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-I've made small changes as I'm rereading the chapters— but fear not, I will come back and REALLY edit all of the chapters. 

Millie hadn't spoken a word the following afternoon to Eddie or Buck. She'd been as happy as ever when the nurses came in for more tests or to clean the open wounds. It confused both her father and Buck, but they'd left it alone at the moment. 

"Hey, kiddo. How are you doing this morning?" Dr. Warren asks, knocking on the partially opened door.

"I feel like shit," Millie says, honestly.

"Millie," Eddie says, but stops himself from saying anything else.

"Well, that's expected. You've been through a lot the last few weeks." Dr. Warren says as he slides his hands into a pair of gloves.

"We're just going to check on your stitches and see how your ribs feel. And then I promise we'll leave you alone for a few hours."

"When can I go home?" Millie asked, scrunching her eyes when Dr. Warren pressed on her left side.

"Soon, probably by the end of the week." Dr. Warren says.

Millie doesn't say anything and watches Dr. Warren's hands. Everywhere his hands went, so did her eyes. She hadn't realized she did it so often until she arrived at the hospital the day before. She knew in her head why she did it, but it also confused her. 

She'd never trust someone again. That's what she thinks as Dr. Warren checks the stitches and presses on her ribs, writing notes down on his clipboard. 

Gio and all of those men ruined everything for her. Nothing would ever be the same.

"Alright, kiddo. You seem to be healing quite well. Someone will bring your meds to you in a few hours. Don't go jumping on any beds," Dr. Warren says, washing his hands in the sink.

"But, what if I wanted to?" Millie grins.

"We'll keep her off the beds, promise," Eddie says, giving Millie a half-hearted smile.

Millie's smile drops, and she glares at Eddie. "No one was talking to you."

Dr. Warren leaves the room silently, leaving Millie, Eddie, and Buck in awkward silence. Millie keeps her gaze on her dad.

"I think we could all eat. What do you say, Buckley?" Eddie breaks first, moving his eyes to look at Buck.

Millie rolls her eyes and turns away from the two men.

"How does McDonald's sound?" Buck asks, clasping his hands together. He stands awkwardly between the door and Millie's bed.

"Call when you get there," Eddie says, and Buck nods, closing the door behind him.

+

It'd been less than twenty minutes since Buck left to get food, and Millie still hadn't told Eddie what she wanted. "Millie, if you don't tell me what you want, I'll tell him to get you whatever he feels like."

Millie shrugs, tuning out Eddie's voice as he calls Buck. She turned the volume on the TV up louder, trying to use that to block out her dad's voice as well, but it seemed like every time it went up, he would speak louder.

"Shut up!" Millie screamed, throwing her hands up, the remote flying from her hand.

Eddie hangs up the phone before sliding it into his back pocket. "Millie, that was rude. You also shouldn't throw things."

Eddie sets the remote on the side table before crossing his arms and watching her. She doesn't look at him; she keeps her eyes on whatever kid's movie is on. Eddie sighs, not even bothering to say anything else. Millie wouldn't listen to a word he said anyway.

+

Buck texted Eddie to let him know he'd be back in the next few minutes. That left Eddie five minutes to figure out why Millie had suddenly stopped talking to him and why she'd been getting so angry. He sits on the edge of her bed, waiting for her to acknowledge him, but when she doesn't look at him, he sighs.

"What is going on? Why won't you talk to me? Or Buck?"

She ignores him; her hands start to shake as she scoots away from him.

"Amelia, look at me." Eddie snaps, but even he flinches at his tone.

Millie looked up at her dad, her eyes filled with tears and fear.

"Don't call me that!" She says, and her voice breaks as the tears start falling.

"I don't want to get angry with you, Amelia. But I want you to talk to me. I don't want you to push me away." Eddie stands, now pacing.

"I said don't call me that!" Millie screams as she lets out a sob.

Millie starts kicking her legs, getting hot with all of the blankets. She grabs the IVs in her arms and pulls out one before her dad grabs her hands. "Stop! Millie, stop it!" he shouts as the nurses come rushing in, pushing him to the side.

The blood pours out of her arm, and Eddie wipes his face, his hands coming back with Millie's blood on them.

"What happened?" They're all asking questions as Millie continues to scream and struggle against the nurse's hands.

"She started freaking out, pulling at the IVs. I couldn't stop it before she got one out." Eddie's hands are locked behind his head as he watches the nurses inject something into his kid's arm.

"What is that? What are you doing?" He asks, his voice shaking.

"We're sedating her. Calming her down." One of the nurses says, pulling the blankets back up over Millie's legs.

Millie is still again, a few seconds later, and the nurses are backing up. "She'll be out for a while, so why don't you clean yourself up and maybe eat?" The nurse who gave Millie the sedation meds suggested throwing her gloves in the trash.

"I'm not leaving her," Eddie says, grabbing Millie's hand and bringing it to his face.

"Never again, baby. I'm gonna be right here." He mumbles as Buck watches from the doorway, the food forgotten at the nurse's station. 

+

"Eddie, she's awake," Buck mumbles, nudging Eddie's shoulder.

Eddie sits up and reaches for Millie's hand, but she pulls away. "Hey, bug. How do you feel?" He asked, ignoring the ache in his chest when she pulled away.

Millie looks at him, her eyes burning with tears. The name Eddie had been calling her her entire life hit her right in the chest. For weeks, she'd only been Amelia or Chica.

Millie.

Not Amelia.

Bug.

Not Chica.

"Are you feeling okay?" Eddie tries again, his hands resting on his knees.

"I'm sorry, Daddy," Millie mumbled, her voice hoarse from screaming. She reached her hand out, and Eddie grabbed it, holding it tightly.

"No, bug," Eddie mumbles, his hand moving to her head, "You have no reason to be sorry; Daddy is sorry." He mutters, brushing the hair from her face.

"It hurts. Can you make it stop hurting?" Millie asks, her eyes moving to the IVs that had been put back in her arm.

Eddie shook his head. "No, baby, it has to stay." His voice wavered as her eyes filled with tears.

"I'm sleepy," Millie whispers. If she sleeps, the pain isn't there.

"Go to sleep, bug. We'll be here when you wake up." Eddie mumbles.

+

The rest of the week flew by. Millie got stronger every day. Her ribs were still healing, but she could walk around with help, and that's all anyone cared about. She'd gotten a temporary cast for her wrist and complained about its weight for the first twenty-four hours she had it.

She'd been unable to keep food down, so Dr. Warren had inserted a feeding tube, which helped out more than they'd all thought it would. Dr. Warren suggested Millie keep the feeding tube until they return to California and see her regular pediatrician. He wanted her to be in a familiar place while she got back to a healthy weight. 

"Mr. Diaz?" Dr. Warren says, snapping Eddie out of his thoughts.

"Yeah, sorry." Eddie stands.

"If you'd just come sign discharge papers, you can leave within the hour." Dr. Warren says.

Eddie looks at Millie, lying in her bed, watching the TV blankly. "Go, Eddie. I'll keep an eye on her." Buck says.

+

Buck watches Eddie leave the room and leans back in his chair. Millie hadn't said anything since their conversation about him being real. Of course, Buck knew why she wasn't speaking to him, but he wished she would at least look at him. He'd spent days awake, worrying about her while she was gone. He never stopped thinking of her and praying she'd come home safe.

"Millie," Buck whispers, keeping his voice low so he doesn't startle her.

Millie moves only her eyes, giving Buck a sideways glance. So he knew she was listening.

"I'm sorry, Millie. For what I did on Halloween." Buck whispers. "I'm sorry that you cried for me, and I ignored you. I'm sorry that when you fell in the hallway, I didn't help you. I'm sorry I didn't tell you I loved you anyway. I know that what you said was just because you were upset."

"It was Halloween, and you were just excited." Buck is silently crying as Millie keeps her back to him.

She was listening, though; Buck could hear her suck in a breath before she turned to face him. "You ignored me. I thought that you hated me," she says, her voice shaky as she meets Buck's eyes.

"I never should have done that; I'm sorry." Buck shakes his head.

"Do you hate me? I don't want you to hate me." Her voice breaks, and she angrily wipes away the tears.

Buck sits on the edge of the bed, grabbing Millie's face. "I will never, ever hate you. I love you more than you will ever know."

Millie smiles at him and brings his face closer to kiss his forehead, just like her dad does to her and Christopher. "Love you, Buckley."

Buck was still grinning when Eddie came back a little while later.

+

Millie smiled widely at Athena Grant's familiar face at the hospital's doors. "Athena!" she shouted as Eddie pushed the wheelchair toward the exit.

"Hi, sweetheart." Athena grins, grabbing Millie's hand to help her into the car.

"Is Cap with you?" Millie half expected the 118 crew to be waiting, but no one was there.

"No, sweetheart, I came here for work. Bobby stayed in California." Athena says.

Millie frowned and furrowed her eyebrows. "Don't do that, you'll get wrinkles." Buck grins, poking Millie's cheek.

"Stop it!" She slapped his hand away from her face.

"Woah, mija. He was messing with you." Eddie says, turning in his seat.

"I don't care." Millie snaps, looking out of her window.

"Should I have lied to her?" Athena whispers.

"No, she's been moody on and off since she was admitted," Eddie says. 

Within the first twenty minutes, Millie's mood shifts into laughter and smiles, which confuses her more than anyone else. 

She only has to ask Buck once to carry her at the airport, and he lifts her. He holds his duffel bag on one shoulder and uses his other arm to carry Millie. Between Eddie and Athena, they get the other bags without issues.

It felt like everyone's eyes were on Millie as they walked through the airport, so she tried to hide her face from the strangers. She felt embarrassed by the feeding tube and injuries that covered her face and neck. Buck set her down at security, but Millie held his hand tightly as Eddie handed their tickets and IDs over.

"Would you like a sticker, sweetheart?" The worker asks, holding out a small jar for Millie.

Millie reaches in and grabs the first one she touches, "Thank you." She whispers as Buck leads her away.

Millie looked down at the sticker. It was a bee, and it said Bee Happy.

Millie holds it out for Buck to look at, and he grins. "Do you want to put it on your shirt?"

"No, I want to give it to Chris," Millie mumbles.

+

"Good Afternoon passengers. This is the first call for flight 72B to Los Angeles. We are now calling all those with children and any passengers who need help to begin boarding. Please have your boarding pass and identification ready. Thank you."

"Alright, let's get in line, kid," Eddie says as he shoves Millie's stuff back into her backpack.

"Hey! I was playing with those!" Millie shouts, her fist connecting with Eddie's stomach.

Eddie lets her hit him before he hands her bag to Buck. He lifts Millie and follows Buck and Athena to the growing line. Millie brings her hand to Eddie's face, but before she does anything, he turns his gaze onto her, and she stops. "Don't even think about it."

Eddie hands his and Millie's tickets over to the flight attendant, and the woman smiles at Millie, who glares at her until they pass. 

"Do you want to sit in the window seat?" Eddie asks, giving Millie the choice.

"No." She snaps.

"I'll take it," Buck says, slipping past them.

Millie sits in the middle seat as Eddie puts their bags overhead. "I wanna go to sleep," Millie mumbles, placing the armrest between her and Buck.

"As soon as we're in the sky, bug," Eddie says, finally settling into his seat.

"No, now."

"If you wait until we're in the sky, then you'll see the clouds as we get higher, " Buck interrupts, hoping Millie doesn't start shouting again.

"I don't want to see the fucking clouds. I wa-" Millie grumbles.

"Hey! You are not allowed to speak to us that way. Do you understand me?" Eddie cuts Millie off, turning her face to look at him.

"Leave me alone," Millie says, pushing his hand away.

Eddie runs his hands over his face and sighs.

"Eddie," Buck says, shaking his head once.

"Okay, whatever. It's fine." Eddie leans back in his seat. Athena reaches over from across the aisle and pats his hand. 

"She'll be okay, just give her some time." She says softly. 

+

Millie walked behind Eddie and Buck slowly as they found their baggage return. Athena was behind Millie on the phone with whoever was picking them up.

After getting their bags, Eddie grabs Millie's hand and heads toward the exit. "Millie, look who's here," Eddie whispers.

Millie looks up and puts on a huge smile as they approach. "Maddie!" Millie shouts.

"Hi, sweetheart. Oh my gosh, I've missed my skating partner." Maddie says, her eyes full of tears as she kneels so Millie can reach her.

"Don't cry, Maddie," Millie says, grabbing her face like she'd grabbed Buck's earlier that week.

"I'm sorry, I just missed you." Maddie's voice cracks, and Millie wraps her arms around her neck.

"I missed you." She muttered, breathing in the familiar scent.

"Alrighty, kiddo, let's get you home," Eddie says, patting Millie's shoulder.

Millie nods and lets go of Maddie. As soon as they're outside, she drops Eddie's hand and looks up. There is a perfect blue sky, not a single cloud in sight. The traffic noise comforts the girl, and she lets out a shaky breath. She takes in the familiar sounds, and it makes her sad. She hadn't realized how much it was going to affect her to be back in California. To be surrounded by the familiar sights and sounds. 

"Are you okay?" Eddie asks.

"I'm scared," Millie whispered, squinting when she looked at Eddie.

"There are a whole lot of people here with you, bug. You don't need to be scared anymore," he says, kneeling to her height.

"I know," She whispers, "but what if someone takes me again?"

"No one will ever take you from me again," Eddie says, putting his hands on her shoulders.

"Promise?" she holds out her pinkie finger.

"I promise, Mija," Eddie says, locking his pinkie with her little one.

Millie hugs Eddie, and when she pulls away, she grabs his hand and pulls him toward the others, who had stopped to wait.

+

Millie watched as Eddie pulled into the driveway two hours later. The house she hadn't seen in weeks looked the same. Except that the grass was longer than ever, and the huge sign on the windows that said 'Welcome Home, Millie! We Missed You!'

It must have been Christopher and Carla's work.

Maybe he wasn't mad anymore, Millie thought.

"How are you doing back there, kid?" Eddie asks, turning in his seat.

"The grass is so long," Millie says.

"I know, no one was thinking about it." Eddie shrugs.

"Because of me?" Millie asks.

"Because the grass wasn't important, Millie. We were all worried about you." Eddie says, reaching his hand back to wipe the tears she hadn't noticed on her face.

"I'm sorry, Daddy," Millie whispers, leaning into his hand on her face.

"Don't do that. It was not your fault." Eddie says.

Millie looked at Eddie and wished he'd stop lying to her. She had followed Maxine and gotten into her car on her own, and she knew that Eddie got angry when Maxine was around. She knew her dad wanted her to stay inside the firehouse that day. She had ignored the rules because she was angry at him. 

"Yes, it was." She let out a sob as she tried to undo her seatbelt, but it was hard because she couldn't use her casted hand to do it.

Eddie hurries out of the truck, opening Millie's door quickly. "Hey, let me do it." He says, putting his hands on top of Millie's shaking ones.

Eddie removes the seatbelt and backs away, letting Millie decide what she wants to do. She grabs Eddie's arm as she slides out of the truck, but doesn't let go of his hand when she walks toward the front door.

They stop at the door, and he waits, letting her feel her feelings. "You let me know when you're ready to go in. The only people in there are Carla and Chris." He says, putting an arm around her shoulders.

A few minutes pass, and Millie takes a deep breath until her ribs scream at her to stop.

"Ready?" Eddie looks down at her.

"Ready," Millie nods once as Eddie slides the key into the lock.

"We're home!" Eddie calls out, throwing his keys onto the table.

"Dad!" Hearing Christopher's voice, Millie backs away, her back hitting the door. She moves to stand behind Eddie.

"Eddie! Nice to see your face again," Carla grins as she helps Christopher walk to Eddie.

"Hi, buddy! Hope you were good for Abuela and Carla." Eddie laughs as he lifts Christopher into his arms.

"He was a saint, not a problem at all," Carla says, the smile never leaving her face.

"Well, that's great," Eddie says, setting Chris back on his feet.

"Who's this strange girl?" Carla asks, her smiling gaze finding Millie.

"That's sissy!" Chris shouts, the smile never leaving his face.

"Oh, Chris, you might be right, but I won't know unless the strange girl smiles." Carla laughs.

"It is me," Millie says, a small smile now on her face.

"Oh, sweet girl, I'm so glad you're home now," Carla says.

Millie hugs Carla for only a second before she backs up. Eddie is right behind Christopher as he walks to Millie.

"Hi, Chris," Millie mumbles, her eyes filling with tears and her voice shaky.

"Are- are you okay?" He stops in front of her.

"I'm okay," She nods, giving him a small smile.

"I'm sorry I was mean to you," 

"Me too, Chris. I didn't mean what I said on Halloween."

"I know, Dad told me," Christopher says, and Millie finally breaks.

The tears fall quickly as she meets Christopher the rest of the way and hugs him. He awkwardly has his arms around her, but doesn't push her away. He lets her hug him until she pulls away, wiping her tears with her free hand.

"Well, now that everything is settled between y'all, I'm gonna head home to my family." Carla claps her hands together, smiling widely at the Diaz family.

"Bye, Carla." Eddie and Chris say together. Millie waves at her from the door.

"Come on, bug, you must be starving," Eddie says, putting a hand on Millie's shoulder.

Millie lets Eddie lift her onto the counter, and he runs back to the truck to grab their bags. When he returns to the kitchen, he has Millie's backpack and pulls out the needed supplies for her feeding tube. 

"Daddy?" Millie whispers as she watches his hands and every move.

"Yeah, bug?" Eddie mutters, finally getting the fluids going into the tube.

"I don't like this. When can I take it out?" Millie asked, tugging at the tube.

"I'm not sure, baby. We have to speak with Dr. Peterson before that's decided."

"What if I stop throwing up? Will she take it out?"

"She might, but as Dr. Warren said, you have to get enough nutrients and keep getting stronger. You might have to have it for a few weeks." Eddie explains it to her again.

Millie huffs as she sits on the counter, her iPad playing a movie, and waits for the liquid to enter her tummy. As soon as she's allowed, she walks through the house. She stops in the hallway leading to the bedrooms. Walking slowly until she got to her door. Placing her uninjured hand on the doorknob, she hesitates.

The door creaks as she opens it, and she enters. Her bed, with her blankets still all over the place, just as she'd left them the morning she got into Maxine's car. The stuffed animals and dolls were lined up on her dresser again after playing doctor. The only difference in her room was that the floor was completely clear of clothes; someone had washed her laundry and put it away.

Millie sits on the floor in front of the organized toy bin. She never played with half of them, and Eddie never made her get rid of them. It made her angry now, all of those toys that had moved with them. The toys she never touches.

She stands as quickly as her injuries will let her before she grabs the pink and purple bins, throwing them as hard as she can at the walls with only one working hand. She lets out a scream as she throws them, her vision blurry from the tears that haven't seemed to go away since the police found her.

"What are you doing?" someone shouts, but Millie doesn't stop. She grabs whatever she can and continues to throw it at the wall.

Eddie rushes into Millie's room and stops, watching her scream and cry. "Go to your room, Chris. I'll be there in a few minutes," Eddie says.

"Millie," Eddie says, his voice soft as he moves closer to his daughter.

It did nothing to stop her; toys were all over the floor, and marks from the bins were on the wall. "Amelia, stop it!" Eddie said, his voice louder.

"Shut up! Don't call me that!" Millie screams, throwing multiple books at Eddie.

One hits him in the face, and he can already feel the bruise forming.

Eddie steps over the toys and grabs Millie's arms, holding them to her sides so she stops throwing things. She collapses into his arms and continues to cry, "I told you to stop. I told you." Millie sobs.

Eddie keeps his arms around her as he kneels on the ground, one hand running through her hair.

"I told you, Daddy, I told you," she sobs over and over.

"Shh, I know," Eddie mumbles, eyes scanning her room. "I know, baby. It's okay."

Eddie doesn't know what to do or how to help Millie. Over a week ago, he was told he was not getting the same kid back. There was a moment when Eddie thought the police lied to him, but they were right. Millie would never be the same. 

"Millie, do you want to talk?" Eddie asks, keeping his voice low.

"No," she mumbles, now still in his arms. 

+

Eddie gave Millie her meds and set her up on the couch. He stops at her door on his way to Christopher's room. The once-organized bins are scattered on the floor, and the toys are scattered everywhere. For now, He closes the door before heading to Christopher's room.

+

"Millie, it's your turn, bug. Chris is already in bed." Eddie says, crossing his arms.

"No, please," Millie begs.

"Mija, it'll take ten minutes, tops. We traveled all day, and I want to shower myself," Eddie sighs.

"And I don't," Millie argues, crossing her arms now.

"Nothing is going to happen to you. I can help or wait outside the door, but you are getting in the bath." Eddie says, leaving no room for arguments.

"You promise you won't let it touch my face?" Millie gives up, not wanting to argue anymore today.

"I can't promise the water won't touch your face, but I'm not going to do what he did to you, that I can promise."

"Okay," Millie mumbles, following Eddie into the bathroom.

+

Eddie finally got Millie into her pajamas and wiped the last of her tears. It had taken him almost forty minutes to bathe her when, before, it had taken less than twenty. He knew the first bath would be difficult, but not like that. 

"Do you want me to read you something?" Eddie asks, surveying Millie's now clean room.

"No," Millie mumbled, her eyes falling closed.

"Goodnight, bug. Daddy loves you so much." Eddie mutters, kissing her forehead before he steps out of her room.

He leaves the door halfway open and the hallway light on as he takes a shower in his bathroom. He scrubs the dirt and germs from the hospital, airports, and planes until his skin is red, and he falls to his knees, sobbing.

He cries for Millie and the trauma she's now been put through. He cries for the injuries she now has that are going to take weeks to heal. He cries for the looks he'd caught himself giving her since they arrived at the hospital back in Washington. He cries for the memories they missed because Maxine was selfish and had to ruin a good thing. He cries for the time he'll never get back with his baby.

Eddie cries for the little girl whose innocence was stolen away too soon.

He is shivering when he steps out of the shower twenty minutes later.

+

"Millie, wake up!" Eddie shouts, shaking her shoulders.

It takes another minute before Millie is fully awake and aware of her surroundings.

"You're safe, baby. You're home in California." Eddie says, his hands running through her hair as Millie sobs, her tears soaking his shirt.

Minutes pass before Millie looks up at Eddie, "Can I sleep in your room?"

"Whenever you need to, bug," Eddie says as he hands the stuffed cow to Millie.

Millie looks at her alarm clock as her dad carries her out of the room. She wasn't even asleep for two hours before the nightmares started. Eddie sets her on the left side of his bed, and he sits on the edge of the other side, his head in his hands. 

"Dad?" Millie whispers, her casted wrist resting on her stomach.

"Hmm?" Eddie mumbles.

"I'm sorry I did it."

"Did what, Mill?"

"Got into her car. I knew you got mad when she came by me, and I didn't listen to you. I was mad at you and at Buck." She says quietly, her eyes staying on the ceiling above her.

"Millie," Eddie sighs, turning to look at her.

"I thought that everyone hated me and that if I got in her car, then you'd just forget me, and you'd be happy with just Christopher and you."

"Mija, you are my daughter. You are the light of my life and the first person I ever loved more than life itself. You will never be able to disappear."

"It was not your fault for getting in the car. That woman knew what she was doing. She knew that I didn't want her near you, and she took advantage of you while you were alone." Eddie says, his hand pushing Millie's hair away from her eyes.

"She said you were coming back. We could hear the trucks, and I was so mad. I grabbed her hand, and she took me away. She took me to Gio." Millie is crying again as she starts to remember the boat and the first day she was with Gio and Syd.

"She said we were on an adventure. But it wasn't an adventure." Millie chokes on her words.

Eddie pulls her to a sitting position as she starts coughing. After a few seconds, she stops and curls up to Eddie, her fingers running over the arm he had wrapped around her. "I'm sorry, bug. I never should have left you alone. I'll never forgive myself." Eddie mumbles, kissing the side of her head as her eyes flutter closed.

+

+

"How much longer until they start arriving?" Eddie asks, running around the house and checking last-minute things.

"Any minute. Eddie, you should calm down, though." Buck laughs from the living room, where he is placing veggie platters on a table.

"Do you think it's too soon? We've only been home for four days, Buck." Eddie is freaking out now.

Was he pushing Millie too hard? Was this going to cause her too much stress?

"You and Millie talked about it, right?" Buck asks, and Eddie nods. "Then everything will be just fine."

Millie comes into the living room with Christopher right behind her. "Daddy, I promised that I'd be okay." She says, crossing her arms.

"I know, sweetheart, but I'm stressed," Eddie says, looking out of the blinds.

"Millie, you'll let us know if it becomes too much, right?" Buck asks, putting an arm over her shoulders.

"Yeah, plus, I want everyone to sign this." The girl grins as she holds up the real cast she'd gotten two days ago.

Eddie, Chris, Buck, and Carla are the only people who have signed it, and Millie couldn't wait to have everyone else's names on there. Plus, she missed them more than anything. Eddie wasn't going back to work for another week, and they were stuck at home with nothing to do but wait.

"Alright, but do not run around. Your ribs are still healing," Eddie warns Millie as the doorbell rings. 

"They're here!" Millie screams, pushing past Eddie to open the front door.

"Maddie!" Millie shouts, grabbing the woman's hand and pulling her into the house.

"Hello, Millie-Moo." Maddie laughs, letting the girl pull her toward the table with the markers.

+

Family by family, everyone started showing up. Chimney arrived with Hen, Karen, and Denny. The only ones not here were Athena, Bobby, and Athena's kids.

"Millie, how's your pain?" Eddie asks, stopping Millie as she tries to sneak past him.

"A five." Millie shrugs his hand off her shoulder.

"Alright, you need to eat in twenty minutes, so don't go too far." He watches her slouch on the sofa next to Maddie and Chimney.

Millie traces everyone's names on her cast. Everyone here, in her house, was there for her. They all loved her. At least, that's what they'd all said as they hugged her lightly and smiled at her as they signed their names.

"Hey, mi amor," Abuela says, joining Millie on the sofa.

"Hola, abuela." Millie mumbles.

"Estas bien?" Millie shakes her head, frowning.

"What's going on?" Abuela asks.

"I don't wanna talk," Millie whispers, keeping her eyes on her lap.

"You call me anytime, and I'll answer. I love you, mi amor." Abuela says, patting Millie's knee as Eddie joins them.

"Sorry to interrupt, abuela. Millie, it's time to eat." Eddie says.

"No, you guys go ahead, and then we've got presents to open." Abuela gives Millie another squeeze as she leaves.

+

"Thank you for coming again. It means a lot to us both." Eddie says, and Millie hums, agreeing with him.

"We're just happy she's home," Athena says.

"Yeah, me too," Eddie says, adjusting Millie in his arms.

"Stop," Millie whines, turning her face so it's where it was before.

"Alright, kid, get her to bed." Bobby laughs.

"Thanks, Cap. For everything."

"Of course, and I'll see you both at the station one week from now?" Bobby asks, raising a brow.

"Yes, both of us." Eddie agrees.

~

Eddie pulls his comforter over Millie before he sneaks out of the room. He grabs two beers from the fridge before handing one to Buck as he plops beside him on the sofa. "That went great." Eddie nods.

"Sure did. Do you want me to stay and help you clean up?" Buck asks.

Eddie looks around the house, decorations falling off the walls, and extra food still on the counters. "I mean, if you don't mind crashing on the couch." Eddie shrugs.

"I love your couch, Eddie." Buck grins.

"There's also Millie's bed if you want something comfortable." Eddie chuckles.

"Ha-ha," Buck says, shoving garbage into a large garbage bag.

Eddie grins as he finishes his beer in one gulp before helping Buck clean up.

+

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A/N: WOOOOO, that shit was brutal. I wouldn't say I like how this came out at all. Not even the chapter before it, but I've got people interested in this, so I'm publishing them as is, and over the next few days, I'll go back and edit them.

Any who, I'm so happy that Millie is back with her family and in California again.

You guys are going to be meeting my other OC for this fic soon, and I'm SO excited for him to finally be here. Millie will finally have a friend.

- kammy

Slight edits: March 2026 (still would like to completely re-edit this one and the one before)