Chapter 7
Two weeks came and went quickly. It was now Monday morning, which meant school for the children and back to work for Bobby and Athena. Bobby was on an 8 am till 8 pm shift today which meant he would miss Evan's bedtime, but he was going to try his best to be on the phone when it happened. Athena was working 8 am till 3 pm so she could be there for school pick up for Evan. Maddie was excited to ride the school bus again and once Evan was settled into his school he'd be riding the elementary school one. Evan didn't show any signs of being nervous or anything. There had been emails back and forth with his school teacher and there was a plan in place for him not being able to cope.
Athena would be available to pick him up unless she was on a call then it would go to Bobby then it would go to Michael if the other two grownups were not available. Elaine was happy to have her sergeant back. Chief Alonzo was happy to hear Bobby was coming back too. They were ready to see how their new normal would handle their old normal coming into play. This would be a big challenge, but they have faced every challenge with confidence and smashed every goal they had so far. In three weeks Evan was going to get his cast off and then it was a waiting game for the course of the police and CPS investigation to come to its natural conclusion.
Maddie helped Evan get dressed for his first day of school. She has a huge sense of pride for both herself and her little brother. The last month had brought so many different emotions and challenges for the pair of them. It was safe to say that they had smashed every single one of the hurdles that came their way. The last few days had seen Evan turn into quite the chatterbox at home, even when Michael was around. It had brought the man to tears which confused Evan, but he still ran to the tissue box and brough his foster mom's friend the tissue to dry his eyes with. Evan was still quite nervous and panicky when someone shows a lot of emotion around him.
He was getting better at it. It did take a lot of reassurances to begin with but with the people he trusted most he was generally okay with a couple of don't worry Evan's being said to him. Athena had the family camera ready to do a first day of school photo for them both. She knows it's almost midway through the school year, but it is their first day of school being with them and she was going to make a big deal out of it. Bobby's cooking was in the fridge if Athena wanted to use it for her meal tonight. When they have their next day off together they were going to take the kids out for a celebration meal somewhere. They are slowly exploring more and more of LA and having the best time.
"Look at you two all ready for your first day of school," Bobby says. Athena was in her cop uniform and Bobby was in normal everyday clothes as he usually gets changed into his LAFD uniform when he gets into work. Neither Evan or Maddie were afraid of the uniform as people first feared. To them they saw the police as the people who saved their lives. Evan smiled as Bobby took some photos of the two of them with Athena and she was going to send a batch of photos to her parents in an email later this week to keep them updated on their new foster grandbabies. She was happy for them and was excited to come and visit from Florida one day.
"Daddy's turn," Evan says, as Athena took some steps forward to take the camera from Bobby's hands. There was definitely going to be a family photo with them both in their uniforms soon. Their little family was doing perfectly. It wasn't complete yet, but it was a start and it made them all happy. Bobby was now in Athena's place as she took some photos of the three of them together. Bobby made them packed lunches as well and they were all ready to go. It had not been as chaotic of a morning as he had expected from his past trying to get children up and ready for leaving the door before the bus came. Speaking of the school bus it beeped it's horn outside to let them know it was there.
"Bye sissy," Evan says, as Maddie grabbed her jacket and her bag and was headed out of the door. Maddie kissed Evan on the top of his head and hugged him before she left first. She also hugged Athena and Bobby. He wasn't showing any signs of being nervous or upset at all about the upcoming day's events. Maddie also helped get Evan's backpack and jacket down as he couldn't quite reach even though he was starting to use his fingers on his left hand more and more as his arm healed. They walked out of the door with Bobby following behind to lock it. Athena took her son's backpack for him, but he wanted to hold his jacket. Bobby also had the tiger stuffed animal.
"Bye Ev, have a good day at school," Maddie replies. He was still smiling, which made her feel at ease, leaving her brother at school for the whole day. She was made aware of the fact that their biological parents wouldn't be coming out of jail and even if they could that the schools were made aware of the parents not being allowed to come anywhere near them. Maddie got on the bus and Evan excitedly waved her off. Once she had gone Bobby had given Evan his stuffed tiger and kissed him on the top of the head before he had to head off to work. He wished his son a good day at school and promised to try and phone him at bedtime. He knows that the captain of his firehouse wouldn't mind it if they weren't busy in the middle of a call. It would only be an hour before his shift finished anyway.
That was if Evan was still awake at the time he called. They don't know how his day is going to go and how tired he is going to be when gets home from school. This is going to be the longest he was in school ever in his young life, so they really had no idea how he was going to cope with it all. That was one of the reasons why Athena was on standby in case he was struggling too much. She had him buckled into his car seat and they were ready to go. Bobby had gone by now and Athena was ready to make her way to the school then to her work with the radio playing some of Evan's favorite tunes. He was happily singing along the whole time.
"Ready superman?" she asks when they got to the school parking lot. He nods excitedly and practically bounces from the car to the door. It alleviated a lot of the worries Athena had about him starting school. They walked to the front desk and were pointed in the direction of the classroom. They walked to his classroom where his excitement slowed, but he was still happy. His teacher was waiting for them, and it was fairly quiet in the classroom. To be fair she was quite early, but it might end up helping him in the long term with settling in. He hugged her tightly and kissed her on the cheek before he went in. The teacher radiated the same calmness that he did when she first met him.
Evan was going to be in safe hands with his teacher that was certain. She said her goodbyes to Mr Lopez and Evan and then walked back out of the school to her car. She took a deep breath and wiped some tears she hadn't realized had fallen. It was a big moment; both her babies were in school, and she was going back to work. For the first time in two and a half weeks things were going to be normal. She is a mother at last and she was going to enjoy every bit of it. Her drive to work was uneventful apart from a phone call in which both Rick and Lou told her that they were happy she was coming back. It didn't feel the same without her there even though they were happy that she was getting the family she wanted and deserved.
She quickly settled into her old routine when she arrived at the station. Elaine was there to ask how the kids were doing as they had all seen the terrified youngsters almost three weeks ago. Athena said she would email some photos of what they had been up to, but she would bring them over some day soon to show how much they have changed. She was happy that the kids were settled and happy to go to school for the first time in a while for Maddie and the first time ever for Evan. By lunch time she had made a few arrests and had been working hard. Evan's teacher had managed to get some pictures emailed to her and Bobby about his day.
He looked like he was really enjoying himself. He did say he missed his mommy and daddy and Maddie, but the teacher reassured him that Mommy was coming to get him at the end of the day. The now and next board was really helpful for him to know what was going on and was currently enjoying his lunch. Evan wasn't talking yet, but no one was pressuring him too and he was making a lot of friends in his class regardless. It was amazing progress considering that that he wasn't crying in the classroom like they all worried about. Athena showed Elaine some of the photos. "Woah he has really settled with you and Bobby. Look at him thriving in school," Elaine says.
Athena forwarded her the email, and she went straight to one of the investigating officers to show them they had made a difference and saved the lives of those children that day. It cheered them up because obviously a child abuse case like that can be quite upsetting for those that discover it. She would make them a scrapbook of how the children have been loving life to show them that they made a difference. Just a little something which reminds them they reason why they started the job to begin with. She might even help Evan make thank you cards, she overheard Maddie talking to Evan about it the other night and he was up for it last she knew.
Being close to the officers also gave her the advantage of knowing what sweet treats they all like, so she could easily take the kids shopping to get cards and make a little gift basket once this was all over. The case had picked up speed dramatically and they were getting closer to getting a court date. They were waiting until the children had started school to show any evidence on if they were behind academically although the case worker had already noted that Maddie was the one to teach Evan his numbers, colors, alphabet, and everything else he needed to know to start school. The more evidence they had to prove that they had neglected their children the better.
Maddie was going to be interviewed sometime during the week to get her account on what things were like before and after Evan was born and Daniel's cancer. They knew snippets of what she told the social workers before but now the police wanted her official account so they could use it in court instead of having the children there. It was a clever way of getting their story out whilst they were healing so they didn't have to relive the trauma with their abusers. They were going to have another officer in the room with Athena and get Athena to ask Evan questions because at the moment that seemed like it would be the best way of getting him to tell his story.
They could take a little bit more time with Evan's statement/testimony as they had enough evidence to cover the first few days of trial when it comes. Athena has heard from the head of the investigation exactly how he plans on doing the opening statement on behalf of the state. A lot of it will be building a clear picture on how they never wanted a third kid to begin with and then go from there to detail the cancer which destroyed the family and the children left behind. She was hopeful that it meant that they had the evidence to lock those people up for a long time and strip any rights they have to the children which would then pave the way for the adoption of Evan and Maddie to take place.
The quicker it can be done the quicker everyone will be allowed to move on and forget everything that has happened. They might touch lucky, and Evan would grow up with no lasting memories but so far the signs are proving the opposite is likely to happen. It didn't matter to Athena and Bobby though as they knew when they were taking the children on that PTSD would most likely be a diagnosis for them both and to support them through the rollercoaster that would entail. Soon Athena's lunch break was over, and she was back in her car on the road again. A sweet barista at the café she frequented knew about the fostering and had some sweet treats left specifically for the children to enjoy after their first days of school.
Meanwhile at the firehouse Bobby had a fairly settled start. Thery had the average calls like small fires which was easy to deal with. His captain was glad to have him back and they were talking about the children. They had a moment to eat lunch when the email came through and he could show off his son to his team. Maddie had come with him one day when he wanted to make sure that his uniform was alright. Evan wasn't up to leaving the house that day, which was fine. The social worker had come the day before and he had a few nightmares that night. Athena was happy to have the youngster and calm him down and let him sleep a bit more whilst Maddie and Bobby ran errands.
"Hey if I didn't know any better I'd say that kid has always been yours. Same with Maddie too, great kids who finally have the parents they deserve," the captain says, looking over the pictures. It made Bobby feel all tingly with pride. He always thought of himself as a failure of a parent because of that fire. He never quite believed that the fire was caused by nothing than his own negligence because of the drug addiction that had taken hold. It has taken him a long time to get over this thought and it has never truly gone away. It might never go away completely but he knows that he is going to do his best to make sure Evan and Maddie get the childhood they deserve.
Lunch didn't last long before the bell rang to another call. For once he didn't mind. The more calls they go on the more time passes as the sooner he can get back to his little family. Maddie would still be awake by the time he got home but he reckons Evan would be exhausted by his first full day in school so he would be asleep. The thought of his son waiting up for him was a cute one though. Maybe when he is more settled into school he won't be as tired, and Athena or Michael won't mind letting him stay up that little bit extra. He will just have to wait and see what happens when he gets home. For now there was a car accident they need to deal with.
Luckily it was a minor accident and there were no injuries. No children involved either, which was a huge relief for Bobby when they climbed back into the engine. He doesn't know how he is mentally going to cope with their first call involving a child since he has become a father. He is going to have to learn how to talk about his feelings with Athena and make sure the kids were okay afterwards. It made him appreciate how fragile life is that was for sure. He'd still take a quiet moment to reflect and pray for his families safety. He made the decision to not force his religion on his family, they could make the choice themselves at any time and he'd accept.
It was also a bit of time Bobby had to himself to reflect on recent events and see how things are going. A lot has happened in the last two and half weeks and the more the children open up the more his heart hurts. "Do you think your youngest is going to be awake when you get home?" one of his teammates asks on the way back to their firehouse. Bobby shakes his head with a smile. The more he thinks about it the less likely he thinks that Evan is going to be awake at half past 8 at night. He is not even awake at that time on a regular night when school is not a thing. His bedtime is between half 6 and 7 pm depending on how tired he is when it comes to that time.
"Probably not, its his first ever full day in school and it is going to be a lot. He took a nap when he came back from the taster day we had last week," Bobby says. He is only six years old after all and school can be a lot to handle. It is a huge schedule adjustment even though there was only a loose schedule at home. Maddie might even be asleep when he gets home too as she hasn't been up as early as they had to get up to make sure they went to school and the respective work places on time. Bobby felt for her, it is a lot for a teen to get up at the crack of dawn for school when they would clearly want to sleep for as long as they feel like they need.
"Bless him, from those photos he does look like he is enjoying school at least," the teammate replies. Bobby was quite happy to show off Evan to them as they know that no word of it would get out to anyone. Not that Margret and Philip will be able to get their grubby hands on the children again. Any extended family that Maddie and Evan had in terms of aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents had cut contact with Margret and Philip a long time ago and were probably completely unaware of what had been going on for the last six years. That was another conversation that they would have with Maddie and Evan if the time comes that the extended family want contact with the children.
Bobby and Athena were of the opinion that they were not going to block access if that is want they want as it was clear that they had nothing to do with the abuse and do not support the actions of the parents involved. They were a little surprised that the extended family didn't try and get hold of the social workers as it made national headlines not even two weeks ago as it happened across two states. The children's names have been kept redacted for their safety and privacy but with the name Buckley it wouldn't be hard for them to put the dots together and make the enquiries needed. They might have already, and the case worker might not have let them know.
They could be doing background checks and other things to make sure that the extended family were people who could be trusted with the children. If they got the all clear from the social workers then there would be a supervised visit in a contact center to build a relationship with the children then it would be up to Bobby and Athena if further contact would be allowed should the adoption go ahead. The children have every right to see family members, so it wasn't something that they were likely to say no to. Bobby was overthinking again, and another call quickly broke him out of the thought train. This time someone got their head stuck in a park fence.
The saws and jaws made quick work of the fence and the youngster was freed. The paramedics checked the teenager over and it was all clear. It was about time for the kids to get out of school. Bobby was anxious to hear from Athena on how both children had done. He wasn't worried about Maddie as she was a very confident young lady who mixes well with others. He still couldn't wait for her to phone to tell them all about her day. He was excited for Evan to talk about his day too. He wasn't sure that he was going to get Evan's story this afternoon or tomorrow morning over breakfast. There is really only one way to find out about it when the phone rings.
He was lucky that they were going through some downtime when Athena phoned. He would never say the Q word because even though he is not usually a superstitious guy he doesn't want to risk jinxing things to make it worse for everyone. He just wants the next few hours to fly by and they could all go home to their families. When Bobby answered the phone he was greeted by the excited voice of his son. It was the first time Evan has actually answered the phone. He normally passed the opportunity to talk to Michael on the phone and Athena would fill him in on the goings on. "Hey little man, how was your first day of school?" Bobby asks, about to burst with pride.
Evan talks all about his day and how much fun he had in school playing with all of his new friends and getting work done. The captain was lurking around and could hear the little snippets of how Evan loved school and couldn't believe he was going back tomorrow. Then Maddie joined in and said how she was enjoying her school. "I'm glad you two have had a good day, seems like Evan isn't that tired. Maybe he will be up when I get home after all," Bobby says. That earned a laugh from Maddie who tells him that he just had chocolate as a snack and could very well crash after dinner. That made Bobby laugh as Evan was often hyper enough without the added sugar.
Luckily for Bobby Evan was waiting up for him when he got home. He was already for bed and had brushed his teeth but Athena said he had gotten a little upset and missed him and basically begged her to stay up a little bit longer so he could wait for his daddy to come home. Bobby kissed Athena then scooped his sleepy son into his arms. He was definitely on the way to being fast asleep but just snuggled into the embrace and let Bobby carry him to his bedroom without fuss. Bobby didn't need to retell the story Evan listened to earlier with Athena. He enjoyed the story even though he was confused as to why Bobby wasn't in the same room as him.
Evan fell asleep in Bobby's arms and normally Bobby would have gotten up and left but there was this overwhelming urge to stay with him even if it was for a little while. He is only so young, and they don't know what the future holds. Bobby will always be there for cuddles whenever the child needs him. Athena was once again watching from the doorway; no doubt had a bunch of pictures to add to the scrapbook. He had dozed off momentarily as well, he had completely forgotten how exhausting working a full twelve hour shift was with all of the calls they had. The adrenaline of the last call had well and truly worn off by now and tiredness had well and truly set in.
"Bless him he really missed you today," Athena says. Evan had really become Bobby's little shadow. Whenever he went Evan was not far behind. It was adorable, and he loved having his little cooking buddy be his side. To be fair on Evan today must have been weird for him, having both parents in work and then not having the man he had become attached to like a father there when he got home. Talking to Bobby on the phone helped him feel a lot better but it was not the same as seeing him in person. The new routine will soon become settled for them but for now they will just do their best to support them through this new and scary change.
"I missed them both too," Bobby says. Athena walks into the room and joins him on their son's bed so the kid is sandwiched between them for a moment. Maddie was in her room doing her homework, she had spent her time from the moment she came home until Evan's bedtime routine starting playing with him. She would tell Bobby more about her day when they have their time together on the couch watching TV. For now though Bobby was enjoying the snuggles he was getting. There is plenty of time left in the evening to watch shows with his girls. About fifteen minutes later he gets up to go and watch some TV and talk more about his day with his wife.
Being able to talk about some of the more difficult calls they deal with during their shift with someone who would understand helps immensely. They know it comes with the job, but they also know that there were a lot more lives saved during their shifts than the sad stories. Maddie was interested to hear about their day, she already had her sights set on becoming a nurse when she graduated high school. It was a different way of being able to save lives as she didn't see herself being able to be a police officer or firefighter. That could all change as she is still quite young. Whatever she choses to do in life she will know that she has Bobby and Athena's full support.
After Maddie went to bed they looked through Evan's home school communication book. Eager to find out how his first day had gone in the eyes of his teacher. Luckily for everyone involved it had gone just as well as Evan had said. He didn't talk at all, but he aced all the work set for him and was definitely starting to form some friendships with his classmates. The way the teacher had things set up could not have been more perfect for them. All of it made them so happy their little boy could have the support he needed to thrive. One day he will go into the classroom and once he starts talking they know the teacher will start calling him the little chatterbox.
Bobby took some time to make the packed lunches for the children the night before this time. He figured this way he could squeeze some extra time with them in the morning before he was on yet another twelve hour shift. Thursday night Michael was coming to help with the after school routine up to bedtime to start getting Evan used to it. Athena wanted at least a couple of days where they could settle Evan themselves and see how he would cope with being in school full time after only ever being in his home. All the children in his class had been there since mid-August when the school year started, so they were all settled in and used to it by now.
Athena and Bobby had initially thought it was September, but this was not the case. They had been so busy for the last two and a half weeks they had struggled to keep up with things so minor errors like that would be made constantly. The children will break up for summer holidays in June and then go back in early to mid-August for the next school year. It was okay though as the consequences of them both missing the majority of the school year wasn't too damaging. Maddie could get enrolled into summer school if she felt like she was behind, but as seen with how ahead Evan was she also had been trying her best to keep up with her own education even though she shouldn't have to.
It was something that was going to make Athena and Bobby both angry and heartbroken for years to come. Maddie was just a child herself when Evan was born and should not have to have been that parental figure in his life when she had no idea what to do. She did the best she could, and it paid off as they were both alive and had now didn't have to worry about those things anymore. Today was more emotional than anyone could have predicted, as when Bobby went to check on Evan he found Maddie curled up on the bed with her brother making sure he was okay. In normal circumstances Bobby wasn't sure how he would feel about it, but this was not normal circumstances.
Those siblings are extremely close to each other, and it wouldn't do them any harm. Today would have brought back memories that are not pleasant for both of them. As it was Maddie coming back from a regular school day, which was the start of all of this when her brother was diagnosed with the cancer that eventually took their whole family from them. They weren't even allowed to see extended family within their home state as the parents knew it would lead to questions about why the children weren't in school and why they were treated so badly. When the adoption is complete Bobby and Athena will make it their mission to contact the extended family and allow them contact with the children.
From the research they had done when they were considering going down the adoption route it was a form of option adoption. That means that they are open to the idea of Maddie and Evan's biological grandparents, aunts, uncles, and any cousins they might have are allowed to have updates, pictures and even phone calls and eventually face to face contact in the future. This was all to come in the future though as adoption is quite far away at this point. They aren't even a month into fostering so they should consider slowing their expectations down a little bit. They were just really excited that their dream of becoming parents had become a reality.
Athena was on the phone to her mother who lives in Florida. She didn't approve of Bobby at first, but the firefighter grew on her, and she was happy for them as well as being excited for the possibility of grandbabies. She was going to come up with her husband shortly before the court date once they got it so she could meet the children and support her daughter and her son in law through one of the most difficult things they would face on their journey to parenthood. She was talking about all of the photos Athena had emailed her that day including the ones Evan's teacher had sent. Maddie took a lot of photos with herself and Evan playing to be put in the scrapbook. Athena's mother was incredibly proud of both of them and how well they had settled.
Bobby was in the shower whilst Athena was now speaking to her father. He did smell of smoke when he arrived home, but Evan didn't seem to be bothered by it and happily snuggled into him. he had showered before he had left the fire station that day, but it didn't completely remove the smell as he was in a rush to get home. He was excited to have a family to come home to. Don't get him wrong he lived for Athena and always was happy to see her after a long shift but now he felt a little bit more complete than before. He was not replacing his children by any means but that void that was left by their premature departure was filled a little.
It doesn't take the immense amount of guilt he feels inside away. Now in his pjs he stands at the doorway of Evan's room drawn to the peacefulness of the slumber of the two children inside. He was upset as the grief hit him in a harsh wave, as it often did after a harsh shift when there were kids involved. All Bobby knew was that he was not going to take anything for granted after this. He had been blessed with a second chance and he was going to make it up to everyone he has felt as if he had let down. He could picture having four children, his two babies he lost as well as Maddie and Evan. He could also have more children; he was not against the idea of a large family.
For today though he was enjoying some time with the family he has and started watching a new show with Athena that she had recorded a little while ago. At this point he was willing to do anything to distract himself from the war that his self-doubt was raging in his head. It wasn't uncommon for this to happen. When he first started dating Athena he would tell himself he didn't deserve it and almost sabotaged his relationship with her. Once she learned of his past and his story she supported him throughout it all and their relationship grew stronger than ever. They can take on the world and nothing could slow them down or stop them. Athena didn't need to, but she wanted to make sure he knew how proud she was of him no matter what.
Eventually they decide to go to bed as the exhaustion of the first day back at work hit them. They would have to do the same tomorrow. There was also the element of unpredictability as Evan settles into school. It was definitely too early to say school was a one hundred percent success as he had gone to school in a happy mood and there weren't any nightmares or anything like that. That could all change in a very short time depending on how the night goes or how he does during the day as he recovers from the abuse he went through. At least they know the teacher wouldn't hesitate to get in touch with either of them and they could go and pick him up if it became too much.
As morning broke through the curtains shortly before the alarm clocks would start ringing Bobby noticed there was a smaller warm body next to him and Athena in bed. He looked over and saw Evan fast asleep at his side. He wasn't expecting this as before he went to sleep that night he knew that Maddie was in the bed with him. She must have woken up in the night and gone back to her own room. That means that he must also have woken up at some point during the night and didn't want to bother Maddie with whatever was wrong that woke him up, so he went to snuggle with Bobby and Athena. The way he was in the middle of the two of them suggested that Athena woke up and calmed him down before they both fell back to sleep.
Athena was the next one awake as Bobby turns off his alarm. "Morning beautiful," he tells her. She smiles and says good morning back. Evan stays asleep during this but will soon wake up for school. Bobby was not too worried at this time as Evan had often come into their bed at some point in the night just to reassure himself that they were not going anywhere. His fears were justified as his whole world had been turned upside down and even though Bobby and Athena did their best to reassure him that they were not going anywhere anytime soon, and he wasn't going to be sent back to the people who hurt him. Athena would let him know if she was awake when he joined her in the bed or not.
"He had a nightmare after Maddie went back to her own room," Athena says, just as he starts to wake up. Bobby smiled sympathetically and rubbed Evan's back. At least he knew he could come to his foster parents for this, and he would get everything he needed to calm down and go back to sleep. He was a very groggy little man but was excited at the thought of going to school this morning once he was more awake. He was a little clingy to begin with, but Bobby used it as an opportunity for him to make waffles for breakfast with him. Maddie was awake just as Bobby was cutting up some strawberries for the toppings for the waffles. Athena put herself on coffee duty as she felt like they both needed it.
Today is going to be a long day he could feel it and so could Athena. That wasn't just due to the fact that they were both going into work today, there was something in the air and they could feel it. It wasn't a full moon day as far as they knew. They could be wrong though, the full moon tended to bring out the weird calls and they would need all of their mental strength to get through it. Bobby checked their calendar, and it said nothing about a full moon, so they were in the clear. Whatever they were worried about might not be anything to worry about in the end. The only way they would know is if they carried on with their day as normal. Evan was less clingy now he had breakfast.
It might have had something to do with the little bit of chocolate that Bobby had let him put in the batter or it might be the fact that he was more awake and happier that he was going to school. Maddie went to get ready for school and Bobby helped Evan get dressed as he wasn't too keen on being that far away from him or Athena, but it still wasn't as bad as when he first woke up. The fact that he would be content with either Bobby or Athena in the room meant that both of them could alternate getting themselves ready for work. Not that Bobby was fully ready for work as he tends to wear civilian clothes to the firehouse then get changed when he gets.
Athena was good at keeping Evan distracted whilst Bobby got himself dressed. Bobby helped him brush his teeth whilst Athena got dressed and soon enough everyone was ready for the day. With Lion firmly in his hand there was no indication that Evan didn't want to go to school that day. He had his energy back and was bouncing around excitedly talking about how he was going to play with all of his new friends and learn more about dinosaurs with his teacher. Maddie was smiling as he was asking her all sorts of questions about high school and how she was finding it. She told him it was okay, and she was making lots of new friends too, but she was learning different things like maths.
It was safe to say maths was not Evan's favorite subject especially with the face that he pulled when she mentioned how hard the maths was. At least at six years old maths is relatively easy compared to what he would learn when he gets to high school. That was a long way off he had all of elementary school and middle school to get through first. When you are that young it seems like high school is a whole lifetime away. Although being honest with yourself to a six year old Christmas feels like a long time away. Their sense of time passing is a lot different as they grow. That was one of the reasons why Evan was struggling with the wait to find out if he could finally be free of the cast.
Bobby was able to join them for the school ride as Maddie went off on the bus. He had found a route from the school to the firehouse which beat a lot of that early morning rush hour traffic. Evan was happy enough to go into class and even kissed them both goodbye before he ran in. Athena was happy enough to go into work but there was still a little bit of anxiety for Bobby as he drove his pick up to work after kissing Athena goodbye in front of the school. They had both driven their cars there to make sure that if they were needed to pick up either Maddie or Evan during the day the other one wouldn't be stranded. That wasn't totally necessary as they were sure that if asked nicely one of their respective coworkers would give them a lift home.
The shift had begun with a lot of chaos and business on both sides. Are they sure it is not a full moon? By the time everything had calmed down he had noticed that the elementary school was calling him. That couldn't be a good thing, it was only 11 am and he had been so happy when he went in. Bobby did mention to the teacher that there was a slight clinginess this morning, but it had all but gone by the time he had gone to school that morning. Apparently it had come back with a fierce vengeance, and he was very upset, and they couldn't get hold of Athena. "Go get your kid and bring him back here for a bit, that will give Athena enough time to speak to Elaine after she's done on that job she's on," the captain tells him, as he struggles to figure out what to do.
When he got to the class Evan was hiding under the teacher's desk crying and shaking and refusing to move. The teacher did an amazing job keeping the other kids unaware of the situation and giving him some space. "Wow Evan's daddy is a fireman," one of the kids says when he walks over to the teacher. He didn't have time to change out of his turnouts completely as he wanted to be with Evan as soon as possible. He had left a voice message with Athena to let her know he was picking Evan up and taking him back to the station with him for a bit until she could come and get him. Evan peered out from the desk and spotted Bobby straight away.
"Hey kid," Bobby says, as Evan all but threw himself at the man he considered to be his father. He scooped him up into his arms and was rubbing his back to calm him down. The teacher walked out with him to explain what he could understand happened during the day which triggered this. Evan had completely shut down so there wasn't going to be much chance of Bobby getting him to say it. The teacher had lion who had fallen on the floor when this all happened, and Evan was too upset at the time to think about him. He did sign thank you to the teacher when he was given the toy back. He had calmed down a lot more now and Bobby was going to see if Evan would be calm enough to go back to the classroom.
"I think some of the kids play fighting set off a flashback for him. He was happily playing with another kid when it happened, but he dropped lion and it was like he had to go and hide somewhere so I made sure under my desk was a safe space and kept the other kids distracted until you or Athena could come," the teacher says. It made sense, the memories of abuse would be fresher in his mind due to the nightmare he had had which he didn't want to talk about with Athena at 3 am. At this moment in time though Evan wasn't happy to go back to class and wanted to stay with Bobby. Bobby thanked the teacher and made him aware that it wasn't his fault and Evan did have a bit of a rough night to which he replied, "That's okay we'll try again tomorrow won't we kiddo?" and Evan seemed up for that idea.
Athena sent a message that she was going to be another half an hour, but she would be able to pick him up and take him home. In the meantime Bobby was taking his little shadow with him on a tour of the fire house and let him eat his lunch with his teammates who thought he was the cutest thing they ever saw. Evan was not wanting to go very far out of Bobby's sight at all, but he was happier than when Bobby first saw him at the classroom. He even got to go on a call to save a cat from a tree. Bobby had some pictures of him in the firefighter gear. It made him tear up inside seeing him with the massively oversized turnout coat with Grant-Nash on the back.
"I didn't know training started this young, getting him a head start so he can be captain be the time he starts as adult," one of his buddies from the 118 house said when he saw the youngster. The 118 firehouse had been desperately trying to hire him to their house, but he wasn't read to move just yet. He wasn't sure if it was for his potential leadership skills or the rumors that had spread of his cooking. Bobby laughed as he picked Evan up as his own captain took a photo of the two of them on the job. Their 118 buddy had the honor of putting the helmet on the young man's head which made the photo even more adorable. Bobby wished it was under better circumstances, but he was working with what he had been given.
"Hey Casey, this is my foster son Evan. He's had a rough day in school so while we wait for Athena to come and get him we thought we'd let him tag along as honorary firefighter for a bit," Bobby says. They were also making sure that this wasn't going to turn into something that he wouldn't take advantage of when he was feeling okay. Not for one second that they would consider that he would go down the sickie route. It was just something they had to be mindful of. Bobby couldn't wait for the day he could introduce Evan as his son to people but for now he had to say foster. Evan had his lion in his hand, or he would have waved at Bobby's friend.
"Nice to meet you kiddo, I hope tomorrow is a better day," Casey replies as they had to go their separate ways as their respective captains called for them. Athena was on her way to the firehouse and the kitty was long since safely down from the tree. They would have left her to make her own way down from the tree, but the little kitten had very worried owners and they had to do it before the owners themselves ended up stuck. Then it would have been a double rescue. The owners did let Evan give it a cuddle and a pet before they went which was kind of them. Both Bobby and Athena were grateful that their bosses were understanding of their situation in times like this.
Athena could tell Bobby that the rest of the day went a little better for Evan once the kiddo got home. He had fallen asleep on the couch; he was exhausted after the flashback and was struggling. After the nap he was almost back to his playful self but kept to either her or Maddie's side when the teen came back from school. His teacher had even called to make sure that he was okay because he was worried for the youngster. Athena let him know that everything was fine and that he didn't need to start a new no play fighting rule as he had been explained to Evan that his friends weren't really fighting with each other, and it wasn't likely to trigger another flashback.
Bobby couldn't be happier to be back home when his shift ended. His captain was nice enough to send him home a little earlier when they had a little bit of downtime. He didn't want to risk Bobby being held back from his family if they were stuck on a longer call right at the end of the shift which has happened before. Normally Bobby wouldn't mind and would have asked the captain to let him stay till his end time but with Evan's mood being all over the place and he was starting to ask for Bobby he felt it was best to come home. He was going to hold Evan close and read him a bedtime story and hope that he has a better nights sleep which would lead to a better day tomorrow.
He did get a chance to show Maddie the photos of Evan dressed like a firefighter on the field and how adorable he looked. Bobby could even start visualizing them working together when he was an adult if that was the way he wanted to go. They definitely needed to get jackets with Grant-Nash on the back for the special day if and when it comes. Seeing Evan in the jacket made it all the more real and Maddie was behind the idea as was Athena. She probably knew of someone who could get them made as well. She was amazing at connecting with people like that. That night went basically the same as the night before with more cuddle time for Evan from Bobby and Maddie decided to spend the whole night with her little brother having a sleepover.
And that is the end of another chapter. As this is like at least 7 years before Chimney joins the 118 I had to stick a random name to a character who would be in the 118 as I am not sure who from the team we know about would have been there at the time. Sorry it took so long to update as well, ya girl got a new job which is like at least 4 days a week and includes weekends so it's been a bit to get used to.