Chapter Text
At 7 years old Daniel was diagnosed with juvenile leukaemia, overnight his whole life changed. Instead of spending his days playing and ridding his bike they know consisted of hospital appointments that only ever involved being prodded and pocked. His mum was always crying, his Dad was always pacing with a permanent frown on his face. Even Maddie had changed, she had stopped telling him stories of the games she had played with friends in favour of reading him fantasy books over and over again, particularly Peter Pan.
At 8 years old Daniel become a big brother to Evan, his little hand wrapped around one of Daniels fingers as he gazed down at the little bundle held securely in Maddie’s arms. Daniel knew Evan was born to save him, but he was so fragile and little, how could he save him when Daniel was so much bigger than his baby brother.
At 9 years old Daniel was officially in remission, Evan had saved his life. His parents were overjoyed. He finally got to go home again, he could play with friends again outside. He got to watch movies surrounded by his family, his mum made him any home cooked meal he desired, his dad built Lego’s with him and watched sports. Maddie continued to read him fantasy stories but she also went back to telling him stories about her day and the gossip from all the kids. Evan couldn’t talk he was still a baby after all, but Daniel enjoyed holding him and giving him bottles, he watched as he found the world and made squeals of excitement whenever Maddie came home, he played with his little brother nonstop and made plans for the things he was going to teach Evan when he was older.
All throughout his childhood and teenaged years Daniel had been coddled by his parents, never aloud to do anything remotely dangers or interesting. All while his little brother ran wild in order to get a once of attention and affection from their parents. Every time he helped Maddie to clean one of Evans cuts or had to help wrap up a broken limb in plastic bags so Evan could shower his heart broke.
Daniel watched as his parents discarded his older sister and little brother, in favour of protecting him from the world. He watched as his older sister practically raised their brother, how she was always the one holding him when they would come to visit in the hospital when Evan was baby, and it was her who taught him to walk and talk, his first words having been ‘mads’.
So when Daniel was older and realised what his parents where truly like he made a promise to his big sister, one night after she had been the one to comfort and check over Evan after he had fallen off a chair trying to reach for a snack, to help her raise there fire cracker of a baby brother.
That same night he had snuck into Evans room to watch him sleep, a big red bump on his head from where he hit it, he promised that he would do his best to protect him and be there for him no matter what.
Daniel likes to think he kept those promises, he helped Maddie teach Evan how to ride his old bike, and then helped her clean up the cuts from when he had fallen. He tried to stop the mischief that his little brother got into, but when he couldn’t he tried his best to calm his parents yelling. When Maddie left for college with Doug, Daniel continued to be there for Evan, he showed up at his football games, the ER and even his parent teacher evenings.
At 20 Daniel joined the fire department, much to his parents distaste. They hoped he would have become a doctor, ‘it would be such a heart warming story’ his mother had said. But after watching them over the years treat his brothers various injuries he had come to admire their kindness and bravery towards anyone in which they came to help.
At 24 Daniel picked Evan up from the hospital cause there parents refused and brought him home with him, that followed with another screaming match with his parents which resulted in Evan coming to live with Daniel as he refused to let his baby brother go back and live with people who didn’t care what happed to him and never really had.
At 25 Daniel watched as his still kid brother left to join the navy seals, he tightly hugged him goodbye when he dropped him off at the airport, barley holding it together as he watched his little brother walk away, possibly to his death. Daniel cried in the privacy of his own apartment for weeks after Evan left. He treasured each letter he received and soaked in each quick phone call that reassured him his baby brother was still alive.
At 28 Daniel reunited with Maddie and they fled to Los Angeles. Doug was in jail and their parents where trying to withdraw Daniel from active duty after he got trapped in a fire which resulted in a trip to the hospital, they said it was too dangerous and he was too old, they wanted him to settle down and be there for them when they needed it.
Daniel transferred to the Los Angeles fire department and joined station 118. Maddie decided she couldn’t go back to nursing, although Doug was in jail she decided she couldn’t constantly be looking over her shoulder, so Maddie became a dispatcher. In a way it comforted them both Maddie could always see where one of her brothers was when they put them self in danger. And Daniel got to hear his sisters voice and know there was someone looking out for him no matter what choices he made.
The 118 was like no team Daniel had ever experienced, they were weirdly close but in a good way. They were more than teammates, they were a family, one that really did love and protect no matter what.
Bobby was a good boss, he really cared about his firefighters and what was going on in their lives, his cooking as well was the best thing he had ever tasted. His wife Athena he meet on a call, she was badass, just one stare from her and Daniel thought he would confess any crime even if he hasn’t committed any.
Chim and Hen were so in sync with each other on calls it was like they were telepathic twins. Chim loved to tease the members of the team, his witty one liners were like nothing Daniel had ever heard before. Hen really was a mother hen, she made sure everyone was looked after, it made Daniel laugh thinking about the reaction Hen would have to meeting Evan, she’d probably give Daniel bubble wrap and tell him not leave him unattended.
Eddie was a single dad trying to do his best to ensure his kid got what ever help he needed and desired. He was a army medic vet so when he told the team what his brother was doing Eddie didn’t ask to many question but did let Daniel know in subtle ways that he was there for him if he ever needed it.
The calls in la where definitely different from those in Hershey, there was a lot more crazy’s out hear. But every once in a while there came a call that distinctively reminded him of his childhood, and more importantly the shenanigans his brother would get up to which would end with an ambulance being called.
Today they’d been called to a house where a kid had fallen out a tree and broke his arm, the parents where to scared to move there crying child so called for an ambulance. The scene it’s self was fairly common, but all Daniel could think about throughout the call was when Evan had done the same thing, maybe it was because the kid was around the same age as Evan had been and had almost identical blonde curls, the only thing that reminded him that this kid was not Evan was the missing birthmark above his eye.
“How does a kid climb so high up a tree without a parent realising until they’ve fallen out?” Chim asked as the group all climbed back into the truck.
“My little brother once did something similar, climbed up a tree after it had rained got fairly high up before he slipped, broke his arm in 3 places” Daniel reminisced. He remembered that day as if it was yesterday. He imagines that scream Evan made as he landed on his arm, may be the same scream that his little brother makes out on the battle filed.
“Ouch, why’d he climb up a tree after it had rained?” Eddie questioned, smirking at Daniels nonchalant way of telling stories about his little brother.
“That’s just Evan for you, just goes head first into danger without a second thought, it’s what made him become a navy seal” Daniel laughed.
“He got in trouble a lot and thats what made him become a seal?” Chim questioned Daniel, looking confused at the idea.
“Not trouble, my parents didn’t really pay attention to him unless he was hurt, so Evan used to not go looking for it but wouldn’t really care if he did get hurt as long as it got him a bit of affection from them” Daniel explained remorsefully.
“Sounds kind of worrying” Bobby said voice full of concern. Daniel knows Bobby lost his kids but that he’s know a step dad to Athena’s two, he’s probably wondering how a parent couldn’t care for there child unless they where bleeding for attention.
“I know, but me and Maddie tried our best” Daniel said almost sounding regretful, instead of watching the faces of his teammates he looked out of the tuck window, watching as the trees from the suburbian neighbour turned into concrete structures. The team all exchanged looks of sorrow for what these siblings had to go threw to be forced into looking after there younger brother because there parents couldn’t be bothered.
“What else did you brother get up to?” Eddie asked and so Daniel told them stories of Evan, Maddie and himself growing up. From teaching Evan to ride a bike and how to play sports to movie nights and cuddling up in Maddie’s bed when there was a storm. He told them all with a smile on his face while a painful ache loomed within. A want to just hug his brother again and see him in front of him instead of threw a screen and pieces of scribbled on paper.
It’s as if the universe knew that the tree call had made Daniels longing for his baby brother increase tenfold. On his way to his next shift Daniel finally got a call from his baby brother. Every time he heard that cheeky voice sing song ‘Danny’ down the phone he felt so much lighter.
But just like always the calls never lasted long, just as Daniel walked into the station he was saying goodbye to Evan, not knowing when or if he would hear his voice again. “Alright, stay safe little brother” Daniel says as he hangs up the phone reluctantly.
“That the famous trouble maker little brother of yours” Chim laughed, leaning against the lockers as Daniel ended the call.
“Yep, just calling to check in, see how la’s going” Daniel said timidly, still caught up in his own head about the phone call and trying to memorise the sound of his little brothers voice.
“So when do we get to meet him” Eddie asked him hopefully, trying to cheer Daniel up in his own way thinking that the call may have included the news that Daniels been waiting to hear since the day Evan left.
“Uh I’m not sure, hopefully soon” Daniel said wishfully, wanting nothing more than to be giving an exact date.
“You miss him” Hen stated, coming over and pulling Daniel into a tight hug.
“Missed him since the day he got deployed, I just hope he’ll be back for his 21st gotta take him to celebrate that” Daniel smiled trying to change the subject, after all he had been planning how he would celebrate Evans 21st since the day he promised Maddie he would help her to raise him.
“Wait what, you kid brother is an actual kid still?” Chim asked looking as tho the world has turned upside down and nothing made sense anymore.
“Yeah, why how old did you think he was” Daniel questioned laughing at their shocked faces as he left the changing room.
“Well from all the stories of him getting hurt we figured that must of taken a lot of time to build up that many tales” Eddie revealed as they followed him out of the changing room still in a shocked haze.
“What stories are you telling know that’s got them looking like that?” Bobby asked Daniel laughing at the other threes faces as the four of them entered kitchen.
“Daniels kid brother is an actual kid” Chim explained for Daniel as he toke a seat at the kitchen island.
“Thought you said he was a seal” Bobby asked with his captain frown that was usually reversed for callers.
“He is, joined when he was 17” Daniel clarified as tho it made perfect sense.
“Who joined what when they where 17?” Athena asked coming up the stairs having only caught what Daniel had just said, she usually joined them for breakfast when she had finished a night shift and Bobby had a day shift starting.
“Daniels brother and the seals” Chim proclaimed to the Sargent.
“Oh, how long has he been a seal? ” Athena questioned curiously, joining her husband at the stove and taking over the cooking of the eggs.
“Three years now, what!” Daniel squeaked at the unimpressed look Athena gave him.
“Your little brother is 20 and a navy seal” Athena asked again as if she had misheard him.
“Yeah, I told you all what he did before” Daniel reasoned a little taken back by the others shock at what his brother did.
“You forgot to mention how young he is” Chim explained, still not over the revelation and will probably not be over it for serval shifts.
“Well he’s eight years younger than me” Daniel stated like it was common knowledge. Before the conversation about Evan’s age and Daniels terrible
decision to let him go off and become a seal could continue the bell rang signalling them away.
“You know what we need to have a cookout get to know you and your sister more” Athena declared.
“Um sure how about a dinner round mine, Maddie still doesn’t like going out all that much” Daniel suggested, just catching Athena’s acknowledgment and and approval of the idea before he was jumping in the truck and they where speeding through la.