Work Text:
This is the life.
Judd Ryder had a rare day off from Station 126. Rare in the fact that Grace had a shift, which meant they couldn’t have the day to themselves. But it was also rare because how he got to spend the entire day with his little girl.
As soon as he woke that morning, he was on the move. The man had a plan and he was going to make the day perfect. Get Charlie up, make breakfast for the two of them, check in with Grace and Tommy. Then he brought his little girl right out into their backyard, where she would be able to spend the entire day without a care in the world.
And for Judd, that was all that mattered. Letting Charlie be happy was the most important thing.
It had been a few years since her ice storm birth. During that time, Judd had worked with a few friends (and Billy of all people, who was actually sincere in his help) to completely redesign the backyard so that it was safe for Charlie to play around in, especially when she started walking at 10 months. And boy, did that little girl walk!
Charlie was now two and a half, toddling from one end of the yard to another, but always staying in sight of her daddy. She spent time in the sand pit Tommy had ordered the boys to build (the bane of his existence, because that meant automatic bath time as soon as they went inside for dinner) before running over to some of the plastic slides and playsets gifted by various members of the 126. There were some cars she would play with as well on a safe surface, with her favorite being the cop car Carlos had sent over (TK teased him immensely about that, his husband was so proud).
Judd joined her for every activity and loved every single second of it. Listening to Charlie’s peals of laughter as he picked her up and ran around was worth all the money in the world.
When it came time for them to take a few minutes’ break, they sat side by side on the outdoor couch, both drinking from their respective water bottles. Charlie tucked herself in against her father, clearly feeling the love that he felt for her.
Being that she had the energy of a toddler, she was up and ready to resume playing far sooner than Judd. So, as soon as she slid off the couch, he reached for his secret weapon so that he could have a few more minutes off of his feet.
One of the most well received gifts from Charlie’s second birthday had come via mail, from the Diazes in Los Angeles. Buck, during his travels, had helped take care of a gaggle of children on a ranch for a few days, and he had discovered that the easiest way to keep them happy and contained was something so very simple.
So he sent over a bubble gun.
Within minutes of trying it out for the first time, it had become Charlie’s favorite thing. Judd could lean back on the couch and fire out a trail of bubbles into the sky, and Charlie would squeal and clap in that perfect toddler way.
Judd had made sure that it was already full of soapy water before letting Charlie loose outside during the morning. As soon as he pulled it out, Charlie let out a shriek and ran forward, already waving at the bubbles that hadn’t even been fired yet.
He took aim and let out a stream of bubbles over her head like a crown, which sent little Charlie into an adorable, wonky little spin. She made it a personal goal to play with and pop every single bubble just before it touched the ground.
The next ones were sent a bit further out and ended up being caught in a gentle breeze, sending them floating all around the yard. He fired off some more, watching as Charlie went back and forth, clapping her hands around each bubble before spotting the next and dashing off for it.
With her occupied, he pulled out his cell and took a few seconds of video to send onto Grace, who sent back a large amount of emojis that he’d have to have one of the younger members of the 126 to translate the next day.
And that was how the afternoon passed, with a brief pause for lunch and a longer pause for a well deserved afternoon nap. And that was how Grace and Tommy found them, both dad and daughter asleep on the outdoor couch, the soapy remains of a bubble war all around them.
The best way to spend a day off.