— NATHAN'S POV, train wreck

"There must be something in the heat that brings out all the crazy in people."

Resting his hand against the roof of his black van, just above the curve of his upper window, he cannot help the slight flinch at the loudness of the sudden voice creeping up behind him. Athena Grant seemed to have some sort of melting gathering of joy for startling the young detective since they'd met and she'd never quite gotten used to the idea of easing up on him.

Her thumbs dug onto the side buckles of her belt. Her head tilts when he turns and raises an eyebrow at her.

Nathan Buckley cracks a smile at her words, though the gesture quickly falls as another gun-shot blasts in the air. A third shot, followed by shouting that stuffed up the air. His own fingers tighten around the grip of his gun, pressing his side against the van. "In that case, we can thank the heat." He tells her, peering over the top of the black vehicle before continuing on, "For cracking this guy's impatience."

Athena nods, following his gaze toward the broken but boarded windows. "Any hostages?"

"One," Nathan confirms, "A kid. Negative on identification. We think it may be his daughter from what a witness told us prior to the pair entering."

"He brought his daughter to a gun fight?"

The detective clenches his jaw, hearing the lack of surprise in her tone. Bad men went to lengths that surprised most people, but not them. Not anymore. Athena had been doing this longer than Nathan had, but he'd seen things that felt as if fire was being stuffed inside his lungs as it knocked his breath. Bad people truly did bad things with little care for even themselves at the worse of times, which only endangered others more.

"If he co-operates, it won't come to that."

At least, with the knowingness of a little girl being on the first floor of the building, Nathan was hopeful it didn't have to be stretched so far. A horrid man or a good man, no child should need to see the lowest state of their parent before their eyes for their sake.

His right hand reaches up to wipe the sweat from his temple, sniffing a little as he hears an officer calling out through a speaker in attempts to communicate with the armed suspect. The vest felt heavier than usual on him. It was the hottest day of the year in LA and everybody knew about it without the constant radio stations reminding the public of the weather. At least this lead would be closing if this went the way that Nathan hoped it did.

"Let's just see about that."

Athena's instinct was right. Nathan's hopefulness was not.

One of his arms was wrapped around the girl — who was crying, shaking in the detective's arms with her own hugging round his neck tightly — as he carried her out of the building and down the brick steps, whilst his other hand was pressed against the back of her head. It was still unsure whether there was a relation, but she'd been shouting out something at the suspect that had caused a reaction, and led to her current state.

But the repeated use of dad whispered against the base of his neck had Nathan's heartstrings snapping. He could already predict the truth of the matter there.

"It's alright," He reassured the girl, waving one arm best he could as he moved toward the ambulance, glad to see a familiar face in the man that worked alongside his younger brother — hardly, a year and a half, give or take, between them — Evan. "No injuries that I can see, but she needs looking over, Chim."

"Great," Chim responded, keeping his tone light for the sake of the child. "I've got her."

Putting her down gently on the gurney, Nathan had to pry the little girl's arms from round his neck, sweeping her face with his gaze once more just to double check he'd not missed anything. She was just dirty, as if she'd not washed for a while, and her clothes had began to smell. "Chim and Hen will take good care of you, okay? You'll be just fine," He saw that Hen checked the girl's pulse, and asked the question he needed to know, "What's your name?"

But when she shook her head and curled one leg up toward her chest best she could with Chim there, Nathan knew to accept her refusal with no applied pleasure for an answer.

Her face must be on a report somewhere. Surely her Mother had filed a missing child's report. The man — if he was her Father — did not have his child with him in any of his previous known locations, or at least, there had been no sign of a second person travelling with him.

"Daddy?" She spoke again before the doors shut.

Nathan gave a small shake of his head when Hen glanced to him, letting her know that the suspect was now deceased. He'd shot at an officer first. Then the doors closed, Chim giving a silent goodbye, and Nathan was left stood there for a second. One of his hands came up to wipe more sweat from his head.

"Buckley!"

Moving towards his Sergeant, Nathan does not look at the stretcher being pushed out of the doors on his right and instead moves around the van. "Here," He announces, "The kid's on her way to the ER, though I didn't see any wounds."

His boss points at him, a man that was shorter, "I want you to search the system when we get back. Somebody's reported that girl's disappearance. Did she give a name? Anything?" Other eyes drifted to Nathan in question.

"Nothing. Just. . ." He blew out a breath, "Just asked after her Father."

Sergeant Doss shook his head, a man with little sympathy for criminals. The suspect had been given a chance, after over a month's long chase, and this had been the result. "Unfortunate," He dryly replied, before repeating himself, "See if anybody has reported her missing now we know there's a connection. We have a timeline."

His hand skimmed the van as he nods, turning on his heel and glancing up toward a fire-truck that had arrived just after the second shot. Though it had been on the opposite side of Nathan's positioning of defence so he hadn't managed to spot the '118' stuck to one of it's doors. Athena was already walking toward the side, removing the darkened glasses from her face before she disappeared from his view.

Nathan wondered how more people hadn't clocked on about her and Bobby Nash yet. Neither of them were subtle about their passion when they came across one another like this and it had been weeks now.

Though, he was happy for her if things went the way she was wanting. He'd once been a Police Officer working beneath her station until his transfer after he'd passed his test upon her recommendation and he knew he owed it to her for all the encouragement and mentoring that she gave. His parents lacked, to say the least, in the supportive aspect of parenting. For all three of their children, in Nathan's eyes, they had failed to care for properly.

As he moved to rise to his tiptoes to glance into the back area of the fire truck, an arm was quick to wrap around his shoulder and pull him downwards and into their side.

Just like that, the first grin of the day finally appeared upon Nathan Buckley's lips as he saw an identical shit-eating grin on his brother's.

Evan. Or Buck, as he commonly went by to most people now. Never for his older brother though. Not really. They had both been given that surname at one point in their lives, so Nathan had never gotten round to gifting it to the youngest sibling as everybody had.

"Have I ever told you how cool is it that my brother is a detective?" Buck began, tugging Nathan a little closer until there was no space between them. He had always been like that. Overly affectionate and neither Nathan or Maddie — their older sister — had ever minded that trait about the youngest. "Because it is, like, super cool."

His head shakes as his face scrunches in amusement, "Evan, you're a firefighter. We both work for the law."

"Right, right, but, er, you know." Buck belittles his own achievement of being a firefighter. It was a disheartening nick that bothered the elder brother. "It's awesome. Anyway, you're all good, right? You went in there and you're good? We heard some shots and I just about managed to see you storm in."

His hand grips the side of Buck's neck, giving a nod. "Yeah, no officer was injured. But the suspect is deceased." Nathan glances over his shoulder, stepping closer to the fire truck. "Have you checked your phone? Has Maddie contacted you as well?"

Buck's arm slipped from his brother's shoulders, reaching into the truck to grab for his phone. "Maddie? Er," He shrugged as there was nothing from his older sister, "No, she's not called or texted. . . did you say as well? She's called you?" He moved closer again and this time, Nathan grunted in small annoyance at how he was pushed against the red door behind himself. "What did she say?"

Pushing Buck forward the slightest, Nathan made a point to say, "She told me to remind our baby brother what personal space is."

"Baby brother?" One of Nathan's co-workers, detective Keller, repeats as he stops beside them. He's older than Nathan by at least ten years and they were more than often paired up together on cases. "So this is the famous Evan?"

At the indication of him being known, Buck's face took to lighting up again, throwing his phone back on the leather seat and forgetting about the fact Maddie had called Nathan but not him. "Famous?" He repeated, completely ignoring the calling of his name from his Captain. "Does Nathan speak about me?"

"Nathan likes to tell people that his brother is the leading firefighter of Los Angeles," Keller answered, a chuckle following. With all the time they spent together, including an undercover case that ran over the course of three months which meant the only people they really had was each other, they had overshared about their lives. Nathan knew everything there was to know about Keller. "Something about you Buckley's knowing how to run things."

A groan came from inside the truck and Captain Bobby Nash appeared, "Hello, Nathan."

The detective waved his fingers, "Captain Nash." He pauses, "Was that you I just saw with Sergeant Grant?"

"That was. . . not me." Bobby answered, stalling a little toward the end before disappearing back inside the fire truck. "Let's go, Buck! Diaz! We got another call-out for your first day."

"Wait—wait—wait!" Buck's fingers grip the inside of his brother's elbow, though Keller disappeared away from them. Again, he gets way too close, an arm wrapping around his brother's neck, still the same energetic soul that he had always been. "Is it true that you —"

"We have jobs to get back to."

"Yeah, but —"

"Evan," Nathan shook his head, his elbow pushing against Buck's chest to put space between them. His other hand smacks against the side of the truck, "Get back to your job."

Buck's hand went up, stepping up onto the truck but leaning through the window. "Wait!" He calls after Nathan who does not turn around, "Do you really talk about little me to your co-workers?" Still, the older Buckley does not respond or even turn back, "Nate! I got to know! Nate!"

Bobby rolled his eyes up in the front of the truck whilst Nathan walked round the back end of his van, muttering to himself about the way Buck had been shouting out after him. He'd not seen his sibling much in the last fortnight, despite sharing a city with Buck and the constant calls that was left on his phone by the consistent firefighter

Let's meet up! Sure. Saturday good?

Can you pick me up? Where u?

I think penguins had wings once. Do you think they did? I'll have to look it up after shift. They have wings, but they're not flying wings.

Have you spoke to Mom? Nope. U?

Plz pick me up? Buck it's 3.30am. Where are u?

Shutting the door behind himself, he tugs the vest off over his head and throws it into the passenger seat, rubbing his hand over the side of his jaw and forgetting to clip his belt in as he started the engine. He'd mentioned Maddie calling him that morning to Evan but he'd not managed to see if she'd tried contacting their little brother. Nathan hadn't managed to get to her call and when he'd called her back, she hadn't answered.

Any of the seven times. The text messages went unanswered as well.

Checking to see Keller had left the scene, Nathan took off and done the same. He had to get back to the station, do as his Sergeant had asked and check over any missing person's cases, and write up his part. With any luck, he'd be leaving the station right on time for his shift coming to an end. Nathan had been on since 04:00. He wanted to get back, pick up his kid and enjoy the time he had with her.

He took out his work phone first, tossing it in the passenger seat, before clicking his tongue as he took out his personal one.

The fact Nathan was the law breaking the law went over his head as he clicked on his sister's name and brought the device up to his ear, raising his shoulder to keep the phone balanced. One ring after another and just before the voicemail hit, Nathan cursed and tossed that phone beside the other.

"What's going on?" He mumbled to himself, glancing down at the phones and worrying his mind like a roll-over as he turned onto another street.

Maddie never responded to any of his text messages. She hadn't since he'd visited her last, about two and a half years ago, though that didn't stop him from messaging her once a day. It was a hobby at this point — sending both her and Buck a message every morning as his coffee brewed. He always got a reply from Buck, most of the time in the form of a call, and other times in the response of Buck's 'fact of the day'.

And now Maddie was. . . calling him?

Something must of happened. Was it Doug? Nobody would stop his hands from wrapping round that asshole's throat if he found out Doug had done something to his elder sister. Nathan had never liked the guy, smart and ambitious as he was, but his sister had loved Doug and left their childhood home to go College elsewhere with him. She'd become a nurse, and had done brilliantly for herself, but when she moved back, just shy of Buck turning eighteen, Nathan had long left for the Army and so he hadn't seen her then.

But now?

Years later, she was the one reaching out to him.

So why wasn't she answering him when he was trying to call her back?

Perhaps. . . he could go there, to her. To make sure that she's doing okay. He was off this weekend, and he had his little girl, so maybe he could make an exciting trip out of it for her to see her Auntie Maddie. She had never met his sister before. He would really like it if they could meet.

With that decision in mind, to go out to see his sister, he pulled into the station's car lot with the rush for the day to end.

"Yeah, I know. I know," Nathan jogged over to the front door, one hand stretching out to push at the frame with his fingertips, a tight smile crossing his lips. Though he was only six minutes late, his daughter loved her routines and she counted every moment. So, seeing her standing there with her arms crossed over her chest and her teddy trapped between, guilt was quick to burst. "I'm sorry, baby, daddy's —"

"It's alright, Nate," Danielle, his daughter's Mother, shook her head from beside their girl with a hand on her own hip. "She told me so long as you made her favourite pasta tonight, she'll forgive you."

His smile softened, bending down to Robin's height. "Of course," It was a basic chicken pasta, but Robin liked basic meals. Basic snacks. The same snacks. Water over juice. She was like Nathan in that aspect. Though he'd never dated Danielle, they had been good friends once that had drank too much one night, and with that one night, they became parents. "Have you got everything for school tomorrow, Robby?"

Robin swung her school bag, and another, round her side and toward her Father's chest. Danielle smiled with a small shake of her head.

"I need a favour," Danielle sighs, one hand coming up to rub her temple. "And it's a big ask of me, about Robin, but —"

"Don't do that," Nathan stood, waving one hand whilst his other is grabbed by Robin. He gives the tall, dark-haired woman a reassuring look, "I'm her Dad. You need me to have her till mid-week?"

Their custody was 50/50 and luckily, they lived near each other. Danielle's neighbourhood wasn't far from Nathan's apartment building, close enough for Danielle to drop Robin off on a passing by dog walk. And with Danielle going through a busy time at work, where she was a nurse, picking up extra shifts with her husband being off sick for the time-being, Nathan had been having her for at least five days a week most weeks for the past month or two instead of the even split.

Besides, it wasn't only Nathan who wanted his daughter around more.

Buck — Uncle Buck, as he still excitedly introduced himself to people — loved it as well. Maybe even more with the way he repeatedly stole Nathan's daughter from him.

"Longer," Danielle admitted, "When I finish work Sunday, I need to fly to my sister's." Nathan had strangely been thinking of doing the same thing. "She's not well and she's not doing too well, so we're going to go but I didn't want to take Robin out of school and I know —"

"It's fine," Nathan's placed his free hand on top of Robin's head, glancing down to his daughter who grinned up at him. Robin had Nathan wrapped around her finger from the moment he'd felt her kick in Danielle's bump of a belly. "You know that's fine. I hope your sister's. . ." He trailed off, because she'd just said her sister wasn't fine, "I hope she gets better. Yeah, go see her. Robin will be fine."

Danielle stepped closer, "I don't ever doubt that," She kissed the top of Robin's head, hand cradling the little girl's cheek. "Two weeks, tops. That's how long I got cleared for work, anyway. Then I'll be back, okay, baby? I love you. Be good for your Dad."

Nathan hummed, giving a shake of his head. He wasn't so sure about that. Robin was fine by herself, but Robin and Buck? It was when they were together and Nathan was running round after their energy that he understood Maddie most when it had been her doing that with him and Buck as children. When he'd stare up at the way Buck would be climbing a tree, or Nathan would be fighting at school, or she was cleaning up their cuts and bruises.

"Thank you, Nate," Danielle squeezed his arm next.

"Keep me updated, alright?" Nathan nodded at her, walking backwards with Robin stood on the top of his shoes, arms around her front. "And give that husband of yours a big kiss for me!"

Her smile dropped a little at his joke, giving a roll of her eyes playfully as she waved her arms around and walked back inside as Nathan buckled Robin in his car.

It was a running joke with how well Nathan and Danielle's husband, Justin, got along, and the fact Nathan had told Danielle — before she had gone on a date with Justin and after they had Robin — that if she didn't go for him, then Nathan would. Considering Nathan liked guys. But she did, and they got along great, and they had married just short of a year ago now. Nathan had been the best man, an insult to Justin's brother, but one Justin had wished for.

"Is Uncle Buck at home?" Robin asked the moment he sat in the driver's seat.

He glanced back at her, "No, but I'll call him to come over so he can see you."

The grin she beamed back at him was answer enough to how she felt about that. Unsurprisingly. Her favourite person in the world was undoubtedly Uncle Buck right now.

As he drove, he turned his head slightly to relieve the tension in his neck. "I was thinking a little road trip," Nathan announced to the little girl in the backseat, "That we could go and see Auntie Maddie. I think she'd like to meet you."

Her eyes flickered to the front from staring out the window. "What if I get car sick from driving so long?"

"We can fly, or — or go by train," He tapped a finger against the wheel. Robin had tablets for her car sickness, but the thought of both driving for too long and vomiting frightened the little girl. Whereas, she loved planes and trains. Aside from the business of an airport. With that in mind, he knew what her reply would be.

"Train!" Robin cheered. Her big grin a mirror image of Buck's. 

She'd been born with a head full of sandy hair, that had slowly darkened with each passing year, and the only person on either sides of the family with that shade was also Nathan's brother. He'd felt bad during the times Danielle had mourned their little girl barely taking after her in appearance, but in truth, Nathan thought she resembled Buck the most, so he couldn't take any parenting credit for that. Even if her hair was now the same colouring as Nathan's.

He rocked his head forward in slow agreement, "Train it is."

"Can Uncle Buck come with us?"

"I think Uncle Buck's working a 24 on Sunday," Nathan looked to the right before indicating to move onto his street. His other hand adjusted the mirror. "But I'll ask him, alright?" Nathan added when he saw the disappointment in her face. 

His daughter nodded, "Don't forget, Daddy."

A huff blew past his lips, amazed at how much she sounded like her Mother, and his own big sister. Robin's genes meant she didn't stand a chance against those bossy little traits that demanded it's imprint in her. Both he and Buck would need their luck in the future. "I won't forget, Robby."

The race up to his apartment made the child giddy as she giggled her way down the long lit corridor, Nathan following as he carried both her two backpacks and his own home work gear. When he'd first moved in, he remembered some of his neighbours being irritated at his child's hyperactivity, but with Robin's hobby of helping her Father bake them home goods in the form of cookies and brownies, they were quick to deal with the routine of Robin screaming her excitement.  

"I won!" She threw her fists up into the air, bouncing on the heels of her feet. "You're so slow!"

"Excuse me for carrying everything," Nathan muttered, digging into his pocket for the apartment keys. He had to jerk his left leg out, bags taking up most of his arm space and grip, being careful to lean forward and unlock the door. Robin pushes the entrance open and runs through first. "Robin! Careful on the step!"

"I know, Da —" A scream erupts from his daughter, interrupting her joyful response.

The bags are thrown to the floor as Nathan leaps forward, panic leaking through his entire being as he hears the sound of his daughter's own. He didn't carry his firearm off-duty and his safe, containing his personal weapon, was in the room beside this one. He went forward empty-handed, his only thought being Robin.

His arm wraps around her shoulders, pulling her into his front as she clutches at his shirt. She's still screaming and his eyes are wildly searching toward the living area, right up to the point he also sees the woman sitting on his couch. 

The flinch that rocks through his body doesn't go unseen as the short, dark-haired woman also jumps up onto her feet, hands coming up.

"Maddie!"

"It's just me!" Maddie looks between the father and daughter, both she had caused to panic. Though she cannot help but notice the way they pull the same face, even if the younger one had screamed and continued to verbally express her fright. "It's just me — I'm sorry — they let me in!"

"What?" Nathan cannot help the surprise in his voice, moving forward and tugging Robin with him who had calmed down. When her fingers dig into her wrists, he looks down at Robin, "It's fine, Robby, this is your Auntie Maddie. My sister," He felt her grip loosening as he looked back to the sheepish looking sibling of his, "Who let you into my apartment?"

Maddie threw her hands up again, towards the kitchen. "Your elderly neighbour. I told him I was your sister and he gave me your spare key," She picked up the key from the coffee table, the smile on her face growing larger as she continued stepping forward, unable to keep her eyes off her niece. "Hello, Robin,"

"He just gave you a key?" Nathan echoed in disbelief, "That's. . . unbelievable."

Robin looked up to her Father and then across to the woman again, as Maddie kneeled in front of her. "Your Daddy's big sister?" There were photographs all around the apartment with Maddie's face, slightly younger, in. Robin knew perfectly well who her Auntie was even without meeting her before. It just took a moment. "He didn't say you were so pretty!" 

Glee flamed in Maddie's pupils at her niece's words, shuffling closer as she remained knelt down. Her hands grasp either side of Robin's arms, unable to keep her large smile contained as she continued to examine Robin's features. "Oh, if only I was as pretty as you." And Robin giggled, her freckled cheeks flaming with a blush at the words.

Taking a step back, Nathan gave them some space as he picked the bags up that he'd thrown to the ground in a hurry and hanging them up on the wall peg. Removing his jacket, he walked round the kitchen island and skimmed his fingertips across the counter tops. A smile of his own formed as he saw the way Robin had her arms wrapped around Maddie's neck, pulling his sister to her front and giggling happily at the attention she was being shown.

His head moved forward in a nodding motion when Maddie's eyes met his, her happiness displayed with the few tears that had slipped down her cheeks. Both Nathan and Robin were telling her the same thing.

I'm glad that you're here.

"Hey, baby, Uncle Buck is on his way," Nathan waved his phone, setting that down on the counter. "Why don't you run on up, pick out your pyjamas and movie you want to watch tonight while I run you your bath before dinnertime, alright?" 

Robin spun on her heels, one hand still on Maddie's shoulder as his sister kept a hold of her. "Any movie?"

He could already feel the regret bubbling in the pit of his stomach as his smile tightened, giving a small hum with a nod. Robin's eyes narrowed, understanding her Father enough to know some of his little tricks, before she nodded, pressing a kiss to Maddie's cheek before running to the stairs and taking herself up the steps. She gave one look of her shoulder when she reached the loft of the apartment, flashing a cheeky grin before disappearing to the left where her room was.

"So," Maddie stood back up, her hands squeezing together against her stomach with a slight nervous look on her face. "What film will we be watching?" 

Nathan couldn't stop himself from walking round the kitchen island, his arms reaching for her the closer he got. One of his hands cradled the back of her head whilst the other wrapped around her, tugging her into his chest as she held onto him tightly. It had been too long since he'd even had a proper conversation with her and now he was holding her the way she used to hold him as a boy.

"I've missed you," She cried against him. Her fingers dug just beneath his shoulder blades. "I'm sorry I missed so much of her life, I. . ."

"What did he do?" Nathan pressed a kiss to the side of her head, the hand coming from the back of her head to cradle her cheek as he leaned back and down to get a proper look at her again. His other hand skimmed from round his sister's shoulders to cradle her other cheek, holding her face in his hands. The look in her eyes was one he was familiar with and he felt sick at the sight. Everything made sense and he'd known that, deep down in his gut, since he saw he had missed her call. "Maddie?"

Her head shook, "Nothing," She attempted.

"You can't lie to me, Maddie." Nathan brushed his thumb beneath his sister's eye, feeling the smile in her cheek underneath his palm. "Your brother's a cop. I can sniff out a lie from a mile away."

"You're a cop," Her hand grabbed his wrist, nodding her head. "A detective now. That's why I came to you but. . ."

Pulling her back in, his chin rested against the crown on her head and he squeezed her against him. She had come to Los Angeles, running from her husband's side to find her brothers, because she knew the only people in the world who would protect her were her brothers. He knew she'd eventually talk about it, about the depths of her marriage that had caused her to flee, but he wasn't going to force out the details now. Or tomorrow. Or the day after. But when she's ready.

Nathan was just glad she had come home to them.

There was nowhere safer for her.

"I got it," He reassured her, so she didn't have to say anything else. He felt her sigh against his skin, "I got you. And Buck," He pressed another kiss to her head, slowly leaning back again. "He'll be here any minute. Coming straight from shift."

Maddie's hands took her turn to cradle her younger brother's cheeks for a second, giving a small nod. "I wasn't sure where Buck was living."

Her hands dropped and Nathan let out a small laugh, tilting his head. "He has this. . . girlfriend," His nose scrunches at the thought of the woman older than him. He hadn't been against his brother's relationship at first, he'd thought Abby was nice. And then she'd all but left and now Buck was chasing after something that was actively hurting him to think about. "He deserves better but trying to tell Buck that is like. . ."

"Yeah, I remember how Buck is," Maddie searched Nathan's face, keeping her gaze locked on him even when he turned and walked back into the kitchen area. "You're worried about him." She followed after him, raising her eyebrows when he gave her a look, "Is it something I ought to know?"

"It's something you can ask Buck about." He tapped the counter top, "Anyway, he goes between her place that she asked him to look after and here. We were living together before she left." His hand waved around in the air, then paused and scanned her up and down, "You need a place to stay?"

Pressing her hands against the coldness of the island, Maddie sheepishly smiled. "Is there room?"

"I'd always have room for you and Buck," Nathan shot her a smile. His finger then pointed toward the door beside the stairs, "I have three rooms. That one is Buck's," He gestured above him, "Robin bird's room is above and the guest room."

Concern immediately spread across her expression, leaning closer. "That's three for three. Where do you sleep?"

Nathan nodded toward the top of the stairs, "The open area at the top of the loft," He placed a bottle of wine from the wine fridge and a wine glass, which his sister reached out for with wiggling fingers. He never drank the wine that he was gifted on occasions. "It's a safe neighbourhood, I checked it all out before I got the place, but it's, er, an old habit, I guess. I never liked the idea of two doors and three rooms separating me from Robby when she was a baby. I just kept up with it."

He didn't have an actual bedroom for himself when he had three. Maddie didn't like the sound of that.

"Tell me you have a bed." She demanded, raising her brows.

A knock came from the front door as Nathan laughed, clicking his fingers. "I got the whole lot. Just not the door." He pointed to where Robin had disappeared off to, "I got the stairs instead. You can have the guest room. Stay as long as —" He opened the door, face softening at the sight of Buck standing on the other side, digging into his pockets, "— you'd like."

One of Buck's pocket's was turned inside out, "I left my key back in my locker at the station," He explained the knocking and stepped inside, only to pause at the sight of Maddie stood there, a glass of wine in her hand before her arms both came up as if throwing a surprise party for him. "Holy s —" Nathan clipped the back of his head, interrupting the cursing as he shut the door, "I mean — I mean, Maddie?"

Giving them both a look, Nathan shook his head and left them for a few minutes as he jogged up the stairs and toward the bathroom to start the bath. He could hear Robin singing to herself, some tune from Hannah Montana, something she usually watched every Saturday morning. Taking a seat on the edge of the tub, he turned the tap on and pushed the plug down, his other hand rubbing at his eye as his tiredness began catching up to him.

The apartment was going to be full tonight.

"Uncle Buck!"

"There she is!"

Grabbing one of the pink towels from the cupboard beneath the sink, Nathan stepped out and turned, leaning against the wall and watching from the top of the stairs as his daughter jumped on his brother. He'd clearly been hugging Maddie from the way his sister laughed, one half of her body pushing itself back up to stand straight, watching the way Buck swung Robin around as if they'd not seen each other a few days ago.

"Will you stay and watch Robin Hood with us?" Robin asked a question that had the exact same answer each and every time. The classic animated movie was Robin's go-to. The same one she picked out since Nathan had told her where he'd gotten the name Robin from.

"You know that's my favourite movie," Buck answered, fingers tickling his niece's stomach. "Good thing I got popcorn left over from our last movie night."

Watching the pair, stood next to Maddie who was brought into the conversation, made Nathan feel more at home than he'd felt in a long time.

He liked the feeling of a full house. 

notes —

the first chapter is up! sorry it took a few days longer than promised, but let me know what you think! 

maddie's return is a little different, but only because i have also changed buck's living arrangements to him partly staying at nathan's (where he had lived full-time since arriving in la prior to taking care of abby's apartment) now. it is a three bed in the same apartment building as where buck will soon move into which is why details of the lay-out is similar.