Quarter Life Crisis: a 9-1-1 buddie fic

And when I couldn't sleep at night

"I won't let that happen," I mumble quietly while wrapping my arms around her waist to cuddle.

For a few seconds, Amelia is silent, and I can't tell if it's because she's falling asleep or thinking about what to say next.

"Dad, can I go to school with Chris? I think I might feel safer there and he said that the school nurse is very nice. The girls at public school are going to bully me for having an Epi-pen and an inhaler when I go back tomorrow. They are going to treat me like I'm contagious." Amelia looks up at me with tears in her eyes.

Who made my daughter cry in school?

I only let her go back for a half day after the hospital incident since she needed a lot of rest.

"Did someone bully you when you went for a half day, Mils?" My eyes grow wide with concern.

"No. I just want to be closer to Chris," I can tell that my daughter is lying to me.

Damn it, it's almost 5 am and I have a shift starting at 6:30 am.

I'm gonna have to call Bobby and tell him that I am missing yet another day of work because my kid comes first. I don't feel safe having her with a sitter since she's been in the hospital and Maddie is working too.

"I'm not going to push you to talk about it. Get some rest, you need it. I need it too. I'll talk to Eddie about Chris' school when we're both well rested." I press a kiss onto her forehead and stroke her hair.

I also need to make an appointment with a child psychologist to deal with her nightmares. Hopefully, Eddie or Hen has some advice on how to deal with that because I am struggling with this single-parenting job.

At 6:15 am, my alarm starts buzzing on my phone. I quickly shut it off and make sure that Amelia is still asleep while I roll out of bed to get changed.

I'm either going ot have to take Mils with me to work or call in and say I can't come to work.

Before I can even grab my phone to make a call in the kitchen, the doorbell rings and wakes me up from my daydream.

"Eds, what are you doing here at 6:25 am? Where's Christopher?" I open the door and see the man I kissed holding onto an IHOP take-out bag and a gift bag.

"He's getting ready for school with Carla. I brought you breakfast and your duffle bag that you left in the station locker room." Eddie looks up at me concerned and all sexy with his large muscles carrying everything.

"Um, thanks? I was going to make Amelia a quick breakfast before calling Bobby to call in sick again." I sigh knowing that I need the shifts and the money to support my daughter.

"Can I come in? It's kind of windy outside?" Eddie looks into my apartment for a sign of Amelia.

"Oh yeah, sure. You can set everything down in the living room. I'm going to go wake Amelia up since I have to get out the door too, maybe run some errands or take up a B shift later." I mumble not noticing Eddie holding onto a dozen sunflowers behind his back.

"Eddie! I missed you." I watch my daughter run into the living room holding the giraffe that Chris got her.

"Good morning mini Buckley, how are you doing?" I watch Eddie engulf Amelia in a giant hug while setting the flowers on the coffee table.

Wow. Those are gorgeous flowers.

"I'm tired. I had a nightmare about you and Chris." Amelia says while yawning.

"Oh, well I can assure you that Chris is safe and sound. He's on his way to school. Don't you have school today too?" Eddie looks down at her while I watch the two talk as if she is related to him.