Baby Buck (agere)

Chapter 4

A/N: This chapter is a suggestion I got on AO3

Buck does start calling Bobby and Athena dada and mama in this chapter but they still aren't technically his primary caregivers, everyone else is just a sibling type caregiver to him

Hen didn't think anything of it at first. Buck was just being stupid. Of course he would fall out of that tree, what was he even thinking? Then Buck grabbed his arm and winced.

"Buck, you alright?" Hen asked.

He shook his head. Buck would never admit to being hurt. This wasn't just Buck. Hen couldn't identify it as easily as Bobby, but she knew Buck was regressing.

"Buck, Buck." Hen knelt down next to Buck, "Hey, baby, can you look at me? I need you to try following my finger."

"I want Dada." Buck said, tears clouding his eyes.

"Buck, baby. I need you to let me look at you. I need you make sure you didn't hurt yourself too badly or hit your head." Hen said.

"I want Dada." Buck repeated, more desperately that time.

"Who do you want?" Hen asked, more confused than the first time he'd said it.

She'd never known Buck to have any sort of caregiver. Maddie, Athena, and the 118 seemed to take on that role.

"Dada." Buck cried.

"Okay." Hen pulled out her phone, and called the only person she could think to call, "Bobby, hey. Buck's hurt. I think he wants you but I'm not sure. He wants someone. He doesn't need an ambulance or anything. But he's regressed and I'll be honest, I don't think I'll be able to get him to the hospital without your help. I'll send you the address."

Bobby was quick to grab his keys. Athena was at work, and he didn't even know what was going on yet. He would call her later, for now his only goal was to get to the park. He quickly spotted Buck and Hen by a tree along the walking path. Hen was trying to calm Buck down a little, and it seemed to be working fairly well.

"Dada!" Buck cried, he reached out for Bobby but winced and held his arm to his chest.

"Hey, I'm here, Buck." Bobby said. "Are you alright?"

"Arm hurts." Buck said between small sobs.

"Yeah, I'm sure it does, Pal." He knelt down next to Buck and gently ran his fingers through Buck's hair, "Hen, what happened?"

"We were just hanging out, going for a walk. He was climbing the tree and a branch broke. He fell pretty hard. I'm pretty sure he broke his arm. Doesn't look like he hit his head at all and his vitals are fine." Hen explained.

"We have to stand up now, alright. Hen and I are going to take you to the hospital then we can go home." Bobby helped Buck stand and he whimpered.

"Hurts." Buck sniffled.

"I know, Buck." Bobby said, holding Buck's right hand, "Why were you up in that tree, Kiddo?"

"Was just playing." Buck said.

Hen sighed and opened the back door of her car for Buck and Bobby, "If I had an explanation for you I would give it. I can't tell you why he decided to climb the tree."

"Was he already regressed when you two met up?" Bobby asked while he buckled the boy's seat belt, being careful not to hit his injured arm.

"Not that I knew of. He just had a lot of energy to burn off I guess."

"Let's just get him to the hospital for an x-ray. Buck can explain himself later." Bobby said and he got in next to Buck.

While Buck was getting his arm put into a cast Bobby called Athena. Even though they now knew the extent of his injuries, Athena seemed just as worried as Bobby had been.

"He's fine. He has a broken arm and he'll be out of work for a couple of weeks, but he's okay." Bobby explained.

"That's a releif." Athena sighed.

"Hey, I'm not sure why or what it exactly entails but I thought I should tell you, he was calling me dad earlier." Bobby said.

"He called you dad?"

"Well, dada, actually. He's regressed and hurt, I'm not sure what it means. It might just be a one time thing. I just felt like you should know so you wouldn't be caught off guard if it happens again when we get him home."

"Okay." Athena took a moment to process what she had just heard, she certainly didn't mind it, but she figured it would have been something that Buck would have discussed with Bobby first, "I'll see you two at home then?"

"Yeah. Buck should be out soon so we'll probably be home before you get off." Bobby said, "I love you."

"I love you too." Athena said.

Bobby could tell that Buck was trying very hard to be big when he came out. Seeing Bobby almost broke him. He wanted to cry again. His arm didn't hurt nearly as bad anymore now that it was properly set in the cast.

"Hey, let's go home, Buck." Bobby said.

Buck just nodded, not fully trusting himself to speak. He refused to let go of Bobby's hand until they got to the house. They didn't worry about Bobby's car, Athena could take him to get it later. For now, getting Buck home was all they cared about.

Athena found Buck, Bobby and Hen all sitting on the sofa. Hen was sitting across from Bobby and Buck. Bobby had Buck on his lap -more between his legs and across his lap- with his arm around Buck's waist and Buck's head resting on his shoulder.

"Hey." Athena said, setting down her keys.

"Mama!" Buck sat up a little and tried to reach out for Athena.

"Buck, you need to take it easy, okay." Hen whispered.

"Hey, Baby. I heard what happened. Feeling any better?" Athena asked, sitting down next to Buck.

"No." Buck mumbled.

"I'm sorry, Buckaroo." Athena gently stroked his cheek.

"Glad you're here, maybe you can get me a little break." Bobby joked.

"Bobby hasn't been allowed to get up in over an hour." Hen explained.

"An hour?"

Bobby rubbed Buck's back, "Apparently my lap is the only comfortable seat in the house."

"I bet you weren't complaining when first decided to snuggle with you." Athena said.

"That was before my legs started falling asleep." Bobby replied.

"Well, I won't complain. Come here, Baby. Let's give your dad a little break." Athena opened her arms for Buck.

Buck was reluctant to move. He did want cuddles from Athena but he was also very comfortable and safe on Bobby's lap. He decided that his need to cuddle his mama outweighed the need to stay on his dada's lap and he cuddled up against her side.

As soon as he moved Bobby stood up and stretched. He picked up Buck's empty bottle and began walking toward the kitchen.

"Dada." Buck pouted and reached out with his free arm.

"I'll be right back. I'm just going to get you some more juice." Bobby leaned down and kissed the top of Buck's head.

"We're going to have to be more careful climbing trees from now on." Athena rubbed Buck's shoulder.

"Don't like trees." Buck pouted.

"Oh, you don't like trees anymore?"

"No." Buck mumbled.

"Good, that means you won't be falling out of them anymore." Athena smiled and kissed Buck's forehead.

Buck leaned onto Athena's shoulder until Bobby came back with his bottle. Buck enjoyed the comfort of his mama and dada for a while. Hen waited until all of the crying and running around from earlier in the day caught up to Buck and he fell asleep before she left. Buck always protested when someone had to leave, it was just simpler that way.

"We are going to have to talk about it with him." Bobby said once it was just the two of them, and Buck asleep between them, "The mom and dad thing."

"I know. But we can wait until he's in the right headspace. Right now let's just take care of him."