Chapter Text
It had been a close call.
Too close.
If Athena had been a few inches farther to the left, she would have been hit by a bullet in her shoulder or worse, her throat. By pure luck it missed her. Instead of tearing into flesh, the round had buried itself in the wall behind her.
She had never been more grateful for her partner, who immediately fired his gun at the drug dealer they had been trying to arrest for making a deal. It all happened so quickly. Before she realized the ambulance was already there and paramedics were taking care of the young kid who was bleeding on the pavement.
“Are you okay, Athena?”
Was it just her, or was there a ringing sound filling the room?
She blinked slowly at the person standing in front of her, who apparently didn’t like her response and they immediately started talking into their radio. A few seconds later, Hen appeared, the exact same worried expression on her face as she gently steered Athena towards the steps so she could sit down.
Athena followed every instruction without protesting, another sign she was not okay. After a couple minutes of examination, Hen was sure there was nothing physically wrong with her. Aside from the obvious shock she was in, and the leftover ringing in her ear from the bullet racing by her ear, she seemed unharmed.
“I am going to call Bobby.” Hen was already reaching for her phone, but Athena’s hand shot out immediately to stop her.
“No. Don’t do that. He is with Zuri and I don’t want to worry him.”
“‘Thena, you ar-” Hen couldn’t even finish her sentence before Athena raised her hand, effectively stopping her friend from talking.
“I am fine Hen. I really am.”
Even as she said it, panic was beginning to crawl up her throat. She did not want to let the emotion show until she was safely wrapped in her husband's arms, far away from any prying eyes.
“Look, I am ending my shift right now. I will get someone to drive me home. I just want to tell him myself and I need him to see me when I do. Otherwise he will just panic, okay?”
Hen studied her for a moment before sighing. She flagged down a rookie and told him, with an even more stern tone than she used with Athena, to drive her home and to get her home safely.
The young officer didn’t dare to make any noise or movement, so he just nodded his head and headed for his patrol car.
The drive home was quick and quiet. Neither one of them spoke as they made their way through Los Angeles to Athena’s house.
When they finally arrived at her driveway, Athena thanked the officer before she made her way to the front door where Bobby already stood.
“Hen told me you were coming home.” He said, worry evident in his voice. “But she wouldn't tell me why.” His eyes swept over her figure to see what was wrong, trying to figure out why she was leaving her shift long before it was supposed to be over.
Damn Hen for worrying him anyway.
“I am fine, I promise.” Athena said softly, suddenly feeling very tired. She thought she would collapse at his feet from the relief of finally being home.
“Where is Zuri?”
“She is taking her nap and went down about twenty minutes ago.” Bobby felt the tight fist, that formed around his heart, loosen with every passing second. Whatever happened, at least she was standing in front of him.
He gently pulled her into his arms and pressed a kiss to her temple. It would take a little bit more time, and some gentle coaxing, before she would tell him what actually happened. But for now, he was glad there was nothing visibly wrong with her.
Athena let herself be held for a minute or two before she pulled away from his embrace.
She wrapped her fingers around his wrist and tugged him toward Zuri’s room. While she knew it would be better to let their one year old sleep, because Zuri got cranky when she didn’t have enough sleep.
Right now, Athena didn’t care. Her need to see her daughter outweighed any consequences of waking a grumpy toddler.
She let Bobby’s wrist go and slipped quietly into the dark room. Zuri was on her stomach, knees tucked beneath her and her little backside sticking up in the air. She looked absolutely adorable like that. Normally, the sight would make Athena smile. Today, it only eased the tightness in her chest, caused by the fear that had been rising within her ever since she realized how close the bullet actually had been.
There was no way for Athena to know how long she had been standing there. Eventually she felt Bobby gently wrap his hands around her shoulders to gently guide her back to the door. The two of them walked out of the room and Bobby quietly pulled the door shut behind them.
“Bobby..” Athena started, her eyes truly meeting his for the first time since she got home. It was important to her that he would really listen to her. That he would really understand what she was saying.
“If anything happens to me, you remember she likes strawberries, but raspberries give her hives, right?” Her voice came out softer than she intended.
Unable to hold his gaze, she focused instead on a loose thread near the collar of his shirt. Athena already knew she would not be able to sleep tonight, but that getting these words off her chest might help a little bit to feel better.
“What are you talking about?” Bobby tilted his head and tried to meet her eyes when she looked away. His eyebrows were furrowed in confusion as he tried to figure out what was going on in her brain and why she would ask him that right now.
“If you put the fan on in the bathroom, she doesn’t cry when you do her hair?” Athena grabbed the front of his shirt in a tight grip.
She felt her chest tighten again at the thought that maybe one day she wouldn’t be able to walk back through the front door. Neither of them would ever willingly leave the other behind, but their jobs didn't always give them a choice. Today had reminded her of that.
“I know that.”
One of his hands slipped from her shoulders, so he could put a finger beneath her chin to gently lift her face, finally meeting her eyes. He expected the storm brewing in her orbs, but he didn’t expect the tears that were brimming on her lashes. It wasn’t often that she was so shaken up from a shift.
“And it is mandatory she be exposed to everything Billie Holiday?” A watery smile tugged at her lips, as she was hoping that her remark would lighten the mood. She was not surprised when Bobby did not smile back at her. Her man was way too worried about her, she could tell by the way his mouth was tightened and his pupils were slightly widened, as if she triggered his flight or fight instinct by coming home like this.
“Are you okay? What happened?” Bobby urged on, the back of his fingers slowly stroked her cheek and caught a tear that escaped her lower lashes. The relief he had felt when he first saw her standing safely in the doorway had long since faded, replaced by the growing certainty that something serious had happened.
“I don’t want to talk about it right now.”
The words came out barely above a whisper. She knew that if she started talking about what had happened she might not be able to stop.
So she stepped forward until she was pressed against his chest, resting her forehead and hands against his shirt. The familiar scent of him and the steady rhythm of his heartbeat grounded her in a way nothing else had managed to since the shooting.
“Just hold onto me and never let go.”
That was one thing Bobby could do. Wrapping both arms around her, he pulled her close and held her tightly against him, silently promising that he wasn't going anywhere.