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The silence was deafening. But Bobby didn’t mind it even a bit.
The end of a daily shift. A long and tiring one, that kind of a shift, when fatigue seeped into the very bones and remained there, forcing the body to resist the mind. Bobby blinked a couple of times and ran a hand over his face, surprised how he hadn't noticed the moment when his captain's office got filled with the morning sun. His gaze once again ran over the folders on his desk, some of them were completed, others he still had to work on. Reports were a routine part of the job, but he still did them with a deep sigh.
Especially on days like these. The heaviness in his limbs was wearying, but pleasant, because it reminded him of who he was and what job he did. Fire captain. It was a lot, and Bobby loved it. All the weight of responsibility, high risk and the constant danger.
This was his life. This was him.
His gaze catches the digital clock on his desk. It's almost eleven, his shift ended a couple of hours ago, but he's still working. This fact makes him push the urge to rest away and return to filling out reports.
11:24 am. Bobby lets a satisfied smile spread across his face as all the necessary work is finally done. He leans back in his chair, running his hands over the back of his head. He really wouldn’t mind a hot shower, but not here, not at the firehouse. Back at home.
Athena smiles warmly at him from the photo frame on his desk. He has several photos in his office: his team, a ceremonial awards ceremony for his colleagues. But there are others, unrelated to 118.
His family. Three people who formed his own safe small world in the midst of a restless fire.
He reaches out to touch the wooden edge of the frame that captures one of the happiest moments of his life.
The birth of their daughter. In the photo, Athena is on the couch in their living room with their baby son on her lap, and he is holding two-week-old Mia next to her. Bobby's heart swells at the thought of the memory. It seems like an eternity ago, and yet he has returned to that day countless times.
His phone vibrates on the table, causing the man to sit up straight and pick it up. He sees the caller's name and can't help but grin.
"Bobby, did you get a call from Mrs. Allen?"
Oh. And this is instead of “Hello”. Bobby immediately tenses up.
"No, should I? Is something wrong, Athena?"
Mrs. Allen was a teacher of his boy - Samuel. Bobby knew she wouldn't bother him unnecessarily, and Sam had been so exemplary in the last few months that he and Athena had forgotten they had any reason to worry.
"He skipped his classes." He hears a sigh on the other end of the line and waits for further explanation. Sam was a quiet and collected child, responsible and thoughtful. The boy had not been a problem since the first days of his life, and, growing up, he only continued to make his parents happier. Yes, Bobby knew that sometimes there were outbursts of anger from emotions and feelings, accumulated inside, but these were single episodes, and he and Athena made every effort to teach him not to store all this inside. But it seems they did a poor job of it.
Although why was Bobby surprised? The captain himself was closed and cautious, and his wife, a sergeant, had difficulty letting anyone into her heart and mind. They had been through fire and water before establishing what they had now. Trust did not combine with their inability to share thoughts out loud on certain issues, but now all that was behind them.
"Bobby, I think he will come to you. Are you sure Sam isn't hiding somewhere in the unit?"
"My men would tell me, but I'll check myself. Why are you so sure about it?" he asked, already getting up from his chair.
Another sigh from the other side. Bobby could feel her irritation through the phone. "Well, that's what he did last time, remember?"
"Athena, it's been four years. He could have gone to the Wilsons' house..."
Bobby paused. The door to his office opened and Chimney appeared in front of him, wearing civilian clothes and carrying a bag over his shoulder. He hadn't expected anyone on his shift to be staying late with him, so he stared at the newcomer in surprise.
Chim was fiddling with the handle of his bag, looking like he wanted to apologize about something.
"Athena, I'll call you back. Text me if you hear anything. I love you."
"Hey, hey, wait! Bobby?" She waited until he made an affirmative sound. "There's something else this time. Sam got into a fight and it seems like he started it."
Oh. That changed everything.
Sam had never been a bully before. He wasn't a problem child at all, and you couldn't call him hot-tempered. Samuel always kept quiet, keeping all his problems to himself until they got out of hand. Something out of the ordinary must have happened and Bobby was starting to actually worry.
"I get it," he met Eddie's eyes, who seemed to visibly shrink under his gaze. "Call me back, love you."
"Yeah, I love you too."
She hung up. The captain walked around his subordinate, his hand on his shoulder. He was talking as he walked. "Listen, Chim, Samuel skipped his classes and I need to..."
"Cap, here’s the thing… I’m afraid we’ve already found Sam."
Bobby stopped, turning to face the fireman. He could feel his muscles tingling from the strain. Emotions had literally exploded inside him, breaking like an avalanche. He was no longer sleepy, his back did not hurt, and his legs did not hum. Sam had skipped classes several times: because of an annoying classmate, when he desperately did not want to complain to the teacher - he hated tattle-talking - but he had no strength left to keep calm; because of an unfinished art project, when he simply went into the school yard and hid there so well that the parents were called to come to school; or just left with the company of other kids instead of history club. But all this was harmless, not dangerous, and although he and Athena were unhappy about this fact, they could at least cope with it.
But now there was something else. A variable that changed everything.
Sam got into a fight with someone. He hit first .
The kid who would rather leave school than be bullied had hit someone. And Bobby wasn't okay with it. He knew his son, he knew there was probably something else they didn't know that had been the catalyst.
"What are you talking about?"
"Cap..." the fireman looked past the captain. Bobby turned, seeing his own child at the foot of the ladder, and a second later he was kneeling in front of him. Chim let out a breath, watching from a distance as his captain checked the boy for any visible injuries. He was fine, apart from a small scrape on his right arm – one the paramedic had decided not to treat just yet, thinking it best to go to the captain first.
Bobby had been his captain for five years, and in that time, they’d become good friends – family, even. The weight of Captain Gerrard’s reign had given way to Bobby’s fair yet unyielding leadership. He’d set his own rules from day one, shaping the station into something special. Five years was a long stretch; Chim had been there well before Bobby, but with him… it had become more than just a job.
Chimney stood aside for a while longer and, catching Sam's eye as he walked up the stairs after Bobby, winked at him. Samuel gave him an uncertain smile in return.
"Is this okay? You sure it's not too tight?" Bobby asks worriedly, finishing bandaging the boy's arm.
"It's okay, Dad," Sam waves his hand impatiently, he never liked the extra attention. It's just... It's not for him. Not now either. He was fine, his dad should have told him something about the real problem by now. Yell at him, lecture him, or just give him his own verdict. Why was he taking so long? Sam was sure his mom was going to kill him for what happened, but his dad was just bandaging his arm.
Bobby took a patient breath, glancing at his son as he put the emergency kit back in place. He looked at his watch. His team had left for the call seven minutes ago, he had sent a quick text to Athena six minutes ago. He knew she would be here, using her lunch break, and he wanted to wait until she got here because he had no idea how to have this conversation with a child.
He always hated these conversations with his children. The ones where he had to be stern and unyielding instead of sweet and caring. Now that the kid was in front of him and okay, Bobby was honestly just disappointed. And tired. So much tired.
"Don't you have to go to the fire?" Sam asked as his father put the contents of the first aid kit away. The firehouse had become empty and incredibly quiet, and in the silence the boy began to feel a knot of guilt twisting in his stomach.
"No, my shift was over, I should have been home by now," Bobby explained halfheartedly, which meant he was unhappy. The boy's mind immediately began to wonder: "Is it because of me that you are still here?"
Bobby looked the child over. It was amazing, even if he didn't know the boy, he would have known that Samuel was his kid. Sam had identical hazel eyes, the same shape of face, a nose similar to Bobby's, full lips like his mother’s, light brown skin, like bronze, and slightly curly hair. Bobby doted on this young boy. And now he looked at him and felt a strange mixture of emotions: excitement left behind a nasty taste of injustice, disappointment seeped into his muscles and general fatigue gave a feeling of helplessness. Bobby was not angry, he wanted to understand what had happened, but it seemed he was too exhausted to conduct an interrogation.
"No. No, not because of you," he shook his head. "I stayed because I had work to do," Bobby said, sitting up straight, looking at Sam. "And then I was going to go home, take a breather from my 24-hour shift, and go pick you and Mia up at school."
Sam hung his head guiltily, as if there was something very interesting about his shoes.
"So..." Bobby raised an eyebrow. "You want to tell me what happened?" Samuel didn't answer, so the man continued, "Okay. Your mom should be here soon. We can wait for her..."
"Why?" Sam interrupted, sounding defensive. "There's nothing to discuss, I just hit him!"
Jesus... Bobby took a deep breath. If his child continued like this, the captain's famously endless patience would evaporate as quickly as water from a boiling kettle. Sam knew he could only postpone the conversation, but not avoid it. They would discuss it anyway, there was no other solution. This was not his whim, but an inescapable rule that he and Athena had established before he was born.
"I'm sure there was something else. You wouldn't hit him without any reason, am I right?" he remarked softly, watching Sam fidget with the hem of his sweater.
"I don't want to talk about it! Why can't we just...," the kid demanded before he got interrupted.
" Samuel Wade Nash! " Athena's sergeant's voice boomed through the deserted firehouse. "You don't have to snap at your father when he's being friendly, even though you were the one who started the fight and skipped your classes."
Bobby turned at the sound of her voice, and the weight of every emotion he'd experienced in the last twenty-four hours lifted off his shoulders. Athena had only started her shift a few hours ago, and she wasn't as exhausted as he was. She walked toward them, her whole posture and demeanor indicating that she was displeased. Bobby's eyes fell on her hips, her duty belt, the way her uniform fit perfectly. Well, his wife was a police sergeant, and Bobby had to get used to that idea, but he admired her every time he saw her on duty.
Athena approached them, glancing at the neatly bandaged arm and then at Bobby, who gave her a quick nod and a look that spoke for itself. He was glad to see her, that he wasn't left alone to clean up the mess.
"Sorry, Dad," Samuel muttered. The woman shot him a stern look, but Bobby merely patted him on the shoulder. "Let's sit down. I think we should all sit down," the man suggested, leading his wife and son to the dining room table.
Samuel remained silent, stubbornly not looking at either parent. Athena was the first to break down. "I know you're angry, but that doesn't mean you should take it out on us," she said, overcoming her internal battle of emotions. "Tell us."
"I'm not angry," he objected, sitting up straighter.
"Don't lie to me. Because I see a very angry little boy." Athena raised her eyebrow. She reached out to Sam, placing a hand on his shoulder. The boy met her gaze, very much like the look Bobby gave her when he was on edge. "Can you finally tell us what happened today?"
The man frowned as he watched Samuel sit up more comfortably, clearly searching for the right words. His mother's hand was still rubbing soft circles on his back. Somewhere in the back of his mind, Bobby smiled secretly, letting out a breath.
"Joy was being a jerk!" came out louder than he'd intended. "Sorry..." he quickly added, facing a focused Athena and a surprised Bobby. The swearing taboo in their house was mostly for his sister Mia.
"Go on, please" the sergeant asked as gently as she could. "What exactly did Joy do?"
"He was picking on Aria," Sam rolled his eyes, as if the mere memory of it made him despise her. "She was just like she always was. Walking around giving everyone instructions, talking about the new art club... She was just being Aria, you know?"
Sam glanced at them, looking for understanding. Athena nodded, forcing herself not to roll her eyes at the phrase "was just being Aria." As far as she remembered, Aria Walter was the daughter of doctors: her father was a leading traumatologist, and Athena and Bobby crossed paths with him one way or another, Athena more often. But despite the fact that Mr. Walter was a cheerful and easy-going man, and Mrs. Walter was a warm-hearted woman, the head of the obstetrics and gynecology department, Aria herself was an unbearable child in the generally accepted sense. She was diligent and smart, clearly making progress in her studies, but her excessive love for rules and their observance drove you crazy.
For every action Aria had a rule . And if you suddenly asked: "What difference does it make?", then Aria arrogantly lifted her chin, answering: "Because it's right." Oh, Athena had spent enough time at school meetings to get to know this nine-year-old auditor well. And now she had to listen to a story about how her son had started a fight over a little upstart?
Athena looked at Bobby for support.
"What did Joy do?" he asked for her.
"He started doing impressions of her and he did them really awful! She got upset, I noticed, but she asked Joy to stop and he didn't and I... I... I got so mad, Dad!" Sam looked unsure, like he'd lost faith that his parents would understand him. That anyone would understand him.
What was happening to him was... strange. Very strange. Sam had no idea why he had snapped at Joy, who was his best friend. Samuel had no sympathy for people like Aria, and he tried to avoid and ignore her, so she would bother him less. And then...
"You hit Joy for bullying Aria," Bobby summed up, hearing a loud sigh from the sergeant, who already looked irritated at her son's mere mention of the girl.
"I didn't mean to. Really! It just happened...", Sam tried to explain. Bobby, looking at his son's torment, couldn't hold back the pride rising in his throat. He understood first, maybe even before Athena, who was throwing him a murderous look for the smile on his face that Bobby was trying to hide.
The puzzle came together in the captain's head when he looked at his wife and son. Samuel didn't just fight for no reason and nothing terrible happened either. Sam was defending a girl, to whom, as Bobby knew, he had no sympathy. But believing the words of a guy when he says that he definitely doesn't like someone is a rotten thing.
For Bobby, it was as clear as day.
His son was in love.
For the first time.
And it would have been the most exciting and beautiful moment in their family life, if Sam had come to him and Athena and asked for more pocket money to buy flowers for the girl. But everything happened differently. His child did not understand that the desire to protect is closely connected with something more. Just like the desire to avoid, because you are afraid to get close, but still watch and see everything that concerns that one, special one. Sam acted impulsively, quickly, giving in to emotions and the instinct of a protector, and Bobby could not help but smile at this, because his son did not just fight, but protected someone. A girl.
"Samuel, are you sure Aria wasn't acting worse than usual? Maybe it was her fault and Joy was just...", Bobby ignored his wife's gaze, taking her hand, silently asking her to wait. He wanted to make sure.
"What? Dad, no! I told you, you're not listening! It's not Aria's fault, she didn't do anything!" Sam leaned forward, waving his arms, as he only did when he wanted his parents to believe him.
Bobby grinned, turning to Athena, who had finally figured it out too, letting out a quiet "oh" as she glanced at her husband. No further confirmation was needed. Maybe Samuel himself didn't understand what it was yet, but they certainly did.
Sam noticed the change in his parents, his eyes darting from one to the other. "Why aren't you talking?" the boy asked impatiently, drawing attention to himself.
Athena pursed her lips, looking at her son. Her quiet, modest boy... So many things had slipped her mind while she was too excited and scared to see such bold signs. The way he fidgeted in his chair, the way his eyes changed when he mentioned Aria, the way he didn't say "hit" out loud, as if he didn't believe he was capable of such a thing. And then a lot of other little things slipped into the sergeant's consciousness and she just shook her head, amazed at her own inattention.
Sam often preferred to simply not communicate with those he didn't like, always stopped attempts to get to know him, but... He didn't avoid Aria, he just didn't impose himself. Athena remembered all those times when he did a group project with Ms. Walter and she was always sure that the pairs were distributed randomly, but before Samuel took projects only with his friends. Oh, how could she have missed that. Under her nose, her son fell in love with someone, and she didn't even notice.
Maybe it was right. Because now Athena's heart was fluttering, once again filling with boundless love for this boy. She reached out, stroking his hair, feeling strangely nervous about what was happening. The sergeant allowed herself another smile, which she immediately hid by biting her lip. Her son was an absolute copy of his father, and this fact touched Athena once again now that she looked at him differently.
She and Bobby were used to the fast pace of their lives. A family of first responders. Long shifts, 24-hour shifts. Fire, crime, negligence, stupidity. Two kids. The whirlwind of events in their lives was so rapid that they adapted to it, got used to it. Constant change was the norm. Diapers, pacifiers and bottles were replaced by backpacks, coloring books, textbooks.
Time flowed, it passed, and the kids grew up.
Athena saw for the first time how much her child had grown, how aware and mature he was, no longer so needy of both of them. Of course, nine years was not a tragedy. But not when the memory of the little baby that had been placed in her arms was so fresh in her mind...
The realization hit her.
"We got you, baby," Bobby said softly, reaching out to Sam.
Athena joined them and they hugged each other, the three of them. Samuel rested his head on Bobby's shoulder, holding tightly to Athena's neck. "We understood you even if you didn't," Athena said quietly, holding her son closer for a moment before letting go.
"You were protecting a lady and it was chivalrous, but that doesn't change the fact that you probably offended Joy and you hit him." Bobby said seriously, leaving his hand on the boy's shoulder. Samuel nodded. "Next time, try to resolve the conflict with words, like we always discussed."
"Or you could go to Mrs. Allen and she'll find a solution to Aria and Joy's disagreement," Athena added, gently placing her hand on Sam's bandaged arm. "You did a noble, but stupid thing. You shouldn't settle other people's conflicts with your fists. You could have supported Aria afterward if you were worried."
"I wasn't...," the boy began, but stopped short when his eyes met the very knowing faces of his parents. Sam instantly felt embarrassed, freed from their touch. His mother had said out loud what he had been afraid of, because he hadn't known. He quickly changed the subject. "Do you think Joy will forgive me?"
Bobby and Athena exchanged glances.
"You can call him when school is over. But I think Joy will understand if you tell him why you did it," Bobby said, and Athena added, "You've been friends for a long time, this isn't a thing that will ruin everything." Sam nodded, clearly reassured by their words and their plan of action. After all, Joy was his best friend, and he didn't want to lose a friend like him. Even if he was a jerk sometimes. "Thank you," he said quietly, looking at his shoes.
"Uh-huh, but you still don't have a PlayStation for the next week. And no extra sweet treat," Athena said sternly, kneeing Bobby under the table when he giggled. Sam instantly looked ashamed again, but said nothing.
"Why don't you do your homework, since your classes are over for today. In my office?" Bobby suggested, standing up from his seat. He picked up the blue backpack, handing it to the kid. Athena kissed the top of his head goodbye, and he patted his son on the shoulder.
"Bye, Mom! Have an easy shift!" Samuel called out as he left, earning a warm smile from his mother. Athena watched him go, momentarily forgetting that she was still at work and that she was still a sergeant. She was just Athena, a wife and mother, thinking about how Mia always wished her luck and gave her lucky charms, and how Sam relied on common sense and a little luck.
She stared at where her son had just been for a second. Athena shook her head as Bobby's strong hand landed on her back.
"When did this happen?"
"What exactly? When did our son fall in love or when did we realize it?" the captain asked humorously, turning his chair to sit across from the sergeant.
"No, when did he grow up to fall in love?"
Dark brown eyes met hazel ones, hands instantly finding each other, intertwining their fingers. Athena reached her other hand to his face, gently stroking his cheekbone with her thumb. Bobby felt himself relaxing under her touch.
"I love you," she said suddenly, examining his features as if seeing them for the first time. "I just felt like I should say it again... Sam is so much like you and..."
"You weren't prepared for his first crush to happen so early," the captain finished understandingly, placing his palm over hers. "Childhood crushes are the most innocent, the brightest... Don't take them seriously."
"Oh, and you think I've already made plans?"
"I think you don't like Aria. You looked like you just swallowed a frog," Bobby tried to joke gently, pressing her hand to his chest. "What did worry you about her?"
"Besides being an upstart?" she raised an eyebrow. Athena lowered her head with a sigh. This man knew her inside and out, there was no point in pretending. She was about to continue speaking when she felt his chest shake under her palm. "Why are you laughing, Bobby?"
"Nothing," he said through a smile, giving her an adoring look. "You just called a nine-year-old an upstart." She slapped his chest, rolling her eyes. "What? Athena, our son is nine, and you're already unhappy with his choice."
"Well... He's not going to marry her," she shrugged, not looking the least bit exposed. "I'll get over this childish affection. What did you say? The most innocent? I hope you remember your words when that little monster is teaching you in your own home."
Bobby continued to smile as he listened to his wife's thoughts. She was so lovely. Beautiful in the afternoon sunlight, bright, alive, full of energy to serve this city. He exhaled, letting his physical fatigue take over. His thoughts wandered from sleep to immediate plans. Mia still needed to be picked up from classes, and he knew that this conversation with Sam would not be the last.
"What are you thinking about?" Athena's voice was warm and rich, breaking his trance. He hadn't noticed how he relaxed in his chair, leaning back, how his wife had climbed into his lap, her hands in his hair, massaging his scalp.
"Everything and nothing at once. It's been a long shift, you know." He glanced at the woman, at the way she towered over him. The sergeant's watchful eyes scanned him. "Are you sure you're okay?"
"I'm sure. It's all you. You lull me to sleep just with your presence," his arms tightened around her waist as he found the strength to rise from his seat. They were standing now, she still in his arms. Her arms wrapped around his neck.
"Now I'm the one causing this mess?"
"If I'm the mess, then you'll always be the one causing it, sergeant," she laughed at his statement, and he gave her a smile so charming that Athena swore she fell even more in love with the man.
She pulled him closer, feeling his big, strong hands on her waist. The kiss was warm and relaxing, so much so that Bobby wasn't sure he didn’t melt in her arms. They pulled apart as her radio came to life, reporting on the riots in the streets. And now the endless chaos was here again, with them, inside all this routine.
Athena stroked his shoulder, his collarbone, his chest. And then she gave him another kiss, a sharper one, to remind him how much she loved him. She bit his bottom lip before pulling away.
"I love you," she said again, and now instead of the tenderness in her eyes, Bobby saw a fire and a readiness to return to work. "Text me when you're home."
"Of course," he squeezed her hand in his one last time. "Home safe."
"Home safe."
Bobby watched her go. Her hips swayed from side to side, and he will be damned if it wasn't the best thing in the world. He smirked, setting chairs back upright and heading for the stairs. Put the papers in folders, and the folders in files, get in the car with Samuel, check that he is buckled up, get home...
A dull ache ran through his back as he thought about it. But Bobby didn't regret it.
He loved it. Jesus, how he loved it.