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Buck moving in changed everything and nothing.
The couple months before his lease ended, they broke the idea to Christopher (who rolled his eyes about the wait), started sorting what Buck would keep and what would be given away, and what Eddie would keep or get rid of. (Half his kitchen appliances were replaced by Buck's fancier ones. Since Buck enjoyed cooking so much, Eddie figured it was fine.) They planned to change Eddie's bed for Buck's - bigger and more comfortable - and get rid of Buck's couch.
A lot of stuff Buck gave to Albert, who was looking for his own place since he was on the mend and didn't want to live with the Lees forever.
Albert wasn't a witch, but Eddie still suspected some little bit of magic had played into his survival. He wasn't sure how, and he wouldn't ever say it to anyone, but he felt as sure of it as he could be. Something about how the timing of his heart starting again so near to the time of Jee's birth….
Speaking of, Eddie wasn't sure who bragged about the little girl more - Chim or Buck. Both showed off dozens of pictures of her the moment anyone showed even the slightest willingness to see them. Eddie had never thought he'd want any other kids; he'd been fine enough with just Chris, and while he was good with kids on the job, he'd never considered himself someone particularly fond of kids. Not like Buck was. There was a reason Buck got sent for any outreach events that would have kids at them if he was available.
But then Eddie saw Buck cradling Jee-Yun in his arms like she was precious and staring at her with an awed, loving, soft look on his face and… well.
Marisol laughed at him until she got the hiccups when he confessed about it during a dinner at Abuela's. Pepa had chuckled too, reaching over to pat his hand with amused sympathy.
"It was like that for me with your Tio," she sighed. "Didn't think I'd want more than the one, then saw him holding Bruno and, well…" She smiled and shrugged. "A good man who loves kids is not a bad thing to be weak too."
Marisol had kept breaking into snickers all night when she looked at him.
He'd refused to explain why to Buck when he asked.
Point was - by the time Buck did move in, it was almost anticlimactic, because so little did change. He still slept beside Eddie at night, still made dinner while Eddie did the bills and helped Chris with homework as needed, still helped get Chris settled for bed each night.
But now… now he always would. There'd never again be a night Buck pulled away from them back to the lonely apartment that didn't smell of home and pack. Because now he was home.
Downside to Buck's home being Eddie's?
He had to tolerate the likes of Taylor fucking Kelly inside of it.
Eddie didn't get it. He didn't get what Buck found so great about her, why they still kept in touch. She was a bit too mean, a bit too single-minded, a bit too -
Fine, maybe Eddie had some unresolved jealousy, that Buck had joined forces with Taylor Kelly before him. And maybe there was no need to hold a grudge on Buck's behalf about how she'd treated him in the past, when Buck himself wasn't upset about it. Maybe Eddie's dislike had more personal reasons than he wanted to admit, and maybe they were pretty unfounded now that Buck was his.
Maybe Eddie didn't care and was going to complain about her scent lingering in his house anyway, later tonight in bed.
It didn't help that despite claiming Eddie was part of the team, he felt like a third wheel. Those two were all but finishing each other's thoughts about the treasure and the clues, and there was a small part of Eddie that wanted to growl at how close they were. Her scent was going to be clinging to Buck, at this rate.
He pulled out his phone to complain to Marisol about it.
He should have predicted the long string of laughing emojis she sent in response.
But he was glad when, about half an hour later, there was a knock at the door and Mari and Vic came in, ignoring the elephant in the room that was Taylor Kelly and setting a bunch of dessert boxes on the counter.
"We are having a bitch-fest about my mom, whatever arts and crafts you've got there, put it away," Marisol announced grandly.
Buck immediately turned away from the table and Taylor, frowning. "What did she do now?"
Taylor looked between them all, brows raised and a flat look on her face. Under that though… Eddie could scent her discomfort and faint anxiety. It was almost enough to make him feel bad for her.
Almost.
"She commandeered the cake tasting," Vic sighed.
Marisol slammed a tub of ice cream from Eddie's fridge down on the counter. "She commandeered the cake testing!" she echoed with a growl. "Said since she's paying for it, she should also get a say."
Eddie grimaced. "What the fuck."
"Fuck is the nicest thing to say about it," Marisol muttered darkly, turning around to face them all. She pointed a spoon at Taylor Kelly. "Who are you? And why are you here?"
As if Eddie hadn't already told her. Marisol was his favorite cousin.
"Uh. Taylor, I'm a - friend, of Buck's."
"She's been working on the news about the hidden treasure," Buck said, ignoring the slight hiss of his name from Taylor when he added, "We were trying to figure it out, you know, sharing information."
Marisol rolled her eyes. "Well if you find it, lend me the money so I don't need my mom to pay for jackshit, will you?" She focused on Taylor, eyeing her up and down. "Are you staying for the bitchfest?"
"Uh… I - I think I'll just…"
"Taylor brought wine, earlier," Buck offered. Both Eddie and Taylor frowned at him.
Marisol perked up. "Acceptable offerings if you stay."
Taylor blinked rapidly a few times before smiling, a little tentative but less uneasy. "Sure. I love a good bitchfest."
Eddie bit back a groan. Never mind. Marisol was not his favorite cousin.
Vic edged over to him, smirking, and murmured, "At least they're not buddying up over treasure?"
"Now they're cozying up with wine."
Vic laughed. "You know Buck's only got eyes for you."
"I do. Just…" He scrunched his nose. "Does it have to be Taylor Kelly of everyone to befriend?"
Rolling his eyes, Vic clapped a hand to Eddie's shoulder and tugged him along into the living room.
It hadn't been bad, admittedly. Taylor listened intently to Marisol's complaints, and loudly declared that her mom could "fuck right off a cliff". She suggested a florist she knew - another ex of hers, apparently. Maybe it was a Taylor Kelly thing, to somehow remain in decent standing with her exs or hook ups or whatever.
She left before it got unreasonably late, waving off Vic's offer of a ride.
"It takes more than some wine to get me tipsy," she laughed. "I just like the aesthetic of drinking it."
Buck, definitely plenty tipsy on the couch with Marisol, said, "Fae bullshit," in a sage tone.
Taylor shot him a fond grin. "Exactly."
Once she'd left, Marisol said, "She's not that bad Eddie."
"You're saying that cause she provided good wine."
"Yeah. Clearly she can't be too evil."
"Taylor isn't evil," Buck said with a frown and tilt of his head. "She's just kind of a rude."
"She's mean and bitchy." Marisol laughed. "I like it."
"Might have to update your guest list," Eddie teased Vic, who snorted and shook his head. He walked up to the couch, helping Marisol stand up. She smiled at him and kissed his cheek messily.
"C'mon, love. Let's get home."
"Fine." She turned, only slightly unbalanced, and leaned down to hug Buck. "Good luck with the treasure hunt."
"Good luck with your mom," Buck said, earnest and worried. "Lemme know if I can help somehow."
"Don' worry." Marisol grinned, a little sharp. "I already have plans with Pepa tomorrow."
"Harsh," Eddie said, but he kissed her head and kept an eye on the two as Vic got them to his car. He and Vic had tidied up through the evening, so there wasn't much to do before hustling Buck to the bathroom and then into bed. He checked the doors and locks before he also climbed in, pulling Buck close and nuzzling into his neck. He smelled like pack, and sleep, and luckily not of Taylor Kelly.
"Mmm. Thanks," Buck mumbled. "F'r being nice."
"Yeah well. I don't like her but you do."
"She's not bad." Buck yawned. "Just kinda… mmm. Focused."
"Focused to the point of hurting others," Eddie grumbled, but sighed and kissed Buck's neck when he squirmed a bit. "I'm never gonna like her much, Buck. But I don't mind if you're friends with her." He paused, then said, "But maybe a heads up next time you invite her over."
Buck twisted around, smiling dopily at him. "'Kay." He kissed Eddie, hitting his chin probably by mistake. "Love you."
"Love you too, sweetheart."
Even having to deal with Taylor Kelly more often… it was worth it, to fall asleep with Buck in his arms, and know that he wasn't going anywhere.
The thing was… Eddie hadn't noticed anything wrong at first.
The kid had smelled sick - the vague scent of illness hung about him, sour and stale. He'd looked it. And the apartment or anything about the mom's uneasiness… it'd been easy to pass off as a stressed out single parent.
Nothing seemed off until later, when Buck had mused if there was anything more they could do, and then tried to hunt down that Fund Me page, and…
"It doesn't look good," Carla admitted when they showed her. "Unfortunately, there are people willing to prey on others' generosity and compassion."
"But he was sick," Eddie insisted, glancing at Buck pointedly. "Carla, look at that kid - that's not photoshop, he looks that tired and sick."
She hummed, pressing her lips tight. Before she said anything, Buck interrupted.
"Hey, look - look at this comment."
They all glanced at the screen, where Buck was hovering over a specific comment - an accusation that Eddie wanted to growl at.
"That's… a bit of a leap, isn't it?" Carla looked uneasy, worried. Eddie didn't blame her. Who would want to believe a parent could purposefully make their kid sick to scam people out of money? Except -
"Eye drops," Eddie recalled, the hint of a growl at the edges of his voice despite his best efforts.
Things escalated, from there. From reporting it to CPS, to getting the phone call from the kid himself, to taking the captain's car ("this can't be as bad as stealing the engine," Buck had offered with semi-forced cheer). Meeting Captain Mehta and his crew at the apartment building, comforting the kid who was tearing himself up over hurting his mom.
Hopefully, whatever damage the long-term poisoning had done wouldn't be irreversible. Hopefully, he'd recover okay and end up with someone who would care and love him properly. Because right now, the kid had no one.
There was a noise that caught Eddie's ears - familiar and dreadful - and before he could do more than twitch his head -
Pain. Blood.
There was blood on Buck's face, on his pale shirt.
Eddie was on the ground, couldn't move, more of that awful-familiar noise. Shouting. Fire. Pain. Blood, sharp and overwhelming his senses.
Blistering pain and movement.
Buck's scent filling his nose and then away again.
Shouting.
Movement.
Buck over him, eyes wild, scared, so scared. Blood on his face and his shirt and his hands -
"Y'hurt?"
Buck's lip trembled. "N-no, no, I'm okay."
Buck would say he's okay in the middle of dying, Eddie wasn't sure he trusted that statement. But he could hear and smell others around them - past the panic and fear and blood - and no one was trying to get Buck fixed up so maybe he wasn't hurt.
That was good.
Things went fuzzy - fuzzier? - and Eddie could hear and smell Buck but not see him.
Then… nothing.
Buck stood there, trembling, everything around him too much and yet so far away.
There. He had to -
Blood was tacky on his face. On his clothes. His hands.
Eddie was shot and had been bleeding out and unconscious upon arrival. He had been whisked away beyond the doors, the barrier they weren't supposed to cross except…
Except….
Numbly, he stumbled in after. He dropped down into a seat nearby the others, Mehta and his crew. He waited.
His phone buzzed. The hospital. They didn't realize he was already here. He answered. Couldn't remember what they said or he said.
Someone - he wasn't sure who - nudged him towards the bathroom and put a wet paper towel in his hands. He stared at his bloody face in the mirror. Eddie's blood. Buck wiped it off. He could still smell it though.
He couldn't stand staying in the waiting room. Couldn't stand the smell of the hospital, of the sick-fear-grief-death of it. Like a smell, or maybe just a feeling, or-
"Buck!"
He glanced over. Taylor was pushing past an officer. He - he didn't - couldn't -
"I heard it was a firefighter and…"
Thought it might be him. He shook his head. "W-wasn't looking at my - my phone."
"Is that blood?" she asked worriedly.
He looked down. Managed to choke out, "Eddie." His voice went high and thin at the end.
Taylor's eyes were scanning his face, all that focus of hers on him. There was a small furrow between her brows.
"It was Eddie that got shot? Have you called anyone?"
"N-no." He should. He needed to call - Isabel, and Carla, and Bobby and - "Fuck, Chris. I gotta-"
"School is still in session, yeah? It can wait. He - Buck, he doesn't need to see you like this." When he just stared at her, she sighed and grabbed his arm up near his elbow. "Come on."
She took him back inside, back to the bathroom. She took his button up off him and tossed it in the sink. She wet a paper towel and took his hand in one of hers and began scrubbing.
Eddie's blood was still there.
Taylor didn't look up at him as she washed it away. She was talking, slow and calm and about - something. Work drama? Buck didn't need to listen, the cadence of her voice was enough. Kept him a little more grounded. Her scent seemed to fill the air between them, sugary-sweet and impossible to fully describe. No fruit or flower Buck could name, but something like that. It drowned out the hospital scents. He wondered if she was doing it on purpose, doing some Fae magic-y thing to make him focus on her over - everything.
Smiling gently, Taylor brushed his hair off his forehead. "Call Bobby, or your sister, or whoever. I'll go get us good coffee."
He had to unstick his tongue from his mouth to ask, "Us?"
"Not about to leave you alone." She gave him a judgmental look, but a gentle one. He managed a small smile for her, and followed her - outside again, heading away from the doors and the reporters. They paused though as another ambulance whipped to the doors, firefighters spilling out, talking about -
"Another shooting?" Taylor frowned
Buck stared at her, eyes wide, baffled. She frowned deeply, staring at the doors like she wanted to go hunt the story down, start putting the pieces of the mystery together. Her eyes flashed, briefly, going that shimmery silver-violet that peeked out once in a while. But instead, she turned and kept walking with him. Taylor went down the street to a coffee shop once Buck sat on a bench. He stared at his phone.
Carla was already scheduled to pick Chris up. That bought some time there.
Bobby needed to know. Eddie wouldn't be on shift, Buck didn't think he could be yet. The Captain's truck was missing and - Buck thought maybe it had been on fire? Or they'd hit it? Had someone already called him - or had he heard it over the radio? Buck probably should tell him, it'd be the responsible thing to do.
Buck hesitated before selecting a different contact.
"Buck," Isabel said, voice warm but - tight. "What is it, wolfling?"
Buck opened his mouth - but a wordless noise emerged, one that held all the pain and fear and distress he felt.
"Where are you?" Isabel asked, voice going sharp and intense. "Buck," she added when he didn't - couldn't - respond right away. It was a command, and it felt like it hooked into his throat and pulled his voice out.
"Hospital. Eddie-"
"Stay put," she ordered. "I will make my way there. I'll see if another of the Pack is closer."
"H-he was right in front of me, I -"
"Hush," she said, tone softening. "I will be there soon as I can. You just wait."
He stared at the ground after hanging up. For how long, he couldn't say, but then-
"Buck!"
Bobby jogged up, Chim and Hen close behind, eyes wide and worried. Bobby crouched in front of him, hands on his shoulders, eyes wide as they scanned him over sharply.
"You're okay," he said, relieved.
"Eddie," Buck said, whispered. "He - I was right there and I couldn't - he -"
"It's okay, it-"
"Eddie got shot, Bobby. Right in front of me."
"And you're okay," Bobby said, voice calm and steady. "And Eddie is in good hands now."
"I - I gotta call…"
"I'll let Maddie know you're okay," Chimney offered, stepping away. Bobby and Hen got Buck to his feet and hustled him inside. Hen sat next to him while Bobby went to speak with Mehta and another firefighter and some LAPD officers.
Taylor came back, pausing at the sight of Hen, before sitting on Buck's other side. She handed him a coffee, sipping her own, and didn't say anything. Hen eyed her back, lip twitching a bit but also not saying anything.
Buck watched the doors that Eddie was somewhere behind.
Waiting.
Waiting.
"Buck."
He blinked. Taylor was gone. Hen was standing talking with Chimney and Bobby a few yards away. In front of him was one of the Pack, Patricia. Pepa's cousin, Buck thought, or maybe someone's aunt? She smiled at him sympathetically, sitting next to him and reaching out for his hand, wrapping both of hers around it.
"Pepa's going to your house, she'll speak with Carla and keep an eye on Chris. Victor said he'll bring some food by when he gets off work. Abuela will be here soon."
"I - sorry."
"Oh honey." She squeezed his hands. "No sorries. This is what Pack does, okay? We take care of each other." She reached out and brushed hair off his temple. "You don't need to worry alone."
Buck didn't know what to say to that, felt like it was too much work to talk, so he just nodded a bit and watched the doors again.
Waiting.
Bobby came back to sit with him. Talked with Patricia.
Buck kept waiting. It hadn't been too long, had it? Was time passing normally? How long had he been waiting?
Buck didn't have to look to know when Isabel arrived. It was like a shift in the air, a presence. Buck turned to look at her just seconds after Patricia did. Patricia stood up, hugging Isabel, and then Isabel was in what had been Patricia's seat.
Her hands cupped Buck's face and she tsked. "Oh, little wolfling." She leaned in, kissing his forehead. One of her hands dropped from his face and squeezed firmly at the back of his neck.
Buck closed his eyes when she leaned back, and dropped his forehead to rest on her shoulder, even as it left him curled up uncomfortably. She made a soft, sympathetic sound and stroked through his hair gently.
He knew Isabel and Bobby were talking. He could hear people coming and going. He managed to hum a response when Patricia said she was heading home and to keep her updated.
The lighting in the waiting room shifted. The natural light from the windows faded, and the artificial lighting grew starker without it.
"I should tell Christopher," he mumbled.
Isabel ran her fingers through his hair. "If you wish to. Pepa can tell him, too."
Buck shook his head. He was Eddie's partner - romantically and professionally. He was the one who had been right there. He owed it to Chris and to Eddie to do this.
Isabel hummed a short note. "Okay. I will stay here, keep an eye on our Eddito."
That helped, in a way Buck couldn't articulate. So he pulled back and nodded, giving Isabel a wane smile.
"Vic should be here soon with food," she said. "He'll give you a ride home."
It wasn't a suggestion, so Buck waited the ten or so minutes before Vic arrived with a bag of sandwiches and sodas for everyone there, the crew and Isabel and Buck.
Buck ate in the car as Vic drove. Neither of them spoke, which Buck was grateful for. It wasn't silent, though; Vic's music played almost quiet enough the words were indecipherable, like it was playing in another room. It kept the car from feeling stifling.
"Call me or Mari if you need a ride back tomorrow. She's not working the next two days."
Buck nodded, climbing out and listening as Vic drove off once Buck reached the front door.
Carla and Pepa were in the kitchen, talking quietly. The stopped and looked at him when he walked in.
"He's in his room. He doesn't know, but suspects something is up," Pepa said quietly.
"You good, Buck?" Carla's face was creased with concern. Strain. She cared about Eddie, too, Buck knew.
"Yeah," he croaked.
He stopped in their bedroom to change out of his clothes, into ones without sweat and blood and dirt on them. It wouldn't do to look a mess. It wouldn't help for Chris to smell that stuff on him. Buck took a deep breath in the hall, before he stepped into Chris's room.
Chris sat on the edge of his bed, not doing anything. He seemed to be waiting, and when Buck sat down, he barely wasted time before asking, "Where's my dad?"
It was one of the hardest things Buck had ever done, explaining to Chris that his dad was hurt, that someone had done it on purpose. And worst of all, Buck had no answers. He didn't know if it had been a Hunter or not. He didn't know why someone would want to hurt firefighters. He didn't know if Eddie would-
His phone buzzed. Buck's heart leapt into his throat and lodged there painfully. He could barely breathe as he pulled his phone out of his pocket, hands shaking, terrified he was going to read that Eddie was -
Out of surgery. Doing okay.
Buck crumpled, bending in on himself and sobbing. He felt like a child, scared and small, and he couldn't help berating himself for it, for breaking down in front of Chris like this. Chris patted his arm, told him it'd be okay - Buck was supposed to be comforting him-
Chris leaned against his side, sniffling, starting to cry too. Buck clutched Chris against him, nose in his hair, both of them shaking. He wanted to stop crying, to be strong for Chris, but each time he thought maybe he had it under control, Chris would give a soft puppy whine or Buck would think of that text and how it could have so easily been bad news.
Pepa came in after a few minutes. Her eyes were red and wet, but she gave them a sympathetic smile as she sat with them.
"Isabel let me know. She will be staying the night, and we are to stay home and sleep. We can go over tomorrow and see him, though he will probably still be sleeping for quite a while." Her hand stroked Chris' hair back, then Buck's. "You boys go get in Eddie's bed together. Get comfortable. I will stay here."
"You should-" Buck started to offer, voice sounding wrecked.
She tutted at him and narrowed her eyes. "You two will take Eddie's bed. I can fit fine on Christopher's."
"Better than the couch," Buck finally offered.
She gave him a wry smile, patted his shoulder, and stood.
"Bed, mijos."
Buck was sure he wouldn't be able to sleep. Or that if he managed to fall asleep, he'd be plagued with nightmares.
The opposite ended up being true. Chris shifted once on the bed, and Buck plugged in his phone and curled up around Chris, dragging fingers through his fur. His eyes were heavy and dry from crying. He shut them just to rest them and -
He slept until just before sunrise without waking once.