Chapter Text
He would like to think he had it together. Sure the life he had created for himself was made in a split second decision. Packing up his daughter and moving to Los Angeles in order to stop his father from killing himself. Joining the LAFD instead of going back to bartending or being a part of EMS. It all worked out for the best, and he was happy. He swore he was, even if it felt temporary sometimes. So maybe asking his family to move in with him during a worldwide pandemic wasn’t the most thought out idea. It kept everyone safe, at least from the virus.
“Howard Han, I swear to Maddie!” Hen’s voice called out from the hallway. Buck slowly stopped folding the T-shirt he had in his hands. One would think that he’d be used to this by now. There was never a time Buck had lived by himself. Well, unless you counted the month between running away at seventeen and him meeting his husband. Still, one would think listening to his friends argue about household chores would be normal. It wasn’t though, and Buck couldn’t wait to have his babies home and his friends no longer living with him.
“What was I supposed to do? The floor was wet!” Chimney called back. Buck sighed and laid back on his bed. He then slowly reached for his boyfriend but found an unfolded hoodie in his place. So, being the adult he was, he grabbed the hoodie and covered his face with it. The smell of the other man instantly calmed him.
“You’d think Chimney would have learned after the second time.” Eddie chuckled. Buck groaned quietly and closed his eyes. The scent reminded him of home a little. Well, reminded him of the safety he felt whenever Eddie was around. He could only hope their home had the same feel to it. If they ever found a place.
“Good luck, Maddie.” Buck joked from his hiding spot. He felt the shift in his mattress as Eddie sat back down next to him. The hoodie still covered Buck’s face, but he found the firm surface of Eddie’s shoulder easily. The man smelled just like his hoodie but a whole lot better. This might be because he just showered so his body wash was almost ambrosial.
“So is someone realizing ‘It’s just an adult sleepover it will be so fun!’ is not so fun?”Eddie snorted into his hair. Buck pulled the hoodie down so Eddie could see the face he was making.
“The first few nights were great, Eddie.”Buck squinted. His hands clutched on the soft ‘hiding spot’ he had created for himself,”We watched movies, I saw ones I haven’t even seen before.”
“It’s really not that hard to do.”Eddie smirked to which Buck pouted his bottom lip.
“You know, your spot on my bed isn’t a necessity. I am sure the couch is quite comfy.”Buck reminded the man, though he made no move to let his partner free from his affection. Eddie just continued to laugh, further showing his comfortability. Buck nestled himself into the man. He pulled his knees higher, avoiding to touch the many remaining unfolded clothes sitting on the edge of his bed. It was so much harder doing his personal chores when it didn’t involve his own children’s clothes. He couldn’t believe he was thinking this but he missed the mass amount of baby laundry he used to have to do a short while ago. He just missed his babies.
“Hen you can’t pass this line!”Chimney’s voice roared through the safety of his walls. During this time, Buck has realized that his walls were so thin. He had to write a formal apology to Allison. There were many times she was home when Tommy spent the night. There were a few times more she was there when Eddie was.
“I know we are gonna have to stop them soon.”Buck mumbled into the mix of the shirt Eddie was wearing and the hoodie he was holding,”I don’t wanna have to scrub Chimney’s blood out of my carpets.”
“Are you saying you don’t agree with Hen?”Eddie asked.
“I am saying I can’t wait for everyone to be home with their own families.”Buck explained, though he moved his face up and reached his hand towards Eddie’s jaw,”You are the exception though, you . You have only gotten on my nerves twice these past few weeks.”
“Are we on the sock thing again? I was raised to fold my socks Buck!”Eddie spoke towards the ceiling.
“I know. I like the way you folded my socks. That’s the problem!”Buck moved a little, threatening to crawl over Eddie so he could stare him down with intense eye contact. Eddie blinked a few times, looking everywhere except back at Buck. The smile on his face made Buck’s stomach flip,”I don’t have the patience to fold my socks like that.”
The sock folding thing wasn’t the only habit he had noticed his boyfriend does. There were a few quirks that Buck had noticed. For instance, Eddie didn’t care for when vegetables were finely sliced and hidden into food. He was never rude when he didn’t like something. He just took the time to move the vegetables out of the meal and eat it separately. Another thing he noticed was when Eddie got really happy he would open and close his fist down by his hips. It would only be one to three times but it was enough to not go unnoticed. All things that Buck found different but not strange. He was curious to learn more of these little quirks Eddie had hid so well before.
“You can deal with my wet towels if I have to deal with your dirty dishes!”Chimney shouted again, making Buck wince. He knew Hen had already had it living with only men. Buck was just glad Chimney was the one dancing on her nerves.
“Well, when the world finally opens up again and we find our new house, I will take on the laundry duty and fold the socks,”Eddie promised. Buck stared at him a moment, before readjusting himself and getting into a more comfortable position. This meant he had become a blanket for his boyfriend. He pressed his ear on the man’s chest and listened to the drumming of his heart.
“You do know one of Fern’s chores is to put away her own laundry. Soon when she is a bit older I was thinking of teaching her how to fold her own clothes.”Buck settled his chin on Eddie’s left peck. He watched the man’s eyebrows furrow and his eyes narrowed right after.
“Your Mariposa is still gonna do chores when she lives with her daddy, right Edmundo?”Buck then asked as he knew exactly what the look was for. Eddie did pout, but he knew better than to answer how Buck knew he wanted too.
“Yes Buck.”Eddie mumbled grumpily,”My daughter will do chores when we live together.”
Buck nodded and then rested his head right back down on his chest. He liked it a lot when he referred to Fern as his daughter. Arms happily wrapped around his shoulders, and the hoodie was still stuck in his hands.
“Good.”Buck whispered into the delightful smell of Eddie’s shirt. If he could bury his nose deeper he would. Since he couldn't, he settled with listening to the tune of his partner’s heart beating instead. Then in the background, the sound of his house guest terrified screams because Hen has finally had it with him.
“Buck, help me!”Chimney yelled. Buck lifted his head again and stared back at his partner's amused eye’s and his smiley mouth. He felt the man’s chest move up and down from his short chuckles.
“Should we go deal with that?”Buck asked the man.
“Eh- he’s got what’s coming to him.”Eddie shrugged,”Let’s give it another fifteen minutes.”
Buck wished he could have stayed in that moment forever. Sadly, time moved on and they had to too. A few days after that morning Hen went home and Buck got his kids back from Karen. The woman had been a godsend and agreed to watch them during the lockdown.
“Oh, my babies.” Buck cooed as he crouched down. Fern giggled and ran over to him. She grew a good inch in those few months. What surprised him even more was that Jack had run to him too.
“Buh buh!” He cooed. Buck felt his eyes widen in shock.
“Since when can you do this?” He asked, hugging his baby to him. Karen tried to look shocked, but he knew. There was no running this smoothly for it to be his first time.
“Thank you. I owe you everything.” Buck told the woman. He meant it too. She took them in when they had no idea if there would be a time they could come home.
“Thank you for housing my wife.” She responded, as though it were the same thing. With Hen returning home, Fern was able to sleep in her own bedroom. Not that she did, that first night Eddie and Buck had both kids in bed with them.
“When are you gonna pick up Christopher?”Buck asked softly, his 18-month-old was snoozing on his chest and he didn’t want to wake him. He missed his babies so much, he hated going that long without them in his home. That included all the kids,”There’s a Christopher-sized hole right here he needs to fill.”
Eddie turned his head to follow Buck’s hand. He couldn’t roll or wiggle too much since Fern picked him to be her mattress.
“Tia, invited some of the cousins over tonight at her place. I am picking him up first thing tomorrow,”Eddie said.
“And are you coming back here?”Buck leaned over so his head rested on Eddie’s shoulder. He felt Eddie crane his neck to kiss a part of his head.
“You aren’t done with me yet?”Eddie asked with a quiet chuckle.
“Not yet.”Buck shook his head. If Buck had his way he could move in now. There were a few steps before that could happen though.
Christopher came back the next morning, to which the two younger kids and Buck were very excited. The kid had gotten taller too, and braces with a haircut. For one straight week, Buck had his family all under one roof since the virus took hold of the world. He did miss it a lot, even if he only went without for an entire month.
Like most things, their togetherness couldn’t last. Eddie did have to go back home, as it didn’t make sense for him to pay the bills of a house he wasn’t living in. Fern and Jack protested this, of course. Buck had to agree with them, it sucked to see the man leave. He had to keep reminding himself that Eddie will come back and that Buck could always go to Eddie’s home.
Which brought them to the present, in August. The world was still locked down, but some things were slowly opening back up again. Some restaurants, and more grocery stores. Schools were still closed, so Fern was gonna have to take her first year at her new school online.
“Papa, why do I have to brush my hair? I’m just going to Auntie Karen’s for school.”The seven-year-old pouted as she picked her brush out of Buck’s hand. Jack patted Fern’s leg gently, trying to earn his big sister’s attention while Buck turned towards Fern’s closet.
“We have to brush our hair every day. I brushed my hair and I brushed Jackson’s hair.”Buck pointed for a moment and then pulled out Fern’s favorite pair of play overalls. He knew good and damn well the girl knew how to pick out her own outfit. She was really good at it, but Buck just wanted to grab something outside safe. Since the weather wasn’t going to be awful.
“But why do I have to?”Fern asked as he heard the brush running through her tiny knots.
“Well Poppers, not only were you blessed with curly hair, you were blessed with thick curly hair that needs to be tamed or the knots become impossible to take out.”Buck grabbed two different play shirts that Fern could pick from,”Okay do you want green with cats or purple with flowers?”
Jack squealed and pointed at the green shirt. He patted his hand on Fern’s leg a few more times.
“Bobs! Bobs!”He reached for the green shirt, like he was telling her to wear that one. Fern ran her brush through the tips of her hair a few times.
“You like the green shirt Jack-Jack?”Fern asked,”is it because the kitties are on it?”
“Ya!”He nodded.
“I will wear the green shirt papa. For Jack-Jack.”Fern then said. Buck nodded and laid out the complete outfit on her mattress next to her.
“Alright, I am gonna get started on breakfast, would you like anything in particular?”Buck asked.
“Um- uh no.”Fern shook her head,”Wait! I am thinking I want an orange for the side!”
“No problem Poppers. Are you staying with Poppers or are you coming with me, Jackson?”Buck asked at one year old. Jack leaned and kissed Fern’s knee before toddling over to Buck.
“Alright. I will call you when breakfast is ready, Poppers.”Buck told his girl and held his son’s hand. Fern nodded and waved at him then Buck led his youngest to the kitchen. Once they arrived he spotted Chimney sitting there, sipping a cup of coffee.
“Hey, you can’t have coffee.”Chimney chided at his tablet. Buck’s hand over the coffee pot and stared back at his roommate. A muffled voice that resembled his sister was heard after that so that meant Chimney wasn’t talking to him. He didn’t like interrupting their talks but the man was in the kitchen and Buck had babies to feed.
“The doctor said I can have one cup a day.”Buck could hear that sentence from his sister. Buck poured some coffee into his mug when Jackson started tugging on the bottom of his shorts.
“Buh Buh! Buh Buh uh!”Jackson’s voice washed over Maddie’s. He winced and turned around while putting a finger over his lips.
“Uncle is talking, Bug. Do you want oatmeal for breakfast?”He whispered.
“Yeah, well, she’s the doctor. Not the parent.”Chimney argued with the iPad.
“Buh Buh uhbe!”Jack demanded again, this time with both of his hands in the air. Buck sighed as he knew he was about to cave to the baby’s demands. He turned to pick his son up and looked into his friend's iPad.
“I think you mean the hyper-parent.”Buck set Jack on his hip and grabbed the things to make instant oatmeal for his kids.
“Go stick your face in your own FaceTime.”Chimney waved his hand off at him. Buck squinted at him before sipping his mug.
“I did, he is staying the night after this next shift.”Buck huffed while managing to grab himself the pot from below.
“Did I hear little Jackson?”Maddie asked loud enough that Buck could fully make out what she said. He set the pot on the stove and moved so his son could take over the FaceTime.
“Do you see your Auntie Mads? Let’s say Hi to Auntie Mads.”Buck kissed Jack’s temples before plopping the boy down on Chimney’s lap. Chimney sputtered but wrapped an arm around his son's middle. The boy began to babble at the screen happily.
“Hi, Jackson.” Maddie cooed back to him.
“Hi!” The baby giggled back. Buck smiled and poured in enough water to make a sufficient amount of oatmeal for everybody. Even Chimney. He had to hurry up on the front though, he needed to get his kids dropped off at Hen and Karen’s. Normally he’d have more time but he had a doctor’s appointment then he had to go to work right after. It didn’t help that he couldn’t ask Allison to come over and watch them. Not since she moved in with her boyfriend and wasn’t as available as she once was. Buck wasn’t mad, she was allowed to live her own life. He just missed her. A lot.
As he prepared breakfast he had to tune out the voices of his friend and sister. He didn’t want to listen in on their conversation. He knew it wasn’t any of his business. Still, his sister sounded sad. Especially when she brought up how they were supposed to be living together.
It didn’t help that Buck knew where both of them were coming from. Sure, he and Eddie were only in the talking stage about moving in when the pandemic hit. Then the man moved in and he loved it. Yet, he had to admit he was almost relieved when the man had gone home. Sure, he was also sad about it too. He loved seeing his boyfriend at all times of the day. Yet, there was a small part of him that relaxed after that first night. It wasn’t something that Buck focused on though. Not when he had to listen to his sister beg for her boyfriend to come home.
“Papa I brushed my hair- oh hi Auntie Mads! Did you have the baby yet?!”Fern stepped next to Chimney and waved at the screen. They talked a short while longer until Chimney had to hang up the FaceTime. Buck was filling bowls with oatmeal and then peeled Fern an orange and Jack a banana.
“There we go, Jack. Nice and comfy.” Buck heard Chimney say as he buckled the youngest into his highchair. Buck couldn't help but smile as he watched it. The man would be a good dad someday. Chimney was great with his kids, he would do amazing with his own.
“Mi Mi.”Jack cooed at the man before Buck slid a bowl of oatmeal and the banana slices in front of his son. Jack poked his finger over the banana slice before putting it in his mouth. Buck pecked the boy's head and then put Fern’s bowl and orange down in front of her.
“How come I don’t get fruit with my oatmeal?”Chimney asked as Buck set a bowl down in front of Chimney. It was an automatic response really, he knew the man could have served himself.
“Oh- how could I forget.”Buck put a hand over his heart and quickly made his way to the cabinet. He grabbed the one of little red boxes he had in his cupboard and hurried back to the table. He opened the box and dumped half of the raisins into Chimney’s bowl of oatmeal, ”There we are sweetheart. Now you three eat up, Papa has to get ready for work.”
“Papa, you aren’t Uncle’s Papa!”Fern covered her mouth while she giggled. Buck wasn’t sure if it was the comment he made or the fact that Chimney squawked at the comment. Buck just smirked and patted Chimney’s shoulder and headed back into his own bedroom to get ready for the day.
Buck quickly showered and got dressed for his day. He also managed to pack his work bag with a few extra minutes to spare. He wasn’t going to have time to eat, not that he was supposed to before bloodwork. Luckily he did have time to put away the food instead. He then texted Karen that he was on his way and got the three kids all loaded into his car. He noticed Chimney standing in the driveway, the kids didn’t say bye yet. Buck moved and let his kids say goodbye to him.
“Bye Uncle Chimney, see you tomorrow.”Fern leaned around the car and hugged him the best she could.
“See you tomorrow Fern.”He patted her cheek. Buck pulled on his mask before taking Jack out of his carseat and then grabbing his diaper bag.
“Say Buh-Bye to you uncle Chimney.”Buck motioned a wave to get his son to mimic.
“Byes, Mi Mi.”Jack cuddled into the car seat. Chimney waved back at his son then Buck had to make his way to Karen and Hen’s house.
Soon, Buck was watching Karen open her front door with a wide smile and a thermometer in her hand. Buck wasn’t offended, he knew she trusted him, it was just a precaution.
“Alright let me take your temperature then I want a big hug Ms. Fern.”Karen ordered the girl. Fern stood up straight and presented her forehead. Karen held the thermometer thing over her forehead until it beeped,”you are all good. Come here.”
Fern grinned and gave Karen a signature Fern hug. Buck stood back and swayed back and forth with Jack. The boy stared at the door, Buck knew who he was waiting for.
“Bye Papa, I love you.”Fern blew Buck a kiss and ran inside the house. Karen hummed then looked over at Jack.
“Ah come here Mr.Jackson!”Karen cooed. Jack continued to stare at the door, he even pointed.
“I know you wanna say hi to Nia but I gotta take your temperature first.”Karen poked his nose.
“You heard your auntie, you gotta do it before you see your best friend.”Buck kissed his son’s cheek. Jack turned his face towards Karen and let her take his temperature.
“All clear. Nia is in the living room waiting for you.”Karen took the boy and the diaper bag out of Buck’s arms.
“Thank you so much Karen, do I need to bring a restock of their snacks or lunch foods? Toilet paper? Hand Sanitizer?”Buck asked.
“We are all good. I have a stockpile. Trust me, I will let you know if your kids are running out of their things.”Karen assured him.
“Okay.”Buck nodded,”Still thank you so much. Seriously.”
“Anything for family.”She smiled.
Buck waved to her and headed back to his car. Next stop, doctor’s office.
Sadly the doctor’s office wasn’t close to Hen and Karen’s home. So Buck didn’t have enough time to stop for food. To make matters worse, the office was understaffed and he spent a good amount of time in the office. Once he was finally called back he could hear his stomach growling. Which amused the nurse who was doing his pre-appointment task.
“Alrighty, Mr. Buckley. We just have to do your blood pressure now.” She chuckled. Buck wanted to play nice, he really did. He just wanted to go to work and eat something a little more.
“Does that feel tight?” She asked him after wrapping his arm with the blood pressure cuff.
“Not too tight, no.” Buck mumbled. She nodded and turned on the machine. Buck always hated this part. The feeling of the cuff tightening always made his heart rate go up and they had to redo it more times than he’d like to admit.
“Alright, I need you to stay still.” She reminded him. Buck pouted as he tried to listen to her. There was one time he had an appointment years ago. He had to go in when he and his husband were trying to conceive. David had held his hand during this part if he remembered correctly.
“The cuff won’t hurt you, sunshine. It’s just a little tight then it’s over.” David chuckled. His eyes twinkled as he squeezed his hand. Buck just gave him a small smile before squeezing his eyes tightly as he felt the pressure around his arm.
“And we are done. Follow me to exam room four please.” The nurse said, pulling the cuff off. Buck blinked a couple of times as he tried to shake the memory. There was nothing special about that day. Other than the fact they conceived Fern a few weeks later.
The appointment went by smoothly, other than the basic checkup he had to do a blood and urine test. Though his doctor did mention that he was getting closer to that age he’d have problems conceiving.
“If you want more kids, now is a good time to try.” He had said. Buck already knew this, of course. He and Eddie had even talked about it.
“Well. The nurse told me I was very brave when I gave blood.”Buck lifted his arm to show Eddie his band aid as he entered the firehouse. He was trying to earn the treat that was in his partner’s hand. Eddie smiled back at him as Buck took another step closer.
“Did she now?”Eddie smirked at him. Buck nodded intently and lifted his arm so Eddie could see the band-aid. Buck then could see Eddie’s heart eyes switch on a moment.
“Well in that case I think someone earned himself a danish.”
“I have to agree, Eds.”Buck grinned as Eddie held his hand up. He nearly took Eddie’s hand with the pastry with how fast he pulled it to his lips.
“Anything else happen at the appointment?”Eddie asked as they made their way to the locker room. Buck pulled the danish away from his mouth with a quick nod. Eddie opened the door to the locker room for him and Buck stepped inside.
“Mhmm, I had to brave the blood pressure cuff too.” Buck said, shooting his boyfriend's sad eyes. He didn’t know if telling the man about what his doctor said was work-appropriate
“I take it that your vitals were good then.” Eddie asked. Buck nodded and took another bite of his food.
“Mhmm, oh and if we want to have another baby we need to try soon.” He then threw in, deciding at the last second to add it. Eddie then made a face, and it sounded like he was fixing to choke on his spit. Buck snorted at the man’s face, it was amusing. Or at least it he was until he realized how hard Eddie started coughing.
“Hey- are you okay?”Buck reached to touch his shoulder. Eddie nodded and gave him a shaky thumbs up. Buck nodded, he was glad he was okay but he started feeling a little nervous.
“Yeah- yeah I am fine.”Eddie nodded after he caught his breath again,”Another baby soon?”
“I mean- if that is something you wanted Eds- obviously we have to talk about it more and if you seriously don’t want another then we can talk-”Lips soon landed against his. A hand touched his jaw gently but still held him in place all the same.
“Of course I want another baby with you, but can we get a house first please?”Eddie asked.
“Yeah, I can do that.”Buck nodded, his face now completely red. That conversation was easier than he thought.
Buck ate his pastry before getting dressed for his shift. Then he found his way up to the loft. He spotted that quite a few of his shift mates were filling out the tables and the seating area in front of the t.v. From the looks of it, Conners was kicking ass at Call of Duty yet again.
“Oh Buckley, Diaz, wanna play winner?”The man pulled the controller out of Johnson’s hand. Buck stared out towards the kitchenette and saw his dad was frantically whisking something in the stainless steel bowl. A frown tugged at his lips, he knew stressed coping mechanisms when he saw them.
“I have to talk to Cap. Diaz however, will claim his title at best in the firehouse.”Buck clasped his hand on Eddie’s shoulder. Eddie opened his mouth to argue, but somehow the controller was being pressed into his hand and Buck was sneaking off to the island. Hen was already sitting in one of the stools watching the man. Buck picked the open spot next to her and leaned his elbows on the edge.
“How long has he been like this?”Buck asked, not even trying to whisper. Bobby seemed to be far too deep in his own little world to notice Buck was sitting there. She turned her head with a short exhale of worry.
“Since I got up here. Maybe thirty minutes ago.”She pointed,”I made myself coffee and I am certain he doesn’t know I am here.”
“He’s worried.”Buck frowned again,”It’s ‘Thena’s first day back at work since- well you know. Dad is doing a thing I like to call stress baking. It was a pretty common phenomenon that happened in the Nash household growing up.”
“Why am I not surprised?”Hen tilted her head closer to Buck’s shoulder. Buck pursed his lips a moment sitting down on the empty chair. He felt the legs shake under him for a moment. He could have blushed at the creak noise but it looked like the swaying of his chair affected Hen too. Her hand grabbed on the edge of the island, her expression seemingly only a tad phased by it. Her calmness soothed him into thinking he shouldn’t be concerned either. It was earthquake season anyways, small shakes were normal. So he turned his attention right back to his dad who was scooping out the dough like texture out of his bowl and leaned over the island, past Hen right to Buck.
“It’s missing something. What do you think?”Bobby asked. Buck lifted his hand to grab the spoon. The dough looked to be just a simple cookie dough, chocolate chip to be exact. There was definitely something missing just by him eyeing it though.
“Dad, are you making chipless cookies?”Buck asked simply. Bobby then looked at his assortment of measuring cups, then the clear unopened bag of chocolate chips right beside the kitchen scissors. He groaned and started tearing through the bag. Hen seemed to slip out of her seat after this, picking up her mug from the counter and patting Buck’s back with encouragement.
“You got this handled, good.”She said. Buck gapped his mouth open, but he was given a chance to even argue. It wasn’t that hard to pull Bobby away from stress baking, nonetheless Buck preferred when the man used this to cope over the other thing. The baking was healthy. He did it too.
“You know mom is just going back into the office today right? It’s not like she is driving around in her police cruiser.”Buck decided to just fall right into what he knew was bugging the man. Bobby stopped stirring the bowl without much of a noise. Only the yelling from the few playing Call of Duty on the couch,”That’s what is stressing you out huh?”
“You saw her Buck.”Bobby reminded him, as though he could forget the swollen eyes and the busted lips. Or the sound. Especially the sound.
“But she isn’t leaving the station.”Buck reminded him again. Bobby then sighed and plucked a small ball of dough into his hand. Rolling his sweet mixture into a little ball and plopped it down on a well-buttered baking sheet.
“A part of me doesn’t believe that.”The older man pressed down on the dough a few times before starting over again. Buck couldn’t disagree with him. Bobby knew the woman well enough to know that her staying in the station was only temporary. Buck heard about her climbing the walls during the beginning of the pandemic, not being able to do anything but talk to her therapist and go on the occasional grocery run by herself,”Once there is an opening for her to jump back into work. She will.”
“Yeah. I know, Dad.”Buck mumbled.
“So you had a doctor's appointment this morning? Chimney was complaining about having to drive through traffic.”Bobby asked him.
“Just to get a refill on my meds, nothing too crazy.”Buck shrugged.
“And how’s life with your semi permanent roommate?”Bobby then asked him. Buck’s head nearly slipped out from over his hands with a quiet groan.
“Why do you have to call him that?”Buck whined. He heard a tiny chuckle his dad tended to do when his jokes landed like how he wanted them too. Buck gently tapped his forehead against the cool counter a few times.
“He says he will come back when the world gets better but- who knows when that is gonna happen. It’s safer now that it has been. My babies are home with me, why can’t he be home with his baby. It is making Maddie really upset.”Buck ranted.
“Chimney will come around, he will be with Maddie before we know it.”Bobby plopped another dough ball on the baking sheet.
“I hope you are right-”Buck plucked the pastry out of it’s bag finally,”let’s just hope he decides to go home to my sister before Eddie and I find our house. It would be a little awkward asking him to pack and unpack his room for me.”
“I don’t think that will be an issue, kid.”Bobby assured him. Buck hoped his dad was right, he really did. He was only growing more worried. For his sister, for being alone, and for Chimney.
Over an hour passed and Buck switched gears from the kitchen to stocking the engine with an overabundance of what they could need. The tiny earth trembles had been racking up more and more, only for the team to assume the worst of what’s to come. Probably more kitchen fires, or maybe a few kids toppling over of their bikes for the jerky grounds. Hopefully it won’t be another seven point one again, parts of L.A still have not recovered from that disaster, let alone the tsunami that took place a year after that.
“Hey shouldn’t you be stalking the ambulance, Mr. Certified-Paramedic/Firefighter?”Hen leaned out the ambulance pulling Buck’s attention away from the list of things he had already gone through twice over.
“I'm leaving that for my roommate. It's the least he can do.” Buck huffed. Hen glanced back at Chimney, but the ground rumbled again, this time more aggressive than the few before.
“What was that? That had to be a four.”She said. Buck pulled his phone out from his pocket and clicked on his handy Caltech app, something he had downloaded after the earthquake a few years back. He liked to look at it periodically, to see if there were any changes in patterns. Also to make sure it would be safe when he decided to take his children on a fun excursion. Their trips they once took to the zoo were always perfect.
“Nah, I am thinking more like a three.”Eddie flopped his gear down and leaned right next to Buck. Buck glanced over at him and gave him a small smile.
“Hey no cheating.”Chimney pointed from the ambulance, about the phone app of course.
“Caltech’s been tracking microquakes the last few days. Thousands of them.”He frowned, he only felt about five. Maybe six tops. Eddie’s hand grabbed on his bicep for a second but more authoritative footsteps were incoming so his boyfriend let go.
“That last one didn’t feel micro to me.”Bobby walked through them all, leaving the four of them to all sit and stare back at one another.
“This is going to be a-”Eddie started but hand smacked her middle and index fingers to her thumb.
“Shh- don’t even say it. We are not stocked enough for one of those kinds of days.”She shuttered,”unless our other shift paramedic wants to help?”
“Guys-”Buck shook his head while shoving his phone back in his pocket. He would have continued his thought if the alarm didn’t go off and the rest of the crew scrambled to get the rest of their turnouts on.
The first call of the shift was sure swinging for the fences with the strangest call title. In Buck’s four years of being a firefighter, he thought he had met the weirdest, then August or September comes around and just proves him wrong. This time, they were faced with a large office building with a city bus dangling from the side of it.
“That does not go there.”Chimney pointed when the five of them grouped together.
“No kidding.”Eddie planted his hands on his hips.
“Alright, the only way we can go is up. Since the bus is only on the side I think we will be able to use the elevator.”Bobby waved his hand and led the group on the inside. As they proceed the sounds of a helicopter flew overhead, announcing to them that the news was already on it for the daily reports.
The automatic doors swing open letting the five enter the near empty lobby. A few workers, hiding behind their masks, were directing others from the upperstories outside to safety. Bobby was right in his assumption of the elevators working, a few more people flowed out of one in a surprisingly calm manner. Buck didn’t complain, the calmer everyone was, the easier their job was going to be.
“It’s on the sixth floor, we are definitely missing a few members of our staff.”A concerned woman, dressed in the finest business clothes informed them. She held a clipboard in one hand and the other was clicking the tip of her pen, like she was doing another body count that now counted 118. The clicking stopped, so she could adjust her mask back over her nose,”Two members to be exact.”
“We will do our best to find them.”Bobby assured her. Hen pressed the up button on the elevator and the doors opened in a quick instant. The five were quick to pile in and push the buttons they would need to go to. The elevator music was serenading the group with its pleasant yet recurring smooth jazz as they lifted higher and higher. Buck took the time to pull his phone out and check the CalTech app again, surely enough time had passed the last time he opened it for an update.
“Woah- the Hollywood Reservoir is, like, two and a half billion gallons. Where’s all that water gonna go?”Buck asked.
“My mom survived the dam break in the 60’s. Baldwin Hills.”Hen shrugged,”Water only ever wants to go in one direction. Out to sea.”
The doors glide open shortly after, only for all of them to see the once pristine looking grounds destroyed by public transportation wrecking the architecture.
“Yeah no, that definitely isn’t supposed to go there.”Bobby pointed out as Hen and Chimney let themselves in the room. Bobby turned behind them and pointed up, which was code for he wanted them to go towards the roof probably. Eddie nodded and leaned back against the wall while Buck pushed his phone right back into his pocket. The doors shut behind his father and began its trail up higher in the building.
“Hey, at least it’s not a tsunami.”Eddie shrugged. Buck turned towards the man with a squint in his eye, letting his boyfriend squirm with discomfort,”Right?”
“That is not funny Edmundo Diaz.”Buck huffed and let his hand grab the bar behind him. Eddie frowned and reached for his hand. Buck rolled his eyes but took it in his.
“You are forgiven.” He gave him a small huff. Thankfully Eddie just gave him a smile and squeezed his hand. Buck fought it, and he fought hard, but in the end he couldn’t help but to smile right back at his man. Buck would have continued and leaned on his shoulder, basking in the only bit of privacy they had been given in a while but the doors opened and they had a job to do.
Buck let go of Eddie’s hand first and the two of them found the roof access door without further issue. Since the building only seemed to be harmed in the one section the worst that happened to the offices was that the lights were flicky and a bunch of computer systems were under a never ending cycle of trying to reboot, only for the power to shut off again. The two of them worked together getting the larger piece of equipment down and set it up as close enough to the edge of the roof as they could. Buck found himself leaning over the edge, just to see how much of the bus was hanging on to the building, and how much was danginging over a six to twelve story drop. The weight of the end slowly tilting downwards but hopping right back up. He turned back around, only to be greeted with widened brown eyes and a yellow rope that he needed.
“Ready?”Buck asked him. He blinked a few times and let his hands open and close around the rope.
“Yeah, yeah.”Eddie nodded and tossed him an end of the bright equipment. Buck got himself all hooked up and ready to secure the vehicle below them. He stepped over on the ledge and looked back at his partner once more.
“You sure you don’t wanna go down?”Buck asked, getting ready to steadily make his decline no matter the man’s answer.
“It’s too late now! Not getting cold feet are you?”Eddie called from his position.
“Nope, just wanted to make sure you were listening.”Buck hummed and began his trip down to the bus.
“This is Diaz, Buck’s about to touch down.”Eddie’s voice soon crackled through his radio,”Once he’s there, I’ll send down the webbing to secure the bus.”
“Copy that.”Bobby responded. Buck hummed to himself the latest song Fern had been obsessed with as he kicked away from the window and lowered himself closer and closer to the bus. He was sure to make sure he was moving at an appropriate speed but the windows felt very weak under his shoes and the bus was going to drop when he landed so he was going to have to brace for that. His feet soon rested on the white section of the bus, he was sure to stay calm and remain still as he let physics take over the busses movements with his added weight.
“Alright guys, I am here.”Buck clapped his hands together, proud of himself for not managing to slip and fall. He felt Eddie was already worried enough that he was the one going down the side of the building. He shouldn’t give the man an actual reason,”Not too bad. Should be able to get this thing stable.”
He took a few miniscule steps for an extra cushion on his bearings. He sniffed the air a few times and tapped his fingers over the buttons of his radio.
“Got some good news, Cap. Automatic exfil working on the natural gas tanks up here. So at least this thing is not going to explode.”He removed his hand from the mic.
“Yeah at least we got that going for us.”He heard Hen’s voice faintly from a mix of his radio static and where she was standing in the building. The webbing made its way down as Eddie promised and Buck got to work getting the tie-down points secure. He whistled the song playing over in his head at a low note and climbed to grab the second hook.
“How are we looking gentlemen?”Bobby asked. Buck leaned over the city below him to get this bus secured to the room. He could see the various amounts of traffic slow itself to a complete stop due to all the debris, and action happening miles above them.
“Second tie-down point is secure.”Buck held himself up with one hand and leaned his back out to stretch before he would have to climb his way towards the middle.
“Heading for the middle, Cap.”Buck announced and moved his hand in the corner of a shattered window. He pursed his lips to start whistling to himself again and crawled lower.
“Second hook’s in.”Buck leaned to hook it down, when he spotted a rather fleshy looking mound nestled between the set of tires and metal workings, holding the man in place.
“Cap, someone else is in here!” He called. He could hear Chimney and his dad moving to observe the other person under the bus.
“Oh my god, is that Keith?” A woman gasped. Buck managed to get himself into the building while the others checked over the body.
“He’s got a pulse, we got a live one Cap.” Chimney announced once he got out from under the bus.
“How are we supposed to get everyone off the bus while he’s under it?” Buck asked his father. The group tried to see if they could get him out from under the bus. Sadly this was a no go as there were too many support beams surrounding him. Not to mention how every time they moved the bus seemed to creek, reminding them that even while secured it wasn't supposed to support itself out of the side of a building.
“Probably a fractured pelvis. Pulse and BP aren't great but he's holding up.” Chimney said from his place under the bus.
“Oh my God, Keith.” The woman from earlier said once again.
“Ma'am, I need you to stay back.” His father instructed. They really should just send her down to the ambulance. It would be safer for her there anyway. Then the guy decided now was the time to talk back to the woman.
“Ashley, you were right. I kept you out of that meeting on purpose. He said he didn't want a woman running his money. And I caved, I caved.” Keith gasped for breath between his sentences. Buck could hear Chimney’s exasperated grunts from under the bus. Why did their patients always decide in the middle of an emergency to make dramatic admissions?
Of course the bus had to move and the man screamed in pain.
“Keith, maybe you two should have a sidebar after we get the 30,000 pound teeter-totter off of you, okay?” Chimney chided.
“That's it.” His father said, making Buck look back at the man in confusion.
“What's it?” He mused.
“It's a seesaw.” His father declared, moving towards the hole in the wall.
“I said it was a teeter-totter but okay.” Chimney grumbled. Cap ignored this as he pulled out his radio.
“Eddie, we need the bus rocked backwards a little bit so the front end lifts up. We need to get to Keith.” He ordered. Buck could just see the look of confusion on his boyfriend's face. They just secured the thing. Also he wouldn't have any clue who Keith was.
“Cap, the bus is already secured to the building. It's stable.” He heard Eddie call back. To make this all better his father now looked a little vexed himself.
“I know.” His father started slowly. “But I need it to move. Let's put it on the heavy winch.”
Once his father finished instructing Eddie on what to do he turned to the rest of them.
“In the meantime, we get everyone off the bus. We let it rock back, and then we pull Keith out from underneath.” He continued. Which didn't make much sense to Buck. They might have secured the bus but the weight distribution was still off. Wouldn't this put more weight on Keith?
“As plans go, it is one.” Hen chuckled. Buck stared at the bus as he tried to even comprehend what his father was suggesting. Should one of them stabilize the ropes?
He didn't have much time to contemplate this as they were rushed into the bus. Onto? Buck needed to focus.
“Alright gentlemen, welcome to triage. My girl Vanessa here probably has a dislocated shoulder, but check for a break. Splint and bind her arm to her chest.” She instructed. They quickly moved down the line to a man that was bleeding.
“Zeke here has a Femoral bleed and needs a tourniquet. Run a line, run it wide open.” She instructed. Chimney jumped up to get that started. While Buck had finished his clinical hours he didn't trust himself to do this on the spot. Maybe on a simpler call.
“Back there, there's some multiple lacerations, and I'm pretty sure a bilateral fractured radius.” She told Buck, who started heading back to Zeke.
“Got it.” He nodded at her. He got to the man and started on the tourniquet. Whoever tied their belt around his leg did a really good job.
“Okay, tourniquet going on right now.” He responded quickly.
“Got a minor laceration of the head. How are you doing with that tourniquet?” Chimney asked.
“Tightening. Alright he's good to go. Let's go, let's go.” Buck said as he and Chimney got the man up to remove him from the bus.
“Hey kid.” Zeke called to a boy that was refusing to look over at them. “Thanks for saving my life.”
Buck had to glance over at him. He'd be sure to tell him about how well he did with the belt.
“Forward seating is reserved for mobility-challenged passengers and members of the elderly community.” He said in a matter of fact tone.
“It won't happen again.” Zeke laughed. Meanwhile Hen and his father got to helping a woman in the back. He could hear them talking about her condition but the boy from earlier was rocking in a familiar motion. He was about to check on him when his father called to his attention.
“Hey Buck-” He started but Buck was already heading out the door of the bus.
“30 degrees! I got it!” He called back. He was lucky his ADHD let him focus on two things at once so he could catch the tail end of that conversation.
“Buck!” He could hear Hen calling. Buck came back with the gurney at the correct angle.
“Okay, guys, come on!” His father yelled.
“Gurney’s here!” Buck called back. “Get on this side. Come on, let's go. Let's go.”
Him and Hen knelt down to pick the woman up. He counted down to her before they lifted. No need for another injury. He could hear the kid mumbling about it being pink apron day. Which he guessed explained the woman’s pink outfit.
“Alright, everyone off the bus. Let's move, let's move.” Buck called back to the rest of the people as they walked off. Once they got the woman to safety he heard his dad telling Eddie to start moving the bus. So he did the rational thing and went to collect him.
“Hey, dad, you need to be off the bus.” He said from a window.
“I got it, Buck.” His dad sounded calm, though the kid definitely was not okay.
“It's pink apron day.” The boy sounded distressed.
“Just come a little closer, CJ.” His father coaxed. Buck could hear the boy keep muttering the line over and over again. His father tried to calm him down the best he could. It reminded Buck of when he was a kid. On those days his head was moving too fast and he needed a break from it all.
Before he knew it the bus was moving up and they had to get Keith out from under the bus. They quickly moved the beams and pulled the man out. Then he was on board within seconds. Once they were able to wrap his knock the guy started apologizing again to Ashley. Seriously, he had no idea why she was still there.
Buck helped Chimney and Hen get the people over to the elevator. This call wasn't as complicated as he first thought it would be.
“Hey, Buck, is everyone off the bus? It's omitting fuel.” Eddie called to him over the radio. Buck glanced behind him and shook his head. Why wouldn't they be on the bus? So Buck did what he always did and headed back to save his father and a kid.
“Cap! Cap!” He yelled as he ran back into the bus. Thankfully he still had his rope harness on. Though before he could do anything the bus exploded. Buck was blown back off the bus and blacked out for a moment. When he came too he was back up. He needed his dad to be okay.
“Cap! Cap!” He called out. He could hear how weak his voice sounded from behind his mask.
“Dad!” He tried yelling out as he walked to the back of the bus. That's where he spotted his dad covering the kid.
“You okay, CJ?” His dad asked, making Buck sigh in relief.
“I would like to get off the bus now.” The boy said sincerely, making his dad laugh.
They were able to get out of the building without further issue. Though Hen and Chimney gave all three of them a check up. Buck needed ice for his head. Something Eddie took very seriously.
“You know, Cap and CJ over here took way more damage than I did Eds. All I need is the ice.”Buck chuckled gently at the man standing over him, making sure the ice was resting on the right spot,”You might wanna check them out, before they start to get jealous.”
Eddie stopped his hand for a moment, and turned his head towards the other too. Buck could see the smidgen of concern. Buck took the chance to ogle at the man standing over him, he was glad that Eddie decided to grow his hair back out again, now that Jackson has decided hair isn’t as fun of a toy as his daddy’s necklace was.
“I-I am working on my eye contact-”CJ’s repeated words cut through Buck’s adornment of his boyfriend. He couldn’t help but to look back at Eddie’s eyes and track where he had locked them.
“You are doing a great job kid.”Buck assured the boy, though he wasn’t necessarily participating in the eye contact thing himself. He was too busy peering up at Eddie. From the angle he was at he couldn't exactly tell where the man was looking, but he had a feeling it was anywhere but Bobby or CJ’s eyes. He shifted the ice on purpose, to get the man to look back at him, so he could get a better view of where the man looks.
“The ice goes here, Buck.”Eddie moved the ice pack right back to where it was supposed to go. Buck looked up, to see that he was in fact not looking back at him but seemingly above his eyes, maybe at his eyebrows instead.
“Okay Eddie.”Buck chuckled again and put hand over his boyfriends. This all could be nothing, looking at people's eyes is awkward enough in itself. Buck doesn’t blame the man for not doing it, it’s just something that he had noticed.
“Captain Nash, do you copy?”Buck and Eddie turn back towards the man. Hen took a step back as Bobby’s hand clicked on his radio.
“Captain Nash, we need you to head towards Hollywood Hills. The dam broke and we need all hands on deck. Can you get here?”The radio asked them. Buck took that as a sign to move the ice to the side of his head and stood up from the concrete slab he was using as a seat. He could tell by the look on Eddie’s face he wasn’t pleased by the way he tore the ice pack off. It didn’t matter though, his head felt better and there were far more pressing matters to attend too.
“We will be there as soon as we can,”Bobby said and got up from the seat and looked over at the other ambulance that had pulled up on the scene,”We have a kid over here, he seems fine but we are waiting for his parents to come get him.”
The two nodded and easily swapped places with Chimney. Buck watched Eddie put the ice pack away where it was supposed to go as the rest of them hurried back into the engine.
Apparently they were closer to Hollywood Hills than Buck had thought. Then again, the area was much larger than he thought. During the drive he looked up the sectioned off area just for his own curiosity.
“Hollywood Hills is nearly five thousand acres of land, with about thirty thousand people populating it- huh apparently Tim Allen lives here along with many other celebrities.”Buck squinted at the article.
“Buck put Wikepedia away.”Bobby commanded. Buck frowned and put his phone right back in his pocket. Though once the device sunk back down and sat comfortably at the bottom he remembered why he had his phone out to begin with. It wasn’t for Hollywood Hills, it was to see if there were still more miniquakes or if the flood had reached anywhere closer to downtown or not. He sighed and looked out the window, now seeing houses becoming more and more buried deep in the dirt and running water. He hoped the majority of people made it out okay- at least he hoped children living there made it out okay. He knew not everyone did as the engine was climbing higher up the hill, close to the Hollywood sign.
The engine soon stopped next to a large pile of dirt and boulders once hooked on to the hillsides.
“Captain Nash”A captain from a different firehouse was there to greet his father. Buck stood back with Eddie to take a good look at all the damage the break of the dam and the landslide had caused in the course of two, maybe three hours tops. Lifelite was hovering overhead, taking injured folk to the closest hospital. Buck did wave, in case it was Tommy flying one of them. He didn’t see the 217 anywhere on the helicopters so he might be waving at a stranger but they couldn’t see him anyway so it was fine.
“Hey- should we be worried about more of that hill coming down?”Eddie spoke out and walked over to Buck’s dad. Buck dropped his hand and followed him.
“Yeah, we work quick, we work safe, we hope for the best. Where do you want us?”Bobby turned towards the white helmet.
“The Hollywood sign.”She pointed. Buck turned his head, only to see that the sign was broken, leaving the LLYWOOD letters up.
“Where’s the rest of it?”Buck asked, though he could make a pretty educated guess on where it could have fallen.
“Down Hill.”Which was exactly where he guessed,”The H landed just west of here. There were hikers in the area.”
“Guess they should have bought a vowel.”Chimney joked while nudging Hen with his elbow.
“Okay, Hen, Eddie, you’re with me at the sign. Chimney, Buck you stay here and help search for survivors.”Bobby instructed. Eddie clasped Buck’s shoulder, before he started his way towards the hill.
“Alright now Eddie, just because I hit my head once during this shift does not mean it’s your turn to get hurt. Understand?”Buck teased him.
“Okay- but would you be mad if while walking up the hill I pull a hamstring or something. I didn’t have time to stretch this morning,”Eddie asked him, with a small smile curving on his face.
“You and your jokes today, Eds.”Buck shook his head,”I love you and try your best not to get hurt please.”
“I will Buck, the same goes for you though.”Eddie patted his shoulder one more time. This was their way of showing affection while at work, it was something they picked up from what seemed like forever ago now. Buck waited for the third squeeze of the man’s fingers before letting go. Bobby and Hen were now standing and waiting at the base while Chimney headed over to Buck,”I love you too.”
Buck sighed and watched Eddie walk off towards Hen and his dad before turning his gaze over to Chimney.
“Are you guys ever going to leave the honeymoon phase?”Chimney asked him.
“Probably around the same time I no longer have a roommate.”Buck squinted and started down the muddy road ahead of them.
“Ha ha.”The squish of Chimney’s boots picked up right behind him.
A mile, they probably had gone about one mile without anyone responding to their calls. Each house they passed seemed sadder and more buried then the next. A bright pink tricycle was sticking up partially next to a lamp post. A few dog toys were scattered about, along with a few wrapped newspapers that were probably tossed door to door minutes before everything came crumbling down. Buck hoped that kid that probably took the route was okay and at home safe, counting the bills he got from doing his job.
“LAFD!”Buck called, seeping into an even muddier platform below him.
“LAFD!”Chimney called closer to the otherside of the path. Still nothing, not a sign of life. Other than the tree’s blowing with the warm breeze of August in L.A,”Wait, Buck! Over there!”
A head was sticking up from the ground, right next to a totaled vehicle. He couldn’t see the man’s body as it was caked under probably pounds of mud. He knelt down towards the dusty, closed lidded man. Chimney put his fingers over his pulse.
“He’s gone.”Chimney frowned.
“Alright. Mark it. Keep on moving.”Buck sighed sadly but got up anyways,”Like chief said, bound to be other’s.”
They continued on when he heard the distinct sound of a hungry baby. Buck looked around for them but Chimney spotted something first.
“A baby monitor.” He said, looking up. Buck glanced around but couldn't find anything that resembled a crib or car seat.
“Where’s the baby?” He asked. Chimney shrugged as he also glanced around.
“Don't you wish that these things came with a function to find the other end?” Buck asked.
“What, like a Find My Baby app?” Chimney deadpanned.
“Well, yeah? I mean, it would be helpful now.” Buck chuckled nervously.
“Guess you better get on that. I'm probably going to lose my kid at least once. I've lost my phone three times this week.” Chimney sighed.
“Hey, no, you're going to be a good parent. Don't be so hard on yourself.” Buck argued. Chimney shook his head and began to mess with his radio.
“There's too many houses here. We are going to need backup if we have a chance of finding the baby.” He said as he changed the station. Just then the baby monitor made a high pitched noise.
“Wait, go back.” Buck said quickly, and Chimney did as he was told.
“The lines are down. We shouldn't be getting any feedback.” Buck said slowly. Chimney's face changed to one of understanding.
“This is a battery powered baby monitor.” He said.
“Wherever it gets louder must be where the baby is.” Buck nodded.
“Find my baby, let's go.” Chimney said, rushing towards the next house.
As the two looked they continued talking about Maddie and him. Of course Chimney was adamant that he was keeping them safe.
“This is your niece or nephew’s health we are talking about. Once they get this virus under control I'll go home.” He sighed again.
“Well what if it doesn't? What if this is how things are going to be for now on? Are you just going to live in my house?” Buck asked.
“Yeah, I'll even parent from a zoom conference. At least that's something I have experience with.” The joke sounded hollow. Buck had heard enough about Chimney’s dad to know this wasn't a good thing.
“No, Chim. You're gonna be home with Maddie and your child. You're also going to be great at this. You're good with my kids.” Buck reminded him.
“It’s different when they don’t belong to you.”Chimney frowned. Buck tilted his head before he folded his arms together, the pick was tucked in the crease of his arm.
“Not really, sure you don’t have any actual responsibility over them but you are- just I know you will be a good dad. Coming from a parent, you will do a good job. I promise.”He assured his friend.
“If you say so Buck.”Chimney whispered. Buck didn’t know how else to tell him it was going to be okay. He was in Chimney’s position once. He had no idea how he was going to take care of Fern, but he figured it out quickly. Then again it might be different because he was the one growing the baby, that is a whole different level of bonding. The feedback from the monitor then suddenly started squealing louder.
“Hey- hey!”Buck rushed up to grab it. They were standing near a roof of a house, that was where the feedback was at its loudest. It must have been inside the house, which had all its entrances covered by land.
“How do we get inside?”Chimney asked. The rustles of leaves move the broken tree branch, revealing the one thing that would be their chance of gaining access into the building.
“Chimney.”He said.
“What?”Chimney then asked, like he was waiting for Buck’s grand idea to arise into existence.
“What?”Buck tilted his head,”No, the chimney!”
He could see the man’s face pinken under his eyes. Buck in turn rolled his eyes and marched his way on the roof and towards the rectangular shape poking out from the dirt and rock. He used his pick to get the black cover, leaving a hole that would drop down deep into the house. Two other firefighters arrived on the scene to help them. Chimney removed his turnout gear so he could get strapped into the rope that would drop him down inside the house. While all of this, Buck wondered how Eddie and the others were doing on the hillside. If they saved anyone or anything. He was sure they were all still fine, and that the hill didn’t slide out from under them. He would have felt the ground shake, or incoherent chatter over their radios.
“Okay, when you get to the bottom, I’ll drop the medical bag and tools down to you.”Buck patted Chimney’s shoulder, pulling himself out of a bad thought that could potentially plague his mind.
“Copy that.”Chimney sat on the edge of the house’s chimney,”In the future, if anybody asks, this right here is how I got my name.”
Buck laughed and took a few steps away from the structure and gave the rope a few good tugs, telling Chimney that he was safe to go down.
“That’s not what I am telling my niece or nephew.”Buck whispered to himself happily. Soon the rope he was send downward dropped the weight. He felt his arms push himself forwards.
“Buck, I’m in.”Chimney said over the radio. Buck set the rope in hands down and dropped down the med and tool bag down the chimney, after that, he sat and waited for Chimney to say something,”I got him- he’s gotta be like a few days old. There isn’t a scratch on him. Found the mother too, deceased. Looks like blunt force trauma to the head.”
Buck’s relife dropped after that. It was good the baby was alive, he could only hope that he had a father that would be able to take care of him.
“I’ll notify Mobile Command. Tag the house.”Buck sighed sadly,”Alright, let’s get you two out of there.”
“Copy-”His radio caught off quickly, like he found something else.
“Chim?”Buck asked,”Chimney do you copy?”
“Buck, we are gonna need reinforcements down here, fast.”Chimney responded before Buck was even given a chance to worry about the man.
Buck was able to get ahold of his dad and the rest. By the time they got there Chimney had explained what was going on. Apparently this woman was housing pregnant women. Except it wasn't by choice and she was selling their babies. Thankfully Hen was prepared to take over and talk them through what was needed.
“Okay Buck, you need to drop this down to Chimney. He will need these things to deliver the baby.” She instructed. Buck nodded and did was he was told. Now it was only a matter of waiting so they could get the people out. Sadly life wasn't that simple and they were informed that Athena had been trapped in a house. One that had been taken down by the landslide.
“Go, dad. We got it here.” Buck promised. The man nodded and took off to one of the helicopters. Meanwhile they finally were able to start evacuating the women.
“Wait- we can't leave her behind. She needs us.” One of the women pleaded as they tried to help her into an ambulance.
“She will be up soon. One of our best paramedics is helping her.”Buck assured the girl, but she refused to budge. Buck frowned, but he saw that another gurney was being taken towards the chimney. He turned to see the man hop on out with another woman. This one seemed to be holding a fresh baby.
“Amber!”The girl pushed around Buck and ran up to the one being set down on. Eddie appeared from behind him and touched his arm. Buck smiled up at him and allowed his shoulder to brush against his as he greeted their friend.
“You must feel pretty good, Chim.”Hen said.
“Yeah, how was the practice run?”Eddie asked.
“Great.”Chimney smiled, looking like a weight had rolled off his shoulders,”In all fairness, I didn’t have to do a lot. Just kinda catch.”
“You hear that Eddie? All he did was catch.”Buck planted his hands on his hips.
“Hmm- not all I heard was that someone no longer has an excuse and he will be moving out of my boyfriend's house?”Eddie asked. Chimney just shook his head with a deep sigh.
“I told you, you are gonna be a good dad to baby Buckley.”Buck pointed out, not ignoring Eddie’s comment, more moving passed it. He didn’t want the pushiness from his partner to make Chimney want to stay even longer.
“Yeah, I think I will. Where’s Cap? Did he knock out early?”Chimney asked, making Buck frown.
“He’s got one more job to do, but for us we are done,”Hen said.
“Oh- well I guess we should head back. I got some packing to do.”Chimney unhooked himself from the rope. The four laughed and cleaned up shop, and then headed back to the station directly afterwards to get changed.
A short few days flew by after Chimney had officially moved out and things were starting to feel normal again. Well, as normal as he could be. Buck still had a roommate residing in Allison’s room. It still wasn’t Allison though. Buck oddly hadn’t heard from her the last few days. He knew this was because of the long hours of being a nurse and all. No, the roommate keeping her room warm for her was the much younger Han brother. Buck didn’t mind having Albert stay with him though. It could be because he didn’t leave dirty clothes on the floor, or it could be because he wasn’t avoiding a pregnant partner. Plus Buck didn’t see him twenty-four-seven, he delivered food for work. One more bonus, the last time Buck and Allison did speak, she practically advocated for the man. He knew the two were friends outside of life, but he didn’t realize how close the two had become. Buck didn’t question it, he left those complicated relationships alone. Little did Buck know he was gonna have to find out sooner rather than later.
Buck swayed his hips back and forth to help Jackson settle down for the night. He was standing in Fern’s room and watched the two older kids cuddle up with their dad on the small twin bed she owned. Buck would complain that Christopher wasn’t trying out the foldable cot for sleepovers but he was too enamored with the three all snug together on one mattress.
“Hi, Carla.”Christopher waved at the computer screen set in the middle of the three of them. Somewhat in the middle, Fern had plopped herself on Eddie’s chest,”I have a lot to talk about.”
“You good Eds?”Buck mouthed out to the man, in hopes he could read lips. In turn, Eddie gave a thumbs up. Buck hummed and took himself and Jack to the kitchen so he could get his baby a night bottle for bedtime. Albert was sitting at the island, talking to Chimney and Maddie happily.
“Oh hey!”Maddie called from the screen,”Let me see my baby.”
Albert turned from the screen with a wide smile on his face. Buck hummed and scooted closer to the screen. Unfortunately, Maddie caught Jack mid-yawn so he could speak, he gave her a tiny, tired wave instead.
“He is ready for bed, Uncle Albert has him all tuckered out.”Buck bounced the boy gently so he was higher on his hip.
“Aw, I hope you have pretty dreams Jack-Jack.”Maddie cooed. Jack’s face just shoved into Buck’s rib cage. The boy probably wasn’t even going to need his sippy cup, he was really tired,”So how do the uncles like living together?”
“Buck has a lot of rules.”Albert pouted.
“Are you complaining that I am making you do your own laundry and cleaning up after yourself?”Buck asked.
“Hate to break it to you Buck, Albert doesn’t do chores.”Chimney shrugged.
“I- I contribute in other ways. I make great cups of coffee.”Albert assured him.
“Albert, my seven-year-old can put away her own laundry. She is even going to start learning how to fold it soon. You can at the very least do that.”Buck put his free hand on the hip that wasn’t carrying a baby.
“Great cups of coffee.”Albert repeated.
“Oh, I can attest to that.”Maddie sighed, sounding extremely sad.
“I thought you’re not supposed to be drinking coffee.”Buck pointed, even though he too drank various cups of coffee when he was pregnant with Jack. It was decaf but still coffee.
“It’s one cup a day, people. Back off!”Maddie glared. Buck smirked at this, but then felt the weight on his side only grow heavier. He glanced down as saw Jack’s hand had moved to his mouth and his eyes shut. That was his sign that it was bedtime.
“Well, don’t stay up too late now. I am heading to bed.”Buck said.
“Night Buck!”Chimney called out. Buck patted Albert’s back and headed back down the hallway. He stopped by Fern’s room on the way to give his older two each a personal good night.
When he entered the room, he saw Eddie’s head had plopped to it’s side, his lips slightly parted. Fern was nuzzled close into the man’s chest, and Christopher’s face was hiding into Eddie’s ribs. He could hear Carla finishing up her story so he decided it would be time to save her.
“We all have invisible strings- goodnight guys.”She whispered right before Buck grabbed the device and moved it to Fern’s dresser.
“Goodnight Carla.”Buck smiled and soon ended that call. He shut the lid of the laptop and turned back to the twin bed holding the weight of three people. Buck knew he was not going to be able to move any of them, he could at least cover Fern and partially Eddie up with the blanket set on Christopher’s bed.
All with one free hand and draped the blanket over his boyfriend and his two kids. He leaned over Eddie and slowly pulled Christopher’s glasses from his face and gently ruffled his curls. He set the glasses on the nightstand and leaned over Fern’s temple and kissed it. Lastly was his boyfriend. Buck plucked the glasses of the man’s face that he was wearing and pressed a kiss on his forehead.
“I’ll see you in the morning, baby.”He whispered and then headed out his daughter’s bedroom.
Buck gently rested Jack right in the center of his mattress. Buck happily crawled into bed next to his youngest and let the nighttime snuggles begin. In other words, Buck let his baby cuddle into him while he played on his phone. He wasn't tired just yet, and a small selfish part of him hoped Eddie would wake up and sneak into the room. The other part of him was very happy knowing the man was comfortable holding his babies.
Buck clicked through all the apps that had the red number stuck to the corner. He liked having his phone cleared out of it all when he had the time to do it. His email was one of those apps. He never really gone through it often so it was in dire need of cleaning out.
He clicked on the app with a yawn and read each item in his inbox.
“Ooh there’s a sale.”Buck hummed to himself and was getting ready to click the message when he spotted an odd title under his thumb.
Veronica Morgan:It’s been a while
Buck hesitantly clicked on the email and felt his eyes widened. This couldn’t be happening. Not when things were going so well.