***

    Ed made his way to his phone which he placed on one of the side table in the settings room ,Seeing a miss call from Stella when he stole a glanced at the screen.

    Jack who had now made his self comfortable in an arm chair, observed Ed in silence for a while.

"You can call Stella you know, you don't need to take my word for it"  he offered the still skeptical Ed who still head his phone clenched in his hand.

    "I think I will."  Stella picked up in the second ring and  before Ed could she speak asked if her brother had arrived, she also said he was to have the guest room on the first floor and promised to be home in a few hours.

    Hanging up, Ed looked at the tall figure reclined on the arm chair. The man had  wavy jet black hair, a  light graylong sleeve rolled up half way and his complexion had a little tan to it. Ed giving Jack a forced smile said.

    "Sorry man you can't be too careful"

    "I know and am glad Stella has someone capable taking care of my beloved niece, speaking of nieces..."   Jack said as he stood up to make his way to the kitchen

    "How is Lucy? I don't get to see her from behind your protective stances over her earlier when you thought I was a bugler"

    "Ya sorry about that"   Ed offered an apology for the second time.

    "So how long have you worked for my sister?" Jack asked trying to start a conversation with the man who now sat quietly on a chair opposite the counter top

    Ed could finally examine Jack who now stood in front of him with out prejudice since his identity had been established. His tall frame stood proud from behind the counter his dark hair cut short and a clean shaved face which Ed guessed was a result of being in the law enforcement. Jack brown eyes resembled that of his older sister, infact it was one of the resemblance that convinced him that they were related after - all, and he looked comfortable in his dark blue jeans that huge his frame.  

    "Little over six months now"  Ed replied shifting his gaze to the large hands that held a cup of juice to lips which were slightly thin top but had a full bottom. Letting his eyes linger a while on those lip, as he couldn't get him self to look a way, he then added 

    "So you a cop in the city?"

    " NO, if I was we would have met before now, actually I just flew in."

    "Oh I see that explains why you never came around all this time. 

    "Yap". Taking a carton of orange juice and a glass from a rank by the sink Jack poured him self a drink. Letting silence settle between the two.

      "You know you don't have to keep me company, you can go do what ever it is you usually do or are you just keeping an eye on me?"

    "No I -"   Ed shook his head in denial but his eye and the fervent way he had kept Jack's every move in his line of sight told a different story.

     "It's either that or you don't talk much"

"well  how was your flight down?"  Ed tried to redeem him self in the eyes of his employer's brother .

    "Ok I guess, not too long. I make the trip out every year for Christmas so I can spend the holidays with Stella and of course Sam and Lucy as well."

    "I see"  Ed a was about to think of a way to keep the small talk going but his was rescued by the sound of Lucy's cue from the portable baby monitor station by the kitchen counter.

    Ed excused him self and made his way to his little Lucy room  but Jack was right on his heels stating his interest to see his baby niece.The two got in to Lucy's room then Jack picked Lucy up before thrusting her up in the air. 

    After some soothing words were said to the now fully wake Lucy, Jack then told the little girl bleary two years of age how he missed her, as thou she could understand every word and her giggles rang through out the small room.

    Ed watch the two, it was clear Jack loved his niece. After the elaborate reunion Ed offered to change Lucy's diaper before they went stairs, taking Lucy from her uncle and going to a changing table Ed  proceed to put a new diaper on a very excited and fully awake Lucy.

    "I will go downstairs to the guest room if that's OK with you?"  Jack questioned  Ed who had his back turned to Jack preventing him from seeing the grin on Jack's face.

    "sure"  Ed replied trying to keep the smile from his face he knew Jack was making fun of him with out even see his face.

      Jack turn and left after a few seconds of watching Ed work skillfully over his niece.

      When Ed got down stairs with little Lucy he could hear the sound of the shower running coming from the door of the guest room which was left slightly ajar.

    Stella came in an hour later and met her brother playing with his niece in the back yard and Ed sitting with a book on his lap watching Jack chase Lucy around the backyard. She formally introduced her brother and after Jack had released Stella from the huge he had enveloped her in, the two had a quiet chat in the sitting room before Ed was let go for the day.

    On his way home Ed thought of the man he had just met. Jack seem to linger in his mind so Ed decided it was because he had not interacted with people of his age group since his he move, he was now twenty one and he guessed Jack was no younger that twenty five or older than twenty nine.

    After his night routine, Ed put Jack out of his mind and decided to get some sleep, he thought it was not in his best interest to get too close to a cop who was also his employer's brother. Jack was going to leave soon anyway and he may not be too trusting as his sister. 

     Silently wishing he could make a friend his own age aside from Lee and Mandy Ed fell in to slumber.