A part two to the 14x11 fanfic. As much as I loved Eddie's storyline, I wish we could've seen some interaction with Jamie and Amelia. Of course, I had to go and write it myself. Hope you enjoy!
Jamie suddenly woke up out of a deep but uncomfortable sleep to find Amelia staring at him from her side of the bed. She looked at him with curiosity, but managed to muster up a small smile. He smiled back at her and slid his legs off the bed as he sat up in the chair.
"Good morning Amelia," he said quietly, not wanting to bother Eddie who was still asleep. "Did you sleep okay?"
Amelia gave a small shrug as she sat up, clutching her bunny tightly. His heart broke for her, knowing that she was very likely missing her mother at the moment. He couldn't imagine what she'd seen or heard yesterday when it happened. It's something that no one should ever have to go through. All he truly wanted to do was wrap her up and protect her from what the next few weeks and months were going to be like, having to navigate life without her mother.
"Are you hungry?" he continued. Amelia had only picked at her food the night before, taking a few small bites of mashed potatoes. He imagined that she was starving by now and hoped that the promise of a good breakfast would entice her to eat. "I can make some good chocolate chip pancakes. How does that sound?"
He saw a small twinkle in her eyes as she nodded. He held out a hand and she took it, helping her carefully off the bed so they didn't disturb Eddie. He felt a small squeeze to his hand before she let go and held her bunny close.
"You can sit in the living room and watch some cartoons while I make breakfast," he said as they walked out of the bedroom. "It won't take me very long."
Amelia nodded and walked to the living room while he went into the kitchen. He had just finished making the batter when he noticed Amelia watching him intently instead of watching the show. He smiled over at her.
"Do you want to help me?" he asked. "Eddie doesn't trust me to do it by myself sometimes. She says that I cheat her out on the chocolate chips."
Amelia laughed and hopped up off the couch. She walked over to the kitchen, her bunny still in hand. She was about to grab the cup that Jamie had put the batter in when she stopped suddenly and looked down at her bunny. Then, she held it out toward him.
"Do you want me to hold it for you?" he asked.
She nodded. He took it gently before stepping back and letting Amelia take over. He had to give her a few pointers here and there but Amelia took to cooking the pancakes with ease. He chuckled to himself with seeing her strategy of applying the chocolate chips onto the pancake. She would sprinkle just a few on top before deciding it wasn't enough and place a whole handful on it.
He looked down at her plush bunny and smiled. It looked just like one he had when he was younger. He carried it everywhere and he's certain that there's multiple family photos where he had it in hand. He understood the need of one for a kid. It was a source of comfort and security. It was a constant… and that's what Amelia needed at the moment. He started at it thoughtfully when he suddenly noticed something peeking out of the small back pocket of the bunny. He pulled it out slightly but quickly stopped when he recognized what it was. It was a small, wallet size picture of Amelia, and what he assumed was her mother together. He felt a lump form in his throat as he looked at Amelia before pushing the picture back down into the pocket. He quickly gathered himself, not wanting Amelia to notice.
He busied himself with helping her finish the last few pancakes when they heard footsteps approaching. They both turned to find Eddie walking into the kitchen, letting out a yawn but smiling when she spotted both of them.
"Good morning you two," she said, before looking at the stove. "Chocolate chip pancakes? I guess you read my mind this morning. And I see that you didn't cheat me out on the chocolate chips this time."
Jamie gave Amelia a knowing look. "Told you," he said to her, to which she responded with a giggle.
"She actually helped me make them," he told his wife. "And did a very good job."
Eddie smiled at Amelia then walked over and pulled her in for a hug. The little girl hesitated for a minute as Eddie hugged her but then visibly relaxed and hugged her back.
"Since you made breakfast Amelia, Jamie and I will take care of everything else," Eddie said, running a hand over her head. "You can go watch your show for a minute and we'll let you know when it's time to come to the table."
Amelia took her bunny back from Jamie and nodded before walking over to the living room and reclaiming her spot on the couch.
"Did you sleep okay?" Jamie asked his wife once Amelia was out of earshot. "And did she?"
Eddie looked over sadly at Amelia, "She woke up twice. Just kind of startled. And who wouldn't be? Especially with everything she went through. I got her to settle down quickly though. And I didn't sleep too much. I would doze off lightly but I was mainly worried about her."
"I know," he said gently, pulling her to him for a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "You're really good with her Ed."
She sighed as she laid her head on Jamie's chest and hugged him back, "I just hate that it's under these kind of circumstances, you know? She lost her mom in the worst way possible. At such a young age too."
Jamie nodded and laid his head on top of hers for a long minute, giving her a quick squeeze before letting her go. They looked over to see that Amelia was sitting at the table now, clearly hungry and anxiously awaiting her pancakes. They couldn't help but chuckle and quickly got to work in setting up the table with the food and necessary utensils. They sat down and began to eat breakfast, with most of the talk being between Jamie and Eddie while Amelia listened. They involved her in the conversation as they were able to, but she would only respond with nods or shakes of her head.
Eventually, they finished with breakfast. Jamie rushed off to their bedroom to get ready for work, while Eddie cleaned off the table with Amelia's help. Eddie had taken the day off to stay with Amelia. They were anticipating the arrival of a therapist from child services, who needed to talk to her. She could tell that the little girl was nervous about it but she reassured her that she'd be there with her every step of the way.
Jamie was already running a little late as he finished putting his duffel bag together. He had prolonged his departure, mainly because he wanted to make sure Eddie and Amelia were settled. He had a surge of protective feelings for Amelia now and found himself not wanting to leave. But, he knew that Eddie had everything handled.
He walked back into the kitchen to grab his thermos before heading into the living room to say bye to Eddie and Amelia. He stopped short when he found them sitting on the couch together with Amelia leaning her head against his wife's shoulder. He smiled and walked over quietly.
He pressed a quick kiss to the top of Eddie's head. "Bye Ed," he whispered.
She looked back at him, with a certain look on her face that he hadn't seen for a while. A look of being purely and truly content.
"I'll see you later," she replied sweetly. "Be safe, okay? Do you think you'll be up for going out to dinner tonight? I wanted to take Amelia to try that diner down the block. The one with the really good burgers."
He nodded, "We can. I don't anticipate it being a full day anyways so I should be back early in the afternoon. Let me know if you two need anything, okay? I'll have my phone on me."
"Sounds good," she smiled. "Love you."
"Love you too, Ed." Then, he peeked over at Amelia, whose eyes were closed. He patted her head affectionately before taking one last look at the two of them as he left the apartment.
