AN: I normally don't post WIPs anymore, but I'm starting this one while Buck and Tommy are still canon! I'm going to be honest, I'm a huge Buddie fan, but I'm also loving Buck and Tommy, so this gives me an excuse for my OC. And I adore everything about Athena being a mom to everyone, so it's a fun way to add someone else for her to love.

Chapter One

"Tell me, how are the girls settling in to the new apartment?" I asked my client, Sara.

She smiled, brighter than I'd probably ever seen her. "They're doing so good! Ava has already made friends with the entire building, and Joss is trying to domesticate a stray cat in the neighborhood. I'm so happ-"

A sudden pounding on the door cut her off. "Sara, I know you're in there!" came a very angry male voice, and my heart dropped. As did the color on her face. "Let me in, Sara! You know we belong together, and the sooner you let me in, the easier it will be for you!"

My phone was already in my hand, so it was easy to unlock it and call. "9-1-1, what's your emergency?"

My little sister's voice on the other end of the line was a surprise, but a happy one. It would make this even easier. "Hey May, I need you to send police and an RA unit to 1765 Alameda, unit 502," I told her.

"Carmen?" came May's surprised squeak. "What's wrong?"

More yelling from the door answered her question, at least a little, as well as the thud that sounded like something heavier than just a fist on the door. There was even some splintering that had my heart stuttering a bit. "I'm at a client's house, Sara, and her soon-to-be-ex just came over, breaking the restraining order, and I think he's got an axe. He sounds like he's trying to break in."

"Holy- Hang tight, we'll have someone right there," May told me.

I hummed so that she knew I heard, but I was already moving, grabbing Sara's phone and shoving it at her. "I need you to turn your video on, record everything, and move to your bathroom," I told her. "I'll be right behind you."

Sara nodded, terrified, but I could see the resolve steeling itself across her face. She'd gotten away from that douchebag once, and I was going to make sure she made it out this time, too. I shoved the recliner I'd just been sitting in to the front of the door.

"A squad car and RA are on their way, police are three minutes out," May told me. "But is anyone hurt?"

"Not yet," I said, moving to the kitchen just as I heard something cracking behind me. My hand closed over a heavy skillet just as I turned to see an axe blade popping through the door. "But this guy has a weapon, and I will defend myself and my client."

"Go to the bathroom with your client," she told me. "Close as many doors as possible between you and him as you can, stall him as long as you can."

"Doing that, babe," I assured her, shutting and locking the bedroom door behind me. I pushed a chair in front of it, shoving it under the handle, not that it would stop him for long. But the idea wasn't to stop him, but to slow him down. Hopefully, long enough for the police to get there. And then I joined Sara in the bathroom. "Take this, my little sister May is the dispatcher, keep her on the phone," I told Sara as I shoved my phone at her. "But keep recording."

Sara took both phones, aiming hers at the door. From the sounds of things, Wes was in the apartment now, screaming almost unintelligibly at this point. He crashed into the bedroom door, roaring when he found it locked, too. "Sara! You belong to me! It doesn't matter what that bitch lawyer tells you, you're mine!"

Another crash, more swearing, and I could hear the chair shattering. And then he was pounding on the bathroom door, hammering at it with the axe. And this wasn't the sturdy exterior door, like the front door had been, but a flimsy hollow-core one. I knew it wouldn't take him long to get through it, so I gripped the skillet with both hands and readied myself, just like I had in my years of high school softball, feeling the adrenaline filling my veins.

"Sara!" Wes screamed, flinging the door open. But I was ready for him and swung the pan straight into his face. And he dropped like a rock.

I might have hit him again, just for good measure, but he didn't move. "I think we're good," I said, a little shaky.

"I think I'm in love with you," Sara whispered. And then laughed, a bit hysterically. "Your big sister is freaking amazing," she told May over the phone. "She just smacked him in the face with my frying pan and knocked him out."

"I told you I was getting you away from him," I replied, a huge grin crossing my face as I came down from the terror, just a little.

"LAPD!" Yet another familiar voice came through. "Carmen, baby, where are you?"

"In here, Mama," I called. Though I did keep an eye on Wes, just in case, the skillet at the ready. "In the bathroom!"

"Just follow the trail of destruction, probably," Sara muttered.

"We'll get him to cover the repairs or replacements, too," I assured her. I may have been breathing heavily, but neither of us was hurt, and that was the whole goal here.

My mom came to the doorway, stopping suddenly. "Carmen, I don't think I've ever been more proud of you in your entire life," she said, a little in awe.

I'm not gonna lie, I preened at that. Athena Grant-Nash's admiration was always worth winning, and knowing I'd gotten it was worth the five years that had just been shaved off my life from the terror I'd felt when I heard that axe first hit the door. "Well, he's all yours now, Mama," I told her, stepping back to get out of her way. Not that there was a lot of room in the bathroom, but stepping back also meant stepping closer to Sara, and I figured she could use some support, so I pressed my arm into hers. She slipped her hand into mine, and I squeezed back. "I'll take May back, and you can stop recording now," I told her.

Once my phone was in my hand, I told May, "Mom's here, so we're all good, but thanks for all you did."

"Apparently, I wasn't really needed," she teased, then probably remembered that she was at work and on a recorded line. "I'm glad we could help in your emergency, and I'm glad you're all safe."

"LAFD, paramedics," another voice called from the doorway. "Is someone injured?"

"In here, Bobby," Mom called out. "Just the perp hurt."

Bobby, my stepdad, walked in a moment later, followed by my Auntie Hen and Chimney. "Carmen, are you okay?" he asked, eyes wide in alarm.

"Just peachy," I told him with a wide grin. "Wes's gonna have one hell of a headache when he wakes up, though."

Bobby, Chim, and Hen both looked at me in concern, then down to Wes, then back to the pan in my hand. "You didn't," Hen grinned. Chim just cracked up laughing.

"I learned well from Rapunzel, what can I say?"

Mom had Wes in handcuffs now, and she snorted as she stood up. "I'm just grateful for all those hours you practiced batting in high school."

"That's exactly what I was thinking!"

"We're gonna need a backboard, boys," Hen called over her shoulder, before putting a C-collar on Wes and checking his vitals.

"Why don't we all come out to the living room?" Mom suggested calmly. "Give Hen and Chim some room to work in here."

I kept Sara's hand in mine as we walked out of the bathroom. It was a bit awkward, since we had to step around Wes and the mess he'd made of the door, but I wasn't too fussed when my foot caught on his arm, making me step on him just a bit. It was terribly tragic.

Once there was more room to maneuver, the last two members of Bobby's team scooched past us with a backboard. "Nice to see you, Carmen!" Buck grinned at me in passing. "And nice aim," he added, once he saw the bloody, swollen mess that was Wes's face.

"How do you know all these people?" Sara hissed at me. Her face was still a bit pale, and I knew how easily she got overwhelmed in crazy situations, so I pulled her aside even more and wrapped my arm around her.

"Bobby's my mom's husband," I explained quietly. "And I've known Auntie Hen for almost as long as I've known my mom. Buck's kinda like Bobby's son, so he's sort of my stepbrother? All of them have been on Bobby's team for years now."

"And your mom's a cop, and your sister is a 9-1-1 dispatcher. Is your whole family a bunch of superheroes or something?"

I hugged her tight and laughed a bit. "It sure feels like it sometimes. Not sure where that puts me, though."

She stared at me like I was a crazy person. "I'm sorry, who's the one who just smacked my ex with a skillet? I'm pretty sure you're the hero of my life now."

I stared back, rather speechless. "I just- Well, I- I didn't-"

Thankfully, Bobby came to my rescue. "Are you both okay? He didn't get to you, did he?"

I smiled up at him. "No, I got him before he could do more than 'Here's Johnny!' so he didn't touch either of us."

Bobby coughed, trying to hide his laugh. "Well, I'm glad your mom taught you so well to take care of yourself. But neither of you are feeling weak, panicky, anything like that? And can I take that pan from you, sweetheart?"

I looked down at my hand, somewhat shocked that I apparently was still holding onto the pan. "Uh, yeah, yeah, here," I said, handing it over.

"I think I'm going to frame that pan," Sara said suddenly. "Do you think I could get a frame made big enough for it?"

"A shadow box would probably be better," Mom told her as she joined us, a huge smile still on her face. "But I think it would make a lovely addition to whatever room you wanted to put it in."

Sara snorted a laugh, then another, and soon, she couldn't stop the giggles. Until she started crying. "It's alright, baby," Mom said, gathering her in her arms. "Let it all out. You're safe now, you and your babies. Between me and my girl, we'll make sure that man stays behind bars for a good long time, I promise."

Now that Mom was comforting Sara, Bobby took that as a sign that he could wrap me in a hug, too. "I'm so glad you're okay," he said lowly into my hair. "When May said you were involved, I about had a heart attack."

"Bobby even made Eddie let him drive the truck," Buck said as he came to stand by us. He grinned at our father figure. "He doesn't do that for just anyone."

"I did it for you, too," Bobby huffed with a smile of his own.

"Exactly, it's only when one of your kids is in trouble," Buck agreed, bouncing a bit in place, even as a slight blush dusted his cheeks. I think probably at the reminder that Bobby thought of him as his kid.

The last and only member of the team I hadn't really met yet came to join us, just a little unsure. "I'm glad you're okay, Carmen. Everyone was really worried about you."

"It's going to take more than an abusive narcissist to hurt me," I joked. "But it's nice to finally meet you. Even under the circumstances."

Eddie just grinned. "I've heard a lot about you, so it's nice to put a face to the name finally," he told me. "But smashing a jerk in the face sounds exactly in character for what I've heard about you, so I'm not really surprised that this is how we're meeting."

I laughed, a bit awkwardly, but thankfully, Mama saved me. "We're due to have a barbeque soon," she said, from across the room where she was still wrapped around Sara. "That way, you can really meet everyone, baby."

"You can count us in," Hen declared. She was at the head of Wes's gurney, guiding him around the wreckage he'd created. By now, not only was he handcuffed, but also restrained to the gurney, as well. The relief I felt at the sight was a bit surprising, though it probably shouldn't have been. I mean, he had threatened me and my client with an axe, and while I knew he didn't want to kill Sara, I also knew he wouldn't have had any compunction against killing me if it got me out of the way.

"Oh, us, too," Chimney agreed, at the other end of the gurney. "Jee would love to see everyone again."

Buck grinned. "That's because my baby girl gets spoiled by everyone when we get together."

"She is a freaking cute kid," I said. After all, some of my Facetime conversations with Buck had happened while he'd been babysitting, and Jee had been content to talk to me, telling me all about whichever stuffy she had. At least, I assumed that's what she was saying, since it was still mostly babbling. But it was really cute, either way.

"We'll have to check our calendars, then we'll let everyone know. And Buckaroo, you better be bringing Tommy this time. You know he's always welcome, too," Mom instructed, in that stern but loving way that she had perfected. "As long as he continues to treat you right."

Buck blushed a bit harder. "Will do, 'Thena."

She patted his shoulder, then moved to follow Hen and Chimney, not allowing them out of her sight. "Carmen, you and Sara will need to come to the station to file the reports, but I've got to go with this scumbag to make sure proper procedure is followed, especially since my own daughter is involved. Are you good to make it on your own?" I could see the concern in her eyes, and it just reminded me of how much I had missed her for the past five years. It was so nice to be in the same city again.

"We'll be okay, Mom. I can drive us."

"And we'll escort them," Bobby added, his hand squeezing my shoulder just a touch. "We've got the truck, we'll make sure they get there safe and sound."

"I love you," Mom sighed happily. "I'll see you girls at the station in just a bit, alright?"

With the elevator being directly across from Sara's apartment, we watched as Mom and the paramedics loaded Wes in. And when the doors closed behind them, I saw Sara droop with relief. I crossed the room again to wrap her up in a hug. "He's never going to touch you again," I promised lowly, and she nodded into my shoulder.

She hugged me back for a long moment. Then, with a deep breath, she pulled back and stood straight. Making me proud at the sight of her resolve. "What do we do now? What's first?"

"Jameson is coming with a new door," Eddie announced to the room, putting his phone down. "He'll be here probably within the hour, given traffic."

I couldn't stop the confusion on my face. "Who's Jameson?"

"And why is he coming with a door?" Sara continued.

Bobby just smiled that warm smile that had put me at ease the moment I met him. Though I maybe hadn't trusted him right away, but he was dating my mom, okay? It was my daughterly duty to be at least skeptical. "Jameson has a door company, we work with him when we have to break down a door on a call. We don't want to just leave the home open to anyone to come in after us, so the city contracts with him to replace doors for us. He'll take care of you."

Sara stared at him for a long moment, then she burst into tears. "Thank you!" she sobbed as she threw herself into his arms.

Bobby didn't even hesitate. He just wrapped his arms around her and hugged her back. "It'll be okay," he said softly. "It's okay."

Buck sidled up to me, probably seeing my slightly shocked look. "Yeah, he gets that a lot," he whispered. "Bobby's just got BDE, calms everyone right down."

I wrinkled my nose, not really wanting to think about that, but Eddie translated for me knowingly. "He meant Big Dad Energy."

And I couldn't help the snort that escaped. Both guys grinned, looking very pleased with themselves.

Bobby escorted Sara and me to the police station, leaving Eddie and Buck at Sara's to wait for the new door. He had to endure another hug from each of us, though the squeeze he gave each of us back let us know it wasn't unwelcome.

"Bobby?"

A familiar voice had both of us turning. "Carmen? What are you doing here?"

Lou Ransone, my dad's old partner and my godfather, hurried towards us. "Carmen, are you okay? What are you doing here? What's wrong?"

"Hey, Uncle Lou, I'm fine," I assured, but it was in his shoulder, since he'd already pulled me into his arms. "This isn't how I'd wanted to see you again, but I promise I'm okay."

He breathed deeply a couple times, arms still tight around me, then pressed a kiss to my hair before letting me go. "Then why did Bobby bring you into the station?"

Before I could answer, Bobby did for me, pride oozing out of every word. "She stopped her client's ex with a frying pan to the face."

Lou looked to Bobby in shock, then back to me. "That was you? The whole station is talking about that! Baby girl, your dad would be so proud of you!" he told me, with another hug, this one taking me off my feet entirely. Not that it was hard, since he was almost a foot taller than me.

"How do you know all these people?" Sara gasped out behind me. "Do you know all of Los Angeles or something?"

"Just a good chunk of the first responders," I laughed back. "Hazards of being family to first responders, they're all basically one big, super dysfunctional family."