I'm not sure if this has been done before for CPD, but I had the idea and it kind of just wrote it self. I hope ya'll like it!

I own Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah.

Row, row, row your boat,

Gently down the stream.

Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily,

Life is but a dream.

Erin wakes up with the insistent buzzing of her phone. She refuses to open her eyes and sinks a little deeper into the bed, hanging on to the last remnants of sleep. But the buzzing persists and she groans inwardly. Somewhat disoriented, she leans over and flings her hand over the night stand and manages to shut it off. She doesn't even know why she keeps the alarm on. It's obviously not late enough in the day to justify getting up when she has nowhere to be.

Although the buzzing stopped, the pounding in her head didn't. The memory of the night before is blurry at best. Broken images play in her head and she's suddenly hit with a wave of nausea mixed with self-reproach and guilt. Her thoughts automatically drifts to the unopened bottle of whisky sitting on her kitchen counter. Drinking numbs the pain and blocks the ill-feelings she gets when her mind inevitably spirals down.

She buries her face in the pillow, wishing for the millionth time that things were different. She inhales deeply and is met with a faint, lingering scent of aftershave. For a brief moment a hint of a smile is seen on her lips as she fills her senses with it. It's clean and crisp and it smells masculine in that delicious way only he can.

She inhales again and freezes.

She recognizes this scent very well. It is linked to the most pleasant memories she has. Despite not entirely remembering what happened last night, she know he wasn't there. She hasn't seen him in a couple of weeks, actually. But the scent is here and her mind fills with the memory of his touch, his lips, and his boyish grin beaming at her. This is wrong. She should not be smelling this scent. But she is and it can only mean one thing: If he is not here, someone else is.

She's so engrossed in her thoughts that she doesn't hear the footsteps outside the bedroom or the sound of creaking floors under bare feet making their way down the hallway.

"Morning."

Erin starts at the deep, rumbling voice that breaks through her thoughts. Her eyes fly open and her heart pounds in her chest and ears. Her breath catches in her throat when she is met with wide, lazy grin. Clad in only pajama bottoms, he leans against the door, clutching two mugs. He sips nonchalantly from one and extends the other to her.

"Black. Tons of sugar."

When she finally finds her voice it comes out strangled, almost as though she is chocking. "Jay?"

He looks quizzically at her. His head tilts to one side and a slow amused smile pulls a corner of his lips. "Rough night, uh? But don't worry. Burgess didn't tell me anything when she dropped you off."

His tone is joking, almost mocking.

She sits up on the bed pulling the blankets around her like a shawl. "Who? What…?"

She begins her line of questions but doesn't finish. She notices something she should have noticed by now – this is not her room. This is not her apartment and not his apartment either. She tries to shake the fog out of her mind to remember what happened last night, but everything is hazy.

"You okay?" He asks, and she hears the concern in his voice. He moves towards her and she instinctively recoils, though she's not sure why.

"No," she says. "W-What happened last night? How did I get here?"

Jay moves towards the bed and sits next to her, handing her the cup of coffee. He can't help but chuckle at the wary look she's giving him.

"Well, I think you partied a little too hard and Burgess dropped you off. I let you sleep in." He sips his coffee and before she can say anything he adds, "Don't worry, Lucy is fed and most likely eating cheerios off the floor right now." Jay's causal tone and ease makes her think there's something she's missing. Something big. "Actually, let me check on her."

He steps out and Erin is left alone in this unfamiliar room, holding a cup of coffee. She struggles to understand what is going on. Where is she? Why is Jay here? And what is this about a party with Burgess? Granted, she doesn't remember much, but she was definitely not out with Burgess. And who is Lucy? The pounding in her head intensifies and it's like a million razor-sharp insects are gnawing at her brain. She sets the coffee mug aside and forces her eyes close, breathing slowly and deeply, stilling her eyes under her eyelids.

Jay returns with a small, bouncy little girl on his hip. Erin's eyes land on the child in pink footie pajamas, who couldn't be more than three.

Lucy.

The name flutters in her mind like a faint memory and drifts away.

When she looks closely she can almost see herself in this little girl. Save for her piercing blue eyes, this little girl is her spit image, albeit smaller. This realization spikes a degree closer to panic inside her. She wants to ask who Lucy is, but she thinks she already knows the answer. For the second time this morning her throat closes, her breathing stops, and her heart beats hard against her chest.

This can't be real.

Jay continues to bounce the little girl in his arms and huge belly giggles spills from her small, cherub lips.

"Lucy…" Erin hears the name escape from her lips.

At the sound of Erin's voice Lucy turns her head towards Erin and quickly squirms away from Jay arms and climbs on the bed.

"Mamma!" She chirps.

There it is. Mamma.

Lucy throws her small, chubby arms around Erin and she feels immediately overwhelmed. She's numbed herself for so long that the surge of emotions has tears prickling the back of her eyes. Erin circles her trembling arms around Lucy and the little girl nestles her head cozily against her shoulder. Everything is so strange, so different, yet so familiar.

Jay is leaning against the wall popping cheerios in his mouth like everything is completely ordinary. Her gaze finds his and he immediately notices the troubled look on her face and the shiny look in her eyes.

He mouths, "Are you okay? Are going to be sick?"

The concern in his voice is genuine.

"I don't know…" she mouths back, holding Lucy tightly in her arms.

"I think I know what you need." Jay says and leaves the room.

Lucy then wiggles out of Erin's arms and flops on the bed. She rolls over, pushes her little diapered bottom up in the air, followed by her small torso, and begins to jump up and down. The smile on her face and the sound of her laughter is strangely soothing to Erin.

"I Jump, mama!" Lucy exclaims.

Erin nods, blinking those pesky tears away.

Lucy is not real.

Jay returns with a bottled water in hand and places it on the nightstand with two pills next to it.

"This should help," he says, sitting on the bed. He reaches for Lucy and says, "C'mere, you little monkey." He tickles her sides and she contorts happily in his arms.

Jay looks momentarily at Erin and sees that same distraught look still etched on her face. With a loud, smacking kiss on Lucy's belly, he lowers her to the floor and says, "Luce, go find Mr. Chuckles so we can bring him to Papa's house today."

"Papa?!" She parrots.

"Yeah," Jay says and kisses her hair. "We're going to Papa's house today. Now go find Mr. Chuckles."

The little girl bounces excitedly and scurries out the door.

Jay finds Erin's leg under the covers and runs his hand over it. "Really, are you okay?" He asks.

"I don't know, Jay. I-I don't know where I am, I d-don't remember this," she motions between them. "It's like I woke up to someone else's life and I…. " She trails off not sure how to put her jumbled thoughts into words. She presses her fingers to her temples, trying to massage the continued pounding in her head.

Jay smiles, like her current state is amusing to him. "Slow down," he says and cups her face with one had. "You just super hung over." he adds casually.

Jay pulls her for a hug and kisses her hair. She unintentionally melts in his embrace.

"Take the aspirin and you'll feel better. We have Jack's birthday party to go and you said you would help set up."

She sighs, wondering if this is real life. "Who's Jack?"

Jay chuckles. "I am not sure amnesia will get you off the hook." He kisses her forehead and stands up. "Water. Aspirin. Coffee," he says, pointing to the items on the nightstand. "In the meantime, I will get the kid bathed before the oat meal sticks permanently to her hair."

Erin nods, watching Jay walk out the door.

"Jay…" She calls out.

"Yeah?" He pops his head back in the door.

"Is this real life?" She asks.

Jay chuckles. "Life is but a dream, Erin…"

Erin sits back and smiles.

Life is but a dream.

Thanks for reading! I haven't decided if this is a one-shot or not. Should I continue?