#swat luca

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.

She glanced at me, lips twitching. “And when you run out in the middle of a fight, who’s gonna save your ass?”

“Street.” I shot back without missing a beat. “That’s his favorite hobby anyway.”

Across the room, Street looked up from tying his boots. “Save her? Please. She’d rather have Luca do it.”

Tan laughed under his breath, Deacon shook his head, and Luca, oh God, Luca, just looked at me with that smug little grin of his while fastening his helmet.

I groaned.

“You people are obsessed. You know how much I’d suffer if Luca had to rescue me? I’d never hear the end of it.”

Luca winked. “Damn right. I’d put it on a T-shirt.”

The others cracked up again, and even Hondo’s lips twitched before he stepped forward, voice steady. “Alright, jokers. Save it for after. Intel says this is a basic sweep. We’re looking at a smuggling operation, maybe some muscle on-site. We’ll clear it fast and clean.”

Deacon gave my shoulder a squeeze and a fatherly look as we filed out. “Stay sharp, kiddo.”

“Always.” I promised, but my stomach still twisted the way it always did before ops. Two years in SWAT, and I still got that little knot of fear. The difference now was that I had family around me.

---

The Warehouse

The building sat like a rusted skeleton against the skyline. Corrugated siding sagged, and half the windows were busted out, jagged like teeth.

Inside, dust floated in the shafts of afternoon light, making everything hazy. The air smelled like metal and old oil. Every creak of our boots echoed too loud.

I moved with Street, sweeping along the east wall. Our movements were automatic now, steps in sync. My light cut across crates, pallets, stacks of tarp-covered shapes.

Then I saw it. Prints in the dust. Fresh.

“Street.” I tapped his arm, crouching low. “There. Someone’s here.”

He followed my line, jaw tightening. His hand signaled caution, then he spoke into comms. “We’ve got tracks. East wall. Splitting could box them in."

There was a pause, then Hondo’s calm reply: “Copy. Street, take left. Y/n, you go right. Stay tight on comms.”

---

Ambush

Gunfire lit the corridor, bullets shrieking off metal. I dove behind crates, chest hammering.

“Contact right side!” I shouted, squeezing off rounds. My shots clipped one, but more came. Two, maybe three, pressing hard.

Every noise was thunder. The slam of shots, the snap of ricochets. My body moved faster than thought.

Fire, duck, roll, fire again.

Then I turned a corner too fast.

The gun cracked.

The impact hit like a sledgehammer just under my collarbone, so close to my neck I swore I felt death brush past me. Air ripped from my lungs, my knees buckling. My chest locked up. Breathing was impossible.

My throat seized, every inhale shallow, frantic. Panic crashed over me like ice water.

“-n... team- ” My voice broke into nothing but static and gasps.

“Y/n, report!” Hondo barked in my ear.

I couldn’t. I tried. My mouth opened, but only a weak rasp came out.

Tears stung as I fired back blindly, forcing them to duck before I sprinted, legs stumbling under me. A door appeared at the end of the hall, an old office. I shoved inside, slamming the bolt as boots thundered outside.

My back hit the wall. My chest dragged in ragged gasps, useless and thin. Out of ammo. My rifle clattered empty.

Hands shaking, I pulled my last flashbang. The metal was cold, grounding, but it felt more like a goodbye than a weapon.

I slid down until I was on the floor, knees pulled up, grenade cradled against my chest. Tears blurred my vision.

This is it. God, this is it.

My body didn’t listen. My chest kept fighting itself, lungs refusing. My ears rang with the echo of boots outside, pounding closer.

---

[Luca’s POV]

The hallway shook with gunfire as we pushed deeper. My heart was already racing, but when we rounded the corner, it spiked hard. Three hostiles were stationed right in front of the locked office door.

The door. Her door.

They were trying to force it open, shouting to each other in Spanish, one of them ramming the butt of his rifle against the lock.

“Contact!” Hondo barked.

The team opened fire in perfect sync. My shots cut down the one at the door first, so he wasn’t going to get another chance. Tan and Deacon dropped the other two cleanly. The corridor fell into silence except for our ragged breathing.

I was already moving toward the door when Hondo’s firm voice came up.

“Y/n! It’s us. Open the door!”

We waited. No answer.

“Y/n, talk to us!” Deacon added, voice tight but calm.

Still nothing. My chest squeezed.

Then Hicks’ voice boomed over comms, uncharacteristically sharp.

“Get in there! Now!”

That was all I needed. I kicked the door with everything I had. The wood splintered, the lock gave way, and the door flew open.

The sight inside froze me.

She was crumpled on the floor, back against the wall, flashbang clutched in white knuckled fingers. Her chest heaved, sucking for air she couldn’t find. Her face was pale, eyes glassy, tears streaking her cheeks.

“Y/n!” My rifle hit the floor with a clang as I bolted across the room. I dropped to my knees and scooped her into my arms before she could collapse sideways.

Her hand gripped at my vest, frantic.

“C… can’t—”

“I know, I know. I’ve got you.” My voice cracked as I pulled her close, pressing my forehead to hers. “You’re safe now. Breathe with me, okay?”

Deacon was right at my side, steady and grounding. “Y/n, slow it down. In through the nose, out through the mouth. Watch me.”

Her wide eyes flicked between him and me, but she couldn’t seem to catch it. Each breath rattled, shallow and fast.

I tightened my hold, brushing damp strands of hair from her face. “Look at me. Right here. You’re not alone. In… with me. Out… with me.”

Her trembling began to slow, not gone but easing as her lungs started catching small pieces of rhythm. Every breath she managed felt like my own.

Hondo’s voice came over comms, calmer now but edged with urgency.

“Command, 20-David. We have her. Alive, but she’s struggling to breathe. We need medics on standby outside Black Betty.”

“Copy.” Hicks replied, his voice thick with relief. “Medical is waiting.”

I held her tighter, whispering against her hair. “That’s it. You’re doing great. Just keep matching me, baby. In and out.”

Her body sagged a little, exhausted but breathing steadier. She looked up at me.

“It hurts…” she whispered, voice breaking.

“I know. I’ve got you. You’re safe.”

Deacon gave me a quick nod. “She’s stable enough to move. Let’s get her out.”

I helped her to her feet slowly, keeping an arm wrapped firm around her waist, her head leaning against my shoulder. She wobbled, but I held her steady.

“Easy. We've got you.” I murmured again, guiding her out into the hallway where the others fell in around us, weapons ready just in case.

The sunlight outside the warehouse hit us hard after the dim inside. And there, parked and waiting, was Black Betty, medics already rushing forward with gear.

The medics reached us, but Y/n still clung to me like she didn’t want to let go. And truth was, I didn’t want to let her go either.

Because in my arms, she was safe. And I’d make damn sure she stayed that way.

---

After the Medics [Y/n's POV]

The cool oxygen mask had done wonders. My chest still ached like hell, but every breath finally came easier. The medics hovered for a bit outside the warehouse, shining lights in my eyes, checking vitals, before Hondo waved them off with a nod.

“She’s good enough to ride back with us.” one of them confirmed. “Keep her calm. She’ll need rest and a proper check at HQ.”

So they bundled me gently into Black Betty.

Tan was already in the driver’s seat, hands steady on the wheel. Chris slid in opposite him, gear rattling as she sat. Street climbed in looking pale, his usual spark dimmed. Deacon sat to my right, solid and protective as ever, and Luca was on my left. So close I could feel the heat from his arm against mine.

The hum of the engine filled the silence as Tan pulled us out of the lot.

Street was the first to break it. His voice was low, guilty. “That was on me.”

Everyone looked up. He rubbed the back of his neck, staring at the floor. “If I’d gone right instead of left. If I’d been with Y/n, she wouldn’t have…”

He trailed off, swallowing hard. “I’m sorry.”

Hondo’s tone was calm but sharp, leaving no room for argument. “Don’t carry that, Street. None of us saw them. No one could’ve known they were waiting down that hall.”

I nodded, my voice still rough but clear enough. “He’s right. It wasn’t your fault. I didn’t see them until it was too late either.” I caught Street’s eyes until he finally looked at me. “You’ve got nothing to apologize for.”

He gave a tight nod, but the guilt still lingered in his shoulders. The silence returned, heavy in the hum of Black Betty’s engine.

Then Street huffed a breath, trying to shake it off. “Well… if nothing else, at least Luca finally got his knight-in-shining-armor moment.” He smirked weakly. “Guy’s been waiting two years for that.”

Tan laughed, Chris shook her head grinning, and even Deacon and Hondo chuckled deep in their chests. The tension cracked open as the whole team laughed, the sound filling the cabin.

I let out a small laugh too, my chest aching but lighter. When the noise died down, I turned my head toward Luca. He was already looking at me.

That has been your days recently. Stand up, go to work, snack a little, go home, shower and sleep or stare at walls in your apartment.

All because of some damn secret, you weren't sure, you could share with the team just yet. Even though you have been paired with the squad since two and a half years now.

The right moment was just never in reach for you to tell them. You wanted to, but how should you have done it?

'Hey guys. You know, I just wanted to tell you I'm Transgender. I hope this doesn't change anything between us.'

Because it would change everything. But lately it has eaten you alive, to keep that from your friends, hell your family. Because they mattered to you. Especially Luca.

He was always there, lending you an ear or giving you advice when you were a cadet training in the academy. Even back then you had a little crush on him, but you were sure it would pass with time.

Oh Boy, how wrong you were. That little crush you had was nothing compared to the simping you'd do whenever you could.

And he was asking you more frequently lately, if everything was okay, but you just shrugged him off, saying everything was fine. You didn't want to burden anyone with these problems of yours.

Fingers snapping in front of your face got you out of your thoughts.

"Ey Y/n! You comin' with us? We wanna grab some drinks." Luca asks you, once you blink twice to remind you where you are. "Nah, I'll pass. Thanks for the offer though"

Does it just seem to you or is a sad expression laid over Luca's face for a split second?

"Oh okay, good night then!" "You too guys. Have fun!"

You turn around and start walking t the locker room to get your backpack and keys.

In the locker room you are met face to face with Tan. "Hey, can I ask you something personal?" He asks. You alt in your movements and nod slowly.

"How come you never change your clothes here? I've never seen you come or go in your normal clothes?" You swallow hard. So they noticed.

What should you say? The truth and risk getting ignored? Or just some little lie.

"Uhm, I actually don't even really know myself. I guess it's just a thing I had going on since elementary school. I couldn't do that dressing shit while others were in the room. Insecurity I guess."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to invade your privacy." "Hell, I wouldn't have answered if you invaded my personal space." You grin and shoulder your bag. You wave him goodbye and walk out the door.

What a close call.

On your drive home you keep on replaying the scene in your head. Is it so obvious? That you evade getting dressed in public dressing rooms? Maybe. But they all could neither see the binders and tapes you are wearing to conceal your chest, nor should they see all of the scars on your body. The scars that you never were proud of getting. The scars you made yourself. All over your body. Your arms. Your legs. Your stomach.

And all those scars wouldn't be there if you weren't born in that fucking body. But you couldn't change it. And it bothered you.

It bothers you that you joined the police to help saving people, but you can't save yourself. Not without help of outsiders at least.

You hit the wheel of your car out of frustration. You know you can't continue like that. But you also can't do anything. It's like a carousel.

Once you reach home, you park the car and open the apartment.

You hop in the shower to wash all the sweat off, and fall in your bed afterwards. But you aren't tired. You are tired of keeping up a facade and your mind is tired too, but your body can't rest somehow.

When your alarm rings you didn't sleep a single second. You are relieved that you finally get to do something again. Get your mind off your personal problems. You dress up in uniform and exit your apartment.

The ride to HQ was quiet and there were luckily no traffic jams. In HQ the first person you ran into was Luca. "Hey, my favorite teammate! You're here early." You smile and answer: "Yeah couldn't sleep. Morning too."

"Hey, are you okay? Your eyes are really red and you have deep circles under your eyes. Have you been sleeping?" "I'm fine thanks." You try evading. "You know if there is anything I can do, reach out to me. Please. You're family." You nod, your lips pressed to a thin line.

With the mood now killed you excuse yourself and bury yourself the whole day in work.

On the end of the day Luca comes to you again. "Hey, do you want to crash at our place tonight? Maybe sleeping somewhere else could get you a cap of sleep. You really don't look so good. Please? For me?"

"Fine. Thank you" He nods and guards you to his car. You try to protest, that you have your own car but he insists on you two driving together. The ride was comfortable and you both were vibing to the music coming from the radio.

At Luca and Street's home, you are greeted with a happy Duke, who was eager to greet both of you.

"Hey, you know what, I'll make some dinner, and you can take a shower if you want."

That's when it hit you. "Fuck. I don't have any spare clothes with me." "Don't worry I'll lend you something of mine. Does Sweats and a Hoodie sound okay?"

"Sounds perfect Luca, thanks."

So after Luca hands you the clothes you go to the bathroom, and take a short shower, and slip into his clothes afterwards. When you get to the kitchen again, you get hit by a smell, so amazing it makes your stomach growl loudly.

"Wow, so hungry?" You smile sheepishly. "Thanks again." You say.

"Yeah no worries. Now eat up. I never see you eat at work, you must be really hungry."

"I don't eat at work, or after or before. Just some snacks in between breaks." You admit.

"A reason more to eat up." And with that he starts digging in too.

After the food the two of you sit on the couch and start watching TV. Until Luca suddenly sits up and turns to look at you.

"Hey, real talk right now. What's going on? You are mentally absent very often lately. You have deep circles under your eyes, I bet you don't sleep enough, and you don't eat regularly. And don't tell me everything's fine. Because it's not."

You are shocked for a second, but then all feelings hit you like a wall. They come crashing down on you and you just burst into tears.

"Hey, hey hey! Talk to me. Please!" Luca puts his arms around you and rubs your back in a soothing motion. You lean in the hug and start sobbing, finally letting your feelings out.

"I can't do this anymore." "What can you not do anymore?" "Keeping it from you. Everything"

"You know Luca. I became a cop to rescue people. But now I need rescuing. And I should have asked for help a long time ago. But I couldn't." You explain through sobs. "I always had a rough time. Always wanted to be like others. Wanted to be like the other dudes at the academy. But I just couldn't. Because of one difference. I was never born male. I was born as a female, but that never felt right. But wherever I went I couldn't fit in. I was too different. So I started punishing myself for something I did not even have power over." You sniff and pull the sleeve of the hoodie up, to show your scars. Scattered all over your arm.

"Oh Y/n! Why haven't you told us? We would have helped you through this. We are family. Remember?"

"But you will all see me differently now, won't you? Now that you know I'm trans?"

"That doesn't change anything. And I think I can speak for the whole team there."

He cups your face in his hands. "You matter to us. You are important to us. You hear me?" You nod. "Good." Then he pulls you even closer, for another hug.

"Thank you for your trust. And thank you for telling me all that." He says as he pulls away. Now come on. Let's get you to sleep. I'll show you my bed."

"And where are you going to sleep?"

"The couch."

"But-" He just shakes his head and you stop.

He guides you do his bedroom and tucks you in. Then he turns around to walk away. But you catch his wrist before he slips out of the room.

"Stay. Please?" You ask quietly.

"You sure?" He raises an eyebrow. You nod. "Alright let me change real quick and I'll come in a sec."

He returns a few minutes later and finds you sitting in his bed, waiting patiently for him.

"I thought you fell to sleep already." You just shake your head at that.

"Y/n can I ask you something?" "Sure thing" You answer as he makes himself comfortable and you turn around to face him.

"Do you maybe, maybe want to go and drink coffee or something tomorrow?"

"You asking me on a date?"

"Maybe? Don't know? Yes?"

You take a deep breath and close your eyes when you lean in, and peck him on the lips.

"That an answer?" You ask nervously.

"Depends. Should that have been a kiss? You gotta do it again then if your answer was a yes."

"Alright, you really gonna make me say it?" You sigh.

"Yup"

"Fine. I like you Dominique Luca! And I will go on a date with you."

"That's what I wanted to hear." And with that he grabs your face and pulls you in for a proper kiss.

A long and affectionate kiss. And when you part for air, he tells you: "You know you are the most beautiful man, I have ever met. I fell for you the moment you came up to me and asked me for advice in improving your skills at shooting, back when you were in the academy. But now sleep. Please"

"Only if you cuddle me."

Not even a second later you feel his hands wrapping around you, and his warmth embracing you.

"You know, I fell for you the moment I saw you too."

"Mhm. G'dnight Baby." He mumbles to your ear.

A minute later you hear a steady breathing from him.

Your day had been going well. You went to one of your final doctors appointments before you were supposed to have the baby, you'd grabbed some of the last minute things on your baby list, and you were going over what you needed from the grocery store while you stood in line at the bank. It was one of those errands that you couldn't put off doing anymore, especially with the impending birth of your child, so it seemed easy enough to get out of the way today while you were already out and about. Unfortunately, a group of greedy, grubby-handed robbers decided to ruin those plans.

You couldn't lay on the ground like they wanted everyone to, which already irritated not only them but you too. The floor was uncomfortable as you sat against one of the desks while everyone else was forced to lay face down and not to move. It was a tense situation as the three robbers made the tellers fill their bags, one you wished would be over soon.

However, the robbers had already fucked up and got themselves stuck in the bank. A teller had sounded the silent alarm and in a fit of anger, one of the criminals shot the security officer dead. Another one freaked out because "no one was supposed to die" and seemed to be on the verge of tears, but it was hard to tell because they were all wearing plastic Halloween masks. This was turning out to be the worst bank robbery you had ever witnessed, not that you had ever actually witnessed a bank robbery but you had studied plenty.

"Shit, man! The cops are here!" one of the robbers all but growled. He turned his weapon on the tellers with a nasty glare from behind his ghoul mask. "Which one of you sounded the alarm, huh? Fucking idiots!"

He shot at the ceiling suddenly, causing people to scream. You jumped and held your belly protectively, taking a deep breath as you tried to stay calm. However, your blood pressure was already up and you could hear your heartbeat in your ears. The baby was kicking, sensing your distress, and you rubbed your bump in an attempt to soothe them.

"Cool it!" another of the robbers chastised his buddy, seething with anger behind his devil mask. "You're gonna need those bullets. So chill the fuck out."

"I'll do as I damn-well please," the first one said, then walked away, seeming to look for another way out.

The freaked-out robber stayed out of the conversation, seeming more subservient to the other two. He just stood the to side, watching over the hostages like he'd been told to, hiding behind his clown mask. You knew from that if any of them were going to break first, it was him.

As things around you began to calm down, you leaned your head back on the desk and took even, deep breaths. Of course, the quiet couldn't last long.

A couple were whispering to each other a few feet away and as soon as the robber with the devil mask, who seemed to be the leader, caught wind of it, he stomped over and pointed his gun at the woman's head. "I said to keep quiet! You want me to blow her head off?"

"No, please! We'll be quiet!" the man begged.

"I should make sure you stay quiet for good," the leader said, teasing the trigger of his gun. The grin of his devil mask made the scene more unsettling.

At that moment, you felt a sharp pain in your belly and let out a heavy groan. All eyes turned to you and watched as you withered in your spot. You were caught between pain and confusion, hoping that you weren't going into labor. You weren't due for another three and a half weeks. Your baby couldn't come now, this was the worst-case scenario. Anywhere else but in the middle of a robbery would have been ideal.

The devil walked over to see what you were doing, letting out a frustrated groan. "Oh, for fuck's sake! Give me a break!"

You looked up at him as the contraction passed, irritated and not ready to give birth. You spat, "Sorry to ruin your parade!"

He pointed his gun at you but the clown ran over and pushed it down. "Dude, you can't shoot a pregnant lady!"

The leader looked at him, then walked away muttering under his breath about how this was going terribly and how the last thing he needed was a baby to mess it up further.

It was about that time one of the phones rang and he walked over to answer it, knowing it was the police outside. It was about time, but you thought that perhaps they needed a negotiator to show up, which was unfortunate for you. A few minutes earlier and you might not be in the early stages of labor right now.

"What do you want?" Devil asked brashly.

You couldn't hear who was on the other side of the call, sitting too far away. You watched closely, hoping your boyfriend was outside with his team. It would be the perfect fantasy if he came to your rescue; besides, they were the best S.W.A.T. team in LA. What were the chances that they weren't here?

The phone call only lasted about two minutes before the leader hung up having made no demands. He laughed, shaking his head. "They think I'm an idiot."

The ghoul came back into the room and grunted. "They've got the whole place surrounded! They probably have snipers ready to kill us if we walk outta here. What do we do?"

Devil thought for a moment, then gestured with his gun at the people laying on the floor. "Put them in front of the doors and windows. Use them as a shield. They won't shoot in here with hostages in the way and it'll give us time to think."

His accomplices nodded and started getting people up, guiding them with their guns to form a line around the center of the bank. The patrons followed orders dutifully and linked their arms together, their lives put further in danger by their captors.

The leader came over to you and grabbed your arm, but the clown came over and asked him what he was doing. "What does it look like I'm doing? I'm getting her off her ass."

"She's pregnant, man," he said, his voice a little more confident than before. He didn't seem to like that you were there at all, but as soon as his bossy friend came near you, he jumped to your aid. "Just leave her alone."

"You questioning me?"

He seemed to think on his feet. "I'm just saying, if the cops know we got a pregnant lady in here, thye're gonna get more aggressive. They'll try harder to get in here. Think about it, man."

"Kid's got a point," Ghoul said, looking over. "She'll be our secret weapon."

Devil looked between them and shook his head, letting you go. "Fine, maybe you're right... this time. We'll see."

He walked away to make sure the wall of hostages was cooperating, looking out the glass doors and windows at the front of the bank to evaluate what his next move should be. He took slow, calculated steps, taunting the police and the hostages at the same time.

Another contraction hit you and you whimpered, holding your stomach and slightly curling up. The clown crouched down beside you, looking at you with wide eyes from behind his mask. He stuttered, "A-are you okay?"

"Do I look okay?" you asked through clenched teeth. He looked down, almost ashamed for asking the question. You would feel bad if he wasn't hiding his identity and holding a large automatic gun on his back. Once the pain passed, you breathed out. "How old are you?"

"Doesn't matter," he answered.

"Sure it does. They called you kid," you told him, making him look up at you. "Means they don't respect you."

"That's not true," he said, shaking his head. He stood up and walked away, but looked back at you as he did. That was how you knew you did it. You planted that seed of doubt in his mind.

The next call came in not that long after, but Devil made one of the hostages answer the phone, a terrified older man who had been there to help his son open a bank account. He instructed the man on what to say, telling the officer on the other end that they wanted an armored car and a one way trip out of the country for the three of them, all within the next hour. It wasn't possible, you thought, which you were sure was what they were told before the hostage was made to hangup the phone with the promise that if their demands weren't met by that time, someone else was going to die.

The time seemed to pass sluggishly. You wouldn't have known it was going by at all were it not for the contractions picking up speed. You had read all your books about pregnancy and birth, so you knew that wasn't a great sign in this particular situation. Your labor seemed to be fast approaching, but you didn't want it to be. Were this in line with your birth plan, that would be ideal. However, a speedy birth was not on your agenda for the day.

"Tick-tock, tick-tock," Devil taunted as he walked the line of hostages again. He'd been pacing behind them to needlessly remind them of his presence. It was cruel and having to watch him was intense. "Five more minutes."

"What if they get us what we want?" Clown asked, looking at his friend.

The leader shook his head. "They won't get us what we want. They'll try to bribe us with less than what we asked for just to get us outside."

"So you're just gonna kill one?"

"Yup."

A woman in line cried out at hearing this and she was snapped at to shut up by the ghoul. He held a gun to her back and laughed at her terror as she tried to muffle her cries.

Clown watched, clutching his gun to his chest, before looking at Devil. "Wasn't killing the guard enough?"

"Not until we get out of here with the money and our lives," the leader answered, then shoved him. "Now shut up and do your job."

You watched as the 'kid' shook his head and walked away, listening to the devil without another question. Paying attention to everything else around you was the only thing keeping you from going insane from the pain. It was more persistent now and you felt the baby had moved lower. It was getting harder to keep your cool as all you wanted to do was yell and kick your feet at these guys who had forced you into early labor.

You were trying not to think about the time passing, watching Devil pace back and forth behind the line. He was looking at them, gun pointed at their backs. Then, suddenly, another sharp contraction shot through you and all you could do was scream as he shot a woman in the back.

She would have dropped to the floor were it not for the two people on either side of her whose arms were linked with hers. They were told to drop her as she cried and writhed. Then Devil went to stand over her, watching her squirm on the ground and bleed, before lifting his gun and shooting her in the head. Everything stopped and grew quiet except for your cries. They echoed off the high walls of the bank, violently reminding everyone there that life came with pain.

Sweat and tears slipped down your face as people were forced to listen to you until you quieted down. The contraction passed and you were slumped against the desk once more.

The devil turned to Clown and motioned toward you. "Go make sure she's alive."

"Okay," he said and walked over to you. He put his gun on his back and crouched beside you, using the sleeve of his shirt to wipe the sweat from your forehead. "You're, uh, you're getting closer to, um, having the baby, aren't you?"

You nodded, keeping your eyes forward, watching the way Devil made two hostages move the woman's body closer to the door. They were going to use her as a block in front of the door incase S.W.A.T. came running in, which made you sick to your stomach. You'd seen a lot of malicious shit, but that was a new low.

The phone rang, but no one moved to answer it. Then the devil chuckled.

"Get her on her feet," he said, looking over at you and the 'kid.'

Clown puffed up his chest. "She can't possibly-"

Devil got angry. "Don't question me! Just do it!"

Clown looked at you apologetically and put an arm around your back and hoisted you up. You cried out as you felt the baby shift lower. It was hard to walk, awkward really. But he held you up and guided you to the phone as it rang. Just as you reached the desk, it stopped, and you wanted to scream but managed to hold it in. You knew they would call back. They had to.

The clown leant you against the desk and brought its accompanying chair over to you. He helped you sit in it as his buddies scolded him, but he didn't argue back or justify his actions then. Only when you were seated did he turn to them and bark back.

"You're making a pregnant lady do all this shit when she's about to have a goddamn baby! What the hell is wrong with you?" he yelled.

Devil got in his face. "I'm the one calling the shots around here! You do as I say, and if I want that fat bitch to answer the damn phone, she will, or she and that baby won't-"

"Oh, so you're gonna kill a lady and her baby?"

"Wait a minute!" Ghoul interrupted, looking at the devil, "Who died and put you in charge?"

"I've been in charge, numbnuts!"

The argument would have continued on from there, but the phone rang. They all looked at your tired face and waited for you to comply with what Devil wanted. So, you did.

"Hello," you said.

The voice on the other end of the phone made you feel some relief as he said your name. It was Hondo. "Is that you?"

You didn't answer immediately, not wanting to put the robbers on edge or clue them in to anything.

He seemed to understand. "If you are who I think you are, say 'where's the car?' if you're not, say 'please help us.' Okay?"

"Where's the car?" you asked, eyes trained on the robbers. Devil nodded at you, seeming to like that you were apparently smart enough to understand the situation at hand - you got right to the point of things and had been paying attention. Little did he know...

"We're gonna get you out of there, okay? We're working on it," Hondo told you.

"Well work on it faster," you told him, wincing in pain. You held your belly with your free hand. You kept your mouth shut about being in labor, knowing the robbers didn't want that detail known to anyone outside. "They've already killed someone else."

"We know, we saw," he said, letting out a regretful sigh. "But our eyes can only see in through the windows. The camera system is down. How many people are left inside with you?"

You looked around the room, trying to count the number of hostages, but it was harder to concentrate on something like that. "I don't know."

"What did he say?" Devil asked.

"They want to know how many people are alive."

Ghoul huffed. "Why does he want to know?"

"I don't know," you groaned, feeling another contraction rearing its ugly head. You did know, but there was no way you could strategize what the right thing to say to them was at that moment. "They-they probably- ahh!"

Hondo said your name several times, keeping his voice even. "Talk to me, mama. What's going on in there?"

Devil came over and seethed at you, "Tell him to get us what we want or we're gonna kill another person. Then hang up."

You spoke through the pain. "Get them what they want-"

"Are you in labor?" Hondo asked, hearing the strain in your voice.

"Or they're going to kill again," you said. "Please, please hurry."

Ghoul took the phone from your hand shook, slamming it into the holder. He watched you as you grabbed the arms of the chair, digging your nails into the hard wood. You scraped it and he shook his head. "Pregnant people are weird," he mumbled.

He and the devil moved on, talking to each other about what to do next. They began to argue about it but it was short lived as they parted ways. Ghoul slammed his fist on a desk and stomped away to try again at finding a plan-b escape. Devil leaned on a desk out of view of the windows, near you, and waited.

Clown stayed with you and talked you through the contraction. His voice wavered with fear and nervousness, seemingly never been in a situation like this before, as far as pregnancy went at the very least. Once it passed, he wiped your forehead again. "What-what's going to happen if you give birth in here?"

You looked at him, unsure yourself. "Well, there will be a baby in here and we'll both need immediate medical attention. If at that point they know about that, S.W.A.T. might just do anything to get in here."

Now that Hondo knew you were in here, there was more pressure on him to get inside and ensure your safety. You knew he wasn't going to tell Luca that you were one of the hostages because it would cloud his judgement, damned be the third generation S.W.A.T. officer that he was. His girlfriend and unborn child were in the center of danger and he'd do anything to get you out of there.

Clown got you water and helped you drink it as you continued to wallow in pain. As you sat there, you knew the situation was dire. You could see out some of the windows, seeing S.W.A.T. officers gearing up. You knew that sooner or later, they were going to come inside. You also saw an armored car pulling up, but it was a great distance away from the doors.

Ghoul came back, a little bit of a skip in his step. "They got our car! Let's go!"

"Wait!" Devil said, standing from his position and walking up behind the hostages. He took a man from them by putting his arm around his neck and pointing his gun into his side. They slowly made their way to the windows so he could peer out. He seethed. "They're trying to lure us out."

When he got back to the safe zone, the devil scratched his head, clearly deep in thought. He knew they were in deep, and with your timely reminders about the impending birth of your child, their odds of getting out of here was getting slimmer and slimmer.

"Wait for them to call," he said, turning to his friends. "We tell them we're going to take a hostage with us to ensure our escape."

"Dude, they got the fucking car, why do we gotta wait?" Ghoul asked.

"Because as soon as we step anywhere near those windows, they're gonna gun us down," Devil said, shoving him. "This is why I'm in charge, because you don't think!"

"I think better than you!" the ghoul yelled. "It was my idea to come here, remember?"

"And look at where that got us! You could of picked any other bank, but it had to be this big fancy one in the middle of town!"

"The cameras are out! They can't see in here, dimwit!"

You were about to yell at them to shut up when the phone rang. Devil looked at you and nodded. As you picked up the phone, Ghoul tried to continue the argument, but the devil shoved him away and told him to be quiet.

"Hello," you said.

Hondo sighed with relief at hearing your voice. "Say 'what do you want?' if you're okay. Say anything else if not."

"What do you want?" you asked.

"Tell the brothers we have their car ready for them," he said, which peaked your interest. You looked at the robbers in front of you and it clicked. Their arguing and dynamics made sense now.

They were brothers.

"Your car is ready," you told them.

Ghoul leaned against the desk in front of you. "Tell him we want it closer!"

Devil shoved him away again. "And that we're taking a hostage with us, so if they shoot at us, they'll be killing the next innocent person."

You took a deep breath and nodded. "They want the car closer so that they can get in with a hostage."

Hondo grunted. "Of course they'd try that trick. Listen to me, okay, we're not gonna let that happen. But tell them that we have to make room to move the car, so it'll be a minute."

"Okay," you said and sighed, rubbing your belly. You were in the last stretch of contraction. You could just feel it. "They have to make room for the car to get closer, so it'll be a few minutes before you can leave."

Devil didn't say anything, only took the phone from you and hung it up. "Get ready to get out of here, boys. Make the hostages take our bags to the door."

Then he walked away.

Ghoul took control of that mini mission, bossing two of the men in line to move and hustle to get their bags full of money to the door. They dropped them off and promptly got back in line, seeing the robber's finger ever-present on the trigger of his gun.

You were leaning forward on the desk, head laying on your arms as you whined and tried to breath deeply. You tried to hold your legs closed, preventing the progression of labor in anyway you could. You cursed having worn a dress today. You tried to think about anything else but where you where in that moment and what was happening. You tried to put yourself at home, in your baby's nursery that you and Luca had spent the last few weeks putting together and decorating. It helped distract you for a few minutes until more yelling broke the illusion.

Looking up, you saw Devil and Ghoul arguing about which hostage to take with them, which was the stupidest thing you had ever seen. It made you angry as you sat there, in labor, having to listen to this. Devil wanted to take you but Ghoul wanted to take anyone else. You were at your breaking point.

However, Clown snubbed out your lit fuse. He came with more water and helped you sit up so he could bring the cup to your lips. You sipped it, thankful that he was the kindest of the brothers. From what you had observed, he had to be the baby of the three and didn't want to hurt anyone there. He was there to rob a bank, not kill anyone, and each time you were in pain, he came to your side. He took care of you as much as he knew how. Something inside of him was redeemable, you thought so at least.

"They're both idiots," you whispered to him.

He hesitated, then nodded. "Yeah... I can't believe I agreed to do this. I should have never let them talk me into this."

You nodded. "Yeah, that's true."

He leaned against the desk, staying close to you as you both listened to the argument devolve, once more, into who is in charge. It was beginning to sound like they were a broken record, but as they continued the back and forth, you heard how similar their voices were, how similarly they spoke, and you could picture them as brothers more and more. It was in contrast to the 'kid', who seemed a little more mild mannered and quiet. He only spoke against the other two when he was passionate about whatever he was fighting them for, be it the lives of the people there or your wellbeing. It made you wonder how he was a part of this family.

Suddenly, everything came to a head.

"I told you to stop questioning me!" someone yelled, followed by a round of rapid pops from a gun.

You couldn't process anything for a moment, stomach tightening and making double over, leaning onto the desk again. You held your belly, screaming with the other scared people trapped with you. The moment passed quickly, but you couldn't look up.

"Bobby, what did you do?" Clown yelled.

The devil, Bobby, turned and criticized his kid brother. "Shut up! Don't say my name, you idiot!"

"But-"

"I said shut up!" he yelled and pointed the gun at him. "Now stop asking stupid questions or you're next."

You peeked up from your arm, seeing how far Devil had devolved. In the beginning, he was semi-organized (given how shittily the robbery was planned, there was at least some effort on his behalf), but the stress of the situation and his brother's mouth had finally snapped his last nerve.

Clown backed down and slowly sank to the ground beside your chair. Bobby began pacing again.

The phone range and you answered it.

"What's happening in there?" Hondo asked.

You could feel the devil's eyes on you. "You need to hurry."

"What happened?" he said again, fearing the worst.

You let out a breath. "Someone else is dead."

"Tell them we're going as fast as we can," he said.

You looked over at Bobby. "They're going as fast as they can. Please don't shoot anyone else."

"I'll shoot whoever I damn-well please," he said and took the phone from you, putting it to his ear. "You listen here, buddy. You don't tell me what to do, got it? Now, if that car isn't at the front door in five minutes, I'm killing everyone in here."

He slammed the phone into the holder before ripping it off of the desk and throwing it across the room. He stomped off, going back to his look out position from behind the line of people. He watched the doors impatiently, seemingly unbothered by the crying people before him. Their anguish brought him no joy, unlike his now-dead brother, as it was obvious that the people were merely pawns in his game. He didn't care about them whatsoever.

You laid your head down and whispered, "He's gonna kill you."

Clown made a worried noise in the back of his throat. "No-no he won't. He-he's my brother..."

"You blew his cover. Everyone here knows his name and it won't be hard to track down a Bobby in an armored car," you said, pausing to moan and shift your seated position. You couldn't hold your legs together anymore, knowing it was dangerous. It was a feeble attempt anyway. "He's already angry and you're the only one left brave enough to stand up to him."

He whined. "I-I'm really not."

"Yeah, you are," you told him, hoping to break through to him. "You've protected me from him this whole time. That took a lot of courage, I know it did."

"But... he's my brother... The only family I have left now," he said.

You looked at him, meeting his sad eyes past the mask. "Family wouldn't put you in this position."

He stared into your eyes for a moment, then looked away in contemplation. He didn't say anything for a moment, which felt like an eternity, and then he looked at you again. "What's your name?"

"Why does it matter now?" you asked.

"Because if I'm gonna die, I'd like to know the name of the lady I protected," he said.

You didn't understand what that meant, it could mean many things, and as you felt the pain getting worse, you couldn't think very well anyway. You told him your name between heavy breathes.

He gently wiped your forehead again, talking you through the pain. Then he took off his mask, revealing his face to you, and you were saddened to see how young he was. There was no doubt he was in his early twenties but he still had a baby face and the biggest eyes you'd ever seen a man have, giving him a deer in the headlights look.

"I'm Eric."

Then he stood up and moved away from you, walking over to another desk quietly. He moved out of your sight and you couldn't move much anymore, too tired to do much of anything as it were. Despite the situation, all you wanted to do was get this over with.

Then, there was a loud thud from where Eric had disappeared to.

Bobby turned around and marched over to you. "What the hell are you doing?"

You groaned, looking up at him. "Nothing."

He seethed again, "I've about had enough of you and you're whining."

"I'm about to push a watermelon out of me, what do you want from me?"

"I want you to shut u-" BANG!

He fell to the ground in front of you, his blood splattering on the desk. Looking over, Eric had his gun trained on his brother from behind the desk a few feet away, eerily still, like he was trained for this. It made your heart ache because your stomach was already twisted. What kind of life had this kid had that led him and his brothers to this?

As he walked over to you, he yelled at the other hostages, "Go! Get out of here! Go! Get out!" They listened without hesitance and ran screaming and crying for the door.

He crouched down beside his brother's body and took the gun off of him, sliding it across the floor. He then took his own gun and push it to follow. Then he turned to you, "Are you okay?"

You nodded. "More or less."

Eric couldn't say another word before S.W.A.T. came into the bank with guns at the ready. They aimed at him and he put his arms up, already on his knees. You screamed in pain and he turned to look at you, making Hondo yell at him to stay still, but he didn't seem to hear him. If he did, he didn't listen and reached out to you.

He took your hand and let you squeeze it as the pain made you sob.

You managed to cry out, "He's unarmed!"

The team got closer and saw the truth in your words. They pulled his hand from yours despite your tight grip and handcuffed him, getting him onto his feet. While Chris and Street patted him down, Luca and Hondo came to your side.

"Fucking hell, I could kill this guy for all this," Luca grunted, clearly angry. He took your hand into his.

You shook your head. "He's a hero, believe me."

"How is he-?" Hondo asked, but was cut off by your guttural scream.

Deacon shook his head as he watched. "We need to get her out of here. Now."

The paramedics came in with their gurneys and attended to the bodies on the floor, but by the time it was decerned that they were beyond saving, everyone was busy and there was no room for you anywhere. Luca picked you up and carried you outside in hopes of finding an ambulance to take you to the nearest hospital, but they were all tending to the injured who had run outside earlier.

Tan opened up the back doors of Black Betty and called out to Luca, ushering the team over. Street helped get you inside while Tan and Chris ran to the side doors to get in. Once you were laying on the floor, Luca behind you and holding you close, everyone else piled in and closed everything up, turning on the lights and sirens.

You were screaming the whole time, crying as it became too much. Your body was telling you to push and that was all you could think about doing. Luca was trying to soothe you, telling you that you would be at the hospital soon and that it would be okay. But your baby had other ideas, they had waited long enough.

"The baby's coming!" you cried out.

"We know, we're gonna-"

"No! Now! The baby's coming right now!"

You let out another scream as you pushed. Deacon slide onto the floor and pulled your legs up onto the seats on either side of you, pushing your dress away. He ripped your underwear to get a look at how things were progressing and then looked up at Luca, Street, and Hondo, "She's right. She's crowning."

Hondo called out to the front, "Tan, pull over!"

Luca held your hands as you rested you head back against his abdomen, crying as your body guided you. Everything you'd read and come to understand was nothing compared to the way your body told you what to do.

Black Betty came to a stop on the side of the road, but it only took three more powerful pushes that the ended the pressure. You ached, but the pain was lessened dramatically. You opened your eyes to see Deacon picking up your baby, who was a little chubby for a newborn and rather long, aka big like their daddy.

Deacon gently held them and patted their back, getting them to cry and clear their airways. He smiled at them and happily said, "Welcome to the world, Baby Luca."

Street rummaged around for anything to wrap the baby in, only for Chris to pass a fresh shirt to him from the front. He thanked her and helped Deacon wrap your little angel up to keep warm before they were laid on your chest. You took her, Luca's arm coming under yours to support you both.

"It's a girl," Deacon told you and you smiled. He smiled too, knowing that joy and pride well. "Congratulations."

Tan put Black Betty in gear and let everyone know he was going to start driving again, as you and your daughter needed to be taken to the hospital. After that, no one said anything. They just let you and Luca have your moment with your daughter.

Luca couldn't even speak. He had spent the day tirelessly trying to save hostages from a bad situation that only got worse as the minutes passed by, only to learn from Hondo that you were one of them minutes before they stormed in there. He ran to you as soon as he could and wanted to burn the robbers to the ground with how angry he was because you were caught in the middle of their idiocy. Then, as soon as he saw you were in labor, he was scared, too. However, now, all that stress and anger and fear was erased. You were safe in his arms with your daughter. He had a daughter! He was nothing my happy.

Street inevitably ruined the precious moment, but lightened it at the same time as he broke the silence. "I can't believe you gave birth in Black Betty."

The team didn't react until you laughed, which let them know they could laugh too.

"I'm just glad it wasn't in the bank," you said, the ache still in your heart for the people who were lost and the kid brother who had saved you. You looked at Hondo as you remembered him. "I wanna be there for Eric. He really did save those of us that he could."

Hondo didn't question you, because you were tired and hormonal and he knew you knew what you were talking about. He just nodded and said, "I'll talk to the DA, but for now, you just worry about that cutiepie you got, okay?"

"Okay," you said.

When you got to the hospital, you were taken to a room immediately. Not only because you were wheeled in with a baby in your arms, but because you had a team of S.W.A.T. officers escorting you. Luca went back with you and ensured you and your baby daughter were okay.

Despite being three and a half weeks early, she was healthy. She would need to stay a few extra days for observation, but that was okay with you. Both you and Luca wanted the best for her, so you knew she might need a little extra watching over because of her early arrival and the stress you were under, and you needed to recover as well. It would work out, you were sure.

Once that was cleared up, Luca sat beside you with your daughter asleep in her basinet at your bedside. He watched her with nothing but love in his eyes. He'd only been talking about how excited he was for her to 'hurry up and get here' in the months leading up to this moment. He hadn't cared if she were a boy or a girl, as you'd left finding out to be a surprise at the birth, because he was going to love his kid no matter what. You knew he was going to be an amazing father.

You watched him, tired as all hell, but couldn't fall asleep. Even after the day you'd had, you laid awake on some pain killers with a soft smile on your lips. "I love you."

Luca turned to you and chuckled. "I love you, too." He reached out for your hand and squeezed it gently. "You are the most amazing woman I've ever met, you know that?"

"You only tell me that at least once a day," you laughed softly, careful not to wake your sleeping angel.

"Well, I mean it so much this time," he told you, bringing your hand up to kiss your knuckles. "You're so strong and smart and brave. What you went through today was a lot and you powered through it like a champ. And you see the good in people even in situations when it's hard to see anything but bad."

"What can I say?" you asked, not really sure what there was to say. You just read the situation like it was. And it helped you and several other people get through it. "I'm just a woman."

"Nah, you're more than that," he said and leaned in closer, kissing your head. Your eyes closed and this time they were too heavy to lift back open. "You're Superwoman."

"If you say so," you mumbled. You then fell into a dreamless sleep, getting the much needed rest your deserved.

Lowkey, I'm now attached to the backstory I accidentally gave Bobby, Ghoul, and Eric, so here it is if anyone cares. Bobby, Ghoul - who's real name is Terry, and Eric were born in a less than ideal home. Raised by a worked to the bone mother and a father who had lengthy arrest record, they were doomed from the start. Bobby and Terry were closer in age to each other than either of them were to Eric, often getting into trouble and leaving him out. When they weren't getting suspended from school, they were pushing Eric around metaphorically and literally. They would often use Eric as a punching bag when they weren't getting into fights with each other. They mother wasn't around a lot as she worked multiple jobs to keep a roof over their heads. When she was around, she was frustrated and tired, often getting angry at them for little problems like leaving their shoes out for her to trip over and bigger issues like getting kicked out of school. Their father was in and out of jail for most of their lives, but when he was around, he taught them how to shoot, steal, and hot wire cars. Averse to these activities, Eric was once again the odd one out and often the target of his brothers' criticism. Their father often got drunk and ranted to his sons about his drawbacks in life, often blaming others. Due to this unstable environment, it was no wonder the brothers turned out the way they did. Bobby followed in their father's footsteps, often helping their old man with his criminal endeavors when he could. After their father's untimely death at the hands of a homeowner protecting himself after he broke into the house, Bobby was angry. He went on a bend of drinking and crime, ending him up in jail where he made friends. Once he was out, he started robbing houses and small business. Terry at least finished high school and got a job as a mechanic, which was stable enough for a while. He started to doing shotty work for cheap and got fired once his boss found out. He did a number of odd jobs after that. Eric was on the right track but couldn't catch a break. With a grant, he was able to start college but had to leave after his mother became ill. He was almost done with college when he dropped out to take care of her, but it was fruitless. He didn't blame his mom but rather the bad hand life had dealt him, but didn't grow very bitter. He got a shitty job and went about his life. However, their mother's death is what brought the brothers back together. It was several months after the funeral that Bobby came around with the idea to rob a bank. Terry was crashing on Eric's couch at the time and liked the idea, immediately liking the idea of free money and getting to go anywhere they wanted. The two oldest brothers talked Eric into it, telling him they could go live their dream lives and get out of the shambles they called a life. Plus, they were brothers, the only family he had left, was he really gonna left them do it alone?

This was Luca's place of work, this was his second home where he felt comfortable and in control. This was where he would loop an arm over her shoulders and stop all the insecurities and the panic she felt.

Her fingertips felt numb when she approached the office door and lightly rapped her knuckles against the wood. Trying her best not to drop any of the numerous bags in her hands full of donations.

Part of her was hoping that Jess wouldn't be in her office. That way, (Y/n) could just head inside, drop the donations off with a polite note and then head off again.

"(Y/n), hi." The Captain looked slightly stunned to see (Y/n) stood there, a nervous smile dancing on her lips, a soft look in her eyes and her bags full of what looked like presents.

"I was told all the donations should be brought up to you?" She motioned her hands towards Jess who suddenly realised what the bags were for. A soft 'of course' fluttered past her lips and she reached forward to take some of the bags to make it easier for (Y/n).

She backed up and motioned for (Y/n) to come into the office and (Y/n) noticed the pile of toys littering the room. Some were unwrapped and laid all over the sofa. Others were wrapped up neatly beneath the window with various red and blue bows on them, all wrapped in pale lilac and dark blue wrapping paper.

It almost felt like Christmas, seeing all the presents. Swat did a lot of charity events and donations. Christmas was of course the biggest time of year for food and present donations, they had events to raise money for the families of fallen officers. And this was for underprivileged kids in the area, giving them books, toys, stationary, clothes and anything else anyone wanted to give.

"Wow, you and Luca went all out." Jess brushed her hair behind her ear as she set the bags down near the sofa since the donations were all unwrapped.

"This is from Street too."

She and Luca couldn't take all the credit. Street had stayed with them for a while when he was searching for a place of his own and they had all had a clear out and bought stuff together for the collection.

"Well thank you, it's appreciated."

(Y/n) plastered a tight smile across her face and leaned over the back of the sofa, both hands clamping down on the sofa cushion so harshly her arms started to shake. She closed her eyes and tilted her head down until her chin was tucked into the top of her chest, trying to ride out the waves of unease rattling through her.

She switched her weight from foot to foot, feeling her knees jutting into the back of the sofa every time she moved. But it helped ease the tension in her abdomen.

The baby was moving.

All night last night (Y/n) had struggled to sleep, no matter how she laid she couldn't get comfy or fall asleep. She ended up staying awake watching tv until four in the morning with Luca dozing in and out of sleep, unable to catch more than an hour at a time because he knew (Y/n) was uncomfortable and upset.

To add insult to injury, the baby had been moving about and full of life all morning, causing (Y/n) worse back ache than usual.

"Are you okay?" Looking away from peeking in the bags, Jess reached a careful hand out to squeeze (Y/n)'s elbow.

"Hm, just getting kicked." (Y/n) managed a small smirk when she opened her eyes to look over at the Captain.

"Maybe we should sit down then. Aren't you due soon?" Jess moved her hand from (Y/n)'s elbow to rest on her lower back when (Y/n) reeled up to try and stand straight again. The aching was starting to wear off now and she didn't want to cause any concern when she was fine.

A silent chuckle caught at the back of her throat and (Y/n) rolled her eyes as her hand moved to her stomach.

"I was due four days ago… this is probably braxton hicks, finally."

For the last three weeks, Luca had been on red alert, his phone in his pocket at all times, ready for the moment (Y/n) rang him to say she was in labour. He had been bouncing on pure adrenaline on every shift, bubbling over more than usual. The whole team was waiting for the phone call, but it never came.

The baby seemed too comfy to want to meet them and if they went another week with no signs of labour, then their midwife was going to have to induce labour as it would be the safest option.

(Y/n) hadn't experienced braxton hicks yet, she'd had no false contractions or false labour pains. All she had was increasing back pain and general discomfort. But if this was finally the fake contractions, that meant (Y/n) might go into labour within the next few days and that was what she and Luca had been praying for. They were more than ready to meet their baby.

"I'm sure Luca will be happy to hear that." Jess let (Y/n) hold onto her lower arm and she slowly started to guide her towards the chair in front of her desk. Sitting down might be (Y/n)'s best bet right now so she could calm down and cool off. She had had a busy morning and had been faffing around with the donations, she needed a break.

"I bet he-" (Y/n) broke off and closed her eyes, bearing through another wave of discomfort that made her stomach feel heavy and her legs go weak.

A quiet 'oh no' slipped past her lips when it felt like her stomach had suddenly dropped down and she quickly opened her eyes and looked down at the floor in shock.

Her waters had broken.

These weren't fake contractions. Her body had skipped the build up process and jumped straight into labour now her due date had come and gone. She and Luca didn't have to wait any longer. Clearly the baby was still comfy but her body was tired of waiting.

"I'm- I'm so sorry…" She tried not to dig her nails into Jess's arm and instead reached her right hand out for the sofa to steady herself so she didn't go down on her knees.

"Not to worry, you're in the best place for this to happen. But I think we should sit you down now."

(Y/n) nodded, biting her lip as she tried to force her legs to move and shuffle over towards the chair. She knew she wasn't very graceful when she plonked herself down and she leaned forward until her stomach was pushing into her thighs. If she slouched back she worried she might not get back up again. So she dithered on the edge of the chair, knees pulled up and both hands clamped down on the armrests.

The pain had started to fade now and (Y/n) figured it was a contraction she had been feeling. She glanced up at Jess with a mix of worry and unease swirling in her eyes.

"C-can you get hold of Luca?"

He was out on a call. There was no way (Y/n) was going to be able to get hold of him. They had a plan in place that if she went into labour at home, she would try to call him and if not, she would get through to Jess instead. But (Y/n) knew Luca was out on a mission and he wasn't likely to answer his phone when he was the designated driver. And when he wasn't driving, he would be out on duty in dangerous situations, he wouldn't have chance to look or answer his phone.

"I will, I will." Jess squeezed her shoulder before she looked around the room and hurried over to her desk.

Once her hands curled around her radio, she snatched it and moved to sit down on the edge of the coffee table so she was in front of (Y/n). Her free hand gripped (Y/n)'s knee and squeezed soothingly while she held the radio to her lips.

"Hondo, what's your situation?"

"We're just packing up here Captain, about to head back to base. Why?"

"Oh good, could you tell Luca that (Y/n)'s here in my office… and her water just broke." Her eyes flitted over to (Y/n) who tried to smile but both women jumped when Luca's voice broke through the radio.

"I knew it! I fucking knew it- we'll be back to base in five minutes."

(Y/n) could see it now. She could see Luca cutting the corners and driving three times the speed limit to make it back to base in record timing. No one on the road would cross Black Betty's path when Luca was behind the wheel.

Sticking to his word, it took the team less than ten minutes to get back to base and Luca was already out the jeep before anyone had chance to step one foot on the floor.

A round of soft chuckles and bright smiles followed after Luca, the whole team loving the energy that was radiating off of him. They watched as he jogged through headquarters, bypassing the gym and the conference room. He didn't break his stride as he undid his bulletproof vest and hooked it on his arm along with the holster around his waist.

He didn't bother heading for the locker room, he wanted to find (Y/n) before he bothered to grab his bag from his locker.

He was less than graceful bounding up the stairs and he gave two knocks on Captain Cortez's door before he burst through with a smile as wide and bright as the sun.

Luca scanned his eyes around the office while his hands fumbled around in front of him, scraping together and scratching his knuckles to let off some of the nervous energy radiating off of him. Once his eyes locked on (Y/n), a shiver rolled down his spine and he jogged over towards the armchair she was in.

He took in her appearance, the way she was sat on the very edge of the chair, one elbow dug deep into the armrest while her other hand was smoothing back and forth across her abdomen.

(Y/n)'s lips curved into a smile, despite the discomfort she felt when Luca crouched down in front of her with his hands on her knees.

"Hi," His voice was soft while his gloved hands rubbed back and forth across her knees.

The bright, if corny smile on Luca's face made (Y/n)'s heart flip. She could see his pearly whites flashing through his smile and she noticed his knees were jittering back and forth, nudging against her lower legs every now and then. He was running on pure adrenaline. This is what they had been waiting for and labour was long overdue.

"Hey," Reaching her hand out, (Y/n) flicked the signature black cap perched on Luca's head. He wore it beneath his helmet half the time when he was on a mission with the team and today was no different. It was normal to see Luca sporting the cap backwards. (Y/n) brushed the few flickers of hair poking beneath the cap, sticking up on his forehead.

"Junior's finally gonna make an appearance, hm?" His eyes flickered down to her stomach before he looked back up at her with those vibrant blue eyes.

It was finally time to meet their baby.

***

"Okay, how we doing?" A wave of nervous energy radiated off of Luca as he headed through from the kitchen into the back room.

His hands started to rub together in front of him and his fingers twitched, eager to pull down imaginary sleeves and tuck the cuffs over his hands. He was used to wearing long sleeved shirts or jumpers these days. Vests were reserved for extremely hot weather or days at the beach.

But right now Luca was wearing a black vest that looked more like a tank top which stuck tight to his frame. And his signature black swim trunks. He had to keep reminding himself not to put his phone in his pocket in case he automatically got in the birthing pool with his phone still in his pocket.

He had a tendency to act without thinking, and the last thing he needed was his phone getting wet and busting right now. Especially when they were waiting for the midwife to call them back.

His vibrant eyes creased with his smile as he moved to crouch down in front of the birthing pool.

He folded his arms on the side of the small pool they had set up in the back room. His pointed chin perched down on his arm and he reached one hand out to drag his fingertips along (Y/n)'s exposed shoulder.

She was knelt in front of him, so still and calm in the water that there was barely a ripple scattering through the pool. Both her hands were clenched down on her thighs and she had her chin tilted down into the top of her chest while she tried to take slow, deep breaths.

"Did you- did you get hold of her?"

(Y/n) finally opened her bleary eyes and looked up through her lashes until she could make out the outline of her husband crouched in front of her. She couldn't look at him for long before her eyes were closing once again and she was stuttering through a heavy breath that ended in a mewling groan.

She tried to lean into Luca's touch when his hand cupped the side of her neck and the feeling of the pads of his fingers pressing against her skin was calming. She nudged her chin against his hand, trying her best to concentrate and wait for his calming voice to tell her if he finally got the midwife on the phone.

They had been planning a home birth for months now, this is what they wanted. And (Y/n) knew if she hadn't gone into labour by next week, she would of had to go into hospital for inducement because it was dangerous to wait more than a week after her due date.

That was why she had been so relieved she had finally gone into labour. They had waited through the night for the contractions to get closer together and now things were finally moving faster.

The only problem was they couldn't seem to get hold of their midwife.

"She's on another call at the minute, but she's gonna get hold of someone else and send them here."

A feeble cry left (Y/n)'s lips and she wavered forward until her temple was pressing down on Luca's shoulder. That wasn't what she wanted to hear. She didn't want to hear that their midwife wasn't going to be here, that the person they had been looked after by and going through everything with wasn't going to be the one delivering their baby.

And she didn't want to wait any longer when things were progressing and she couldn't exactly stop her body or slow the process and wait for the new midwife to arrive.

"Hey, hey it's alright, we're doing good so far aren't we?" Luca's voice was always a remedy for ease and relaxing for (Y/n), all he had to do was laugh and she would feel better.

But she didn't know how could he be so calm in this moment.

How could he kneel there in front of her and still smile and look at ease and stoic and the epitome of peacefulness when their midwife wasn't even here? They didn't know how long they were supposed to sit and wait until the new midwife got here, but Luca was as calm as if he thought she was right around the corner or as if this baby was going to wait until the rest of them were ready to do this.

"Can- can you help me? I think I wanna push…" (Y/n) kept her head tilted down but she lifted her gaze just enough to look up at Luca through her lashes while her cheek leant into his palm.

There was something so loving and bright about the way his beaming smile increased and he looked like she had just asked him to marry her all over again, not help her in giving birth.

"Let's see what we can do."

(Y/n) watched him push up from his knees and her eyes followed his broad frame as he climbed into the water with her, shivering at the change in temperature as the water crept up his ankles. He had had been in and out of the pool with (Y/n) since they got it going but for the last hour he had been milling about the house and trying to get hold of the midwife.

But now (Y/n) felt like something was happening. She felt like this was her moment to start pushing and she couldn't do that on her own. She couldn't push and have Luca sat behind her like she had been hoping for. He was going to have to play the role of a midwife until help arrived.

His hands found her arms and he took her weight for her as she moved her hands to grip his broad shoulders. A soft "Okay," muttered past his lips as he lifted (Y/n) up from where she was crouching on her knees so she could stretch her legs out and sit down instead.

He kept hold of her until he knew she was safely sat down and comfortable and her hands slid down from his shoulders to hold onto his forearms instead. Luca then eased himself down so he was knelt in between her legs.

The water tickled his abdomen and had goosebumps rising on his thighs as he adjusted to the change in temperature and felt his shorts shifting and sticking to his thighs. He curled his hands over (Y/n)'s knees and started to glide his thumb up and down her flushed skin, feeling the beads of water that kept trickling down her skin.

(Y/n) tried to focus on that feeling rather than the agony tearing through her and she moved one hand through the water, trying to focus on the rippling circles it created and the tingling it caused on the pads of her fingers. It wasn't much of a distraction, but at least it was something.

She didn't realise she had closed her eyes again until she felt Luca's hand shift up from her knee to cup over her thigh and he inched closer until he was nestled between her lower legs.

Her eyes opened and locked on Luca again, and for a second, maybe two, (Y/n) watched something flash in those deep blue eyes. It looked like a strike of fear, so quick and fleeting that she could have imagined it. But then the look was gone and that calming smile was back on his face which countered the nervous energy that radiated off of him and had his hands tapping away a beat against her skin.

"I think you might be right, if you need to push do it sweetheart. I'll play doctor until the midwife arrives."

(Y/n) felt the urge to ask if he knew what he was doing, but she knew it didn't really matter right now. Luca had been to almost all of her antenatal appointments with her and he had been in more than his fair share of strange situations. He had a general idea of what he was getting himself into here and that little bit of knowledge and experience was what he needed to do this.

There wasn't much other choice. Calling for an ambulance wouldn't get help here instantaneously. The midwife couldn't get here any faster than she was already trying. Luca was here, he was present and ready and willing and that was the main thing.

And there was a little part of him tucked away inside that was beaming and proud. He was going to have a hand in delivering his first baby. Not many dads got a chance to be this involved. The most some dads would get was to cut the cord after the baby was born. But here was Luca, front and centre and ready to help bring his baby into the world.

He took a quick look around, nodding to himself that he had gotten out everything they needed earlier. A pile of towels, some blankets for when the baby was born and a pair of scissors, just in case he had to cut the cord if the midwife didn't arrive. Being prepared had its advantages.

"Big push, baby. Just do what feels right."

He shuffled closer on his knees, wading through the rippling water that reminded him of all the early morning swims he had done during physical therapy when he banged up his knee on the job. And he knew that every time he got back into the swimming pool after this, it would remind him of one of the best moments of his life.

He sank down on his heels and hunkered forward, leaning down as much as he could until he was creased over like a folded piece of paper. And a grin spread across Luca's lips when he felt (Y/n) gingerly pressing her feet on his thighs. She was trying to steady herself and keep her knees bent; he didn't mind being her leaning post for the time being.

It surprised Luca how flushed (Y/n) still was, despite being in lukewarm water like this. He had opened all the windows downstairs in the house when they came home and (Y/n) started to sweat and feel sick. But even now, sat in the water wearing only her bra, (Y/n) still felt like a hot water bottle.

(Y/n) pressed her hands down on the bottom of the pool and tucked her chin down into her chest, belting out a scream as every part of her began to shake.

How was Luca so calm? Why wasn't the midwife here? Why did this still feel so serene and content despite the panic this situation should arouse?

"Hey, hey the head's born now. You're doing so good baby."

Something akin to a smile fluttered on (Y/n)'s lips when her eyes opened and she saw tears welling up in Luca's eyes. He wasn't prone to crying often. Sure, he would get emotional and he usually went beet red when he was embarrassed or thrilled. But there weren't many situations that moved him to tears, and those situations were usually bad ones.

Seeing him knelt there in front of her with such a radiant smile that rivalled the sun and those intense eyes watering, it made (Y/n)'s heart pelt out against her ribs and made her feel lighter than air.

In his line of work, delivering babies wasn't something Luca had the pleasure of doing. Swat were weapons and tactics, they went into risky situations, they went into raging crowds or buildings where people were planning attacks or holding hostages. Delivering a baby wasn't something that came up on their rounds.

And having the first baby he delivered be his very first child, it made this moment all the more special to Luca.

"You're doing great baby, just keep it up. They're nearly here now." Excitement coursed through Luca's trembling voice and shivers ransacked his body as he looked at the new life they were bringing into the world.

He couldn't believe how small their baby looked, but maybe they only looked small compared to Luca's large hands that were ever so delicately cradling their tender head.

Was this even real? Was this happening or was he in a delirious dream?

(Y/n) couldn't feel the tears soaking down her cheeks anymore and she could barely feel her lower half, let alone her legs that had turned to jelly and were trembling against Luca's thighs. All she knew was that her lower waist was on fire and it was spreading and tingling throughout her nerves and the water made her feel like she was floating in the clouds.

She had a sudden urge to lean back and submerge herself under the water. To see if staying beneath the surface would somehow dull the pain and clear her head and make her body feel calmer. Or see if it would stop her from trembling so badly her elbows were threatening to give way.

This was why she had wanted Luca behind her, to help hold her up and hold her hand and coax her through this.

But as her elbows shook, she suddenly realised she could feel Luca pressing a kiss to her inner thigh, muttering 'one more, one more' against her skin to keep her going. Almost as if he was transferring his energy through his whispers and into her skin.

"Here we go."

A jolt ran down (Y/n)'s spine and she felt like she was seeing stars when she heard a cry burst through the air. Her body slumped back into the water a little more until her elbows were pressed into the bottom of the pool, making it easier to hold herself up at an angle.

She could feel the water enveloping her, wrappings its arms around her and embracing her like they were becoming one. The lukewarm temperature was soothing against her burning skin and the feeling of the water lapping softly at her neck and soaking into her hair made (Y/n) want to give way and lose herself in sleep.

"He's here, you've done it. We've got a boy."

The smile spreading on Luca's face was vibrant enough to rival the sun and it made (Y/n) feel like she was drunk on love.

She couldn't stop herself from panting and gasping for breath as she focused her blurry vision on her husband. He held their boy in his hands but he looked so small that (Y/n) could barely see him, engulfed in Luca's bulging arms. He had their boy tucked up against his chest, nuzzling into his damp vest and when (Y/n)'s senses came back to her, she realised she could hear the water methodically dripping from his elbows, back into the pool.

She felt Luca kiss the top of her knee while he kept their boy pinned to his chest with one arm and reached over the side of the pool to find one of the towels.

He took his time wrapping the blanket around the small bundle in his arms and his fingertips traced over the newborn's lips and chest. Counting each breath he took to make sure he was breathing and responding okay, but he looked absolutely perfect.

"Here you go, here's mummy." He leaned between (Y/n)'s thighs and eased the newborn down onto her chest once (Y/n) was sitting up out of the water again.

Her hands trembled as she curled them around her boy and a flood wave of tears cascaded down her face as the newborn brushed his cheek against (Y/n)'s chest. The little mewls he let out and how he kept nuzzling against her skin made (Y/n)'s face flush with tears. That little voice in the back of her head that had constantly nagged at her these last few months finally ceased.

There was no little voice telling her that she wouldn't get that connection or she wouldn't feel this elated and over the moon. Her baby boy was already burrowing into her, he already knew exactly who she was and he was content to be in her arms.

"He's perfect." Luca murmured quietly while one hand curled around (Y/n)'s knee and the other moved to cup the back of her neck. He pressed his wet lips against her temple, staying there for a few moments while he felt her laugh breathlessly against his chest.

(Y/n) tilted her head against Luca's hand and dared to lean back a little, seeing that he was happy enough to take some of her weight for her. She nudged her nose against his until he swooped down and connected their lips in a kiss that stole every ounce of air from her lungs.

She felt his nose nudging hers and his teeth grazed at her lip while his thumb stroked the side of her neck dangerously close to her throbbing pulse.

When they pulled apart, (Y/n) pressed their foreheads together and started to stroke one hand up and down their boy's back. But her eyes wouldn't look anywhere but Luca who was smiling down at her in a daze.

"You can add midwife to your ever-growing skill set."