Somebody on Twitter gave me the idea for this, so I thought I'd give it a shot.

Enjoy!

"Daddy! Daddy!"

Jay Halstead had barely made it through the front door before four tiny limbs tangled around his legs.

He laughed, reaching down to pick up the four year old up, and toss her in the air. "Hey Zo-bo! Daddy missed you!"

He peppered kisses on her face, resulting in squeals and giggles from his daughter.

"Daddy, stop it that tickles! And your hairy face feels funny!"

Jay laughed. Zoey's giggle was his new favorite sound. He didn't realize he could love a little human so much.

"Okay, pumpkin I'll stop."

Zoey wrapped her tiny arms around Jay's neck.

They heard footsteps walking towards them, and Jay looked up just as his wife appeared in the hallway.

"Hey babe." He briefly kissed her lips.

"When you two are finished in here, dinner is on the table." She looked lovingly at her husband before making her way back into the kitchen.

"Are you hungry Zo-bo?"

"You bet I am Daddy!"

Zoey wriggled free from her father's grip, following her mother into the kitchen.

"Come on Daddy! Mommy made pasta!"

Jay laughed again. He dropped his bag from his shoulder and followed his impatient daughter into the kitchen.

He stopped at the fridge for a beer before making his way over to the dinner table.

Zoey was already there, kneeling on her chair armed with her knife and fork. She was so small for her age she could barely see over the table-top but she was so stubborn she refused to sit in her booster chair.

"You know," Jay eyed up his wife as she brought their dinner to the table. "She gets her stubbornness from you."

He raised his beer to his lips as his wife raised an eyebrow, but she laughed all the same.

"Oh, please, you're the most stubborn man I know."

He winked at her, gazing into her eyes.

Jay Halstead knew he wasn't perfect but Hannah Halstead was close to it. Jay knew he'd got lucky. She always woke him with the morning coffee. She always had dinner on the table when he returned from work. She'd given him the best gift in the world: Zoey. He sometimes worshiped the ground she walked on.

"What's stubbawn mean Daddy?" Zoey spoke up with a mouth full of pasta, spraying the sauce all over her parents.

"Nothing for you to worry about madam." Jay took a napkin and wiped his daughter's front. "What did Daddy tell you about talking with food in your mouth?"

Zoey's cheeks turned pink. She slurped up the last of her spaghetti and turned to face Jay. "I sorry Daddy." She blew him a sloppy kiss.

Jay smiled. She was such a charmer, he couldn't stay mad at her for long. "It's okay Zo-bo. Are you going to tell me about your day at school?"

Zoey picked up his juice cup and took a slurp. "No you first Daddy. You tell me about today. Did you catch all the bad guys?"

Mrs Halstead piped up. "Yeah, Jay, did you catch all the bad guys?"

He looked at both his girls. "Oh you bet I did!"

"Yay Daddy! You're the best cop in the world aren't you?"

Jay lifted his daughter from her own chair, balancing her on his knee. He laughed. "I'm glad you think so!"

"I know you are Daddy. You fight down all the bad guys. When I'm growed up I want to be just like you!" She pointed at the police badge he still had around his neck.

Jay kissed the top of her head. She melted his heart, she really did. "Enough about Daddy's day, I want to know about Zoey's day!" He pointed at her then tickled her chin, causing her to fall in a fit of giggles.

Hannah looked at them both. "Jay, she's not going to be able to tell you if you don't stop tickling her!"

Jay stuck out his tongue at his wife, but obliged.

"Go on Zoey. Tell Daddy about your day."

Zoey climbed off her father's knee onto the edge of the table, her little legs dangling over the edge.

"Okay Daddy, I'll tell you about my day!" She pointed at herself, making sure her parents' attention was 100% on her.

"There was a new girl in my class! And Miss Kirsty picked me to be her friend!"

"She did? Good job, Zo-"

"Shh, Daddy I'm still talking!" Jay clamped his lips together. "Miss Kirsty says I have to look after her because she didn't know anybody. And now she is my new friend!"

"That's great Zoey! What's her name?"

"She's called Daisy and she's my best friend ever!"

Jay laughed at her. This was just like Zoey, she had a new best friend every week. Next she would be asking-

"Can Daisy come to our house for dinner?" Zoey clasped her tiny hands together, smiling at her parents- Jay in particular.

"We'll see pumpkin. You only met her today!"

Zoey frowned at him. "That doesn't matter, Daddy! She really is my best friend."

"Hey, turn that frown upside down Zo." He fought to change the subject. "Do you want mommy or daddy for bathtime?"

She crawled across the table. "Mommy." Hannah lifted her down from the table and she shot a look at Jay.

"You take her," he whispered "I'll clean up."

She nodded and led their daughter upstairs.

Jay downed the rest of his beer and took the dishes over to the sink.

He piled them into the dishwasher and flicked on the switch. He yawned. He walked over to the fridge and pulled out another beer then made his way into the lounge.

He flicked through the TV channels and sank into the couch.

Today had been a rough one but he didn't want to get into it with his wife. She'd only say that he was too dedicated to his job. That's the one thing Hanna couldn't understand- what being a police Detective was really about.

He couldn't be too harsh, she tried hard to sympathize when he'd had a hard day. She'd ask him if he was okay.

But there was a part of him that knew she would never get what he went through on the job. He had to keep parts of it a secret from her, which he knew he shouldn't be doing. She was his wife after all.

He twirled and fiddled with the silver band on his left hand. It had been there for five years, but it still felt weird.

His thoughts were interrupted by a tiny palm patting his knee.

Zoey was standing at his feet, smiling a toothy smile.

"Mommy did bathtime but I want you to do storytime."

She pouted when Jay didn't say anything. "Please Daddy? I pwomise to go to sleep straight after!"

Jay put down his beer and shut off the TV. He scooped her into his arms. "Come on then pumpkin!"

He carried her upstairs, making a right turn towards her bedroom.

She scrambled free, into her bed among all her teddy bears.

"Gosh, Zo-bo is there room for me in there?" He chuckled.

Zoey giggled. "Of course Daddy! There is lots and lots of room for Daddy!" She picked up an arm full of her toys and threw them on the floor. Jay would have been pissed if he hadn't thought the sentiment was sweet.

"What story would you like?" He asked her, making his way over to her custom made bookshelf. One he'd spent hours building and painting.

"Caterpillar, caterpillar!"

Jay groaned as he reached for it on the shelf. The Very Hungry Caterpillar. The same book they'd read for the past five nights.

"Really, Zo? Again?"

"Caterpillar! Caterpillar!"

He shook his head and laughed at her. "Okay, okay!"

"And you have to do the voices Daddy!"

Jay walked back over to her and lay next to her. He began to read the book, voices included.

It wasn't long before Zoey seemed to lose interest, and started a conversation with her father instead.

"Daddy, can we get a doggy? Daisy had a doggy can we get one?"

"Daisy again, huh? How do you know Daisy has a doggy?"

"Her mommy brought the doggy when it was home time. Daisy's mommy is real pretty, Daddy. Real pretty like my Mommy."

"I bet she's not as pretty as your Mommy."

"She's pretty Daddy! She had pretty dark yellow hair."

"I see. But your Mommy had pretty brown hair."

"Silly Daddy, I knows that. But Daisy's mommy had pretty green eyes. Like you." She pointed at his face.

"Why are you talking about Daisy's mom, Zo?"

"I think you would like her Daddy. She fights off the bad guys like you. Daisy says she was a police soffiser Daddy. You could get the naughty men together."

"I see, yeah maybe." He played along with her. He scratched his beard. "Do you know Daisy's mommy's name?" If Zoey was right, there was a chance he knew her: if she was a Detective.

"No Daddy. Do you want me to ask Daisy for you?"

"It's okay pumpkin." Her enthusiasm was cute, but Jay really wasn't that bothered about finding out about Daisy's mom. "You gotta go to sleep now, we've ran out of story-time."

Jay lifted himself from her bedside, tucking her in the blanket and planting a kiss on her forehead.

"Okay Daddy, I lub you."

Jay tiptoed out of the room, shutting the door. "Goodnight, Zoey. Daddy loves you too."

He made his way over to the bathroom, turning on the shower. His muscles were sore and he needed a wash.

After his shower, he made his way into his own bedroom. His wife was already lying in bed watching the TV.

"Did she go down okay?"

"Mhm." Jay dropped the towel and pulled on a pair of pyjama bottoms. He silently got under the comforter.

"What's up?" she quizzed him.

"Our child asked so many questions." He said, turning to face her. "Tonight's topic: she wants a dog."

"She wants a dog?"

"She only wants a dog because this Daisy has got a dog."

"Oh, Daisy again?"

"Yup. She wouldn't even let me finish the story, she was talking about her so much."

"Relax, Jay, you know how four year olds are. She'll have a new best friend by next week. She'll have forgotten about any dog."

"Yeah," he kissed her goodnight "You're right."

He turned over, realizing his busy day had gotten the better of him. It wasn't long before he feel into deep slumber.

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