Work Text:
Raising to the Challenge
They were finally out. After less than a week of the doctors making sure both of his girls were okay. Chimney now had Maddie and little Eileen home.
They're were a few moments where they were cautious and went in for a check up after small things that were nothing really.
She was born a healthy girl who had strong loud lungs on her.
"I missed our bed." Maddie said, in more of a whisper.
In another context that would have Chimney rearing to go.
But yeah, he knew she could use the rest right now.
"Go ahead. I'll stay up with her." He kissed her cheek as she put down the bag she had while Chimney brought the carrier in.
He was on paternity leave as of the beginning of that week.
The team was visiting after shifts or before. When they could squeeze in an hour or two.
Hen was busy with her exams but still dropped in to see them.
"She's fiery just like you two." Hen had said, feeling her strong grip on her finger.
Chimney was making her next bottle as she was still dozing when they got in.
She'd been doing a lot of that. He was a little envious. But she looked so dang cute. Eileen was the best of both of them.
Chimney has no doubt he'd do anything for her the same way he'd do anything for Maddie.
There was a soft knock at the door followed by a text.
Chimney opened the door after peeking out the eyehole.
"Hey. She's-" He began.
"Asleep huh?" Buck asked.
Eddie shook his head. "Hi Chim." He smiled.
"Good to see you guys. I thought you still had an hour" He said as he let them in.
"I called in a favor from Michaels. So they came in earlier along with Kay." Buck smirked at Chimney.
"What did he owe you for?" Eddie asked from behind him in the entryway.
"Nothing I can share." Buck bit his lip trying not to laugh.
"I'm making her bottle. Please don't wake her until it's ready." Chimney tells them both.
Buck touches his chest in mock offense. "I would never"
"Sure Buck. Like you didn't that one time." Eddie tells him.
"That was one time and an accident. I apologized." Buck sulked for a second. He honestly didn't mean to do that before.
Buck takes the now ready bottle to feed his niece while Eddie and Chimney detour to the kitchen.
Chimney's shoulders are tight and Eddie can see it even if he's trying to hold it in.
"You okay?" He asks, lowly to only him, so Buck won't hear.
"Huh? I'm fine dude."
It's a lie. One Eddie's said before. He can tell.
"It'd be okay if you weren't fine too, Chim." Eddie says. He was never really that good at this.
But he's his friend and he's been there before. It's not easy.
"Would you believe me, if I said I wasn't always a good dad?" Eddie works out.
"That's bullshit. You're great with Christopher Eddie." Chimney says a little too quickly.
"I wasn't always good with him. Being a parent is a process but I love him, it was scary before, and I wanted to be better for him and me, to do better." Eddie tells Chimney, being honest.
He can see as the weight shifts a little off of his shoulders.
"Yeah." He nods at that.
"If you ever need to talk, I'm here. And I know you're gonna do your best for them." Eddie smiles while patting his shoulder. "That's what love is."
Chimney lets out a breath. "Dang. Thanks Eddie. I think I needed that." He looks calmer at least more so than he was.
"Anytime. We're family." Eddie nods before going to the living room where Buck's on the couch bottle long gone.
Eileen is hitting him with the same rattle that he bought.
"Getting beat up by a one week old. She'll be coming home with lunch money." Eddie jokes.
"No. She just doesn't know her own strength yet. They're not gonna raise a little bully. I'd hope she'd stand up to 'em instead." Buck looks up from giving her a look of wonder at Eddie's words.
Buck shifts her to being over his shoulder ready to burp her. He's keeping support for her head like he's supposed to do.
Eddie can already see Christopher being a little jealous possibly. But he knows Buck will always have a sweet spot for Chris though.
"She's got Chimney's eyes and hair but I think she has Maddie's nose." Buck says as she finally burps behind his shoulder. "Ready for her?" Buck asks as Chimney walks in.
"Yeah. Thanks for feeding her." Chim gently takes her, shushing as she fusses a little before settling in his arms.
"Nah. It's what family's for. But I'm thinking of getting her a different toy though." He jokes while she's starting to go back to sleep in Chimney's arms.
They make room for Chimney on the better couch. He could be sitting there for a while.
"Well. I'd better go relieve Carla. You coming Buck?" Eddie says quietly as he gets up.
"Huh? Yeah sure. I haven't seen Chris in a week." Buck says.
"It's Tuesday." Chimney confirms.
"Yeah. Two days is kinda long." Buck says since it's Tuesday.
"He lasted two weeks. You asked if he called two days after he left to camp." Eddie tells him.
"I was just asking. I'd be scared if I was a kid. I never went to camp." Buck says as they're going for the door.
There's hushed byes to Chimney before they slowly shut the door.
He's resisting laughing so he won't wake up the baby.
Eddie was right. Chimney's gonna be the best dad he can be. "I love you El."
Maddie comes out of the room yawning. "Was that Buck?" She asks.
"Yeah. Shh."
"Oh." She comes over. Really she'd just laid down for a bit before she had to get up. "She's so small."
"Yeah. I love you two." He leans over to kiss her.
She can't say it yet. But she kisses him back and then gives a gentler one to their little girl.
"Do you think we're ready? We took all those classes and read." She asks him.
"I think we're as ready as we can be. And I'm always up for a challenge." Chimney tells her while putting his arm around her.
"Having Buck was like practice when I was younger but it's been a while."
"If she's half as awesome as you and Buck we'll have a great kid."
"And she can be great like her dad too." Maddie lies back.
She felt safe and supported. They were parents now.
Maddie believed they could do this together. It was a new part of their lives. She felt loved and happy.