Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Captain Bobby Nash looked up at the knock on his office door; he was expecting a visit from a potential replacement for Eddie while the man was on extended leave.

Hen, one of his senior paramedics, poked her head around the door and said, "You have a visitor; this guy says you're expecting him, Cap. I didn't get a name, sorry."

Bobby said, "If it's Firefighter Adam Nero, then yes, I am expecting him."

From behind Hen, a deep, gravelly voice said, "That's me." He squeezed around her and, at a nod from Bobby, closed the door and took a seat. Bobby noticed he took up a lot of the seat, and he hoped the qualifications the guy had would be a match for Buck so they wouldn't lose SAR status. 

Adam leaned over and handed Bobby a folder; it contained his certifications and a recommendation from his usual captain that he could add to the LAFD file.

Bobby flipped it open and started to read. He noticed the certifications were always kept active, even if he only worked every couple of years. So he asked, "You don't work very often."

Adam smirked and said, "Usually only when doing someone a favor, like now. Our mutual friend said you were in a tight spot."

The captain nodded. "One of my firefighters needs time off; the problem is he's not sure how long his family situation is going to take to straighten out, so I need someone with flexibility to cover. You'll be partnering up with my main heavy rescue asset, Buck, so we don't lose our backup SAR status while Eddie is working things out." He took a good look at Adam and said, "You're not Adam Nero."

Adam's smirk grew, and he disputed, "Technically, I'm Fintan Adam Nero; I just go by Adam."

"That's not what I meant, and you know it," Bobby growled. "You're Mick Rory, otherwise known as Heatwave, the pyromaniac and one of the infamous Rogues from Central City; how the hell did you get the credentials to be a firefighter?"

Mick grinned and said, "I prefer arsonist, not pyromaniac. I'm not compelled to light fires; I'm just good at it, and I do enjoy it when the opportunity arises."

Bobby stared incredulously before he said, "You are famous for lighting fires and making them damn near unstoppable."

Mick shrugged, "I have a degree in fire science and another in chemistry. They are helpful in knowing how to stop fires, which I use for my career as a firefighter. However, they're also good for knowing how to light unstoppable fires, useful in my other career as a supervillain." He sighed, "Look, name any fire, any at all, that I'm known for that is, and I'll tell you exactly why I set it and what the establishment did to deserve the fire."

They went back and forth for a few minutes, with Bobby naming some of the most significant fires in Central Cities history. Each one had a list of proven criminal deeds, including fraud, embezzlement, racketeering, and exploitation; on top of that was a laundry list of officials that the owners had bribed to look the other way, and in all cases, the actual owners of the buildings had full insurance so didn't lose out as severely as the tenants.

Mick admitted, "Look, I know I'm not an innocent goody two shoes, but I'm also not the villain many make me out to be. I set fires because it's what I'm good at, and at the end of the day, fire is cleansing, and the rogues are working on cleansing the gangs and other less reputable elements out of our city."

"So why are you here in LA?" Bobby asked with a bit of curiosity in his voice. He also knew from reading the newspaper reports that the rogues never committed crimes outside of Central City.

Mick laughed, "As much as I hate the puns that one of my partners is so fond of, things got a bit hot in Central, so I need a break. Your family crisis came up at just the right time." He could see the indecision on the captain's face, so he said, "I don't operate as Heatwave outside of Central. None of the rogues do crime outside of Central; that's our turf, and we stick to it. If we spend time outside of the city, it's under alternative identities that will hold up to extensive background checks, as I'm sure you're already aware."

Bobby said, "You even passed my wife's background check, which is bordering on colonoscopy levels when it involves anyone new working with the FireFam."

Mick admitted, "Having a bulletproof legal ID comes in handy for the kids that we foster. We do what we can for them, especially those living rough on the streets, and we help them get a fresh start. We've even put a couple through college. I got my fire science degree with one of my fosters. I was attending class with him because he was still a minor, smart, but still a minor, so he needed an adult to accompany him to classes. After the first semester, he said I might as well do the course with him if I was going to accompany him, so I did."

Bobby was curious, so he asked, "Do you stay in touch with the kids you foster?"

Mick shrugged. "Some. Some don't leave Central City, and they come over whenever we have a barbecue party. Others travel, and we lose touch. The downside of constantly moving to stay ahead of those who have a beef with our villainous alter egos."

"Not the police?" The captain asked. "Wouldn't they be constantly hunting you down?"

Mick laughed. "The few that actually investigate are frustrated with the Rogues, since we are well known for clean crime scenes. No evidence left behind means no valid search warrants were issued. Any records we did have were wiped after we did a favor for a friend a few years back."

Bobby's eyebrows almost hit his hairline, and he snarked, "That must've been some favor."

Mick nodded. "Rescued some people from solitary confinement, gave them a purpose rather than letting them rot in a jail that wasn't a legal jail."

Bobby pulled out some paperwork from his file cabinet and placed it on the desk. He said, "The assignment is yours if you want it, I'm not sure how long it will be for, but I'm hoping you'll stick around until Eddie can return to work."

"And if he doesn't return?" Mick asked, "What then?"

The captain sighed and said, "He's promised to leave that as a nuclear option, but if he decides he can't return and you're fitting in well, then you'll be offered a permanent position here, else I'll start looking for a new heavy rescue probie."

Mick said, "If it happens, and I have the time, I'll give you time to find someone exceptional, but we'll discuss it if it happens. I can tell you're hoping he'll return."

With a chuckle, Bobby agreed. "Eddie is Buck's impulse control; Buck is a lot less reckless, and when there are two of them running into danger, I know someone has Buck's back in whatever he has to do in there. The kid is smart, but he would put himself at risk rather than lose another member of the team."

Mick thought that sounded like a lot of their foster kids. Most of them come out of the system, even when raised with the love and attention they get from the rogues, they still have abandonment issues up the wazoo. He murmured, "That sounds familiar." But didn't say anything further, no matter how curious the captain looked.

Bobby slid the paperwork over with a pen, and Mick got to work filling it all out. Eventually, he was done, confirmed by Bobby, who checked it all over with an eagle eye. He placed it in his drawer and said, "Lunch should be ready soon; let's go upstairs and introduce you to the rest of the team, including Eddie, who's been waiting with bated breath for me to find a temporary replacement."

Mick stood and said, "If you could introduce me as Adam Nero, I don't use Fintan at all."

As they walked, Bobby asked, "Is there meaning behind the name?"

Mick laughed, "I told you one of my partners is into puns; that doesn't stop at verbal wordplay. Fintan means fire, specifically white fire, Adam means man, and Nero means strong…"

Bobby sighed as they approached the kitchen area and said, "So, fire man strong, which means when you're listed as Nero, Fintan Adam in the files, it means strong fireman." He tried to avoid laughing before he said, "Not my circus, not my monkeys."

Buck heard him from the other side of the breakfast bar and said, "Well, cap, we are definitely your monkeys, and this is absolutely your circus."

Mick gasped before Bobby could reply, and he yelled, "Fidget!"

Buck took in the older man and started to say, "Mi…" But before he could even finish the first syllable, Mick shook his head, and Buck corrected himself, and as he put down the knife he was using, he said, "Adam, oh my god, dude, I haven't seen you in years."

Mick raised an eyebrow and said, "What did I say about calling me dude?"

Buck laughed and said, "You said don't do it, with some creative threats that you never followed through on, so I never stopped. Anyway, what are you doing here?"

Bobby said, "He's Eddie's temporary replacement."

Eddie looked up from beside the two men, where he had been watching the cooking preparations, and said, "What?"

Bobby explained, "Adam has agreed to cover you until you're able to return to work, even if you're away for a few months. A friend of mine recommended him, as he often does short-term covers like this. He's got the same certifications as Buck, and they are all up to date."

Beal snarked, "Are you sure they're valid?"

Bobby sighed and said, "Yes, they are all valid to the level that professional standards expect; most are national certifications, and he has a host of certs offered by FEMA, since he travels to various departments for jobs as he's needed. Professional standards had to approve the hire, since he's only a temp and there is an unknown timeframe."

Adam explained, "People with heavy rescue certifications like mine and Buck's..." He glanced at Eddie and asked, "Maybe even Eddie? Are few and far between, and it's often hard to find floaters with decent heavy rescue certs."

Buck commented, "I get a lot of overtime offers just because of my certs." He also got a lot of transfer requests, but he wasn't going to mention those.

Mick looked over the detritus on the kitchen benches and said, "You're still one of the messiest cooks I know, Fidget."

Eddie said, "He's not usually this bad, but he had help that was messy and kept getting in the way of cleanup. Buck eventually sent him down to wash the truck. He said it would be quicker if he did the lunch prep on his own. I offered to help, but I'm not much better with the lunch stuff. At least not with what Buck is making now."

Bobby nodded. "Good point; I'll remove him from kitchen duty so he's only paired with me until he can learn to clean up after himself."

"Thanks, cap," Buck said gratefully. He was picky about who was allowed to help him in the kitchen.

Mick walked around the counter as he rolled up the sleeves of his Henley, and he asked, "Where do you need me, Fidget?"

Buck smiled and asked, "You still make the best biscuits in the Midwest?"

Mick laughed, "Of course, do you have all the fixin's?"

Bobby said, "I try to keep everything on hand, so we should do; I do miss me some biscuits and gravy."

Buck murmured sotto voce, "It's the one meal he's never quite perfected."

Eddie snickered, "His biscuits are more like rock cakes. I have to say, he nearly got the gravy right that one time, but then Chim kind of dropped the container all over the floor, so we'll never know."

Bobby muttered about insubordination good-naturedly as he pulled everything out for Mick and showed him where the main ingredients were stored, in case his recipe was different from the standard one. As he walked back to his office, he said, "If the bells go off, Buck, you'll be man behind. Oh, and Hen, you're supposed to be helping with the restock of RA1."

Hen sprinted down the stairs; it was apparent to the others that her curiosity had distracted her from the task she was in the middle of.

Mick asked, "Let me guess, she's curious to a fault and lousy with secrets?"

Eddie shook his head and said, "She's curious, but it's her partner who's lousy with secrets. He's currently away on FMLA leave, so she's soaking up all the gossip so she can pass it on. How did you know, though? Has Buck told you about our station?"

The older man shook his head and said, "There is one in every station; they are usually easy to spot. And Buck hasn't told me anything about the station; I haven't seen him since he left for Peru, and that was over a decade ago." He nudged the younger man's shoulder and said, "It is a nice surprise finding you here. I'll have to give you all our updated details. We have a secure dropbox for our mail now. The last address you had got burned just after you left."

Buck chuckled, "That explains why you never contacted me on my new number. I sent it via postcard when I went through Arizona. The Jeep Mardon sold me broke down, so I had to find temporary work while I was there, and someone stole my phone while I was working." He stirred the soup he was cooking and asked, "What's the deal with the secure dropbox? You always said you'd avoid those."

Mick grinned and said, "Me and Lenny found ourselves a third, and he owns Star Labs, so he arranged for us to use the address for our more legit mail, like the updates we get from our foster kids. He'll want to meet you once I tell him we found you. He offered to try and find you through his day job, but I didn't want to trigger any negative attention for you with a police search."

Buck looked dubious and said, "You're both dating a cop?"

"CSI," Mick admitted with a shrug. "You'll love him; he's just as frenetic as you, and he is so smart."

Eddie asked, "How do you know Buck?"

Buck laughed. "Eds, remember what I told you about my time in Central? Well, Adam was one of my foster fathers. Len is the other, and their relationship can get explosive."

"How explosive?" Eddie asked. It's clear from the look on his face that he's not sure he really wants the answer, but he asked anyway.

Buck smirked and said, "Well… the most memorable one took out two warehouses, an apartment building, and their favorite deli. And that wasn't even their worst argument. Although I've been watching the news from Central, and I haven't seen anything that looks like one of your fights for a few years, so I was curious about what changed. I would have thought the addition of new hardware would make things even more explosive, not less."

Mick looked almost bashful as he said, "That would be the addition of Red to our relationship; like I said, he balances us out nicely… and he's speedy enough to defuse the explosions before they begin. This time Lenny was pissed that Mardon screwed up on the latest job, and Red had taken care of it before Lenny had to. Lenny is with Red up in Star City, and they'll join me once they've calmed down a bit."

Buck placed his knife on the bench and said, "You added HIM to your relationship, and that's calmed things down? How? According to the news, he's the one trying to catch you!"

Mick laughed and said, "Lenny and Red made a deal; as long as we keep to our end of the bargain, he stays out of our not-so-legal business, and occasionally we help him out when we can."

Eddie looked confused, so Buck prompted, "Eds, remember what I told you about my time in Central and what you've heard on the news, then take a real good look at Adam, and you'll put it all together."

As Eddie was slowly putting together the puzzle, Mick asked, "Do you trust him?"

Buck laughed, "With my life. Eddie and his son have become family to me, and he's always got my back. How much did Bobby explain about why you're here?"

"Just that Eddie needed an indeterminate amount of time off," Mick said with a shrug, "he didn't say what for or why."

Eddie explained, "I was shot earlier this year by the sniper that was shooting firefighters, and my son isn't handling my being back at work well. So, I am taking time off to hopefully get us both some help. He had a complete meltdown over Christmas about it having to be perfect because it could be my last. I tried to resign, but Bobby offered to try and find cover while I took family leave."

Mick said, "That's why you look familiar; I remember seeing footage of it. You were the first one shot, right? Someone dragged you under the fire truck to get you out of the line of fire."

Buck admitted, "It was me who dragged him. We were talking when he was shot, and I just froze. Captain Mehta had to tackle me to get me to safety."

The older man said, "Nothing wrong with that, Fidget. Hell, even I've frozen a few times when Lenny or Red are threatened."

Eddie had the lightbulb look on his face, then he screwed it up and asked, "Buck, why are you telling a supervillain my issues?" He then looked at both of them before he asked, "Are you even a supervillain? You foster kids that have been abandoned, and from what Buck said, you burn down buildings when the police won't deal with the crimes going on inside, and you only do it when you know the owner is insured."

Mick said, "The supervillain tag helps us hide, to be honest. Those in the city who are aware of the other things we get up to also help. So no, while we aren't really supervillains, we'll play the part if it gets us what we want."

As he went to retrieve the heated serving bowl for the almost-finished gravy, Eddie asked, "Is there anything else you fix by playing that part?"

Mick shook his head, but Buck laughed and said, "They also use it to screw up the drug trade in Central City. You should have seen the dumbass that tried selling drugs outside my high school. He left town so fast it was like the hounds of hell were after him."

The older man nodded. "Lenny hates two things above all else, crooked cops, and people who sell drugs to kids. I'm honestly just along for the ride."

Buck turned the burner down on his soup now that it was nearly ready, and he asked, "Actually, Mick, while you're here, there's a favor I wanted to ask you. I need some people investigated deeper than what a standard legal PI could get me." He glanced at Eddie, who sighed, then eventually nodded when Buck wouldn't look away, an interaction that didn't go unnoticed by the other man. "It's Eddie's parents. They are pushing hard to get his Abuela to move to El Paso to be closer to family. The thing is, she has way more family in LA, and they know how much Christopher loves her."

Mick rumbled, "So you think it's a ploy?"

Buck huffed. "I think there is something bigger behind why they are so desperate to get someone they barely contact to move to El Paso. When Eddie's wife died a few years ago, they spent the entire wake nagging Eddie to move back to El Paso since he was about to graduate his probationary year. Even saying things like there are fires in El Paso. I personally think it's telling that all three of their kids have fled Texas. As far as I know, they are both in Europe with no plans to return."

Eddie added, "My parents thought Adriana was trying to get a scholarship to a local university with how hard she was studying, but it turned out she was aiming a lot higher. She's currently attending Sorbonne on a full ride. She had the option of two local schools, full rides too, but she turned them both down."

As Eddie started to set the tables and was out of earshot, Buck admitted, "His parents are nightmares. They wouldn't even let him enjoy his graduation. He had to threaten to ask them to leave before they would stop nagging about moving. They want access to Christopher; he's got CP, and they think they should be raising him. They even tried to guilt Eddie into giving them custody, but all it did was drive him out of Texas quicker than he was planning for."

When he came over to grab the cutlery baskets, Eddie said, "I let a friend sell my house by proxy; I was in such a rush to leave before my parents could file paperwork preventing me from leaving the state with my son… or worse, suing me for custody. I've warned my father that if they sue me for custody, I'll disown them and never speak to them again, and I'll also refuse them access to Christopher."

Mick groaned, "Ableist, controlling parents? We've dealt with a few of those over the years, especially now that metahumans are a thing. Do you think the threat will keep them at bay?"

Buck shook his head. "I suspect the push to get Abuela to move is step one of their plan. I just don't know why."

The older man said, "I have a friend in El Paso who's a family lawyer. He has a private detective on retainer who owes me several favors, and he's more black hat than white hat, so if the information exists, he'll find it. It'd be worth getting Lenny and Red on this, though; they both have friends in high places who may know people worth knowing in El Paso who can also ferret out information for you. Pretty sure they'll be here soon once they find out I've found you."

They got the serving dishes on the tables, and Eddie called everyone up for lunch.

Tanika saw the biscuits and asked, "Who made the biscuits? It's not something we have often."

Mick said, "Me. Fidget asked for them, so I whipped up a firehouse-sized batch."

Buck corrected, "Buck, not Fidget, at least not while I'm working."

Lunch was relatively quiet, with no one questioning Mick's presence, since they all knew Bobby was trying to find a long-term floater to cover Eddie while he took leave. However, the peace was broken by Hen as she asked. "So, how do you know Buck? I think I missed that part of the conversation."

Mick glanced at Buck, and when he shrugged in a grudging approval, he said, "I was his foster dad for a few years, but we lost touch after he left Central City."

Hen frowned and said, "But Maddie never said anything about you being in foster care."

Buck shrugged. "She probably doesn't know. I can't see my sperm and egg donor admitting to her that they abandoned me in Central City the day after she left for college."

Mick asked, "Your sister is here? In LA?"

With a sigh, Buck nodded. "She is, just not right now. She's got PPD, and I'm hoping she's receiving treatment for it, but she's not answering her phone, and Chimney refuses to speak to me, so I'm not sure what's going on."

Hen said, "You kept a secret from him, so of course he's not talking to you. You'll have to get down on bended knee to beg for forgiveness for that stunt."

Buck gave her a filthy look and said, "Hell will freeze over before I beg that bastard for anything. When he turns up in town, he's going to have questions to answer about why the hell he thought it would be okay to assault me in my own home, and don't think for a second that I'll be keeping that from Maddie, the domestic abuse survivor."

Eddie growled, "If he even thinks of coming near you, he'll have to go through me."

Bobby asked, "That broken bone was him?"

Mick looked angry, and he demanded, "What happened?"

Buck sighed, knowing that the whole shift was listening to the argument, and he explained, "My sister has apparently been hiding severe PPD since she had Jee-Yun, my niece. After that big blackout a few months ago, she'd been left alone with Jee for five days, and I guess from Chimney's reaction, something happened. She left Jee here with Ravi and a tablet with a video message for Chimney. He's Hen's paramedic partner and my sister's boyfriend. As she left town, she called me to say she was leaving and asked me to take care of Chimney and Jee. No more information than that; she was simply fulfilling a promise she had made not to leave again without telling me. I tried to get more information, but she ended the call and turned her phone off. Chimney took that call to mean I'd been hiding information and blindsided me with a fist to the face hard enough to break my zygomatic bone."

Hen commented angrily, "He said you got that black eye when you tried to prevent him from leaving your apartment."

Eddie snarked, "And, of course, you would believe the pathological liar. You do remember that Buck's apartment has video surveillance in all the common areas? I saw the video of the punch, and it was a complete blindside; he waited until Buck looked away, and bam. It's why I convinced him to go to the police."

Hen looked mulish as she said, "You would stick up for your best friend. I can't believe you want Chimney charged. He was emotionally compromised."

Bobby commented dryly, "I think, after the rebar incident, he's out of chances with that excuse, Hen. Either way, he won't be returning to the 118. It's likely that punch will result in a loss of job if he's formally charged, which, if there is video footage, he will be. It will be a felony charge because he caused an injury that required surgery." He turned to Buck and asked, "Can I get a copy of that video and any police incident report numbers so I can pass that on to the brass for assessment?"

Buck pulled out his phone and tinkered with it for a minute before he said, "Done. I already had the video in my drafts folder. I've been trying to figure out how to approach you about the fact I don't feel comfortable working with him. And if Hen doesn't drop the victim blaming, I'll add her to the list."

Hen snarked, "You should have told him about the call, Buck. You were in the wrong, and you should accept it."

The younger man shrugged. "She asked me not to. It's that fucking simple, Henrietta. Don't push your luck. I'm already pissed that you encouraged him to take Jee on a road trip chasing shadows. You're a qualified paramedic, and you're going to med school, so I know you're aware of how detrimental it is to her development to spend all day in a car seat. Yet, you didn't discourage him but offered to go with him."

Eddie commented, "At least without Chimney here, Maddie isn't getting blow by blows of your every waking move."

Hen rolled her eyes and said, "He's not that bad."

Buck, Eddie, Bobby, and most of the rest of the A shift all said, "He is."

Mick snarked, "That sounds like fun for you. Have you asked him to stop?"
 
The younger man nodded. "So many times. He just says shit like 'she has a right to know because she's my older sister' and 'she knows best,' or that she missed out on so much of my life, so she likes to know what I'm doing."

The older man snarked, "Has she tried this new-fangled thing? Now, what was it called again? Oh, I know, asking? That's usually how people get accurate information on their loved ones."

Buck grumbled, "Oh no, Maddie prefers the biased information she gets from Chimney, since, according to her, I don't give her enough information."

Eddie added, "She also participates in Chimney's bullying and is the reason Buck sued our captain. But neither of them will believe you if you tell them that."

Hen shouted, "What the hell, Eddie? How were they the cause?"

Eddie stood and leaned over the table and menacingly said, "Because they fed Bobby incorrect information about his medical care. She told Chimney lies, knowing he would feed it to Bobby. Bobby listened to him because Maddie was his girlfriend, and he believed, at the time, that she was Buck's medical proxy, so she would have the most up-to-date information. As a result, he prevented Buck from returning to active duty, much to Maddie's satisfaction, and Buck was relegated to a job that nearly cost him his life. AND THAT'S ON CHIMNEY. And before you think to comment on how it's bullying that I'm talking about him when he's not here to defend himself, I'd like to remind you that you and Chim do the same thing to Buck when you think me and Bobby can't hear you and he's off shift, and sometimes, even when he's on shift, and you think he's busy with other things."

Bobby said, "The information he gave me conflicted with what Buck was telling me, and I was not aware that Buck had been cleared medically for active duty, not a desk job."

Buck said, "I developed more clots because of his meddling, Hen. Something Maddie still refuses to believe. There is a reason she was never my medical proxy or power of attorney. She loves me, but she still thinks she knows best, even though she never saw me after I turned 8 before she turned up after breaking into my ex-girlfriend's apartment."

Hen said, "I think you're all being unfair. Chimney is going through a really tough time."

Buck stood and started gathering dishes, and he said, "He broke my face, and could have killed my career and livelihood with that punch, so you'll find, Henrietta, that I don't give a damn. If you continue victim blaming, I'm going to request a transfer because I don't trust you to have my back while you still believe Chimney did nothing wrong."

Bobby said, "That won't be necessary; I think it's time for Paramedic Wilson to do a few courses, to learn how to treat those she works with, and maybe a few conversations with her wife and my wife to set her straight in just how badly she's messed up."

Martin piped up from the other table, "If she doesn't stop, Buck won't be the only one asking for a transfer."

There were murmurs of agreement from all around. Even Beal, who often sided with Chim, was looking unimpressed. Hen just crossed her arms and looked mulish as Bobby told her to meet him in his office.

Mick said, "I'm glad you cleared that up, cap. I definitely wouldn't be able to let that go without comment if he were to return to this shift. Not with how parental I still feel towards Buck. He was one of my foster kids for around a decade."

"I was one of your first foster kids," Buck commented, "You and Lenny were barely old enough to be certified as foster parents. How many kids have you fostered now? I know you keep count."

Mick grinned and said, "We just surpassed fifty long-term fosters. They are the ones that are with us for at least a year. We lost count of the short-term stays."

Eddie and Tanika were on dishes duty, so Buck sat and chatted with Mick while they got to work since they'd already put in the hard work in making lunch. Several people approached to thank the older firefighter for the biscuits and gravy; they were a shift favorite, but not one had often.

The rest of the shift were downstairs, and Buck trusted Eddie and Tanika, so he asked, "So what are you really doing here, Adam? LA is a long way from Central City."

Mick chuckled, "When Chief Peters calls asking for a favor…"

"You jumped at the chance to finally repay all the favors he's done you," Buck finished. "How is the old chief doing these days? Still running the Keystone FD with an iron fist?"

Mick nodded. "Of course. He's roped most of us in on shifts over the years; even Hartley does a few shifts to cover vacations."

Eddie frowned and asked, "Why do you work for the Keystone Fire Department if you live in Central City."

Buck explained, "They are pretty much the same city, just on opposite sides of the state border. Central City is on the Missouri side, and Keystone is on the Kansas side. Also, the Central City Fire Department is a bit… ummm…"

"Corrupt and mostly run by the Santini family," Mick said honestly. "Keystone FD, on the other hand, is fantastic, and Chief Peters works to make sure everyone gets certifications, and he works with all of us to make sure we work our way up the ladder, so to speak, if that's what we want. Even us part-timers."

Buck added, "He also told the best stories. Although I used to think he was exaggerating, but after six years on the job in LA, I think he was underselling it, or LA just gets crazier calls."

Mick asked, "How crazy?"

Eddie was quick to answer, and he said, "My first week involved a guy who shot a live grenade into his leg, the guys who cemented a microwave to their friend's head and he fell in the pool, and a 7.1 earthquake that had us climbing the leaning tower of hotel to rescue people."

Mick laughed, "No, I think it's safe to say he didn't undersell; you definitely get crazier calls."

Eddie asked, "About what you said before, that's not what you want?" At the curious looks from the two taller men, he clarified, "To work your way up the ladder."

Mick shook his head. "Nah, I'm quite happy just filling in when I'm needed. It keeps my certs current, and I quite often get to fill in when I need a… break from Central."

Buck asked, "What's the break for this time? Fight with Len, or are things getting a bit hot."

The older man answered, "A little of the first and a lot of the second. I needed some time away from the city, and LA sounded like a good bet. It brought me back to you so we can catch up, and I can find out what you've been doing since Peru."

They spent time catching up until the bells went off. Bobby offered to leave Buck as man behind so they could keep talking, but Mick said he had things to do. And he did; he wanted to get the wheels rolling on the two issues Evan had dropped in his lap.

Chapter Text

Len looked up from the message he'd received on his phone. It'd been a few weeks since he'd spoken with Mick and got the details on Evan's sister, and she'd been a hard lady to track down, but Hartley finally did it. He looked up at Barry and said, "He found her. She's at Brigham and Woman's Hospital in Boston. Rathaway's already arranged an appointment with her therapist for this afternoon."

Barry asked, "What about her boyfriend? Any sign of him?"

Len grinned. "He's been spotted several times outside Mass General Hospital where she used to work. To my informant's knowledge, he hasn't approached anyone yet, but he's concerned about the health of the baby he always has with him. Mostly because he hasn't seen him stop to feed her or even give her something to drink. So I think, while you're visiting Maddie, I'll tail him and see if I can snatch the kid."

Barry started to pack up his laptop and said, "Sounds like a solid plan. According to what I could find out from Mick, he's not even supposed to have her outside of LA. She's been reported missing, but that's where it gets murky. He gave up his parental rights when she was born, so he wouldn't lose his allowance from his father in Korea. However, he has an agreement with Maddie Buckley that he would have custody while she was in treatment for PPD. The agreement states that he's not to take her out of LA. However, while the agreement gives him custody, the police are unwilling to issue an Amber Alert without speaking to Ms. Buckley first, and as you said, she has been hard to find. I'll mention the legal issues so she can speak to the police and file her own report. She's likely not aware of anything going on outside of treatment if her issues are that severe."

Len said cynically, "Or she's been getting messages from this Howard guy saying everything is fine, so she wouldn't stress about her child being trapped in a car for hours at a time on this cross-country trip." He picked up his messenger bag, which contained everything important, and then held out his hand for his partner and said, "I'm ready when you are."

Barry, being the speedy one of the pair, packed everything else, then held Len close as he traveled across the country to Boston. Which gave them time to get settled before the appointment with the therapist. Star City to Boston wasn't the longest trip he'd taken, but it was a long one for someone not part of the Speed Force.

-X-

It took a few hours for Len's stomach to settle after the trip, then he headed out incognito to tail Howard Han and see what the situation was for himself. Meanwhile, Barry had a meeting with a therapist to attend at Brigham and Woman's Hospital. Dr. Teresa Woods had a good reputation for working with women with severe PTSD, and she was someone Maddie had worked with in the past at Massachusetts General Hospital before Doug had moved them back to Harrisburg.

He sat back in his chair in her office as she asked him, "So what is so urgent that you needed to see me outside of my normal practice hours, Mr Allen?"

Barry flushed slightly. He wasn't sure how Hartley had got the appointment on her books, so he sidestepped the unasked question, and said, "I'm here about Maddie Buckley; I'd like to visit with her... if she's up to it. There are a few… issues going on that she is likely not aware of that need fairly immediate attention." When he could see the doubt on her face, he clarified, "Family issues, specifically with her brother, partner, and daughter."

She closed her eyes for a moment, obviously thinking, then said, "It's not up to me, I'm afraid. I'll ask Ms. Buckley if she's willing to receive a visitor, and yes, I'll stress that it is important and about issues back home."

As she left the room, Barry muttered, "Not entirely at home." But the doctor had already shut the door.

A few minutes later, she reopened the door and stated, "Follow me. She's willing to see you for a few minutes so you can state your case. It is up to her if you stay or go."

He followed her through several corridors, that he had memorized as they walked, before he was led into a small family room where Maddie was already waiting. She stood when they entered, and she asked, "Teresa, can you stay, please?"

The doctor nodded and said, "I'm just going to sit out of the way while you two chat."

Barry approached Maddie and said, "You obviously don't know me, but my partners know your brother quite well, and they are worried about him, and, by proxy, you."

"Okay," she said hesitatingly. "So why has that necessitated a visit and not a phone call? Evan knows how to get hold of me; I left him a letter with my contact details, including the details for Dr. Woods."

The younger man said, "I don't know all the particulars, but I think it's safe to say he never got the letter. A lot has happened since you left LA, and not much of it is good." He huffed and said, "I'm not actually sure where to start since there is a lot."

Maddie shrugged and said, "From the start, it usually helps. Why not explain how you know my brother, since he's never mentioned you."

Barry admitted, "I've never met him. I have plans to head to LA after this so I can see Mick and meet Buck. Mick is one of my partners, and he's covering at the 118 for a few months, so Eddie, I think his name is, can take family leave; something to do with a sniper and his son not handling his return to work well."

Maddie sat up sharply and demanded, "Eddie left the 118?"

Barry held out a hand to request calm and said, "Not permanently. It's why Mick is there. He undertakes long-term floater assignments around the country for various fire departments, typically when they require someone specializing in heavy rescue. From what I understand, Eddie will be back with the 118 once he has some therapy under his belt, both for him and for his son. Apparently, his son had a massive meltdown when they were decorating for Christmas, and Eddie tried to quit the same day. His captain realized what was going on and pulled some strings. So Mick is partnering with Buck until Eddie is well enough to return, and I think Eddie and his son have moved in with Buck to help him with his recovery or something like that."

Maddie tilted her head and asked, "That doesn't explain how you and your partners know my brother. I've never heard him mention you or this Mick guy."

Barry sighed, "That's a much longer story." The look on her face told him to start talking, so he said, "Mick and my other partner, Len, foster kids. Usually, they find them living rough in Central City, and they take them in, giving them a home, love, and an education. They said they found Buck living rough when he was about eight years old and took him in; he was one of their first. He'd been living rough for about six months by the time they found him, and it took a while to smooth out his rough edges. They got him back into school, where it was quickly discovered that he was smart, like genius-level smart, so they worked with the school to get him moved up in grades so he didn't get bored, and some teachers would even give him advanced work when they realized he'd already finished the assignments his classmates were working on. Eventually, he graduated high school at 15, so they got him into Keystone U, for which he needed an adult to accompany him. Mick went with him, and together they got their fire science degrees. Mick added his to his chemistry degree."

Maddie asked, "Are you sure we're talking about the same Evan here? Evan Buckley."

Barry nodded. "Yep. So when you left for college, apparently, your parents decided they were done with the parenting thing, and they dumped him in Central City. He never went into the how, just that they drove to Central City for something and left him behind when they left. He said he would be surprised if you knew about it, since you'd never mentioned it before."

Before Maddie could comment, Barry's phone beeped. He quickly read the message, before he glanced at the two women and asked, "If I asked you to keep the mother of all secrets, would you? You'd be able to talk to Buck and, I think, Eddie about it, Maddie, but that's it."

Dr. Wood said, "Anything said or seen in here is covered by patient confidentiality."

Maddie nodded. "Of course. I know better than to tell Chimney secrets."

As soon as Barry had their agreement, he was gone in a flash of lightning, only to return a few seconds later holding Jee-Yun in her baby carrier. He sat the carrier down on the small table in the middle of the room.

Before he could say anything, Maddie sounded incredulous, and she demanded, "Did you just kidnap my baby?"

Barry shrugged and said, "According to Buck, technically, your boyfriend has kidnapped her by taking her out of LA, so I kidnapped her from her kidnapper, so two wrongs make it right? He shrugged and said, "Sorry, Len messaged to let me know there was a prime opportunity to grab your daughter while your partner was unaware. He's concerned by how docile she is, so I didn't have time to bring up the fact that your boyfriend is in Boston trying to find you."

Dr. Wood looked down at Jee and admitted, "Issues aside, I am also concerned. She's just been moved across the city, and yet she's barely looking around at her new surroundings. She's also looking a bit waxy."

Barry reassured, "The Speed Force protects children when they are carried, so the travel at high speed isn't why she's in this state. Len said she's been docile like this since I arrived at the hospital. She hasn't made any noise at all."

Maddie frowned. "She's normally quite chatty, even if it is baby speak."

Dr. Wood suggested, "How about I take her across to Boston Children's Hospital and get her assessed by a friend of mine. He's one of their top pediatric doctors."

Maddie nodded and asked, "Was she close? Like you said, he's supposed to be in LA."

Barry sighed, "Your partner left LA a week after you did. Your brother reported her missing, but because there was a letter granting him custody, the police were reluctant to issue an Amber Alert without your authority. Especially when she was in the custody of her biological father and a fellow first responder. Len found him in the parking building for Mass Gen; he's been stalking the staff parking lot, asking if anyone knows you."

Maddie turned to the doctor and asked, "Can you please get her assessed, and mention that she's been traveling for the past few months against my wishes. I'll also need to speak to a police officer about the missing persons report, so it can be confirmed that he did not have my permission to leave California with her."

Dr. Wood nodded. "I'll get someone I trust to come here and take the report."

Barry glanced at her phone and said, "You might want to do that first. Len said Howard Han was just arrested as there was an existing warrant for his arrest for assault and battery. He'd called 9-1-1 about his missing daughter." Another message came in. "They also have questions about the existing missing persons report since it mentions he was not to remove the minor child from California. He's apparently having quite a tantrum. Len's recording it, so we can watch it later."

Dr. Woods said, "I'll go get her assessed, and I'll involve child services from the get-go, so they are aware from the start that you were not aware that she had been removed from LA, and that you'd prefer for your brother to take custody while everything is sorted out. I think it's time to implement our plan for you to transfer to our sister facility in LA. You're ready, and we can talk to your brother about taking custody while you're doing your therapy."

She left the room with Jee-Yun, and as soon as the door shut, Maddie demanded, "Who did Chimney assault?"

Barry dropped his head into his hands and mumbled, "Buck." He looked at her to see her looking absolutely livid, and he said, "He's fine now. He had to take almost a month off to recover from facial surgery after your partner broke his zygomatic arch. He now has a small plate holding it all together." She looked doubtful, so he showed her the shots the police had taken of Buck's face before and after surgery for the police report, and she slumped in the realization that she'd trusted another man capable of violence. This was all evident on her very expressive face. He sat up straight and said, "Look, one of the things I wanted to discuss with you was how you treat your brother. It can't go on like it has."

Before he could continue, she held her hand up and said, "I know. Trust me, Dr. Woods has put me through the wringer, not just with the PPD, but with everything going back to the death of my brother Daniel and how that made me cling to my parent's demands for how I had to protect Evan, even from himself. Doug and everything there just magnified it. She's taught me coping strategies so I can let him be the adult I know he is, and not the eight-year-old I remember him being. It's something I was going to apologize to him for when I got back to LA. I've been so bad, controlling, clingy, manipulative, the works, and looking back, it's toxic as hell. I expect that he'll forgive me, like he always does, but I'll definitely work to earn it. It's one of the reasons I have been here for so long. Dr. Woods realized there was more going on than just PPD, and she worked out my PPD was an issue with my thyroid, not just hormones. So once the medications have a chance to work, I will have an easier recovery time. If that makes sense."

Barry nodded. "It does. We covered some of the issues like this when I was in college. In my day job, I'm a CSI for the Central City PD. Do you think you're ready to go back to LA?"

Maddie nodded. "I am, but I'm not ready to be Jee's mom full-time yet. I'd like to discuss that with Buck, especially since he's currently living with Eddie. Eddie's place doesn't have a lot of room."

The younger man laughed and said, "They have plenty of room now. Mick said Buck moved closer to his captain, and he moved Eddie and his son in with him. I think Mick is staying in Eddie's place, and someone else is renting Buck's old loft. It all gets confusing, especially since I usually get the information from Mick, and he's not really the details guy in our relationship. That's Len, for the most part." He glanced down at his phone and said, "Apparently, the tantrum is over, so he's ready for a pickup. Is it okay if I bring him here?"

Maddie asked, "This is your other partner? Len?"

Barry nodded, and when she nodded her agreement, he flashed out and back again, this time with an older man, a bit older than her, with a salt and pepper buzzcut. They both sat, and then Barry introduced the two of them.

Len said, "It's nice to finally meet you. We heard a lot about you from Evan as he grew up with us."

She shook her head and said, "I had no idea. I went home a few times, and whenever I asked about Evan, they said he was away at a school camp or staying with friends. By the time I was starting to question it, I was with Doug, who kept me on a very short leash."

Len nodded. "Buck thought it would be something like that." He looked around and asked, "Where's the baby?"

Maddie said, "Dr. Woods took her across to Boston Children's Hospital to be examined. She wasn't happy with how Jee was looking."

Dr. Woods stepped into the room, and the addition of another man didn't seem to faze her in the slightest as she explained, "Jee has been admitted. She's underweight and dehydrated, and she also seems to have some muscle atrophy from spending too long in the car seat. They want to keep her in at least overnight for assessment, and then once it's safe for her, she'll be released into your care, Maddie. I think the sooner we get you to LA, the better. CPS has been contacted, and based on the police reports and my own report, they are willing to release her to you. However, they'll be requesting permission to use her doctor's report to file charges against Howard Han. From what they said, he's claiming he's the father, and he had a right to take her out of the state to find you."

Maddie said, "I'll contact my lawyer in LA. They have all the paperwork that Howard signed to remove his parental rights, and the contract he signed when my going into an inpatient facility was becoming likely. He thought I'd be going into a local one, but I didn't trust the doctor as much as I trusted Dr. Woods, so I left no information about where I was going."

Len said, "From what he was saying to the police, he was sure you'd go back to the hospital you used to work in to get help if it wasn't the local clinic."

Maddie admitted, "I would have told him where I was going, except he was insistent that I could handle it all myself and that we didn't need help."

Len suggested, "Maybe he's also suffering from PPD, but that still doesn't excuse going against the agreement for childcare and putting little Jee-Yun in danger."

Dr. Woods sighed and admitted, "It doesn't excuse it, and it certainly wouldn't hold up in court, but it's possible that if he does have PPD, he may have thought that by not taking care of Jee-Yun, it would force you to face your PPD to nurse her back to health, thus proving that you're a good mother."

"Like he kept insisting," Maddie said sadly. "Meanwhile, my daughter has paid the price."

Len said soothingly, "She's getting the care she needs now, and once she's released, if you don't mind, we'll help you look after her until she's safe in Fidget's hands. He was always great with the other foster kids."

Maddie asked, "Fidget?"

"It's what we always called Evan. He was not fond of his name, and since your brother is very frenetic, he earned the nickname Fidget," Len explained. "He was always moving, always on the go, rarely ever slowed down, if I'm honest with you." He glanced at his boyfriend and said, "Scarlet here is the same; the only difference is he's a lot faster, and often the movements go unnoticed because they're faster than the human eye can track."

Maddie smiled softly. "That makes sense. He was always on the go as a kid. I don't see it as much these days; he's found other coping mechanisms that reduced the fidgeting." She took a few deep breaths, and then she said, "Let's plan for a trip back to LA." She glanced at Barry and admitted, "I think I'd prefer a slightly slower trip, and maybe a surprise for my brother."

Len grinned and said, "Let me make some tentative arrangements while we wait to see how long it will take for your daughter to be released."

Chapter Text

Melinda Karlsson, Mel to her friends, looked up when she heard a knock on her front door. She didn't often get visitors, not since all of her grandchildren moved away from El Paso. Her daughter had never been a frequent visitor, and lately, the only times she wanted to talk was when she wanted to rant about her children not doing what they should.

She opened the door to see a tall stranger, although he did look a little familiar to her. The gentleman handed her a business card and said, "My name is Wren Bailey, I'm a private investigator, and I was hired to look into some irregularities by a friend of your grandsons. Normally, I wouldn't approach someone outside of my contract out of the blue, but I feel, in this case, the situation warrants it."

Mel gestured for the man to come into her house and led him into the living room. Like a good hostess, she asked, "Would you like something to drink? I have coffee and tea, and I'm sure I have some juice in the fridge."

Wren smiled and said, "A coffee would be great. I feel like I've been on the go for days now." He told her he liked it with sugar and a hint of creamer or milk and waited until she returned with two large mugs of coffee. He'd already placed a folder on the coffee table in front of him, and as she looked expectantly at him, he tapped it and explained, "Eddie's best friend, Buck, asked me to investigate Helena and Ramon Diaz. He felt there was more going on with their frequent requests for Isabel Diaz to move away from her support networks to live with them in El Paso."

Mel protested, "Isabel would never leave LA; most of her children still live there, and so many of her grandkids and great-grandkids."

Wren sighed, "From what I have been able to dig up, they've been getting quite insistent, and Isabel Diaz is close to giving in. Most of the LA side of the Diaz family are unaware of the request."

"Something I'm sure my daughter has a hand in arranging," Mel said dryly. "When she wants something, she will move heaven and earth to make it happen, no matter who it inconveniences."

The investigator nodded. "That is where my digging has led me. Yes."

Mel leaned forward. "What I can't work out, though, is why does Helena want Isabel in El Paso. She can't stand her mother-in-law, and I think the feeling is mutual."

Wren leaned forward and tapped the folder again. "That is where this information comes in. It's very convoluted and destined to fail, but without intervention, I think Isabel will lose a lot and will end up trapped in El Paso with no family support aside from Ramon."

The older woman rolled her eyes and said, "That's no support. He's too kowtowed  by my daughter to be of any use to Isabel." She thought about everything he'd said and asked, "What does she stand to lose?"

The investigator opened the folder and pulled out his notebook before he carefully shut it again, so as not to dislodge the files inside. Then he leaned back on the sofa he was sitting on, and as he read his notes, he said, "Helena wants Isabel to sell her house in LA, the house she's owned since she and her husband Edmundo got married. While she would receive a great return on her investment, Helena and Ramon are insisting that she put the proceeds into a joint account so they can arrange her move to El Paso and set up a bedroom for her in their house. They have said they will be managing her money so she doesn't have to worry about it."

Mel took a few deep breaths to calm herself, then she asked, "What's her end goal here? I know my daughter pretty well, and I'm sure you wouldn't be here unless she was planning something truly horrific."

Wren pulled a pocket voice recorder out of his pocket and said, "I had this planted under her usual table at the coffee shop she visits daily. She meets with friends there regularly, and I caught a few interesting conversations. One is more interesting than the others. It would appear she is trying to entice Eddie back to El Paso via Isabel. However, she's only doing it so she can file for custody of Christopher Diaz once his primary residence is in Texas for long enough for the case to be held in a Texas court; then, she plans to ship him off to a care home while spending the money that he stands to inherit from you. Her friend asked her about Eddie, and this is the bit that made me come to you. She is well aware that once Eddie no longer has access to Christopher, he will likely end his own life. As far as she's concerned, that's just another obstacle to your money out of the way."

Mel growled, "Not if I have any say in the matter. Are you aware of the current content of my will?"

Wren nodded. "My local employer is the law firm you have on retainer. With their approval, I take certain jobs on the side, especially when they could impact their clients. Therefore, I have access to their files, and I have read your will. The way it is currently worded, Helena's plan will work."

"Hell no!" Mel exclaimed. "I'll be dropping into my lawyer tomorrow to make some changes." She gave the investigator a piercing look and asked, "What can you tell me about my grandchildren? I haven't seen my granddaughters in months."

"Honestly?" He asked; at her nod, he stated bluntly. "They think you're dead. They even came back for your funeral, or at least what they believed was a private family service and will reading. I learned that from one of Helena's coffee dates. She really is a cold-hearted bitch." He winced. "Sorry, I know she's your daughter."

"Not for much longer," the older woman growled. "Disownment will be the least of her worries. Most of her money comes from a trust fund I provide; it's one that was set up by her father, who spoiled her rotten. One I will certainly be cutting off after this latest round of bullshit. Where are my grandkids? Do you know?"

Wren nodded and pulled a sheet of paper out of the folder. "Eddie and Christopher are in LA. They are fine, but struggling after Eddie was shot by a sniper about six months ago. He is currently on FMLA leave while he and Christopher work with therapists to get through it. Adriana has moved over to France, and has no plans to return to the USA. She was pretty clear in our call, that she wished to stay as far away from her mother's influence as possible. She's attending university in Paris, and from our conversation, it was clear that she plans to stay in Europe after completing her degree. Mostly because it's outside her mother's sphere of influence. She chose her third choice of school that offered her a full ride because it was the only one on offer outside the United States. She also had scholarships to Harvard and Columbia, but she turned them both down."

Mel sighed, "What about Sophia? The last time I spoke to her, she was working with her father at the petroleum company."

The investigator said, "She left after your fake funeral, and is now studying at a university in Madrid. While not as prestigious a university as her younger sister, she's finally following her own dreams, not her father's dream forced on her because Eddie wouldn't do what Ramon and Helena were demanding."

Mel snorted. "Eddie was never going to follow him into that business. He ran away to the Army as soon as he was legally old enough, and honestly, he's never looked back. If he hadn't been shot, I'm sure he'd still be in the Army, probably high up, given his almost meteoric rise to staff sergeant."

Wren nodded. "I've read his military jacket; it's impressive. In my opinion, as a former officer, he should have been awarded the Army Cross for his actions that day. The Silver Star he did earn is great, but the Army Cross is more in line with the extraordinary actions he took to save his crew." As he slid the piece of paper over the coffee table, he said, "If it's any consolation, Sophia and Adriana see each other at least once a month. However, thanks to their mother's meddling, they are not in contact with Eddie. Or I should say Eddie is not in contact with either of them."

Mel rolled her eyes so hard she was surprised she wasn't dizzy, and she said, "Do you know what he was told?"

Wren shook his head. "I could ask Eddie, but I think that's a conversation best held with a family member. Especially while he's still mentally recovering from the sniper shot. My personal recommendation would be to go to LA and talk honestly with Eddie, Isabel, and maybe even Josephina. I think between the three of them, they'd be able to unearth several skeletons that would help keep Ramon and Helena at bay."  

Mel asked, "Are Eddie and Christopher going to be okay?"

Wren nodded. "They have a fantastic support network between the 118 and the wider firefam, as they call their found family. Eddie has also ensured Christopher is safe by making Buck his legal guardian if anything happens to either incapacitate or kill him. His will, which is a formal living will, is ironclad and was written by one of Josephina's bosses, who is a vicious lawyer. He's also promised to be Eddie's lawyer of record if Helena and Ramon take Eddie to court for custody. I don't think Eddie realizes, but the guy will do it for free at this point. When I spoke to him about the investigation I was conducting, he sent me a lot of the information he'd dug up, information that'd likely undermine any custody case they tried. He'll also go out of his way to completely kill off any good reputation they have in El Paso."

Mel grinned and said, "Good. They certainly don't deserve the reputation they have, so anything that kills it is great in my book. I take it you have a recommendation for what I should do next?"

"Move," Wren said bluntly. "Move to LA, get in contact with Eddie, and maybe talk to Isabel before she's sucked in by whatever shit Helena is shoveling her way. I honestly think the girls are a lost cause. Even though they've done what they can to leave El Paso, and neither will likely return, they still believe that Eddie should let their mother raise Christopher. I asked them if they would do the same with their children. They both admitted they won't have children until she's dead, if at all, but they see no problem with Eddie giving up his child to appease their mother. It's honestly very bizarre to me; when I asked why, Sofia couldn't give me an answer beyond shrugging, but Adriana said it's because he's the oldest. It's his job to make the big sacrifices to protect them. I mentioned this opinion to Sophia, and she agreed reluctantly."

Mel huffed. "You're not painting a very pretty picture here, Wren."

"No," the man admitted with a sigh. "Those two are a hot mess. Most of it is Helena, but Ramon isn't blameless. He either goes along with what she wants, or he goes out of his way to inconvenience others to make his wife happy. Eddie is their favorite target, and they are hell-bent on gaining custody of Christopher so they can get their hands on his inheritance. I don't believe that Ramon is aware of Helena's plans to push her son to suicide."

The older woman sighed sadly. "That is not the woman I raised. Not even my husband, may he rest in peace, would have foreseen his spoiling would lead to this."

As he stood to leave, he said, "If you have any questions, feel free to call me, and I was asked to tell you Clint will be waiting for your call. He has set aside his entire morning for you, and he wanted me to remind you that we have an office in LA."

She showed him outside, then cleaned up for a bit while she thought through various options. Eventually, she called her lawyer, Clint Edgeworth, and advised she would be in to see him first thing in the morning. He suggested that she catch an Uber to her doctor's office, as they have multiple exits from the building, and he'd have a car waiting for her outside the hospital entrance.

Mel ended up spending the entire day with Clint, going over various issues. She formally disowned Helena and canceled her trust fund with cause. When she became legal age, her father had made her sign a contract with certain conditions. If she broke those conditions, her trust fund would be canceled immediately. One of those was not to meddle in her children's lives. Another was that she wasn't to touch any of her children's trust funds. Something Mel hadn't known, but Helena had transferred all three to herself when they were minors. She'd also transferred their education fund to Ramon, as apparently, she'd decided none of her children were bright enough for college.

She eventually set up a will that gave Christopher 70% of her funds and ownership of all the businesses her husband had left her. Eddie received 25%, and his sisters each received 2.5%. She made it clear that their willingness to sacrifice their brother's happiness to make their mother happy was precisely why they were getting so little. She warned that if they contested the will, they'd receive zero, and their share would go to a charity that supported single dads. She also reinstated the education fund and had her lawyers contact the four recipients to explain the funds and offer refunds for any out-of-pocket expenses not covered by scholarships. She also ensured that any funds provided for Christopher's education would not impact any grants received by the state for his care and education; if they did, the funds would be topped up to allow for any necessary adjustments.

-x-

Buck opened his front door at the knocking, and he was surprised to see Isabel there with another woman around the same age. He gestured for them to enter as he called out, "Eddie, Abuela is here, and she brought a friend."

Mel held out her hand to the younger man and said, "I'm Melinda Karlsson, I'm your Eddie's mormor."

Eddie had started running as soon as he heard her voice. He stopped beside Buck and said in a shocked voice. "You're dead; you're supposed to be dead. I even went to your funeral." 

Mel huffed and said, "What you went to was a farce arranged by my so-called daughter, her first step in gaslighting you to gain custody of your son."

Eddie pulled her into a hug and said, "I've missed you so much. I tried to stay in touch, but your number wasn't working; then Mom said you died, so I stopped trying."

Buck shuffled them all into the living room and went to get drinks for everyone with help from Isabel. As soon as she reached the kitchen, Isabel pulled Buck into a tight hug and whispered, "Gracias, neito. If it wasn't for your prodding, we never would have figured out what Helena was up to. I have no idea if my son was involved, but knowing how much he just goes along with her plans, I have to say he probably is."

Buck shrugged. "Wren wasn't too sure, to be honest. He said Ramon was hard to read, and it could go either way. I'm just glad we worked it out before you sold your beautiful home and lost all those memories."

They carried the drinks through to the living room. They found Mel and Eddie catching up on everything she'd missed, especially all the things that'd happened since Eddie and Christopher had arrived in LA.

Mel looked aghast at Isabel and said, "Our great-grandson survived a tsunami?"

Isabel grinned as she sat down and said, "He did, and it's all thanks to our Evanito. They were enjoying a rest break on the end of the pier, and against all the odds, they both survived. Waterlogged and with new nightmares, but they survived. It is why, no matter what's going on with Eddie and Evan's relationship, or lack thereof," she muttered under her breath, "Evan will always be a welcome member of the Diaz family."

Eddie looked scandalized and admonished, "Abuela!"

Buck reached over and gently gripped his wrist and said, "It's fine, Eds. We know where we're at, and we know comments like your abuela's come from a place of love."

Isabel asked, "Evan?"

Buck sighed, "We've been dating for a while now, since not long after the shooting. It was at my suggestion that Eddie take time off to actually recover from the sniper attack when I saw he and Christopher were struggling."

She frowned, "So why keep it to yourselves? You have to know we'd be happy for you."

Eddie snarked, "Because everyone in our wider family thinks we need help getting together or realizing we have feelings for each other. And frankly, we don't." He tried to get her to understand, "We just wanted to get used to the change in our relationship, not just between the two of us, but also Buck's relationship with Christopher has changed as he's fully settling into having more of a parental role than that of a best friend. He was amazing as I recovered and took over a lot of the parenting side of things that I couldn't do."

Abuela looked confused as she asked, "Weren't you with that teacher, Ms. Flores?"

Eddie shook his head. "That never went past a few dates. She taught me math on one of our dates, second-grade math. Even though I explained that I helped Chris with his English and social sciences homework, Buck does math and sciences, and we both help with everything else. She just ignored me and insisted on teaching me math, complete with bad flirting, over long division. When the night ended, I thanked her for the lesson and ended the brief relationship. Mostly because she never listened; she kept calling me Edmundo, even though I asked her to stop, and wouldn't listen when I said I didn't need the lesson."

Mel asked, "So how did the two of you get together then?

Buck grinned and admitted, "I've been in love with Eds for years, since he brought his kid…"

"Our kid," Eddie interrupted.

Buck chuckled and said, "Fine, when he brought our kid around after the tsunami and told me there was no one he trusted more with Christopher. I just fell head over heels, but I never said anything because I thought he was straight."

Eddie admitted, "I've also been in love with him for years, but it was drummed into me from an early age that same-sex relationships are evil, corruptive, and a sin great enough to have me losing everything. So, I buried my feelings until I got shot by a sniper. As Buck was dragging me under the fire truck to get me out of the line of fire, I realized that I couldn't keep living up to my parent's ideals, and that I didn't want to waste the rest of my life pining when he was right there." He picked at one of the callouses on his hand as he thought back to that day. He added, "It was actually seeing the blood on his face and realizing that I could lose him without him knowing just how much he's loved."

Buck laughed as he said, "This dramatic bastard woke up from his coma, declared his undying love for me, and demanded that when he was released, we go on a date."

Eddie laughed, and with a shrug, he said, "Worth it; the look on your face was priceless, and you realized I was serious straight away. As for why we kept it a secret, well, we just wanted time as a family to adjust, as we said, and we've wanted to say something a few times, but each time something happens to change our minds, first, the whole drama with Maddie and Chimney, and the reactions to that haven't been stellar, especially towards Buck and certain people blaming him for Chimney punching him, something I won't be forgiving Chim for. Then, I took leave seemingly out of the blue, and there were some bad reactions to it from the same people, so we stayed quiet."

Buck explained, "He's not just talking about the firefam; Pepa and some of her kids haven't been fantastic over the last few weeks towards Eddie and his drive to get therapy; add in Adriana and Sophia, the few times they've talked, they spent the whole call trying to get Eddie dating again, and they both berated him for not trying harder with the teacher, so it just became easier to keep it to ourselves. At the rate things are going, we might tell the others after we get hitched, because we don't want them to spoil our happy little bubble."

Eddie said apologetically, "Sorry, Abuela. We wanted to tell you, but we weren't sure if you were backing Pepa and her criticisms about my time off. She told Buck off when he said he recommended it."

Isabel rolled her eyes. "I will be having words with my daughter."

Eddie held up a hand and said, "It's not that I'm going to therapy; it's that I took time off to go. She didn't appreciate me telling her to mind her own business on the topic. I stopped her before the toxic rhetoric that my parents are fond of started to come out."

Buck snorted. "We both know she was going to tell you to suck it up and push through it."

"We will definitely have words," Abuela said firmly. "She knows better than to repeat such tonterías."

Buck saw Mel's confused look; she was fluent in Swedish but not Spanish, so he said, "Nonsense. Sometimes Spanish just gets the point across much better than English."

Mel chuckled, "I feel the same way about Swedish. We also have many words that have no English equivalent. My favorite is mojsig. It means that cozy feeling you have when you just want to snuggle into a blanket on a cold day and relax with a good book."

Isabel said, "We have those in Spanish. My favorite is sobremesa, it means that time when the family stays at the table and chats even though the meal is long ago finished."

Buck said, "That one definitely gets used a lot. My SEAL team used this time to plan missions; the most successful missions were those that were planned in this way. I think it was due to the full bellies and input from everyone."

Eddie couldn't wait any longer, and he asked, "So how long are you here for, Mormor?"

Mel smiled and said, "I've decided to relocate to LA. I just need to find somewhere to live near you and Christopher."

Isabel said, "You're welcome to stay with me. I have a couple of spare rooms now that everyone has moved out again, and you can take one and make it your own. That is if you don't mind sharing with an old woman."

Mel gave her a deadpan look as she said flatly, "Isabel, we're the same damn age. And if you really don't mind, I think I'll take you up on the offer. I'd prefer to live with someone rather than on my own; it'd be good to have that comfort that if I fall or whatever and call out, there will be someone else who will eventually hear me."

Buck suggested, "We could get you an alert pendant like what Isabel wears. It will detect a fall and call emergency services for you."

Isabel stood and said, "Let's go help you pick a room, then you can arrange for your things to be sent."

Mel nodded. "I'm actually all packed up; I just need to give the shipping company an address to send the pod."

Isabel smiled and said, "We can arrange that once you've chosen one of the rooms. I'm sure the boys will help unpack when it arrives."

Eddie nodded. "Definitely. Having both of my favorite women in one place, it will be magic."

Chapter Text

A week after Mel had arrived, Buck was helping Bobby prepare a family lunch for the station. They were being taken offline after an earlier pile-up, during which they had been put through the wringer, so Bobby made the call to host a family lunch, allowing station members to be with their families as they coped with the scenes they had witnessed.

Buck was just putting the last of the lasagnas in the oven when he heard a cry of "Fidget" from the stairs. He turned when he recognized the voice as that of the foster dad he hadn't seen in years. Bobby took the oven mitts from him and said, "Go." So Buck sprinted across the loft and pulled Len up into a tight hug.

Len laughed and said, "Shit, kid, when did you get so damn big, let alone tall?"

Buck grinned. "I had a growth spurt in Peru, and then the SEALs helped me bulk up. Perfect really for this job. Still haven't caught up to Adam though."

Len admitted, "I'm not sure anyone could catch up to him in bulk; anytime someone tries, he just bulks up even more." He glanced back towards the stairs and said, "I've got a surprise for you. I'd been hoping to bring it earlier, but there were complications."

Buck asked, "Do I want to know?"

"Not really," the older man said bluntly, "but you're probably going to find out anyway. It's been hard to keep the news quiet while things got settled, jurisdictions, and all that rot. But it's definitely not my news to share."

Mick walked over and pulled his partner into a kiss, then he asked, "So whose news is it?"

Maddie approached from where she'd been somewhat hiding behind Len with Jee-Yun on her hip, and she said, "It's actually my news."

Buck stepped forward and pulled his sister into a hug, squishing his niece between them. He asked in a muffled voice, "Are you back?"

Maddie pulled back and passed him his niece as she answered, "Yes and no. Yes, I'm back in LA, but no, I'm not fully back. I'm going into a local inpatient facility so I can start supervised visits with Jee now that I'm getting back on an even keel." She glanced around and saw Eddie watching closely from not far away, so she included him as she asked, "I was hoping you'd be able to take her in the meantime since Howard won't be available for the foreseeable future."

Hen approached and demanded, "What's happening with Chim? I haven't been able to get hold of him."

Maddie held up her hand to stop the torrent of words and said, "You don't get to demand answers, Henrietta. That idiotic man child took my child out of California without my permission, as you well know, and neglected my baby on the road trip of hell to the point where she was having seizures. And from what I heard, you enabled that bullshit. So no, you lost any rights to answers from me; in fact, I'd prefer if you never speak to me again."

Hen frowned and said, "That sounds extreme."

Maddie raised an eyebrow in disbelief, and she said, "Henrietta, you were aware of the contract he signed where he agreed to take care of my daughter if I went into inpatient care, and you knew that he couldn't take my daughter out of the state of California, nor could he restrict Buck's access to Jee-Yun. You encouraged him to stalk me, and you were fine with him leaving that vile voicemail message that told Buck to stop calling."

She stalked right up to Hen and said, "The worst thing is, Henrietta, you seem to be under the mistaken impression that Buck should be groveling for Howard's forgiveness for keeping my secrets. What gives you the right to decide that Buck isn't allowed to keep secrets? Then on top of that, you dare to demand that my brother apologizes for protecting me, and then to make things infinitely worse, in my opinion, you tell him he deserved to be blindsided with a punch so hard it BROKE HIS FUCKING FACE. Get the hell away from me, and you better hope I don't ask the police to charge you for enabling the criminal levels of child neglect my daughter was subjected to by your best friend."

Hen blustered, "Buck had no right to tell you any of this."

Maddie chuckled, "Buck didn't tell me a damn thing. I haven't spoken to him since the blackout, since your best friend clearly didn't pass on the letter I left for him, and I couldn't make outgoing calls. I'm just glad the letter was written in a code Buck and I developed as children, so Howard couldn't use the information inside to find me. No, I heard all about your enablement from Howard himself. His police interviews in Boston were interesting."

Eddie asked, "That bastard took Jee-Yun on a road trip all the way to Boston? Did he at least take breaks?"

"No, he did not," Maddie stated confidently. "At least none for giving Jee-Yun breaks from the car seat. He'd leave her in the car seat while he went into various service stations and diners, asking if they'd seen me. The Boston and LA Police have spent the last week working together to retrace his steps, and they have videos of various stops where he left Jee alone, sometimes not even locking the car. My daughter could've been taken, and he wouldn't have noticed. It's obvious in the videos that my daughter was just a means to an end, especially when he wasn't stopping to take care of her."

Before Hen could protest, Maddie held up a finger. She said, "My daughter, and yes, she is entirely my daughter because, as you know, Henrietta, Howard signed away his parental rights the day she was born, purely so his father wouldn't split his share of his inheritance with Jee-Yun. Which fine, whatever; that was his choice, but it means that he basically kidnapped my daughter when he went on that road trip. During that god-forsaken road trip, he neglected her to the point where she needed nearly two weeks in the hospital to recover from the neglect; she's going to be on medication for god only knows how long. They aren't sure if she'll avoid developing epilepsy; we'll just have to wait and see on that. There are other longer-term issues, which I'll discuss with Buck later on in private."

Bobby said, "Hen, I think you should go. I was not aware that you knew of the conditions under which Howard was allowed to have Jee-Yun. Your encouragement of his leaving the state to follow Maddie, despite being aware that he'd signed a contract stating he wouldn't take Jee-Yun out of the state, will be seen as a breach of the morals clause in your employment contract. I have no choice but to suspend you while the brass looks into it and investigates."

 Hen looked around, seemingly for support, but all she found were angry faces. Karen wasn't at the family lunch, as she was away at a conference out of town and had taken Denny with her for the trip. It was spring break, and a science camp was being run for the children of scientists. When she could see she had no support, not even from Athena, she left the building quietly.

Other family members had arrived during the drama, so Bobby said, "Sorry for that; if y'all can take a seat, lunch will be ready in a few minutes. Can I get a few volunteers to get the dishes to the tables?"

Eddie, Buck, Tanika, and even Beal, who was often the last to volunteer for kitchen duty, followed him to help get the meals out on the tables. They were all grateful for the kitchen upgrade that Bobby had done when he took over the 118 from Gerrard.

Once they were all seated, and everyone was starting to dig in and chat with their families, Buck had time to look around and notice that several people were present that he wasn't expecting. He glanced across the table, where Mick and Len were bracketing a smaller man, making sure he got plenty to eat. Next to them sat Eddie's grandmothers, both of them... looking like they were plotting some great heist. He decided to leave the women to their plotting, and he asked Len and Mick, "So this must be Barry?"

Barry grinned from between his partners, and he said, "I am. I've heard a lot about you over the years, Buck. I offered several times to try and find you, but they were determined not to draw unnecessary attention to you. Although, from what I heard earlier, it sounds like it would have been a bad idea all over. The last thing anyone military needs is someone from Central City doing a background check."

Eddie snorted. "Some of those guys didn't need a reason. There was a general that was a frequent visitor to our medical tent. He had an arrangement with my CO for test subjects. They would disappear from the med tent with no explanation or transfer orders. I learned very quickly to keep my mouth shut if I wanted to keep Christopher safe. It didn't happen often, but after the first time, when the general visited the camp, one of my fellow medics tried to protest and wanted to report the guy vanishing to his next of kin. He was sent on a mission the next day and didn't return. I couldn't risk that happening to me. Not when I knew Shannon would just hand Christopher over to my parents."

Barry nodded. "It sounds like General Elling; he was performing metahuman experiments, and from what I heard through the grapevine, he often used members of the military who had no family, no one at home who cared if they went missing."

Eddie nodded. "The ones most considered expendable. So yeah, doing a background check on someone military, active or not, especially from a city like Central City, would not have been a good time for anyone."

Maddie asked her brother, "You were military? When?"

Buck shrugged, "I joined the Navy when I was 19. When I left Central City, I explored for a while and ended up in Peru, where I met some Navy SEALs who suggested I give BUD/s a try. It turns out that growing up in Central City was the perfect training ground for BUD/s and SQT. I ended up serving two tours before I was injured out. I took the discharge I was offered and moved to LA after one of my teammates suggested I give the LAFD a try. He said it would suit me to a T, and he was right."

She smiled warmly and said, "I bet you were good at being a SEAL, especially after what Len and Barry were telling me of your exploits in Central City. I called Mom and Dad after I found out what they'd done. They didn't even try to deny it. So I've cut all ties with them and told them to consider themselves childless. Mom hung up on me after that. I know I always said they were good people, just bad parents, but my therapist helped me realize they basically brainwashed me into believing that. She helped me see just how toxic they are."

Buck asked, "So your time away was productive?"

"Very," Maddie confirmed after she finished her mouthful of lasagna. She turned to Bobby and said, "I have missed your cooking, Bobby. It's fantastic as always."

Bobby smiled and said, "Thank you."

Athena was sitting beside Bobby and had stayed quiet through the previous confrontation, lest she break and tell Hen just how disappointed she was in her friend's behavior. Most of which she'd missed since she hadn't been at the station a lot since the blackout. She said, "Can I ask where you've been, Maddie. I know Buckaroo was worried sick."

Maddie nodded, "You can ask. I was at an inpatient clinic getting treatment for severe postpartum depression. It ended up being therapy for so much more. Starting with the loss of Daniel, my little brother, we went into how my parents parentified me from the age of nine and forced me to be Buck's mom because they refused to give him any attention. How their behavior drove me into Doug's waiting, controlling arms, and everything that basically contributed to PTSD that was manifesting as PPD. The PPD was actually the pregnancy doing a number on my thyroid, and medication has fixed that. We are still working on the PTSD, and that's why my reintroduction to being Jee's primary carer will be a slow one; that is, as long as you and Eddie don't mind taking her while I work on it, Buck."

Buck and Eddie both nodded. "We'd be happy too. We already have a spare room we can convert into a nursery for her."

Maddie smiled. "As for being out of contact. I left a letter for Buck the night I left Jee-Yun here; it contained all the contact numbers for the clinic I was in, as well as the best times to call. I wasn't aware until recently that he hadn't got it and was relying on my… on Howard for information."

Athena asked, "And where exactly is Howard?"

Buck looked around the loft, and although they were trying to pretend they weren't listening, it was clear everyone was hoping for gossip, so he held up his hand to stop Len before he could say anything, and he suggested, "Maybe this isn't a topic for such a public place. How about everyone comes to our place after our shift, since it's only a few hours away, and we can go through all the nitty gritty details."

Bobby nodded. "That sounds like a good plan." He looked around and noticed many disappointed expressions on the faces of those in the loft.

Eddie asked, "When are you expected at the new facility, Maddie?"

"Not until tomorrow," She replied. "I was actually hoping I could stay with you guys tonight and get your help in finding a new place to live. I'm not comfortable returning to the apartment I shared with Howard."

Athena offered, "I've got the afternoon free, so maybe with help from Buck's foster family, we can help move your things to Buck and Eddie's place."

Barry grinned, and with a wink to Maddie that went unseen by Athena, he said, "It wouldn't take us long, I'm sure. Just depends on if you have space to put everything at the other end."

Buck nodded. "The garage is empty; neither of us park our trucks in there, so there is plenty of room."

Maddie smiled sadly and said, "Any and all help would be appreciated. I plan to look for a new place between therapy appointments. I also need to pick up my car from Josh's parent's place. They offered to store it for me so Howard wouldn't find it and figure out I'd left the state."

The rest of lunch went smoothly. Buck held Jee-Yun and fed her while he ate, and spent the lunch enjoying time with his family.

-x-

Later that afternoon, Bobby and Athena joined Buck and Eddie, along with their families, at their house. Isabel and Mel had taken Christopher and Harry to the zoo, as they knew the discussion the adults were about to have would get heavy.

Athena asked, "So, now that we aren't in the firehouse, and others aren't listening in, can someone finally tell me what the hell is going on with Howard Han? Because he works for Bobby, I have been kept away from any investigations."

With a shit-eating grin, Len said, "I can answer that one. Howard Han is currently on a prisoner transport between Boston and LA. It was decided that the kidnapping of a minor and transporting her over state lines was a bigger crime. The traffic videos showed that the neglect started in California, so jurisdiction was granted to the Los Angeles field office of the FBI. This was partly due to the fact that the kidnapping of a minor is a felony but also due to Han's friendship with several LAPD officers. They don't want to risk him using any connections he might have to get out of the charges."

Barry said, "It's not as clear cut as they would like it to be though. The case will be difficult to try due to the contract, which gave him custody while Maddie was in the clinic. Even though the contract was clear that he was not to take her out of California, he could argue that Maddie had requested he bring her to Boston. It's unlikely he'll be believed, but he could try it. However, it's doubtful he'll escape conviction, and that means he'll never work for the LAFD again, let alone other fire departments around the country. A felony conviction on his record will be life-changing at the very least."

Bobby said, "The best he could get with his paramedic qualifications would be working for a private patient transport company. And that honestly depends on what conditions are attached to his release."

Athena asked, "Because I know Hen will ask, will Chim have visitation with Jee-Yun going forward?"

Maddie shook her head. "No. My lawyer has vehemently recommended against it, and she's filing a request for a restraining order after his release. I could have lost her, Athena. As it is, because of his lack of care, she may end up with lifelong epilepsy, as I said at the station. They suspect she'd been underfed and dehydrated throughout the entire road trip, and maybe it started before he even left."

Buck commented, "I visited him a few days after Maddie left, and Jee was screaming in the playpen on the floor. I picked her up, and she was practically inconsolable. When I asked if I could help with her, if it was time for a feed, he snatched her out of my arms and said he'd deal with it after looking at his watch. So, yeah, I'd agree that it's possible that the neglect may have started before you left, Mads. I'm sorry I didn't push harder to help out; I thought Hen was keeping an eye on them both."

Eddie rubbed his back comfortingly and said, "You did everything you could, more than most would have attempted. You didn't even want to have him charged for punching you; Athena and I had to tag team you to get you to agree."

Maddie said, "I would have been pissed if you let him get away with that, Buck. What he did was so far over the line. What I can't believe is that he honestly thought I'd just accept that he punched you and just move on with him. He knows my history, so how he thought I would accept him using unprovoked violence against a member of my family, I just don't know. Hell, even if Buck had provoked the attack, which he didn't, I still wouldn't want anything to do with him."

Mick rumbled, "What I don't get is that a seemingly intelligent woman like Hen thinking his behavior was acceptable, and deciding that Buck would have to grovel for forgiveness."

Maddie admitted, "If Howard gets therapy and actually puts in the effort, then I am open to at least supervised visits with Jee, but any signs of instability, and that's it. Her safety is my priority, and I just don't see Howard as safe for her. Not without a lot of intensive therapy."

Bobby sighed, "I've tried numerous times to get him to go to therapy and take it seriously. He's learned over the years how to talk around them."

In the end, Chimney was tried and convicted of aggravated assault and battery, felony child neglect, and kidnapping of a minor and transporting over state lines. He pled not guilty, but over the course of the trial, it became apparent that he was guilty of each of the crimes. The judge sentenced him to 25 years in prison, and he wouldn't be eligible for parole for at least 18 years, depending on his behavior. He was also served with a permanent restraining order prohibiting him from engaging with Jee-Yun, Maddie, or Buck. 

Hen decided to leave the LAFD before the investigation concluded, and made the decision to go full time with medical school. Her relationship with Karen was rocky, but they persevered, and she sought therapy, eventually reaching out to Buck to apologize. He accepted the apology, but they were never as close as they had been. Gatherings with the boys were usually arranged by Karen, just to keep the peace.

Helena and Ramon, and it was clear it was both of them, not one leading the other, filed for full custody of Christopher. Thanks to Mel and Mick working with Wren, they were able to cut the case off at the knees. Unfortunately, they still had to go through the entire court process, but with the evidence presented by Wren of the conversations Helena had at her favorite cafe, first with her friend, and then after her disownment, she met Ramon at the same cafe where the bug was still listening. The conversations with Ramon involved speeding up the process of custody and then killing off her mother to get the money. Helena and Ramon were charged with conspiracy to commit murder, amongst other charges, and by the time they went through their own court case in Texas, as that was where the actual planning happened, they ended up in jail for a minimum of ten years each.

Maddie spent three months in the facility in LA before she moved to a new apartment with Jee-Yun. She spent a lot of time with Buck, getting to know him as the adult he'd grown into rather than the child she'd been seeing him as. 

A few weeks after her release, Buck had Albert Han arrive at the 118, frantic because he couldn't find Chimney or Maddie, and he wanted to pay his condolences now he was back in the USA. After his accident, his father had transported him to Korea to recover, as he didn't trust Western medical facilities. Buck had explained everything that had happened since his crash, including the birth of Jee-Yun and how Chim signed away his parental rights, then everything leading up to the road trip that ended up with him in jail. Albert had understandably gone off on a tirade about his brother, as he explained that he'd been told by Chim that Jee-Yun had been stillborn.

Buck arranged a meeting between Albert and Maddie, which resulted in a video call with Sang Han, where he got to meet his granddaughter for the first time. Maddie apologized for the delay, as she hadn't known how to get in touch with him or Albert after the younger man had left the country. She invited Sang Han to visit the next time he was in the USA, and said she wouldn't restrict his access, nor did she expect anything from him.

Eventually, Sang Han washed his hands of his eldest son. He updated his will so that Chimney's share would be left to the daughter he refused to acknowledge out of selfishness. He visited his son in Lompoc federal prison just once about three years after he'd been imprisoned; he'd been hoping to see some improvement in his behavior and attitude. However, he was disappointed that his son was completely unrepentant about his actions towards his daughter, and just seemed to want his ex-girlfriend to visit. When Sang mentioned that Maddie was seeing someone, Chimney became unhinged that she was cheating on him. He eventually had to be restrained by the guards. Sang told his son he wouldn't be visiting again, and made sure to tell Maddie when he arrived back in LA that she needed to keep an eye on him after his release. She promised him she would be careful and that her police detective boyfriend was working with Athena to keep an eye on him.

It turned out to be completely unnecessary, as one of the other inmates had overheard the conversation, and how Chimney didn't care that he'd caused long-term health issues for the child, and that he just wanted the child back so he could use her as a bargaining chip to get Maddie back in his clutches. Chimney did not survive the night.

Finally, after being together for a year, Eddie took Buck on a hike. As they sat watching the sunset from one of their favorite spots overlooking LA, Eddie unceremoniously held out a ring box and asked, "Marry me?"

Buck laughed and pulled out his own box with his own ring, and answered, "Yes, if you'll marry me right back."

They wanted to get married as soon as possible; as far as they were concerned, there was no reason to wait. So, they spoke with Mick, who was the easiest of the triad to get in touch with, and planned their wedding around the triad's availability. It was a beautiful ceremony, with Isabel and Mel giving Eddie away and Mick and Len giving Buck away. Buck was happy to take on the Diaz name. He used the wedding as a good excuse to alter his whole name. However, he kept Evan as his middle name after Maddie had explained that Daniel had named him. He didn't want to lose that connection to the brother he didn't remember meeting but never forgot. With Christopher's help, he changed his name to Buchanan Evan Diaz. Bobby arranged for new turnout patches and badges for him and Eddie that read "B. Diaz" and "E. Diaz" to reflect the changes.  

As a wedding present, Barry and a friend from Starling City had managed to arrange a slightly faster-than-usual step-parent adoption of Christopher. The boy was excited that his Bucky would be his dad for real, and told anyone who would listen that the day was special because Bucky married them that day.

After the wedding, both of Eddie's sisters approached him to apologize for making him the scapegoat as they'd fled the country to escape their mother. They'd decided as a way to make it up to him and Buck for basically painting a target on their backs, they'd offer eggs for a surrogate baby. He was shocked, but Sophia, the sister closest to him in age, said, "Even if unconsciously, we knew what we were doing. Mom and Dad were always harder on you, and we took advantage of that. Because of them, neither of us really feels like having kids right now, and we may never want kids. We know you're a great dad, and from what Abuela and Mormor said, your Buck is also a great dad, so we want to help you have more kids if that's what you want." They'd both gained citizenship in Europe through their Swedish-born mother, largely thanks to her insistence that they be fluent in Swedish. However, they spent most of their time in Spain and France while studying. They both confirmed that they would visit the USA, but had no plans to ever live in the country again. Even with their parents in jail, it was just too close for comfort.

In the wake of Hen leaving the 118, Buck and Eddie moved to fill the paramedic slots available, as they'd both achieved complete paramedic certifications, with Eddie also going further, partly due to his army medic training, to be granted a critical care paramedic licence, something neither Hen nor Chimney had ever bothered with. With the addition of a new heavy rescue pair, poached from the 136, the station had been grated full SAR status, rather than just reserve, and had received new appliances to match, including a complete SAR-equipped engine, and a critical care ambulance that was equipped to the point you could almost do surgery in the back. They made the switch as it was slightly safer, and would give them a better chance of making it home to their kids, especially since they had one on the way by surrogacy, it was actually two, but they wouldn't find out until the birth that one was sneaky and hiding behind his twin brother.

So, while the sniper shooting could have been disastrous for the Diaz boys, it ended up being one of the best things that ever happened to them.