6. Chapter 6

Another one because it's too hot to go outside. Enjoy!

Jay set about making the chicken and potatoes for dinner with Will, while Erin chopped up some vegetables for a salad so she wouldn't, according to Jay, "burn the apartment down". Kate sat on the counter, helping stir the salad dressing

The knock at the apartment door caused Kate to jump and instinctively reach out to Jay, who had just finished turning the chicken in the oven. "It's just my brother, Will." Jay told her, lifting her into his arms and settling her comfortably on his hip. "He's pretty goofy." Kate wrapped her arms neck as Erin pulled open the apartment door. Jay could feel her little heart thumping against his torso, so he held her closer. "He's okay, I promise."

"Hey, Erin." Will entered the apartment, bearing a bag that appeared to be full of toys and games. He hugged her and looked around. "Where's my new little niece?"

"Right here." Jay emerged from the kitchen, Kate anxiously holding tight to her father. "Kate, this is my brother, Will."

"Hi Kate!" Will taking a few steps toward his brother. She noticeably flinched, causing Will to halt his movements. "I'm your Uncle Will." The young doctor reached into the bag he was carrying and pulled out stuffed giraffe. "Jay mentioned that you like your tiger, so I thought I would get him a friend."

Kate looked from Will to the plush toy and up to Jay, as if asking permission to accept the stuffed animal from this stranger. Jay smiled, "Wow, Squirt, it looks like Uncle Will brought tiger a buddy." He accepted the gift from his brother and handed it to the little girl. Slowly, Kate took the giraffe in her small hand, regarding it intently.

"Thank you," she whispered to Will, snuggling closer against her father. "I love animals."

"You are very welcome." Will beamed at his brother. "So, I just got off shift and I am starving. When are we eating?"

"I think dinner's almost ready," Erin told him, scooping up the tomatoes she chopped and placing them into a salad bowl, "But then again I didn't cook so you'll have to ask Jay."

"Five minutes," Jay informed his brother, peeking into the oven while still carrying Kate in his arms. "Kate, do you want to go wash your hands?"

The little girl looked at him wearily and didn't lessen her grip. Her anxiousness over the new man in the apartment was palpable. "How about I help you?" Erin asked, extending her arms out so that Jay could pass the child over to her. Kate nodded and reached out to Erin, holding tightly around her neck as Erin made her way to the bathroom.

Jay reached into the fridge and passed Will a beer. "So, how's being a dad?" Will asked, popping the cap off and taking a sip.

"She's amazing," Jay grinned, clinking his bottle to his brother's, "I mean, it's been hard because the poor thing has been through so much, but she so incredible. And she loves Erin. And we're definitely getting her to open up more and more every day."

"That's awesome, man." Will smiled at his brother's newfound love for being a father. The oven beeped and Jay quickly silenced it, knowing that his little girl probably jumped out of her skin at the noise. "What're we having?"

"Roast chicken and roast potatoes with a salad." Jay pulled the sizzling bird out of the oven and set it on the stove. "We just got to let it set for a minute."

Kate and Erin walked out of the bathroom, hand in hand. "Need help setting the table, babe?" Erin asked, maneuvering around the breakfast bar to retrieve the plates and cutlery. Jay nodded and watched Erin hand Kate the forks and instruct her to put them on the table.

"No problem, darling." Will joked, faking a high falsetto to imitate Jay. He retrieved a soft punch to the shoulder from his brother.

"You are no help." Jay told the other Halstead and spun around to face his daughter. "Great job setting the table Squirt!" He smiled and helped the little girl climb into her chair.

Kate was mostly quiet throughout dinner, appearing to enjoy her chicken, potatoes and salad. She carefully held her fork, looking up occasionally at Erin or Jay as they were speaking with Will. Things were going well down at Chicago Med but there had been a recent string of overdoses linked to some bad oxy. "Do you want any more chicken? Or potatoes?" Erin asked Kate, who had finished her dinner and set the fork down.

"No thank you," Kate replied and glanced over at Will anxiously. She was still nervous around this man, even though he did give her that giraffe. The toy was sitting on the chair beside her and she gripped it tightly.

"So you like animals Kate?" Will asked tentatively, not wanting to scare the little girl. He was seated opposite Erin, who indicated it was okay to keep talking. "Which ones do you like best?"

She looked to Erin and then to Jay, unsure if answering Will was okay. Since they were smiling and looked like they wanted to know too, Kate decided she should tell them. "Um, I like ducks. And sharks," Kate offered Will a small smile, "And giraffes."

"Ducks and sharks huh?" Will grinned, "Have you ever been to the aquarium?" She shook her head. "Well, they have sharks there. And all kinds of fish, turtles and other sea creatures."

"Really?" Kate eyes went wide, "All in the same place?"

"Mm-hm. And there are seals and otters too," Will paused, glancing at Jay who was absolutely captivated by Kate's fascination with what his brother was saying, "And you know what? Now that I think about it, there's a park right across from the hospital where I work that has a big pond full of ducks. And they have food that you can feed them and you can get really close."

"Wow," Kate couldn't believe what she was hearing, "How many are there?"

"Like a hundred," Will replied and chuckled as her hazel eyes widened.

"Maybe we should to there tomorrow, what do you say Squirt?" Jay asked, eyes twinkling, "We could visit Uncle Will and then go see the ducks."

The little girl nodded furiously. "Yes!" She exclaimed, grinning widely at the Halstead brothers.

Kate fell asleep on the couch, snuggled in Erin's lap after reading two animal books. Jay and Will sat in the kitchen, discussing their father, Erin lightly dozing off as a Cubs game played in the background. Will showed Kate how to play one of the games he brought with him and the little girl steadily warmed up to him, even giving him a high-five good night like she had done to Voight the other day.

Suddenly, Erin felt her body leave the warmth of the couch. "Jay?" she mumbled, realizing that she was in his arms and heading for the bedroom, "What time is it?"

"Just after midnight." Jay set her down on the bed and tucked the covers around her shoulders, "Will just left."

"And Kate?" Erin asked drowsily, resting her head on the pillow.

"Sound asleep." He pulled off his Henley and crawled into bed beside his girl. "Voight texted and wanted to see if we could come for brunch tomorrow."

"What'd you tell him?" Erin raised her eyebrows, knowing that Hank put the fear of God within Jay when it came to her.

"That we'd be there at 10:30. With bagels." Jay scooted closer to Erin and ran his fingers through her hair. "Is that okay? I probably should have asked but since Kate liked him and-"

"It's perfect," Erin mused, shifting her head from the pillow to Jay's chest, "Let's take her to the park after. I think she'll love to see the ducks."

"Ready babe?" Erin called, slipping into her favorite summer sandals and tying her hair back to keep it off her neck. Kate had made it through the night in her own bed despite two nightmares, both which were resolved quickly, likely due to her exhaustion. Erin and Jay were sure to keep the monitor on as loud as possible so to not miss anything. All in all, the they considered the night a success and were even able to sleep in a little.

Kate was now waiting patiently by the door, clad in a pair of tiny jean shorts and pink t shirt that they had picked out at the store the other day. Erin had helped her put her hair into a ponytail and even fastened a bow on top. She looked absolutely adorable.

"I'm coming!" Jay replied from the bedroom. There was something about seeing Hank outside of work that made Jay want to look decent. He was dating the man's almost-daughter, and really did not want him to hate or fire him. Jay pulled his shoes on and grabbed his keys off the table. "Sorry about that."

"Did you have to fix your makeup?" Erin quipped, pulling open the front door.

"Ha, ha." Jay locked the door behind him. "Ready for brunch, Squirt?" The little girl nodded and smiled brightly.

"We're going to Sergeant Voight's house?" Kate held Jay's hand as they made their way to the car.

"Yep, but we're stopping to get bagels on the way." Jay told her, boosting her into the car seat and buckling her up. He slid into the passenger seat and let out a breath.

"Nervous, Halstead?" Erin asked, igniting the car and pulling out of the apartment complex.

"He is my boss," Jay responded, "And I am dating his daughter."

Erin rolled her eyes. "He's definitely over it by now."

Jay rang the doorbell, holding Kate's hand in his. He was surprised that the little girl hadn't immediately wanted to be held. Erin tapped her foot and peered into the window. "Now who's nervous?" Jay joked.

"I'm not nervous, I'm hungry," Erin informed him, just as Hank pulled open the door. "Hey Hank."

"Hey kiddo." Hank accepted the bag of bagels from his pseudo-daughter, "Jay," Hank acknowledged his detective and reached his hand out. Jay shook it.

"Thanks for having us over, Sarge," Jay said, "Kate, you remember Sergeant Voight?" Kate nodded and looked up at the large older man. She offered a shy smile.

"Hi Kate." Hank bent down and held out his hand for a high five. Kate initially flinched but quickly relaxed, remembering who she was with. She smiled again and pressed her tiny palm against the gruff sergeant's. "It's so nice to have you," Hank stood and looked over at Jay, who was still standing awkwardly in his summer jacket. "Give Erin your coat, she knows where to put them," Hank instructed, turning down the hallway toward the kitchen, "I'm making omelets."

"Sounds great." Erin called after him, "You hungry baby?"

Kate nodded again, taking Erin's hand and heading for the kitchen. Hank had already made coffee and was pulling milk and eggs out of the fridge. "Do you want bacon, onion and peppers?" Hank asked Erin, handing her the cream cheese for bagels.

"Yep," she confirmed and leaned in closer, "Please be nice to Jay."

Hank looked at her in feigned shock, "I am nice!" Erin just rolled her eyes and set the cream cheese on the table. Jay gingerly sat at the kitchen table next to Kate. "Halstead," Hank asked, causing Jay to jump slightly, "What do you want in your omelet?"

"Uh, bacon, onion, cheese?" Jay said and Hank nodded in approval. He turned to his daughter, who was sitting quietly. "Kate, have you ever had an omelet before?" The little girl shook her head and bit her lip.

"Do you like eggs?" Hank asked gently, turning around from the counter and giving her a smile. Kate nodded slowly. She wasn't really sure if she liked eggs, but she wasn't about to say no. Even though Erin and Jay were so nice, she worried that making them mad would result in her getting sent back to that house.

Hank thought for a moment. "How would you like to come help me with the omelets?" Her eyes lit up and she looked over at Jay excitedly and then over to Erin.

"Go for it, Squirt," Jay told her. Hank boosted the little girl up so she was sitting on the counter and handed her a whisk.

"Okay, so you're going to scramble the eggs. I'll break them in this bowl, and then you stir them up, like this," Hank acted out the scrambling motion, "Got it?"

"Yes," Kate replied, looking over Hank's shoulder at Erin and Jay who were seated at the kitchen table drinking coffee. Hank cracked a few eggs in the bowl and Kate stirred gently.

"You can give it a little more force than that," Hank instructed, covering her little hand with his and showing her proper whisking technique, "Good job!"

Kate smiled brightly at him. "Now what?"

"Now, we make sure the pan has some butter in it and put the bacon bits in with the onion and peppers." Hank tossed the ingredients in the pan and let them sizzle. "And now, we pour in the eggs." He helped her pour the beaten eggs into the pan. "You are an excellent chef."

"Jay taught me to make pancakes," Kate informed him, "with chocolate chips."

"Wow." Hank smiled, "Good thing Erin didn't teach you, she may have burned the place down."

"I would not!" Erin exclaimed indignantly, "I can cook without setting the kitchen on fire."

"Oh please," Hank and Jay said simultaneously. Erin folded her arms and sat back in her chair with a huff.

After breakfast, Hank offered to show Kate the old swing in the backyard and the two detectives were tasked with cleaning up the kitchen. They had been surprised that Kate took him up on his offer and were even more surprised by the squeals of joy that they heard from the garden. "Hank Voight, good with children," Jay mused, staring out the window at Voight pushing Kate on the swing.

"I know, it's hard to believe, but when you see it…" Erin trailed off, watching Hank scoop Kate up into his arms and carry her toward the house, both grinning widely. "Having fun?" she asked as Hank pulled open the back door and set the little girl down. Kate's cheeks were rosy from the summer breeze and wisps of her hair escaped the ponytail.

Kate nodded fervently, as Erin smoothed her hair back, "Erin, Sergeant Voight said we could play a game!"

"Did he now?" Erin smiled, "And what game might that be?"

"Um, snakes and ladders. But the snakes aren't real," Kate explained, as the snakes being real had been a major concern for her. She scurried after Voight, who was headed to the living room, Erin and Jay behind her.

"We haven't played this since Justin was a kid," Hank said, pulling out an old board game from the living room cupboard and setting it on the coffee table. "You still remember how to play?" He looked at Erin.

"It was the first game we played my first family game night." Erin recalled, settling down on the couch while Jay sat rigidly in an arm chair. Kate sat in between Voight and Erin on the couch, learning how to play.

After one game, Kate fell asleep in Hank's lap. He had offered to help her after watching her struggle to reach her piece, and the warmth of his embrace lulled her into a light slumber. "You're amazing with her," Erin told him, leaning against the arm of the couch and watching the man who had taken her in hold the little girl that she had taken in.

"She's a helluva fighter," Hank murmured, gently stroking Kate's thin arm, "Poor kid's been through hell."

"So Sarge, we've been looking at a few different preschools for Kate, but the first one that we can get her into says the earliest she can start is next Monday for their summer session," Jay paused, looking to Erin for backup.

"And we're not sure a babysitter would be such a great idea given everything she's gone through and that she's finally trusting us and-"

"Say no more," Hank raised a hand, "She's technically still in protective custody since those bastards are still out there. If you want to stay home with her, bring her to work with you, whatever, it's fine by me."

"We could bring her with us to the district." Erin turned to Jay, "She'd be safe there. And she obviously loves Hank…" She looked up at Hank. "Are you sure?"

"Absolutely." Hank nodded, "Halstead, I know this kid was just sprung on you but what the two of you are doing for her is incredible. Little girl told me all about how great you two are and watching the three of you…" Hank trailed off and swallowed thickly, "You've got a good thing going."

Erin beamed and blinked back tears, "Thanks Hank."

"Anything for you kid," he replied.

"Yeah, thank you so much Sarge. I can't tell you how much it means to see Kate trust you." Jay piped up.

Hank waved his hand dismissively. "Jay, outside of work, you can call me Hank."

Kate awoke, still snuggled in Hank's lap, to the chuckling of her father. Hank was telling a story about Erin growing up and how Camille used to try to get Erin to dress more appropriately. "Hey Squirt, did you have a nice nap?" Jay asked, smiling at the sleepy little girl. She nodded and looked up at Hank.

"All that cooking tired you out, huh?" Hank tapped her on the nose and Kate giggled.

"So Kate, how would you like to go to the park and see the ducks? Maybe we could feed them?" Erin offered, eyes twinkling knowingly.

"Really?" Kate exclaimed, looking from Jay to Erin excitedly, "We could feed them?"

"Mm-hm," Erin nodded, "You want to join us, Hank?"

"I wish I could, but I have a meeting down at the club," Hank checked his watch, "In a few minutes actually."

"You don't like ducks, Sergeant Voight?" Kate asked, appearing saddened that her new friend would not be joining them.

"Oh, no I do like the ducks," Hank reassured her, "But how about you and I go this week when Erin and Jay are working, huh?"

"But don't you have work too?" Kate probed. Erin raised her eyebrows at Hank, as if to say, I told you she was brilliant.

"That's the best part about being the boss," Hank said, without missing a beat, "because I get to make the rules."

Kate's excitement was palpable as they arrived at the park. Since it was a nice summer Sunday, there were a lot of people around that made the little girl quite nervous. She held tightly around Jay's neck while Erin purchased the duck food, glancing around anxiously at all the people passing by. "Look, Kate, there are the ducks." Jay pointed to the pond where a few ducks had gathered. "Do you want to go a bit closer?" She nodded and Jay made his way to the water's edge, pointing out the various birds.

Erin returned with the bag of feed and offered it to Jay. He reached into the bag and threw a few kernels into the pond, the ducks quickly swarming.

"Ah!" Kate laughed, watching as the ducks quacked and swam around, looking for more. "Can I get down?" Jay set her on the path and Erin opened the bag so Kate could get a handful.

"Okay, toss it into the water, just like Jay did," Erin instructed. Kate carefully pulled out some corn and tossed it into the pond, mesmerized by the birds. "Be careful, okay? I don't want you to slip in." She heeded Erin's words and took a step back from the edge.

After the first handful, Kate was a huge fan of feeding the ducks. She tossed the corn into the pond and squealed in delight every time a duck gobbled up the treat. "Do you like the ducks, Squirt?" Jay asked knowingly, amused by how enthralled she was with the creatures.

Kate nodded enthusiastically, grinning from ear to ear. "Yes! They are so cute in real life!" She tossed another handful of duck feed into the pond and pointed to the small crowd of mallards that gathered. "Look, Erin!" Kate giggled, "They're eating the food!"

Erin grinned at Jay, just as thrilled with how happy the little girl was. "I see baby. You're doing a great job feeding them." Kate reached into the bag and pulled out the last handful of grain. A large goose was sitting in the grass a few yards over from them. Kate took a few steps toward him and squatted on the ground, sprinkling the remaining kernels in the grass. She turned around and looked up at Jay.

"All done." Kate showed him her empty hands, "I had to give some to Mr. Goose. I didn't want him to be hungry."

"That was very kind of you to do, Squirt." Jay scooped her up and kissed her cheek. "Do you want to help me with dinner tonight?"

Kate nodded excitedly before turning to Erin. "You know what?" she asked, looking back at the goose and then to Erin again as they headed out of the park.

"What's that?" Erin replied, smiling up at the joyful little girl.

"Mr. Goose reminds me of someone." Kate looked playfully over to Erin, one arm wrapped around Jay's neck.

"And who does he remind you of?" Erin asked, "I hope it's not me."

"No!" Kate lowered her voice, "He reminds me of Sergeant Voight." Erin stopped, turned around to look at the goose and burst out laughing.

"Oh my gosh, he does look kind of like Voight!" Erin exclaimed, pointing at the bird and laughing again. Jay was chuckling as well, completely surprised by the goofy nature of his little girl.

"You're funny, you know that?" Jay said, poking the little girl in the ribs. She shrieked with laughter, holding tighter to Jay's neck so she didn't fall off.

"Kate, you remember Sergeant Platt, right?" Erin asked, holding the little girl in her arms as she and Jay entered the 21st District. It was Erin and Jay's first day back at work since adding Kate to their lives and the morning had been quite hectic. Kate had spent the night in their bed after a horrific nightmare that required both Jay and Erin to coax the little girl out of the closet and agree to try to sleep. By the time everything had settled down, the detectives only managed a few hours of sleep before they had to be at the district. Attempting to bring everything Kate may need for the day proved a challenge for the new parents, both finding themselves exhausted before their day even really began.

"Hey there, Kate." Sergeant Platt waved and received a smile in response.

"We're gonna see Sergeant Voight?" Kate asked, nearly jumping out of her skin at the buzzer when the cage to upstairs opened.

Jay nodded. "Yep. And that's just the buzzer that makes sure nobody else can get upstairs."

"Welcome back, guys." Dawson looked up from the report he was working on and smiled at the little girl, "Hi Kate."

Kate waved as Erin carried her through the bullpen and over to her desk. "Okay baby, so remember what we talked about last night? Jay and I are going to set you up in the break room over there," she pointed to the room where Adam was filling a mug of coffee, "And we'll be right out here. And you can come get us if you need anything, okay?"

She nodded as Erin took her coat off and draped it over her chair. "And I'm safe here?" Kate asked, glancing nervously around at the office.

"Yes you are." Kate spun around to find the owner of the gruff voice that spoke.

"Sergeant Voight!" she exclaimed, reaching her arms up to give the man a hug. He picked up the little girl and set her on his hip, much to the surprise of Dawson, Atwater and Ruzek.

"The kid's terrified of men but she picks Voight of all people to trust?" Ruzek asked Halstead, looking over at the grumpy sergeant interacting with the small child.

Jay shrugged, "As long as she feels safe, that's all that matters to me." He glanced over at Erin, who was watching Kate tell Hank about their trip to the duck pond.

"And Erin and Jay let me feed the ducks," Kate explained, "And there was a goose."

"Wow, you had quite the adventure then, huh?" Voight said and Kate nodded seriously.

"Sarge, we were going to get Kate set up in the breakroom before catching up on what we missed." Jay picked up a bag they had brought full of crayons, coloring sheets and books.

"Sounds good," Hank nodded, "And you don't have to worry about any of these guys. They won't do anything to harm you, I promise. They're here to protect this city and everyone in it, and that includes you," He tapped the little girl on the nose, "Plus, they all work for me."

"Because you're the boss." Kate replied, looking less nervous than she did previously.

"That's right, I am the boss." Hank carried her into the breakroom and set her in a chair behind the table.

"Okay, Squirt, so Uncle Will bought all kinds of fun stuff for you to do while Erin and I are working," Jay pulled out the various craft supplies and a stack of books out of the bag, setting them on the table, "And the you can see us through the door."

She nodded and looked up at Jay and then to Erin, "I can draw pictures?"

"Mm-hm," Erin affirmed, sitting down next to the little girl. "So if Jay and I get a call, we may have to leave the office to go find some bad guys. But you'll be safe here and we'll always be right back." Her eyes widened, taking in the information Erin was telling her.

"And if we do, Sergeant Platt or our friend Officer Burgess may come up to play with you for a bit," Jay exchanged looks with Erin, as the little girl appeared to be getting more and more anxious as the conversation went on, "But I promise everyone in this building is here to protect you and make sure that you're safe, okay?"

Kate nodded slowly, appearing to blink back tears, "And what about you?" she asked, looking at Erin and Jay, "Who's gonna keep you safe?"

Erin felt her heart melt, "Oh baby, don't you worry about us. Jay and I have each other and a whole team of people, including Sergeant Voight, making sure that we're safe, okay?"

"And we'll be in and out of this room all day, because that's where the coffee is," Jay told her, "And Voight is right next door."

Kate sighed, relaxing in her seat, "And you'll come back for me, right?"

Jay kissed the top of her head, "Absolutely."

Almost immediately after getting settled, Intelligence caught a crime scene downtown. Sergeant Platt and Kate spent the day together, coloring pictures, reading stories and taking trips all around the building. Kate steadily warmed up to the older woman as the day wore on, and by the time Lindsay and Halstead returned from the field, Kate was sitting in Platt's lap listening to her read from one of the picture books. "Hi Kate." Erin poked her head into the breakroom and smiled at the little girl, "Did you have a good day?"

"Erin!" Kate exclaimed, jumping off Platt's lap and practically catapulting herself into Erin's outstretched arms. She wrapped her thin arms around her neck and held tightly, "I'm so glad you came back."

"Of course I came back silly." Erin kissed Kate's cheek, "What did you and Sergeant Platt do today?"

"She's the nicest," Kate informed Erin, "We played games and colored and read books. And we had sam-wichs for lunch and apples!" Platt nodded along as Kate spoke, unable to keep the smile off her face.

"Did you know this one could read?" Trudy gave Kate's shoulder a tickle, causing the little girl to giggle. "She's really smart."

Erin shook her head and mouthed 'Wow' to the Sergeant, "Hey, baby, do you want to wait for Jay at my desk? I think he's coming up the steps any second now." Kate nodded enthusiastically and headed into the bullpen cautiously.

"She can actually read?" Erin turned and asked her sergeant, still in disbelief.

"Mm-hm. Reads at like the same level as boy-wonder over there," Platt jerked her thumb toward Adam, who was returning his mug to the sink.

"Hey!" he exclaimed, "C'mon sarge, why you gotta be like that?"

Erin chuckled. "Wow. I mean, we knew she was smart and that she could write her name, but she can read?"

"She's quite remarkable," Trudy smiled wistfully, "I mean, it took an hour or so but she told me about you and Halstead and Voight and feeding the ducks…I guess what I'm saying is that I'm proud of you, Erin."

Erin beamed, "Thank you Sarge. And thank you for taking time out of your day to be with her, I really appreciate it." She glanced out of the doorway to see Kate watching the steps intently, waiting for Jay.

Jay tromped up the stairs, exhausted after a long day of work with very little sleep. He and Atwater had placed one of the offenders in custody and were thankfully done for the night. "Nice job today, man," Dawson said as Jay emerged in the bullpen.

"Thanks, you too," he replied, breaking out into a smile when he saw his little girl excitedly waiting for him, "Hey Squirt."

"Jay!" Kate shouted happily, running toward her father as fast as her short legs would carry her. He scooped her up in his arms, holding her tight against his tired body. "I missed you!"

Jay's heart swelled at the greeting, "Not as much as I missed you." He poked her in the ribs and she shrieked with laughter. "Did you have a good day?"

"Uh-huh! Sergeant Platt and I colored and read books all day. And we had apples!" Kate hugged him tighter and whispered in his ear, "Did you get the bad guys?"

"Mm, yes we did." Jay rested his cheek against his little girl's head, inhaling the soothing scent of her shampoo. "Do you like pizza? I was thinking we could have it for dinner."

Kate pulled back and looked at him quizzically, "I can have some?"

"Of course," Jay tickled her, "You can have whatever you like."

She raised her eyebrows mischievously, "Even bananas for dinner?"

Jay chuckled, "Well, you might want to save those for breakfast, but I think Erin picked up some strawberries for dessert, how does that sound?"

"Yes!" Kate squealed, hugging her father again.

"Alrighty, let's get Erin and head home."