The Night Shift One-Shots

TCxJordan+Child - I'm coming home - Part 1

"She's just in here, Captain Callahan." The principal opened the door to her classroom, and I crept in as quietly as I could. A few of the other kids in her class turned to look at me, but no-one said anything.

"Niamh." [pronounce - Neeve: Irish] I hissed quietly. The teacher had a sly grin on her face but continued to teach as if I wasn't there. "Niamh," I said again, louder now so that almost all of the kids were staring at me, including my daughter. She just stared at me for a moment, then looked at some writing on her hand, looked up again, then at her teacher, who nodded knowingly.

"Daddy!" She nearly screamed, the ploughed through the group of children sat on the floor and barrelled towards me. I was waiting to have this moment with my wife too, she didn't know I was home today. Niamh only knew because I'd spoken to her class teacher over the phone and had asked her to write 'Daddy's home' on the back of her hand. Niamh couldn't read yet – or at least she couldn't when I left – but I wanted to take a picture of it, and the date.

"Niamh!" I called back, crouching down so she could fly straight into my arms. I fell to my knees just as she hit my chest. She wrapped her tiny arms around my neck, and I wrapped mine around her, enveloping her completely. She cried into my shoulder. "Hey, babygirl. Daddy's home, It's Ok." I soothed, rubbing her back and smoothing her hair down at the back. I have to admit a few tears left my eyes at that moment too.

I carried her out of the classroom, her legs wrapped securely around my waist, and the principal motioned for us to follow him. He led us into an empty classroom. "You can have some time here, then you can take her home when you're ready. Welcome home, Captain."

"Thank you," I replied graciously, then once the door closed behind him, I revelled in the alone-time with my daughter.

I'd missed so much while I was away. Jordan had done her best to keep me up to date with regular letters and phone calls, but it was hard when you missed your daughter's first day of kindergarten.

~~~~~~

"Sweetie, we talked about this. You have to go to school without daddy this time." Jordan tried to reason with her, but Niamh was having none of it. Jordan sighed. "Shall we see if we can try and call daddy, would that make it better?" Jordan knew how hard it was for Niamh, being only five, so she didn't get annoyed like any other parent may have done with a defiant child, she just did her best to bargain with her.

"Can we?" Niamh's eyes lit up at the proposition of hearing her dad's voice. Jordan always tried to call TC when Niamh was asleep, because she always got upset or clingy after hearing him, but right now, it was the only way Jordan was going to get her daughter to kindergarten for the first time.

"Let's try." Jordan pulled out her phone and dialled TC's number. They both waited anxiously as it rang; when TC's tired – but very much awake – voice filled their ears, Niamh let out an excited squeak.

"J? Hey baby. Everything OK?" He asked. Jordan could hear the smile in his voice.

"Everything is fine with me, but your little monster sat opposite me is refusing to go to school," Jordan said in a teasing tone, smiling cheekily at her daughter. TC quickly caught onto the joke.

"Oh, well then. Niamh, honey, you there?"

"I'm here, daddy. Hi!" She replied excitedly, her short legs swinging wildly off of the edge of the kitchen stool.

"Hey, babygirl. Now, what's this about not going to school? Kindergarten is fun honey, you'll be fine!" TC exclaimed, trying to divert her attention, though he knew exactly why she didn't want to go; he wasn't there.

"I'm not scared of school, daddy. I don't want to go without you!" Niamh was close to tears now. She was very close to TC and would barely do anything without him. TC had been away for eight months now, and both women at home knew very well they still had another long six months ahead of them.

"How about this. If I promise – a special daddy promise no less – to call you when I know you'll get home to hear all about your day, will you go to school with mommy?" TC practically begged. He was struggling too now. He'd missed two big milestones already since he'd left. His and Jordan's sixth anniversary, and Niamh's fifth birthday and missing yet another was damn near killing him.

"Ok. But you can't break special daddy promises!"

"I know sweetie, and I won't. I have to go now, but I love you, baby. J, I love you too. So, so much. Bye!"

"Bye!" Both women chorused – and the line went dead.

~~~~~~~~~~

"I missed you, daddy!" Niamh sobbed, and that was the last straw for TC. He'd seen his brother killed, his best friend get shot and been in active warzones more times than he could count, but his daughter telling him she'd missed him caught him off-guard, and he let the waterworks begin.

"I missed you too my dragonfly," TC whispered back. He swept his daughter off the floor and carried her to the car, both still crying a little.

He very reluctantly put her down in the back seat and strapped her securely in, then drove home. Niamh kept up a lively stream of conversation all the way home, telling TC about her day at school, then the singing show she was in with her class; she soon started on the sadder stories though. She told him about Christmas without him, and her birthdays

TC POV

We took a detour to the play area, and then got ice cream, and headed home. I would treat Jordan to breakfast after her shift tomorrow. I was jetlagged and tired anyway, but nothing would stop me from playing with my babygirl. We got a few strange looks as we walked to the park, me in my mud-covered uniform, Niamh with me, who should definitely have still been at school.

When we got home, I was careful to not pull up on the drive, as Jordan would hear me and I'd risk ruining the surprise, instead parking on the road underneath the sloped driveway. Our neighbour came out front to greet us. I put my finger to my lips telling her to be quiet about it but gladly went over to speak to her.

"Welcome home TC, does Jordan know you're back yet?" She asked quietly, hugging me.

"No, no she doesn't, not yet. I'll see you around Julia."

"Bye."

"C'mon, dragonfly. Let's go see mommy." I picked Niamh up, once again revelling in the close contact with my daughter. I opened the front door oh-so-quietly and sneaked inside, never placing Niamh down, even as I struggled with the lock a little. Had Jordan changed the locks? My key seemed too tight.