Chapter Text
“Ready?” Jack asks, glancing at the analog clock just above the French doors of the courtroom. They were a full hour early at Robby’s request, most of that additional time had been spent pacing the parking lot with a fussy toddler. Now, they stood in the quiet hall watching city officials and lawyers move past, a million things to do. A million problems to solve.
Robby stands a few feet to his left dressed in his nicest suit, the same one he wore to his Bubbe’s funeral: a simple back two piece suit with a royal purple lining and a purple flora pocket square. Robby looks at his watch, the one Tonya gave him from Monty’s collection, a good luck charm, his lips are drawn in a tight line.
He shakes his head taking a slow deep breath, “No.” He admits.
Jack smirks, stepping a foot in Robby’s direction, “We got this, man. This is nothing compared to last year.” He laughs and shakes his head, “Hell, the last sixteen years. This is the last step. Then we never have to come back to this court room or see the Honorable Judge Arnett ever again.”
Robby smiles, his shoulders fall forward an inch or two, “Do you think we have a shot? I mean, I know on paper, we look-”
Jack rests a hand on Robby’s lower back, “Michael, babe, you have to breathe.”
“Doctor Robinavitch. Doctor Abbot.” Liam Borenstein, their attorney for the last year and three months, says stepping out of the elevator.
Robby turns on his heels, “Mr. Borenstein, good morning.”
Liam smiles, his green eyes glitter in the fluorescent light of the courthouse hallway. He looks confident, standing in his most cheerful suit, a navy blue three piece with a cream dress shirt and a light pink tie.
Jack smiles at the sight of it, “High hopes?” Jack asks, nodding towards the tie as he adjusts his own.
Liam bites back a smile, “Judge Arnett is no idiot, Johnathan. If I were a betting man,” He laughs a little, “I’d bet on the two of you. Now, it is important to remain quiet unless you are called on. Any questions?”
“How is she?”, Robby asks, a twinge of worry lacing his voice. His hand files through the hairs at the nape of his neck.
Jack takes another half step towards him, fear rising in his stomach.
“She is enjoying the daycare at the moment.”, Liam glances at his own watch, “We should see her smiling face in thirty-ish minutes. She’s too small to testify, but they may bring her in to see her responses to the two of you versus DCPS.”
“Game face, Micki.”, Jack adds, brushing past his shoulder, “We’ve got this.”
“I, the Honorable Judge Robert G. Arnett, with the full authority of the law and the support of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, hereby grant sole and purposeful custody of Ruth Estelle Doe to Doctor Michael “Robby” Robinavitch and Doctor Jonathan “Jack” Abbot.” Judge Arnett says, he turns to address Jack and Robby, “Have you two decided what her last name will be?”
Robby looks at Jack, Jack takes Robby’s hand and steps forward, “Yes, your Honor, Robinavitch. Ruth Estelle Robinavitch.”
The courtroom erupts with cheers, heat rises on Jack’s cheeks as tears fill Robby’s eyes.
“Let it be known: From this day forward Ruth Estelle Doe is hereby Ruth Estelle Robinavitch”, Judge Arnett says with a bright smile, slamming an official seal on the documents in front of him, “Gentlemen, go get your daughter.”
Jack places the last box into the bed of the Silverado, glancing over his shoulder at his daughter, now two years old, and his partner.
They are sitting in a grass patch near the parking lot of Robby’s building, well, former building.
“Can you say bye bye old house?” Robby coos, holding Ruthie’s fingers so she can stand a little more firmly in the grass.
Ruth giggles, twisting her fingers in the way only children do, babbling happily.
Robby catches Jack’s eyes smiling softly, “Looks like Pap has the truck all packed. You get to see your forever home. Are you excited, Sheifale?”
Ruth claps, wobbling a little before landing on her butt, a fit of giggles consumes her.
“That’s the last of it, Micki.” Jack says, coming to stand just behind Ruth facing Robby.
Robby smiles, his brown eyes glimmering with tears.
He stands slowly, dusting the grass off his knees, before scooping Ruth up into his arms.
“I cannot believe this is happening.”, Robby whispers into Ruth’s soft strawberry blonde curls, he looks back at the five story apartment building one last time.
“This is the part you can’t wrap your brilliant mind around?” Jack jokes, grabbing Ruth’s diaper bag off the ground, the camel colored tactical backpack once used as his SWAT go-bag is now adorned with baby essentials and ‘girl dad’ patches, all gifts from his nightshift family.
Robby laughs warm and light, “Don’t be a smart ass in front of Ruthie. She’ll be sassy enough on her own.”
Jack smiles, shaking his head, “Our girl is gonna run the world. I have no doubt.”
Robby nods, loading Ruth into her carseat, she whines a little at the loss of contact but settles quickly once she catches sight of her plush book clip. Jack leaves a quick kiss on Robby’s check before climbing into the cab. It isn’t long before they are all loaded in and headed out of the heart of the city. Downtown Pittsburgh, fades into the distance as they make their way to O’ Hara Township, a small, more rural community just seventeen minutes from the Pitt.
Robby steals a few nervous glances at Jack as the truck continues down the highway, Jack rests his right hand on Robby’s thigh, “This is going to be great, Micki. Remember what you and Mohan talked about? Pound, land, space?”
Robby nods, “Too late to get cold feet now. The house is ours.” The last few words come out as a whisper.
“That’s right, babe. It’s all ours. No one can take this from us.”, Jack nods towards the backseat, “It’s you, me, and Ruthie until the end.”
Robby smiles and squeezes Jack’s hand.
Robby hangs up the final photo on the gallery wall in the foyer, he smiles at the still of Dana, Dennis, Trinity, Mel, Langdon, Javadi, Mckay, Jesse, Purlah, Princess, Heather, Donnie, and Mateo.
He steps back to make sure it fits in between Ruth’s baby pictures and Jack’s deployment photo.
He nods proudly.
He and Jack have been unpacking slowly, making sure that everything is exactly how they want it, he has been very particular about photos. Monty and Bubbe’s portraits smile brightly next to a youthful Jack with his arm around a freshly graduated Stella.
“Tate, finally got all the photos up, my little beloved.”, Robby calls over his shoulder to Ruth, who is safely contained in the family room.
She laughs like she understands. The sun starts to rise in the sky, Jack will be home soon, the thought warms Robby’s chest.
“Pap will be home any minute. Today, Uncle Benji is gonna come stay with you, and when Auntie Dee gets off you’re going to go spend the night at their house. Pap has something special planned, but he won’t tell me what it is.” Robby continues, making his way to the kitchen, Ruthie waddles to the other side of the family room following the sound of his voice.
“I know, it’s so silly that Pap is keeping a secret from Tate, isn’t it my little lamb.”, Robby adds stirring the soup he’s been cooking in the fancy Crockpot Lena got them as a housewarming gift.
Ruthie claps
. A moment later the sound of Jack’s truck on the driveway fills the quiet of the house,
“Pap’s home!” Robby screams excitedly.
The engine quiets and a second later the garage door opens, Jack wastes no time stripping out of his scrubs, and tossing them into the red hamper by the side door, he makes his way into the kitchen in nothing but his boxers.
“Hey, Tate.” Jack says, leaving a soft kiss on Robby’s lips as he slips past him to hover in front of the baby gate, “Pap loves you, Ruthie Girl. Five, no, ten, minutes and I’ll come release you from Baby Jail and we can have our recap. Huh?”
Robby laughs, “It’s not Baby Jail. It’s a safety zone.”
Jack smiles, “It’s an oversized Pack-N-Play. Which is, inherently, Baby Jail.”
“Go shower, Cowboy. Your dinner is almost ready. I’ve gotta heat up Ruth's oatmeal, and cut her strawberries. We both know you wanna feed her and get her ready for her morning nap.”, Robby chides, turning towards the sink.
Jack disappears down the hall without another word. Robby plates Ruth’s breakfast, Jack’s soup, and makes himself some toast all in the time it takes Jack to shower.
The younger man returns exactly, ten minutes later and wastes no time opening the baby gate and freeing their daughter from the family room. She runs lighting fast towards the dining room, crawling under the table, all smiles, as Jack stalks behind her. It takes another five minutes for him to wrestle her into her high chair.
Robby laughs. Their home is alive and bright, it is starting to become easier to forget the darkness.
“Be good for Uncle Benji and Auntie Dee, Sheifale.”, Robby coos, running a finger down Ruth’s cheek. She squirms wildly in Benji’s arms trying to escape the man’s grasp.
“Tate and Pap will be home in three sleeps, Star”, Jack adds, kissing her curls.
Benji adjusts Ruth on his hip and smiles, “Go have fun you crazy kids. I got your girl.”
Without another word and only a few glances back, they climb into Robby’s Jeep. Jack insists on driving.
“You really aren’t going to tell me where we’re going. Rabbit?” Robby asks as Pittsburgh proper comes into view.
Rabbit hangs in the air like a warm blanket, Robby changed Jack’s name in his phone three days after they got temporary guardianship of Ruth, and it just stuck. He never thought that Jack would want to be in Ruth’s life, let alone change every piece of his to make space for the two of them.
Jack shakes his head, “Nope.”, he extends the p sound and sends a wink in Robby’s direction.
“And you had to pack all the bags?”
“Yes sir.”
“This is getting ridiculous.”, Robby huffs, crossing his arms over his chest.
Jack just smiles, “You’ll be okay, my control freak, I know how to pack a bag.”
The Jeep pulls into the driveway of a beautiful cabin somewhere off I-79, McConnell’s Mill State Park comes alive in the midday sun.
Jack hops out of the car and walks around to Robby’s door, he opens it with a flourish, bowing deeply. “Welcome, Doctor Robinavitch, I heard a rumor that you and your handsome boyfriend recently got custody of a beautiful little girl and bought your dream house, but haven’t had a night or day alone in a year and four months. Is that true?”
Robby smiles climbing down, “Why, yes. Yes it is. Did you also hear a rumor that I love cabins?”
“That was mentioned. So much so that you almost bought a cabin.”
“Right again, Sir. Who is telling you all these secrets? Is my therapist breaking HIPA?” Robby jokes through a laugh, catching Jack’s lips in a deep kiss.
As they pull apart Robby ducks his head, desperate to hide the blush racing across his cheeks and the tips of his ears. Jack smiles, taking his hand, “The bags can wait. But, you, me, a cold beer and that two-man soaking tub absolutely cannot.”
Jack leads him up the stone path and into the spacious cabin: there is a massive kitchen in a similar style to the one in their new home, an open living room with views of a lake and mountains, a screened in back porch, and a thousand other things Robby falls in love with immediately.
“Hey, Alexia, play ‘Tate’s Happy Mix’”, Jack says as the door clicks closed behind the pair, "Your Song" by Elton John fills the cabin.
Michael Robinavitch stands dumbstruck by the front door as Jack opens the fridge and pulls two ice cold beers out, Jack shakes his hips to the beat of the song while crossing the foyer to pull Robby into a small twirl.
“Jonathan Abbot, what did you do?”, Robby asks laughing, head tilted back to stare up at the vaulted ceilings.
Jack shrugs, “Rude. I am very well behaved, unlike some people, which means I would never spend the payment from selling my condo to buy a family cabin.”
Robby’s jaw goes slack, but he barely has time to recover before Jack catches his lips again, every time it’s as comforting as the first. Jack always feels like home.
“Besides, the O’Hara house is in your name so, this”, Jack spins Robby again, “Was covered by the GI Bill and some of the settlement money from Stella’s accident. The rest of that, and my VA benefits, have gone towards Ruthie’s college fund.”
Robby is crying now, standing in the front entrance of the cabin warped in Jack’s arms.
Not, because he has given him two homes in the last three months but, because he has thought of everything. Every late night worry Robby chews on, in between baby monitor stare downs and Pitt updates, Jack has planned for and addressed.
“This is what happily ever after feels like,” Robby whispers into Jack’s tee shirt.
“I told you I would show you what it looked like. I just needed you to have a little faith and put in some work”, Jack kisses his forehead, “Which you have!”
Robby blushes letting Jack lead him down a small hallway towards a very cozy bedroom, “God, Micki, I am so proud of you. I can see the light behind your eyes again. I would rearrange the stars in the sky for you and Ruth…”
Jack goes quiet, abandoning the beers on the bedside table, he pulls Robby towards the bed. Robby lets himself be pulled by the hem of his shirt, feels his heartbeat rise in his chest as Jack settles onto the bed, before he knows it his knees on either side of Jack’s hips.
“You have worked so hard to be present. Even before Ruthie. But,” Jack’s hands slide under Robby’s shirt and up his sides, goosebumps following in the wake of his finger tips, "Especially now. Working with Baran and Ellis so you can have more time at home. Continuing therapy even though it’s hard. Selling that deathtrape.”
Robby laughs, resting his forehead on Jack’s, “The Bonneville wasn’t that bad. But, man, I didn’t know how expensive cribs and baby shit was until I was in it.”
“No, no, arguing." Jack captures his lips again, the kiss is deep and needy, broken only to breathe, “I am doting on you. You will accept the complements. Enjoy the praise and get out of your head.”
“Yes, sir.” Robby whispers, letting his eyelids drop just a bit.
“Goddamn you, Michael.” Jack hisses, finally pulling Robby’s shirt over his head.
Jack moans, his fingers tangled in Robby’s damp hair.
“Fuck.”, he whispers, pupils blown wide, his leg is curled into the crooke on Robby’s left knee pinning them together.
Every roll of Robby’s hips sends lighting through his veins.
Robby is taking his time, drawing out every moment, every gasp, the tiniest of moans, he feels alive buried in Jack.
There is magic in watching the lines of worry fade from Jack’s forehead as their bodies melt together.
Jack’s nails dig into the soft flesh of his middle back, like he is clinging onto him to stay grounded, Robby wants him to let the pleasure take him away.
“You want to know my favorite part?” Robby whispers in Jack’s ear, leaving a line of gentle pecks on his jaw, “Do you?”
Jack is barely focused, lost in the haze of where he ends and Robby begins, he nods.
“You get this look, when you’re close to coming undone, but you don’t want it to be over.” Robby hums, slowing his thrusts to barely perceptible, “Your eyes go soft. Your jaw unclenches. But, best of all, you cling. Nails, legs, sometimes teeth.”
“Micki, please…”, Jack whines, he only ever whines like that in the safety of their bed. The younger man makes a half-hearted attempt to roll his hips, but Robby has the trapped.
Robby lets his hand trail down Jack’s bare chest, resting just at the start of his happy-trail, “I love when you say my name like that. Breathless. Wanting.”
“It almost makes up for the fact that you’re so demanding outside of our bed.”, Robby adds, rolling his hips forward.
Jack groans. “Please. Don’t stop.”
Robby chuckles, “Rabbit, if you want me to keep going, I need you to stop fighting it. When we are here. It’s just us. You can take what you need…” His lips ghost Jack’s ear, “You don’t have to be in control. Let me handle you.”
“Please.”, Jack whispers, returning his hands to the nape of Robby’s neck, “Please fuck me.”
Robby finds his pace again, slow, deliberate. His hand ghosts the hard line of Jack’s cock.
Jack is close. His stomach muscles clinch. His teeth find the flesh of Robby’s left shoulder.
The sharp sting of teeth digging into his warm skin pulls a groan from Robby’s chest, “That’s right, baby, just relax.”
Fireworks crawl across Jack’s skin, every trust, every point of contact, is like an explosion.
His mind goes blissfully quiet.
He cums with a wounded yelp.
Robby doesn’t stop. Jack is overwhelmed with the feeling of Robby, with his scent, and the steady rhythm of his hand still tracing ghost-like lines on his sensitive skin.
Time stalls. His vision goes white. Robby’s name tumbles from his lips like a plea.
Robby cums, still buried inside him. Minutes pass before they untangle. Robby falls onto the bed beside him.
“I love you.”, they whisper into the darkness, at the same time.
Jack brings Robby’s coffee on the back porch at first light, “Morning.”
Robby looks up from his phone, a photo of Ruth with applesauce on her cheeks fills his screen, “Hey, Rabbit. Dana said Ruthie did great last night.”
“Of course she did. She’s the best.”Jack coos, slipping onto the chair next to Robby, the tiny black velvet box in his pocket feels like a brick.
He passes Robby the mug.
The sound of nature fills his ears, muffled slightly by the sound of his own heartbeat, “What time is your online appointment with, Caleb?”
Robby checks his watch, “Three hours from now. Why?”
Jack turns to face him, he can just barely see the hint of a bruise under the collar of his ratty-old Abba shirt, “I just wanted to make sure the meeting wouldn’t interfere with your appointment.”
“What meeting, Jack?” Robby asks, taking a long sip from his mug.
“HR. It’s at ten thirty.”
Robby’s right eye brow goes up, “Rabbit, what are you talking about?”
Jack pulls the velvet box from his pocket, “Gloria, Kira, and twelve other fuckers have to be notified so I can start the paper work.”
Robby’s eyes go wide, “What?!?”
“Oh, I almost forgot about the Ethics Board. It’s complicated to get your name changed with a doctorate.”, Jack says with a small smile, “Of course, I’ll probably keep Abbot as my primary so there’s no confusion, but, I figured all the paperwork should be in order in case I change my mind.”
“No way. This isn’t happening.”, Robby whispers, shaking his head, “You are not proposing through an HR meeting.”
“I mean, if you don-” Jack starts only to be cut off by Robby’s lips.
“Shut up and ask me like a regular man, not a soldier, please.”
“Will you marry me, Micki?”
“Oh, fuck yeah!” Robby yelps, throwing his arms around Jack’s neck, “A million times over. You have always been my eventually.”
Jack opens the box, to reveal Robby’s Bubbe’s band, resized and redesigned to fit him. It is a thin gold band, with three diamonds inset into the center with a faint engraving around the stones to mimic stars shining.
Robby’s hand goes to his mouth, “Oh my god.”
“On the inside it says ‘My Eventually’ and has Ruthie’s adoption date.”, Jack whispers, slipping it onto Robby’s finger.
“Are the stars us?” Robby whispers, voice thick with tears.
Jack shakes his head.
“Kind of? But, also no. The biggest one is for Bubbe because without her, we wouldn’t have met, she was your north star, your way home.”
He points at the clear stone.
“The one to the right is for Adamson, I know it's a bit blasphemous to put him in the position that represents Jesus but..” Jack looks down, “He was your mentor, your sheppard.”
There is a small pause as Robby admires the ring.
“The last star is a little fainter, it’s to represent possibility, and ultimately Ruth. She was the thing you had been missing, a reason to keep going.”
“God, I love you.” Robby says kissing Jack once again.
“I love you too.”
“Thank God, for Eventually.”