Chapter Text
"This is so cool!" Harry was bubbling with excitement. With May off to college, he was starting to feel lonely. His Mom and Bobby worked a lot and his Dad had started to get sick again and when Harry went over they didn't do much more than play video games and eat junk food. Harry was starting to feel like he was left behind. So when he told his mom a new Batman movie was coming out he didn't think he'd actually be able to go see it until a few weeks later. That was until Bobby sprung him from school an hour early today. As soon as he got in Bobby's truck he saw the tickets. Bobby had gotten the two of them tickets to the new Batman movie. They didn't even have to wait in line! After dropping Harry's school stuff off at home, Bobby took him out to dinner at Harry's favorite burger place. They stopped at the store to pick up Batman t-shirts his mom had ordered online for the two of them to wear to the movie. They were standing in line at the concession stand where Bobby had told Harry he could pick one candy to go with his popcorn and soda. Harry snapped a selfie and sent it to his Mom. He had already inundated her with texts about how this was the best surprise ever! Bobby was glad his step-son was so happy. He knew it was hard for Harry when his parents got divorced. Then Michael got sick and May left for college. It was a lot of change in a short time for a kid to go through. No wonder he hadn't seemed his usual peppy self lately.
"Alright Buddy, what did you decide on?" Bobby asked as they stepped up to the counter.
"Uh...Peanut butter M&Ms!" Harry bounced up and down on the balls of his feet.
"Alright. We'll take a kid's box with peanut butter M&Ms, popcorn, and a Sprite. And a small combo, with a Pepsi." Bobby handed the kid behind the counter his credit card.
"Mom's going to be so mad she missed this. I can't wait to watch the movie! Can we sit in the front row!?" Harry grinned excitedly.
Bobby laughed, "I think your Mom is pretty happy with having the house to herself for a night." He handed Harry his soda, "Got that?"
"Yup!" Harry carefully held his ticket in one hand and the soda in the other. The two walked down the counter to where extra napkins and straws were placed. Bobby could feel the intense stare of someone behind him. He hated that every time it was him and the kid's someone always had to stare at them. He always chose to ignore other's ignorance unless they forced him to say something. Harry held his phone up to Bobby, "Say cheese!" Harry snapped a picture of the two of them, "I'm gonna send that one to Mom and tell her we're going to find the best seats." Bobby piled the extra napkins on top of the popcorn with a smile on his face. The two quickly found their seats in the third row from the front, after Harry realized the front row was a little too close. Bobby helped Harry get settled with his snack as the previews started.
Almost two hours later Harry's eyes were large as saucers as he talked to his Mom on the phone, "It was so cool!"
Athena chuckled, "Oh yeah? What was the best part?" She asked.
"The part where Wonder Woman showed up at the party where Bruce Wayne was and then the bomb went off and he had to change into Batman and he did this really cool thing where he jumped off a roof and into a window!" Harry said without pausing between words.
Bobby held the door open for Harry as they walked out of the theater. Harry continued to talk to his mom rambling on and on about the movie. After a few more minutes of them talking and then Bobby talking to her for a moment, the phone was slid back into Bobby's pocket.
"Enjoyed the movie?" Bobby pushed the button on his key fob to unlock his truck.
"It was great! I had so much fun!" Harry wrapped his arms around Bobby's middle and hugged him tightly.
Bobby hugged the young boy back, "I had fun too."
"Thanks, Dad!" Harry said happily.
Bobby stood stunned for a moment by Harry's words. He hugged Harry a little tighter, "Anytime." He wasn't sure the right or wrong way to respond. He and Athena never really talked about if the kids called him Dad or Bobby. They never asked so it never changed when he married their Mom. Now here he was, in a parking lot, hugging Harry, who had just called him Dad.
Harry must have noticed something, "Sorry." He looked up at Bobby feeling as if he was in trouble.
Bobby got down to Harry's eye level, "For what?"
"For calling you Dad." Harry dropped his gaze to the pavement.
"It's okay. You don't have to be sorry for that." Bobby smiled. He wasn't sure if Harry thought he made a mistake and Bobby was upset with him or genuinely did slip up. In either case, Bobby wasn't going to make it a big deal. He noted it in the back of his mind to bring up to his wife after Harry was asleep.
"I didn't mean to. Dad said I'm not supposed to say that to you." Harry confessed, "He said that since we're not really your kids we can't call you Dad. It just sorta came out."
Bobby wasn't sure how to approach this topic. He said a quick prayer hoping he didn't screw it up too bad, "Just because you and May aren't related to me by blood, doesn't make you any less my kids. I love you both so much. We're still family."
"But Dad said you had kids of your own and that we can't call you Dad because we aren't their replacement," Harry explained.
Bobby sighed unsure of where the conversation was going, "He's right. I did have two kids. A boy and a girl. And I was married before I met your Mom." Bobby hoped Athena wasn't going to be too mad at him for what he said next, "But there was a big fire. And they died. I miss them all a lot. Especially on days like their birthday. But then I met your Mom and I fell so in love with her all I wanted to do was marry her and be a part of your family." He paused to see if Harry was still following along, "You and May don't replace my two kids. You two are my....bonus kids. The kids I never realized I needed in life until I met your Mom. And I realized how special she is and how special you and May are. I love you and May. You two are two of the most important people in the world to me. And I'm so lucky to be a part of your family."
"But what if your real kids didn't die?" Harry asked.
"You and May are my real kids. Just because we don't share the same blood doesn't mean we aren't family." Bobby tried to explain.
"Like adoption?" Harry wondered, "I have a friend who is adopted. His Mom and Dad gave him away when he was a baby to a new family."
Bobby nodded his head, "Yeah. Kinda like that. The people he lives with now are his real parents even though they don't share the same blood, right?" Harry nodded his head, "And they're still his real parents." Harry bit his lower lip to think for a moment, "So it's kind of like that. You're my real kid. You're just as much my son as my other son."
"So does that mean you have four kids?" Harry continued with his twenty questions.
Bobby smile, "Yeah. I guess I do."
"So does that mean it's okay to call you Dad?" Harry asked quietly. He was unsure of how Bobby would answer.
"Why don't we talk to your Dad and Mom and see how everyone feels," Bobby said knowing that answering that was like trying to disarm a bomb.
"Okay." Harry smiled. He opened the door to the truck and climbed in the back seat while Bobby let out a breath he didn't realize he had held in.
Talk of the movie and the sequel that was bound to come out filled the car on the drive home. Harry couldn't wait to see the next one and Bobby was excited Harry had such a good time. When Bobby pulled into the driveway he noticed Michael's car was there too. He frowned when he realized Michael hadn't parked straight and had his back tires on the grass. Judging by his parking job, he must have come over in a hurry. Harry jumped out of the truck and ran into the house.
"Mom! Bobby said that me and May are his bonus kids and I can call him Dad if you and Dad say that's okay!" Harry babbled as he ran down the stairs, "Because I called him Dad and then said sorry and then he said it was fine! So can I!?"
"What?" Michael was sitting at the table with Athena. A glass of water was in Michael's hand.
"I take it you two had fun?" Athena stood up from where she was sitting. She hugged Harry tight.
"That's not exactly how the conversation went Buddy." Bobby pressed a light kiss to his wife's cheek, "He was really excited and gave me a hug after the movie. When he said thanks he called me Dad and got a little scared that he'd made a mistake." Bobby put his hands on Harry's shoulders.
"See Dad! He said that May and I are still like his kids, like adoption! So he has four kids!" Harry tried to explain.
"Four?" Michael asked his son.
"Yeah! May and I are two and then he had two more but they died in a fire with the woman he was married to before he married Mom. Two and two is four." Harry said as if that explained everything.
"You're not his kids." Michael shook his head.
Bobby looked at Harry's father, "Michael it wasn't like that. He told me you told him he and May weren't replacements for my kids..."
"They're not!" Michael shouted.
Athena jumped in, "No they aren't but they are still family."
"No his!" Michael yelled, "You killed your son and daughter!"
Bobby opened his mouth to say something back but closed it when he saw the look on Harry's face.
"I thought they died in a fire?" Harry asked Bobby. He didn't think Bobby would lie to him. But neither would his Dad.
Athena put a hand on Harry's shoulder, "Why don't you go get washed up and in pajamas while your father and step-father and I talk."
"No!" Harry shrugged her hand away, "I'm not some stupid little kid. I know a lot!"
"This isn't a conversation for you to listen to," Athena said firmly.
"Why not? If Bobby is so willing to take my son from me then my son should know exactly what kind of man Bobby is." Michael swayed as he stood from his chair.
Bobby reached an arm out to catch Michael if he fell, "Michael why don't you sit down?"
"I don't need to sit down. I need to make sure my son knows he's not your kid. He needs to know that you're a murderer. That it's your fault your kids are dead. That you moved in on my wife and kids. That you're going to take them from me." Michael carried on.
"Michael you're drunk and you need to stop talking." Athena took Harry by the arm, "Go to your room."
"So you lied to me?!" Harry glared at Bobby.
Bobby got down on a knee, to Harry's eye level, "No. They died. The fire was an accident. I left a space heater on and fell asleep." Bobby explained.
"But that's not murder. Right, Mom? That was an accident." Harry tried to put the pieces together of what the grownups were talking about.
"Right. It was a sad and unfortunate accident." Athena gently pushed him out of the living room, "Now. Go get ready for bed. I'll be in there once I get things handled here." Harry really wanted to stay to figure out why everyone was so angry but the look on his Mom's face told him he'd better do as she said and quickly.
"Good job Athena. Make Bobby out as if he's the hero again. He's so perfect, right? The firefighter. The hotshot. Captain." Michael shook his head, "You know Bobby. I thought you were a good guy. I thought you would be someone I could trust to take care of my family if something happened to me. Looks like I trusted too much because here I am. Alive. and you're already taking my place in my son's life. A son you have nothing in common with."
"Michael I'm not trying to take anyone's place." Bobby shook his head.
Michael let out a sinister laugh, "You can't take the place of a father to him. You'll never be able to teach him how to grow up as a strong, proud black man. You'll never be that boy's father. You're just the scrawny ass white guy his mom screws. The guy who is only good for sloppy seconds" Michael let loose. The alcohol coursing through his veins making him angry and vulgar.
Athena crossed her arms, "You should go, Michael."
"No! I'm not going to just go!" Michael raised the glass in his hand, "I'm not leaving my son! My son! Do you hear me, Athena?! He's my son!" He threw the water-glass at the wall. The second it hit, the glass shattered into countless pieces, "And I'm not going to let this jackass take my place!"
"Michael!" Bobby raised his voice, "You need to leave."
"This isn't your house Bobby! You can't force me out!" Michael swayed as he spoke, "That's my son! This is my house!" Michael ranted, "You can't just come in here and take all my shit! I'm not dead yet Bobby! You can fuck my wife but you can't take my kids!"
"That's enough!" Athena shouted over Michael, "Get out." She stepped forward as if she was ready to do whatever she needed to get her ex-husband to leave.
"Not without my kid!" Michael pushed past her, "They're my God damn kids! Not yours, Bobby. You killed your family! You can't have mine!"
Bobby ran in front of Michael blocking his way to Harry's bedroom, "You're drunk. You're not taking him with you tonight. You need to go home and sleep this off." Bobby's voice had a harsh edge to it. He didn't care what Michael thought of Harry calling him Dad. This wasn't about that. This was about keeping Harry safe and not allowing him in the car with a drunk driver.
"Says the alcoholic. Tell me, Bobby, how bad do you want to drink now? How about getting high? Huh? How bad do you want to just hit something and give in to that pussy-ass addiction of yours?" Michael sneered, "You're alcohol's bitch and you know it. Not even man enough to drink like one. You have to always be the hero and shine around saying you're so perfect because you're not drunk. Well, guess what Bobby?" Michael looked him up and down, "You'll always be a worthless, drunk, addict who let his wife and children burn. You want that drink yet?"
"Not half as much as I want you to leave us alone for the night and we can talk about all of this tomorrow when everyone's had time to sober up and cool down." Bobby refused to take the bait Michael dangled in front of him.
"You don't understand. Your pathetic excuse for a brain doesn't get it. Maybe it's the drugs you like to pop that fried your tiny brain." Michael shook his head. He pointed to Athena, "You can fuck her all you want! Have her! Lord knows I don't care about that! But you're not stopping me from taking my son!" Michael moved to push Bobby out of the way.
Athena stepped between the two men, "But I am. Michael. Leave. Now."
"Not without my son!" Michael threw a punch to Athena's face.
"9-1-1 What's your emergency?" Maddie answered the incoming call. She immediately heard voices in the background yelling and arguing.
"Help! My parents are fighting!" A scared young voice said, "I think I need the police!"
"Okay. I'm sending someone out to help. Where are you?" She started to quickly dispatch police and RA units to the address, "What's your name?"
"My name's Harry. Harry Grant." The young boy said.
"Your Mom is Sergeant Grant?" Maddie knew the answer to her question already. She knew Athena's address by heart.
"Yeah." Harry hid in his closet trying to disappear, "This is all my fault!"
"Harry, it's Maddie. What's going on?" Maddie didn't have any idea what to even think. She never thought Athena and Bobby would get into a physical altercation, "Who is fighting? Is it your Mom and Bobby?"
"It's all of them! I accidentally called Bobby Dad and he said it was okay and when I told my Mom and Dad what I said, my Dad got really mad. And he told me Bobby killed his kids but he didn't really because it was an accident. And then Mom made me come into my room but now they're fighting and yelling and I heard something breaking. Please! I don't know what to do!" Harry explained.
"Okay Harry, where are you right now? Are you in your room?" Maddie picked up her phone to text Buck. She wasn't sure exactly what was going on or who started the fight but she was sure Bobby might need someone or somewhere to stay tonight. Depending on what was going on in the Grant-Nash house. Her next text was to Hen. She knew Hen and Athena were best friends and that Harry and Denny often played together and slept over at each other's houses. She hoped that if needed Hen could get Harry out of the house while the adults sorted out their problems.
"I'm in my closet," Harry told her.
"Good. That's a good place for you to stay. I've got a lot of people coming to help and get everyone calmed down okay." Maddie stayed calm hoping that Harry would be okay. No matter what the experience of having to call 9-1-1 could be traumatizing for kids, "Tell me what you and Bobby did tonight." Maddie asked.
"We went to see the Batman movie. And I said thanks but I slipped and called him Dad. Then I told him about how my Dad said May and I can't do that because we aren't replacements for Bobby's other kids. And then Bobby said that May and me are his bonus kids. And we're all family. Like adoption and stuff. And he said that May and I are his real kids too. Like when someone is adopted they have parents that gave them away and whatever and then they have parents they live with and they are still real parents. And I asked if calling him Dad was okay and he said that we'd talk to Mom and Dad about it when we got home but he said that it was fine that I slipped up." Harry sniffled, "Guess it wasn't fine."
"Oh, Harry." Maddie said softly, "This isn't your fault. You slipped up but all that means is you really love Bobby and feel that he's really important to you. Like a Dad would be. Do you know that Buck calls him Pop sometimes? Because Buck feels the same way. Bobby is a lot like another Dad to him."
"He does?" Harry asked.
"Yeah. And Bobby loves you so much! He talks about you and May all the time." Maddie listened for sirens in the background.
"I think the police are here," Harry said quietly.
"Do you want me to stay on the phone for a few more minutes?" She asked.
"I don't hear any more yelling," Harry said. Maddie listened to him pause for a moment. Her phone buzzed beside her. She didn't have time to check the message before Harry exclaimed, "Hen's here!"
"I got him, Maddie." Henrietta's voice came over the line.
"Good." Maddie sighed in relief. She was desperate to know what was going on but happy that Harry would be okay tonight.
"I'll call you later." Hen said before ending the call.
Maddie took off her headset and walked to the break room. She needed to take a few moments to decompress after that call.
Outside the Grant-Nash house, the red and blue lights lit up the sky. Bobby was with Athena sitting on the back of an ambulance as the EMT looked him over. He had a black eye from where Michael's fist landed after Bobby pushed Athena out of the way. His knuckles had blood on them from punching Michael and knocking him to the ground long enough to subdue him until the police arrived. Athena had started to go check on Harry when Hen flew into the house through the open door. Hen didn't stop to talk. She walked right past everyone and into Harry's bedroom. She walked out with Harry in her arms and a backpack. The only heads-up Athena got that Hen was taking him, was a hand in the air as she put Harry in her car and drove home to Karen. Athena didn't question how Hen knew there was a problem. After all, if it was Maddie that answered the 9-1-1 call tonight's events was the new gossip for both the station and firehouse for days.
Athena put her head in her hand as she explained what happened to the officers on the scene. Michael was quickly taken into custody after swinging at an officer. Athena had tried to get him to calm down and just take the ride to the hospital but he had to go and get angry at the police officer who pulled him away from Bobby. Once he swung at the officer Athena knew he was going to spend the night in jail.
"Alright Captain. I think you're all set. You sure you don't want a ride to the ER to check that out?" The EMT pointed to his eye.
Bobby shook his head, "It's fine. Thanks." He took his wife's hand in his as they walked away from the ambulance. The two of them spoke with officers giving them detailed accounts of what happened. From everyone's view, it looked like Michael was drunk and lost his cool. The police department offered to tow his car but Bobby stopped them, saying it was fine to leave the car overnight.
Once the house was cleared of police Bobby shut and locked the door. He looked over at the broken coffee table and picture frames. The small things that had been knocked off the mantel and shattered glass on the floor. His eyes scanned the room until they landed on his wife. She stood in the middle of chaos with her arms wrapped around herself. Her head was bowed and Bobby could tell she was crying. He raced down the stairs, pulling her into his arms.
"Hey." He said softly, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. If I knew this was going to cause all of this I would have called you the second Harry said, Dad. I'd have called you to talk to him while we drove home. Maybe I shouldn't have said what I did to him. I'm not trying to step into Michael's shoes. I'm sorry."
"What are you sorry for?" Athena shook her head, "For protecting Harry and me? For being a good man? A man Harry looks up to and trusts? For loving Harry?" Athena leaned into her husband, "You didn't do this Bobby. In fact, you got a black eye, and all these bruises because you protected me tonight. You stepped up and protected Harry. You did whatever you had to do to prevent Michael from getting Harry in his car and driving drunk. This wasn't you're fault. This is Michael's fault."
Bobby kissed her lips softly, "I should have called you before we got home. I didn't know he'd be here and it would spiral like this."
"Nobody did. He showed up here at the end of a bottle and hadn't stopped prattling on about the kids. I was hoping I could get him to sober up enough to let me call him a ride home or let me take him home." Athena sighed, "Bobby. Everything he said..."
Bobby put a hand under her chin, tilting her lips to meet his, "This isn't your fault either." The couple stayed embraced for what felt like hours. Eventually, they cleaned up what they could and climbed into bed. Athena called Hen to check on Harry who, though shaken up and scared, seemed okay while he and Denny built a fort in the living room to sleep in for the night. Athena didn't even care when Hen said she let the boys have cookies and milk as a bedtime snack and let them stay up late to watch Spongebob on Netflix.
Bobby lay in bed with his wife asleep beside him. He had barely slept all night. All he kept thinking about was Harry. And how scared he must have been. Bobby was glad both he and Athena had the day off today. They'd be able to talk to Harry and hopefully, Michael had sobered up overnight and they'd be able to discuss what happened. The one thing Bobby knew for sure was that there was no way he was allowing Michael to speak to him or Athena that way ever again. The things that came out of his mouth last night made Bobby furious. Not only did he go for the jugular when screaming at Bobby, but he also continued to insult Athena and demean her as a woman. Talked about her as if she was an object to own and not a person.
"You're thinking very loudly for someone who should still be asleep." Athena rolled over to face her husband. She had barely slept all night. She felt guilty and worried at the same time. The way Michael spoke of Bobby's first wife and kids was unacceptable. If he felt that way then he could take his feelings back to his own apartment. There was no way Athena was going to sit back and let her ex-husband be so rotten to her current husband. Bobby had come a long way and didn't deserve to have his past thrown in his face. She remembered when Bobby told her about how Buck's lawyer used everything he could to get Bobby to look bad. She remembered how much it hurt Bobby to hear that used as a tool to knock him down. She prayed he'd have the strength to come to her if things were overwhelming him.
"I'm sorry I woke you." Bobby shifted, placing Athena's head on his chest.
"You didn't. I haven't slept either." She confessed.
"I just keep thinking about Harry." Bobby told her, "He was so happy and excited."
"Yeah well, Michael will have to rectify that." Athena slid an arm over Bobby's waist.
"What if he doesn't?" Bobby sighed.
Athena pushed up on her elbow, "Then you and I will fix it. The only person we should be upset with here is Michael. Not you. Or Harry or me." She told him. Athena rolled to her back, stretching her arms up over her head as she yawned, "C'mon. Join me in the shower and we can pick Harry up for breakfast. And bring Hen and Karen some coffee." She smiled. Bobby watched her get out of bed, "You coming?"
"I was just thinking about everything." Bobby sighed.
"I can see that. You get that wrinkle in your brow when you're concerned and worried." Athena grabbed his hand and tugged, "Come shower with your naked wife and we'll figure the other stuff out after I help you clear your head a bit." She winked at him. Bobby smirked at his wife as he followed her. Maybe this was a sign that the day was going to be better than the previous one.
After profusely thanking Hen and Karen for their impromptu babysitting services, Athena and Harry were home. Instead of going out to breakfast as they'd originally planned Bobby pointed out that maybe Harry would feel more comfortable discussing what happened at home. The new plan was Athena would pick up Harry while Bobby stayed home and cooked breakfast.
"We're home!" Athena called out as she walked in the door. Harry dragged his feet behind her.
"Hey!" Bobby walked out of the kitchen to greet his wife. He let a chaste kiss on her lips before smiling at Harry, "Hi Harry."
Harry's eyes were glued to the floor, "Hi." He whispered.
Bobby looked at Athena with concern in his eyes. This wasn't a good sign, "I made breakfast. You're favorite. Chocolate chip pancakes!"
"Oh." Harry sighed, "I'm not really hungry."
"That's okay baby. How about some fruit?" Athena guided him to the table. Harry shrugged his shoulders wordlessly. Athena squeezed Bobby's hand. Harry had been like this since she picked him up. Barely speaking and refusing to look at anyone. Bobby pulled up a chair next to Athena so they could both talk to Harry, "Harry, why don't you tell us what's wrong." Athena gently pushed.
"I don't know." Harry mumbled, "Nothing."
"We know last night was scary for you." Bobby said gently, "And it's uncomfortable to talk about this morning. But your Mom and I really want to make sure you're okay."
"I'm fine." Harry picked at his fingernails. He didn't know what to say or do. He just wanted everyone to go back to liking everyone again.
"Last night, your father was very drunk." Athena stated with the largest part of the story, "When someone is drunk, they don't make the best choices."
"I know that. We learned about drugs and alcohol in D.A.R.E. class." Harry reminded her.
Athena nodded her head, "Sometimes people get angry when they are drunk. And they get violent. Other times they get silly and do risky things because they think it's fun. And sometimes it makes people really tired so they run a red light because they fell asleep while driving the car."
Harry looked up at her, "So Dad gets angry?"
"Unfortunately. That's what happened last night. He said some very mean, crude, and untrue things last night." Athena started to explain.
"Like Bobby killing his family and calling him alcoholic. What is that?" Harry asked.
Bobby sighed, "An alcoholic is someone who is addicted to drinking alcohol. It's an illness. So people who are alcoholics have to stop drinking because when they drink, their brain tells them to drink more. And what happens is eventually it's not just one glass of wine with dinner. It's drinking alcohol all the time because your brain convinces you that you can't function without it." Bobby explained, "It's like someone who takes drugs."
"They get addicted and can't stop taking them," Harry remembered from class.
"Exactly." Athena nodded her head.
"So Bobby drinks and does drugs?" Harry didn't understand. He'd never seen Bobby drink before. He knew his Mom had wine sometimes but Bobby always had iced tea or water or soda or something else.
"I used to." Bobby confessed, "A long time ago I got really hurt after an emergency. They gave me some medicine for the pain and I became addicted to it. Eventually, the medicine stopped working so I went looking for other things that could make the pain go away. I started drinking and taking more medicine than I wasn't supposed to. I wasn't able to take care of myself. Or my kids. Or my wife. I was really messing up my whole life but I didn't notice because I was always drunk and high." Bobby squeezed Athena's hand, "One night my wife and I got into an argument. I walked out of the apartment and went to get high and drunk. When I left I had locked myself out of the apartment so I couldn't get back in and my wife was sleeping. I went to another apartment in the same building and turned on the space heater figuring I'd just stay there for a bit. At some point, I left the apartment and went up to the roof. The space heater sparked and caused a fire. The whole apartment building burned to the ground." Bobby took a deep breath, "A lot of people died and got hurt because I left the heater on and the building wasn't made the right way. The sprinklers never came on and the alarms didn't go off properly. So there wasn't a lot of time for people to get out and get safe."
"And that's how your kids died? And your wife?" Harry asked softly. He saw how Bobby was squeezing his Mom's hand. He wondered if Bobby was scared to tell the story or scared to remember it.
Bobby nodded his head solemnly, "Yeah Buddy they did."
"Did you still do drugs and drink after that?" Harry wasn't sure if he was supposed to ask that or not.
"For a while. Yeah." Bobby said honestly, "I was really sad and really angry at myself. I tried to get clean and sober and I made a promise to God that I'd save one life for every life I took in the fire." Bobby knew the next question Harry was going to ask, "One hundred and forty-eight people died in the fire."
Harry swung his feet nervously, "What are you going to do after you save that many?"
Bobby reached across to take Harry's hand in his, "I told God that when I saved that many people, I'd commit suicide and then I could be with my wife and kids again." Harry's eyes went wide, "But." Bobby said quickly, "Your Mom came along. And she was there for me when I was going through a really dark place. She brightened up everything around me and I was able to find my way out of the dark. She was so bright it was like following an angel. She helped me realize that I don't want to die. I miss my wife and kids. Very much so. But if I died I'd miss so much more. I'd miss the chance to spend my life with her. And you. And of course, May. I'd miss out on May's graduation. Your birthday. Christmas morning together. Surprising your mom with flowers. I'd miss out on everything that's good."
Bobby got out of his chair and kneeled in front of Harry's, "Your Mom saved my life. And when she did that she made me realize that the person I was when I was drinking and doing drugs wasn't the person I want to be for the rest of my life. That there is so much to live for. That even though what happened was really bad and I still feel so sorry for what happened, that I could move on and make a life again. That I didn't have to live in the dark anymore. Because she's right here. Shining bright. Lighting up my life like the sun light's up the world." Bobby's eyes filled with tears as he talked to his stepson. His heart ached as he talked about his late wife and children while trying to make his living family see how important they were to him, "You, your Mom, May. You all are the sun, moon, and stars. Every day I wake up and thank God that I'm lucky enough to have you in my life. I'm incredibly grateful to be a part of this family. You three are my reason for wanting to live every day. My reason for making sure that after every call I come home safe. My reason for making sure I'm extra careful when on a call. I love your Mom very much. More than I've loved anyone in a long time. And you and May. I love you both. I don't know what I'd do without you guys. I've done a lot of bad things in my life and I've done a lot of good things. One of the best things I ever did was taking your Mom's hand and asking her for help. Because without her I'd be a much different person."
"Bobby." Athena put a hand to her lips to keep herself from crying. She hadn't expected Bobby to lay it all out there for her son. She'd expected to gloss over the subject and carry on but he was kneeling on the floor. His full attention to Harry. Making sure Harry was able to understand how much he meant to Bobby and how much Bobby loved his family. Making sure Harry would have no room for doubt when it came to Bobby's sobriety. That Harry would know Bobby's heart was full of love for their family.
"I'm really sorry your wife and kids died," Harry said softly.
"Me too." Bobby hugged Harry tightly as he started to cry, "I'm so lucky to have such a great kid like you."
"And May." Harry wrapped his arms around Bobby's neck.
"And May."Bobby agreed, "Always, you and May. And your Mom. Man, I don't know what I'd do without her."
Harry sniffled, "You're not going anywhere right?"
"I'm staying right here. Where I belong. Where I always want to be." Bobby pulled back from the embrace for a moment, "I'm not leaving you guys. You're my family."
Athena put a hand on Bobby's back. She wanted to let him and Harry have their moment as well as show her support and love. After a few moments, Bobby let go of Harry but stayed kneeling next to his chair.
"What about Dad?" Harry asked his mom, "What about all that stuff he was saying?"
Athena held her son's hand, "Harry. Your father didn't know what he was saying last night."
"Because his brain wasn't working?" He asked.
"Right. Sweetie, if you want to call Bobby, Dad. If you feel comfortable and that's what you want, then you can do that. You don't have to. And if you sometimes call him Bobby and sometimes call him Dad, that's okay too." Athena explained to him, "Bobby isn't taking the place of your father because you call him Dad. No one can replace another person."
"Like Dad was wrong when he said that we can't call Bobby Dad or we'd be replacing his kids?" Harry was trying hard to understand the very grown-up conversation he was having.
Bobby nodded his head, "Exactly. You and May can't replace my kids. Just like your Mom can't replace my first wife. But what you can do is be my family too. You and May are my kids. Just like your Mom is my wife. It doesn't matter if you call me Dad or Bobby. What matters is that I'm here to love and support you. To take care of you and protect you. To help keep you healthy and growing. To make sure you have everything you need. What matters is that I am responsible for you and May and I take that responsibility seriously because I am one of your parents."
"What if Dad gets mad?" Harry asked.
"Your father, Bobby, and I will talk about it. You don't have to worry about if your father likes it or not. You have to feel what you feel and think the way you want to." Athena said to her young son, "Do you understand?"
Harry nodded his head, "So it's okay if I say, I love you Dad?" He asked Bobby.
Bobby smiled wide pulling Harry into a bone-crushing hug, "That's always okay." His eyes misted over, "I love you too." Athena wiped tears from her eyes seeing the two most important men in her life find their way to a lifelong bond that would never be severed.