#swat

Today was different though. Today he wouldn't be on his own; (Y/n) was at the hospital for an appointment and that meant with Luca finishing on time, it was down to him to go and get his youngest from nursery. The afternoon would be just Luca and his little girl, and it was the one thing keeping his adrenaline going and stopping him from crashing in energy levels.

"Not today…" his words tapered off but his smile remained as he opened his locker just as his phone began to buzz. Vibrating on silent causing the metal shelf in his locker to rattle like a broken pipe.

He reached in, adrenaline sparking through him at the thought of it being (Y/n) who was calling, to say she was okay and heading home from her appointment.

Luca's heart dropped to his stomach when he saw the caller ID. The school.

He wasn't usually their first point of call, with him working in Swat he couldn't always answer his phone or deal with any emergencies with the school and kids straight away. They would ring (Y/n) first, but if she was having her MRI at the hospital then she would have left her phone in a locker somewhere. Clearly they couldn't get hold of her, and Luca was their next point of call.

He took a few steps to the left, aiming for the end of the locker room to take the call.

"Is this Mr Luca?"

"Yeah, yeah is everything okay?" Resignation flooded his tone as his hand moved to cradle the back of his neck, rubbing and scratching at the skin as a way to calm himself down. Luca knew this couldn't be good, he could feel it in his gut.

"We've had an incident with one of your boys, could you come down to the school and have a chat with the teacher? At the moment we can't send him back to class."

"I'm on my way."

He realised after he hung up that he hadn't even asked which child they were referring to, but Luca didn't need to. There was only one child they kept ringing up about; the one that was misunderstood and always failed by the system.

"Everything alright Luca?" Reaching out, Deacon clamped a hand down on Luca's shoulder, almost making him jump if his reflexes weren't so quick to settle his nervous system back down.

His hand moved from his neck to run along his jaw as he nodded and stuffed his phone back in his pocket. "Yeah, uh the school called, I gotta go pick up one of the boys, something's happened."

"Are they okay?"

"They'd better be."

Determination flowed through Luca as he grabbed his bag from his locker, swung it onto his shoulder and aimed out the locker room.

He was surprised at the good time he made from leaving the unit, swinging by nursery to pick up Maia and get to the school where all three boys had been dropped off this morning by (Y/n).

When he opened the back door, his heart stopped hammering so harshly against his chest when he looked at his toddler. Maia looked tired, like she was about due a nap which wasn't surprising as it was almost lunchtime now.

"Hey cutie, come on up we go." He cooed, reaching in to scoop Maia up and settle her against his chest.

A soft grin spread across his lips when she laid her cheek on his shoulder and he felt her lips against his neck.

"Park?" Her voice was quiet, barely more than a whisper on the wind holding that telltale sign that she needed a nap but was fighting hard.

Whenever Luca had Maia to himself for the day he let her choose what they were doing. Sometimes he went on a run all around their block, pushing Maia in her pushchair as she loved being out and about. Other times they went to the park, or along the beach for an ice cream, or just for a drive.

"We can go to the park later baby, first we have to get your brother." Luca locked the car and aimed up the path, bouncing Maia in his right arm as he aimed for the school reception. He had a feeling he wouldn't just be here for a chat; he would be bringing his eldest home with them too.

Daddy-daughter afternoon just got rearranged.

The nonsense babbling leaving Maia's lips made Luca's heart calm down just a little and allowed a tender grin to form on his lips, despite the nerves flowing through him as he headed towards the reception.

He kept his daughter held against his chest with his right arm, pecking her temple every now and then as he aimed through the door and turned to the left. He could feel the tension building up again in his muscles, his frame becoming rigid as he looked down at the receptionist behind the desk.

Luca's height was usually imposing to others, especially with his muscular build that he had to keep up for Swat. But with the receptionist sitting behind the desk, she looked even smaller and fragile as Luca loomed over her like a bad omen.

Sometimes it was strange how fearful people could be of him when they didn't know him, when they didn't see how reserved and calm and tender he could be on the inside. (Y/n) was always calling him a teddy bear because once people got to know him, he wasn't all that imposing or fearful. But for moments like these, it tended to be a good thing. Intimidation was useful for work, and for certain life situations like this.

Though he knew he didn't look quite so frightful since he was stood here with his daughter curled up in his embrace, clinging to his neck.

He leant his left hip against the desk along with his palm and his fingers began tapping against the counter until she finally looked up at him.

"Hi Janine, I got a call about one of my kids… I presume it's Nicholas."

It wasn't hard to sound friendly and approachable, but there was a tired edge to Luca's voice that he just couldn't hide. He had been on a fourteen hour shift, he hadn't slept in almost two days. He was supposed to be taking Maia out for the afternoon and then taking a well earned nap before dinner time tonight. That plan had now been changed and Luca needed to know why.

He watched her look up at him with one arched brow until she seemed to realise and remember why he was here, why they had called for him.

It was almost strange to be on a first name basis with the receptionist rather than the teachers here, but that was how it went when (Y/n) and Luca were constantly being called down to the school when they misunderstood or didn't engage and work well with one of their boys.

"Oh, yes. He's just in the break room down there, the PE teacher had to stay and supervise as he started hitting the walls. Again." The emphasis on 'again' made Luca's chest tighten.

There was a certain knowing look in her eyes and the way her puffed lips formed into a pout when she bit the inside of her cheeks made her look unfriendly, to say the least.

If they worked harder to understand Nicholas, he wouldn't lash out like this.

Luca refrained, hard, from rolling his eyes and instead nodded his head, uttering a half interested "Thank you," as he turned away from the desk.

His free hand reached out to cup the back of Maia's head, tangling his fingers into her hair as he headed down the hall, his thick-soled work boots thundering against the carpet and announcing his presence.

At first he didn't mind. Luca didn't mind being called down to talk to the teachers, to explain and try to get them to understand. But this was getting ridiculous now and not only was it not fair on them, but it wasn't fair on Nicholas either. Constantly being made to feel like he was doing something wrong when really, the teachers didn't know how to calm him down or settle his behaviours.

(Y/n) and Luca had started to foster Nicholas just less than a year ago, and he had intergrated into their family life. Half of the children they fostered didn't stay with them long, but then they got kids like Nicholas and Erik, ones with behavioural issues who had nowhere else to go. And the longer they stayed, the more they felt part of the family and the more likely it was that they were never going to leave.

Nicholas was their family, their eldest child for all intents and purposes and that was how they treated him and referred to him. But he was also one of the more complex kids they fostered, the one with the most issues to be worked on and who needed the most reassurance and routine and stability.

He had been doing so much better since he started to stay with them, but Luca was starting to see that this school might not be the best fit for him when only a few select teachers seemed to understand and sympathise.

That receptionst especially seemed to view Nicholas as a problem child, thought he was acting out and lashing out for the sake of it, not because of deeper issues. That only made Luca want to help him further. Luca had grown up struggling in school until he met the right teacher and got the right help for his dyslexia; he wouldn't let his eldest fall through the cracks as well.

"Okay…" he uttered more to himself than to Maia as he turned left and headed into the open door of the break room that was for staff and teachers, not the students.

There was a chair propping the door open and Luca bent forward to set the toddler down there so she could rest and not be within earshot of the argument he could feel he was about to have.

"Wait there for me cutie." He pecked her temple before he turned and headed further into the room, his eyes instantly setting on his boy.

"Dad!"

As soon as Luca was within sight, the thirteen year old launched himself from his chair and bolted over to him. His arms bound around Luca's middle and his face buried in his chest until Luca could feel each deep breath he took and how they fanned through his shirt until it started to feel damp.

The way he clung to him told Luca that his boy was worried, that he was unsettled and unsure because when Nicholas felt like this he would attach to either parent and seek reassurance and guidance. He wouldn't leave their side if he didn't feel comfortable.

Sometimes it still made Luca's heart leap to hear Nicholas calling him dad, given that he was a foster kid, he wasn't truly Luca's son and hadn't been in his life up until last year when he was twelve. But it showed how comfortable and secure he felt with (Y/n) and Luca, to be calling them his parents. They were the only kind, loving parental figures he'd ever had in his life.

Though he was only thirteen, Nicholas was rather tall with his head already being level with Luca's shoulder. He seemed to think he was a lot smaller, like he thought he was still a child. Sometimes Luca wondered if that was because up until he was twelve, he didn't have much of a childhood at all and was now desperate to gain back the years he had lost.

"Hey bud. What's happened today?" He murmured softly, cupping the back of Nicholas's head and messing his unruly curls in all directions.

His other arm bound around his boy's thin torso and he hugged him back just as tightly to give him the reassurance he needed. But Luca's head lifted and a hardened look formed in his eyes when he stared across at the teacher he had only just noticed, who now began to speak.

"He's refused to join in the PE lesson, caused a fuss in the sports hall so we had to take him out of class."

"I was asking him." Luca's tone was mellow, showing that he wasn't trying to be rude. He wanted to hear it from his boy, not from the teacher who clearly didn't view this in the right context.

There was more to this than Nicholas simply 'making a fuss' and acting out, especially since he liked PE. Whenever Luca went to the gym in his spare time, he usually ended up taking the boys with him. Even if they couldn't do the same training as him, they still enjoyed being around him in that environment and trying their best to copy him.

He leant back enough so that he could look down at his boy. "You usually like sports bud, what's so different today?"

There was such a look of fire blazing within Nicholas's eyes that Luca almost wanted to take a step back. It was as if he looked so afraid yet so frustrated at the same time, like he didn't know which emotion to give in to.

"Him! He wouldn't let me change in the toilets, he told me to go in the changing room, then took my bag off me. I said I'd do it in my uniform but they wouldn't let me."

He looked as if he were about to burst into tears, and that look was enough to make Luca's heart spasm and clench uncontrollably.

"Seriously?" Stern lines wove into Luca's expression as he turned his gaze on the teacher he hadn't met before today. "You made a fuss about him getting changed in the toilets? What's the problem with that?"

"It's not allowed. We can't have students locking themselves in the toilets or keeping their bags in there during PE class in case they go missing. Everyone changes in the locker room, which is locked when they're out doing sports."

Luca could feel his own sense of rage building up within him as Nicholas pulled out of his embrace, frame shaking as he looked at the teacher with contempt flashing through his eyes. Did none of these teachers talk to one another here? This had never been an issue before and it shouldn't be one now. Luca had been brought all the way down here for this?

It was clear the teacher still thought he had a case to build because he cleared his throat and tried to continue.

"When I told him this, Nicholas began to shout and when I tried to escort him out the sports hall, he began hitting and kicking the walls."

His words pushed just the right button for Nicholas to stomp his foot against the ground with enough force to encourage an Earthquake. He hadn't started shouting until he was told he either went in the changing room or didn't get to do PE. He said he would do the class in his usual school uniform, he pleaded his case, he told them again and again but no one listened to him.

Then he was shown up in front of the whole class and escorted away from the sports hall, away from the locker room and he couldn't even get his bag because they took that off him too.

The only way to show them how unhappy and fearful they made him was to slam his feet into the walls harsh enough to leave dents in the plaster and to ram his fists into the doors. At least people listened to him when he did that.

"You wouldn't let me get changed. It's not fair! It's not fair you're an idiot-"

"Nickie." There was a warning tone to Luca's voice as he leant forward and curved his arms around the thirteen year old, grabbing onto his wrists before he had chance to try and lash out.

He carefully pulled his boy back towards him, keeping him encased tight to stop him from lashing out and show him that he was okay, he was safe and he didn't need to get upset. Luca was listening. Nicholas writhed from left to right, but he was only half trying to get out of Luca's embrace, it was helping already.

"It's okay, I know it's not fair, but you're not in trouble." Luca wasn't going to let anyone tell him off for this or make him out to be something he wasn't. He understood.

When he felt that Nicholas was mellowing out, that the fight within him was simmering down and he wasn't about to lash out, Luca cautiously let him go. One hand remained on his shoulder and he pointed behind him to the chair Maia was slouched in, almost falling asleep.

"Nickie, go and look after Maia for me, please."

He stomped his foot at the plea, but there wasn't any conviction in it and with raised shoulders, he walked past Luca to do as he had been asked. He flopped down on his knees in the doorway to the break room, his expression softening when Maia grinned and reached out to curl her hand around his shoulder in a loving acknowledgement.

Luca's eyes focused on the two of them for a few seconds, trying to assess that they were still out of earshot so he could have a few choice words without upsetting either of them or riling Nicholas up.

His hands moulded together, clenched into fists until his knuckles were white hot and his fingertips were turning numb. It caused his shoulders to hunch and raise up like he was prepping himself for a fight, and he stepped closer to the teacher who he hoped was as intimidated as his eyes suggested.

And clearly he had clocked the logo on the sleeves of Luca's shirt, showing exactly which department of the LAPD that he worked for.

"I'm sorry but your son won't follow the rules-"

"Alright listen, 'cos I'm only gonna explain this to you once. I shouldn't even have to tell you this if you bothered to get to know Nickie or even spoke to your principal."

There was a dangerous glint in Luca's eyes and a threatening look washed over his features as his head angled to one side and he stared down at the younger man who was clearly starting to worry.

This wasn't something Luca liked to keep explaining or going over and over again, but when no one here bothered to talk to each other about the kids they were supposed to nurture and protect, and they didn't bother to get to know them, then Luca had no choice. This sensitive matter had to be divulged, again, because no one listened the first four or five times it had been explained.

This time, despite the irritation rising within Luca, he managed to lower his voice to make sure the kids didn't hear him. But the vulnerability and raw aggression couldn't be mistaken.

"Nickie was abused when he was little. He won't go into that locker room and change in front of anyone because he has scars and marks on his skin that he doesn't want the other kids to see. You'd know that if you talked to the last teacher."

"If he wants to change in the toilets where he has privacy and feels safe, okay my boy has every right to do that. It's what he does every other week he has PE. You're taking those rights away from him and putting him through that trauma again by singling him out in front of everyone and trying to put him in that situation."

Luca didn't care if this teacher's ignorance meant he didn't know why Nicholas was so distressed about changing in front of others. That was besides the point when this information should have been relayed before now. It shouldn't be Luca having to explain this.

Not only that, but if he saw how upset Nicholas was getting, then he should have figured something was wrong. Not try and make a scene and force him to either change in front of the other kids or make a scene and tell him he had to leave if he wasn't compliant. They were putting him in a horrid situation, of course he would lash out in retaliation.

Luca rather liked the horror he could see washing over this man's face.

"I- I didn't know-"

A crude laugh left Luca's lips as he tilted his head back and rose his hand to run up and down his face like he was trying to convince himself if this was real or just a trick of the imagination.

"No, you didn't ask, you just treated my son like his fear was an inconvenience for you. He lashes out when he's frightened or upset, which is why he kicked the walls when you told him to leave the sports hall, okay? Don't put my son through that again."

The way Luca pointed his finger directly at the teacher's chest like he was about to push him clearly made his point known.

This had all been explained when Luca and (Y/n) enrolled Nicholas in this school. They told them that he had been abused before he was taken into foster care, that his life up to now had been a tangled mess of fear and anguish and torrential pain he had no choice but to endure.

He didn't feel safe changing in front of the other kids in case they saw his scarred skin, he didn't know if they would feel sorry for him or decide it was a weapon to use to bully him with, and neither option was appealing. He felt safe changing in the toilets, no one had ever questioned him on this before.

Luca turned on his heels, done with this mess and the whole situation itself. He wasn't talking anymore, and he wasn't listening to feeble excuses and apologies that held no worth whatsoever.

"Alright you two, let's roll out." He took a deep breath and put on his best smile as he walked towards his kids and reached out for them.

Nicholas looked relieved, though a little confused when he pushed up to his feet and watched as Luca scooped Maia up into his arms, then rested a hand on his shoulder with the intention of guiding him out. Didn't he have to stay for Maths, his last lesson of the day, before he went home?

"He- um he can return to class now-"

"Nah, you've upset him enough." Luca cast a look over his broad shoulder as he nudged Nicholas out the door. "And you dragged me here for no reason; he's coming home with me now."

He wasn't about to send his boy back to class where he would have to face everyone else who would think he had been in trouble. Nicholas had suffered enough aggravation for one day; he was going home.

***

"Alright, inside." A soft grin worked its way onto (Y/n)'s lips as she unlocked the door and took a step back, allowing the trio to bustle inside ahead of her. It was better than them all pushing and hustling to barge inside in their haste.

It felt good, relieving, to be back home and to think that some of the chaos in day to day life had mellowed out somewhat. (Y/n) knew her sense of chaos was far different to what Luca experienced when he was at work, but handling three boys- and a toddler when Maia was with her- was still a hard task.

At least she didn't have to juggle Maia right now; her only girl should probably be having a nap round about now. She hadn't been at nursery today and with Luca having today off, he had spent the day with her.

"Put them away please."

Reaching her hand out (Y/n) held onto Erik's shoulder so she could weave behind the ten year old and as she did, she pointed down to the collection of shoes that had now gathered in the hallway.

Shoes didn't belong there; (Y/n) couldn't count the number of times she'd tripped over shoes and coats and toys and games forgotten and left out.

Erik nodded, his stark black hair waving as he did so like grass in the wind, and he beamed a bright smile up at (Y/n) when she kissed his temple before passing him by. He was the newest addition to their house, having only been here for three months, but he had settled in almost as quickly as Nicholas had. both were foster kids, but they were going to be here for the forseeable future.

The sight she was faced with in the kitchen made (Y/n)'s heart skip a beat and she could feel pins and needles shooting down towards her fingertips. Her steps paused at the threshold to the kitchen, admiring the sight in front of her.

Luca, stood at the counter with his back to the doorway looking like he was in his own world. He was wearing a pair of black gym shorts with white stripes along the sides and no shirt, which showed off his broad, pointed shoulders and the lean muscles in his back and down his torso.

As usual there was his black baseball cap sat backwards on his head, the usual way he would wear it. (Y/n) knew Luca often wore that cap underneath his Swat helmet at times too. And over the top of his cap, he had a set of headphones on. The music must be loud, because (Y/n) could hear the music from across the kitchen.

She took a deep breath and pushed off the doorframe, keeping her steps light and her weight on her toes so she didn't make a sound as she approached Luca. He looked like he was in his element, cooking with no interruptions. As much as he loved messing around and baking with the kids, when it came to dinner time and Luca was the one cooking, he didn't appreciate help in the kitchen.

She kept her steps as light as a feather, making sure not to make a sound until she was less than a foot behind Luca. Her hands reached out and grabbed his hips, squeezing tight to shock him before she bound her arms around his torso and glued her chest up against his back. Feeling each muscle twitch and shift as he loosened his shoulders and paused whatever he was doing.

"Hey babe." Luca's voice came out rather loud so he could hear himself over the music blasting through his ears.

His eyes creased from the smile pulling at the corners of his mouth when he felt (Y/n) press an open mouthed kiss against his shoulder. He set down the knife in his hand and rested his palms against the edge of the counter, looking over his shoulder so he could just about see his wife.

"Didn't scare you, huh?" (Y/n) hummed, tilting her head back to press her chin against his shoulder to be able to look up at him.

His grin shifted into a smirk and he shook his head. "Nope. Told you babe, I can feel the vibrations in the floor."

Luca lifted one foot and thudded it against the floor to make his point, despite not wearing any shoes, his bare foot still made a loud impression against the floor.

He found it cute that (Y/n) was always trying to frighten him, it was like a game they played. When she thought he wasn't paying attention or that he hadn't noticed she was home, she would sneak up on him. Most of the time Luca would turn around at the last minute or reach out and grab her before she could frighten him. This time he waited to see what she would do.

"Damn; well next time then." With a shrug of her shoulders, (Y/n) pushed up a bit higher to look down over Luca's shoulder. "You made dinner already?"

"Yeah, Maia's down for a nap, so…" he gave a wave of his hand to make his point before he yanked off the headphones when he realised he was starting to shout.

Luca liked to keep busy, a habit that came from being so on the ball and never having a moment to sit down at work. When he was at home he was still wired up and full of energy, and since he'd settled Maia to sleep and found himself at a loose end, he decided he might as well start on dinner.

He leant across to put the knife in the sink, now done chopping the last of the veg up, and slowly turned around in (Y/n)'s tight embrace that loosened and shifted so her arms were now hooked around his neck instead of his waist.

His hips pressed back against the counter he had been leaning against and he reached down to wrap his arms around (Y/n)'s middle and pull her that little bit closer so she was fully propped up and leaning against his bare chest.

He could feel (Y/n)'s hand feathering up and down the back of his neck, causing shivers in her wake and when Luca angled his head back in reaction to the touch, (Y/n) flicked his hat which in turn ruffled his hair.

(Y/n) felt Luca's chest vibrate as he hummed when he leant to kiss her. She couldn't help but smile against his mouth and part her lips, feeling as if he were taking all the air from her lungs; and she would gladly let him.

Luca was the one to break the kiss, though a smile stilled toyed at his lips as he let his head loll back at the sound of impending footsteps.

"My troop's home, huh? You all good?"

He took the time to perch his chin on top of (Y/n)'s head, making her chuckle against his chest and lean further into him like Luca was a blanket enveloping around her to keep her safe and warm. She wasn't sure she could break out of this embrace even if she wanted to.

But she managed to turn her head to the right, meshing her cheek against Luca's warm skin so she could see the boys flooding the room. All still in their school uniforms, though shoes and jackets were now removed and hopefully hanging up in the hall.

They began to nod and agree, but it was Erik who looked Luca up and down and seemed to take in his attire- or lack there of.

"Are you going to the gym?" Hope sprung up in Erik's voice as he pointed at the shorts Luca was wearing, the ones he recognised as Luca's exercise shorts.

A chuckle left Luca's curved lips, nothing got past these boys. "Actually I was gonna go for a jog, why, you wanna join me?"

"I'll get changed!"

With that, Erik disappeared from the room, his footsteps echoing in his absence as he tried to pelt up the stairs to go and change out of his school gear and get into something he usually wore when he went to the gym with Luca. Erik wasn't the most sporty kid, he didn't love PE the same as Nicholas did, but he enjoyed spending time with Luca like this.

It wasn't an effort when it was with Luca. They would jog around the block, switch from fast to slow and to a walk, always changing the speed and they would race to lamp posts and houses and landmarks and chat in between panting breaths. It was fun, it let them all burn off energy and spend time alone with Luca.

"You comin' too Danny-boy?" Though he remained wrapped around (Y/n), Luca's attention shifted to Danny, the six year old who was (Y/n) and Luca's only boy together. The only boy in the house that wasn't a foster kid.

Danny had grown up around other kids, he knew there were always kids coming and going in their house. He didn't seem to realise that he was (Y/n) and Luca's eldest child, because in his eyes it wasn't just him and Maia. It was Nicholas, then Erik, then him and then Maia was the baby of the family. This was their family now, and it was flexible and always open for change.

Danny grinned in that way that made him look a double of Luca with creased eyes and a flash of teeth, and he hurried to go and get changed too, calling out for Erik to wait for him.

"Nickie?"

Though his smile was bright, Nicholas shook his head. "I'll stay with mum."

Luca had a feeling that would be the answer he got, though he nodded and smiled all the same.

He knew Nicholas would want to stay, because even though Maia was home, she was settled and it meant he could get (Y/n)'s full attention for a little while. He could have time with her to either help her round the house or chat or sit and watch tv; Nicholas didn't care, as long as he got that one on one time.

Sometimes it was hard, with the way Nicholas had grown up, always abandoned and ignored in his life, it had made him latch onto people rather than pushing them away like some other kids did in his position. He had attachment disorders, if people came into his life Nicholas couldn't stand the thought of them leaving.

From the moment he walked through that door and found this to be a safe, loving home with two parents who wanted him, he never wanted to leave their side. Even though he was old enough to walk to and from school on his own, he wanted to be picked up just like the rest of the boys. They had to tell him who would be coming to get him from school, what time they would be there, reassure him they weren't leaving him.

Other than school- which was still a hard enough time for Nicholas where he didn't always cope- he didn't want to be apart from (Y/n) and Luca. It was something they were still working on, to make him feel safe enough that he didn't always have to be around them or have them within his sights. To know he could go out and they would still be here when he got back, that he could do things on his own and he would still have their love and support, even if he didn't see it.

"Okay, just a trio today." With a nod of his head, Luca looked down at (Y/n). "We'll be about an hour."

"Back in time for tea," (Y/n) confirmed, gliding her thumb up and down the back of his neck as she pressed a sweet kiss to his lips.