A/N — this is a spin-off from a one-shot I wrote a few years ago called "Uncle Mike." I hope that you all enjoy! xoxo — kals

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Chapter 1: January

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"Oh, look at that one!" Frankie shouted, running towards the life-size recreation of blue-and-yellow dinosaur covered in light downy feathers.

"That's a velociraptor," Mike explained, following Frankie to the edge of the display without looking at the placard attached to the side. Funny how quickly this all came back to him, reminding Mike of all the times he listened to Lucas talk about dinosaurs. While Lucas did eventually grow out of his dinosaur obsession, moving on to alligators and crocodiles, Mike could still remember how excited four-year-old Lucas was when they first came to an exhibit similar to this. Not that different from how Frankie was reacting. "They were meat-eaters with four claws on each foot."

"Really?" Frankie demanded, jumping up and down. "Oh look! That one has eggs!"

Mike glanced in that direction. "It's a Pteranodon. They lived in the northwestern United States around ninety million years ago. They flew. Kind of like bats."

As Frankie dashed to the next exhibit, Kara caught up to Mike, a slightly stunned expression on her face. Mike hid a smile, wondering if she had ever seen a dinosaur exhibit before. "I had no idea that you knew so much about dinosaurs."

"Lucas loved dinosaurs," Mike explained, recalling with amusement the time Lucas covered his bedroom door with dinosaur stickers. "He had every dinosaur toy imaginable, and he would set up these displays in his room. It drove Christine batty, the way they were always underfoot."

"I didn't know that." Kara trailed off. "Thank you for coming, Mike. It means a lot to Frankie. And to Danny."

Mike understood what Kara wasn't saying. Danny was supposed to be here today, buying the tickets as part of his efforts to fix things with Frankie and Kara. But then Carlton died, and Danny asked to be the one who delivered Carlton's flag to his family, realizing only after the arrangements were made that it meant breaking another promise to his wife and son. Mike had volunteered to step in without really thinking about what he had agreed to but, now that he was here, Mike was glad. Because seeing the excitement in Frankie's eyes was a reminder of some of the best moments in Lucas's short life.

The words were out before he thought about them. "I used to take Lucas to these things when he was Frankie's age. You know what they say about kids and dinosaurs."

"No," Kara replied. "What?"

"The times when you know the most about dinosaurs," Mike explained, tapping his fingers. "First, when you are four years old. Second, when your kid is four years old. Third, when you get a degree in paleontology."

Kara laughed. "I don't know a thing about dinosaurs."

"It's nice, actually, being here. Seeing Frankie so excited." Mike's voice lowered. "These kids, they've been through too much. A pandemic, a famine and a war. It's good to see something normal."

Sighing, Kara nodded. "I know. I made a death notification the other day and realized once I got there that the man's daughter was in Frankie's class at school."

Mike glanced around. Taking in the number of elderly people with children in tow — likely grandparents — as well as those who appeared too young to actually have children and were probably older siblings. When the virus hit hard and fast, sheer chance often dictated who lived and who died. Plus, Mayport was still recovering from their losses during the War of the Americas, both the initial attack and the battle for Playa Roja.

Kara turned suddenly, her attention clearly caught by something. Mike's gaze followed, falling on the coffee stand. Kara grabbed Frankie's hand. "Frankie! Let's go check out the Brontosaurus."

Frankie frowned. "You mean the Argentinosaurus, Mom?"

"He's right," Mike said in an aside. "But I assume you actually want coffee?"

Shooting Mike a look that was pure Captain Chandler, Kara sniffed. "Yes, the Argentin...whatever. Let's look at that."

Mike and Frankie were admiring the Argentinosaurus's tale when a familiar brunette walked by with two young boys. Mike was trying to place her when Kara lifted a hand. "Maddie!"

Maddie Rawlings. Part of the helicopter team from the Nathan James. Mike recalled that she lost her gunner at Playa Roja.

"Ca...Kara," Maddie stuttered, clearly catching herself before calling Kara Captain, one of the safety protocols put into place after Allison Shaw kidnapped the Chandler children.

Kara smiled. "I didn't know that you would be here."

Maddie gestured towards the boys, who looked to be around seven and nine. "These are my nephews. Grady and Louis. I remembered you mentioning this exhibit and I figured that it would be a fun way to spend a day. I had no idea that it would be so crowded."

One of the boys pointed at Frankie. "You go to our school. Frankie, right?"

"Yeah. I'm in Mrs. K's class," Frankie replied timidly, half hidden behind Kara. "Do you like Argentinosaurus? It's the biggest dinosaur found. So far, anyway."

"Cool, I'm Grady, by the way," the other boy replied. "This is my brother, Louis. He's seven."

"I'm turning seven soon," Frankie replied, finally stepping away from Kara. Mike took a sip of his coffee, happy to see Frankie breaking out his shell a little. Spending so much time with adults wasn't good for kids. As Mike had told Danny just the other day, what Frankie needed was a sibling. It would be good for the kid and, besides, there was nothing like a baby on the way to help a guy get his head on straight. Danny certainly stepped up the first time.

"Do you like spiderman?" Louis was asking.

As the three boys began talking about superheroes, Kara waved a hand between Mike and Maddie. "You two know each other, right? Danny had to do a work thing, so Mike volunteered to come instead. He's a dinosaur expert."

Maddie raised an eyebrow at Mike, a smile playing around her mouth. "Really? That seems a little out of your area of expertise."

The sir was unsaid but heard by all.

"I know a few things," Mike replied, finding himself smiling back. Maddie was prettier than he remembered, perhaps due to the fact that instead of a jumper and helmet, she was wearing jeans and a long-sleeve blue pullover. For half a second, Mike wondered what it would be like to go on a date again. When was the last time he did that?

Probably twenty-two years ago when he asked Christine out.

"Hmm," Maddie narrowed her eyes, then tossed her hair behind a shoulder. "Let's test this. What's that dinosaur?"

Mike chuckled as he took in the prehistoric shark. "That would be Stethacanthus. Technically not a dinosaur but it was prehistoric. Earlier than the dinosaurs, if I recall correctly."

Maddie laughed. "Louis was horrified that I called it a dinosaur when it is clearly a prehistoric shark."

"I have no idea how you could have made that mistake. Thinking that an exhibit at a dinosaur show was a dinosaur," Mike deadpanned. When the laughter faded, he added. "Do you have the boys full time?"

Falling into step with him, Maddie explained. "No. My sister is part of the engineering team working to raise the Cruz. They're on rotating twelve-hour shifts. I try to help out."

"I didn't realize that they were still on that schedule," Mike replied, mind switching instantly to work mode. While he knew that there was a lot to do, running twelve-hour shifts during peacetime ran the risk of burning people out. With all the personnel lost between the attack and then the subsequent invasion, they couldn't afford to lose anyone else.

Maddie's chuckle brought him back to the present. "I see you're another workaholic. Believe me, Sam would be there right now whether or not she was on the schedule." Before Mike could respond, Maddie continued. "Did you join Kara and Frankie as their tour guide today?"

Mike felt a pang at the question, although Maddie's voice held no judgment. He knew that most people didn't get why he spent so much time with Frankie voluntarily. Truthfully, there were times when he didn't understand himself. After all, his children were dead, killed when he was aboard the Nathan James, unable to even say goodbye. People wondered how he could stand being around children at all. Hell, Mike knew that Kara had hesitated when he offered to come. But Mike never felt that way. Sure, there were moments when he missed his children — and Christine — more than he thought was possible. Yet that just made him want to spend more time with Frankie, as well as Kara and Danny and the rest of the crew.

He wanted to enjoy every minute with the family he had left.

"Green's delivering a flag so I volunteered to take his spot. I miss ... this type of thing. So I tag along." He lifted his coffee, glancing at Maddie, wondering what she was expecting him to say.

"I heard Frankie call you Uncle Mike," Maddie replied, and when she glanced at him over her own cup of coffee, her eyes were curious rather than judgmental. "I take it that you're close?"

Mike chuckled. "That kid might just be the best thing that happened on the Nathan James. Well," he quickly amended, "the second best."

When he glanced at Maddie, she was gazing after her nephews with a thoughtful look. "They do give us hope."

"And keep us going when things look bleak," Mike agreed.

There was a minute of quiet, as they strolled along the dinosaurs, before Frankie skipped back to grab Mike's hand. "Uncle Mike, tell us about Dyoplosaurus."

Maddie flashed him a grin, as they hurried to catch the others. "Duty calls."