Mockingbird (9-1-1 Fanfic)

7.1 Earthquake

A few weeks into his new job, working under Captain Bobby Nash of the 118, Eddie was finally settling down. His kids were happier and adjusting well, and he liked to think that staying in Texas would have been horrible for them all. However, the school situation was becoming a problem. Amelia was a good student when she wasn't in the classroom with the other kids. What happened in Texas made school sound like the worst place to be, so Eddie agreed to let Amelia do it online until he could convince her to go. 

That day needed to be today. Eddie didn't have another option. He had also waited to tell his daughter until this morning. 

"Millie, Christopher? Are you ready?" Eddie calls out, knocking on their bedroom doors.

"No," Millie says, as Christopher yells yes simultaneously.

"Millie, hurry, please; we need to go," Eddie says, opening her door.

"I don't want to go," Millie says, crossing her arms and staring at Eddie.

"You have to go to school, Millie; I have a lot of stuff to do today." Eddie insisted, going to her closet and pulling out clothes for her.

"Why can't Abuela watch me?" Millie huffs, pulling her blanket over her face.

"She's busy today. It's one day, and you might even like it." Eddie says, pulling the blanket off his daughter. 

"Daddy! School is boring. I already know everything my teacher is teaching." Millie whined.

"Then maybe I need to talk to your teacher about you skipping ahead. But you need to hurry; Christopher is waiting for us." Eddie grabs clothes from her dresser and sets them on the edge of her bed. 

"Daddy, please," Millie whispered, her eyes burning with tears. 

Eddie sits on the edge of Millie's bed, "It's one day, Millie. I will be there waiting for you after school. Christopher is so excited for his sissy to join him finally, so can we please not have any problems." 

"No, please," Millie says, the tears finally falling. 

"I'm sorry, bug. It's only a few hours." Eddie says, pulling her onto his lap. 

Eddie waits a few minutes before wiping away her tears, kissing both cheeks as he does. He tells her he'll wait for her in the kitchen. He brings breakfast to the table, kissing Christopher's head as he passes. Eddie sets a plate in front of both kids as Millie joins them. "You guys got to eat quickly; we're running a little late," Eddie says as he finishes braiding Millie's hair.

+

"Let's go, Amelia!" Eddie sighed, setting Christopher on the sidewalk so he could make his way to the truck.

"I don't want to go!" Millie shouts. She has started crying again and has thought about locking herself in her room, but her dad will kick the door down. 

"Millie, please. I can't do this today." Eddie mumbled, coming back inside the house and picking her up. 

"Daddy! NO!" Millie screamed as he locked the door and buckled her into the back of the truck. 

Eddie didn't speak on the drive to school, and Christopher watched as his sister continued to cry and scream, kicking Eddie's seat as well. After parking, Eddie took Christopher out of the truck, telling him to wait.

"Stop it, Millie. Just stop!" Eddie says, opening the other door and grabbing Millie's legs so she stops kicking. "I promise I will figure something out so that you don't have to come here again, but today is a busy day for everyone and me. If Abuela or Aunt Pepa could be with you, they would."