Chapter Text
They had custody for almost three months when it happened. A cool day in June right after school finished for Robbie. It had been three months of paperwork, appointments with doctors, social workers, and lawyers, non-stop juggling mess as they tried to be settled with their new family arrangements.
Month one had brought the good news from the doctors, bring tentatively optimistic with Danny’s bloodwork and testing as another month of being in remission went by.
Month two brought the strange night Bobby and Marcy had celebrated Evan throwing a tantrum, the tiny three year old finally willing to raise his voice louder than a whisper around the adults, ending with them getting everyone ice cream.
But even as the months passed Marcy worried about her niece. The eldest Buckley was independent and generally confused about the fact she didn’t have to hover over her youngest brother. She had been wrong footed since Marcy had taken over supervising bath time and Bobby pouring over packets from the doctor trying to get Evan back on track weight wise. She was so use to being in charge, of not having any authority… problems were bound to come up.
Marcy was not panicking... too badly.
Her heart was pounding in a way she was beginning to associate with blind panic. A feeling she was very familiar with after that phone call those four months ago. She had been doing laundry, as it was a never-ending job especially now their kid count had gone up. Folding towels and waiting for the dryer to be done with some of the clothes she had taken from the kids’ room just this morning. Realizing she had more time then she expected before the clothes were dry, she had ventured away from the washer to make sure the laundry was caught up for the week. Only the second she had stepped away from the machine she realized the utter lack of sound in her house. No Brooke chattering to Evan, happy to tell the little boy all about her favorite Disney movies. No sounds of Danny and Jr at the computer chair in the office playing some of the learning games she had bought ages ago. And with a dawning realization, she couldn’t remember Maddie asking if she needed help- something she had been working on with the girl that had shouldered too much.
The TV wasn’t on.
She thought hysterically.
There was no noise.
“MADDIE?” she yelled, nearly sliding into the wall as she ran upstairs hoping-
“ROBBIE, DANIEL?!” She shouted, swinging open the door, the painted dinosaur sign swung wildly with the door banging against the wood like a final count.
“BROOKE, EVAN?”
But their room was empty to.
She slammed every door open.
The bathroom- empty.
The master bedroom- empty.
Each children’s room- empty.
Kitchen, living room, back yard.
All empty.
The air couldn’t get into her lungs. Her chest heaved. Shaking she scrambled for the house phone.
A polite and kind voice sounded over the receiver.
‘9-1-1 what’s your emergency?’
~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~
“Thank you,” Maddie said, nodding politely to the librarian, clutching the new library card in her hand.
The librarian smiled, looking behind Maddie. She wasn’t sure what the librarian thought, she wasn’t sure she wanted to know. In Hershey, she had been on first name bases with the entire library staff. They had always been kind to her, giving her shelter when her parents would spend days in the hospital and leave Maddie and Evan behind. Evan had learned to walk in that library.
Now she stood with more than Evan in her arms. Danny was besides her, peering at the colorful flyers advertising the programs for the summer months, his beanie still snug on his head. Robbie was already walking away, heading deeper into the library and leading his sister and Evan towards a colorful art display of a giant tree where Maddie could only guess the children’s area resided around.
She trailed behind them, waiting just long enough to see the three youngest sit down with books- Evan plopping straight on the ground without a care, while Robbie and Brooke took the seats decorated like giant blocks. Danny had already gone to the wall of middle school books, grabbing a copy of the Narnia book she had been reading to him before they left.
“I’m going to be over there,” she said, pointing to just out of the kids section. Waiting for a response, she took off, already setting out to see if this library had the fourth book in the series unlike Hershey. Making a pleased noise when she did find it, she made the way back towards the others and sat down to wait for them to pick out books.
“We’ll get them all on my card,” she told Brooke, “And when their due, we’ll come back. That’s how libraries work.”
~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~
It is a firefighter’s worst nightmare to be called to their own address. So when Captain Stewart levels him with a serious but concerned look Bobby already knows something is wrong. His heart was beating quickly and Bobby could already feel the adrenaline pumping through his veins. Pulling up to his house, he doesn’t wait, throwing himself across O’Malley and Richardson’s laps to fall onto the road and sprint up his driveway. There was already half a dozen cop cars. There is no smoke so and cops are heading in so there is no fire- but it doesn’t mean anything.
“Marcy!” he shouts, shoulder checking an officer to get to the kitchen. Marcy was leaning against the counter, eyes red and tears rolling down her cheeks.
“The kids? Who’s hurt?”
“I can’t find them!” she sobbed, throwing herself into his arms and clutching at his jacket. “I was just doing laundry and when I came to out to start lunch everything was silent!”
He barely acknowledged his team coming in, heads pulling together to start a search with the police probably. Bobby couldn’t look at them, stead he pulled Marcy close and looked at the police officer, Bobby knew him, had worked a couple different accidents with him before but to see the solemn face- a first responders victim face- plastered on his features made Bobby want to break.
“Please John, say you have something.”
“I just sent a squad car off to the Park, we have a few driving around the surrounding neighborhood, and we got K9 units on the way. We’ll find them.” He assured.
You’re not supposed to promise anything. Bobby’s brain supplied, unhelpfully. What if Margaret and Phillip came for her kids? Would she even do that? Who else would take them though? Give Marcy and him a taste of what they were going through. Dear god, what would they do to the children?
“It’s all of them,” he continued, “So we don’t think foul play or anything. But if you know anyone in the area-“
“I already called Father Peters and called some of the neighbors.” Marcy said, sniffling, “They’ll keep an eye out.”
“That’s a good start.” John assured.
~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~
Maddie flipped the page, waiting for tiny hands to slowly go across the words before speaking.
“I do not like them in a house. I do not like them with a mouse.” She read slowly, looking up to catch Danny smirking at her in amusement.
Their little corner of the children’s area had gotten guest, after the first Dr. Seuss book she read to Brook and Evan. Now she had four other toddlers sitting crisscrossed in front of her staring with rapid attention. Amused parents milled about, cooing or chattering quietly between each other.
She was so caught up with reading the story book, she hadn’t done anything but move her arms up to let Brook sit on her lap tiny fingers trailing across the words as she spoke. Evan had moved back, leaning against Robbie and taking the toy car from a small toy chest they had bull of blocks and Duplo Legos and cars. Evan would look up every time she’s turn the book around to show the pictures before his head would drop back down to the car, making whispered vroom sounds as he rolled it around. So, she didn’t notice the police office come into the library, or the worried looks shot between parents when the librarian led the officer over to the children’s area.
“I would not eat green eggs and ham. I do not like them, Sam-I-am.”
Looking up Maddie couldn’t help the way her voice trailed off, tilting her head to meet the officers eyes.
“Sorry to interrupt.” He spoke, his voice deeper then Maddie thought it should be, he didn’t look that much older than her- he looked like one of the high schoolers that tutored Danny while he was in the hospital for volunteer work.
“Maddie Buckley, do you mind stepping over here?” he requested, gesturing to just outside of the children’s area.
Setting the book down, Maddie picked brook up and moved her to the boys, whispering a stay here before ducking through the parents.
“NO!” Evan screamed, jumping up and grabbing her hand, pulling with all his might. Big fat tears rolled down chubby cheeks as a sob built up, “Can’t ‘rrest Maddie!” he sobbed.
“You arresting Maddie?!” Robbie shouted, standing up and nearly toppling his sister over.
Danny looked around wildly, scrambling to stand up and reach them.
“I’m- no-“ the police officer stumbled, waving his hands. “No one is arrested.”
“No take Maddie!” Evan screamed.
Shooting the officer a grimace, Maddie knelt down, getting Evan to let go of her hand just long enough for him to throw his arm around her, shoving a snotty face into her neck.
“It’s okay.” She soothed, rubbing his back with practice ease as she stood up, taking his weight easily.
Danny was by her side then, gluing himself to her left, eyes wide as they darted around.
“No one is getting arrested.” The officer repeated, looking at Danny like he could calm the situation.
“If you ‘rrest Maddie, I’ll call my daddy.” Brook declared, as her and Robbie moved to stand next to them.
“Alright, you know what. Just stay in the library.” He said, waiting for Maddie’s nod before he took his radio off his shoulder with a muttered thing about not having kids.
~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~
“Mommy, that man tried to ‘rrest Maddie.” Brook tattled the second Marcy ran through the library’s front doors, Bobby half a step behind her,
Brook stood protectively in front of the older girl, pointing an accusing fingers at the young officer who looked put-upon with a small frown. Maddie was shifting foot to foot, looking nervously at them with a red bitten bottom lip, Evan head tucked into her shoulder and small snuffling snores coming from the three year old. Danny was holding onto Robbie’s hand, looking like he wanted to hide.
“I wasn’t- “ he tried, holding his hands up in surrender.
Marcy didn’t care, scooping Brook and Robbie up in her arms and hugging them close, she reached out beckoning Danny and Maddie to come into the hug. Her eyes darting between faces, rubbing the tear stains off of Danny’s cheek and gently patting Evan’s back. Bobby joining them a second latter, encompassing the children between their protective arms. An arm around Maddie’s back and a leg pushed into Marcy’s side.
“I was so worried.” She whispered, looking up into the brown eyes of her niece. She could see the confusion and uncertainty dancing in them.
“I’m sorry,” she muttered after a moment, red bleeding in her cheeks, “You were busy, so I thought – mom would always send us out of the house on cleaning days.” She said meekly.
“That’s, oh Maddie. “ Marcy looked to Bobby, “it’s- you’re not in trouble.” She settled on, “But you have to tell us where you are, I was so worried.”
“I’m sorry, no one’s cared before... is it because I have Danny with me?”
“No baby, I was worried about all of you. I didn’t know where you were and fi you got hurt.”
“I-I’m sorry.”
“Hey,” Bobby whispered, tugging the nearly 14 year old to his side and hugging her close, “You’re okay. We’ll set some ground rules, later, but for now, let’s get everyone home.” Releasing her, he helped Marcy up and took Robbie from her arms.
That night the biggest piece of yellow construction paper Robbie had was put in the kitchen.
Nash Family Rules
Always let someone know where you are.
Was the first thing listed.