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To say it'd been a strange few weeks for Bobby Nash would be an understatement. Ever since Captain Gerrard had taken his position at the 118, life had taken an unexpected turn. For the first time in years, Bobby had found himself unemployed, with too much time on his hands and not enough distractions to keep his mind from the frustration of being ousted from the job he loved. He and Athena were staying in a temporary house, a makeshift home while they hunted for a new house together after the fire had destroyed their own.
Bobby had taken on the task of house hunting like a mission, determined to find the perfect place for the both of them to make more memories together. Every day, he scoured listings, visited open houses, and compiled options to show Athena when she got home from work. It kept him busy, but it wasn't enough. He missed the action, the camaraderie of his team, and the sense of purpose that being a firefighter gave him.
Today, like every other day so far, Bobby was home alone. He had just finished cleaning the kitchen and was preparing to make dinner when his phone buzzed on the countertop. Chimney's name appearing across the screen with a picture of him, Maddie and Jee-Yun as his contact photo. He picked it up with a smile on his face.
"Hey Bobby," Chimney's voice came through, although sounding slightly frantic. "I'm in a bit of a bind. Jee-Yun got sent home from pre-school, some kind of mix-up, and Maddie and I are both stuck at work. I hate to ask you this, but could you—"
"Say no more, Chim." Bobby interrupted, lodging the phone between his ear and shoulder as he wiped his hands clean on a nearby dish towel. "Bring her over. I'll keep an eye on her until you're done."
Chimney sighs in relief on the other end of the phone, "Thanks Bobby, you're a life saver." He huffs. "I'll be there in twenty minutes."
Bobby laughed softly, eventually hanging up the phone after bidding goodbye — strangely, he felt that familiar sense of purpose kicking in.
He took some time to clean up the living room a little, making sure everything was child-friendly and safe for Jee-Yun. By the time the doorbell rang, Bobby was beginning to feel more like his old self for once.
Chimney arrived, looking frazzled and clearly tired, but Jee-Yun was all smiles as he handed her over into Bobby's arms. "Thanks again Bobby, I owe you one."
"No worries, Chim." Bobby replied, waving him off. "We're gonna have a great time, aren't we Jee-Yun?" He smiled brightly, bouncing Jee-Yun on his hip who laughed in the most adorable way.
Chimney left, Bobby turning around and closing the door behind him. He placed Jee-Yun down who immediately made her way into the living room and made herself right at home.
They spent the next hour playing games, drawing and watching an abundance of cartoons. Oddly, Bobby felt a sense of peace that he hadn't felt in a long while with everything going on, especially with Jee-Yun's adorable infectious laughter swirling the room; exactly what he needed to lift his spirits.
Bobby sat cross-legged on the floor, a large sheet of paper spread out in front of him and Jee-Yun. A rainbow assortment of crayons scattered between them, Jee already busy scribbling away, her tiny hands gripping a blue crayon with intense concentration. Bobby watched her for a moment, a soft smile on his face as he picked up a green crayon and begun drawing beside her.
"What should we draw for your mommy and daddy, huh?" Bobby asked her gently, Jee-Yun glancing up at him, her eyes bright with curiosity.
She quickly went back to doodling, adding what looked like squiggly lines to the growing masterpiece. Bobby chuckled, going back to his own drawing beside hers and opting to draw a big silly dinosaur next to her scribbles.
"How about a dinosaur? Or maybe a big house with lots of flowers?" He peered over at Jee-Yun for a moment, still smiling just as wide.
Jee-Yun looked at the dinosaur he was drawing, her eyes widening with excitement as she recognised the shape despite Bobby's slightly wonky lines. She immediately switched to a red crayon and added a series of wobbly circles, which Bobby guessed were supposed to be flowers.
"Flowers for the dinosaur, huh? That's a great idea!" Bobby smiled, joining her in adding a few more flowers around the dinosaur's feet.
As they continued to draw, Bobby's mind begun to drift, the memories of his own children slowly bubbling to the surface.
He remembered sitting on the floor just like this with Brook and Robert Jr. when they were little, pulling out colouring books or sheets of paper when he had a rare moment of clarity amidst his struggles. He knew he wasn't the most present father— far from it, actually. Most days, he was too consumed by his own demons or his job, lost in a haze of alcohol or substances, numbing the pain he couldn't escape. But there were moments, brief as they were, where he'd be sober enough to be with them and be entirely present, drawing silly pictures or building lopsided Lego towers and those were the moments he clung to.
He looked down at Jee-Yun, her tiny hands still busy at work. She was completely absorbed by what she was doing and despite the bittersweet ache in his chest, he couldn't help but smile.
His time with his own kids was cut short, the memories they'd made together now being the only things he had left of them. He hadn't realised just how precious those fleeting moments were until it was too late.
But here, now, with Jee-Yun, he felt a strange sense of peace. This little girl had no idea of the weight of the memories she was stirring up for him, but that was okay. She was here, she was happy, and she was making something beautiful with him — creating yet another memory. And that was more than enough for him.
He got back to work, adding a goofy smile to the dinosaur and glanced over to Jee-Yun's work which was now an abstract but colourful array of circles, lines, and squiggles.
"I think your mommy and daddy are going to love this, Jee!" He smiles from ear to ear, laughing softly at her. He leant over to her side of the paper, briefly drawing a little sun in the corner, adding rays that extended out like squiggly fingers.
Jee-Yun giggled happily, her eyes lighting up as she added more lines to the sun with a multitude of colours, making it look even brighter. Bobby felt the warmth spread through him, a comforting glow that chased away the shadows of his past that were lingering.
This wasn't about the guilt or regret that lingered from his past mistakes; it was about the now, about making this little girl smile and creating something she could take home and be proud of.
"Look at Mr Dinosaur's garden!" He exclaimed in surprise, letting out a fake gasp.
Jee-Yun clapped her hands, clearly pleased with their work. He couldn't help but laugh, the sound rich with genuine happiness.
"How about we sign our names?" He suggested, quirking an eyebrow at her.
She nodded in response, clearly understanding what he meant.
He grabbed a purple crayon and handed it over to her which she took gently. He watched her with pride as she practically carved a concoction of scribbles onto the top of the paper which he assumed was her spelling out her name and couldn't help but laugh.
"Well done!" Bobby smiled, Jee-Yun's little hand reaching out and handing him the purple crayon.
He took it from her and gently wrote his name next to Jee-Yun's scribbles, then adding her name in brackets underneath to decipher them for Maddie and Chimney.
"All done!" Jee-Yun exclaimed happily, grinning away at Bobby once he'd finished signing his name.
After he'd finished signing, he held up the paper in his hands; displaying it to Jee-Yun with a dramatic flourish. "Ta-da!" He exclaimed, "What do you think? Should we hang it up on the fridge until your mom and dad come to get you?"
Jee-Yun nodded enthusiastically in response, clearly pleased with their creation. Bobby carefully stood himself up, his knees protesting as he did and walked over to the fridge, using a magnet to secure the drawing in place. When he turned back to Jee-Yun, she was already reaching for another crayon, ready to start another project.
"You work on another drawing for mommy and daddy whilst I fetch us a snack!" Bobby announced from the kitchen, failing at grasping Jee-Yun's attention who was already sucked into her next masterpiece.
He laughed softly, rounding the kitchen counters and about to prepare a snack for himself and Jee-Yun when his phone buzzed once again in his pocket. He stuffed his hand inside, fishing out his phone — this time Hen's name appearing on his screen. A picture of Hen, Karen, Denny and Mara all posed together flashing across his screen. He huffed out a short laugh before answering.
"Bobby, I'm so sorry to bother you but can you—"
"Bring them over." Bobby said with a chuckle, already having a sense of what was coming.
Hen let out a relieved laugh. "Thank you so much Bobby, be there in a few."
And so, Denny and Mara joined the party. Bobby wasn't sure how it happened, but one by one it seemed all the kids begun to arrive — as if they were playing some kind of odd prank on him.
Maddie called briefly, asking if he can watch over Jee-Yun a little longer; which he of course agreed to. Then of course, Eddie eventually called asking if he can watch over Christopher for a while. Before he knew it, his house was filled with laughter, toys, and the sound of rushed feet stomping around.
He didn't really have the time to question how on earth they'd all ended up with him, but despite it all — he certainly wasn't complaining. In fact, it seemed to be exactly what he needed.
He was in his element, even though he had no idea he'd end up hosting what could only be described as an impromptu day care. He got to work cooking a big batch of mac and cheese for the kids, made sure they all had drinks, and sat with them whilst they all ate together, telling stories of his fire fighter adventures and other made up ones to keep them all entertained; drawing the most adorable laughs and giggles from them all. The chaos was pure fun, and Bobby felt more alive than he had in weeks.
Thank god they were well behaved kids.
Eventually the kids all finished up their food and drinks and immediately went back to doing what kids do. They were all sat in the living room, some watching tv whilst the others coloured and played with some of Christopher's Lego's together that he'd brought with him.
He went on to play a few games of UNO with Denny and Mara, and only ended up winning one of the matches. Though, Bobby could've sworn Denny and Mara teamed up against him seeing as he'd gotten hit with an abundance of plus four cards throughout each round which made the kids giggle away to themselves at his demise. Then he spent some time with Christopher, building a random assortment of things with his Lego's until eventually the two of them paired together to build a multi-coloured fire station. Which, of course, was Christopher's idea — taking one of the Lego figures he had and naming it the Captain, who was coincidentally apparently named Christopher. Needless to say, Bobby found it adorable.
Bobby eventually got to work cleaning up the dining room where they'd all been eating, carrying a few plates piled up in his hands and shuffling them carefully onto the kitchen counter; out of reach of any idle children hands to avoid an even bigger mess — when there was a knock at the door.
Bobby once again brushed his hands clean and made a bee-line for the front door, briefly checking the time before he answered to realise that none of the parents would've been off work yet; which peaked his curiosity. He eventually approached the door and swung it open, looking up to see Buck standing there in his casual LAFD uniform with a smile on his face.
"Hey Cap!" He greeted enthusiastically, a wide smile on his face.
"Buck!" Bobby greeted with the same enthusiasm, grinning widely and stepping aside to let him in.
Buck stepped inside and within seconds of observing the scene in front of him he was looking back at Bobby, laughing softly. "You running a day care now?" He asked with a grin, looking back at the abundance of children sitting in the living room. Bobby chuckled, closing the door behind him. "Need some help?"
Bobby arched his brow in response, knowing full well that Buck's version of 'help' might be more trouble than it's worth. "Sure." He nodded, "But try not to make more work for me." He laughed softly, clapping Buck gently on the shoulder.
"Me? Never!" Buck replied with mock offense, despite the mischievous glint in his eye — already telling Bobby everything he needed to know.
"Buck!" Christopher's voice exclaimed happily upon realising he had arrived, turning himself around on the sofa to get a better view of him. That was enough to draw the other children's attention toward him, Jee-Yun's face in particular lighting up at him.
"Hey Bud!" Buck exclaims happily, quickly making his way over and giving Christopher's head an enthusiastic rub, causing him to laugh in delight.
Buck rounded the sofa, making his way to Jee-Yun who was sat on the floor scribbling away happily on some paper. "Hey Jee!" He grins from ear to ear, leaning down just enough to plant a kiss against the top of her head.
Within minutes, Buck had the kids in stitches. It didn't take long until he was running around the living room with them following quickly in tow, an impromptu game of tag breaking out amongst them that quickly turned into a full-blown playful wrestling match. Bobby couldn't help but laugh as he watched Buck dive onto the couch, pretending to be defeated by the kids as they quickly climbed on top of him with giggles and cheers and probably giving Buck a few bruises here and there from their flailing limbs. But despite it all, it truly was a wonderful sight to witness. He hadn't laughed this hard in a long time himself, it was infectious.
Turns out, having Buck there was more helpful than Bobby realised.
As the day wore on, the kids started to tire out. One by one, curled up on the couch, some drifting off to sleep as a movie played softly in the background. Then there was Buck, ever the big kid, completely exhausted and sprawled out on the floor with Jee-Yun and Mara using him as a pillow.
After some time, the door opened; Bobby turning his attention toward it to find Athena making her way inside. She stepped in and quickly stopped in her tracks, admiring the scene in front of her — a warm smile spread across her face.
"Looks like you've had a busy day." She chuckles softly, shrugging off her jacket and placing it on one of the coat hooks beside her.
"You could say that." Bobby replied, his tone soft as he watched the peaceful scene in front of him that in honesty, he'd been watching for at least twenty minutes before she arrived — just taking it all in, realising just how lucky he was. "But it was a good day."
Athena smiled wider, making her way over to him and wrapping an arm around his waist; resting her head against his shoulder. "I'm glad." She said, "They're lucky to have you."
Bobby chuckled softly, "I'm lucky to have them." He smiled, voice filled with gratitude. "And you." He turned his head toward her, planting a kiss on the top of her head.
They stood there for a while longer together, watching over the little ones who had brought so much joy into their lives over the years. Bobby knew that things were still uncertain in his life, he still needed to potentially find a job, or at least a way to get his old one back. Needed to find a new home, but in that moment, none of it mattered. He had Athena, he had his family, and for the first time in a while he truly felt like everything was going to be okay.
Eventually the evening drew close, Athena and Bobby both taking the time to clean up some of the mess from the day and catching up with each other at the dining room table; leaving the kids and Buck to sleep off their exhaustion whilst they could. It didn't take too long until the parents begun arriving one by one to pick up their kids, thanking Bobby profusely for stepping in.
When the last of them had left, it was just Bobby, Athena, and a very sleepy Buck who was still fast asleep on the living room rug with Jee-Yun curled into his side happily. It truly was an adorable sight to behold. Bobby couldn't help but snap a picture of the moment, sending it to Chimney and Maddie.
Athena shook her head gently with a laugh. "Should we wake him?"
Bobby chuckled softly, grabbing one of the blankets off the sofa that was used by one of the kids and gently draping it over Buck and Jee-Yun.
"Let him sleep, I'll make him some coffee when he wakes up." He smiled.
Athena smiled at him, always having admired just how lovely Bobby and Buck's relationship was. They truly were father and son, even if the pair of them were too stubborn to ever actually admit it to one another.
She sat herself on the sofa, Bobby soon joining her — the two of them leaning into one another comfortably. The quiet home a stark contrast to the lively chaos of earlier. Bobby couldn't help but feel a deep sense of content, a reminder that even when life took unexpected turns, there were still moments like these that he'd cherish forever.