Reading Time: 100 Minutes

Title: The Wishful Heart
Author: Keira Marcos
Fandom: 9-1-1
Relationship: Evan Buckley/Eddie Diaz
Genre: Romance, First Time, Inexplicable Babies, Alternate Universe, Friends to Lovers
Warnings: Explicit sex, Discussion-Domestic Violence, Discussion-Murder, Canon Character Death, Canon-Level Violence, Canon-Level Angst, Stalking, Serial Bomber, Discussion-Combat, Discussion-Combat Injury, Discussion-Domestic Violence, Fictional Court Proceedings, Character Bashing, Grammarly Beta
Word Count: 52,540
Summary: In the days following the bank robbery and Bobby’s suspension from duty, Buck makes a wish that changes his life and his priorities.

* * * *

Chapter 6

“Thank you for coming in this afternoon, Firefighter Buckley. I’m Corrin Faulkner, and I work in human resources for the LAFD. Deputy Chief Theodore Ellis, Administrative Operations Bureau, and Captain Carl Adams with Professional Standards. Captain Kumar Mehta from the 133 representing the union.”

Buck nodded and rolled his water bottle between his hands. “I’m willing to help in any way I can.”

She smiled, so Buck relaxed a little as most women liked him, and he was more than willing to take any sort of support he could get in the situation. “Congratulations on your son, Firefighter Buckley.”

“Son?” Captain Mehta questioned.

“Firefighter Buckley is currently on paternity leave due to receiving a wish baby,” Bobby said.

Mehta nodded. “Congrats to you and your spouse, Firefighter Buckley.”

“He’s a single parent,” Bobby said with a smile in Buck’s direction. “But a very deserving one.”

“It’s been a shocking few days,” Buck admitted, and they all laughed. “You gotta be really careful what you tell the universe. Lesson learned.”

Mehta laughed. “Well, that’s amazing. I’m sorry to see such a stressful circumstance coming at you during what should be a very special time for you. I read your email, and I have a few questions.”

Buck nodded and glanced toward the others in the room, as he hadn’t expected the union rep to take the lead. Maybe they were hoping Mehta would be less intimidating, and if that was the case, they weren’t wrong.

“First, I want to make it clear that you aren’t in any sort of trouble,” Mehta said and opened the leather folder holding a legal pad. “You were referred to psychiatric services during your probationary year. You had one session and refused to schedule more. It was noted in your file that you were uncooperative.”

Buck exhaled slowly. “I….” He sat back in his seat. “I thought this was about Chimney.”

“It is,” Mehta said gently. “But I would be remiss if I didn’t address this, Firefighter Buckley, as it was reported to the union that the psychologist you saw from psychiatric services is currently under investigation.”

“Yeah,” Buck said quietly and averted his gaze. “I can guess as to why.” Bobby’s hand settled on his arm.

“Buck?” Bobby questioned. “What’s going on?”

He wet his lips nervously and focused on his water bottle. “Why am I being questioned about this?”

“Frankly?” Mehta questioned, and Buck nodded. “A statement was made during another interview that was clearly designed to deflect from the topic at hand that implied you’d behaved unprofessionally with Dr. Wells. This person had no idea that what they were really saying is that you’d been abused in a therapeutic setting by a therapist hired by the LAFD to help you.”

Bobby’s hand tightened on his arm.

“I thought I had a sex addiction,” Buck blurted out, and Mehta’s mouth dropped open. “So, I’m sitting there in her office, and I’m telling her that I’m worried about my ability to have a genuine relationship with someone because my parents hate me, and my sister only remembers I exist when it’s convenient for her. I was using sex as a crutch, that’s clear, but I wasn’t in the right place to even recognize that. She laughed it off, said that I had nothing to worry about, and….I can’t even honestly say how we got from there to what happened next, but….” He frowned and cleared his throat with a small glance in Corrin Faulkner’s direction. “I don’t want to be offensive.”

“It’s fine, Firefighter Buckley,” Corrin said. “She clearly abused your trust. If a sexual encounter happened during that appointment, then it wasn’t consensual. You realize that, right? You were incapable of giving consent legally because you were her patient.”

“I didn’t say no,” Buck said after a few moments of uncomfortable silence. “But she was so….” He exhaled sharply.

“Just say it,” Bobby said firmly.

“Honestly, I barely kept her off me while I put on a condom,” Buck blurted out, and Mehta blinked in surprise. “She did say point blank that she didn’t care if one was used. So, if there are others, then I think that there should probably be some STD screenings done.”

Mehta made several notes. “Are you willing to file a formal complaint? There are ten reports at this point.”

“Ten?” Buck repeated.

“Yes, and while I do not wish to minimize your experience in any single way…she was much more aggressive with some of the others. Did she threaten your job at any point?”

“No,” Buck said and grimaced. “At the time, I was more irritated about the lack of actual therapy than I was about the sex. As I said, I was using it as a crutch, so it wasn’t traumatic for me like it clearly was for some. I did eventually seek out another therapist—a married lesbian twice my age seemed to be the best choice.” He shrugged when Bobby laughed a little. “Hen set me up with her. But she doesn’t know why I stopped seeing Dr. Wells.”

“Has Dr. Wells contacted you since that single appointment?” Mehta questioned.

“Several times,” Buck said. “A few Facebook messages and four texts. Each time she suggested another session so that I could work out my issues in a safe way.”

“Jesus Christ,” Bobby muttered.

“Do you have those communications?” Corrin questioned.

“Yes, I mean, I was worried I might have to file a restraining order,” Buck admitted and flushed when Bobby sighed. “So, I kept the evidence, and some of them are quite explicit.”

“I’m not going to berate you for not telling me,” Bobby said wearily. “But I wish you had, Buck.”

“If it helps the others, then I’ll file a complaint,” Buck said. “But I’m not traumatized or anything.”

“The evidence of her behavior would be beneficial,” Mehta said. “You’ll be contacted by the union lawyer we have working on the issue in the next week or so. Do you want to take a break, or can we continue onto the subject of your email?”

“We can continue. I’m fine on the Dr. Wells front.”

“I’m not,” Bobby muttered, and Buck just nudged him a little.

Buck focused on Mehta. “I have several voicemails from Howard Han. Mostly it’s just him complaining because my sister stopped taking his calls, and he thinks it’s my fault. He lied to her about the origin of my son, and when I proved to her that I actually had a wish baby delivery, she stopped speaking with him apparently. At any rate, he sort of threatened me on the last one.”

“Threatened how?” Captain Adams questioned.

Buck pulled out his phone. “Maybe it’s best if you listen?”

“Yes,” Chief Ellis said. “Let’s have a listen.”

He browsed his voicemail. “There are three messages, but the last one is the one where he was clearly frustrated by the fact that neither my sister nor I was taking his calls.” He hit play.

“Listen, asshole, I’m really fucking tired of being ignored. You’re going to call your sister and fix whatever problem you caused, or I’m going to make your life a living hell. After everything that happened, neither one of you gets to ignore me! I nearly died because of your sister, Buck! I have nightmares every god damned night about Doug Kendall. You don’t get it! Someone should stab you in the gut repeatedly! Then you would know exactly how I feel right now! Then maybe you’d understand what you owe me!”

Corrin Faulkner stood. “Excuse me, I need to get my laptop so we can make copies of all of those communications. I’m going to need your phone records as well, Mr. Buckley. I can get the LAPD to get a search warrant for his phone, but it would be helpful if you just….” She trailed off when he held up a hand.

“I can provide you all the records right now. I keep a backup in my iCloud,” Buck said. “And we can transfer the voice mails as well.” He focused on Mehta. “I should probably get a lawyer, right?”

“The union will hire one for you,” Mehta said roughly. “And yes, you most certainly need a lawyer and a restraining order.” He turned to Ellis. “Any hope we had of mitigating this situation and putting Howard Han in therapy is off the table, Theo. It’s not a direct threat, but it’s close enough that I’m very concerned about Firefighter Buckley’s safety officially.”

Ellis nodded. “I agree. Let’s get the rest of the questions answered, then Firefighter Buckley can get back to his son.”

Mehta nodded and frowned at his notes. “Firefighter Buckley, how would you describe Howard Han’s behavior on the job while Captain Nash was relieved of duty?”

“He was very invested in his temporary authority,” Buck said. “He micromanaged a lot and appeared more interested in his own version of the rules to the point of ignoring established procedures and professional standards. He chose to come at me on a personal level for the most part, so I ignored him. But you should talk to Cosmo Fuentes because he was forced to work well into B shift to get his required tasks done because Chimney kept interfering.”

“Can you explain what you meant by personal level?”

“He’s been pretty invested in telling me how to live my life since I started at the 118,” Buck admitted. “The slut shaming was pretty bad before he toned it down while he was trying to have a relationship with my sister. But I figured he was mostly just pissed that he’s nearly fifty and isn’t very successful with women, which he puts a lot of effort into. I found his behavior with women very off-putting and warned my sister about him.”

“Can you expound on that?”

Buck made a face. “Is that relevant to the job?”

“It’s certainly relevant to the personal conflict between the two of you,” Mehta said.

“Well, he lies to women like he breathes. I find that sort of intimate fraud off-putting and morally repugnant. He knows how I feel about it, and he also knows that I warned my sister about his behavior. Chim also just lies in general. He tried to convince the whole shift that I didn’t have a wish baby delivery and that my son probably wasn’t even mine. He told my sister that a woman just showed up at my house and dumped a baby on me. He told the people we work with that I was so needy that I probably wouldn’t even check the paternity of my one-night-stand baby.”

Corrin exhaled loudly as she opened up her laptop.

Buck browsed to the backup folder in his iCloud account and passed her the phone, so she could take whatever she needed. “I have nothing to hide. I have screenshots of all of the messages from Dr. Wells in a folder with her name on it. Her phone number is also listed in my call log records to match the messages if that becomes an issue. I can also sign off on whatever you need from my phone company.”

“Have you ever known Howard Han to be sexually inappropriate with anyone while on duty?” Mehta questioned.

Buck shook his head. “Beyond discussing everyone’s sex life like it’s all his personal business? No. I would say he’s pretty low-key on the actual pursuit of a sexual partner and…I would’ve interfered if I’d noticed him sexually harassing someone in the station.”

“Have you noticed him asking for the personal information of a victim?” Mehta questioned.

Buck paused and considered it. “Not exactly.”

“What does that mean?” Bobby questioned in confusion and cleared his throat. “My apologies, Kumar.”

“No, it’s fine,” Mehta said. “What did you mean, Firefighter Buckley?”

“This is going to sound arrogant.”

Chief Ellis laughed.

“But I can collect as many as five phone numbers on an average shift,” Buck admitted. “I used to find the attention flattering, but it quickly got old and weird. Anyways, I don’t turn down numbers because that causes a scene. I just pocket them and throw them away later.” Mehta nodded. “A few times, Chimney has tried to get me to give him the numbers, and when I refused, he told me I was a dick and that helping him out was the least of what I owed him.”

“You owed him the personal contact information of women neither of you knows,” Corrin repeated with a disgusted face. “Seriously?”

“Yeah, so I stopped throwing the numbers away at work since I didn’t want him taking them out of the trash. I also warned Cosmo and Eddie about the behavior because they pretty much do the same regarding accepting numbers to avoid a scene—they’re both very attractive. I mean, Cosmo makes me look like a six or something.”

Bobby laughed. “Fuentes has been known to hide in the ladder truck to get away from some aggressive attention.”

“Eddie has a resting disgruntled face, so he is pretty good at getting people to leave him alone most of the time.” Buck cleared his throat. “But that’s the extent of that kind of thing with Chimney. If he’s done other stuff, I wasn’t a witness. In the end, I think he has a lot of trauma and has never even tried to deal with any of it. Even now, he’s more focused on blaming me than dealing with the consequences of his own actions.”

“What does that mean?” Mehta asked.

“He’s the one that befriended my sister’s homicidal and abusive husband,” Buck said. “I’m not blaming him for his own near-murder, but he seems pretty intent on blaming me and trying to leverage the entire thing to have some sort of relationship with my sister when she made it clear that she no longer wanted to have that kind of relationship with him. She’s in a terrible place mentally because of the kidnapping, and she killed her husband in self-defense. Chimney can’t be helping on that front, but he’s too selfish to care. That’s not job-related either.”

“It relates to him threatening to kill you,” Corrin interjected. “Because threatening to stab you is a murder threat, and that’s what it sounded like to me.” She took a deep breath. “And I think it’s time to involve the LAPD.”

“I’m going to have to call Chief Alonzo,” Ellis muttered and pulled out his cell phone. He stood and focused on Buck. “This isn’t your fault, Firefighter Buckley. And nothing that comes next is either. And this therapist you’re seeing—insurance is covering it, right?”

“Most of it,” Buck said.

“Submit for reimbursement for any and all co-pays related to your mental health therapy,” Ellis ordered. “Corrin, make sure that happens—for all previous appointments and at least another year.” He focused on Buck. “Is that reasonable to you?”

“Yes, sir,” Buck said. “Thank you.”

* * * *

“How’d things go?” Eddie questioned as he passed Wyatt’s car seat to Buck.

They’d had to meet in the lobby of the HR building because he’d been asked to come in for an interview. Since he hadn’t filed his own complaint yet, he’d been kind of surprised to get the call.

“Not great,” Buck said. “I’m not allowed to discuss it with you until after your interview. They want to keep things as clean as possible.” He checked his watch. “I’ve only got forty minutes to get to the school to pick up Chris.”

“Yeah, go. He gets worried if his pick-up is late,” Eddie said and ran a hand through his hair. “Are you in any trouble?”

“No, not at all,” Buck assured. “Neither are you, as far as I can tell. Bobby is up there waiting on you, so you won’t be alone in the meeting. And there is a union rep in the process as well—Captain Kumar Mehta from the 133.”

“I’ve met him,” Eddie said. “He’s got a good reputation.” He cleared his throat and took a deep breath. “Go, I’ll be fine.”

Buck grinned. “Yeah, I’ll figure out something for dinner, okay? Come to my house? Tyler doesn’t know where I live.”

“Sounds great,” Eddie said and reluctantly headed for the elevator. He’d hoped to spend the afternoon with Buck because the situation with Tyler had thrown him off a little, and he could’ve used the one-on-one time.

Bobby was standing in the hallway when he exited the elevator, so he took a deep breath and followed when the older man just inclined his head.

“How are you?”

“I feel old,” Bobby said roughly. “How are you? Any problems with the bomb?”

“My service isn’t coming back to haunt me if that’s your concern,” Eddie said. “I did worry about it, so I took Chris to Buck’s for the night. But I didn’t have any nightmares or anything.”

“Hen said you talked about treating victims of bombings,” Bobby said quietly. “I think the others might not have taken it as seriously as they should’ve if you hadn’t. So, thanks for keeping your head during all of that and taking care of the team.” He paused. “Even Chimney, though he won’t ever thank you.”

“I don’t know what I did to make him resent me so much,” Eddie said just short of Bobby opening the door he’d been led to.

Bobby turned as he let his hand drop from the doorknob. “He resents Buck for his success on the job and the easy life he assumes that he’s had. And you’re getting the cast-off resentment because you have Buck’s back even when he isn’t in the room. That kind of thing matters a lot, you know. Loyalty can run short when things get really hard, and I realize you know that better than most.”

“I did try to be a friend to him,” Eddie said. “But it quickly became obvious I was going to have a make a choice, and it was always going to be Buck.”

“Yeah,” Bobby said. “You weren’t the only one facing that kind of decision, and it’s gotten worse since Buck’s sister came to LA. She changed the dynamic a lot, and it wasn’t all to the good.”

“Agreed,” Eddie said. “It’s not her fault, but change happens when new people are added to the mix.”

Bobby nodded. “Buck didn’t talk much about her. How is she?”

“She’s in therapy and doesn’t want anyone to know where she is,” Eddie said. “She retreated, and I’ve seen that enough in trauma to recognize it. Buck says she runs away when she gets overwhelmed. It’s not a great coping mechanism, but it’s what she’s got and deserves space to deal with the nightmare she went through.”

“Yeah,” Bobby said and sighed. “Did Buck let you listen to the voicemail Chimney left him?”

“I know that several were left, but I haven’t heard the content,” Eddie said. “Why?”

Bobby exhaled slowly. “I don’t think I’m allowed to tell you, but ask him after this meeting, okay?”

“Yeah, of course,” Eddie said and checked his phone as Bobby opened the door. He silenced it but kept the vibration so he would know if Buck tried to call him. “Buck’s picking up Christopher at school and planning dinner. Would it be ungrateful if I put in a request? I’m just tired of chicken, and Christopher talks Buck into making chicken every single chance he gets.” Startled laughter caused him to turn to the occupants in the room. “Sorry.”

Kumar Mehta, whom Eddie had met twice since starting work with the LAFD, smiled. “How old is your son?”

“Eight,” Eddie said and tucked his phone away. “And convinced that chicken should be served at every meal. Buck has even started making him chicken sausage from scratch because the commercial stuff made them sad.”

Bobby laughed. “Eddie, this is Ms. Corrin Faulkner from HR, Deputy Chief Theodore Ellis from administrative operations, Captain Carl Adams from professional standards, and you know Captain Mehta.”

“It’s good to meet you all,” Eddie said quietly as he took the seat he was motioned to. “Despite the circumstances.”

“Most of the firefighters on A Shift at the 118 filed complaints regarding Acting Captain Han’s behavior over the last two weeks,” Captain Adams said. “Most cited unprofessionalism, verbal abuse, and dozens of rule violations, Firefighter Diaz. Why haven’t you?”

Eddie raised an eyebrow. “Am I in trouble for not reporting, Captain Adams?”

“No,” Captain Mehta said firmly. “But I admit to being concerned about the lack of self-advocacy as several others indicated that Acting Captain Han violated long-standing regulations regarding the work product of probationary firefighters. He separated you from Firefighter Buckley, your official training partner, and put you in the ambulance despite the fact you aren’t trained as a paramedic. I realize you were a medic in the Army, and I know that you can handle paramedic duties in an emergency, but it’s not something a probationary firefighter should be doing on a regular basis. In fact, in some instances, you have more qualifications than a paramedic.”

“As it relates to battlefield medicine,” Eddie said with a nod. “I spent over a year training to be a combat medic. I fully intended to make a career in the Army and worked hard to be promoted as often as I could be. The career change wasn’t unwelcome, in the end, and I enjoy my work with the LAFD.”

“But it wasn’t what you had planned,” Chief Ellis interjected.

“No, sir, but three bullets rearranged my life, and I don’t regret being more present in my son’s life, no matter the personal cost,” Eddie said and cleared his throat. “I didn’t file a report because I was more focused on…. There was a bomb in my face, sir.” He focused on Mehta as he spoke since the department was clearly letting the union lead the way. He didn’t know why. “And I’ve not had that moment since I came home from Afghanistan. Looking at that thing made my scars hurt.”

Bobby exhaled loudly.

“So, when we were finally released from the scene, I just wanted to be with my family. I picked up my son and went to Buck’s house so I could cuddle the baby and forget about the whole thing. Holding a wish baby is pure magic, by the way. It’s like holding a little ball of sunshine, and I needed that. Fortunately, Buck didn’t mind.

“I just sort of bunkered down, which I know probably isn’t the best coping mechanism, but it’s what I’ve got to work with. I’ve asked for an appointment with mental health services. I figured we’d all have to, and I just wanted to get ahead of the crowd.”

“It’s better than many other choices when it comes to coping with stress,” Carl Adams said roughly. “And can I just put it out there that I’m kind of pissed that we didn’t get offered one baby picture while Buckley was here?”

Eddie pulled out his phone. “I got ya.” He browsed through the phone even as the older man laughed and found a picture of the kids. “This my son Christopher holding Wyatt.” He offered his phone and shared an amused look with Bobby when Mehta and Adams both leaned in.

Corrin Faulkner grinned when he looked her way. “I’ve got several pictures—he kept sending them the day of delivery along with all the paperwork needed for his paternity leave. He’s a beautiful baby.”

“Well, beauty begets beauty when it comes to wish babies,” Eddie said easily and accepted the phone when it was pushed across the table. “Buck looks like he could get a job at Disneyland.”

Bobby snorted. “I’m telling.”

“Don’t think I haven’t already told him he should look into professional Disney Prince jobs,” Eddie said in amusement. “Christopher laughed until he cried.” He blew air out between his lips. “Am I here to be asked to file a complaint? Because it’s going to start to look like a dog pile, and maybe that’s not the right optics for the situation.”

“I can’t say it’s not a concern,” Ellis said roughly. “The attempted bombing has already put a spotlight on the LAFD that could lead to press coverage we don’t want or need. And no, we aren’t going to ask you to file a complaint.” He focused on Mehta. “Kumar?”

“Firefighter Diaz, have you ever known Firefighter Han to engage in any sort of sexual misconduct while on duty?”

Eddie paused to consider that and frowned. “I’m going to need a more explicit question.”

“Why?” Mehta asked.

“Because I don’t know what definition of sexual misconduct you’re working with,” Eddie said reasonably. “Do you mean dirty jokes? Do you mean slut-shaming? Do you mean asking victims out on the scene? Do you mean jerking off in the showers?” He winced. “Apologies, ma’am.”

“I’ve heard worse,” Corrin said dryly.

Mehta stared for a moment. “Has he done any of that in front of you?”

“He makes a lot of comments about people’s sex lives. Buck is a favored target but not the only one,” Eddie said. “Chimney has a harsh sense of humor, and his jokes are always at someone’s expense. But he’s just joking, and it’s hard to put a spotlight on that with any kind of certainty. It’s also hard to know when he’s genuinely just being a jerk and when he’s being malicious because I honestly don’t like him.”

Mehta nodded. “Anything else.”

“I’ve seen him hit on victims in what he assumes to be a subtle way. He rarely gets far because he comes off overeager, and most women don’t like that. It starts to look creepy fast. He only hits on women, so there’s that.”

“Would it be a problem for you if he hit on men?” Corrin asked.

“Not exactly,” Eddie said. “He’s awkward with women and clearly can’t appropriately gauge interest, so I doubt he’d do better with men. The problem with that is that some straight men would take a swing at him for misreading what was on offer. And I could do without that kind of potential violence on a regular basis. On a more personal note, he basically ignored my ex-boyfriend when they were introduced. I don’t think it was homophobic on his part, though my ex certainly did.”

“Why do you think he ignored your former partner?” Corrin asked curiously.

“Ultimately, I think Chimney Han is deeply insecure and sees most men as competition in some fashion or another. If I’d brought a beautiful woman anywhere near him, she wouldn’t have been ignored.” Eddie shrugged. “But I’m not a psychologist. Which he clearly needs.”

“Several of your co-workers told us you were quite blunt,” Corrin said.

“Was that a complaint from them? I try to be sensitive to people’s feelings, but sometimes I fail at that,” Eddie said. “Most people tell you to be honest with them, but they really don’t mean it.”

Mehta nodded his agreement. “I noted that Firefighter Buckley didn’t mention your overt bluntness.”

“Buck appreciates knowing exactly where he stands with the people around him,” Eddie said and shrugged. “I doubt he considers it a fault.”

 

 

Chapter 7

Buck wanted to pull the cover over the car seat, but Wyatt really liked seeing everything. The grocery store wasn’t stupidly busy, and while he knew magic was currently keeping the baby safe, he really didn’t want people bringing their germs close to either of the kids. Christopher had tucked his crutches into the cart and curled his fingers over the top of the cart to use it for balance.

They’d hit dry goods first, and he’d managed to convince Christopher that brown rice was the best choice. He was working toward a brown rice and quinoa mix. Though he figured both Diazes would protest that, at first. The fruit and vegetable section was a little busier though it nearly always was. The organic food store he preferred had a focus on a whole food lifestyle, and as a result, they went all in on fresh food.

He focused on picking out peppers for the dish he was going to make for himself and Eddie, as he was not on board with more chicken despite Christopher’s obsession.

“Don’t touch the baby!” Christopher shouted.

Buck turned and found a woman reaching out for Wyatt. Christopher pulled the cart away from her with a furious glare.

He moved between her and the cart. “What are you doing?”

“Oh, it’s just I’ve never seen a wish baby before.” She blushed and tried to look around Buck. “He’s beautiful.”

“You must know better than to put your hands on another person’s child without permission,” Buck said evenly, and she took a step back.

“You don’t have to be so hostile about it,” she said huffily.

“Don’t confuse my size with my actions,” Buck retorted. “You need to give my family some space immediately. This store has security cameras.” He jerked his head toward the ceiling. “So, don’t even think about trying to make me out to be the bad guy in this.”

“You’re being so selfish—it’s not like he’s really your baby.”

“Excuse me?” Buck questioned.

“He’s not even related to you,” she snapped hotly. “Just a baby the fey gave you. Maybe he was even stolen from his biological parents.”

“Oh, I had no idea stupid people like you still existed,” Buck said, and her mouth dropped open. “They proved in the late 1980s that wish babies do, in fact, have their parents’ DNA. The magic of the fey ensures it. My baby is not stolen from someone else, and I don’t appreciate you spouting ridiculous conspiracy theories in front of my kid.”

“It’s okay. I know that’s crazy talk,” Christopher said and made a face. “Can we go get the rest of our stuff and leave?”

“Yeah, Superman,” Buck said quietly and stared pointedly at the woman until she stalked off.

“People are the worst,” Christopher muttered, and Buck laughed.

“What veg did you want with your stir-fried chicken?”

“Sugar peas.”

Buck nodded and quickly picked out the peppers so they could move on to find the peas.

* * * *

Tyler had sent two more DMs. One begging for another chance and apologizing for showing up at the house uninvited. The second, sent an hour later, simply said go fuck yourself. Eddie really wasn’t surprised by either, and he sent screenshots of both to Athena. She’d been explicitly clear about how serious he should take the whole situation and already had screenshots of the other messages.

If he were entirely honest, it was kind of embarrassing, and Eddie didn’t know if that was a normal reaction to being kind of stalked or not. He was more irritated than anything else, of course, which hadn’t impressed Athena in the least. The worse part of the whole thing had been when she’d pointed out that Tyler had a lot of information, including his abuela’s address, which had put him on edge.

Eddie slid out of his truck and pocketed his keys as he walked toward the front porch of his abuela’s house. He’d called in advance, as he never assumed she was home and interested in a visitor, so she opened the door before he was up the stairs and made a face at him.

“What?”

“I already cursed out that ex of yours, Edmundo.”

Eddie exhaled slowly. “He showed up here?”

“No,” she said and motioned him inside. “He messaged me on Facebook and interrupted my game. I was very busy with my farming.”

Eddie winced. “Sorry?”

“Not your fault. I told him not to bother me with his nonsense and pointed out I have many nephews who would be happy to visit him to teach him some manners.”

Eddie snorted. “Abuela.”

“Of course, Athena came by and got a screenshot of the message he sent to me because I texted her to tell her about it,” Isabel continued. “It’s not your fault, by the way.”

“Well, I did date him,” Eddie said. “And let him talk me into bringing him over here for dinner when I really wasn’t there yet. It’s just….” He slouched down on the couch as she sat down in her chair. “I didn’t do a lot of things right with Shannon. I was trying to be more available and open. I felt like maybe it was a little rushed, but I’ve never been good at relationships, so I don’t think I even know what’s normal.”

“You need so much therapy,” Isabel muttered, and Eddie laughed.

“I’m in therapy,” Eddie responded. “Chris is, too, because I’m worried about how he’s processing Shannon’s second abandonment. I never should’ve let her come back, Abuela.”

“Well,” Isabel began and sighed. “I thought so as well, at first. I resented her for how she left the first time—abandoning you while you were still recovering from being injured. This has hurt Christopher, but it would have hurt him much more in the future if he’d discovered you’d denied him a chance to be reunited with his mother. Her mistakes and selfishness are what they are, but you can’t ever betray your own son. You know what that feels like.”

“I….” Eddie huffed a little, then nodded. “Yeah, Buck said something similar. I just want to keep Christopher safe, and she’s hurt him so much.”

“Like your mother hurts you,” Isabel said.

“I wish I could exist in a way that she doesn’t have the power to hurt me,” Eddie admitted. “But every single selfish moment of her life seems designed to hurt her own children, and Pop can’t see it. Or maybe he doesn’t want to see it.”

“Ramon has always been narrowly focused on the woman he’s involved with. Even in high school, what his girlfriend wanted was the most important thing to him. I was grateful when they parted. But looking back on it, she was the best of the lot.” She paused. “Sorry.”

Eddie laughed. “No, it’s fine. I get it. Pop has always been weirdly invested in Mom’s happiness, no matter how it impacts anyone else. I can’t let that behavior impact Chris the way it has me, Abuela.”

“I warned Ramon that Helena has crossed a line with Christopher that will be difficult to come back from. He’s very good at enforcing his own boundaries.”

“I wish I could take even a small amount of credit for that,” Eddie muttered. “But I think that’s mostly Buck’s influence.”

“Ah, well, it’s a good influence,” Isabel said. “I never worry that Buck will ignore the needs of others. Though sometimes I think he tolerates more than he should. He gives his sister entirely too much leeway.”

“I agree, and I think he sees that now,” Eddie said. “He said he was going to bring the baby over here next week.”

“Yes, I suggested he keep contact low and allow himself to nest with his child,” Isabel said. “I’ve pictures, and we’ve FaceTimed so I can see Wyatt. He seems to be a very happy baby.”

“Yeah,” Eddie agreed. “He’s content, and it’s easy to see how safe he feels. I’ve rarely seen a more chill baby in my life, actually. He’s just three months old, of course, so we’ll see how things go when he starts teething. He might throw epic tantrums.”

Isabel laughed. “Perhaps he’ll take after his father in that regard. Buck isn’t the sort to throw tantrums. I’ve rarely seen him truly angry.”

“He got pretty pissed with Shannon,” Eddie said. “He hid it well because Christopher was really upset, but it was clear that if she’d actually been near him, Buck would’ve probably cursed her out. Things are stressful at work, but he’s on paternity leave for the next couple of months. He’ll miss most, if not all, of the fall-out related to it.”

“I told him weeks ago that he should complain about Chimney Han,” Isabel muttered. “Buck is always striving to be a better person even in the face of some cabrón who deserves none of his consideration.”

Eddie was really glad he wasn’t drinking anything. He coughed roughly and laughed a little. “Abuela.”

Isabel shrugged. “Buck sent me a picture of Christopher and Wyatt.” She passed him her iPad. “Make it my background.”

He took the device, browsed the photo album, and found the picture. Eddie stared for a moment—Christopher and Wyatt could pass for brothers, and it was kind of startling. Out of all the family his son had, Christopher most closely resembled his maternal grandmother, Janet Whitt. Chris had no memories of her as she’d been ill before he was born, and she’d died of cancer before he’d turned five.

“What?”

“People will assume they’re brothers,” Eddie said quietly as he made the picture the background.

“Is that what you want?”

“I….” Eddie flushed and handed the iPad back to his abuela. “There would be a lot at risk if I messed things up with Buck. We’ve been talking about it, and we’re going to talk some more.”

She stared for a moment and nodded. “You should call your parents and tell them you broke up with Tyler—they’ll be relieved.”

Eddie huffed. “What if I don’t care if they’re relieved?”

Isabel laughed.

* * * *

“Tyler messaged me over Facebook,” Buck said as soon as Eddie entered the kitchen.

Eddie groaned. “Abuela apparently cursed him out and threatened to send her nephews after him.” He paused. “She’s got four, and the oldest is just twenty-five. I barely refrained from lecturing her about perpetuating ugly stereotypes. Mike is a CPA, Buck.”

Buck snorted. “I appreciate her willingness to lean in, though.”

Eddie made a face. “What did he say to you?”

“Oh,” Buck shrugged as he returned his attention to the wok in front of him. “I’m an asshole, and he hopes I’m happy that I won. I blocked him without responding.” He paused. “Sent Athena a screenshot because her group text is pointed.”

“What group text?” Eddie questioned and pulled out his phone.

“Oh, you weren’t included,” Buck said in amusement. “I think she’s about to go full mama bear on you or something. Just FYI.”

“This is your fault.”

Buck shrugged. “Could be yours—I wasn’t the one dating a bunny boiler.”

“I don’t know if that’s better or worse than a gym bunny,” Eddie muttered. “Where are the kids?”

“Both are down for naps.” Buck made a face. “Taking two kids to the grocery store was a lot. I mean, Chris was great. He always is. Wyatt attracted a lot more attention than I was comfortable with because he’s still got the glow. I’m not going to take him back into stores until he stops doing that. I have an appointment with the pediatrician tomorrow, at any rate. The nurse I spoke with said that wish babies have a month grace period on vaccinations even though they’re old enough to start from the day of delivery.”

“Magic will protect him,” Eddie said and slid up onto a stool on the opposite side of the kitchen island from Buck. “Any more calls from Maddie?”

“She sent a text apologizing for believing Chimney’s bullshit lies. She’s furious with herself and him—so that’s probably going to be a problem for a while. She’s in San Diego at a therapy retreat. Her therapist referred her and believes it would be the best option for healing.” Buck focused on the beef he was stir-frying.

Eddie watched him throw a bowl of chopped peppers into the wok. “That’s not for Christopher.”

“No, I’m going to do a garlic chicken and sugar pea version for him. This is for us because I’m super tired of chicken.

Eddie laughed. “Me, too.” He cleared his throat. “Have you noticed Chimney sexually harassing victims on a scene?”

“No, I’d have told Bobby,” Buck said shortly. “He’s always been weird about women hitting on others in front of him and would get really sarcastic about it. It was worse before you were hired.”

“So, he really did chill out because he started pursuing your sister,” Eddie said. “That’s honestly kind of shady, Buck.”

“I know,” Buck muttered. “Like I said, I warned her.”

“Bobby asked me about a voicemail Chimney left you.”

“He threw a tantrum and told me I should know what it feels like to get stabbed in the gut repeatedly,” Buck said, and Eddie exhaled slowly. “It sounded like a threat, and the department is treating it like one. I don’t know how that’s going to shake out. I won’t be required to work with him going forward, and Bobby looked to be a hundred percent done with the whole thing.”

“He did look done,” Eddie agreed. “Are you worried about Chimney following through with the threat?”

“No, should I be?” Buck questioned. “I mean, he’s a lot of talk and always has been.”

“I think he’d come at you if he thought he could get away with it,” Eddie said evenly. “And I know it’s against your nature, but you really need to be prepared to fuck him up if he gets violent with you.”

“I….” Buck huffed and focused on the food.

“You’ve got a right to defend yourself, Buck. And you aren’t alone anymore in this house. Depending on the time of day, you’ve got two kids here that would be defenseless without you.” Eddie watched Buck process that. “I know you can throw a punch with the best of them. You have great form in sparring.”

“I’d never let anything happen to them if I could prevent it,” Buck said quietly. “I’ve got an appointment with a security company to set up a new system. Chimney’s behavior is rooted in a lot of unprocessed trauma and grief, but I can’t be his target any more than I can be Maddie’s emotional support animal.” He picked up the wok and split the food between two plates. “We should wake Chris.”

Eddie nodded and left the stool as Buck pulled some diced chicken from the fridge and tossed it in the wok. He walked through the house but didn’t make it past Buck’s bedroom door, which was open. Christopher was sitting on the bed near where the Pack ‘n Play was standing, reading aloud from one of his school books.

“Hey, Mijo.”

Christopher looked up and smiled. “Hi Daddy. I was reading my science assignment to Wyatt. It’s about starfish. I figured it really didn’t matter what the words were. He seems to like it when people talk to him.”

Eddie went to the Pack ‘n Play and found the baby was turned in Christopher’s direction. “Did he cry?”

“No, but I stopped in here to check on him, and he was awake, so I stayed,” Christopher said.

Eddie nodded. “We need a baby monitor.” He picked Wyatt up, and the baby smiled at him. “Dinner is nearly ready.”

Christopher put his book in his backpack with a nod. “Buck said he was making you guys pepper steak.”

“Yeah, it looks great,” Eddie said and monitored as Chris slid off the bed, slung his backpack on one shoulder, and grabbed his crutches.

Shortly, he followed Christopher into the kitchen. His son dropped his backpack on a bench near the door that led to the garage and got settled at the table.

“He was awake,” Eddie said. “There’s no baby monitor.”

“It’ll be here tomorrow,” Buck said. “I’ve got a big box of stuff coming. Plus, I figured out a diaper service with a good recycling program.” He transferred Chris’ food to a plate. “Does he need a bottle?”

Eddie focused on Wyatt, who was just looking around the room curiously. “I don’t think so, but he might want one once we start eating.”

“He might be okay in his basket,” Buck said. “He seems to find it very relaxing.”

“Is it magical?” Christopher questioned and poked the basket which was sitting on the table close to him.

“I don’t know,” Buck admitted as he brought their plates to the table. “Want some green tea, Chris?”

“Yes, and water, please,” Christopher said as he picked up his fork. “This looks great.”

“Thanks,” Buck said and brought both glasses to the table as Eddie tucked Wyatt into the basket. The baby made a little huffy sound but didn’t start crying.

Eddie retrieved two beers from the fridge, opened the bottles, and added them to the table to go along with the water that had already been set down for them both. He slid into his seat and took a deep breath.

“Something wrong?” Buck questioned.

“Besides the brown rice on my plate?” Eddie asked and grinned when Buck huffed.

“It’s better for us, Daddy,” Christopher said and stared pointedly at him. “Buck says so.”

“Well, if Buck says so,” Eddie said and flicked his son’s ear. Christopher laughed.

* * * *

“Chimney’s at the door,” Buck said quietly as he looked up from his phone.

Eddie passed the baby to Buck. “Go to Chris’ room.”

Buck kissed his son’s forehead. “I can handle Chim, Eddie.”

“Give me this, okay? He doesn’t deserve a single minute of your time, Buck. And we both know he’s going to hesitate to act out in my face.” Eddie exhaled slowly as he got a nod, a narrowed-eyed glance, and a little frown for his trouble.

He went to the front door as he heard Buck greet Christopher. Eddie opened the door, and Chimney blinked in surprise. The man looked like shit, and Eddie wondered if he was sober.

“What are you doing here?” Eddie questioned, and Chimney frowned.

“What? Buck can’t answer his own door?”

“He’s busy with the kids,” Eddie said. “Why are you here? You’ve done a lot of really dumb shit over the last week or so. Are you thinking about doing something you can’t come back from? Because I have to tell you, I think you’re on the road to a felony conviction, and I really don’t know how you got here.”

Chimney flushed. “I….”

“Even if I overlook your overwhelming and disgusting entitlement where it concerns Buck’s sister, it’s really hard to reconcile your disturbingly erratic behavior on the job. You’re clearly spiraling—are you on something? Did you have a problem letting go of the pain meds after you recovered? Are you in therapy?”

Chimney exhaled loudly. “I’m allowed to be furious with them both, Eddie. I nearly died, and neither one of them seems to give a fuck at all!”

“We all care that you almost died,” Eddie said. “And we care that you’re clearly having some kind of mental health crisis, but that doesn’t mean we’re going to tolerate abuse or threats from you. None of us want to see you ruin your own life, and that’s what you’re doing.”

“I’ve been suspended from duty!”

“You’re lucky to have not been fired,” Eddie retorted. “You threatened another first responder, Chim. You broke a lot of regulations on duty, created an immense amount of work, and acted like a dictator.”

“Why didn’t you remind me that you were probationary?” Chim demanded. “I got a week of suspension with no pay for violating those regs specifically and another four for…everything else.”

“Do you honestly think it’s my job to remind you of such a thing?” Eddie questioned. “Moreover, we both know you’d have ignored it because you were weirdly focused on destroying the team dynamic Bobby spent years creating, and I don’t get that at all.”

“Some team,” Chim scoffed. “None of you were supporting me or my decisions. And Bobby’s idea of a team doesn’t work for me. It’s never worked for me. I get sidelined all the fucking time, Eddie.”

“You aren’t qualified to do half the shit you volunteer to do,” Eddie said evenly. “You have a third of the certifications that Buck has for heavy rescue, and you seem to think it doesn’t matter. You skipped the last three certification classes on offer—even the one on swift water, which everyone else on the shift did.”

“I shouldn’t have to keep proving myself!”

“That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard,” Eddie said. “You need to leave and don’t come back to this house for any single reason.”

“This isn’t your house, Eddie,” Chimney said and rolled his eyes. “And it doesn’t matter how much you pine after Buck. He’s never going to give you what you want. He’s straight and goes through women like water.”

Eddie leaned on the doorframe with a laugh. “You’re really invested in your own assumptions, aren’t you? Regardless, you aren’t welcome at this house, and if you come back, we’ll call the cops. Considering your situation with the LAFD, the last thing you need is to be arrested for trespassing on the property of the firefighter you threatened on voicemail.”

“Buck’s ruining my life,” Chimney hissed. “Don’t you get it? He’s going to pay for all of this one way or another.”

“I served six years in the Army,” Eddie said quietly, and Chimney paused. “I killed at least ten people during that time, and I never lost a moment’s sleep over it.” Chimney paled. “Because they were my enemy, and that’s the last place you want to be in my life. It’s exactly what you’ll become if you ever even try to hurt Buck. Stop trying to get revenge for imaginary slights and focus on keeping your damn job.”

“How am I supposed….” Chim trailed off and clenched his jaw.

“Go to therapy and be honest because there’s no way you don’t have PTSD. Once you’re diagnosed, get on a treatment plan and follow it to the letter. Accept whatever accommodations the department offers you, and be prepared for a shift in duties. Frankly, Chim, I don’t think you’re fit for duty, and you haven’t been in a long time. You have a host of mental health issues, and as unfortunate as it is—you can leverage those to keep your job.”

“It won’t be at the 118. Bobby said I’m not welcome back at all, on any shift,” Chim said.

“Well, you threatened Buck,” Eddie said. “And you should’ve known how that would go. You told me my first day that Buck was practically Bobby Nash’s adopted son. That’s true more now than it ever has before. He’s so all-in on that relationship that he’s already trying to get Buck’s kid to call him grandpa.”

“Everyone acts like Buck is great, but he—”

“What has Buck ever done to you?” Eddie interjected. “He even warned you that his sister was coming out of a terrible marriage. You ignored him.”

“I thought he just didn’t want me near his sister,” Chim muttered.

“Frankly, I wouldn’t want you dating one of my mine,” Eddie said, and Chim gaped at him. “You objectify women, Chim. You lie to them and treat them like they owe you something for existing. It’s disgusting. You’re standing here so focused on your own issues that you probably haven’t had a moment’s thought about Maddie Kendall’s trauma. She spent over a decade in an abusive marriage, was kidnapped, and had to kill her own husband in self-defense. What a lot of people have overlooked in all of this is that she loved him once.”

“What?” Chimney asked in shock.

“Maddie loved Doug Kendall enough to marry him,” Eddie said. “He killed that love over the course of their marriage, but that doesn’t mean it never existed. He betrayed her, broke her heart, destroyed her confidence in a career she spent a lot of time attaining, and in the end, tried to murder her. I’m not trying to play trauma olympics with you here, but it’s pretty galling for you to go around acting like you’re the only victim in this. When Buck found Maddie, she was covered in blood—hers and Doug’s. So don’t fucking stand there and act like everything you went through is the only thing that matters.”

Chimney stared at him, eyes dark. “Maddie just left—like she owes me nothing.”

“Because she doesn’t,” Eddie said. “No woman does, Chim. It’s not her fault you befriended her abusive husband. It’s not her fault he tried to kill you for trying to fuck his wife.” Chimney’s mouth dropped open. “It’s not Maddie’s fault you’re standing here in the middle of the night trying to entirely ruin your life because being a nice guy didn’t get you laid.”

“You don’t think much of me, do you?”

“It’s pretty hard to think anything good about a man who’d threaten to gut someone who’s never done a single thing to them,” Eddie said evenly, and Chimney paled. “And if you think anyone is taking that as a joke, then you’re an idiot.”

“I’m allowed to be frustrated with Buck for ignoring me,” Chimney said and jingled his keys.

The man was very jittery, and that put Eddie off like mad. It was either building agitation or a drug problem. “You should admit yourself for inpatient treatment.”

“What?” Chimney questioned with a frown.

“It’s in your best interest as you clearly are having self-control issues,” Eddie said evenly. “Admitting you need help will go a long way toward making people feel better about the mess you’ve made.”

“I don’t need that kind of help!” Chimney snapped and fisted his keys.

“If you take a swing at me, I’ll maim you for fucking life,” Eddie snapped, and Chimney backed up. “Leave and do not ever come back to this house. I mean it.”

He shut the door and locked it before Chimney could respond. Eddie set the alarm on the security panel and went to a front-facing window in the living room, and watched as Chimney stalked to his vehicle and left. Then he pulled out his phone.

Eddie: Chimney showed up at Buck’s house

Bobby: State of mind?

Eddie: Irrational and very agitated. Keep your distance if he shows up at your house

Bobby: He’s not that stupid

Eddie: Assumptions like that get people killed

Bobby: I’ll call Athena. Promise.

Eddie sent him a thumb’s up emoji, which he could imagine Bobby grimacing at, then laughed. He checked the doors and windows in the front of the house before heading toward the bedrooms. Buck was reading a story to Christopher when he reached the room his son had claimed for his own. Wyatt was on the full-size bed between Chris and Buck, sucking a fist.

“Should I get him a bottle?”

Buck looked up from his reading briefly and nodded, so Eddie left the doorway and headed toward the kitchen.

* * * *

Eddie laughed a little as Buck pressed him against the closed bedroom door. “What’s up?”

“It crosses my mind that we haven’t even kissed,” Buck said. “Which is weird—”

He kissed him because if that was what Buck was after, an explanation was utterly unnecessary. His friend’s soft, sweet mouth had been on his mind since the day they met. Buck groaned against his lips, and Eddie pulled him closer. He couldn’t say which of them deepened the kiss, but he cupped the back of Buck’s head and took all he could. Buck’s hands settled on his hips, tight and demanding in a way that was both startling and exciting.

Eddie groaned when Buck picked him up and urged his legs around his waist. He arched against Buck as the other man trailed his lips from his mouth and across his jaw. “Fuck.”

“As I was saying, it’s weird,” Buck murmured. “Because we haven’t even had the conversation about the kind of sex you like. What if we’re really incompatible?” He cupped Eddie’s ass with one hand. “Though I can tell you like this—is the strength a turn-on?”

“Dios, I knew you’d be a talker.” Buck laughed, which was good because Eddie hadn’t meant it to sound like a complaint, and it kind of had. “Most men assume I’m an exclusive top.”

“Want to know what I think?” Buck questioned and lifted away from the door.

Eddie tightened his arm around Buck’s shoulders to ease some of the lift, and Buck carried him to the bed. “Yeah, tell me what you think.”

Buck crawled onto the bed and put Eddie down before he settled on top of him. “I think you don’t care as long as you get off.”

Eddie laughed because it was true and relaxed under Buck with a smile. “Getting off is the goal, right?”

“It certainly can be,” Buck said as he settled his weight easily between Eddie’s legs. “Can you get off being fucked, or do you need additional stimulation?”

Eddie blew air out between his lips. “I usually need a hand, but I’ve come using a dildo without it.”

“I’ve always found coming alone easier,” Buck said. “Especially in a situation where I feel vulnerable.”

Eddie touched Buck’s face and rubbed his thumb over his generous mouth. “How do you feel right now?”

“Safe,” Buck murmured. “I think that matters a lot.”

“Yeah, I agree,” Eddie said. “But speaking of, I’d like to get tested before we have any sort of penetrative sex without condoms, and I noticed you had a box on your shopping list in the kitchen.”

“Right, because I’m out and forgot to order them with my last delivery. Then Athena went to the store for me, and I was not going to ask her to buy me condoms.” He eased off Eddie and laid on his side beside him. “Are you worried about anything on that front?”

“No, but it’s been over a year and two partners since I was tested last, and I’d rather not have any doubts,” Eddie said. “I used condoms, but I know little to nothing about Shannon’s activities after she left Texas, and Tyler was evasive about his past partners. Now, I think he didn’t want me finding out he has a history of abuse.”

“Yeah,” Buck said. “You probably aren’t the first partner he’s treated his way, and if he thought about hitting you, then he’s…maybe hit other men in the past.”

Eddie frowned. “Yeah, I’d say that’s pretty accurate because the argument escalated quickly, and his body got tense the moment I disagreed with him. He was clearly having a fight response to an argument that wasn’t that deep. How would he respond to a bigger issue?”

“Neither of us can say with any sort of certainty, but the implications aren’t good,” Buck said and let one hand rest on Eddie’s stomach. “Have you told your parents you broke up with him?”

“No.” Eddie made a face.

“Do you think he’ll contact them? He’s already messaged Isabel.”

“For fuck’s sake,” Eddie muttered and wiggled a bit so he could pull his cell phone out of his pocket. “This is ridiculous. If we’d planned this better, we could be fucking right now.”

Buck laughed and left the bed pulling his shirt over his head. “Make it quick—we can jerk each other off in the shower.”

Eddie decided to use the family group text that only had his parents and sisters in it.

Eddie: FYI I’ve broken up with Tyler and he didn’t accept it. This resulted in some stalking behavior. He’s been warned off by the LAPD and cursed out by Abuela. Also, Buck had a wish baby delivery so Christopher and I are at his house spending the night and hogging the baby whenever Buck turns his back. Heading to bed. I’ve got a shift tomorrow.

As an afterthought, he sent a picture of Christopher and Wyatt, then put his phone down on the nightstand and left the bed, yanking his own shirt off. Because a hand job in the shower was better than nothing. Buck had the water running by the time Eddie came in, so he shimmied out of his sweats and boxers.

Buck pulled him close as soon as he was in the shower. “I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve jerked off thinking about you in the showers at work.”

Eddie blew air between his lips noisily. “A couple of weeks ago, I dreamt about blowing you in the showers at work. First wet dream I’ve had in over a decade.”

“The worst part is that we’d never get away with it,” Buck said with a little frown.

Eddie wrapped a hand around Buck’s cock and got a soft, sweet moan in return. He pressed his own erection against Buck’s hip as he started to jack Buck’s cock with a long, firm stroke. “Tell me how you like it.”

“What you’re doing is perfect.”

“I can tell,” Eddie said. “I meant intercourse—what do you like?”

“What do you think I like?” Buck asked breathlessly, hands clenched on Eddie’s hips. “What would you like to do to me?”

“I see.”

“Do you?” Buck questioned.

“Yeah,” Eddie said with a laugh and nuzzled against Buck’s jaw. “I could put you on your knees, hold you down, and fuck you long and hard.” Buck shuddered. “Maybe I’ll take a ride on this gorgeous cock of yours—I wouldn’t let you come until I was done. You’d be good for me, right Evan?”

“Jesus Christ,” Buck gasped and came. “You….” He huffed, and Eddie laughed a little. “Of course, you’d play dirty.”

Eddie wet his lips and then sought another kiss, pretty pleased to have gotten it right. “I’ve got a bit of catching up to do, you know. You’ve got all these little secrets I didn’t even know to look for.”

“Does that bother you?” Buck asked quietly as he turned and slid a hand downward. He cupped Eddie’s balls. “I’d love to suck you off—let you come in my mouth.”

“No, it’s pretty exciting,” Eddie confessed as he sucked in a deep breath. “Also, we’re hitting a clinic of some sort as soon as possible.”

Buck took his cock in hand with a pleased little hum. “I love to fuck, by the way. I can spend hours in bed with a partner if they’re game. Taking care of my partner’s needs really gets me off. But, sometimes, I just like to be used—fucked repeatedly until I can’t move.”

“You….” Eddie huffed and locked his knees to keep from falling as he came all over Buck’s hand. “And you were complaining about me playing dirty.”

Buck grinned. “That wasn’t a complaint.” He pressed a kiss against Eddie’s mouth gently. “We can get as dirty as you want, Eds.”

 

 

Chapter 8

It was relieving to see Bobby Nash in the loft when Eddie walked into the 118. But the fact that he was standing next to Chief Gael Alonzo was a little concerning. Eddie had only seen the man once or twice on the news, but he figured most firefighters in the LAFD knew him on sight. He went to the locker room to get dressed, and Hen met him at the doors as soon as he came out.

“Hey.”

Hen crossed her arms. “Chimney told me that you suggested he admit himself to a psychiatric facility.”

“Yeah,” Eddie said, and she stared in surprise. “You thought he lied about it?” He couldn’t blame her since the man lied a lot. “I hope you agreed because he needs it, Hen.”

“I did agree, and we argued because he told me what you said like it was a problem. I asked him how that conversation even happened since he’d claimed he wasn’t talking to anyone at the 118 but me. He admitted he went to Buck’s house, and you opened the door.” She took a deep breath. “So, I went off on him because I can’t believe he went over there. I told him to leave Buck alone and that nothing that was happening to him was Buck’s fault or problem.”

“Do you know where he is now?”

Hen pursed her lips. “Between you and me?”

“Yeah, of course.”

“I 5150’d him.” She exhaled a little when Eddie’s mouth dropped open. “I found him at his apartment—raving like a lunatic. He was saying some wild-ass shit, and I was worried he’d hurt himself. So, I called Athena, and we got him contained, and she had him transported to a hospital. I have his medical proxy, in case of an emergency, and I used it against him.”

“You did the right thing.”

“I hope so,” Hen said. “He may never speak to me again. But I can’t be the kind of friend that enables that sort of behavior.”

“Do you know why the chief is here?”

“Just a morale visit because of the bomb,” Cosmo said as he joined them. “He’s been touching base with everyone that was in the station at the time. I think he’ll probably want to speak to you directly since you found it.”

Eddie grimaced and pocketed his phone. “Has the Chimney situation reached his office?”

“Should it?” Hen questioned. “He’s probably not notified of every single disciplinary issue, right?”

“He has people for that,” Cosmo agreed. “But this situation with Chimney isn’t normal, Hen. You know that, right? He’ll be lucky to keep his job. There were over a dozen complaints across all three shifts. I was interviewed twice—once for my own complaint, then again because they wanted to know if I’d ever heard Chimney ever threaten anyone on the job.”

“He’s upset,” Hen said. “But not dangerous.”

Eddie didn’t agree at all. “Hen.”

“I know him,” Hen said. “He’s not dangerous.”

“Look—I’m going to tell you something real, and please take me seriously. Every single human being on this planet has the potential to be someone’s absolute worst nightmare,” Eddie said, and her eyes widened behind her glasses. “And there is nothing more dangerous than the adult human male—this isn’t about sexism because I don’t think any woman is weak.

“But, ninety percent of the murders on this planet are committed by men. Chimney can easily deadlift 275 pounds, and that kind of physical power combined with a psychiatric problem and a temper is dangerous. We know his decision-making gets worse when he’s angry. He is in a terrible place, and you cannot afford to make a mistake with him. He’s not a problem now, but his circumstances are going to change in a few days. You’ve already said he’s furious with you. Don’t let him in your house, okay?”

Hen nodded. “Yeah.” She pulled her phone out with a shaking hand. “I need to speak with Karen.”

Eddie watched her walk away with a frown. “Shit.”

“Don’t regret that,” Cosmo said. “She really needed to hear it. Out of all of us, she’s the one that wore the blinders the longest, and even now, she thinks he can come back from this.” He cleared his throat. “I heard that he threatened Buck.”

Eddie nodded. “Not sure I should discuss it. He did it over voice mail.”

“Wow,” Cosmo muttered.

“The trauma of nearly being killed is a special kind of horror,” Eddie said. “And the lack of mental health care afterward is a real problem. The department shouldn’t have cleared him for duty without an extensive psychiatric review.”

“I agree.”

Eddie winced as Cosmo made a face that wouldn’t have been out of place on Buck’s face when they were clearly caught doing something they shouldn’t and turned to find the chief and Bobby standing nearby.

“Good morning, sirs,” Eddie said and huffed a little when Cosmo basically ran away. “Way to be a team player, Fuentes!” Cosmo laughed as he disappeared into the gym.

Chief Alonzo grinned. “I wanted to come over here and thank you personally for your quick thinking the day the bomb was found. Not everyone would’ve had the experience to respond the way you did. The LAPD Bomb Squad has asked that a commendation be put in your file.”

Eddie considered that. “It wouldn’t be public, right?”

“It normally is, yes,” the chief said. “Is that a problem?”

“I’d rather the department not put a target on my back, sir,” Eddie said frankly, and he watched both men pale. “They haven’t caught the bomber yet, and I’ve got…the safety of my family is very important to me. This guy’s reaction to missing not one but two targets on the same day can’t truly be predicted. He’s clearly on a mission and….” He trailed off and shook his head.

“No, I agree,” Gael Alonzo said quietly. “I hadn’t considered that at all. It’s not a mindset I’m familiar with, honestly.”

“Experience taught me to be careful when it came to making enemies, personal and otherwise,” Eddie said. “You learn quickly in a warzone how to minimize your risks. Standing out or looking important should be avoided in situations like this because it increases your threat profile.” He paused. “Honestly, if he has it in for the department, then showing up here in dress uniform wasn’t…the choice I would’ve made.” He turned to Bobby. “We should check his vehicle before he gets in it.”

“The LAPD has the station under surveillance,” Bobby said. “But, yes, I’ll ask the officers to check his SUV.”

“You were in the military, right?” Chief Alonzo questioned as Bobby walked away, already on his phone. “I got a brief summary on everyone working at the 118 on A shift.”

“Six years in the Army until I was discharged due to injury,” Eddie said. “I lost a kidney, and you can’t serve with just one.” He paused. “But I’m fit for duty as a firefighter.”

The chief nodded. “Yes, of course. I’ve heard good things about your work since the start—Bobby wouldn’t have kept you with Buckley if he was worried about that.”

Eddie wasn’t at all surprised that even the chief knew that Buck was Bobby’s favorite. “Hmmm.”

Alonzo snorted. “It’s not every probationary firefighter that gets to take an engine for a hook-up and keep his job.”

“It was offline for maintenance,” Eddie said in Buck’s defense, then huffed when Alonzo laughed.

“He got a commendation from the LAPD that day, by the way. Above and beyond the call of duty—Sergeant Grant said he saved her life,” Alonzo explained. “The thing is that he was so grateful to get his job back that not even getting a Medal of Merit from the LAFD gave him a big head.” He paused. “And honestly, it isn’t like he’s the only firefighter to ever get laid on duty.”

Eddie had never gotten laid on duty, and he was kind of irritated about it, in retrospect. “We make sure he behaves these days.”

“But you didn’t hear me say that.”

“Of course not,” Eddie said and crossed his arms. “I’m okay about the bomb, but I have an appointment with my therapist lined up. I can’t say I would be on solid ground if it had actually gone off. That kind of trauma can ruin you even in the short term.”

“I’ve tasked the head of professional standards with developing a policy regarding mental health reviews after severe injury and traumatic events. The union will be participating in the creation of that. I think, too often, we expect more than we should from those of you on the front lines.”

“Some organizations cut their losses when it comes to mental health issues,” Eddie said. “The military does it regularly—letting men and women damaged by war go to fend for themselves. It’s no surprise that many of them end up homeless. I was lucky to have family around me when I was discharged. I wasn’t given an opportunity to spiral. My parents micromanaged me through the whole process. I can’t say it was pleasant, but they kept me from going off the rails when many discharged soldiers have when faced with similar injuries and loss.”

“Yeah,” the chief said. “A lot of the homeless we treated when I was at a station were former military. Vietnam vets were the majority at the time, and everything that could go wrong for those boys did go wrong. Maybe it’s better now, but it can’t be by much.”

“At least I didn’t have to deal with people treating me like the scum of the earth,” Eddie said. “And I wasn’t drafted. So, in that respect, yeah, it’s better, but the damage war does hasn’t changed in thousands of years, sir.”

Alonzo nodded. “It makes a difference, certainly. I think….we should work on some outreach programs for the homeless. Contact some shelters and figure out how we can best help, especially when the weather makes things more difficult. I know some of them refuse to be helped, and no amount of prodding will keep them off the streets, but we could do more.”

“I knew a guy in Afghanistan that didn’t feel safe sleeping inside,” Eddie said. “He’d been over there for two tours, and he had some niche skills that the Army found very valuable. As an asset, he was near peerless at his rank and skill so they ignored his quirks as his CO called them and let him sleep outside. Sometimes it was in the guard tower, and other times it might be on top of a prefab building.”

The chief exhaled slowly. “Are you going to tell me that poor man is dead?”

“Nah, he’s still sniping terrorists as far as I know,” Eddie said and shrugged when the man’s mouth dropped open. “He’s very good at it. Probably one of the top marksmen on the planet. Having him in the field, watching our backs, was like being bulletproof. Nothing got near us.”

“Niche skills,” Alonzo said and nodded. “I see.”

“Hey, Eddie,” Hen called out across the garage part of the station. “You’ve got a delivery in the visitor’s area.”

“A delivery?”

“Yeah,” Hen said with an amused grin. “Flowers.”

Eddie groaned. “Is the delivery guy still here? I need to refuse them.”

“Nah, he’s gone. Sorry.” She bit down on her lip. “What’s going on?”

“Firefighter Diaz has a stalker,” Chief Alonzo said easily, and Eddie turned to stare at him in horror. “What? I told you I got a summary on each of you. Sergeant Grant has filed reports with us and the LAPD about the issue in case Mr. Corbet shows up on a scene or here. Stalking is a serious matter.”

“I’m going to die of embarrassment,” Eddie muttered and headed for the small visitor’s room that was at the front of the building that was only used when the garage doors were closed.

The flowers were in a long white box. He paused at the sight of them and held out an arm when Hen went to reach for the note. “Wait. Did the officers out front check this and verify the driver was legit?”

“Oh, Jesus Christ,” Hen muttered and took several steps back. “I’ll go get them.”

Eddie stared at the white box for a few moments, leaned forward so he could check the florist’s name, and did a search to find their phone number as he shared a look with Alonzo. “Someone needs to send out some procedures about accepting packages at all the stations. We can’t teach people to be suspicious, exactly, but a good dose of caution would be seriously advised.”

“I’ll…handle it,” Alonzo said as he walked away.

The door opened, and a tall man in casual clothes entered with a cell phone in hand.

“I was about to verify the delivery from the florist,” Eddie said. “It probably is from my asshole, stalker ex, but there’s no need to take risks.”

“No, you’re right,” the man said. “Detective Lou Ransone. I was inspecting the chief’s car, and the two officers I have watching the front of the building didn’t notice the delivery at all.”

Eddie made a face.

“I’ve already called in for replacements,” Detective Ransone assured. “They’re in the last hour of their rotation, and attention is wandering.”

Eddie nodded and called the florist. The phone call was picked up immediately.

“Fairytale Florists,” a woman said cheerfully in his ear.

Eddie grimaced. “Good morning, my name is Eddie Diaz. I just received a delivery of flowers from your company at my workplace. Can you verify it and tell me who sent it?”

“Ah, one moment.” He listened to her work on a computer. “Delivery to Edmundo Diaz from Tyler Corbet.” She rattled off the station’s address.

“And your delivery driver handled this personally?” Eddie questioned. “It wasn’t passed to a third party for delivery.”

“My son delivered it five minutes ago, per his report,” the woman said. “Is there a problem, Mr. Diaz?”

“Just some security concerns regarding unexpected packages. I’m sure you understand,” he said. “Listen, can I refuse delivery from your service from Mr. Corbet going forward?” He gave Ransone a nod, and the detective approached the box with care.

“Yes. Is there a problem I should be made aware of?”

Eddie didn’t know. “What’s your policy on stalking?”

“Oh. My apologies, Mr. Diaz. I have a zero-tolerance policy regarding my business being used to stalk, abuse, harass, or threaten another person. Mr. Corbet is a new customer, and I wasn’t aware he had problematic behaviors.”

“I’ve asked him to stop contacting me, and I’ve made a report to the LAPD regarding his behavior since I ended the relationship. I want no contact with him at all.”

“I can send my son back to retrieve the flowers,” she said tersely. “And let me assure you—Mr. Corbet will not use me or my business to contact you again.”

“No, I’ll find somewhere to donate them or something,” Eddie said. “There’s a hospice treatment facility just across the street from the station. There’s no need to create more work for your son. Thank you for your time.”

“Of course, Mr. Diaz, please have a good day.”

He ended the call as Ransone passed him the card and flicked open the lid on the box. “Tulips and roses,” Ransone said.

Eddie huffed and opened the card.

Eddie—I feel terrible, and I miss you. Please forgive me. Love Tyler

He dropped the card on top of the flowers, took a picture, and sent it to Athena with a note about the delivery being sent to the station.

“Got a picture of this guy?” Ransone questioned. “I’ll pass it to my team in case he shows up here.”

“I can get one from his Insta,” Eddie muttered and focused on his phone. “This is really annoying and frustrating.”

“I bet,” Ransone said and rattled over his phone number so Eddie could text the picture.

“Hey,” Cosmo said as he appeared at Eddie’s side. He picked up the box. “I’ll take them across the street and give them to the nurses.” He put the card on the counter. “Sergeant Grant will probably want that.” He tilted the box slightly. “A dozen each—this cost him at least a hundred bucks.”

“Easily,” Ransone agreed.

“Probably closer to two,” Eddie admitted. “Those roses are heirloom, and the tulips are French.” They both looked at him. “My Tia Pepa is a florist and owns a shop. When I first came to LA, I worked for her. It bored me silly, but I learned a lot about flowers as a result. In a vase, that arrangement could run around 300 dollars, depending on the selection and arrangement time.”

“I just realized I haven’t bought anyone flowers in a very long time,” Ransone said in amusement.

“I get my mom carnations for Mother’s Day,” Cosmo said. “They’re her favorite.” He inclined his head toward the door. “I won’t tell them they’re stalker flowers. No need to put off a bad vibe.”

Eddie laughed reluctantly and focused on his phone when it buzzed in his hand. Athena had sent him an angry face emoji.

“Athena Grant has been reduced to emojis.”

“Hell,” Ransone muttered. “I’m going to go sit in my car.”

Eddie nodded, picked up the card, and headed for the loft. He’d go sit in his truck if he thought he could get away with it. There was something to be said for having an escape vehicle at hand. The chief was back in the loft with Bobby; since they were in the kitchen area having a discussion, Eddie retreated to the sofa and sat down beside Hen.

“So creepy flowers.”

“Yeah,” Eddie said wearily. “Cosmo took them across the street.”

She nodded. “They always appreciate the gifts we send over there. How are you?”

“Fine.”

“You don’t look fine,” she admitted. “I mean…your mood seems off. Is it the stalker thing or the Chimney thing or the bomb thing, or is it a Buck thing?”

“Well, Buck’s not remotely stressful,” Eddie said frankly. “The rest of it is a shit show, and I don’t know what to do with myself.”

* * * *

Helena Diaz was trying to FaceTime him. Buck was on the fence about Eddie’s mother getting friendly with him. He answered.

“Hello.”

“Buck, hi, how are you?”

“Good,” he said and shifted Wyatt on his chest. “Christopher is at school.”

“Oh, I figured as much. Eddie sent a picture of the baby with Christopher to our group chat last night. I wanted to congratulate you on the delivery of your wish baby. Since I had one—I also wanted to let you know you can ask questions if you have any.”

“He’s chill so far,” Buck said. “We went to the doctor this morning to get his vaccinations. Yesterday some lady in the grocery store tried to touch him, which was really annoying.”

“Sophia glowed for around ten days, I think,” Helena said. “And I only took her out twice—the doctors and one store before I realized how intrusive people could be. It was worse back then because most people assumed that wish babies weren’t biologically related to their parents. I got Sophia’s DNA tested as soon as it was available as an option. We did a paternity test a couple of years after she arrived, but it wasn’t as sophisticated as we both wanted.”

Buck nodded. “The people at the doctor’s office were nice. I’m using the same pediatrician that sees Christopher. It was nice to already have someone in place we could trust.”

“Ask him about that asshole,” Ramon Diaz ordered from the background.

She huffed and waved him away. “Ramon.”

“Tyler doesn’t know where I live currently,” Buck said, and she focused on him. “He sent me a message on Facebook I blocked him. Athena has already started a case file, and he’s close to getting some sort of official warning. Eddie is prepared to file for a restraining order.”

Wyatt turned his face and curled up on his chest briefly before relaxing with a little huffy sound.

“Are you worried?”

“Stalkers can be dangerous,” Buck allowed. “But Eddie’s…well, he was trained for combat and does MMA recreationally, Helena. It would be really stupid for Tyler to pick a fight with him. That doesn’t mean he wouldn’t because you can’t truly predict people. But I think Eddie can handle himself.

“Christopher has decided to stay with me for my whole paternity leave so he can get as much baby time as he can. Eddie’s allowing it because of Tyler, I think. So he’s not blowing off anyone’s concern, if you’re worried.”

“I am worried,” she said quietly, and Ramon huffed loudly in the background. “We’re both worried. Eddie made a terrible decision to date this dumb man.”

Buck raised an eyebrow. “You’ve never made a terrible relationship decision?”

She took a deep breath, and Ramon laughed. “Well, I dated this stupid boy in high school that…. Yes, fine, I’ve made dumb decisions.”

“So, judging Eddie for exploring his options after his divorce is kind of inappropriate then, right?”

Helena scrunched her nose up. “You’re an incredibly difficult young man, Buck.”

“Difficult in what way?” Buck asked with a raised eyebrow. “Difficult to control? Difficult to intimidate? Difficult to manipulate?”

“He’s got your number,” Ramon said dryly.

“I want what’s best for Eddie and Christopher.”

“Well, that’s not exactly true,” Buck said. “You want what’s best for them in El Paso. They both hate it there, but you like to ignore that because you want them, or more to the point, you want Christopher to live with you. It wouldn’t be healthy for either one of you, honestly.

“He’s not going to tolerate being limited and made to live a small life because you think it’s safer. As a result, you’d get really stressed out by his refusal to be helpless as a result of his disability,” Buck said, and she frowned at him. “Not that Eddie would allow that, and that’s probably pretty frustrating for you.”

She huffed. “Let me see the baby.”

“I shouldn’t,” Buck said and laughed when she crossed her arms. He turned the phone, so she could see Wyatt’s face. “My mother is never going to meet my son.”

“What?” Helena questioned.

“She’s never going to meet my son,” Buck said evenly. “She’s a cruel bitch and I won’t ever let her get a chance to do to my son what she did to me. I’m telling you this because the more you alienate Eddie, the easier it will be to remove you entirely from his life. He’s not going to choose your comfort over his son’s emotional welfare, Helena. No rational person would expect him to because you’re an adult, and Christopher is eight.” She made a face at him. “I realize this phrase gets thrown around a lot these days, but you need therapy, so you can figure out how to stay in your own lane.”

“See,” Ramon said in the background. “This is exactly why I think Buck is a much better choice for Edmundo than that idiot who kissed your ass so much that you nearly hung up on them without even speaking to Christopher.”

Helena huffed. “Tyler was really…fake, Buck, and it was awful. I can tell when someone doesn’t like me, you know. I don’t care most of the time either.”

Buck laughed.

“But I do notice.” She waved both hands. “I don’t even know what my lane is!”

“I think grandparents are supposed to be overly permissive and buy loud, expensive toys without permission when they blow into town,” Buck said wryly. “And I agree, I’m a much better choice for Eddie. I’m all in on making that happen, by the way. Because I’ve got an empty spot on my baby’s birth certificate, and I think Eddie’s a great father.”

Ramon appeared then, putting his chin on his wife’s shoulder. “I’m willing to buy you guys a house here in El Paso.”

“Ramon, I wouldn’t live in Texas—not even for free,” Buck told him firmly, and the older man laughed. “And if the two of you want any sort of access to Wyatt or any other kids I talk the Fey Court out of—you’ll figure out how grandparenting works. You’ve had eight years already, and you still don’t know how to do it.”

Helena blew air out between her lips. “How does that work?”

“What do you mean?”

“I’ve never known of a single parent getting a wish baby outside of a movie,” Helena said. “How will it work? With the empty spot?”

“My case worker told me that when I found my co-parent, I could just add them to the birth certificate and that no one could interfere in my choice legally. I looked it up because I was curious. It won’t change Wyatt’s DNA, so he’ll always be just mine biologically.”

“Does anyone have a theory about the other parental DNA, then?” Ramon questioned.

“It’s utterly random to the point that there is no single person on this planet who could claim to be his other parent,” Buck assured, and Helena nodded. He noted that her shoulders relaxed slightly. “And there’s never been an attempt made to make a legal claim on such a thing. Even in custody disputes, the Fey Court decides which parent gets the wish child. Any attempt by other entities to make that decision for the fey resulted in severe magical backlash in the past.”

“Okay, can I have more pictures?”

“As long as they aren’t shared on social media, sure,” Buck said.

“Oh, I know better,” Helena said. “One of my friend’s grandchildren was the victim of digital kidnapping—it was a nightmare. The parents had to pay a lawyer to threaten three different websites and file restraining orders in two states against the person who created an entire fictional life around the baby. They were afraid she’d eventually try to kidnap their kid. My Facebook profile has always been private—since Sophia set it up for me. But I went through it and removed every single picture I had of Christopher just to be safe. I think it would be even worse with a wish baby—especially since some people still believe that we aren’t related to our own children.”

Wyatt whined softly.

“Okay, he’s ready for a bottle. I’ll send the pictures after I get him settled with a bottle.”

“Have a good day, Buck. If Christopher doesn’t have a lot of homework… I’d like to call him later and apologize for my behavior.” She flushed. “Adriana made it clear I owed him one, and I’m trying to do better.”

Buck nodded. “I’ll ask Eddie first, so no guarantees. And if Chris doesn’t want to, you’ll just have to wait until he’s ready. He can be as stubborn as Eddie.”

“Thank you.”

Buck ended the call and tucked his phone into his pocket as he stood from the couch. He went into the kitchen to get a bottle ready. Wyatt fussed quietly against his shoulder until the bottle was ready, then huffily sucked the nipple into his mouth when it was offered.

“You know, Eddie gets pouty like this when he has to wait,” Buck said conversationally, and Wyatt stared at him with bright blue eyes. “Maybe I do, too.”

He laughed a little to himself and returned to the couch to feed his son.

 

 

Chapter 9

The hair stood up on the back of his neck, and the air around him seemed to grow still. It was like the universe was screaming at him. Eddie shifted on his feet and let his hand rest on the ladder truck, just above where a Halligan bar was secured. He let his hand slide down, connect with the bar, and wrapped his fingers around it. The carbon steel bar was the longest they stored on the ladder at thirty-six inches long. It was the one Buck favored as it provided him a great amount of leverage due to his strength and size.

Eddie pulled the bar free and took in a ragged breath as he turned to face the threat he had not seen but certainly felt. Half of him expected his stupid ex, but he found an older teenage boy standing just a few feet away from him, eyes dark with fury. He was practically vibrating as he stood there.

“Hey, Eddie, what’s taking so long?” Cosmo came around the ladder. “We need the jaws for that Mustang.”

Eddie held out a hand to stop Cosmo. “Don’t.”

“What is….”

“Where is Captain Nash?” the boy demanded.

“I’m right here, Freddie,” Bobby said. “Diaz, Fuentes—back off, okay?”

“No! They stay right there! Put that fucking thing down!” He pointed a finger at Eddie and unzipped his hoodie to reveal a bomb vest. “I mean it.”

Eddie stared for a moment taking in the suicide trigger clenched in the kid’s fist. “No.”

“Do what I say!” Freddie screamed. “I’ll blow us all up.”

“You can’t have enough C4 for that,” Eddie said. “And you’re using another shaped charge. You’re going to blow a hole the size of your fist through your chest cavity straight out through your back. The most any of us are going to get is—wet.” He paused. “From your blood and guts.”

Bobby moved, so he was further away from the boy and to the left of Eddie. The traffic noise was almost muted, as if the world had stilled around them.

“When I saw the bomb on the ladder truck, I thought it was kind of off. Now I realize why—you’re just a dumb little mother fucker who thought the design looked fancy, right? What? Did Call of Duty stop getting you off at night? Did you have to graduate to real victims to get it up?” Eddie asked, and the kid screamed at him.

Freddie focused on Bobby. “Make this asshole back off! I’ll let go of this switch, Captain Nash! I’ll blow up everything around us! He doesn’t know what he’s talking about!”

Bobby stared for a moment. “I heard your father died in prison, and you blame everyone but him for it.”

“It’s your fault!” Freddie hissed.

“I’m not the one that set a building on fire for insurance money,” Bobby said reasonably. “He didn’t get it right, either. I guess failure runs in the family.”

Eddie knew he was going to get a lecture for being a bad influence on Bobby Nash.

“Do you even have that dead man’s switch wired correctly?” Eddie questioned. “Or were you more focused on making it look exciting? Your package bombs were sufficient, I suppose, but any asshole could do that with a few household chemicals and some boxes out of a dumpster.” He glanced toward Bobby, and the older man gave him a nod.

“How are you like this?” Freddie demanded. “You’re just…why are you….” He screamed in frustration.

“My mother is three inches shorter than you, forty pounds lighter, and more intimidating in her pajamas than you are standing there with a ridiculously shoddy suicide bomber vest,” Eddie told him and tightened his grip on the Halligan.

“His mom is fierce,” Bobby agreed, and Cosmo exhaled noisily in response.

Bobby shot forward and wrapped both hands around Freddie’s trigger hand, and Eddie followed, slamming the both of them against the truck. He leveraged the Halligan under Freddie’s neck.

“Hold on, I have tape!” Hen shouted as Cosmo joined Eddie in holding Freddie against the truck.

Freddie started kicking and screaming. Eddie knocked the kid back against the truck, and his head connected with metal. Hen taped the kid’s hand around the trigger tightly as he slumped unconscious. Once she did that, they put him on the ground and taped his hands together behind his back, then rolled him to the side.

Eddie stared at the vest with a frown. “Tape his feet, too.”

Cosmo took the tape from Hen and quickly finished the roll off on securing the boy’s legs together at the knee and ankles.

Bobby took in a ragged breath as he sat back on his knees. “I’m getting too old for this.” He plucked his radio from his shoulder. “Dispatch, this is Captain Nash of the 118. Advise the LAPD that we have the suspected bomber in custody.”

“727 L-30 to Captain Nash. Please repeat!”

“Captain Nash to 727 L-30, we have the suspected bomber in custody.”

“Current status?” Athena demanded in a clipped tone.

“Unconscious. Dispatch, please notify the Bomb Squad that the suspect is wearing a badly constructed suicide bomb vest that Firefighter Diaz is deeply unimpressed by.”

“Understood 118.” Josh’s tone was dry as the desert.

Eddie huffed a little since everyone was staring at him. “It is shoddy. All the attention and failure probably made him careless. We should give him some space in case it goes off due to his incompetence.” He took a knee next to the boy and checked his pulse, then held a hand against his back. “Heart rate is steady, breathing appears normal. We can’t risk any sort of treatment at this point.”

Cosmo snorted but backed up a few feet. “Jesus Christ, Eddie, you’d better contact Buck before he finds out about this. He’s gonna lose his shit.”

He motioned toward the crowd of drivers and passengers that had been involved in a complicated fender bender that had done more damage to traffic than anything or anyone else. Every single one of them had a cell phone pointed their way.

“That’s just fucking great,” Eddie muttered as he stood. “Let’s get the gurney. We’re going to have to transport this little bastard after they get the bomb off of him. He’s going to need a medical exam.”

“And he’s gotta have a concussion,” Hen said, and she sounded proud as fuck over the possibility. “Also, where are the cops that were supposed to be following us?”

“Shift change,” Bobby said. “They were to meet us at this scene.”

“We have the most interesting luck,” Cosmo said and shook his head. “I’ll get the damn gurney. Also, Bobby, dispatch needs to send another crew over here. We’re gonna get confiscated by the LAPD for a conversation.”

“Dispatch, this is Captain Nash from the 118. We’re going to need to be relieved at the scene. Four cars with minor injuries. Two of the cars are stuck together due to impact. Tow trucks are already en route.”

“Understood 118.”

Eddie’s phone rang. He exhaled slowly and pulled it out of his pocket. “Hey.”

“Congratulations, Edmundo. You are now TikTok famous for tackling a suicide bomber with a fucking Halligan!” Buck said in a low, furious tone.

“I…. Seriously?”

“Over a half million views and counting,” Buck said. “It went viral in under five minutes. It probably broke records.”

Eddie frowned at the crowd, then walked around the ladder truck to avoid the cell phone audience. “So, listen….”

“It would be unreasonable to be angry, I know,” Buck said. “It isn’t like you guys went searching for the bomber. But there was one cop on screen, and he didn’t even notice what was happening!”

The uniformed LAPD officer was currently doing crowd control. Eddie didn’t know how to feel about it. But he figured that guy was going to get cursed out by Athena Grant sooner rather than later.

“Yeah, our escort was stuck in traffic. We got a call during the shift change.” He huffed and leaned on the ladder. “I think the kid followed us to the call. Hell, Buck, he barely looks eighteen.”

“Yeah, it was obvious on the video that he’s young,” Buck said quietly. “How are you?”

“Irritated that I’m going to spend the rest of the shift in the company of the LAPD,” Eddie said frankly. “And relieved that the kid was too angry to plan properly. I have to wonder what he would’ve done if I hadn’t found that bomb on the ladder truck.”

“It’s not worth thinking about,” Buck said quietly. “I was originally going to call you and ask you if you were comfortable with Helena FaceTiming Christopher tonight. She claims she wants to apologize for her behavior.”

Eddie huffed. “Just…supervise it, and don’t let her get passive-aggressive with him. It’ll only make things worse. Also, warn her in advance not to discuss this whole second bomb thing. I’d rather he not hear about it until he sees me and knows that I’m okay.”

“I’ll handle it as long as you’re sure. I should go ahead and leave to get in line for pick up.” He cleared his throat. “So, come home as soon as you can, okay?”

“We’re all fine, I promise.”

“Honestly? You guys looked completely badass. Just keep each other safe. That’s all I ask.”

* * * *

“Daddy’s on TikTok!”

Buck groaned as he shared a look with the teacher who was helping with the pick-up line at Durand. “Your dad is fine, Superman. I promise.” He opened the back door.

“I’ve not seen you before,” the teacher said, clipboard tight in her hands. “Name?”

“Evan Buckley,” Buck said and pulled out his wallet. He appreciated the security around pick-ups at the school and wondered if public schools were similar. He passed his ID to her.

“This is Ms. Flores—she teaches fourth grade,” Christopher said cheerfully as he stowed his crutches in the floorboard and shrugged out of his backpack.

“Is Mr. Diaz okay?” she asked. “Unfortunately, the TikTok video is all over the school. We didn’t realize…many of the children have devices for assistance purposes that obviously have additional apps we don’t have the rules in place to restrict.”

“He’s fine,” Buck repeated. “It looked more dangerous than it was.” He inclined his head when she frowned and started to speak. “Eddie is former Army. Nothing that happened today was outside of his wheelhouse.” He focused on Christopher, who was crawling up into the Jeep.

“Hi Wyatt!” Christopher said cheerfully, and the baby giggled at being spoken, too.

The teacher passed his ID back to him and looked around him to peek into the Jeep. Buck moved so she could see his son. “My son, Wyatt.”

“Oh.” Her eyes widened in shock. “He’s glowing.”

“Wish babies do that,” Christopher explained. “Buck, can we have shrimp tacos for dinner? Is Daddy coming home early like he did last time there was a bomb?”

Buck sighed a little when the teacher huffed in shock. “Fortunately, the bad guy’s in custody, Superman. So, everything is okay.” He pulled the harness into place and buckled it even as Christopher waved at his teacher. He shut the door.

“Mr. Diaz doesn’t mind that you’re exposing his son to fey magic?”

Buck blinked in surprise. “That would be bizarre and narrow-minded. I’m fortunate to have a partner who is worldly, intelligent, and competent.”

“Partner,” she repeated with a wrinkled nose.

“We’re very happy,” Buck smiled breezily and trotted around the Jeep to get in the driver’s seat. “Have a great day!”

He put on his seat belt, put the Jeep in gear, and worked his way out of line as quickly as he could. The school had a good system, so it wasn’t very stressful.

“I don’t want her to be my teacher next year. Ms. Flores used to teach third grade, but she moved to fourth this year. I don’t know why. She talked about Daddy and asked me questions I didn’t like, plus she frowned at the baby. Anyone who can frown at Wyatt is a weirdo I want nothing to do with,” Christopher said from the back seat.

Buck nodded. “I’ll talk to your dad about it. Okay?”

“Okay.”

“What did she say about your dad that upset you?”

“Oh, first, she said she was sure he was fine, but I wasn’t worried. He didn’t look like he got hurt in the video. Then she said she was sorry to hear that my parents were divorced.” Christopher huffed. “But she didn’t sound sorry at all, Bucky. I know what sorry sounds like. She told me I should be proud of Daddy. Like I need to be told that.”

Buck could imagine Christopher straight up rolling his eyes so clearly that he didn’t even glance over his shoulder. “And? Did she ask about him dating or anything?”

“No, but she did ask if my mom was white,” Chris said. “Which was rude and none of her business. I know I don’t look like Daddy, Buck. I didn’t need her to…to point it out.”

“You’ve got your dad’s smile,” Buck said. “And your face is shaped just like his. You also have his forehead, and I’m on the fence about whether or not that’s a good thing.” Christopher laughed, but his breath hitched a little. “You’re going to be tall like him, and you have his ridiculous laugh.”

Buck was going to ruin Ana Flores’ life. That decision made, he glanced over his shoulder briefly as he pulled to a stop at a light, and Christopher was hastily wiping tears from his face.

“What’s this about?”

“Wyatt looks just like you,” Christopher said quietly. “No one’s ever going to look at him and ask any stupid questions.”

“Oh, well, that’s not true at all,” Buck said easily. “He’ll just get different stupid questions.” Christopher laughed. “And yeah, he does look like me, but that’s just wish baby magic. If there had been a biological pregnancy, then he could’ve ended up looking entirely like his mother and nothing like me. Genetics are kind of funky. We can get a documentary on it or something.”

“Okay.”

“Your grandmother asked if she could FaceTime you tonight to apologize for what happened when she was here last.”

Christopher huffed. “No. I’m too stressed out.”

“No, it is,” Buck said easily. “I’ll let her know.”

“She can send me a text on Daddy’s phone if she really wants to apologize,” he said. “And make her read that article on a proper apology, too.”

Buck laughed. “Sure.”

“Grandma needs firm boundaries, Buck. Sometimes she’s really difficult, and I shouldn’t have to make concessions to allow for her tantrums.”

Buck swallowed hard to keep from laughing. “Concessions.”

“Concessions are important in relationships, but that doesn’t mean I have to put up with bad behavior,” Christopher continued. “Like with Mommy. She acts like I’m not allowed to be mad at her for just disappearing for ages! I’m the only kid I know that got ghosted by his own mom.”

Buck winced.

“And she never apologized! Then she went off and shacked up with some doctor in Colorado!”

“Shacked up?” Buck repeated in shock as he pulled into the driveway. He parked and quickly turned to face the backseat. “Where did you hear that?”

Christopher blew air out in an exaggerated huff and crossed his arms. “Tia Pepa said it to Abuelita.” He waved his hands suddenly. “But I’m not wrong to be mad at her. She never apologized and acted like I was the problem for being mad at her. I’m allowed to feel things, Buck. I’m allowed to be upset!”

Wyatt made a soft little sound and held out a hand to Christopher.

“Sorry,” Christopher said to the baby and took his hand. “I didn’t mean to upset you. I think he’s gonna cry, Buck.”

Buck turned off the Jeep and, much to his chagrin, came face to face with Tyler Corbet. “What the fuck?”

Tyler glared at him. “I have a right to know where my boyfriend and his kid have been hiding from me.”

Buck frowned. “Eddie dumped you—get over it. And he’s not hiding from you, dumbass, because he’s not afraid of you. Eddie doesn’t fear anyone. Following me home from Christopher’s school is an immense escalation. Congratulations, you just earned yourself a restraining order.” He paused when Tyler stepped toward him. “Get the fuck off my property before I lose my temper.”

Tyler shoved him hard against the Jeep. “You’re not going to do anything! You aren’t the type.”

“Bucky!” Christopher shouted, and Wyatt started screaming.

Buck pushed him away roughly with both hands. The man came back at him, raising a fist, and Buck punched him in the face. Magic burst between them as Tyler staggered away, blood streaming from his nose. It was so unexpected that they both shouted in surprise. His case worker from the Fey Court appeared on the ground even as Tyler landed on his ass.

“I am Ursa Nightriver of the Clan Leiron, and you’ve made yourself a physical threat to one of my families,” she hissed. Her skin darkened with magic, and the air started to sparkle. “You will leave, and you will never come near this family again. The laws of the fey are clear in this circumstance. I can rip apart your entire existence. There won’t be enough left of you to be reincarnated!”

Tyler scooted back, face pale. “I….”

“Leave human!” Ursa shouted in a booming voice. “Never come back!”

Tyler scrambled to his feet and ran to his car as Buck rubbed his chest with one shaking hand.

“Buck!”

Buck took in a breath and hesitantly opened the back door to the Jeep. “I’m okay, Chris.” He put a shaking hand on Wyatt, and the baby calmed down immediately. He looked at Ursa. “Sorry.”

“Don’t apologize for the bad behavior of other people, Evander,” Ursa said tersely. “And tell Edmundo he’s welcome.”

“For what?” Buck questioned.

“Just tell him that the bomb vest really was very shoddy. No one told me taking on a human family would be so much work!” she exclaimed hotly, rolled her eyes, and disappeared in a wispy swirl of magic.

Buck took a deep breath.

“Are you hurt?” Christopher demanded. “I need my own phone! I couldn’t call for help.”

Buck reached out, and Christopher took his hand. “I’m fine, baby, I promise. Okay?”

Christopher nodded, but his eyes were wet with tears.

“This day has been so stressful,” Buck said roughly, and he slouched a little against Wyatt’s car seat as Christopher clung to his fingers. He pulled his cell phone out, scrolled through his contacts, and dialed the non-emergency line for the LAPD.

* * * *

Athena was leaning on the wall outside of the interrogation room when Eddie was finally released. He hadn’t been arrested, of course, but the interview had been stupidly long since he had injured the suspect. The DA had already assured him that he wouldn’t be facing any sort of charges for it, and Freddie had only suffered a moderate concussion in the end.

“Hey.”

Athena stared for a moment and shook her head. “Come with me.”

“Bobby said he would wait for me.”

“I sent him home to deal with the fact that Harry saw the TikTok video at school,” she said tartly. “Also, I need you for another issue.”

Eddie nearly groaned as she guided him into an observation room. Tyler was seated at the table with a busted mouth and a nose that was clearly broken. “If he’s accusing me of doing that….”

She shook her head. “That’s what happens when you push Evan Buckley too far.”

“What?” Eddie questioned and immediately pulled out his phone. “He hurt Buck?”

“No, not at all,” Athena said wryly and put a hand on his arm. “Buck called the non-emergency line to report the incident. An hour later, Mr. Corbet showed up to file a report of his own accusing Buck of assault. Fortunately, Buck’s doorbell camera caught the whole incident on video. Including the part where a fey showed up and threatened to destroy this asshole’s soul.”

Eddie swallowed hard, heart thundering in his chest. “Did they take Wyatt back?”

“No, baby, of course not. You have to do something seriously messed up to have that happen. There hasn’t been a confirmed report of the Fey Court confiscating a baby in over a hundred years.” She squeezed his arm. “I asked one of my officers to do the interview due to a conflict of interest and because I promised Bobby that I’d keep an eye on you guys for him. I also spoke with Buck on the phone.”

“How is he?”

“Upset that he was forced to be violent in front of Christopher, who is demanding his own cell phone because his take away from this was his inability to call for help. He was still in his harness in the Jeep.”

Eddie nodded and focused on Tyler. “What’s going to happen with this?”

“I want you to request a restraining order. At this point, he knows better than to approach either of you. He’s so petrified of the fey that he asked for police protection, which you know is impossible.”

“Stupid bastard,” Eddie muttered. “Should I get a lawyer for the restraining order?”

“Hen has a friend who’s a lawyer—the application is already filled out and sitting on my desk for you to sign. I’ll get it in front of a judge tomorrow afternoon at the latest. Mr. Corbet made himself a threat to a wish baby, Eddie. So much of a threat that a fey showed up to handle the situation. The order will have to be for you and Christopher at this point.”

Eddie took a deep breath as fury swirled around in his gut. “I…. I feel really fucking stupid.”

“Victims of such a thing often do, but you didn’t do anything wrong in this situation, Eddie. He’s the one with the problem, and he’s never faced any consequences for it. I browsed his Insta, and I’ve already contacted three previous partners. Two of them admitted that he hit them during the course of their relationship. I’ve got a few more to call.”

“I’m going to ask for some time off,” Eddie said. “I…. need it.”

“The department isn’t going to tell you no, considering the circumstances,” Athena said. “They’ll probably be relieved that you ask. Talk to your therapist.”

“Yeah.”

“I mean it, Eddie. Today is the closest you’ve come to combat since you were shot, right?”

He nodded.

“Give yourself some room to process and deal with whatever emotions and memories it has stirred up,” Athena said quietly. “You’ve got four days off per the schedule starting tomorrow. Maybe give yourself a week after that?”

“I don’t want to leave Bobby in a lurch,” Eddie said. “Today didn’t just happen to me.”

“The others don’t have the same emotional trauma attached to the circumstances that you do. They’ve never had to pick up the pieces of another human being because of a bomb, and you have.”

Eddie shuddered and focused on Tyler. The asshole was staring sullenly at the table in front of him. “You’re not going to allow me to talk to him, right?”

“Of course not,” Athena said. “I don’t even have the keys to that room. I just figured you needed to see this so you can deal with the emotional fallout you’re facing at home. Don’t be tempted to call him, either. The only response he deserves from you is a restraining order. You’ll get a call in the morning about appearing in court. He’ll be there, but don’t let him bait you into any sort of conversation.”

“It’ll really happen that fast?”

“Yes, because of Wyatt,” Athena said. “Wish babies are a protected class due to past discrimination and religious persecution. There are many reasons the fey are so reactive to physical threats against the children they gift us with.”

Eddie nodded. “Okay. I want to go. Can I go?”

“I’ll drive you back to the station. You’re the last to leave.”

“Yeah, because I had to explain three times how it was perfectly okay, in my opinion, to knock a struggling serial bomber unconscious,” Eddie muttered, and Athena laughed.

* * * *

Buck fidgeted with his phone. Eddie had sent him several texts, and he’d responded. They’d gone over a few options and eventually decided a visit to the Apple store was required. Christopher was very upset because he couldn’t help. Minimizing the feeling of helplessness felt really important to Buck.

His hand was bruised, and he’d iced it while he’d given a report to the officer that Athena had sent over. The man had been detail-oriented and tech-savvy enough to get a copy of the video from the doorbell app on Buck’s phone without a lot of fuss. The whole thing had gone very smoothly, despite the circumstances. The dude’s face, as he’d watched Ursa appear on the recording, had been amusing as precious few people ever saw a fey. Most only knew what they looked like because of fictional portrayals and art.

“We should ice your hand again.”

Buck just nodded and got up to pull out his second ice pack. He always kept two in the freezer as sometimes Christopher needed to ice after PT. “I’m okay, Superman.”

Christopher crossed his arms and stared as Buck pulled out the ice pack and used a Velcro strap to wrap it around his hand. “I’m sorry you had to do that, Buck. Abuelita says you’re a gentle soul.” He paused. “I don’t know what that means, but I think you probably don’t like to fight.”

“Yeah,” Buck said and took a deep breath. “Today is the first time I’ve ever actually hit someone outside of sparring—which isn’t the same.”

“That’s just exercise,” Christopher said with a nod. “Daddy explained.”

Buck sat down at the table, and Wyatt made a little noise on the baby monitor they’d set up to take their minds off of everything. “Let’s go to the bedroom and stare at each other near the baby.”

Christopher laughed but nodded his agreement.

Shortly, Buck watched Christopher throw his crutches across the end of the bed and crawl onto it. He picked Wyatt up from the Pack ‘n Play and settled on the bed easily enough. He put the baby down next to Christopher, and the boy lay down beside him. The baby kicked his feet and made a happy sound, clearly pleased to be the center of attention.

“He was really scared when Tyler was here,” Christopher said. “How did he know?”

“Well….” Buck hesitated. “A wish baby has a magical connection with their parent. It fades slowly over their first year as the fey magic that makes them recedes. Fey magic is sentient, and Ursa responded to Wyatt’s…. Fear isn’t the right word because he didn’t understand what was going on.”

“You’re his only parent, so if you got hurt or killed—he’d have no one,” Christopher said and frowned. “Right?”

Buck took a deep breath. “Yeah, I need to fix that.”

“How do you fix it?”

“Well, in the short term, I’m going to visit a lawyer and set up a will so I can make decisions about where Wyatt will go if I’m no longer available to take care of him,” Buck said. “And in the long term, I’m thinking I’m going to baby-trap your dad and put a ring on it.”

Christopher burst out laughing and slouched back on the bed as he giggled. Buck pulled his phone out when it vibrated in his pocket. It was awkward to unlock with his left hand, but he managed it.

Eddie: Hey I’m here.

Buck: In the bedroom staring at the baby.

“Your dad is here.”

Christopher put a hand on Wyatt’s belly and watched the baby try to grab his feet. “Good, today was kind of awful. We should set the alarm and not come back out of the house for a while.” He curled up close to Wyatt, and the baby smiled at him.

Eddie came in at that point and put a reusable shopping bag down on the bed as he paused to toe off his shoes. “Hey.”

“Two million views,” Buck said, and Eddie huffed.

“The cops took the Halligan as evidence.” He paused. “It was your favorite one. Sorry.”

“Man,” Buck muttered.

“Bobby promised to have it back or replaced before you come back from paternity leave. I have the next ten days off, and I’ll need a note from my therapist declaring me fit for duty upon my return.”

“Wow.”

“They’re afraid I’m going to have some PTSD issues,” Eddie said roughly. He rummaged through Buck’s dresser drawer for a T-shirt he liked and grabbed some sweats. “I got the phone and the watch.”

Buck snagged the bag and pulled two Apple boxes out as Eddie disappeared into the bathroom and set the bag aside since it had more stuff in it. Both boxes had already been opened for activation in the store.

“So, Chris, your dad thinks you’re too young to have a cell phone unsupervised. We’ve gotten you an iPhone that will stay at home while you’re at school. It’s synced with an Apple watch that has cell service. So you can receive texts and calls from the watch even if the phone is at home. It will also let you call 9-1-1 in an emergency.”

“Jada has one at school; it monitors her oxygen.” Chris shifted around. “She says it’s a leash since her parents can track her with it.”

“Well, we’re certainly going to track you with it,” Buck said wryly, and Christopher laughed. “But just like your iPad, your internet usage on the phone will be monitored, and you can only go to sites we’ve already approved of.”

“Okay,” Chris said. “Oh, it’s red.”

“Your favorite color,” Buck said in amusement as he offered him the watch. “We can check out watch bands and stuff later for customization. This should adjust to fit you. You’ll have to charge it every night at bedtime since using the cellular part of the watch without a phone will make the battery go down faster.”

Eddie left the bedroom then and joined them on the bed with a soft sigh. He gathered Chris up and hugged him close as he sprawled across the bottom of the bed. “I’m really sorry that Tyler showed up here. I signed off the request for a restraining order with Athena. Hen called a friend of hers—a lawyer. They had the whole complaint ready to go when I got out of the interview with the LAPD.” He took a deep breath against Christopher’s curls. “What do you think of the watch, Mijo?”

“I feel better,” Christopher said quietly. “It was scary—I couldn’t help at all. Tyler pushed Buck. I thought he was going to hurt him.”

Eddie hummed under his breath and focused on Buck. “Between you and me, kiddo, Buck could bench press Tyler twice over.”

Christopher laughed.

“But I’m very sorry that he scared you,” Eddie murmured and took a deep breath. “So, I’m going to go to court as soon as possible so a judge can tell him to leave us all alone from now on.”

“I think Ursa might destroy him if he comes back,” Christopher said. “Which makes me feel better even if I wouldn’t want to actually see her do it.” He shifted his watch around on his wrist. “How do I use this?”

Buck stayed quiet as Eddie walked Christopher through all the features of the watch. He could tell that the purchase had been the best choice as the boy relaxed more and more with each feature revealed.

 

 

Chapter 10

“Your back is bruised,” Eddie murmured as he rubbed soap over Buck’s shoulders. “Does it hurt?”

“Not really,” Buck said and stretched his neck as he braced himself against the wall. “He used my weight against me, which I didn’t expect. I just didn’t think he’d be dumb enough to put his hands on me. I should’ve since he was more than willing to hit you in the heat of the moment. He was clearly furious.” He paused. “Did you want to watch the video?”

“I don’t know,” Eddie admitted and felt weird for the admission. “I’m not sure I need more reason to hunt him down and kick his ass. But it’ll probably come up in the hearing, so I guess…maybe in the morning.”

“Yeah,” Buck said and turned around to rinse his back. “How about you? Are you okay?” He cupped Eddie’s hips and pulled him closer. “You got another bomb in your face.”

“I’m fine,” Eddie murmured and sought a kiss.

Buck met him halfway, hands tightening as their bodies came fully together. A hard cock against his thigh was a sweet relieving reminder of the plans he’d made for himself on the way to Buck’s house.

“I picked up a few things at my house before going to the mall.”

“I noticed.” Buck laughed. “At least, I was pretty certain you didn’t get lube and condoms from the Apple Store.”

“Well, it would make that store more fun to visit if they did,” Eddie said. “No.” He shook his head. “Never mind.”

“Why?” Buck asked in amusement and pressed a soft kiss to Eddie’s jaw before sucking gently at his neck.

“Can you imagine those Apple Store employees upselling lube?” Eddie asked huffily, and Buck laughed. “Seriously. They’d probably have a personalized line and an app to help you choose the lube for you.”

“I’m convinced that most shower accidents are actually from laughing,” Buck to told him sternly. “And this house is in the 118’s zone. Do you want B shift to show up to deal with us?”

Eddie grinned. “Do you think that Henry Wayne would bandage us up?”

“Gah, that pretty bastard gets so much ass. Never go out with him to a bar,” Buck muttered and grabbed the shampoo. “I felt like a six the whole night.”

“It might be worth it just to watch the carnage,” Eddie said. “And you’re no one’s six.”

Buck grinned at him. “Maybe when I’m filthy at work.”

“Oddly, you’re more attractive when you’re exhausted and covered in soot,” Eddie said with a frown. “It’s awful. You’ve been ruining my life since the day we met, too.”

“Don’t blame me. You have terrible gaydar and no game,” Buck said and laughed when Eddie turned him abruptly and pressed him against the wall.

“No game?”

“I’m not hard to get into bed,” Buck said with a delighted grin. “I love sex too much to play hard to get, and I’ve been single for most of our friendship. There’s no reason, except for your lack of game, that you haven’t already had me.”

“There’s a difference between having someone and being with someone,’ Eddie said quietly. “And yeah, if I’d known you were bi, I’d have probably tried to get a leg over. Then I’d have worked my way into something I’d be calling friends with benefits. But it was never going to be casual with us, Buck.”

“No, I agree,” Buck said quietly. “One way or another, we’re going to make a mess of each other.” He took a deep breath. “Kiss me.”

“Yeah,” Eddie agreed and shuddered against him as their mouths met in a series of soft, sweet kisses.

After a few moments, they parted, finished showering, and turned off the water. They dried off quickly, and Buck snagged a clean towel from the shelf as he left the bathroom. Eddie followed. Buck pulled the duvet off the bed, tossed it on the floor, and put the towel down.

“Practical,” Eddie said in amusement and grinned when Buck sent him a look.

“I just changed the sheets, and they’re Egyptian cotton.” He huffed when Eddie laughed. “Oh, the baby monitor.” He went back into the bathroom and retrieved the little receiver. “Christopher might regret insisting that Wyatt could sleep in his room when he has to get up for school in the morning. Wyatt will wake up in a few hours for a bottle.”

“Chris is a heavy sleeper,” Eddie said as he sat down on the towel. “Come here.”

“Bossy,” Buck murmured as he put the monitor down on the nightstand but just hummed as Eddie slid up onto the bed.

“Is this why you buy those giant towels?” Eddie asked in amusement. “So you can fuck on them?”

“Well, yes,” Buck said easily and crawled on top of Eddie with a laugh. “I like a clean bed, and changing sheets in the middle of the night is a hassle.” He kissed Eddie and groaned softly as they settled together.

It had been a long time since he’d gone to bed with someone in such a deliberate fashion. Eddie had never been the sort to assume sex was a table, and even with his wife, he hadn’t considered it a given. The weight of Buck’s body on his was delicious, so he spread his legs, welcoming the other man to get closer. Buck accepted the invitation with a pleased sound.

“How do you want this?”

“I….” Eddie took a deep breath and cupped the back of Buck’s head. “What do you want?”

“You,” Buck murmured and rubbed his cock purposefully against Eddie’s. “I’m going to get off regardless of what we do, you know?”

“Are you?” Eddie asked and braced his feet on the bed. “I’m….”

“Hey, talk to me,” Buck said quietly and slid off of him to lay beside him on the bed with a frown.

“I can be aggressive in bed, and most of the time, I don’t think that’d be a problem for you. But you had some asshole get in your face today and….” He trailed off when Buck just shook his head and pressed a kiss against his shoulder. “Seriously.”

“I’m not traumatized, Eddie,” Buck said in amusement. “He scared the kids, and that made me furious. My hand is a little sore—that’s really about it.”

Eddie took Buck’s hand in his and trailed fingers over the bruised knuckles gently. “Just sore?”

“Yeah.”

Eddie released his hand and grabbed the lube from the nightstand. “I don’t want to get this wrong, that’s all.”

“You won’t,” Buck assured as Eddie focused on him. “I mean it.”

“Today, with the bomb, I went into this different headspace,” Eddie murmured and flicked open the lube. “I’ve not been there since I was in the Army, and it wasn’t hard, Buck.”

“Are you worried about it?”

“I don’t know,” Eddie confessed and slicked his fingers. “I’m going to get your hole ready, then you’re going to give me a ride.”

Buck grinned. “Sounds good.” He sucked in a deep breath and spread his legs as Eddie shifted closer. “I can’t say I’m surprised that you fell into that headspace. You worked and trained for years to do exactly that.”

“Yeah,” Eddie agreed. “I can’t fault the results.”

“Speaking of, Ursa wanted me to tell you that the bomb vest was very shoddy,” Buck murmured, and Eddie exhaled slowly.

“I figured as much,” Eddie admitted. “I was really surprised that the Bomb Squad got it off of him and disarmed it without it exploding. I think they were, too. They certainly geared up for the disposal like it was going to explode.”

He pressed slick fingers against Buck’s asshole. Eddie rubbed gently and slid in slowly as Buck relaxed easily into the stimulation. The trust Buck gave him was intoxicating, and only a small part of him wondered if he deserved it.

“Yeah,” Buck murmured and palmed his cock with a soft moan as Eddie pressed a finger into him. “I can take two.”

Eddie added a second finger without question and pressed against Buck as much as he could as he worked those two fingers into Buck’s ass. He’d never really found the mechanics of getting ready for anal sex all that arousing, but there was something compelling and sexy about the way Buck was responding to him.

“I love you,” Eddie murmured and watched Buck’s cheeks darken. “I want to get all of this right, Buck.”

“We’ll get this right together,” Buck promised and cupped the back of his head. “Kiss me.”

Eddie sank into the kiss and added a third finger, which caused Buck to groan against his mouth. He couldn’t say how long Buck allowed him to finger fuck him before he was abruptly put on his back. Eddie laughed a little as Buck slid astride his thighs and snagged a condom from the nightstand. His friend huffed a little but tore open the foil, tossed aside the wrapper, and rolled the condom onto his cock easily.

“You’re very good at that,” Eddie muttered and got a smirk for his trouble. Buck grabbed the lube and slicked up the condom deftly. “So now I have expectations.”

Buck laughed, wiped his hand on the towel under them, and braced himself on Eddie’s chest. Eddie couldn’t help but touch him, stroking the other man’s muscled thighs and cupping his hips as Buck shifted forward. He reached between them, positioned his own cock, and shuddered as Buck took him inside easily.

“Fuck,” Eddie whispered.

“That’s perfect,” Buck confessed hoarsely.

“Yes,” he agreed and rolled his hips up into Buck as his lover started to move.

They came together so easily like they’d had years to get it just right. Maybe it was the trust that had built so naturally between them; Eddie couldn’t discount it as he trusted no one the way he did Buck. There was such safety in their friendship that sometimes it left him breathless. The pleasure ebbed and flowed between them as the grind of their bodies became tight and quick.

“God, Eddie.” Buck groaned and wrapped one hand around the top of the headboard as he moved. “I need….”

Eddie wrapped a hand around Buck’s leaking cock, and his lover shuddered against him. “I got you.” He stroked him gently, a direct counter to the frenzied movement of their bodies as they worked toward orgasm together. “Come for me.”

Buck trembled and came with a soft, sweet moan. “Fuck.”

“You’re gorgeous,” Eddie said. “Look at you.” He released his cock and pulled Buck down into a kiss.

Buck moaned against his mouth as Eddie’s hand clenched on his ass as he thrust into him. “That’s so good.”

“Not too much?” Eddie questioned.

“No, I love it,” Buck confessed as Eddie held him tight and fucked up into him repeatedly.

Eddie took him as his word and continued to move as he held Buck’s trembling body tightly. “You’re being so good for me, Evan.”

Buck relaxed on his chest with a soft moan and buried his face against Eddie’s neck. “Eds.”

“I got you,” Eddie promised and realized he wanted that to be true in every way possible.

He came between one breath and the next—it was overwhelming. Buck tightened around him and continued to tremble as they settled fully on the mattress.

“That was great,” Buck murmured against the skin of Eddie’s collarbone, kissed him there with a soft brushing of his lips, separated their bodies, and rolled onto the bed beside him. “Next time, you’re definitely going to hold me down and fuck me like you own my ass.”

Eddie laughed and took a deep breath. “Yeah, absolutely.”

* * * *

Christopher had reluctantly agreed to go to school, and Eddie had gone inside to have a brief, serious conversation with the principal about the watch, as his son didn’t have a medical reason for the device. The school did try to keep some sort of control over the use of cell phones and other devices with cell service. Since they were heading to court, he’d mentioned the stalking situation and promised to return with a copy of the restraining order and left a photo of Tyler Corbet so the school would be fully informed.

Buck was relieved that at least part of the situation had been handled easily enough. Now, they were seated in a small courtroom waiting for the judge. Tyler Corbet and his lawyer were sitting on the other side of the room. He hadn’t looked in Buck’s direction once since he’d gotten seated in the audience area behind Eddie and the lawyer that Athena had basically hired on their behalf. He’d only gotten a very brief introduction to Isla North before she’d taken Eddie to the table in the front of the court.

Wyatt shifted a little against his chest, and Buck adjusted him carefully as he stood when the judge entered. His son buried his face against his neck with a low whine. They’d left the baby carrier in the vehicle because it had seemed like it would be easier to get through security at the courthouse carrying his baby. Plus, Wyatt was still glowing, and holding him close would hopefully discourage people from touching him.

Athena tucked into the chair beside him as soon as the courtroom was told to sit. She offered him a smile and touched Wyatt’s back as the baby made a little sound of recognition and held out a hand to her. She caught his fingers gently, and he bounced just a little in Buck’s hold.

“Ms. North,” the judge said as he wrote.

“Good morning, Your Honor. Due to the nature of the complaint, and the fact that a violent altercation has already taken place, my client is seeking a permanent restraining order to legally prohibit Mr. Corbet from contacting himself and his minor child. Mr. Corbet has already been sanctioned personally by the Fey Court and ordered to never approach Mr. Evan Buckley or his minor child again under any circumstances. We feel that is sufficient, and the case law agrees.”

“Your Honor, this is an extreme request considering the circumstances. My client and Mr. Diaz were romantic partners for several months. Mr. Corbet has had a difficult time adjusting to the abrupt end of his relationship and merely sought closure. Mr. Diaz has yet to provide an adequate explanation for his dismissal of Mr. Corbet.”

“With all due respect, Mr. Glouse,” Isla North began. “My client does not owe Mr. Corbet or this court a reason for his decision to end his relationship with Mr. Corbet. He certainly has the right to expect that his former partner would refrain from following his son home from school while in the company of his godfather.”

“Mr. Glouse?” The judge prodded when the lawyer was found to be staring at Isla North in irritation.

“My client was merely concerned for his former partner’s minor child as he has had very little interaction with Evan Buckley. He saw them by accident and followed them.” Glouse held out his hands in a gesture of peace. “It was no more than that.”

“He stalked an eight-year-old,” Isla said firmly. “Trespassed onto private property and tried to assault the single parent of a wish baby. We have the entire altercation on video and can submit it to the court if required. Mr. Buckley would prefer that his address not be made part of a civil court proceeding. The video has, however, been given to the district attorney as criminal charges could be levied if Mr. Corbet continues to be a problem.” She paused. “And if he survives the judgment of the Fey Court, which is frankly unlikely.”

The judge focused on Buck, and he shifted in his seat. “Mr. Buckley.”

Buck stood. “Good morning, Your Honor.”

“Ms. North stated that you are a single parent,” the judge said. “Does that mean you and your partner have parted since the delivery of your wish child?”

“No, Your Honor,” Buck said and cleared his throat. “I was gifted by the Fey Court as a single parent.” He ignored the little murmur of noise from the others in the room. Eddie’s hearing wasn’t the only one on the docket, and privacy hadn’t been offered. “It’s just been ten days since the delivery.”

The judge nodded. “Congratulations, young man. Thank you for indulging my curiosity. Ms. North, present your evidence.”

“I have phone records, texts, transcripts of voice mails, and copies of private messages sent through Instagram and Facebook,” she said. “In the twelve days since Mr. Diaz ended his relationship with Mr. Corbet, he has been contacted fifty-six times. The majority of the communications have been demanding and generally obtuse in nature. Since Mr. Diaz blocked him on his phone, he didn’t receive most of them directly. Ten communications met the burden of a criminal threat, and my client is prepared to pursue charges with the DA.”

The judge motioned her forward, and she took a folder to the bench. “Mr. Glouse, does your client have any defense for this behavior?”

“He is emotionally invested in Mr. Diaz and his minor child—he believed he had an opportunity to make a family, Your Honor. He overreacted and regrets his emotional attachment in the face of Mr. Diaz’s cold and unfeeling demeanor.”

“Does he deny any of this communication?” The judge questioned and waved at the file.

“No, Your Honor, I was able to review the evidence this morning, and I offer no protest regarding the content Ms. North has submitted to the court. My client was in a deeply emotional place and simply made some mistakes.”

The judge paused and, with a frown, focused on Eddie.

“Mr. Diaz, for the record, your lawyer is correct in stating that you owe no one an explanation regarding your desire to terminate a romantic relationship. But I am listening if you’d like to state a cause.”

Eddie stood when Isla put a hand on his shoulder. “Your Honor, I was engaged in a casual relationship with Mr. Corbet that involved a handful of dates and sex. It wasn’t that deep for me, and I never encouraged him to think otherwise. My son didn’t like him from practically the start, and I’m not in the habit of making my child suffer the company of people he cannot stand.” He paused. “Except for when he goes to school.”

The judge smiled.

“Tyler invited me to dinner at his home, and he expected me to bring my son. When I showed up alone, he demanded an explanation, and I explained that he was with his godfather. He got angry and ranted about the fact that he and I couldn’t have a serious relationship if I wasn’t going to allow him to build a familial connection with my son. I told him he wasn’t allowed to make decisions for my kid, and the situation grew very hostile when he was told that Evan Buckley, my son’s godfather, could make decisions for my son and was even listed as a second point of contact for medical emergencies.

“Tyler balled up his fist and tried to take a swing at me, but I deflected him and told him to back off because I didn’t want to hurt him. I spent six years in the military before I was injured out, and I’m more than capable of defending myself. I ended the relationship because I’m not going to ever have any sort of relationship, romantic or otherwise, with an individual who thinks violence is the solution to interpersonal conflict.

“I don’t play games with my son’s safety on any single level. It’s why he has a legal godparent, to begin with.”

“Would you expand on that?” The judge questioned.

“I’m divorced, and my former partner has no rights to the child we once shared,” Eddie said. “I work a dangerous job, and tomorrow is promised to no one. As there is no single person on this earth that I trust more with my son than Evan Buckley, I made sure that in the event of my death, no one could separate them.”

“It would be difficult for anyone to argue such a decision when even the Fey Court has such a deep regard for Mr. Buckley as a person and parent,” the judge said with a nod.

“He’s practically a unicorn,” Athena muttered under her breath.

Buck huffed a little as he blushed and patted his son’s back. She nudged him with a grin.

“Mr. Glouse, does your client dispute the details Mr. Diaz has provided the court regarding the ending of their relationship?”

“No, your honor.”

“Mr. Corbet, your behavior in this situation has done you no favors. The proclamation set down by the Fey Court will hang over your head for the rest of your life, and I have no pity for you in that regard. It is an immensely foolish thing to do—endangering the life of a child given to this world by the fey. Since it is in the best interest of everyone, you are hereby ordered to never contact Mr. Diaz or his child again in any single way. I’m granting the petition for a permanent restraining order. Further contact could certainly result in criminal charges.” He paused. “I would be remiss if I did not also caution you to take the edict by the Fey Court very seriously. Humans have no defense against the fey and no ability whatsoever to negotiate with the court on your behalf. You have broken a covenant with them, and there is no going back from that.”

* * * *

“Do I owe Chimney anything?” Buck questioned and turned to Eddie, who was watching Christopher lounging in a chair on the patio reading.

Eddie turned to him. “What?”

“Do I owe Chimney anything? What’s my responsibility here, Eddie?”

“No, you owe him nothing,” Eddie said roughly. “Honestly, Buck, that asshole has never really been your friend, and you know it. He was, at one time, your teammate. You met your responsibilities to him on the job without fail. His issues and problems are his own to management. The fact that Hen sectioned him is evidence enough that he’s gone to a place that is utterly unreasonable and above our pay grade.”

Buck took a sip of water, and Wyatt stirred on his chest briefly due to the movement, then settled down. “I think the skin-to-skin was the right call. He seems to like it a lot.” He adjusted the blanket over his son’s back as he was only wearing a diaper. “It’s not too cool, right?”

“I think it’s fine, but you’ll know first if he gets cold,” Eddie said. “It’s probably around seventy degrees right now.” He shifted around on the double lounger they were sharing. “Did you want to open that pool?”

Buck huffed. “It needs to be completely renovated before that. I got an estimate on how much it will cost. It needs to be done, of course, because I think it could easily become a hazard due to the lack of upkeep. I had the cover system replaced for that reason alone. It hadn’t been closed properly, so the clean-up will cost several thousand dollars. There’s damage to the filtration system, and the liner needs to be replaced since it’s not concrete.”

Eddie nodded. “Why the questions about Chimney?”

“Maddie’s…” Buck sighed. “Not doing well. She somehow found out that Chim got sectioned, and she blames herself. I have a dozen text messages from her. Finally, I just told her that it wasn’t her job to be some man’s rehab center. I was probably too blunt, but she seems to think that it’s her job to fix the men in her life to the detriment of herself. I suggested she turn off her phone and put it away. I have the number of the facility she’s in and will call them if there’s an emergency. I hope she does it.”

“Hen feels guilty as hell for putting Chim in a facility,” Eddie admitted. “That’s clear, and the stress of the suicide-bomber situation couldn’t have been easy for her. She and Chim were partners, and that kind of relationship creates a bond.”

“Like ours?” Buck questioned.

“Yeah, and I had close friendships in the Army—my unit was tight. I trusted every single one of them with my life, and I believe they felt the same about me.”

“Of course they did,” Buck said quietly. “You’re the best man I know, Eddie.” He paused. “Even if you have terrible taste in boyfriends.”

“You’re insulting yourself there, bud,” Eddie said easily and laughed when Buck made a face at him. “What? You don’t want to be my boyfriend?” He leaned in and pressed a soft kiss against Buck’s shoulder. Christopher climbed up between them abruptly, and Eddie huffed a little as he had not noticed his kid getting up at all. “Sneaky, Mijo.”

Christopher laughed and wiggled in between them. “Buck’s already decided to baby trap you, Daddy. You’re gonna have to buy rings and stuff.” He leaned on Buck, and Wyatt slid purposefully in his direction.

Buck transferred his son into Christopher’s arms, and the baby slumped against the boy with a delighted laugh.

Eddie stared at the three of them for a moment and smiled.

“What do you think?” Buck asked in question.

“I think I might have trapped you first,” Eddie said with a grin, and Buck laughed.

Christopher huffed. “I’m not a baby.”

“You’ll always be my baby,” Eddie said quietly and tugged a little on Christopher’s ear as his son pretended to be offended.

“I suppose you’re not a bad deal,” Buck said as he adjusted Wyatt’s blanket. “Even if you guard your cookie stash like a dragon.”

Eddie shrugged because he only had one vice, and he wasn’t sharing his Double Stuf Oreos with anyone.

“We can get our own cookies, Buck,” Christopher said. “I like Nutter Butters better anyways.”

“I like pecan Sandies,” Buck confessed and shrugged when Eddie made a disgusted face. “I’m not accepting judgment at this time.”

“I wonder what Wyatt’s favorite cookie will be,” Christopher said.

“It’ll be fun finding out,” Eddie said.

“Yeah,” Buck agreed.

They sat in silence for a while, then Christopher took a deep breath and asked, “Can we ask Ursa to bring us a girl next time?”

Buck shared a startled look with Eddie. “Well, it doesn’t…work that way, Superman. Getting one baby from the Fey Court is a gift. I don’t expect we’ll really get another.”

“We should ask,” Christopher decided. “Right, Wyatt?”

Magic flickered over the baby’s face as he giggled, and Eddie thought, yeah, they should definitely ask. He focused on Buck, who was staring at him a little wide-eyed. Magic started to sparkle in the air around both of the kids, and for a few seconds, he could’ve sworn he heard a little girl laughing. Buck must have heard it, too, because his gaze jerked around the yard, obviously searching for the source.

Buck just took a deep breath and caught Eddie’s hand in his own. “Can’t hurt to ask, can it?”

“Not at all,” Eddie murmured.

 

The End