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It all started because of the stupid fantasy football league.
Chimney had suggested the team take part in a fantasy football league, mostly because Chimney wanted more people to talk about football with (since apparently he was driving Maddie crazy going on and on about draft picks and stats). Everyone had agreed since it seemed like some harmless fun.
They had decided the winner would get everyone’s admission fee to the league (twenty bucks each, which wasn’t much but Chimney said they could come up with a better prize next time. Coming up with the punishment for the loser was much easier.
“Loser hosts a sleepover for the boys.”
Hen had suggested it, since Denny, Harry, and Christopher had been begging for a sleepover for awhile now. And as much as each set of parents loved their kids, the idea of hosting three pre-pubescent boys for a sleepover warranted more of a headache than anything else.
When the season ended, Chimney was declared the winner, saying he was going to use the money to take Maddie out to a nice dinner. And the loser was Buck. Buck blamed his loss on bad spots in their fantasy draft and a litany of injuries amongst his picks. But a loss was a loss and if anyone could handle hosting those boys for a sleepover, it was definitely Buck.
“So Denny is really excited about the sleepover,” Hen said, sitting opposite of Buck at the table in the station loft. “I heard rumblings that this weekend was the plan.”
“Yep,” Buck said with a nod. “Bobby and Athena offered their house up to host it since my place isn’t big enough.” Hen glanced back at Bobby who nodded.
“Well if the boys are going to be at your place,” Hen started with a raise of an eyebrow. “Where are you going to be?”
“Away,” Bobby said. “Athena and I are getting away from the weekend. And Athena expects that house to be spotless when we get back, Buck.”
“Aye aye Cap,” Buck said, saluting Bobby. Bobby rolled his eyes fondly before walking away Buck let out a sigh, leaning back in his chair.
“You alright Buckaroo?” Hen asked and Buck shrugged. “You’re not worried about hosting this sleepover, are you?”
“I just don’t want to screw this up,” Buck said. “Like, I’m the one who’s not a parent here. Am I really qualified to be in charge of three kids?”
“You mean,” Hen started, a smirk crossing her face. “Are you qualified to host a sleepover where one of the kids thinks you hung the moon and the other two think you have the coolest job on the planet?” Buck tilted his head a little and Hen shook her head fondly. “Buck, you can totally handle this. I’ve seen how you are with kids. I know I tease you for being a kid sometimes, but I know you will not only keep my son safe but also make sure he has a really good time.”
“Wow,” Buck said, sitting up a little in his chair. A smile crossed his face. “Thanks Hen. I, uh, I really needed that.”
“Anytime Buckaroo,” Hen said, getting up. “Also, Denny’s a big fan of M&M cookies...in case you need a little help during the night.” Buck just chuckled as Hen walked away. He then pulled his phone out. He could totally handle hosting a sleepover for three boys.
He could totally do this.
“I left a note with all the emergency numbers on the fridge.” Buck was standing in the living room of Athena and Bobby’s house, listening as Athena went over pretty much everything Buck might ever need to know. She had told Buck where all the emergency supplies and where she had locked away all the fancy dishware. She had also explained why the door to her room was locked (because her gun was in there and for safety of mind, she had locked the room) and where the extra key was in case they needed to go in there.
“I saw,” Buck said with a nod. “I also asked Bobby earlier for Michael’s number and Maddie for May’s number.” Athena nodded, an impressed smile on her face. “I swear Athena, everything will be fine.”
“The same thing he already swore to Karen earlier,” Bobby said, walking back into the house. “And what he probably swore to Eddie as well. Everything will be fine. Buck’s got this.” Buck perked up a little from the praise from Bobby.
“Alright,” Athena said. “Thank you again Buck. Even though it’s only because you lost.”
“Yeah well I’m going to make this loss a win.” Athena chuckled at that. “And I promise they will not just stare at screens the whole time.”
“Well, we appreciate that,” Bobby said. He glanced at Athena who had a smile on her face. “We should get going so we don’t hit too much traffic. Thanks again Buck.”
“Of course,” Buck said with a smile. “And you guys have a good trip.” They each sent Buck another smile before they left. Buck let out a slight sigh as he turned, looking for the boys. They were at the coffee table, emptying out the legos Christopher had brought. “Alright boys, sleepover has officially started.”
“Awesome!” Harry exclaimed, jumping up. “Can we play outside?”
“Just in the backyard, alright?” Harry nodded as he and Denny quickly ran off towards the backyard. Buck watched them for a moment before glancing over at Christopher. The boy was slowly getting up, grabbing his crutches as he did.
“Ready to head outside Superman?” Buck asked. Christopher nodded with a smile. “I hope you don’t get sick of me, since we’re spending all day together.” He was teasing of course, but he had already spent a good chunk of the day with Christopher. Eddie had a shift, so he had dropped off Christopher at Buck’s apartment earlier in the day before his shift.
“I could never get sick of you Buck,” Christopher said with a grin. Buck smiled and ruffled his hair before they made their way outside. Even with Athena’s lists and litany of rules, Buck was feeling good about the sleepover.
He could totally handle this.
“I am so sorry to do this.” Buck just watched Karen as she frantically put down a few bags. She handed him Nia, the toddler babbling at Buck.
“It’s no worries.” Hen had called him about a half hour ago. Apparently, Karen’s mother had taken a bad fall and had to be rushed to the hospital. So, Hen had asked Buck if Karen could drop Nia off, so Karen could go make sure her mother was okay.
“I would totally go over everything but I really need to go,” Karen said, a little breathlessly. “I asked Hen to text you a rundown and I’ll let you know about when I can come get her.”
“If it’s not until the morning, that’s okay,” Buck said. Karen let out a breath. “Go on. Nia will be fine here.”
“Thank you so much, Buck,” Karen said. She then quickly exited the house. Buck let out a sigh as he glanced at Nia. She was barely three so care was pretty easy. He was sure he’d have to tell the boys to keep it down when she fell asleep, but that was probably a few hours away.
“Is my mom okay?” Denny asked when Buck came into the living room with Nia. “She seemed really upset.”
“She’s okay,” Buck said with a reassuring smile. “She just had to go check on your grandma.” Denny just nodded, waving to Nia, who happily shouted his name. “Now come on, those Lego towards aren’t going to build themselves.”
“Okay,” Denny said with a smile. “And I’ll tell Harry and Christopher not to give any of the pieces to Nia. She almost swallowed one last time.” Buck chuckled with a nod ready to follow the boy back towards where the others were. He paused, looking towards the door. For a moment, he thought he had heard the rustle of a bush.
“Buck!” He turned back towards the boys, Harry eagerly beckoning him over. He glanced back towards the door, but when there was no sound, he just shrugged and headed over to the boys.
Maybe the addition of Nia was a surprise, but not a surprise he couldn’t handle. He could still do this.
It was about an hour later when Buck heard a knock on the door. He furrowed his brows, confused as to who that could be. He glanced at the kids. Nia was in a travel high chair that Karen had brought, giggling at what Denny was doing. The boys were all adding toppings to mini-pizzas. Buck thought it could be a fun activity and Bobby had once shown him how to make an easy pizza dough.
“I’ll be right back,” Buck said. “Sit tight.” The boys nodded as Buck jogged over to the door. He was a little surprised to see Maddie on the other side, holding Joy, a slightly frantic look on her face. “Maddie?”
“I’m so sorry,” Maddie said as Buck let her in.
“Is everything okay?” Maddie huffed adjusting Joy in her arms.
“Not really,” Maddie said. “Albert came over to hang out with Chimney but he looked pale and then he started throwing up. Chim didn’t want to send his brother home when he was so sick but we also don’t really want Joy around the germs and I have work in an hour.”
“So you need me to watch her?”
“Is that okay?” Maddie asked, a little desperation in her voice. “I know you already have the boys…”
“And Nia.” Maddie’s face paled a little. “Maddie, it’s fine. I can take Joy too. After all, she’s my niece. You know I’d do anything for her.”
“You’re seriously the best brother ever and I owe you.” Buck chuckled as he took Joy from Maddie’s arms. Maddie put down the bag she was holding with a sigh. “Diapers, pajamas, a change of clothes, and bottles are in there. And her favorite toy that you got her. I fed her before I came over.” Buck just nodded and Maddie sighed again, this time lessening the stress she was clearly holding onto. “You’re seriously a lifesaver.”
“Buck’s Babysitting at your service,” Buck said and Maddie laughed a little. “Now go. We both know how traffic can be. Joy will be fine.” Maddie quickly hugged Buck and pressed a kiss to her daughter’s head before leaving the house. He grabbed the bag, hoisting it onto his shoulder before he carried Joy into the kitchen. The boys were still working on their pizzas, happily chatting amongst themselves.
Buck took a moment to just breathe. Everything was still fine. The boys were having a good time. Nia didn’t seem too upset about being away from her moms. Buck had plenty of experience babysitting his niece. Everything was fine. He was fine.
He heard a noise and glanced towards the door. Like when Karen had shown up, Buck had thought he heard a rustling of the bushes. But as soon as he looked over towards the door, there was no sound again. He furrowed his brows. Maybe his concern about this sleepover being perfect was messing with his head. He was sure they were fine.
“Buck.” Christopher’s voice brought him away from his unnecessary worry. “We’re done with the toppings. Also, hi Joy!” Buck chuckled as he ruffled Christopher’s hair.
“Then let’s get those pizzas in the oven.” The boys cheered at that and Nia clapped her hands (even though she was more reacting to the boys’ excitement). Buck glanced back at the door before shaking his head.
Everything was fine. He was just being stupid and a little paranoid.
Buck sighed as he leaned back on the couch. Joy was on a little playmat that Maddie had somehow snuck into the travel bag, babbling as she played with the stuffed rabbit that Buck had bought for her when she was born. Harry was sitting in front of the coffee table, happily munching on his pizza as he watched the movie on the screen. Denny was seated between the coffee table and Nia’s playpen, glancing back and forth between the movie and his sister. Christopher was seated next to him on the couch, a happy smile on his face.
Buck was finally starting to feel like maybe he could relax. Things were going well. Even with the addition of Joy and Nia, the boys were still having a good time. They had loved the pizza idea, Christopher telling Buck they should make mini-pizzas again when his dad was around (which made Buck smile so hard his face hurt). Harry didn’t seem bothered by the addition of the girls and Denny clearly loved having his sister around. He let out a content sigh, pleased with how things were turning out.
He sat up a little when he heard the door open. He raised an eyebrow but didn’t feel panicked as he quickly saw that it was May.
“Hey,” May said with a smile. Buck got up and crossed to her. “I ran into Maddie as I was leaving the dispatch center. She said you might need a hand.”
“I thought you were spending the weekend at your dad’s,” Buck said.
“Well he’s got a date tonight with David anyways,” May said with a shrug. “So I don’t mind hanging out.”
“Are you sure?” Buck asked. He couldn’t help but feel a little guilty. May was a college kid. She didn’t need to spend her Friday evening helping him babysit.
“Positive,” May said. Then she walked over to Joy’s playmat. The baby babbled happily as May scooped her up. Buck let out a breath. Something about having May there eased some of the tension he had been feeling. He totally could watch five kids on his own, but since they were the children of the people closest to him, he was secretly very glad for the help.
So, with a small sigh, he settled back onto the couch
Eddie was sitting on the couch in the station loft, grateful for a little downtime. It had only made sense to him to pick up an extra shift when the kids sleepover had been planned for the weekend. After all, what was Eddie going to do if his son wasn’t home? Especially since the person he would hang out with was in charge of said sleepover.
“Seems like the kids are having a good time.” Eddie was pulled from his thoughts by Hen, who took a seat next to him. Eddie raised an eyebrow and Hen showed him her phone.
“Oh yeah.” On the phone was a picture of the boys making pizzas. “I got that picture too.”
“Buckaroo should really consider a hobby in photography,” Hen said with a smile. She swiped to another photo. Eddie tilted his head, seeing it was Denny and Nia. “I mean people would pay money for those sweet smiles.”
“Nia’s there?” Eddie asked.
“Yeah,” Hen said with a sigh. Eddie tilted his head, slightly confused. “Karen’s mom had a bad fall and she needed someone to watch Nia while she checked on her.” She noticed the confused look on Eddie’s face. “Buck seemed fine with it.”
“Well yeah,” Eddie said. “It’s Buck. I guess I just didn’t realize that he was babysitting all the kids.” Hen raised an eyebrow. Eddie dug out his phone and pulled up a photo Buck had sent him. It was a selfie of him and Christopher, but Buck was also holding Joy. “Apparently Maddie had work and Chim needed to take care of a very sick Albert.”
“Damn,” Hen said.
“I guess it’s a positive,” Eddie said and Hen gave him a look. “I mean, the fact that we all trust him to watch our kids.” Hen smiled.
“You have something to do with that you know,” She said and Eddie tilted his head. “I mean, you’ve had Buck around Christopher since the beginning. And at least for me, seeing Buck with Christopher shows me that he could take care of any of our kids. Though he definitely has a favorite and it’s not his niece.” Hen got up and walked away.
Eddie settled back on the couch, thinking about what Hen had said. Eddie knew he trusted Buck with Christopher. He had told Buck that countless times. But he hadn’t realized that his trust had transferred over to the team. It made sense; if he was willing to leave Christopher with Buck, then why couldn’t anyone else? He was sure the only difference was that when he picked Christopher up, that itch to ask Buck to come over, to ask him to stay for as long as possible, wasn’t there for anyone else.
Then again, he was the one with feelings for Buck.
He shook that thought away. It kept him up enough at night, thoughts of confessing his feelings and crossing that line from friendship to romance. He didn’t need it on his mind now. Especially when he didn’t plan to actually act on those feelings. There were too many risks and not enough rewards, so to speak.
So, Eddie just sighed and grabbed a magazine from the table, hoping that might distract him from his wandering thoughts.
“Thanks again.” Buck and May were in the kitchen, cleaning up the last remnants of dinner. Nia and Joy were asleep in the playpen in the living room, having fallen asleep during the second movie the boys had watched. The boys were in Harry’s room setting up their sleeping bags and getting ready for bed. Of course, they weren’t actually going to sleep, but Buck had been at Eddie’s house enough to know how hard it was to wrangle a sleepy kid into their pajamas. So having them do it while they were still wide awake was a must.
“I totally don’t mind,” May said. “I was just going to find a TV show to binge. This is way more fun.”
“Keep that in mind when I have to convince those three to go to bed.”
“Oh, that’s when I hide in my room.” Buck snorted and May smirked. “Kidding. I’ve got some blackmail on Harry involving a few broken vases, so I can always use that to go to sleep.”
“Older sister’s are merciless.” May let out a laugh as Buck shook his head. He headed out of the kitchen, just as he saw Harry and Denny coming back into the living. “All set boys?”
“Yep!” Harry said with a smile. “Christopher needed another minute, but he said we could go pick the next movie.”
“Alright,” Buck said. “Have your sister set it up while I go check on Chris.” Harry and Denny nodded, going over to May as Buck jogged over to Harry’s room. He poked his head in and smirked at the set-up. All three sleeping bags were positioned in a circle. Clearly, the boys thought they’d want to stay up and talk or play. But Buck was going to make sure they were too exhausted to do that.
He spotted Christopher on the ground, making tiny little noises of discontent as he tried to get his sleep shirt over his head.
“You alright buddy?”
“Can you help me?” Christopher asked, his question muffled by the fabric. Buck chuckled to himself before squatting down in front of Christopher. He gently tugged the shirt down. “Thank you.”
“Anytime,” Buck said, handing Christopher his glasses. “Ready for the next movie?” Christopher was about to say something when there was a crash from the next room. He quickly scooped the boy up and ran back into the room.
“N-nobody move!” Buck stared in horror. There was a willowy blonde woman standing by the glass door to the backyard. Buck swallowed as he saw the gun in her hand.
“Ma’am,” Buck said, trying to keep his voice calm. Her hand holding the gun was shaking and her eyes were slightly red. “I...I’m not sure what you think you’re doing.”
“I want my son!” She shouted. “I...I want Diesel!” Buck, even though his panic, was confused. Who was this woman talking about? But then he saw her eyes fall on Denny, who cowered away from her. Buck then realized who this woman was. This was Eva, Hen’s ex who was supposed to be in prison. “I want my son!”
“Look,” Buck started but Eva cut him off.
“Shut up!” Buck’s eyes widened as her finger pulled the trigger. He heard a startled cry from May as the gun fired into the air. Eva dropped the gun, her hand shaking even more than before.
“May!” May quickly ran across the room, planting herself in front of the playpen. Denny and Harry quickly followed, terrified looks on their faces. As soon as they got to him, Buck moved them so they were behind him. He felt Denny grab onto the leg of his pants as Christopher tucked his face into Buck’s neck. Eva was pacing and muttering to herself. It was clear she was on something, based on her shaky hands and her unhinged actions.
Since Eva was so focused on pacing and muttering to herself, Buck took a moment to subtly pat down his pockets. He internally cursed, realizing his phone wasn’t there. He looked at May and she shook her head. When she mouthed ‘kitchen’, Buck realized she didn’t have her phone either. He just tightened his hold on Christopher and tried to fight down the overwhelming panic that was threatening to bubble over.
Maddie sighed as she glanced down at her phone. Buck hadn’t texted her in awhile, last sending a picture of Joy fast asleep next to Nia about an hour ago. Maddie had saved the photo and immediately texted it to Chimney because she was sure her boyfriend would be cheered up by a glimpse of their daughter sleeping next to Hen’s daughter.
Maddie had felt bad for essentially dumping Joy on Buck when he already had his hands full. It was why she had asked May if she could give Buck a hand. And May, always an absolute sweetheart, had done just that, going immediately to her mom’s house to help out.
She was brought out of her thoughts by the screen beeping, signaling she had another call. She checked her phone one more time before pressing the button to start the call.
“9-1-1, what’s your emergency?”
“Yeah, I think I just heard a gunshot from my neighbor's place.” Maddie started typing. “It was just one but I know there’s a kid or two living there, so someone should probably check it out.”
“We can definitely send someone over,” Maddie said. “What’s the address?” As the person rambled off the address, Maddie felt her breath catch in her throat.
That was Athena’s address. That was where Buck had the boys for a sleepover and where she had dropped off Joy. A gasp tumbled out of her throat, her breathing catching as she did. It could be nothing, but something told her that something was very wrong. Her breathing was starting to come out in gasps thinking about how her daughter and her brother could be in trouble.
“I’m sorry ma’am, could you repeat that?” She felt her chair being pulled away as Josh took over the call.
“Maddie.” It was Sue in front of her. “Maddie, breathe.” Maddie gasped in a few breaths as she tried to calm down. “What happened?”
“The call,” Maddie said, her voice a little broken as she spoke. “It’s at Athena’s house. B-Buck is there...with Joy.” Sue looked at Josh, who was typing, probably sending LAPD and LAFD to Athena’s house. “I...I need to…”
“I think you should stay put until we know what’s going on,” Sue said gently. “Okay?” Maddie just nodded, fear still flooding through her. “We’re going to get you and them through this, okay Maddie?” She just nodded again, trying to take calming breaths. But she couldn’t help the terrified worry swirling in her gut considering what sort of trouble had found her daughter and her brother.
Eddie ran over to where his turncoat was hanging, throwing it on as the alarm sounded. It had been a pretty light shift, but he wasn’t surprised that it was starting to pick up. In his opinion, it was good that things were picking up because he had failed to stop thinking about Buck, so maybe a call would push his feelings about his best friend out of his head.
“We’ve got a possible home invasion,” Captain Reynolds called as Eddie moved towards the truck. “Apparently a gun was discharged, so be prepared for medical.” Eddie was pulling himself into the truck when he heard the address rattled off. His eyes went wide when he realized where they were going.
“That’s…” He looked over at Hen, who had the same concerned look on her face. Because they were heading to Athena and Bobby’s house, where all the kids were. Where Buck was.
“I’m sure it’s…” Hen started to say, but the words died on her lips. Even she couldn’t verbalize any hope. She was just as terrified as him. Eddie looked away, trying to calm his rapidly beating heart, that felt like it was being body slammed into his chest repeatedly. The idea of Christopher and Buck being hurt? That didn’t sit right with him. In fact, it made him panicky all over.
So, he just had to try and breathe until they knew more.
“Shut those babies up!” Buck had only slightly moved from his position, to set Christopher down with Harry and Denny. His arms were protectively blocking the boys, who were all more than okay with hiding behind him. May was trying to calm down Joy and Nia, who had been ripped from their sleep when the gun went off. They were both screaming, tears running down their faces.
“You scared them!” May shouted. “I don’t even know what you want or why you’re here.” Buck wanted to shush May, but she was very much proving that she was Athena’s daughter in how she was speaking to Eva.
“She wants me.” All eyes fell on Denny, who poked his head out slightly from behind Buck’s leg. Eva’s lip quivered as she looked at him.
“That’s right Diesel,” She said with a shaky smile. “I just want to take you home.”
“My name’s Denny.” Eva frowned at that. “And I’m not going anywhere.”
“But baby,” Eva said, taking a step closer. Buck just raised his arm to shield Denny, the boy grabbing onto it for dear life. Her hands were shaking, an unhinged look in her eyes. “I’m your mom. You belong with me.”
“No!” Eva’s eyes widened as she let out a shaky breath. Her breathing started to pick up as Buck kept his arm in front of Denny. When Eva saw that, an angry look crossed her face. She stormed towards them, grabbing for Denny. Buck was able to side-step her, knocking her backwards.
“I’m your mother!”
“No you’re not!” Denny shouted. “I know who my moms are. And you’ll never be one of them!” Eva’s was hyperventilating at this point, her whole body shaking so much Buck was sure she’d fall over. Her eyes scanned the room, spotting the gun she had dropped. Buck’s eyes widened as he saw her staring at it.
As soon as she started moving towards it, Buck ran over to her. He reached her just as her hands were on the gun. Buck could hear someone crying behind him as he tried to get the gun away from Eva. Eva was screaming, shaking erratically as she tried to get the gun. Buck just tugged and pulled, moving them further and further away from the kids.
And then, a shot rang out.
Eddie was still a bundle of nerves as the truck pulled up outside of the house. He looked at Hen who looked as terrified as he felt. Captain Reynolds was saying something about waiting until he spoke to the police. Eddie didn’t like it but he couldn’t technically ignore the captain’s orders (even if this wasn’t the captain they normally reported to). And Eddie probably would’ve listened and done the right thing, since he wasn’t the rule-breaker of the team.
But then a shot rang out.
Eddie didn’t care who was shouting at him as he ran towards the house. He didn’t care if he was going to get in trouble. He didn’t care that he was running into trouble.
He needed to know if Buck and Christopher were okay.
Once he got inside, he spared a glance back. Hen was right behind and sent him a nod as they continued in. He could hear loud crying and a lot of it, making his heart squeeze in his chest.
“Dad!”
“Mom!” Eddie let out a breath as he saw Christopher. Hen ran over to Denny, scooping him up and holding him close, before looking for Nia. Eddie was about to pick up Christopher to check him, when the boy let out a sob.
“Dad...Buck! You have to...you have to help him!” Eddie felt a tightness in his chest as he saw the terrified look on his son’s face. He pointed towards the kitchen, tears streaming down his face. Eddie nodded, trying to stay calm. He moved quickly towards where Christopher had pointed.
All the breath left his body as he saw Buck lying there, blood steadily coming out of his shoulder.
“Oh thank god!” May was kneeling next to him, a towel pressed to the wound. He ran over, taking her place. He could hear police coming in, along with the echoes of crying children. But all Eddie could focus on was Buck.
“Eds.” Buck’s voice was small, probably straining against the pain surging through him.
“You’re gonna be alright, okay?” Eddie said, looking around. He hadn’t grabbed a medkit, too worried about everyone inside. “Hang tight, okay?”
“Can’t...say I’ve…” Buck took a harsh breath, his head lolling a little back on the counter. Eddie looked at May, nodding towards the EMTs. She nodded and ran to grab one of them. “Ever been shot before.”
“Hurts like a you know what,” Eddie said and Buck chuckled softly. “But you’ll be fine, okay? You have to be.”
“Just wanted,” Buck started, straining against the pain. Eddie pushed down a little harder, trying to stop the blood flow. “Just wanted to keep them all safe.”
“You did,” Eddie said, glancing back at the kids. Hen was holding both Denny and Nia, staring in horror at someone else in the room. May was hugging Harry tightly, the boy burying his face in his sister’s shirt. And Christopher was just watching Eddie and Buck, as he stood by the playpen where Joy was. “They’re safe Buck. They’re okay. Thanks to you.”
“Good,” Buck breathed out. Eddie nodded, trying to focus on doing his job and not worrying about Buck. “Eds? I’m...I’m really glad you’re here. I...I wouldn’t want anyone else to be here. You always make me feel like things will be okay. ”
“They will be,” Eddie said as one of the other paramedics stepped in. He stayed by Buck’s side, his hand on Buck’s non-injured shoulder. He needed to stay calm. Buck needed him to be calm. But as he stared at the wound and Buck’s lolling head, he couldn’t help the panic and concern that surged through him.
“Can you tell us exactly what happened?” Everyone was sitting in the waiting room of the ER, some hours later. Eddie wasn’t sure what time it was anymore. He had lost track after Buck had been loaded into the ambulance.
Captain Reynolds had given Eddie and Hen the rest of the night off, since their kids needed them. Hen had looked like she had seen a ghost as police had hauled the attacker out of Athena’s house. After that, it had been a whirlwind of calming the kids down, calling everyone, and getting to the hospital.
Maddie and Chim were sitting together, Maddie holding tightly onto Joy, who had calmed down as soon as Maddie showed up and was now fast asleep in her mother’s arms. Karen, who had already been at the hospital because of her mother, had met them as soon as they arrived, hugging Denny and Nia tightly. She and Hen had been whispering fiercely since then, alternating between which kid they were holding.
Michael had shown up a little after that, hugging Harry and May and promising that Bobby and Athena would be there soon. Once Athena had shown up and hugged her kids, she had then gone to speak to one of the officers who responded to the call. Once she had realized that no one had taken any of the kids statements, they all knew they were going to have to talk to them about what happened.
Which is what they were doing now.
“Denny and I had just come back into the living room,” Harry started. “Buck had asked us to set up my room for when we went to sleep. We were going to watch another movie. Christopher was still in my room so Buck went to get him.” Christopher, who was pressed firmly against Eddie’s side, sniffed and Eddie hugged his son tightly.
“Denny and Harry were asking me to put a movie on when someone broke one of the glass windows,” May said, her arms tightly folded over her chest. Eddie could see she was trying to be strong but there was definitely still a sense of terror in her eyes. “I...I didn’t know who she was, but once Buck came running back into the room I think he did.” Eddie watched as Athena glanced over at Hen and Karen. Karen just hugged Nia a little tighter as Hen sighed.
“It was Eva.” All the adults nodded. Even though Eddie didn’t know much about Hen’s ex, he knew the name and what she had put Hen through. “I just don’t know how she got out or what she wanted.”
“She wanted me,” Denny said, pressing closer to Hen. “But I told her she wasn’t my mom. That I know who my moms were.” Hen sniffed wrapping her arm around Denny and pressing a kiss to his head.
“She, uh…” May was trying to continue, but it was clear how shaken up she was. Michael just wrapped an arm around his daughter and May nodded, taking a breath. “She had a gun but she dropped it the first time it went off.” Eddie nodded. The first gunshot was what had alerted authorities. According to Maddie, one of Athena’s neighbors had called it in. “But then she, uh...she tried to get the gun. Buck went to stop her. I think he was also trying to get her further away from us as well. And um...then it went off.” May sniffed. “Buck knocked her away and she hit the table as she fell down. And then I...I just tried to stop the bleeding.”
“And you did a great job sweetie,” Michael said, trying to assure her. May just nodded, her lip quivering. She was about to say something when David approached the group. He had come with Michael, since it was the hospital where he worked. Then, seeing everyone’s distraught faces, he had disappeared to go find out what was going on with Buck.
“He’s alright,” David said as soon as he reached the group. “They just finished with surgery.” Everyone let out a sigh of relief. “Took a little longer because…” He looked at the kids, probably trying to phrase it properly. “The bullet got a little stuck in his humerus. But he’s okay. They’ll need to fit him with a sling when he wakes up.”
“When can we see him?” Maddie asked, sniffling a little.
“I’ll grab the doctor and he can let you know.” Maddie nodded. Michael sent his boyfriend an appreciative smile before David walked away. Their area of the waiting room grew quiet again. There was definitely some relief, knowing Buck was okay. Athena stepped away, May following her, probably to have her statement officially taken. Eddie just watched them, wondering if May’s statement would be enough or if the boys would need to make statements as well.
“Dad?” Eddie glanced down at Christopher. He could see tears in his son’s eyes. Eddie gently moved his glasses away, wiping the tears away. Christopher just hugged him tighter as Eddie set his glasses back on his face. “I’m really glad Buck is going to be okay.”
“Me too, mijo.” Eddie thought about what Buck had said, how Eddie being by his side had made Buck feel okay and feel safe. Eddie couldn’t help but wonder if Buck would remember what he had said or if he had been too caught up in the pain.
The only way Eddie would know is if he talked to Buck. But he would have to wait a little longer to do that. So for now, he just sat with Christopher, trying to comfort his son while not turning over every feeling he had towards Buck in his head.
“Evan?” Buck bit back a groan as his eyes slowly opened. One look at the fluorescent lights shining down on him and Buck knew he was in the hospital. It took him a moment to remember why, his head still a little foggy from whatever anesthesia he had been on.
But when everything came rushing back to him, he nearly bolted up.
“Easy.” He looked around, spotting Maddie. There was both a concerned and relieved look on her face. “You don’t want to pop your stitches.” He glanced down at his right arm, noticing the sling. “You have no idea how glad I am to see that you’re awake.”
“Is Joy okay?” Buck asked. “And May and Nia and the boys? Are they all okay?” Maddie smiled softly as she took his hand.
“They’re more than okay, thanks to you.” Buck sighed, letting his body rest against the pillow behind him.
“How bad is my arm?”
“You got lucky,” Maddie said. “The bullet got stuck in your humerus, but the doctors were able to remove it. You have to wear the sling for a little while and you might not be lifting as much at work, but you’ll be okay.” Buck just nodded. “Everyone is going to be happy to hear that you’re awake. Especially since they’re already really grateful for how you protected the kids.”
“I’d never let anything happen to any of them,” Buck said. Maddie just smiled as she squeezed his hand. They were the children of the people closest to him, his family. He’d protect all of them without a second thought. “Though, I do wish I could’ve done it without taking a bullet to the shoulder.”
“May said you were trying to get the gun away from Eva,” Maddie said, a slight scolding to her voice. “But that you were also trying to get her away from the kids.”
“She was shaking like crazy,” Buck said. “And I know Hen mentioned something about drugs in the past, so it wasn’t a hard jump to assume she was on something. And she had already shot the gun without meaning to. So as soon as she went for it, I knew I needed her to be away from the kids.”
“Even at the expense of your own health?”
“Like I said,” Buck said softly. “I’d never let anything happen to any of those kids.” Maddie sighed before squeezing his hand again.
“I’m going to go grab a doctor, okay?” Buck nodded. “And then I know several people that want to make sure you’re okay.”
“Thanks Maddie.” She nodded before getting up and leaving. Buck sighed to himself, shifting a little to sit up without jostling his right arm. He was glad the kids were okay. He had been expecting a stern lecture from Maddie about essentially letting himself get shot. But clearly, the fact that he was okay and the kids were safe was more important than whether Buck had acted recklessly.
“Hey kid.” Bobby entered the room, an easy smile on his face. Chimney and Maddie had been sitting with him since the doctor left, just keeping him company. Maddie had Joy on her lap, the baby babbling happily as Buck made silly faces at her. “This a good time?”
“Yeah,” Buck said. He glanced at Maddie, who stood up, Chimney following as well.
“We should get Joy home,” Maddie said. “It’s been a long day or so.”
“Keep him company,” Chimney said, patting Bobby’s arm. Bobby chuckled and nodded as they headed out of the room, Joy tucked safely in Maddie’s arms.
“Are you doing alright?” Bobby asked.
“Yeah,” Buck said with a slight shrug. “Shoulder hurts a little, since the pain meds are wearing off, but nothing I can’t handle.” Bobby nodded. “The doctor wants me to stay until tomorrow morning since my medical history is a little problematic.”
“Makes sense,” Bobby said. “Well, if you’re going to be stuck here, is it alright if you have a few visitors?” Buck nodded. “Great, I’ll be back in a moment.” He stepped out of the room and Buck sighed a little. Other than Maddie, Chimney, and Joy, Buck hadn’t really seen anyone else. Athena had come in briefly to get his statement, but that had been it. Buck had assumed that everyone else had gone home, probably wanting to make sure their kids were okay and not too traumatized from what happened.
But maybe that wasn’t the case.
The door opened, Bobby holding it open as May and Harry walked in. Once Athena stepped in after the kids, Bobby let the door close behind them.
“Hi Buck,” Harry said approaching the bed. “Mom and Bobby said you’re feeling better.”
“I am,” Buck said with a smile. “How about you?”
“Pretty disappointed the sleepover had to end,” Harry said. Athena scoffed at her son’s comment but Buck couldn’t help but chuckle. “It was pretty fun. Until, you know....”
“Well I guess I owe you three a full sleepover at some point,” Buck said and Harry smiled. He then stepped over to where Bobby and Athena were standing, Athena hugging her son. Buck glanced over at May, who was watching him. “You okay May?”
“Shouldn’t I be asking you that?” Buck shrugged. “I’m fine.”
“Good,” Buck said. “And, uh, thanks for helping me. Both with watching everyone and with…” He glanced at his shoulder, remembering how May had grabbed a towel as soon as he had collapsed to the ground, applying pressure on the wound almost immediately.
“Luckily there’s a chapter in the dispatcher handbook on those,” May said. “Kind of only thought I’d be talking someone through how to deal with them and not doing it myself but…” She shrugged and Buck smiled a little.
“Well I for one, am glad you were there.” May smiled, letting out a small breath, before going over to Athena and Bobby.
“We’re glad you’re okay Buckaroo,” Athena said with a smile. “Really glad.”
“Mind if you have a few other visitors?” Bobby asked. And Buck just shook his head with a smile, more than happy to see a few more faces.
When the door opened again, after Bobby left with Athena and the kids, Buck didn’t know who to expect. But he smiled when he saw Hen come in with her family. Both Hen and Karen looked exhausted and relieved when they saw him. Nia babbled something, pointing at Buck, and Denny ran up to the bed before stopping right at Buck’s side.
“I made you a card,” Denny said, holding up a piece of paper. “Christopher was making one, so I thought it would be a good idea to make one too.” Buck smiled as he took the paper.
“Thanks Denny,” Buck said and the boy smiled.
“I was really scared,” Denny said, his voice dropping a little. “But you were there and you kept me safe. So thank you.”
“I never would have known you were scared,” Buck said as he gently set the card down. “Because you were being so brave. And I know you got that bravery from your moms.” He looked at Hen and Karen. Hen just sniffed, a soft smile on her face.
“You’ve got a heart of gold Buckaroo,” Hen said as she approached the bed. “Buck, I am so sorry.”
“Hen, it’s not your fault.”
“I know,” She said with a sigh. “But every time I think that nightmare is over…” She shook her head as Karen moved closer, using the hand that wasn’t holding Nia to try and comfort Hen. “I just want to know that she’s gone and away for good.”
“I would assume after all of this she would be,” Buck said. He had to assume that a litany of charges were about to rain down on Eva. Between her escaping from prison, possessing a firearm, attempted kidnapping, and attempted murder, he was sure Eva was going away for a long time. “I’m sure Athena is already on that.”
“Oh she is,” Hen said. “And I guess I just have to hope for the best. But thank you Buck. I meant what I said the other day and this only proved that to me.” Buck smiled a little at that.
“And whatever you need during your recovery,” Karen said. “We’re there.”
“I think you might have to get on line,” Buck said. “When Bobby left he said he was going to make sure my fridge was full of food.”
“Well, we’ll push to the front of that line,” Hen said and Buck chuckled. “Also, I’m probably going to be thanking you for the foreseeable future. So get used to it.”
“Yes ma’am.” Hen snorted and very gently pushed Buck’s good arm. Buck made a noise in protest, which earned a giggle from Denny. And Buck just smiled, feeling more at ease,.
After Hen and Karen left with Denny and Nia, Buck knew there were only two people left to visit. He was actually surprised they had waited so long, given how close the three were.
“Glad to see you’re still awake,” Eddie said when he opened the door. He held the door open as Christopher walked in, before letting it shut behind them. “I was worried everyone else might’ve worn you out.”
“Nah,” Buck said with a shake of the head. “Though I was surprised you didn’t push to come by sooner.”
“Someone has to stay with you while you’re stuck overnight.” A soft smile crossed Buck’s face and he thought for a moment that he saw Eddie blush. But then the brunette was looking down at Christopher, hiding if he had blushed. “Do you want to give Buck your card, mijo?”
“Yeah,” Christopher said with a nod. “Can I sit on the bed with him?” Eddie glanced at Buck, who shrugged in response.
“Only on the left side,” Eddie said, scooping Christopher up. “And be careful.” He gently set Christopher down so he was on Buck’s left side, before walking over to the other side of the bed where there was a chair set up.
“I made you a card,” Christopher said, handing a very well-folded piece of paper to Buck. Buck smiled as he looked at it, always a fan of Christopher’s artwork. “It’s a picture of us making pizza because that was my favorite part of the sleepover.”
“Yeah it was pretty fun,” Buck said with a smile. As he looked at the card, he noticed Christopher grow quiet. He glanced at Eddie who was watching the two of them like a hawk. Buck just set the card down and looked back at Christopher. “You okay Superman?”
“I was really scared when you got hurt,” Christopher said, his voice softer than Buck had ever heard. Christopher gently wrapped his arms around Buck before hugging him. “I’m really glad you’re okay, Buck.”
“I’m more than okay,” Buck whispered, letting his good arm wrap around Christopher. Christopher looked up at him and Buck smiled. “Because even though my shoulder hurts a little, I get to spend time with the Diaz boys. And that makes everything better.” Christopher smiled before hugging Buck a little tighter. Buck smiled, more than grateful for the comfort from the boy. But he could feel Eddie watching them, so he spared a glance.
He felt his heart thump loudly in his chest for the way Eddie was staring at him. There was a soft smile on his face and a slight twinkle in his eyes that had Buck yearning for something that couldn’t be possible.
But then again, based on the way Eddie was staring at him, maybe it was.
“You guys don’t have to stay here.” It was about an hour later. Buck knew he was stuck at the hospital overnight for observation. And as much as he knew people cared about him, he didn’t expect any of them to sit by his bedside for the whole night. But Eddie was still there, even after Christopher had fallen asleep, using Buck’s left side as a pillow.
“Well, we want to,” Eddie said. “We both want to make sure you’re okay. And besides, you said you wanted us around.”
“You guys make everything better,” Buck said and Eddie smiled softly. Buck blushed, looking away, pretending he was checking on Christopher. The boy was fast asleep, his glasses hanging loose around his neck and a peaceful look on his face. Buck looked for one more moment, hoping he didn’t still look like a tomato, before glancing back at his best friend. “You know, I’m surprised no one lectured me for being reckless.”
“You weren’t,” Eddie said. “You protected our kids. And I don’t know about anyone else, but I think the fact that you were protecting my son is more important than how you did it.” Buck nodded, smiling a little. “Besides, I’ve been shot in the shoulder so I was mostly certain you’d be okay.”
“Mostly certain?” Buck asked and Eddie sighed a little. He fidgeted with his hands and Buck just watched him, waiting for him to continue.
“There’s this part of me,” Eddie said, a softness to his voice. “That whenever someone I care about gets hurt, I can’t help but be worried, even if I know they’re going to be okay.” Buck felt his heart beat a little faster. The way Eddie had said that, how he referred to Buck, it gave Buck hope. It gave him a slight opening and Buck was going to run with it.
“And I’m someone you care about?” Buck asked gently.
“Yeah Buck, you are.” Buck grinned, his heart beating a wild rhythm in his chest. Eddie smiled back, a slight blush crossing his cheeks.
“You know normally,” Buck said, the smile still there. “When someone admits they care about me like that, I would kiss them.” Eddie’s blush, which had been a soft pink, was now a deep red. “But uh…” He looked between his arm that was in a sling, to his other arm that was supporting most of Christopher’s weight. “I’m a little stuck.”
“I see that,” Eddie murmured, a small smirk crossing his face. “Guess I shouldn’t be surprised that I have to make the first move.” Buck was about to protest in response, that he would’ve made the first move had he not been slightly stuck, when Eddie closed the space between the two of them. Buck melted forward slightly, his lips against Eddie’s, feeling like his heart was going to beat right out of his chest. He had never thought this moment was possible, had always assumed that this moment wasn’t in the cards for them. But here they were, after all this time, finally crossing that line.
“Wow,” Buck said when Eddie finally pulled away. Eddie just chuckled, his hand coming to rest on Buck’s knee. ”That was...wow.”
“Evan Buckley, speechless.” Buck rolled his eyes and Eddie chuckled. “Never thought I’d see the day.”
“Well I think you’ve found a surefire way to shut me up now,” Buck said and Eddie snorted. “Though I’m hoping that was more than just a gratitude kiss.” Eddie’s thumb ran along Buck’s knee and Buck blushed.
“That was a ‘I’d really like to take you on a date when you’re out of here’ kiss,” Eddie said with a smile.
“I’d really like that,” Buck said, a grin crossing his face.
“Great,” Eddie said. “Then get some rest so we can get you out of here and start planning that.”
“I don’t know how I’m supposed to sleep after that,” Buck pointed out and Eddie playfully rolled his eyes before getting up. He walked over to the other side of the bed, gently picking Christopher up. The boy hardly noticed, burrowing a little closer to Eddie, who then sat down next to Buck, Christopher already fast asleep against his chest.
“This better?” Eddie asked, smiling at Buck.
“Much,” Buck said, letting his head rest on Eddie's shoulder. And for all of the exhaustion over the last day, for all of the worry and concern, Buck was finally feeling okay.