The 126 had just gotten back from a series of calls, they'd been gone for a few hours and the team was ready for a well-deserved break and/or nap. TK kneeled down next to Buttercup when the dog emerged from behind the couch.
"Hey buddy." TK crooned.
Buttercup panted happily, pushing his head into TK's hand enjoying the contact.
"Uh, TK." Paul called.
TK groaned, leaning his head against Buttercup's back. He just wanted to sleep.
"What Paul?" He asked.
"TK can you come in here please?" Paul asked.
TK groaned again but stood and walked into the sitting room. Paul was standing by the couch. When he saw TK he only pointed to the couch with his eyebrows raised.
"Paul," TK said walking over to his colleague. "What do you nee-"
TK stopped talking when he looked down at the couch and saw Bailey curled up asleep hugging one of the throw pillows.
"What is she doing here?" He muttered.
TK reached over the back of the couch and shook Bailey's shoulder. She started awake.
"Hey, hey you're okay." TK assured her.
Bailey turned over to look up at him and he saw that her eyes were red and puffy as though she'd been crying.
"TK?" She whispered, her voice broken and scratchy as tears started to fall down her cheeks again.
TK didn't know what to do as Bailey cried.
"Bailey what's going on?" TK asked.
"W-we-we're m-mo-v-ving away." Bailey arched out, her words wavering as she hiccupped through them.
"What? Where?" TK asked.
"El Paso." She sobbed pushing herself up and TK wrapped his arms tight around her.
TK looked at Paul, his eyes wide. This couldn't be happening.
Bailey was sitting with Marjan and Owen in the living room while TK had gone up to his dad's office to call Carlos.
"They can't just move her across the state, Carlos. This can't be happening." TK said, Carlos on the other end of the line.
"They can if that's what they want to do." Carlos said.
TK groaned, pacing back and forth.
"She's lived her whole life in Austin, Carlos. There's got to be something that can be done." He said.
Carlos grew quiet for a moment. Their foster application was in but it could still be weeks before they even get approved for a home visit, let alone approved to take in a foster.
"Carlos?" TK asked.
"Let me make a couple of calls, find out what I can and I'll come by the station in a bit okay?" Carlos said. "She's there right now?"
"Yeah she's here. She's pretty upset Carlos. Marjan and my dad are down there with her now. I don't know how long she's been here but she fell asleep crying and when I woke her up she started crying almost immediately." TK said.
Carlos sighed.
"God, that girl's been through hell," He muttered. "I'll see what I can do."
"Thanks babe, I'll see you later." TK said.
"I love you." Carlos said.
Even with his emotions running high those words still brought a smile to TK's face.
"I love you too." He replied.
TK walked out of his dad's office and down the stairs to the kitchen. Bailey sat up straighter when she saw him. TK walked straight over and pulled the teen against him.
"We're gonna do everything we can to keep you here, I promise." He whispered.
"I don't wanna go." Bailey cried.
"I know you don't Bails," TK said. "I know you don't."
Bailey almost seemed to be in a haze. She was laying on the couch, her arms wrapped around a pillow and her head on TK's leg. He slowly ran his fingers through her hair, hoping to soothe the girl to sleep though he hadn't been very successful.
"Hello?" TK heard Carlos' voice and he twisted his head around to see his boyfriend turning the corner into the kitchen before making his way over to the couch.
"Hey babe." TK said quietly, smiling half-heartedly.
"Can I talk to you for a minute?" Carlos asked.
TK nodded and looked at Bailey for a moment before easing her head off of his lap and replacing it with a pillow. He kneeled in front of her and though she was still in a bit of a haze, she met his eye.
"I'll be right back. My dad is in the kitchen and Mateo and Judd are playing foosball behind you, okay?" He said.
Bailey nodded but stayed silent. TK stood and he and Carlos walked up the stairs to his dad's office. For the second time that day TK found himself sitting on the edge of his dad's desk, running his hands through his hair. He looked at Carlos and bit the inside of his cheek.
"So what did you find out?" He asked.
One look and TK didn't need him to say anything, Carlos' face told the whole story.
"No," TK said, pushing himself up and walking to the back of the room. "No."
Carlos sighed and turned as TK walked passed him.
"TK, it's done, the Hubbards are moving to El Paso to be closer to family, our application hasn't been approved yet, and there's nobody in Austin who is willing to take her because of her condition." Carlos said.
TK leaned against the wall in his dad's office.
"That can't be the way things happen. The foster family wants to move so Bailey has to up and move with them?" He said.
"I know but nobody else can take her." Carlos said.
TK hit the wall hard with his fist.
"Hey, hey," Carlos said, stepping in front of TK so that he wouldn't hit the wall again. He expected TK to be mad but he also saw sadness in his eyes. "I know you've gotten attached to her."
TK nodded and laid his head against Carlos' shoulder.
"She's so upset Carlos, you should have seen her when I woke her up. She's been moved so many times and I can't see her go through more than she already has Carlos, I can't." TK said.
Carlos held TK close, running a soothing hand up and down his back.
"There's gotta be something we can do," TK said. "Can't you do an emergency foster or something?"
Carlos shook his head.
"No, this is something that I can just pull my badge on and fix," He said. "This will require something that I only do for a select few situations."
TK looked at Carlos and furrowed his brow.
"What do you mean?" He asked.
"We're gonna have to fight which I expected. But there's probably also going to be some begging involved." Carlos said.
TK nodded.
"I'll do what it takes. I'm not letting them move her away, Carlos." He said.
"Me neither," Carlos said, wrapping his arms around TK tightly. "Me neither."