Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It had been a grueling shift. A full 24-hours of non-stop calls. The delicious meal that Bobby had worked to cook in-between calls lay abandoned on the counter, as people grabbed their belongings. Unlike other shifts, no one was interested in sitting around for longer than strictly necessary.  Duffles in hand, Buck and Eddie exited the station side-by-side. There was a slump to Buck’s shoulders that made Eddie want to bundle him up in a blanket, toss him on the couch, and hit play on a Star Wars Marathon for the next two days. He had been quieter than normal on shift, and his strange affect rubbed his best friend entirely the wrong way. Regardless of how many times Eddie tried to broach the topic, Buck would find an excuse to avoid talking; the floors needed mopping, the ambulance needed stocking, Bobby needed help cooking, or his personal favorite, he just needed a couple minutes of sleep. 

The excuses were as Bullshit as the smile that Buck shot to his coworkers, as he took the stairs out of the loft mere minutes earlier. After four long years of being his work partner and best friend, it was almost impossible for Eddie to not notice when something was wrong. 

“Shit man, I forgot that I rode with you yesterday. I know we talked about me coming over for movie night with Chris, but I think it might be best if you just drop me off at my place.”

“Did I do something?” Eddie asked, at Buck’s perplexed stare he elaborated. “Look I’m over these ‘I’m tired’ excuses. Every other time you’re tired you just sleep it off on my couch, or my bed for fucks sake. I don’t see why today is any different.”

Both men tossed their bags into the bed of the truck at the same time, and their eyes met over the vehicle. “It’s been a long week Eds, I’m just exhausted,” His eyes dropped, and body turned sharply to the door. Once seated he slumped against the door as if all of the energy keeping him standing for the last 24-hours vanished. 

From the drivers side Eddie rolled his eyes in exasperation. “Okay, sure. You’re exhausted. But this has nothing to do with sleep- we both know that. What’s really going on Buck?”

Eddie had no way of knowing how long this behavior had been occurring- out of pure happenstance the guys had pretty different schedules, as a lot of B shift were out over the previous week, and A shift had taken over with covering. When they were working at the same time, it was Buck and Ravi partnered together which eliminated much opportunity to pry. 

“Look- there really isn't much to tell. It’s been a long couple of months and maybe it’s all catching up to me now. I don’t know…”

Silence.

“I broke up with Taylor last week.”

Eddie grimaced at the confession, knowing that something was wrong was the easy part- figuring out how to comfort his emotionally challenged friend, while also being emotionally challenged was an entirely different concern. “What happened? I thought you two were doing good.”

“We were doing good… and then she started talking about moving in together, and I think I freaked out a little bit. I mean, I care about her a lot- but I just wasn’t ready to live with her. The last time I was close to living with someone was Abby, and you know how that turned out.”

“Abby was a long time ago.”

“Abby was years ago, and somehow the thought of trying to live with a girlfriend again, made me feel like young and stupid Buck who needs someone else to love him, because he doesn’t know how to love himself.” He let out a deep breath and scrubbed rough hands over his face. “I was so excited to go over to your place and hang out with you and Chris, and it made me think- why do I deserve to go over to someone else's house and be happy, when I can’t even be happy in my own house with the person I’m supposed to love?” 

Eddie made himself hold in the scoff painfully trying to force its way from his chest, “Since when is it a crime to like to spend time with your family?” He dropped a heavy hand to Buck’s shoulder as he rounded the corner to the gas station a mile from his house. “I’m bringing you back to the house because Chris was promised his Buck time, and I do not want to be the guy who has to tell him that it's not happening.” 

Buck snickered slightly at the thought. 

“There is no reason that you have to punish yourself for doing what's best for you. I’m sure Taylor would rather be broken up with than move in with a guy who isn’t sure if she is what he wants. So you’re coming back for movie night and we’re gonna order pizza, and eat ice cream and brownies, and drink beer, and have a good fucking night. Alright?”

“Yeah, alright” Buck conceded with a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. 

The gas station was quiet and dark at this time of night. Not many people were out, and one of the lights up above was conveniently out. Eddie shifted the truck into park, directly underneath the blown light off to the side of the small convenience store, and hopped out with keys and wallet in hand. “Be right back,” he murmured through the open window as he jogged over to the shop. 

Buck shook his head, and scrubbed his eyes one final time with a disbelieving laugh. He had spent the last week hating himself, and somehow a five minute conversation with Eddie could leave him feeling better than he had in months. You would think that he would have learned by now that talking it out typically smooths things out quicker. 

This seemed to be their pattern though, angst over their problems in private, until things boiled over and the other would have to drag them from the edge they had worked themselves onto. 

Most recently, they spent an entire month skating around the fact that they were kidnapped by escaped convicts, and the fact that Buck had thought Eddie had been shot, for a second time , in just as many years. The eventual blow out had been forced on them by their well-intentioned Captain and Athena who secretly invited them both over for dinner, and then locked them out on the patio until they were able to look each other in the eyes again.  Things had been smooth sailing from then until now. 

Suddenly, the absence of Taylor in his life made Buck feel like he only had Eddie and Chris left, and it wasn’t fair to make them be his everything. He tried to pull back, he didn't want to be such a burden that he drove them away, just as he pushed Maddie and Chim away too. No matter how many times he was told that it wasn’t true, Buck couldn’t erase the doubt that if he had done something differently, things might have turned out better.  

Eyes slowly drifting shut, Buck wondered what he could do to avoid becoming a burden to his best friend and the boy he had started viewing as his own. Moments later the snap of the door shutting woke him from his light slumber he had drifted into. He slowly opened his eyes and let his head slump to the left to peer at Eddie. 

Except Eddie wasn’t there. “If you open your fucking mouth I’ll put a bullet in your head,” a deep voice came from behind him. Sharp metal biting into the back of his neck through the head rest.

Chapter Text

Eddie hurriedly stalked the isles of the gas station searching for the perfect snacks for their movie night. They obviously needed popcorn (Chris’ favorite), flaming hot Cheetos (Buck’s favorite), and lots of different candies. He took a quick detour at the cooler in the back to grab some beer, and moved back to the register. There was a happy jolt to his step as he moved. Excited to spend time with his favorite boys, and hopefully cheer up his mopey friend. Buck always had a flair for the dramatic, and today was no different. Instead of simply talking to him about what was going on, the idiot had decided to go on some self-sacrificing BS, and try and lay around in bed feeling sorry for himself for the next two-days. 

For a moment, the man wondered whether this is how people felt about him when he got in a funk- but ruled it out because nothing could be as frustrating as Evan Buckley thinking that no one cared about him, when literally everyone who met the firefighter, fell in love with him. 

The man in front of Eddie in line, dressed in all black, finished his transaction silently and slipped from the store without uttering a word to the cashier. Eddie plastered a smile on his face as he set his things on the counter. 

“How are you, sweet heart?” The older lady at the register asked around the piece of gum she was chewing on loudly.

“I’m alright. Ready to get home for the night!” She laughed in response, but didn’t bother saying anything else. She quickly scanned and bagged his items, and Eddie requested 40 dollars to his pump. She typed rapidly on her register and switched her gaze from him to the tv behind him, as he took care of the payment. As the card reader beeped and he slipped his card back in his wallet, she passed over his bags and gave him a wave goodbye.  

“Have a good night! He called over his shoulder as he headed back to the car. Without much thought, Eddie rounded the back of his truck to settle his groceries in the back seat on the drivers side. He was distracted by the light now flickering above his car and didn’t bother to glance at Buck on his journey. At the door he shifted his grasp on the beer to his hand holding the other bags and pulled the door open, he leaned in to set his cargo down and froze at the sight before him. 

Wide, terrified eyes stared at Eddie overtop of a large and dirty hand that was clamped tightly over his mouth. Eddie glanced down and saw the heaving chest of his friend and his shaking hand which rested awkwardly on his captor’s leg. 

The two men sat on the floor of the truck, and Eddie belatedly noticed that the seat Buck had previously occupied had been moved forward as close to the dashboard as it would go. The man behind him sat completely on the floor, and his legs bracketed around Buck’s cramped body. One of his legs was awkwardly twisted underneath him, and the other lay outstretched against the man holding him. 

A muffled grunt escaped from underneath of the hand, which resulted in Buck’s head being yanked backward and the gun which had previously been resting on the seat and pointed towards Eddie to be shoved under his chin. 

How had he not noticed that a gun was being pointed at him?

“Shut the fuck up,” was quietly commanded into Buck’s ear, and he forced himself to settle. After a tense moment where Eddie stared, Buck breathed through his nose, and the man threatened, he slowly loosened his hold allowing Buck to lower his head to see Eddie again.
“Good boy,” The man whispered. 

As if snapped from a trance, Eddie became violently aware of what was happening, and just what was at risk here. Hands slowly raising up in a placating gesture, Eddie forced himself to take a deep breath, and initiate since it seemed like the other man had nothing to say. “Easy now,” he began. “I’m not sure what you want but there is no reason to hurt anyone. You can take our wallets, the food, the truck. Just let my friend you’ve got there go.” 

The man didn’t respond, simply curled his gun hand around Buck’s stomach and gave a tight squeeze. Trying not to squirm, Buck whimpered against the hold but kept impressively still. 

“Please,” Eddie tried again, feeling a helplessness rear up in his stomach at this situation. He didn’t know what this man wanted, or who he was and a sense of dread trickled down his back at the possibility that this would be the trauma they didn’t get to walk away from. 

It felt like only weeks ago that Eddie was being held at gunpoint by a maniac, and now seeing the roles reversed, Eddie didn’t know how to feel. He suddenly understood why Buck had such a difficult time coping after the event even though he had been freed much sooner. Seeing your best friend, one of the people you care most about in the world about to get shot really puts things into perspective. 

“Why don’t you slowly take your phone and wallet out and put them on the seat,” the man finally responded. 

This, Eddie could do. Following directions, and getting a conversation going were the first steps in getting out of this situation. The moment he set his things on the seat, Buck twisted and a panicked sound bleating from deep within his throat.

The giant of a man behind him easily contained the struggle and turned his backwards hug into a firm chokehold. The large hand covering his mouth slipped up over his nose as well, cutting off the blonde’s access to air. 

“Buck!” Eddie tried to comprehend the sudden shift in behavior, but understood immediately as he felt a looming presence behind him, and the hard press of a gun into the middle of his back. 

Startling at the touch, a quiet laugh barked into his ear. “Easy now buddy.”

Buck twitched one final time in his restricting hold before collapsing back into the chest behind him. The hand slipped off of his nose, while still keeping him quiet and a single tear trickled down his cheek. 

“Now,” the man behind Eddie spoke in a commanding tone. “We are gonna take a little road trip in the truck, and you two are coming with us.” 

Being taken to a second location was never a positive thing, but Eddie’s mind felt like it was short-wiring. He had no way of fighting back with how thoroughly incapacitated Buck was. He could tell that any resistance would end with someone seriously hurt. 

“Gas.” Eddie spoke softly. “I paid for gas inside, and the truck is empty.”

“Okay,” The man behind him responded “You fill her up and me and my buddy will wait in the car with your friend. You try to do anything stupid and he gets a bullet in the thigh.”

Eddie was pulled away from the car by a clenched hand in the back of his sweatshirt. He spared one final glance at Buck as the door slammed shut, and he stood frozen as the man behind him walked around to the passenger seat of the car. 

It felt like he was disconnected from his body as he watched the stranger get into his car- he slowly pieced together that this was the man in the gas station with him, dressed in all black who couldn’t be bothered to speak to the attendant. He wonders if he had done something to piss the man off inside. 

After another second of contemplation Eddie opens the gas tank and starts filling his truck. The time waiting in the brisk air gives him a minute to think- What do these men want? How are we getting out of this? How the fuck am I going to keep Buck safe when he’s trapped in the back seat with a monster of a man?

The loud click of the pump startles him from his thoughts and he hurries to finish his task so that he can check on his partner. Taking a deep breath, Eddie opens the door and slides back into his seat. 

Immediately, his body turns to see Buck. He is in a similar position as before, minus the arm around his neck. He is leaning heavily against the man holding him, and Eddie can’t tell if it’s because he has been hurt or if he is finally coming to terms with what is happening to them.

The single tear from before seems to have vanished and he is breathing slowly and deeply through his nose. Eddie tries to catalogue every detail he can to ensure there is no lasting damage. As his eyes drift lower he pauses at the gun wielding hand which rests on Buck’s thigh with a sense of unwanted familiarity. Uncomfortably close to in between his legs but not quite there. Eddie tries to read whether this is intentional, or just how their bodies fit together. It certainly makes sense how complacently his friend sits as there is the threat of a bullet to his junk. 

With a quick inhale, Eddie turns away from Buck and zones in on the man in the passenger seat. He is white, bald, and muscular. If he had to guess the man would tower over Buck if they were beside each other. The thought of Buck prompts him to glance back again, and he realizes that as big as the man up front looks, the one cradling buck in his arms is even larger. Buck’s tall and muscular form is dwarfed by the guy holding on to him. 

The guy has a tight buzz cut of dark hair, which frames his light brown skin. Mocking brown eyes stare back at Eddie evenly, almost daring him to try something. They hold eye contact for a couple more seconds before Eddie looks away. Now is not the time for a pissing contest. 

Bald guy clears his throat and points a gun in Eddie’s general direction. “There’s a warehouse on the edge of town. About an hour from here, I’m going to turn on the GPS and you will follow it, and obey every fucking law along the way. If for some reason we don’t make it in one piece to our destination your boy back there dies. No questions asked, no avoiding it. Frank will put a bullet in his head before you could call for help.”

Eddie nods. Not sure what to say. Christopher is literal minutes away, and these men are dragging him to the other side of town with no choice in the matter. Distantly wondering when Carla and Chris will start to wonder where they are, Eddie slides his keys into the ignition and starts the car. 

“You really gonna make him sit like that the whole ride?” Eddie asks, nudging his head to the back seat.

“Call it incentive for you to not crash,” Frank chimes in from the floor. 

“You can at least ease up on his face. What’s he gonna do, yell out the moving car?”

Bald guy finished programming the car GPS, and buckled his seat belt. “Frank will decide when the kid is ready for some freedom. Right now I want you to focus on getting us where we need to be. By the way, you all can call me Hotch, and as you’ve already heard that’s Frank. The deal is this- you two help us, and we will get you home safe and sound. Just follow directions and everything will be alright.”

Eddie clenched his hands on the steering wheel before nodding his head. “Got it.” 

Another muffled grunt emerged from the back seat, but Eddie forced himself to ignore it. He put the truck in drive, and pulled away from the gas station. 

Chapter Text

Buck kept his eyes clenched shut, and rested his head against the broad shoulder behind him. A couple of minutes into the drive, the hand that had been clamped over his mouth for close to an hour finally eased away. The ability to take a complete breath of air was refreshing, and his body shuddered gratefully on his first proper inhale. 

With the whispered promise of punishment if he made a sound, Buck kept quiet and resigned himself to his uncomfortable position for the duration of the car ride. Unsure if Eddie even knew he could speak he struggled not to whisper his friends name. He just wanted reassurance that everything was going to be okay, although it felt anything but.

 Frank kept the gun resting on his leg, but had allowed him to readjust, so that his previously curled leg was also stretched out across the floor of the backseat. Essentially, he was sitting in Frank’s lap. It took a strong will power to not think about just how close they really were. The hand across his thigh, the chest pressed against his back, and the hips snugly pressed to his butt were all unsettling, but it made sense. Not only was the man physically overpowering him, but Buck’s mind was in a constant state of spiral as he tried to figure out what was happening, and whether he was safe. 

As the car began to pick up speed, he guessed that they were finally on the highway.  Some of the tension noticeably eased from their kidnappers, as the gas station became a far away reality. 

Eddie had been surprisingly quiet throughout the ordeal. Last time they had been in a similar situation the man had come off as fearless, challenging their abductors from the moment a gun was pulled. 

Today he seemed off kilter, the whole situation had given him such whiplash that he was still trying to adjust to the fact that movie night had been put on an undetermined hold. Even more so, he was undeniably terrified of being separated from Buck, even if they were only a row of seats apart.

Buck could relate. Not being able to see Eddie was almost worse than the situation itself. They were so used to drawing comfort from each other, that simply a glance would have been able to settle some nerves. 

Finally as the car began to slow down, Eddie risked a glance behind him. He saw the state of Buck slumped, eyes closed and jittery. “You alright back there Buck?”

The sound of Eddie’s voice startled him from his quiet state and he began to sit up. Frank’s gun free arm slithered around to rest across his stomach pulling him back against his chest gently. For a moment he felt like resisting was the right decision before considering the precarious situation they were in. He leaned back with the arm and settled back in place. 

“You can answer him kid,” Hotch instructed from the front. 

“Yeah, I think so,” he answered cautiously. “Sucks about movie night, huh?”

“Damn, don’t remind me. I was looking forward to a slow night on the couch.”

“Movie night,” Frank interrupted with a jostle of Buck’s body. “You two boyfriends or something?”

“No, just friends.” Eddie returned cautiously. The judgment that seeped into Frank’s tone as he asked, brought an additional layer of tension to the car. While they weren’t dating, the last thing they needed was a homophic asshole who decided to take it out on them regardless. 

“Who gives a shit? We can already tell he’ll do as he’s told for the kid anyway.” Hotch, who was clearly in control, settled the disturbance efficiently. Maybe it was less homophobic and more digging for leverage. Although, as Hotch confirmed it wouldn’t have made a difference. With a gun to Buck’s head Eddie would do whatever they asked of him. 

“We almost there yet? My ass is starting to hurt,” the man holding Buck complained.

“10 more minutes,” Eddie cut in. 

The next ten minutes passed in silence. Buck spent the time considering possible escape plans. There didn’t seem to be many options, at the moment, but the ever looming fear that once they made it to the warehouse they would be killed hovered above his head. There was no telling what these guys had planned, or how the two firefighters fit into this plan either. 

“Alright, stop right here,” Hotch instructed. “I’m going to open the garage and then you’ll pull in nice and easy.”

Eddie agreed quickly and sat up attentively to take in his surroundings. The area seemed run down, and unused. Graffiti covered most of the concrete walls, and abandoned trash whipped through the air with each gust of wind. He watched carefully as Hotch jogged to the garage he had stalled in front of and typed a code into the panel on the side. As the door slowly rose a surge of panic rushed through the man. 

This felt like their final chance. If he drove through the door they would be trapped with dangerous gunmen and nowhere to go. His hesitation didn’t go unnoticed. 

“Hey,” Frank called from the backseat. “Look back here for a second.” 

Eddie glanced back and saw Buck still pliant in the giant’s arms, but obviously worried. 

“Your best bet for getting out of this safely is to do as you're told. The only thing that driving in the garage means, is that I’m not going to shoot your friend here.” 

A quick nod, and he was pulling forward to where Hotch directed. Shifting the car into park, Eddie passed his keys back to Frank’s outstretched hand, and watched in the rear view mirror as the garage door slowly closed them in. 

The opening of the back door startled Buck from his focus on Eddie and he jumped slightly. “Alright boys, here's the plan. We’re gonna do this one at a time. Our kind driver is gonna get out first, and you’re gonna go and have a seat in a chair by the tables,” Hotch instructed with a vague gesture towards the center of the warehouse. “Once you get settled, Frank will bring the kid out and we’ll explain just what is going on. Any questions?”

He waited a moment, but no one spoke and he grinned at the quiet. “Let’s go!” He shouted. Eddie kept his hands up as he slowly opened his own door and stepped out into the cold of the room. Hotch scooped up the abandoned phone and wallet on the back seat and followed leisurely behind. 

Tall looming ceilings, and concrete walls surrounded the empty space. In the center of the room were two folding tables piled high with bags, and numerous folding chairs surrounded the tables. Eddie lowered himself into a seat that gave him a perfect view of the truck, and eventually Buck as well. Once seated, he took a moment to glance around, an RV off to the side came into focus, and Eddie paused. Why would there be an RV here? And did it have anything to do with him and Buck?

Hotch came over and pulled a chair to sit opposite of him. “Don’t you worry about your friend. I’m sure they’ll be along in a minute. I asked Frank to take his time, because I wanted to talk to you first.”

Eddie nods easily. “I have two other coworkers that you will both be seeing shortly. You might even recognize them-”

What the fuck?

“Under no circumstances does your friend learn who these men are or how you know them. His life is resting on your discretion. Do you understand?”

“Who is it?”

“They should be back soon, and you will have a chance to ask them any questions you might have, but the kid stays in the dark. I hope for his sake that you understand.”

“I understand,” he quickly agreed. Eddie had no intention of arguing with the man with a gun, he was just trying to keep up with this new turn of events. His mind raced as he tried to piece together who could be behind the unexpected kidnapping. 

It seemed unlikely to be related to fire fighting, since Buck was meant to be kept in the dark. Maybe from his time that was spent in underground fighting? Or something from back home?

“Come on Frank,” Hotch called out loudly from his seat. 

Eddie watched as Buck slipped out of the car and waited quietly by the door. Frank followed a moment later and stretched his arms above his head with an exaggerated moan. From the stretch his arms dropped, and one landed harshly across Buck’s shoulders. He guided the subdued man over to the two seated, not once removing his grip.

As they approached the chairs, Eddie maintained eye contact with Buck trying to convey that everything was alright. It felt as though neither of them truly believed it. 

“You search him yet?” Hotch queried from his watchful perch. 

“Not enough space to get a good one in the back seat,” Frank explained with a grin. He tucked his gun into the waistband of his paints and slipped from the side of Buck to behind him. Again. 

Eddie’s skin crawled at the way Buck was being manhandled and touched. He knew that internally Buck must have been screaming for a break. His friend had always been tactile, and positive touches could always cheer the man up on a bad day, but unwanted or negative touches must have been hell for him. His usual tall and loud presence seemed cowed into submission by the overbearing presence of Frank. 

He slowly raised his hands to his side and shivered as large hands slid down his ribs. One hand slipped into his LAFD hoodie's front pocket and pulled his phone out. The phone was passed to Hotch and the hands continued their search, sliding down his waist and along his hips. When nothing else was found he was pushed into the chair next to Hotch. 

The distance between Buck and Eddie was like a chasm. They each wanted nothing more than to reach across and cling to each other until this nightmare ended. 

Dropping his hands onto Buck’s hunched shoulders, Frank gave a tight squeeze, “Where’s your wallet?” 

“In my bag in the bed of the truck,” he replied. 

Without a word, Frank turned his attention away from Buck and headed to the truck to retrieve the bag. As if a switch went off, Buck slowly straightened his back and lifted his head higher. For the first time in almost two hours he was not being touched and he reveled in the feeling of freedom. As unfree as he really might have been, the break from being grabbed caused instant relief to flow through his body. He took a brief moment to glance around before footsteps signalled the return of Frank. 

Thankfully he walked past Buck without a glance and dropped both duffle bags onto one of the folding tables. He began picking through the bags, and eventually pulled out Buck’s wallet which Hotch accepted. He opened both of the wallets in his possession and made a show of pulling out the driver's licenses and reading them carefully. 

“Alright Edmundo and Evan, you both have shown that you can follow directions, and I appreciate that about you two. So what we are going to do next should be easy enough. See that RV over there?”

They followed his finger to the corner, and nodded in response.

“Evan here is going to spend a little time in the RV while we figure out some details of our trip.”

Buck’s head shot back to Eddie and then Hotch frantically. Being sent to the RV felt like an undeserved punishment. He had done everything that they had asked and yet somehow he was still about to get locked away, “I don’t understand.” 

Within the blink of an eye Frank had gone from pulling clothes out of their bags to backhanding Buck across the face so hard that he fell from his chair to the hard concrete floor. 

“Hey!” Eddie shouted, shooting to his feet in alarm. Hotch was standing in front of him with a gun pointed at his chest before he had even finished his exclamation. He paused where he was but kept a sharp eye on Frank as he towered over Buck. 

“What did I tell you in the car about speaking?” He demanded, as he pulled Buck to his feet by a tight grip on his neck. 

“Not to speak unless spoken to,” Buck muttered around a mouthful of blood. He turned his head and spat the blood to the ground, wiping his mouth as he moved.

“Yeah, not to speak unless spoken to, so you are going in the RV and you aren’t going to speak because no one asked you a question.”

Properly chastised, Buck hunched back down and nodded. Hotch grabbed a roll of duct tape from the table and tossed it to Frank who snatched it out of the air easily. He released Buck’s neck and demanded for his hands. 

Reluctantly Buck held his hands out in front and watched slowly as tape was wrapped tightly around his wrists, sealing them together. 

Anger bubbling underneath the surface, Eddie watched with a scowl as his now bleeding friend was bound. 

After ripping the tape, Frank pulled another long stretch and held it up, “Do I need to do your mouth too?”

Buck shook his head rapidly. Silently praying that he didn’t get his mouth taped as well. He just needed a fucking break from this mess. 

“You say another word without being asked and you get a gag,” Frank tossed the tape back to Hotch and with his hand back on the blonde’s neck he began moving them towards the RV.

Eddie watched silently as his friend was forced into the vehicle, Frank following closely behind. The tall man paused and turned to wave at Eddie with his gun in hand before slamming the door shut. 

Chapter Text

With Buck tucked away in the RV, Eddie took a breath before turning back to Hotch. Hoping that this is where all of his questions would be answered. 

“Before we get down to business, there are a couple of things you probably need to take care of.”

“My son?”

“Yeah, some arrangements need to be made for the kid for the next couple of days.”

“He’s with his babysitter now, I would need to call and sort something out.”

Hotch tossed his phone over easily, seemingly unconcerned with giving him phone access. “Figure it out quick. I’m assuming I don’t have to warn you about doing anything stupid, I’m sure you know what would happen to Evan if you tried to be a hero.”

“I’m just going to get him set for the week. No worries.”

Hotch seemed as if he could care less. The sudden casual demeanor was strange. He had gone from demanding and controlling to calm and relaxed within minutes, and to give Eddie unsupervised access to his phone was surprising. 

With a determined set of his brow, he began making calls. Within 30 minutes and a couple of well placed excuses, he had arranged for Carla, Pepa, and Abuela to take care of Chris for the near future. Claiming that Buck had a family emergency out of town and needed Eddie to go with him as support. 

“Should I handle work as well? We’re only off for the next 48-hours.” 

Hotch confirmed with a nod. 

A quick text explaining that Buck had a close friend emergency, everyone knowing Maddie and Chim made it a little more complicated to call it a family emergency. He shared that they would be out of town for an unforeseen amount of time, and that Chris was now with Abuela until their return. Holding the phone back out to Hotch, “I’ll probably have to respond at some point.” 

“I think we can trust Eddie to hold onto his phone for now,” a loud voice interrupted from across the room. 

Head whipping around, Eddie stood to see who the new voice belonged to. “Mac? Brady?” 

Two men, both dressed in dark pants and black jackets walked across the floor. “It’s good to see you again Diaz, it's been a long time.”

Not long enough. “Yeah, a real long time. What’s going on here?” 

“Well Edmundo ,” Mac began as he clapped a firm hand to his back. “After we got kicked out of the military and were abandoned by everyone in the squad, we had to figure out some way to make ends meet. The government sure as shit didn’t give a fuck about what happened to us.”

“You were breaking the law, you don’t expect them to give money to people who were torturing innocent civilians?”

“You know, it doesn’t really matter what we expected. The point is that the last 6 years, we’ve been barely scraping by, and we think it's about time that we change that.”

Unsure of how to handle the increasingly angrier tone, Eddie took a small step backwards so that he could face all three of the men at once. “Look I’m sorry that you’ve had some bad luck, but I’m just not sure how I fit into all this.”

A harsh laugh echoed through the building. “Don’t know how you fit into this,” Brady scoffed. “Diaz, you owe us, and we’ve come to collect.”

“You think I have money? I’m a single father and a firefighter. Even if I wanted to give you something, I don’t have anything worth giving.”

“Oh we don’t want your money, we just need your help with a couple of things. If everything goes according to plan, we need ten days, and then we’ll drop you and your boy toy back at home.”

“What do you need me to do? Unless you have some fires that need to be put out, I’m not so sure how helpful I’ll be. I haven’t even thought about my life back then in years.”

Mac rolled his eyes at the back and forth between the two men. “Listen, we have an opportunity for a lot of money, and we happen to think you are the most qualified to help us get it. Added bonus that we saved your fucking life, and you owe us both for it.”

“It’s not like I have much of a choice anyway,” Eddie grimaced with a pointed glance at the gun that Hotch was still gripping tightly. 

“You’re right,” Mac nodded, “you don’t have a choice. Because if you don’t do exactly as we say Evan is going to get a bullet to the head. And after Evan is dead, we will turn right back around to LA, pick up your precious son, and try the road trip all over again.”

Body going stiff at the mere suggestion of Chris being dragged into the mess, he began shaking his head adamantly. 

A laugh bubbled out of Brady at the apparent fear. “Don’t worry little Chris won't be bothered as long as you do as you're told, and of course so long as Evan is able to keep himself alive.” 

“Let me talk to him, I’ll make sure he listens.”

“I think Frank has that under control for now,” Hotch chimed in with a smirk. 

Helplessness surrounded Eddie at the statement. He knew that Buck was alone in the RV with Frank, but had no clue what that meant for his friend. He had already been hurt once tonight, and depending on how mouthy he might get, there could be more ahead for him. He had seemed docile as he was forced into the vehicle, and Eddie could only hope that the attitude would remain if only to keep him safe until they were able to talk further. Eddie knew Buck would do anything to keep Chris away from these men, but he still had no clue that this was a targeted attack. Buck knew nothing. He must be terrified. 

“Alright listen up,” Mac interrupted his musings as he settled into a chair by the table. “Back in Iraq, Commander Lewis started to suspect that we were up to some unsavory business. He had no clue the extent of the shit we were up to, but he knew something wasn’t right…”

“And what the fuck are we supposed to do if the commander figures out what we’ve been doing?” Brady questioned as they jogged through the camp. Soldiers milled around them, causing the demand to come out in a softer tone than he was used to. “He’s been snooping around more than normal, and now you want to kill one of the women?”

“Would you keep your tone down?” Mac demanded in a much quieter voice. “I’m not sure why you think it's a good idea to talk about murder out in the open like this. Why don’t we get back to my tent first and then we can figure out our best course of action.”

Brady didn’t bother responding, thoroughly chastised for his poor decision. It’s not that he was nervous about killing one of the informants. He had killed his fair share of people throughout his three tours now.  Although killing an innocent woman in cold-blood was a bit of a stretch. She wouldn’t be considered a casualty of war. Simply a hit. A hit that would make both men a lot of money. But a hit nonetheless. 

The heat from the sun beat down on their heads, and the relief of reaching Mac’s tent hit them both equally. They slipped through the flaps and enjoyed the brief respite from the harsh desert air. Taking a long drink of water from his bottle, Mac settled himself onto his cot against the far wall. 

“Look, I know this is bigger than anything we’ve ever done, but Amed is promising some big things for us to do this, and I don’t see any reason to turn down his offer.”

“And I don’t want to pass the offer either, but Lewis is suspicious of traitors in the camp, and he’s been asking us a lot of questions..”

“If we do this, we’ll have so much money that we won’t need the military anymore anyway.”

“So much money is no fucking good if we’re in prison.”

“Which is why we’ll be careful, and won’t get caught.”

Brady scoffed, “as if we can control that.”

“Brady, if you're too much of a bitch to accept then tell me now, because there is no way in hell I’m passing up 100 million dollars, plus instructions for more money once we get back to the states.”

“You really believe that bull shit about buried treasure?”

“It’s not some random buried treasure, when Amed was in America he came into possession of some assets, but he ended up having to bury them instead of bringing them back home with him on his return. He gives us instructions to find the assets, we send him some book that is with the jewels, and we’re set for life. Think about it- we won’t have to work ever again. And all we have to do to prove we’re loyal is kill one bitch. We are doing this.”

“Okay, fine. We do it, what’s the plan?”

“Tonight the guard change is at 1:00, and Diaz is taking over. You go out and distract Diaz, I’ll slip inside and slit her throat. No one will be the wiser. Nobody goes into the tent until the morning anyway. By the time they figure out she’s dead we’ll be packing up for our surveillance mission. If we’re lucky, they won’t notice until we’ve already left.”

“And you don’t think Diaz will suspect me, if I’m the one who came out talking to him that night?”

“It won’t matter. We just need to tell Amed where to intercept our convoy, and he kills everyone else on the mission with us- Diaz included.”

The two let silence fall between them as they considered just what they were about to do. Killing a random woman was one thing, leading their convoy, their brothers in arms, to certain death was another question. Just because they had been doing some illegal things in their spare time didn’t mean they didn’t care for their fellow soldiers. But millions of dollars was too enticing to pass up. 

“I’ll do it.” Brady stood from his seat at the small folding table and slipped from the tent decisively. Mac would take care of all the details, and he would start preparing for the mission in the morning. 

“I never knew that you all were going to kill her.” 

“Yeah, that was intentional. We decided to keep the real plan to ourselves of course.” Brady explained from his new perch atop the table. “We had a lot of information that could have been used, but we figured that there was still a chance to follow through on our deal with Amed. The less that everyone else knew about us the better.”

At 12:45, Brady’s alarm vibrated beside his ear. The startling sound woke him abruptly from his sleep, and he silenced it immediately. A glance around the large tent showed that everyone else was in a deep slumber. He took a moment to stretch before slowly slipping outside into the night air. The plan was to go for a piss, and then conveniently run into Diaz along the way. The two tended to get caught up in conversations about their kids back home. They happened to be two of the few soldiers who actually enjoyed talking about life at home, and they would compare stories of their boys whenever possible. 

He took the long way through the camp until he stumbled upon Diaz. “Hey bro!” 

Before Diaz had a chance to reply a loud explosion shook the ground, knocking them from their feet before the booming noise even registered. The response was instantaneous. Yells rang out across the camp as soldiers came barreling from their beds. Guns were at the ready, as people tried to figure out what was happening. 

Brady rolled to his side, and saw Diaz had been thrown a little farther in the blast and hit his head against the crates stacked by the front tent flap. He looked unconscious. 

Staying low to the ground, Brady slithered over to the man and checked his pulse. Still alive, just out for the time being. He latched onto his loose arm, and pulled him swiftly into the tent. Inside he made eye-contact with Mac, before he slipped underneath the bottom of the tent and disappeared. 

Things weren’t going entirely according to plan, but they could still make it work. Brady lay panting on the ground beside an unconscious Diaz, and moments later a hub of activity entered the tent, Commander Lewis leading the hustle. 

“What the fuck?” He exclaimed, taking in the carnage inside. All four of the women lay still on their cots, blood coating their bodies. “Brady! What happened here?”

“I don’t know Commander, me and Diaz were talking out front when the bomb hit. He got knocked out so I just dragged us inside. I didn’t even see them until now.”

“Shit!” He exclaimed, four useful informants and innocent women now gone. Under his watch nonetheless. Someone was going to pay dearly for this mistake. 

“Obviously you know what happened from there,” Brady interrupted Mac’s version of the events. “Lewis was suspicious of course, but there was no evidence of me killing the women, and Mac wasn’t there- so he still let us go on the scouting trip in the morning. Like you know, he sent a crew to follow us just in case. While you were busy saving the rest of the guys in the convoy we had a rendezvous with Amed. We were given a journal which had what he claimed to be instructions to the ‘treasure’, and he promised to wire over the money as soon as we sent him a picture of the woman as proof of death.

“Then the secondary crew showed up, killed Amed and his men and took us back as prisoners. Lewis took the notebook but he said it looked like junk. And we weren't about to tell him that he had the key to a shit load of wealth.”

Mac stood up and searched through a pile of papers on the table, before pulling out a sheet. He handed it over to Eddie with a grin on his face. “For a long time we figured that the journal had been destroyed and the treasure was gone forever, and then good ol’ Commander Lewis posted a photo on his Facebook account last month with a pile of ‘old war memories’ that he was going through and you would never guess what was in that pile.”

Eddie stared at the sheet in his hand; a screenshot of a Facebook post. In the center of the pile was a small leather-bound notebook. “The map.”

“You got that right,” Brady crowed, “The fucking map to our money.”

“Now this is where you come in,” Mac snatched the paper out of his hands. “We don’t want anyone to be worried about where we are or what we’re doing. So you are going to help us get the notebook from Lewis without raising any red flags. We know that you two have kept in contact over the years. I’m sure he would love a visit from his favorite soldier.”

“You can either get the journal from him, or find a way to take pictures of all the pages. Whatever gets us the information so that we can find our treasure.”

“And then you let us go?”

“And then we go on a little treasure hunt, and once we have our money we will get you right back home. I just can’t risk letting you go and ya’ll telling people where we are before we have a chance to disappear with our money forever.”

Eddie leaned forward, arms on knees. “So what's the plan?” 

“Lewis lives in Arizona now, so we get on the road tonight and head to him. This will be a surprise visit so you’ll call in the morning to let him know you’re in the area and want to catch up. Once you get the stuff we hit the road. Amed spent most of his time in Texas, so we’re hoping that's where the stuff is buried. So a straight line: 10 hours to Arizona and then another 16 to get to Dallas.”

“And Buck?”

“Frank’s job is babysitting. He’s in charge of watching the kid. As long as everyone follows directions, your boy will be fine.”

“I want your word that Buck won’t be hurt.”

“Hey, that’s not up to us,” Hotch interrupted. “So long as Buck is good he’ll be fine. I’m sure Frank has already started teaching him that, but you’ll get a chance to persuade him to follow directions.”

Mac began stuffing papers into a briefcase that was laid out on the table. “Besides following directions, the only thing you need to be sure of is that Buck doesn’t find out who we are or what we’re doing on our trip. He’s coming along, but he isn’t to be involved. The less he knows the easier it’ll be for me to drop him back at home when we finish.”

“Sounds like a plan. I want to see Buck while you all are getting ready to leave.”

Both Hotch and Brady looked to Mac at the request. Of course he was the boss, even on deployments he seemed to garner the respect of other soldiers quickly. The man was a natural leader, it was unfortunate that his charm was being used for wrong. 

“Hotch, you take him there, but keep his phone while they’re in the bunks. For now, supervised visits only so make sure that Frank keeps an eye on them. The drive is long and it’s already late so once you finish explaining the predicament I want you both to get some sleep.” 

Phone left easily on his seat, Eddie was already headed to the RV before Mac had even finished his instructions. His number one priority was to get eyes on his best friend and make sure that he is okay. 

Eddie pulled the door open quickly, and bounded up the two stairs. The vehicle was modern looking from the outside, and the inside didn’t disappoint either. Upon entering there were four black leather swivel chairs connected to the floor, with a sleek granite table top in the midst of them. To the opposite side of the chairs was a long bench like couch, also leather, and it looked like it could fold out into a bed if desired. Still no sign of Buck. 

Glancing back at Hotch for permission he continued through the RV where there was a narrow hallway that had a black curtain pulled over the doorway.

Eddie shoved the curtain out of the way and stepped through. The right of the hall had a bathroom, shower visible from where he stood, and a pantry was to the left. Through the hall he stepped into a room with two sets of bunk beds, each one having a curtain drawn across the front to obstruct the view. 

Eddie paused and Hotch snickered from his view by the bathroom. He shouldered by and yanked the curtain aside from the bottom left bunk. There lay Frank snoring lightly and a sleeping Buck curled on the very edge of the bed. The only thing seeming to keep him from falling was the possessive arm slung across his side. 

Rage boiled in Eddie at the view, especially when he tuned into the tear tracks staining Buck’s cheeks. He wondered how long Buck lay awake, crying and terrified in the arms of this stranger before finally drifting to sleep. 

“Frank,” Hotch called while kicking the base of the bed. 

The giant of a man startled awake and instinctively pulled Buck closer to his body. The harsh movement caused Buck to wake as well. For a moment it looked like he wanted to fight against the restricting hold but he froze upon seeing Eddie in front of him. 

He didn’t speak, but there was a hopeful glint to his eyes at finally seeing his friend again. 

“Boss says to let them talk, and then sleep. He wants you to supervise but that's all- Eddie knows how things are going from now on.”

Without so much as a complaint, Frank removed his arm and gave a small nudge to Buck’s back. “You all can take the bunk across from me.”

It almost felt like a trap how easily he was being released, but Buck didn’t hesitate to take advantage of his freedom. He scrambled out of the bed and straight into Eddie’s arms. The shorter man wrapped thick arms around him and quickly guided him to the bed. 

Hotch was already leaving by the time they had sat down, and Eddie was quick to pull the curtain shut once they were situated. They remained quiet for a moment until they heard Frank’s curtain pull shut as well. 

Tears were tumbling from Buck’s eyes before Eddie had turned to him and the moment he noticed he was reaching out to pull him close. The last couple of hours had been terrifying, but Eddie couldn’t begin to imagine how difficult they had been on Buck. Threatened, hit, and held all by a man with a gun must have been traumatizing. 

“It’s okay, it’s okay, I got you Buck, I got you.” Arms wrapped tightly around his shoulders he tried to be mindful of the split and bruised lip as he held him close. “I’m here now.” 

With one more shuddering sob, Buck pulled away and wiped the rapidly falling tears from his face. He took a deep breath trying to calm his racing heart. “What’s going on Eddie?”

“Listen, these guys need my help with something, so we are going to go on a trip with them, it’ll probably take a week or two, but then once I finish helping them they’ll take us straight home.”

“Who are they? Do you know them? What about Chris? What about work?”

“No, no, I don’t know them, but I know about something they want so I was the best option. And they didn’t want to bring a kid as leverage, so they picked you instead.” Eddie hated lying to his best friend, but knowing that Frank was just a few feet away probably listening intently to their conversation, he decided to play their stupid game. The more they trusted him, hopefully the easier they would go on Buck. “They had me contact everyone and I made up a family emergency excuse that we needed to be out of town for. Pepa, Abuela, and Carla have Chris, and I told Bobby that we will keep him updated on when we’ll be back. Anyway, they don’t want you to know about what we’re doing so try not to ask too many questions. The less you know, the safer you are.”

“So what happens to me when you guys are off doing whatever you’re doing?”

“Apparently Frank is only here to watch you… so you’ll probably be spending most of your time with him.”

The fear that shuttered through Buck’s face nearly tore Eddie’s heart in two. This was so fucking unfair. “But listen Buck, you just need to play along. They said if we don’t do what they want they’ll kill you and then we are going to try again with Chris.”

Buck’s head shot up at that announcement. “Chris can’t be involved," he whispered in horror.

“I know, that's why we will do exactly as they ask, and then they’ll take us home. My hope is that Frank will ease up because we both have incentive to stay and listen. We don’t want Chris here so we are going to be team players.”

Buck took a deep breath and began to adjust the bedding for sleep. He pulled the blankets up around his shoulders and laid down on one of the two pillows. When it looked like Eddie was trying to lay on top of the blankets, Buck might need a break from the physical contact, he quickly held the blanket up and gave a sliver of a smile -closer to a grimace- when Eddie settled beside him. 

The two turned to face opposite directions, Buck’s face close to the wall of the RV, and Eddie’s facing the curtain. Backs pressed close together they lay quietly for a minute. 

“Goodnight Buck.”

“Goodnight Eddie.”

Chapter Text

Buck slowly awoke to the feeling of movement and the low rumbling sound of driving. Did he fall asleep on the drive home? With a stretch of his arms, he turned around and bumped right into Eddie who was blinking at him through half lidded eyes. 

“Morning Buckaroo,” He murmured quietly.

Oh, right. The gas station, Frank, the RV, it wasn’t all just a bad dream. Every nightmare from the previous evening was oh so real, and apparently not going away anytime soon. “Morning Eddie,” around a swollen face, the cut in his lip cracking as he opened his mouth. 

Eddie carefully wiped away the drip of blood that slipped down his chin. 

“Thanks.”

“How ya feeling?”

“For a second I forgot what was going on. That was a nice feeling.”

“And now that you remember?”

“Like a fucking train just plowed me over.” Vivid imagery felt like the only way to express how Buck was truly feeling. He had just experienced one of the most terrifying nights of his life, and he didn’t know how much more he could handle. It’s not like this was his first time being in danger, not even the first (or second) time he had been held at gunpoint, but this adventure had no end in sight. No one knew they were missing or that something was wrong, which meant that no one would be looking for them. They had to ride this one out, and just hope that these men were telling the truth about letting them go after. 

Hope was a dangerous thing, but right now that's all they had. Hope they will get to go home and see Chris, Maddie, Jee, Bobby, the team again. That was what Buck had to hold on to. He had nothing else but the hope that he would be returned to his family eventually. 

Eddie made a sympathetic noise as he stretched his arms above his head and sat up. In a fully upright position, his head just grazed the bottom of the top bunk. The beds much more spacious than he would have guessed of an RV. “I think we are gonna make our first stop today, but I’m pretty sure I’m the only one who’s going anywhere- so you’ll be here with everyone at least for now.”

“You’ll come back, right?” Buck asked quietly. He knew his friend wouldn’t abandon him, but the nerves swelling up inside brought about a wave of insecurity. 

“Of course man. I’m going to get my job done and be back in no time.”

Before Buck could respond, the curtain to their bed was pulled aside and a man that Buck didn’t recognize stood peering at them. Eddie didn’t mention that there were more guys now. His confusion must have been apparent on his face as the man observed him. He introduced himself as Mac, the boss, and mentioned that another guy Brady was driving at the moment. 

Why didn’t Eddie tell him that there were other guys involved last night?

Eddie was surprised that they were sticking with their real names, part of the reason he hadn’t brought it up yesterday was he didn’t know just how out of the dark they wanted Buck. 

“ Alright, we’re about two hours out from our destination, so you two oughta get up and start getting ready. We’re gonna stop for breakfast in a bit, and it looks and smells like you two could use some showers.”

“A shower sounds like a great idea,” Eddie agreed and started to step out of the bed, which forced Mac to back away. He was hoping to give Buck a little more space since he didn’t seem quite ready to interact with anyone. 

From the moment Mac had interrupted their conversation, Buck’s body language had increasingly closed off. Having no way of knowing what was going on in his friend's head, Eddie wanted to give him as much space as possible.

Why didn’t Eddie tell him that there were other guys involved last night?

Buck watched distantly as Eddie and Mac walked out of the bunk room without a second glance at him, what the fuck? Yanking the blanket back up to his chin, Buck burrowed deeper into the soft bed, and stared at the entrance to the room. Hoping that Eddie would come back, and that the other men would leave him alone. 

At some point his eyes must have drifted shut again. 

“Looks like someone was sleepy,” A voice interrupted the dreamless sleep Buck had fallen into. A sharp yawn slipped from his mouth as he cracked his eyes to peer at the intruder. Frank was sitting on the bed opposite of him, legs spread wide and elbows resting on his knees so that he could lean closer. 

Buck startled backwards and smacked his head against the wall in his attempt to create space, prompting a grin to slide on to Frank’s face. 

“Easy now, you know there's no reason to be afraid of me.”

“Tell that to my face,” Buck replied, feeling a little more brave now that he had woken up properly. He rubbed gently at the back of his head.

“And there’s the spitfire we all know and love. It's your turn for a shower. The guys are in McDonald’s getting some food, you can eat once you're clean.”

“Is Eddie in there too?”

“Yeah,” Frank stood up, and dropped a towel and long sleeve shirt onto Buck’s bed. “We’ll go to the store later for more clothes, but figured you at least want out of the bloody sweat shirt for now.”

“Thanks,” Buck grabbed the material and clutched it tightly to his chest. Frank was being startlingly friendly, and he wasn’t sure how to react. He thought things would be different, now that Eddie was on board, but he didn’t think it would lead to playful teasing and thoughtful gestures. 

“Let’s go!” Frank shouted from the hallway on his way out.

Buck didn’t even flinch at the tone. Simply slid from the bed and straight to the bathroom to wash up. 

45-minutes later found Buck, Eddie, Mac and Hotch seated around the table. Eddie was wearing the same pants as before, and one of his LAFD shirts, which must have been in his duffle bag. Buck found himself regretting not being more on top of laundry, as he had no spare clothes in his bag and was stuck wearing one of Frank’s shirts, which hung loosely from his frame. 

The thought of actually needing and using something from the asshole was upsetting, but Buck was happy to have escaped the nauseating smell of blood that coated his previous outfit. 

Taking another ravenous bite of his sausage, egg, and cheese biscuit Buck observed the other three men at the table with him. Everyone else had already finished eating as they had started while he was showering, and were now busy looking at the two laptops on the table. 

Eddie’s focus was split between the laptop Mac was using and his own cellphone which was propped against his cup from McDonalds. “Lewis said I should come at 1:00 for lunch. Are we gonna make it in time?” 

“Check with Brady about the ETA,” Mac directed Hotch with a gesture of his head. The man was up and moving to the front with a sliding glass window connected the cab to the rest of the vehicle. 

“What’s the ETA looking like?” He asked through the window after unlatching it. 

“GPS says we’ll be there by 12:30,” he hollered back, loud enough that everyone could hear his response.

“Perfect, so we will drop you and Hotch off, and then have some errands of our own to get done. You guys just let us know when you’re ready to pick up and we’ll be set.”

“What about Buck while I’m gone?”

Buck was so tired of hearing people ask about him, it seemed like he was brought up in every single conversation, but he was realizing that at least when Eddie did it was because he was worried. Which was more than he could say about anyone else in the RV.

“We’re gonna find a Walmart or Target and do a little shopping. Buck’s gonna come along,” Frank replied from his spot lounging on the couch. “Need to get you guys some clothes, and some stuff for him to do all day. It’s going to be pretty boring here when you all are busy.”

The younger firefighter wasn’t sure how to feel about this development. Of course he was excited by the idea of being able to pick out some things for himself, but the idea of going out in public with Frank was terrifying. He wondered what it would be like to have a taste of freedom, but know that it wasn’t real. 

Glancing at Buck with a grin, “Get me some boxers while you’re out, will you?” 

A small smile crept across his face, and he nodded easily. 

Eddie stared at him a minute longer before going back to the computer. He quietly whispered something to Mac as he pointed at the screen. 

Trying not to dwell on the prolonged stare, Buck hurriedly finished his food and threw the trash into the brown bag lying by his feet. The food, although cheap, was exactly what he needed after a grueling shift the day before and going to bed without dinner. With what felt like the tenth yawn since his shower, Buck glanced over to Frank. The man was staring right back at him. 

For a moment Buck considered keeping quiet, but instead he leaned over so as not to bother the men working, “can I go lay back in bed?”

“Jesus, you haven’t slept enough yet?”

“Not like there’s anything to do out here,” he shrugged. 

“Yeah, alright,” he conceded, standing from the couch.

Buck paused. Of course Frank would be coming with him, despite being in a moving RV, with three people with guns in between him and the only exit, they didn’t seem to want him alone. 

Eddie looked up when he stood. “You alright Buck?”

“Yeah, I’m going to try and take a nap. I guess I’ll see you when you get back.” In the bunk room, Buck hopped into his and Eddie’s shared bed from the night before hoping that he could keep his own space. 

“Want to watch a movie?” Frank asked from the entrance.

Buck glanced over from his studious gaze at the wall. “Whatever you want,” He said, already sliding under the covers and nestling into the pillows. He was never normally this tired, but with a full belly and the pounding headache that came on when he got out of the shower, a nap seemed like the perfect idea. 

Eyes already sliding shut, Frank snorted. “Are you really going to fall asleep?”

Buck opened one eye to look over at him. “I don’t feel very good, hoping sleep will get rid of the headache.”

“Let me get you some pills first.” Frank was up and rifling through the pantry in the hall before returning with a bottle of extra strength Tylenol. He passed three pills to Buck along with a bottle of water. Before retreating to his side of the room a large hand dropped onto his forehead. It was gone again before Buck could find it in him to be afraid. 

“Thanks,” Buck closed his eyes once again and was asleep before Frank could respond. 

Chapter Text

Eddie stood by the bed staring down at a sleeping Buck. He looked more peaceful than he had in days. Almost like a far away dream, Eddie remembered the stress that he had been experiencing throughout the last couple of days- specifically his painful last shift. How had that only been a day ago? It was a shame that his opportunity to process his stress was stolen away by Eddie’s own mess. Going from a bad break up, and hating oneself to being kidnapped and dragged across the country was a difficult shift to make. Maybe that's why he was sleeping so much, just trying to escape the reality of this shithole. 

He wished that he could do something to rescue his friend from this madness, but all he could do is hope that it would be over soon. Cooperation seemed like their best bet at this point.

With one final glance, Eddie stepped purposefully from the bunk room back into the main seating area. Brady had joined everyone in the back and was standing beside Mac with a grin on his face. 

“I can’t believe this is finally happening man! We’re gonna be rich after all these years of struggling.”

“Let’s not get too ahead of ourselves. Eddie is just getting the directions. A lot more is going to come before that.”

“You ready?” Eddie interrupted their conversation with a glance at Hotch. Up until this morning Eddie had assumed that he would be going on this trip alone, but they didn’t seem to trust him quite that much and since Hotch wasn’t a part of the military the Commander would have no way of knowing he wasn’t ‘just a friend’. 

It was a smart move. Eddie had spent the last night tossing and turning about what to do. Should he tell Lewis what was happening? Involve the police? Try and get help? Or do as he was told? Having Hotch come along made most of those options pretty difficult considering one text to Frank would lead to Buck being punished. Eddie wanted to get everyone home safe and sound, and unless there was a surefire way to get all four men arrested it didn’t seem worth it; for Buck or Chris’s sakes. 

“Yeah, let's go,” Hotch agreed. 

Brady  pulled the RV to a stop at the beginning of the neighborhood, leaving the two with a couple minutes walk to make it to the Commander’s house. Upon arriving, Eddie was shocked by how large of a house it was. Lewis had never come off as the flashy type, but he had a gorgeous, large house with a stretching green lawn and a beautiful garden lining the walkway to the door. 

Taking a deep breath, Eddie bounded up the stairs to ring the bell. Hotch stayed close behind him. This was going to be a big con and he dug deep within to pull out his acting skills; starting with a believably friendly smile. 

The moment the door opened, Eddie was pulled into the open arms of a sixty-something year old man. He was bald, and had a thick grey beard framing the bottom half of his face. “Diaz, is it great to see you!”

“You too commander, you too.”

Hotch cleared his throat as they held the embrace for a moment longer. “Oh right, Commander, this is Hotch, an old friend who happened to come along on the road trip.”

They shook hands briefly as Lewis led them inside. 

A large spread of food covered the kitchen table, ranging from soup, sandwiches, freshly chopped fruit and vegetables, even some cake and cookies were placed. The McDonalds from earlier had already left his mind as Eddie and Hotch took in their awaiting lunch. 

“Oh commander, you are too kind sir!” Eddie stepped forward excitedly. “This looks delicious.”

“I figured you boys haven’t had a good home cooked meal since you’ve been out on the road so much. How could I not make some good eats?”

They settled at the table and dug in. The conversation stayed light and skittered around small talk. Eddie and Commander shared some old war stories and gave updates on what they had been up to over the last couple of years. The contact that they had maintained since being together was always general and non invasive. 

Sharing about Chris was uncomfortable with Hotch sitting right behind him, but how could he not? Chris was literally the most important thing in his life. It’s not like he could avoid it. 

After finishing up their food they moved to the living room with dessert. Three old couches framed the room, and a dark oak coffee table stood in the center, covered in old war memorabilia. 

Eddie had wondered how exactly Mac expected him to get a hold of the journal, but it was surprisingly simple when he mentioned over text that he would love to look through the things he had posted on Facebook. 

Lewis couldn’t have been more excited to have someone to go down memory lane with. The real question was whether Eddie would try to get help, or just get the info and get back to Buck. 

Frank and Mac stood by the window in the RV watching as the pair walked down the sidewalk. Things had been moving smoother than expected and it seemed like there would be compliance from all parties involved. The threat of hurting his friend, but even worse his son seemed to keep Eddie in line, and that's all that mattered. In a couple of days they would be sending the boys on their way home, and everyone involved in this scheme would be on their way with a shit ton of money. He couldn’t have asked for a better outcome. 

It was crazy to think that all of this had come to fruition in such a round-about manner. Two months ago Mac thought he would have never seen Brady again, much less anyone else from his army days. But by chance Brady had come across the commander’s social media, and had called him up immediately to share the exciting news. Not one to pass up an opportunity for more money, they had immediately started planning. Everything was going perfectly according to plan. 

Through the open window Brady called back, “so what's the plan now?”

“Can we see if there is a Walmart around here so I can take the kid to get some stuff.”

Brady typed in his phone for a minute, “yeah there's a shopping center around here that has a staples, which is perfect for Mac to get his printing done, and I figure a bank will be nearby as well.”

“Perfect, I figure that Diaz and Hotch will be busy for a couple of hours, so we can get some lunch once the errands are finished.”

Buck had both hands clutched to the blue shopping cart as he trailed behind Frank. A Tuesday afternoon in Walmart lended to a relatively slow flow of shoppers. The privacy was appreciated, as Buck wasn’t sure how he would be able to keep his head down with the opportunity to get help from someone. He knew that he and Eddie had agreed to do as they were told, but after spending the day on the edge of his seat waiting to be hit or yelled at or threatened he was tense and shaky. 

Frank glanced behind him with a grin, holding up a t-shirt with bold print that said; ‘I would flex but I like this shirt’. 

Buck shook his head adamantly and snatched a plain black t-shirt instead. “I think this is a little more my style.” 

A loud laugh slipped out from Frank. The noise wasn’t what Buck had expected, it was possibly the first genuine noise he had heard from the man. His previous laughs had been intended for intimidation or to simply be an asshole. But this laugh came from deep within, and boomed out across the men’s clothing section. 

Buck glanced around to see if it attracted anyone’s attention, but no one spared them a second glance. 

“Get whatever you want kid.”

“For Eddie too?”

“Yeah, enough for two weeks for both of you. We probably would have time to find a laundromat but laundry isn’t really my thing.”

Buck didn’t bother responding to the joke. He was not fucking joking around with his kidnapper. The fucking asshole. 

He threw a handful of black tees in the cart in his size and Eddie’s, then grabbed two pairs of sweatpants, jeans, and khakis. If most of his time would be spent on the RV, he figured it wouldn’t matter too much what he wore and threw some gym shorts in as well. 

“Want a new sweatshirt?” Frank called from across the aisle. 

Buck hadn’t even realized he had floated so far away. The distance was refreshing. He glanced behind him at the open space. The urge to bolt struck him hard and fast. He turned back to Frank, and was surprised to see him less than a foot away, a heavy hand dropping to the back of his neck. 

“Fuck,” Buck startled, trying to duck his head away. 

The hand clamped down tighter and pulled him close to Frank’s shoulder. “Now I really thought me and you had an understanding boy. I’m sure that look don’t mean what I think it means, huh?”

“No, I swear, I was just looking.”

One final squeeze, and then he was being released. Frank dropped a maroon sweatshirt and grey crew neck into the cart. “Get a jacket for Eddie and then we’ll head to the underwear.”

It seemed like he could never do anything right. Even looking the wrong way was getting him in trouble. He quickly grabbed a black hoodie, and looked at Frank for more direction. He would be keeping his head down for the duration of this trip. 

“You can walk in front from now on.”

And just like that his small taste of freedom was gone. They did a quick stop to grab boxers and socks, and trailed through the toiletries for the necessities. Buck couldn’t wait to brush his teeth. A brief stop at the book section let Buck grab two books, one was Michelle Obama’s book that had been on his list for years, and then The Davinci Code, another one he had heard great things about but had never gotten around to. They went through some of the food aisles to grab snacks, and then they were heading to the front to check out. About to hop in line, Frank’s phone chimed. He reached out to halt Buck from moving further with a hand clenched in the back of his shirt. 

“Hey,” Buck protested, but he stopped and backed up to stay beside Frank. 

The aggressor scanned his phone intently before he let out a deep sigh. 

“What’s wrong?” 

“We need to grab a couple more things.”

“Did something happen?” Buck questioned. There seemed to have been a shift in attitude, but he couldn’t understand why. 

Frank stepped close so that they were inches away. “Buck if you open your mouth again I’m going to beat the shit out of you when we get back to the RV. I need to get a couple more things, and you are going to push the cart right next to me. I swear to god, you say anything and you’ll regret it.”

Buck’s eyes widened at the harshly whispered threat. He nodded quickly, but didn’t dare to speak. Frank started moving, and the firefighter forced himself to keep pace. There was no way he was going to risk pissing the man off any further. 

They moved purposefully through the store to the back left corner. Buck carefully read the descriptions of each aisle to try and figure out where they were headed. They ended up in the tools/work supplies area. Maybe there was car trouble?

Frank turned sharply into a row filled with rope and Buck slowed down at the entrance when he noticed. One firm glance had Buck moving forward quickly. Frank ran his hands along a couple of different options before tossing two coils of mid-sized rope into the cart. He gave Buck a challenging look, daring him to say something but the other man simply dropped his eyes to the new items in their cart.

Frank grabbed the edge of the cart and pulled Buck along with him. The next row over had tape, and he snatched two roles of duct tape off the shelf. 

So not tools for car troubles then.

Something must have happened that he heard about on the phone. The question is, was he the one who would suffer for it. 

“Time to check out. I’ll give you one reminder, open your mouth and you’re in for a world of pain.” 

The two men walked in sync back to the front of the store, and worked together to load up their haul on the conveyor belt. The girl at the register looked to be in her late teens, she didn’t look at either of them, much less greet them. It suited everyone better that there was no interaction. 

Buck pulled the cart to the front to start loading the bags in while Frank paid in cash. As soon as the cart was full he slipped a hand over Buck’s bicep to guide him out the door. The RV was parked at the back of the parking lot and they quickly walked back to the vehicle where Mac and Brady stood by the door waiting. 

“Took you long enough,” Mac complained.

“Did you want us to leave all of our stuff? I’m not trying to do this bull shit again.” 

Buck stood quietly by the cart watching the back-and-forth raptly. Looking for any indication that he was in trouble. 

“Alright let's load up and get this started.”

The questions on the tip of his tongue were begging to get out, but Buck wasn’t sure if he was still on no speaking orders. The four men began grabbing bags and Buck went first in entering the RV. 

All of the bags were dropped onto the couch. “Get the clothes and go put them on your bed. We’ll find somewhere to store them later.”

Quick to obey, Buck grabbed the five bags which held his and Eddie’s new wardrobe for the foreseeable future. He tossed the bags on the bed, but hesitated to go back out. Everyone was tense and he wasn’t looking forward to finding out why. 

“Buck, come on out here,” Frank called from the living area. 

Shit. Fucking shit. 

Nerves washed over Buck in a crash of waves. Time for the other shoe to drop. He stepped out into the open room and saw both Mac and Brady leaning against the wall which connected the cab to the rest of the RV. The moment he wasted focusing on them was all the time that Frank needed to step out from behind him and slip an arm around his neck. 

His body went rigid at the pressure around his neck, shooting his hands up to hang onto the arm clutching him. “Wait, wait, please no.”

“What the fuck did I say about talking?” Without waiting for an answer Frank drove a foot into the back of his leg dropping him harshly to his knees on the floor. Up until that point he had simply been using his chokehold for control, but as soon as Buck hit the floor he tightened the hold, cutting off his breath in the midst of his panicked gasping. With one final squeeze Buck’s eyes fluttered shut and he slumped to the floor. 

“Let’s make this quick Frank, I think Eddie needs some immediate motivation.”

Slicing a length of rope from one of the coils, he yanked Buck’s arms behind his back and tied them there with tight knots. 

The stillness of the room only lasted a moment before Buck was groaning from his pinned position. He moaned lowly and began shifting to sit up. “Stay down, kid.” Frank murmured as he rolled him over. 

“Please,” he gasped. 

“Wrong choice,” Frank smirked, landing a curled fist against his eye, on the opposite side of his split lip. 

A groan escaped from Buck and he attempted to squirm out from underneath Frank. “Please don’t, I’m sorry I don’t know what I did. I’m sorry.”

“You need to shut the fuck up,” Frank stood up and snatched a roll of duct tape from the table. He pulled a long strip free. A hand in Buck’s hair yanked him back to Frank before tape was being sealed firmly over his mouth and wrapped around his head. 

Struggles ceasing with his limited ability to breathe, Buck stilled, keeping his eyes trained on Frank. Eddie must have fucked up. He certainly hadn’t done enough to warrant this type of response. 

“Give him a kick for the road,” Mac instructed. 

Grunting through the tape, Buck silently pleaded for reprieve. Frank took a step around his body, and reeled back before planting a kick across his head promptly knocking him out.

Chapter Text

Eddie knew he had fucked up the moment Hotch asked to look through the journal too. 

They had gotten lucky when the Commander needed to take a personal call, giving them time to take detailed photos of each journal page that was written on. The stress of figuring out an excuse of why he wanted photos of each page had been weighing on him since the moment they had come into the house. But for whatever reason luck seemed to be on his side. 

Lewis returned to the room a couple of minutes after they finished with the journal. “Sorry about that fellas, when my brother calls it feels like I can never get him to shut up.”

“Oh no worries sir, we were enjoying looking through all your things while you were talking,” Eddie grinned at the explanation. The two men had worked quickly and efficiently with each other, and he was just happy to have the task done. Meaning Buck would be alright, and they could get this show on the road.  

“Now, where were we before I took that call?”

“You know what,” Hotch began, “I’m sure you two would appreciate a little privacy to catch up, and I would love to look through this journal a little more. You all enjoy your conversation.”

“Oh there’s no reason for you to step away, you’ve been a great part of our conversation, right Lewis?” Eddie asked with a chuckle. 

The look Hotch gave him in response was all he needed to see to know that he would have been better off agreeing. Snatching the journal from the table he hopped to his feet and took a step away to look through it. It only took a minute for him to pause and look up at Eddie from where he sat guiltily talking to Lewis. 

Hotch took a quick photo of the last page in the journal before discreetly tearing the page out and stuffing it into his pocket. He took a minute to type out a message to Mac and attached the photo. 

Smiling at the two, Hotch lowered himself back to the couch, a little closer to Eddie than he was before. Stretching an arm across the back of the couch his fingers slid across Eddie’s shoulder and tightened for a brief moment before disappearing. 

Lewis shared some of the updates about his family from his brother, and both Hotch and Eddie pretended like they cared. Eddie knew he had made a grave mistake writing the note in the journal, he just couldn’t help but try. Now, he had to sit with a fake smile on his face, nodding along to the words being spoken at him, but not registering the sound. 

A moment later Hotch’s phone chimed, notifying him of a message. He glanced at his phone before passing it to Eddie. The screen was filled with a photo of Buck lying on one of the beds, eyes closed, with tape wrapped around his face and blood trickling down his forehead from an open cut already swelling to a deep purple. Another chime came along with a message saying that any more missteps would prove fatal for his friend.

The phone slipped from Eddie’s hands to his lap, and Hotch snatched it up before Lewis had a chance to see anything suspicious.

“Everything okay boys?” 

“Oh yeah, just a friend of ours who we are visiting next. Their schedule changed so we are only going to be able to catch up for an hour or so. Which means we should probably be heading out now.” The lie was out of his mouth before he even considered how the abrupt exit would come across to Hotch. At this point he didn’t care about anything but getting back to Buck. 

Things had gone so smoothly in the morning, and Eddie had foolishly fallen into a false sense of comfort. He didn’t consider the consequences of getting caught because he assumed that he was smarter than these men. Thinking they were just money hungry assholes who were so blinded by greed they wouldn’t bother checking him. Turns out he was very wrong. Not only was he wrong, but Buck was the one who had to pay the price. 

“Commander Lewis it was so great to meet you,” Hotch smiled sharply and stood to shake his hand. “We are so sorry to rush out like this, but we really do want to see our friend before we move on to the next state.”

“I certainly understand, not like I get a monopoly on all of your time.” He clasped hands with Hotch and gave a firm shake. “Nice meeting you as well.”

Eddie stood from his seat and gave a brief hug to Lewis before they were heading towards the door. 

“Oh, before I forget I have an extra cake that I want you all to take for your trip.”

Eddie didn’t respond. “I’ll take that,” Hotch stepped up, “thanks so much for everything!”

“Bye commander Lewis, talk to you soon.”

As soon as the door had closed behind them Eddie’s spiral took over full force. He came to a halt on the front walkway, heart pounding against his chest. His ribcage felt like it was squeezing against his lung, and pulling in a breath of air became the most difficult task he had ever done. How do you breathe again?

“I’m gonna recommend that you get your shit together and get a move on, your boy could probably use your help right about now.”

With one final deep breath, Eddie jogged to catch up to the man who hadn’t even bothered to stop. He knew Eddie was coming back to the RV without a doubt. The photo of a bruised and bloody unconscious Buck was terrifying. Eddie had no doubts in his mind that he needed to get back. The only question is how would he overcome the guilt. This was all his fault. They had agreed to follow the rules, and he had broken them. Now Buck was hurt- he could only pray that Christopher wouldn’t be next. 

Edmundo Diaz was not a praying man. He hadn’t stepped foot in a church in years, but the thought of losing his bestfriend or losing his son was almost enough to bring him to his knees. 

The walk from the house to the RV was a blur. Eddie could barely remember if he had replied when Hotch goaded him. ‘ You fucked up’ playing on repeat in his mind, and he could hardly focus on putting one foot in front of the other. A loud static filled his ears, and a fog settled over his previously calm body.

 This was nothing like the last time he and Buck had been held hostage. Of course there were guns and threatening, but they had been together up until the very end of the situation. If things had gotten out of hand Eddie was there to have stepped in. Now, not only was he not there for Buck, but he was the one who caused this pain. 

Opening the door to the RV, Hotch gestured for him to go in first. Eddie wasted no time in leaping up the stairs and heading inside. He needed to see Buck. 

“I see our little picture did wonders in changing your attitude,” Mac announced from his seat on the table. 

Eddie barely spared him a glance as his eyes scanned the room for Buck. 

“He’s in the back with Frank right now.”

“I need to see him,” Eddie pleaded. He just needed visual confirmation that his friend was still breathing, that they weren’t turning back around to LA for his son, that he hadn’t just made the biggest mistake of his life.

“You can see him in a minute, but I think we need to have a little talk first.”

“Look, I’m sorry, I fucked up man I shouldn’t have written the note. Please take it out on me, not Buck,” Eddie took a step towards Mac, but Brady had a gun to his chest pushing him back into Hotch before he could move much further. Trying to placate the men, he raised his hands up halfway to his shoulders. “What do you want me to do?”

“I want you to sit on the couch and shut up.”

Forcing him to wait was almost punishment enough. Maybe that was the plan to drag out this ‘talk’ and leave Eddie sweating about his companion for as long as possible. He genuinely had no clue how Buck was and didn’t hear a sound coming from the bunk area. With the tape covering his mouth in the photo, Buck could be awake and alive back there just unable to speak. Or they could have shot him once they took the photo. Eddie’s mind supplied unhelpfully. 

“I can do that,” he sat carefully, on the edge of the couch. His attention split between watching Mac, Brady’s gun, and trying to hear a sound behind the curtain. 

“I gotta admit, I was a little surprised when Hotch told me what you were up to. It’s not that I blame you. Hell, I would have done the same thing. But I also don’t have a kid back at home whose life is resting in my hands, you know what I mean?”

Eddie opened his mouth to reply, but Mac was already standing up with a raised hand. “Let me finish.” 

Eddie’s jaw clicked shut. 

“I’m hoping that we can all use this as a learning opportunity. We’ve learned that you can’t be trusted and any sense of freedom we were trying to give you is clearly not appreciated,” he continued with a gesture at himself and Brady. “I’m hoping that you are learning something from all this too.”

Eddie nodded along, not sure if Mac was expecting a verbal response. He just wanted to hurry this along.

“Well, what have you learned Diaz?” A single eyebrow arched. 

“I’ve learned that you guys are smarter than me, and I should just do what you say, and I won’t try and get help anymore.”

“I really hope that you aren’t just saying that to make me happy. For the sake of your friend, of course. We went easy on him, I figure everyone deserves one chance and I’d really rather not go all the way back to LA. But listen here; this is your last chance. You do anything else and Buck is dead. No three strikes, you're out here. This is your second and only chance at keeping that kid alive. Next time there won't be a conversation or a sit down chat.”

“I swear to god there won’t be a next time.”

“Okay, good. Here’s the deal: we are going to be spending a night or two at a camping site not far from here until we figure out the clues in the journal. You are going to be working the journal with us, and if you so much as look at me wrong I’ll have Frank add to the bruises on Buck’s face. It is in your best interest to work hard, and smart and hopefully we can get on the road tomorrow.”

“Can I see Buck now?”

“Frank, bring him out here.”

Buck was shoved forcefully out of the back and stumbled at the rough handling. Eddie was on his feet and reaching out, but before he could grab on, he was being pulled back by a hand on his shoulder. A whimper slipped out from underneath the tape but Buck allowed himself to be held up against Frank's chest. The man slid an arm over his shoulder and around his chest, keeping them pressed firmly together. 

There were tears in his red rimmed eyes, but none were falling, and the gash on the side of his head had been bandaged up, although no one bothered trying to clean him as there was still dried blood crusting down his cheek. Finally, he glanced up and met Eddie’s eyes. There was so much emotion bubbling in his face, but with the tape keeping him quiet there was no way to express what he was feeling. Part of him wanted to comfort Eddie, despite the thought in the back of his mind that this was all Eddie’s fault. Not knowing what else to do he looked down at the ground again. 

Buck was a mess. The dried blood, a swiftly darkening black eye, his shirt had been pulled and stretched until the neck was hanging off of one shoulder and his hair was sticking out in all the wrong places. This was Eddie’s fault . Why did he write that stupid note?

“Now I think that I was being too nice to you two. I thought that letting you talk, and share a bed, and be together was a good idea. I thought it would encourage good listening. But I was clearly wrong. So we’re going to try things a little differently and see if it's a good reminder of why we don’t try and get help.”

“I’m so sorry Buck,” Eddie whispered. 

He shook his head in response but didn’t look back up. 

“Frank, why don’t you share your plan for Buck?”

“I think we’re gonna let him cool down like this for now. I gotta admit, the tape isn’t such a bad look on the kid.”

Eddie glared at the man, but didn’t say a word. He couldn’t make this punishment any worse than it already was for Buck. 

“We’ll probably just spend the time in the bunks. Give these two a little space. In a couple hours I might even consider untying him.”

“Hours? Look, I'm here, I’m going to do what you want- there is no reason to keep him tied up like this.”

“Oh but there is,” Mac corrected. “I want you to remember that your actions have consequences. These are the consequences and you’re going to have to live with them.”

Buck’s frame seemed to shrink with every passing moment, and Frank’s comment about looking good with duct tape on his face seemed to completely shut him down.

 Without another word, Frank was pulling them back into the bunks. Eddie watched, but didn’t move. 

“You do something useful, and I might consider putting a good word in for the kid. Otherwise he’s on his own until Frank decides it's been enough. And trust me when I say Frank never thinks it's been enough.

“You know it really is a shame your friend made me do all this to you,” Frank commented after shoving Buck onto Frank’s bed. The tied up man tried to twist his body so that he didn’t land directly on his bound hands and was able to maneuver himself onto his side. This put his back to Frank, but it was worth it to not crush his hands with his entire body weight. He quickly squirmed his way into a sitting position, and then scooted back with his legs into a corner of the bed. 

He watched Frank carefully as the man toed off his shoes and then slipped his sweat shirt off leaving him in dark sweatpants and a white tank. “I was really starting to like you, and now I’m sure you aren’t the biggest fan of me.” 

A huffed breath slipped from Buck, and Frank paused in his movement of pulling chips out of a Walmart bag, to peer down at Buck. “You think that's funny?”

Buck averted his eyes to his knees quickly and didn’t respond. 

“You know it's okay to laugh when I make jokes. I’ve been told I’m a pretty funny guy,” he went on, as he tossed two bags of chips on the bed and followed them in.

 In the daytime with a lot less adrenaline coursing through him, the bunk seemed much smaller than the night before when they had fallen asleep next to each other. Buck tried to scoot himself further into the wall to avoid having their legs touch, as Frank propped himself up against the pillows and opened up his snack. 

“I hate to break it to ya kid, but we might end up touching a little bit. But don’t worry I’m not gonna hurt you unless your idiot friend does anything else stupid. Like I said Buck, I don’t want to hurt you. Whatever happens to you is all on Diaz.”

In some fucked up way, Frank wasn’t even lying. Of course he had a choice about whether he beat Buck or not, but that choice was directly correlated to Eddie’s actions. Eddie knew what would happen if he messed around and he did it anyway. Actually, Eddie had been told that Buck would be killed if he tried to warn anyone, and he did it anyway. Buck tried to reign in these thoughts. He probably would have done the same thing if he was in Eddie’s position. There was no way to know for sure if they would be let go when this was all over, so trying to get away might be their best bet. He could only hope that if there was a next time he wasn’t caught. 

“You tired again?” Frank asked as he stuffed some chips into his mouth.

Buck shrugged. If he laid down and closed his eyes he could probably fall asleep, but he didn’t really want to nap next to this guy. If anything, he was more hungry. McDonalds had been hours ago and his promised lunch had been snatched away by Eddie’s mess up. He hoped Frank would feed him soon. 

“I think I’ll turn on a movie then. You aren’t a very good conversationalist ya know?” 

Buck glowered back, unimpressed. 

“I’m gonna get a laugh out of you one day. Just you wait.”

Buck was sure he would, even if it was more out of surprise than anything, but with the gag covering his mouth, he knew it wouldn’t be anytime soon. 

What Buck had once thought was a cabinet turned out to be housing a decently sized TV at the foot of the bed. Frank pulled a remote out of seemingly nowhere and began scrolling through Netflix trying to bait Buck into picking what they would watch. 

He refused to respond as Frank would pause on different things and look for his opinion, until finally he got tired of asking and settled on 21 Jump Street. 

Buck readjusted his body so that his legs were stretched out down the bed and he was in a matching position to Frank. Their sides pressed firmly against each other and Buck tried to ignore the warmth that radiated from the man. Ever since he had come to, from his kick to the head, Buck had been cold. He distantly wondered if he had a concussion, but it’s not like he could ask Frank to check his eyes. Instead he squirmed down the bed a bit more until he was in a slump. Seconds later he grunted and tried to wiggle into a more comfortable position. With his hands behind his back it seemed like he would only be comfortable on his stomach, but that felt too vulnerable. 

“Want your hands in front?” Frank asked. 

Buck’s nod was the most excited he had been since breakfast. With a chuckle Frank forced him over to his stomach and made quick work of the knots. 

His arms burned as he slowly pulled them to the front of his body and he got in a quick stretch above his head before holding his hands out in front to let Frank tie him again. 

The man looped the rope around and gave a quick tug leaving him loosely tied. With a little effort he could probably get it undone. Buck wasn’t going to do that though because he had a little freedom and he wanted to enjoy it. Quickly sliding the rest of the way down, Buck slithered under the covers and pulled the blanket up to his chin. He glanced up at Frank but the man’s attention was focused solely on the TV in front of them. 

With a sigh Buck turned to the TV as well. Watching movies with his kidnapper. That was an unexpected twist. As Buck’s body slowly began to melt into the warmth of the bed, he felt his head nodding to the side. The first time his cheek drifted to Frank’s thigh, he had jolted up so quickly that he would have banged his head into the back wall if it weren’t for Frank’s hand catching him from behind. 

“I’m not gonna hurt you Buck, you can relax now.”

He didn’t want to relax. Maybe he was safe for the time being, but he knew that the other shoe could drop at any moment, and he didn’t want to risk being vulnerable when that happened. Frank shook his head but removed his hand and went back to watching. Five minutes later Buck’s head was back on Frank’s thigh, and this time he didn’t have the energy to try and lift it. His eyes started drifting shut, and right before he fell asleep he felt a gentle hand run through his hair. 

For a moment he considered fighting his way out of the foggy sleep brain he was trapped in, but realized that saving his strength was more important. 

Frank could tell the moment Buck fell asleep, as he felt the body beside him completely relax. Absent-mindedly he let his hand pet the head resting on his lap. It’s too bad the kid got dragged into all this. He seemed like a good one.

Chapter Text

Frank gave it a couple minutes after the kid relaxed before glancing down at him. Buck seemed to be the suffer in silence type, although the gag meant he didn’t have much choice on the silence thing at the moment. He certainly didn’t want to be cuddling with his captor, which Frank couldn’t get enough of. Somehow the grown man came off as more adorable puppy than anything else. Although, threatening a person until they were quiet and withdrawn would probably make anyone seem younger than they really were. 

Frank considered feeling a pinch of guilt before he remembered just how much money he would be getting from this job. Enough money to pack up his stuff and find some warm beach in Mexico to retire to. Retirement at 38 sounded like a dream. Retirement in Mexico on a sunny beach made it sound all the better. Never in a million years had he expected that his life would end up on a treasure hunt across the country, and he certainly wouldn’t have expected to be a glorified babysitter for said treasure hunt. 

The idea of reading clues and solving mysteries was enticing, and there was a small part of him that would have loved to be out in the main area with the other guys, but with another look at Buck he was okay with his current position. He wasn’t lying when he told the man he liked him. He seemed like he had a good heart, which he wore pretty blatantly on his sleeve. But a job is a job and the blue eyed man wasn’t about to draw him away from his pay day. He would do what Mac was paying him for; intimidate Diaz and keep an eye on Buckley. 

He hoped that he wouldn’t have to kill the kid, although he certainly would if that's what was called for. The beating today was a necessary evil, he had figured that Diaz would get the journal and get out, and when Frank had seen the text in Walmart he was shocked. If his best buddy had a gun to his head, writing a secret message in a notebook would have been the last thing on his mind, so with a steeled reserve he had choked and punched and kicked. 

Mac watched on with approval and that was all that he needed. He could pretend to be nice to Buck later to help make himself feel better, but in the moment he would do what needed to be done, regardless of the terrified pleas for mercy. That was one nice thing about the tape at least he wouldn’t have to listen to his pitiful whines. That sad voice would most definitely get to him if he wasn’t careful. 

The game plan he had developed going into the whole kidnapping situation was to be hard on Buck to ensure that he listened. But after meeting the kid, he thought a firm hand with a little kindness sprinkled in would do wonders in getting control. The boy seemed to melt under a soft touch, and Frank figured that he could give that soft touch too. Making the kid trust him by giving him nowhere else safe to turn to would hopefully lead to compliance. If Buck put all his effort into being ‘good’ and the only time he got hurt was when Eddie messed up, Frank could easily swoop in during isolation and make everything seem better. Frank figured there wouldn’t be much plotting going on between the two if Buck was too fucked in the head to realize he was being manipulated. 

As the movie credits began to roll, Frank figured he should check on the still slumbering man and make sure he was alright. He knew there was a strong chance of a concussion with all the hits to the face he had taken recently. Starting with a hand to the forehead, Frank felt for a temperature. He was a little warm, but that was easily explained by being pressed against another person and bundled under blankets. 

“Time to wake up kid,” Frank shook him gently. 

Half-lidded eyes blinked up at him slowly before drifting shut again. 

“No, no, let me see those eyes.”

Another slow blink, before Buck stared up at him longer this time. 

“That’s better,” Frank praised. “I want to check you for a concussion, you were out for a long time. I’m sure your head is pounding by now.”

Buck nodded, and finally realized that his head was resting on Frank’s leg. He sat up, but for the first time didn’t startle too badly. 

“Wanna piss before?”

A quick nod.

Frank untied his hands, but a warning finger in his face let him know that the duct tape stayed on for now. “Use the bathroom and come straight back.”

Buck glanced down at his stretched out body which was blocking the exit. Seemed like he had no interest in climbing over Frank, not like they hadn’t been close together by this point. With a roll of his eyes, Frank got out of the bed and made room for Buck to clamber out as well. The kid went straight to the bathroom, pulling the door shut softly behind him. He hadn’t even bothered to try and hear Eddie in his rush. After relieving himself and washing his hands he returned to the bunks. 

Frank gestured back into the bed with his head, as he sorted through a first aid kit. “We can get you some more pills and some water, and I can clean that cut a bit better now. How does that sound?”

Buck grunted his agreement, and reached a hand up to his gag, asking if he could take it off. 

“I’ll do it in a minute. Bet you’re hungry, huh?”

Instead of a nod, Buck replied with a humming noise which sounded hopeful. Now that he thought about it, he had eaten snacks throughout the movie, but Buck hadn’t had anything since that morning and it was now dinner time. 

“Hey Mac, what's the plan for dinner?” Frank called out, moving towards the front. 

“I was thinking our friends could eat in the morning just a little reminder that good behavior is rewarded, and bad behavior is punished.”

“Yeah alright. Maybe we can order some pizza for us? I’m starving.”

“I’ll do it,” Hotch volunteered from his sprawl on the couch. He hadn’t done much in the last couple of hours and was feeling restless. 

Frank moved to the back again, where Buck sat on the edge of the bed. Without comment Frank threaded thick fingers through his hair, and pulled his forehead to rest against his hip. The tape edge was behind his head, and it took a minute to get it loose from its tight seal. Right before peeling the tape fully off, he gave a tug on the hair to make their eyes meet. “I want you to keep your voice down with this off. No need for anyone but me to hear you. Understand?”

A quick nod had his head back down and the tape ripped off without much care. A small grunt came out, but Buck kept his voice down. He wanted to be checked out, and didn’t want to risk doing anything that would get him in trouble. 

Buck’s long fingers traced over the reddened part of his face briefly and up to the gash on his temple, before settling on his lap. “I think I might have a concussion,” he whispered, aware of how easily his voice carried at normal volume. 

“I thought you might,” Frank agreed. “Not that there's anything wrong with naps, but I think you’ve slept through more of today than you’ve been awake.”

“To be fair I’m also coming off a 24-hour shift.”

Frank hummed, but didn’t respond as he removed the bandage carefully from Buck, dabbing a wipe over the area, and wiping down his cheek to clear off the dried blood as well. As the wipe passed over the cut he felt Buck tense slightly before relaxing again. 

Once his face was clean, Frank sealed a clean bandage over the area, “Good as new.” Putting away the first aid kit, Frank pulled a granola bar out of a bag and passed it to Buck. “Just so you can take the pills. You boys lost dinner privileges.”

“Great,” Buck grumbled as he reached for the bar. In three bites, the food was gone and he chased it down with a gulp of water and three pills. “Can I change now?” He had been dressed in his work bottoms and too big shirt all day which probably wasn’t too comfortable. 

“Yeah, and put the new clothes away in the drawer under the bed while you’re at it.”

Buck was off the bed and rifling through bags quickly. He slipped his borrowed shirt over his head, back muscles rippling as he replaced the shirt with the grey crew neck Frank had picked out for him. It was a little over-sized but was warm and soft against his skin. He pulled out a pair of boxers, glancing at Frank, who blatantly stared back. 

“Something wrong?”

“Do you have to watch me change?”

“Don’t have to.”

“But you’re going to?”

Frank shrugged, but didn’t look away. With a groan, Buck turned his back to Frank and slipped out of his pants, and then boxers before quickly slipping into his new pair. He slid into the black gym shorts he had picked out as well before looking back at Frank who had his eyes on the TV as he scrolled through Netflix. 

The kid made it way too easy to mess with him.

The whole beat Buck up, be nice to Buck, beat Buck up, be nice to Buck thing was getting old. Like really fucking old. 

First, he gets manhandled and threatened at gunpoint, then he gets a McDonalds breakfast, medicine, and a shopping spree, then he gets choked out, punched, kicked, and tied up, then he gets to cuddle in bed and watch a movie. He almost wished that Frank would just hurt him and leave it at that. After this last round of nice Frank, Buck was feeling more confused than ever. The man had been gentle and easy with him, was thoughtful of his injury, that Frank caused , his mind helpfully supplied, and then gave him some food even though Mac probably wouldn’t have approved. 

Buck knew that the kindness probably didn’t mean much. Frank’s job was to watch out for him, and an uncared for concussion might not have been the safest, but the jokes, attempts to keep him comfortable, and the random bouts of thoughtfulness didn’t add up. Buck didn’t know what to think about it.

As he finished changing into his clean clothes, the firefighter carefully put away all of the things they had bought at the store. He glanced over at Frank, wondering what he was meant to do next. He was hopeful that he wouldn’t be tied up again, and maybe could have a little space. 

“Want to watch another movie?” Frank asked, jiggling the remote in his hand.

“I didn’t really watch the first one you know.”

“Do you want to or not?”

“Maybe we could watch a show? Like the Office maybe?”  

“Sure kid,” Frank agreed easily. He didn’t really care what they did, as long as Buck stayed quiet and still. He just wanted to make sure that Mac didn’t have any problems with him doing his job. 

Buck really didn’t want to get back in bed with Frank. He had enjoyed his time standing and moving around. Most of the day spent laying in a bed, especially being boxed in by another person was getting suffocating. “Can I stay out here for a bit? I feel like I just need to move around a bit.”

“No.” Frank responded immediately, “get back on the bed.”

Buck froze. When he asked to stay off the bed, he had assumed Frank would say yes. The man had been catering for the last couple of hours and it seemed like he wouldn’t care if Buck stretched for a bit. This was the first time Buck felt like he might be able to show a little resistance. Up until this point it seemed like a gun or physical violence was always involved, but Buck was on the other side of the small room and Frank was leaning back in his bed. “Just for a couple of minutes?” He tried again, thinking that he might be able to sway his captor.

Frank raised an eyebrow, and Buck raised one back. “Do you really expect me to just lay in bed all day for however long this bullshit lasts?”

“I expect you to do what I say, because otherwise I pull the duct tape back out and it seemed like you didn’t like that very much last time.”

“You’re an asshole, you know that?”

Frank smirked and climbed out of the bed, stretching his body to his full height, “I’m not the type of asshole you want to mess with, you know that?” Frank stepped into his space until the back of Bucks neck was pressed against the rim of the top bunk. 

He brought a hand up and clamped it tightly under Buck’s jaw, pulling him close. “When I tell you to do something you do it. Don’t mistake my kindness for weakness. I’m the one in charge here Buck.”

“Jesus, fine, I’ll do it. Just let me go.”

A deep breath escaped between Frank’s teeth. “I don’t know why you think pressing my buttons is a good idea right now kid.”

“I’m not trying to, I’m just tired of laying down and sleeping.”

“I don’t give a shit what you want. I was nice and gave you a little break, now get back in before I tie you up for the rest of the night,” Frank shoved Buck’s face to the side but didn’t move. 

The blonde held his breath as he slid away from the bunk and Frank and then climbed into the bed. Guess they were back to the beat Buck up stage. 

Sliding over to the far wall, Buck pressed as far back as he could with crossed arms, and knees pulled to his chest.  He was so tired of being bossed around and told what to do. He just wanted a couple of minutes to stretch and then he would have been back in bed, no harm no foul. 

“Don’t be a baby,” Frank groaned from where he stood watching Buck. 

“I’m not being a baby, Frank,” Buck’s voice raised as he continued, “I’m being a human, with basic needs.”

Frank was on the bed and in Buck’s space within a second, a finger pressed harshly over his lips. “What did I say about your voice?”

Buck froze, realizing just how stupid he was to be pushing Frank at the moment. Unsure of where the sudden bravery, stupidity, came from, Buck shut his mouth. Taking stock of his current position, he realized just how close they were. His knees had been pushed open during Frank’s lunge and the man was pressed firmly into him. Buck breathed heavily hoping Frank would get off. 

“It seems like you’re forgetting your place. Maybe I was being too nice, so you’re going to get tied back up for the rest of the night. You can try again in the morning.”

“Pizza’s here!” Hotch’s voice called out from the front.

“Bring the fucking duct tape when you give me mine.” Frank yelled back, the sound causing Buck to flinch. 

“Please,”

“Oh Buck, you still haven’t learned that begging doesn’t get you very far.”

He didn’t say anything else. 

Hotch walked in with a box of pizza and a roll of duct tape on top. “Am I interrupting something here?”

“Bucky just needs a reminder of who’s in charge.”

“Funny,” Hotch laughed as he set his handful of things on the opposite bed, “I thought that's what you’d been doing since you all came back here.”

“No, no, that was a reminder for Diaz. Buck needs the reminder now. Pass me the tape.”

Buck realized that pleading his case wouldn’t do much good so he kept quiet, eyes locked on Frank’s who hadn’t looked away since Hotch entered the room. “You gonna be a good boy Buck?”

“Yes,” he whispered.

Minutes later Buck was thoroughly restrained, tape wound tightly around his face multiple times, and a rope tied around his wrists. The rope bit tightly into soft skin, inspiring Buck to keep as still as possible. Each movement caused the rough material to tear into him. His hands were in front, but almost more uncomfortable than when they were behind him. He was supposed to sleep like this?  

“So much for the office, huh?” Frank smacked Buck across the face, clearly holding back his strength before shoving him to lay down. 

And there goes the rest of his night. It couldn’t have been later than 7 or 8, and it sounded like he was stuck like this the rest of the night. There was no way he would be tired after his long nap he had just woken up from. Buck hated this. He just wanted to be home snuggled up with Chris on the couch.

Hotch laughed again, “It looks like he will be occupied for a while. Dinner with us?”

“Yeah, I think Buck needs a little time out.”

Frank grabbed his box of pizza and headed to the curtain. “Goodnight blue eyes,” before hitting the light switch, flooding the room into darkness.

Chapter Text

Abuela used to tell all of her grandkids that their faces would get stuck if they held a certain expression for too long. At the time, it was either when they were making silly faces at each other or if they were pouting. Eddie couldn’t help but be grateful that this wasn’t actually true. His face held firm in his glower for the rest of the day. Ever since Buck had been dragged into the back he couldn’t seem to stop himself. 

He wanted to remain calm and compliant, but couldn’t get over the treatment of his best friend. The beating, the restraints, the separation. It was completely unfair, but at the same time completely deserved. Eddie knew the risks of trying to get help yet somehow he convinced himself that it was worth it. Now, sitting at the table with a stack of papers in front of him it didn’t seem nearly as worth it. All he could focus on was whether Buck was okay- did he have a concussion? Was his cut cleaned properly? How was his shoulder with his arms pulled so tightly behind him? 

Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. 

This was all Eddie’s fault and he knew it. There was no avoiding the fact that if he had just kept his head down Buck would probably be comfortable and safe in the back. Maybe doing something slightly enjoyable even. 

Eddie wondered what Buck was thinking back there. He wondered if he was blaming Eddie, or if he was mad or scared, or something else entirely. He wished that he could comfort his friend, but all he could do was keep working and hope that this nightmare would end soon. 

“Hey, keep reading,” Mac commanded without looking up from the page he was intently studying. Each of the four men had printed copies of each of the pages from the journal, highlighters, pens, and pencils rested in a jar on the table, and everyone had their preferred writing utensil in hand. They had been instructed to start by reading through and making note of anything that seemed like a clue or hint as to where the assets might be buried. Once everyone had read through separately then they would discuss and move from there. It had been assumed that the location wouldn’t be blatantly expressed considering the commander had kept the journal as a memory instead of turning it over to the military. 

Eddie rolled his eyes, but turned back to the paper in front of him. He wasn’t going to do anything else to piss off their captors. Buck’s punishment was fresh in his mind, and he didn’t want to be the cause of any more pain for the man. They had been through so much in the past couple of years, but most of the things had been a risk of the job (besides the tsunami of course). But this, this was entirely Eddie’s fault and he didn’t know how Buck would ever forgive him if they made it out of this alive. 

If they made it out alive.

This thought tumbled around his mind as he highlighted a random word on the page in front of him. What if this was all for nothing. What if he did as they said and then Buck was killed anyway? At least his son would be safe, but the second most important person in his life wouldn’t be, and what exactly did that mean for his son. If his father, and the person his father had chosen to care for him in an emergency were both gone, what would happen to Chris?

Would Eddie’s parents pack him up and take him back to El Paso? Away from his school, his friends, away from Carla? How would the boy survive such a large tragedy? It took so much effort for Eddie to help him work through the loss of Shannon, and she had only been back in his life for a couple of months. Eddie and Buck had been his everything for years. He couldn’t leave him behind. The problem is Eddie didn’t know what he should be fighting for to avoid leaving Chris. Did he need to fight to do everything that these men asked, or did he need to fight to get Buck and him out of here? 

He had no way of knowing. To blindly trust the word of two men who just confessed to murdering innocent civilians, who had kidnapped them at gunpoint, were threatening to kill Buck and abduct a child, or to not trust them and possibly get people killed. Eddie was so lost on how to move forward he didn’t know what to do. 

His stomach dropped low as he considered his options which didn’t even feel like options. They were fucked because he couldn’t make up his mind. “Mac,” Eddie was talking before he even knew what he wanted to say. “I need to talk to you in private,” Eddie stood up, already moving to the door. 

Mac lowered his papers to the table and stood to follow. “Lead the way,” he replied with a gesture outside.

They stepped out into the cool night, and Eddie pulled his hood up over his head to protect against the wind. “I don’t know if I can do this,” Eddie admitted quietly as he shoved his hands into his pockets.

The other man leaned back against the RV and watched him carefully but he didn’t open his mouth. 

“I was up most of last night trying to figure out how to get out of this alive. I wanted to understand what was going on, but the problem is I have no way of knowing. If me and Buck do everything you say, you could still kill us. And that leaves my best friend, who has nothing to do with you all dead, and my son alone. But if we don’t do what you want that leaves Buck dead, and maybe Chris involved, and probably all three of us dead.” Eddie turned away and paced for a minute. “How am I supposed to act like this is a little vacation when I know that in the end we could still end up dead? How am I supposed to do whatever you say when there is a chance that I can get us free and keep me and my family alive?” He looked back at Mac with a serious expression on his face. “If I have to choose between my family living or killing you all, I could make that decision in a heartbeat. But I don’t know if I need to make that decision, and that’s the problem.”

Mac wiped a hand down his face, expression looking more exhausted than he had a right to. Eddie was the one being held hostage here. “You know, I don’t think I thought this through very well. I assumed you would go along with this because you know us and trust us.”

“A day ago you told me that you and Brady were plotting to have me and our squad killed. How the fuck am I supposed to trust a word you say?”

“Look Diaz, I’m not planning on killing you all. But you’re right, you have no way of knowing that. What you do know is that your boy at home will survive if you do as I say. I’d like to think that's enough for you. Because I can tell you one thing for sure. If you try  anything again we are going to kill Buckley.”

“No,” Eddie’s head shook and he pulled his hands from his pockets as he stepped into Mac’s space. “If you all kill him then I will kill you. I can’t do this with the threat of killing Buck being held over my head. It isn’t helpful and I’m not feeling motivated to be helpful to you. All I’m feeling is rage. All I’m thinking is how do I kill these assholes. And all I’m wanting is to get my hands on a gun so I can shoot you in the head.” Mac stared back evenly. He knew that Eddie wasn’t about to do anything while Buck was still in the RV with three of his men.

“And what do you propose we do about this problem?”

“I don’t fucking know man.” Eddie stepped back and crossed his arms over his chest. “I just know that this isn’t working.”

“Well that's why I was giving you two space this morning but you’re the one who spat that back in my face.” 

As the two men stared each other down a car pulled up in front of the RV, the pizza delivery sign on top of the roof left both men calm, as the delivery guy hopped out. He had a stack of boxes in hand which he passed over easily to Mac and accepted the cash tip. 

“Ya'll take care,” he called out before hopping back in his car. 

“Wait here for a minute.” Mac instructed as he took the pizza inside. 

Eddie wandered to a picnic table a few feet from the RV and sat down on the table top, resting his elbows on his knees. He tried to come up with some sort of solution, but his mind felt like it was short wiring. He was having the first honest conversation since the gas station, but he had no clue how to communicate their needs. It seemed like Mac was listening, but he didn’t know where he wanted to go. He needed Buck. Buck would know what to say. Buck would know what to do. 

Mac was stepping back out the door minutes later. 

“I need to talk to Buck. I don’t think I can figure this one out on my own.”

“It sounded like he got himself into a bit of trouble while I was in there, but I’ll allow it. Take the time you need, and then we’ll talk.”

“Can Buck be a part of that conversation?” Eddie asked, “Actually, maybe we should all be a part of that conversation?”

“Find me when you’re ready.” Mac replied, intentionally not confirming or denying the request. He held the door open for Eddie. 

The man pushed off the table and slipped back inside. Frank was lounging in the chair he had previously occupied, chewing away at a slice of pizza. 

“Buck and Eddie are going to have a bit of personal time. Maybe even some dinner once they finish chatting,” Mac announced.

Frank grinned around his bite, “Kids a bit tied up at the moment, but I’m sure you can sort it out.”

Without needing further prompting, Eddie was walking into the back, which was completely dark. He fumbled around for a minute until he found the light switch. 

Buck was sitting on Frank’s bed, his arms which were tied together by rope lying limply on his lap, eyes closed and head gently knocking against the wall behind him. There was a strip of tape wound tightly around his mouth multiple times which made the quiet humming coming from his throat even harder to hear. Even with the lights turning on he didn’t pause in his motions. 

“Hey Buck.”

His eyes shot open, and a grunt slipped out as he crawled out of the bed and invaded his friend's space, truly embodying the station's running joke of Buck being their token golden retriever. 

“Someone’s happy to see me,” Eddie laughed out loud. He brought his hands up to Bucks face, and held tightly to his cheeks for a second. “Let’s get you out of this mess.”

As soon as Buck was free of his restraints, he was wrapping his limbs around Eddie and clinging tightly. Neither of them spoke, just held on tightly. Eddie gave him another minute before pulling away to take in Buck’s appearance. His face was a mess of bruises and cuts. His lip was swollen worse than this morning, probably from the duct tape treatment he had been receiving, his left eye was surrounded by a dark purple, and his forehead wasn’t looking much better. 

“We need to get some ice on this,” Eddie murmured as he ran a thumb over his bandage. 

“That would be nice,” Buck agreed, a relieved smile tugging at the corner of his lips. 

It only took a moment for Eddie to grab an ice pack from the small mini freezer up front and settle it against Buck’s head. “How are you feeling?”

With a shrug of his shoulders, Buck turned and pressed his forehead against the far wall. “Man, I don’t even know.” 

“Yeah,” Eddie agreed as he settled onto the bed, “It’s been a day, huh?” 

“That’s one way to put it Eddie.” Buck’s voice didn’t sound amused.

“I’m sorry I got you hurt. I don’t know what I was thinking. Well I do know- I was thinking that these guys are going to kill us once we finish helping them, and I thought this was our best bet to get out of here.”

“You don’t think we’re getting out alive?”

“Honestly, I don’t know.”

Buck finally turned to look at the man, the ice pack dropping to his side. “We need to figure something out, because I’m not sure how much longer I can do this.”

“Yeah, I know. I basically said the same thing to Mac, and he agreed to let me talk to you. I told him this isn’t working and he’s open to figuring out something to make this better. I just don’t know what that is.” With a smirk, Eddie stood up and pulled the ice pack from Buck’s hand and pressed it against his face. “What is with you and ice? You don’t like to keep it on long, huh?”

“I think every time I need an ice pack the emotional turmoil is a bit more pressing than a little bruise.”

“You might be right.”

Buck stepped away from Eddie and the ice and began pacing, he let his arms swing as he moved. Restless energy trying to burn out as quickly as possible. Eddie slipped the ice back in his hand, but gave him the space to move by settling back on the bed.

“I told him I’m not a fan of threatening to kill you every couple of hours. Said it wasn’t as productive as he thought it would be.”

“And?”

“And he asked what I wanted instead.”

“What did you say?”

“I had no clue what to say, I needed to talk to you first. It feels like we’re in a negotiation, but I have no clue what we should be asking for.”

“I vote for not hitting me so much,” Buck pressed the ice pack to his eye next. 

“Let’s be serious here for a second, I think that we can get out of this but we have to be smart. I think we need to start by ruling Christopher out of the game, if I hear my son’s name out of one of these bastard’s mouths again we’re gonna have some issues.”

“I want in. What if we all work together? Two extra brains to help with whatever you all are doing, maybe we can move the trip along a bit. And most importantly, I don’t want to be some whipping boy for you. I’m done with getting tied up and shoved around. Frank can fuck off!” Buck whispered the last part of his statement, not trying to anger the man too much if he ended up locked in a room with him for the rest of the trip.

“Okay, we work as a team. We get this over with, and we go home.”

Buck nodded, “I think it's our best shot right now.”

“Alright,” Eddie clapped a hand against Buck’s back. “Let's do this.”

Minutes later, Buck and Eddie sat side by on the couch, an opened pizza box in between the two. It seemed like there were a lot of changes of heart. Mac, Brady, Hotch, and Frank all sat in the chairs around the table, their eyes trained on the firefighters across from them. 

Buck’s attention was set solely on the two slices of pizza he held, one in each hand. He hadn’t eaten anything substantial in hours and had been feeling the lack of food hitting him hard. Eddie, on the other hand, had taken a bit more of a civilized approach, as he finished off his first slice slowly. 

“I appreciate that you are willing to hear me out, Mac,” Eddie began after his last bite. “I know that this whole thing is a big opportunity for you guys. It’s a lot of money, and despite our differences of opinions I do understand just how important this is. To be honest, we don’t really care about the legality of it.” 

Buck nodded along, as he grabbed another slice to fill his newly emptied hand. 

“Truth be told, the only illegal thing happening at this point is that you kidnapped us. But that’s what we want to talk about. This hostage thing isn’t working. I’m not feeling very safe and the attitude of do what we want or we shoot Buck and kidnap your kid, it just isn’t working. We’re both on edge, and neither of us are confident that we’re getting out of this alive.”

The quiet in the RV was strange, to have everyone’s attention focused on Buck and Eddie and for them to actually be listened to was a new feeling. It would certainly take some time to get used to.

“We talked about what we think would make this better- and I think the easiest idea is to let us in. We can be partners, work together, and then go our separate ways. I don’t want to keep hearing about Christopher being dragged along, Buck doesn’t want to be hit every time one of us does something wrong-”

“I don’t want to be tied up every time I piss someone off,” Buck chimed in around a mouthful of cheese and dough, with a pointed glance at Frank.

“Look. All six of us can work together. Buck already knows who you all are. Why do you care if he knows what this is about? What would have stopped me from telling him when this all ended anyway? Six brains is better than four. Maybe we even get home a little sooner.”

“The bonus,” Buck interrupted, “Is that you get six brains working on this and only have to pay four.”

“The only payment we want is to go back home, you all are going to take home just as much money as you planned before. Buck doesn’t need a babysitter, and I don’t need leverage being constantly held over my head. Let us help and let us go home. We don’t want to be here, but I think we can make this bearable for everyone if we try.”

Mac chuckled as he leaned back in his seat. “You boys seem pretty set on this.”

“I’m tired of the back and forth. Buck doesn’t need a fucking baby sitter, no one needs to be hurt or isolated or any other type of abuse. Let us help and let us go.”

No one else weighed in their opinion. Mac was the boss and so he would always get to choose how to move forward. “On a trial basis, I agree. I don’t want Buck touching any of my shit. He can know in general but we don’t need six heads. I like my four. Buck and Frank can have some space though. Buck you want free reign of the RV?”

He nodded quickly. 

“Alright, Frank is on supervisory duty, neither of you are going to be let out of the RV without supervision. Otherwise you can move around and do what you want. The rope and duct tape will go away. Hell, maybe we’ll put Frank and Buck on driving duty while we keep working. Everyone gets food, water, bathroom, whatever you need.” He stood up to grab the duct tape and rope that were tossed carelessly on the floor, tucking them away in a cabinet by the pantry. “I’m sure this goes without saying, but I will anyway. Either of you cross me and there will be hell to pay- but I think we have an understanding.”

Buck shrugged and nodded when his friend glanced over. Eddie stood up with an outstretched hand. “We have an understanding.” 

Meeting in the middle, the two shook hands.

Chapter Text

The newfound agreement left things feeling awkward and tense, with such big changes it seemed like everyone needed some time to adjust. Things were shifting and no one could quite tell if the moving forward would prove productive or another error in a long line of shit incidents. Tension had filled the air settling over the men like a thick fog. 

Buck on the other hand had been more focused on his then fifth slice of pizza which he had quietly moaned over. To be fair he hadn’t eaten in close to 12 hours at that point. He was allowed to be fucking hungry. After they finished eating Buck and Eddie had turned in for the night. They assumed that the men stayed out in the living room so they could talk about the new situation, but the firefighters were more focused on talking among themselves to care. 

With hushed tones they talked late into the night about what this new development meant for them. A quiet agreement was made that they were only going to try and escape if they were together and it made sense. The only way they would be truly safe is if all of their kidnappers were arrested, otherwise what would stop them from coming after them or Christopher later? 

The tentative alliance made that night was just that; tentative. Despite Eddie and Mac shaking hands, Buck was just waiting for the other shoe to drop. He had been mistreated so much in the last 24 hours that he found it hard to believe that suddenly everything would be okay. He also couldn’t help but wonder if they were simply back to where they started that early morning. If Eddie hadn’t written the note, Buck never would have been beaten or tied up, as a matter of fact he had been out at the store with Frank running errands. Had the negotiations only moved them back to where they were in the beginning?

After voicing his thoughts to Eddie, the man had agreed. Although it felt like they had a little more power over their situation, they both knew the truth. The restraints could come out of the cabinets easily and there were still guns involved, neither of which Buck or Eddie had any control over. 

Whether they called themselves partners or not, Buck and Eddie couldn’t go home if they wanted to (which they did want to) and that was the reality of their situation. The hope was that they could all dance around each other for a week or two and no one else had to get hurt, but that was dependent on some good luck, which neither of the men were very used to having. 

Morning came around like a slap to the face. Buck and Eddie were nestled tightly into their bunk, backs one again pressed against each other when Frank came barging into the room with a loud voice, “Let’s go boys, we’ve got a busy day ahead of us!”

They had been up late into the night talking, and neither was ready to wake up. Buck groaned, pulling his pillow over his head and burrowing deeper under the blanket, prepared to fight moving for as long as possible. 

The curtain was yanked back and bright light flooded into the bunk. “Jesus, we’re up, we’re up,” Eddie placated, sitting up with a hand over his face. 

“Buck and I have got an errand to run this morning so he showers first.”

“Errand?” Eddie instantly asked, far more alert at the announcement.

Buck stayed persistently under his pillow, but tuned into the conversation. 

“Yes. Errand.” Frank looked at Eddie with an annoyed expression. “We’re partners now, remember? So me and Buck have lots to do together.”

Eddie didn’t respond, just glanced back at his friend who was hidden away. “Looks like you get the fresh air today.”

“Lucky me,” he grumbled, tossing the pillow behind him and smacking Frank in the face. 

The man laughed and tossed it back in. “I mean it, we’ve got places to be so let's move this along.”

Buck moved slowly through the morning, excited to use the toiletries he had gotten from Walmart. A hot shower along with a quick grooming session left him ready for the day in jeans and his maroon hoodie. He traded places with Eddie in the bathroom and headed into the main room. 

Frank was sprawled on the couch, Buck’s phone in hand. “We have to deal with this eventually,” shaking the phone in Buck’s direction. 

“I can do that now,” Buck reached forward to grab the cell, but before he could latch on, Frank was grabbing his wrist and yanking him down on the couch beside him. “Shit,” Buck flinched trying to pull away, but an arm snaked over his shoulder and held him firmly in place, the other hand grabbed the underside of his jaw to hold him still. 

“What the fuck happened to working together?” He grunted after testing the hold with a subtle twitch.

“We are working together, but I just wanted to make sure that me and you are on the same page,” Mac smiled down at him. “I’d like to think you will keep this conversation between us, hm?”

Of course the men weren’t going to be quite as agreeable as they had seemed last night. The whole point was keeping Eddie compliant. Buck was a casualty, not important to the success or failure of their end goal.  

The hand on his jaw tightened. “He asked you a question,'' Frank murmured lowly. 

“Yes, I’ll keep it between us. What do you want?”

“I just want to be very clear that you are expendable. But Eddie doesn’t seem to like that thought, so we are gonna let him believe whatever he wants. The truth is you are both expendable. Eddie has done what we needed him for, you all are coming along for the ride so that we can keep you quiet until we are able to leave. Then we let you go. If we were going to kill you, you’d be dead already. I don’t need Eddie and I sure as shit don’t need you. So listen closely you and Frank are gonna be buddies, you are going to do as you’re told, when you’re told, and you don’t fucking complain to Diaz.” Mac took a sip from a bottle of water. “I don’t like going above and beyond for people. So this is the final offer. We can all pretend to be friends if that makes Eddie happy, but I know we aren’t friends, and I’m sure you know too. So if a little pretend makes Eddie feel better then fine.”

“If you don’t need Eddie anymore then why are you going through all the effort to keep us?”

“Believe it or not we don’t want to kill our old war buddy. As a matter of fact me and Brady happen to like Eddie so we’re just trying to do the right thing here, and we need your cooperation to do that.”

Wrenching his face away from Frank’s hand he brought a hand up to slip out from under the heavy arm holding him still. “I don’t understand what you want from me.”

“I want you to be good just like before, Frank’s going to be a little nicer but I just want to make sure you understand the precarious situation that Eddie has put you both in.” Mac waved off Frank’s hold, and Buck was free in an instant. “Before, I was willing to rough you up to get what I wanted, Eddie has made it clear that this will make him uncooperative. So if either of you give me any trouble I’ll just kill you both. An unfortunate turn of events, but seemingly the most effective.” 

Buck stood up sharply from Frank’s side, stumbling a bit at how suddenly he moved. “Why didn’t you just tell this to Eddie, I don’t understand why it has to be a private conversation between us?”

“I’ve noticed that when it comes to you getting hurt, Eddie’s common sense seems to fly out the window. So I want you to understand the situation, and I want Eddie to be happy. Then we all go home safe and sound.”

It didn’t really make sense, but Buck nodded along anyway. The only reason Buck could think that they were being told different things was if there was something more going on. If the option was live or die then they should have just said that, but keeping Eddie happy implied that they needed Eddie to cooperate. The bull shit story of liking Eddie just didn’t cut it. You don’t abduct and terrorize someone that you care about. They needed Eddie for something else, but he didn’t know what they had needed him for in the first place, so he had no way to guess what more could be involved. 

“I understand. Same thing I said last night, we just want to go home, so I’m going to help however you want me to, and then go home at the end of this all.”

“And the consequences?”

“You kill us both,” Buck replied. They weren’t going to kill them. They still needed Eddie for something.

“Good, you and Frank are going out to get breakfast for everyone and then we are going to start the drive to Texas. I don’t give a shit who is actually driving but you’ll both be up front.”

“We’re walking?”

“Yeah we aren’t far from the town. Let’s go,” Frank prompted as he headed to the door. 

As soon as the door closed behind Frank and Buck, Mac let out a harsh breath. Things felt like they were unraveling. Obviously he had never planned on driving all the way back to LA to kidnap a stupid kid. He figured they would be smart enough to just go along with what the guys with guns said. But Eddie had to be an idiot and try to get help, and then Buck had to butt heads with Frank, and then Eddie had to be demanding and ask for changes. The whole situation was a mess. 

It would probably turn out to be worth it in the end, when he had a bag of diamonds in his hands, but until then Mac would hold bated breath and hope that there were no more issues. He really didn’t want to kill anyone, he thought that the threat of hurting Buck would be enough to keep Diaz in line, but apparently it was too much for him to handle. The mistrust had created too large of a gap between them and now Eddie was overwhelmingly suspicious. 

It was a shit situation, but Mac had no interest in killing them. When they found the diamonds they would have so much money they would be able to disappear for life. Not only that, but they were being careful not to do anything too illegal. The whole reason for bringing Eddie in on the con was so that they didn’t have to break into Lewis’ or risk having to get rid of him for knowing too much. They wanted to fly as low under the radar as possible and then vanish. The less felonies committed along the way, the less likely anyone would bother looking for them.

The boys were to be set free once the diamonds were found. It was as simple as that. There was no need for all this extra stress. Instead, now there were negotiations, deals, stupid partnerships.. It was madness, and Mac didn’t quite know how to work around this. 

He was serious about not wanting blood on his hands, but more importantly, he literally couldn’t risk Eddie’s blood. He wasn’t done with the man yet, there was one more thing that he needed the man for, and there was no way he could kill the man before he served his purpose. But they didn’t need to know that. The more they knew the less likely they were to stay in line. Mac wanted Buck and Eddie on their toes, thinking that they either obeyed or died. Mac wasn’t one for second and third chances. Although he didn’t have a choice this time, if the men tried another escape he still wouldn’t be able to kill them. Eddie was the farthest thing from expendable at this point. 

He would do his best to keep that part of the plan secret. At least for now.

“So what's the deal with us walking to get breakfast?” Buck inquired as he forced his legs to move quicker than he was normally accustomed to keep up with Frank’s long strides. 

“Gotta get those steps in,” He tossed over his shoulder as he paused at the crosswalk and jabbed the button to give them a signal to cross safely. 

“Yeah, right of course.” 

“What would you rather we just sit in the bunks all day?”

“I didn’t say that,” Buck justified, “I’m just trying to understand.”

Frank watched him intently for a moment, considering how to respond. “Last night Mac and I tried to figure out how to keep you boys happy and quiet. Truth is since he doesn’t want you to know about what we’re after there aren’t many options of what to do with you. And neither of you seemed to like when you were stuck in the bunks with me-”

“It wasn’t so much the room as you punching me, tying me up, and making me share a bed with you,” Buck corrected with a finger pointed in Frank’s direction.

The man snatched his finger down and pulled him forward to get moving across the street as the light changed. “You know, fair enough I might have pushed a bit hard on the bed front.”

“Yeah, tell me about it. Me and Eddie weren’t even cuddling in the bed and I can actually stand him.”

“What can I say,” Frank smirked back at him, “I get a handsome man in bed and it's hard to keep my hands to myself.”

Buck froze, still a couple of feet from exiting the street. Frank groaned and turned around when he noticed his companion was no longer beside him. He stepped closer and slipped a hand around his bicep, yanking him along, “Don’t let it get to your head kid.”

Frank just called him handsome. Why the fuck did Frank just call him handsome.

They came up to a diner moments later and Frank held the door for him to slip inside. They headed straight to the bar and settled onto two stools at the far end of the counter. 

The bartender was a short lady, couldn’t have been older than 25 with a bleached blond afro that framed a beautiful face. She passed them two menus and glasses of water without prompting, “Hey ya’ll, my name is Dani and I’ll be serving you today. Anything I can get you boys started on?”

“We’re gonna order food to go in a bit, but we’ll take two Irish car bombs first.”

Buck laughed, “A bit early to start drinking, don’t ya think?”

“It’s never too early to start drinking blue eyes,” 

The waitress giggled at the banter, as she turned to ready the drinks. 

Buck’s mind raced as he tried to keep up with the morning’s events. A lot had changed in a short amount of time, and now he was about to have drinks at a bar with Frank, and before 10:00 AM at that. He was startled from his thoughts by the drop of two heavy glasses in front of them. 

Frank raised his glass towards Buck. The blonde dropped the shot glass in his drink and chugged the alcohol, ignoring the offer of a toast, but keeping eye contact with Frank as he ignored him. He wasn’t about to cheers with his kidnapper. With a scoff Frank downed his own drink. 

The men sat in silence until Dani returned and took Frank’s large order of food and two more of the same drink. Buck didn’t bother trying to pick what he wanted, content to sit back and watch as Frank did as he pleased. Maybe that was the key to all this, just to give up some control. As long as no one was getting hurt there wasn’t much reason to fight too hard. It seems like Frank would be happy so long as Buck kept up with him and didn’t fight back on the big things. He was happy to engage in the back and forth banter so long as his rules were followed, Buck could manage that for a week or two. 

He was used to taking orders at the station, from Cap, paramedics, or other more experienced people on the team- this wasn’t much different except the reason he was obeying was because the people in charge had guns and weren’t afraid to use them.

On the walk back to the RV, each man carrying two heavy laden bags, Buck was able to keep pace with Frank, although he wasn’t walking any faster than before. 

“Thanks for the drinks. It was nice to calm the nerves a bit.”

“Man, if I had known it just took a bit of alcohol to mellow you out, I would have pulled out that six pack of beer that Eddie bought at the gas station already.” 

“I don’t think I’d ever turn down a cold beer man, but that’s not really why I’m feeling calmer. That talk with Mac this morning is setting in, and I feel a little more secure knowing our position here. He was right, you guys would have killed us already if you weren’t planning to let us go.” Buck glanced over at Frank through the corner of his eye, “Unless of course there’s something else he needs Eddie for that he doesn’t want to share.”

To Frank’s credit, the man hid his facial expression well, but there was a slight flicker of surprise immediately after Buck pushed his theory which vanished almost instantly. “I think you should be grateful that keeping you two alive and comfy is such a top priority for Mac. If I was the one in charge you would have been tied to the bed unless you had to go to the bathroom, with a gag stuffed in your mouth the entire time. I don’t really see the point in playing house with people who don’t want to play house.” 

“Good thing you’re not in charge then, huh?” Buck risked taking a jab at the man, more so testing if he was willing to take it. If they would be spending as much time together as promised Buck wanted to see just how far of a limit he could push. 

“Very good for you kid.”

Breakfast was a quick affair, and Frank and Buck were settled in the front cab only an hour after they arrived back. Frank had agreed to start off the driving after Buck claimed he was having a hard time seeing with his eye swollen shut. He might have stretched the truth a bit to avoid the tedious chore of driving, but Buck was in no mood to stay alert and awake for hours on end. As much as he enjoyed driving, this didn’t seem like a trip he would find much entertainment from. 

He settled against his door with a blanket draped over his legs and The Davinci Code resting in his lap. He figured he would get to reading at some point during the trip. Since they weren’t quite sure where in Texas they were heading yet, the goal was just to get to the outskirts and set up shop there until they had more details. This meant hours in the cab with just Frank as company. 

It sounded like torture. 

Buck absentmindedly hoped that the goal wasn’t to make all the way there in one day. At least before he was able to be in the back and watch movies or lay in bed, now he was stuck in a stiff seat, with shit company, and his only distraction being a book. 

“Alrighty, let's get this show on the road!” Frank grinned as he put the RV into drive and pulled out on the road.

Chapter Text

Buck was bored. Buck was so fucking bored he wanted to smack his head against the window as hard as he possibly could. He wanted to open the door beside him and jump out of the RV despite the 70 miles an hour Frank was currently maintaining down the highway. He wanted to throw his book at Frank’s head and hopefully leave a bruise behind, bonus if he got knocked out and the RV wrecked. He wanted to crawl through the small window behind his head and go back into the comfortable part of the vehicle to relax.

 Instead, Buck let out a deep sigh and dropped his face into his hands. 

“I swear to god kid, you do that one more time and we might have some issues.”

“What the fuck else am I supposed to do? It’s been four hours of corn fields and trees. I’m pretty sure I’m gonna kill myself if I see another tree.” Without looking Buck could tell that Frank was rolling his eyes. “I’m serious Frank. This is a very real concern, because without me you all have no leverage over Eddie.”

“You know this is your fault right? As a matter of fact I think I should be the one who is so upset. It was never my job to be a driver. Hotch and Brady were going to handle all the driving so that you could have my undivided attention. Then you and Eddie had to go making demands, and look at us now.” 

“This sucks,” Buck huffed out through his fingers. “Is there any way to renegotiate one last time and avoid driving duty? Or maybe just let me stay in the back while you’re driving? I don’t understand why I have to be up here for this.”

“You have to be up here because I’m up here- or did you forget your talk with Mac this morning.”

“How could I have possibly forgotten that lovely chat?”

“Why don’t you take a nap or something? Anything to give me some peace and quiet.”

“Man, I’m just getting started. You were lucky yesterday because I was coming off a shift. I’ve napped just about as much as I need, and I’ve never been good at peace and quiet.”

“Jesus, is there a way to not threateningly gag you? Like don’t be scared I just want some calm for five minutes?”

“Funny.” Buck shot back with a flat tone as he finally sat back up, and turned to face Frank. “So this is my fault that we’re up here, is there any way I can talk us out of it?”

“Well we’re gonna have to stop for gas pretty soon, I think letting him know you enjoyed the back better might be a good shot.”

“Yeah, I’d much rather be watching the Office right now than only having you as entertainment.”

“This might come as a surprise but I’m not meant to be your entertainment.”

Buck didn’t reply, simply turned away from Frank and pressed his forehead to the cool glass window, watching the scenery race by. He hoped that they stopped for gas sooner rather than later. He was hungry and was hoping that they would at least let him stretch his legs for a bit.  

“Hey, open up the window and let them know we’re stopping.”

As small a task as it might have been, Buck was just excited to have something to do after the hours of boredom. He twisted his body around and slid the glass open before popping his head inside. “We’`re stopping for gas now,” he announced to the men, all seated around the table as per usual. 

“Good, we finally have some idea of where we need to be headed.”

“I also wanted to mention that both Frank and I have really enjoyed our time driving today, but we think it might be best if we pass the responsibility back to Brady so that we can actually spend a bit more time in the bunks as originally scheduled?” 

This earned a laugh from Brady and a raised eyebrow from Mac. “Is that so? I thought you were so eager to help out on our little trip though?”

“After I realized help out means sit and stare out the window for hours I started to realize that a bed was a bit better of an option.”

Frank grabbed the back of his shirt to pull him from out of the window. “On a serious note I might kill him out of annoyance if I’m stuck up here much longer. Let’s talk when we get gas.” 

For the first time since this nightmare started Buck was actually okay with being threatened. If it increased their chances of going in the back again Buck would do pretty much anything. At this point he wasn’t even above begging. Before he had an opportunity to turn back into the window to give begging a try, Frank was pulling into a gas station. Without prompting the two exited the cab and headed straight to the back to see their fellow travelers. 

Buck naturally gravitated towards Eddie, and the man pressed a fleeting hand to his back in an attempt to offer comfort. It wasn’t received as Buck was practically vibrating out of his skin with unused energy. “Can we do some laps around the parking lot or something?” He asked, bouncing on the balls of his toes. 

“Where is all this energy coming from,” Hotch asked as he stared at the man.

“This is what I’ve had to deal with for the past four hours. I refuse to have him up front. Not a good fit for us.”

Mac smirked and glanced over at Eddie, “You’re the one who wanted him in on it, do you still think Buckley needs to be involved?”

“Nope. Buckley can speak for himself, and Buckley does not need to be involved,” Buck stepped between the two with a firm tone. “I can’t do it anymore. I am tapping out.”

Eddie simply nodded behind him. Who was he to argue?

“Okay I need to go in to pay, why don’t you two come in with me and pick out some snacks? We aren’t going to get lunch for a couple more hours.” Frank instructed with a glance at Buck and Eddie. 

Knowing better than to ask questions, they quickly followed Frank out the RV. This was their first taste of freedom together, and as they trailed behind Frank they shared a quick glance. Eddie slipped his hand out to Buck, with the cap of a marker poking out from his sleeve. Buck was grabbing the utensil and slipping it into his pocket before jogging to catch up with Frank. He didn’t know if an opportunity to get help would arise, but they were both in agreement. They would take a chance if it arose. 

The three men split up across the store to grab various snacks that would hopefully tide them over until the next stop. Buck wandered over to Frank where he was staring into one of the fridges in the back looking over the alcohol options. 

“Can I run to the can? Would love to shit without all of you being able to hear me.”

“Make it quick,” Frank agreed, accepting the bag of chips that Buck had picked up. 

Buck headed into the back where he found one single bathroom, as he passed by Eddie they gave each other another nod. Locking the door behind him, Buck made quick work of peeing, before heading to the sink. He washed his hands, and then glanced around with his marker in hand. He had made sure to note the license plate of the RV, and figured that scrawling a quick message to whoever used the bathroom next would be in their favor. 

Turning in a circle, Buck settled on the mirror after a long moment. There weren’t many options in the dirty bathroom, and he really didn’t want to take longer than strictly necessary. Their best bet was to get in and out without raising any alarms. 

With a quick scrawl, he wrote out; ‘call 911 kidnapped 7qt8927’. 

Taking a deep breath, Buck turned to the door praying that this would work. It might be hours before someone actually took notice of the short message, but he hoped it would be enough to put the RV on the cop’s radar eventually. 

As he unlocked the door and pulled it open, the force of the door shoving into him caused him to stumble backwards. Frank bullied his way into the bathroom and was shutting the door behind him. The lock clicking after was loud in the otherwise silent room. 

“You know, I kept asking myself why would Buck wait until we came into the nasty gas station to go to the bathroom, and the only thing I could figure is because you were up to something.”

Buck had tried to back himself against the mirror as if that would somehow cover his handwriting. 

“And would you look at that, I was right.”

“Frank…”

The man took a giant step forward, planted his hands against Buck’s chest and shoved. The harsh ceramic of the sink dug into Buck’s back as he was forced to arch against it. One hand furled into his sweatshirt pressing his body back until his head was held uncomfortably against the mirror.

“I honestly expected Eddie to pull some more dumb shit, but you? I thought we finally had an understanding, blue eyes. Guess I was wrong.” 

With a hand still holding his head firmly against the mirror, Frank turned the sink on and grabbed some paper towels to try and clean the marker. He scrubbed for a second, but there was no change from the permanent marker. 

“Fuck! Give me the marker.”

“I don’t-”

Frank pulled Buck away from the mirror, only to bodily slam him against the wall with a hand to the back of his neck. He pressed his body in a hard line against his back and held Buck still in order to search through his pockets. In a couple of seconds Frank found the sharpie and began scribbling out the words. 

“No!” Buck protested, body finally understanding the situation that he was in. If the men had truly been telling the truth earlier, him and Eddie were as good as dead after this stunt. Buck twisted against the hold on his neck, trying to dislodge the man’s heavy hand. Instead of his desired escape, Frank turned his attention away from the mirror, and grabbed Buck’s left arm wrenching it tightly behind his back. 

The shooting pain in his shoulder wasn’t enough to calm the man and he tried pushing away from the wall this time, mouth opening in preparation to yell. He wasn’t going to go back to the RV just to be killed. 

Before a sound could escape from his mouth, his left arm was yanked harder and the loud pop echoed through the room. Buck’s heart pounded against his chest as the pain registered. A different type of scream was about to break out when Frank released his arm in order to wrap around his back and bring a giant hand up to cover his mouth. 

Buck struggled against the hold, his right arm swinging backwards to dislodge his attacker. Since he was finally fighting back, and there was no gun involved, he knew that it was now or never. If he was taken back to the RV he might not ever see the light of day again. 

“Stop it!” Frank ground out as he tried to hold onto the terrified man. “Buck, calm down. Stop!”

Buck felt a foot slide in between his legs before they were being rotated so that Frank’s back was to the wall, and Buck’s back was to his chest. The foot in between his legs hooked around his ankle and pulled causing him to slide to the floor with Frank staying in control the entire time. 

The hand over his mouth clamped down even tighter, white knuckles showing just how much strength Frank was exerting. Tears slipped from Buck’s eyes as he tried to ride the wave of pain lancing up his arm. 

“Calm down kid, calm down. Eddie is already back in the RV, so I don’t know what you think you’re going to accomplish here. But you got a busted arm now, and you aren’t any closer to getting help so you better settle right now.”

As soon as he heard Eddie was back in the RV all of the fight vanished from Buck’s body. He went limp, panting heavily into the hand over his mouth. He tried turning his head to dislodge the grip, but Frank wasn’t quite ready for that.

“Stop moving. You just made a big fucking mistake so you best do as I say before either one of us does something we regret.” Frank gave Buck’s body a harsh shake, jostling his arm in the process and causing a weak cry of pain to squeak out from under his hand. “Listen to me. We’ve already been in here a suspiciously long time. So we are going to walk out the store, and straight to the RV. You say or do anything and Hotch will have to come back inside and shoot the clerk. So do as you're told.”

Buck did his best to nod in the restrictive hold. Frank let go and yanked him to his feet. The man inspected the mirror for a second, satisfied that the message was unreadable before grabbing a paper towel and wiping Buck’s face clear of tears. 

“Eyes on the floor. You look up and the clerk is dead.”

Frank latched on to Buck’s left hand, and held on tightly. The pressure on his arm was almost overwhelming, but he knew he didn’t have much of an option. As they walked out of the bathroom, Buck realized he had been lied to. Eddie stood at the register, paying for their items. 

He turned to face the two, eyes widening as he took in Buck’s cowed demeanor. “We’ll meet you outside,” Frank said, already pulling Buck out the door.

Buck could hear Eddie’s voice as he tried to make excuses to the cashier, but the door was shut before he could hear the end of the conversation. Finally, the hold on his arm was released, and Frank grabbed the back of his neck to propel him back to the vehicle. He slammed the door open, and was shoving him up the stairs without preamble. 

The abrupt entrance grabbed the attention of the three men who had been waiting inside for their return. “What the fuck is this?” Mac demanded, as Frank all about threw Buck into Mac’s outstretched arms. 

Finally, Buck cried out as he curled his hurt arm close to his chest. 

“This is what we get when you want to act like they are fucking partners. Found this one trying to write a message on the bathroom mirror to get help. 

“Where’s Eddie?” Brady questioned, heading to the door. 

Before he could reach the handle, the door was being pulled open and Eddie’s concerned face was popping inside. “Buck!”

Mac pulled a gun out of the back of his pants, clicking the safety off and leveling it towards Eddie. “Can we get the gas or do we have to go now?”

“I told the cashier he’s been feeling sick, and the guy bought it.”

“Brady, fill the tank, we need to be out of here in five minutes.”

A flurry of movement filled the room as Brady stepped out, Eddie dropped groceries on the couch, and Frank latched back onto Buck to pull him to the back room. 

“I think I broke his arm, we have to check it out.”

“Jesus christ,” Mac exclaimed. 

“Let me look at him. I’m the fucking medic here,” Eddie demanded, as he moved towards his friend. Hotch grabbed his arm to hold him back, looking to Mac for direction. 

“No, yeah that's fine. Take them both in the back and let him look the kid over. Fuck!” Mac cursed out. “I hope you know that you’re shit out of luck if that arm is broken.”

Buck whimpered in Frank’s hold but didn’t reply, allowing his body to be guided into the back with little protest. He had one shot at it, and he had blown it. Now his arm was most likely broken, they might be about to be killed, and everyone was furious. Things weren’t looking good for them. 

Eddie was pulling him from Frank’s arms as quick as he could and gently pressed him down to sit on their bed. “What happened to the arm?” Eddie asked without looking back at Frank.

“Pulled it up behind his back when he wouldn’t stop fighting me. We definitely heard a pop so it’s either dislocated or broken. Not quite sure.”

“Okay, let's get this sweatshirt off you,” Eddie instructed quietly, as he helped Buck slide his good arm out, and the hole was guided over his head. Then he slowly pulled it from the hurt arm which was still tucked up against his body. Stretching his arm out to let the jacket go was excruciating, and Buck moaned at the movement.

“I definitely think it's broken. A dislocated shoulder never hurt me this bad,” Buck whimpered out as he tried to lean away from Eddie’s prodding hands.

Eddie glanced back at Frank after a couple moments of inspection. “Broken.” He confirmed.

“Fuck!” Frank exclaimed before heading out front. The two men could hear his angry voice as he told Mac about the situation.

“I don’t think they’re going to kill us, because I think they need you for something else, I just don’t know what.” Buck whispered. 

“Yeah, I think you’re right but I don’t have a clue what it is. We figured out where we think the treasure is, so I’m not sure what they need us for still.”

Mac came back before they could continue. “Can you patch him up here?”

“He needs a doctor and a cast. There’s no way around it or his arm is fucked for good. I’m not doing anything else until he gets a doctor.”

Frank shouldered his way past Mac and held out two pills in his hand. They were different from the painkillers he had been given for his head ache. 

“What are those?” Eddie asked before he could stuff them in Buck’s mouth.

“Something to help him relax until we figure out what to do,” Frank explained as he shoved Eddie out of the way and grabbed Buck’s face. He squeezed his cheeks until he opened his mouth, and deposited the two pills on his tongue. He spilled a sip of water into his mouth from a bottle of water and confirmed that they were swallowed before stepping back. “I promise he’s not going to want to be awake while that arm is swinging loose.”

The pills had an almost instant effect as Buck’s vision swam. “I think I should lay down,” he muttered. Eddie pulled himself from the bed and helped guide Buck’s head to his pillow. 

“Yeah, you sleep buddy, we’re going to figure out how to help you.”

The RV jolted into motion, and they felt the vehicle start moving. “We need to find a clinic or something to wrap his arm up.” Eddie said, voice drastically quieter than before. His boost of confidence from helping Buck started to diminish as he realized that this might be it for them, or for Buck.

“Yeah, we can’t let him stay like this and we still have a couple more days. You guys find somewhere that works and I’ll take him in.” Frank agreed. 

Mac’s eyes are stormy as he goes back to the main room. This was an additional complication that was unplanned for. Clearly the partnership wasn’t the best idea. Maybe he should have gone along with Frank’s plan of keeping them both tied and gagged until they were needed. 

Chapter Text

It had been hours since the gas station fiasco. And wasn’t that ironic, the two gas stops of the past couple of days had led to absolute shit. First, they get abducted and whisked away on some cock and bull treasure hunt, and now Buck is passed out from drugs, with a broken arm resting over his stomach. 

The sun had set, leaving the RV in relative darkness. They hadn’t stopped driving since the incident. Mac was worried about the cashier calling the cops, so they had hightailed it out of there as fast as they could. He wasn't prepared to stop at a clinic until he felt safely distanced from the gas station. 

Eddie didn’t think it was necessary. He hadn’t heard any of the struggle from the check out, and when Frank and Buck had come storming out the door, Eddie had made an off hand comment about Buck being sick. The clerk had barely spared them a second glance. That being said, Mac had no desire to risk being caught on the last leg of their journey. So he insisted that they get far away before they considered stopping. 

Eddie and Frank both stayed in the back with Buck. Eddie kept a constant vigil over the man, making sure to hold him still whenever it seemed like he would hurt his arm from shifting in his drugged state, and Frank lounged on his bed with the TV on, glancing over every so often. 

It was hard to tell if his subtle glances were concerned looks, or if he was just keeping watch. The whole situation was his fault, considering he was the one who had broken Buck’s arm, but it wasn’t the first time he had hurt Buck, and there never seemed to be any type of remorse. This was just a job for Frank, Eddie reminded himself. The jokes and messing around that the two had been engaging in earlier were clearly surface level. A way to cope with the situation going on, but clearly not an indication of Frank caring about Buck. The broken arm was a clear sign of just where Frank stood. 

Maybe Eddie was stupid to have thought he was developing a soft spot for Buck, or maybe Eddie was stupid for encouraging another escape plan. If he hadn’t given Buck the marker none of this would have happened. They would have gotten their gas and food and been right back on the road.  

At least they were still alive. That must have meant they needed them for something else. Eddie just couldn’t figure out what that something was. They knew exactly where the treasure was. They had to drive there, which would probably take another full day, but then they would get the treasure and that should be it. Nothing worth keeping the men around any longer. 

“I was thinking,” Eddie said, drawing Frank’s gaze away from the TV, “what if you all just dropped us off at the hospital. You could go on your way to get the diamonds, and we would stay at the hospital. If you let us go we wouldn’t say a word. Just catch a flight back home and pretend like nothing ever happened.”

“It’s not up to me.”

“Are you gonna kill us?”

“Look, all you had to do was follow directions. With all this mess now I have no clue what’s going to happen to you. I would recommend just being quiet and hope that Mac decides to stop for him. Walking around with a broken arm ain’t gonna be fun for the kid.” 

“That doesn’t answer my question,” Eddie reminds, as he stands up and begins pacing.

“I don’t have an answer to your question. Why don’t you see if you can put some food and water into the kid. He’s gonna need to be awake enough to get treated at the doctor,” 

Eddie watched as Frank disappeared up front, voice carried through the curtain as he and Mac debated how to move forward. “The kid needs a doctor, what the fuck do you expect-” the voice lowered, and even straining Eddie couldn’t hear him anymore. 

With a sigh, the man decided to take Frank’s advice. He slipped back into the bunk and gently shook Buck awake before coaxing  a couple of sips of water and a protein bar into him. 

The food seemed to help wake him up, as he blinked slowly up at Eddie, “I don’t feel too good Eds.”

“Yeah I know Buckaroo. Do you remember what happened?”

“Frank hurt my arm,” Buck stuck his bottom lip out in the most stereotypical pout and his eyes watered.

“Frank broke your arm bud. But I think we’re gonna stop at the doctors soon to get you patched up.” Eddie ran a hand over his sweaty forehead, “Why don’t I get you something else to eat. You just hang tight okay.”

Minutes later Frank and Eddie were back in the bunks as Buck ate through another two protein bars and chugged an entire bottle of Gatorade. The more he consumed the more he seemed to come back to himself. Still in a great deal of pain but at least aware enough to hold a conversation. 

“So we found a clinic a couple miles from here, and we’re going to stop. I’m going to take you in, I’ll fill out all the paperwork and you will sit quietly next to me. If you talk to anyone or try to get help we’ll just leave. Then you can say goodbye to a cast and you’ll just be stuck with a broken arm. And I’m sure that won’t fare well with your current occupation.”

“I won’t say anything.” 

Frank tossed a shirt to Eddie. “Get him dressed, we’ll be there soon.”

Eddie grabbed the shirt and snorted, turning the clothing to Buck so that he could see- it was a black t-shirt that said ‘I would flex but I like this shirt’

“Of course he bought this,” Buck groaned, as he slowly pushed himself into a sitting position. Getting the shirt on his arm was going to be a bitch. They worked slowly and carefully until he was clothed, and then they headed up front. Buck moved at a snail's pace with his uninjured arm holding on to the walls for support. He was clearly unsteady on his feet, probably thanks to whatever drugs Frank had given him earlier. 

Buck’s arm was throbbing, a constant pain coursed through his body, especially now that the drugs were wearing off. He felt disconnected from his body, floating just above, and watching down over himself. The pain was nothing compared to the feeling of a fire truck crushing his leg, but another broken limb was something he had certainly hoped to avoid. 

The real pain came from the inadvertent movements caused from walking. It was almost impossible to keep himself completely still, especially as he lowered himself onto the couch beside Eddie. He leaned over to settle his head on the man’s shoulder and closed his eyes. He just needed a couple more minutes rest before he was ready to socialize. Not only socialize but keep a lie straight, and somehow convince a doctor that he was okay covered in bruises with a broken arm. 

Buck blinked and suddenly he was being guided out of the RV and into the dark night. He glanced around and found himself in an empty parking lot. There was trash scattered across the parking lot, and a lone building standing on the sidewalk. It was poorly lit with a flickering sign on the front lawn advertising the clinic. 

It seemed like the perfect place to go when you didn’t want to answer questions and you certainly didn’t want anyone to ask questions. Paying with cash was probably a norm at this place, and they looked like they were used to treating more unconventional ailments. 

As the two men walked towards the door Frank dropped a heavy hand to the back of Buck’s neck. He latched on tightly with a squeeze.

“Head down, mouth shut,” Buck murmured.

“Good boy.” Frank gave a final squeeze and slid his hand down to the small of Buck’s back. 

He guided him to the front desk where they were handed a clipboard with some paperwork. They moved to sit in the corner of the room, across from a woman with a toddler seated behind her. The woman’s face was a mess of bruises and blood dripped down her cheek from an open cut. They were the only people in the room, and the quiet was unsettling. 

As Frank worked through the paperwork Buck closed his eyes, head falling back to the wall behind him. If he had a few minutes he would absolutely be able to fall asleep. 

The sound of a doctor collecting the woman and her child caused Buck to stir and he let his head drop to the side, onto Frank’s shoulder, to watch. He didn’t move off of Frank as he watched the woman scoop the kid into her arms and follow hesitantly behind the doctor. She looked like shit, to put it lightly, but Buck probably wasn’t one to talk considering how he was sure he must have looked. 

“Your name is Ben for tonight,” Frank whispered as he side eyed the man leaning on him.

“I’ll try to remember,” Buck giggled. “Why didn’t you let me pick it?”

“Because I’m the boss, and Ben is easy. Now let me go turn this in.”

Buck sighed, but sat back up to let the man go. Despite Frank being the one who snapped his arm, Buck just wanted comfort. He wanted someone to touch him and for it to not hurt. Really, he wanted Eddie. But that wasn’t an option at the moment so Frank was the next best choice. Distantly Buck figured that if he didn’t still have drugs muddling with his brain he probably would be a bit more upset with Frank, but at this point he didn’t give a shit. 

Buck was pressed right back to his side when Frank returned, watching as he sent messages, presumably to Mac with updates, on his phone. 

“You think this is gonna take a long time?”

“Probably not. I’m sure we’ll be back before that lady and her kid are even done.”

“I hope so. My arm hurts.”

“Yeah kid, I know. Cover story is that you fell down the stairs, alright?”

“You think they’re gonna believe that?”

“It doesn’t really matter what they believe,” Frank shifted, “You are a grown man who as far as they know can choose to stay with me or leave. So when they hear you fell down the stairs and just want a cast and want to go there isn’t much else they can do about it.”

“Mr. Ben Martin,” A young woman’s voice rang out over the waiting room. It seemed unnecessarily loud considering they were the only people waiting, but before Buck could comment, he was being guided out of his chair and towards the nurse. 

“Hello Mr. Martin, I’m Sarah and I’ll be helping you today,” she greeted Buck, barely sparing a glance to Frank. “Why don’t I take Ben back and you can wait out here for us.”

“No, that’s alright. I’ll be coming along to make sure he’s okay.”

She looked like she wanted to argue, but with a tight lipped smile she turned and directed them to an examination room in the back. Frank helped Buck onto the exam table, and the man kept quiet with his eyes down as Sarah checked over his vitals. She asked a couple of basic questions, which Frank answered easily from his position right beside Buck.

“So what happened to this arm sweetheart?” Sarah asked as she put away the stethoscope she had just made use of.

“He fell down the stairs,” Frank replied.

“And I’m sure the day old bruises came from that as well?” She questioned, a cock to her hip. 

“It’s true,” Buck finally spoke, his voice scratchy from misuse. “I fell down the stairs like an idiot.” 

Frank made a ‘told you so’ face at the woman, daring her to argue further. 

“Okay, well the doctor will be in in just a minute to take a look at your arm. It looks like a pretty standard break so he’ll get you into a cast and get you on your way.”

“Good.” Frank said, still glaring impressively at the nurse. Buck felt a little bad for her, she was just doing her job, and she really had no clue what was going on here. She probably assumed that Frank was abusive and that Buck was stuck in a bad relationship, but the reality was much more fucked than she would ever guess. It felt nice to have someone who cared about his well being, but Buck was done fighting. He had no desire to try and get help, or tell anyone what was going on. Eddie was still in the RV, and he couldn’t risk something bad happening to him. Also, Buck was just tired of getting hurt. He didn’t want any more trouble. 

The wait for the doctor to come back was quiet, Buck had laid back as soon as the nurse was gone, and kept slipping in and out of sleep while Frank stood beside him and kept watch. The man was a wall of tension, and clearly wasn’t about to relax until they were far away from this place. He did however, rest a hand on Buck’s forehead, and gently stroke his hair. The soothing motion kept Buck calm. 

As the door opened and the doctor came in, Frank pulled his hand away, not missing the whine that escaped Buck’s lips at the loss of contact.

“Hello gentleman,” The doctor greeted. He was a short and lean man, with a mop of messy brown hair that flew wildly around his face as he moved. “I’m Doctor Grant,” He introduced himself, as he washed his hands and slipped a pair of latex gloves over his fingers. “I hear we’ve got a nasty break today?”

“He fell down the stairs,” Frank explained.

“So the policy in my office is that if the patient is capable of talking, then they are the ones I want to talk to,” the doctor explained with a smile. Sarah had probably already shared her concerns about the two.

“I fell down the stairs,” Buck mimicked as he struggled to push himself back up. 

“Right of course,” Grant agreed with a nod, “and those bruises on your face?”

“Different things,” Buck shrugged. He was in no state to come up with lies about the varying degree of bruises covering his face. If Frank wanted a believable story he should have come up with it entirely. 

“Different things,” The doctor repeated as he prodded the offending arm. “Sounds painful.”

“Really just the arm hurts,” Buck replied.

“Okay, well like Sarah said it seems pretty cut and dry so we’ll get it wrapped up for ya. Any color requests?”

“Just white is fine,” Buck shrugged with his good arm.

“Alright, and maybe some pain killers would be good too. On a scale of one to ten what’s your pain at right now?”

“Maybe a six?”

The doctor stepped away to survey the cabinet above the sink. “Okay I’m going to grab some supplies and I’ll be back in a minute. You two sit tight.”

Within 30 minutes, Buck had a cast over his throbbing arm, had taken a pill which slowly eased the pain, and the two were waiting to be dismissed. 

“Do you mind if I speak with Ben for a minute?” Doctor Grant asked.

“Who’s stopping you?” Frank returned with crossed arms.

“I meant in private,” Grant shot back, crossing his own arms. Buck had to admit; despite being substantially smaller than Frank, the doctor seemed to have no fear. It was probably a job requirement working in a place like this. But he wasn’t easily intimidated.

“Ben, do you want to talk to the doctor in private?”

Buck just shook his head and pushed off the table. “That’s alright Doc, I’m feeling good. But thanks for this,” he smiled and jiggled his arm. 

Grant sighed but stepped to the door and opened it up. “You can settle your bill at the front desk,” He explained and passed a business card to Buck. “Feel free to give us a call if you have any questions.”

Buck took the card and headed into the hallway, Frank right behind him. They paid quickly and were heading out the door where the sun was starting to peak back up. “You know if I really was some abused victim I’m surprised he gave me his card like that right in front of you,” Buck commented as he dropped it to the ground. 

“They were all fucking idiots, could have gotten you killed.”

They finished the walk in silence, and as soon as they entered the RV, Buck was wrapped up in a hug from Eddie. He instantly melted into the hold, and had to squeeze his eyes tightly to avoid tears slipping out. 

“I’m okay,” He whispered and pulled away. “Got a cast and some meds, but I’ll be fine.”

“Hopefully not too many questions?” Mac inquired as he watched the reunion. 

“They thought I was an abusive boyfriend, but Buck played his part perfectly. We shouldn’t have any problems.”

“Great. We are driving straight to Bastrop, we’ll find a motel to drop Buck and Frank off and then we’ll go collect our treasure. Once we have it, we can pick them back up.”

“And then you’ll let us go?” Eddie asked. 

“And then you’ll find out what's next.”

“Why don’t we get the kid to bed, he’s falling asleep on his feet,” Frank interrupted, as he ushered Buck and Eddie to the back. “He should get his own bed just to make sure he doesn’t get bumped around too much, so you can take a top bunk if you’re planning to sleep.”

Eddie nodded as he guided Buck to lay down. He pulled the blankets up around him and stroked a finger over his cheek before pulling the curtain shut and surrounding him in darkness. Buck was asleep in minutes.

Chapter Text

The motel was one of those shitty, stop by for a quick fuck and be on your way, type places. The neon sign in the window flickered announcing that there were vacant rooms, and the nearly empty parking lot was also a good indicator of that. The doors to each room had peeling paint, and nicks and dents. Buck wondered how they kept finding the most unappealing places of each state they stopped in. First the doctor's office which seemed a step away from going out of business and now this trashy motel. 

He supposed it was only wise to pick a place where people wouldn’t ask too many questions about his worse for wear appearance. It also didn’t hurt that if he did get resistant, most likely no one here would consider stepping in to help him. 

“Remind me again why we couldn’t just stay in the RV while they go on their little goose chase,” Buck muttered as he held on tightly to his duffle bag in his hand and allowed Frank to steer him towards their room. 

The man behind him had a bag slung across his chest and kept a firm hand at his back to keep him moving forward. “We’ve realized that the two of you ain’t got a lick of self preservation, and this close to the end, Mac doesn’t want to take any chances.” They tramped up the rickety stairs towards the second floor.  “That’s why Eddie stayed in the back while we were dropped off so he won’t have a clue where you are. He double crosses us and you all never see each other again.”

Buck slowed to look down at Frank, “and you kill me?” 

“I can think of a couple of things I could do with you.” 

With a groan he climbed the last couple of stairs and went back to following Frank’s direction. “We’re in 205.”

“What kind of things?” 

“What?” Frank asked as he unlocked the door and pushed Buck inside. 

“You said you can think of things to do with me, what kind of things?”

“Let’s just hope you don’t have to find out.” Frank smirked at him as he locked and chained the door shut behind them.

“Right,” Buck shuddered. The amount of subtle creepy threats were getting tiring. He knew that Frank was an asshole, but he wasn’t sure how much of these threats were just being a jerk or if he was serious. 

The room held a queen size bed in the middle of the floor, and a couch and TV pressed into the corner. There was little else to the room besides a generic painting hung above the bed, and a door which Buck assumed led to the bathroom. 

“They didn’t have a room with twin beds?” He asked as he dropped his bag on the floor and sat heavily on the bed. 

“I figured sharing would be the easiest way to keep an eye on you,” Frank responded easily. He really didn’t care about Buck’s comfort at this point. 

“Right, of course,” Buck nodded as if it made perfect sense. He assumed that he would end up tied to a bed for most of their stay, and that it wouldn’t make a difference whether they were in the same bed or not, but the fight had been drained out of him at practically the same time his arm had been snapped. 

Being apart from Eddie and all of the other guys was also terrifying. Up until this point, Frank had only hurt him when aggravated to do so, but Buck had no idea if that would remain true now that they were on their own. The man had a comedic side to him but also a mean streak that ended in bruises, cuts, and broken bones. Would love to spend this time with comedic Frank if possible. 

“You want a shower?” Frank asked as he settled on the couch, already flicking the TV on and scanning through the channels. 

“Yeah, that would be nice. Are we gonna get food anytime soon?”

“Yeah, I’m going to shower after you and then we can figure out a plan for dinner.” 

Buck nodded and gathered his bag up to head into the bathroom. He was praying that despite its appearance the motel would have nice water pressure. He was tired of the light spray from the RV. 

“Take the laundry bag to cover up your cast while you’re in there,” Frank advised without looking away from the TV where he had settled on some cop show. 

It was a good idea, Buck had already forgotten about the cast on his arm, but he didn’t say anything back. Simply grabbed the bag and vanished into the bathroom for some time to himself.

 The last five days had been practically non stop human contact, contact with a criminal who had a gun nonetheless. Being able to lock the door behind him and close off from the overwhelming presence of Frank was like a breath of fresh air. 

Buck glanced in the mirror after slipping out of his clothes. It was hard to recognize the face that stared back at him. His face was a myriad of bruises, most of his skin turned a deep purple, the earliest bruises fading into a slight yellow hue as they began the healing process. There were fingerprint shaped bruises up and down his arms, around the lower half of his face, and wrapping around his neck from the back. Eyes stinging, he scrubbed his hands over his eyes. He was just so tired. 

Get yourself together Buck!

He wanted nothing more than to curl up in the corner of the bathroom and cry. He wanted to scream and shout, to fight Frank and win this time. He hadn’t seen the man’s gun in a while, and he thought distantly that maybe he could overpower him if he tried hard enough. Although, with all of his injuries he had been moving slower than normal, and his arm in a cast wasn’t helpful either. 

Buck didn’t have time for any of his desires, instead he wrapped up his arm, turned the water on hot and allowed the scalding water to pound into his back. 

After his shower, Buck dressed comfortably in a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. He spent as much time as he dared rubbing lotion over his sore muscles and around his bruised face, before gathering his things and stepping out into the main room. 

“Took you long enough,” Frank grunted, still propped on the couch. 

“Sorry, I lost track of time in there,” 

Frank shrugged as he stood his hand coming up to dangle a pair of handcuffs from his finger. “Hop on the bed.”

“Is that really necessary?” Buck took a step back. 

“I’m not going to fight with you anymore. You do what I say, when I say it or we can get a matching break on the other side and I won’t be nearly as nice to find you a doctor this time.”

With a final glance at the door, Buck relented with a slump of his shoulders. He dropped his bag by the bed and climbed onto the mattress. Once Frank came close enough he realized that there were actually two pairs of cuffs in hand. He attached both of them to two of the metal bars of the head board before pushing Buck’s chest firmly down until his back was pressed to the bed. He pulled his good arm up and clasped the metal tightly around his wrist. 

“If you promise to be quiet, we can leave your other arm free.”

“I’ll be quiet.”

“You change your mind and I’ve got a gag right here with your name on it,” Frank threatened as he dropped a thick strip of white fabric on his chest. It looked like a ripped up piece of a towel. 

“I won’t change my mind.”

Frank dropped the TV remote on top of the makeshift gag, and headed to the bathroom to take care of his own needs. 

Buck let out a low groan. His arm dangling awkwardly above him was not a comfortable position, but he scooted until he was sitting up and his wrist was able to rest beside him with a pillow propped beneath it so his wrist didn’t have to bend too much. He flipped through the TV channels until he found one of Chris’s favorite movies, Despicable Me, playing. Although Buck had seen the movie more times than he could count, there was something comforting about the familiarity of the film, and he found himself dropping the remote to focus on the silly antics of the minions. 

At some point Frank had returned to the room, a towel wrapped around his waist as he moved around. This is the first time Buck has seen him shirtless, and the expanse of muscles makes him feel a little less bad about not being able to overpower the man. He was ripped. 

“You really have to walk around without clothes on?” Buck scoffed, as he watched the man standing at the foot of the bed. 

Frank didn’t bother with a response, just dropped his towel and smirked right back. 

Buck quickly averted his gaze and went back to staring at the TV. Regardless of being stuck with him for the foreseeable future, Buck certainly didn’t want to become that well acquainted. 

“Relax blue eyes, I’m dressed now,” he laughed as he walked back into the bathroom to hang up his towel now wearing a pair of sweatpants and a dark henley. 

“Is it your goal to make me as uncomfortable as possible?” 

“To be honest, as long as you stay in this room, I don’t have many other goals,” Frank sidled back up to the bed and fiddled with the free handcuff for a moment, before guiding Buck to lie back down and pulled his broken arm up to clamp the cuff around his wrist. “Feel okay?” He asked. 

“It’s not great,” Buck replied with a grimace. 

“ If you'd prefer, we can put you on your stomach so it doesn’t pull your shoulder as much.”

“How long is it gonna have to be like this?” 

“Maybe 45 minutes?”

“I think stomach would be best, my shoulder is already cramping,” despite his deep dislike of Frank, Buck did appreciate the offer. 

“I’ll unlock both, you just roll over nice and easy for me.”

Buck did as instructed without complaint. He just wanted to be comfortable if he was going to be stuck for any period of time. Once both hands were locked in, Frank slipped a pillow under his hands and then snatched the loose fabric from his side. 

Buck watched as he pulled a thick knot into the center of the strip and then jiggled the fabric in front of him. “Open up kid.”

Without additional prompting he opened his mouth and allowed the knot to be stuffed into his mouth, filling out his cheeks, before it was knotted at the back of his head. 

“I’m going out to get dinner. There was a diner a couple of minutes away so I shouldn't be too long. You just relax and I’ll let you loose as soon as I’m back.”

Buck grunted with a nod and dropped his head to the pillow under his arms. He figured he might as well settle in, there wasn’t much he could do to fight his current situation. 

Frank decided to take his time getting dinner. He had been on constant guard for the past couple of days, and having a minute out and about was refreshing. Being able to see people, go into a restaurant without worrying about shutting up his captive, and not having to constantly look over his shoulder was a great feeling. 

With his freedom he chose to sit at the bar and order a beer before even considering food, his eyes focused on a football game playing on a TV. One beer somehow turned into three, when he finally spared a glance at the menu. He hadn’t asked Buck what kind of food he was in the mood for, so he went basic and ordered two cheeseburgers with fries, and a slice of pie for each of them. While he was waiting on the food to be prepared, he downed another two beers. 

The desire to let loose was a little overwhelming given the rigidness he had been forced to take on. Despite his gruff appearance, Frank was typically more of a laid back person. He enjoyed messing around and having fun. He could absolutely be serious when needed, but 24/7 seriousness was draining to say the least. The alcohol caused his limbs to relax, and his brain to take on a fuzzy calmness. 

When his bag of food finally came out and he paid the bill, Frank was slightly over the edge of tipsy. His alcohol tolerance had always been high, but five beers on an empty stomach was bound to take effect. 

The walk back to the motel was slow. He reveled in the cool breeze that shifted around him, and the walk helped to sober him up a bit. By the time he was back, his head was on as straight as he could hope, and he let himself back into the room quietly. 

Buck’s head shot up when he entered and he let out a strained grunt through his gag. His eyes were red, and the tear tracks down his cheeks were easy to see, even from the door. Frank locked the door and made his way to Buck quickly to make sure the man was okay. His appearance was a bit surprising considering he had only been gone for a bit. At least, it was only supposed to be a bit. A glance at his watch had Frank realising his 45-minute trip might have been closer to two and a half hours. 

Yanking the gag from his lips, Frank set about unlocking Buck from his position. 

“I thought you were fucking dead you asshole,” Buck exclaimed as he pushed himself up from the bed and rubbed at his wrists. 

“And you’d like me to believe that you wouldn’t be happy if I died?”

“Not if it means I’m stuck tied to a bed with no way of getting help. What happened to you?” 

“I just had a couple of drinks,” Frank answered, as he moved to pull at the food on the coffee table. 

“Great, leave me tied to the fucking bed while you go out and get plastered,” Buck growled out as he ripped his abandoned gag from around his neck. He threw it in Frank's direction as he stalked to the bathroom to relieve himself.

While he was washing his hands the door opened, and Frank stood leaning against the frame. “Don’t you forget that we aren’t friends. I could leave you tied to the bed all day if I wanted. Sorry that you were so worried, but I want to remind you that you are my hostage-- not my friend. So that means you deal with what happens and you don’t get to complain about it like some bitchy girlfriend. I am going to do what I want and you are going to deal with it.” Frank pointed over his shoulder, “I brought you dinner and dessert, so I suggest you shut up and enjoy the food before I decide you can go to bed hungry.”

With a sigh, Buck slipped past Frank to go and eat. He was too hungry to risk pissing the man off further and losing out on dinner. 

The two settled on the couch, the middle cushion empty between them as they ate their food with football playing in the background. Buck barely glanced at the TV, most of his focus on the food in front of him. After finishing his meal, he devoured the pie in a couple of big bites. 

He curled into the corner of his side of the couch, before cautiously stretching a leg out towards the middle. He stopped his foot right before it would touch Frank, and paused waiting to see if the man would react. When nothing happened, he pushed out his other foot and shifted until he was comfortable. 

Frank spared a cursory glance in his direction, but didn’t seem bothered by the transition. Had Buck forgotten that they had spent time pressed up against each other in the small bunks on the RV? The man had little qualms with personal space, especially with Buck it seemed. After a couple of minutes his hand found its way down to Buck’s ankle, which he held onto tightly when the man tried to pull away. 

“Relax,” he commanded with a squeeze to the ankle. 

Buck glared at the side of his face for a second before realizing this wasn’t a battle worth fighting. Not like he was hurting him or anything. Just a gentle, almost comforting touch. 

They stayed in that position, Frank's fingers tracing outlines into Buck’s ankle for over an hour. They didn’t speak or acknowledge each other, just sat and watched the TV. It almost felt like two friends hanging out, similar to Buck and Eddie’s typical tradition after a long shift. 

By the time the clock read midnight, Buck was struggling to keep his eyes open for more than a minute at a time and his head kept drifting downwards. 

“Alright Blue eyes, I think it’s time for bed,” Frank announced as he gave a final squeeze to Buck’s feet which had somehow found their way into Frank’s lap. 

Buck rubbed at his eyes and blinked over at Frank sleepily. “You gonna tie me up again? I don’t know if I can sleep with my arm yanked up like that.”

“You can choose, either I cuff your hand up top again, or I cuff you to me. That way we can sleep nice and comfy and I don’t have to worry about you running away in the middle of the night.”

Buck didn’t look thrilled with the idea. “And you can’t just leave me loose and trust that I’ll be good?”

“Yeah, I’m done trusting you. So what will it be?”

“Cuffed to you I guess.”

Frank grinned widely. “Get ready for bed then,” he advised as he stripped his shirt off. 

A quick stop in the bathroom to pee and brush his teeth, left Buck standing awkwardly by the bed. He didn’t know how this was going to work, but he assumed he wouldn’t like it.

When Frank unlatched one of the cuffs that had been attached to the bed he gestured Buck onto the bed with a finger. “Hand,” he asked with an outstretched hand of his own. 

As soon as Buck relented, he was clasping metal around his wrist and then attaching the other side to his arm as well. After turning out the lights he easily maneuvered Buck onto his side, and folded his arm over top of him so that their linked arms rested on the bed in front of Buck. Frank tucked up behind the man and pulled the blanket over them both. 

“I’m tired so don’t wake me up being stupid.”

“Is it too late to change my mind? I think I want the bed instead.”

Frank burrowed closer, “it’s too late to change your mind, but it isn’t too late for me to gag you. So shut up and go to bed.”

“Right. Goodnight Frank,” Buck whispered as he shifted to get comfortable. 

“Goodnight blue eyes.” 

Chapter Text

Buck woke up hot and sweaty; he was partly on his side and partly on his stomach with a heavy weight blanketing his back. That heavy weight was radiating heat like his own personal furnace, and Buck, in his half asleep form just wanted to escape the warmth. He started to pull away when a strong hand tightened around his stomach, holding him still. 

“Hey,” Buck grumbled, pushing at the restrictive hold. He didn’t want to open his eyes and risk losing his sleepiness. He just needed a little space from the heat so that he could drift back off. “Let me go,” he whined a little louder.

Before he could voice more complaints, another hand was slipping underneath his head, and was covering his mouth. Buck’s eyes shot open at the movement and his struggles stilled. With an aggressive enough shake of his head, Buck probably could have dislodged the hand holding him still, but he had enough sense to calm down as he remembered just who he was sharing a bed with. 

He hoped that compliance would get him released sooner. 

“What was it I told you about not waking me up?” Frank's deep voice murmured in his ear. A full body shiver shot up Buck’s spine at the tone. Even half asleep Buck couldn’t manage to stay on Frank’s good side. 

Voice muffled, he tried to explain but as soon as he started making noise the hand tightened and he had a hard time pulling in a breath of air. 

“Shhhh,” Frank hushed him as he pulled Buck even closer and pressed up against him. “I’m trying to sleep in, and you’ve gotta start wiggling around?”

Wisely, Buck kept quiet this time, bringing up his arm wrapped in a cast to hold on to the hand sealed over his mouth. He tried very gently to ease himself away from the hold, but all that did was encourage Frank to press forward more. Buck’s heart began racing as he realized he wasn’t getting out of this situation easily. Maybe if he just laid still Frank would get bored and go back to sleep?

With one final adjustment, Frank had Buck’s back pressed firmly to his chest and his hand still secured over his face, their bodies aligned perfectly against one another. Buck whimpered beneath his hand trying to twist his head away, hoping he could deescalate the situation if he was just able to speak, now that he realized he wasn’t about to be released. 

“I know you don’t like doing as you're told, but you might want to stop moving up against me so much,” Frank whispered, a smirk evident in his voice.

Buck paused for a moment, before realization dawned. With his adrenaline racing he hadn’t even noticed the feeling of Frank’s nether regions pressed firmly against his ass, and he certainly hadn’t noticed that Frank Jr. seemed to be up and happy this morning. 

The panicked gasp that escaped Buck’s mouth and nose brought Frank’s humor to a halt. “Hey, why don’t you calm down so we can have a civilized conversation,” the man soothed, as he squeezed his hands over the tight grip he had on the firefighter. 

Buck couldn’t tell if the man was actively grinding up against him or if it was a harmless adjustment considering their awkward position, but he knew that he was about to make the rest of their stay hell if this was Frank’s plan for him. He just wanted to be let go.  

“I’m not gonna hurt ya kid. This is what we call an unavoidable bodily function. What, you never had some morning wood before? To be honest it probably would have died down by now if you didn’t keep shoving back on me. So why don’t you settle down.” 

Buck could feel the grin pressed against the side of his face, as all of the struggle exited his body and he slumped back into Frank’s hold. 

“There we go. Now I’m tired and want to go back to bed. So why don’t you get over yourself and close your eyes. We’ll get up when I’m ready.”

There wasn’t much else he could do, fight more and continue rubbing against the very obvious erection still pressed against him, or calm down and hope they both fell back asleep. Buck slid his eyes shut and took slow breaths through his nose. Frank didn’t seem like he would be letting go anytime soon. 

It was funny, for all he knew Buck could have been about to pee the bed, or shit himself, but Frank wouldn’t even hear him out. The man really had no care for anything but what he wanted it seemed. Although, there were other times where he was patient and considerate. Buck didn’t know what it all meant. He just wished he was back at home where he didn’t have to try and figure Frank out. 

The second time Buck woke up he was in a cool and empty bed. With a glance to his wrist he realized that he was completely free. He had to pause for a moment to consider if his imagination had fabricated the situation with Frank earlier, or if the man truly had been giving him the bad touch before. 

Man, if Eddie was here he would have kicked the shit out of him. Buck would love to see Frank get his ass handed to him- the man really deserved to be taken down a peg or two. 

“Good morning sleeping beauty,” Frank greeted from his lean against the bathroom door frame. 

Buck grunted in response, but didn’t dignify the man with words. He was upset about earlier, and had no desire to get roped into one of those are they friends are they not friends conversations. Instead, the man rifled through his bag for a sweat shirt and slipped into the hoodie before rolling back over and burrowing under the covers. He wasn’t tired anymore, but hoped to avoid interacting for as long as possible. 

“No need to be like that kid, I’ve already forgiven you for waking me up earlier,” Frank chuckled before disappearing back into the bathroom. 

“You- you’ve forgiven me?” Buck sputtered as he rolled back around. 

“Yes blue eyes, I’m not going to hold it against you. I’m sure you were just tired and didn’t think about what you were doing.”

Frank had some audacity acting as if Buck was the one in the wrong after that morning. Of course he wasn’t going to apologize for practically molesting the man, but to act as if Buck was the one who should apologize was ridiculous. For a moment, Buck considered arguing the point, until he imagined what type of conflict that could spur.

 For one of the first times in his adult life, Buck felt small. He wasn’t one of the tallest or strongest in the room, and he couldn’t rely on his physical strength to get what he wanted. Unused to feeling small, Buck was trying to adapt to the idea that Frank could literally make him do whatever he wanted. Even fighting back at his full strength, Buck wasn’t about to win, and now at significantly lower strength, with bruises and a busted arm, Buck felt completely helpless. 

It brought him back to a teenage Evan, where he was lonely, isolated, and felt like he had no one who cared about him. When his parents looked at him with nothing more than indifference, kids in school were jerks, and his sister was slipping further and further away from him. All of a sudden, grown up Buck felt like little kid Buck. A scared, lonely boy. Eddie was gone, his family was gone, his job and life were gone; it was just him and Frank. And Frank was the boss, as he loved to remind the man. Frank was big and tall and strong. He could move Buck however he wanted, make him do what he wanted, tie him up, hold him down, push him around, and Buck was unable to say no.

Well, he could say no. It just wouldn’t do him much good. 

“Penny for your thoughts,” Frank tossed a granola bar at Buck, catching him on the head as he walked by. 

“Am I gonna get to talk to Eddie today?”

“Yeah, he wants to facetime with you as soon as you’re ready. They’re doing a couple hours of driving this morning so there is plenty of time.”

“Can I shower first?” Although he was no longer hot, Buck felt the sweat from his first wake up now dried out on his skin. A quick shower, to rinse away earlier events seemed like the perfect idea. 

“Make it quick. I want to go out after your call.”

Buck perked up at the announcement, hoping it meant he would be able to get out of the motel for a bit. 

“Don’t get so excited- you’ll be staying here.”

“Oh come on-”

“Do I need to remind you that I don’t give a shit about what you want?”

Buck groaned, but didn’t bother replying as he trudged to the bathroom to wash up for the day. 

A quick shower, with the water just on the wrong side of too hot left Buck red and warm to the touch. The attempts to scrub off Frank’s hands left his skin sensitive and tender. He moved slowly through the motions of rubbing lotion into his bruises, and dressing in his sweatpants and a t-shirt. The fear of facing Frank again left him moving at a snail's pace, but delaying the inevitable made it all worthwhile. 

By the time Frank was pounding on the door and shouting about hurrying up, Buck had already finished getting ready and was seated on the rim of the tub, enjoying his time alone. He hoped that his delay wouldn’t result in a shorter call with Eddie, but he truthfully didn’t care if it meant time away from Frank when he wasn’t tied up with a gag in his mouth. 

“I’m coming, I’m coming,” Buck shouted, gathering up his things and shoving them back into his bag. 

A phone was shoved into his hand the moment he was out the door, Eddie's face filling the screen. 

“Eds, hey man,” Buck grinned into the camera. 

“Buck,” he breathed out. “How are you? Frank treating you alright?”

Buck plopped onto the bed, a smile fixed permanently on his face. “He’s fine I guess. Let's not spend all our time talking about that asshole, huh?” He knew that talking about Frank and not mentioning their interaction from earlier would be nearly impossible, and getting Eddie all riled up would be in poor taste. He needed Eddie to be calm and collected so that they could finish this madness, and hopefully go home. “How’s the treasure hunt?”

“I didn’t realize we dropped you all off so far from where we were headed,” Eddie started explaining, “but I think we’re gonna be there soon. And really it shouldn’t be hard at all- a little digging, and then we should have what we need.”

“So you’ll be back by tomorrow then?” Buck asked, glancing at Frank who had wandered over to the bed at some point and was now lying down beside him. 

“As long as everything goes smoothly, it’ll be tomorrow or the day after I think.”

“Has Mac mentioned anything about letting us go?”

Eddie rolled his eyes after glancing up at someone around him. “No talk of letting us go yet. He says that keeping me on my toes will keep me motivated. So basically I’ll find out when I find out.”

“Great.”

“Now what about you?”

“Well the shower here is great, and the bed is nice. Not really much to do but lay around, but I don’t mind it.”

Muffled sounds came through the speaker, maybe someone talking. “Alright Buckaroo, I’ve gotta get off for now, but I’ll ask about calling later tonight.”

“Yeah that sounds-” Before Buck could get out a goodbye the facetime call had ended. “Good…” Buck trailed off dejectedly. He was sure that someone else had hung the phone up for Eddie, but the rejection of being hung up on by the only good person in this whole situation was a little overwhelming.

“I wouldn’t worry about it. They have a busy day ahead of them.” Frank said as he snatched the phone out of Buck’s hand. “Now I have some errands to run today, and you are gonna have to get comfy for a while.”

“I know you’re gonna tie me up and I don’t want to fight it.. But I really can’t do the same position as yesterday- my arm is still sore from that angle.”

“I thought you might be interested in a new position,” Frank pulled out some of the strips of rope that he had used while they were still in the RV. “Why don’t you go to the bathroom if you need to, and then we can move this to the couch so that you have something to keep you occupied while I’m away.” 

Without arguing Buck relieved himself and then transitioned to the couch and quickly found a channel that was interesting in the moment. He hoped Frank wouldn’t be gone too long, and that the channel he chose remained interesting until he was back. 

“We’re gonna try out a new position and see how well it works.” Frank shoved Buck’s shoulder until he was practically laying down on the couch, and then scooped his legs up and dropped them down- successfully depositing him into a fetal position. 

He grabbed hold of Buck’s ankles and made quick work of lashing his feet together. With the tail end of the rope that remained out, he pulled Buck’s hands down and tied his hands to his feet in a sort of forward hogtie. 

There was little strain on his arm, but it was virtually impossible for him to stand, or move his arms around to accomplish much. The towel gag from the day before appeared in Frank’s hand and was unceremoniously stuffed into Buck’s mouth and tied off. From his position he had no way of reaching the gag either. Although it was more restrictive than any of the other positions Frank had done so far, it was one of the more comfortable ones. He was able to lie down, watch the tv, and there was no cramping yet. 

He just hoped that the feeling in his limbs remained. 

“Alright kid, I’ve got to run to the store, have a quick meeting and I’ll pick us up some lunch on the way back. Are you feeling okay?”

Buck nodded, before wiggling down further on the couch so that his head rested on a pillow. The TV was playing Criminal Minds, although Buck was suddenly hit by a wave of sleepiness, and he wondered how much TV he would even be watching. Come to think of it, Frank didn’t say how long his errands would take, and of course with the cloth stuffed in his mouth, Buck couldn’t ask either. 

As he watched Frank walk out the door, Buck debated whether he should try to escape his bonds. He liked the idea of being free in the room, but already knew that he wouldn’t use his freedom to run away. Eddie was too far away, and trapped with the other men. He couldn’t risk any anger being taken out on Eddie for his stupidity. Buck figured that if he did manage to get free he would stay on the couch, but maybe grab a blanket since it was a little chilly. 

Instead of fruitless struggling, Buck rolled to his side and focused on the television. He could use a win, and watching the BAU solve crime felt like as close as he would get to justice for a while now. 

Frank was already running late after all of his coddling of the kid this morning. He was feeling slightly guilty about the mild groping he had put Buck through earlier and was trying to give him the space to get himself together afterwards. Somehow that had turned into an hour long shower, a FaceTime with his friend, and a new and improved position to be tied up in. 

Pretty much as soon as he heard just how freaked out Buck was about his erection pressing against him, Frank had tried to back peddle. It’s not like he was trying to cop a feel or anything. He was an aggressive cuddler on the best of days and having someone in bed with him, much less someone he was handcuffed to and literally had no other option but to touch, made it nearly impossible to not have a close snuggle. If he had woken up with a boner it really wasn’t his fault, but his sleep-addled brain had forgotten for one moment just how unwilling of a bed partner Buck was, and that one moment was all it took to strike a deep fear in the firefighter. 

Maybe the fear was a good thing. He was now keeping the man on edge from the fear of what else Frank might want to do to him, but then again Frank had never had an unwilling sexual partner before. As a matter of fact he prided himself on just how willing his partners tended to be, and it didn’t seem like Buck would be hitting Stockholm syndrome anytime soon to lead to willing participation. 

That being said, the man was good looking. Like very good looking, and Frank couldn’t lie and say he wasn’t appreciating the bruised and submissive look. The way he had allowed himself to be tied up that morning sent a little spark through his body, the thought of Buck wanting to be tied up led to many more dirty thoughts. Thoughts Frank absolutely should not be having about his hostage. 

He supposed as long as they stayed as thoughts it didn’t matter too much. Buck already had a clue of how inclined Frank was, so there was really no hiding it at this point. 

He shook his head, needing to focus on his task at hand as he hopped into the Uber waiting for him in front of the diner from last night. While the men had done their best to avoid leaving an electronic trail, Frank didn’t have many options without a vehicle of his own. The best that he could do was try to distance himself from the motel so that no one would know where Buck was stashed. 

Unfortunately his meeting was a little too far to walk, and since he was already running behind, he knew he was going to catch shit for being late as it was. The driver didn’t spare him a glance, which Frank appreciated, and they were pulling into their destination 25 minutes later; a private air strip. 

Without a thank you, Frank was out and walking away. He would tip well on the app, and he didn’t think that he needed to be overly friendly to express gratitude. 

The meeting was quick and to the point, he passed over a bag full of cash, and was rewarded with a folder outlining a plane, and the keys to a car. 

“The plane is gonna be gassed and on the tarmac on Wednesday by 5:00 PM. You leave the car here, and we’ll be in contact about getting rid of the plane once you all have landed.”

Frank nodded along as he glanced through the folder. “Not to worry. Our pilot hasn’t flown in a couple of years but I’m sure it’ll come back to him quickly.”

“Meaning no license?”

“Nothing about this trip is above books, I didn’t think a pilots license would bother you?”

“Not at all,” the man appeased. “Just want to ensure you all make it in one piece.”

“He was flying for the military before he decided to switch to being a medic- our man is good.”

“Alright, well you know how to get in contact if you need anything before Wednesday-” the man reached a hand out, which Frank shook firmly. 

“Thanks for this,” Frank smiled as he turned to get into his newly acquired car. 

The seemingly random motel wasn't nearly as random as Buck and Eddie had been led to believe. Things were slowly falling together, and soon they would be on a plane and out of the country.

Of course keeping Buck and Eddie was a risky hazard of the mission, but Eddie flying them out of the country was the perfect way to ensure that as few people as possible knew about their mission. 

The only concern Frank couldn’t shake was what happened to their hostages after. Mac still claimed that they weren’t going to kill the men, but he had no clue what they would do with them in a foreign country. Just let them go? Make them figure out how to get home with no passport or money? Frank couldn’t help but feel guilty about bringing Buck along, but he knew that if they let one go they had to be ready for the police coming after them. There was just no way around it. 

Shifting the car into drive, Frank began making his way back to town to finish up his errands. He planned to stop at the local grocery store and buy some food that they could keep in the motel room so he didn’t have to go out multiple times a day, and then the diner for lunch. As easy as it was to tie Buck up and leave him, there was always the risk that something would go wrong on one of his outings. 

Frank definitely didn’t want to be the person to explain that they lost the most important piece of leverage over Eddie.

Chapter Text

Eddie spent the rest of his night pacing after dropping Buck and Frank off at the motel. He started in the Back of the RV by the bunks and worked his way around that small area, before breaching into the main floor until he hit the divider from the cab to the body. Then he moved back to the bunks and repeated the process over and over again. 

Since knowing Buck, Eddie spent a substantial amount of time worrying about the man. He was one of the most accident prone people he knew, and somehow it wasn’t only because of his occupation as a firefighter. Even off the job, he had survived a tsunami, had a pulmonary embolism, been punched in the face by a friend, slapped by random women, the list seemed to go on and on. His luck seemed to always be out and pairing bad luck with an already shit situation seemed like the perfect recipe for disaster. 

To be fair, Buck had only been hurt when one of them was doing something they shouldn’t have been doing, but with Buck all alone now, Eddie could only hope that he let hot head Buck take a back seat. 

Eventually, Mac had bullied him into one of the bunks and practically forced him to sleep for the night. It was, of course, a smart decision because the next morning was more hectic than he could have imagined. They stopped for gas, groceries, and supplies in a small town before Eddie was allowed a brief FaceTime with Buck and was then forced into the cab, accompanied by Brady, and instructed to drive for the next 2 hours. 

He quickly realized just how painful it was to drive with your kidnapper. The two men had been friends back in the day, and Brady’s attempts at conversation were either shut down by sharp one word answers or ignored.

Bastrop was a small town, it almost felt like going back in time as Eddie navigated the busy roads. They were going straight to Bastrop state park which laid against the back of a development of well developed estates. 

Amed’s journal had been rather telling if you knew what to look for. There were tens of entries surrounding his rental property in Bastrop where he spent most of his time while in the states. He also described a hiking trail that he would go out on by himself when he was in need of some privacy. They assumed that the trail was a straight shot to the treasure. 

Eddie could only imagine what would happen if they got to the supposed spot, and they found out that they were wrong all along. It had already been days since he and Buck had been snatched from the gas station, and they had no other guesses as to where the money would be. People back home were getting suspicious as he and Buck dodged their calls, and Eddie’s infrequent messages from each of their phones was only getting him so far. 

He had embellished Buck’s emergency into an elaborate story where one of his close friends from his nomad days had passed away, Buck wasn’t feeling up to talking to people- hence the meager texts he was sending, and Eddie explained that he was with Buck constantly, and thus didn’t have time for extra calls. The longer they were away the more questions they received, especially from Maddie. She texted multiple times a day asking for updates; when would Buck be ready for a call? Is Buck okay? When were they coming home? Where were they? Who was the friend who died?

It was a lot of questions, and talking in circles. Eddie had perfected the art of answering without giving any real details. Maddie had been messaging him nonstop since the night they left, but when Bobby’s messages started up three days later, with increasing concern, Eddie became more overwhelmed. It made sense. They were supposed to have a day or two off after a long shift, and it had somehow turned into a non-negotiable, and indeterminable amount of time off. Of course Bobby was understanding, but he was also naturally suspicious. And two of his firefighters disappearing without a trace, and not answering calls or giving any details about their sudden trip were sure to set off some alarm bells. 

The constant texts asking about when they would be back were relentless. Eddie had asked if he could give Bobby a time estimate, but Mac was opposed to any specific details. He said they would be back when they were back, and people at home would just have to wait until then. 

The GPS announcing their arrival at the park entrance interrupted Eddie’s train of thought, and he paid with cash at the small hut up front. The lady warned them there were only a couple of hours of daylight left and the park closed at dusk, so they best move quickly.

 They were parked and packing up in a couple of minutes, to prepare for their time on the trail. During the drive over Mac and Hotch had found a map online, and had planned out their route carefully. In theory, it was only a couple of miles in, and should be a quick trip. 

“Alright gentlemen, this is part one of the final leg. We get in there, get our shit, and get out of here,” Mac spoke a smirk playing across his face. 

There was a tense but excited energy bubbling up around the group. Even Eddie was radiating with energy. If Mac had been telling the truth he and Buck would be going home soon. Eddie couldn’t wait to hold his son again, to tend to Buck’s injuries, bundle them all up on the couch and finally get them that movie night that they had been planning before this nightmare began. Maybe eat a home cooked meal from abuela or Pepa, takeout was getting very old very quickly. 

“Eddie, you follow directions and do as you're told and we’ll get you back to Buck in no time.”

“Don’t worry, I’m not fucking this up,” Eddie hiked his backpack up higher on his shoulders before heading to the trail entrance. He had no interest in standing around and wasting time. He had places to be and he had a Buck to see.

Frank and Buck had a strangely civil afternoon once Frank returned from his errands. They had eaten lunch together, sitting across from each other on the couch, the TV off. 

Buck tried interrogating the man on the next part of the plan. Are you all giving us the RV to drive back? Are you going to drop us back off in LA? Will Eddie come back here when they get it? What even is it? You all are gonna kill us, aren’t you?

Somehow, Frank wasn’t bothered by the questions. His responses were half-assed and non-committal, but he still replied, and that was more than Buck had expected. Over the past couple of days it had felt like all of his questions were either shut down or ignored, so the conversation was enjoyable regardless of the outcome. 

Frank had also bought two cases of beer while he was out, which they both drank their fair share of. It was a quiet day of drinking, talking, and laying around. The food network had been turned on as background noise at some point, but neither of them paid much mind. Their focus on the other, and their own thoughts. Time seemed to drip by, slow like molasses, and the crossover between sober and drunk slammed into them both out of nowhere. 

A typical drunk Buck got loud and happy at the start. A night out with the fire crew typically led to dancing, flirting harmlessly with his friends, and loud jokes and stories. Golden retriever Buck would fade quickly, and would then lead to a more subdued individual. He was still fun, just more likely to draw someone into a random conversation where he would dump random facts onto them without much notice of whether they cared or not. He loved to curl up against Eddie, Maddie, or even Hen or Chimney if they were feeling generous. Give it another hour and he would be ready to fall asleep wherever he was, even if they were still at the bar. 

Drinking with Frank was different. The man was so loud and boisterous Buck didn’t know how to exist with him. When he opened his mouth to say something, Frank was already talking over him- onto the next topic that he was interested in. 

Frank was obsessed with movies. He seemed to have a particular fondness for action and cop movies, ironic, and he was happy to share as much as he knew about his favorite films and the actors in them. 

Buck was so bored of not being able to talk that he was grabbing a new bottle every time he finished the last sip of his current bottle. Six bottles later and Buck was sprawled over the couch, legs hanging off the arm rest, and head lolling to the side. 

“Hey Frank,”

“Huh?” he grunted from where he was laying across the bed.

“You think I can go out with you to pick up dinner tonight? I’m not really in the mood to vomit into that fucking towel and suffocate and die while you’re out.”

“I was thinking about the same thing, we can just order a pizza or something.”

“You really aren’t letting me out?”

“Don’t worry you’ll be able to leave the room as soon as the other guys get here.” 

“And where will we go?” Buck asked, sitting up to peer up at Frank from the back of the couch. 

“Come here,” Frank beckoned with a finger, taking another swig from his beer.

Without much thought, Buck obeyed, as he finished his own bottle and dropped it to the floor. “What?”

Frank reached out to grab his shirt and pulled him down onto the bed with a swift jerk. “Hey!” Buck snickered as he flopped to the bed beside him. 

“I’m gonna tell you a secret, okay?”

Buck nodded, staring intently. 

“But you really can’t tell anyone, not even Eddie.”

Buck nodded again, this time impatiently as he gestured for the man to just say it. 

“We are going far, far away after this.” Frank said, “So far that no one is going to be looking for us.”

“We?” Buck asked rolling to sit up so that he could lean in closer.

“Yeah, we are all going far, and then I ain’t got a fucking clue what's going to happen to you boys.”

“What?” Buck asked, mind racing as he tried to force his inebriated brain to keep up with the conversation.

“Shit- I shouldn’t have said that,” Frank sat up to mirror his position.

“No, no you definitely should. Mac is gonna kill us isn’t he?” Buck reached out a hand and grabbed onto Frank’s arm. “You can’t let him kill us. Eddie has a kid and a family. I have a sister and a niece. Frank please. ” Buck’s voice raised as he considered what this new information meant for Eddie and him. “You know Eddie isn’t going to go along with anything else if he hears about this.”

“Yeah I fucking know,” Frank swore as he pulled his arms free from Buck and pushed him back. “We aren’t going to be able to let Eddie in on the secret.” 

“How are we going far away? More driving? Where are we even going?”

“Don’t worry about it. We’ve definitely talked about this enough for today.”

“Frank, man, I mean it. I don’t want to die.”

“You’ll be fine, blue eyes.”

“Right, yeah that's why you don’t know what's going to happen to us.”

“Buck, listen to me. You ain't going to die. So shut the fuck up and don’t mention it again.”

Buck went quiet, withdrawing to plaster himself back against the headboard. As far away from Frank as he could manage without getting up. The silence stretched between them invasive and terrifying all at once. 

“Frank?”

The man grunted, not looking up. 

“Frank, I would do anything to get us back home,” Buck continued. Eyes wide and earnest as he leaned forward again. “We can’t leave Chris without his family. He doesn’t have anyone else.”

Frank shook his head, not wanting to feed into this line of thought. 

“Frank, I’ll do whatever you want. If you just promise to help get us back home.”

“I don’t know what the fuck you think you’re offering here, but you need to shut up.”

“Oh come on, you know exactly what I’m offering. I see the way you fucking look at me, I hear the way you talk about me, I felt the way you feel about me this morning for shits sake.” Buck threw his hands up as he continued. “Frank, I don't want to die, and I don’t want my best friend to die. So please help us. ”

Frank lunged forward clasping a firm hand under Buck’s jaw to yank him closer. “You need to stop talking. I don’t need to be fucking propositioned while I’m drunk as shit.”

“Frank, I’ll be good. I’ll do whatever you want, you just need to help us. You could look the other way when they get back. You all still get the money that you wanted, but you don’t have my death on your hands. Please Frank, please?”

Buck was desperate. He didn’t know what else to do. If Mac planned to kill them, there was a very small window where they would have a chance to get away, and once they were ‘very far away’ as Frank described it, their chance might have already vanished. With some help from Frank though, it was possible. They could get away if they just had a little help. Frank, who had been the enforcer for the trip, was the perfect person to sway.

Frank growled before dropping his grip on Buck’s chin in favor of grabbing the collar of his shirt and yanking him off the bed. He dragged the startled man to the bathroom before shoving him into the small room. 

“You’re drunk, I’m drunk I think we both need some space. Don’t fucking open this door until I tell you too.” He ground out before slamming the door shut. He glanced around for a chair to wedge under the door, but the bare minimum room didn’t even have that. With a parting kick to the door, Frank dropped back to the bed, trying to block out the muffled noises of crying coming from the bathroom. 

When he wasn’t able to ignore the sobs any longer he snatched the remote up and cranked the volume. It wasn’t enjoyable and he could care less about what was on the TV, but at least he didn’t have to hear Buck’s pitiful cries. 

Chapter Text

It had been hours since Frank had shoved Buck into the bathroom. At some point the crying had tapered down, and the TV was clicked off, no longer needed to try and muffle his prisoner’s noises. Now, glancing at the clock announcing just how late it was, Frank started to feel guilty. He hadn’t heard a sound from the bathroom since the crying had stopped, and he hoped that the kid was alright. 

Although he had been the one to shove him in there, Frank just wanted to avoid doing something regrettable. The offer of a fuck had been appealing. A little too appealing, considering Frank wasn’t a rapist, and anything he did to the firefighter would be non consensual regardless of what he said. Buck didn’t want to have sex with Frank, and the offer came from a place of desperation. Desperation that Frank had no interest in. 

Truth be told, if he had been sober during the situation, he would have pushed Buck on the couch to sleep it off, and moved on, but a drunk Frank was also a horny Frank and he knew that it wouldn’t be worthwhile regardless of the potential satisfaction in the moment. With a sigh, Frank pulled out his phone and placed an order for 5 large pizzas. 

Almost immediately after putting Buck in timeout, Mac had called with the news that they had retrieved the diamonds and were on their way back. Without stopping for breaks they were only five hours away at the time, and Frank wanted to have food for everyone when they arrived back. 

He had also booked the rooms on either side of theirs which he figured he could relegate everyone else to. Keeping Buck and Eddie separated until the plane ride was of the utmost importance. Frank admitting that he didn’t know what would happen to them after the getaway was a stupid rookie move. He had been tight lipped literally his entire time with the kid, yet somehow the night before everything was about to end, he had blown it. He needed to keep the friends separated or Buck unable to talk until they were up in the air. Once they were flying, a gun would be pressed to Buck’s head and Eddie would either do as he was told or Buck would die. He just had to get them to 5:00 tomorrow safely. 

 It would also be nice if Mac didn’t find out about his little blunder. As long as nothing was ruined he didn’t think it would be a big deal but he also didn’t want to risk losing any of his cut by making stupid mistakes. 

With a groan, Frank scrubbed his face a final time before getting out of bed to straighten up the room. There were beer bottles and trash littering the floor, probably not the best way to greet the other guys. After tossing the crap into one of the takeout bags from lunch, he headed towards the bathroom door. 

Pressing an ear gently against the door he listened closely hoping to get a sense of what he was about to walk into. 

Not a sound.

The knob turned slowly under his hand and he peaked in through the crack he created. Buck leaned with his back against the rim of the tub, a towel wrapped around his shoulders. He looked up at the sound of the door creaking. 

“Thought you were gonna leave me in here the rest of the night,” Buck muttered, pulling the makeshift blanket tighter around his body. 

“I needed a bit to sober up,” Frank shrugged, opening the door the rest of the way. He tilted his head out to the room, “let's go blue eyes. Time to get ready for our visitors.”

“Visitors?”

“Yeah, the guys are on their way back. Probably be here in less than an hour.”

“You know, I had a lot of time to think while I was in here, and I won't say anything to Eddie about what you told me. It would just lead to someone, probably me, getting hurt,” Buck dropped his towel to the ground and wandered past Frank, leaving a very intentional amount of space between them as he pressed his back to the opposite side of the door. 

“Don’t worry kid, you won’t have a chance to tell him. Eddie is gonna be bunking with Hotch in another room.”

“We won’t even see each other?” 

Frank gave him a look before dangling a pair of handcuffs. “You can see each other when they first get back, you’ll just be a little tied up to keep from chatting.”

The immediate pout on Buck’s face was hilarious to Frank. It was unclear whether he was trying to avoid his fate or if he was just so over the situation that pouting was the best he had. If they had been in any other situation of knowing each other Frank would have had a hard time denying his puppy eyes. A bat of his eyelashes and Buck could probably get most people to do whatever he wanted. 

“I’m assuming that me promising not to say anything isn’t gonna cut it?”

Frank scoffed, “your promises don’t mean shit to me buddy. I suggest you get comfy for a bit. You might be tied up for a while, I’m not sure how long people are going to want to stay here.”

With a sigh Buck moved to gather some clothes to change into, gravitating towards his crew neck and sweats since he had been shivering most of the day. “Are we getting dinner at some point?” Buck asked as he settled himself on the bed. 

“I ordered pizza a bit ago. Should get here before everyone else so you can eat first.”

Buck nodded but didn’t reply, instead keeping a sharp eye on Frank as he finished straightening up. 

“Frank?” Buck called quietly, still watching closely. 

“What?” He asked without bothering to turn around. 

“About earlier…”

“We don’t have to-”

“I know we don’t have to, but I want to,” Buck interrupted. “I just wanted to say I didn’t mean it. I think it was the alcohol and adrenaline, just a really bad fucking combination. Anyway,” he shook his head, “thank you.”

Frank’s head whipped in his direction, eyebrows raised. 

“Thanks for not touching me. I was being stupid.”

Of all the things Frank had been anticipating to come out of Buck’s mouth this was certainly not it. The tension between them had been pretty steady since they met, obviously, but when they were calm there was no sense of gratitude, just a tentative compliance. 

For Buck to be grateful, and over that of all things made Frank pause. He appreciated the idea of it, but knew he didn’t deserve thanks for not raping him. “Yeah kid, no problem.” 

Buck shrugged before looking away. 

The knock on the door startled them both from the awkward silence that had settled, and a stern glare from Frank had Buck settling back and shutting his mouth. 

Trying to get help from an innocent pizza delivery guy would have been stupid considering Frank had a gun, so he didn’t worry about the firefighter trying anything. The threat of hurting random people seemed to work well in getting the man to listen. 

Tossing one of the boxes on the bed for Buck he gestured for him to start eating just as his phone rang. 

Mac let him know they were about 20 minutes away, and they were all ready to pass out. After going over some quick details Frank was hanging up with a grin on his face. 

“I can’t believe they really found it,” Buck commented around a bite of pizza. “This whole time I thought that we were chasing our own tails.”

“It felt that way for a minute, didn’t  it?”

“The whole thing seemed so crazy, you know? Like us being snatched up in the middle of the night and whisked away for a treasure hunt of all things.” Buck snickered as he took another bite. “At the gas station I was so sure you were gonna kill us. And then when we got to the warehouse and you took me into the RV…” He shuddered, “I don’t really know what I thought.”

“I probably could have done things a little differently,” Frank conceded. 

“Probably? A little?”

“To be fair, I was being about as nice as I knew how to be.”

“Damn, well if that was nice I never want to see you mean.”

“Breaking your arm was probably a little peek into mean Frank,” he smiled apologetically as he dropped the handcuffs and makeshift gag onto the bed. 

Buck groaned before finishing up a third piece. “Maybe I could eat some more after?”

“Yeah. I’m thinking they’ll come in to get their food, Eddie can come and see you’re alive and then they’ll go and eat in their own rooms, and I can untie you as soon as they leave.”

With a sigh Buck held out his arms in front. Frank snapped the cuffs on, being careful not to shake around the casted arm too much. Stepping behind Buck, the man slid the knot of the rag firmly between his teeth and then tied it tightly in the back, catching stray hairs in the process. 

Buck grunted into the gag on an extra tight pull before Frank shoved his head down to the bed forcing him to fall back into the pillows. “You just stay there and keep quiet.” 

The moment Frank had pulled Buck from the bathroom he knew that he needed to backtrack. He had made a huge fucking mistake, and then had been given hours to sit in the bathroom and stew in just how fucking stupid he really was. 

Offering to do shit with Frank? What the fuck was he even thinking?

Buck spent the first bit of his time in timeout crying, not knowing how to calm himself down from the revelation of them possibly getting killed, of offering himself up to Frank, being rejected, and then being locked up in the bathroom. Buck was so dysregulated that he literally couldn’t stop the sobs that kept falling from his lips. 

The only reason he was able to calm down was because he had no energy left to keep going, which had left him sprawled across the floor drifting in and out of sleep with a towel bunched up under his head to act as a pillow. 

The sleep had lasted thirty minutes at most, before the intrusive thoughts about just how much he had fucked up began bombarding him. What if they were killed? What would Frank do to keep him quiet and away from Eddie? What if Frank decided to take him up on his offer after all? What if Frank doesn’t let him go now that he knows Buck would be willing to do what the man wanted? What if Frank told the other men what he did?

Buck was mortified even thinking about Eddie finding out what had transpired between the two. He would never be able to look the man in the eye the same if he found out. 

All of these thoughts led to Buck quietly trying to think up a way out of the stupid situation he had pushed himself into. He could only think of doing exactly as he was instructed and making it abundantly clear that he had no interest in his earlier offer. 

The rest of his time had been spent stressing over how long he would be trapped in the bathroom and trying to soothe his growling stomach. 

Now, laying on the bed with his hands bound and his mouth gagged, Buck couldn’t help but let his thoughts wander again. They were obviously coming to the end of their journey, and the uncertainty of the next couple of days was killing him. 

How were they getting far away? What would happen to them when they got there? How exactly did Eddie fit into it all? Were they ever going to go home again?  

A loud knock on the door startled Buck from his thoughts and he met Frank’s stare with his own set of wide eyes. 

“That should be them,” he smiled, striding to the door. He took a second to peer through the peephole before flinging the door open and ushering the four men inside. 

Eddie with a very one track mind, was at the front of the pack, instantly honing in on Buck who was sitting on the bed. “Buck,” he breathed, already barreling over to his friend. “What’s he all tied up for?” Eddie questioned as he pulled Buck close, fingers twitching to undo the gag. 

“Buck’s on a bit of a talking break. Gag stays in for now,” Frank explained with barely a second glance at the two. His focus almost entirely on Mac and the bag in his hands. “This is it?” He asked, reaching to pull the duffle away from Mac. 

“Jesus man, you just can’t stay out of trouble can you?“ Eddie chuckled wetly as he pressed his hands to Buck’s cheeks. 

The quiet whimper that slipped out startled Buck before he pushed forward to press his forehead against his friend's shoulder. 

“You alright man? He didn’t hurt you, right?”

The muffled agreement was all Buck gave before he burrowed deeper into his friend, just happy to have a safe, warm, and familiar touch to fall into. It hadn’t been long, but Buck had missed Eddie more than he could describe. 

Bringing his arms firmly around Buck’s shoulders Eddie held him tightly bringing a hand up to stroke through the hair at the nape of his neck. “Easy now,” he soothed, voice low enough that the other men weren’t aware he was even speaking. “We’ve got the diamonds, and they should be letting us go so soon now.

Internally, Buck rolled his eyes. From what he understood they wouldn’t be going home anytime soon. Unless someone back home magically realized that their impromptu trip had been a kidnapping he didn’t think they had much luck making it out of the current situation on their own. Either they were let go, an insane amount of luck helped them to escape, or they were stuck along for the ride.

Unfortunately he wasn’t able to share any of the thoughts tumbling around in his brain, so he settled for snuggling in closer to his friend, soaking up as much affection as he could in their limited time together. Buck was determined not to waste a second of their time considering he didn’t know when they would be reunited again. 

“Alright boys, a touching reunion and all that,” Mac called from across the room, “but it’s time for us to get moving. Eddie you’re bunking with Hotch, me and Brady have got the other room.”

“I can’t stay with Buck?”

“No.” Frank snapped, walking over as if he was going to pull them apart. 

“Okay, okay I got it.” Eddie pulled back from their embrace to stroke his hands over Buck’s face a final time. “I’ll see you tomorrow?” 

Buck nodded, willing the tears in his eyes to not spill over. He was so tired of crying, he just didn’t want to be left alone with Frank for another night. 

With a sigh Eddie followed after Hotch, a box of pizza in his hands, Mac and Brady trailing behind them. 

Buck watched as Frank pressed the door shut and locked and bolted his only escape. A harsh breath of air slipped from Buck’s nose and he forced another breath out hoping that he didn’t start hyperventilating. He felt right on the cusp of another panic attack and he really didn’t want to do that in front of Frank. 

“Want some more food?” Frank asked. 

After eating two more slices, both men gravitated to the couch and settled down to watch some TV. Neither had spoken a word since Frank had offered food and the silence was awkward and tense.

Buck spent his time waiting for the other shoe to drop. He expected Frank to change his mind at any second and force him onto the bed to do whatever he wanted. Buck also felt like Frank wouldn’t do that and he felt so uncomfortable because Buck had thought that he would and he hoped the suggestion wasn’t offensive. 

As the credits rolled on whatever random comedy movie they had stumbled upon, Buck realized how difficult it had become to keep his eyes open. He glanced over to Frank with slow long blinks, but the man’s focus was entirely on the television. 

“Frank?”

The man glanced over, concentration finally broken. “Huh?”

“Can I go to bed?” 

“Yeah,” he muttered. “I’m ready for bed too.”

After straightening up in the bathroom, they found themselves back in the bed, Buck’s uninjured arm cuffed to one of the beams of the head board. It wasn’t a comfortable position by any means, but Buck hoped it meant that he wouldn’t be the victim of any more early morning humping. Although, the more he considered it, Frank could also cuddle him even if they weren’t handcuffed…

 He just hoped this was the last night that he would have to share a bed with the man. 

Morning came about slowly and gently the next day. Sunlight slipped through the cracks in the curtains, prodding Frank and Buck out of their deep slumber. Buck blinked the sleep out of his eyes as he took stock of his surroundings. A loose hand was resting on Buck’s chest, and he followed the arm with his eyes to see Frank blinking back at him. 

A large yawn escaped out of his mouth, but he didn’t pull away from the slight touch. It was a much better circumstance than the last morning they had together, so he had a hard time caring. 

A glance at the clock showed that it was already noon. “How did we sleep so late?” Buck murmured lowly, stretching his free arm above his head. 

“We have somewhere to be at five, but just gonna stay in the room until then.” 

“No food?”

“Hopefully someone else will go out and get something. If I haven’t slept through any offers that is.” Frank groaned as he rolled to his side of the bed and began scrolling through his phone.

“Think you can set me loose? I’ve gotta piss.”

As soon as Buck was unlocked, he hurried to the bathroom to relieve himself, and then took the extra time to shower, not knowing when he would get another chance. 

“Where are we going at five?” He asked as he got dressed an hour later. There was food laid out on the couch by the TV, it looked like from the same diner their burgers had come from their first night there. Someone must have dropped it off while he was in the shower. 

“I’m not supposed to give you any details,” Frank explained after taking a sip out of a can of Sprite. “But we’re checking out and moving on. I’ve got a car so you and I are leaving before the other guys to make sure that everything is set, and they’ll meet us there.”

“There?”

“I’ve already told you enough about what’s happening.”

Buck paused, he knew that they were going far away, and it didn’t seem like driving would be the most convenient, especially if they weren’t staying in the RV. He could only think of a couple of things that would make sense for them to be meeting up somewhere. “Are we taking a plane or a boat?”

“I’m not answering questions, blue eyes. Come eat and then you need to pack up and get ready to go.”

“Can I see Eddie before we leave?” He asked as he dropped to the couch beside Frank. 

“You’ll see him later. We don’t have time before we leave.”  

It seemed a little overkill to keep them this separated, but Buck figured that his guess was right. They must be switching transportation methods and a boat or plane made the most sense. He was leaning towards the plane since it sounded like they were leaving at five and there was probably an air strip closer to where they were. 

“You gonna keep me tied up when we get there too?”

“You gonna keep your mouth shut?”

“Yeah, I’ll be quiet.” Buck started in on his burger. He was so tired of burgers. This must have been at least his sixth since this all started. 

“Then we’ll see how it goes.”

Buck rolled his eyes, but didn’t reply, more focused on his lunch. 

After finishing his food, and packing up it was almost 3:30. Mac met them at the door of their room as they were getting ready to head out. He looked more serious than Buck had seen him the entire trip so far. 

A couple of harshly whispered words with Frank, and the three were walking down the stairs. Buck was steered with a hand on his back to a sleek black car parked in the corner of the parking lot. He dropped his stuff into the trunk and got into the passenger seat without prompting. 

This far into the journey, and while separated from Eddie he knew better than to fight it. He was going to wherever the next location was and there wasn’t much he could do about it. Trying not to be obvious, Buck slumped down so that he could watch Mac and Frank talking through the side mirror. 

Both of the men looked upset, and Buck couldn’t help but wonder what had happened to change the mood. Last night everyone was all smiles, and now they each looked like they wanted to throttle the other. 

Another moment passed before Frank was shouldering past Mac and yanking open the driver's side door. He slid in and grabbed Buck’s hand before the man had an opportunity to protest, he clamped one side of a handcuff around his wrist and attached the other to the handle of the door. “Just in case,” He explained with a shrug, already pulling away from the motel. 

“What was with the yelling back there? Did something bad happen?”

“Nothing you need to worry about,” Frank cranked the radio up loud enough that a conversation would be out of the question and he focused his attention on the road. 

Buck decided to take the hint, and angled his body to the window so that he could watch their journey. Once they were out of the podunk town the scenery was actually nice and Buck did his best to enjoy the view. 

Less than an hour later they had arrived at a small airstrip that must have been privately owned. Frank grabbed his phone before leaving Buck cuffed in the car by himself. 

He watched as Frank jogged inside of one of the hangers to greet a man standing in mechanic overalls. 

So the plane guess was right. Buck wondered who the pilot was going to be. Did one of their captors know how to fly a plane, or was another person being introduced to the mix? 

Keeping his forehead pressed to the window, Buck watched as Frank and the mechanic spoke. It was impossible to tell what they were saying, but Frank looked relatively relaxed, arms resting by his sides and posture open. It was already 4:45, so Buck figured the other guys would be arriving soon. He hoped that he would get a chance to talk with Eddie. It’s not like they could really be kept separated on a plane. 

What felt like a minute later, Buck’s door opened up, startling him from his thoughts. Frank eased the door open gently before unlocking the handcuff to set Buck free. “I want you to listen closely. No one here will give a shit about you or your situation. So I recommend you just keep your head down and do as I say so that you don’t get yourself hurt. Understand?”

Buck nodded quickly, “I’m not gonna do anything. I just want to see Eddie.”

“Don’t worry, they’ll be here soon,” Frank stated, stepping back to allow Buck to get out. 

“Frank?” Buck stopped him by grabbing onto his arm. “They’re really coming here right? We aren’t splitting up again?”

“They’re coming,” Frank replied without hesitation. “Now let's go, get your stuff out the trunk.”

Obeying, Buck grabbed his bag out of the car before following close behind Frank. There was no one around to make him feel nervous, but Buck couldn’t help the low grade panic thrumming through his body. Frank could be lying to him, and be about to take him away somewhere that he would never see anyone again. He didn’t even want to consider what Frank would do with him if that were the case. It was possible that Mac had killed Eddie, and the other three men would be coming without him. Buck had literally no way of knowing what was happening, and the mystery was killing him. 

He followed Frank into the hanger where a medium sized plane was being looked over by the man in overalls. Buck watched him for a moment, but when he realized the man had no plan to return the look he focused back on Frank. 

“Get inside,” He instructed, gesturing to the stairs leading into the plane.

 Buck stood rooted to the ground. He hadn’t been planning to resist. Even now he wasn’t trying to fight back, but he had no control over his body. He willed his foot to take a step forward, but nothing happened. 

A warm body pressed against him from behind. “You’ll be fine Buck. Just go inside. I really don’t want to have to force you.”

Buck took a deep breath and climbed the stairs. 

The plane seemed nice, although Buck had no experience with private planes or what they were supposed to look like. There were two pairs of dark leather seats on each side of the plane with a thick plush rug lining the aisle in between them. At the back of the plane was a small area where a sign for a bathroom was along with empty shelving for storing luggage. Buck gravitated to the back where he dropped his bag down, before turning to look for the cockpit. A metal door was there to separate the pilot from the passengers although it was open for Buck to peer through at the moment. 

He wondered again who would be piloting the plane, possibly the mechanic who was checking it over? 

With another glance around, Buck settled himself into the chair closest to the back and against the window so that he could look out and watch for Frank and Eddie. Frank was on the phone, a couple of feet away staring out of the hangar towards the parking lot. His voice raised, although Buck still couldn’t make out what he was saying. When he turned around his eyes locked on Buck’s through the window. 

Buck looked away. 

The new tension between the abductors was unsettling. Buck could only wonder what was causing so much strife between Frank and the others. 

A minute later Frank was entering the plane and made a beeline for the seat by Buck. 

“The guy’s are here and they’re about to come in. You just keep quiet and let everything play out the way it goes, okay.” 

“I don’t understand-” 

“Quiet.” Frank repeated before dropping a heavy arm around Buck’s shoulders and pulling him close to his side. 

Mac and Brady entered the plane first, followed by Eddie and then Hotch. 

“Buck!” Eddie exclaimed as soon as their eyes met. 

“Edd-” Before Buck could finish his friend’s name, Frank clamped a hand over his mouth, effectively muzzling him. Buck had been planning to keep quiet, but the moment he saw Eddie, with a rapidly darkening bruise covering his eye, he had completely forgotten about Frank’s previous instructions

“I said quiet,” he murmured at Buck’s startled look. 

Buck rolled his eyes, but didn’t fight it. It was four against two, and the four had guns.

“As I told you, the kid is fine. They really overslept this morning, hence you missing out on the promised chat.”

“Why can’t he talk?” Eddie asked, eyes drilling into Frank. If looks could kill these bastards would have all been dead.

“We want you to stay focused on your task Edmundo, and I’m worried that Buck might be a bit of a distraction for you. So listen closely,” Mac took an aggressive step towards Eddie, but the man didn’t back up. “Like I told you in the car, you’re piloting us to Mexico. I’m assuming it’s been a while since you’ve flown but you’re our best option, so you’ll need to reacquaint yourself quickly and correctly.

I’m sure this goes without saying, but if something goes wrong Buck is going to die. We’ve made it this far, we already have the diamonds. All we need is our getaway. You get us to Mexico and we’ll find a hotel to leave you all tied up for the cleaning people to find in the morning. As simple as that, you get to find your way home to your little boy and you two live happily ever after.”

Buck’s thoughts were racing. Since when did Eddie know how to fly a fucking plane? How had he never mentioned this before? Was the plan to leave them at a hotel a lie to get Eddie to cooperate, or had Mac recently come up with this plan? The night before Frank said he didn’t know of a plan for the two firefighters and now they would be let go immediately? It didn’t sound right. No wonder Frank was keeping him quiet. He desperately wanted to ask questions. 

Eddie looked over Mac’s shoulder to lock eyes with Buck. “You okay Evan?” 

Buck grunted and nodded. Regardless of whether Mac was telling the truth about letting them go, Buck really didn’t want to get shot on the plane for Eddie fucking around. The best thing to do was to comply until an opportunity to run arose. Maybe once they landed?

Eddie nodded. “Okay, I’ll do it.”

“Good man,” Mac clapped him on the shoulder before gesturing into the cabin. “The flight should only be a couple of hours max. Brady will be up in the cockpit with you to copilot and make sure you don’t do anything stupid. Get us to where we’re going and you and Buck will be free in no time.”

With a final parting glance at Buck, Eddie turned into the cockpit, and Brady followed, pulling the door shut behind him. 

As soon as the door shut Frank released Buck and pressed him back into the seat. “Stay here,” He commanded, as he moved towards Hotch and Mac at the front. 

The men whispered for a minute, before the stairs were pulled from the plane from the outside, and Hotch pulled the door to the outside shut. The clanging noise announced just how final this was. They were about to be taken out of the country. Buck closed his eyes trying to calm his racing heart. 

Another minute and Frank went back to join Buck while Hotch and Mac took the seats in the front row, one on each side of the plane. 

Eddie’s voice rang out over the speaker. “We are preparing for take-off, I suggest you buckle up as your pilot is a little rusty behind the wheel. And Buck,” There was a brief pause. “Hang in there Buck. Next stop after Mexico is LA.”

Chapter Text

The flight was mostly quiet, each of the passengers caught up in their own minds. Buck spent the majority of the time pressed against the window, watching the clouds mix with the evening’s now setting sun. It was a beautiful view, such a contrast from the fear that permeated the inside of the cabin. 

The tension within the plane was thick enough that it could be cut with a knife. The lack of talking felt more like a fight than anything. Something had happened, and Buck felt like he was the only one who didn’t know what. He figured even Eddie had to have a clue considering the new bruising covering half of his face. 

Buck turned in his seat to face Frank who had headphones covering his ears, and his eyes closed. 

“Frank?” He whispered with a nudge to the man’s foot.

One eye popped open to look at him and Frank pulled his headphones down to rest around his neck. 

“Is he really letting us go when we get there?” Buck kept his voice low hoping that the other men wouldn’t hear him. 

Frank’s hesitation was all it took for Buck to know, “I’m sure he is,”

“Is that what the fighting is about? You think he really should and he isn’t planning on it?”

“Kid-”

“Frank, I want to know.”

“You should be quiet now,” He said instead. 

“I’m tired of being quiet. I just want to know what's going to happen to us. I deserve that much, don’t I?”

“I don’t owe you anything. Now stop talking before I go find some duct tape.”

Buck groaned but didn’t push his luck, he turned back to the window willing his eyes to not tear up. He wondered what Eddie was thinking up front. Whether he was preparing himself to die or if he was taking Mac for his word. He wondered if Eddie knew something that he didn’t. 

Not being able to communicate with his partner was like torture. When working in the field they were constantly talking, making eye contact, or touching to stay on the same page and this forced separation made it impossible for them to do anything. They couldn’t come up with a plan, or try anything because they had no clue what the other knew. 

The crackle of the radio sounded, and Buck’s eyes shot to the front. 

“We’re about 30-minutes out, get in your bathroom breaks now if you need them because landing might be a bit bumpy,” Eddie’s voice was like a balm to Buck’s anxiety, he slumped back in his seat just glad for the reminder that he wasn’t alone anymore. 

Without bothering Frank, Buck unbuckled, and headed to the back to relieve himself. The bathroom was small and cramped, as you would expect of a plane and he moved quickly through the motions. As he washed his hands, Buck took a moment to glance in the mirror. His bruises had just begun the transition from purple to ugly yellows and greens making his face look even worse than before. 

Will these bruises ever get the chance to heal?

A knock on the door prompted Buck to finish, and he opened it quickly. Mac and Frank both stood at the door waiting. “Everything okay?” Buck asked cautiously. 

“Just wanted to make sure that you’re okay. You seem a bit skittish,” Mac replied with a tilt of his head. 

Buck glanced at Frank but he was studiously avoiding his gaze. “I mean, I guess I’m nervous. We’re about to land in Mexico and I’m just hoping you really are letting us go after this.” 

Mac nodded, “trust me kid nobody is interested in babysitting longer than strictly necessary.”

“Right, of course.” A bit of turbulence caused the men to shift and grab on to the wall for balance. “Maybe we should sit back down?”

“Yeah, about that. For transport Frank thinks it's best if you get tied back up, said he’s not sure how cooperative you’ll be feeling.”

Buck forced the feeling of betrayal back down. He had to remind himself that he and Frank weren’t friends, and the man didn’t owe him anything. Buck was nothing more than a job.

“Got it,” Buck nodded. He wasn’t going to fight until Eddie indicated that it was time. Back in their seats, Frank gently pulled his arms behind his back and cuffed his wrists. He pulled out a roll of duct tape and wrapped one long strip around his mouth, and attached the two ends at the back of his head. 

Buck took a deep breath and sat still as Frank pulled his seat belt over his waist and buckled him in.
“It’s almost over, blue eyes.”

Buck let out another breath through his nose and closed his eyes. 

“Beginning decent,” Eddie’s voice announced, and then the plane began its shaky landing. 

Eddie’s heart had been pounding since the moment he had been told he would be piloting them to Mexico. Not only had he not flown in upwards of seven years now, since he had decided to switch to being a medic, but he had also done his best to block out those memories. 

He had switched from flying to being a medic for a reason, and the painful memories came flooding back the moment he was seated in the cockpit. Brady at least understood his hesitancy and offered his quiet support. With slow and jerky movements he got them in the air and on the way. 

It was a pretty quick trip all things considered, and by the time he was preparing for decent Eddie was ready to face the end of this. If Mac was telling the truth, they were about to be let go. If Mac was lying, they were about to have the fight of their lives. Eddie was going home to his son, and he was bringing Buck with him. No matter what. 

“Beginning decent,” Eddie announced into the overhead speaker. He glanced over at Brady. “So what happens after we land?”

“We head to the hotel and drop you two off,”

“Just like that?”

“Just like that Eddie.”

Whether he believed him or not, there wasn’t much Eddie could do about the situation. Buck was still in the back with Frank and they were now in a different fucking country. They were along for the ride until they were told otherwise it seemed. 

The landing went a lot smoother than expected, and both Eddie and Brady let out a deep breath of relief when they were completely stationary. 

“You might not feel the same way, but it was a pleasure flying with ya,” Brady said, clapping Eddie on the shoulder as he opened up the door to the cabin. 

Eddie trailed behind the man at a slower pace, trying to mentally prepare himself for whatever lay ahead. Instantly he searched for Buck and found the man in one of the seats in the back, arms pulled behind his back and duct tape around his mouth. 

He shook his head, wondering if Buck was being punished for something or if he knew something that they didn’t want him sharing. Either way, Eddie was tired of not being able to have an actual conversation with his friend. He was ready to sit down and talk about everything that had happened over the past week and half. 

Their eyes finally met and Eddie gave what he hoped was an encouraging smile although it felt a lot more like a grimace. 

“Alright boys, we’ve got a van to get us to the hotel and then we say goodbye,” Mac announced as he pulled open the door to a set of stairs being rolled up. Eddie could see a man jogging away as soon as the stairs were in place, and a white cargo van was parked right at the bottom. Easy to get them in without many people seeing them. Although, not many people were around anyway. 

Frank pulled Buck up and guided him to the stairs. The two were the first into the back of the van, followed by Hotch and Eddie with Brady and Mac coming last and filling the two front seats. 

The back of the van was completely empty, meaning that the men had to brace themselves against the wall and hope that Brady didn’t drive too fast. Eddie intentionally sat pressed up against Buck and the two maintained the contact as they were taken to their unknown fate. 

“I talked to Chris right before we got to the airport. Told him how excited you were to see him again. Said it wouldn’t be much longer,” Eddie leaned close as he whispered.

Buck looked up at him with wide and hopeful eyes. He missed the kid a lot, and hoped that he would be able to pick him up and spin him in a circle at least one more time. “He’s so excited to see his Bucky again.”

The drive was over in a matter of minutes, and since it was so late out, the men bundled Buck out of the van without bothering to set him loose. Frank and Hotch stood on either side of Buck, while Mac and Brady flanked Eddie up to one of the cheap motel rooms. There was one queen sized bed in the center of the room, which they were shoved onto, before they were lashed efficiently to the frame. 

Duct tape was wound around Eddie’s mouth and more was added to Buck’s to ensure he wouldn’t be getting free too soon. 

Once they were completely restrained, Mac walked over to Eddie’s side and rested a hand on his chest. “I know you had to go out on a limb to trust me, but I appreciate that you did. We are supposed to have checked out by 10am tomorrow, so the cleaning service will come in soon after and find you both. I’m leaving your phones, wallets, and a diamond on the table over there. I think you two will be able to figure out how to get home on your own. Now, whether you decide to contact the police or keep quiet is up to you,” Mac pulled out a small diamond and held it up for them to see. “I just want to remind you that we didn’t hurt anyone, and Buck’s injury was unfortunate and definitely not planned. You two keep what happened to yourselves and you’ll have a nice little chunk of money for the two of you to enjoy.

Regardless of what you decide though, we are going to be long fucking gone by the time you all are set free in the morning. So even if you do report it to the police they aren’t finding us. So why don’t you save everyone some time and just go home and hug your kid.”

Eddie grunted and nodded. He would have to talk with Buck about what they wanted to do, but for now he just wanted their kidnappers to leave. He wouldn’t truly believe they were free until they were gone. 

Hotch left the room without a second glance, and Mac followed shortly after. Brady stood at the foot of the bed, his lingering exacerbated by the pained look on his face. “For what it’s worth- I’m sorry.”

It wasn’t worth much, but Eddie couldn’t reply and Brady was turning to leave. 

Frank took a hesitant step to Buck’s side of the bed, and crouched down so that they were at eye level. “It’s been real blue eyes. As much as I was hoping you would be stuck with me a bit longer, this is what Mac decided, and he’s the boss. Hope that arm heals up good so you can get back to fighting those fires soon,” He dropped a heavy hand to Buck’s cheek and stroked his thumb along the plump of his face, before standing and heading out. 

Eddie and Buck turned to look at each other as the door clicked shut. They both had tears shining in their eyes. 

“Dad! Bucky!” Chris shouted excitedly, dropping his crutches in his rush to embrace the two men. 

The two dropped to their knees as he barreled into them, all three had tears streaming down their faces. It had been ten days since they had seen Chris. Ten days since they had been stolen away from their lives and forced into a dangerous game. 

Eddie had one arm firmly wrapped around Chris, while the other was cradled behind Buck’s head, and gently kneaded through his hair. Ever since they had been set free, Eddie hadn’t been able to keep his hands to himself. He found any excuse possible to hug, hold, and touch his best friend if only to remind him what a safe touch felt like. 

When the three finally pulled apart, Chris ran his small hands over the bruises covering their faces. “What happened to you guys, are you okay?”

Eddie looked at Chris for a moment, before locking eyes with Buck. “We’re okay now.”