Reading Time: 107 Minutes
Title: One Step Closer
Author: Duochanfan
Fandom: 9-1-1
Genre: Angst, Drama, Family, Hurt/Comfort, Romance
Relationship(s): Evan Buckley/Eddie Diaz, Maddie Buckley/Howard Han
Content Rating: NC-17
Warnings: Hate Crimes, Hate Speech, Violence-Graphic, Violence-Domestic, Violence-Against Children/Child Abuse, Bigotry, Mental Health Issues, Character Bashing, Talk of Attempted Suicide, Discussion of Rape, Attempted Murder, Stalking, Brainwashing
Author Note: Thanks to HarleyJQuin for all the help, the encouragement, and the push to keep going.
Beta: HarleyJQuin
Alpha: HarleyJQuin
Word Count: 114,129
Summary: When Chimney learned of the Big Buckley Secret, he realized that he needs to do something. Maddie is never going to tell Buck if he doesn’t push. In the end, he’s going to have to decide, keep the secret and face the fallout and feel guilty for never saying a word, or tell Buck and face the possibility of the end of his relationship with Maddie.
Artist: WestWind
Chapter Forty-Two
Buck smiled as he looked back at Christopher. He was taking the ten-year-old to school that morning. Eddie had an appointment at his doctor’s, just a general health check, but something they all had to do at least at some point in the year. “You doing okay there, buddy?” he asked.
“Yeah,” Christopher nodded, “I’m tired,” he added, yawning.
“I know, I’m sorry about last night, Chris,” he apologised. Maddie had stopped by in the middle of the night. Yelling and banging the door. Demanding to see Buck, to talk to him. She had been yelling about someone taking her baby from her.
The banging had woken Christopher from his sleep at almost four in the morning. He’d been upset and wondering just what was going on to cause Maddie to act like that. Buck had gone out there to talk to her in the end. Telling her off for waking Christopher. Maddie was a little contrite but then just started yelling once more. It had taken Buck twenty minutes to calm her down enough to send her home to Chimney in an Uber, not trusting her to drive again. He’d taken her keys from her, and Chimney had driven over with her early that morning to get the car she’d had to leave behind.
Thankfully, Maddie hadn’t started shouting again when she arrived, just huffed and ignored Buck. Christopher had been a little tired that morning and was asking questions about what was going on with Maddie even more than he had during the night.
“It’s okay, you said that Aunt Maddie isn’t feeling well because of the weird hormone thing,” Christopher said, wrinkling his nose a little.
Buck smiled as he parked the truck. “Right, let’s get you to school, and then I can go and pester your dad when he gets back from the doctor,” he said as he got out.
Christopher giggled as the door opened and he was able to get out, “Yeah, pester even more, okay Buck?” he asked, looking sweet and innocent.
Buck laughed and nodded. “I will, pinky promise!” he said, holding out his hand as soon as Christopher was out of the truck and standing upright. The two linked piny fingers and laughed.
Christopher grinned as he and Buck headed toward the drop-off point. “Have fun, Buck,” he said as he looked at Buck.
Buck knelt and hugged him, “You as well, little buddy, we’ll be picking you up tonight, alright.”
“Okay,” he nodded as he began to head to the school.
Buck watched him, wanting to make sure he entered safe and sound. He saw Flores starting to walk towards Christopher and glared at her. Hoping she made eye contact so he didn’t have to shout across the yard to her. To make sure she remained away from Christopher.
“Is everything alright?” one of the teachers on duty asked as he walked over.
“Miss Flores has been told to keep away from Christopher,” Buck stated, “She’s heading to him at the moment, and I really don’t want her near him. She’s been stalking his father for the last few weeks. Turning up at his place of work and the local grocery store.”
“Ah, yes, we were told that something was going on, you’re Evan Buckley, Christopher Diaz’s second parent?” he asked, getting a nod, “Yeah, we were told about the situation, well, those of us on drop off and pick up, for the most part and the teachers that Christopher has,” he said as he motioned for another teacher that was nearby to come over. “Make sure Christopher gets to his class, and warn Ana not to go near him. She’s heading toward him right now,” he said to her.
“I will,” she nodded and headed off.
“Thank you, please inform Principal Summers what she was trying to do,” Buck said, relieved as he saw the teacher stop Flores and direct her away before following after Christopher at a distance, so he didn’t feel singled out.
“We will be,” he nodded before turning back to the next few children that were arriving with their parents.
Flores turned, seeing Buck there, and she glared at him. Buck just glared right back before turning and leaving as soon as Christopher was safely inside the building, and hoped that the school would be able to keep Christopher away from the teacher. He sighed as he headed back to the truck and home. He would have to tell Eddie what he saw, and he knew the teachers would be reporting it back to Principal Summers.
XxXxX
Eddie flopped down on the bed, where Buck had been folding their laundry to put away. “You know, we have four days off soon,” he said as he looked at Buck. “It’s the weekend and then only five days from then until Christmas,” he stated, “What… do you think about trying to get away for those four days?” he asked.
“Think we could find something this close to Christmas?” Buck asked as he looked down at Eddie. “It would be nice to get away for a bit. Leave LA, and the shit that’s going on with Maddie, and Flores behind for a bit.”
“I’ve… been looking, was thinking about surprising Christopher. There’s this nice little Christmas Market that they do in San Diego. I used to go there with Abuela when I was a kid. It’s still running. So I booked a place nearby, so we’d be able to go to the crafting sessions they have. I know Abuela still has the things I made there,” he smiled.
“It sounds great, so yeah, let’s do it. We can take Chris out of school for the last few days,” he added, tilting his head. “That would be okay, yeah?” he asked.
“Yeah, I’ve already been talking to the school about it. He’ll have the Friday off, and since it’s only Monday and Tuesday, he’ll be going to school for, I’m taking him out for those as well, and bringing any work he needs to do home for the holidays,” Eddie said as he sat up again, “I wanted to surprise you both, but I thought I better give you a heads up about this. I know you would want to do the packing,” he grinned.
“Damn right,” Buck nodded, “You pack like you’re about to head off to war again,” he muttered.
“Nothing wrong with the way I pack,” Eddie huffed, rolling his eyes, “And former military remember.”
Buck dropped what he had been folding on his head, “How could I forget?” he grinned, “But yeah, I’ll sort the packing, you make sure that Christopher has what he needs from the school for the rest of the semester off, and then we’ll go. I’ll warn Bobby and Chim that we’re going to be going away for a bit on the four days off.”
Eddie took the shirt off his head and folded it. Making sure that it would have passed an inspection by his drill sergeant. “There, I know how to pack,” he said as he childishly stuck out his tongue.
“Idiot,” Buck said, a fond smile on his face, “Go and do something useful,” he said, gesturing for him to leave the room.
“Yeah, yeah,” he muttered, “I’ll make sure the kitchen is put to order,” he grinned as Buck turned.
“Don’t you dare mess up my system!” he yelled at him.
“We’ll see!” Eddie teased.
“Bastard,” Buck snorted as he carried on folding the clothes ready to be put away. He finished and went to find Eddie. The man was sitting at the table, smiling as he looked things over on his laptop. “What are you doing?” Buck asked as he walked over, running a hand across the top of Eddie’s back as he settled beside him.
“Just making sure that everything is ready for a mini-cation,” he said. “Here, this is the hotel I booked,” he added, gesturing to the screen.
Buck walked around and looked over his shoulder. “Oh, that place looks nice, and a heated pool?” Buck nodded, smiling at Eddie.
“I know Chris, he loves to swim,” he snorted.
“That’s why I picked that hotel. He can swim in the evening before bedtime, since most of the day will be taken up by activities outside. Pool time always does him some good. I used to take him swimming a lot at one point; he likes to float, take the weight off his joints,” Eddie said, wincing, “I don’t take him as often as I used to back then.”
“We could always start doing so again. I don’t mind going for a swim whenever we get a chance,” Buck suggested.
Eddie nodded, “It would be a good idea. I’ve missed going, and so has he. So family activity for the days off and after school or after PT,” he smiled at him.
“Yeah,” Buck smiled, “I’ll look into a good place for us,” he grinned as he turned the laptop toward himself.
Eddie laughed and let Buck start researching and searching for one. There was a high number of people around, and the beach was also available for the occasional swim. Chris still did his surfing lessons on the beach. He enjoyed them a lot, and Buck often took to the waves. Leaving Eddie to catch up on his reading.
Eddie got up, “I’ll make a start on dinner prep,” he said, knowing that the two wanted chicken wings, wedges, and a side salad. He could at least get started on marinating the chicken wings. It would be a couple of hours for that at least.
Buck nodded absently and began to research. Eddie smiled as he went and headed into the kitchen, and began prep for dinner.
XxXxX
Buck and Eddie were the ones to get Christopher from school. The two smiled as they waited for Christopher to show up. It took a while, but he began to walk out of the school. “Hey mijo,” Eddie said as he went over. Taking his backpack.
“Dad,” he said, his voice subdued, and his eyes locked on the ground as he followed his dad to where they had parked the truck.
“How was school?” Buck asked him, wondering what was causing Christopher’s behavior.
“It was okay, Buck,” he said, his words quiet, barely above a whisper.
“Is everything okay?” Eddie said as he turned to really face his son before they got to the truck.
Christopher just shrugged, “It was okay, can we go home now, please?” he said, sounding like he was begging to leave the school grounds.
Buck and Eddie shared a look. Something was wrong with Christopher, and he wasn’t saying anything. They knew how much he loved school, and to see him come out looking like it was the worst place in the world for him. “Okay, we’ll head home,” Buck said as he led the way to the truck.
Eddie got his son in and strapped up. “You sure you’re okay, buddy?” he asked him, getting the nine-year-old to look at him.
Christopher had tears in his eyes, “Yeah, I am, Dad, as long as I’m going to be with you and Buck, I’ll be okay,” he said, sounding so much older than he was.
Eddie gave him an awkward hug, “Alright, but you know if there is anything bothering you, you know me and Buck will want to know so we can help you, and make sure you’re okay.” he told him, hoping that Christopher would open up to him, or Buck, or even both of them.
“I know, Dad,” he said, giving a weak smile, “I just want to go home.”
“Okay,” Eddie said, nodding a few times before he kissed his son on the forehead, “Let’s go home,” he murmured as he closed the door and went to the passenger side.
Buck and Eddie shared a look once more as Buck started up the truck and headed home. Christopher was with them and almost refused to go to bed that night. Nothing they said or did could get Christopher to open up about what was wrong, and they hoped, in time, he would say something so they could help with whatever was troubling their son.
Chapter Forty-Three
Chimney was tired; he’d just finished a shift, and it was a long one. Everyone had gone straight home and to bed. Maddie was at home, but she was being a little cold to him. She was unhappy with CPS being involved in her decisions, though Chimney was grateful that they were on that front. But part of him wasn’t happy either, since he didn’t want them to cause any more tension between the couple.
Maddie was in the living room and wasn’t moving, even though someone was knocking on the door. It had woken him from a dead sleep, and he grumbled as he went to answer it, calling over his shoulder, “Why couldn’t you answer it?” he asked.
“I’m reading,” she huffed, going back to the Kindle that was in her hand.
“Really, reading, wow, I’m sleeping off a twenty-four, that had us on our feet all night at a five-alarm fire, that we then ran over our shift by five hours. To make sure it was out,” he complained as he opened the door, almost groaning as he saw who was standing on the other side. “Mr and Mrs Buckley,” he greeted, “What are you two doing here?” he asked, not wanting to let them inside.
“Mom, Dad,” Maddie said as she got up and went over, almost pushing Chimney out of the way as she let them in.
“Maddie,” Chimney said, “I need to sleep, so take them out for lunch, but if you disturb me, it isn’t going to be pretty,” he said, “Mr and Mrs Buckley, please be aware that I’ve had an hour’s sleep since I finished a shift that went over five hours. I’m exhausted, tired, and very cranky because of it. So if you’ll excuse me, I’m going back to bed.”
“How rude,” Margaret said.
“No, what’s rude is you both coming here without my permission, you may have Maddie’s, but not mine. I live here as well. I’m tired and don’t be an asshole about it. You’re not the one who’s been awake for almost thirty hours,” he snapped and then turned to Maddie, who didn’t look happy. “You should have told me they were coming, since you didn’t, you can deal alone. I’m sleeping,” he added, “If you wake me up, I’ll kick you all out for a few hours,” he warned them before heading back to bed. He knew that trouble was going to be finding him; he had no idea what that could be.
XxXxX
Chimney wasn’t happy as he walked with Maddie into the office. CPS had called another meeting with them. This time, Maddie had insisted that her parents attend as well. So they were walking behind them. Chimney didn’t like it, worried that they would say or do something that would cause problems. Chimney and Maddie were let into the office, and Kevin looked at the two others that almost barged their way into the interview room.
“Ms Buckley, Mr Han,” Kevin said, “Good to see you both,” he added, gesturing to the seats. “Please have a seat, and who are the two with you?” he asked.
“These are my parents, Margaret and Phillip Buckley, they’re here from Hershey to make sure that everything is going well,” Maddie said, smiling slightly.
“I see,” Kevin nodded, “Please, take a seat and do not answer for your daughter, or interrupt, I will ask you to leave should you disrupt this meeting,” he warned them.
“There is no need to be rude,” Margaret began.
“Please don’t consider what I’m saying rude, when it’s not, it’s a polite warning to two people that weren’t invited to this meeting. Your daughter may wish you here, but this isn’t for you,” he said, turning to Maddie, “Ms Buckley. If you wish for your parents to attend next time, please give us a warning, and I will tell you if it’s acceptable, because at the moment, it isn’t,” he warned her.
Maddie didn’t look happy, but nodded.
“Right, let’s discuss things. You are still trying to insist on a home birth. We’ve already told you that it isn’t going to be permitted at the moment. You’ve been classed as a danger to your child and yourself,” Kevin said, his words were blunt this time, instead of trying to be gentle.
“We’ve also asked that you go in for a mental health check, to make sure that you are-” Carson started.
“My daughter doesn’t need a mental health check, she-” Margaret interrupted, trying to dismiss what the man was saying.
“Mrs Buckley, we warned you that you were not to interrupt this meeting,” Carson said, as he began to get up.
“She’ll not do it again,” Maddie said, giving her mother a quick look.
Carson and Kevin looked at her, “Ms Buckley, you may say that, but at the momen-”
“Please,” Maddie said, “I need them here, things are going on, and they are my support,” she said, “Along with Howie,” she added, but it was more of an afterthought that she meant it.
Kevin nodded once, “This one time, Mrs Buckley, but I warn you one last time, one more and you’re out,” he said, “This might not be a court, but we’re here to help your daughter make sure she can keep her child after the birth. At the moment, we are unsure of that. It might be a case of the daughter living with the father, and the mother getting help.”
“They are here because they have more insight into what Evan has been saying,” Maddie said, “More about… Daniel, and the things that are going on there.”
Kevin and Carson shared a look before Kevin nodded. “And what would that be, about Mr Evan Buckley, Mr and Mrs Buckley?” he asked.
Carson sat back down and waited for the Buckley parents to answer.
Margaret pursed her lips. “Evan has always tended to exaggerate what is going on. What happened to him when he was little, everything. He’s always doing it and getting into trouble,” she added.
Chimney frowned, “So you’re saying what?” he asked them.
Kevin looked at Margaret, “Are you saying that the documented abuse that you did to Evan Buckley, when he was a child, is false?” he asked her.
“There is noth-” Philip protested only to be cut off.
“In 2001, when Evan Buckley was nine years old, there was a CPS report made. Evan Buckley, at the time, had a broken arm and several bruises that were consistent with a beating. You both made the claim that it happened at school. From school records of the time, he hadn’t been in school for almost a week at that point, and there was nothing in the notes at the school either prior to him showing up in the ER. This report stated that you should have had more visits. But didn’t,” Kevin explained. “When we investigate, we do look into old reports and their background information. Such as the fact that Daniel Buckley passed away from an infection after the successful transplant from Evan Buckley.”
“What… but-” Maddie frowned, “But Daniel,” she began, looking at her parents.
“Evan is what caused Daniel to go away; it was his fault!” Margaret snapped, “he was the one that… he was the one that sent Daniel away!” she continued.
“Mrs Buckley, a child can do no such thing,” Kevin informed her, “Now,” he said, turning back to Maddie, “Ms Buckley,” he said, “At the moment, we’re are concerned for the safety of your unborn child, and it might be a case of the child going to foster care while you heal after the birth. Your behavior is very concerning,” he told her, this time his words were a ltitle more gentle.
“My behavior is fine, I was just thinking about Daniel, and how… how Evan was to save him, and nothing worked,” she said, her words almost hesitant.
“Ms Buckley, it’s not fine. We’ve been asking you to take a mental health evaluation to make sure that there is nothing more going on. There are things that they can help you with,” Kevin explained to her once again. “Now, it might be the case of the child only being in the full custody of their father for a while, as you heal and take the time to be evaluated. This might just be hormones from the pregnancy, but there might even be something more underlying, which is the worry.”
Maddie shook her head, “If my child can’t be with me, they will go to my parents. Back to Hershey,” she stated. “They will take care of them.”
“Unfortunately, is not on the table, Ms Buckley, the child will go to their father or into foster care if the father does not want fully custody,” Carson told her, shaking his head.
“Howard isn’t the father, he has no rights to this child,” Maddie said quickly, “So they will have to go to my parents.”
“Maddie?!” Chimney exclaimed, eyes going wide at what she had just said.
“Even if that is the case, which we doubt, the baby will still not be going with Mr and Mrs Buckley. They were close to being charged with child abuse, and how they avoided being charged is also under investigation. The thing is, there is no statute of limitations, and with what we’re finding out, there is a possibility that they could still be charged with child abuse and child neglect. Since this is the case, Mr and Mrs Buckley are not permitted to have unsupervised access to the child, or to have custody,” Carson informed her.
“The baby will be taken into foster care until DNA can prove that Mr Han is, or isn’t, the father,” Kevin added, seeing the devastated look on Chimney’s face.
“We should be allowed to have the child,” Margaret said, “Evan was always lying, and that’s why nothing was done back then. He was lying about what was going on, just like he has been recently. He’s been causing nothing but trouble for Maddie since she began her relationship with Howard.”
“Considering I’m supposedly not the father, then Maddie must have cheated on me with someone else,” Chimney spat at the woman.
“Howie!” Maddie said, “Don’t speak to my mother like that,” she snapped at him, “She’s just-”
“Digging it in that she wants my daughter, my child, well, it isn’t going to happen. I will fight for them,” he stated, staring at Maddie like he didn’t know who she was anymore. In a sense, he really didn’t. The woman before him was no longer the woman that he had fallen in love with and wanted to spend a lifetime with.
“Mom and Dad will be-” Maddie said, her voice soft.
“They won’t be taking the child at all,” Kevin interrupted before it could break out into an argument again, “Mr and Mrs Buckley, you will not be having custody of Ms Buckley’s baby. Mr Han, I’m sorry to say, but with the accusation that you’re not the father of the baby, then DNA testing will be done to find out who the baby’s father is.”
Chimney nodded, “Yeah, I understand that,” he nodded a few more times as he got up, “I’m sorry, but I need to leave at the moment. I need some time away from Ms Buckley,” he said as he looked at Maddie and walked off.
“Howie!” Maddie said, getting up to follow.
“Ms Buckley, please sit back down, we’re not finished the meeting with you, since your revelations that Mr Han might not be the father of your child, we will have to have it on note that a DNA test will be done at the hospital as soon as the baby is born, unless you consent to NIPP, a Non Invasive Parental Paternity Test. Which can be scheduled as soon as you want.”
“I need to go after him, and no, I don’t consent to it,” she snapped as she carried on out of the room.
“This is all Evan’s fault; she’s panicking because of the way he’s been behaving,” Margaret once more tried to blame her youngest son for everything that was going on, something she had done since before he had even been born.
“Mrs Buckley, I suggest that you stop with the lies,” Kevin told her. Your daughter’s relationship is about to fall apart, and the father of her baby now questions if she has been faithful to him, because she now wants you both to take a child, that you will never have unsupervised access to, or even any access to. Our time is over,” he added, getting up, “I will show you out,” he added as he gestured for the two of them to get up.
Soon enough, they met up with their daughter, who was crying at the entrance, Chimney nowhere in sight.
Chapter Forty-Four
Chimney was sitting in the dark in his apartment. Maddie hadn’t come home yet. And he was contemplating what he could do; he didn’t even know if he could even face her after what she had said at the office. He winced as he heard a key in the lock.
“You left me alone!” Maddie screamed at him as she entered the home, slamming the door behind him.
“Shut up,” he said, glaring at her, “You have no fucking right to scream at me after what you said back there. You said I wasn’t her father, that I wasn’t little Mango’s father. So fuck you Madaline,” he stated, “Fuck you,” he repeated as he tried not to choke on the tears that wanted to fall and the sob that was stuck in his throat.
“You-”
“Maddie, you told the two CPS workers that little Mango wasn’t mine, in front of your parents and them. You told me that I’m not her dad. The only way that would happen is if you are cheating on me,” he said, trying to keep himself calm.
“I’m not-”
“Then why the fuck did you say that?!” he begged to know, “Why would you say that she’s not mine!”
“Because she’s going to them!” Maddie yelled back at him. “She’s going to them, she’s not going to stay with us at all. We’re-”
“I’m not giving up my daughter to two abusing assholes, and I don’t care what you say, in that they’ve never done anything. We both know that they’re lying about that. Buck has never once lied about shit like this; he would never. I believe in Buck,” he stated, shaking his head, “And I don’t even know who the hell you are anymore.”
“Then leave, get out of this apartment and go somewhere else, I don’t need you,” Maddie hissed at him as she grabbed his car keys from the table and threw them at him.
Chimney was quick to catch them and shook his head, “No, I’m not leaving my home because you’ve been a lying bitch about who the father is,” he snapped back at her, “You want to stay here, fine, but you’ve got two weeks to find a new place and get out. I’m done; our relationship is now over. And I will fight you for custody of my daughter.”
“You won’t,” she said, holding her stomach, “She is my child to do with as I want. You don’t get a say in this.”
“She’s my child, my daughter, and I will fight to protect her from whatever demented shit you and they have in store for her. You all messed Buck up, and I’m not going to let it happen to her,” he told her, shaking his head, and wondering once more just where the Maddie he had slowly fallen for had gone. To the woman who had made him laugh, smile, and be a better man. To be someone he knew he could be, but never really wanted to before now.
“My child, and you should leave, you’re not going to kick your pregnant girlfriend out of her home! I moved in here for you,” she countered, standing firm as she looked at Chimney.
“Well, that’s just tough shit, isn’t it?” he snapped at her, “You’re the one who destroyed what we were building together. I thought we were building a family together.”
“We are, but this child isn’t for us; this is for something else,” she said, as she smiled at him, a condescending smile, brushing aside everything that was going on, like the child she was carrying should mean nothing to him.
“Maddie, that is my child, I would never give her up for anything, never. The fact that you thought I should give her away to two abusive people is even worse. I won’t do it, so get that idea out of your head. If you want to try it, then I will fight you every single step of the way. I will fight for her, I will fight for her to be safe. With me, Buck, or in a foster family, she will be safe. Because with them, she won’t be, and now, I think with you, she won’t be safe either. So, find another place to live, like I said, you have two weeks. You can have the bedroom for now.”
“You can’t do this to me. I live here,” Maddie protested, “You can’t!”
“I can, and I will. You broke our relationship; have your parents help you find a place, but at the moment, we’re no longer together, you’re not my partner, girlfriend, nothing to me but the mother of my daughter. We will never be more than co-parents at best. I’m not going to argue about this anymore. It’s done, we’re over,” Chimney told her, shaking his head a few times. “I’m done, Maddie, we’re done.”
“No, no, it can’t be over, we’re… we’re…” she trailed off as she began to cry.
“We’re not anything anymore,” he said as he went to his room, “You have two weeks, and I’m not going anywhere.”
Maddie was left in the living room crying before Chimney could hear her talking. About twenty minutes after he had walked into the bedroom to get some separation from Maddie, she stormed into the room. Chimney looked at her, watching her as she stood there,
“You-” she began, cutting herself off, “I can’t believe you’re listening to the lies that Evan told everyone. I thought you loved me and believed me when I told you things. I don’t want to lose you, Howie,” she said, beginning to cry.
Chimney let her. Normally, he would be up there, hugging her, reassuring her, telling her that things would be okay. This time, he let her cry. She sobbed, telling her things to try and get her to calm down. “Are you done?” he asked her, his tone unfriendly.
“Why aren’t you comforting me!” Maddie almost whined.
“God, I tried to understand what you’re going through. I did until today. And now, looking back, this is what you do, isn’t it? When you don’t get your way, you get teary-eyed and cry. You moan and whine about it, and guilt someone into doing what you want. For Buck, you barrage him with it, make him feel like shit when he polices the boundaries that you want to run all over. Well, I’m calling you out on your brat behavior. I’m done catering to it, and so is Buck. Why do you think you’re blocked at the moment? He doesn’t want to deal with it anymore, and I don’t blame him either,” Chimney told her, resting against the headboard and putting the kindle he had been using to one side.
“I don’t do that, I’m not a brat or anything of the other things you’re thinking,” she said, stepping back, “How can you say that to me?” she asked him, eyes tearing up once more.
“Before this, before you got pregnant, you did do this a lot, but it wasn’t as bad, and you backed off occasionally. You don’t like certain people because they don’t let you get away with anything. And for me, I was an idiot, always giving in to you, into what you wanted. And I shouldn’t have,” Chimney said, shaking his head as he glanced at her for a second before looking away.
“You’re my partner, you’re supposed to do what I want,” she told him, hands on her stomach once more.
“What about what I want?” Chimney asked, “What about when I want to do something, see something, go somewhere, can I?” he asked, “Because when I did, you didn’t always like it. Like when I went to meet Hen for breakfast a few days ago, you bitched at me for it, asking that I take you next time. Though it wasn’t really asking, was it, it was demanding that you come along next time,” he sighed, “I don’t know how I missed it all.”
“I’ve done nothing to warrant this,” Maddie said, the tears drying up.
“Maybe,” Chimney said, shaking his head a few times as he relaxed back against the headboard of the bed, “But you’ve hurt me more than words can even say,” he said, “At the moment, I really don’t want to talk to you anymore.”
Maddie huffed, grabbed her suitcase, and began putting clothes in it. She was getting angry as Chimney didn’t stop her. She huffed at him before she stormed out. Chimney listened as the door slammed closed. He sighed and closed his eyes for a few moments. He didn’t know what he should do. For now, he was just going to come to terms with what Maddie had said before talking to Buck.
XxXxX
Buck knocked on Chimney’s door, a frown on his face. His sister had gotten a burner phone and, more fool him, he’d answered it. Maddie had ranted and raved that she’d left Chimney, that she couldn’t stand him. That he was being abusive toward her and ignoring her wishes about things. Buck had ended the call before she could say too much and called Chimney. The man’s phone wasn’t on, his call went straight to voicemail, and Buck couldn’t help but worry. Now he was outside the man’s apartment, hoping to see him and make sure that he was okay and learn just what the fuck was going on.
Chimney opened the door and frowned, “What are you doing here?” he asked, looking like he’d just woken up. He looked rough.
“Maddie got in touch, ranting about you, and I wanted to make sure you were okay, but you weren’t answering. So here I am,” he said, shrugging and feeling a little silly to check on Chimney.
“Shit, sorry, I turned my phone off. Maddie was blasting it with calls and messages. I just wanted a bit of peace,” he sighed, letting Buck inside, “Got a few things to tell you,” he said quietly. “We’re over, Maddie and me, we’re done. She,” he sighed, “Let’s sit down with a coffee, I need to wake up,” he added, yawning as he closed the door behind Buck and went and made them coffee, as he started to explain what happened at the CPS office.
“She really fucking said that?” Buck’s eyes were wide, “That you’re not the dad?”
Chimney nodded, “Yeah, all because she wants to give my daughter to her parents. I… I’m not going to stand for that. She makes it sound like it was all planned, right from the start.”
“I can’t believe she would do that. She…” Buck rubbed his face, not sure what he could say.
“I know,” he snorted, as he drank his coffee and leaned back, staring at the ultrasound that had been taken a few weeks ago. That was his daughter, and he wasn’t going to let go without a fight. He knew that the child was his; Maddie wouldn’t have cheated. She only said that to try and stop him from gaining custody if she lost it because of her recent behavior. “I’ve got to get in touch with Kevin at CPS and tell him the latest development. It could be so easy for her to just leave the state,” he added.
Buck shook his head, “I doubt she would,” he said, “I doubt it because while she can deal with our parents on a short-term basis, she won’t be able to long-term. And… I’ll help you, fight for your daughter. I’m scared of her going to my parents. They’re… they’re looking for a replacement for Daniel, that’s all they’ve searched for, and it… fucks me over because I didn’t even know that until…” he trailed off as he gestured wildly with one hand.
“I know,” Chimney nodded, “I can’t believe this is how it’s gone. I just… I want her to get help. I still care about her, but the love I had, she’s broken that.”
Buck listened as Chimney went over the relationship he thought he had with Maddie. His heart broke for his friend. He just wished there was something more he could do than just lend an ear for him to rant to, to talk with. Buck would do his best to support Chimney in getting full custody of his daughter, because fuck Maddie giving the baby to their parents.
Chapter Forty-Five
Eddie was pacing around the living room as he talked on the phone with the therapist’s office. It was the same place that Eddie had taken Christopher to after the tsunami and his mother’s death. He’d hoped to be able to get an appointment as soon as possible. They had dropped Christopher off that morning, to tears and pleas for him not to go to school. Even though he only had two days left before they would be leaving for their extra-long weekend away. The nine-year-old had been really scared, and his nightmares had returned. Screaming them both away most nights over the last couple of days. And it didn’t seem to be letting up any time soon.
“Yeah, yeah, okay, thank you,” Eddie said as he ended the call. “Couldn’t get anything until the new year, so just over two weeks. 4th January,” he sighed as he flopped down on the couch next to Buck.
Buck pulled him into his arms, letting the man rest against him. “At least we’ve got him booked in now.”
“I know, but that doesn’t help with what’s going on now. Thankfully, they don’t go back to school until the 5th, but…” he trailed off, sighing as he pulled Buck’s arms tight around him.
“So he’ll be able to talk to them and about what’s going on, hopefully,” Buck murmured, kissing Eddie’s cheek as he turned a little in his arms.
“Yeah, I wish he would tell us what’s wrong. We know something is, he’s crying a lot, looks scared as hell. Trying to take him to school the last few days, it’s getting harder and harder to let him go. I hate seeing him so upset,” Eddie said, feeling unsettled because of his son. “I… don’t know what else I can do.”
“Let’s hope this holiday helps him. Getting away and not having school for the rest of the year. It’ll be good for him,” Buck said softly, holding Eddie tighter.
“What do you think could be going on?” he finally asked after a few moments of silence between them.
Buck sighed, “When… when I was Chris’ age, I was being bullied. I was different, I had a birthmark, and I was made fun of because of it,” he said quietly. “Now, Chris is in a school where there are so many other children, not like Chris, but in a similar situation. I can’t… I don’t want to imagine that might be the case, that someone is bullying that sunshine child. It… could be possible still.”
Eddie closed his eyes, shivering, “Yeah, that’s what I’m afraid of. School for Chris is a safe space. A place to learn, have fun, and everything. To be… bullied would destroy that.”
“If that’s the case, we can always try and find another school if he wants to leave it after this,” Buck then suggested, “I know I wish I had been able to move schools several times until I hit high school. I grew about four inches, was almost six foot and weedy. Nerdy,” he snorted, “They said. But I joined sports, that helped me, but for Chris…” he trailed off, “He’s a popular kid, I can’t see anyone wanting to bully him.”
“Same,” he nodded, resting against Buck. They had several hours before they would have to pick Christopher up. And they were both trying to decide if they could take him out of school early and have someone look after him for the day, instead.
XxXxX
Buck walked through the loft of the 118. They’d been back from a call for all of twenty minutes when they got a call from the school. Christopher had been found outside his classroom, wandering the school, upset and not talking to anyone. Eddie had cursed up a storm before being let go, so he could collect their son. Buck would have gone as well, but they would end up short for the day. Even Eddie would have to head back soon, as soon as he found someone to watch Christopher, or bring him to the station again. Bobby was already clearing it with the Chief, just in case no one could be found for a few hours. Carla was with another client until the afternoon, when school let out.
Buck jumped and rushed to grab his phone from his table, “Eds?” he asked as soon as he answered.
“Hey, we’re on the way to the station now. Chris is,” he paused, “Not doing well. He’s still upset, but not crying at the moment. He… Buck, I don’t know what the fuck to do. I can’t… I need to find out what’s going on. I don’t want to see him like this again.”
“And we won’t. We’ll ask for a meeting at the school to make Summers aware that something is going on. We’ll hope that Chris opens up to us soon,” Buck sighed as he sat down at the table.
“Yeah, I’ve already put the request in, it’ll be a few days after school starts back up in the new year,” he sighed over the line, “Look, I’m going to go and head back to the station. Bobby sent a message saying it would be fine to bring him.” He finished, “I’ll be there soon.”
“Okay, I’ll see about getting something started for him to eat and some hot chocolate started up, ready for when you get here,” Buck said as he got up and headed into the kitchen to start looking for something to do for him.
“Grilled cheese, he always loves that,” Eddie said, adding, “Right, see you soon.”
The call ended, and Buck tucked his phone away. Bobby jogged up the stairs. “Bobby,” Buck nodded, “Thanks for letting him bring Chris here.”
“Has he said what has upset Chris?” he asked, frowning as he went over and watched as Buck began to pull things together to cook something.
Buck sighed and told him what had been happening over the last couple of weeks. Chimney and Hen were walking over as they heard Christopher’s name being spoken. He finished prepping things, ready to cook at a moment’s notice. “And that’s it,” he said, “So-”
“Evan Buckley!” came a yell from below.
“What the fuck?” Buck said, eyes going wide as he heard his mother’s screaming call.
“Fucking hell,” Chimney said, rubbing his face. “I’ll get rid of them,” he began as he got up from the table where he had been sitting with everyone.
“Together,” Buck said as he got up and the two of them walked down the stairs to where Buck’s parents were glaring around at the people who were stopping them from coming any further into the station. “You know you’re not allowed here,” he told the two of them, “You need to leave.”
“No, we won’t!” Margaret yelled at him, “You’ve ruined everything your sister has. Everything. Howard, you need to really talk with Maddie; she isn’t mad, just upset. She thought you underst-”
“How can I understand that she wants to give my daughter away. I would never abandon her at all, and to give her to two people who have shown abusive behavior toward a child already. Double no and triple hell noo. It’s not going to happen, and I will be fighting for full custody of my daughter when she is born,” Chimney said, shaking his head, “And don’t call me Howard, that’s reserved for people I think of as friends, you can call me Mr Han. And Maddie can be mad, upset, or anything, I don’t care anymore. She ruined what we had with the fact she’s willing to give you two MY DAUGHTER,” he repeated himself, eyes flashing in anger as he thought of what the two people before him could easily do to a baby. They had already neglected and abused Buck, a helpless baby that wasn’t their son. Chimney didn’t want to imagine what they would do to her.
“This is all on you,” Margaret snapped at Buck, “You always cause so much trouble.”
“After everything we did for you,” Phillip said, doing the usual emotional blackmail and gaslighting to his youngest son.
“That shit won’t work on me,” Buck rolled his eyes. “You did that shit when I was a kid, and now, I know what I’m worth, and I’m worth a lot more than you two will ever be able to understand, because you’re both selfish people that only care about each other. You don’t care about me, you don’t care about Maddie, and I doubt you even cared about Daniel; you just wanted the image of a perfect family that you always projected. One son and one daughter. The main reason you kept me around, appearance had to be maintained, after all,” he snorted, “Well, fuck that shit,” he hissed, “It’s never going to happen again. You’ve lost Daniel, me, and I hope Maddie wakes up soon and drops the two of you like the fucking bastards you are. And as for the baby, I’ll be helping Chimney fight for custody. I’m on his side, because Maddie’s lost the fucking plot if she thinks it’s a good idea for you to have a baby around.”
“Of course it is, Maddie isn’t ready to be a mother,” Margaret began to state.
“She has already been a mother to me, because you’re not a mother at all, you’re a bitch trying to pass as one,” Buck snapped back at her.
“She is-”
“Shut up,” Chimney said, his words firm as he looked at the two of them, “Neither of you is welcome here, Mr Buckley, Mrs Buckley, leave. Do whatever it is you do, and fuck off back to Hershey. Maddie and I need to sort out custody without either of you around. Neither of you is going to get my daughter. I’ll make sure of it.”
“Maddie will be giving the child to us. You need to stop messing with your sister’s life. She doesn’t need all the lies you are spreading. She need-” Phillip said, his voice firm, only stopped
“She needs to smell what the two of you have been shovelling all of our lives. What had you been telling her?” Buck asked, “What lies have you been telling her? Because we all know you have been. She fucking believes that you’ve never done anything to me, and we both know that she saw some of the things going on. She then turns around and tells me to forgive you both for it. She changes all the time in what she believes. Sometimes she does, and tells me to forgive you both, then she does… It’s like she has two warring parts of her,” he said, shaking his head.
“It’s all your fault, everything that’s happened is on you,” Margaret hissed, as she turned and stormed off, “Phillip, we need to make sure we have to make sure that our home is ready for our child,” she added.
Phillip nodded, “Of course, dear,” he said, beginning to walk away, before turning and looking at them, “We will be taking custody; they’ll have no choice in the end.”
“We’ll fight,” Buck told him. His father barely acknowledged him before walking after his wife. “We’ll fight, because no way am I going to let another child go through what I did.”
“Buck!” came a cry as the click-clack of crutches sounded as Christopher and Eddie walked into the station. Eddie was scowling slightly as he walked behind Christopher.
“Chris,” he said as he grabbed Christopher and picked him up, “Hey buddy,” he said as he hugged him tightly. “How about you go up with Hen and Chim.
“I’ll take over making the grilled cheese and hot chocolate,” Bobby called out as he was already heading back up the stairs.
Christopher shook his head, and after a little more coaxing, he finally left. Buck looked at Eddie, “What happened?”
“Your fucking parents just told Chris that he should find better parents. Chris… he’s fucking upset about something and they just made things a lot worse,” Eddie said as he hugged Buck. Eddie explained what he’d found at the school, which was nothing. The school hadn’t been able to get Christopher to talk, and Eddie hadn’t been able to in the truck on the way back to the station.
“We’ll figure this out,” Buck said, holding Eddie for a bit before letting go and joining everyone else in the loft of the 118 for grilled cheese and hot chocolate.
Chapter Forty-Six
Friday morning came all too early for the Buckley-Diaz household. Buck and Eddie finished packing up the truck. They were doing a road trip down to San Diego, making two stops on the way. The sun hadn’t even risen, and Christopher still didn’t know what was going on. He didn’t even know that he wasn’t going to school.
“Right, I’m going to wake Christopher, get him dressed and fed before we head out,” Eddie said as he kissed Buck on the cheek and headed into Christopher’s room.
Christopher was curled up tightly on his bed, instead of his usual starfish routine when he slept. He looked troubled even in sleep. Eddie walked over to the bed, sitting on the edge of it, “Chris,” he called out softly, “Come on mijo, we’ve got to get up and ready for the day.”
Christopher was slow to wake up, “No, Dad, don’t wanna go,” he said, lower lip trembling as he opened his eyes and looked at his dad,
“You’re not going to school,” he said softly, “but we are going somewhere. Me, you, and Buck, we’re going away for a bit, just us.”
Christopher’s eyes went wide, “Really?” he asked, sitting up and looking at his dad, “I’m not… not going to school?”
“No, no school, not until next year,” Eddie told him, his heart breaking when Christopher began to cry. He gathered his son in his arms and held him, “Not until next year, but… but we’re going to go and see someone that you can talk to, okay. They’ll help you, I know something is going on, mijo, and if you won’t talk to us, then maybe you’ll be more comfortable talking to someone else.”
Christopher didn’t say anything as he clung to his dad and cried. Eddie glanced at the door when Buck walked in, looking concerned. Buck walked over to the bed and joined them, holding the two Diazes. Chrisotpher was slow to calm down, tears slowly drying up.
“Dad, Buck,” he said softly.
“We’re right here, Superman,” Buck said, running a hand over Christopher’s messy curls. “Let’s get ready, we’ve got a long drive ahead of us,” he added.
“Where are we going?” Christopher sniffled as his dad grabbed a tissue to clean his face.
“It’s a nice little Christmas marketplace, we’re going away for a few days, coming back Monday evening,” Eddie told him as he cleaned his face a little. “So shower, clean up, a nice breakfast before the sun is even up, and then we head out to avoid most of the LA traffic,” he smiled at his son as he settled him back on the bed.
Christopher nodded as he got up, “Okay, Dad,” he said, taking a shuddering breath as he went to shower.
Eddie slumped against Buck as soon as Christopher was out of the room. “This vacation… is needed more than anything,” he said softly.
“Yeah,” Buck agreed, holding Eddie tightly. They stood there, taking comfort from each other for a bit before getting up and starting breakfast. Smiling as Christopher came in, looking happier than he had been in the last few weeks.
XxXxX
It was mid-afternoon when they left the hotel for the market. Eddie had booked them in for a few ornament-making sessions. Eddie smiled as they were led into a warm building. Hot chocolate was handed out to them along with little cupcakes. The three sat at a table with another family.
The instructor went over a few things with them before they were let loose on the glitter, glue, pompoms, and all the craft items anyone could wish for.
“I’m going to make us,” Christopher said, a large smile on his face.
“Yeah,” Buck nodded, “I think I will, make something that means us,” he murmured.
Eddie watched the two as they began to work, distracted from his own ornament-making. The two were smiling and laughing. It was good to see Christopher laugh so freely. He’d become more and more relaxed the further they had gotten from LA. Eddie had a pit of dread in his stomach for when they had to return. Scared that the sombre boy that Christopher had become would return.
Eddie shook his head, causing Buck to look at him. “It’s okay, let’s make something to put on the tree back home,” he smiled at him and then down at Christopher as he looked at his dad and Buck.
“Okay,” Christopher said, “Dad,” he said, biting his lip, “Do we still have the ones I made with mom?” he asked, looking at him, with a mix of hope and fear.
“We still have them. I didn’t know if you wanted to pull them out, but we can do that when we get home. I love the ones the two of you made together. And the one we got to make together too,” he said, putting a hand on Christopher’s shoulder, “Never be scared to ask about her, I know you miss her.”
“I do, but I’m angry too, Dad,” Christopher said, “She left us, and then she came back, and then she was gone, Dad. I miss her a lot. I don’t want to lose you and Buck,” he added, looking back at what he was trying to make.
“She… didn’t have much choice to leave the first time, mijo, your grandma Janet was very ill, and she needed someone there for her. When she passed away, your mom was feeling very lost and hurt that her mom was gone. She found it hard to come back; she knew we would be hurt and angry at her for leaving. So she thought it was better to stay away. But she did come back, and we might not have been able to spend that much time with her again, but we did get some time, some really good memories. Like that day at the beach, Christmas Day, and days out with her. We have videos of her too. I can always put them together so you can watch them and remember her even more, if you want.”
Christopher hesitated but nodded, “Please, I’m forgetting what she sounded like,” he said softly.
“Yeah, I am as well,” Eddie said, glancing at Buck. He’d been the one to put everything together that he could find, including a number from while Eddie was deployed and the few times he was home from deployment.
“Thanks, Dad,” he said, smiling a little again now as he went back to making his ornament.
The three of them worked together, smiling and laughing as Buck told a few child-friendly stories from his probie year at the 118. Even the other family sitting with them at the table were laughing and joining in with silly stories for the two kids at the table.
XxXxX
“Okay,” Buck said, “We’re going to see Santa,” he added as he looked at Christopher.
“Okay,” he smiled, grinning, “I want to ask him something really important.”
“Yeah,” Buck smiled as Eddie hurried to join them, “Everything okay?” he asked.
“Yep, we have a ride in a carriage later through the market area,” Eddie reminded them all.
“Yeah,” Buck grinned as the family of three began to head to the little Christmas Village that had been set up near the hotel. Santa was waiting for them after all. Christopher walked ahead of him. He was happy at the moment, with the only subdued part of their time away being when going home or anything about school was mentioned. So Buck and Eddie had been careful about saying anything about either for a bit.
They waited in line for a bit for Christopher to see Santa; this time, he wanted them both there, as though he needed them to hear his wish this year. Christopher sat on Santa’s knee, looking at the man.
“So, what is it you would like for Christmas, little Christopher?” he asked, smiling at the child who was seated on his lap.
“I…” Christopher began, looking back at his dad and Buck. “I just want to stay with Dad and Buck forever. I don’t want them to leave me,” he murmured.
“Ah,” Santa nodded, “Well, I can see that the two men back there love you a lot. I doubt they would ever leave you,” he told him, nodding a few more times.
“Mijo,” Eddie said softly, “I would never leave you. I love you so much, I can’t imagine you not being there, even when I’m old and gray and you think I’m not cool anymore.”
“Yeah,” Buck nodded, taking hold of Eddie’s hand and squeezing it tightly, “I don’t ever want to let you go, we’ll still be trying to drag you to the museum and zoo when we’re in wheelchairs or walking with walkers,” he said, his voice taking on a lighter note.
Christopher nodded and began to cry, “I don’t want to go away, Dad, Buck.”
“That’s never going to happen, we love you too much for that,” Buck said, letting go of Eddie’s hand as he went and picked up the nine-year-old. Eddie moved over and held the two as Christopher cried in their arms.
“We’re not going anywhere, mijo,” he said softly. Nodding at the Santa and moving aside so he could see the next child in the queue.
Christopher cried a little more before slowly calming down. They headed out and waited for their carriage ride. Christopher was clinging to them as Eddie and Buck looked at each other over his head.
XxXxX
“Is that what he’s scared of?” Buck asked as soon as Christopher was down for the night.
“I have no idea,” Eddie said as he began to pace their room. Being quiet, as Christopher was sleeping next door in the little room attached to the suite he had been able to get. “But… losing us? Not being around?” he said as he stopped and turned to Buck, “I don’t… I don’t know what I’m supposed to do,” he said, shaking his head.
Buck got up from where he had been sitting on their bed and went over to his boyfriend, pulling the man into his arms and holding him. “I don’t know, but all we can do is continue to remind him that we love him, that we’re there for him. Maybe therapy will help.”
Eddie leaned against him and nodded, “Yeah, yeah, let’s hope it does. I just… I need to find out what’s going on to cause all this,” he sighed, “Fucking hell, this was…”
“Hey, hey,” Buck said, bringing Eddie’s eyes to meet his, “He’s doing okay here, we’re having fun, and yeah, that was a bit of a blow, but he bounced back for the rest of it, we’ve got two more days just to have fun and relax. We have a bit of time before he goes back to school. We’re going to talk with Dr Summers as well about what might be going on, so that they can monitor him.”
Eddie sighed again, relaxing in Buck’s hold, “Yeah, yeah, we have our fun, carry on with our holiday, and then go home, celebrate with family and friends, Christmas and New Year.”
“Exactly,” Buck smiled, nodding along with him, “Now, let’s continue this holiday fun, and you can tell me what else you have planned for us,” he added, glancing over at him.
Eddie smirked, “Nope,” he said, shaking his head, “Not happening, you’re just going to have to wait,” he told him, kissing him. Buck kissed him back before the two of them settled down to watch something quietly before they went to sleep themselves.
The rest of the weekend away was good. Christopher was having fun, and Eddie and Buck took as many pics as they could. The ride back to LA had been a little quiet, but Christopher was chatting now and then. Christmas morning was spent just the three of them before ending up with Isabel and Pepa for the afternoon.
New Year’s Eve was spent at the Grant-Nash house, celebrating together as one large family.
Chapter Forty-Seven
Buck walked into work a week after the new year break. He and Eddie had the meeting at the school, and Christopher had done his first session with his therapist. Though nothing had come up yet, Christopher wasn’t really talking much. But at least he was trying. “Hey, Chim,” he said as he saw the firefighter/paramedic.
“Hey,” he said, smiling slightly, “How was the meeting at the school, and where is the tag-along Eddie?” he asked.
“Eddie had an appointment this morning after drop off,” Buck said as he walked beside him and into the locker room to get ready.
“Right,” he nodded, “I think Bobby mentioned something like that,” he murmured.
“How are things going with CPS and Maddie?” Buck asked him, putting a few things away in the locker before getting dressed.
“Not good,” Chimney sighed as he sat down on the bench. “I’ve only seen her when we’re both called in to CPS to talk over things. Maddie’s refused to let me go to any of the appointments, so I’m in the dark about how the baby is growing and doing. Maddie isn’t… happy. She’s found a place, but I don’t know where it is. She’s not going to tell me; she still wants her parents to have my daughter. I’m going to fight,” he said, his words rushed as he had a lot of pent-up feelings about what was going on. He just didn’t know what he should do; his therapist had been helping, and he’d even started talking to his father a little more. Talking about all the things they should have talked about when Jee-Yun had died.
“She’s not contacted me again, but our parents have. They’ve been trying to get me to talk to CPS and tell them that what I’ve said is a lie. I’m not going to, at all. I’m not giving them a fucking chance at all of getting custody of your kid. That baby is yours, we all know. Maddie may have said that you weren’t the dad, but…”
“She isn’t one to cheat,” Chimney said, “I don’t even know why she said that to them. Why she would…” he trailed off, closing his eyes and leaning his head back for a moment.
“I think it was a way to try and get it so that you’d be willing to let the kid go to them,” Buck said, shrugging, not really knowing if he was right.
Chimney nodded, but changed the subject, not wanting to think of it at the moment.”Come on, we should head on up, Cap said he’s making breakfast this morning,” he said.
“Right,” Buck smiled and nodded.
Chimney got up to leave, “Oh, word of warning,” he said, “Bobby’s last nerve is being tested.”
“Dispatch again?” he asked, frowning. Their first shift back from their getaway, Buck and Eddie had noticed that Dispatch was being a big bunch of dicks. Their comments and behavior toward those of the 118 had been unprofessional at best and downright rude at worst.
“Yep,” Chimney said, “Cap is about a step away from calling Blevins for a meeting to sort this out,” he finished as he headed to the door, “Right, I’ll see you up there.”
“Sure,” Buck said as he nodded his head and finished getting ready before joining Bobby in making breakfast.
XxXxX
Buck headed to the locker room as soon as Eddie arrived. “Hey, Eds,” he greeted the man, who had come in five hours after shift started for an appointment. “Did everything go all right?” he asked.
“Yeah, everything’s fine, nothing different from last check-up,” he answered, telling him about his medical. He finished getting dressed and sat down to lace up his boots.
“Good, be warned, Cap’s not happy, he’s on a tear about dispatch. They’re starting their shit again with A-Shift, B, and C don’t get any of the clap back that we’ve been getting,” he sighed, “I think Bobby is about one insult away from going at them.”
“What the fuck have they been saying to rile Bobby up?” Eddie asked, eyes going wide as he looked over at Buck.
Buck sighed, leaning against the door frame of the locker room. “They called Bobby abusive, Chimney the same. Said, under their breath, that Bobby supports spousal abuse,” he said, giving him a few of the choice ones. “They’ve also called me a traitor, and a bad brother, and a few other things too.”
“Maddie?” he asked, getting a nod.
“Yeah,” he huffed, snorting a little as he added, “I think she’s been lying and Bobby is about to lose his shit at them. He’s talking about calling Sue Blevins for a meeting to tell her what’s going on. Chances are, yeah, Maddie’s been shit-stirring,” he muttered, “She’s done that before when I was a kid. Not to me, but to others.”
“Well, they are about to fuck around and find out,” Eddie snorted, shaking his head.
“Yep,” he said as Eddie finished lacing up his boots and they headed out to meet with the others in the loft.
They had just crested the top of the stairs when they were called out. Bobby listened to the call as they suited up and headed to the trucks. Pulling out, everyone heard the dispatcher call Bobby something under their breath. Bobby’s face was like stone as he said, “I will be speaking with Blevins about your behavior before stopping and turning to his team, “Right,” he began as he told them what was expected, and what he wanted them all to do.
Hours later, after having to speak with dispatch a few more times, with open hostilities. Bobby went into his office as the others went to check over the equipment and restock the ambulance.
“Chimney,” Bobby said as he came out of his office half an hour later, “you and I have a meeting with Sue Blevins at dispatch as soon as shift is over.”
“Right,” Chimney nodded, “Will do,” he added softly.
Bobby headed off to complete some paperwork, while everyone else relaxed after finishing the after-call checks.
XxXxX
Shift was over, and Bobby and Chimney headed to Metro Dispatch. Bobby went to the main desk and was shown where to go. “Captain Nash,” Sue said as she saw them, “Come on in,” she smiled at the two, “Now, I heard that something is going on?”
“Yes, and sorry for asking for a meeting on such short notice,” Bobby said, smiling at the woman, “I’m afraid to say that the 118 is having some problems with some of the dispatchers here. It’s reaching a point where I believe that some disciplinary action may need to be taken.”
Sue nodded, “Of course, what’s going on?” she asked, frowning slightly as she glanced from Bobby to Chimney.
“We think that Maddie has told a few of her co-workers a few lies about what is going on at the moment,” Chimney said as the three of them sat down, the door now closed, though anyone could see that they were in there.
“Maddie?” she asked, “I know I had to call in CPS about a month ago, she said some worrying things. But she explained that it was more that she was wishing that Daniel was home now and not after the baby is born,” she finished frowning. “I know that you and Maddie have been having some relationship trouble, but she said that her brother has been interfering with a few things. Erm, Evan Buckley, that is, not Daniel.”
Chimney sat up straight, “Daniel is dead,” he said, his words soft as he frowned at what Sue was saying.
“Maddie said that he was alive, that he was waiting for her to have the baby before coming home.” Sue frowned back at him, shaking her head.
“No, he died when he was eight, almost nine. I saw the obituary,” he said, “Buck… that’s Evan Buckley,” he added, “Even researched what was done; Buck’s a savior sibling. Daniel died from an infection after a bone marrow transplant that was successful, and he was starting to get better. But he caught something and passed away around two months after the transplant, I think. Maddie is… lying about Daniel being alive.”
“Are you sure?” she asked, her hands folding on the desk in front of her as she looked directly at Chimney, “she’s talked about it a lot over the last few weeks.”
“I am,” Chimney sighed, rubbing his face. “Her parents are… I think they might be trying to put ideas into her head. Trying to make it so that our daughter will be placed with them. CPS is involved, and will be until after the baby is born. Maybe even longer. She… told CPS that I’m not the dad, which means that my daughter is going to end up somewhere else until paternity is confirmed and I get custody. I’ve been going to the classes they recommended, trying to talk Maddie into going to therapy and sorting herself out. I want her healthy for her kid; I don’t want her to miss things. And I think in the end she might miss a lot,” he worried, “Look, she’s lying about me and others. She’s lying about her brother being alive and that he’s coming home. I-” he cut himself off.
“It’s causing problems between dispatchers and the 118,” Bobby said, as he put a hand on Chimney’s shoulder, giving him some silent support. “Ms Buckley is… a problem at the moment, she is in a delicate place, and we understand that. But when we’re being insulted, called abusers, and those who give in to that type of behavior, it’s going to cause some trouble for the firefighters in the 118 and me. They’ve called Buck, me, and Chimney several things, and are dismissive of what we’re doing. It’s going to cause a situation that is going to cost a victim their life if it carries on. It’s been happening since the new year started.”
Sue nodded, “I’ll be having words with everyone here to make sure to keep feelings out of dispatch. We’re supposed to be professionals. I think it might be an idea to bring Josh in, he’s on the floor more than what I am, and would be able to tell you some of the things that have been talked about,” she said as she got up, heading to the door and looking out, “Josh, can you come here for a moment,” she called out, looking at the man as he quickly headed over.
“Sue, Captain Nash, Firefighter Han,” he nodded at the two, though there was some frost in his voice, it was barely noticeable. But since Bobby and Chimney were somewhat used to the tone, they were able to spot it quickly.
“Come in, Josh, maybe you could help shed some light on what Maddie has been saying about these two men and Evan Buckley, her brother,” she said as she walked back to her seat and gestured to another one.
Josh nodded, “Of course,” he said, not sure if he should actually say anything. Sue quickly informed him of what was going on. “Ah,” he nodded, “she’s been saying that Firefighter Han and her brother have been trying to pressure her into things, and things that could harm the baby and her. She’s been saying that you’re hounding her, causing her to want to leave, but can’t because you’ve convinced CPS that she’s having a breakdown of some kind,” he told them.
Chimney closed his eyes, “I’ve done nothing but tell her that I’m going to fight for custody to make sure that my daughter doesn’t end up with her parents, who were abusive toward Buck when he was a child. We can have the reports brought to you if you need the proof.”
“I see,” Josh nodded, not sure what he believed, but he would do what he could to stop things. “We’ll try and quash things here,” he said as he looked at Sue, “I’ll get on that now.”
“I’ll be going over some of the calls to see if I can discipline anyone. This behavior isn’t on, and I’m putting Maddie on a warning again,” she sighed. “I’m sorry for what is going on,” she added quietly.
“Thank you,” Bobby said as they talked a little more about the situation before leaving. Chimney gave more information after Josh came back, so he could see the truth of the matter.
Chapter Forty-Eight
Buck and Eddie waited for Christopher to come out of school. It was the second week of the year, and Christopher was becoming upset and withdrawn again. Three therapy appointments down, and the nine-year-old still hadn’t said a thing yet. Nothing that would help them understand what was going on.
“Eds,” Buck said, eyes going wide as they caught sight of Christopher as he walked out of the school and toward them.
“What the fuck,” Eddie hissed under his breath as he saw that Christopher was crying.
The two rushed toward him, Eddie scooping him up into his arms and holding him as Buck wrapped an arm around them both, and another was on Christopher’s back. The two men were worried, wondering what had happened that could cause the tears.
“Chris?” Eddie said softly, wiping at his son’s face, “What’s wrong, mijo?” he asked, needing to know.
Christopher just sobbed harder as he clung to his dad, tucking his head into his dad’s neck. Not saying a single word.
“Let’s get him in the truck and get him home,” Buck said as he guided the two to where they had parked.
Eddie tried to get Christopher to let go so he could put him in the car seat.
“No, no, don’t let go, Daddy,” he cried, holding on even tighter.
“Mijo, you have to-” Eddie began, his voice calm even if his thoughts were whirling around, wondering what had happened to his bright little boy.
“No, don’t let me go, Daddy,” he continued to sob, squeezing his dad so tightly that Eddie thought he might stop breathing with how tight it was.
“How about your dad going in the back with you?” Buck suggested, “You have to be buckled in, but your dad could be there too,” he said softly, rubbing Christopher’s back.
Christopher’s grip loosened a little as he glanced at Buck, “He can?” he asked, before looking up at his dad.
“Of course, mijo,” Eddie said, his words soft, and he hugged his son tightly, “I’ll sit right beside you, and you can hold my hand. You can tell me what has you so upset. I don’t like it when you’re sad, buddy.”
Christopher shook his head, “No talking, don’t want to,” he said, hiding his face again.
Eddie nodded, “Okay,” he said, as he slowly got Christopher to sit in his car seat. Buckling him up, he went around to the other side and got in beside him, hugging and kissing Buck quickly before he did so.
“Dad,” Christopher said as soon as Eddie sat down and buckled up. He took his dad’s offered hand as Buck got in the driving seat.
“Okay, let’s go home,” Buck said, trying to sound jovial. He started up the truck and headed out, Christopher and Eddie talking quietly in the back.
XxXxX
Arriving home, the two adults were puzzled that someone was standing on the doorstep.
“Buck, you get Christopher inside, and I’ll see who it is,” Eddie said as he got out. Buck did the same, getting Christopher from the back as he started crying when it wasn’t his dad that was there, only slightly mollified when it was Buck’s arms he ended up in. Buck grabbed his bag and crutches and began to carry him into the house.
The woman was standing there with a calculated look on her face as she watched the family of three. “Mr Diaz?” she called out, “I’m from Child Protection Services,” she introduced herself, “I’m Amelia Ried.”
“No!” Christopher cried out, clinging to Buck and reaching out for his dad.
“Hey, hey, it’s okay,” Buck said, “I’m going to get him inside,” he added as he nodded at the woman and went into the house.
“Mr Diaz,” Amelia said as she turned to Eddie, “Would now be a good time to talk?” she began.
Eddie sighed, “Not really, as you can see my son is extremely upset. We don’t know what’s going on, and we’re hoping that we have a breakthrough during therapy at some point to find out,” he said, “But I supposed you better come in, just… leave Chris alone for now. I don’t want him any more upset than he already is,” he added, hoping she didn’t need to talk to him.
“I will need to speak with him, but you are fine to be present during it. We’ve had a report of abuse and neglect within the home,” she told him.
“Right,” he said, feeling a bubble of anger inside at the thought of someone reporting him for hurting Christopher.
Amelia nodded and followed Eddie inside. She could hear the other man talking to the child in another room. Reassuring him, comforting him. “Mr Diaz, I’m sorry to come here like this, unannounced, but it’s often better to do so,” she said as he gestured for her to sit down.
“I understand, I’m a first responder, and I’ve seen my fair share of child neglect and abuse cases. It hits you in a place that leaves you needing to make sure your own kid is safe and well. So, what has brought you here? As you can see, we have a very distraught son on our hands, and we have no idea what’s causing it,” he sighed, running a hand through his hair as he sat down across from Amelia.
“We’ve got reports of abuse, and I can see, even just glimpsing at Christopher as I did, that he’s healthy. But not happy. Can you explain a little more of what’s been going on?” she asked, pulling out a notebook.
“We don’t know. All I know is that before Christmas, he started to become withdrawn, not wanting to go to school. That kid loves school, so this was… a turn we didn’t expect. We’ve been taking him to see a therapist since the start of the year, but so far we haven’t been able to get him to talk to her about what’s going on. He’s just ignoring it, saying something else about his mother, who passed away a few years ago. He’s been doing well, until now. I don’t know…” he sighed in frustration as he leaned back.
Buck walked into the room, “He’s asleep, cried himself to sleep. He’s fucking terrified,” he said, before blushing and looking at Amelia, “Sorry,” he told her.
“It’s fine, I’ve heard a lot worse,” she said, brushing it off as she gestured for Buck to join them. “So he’s scared of something, but-”
“Not of us,” Eddie said, “Something at school. We’ve had a meeting there, but so far there’s nothing that they’ve been able to pinpoint as to what could be going on.”
“We thought he was being bullied, but that’s not the case; none of the kids have done anything. We’re at a loss. Now, I heard something about a claim of abuse and neglect going on?” Buck asked as he settled next to Eddie, a little frown marring his forehead.
“Yes,” she said, looking at her notes. “You’re making him do dangerous sports that are not got for someone with his condition.”
“What the…” Buck trailed off, shaking his head as he got up and headed to the bookcase. He went into the locked drawer and pulled out a few things, “Let me guess, swimming, surfing, rock climbing?” he asked as he looked at the recommendations they had gotten from Christopher’s doctors about doing such activities.
“Yes, Christopher has cerebral palsy? Correct?” she asked, looking up from her notes.
“He does, and he’s limber and able to walk unaided at times, but only around the house. He uses crutches elsewhere,” Buck said as he walked over and handed over the recommendations that they had received. “Everything he does, every single activity, is always put to his medical team first. If they’re okay, then we’ll do it. If he enjoys it, we carry on. If not, we see about finding something else that might help him stay mobile. We want to make sure he’s able to do what he wants with his life, even with the limitations his body tries to impose on him, we find other ways around it, so he can continue with what he wants,” he added as he sat down again, “There is so much against him, that finding alternate ways of doing things, is a daily challenge. To have someone question what we do for him, to help him, is-”
“I can understand your anger,” she began.
“It’s not anger, it’s disappointment in whoever reported this, since they are saying that we don’t care about Christopher’s well-being, or his future,” Eddie said, shaking his head and frowning. “It’s hard to know that what we’re doing to help him, is being seen by someone as abusive. I know you’ll want to talk to Christopher.”
“That can wait another day,” she said, “I’ll come by in a few days, Mr Diaz, Mr Buckley,” she nodded, as she began to ask a few more questions. To see what might be going on in the house. She’d found nothing out of the ordinary for two people raising a child. “Thank you both for your time, and I will be coming by again, though, with this, and the name of your therapist for Christopher, I’m going to file this as a false claim for now,” she said, a little hesitant about doing so.
“That’s okay, just a little warning, like earlier in the day. Doesn’t have to even be a day or so. Also, when we’re not working, we’re both firefighters, and Carla, a health aid, looks after Christopher when we can’t,” Eddie explained, as she stood up. “We’ll send you what you need for that; those are copies that we have on hand for record keeping,” he continued.
Buck gets up again and grabs a few more things, “These are Carla’s credentials and contact information, if it’s needed. Along with that are his doctors and therapists contact details too.”
“Thank you, and sorry to come at such a bad time,” she added as she walked out the door.
“Who the hell reported us for that?” Eddie asked no one as he walked back into the room, shaking his head.
“No idea, but CPS will see that we’re fine, that there is nothing wrong in this house. And fucking hell, Eds, Chris was terrified that they were there to take him away from us. He… I don’t know where all this is coming from. But I think when we see his therapist next, we’ll mention this. About his fear, and just hope that something can be done,” Buck said, feeling lost as he remembered the frightened words of the nine-year-old.
“Yeah, I’m going to head into the school tomorrow, and see if I can talk with Principal Summers, see if she has any idea of what’s happened to cause this.”
“I’ll make a note to see about talking to his therapist. Maybe we will keep him home from school tomorrow, we’ve got the day off, sooo…” Buck trailed off, wondering if he overstepped in the situation.
“Yeah, that’s a good idea. Mental Health day, he… needs it,” Eddie nodded in agreement. “I’ll call up the school tomorrow morning, and then see if I can get an appointment with Summers,” he sighed, rubbing his face as he stood up. “I… need to check on Chris,” he stated, heading to his son’s bedroom.
Buck followed him, and the two peeked inside. Christopher was curled up, looking like he was about to cry, even in his sleep. “He’s still,” he began, stopping himself as Eddie leaned against him. He guided Eddie out of the room, “Come on, let him sleep a little, wake him in about an hour for dinner,” he suggested, getting Eddie to sit down.
“Yeah,” he agreed, “I feel fucking useless.”
Buck nodded and watched Eddie as he paced around the living room. The man was agitated over what was going on, and both of them were frustrated that they couldn’t get Christopher to open up.
Chapter Forty-Nine
Chimney watched as Maddie walked out of another meeting with Kevin and Carson. Maddie was trying to get them to agree for her to have a home birth, with her brother Buck being there and no one else. Chimney shook his head as she slammed the door. She was angry again because she hadn’t gotten her way. That she would need to be in the hospital when she gave birth. They wouldn’t really be able to enforce it, as babies come when they want. But they were advising that she be there during the birth, since the child would need to be monitored along with Maddie.
“It’s getting to the point where we’re not going to let her have custody or the child with her after the birth. We’re both getting more and more concerned with her erratic behavior,” Carson said as he looked at the notes that he’d been compiling on the case for Maddie.
Chimney nodded in agreement. “I only see her during these meetings,” he said, biting his lip, “But we’ve learned something since the last meeting. I’ve learned something. She’s been talking to her co-workers at dispatch about her brother Daniel.”
“It’s good to know that she’s talking about him. I think she may be having a problem with grief. She was a child when Daniel died, after all,” Kevin nodded, believing it to be a positive thing.
“It would be,” Chimney muttered, “If she wasn’t telling people that Daniel was alive and that as soon as the baby is born, he would be coming back.”
Kevin and Carson looked at him. Carson frowned as he asked, “Are you sure that’s what she’s been saying? You have stated that you’re not around her anymore.”
“That’s correct,” he replied with a heavy sigh as he leaned back in his chair. “However, since the new year, dispatchers were being… off, cold and very rude and disparaging toward those of the 118, the station I work at. Myself, Bobby, that’s my captain, and Buck, that’s Evan Buckley, were the victims of their words. Calling us abusers and such. We went down there about a week ago,” he began to explain, “Sue Blevins, that’s the one that first reported Maddie to CPS, said that she’d been talking about Daniel, that she was a little out of things because she’s excited that he’s going to be coming back. Another has told us that she was saying that we’ve been pressuring her to do things that could harm her and the baby. We’ve set the record straight, and Maddie is being reprimanded for what she’s been doing. Six others have also been reprimanded for what’s been going on. Since it’s creating a hostile work environment,” he said, shaking his head, “Sorry, didn’t mean to go into everything,” he stated, “I’m frustrated that she’s not willing to talk to me, or listen to the advice of those around her,” he finished.
“Your frustration with the situation is understandable,” Kevin told him, “And thank you for the extra information. We’ve been talking to her doctor on record for the pregnancy, Dr Richards, and she is strongly suggesting that she has an evaluation done. A mental health check. Since we can’t force her at the moment to do anything, until she… actually does something, we can only suggest it.”
“We are trying to get it court-ordered, but… it could take a while to happen. So far, evidence suggests that she’s just having a hard time grieving for a brother whom she hasn’t been able to do so, because of abusive and neglectful parents. But we’re concerned about her mental well-being. I do believe that there is something more going on, but we’ve got no leg to stand on trying to get it pushed through,” Carson added, sighing, “We’re going to be around for you and for Maddie in this situation, hoping that we can get her the help she obviously needs.”
“Thanks, I don’t know what I’m going to do. She just wants Buck around, and Buck is… reluctant to be dragged into what she’s doing. At the moment, he and his partner Eddie have CPS on them as well. Someone reported them for abusing their son. So they’re dealing with that, along with Christopher’s nightmares and fear of school,” he rubbed his face, “Sorry, I’m doing it again.”
“It’s fine,” Kevin reassured him, “I do suggest that you see someone yourself.”
“I already am,” he stated, “Thanks for at least listening, and I’ll see you during our next meeting,” he added as he stood up and left. Chimney wished against that he and Maddie could have a good talk, without her flying off the handle about not getting her way. He headed home, grabbing his phone and calling his dad.
“Min-Chul,” came the stern voice of his father.
“Appa,” Chimney said, “Sorry to call out the blue like this, I know it’s early for you.”
“It’s fine, Min-Chul, I don’t need to head to work for another hour. We’re fine to talk. Are you okay?” he asked.
Chimney smiled a little, knowing his father was uncomfortable with small talk. They called at least once a week, which was fifty-two times more often than they had done in previous years. Chimney had finally reached out about a month after starting therapy. Wanting to get some closure about his mother and finally find out what had really happened back then. It had been hard to swallow when he found out his father had tried to get his mother and Chimney to go back to Seoul several times before she became ill. That he’d had no choice but to return, unless he wished to lose his job. Forced to go back, and with a wife who refused to go with him. He’d left her behind, sending money and anything he could to them, so they would have a good life. Chimney had gotten citizenship when he was nineteen. A kick to his father after his dad had tried again to get him to go back to Korea.
Chimney shook his head, “Sorry, I was thinking. And things are bad with Maddie. It’s getting closer to my daughter’s birth, and I’m scared that I’m not even going to hold her with how things are going.”
“Min-Chul,” Sang Han began, “You are a strong man, you will get to see your daughter, hold her, and keep her. I know this, you’re as strong-willed as your mother. Don’t give up or give in. And if you need me, I can take some time off, I’ve… never really done so before,” he hesitated.
“You don’t have to do that, Appa,” he said, nodding a few times. He began to talk a little more, learning a bit more about his mother and how things had been before they had moved to America. Chimney had been young when that’d happened. He had no memories of living in Korea, even though his Korean wasn’t the best. He could speak it enough to talk with his dad, if he wanted to. It was his name that had been a point of contention between the two. He had dropped and changed his name when he turned twenty-five to Howard, though he’d kept Min-Chul as a middle name in the end, not that anyone else knew that, not even his dad. “Thanks for talking to me, Appa,” he said as they finished talking, and Sang Han needed to get ready for work.
“Always Min-Chul, I know… I’m not the best father, but I try,” he stated, “And fail, we all do at times. I just forgot that I had to keep trying, and not stop. Don’t… be like me, be better, like your mother.”
“I will, Appa,” he said, a soft smile on his face as he ended the call.
XxXxX
Eddie walked into the principal’s office. He and Buck had decided to keep Christopher home for the rest of the week since they weren’t going to be working. “Principal Summers,” he said as he nodded at the woman across from him, who stood behind her desk to greet him.
“Mr Diaz, I just hope I’ll be able to help. You said that there was a problem when it came to Christopher? A reason why you took him out of school for the rest of the week?” she asked, as she gestured to the chair in front of her desk.
“Yeah, I’m sorry to come to you about this, but Buck and I are at a loss about what we should do. We can’t keep him out of school for too long, but… on Tuesday, we came to collect him from school, and he was in tears. He was crying and sobbing. He sounded broken up about something. We’ve gotten no closer to finding out what’s going on. We thought maybe he was being bullied, but you and the other teachers have reassured us that nothing is going on that you’ve seen. I just-” he stopped himself before he started to really rant about Christopher.
“I understand your frustration,” Summers said, her words chosen carefully, “We’ve been looking into things, but so far we’ve not found out what’s going on. I wish there was another answer that we could find for you. I’ve heard a lot about Christopher from his teachers, that he is a bright and cheerful child. That loves you and Mr Buckley a lot.”
Eddie took a breath and sighed heavily, “Yeah, we’re going to keep him home for the last two days of this week. We… we don’t think it’s a good idea for him to come in at the moment. He’s clingy and upset; he’s not been like this since a little after the tsunami. We’re going to try and find out. He’s speaking with a therapist, but can you put a word out to his teacher to see if they can keep a closer eye on him?” he asked, “It’s a lot, I know. I wouldn’t ask if I was-”
“Desperate to find out what’s upsetting your son,” she nodded in understanding. “I’ll make a call to gather his teachers and have a meeting with them. See if we can’t get to the bottom of what’s been going on for you. Or at least point you in the right direction.”
“Thank you,” he nodded, as they talked a little more about what could be done to help Christopher, before Eddie got up to leave, “Thank you again, Principal Summers, for taking the time to meet me.”
“We do what we can for our students,” she said, “I hope we can find out what’s going on. It’s a worry that something is happening in the school to frighten a child so much that they no longer want to come.”
“Thank you,” he said as he was shown out of the office. He walked through to the reception, frowning when he saw Flores standing there. He sighed and ignored her as he began to walk around her to head out.
“Edmundo-”
“No,” he said, “Fuck off,” he snapped, “Leave me alone and don’t talk to me. We’ve got nothing to talk to, you’re not my son’s teacher, or anything to him. Or to me, go away and leave me alone,” he said as he walked on, moving around her as she tried to get in his way.
“We could be amazing together, you just have to get rid of the hanger-on,” she called out to him.
Eddie closed his eyes and turned to face her, eyes opening as they flashed in anger, “You are nothing but a stalker, a woman who is entitled and narcissistic. You’re nothing to me, less than nothing. You are a parasite, and one I can’t stand even fucking looking at. Now leave me the fuck alone, come near me again, talk to me, and I’m going to be making as many damn waves as I can to get you fired from here and unable to work with children again,” he said, and with that, he turned around and marched out of the school.
Chapter Fifty
Christopher looked at the building in dread. Christmas had been a great break with his dad and Buck. The lady who had come from CPS had returned a week after the first visit, talking to him about his dad and Buck. She had come a couple of times, each time because of a new complaint that had been made against his dad and Buck. He knew who had sent her, he knew, and he was terrified. He’d tried to be good, to keep a smile on his face as she said, but he just wanted his dad and Buck. He didn’t want either of them to go away. He shuddered as he headed for his class. He knew he would have to go past her classroom, and she would be in there. She always was.
“Christopher,” the woman said as the door to her classroom opened, as if she was waiting for him to pass by.
“Miss Flores,” he said, keeping his tone as even as he could. Knowing that showing anything other than that, and she would be reporting him for something. So far, he’d been able to keep himself out of trouble. But he’d cried a few days ago, and he knew she had seen him.
“In my classroom, now,” she snapped at him, glaring at the nine-year-old.
“I… I need to get to class, Miss Flores. I don’t want to be late,” he tried to weasel out of going near her. He hated her, and he never hated anyone before her.
“Then you should have thought of that on Tuesday, when you cried like a baby,” she told him, before stepping aside and waiting for him to move into her classroom.
Christopher moved slowly, hoping to draw it out and for another teacher to appear instead of the students. He saw none of his friends, as he was usually dropped off a little earlier than they were. He was scared as the door closed with a soft, horrifying click behind him. He closed his eyes, steeling himself for what was to come.
“Stupid child, what did I tell you?!” she yelled at him, moving around him like a predator.
“To… to not cry or… or let anyo-” he began to stammer, wanting to cower away from the woman.
“Exactly,” she snapped at him, now standing in front of him. “Look at me, Christopher,” she hissed, waiting for him to look at her. “I have told you several times that your father will get rid of you if you don’t behave. You are a useless child, weak and a burden.”
“I-” he began, flinching back as Flores took a step toward him, looking like she was about to hit him.
“Shut up,” she ordered, folding her arms in front of her chest, “I’m so disappointed in you. If Edmundo, your father, knew what an embarrassment you were, he would have sent you off to live elsewhere a long time ago. He’s a saint for having to put up with you. As for your so called Buck, well, the sooner your father gets rid of him, the better we will all be. He’s nothing but a distraction. Stopping Edmundo from really living his life. Just like he would have been able to if you weren’t born.”
Christopher looked down. Willing the tears to stay hidden, not wanting to hear her disparage his Buck. He was so scared.
“I called CPS, now they know what a good dad Edmundo is, and what a bad person Buckley is. They will have no choice but to take you away since you are a burden to him. Poor sweet Edmundo, having to put up with a useless friend like Evan Buckley, and then there is you. A child, one that shouldn’t be around, should have died with their mother,” she sneered down at him.
“Dad loves me, so does Buck!” Christopher yelled; he didn’t want to listen to her, he didn’t. She was wrong; they loved him, they told him that they would never send him away.
“Shut up, who permitted you to speak. I didn’t!” she yelled back, “Now be quiet, you are supposed to be an obedient child, if you want to stay with Edmundo. Though why he would want to keep a child like you I don’t understand,” she snapped at him, sneering as she saw the tears gathering in his eyes.
“They love me, not you, you’re evil, and a witch,” he said, shaking his head and wanting nothing more than to leave the classroom and go home. He wanted his dad and Buck. To know and feel their love for him. Because sometimes, this woman got into his head, had him believing all kinds of things, and he knew that they were wrong, but he couldn’t help that little niggle of doubt.
“How dare you call me such names!” she said, eyes going wide at what he had been saying, “How… evil of you. That is it, when Edmundo and I marry, I will be your new mother, and I will make sure to teach you some proper manners. Edmundo married wrongly with your mother, and then having Buckley around, it’s disgraceful,” she said, shaking her head.
“You’re not my mother, you’ll never be my mother, I won’t allow it!” Christopher roared as he then turned and began to walk away.
Flores grabbed his arm, but he ripped it from her grip.
“You’re not allowed to touch me, you’re a stupid woman, and a bad teacher,” he carried on, reaching for the door when he felt something smack him on the back of his head, causing him to crash into the door before he could open it. He cried out in pain, but stayed standing as he hurried out of the classroom. He tried to calm himself down, shaking from what had just happened. He wanted to go home. He finally reached his classroom and saw the teacher there. He went over to him. “Mr Peterson,” he said, his voice shaking as he looked up at him, hoping that he would believe what he was about to say.
“Morning, Christopher,” Mr Peterson greeted, as he looked down at Christopher and saw the distraught look on his face and the beginnings of a bruise. “Chris, what’s wrong?”
“I want my dad, please. I need my dad. Miss Flores, she… she hurt me, she… she keeps saying things,” Christopher said, breaking down, “I want Dad and Buck,” he added, beginning to sob as he wanted his dad and Buck right now. His words had barely been audible to Mr Peterson. Carla had been the one to drop him off as the two were at work, but he needed them, and he knew they would come for him; they loved him. They did, no matter what Flores told him.
“Okay,” he said, eyes going wide at what the nine-year-old was saying. He didn’t want to believe what Christopher was saying about a fellow teacher, but he remembered the meeting on Friday, talking about Christopher and how something was going on at the school that was causing him to fear coming to school, and upsetting him. “Right, let’s get you to the office, and from there we’ll call your dad, okay,” he said, as he glanced around his classroom. There were several students already seated. “Class, sit tight for a bit, I’m going to send someone to come in for me, to cover,” he added as he guided Christopher out of the classroom.
Christopher stifled his cries as he was shown toward the office. A door opened further down.
“Oh, Mr Peterson,” came Flores’ voice.
“Miss Flores,” Mr Peterson greeted, keeping his voice even and almost jovial.
“Is everything alright? Do you need me to take him to the nurse’s office?” she asked him, moving closer.
“No, it’s fine, just keep an eye on my class for a moment. He just came in upset. We’ve been told that he might be a little upset,” he said, “So if you could do that for me would be great,” he added, keeping a hand on Christopher’s shoulder and feeling him tense up as soon as Flores spoke.
“Of course,” she nodded, watching them with cold eyes as they turned and walked away.
Mr Peterson got Christopher to the office, going into the principal’s office for a second and telling her what Christopher had said. He walked back out with Principal Summers. “We’re going to call your dad,” Summers told Christopher. “We’re not going to tell him what’s happened until he gets here. We’re going to make sure he knows to come with Buck as well,” she added, kneeling in front of Christopher.
“Th… thank you,” he cried, wrapping arms around himself and wishing his dad were already there.
Principal Summers and Mr Peterson kept close as they called in Eddie and Buck. Christopher was taken to a side room when Flores came out to see what she could do. “We’re going to keep you in here until your dad’s arrive, we’ll make sure she doesn’t come near you,” Mr Peterson said softly, as he sat on a chair in the room with Christopher.
It took almost an hour for the door to open again and for Eddie and Buck to rush inside. “Mijo,” Eddie said as he went over, as Christopher burst into tears at seeing him. Eddie was quick to pull his son into his arms. Buck wrapped his own around them both and pressed a kiss to Christopher’s head, as Eddie had done moments before.
“Daddy, Buck,” Christopher sobbed as he clung to them. “I was so scared, so scared, but I had to be brave, I couldn’t. She’s not my mom, she won’t be my mom, please, she can’t, Daddy,” he mumbled as Eddie and Buck looked confused at each other.
“What’s going on?” Eddie demanded to know, looking at the Principal and Mr Peterson, who were in the room with them.
“Christopher came into my classroom a little after drop-off, crying and shaking. He was upset, but he said that Miss Flores cornered him and hurt him.”
“She what?” Eddie said, trying to keep a lid on his anger as he looked at the teacher.
“We need to call CPS in, and police, this is really serious,” Summers began. She was falling back on the protocol for such things. She had never, not once in her entire forty-year teaching career, had a teacher attack a student before.
“What happened?” Eddie asked again.
“Daddy,” Christopher said, his voice trembling as his tears slowed a little.
“What happened, mijo?” he asked his son as he and Buck settled before him.
Christopher’s breath hitched in his throat, a threat of more tears to come as he slowly started to explain what had been happening. How Flores had been cornering him during school hours. Telling him that Eddie and Buck were going to leave him. Everything she had done, all leading up to what she had done this morning after drop off.
“The police have arrived,” Summers said as someone knocked on the door to speak with her. “So has CPS,” she continued as three people walked into the room.
Christopher tensed up in Eddie’s arms. Eddie settled on a chair and pulled Christopher into his lap, as Buck took a seat beside them.
“What’s going to happen now?” Buck asked, looking at everyone gathered after Christopher had to tell the story a second time.
“At the moment, we’re going to put Ana Flores under arrest. Charges are going to be filed. Christopher will have to make a formal statement as well,” the detective that had been called in said, as he explained as much as he could to the family.
“Right, thank you,” Buck said, seeing that Eddie didn’t want to do anything but keep reassuring Christopher that things would be okay. That they were right beside him, and they believed him.
“Mr Diaz, Mr Buckley, I would say take some time for Christopher to be out of school, and to-” Summers cut herself off.
“Heal,” Mr Peterson said, “I’ll make sure he has anything he needs to keep up with the week, but give him some time. He needs it, and shouldn’t have to be here. If he needs any more time, then please ask for it.”
The Detective and the officer who had come with him left the room. A few minutes later, there was a bit of shouting as Flores protested her arrest, calling Christopher a liar and claiming that Edmundo was hers and they were to marry. Christopher was to be sent away. Eddie and Buck held Christopher tightly, murmuring to him that she was a liar and they loved him and would never let him go anywhere.
Chapter Fifty-One
Christopher had been kept from school for the rest of the week. Going back on Monday had been hard. Buck and Eddie had to take some time off to be there for him as they helped him through talking to the police and CPS about what had happened. It had been hard listening to Christopher talking about what had been happening over and over again. The examination he had gone through. Thankfully, they had been able to get in to see his therapist the day it came out. And again, a few days later.
Flores had been charged with child abuse to start with. The fact that she had been doing this over a period of months had made the police investigate her further, to make sure she’d done nothing else to any other student. She was currently out on bail, and a restraining order was stopping her from going near the Diaz’s or Buck. She had been fired from the school and had already lost her teaching licence. Eddie and Buck were hoping she would keep away from them until at least the trial.
“Major pile up,” Bobby said as they headed to a scene, “We’re not the only station responding. Multiple victims, fatalities have been reported,” he added.
Everyone nodded, all of them quiet as the first people responding to the call arrived. As soon as they got to the scene, they hit the ground running. Going from one car to another, from one victim to another, tagging those that were already gone, and helping those that still had a chance.
“118, Captain Nash, this is Sue Blevins, turn your freq to private,” Sue Blevins’ voice came over the radio.
“Captain Nash responding, now on private,” he said, “What’s going on, Sue? Everything okay?” he asked her.
“Maddie Buckley has gone into labor. An ambulance has been dispatched to come and get her. We’ve also done as asked and contacted Kevin from CPS. I believe that Firefighter Han should be notified,” she told him, and then added the hospital that Maddie would be taken to.
“Right, we’re in the middle of a scene, but as soon as I can, I’ll send him on,” Bobby promised, “For now, I’ll pull him aside to tell him.”
“Alright,” Sue said, “switching back over to public.”
“Thanks for the information dispatch,” Bobby said, ending the call and going back to what he had been doing. Trying to find the time to take Chimney aside to tell him that.
“We’ve got part of the road cleared, traffic is being rerouted,” Athena said as she walked over to Bobby. “I’ve already informed IC,” she stated, “So we should be able to get some of the traffic that’s in the way out of the way at last.”
Bobby nodded, “Would you be able to take someone from the scene to a hospital at all?” he asked her.
“If needed, I can do it,” she nodded, a little frown appearing on her face. “What’s going on?” she asked.
“Maddie’s gone into labor, with everything that is going on between Chimney and Maddie, he still needs to be there when the baby is born,” he told her, “So, I want to get him there. CPS is going to be informed of what’s going on.”
“Alright,” Athena nodded, “I can take him. Get him over here and tell him,” she told him as she was called off to help with something.
“This is Captain Nash to Firefighter Han, need you here asap,” Bobby called out over the radio.
“On my way, Captain Nash,” Chimney’s reply came through the radio. Minutes later, Chimney was standing with Bobby as Athena moved back over, as she finished what she had been asked to do.
“Right,” Bobby said, “Chim, Maddie’s gone into labor at dispatch. She’s being transported to a hospital. Sue has informed CPS, and now you’ve been told as well.”
“I’m going to take you there,” Athena said, putting a hand on Chimney’s arm, “Let’s get you there now, and let this lot carry on with the scene.”
“Keep us informed, please, Chimney,” Bobby added, “I’ll be telling Buck as well, no doubt, as soon as this call is over, he’s going to be heading over.”
“Alright, thanks,” Chimney said, feeling nervous as he looked at Athena.
“Come on, let’s get you there,” she smiled at him, and they headed to where she had parked her patrol car, on the edge so that she could leave if needed.
Bobby watched them go and then carried on helping to manage the scene and moving around.
XxXxX
Chimney stood pacing near the maternity ward. Maddie didn’t want him in the room. She had doctors, nurses, and midwives around; she didn’t need or want him. It had been hours, hours since he’d arrived. He stopped pacing and sat down again to wait more. He’d looked at his phone several times. Messaging his father and then calling him as soon as the man was able to take his call.
“Chim,” came a voice as Buck walked into the waiting room, “How are things going?” he asked.
Chimney looked at him; he could see the younger man was pale and that he was worrying his bottom lip. “She doesn’t want me there, which, fine, I get. We’re not together anymore,” he said, “So really it’s just a waiting game for now. And I’ll need her permission and CPS to be able to see the baby when she’s born, since they don’t know if I’m the father.”
Buck nodded, “Yeah, erm…” he hesitated, “I told the hospital here that I’d be the one to tell you… But erm. I, the crash we were at, it was really bad, and I do mean really bad. We found another car, further down. It was… it was Albert, Chim,” he said, as he saw Chimney pale and collapse into one of the seats.
“Al?!” he asked, not sure he was hearing right.
“They were going to call you, but… I thought it would be better for me. They don’t know anything yet, he’s gone into surgery. I’m to give you what information you need, you can… head up there and see to things, and maybe… call your dad,” he suggested. “I’ll wait here in case there is news about Maddie and the baby,” he finished quietly.
“Yeah, yeah, thanks, Buck,” Chimney got up, already fumbling his phone from his pocket to call his dad. “I won’t be long,” he promised, not wanting to miss anything.
Chimney walked out as his phone rang.
“Min-Chul, is everything okay?” Sang Han asked as soon as the call connected.
“It’s Min-Jae,” he answered, using Albert’s Korean name. “There’s been an accident, he was hurt. He’s in surgery, I don’t know about anything more at the moment, I’m going up to find out. Buck, Maddie’s brother, is going to be there for Maddie, just in case. I’ll call you again when I know more, but dad, come here for him, please.”
“I will, Min-Chul, I will, I’ve already booked a flight, not just for him, but you as well. I was already planning on doing so,” Sang Han said. “Min-Chul, I will be there for you both,” he promised, “My flight has already been booked, along with a hotel.”
“Okay, Appa,” he nodded, “I’ll… see if I can pick you up from the airport.”
“Don’t worry about that, worry about your child and Min-Jae,” Sang Han said, “I’ll be there as soon as I can, to watch over Min-Jae, his mother won’t be able to come at the moment, but she will in the end wish to.”
“Right,” Chimney said, “I’ll see what I can learn and then call you,” he said.
“Okay, and I’ll see you soon,” he replied as he ended the call.
Chimney headed to the reception and was quickly directed to another room. Explaining his situation and that he was down in maternity as Maddie was about to give birth to his daughter. He was told of Albert’s condition and the choices that Chimney had to quickly make for him. He thought of what his brother would want and went with his gut.
“We’ll make sure that calls are directed to you and that they know that you’re down in maternity,” the doctor said as he finished talking with Chimney. “The surgery is going to take a few more hours, but he is in a stable but critical condition,” he said, “We’ll call as soon as surgery is over.”
“Thank you,” Chimney said, nodding a few times. His heart clenched. His brother was in a serious condition, but was at least stable. His dad was on the way for them both, which felt odd for Chimney. He hadn’t seen his father face-to-face in the flesh for decades. Not since his mother’s funeral. And that was mostly his father trying to get him to return to Korea.
Chimney walked back down to maternity. Seeing Buck still there waiting. “Nothing?” he asked as he walked over.
“No, nothing yet,” Buck answered as he looked up, “Hen said she’ll be coming by to wait for news for Albert, as soon as the shift is over. She’s got another two hours before that, then she’ll head this way. You just have to give written permission that she can hear the news to relay to you,” he added.
Chimney sighed in relief, “That’s… that’s good, I’ll go up with her when she arrives to make sure everything is in order. Then come back. My dad is flying out to be here. He… I just told him about Al, and of course, he knows Maddie is in labor; he’s coming out now. Already booked a flight by the time I told him about Al,” he snorted, not knowing what to feel with the fact that his dad had already booked a flight to come and see him, him, not Albert, but him.
“Mr Han,” someone called out, “Mr Howard Han and a Mr Evan Buckley?” she called again as she walked over to the two men as they stood up.
“I’m Howard, and this is Evan,” Chimney said, feeling awkward about using the two names. It had always been Chimney and Buck.
“Ms Buckley has had the baby, a little girl. She has been taken to the NICU for now, though that is nothing more than a precaution and because it is more guarded, since Ms Buckley isn’t allowed to have the baby in her room. She has been permitted to have you both meet the baby and hold her. Someone will be coming to get you both to take you down. Mr Han, I was told by the CPS agent on this case that you’re to take a DNA test. That will be done down in the NICU,” she informed them.
“Thank you,” Chimney said as he closed his eyes, wishing he had been there to see his daughter born, but at least he was going to be able to meet her at least.
Twenty minutes later, the two were taken to the NICU, wrist bands on so they could enter the place and meet the baby. Chimney was guided to a bassinet to one side; there were no monitors like there were on two other babies in the unit. She was free of them. Sleeping peacefully.
Soon enough, Chimney had been swabbed and so had the baby, and then he was holding his daughter. Buck took a few dozen pictures. Making sure that the event was recorded fully.
“I can’t believe she’s really here,” Chimney murmured as he trailed a finger down a soft cheek.
“Yeah, she’s beautiful, Chim, she’s got your nose,” Buck smiled as he looked down at his niece. “Any thoughts about a name? She’s just listed as Baby Buckley at the moment.”
“When the DNA comes back, I’m going to be able to name her, as Maddie refused to do so. And she’ll be changed from Buckley to Han,” he said, as he looked from his daughter to Buck.
“I’m with you on this,” Buck reminded him, “And so are the others. We got this.”
“Yeah,” he said, looking back down at the tiny baby in his arms, “Yeah, we do.”
Chapter Fifty-Two
Sang Han had arrived and helped Chimney get his apartment ready for his daughter. While also checking in with Albert several times, and meeting with the Lees. Albert had a long recovery ahead of him, and the Lees were happy to step in and help, since Albert didn’t wish to return to Korea. Chimney walked into the hospital the day after his daughter was born. Buck had seen Maddie; she was angry he hadn’t been there during the birth, but was quick to forgive. She hadn’t asked about her daughter at all, just after her parents and Buck.
Chimney headed to the nursery that his daughter had been taken to in the end. Buck was going to be there already, having been permitted to be around the tiny baby. Chimney knew that Buck would be a little gaga over the baby. He wasn’t surprised at all that Buck would be there to help. He headed on up, nodding at a nurse as he went toward the room Buck was going to be in with his daughter when he saw two people outside of it that he really didn’t want to see again.
“Mr and Mrs Buckley, you know you’re not allowed here,” Chimney told them, “please leave, or I will have security come and escort you out.”
“We’re here to see Daniella,” Margaret said as she went to find a nurse. “I will see my daughter.”
“The name isn’t Daniella, there is no way in hell I would let a child of mine have the female versions of a dead person. It’s disrespectful,” he said, shaking his head, thinking of all the names he had been looking at over the last few hours. He talked about his mother a lot and had come up with something, something he knew she would have liked.
“It is,” Phillip said, “Now we demanded to see our daughter and take her home.”
Chimney shook his head, “It’s not going to happen,” he said as he went to the reception. “I would like security here to escort Mr and Mrs Buckley from the hallway. CPS has it on record that they aren’t to be allowed Baby Buckley,” he said as soon as he found a nurse.
“Ms Buckley gave them permission,” the nurse said, confused.
“Ms Buckley is no longer able to say who visits the baby, only CPS. CPS has allowed Mr. Evan Buckley, who is already with his niece, and myself to visit.. I suggest that you get someone from CPS up here to confirm everything before you allow someone unauthorized to see Baby Buckley,” he said as he heard shouting coming from where he had just been. “Fuck,” he cursed under his breath as he hurried over.
“You will let me in to see my Daniella NOW!” Margaret screamed as loudly as she could.
“This is our daughter!” Phillip added, trying to force the door open. Chimney was grateful that the locks on the doors only responded to special bracelets that were given to authorised visitors.
“That is my daughter, not yours. DNA will prove that,” Chimney added, “Now you both need to leave, neither of you is allowed to see her. You’ll never be able to see her because you’re both abusive.”
Margaret yelled and tried to throw something, but found it bolted to the floor. “I will, she is mine, that is my child, no one else’s!”
No one noticed as someone else walked into the corridor. “Daniel, Daniel, you’re really here,” Maddie said as Buck walked out of the room, making sure to close it behind him so neither Margaret and Phillip could enter the room.
“Maddie,” Buck said, “I’m not Daniel. Daniel is dead, remember. He died a long time ago, he was a little kid, and he got really sick.” His words were gentle as Maddie reached him, eyes wide and filled with tears.
“No, no, Mom and Dad, they said that if I give them my baby, that you’ll come back, that Daniel, that you will finally be able to come home. That was the plan. When I told them I was having a baby, they said that I had to give them to them and you, that it was the best way to bring you home,” Maddie said, shaking her head.
“Don’t listen to her, she’s… just pregnancy hormones still,” Margaret said as she went over to her daughter.
“No, no, you said, remember Mom, you said that Daniel had to go away, we couldn’t talk about him because he didn’t die, because Evan was there, Evan stopped him from coming home, and only another baby would bring him back. That’s what you told me when… when I told you about the baby,” she frowned, shaking her head.
“Maddie,” Buck said, taking a hand and bringing it up to his face, “Look,” he said, putting her fingers over his birthmark. He was grateful, suddenly, that his parents had never done anything to it, to take it away from him.
“Oh… Oh, Evan, Buck,” Maddie said as she broke down in tears. “I need Daniel, they said he would be back, that I had to.”
Buck caught her as she collapsed to the floor. Chimney went and got help as Maddie began to scream and cry for Daniel. Their parents are both trying to shut her up. Maddie screamed at them to leave, to go away and not come back unless Daniel was with them.
Philp and Margaret were escorted out of the unit and banned from the hospital.
“Maddie, it’s okay, it’s okay, Maddie,” Buck said as he rocked his sobbing sister as she was sedated.
“Mr Buckley, you’re her next of kin and medical proxy. At the moment, we’re recommending that she be sectioned. So we can start with an evaluation of her mental health,” a doctor said as Maddie was helped onto a gurney to be taken down.
“Just, treat her right, don’t hurt her,” Buck said, not sure what he should do.
“We won’t. We’re going to do an evaluation first, find out what’s going on. I will have you informed of each step that is taken. It will be a while before you can see her, as doing that might upset her again,” he said as he went with Maddie and took her away.
Chimney wrapped his arms around Buck, “Eddie’s on the way to come and get you,” he told him, “I think you need him here at the moment.”
“I… what the hell is going on?” he asked, knowing he won’t get any answer at all, at least not for a while.
XxXxX
Eddie looked at Buck as he lay on the bed. “Right, Chris is at school, I need to head to work. Bobby’s given you a couple of shifts off to help with Chim, and to rest up from what’s happened. Chimney told Bobby about the confrontation at the hospital with your parents.”
“Sorry, this is a lot,” Buck said. He’d been at the hospital for hours, dealing with a lot of the paperwork when it came to Maddie. He still didn’t have a clue as to what was going on with his sister. Now it was morning, Chris had been taken to school, and Eddie was leaving for work.
“Wish I could stay, and just be here,” Eddie said, leaning down and kissing him, “But, get some sleep, I’ll see you later on, I only have a twelve-hour shift today, swapped a half shift with Gregson on C,” he told him, “get some sleep,” he repeated, “I love you,” he finished with another kiss on Buck’s lips.
“I will, and I love you too,” he murmured as he reached up and pulled Eddie down for a second kiss.
Eddie smiled down at him and then slowly got up. “I’ll be back later,” he told him, and then left the house.
Buck huffed a sigh as he settled into the bed and closed his eyes. He was so tired; the last day and a half had been a lot. The crash, finding Albert, and then Baby Buckley, or rather, Baby Han. Then it was Maddie, and what she was going through, and his parents. He knew they had something to do with what had happened to Maddie. He closed his eyes, trying to shut his brain down enough that he could sleep. His body finally started to feel that heaviness that usually came to him before he fell asleep.
Buck heard a door open and wondered briefly if Eddie had come back home. He hadn’t been gone that long. He couldn’t even keep his eyes open as he tried to call out to him. The bedroom door opened, Buck opened his eyes, and saw a blur rush toward him. He moved and yelled out in pain as something stabbed into his arm. His eyes were now wide open as he saw Flores standing above him.
“What the!” he yelled out as she pulled the knife she had just used against him out of his arm.
Buck moved fast, adrenaline getting him moving as she tried to stab him again.
“You, it’s all your fault. I had the perfect plan, and you ruined it!” she screamed at him as she lunged at him.
Buck grabbed the outstretched arm, flinging her over his shoulder and twisting her arm as she landed on the floor. He kicked away the knife she had dropped. Flores screamed obscenities at him as he called out to his phone.
“9-1-1, what’s your emergency?” came the calming voice of Josh.
“Josh, this is Buck. I was just attacked in my home,” he said, giving the address, “I’ve been stabbed. Attacker is Ana Flores, she has a restraining order to keep her away from me, Eddie, and Chris,” he added, giving as many details as he could of the situation that he now found himself in.
“Ambulance and Police are on the way,” he told him, “I’ll remain on the line with you.”
“Can you get in contact with the 118 and make sure Eddie knows what’s happened. He’s going to be pissed. He…” he trailed off, “Fuck, he left here not that long ago, he might still be on route to the station.”
“We’ll make sure it’s noted so he’ll be told when he arrives,” Josh reassured him. “You should be able to hear sirens soon,” he added.
“I can,” Buck said, hearing them in the distance and then louder as they arrived on scene. Buck looked up as two cops entered the room first. Athena was behind them. They took charge of Flores as Athena let the paramedics into the room.
“Buck,” she said as she looked him over, seeing only the stab wound on his arm.
“I’m okay,” he said, “It just hurts,” he muttered as he was treated.
“Hospital,” one of the paramedics said, Buck recognised her from the 102, Jane Lewis.
“Do I have to?” he asked her.
“Yep, if this gets back to Diaz and Captain Nash, and we didn’t make you, life won’t be worth living,” she joked with him. “Get you there and get you all bandaged up. You need to get it properly looked at, it’s deep, goes almost all the way through,” she added, as she wrapped it up, “So let’s get you going.”
Buck huffed but nodded. The adrenaline was still pumping; he knew as soon as that crashed, he would be in all kinds of pain. “Yeah, yeah,” he said as he was helped to his feet, his arm soaked in blood as it was cradled against his chest.
“I’ll go and get Eddie,” Athena told him, “No doubt Bobby will be telling him as soon as he arrives. I’ll message and tell my husband to keep Eddie there.”
“Thanks, Athena,” he said, as they walked out of the house. “This is going to suck,” he muttered.
“Yeah it is,” Athena nodded, “But they’ll get you sorted, and I’ll get that boyfriend of yours.”
“Thanks again,” he told her as he was settled into the back of the ambulance, leaning back on the gurney. He closed his eyes. The adrenaline was beginning to fade, and the pain was starting to settle in. He felt the ambulance head off, and wondered how long it would be before Eddie would join him at the hospital.
Chapter Fifty-Three
Chimney looked down at the baby, who was now being allowed to take home. The DNA test had returned, and he was the dad, and given full custody. Maddie had been sectioned and was still undergoing an evaluation. He glanced over and saw Athena standing there. “Everything okay?” he asked.
“Just dropped Eddie off for Buck. Buck was stabbed at home. He’s fine before you worry, but I thought to maybe cheer him up, to take this beautiful baby girl to see her uncle before you head on home,” she told him.
“Yeah, of course,” he said, nodding, “He’s okay though?” he asked her as they began to head down to the ER.
“Yes, he’s fine, a little hurt, but he should be released in a couple of hours. They’re just making sure he’s alright,” she told him as they got in the lift and headed down. Walking through the corridors, she informed Chimney of what happened. “Right, he’s in there, and I’ve got to get back to work,” she said. “Congratulations, Chim,” she told him, smiling as she patted his back and they headed out.
Chimney walked into the side room where Buck was resting on the bed. Eddie was sitting on the edge of it. “Hey,” he said as he held up the car seat where his daughter was sitting. “Wanted to say hey,” he grinned at them.
“Chim, I thought you would head home straight away,” Buck frowned as Eddie got off the bed.
“I heard from Athena that something had happened,” he said, “And she suggested that I bring your niece down to see you before I head home.”
Buck smiled, “You didn’t have to, but thanks,” he said as he went to sit up, wincing as his arm throbbed.
“So, how bad?” Chimney asked as he carefully took his newborn daughter out of the car seat and placed her in Buck’s working arm. His other was up in a sling.
“It’s deep, stitches were required, thankfully nothing major hit, just let it heal and rest up,” Eddie was the one who answered as he went a little closer. This was his first time seeing the newborn.
“Have you decided on a name?” Buck asked as he rocked her with one arm, ignoring the pain he was in.
“Yeah, I have. Charlotte,” he said, “Charlotte Soo-Young Han.”
“Hey, Lottie,” Buck said, immediately giving her a nickname, “Welcome to the weird and wonderful world that is the firefam 118. You’ll have lots of aunts and uncles, and cousins to play with, and every single one of them will love and adore you.”
“We found out more about Maddie,” Eddie said, “Her doctor found out Buck was here, so came down to talk to us about it,” he added, as he sat at the head of the bed with Buck, to lean over and see the newest addition to the family.
“Yeah?” Chimney said, not sure if he wanted to know.
“She is suffering from psychosis and severe depression. She’s also had a breakdown, now that she is beginning to understand that Daniel is really dead. Margaret and Phillip had been telling her since she was a kid that Daniel was actually alive and that it was because of me that he never came home. She had to keep it secret and pretended to herself that Daniel was dead and that I was the one who caused it. She does love me,” Buck said, trying to get out all that he had learned, “She… she’s been suffering from psychosis most likely since childhood, she just learned to mask and appear like everyone else. It’s why she was so against therapy. Margaret and Phillip drilled it into her head that Daniel was alive and that anyone telling her otherwise was bad.”
“But she loved and cared for you, and she said Daniel was dead,” Chimney frowned, trying to understand what had happened to the woman he had once loved.
“Because she used my being alive, the birthmark as a trigger for her not to believe them. Which is why she clung so hard to me all the time. I was the only thing really keeping her stable. But add in pregnancy, parents were once more getting into her head. And it’s getting worse. We didn’t see it, none of us did. She was swirling a drain she has been since she was a kid, and we just… we just didn’t see. Instead, we saw her as selfish for wanting to know where I was, what I was doing. Trying to isolate me so that she could use me as her rock. As something bad, when she was struggling to keep swimming,” he said, his voice wobbling as he looked down at his niece. What should have been a wonderful and joyful time was marred by what their parents had done to his sister over the decades.
“She was trying to…”
“Survive,” Buck finished for him.
Chimney nodded, feeling horrified, “Fuck,” he muttered, “Fucking hell. She-”
“Has a long road to recovery ahead of her, chances are she’ll never fully be able to recover. But they will help her get to a point that she can be left without supervision, and she can lead a mostly normal life. Be around everyone again, but it will take a lot of time. And help, from all of us in the end. But for now, she’s… they said only me for now, since I’m her calm in the storm that is her mind,” he said, closing his eyes and looking at Chimney. “We’ll be there when she can handle it, but for now, she’s a patient, and they’re going to treat her as best as they can.”
“Thanks for telling me, and one day, she’ll be able to meet her daughter properly. Be able to be a mother figure, maybe,” he said hopefully.
“Yeah, we can hope,” Buck agreed.
“Anyway,” Chimney said, changing the topic to how his father had taken over his home to make sure everything was ready for the baby with the Lees. “I should get this little one home and meet some more of her family. Albert isn’t allowed baby visitors, so he’s dealing with Hen showing him as many pictures as I can send her,” he snorted.
“Take care, and if you need anything, call,” Buck said, “I’m going to be off for a bit, and I might be an arm down, but I can still help.”
“I will, and thanks, Buck, for telling me about Maddie,” he nodded as he took his daughter from Eddie, who was now holding her for a little bit.
“Bye princessa,” Eddie murmured, “You cause as much chaos as possible for your dad,” he smirked.
“Hey, not fair,” Chimney protested, but smiled as he settled his daughter into her car seat. “I’ll see you both soon, and no more getting into knife fights with stalkers.”
“I’ll keep that under advisement,” Buck snorted, as Eddie rolled his eyes and took hold of Buck’s good hand.
“Don’t want to have to tell my daughter that her uncle is hurt again before she’s even a week old,” he joked lightly.
“Nah, I’ll be fine,” Buck grinned as he looked at his friend and shrugged.
“I’ll keep him out of trouble, as best as I can,” Eddie added, squeezing Buck’s hand, “You take that little angel home. Keep us informed of every single thing she does. We want and demand hourly pictures.”
Chimney laughed and nodded, “Sure, I can do that,” he said as he then left them alone and headed home, keeping up a litany of words as he drove home. Not wanting his daughter to feel like he was ignoring her.
XxXxX
Chimney watched his dad move around the living room with Charlotte in his arms. The man was talking in Korean to her, telling her so many things about a grandmother that she would never get to meet.
“Min-Chul,” Sang Han said as he looked over at him. “In the bag, over there, there is something I brought for her, from home.”
Chimney went over to the bag that Sang Han had kept near him.
“Inside of it is a blanket,” he stated, watching his son as he moved over to the bag.
Chimney frowned as he pulled out an old-looking quilt. “What is this, Appa?” he asked, frowning as he looked it over.
“When your mother was pregnant with you. She made that. She sat there every day, adding a little more. I was… looking through some of the things we had left behind in Seoul before we all came here. It was with your grandparents until they passed, and then I had them back,” he said as he walked over. “Your mother was so happy when we found out about you. She wanted to make clothes, blankets, everything. Even told me to make a crib,” he smiled, “She loved handmade things. To her, it showed the ultimate act of love. That they thought of you, took time out of each day to make something just for you. Something unique that no one else will ever have.”
Chimney ran a hand over the material; it was soft, well taken care of. “I… can’t believe it.”
Sang Han nodded, “I kept a lot of her things. I… should have sent some along to you a long time ago,” he admitted, “I always hoped you would return to Korea one day, even after you became a US citizen.”
Chimney nodded as he looked back at his dad, “I’d like to see more, if you can… ship it over.”
“Myung-Soon is overseeing it, which is why she isn’t over here yet. She is gathering a few more things for Min-Jae too,” he added as he looked down at Charlotte, “Your mother would be so happy for you, she would be so happy,” he murmured.
“You… still love her?” he asked, frowning.
“I never stopped, Min-Chul. Jee-Yun was my world from the moment we met when we were children. I courted her, did everything I could to be what she deserved in a husband. Coming here and leaving her behind was the hardest thing to do. But we would have had nothing if we stayed, if I stayed. So I let her stay behind and made sure she had the money she needed so you both could have a good life over here. A life without me, and it hurt, I was angry a lot back then,” he admitted quietly, “But it was what she wanted, and I wanted her happy.”
Chimney nodded as he looked at the quilt, “You left her behind because that was what she wanted. She wanted life here, and you couldn’t.”
“No, I couldn’t. I’m CEO of a company now, but I wasn’t then. I was working for another company before starting my own before she passed. She was ill, and I was sending money for her, but… I wasn’t there when I wished I could have been. I wasn’t there to say goodbye. I let her be buried here because she loved America,” he sighed softly as he looked down at Charlotte, “She is worth everything; be a better father to her than I was to you and your brother. She deserves that, like you deserved better.”
Chimney nodded as he put the quilt down, and he took his daughter back. He looked down at her, “Yeah, she deserves the world,” he murmured, sitting down. “Tell me… I never asked about Mom. I love her a lot, and I know she had her flaws and all. But… what was she like, before you had to leave her behind?” he asked, “What were things like for you both?”
Sang Han smiled softly, “She was as headstrong as you. She knew what she liked. She did love to create things, tried her hand at more hobbies than she had time for,” he said as he began to finally tell his son exactly how his mother was.
Chapter Fifty-Four
The day’s blurred for Chimney as he took paternity leave. Carla had been going over and helped him look into someone who could take care of Charlotte when he went back to work. But for those precious weeks, he spent every single waking moment with his daughter and loved it all. Even the 3 am feeds, the 4 am diaper changes, and the 5 am blowouts. Albert was released from the hospital after almost a month, going to the Lees while he started his long recovery. Sang Han had stayed for two more weeks until his wife joined him for a few days before he had to fly back. Myung-Soon had remained until a week after Albert had been home. She had come to help Chimney a few times.
Margaret and Phillip had tried to sue for custody, but instead had been arrested for child abuse charged filled against them not just by Buck, but also Maddie, whose therapy was going well. She had seen her daughter twice since she was admitted. Buck saw her the most, the two talking a lot. Buck was happy to let their parents rot in prison somewhere, but there was now a permanent restraining order against them. They couldn’t go near any of the LA Buckleys or Hans without being arrested.
Chimney had taken Christopher for the day as Buck and Eddie dressed for court the morning that Charlotte turned four months old. He was back at work, but A-Shift was off today. Today was Ana Flores’ sentencing for the abuse of Christopher, the attack, and attempted murder of Buck. The two sat down and waited for the court to be in session. Ana Flores was dressed up, looking perfect and polite. The picture-perfect school teacher look. The court was in session, and the judge looked over her glasses at Flores.
“Miss Flores,” she began, “We’re going to hear a victim impact statement from Evan Buckley, and then I will hand out your sentence,” she informed her before looking at Buck. “Mr Buckley,” she gestured to Buck, “The floor is yours.”
“Thank you, your honor,” Buck said as he stood up and went to the podium. He didn’t need to read from the paper he had pulled out; everything he wanted to say was stuck in his head, and had been since the trial had begun two weeks ago. “Flores,” he began, “No matter what I say here, you won’t care. You won’t care about the then nine-year-old, and now ten year old that still has nightmares about what you said to him. You won’t care that I could be dead. Because the only thing you cared about was getting your own way. Christopher Diaz and I were two people in the way of you getting what you wanted, and that was my partner, and Christopher’s father, Edmundo ‘Eddie’ Diaz. You didn’t care that you mentally tortured a child. Gave him nightmares that keep him awake at night. That sends him to our room on an almost weekly basis, even now. Christopher is getting stronger, but again, you won’t care. I’m back at work, nightmares of the attack gone. We’ve moved to be safer from you. But again, you won’t care. You’re nothing but an entitled woman who decided that she was going to have what she wanted and damn anyone who stood in her way. Now, you’ll have to live with the fact that you’ll never get what you want. No matter what, you’ll have to know that Eddie and I will be together and that Christopher, our son, will be happy and healthy. You’ll be nothing more than a footnote in our lives by the time you’re able to get out of prison. Your Honor, there is no sentence long enough in this world that could be given to her, for justice to be served for what she did to a nine-year-old child. The longer she is kept behind bars, the better I will feel, and the safer Christopher and Eddie will be from an entitled and selfish woman.” Buck finished and nodded as he was able to sit back down with Eddie again.
Eddie took his hand and squeezed it. He’d been offered to read something out for Christopher, but he thought it would be better coming from Buck. He didn’t want to give Flores the satisfaction of seeing him in front of her. He had already seen her sending him pleading looks.
“Mis Flores, you may stand,” the judge said. Flores had to stand and face the judge. “I am disgusted to learn that you, a former teacher, someone who had been given the trust of parents and children, abused that trust. As Mr Buckley stated, you mentally tortured a child for your own selfish gain. Today, after being found guilty of three different charges, I am going to sentence you for each. For child abuse, I sentence you to six years, the maximum I can give you on this charge. For breaking and entering the Diaz home, two years. For the attempted murder of Evan Buckley, I sentence you to fifteen years. These sentences will run consecutively, with a minimum of fifteen years before you are eligible for parole. Upon release you will never be able to work with children again.”
“No, this isn’t fair, he was supposed to be with me!” she called out, “Edm-”
“Take her away, I will not have such a disruption in my court,” the judge said as she banged her gavel.
Buck leaned against Eddie for a moment before they hugged tightly. It was over. The court was soon dismissed, and they headed out. Thankfully, this hadn’t gathered that much media attention. Neither of them wanted Christopher in the spotlight at all. As they left the courtroom.
“Why couldn’t you have been a good man!” someone yelled out from behind them as they left.
Eddie and Buck turned, seeing Flores’ parents standing there. It had been the mother to shout at them, the father hugging his wife tightly against him. “You’re the ones who raised your daughter with the sense of entitlement that got her arrested. She tortured my son, gave him nightmares. He still dreads going to school, even though it’s safe there now. He hates seeing my partner, and I leave for work. Your daughter did that. She destroyed a bright and happy child, all because she didn’t like the word no.”
“Eddie is a good man. It was your daughter who was a bitch of a woman who hurt people to get her way. Maybe you should look at how you were raising her. I bet you didn’t tell her no often enough to learn how to cope with rejection,” Buck said, snapping a little. He wanted to go home, call Chimney to bring the kids over, so he could get some cuddle time with his niece. “Now, leave us the fuck alone, and hope and pray that your daughter learns how to behave in prison, or she may end up there for the rest of her life.”
“How dare you say that about my daughter?” the husband hissed at him.
“I dare because she tried to fucking kill me,” Buck cursed, shaking his head, “She’s the one in the wrong, and I get it, she’s your child, but even you have to fucking realise that she did wrong. She tried to kill me, she hurt a child, a fucking child. A sweet and innocent child who believed the best in people and who is now afraid to trust anyone outside of his family. That is what she has done to him. She is the monster, no one else.”
Eddie took his head and looked at them, “He’s right, she is a monster, and I hope she rots for what she did to our son.” With that, he tugged on Buck’s hand, and they headed out of the courthouse.
XxXxX
Buck was nervous as he looked at Chimney and Eddie. The three had gathered in the Diaz home. Christopher was with Abuela for the day, enjoying some time with her before he would be back at school after the weekend. With Carla’s help, Buck and Eddie had gotten Christopher enrolled in a new school. Christopher hadn’t been able to remain at Durand after what had happened. He had been able to stick it out for the rest of the school year, but it had been stressing the ten-year-old out too much. When September hit, he was in a new school and making new friends.
“I can’t believe it’s been eight months, almost nine months since she was born,” Buck said as he held Charlotte. She was babbling at him, patting his cheek as she waved a toy with her other hand. No doubt telling him all about her adventure that morning with her dad.
“I know,” Chimney said, “It’s been magic,” he added, watching his daughter. “So… Maddie is going to be coming here.”
“Yeah,” Buck nodded, “She’s got a place lined up to stay, a small apartment that I helped her get. She’s doing well in therapy, and she’s spent a little time with Lottie, but… she is adamant about not wanting to be a mother at the moment.”
“Why?” Chimney asked as there was a knock at the door.
“Ask her, she’s fine to talk about it,” Buck said as Eddie got up to answer the door. He came back in with Maddie walking behind him. She was a bit thinner than she had been before the pregnancy. Her hair shorter, darker, and slightly. She was a little pale, but there was a genuine smile on her face as she saw the three of them.
“Buck, Chimney,” she greeted, looking and sounding as nervous as Chimney was feeling.
“Maddie,” he said, as he got up, “I’m happy to see you looking a lot better,” he told her, being honest as he went over, “Can I hug you?” he asked.
Maddie nodded, “Yeah,” she murmured, and the two fell into a hug. No longer one that spoke of romance, but one that spoke of the beginning of a friendship. “Thank you for being here to welcome me back,” she said, letting him go and then looking at the little girl. “She gets bigger and bigger each time I see her.”
“She does, she’s a good girl,” Chimney said proudly.
“I… I’m sorry, Chim,” she said, shaking her head, “I was in a really bad place and there… I just… I’m sorry. Also… I don’t think I can be a mom. My parents ruined that for me even before I got pregnant. Then, with them whispering in my ear about Daniel, bringing him back with her, I… can’t do it. But I hope, maybe one day, I can at least be a good aunt?” she suggested, “I don’t want to hold you back.”
“You’re not,” he told her, “I’m not looking for anything, but for you to be involved in her life, as co-parent, part-time mom, or aunt. Just be in her life.”
“I promise,” she nodded, “Buck,” she said, looking at her brother, “I’m sorry.”
Buck got up, settling Charlotte on his hip, “I understand, Maddie,” he said, smiling as he gave her a one-armed hug that she melted into. “Welcome home.”
“Thanks,” she smiled back as she eased into a chair and the adults talked. She played with Charlotte easily, smiling as her daughter babble to her, telling her everything in her own little way.
It would be another week before Maddie felt comfortable enough to meet with some of the others, and a month before she attended her first 118 BBQ at the Grant-Nash house.
For so long, the Buckley siblings had been living one step away from the edge. But now, they had found their solid ground and had taken the time to heal and be themselves. They still had work to do, but this time they were both willing to work at it. To be the family, the siblings, they were always supposed to be.
I really liked this story. I am not a Maddie or Chim fan, but I got sucked in by your awesome writing and I’m glad that I did.
I liked how it explored Maddie’s mental health. It’s one of the things that irritates me about the character on the show. And this story is a lovely way of tying up those loose ends and giving context to her ( admittedly concerning) behaviour.
I also liked how you showed Chimney’s growth and his relationship with those around d him improving, especially with his father.
Thanks so much for writing ❤️ ❤️
Thank you. Like an idiot, I started this as soon as I got up this morning, then had to phone work to take a day’s leave as I was engrossed. What an emotional ride you took me on. I laughed and cried. Great writing, great story. Thank you
Excellent story!