Warning: near the end of the chapter is mention of knife violence and blood.
He sat down on the bed and wrapped his arms more securely around Lily in his lap, hugging her to him; and caught his bottom lip between his teeth as he watched Eddie and Bobby carry in luggage; Maddie was right behind them with the portable playpen; leaning it against the dresser before she turned her attention to the others in the room. Eddie had sat the bags he was carrying down before sitting down next to Evan and wrapping his arm around the blond's waist; his free hand scratching through Lily's blonde curls.
It had been three days since the break-in of his apartment; three days since learning Doug was in Los Angeles; three days of getting a bouquet of flowers delivered daily to wherever Evan was staying. The first night Eddie found them sitting on the porch the following morning; and again the morning after that. They had then gone to a hotel for the third night since the break-in - and Evan had answered the door for their room service to find them sitting at the door with nobody in the hall.
Finding his apartment the way they had that night almost had Evan running again. He didn't remember leaving his neighbor's apartment in the middle of the chaos of police and the 118; didn't remember making it halfway down the street before Bobby was grabbing his arm and turning him back towards the apartment; didn't remember Eddie wrapping him in his arms and not letting go until Athena told them they could go.
He did remember the panic attack; the fear of needing to run; the tears; the hushed words of needing to leave; needing to protect Eddie and Christopher and Lily and the rest of them. He was going to run; he was going to leave Lily behind with Eddie; knew she would be safe away from him. Doug wanted him, didn't care for the child that wasn't his. He remembered Eddie saying if he ran - they all ran. He remembered Maddie stepping up and murmuring the same; then Bobby; and Hen; Howard; and finally - Athena.
Eddie had collected what he could from the apartment after the police were done taking statements and pictures of the destruction - security footage from the cameras Evan has installed himself after moving in had only provided a man in all black with his hood hiding his face breaking in and destroying everything - packing it all into his truck where Christopher and Lily were already buckled in and being watched by Bobby. Eddie then ushered Evan into the passenger seat, buckling the younger man in himself. After a quick word from Bobby and Athena, Eddie was in the truck and turning them towards his house.
That night - and the next - had Evan keeping Lily and Christopher in the room with them; in the bed with them. It was a snug fit for Eddie's bed with two fully grown men (both over six foot), an eight year old and an almost one year old - but Eddie made sure it worked for them because Evan was on edge. Even after they had gotten into the house and Evan had quadruple checked all the windows and doors were locked - and the alarm system that Eddie had installed when he and Evan started dating all those months ago to make the younger man feel safer was set - Eddie knew he was going to do whatever he could to prove to Evan that they were safe.
The police car outside only helped a little - but not in catching the bouquets being delivered.
Neither of them said a word when Eddie had pulled the baseball bat out of the back of his closet and set it against his nightstand within reach - but the chaste kiss that Evan gave him as they settled into bed - with Christopher and Lily between them - told him the younger man appreciated the idea.
When they had gone to stay at the hotel that third night Eddie kept the baseball bat with them, kept it within reach. And when the flowers showed up at the hotel room the next morning Eddie had to physically sit in front of the door to keep Evan in the room while they waited for Athena and Bobby to show up; they had been followed by Maddie.
Bobby and Maddie had instantly packed them back up and into the car; telling Eddie to head for the Grant-Nash house. Athena didn't want to place the family into a safe house and away from the rest of them. She knew they would be getting a bouquet of flowers on the porch in the morning but their house also had a high security system - and a live in police sergeant.
They all knew Doug was somewhere close; watching them; stalking the Buckley-Diaz family. They just couldn't catch a break; couldn't catch him. Yet.
Athena wasn't going to stop until her adopted sons and grandchildren were safe again.
"We can't just keep changing houses like this," Evan whispered, his eyes focusing on Lily. "It's like we're running in place."
"He's got a point." Eddie sighed after a moment of silence that allowed Athena to enter the room once she had Christopher and Harry settled in the living room with a movie.
"There is more security here," Bobby stated.
"More people he'd have to get through before he reached you." Maddie added.
Evan snorted, "Bobby and Athena can't be here twenty four seven, they both have jobs. Eddie and I aren't clear to go back for another few weeks."
"We've taken care of that sweetie," Athena stepped forward. "There will always be someone else here with you, Eddie and the kids."
"When did you organize that?" Eddie asked.
"Last night when we helped you check into the hotel." Maddie answered. "It was going to be someone always with you at the hotel but now it'll just be here instead."
"Yeah," Evan sighed. "But for how long? Clearly he's not going to give up. I should just go back."
"I just got you back in my life!"
"Baby, no!"
"Don't say that!"
"I'm not letting go of you without a fight!"
Evan gave a sad smile at the four people around him. "I'm sorry. I'm just... I'm so tired." He closed his eyes. "And not in the 'I'm not getting any sleep' way either, though that's not helping."
"Just as long as none of us wake up to find you've snuck out and returned to him." Maddie had tears in her eyes. "I can't lose my baby brother again. My girls finally have their uncle."
"If you don't stay for yourself," Eddie laid his chin on Evan's shoulder, his nose pressed into the blond's cheek. "Then stay for all of us. Me, Chris, Maddie, Lulu and Beth, Bobby and Athena, Chimney, Hen... stay for Lily."
"You have more people in your corner to help you through this, son." Bobby stepped in front of them and placed his hand on Evan's free shoulder and squeezed.
Athena and Maddie crowded in as well. Evan leaned slightly forward and rested his forehead against Bobby's chest; kept his eyes closed as he allowed the tears to fall. Nobody said a word as they heard shuffling at the doorway; Athena and Bobby watching as more people crowded into the room in silence and circled around them. They had called everyone for a family meeting after getting the call from Eddie at the hotel that morning.
Hen and Karen stood behind Athena while Howard and Albert saddled up on either side of Maddie. Aaron stood next to Bobby, almost in front of Eddie; while May, Harry, Denny and the triplets stood crowded together between Aaron and Eddie. Michael and David stood behind Bobby and Aaron.
Christopher had shoved into the middle and leaned into his father.
"You running here to LA, to your sister, is the best thing you ever did, Ev." Eddie whispered to him - though everyone was able to hear him in the silence of the room. "Because it brought you to us. Christopher and I never would have gotten to have the best guy and little girl in our lives if you had kept running; and now that we've got you?" Eddie smiled and kissed Evan's cheek. "We're not letting you go."
"None of us are letting you go, Buckaroo." Hen spoke up, and everyone followed with a whispered agreement.
"You're our family now, kid." Michael added after a beat.
Eddie woke alone in bed. Stretching, he could hear giggling filter through the cracked door from down the hall. He smiled and stared at the ceiling as he listened to Evan joke with May, Harry, Christopher and who Eddie believed was Aaron's triplets. A babbling noise to his left had him rolling onto his stomach on Evan's side of the bed and peering down into the portable playpen that was acting as Lily's crib - and into Lily's brightly shining blue eyes.
Even after months Eddie still couldn't believe just how much the little girl looked just like her daddy. He had seen pictures of her mother and the only feature Eddie could claim came from the woman - Grace - was the little button nose Lily had. Everything else to Eddie screamed Evan Buckley with the little girl.
"Good morning," Eddie whispered as he shifted and sat up in bed, planting his feet on the carpeted floor.
He reached into the playpen and pulled the little girl up as he stood, settling her on his hip after kissing her forehead. She never stopped babbling at him with a little toothy grin as she fisted her hands into his shirt. He splayed his hand on the back of her head to keep her from falling backwards out of his arms as he heard shuffling at the door. He turned just as Evan pushed the door open.
"Oh," Evan stopped after only taking a single step inside the room. "I thought you were still asleep, didn't hear you on the monitor. I was going to sneak in and grab her before she woke you."
Eddie stepped around the bed, "It was actually the giggling from the living room that woke me."
Evan frowned but then smiled as Eddie stepped in front of him and leaned up to plant a kiss on his lips. "Morning."
Eddie hummed and pulled away. "Morning. You seem in better spirits today, something good happen?"
"No flowers." Evan's smile was bright and Eddie swore it would have blinded him and he'd still be extremely happy.
They had been living at the Grant-Nash house for a week now and just like clockwork each morning they would find a bouquet of flowers sitting at the end of the driveway. Every bouquet, they had learned early on, had been purchased from a different florist, using a different burner phone each time; but all purchased with the use of a debit card under the name Douglas Kendall.
There had been no other contact from the other man.
Eddie counted it as a win that Doug seemed to be a coward hiding behind the delivered flowers - but he also knew that just those flowers were breaking down Evan's safety net around him; were causing more psychological abuse then any physical abuse could at this point. At first they had tried to hide the bouquets from Evan once they had settled at the Grant-Nash house; Bobby and Athena making sure to be the ones to open the door in the mornings first. It never seemed to work because Evan would know before the door was even open that they would be there.
"No flowers?" Eddie smiled back.
Evan nodded. "No flowers."
And then Evan was kissing Eddie even harder.
It took another week with no bouquets being delivered before Evan finally relaxed. There had been a report of Doug's car being spotted back in Boston but police were unable to pick him up - it had been the man Doug had been cheating on Evan with driving at the time. Doug was still in the wind but from security camera footage from the Grant-Nash house had shown Doug's car driving by a few times over the first week and then not again - so now having it reported back in Boston allowed everyone to breath again.
Evan and Eddie had returned to Eddie's house. Though Evan's apartment had been cleaned up he still felt uneasy about returning. He - with Athena's help - was looking into breaking his lease. Eddie had asked for him and Lily to move in with him and Christopher permanently. Evan has said yes.
"Hey," Evan smiled as he stepped into the house, "Anybody home?"
"Buck!" Christopher shouted as he rounded the corner from his bedroom and latched onto Evan's legs for a hug.
"Hey, Superman." Evan patted the kid's back as Eddie came out of the kitchen, baby monitor in hand.
"How was the first day back to work?" Eddie asked as he stepped closer and gave Evan a quick kiss.
"It was good actually," Evan smiled. "Weird without you there though."
Eddie laughed as Christopher finally let go of Evan's legs and returned to his room. Evan followed Eddie through the house and into the kitchen. Eddie sat the monitor back on the counter and grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge to hand to the blond.
Evan had returned to work that morning, his first shift in the almost full month since the fire that had almost killed half of the firefighters at the 118. Howard, Aaron and Eddie were all scheduled to return in another two weeks - bodies being pierced by metal and broken ribs took longer to heal. Though Evan was still on edge - Eddie had to be careful not to sneak up behind him without saying something first. They had agreed that Eddie would drive Evan to work in the mornings and then either Hen or Bobby would drive him home - or someone else from their little family would show up depending on schedules to take him home. They had even upgraded the security system for the house.
"Oh," Evan swallowed a swig of water. "Maddie texted. She wants us over for dinner in an hour."
"That's short notice." Eddie tilted his head. "You think she and Chim have an announcement?"
Evan shrugged. "She did tell me they wanted a third to try for a boy, maybe they finally have."
"At least this one will be planned." Eddie laughed and Evan joined him.
Once they had settled down both left the kitchen to get ready. Evan jumped in the shower to wash away the grime of work while Eddie told Christopher to get ready to go to aunt Maddie's for dinner. Christopher's cheer had Eddie laughing again as he entered his and Evan's room to change and get Lily ready - the little girl had been sleeping in her crib but was wide away from Evan checking on her before getting in the shower. Twenty minutes later found the family of four on their way to Maddie and Howard's house.
As they pulled into the driveway, pulling into the rounded drive in front of the house, they were all laughing and making plans to go to the zoo - and invite the whole 118 family - next weekend when everyone who were still currently working had the day off all at the same time.
"We can ask Maddie and Howie tonight," Evan said as he unbuckled and opened his door to slide out of the truck. "And I can ask Hen and Bobby tomorrow at work."
"Sounds good," Eddie followed suit.
Eddie helped Christopher out of the truck while Evan grabbed Lily from her car seat and set her on his hip as Eddie and Christopher came around the truck. Together they made their way up onto the porch and entered the house without knocking - Evan never knocked when he visited his sister's house.
"Hey, we're here." Evan called through the house.
The only noise that followed was the click clack of Christopher's crutches as he made his way down the hall passed the stairs, heading for the kitchen; Eddie right behind him. Evan frowned as he looked in the living room and didn't see the girls playing but he followed, adjusting Lily better on his hip.
"Christopher!"
Evan stopped dead at his sister's scream; and watched in horror as he saw his sister dive for the little boy and pulled him against her chest and away from the man that was suddenly stepping out from behind the stairs and right into Eddie's space. Before anyone else could react Evan watched the knife in his exes hand plunge into Eddie's stomach right down to the hilt; he watched in slow motion as the knife was retracted and Eddie stumbled sideways into the wall, his hands at his stomach; blood seeping through his fingers.
Evan's eyes widened; he was frozen to the spot. He could hear Maddie crying; Christopher screaming; Lily wiggling in his arms as she cried and reached for Eddie who had slid down the wall to sit. Evan's eyes snapped up to Doug's as the man stepped over Eddie's legs and began heading straight for him, knife still in hand; dripping blood - Eddie's blood.
"Doug." It was just a whisper past his lips.
As Doug smiled at him and took another step forward Eddie's hand shot out and grabbed at the man's pant leg to try and hold him back. Doug's smile dropped as he twisted his body; fist connecting with the side of Eddie's face - knocking the other man out.
"Stop!" Evan yelled, gripping tighter to his daughter, tears blurring his vision.
Doug turned back to him as Maddie crawled forward and grabbed at Eddie's shoulders, gripping his shirt and pulled him away from Doug so she could apply pressure to the stab wound.
"Did you really think I'd let you leave that easily, Evan?"
"You signed the divorce."
"Being married doesn't mean you don't still belong to me."
Evan's back straightened. "I never belonged to you."
Doug's eyes flared. "You belonged to me the day you picked me over your parents, you just didn't know it then."
"What do you want?" Evan fought his fight or flight that was currently angling towards flight - he needed to stay to protect his sister, his boyfriend and his son - because yes that's what Christopher was at this point. "Are you just going to kill me then?"
"I don't want to kill you, Evan." Doug smiled again and Evan really didn't like it. "I'm here to take you home. I just needed to get the man that stole you from me out of the way."
Evan's eyes flickered to Eddie as Maddie pressed a dish towel into his stomach. Doug sighed and turned around. With his back to Evan the blond moved quickly. He pulled his phone from his pocket and hit his third speed dial - Bobby - before tossing it onto the stairs next to him, thanking Maddie that they were carpeted. He only hoped Bobby would answer - and would be able to hear them. He kept his eyes trained on his ex but out of the corner of his eye he saw the call connect; so he spoke.
"Doug, please stop."
Doug had been stalking back towards his sister and Eddie; he didn't know where Christopher was but could hear the kid crying. The darker haired back turned back to him once again.
"I'll go." Evan swallowed. "Don't hurt them anymore. Let me put Lily down and I'll go with you."
"She comes with us." Doug stated. "She's the reason you ran in the first place, don't say you wouldn't try and run again to get back to her."
Evan shook his head. "No. I ran to keep her safe from you. If she's not with me, she's safe. They're all safe. Leave all of them alone and I'll do whatever you want. That's my only condition, Doug."
"You're not really in a position to be making demands right now." Doug snarled.
"But I am," Evan straightened to his full six foot, two inch height and nodded to his phone on the stairs next to him. "My boss is listening and more then likely so is his police sergeant wife."
Doug took a step forward and almost growled.
"You want me, fine. I don't care anymore but you probably have about two minutes to decide. You and I leave alone before the police swarm the house, or you surrender now." Without taking his eyes off Doug, Evan sat Lily down on the floor behind him. She instantly started crawling into the living room and away from them all when she saw a doll on the floor. "I'm done running but if you try and hurt anyone else in this house again I will fight.. and I won't lose."
Doug's jaw clicked as he grit his teeth and his eyes flared once more before he stepped closer. "Let's go."
Evan nodded and with one last glance at his sister and boyfriend he steeled himself as he turned his back on the man still holding a knife and headed for the door - ignoring his sister screaming his name. He heard Doug following behind; cool feel a hand hovering near his lower back and it made his skin itch. He expected Doug to turn him towards the car that had been in the driveway when he and Eddie had pulled up less then five minutes ago but instead he told him to get into Eddie's truck. Evan was surprised when Doug started the truck - he didn't even remember the man grabbing the keys that Eddie had dropped when he had been stabbed.
They were down the street when Evan saw the red and blue lights in the rearview and side mirrors but they turned the corner and were out of sight before the police cars had pulled into Maddie's driveway.
He was now the only person that could keep himself alive.
Again.