Reading Time: 135 Minutes

Title: Shattered
Author: Keira Marcos
Fandom: 9-1-1
Relationship: Evan Buckley/Eddie Diaz, Brief Evan Buckley/OMC
Genre: Romance, Time Travel, Soulmates, Magical Realism
Warnings: Explicit Sex, Canon Typical Violence, Canon Typical Angst, Temporary Character Death, Character Bashing, Minor Character Death, Discussion-Suicide, Discussion-Abortion, Discussion-Coerced Abortion, Discussion-Drug Abuse, Discussion-Murder, Discussion-Domestic Violence, Discussion-Abuse, Permanent Injury (Not within my pairing), No Beta
Author Note: I divorced the beta process. My decision isn’t up for debate, and your nitpicking is undesired. I won’t be polite if you violate my boundaries. The word “witch” is a gender-neutral term. Do not get bent around the axle about its use in this story, and comment about it. The Buck/OMC relationship is just sex. Don’t stress it. Sometimes a person just needs to get laid. Not Chimney Han friendly—don’t like, don’t read.
Word Count: 61,912
Summary: Evan Buckley lost everything by degrees. When he gets the chance to try again, he accepts a burden for himself and for the future of his bloodline. In the end, nothing seems like too much if he gets Eddie and Christopher back.

Casting Available

* * * * *

Chapter 6

“Mr. Diaz, Dr. Salas is ready for you.”

Eddie tucked his phone into his jeans as he stood and followed the nurse into the large airy office. Dr. Cristobal Salas was a licensed psychologist and a practicing witch. His first visit hadn’t met his Hollywood-influenced expectations regarding what it would be like to visit a magic practitioner.

Dr. Salas offered him a warm smile and motioned him. “Eddie, how do you feel today?”

“Less stressed,” Eddie said as he sat down. “I told my son about my soulmate mark. You were right. Christopher understood what I told him. He did get upset on my behalf.”

Dr. Salas nodded. “It’s our inclination to protect our children, but when it comes to your parents, it is important that Christopher understand that they are an immense threat to his emotional and physical welfare. He also needs to understand and agree that you’ll not have contact with them going forward.”

Eddie nodded and rubbed his thighs with both hands. “Yeah.”

Dr. Salas sat down across from him in a matching chair. “Any more dreams?”

“Fleeting stuff—little moments that feel like memories, but I’m older in them,” Eddie admitted. “Nothing so profound as the first one.”

“Are you at a point where you feel that you can share any more of the dream with me?”

Eddie shook his head. “I think…I’ve said all I should. It feels like something that I shouldn’t speak of often. Is that weird?”

“Prophetic dreaming is a deeply personal experience,” Dr. Salas allowed. “Some people cannot even admit they have them at all. How does your soulmate mark feel today?”

“Present.” Eddie cleared his throat. “Christopher touched it yesterday, and it warmed up. He said that my soulmate felt nice.”

Dr. Salas nodded. “It speaks to a magical ability and nothing to worry about. Children are open to magic and have an innate empathy. For many, it fades. For a few, it grows more profound as they mature. We’ll know more once he enters puberty. It’s important to nurture magic in children and provide them with a very safe environment to explore it. He’ll have instinctual responses to situations and people that you should pay attention to.”

“We toured schools yesterday, and he rejected both,” Eddie said. “The second one was promising, but the more we saw the less attractive it was. He was very firm in his desire to never go there again.”

“You’ll learn over time to see the difference between a magical response from him and just him being a little kid,” Dr. Salas said.

“In the dream, he suffered through some things that made him withdraw, and often he would have nightmares,” Eddie admitted. “I’d rather not see that happen in reality.”

“I don’t treat children, but I can refer you to a child psychologist with a profound understanding of magic, which your son will need. At this point, he probably doesn’t need weekly appointments, but a quarterly check-in would give him a sounding board and allow him a safe space to express thoughts and opinions he might keep to himself to avoid hurting you or anyone else he has contact with.” He stood, walked to his desk, and opened a drawer. “Her name is Adelaide Byrne. She is a druid and a licensed child therapist. If my children needed any sort of assistance on this front, I would take them to her.” He pulled a card from the drawer and closed it. “She’ll know how much attention your son needs both emotionally and magically.”

Eddie accepted the card when it was offered. “I want him to be comfortable telling me anything.”

“Of course,” Dr. Salas agreed. “We want that with all of our loved ones, but it’s not realistic.”

“Yeah.” Eddie sighed and put the card in his pocket. “I’m meeting my soon-to-be ex-wife today. I’m on the fence about telling her about my soulmate mark.”

“Nothing about the suppression is your fault,” Dr. Salas said. “You owe no one an apology about previous relationships where the soulmate mark could’ve been an issue. Some people even avoid casual sex relationships with marked individuals. That’s especially true of women who wouldn’t want to share a child with a soulmated couple at some point in the future. Do you want to tell her?”

“I don’t know,” Eddie admitted. “This will be the first time we’ve seen each other in eighteen months. She…left me in the middle of the night a few weeks after I was discharged from the Army.”

Dr. Salas leaned forward a bit. “When you were recovering injuries taken during combat?”

“Three bullets, dislocated shoulder, and four broken ribs,” Eddie said roughly.

“Your son has cerebral palsy,” Dr. Salas said. “His physical needs must have been difficult for you to handle at that point.”

“He just turned six in august,” Eddie said. “So yeah, it wasn’t easy, but I got through it. I resent the hell out of her because she hurt him. He cried for her every night for months, and now he waffles between hurt and anger.”

“Then he certainly needs therapy,” Dr. Salas said gently. “You’ll want to approach it carefully. Dr. Bryne can structure his experience with her in such a way that will be both challenging and comforting.”

“He was disappointed not to have met you,” Eddie admitted. “He has some pretty fantastic ideas about what a witch is.”

Dr. Salas smiled briefly. “Then I have a feeling he’ll be thrilled to meet Adelaide. She’s very fanciful and left Ireland to come here just a decade ago, so she still has a lovely, lyrical accent that is enchanting. Magically, she’s one of the most gifted people I’ve ever met.” He motioned toward the exam table near the back of the office. “A brief check on your mark is in order.”

Eddie nodded and went to the table, pulling his shirt over his head as he did so. He scooted up onto the table and waited.

“Did you make a decision about what sort of work you’ll be pursuing here in LA?” Dr. Salas asked as he touched various spots on Eddie’s chest with a firm but careful touch.

“I’m considering the fire department. I enjoyed the work in my dream.”

The doctor nodded. “I’m going to touch your mark now.”

“Okay.” Eddie braced himself but relaxed when it didn’t hurt like it had when he’d had the suppression removed. “Will my mark ever be visible?”

“It will depend greatly on your soulmate,” Dr. Salas murmured. “And the depth of your soulmate bond. It’s not a judgment of loyalty or dedication, so don’t be disappointed if it never surfaces. The heart placement speaks to…historical circumstances, as you know.”

“Do you believe in reincarnation?”

“I’ve lived many lifetimes with my wife,” Dr. Salas murmured as magic drifted from his fingers. “We share a heart placement as well. Though in our last lifetime, neither of us was marked. We still found each other.” He paused. “We were both women that time around, and it wasn’t easy for the time period. Granted, such relationships aren’t easy in this day and age.” He cleared his throat. “Have you had a relationship with a man? You’ve indicated that you believe your soulmate to be male.”

“I’ve had sex with men,” Eddie said. “But my only serious relationship ever was with my wife. Being with a man doesn’t put me off. I started identifying as bisexual in my teens.”

Dr. Salas nodded. “Okay, I’m going to push magic against your soulmate mark. This might hurt if there are any remnants of the suppression spell.”

Eddie exhaled slowly. “Okay, go ahead.” It stung just a little, but he curled one hand into a fist on his thigh. “Stings.”

“Your discomfort is mostly psychosomatic, and it’s understandable,” Dr. Salas said and lifted his hand away. “It’s terrible, but your parents managed to find a very talented witch to do this suppression. Deeply corrupt as well. Anyone that would put a suppression spell on an infant is utterly irredeemable. On one side of it, I’m glad I don’t recognize the magic because I would loathe knowing someone who did this. But I’d also like to see them put in jail for the rest of their life.”

“I’ve been thinking about it,” Eddie said. “That kind of suppression was legal in Mexico when I was born.”

Dr. Salas stepped back and nodded. “Yes, it’s only been made illegal there in the last ten years. But you were born in the US, so having it done out of the country wouldn’t protect your parents legally from the consequences.”

“I know, but I think it might have been easy for my parents to find someone in Mexico to do it. My mother is white and wouldn’t have been worried about crossing the border for any reason. She’s also deeply entitled the way only a white woman who came from money can be.”

“Yes, I see.” Dr. Salas sighed. “You can get dressed. Most of the suppression spell is gone, and it will be fully dissipated within the next month. I can’t say how the rest of this will go for you, Eddie. Suppression spells aren’t meant to be used this way, as you know. It’s one reason why they’re illegal most of the world over when used on children.”

“They were invented to treat fading,” Eddie said. “I read about them online when I was in El Paso. I do understand the depth of my parents’ depravity. I just don’t know why. And honestly? I’m not sure any explanation that they offered would be acceptable. One of my sisters has a soulmate mark. My abuela speculates that they didn’t suppress her because it was documented in a hospital. My other sister and I were both born at home.”

“And you don’t think the other sister was suppressed?” Dr. Salas questioned.

“Adriana is the golden child,” Eddie said wearily as he pulled on his shirt. “Sophia is the lost child, and I’m obviously, and overtly, the scapegoat. I figured that shit out years ago. Serving overseas can get lonely, and you have a lot of hours to fill up when you’re not working. Since I wasn’t the sort to…drink and party, I had a lot of time on my hands. I filled it up with reading. It didn’t take me long to start looking at resources on family dynamics and bad parents. I think Adriana is their favorite because she wasn’t marked at birth.”

“Thus, making her perfect to them,” Dr. Salas murmured. “It’s a reasonable assumption, but you should tell her about your suppression so she can be checked. It would be terrible to find out later the same had happened to her, and you didn’t warn her.”

Eddie nodded. “I’ll send them both information about it. I’m not ready to talk to either of them. My parents have made it difficult for me to even tolerate Adriana, to be honest. They actually tried to order me to basically give my house to her when I was leaving Texas because she deserved to live somewhere nice. They didn’t care at all about what kind of financial hit that would be for me or how it would impact my ability to care for their only grandchild.”

“Dios, they’re assholes,” Dr. Salas muttered and flushed when Eddie laughed. “My apologies; that was unprofessional.”

“But very true,” Eddie said. “And probably one of the least offensive things that can be said about them.” He slid off the table. “I’ll send both my sisters a copy of the report you created for me. I’ll black out your contact information because Adriana is more than likely to share it with my parents.”

“Don’t,” Dr. Salas said. “Let your parents know exactly who I am, and I’ll document any contact with my office for legal purposes. Plus, they’ll realize the gravity of their situation in regard to you and what they’ve done. I’m one of eighty-two licensed witch doctors contracted by the United States government to monitor the proper use of suppression magic. Here’s hoping they try to sue me. The Department of Magical Protection will come down on them like a ton of bricks.”

Eddie shrugged. “If you want to pick that fight, I won’t deny you.”

“I’ll send you some additional reading that you can pass along with the report to your sisters.”

* * * *

Eddie turned his head, and the kiss Shannon had intended to give him landed on his cheek. He ignored her shocked and hurt expression as he stepped back, hoping it wouldn’t get awkward immediately. “Thanks for meeting me.”

Her cheeks flushed bright red, and she cleared her throat. “I was surprised that you wanted to meet. How long are you in LA?”

“I’ve moved to LA,” Eddie said and motioned her to sit at the picnic table he’d picked. They were in a small, mostly empty, public park not far from his abuela’s house. He hadn’t wanted to risk getting coffee or a meal together. They both had tempers and a big public scene was not his goal.

“Where’s Chris? Why didn’t you bring him?” Shannon questioned.

He stared at her for a moment in shock. “Shannon, you abandoned our son in the middle of the night and ignored my calls for eighteen months. I think the only reason you answered the phone is that I have a new number.” Her mouth pressed into a thin line. “He’s incredibly hurt by what you’ve done and hasn’t asked for you in months. I think, with therapy, we could work on reintroducing you to him. But the last time I asked if he wanted me to try to call you—he said no and refused to discuss it at all.”

“Don’t you dare judge me, Eddie! You abandoned us for years.”

“I was serving my country. I called you both as often as I could. I provided him with a home and the best possible medical care I could. I never ignored your calls. Plenty of men and women serve in the armed forces their entire lives and make families—good, strong families. Even before I was posted overseas, you refused to consider traveling with me to any base assignment. That made me ideal for long-term combat deployment,” Eddie said evenly. “So, when it was offered, I took it because combat pay would ensure I could give everything our son everything he needed. The thing is that you didn’t want to be an Army wife, and that’s fine, Shannon. I get it. But do not ever compare you running away in the middle of the night and ghosting your own child with me serving in the military. It’s…disgusting.”

Shannon glared at him, but tears welled in her eyes and fell. “I felt like I was drowning, and you didn’t care.”

“I cared, but what the hell could I do from around the world? You and Chris could’ve moved here to be with your mother while I was still serving, Shan. I didn’t force you to stay in Texas, and I would’ve been willing to sell the house if that was what you wanted. But the thing is…that never crossed your mind, did it? You didn’t run to your mother; you ran away from our son.”

“Fuck you,” Shannon snapped. “I thought…I hoped you were here to apologize for not supporting me at all when you were in the Army. But you don’t even feel guilty about it!”

“I regret that all I had of either of you was phone calls and videos,” Eddie said evenly. “I regret to have missed so many of Christopher’s firsts. I’m actually sad to have lost so much time with him, but I do not feel guilty for joining the Army years before I met you and serving until I injured out.”

“You reenlisted without even discussing it with me!”

“Chris was due for a second surgery,” Eddie said flatly. “You weren’t working, and the SSDI wasn’t going to cover it because they didn’t think it was necessary yet. Without the benefits I got from the Army, that surgery would’ve been postponed for a year or more while we scraped up the money to get it done. When I met you, I told you that I wanted to make a career out of the Army, and you made some joke about being a soldier’s wife like it would be fun.”

“I never wanted to be a mother in the first place!” Shannon shouted, then reared back in shock as if she hadn’t meant to say it, or maybe because she’d never admitted to herself before. “Oh, God.”

Eddie picked up the divorce papers he’d left on the bench and put them on the table. “I want a divorce. I’ve had papers drawn up giving me full custody of Christopher with a child support payment to match what you’ve already agreed to. Visitation will have to be at my discretion and only after he’s been in therapy to deal with his hurt and anger over the abandonment. It may take a while for him to get to the point where he wants to see you.”

She put a shaking hand on the papers. “Eddie…I’d hoped…we could try again. I’ve missed you. We both made mistakes in this, and the legal separation agreement you sent was a wake-up call for me. I signed it, but I didn’t want to. I think we can make our marriage work.”

“No, we can’t,” Eddie said gently and took a deep breath. “I recently discovered my parents suppressed my soulmate mark as an infant.” He watched her pale in shock. “As you can imagine, things are very complicated for me right now. I know that I need to move on from our marriage, which has been over for me since I woke up and found you gone. I’m trying really hard to be fair to you and not allow my resentment to cloud my judgment with this.

“You left me alone with a physically disabled child when I couldn’t even take a shower by myself, Shannon. Fortunately, the VA was able to set me up with an in-home nurse. But Chris was devastated, still getting used to his crutches, and would often refuse to use his gait trainer out of stubbornness. I was in agony more often than not because I was afraid to medicate when we were alone. I should’ve called my abuela for help, and I regret that I didn’t because I barely managed to keep my wretched parents at bay that whole time.”

“Have you seen a witch about the mark?” Shannon questioned. “Were they able to reverse the suppression?”

“The suppression spell is destroyed, but my soulmate mark is still…hidden. I can feel it, but the witch doctor I saw isn’t sure it’ll ever visibly surface,” Eddie said. It was irritating that she couldn’t even apologize for how much literal hurt she’d caused. He rubbed his thigh, his fingers digging briefly into the scar he had there.

“That means you can’t register, Eddie. You may never find your soulmate. Don’t you think it would just be better…to ignore it? What your parents did was horrible, but what good will come from this now? We could make the relationship work now that you’re home. I know it. Christopher deserves better from us.”

Eddie frowned at her and exhaled gently in an effort to keep from losing his temper. “I don’t want to try again, Shannon. I’d rather be single for the next decade than stay married to you.” Her breath hitched, and fresh tears streamed down her face. “I don’t want to hurt you with this, but I can’t trust you enough to be a family with you ever again.”

“I see.” She picked up the papers and put them in her purse. “I’ll get my lawyer to look at these.”

“Good, and I had a dream…a prophetic dream so I know who my soulmate is. I’m working my way toward meeting him.” He cleared his throat. “And on that note, it would be a favor to your son if you’d take extra care of yourself and pay attention to traffic.”

“What?” Shannon questioned with a frown.

“I dreamt you were hit by a car in an intersection and killed. The car in question had run a red light, but it didn’t make you any less dead. So just…watch out, okay?”

Shannon sat still for a moment, and her eyes drifted shut. “How long have you had these kinds of dreams, Eddie?”

“The first one I ever remember happening was a couple of weeks ago,” Eddie admitted. “It was how I found out about the suppression. I’ve had some little dreams since that have come true. It’s been a weird experience, to say the least. Also, spend as much time with your mom as you can. Her cancer is going to get the best of her in about ten months.”

“The doctors gave her four months just yesterday,” Shannon said quietly.

“Well, she’s a fighter, so she gives it a solid try,” Eddie said. “Just be with her, okay? You won’t regret it.”

“Thank you for that…I want to believe your dream…every day with her is a gift going forward, and I know it,” Shannon said and cleared her throat. “I do love you both so much. Motherhood wasn’t…. It’s a lot, and I was alone most of it. I’m not meant for that kind of life, Eddie. I needed more stimulation and even working part-time, near the end, didn’t help.”

“I get it, but your crisis management skills are…not great.” He smiled when she laughed unexpectedly. “I’d like to file the divorce within the next week.”

“I’ll…speak with my lawyer, and we can meet in their office to sign. I don’t expect to make any changes. I’ll pay the filing fee since you paid for the papers to be drawn up,” Shannon murmured and tucked them into her purse. “Will you get Christopher into therapy soon?”

“I’ve already made him an appointment. Dr. Adelaide Byrne, if you want to look her up. She’s a practicing druid and a child psychologist. Christopher has demonstrated some magical intuition, so I want him to learn techniques that will help him protect himself and lower his stress as much as possible. I’m also looking at schools that can accommodate his physical needs while still engaging him mentally. We have another tour tomorrow.”

“Private schools are expensive,” Shannon said. “How are you going…to afford that? I can’t offer much more financial support. I’m not working full-time because of my mom.”

“There is a state-funded grant program that will cover the costs due to his CP,” Eddie said. “I’ve already applied and got approval. I’m using their list as a reference when picking out a school. His magical ability also has to be accounted for as well. It’s…I’m working on it.”

Shannon nodded and frowned. “I want to see him, but I’m not…I don’t think I can be a parent if we’re not going to get back together. I don’t want to be that involved in your life. I’m not sure I can stand to see you with your soulmate.”

“Then that’s a discussion we can have later because I can’t have you ghosting Christopher again, Shan. You need to decide what amount of contact you want, and if that’s not healthy for him, then you’ll just…have to stay away.”

“Okay.” Shannon exhaled slowly. “I love him, Eddie. I don’t want to hurt him more than I already have. I’ll figure myself out, I promise.”

* * * *

Buck signed Maddie up for a job listing service for nursing jobs without asking her, but she hadn’t appeared put off by it when she’d texted him her thanks. He’d decided to ignore the follow-up eggplant emoji. He hoped that the difference in how the marriage ended would allow her to keep a profession that she loved. Part of him wanted to erase Doug Kendall from her life altogether, and he thought her desire to keep the pregnancy was an indication that she was in a better place mentally than she had been when she’d run away the first time around.

What he did know was that getting her into therapy as quickly as possible was paramount so they could hopefully avoid her spiral into post-partum depression. Chimney Han had enabled Maddie’s poor mental health choices, but he wasn’t the only one to blame. Their parents had installed some pretty ugly buttons when it came to seeking help for mental issues. Experience had taught him how to manage himself and seek out the help he needed otherwise, he’d be a hot mess and Buck knew it.

Buck checked his time on the treadmill and started to slow down. Five miles was more than enough, and he’d put in nearly two hours of work-out during what was turning into a very long and boring shift. He left the treadmill, cooled down with stretches, and took a quick shower before dressing in a fresh uniform and heading to the loft, browsing through his phone. Maddie had sent him a text, so he decided to respond with a call.

“Hey.”

“Hey,” Maddie said in greeting. “How’s work going?”

“Sort of boring. I’ve already worked out twice,” Buck said and plucked an apple from the fruit bowl. “How are you? How’s Buckley Junior?”

“Too small to feel,” Maddie exclaimed with a laugh. “I’ve sold the house to my neighbor’s son and packed the SUV. I had the furniture I wanted to keep shipped, and the rest is going with the house. I’m leaving in the morning. We’re going to make a trip of it. I’ll text often—maybe do some tourist stuff and take pictures.”

Buck thought traveling that far with a cat in a car sounded like a nightmare. “How does Leeloo handle the car?”

“Great, she even has a pillow for trips,” Maddie said with a laugh. “She’s a perfect angel baby, Evan. You’re going to love her.”

He wondered what had happened with the cat the first time around and dismissed it very quickly. It couldn’t have been anything good, and it might have been Maddie’s breaking point. He took a big bite of the apple and tucked his phone against his shoulder as he considered where he wanted to sprawl until there was a call out or it was time for sleep.

“Of course, I’m going to love her,” Buck said. “Did you ask your doctor about driving that much? I can come to get you and drive the SUV down.”

“I’ll be fine,” Maddie promised. “Honestly, Evan, I wouldn’t know I was pregnant at all if Doug hadn’t obsessively tracked my period and forced me to take a test.”

Buck grimaced. “Right. So, is all of that finished?”

“Yeah, the medical examiner ruled it accidental since it was clear he took the pills over an extended period of time and not all at once. He didn’t leave a note, and he’d contacted a lawyer about suing the hospital to fight the accusations. Doug did not believe anyone had the right to hold him accountable for his actions.” Maddie sighed. “Regardless. I’ve got a plan. How about we share an account on a family locator app? You’ll be able to track me across the country and provide a location if I need help.”

“Yeah, okay. Set it up, and I’ll download whatever app you choose,” Buck said. “Have you started thinking about names?”

“I want to wait until I know the sex,” Maddie said. “But I am leaning toward gender-neutral options, so it probably doesn’t matter. I think I just want to see the little face on the 3D ultrasound. Then I’ll know who they are, you know? Or maybe I’ll wait until they’re born. It would be a good surprise, right?”

“Yeah, I think it would,” Buck agreed. “You should get some sleep, Mads. Try to avoid driving more than six hours at a time. Breaks and good sleep will keep you alert. You’ve got a lot of precious cargo on board.”

“I’ll be very safe, Evan. I promise. I haven’t told the parental units I’m leaving, so if they call you, ignore them.”

“They don’t have my current cell phone number unless you gave it to them,” Buck said.

“I would never do that,” Maddie said. “I’m going to change my number as soon as I get to LA, and I don’t want anything to do with either of them ever again.”

“It’s probably the healthiest choice you can make. Get some sleep, and don’t eat a lot of junk on the road. It’ll be bad for you and Buckley Junior.”

Maddie laughed. “Buckley Junior loves Cheetos.”

“Well, you’d better get all of that out of your system before you get here,” Buck muttered. “Because I don’t allow junk in my house.”

“I’m gonna get my own house—full of Cheetos and chocolate ice cream!” Maddie declared and laughed when Buck groaned. “Stay safe, little brother. I’ll send you an invite to the app thing when I figure it out. Love you bunches.”

“Love you bunches, right back,” Buck said and took a deep breath as he disconnected the call and rubbed his face.

She seemed so different than the Maddie who’d ended up breaking into Abby’s apartment in the other timeline. Had Doug’s final departure from her life earlier allowed for that much change or was magic giving her a mental health boost?

“Something wrong, Buckaroo?” Hen questioned as she propped a hip up on the arm of the couch. “You look like you’ve crawled out of a fire.”

“I….”

“Sounds like he knocked up one of some bimbo,” Chim interjected. “Which isn’t a surprise. Hell, Buck can’t even sub at another station without involving his dick in the situation.”

Buck took a deep breath, fury swirling in his chest with so much intensity that his vision got blurry. Magic drifted over his skin, and several people in the loft made startled noises as he stood. “Mind your own fucking business, Howard.” Magic sparked off his fingers as he tucked his phone away, and Bobby, who’d been in the kitchen area, came toward them at a trot. “I’m really tired of your bullshit.”

“My bullshit? Half the damn department heard about you hooking up with Henry Wayne—not a surprise. He’s well-known for his whoring, too.” Chimney waved a hand at Buck.

“Hey!” Bobby snapped. “Chim, I warned you to keep your opinions to yourself about Buck’s private life.”

“Private?” Chim scoffed. “Hell, Bobby, I heard about Wayne and Buck before I even changed into my uniform for this shift. Nothing private about that, and now, apparently, he’s knocked up one of those ridiculous, idiotic girls that trot around after him. He’s on the phone acting like he loves her when he’s clearly incapable of being faithful or engaging in a serious relationship like an adult. He totally brushed off that dispatcher, who was out of his league anyways, because he’d rather be irresponsible fuck up his whole damn life.”

Buck’s gaze narrowed slightly, and he turned to Hen. “On Saturday, when I was at the 133, the chief came over during the shift because my older sister was looking for me. Her husband of fifteen years overdosed and died.” Bobby cursed under his breath. “My pregnant sister is moving to LA from Pennsylvania, and I’ve been helping her from this end. So yeah, I’m exhausted and stressed out. I couldn’t stand her husband because he was a piece of shit, but my sister is pregnant, grieving, and honestly in denial about all of it. She insisted on driving all the way here because she didn’t want to fly with her fancy little purebred cat.”

He focused on Chimney and found the man flushed like he was embarrassed and furious at the same time. “I don’t cheat, and I’ve never had to lie to get laid. I’m tired of your bullshit, Chim.” Buck walked away and held up a hand when Bobby started to speak. “No, I’m fed up with his behavior and his ugly assumptions. I don’t know what’s worst—his pathological lying, his womanizing, or his bone-deep hypocrisy.” He walked away. “Fuck all this. I need to get out of here.”

“Wait, Buck, you need to calm down before you try to drive,” Cosmo said. “You could have some kind of magical outburst.”

Buck huffed but let Cosmo corral him and put him on the couch as far from Chimney as possible. He ignored the way Chimney was glaring at him as Bobby prodded him toward the kitchen.

“This is bullshit, Bobby!” Chim shouted. “It’s not my fault Buck can’t take a joke. Christ, he’s such a fucking brat!”

“I’ve told you repeatedly to lay off of him and to stop acting like a single bit of his life is any of your business!” Bobby snapped. “After everything that happened to you when you started this job, you’d think that the last thing you’d be is a bully.”

“I’m not a bully!”

“Really? If one of us was dogging you every single time we see you about your personal choices and making cruel so-called jokes at your expense, how would you feel? Frankly, you make some stupid personal decisions, and your current so-called girlfriend doesn’t know a true fucking thing about you besides the fact that you’re a firefighter. Not that she cares—badge and ladder groupies never do. You sat here last week and bragged about lying to her while you talked her into marrying you.” Chad Rogers waved both of his hands in frustration and shrugged when Bobby sent him a warning look. “I’m just calling it like it is, Cap. Buck’s hot. He’s gonna get laid, but frankly, I get more ass than he does, and Chim doesn’t say a fucking word to me. And at the risk of getting myself written up, I think I’m the only one on this shift, currently, who’s gotten laid in this actual firehouse while on duty!”

Hen cleared her throat and raised her hand. Cosmo followed suit. Four more hands were raised. And, honestly, Bobby was looking shady as fuck as well.

“Wow, this is so rude,” Buck muttered because he’d never gotten laid in the fire station.

Bobby took a deep breath. “I warned you, Chim, that if you didn’t lay off this behavior, I’d have write you up and suspend you. Go home, you’re done for the day, and you can expect a new schedule after your three-day suspension is up. I’m putting you on a regular forty-hour paramedic schedule for a while. You won’t be working with A shift for the next three months.”

Chim glared at Bobby, one hand curling into a fist.

“Hey!” Buck snapped and lurched out of his seat. “Hitting him is how you get fired.”

“And it’s also how he gets his ass kicked,” Cosmo muttered.

Bobby glanced down at Chim’s fist and took a deep breath. “Firefighter Han, you’re off duty. Go home.”

“Fuck you, Bobby,” Chim snapped and stalked off.

Bobby rubbed his face, exhaled noisily, and focused on Buck. “Congrats on being an uncle, kid. Also, since when are you magical? You didn’t disclose that when you were hired.”

“I’m not required to disclose,” Buck said and was grateful for the law because it gave him a lot of cover. “It’s never been much of anything…heightened intuition and sometimes a sort of narrow precognition. The light surfacing is just an emotional response that I don’t normally have a hard time controlling. Like I said, I’m just…tired and frustrated by personal stuff.”

“Narrow precognition?” Hen questioned. “What does that even mean?”

“Sometimes, I just get a bad feeling about something.” Buck shrugged.

“Like what?” Hen questioned. “Tell me something about me.”

“Come on, Hen,” Buck said and nudged her. “You know you’re perfect.”

She laughed with delight and nudged him back. “Come on.” She wiggled her hand. “Give me a show.”

“You’re lucky I like you.” Buck took her hand and wondered if he could prevent her from making a big mistake. He knew she’d regretted the Eva situation deeply and that it had damaged her marriage. “Don’t help your ex get out of jail,” he said bluntly, and Hen’s mouth dropped open. “She’ll blow up your life on purpose.”

Hen pulled her hand gently from his. “How do you know my ex is in jail? Never mind, don’t answer that. I won’t…have anything to do with her.” She pressed her lips together. “Wow, Buck.”

“Also, Rogers, there is no single way you get laid more than I do,” Buck said and rolled his eyes as he headed for the stairs. “I’m going to restock something by myself.”

He got to stand in front of the main supply closet with a clipboard for about five minutes by himself before Cosmo and Hen showed up. They came to stand on either side of him, arms crossed, and stared at the orderly closet with him.

“So.” Cosmo cleared his throat. “Turns out Chad might actually be getting laid more than you.”

“That has to be a sign of the end times,” Buck muttered, and Hen laughed. “He’s such a…bro.”

“Exactly that,” Hen agreed.

“Are you going on the paramedic schedule as well?” Buck asked quietly.

“No, I’m a firefighter first,” Hen said. “Plus, Bobby’s already asked me to step up and take the lead on the ambulance. It’ll take me off the ladder. He wanted to give it to me last year, but Chim has seniority, and he didn’t want to take on the responsibility. He also didn’t think I should get it because he had more experience.”

Buck sighed. “He’s your partner, though. It’s okay to be upset.”

“We’ve been arguing for a while because…I told him that he was jealous of you and that I thought it was weird. Also, the intimate fraud has always been an issue, but it’s gotten a lot worse recently. This current woman, they’re engaged to be married, and he’s told her more lies than truths. He enjoys lying to her, and when I realized that, it was like getting slapped in the face.” Hen took a deep breath and crossed her arms. “We went out a few months ago, and this woman tried to pick me up. He encouraged me to go for it. I didn’t, but it’s hard to forget he encouraged me to cheat on my wife. I haven’t invited him over since because he disrespected Karen, and she doesn’t know that, but I do.”

“It’s a lot of projection,” Cosmo said. “Across the board. I know shit was rough here before Bobby came along, but it doesn’t give Chimney the right to act out the way he does now. He needs a lot of fucking therapy.”

The alarm sounded, and as Bobby shouted it was Chimney, Buck realized that despite all the changes he’d made, he was getting a replay on the rebar incident. He honestly hadn’t really thought much about the event after everything was said and done. Chim had come out of it okay, maybe a little more subdued, but it hadn’t taken him long to return to his sarcastic and cruel state of being.

It wasn’t even the right day, though he didn’t specifically remember the date. It felt out of place and weird, and the location was vastly different. He had to give it to Fate. She didn’t fuck around. Buck wondered if the changes with Bobby had made things better or worse for Chimney on the relationship front. He thought the woman had said no the first time. It was fuzzy as Chimney had never really tried to confide in him personally.

At the scene, Buck hung back with Cosmo because he figured Chim didn’t need to see him. That lasted about five minutes until Bobby called for the bolt cutters. When it was time to cut the rebar, Buck was strangely nervous. He realized he didn’t trust himself to do it, and that was appalling. He believed himself to be a good man, but Howard Han had murdered his soulmate in the first timeline, and it was really hard not to see that potential in the older man even now.

“Buck?”

Buck turned to Cosmo, hands trembling. “I can’t do this.”

Cosmo stared for a moment, nodded, and took the cutters. “I got it.”

Bobby looked up as they approached, frowned, and started to speak but just nodded when Cosmo shook his head a little. “Buck, you’re with me. We’re going to shift him around and slide him out onto a backboard on his side as soon Cosmo has him cut free.”

Buck got a good look at Chimney at that point and stared in horror. He hadn’t realized the circumstances were so different and hadn’t listened to much of what was being said while they were waiting as he’d expected it to be the same. Chimney had two galvanized poles in his chest, both pinning him to the driver’s seat. He watched Cosmo cut off large sections that were protruding through the seat into the back, then come around and take off as much as he could in the front without aggravating the injury.

A glance toward the truck Chimney had rear-ended proved to be full of various construction supplies, including more poles that were falling loose from a rack. There was a large bucket embedded in the windshield on the passenger side, and sand was spilled out over the hood. He took a deep breath and stepped forward when Bobby called for him.

Shortly, he helped Bobby shift Chimney around and out of the car onto a backboard.

“That’s a good thing about you,” Chim said in a slurred voice. “You’re strong as hell, Buck.”

“That’s ‘cause I work out while you gossip, Chim,” Buck said quietly as they strapped him in. “When you come back, I’m going to start making you work out every single time you talk shit to me. You’re going to be the fittest nearly fifty-year-old firefighter in the department.”

“Sounds like a threat,” Chim muttered. “I’m gonna complain.”

“How’s that going to be any different than any other day?” Hen asked as she started a second line of fluids. “We’re five minutes from a surgical team waiting for yours truly, Chim.”

“Good.” Chim reached out, and Bobby caught his hand. “Sorry. Thanks.”

“I’m going to ride with you, okay?” Bobby questioned.

“Okay.”

Buck stayed beside Cosmo as Hen and Bobby rolled Chim into the ambulance and left.

“He’s not coming back from that,” Cosmo murmured. “One of those poles went into a lung—it probably won’t be repairable. The only reason he didn’t drown in his own blood was the pipe was plugging the holes it made. Even if he survives, his days as a firefighter are over. You can’t work this job with only one fully functional lung.”

Buck pressed against his chest and looked around the scene. “Let’s go see if we can help anywhere else?”

There were ten other cars in the accident. Buck wondered if Chim had caused it or just got caught up in it. He wasn’t sure he knew how it had shaken down the first time either.

“Yeah,” Cosmo rubbed his head. “Rogers! Jenkins! Crawley! Make yourselves useful.”

“Great, acting Captain Fuentes is in the house,” Rogers complained but trotted off toward the ladder. “Gonna get the jaws. I love cutting up cars!”

Buck took the bolt cutters from Cosmo. “I guess I’ll go help that asshole cut up cars.”

Cosmo snorted. “Sounds good.” He caught Buck’s arm. “Hey, good call, by the way. Bobby may question you, but there is a reason why we shouldn’t work on people we know. Recognizing your compromised judgment and admitting it was a very mature decision on your part. Don’t let anyone question you on that front. You’re entitled to be furious with Chimney for how he’s treated you. In your place, I’d have already gotten him fired, and I don’t know why you didn’t lodge a formal complaint.”

“I’m probationary, and my career means more to me than Chimney’s Mean Girls audition. In the end, I couldn’t let him be more important than my goals,” Buck said with a shrug, and Cosmo sighed. “Let’s go work. It’s been a terrible fucking day.”

Cosmo nodded and motioned toward a red truck. “Go help Rogers be less of an asshole about the destruction of that brand-new F150.”

 

 

 

Chapter 7

Buck checked the app tracking his sister and took note that she was still in the hotel she’d checked in the afternoon before. By the time he’d left his Jeep, he had a picture of her breakfast in his messages. He sent her a picture of the coffee shop in return which earned him a heart emoji.

He leaned on the Jeep because he could see she was writing a text.

Maddie: I got the audiobook you gifted me. I started it when I was driving yesterday, and…yeah.

Buck grimaced. He’d read the book in the future and hoped that Maddie was in a place to realize that their parents were toxic. He didn’t think further interaction with them would be good for his sister, no matter how bad they might feel about their behavior in the future.

Buck: It helped me organize my thoughts about Phillip and Margaret. I couldn’t figure out why I was so detached from the very idea of them. You’re supposed to love your parents right? I don’t love them. I felt fucked up. I still feel that way but at least I know why.

Buck: I was gonna get you a romance novel but there were too many to choose from. And I wasn’t even sure if you were into werewolves or vampires or alien guys or dudes in kilts.

Maddie: lol. I’ll handle my own romance purchases thank you very much.

Buck: I was gonna go with dudes in kilts.

Maddie: It’s hard to go wrong with a hot guy in a kilt.

Buck grinned and shook his head as she sent him a gif of some guy in a kilt running a hand down his bare chest. He looked up, and the bottom fell out of his world because standing right in front of the coffee shop was Eddie Diaz. Buck’s mouth went dry as he stared. Eddie took a deep breath as he stared back.

Buck didn’t know what to do or what to say. Eddie had never looked at him like that—like he was the center of the universe, and it was startling. Then the other man smiled and inclined his head just a little toward the street. A universal sort of gesture that Buck had gotten a lot, and he agreed with the unspoken suggestion. They should definitely go elsewhere. He nodded and got back in his Jeep.

Relief settled in his bones as he drove toward home with Eddie following him in a familiar truck. It wasn’t until he was in his own garage waiting for Eddie to park and come inside that he considered the fact that he might have just been picked up by his own soulmate. Was Eddie just expecting a quick hook-up? Buck exhaled sharply as he closed the garage after Eddie came inside and turned off the alarm as he entered the kitchen.

He turned to face Eddie and found the man all up in his space. Buck started to speak, but Eddie glomped onto him like an octopus, then tucked his face against Buck’s shoulder.

“Buck,” he said fiercely against his neck.

“Oh.” Buck closed his eyes and curled one hand against the back of Eddie’s head. “Eds. God. You remember.”

“It’d be hard to forget that kind of dream. It’s like it was burned into my brain.”

Buck closed his eyes as he considered how to respond to that. Had Eddie been given his memories in a dream? He wasn’t sure because it hadn’t been mentioned as a possibility at all. He turned and pressed a soft kiss against Eddie’s temple. “It wasn’t a dream.”

Eddie reared back in shock. “What?”

Buck caught his hand so Eddie didn’t spiral and start pacing around. “What’s the last thing you remember?”

“Chimney ordered us to start searching in a new section, and you questioned him. He got pissy about it and threatened to write you up for insubordination. I told you to let it go, and we went…and there was a lot of noise.” Eddie wet his lips. “Then pressure, and I called out to you. You said my name. Then I woke up and realized I died in the dream.” He took a deep breath. “But you’re saying that actually happened? How?”

Buck pulled gently and relaxed when Eddie readily followed him into the living room. They sat down together on the couch.

“The building collapsed, and you died that day,” Buck said gently. “After a month, I started to get incredibly ill. I was eventually disabled out of the LAFD because I was fading, and the union determined that since my soulmate died on the job that we shared that the LAFD owed me that. I didn’t care, but they did. Chimney ordered us into a section he knew had been declared off-limits, Eddie.

“He was trying to hurt or kill me as punishment, and you were collateral damage. There was never any sort of confession or admission of fault on his part. Anyways, I hadn’t downplayed him hitting me for Maddie the way he wanted, and she was furious with him.

“He eventually went to jail for involuntary manslaughter, and I started fading shortly after you died. Your parents fought the will tooth and nail and sued me several times, trying to get Christopher. We couldn’t prove they were responsible for your soulmate mark being suppressed. Your father claimed you did it to yourself so you could be a proper husband to the mother of your child. But neither could offer up an explanation as to why you didn’t get it removed when Shannon died or why the information was missing from your birth certificate.

“When I realized I wasn’t going to be able to stop the fading, I arranged Christopher’s private adoption. Hen and Karen moved up north and basically changed their whole lives in order to do it. I took Christopher to them about six months before I died, and we did the adoption. I made sure he was safe. I promise.”

“Of course you did,” Eddie said. “I always knew you would.” He rubbed his mouth with his free hand and took a deep breath. “I can’t believe that son of a bitch murdered us.”

“Yeah, it’s been difficult to be in the same room with him,” Buck admitted. “He had a car accident four days ago—he took two pieces of pipe in the chest this time instead of one piece of rebar in the head. Maybe a function of different timing, or Fate doing her part to make sure he isn’t a problem again. He’s in critical condition, but they expect him to survive. One of his lungs had to be removed during emergency surgery, so he won’t be allowed to return to duty as a firefighter. The department is already trying to make the situation work for him. Bobby feels guilty as hell since Chim stormed out of the 118 because…well, they were arguing over me, and Bobby suspended him for verbal abuse. He also kicked Chim off A shift, at least temporarily. Now it’s permanent.”

Eddie nodded, his fingers clenching in Buck’s. “I’m sorry to have you left alone and…fading is awful, Buck.”

“I wasn’t alone—at least not when it came to an end. You were there,” Buck said and cleared his throat. He blinked back tears and took a deep breath. “I took my last breath in your arms. I couldn’t have asked for anything else in that moment.”

“Buck.” Eddie scooted right into his space and cupped the back of his head. “Dios.” He pressed their foreheads together. “It’s hardly been any time at all for me, but I’ve missed you so much.”

“It felt like forever,” Buck confessed.

“I’ve been stalking you on Insta,” Eddie blurted out. “I can’t believe you jumped off a bridge!”

“I had a rope on from the ladder truck winch,” Buck said and shrugged. “Cosmo was in charge of it. That dumb kid didn’t want to die. He just hurt too much to stand it. I understood.” He wet his lips. “When I died, I made a deal with Fate.”

Eddie jerked back, eyes wide. “What?”

“Yeah, it was bizarre. She was honestly kind of rude, which shouldn’t be a surprise, you know, considering what she is. Regardless, she offered me a second chance to be with you.”

“What was the price?” Eddie asked shrewdly. “Did you even ask before you agreed?”

“I asked,” Buck said and rolled his eyes. “I mean, I was gonna say yes because having a second chance to be a family with you and Christopher was all I wanted. Letting him go was the best choice I could make, but it was just…the hardest thing I’ve ever done.”

“You did great,” Eddie said. “Hen and Karen loved Chris—they’d have taken the best possible care of him. Being brothers with Denny would’ve been a great comfort to him. He was safe from my parents, and that was what I wanted even when I didn’t really know why.”

“So you know they suppressed your soulmate mark,” Buck said. “I found that out after you died.”

“I just woke up knowing that,” Eddie admitted. “My dream ended with my death, but I’ve had a few smaller dreams since that have come true, like today. I dreamt you were going to be at that coffee shop this morning, so I went there because I wanted to see you in person. It was so relieving to see you and realize that you knew me. That you recognized me.”

Buck swallowed hard. “I’ve been stalking your Insta, too. It was so hard not to drive by Isabel’s house when I realized Chris was there. Then you just kept posting those pics when you were driving here.”

“For Chris, it made him worry less about me driving alone,” Eddie said. “He didn’t want to fly to LA. I just wanted him away from my parents as quickly as possible. I’ve been to see a witch and had the suppression magic removed, but my mark isn’t visible. I can feel it, though, which is more than I had before.”

“Who did you see?”

“Dr. Cristobal Salas.”

Buck relaxed. “Isabel got me to go see him when things got bad. He handled my suppression work after you died—he wasn’t able to stop the fading because our bond wasn’t complete, and it was corrupted. He told me…that….”

“I was pulling you into the grave with me,” Eddie said flatly. “Right?”

“Right, but it wasn’t your fault, Eds. Your parents are responsible, and we can’t let them hurt Christopher the way they have you. I’m willing to hire a hitman. That’s how serious I am.”

Eddie stared for a moment, then laughed. “Buck.”

“I’ve already made close to 150,000 on offshore bets,” Buck continued. “My crazy good memory is helping me make money hand over fist in sports betting. I’ve considered playing the stock market, but I don’t want a lot of attention, so I’m going to make a few considered choices that will look lucky but result in a kind of once-in-a-lifetime sort of windfall.”

“So shady off-shore betting websites were your go-to?” Eddie said and raised an eyebrow.

Buck huffed. “I’ll pay taxes on it. I’m not using the same site twice, and I’m getting my money as soon as the bet clears. Fate is probably giving me a leg up on collection because that can get dicey with big bets.” He cleared his throat. “Let’s talk about the price I paid to get our second chance.”

“Okay,” Eddie said and cleared his throat. “What do we have to do?”

“We?”

“Of course, we,” Eddie said. “I’ve got your back.”

“I agreed to carry Hekate, to bear the weight of her and the magic that remains on Earth.” He winced when Eddie’s mouth dropped open. “I’ve also agreed to pass her on to a descendant because one day, our many greats grandson is apparently going to save the whole damn world.”

Eddie huffed. “Poor kid. Did you complain about that?”

“Yes!” Buck exclaimed. “It’s bullshit. He hasn’t even been born yet, but then she just got weird and told me that time was a matter of perception. It was crazy, and it’s hard to think about now. It’s like she told me something I never should’ve known.”

“I think you might be spreading that whole magic around, Buck, because I have gifts now I didn’t have before. And…so does Chris.”

“What?” Buck demanded. “Eddie, I’d have never agreed to something like that. I swear it.”

“I know you wouldn’t have,” Eddie assured. “Chris just seems to have some empathy and heightened intuition, but I’m having…prophetic dreams. Even after the big one that showed me like six years of my life. When I woke up, I knew it to be true. I never had these kinds of dreams before.”

Buck frowned and stared at their hands as he considered it. “Fate might have given you this ability so she could give your memories back to you. If so, I’m grateful for that part because I didn’t know how I was going to have anything real with you, with me knowing so much about you and you not knowing me at all.”

“Maybe Chris’ magic isn’t new,” Eddie speculated. “I just didn’t have any sort of ability to notice it the first time around. Dr. Salas has given me a card for a druid psychologist for Chris, and I’ve made an appointment. He said that he would take his own children to her if there was a need.”

“I trust him,” Buck murmured. “Cristobal did as much as he could for me. Near the end, he even came to the house for treatments to try to mitigate the….”

“Pain,” Eddie supplied. “I’m so fucking sorry, Buck.” He bit down on his lip. “Can I see it?”

Buck didn’t try to deflect or pretend he didn’t know what Eddie was talking about despite how much he would’ve normally done exactly that. He pulled off his T-shirt and tossed it on the coffee table. The soulmate mark was very nearly the color of the birthmark on his brow but was shaped as if someone had taken a paintbrush and used it to make a wonky one-inch X over his heart. He brought Eddie’s hand to his chest and pressed it against the mark. It heated under his soulmate’s touch in a way it never had before.

“Buck,” Eddie murmured hoarsely and shuddered. “Oh.”’

“Eds?”

“I….” Eddie pulled away and took off his own T-shirt, then used a shaking hand to guide Buck’s hand to his chest. “Just….” He pressed Buck’s hand against his heart.

Buck shuddered as the connection burned between them, and Eddie hissed in shock. Startled, Buck couldn’t help but jerk back, and he took in a shaky breath. “It’s…” He brushed his thumb very gently over Eddie’s soulmate mark. “I can see it.”

Eddie looked down and cleared his throat as he touched the mark with his own fingers, brushing against Buck’s hand as he did so. It matched Buck’s exactly, which was a relief. “Dr. Salas said that the mark might react this way, but he clearly didn’t want to get my hopes up.” He cupped Buck’s face and wet his lips. “Buck…I…I hardly know what to do with myself.”

“We’ve got time to figure things out,” Buck said gently. “I’m so glad you’re here.”

“Speaking of here,” Eddie said and looked around. “Is this your house?”

“I bought it, yeah. It’s big enough for a family; there are four bathrooms and five bedrooms,” Buck shrugged when Eddie just stared at him. “Why pretend I’m not ready to get started on all of that?” He grinned as Eddie laughed. “Two of the bedrooms have en suites. I figured we could renovate one of them for Christopher. I can’t wait to see him again though it’s going to be weird and maybe a little hurtful because he won’t remember me. Don’t get me wrong, please. I don’t want him to remember the previous timeline. He suffered more than any kid ever should’ve, and let’s just agree that he can’t go to Santa Monica until he’s thirty.”

“Sounds like a good reasonable age,” Eddie agreed and laughed, then pulled Buck in slowly. “Come here.”

Buck couldn’t help himself and didn’t think he was capable of denying Eddie a damn thing, so he slid into the man’s lap then cupped the back of his neck as he sought a kiss. Eddie groaned against his lips, hands clamped down on Buck’s hips, and he was hauled close with the easy strength that Buck knew Eddie for. Then Eddie moved, rolling Buck onto the sofa and leveraging over him, settling between Buck’s thighs like he belonged there.

Buck gasped a little because it wasn’t often that any of his partners outright manhandled him. He lifted his chin and exhaled slowly as Eddie nuzzled his neck and scraped his teeth against his pulse point. “Wait…aren’t you still married? I don’t do married dudes unless their wives watch.”

Eddie huffed and lifted his head. “Legally separated, and we have filed for divorce.” He wet his lips as he rested on Buck’s chest. “What about you? Are you still banging that heifer that ghosted you from Europe?”

Buck laughed and curled his fingers into Eddie’s belt loops. “Nah, I sort of landed in a prime spot to keep things with Abby as a friends-only situation. I did, thankfully, meet Carla recently.” He cleared his throat. “I did fuck someone last week, though. I was lonely and kind of sad, and Maddie’s stressing me the hell out.”

“Who?” Eddie asked curiously. “Do I know them?”

“Henry Wayne from the 133,” Buck said and flushed. “I’m not sure if you met him.”

“Oh, I’ve met him. Great catch on your part,” Eddie said wryly. “He’s awesome in bed.”

Buck grinned. “When?”

“After I dumped Ana,” Eddie said with a grin. “Three or four times, actually. I’m not surprised he took you to bed when he had a chance. He asked me to bring you around, and I told him no because I wasn’t getting any of you. I certainly wasn’t going to help him get some.”

“Cockblocking is awful best friend behavior,” Buck said and frowned even as Eddie laughed. “But I don’t know that he could handle us both.”

“I’m willing to find out,” Eddie said and grinned when Buck’s mouth dropped open. “We could put you between us—fuck you at the same time. I bet you’d enjoy that.”

“Shut up, Edmundo,” Buck insisted and laughed when Eddie just shrugged, then lifted away so he could work a hand between them. He took a deep breath when Eddie started to unbuckle his belt. “I love you.”

Eddie’s darkened, and he unzipped Buck’s jeans. “I love you—I’m so full with it I can barely think. I didn’t know I could feel this way about anyone.”

“Let’s go to bed instead of trying to ruin our brand-new couch.”

“Ours?” Eddie questioned.

“Yeah, ours,” Buck assured as they left the couch. “I haven’t furnished the whole place. I figured we could do that together. I got the basics.” He pulled Eddie through the house and into the main bedroom, where a California king was really the only piece of furniture. “And I got a big bed—with a stupidly expensive mattress. We deserve it.”

Eddie unfastened his belt, pulled it from his jeans, tossed it away, and Buck curled a hand around his hip to pull him close. “She’d probably curse us both out, but I can call Shannon and ask permission to bang my soulmate if my technical marriage is a sticking point for you.”

Buck huffed. “Eddie.”

“I’m just saying, I’m willing to work with you,” Eddie said and grinned when Buck rolled his eyes. He unbuttoned Buck’s jeans. “Or we could ask someone else over to supervise.”

“I only need you,” Buck admitted and brushed trembling fingers over Eddie’s soulmate mark. “I just…I’m so relieved to be here with you like this. I didn’t think it was going to be my reality for a very long time.” He wet his lips. “But in the spirit of full disclosure, I fully planned to launch an outright seduction campaign from practically minute one of our meeting.”

Eddie laughed, clearly delighted. “I’m kind of disappointed to miss it.”

“It was gonna be epic,” Buck declared. “But respectful because I’m not an asshole.” He shoved off his running shoes and took a deep breath. “Christ, we should already be naked.”

“Agreed,” Eddie said and started to take off his jeans. “Get on with it, Firefighter Buckley.”

Buck shucked his jeans and boxers then crawled onto the bed before peeling off his socks and tossing them away. He leaned back on his hands and focused on Eddie. Buck raised an eyebrow, and Eddie huffed a little.

“I don’t know how I kept my hands to myself,” Eddie admitted ruefully as he shed the rest of his clothes and crawled right on top of Buck. “You’re beautiful.”

Buck had some opinions about how they’d been stymied by the suppression that was done to Eddie, but that wasn’t something he wanted to talk about at the moment. He spread his legs, and Eddie settled between them until their hard cocks were pressed together. Buck couldn’t help but move—rolling his hips just a little to create friction and Eddie kissed him. He rocked into the movement of Buck’s body, finding just the right pace quickly.

“God, Eddie,” Buck whispered fiercely. “I need…”

“Whatever you need,” Eddie promised.

“Fuck me, please. There’s lube.” He reached into the headboard storage above their heads and pulled out a bottle of lube and a strip of condoms.

Eddie took it all from him as he sat back on his heels. He rolled the condom on first, then opened the lube. “How do you want it?”

Buck didn’t care, he really wanted to be full, and Eddie had a long, thick cock. He clenched his ass in anticipation. “I just want you, Eds.”

Eddie nudged Buck’s legs further apart, slicked up his fingers, and pressed two against the rim of his asshole. He pushed both fingers in, and Buck shuddered. “Yeah?”

“Hell, yeah,” Buck agreed and rocked down into the penetration as Eddie pressed against his prostate. “You’re going to make me come.”

Eddie hummed under his breath. “You popping off prematurely isn’t going to keep me from fucking you.”

Buck groaned and threw his arms over his head as he let his legs fall completely open. “Jesus, Eddie, you…tease…come on.”

Eddie pulled his fingers free and slicked up the condom. “You really should’ve told me you were cock hungry, Buck. We could’ve been doing this for years.”

Buck laughed and tilted his hips just a little as Eddie pressed the head of his cock against his hole and pushed inside. Eddie leaned in and braced himself on Buck’s chest, one hand settling over the mark they shared. The contact sent a little shock of pleasure down his spine, and Buck groaned. Eddie kept still for a few moments, letting Buck’s body adjust to the penetration, then started to move with a slow roll of his hips.

Something told Buck there was no rushing Eddie, so he relaxed into it and began to lift his hips into the thrust of Eddie’s cock. He really did adore being fucked, and he could take it as long as someone wanted to give it to him. Eddie ran his hands down Buck’s chest, cupped his hips, and lifted just a little as he fucked him, taking control of their movement without slowing the relentless press of his cock into Buck’s hole.

“I love you,” Eddie murmured. “You’re perfect like this. I always wanted you, Buck. Always.” He wrapped a hand around Buck’s cock and started to jerk him off with long, slow strokes.

Buck shuddered through an orgasm far sooner than he intended and relaxed on the mattress with a pleased sigh. He caught one of Eddie’s hands in his. “Come here.”

Eddie let himself be pulled down, pressed his face against Buck’s neck, and just worked their bodies together in a hot, tight grind. Buck held him, hands curling against Eddie’s back.

“That’s it,” Buck murmured. “Take what you need.”

“Dios.”

“I love you so much,” Buck said as he took a deep, ragged breath against Eddie’s hair. “I think I was born loving you.”

Eddie shook violently against him and came with a shocked sound. “Evan.”

* * * *

Eddie checked his watch as he walked through the house. He put his shoes on the rack next to the front door and went into the kitchen where Buck had retreated. He leaned on the doorframe and watched Buck where he was perched on a barstool staring at his phone. He looked a little frustrated.

“Something wrong?”

“Maddie. She’ll be here soon.” Buck took a deep breath and set the phone down. “I…did something that…well.” He rubbed his back. “I don’t want her to ever know this, okay?”

“Sure,” Eddie agreed. He walked to the fridge, shook his head at the fancy appliance that he’d have never picked out, and opened it.

“I’ve got some flasks in the cabinet on the right,” Buck said.

Eddie opened the cabinet, pulled out a flask, and filled it with water. It was nice, really, to have someone who knew him so well. “So, your sister?” He screwed the lid on the flask and rolled the cool metal between his hands.

“I couldn’t leave the situation alone,” Buck said roughly. “So, I hired a private investigator to go to Pennsylvania and check things out. I picked a retired LAPD detective. He figured out within twenty-four hours that Doug had a pill problem and was probably stealing drugs from the hospital where he worked since there were a bunch of bottles that didn’t have pharmacy labels in their trash.”

Eddie nodded. “You reported him?”

“The PI did,” Buck said and took a deep breath. “Apparently, there were already concerns about how drugs were being handled because within two days, Doug had been suspended and reported to the police. Maddie said tens of thousands of dollars in narcotics had been mislabeled and taken. She said Doug spiraled into a rage and was talking about suing basically everyone. She went to work, and while she was gone, he took some pills. Then he took more. Maybe he lost track of what he was doing, or maybe he got a magical push because Fate told me he’d get taken care of after she told me I couldn’t kill him.”

“I’d have helped you,” Eddie pointed out and shrugged when Buck sent him a look. “He overdosed?”

Buck nodded. “And died. Maddie found him when she came home. It’s been ruled an accidental OD instead of a suicide. She…basically fled the state and probably sold the house under market value to her neighbor’s son just so she could leave as fast as possible. She’s pregnant, Eddie.”

“But…there was no….” Eddie closed his eyes briefly, exhaled slowly, and put the flask down. “Did he make her miscarry or force an abortion?”

“Abortion, and it wasn’t the first time,” Buck said and brushed trembling fingers over his eyes. “Our wretched bitch of mother said she should go through with the abortion. I think that’s part of the reason Maddie is coming here. She’s just two months pregnant, and she insisted on driving here with her little cat. I told her that I’d fly up there and drive her down, but she told me no.”

“Maybe she needs the journey,” Eddie said.

“Maybe she wants the fucking bruises to fade!” Buck snapped and lurched off the stool. “The PI told me she had a black eye. There’s no telling what he did to her when he came home from the hospital after the accusation was made, and that’s my fault.”

“Hey, no.” Eddie caught his arm and pulled him to a stop. “Whatever that asshole did was his fault, not yours. Maybe she does want to give herself time to heal in more than one way, but that’s not your fault either.”

Buck’s jaw tightened, and he averted his gaze. “I know that intellectually, but I feel guilty as fuck about all of this. I couldn’t leave her there, Eddie. I know what he’s capable of doing. He already nearly killed her once, and what if…God, events change on a fucking dime, you know? I say one thing differently, and the response of everyone around me is…sometimes the reactions are fucking polar opposite to what happened last time.”

“Like?” Eddie questioned.

“I stopped putting up with Chimney’s bullshit at work and called him out for the slut-shaming me—Bobby suddenly took it seriously, and the result is that Howard Han was even more reckless when he stormed out of the station and ended up with two pieces of pipe in his chest. I don’t know what I wanted to happen to him, to be honest, but hell, he murdered us because he was a petty, insecure motherfucker who expected everyone around to accept his behavior without consequences.” Buck took a deep breath. “Can I see Christopher?”

“Dios, Buck, of course,” Eddie said gently. “Why would you think it would be a problem?”

“He doesn’t know me,” Buck said helplessly and cleared his throat. “But starting over with him isn’t going to be any sort of hardship. I love him so much, Eddie, and letting him go tore the heart out of me. Don’t be upset, please, but it was worse than burying you.”

“That’s…fatherhood, Buck. Of course, it was worse,” Eddie said. “I can’t imagine it, but I love you all the more for it. You did what was best for him no matter how much it hurt.” He squeezed Buck’s hand gently in his own. “I always knew I could make a family with you. It seems so clear to me now. I don’t know why everything was so confusing and frustrating before.”

“The suppression spell,” Buck said. “That kind of magic put on you before puberty would’ve made it very difficult for you to create intimate relationships. Falling in love would’ve taken an immense amount of effort on your part.”

“Not with you,” Eddie said. “I really don’t think, looking back on it, I ever managed it in full before you. My relationship with Shannon was passionate but not particularly romantic on my end. I tried, and I love her, but I don’t think I was ever in love with her.”

“And Ana?”

“Hell, Buck, if I’m brutally honest about it…I didn’t even like her. We had nothing in common, and the sex was lackluster at best. I mean, I got her off because I’m not a douche, but it wasn’t much different than jerking off for me.”

Buck made a face. “If I’d known that, I would’ve gotten Hen, and we would’ve staged an intervention. For fuck’s sake, Eddie, that’s ridiculous.”

Eddie laughed. “Right? I toured Durand, by the way, and ran into her. Summers isn’t there as the principal yet, and I can see she made a lot of changes when she was hired. Chris was deeply unimpressed and wants a school with a STEAM focus.”

Buck nodded. “Is the Morgan Academy of Arts and Sciences on the list?”

Eddie set aside his flask and sat down on a stool. Buck joined him as he pulled out his phone. “The state sent a list of schools that would be covered under the education grant that Chris qualifies for. I’ve already applied for in-home health care as well, so I’ll be in a position to hire Carla if that’s possible.”

“Are either of those income based?” Buck questioned.

“No, they’re state programs that come out of federal funding that is designed specifically to ensure that disabled children receive the care and education opportunities they need. Basically, I feel like the school stuff is a way of keeping children with special needs out of the already stressed-to-the-max public school system.”

“Okay, I just want to make sure everything is fair. And money won’t be a problem for us…as long as I can fly under the radar on the whole shady off-shore betting. But also, I think magic will help me out on investments and stuff.”

Eddie nodded and focused on his phone. “Yes, it’s on the list, but I haven’t made an appointment. Where is it?”

“About four miles from the 118,” Buck said. “And only twenty minutes from the house, so it’s ideal. I think it will be exactly what Chris wants, and I wanted to recommend it the first time around, but Chris seemed really happy with Durand. Morgan Academy will take him all way through to the eighth grade.”

“Durand doesn’t currently have magical theory classes. Even when Summers takes over, those classes only start in the fifth grade. I don’t know why I wasn’t put off by that before.”

“Magic wasn’t a big part of your life,” Buck pointed out reasonably. “It was more a concept and an entertainment, right? Something we watched on TV. But now we’ll live with it the rest of our lives.” He cleared his throat. “I hope that’s okay?”

“It’s more than okay,” Eddie promised. “I’m going to request an appointment for Morgan Academy. I don’t want to keep him out of school much longer.”

Buck nodded. “Speaking of school, are you going…will you be joining the LAFD?”

“Yeah, of course. Why would you think otherwise?”

“There was a lot of trauma, Eddie. I hate that you remember all of that crap, but I also feel selfish for how relieved I am that you do.”

“The only emotions I have from the dream are about you and Christopher,” Eddie said. “The events are there, but they feel like I watched them in a movie or something. I want to get this all right, you know, so I’m going to continue to see Dr. Salas. I want to be the partner you need and the father our children deserve.”

“Children.”

“Well, yeah, apparently we’ve got at least one more kid to make—since one of your descendants is gonna save the whole damn world.”

Buck huffed. “It’s probably good that I didn’t get any more information about that shit.” He rubbed his hands together. “So that means a surrogate. I’ll have to investigate that process and see how much money we’ll need for it.” He pursed his lips. “Just one?”

“As many as we want and can afford,” Eddie said. “Follow me to Abuela’s house. Chris will be excited to meet you. He was worried I wouldn’t find my soulmate with my mark hidden. I told him I knew who you were, so he’s been helping me plot against you.”

“I see how this is going to be,” Buck muttered.

* * * *

Buck pocketed his keys as he left the Jeep and followed Eddie up the sidewalk toward Isabel Diaz’s house. He was nervous and relieved at the same time because he was worried that he’d get things wrong with Chris and ruin everything. But, also, knowing the kid was safe in California and nowhere near Helena and Ramon Diaz had taken a huge emotional load off of him. That picture in the airport on Eddie’s Insta might be Buck’s favorite ever.

Eddie paused just short of opening the door and offered his hand. “Relax.”

“I’m fine.”

“That’s not how your face looks when you’re fine,” Eddie told him. “For the record, Chris liked you more than I did for months.”

Buck huffed and flexed his fingers against Eddie’s. “Asshole.”

Eddie grinned and released his hand so he could unlock the door. “Abuela! I’m back—I brought a guest.”

Buck stiffened just a little as Isabel came out of the kitchen with a towel in her hands.

She smiled, eyes warm and knowing. “Chris is in the guest room, playing his game.” Isabel flipped the towel over her shoulder and offered Buck her hand. “It’s very good to meet you, Buck. Eddie’s told us all about you, and he’s been stalking you on Instagram. Did he tell you?” Isabel tilted her head as Buck took her hand. “You carry a lot of power.”

It was a weird way to phrase it, and most wouldn’t make the distinction between having power and carrying power.

“I’ve been honored with a unique burden, Mrs. Diaz,” Buck said because he didn’t want to deflect but wasn’t ready to discuss it at length again. “And no, I totally did not know about the Insta stalking.”

She laughed. “Call me Isabel, I insist. You’ll stay for dinner.”

“Thank you,” Buck said by way of agreement, and she released his hand. “I’m sorry that your son has proven to be such a disappointment to you. It must hurt a great deal to know the depth of his moral corruption.”

Her eyes darkened. “Yes, exactly that. I am disgusted by Ramon and would prefer to forget he exists. I will tell him soon that I have no son.”

Buck winced but nodded. He knew what maternal rejection well enough to know it was going to be an immense blow for Ramon Diaz, but no more than the man deserved for what he’d done or allowed to be done to his son.

“I’m going to call Pepa. She’ll want to come to dinner.”

Eddie laughed a little and prodded Buck toward the hallway. “There’s an old PlayStation that Abuela’s had forever. He found Mario Kart. I think I’ll probably have to get a new game system and a copy of the game for home.”

“I have it already, actually. I love Mario Kart,” Buck confessed as they went down the hall. He tried to calm his nerves with a few measured breaths.

He was ready to do all the work needed to regain what had been lost by time and circumstances. Eddie opened the door and walked into a room. Buck hesitated at the doorway. Chris was on an ottoman in front of a TV, controller in hand.

“Hey, Mijo. I brought someone to meet you.”

Chris glanced toward them, focused briefly on the TV, then turned to stare in shock. “Bucky.” He dropped the controller and nearly tumbled off the ottoman as he tried to stand too quickly. Eddie lurched forward and caught him.

“Hey, easy.” Eddie steadied him. “How….” He knelt next to his son. “How do you know Buck, Mijo?”

Chris focused on Buck then, his hands curling on Eddie’s forearm. “I dream about him—he’s my best friend, Daddy.”

Buck joined Eddie on the floor because he couldn’t help himself. “Hey, Superman.”

Chris laughed and launched himself at Buck, who caught him with shaking hands. “Buck! I’m so happy you’re real!”

Buck closed his eyes and said hoarsely, “You Diazes and your dreams.”

Eddie shifted closer to them and rubbed Chris’ back. “What kind of dream did you have, Christopher?”

“Going to the zoo, museums, and surfing,” Chris said and shrugged. “I can’t believe you found my Buck, Daddy.”

“Well,” Eddie said with a laugh. “This is Evan Buckley, and he’s my soulmate.” He took a deep breath. “How long have you been having dreams, Chris?”

“Since I left Texas,” Chris said. “I was worried about you, but the lady told me that everything would be okay and she’d keep us all safe.”

“What lady?” Buck questioned because he just didn’t want Fate to be that focused on Christopher.

Chris leaned back, hands resting on Buck’s shoulders, and shrugged. “The magic lady. She says I can call her Katie since I couldn’t say her real name the right way.”

Hekate, Buck thought and shared a look with Eddie even as magic warmed in his chest. That was only slightly better than Fate.

“Did you want to play Mario Kart with me?” Chris asked.

“I would love that,” Buck admitted and blinked back tears he couldn’t begin to explain to the kid.

 

 

 

Chapter 8

Eddie shut the truck door as Christopher slumped against his shoulder. He stared at the 118 for a few moments in indecision before he started walking. Buck wasn’t answering his phone, and he needed him. The nightmare that had dragged him from a deep sleep hadn’t let him stay in his abuela’s house, and he didn’t have keys to Buck’s. Though Buck had gone to have a set made the day before. They just hadn’t been able to meet up because of various appointments.

The bay doors were shut, but several sets of lights were on. Eddie glanced over the bay as he closed the door to the visitor entrance behind him. All of the apparatuses were in place, which meant Buck wasn’t on a call.

“Good morning. Can I help you?”

Eddie focused on the sound of the voice and found a woman about his age standing near the stairs going up to the balcony. “Yes, I’m looking for Evan Buckley.”

She raised an eyebrow but nodded. “Hey, Cosmo! Buck’s got some visitors!”

Eddie knew Oscar Fuentes in passing, but the man had already transferred out of the 118 by the time he started working there in the other timeline. Cosmo leaned over the railing a bit. He stared at Eddie for a moment, then inclined his head. “Sae, go wake Buck up. You can come up…Mister….”

“Eddie Diaz,” Eddie said, and the woman walked away with a small smile.

Eddie hitched Chris’ backpack on his shoulder and went up the stairs. “I tried calling, but there was no answer.”

“Phones are set to vibrate in the bunks, and he went to bed exhausted,” Cosmo said. “He doesn’t ignore phone calls, normally.”

Eddie found it amusing that Cosmo was trying to mitigate any potential fallout for Buck on a personal level. It was nice to see someone having his partner’s back. “Yeah, I know. I figured it was a call-out, and I was going to have to wait a while. I’m glad you’re all here.”

“Eds, hey,” Buck came up the stairs. There was a bruise on the left side of his face—blooming black from his cheekbone down to underneath his jaw.

“What happened to you?” Eddie questioned, gaze narrowing.

“Ah, flailing window washer,” Buck muttered as he came to stand with him and Chris. “Just a bruise—no concussion. Hen and Sae have checked me over three times, just in case. What’s going on?”

“I….” Eddie exhaled and motioned toward the back of the loft so they could have some small bit of privacy.

“Yeah,” Buck agreed and put a hand on Chris’ back as they walked. “Sorry I missed your calls. I spent a stupid amount of time on…well. The window washer was dangling off a high rise.”

Dangling off a high rise. Eddie could just imagine what kind of situation that actually was. “When did this go down?”

“Around three hours ago, his wife reported him missing. He’d been hanging from his rig for nearly ten hours—disoriented with a severe concussion. It was on the alley side of the building, and no one noticed. Totally bizarre. He should recover, though.” Buck stared for a few moments. “You look like you want to go to ground.”

“Pretty much exactly that,” Eddie admitted. “I think my parents are here. I had a…dream that was wretched. I suspect some kind of false report is pending and, in the dream, they managed to take….” His fingers curled into Chris’ T-shirt, and his son snuffled sleepily. “I don’t want to say the rest, but I couldn’t leave him in a place where they can get their hands on him.”

“Buck?”

Eddie focused on Bobby Nash as the older man approached. He watched him yawn and rub his head. He felt guilt for it because the rest of the shift appeared to be getting up in response to his visit, and he knew that sleep could be in short supply.

“Bobby, this is Eddie Diaz.” Buck cleared his throat and glanced around the loft that was rapidly filling. “He’s my soulmate, and his son’s name is Christopher.”

Eddie’s grip tightened on Christopher’s crutches briefly because his nightmare had put him on edge, and there were people around him he didn’t know. He hadn’t realized how big the turnover for the shift had been during Buck’s probationary year.

“It’s nice to meet you, Captain Nash. Buck speaks highly of you.”

Bobby nodded, a warm smile blooming on his face. “It’s very good to meet you as well.” He focused on Buck. “Do you need to leave? We’re offline for heavy rescue due to your face anyway.”

“My face is fine,” Buck protested.

“You look like you got smacked in the face with a bowling ball,” Eddie muttered.

“Well, that’s not true at all. I’ve had that experience, and it looked nothing like this,” Buck protested and huffed when Bobby laughed.

“You have a headache,” Eddie pointed out. “Obviously.”

Buck shrugged and rubbed his chest. Eddie wondered what Buck was feeling. Christopher shifted in his arms and made a huffy sound against his shoulder.

“You can put him on the sofa,” Bobby suggested.

“No…I….” Eddie shook his head, and Buck’s hand settled on his arm.

“Hey.” Buck focused on him intently. “Eds?”

“It was a really bad dream,” Eddie said roughly. “I feel fresh off a battlefield right now, Buck.”

“Okay,” Bobby said and turned. “Everyone, give these two some room. Find something to do, or I’ll do it for you.”

Eddie barely refrained from laughing when practically the entire shift trotted toward the stairs. Hen lingered by the table, eyes serious and pensive.

“Do I need to check anyone over?” she asked.

“No, we’re fine,” Eddie said.

She stared for a few more moments but nodded and walked toward the stairs when Buck inclined his head.

“Can I help with anything?” Bobby questioned. “Coffee? Food?”

Chris huffed and lifted his head with a frown. “If I’m gonna be kept up, I want pancakes.”

Buck laughed. “Well, you’re in luck, kiddo. Bobby makes the best pancakes I’ve ever had.”

Eddie forced himself to put Chris down in a chair at the table, pulled his glasses out of the case in the backpack so he could have them, and put his son’s crutches on the back of the chair so they’d be within reach if needed. He set the backpack down on the sofa and let Buck lead him completely across the loft, where they could speak in private if they didn’t raise their voices.

“Was it prophetic or just a nightmare?” Buck asked quietly.

“It felt…like a warning,” Eddie said and leaned on the railing, his gaze focused on Chris. “In the dream, my parents showed up at Abuela’s house with a social worker. They had a report from the VA about my PTSD that she must have stolen from my house at some point, and they’d told all these lies about how I disappeared from Texas in the middle of the night and that I’m delusional and paranoid. The social worker insisted that Christopher couldn’t stay with me during the investigation and wouldn’t listen when I offered to go to a hotel so he could stay with my abuela. My parents had painted her as a very elderly and fragile woman who couldn’t take care of Chris.

“My parents managed to keep him for just twenty-four hours before I got everything straightened out, but he was…traumatized, Buck. The LAPD had to stop them from leaving the state with him. Just before I woke up, I got him back, and he wasn’t even speaking. As dreams go, it was one of the most vivid I’ve had since the very first one.”

“Well, they can’t take him if they can’t find him,” Buck said evenly. “We need to call Dr. Salas as soon his office opens, and I’ll retain the lawyer I used to ruin your parents the first time around. She’s really good, and her partner is a great white shark who figured out how to shape-shift. We might need them both.” He took a deep breath. “I’ll go speak with Bobby about leaving.”

Eddie walked with Buck back to the table and sat down where Chris had a glass of juice. “Did you want your iPad?”

Chris shook his head. “Maybe my crayons.”

Eddie retrieved the small art pad and the box of crayons that Chris carried everywhere.

Buck leaned on the counter near Bobby, who was making the promised pancakes. “We have two hours left on shift.”

“We’ll be fine; Firefighter Bu is settling in well,” Bobby said, speaking of the woman who had replaced Chimney on the team.

Sae had worked in Santa Barbara as a firefighter paramedic for three years before transferring into the LAFD. He didn’t know much about her personally except that her parents had immigrated from South Korea before she was born. Sae was a team player with a friendly personality, and she was incredibly competent. She also had a few SAR certifications that Bobby had been pleased with. Buck had been impressed with her rope work and the fact that she hadn’t hesitated to go down the side of the building with him earlier in the shift. She was slim and too small for heavy rescue, but she more than met the minimum strength requirements for the job and handled the rescue very well.

“She seems like a good fit.”

“Chimney recommended her, and Hen agreed,” Bobby said. “And I’m not mad about it at all.”

“Well, we needed more women on the shift, and her quals are a bonus across the board,” Buck said and sighed. He looked over at Eddie and Christopher. Though he didn’t want to care at all, he couldn’t help but be curious about Chimney’s circumstances. “How’s Chim doing?”

“He’s recovering as well as can be expected,” Bobby said with a frown as he focused on the pancake batter he was making. “He’s been offered a job with Metro and will start working as a dispatcher when he comes back to the job.”

Buck grimaced but nodded. Metropolitan Fire Communications was a dispatch branch of the LAFD that was staffed entirely by firefighters and paramedics. Looking back on it, he’d have preferred such a job for himself when he’d been in recovery from the ladder truck bombing versus Fire Marshall. In the other timeline, Maddie had been a dispatcher for the LAPD. He hoped the change in Chim’s career didn’t lead to the two of them meeting. He was hoping that she’d remain in nursing as the circumstances were very different.

“When did you meet him?” Bobby questioned. “You hadn’t mentioned bonding.”

He and Eddie had decided to present an old friends reconnecting story, which was very close to the truth and probably the only thing they could tell most of the people in their lives that would make sense and explain their relationship.

“Sorry, it’s been pretty…traumatic,” Buck murmured and took a deep breath when Bobby sent him a shocked look. “I met Eddie years ago, and I felt like he was the one. It was disappointing when he admitted he didn’t have a soulmate mark at all. We kept in touch and became good friends. Recently, we think due to combat stress, he came into a magical gift. He started having prophetic dreams, and in one of those dreams…he was told that he had a suppressed soulmate mark. It happened when he was a baby.”

“Son of a bitch,” Bobby muttered. “Who the hell…his parents?”

“Yeah, it’s the only conclusion that makes sense due to the age of the suppression magic. He came to LA to see a specialist about his mark, and he knew I was here as well. He felt like maybe I was his soulmate. The suppression magic was removed, and well…here we are. His parents are a problem, though, and he feels like they’re a threat to Christopher. He had another dream that he considers a warning and left his grandmother’s house to hide from them.”

Bobby frowned. “Running from some sort of accusation, false or not, isn’t the best choice to make, Buck.”

“We know,” Buck assured. “We’re going to contact a lawyer and go from there. I promise we aren’t going to run away or anything. We just need to make sure that Christopher is safe and that he can’t be taken even temporarily from Eddie. He’s magically gifted—intuition and empathy. A forced removal would be traumatic as fuck for him.”

“Well, if you need law enforcement assistance, then you can depend on Athena Grant to help you.”

Buck had already considered it, but he and Athena weren’t all that close at this point in time. He didn’t know if she would go to the wall for him the way he could’ve counted on in the other timeline.

“She’s a hardass,” Bobby said. “But you can trust her. She certainly trusts you—she’s the one that convinced me to rehire you, by the way. If anyone asked her about you, she’d tell them that you helped her save a little girl’s life.” He paused. “And that you have shit taste in music.”

Buck grinned. “I just like to mess with her. Of course, I’ve heard of TLC before. I mean, it’s a girl group made up of three gorgeous women. I had one of their posters on my wall when I was in high school. Granted, I bought it in a retro music store. Probably don’t tell her that part.”

“Yeah, let’s not,” Bobby agreed with a laugh. “I’ve got bacon in the oven. Set the boy up with a plate.”

“If you start another pan, I’ll help make pancakes,” Buck offered.

Bobby sent him a shrewd look but nodded. “You can try.”

Buck considered it a misstep, but he dismissed it as unavoidable. He had no way of knowing how far his cooking lessons with Bobby were gone at this point, and trying to figure it would just make mistakes stand out even more. He made Chris a plate of bacon and pancakes and snagged the blueberry syrup.

Chris smiled at the bottle. “My favorite.”

Buck hummed under his breath. “I know.”

“How do you know?” Chris asked, gaze narrowing in a near replica of his father.

“I know lots of things about you,” Buck teased as he snagged some napkins and offered him a fork.

“How?”

“Maybe it’s magic,” Buck said as he returned to the kitchen.

“Like what then?” Chris questioned.

“Oh, let’s see…your favorite color is green.”

“Daddy could’ve told you that,” Christopher scoffed and stabbed at his pancakes.

“He’s got your number, Buck,” Cosmo said as he appeared and started to set the tables.

Buck shared a grin with Bobby as he started to make pancakes. Bobby huffed a little after the first flip. “What?”

“Nothing…you’ve been holding out on me.”

“Anyone can flip a pancake.”

“I can’t. Karen banned me from ever trying again,” Hen reported. “Want me to put the bacon on platters?”

“Thanks,” Bobby said.

“I’m waiting,” Chris called out cheerfully, and Eddie laughed.

“Oh, let’s see…things I know about Christopher Javier Diaz….” Buck grinned when Chris huffed at the use of his middle name. “Your favorite animal is the fairy penguin, you prefer orange juice over apple juice, and you think you hate kiwi.”

“I do hate kiwi.”

“Ah.” Buck pointed his spatula at him. “Kiwi makes your mouth itch, and that’s the part you hate, and you never told anyone that because you didn’t know you should. The itching means you’re mildly allergic to it. Fortunately, your dad actually actively hates kiwi, so he never buys it.”

Chris pursed his lips and turned to Eddie. “Daddy, I’m not gonna get away with anything. Make Buck turn his magic off.”

Eddie laughed, and several others did with him.

“Wow, what’d we do to earn pancakes?” Rogers questioned as he came up the stairs.

“Our little guest asked for them,” Bobby said. “Everyone mind their language.”

“I’m always fit for company,” Hen protested.

“Having been with you in a karaoke bar, I know that to be fundamentally untrue,” Cosmo said dryly. “Buck, are you going to introduce us to your much more attractive half or what?”

“I don’t think I should,” Buck replied. “But it’s probably unavoidable. This is Eddie Diaz, my soulmate, and his son Christopher. Eddie, Chris…these are the…people I work with.”

“Daddy, we shouldn’t tell Abuelita Buck has terrible manners.”

“Your abuelita is far too distracted by his pretty face to worry about his manners,” Eddie said dryly, and Buck just grinned when Eddie stood to introduce himself to the others.

Buck half-listened as Eddie made the rounds and collected names. He took another pancake to the table for Christopher when he heard the scrape of a fork on the plate, a sign that the boy wanted more but wasn’t sure if he could ask. He got a smile, then a narrow-eyed look for his trouble.

“Thank you,” Christopher said.

Once the pancakes were on serving platters, the tables filled up, and Buck took a seat on the other side of Christopher with his own plate.

“So, Eddie, how long have you been in LA?” Hen questioned.

“Not long, when I was discharged from the Army, I went home to El Paso. My parents live there.” He paused. “Which was…the mistake you’re assuming it to be.”

“It was evil there, so we ran away to Disneyland,” Christopher declared.

“Best choice ever,” Hen declared. “How old are you, Christopher?”

“Just six in August, ma’am,” Chris said.

“My son Denny is seven. I bet we can find a day to go to the park soon.” She raised an eyebrow in Eddie’s direction. “We can have a picnic. Leave Buck at home—he doesn’t let me eat junk in front of him.”

“Daddy doesn’t buy me any Twinkies,” Chris tattled. “It’s awful.”

“Twinkies aren’t even real food,” Eddie told him. “Right, Buck?”

“I’ve never had one in my whole life,” Buck admitted. “They look really gross.”

“Oh, God, we’ve got to rescue this sweet kid from these two weirdos,” Chad Rogers announced, and Christopher started laughing.

“Next time Buck loses a bet, he’s definitely going to have to eat a Twinkie,” Cosmo said, and Buck groaned when everyone seemed to agree.

* * * *

Eddie was sitting in Dr. Salas’ office when his grandmother called him to say that his parents were at her house with a social worker. Eddie told her where he was and suggested that she send the whole group of people his way. Considering the criminal nature of what was done to him, the witch had cleared his entire day when Eddie called. He felt bad about that but also didn’t want any of the doctor’s patients in the middle of the scene if things got aggressive.

In the dream, Dr. Salas had cleared everything up very quickly but retrieving Christopher had been the difficult part. The LAPD wouldn’t get involved at first, and that didn’t change until DCFS filed a report declaring Christopher to have been kidnapped. Eddie leaned against the window seal and sipped the tea that Dr. Salas had pressed on him.

The door opened, and a well-dressed woman entered. “Eddie, this is Natalie Rutledge. She said you were expecting her?” Dr. Salas questioned.

“Yes, my apologies. My partner was arranging that for me this morning.”

“Mr. Buckley handled my retainer, Mr. Diaz, and I was told that your parents are attempting to use the Department of Child and Family Services as a method of terminating your parental rights with no cause.”

“Yes,” Eddie said. “I believe they’re going to say I’m unfit due to PTSD. I was discharged from the Army eighteen months ago due to combat injuries. During my evaluations, I admitted that the thought of being under fire again in combat was horrifying and that I wasn’t confident of my ability to do my duty in such a circumstance. As you can imagine, that made the Army less inclined toward keeping me in uniform. I was honorably discharged and awarded a Silver Star for my actions during the event that saw me shot three times.”

She nodded, gaze narrowing. “Dr. Salas, you have the report on the removal of the suppression magic on Mr. Diaz?”

“Yes, it was placed within a month of his birth.” Cristobal went to his desk and opened up a laptop. “I’ll print the report for your review. If he were underage, I would’ve been required to report it under the Proper Use of Suppression Magic mandate. I harvested the magical signature, but they aren’t registered as a practitioner in the US.”

Natalie nodded and motioned toward a small conference table in the large office. “Can I sit there?”

“Yes, of course.”

Eddie joined her when she motioned to him and started a group chat on his phone. He added his parents, sisters, aunts, uncles, and all of his cousins on both sides of the family. Then he attached the report Dr. Salas had created on the suppression of his soulmate mark. He left it unsent because he didn’t want to give his parents any sort of information regarding his situation until after their current plan was nullified.

“I’ve made a call to the Major Crimes division of the LAPD, and they’re sending a detective,” Dr. Salas said. “At this point, we need to get in front of all of the issues since DCFS is involved. I’ll have to file a report with the federal government regarding my role in the complaint your parents have probably filed.”

Eddie nodded. “I wasn’t sure I was going to pursue legal charges. But, if they…I can’t allow them to have access to my son in any single fashion going forward.”

“Agreed,” Natalie Rutledge said as she looked up from her reading, her jaw tight. “You have a heart placement, and they suppressed it? What the fuck kind of monsters are they?” She ran her hand through her hair and pulled out her phone. “I need my partner for this, just in case. She handles criminal court and knows more about the laws that have been violated in this. Who is the LAPD sending, Dr. Salas?”

“Lou Ransone.”

“Good.” She frowned and left the table. “He’s a genuine beast when provoked, and that’s exactly what we need.” Eddie shifted in his seat when she lasered in him. “Where’s your kid?”

“With my soulmate. I don’t want to tell you where in case you’re ordered to disclose. I’m willing to go to jail rather than reveal their location. He’s prepared to leave the state entirely on my say so.”

She blinked in surprise, then nodded. “Good. Let’s see how far these people are willing to go.” She stalked out of the office with a flounce of curls with her cell phone in hand. “Isla, I need you to come over here. You won’t believe these sorry motherfuckers.”

Eddie turned to Cristobal Salas. “I don’t think I’m old enough to be around her unsupervised.”

Cristobal grinned. “Right?” He patted his heart. “My Annalise is vicious like that. It reminds me of falling in love with her. She’s always been that way.”

Eddie laughed. “I haven’t remembered any of our other lifetimes. Will I?”

“As your bond deepens, yes,” Cristobal said. “Let’s do a check before things get ugly.” He motioned toward the exam table, and Eddie gamely went to it.

He pulled off his shirt and set it on the table beside him. “The moment he touched my mark, it surfaced.”

Dr. Salas stared intently for a moment, face soft and magic shimmering across his cheekbones. “I’m pleased for you both—it’s a strong bond already. He must be very powerful in his own right.”

“Yes.” Eddie took a deep breath as the witch reached out and grasped one shoulder. “Chris has had dreams about him, too. When I introduced them, my son already knew Buck’s name and asked me how I’d found his best friend.”

Cristobal raised an eyebrow and paused as he considered it. “That’s…very interesting. Over my lifetimes, I’ve had many children. I remember them all with an immense amount of love. But there is one soul—who travels with my mate and me. Always. Sometimes they are the last child we have, and sometimes they are the first. This time around, she was born first and was practically glowing with magic the moment she drew her first breath. Which is very rare in this day and age. My Annalise says that our child’s soul is connected to ours. I think…she was the first child we ever had together.”

“I…are you saying that Christopher could be…that his soul has been with us before?”

“Yes, I imagine that in the very distant past, the soul was in a child you and your soulmate created together.”

Eddie considered that. “In my dream, Buck’s attachment to Christopher quickly took on a paternal tone.” He swallowed hard. “It was such a relief to have him in our lives, and when I died….” He paused when Salas took a deep breath. “When I died, I left him custody of Christopher.”

Salas closed his eyes briefly and took a deep breath before speaking. “It’s rare for someone to die in a prophetic dream, Eddie. Please take heed with every single warning in that dream. You’ve been given a profound gift.” He smiled. “And I’d very much like to meet the rest of your little family at some point.”

“Buck wants to meet you,” Eddie said. “And Chris will be beyond thrilled. We’ve made an appointment with Dr. Bryne, and he’s watched several videos she has on YouTube. He declared her very witchy and exciting.”

“She is, indeed, very witchy,” Dr. Salas said in amusement. “I’m going to touch your mark now.”

The door opened, and Natalie Rutledge re-entered. “Oh.”

“It’s fine,” Eddie said, and she pulled the door shut with flushed cheeks.

She took that permission to walk right across the room and join them. He watched her look over his chest, gaze lingering on the two scars that were visible, then glancing only briefly over his soulmate mark.

“You were shot three times?” she asked.

“The third was in the upper right thigh,” Eddie said. “I’m fine, Ms. Rutledge.”

“He’s healed very well,” Salas said as he lifted his hand away. “Your soulmate is very protective.”

“Yes, how do you know that?” Eddie questioned.

“He pushed back against me magically just now,” Salas said. “Not to injure, but certainly to let me know that he could feel me and that he could make me regret any mistake on my part.”

Eddie flushed and pulled his shirt on. “Sorry?”

“Oh, no,” the witch said with a smile. “He has every single right to guard your soulmate bond zealously, considering your parents’ transgressions against you both.”

A soft knock caught their attention.

“Come in.” Dr. Salas motioned Eddie back to the conference table.

“Dr. Salas, your…expected visitors are here. Detective Ransone would like to speak with you first.”

“Thank you, Casey. You can head home for the day.”

The younger man smiled and pushed sun-bleached hair back from his face. “Well, it’s a good day for the beach if you’re sure.”

“Have fun then,” the doctor assured. “You don’t have the certifications to stay for this situation.”

“Ah.” Casey nodded. “Good luck, Mr. Diaz.”

“Thank you,” Eddie said and shared a look with the lawyer as she joined him at the table.

Dr. Salas left the room, and the door opened shortly thereafter, admitting a woman with a leather bag much like the one Natalie was carrying.

“Isla.” Natalie stood. “This is our client, Eddie Diaz. Eddie, my partner in life and work—Isla North.”

Eddie took the hand he was offered in a firm but not hard grip and endured the inspection he received without speaking. When she released him, he cleared his throat. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“It’s a pleasure, Mr. Diaz. Going forward, Natalie and I will speak for you unless we indicate otherwise. I have a paralegal on standby to file a series of motions designed to force DCFS to provide verifiable proof that they have cause to remove your minor child from your care. Since they have not done a single interview with the child or investigated the home that he lives in—all they have are the lies that they’ve been told.”

“The social worker is…very religious,” Eddie said. “His name is Dennis Hayes. My parents made contact with him through the church they attend. They are devout Catholics.”

Isla raised an eyebrow and focused on her partner.

“We’ve got ourselves a prophetic dreamer,” Natalie said dryly. “That’s why we’re here—he got ahead of them before they could corner him at home and take his kid.”

Isla nodded. “How’d the dream go?”

“I got my son back after about twenty-four hours, but the LAPD had to retrieve him because my parents tried to leave the state with him. I forced that asshole, Hayes, to report the kidnapping because the cops were ignoring me due to the DCFS investigation. When I got Chris back, he was so traumatized he couldn’t speak.” Eddie rubbed his mouth. “I woke up from that dream, packed our bags, and left my abuela’s house at five o’clock this morning. My son is magically sensitive and is also…dreaming. My parents can’t be trusted with him under any circumstances. As I told your partner, Ms. North, I’m willing to go to jail and stay there to keep my parents from getting their hands on my son. I won’t tell anyone where he is, no matter who demands it.”

She smiled. “Sit, look calm, and don’t say a word to your parents. When we want you to speak, it’ll be clear how we want that to go. Detective Ransone’s job is to determine if a crime has been committed. Since we know what your parents are guilty of, he will be obligated to report that to the FBI. The FBI will probably contact you about charges. I recommend you agree to participate in their case. Even if they don’t go to jail, they will be ordered by a federal court to leave you, your son, and any other children you might have in the future alone for the rest of their lives.”

Eddie sat where he was directed, and just a few moments later, the door opened. Dr. Salas entered with two men and his parents.

“This is Detective Louis Ransone from the Major Crimes division of the LAPD, Dennis Hayes from the Department of Child and Family Services, Helena Diaz, Ramon Diaz,” Dr. Salas said. “At the table, Mr. Edmundo Diaz, Ms. Isla North, and Ms. Natalie Rutledge of North, Rutledge, & Associates.”

Eddie watched his mother look around the room, and her face darkened.

“Where’s Christopher?” Helena demanded.

“No responsible and caring parent would bring their child into a meeting of this nature,” Natalie said evenly. “Such disgusting topics are not meant to be discussed in front of the innocent.”

Dennis Hayes cleared his throat. “Ms. Rutledge, I’m here to take custody of Christopher Diaz.”

“I’ll need a copy of your completed investigation,” Natalie said and picked up her pen as she shifted a legal pad around in front of her and began to write. Eddie wondered if it was an actual hit list. “All interviews, the home study, and any other reports you’ve made to your superiors.”

Eddie didn’t know if she was entitled to all of that, but the man’s eyes had gone wide.

“I don’t have…I haven’t started my investigation,” Hayes said as he sat down at the table.

“Then on what grounds do you intend on removing my client’s child from his care?” Natalie asked, gaze narrow. “Because it’s starting to sound like thinly veiled kidnapping to me.” She turned to Ransone. “What do you think, Lou?”

“I would be very interested in knowing the content of the accusations and if there is any proof to be had to back up those accusations,” Lou said. “If the child is being neglected or abused, then a criminal investigation must be conducted.” He focused on the social worker. “Mr. Hayes?”

“Mr. Diaz is suffering from extreme PTSD and has demonstrated a high level of delusional behavior. He fled the state of Texas in the middle of the night when his parents questioned him regarding his son’s care. They have not seen the boy since, and their concern is legitimate. Christopher Diaz must be turned over to DCFS during the course of the investigation. There is no other option considering his father’s erratic behavior.”

“To avoid any confusion, I will be asking my client questions, and he’s been instructed to answer only my questions.” Natalie turned to Eddie. “Will you describe your move to California, Mr. Diaz?”

“I asked my aunt, Josephine Padron, to come to Texas and travel with my son via airplane. I didn’t want him to spend upwards of thirteen hours in a car, considering his cerebral palsy. He gets muscle cramps, and the trip would’ve been uncomfortable for him. Before she left with Christopher, she helped me get my house ready for sale and pack. I rented a shipping pod, filled it with everything I wanted to keep, and shipped it to LA, then put my aunt and son on a plane.

“After their flight, I finished up some last-minute details regarding the sale of my house in El Paso. The afternoon that I left, my parents showed up at my house demanding to know what I was doing and tried to forbid me from selling my own house. I ignored them, left, and drove straight to LA.”

“And do you have PTSD?”

“Many men and women who have served in active combat do suffer some level of PTSD; I’m no exception,” Eddie said evenly. “The Army officially diagnosed me with the condition as part of my honorable discharge from the service. I don’t have any specific triggers, and I’ve not had a flashback since being discharged. I do suffer the occasional nightmare, but I was shot in the line of duty, so…I think I’m entitled to a nightmare or two about the experience.”

Natalie made a note, and Eddie noticed that Hayes was starting to look a little green around the edges.

“Are you willing to speak to the events that led to you being shot?”

“I was a combat medic in the Army. During a mission, in a war zone, the helicopter I was in was shot down. Several of us managed to escape it without significant injury. While the rest of my unit set up a defensive position, I removed everyone else from the helicopter,” Eddie paused to take a deep breath, “including the dead because I feared it would explode or would be blown up. It did blow up at some point.

“After that, I joined the rest of my unit, and I defended our position to the best of my ability until we were evac’d. The Army is unsure how many insurgents were killed during the incident. I woke up in the hospital after passing out in the evac helicopter. I had four fractured ribs and a partially dislocated shoulder from the crash. I also took three bullets before rescue arrived.” He averted his gaze when he noted that his father was staring at him, mouth agape.

“You were awarded the Silver Star for your valor in combat and the Purple Heart due to your injuries, correct?” Natalie prodded.

“Yes.” Eddie cleared his throat. “I was. I don’t like discussing this, so if we could move on, I would appreciate it.”

“So, you didn’t run away from Texas?” Natalie said with a smile.

“Well, I wouldn’t say that,” Eddie admitted. “I just did it in a very orderly fashion. The Army taught me how to retreat and regroup.”

“And why did you retreat?” Ransone asked and held up a hand when Natalie glared at him.

“Go ahead and answer the detective’s question,” Natalie said and shot Ransone a look that had him grinning.

“I found out that my parents suppressed my soulmate mark when I was an infant,” Eddie said flatly, and Ransone made a soft shocked sound. “That’s why I’m seeing Dr. Salas; he’s one of under a hundred witch doctors in this country approved by the federal government to manifest, investigate, and monitor the use of suppression magic. My grandmother found him for me—she wanted me to have the best possible care concerning the situation.”

“That’s insane, Eddie!” Helena snapped. “You don’t have a soulmate mark. You were always so jealous of Sophia’s mark. I can’t believe you’d make up this story and blame us for your insane behavior.” She slapped her hand on the table when he ignored her. “I’m speaking to you, Edmundo!”

“My client will not be speaking to you, Mrs. Diaz,” Natalie responded firmly. “He has nothing to say to you or your husband.” She slid a stapled report across the table toward Ransone. “Dr. Salas has already successfully removed the suppression magic from Mr. Diaz’s soulmate mark. He has a heart placement.”

Eddie watched both of his parents pale in shock. His mother looked genuinely appalled as well.

Ransone glanced over the report and stood. “Excuse me.”

“Where are you going?” Isla asked in an amused tone.

“To call the FBI,” Ransone muttered. “This conversation just skyrocketed above my pay grade.”

“There’s no need for that,” Helena said with a scoff. “I had it done in Mexico, where it was legal at the time. Edmundo is my child, and I had every single right to protect his soul from being corrupted by magic.”

Isla leaned forward with a sharp smile. “Legal to perform in Mexico, but still illegal and considered a profane act of child abuse in the United States. The moment you returned to this country with your infant son, Mrs. Diaz, you were guilty of felony child abuse, and your husband is an accessory after the fact for allowing the suppression spell to stay on his son.”

“He’s twenty-nine years old,” Ramon said roughly. “It can’t matter at this point.”

“There is no statute of limitations on the unlawful suppression of a soulmate mark,” Dr. Salas interjected. “The spell was insidious and impacted his ability to make personal connections, as documented in my report. If I could find the person who placed it—they’d face charges, too. I’m tempted to go to Mexico and search for them. As is, I’ve turned the evidence of their magical signature over to the Mexican government and the International Magical Protectorate. Someone so morally corrupt as to do this to an infant should be magically castrated.”

“We’re not here about Eddie. We’re here for Christopher,” Helena said. “Eddie’s already destroyed himself—corrupted his soul by removing the protection. I won’t let him ruin Christopher.”

Ransome cleared his throat. “Mr. Hayes, if you allow either one of these people to be in the same room with Christopher Diaz, I will arrest you for child endangerment. I’d also like to remind you that you work for the city of Los Angeles and not a couple of child-abusing criminals from Texas.”

“I’m not a child abuser,” Helena hissed and glared at Ransone.

“I meant what I said, Mr. Hayes,” Ransone said tersely and left the office with his phone tucked against his ear.

Natalie cleared her throat. “Mr. Hayes, I’ll set up an appointment with your superior to have a discussion about the validity of the accusations against my client. Additionally, I will arrange for Christopher Diaz to be interviewed by a child psychologist, and a report will be generated for the DCFS.”

Hayes frowned. “No formal complaint has been filed. I chose to act as soon as I finished my meeting with Mr. and Mrs. Diaz.”

“And I can assume the referral you received through the church made you believe that you could trust them to be entirely honest with you,” Natalie said, and Hayes’ cheeks darkened red. “Does your boss have any idea where you are, Mr. Hayes?”

“There’s nothing wrong with being a man of God,” Hayes said stiffly.

“God doesn’t pay your salary,” Natalie said like Hayes was a naughty child, and Eddie pinched his own arm to keep from laughing. “Isla, we should go ahead and contact DCFS and make an appointment just to make sure this situation is completely resolved.”

“I’m not leaving here without Christopher!” Helena said. “He’s coming back to Texas where he belongs.”

Ransone came back into the room with two uniformed officers. “Helena Diaz, on behalf of the Federal Bureau of Investigations, I am placing you under arrest for felony child abuse, the willful suppression of a minor’s soulmate mark, and the magical abuse of a minor.” He pulled her up from her chair as she stared in shock and passed her to a uniformed officer who handcuffed her immediately. “Ramon Diaz, on behalf of the Federal Bureau of Investigations, I am placing you under arrest for the magical abuse of a minor, accessory to the suppression of a minor’s soulmate mark, and felony child abuse.”

Ramon jerked back when Ransone grabbed his arm. “Don’t fucking touch me.”

“Sir, if you’d like to add resisting arrest and assaulting a police officer to your list of charges, I am willing to indulge in whatever sort of physical altercation you’d like to engage in,” Ransone said evenly. He grabbed Ramon’s arm firmly and pulled him roughly from the chair. “Officer Sally, feel free to shackle this man at the wrists and ankles if he can’t behave.”

“Edmundo, you can’t mean to file charges against us!” Ramon shouted.

“Your son isn’t filing charges against you—the United States government is filing charges against you,” Ransone said. “And as your luck would have it, prosecuting such crimes is right up the DOJ’s alley these days. They like to make examples of people like you and your wife.”

Ransone turned toward Hayes. “Should I go ahead and arrest you now or what?”

“I’ll…go. I’ve made an error in judgment,” Hayes said stiffly, stood, and left the room at a damn near run.

Isla stood. “I’m going to go get him fired, Nat. You stay here and pat these guys’ feelings.” She grabbed her bag and left with a smile firmly in place.

Ransone cleared his throat when the door shut and focused on Natalie. “I don’t need my feelings patted by my ex-wife’s lawyer.”

“Oh, I fired her as a client,” Natalie said cheerfully. “You need a medal for staying married to her as long as you did.”

The detective laughed. “Consider my feelings patted then.” He focused on Eddie. “With all due respect, Mr. Diaz, I’d like to meet your son.” He paused. “Today.”

Eddie stared for a moment, then nodded. “He’s with my soulmate. You can follow me home, or we can meet you at Ms. North’s office.”

 

 

Chapter 9

Eddie put his keys in a basket on a table in the entryway of the house and shut the door behind Lou Ransone.

“Buck! Chris!”

“Kitchen, Daddy!” Chris called out in response.

Eddie cleared his throat as he shed the light jacket he was wearing and laid it across the back of the couch. He wasn’t sure if he was going to go somewhere else, and he felt on edge. That wasn’t helped by entering the kitchen and finding Maddie Buckley perched on a barstool with a cup of tea in hand and a host of fading bruises on her face. It was disconcerting that the Buckley siblings basically had a matching set of faces.

“Eddie, this is my sister…Maddie…” Buck frowned as his gaze drifted from Lou Ransone to him. “What’s going on?”

“Detective Ransone wanted to meet Christopher just to finish off his report,” Eddie said. “He’s with LAPD. Detective Ransone, this is my soulmate Evan Buckley, his sister Maddie Kendall, and my son Christopher.”

Buck reached out to steady Christopher when he made to move off the modified step stool that had clearly been bought especially for his son. Eddie hadn’t even realized it was in the house.

“We’re making paninis,” Chris said as he grasped the side rail of the step stool and stepped down. He grabbed his crutches, which were hooked on the bar. “Aunt Maddie got to pick it, but I’m picking dinner. We already flipped a quarter and everything.” He focused on Detective Ransone as he walked across the room. “Hi.”

Lou smiled. “Hello, Christopher. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“Are you going to stay for lunch?” Chris asked, his gaze darting around to each adult. “We have chicken, turkey, ham, and eggplant, which Bucky says is good, but I don’t know if that can be trusted. He doesn’t even eat Twinkies.”

“I….” Ransone seemed to flounder, which Eddie found amusing.

“Yes, please stay for lunch,” Buck said. “Tea? Coffee?”

“Water,” Lou murmured. “And turkey.”

Christopher nodded. “I think that’s the best choice. Daddy?”

“Chicken, if it’s grilled. If not, then ham,” Eddie said and went to retrieve the bottled water that Buck kept in the fridge for guests. He grabbed two bottles and gave one to Lou Ransone when the older man took a seat at the bar with Maddie.

Ransone’s gaze drifted from one Buckley sibling to the other, and Eddie could sort of feel the questions building.

“Aunt Maddie was in an accident in Pennsylvania,” Chris said innocently as he got back into place on the step stool. “It’s almost just like Buck’s bruise from the dangling window washer, Daddy.”

“Window washer?” Lou questioned. “That was you?”

Buck flushed and shook his head slightly with a glance toward Christopher. “Relatively routine rescue, Detective. I’m fine.”

“Please feel free to call me Lou. I’m not here officially. I just…heard a lot of things this morning and wanted a visible verification that I was right about my own conclusions.”

Buck raised an eyebrow at Eddie. “Was Natalie helpful?”

“It was like Shark Week,” Eddie responded, and Lou laughed. “Her partner went to DCFS to get someone fired or to start a land war, whichever got her the results she expected to get. My parents are visiting with the FBI.” He shrugged when Buck’s mouth dropped open.

“I hope the FBI keeps them,” Christopher said. “But, also, I feel sorry for the FBI.”

Lou snorted and turned his head as his shoulders shook with quiet laughter. “God, so do I.”

Maddie glanced between them. “I think…I’m missing something.”

“Daddy’s parents suppressed his soulmate mark,” Chris reported as he watched Buck move a cast iron press off a sandwich, then pick up the spatula to transfer it to a plate that Christopher held out. “So, we think they’re hateful. We ran away to Disneyland to escape them, and they just followed us like…something evil. We should probably get an exorcism, Daddy.”

Buck snorted. “Neither of you needs an exorcism, and how do you even know that word?”

“I watched a show on TV all about magic and ghosts and demons and the spiritual battle between good and evil,” Chris said earnestly. “Abuelita says I need to know evil when I see it, Buck.”

Buck turned to stare at Eddie in horror.

“I….” Eddie huffed. “It’s really hard to argue with my abuela, Buck. She’s seen some shi…stuff.” He pulled out his phone. “I need to call her.”

Maddie Buckley started to laugh, and Christopher smiled at her with such happiness that Eddie let himself relax. He shook his head and walked out onto the patio to call his abuela. He hadn’t even realized they had that much of a backyard. He decided immediately there was going to be a riding lawnmower purchased. Clearly, Buck couldn’t be trusted not to go overboard if left unsupervised.

* * * *

Buck hadn’t expected to meet Lou Ransone again so soon. The man had been part of the investigation and prosecution of Chimney the first time around, so Buck knew him quite well. He’d worked hard to resolve everything before Buck got too sick to testify. Though there had been some worry that Buck would die before a trial happened. It was very odd to see Maddie chatting happily with the man, considering how outright hostile she’d been with the cop over Chimney’s incarceration.

He wasn’t all that surprised when Lou asked to speak with Maddie privately. They’d retreated to the patio, and Buck had monitored that whole thing from the kitchen. The man wasn’t the sort to leave a question unanswered, and fading bruises like Maddie’s didn’t look like anything less than exactly what they were. Buck hoped the situation was entirely resolved, but he couldn’t be sure as he hadn’t gotten to speak with Maddie privately. Buck watched Lou hand Maddie a business card, and she offered him a genuine smile.

“That’d be a better choice,” Eddie murmured. “Let’s actively work to make sure she never meets Chimney.” He paused. “I regret that part of that…I mean…Jee.”

“Fate told me that Maddie is meant to have Jee, and if she doesn’t look the same, the soul will be.” Buck smiled. “I can take comfort in that.”

“Ransone is divorced; that’s about all I know.”

Buck hummed under his breath. “He’s a good man—strong, ethically sound, and great with kids. Athena trusts him, which means a lot to me.”

Eddie nodded. “Yeah. Chris is down for a nap. He asked if that room is his. He likes the bed.”

“Well, you know it is. The mattress is orthopedic,” Buck said. “Support and the like. I haven’t bought any furniture beyond the bed and dresser. I bought that set when I bought the new bed for the master suite and set up a guest room for Maddie.”

“Everything I’ve seen has been great.” Eddie nudged him. “What’s with the hesitation?”

Buck flushed and took a deep breath. “I really didn’t want to make a home by myself, Eddie. It felt like a failure, and it made me sad.” He averted his gaze when Eddie pressed against his side. “I…died grieving, and I woke up that way, too. It’s been hard to set all of that aside emotionally and to work with what I’ve got. Having that asshole in my face at work didn’t help at all.”

“I don’t know how to make this better for you,” Eddie said quietly but then shifted away with the patio doors opened, and Maddie entered. Lou was directly behind her. “Everything okay?”

“Yes, I think so,” Maddie said with a smile, but it looked tight and a little sad.

“Let me know if you have any further contact with your former in-laws,” Lou said. “We can document the situation and create an evidence trail for a restraining order.”

“Thanks, Lou. I appreciate your perspective,” Maddie said, and she turned to Buck. “I’m going to take a nap, Evan. If that’s okay?”

“Sure, Mads, of course,” Buck said. “The bed’s made in the guestroom—your bags in there already.” Buck watched her leave the kitchen, then focused on Ransone. “What about her in-laws?”

“Social media stalking and some defamation, currently. They blame her for their son’s poor behavior and decisions. They’ve also threatened to sue for custody of her child if she gives birth and ordered her to abort.” He blew air out between his lips. “So, while it’s not my nature to ever recommend anyone meet Natalie Rutledge—your family should probably keep her on retainer.”

Buck laughed. “She’s great, though.”

“She’s a land shark,” Ransone said roughly. “And I don’t even think she’s achieved her final form. The state might not survive whatever comes next for her.” He checked his watch, pulled a card from his pocket, and put it on the counter. “Do you know what your sister’s father-in-law looks like?”

“I remember him vaguely from the wedding,” Buck said. “Why?”

“Because his posts on social media are currently mostly grief-driven over the loss of his only child. But he raised a man that would beat a woman, so I can’t see how he’s not a problem waiting to happen. I’ll do a background check, gather some photos, and the like. If he shows up here, you’ll want to recognize him on sight.”

“You think he might attack her to make her lose the baby,” Eddie surmised.

“Harlan Kendall has sent her several messages telling her that she isn’t allowed to have his son’s child and threatened to sue her in a public post on Facebook. He doesn’t appear to have any grounds. The best way to get rid of him might be to threaten his wallet and Natalie Rutledge excels at that shit.”

“Wow, but also, I’m not really all that surprised. Doug had to get his raging entitlement from somewhere, and it wasn’t all to do with his privilege. I’m surprised they aren’t fighting the will, but Maddie said Doug left an airtight document where he declared her the love of his life. He wanted to provide for her every need even after his death.”

“That’s disgusting,” Eddie muttered and refilled his water. “On the other hand, it’s the least he owed her.” Then focused on Buck. “We should update the security, install a camera doorbell, and exterior cameras at the very least.”

Buck nodded. “Agreed.”

“I’ll leave you gentlemen to take care of your family,” Lou said. “Call me if needed.” He glanced back toward the hall where Maddie had disappeared.

“Thank you,” Buck said and wondered when he could start encouraging his sister to pursue herself an LAPD detective without it looking callous as fuck. “I’ll walk you out.”

Ransone looked around the neighborhood as they left the house. “Nice, quiet—good place for a family.”

“We’re close to Eddie’s grandmother,” Buck said. “It’s important. Will his parents make bail?”

“They’ll appear in a federal court for that. They’ve already been transferred to the FBI’s custody, so I’m completely out of the loop on that front. I’ll be asked to provide contact details for Eddie. Officially, I only have a cell phone number to offer. Just do whatever Natalie says you should do. For all of my talk, she’s a very good attorney, and I’d trust her to take care of any issues I had on that front. I’m just generally irritated that my ex-wife got to her first.”

“Expensive divorce?” Buck questioned.

“The only reason I kept my house is because it’s part of a living trust that my grandparents established for our family, and it wasn’t considered a marital asset,” Lou said. “I live about ten minutes from here—so I meant it when I said to call if you need me.” He glanced back into the house. “Or if she needs me.”

Buck hummed under his breath. “I don’t think she loved her husband anymore. I’m going to throw her at a therapist or two or three.” He grinned when Lou laughed. “But I think we could all make a new friend for the time being. Don’t you?”

“I think so, yes,” Lou said. “She mentioned hunting for an apartment, and I know you have a new personal connection to get used to yourself, but I think she’d be safer staying with you.” The man glanced Buck over. “I’d hesitate to cross you, so you’re a great visual deterrent. There aren’t many sixty-five-year-old men who’d pick a fight with a younger man as fit as you are.”

Buck laughed. “I get it. I actually work hard to not appear to be a physical threat because people often assume the worst. I’m heading toward a bulking phase because I want to increase my weight minimum for work. I’ve got a swift water certification course coming up in the spring.”

Lou nodded. “I think a lot of people don’t realize how much effort and training it takes to do what you do. The LAFD should work on improving people’s understanding of just how much damn work that is—even when you aren’t on the job.”

“I have to do at least an hour of PT every single day to maintain what I’ve got,” Buck admitted. “And my grocery bill is no joke.”

“I bet,” Lou said and pulled his keys out even as an LAPD SUV pulled up. “Do you know Athena Grant?”

“Yeah, I do,” Buck said with a grin. “I sent her a text with my address this morning. I wanted to introduce her to Eddie and Maddie, considering the circumstances.”

“Good thought,” Lou said.

Athena came up the sidewalk, mouth pressed in a firm line. “Ransone, you got a problem with Buck?”

“Nope,” Lou said cheerfully. “Just here for lunch. Maybe you can talk him into making you a panini. It was really good.”

Athena huffed and watched the detective walk away, then focused on Buck. “Evan Buckley.”

“Sergeant Grant,” Buck said with a grin in her direction that he couldn’t contain. “Come in. Panini? I have grilled chicken and a homemade pesto I think might have your name all over it.”

“Sure, you can make me a sandwich,” Athena said, but eyed him like he was up to no good as he pulled the door shut and led her into the kitchen. “Captain Nash tells me you have a soulmate.”

“Eddie Diaz, soulmate, meet Sergeant Athena Grant, badass.”

Athena laughed. “Shut up.” She put her sunglasses on the bar and looked around the kitchen. “It’s nice to meet you, Eddie.”

“The pleasure is mine, Sergeant. Buck rarely introduces me to beautiful women, so I’m going to take this for a win.”

Athena huffed and rolled her eyes. Then focused on Buck. “I thought you had a room share.”

“Eddie moved to LA to get help with a personal problem, and I figured sharing a house with a friend was better than what I was doing. As it turns out, he’s my soulmate,” Buck said and was surprised by how comfortable he was with the half-truth. “We’re still furnishing and stuff. His moving pod hasn’t arrived, either.”

“How were you friends for years without knowing you were soulmates?” Athena questioned and eyed Eddie like he might be a problem.

“It would be easier, probably, if you read that,” Eddie said and motioned toward the folder on the counter. “I assume Buck called you over here to discuss my parents.”

“I thought having a cop in the know would be helpful,” Buck said. “I didn’t know you were going to bring the LAPD home with you.”

Athena slid up onto a barstool and opened the folder. “Bobby told me about your sister, Buck. Based on the plates on that SUV outside in your driveway, I take it she arrived.”

“Yes, earlier in the day. Sooner than I expected since she chose to drive straight through the night instead for the last leg instead of stopping to rest like we agreed,” Buck admitted as he put together the sandwich and reheated the pan. “I have potato salad as a side option?”

She raised an eyebrow but nodded. “Sounds great.”

“Cold potatoes have a lower glycemic index,” Buck pointed out, and she grimaced at him like he’d said something profane. “Vinegar helps as well, so I always add a little to my potato salad. You’ll like it.”

“Maybe, I’m picky about that kind of thing,” she said and opened the folder.

There were more documents than just the suppression report since Natalie had created several when she was in Dr. Salas’ office to give to Eddie.

“Would you like some water or tea, Sergeant?” Eddie questioned. “Buck has a ridiculous coffee maker, as well.”

“Coffee, please, and call me Athena,” she said as she frowned at the documents. “How did you meet Lou Ransone, Eddie?”

“Cristobal Salas, my doctor, called the LAPD, and he was sent over as an observer and to provide some legal protection regarding my parents trying to use the DCFS to kidnap my child,” Eddie explained and retrieved a cup from the cabinet. “Buck, make this thing give her coffee.”

Buck grinned because Hildy wasn’t going to get old. “Athena, tell Hildy how you like your coffee.”

Athena turned a page. “Hildy, make me a mocha latte.”

“Of course, Athena,” Hildy replied cheerfully.

Eddie huffed under his breath, but the cup into place. “I’m not going to live in a smart house, Buck. I mean it.”

“Relax,” Buck said. “I just make terrible coffee. Hildy saves me and my wallet at the coffee shop. The fridge doesn’t talk.”

“You can control it with an app,” Eddie muttered. “Who needs that?”

“Maybe I’ll want to monitor the thawing drawer,” Buck pointed out as he cut the panini like he believed that was a reasonable choice and grinned when Eddie sighed. “Don’t worry about it. The fridge won’t hold it against you if you don’t download its app.” He slid the sandwich onto a plate with the scoop of potato salad and put it on the bar next to Athena just in time for her coffee to be done.

“This situation is a lot,” Athena said and plucked a fork from a silverware caddy not far from her. “Any pain associated with this kind of suppression?” She took a bite of potato salad as she focused on Eddie.

“Not physical,” Eddie said neutrally and leaned on the counter with a frown. “Emotionally, I feel like years of my life were stolen from me. I don’t regret my son at all. But I’d have never married if I’d known I had a soulmate mark. It wasn’t fair to my ex-wife. I didn’t realize what I wasn’t feeling due to the suppression magic. Looking back, all of my memories are subdued, and it’s like I barely felt any kind of emotion. The only person I’ve ever truly, profoundly loved before Buck is my son.”

“Parental love is different,” Athena said. “And consuming. I’ve never loved anyone the way I love my two kids. I don’t have a soulmate.” She closed the folder. “I’m struggling, even now, to balance my duty and my love for my daughter.”

“How is she?” Buck questioned.

“Better,” Athena murmured. “Her suicide attempt has damaged her magic, but she didn’t have much, to begin with. I hate those little girls that drove her to it…I want to ruin their lives.”

“Would that makes things better or worse for May?” Buck questioned, and she focused on him with a frown. “I mean, I get it. The desire to avenge someone you love. My sister is currently sleeping in my guest room, pregnant and a widow. I don’t know how to help her grieve because I’m relieved her piece of shit husband accidentally killed himself.” He took a deep breath when Athena’s mouth dropped open. “He beat her. Probably for years, but she won’t hardly say anything about it. I have no real outlet, and I feel weird about my emotional response to it. It’s her tragedy, not mine.”

“When something happens to someone you love—it happens to you in a way as well,” Athena said. “I wouldn’t want to make things worse for May. Michael, my soon-to-be ex, wants to move her to a new school. I haven’t encouraged it. Maybe I should.” She picked up her sandwich. “The potato salad is very good. I have expectations for the panini now.”

Buck grinned. “Thanks for coming today. I just wanted to…have a touchstone on this topic. Having two won’t be a bad thing, I suppose. Lou Ransone left his card with us and mentioned that he lives about ten minutes away. That means I could call him…off-duty, right?”

Athena picked up the card Lou had left behind and flipped it. “I have two cards—one with just official numbers and one with official numbers plus my personal cellphone. You got the personal one from Lou, which means yes, you can call. In fact, he expects you to call if you have trouble. He’s a good man. I trust him.” She put the card down and took a big bite of her sandwich, then made a pleased sound as she swallowed. “Captain Nash has been bragging about teaching you to cook, Buck. I can see his work is paying off.”

“He’s a great teacher, and I’ve been researching some stuff,” Buck said easily and checked his watch. “Chris will be awake soon. Can you stay to meet him?”

She nodded. “Why?”

“I just…think you should meet him,” Buck said and shrugged when she raised an eyebrow. “Just call it a feeling? Not a bad one or anything.”

Athena nodded. “I can stay. I want to talk to you about something, at any rate.”

“Should I make myself scarce?” Eddie questioned.

“Not on my account,” Athena said and picked up her coffee as they both settled in on the end of the bar. “I want to talk to you about Howard Han.”

“Ah,” Buck said. “Is this about the accident?”

“Yes,” Athena said. “I’ve got a lot of conflicting reports regarding the accident itself, but three people have died, and traffic cameras have revealed some pretty erratic driving on his part. He was speeding, and while he didn’t actually cause the initial accident, his speed kept him from avoiding plowing right into it and creating more damage. Accident reconstruction is inconclusive regarding whether or not he is directly responsible for anyone dying. I was told he had an argument with Captain Nash and stormed out of the 118.”

“Yeah,” Buck said warily. “Chimney has a temper, but most of the time, he does well to keep it in check. He was heavily mistreated and bullied by his previous captain, so to have Bobby reprimand him had to be…triggering. He has a full-blown inferiority complex and is a womanizer. Chim lies to women like he breathes, finds it amusing to do so, and actively slut-shamed me on the job.”

“Sounds like a real asshole,” Maddie muttered as she came into the kitchen, scratching her head with both hands. “I left my shower bag in the backseat.” She blinked as she saw Athena. “How many cops do you guys know?”

Buck laughed. “A lot, actually. I’m a first responder, Maddie, and it all sort of blends together. This is Athena Grant; she’s a field sergeant with the LAFD. Since I didn’t know Eddie was going to bring Lou home with him, I asked her to come over so I could talk to her about Eddie’s parents. Fortunately, they’re guests of the FBI right now and not a problem.”

“Lou has positive connections at the FBI, and he’ll be kept in the loop regarding their custody, especially since they’ve made themselves a threat to a minor,” Athena said and focused on Maddie. She stared at her face. “Want to talk about the person who did that to you?”

“He’s dead, so not so much,” Maddie said.

Athena nodded. “Okay.”

“No questions?” Buck asked.

“I’ll make Ransone tell me the rest,” Athena said and smiled when Maddie laughed.

“Daddy!”

Eddie shifted immediately away from the counter. “Excuse me.”

Buck stilled the urge to follow because he figured it might look weird. He focused on Maddie. “You didn’t nap long.”

“I wanted to wash my hair.” She yawned. “And felt bad for being in your guest bed in clothes I’ve worn since yesterday. I just tried sleeping on top of the duvet, which wasn’t very snuggly. Plus, Leeloo still won’t come out from underneath your bed, and I’m sort of used to sleeping with her.” Maddie headed toward the garage entry. “It was nice to meet you, Sergeant Grant.”

Christopher came into the kitchen, hesitated at the sight of Athena, and turned to Buck. “She’s not here to take me away, right?”

“No, of course not, Superman,” Buck said. “Athena’s a friend. She’s just here to check on things and make sure we’re safe.”

“Okay,” Chris said warily and took a deep breath. “Daddy said I had to come ask if I can use your PlayStation in the den.”

“Yeah, you can play any game in the first top drawer and nothing in the second drawer, okay?”

Chris nodded but focused on Athena. “Do you have any kids my age?”

“I have a son who is eight and a daughter who is fourteen,” Athena said. “Harry, my son, loves to play games. Maybe I’ll bring him to play with you if that’s okay with your dad.”

“Sounds great. Thank you,” Chris said and left the kitchen, calling for his dad.

“Instant family, huh?” Athena said with a wry grin, then frowned. “Eddie’s parents want to take his son?”

“Yeah, they’re awful,” Buck said quietly as Maddie came back into the house with a backpack slung over her shoulder. “Sorry. I didn’t even notice it.”

“I should’ve said,” Maddie said with a yawn. “I’m gonna shower and hibernate. Don’t wake me unless Doug’s parents lay siege to the house. I’ll leave the door open so Leeloo can find me; she’ll carry on like she’s dying if she can’t.”

Buck sighed when Maddie shuffled out of the kitchen again. “Her in-laws blame her for their son’s OD and have launched some kind of weird campaign online against her because she’s pregnant, and she’s keeping it.”

“Well, make sure she has my number since she’ll be here while you’re at work.” Athena paused. “Unless you’ve already moved your hotass soulmate in.”

“I am aggressively moving my hotass soulmate into this house,” Buck assured and grinned when she laughed. He cleared his throat. “But back to Chim.”

“Yeah, back to Chimney,” Athena said and put aside her empty coffee cup. “Bobby downplayed the argument, I’m sure. He’s protecting one of his own, and I’m not surprised by that. It’s just what he does. I can’t say I always appreciate his methods, but I don’t doubt his reasons. Do you consider Howard Han a dangerous person?”

Buck’s gut clenched. “Between you and me?”

“Yes.”

“Ultimately, I think he’s selfish with a cruel streak, and he probably doesn’t feel guilty at all about his part in the accident. If it were discovered that he’d caused someone’s death, he’d probably blame them for being in the accident in the first place. I’m utterly relieved that he won’t be working at the 118 going forward. I don’t trust him personally or professionally.” He frowned then. “But why ask me? I’m a probie who pisses you off.”

“You’re new, and you have no emotional investment in Chimney, and that makes it easy for you to acknowledge his bullshit,” Athena said. “And yeah, you piss me off, but honestly, Buck, you stood up to me when most wouldn’t. You weren’t even wrong. Bobby and I both got a ding from the powers that be for transporting that baby with the person who nearly killed her.” She sighed. “You probably don’t want to hear this, but DCFS let the girl keep that baby.”

“Son of a bitch,” Buck muttered. “You’re right—I didn’t want to hear that shit.” He reached out and put a hand on hers as magic drifted between them. “Listen, I don’t like to get in people’s business…but concentrate on May and forget about those dumb girls. The more you focus on them, the more important they appear. They don’t deserve to live in her head or yours.”

Athena glanced down at their hands, where magic was sparkling around them. “Hen said you’ve been more open lately about your magic and that you told her something that you shouldn’t have known at all.”

“Yeah, do Hen a favor and make sure she knows to leave her ex alone forever. That woman is never going to be anything but a problem. If she gets out of jail, she’ll turn to drugs as quickly as she can so you can get her parole violated. Do it as soon as possible. Their kid doesn’t deserve to be caught in the middle of that mess.”

* * * *

The Morgan Academy of Arts & Sciences was pretty much exactly what Christopher wanted, and Eddie could see it as soon as the visit started. The principal was giving them a personal tour and had quick, good answers to Eddie’s questions regarding services and accommodations for disabled children. The grant he’d get from the state would more than pay for the fees. They did the enrollment, picked up a list of supplies, and he established a very restricted pick-up list.

He knew he’d made the right choice because Chris was reluctant to leave the building. Eddie got his son buckled into his car seat and settled behind the wheel of the truck. “We’re heading back to Abuela’s for the night, so Maddie can have some time to herself.”

“Will she be safe?” Chris asked.

Eddie hated that the question even crossed his son’s mind, but it was hard to keep secrets from a very observant child.

“The security system that is currently in place is fine, but we’re going to install a new one. She also knows she can call me, and I’ll go right over there to help her,” Eddie said. “We need to go through your school stuff this weekend, pick up uniforms, and see what supplies need to be replaced. You get to meet Dr. Bryne this afternoon.”

“And Monday, I have to go back to school.”

“Yep, so we have a few days to handle all of that,” Eddie said and turned on the radio. “It’ll be fun.”

“I think so, too,” Chris agreed. “Maybe we should ask Mr. Lou to visit Aunt Maddie while we’re gone. He likes her.”

Eddie laughed. “Let’s not start matchmaking just yet, Mijo. Maddie’s had a lot happen, and she needs to concentrate on herself for a while.”

“I like her,” Chris said. “She seems sad, though, but not about her dead husband.”

Eddie winced. “Mijo, I really wish you didn’t see so much.”

“I know, but I’d rather see what’s coming, Daddy. It’s better to be prepared, right?”

“I guess,” Eddie muttered, but he didn’t entirely mean it.

They had lunch with his abuela, who had come with them for the shopping and to meet Adelaide Bryne, who turned out to be just as enchanting as her YouTube videos. Chris adored her and happily agreed to talk with her all by himself. Once she was finished speaking with Chris, she’d prodded Eddie into her office, and Chris had latched onto his abuela in the waiting room.

“Your son is…intuitive,” she said as she set about cleaning up the paper and crayons on the small table. “Gifted.”

“Yes, I’m worried, though.”

“I’m glad,” Adelaide said. “Some parents don’t worry at all, and their children suffer for it. Being on guard and proactive in his care is exactly what he needs. Christopher told me he’ll be attending the Morgan Academy. It’s a good choice and one I would’ve recommended for him. The staff there is trained well to deal with both his cerebral palsy and his magical abilities.” She focused on him and motioned him to sit in a chair near a large window.

Eddie sat and watched her basically float into her own seat with a sweep of silken skirts. “Do you put on the look for your patients?”

She grinned. “Perhaps I play it up a wee bit. But I buy nothing specially to wear to work. Cristobal tells me your parents are vicious zealots.”

He sighed. “Well, yes, that’s one way to put it. They’ve never had unsupervised contact with Christopher because my mother violated our boundaries when he was an infant regarding whether or not he had a soulmate mark.”

“There is a theorist in Europe who believes we all have soulmate marks,” she said. “But that magic is subdued on Earth to such a degree that only a special few can truly be marked in this day and age. I find it to be a sad state of affairs.”

“Is there a way to fix that?”

“Oh, I think magic has self-corrected,” Adelaide said. “There is a difference in the air…ancient powers are stirring. It’s quite exciting and more so for the fact that it feels very close. I believe we’re ground zero for a magical renewal, Mr. Diaz.”

“You can call me Eddie,” he said hoarsely as he considered the power that Buck carried and what it would mean to be the spark that ignited that fire. “Do you think it’s dangerous?”

“I think the embrace of magic herself is a safety like no other.” Adelaide crossed her legs. “You needn’t worry about your son. Magic clearly adores him.”

“He had a dream about Hekate.”

“Oh, he told me,” Adelaide said. “I’ve never met anyone who’d been given permission to be so informal with the goddess herself.”

“He calls her Katie,” Eddie murmured. “I have to say that it freaked me out when he said it. Buck tells me I shouldn’t worry so much about that part.”

“Ah, Buck. Christopher adores him. He’s so pleased that you’ve found your soulmate. He said it was like his family finally made sense to him. Though there is some guilt for that.”

“What do you mean?”

“He doesn’t miss his mother now that he has Buck,” she said plainly, and Eddie took a deep breath. “He loves her, of course, but he doesn’t miss her. I think it would be fine to reintroduce your ex-wife, but she needs to have very low expectations. Christopher won’t see her as a parent going forward. He would be put off if she were to try to make decisions for him, and she mustn’t disparage or question Buck’s place in your lives. It would have extreme consequences and result in Christopher rejecting her permanently.”

“Is this magical?”

“He has profound magical connections to you and your soulmate. I can see it on you and him. I would expect to see it on Buck as well. It’s a beautiful thing to see. It speaks to trust, compatibility, and a deep knowing.” Adelaide smiled. “It also keeps your son very safe. I think both you and your partner could move mountains for him in the right magical circumstances, and that’s a relief. Christopher has a wonderful destiny.”

Eddie stared at her for a moment and swallowed hard. “Do you see my parents being a problem?”

“Oh, no, I won’t allow that,” she said in a firm tone. “I’ll be drafting a report for International Magical Protectorate. Your parents are not safe company for any magical person, but they are detrimental to children. I’m relieved, Eddie, to see you as healthy as you are mentally and magically. Cristobal will continue to work with you, I’m sure, to get you set completely to rights. Any emotional instability you feel right now will even out as you work with him and settle into the gifts that were largely subdued by the suppression magic. Honestly, most adults in your situation are in terrible circumstances, mentally and emotionally. Some never recover, and that’s the heart of the campaign across the world to make such magic illegal and taboo when used on a child.”

“Being with Buck—having him close makes me feel safe,” Eddie admitted, and his face heated as she smiled at him. “Of course, I’d never tell him that. His ego is already immense.”

 

 

Chapter 10

“A Halligan?” Bobby questioned as Buck joined them on a boat.

“I’m gonna need it,” Buck said simply and shrugged when Hen shot him a look. “Seriously.”

“I believe you,” Bobby said and motioned to the operator to take the boat to the plane.

They were pulling people out of the water all over the area, but they’d been assigned a check on the interior. Buck reviewed the situations they’d faced the first time around—making a mental note to get to the Mile-High couple sooner rather than later since they were pinned in, and they’d wasted a lot of time on that situation. He resolved to stay with Bobby as much as he could because this event was going to come back to bite them when it came to the older man’s addiction, and he didn’t know what had triggered it specifically.

Sae ended up taking the boy out of the plane, and Buck was relieved that she was there on the team, being what they needed at the moment.

Buck leveraged the Halligan against the wreckage, and magic rushed around him as he pulled. The mess gave way with a sharp crack, and Hen crawled over what was left to get to the people still screaming for help in the bathroom. Buck went back to Bobby and the woman.

“I think we can pry it up together,” Buck suggested, and Bobby nodded. “Ma’am, this is probably going to hurt, and I’m sorry.”

She nodded and braced herself. “I’ve hurt worse for my son. I can handle it! You can chop my leg off for all I fucking care!”

Buck exchanged a look with Bobby, who just looked grim. They didn’t have the tools to do that, but Buck knew it wasn’t necessary. The plane rocked, and Bobby called for evac. Buck glared at him when Bobby turned to him.

“We go together. All three of us,” Buck said firmly. “Let’s go.” They leveraged the Halligan, and magic bled freely from Buck’s hands, sinking into Bobby’s skin and flowing down the metal without restraint.

“Jesus Christ,” the woman gasped.

“Take a deep breath!” Bobby shouted.

The plane shuddered, and water rushed in as they broke the seat free. Bobby tossed the Halligan aside, and they pulled the woman from the chair. Buck started out ahead of them, pushing debris away so that Bobby could haul the woman through the water. The burn in his lungs increased two-fold as he cleared the airplane and sought out the lights bouncing off the surface of the water.

He broke the surface, and Bobby and the woman did shortly after.

“Bobby! Buck!”

Hands were reaching for him, but Buck waved them off as he wrapped a hand around a rope attached to the boat. “Bobby! Here!”

Shortly, they got the woman into the boat, and he allowed himself to be pulled in only after Bobby was on board. He felt like he hadn’t changed a damn thing but keeping Bobby close had at least relieved some of his own fucking stress over the entire situation. It was pretty selfish, but he was prepared to own it. On shore, he was prodded to an area briefly for an examination before he was released to work.

Buck took the phone call from Abby, did as she asked, and delivered the news he already had but verified just in case. He hadn’t told Abby that he’d found his soulmate because he really didn’t know how to have the conversation, and part of him felt like it wasn’t any of her business. Of course, he had no intention of actually introducing Abby to any member of his family. It just wasn’t the right course of action because her presence in his life was temporary. Soon enough, she’d fuck off to Europe and try to forget the years she’d sacrificed to the care of her mother.

His phone vibrated in his hand, and Eddie’s face was on his screen, so he answered it as he walked toward the relief tent to get some water and a protein bar. “Hey.”

“What’s going on?”

“Airplane crash. It should be all over the news.” Buck dropped down onto a cot and accepted the water that he was given. In the background, he listened to Eddie search for the remote to the TV in the master bedroom.

“Dios, Buck,” Eddie said lowly. “Are you okay?”

“A lot of dead,” Buck murmured. “The operation is shifting to search for bodies at this point. The 118 will be released from the scene pretty soon since we’re not used for that kind of work normally.” He took a big gulp of water. “Did I wake you?”

“My mark was stinging,” Eddie said roughly. “It didn’t hurt, exactly, but it felt like you were doing something stupidly dangerous.”

“Yeah, I was in the plane when it finally sank completely,” Buck said. “Me and Bobby. We’re okay.”

“I can feel that, but I still wanted to hear your voice,” Eddie said. “Today was hard; Shannon and I met to sign the divorce papers. I told her that Chris doesn’t want to see her right now and feels like she doesn’t have a place in his life anymore. Shannon was devastated. I mean, she doesn’t want it, but also, she feels rejected.”

Someone clearing their throat caught his attention. Buck looked up and found Hen standing in the tent doorway.

“We’ve been pulled.”

Buck nodded and stood. “Eds, we’re out of here. We’ll probably be down for a sleep period unless another disaster happens.”

“He loved Morgan Academy, so you were right to suggest it,” Eddie murmured.

“Chris starts school on Monday then,” Buck said as he followed Hen to the truck.

“Yeah, he’s very excited,” Eddie said around a yawn. “We were going to spend the night at Abuela’s, but it was clear Maddie didn’t want to be alone. She helped him go through his backpack this evening, and they’ve already planned all of his lunches for the whole week. You have some meal prep to do.”

Buck laughed.

“I need to have a private conversation with you,” Eddie said quietly. “One that no one can overhear.”

“Ask Maddie if she minds watching Chris this morning.” Buck stretched his legs out. He was still soaked through to the skin. “I’ll pick up breakfast on the way home, and we’ll take a drive.”

“Sounds good,” Eddie said. “It’s nothing terrible, just something I don’t think we should share with anyone else.”

Forty-five minutes later, Buck was in a dry uniform and had put his regular boots in the area they set up for drying stuff out. He kind of hated wearing his backup boots because they weren’t as broken in.

“Hey,” Bobby began and cleared his throat as he came to stand beside him. He put his own boots on the rack. “I need to speak with you in private.”

“Okay….” Buck agreed. “Are you about to lecture me for not following an order that you didn’t actually give me?”

“Nope,” Bobby said quietly and motioned him to follow.

Buck gamely took the short walk to Bobby’s office in silence.

Bobby pulled the door shut behind them. “I need you to take it back.”

“Take what back?” Buck asked in confusion.

“The magic you left in me,” Bobby said and held out his hands in front of him. Magic sparked around his fingers as he spread them.

“Oh,” Buck said and took a deep breath. “I don’t…think I can.” He reached out and took one of Bobby’s hands. “Does it hurt?”

“No, it’s just not something I’ve seen in person before. We hear about accidental magical transference, but most of that shit ends up sounding like urban legends.”

Buck didn’t know why magic would cling to Bobby, specifically, but he knew that the man had issues. “I think…do you have a…I don’t want to get too personal, Cap, but do you have any issues? Healthwise?”

“A few old injuries,” Bobby said quietly. “I’ve dealt with them.” He took a deep breath as his fingers clenched in Buck’s. “Kid, this is the weirdest thing I’ve ever experienced in my life.”

“I….” Buck took a deep breath. “I think you need to see someone. Okay?” He pulled out his phone with his free hand and checked the time. It was nearly five o’clock in the morning on a Saturday, but he thought it was time he met Cristobal Salas. “Take a seat, please.”

Bobby released his hand and sat. “I feel fine.”

“I can’t take any risks with this,” Buck said quietly.

“Your magic has changed since Eddie Diaz came to LA,” Bobby said. “Right?”

“Yeah,” Buck said because he couldn’t say anything else. Fundamentally, he knew that it would be a bad idea to share his story with anyone but Eddie. “He’s a prophetic dreamer, Bobby.”

Bobby took a deep breath. “Wow, I’ve never…met one of those before.”

“Fortunately, his dreams skew toward personal events,” Buck said. “I’d hate for him to dream about events he couldn’t possibly change. Let me call someone, okay? Also, I’m going to get Hen in here to check you over.”

Bobby made a face but nodded when Buck glared. “Fine, kid.”

Buck left the office and trotted over to the stairs. “Hey, Hen!”

She appeared at the railing. “What’s up, Buckaroo?”

“Would you get your bag and come into Bobby’s office? I sort of…bled all over him magically during the rescue, and his body kept it.”

“What?” Cosmo demanded as he came to stand with Hen. “Does he need to go to a hospital?”

“I don’t know,” Buck said honestly.

Hen trotted down the stairs, Sae Bu at her heels, and went to an ambulance to pick up a bag. “Let’s check this out. Cosmo, be prepared for transport. Sae, wait out here. Bobby’s office is small, and he hates to be crowded.”

Buck leaned on the wall next to the open office and dialed the number that Eddie had given him for Dr. Cristobal Salas. The call connected immediately.

“Hello?”

“Dr. Salas, my name is Evan Buckley,” Buck began. “You’ve been treating my soulmate, Eddie Diaz.”

“Yes, is he okay?” The man cleared his throat, and there was a rustling of covers. “It’s fine, mi amor. Go back to sleep.”

“I’m sorry to have woken our partner. Eddie’s fine, but I’ve got an issue that I think I need…you for.” Buck rubbed his neck. “I work as a firefighter, and tonight we had a high-stress rescue.”

“The airplane crash?” Salas questioned. “The footage on the news was heartbreaking, Mr. Buckley.”

“You can call me Buck,” he said and glanced into the office where Hen was listening to Bobby’s heart. “We had to extract a person from the plane, and during the course of that rescue, magic sort of…streamed off of me. It probably gave me a serious boost in the strength department, actually.”

“Sounds handy,” Salas said, and a door shut quietly back in the background. “Did something else happen?”

“Some of my magic entered my captain’s body and stayed,” Buck said roughly and glanced toward Bobby. “I don’t know how to take it back or if I should. Do we need to transport him to a hospital for a magical injury?”

“I’m unsure. Where is he right now?”

“We’re back at our station—the 118,” Buck explained.

“How are his vitals?”

“Hen,” Buck began, “How are his stats?”

“His heart rate is a little elevated, but that could be the stress of the situation,” Hen said. “Everything else is fine beyond the fact that he’s acting like an extra from Twilight.”

“What’s that?” Bobby questioned.

“A stupid vampire romance movie,” Sae answered from her place beside Buck before anyone else could. “The vampires sparkle in the sun.”

“It’s just his hands at this point,” Hen said.

“His stats are normal except for an elevated heart rate. There is magical residue on his hands,” Buck explained. “I’ve never done anything like this before, Dr. Salas.”

“Text me the station’s address. Keep him isolated and calm,” Salas stated. “If his vitals change or if he starts to have problems breathing—take him to Cedars Sinai and request that he be sequestered in a null room. Call me if that happens, and I’ll prep them for my arrival.”

“Okay,” Buck said quietly and ended the call. He texted the address and shifted so he could stare at Bobby.

Hen was on her phone, rapidly flicking her fingers across the screen. “There’s nothing substantial in the manual on any sort of magical transference. Buck, how do you feel?”

“Tired, but not abnormally so,” Buck said. He wasn’t exactly worried about the energy lingering on Bobby because he figured that Hekate was just doing her part to make things better. “Magic isn’t neutral.”

Everyone around him stilled and focused on him.

Bobby flexed his hands. “What does that mean, Buck?”

“I just remember being told that when I was younger—that magic was neutral, but that’s just not been my experience.” Buck shrugged. “Hekate moves through this world as a force for good. Those who abuse her power are horrifically punished for it in this life or the next.”

“Right,” Hen said slowly. “So, you’re saying we shouldn’t be worried.”

“Not about the energy itself,” Buck said. “Magical injuries don’t happen like this—they happen with very dark intent or misuse. In a way, Bobby and I both used magic to get that woman out of the plane. He just didn’t use it with intent the way I did.”

Hen nodded. “Makes sense. The only injuries I’ve seen involving magic were overtly criminal in nature.” She picked up Bobby’s wrist and focused on her watch. “Maybe some water—we’ll keep him hydrated until the consultant arrives.”

Nearly thirty minutes later, Sae stuck her head in the office. “Hey, Buck’s extremely hot doctor friend has arrived.”

“He’s my soulmate’s extremely hot married doctor,” Buck corrected and grinned at the startled laughter from the bay that followed. “Dr. Salas, please come in.”

Cristobal Salas appeared in the doorway, a messenger bag slung over a broad shoulder. He was dressed in a T-shirt, jeans, and a pair of hiking boots. “Technically, I’m a witch doctor.”

Hen eased out to lean on the doorframe so Salas could enter. “His vitals are stable, and his heart rate has returned to normal since Buck called you.”

“Everyone, this is Dr. Cristobal Salas. Dr. Salas—my captain, Bobby Nash, Hen Wilson, and Sae Bu.”

Salas put his bag down on the floor and sat in the visitor’s chair after he moved it in front of Bobby. “Buck, if you’d explain how we got here?”

Buck winced. “So, we were on the sinking plane, an evac had been ordered, and water was rushing in. We had one person left, pinned in her seat. She was so desperate to get out of that plane and back to her son that she suggested we cut off her leg.”

Salas grimaced.

“I had a Halligan, my favorite, that Bobby threw away, actually.” Buck frowned.

“I’ll get you a new one,” Bobby muttered. “We leveraged the Halligan under her seat and broke her free from the plane floor.”

“You broke a seat free from the floor of a plane,” Salas repeated.

“Between us, we could probably deadlift upwards of 750 pounds,” Bobby said. “Combine that with leverage and Buck’s magic…it actually gave away very easily.”

Salas nodded. “Tell me how his magic manifested from your perspective.”

“It…sort of streamed out of him like water,” Bobby said. “The Halligan warmed up in my hands, and the light flowed all over the place. We pulled the woman from the plane, swam to the surface, and were pulled from the water by the rest of our team. I didn’t notice that there was a problem until I came back to the station.”

Salas held out his hands, and Bobby hesitated briefly before taking them. Buck watched the exchange curiously. He trusted Cristobal Salas more than he did a lot of people. Magic told him that the man was pure of heart and purpose.

“One of the benefits of having someone like Buck in your life, Captain Nash, are moments like this,” Cristobal said carefully and released his hands. “You broke your back several years ago, correct?”

“Yes, a series of fractures. I’m sorry if you felt that. I was…fortunate to recover,” Bobby said. “Why?”

“You put an immense amount of strain on your body during the rescue of this woman,” Salas said, and Buck closed his eyes briefly.

The first time around, he’d used a rope to pull that woman free of her seat, and Bobby had just held onto her until they were pulled out of the water. In changing things, in seeking to manage the situation better, he’d actually endangered Bobby more. It was infuriating.

“My back feels fine,” Bobby said with a frown. “I…don’t hurt at all.”

“And normally, you’d expect at least a little muscle soreness after such a physically taxing rescue, right?”

“Right,” Bobby said with a sigh. “Has this hurt Buck? Damaged his abilities?”

“Oh, no, not at all,” Cristobal said. “I believe you will have an adjustment to make, though.”

“I don’t understand,” Bobby admitted.

“This level of exposure to magic has changed your brain chemistry, Captain Nash. You may manifest a gift as a result,” Cristobal said easily. “Nothing consuming or difficult since you’re more of a carrier than a source when it comes to such things. Magic is sentient and very intelligent, she has touched you through Buck, and that is a rare thing in this day and age.”

“What do you mean by that?” Hen asked curiously.

“It would be unethical to discuss Mr. Buckley’s magical circumstances in such a way. Just be assured that he has a good heart and is in the service of the goddess herself.” Salas pulled a small copper divining rod from the side pocket of his bag. “Left hand, palm up, please.”

Bobby did as instructed. Buck watched him balance the rod’s ball end perfectly in the center of Bobby’s palm. It spun around three times, then stilled. They all watched it stand upright perfectly for several long moments. He plucked it up and put it back in the bag.

“The balance of magic inside you is perfect, so no ritual cleansing is needed. If Buck had done this on purpose, I’d be very impressed with him. One of the benefits of the kind of magical bath you inadvertently took, Captain Nash, is that there are no real ugly consequences to be had. You’ll probably sleep better tonight, experience a bit of an appetite increase for a day or two, and a bit of hyper-awareness where it concerns magic. The awareness will fade within the week. The most common ability to emerge after being given such a gift is advanced intuition. In fact, most people who have that ability gained it through exposure to magic rather than being born with it.”

“Should we contact the hospital and report this for the patient?” Sae questioned.

“It can’t hurt as a precaution, but I doubt it touched her at all. It’s rare for us to give strangers such access to the magic we carry,” Cristobal said and sat back. “Buck must trust you a great deal, Captain Nash, to have lowered his defenses in such a way as he worked at your side. I’ve rarely seen this outside of specific circumstances. Also, he demonstrated a protectiveness I’ve already experienced with him once before.”

Buck flushed. “Eddie told me that you felt that. Sorry.”

The doctor shook his head. “You have the right to protect your bond, Mr. Buckley. Especially after the trauma you both went through regarding that situation.” He pulled out a card and passed it to Bobby. “Contact me if the residue doesn’t fade by tomorrow afternoon or if you experience any…emotions that don’t feel like yours.”

Bobby’s gaze narrowed. “What?”

“Well, one rare side effect of magical saturation is the development of an empathy disorder,” Cristobal said. “I don’t sense that being an issue, but we should keep an eye out.” He patted Bobby’s shoulder and stood. “Oh, and no matter how tempted you are—no beer for the next twenty-four hours at the very least. Then only moderate consumption thereafter for the foreseeable future. Your body may respond badly to intoxication going forward. Many magicals can’t consume any sort of alcohol.”

Bobby flushed. “I’m a recovering alcoholic, Dr. Salas. I don’t even keep beer in my fridge for guests.”

Salas sat back down. “I’m going to need a private conversation.”

Buck winced and shared a look with Hen as they both retreated from the doorway and pulled the door shut behind them.

“I didn’t know that,” Hen said.

“Then we still don’t know it,” Sae said firmly. “Let’s just walk away and pretend we didn’t hear it at all until he says otherwise.”

“Yeah, exactly that,” Buck murmured.

Forty-five minutes later, the shift change happened, and Bobby was still in his office with Dr. Salas. Because he was worried sick, Buck only managed to get as far as the parking lot, where he chose to lean on Bobby’s truck while he waited for the man. He sent Eddie a text telling him that he would be late but promised an explanation.

“I heard you had breakfast plans,” Bobby said.

Buck looked up from his phone and found his captain standing in front of him. “Hey, I was worried.” He glanced around. “Where’s Dr. Salas?”

“Gone for about twenty minutes already,” Bobby said. “He made it clear to me that you didn’t do this on purpose.”

“Did he tell you something bad?” Buck asked in confusion and barely stopped himself from reaching out to touch the older man. “I was just trying to…keep everyone safe.”

“I know, Evan,” Bobby said gently. “But I don’t think I have to tell you that you can’t fight Fate, and trying would be a wasted effort.”

Buck didn’t think Bobby had ever called him Evan, and it was honestly kind of weird. “I….” He exhaled. “I don’t understand.”

“Did you know that people who have magic can use it for internal behavior modification?” Bobby questioned.

“Yeah, sure, it’s the leading treatment for anxiety and phobias for magicals,” Buck said. “Oh. He anchored the magic in you, then?”

“He offered it, and I accepted,” Bobby said. “I never considered seeking out that kind of treatment because there are no magical people in my family, and this amount of involuntary accidental transference outside of families is practically a myth.”

“He used the magic I transferred into you to place a block on you,” Buck said. “To prevent you from drinking?”

“It’s a very heavy-handed suggestion that will help me manage my addiction to a life-changing degree,” Bobby said. “And it’s the kind of treatment that would normally cost as much as a million dollars due to the harvesting and placement of magical energy. And volunteers to donate magic aren’t exactly thick on the ground, for obvious reasons. He said there was no need to waste the gift you’d given me.” He raised an eyebrow. “What do you think?”

“I would’ve offered you this if I knew it was possible and that you needed it,” Buck blurted out. “I swear it.”

“Of course, you would’ve,” Bobby said and gripped Buck’s shoulder. “But please be careful, okay? I think you need to make an appointment with Dr. Salas and have him study the magical changes that have taken place in you since you’ve bonded with your soulmate. It’s like something ancient woke up in you, Buck, and I’m a little worried. Dr. Salas assured me that Hekate takes care of her children…and you are definitely counted among her favored. But….” He shook his head. “He also told me I have as much magic in my body currently as some that are born with it. Did you have that much to spare? Is this going to limit you in the future?”

“I’m fine, Bobby, I promise,” Buck said and took a deep breath. “I’m sorry to have…done this without your permission. Respecting a person’s body autonomy is a fundamental principle for me.”

Bobby smiled. “I’m not mad at all, I promise. Dr. Salas told me this kind of situation is normally a magical child defending or protecting a non-magical parent. I didn’t know you felt that way about me.”

Buck huffed, crossed his arms, and leaned on the truck. “I’m seeing a therapist about my daddy issues.”

Bobby grinned. “I shouldn’t admit this, but you’re my favorite.”

“Well, that’s no fucking secret at all,” Cosmo said as he joined Buck leaning against the truck. “It could be worse.”

“How?” Buck asked curiously.

“You could be trying to sit on his lap,” Cosmo said, popping the p-sound in a profane fashion, and he turned to Bobby. “Speaking of, is that nurse at LA County still trying to add your ladder to her collection, Cap?”

Bobby groaned. “Shut up, Cosmo. Both of you get off my truck, so I can go home. I’m exhausted.”

“Well, pardon me for being concerned about you,” Buck muttered.

“Don’t you have a date with your hotass soulmate?” Bobby questioned.

Buck raised an eyebrow. “You been talking to Athena?” Bobby blushed furiously. “Ah, well. That’s gonna be a challenge. You might want to start working out more.” He patted Bobby’s arm and trotted off toward his Jeep. “Because she’s a full-time job, and you’re an old dude.”

“That’s how you get bathroom duty for a month, Firefighter Buckley!” Bobby called after him.

* * * *

“I had to promise Chris that you would take him somewhere cool without me to make up for this date,” Eddie reported as he settled into the passenger seat of the Jeep. “I think he’s actually jealous and not the way anyone would expect. I kind of figured he’d get really stingy about sharing my time. But clearly, I’m second-rate compared to his Buck.”

Buck grinned. “I got you a coffee.”

“Thanks,” Eddie said and plucked up the cup that Buck motioned to. “Where are we headed?”

“There’s an overlook about fifteen minutes from here,” Buck said. “Thought we could drive up there, eat some burritos, and talk about epic shit.”

“Great,” Eddie agreed. “Are you tired? I can drive.”

“I’m fine. During the rescue, I accidentally, or maybe Hekate did it on purpose…well, Bobby got a huge infusion of magic. I called Dr. Salas and asked him to consult because I was kind of freaked out.”

“Is he okay?”

“Yeah, he’s fine,” Buck said. “Cristobal anchored the magic I gave Bobby and used it to create a behavioral modification spell to discourage…his addiction.”

“Wow, Buck.” Eddie took a deep breath as he considered the ramifications of that. “That takes a lot of magic, right?”

“Yeah, so much, in fact, that it’s not considered a standard treatment for even most magical people, apparently.” He huffed. “He told Bobby I have a paternal attachment.”

“Well, he’s not wrong.”

“Yeah, but Bobby didn’t need to know about my daddy issues,” Buck muttered. “I was trying to keep that under wraps this time around.”

“Buck, I adore you,” Eddie said gently. “But every single person who has ever met you knows you have daddy issues like whoa.”

Buck blushed. “Henry asked me if I was looking for a daddy when I let him take me home after work.”

“He’d be a great one,” Eddie said in amusement. “He’s all dominant and caring at the same time. Plus, he clearly gets off on taking care of his partner’s needs. I have to wonder why he’s single.”

“I think…he lost someone a very long time ago and isn’t interested in getting over it,” Buck said. “He’s warm and affectionate, right? A total boss in bed and competent as hell, which is super attractive. Plus, Henry’s gorgeous. He’s single because he wants to be.”

“Yeah, it’s too bad. He’d make some guy very happy,” Eddie said. “I wonder if he’s ever met Josh.”

“Are you matchmaking?” Buck asked with a laugh. “Also, I think Henry would eat him alive…well…actually. That’s not a bad thought. I wonder how we could make sure they cross paths.”

“See, now we’re talking,” Eddie said and took another drink of his coffee. “Because I think Josh would really enjoy getting eaten alive.”

“I don’t even know how we are going to meet Josh,” Buck pointed out. “Abby doesn’t socialize with co-workers outside of work, and Maddie is looking for nursing jobs. Her circumstances are different. She’s free and isn’t looking over her shoulder for the first time in years, probably.”

“She hates therapy,” Eddie said. “But she’s going, which says something. She didn’t until it was almost too late the first time.”

“Yeah,” Buck said. “I want her in a good space before the baby comes, and I’m not sure if I’m being too pushy with her or not. But I told her I couldn’t have her in my life if she wasn’t going to work to heal herself. Was that wrong?”

“No, you’re allowed to have boundaries,” Eddie said. “And you can’t be made to carry the burden of her mental health issues on top of your own.”

“Yeah,” Buck said and turned into the parking lot of the overlook. “Let’s get out. I could use some air.” He grabbed his coffee and the bag of food.

Shortly, they were sitting on the hood of the Jeep.

“Dr. Salas told me that one of his children is continuously reincarnated with him and his wife,” Eddie said, and Buck turned to stare at him in shock. “And that he believes that they are the first child they ever made together.”

“Why did he share that with you?” Buck questioned.

“He said that he could see connections between you and me and Christopher. He speculated that maybe the three of us have always been a family.” Eddie focused on Buck then. “And that maybe the first time his soul was born that we made that child together.”

“I think….” Buck trailed off and flushed. “I think I was a woman that lifetime.”

“I think you were, too. But also, last night, I dreamt about breastfeeding a child myself,” Eddie admitted. “I think that’s why…Chris doesn’t miss Shannon at all and hasn’t since he met you. You basically replaced her in Chris’ life.”

“Jesus, Eddie. I…have you told Shannon this?”

“Not that part, no.” Eddie sighed. “How could I? She doesn’t want to be a mother but is also so hurt that he doesn’t really want to see her at all right now. Chris told Adelaide Bryne that with you in our lives, his family finally made sense to him.”

“What did you think of Dr. Bryne?”

“She’s honestly lovely inside and out,” Eddie admitted. “Chris really connected with her during the session and even before when we were discussing how it would all work, and he was deciding how much privacy he wanted. They agreed that he would decide that in private with her and also agreed that she would have to tell me about anything dangerous.”

Buck nodded. “Sounds reasonable. What do we do about Shannon?”

“I have full custody,” Eddie said roughly. “And she agreed to no established visitation, Buck. She doesn’t want to be bound to some kind of schedule because even that is too much of a responsibility for her. I don’t know if she always felt this way or if the separation reminded her of what it was like before Chris was born.”

“You’re not telling me something,” Buck pointed out. “The first time around, you basically had a secret affair with her, Eddie.”

He huffed. “Which is weird in retrospect, but yeah. We met in the park so I could exit easily if things got heated because I didn’t want to have a scene in a coffee shop or whatever. She tried to kiss me that day, and I didn’t let her.”

Buck passed him a burrito. “She wanted you back but didn’t want to be a mother.”

“That wasn’t all that different from the last time either,” Eddie said. “I wanted her to come home. She wanted to have sex with me and see Christopher once or twice a month, but only with me so I could handle the parenting. I asked her if she wanted him overnight, and she said she wasn’t ready. Honestly, she was never going to be ready. Maybe that’s my fault.”

“Our fault,” Buck murmured.

Eddie took a big bite of burrito instead of responding.

“I mean, I don’t think we can change anything or try to force her and Chris to have a relationship,” Buck said. “It’s…I feel like I stole her family, and she’ll probably think exactly that.”

“I’d have never married her if I’d known I had a soulmate mark. We could’ve co-parented as friends, and that would’ve been better for everyone involved,” Eddie said. “Shortly after I re-enlisted, we had an argument, and she screamed at me that I had ruined her life. Maybe I did.”

“Well, she can’t make you own your actions while ignoring her own. It took two people to get pregnant, get married, and make a mess of the whole thing. Though, she had to put up with your parents, which was extra stress. Why the hell did she stay in El Paso? I’d have moved as soon as I could. It didn’t matter where she FaceTimed you from, you know?”

Eddie snorted. “Yeah, I know. I should’ve suggested it, but I didn’t. I was proud to have bought that house at my age. It felt like I was being a responsible, grown-ass man about my life. Maybe she thought I’d refuse to sell it and do something different, but I want to believe I would’ve listened to her and done what was necessary to make things easier for her. I know I need to communicate better. The dream taught me that.” He paused. “Or the other timeline, whatever.”

“Bobby’s already eyeing Athena.”

“Is that a change?”

Buck shrugged. “Unsure. I don’t know when they got started the first time around. I think her divorce is close to final at this point, and Michael’s not living at home anymore. Maybe Bobby took his time the first time around, or Chim’s accident being so bad…led to more conversations with her. Who knows. Like I said, it’s fucking chaos with the least little change. I can’t be certain Fate isn’t fucking with me sometimes.”

“So far, nothing has been unbearable, right?”

“Right,” Buck said. “And it’s all worth it, Eds. Every single fucking bit of it.”

“I received my academy acceptance. I got into the next session, which starts in three weeks,” Eddie said. “Do you think Bobby will make room for me sooner than when I started originally?”

“He wants to give me a partner for heavy rescue. It’s why you got picked the first time. Soulmates are kept together on the job with the department whenever possible. You should go ahead and try to get into that swift-water SAR class as well.”

“I visited the link you sent, but all the sessions are full. I’m on the waitlist and reported that to the academy as well. The first time around, I skipped a few certs that I didn’t think I needed. I won’t this time. It might mean I spend more time there if I can pick up some extra courses.”

“We’ll get through it. I thought we could have lunch with Carla over the weekend and ask her for a recommendation for in-home care. I don’t know how many hours she gets from Abby, who works four ten-hour shifts at dispatch.”

“Good, I want Carla…Chris adored her,” Eddie said.

“She got paid more for Chris than she did for clients she’d had in the past because of the state program,” Buck said. “I’m not above stealing her from Abby.”

Eddie laughed and finished off his burrito. He leaned back on the windshield, and Buck settled down beside him. The city spread out below them—teeming with life and potential.

“We’re going to be all right, you know.” Eddie caught Buck’s hand in his and held their joined hands against his heart. “We have each other, and I think that’s all I’ve ever needed to make it through the day.”

Buck leaned in and pressed a kiss to Eddie’s mouth, then relaxed on the windshield. “I think I’m gonna take Chris to the Griffith Observatory. Get his fascination for space started sooner rather than later. Maybe make it a family tradition.”

“This many greats grandkid of ours—why do you think it’ll come down to him to save the world?”

“Perhaps it’s just his best destiny,” Buck murmured and smiled when Eddie laughed.

 

The End