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May didn’t know what she was thinking. The moment she stepped foot inside the frat house, she knew it was a mistake. She’d only agreed to go to be the designated driver. Plus, she thought she could distract herself from missing Darius – who had gone away with his parents for a week. Almost immediately, her friends abandoned her for the beer pong and hits of a joint. Then, the night only got worse. She was getting some unwanted attention from some fraternity bro. Each time he would offer her a drink, and she declined, he’d try to pressure her into accepting. When she would flat out say no, he’d wander off – only to come back five minutes later, starting it all over. Finally, May had had enough, she went to find the bathroom, to lock herself in. Grabbing her phone, she pulled up the only number she could at the late hour. It rang a few times before the line connected.
“May? What’s wrong?”
May winced at hearing the worry in his voice. “I’m sorry to bother you during your shift…”
“You never bother me. If you need me, you call.”
“Will you come get me?” May asked. She heard people outside the door and went very still. For a minute, she thought it was the obnoxious guy who’d been offering her drinks all night.
“Where are you? May? What’s wrong? Talk to me.”
“I’m at a frat house on campus. Jill and Gina wanted to go, and I said I’d go to. I’m not drinking. I volunteered to be the designated driver. Gina has the keys, so I can’t drive back to the apartment. Then this guy started pressuring me to take the drinks he offered. I didn’t want them, so now I’m hiding in a bathroom,” May explained as succinctly as she could.
“I’m on my way. You stay where you are until I text you.”
The line went dead. May breathed a little easier knowing Bobby was on the way. She sat on the edge of the tub, her right leg bouncing up and down out of anxiousness. Hopefully by the time her dad came to get her, the drunk asshole would be passed out.
*~*~*~*
Bobby took the captain’s truck after leaving Hen in charge. He told her what was going on and where he was going. She told him things would be fine until he got back. They were almost twelve hours into a twenty-four hour shift that had been relatively calm. He pulled out of the parking lot and made his way towards USC. Traffic at night was something else altogether. There were still cars on the road, but it was easier for him to weave in and out of them to get where he was going faster.
Arriving at the campus, it didn’t take Bobby long to find the house in question. They’d been to one nearby when a drunk college student set the front lawn on fire. He parked on the curb, killed the engine, and got out. The partygoers outside immediately eyed him in his LAFD uniform. They shied away, seeing the stern expression on his face. Bobby texted May that he was there.
Inside the bathroom, May’s phone chimed, and she breathed a sigh of relief. She checked the time, seeing it hadn’t taken him long to get to her. For that, she was thankful. Getting up, she unlocked the door, and headed back into the crowd. She was nearly to the door when she spotted the guy that had been borderline harassing her. May made the choice to keep going and hoped she got to the door before he could get to her. She was almost free. Then a hand closed around her upper arm, pulling her to a stop. She reacted, jerking her arm free. “What the hell?!” she shouted.
“Where you goin in such a hurry?” the guy asked, his speech slurred.
“Away from you,” May snapped. She was trying to keep calm, to keep moving. Bobby was outside waiting for her. The longer the guy was around, the less control she had over her temper.
“Aww! Come on, have a drink with me.”
“No,” May said for the hundredth time that night. She did something she wouldn’t normally do. She shoved the guy away and then rushed for the open door. Moving in and around people, she caught sight of Bobby waiting for her. Picking up the pace, she jogged down the porch steps and hurried over to him.
Bobby was instantly concerned. He saw the red tint on her cheeks and could tell she was angry. “Are you hurt?” he asked quickly, looking her over. He didn’t miss the fading handprint on her arm.
“No, I’m just glad you’re here,” May responded with relief. She could finally leave. When she’d been in the bathroom, she tried texting her friends, but they weren’t responding.
“Let’s get you to the truck,” Bobby said, placing his hand in the middle of her back, guiding her and protecting her at the same time.
A couple of high-pitched screams erupted from behind them. May turned first, seeing the drunk guy barreling towards them. Bobby put himself in front of her.
“You think you can push me and then run? You get back here, you little bitch!”
Bobby grabbed the young man by the front of his sweatshirt, hauling him close. “What did you call her?” he snarled, shaking the boy.
“She’s a bitch!”
“Wrong answer. Insult my daughter again, and I’ll make your life a living hell,” Bobby threatened. “May are you sure you don’t want to call your mother, an LAPD Sergeant?” he asked, keeping his eyes on the suddenly sick looking young man in his grip.
“Dad, can we just go, please,” May stressed, not even thinking twice about calling Bobby ‘dad’.
“Get in the truck,” Bobby replied, looking at her over his shoulder. Then, before he released the frat guy, he said, “You ever cross her path again, you ever talk to her, or even think about her, I will be your worst nightmare.” He let the young man loose, falling to the ground. Bobby didn’t waste any time. He got in the driver’s seat and put the key in the ignition. Neither of them spoke when he pulled away from the curb.
Once the truck was back on the road, Bobby glanced at May. His anger turned down to a low simmer. “Do you want me to take you home?” he asked, carefully making his voice calm. Bobby didn’t want her to think he was mad at her. He wasn’t.
“No,” May replied softly. “Would it be okay if I came to the firehouse?” She was a little shaken and didn’t want to be alone.
“That would be more than okay,” Bobby replied gently. In the morning, Athena would stop by for breakfast after she clocked out. If May wanted, she could wait until then and get a ride home with her mom.
118 FIREHOUSE:
Traffic was light, making it easy for Bobby to get back to the station at a reasonable time. He parked his battalion truck in its space and turned the engine off. They hadn’t said anything on the drive back because he wanted to give her time to settle down, to know that she was safe from a potentially explosive situation. “Are you sure you don’t want me to take you home?” he offered.
“Mom’s not there,” May replied with a little shake of her head. “And my apartment isn’t where I want to be either,” she added. Tonight’s ordeal had shaken her a bit and she wasn’t ready to be alone with her thoughts.
Bobby nodded, getting out of the truck. May joined him, and they walked into the station. It was dark, helping the firefighters to keep their normal rhythm of day and night. A little light was on upstairs in the common area. “You want some ice cream?” he asked, heading towards the stairs.
“I could definitely use the sugar,” May answered with a little smile, following him up to the kitchen. She took a seat at the counter and said, “You really put the fear of God into that guy.”
Bobby pulled out the tub of chocolate ice cream, and then pulled out two bowls from the cabinet. “I won’t stand by and let some idiot mess with you,” he replied. It was the promise he made to Michael. He would protect May and Athena as much as he could.
“I hope you’re okay with me calling you ‘dad’ sometimes?” May asked softly.
“As long as you’re okay with me calling you my daughter?” Bobby asked in return. She gave him a little nod by way of an answer. He offered her a bowl and a spoon giving her a little smile.
“Thanks,” May responded with a little chuckle. “When does mom get off shift?” she asked moments before taking a bite. She wasn’t worried about telling her mom what happened. She was worried what would happen after. Sergeant Grant wasn’t afraid to bend the rules when it came to her family.
“Her shift ends at six am. After that, she’ll come by for breakfast,” Bobby informed her. He put the ice cream back in the freezer. “Are you worried about telling her what happened?” he asked, taking a seat next to her.
“No,” May answered. “I want her to know what happened, and for her to know I called you, but I don’t want her to go after the creep. She already did that when I was being bullied,” she explained cautiously.
Bobby nodded, keeping quiet. He knew May had tried to kill herself because of being severely bullied and Athena had taken matters into her own hands. Honestly, if it had been Bobby, he would have done the same thing. “What’re you going to tell her?” he asked.
“That my dad came to get me,” May answered without thinking about it.
Before Bobby could reply the bells rang. “Gotta go.” He was up and heading for the stairs.
Station 118. Station 118. Motor vehicle collision on the 710 Freeway. Dispatch RA and Fire and Rescue units.
May went to the railing, seeing the 118 team hop in the engine and the ambulance. The massive doors opened, and they were off to save lives. There were days she missed being a dispatcher. She missed being the voice on the other end of the call – the lifeline. Once the doors were closed, she wandered over to the couch that faced the TV. May picked up the remote, turning it on and lowering the volume. She stretched out with the news on. Her mind didn’t have time to register the news story. It was her intention to rest for a moment but the moment her head hit the pillow, her eyes grew heavy, and she was out.
A COUPLE HOURS LATER:
The MVA had resulted in a few minor injuries that required transportation to the nearest hospital. Once that was done, the 118 was headed back to the station. Mindful that May was still there, Bobby had the engine and the ambulance kill the lights as they pulled in. Dawn was creeping over the horizon, and soon it would be time for breakfast. He was first up the stairs, finding her asleep on the couch with the tv still on. Immediately, he covered her with an LAFD blanket, hoping to keep her asleep for a little while longer.
The others stayed down restocking the rigs while Hen went up to check on Bobby. He’d been oddly quiet on the ride to and from the wreck. They all knew May was at the firehouse, but none of them wanted to ask what had happened. Hen paused by the couch, giving May a once over, convinced nothing was physically wrong. She wandered over to the kitchen where Bobby was getting what he needed out of the fridge to make breakfast for them. “Is everything ok?” she asked as she took a seat.
“Everything’s fine,” Bobby answered. “Tonight, I lived up to a promise I made Michael before he, David, and Harry moved to Florida.” At Hen’s questioning glance, he elaborated. “Michael was closing up the apartment when he called me, needing to talk. Before leaving, he wanted me to promise to protect May as only a father could because he would be too far away. Tonight, when I went to get her, I got to be a father again, protecting a daughter I love with all my heart.”
“I’ve seen how you are with May and Harry, how much you love them,” Hen replied. “Michael having you promise to watch out for May was giving you permission to be more than her step-dad. He was telling you he was ok with you being her dad.” Hen was no stranger to unique family dynamics. Michael had told her that he was glad May and Harry had Bobby in their lives. She knew that Bobby made it easier for Michael to go to Florida because Athena and May would be protected.
Bobby felt emotion choke him. He braced his hands on the edge of the counter and looked down, hiding the fact he had tears in his eyes. Hen didn’t say anything. She only reached over, resting her right hand atop his, patting gently. Bobby cleared his throat, shaking his head. He didn’t know what to say to that, so he didn’t say anything at all. Rather, he returned to getting breakfast ready.
Athena had clocked out a little early. Her reports were finished and filed. There was nothing else for her to do except change into civilian clothes and head to the 118 for breakfast with Bobby and the team. On a rare occasion in LA traffic was light, making it easy for her to get where she wanted to go in a short amount of time. At half past six, she was pulling into the parking lot next to Bobby’s truck. The moment she was inside, she felt the subdued atmosphere and wondered if the team had had a rough call. “Hey,” she called to Hen, who had walked into view. “Is everything alright?”
Hen went over to Athena. “Everything’s fine,” she said quietly. “May’s asleep on the couch upstairs. We didn’t want to wake her until breakfast was ready.”
“What is she doing here?” Athena asked, instantly concerned. Her head turned towards the stairs, afraid for her baby.
“Ask Bobby. All I know is she called him to go pick her up and he went. He didn’t say anything to us,” Hen answered.
Athena walked away from Hen, heading up to the common area. She made sure her steps were measured once she reached the landing. May was on the couch, fast asleep and looking peaceful. Momentarily satisfied that no bodily harm had come to her baby, she continued to the kitchen where her husband was getting a pot of coffee ready.
Bobby knew the moment Athena had come into his house. The air had changed with her presence. He set the coffee to brew and then turned to his wife. They stared at each other for a few minutes. She was letting him see the worry and the confusion in her eyes. Coming around the counter, he pulled her into his arms because he needed to hold her. “May is ok,” he whispered. “She wants to tell you what happened.”
Athena pulled back, looking up into Bobby’s eyes. “Are you ok?” she asked, reaching up to cup his face with her hands.
“I am,” Bobby answered honestly. “Go wake her so we can have breakfast. I’ve got some hungry firefighters to feed,” he added and this time his tone was light and teasing, as it always was.
Athena kissed him softly on the lips. They parted and she went back to the couch to wake May. Taking a seat on the coffee table, she reached out, caressing her daughter’s cheek with the back of her fingers. “May, baby, it’s time to wake up,” her voice was light.
May’s eyes fluttered open, closed, and then opened again. The face of her mother swam into view. “Mom…?” she mumbled, almost forgetting where she was.
“Morning baby,” Athena whispered gently, giving her daughter’s cheek another little stroke. “This was the last place I expected to find you,” she said when May pushed herself up and stretched.
There was no sense in prolonging the inevitable. May looked at her mother and said, “Last night I thought I was doing a good thing. Jill and Gina, a couple of friends from class, wanted to go to a frat party. I told them I would go and be the designated driver. We got there and they disappeared without giving me the car keys. I was getting some unwanted attention from a frat guy. By the millionth NO, I decided to find a bathroom and lock myself in where I called my dad to come get me.” When she said the last part, she looked over her shoulder at Bobby, smiling at him.
Athena felt her heart clench at hearing May refer to Bobby as her ‘dad’. She also looked at her husband, seeing a little more of the weight of his past had lifted from him. “Oh, baby…” Athena whispered, standing up, taking May’s hands, pulling her into a tight hug.
THAT NIGHT:
Bobby lay in bed behind Athena, his left arm draped over her side, his hand covering hers with their fingers laced. “May get home safe?” he asked before pressing a little kiss to the back of his wife’s shoulder.
“She did, Papa Bear,” Athena replied, turning over to face him.
“Good,” Bobby responded, giving her a little smile.
“Last night wasn’t the first time May called you ‘dad’, was it?” Athena asked. She was happy that her daughter had Bobby to rely on in the father department now that Michael was on the other side of the country.
“The first time was when I was being loaded into the ambulance and she wanted to ride with me. They weren’t going to let her until she said that I was her dad. I told her she didn’t have to lie. May said she wasn’t. She had two dads, and I was one of them,” Bobby recounted for Athena. “Last night, when that drunk kid was insulting her, and I was near to crossing a line, May called me ‘dad’, and nothing else mattered except getting her away from that situation before it got worse.”
“And how do you feel about that?” Athena inquired carefully.
Bobby thought about his answer. “I felt needed,” he said.
“Bobby…You know I always need you,” Athena responded, but the look in his eyes told her she’d misunderstood what he meant.
“Last night, May called me. She needed me to come save her. I got to be a father again,” Bobby explained. He got to be the one May turned to when she was in trouble.
“You were that child’s father long before last night and before you saved her from the call center. Last night was May showing you how much she loves and trusts you to be there for her.” Athena moved to press her lips to his brow. His arms slipped around her, and his head pillowed on her chest. Family was still a touchy subject for him. It always would be. Athena would be there to love him no matter what.
A WEEK LATER:
“How are your parents, Darius?” Bobby asked. He and Athena had taken May and Darius out to eat. It was nice to be out as a family.
“Still trying to talk me into going back to Stanford,” Darius answered. “They haven’t caught on that USC is where I’m meant to be.”
Bobby laughed lightly. “They’ll get there, eventually.”
“I know,” Darius agreed. Without thinking, he reached over to take May’s hand, lacing their fingers together. He brought her hand up, giving it a little kiss. Then, he said, “Excuse me, I’ll be right back.” He got up from the table, disappearing off towards the back where the bathrooms were located.
Athena smiled warmly at her daughter. “How is it having Darius at college with you?”
“It’s good,” May answered. “When we have time between afternoon classes, we go have lunch together. We’ll help each other study or be with each other doing homework. It’s good,” she said again.
“Just don’t let your grades suffer,” Bobby teased.
May made a face at him that had him laughing. “They won’t,” she promised.
“Good,” Bobby responded.
Athena sat back watching the interplay between the two of them. It was rewarding to see how close May had grown to Bobby. After Michael left, she had a rough few months where she missed her dad. Then, she started talking to Bobby more; texting him when she got to work or when she got home safely. Their father/daughter bond was getting stronger. It made Athena happy to know that Bobby wasn’t seeing himself as merely a stepparent anymore.
“I’m sorry to bother you…”
Bobby looked up, seeing the face of the young man that had dared to call his kid a ‘bitch’. “You,” he said with a dangerous chill to his voice. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Athena watching him carefully. “What did I tell you?” he asked, starting to get out of his chair.
“No, dad, it’s okay,” May said in a soothing voice. “He’s at least sober and keeping his hands to himself,” she commented with a notable bite to her voice.
Athena sat back watching how things were going to play out. She would wait and see if she needed to intervene. Though, one look at her husband told her he had things well in hand.
“Sir, I came to apologize to your daughter. That night, there was no excuse for my behavior. The day after the party two of my friends showed me a video of the confrontation and I was an ass. I had no right to say those things to your daughter and I am deeply sorry for all of it.”
May having learned the value of second chances, said, “I would hope that video of yourself taught you a valuable life lesson.” He nodded his head, keeping his gaze on the floor. She could tell he was truly remorseful. “Then I accept your apology.”
“I’m going to be better.”
“Good,” May responded and then stood up to face him. “If I hear you’ve pulled a stunt like that with some other woman, just remember my dad knows which fraternity house you live in. He’s an LAFD Captain.” The guy paled but nodded that he understood. He took his leave as May sat down.
“May Grant…” Athena said, not sure if she should applaud her daughter or scold her.
“You’re not the only one who can threaten people,” May replied, giving her mother a rueful smirk.
“You come by it honestly,” Athena responded, laughing.
Bobby was back to being his good-natured self. He draped his arm across the back of Athena’s chair, leaning in to kiss her cheek. Then, he whispered in her ear, “I love my girls.”
“And we love you too, Papa Bear,” Athena responded, touching her forehead to Bobby’s cheek.
“What’d I miss?” Darius asked when he returned to the table.
“Nothing, just family stuff,” May answered. She smiled warmly at her parents.
THE END