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"Congratulations, Evan" The voice came through the phone through the crackling of static.
"It's Buck," Buck said with a smile, pressing the speaker button and tossing his phone to the bed to peel his shirt off.
"Sticking with the nickname?"
"Told you I was gonna," Buck rolled his eyes as he opened the dresser drawer to pull out a loose-fitting shirt to sleep in.
"And here I thought you'd never change your name," The words carried a strain Eddie was clearly trying to mask with a teasing tone.
Buck grabbed a green cadet training tee, Diaz printed on the back and pulled it over himself as he walked back to the bed and picked his phone up back to his ear.
"Rough day?"
"No," Eddie answered quickly, "No, of course not. Y-you graduated from the fire academy, Ev. Uh, Buck."
"Eddie-" Buck tried to interject but Eddie kept speaking.
"No, Buck. I'm proud of you. Of you. My husband graduated from the LAFD academy today."
Buck decided to keep pushing, "He did, didn't he? He graduated the academy. Where he got a shiny new nickname and is starting a shiny new career and you weren't there to see it."
He can hear Eddie's breath catch in his throat when he starts, "Evan-"
"You were," Buck cut off.
"What?"
"You were there. When you'd spend over half our call time giving me hypothetical situations to help me study for my EMT cert, you were there. When you told me old bootcamp work outs to help me prep for the physical exam, you were there. When Chris watched me swear in today you were there, Eddie. You have been there for me every step of the way. So whatever guilt you think your hiding, it shouldn't be there in the first place. I couldn't have done any of this without you," Buck spoke with sincerity, leaving no room for argument.
There was quiet, for just a few moments.
"Abuela sent the pictures. You and Chris at the ceremony. You guys look good."
"I feel good. Like, I can't speak for Chris, man, but the kid seems good too. I feel like I'm finally doing good work. Something meaningful, you know?"
"You know, you could still go the paramedic route. Get a little further from the fires and do your 'good work' by healing people."
Buck rolled his eyes, "Eds, I think you're forgetting the 'firefighter' part of the job title Firefighter Paramedic."
"I'm just saying-" Eddie's voice is light as he goes to defend his point but Buck still doesn't give him the chance.
"Oh, I know what you're saying, Mr. Medic," Buck is chuckling along with Eddie as he speaks, "but we both know I'd see just as much action in either role."
"Mr. Medic?" Eddie wheezes out and Buck can tell they're both smiling a little more naturally now, even if he can't see it on his husband's face.
"I could've called you Doc."
"I'm not a-"
"Not a doctor, I know, soldier."
"Dios I miss you," Eddie breathes out while maintaining an audible smile.
"I miss you too," Buck breathed out.
"Chris asleep?" Eddie asked after a moment.
"Out cold." A twinge of guilt pinged in Buck's stomach that occurs each time Chris doesn't get the chance to speak to his dad.
"Good, that's good," Eddie sounded almost like he was trying to convince himself, "It's been a big day. You gotta rest up too, probie. You're in for the start of a long year."
Buck let out a sigh, "I know, I know. It's just good to hear your voice."
"It's good to hear yours too, Buck," Eddie spoke the nickname in a teasing way and Buck felt the phantom sensation of butterflies filling up his gut, "Tell Christopher I love him."
"Will do, Doc," Buck said, unable to resist the urge to tease back, "You stay safe out there, okay?"
"Always. You too. I love you," Eddie replied, the tightness in his voice was back from before and Buck didn't miss how Eddie didn't fall into being baited with the 'Doc' nickname again.
"I love you, too. I'll talk to you soon."
"Talk to you soon," Eddie confirms.
When the line goes dead they both know it's a lie. They both know its virtually impossible for Eddie to maintain a regular call schedule. Hopefully, whenever "soon" ends up being, their son can be there too.
"Um, hi. I'm Evan Buckley, new recruit. I was told to report to Captain Nash," Buck recognized his words as coming out awkwardly. He really hasn't socialized much recently. Between the academy and taking care of Chris and Eddie being oversees it's been... a while since he's met new people.
The confused faces he's met with don't do much to ease the slight anxiety he's feeling, especially when the man at the head of the table starts asking the firefighters around him, "Do you know a Captain Nash? Do you?"
But then a chair is moved out for him and the firefighters start laughing when the man says "Take a seat, Evan."
"Buck, everyone just calls me Buck," Buck smiles.
"Welcome to the 118, Buck."
"So what do you make of the probie?" Chim nudges Hen as they restock the ambulance at the end of shift.
"Seems to hold his own," Hen replied.
"He 'seems to hold his own,'" Chim repeated in a mocking voice, "That's your take away?"
"It's shift one, Chimney. How much of a read can you get on someone in 24 hours?"
"We make life-or-death decisions within 30 seconds of getting to a scene," Chim points out.
Hen rolled her eyes, "Well what's your take then?"
"Kid's optimistic. Impulsivity and inexperience can be a dangerous cocktail."
"Think he'll wash?"
Chim smiled, "Nah. I think he's gonna learn."
Hen watched Buck laugh into his phone as he packed his duffel at the end of shift. The kid's made it a month. He smiles, he laughs, he talks about anything and everything. But he doesn't talk. Not really. Hen's not really sure Chim has noticed. Buck will get along well with the team, he sometimes jumps into action without thinking it through, he acts with a confidence his inexperience doesn't warrant but his heart makes up for. He laughs and jokes and teases and has even managed to pull Bobby out of his shell. A-Shift at the 118 is feeling like less of a team and more of a family and even though that's all because of Buck they still don't really know personal details about him.
"Yeah, yeah. Hasta luego," Hen hears Buck say through a chuckle as he hangs up his phone. As he begins walking out the locker room, heading to the door past where Hen is standing, her eye catches the glint of something shiny around his neck.
"Didn't take you for a jewelry kind of guy," Hen says when Buck moves to walk straight past her with nothing more than a smile and wave as a goodbye.
Buck froze mid step. He blinked a few times staring at her.
Chim was approaching them both, "Ooh. Lets see the bling."
Chim pushed Buck's shoulder lightly in a teasing way and immediately Buck blinked away the uncertainty Hen witnessed in his eyes. Bobby was walking over too, interest masked as amusement in his team's antics.
Bobby knew more than the others, having access to Buck's personnel file. He's been trying to subtly encourage Buck to open up more about his personal life to the team and yet this is the closest they've ever gotten. Buck seemed to be blushing a bit, smile not quite pinching the corners of his eyes the way they had been while he was on the phone. Still, Buck pulled the metal chain fully out from his shirt. Instead of holding the charm up for the others to see he focused his own gaze down at where he held it.
"Just something small. I'm, uh, not really too big on jewelry after all," Buck spoke with a soft tone.
Chim smacked his gum in a pop as he peered over Buck's side to catch a glimpse while asking, "What is it?"
"A Saint Christopher medallion," Buck answered.
"You catholic?" Bobby asked. And maybe that's not an appropriate question for a captain to ask his new probationary firefighter about his religious beliefs but this was the first time the team was actually learning anything about Buck's personal life. And Buck, to his credit, didn't even seem phased by the question.
"No, not me. Just, uh..."
And it was suddenly glaringly obvious that Buck didn't know how to talk about his personal life so Bobby threw him a bone and changed the prompt, "You travel a lot?"
Buck looked up from the medallion and smiled as Bobby, tucking the necklace back into his shirt. He answered, "Used to."
"What?" Chim looked over to Hen for clarification. Hen just shrugged back at him.
"Patron saint of travels," Buck explained, "And speaking of travels I gotta get going."
"Big plans tonight?" Hen asks.
At the same time Chim asks, "Hot date?"
Buck just smiles at his team and nods at Chim when he answers, "Something like that."
"Come on, Pops," Chris whines out, "We have to be ready!"
"We are ready, Superman," Buck laughs. He's heading over to the couch, a bottle of beer for him and a bottle of root beer for his son.
Before Chris can argue the incoming ringtone sounds from the laptop and Chris practically falls off the couch accepting the call before Buck even has the chance to sit down.
"Dad!" Chris exclaims, waving rapidly at the camera.
"Hi, my boys," Eddie smiles. Buck can see Eddie's exhaustion loosing the fight against the excitement of a rare video call between the three of them.
"You sound exhausted," Eddie's voice cracked out through the speaker phone.
"Look who's talking, soldier," Buck responded with a smile.
Chris, of course, had no such exhaustion seeping down into his soul, so he cut in excitedly, "It's 'cuz he cursed his whole team today dad!"
"He... you cursed out your team?" Eddie asked through the phone.
"No I cursed my team to have unending, ridiculous calls and incredible bad luck," Buck explained.
At this Eddie barked out a laugh thousands of miles away but Buck could still feel the warmth sitting right in his heart, "You have got to be kidding me."
Chris cut in again, "Really, dad! Pops said the q-word in the firehouse, and you can't say the q-word in a firehouse!"
Through Eddie's disbelieving wheeze he asked, "The q-word?"
"Yeah, you know," Chris leaned into the phone to whisper it, "quiet."
Eddie's laughing increased tenfold.
"Yeah, yeah, yuck it up big guy. You know, I didn't even say it was a quiet shift. I said it about the dishwasher! And still it was a full day of chaos since the gods totally took it out of context and the shift was cursed anyway," Buck was rolling his eyes but being completely serious. As much as he loved the sound of his husband's laughter he still felt really guilty about bringing about a curse on his shift.
"Yeah, Dad, the curse was so taken out of context!" Chris agrees enthusiastically with Buck and finally Eddie's laughter started to subside.
"Oh, please tell me you did not get our kid to start believing in curses," Eddie spoke and Buck could hear both the incredulous stare and fond smile through the phone.
"Well, of course curses are real," Buck started to defend.
"Evan," Eddie chastised.
"Look, all I'm saying is-"
"Buck," Eddie chastised again and this time Buck felt a rosy blush blooming on his cheeks. The name caught him so off guard that he allowed enough silence for Eddie to speak again, "Chris, mijo?"
Chris spoke up between his giggles, "Yeah, Dad?"
"Please tell me you still know curses aren't real," Eddie almost seemed to be pleading.
Chris, in all his preteen glory, rolled his eyes, "Well, duh, Dad. Pops is just being silly."
"Whoa, hey, I am not being silly!" Buck cut in.
"Yes he is being silly because curses are not real," Eddie shot back.
"Curses are so real," Buck tried again.
Chris was just giggling at the two. For a moment it was like the three of them were together again, bickering and laughing all under the same roof.
"Don't think I haven't forgot it's a school night, Chris," Eddie's voice eventually cut through the giggles and laughter.
"But Dad-"
"Oh, no, superman. Your dad is right," Buck cut in. He always lets Eddie call it bedtime, even though technically Chris should have been tucked in ten minutes ago. But once Eddie makes the cut off Buck does all he can to send Chris to bed while avoiding resistance, "Go brush your teeth and I'll be right in to say goodnight."
Chris rolls his eyes but still moves to pull himself up with his crutches.
"I love you, mijo," Eddie says.
"I love you too, Dad. Can you stay on the phone til Pops says goodnight?"
"Yeah, buddy, I'll say goodnight too. Just hurry up, okay?"
"Okay," Chris rolled his eyes but leaned over to Buck before he left. Pulling Buck into a quick hug he spoke softly in his ear, "I know curses are real, by the way. I just said they weren't to make dad smile. So you can't say the q-word in the firehouse again because bad luck isn't safe."
Buck stared at his son with adoration as Chris pulled out of the hug and moved his way down the hallway.
A moment passed, and then, "I heard that, you know."
Buck smiled and picked up the phone, taking it off speaker to move Eddie's voice as close to his ear as possible. He chuckled softly as he spoke, "I wonder which one of us he's lying to."
"Obviously it's the one who believes curses are real," Eddie replied.
"Eddie I had to remove two separate kids from two separate claw machines at two separate arcades within the span of an hour!"
"That's your long shift? Stuck at Chuck E. Cheese?" Eddie says it fondly.
"Between the three car wrecks, the gas leak, and the over aggressive dog call, yeah."
Eddie whistles, "I'm sorry it was a crappy day."
Buck shrugs even though Eddie can't see the gesture as he talks, "It was my-"
"It was not your fault, mi amor," Eddie cuts him off then adds with an audible eye roll, "Even though I know you won't believe me."
Buck just hums in response.
"Have you told the team about me and Chris yet?"
Buck sighs, "I'm not, you know, like, hiding you guys from them. It's just..."
"It's hard to talk about?" Eddie suggests.
"Yes it's so hard to talk about. Not that I don't love talking about you guys! I just... I don't really know how to bring up my family to my work friends. I was gonna tell them today during downtime... but, uh, I cursed us. So..." Buck knows he's rambling, he just hopes Eddie understands.
"The curse," Eddie repeats in a teasing voice and the ghost of a laugh, "You know those guys aren't just your work friends, right? They're your team. You trust them with your life every shift, you should be able to trust them with getting to know your life too."
"You're right," Buck closes his eyes, letting Eddie's voice and advice wash over him, soothing the tension from the long day out of his muscles.
"Is it the queer thing?" Eddie inquired.
Buck snorted, "Nah. Hen's got a wife at home and everyone's cool with it. I think Chim even set them up."
"Oh, so family does come up as a topic," Eddie points out.
"Eds," Buck sighs, "I'm gonna tell them, just on my own time, okay?"
"I know you will," Eddie's voice carries with it the phantom feeling of a shoulder nudging against Buck's in support.
"I love you," Buck mumbles into the speaker.
"I love you too," Eddie confirms with a voice just as soft, "Now let's say goodnight to the kid."
Eddie missed his boys. Calls were infrequent, time zones were annoying.
People kept dying.
It was an active war zone, of course people were dying. No time to grieve, no time to process. It was fine. Eddie could keep his cool. Eddie could handle it. Eddie would save anyone and everyone he possibly could. He'd make it home, make it through this tour -his last tour- and make it home to his boys. Eddie really missed his boys.
As the line rang Eddie knew Buck was probably at the station, that he probably couldn't pick up. But he also knew Chris was definitely in school, it was around noon LA time. So Eddie couldn't talk to his son tonight but there was a chance, a slim chance, he would be able to reach his husband for at least a few minutes.
Fifteen seconds ticked to twenty and Eddie was beginning to try and accept that he'd need to settle for listening to Buck's voice via recorded answering machine message when-
"I didn't cheat on you," Buck's voice was stern and left no room for argument. The words, however, were sudden and unexpected and certainly left room for argument.
"What?" Was the word Eddie eventually forced out. Dread was coiling in his chest. What the fuck? What the fuck? A million worst scenarios beat through Eddie's brain at what the next possible words from Buck could be.
I didn't cheat on you, technically, but...
I didn't cheat on you, yet...
I didn't cheat on you, but I wanted to...
I didn't cheat on you, but you've been away for so long...
Buck's grumble came through the phone, "One sec, let me find my pants-"
"What?" Eddie squeaked out. He felt pale and almost shaky. He felt like he really wanted to punch someone. Did Buck really? Was Buck just? With someone else? And then answered the phone like-
"Shit! Sorry, not like that! I was in the shower at the 118."
Eddie was growing exasperated and still could only find one word, "What?"
"I'm gonna tell you about today but I need you to first know I didn't and would never cheat on you. Got it? Trust me?" Buck's voice came through.
"Evan, wha-"
Buck started talking before Eddie could ask 'what' another time, "So we got out onto this call right? Car wreck outside this smoothie shop. And right as we finish cleaning up the scene this civilian walks over to me and dumps her smoothie all over me -while I'm in turnouts no less! And when Bobby asks what the hell it was for she just harumphs -literally harumphs- and is like 'he knows what he did,'" At the quote Buck makes his voice go all high pitched, "And like obviously I did not know what I did but it was easier to just shrug it off and so we drove back to the station and the whole way back I was doing everything I could to tell the team I did not know this girl and then we pull up to the station and guess what?" Buck did not pause for a second to let Eddie guess, "There were three girls standing outside! And so Cap walked up to them but they all plowed straight past him to get to me and I got a water, a lukewarm coffee, and another smoothie thrown on me and each of these girls are saying I stood them up, right? But, like, wrong! Cause obviously I didn't stand them up since I didn't know who they are!"
As Buck talks Eddie could hear the ruffle of his husband pulling on clothes, the footsteps moving around the firehouse as Buck left the showers. Eddie felt the tight insecurity loosen into confused exasperation. What the hell did Buck get himself into? Of course something like this -whatever this was- would happen to Buck.
Eddie couldn't fight back the chuckle of confused relief, confident once more in the fact Buck would never cheat on him but would definitely tell a story in the most confusing and roundabout way possible without thinking through his words first, when he asked one more time, "What?"
"I know, right? What the hell?" Buck said, as if Eddie shared Buck's exasperation towards the situation instead of Eddie being exasperated with Buck's storytelling, "Anyway, turns out some guy pulled my pictures off social media and set up a catfish account of me."
Eddie blinked once, then twice. He was tired. He missed his home. He missed his son and husband. And his husband... This was exactly the type of trouble his husband would get himself into without even doing anything wrong. Eddie couldn't help the fond smile growing on his face. He couldn't help the more genuine ghost of laughter falling from his lips.
"Stop laughing," Buck's eye roll was loud enough to be heard. A thud rang out from were Buck assumedly hit his head lightly against a wall or a locker.
Faintly, another voice was picked up from Buck's phone's speaker. A man was asking, "Who're you calling, Firehose?"
Eddie felt his eyebrows shoot up, "Firehose?"
Buck groaned, "That was what the account's name was."
Eddie laughed a deep, full body laugh at that.
The second voice spoke up again, louder this time as if the man was trying to yell to the phone's speaker, "If you're booking a smoothie date, Buck probably won't show up!"
Eddie laughed harder. His smile was growing more genuine. It sounded teasing in the same kind of way Eddie and Greggs would shoot the shit back and forth during meals. It was nice to know Buck had comradery with his team.
"Hah-hah," Buck deadpanned, "Laugh it up, you guys."
A woman's voice could be heard through the phone now, "Come on, Buckaroo. We just never knew you were such a heartbreaker."
"Buckaroo?" Eddie asked.
"Shut up," Buck mumbled into the speaker.
"It suits you, Cowboy," Eddie said back. His voice was fond and laced with affection and it probably would've been embarrassing if Eddie wasn't 93% certain that Buck didn't have him on speakerphone, his teammates were just a loud bunch.
The man, Eddie was assuming the voices belonged to Buck's teammates Chim and Hen, spoke up again, "Seriously, Buck, who's got you blushing like that?"
The woman's voice answered first, "He's probably just embarrassed-"
All conversation was cut off by the sound of a loud alarm coming through the phone.
"Shit, I gotta go," Buck said.
"I love you," Eddie said quickly, because he needed Buck to hear it.
"You too. Stay safe," Buck quickly answered, because that was the important part, wasn't it? They both needed to stay safe.
"You too!" Eddie barely got the words out before the line went dead.
The call's ending was abrupt, and maybe that would've been painful if Eddie wasn't used to being the one who would need to hang up quickly. For now though, he just smiled. Eddie missed his boys, but right now he felt a little lighter. Hearing Buck's voice, hearing the teasing and laughter of Buck's team, everything felt a little more okay.
It was Father's Day. Buck wanted to tell the team, at least Hen and Chim, about Christopher and Eddie more than anything. But Father's Day meant barbeques and negligence and many emergencies. And it was hard enough needing to work today, watching Chris bristle at the fact he didn't get to spend today with either of his dads.
Father's Day sucks. Buck isn't in the best mood. Which is probably why the question slips out as they ride the truck from one backyard barbecue fire to the next.
"Is Father's Day hard for Denny?" He asked Hen through the headset.
Both Hen and Chim's eyebrows shoot up as they stare at Buck.
"You think my son is missing out because he has two moms?" Hen's voice is defensive, an abrasive tone Buck has yet to have heard directed at him as the months crawled forward.
Buck scrunched his eyebrows in confusion, "What? No. I just mean that-"
"You better think carefully about your next words, kid," Chim cuts in. And Buck can tell the warning is equal parts concern for Hen and Buck... Well, maybe not equal. Maybe 70/30 he's on Hen's side. Like Chim knew Buck didn't mean anything negative by the question but he also knew Buck was treading a fine line and he was gonna have Hen's back throughout it.
"I'm sorry," Buck supplied, casting a hopefully meaningful and sincere look to Hen. He didn't really have the energy to explain my son is beside himself spending Father's Day by himself and it's got me stressed. And every year I feel a similar stress around Mother's Day when all of Chris' classmates are making Mother's Day cards and I need to prepare my son to put his card on the grave of someone who I never even met. My boy is so brave but I can see how his smile isn't reaching his eyes anymore and I thought maybe if he could start talking to someone around his age about what it's like to have queer parents, what it's like to have a first responder parent... I dunno, but your family seems happy and Chris could use a friend. And he especially didn't have the energy to explain all that and explain he has a son.
Jonah, the new transfer to the 118, just scuffed at the apology from where he sat next to Buck.
Before anyone had the chance to reply the engine was pulling to a stop and Bobby's voice called out, "Alright people let's move."
Two calls later the awkwardness had mostly subsided, but there still hasn't been a chance to talk about the earlier conversation. It seemed like the others had mostly accepted Buck had done a whole immature-kid-who-talked-without-thinking routine. Which wasn't exactly wrong.
Buck was up on the ladder truck, trying to coax a girl who climbed up on to her house's roof to let him help her get down safely.
"No!" She screamed, moving to squirm to a standing position.
Buck immediately raised his hands in a surrender and stopped moving, "Whoa! I stopped! I stopped! See? I'm not coming any closer, okay? Just stay sitting, please?
The girl huffed and crossed her arms. She pouted and sat back down despite her words, "I don't care."
"You're Chloe, right?" Buck asked.
The girl lifted her eyes to glance at Buck, then flicked her glare back to her crossed arms.
"My name's Buck," Buck tries again.
This time when Chloe lifted her eyes up she kept them locked on Buck. Though she still scowled as she spoke, "That's a stupid name."
Buck laughed, "Yeah, I guess it is a little silly."
"Did your dad not like you, either?" The kid asked without any filtered hesitation.
Buck actually blinked, caught a bit off guard.
"Excuse me?"
"He named you Buck, he probably didn't like you much either."
Right. Well. Did Buck's dad like him? No. And damn, kids have no filters. Definitely stung to have that thrown back in his face. But Buck focused more intensely on the word either.
"You don't think your dad likes you?" Buck tried to keep an empathetic smile pasted to his face. A neighbor called this in, saw the girl climbing around unsupervised. Contact hasn't been made with either parent yet.
The girl rolled her eyes, "He wouldn't have left if he did."
"We have some people trying to call him right now. Do you know where he went?"
She sighed and shifted to lay down and Buck startled at the movement.
"Whoa! Hey, hey, I told you I wouldn't get any closer, I know. But I really need you to wear this if you're gonna keep moving around, okay?" Buck showed the loop he had attached to his harness and waited for the girl's begrudging nod before stepping closer. He took slow steps, moving calmly, and guided her upper body through the loop before sitting down next to her, "Okay, there we go."
Bobby's voice cut through the radio on Buck's shoulder, "How we doin' up there, Buck?"
Buck smiled at the girl, "Well, how you doing?"
She shrugged.
"Making progress, Cap," Buck said back into the radio.
She fixed Buck with a glare, "I'm not leaving."
"That's fine," Buck raised his hands in surrender, "I'm just glad I get to sit with you now. Ooh, standing on that ladder in this sun? Not fun, my friend."
"We aren't friends," She glares.
"But we could be," Buck raises, shrugging his shoulders.
They sit in silence for a few more moments before the girl spoke again in a soft voice, "You aren't going to find him."
Buck raised his eyebrow in question.
"My dad. Mom can't find him either."
"Do you know where your mom is?"
The girl shrugged, "Store or somethin'. With her money 'cuz 'dad won't give me anything, Chloe' and 'it's not cheap to raise a kid, Chloe,'" She spoke in the same kind of voice Buck's heard Christopher use when mocking a statement made by Eddie or Buck himself.
Maybe the guy is skipping out on child support? Is this kid being neglected? Well probably, considering she's home alone and climbed up onto her roof. Still Buck looks the girl over to take into account any signs of physical abuse or visible malnourishment. She seems... tired, emotional in a moody adolescent way, but more or less healthy.
Then a car door slams and the screaming starts, "Chloe! Oh my god, Chloe! Why is she up there, how did she get up there?"
From Buck's elevation he can almost make out Bobby's voice, probably telling the screaming woman to calm down. Buck raised his eyebrow at Chloe, "Sound like your mom?"
Chloe sighed and rolled her eyes, "I don't want to see her."
"She sounds worried," Buck prompted.
"She's always worried," Chloe argued back, "She thinks I'm like, so sad. Like I'm broken or something without Dad. The she'll get me a stupid gift to try and cheer me up but apparently I'm so expensive to raise and-"
"Whoa, Chlo. Can I call you Chlo? Can you take a deep breath for me?" Buck cuts off Chloe's ranting before her face can get ay more red.
The poor kid is blinking back tears and shaking her head no, but taking stuttered breaths through her nose regardless.
"Thatta girl, just like that. Keep breathing."
After another shaky breath, she asks, "Why would you wanna call me Chlo?"
Buck smiled as she met his eyes again, "It's a nickname, like how Buck is short for Firefighter Buckley."
Chloe let out a mix between a cry and a laugh, "Buckley's a stupid name, too."
Buck let out a laugh and maintained his smile, "Yeah, yeah it is a little silly, too, isn't it?"
Eddie was gonna love hearing about this. He always wanted Buck to take his last name, at least hyphenate. And Buck would argue that Eddie could always take the Buckley name, which Eddie would then argue Buck's parents didn't deserve a continued legacy and then Buck would argue that Eddie's parents didn't deserve...
Them each keeping their own last name eventually became the path of least resistance.
Chloe was nodding her head in agreement that Buckley was a silly last name, but remained quiet. Buck spoke again, "You know, Chlo. It sounds like you're going through a really hard time. And I have some friends down there that can help."
Chloe glared skeptically at Buck, "How?"
"It's not only firefighters down there. There are some police officers too."
"Am I going to jail?" Chloe cuts in quickly, fear in her eyes.
"What? No! No, those guys are just there to make sure you're safe. To make sure your mom has everything she needs to give you everything you need. We all just wanna make sure you're safe. And that starts with getting you off this roof. Okay?"
Buck held out his hand to help Chloe stand up. While she was eyeing his hand skeptically Bobby's voice rang through the radio again, "Buckley, update."
Buck raised his eyebrow and motioned again with his hand, "What do you say, Chlo?"
Slowly she took Buck's hand.
"Coming down, Cap," Buck said into the radio, slowly pulling them both to be standing. He guided them carefully across the roof then down the ladder. Once safely on the ground Buck barely has time to remove the loop tethering Chloe to his harness before a woman is crying and running over.
"Oh, my baby. Oh, my love. I was so worried-"
Chloe, in a picture of perfect adolescent angst, wriggled out of her mom's hug, "Mom, I'm fine."
"Chloe, don't you dare-"
"I'm not gonna do it again!" Chloe interjected quickly, "I'm not. I'm sorry I did, okay?"
Chloe's mom was petting her head, blinking away the last of the tears, "Okay. Okay, love."
Chloe nodded stiffly, then took a step back out of her mom's touch. She took three steps over to where Buck was still standing and looked up at him, seeming almost shy for the first time since they arrived on scene. The height gap between them was larger now that they were standing, and Chloe had to tilt her head quite a bit upward as she spoke, "Thank you, Buck. For listening."
"Of course, Chlo," He answered, holding a fist up for a fist bump that Chloe reciprocated with a small smile, "Anything to keep you safe, right?"
"Right," Chloe nodded, and walked back over to her mom. She grabbed her mom's hand, but was still resistant to being pulled into another hug. The mom looked over at Buck above Chloe's head and mouthed a silent 'Thank you.' Buck gave a small smile a nodded his head before moving around back the truck to put some equipment away.
"You were good with her," Hen said, walking up to Buck.
"Hmm?"
"The kid," Hen clarified, "You did good."
"Yeah," Chim agreed, "Who knew the probie had a soft spot for the youngsters."
Buck felt his cheeks begin to flush, "I, uh, I love kids."
Hen smiled, still slightly tight but with the most sincerity he's gotten from her since his fuck-up comment this morning, "You think you'll have your own one day?"
And this was it, this was the perfect time to finally tell them. So he looked at his teammates and began, "Actually-"
Jonah's scuff cut him off. He rolled his eyes saying, "Please."
Buck blinked, feeling his smile drop, "Excuse me?"
Bobby's voice was loud as he approached, "Come on, guys. Pack it up."
Bobby hauled himself into the engine and the team followed in. The back was quiet, silent even. 20 minutes through traffic back to the station and no one spoke a word. Bobby threw a few confused glances back at the team. Buck could feel Hen and Chim throwing confused glances as they looked between him and Jonah, the paramedics seemingly having a silent conversation with each other. It wasn't until they were all clearing out of the engine back at the 118 anyone spoke again.
Buck heard Hen saying to Jonah, "I'm just saying, I think you touched a nerve."
Jonah replied, "And I'm just saying I pity any kid who'd be raised by that dumbass."
Buck froze mid step and turned around to face them. His voice was cold even to his own ears, "What the hell did you just say."
Jonah smirked, "I said I'd be sorry to be a kid raised by a reckless dumbass."
"Stop talking," Buck took a step towards Jonah and felt his fists clench.
"What? You wanna deny it, tough guy?"
"Hey, easy," Chim said and it seemed more like a warning for Jonah to shut up than for Buck to back down.
Buck took another step forward, locked in on Jonah and ignoring Chim completely. He spoke in the same tone, "You don't know what the hell you're talking about."
Jonah had the audacity to look amused, "Come on, Buckley. We all can see you'd be a shit father."
They were close enough together now that Jonah was able to poke Buck's chest as he annunciated his point.
"Jonah!" Hen exclaimed.
Buck shoved Jonah backward when he spoke again, "Don't you dare-"
"Whoa, hey!" Hen and Chim were stepping between the two, both moving to back Buck up but standing between where Jonah was recovering from the shove so he wouldn't be able to get his hands on Buck in retaliation.
"Buckley! Greenway!" Bobby's voice yelled loud through the station. The group could see all eyes on them from around the station.
Buck locked eyes with Bobby. He was seething, nails digging into his hands from where they were still curled into fists. Bobby held his gaze steady. A silent conversation was being had. Bobby saw what happened, Bobby knew that Buck was...
For a second there was a terrible anxiety mixed with Buck's anger. Anxiety that Bobby would side with Jonah, anxiety that Bobby would agree with Jonah. But then Bobby gave Buck a slow nod, and Buck felt his fists relax as he exhaled.
Hen and Chim looked between the two, confused. Jonah still stood glaring at Buck as if Buck was the one to pick the fight.
Before any words were said, the alarm sounded overhead again. Fucking Father's Day.
"Greenway, you're man behind," Bobby announced.
"But he-"
"Let's move!" Bobby cut off any argument as he climbed back into the engine, followed by Hen, Chim, and Buck.
This ride was just as quiet, just as tense as before. The only 'conversation' was Bobby's informing of "One alarm fire. Dispatch said a grill knocked over and sent a backyard party tent up. Partial collapse. Hen and Chim are gonna start treating any injuries and smoke inhalation. Second engine's gonna run a line and start hitting hot spots from the outside. Buckley, Bosko, you're on rescue, keep pulling people out."
It was instinct, moving through the tent. Yelling to call out, pulling people away from the smoke and flames. Fire was chaotic but the team's movements were controlled and methodical even in the disorienting setting.
"Buck, this guy's pinned down!" Buck could hear Bosko call as they were making a final sweep of the tent. Sure enough, Buck saw a man semi-unconscious. He was bleeding where a speaker system was pinning down his leg, Bosko doing her best to try and lift it up.
"Tourniquet before we can move him," Bosko yelled. Buck nodded and the two made quick work tying off above the man's knee. He yelled in pain and Buck took that as a good sign, at least he was still conscious.
"I'll lift, you pull him out," Buck yelled so Bosko could hear him. She nodded and moved to link her arms under the man's armpits, ready to pull.
They counted together, "One, two three!"
Buck pushed the system up, raising the heavy equipment maybe half an inch off the man's leg while Bosko dragged him backward.
"We're good, let's move!" Buck could hear Bosko yell. As he dropped the speaker system back down a loud clang ran out and Buck could see the tent shifting again.
The last thing he saw was the metal support beam falling towards him.
He felt the thud.
Then all went black.
"Mayday, mayday. Firefighter down."
Those were never fun words to hear.
"Why do these things always happen on the last calls of our shift?" Chim asked, handing Hen a coffee. He sat next to her, slumping in the hospital waiting room chair.
Hen raised her eyebrow, unimpressed, and took a sip of her coffee.
"What was with him today, do you think? I mean, the kid's normally a little reckless but today he was just..."
"Scattered?" Hen supplied.
"Sure, let's go with that," Chim nodded.
Hen sighed, "That beam was gonna fall when the sound speaker shifted, no matter how on top of his game Buck was."
Chim sighed too, "I know but-"
"He's awake," Bobby announced, walking into the waiting room.
Both Hen and Chim sat up a little straighter as their captain approached.
"He up for visitors?" Chim asked first, but Hen had the same question on the tip of her tongue.
"He's concussed but lucid," Bobby answered, "I'm sure he could stand to see some friendly faces. You two head back, I'll be right there."
Bobby was eyeing the doors but Hen didn't spare the time to question this. She and Chim were already moving towards Buck's room. They were a team. Buck was a probie, an impulsive, inexperienced, talks-and-acts-without-thinking-it-through probie, but one of their own nonetheless. She didn't want him alone.
She's through the door first with Chim right on her heels, "Hey, Buckaroo."
Buck's sitting up and casts them a small smile as they enter, "And hello to you two. Hey, we rhymed."
Chim snorted, "Yeah, you're a real Dr. Suess."
Buck chuckled.
"How're you feeling," Hen asked.
"Like I could go without seeing a DJ booth for a while."
"I dunno," Chim started, "With rhyming skills like yours you might wanna hit a studio someday."
Buck rolled his eyes with his tired smile. His gaze rested on the door for a second. He spoke again, sounding a little apprehensive, "Hey, when you guys were in the waiting room, did you see-"
Bobby opened the door to the room. He held it as a little boy, around Denny's age, maybe a bit younger, probably ten or maybe eleven, with bright red crutches moved quickly passed the entrance.
"Pops!" The curly-haired kid rushed over to throw himself into hugging Buck's chest.
"Hey, Superman!" Buck said through an oof as the boy slammed against him. Buck's eyes were lit up bright and his grin even brighter. He hugged the boy with all his strength and placed a kiss to the top of his curls.
"You scared me," The boy mumbled from where he clung to Buck.
"I know, Buddy. I'm sorry. I'm okay though."
"Promise?"
"Pinky swear," Buck pushed back from the hug and held out his pinky, which the young boy grasped onto with his own.
Hen met Chim's eyes in an equally questioning look.
"Three visitors at a time," Bobby's voice said from the doorway, "Hospital policy. I'll give you guys a minute in here and wait in the lobby with Ms. Josephina."
Buck's eyes went wide as he turned back to the boy, "Tia Pepa brought you here?"
The boy giggled, "She's so mad you got yourself hurt."
Buck groaned and rolled his eyes while still smiling. "Come on, Buddy sit with me,"
He shifted as far to the left as he could, wrangling the kid to sit next to him on the right side of the small cot. He took away the boy's crutches and placed them next to him, leaving his right arm hugging around the boy as they settled in together.
Hen watched the scene unfold in fascination. Who the hell was this kid? A nephew, maybe? Did Buck have siblings? "Pops" the kid has said. Was he-
"Are those your teammates?" The kid pointed to Hen and Chim while looking at Buck.
"Those," Buck grinned down at the boy, "Are Hen," He pointed at her, "And Chim," He shifted his point to her partner, "Best paramedic firefighters at the 118."
"They're medics?" The boy lit up, "That's so cool."
"The coolest," Buck lifted his smile to meet Hen and Chim's confused expressions, "Guys, this is Chris. He's my son I keep trying to tell you about."
Hen blinked rapidly a few times. Buck had a kid? Buck had a kid?
Chim's mouth seemed to recover first, "Have you been trying very hard?"
She hit Chim's shoulder, an instinct to hearing his sass. But honestly? Chim had a point. Buck had been working with them for months and...
He at least had the sense to look sheepish as he answered, "I mean, I've been trying harder recently."
"You're a dad?" Hen asked, because even with all the evidence in front of her she still had to clarify.
"He's my pops," The boy, Chris, answered stressing the word.
Hen smiled in amusement, "The name suits you."
Buck smiled, "Yeah, I think so too."
"Why's your name Chimey?" Chris asked. Hen didn't miss that Buck introduced them as Hen and Chim, so at least Buck talked about them to his son even if he didn't talk about his son -his fucking son- to them.
Chim laughed, "I haven't even told your pops that yet, kid."
"I can keep a secret!" Chris insists.
"I'm starting to think you Buckley's can," Chim retorts with a smirk.
Buck cringes a bit, "Listen, guys-"
"I'm a Diaz!" Chris cuts off Buck.
Diaz. Right. Explains the spanish phrases overheard on the phone. Tia Pepa, not Aunt Pepa waiting in the lobby. Whatever Buck and Chris' story is it seems layered. Hen could see why it wasn't exactly easy for the probie to bring up.
Chim, to his credit, isn't thrown off by Chris' outburst, "A sneaky Diaz."
Buck's expression is still pinched in stress, "Guys, I really meant to-"
"I'm teasing," Chim sends a sincere smile Buck's way, "I'm glad you're telling us now."
Suddenly a swoop of anxiety fills Hen, "You did mean to tell us now, right? We're not finding out before you're ready?"
And there's a deeper question hidden beneath these words: Do you trust us yet?
Buck smiles, "I've been wanting to tell you since you saw my necklace. I just haven't found the right words."
"Saint Christopher," Hen realizes. The connection is immediately obvious.
"Saint Christopher," Buck confirms, squeezing his kid in a tighter side hug.
"Can we go home now?" Chris asks Buck, who gives a sad smile.
"I'll be home tomorrow, Buddy. It's a bit too late to check me out now."
"But it's only 7:00!" Chris argues. Hen has heard the same tone used by Denny to argue a later bed time a thousand times over. She and Karen should definitely have Chris over for a play date some day.
"I know, bud. But 7:00 is practically midnight in hospital time. So we need to wait until the sunrises again before a doctor can sign me out," The way Buck spoke to Chris flushed away any remaining doubt Hen may have had. Buck was Chris' father and Buck absolutely adored his kid.
"Can I stay with you, then?" And isn't Chris just the sweetest kid who loved his pops just as much.
"Visiting hours are open til 8, you can stay as late as Pepa is able to, okay?"
And with that Hen suddenly remembered there was someone else waiting to see Buck. She cleared her throat, "Speaking of, Chim and I should head out so she can say hi."
"Thank you guys, seriously," Buck said, "For pulling me out and for... For being here when I woke up."
"Of course, Buck," Hen replied.
"You're one of us, man," Chim said, "118's a family, you know?"
And Hen smiled brighter, glad Chim was seeing that now too. She added on, almost needlessly, "And a lot of that is thanks to you."
When Buck was cleared to return to field duty, he should've been better prepared for the onslaught of questions Hen and Chim deemed too personal to ask over text.
"So, Chris' mom?" Chim had no reservations jumping straight into the hard questions without segue.
Buck blinked, "Uh, she died from birthing complications, actually."
"Shit, man, I'm sorry," Chim responded.
"It's fine, man. Actually I-"
"It was her last name? Diaz?" Chim interrupted.
"I mean, yeah, but actually-"
"That's sweet, letting him keep part of his mom with him," Chim kept talking.
"Well, I mean-"
"Chim, ease up the badgering," Hen cut in.
"You telling me you're not curious?" Chim raised his eyebrows in disbelief.
Hen rolled her eyes, "Right now, I'm only curious about when we can get Chris and Denny together for a play date."
Buck turned to look at her with the same expression of a child being gifted a puppy for Christmas, "Really?"
Hen pushed Buck's shoulder affectionately, "Yes, really. You free Saturday?"
Buck blushed, "Chris and I were gonna head to the science center. He's been hyperfixated on the updates to the air and space exhibit they announced."
"Buck," Hen leveled a look, "Karren is literally a rocket scientist."
Buck's sheepish expression was back, "Maybe we could all go? I'll get the tickets."
Hen smiled, satisfied, "Then Karren and I will get lunch after."
Chim scuffed, "Am I invited?"
"If you buy your own ticket," Buck teased.
"And you buy your own lunch," Hen joined in.
Before Chim could retort, the alarm blared overhead. Before they could move, though, Chim clapped a hand on Buck's shoulder and pointed at him with a stern finger, "No more secret family, Buckaroo."
"Right," Buck answered tightly, "No more secret family."
"Can I trust you?" Buck asked Chim, visible distress on his face.
Chim blinked, hesitating just a moment before responding "I sure hope so."
Things have been better, more openness and trust between all of A-Shift since they learned about Christopher. Buck seemed nervous now, though.
"You have a brother, right? One you haven't talked to in a while?" Buck asked tentatively.
Immediately Chim's mind went to Kevin, but Kevin was dead so obviously Chim hasn't talked to him in years. After a moment, Chim asked, "Albert? He's my half brother. And I don't think I've ever talked to him at all actually."
"Oh," Buck deflated.
"Why," Chimney pressed. Like hell was Buck gonna dredge up Chim's traumatic family life then shut down before any real conversation.
"Just, if you had had a brother who you used to be very close with -like practically raised you close with- but then he abando- ...he left you. And went no contact for years. If he just showed up again one day..."
"Buck, do you have a brother?" Chim asked, straight up.
Buck sighed and dropped his gaze, "My sister showed up to my place last night."
Chim reared back, "You have a secret sister?"
Buck was stumbling, "She's not... I didn't..."
"You have a secret sister!" Chim emphasized his exasperation with a light smack to Buck's shoulder.
"It's not," Buck started, "It's different then with Chris, okay? Maddie, she-"
"What are you two talking about?" Hen asked strolling up.
"Nothing," Buck tries to shut the conversation down. Which, nuh-uh. Not happening.
"Buck has a secret sister!" Chim informs, loud enough that not only Hen but a few of the other surrounding firefighters can hear.
"Chimney!" Now it was Buck's turn to smack Chim's shoulder.
"Was I not supposed to tell her?"
"You're the one calling her my secret sister!"
"Well why would you tell me a secret? I can't keep a secret!" Chim defended himself.
Buck looked affronted, "You said I could trust you!"
"Not with a secret," Hen deadpanned, an amused smirk breaking giving away the fact she wasn't really feeling annoyed about this.
"Maddie's not a secret! She's just... Yes, okay, she's my sister. And apparently she has been getting my Christmas cards these past few years after all. And apparently she has my current phone number too. Which she didn't bother to use before showing up at my house last night announcing she's finally run away from Doug. But also she's 'just passing through' and-"
Buck's rambling is cut off by his phone ringing. As he check's who's calling Chim can see the "ddie." Must be Maddie.
"Fuck," Buck breathed out, "Finally. I need to take this."
But as he goes to move away towards the locker rooms, before he can even press accept the house alarm rings overhead.
"Damnit!" Buck exclaims as he sends the call to voicemail, pockets his phone, and moves to grab his gear.
Chim and Hen share a raised eyebrow with each other.
"Kid's got baggage," Chim remarks.
Hen rolls her eyes, "We all got baggage."
When they're all sitting in the engine together, Chim turns to Buck and says, "Any more secret family we outta know about?"
"Can it, blabbermouth," Is the reply.
Buck knows he's been acting off. Buck knows he's stressed. He knows he's emotional. He knows he's not the smiling face Bobby expected him to be for community day. He knows Chris is pouting in the corner, disengaged from Denny even though the two have been fast friends. He can feel the questioning glances to him and Chris sent to him by his team, his team's families, even the strangers passing through the station for the festivities being held.
It should be fun. There's a barbeque in the parking lot, there are games set up all around outside. There's a dunk tank, cornhole, and enough cotton candy to send Chris into a month long sugar crash. And best of all B-Shift is working today so all Buck had to do was show up with his family, smile, and enjoy.
But Buck hasn't heard from Eddie.
Eddie, who had been shot three times.
Eddie, who had been shot three times after his helicopter crashed.
Eddie, who had apparently saved two lives and recovered his friend's body from the crash and got shot three times for the trouble.
Eddie, who apparently went into surgery a week ago and who Buck and Chris haven't gotten an update from since.
So here they are, away from the crowd up in the station loft. Chris and Denny have a video game loaded up on the tv but Buck can see how Chris isn't really engaging and it breaks his heart. He stares at the kids vacantly as Karren, Hen, Chim, and Maddie make small talk next to him.
"Dispatch, huh? So you'll be staying in town, then?" Chim prompts Maddie.
Vaguely Buck processes Chim's tone as his attempt at flirting. Vaguely, he has the brotherly desire to tell Chim that he should back off his sister, who has been through enough already and who really didn't deserve to be hit on the first time she's meeting his team.
But also, he's tired.
And also, Maddie's blushing.
And also, Chim is lightyears better than Doug ever was.
So maybe it's not so bad.
"No he's not!" Chris' yelling snaps Buck's attention to the two boys at the gaming console.
Chris is speaking again before Buck has the chance to cut in, "My dad hates video games! He's the worst at them!"
Karren's eyebrows furrow together, "Hey, Chris. That's not very nice to say," She glances over at Buck.
"Yeah, Buddy," Hen Chimes in, "Buck and I play this game all the time. He's not as good as me, but he's not half bad either."
Buck can see the gentle teasing in Hen's tone, the attempt to bring levity into the room once more.
"Why don't we let him play a round and see," Chim suggests with a gentle smile. It should warm Buck's heart, seeing his family since moving to the 118 step in when Chris is in distress. But Buck knows they don't really see what's going on.
"Buck isn't my dad!" Chris yells, shocking the others around them.
"Chris," Maddie starts to say gently. And Maddie knows, Maddie knows everything. But Maddie is still new and Chris isn't really used to Maddie yet so he ignores her.
"No!" Chris yells, "My dad is the worst at video games and he doesn't trust computers and you," He turns to yell at Denny which makes Buck's heart break a little more, "Don't get to say he's good at them because you've never seen him play! You've only seen my pops play! You've never even met my dad!"
Buck moves quickly to pull Chris into a hug, "Hey, hey. Breathe for me Chris."
"I want my dad!" Chris sobs into Buck's embrace. Buck tries to ground himself while holding his shaking child but can feel his own tears begin to flow past his eyes.
"I know, bud. I miss him, too. But that doesn't make it okay to yell at your friends," Chris sobs a few more times in the hug while Buck is rubbing circles onto his back, "Chris, buddy. It's gonna be okay. We're gonna be okay. But you need to apologize to Denny, bud. I know you didn't mean to yell."
Chris sniffles a few times pulling back from the hug and turning to Denny, looking wide-eyed at his friend, "I'm sorry."
Denny blinked a few times, the same way Hen blinks when she's confused or processing, then asks, "I thought Buck was your dad?"
"Buck is my pops," Chris emphasizes, a slightly sharper tone than he used in the hospital to Hen a little while back. Buck can see Hen's eyes go wide and he thinks it's starting to click into place for her.
Buck gently guided Chris' face back to look him in the eye when he asked his son, "Do you wanna explain it to them together?"
Chris nods, shakily, still sniffling and trying his best to wipe his tears.
"Alright, okay," Buck nods along and takes a breath.
"Buck! Chris! Come down here, you got a visitor!" Bobby's voice calls from down the stairs.
Buck is shaking his head no and still trying to blink back tears when Hen calls back on their behalf, "You might wanna give them a minute, Cap."
"I think we've waited long enough!" A new voice yells back.
Buck and Chris' heads shoot right up at the sound.
Chris stares at Buck and whispers the question laced with disbelief, "Dad?"
Chris' voice shook Buck out of his frozen state. In an instant he has Chris scooped up in his arms and is moving towards the stairs with a curse under his breath. He freezes at the top of the stairs, staring at the sight below. There stands Eddie Diaz, smiling up at the teary-eyed pair. He's dressed in an army shirt and hat but isn't in full fatigues, likely due to the cast around his arm and leg. He's leaning against a silver crutch and is looking up at Buck and Chris as though he's staring into the sun and would willingly subject himself to its burning.
"Dad!" Chris' voice again break's Buck out of whatever frozen shock he's in. He rushed to carry Chris down the stairs, not taking all the care he normally would but trusting his instincts and needing to get to Eddie. At the bottom of the staircase Chris squirms free of Buck's hold and all but falls into Eddie's embrace.
"Dad!" He yells again, and Eddie drops the crutch to bend down and catch Chris.
"I missed you, mijo," Eddie utters as the pair falls together.
"Holy shit, Eddie!" Buck exclaims as he rushes to catch the two. He manages to grab them in a sitting position, before they fall all the way to the floor, and throws his own arms around their embrace.
"Language," Eddie just laughed in teary response.
Buck tightened his grip and shook his head, "Don't you dare. Don't you dare! I thought you were dead, Edmundo. I- we thought you were... You couldn't have called?"
"I'm here, I'm here, Ev," Eddie assured while hugging them both tighter, too.
"You're here," Buck repeated again in disbelief.
"I'm here, Buck," Eddie teases the nickname he's yet to have been around to use in person, "I'm home."
The hug slowly broke apart as Chris wriggled free to look up at Eddie, "You're staying?"
Eddie smiled and held his hand to Chris' cheek, "I'm staying, mijo. I'm home for good."
Then, Chris is a whirlwind calling out, "Denny! Denny, he's here! You have to meet my dad!"
Buck and Eddie turn to look up at the stairs where Denny, Chim, Karren, Hen, and Maddie are all watching the scene unfold. Next to them, Bobby and Athena stand on the floor. Bobby has an arm pulling Athena close, and isn't that interesting.
"I think we all do," Chim's voice speaks before anyone else can.
Buck grins.
"Eddie, that's Captain Bobby Nash and Sargent Athena Grant, but I think you met them coming in. That's Denny -Chris' best friend- his moms are Karren and Hen. I work with Hen and Chimney, they're the paramedics on A-Shift I'm always talking about. And, uh, that's Maddie. My sister, obviously," Buck is pointing to each person as he names them and Eddie does his best impression of watching a tennis match, eyes moving back and forth between watching where Buck's pointing and watching Buck talk with a dopey smile on his face. Then Buck turns to fully face his LA family and say, "Guys. This is Eddie, Chris' dad. He's, uh, he's my husband I've been meaning to tell you about."
Once more, Chim's voice is the first to ring out, "Are you kidding me, Buckley?" Then, half to Maddie, he asks, "Any more secret family we should know about?"
Buck laughs with his head thrown back as he's quick to assure, "No, I saved the best for last."
Eddie thwats him on the shoulder, "You did the best first when you introduced them to Chris. No offence, Maddie. Nice to meet you,” then he tacks on, “Uh, All of you."
Buck smiles fondly and rolls his eyes, "It was a line!"
"It was a lie," Eddie presses, "You're the one always saying he's your favorite Diaz."
"He is my favorite Diaz," Buck insists with a smile.
"Well if you love him so much, you could always take the name," Eddie responds.
"I am not changing my-" Buck's words are cut off with Eddie's lips against his. The angle is awkward from where they're still half-pressed against each other on the floor. Buck's lips are chapped from the week of worry. Both their lips are salty from the earlier tears. The kiss is soft, unmoving, simple. The kiss is perfect, lasting maybe five seconds before Eddie pulls back again with a soft smile that Buck returns.
"Dads, gross," Chris rolls his eyes.
Buck huffs a soft laugh as he looks straight at Eddie, "Hey."
Eddie responds with a laugh of his own, "Hey, yourself."
"You're home," Buck breathes, because it's finally sinking in.
"I'm home," Eddie confirms.
When Buck glances around again he sees his family watching them with smiles, some with their own tears welling in their eyes.
Everything feels safe.
Everyone feels right.
Everyone, finally, is home.