth so Grand MaMa can get a pretty picture of you before you get spit up all over your pretty new dress." She adds as the couple move forward to see Jessie decked out in a very stylish outfit complete with a headband bow on her head.
"Is that…" Eddie slowly begins as she points at her daughter "…a designer outfit?"
"It's it the cutest!" Lena gushes.
"Mom how much did that cost?"
"Oh pfft." Lena rejects "What's a little money – she's my grand baby!"
Jamie sighs in defeat "And you are going to spoil her rotten." He knowingly adds.
"Mom." Eddie begins to reject as she moves forward to pick her daughter up "She's going to what? Wear that a couple of times before she out grows it?"
Lena dismissively waves her hand "Completely worth it."
"Oh course you'd say that." Eddie flatly mutters.
"I'm sorry." Lena challenges "I didn't hear you complaining when you were younger."
"And look where that got us!" Eddie tosses back in exasperation before she can stop herself causing a very awkward silence to follow.
"Look I'm sorry." Eddie then apologizes "I just don't want you or Dad spending beyond your means for her."
Lena gets an unhappy offended look on her face "I think we've all learnt our lesson Edit, no need to rehash that."
"You did give her a roof over her head." Jamie jumps in trying to smooth things over "You're more then covered in the gifts department."
"Armin gave you this house." Lena flatly corrects "I didn't."
Eddie looks her mother square in the eye "But you still have a key." She points out.
"I'm sorry what?" Jamie breathes out at hearing that.
"Oh yeah, forgot to tell you – Mom and Dad kept a key – when she got here today, she just let herself in."
"I didn't want to disturb you in case you were sleeping." Lena immediately defends again.
Jamie's face scrunches up at hearing that "And where was Jamko?" he asks unimpressed that the dog just let his mother in law in without so much as a bark "Actually where IS Jamko?" he realizes.
"Oh I got him a nice big bone from the butcher shop." Lena dismissively explains "He's happily nawing on that downstairs in the basement – has been all afternoon."
Jamie and Eddie just stare at Lena speechless – as much as they wanted to say something, they both had to admit Lena had been a BIG help today…
Finally, not sure what else to do, Jamie looks down at the box still in his arms "I'm just going to go put this stuff in the nursery." He decides before spinning on his heels and walking out.
"And I need to feed her." Eddie mumbles.
"Wait just hold her up so I can get one more shot of both my girls." Lena instructs as she lifts her phone so even though she didn't really want to, Eddie obliges her Mother and does as instructed.
"Perfect." Lena quips in delight as she takes the photo then moves to review it.
….
Jamie stands in front of his wife holding his phone out to Eddie letting her see the video Danny took as she sits in the rocking chair feeding Jessie.
"That's hilarious." Eddie admits at the end "And touching all at the same time."
"It would have been." Jamie counters as he closes the media file "If it didn't come with 'but I delivered her!' ever 5 minutes from Danny."
Eddie looks at her husband and cringes "Really?"
Jamie sighs "Pretty much."
"Sorry." Eddie apologizes.
"I mean I appreciate that he delivered her." Jamie adds "I truly do but there is a limit you know?"
Eddie nods in agreement but then adds "I notice you didn't bring the balloons home." in an attempt to distract her husband and move the conversation along.
Suddenly a sly little grin breaks out on Jamie's face "It's amazing the duck and cover response you get in a squad room full of cops when you pop some balloons."
Eddie's mouth falls open "You didn't!"
Jamie nods "I did – look at it this way…" he defends "…was a great way for me to test their reaction time."
Eddie shakes her head at his spin on the situation.
"Would you like to see it?" he adds with a grin.
A look of amazement appears on Eddie's face "You recorded it?"
Jamie nods "I can multitask by holding up a phone and popping a couple of balloons."
"Show me!" Eddie demands so Jamie cues up the video and when he hits play Eddie sees the screen focused on Danny and Maria's desks and she laughs in understanding "So when you said the squad what you really meant was Danny."
"If I give this to Mia…" Jamie begins as Eddie watches Danny duck and cover on pure instinct and adrenaline "…I wonder if she can create some kind of TicToc masterpiece I can show at Sunday Dinner."
"She probably could." Eddie admits before sighing "I wish I had been there."
At hearing her words, Jamie lifts his head to eye his wife "But that's why I recorded it – so you wouldn't miss it – Just like Danny recorded my reaction to our office."
Again Eddie sighs as she looks down at her daughter against her "I know but still."
"Eddie this..." Jamie adds as he wiggles his phone "…is ultimately all just inconsequential... fluff…" he adds trying to find the right word "…but what you're doing here with her…" he insists "That's the real important stuff."
"I know that." Eddie repeats "It's just something I like the inconsequential fluff." She admits so in response Jamie reaches into the pink items box to again pull out a pillow.
"Here." He offers as he holds it out to her "This is pretty fluffy."
A small smile creeps up on Eddie's face at her husband's actions as she again looks at the pillow "You know on second look that pillow is growing on me."
"Should I go put it on our bed?" Jamie jokes.
"Okay it's not growing on me THAT much!" Eddie laughs "But we can leave them in here for now." She relents before looking over to the box "So show me what else is in there."
Jamie reaches into the box to pull out a box of pink colored 'It's A Girl' cigars "I'll just give these to Dad…"
Eddie laughs and then a comfortable silence befalls the family.
"I still can't believe Jamko just let my Mother walk in here like nothing." Eddie states in awe.
"That was my first reaction too..." Jamie admits "But then I thought about it and in a way, it does make sense."
"How?" Eddie prompts.
"Jamko loves you." Jamie simply states "And I know you might not want to hear this but Lena is your Mother and you do have similar qualities so Jamko probably picked up on that, just like he immediately picked up on the fact that Jessie belonged here when we brought her home - he's a smart dog."
Eddie sighs "I guess that makes sense – I might not completely like it – but it makes sense."
"She was a big help today." Jamie points out.
Eddie heavily sighs "She was." She begrudgingly agrees.
Silence.
"So maybe it's not such a bad thing that she has a key?" Jamie prompts "I mean they have had it all this time and not used it for evil so…"
For a moment Eddie can't help but huff out a laugh her husband's words but then she grows quiet "You're really okay if she keeps it?"
"I'm okay if she keeps it on one condition…" Jamie replies "She's gotta let us know that she's coming. More just so we don't shoot her then anything else."
"I told her the same thing!"
Jamie chuckles before there this a silence again.
"I'm glad you have your Mother to help you." Jamie suddenly adds "Erin and Linda both had Mom and…"
Eddie immediately nods in understanding "I know." She gently reassures her husband.
...