38. It Feels Like Home To Me

Thanks so much for the reviews from the last chapter. I am so floored by the response that the last chapter got. I am so glad that you guys liked it and are happy that Everly is finally here. The adventure for Erin and Jay is about to begin that's for sure.

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Thirty minutes after Everly was born Jay walked down the hall of the labor and delivery room behind the nurses that were pushing Erin's bed back down to her room from the OR. The soft sound of Everly grunting in his arms took caused him to look down at his daughter in his arms.

"What's that about?" Jay asked looking down at Everly.

Everly rooted in Jay's arms and she blinked slowly as she tried to focus on her father's face in the bright lights of the hallway.

Overwhelmed didn't even begin to explain how Jay felt when he looked down at his daughter. How you can love someone so much that you just met was beyond anything he'd ever experienced in his entire life. He knew he was probably being a little partial, but there had never been a more beautiful baby ever born.

And love? That wasn't a big enough word to describe the way that Jay Halstead felt about his daughter and his wife.

"Here we go. Home sweet home" Nurse Vanessa joked as they wheeled Erin back into her room.

"Thank you" Erin said as she covered her mouth and yawned.

"Is there anything we can get you?" Nurse Carley asked as she and Vanessa locked the brakes on Erin's bed.

"Can I see my baby?" Erin asked as she looked over her nurse's shoulder at her husband who was holding their daughter and oblivious to anything going on around him.

Jay only looked up from Everly when he heard the room get silent and he was met with the gaze of Erin and her nurses staring at him.

"Something wrong?" Jay asked.

"Can I hold the baby?" Erin asked.

"Oh" Jay said looking down at Everly before walking the short distance to Erin's bed.

"How about we try a little skin to skin contact" Vanessa said reaching down to take the baby from Jay.

"Skin to skin?" Erin asked as she watched Vanessa lay Everly on her bed and unswaddle her to her diaper as Everly began to fuss from the cool air hitting her skin.

"Yeah, skin to skin is a huge benefit to mommy and baby. We usually like to do it as soon as baby comes out and keep baby there for the first hour of life. But, since your delivery was different, we're going to try it now" Carley explained as she unbuttoned the top of Erin's hospital gown and pulled it back enough for Vanessa to lay a crying Everly on Erin's chest.

Carley draped Erin's gown back over her and pulled her blanket up to rest just over Everly's back.

Erin placed a kiss on the top of Everly's head full of dark hair as the baby started to settle down. "Is she ok? Am I...Am I doing this right?"

"She's perfect, Erin" Vanessa assured "And you're doing a great job"

Erin gave Vanessa a slight smile as she felt Everly rooting against her and settle with her head just above Erin's heart.

"We will be here until 7am. So, we'll step out and give you a little while to bond before we let any visitors back" Carley explained.

"And trust me, you've got a room full of them just waiting to get back here and see this little lady" Vanessa added as she made a note on Erin's chart and sat it back down in the slot in the wall.

"Thank you" Jay and Erin both said as Jay walked pulled out the chair beside Erin's bed and sat down.

Carley and Vanessa both smiled and gave Jay and Erin a nod before walking out the door and leaving the new family alone for the first time.

Erin brought her hand up to Everly's head and ran her thumb across the baby's hair line. Everly's eyes started to grow heavy from the rhythmic sound of her mother's heartbeat and the movement of Erin's thumb against her head lulled the baby to sleep.

Erin raised her gaze from Everly's face as she felt Jay staring at her.

"What?" Erin asked her own tired eyes raising to meet her husband's gaze.

Jay shook his head as he took in the sight of his wife and daughter. "Nothing. I just love you so much. Both of you"

Erin gave Jay a slight smile and raised her free hand to reach for Jay's hand. "I love you, too. So much. I think we should do this again"

Jay laughed and and looked at Erin and brought their joined hands up to his lips and kissed her fingers. "I do believe that your pain killers are talking"

Erin gave a soft laugh and looked down at her sleeping daughter and shook her head. "No, I've never been thinking more clearly. You know how I kept saying, I just want the pregnancy glow?"

Jay nodded "Yeah"

"This is it" Erin said keeping her eyes on Everly's sleeping form. "This is everything I've ever wanted. You, our daughter, this moment. It's like a dream"

Jay watched Erin for a moment and he tightened his grip on her hand and stood from his seat and he bent his head to place a kiss on the top of Erin's head, but she raised her head to look up at him and she smiled before he lowered his mouth to hers and kissed her.

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Erin and Jay only had a limited amount of time with Everly because 45 minutes later there was no holding the rest of the team back any longer. The knock on the door and Adam Ruzek sticking his head in was the start of introducing their daughter to the rest of her family.

"I can't hold these people back any longer" Ruzek said with a sigh as he looked from Jay and Erin to the people standing behind him in the hall.

"Just one second" Erin said.

Ruzek nodded and shut the door as Jay stood from his chair to help Erin. He slowly pulled the blanket back from Erin and gently raised side of Erin's gown and he reached down and gently picked his still sleeping daughter up off of his wife's bare chest as Erin snapped her gown back together at the shoulder.

Jay gently laid Everly back down on the baby blanket and swaddled her like Vanessa had shown him earlier as Everly stirred in her sleep, but didn't wake.

"Can we come in now?" Ruzek asked from the other side of the door.

Jay picked Everly up off of the bed and cradled her against him as he looked at Erin who was adjusting herself back against the pillows.

"Are you sure you're ready for this?" Jay asked.

"Yeah" Erin said with a smile.

"Ok guys, you can come in" Jay called.

The door to Erin's room swung open and the team quickly walked in. Balloons and flowers in hand as a sound of audible gasps and "Awws" filled the room.

Erin scanned the room for Hank, and her smile slowly fell when she didn't see him come in. Erin forced a smile back as the team came up to give their congratulations.

"She's beautiful" Alvin Olinsky said as he looked down at the baby in Jay's arms.

"She's so tiny" Ruzek said from the other side of Jay. His arms holding a life sized teddy bear with a pink ribbon around the neck.

"Well, babies usually are, Ruzek" Trudy Platt said as she looked over Jay's shoulder at Everly.

"You did good, Erin" Antonio Dawson said as he sat a vase of white and pink roses down on Erin's bedside table.

"Thank you" Erin said with a tired smile as she hugged Antonio and Laura.

"So happy for you, Erin" Laura offered. "She's a doll"

"Thanks" Erin said. "I kind of like her"

"I am so glad she's here and a girl" Burgess said with a smile.

"And do you want to tell them why?" Ruzek added raising an eyebrow at his girlfriend.

"Adam..." Burgess started.

"What is it?" Jay asked looking over at Ruzek.

"Tell 'em, Burgess" Ruzek laughed as Kim narrowed her eyes at him.

"I may have bought her an Easter dress...and a few other dresses" Burgess confessed.

"Kim. you didn't have to do that" Erin said with a smile as she watched Burgess blush.

"I can't wait to show them to you, Erin. They're so cute. I couldn't resist" Kim explained.

"It's ok" Erin said looking over at the door for Hank to come in.

"Believe me, when she's able we're going to do some serious shopping" Nadia said. "We can't have her always in white"

"Can I hold her?" Atwater asked.

Erin hesitated for a split second before she nodded. She really wanted Hank to be the first to hold her baby girl, but she feared he'd went home for the night. She couldn't blame him, it was getting late. "Of course"

Kevin smiled and walked over to the sink and washed his hands. After he finished he walked over to Jay and Jay looked at him and handed Everly over.

"What's up little lady?" Atwater asked as he looked down at Everly and smiled. "Are you going to help your Uncle Kev pick up the honeys?"

"No" Jay answered.

Atwater looked up at Jay and shook his head "And what daddy doesn't know won't hurt him, right?"

Everly gurgled in her sleep and Kevin laughed "See?"

Jay shook his head and moved to take a seat on Erin's bed next to her.

"I can't believe that you had a baby 90 minutes ago" Kim said looking at her best friend. "You don't look like you were ever even pregnant"

"And that's why we're best friends" Erin said with a smile as she leaned back against Jay.

"Burgess, look" Ruzek said as he held Everly in his arms.

"Can I hold her?" Kim asked as Adam walked over to her.

"I just got her" Adam said.

"Please?" Burgess asked.

"Fine" Ruzek sighed and handed Everly over to Kim.

Kim smiled down at Everly and then looked over at Adam. "Ok let's go"

Burgess took off for the door still holding Everly as Adam followed her.

"You're not going to make it very far. She's got a security tag on her ankle" Erin watched as Adam and Kim stopped and turned around. "So, good luck stealing my baby"

Burgess looked down at Everly as the newborn's eyes slowly open. "Was Aunt Kim going to take you home? Yes she was. You can come live with me. Doesn't that sound fun?"

Everly gave a soft cry of protest and Burgess gently bounced the baby in her arms as she tried to soothe her.

"I guess that's a no" Adam joked.

"Shut up" Burgess narrowed her eyes at Adam and walked over to Erin's bed and handed the baby down to her mother.

Erin looked down at Everly and ran her thumb across her daughter's cheek before looking up at Kim who was dressed in a knee length dark purple cocktail dress. "You look really nice. How was your dinner?"

"Thanks. It was great" Burgess said

"Well, we only had the first course before we came here" Ruzek said reaching down to loosen his tie.

"Oh no" Erin sighed "I'm sorry. You guys didn't have to come here. Really, I'm sorry I ruined your Valentine's Day"

Burgess shook her head "You didn't. Believe me, there's nowhere else I'd want to be"

Ruzek nodded in agreement "She's right. I mean $120 bucks and the first thing and only thing we ate was beets with a flower on top of it. I didn't even know that you could eat that shit"

Erin sighed and looked at the clock on the wall. "It's still early, you guys should go and enjoy the rest of your Valentine's Day. All of you"

Olinsky looked at the clock and over at his own wife. "We'll go and let you guys get some rest"

"Yeah, I'm going to head up the road too. I've got the coolest Valentine's date ever" Atwater said.

"You got a girl man?" Ruzek asked as Kim walked over to him and he wrapped his arm around her.

"Only the coolest one ever, my little sister. Going to introduce her to the world of "Rock Band" tonight" Kevin explained.

"Thanks for coming" Jay said as Atwater shook his hand and knelt down to give Erin a hug.

"No problem" Kevin said giving one last look down at Everly. "Congratulations guys"

"Thank you" Erin said

"We're going to head out, too" Antonio added as he and Laura said their goodbye's

Erin watched as The Olinsky's, Dawson's, and Atwater left leaving only Burgess, Ruzek, Nadia and Platt.

Platt looked at the time and sighed "I guess I should go too. I mean, Mooch is waiting for me at my place. Hopefully naked. He better be anyway"

Audible groans filled the room at Platt's comment.

"What?" Platt asked looking up at everyone.

Trudy walked over and gave both Jay and Erin a hug. "I'm really happy for you guys"

Erin pulled back from Trudy's hug and looked up at her. "Thank you for everything you did today. If it wasn't for you, I don't know what I'd have done"

Trudy nodded and shrugged her shoulders "I love when people say they don't know what they'd do without me. You guys love me, like I always say, I'm the heartbeat of this district"

"Goodnight, Platt" Ruzek said as Platt left.

"Nadia, come on. I'll drive you home" Platt stood in the doorway and looked back at Nadia.

Nadia looked at Platt and then at Erin and Jay before hugging them both and slipping her coat on.

"Sometime tonight, Nadia" Platt said

"I'm coming" Nadia said as she walked towards the door.

"Try not to score any coke between here and my car, OK?" Platt said as she and Nadia walked down the hall.

Nurse Carley walked in carrying Erin's dinner tray. "Well, seems like your little lady has some interesting visitors"

"You have no idea" Jay said as Carley sat the the tray down on Erin's table and wheeled it over her lap.

"You hungry?" Carley asked.

"No" Erin said keeping her eyes on Everly's face.

"Well, you need to eat" Carley said. "If you want to get up and walk around and shower you have to eat first"

Erin looked up from her sleeping daughter as Carley lifted the lid off of Erin's tray to reveal chicken tenders, fires and a fruit cup.

"Don't you know that stuff will kill you?" A gruff voice said from the doorway.

Carley stepped back as Hank Voight walked in the room.

Erin's hazel eyes welled with tears as she watched him walk in.

"I thought you'd went home" Erin said as Hank walked over to the bed.

"Me?. No, I just had to go pick something up" Voight explained as he made it to the bed and looked down at the pink bundle in Erin's arms.

Hank knelt down and gave Erin a gentle hug and placed a kiss on her temple. "She's beautiful, kid. I'm so proud of you"

Erin nodded as the hot tears slid down her cheeks. Hank pulled back and looked at her. "What's wrong?"

Erin shook her head "I'm just so glad you're here"

Hank gave Erin a slight smile. "Are you kidding me? I wouldn't have missed this for the world"

Erin raised her hand to wipe the tears off of her cheeks. "Do you want to hold her?"

Hank instantly nodded "Of course"

Voight reached down and picked Everly up and brought her to his chest. He smiled as the sleeping baby's eyes opened and focused on him.

"Hi beauty, we've been waiting for you. I'm Hank. I'm your...Well. we'll figure out what you can call me" Hank said staring down at Everly as he spoke to her.

"Grandpa" Jay said brushing Erin's hair across her forehead. His blue eyes raising to meet Voight's.

Hank nodded and looked down at Everly. "I'm your grandpa. I love you so much. And I promise that nobody's going to ever screw with you. I'll bury them in my front yard if they do"

"Nice first talk, grandpa" Jay said raising an eyebrow.

"Well, the good news is, she doesn't look a thing like you Halstead" Hank let out a gruff laugh as he looked at Jay.

"That joke still isn't funny. It wasn't funny when Erin was pregnant and it's not funny now" Jay sighed and took a seat in the chair next to Erin's bed.

"You'll laugh about it later" Voight said looking back down at Everly.

"I don't think that joke will ever be funny" Jay shook his head and watched as Erin picked at her fruit cup with a fork.

"I don't know. It was pretty funny" Ruzek said from the corner.

"Stop" Burgess said smacking Adam on the arm. "We're going to go"

Erin nodded and she and Jay said their goodbye's to their friends.

"Thanks for leaving me in the gift shop, Hank" Teddy said as he walked into Erin's room carrying flowers and a stuffed lion.

"Teddy" Erin smiled and sat her plastic fork down as her brother sat the flowers and lion down before hugging his sister.

"Hey, Er Bear" Teddy said as he embraced his sister.

"I thought you were still in New York" Erin pulled back from the hug as Teddy took a seat on her bed.

"I can go to New York and see my friends any time. My sister had a baby, if that's not a reason to come back then I don't know what is" Teddy said.

"I missed you" Erin said looking at her little brother.

"Erin, I was only gone for three days" Teddy said shaking his head as his sister wiped away tears.

"I'm sorry. I'm just really emotional tonight" Erin exhaled and looked at Teddy and then at Hank.

"Can I hold my niece?" Teddy asked looking over at Hank.

"I guess" Voight said walking around over to Teddy and handed the baby down.

Teddy smiled as he looked down at his niece. He honestly felt nothing but pride as he stared down at the baby in his arms. If anyone deserved such happiness in their life, it was his big sister. He was so happy that things had finally fallen into place for Erin and he could only hope that he'd always be a part of her life and see her be the amazing mother he knew she'd be.

"She's beautiful, sis" Teddy said.

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"Good call on the pizza" Burgess said as she took a drink of wine from her red solo cup.

"Supreme pizza and wine from a plastic cup?" Ruzek said "Baby we're so classy"

Kim laughed and sat her cup down. "I'm sorry about dinner. I know you planned those reservations months ago"

Adam shrugged his shoulders and grabbed another slice of pizza out of the box and sat it on his plate. "It's ok. I mean we were there for 20 minutes and I spit out everything I put in my mouth. I don't think the rest of the meal would've went any better"

"I'm so happy for Erin and Jay. They're going to be the best parents" Burgess took a bite of her pizza and wiped her mouth with a paper towel.

"I think you're right. I mean I was hoping that they'd have a boy, I'm not going to lie. I mean now I'm going to have to update my concealed weapons permit" Adam sighed.

Kim laughed and scooted closer to Adam. "You're crazy"

Adam shrugged his shoulders "I'm crazy about you"

Kim looked down at her lap and then over at Adam "I kinda like you, too"

Ruzek raised an eyebrow "Oh?"

Burgess smiled as Ruzek moved to his knees and turned to face her. "Have I mentioned that you look beautiful?"

Burgess looked down at her purple flannel pajamas and laughed "These old things?"

Ruzek nodded "Oh yeah, purple is definitely your color"

Kim rolled her eyes as Adam leaned down and kissed her pajama covered shoulder. "You're just trying to seduce me"

Adam laughed and sat back up. "Are you trying to tell me that pizza by candlelight and red solo cups of wine in our pajamas isn't setting the ambiance for romance?"

"Oh, this?" Burgess said holding up a hand to gesture around.

"Yeah?" Ruzek said raising an eyebrow.

"...This" Kim continued "Is about the most romantic night of my life. I love it. And I love you"

"Glad we still have that in common, because I love you back" Ruzek smiled and leaned forward and placed a kiss on Kim's lips.

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Later in the night after everyone had left for the night and Erin had nursed Everly for the first time Jay was finally ready to get his hands back on his baby girl. That was until Vanessa came in to help with Everly's very first bath.

So here Jay stood. His daughter laying on the infant table a towel under her diaper covered body as he gave her, her very first sponge bath. He'd sniper shot criminals and terrorists from hundreds of feet away, defused bombs, and taken a bullet. But this? Now he knew what scared was.

"It's really all based on how comfortable that you are" Vanessa explained as she watched Jay run the wet wash cloth over Everly's bare skin as he cleaned away the soapy bubbles.

"Is this right?" Jay asked. "I'm not hurting her?"

Vanessa gave an encouraging smile as she looked at Jay "No dad, you're doing just fine"

Jay looked down at Everly on the table as she sucked intently on her pacifier. "How long are we supposed to bath her like this?"

Vanessa watched Jay finished drying Everly and used the baby lotion to gently rub into her skin.

"Until the cord stump falls off, usually a week to ten days. When you're using baby lotion, a little bit goes a long way. Baby can get very slippery, but she's not going to break" Vanessa explained.

Jay nodded as he dressed Everly in a white and pink body suit with monkey's on it. "Now what?"

Vanessa reached for the towel that was on top of the table. "We're done"

"Is it ok that her hair's still wet?" Jay asked as he swaddled Everly the way he'd learned.

"She'll be ok" Vanessa assured. "She's very mellow"

The bathroom door opened and Erin VERY slowly walked back to her bed. With Carley walking behind her.

"How was your shower?" Jay asked as Carley helped Erin back to bed.

"Not as much fun as I thought it was going to be" Erin gasped and winced as she took a seat on the bed.

"Yeah...that's fun" Carley frowned.

"Oh, a real party" Erin laid back against the pillows as Carley helped her into bed.

Jay looked down at Everly as she looked at him and sucked on her pacifier "Mommy hasn't had pain like that since she and daddy spent that long holiday weekend at her old apartment after we watched "Fifty Shades of Grey"

"Jay!" Erin covered her face and she shook her head as she heard Jay laughing.

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One Week Later

The sound of a shrill cry stirred Erin and Jay both from their sleep Erin turned her head to the side as Jay raised up off of the pillow.

"I've got it" Jay whispered and placed a soft kiss on Erin's temple and he slid out of bed and walked over to the wall where Everly's crib sat.

Jay reached down and picked Everly up from her crib and walked into the living room and turned the lamp on.

Jay held Everly against his bare chest as walked around the living room with her. After spending two days in the hospital Erin and Everly were released to come home from the hospital and the new family was slowly trying to settle into a routine.

For the most part, things were going as well as they could go. Everly was a typical newborn, up every three hours to nurse or be changed, or just hang out. The "Just hang outs" were probably Jay's favorite. He didn't have the equipment to help when it came to feeding as Erin was nursing and dirty diapers weren't exactly a thrill. But, just hanging out with his daughter in the middle of the night? It was perfect.

Jay yawned as he looked at the clock on the wall and saw that it was almost 3 am. He went to sit on the couch and Everly's cry of disapproval filled the apartment.

"Ok, we don't have to sit" Jay said as he swayed with Everly.

The baby's whimpers settled and she rooted against her father's bare chest.

"So dancing is your thing?" Jay said "I think I can take care of that"

Jay walked over to the stereo in the kitchen and flipped it on as soft music filled the apartment. He turned the volume lower as to not wake Erin and he gently rubbed Everly's back as he started to sway on the tile floor.

The sound of music playing lulled Erin awake and she sat up in bed and walked out of the bedroom and across the living room and she smiled as she watched her husband dancing back and forth with their daughter in his arms. Jay's back to her oblivious that she was watching them as he softly sang along with the music on the radio.

Erin didn't know how her heart could possibly hold any more love than it did right now. It honestly ached with how happy that she was.

She watched as Jay slowly turned and his eyes met hers.

"Hey" He softly said.

"Hey" folded her arms over her chest as she looked at him.

"She likes to dance" Jay explained gesturing down to Everly who was in a losing battle with keeping her eyes open.

"Oh" Erin raised an eyebrow and her bare feet padded against the tile as she walked over to her husband as the song "Feels Like Home" by Chantal Kreviazuk filled the apartment.

Jay raised his free arm and wrapped it around Erin as she rested her head on his shoulder. Erin wrapped her arm around Jay's bare back and she brought her free hand up to trace her thumb across Everly's hair line as they danced.

Erin watched as Everly's eyes slowly closed and Erin smiled as she felt Jay kiss the top of her head.

"I love you" Jay murmured against Erin's head.

Erin tilted her head up and her hazel eyes locked with Jay's blue ones.

"I love you, too"

Jay smiled and leaned his head down to give Erin a soft kiss on the lips as they swayed to the music.

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Sorry that it's taken a few days for an update. I had a little bit of writer's block so I'm not sure how good this chapter even is. Please review and thanks again for taking the time to read/favorite/follow. It really means a lot to this ol' girl.