Chapter Text
19 years ago
"He is your son Margaret how can you just give him up." Owen demanded of his sister on the phone. Evan was in the living room playing with his younger cousin and being watched by Gwyneth. His nephew had turned up on his doorstep with a small bag and a note for Owen and Gwyn abandoned like yesterday's trash by his own parents and nine years old. Owen sighed as he heard the phone being slammed down on him, closing his eyes he came back into the living room to see Evan and Tyler playing with the latter's legs.
"This about Daniel?" Gwyneth asked her husband who nodded his eyes closed. His sister was a terrible mother, had been since Daniel had died when Evan was a baby. Something that Evan was always being blamed for. "I'll get the air mattress out tonight, tomorrow we can get them bunk beds." Gwyneth said to him Evan let out a sob and asked "why don't they love Me?" Gwyneth let out a hiss like an angry cat as Tyler wrapped his cousin up in his arms and held on for dear life. Owen got up and sat down behind the boys drawing his nephew in and holding him as he cried.
7 years later
"Go Evan." Tyler yelled from the sidelines as he saw Evans 23 shirt race down the line with the football in hand. The opposition trying to catch up but Evan had opened up the gas tank his long legs going much faster than his marker could go. Carrying him into the end zone with the blow of the final whistle sounding moments later. Evan pulled his helmet of just as the rest of the team reached him. Coach not far behind them. "Good job guys, great win tonight, state a few weeks away." The coach said to them Evan pulling his mouth guard out the coach smiled at his star player. "You had scouts watching you tonight." The coach said to him. "If your parents are available they'd like a word." He explained. Owen Gwyn and Tyler reached the group high fiving most of them before hugging their adoptive son.
"So proud of you Evan." Owen said to him as Tyler hugged him with a death grip making Evan laugh. "Recruiters coach?" Owen asked having caught some of what the man said to Evan.
"Yes, Notre Dame and Yale specifically if you have time." He said.
"We'll make time." Tyler said to the man making everyone laugh.
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6 years later
College was finishing out, Evan had been hurt in a tackle the year before which put an end to the dreams he had of playing professionally. Finishing his degree in criminal psychology became his priority and today was the day he would graduate. He and his friends were waiting for their families to arrive.
"Hey Ev, when do you go back to New York?" Lucas his best friend asked.
"I fly out in the morning, I travel to Brazil the day after." Evan said to him Lucas frowned ar the news he had hoped that his friend would be there for the end of year party they were having.
"Does your dad know?" Lucas asked.
"Yes I do and I am not happy." Owen said behind them as Evan spun and hugged his dad. "I only get you for a day Evan." Owen demanded playfully smiling. Evan nodded. "Empty nest syndrome again dad." Evan said with a grin of his own only to be shushed.
Evan was dragged off by his dad to meet his brother and mother Maddie had made the trip and hugged him.
"Can you please stop growing." Maddie exclaimed.
"Hey Ty you look good." Evan said to his little brother who blushed. "Boyfriend?" Evan asked the man beside Tyler who nodded nervously. "Ben right?" He asked another nod. "Nice to meet you." Evan said offering a hand which was taken.
"I expected some threats." Ben said Evan smiled at him.
"Oh if you hurt TyTy I will kill you." Evan informed him Tyler growled at him for the use of Evans pet name for him growing up. "I need to get ready I have a speech to give." Evan told them.
"Brain box." Tyler teased.
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3 years later
"Betrayed by my own son, you joined the LAFD not the NYFD." Owen exclaimed seeing his son in the blues of his fire department.
"One to many shadows for me old man, namely yours. I have a great fire house and a great captain." Evan said to him TK as he now went by popped up behind their dad all smiles. "Hey TyTy.' Evan said to him TK glared at his brother.
He heard laughter behind his family of screen, "I am going to kill you Evan." TK growled at him.
"Most of the fire house heard that." Owen explained.
"What is a big brother for if I can't embarrass my baby brother. Anyway I need to go do some work, I'll call at the weekend." Evan said to them Owen smiled and said his goodbyes as TK glared for a moment before saying good luck. Evan ended the call as Chim and Hen came over all smiles.
"Girlfriend?" Hen teased Evan who smirked at her.
"My dad actually and my little Brother." He explained.
"And what do they do frat boy?" Chim teased.
"They're both firefighters back home in New York." Evan said as he pocketed his phone and stood up. "Also for the record I wasn't in a fraternity unless you call the football team a frat house." Evan said irritated.
"You went to college?" Chim asked.
"I graduated top of my class jackass." Evan growled as he stalked past Bobby who was shaking his head.
"What's got his goat?' Chim asked.
"Insulting a top ten division one running back is smart work." Bobby said to him. "Especially one who can profile you with in an inch of your life." Bobby told him.
"Where did he graduate from?" Hen asked genuinely interested. "Notre Dame, if he'd not blown out his knee junior year he'd be in the nfl right now." Bobby informed them. "Marcy and I before.the fire saw him play and destroy our old college." Bobby said to them with an appreciative whistle. "I was at the game he was injured in, damn tragedy that night." Bobby explained.
"Sounds like he had options why join the LAFD?" Chim asked.
"His father is a legend at the NYFD, when I learned that he was in the academy I made damn sure I was on top of the list of captains that wanted him." Bobby said to him.
"Whose his dad?" Hen asked.
"Captain Owen Strand New York 252 fire and rescue." Buck said as he reappeared with an apple and a glass of orange juice.
"Wait isn't that the house that was all but wiped..." Chim started only to get elbowed from Hen who glared at him.
"When the towers fell sure, my dad was the only survivor of the oc 252." Evan said to them. "It's fine Hen it's not like I lost almost my entire family that day." Evan said he seemed a little lost and far away for a minute before he shook himself off and smiled. "They pulled most of us out of class after the south fell. I mean we knew something was going on but when we saw south wasn't there any more Ty and I knew dad had to be there." Evan said to them. "We were home when the chief called to say dad was okay and being checked at the hospital as a precaution." Evan said to them.
"I don't think I want to imagine what that was like." Hen said to him.
"Imagine the worst day of your life times it by ten and you pretty much have what that day felt like every day for near on ten years." Evan said to her.
"What changed?" Bobby asked.
"I left for college, I lost a lot of friends that day and in the months and years afterwards. Some moved and others actually died in the towers. Ty and I were always at the fire house when we weren't in school. My best friend Andy Weinstan lost his mom that day in the North and his dad in the South. He moved out here less than a week after the attack." Evan explained. "For the families and loved ones of the people who died, you have to understand it was a waking nightmare. It was almost six months after the attack that they found the last member of dad's house. The funeral was like ripping the band aid of a gaping wound." Evan said his voice still carried some of the pain. "My godfather, my dad's best friend he didn't make it out be was part of rescue squad 7." Evan said to them then he turned away from them sharply heading for the stairs a second time. They found him with a massive text book on his lap and a notepad beside him as he wrote notes he didn't look up from what he was doing. Bobby knew most of what he had said having spoken to Owen but the rawness of the pain that Evan expressed with some of the story he told made it very apparent that some ghosts and some pain had not left the young fireman.
"What's the text?" Hen asked.
"It's a text on profiling for a paper I have to right." Evan said to her not looking up but continuing to write.
"You an amateur profiler?" Hen asked.
"I have a degree in criminal psychology specialising in serial offenders. I'm taking some extra classes at Berekley on criminal profiling." Evan informed her. "Working for my masters." He added as he closed his eyes. "You know anything about nature versus nurture?" Evan asked.
"You think they can be created?" Bobby asked.
"I think there is a possibility. Edmund Kemper is a good example of someone who's mother played a role in the birth of a serial killers psyche. Of course he paid her back in kind before he was arrested." Evan said to her with a shrug. "Bundy and Gacy now they were pieces of work, while Dahmer just goes back to the whole theory that some can be created by the environment in which they were brought up in rather than psychologically disposed to the concept that they were born to kill." Evan said to her.
"Sounds complicated kid." Chim said to him.
"Thus why its a masters thesis and not an undergraduate study." Evan said not looking up from what he was doing. Bobby and Hen chortle at the rebuke while Chim looked amused. "By the way I likely have 40 in IQ points on you. So kid is Insulting old man." Evan said Chim burst out laughing at this.
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Present day
"Was it something I said?" Eddie asked Hen.
"Evan is something of a mystery to most of us. He keeps himself to himself and well he is pretty private. That you got a hi is more than most people get from him." Hen explained as they drank coffee.
"Is he on the spectrum?" Eddie asked a soft snort from behind him had him looking to find coral blue eyes dancing with amusement. "I'll take that as a no then." Eddie said to him.
"I was just doing something for Larrimer at violent crimes." Evan said as he sat down next to them and took the offered coffee from Bobby. "Probie, they said we'd be getting a new one." Evan said taking in Eddie. "Someone forgot to mention hot Latino probationary fire fighter at that." Evan said making everyone laugh, while Eddie did his best not to look annoyed or interested. Damn his blushing problem as Evan smiled even wider.
"Racial profiling him Evan?" Bobby teased.
"Only the cute blushers." Evan replied sipping his drink innocently. The others rolled their eyes at this and he could guess this was a regular thing.
"How do you know I am Latino?" Eddie asked.
"Diaz as a surname suggest you're of Mexican descent but certainly Spanish descent. Eddie is likely to be short for Eduardo or Edmundo." Evan said to him Eddie looked at him Strangely. "You were married, you haven't long taken the ring of so you still have a tan line. You have a Saint Christopher's medallion around your neck so I'm guessing a father of one." Evan said raising an eye brow Eddie nodded.
A while later as they were cleaning the apparatus Eddie found Evan checking inventory. "A lesser man would be annoyed by that display." Eddie said to him with a smile.
"The guys have had me profile every new recruit we've tried out since I joined. You were easy, you wear your heart on your sleeve and look like you've been hurt because of it." Evan said Eddie shrugged. "I grew up around a New York fire house and an office full of lawyers. I learned to read people, I guess it makes me very good at my job." Evan explained.
"Thus why you find humour in it rather than you try to hurt people with it." Eddie said to him.
"If I want to wrack up some pain I could have pointed out your gate and the tags I am sure you've never taken off." Evan said to him. "I'm guessing army, probably a medic." He added.
"Okay you are terrifying." Eddie said to him they both laughed at this.
"I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable." Evan said to him Eddie beamed at him.
"Pay me back with a drink after work?" Eddie asked him with a wicked smile.
"I would but I am washing my hair." Evan said to him the two of them laughed. "My brothers coming to town tonight, so I actually have a prior engagement and he doesn't drink. So maybe another night?" Evan asked.
"Sounds good." Eddie said to him with a grin.
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"You profiled the hot DILF probie?" TK exclaimed as they ate pizza on the sofa. "Did you at least ask him out?" TK demanded.
"He asked me out for a drink tonight, I had to pick you up so I said no. We are going to dinner on Friday." Evan said to him with an exasperated sigh. Evan showed him a photo TK snorted.
"You Evan have a type." TK teased.
"Do you want to discuss your dating decisions?" Buck asked.
"Hell no but dad is going to enjoy this." TK said to him.
"I get this from Maddie I do not need you getting in on the act as well." Evan told his brother. "She showed up at my girlfriends apartment, which is why I moved in here." Evan explained.
"Wait your estranged sister my cousin just showed up at your place?" TK asked.
"Oh it gets better than that, she let herself in and was using my shower when I walked in on her thinking it was Abbi." Evan said with a blush. "Somethings just can't be unseen." He said to his brother.
"Call boy wonder get him to come over. I wish to meet him and I can be you for a night." TK said to him Buck groaned. "Go on now you know you want to." TK baited him.
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Eddie knocked on the door and waited, "You aren't Evan." Eddie exclaimed.
"Nah I'm his hotter little brother." TK said to him. "He wasn't kidding and he really has a type." TK said as he opened the door and let Eddie in. "Evan mentioned you didn't drink so I brought some non alcoholic beers." Eddie said to him TK smiled.
"Thank you but I'm an Addict so no thank you." TK explained.
"More for me and frat boy." Eddie said TK burst out laughing.
"You know he hates that right." TK said as they walked into his brothers lounge. Evan looked up from the game he was playing. "You bloody cheat Evan." TK growled at him as Eddie watched the two laugh. Evan paused the game and walked over to him.
"If you don't mind sharing." Evan said looking at Eddie.
"Are you two actually related?" Eddie asked.
"Evan is my brother by adoption and cousin by blood. His mom is a bitch who deserves to die." TK explained snarling by the end of it Evan shook his head clearly amused.
"You going to let that go?" Eddie asked.
"My parents used me for spare parts for my older brother and when that didn't work out at aged 9 they abandoned me with my then Uncle Owen now dad." Evan said to him. "I was a saviour baby." Evan explained.
"Okay yeap she's a bitch." TK said emphatically.
"Is it to early to kiss you?" Evan asked Eddie shook his head.