Reading Time: 130 Minutes
Title: The Best Thing
Series: Affirmation
Series Order: 5
Author: Duochanfan
Fandom: 9-1-1
Genre: Angst, Crime Drama, Drama, Family, Hurt/Comfort, Romance
Relationship(s): Eddie Diaz/Evan Buckley
Content Rating: NC-17
Warnings: Hate Crimes, Hate Speech, Violence-Graphic, Violence-Domestic, Violence-Against Children/Child Abuse. Bigotry, Canon Natural Disasters, Canon Typical Violence, Character Bashing, Dark Themes, Death Minor Character, Discussion Death of Children, Gun Violence, Homophobia, Injury, Kidnapping of a Minor, Attempted Murder, Attempted Murder of a Minor, Murder, Stalking.
Author Note: You have no idea how much this part tried to be an epic all on it’s own. And HarleyJQuin, seriously, THANK YOU!
Beta: HarleyJQuin. Thank you so much for the editing you’ve done, and all the damns and capitals you’ve taken, and all the commas you added!
Alpha: HarleyJQuin Once again, thank you for all the help with everything, and to BytheBry for your help with the romance side of things!
Word Count: 63,779
Summary: Evan has been at the 118 for a month, when Eddie finally joins him to be his partner on the truck. The two work together as their family begins to change around them and grow. Happy times lay ahead. But when the past comes knocking, will they be able to face what’s to come?
Artist: Tpena19
Artist Appreciation: Thank you so much for everything. I loved working with you on this, and the artwork is amazing and I love it so much.
Chapter Sixteen
Evan looked at Hen, she had walked into the station not looking good. He walked over, “Hen,” he queried as he guided her into the locker room and closed the door, giving a look to those already inside to hurry up and get out.
There were several nods and the two were soon left alone. Even Eddie had just nodded his head to join Bobby and the others in the loft as they began to get breakfast ready for the start of the shift.
“She’s dead,” she said, “Eva, she died of an overdose. She left letters for me. She said she was trying to call and message me, but was never getting through. I blocked her and deleted her number, and I threw away any letters that got sent to the house. I wanted nothing more to do with her, and now she’s gone and I’m to blame,” she whispered at the end as she put her head in her hands.
“Did you give her the drugs?” he asked her, being blunt as he had to be, to shake her belief that she was the one to blame for Eva’s death.
“No,” she shook her head, glancing up at him.
“Did you put the needle in her arm?” he asked again, getting a shake of her head. “Then how are you responsible?” he asked her.
“I wasn’t there for her,” she answered.
Evan stared at her, “It is not your responsibility to control her, to be her conscience, to stop her from doing something stupid. That is on her, she knew the risks each time she put a needle into her arm it could have been her last. She chose to do that. Not you, she wasn’t your responsibility, not even when you were dating. She had a mind of her own, and she let her addiction take control. She could have fought it, but she didn’t.”
“She wa-” Hen began to defend her ex-girlfriend.
“Stop defending her actions,” Evan told her, shaking his head, “She was a woman who had her own mind and decided to squander it. She was smart, according to you, but fell into addiction, and was never bothered to change, even after getting clean several times. Bobby fights his addiction every single day of his life, and he carries on being clean for his kids, and for Athena, but more importantly, for himself. Eva could have gotten and stayed clean for you, for Denny, she didn’t bother. That’s on her, not on you. She had chance after chance, and she threw it away, each and every single time.”
Hen sighed, “I… I know, but part of me feels like I should have done something to help her. Something more.”
“That’s because that’s the person you are, but you have to admit, to yourself, that you gave her the chance to be clean and in your life. Your relationship ended when she refused to get clean. Then she ended up in prison, and pregnant with Denny. She gave up her rights to her son, and gave him to you and Karen. But each time she had a chance to do something and turn her life around, she threw it away. Now, you have work, and by the look of it we have someone that is going to be joining us,” he added as he glanced out of the locker room and saw Taylor Kelly walking into the station with a cameraman behind her.
“What fresh hell are we in for now,” Hen muttered, as she sighed a little, “I’m going to get ready, and Buck. I know you’re right, but that doesn’t stop me from wishing she wasn’t dead. I know that she was Denny’s bio mom, and she knew who his dad was, but she’s never told us, and now we’ll never know.”
“I’m sorry that Denny has lost that little bit of connection to him biologically. But I have to tell you, it’s not the end of the world for Denny, he has two mothers who love him so much, who want him to thrive, and wish for the very best for him. Do you really think Eva would have been able to do that for him with the way that she was?” he asked her.
Hen paused for a moment and then shook her head, “No, Eva was always selfish, everything was about her getting what she wanted, and when she wanted it. Whether that was drugs or sex, she wasn’t a good person even before the drugs, if I’m being brutally honest,” she sighed as she stood up.
“Then be sorry that a young woman has lost her battle with addiction, that she’ll never get that chance to truly make something of herself. But don’t dwell on her, there’s no point, but I know that’s easier said than done,” he smiled, “Get ready, and we’ll go and meet everyone upstairs and find out what this drop-in wants.”
“No matter what, I think it’s bad news,” she said, shrugging as she smiled a little and went to get ready for her shift.
Evan smiled and headed out, rushing towards the loft. He smiled at Eddie and then looked at his captain who didn’t look happy at all.
“Right, 118,” Bobby said, “The chief, in all his infinite wisdom has said that Miss Kelly here and her cameraman are allowed to be here, to film. She has been told that she can interview you, but if you don’t wish to appear on screen, you’ll have to say so now.”
“I don’t,” Evan was quick to say.
“Same,” Eddie joined in.
“Come on, I need everyone to work with me here,” Taylor Kelly said as she stepped forward. “There is nothing wrong with having your face on screen. I know for a fact that you, Firefighter Buckley, have been interviewed before.”
“Yes, and I was against it happening again, which is why it hasn’t happened since then. Unfortunately, I had a camera in my face before I could consent, and the interview was live,” he added, “If they do that to me now, I’m quick to point out that I don’t want to be on film. I can understand filming me while I’m working, I’m more on about having a camera in my face.”
“So you’re going to make this difficult for me?” she said, eyebrow raised, “I could always just…,” she shrugged, smirking at him.
“You could what? Try and do it without my permission?” he said, giving a little smirk, “Go ahead, and we’ll see what lawsuits will be raining down on you and your station,” he promised her, “I don’t fuck around with the safety of my family, and that is what you’re threatening.”
“And how is a puff piece going to threaten your family?” she snorted, “You’re just making excuses,” she added.
Evan shook his head, “You really think I’m that fool enough to tell you what’s going on. No, though I will be talking to the chief, no doubt he’ll either have you moved to another station, or your right to film here may be rescinded,” he said as he looked at Bobby, “May I call the chief from your office, since in his wisdom he thought this was a good idea, I’m going to be telling him why it’s not.”
Bobby supposed a smirk as he nodded, “Of course, Firefighter Buckley,” he nodded, “Please, go ahead, you can use the phone in there, his number is beside the phone. Firefighter Diaz, since this will concern you, you can join him as well. Everyone else, get started on the chore list. Miss Kelly, you and your cameraman are to wait here in the loft, under my supervision. We’ll see what’s going to happen next,” he nodded at her as he gestured to the table, “Please, sit down, and no filming until I have given permission. This is a working station after all, and I’d rather not have to have you escorted out for causing problems.”
Taylor Kelly huffed as she went and sat down. She had gotten permission to film, but had been warned that some firefighters wouldn’t want to appear on camera. She was going to ignore that little rule, but then Bobby had made sure to tell everyone about it.
Evan and Eddie headed to the office and walked inside. Evan was easily able to spot the number by the phone and call it.
“Chief Ansens office,” the voice on the other line said.
“My name is Firefighter Evan Buckley with the 118, and I was informed that I don’t have to appear on camera if I don’t wish to. She is being difficult, and has threatened to film me anyway. I find this a concern, so I would like to speak with Chief Ansen about his allowances for Taylor Kelly and her cameraman to film at Station 118,” he said.
“Of course, I can put you through to the chief, he did say that anyone from the 118 calling should be allowed to be put straight through to him,” she said, “let me warn him and connect your call,” she added as the line went dead for a moment.
“Firefighter Buckley,” came the gruff voice on the other end a few moments later, “What can I do for you?” he asked.
“Myself and my fiance are uncomfortable with Miss Kelly filming in the station. I understand that I don’t have to appear on camera and can be taken out. But she has threatened that she could just film me anyway. I find it.. disturbing. Being filmed could put my family in danger, which is why I don’t do interviews,” Evan began to explain.
“May I ask how this could pose a threat to your family?If you are comfortable telling me,” he asked.
“I’m fine with you knowing, so you can understand why it’s a concern. As you know, I’m a former cop, and I made a few enemies along the way. A couple have threatened me in the past. But my main concern is the fact that my sister is a domestic abuse survivor, and she is currently in hiding in LA, where myself and my family live. Miss Kelly’s piece has the potential to be seen by her ex-husband, who isn’t in jail at all. She was at the time of her escape too scared to press charges. He’s already been to jail once before, when he attacked and tried to kill me. So, I don’t want him to know that I’m here either. My fiance, firefighter Eddie Diaz, is also of the same mind, but that is more because his parents are constantly trying to find ways to gain custody of our son, and have verbally and physically abused my fiance in the past,” he said, already getting the go-ahead from Eddie to speak on his behalf as they had made their way to the office.
“I see, and having Miss Kelly there would pose a problem for your continued safety and security from both Firefighter Diaz’s parents, and your ex brother-in-law?” he asked to clarify.
“Exactly that, and while I don’t know how others feel about having her in the station, I don’t believe it’s in the best interest to have her here. If she is insistent on having the 118, then may I ask that my self and my finance be stationed at another station for the shifts that she is here for, instead?” he asked.
“Hmm,” he nodded, “I will need to speak with Captain Nash for a moment, and see what he says,” he added.
“I’ll go and get him,” Eddie said as he hurried from the office to find the captain. Bobby returned with him and took over the call.
“Sir,” Bobby said, “I agree that having a film crew in the station could cause problems. Not everyone is going to be willing to share their past. I know I will not be. Just going off comments she’s made already, my children will end up the focus of any interview, and I don’t want them to have to relive the fact that their mother died in an apartment building fire… I don’t wish to relive it either, to be frank. I know some of the others have traumatic stories, and I can tell that Miss Kelly is going to be like a dog with a bone if she sniffs any thing that might be ratings worthy. Morale… may even suffer.”
“I see,” the Chief said, still on speaker. “I will have Miss Kelly sent to another station when we find one that is appropriate for her to film at, and with a station that doesn’t mind.”
“You’ll be hard-pressed,” Bobby told him.
“I understand that, but there are some more welcoming stations, and I can move a few people around, should it be needed. But the 118 needs their captain, so Miss Kelly will just have to wait a little longer,” he stated, “I will call her up and ask her to leave the station and you can get back to work.”
“Thank you, sir, and sorry, but I have to protect my firefighters in any way,” Bobby said.
“I understand,” he said before ending the call.
Bobby put the phone back in the cradle and the three of them left the office. They heard a phone ring and knew that it was the chief talking with Miss Kelly. She didn’t look happy when they walked up the stairs to the loft.
“You really couldn’t do this for me,” she snipped.
“Ma’am, I don’t know you,” Evan said, “I have people that I need to protect, and you were going to ruin that for them. And after this little display, I definitely wouldn’t do this for you,” he stated.
“Come on Davy,” she snapped at her cameraman and stormed out.
Bobby smirked, “Well done in getting rid of that problem,” he said as soon as Miss Kelly was out of the building. Evan was going to reply as the alarm sounded, and off they headed on another call out.
Chapter Seventeen
Evan didn’t know why he was doing this. It had been almost ten years since he had last seen his sister. So long since she had yelled in his face that he was the one to blame for Doug’s actions, that he was to blame for their mother and father divorcing and everything else going wrong in her life. Phillip had told him that she was seeing a therapist, but not enough. He wondered if he could persuade her to actually do the work in therapy properly. Phillip wasn’t convinced that it would help at all, but he was going to try at least. He knew that Maddie’s situation was stressing their father out, and he didn’t want that for him.
So here he was, standing outside of Maddie’s apartment. He’d been able to get into the complex, and now it was up to Maddie if they would talk or not. He knocked on the door and waited. It didn’t take long for it to open, and for Maddie to be standing there.
“Maddie,” he said with a firm nod. She hadn’t changed much, her hair was longer, and she looked healthy compared to the last time he had seen her.
“Evan,” she said, in the same tone that their mother had used with him.
“Don’t say my name like that,” he warned her, “I’m only here to talk, you keep telling Dad that you want to talk to me, so here I am.”
“Come in,” she said, her words terse as she moved aside and let her brother into her apartment.
Evan entered and glanced around, he could see a few pictures of Maddie, mostly with friends and their family. Their mother prominent, along with their Aunt Jessica, who Evan hadn’t seen or spoken to since he was a teenager.
“I told Dad that he should have had you come here ages ago,” she snapped as she went and sat down, gesturing for him to do the same.
“Continue like that and it’ll be a full decade before you see me again. It’s been seven years since I last saw you Maddie, seven. I haven’t spoken to you, seen you, or even cared that much about what you were doing with your life, since you refused to listen to anything anyone told you,” he told her, being blunt, “You want to snap at me, then I’m heading out that door and I’ll make sure we’ll have nothing to do with each other. I’m doing this to help Dad, nothing more. He is in pain having us as distant as we are. I’m willing to give you a chance, for his sake, but it’s up to you really, if you’re actually going to work at the relationship instead of demanding how it goes,” he finished, still standing, not sure if he should sit just yet.
Maddie stared at him, “Everything could have been avoided if you had just remained at home,” she told him.
“And I would have been dead before I was seventeen,” he told her bluntly, “Did you know that I was hurting myself for a scrap of attention from them? I ended up in hospital time and time again, just trying to get something from them. Even negative attention was better than nothing. But I started to realize that I couldn’t stop myself from hurting myself,” he told her, as he went to sit down, “I would have ended up killing myself to get them to show just a little bit of care toward me back then.”
“They do care about you, they did back then, they always did. Mom i-” Maddie began the usual rhetoric.
“Do not even finish that,” Evan bit out, “Margaret tried to kill me, remember. She tried to murder me, and it wasn’t the first time she’d attacked me. She wanted me dead because in her eyes I failed Daniel. I failed our brother because she pretended that I was an experiment, and not just an accidental pregnancy that came at the wrong time. Dad did care, but he was so deep into the delusions that Margaret forced on everyone, that he couldn’t show me anything without angering her. Any time he did, he was under fire and so was I. Things were bad, Maddie, really bad. And you have no idea of that because you left for college, and then to Boston. When you came back when I was sixteen, I had seen you only twice since I was nine,” he said, shaking his head. “Once was a visit home and the other was for your wedding, while you were in Boston.”
Maddie was quiet, “But sh-”
“I said don’t,” he warned her again, “You might have a good relationship with her, but I really didn’t. It was only after I moved out that Dad and I started talking. He told me about Daniel, told me about other family members that I had no idea we had. I met them, our uncle and his family. Aunt Jessica wanted nothing to do with me, but she cared about Margaret, and she cared about you. Which was why she was who you ran to when you finally admitted to yourself that Doug was bad news.”
“Doug wasn’t bad news, you’re the one that caused a-” she started once again.
“Victim blaming, is that all you know how to do?” he asked her, “Are you at fault for what Doug did to you?” he asked, “Even before he attacked me?” he continued to push.
“He wasn’t like that,” she began to defend Doug once more.
“I beg to differ. I saw the bruises, and I heard how controlling he was. Everyone around you warned you and told you not to get in too deep with him. But you ignored what anyone was saying,” he sighed. But I get it. You were in love, and he showered you with it and the affection you never had at home after Daniel died. Especially when Margaret made you pretend that Daniel didn’t exist, Doug gave you something she didn’t.”
“You have no idea what it was like for me, you weren’t there,” she stated.
“Just like you weren’t there when Margaret was being her abusive self,” he stated, “she hurt you, just like he did. And they both hurt me as well. I’m no longer the eighteen-year-old you last saw. I’m all grown up now, working hard, I have someone who I love with all my heart, and a son that is sunshine most of the time, and then a little monster at others, but who I would do anything for,” he told her.
“Come to rub it in my face,” she sneered at him, a feeling of jealousy rising.
“No, come to tell you what you’re missing by not doing the work you should when it comes to therapy. Do you really think I haven’t gone to therapy, hell, I’m still in therapy. I have PTSD Maddie, a culmination of attacks from Margaret, Doug, and another,” he told her, “all of it piled on me until I was too scared to live in my own home for a while. By that point, I was constantly looking over my shoulder, and wondering when the next person was going to attack me,” he added, shaking his head, “I’m not alright. I won’t ever be fully okay. I know that, but I deal with it, I cope with it, and I have my family around me. You could have the same if you cared to work at your therapy. Dad is worried about you, he wants you to be happy and healthy, and he can’t see you being like that if you’re looking over your shoulder all the time.”
Maddie was quiet for a moment, “You destroyed my life, the perfect life I was building and I hate you for it.”
Evan stood up, “Then I don’t think we have anything else to talk about. If that’s how you feel about me, then I am done,” he stated heading to the door, “I have too many things on my mind for you to be one of them. I just hope you don’t cause Dad any problems.”
Maddie stared at him, “You don’t even care do you?”
“Why should I, Maddie? You tried to control what I was doing with my life, you were trying to put me back in a home that almost killed me. Because that was what I would have ended up doing, killing myself for that little bit of attention. Then there was you, who looked after me all day every day until I was around six and then I was on my own more and more as you went out, like any teenager should. But I lost you then, I lost you even more when you left for college when I was nine. I saw you twice until I was sixteen, twice, Maddie. I lost my sister a long time ago, and instead, I found a controlling woman who wanted me to submit to her demands, and kill myself. That was what it felt like to me when you were telling me to go back to that home. That I should just roll over and die. Because that was all I was good for.”
“I was trying to do what was best for you, and you were always fighting me. You have ADHD, and that would make your life difficult, no doubt that those you work with aren’t exactly aware of your disability.”
“Fucking hell, you’re still on that,” he snorted, “Maddie, no one gives a fuck that I have ADHD, a lot of people do, and most can use it to their advantage, and that’s exactly what I do.”
“You don’t-” she began sounding patronizing.
“I know a lot more about ADHD than you, you’ve not listened to the right professionals about it, about the fact that it affects everyone differently, but I am very aware of how mine affects me. I research things and go off on tangents, I remember the most obscure facts, and I love to organize things. You have no idea because you barely spent any time around me. When you did, I was too young to really show what was going on in my head,” he told her, “Now, goodbye, Maddie. Maybe one day we can talk again.”
“Why won’t you ever do as you’re told!” she yelled at him, interrupting him as he went toward the door.
“Because I’m my own person, and I lost what delusions I had that you were the one that would protect and help me when I was nine years old, and you told me to leave you alone when I called you that first time,” he said as he reached the door, “Goodbye Maddie, this may actually be the last time you see me, or talk to me. Don’t be a bitch when it comes to Dad, he loves you. A lot. I do love you, but I don’t like you very much, and I can’t have you in my life if you’re going to bury your head in the sand of delusions where I’m always the cause of everything bad in your life, when that really isn’t the case at all.”
“I hate you,” she stated.
“Don’t care,” he told her, and he really didn’t. “I think I gave up needing to know what you think about me a long time ago, Maddie. The moment you decided that I was the one to blame when Margaret and Doug attacked me, was the last time I cared about what you thought!” he shrugged and then opened the door and left.
Maddie yelled out, “You were always a little bastard, a needy bastard, and no doubt those around you will see soon enough, that you’re nothing but a stupid little bastard that won’t amount to anything!” she said as she then slammed the door closed.
Evan shook his head, not caring what she believed. He had people that cared and loved him around him. And that included their dad. He just hoped she would get her head out of her own ass soon, so at least Phillip would be able to spend time with her without having to defend anything Evan did all the time.
Chapter Eighteen
Phillip looked at Maddie, “So that’s what you’ve decided?” he asked her.
Maddie looked at him, “I don’t need the help, it’s not doing anything to help me at all,” she said with a wave of her hand. “And since you’re here, I’m doing a meal for myself and you for Thanksgiving, you’re to get here at noon.”
“I won’t be coming, I have a family dinner to go to. I’m spending Thanksgiving with Evan and his family, along with my grandson,” he told her.
“What?!” she exclaimed as she stared at her father, “You can’t do that, you’re supposed to have dinner with me.”
“And why should I miss out on spending time with my grandson, with Evan and his family, for you?” he asked her, “What’s so special about you that I should stay here when you said you don’t need help, but I’ve seen you flinch when I get too close, I see you take a step back when I speak to you sometimes when you’re standing up.”
“I don’t need help, I never needed help!” she yelled out, before taking a step back.
Phillip just raised an eyebrow at her, “You done?” he asked, “Then you don’t need me in your life helping you at all,” he stated, “I told you, that your decision will mean that I’ll not be supporting you as I have been. You have a job, so you can now support yourself and do what you wish with your life. I gave you as much support as I could, that was all conditional if you got the help that you needed, and you’ve half-assed it constantly. I take it as more of a ploy to see how much help I would give you. Well, that’s over with. I tried, I tried to help you and you threw it in my face. Now I’m going back to the life that I’ve been living since I moved out here. That’s spending what time I can with a family that loves me, and works to carry on being a family,” he said as he got up from where he had been sitting and went to the door.
“You can’t just walk away from me,” she said, her hands clenched at her side.
“Maddie, I gave you so many chances. Evan even came here to talk to you, and you threw both of them in our faces. You need help, and you can’t be bothered with it. So, face the consequences of your actions, and realize that you’re going to be alone this holiday and for most of the holidays to come. Unless you decide that you’re going to work on things, I’ll come and see you a few days after Thanksgiving, I hope you have a peaceful holiday,” he told her, going to open the door.
“Why are you abandoning me?” she said, the tears beginning to form as she looked at him.
“I’m not, if I was, I wouldn’t have spent so much time trying to help you. I wouldn’t have had this place ready for the last three years, in the hope that I’d be able to get you away from Doug. I wouldn’t have gone to Hershey so many times, I wouldn’t have tried to see you all the time when I was there. So no, I haven’t abandoned you, but you are abandoning us. You don’t want to work on the relationships you have, you expect them to be sitting there waiting for you, and they’re not going to be. I worked hard to get Evan to trust me, in rebuilding our relationship, one that was almost destroyed by the time I realized just what I was doing to him. During that time, someone else stepped up in my place. Darren and Coco Baxter are now dear friends. I go fishing with Edmundo, Evan’s partner’s grandfather and I have several times, and we’ve just recently started taking Darren. We have fun, and I have friends, which is more than what I had living with Margaret in Hershey; I wasn’t allowed that freedom back then. You talk about abandonment and that’s exactly what you did the first chance you got when you were a teenager. You abandoned the family, to get away from Margaret, it wasn’t Evan you were running from, or me, it was her. She drove this wedge between us all because she wanted to control everything,” he explained to her, shaking his head as he opened the door.
“I can’t believe you’re all so against me, why did I even bother reaching out,” she said, almost sounding like a petulant toddler that wasn’t getting her way.
“Because you thought you’d be able to manipulate things, just like Margaret did. The thing is Maddie, we both learned how to withstand that type of bullshit, we learned to stand up for ourselves. Although Evan started that early when he decided that he was going to move out. So you won’t be able to manipulate us Maddie, we’re over that bullshit,” he told her as he stood in the doorway. “You made your decision, and now you have to live with it. I offered my help, and it was you who turned it away. If you had actually worked on things with your therapist, maybe you would’ve been able to join us all for Thanksgiving. You could’ve met your nephew, your future brother-in-law, and the wider family Evan and Eddie have built for themselves.. Instead, you’ll be alone, maybe think long and hard about what you want for the rest of your life, Maddie,” he finished as he closed the door behind him and headed home.
XxXxX
Thanksgiving passed without drama. Phillip spent time with the family, and saw Maddie two days later. She wasn’t happy, and still refused the helping hand she was being offered. Phillip would continue to work on her, he’d said as much to Evan during the holiday meal. He wasn’t giving up on her, but he had a feeling it was going to be a long battle with her.
“Okay, you’re to go over and secure her,” Eddie said as he checked over Evan’s harness. A woman was on the overpass, yelling about someone called Norman. Athena was already on the scene and looking into who the woman was, and just who Norman was.
“Yeah,” he nodded, “get the bag ready, just in case. She’s not high enough that it wouldn’t do anything, so it might just save her life,” he muttered.
“Bobby’s already on it down below,” Eddie told him as they walked to the edge of the bridge and Evan went over. Eddie controlled the winch as he slowly helped to lower him down.
“Down,” came the murmured reply into the radio. Evan looked at the woman that he was now standing next to, he could see the bag being deployed below them.
“No, no, this isn’t right!” she yelled out as she took something from her robe and aimed down below, firing a gun.
Evan froze for a moment, shuddering at the sound. He pushed through the panic that wanted to bubble up.
“I’m right here, Evan,” came Eddie’s soothing voice over the radio, “You’re okay,” he said.
Evan could hear the tenseness in his fiance’s voice. Evan gave a nod. He looked at the woman, “Hi,” he said, as she swung around, pointing the gun at him.
“Lola!” Athena’s voice now sounded through a megaphone, “You have every single gun in LA trained on you, should you even think about harming a single hair on his head.”
Lola looked at Evan, “I… No, I don’t want to hurt anyone. I just… I just wanted Norman to see me,” she cried as she dropped the gun. Thankfully it didn’t go off, but Evan remained tense as he looked at her. “Even my own son, Kyle, doesn’t see me.”
“I know the feeling,” he said.
“Yeah, like you would know what it’s like to be invisible!” she yelled looking like she wanted to lash out at him.
“You have a Norman and Kyle. I had a Daniel and a Margaret,” he told her, shaking his head. “Daniel, a brother I never knew about, but whose shadow of death I lived in for seventeen years before I found out about him. A brother my mother, Margaret, blamed me for killing, so much so that she even tried to kill me. I wasn’t seen as a person by her, I was a killer, yet I had done nothing, I didn’t even know about him for much of my life. I was invisible at home. My parents ignored me, and a sister who left as soon as she could. Then there was me, doing whatever fool stunt I could just to get a scrap of their attention. I was self-destructing and would have ended up dead. Much like this, but I decided that at sixteen, I was going to move out. I lived alone and it was the best decision I ever made. If he doesn’t see you, if they don’t see you, then maybe it’s time to move on,” he suggested as he looked at her, “Stop letting them have power over you. Make your own way in life, because sometimes you have to break away from those that cause you pain.”
Lola looked at him, “Yes, maybe you’re right. I nee-” she began as music began to play and a voice called out.
“Lola!”
Lola looked, “Norman,” she said, “We…”
“I’m sorry! I have always seen you, Lola, always. I see the girl I fell in love with, the one I snuck out to parties with. The one that drank me under the table, and laughed at my hangover. The girl that partied and then settled for a fool like me. Who gave me a gorgeous son, and spent a lifetime making me as happy as could be. I see you Lola, always!” he called out to her, “I will spend the rest of my life making you as happy as you made me!” he promised.
Lola looked at him and then at Evan, “I don’t know what to do.”
“You can take a chance. I took one, I took a chance on my dad, and our relationship is strong like it should have been all along. We worked hard on it, if you and Norman really want this, work on it. Communication is the key to a good relationship,” he smiled.
“I’m… ready to go up now, please,” she said as she stepped toward him.
He secured to his harness and radioed Eddie to bring them up. Evan let Lola go, Hen checking her out as Eddie did the same with him as they slowly got him out of the harness.
“I’m alright,” Evan said, asking slightly after having a gun on him. They still needed to retrieve it, but he was hoping someone else was going to do that. He didn’t fancy picking it up at all.
“Yeah, really,” Eddie snorted, “But you will be. Cuddles at the firehouse, I don’t care if anyone complains,” he said, though the complaints had been more of a teasing nature than anything else.
“Hmm,” Evan nodded as someone else went down to retrieve the gun and hand it over to Athena. Lola was being arrested after reuniting with Norman for a few moments.
“Alright!” Bobby called out, “let’s pack it up and head back,” he said, “the bag is going to have to be replaced,” he added, as it was loaded up.
Evan and Eddie helped with the pack-up before getting in the back of the cab. Bobby gave them a concerned look as Evan leaned against Eddie. Eddie wrapped an arm around him. Eddie just nodded at Bobby, silently telling him that things would be fine, and Evan just needed a few moments to decompress, especially after having a gun pulled on him for the first time since he had been shot.
Chapter Nineteen
Christmas was a time to celebrate. Eric and Shannon would be staying at the Buckley-Diaz home for the night. Charlotte couldn’t stop babbling at her big brother as she toddled after him. The eighteen-month-old was walking and running everywhere, and whenever Christopher appeared she would be following him, babbling at him and saying his name. Her first word turned out to be Kiss, for Christopher, who’d boasted to the whole family that Charlotte loved him the best. Shannon had been pretending to be huffy each time Christopher had brought it up. Eric had laughed his head off, saying there was no doubt who the favorite of the family was.
“Right,” Evan said as he put the last of the presents under the tree. Edmundo and Isabel had traveled to one of their other children for the holiday. Pepa and her husband had gone on holiday together, spending some time with just themselves. Coco and Darren had been corralled by Coco’s sister to go and visit their mother. The only one that would be arriving in the morning was Phillip. He would be spending the full day with them, and the next day he would be seeing Maddie. Evan did not doubt that Maddie was getting pissed off with the way that Phillip was spending the holidays with him and his family, instead of with her. But Evan had a feeling Phillip was driving home just how alone she was since she had refused all the help offered to her.
“That’s the last of them,” Shannon said as she sat on the floor beside him, both of them looking at the large tree with so many presents under it, that it was a shock it could still be seen.
“You both went overboard,” Eddie said as he and Eric brought in some hot chocolate for the four of them. Eric had used his mother’s cocoa recipe, one that he loved having each holiday.
“No such thing,” Evan huffed, “We’ve all got presents under there, including Dad,” he added, grinning, “I’ve made sure that we have a few each, and then there are the gifts for the kids as well. So maybe not that many,” he shrugged.
“Still a little much, but I understand,” Eric smiled as he handed Shannon a mug.
“Thanks, love,” she said, as they shared a sweet kiss.
“Welcome,” he smiled back as he settled on the couch.
Evan got up and took the mug from Eddie before kissing him on the cheek, “Right, so presents done, food is being slow cooked,” he added, “everything is… good,” he nodded a few times, biting his lower lip as he worried a little.
“What is it?” Eric asked him, as the others all looked at Evan.
“I’m just worried, should I have tried to invite Maddie?” he asked as he sat down, Eddie sitting beside him.
“No,” Eric was quick to answer, “Evan, you know what she’s like. She would manipulate everything to make you out to be a bad guy, and while none of us here would be falling for it, it would upset you. Today is Christmas Day, it’s about family and spending time with them. Maddie made her choice and, just like always, she’s demanding everyone else go along with it. You and Phillip have given her clear and firm boundaries, and she doesn’t like them, she never liked boundaries. I remember what she was like when you told her no, like that time when we were around eight, she bitched up a fucking storm, complained to your parents, and then emotionally guilted you into doing what she wanted. I know you’re a lot damn stronger now, but seriously, she made her fucking bed. She had a chance to spend time with you, to get to know you again, and instead, she’s been trying to manipulate you into doing what she wants.”
“She’s still my sister, though, Eric,” Evan pointed out.
“Yeah I know, and you still love her, even after all the shit she’s pulled over the years, I get it. But there is no use setting yourself on fire to help someone who wouldn’t help put the flames out; instead, she’d let you burn,” he said, shaking his head from where he was sitting, as Shannon joined him and curled up against him, pulling her legs up underneath her.
“You know a lot of what happened back then?” Shannon couldn’t help but ask. She’d heard a few things about what life had been like for Evan with his birth family. But with Phillip being around, she had been unsure of what was the truth.
“I do. Evan and I have been friends since we were five, and we’ve gone through a lot of shit,” Eric smiled as he looked at Evan, “I’ve watched as his sister spent less and less time with him. Until she left for college when we were around nine, then at twelve, she had met Doug and was moving to Boston to make a life out there while he began med school, and she went into nursing. Then four years later, he’s back in Hershey doing his residency there. Maddie didn’t even tell Evan that she was back in Hershey at all,” he snorted, “she didn’t want to have her little brother hanging around, always saying she was busy when she did know he knew.”
“It wasn-” Evan began and then nodded, “Yeah, okay, it was like that. I put her on a pedestal when I was a kid, she was the only one I thought that loved me. I became disillusioned with her by the time I was fifteen, going sixteen, basically just before I moved out. I knew that she didn’t care about me by then, that I was a means to an end. I was to make her look good to her friends; the caring and supportive older sister, who was taking care of a special needs child.”
“Oh, yeah, can’t forget about that, can we,” Eric laughed, shaking his head, “she was adamant that because Evan has ADHD, that he can’t do anything for himself, that he’s so disabled that he would never be able to graduate school, or even live alone, let alone have a family that could love him. No, that was Maddie, only Maddie was able to love him.”
“She said that when I went to see her in October,” he sighed, “She implied that I shouldn’t be working with ADHD, and that being a firefighter would be dangerous, and that she bet my coworkers didn’t know about my disability,” he rolled his eyes.
“Wow,” Shannon said, “I wonder what type of person she would be around Christopher then?” she asked.
Evan went silent as he thought about it. “Yeah, if she carries on with that type of ableist attitude, then I will not let Chris near her,” he said quietly.
“No, I don’t think it’s a good idea,” Eric agreed, “Hell, no kid should be around her until she gets help; she manipulates things too often for my taste. Even Mom doesn’t like her, and Mom likes most people. Dad hates her, thinks she’s a spoiled brat that never grew up.”
“I think Dad agrees with that,” Evan said, “he said that he let her get away with a lot because of the way that Margaret was with us both,” he murmured, giving a small yawn, “Ugh, all that last minute wrapping wore me out.”
“I think it did me,” Shannon said, lazing against Eric, “Carry me to bed,” she told her husband.
“As you wish M’Lady,” he said as he got up and swept her up into his arms in a bridal carry.
Evan and Eddie watched them with a smile and a laugh as the two got up and cleaned up the living room before getting ready for bed themselves.
XxXxX
“Santa came!” was the wake-up call at stupid o’clock in the morning as Christopher clattered into their bedroom and climbed on the bed, his crutches falling somewhere between the door and the bed.
“Chris, it’s too early, Santa may have come but the coffee gods haven’t yet,” Evan mumbled as he saw the time; it was only five in the morning.
“This morning monster is gonna eat their child,” Eddie added as he grabbed Christopher and wrestled him under the covers, holding him as he squirmed to get up. “Not happening, mijo, it’s still sleep time.”
“But Dad, Santa came,” he whined as he huffed and went still.
“Maybe so, but it’s still really early,” Evan said as he yawned, “So a little more sleep and then you can get up and we’ll have breakfast. Don’t forget your mom and poppa stayed over last night with Lottie, and Lottie needs some good sleep.”
“She cranky if she doesn’t sleep lots,” Christopher huffed, “Okay, I’ll go to sleep,” he said as he snuggled against his dad.
Evan and Eddie shared a look over his head, before settling down to try and get a little more sleep before they needed to wake up. Evan and Eddie didn’t take into account that Eric was just as big of a kid as Christopher when it came to Christmas, so not even an hour after Christopher, he burst into the room, running and jumping onto the bed, and he carried on jumping up and down, making Christopher laugh.
“What the fuck!” Eddie exclaimed as he was bounced awake and then off the bed.
“Wake up, seriously it’s Christmas!” Eric yelled as Evan was the next to end up on the floor.
“Some days I don’t know why we’re still friends,” Evan grumbled as he sat up and glared at his best friend.
“I almost had the same treatment, thankfully I woke up before him and pushed him off the bed,” Shannon said as she stood in the doorway, a wide-awake Charlotte in her arms, clapping as she watched the scene as Eric bounced down on the bed next to Christopher.
“And that young Christopher is the best way to wake up your papá, and maybe even your dad,” he grinned as he grabbed the laughing seven-year-old and headed out of the bedroom before he could be murdered.
Evan and Eddie looked at each other and sighed. “Well, we might as well go and get breakfast sorted,” Eddie said.
Evan nodded and the two got up, “Come with?” he asked Shannon as they headed out.
“Yeah, I sent a message to Phillip about being awake, so he can come by at any time,” she added, “I also filmed that,” she grinned.
Evan and Eddie groaned, knowing that the video would be doing the rounds among the family soon enough.
XxXxX
Phillip smiled as he had Christopher and Charlotte on his lap, one was sleeping off dinner and the other was almost asleep.
“Happy there, Dad?” Evan asked quietly.
“Yeah, I am, I wouldn’t miss this for the world, Evan,” he told his son, “This… I never really thought I would have. I didn’t think Maddie would want children, and you were so wild that I thought I would be long gone before you settled and had a family, or even wanted me to be part of it should I still be around.”
“You’re not that old , Dad, you’re in your fifties,” he reminded him, “Hell, if you want, you could always find someone to spend your retirement with.”
“No thank you, I like the single life,” Phillip said, as he looked at his son.
“Hush, Grandpa, sleepy,” Christopher mumbled, as he patted Phillip on the chest a few times.
Evan laughed lightly, “I think you’re going to have to have a nap as well,” he smiled as he let Phillip cuddle with his grandkids because even though he wasn’t related at all to either of them, he’d claimed them as his. Setting up trust funds as his parents had for Evan and Maddie. Even a medical fund to help with anything that Christopher might need, and one set aside for Charlotte, as more of a just-in-case fund. Evan paused and grabbed his phone, taking a picture of his dad and the kids and sending it to everyone. Captioning it as, Grandpa with sleepy grandbabies.
Chapter Twenty
“Beatrice and Samuel have arrived,” Bobby said as he looked at his phone, “They want to make sure that their baby girl is okay with the next partner she has picked up.”
“Oh, I remember the last time they stopped by, it was just before the divorce, when they were still talking about it. They were condescending as fuck. They took one look at me and asked if I was the boy toy. Athena and I couldn’t help but laugh, Beatrice was not… happy about that,” Evan said as he flopped down on the couch.
“So, new partner? That means you finally popped the question?” Eddie asked from where he was meal prepping for later on. He had volunteered to cook dinner for their shift.
“I did, Christmas Eve,” he smiled, “I had the ring since about November, I just… I knew that we were meant for something more. I don’t know how to explain it. Robbie and Brooke are more accepting of her than they were at the beginning. Though we both agreed that while the Grant home is beautiful, we’re going to need something bigger for the six of us. Micheal built that place for the two of them to raise their family in. So Athena is adamant about giving it back to Micheal. Which I agree with. So we’re pooling resources to make it happen. Micheal said that he’s going to help and make sure whatever we choose, the building is up to code.”
“Sounds like you’ve got it planned out, what about the wedding?” Evan asked, “I’ve got a lot of places that we’re not using that you and Athena can look at, and it depends on when you want it.”
“Well,” he began, “We don’t really want to wait too long, so we’re thinking April, maybe May.”
“Right, there are about six that would have dates for then,” Evan said as he grabbed his phone and went to the folder on it that had everything that he had looked at for his and Eddie’s wedding.
“Thanks,” Bobby said as Evan got up and walked over to them, sitting down he showed Bobby what he had gathered.
“I can send you the link to everything. Me and Eddie have ours all planned now, and booked, we’re just about to send out the invites,” he smiled.
“Please, and I look forward to seeing what you do. I know that myself and Athena don’t want anything large, just intimate, family,” he said with a firm nod.
“Well, there are a few in there that hold fifty to one hundred, I take it the fifty ones will be more in line with what you want, or less than,” he added, going through the list in his head and removing a few that wouldn’t fit what Athena and Bobby wanted.
“Right, we need to get up,” Bobby said, “Don’t forget that we have a class arriving in two hours,” he added as he jumped up. “Chore list is up, get to it, we have all the time in the world at the moment, well, until they’re here and then gone,” he warned.
Eddie and Evan shared a look, they love class visits, as did most of the 118.
XxXxX
It was the shift after the class visit, which the boys had been happy to find out, had Harry among the students. Micheal had been one of the parent chaperones for the visit. CAD went out, fire engines and everything headed out into the neighborhoods as 9-1-1 started to be one of the hardest-to-reach numbers going in LA. After seeing a miracle as a mother came back from the dead at the touch of her long-awaited child. They were now in a neighborhood that was on fire. Gas lines were exploding, fires were popping up everywhere. One house still had someone inside.
“I’m heading up!” Evan called out as he went to the ladder, only for it to collapse under him, “Fuck,” he bit out as he looked at the building, only to see Eddie climbing it like he was Spiderman.
“Eddie!” Bobby called out.
“Sorry, cap!” Eddie said, though he didn’t sound sorry at all, “It’s the only way to get up,” he stated.
“I can join him,” Evan added as he went to do so.
“I got this, Evan!” Eddie called out as he reached one of the windows and burst in. Calling out for the young boy that was inside.
“Honestly, Parker warned me you were a handful, but I didn’t think I would have to worry about Eddie as well,” Bobby said, shaking his head. “He’s in for a lecture when he gets back down here.”
“Cap, I found him, he’s unconscious, but we’re trapped up in the loft area,” Eddie’s voice came through the radio.
“We’re low on water,” Evan said, biting his lip.
“We need a damn miracle,” Bobby stated.
“Oh… or a flying water tanker!” he yelled out, rushing to grab his phone from the cab. “Tommy, he works at Harbour, remember, they have a water tanker there. I could make the request,” he said as he called up Tommy.
“Hey, Evan, heard you’re dealing with being out and about,” Tommy said, a teasing tone in his voice.
“We are, where we are at the moment is not good,” he said as he explained the situation and where they were. “So what we need is a miracle, there are so many fires going on, and there is no one else to help us. So would you be able to see if we can get the tanker out here to at least put out the fires?” he asked.
“Yeah, it won’t be a problem, I’ll talk to my captain about it, and message you as soon as we’re on the way. When we are in the air, you’ll need to take cover, the water coming down will break bones if you’re not protected,” he warned, his tone now serious compared to the teasing one from moments before.
“Great, I’ll get around and warn people as soon as I get the message,” he said as Tommy told him he would give them a rough estimate of how long they would be.
The message came through less than five minutes later. They were heading up and on the way. Evan yelled out on the radio, telling everyone to duck and cover, to seek shelter, a water bomber was on the way. People went under the trucks, into houses that weren’t on fire, taking what shelter they could.
“Eddie, Tommy’s on the way, he’s gonna be dumping a shit ton of water on us in about five minutes. Hunker down and prepare for it; it’s gonna be a bitch,” Evan warned his fiance.
“Got it and doing so,” Eddie said. “See you when the fires out.”
“Yeah,” Evan said as he saw the bomber heading straight for them, “Here it is!” he yelled out through the megaphone, “Brace yourself!” he yelled, before he ducked under the truck and they waited it out. Minutes later the water thundered down. As soon as the bomber was heading away, people slowly came out of the hiding places and looked around, the firefighters went to confirm all the fires were out, as Evan began to rush toward the house Eddie was in, reaching it as Eddie stumbled out of it. Hen took the child from him and began her assessment, as Evan looked Eddie over.
“I’m okay, gonna have a lovely fucking bruise come up though. No joke about that water,” Eddie said, sighing and stretching himself a little.
“Right, let’s get on with the clean up!” Bobby said, handing out assignments to help with anything else that might be happening in the neighborhood.
XxXxX
There was a gathering at the Grant house after a hellish shift and week. All of them had been accused of robbery, of breaking into a bank and getting away with thousands. Evan had scoffed at it all, and pulled in his lawyer for himself and Eddie. Bobby and Athena were quick to do the same, since Athena was also under fire. No one from A-Shift at the 118 was spared, not those that were close to them. Isabel and Edmundo had their home tossed over, along with Phillip, Shannon and Eric, and even Lou and Tommy. No one had been spared. Internal affairs had been called in for Lou and Athena, to vet them once more. The two knew that their reputation was going to suffer a bit from it all, but there was nothing that could be done, even after their names were cleared.
“Like it was the most convoluted plot to one of those old heist movies. Honestly,” Bobby said, they were all laughing about it now, but the day before they had been serious and pissed off about the invasion of privacy.
Karen snorted, “Denny’s been telling everyone at school that his moms were involved in a bank heist,” she told them, “he’s popular at the moment.”
Eddie groaned. “I know, Chris is doing the same thing. Telling everyone that the cops came and went through everything, including his underwear drawer, and threw his socks around.”
There was laughter from everyone at that. They looked at Bobby and Athena, waiting.
“Oh, Robbie gave them a breakdown of how it would be stupid to rob a bank that we were rescuing at, and reminded them that should they mess up anything or break anything, he will be after them for the damages,” Bobby said, shaking his head, “I let him hang around Phillip too much. Brooke just shrugged and told them to be quiet, she was trying to read.”
“It’s good, solid advice, one that my lawyer told me when he warned me what would happen when I first heard you had all been grabbed that night. Since I had the kids with me, I told the two eldest what might happen,” he grinned, unrepentant for what he talked to Robbie about when he was around the quiet teenager.
Athena snorted, “That explains why they wanted to stay instead of go anywhere else. Well, May was doing much the same, and Harry was trying to get them to help tidy up his room when they were done. It was bad when they went in there, I think they improved it when they left.”
Eric grinned, “Lottie just tossed things around trying to ‘help’ them,” he said with air quotes.
“I had to hold her in the end, she was underfoot too much,” Shannon said as she held the sleeping toddler on her lap.
“It’s been one of those months,” Evan said as he closed his eyes and rested his head on Eddie’s shoulder.
“It has,” Bobby agreed, “CAD going down, finding out a fire was the cause of it. Getting arrested and interviewed by the cops about a heist. Dealing with in-laws to be,” he added as he glanced at Athena.
“Which reminds me, what about your parents and siblings?” Athena asked, “You’ve never really talked about them.”
Bobby sighed, “My dad died when I was in my mid-twenties,” he said, “My mother… is alive, but I don’t speak with her. She is somewhere in the US, so I don’t keep tabs on her. I have an older brother, he’s almost a decade older, I was a whoops baby,” he snorted, “He’s a firefighter as well,” he stated, “Back in St Paul. I’ve not talked to him in a while. My addiction caused the rift, and before the fire, before Marcy died, he cut contact, telling me that I’m going to do something I’ll regret, which I did. So I don’t blame him, I was a damn wreck. In more than one way. I got sober and clean after the fire, and I’ve stayed like that for myself, Robbie and Brooke.”
“Are you going to reach out?” Phillip asked him, “I know what it’s like to fight with my brother, and it took me well over a decade to talk to him again. Don’t let it be that long.”
Bobby nodded, “I’ll think about it,” he said with a small smile. “Before you ask, I’m not contacting my mother, I want nothing to do with her, and I haven’t for thirty years. My brother cut her out of his life as well.”
“Right,” Athena said as she took his hand and they went back to talk about the heist until it was time to get the kids home for bed.
Chapter Twenty-One
Bobby was nervous, he’d been pacing in his small home for the last half hour. He was finally going to call his brother and talk to him for the first time since just before the fire. Even at Marcy’s funeral, the man hadn’t talked to him. He’d talked to Brooke, who had been the only one out of the siblings that’d been able to attend. Robbie had been in the hospital still, and he had been devastated to find out he’d missed saying goodbye to their mother. It had caused a little tension between father and son, more than the fact that Bobby blamed himself for his condition.
It had been six months of compassionate leave, helping his son heal, and making sure both of his children got the help they needed to process Marcy’s passing. It had taken their words to get him to do the same, instead of letting things fester even more. He’d gone to therapy and went through rehab again. This time, he made more of an effort, a larger one than he had made the last time. He knew this time that he was the lone parent, the only one those children had after Marcy had passed away. It had been a bitter pill to swallow for him, to realize that his way of thinking had been so self-destructive. That he’d gone down the same path as his father, and fallen into the bottle.
Now, he was a lot stronger, and mentally in a better place as well. He still went to therapy, along with his children, to make sure that if something came up, they would be able to deal with it. His guilt over what had happened to them and Marcy ate at him daily, but now instead of falling off the wagon, he used it to keep strong, to be their pillar and their rock. To make sure that they would heal and grow up the way Marcy would want them to. Now, he was going to reach out to a brother that had cut contact with him, when he told him that he was going to end up doing something stupid. He had, he’d been to blame for the first. If he’d been more aware, then maybe he’d been better able to help, to stop the fire, or maybe even prevent it in the first place.
Bobby flopped down on the couch and pulled out his phone. He closed his eyes for a moment before pulling up his brother’s number and pressing the call button. Putting the phone on speaker since he was alone in the home. Brooke and Robbie were out for the day, as it was a Saturday there was no school.
“Bobby,” came a voice from the other end of the line, “I didn’t think you would be calling me ever again. Not after the last time we talked.”
“Adam,” Bobby said, feeling a little off balance now that he had heard his brother’s voice. “I…” he began, not knowing where to begin, not even sure why he was calling.
“What do you want, Bobby? Have you fallen off the wagon?” he asked, there was a hint of something in his brother’s voice that Bobby couldn’t pin down.
“No, no I haven’t. I’ve not drunk a drop of alcohol or touched any pills since the night of the fire. I’ve been clean and sober since then. I have to be for Robbie and Brooke,” he said, shaking his head a few times.
“Okay,” he said, though Bobby could tell that he didn’t believe him.
Bobby sighed, “I know… I know you don’t believe it,” he told him, “I know that it hurts. But I understand it, I let you down, I let Marcy down, and I let Brooke and Robbie down. I refuse to let that happen anymore.”
“Good to hear,” he said, “what did you want then Bobby?” he asked him, “Why call me now when you’ve had what, four years?” he carried on.
Bobby slumped on the couch. “I… I just wanted to talk, to reconnect with you. I’ve missed you Adam, and I know we didn’t always get along, but I’ve missed you. I really have. And… well, things have… changed in my life and I’d like to have you there for them.”
“And what could have possibly changed? Has something happened to Robbie or Brooke?” he asked, concerned for his niblings evident in his voice.
“They’re okay. Robbie will never fully recover, but he’s doing really well. I have a home health aide that helps with his care, when he needs that extra little bit, and when I’m not there due to work. Brooke is starting to come out of her shell a little more. But that… that’s because of Athena and her daughter May.”
“Athena? May? Who are they?” he asked, wondering just what he had missed in his brother’s life.
“Athena is… my fiance,” he answered, “May is her teenage daughter. She’s older than Robbie and has taken Brooke under her wing. They’re all out having mani’s and pedis at the moment. Enjoying a girls day out,” he explained.
“Fiance?!” Adam exclaimed, shocked at hearing his brother had moved on from Marcy.
“Yeah, it shocked me as well, but I asked her out over a year ago. I asked her to marry me at Christmas. Brooke likes her, as does Robbie,” he said, smiling as he thought of Athena. “Didn’t go smoothly at first, but well, one of my firefighters, Evan, and his fiance Eddie, another one of mine, decided to babysit both sets of kids, along with their own son, Chris. They all came out of it as best friends,” he snorted, shaking his head, “Evan’s father is with Robbie today. My son is interested in all the businesses that Phillip runs. He has his hand in imports and exports. He has factories as well, and a string of mechanics around the country. And more, Phillip enjoys the running of everything, along with his brother,” he said as he explained how things were going between Athena’s family and his own as they began to merge.
“They really alright with this? With this Athena, taking over for their mother?” Adam asked him.
“Athena isn’t taking over as their mother. She knows that they have one in Marcy, and she does what she can to honor her. Athena is divorced, and her ex-husband came out as gay. It was a rough time for them, but they got through it, they co-parent brilliantly, and Micheal, the ex, spends time with my kids as much as I spend with his. We’re all figuring things out, but it’s working well. When the earthquake hit, Micheal was the one that was able to get all four kids to safety and even got them helping at a community center, so they weren’t just sat at home worrying about me and Athena,” he told him, “I… have a support network that I don’t think I had before. Yes, there was Marcy and you, but that was it. Those at work didn’t care, and didn’t want to know when I struggled. As long as I was doing the job, I was good. I had no true friends either. Not outside of work, and even those at work, weren’t friends that I could rely on. Here… I’ve made friends. I even go out, I don’t drink, but I’ve sung at karaoke, and I’ve danced with Athena at restaurants. I’ve gone on picnics with the rest of my crew. Spent time with others who are part of a wider family group we’ve all built. I have people who know what I’ve gone through and each of them does their best to support me. I have it good here, in a way I never really thought I would have. You and Marcy did your best, your very best,” he said, “But I needed something more, I needed support outside of the family. I do therapy, I go to AA. I think the move helped me in more than one way.”
“It does sound like you landed on your feet. But where in the world are you?” he asked, “The Chief only told me that you’d moved out of state and not where that was.”
“I moved out to California, to LA. I’ve been here for a while, got a job with the LAFD, I’m the captain of the 118. I’ve got a good crew, but it didn’t start out that way. How… how are things going for you and Lisa, as well as the kids?” he asked, he hadn’t seen his siblings in so long.
“There are four of them now,” he answered, “Instead of three, we adopted a young girl, Diane, she’s nine and had a hard time of things before Lisa and I took her in. Derek is off at Uni, and still has no idea what he wants to do, studying psychology at the moment. Irvine is getting married, and… he was thinking about reaching out to you, he wanted you and the kids there. Then there is Rebecca,” he said, a smile in his voice, “She’s on the cheer squad and loves it, she’s set to graduate high school in two years and I’m so proud of her, Bobby.”
“They all sound so happy. I’m glad of that,” he smiled, “And please, do come down, I only have a small place here, but I’m looking for a bigger one for when Athena and I marry since she had main custody of her kids. We’re going to need the extra space. May is sixteen, and then Harry is nine. Brooke is thirteen going on thirty sometimes. And Robbie is fourteen, almost fifteen and I can still remember the day he was born, Adam. I don’t know where the time has gone with those kids.”
“I feel the same,” he smiled, as they began to talk a little more, catching each other up on what had been going on in their lives over the last five years.
XxXxX
Evan and Eddie returned home after a long shift. Bobby had told the two of his call with his brother, and that Adam and his wife Lisa would be flying out for a small visit before the wedding to truly talk, and hopefully, put the past behind them. “Dad!” Evan called out as they entered the home. Carla was having a rare day off and was going to enjoy a day out with her husband.
“Phillip?!” Eddie called out, not hearing anything from the house at all.
The two shared a look as they walked further into the house.
“Dad!” Evan ran over as Eddie did the same. Phillip was lying on the floor, slowly waking up.
“Ev… Evan, it was Doug, he took Chris,” he said, doing his best to focus on his son as Evan pulled out his phone and called 9-1-1. His hands shook as he relayed what had gone on, asking for police and ambulance.
“Concussion for sure,” Eddie said as he finished his check, getting up to look around the house.
“Go, do what you need!” Phillip ordered the two, “Check footage,” he added.
Evan nodded and rushed to their laptop where the security videos were saved. He pulled it up and went through it, seeing Doug hiding within the home, wondering how the hell he was able to find them. He had done all he could to protect himself and his family from the man, and now the bastard had Christopher. Sirens were heard, and Eddie went to meet them at the door.
“Evan! Eddie!” Athena called out, having been one of the cops to hear the call and the address.
More cars pulled up as Lou got out of another and headed over.
“Doug, my sister’s ex-husband,” Evan stated, “He’s got Christopher, he was in the home waiting. I don’t know how he knew where we lived. I’ve done my best to make sure that we’re as protected from that bastard as possible,” he said as he went and grabbed something, heading out of the door.
“Where are you going?” Lou asked him, “You ne-”
“Fuck that Lou, I need to talk to Maddie, coming with or not?” he asked.
“Go,” Phillip told them, “There are other officers here, the rest can wait, go and find out what happened to Chris, get him home safely.”
Eddie nodded, “Thank you, for doing your best to protect him,” he told the man as he then followed Evan out of the house.
Lou and Athena shared as Lou said, “We would be doing the same.”
“We have done the same,” Athena snorted before hurrying after the two.
“We’ll take my car!” Lou called out as the two men looked and then nodded, following him over to his car. The four got in and Evan gave the address of where Maddie had been living.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Evan got out and headed to the door. Putting in the code he stormed towards Maddie’s apartment. He knocked on the door, barely holding in his fury as he wanted to know what his sister knew of Doug’s movements. The three others standing behind him as Maddie opened the door, scowling at her brother standing there.
“What do you want? I thought you didn’t want anything more to do with me,” she snapped at him, about to close the door.
“Ms Buckley,” Lou said, “I’m Detective Lou Ransone, I need to know what you know of Doug Kendall and his whereabouts.”
“Maddie, what do you know about Doug? Did you know he’s here in LA?” he asked her, watching her reaction. He watched as she didn’t react, she knew he was there. “When do you know?” he asked instead when she said nothing.
“He’s been here for over a week,” she snapped at him, “I don’t see why that has anything to do with you!”
“It has everything to do with me. He’s not supposed to come near me, or even in the same damm state as me,” Evan told her, “he was told that when he was released from prison.”
“I told him what station you were at, it’s not like I can con-” Maddie sneered.
“You fucking told him where I was!” he yelled at her.
“Yeah, so what. You ruined his fucking life, like you ruined mine. If he wants to go after you, then he can, and he can leave me alone,” she said.
Athena and Lou looked at one another, “Well,” Lou said as he gestured to Athena with a nod. “Ms Buckley, you are under arrest on suspicion of aiding and abetting the kidnapping of a minor.”
Athena stepped forward and pulled out her cuffs.
“What!?” she screamed.
“You fucking sent that bastard after me. You sent him after me when you know I have a son!” Evan yelled at her as Athena read Maddie her rights.
“Our son has been kidnapped by that bastard, and you helped him,” Eddie added.
“Fuck you, Maddie. Fuck you and your fucking high horse. I wash my hands of you, and I have no doubt that Dad is going to do the same, since he was attacked when he was looking after his grandson. If Chris gets hurt, be warned, I will do everything I fucking can to make sure your life is really fucking ruined, and it will not be worth living after I’m through with you,” Evan snapped at her as he turned away.
Eddie stared at her, “You better tell them all that you know, because I’m going to come after you with everything I fucking got. If a single hair on our son’s head is harmed, I will be after your head,” he promised as he turned around and walked away.
Lou went over to them, “I’ve got people back at the station looking into him and what money and places he could access.”
“We need to find him, Doug… he’s a bastard, he’ll hurt him, he won’t care that Chris is just a kid. He won’t,” Evan said, remembering how the man had attacked him.
Eddie walked over, wrapping his arms around Evan. “We’ll find him, we will,” Eddie said, as much as to reassure Evan and it was for himself.
“I’m sorry, I… I’m sorry, I should have just…” Evan said as he began to pull away.
Eddie held him tightly, “This isn’t on you. This is on Kendall and your sister. She was the one that pointed Doug toward you, she knew you have a son, that you’re engaged and have a family. I know you and Phillip told her about that. She decided that her petty revenge was more valuable than the safety of a child. So, she can rot in prison for it. We have a son to find, and we will find him, because I know that Lou and Athena and all those at the LAPD are going to do everything they can.”
“We’ll find him, we’re going to put out an amber alert. And another on Doug Kendall,” Lou said, “I don’t know how this is going to play out, I don’t know this guy.”
“He’s a narcissist, he believes that anyone and everyone around him should bend to his wishes. He’s not going to like being out there, but he is also going to enjoy the attention. I don’t know what he’d do with Christopher. He’s taken him to hurt me, to show me that he’s in control. I know that much about him. He has to be in control,” Evan said, going over what he knew of his former brother-in-law.
Lou listened as Athena handed Maddie Buckley to another officer to take in for questioning. She walked back over to them, “Captain Maynard is going to be doing the questioning with Rick,” she said as she looked at the three men.
Lou whistled, “Captain Maynard isn’t going to pull any punches, she’s going to get answers, she won’t stop until she does.”
“Good, don’t go easy on her. She expected Dad to do so, using the fact that she is a domestic abuse survivor, to get away with the minimum until Dad called her out on it. She wasn’t happy and started blaming me for things again,” he sighed.
“They blame you because Doug attacked you, if I remember right,” Athena said.
“Yeah. Doug was already showing his colors to Maddie. But Maddie knows how to bury her head in the sand. She ignores what’s going on and pretends that everything is fine. Maddie was trying to force me to live back with my parents, then after Margaret attacked me, she was trying to get me to drop the charges, and to stop Dad from divorcing her. Doug warned me away from her, and he told me to stop interfering, and stealing all her attention. Maddie had ignored the warning that Doug had given her, and carried on. Doug blamed me, even though I told her to leave me alone. So he attacked, tried to kill me. She and Doug both blamed me for Doug being arrested and charged with the attack. Unfortunately, while he lost his medical licence, he only got seven years in jail and was released sooner because of good behavior,” he rolled his eyes. “Last year, Maddie finally left him after he showed violence to her again after his release. Dad brought her here.”
“Where she repaid that with pointing Doug in your direction,” Eddie sneered at the thought of the woman. He had been willing to let her into their lives should she show some common decency, but instead this is what she did.
“We’re locating his phone, to see if we can’t pinpoint where he is. Hershey PD is going to be picking up his parents, to see what they know of the situation,” Athena said, going over some of the things that they were doing to find Christopher.
“He’d go to somewhere isolated, where no one would be,” Evan said, “He won’t want to be disturbed as he thinks about what he wants to do next. Where would he go to be alone around here and in control?.”
“We’ve got everyone out searching for him, we’ve taken the footage from your cameras, and got his license plate. We’re tracking it, but it’s-”
“It’s going to take time,” Evan nodded. “I know,” he sighed, “I know it’s a waiting game for this, but the amber alert—has it gone out on everything?”
“It has, as of five minutes ago,” Athena said. “We’ve got his picture out, and Doug’s on it as the person who has taken him. No place is going to be safe.”
Evan bit his lip, wondering if that would set Doug off. “I just hope Doug doesn’t do anything.”
“If he knows that you’re after him, he won’t. He sounds like the type that will want to make sure that you’re there, to see him when he hurts Christopher,” Lou said, as both Eddie and Evan clung to each other at the words, though both understood what he was saying. As long as Evan and Doug didn’t meet, Christopher, for now, was safe from being killed, but that wouldn’t stop him from hurting the seven-year-old.
XxXxX
Maddie glared at the woman that walked into the interrogation room, “I demand that you let me go.”
“And you’re being charged with accessory to kidnapping of a minor,” she told her, “Now, do you want a lawyer.”
“No, I don’t need one of those leeches,” she said, glaring at the woman as she nodded and sat down.
“Very well, just for the record, Ms Buckley has waived her rights to a lawyer away,” she put down a picture of a young boy. She could see her brother on one side and then another man on the other. “Do you know who these three are?” she asked.
“Those two no, that one is my useless brother. He ruined my fucking life,” she answered.
“That is Evan Buckley, his fiance Eddie Diaz, and their son, seven-year-old Christopher. Christopher has been taken by your ex-husband after you told him where he could find Evan Buckley. A child that is now in danger thanks to you. What do you think Doug Kendall is going to do to this little boy?” she asked, tapping his picture, “What do you think he’ll do to a child? To Christopher? Because he already attacked your brother when he was a minor, what’s to stop him from doing the same thing again?” she asked.
“He would never!” Maddie yelled, “he never hurt Evan, never hurt him, he was making it up. Doug… Doug-”
“Abused you so much that you left him. Attacked Evan in broad daylight, and it was recorded on CCTV, he was guilty of it all, and you ignored it. You don’t care that your brother’s son is now in danger. You don’t care as long as you get what you want. And that’s Evan ruined, isn’t it?” she said as she leaned in close. “I will see you charged with as much as I can find since I know that Mr Kendall stopped at your apartment after he had taken Christopher. Which means I will be charging you with accessory to kidnapping, and I’m going to push for it to be a felony charge, which means a minimum of three years in jail.”
“So what,” she snapped, “So what if he came to me? He can do what he likes. I didn’t go with him.”
“He came to you over three hours ago. In those three hours, you could have called us and told us what was going on, told us where he was going, what he was planning. Instead, you concealed that fact, and it’s only been revealed because we have CCTV footage from the apartment complex of him being let in, and coming to you, both times. One was a week ago, the second today. We’re going to be pulling your phone records and everything, to make sure you’re not in contact with him any other way. The second time though, we noticed that he stayed for almost a half-hour. So what did he tell you?” she demanded to know.
“I don’t have to talk to you,” she snapped.
“Then, if anything happens to Christopher, you’ll be charged alongside Doug Kendall for everything. Not just accessory,” Captain Maynard explained, “I will have someone come in and process you, and take you down. I will make sure that bail will be denied and you’ll remain in custody until such time as you go to trial.”
“You can’t do that!” she yelled.
“Yes I can, one thing you may have forgotten, or didn’t know, is that a couple of years ago, Evan Buckley was a well-loved cop on the beat. One of my up-and-coming officers. He had a good head on his shoulders, and I think he could have easily made detective within five to six years. He even helped solve a serial murder before he retired. And he’d been on the job for only two years by then. His training officer was already thinking of pushing him for sergeant before he left. So understand this, you messed with the wrong people. Eddie is former military, , and a former boyfriend of Evan’s is a detective here, and he has many friends, and each one is willing and able to go out there and find his son. We will find them, and we’ll be charging you and Kendall for the attack on Phillip Buckley, the kidnapping of Christopher Diaz, and as much else as we can find.”
Captain Maynard got up to leave, taking the picture with her, “I can see why Evan wanted nothing to do with a cold and heartless woman such as you. You pointed someone with a grudge towards an innocent man and now his son was taken, a seven-year-old child with cerebral palsy.”
“I know where they will be,” Maddie suddenly blurted out, “You can cut me a deal-”
“No, and we’ve already got a good idea where they are,” Captain Maynard, carrying on out of the door as Maddie yelled where they were. It just confirmed the location that Captain Maynard had sent everyone just before she stepped foot in the interview room.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Lou got off the phone and nodded, “Right, in the car, we’re heading to them now. Maynard had an idea of where they went,” he said as he headed for his car.
Eddie and Evan shared a look but was quick to follow him. They had been waiting for half an hour since Maddie had been taken into custody. “What about Maddie?” Evan asked, “Did she have any idea of where they are?”
“Maynard believes that they’re heading to downtown LA. There is a place that is minorly connected to the Kendall family down there, so minorly connected that if Cyber weren’t working hard in finding any minuscule connections it wouldn’t have come up,” Lou said, “She told me to head that way, she’s just about to talk with Ms Buckley about Kendall going to her apartment, three hours ago.
“He… was there three hours ago?” Evan said as they got in the car and Lou drove off.
“Yes,” Lou nodded once.
“That’s-” Eddie began, eyes going wide.
“Half an hour after he was at your home, he arrived at Ms Buckley’s home after he had taken Christopher, its clear from the timeline, he went straight there.” Athena supplied as she sat in the front passenger seat. The sirens were blaring and lights flashing as Lou drove through traffic with ease. Moving around moving and stationary vehicles like he was playing a video game in slow motion and not barrelling through traffic at high speeds.
“He came to her… did she know?” Evan asked, his voice shaking at the thought of someone he had once loved and looked up to doing such a thing.
“We don’t know yet,” Lou answered as he turned off the highway.
The car was silent as Lou continued to drive. He turned his lights off and the sirens went silent as they entered a slum neighborhood. One that Evan knew contained a few residential homes and old warehouses. Most of those that lived in the area really wished they didn’t. Athena’s phone rang.
“Captain,” she said as she answered. “I see,” she nodded, listening for a while longer, “I can see them,” she added as she glanced out the back window to see SWAT had arrived. “We will,” she said as the call ended.
“What’s going on?” Lou asked as they got out.
“SWAT is going to handle things. They’ve brought everything they need to get a good read of what’s going on inside the building. Ms Buckley had given out the address, confirming that they’re in there. She also knew that Christopher was with Kendall when he went to see her. She said nothing, she was going to be charged with accessory. Maynard wants to go for an accomplice charge since she was the one who gave away your location to him. And then hid the fact that he had kidnapped a child instead of informing authorities and telling us where they are.,” Athena explained the situation so far.
The commander of the SWAT team walked over, “I’m Levi,” he said, his tone somewhat gruff as he looked at the four. “I take it you’re the ones that are in charge of this?” he asked.
“Somewhat, we’re going to leave it to you to get in and take down Kendall. The child inside is…” Evan trailed off with a small hiccup.
“Our son,” Eddie said, standing at parade rest as he gestured with his head to Evan.
“I see, I want you both to stay out of the way,” he said as he looked at them, “I know that will be hard, but let us do our job. I’ve already got someone getting eyes inside, we have thermal to be able to find them, and a map of the home has already been downloaded and printed so we can plan,” he added, “We’re going to get your son back.”
Eddie nodded, “I know, sir. Chris has cerebral palsy, and he can’t walk unaided for long, you’ll have to carry him out of there. Please, bring him back to us,” he added, finally dropping out of the stance he was in and taking Evan’s hand.
“We’ll do everything that we can,” he nodded as he went back to his team.
Eddie and Evan were kept back, Athena remaining with them as Lou went with the SWAT officer and helped them with the plan, since he knew Christopher and would be able to reassure him that everything was okay and he was safe. Evan and Eddie clung to each other as Athena comforted them. SWAT entered the building quietly, moving in quickly and as unseen as they could, Lou was in a vest as he followed at the end. Ten minutes later he came out, Christopher in his arms.
Athena grabbed the backs of their shirts, stopping them from running towards the two and waiting until they were closer. She let them go and they took Christopher from Lou. He looked teary and scared.
“Daddy! Papá!” he cried as he clung to them.
“We got you, mijo,” Eddie said as the family of three sank to the ground. Eddie could see Athena looking teary-eyed but happy as she sent word to everyone that Christopher was safe. Eric and Shannon had been called while they were in the car travelling to Maddie’s. The two had gone with Phillip to the hospital to wait for news there.
“I was scared, but I knew you’d come for me,” he said, crying quietly as he held them as tightly as they held him.
“Of course, we have lots of people looking for you,” Evan said, “We would search the whole world for you and we wouldn’t stop until you were back with us.”
“Yeah,” Christopher nodded, as he rested his head against Eddie’s shoulder as the two adults stood up. Christopher securely held in Eddie’s arms.
“We’ve got an ambulance ready to check him out,” Athena said as she gestured to the ambulance that had quietly rolled up just as SWAT had entered the building.
Eddie nodded as he went over, Evan kissing his son and fiance as he looked at Lou. Eddie nodded to him, understanding that the man wanted to know what had happened inside and what was going on with Kendall. As soon as the two were out of earshot, Evan asked, “So what happened inside, what about Kendall?”
“Kendall has been arrested, they are checking out the rest of the place, and we’ll have forensics come in soon to go over the place. Kendall is singing and ranting. They’re recording everything,” Lou said, “Christopher was okay, he was in another room, tied up, but safe. He doesn’t look like he has been hurt, but scared I would say yes on that. He’s a strong kid, takes after the rest of his family,” he smiled a little, “Kendall was talking about your sister, how she had planned to join him as soon as you had been taken care of. From what I heard before I went to secure Chris, the two were planning on running off together.”
“I don’t know how true that is, but… it might be,” Evan said, “She still loves him; she only divorced him because he became abusive towards her again after his release from prison, and his parents had gone away. He wasn’t charged, as she didn’t want that,” Evan said, shaking his head as he turned to look at the ambulance where Eddie and Christopher were. Christopher was laughing, but still had a hand fisted into Eddie’s henley. Making sure he wasn’t going to go anywhere.
“Maynard will be dealing with this one, too many of us know you too well, since you were one of us for a while,” he smiled, “She’s going back to interrogate Ms Buckley, now that she has some more information from Kendall. She’ll be doing the same with Kendall when he’s brought in. She’s going to ask for a detective from a different station to aid her.”
“She’s making sure that everything she gets sticks, and to make sure it does… she uses those from other stations,” he nodded, it made sense to him.
“Go to Christopher, go with him, no doubt you can ask them to take you to the same hospital that Phillip is at. Maynard may come and get statements, mostly from Christopher, with you both there. You know she’ll be gentle with him,” Lou said when he saw the sour look on Evan’s face at the thought.
“I know it’s necessary, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it,” he huffed a little as SWAT started to come out of the building and Kendall was between them, in cuffs and being led out.
“I should have killed you when I had the chance!” Kendall yelled out as he spotted Evan.
Evan said nothing as he watched him ranting and trying to get to him as he was taken to a waiting car to be transported to the station. “They deserve each other,” he said, thinking of Maddie and Doug, “They do,” he sighed as he went to the ambulance as the paramedics got ready to head to the hospital.
Lou and Athena watched them go, before turning to the scene that they were now to secure and wait for forensics to show up.
XxXxX
Christopher was fast asleep, lying next to his grandpa. He’d been seen and discharged before an hour had been up. Phillip was going to be staying in the hospital for a day or two, since he had been unconscious after the beating he had taken from Doug for around an hour. They were worried about his concussion and the broken rib he had.
“He’s finally asleep,” Phillip said, as he rubbed his grandson’s back.
“Yeah, he doesn’t want to leave you,” Eddie said as he sat in one of the chairs. Shannon was there still, a hand resting on her son’s arm. Charlotte was asleep in her arms. Eric had been called into work, he had tried to get out of it, but it hadn’t worked. Isabel and Edmundo had been there for a time, both of them had been sent home after they had been able to see and cuddle Christopher.
Evan wasn’t in the room, his phone had started to ring and he left the room so he didn’t disturb anyone. Evan had informed the man of what had happened and who was involved as soon as they had arrived, making sure that Christopher wasn’t in the room while he was informing him.
“I’m sorry, I can’t believe that Maddie would… do something like this. She knew what Doug is like, what he would do to Evan. Yet she…” he trailed off, not understanding where he had gone wrong with his daughter. He knew he had put a lot on her, made her a parent when she was just a child. He closed his eyes, trying not to cry at the thought of how far Maddie had gone to pretend that Evan was still the bad seed in the family.
“This isn’t on you. You gave her all the help that she could have, and instead, she threw it in your face, over and over again. You tried, you reached out, you kept things open. Even with the way she was acting towards Evan,” Eddie said, “Don’t blame yourself for what someone else has done. She made her choice, and now she has to live with it. You got hurt protecting Chris, and I’m going to be forever grateful that you tried. He talked about how awesome you were when we were in the ambulance. When Captain Maynard came to speak with him, to get his statement, he told them how you fought Kendall as best as you could, he was a fit young man, and you’re no spring chicken, but according to Chris, he believes you to be a secret superhero,” he smiled, “So thanks, for fighting for him.”
“Always, he’s my grandson,” Phillip said, as he looked down at the little boy as Evan came back into the room. “Everything okay?” he asked.
“Kendall and Maddie have been charged. Maddie confessed that she was planning on joining him as soon as I was… gone,” he said, “She really did want me dead.”
“I’m through helping her, I tried, Evan, I did. I just-” Phillip said, hurting that his daughter had turned out like this.
“Dad, you didn’t go wrong with her,” Evan said as he went over to the bed, “You gave her so much, and helped her even more. No doubt she would have still been with Kendall for even longer, if she didn’t know she had a safe place to go. I… don’t think she was truly over him. She blamed me for ruining things, but that’s because, in her eyes, she needed to believe that, to make it feel like she didn’t put up with abuse.”
Phillip nodded, “I’m going to… speak with her one last time, when I get out, I hope you can understand. I need some answers from her.”
“Of course,” Evan nodded, “We understand that,” he added with Eddie nodding in agreement.
“Now, you should get this one home. Though… will you be alright going home now?”
“We’ll see how it goes. Abuela has already said that we’re welcome to go and stay with them if we need to,” Eddie said quietly.
“Coco said the same,” Shannon added, “We’ve got some room too. Just… whatever the three of you need,” she said, getting up, shifting Charlotte around as she mumbled in her sleep.
Eddie gestured to Evan and the man smiled as he went and picked up his son. Evan held him, and said, “Yeah, we’ll see how it goes,” he nodded as reached down to squeeze his dad’s hand, “I’ll see you in the morning.” he told him.
“Night, and sweet dreams to you all,” Phillip told him, running a hand over Christopher’s head before they headed out.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Christopher wasn’t happy the next day when he woke up to find himself back at home, and not with his Superhero Grandpa. He’d made his displeasure known by throwing a minor temper tantrum, and shouting at his dad and papá about it. Eddie had put him in time out, telling him that shouting about it wasn’t going to change anything, and that there were strict visiting times for adults, unlike kids who could have someone with them all the time when they were in the hospital. After two minutes Christopher had been crying and apologizing. The two had held him and comforted him.
“We know that you want to be with Grandpa, but he needs to rest and sleep. He was hurt, don’t forget,” Evan said as Eddie rocked their son.
“But I wanted to stay with Grandpa,” Christopher sniffled as he looked at his papá.
“I know, I wanted to stay with him as well, but they don’t allow that with adults like they do with kids,” Evan said, a small smile on his face, “We can go and see Grandpa later, but we have to go when it’s okay to visit, and there are times for that. So the rest of the day we’re going to be home, and maybe Mom and Poppa can come by with Lottie,” he added as he looked at the little boy.
“I just, someone has to be with Grandpa, he shouldn’t be alone,” he pouted, resting his head against his dad’s chest as the man held him securely on his lap.
“Sometimes, adults need extra naps, because when we are healing and recovering we sleep a lot more,” Eddie told him, “I liked a lot of naps when I came home hurt.”
“Same, naps are great when I get hurt. They’re the best,” Evan agreed with a grin.
“Okay,” he said with a nod, “I’m sorry for being mad,” he added.
“Thank you for apologizing,” Eddie said, “And we’re sorry that you had to come home. We know how you feel, because we all wanted to stay with Grandpa.”
“But he needed his naps,” Christopher nodded, “I could do with a nap now,” he said, huffing all tired from his crying and his temper.
“Naps are good,” Evan said, nodding a few times. “I could always have another nap. Yesterday was a lot.”
“Yeah, it was Papá. That man was mean. He said he was your brother and that you were a mean brother who hurt him and your sister. But you don’t have a brother and sister. Except Uncle Danny,” he frowned, “Grandpa told me about Uncle Danny, and he said that he watches over you all the time, and he watches over me too.”
“Yeah,” Evan said, he didn’t know that his dad had talked to Christopher about Daniel.
“He said Danny was with Nana now as well, that they were together to watch out for me. I think they did when I was with the meanie man,” he said, “He said he was going to hurt me, but then he left me alone, he was scared of something.”
“Okay,” Evan nodded, giving Eddie a look and wondering just what had scared Kendall.
“Let’s go and have a nap, and then we’ll see about what time we can visit Grandpa?” Evan suggested.
Christopher nodded and yawned, “I wanna sleep with you and Daddy, is that okay?” he asked.
“Of course it is,” Eddie said, getting a nod of agreement from Evan.
“Yay,” he cheered, but it wasn’t up to his usual standards of cheer.
Eddie stood up and carried Christopher to their bedroom, settling him in the bed before they went through and secured the house. “We’ll get him sorted with a therapist appointment so he can talk over what happened. I don’t… want this to become an issue,” Eddie said as they made sure the back door was locked tight.
“Yeah,” Evan agreed, “And extra appointments for us. We could have… we could have lost him, and I feel like an asshole because it was my own fucking family that did this to him.”
“Hey, this isn’t your fault, just like it isn’t Phillip’s, you both were trying to help her. She’s the one that turned her nose up at it,” he said, taking Evan’s hands and making the man look at him. “Evan, this isn’t on you, or Phillip, or anyone but them. I will not let you take the blame for something they did,” he repeated.
Evan nodded, “Okay,” he said as his phone began to ring. He looked at it, and seeing that it was Athena he answered, “Hey Athena, you’re on speaker with me and Eddie.”
“Right,” she said, “Well, I have news. Kendall and Buckley have been charged. Both of them with kidnapping of a minor, and conspiracy to commit multiple murders,” she said, “We’re treating Christopher’s kidnapping as attempted murder as well.”
Evan let out a shuddering breath as Eddie clutched his hands, “What… what’s going to happen next.”
“There was a bail hearing last night for the two of them, and bail has been denied for them both. They are deemed a flight risk, so they’re going to remain in custody until the trials. Buckley is demanding to be released, her lawyer is now trying to fight for her, but we’ve got too much on her to let her go. The same goes with Kendall. Though I’m going to warn you that his parents are heading into the city,” she finished.
“Right, from what I remember of them, they were okay with me. They didn’t blame me when it came to their son’s actions when he attacked me last time,” Evan said, frowning. “They love their son, of course, but there were no bad words spoken in my direction during the initial court case. They took him and Maddie in when they were in a rough patch after he was released. They helped them both, and this is how they both replay the kindness done to them,” he finished, shaking his head and closing his eyes.
“With what Christopher told Maynard yesterday, we have them on several charges, and they’re going to stick, I know that much. The DA is having a field day according to Lou,” she snorted, “I just thought I’d update you and make sure that you know you’re all safe.”
“Thanks, Athena, we’re going to head off for a nap. Chris had a little temper tantrum this morning when he woke, he didn’t like the fact that he wasn’t still with his Grandpa,” Evan said quietly.
“Right, yeah, get a little more sleep, and I’ll try and stop by later. Bobby’s given you some days off, of course. He’s finishing up the paperwork for it, so he should be calling you in a few hours. Take care of yourself, and I’ll see you when I can,” she said.
“Bye, Athena, and thanks. We’ll be heading to see my dad in a couple of hours, but I’ll message you when we head home,” Evan told her as they ended the call and headed to the bedroom, where Christopher was waiting for them so they could nap.
XxXxX
Phillip had ended up in the hospital for almost five days. They’d been worried about his lungs when he’d developed a slight cough, but thankfully, it had cleared up quickly and he had gone to stay with Eddie and Evan, especially since Christopher had insisted the man come and stay with them while he recovered. Now, it had been a week and a bit since the attack, Christopher was in therapy, he’d had a few nightmares, calling out for his dad, p Papá, mom, and poppa, so much so, that for a few nights, everyone had stayed at the Buckley-Diaz home, camping out in the living room to help reassure Christopher that he was safe and okay.
Phillip watched as his daughter was brought to the small table he was seated at. She was pale but looked annoyed at everything. She huffed as she saw him and sat down across from him.
“Why are you here?” she snapped at him, “Thought you would be living it up with that traitor.”
“Madaline,” he said.
“Don’t call me that, that’s not my name,” she huffed, glaring at him.
“That is your name. Maddie was a nickname, and while you tell people that it’s on your birth certificate, or that you changed it when you got married. You didn’t, you just like people to believe that lie, Madaline. I won’t call you by a nickname, because that would imply that that I respect your wishes, yet, I don’t respect you at all; you lost what little respect I had for you, when you sent that madman after Evan. For the record, it was you that was the traitor, you’re the one that conspired to kill him, to kill Christopher, an innocent child, because you couldn’t deal with things like a mature adult. I gave you so much, I tried so hard to help you, to get you away, to get you in a place where maybe you could have been happy, find someone that would love you as much as you love them, maybe even start a family. Instead, you’ve turned into this bitter woman, very much like Margaret, who can’t stand it if other people are happy,” he told her, shaking his head.
“He deserves it, he’s always ruined everything. He ruined my life, yours, and Mom’s, everyone’s. He just came in and ruined everything we built up,” she protested, “why can’t you see that?”
“Right, I want you to start right from the start, what was the first thing he ruined?” Phillip asked her.
“My life,” she said, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.
“How?” he pushed, staring at her and waiting for her to elaborate.
“I had to take care of him when he was a baby. I wasn’t allowed to have fun because I had to look after him until I said no more and did my own things.”
“Right, so a baby, that couldn’t speak, or do anything for himself, is to blame for me and your mother making you take care of him. No that was not him ruining your life, that was me and your mother. Or rather, your mother, because she would emotionally manipulate me into not taking care of Evan when he was a baby. I gave in and she made you do it, because she didn’t want you to be happy and have fun. All the things she thought none of us should have as soon as Daniel had passed away,” he bit out. “What other moment did Evan ruin?”
“My marriage,” she stated, “and you know he did ruin that one.”
“How did he ruin it?” he asked, giving her a look.
“He accused Doug of beating him,” Maddie told him, frowning.
“He didn’t accuse him of anything. Doug was caught after CCTV footage showed him attacking Evan. Evan was still unconscious when Doug was arrested,” he reminded her, “So again, he did nothing. He’s done nothing but try to live his life. You and Margaret were the ones that were trying to ruin his life. Each and every time. You tried to force him back to the house, a house where he had been ignored, neglected, and abused by Margaret since he was a child. He was going to end up killing himself if things had carried on. Instead of listening to anyone, you made up your mind that he couldn’t do anything for himself, and you ignored everyone telling you to leave him alone, myself, Doug, and even Evan. You didn’t care that you were hurting him. We were hurting him in how we treated him, and you wanted to force him back. I let him fly because I read a letter, I was going through the things of Daniel that I had managed to save from your mother. I read a letter that Danny wrote us, telling us he loved us and that he wanted us to be happy even though he wasn’t there. That he was going to be watching over us. I realized that everything that Danny wanted for us wasn’t happening. Because I let Margaret get away with so much. I went to therapy, got help, and realized just how toxic things had gotten. So I made changes, Margaret didn’t like it, and blamed everyone else, Evan especially, just like you do.”
“Mom… Mom knew he was bad news. He killed Daniel,” Maddie pretested, though it sounded weak to them both.
“He didn’t though, he had nothing to do with Daniel. Want me to get the hospital records of his illness? Do you want to go through them, show when he was diagnosed as terminal?” he asked her, “It was well before Evan was even conceived. Do you want to read the letters he had written to us, telling us he doesn’t want to keep being treated? How he begged for it all to stop. But Margaret wouldn’t let him die in peace, she forced the continued chemo, the treatments, everything. What she did was borderline abusive, but not enough for the doctors to report her or refuse treatment.”
Phillip went on to explain all the ways that he and Margaret had fucked things up after Daniel had died. Phillip held nothing back. “You think Evan is the one to blame because of Margaret, but he is innocent in it all. He’s done nothing to anyone in this family. We got so used to blaming him, that the only one who finally realized what we were doing was me. When I tried to get everyone else to take a step back and listen, no one wanted to. This… could have all been avoided if we had listened, and learned from what Daniel was telling us before he passed away,” he said as he got up. “Have a nice life, Madaline, when you get out, don’t come to me. I tried so hard to show you all the love you should have had as a child. I love you, I do, but I can’t let you into my life. You almost got Christopher killed, you were conspiring to have Evan killed. Jessica has been told what is going on, and Margaret will no doubt be informed as well. What you do when you are free, or if you get free, is up to you. But myself and Evan, want nothing more to do with you,” he finished, “Goodbye, Madaline, have a good life.”
He then walked away from her, closing his eyes for a moment, it hurt and he felt like he was abandoning her, much as he had done Evan when he was young. But he knew that she wasn’t going to change, he had tried, given her plenty of chances and she refused, and now she was on her own.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Bobby did up his tie, smiling as he saw Phillip enter the room. He had asked his friend to be his best man. He was finally getting married again. His brother Adam was already there with his family. They had a small talk the day before, when he’d met up with the children, and gotten to know them all over again. It had been nice to have that connection again, to remember that Brooke and Robbie had more than just him in his family.
“Everyone is seated and ready,” Phillip said, “Athena is almost ready herself. Her mother isn’t looking happy, but it looks like she’s going to keep quiet at the very least. Harry is complaining about the tux, but his dad is dealing with that drama,” he smiled. “Are you ready for this?” he asked him.
“I am, I didn’t think I would find anyone, Phil, I really didn’t. I thought Marcy was going to be the only love of my life. Then Athena walked into my life, but she was married, so I decided she would make a great friend. And she did; one of the best ones I’ve ever had.”
“Well, they do say that best friends make the best spouses,” Phillip laughed, “might be why my own marriage wasn’t a good one,” he said, shaking his head. “Well, let’s get you out there to await your bride.”
Bobby nodded as the two left the ante chamber and headed to the front of the church. Father Brian stood there and nodded at the man that had first come to his church three years ago. Heartbroken and sad, he had grown a lot since that first night, from that first confession. They had opted for a small church wedding, before moving to one of the venues that Evan had found for his own but had rejected.
The wedding march began and Athena appeared. She was being escorted down the aisle with her father, behind her were her children with Brooke and Robbie. Robbie was having a good day, only needing to use his cane as he walked down the aisle with his sister. Bobby watched them in awe of Athena and with pride at the children. Bobby held out his hand and Samuel handed his daughter to him.
“You take care of her, Bobby,” he said to the fire captain.
Bobby looked at him, “I will, sir,” he nodded as the children split, the girls going behind Athena and the boys going behind him; there was a chair for Robbie to sit on, so he wouldn’t strain himself too much. “You look stunning,” he complimented his almost wife.
Athena smiled at him, “You clean up well,” she smiled back.
Father Brian smiled at the couple as he began, “Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to join Athena Grant and Robert Nash together in holy matrimony.”
Phillip handed over the rings at the right time, smiling as his friends got married. Evan had been surprised when he had learned that he had been asked to be Bobby’s best man. The two had met and started talking a lot more after Evan had moved to the 118. But they had met a few weeks before that when they had ended up having to share a table at a cafe. Phillip had just needed to be out of the house for a while, and Bobby had been waiting for his son to be finished with his therapy in the offices over the road. The teenager hadn’t wanted him waiting there for the two-hour session he was having that day. The two had ended up talking and sharing numbers. It had been a friendship they had leaned into when things had gotten hard for them both.
The surprise they had when they had realized that Evan knew them both, was a nice one. It had also brought them closer together as friends.
“You may now kiss the bride,” Father Brian said at long last.
Bobby smiled, as he twirled Athena into his arms and dipped her into a kiss. When it was over, she laughed with joy as Bobby’s smile matched her.
“Congratulations,” Father Brian said as the two shared a smile with him.
Athena and Bobby held hands as they walked down the aisle, confetti going up as they exited the church and got in the car that would take them to the venue.
Phillip looked at his son, “Well, in a couple more months, that’s going to be you,” he said.
“Yeah,” Evan grinned as he dried his eyes, “I just hope I’m not going to cry like a sap.”
“You’ve always been sensitive and emotional at things,” Phillip said, “and that’s not a bad thing. That day is going to make me so happy,” he told him.
“Yeah, same here, Dad, same here,” he nodded as they headed to the cars to head to the reception venue.
XxXxX
Eddie and Evan shared a look as they waited for the newly married couple to make their appearance. Everyone was inside, waiting for them.
“May I introduce Mr Robert Nash and Mrs Athena Grant-Nash,” came the announcement as they walked into the ballroom.
Evan cheered for them, he had known that Athena wouldn’t get rid of the Grant at all. It might not be her maiden name, but she still showed that she cared about Micheal, the father of her children. Bobby had been fine with it, saying that it was a good thing in his eyes. That she hadn’t dismissed the wonderful years she had spent with Micheal before he had come out and lived his truth. It was a little thing, but he knew that Beatrice Carter hadn’t been happy with that little announcement, given the sour lemon look on her face at the name.
The strains of a guitar started and the beat of the drums kicked in as they made their way to the dancefloor and began to move. This was no slow dance, this was them having fun as they danced around the floor as Tina Turner’s voice joined that of Rod Stewarts as they sang It Takes Two. No one else joined them as they let loose. Evan and Eddie clapped along with the beat, as many others joined in. With twirls and dips across the dance floor, Bobby and Athena smiled and laughed with the occasional stumble, but their moves were mostly smooth sailing. They had practiced, that was clear to those at the party.
With the last me and you sang out, they ended up on a dip, where Bobby kissed Athena again before swinging her upright once more. Everyone clapped as the two smiled and laughed together, a little out of breath, but looking happy. The music changed pace and a slower song came on as more couples began to join them on the dance floor.
Eddie looked at Evan and said, “Shall we?” he asked.
“We shall,” he smiled, taking the offered hand as the two of them joined the dancefloor.
“I’m tired,” Christopher said, “That was exhausting just to watch!” he laughed, as a few others joined in.
“It was,” Shannon agreed, smiling.
“Do you regret not having something like this?” Eric asked her as Lottie was sitting on his lap and clapping to the music.
Shannon reached over and smiled, “No, I don’t. I think… for me, it would have made me realize that I had no family but those which I had found along the way. Mom and Dad are both gone, and I miss them a lot,” she said, “I think not having Dad there to walk me down the aisle would have hurt. I know who I would have asked, that would be Evan or Eddie, or maybe even Edmundo. Those three have been my rocks over the last… what eight years,” she smiled softly, “I don’t regret the way we got married, not at all. You?”
“Nope, I just remember Mom and all the things she wanted for my wedding, and I still shudder at it. I like what we did best, something that was intimate, just me, you, Chris, and Eddie and Evan. That’s all I needed and wanted,” he said, holding her hand, while keeping the other around his daughter’s waist, to make sure she didn’t fall. The almost two-year-old was speeding around most of the time and loved to climb. They needed all the eyes on her, and hands to make sure her feet stayed on the ground most of the time. She had no fear.
Shannon and Eric leaned closer and kissed, even with Christopher going eww, before giggling at two of his four parents.
Tommy walked over with a couple of drinks in hand. There was nothing alcoholic at the bar, out of respect for Bobby’s sobriety, even though he had given them the go-ahead for it. But everyone had said no. Athena had already taken the alcohol out of her home, while they continued to search for a new home that would truly fit the new family. She wasn’t going to have it in the house to tempt Bobby. She was there to be his support, his wife, the one who would spend the rest of her life with him.
“Right,” Tommy said as he handed out the drinks to Lou and Phillip.
“Thank you, Tommy,” Phillip smiled as he took the offered drink.
“Do you ever think about doing this again, Phillip?” Lou asked him.
Phillip shook his head, “I had thought about it, but no I don’t think I will. I’m happy with the occasional date with someone, but I think I prefer to be… free in a sense. I married Margaret when we were still young. She insisted. We married, then we had Maddie just over a year later. I was finding my footing at my parent’s businesses. Watching and shadowing my brother at times. Daniel came along and I thought life was complete. It wasn’t… not until Evan was there. Even with the way things went after that,” he added, “I was happy, except when it came to Margaret. Maddie began to follow her example, no matter what I tried to do to stop it. So, I’m happy the way I am. What about you two? Are there wedding bells in your future?”
“Yeah, about that,” Tommy said, smirking as he pulled a chain from around his neck. Lou doing the same, showing off their wedding rings.
“Oh, you two are going to be in so much trouble when Evan finds out,” Phillip laughed, shaking his head at the two.
“Yeah, I know,” Lou said, “but it’s worth it,” he smiled, “We didn’t want to… intrude, it was just after Chris had been taken. They were worried about you and Chris, so we just eloped and basically told no one, but submitted the needed paperwork.”
Phillip smiled at them, “They would have loved to have been there, but you tell them when you can, they’ll be excited for you both, and a little mad at missing it.”
“Yeah,” Tommy said, “We’ll tell them later, we’ll go out for a meal to celebrate, like we did with Shannon and Eric,” he smiled, “you’d be welcome to come along.”
“I’ll leave that to you guys,” he told them, “now I’m going to break up the happy couple for a moment, and have a dance with them,” he smiled, drank down his drink, and put it to one side as he got up, cutting in with the happy couple, and taking first Bobby for a spin around the dance floor, much to his shocked look, before circling back and then twirling around with Athena.
“He’s got some moves,” Tommy laughed, shaking his head as he drank his and then asked, “Shall we?”
“Yeah, I’ve got a few moves I’d like to show you,” Lou grinned as they headed to the dance floor.
“Ohh, something I could get behind,” he said as they headed to the floor and began to dance, passing by Phillip as he went between Athena and Bobby a few times before he held out his hand to Elaine Maynard and danced with her for a few songs.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Evan frowned as he paced the loft of the 118. Bobby had been called away by Athena; a bomb had been left on her doorstep. The city had been on edge since just after Christopher had been kidnapped. They’d mostly ignored what’d been going on in the outside world as they took care of Christopher and Phillip. Now, they were back at work after taking two weeks off to make sure the two were healing well, physically and mentally. Now, Micheal and the kids, all four of them, had found a bomb on the doorstep of the Grant home.
“You alright?” Eddie asked as he looked at his fiance. He could see the man was puzzling over something.
“It’s… just something Athena told me, about how she had first really worked with Bobby, this was just after I stopped being a cop. They worked a case…” he frowned, “The names, it’s the names, the insurance adjuster was someone Athena mentioned when I was taking time off between cop and firefighter,” he said.
“So you remember something?” he asked.
“Yeah, the names, they’re familiar. But then again, Miranda Filson is a familiar name, she’s a well known public defender,” he told him, stopping his pacing for a moment “Guillermo’s, Evan said as he went to grab his phone, “Hey,” he said as soon as the line connected.
“What can I do for you, Evan?” came the voice of Rick Romero.
“You in charge of the bombing case?” he asked him.
“Yeah, but you know I can’t tell you anything,” he reminded him.
“I know that Rick, but… Costas, the restaurant place, Guillermo’s. The names are all to do with that,” Evan rushed out.
“Yeah, we just made the connection ourselves. You sure you don’t want to come back?” Rick asked him.
“Nah, I kinda like being a firefighter better,” he grinned, “there’s still something else bugging me so I-” he began only for the alarm to go off. “Find the dad, and the mom. If I remember what Athena said, the son was a little shit about what was going on.”
“Yeah, we’re already looking into things,” he said, “I’ve just pulled up outside Athena’s, to see what she can remember about the case.”
“Right, see you in a bit, tell Bobby and Athena I said ‘hi’ and that I’m thinking about them,” he said as he rushed down the stairs to the trucks. He ended the call and jumped into the captain’s seat with the pad in his hands as Hen handed it to him, “Okay,” he said as he began to go over the information they had been given about the call they were heading to.
“118, this is dispatch, we have Bobby Nash on the line,” dispatch said.
“Pull over, and everyone out of the vehicles!” Evan ordered, connections clicking in his mind, “The bombs on board!” he yelled through the radios.
All three came to a stop. He began to get out, as did everyone else as the world exploded around them. Evan must have blacked out, but he began to regain consciousness and looked around. He felt pain shoot through him as he looked around. The ladder of the truck had been tossed off the top, enough that it had broken and landed partially on his legs. He couldn’t move one, but he could the other.
“Well, look-”
“Freddie Costas,” Evan said, not willing to listen to whatever villain monologue that man had stored, “So, you stopped hiding behind the mailman I take it,” he added glaring up at him, “I remember people talking about you, the son of an arsonist that didn’t believe his dad almost killed him. You were lucky you were taken out of the place before it really went off. I heard that one of the firefighters almost ended up being killed because of your old man.”
“You shut up, you have no idea what they did to him! They got him killed. It’s their fault he died in there; he should have been let home!” he yelled out, “I want Nash, it’s just him now, I got that bitch cop.”
“You think you got Athena Grant, damn, she’s smarter than you. No, you didn’t get her, or any of her family. And you fucked up when it came to getting Bobby too,” he pointed out, “You’re a fucking loser, same as your dad. You’ll die in prison, just like him, won’t you? Or are you the type to try and go out in a blaze of glory? I wonder what your dear mother would think? Are you going to leave her all alone in the world? With no one that loves her, people that hate her for what her husband did, and now for what her son did? Well, like father, like son, both of you are fucking losers who fucked everything up for the poor woman. Your dad fucked her over with the restaurant, and then got caught because he almost killed you. Then you fucked up too. I bet she’s wishing she never met your dad now, that she kept away from him and said no when he asked her out.”
“You… You!” he said so incensed that he didn’t notice that someone was creeping up behind him.
Arms were soon wrapped around him as another rushed around his front and took the dead man’s switch that was in his hands.
“Damn, Buck,” Hen said, “Remind me to never get on your bad side.”
“Can someone help me with this fucker, or I’m gonna knock him out,” Eddie called out as officers rushed over, along with the newly arrived bomb squad.
“Buck, how are we doing?” Hen said as soon as she handed over the switch to someone else and went to Evan, as others headed to check those who had been caught in the blast.
“Think my leg is broken, but other than that and maybe a concussion, I feel okay,” he said, “My legs are trapped under the fucking ladder, so if you guys could, erm… lift that fucker off, I’ll be good,” he added as he rested himself down on the asphalt once more. “Damn, this fucking sucks.”
“Could have been worse,” Eddie said as he knelt beside him. He and Hen began to look over Evan, making sure that there was nothing else that was hidden.
“Okay, what have we got everyone?!” Hen called out, as she made a note of Evan’s injuries and then listened to the others that had been caught.
“Okay, let’s get more ambulances here, and on the way,” Eddie said as he called into dispatch and asked when more were going to arrive.
Several firefighters and some cops headed over as they helped to move the ladder that had detached from the truck off of Evan.
“Fuck that hurt,” Evan grunted as he closed his eyes.
“Would do,” Hen snorted, “If it didn’t, I’d be worried.”
Eddie took Evan’s hand, “Well,” he said, “let’s get you out of here.”
“Yeah,” he nodded, “This is going to suck,” he muttered as they got him on a gurney and to one of the waiting ambulances. They couldn’t use any of the 118’s just in case there were some more bombs on the other vehicles.
XxXxX
Evan woke up in his hospital room, glancing down he could see his leg wrapped up. Not in a cast yet, since it had swollen slightly after his surgery, since the bone had broken in four places. They had put in a plate to help with the healing.
“Hey,” came a voice catching his attention.
“Carla,” he said, frowning at her.
“I sent him home for a few hours. He’ll be back in about three,” she said, “Phillip is just getting himself a coffee and then he’ll be back. Everyone has come by and seen you, except the kids. But I know Christopher is going to be walking this way on his own, if someone doesn’t bring him soon. He heard about what happened when he woke up during the night. Shannon and Eric had the news on and were watching when he entered the room. He saw it was you immediately.”
“Right,” he said, “That’s not going to go over well.”
“It hasn’t, he’s had a few temper tantrums in the last couple of hours. This is one of the reasons why I sent Eddie home, to get some rest, and to reassure Christopher that you’re going to be just fine. You’ll just have to join him on some crutches for a bit,” she smiled, reassuring him that everything was fine.
“This is going to be a fun few months,” he muttered.
“It will, but a full recovery is expected,” she told him, “And you should be able to leave here within a few days.”
“Good, I hate being in the hospital for too long. It happens far too much,” he muttered.
Carla laughed as the door opened, and Phillip walked in.
“You’re awake,” Phillip said as he walked over and sat down at his son’s bedside.
“Yeah, I’m awake, and I’m okay, what about the others?” he asked, wondering who else got hurt.
“Two more are in the hospital, Davis and Perks, both are going to be fine; one should be out later today. Concussions, sprains, lacerations, the usual. Thankfully a broken leg, and arm have been the worst of them so far. Bobby was here, for a quick visit, he seemed shaken up.”
“Yeah, make sure he doesn’t get stuck in his head. He’s kinda like you, Dad, he’ll blame himself for things he had no control over,” Evan yawned, “Ugh, I just woke up and I want to go back to sleep.”
“Well, at the moment, sleep is okay for you, but they might be coming in and out to do the concussion check. Get some rest, because next time you wake, Christopher and Eddie should be here. Chris is not going to be quiet if he doesn’t see you soon,” Phillip said, “I’ll also speak with Bobby,” he added, sitting there, “But that will wait until later, for now, I’ll make sure Athena is aware.”
“Good,” he smiled as his eyes began to close, he couldn’t fight the sleep anymore.
XxXxX
“Shush, mijo, Papá is sleeping,” came the mumbled voice of Eddie, cutting through Evan’s dreams.
Evan slowly woke as he heard Christopher reply, “I know, Daddy, but he’s been sleeping for ages. Is he okay?”
“I’m fine, Chris,” Evan yawned, as he opened his eyes to see Christopher light up now that he was awake.
” Papá!” he called out, as he scrambled to try and get to him.
“Careful, mijo. I’ll put you on the bed, but be careful,” he repeated as Evan nodded and Christopher was picked up and placed on the bed.
Christopher leaned against Evan before bursting into tears, ” Papá, you got hurt by a bad man, why are there so many of them, Papá.”
Evan wrapped his arms around him, “I wish I knew, superman,” he murmured, “I really do, but I’m okay. The bad guy was stopped, and I’m okay, so is everyone else. And you’re going to have to teach me how to use crutches,” he said, hoping that would change the tears.
Christopher leaned his head up and looked at him, “I can teach you a lot,” he sniffled as he then flopped his head back down and yawned.
“He didn’t sleep after seeing the footage,” Eddie explained, seeing the question on Evan’s face.
“Right,” he nodded, rubbing Christopher’s back and hoping that would help soothe him to sleep, at least for a little bit.
Eddie sat down, smiling a little, “I’m glad you’re okay,” he said.
“Same,” he mumbled, as Christopher gave a little snore as he finally fell asleep.
“Carla has already looked at what you might need during your recovery and sorted it. She and Phillip have been working together. Abuela is working with Bobby to fill the freezer, and Abuelo is going through the second-hand bookstores for little delights as he called them,” he frowned.
Evan laughed, “Old mystery books, things from the forties, and even before World War Two. You can usually find the really old stuff in second-hand places, sometimes at the flea markets as well. So be warned, he may want to drag you to a few of those. Lou sometimes goes with him as well. They both enjoy the older mysteries,” he smiled as Eddie nodded.
“Right,” he smiled, “Well, if they have fun, go for it,” he shrugged.
The two talked a little more, before Evan joined Christopher in the land of sleep
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Coco looked at the discharge papers and nodded, “Good, they’ve given you everything you need,” she smiled.
Eddie nodded, “They almost forgot the IPC, I had to mention it,” he said as he walked into the living room, a tray in hand with drinks on for everyone. It seemed like their whole friend and family group had come by to welcome Evan home.
“Hmm,” Coco frowned, “That’s basic aftercare from a crush injury, especially with the added surgery on his leg.”
“I know, which is why I brought it up, seems like there has been a problem in that department. So they’re going to look into things a little more,” Eddie told her as he began to hand out the drinks.
“Thank you, nieto,” Isabel smiled at him, “How is he?” she asked.
“Sleeping, Christopher is with him, he doesn’t want to let him out of his sight at the moment. After what happened with Kendall and now this, Christopher is a little clingy,” he answered her, “Evan’s doing okay, I think he’s just tired at the moment, letting his body heal.”
“It can be a challenge,” Edmundo said, “I brought as many books as I could find. Hopefully that will keep him occupied, he’s going to get bored, and get bored quickly.”
“We have experience with a bored, Evanito,” Isabel laughed, “When he first arrived here in LA, he had a broken leg then too.”
“Same one,” Edmundo nodded, smiling softly at the memory of a young Evan who had started staying with them.
“It’s why he’s got a plate and bolts in, since the break was in near enough the same place,” Eddie told them, “So they’re being cautious with it, making sure that it heals properly and fully. The second break could cause a weakness in his bone. They’re being optimistic that it won’t, but it’s on everyone’s mind,” he added as he finally sat down.
“Good,” Phillip said with a nod, “This is…” he shook his head.
“I know, it always seems like it’s Evan, each time,” Athena snorted from where she was seated with Bobby. A-shift was off rotation for a week, with C and B taking over, and what floaters could join the rotation to cover for them, as they took the time to recover from what had happened. While some were saying it wasn’t to them, others said it was all of them that were affected, and therapy was mandatory for everyone to go back. At least a session before, and one or more scheduled after so they could be signed off.
“It’s… hard,” Bobby said, taking hold of his wife’s hand, “I’ve gone to therapy, everyone has at least once. So we’ll be back at work in two days. I’ve got more in the works,” he said before Eddie could say anything. “You’re off for at least a month. People have made sure that you’ll be covered for that. So you can help Evan.”
“Thanks for that, but it’s not needed that much, Carla has already taken over the planning of Evan’s recovery. No doubt we’ll be marching to her tune for the next several months, or until Evan is back working again,” he snorted.
Bobby laughed, “Yeah, well, make sure he doesn’t push too hard too fast. I made that mistake and it cost me a lot,” he added, a little more somber, “Just, keep an eye on him.”
“I will, but he knows his limits well. This isn’t the first time,” Eddie reassured him, but understood that Bobby was worried, he’d mentioned the same thing to the two others who were going to be out of work for a few weeks to a couple of months.
“Yeah, and with Carla around, no doubt she’ll have him well in hand,” Athena smiled at her husband, “He’ll be just fine.”
“I’ll come and check on him when I can,” Coco promised, “Make sure he’s doing alright. If he’s alright with that?” she asked.
Eddie turned to her, “He should be fine with it, but I’ll ask just in case,” he smiled as he looked at everyone gathered, “Thanks, for being here, I know he’s sleeping, but he’ll wake up in about an hour, and yeah, boredom is going to be a pain for him. He’s active, as you all know, so keeping him occupied is going to be hard.”
“How’s Christopher doing?” Darren asked as Coco finally sat beside him on one of the couches, squeezing in on the three-seater with four of them now sitting on it.
“He’s had a few nightmares since it happened. With Evan now home, we’re hoping that they lessen a little, since he’s worried about his papá. Here’s hoping,” he said as he leaned back, he was tired himself, and the others could see that. With little looks given to each other, they hurried to drink. Phillip indicated that he’d remain behind to help out.
Eddie must have dozed off a little as Phillip said goodbye to their guests. He took out the empty mugs and washed them up, leaving them to air dry. He chose the dinner for the night, one of the meals that Bobby had prepared for them. He put it in the oven, since it would take a good hour to cook. He went around the house, cleaning up and making sure the laundry was done, and put another load on. He checked on Evan and Christopher, and seeing that Chris was now awake, he helped him into the living room. Eddie still dozing on the couch.
“Daddy and Papá sleeping,” Christopher giggled quietly as he settled with a book instead of with the TV.
“Yeah, they’re really tired, so I have dinner cooking and I’m going to wake Papá and Daddy up in a moment, okay,” he said, “you be good,” he added, kissing his head before going back to finishing up a few more chores. He checked the oven and timer, seeing that it was time to wake them up. He went to the living room first, “Eddie,” he called out gently, not touching him, he had been warned about doing that, since Eddie tended to jump if touched by anyone but Evan or Christopher while he was sleeping.
“Wha?!” he blinked as he looked around, “Where’d everyone go?” he said as he rubbed his face.
“They’ve gone home, we thought it would be better for you to wake up to an empty house and dinner being cooked. Now, I can stay and help a little more, or I can go home. It’s up to you. I can understand just wanting to be a family together for a bit,” Phillip said. “I’m just going to stay for dinner and clean up afterward, at most. The rest, that’s up to you.”
“You can stay,” Eddie said, “I should help Evan get up. Carla is going to be coming over tomorrow and helping out. I’ve got a few errands to run outside of the home, getting some more of the meds that Evan needs,” he said as he got up.
“Hi, Daddy,” Christopher grinned up at his dad.
Eddie smiled down at him, “Looks like someone’s been a good boy today.”
“I’m always a good boy, Nana Coco said so,” he grinned.
“You are,” Phillip added, smirking as Eddie snorted.
“Grandparents only see the good sides of their grandkids,” Eddie said, “you didn’t see the wobbly he threw this morning when I told him I was getting Evan from the hospital alone.”
“I didn’t wobble, Daddy,” Christopher huffed, “I wanted to help.”
“Say that to my ears,” Eddie said, ruffling his son’s hair, “I think I’m still partially deaf from the yells and screams. Right I’m going to get Papá so we can have dinner, I can smell one of Bobby’s pasta bakes.”
“Yes, that’s what I chose,” Phillip smiled as he looked at Christopher, “Let’s go and wash up for dinner.”
“Okay, Grandpa,” he nodded as he got up, taking hold of Phillip’s hand as they slowly made their way to the bathroom to wash up. Eddie smiled as he watched them, before heading to wake up a sleepy Evan and get him to do the same.
XxXx
It had taken Evan three weeks to break. He was Bored, with a capital B. And maybe capitals for the rest of the letters too, since he wanted to scream out his frustrations. He’d read all the books that Edmundo had been able to find, and the two already had plans to discuss them, Lou was planning to join them after the two men found out Lou had read several of the books also.. He was going to borrow the others so they could discuss them all as a group.. It was what Isabel called their usual book club ravings. He was contemplating reorganizing the living room and moving the books around, to put them in a better order that he’d just come up with.
“Why don’t you head to the station?” Carla asked him, “We can go for a visit. I know Eddie is already back at work, so you can go and see him,” she suggested. Christopher was at school and would be for a few more hours. They could visit the station and then head to Durand and pick up Christopher. Christopher would love to have his Papá pick him up again.
Evan looked at her and then nodded, “Yes, please, I’m contemplating reorganizing the living room, and that would lead me on the slippery slope of wanting to redo the entire house. I don’t think anyone else would be happy with me if I did that.”
Carla laughed, “No, I don’t think they would,” she smiled at him.
Evan grinned as he got up, grabbing his crutches he went to get ready. Soon enough Carla was driving them to the station.
“Guess who’s back!” Evan called out as he headed inside.
Eddie grinned as he heard his fiance, “Evan,” he said as he rushed down the stairs to hug him, “What are you doing here?” he asked the man, and they shared a quick kiss.
“I brought him here to save your home from being unrecognizable,” Carla said, a smile on her face, “Hope you don’t mind a couple of visitors for an hour or so. I know you could end up on a call, but we don’t mind hanging around with anyone that gets left behind,” she added.
“You’re always welcome here,” Bobby said, “Come on up,” he added from where he was standing at the railing looking down at the pair.
Evan grinned up at him and headed up, “It’s so nice to be out of the house. I was starting to think that I should decorate,” he added as he walked up the stairs.
Eddie was walking beside him, a hand on the small of his back. “Please don’t, it took us ages to agree on the colors we have at the moment, and I don’t want to contemplate having to figure out color schemes again.”
“That’s okay, I won’t,” he grinned, “But I’ve been thinking about our wedding. We’ve got everything booked, but I’m trying to think of anything else that we might have missed. I don’t think we have, but I’m going to make a few lists tonight to make sure.”
Eddie wanted to groan, there had been so many lists made for the wedding, he had a folder full of them. “Alright, but go through the folder first before you do anything else. To make sure it hasn’t already been written down first.”
“I will,” he nodded as he was welcomed back to the 118 and spent an enjoyable hour with his friends and work colleagues. He’d made a promise to head to the 107 at some point and make sure that they knew he was still alive and kicking. They had visited him at home and while he had been in the hospital. It warmed him to know so many people cared about him.
The alarm rang just as they were leaving, and with a slight pang he watched them race off on a call, before he then got in Carla’s car and headed for Durand to pick up Christopher.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Evan was healing well, he was out of the cast by the time it came to Maddie and Kendall’s trials. Kendall’s trial had gone first; it’d been a quick one, even though he had pleaded not guilty, however, the evidence against him was overwhelming. His parents had sat behind him, looking disappointedly at their son, and apologetically toward Evan. When Doug had been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Doug Kendall had been deemed too dangerous to be rereleased into the public after the kidnapping of a minor, and then the conspiracy to murder Evan and Christopher.
“Mr Buckley,” came the timid voice of Doreen Kendall, “I’m so sorry for what he has done to you and your family. There is nothing I can do to mitigate what he’s done.”
“It’s not on you, Mrs Kendall, the few times we met, you were always kind, and generous,” Evan said, “I’m just sorry this happened.”
“You have nothing to be sorry for. My husband and I tried to teach him right from wrong, even as a child, but he always believed that he was the best of the best, no matter how many notches we tried to tone him down,” she shook her head as her husband gripped her hand.
“We saw what happened to you as well, you’re a strong young man, and no doubt Phillip is so proud of you. I know I would be if I was your father,” Steve said, “And again, we’re sorry for the pain that my son has caused you and your son. If you ever need anything, please, don’t hesitate to ask. It would be the least that we can do to try and make up for it all.”
“Like I told your wife, it’s not your fault, Mr Kendall. Some people will be bad no matter what you do, and I can see that you and your wife are good people and parents, you tried what you could to install moral values into your son,” Evan told him, shaking his head, “Don’t take what he has done to your hearts,” he added, “I heard through the grapevine that you foster children.
“We do, we’ve been doing it for several years now, but we stopped when Doug was released; we didn’t wish for a child to be in the home with him.”
“Then go back to doing that,” he said, “spend your time giving love to children that deserve it, don’t be put off by the one that didn’t. But there are so many that you can now help, give a home to, and give that love you have as parents to,” he suggested quietly.
“You’re a kind young man, a credit to your father,” Steve said, nodding a few times.
Evan nodded. There was only a small gap between Doug’s sentencing and Maddie’s. So now he was going to be heading into the courtroom again. He could have read a victim impact statement out at Doug’s sentencing, but he knew that it wouldn’t do anything to change things. He didn’t believe it would for Maddie either, but he might as well try. He walked into the courtroom once again. He’d been shocked when he’d seen Margaret for the first time in around a decade. He didn’t care that the woman that had birthed him was there. She was a footnote in his life, one that didn’t even deserve that. She had come for Maddie, and Maddie alone.
The judge walked in and it was time for the victim impact statements before sentencing. Evan was the only one that was going to read something out. “Maddie,” he began as soon as he was allowed. “Once upon a time I looked up to you as the sun and the stars. You were a guiding light for me for the first few years of my life. Even after you started to go out more as you became a teenager, I still looked up to my big sister who had protected me from the cruelty that Margaret heaped on me, and the ignorance that Dad showed me; you were my everything. Then you left, left me behind, but I still clung to the precious few memories I had of my younger years that were good, and all of them had you in them. Then when I reached sixteen and put myself first, you turned against me, and all the dreams, the good memories I had, shattered and nothing could put them back together. After the two attacks, I left, seeking out a life away from you, and what Doug had done to me. I found a life, a job I love, and people that care about me. I found love and a son that I would burn the world for. Then you came back, determined to ruin everything. You nearly succeeded. You sent your abusive ex-husband to me, in the hopes of seeing me dead. Even planning on helping him commit murder. To kill me. I have no idea what it was that I had done to deserve the anger you showed me. To what Christopher, a sunshine seven-year-old, who already has the world working against him, had done. He has nightmares of what he went through, of being taken, of being smacked, and then hearing you and Doug talk about killing me and him. I don’t know how you could have done that, but then I realized, you’re selfish, and you always have been. There is nothing I can say, or do, to change how you see me. You see me as the one who ruined your life because you can’t accept that you married someone who abused you. You can’t accept the fact that your own mother made you a parent when you were ten years old. So everything had to be my fault, or you’d have to admit that our parents had abused us. That Doug abused you. When you realize that, then maybe you can heal, and be a good person again. I just know that from this moment on, you’re no longer my sister. You are no longer someone I will look up to. You’re no longer the sun and stars that were in my memories because you shattered them. Goodbye Maddie, and I hope you find mercy from others because there is none from me, you almost had my son killed, and there is nothing you can say, do, or anything, that will get me to forgive you.”
“Thank you, Mr Buckley,” the judge said, as she looked at Maddie. “Ms Buckley, you helped someone kidnap a child. A child who still has nightmares about his ordeal to this day. Who had to hear what disgusting things you had said, things that you and this man would do to his p Papá. It sickens me that you could even think of such things about your own brother. On the charge of aiding and abetting a kidnapping, I am giving you eleven years. For the conspiracy to commit murder, twenty-five years to life. With the possibility of parole after a minimum of twenty-five years have been served. May God have mercy on your soul, Ms Buckley.”
“No, no you can’t do that!” Maddie cried out.
“Bailiff, take her down,” the judge ordered as she looked at the men who were beginning to gather Maddie together and take her away.
“My daughter, how could you do this to her!” Margaret wailed as she stood up, looking at the judge with tears in her eyes.
“Maybe you should have taught her right from wrong, Ms Anderson,” she stated, “We’ve listened to what you have done to all three of your children. The abuses that they suffered at your hand. You had the chance to help her, and instead, you didn’t care, leaving her to an abusive husband. Leaving her to her delusions about Mr Buckley being the cause of strife in her life. You knew the difference and didn’t care. Too late to do so now. If I had my way, you’d be charged with a few things as well. Now, be quiet in my courtroom,” she ordered.
Margaret cried as Jessica sat beside her, she was silent and had clearly decided to not comfort her sister. Evan barely spared them a glance as the court was finally dismissed. He stood up, taking hold of Eddie’s hand, as Phillip led the way out. He was glad that he was no longer in a cast or anything. He had a couple of days before he had to recertify. It was standard after such a time period of being inactive as a firefighter.
“Let’s go,” Phillip said as he could see that Margaret was gearing up to do something.
Evan nodded as the three of them headed out. Leaving behind the drama and wanting nothing more than to go home and be with their son and put all of this behind them.
XxXxX
Evan and Eddie grinned as they played against each other, Charlotte was in front of Eddie, and Christopher was in front of Evan. The two were having fun as they fought to get the plushies that the two kids wanted. They had a day off, it would be the next shift that Evan would be back at work. As a nice gesture, someone had told Eddie to take the day off, and just spend it having some fun after all the ups and downs over the last several months. Christopher would be heading to school again in a few days, Lottie would be starting at daycare a few times a week. But since Eric and Shannon were both working, the two men had decided to take both kids to the pier.
“And done!” Evan cheered as he crossed the finish line first. “And again I have beaten you,” he grinned.
“Show off!” Eddie laughed, as he knew that Evan was also on about the fact that he had taken back the records that Eddie had set when he’d gone through the academy.
“Of course, I’ve got to show you I’m the best,” he grinned as he got the two plushes, and handed one to each kid, “There we go,” he smiled at the two.
“Thanks, Papá,” Christopher grinned as he hugged it before handing it to his dad to carry.
Charlotte grinned, “‘Ant ‘Ou!” she giggled as she toddled in front of them a little, a small leash attached to the backpack she was wearing. Eddie holding it firmly. Christopher kept pace with her as they headed to the end of the pier.
Eddie grinned as he kissed Evan, “Well, just one more month and we’re going to be married,” he reminded his husband-to-be.
“I can’t wait,” he grinned, leaning in for another kiss when Christopher asked something that made their blood run cold.
“Daddy, Papá, where did all the water go?” Christopher asked as he looked from the ocean, or rather where the ocean should be and to his dad and papá.
Evan looked out as Eddie did the same. “Tsunami!” they yelled out as one, gaining attention, “Get off the pier! Tsunami!”
Evan grabbed Christopher, and Eddie grabbed Charlotte, who yelled out when she dropped her stuffie. “Sorry baby,” Eddie said, “but we have to run.”
“Everyone off the pier! Get to safety or get high as you can!” Evan yelled out, seeing a few hurrying up the ferris wheel in the distance; they had the right idea, it might be high enough, but there was no way that they’d be able to reach it in time. So many people were in the way, some having ideas to go into buildings and hoping for the best, others hiding behind structures and buildings, hoping to be protected from the worst of it.
Eddie and Evan shared a look, seeing a booth, as the wave bore down on them. “There,” Eddie said, getting a nod. The two jumped behind it. Securing the children in between them. They held onto each other as tightly as they could as the wave crashed over them, pulling them from the safety of the booth as it then smashed to bits and they tumbled through the water, their grip on each other and the kids loosening a little. before their grips were no match for the strength of the way and they were separated fully from each other.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Evan spluttered as he came to the surface. “Christopher! Lottie! Eddie!” he called out the three names over and over again, hoping for an answer. He called again and again, until finally, someone answered.
” Papá!” came the cry of Christopher, ” Papá!”
“I’m here, Chris! I’m here,” he said as he finally spotted him on a lamppost a little further away from him. “I’m coming superman, I’m coming,” he said like a mantra as he let the water take him, and reached for Christopher, He grabbed a hand, and then grabbed the post, “I got you,” he said, wrapping his arms around the eight-year-old.
“Where’s Dad and Lottie,” he cried, still clinging on to the post as he looked around.
“I don’t know,” he said, wishing he had a different answer. They had been separated and he just hoped that Charlotte and Eddie were safe somewhere else. He had to believe that, or he didn’t think he could get through the rest of the day. “We’re going to have to get to someplace safer than this,” he said, glancing around to see what there was. There was so much pushed around, debris that he had no doubt held something far more heartbreaking beneath. He could barely hear anyone else over the roaring of the water as it still pushed inland.
“There!” Christopher yelled as he spotted a fire truck.
“Good eye, Chris,” Evan smiled at him, “You’re good, right, we’re going to let go of the post. But I need you to hold onto me tightly, alright, you don’t let go at all. Let me do all the work, and you sit back and relax,” he added.
“OKay, Papá,” he nodded, sounding so trusting of Evan to keep him safe.
Evan smiled and got ready, with Christopher secured, they headed out into the water. Letting it do most of the work as Evan just guided them around the debris and to the truck. He pushed Christopher up as another surge came inland. He ducked under some debris before gasping for air as soon as he surfaced, with someone now in his arms, another child. Just a little younger than Christopher. He pushed her up onto the truck and got up as soon as he could. He started CPR hoping that he wasn’t too late. Christopher watched and began to talk to the little girl.
“You have to breathe, okay, I know it’s scary but you have to,” he said as he stroked her hair.
A few moments later she began to cough and water was thrown up from her lungs.
“That’s it, that’s it, baby,” Evan said as he got her on her side and began to pat her back slightly, helping her cough even more, “That’s it, bring it all up. I know,” he murmured as she began to cry, “I know that was so scary, but you’re okay you’re okay,” he said, wondering just who the little girl had lost.
“Hi,” Christopher said with a bright smile on his face, “You come and sit with me, we’ll be nice and safe now, Papá is really good at that.”
The little girl cried as she called for her mommy. Evan wished he knew what had happened, or even what the mother looked like. For now, all he could do was secure the two children to the truck and make sure that they were safe. He could hear people calling for help and knew he would have to help.
“I need you two to look after each other, okay? If either of you feel weird, tell the other so they can call me over,” he said, pressing a kiss against Christopher’s head and then doing the same to the little girl. “It’s going to be okay,” he told the two of them.
Evan surveyed the waters and took a breath as he jumped into the water, went to the lockers, and grabbed what he needed to make a catch line. He was going to be busy, but he knew he had to do this.
XxXxX
Eddie pulled the leash that was attached to the bag that Charlotte was wearing. He hoped she was still attached to it. He pulled and pulled and then suddenly she was there. “Lottie, sweetheart,” he said as he gathered her into his arms, looking for somewhere safe. He saw a balcony with an open door. It was a little high, but he needed solid ground and soon. he had no idea how long Charlotte had been out. Climbing up and over he laid her down, feeling no pulse or breathing, he cursed as he began CPR, knowing it might not be enough.
“Come on Lottie, come on, don’t make me break your momma’s and daddy’s hearts, or anyone else’s. Please,” he begged.
“Here, this could help,” a woman said as she brought a personal defibrillator to him, “My husband needs it occasionally,” she told him, “he’s alright, already at the hospital, he had surgery recently, they kept him in,” she added, “Save that little girl,” she smiled softly.
“Thank you,” he said, feeling relieved as he hooked Charlotte up to it. Not getting a pulse at all. He put all his training into use as he began to try and bring Charlotte back. The first shock jolted her tiny body, but did nothing.
“Keep going, she won’t leave you,” the woman said, as she knelt nearby.
Eddie nodded and shocked again, almost laughing in relief as the little beep beep began to start up. “Oh, dios,” he murmured, “Thank you, thank you,” he said to the woman, “I don’t know,” he said as he began to treat Charlotte as she started to wake up a few seconds later.
“It’s oka-” she began to say as they could hear cries for help now sounding. “I don’t know about you, but if I try and help them, I’m going to break a hip, but I think you should be able to, my son left a lot of his rock climbing things here last time he stopped by. Go and raid that, and see what you can do to help them,” she said, as she began to carefully gather the crying Charlotte into her arms. “I’ll look after your daughter.”
“She’s… my goddaughter, I was taking her and my son out for the day with my fiance, we got separated I don’t know…” he trailed off, closing his eyes. He had to put that out of his mind, concentrate on Charlotte and helping people. Doing his job, as both a firefighter and godfather.
“Then I’ll look after this little lamb, and you head out there,” She said as she sat down on the lounge with the little girl now tucked into her arms, and a blanket being wrapped around her, “Go.”
“Thank you, I’m Eddie, and that’s Lottie,” he told her as he was about to head inside.
“Agatha,” she told him, “Now little lamb, how about I tell you a few stories,” she murmured as she began to speak nice and calm to the scared little girl.
Eddie grabbed what he thought could be helpful and went back out on the balcony. “Hey Lottie, Mrs Agatha is going to watch over you why I go and help people, okay, you be a good girl. If anything changes, please get me,” he asked, as he gestured to the monitor that was still beeping along to her heartbeat.
“Of course,” Agatha nodded as Eddie gave them one last look before heading over the balcony and into the water, to try and set something up to help get people out of the water and to the apartment he was just in.
XxXxX
The sun had set, and feet were on the ground. Evan carried both Christopher and the little girl he had first found. They had been so lucky, during one of the surges of water going out, they’d rescued a woman, the little girl’s mother, but she was badly hurt. She was being carried in a litter that they had constructed out of debris, as soon as they had been able to get off the truck, and the many vehicles that had piled up around it. The twenty-five that had been with him when he had started the journey to the VA, which had been set up as a temporary field hospital, had almost tripled in size. They had rescued a high number of people along the way, and more had joined them seeking the safety of large numbers. Now it was getting late, and still Evan hadn’t heard anything about Eddie or Charlotte, though he had been asking if anyone knew that he had come across if they had.
The lights were getting brighter as they reached the VA. There were already so many that were injured. Evan took the lead as he went over to someone with a clipboard.
“Are you checking in?” she asked.
“I have a large group with us. We were at the pier, there are 71 of us. 48 adults, 6 teenager, 9 children between fourteen and 5. Six under five years, and two newborns, one born recently as in less than two hours ago, and the other born a few days ago, according to the father that has her,” he explained, “This one mother is on a litter.”
“I have names, Papá, told me to make a note,” he said as he waved a pad and pen that they had flinched from a store front that had been broken.
“You did really well there,” she smiled, “I’ll send word out about your group, please sit and meander over there. I’ll send them as soon as.”
“I know,” Evan said, “firefighter,” he added as he gathered the group and led them over to the small area that they had been told to wait at. The pad going with the nurse with the clipboard. Evan had written in it, everyone’s condition each time they had rested as well, so the doctors and nurses that would be triaging them would have a good clue as to what was going on with them.
“Evan! Christoper!” came a yell as Eddie rushed out of the building, a stethoscope around his neck. “Oh dios, gracias a dios,” he said as others followed him.
“Daddy!” Christopher yelled from Evan’s arms as soon as Evan had put down the little girl with her mother.
“Eds,” he said, glancing around, “Lo… Lottie?” he asked, heart in his throat.
“She’s been airlifted to hospital. She has a slow bleed which needs an operation, and while simple ones are being done here, pediatric ones aren’t. I feel like I’m back in a war zone,” he said, as he held onto his fiance and son. “I’ve had to do two field amputations, I’m the only one with any experience in doing them,” he said, “It’s been a nightmare, not knowing what’s happened to you and Chris,” he said, as he tried to say something else but couldn’t.
“All the fucking therapy,” Evan said as soon as Eddie clammed up.
“Not again,” Christopher huffed, “I’ve run out of things to talk about.”
Eddie gave an almost hysterical laugh before he began to cry. It didn’t take long for Evan to do the same as the weight of what could have happened finally crashed down on them. Christopher was soon joining them, as they held onto each other.
It would be hours before they’d be shuttled home. Eddie had kept himself busy by helping out at the VA for a while. It would be even more time before they braved the showers to get clean, and almost too fatigued to even eat something before they collapsed in the same bed to sleep. It wouldn’t be until the next day when Shannon and Eric tell the rest of the family what’d happened. The family of three at the hospital with little Charlotte, who came through her operation like a champ. And the other family of three that felt like hunkering down for a few months. The rest of the Diaz-Buckley-Baxter families descended and with organized chaos, everyone would be fed, and checked up on. Coco made sure with the three at home that they were fine, but forced them to make an appointment with their own health care providers.
Chapter Thirty
The month after the tsunami that had hit Santa Monica had been challenging. With all three of the Buckley Diaz’s having been in it, they were struggling with showering. But as Evan had said when they reunited, All The Therapy. They had taken it to heart, and began intensive sessions a few days later, wanting to get to a point where they weren’t flinching when it came to showering or bathing, where being around water wasn’t going to freeze them up. It had worked, a month of therapy almost every other day had worked well for the three. Charlotte was doing well, and was well on her way to a full recovery, already driving her parents mad with wanting to play as much as she could.
Today though, today was about Eddie and Evan. It was finally their wedding day. Edmundo and Isabel had whisked Eddie away the day before, Shannon going off with them. He would be staying at the Diaz house for the night. Christopher had gone with Charlotte to spend the night with Darren and Coco, who were very happy to host both grandchildren for the night. While Phillip and Eric had spent the night with Evan.
Phillip patted down the tie, “You look wonderful, Evan,” he said, “I have something for you,” he added, “One last letter from Danny,” he said as he handed over the worn out envelope.
Evan took it and opened it up.
Evan
So, I told Dad to give this to you when you got married. I can’t believe you’re going to get married. Do girls have cooties? That’s what Mark used to tell me. But I don’t think they do, or Maddie would have them. Dad said you might not marry a woman, that maybe you’d be in a life partnership with a man. I don’t care. But do they love you? Are you gonna be with them forever? Cus that’s a really long time. I can’t even imagine it. Forever is so much longer than I’ll ever be around for. they better love you, even more than I do. And I love you a lot. You keep blowing spit bubbles at me at the moment. It’s really cute, though I don’t think Mom is impressed. But that last one was massive.
I wonder sometimes what your wedding would be like. Is there gonna be lots of different colors, and what about music, dad said you’d have a song to dance to at some point. Have you chosen one? I think I would like I will Always Love You, I really like that song. But does it fit for you, or have you got something that you grew up with instead? I told Dad to dance with you and your partner twice, one for himself and one for me. Since I won’t be there in person. But I plan to watch it and dance around the dance floor with you both.
Love you Evan, so much.
Danny
Evan closed the letter, sniffling a little as he tried not to cry. “I really wish he was here,” he said, “I really wish I could remember him, or at least meet him for a few moments.”
“I know,” Phillip told him, “He loved you a lot, as you know,” he smiled, “Now, I promised him that I’d dance with you twice at the reception, and I plan on it, and I’ll be doing the same with Eddie. He would be so happy for you both today, he’d be bouncing around and hurrying things along, no doubt.”
“Yeah?” Evan said as he finished getting ready.
“Yeah,” Phillip nodded, “Come on, we need to get moving or we’ll be late, especially with traffic in LA,” he warned.
“I’m driving,” Eric said, grabbing the keys and grinning at them, “The venue is where the marriage and reception are being held,” he said, “So we don’t have to go anywhere else afterward,” he reminded them.
“I know,” Evan rolled his eyes as they headed out of the house. They wouldn’t be going on a honeymoon, at least not yet. They were going to do that next year instead, go somewhere during the summer as soon as they had saved up enough vacation days to do so.
They arrived at the venue, and before they could see each other, they were taken to the side rooms where each of them would be walking from to meet at the front. The music started and Evan linked his arm with his dad, who smiled. Eric was behind him as his best man. Shannon was the best woman for Eddie, and Edmundo would be walking his grandson down.
Evan looked around the hall, smiling at his friends and family. Everyone he cared for was gathered there to help him celebrate the best days of his life. He saw Eddie being walked in. As they got part way down. Phillip stopped.
“I need a moment to say something,” Phillip said, “Before we carry on further. Most of you here know me as Evan’s dad, someone who loves him with my whole heart. But once upon a time there was someone else who loved and cared for Evan like a dad should, someone who was there for him, teaching him, letting him grow. When I failed as a father, he was the one to pick up that slack and take on that role. I shouldn’t be the only one walking Evan to meet his future husband. Darren,” he said as he looked at the man, who was now wide-eyed at the front of the gathering. “Come and join me in walking our son down the aisle?” he asked.
Darren hesitated for a few seconds before he got up. “Phillip.”
“You deserve this a lot more than what I do, so this… I’m sharing with you,” he said as Evan smiled at the two of them.
“Dad, Pops,” he said as he looked between the two, “Shall we, I have a husband to be that I want to get married to,” he said, his tone light as the two smiled and nodded.
“Yeah, son,” Darren said, his voice a little rough and full of emotion as he took Evan’s arm, and the two men walked the younger down the aisle, to where Eddie was now waiting for them.
“Thanks, Dad, Pops,” Evan smiled at the two as he let them go and held Eddie’s hand, “Love you both, and Mama,” he added as he glanced at Coco.
“I want a mother-son dance, and don’t you forget it,” Coco called out, as she dabbed at her eyes.
“Never, Mama,” Evan told her and then looked at Eddie.
“We ready for this?” Eddie asked him, a soft and fond smile on his face as Shannon and Eric took their places behind their respective grooms.
“I am,” he smiled back.
“We are gathered here today, to see Evan Buckley and Edmundo Diaz married, to link their hearts together as one for the rest of their lives. Both grooms have prepared their own vows, so I will let them say them before I continue,” the officiant said as she gave over the floor to the two.
“Eddie, that letter I sent was just for a school project. I didn’t know that it would slowly lead me to having the best life possible. I have a job I love, I have friends that I adore. I have a family that I never want to be without. But most of all, I have you and our son. I never thought I would find love when I wrote to you. I was just hoping that maybe I could make a new friend. And I did, I found one of my best friends. I have no doubt, that even without that letter I would have somehow found you, and I would’ve made a family with you regardless of the circumstances. Because I can’t imagine a life where I would be without you, or without Christopher. You and Christopher are my world, and it would be a dark and lonely place without you both. I love you with all that I am, and I hope you know that I love you more and more, each and every single day that I get the privilege and pleasure of spending with you,” he smiled, “I will spend a lifetime showing you how much I love you, and I will do it with a heart full of love, and soul that knows that it’s found its home with you.”
Eddie smiled, a little teary, but nothing fell as he began to say his own vows. “Evan, answering that letter was the best thing that happened to me as well. You taught me that I could stand up for myself, that my parents didn’t rule my life, that what happened when I was younger wasn’t going to ruin what I wanted with my future. I no longer gave in to things I knew I didn’t want. You gave me the courage to cut out the toxic people in my life. And I did, it was the best thing I ever did. Shannon and I fell into co-parenting which led her to finding her own forever love. And it led me to you. At first, I didn’t think of you as anything but a good friend, but as the years went on, you became more and more important to me, so much so, that I can no longer live my life without you in it. You are my sun and my moon. Christopher is the stars that paints the sky even when the sun shines brightly because there is nothing that could outshine him.”
“Never,” Evan laughed lightly.
“Evan Buckley, I love you with all my heart, and I want to spend eternity by your side, in this life and the next, and any other we might be granted together. Because you are all that my soul has cried out for since I was a child. Someone who is just for me, someone I can lean on, someone I don’t always have to be strong for. Someone who sees me, flaws and all, and is willing to be there, to be my rock, and who I can support just as much. We are a team, and one that is going to always win. I love you, Evan, so much more than I can ever put into words,” he finished.
The officiant smiled at the two of them, “Time for the exchanging of rings,” she said as Eric and Shannon brought out the rings that had been given to them that morning.
Rings were exchanged with additional vows made. “You may kiss your husband,” she said as she stepped back and let the two of them share a kiss. Clapping and cheers came from those gathered, and a giggling eww, came from Christopher, but that was expected by their son. He did it when anyone kissed.
“May I now present husbands, Mr Edmundo Diaz-Buckley, and Mr Evan Diaz-Buckley to the gathering, may your life together be a joyful one,” the officiant finished as the two made their way to the other half of the building, where the reception would be taking place. The room they were in was going to be changed around for the meal later on.
Ten minutes later, everyone waited for Eddie and Evan to reappear as they had disappeared into a side room, with some adults making a bet on what they were up to.
Music began to play, Affirmation, by Savage Garden came up as Eddie and Evan appeared from behind a speaker and started to dance slowly around the dancefloor, secured in each other arms. As the music kicked up, so did they. Letting the rhythm of the music dictate what they were doing. The two were singing along to the music as they danced, a happy smile on their faces as others began to join them.
As the music finished and another song began to play, the two stopped in the middle of the dance floor. “I love you Mr Diaz-Buckley,” Eddie said, as he kissed him.
“And I love you, Mr Diaz-Buckley,” Evan smiled back, kissing him a few more times before he added, “I finally have some good karma owed to me.”
“I will spend my life, making sure of it,” he smiled, another song by Savage Garden began to play. The two smiled. “Yeah, you really are the best thing about me,” he grinned.
Evan laughed lightly, “So are you,” he nodded as they began to dance once more, enjoying being in each other’s arms.
FIN
I am flabbergasted. So much action. So much drama. So much yeeting of toxicity.
I love the whole thing, but I think Phillip is my favorite thing of all. His development really makes this fic stand out.
I also love that the people who supported Evan in part I are still there supporting him at the end. It’s the thing that made for a very different Buck because he did have people who didn’t give up on him, and that gave him the strength to yeet the ones who did.
This is a fic that I’m going to turn around and reread again fairly soon (if not tomorrow). Bravo.
What a wonderful story.
I’m delighted by the changes. It makes for a much better and saner story.
Thanks for writing ❤️
What a lovely ending
This is a terrific ending to a great series. I love all the changes you made.
As another commenter said, the development of Philip into a decent father was particularly satisfying.
Thank you!
oh, this was awesome! I really enjoyed this whole series, very much indeed!
thanks for a damn fine read!
Thank you so much for the stories in this series, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed reading them. <3
This was so good.
There’s so much here to love. You gave them such rich lives and joyful loves.
You went all out with Maddie and Doug. Her being so bent that she thought it was a good idea to to hurt Chris and Evan. Your court scenes throughout this series have been very good. I do enjoy a judge who is appalled by entitled asshats.
I really enjoyed everything you put into Evan being a cop. You made it real and kept it real even as he changed direction, it was still a part of him.
Christopher helping Evan get that little girl breathing again and then Eddie working on Lottie, my heart was just pounding.
Thank you so much for ending with the joy of their wedding.
I love all of the family that he’s made. And the love that he and Eddie have built. Many decades in the future they are going to go together.
Thank you
This whole series was amazing! I love seeing Evan and Eddie growing into themselves and having the support to fight for themselves and those they love. Phillip changed for the better and the letters he kept giving from Daniel were beautiful! I loved watching these gorgeous relationships, both romantic and familial, building over the stories and how close they all became. Thanks for sharing! I’ll definitely be coming back to this series!
Awesome story that concludes an awesome series. Thank you for sharing!
A lovely ending to the series, but the start of a promising future for them, surrounded by so many people who love and support them.
Phillip made quite the turnaround, but it happened gradually as he acknowledged his mistakes, then started to get to know his son properly and sped up when he removed from that toxic environment and became part of a much better extended family group. It was a shame that Maddie didn’t try to get to know Evan again, as she too could have benefitted from both the love and care around her brother, but also the great examples of how to be a good person. But some people just don’t want to change and she stubbornly refused to even listen, so was primed to go off the rails when Doug reappeared.
Above all else, there is a sense of life continuing despite all the traumas and a family that helps each member to recover from trauma and to keep going through bad patches, as well as sharing the joy of small wins and major milestones alike.
Wow. Maddie just kept getting worse and worse.
Evan, unfortunately, is a psycho magnet. Hopefully he is finished with them coming after him.
Loved how Phillip developed and became the dad Evan and Daniel deserved.
Great stories, thank you.
Absolutely amazing reinvention, so very creative and well-written. I love how both refused to accept toxicity in their lives. Your villains were truly despicable and Philip’s redemption was wonderful. I am so pleased that Isabel didn’t lose her beloved Edmundo. This was truly amazing.
Wonderful story, and as other comments have said Philip’s development was wonderful, aside from reconnecting with Evan and becoming the father he could trust and depend on, loved how he went from resentful of Darren & Coco’s importance and influence in Evan’s live, to a tentative friendship as he proved himself (because Darren and Coco started off hating him because of his neglect and not stopping Margaret’s abuse of Evan) to a stronger friendship (and common grandparentship with Lottie) to finally acknowledging Darren & Coco as Evan’s parents and shared walking Evan down the aisle at his wedding.
Amazing series. Loved the different journey for Buck and the redemption of Phillip. Thanks for sharing.
Lovely! I’ve read the whole series with pleasure and appreciation for the many original fixit twists large and small, and love for the stars and costars both canon and OC. Cheers and congratulations to the big, happy, supportive family they’ve built and defended against others’ selfish and delusional malice, unbroken by the various ills and traumas they’ve endured.
I apologize for not having said more, sooner, but sometimes “wording” just isn’t happening — but I couldn’t close the tab without dragging myself into the comment box to say thanks, and offer best wishes for both your ordinary life and creative endeavors.