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“You still up for coming round tonight for pizza and a movie?”
Buck shut his locker and looked over to Eddie, trying to be nonchalant as he said, “Yeah, sounds good.” At his feet, his dæmon, Kathika, was wagging her tail, her entire butt wriggling in excitement. “Real smooth, Kath,” he said internally.
The golden retriever didn’t even bother to look abashed. “We get to spend the night with Eddie and Chris!” she replied. “What’s not to be excited about?”
“You could make it slightly less obvious,” he chided.
“Bah! They know that we like spending time with them so why bother to hide it?”
Buck sighed but didn't bother arguing with his dæmon. She could never quite hide how happy Eddie and his dæmon, Iselda, made them. Luckily, both man and dæmon were as oblivious as each other and so things hadn’t gotten awkward as yet.
“Man, I can’t wait for you to see what form Aoife has taken this week,” Eddie said, speaking of Christopher’s dæmon.
“She changed?” Buck asked, feeling a little sad for Eddie. For the past several months, Aoife had been a baby version of Iselda - a sleek, beautiful black panther. Watching the cub follow Iselda around and try to copy her every move had been absolutely adorable.
“She is very cute now,” Iselda said from where she was laying on top of one of the benches. Her long black tail twitched lazily.
“She was cute before!” Buck protested.
Eddie clapped Buck on the back, an enigmatic smile on his face. “Just wait,” he said. “See you at home?”
Buck nodded, a longing so great that he felt like he would burst filling him at the mention of ‘home’. He spent a lot of time at the Diaz house, and although he had no right to think of it that way, it was more home to him than his own loft apartment. “Sure, I’ll be right behind you.”
They grabbed their bags and headed out of the locker room, calling their goodbyes to colleagues and waving up at Dara, Hen’s owl dæmon who was perched in the rafters waiting for her to finish chatting with one of the paramedics on B shift. Once in the lot, neither of them could help but watch as Eddie and Iselda got into their truck.
“She’s so graceful,” Kathika said with a sigh, as Iselda leapt fluidly into the front seat.
“Mmm,” Buck agreed, distracted by the way that Eddie’s jeans pulled tight over his ass as he hauled himself up into the truck after her.
“You got a bit of drool on your chin,” Kath teased.
“Yeah? Well your entire muzzle is soaked,” Buck retorted.
“It’ll dry by the time we get there,” she said, turning her nose up and trotting to their truck in a dignified manner.
Buck chuckled and followed after her, opening the door and giving her butt a boost, helping her to scramble up into the seat.
The drive took longer than usual, with peak hour traffic being a bitch, but it gave them both time to compose themselves so they wouldn’t try and throw themselves at the others and profess their undying love the moment that they arrived. Nothing ruined a friendship faster than telling your very straight best friend that you’d fallen head over heels for him. Buck had gotten a taste the previous year of what it was like to not have Eddie in his life and he never wanted to do that again.
They pulled up in front of Eddie’s house and made their way to the front door, using their key to let themselves in. “Hello, Diazes!” Buck hollered.
“Buck!” he heard Christopher shout with joy and they heard the sounds of his crutches as he hurried to meet them, appearing from around the corner. At Chris’s feet, tumbling over her own feet, was a tiny golden retriever puppy.
Buck knelt down to hug Chris but his wide eyes never left Aoife, who was running around Kath’s feet and jumping up to lick and bite at her face.
“See, told you she was cute,” Iselda said.
Buck looked over and saw Eddie leaning against the wall, Iselda sitting at his feet, both of them with a soft look on their faces. “Yeah,” he said, his voice trembling, “yeah, she is.”
“Buck, I got an A on my science homework!” Chris said, grinning up at him. “You were right, my teacher loved my vegetable solar system!”
Buck held up a hand. “That’s awesome, bud! High five!”
“Are we going to play video games tonight?” he asked with large, hopeful eyes.
Buck looked to Eddie who shrugged. “Well, we were going to watch a movie but I’m pretty sure that we could play for a bit first,” he said. “Then we can do the movie after dinner.”
Chris cheered and Aoife ran around in circles in an excited dash. “I’m going to go and set up the console!” he announced and then he and Aoife were off.
Buck got to his feet and gave Eddie a shy look, his hand rubbing at the back of his neck. “Uh, so, you’re not mad?”
Eddie frowned. “Mad? Why would I be mad?”
“Well, you know, cos Aoife changed to a golden retriever when she’s been a panther cub for months now.”
Eddie rolled his eyes. “Of course not, Buck. Kids’ dæmons change shape almost constantly, depending on their mood and who they’ve met recently. Chris was once given a free ice cream cone by a lady at the mall who had a fairy penguin dæmon and Aoife had flippers for a week. Chris adores you so I’m not at all surprised by her change, I’m only surprised that she stayed as a panther for that long.”
“Okay, cool, I just didn't want to overstep my bounds or anything.”
With a huff, Eddie clasped the back of Buck’s neck, giving it a warm squeeze and then left it there as he guided Buck down the hall to the living room. “As if you could ever overstep your bounds here, Buck,” he said.
Kathika and Iselda followed behind, their shoulders bumping companionably and through their bond, Buck could feel how happy Kath was. He was pretty sure that she was getting the exact same vibe from himself. Eddie’s place really did feel like home to them.
It was late when Buck’s eyes fluttered open, the dark room lit only by the DVD menu playing on repeat. He lifted his head from where it had been pillowed on Eddie’s shoulder, noticing immediately that Chris was curled up asleep with his head on Buck’s lap. On the other sofa were the three dæmons, snuggled together in one big pile. One of Kathika’s eyes opened and she peered sleepily at Buck. “Go back to sleep,” she urged silently.
“As much as I’d love to, we’re all going to feel like shit in the morning if we stay sleeping this way. Come on, help me get Chris and Aoife to bed.”
Being careful not to wake Eddie just yet, Buck scooped Chris into his arms while Kath took hold of the scruff of Aoife’s neck and lifted her easily. They padded down the hallway and into their room, and Buck got Chris settled into bed before Kath laid Aoife down next to him. He pulled up the blankets and tucked them in gently around them, being careful not to touch Aoife with his bare hands, then he bent down and placed a kiss to Chris’s forehead.
“Buck?” Chris murmured in a drowsy voice.
“Yeah, buddy?”
“Is the movie over?”
“Sure is, you’re not missing anything. I’m going to get your dad to bed next.”
“Mmm, okay. ‘Night.”
“Night, buddy.”
He turned the lamp off but he and Kath stayed in the room for a few more minutes, waiting until both Chris and Aoife were fast asleep. Then they went back to the living room and Buck gently shook Eddie’s shoulder to rouse him. “Come on, Eds, bedtime.”
Eddie groaned as he came awake, rubbing at his eyes as he looked around. “Chris?”
“Already in bed,” Buck assured him, trying not to dwell too much on how utterly adorable Eddie looked right now. He took hold of Eddie’s elbow and helped him to his feet and then led him down the hall to his bedroom.
“I can put myself to bed,” Eddie protested.
Buck huffed out a laugh as he watched a sleepy Iselda bump against the wall, Kathika nudging her along and away from other obstacles. “Uh huh, I’m sure you can, but will you get there in one piece?”
Eddie simply grunted but he didn’t try and pull away from Buck’s grasp. Buck pushed him into the bathroom to brush his teeth and then set about turning Eddie’s bed down for him. Pausing in the doorway on his way back past he said softly, “Goodnight, Eds.”
“Night, Buck. Thanks.”
Kath gave Iselda a brief nuzzle and then the two of them collected a blanket and pillow from the hall closet and got themselves comfortable on the couch. Scents of Eddie and Chris and family and home surrounded them as they drifted off to sleep.
It was a rare Sunday off for everyone so they had gathered at Bobby and Athena’s for a family barbeque. The house was awash with noise as kids and their dæmons ran through the living room and out the back door, Hen and Karen held a spirited debate with Michael, and Chim got the sound system cranking with some tunes. Buck relaxed in the back yard with a beer, Kath curled up at his feet, Eddie and Iselda next to him, and Bobby and his grey wolf dæmon, Bonaria over at the grill.
Tilting his head back so he could feel the sun, Buck sighed in bliss. “It is a beautiful day,” he announced.
“Slightly fewer flies would be appreciated,” Bonaria said, her ears twitching.
Bobby absently waved them away from her head, an oversized pair of barbeque tongs in his other hand. “We got really lucky with the weather,” he agreed. He smiled as Athena came outside, a tray of steaks in one hand, followed by her dæmon.
Athena was one of those rare people whose dæmon was the same gender as herself. Alessia was a sleek, proud lioness who was every bit as fierce as her human. They’d faced discrimination their entire lives, not only due to the colour of Athena’s skin, but also from the uneducated people who thought that a same gendered pairing was unnatural. From what Buck had seen, they’d dealt with those people with poise and grace, as well as a honed ‘don’t fuck with me’ glare.
“How’s it all going out here?” Athena asked, handing over the meat to Bobby before stealing a kiss. Alessia and Bonaria immediately started grooming each other.
“Grill’s ready to go,” Bobby told her. “We should be done in about fifteen minutes.”
“Alright then, I’ll make sure the table’s set then.”
“Need a hand?” Eddie asked.
“No, it’s okay, there’s enough of us inside to sort it,” she said, waving off his offer to help.
Buck sighed in relief and sank a little deeper into his chair. He’d help out at the drop of a hat but the warmth of the sun was making him feel tired and lazy.
Eddie took another sip of his beer and then tapped at Buck’s foot with his own. “Just a heads up - Chris is going to ask you for help with his next science project.”
Buck grinned. “I don’t mind.”
“We know you don’t,” Iselda said, “but we felt like we should be polite and warn you.”
“What’s he got to do?” Buck asked.
“They’ve moved on from the solar system and are concentrating specifically on Earth now,” Eddie explained. “He has to make a 3D cross section of it with all the different layers showing.”
Buck nodded and looked at Kathika. “Paper mache?” he suggested.
She shook her head. “Too time consuming, not to mention messy. I do not want craft glue in my fur again, thank you very much.”
Wincing, Buck nodded. “Yeah, that wasn’t pretty. It took me days to comb it all out.”
“Don’t forget the numerous baths, Evan,” she said primly. “No, I think that we should stick to those big foam balls you can buy at craft stores.”
He nodded. “Oh yeah, and we can slice out a piece and paint the layers.”
“Exactly.”
“You do know that technically it’s Chris who needs to do the work, right?” Eddie said.
Kath huffed. “Semantics.”
“You spoil him,” Iselda accused.
“And?” Buck and Kathika said at once, not seeing the problem at all.
Eddie shook his head, and Iselda huffed but the next moment she was butting her head against Kath’s and nuzzling against her cheek.
If anyone noticed Buck and Eddie’s dæmons acting overly familiar with each other, no one said anything because, well, that was just par for the course for those oblivious idiots.
“Alright, listen up,” Bobby said over the radio as the rig flew down the highway, lights and sirens blaring. “We’ve got a multi car pile up, with reports of numerous injuries. Bonaria and I will do triage; Hen and Chim, you take the ones with the worst injuries; Eddie, you look after the minor injuries; Buck, you and Kathika are on dæmon duty. Any questions?”
Everyone shook their heads, used to the drill by now. Everyone had their specialities, and Buck and Kath had been specially trained to care for injured dæmons. Whilst it was taboo for someone to touch another person’s dæmon (except for those in intimate relationships), during an accident or emergency, it wasn’t always possible for first responders to avoid doing so. They all wore gloves to keep skin to skin contact to a minimum but it could still be uncomfortable for the patient, and when they were already injured, an errant touch could send them into shock. Daemon’s could touch other dæmons and so Kathika’s job was to free any trapped dæmons and get them to a speciality ‘cradle’ in the ambulance so they could be transported to hospital along with their humans, or treated if it was they who were injured.
They reached the scene of the accident and like clockwork, they set about their tasks. Bobby and Bonaria scouted the scene, calling out instructions and classifying the injuries. Hen and Chim were directed to a small sedan that had taken the brunt of the collision with what looked to be a mother and her two small children inside. Eddie was helping an older gentleman in a crumpled SUV who had a nasty gash to his forehead and Buck and Kath were drawn to the passenger seat where his rabbit dæmon was lying limp.
Buck grabbed a crowbar and pried open the door, and Kath propped her front feet on the edge of the seat, inspecting the rabbit.
“How are we looking?” Buck asked Eddie, unable to move the dæmon until the man was good to move as well, lest they risk moving them too far apart.
Eddie frowned. “The wound is bleeding a lot but scalp wounds always tend to. There doesn't seem to be any sign of concussion or anything else to indicate why he’s unconscious.”
“Kath!” Buck said, urging her to look closer. If the man wasn’t waking up, it was possibly because his dæmon was badly injured.
Nosing gently at the rabbit, Kathika gasped. “Evan, I think there’s spinal damage!”
She immediately jumped down and Buck moved in, a special neck brace for dæmons already in his hands. He adjusted it to suit the size of the rabbit and carefully got it situated. Once her neck was stable, he began to examine the rabbit when her eyes flew open. “Hey, it’s okay, you’ve been in an accident but we’re going to get you to a hospital,” he told her soothingly.
“Buck,” Eddie said quietly, drawing his attention to the man.
His eyes were fluttering open and he whispered, “Tam? Tamora?”
“Gerald!” the rabbit said, and then she began to convulse.
Buck tried his best to keep her stable but the seizure continued until she went limp, and in only a matter of moments, she turned to ash.
“Tam! Tam!” Gerald cried, and then he let out an unholy scream, full of pain and heartbreak and loss. It ended in a gurgle and then his head lolled to one side and he was gone.
There was no point trying to revive him. Once the dæmon was dead, so was the human.
Buck staggered back, a sob catching in his throat. No matter how often he saw it, he was never prepared for the grief that overcame him when someone and their dæmon died. His hand went down to clench in Kath’s fur and she pressed against his legs, taking as much comfort as she gave.
Eddie closed his eyes briefly, and when they opened, they were determined. “Come on, those people over there need a few minor cuts seen to. You can give me a hand.”
Buck swallowed hard and then nodded, pulling himself together. They still had a job to do.
By unspoken agreement, Buck went to Eddie’s place that night. Chris was at a sleepover and wasn’t there to see them demolish several six packs and half a bottle of whiskey between them. They passed out on the couch, pressed against one another, and at their feet, curled around each other, were Kathika and Iselda.
When morning came, neither of them said anything, they just pried apart from one another and went in search of Tylenol for their pounding headaches.
Buck didn't think that a broken heart would physically hurt but when Eddie began dating Ana Flores, he curled up in bed with Kath at his side, a very real ache in his chest. He knew that it was inevitable, that Eddie would find someone because of course he would. Someone as wonderful as Eddie wouldn’t be alone for long. Buck just cursed himself for getting lost in his own fantasy of playing house with the Diaz boys, which had left himself open for heartbreak.
Eddie still invited Buck over for movie nights, and still acted the same when they were at work, but Buck and Kath slowly began pulling away, needing the space to lick their own wounds. Suddenly Buck was busy on Friday nights, and when Iselda jumped up onto the couch at the station next to Kathika, the golden retriever would hop down and move to sit at Buck’s feet.
Eddie tried to speak to Buck several times, to ask if everything was okay, but Buck just waved him off and made excuses. He watched from afar as things seemed to get more and more serious between Eddie and Ana, despite the fact that Buck was sure that it was against the rules for teachers to fraternise with their student’s parents. Everyone else seemed happy for Eddie and so he plastered on a fake smile, and tried to be happy for him as well.
One night, Buck was wallowing in self pity in his living room when the doorbell rang. He got up to answer it, surprised when he found Christopher and Aoife outside. “Chris?” he asked, looking up and down the hallway for any signs of Eddie.
“Dad’s not here,” Chris said, fidgeting a little.
“He doesn’t know we’re here,” Aoife said. Buck was surprised to see that she was still in the form of a golden retriever puppy. He’d thought that she may have taken after Ana’s finch dæmon, and he couldn’t help but feel a certain smug satisfaction that she hadn’t.
“Why are you here?” Buck asked, but he held the door open wider and ushered them inside. “More importantly, how did you get here?”
Chris shrugged. “I stole Dad’s phone and called an Uber.”
One of Buck’s eyebrows shot up at that but he didn't immediately scold Chris for doing something so dangerous. He was a smart kid and he would have been well aware of the risks so he had clearly needed to get out of the house. “Okay, first of all - are you hurt?”
Chris squirmed a little at the question but finally shook his head. “No.”
“Okay, come and have a seat. I’ll call your dad and then we can talk.”
“No, please, don’t call him!” Christopher pleaded, tugging on Buck’s sleeve.
“Chris, I have to call him,” Buck said gently. “He’s going to be worried sick about you.”
“I bet he doesn't even realise we’re gone,” Chris muttered.
“Yeah, he’s too busy with Miss Flores,” Aoife grumbled.
It seemed that Buck wasn’t the only one unhappy about the relationship. “It’ll be okay, guys, I promise. Go over to the couch, I won’t be long.”
Eddie answered his phone in a panic. “Buck, it’s Chris! He’s -”
“Here at my place,” Buck reassured him. “He called an Uber of all things.”
“He what?” Eddie squawked.
“Look, there’s clearly something bothering him, so why don’t you give me half an hour or so to talk to him, and then you can come and get him?”
He heard Eddie huff and he could tell that he was wanting to argue, to demand to come and pick Chris and his wayward dæmon up immediately, but instead he said, “Fine, half an hour. See you soon.”
Buck headed over to the couch and sat down next to Chris, nudging him with his shoulder. “Okay, you wanna tell me what’s going on?”
“Why haven’t you been coming around anymore?” Christopher asked instead.
“I… uh, what?”
“We’ve hardly seen you,” Aoife whined. “We miss you.”
Kathika let out a small cry at this and immediately curled up around the puppy. “We miss you too,” she whispered.
“So why haven’t you come to movie night?” Chris asked.
“Um, well, it’s complicated,” Buck said. “I haven’t wanted to get in the way of your dad’s relationship with Ana.”
“So if they’re together, we’ll never see you again?” Chris sounded miserable.
“No! No, I promise, I’m not going anywhere,” Buck hurried to assure him. “It was just for a little while, while it was new. I just wanted to give him some space. I’m sorry that in doing so, I’ve neglected you and Aoife.” Buck paused, then said, “What else has been bothering you, Chris?”
He shrugged, and rubbed at an eye. “I don’t like Miss Flores,” he finally admitted in a whisper.
That was a shock. “I thought she was one of your favourite teachers?”
“Not anymore.”
“Why not?” Christopher bit his lip and Buck began to get worried when he wouldn't answer. “Chris, what happened? Please, you can tell me.”
“I don’t want to get into trouble.”
“You won’t, I swear.” Not getting anywhere with Chris, Buck turned to his dæmon. “Aoife, please, can you tell me what happened? What did Miss Flores do?”
Aoife whimpered and Kathika licked at her face, soothing her. Eventually she said, “We were just playing, like the rest of the kids. We didn't mean to fall.”
Buck frowned. “How did you fall?”
“We were on the skateboard. We just wanted a go - it looked like so much fun!”
“Okay. So you fell off. What happened then?”
Aoife ducked her head and hid her face under her paws.
Buck turned back to Christopher. “Okay, buddy, I really need you to tell me what happened, okay?”
Chris sniffed and then nodded. “Miss Flores saw. She came over, and she picked me up and told me off for doing something so dangerous, said that I couldn't skateboard and I shouldn’t have even tried.”
“Okay, and then?” There had to be more.
Christopher’s lower lip trembled and then he burst into tears. “She… she.... she picked up Aoife and carried her to the first aid room!”
Buck had never seen Eddie so furious before. As soon as he had arrived and Buck had explained what had happened, he scooped Christopher into a hug and promised him that he’d never let Ana touch Aoife again. Christopher had cried himself to sleep and Buck led Eddie up to the loft, Iselda bringing Aoife, and they got them settled in Buck’s bed. Then he headed downstairs and leaned over the island counter in the kitchen, his hands clenched around the edge so tight that his knuckles went white. Iselda paced at his feet, an ominous growl emanating from her throat.
“What do you want to do?” Buck asked softly.
“I’m going to kill her,” Eddie bit out. “I trusted her,” he said. “I trusted her with my son!”
Giving in to the need to offer comfort, Buck rubbed soothing circles on the small of Eddie’s back. “Will you go to the school tomorrow?”
Eddie shook his head and pulled out his phone. “I still have the principal’s cell number from when I chaperoned the class trip to the zoo.” He scrolled through his contacts and hit dial, but didn't move away from Buck’s gentle touch. “Principal Henry? It’s Eddie Diaz, Christopher Diaz’s father. I understand that it’s after hours and I apologise for that but I need to report a gross misconduct by one of your staff members.” He paused as he listened to whatever the principal was saying. “Yes, sir, Christopher’s English teacher, Miss Flores. I need to report that today during lunch, Christopher took a tumble off a skateboard.” Another pause. “No, I don’t know who the skateboard belonged to or why it was at school but that isn’t the big issue here. No, sir, the reason for my complaint is that Miss Flores dared to lay hands on Aoife, Christopher’s dæmon.” Buck actually heard the gasp from the other end of the phone. “Christopher had a scraped knee and Aoife wasn't injured at all but Miss Flores picked Aoife up and carried her to the first aid room. As you can imagine, Christopher is very distressed.” A longer pause, and Buck could only imagine what Principal Henry was saying. “Yes, I would like to make a formal complaint,” Eddie said. “I also want Christopher moved to another English class immediately.”
They worked out a time for Eddie to meet with the Principal so he could lodge the complaint, and then Eddie said his goodbyes and ended the call. He was shaking by the end of it and Buck led him over to the couch. “Come on, sit down before you fall down.”
“How could she, Buck?” Eddie asked, sinking onto the cushions. “God, Chris must feel so violated.”
“You might want to get him in to see a counsellor,” Buck suggested.
Eddie nodded. “Yeah.”
Buck debated whether or not to ask the question on the tip of his tongue but eventually he just blurted it out. “I take it you’ll be ending things with her?”
“Fuck yes,” Eddie said, slumping against the backrest but tipping sideways a little until he was pressed up against Buck. “There’s no way I could ever be with someone who would do something like that.”
It was wrong, but Buck couldn't help the happiness that spread through him. At his feet, Kathika’s tail thumped against the carpet and he just hoped that Eddie wouldn't notice.
Buck hadn’t been able to accompany Eddie to the school but he heard afterwards that Ana had been suspended pending an investigation and Chris had been moved out of her class. Eddie had broken up with her, and several days later, Ana showed up at the station with a sweater and a book that belonged to Eddie. One look at the pleading expression on Eddie’s face was all that Buck needed to see before he was heading down from the loft to run interference. “Miss Flores,” he greeted her.
“Is Edmundo here?” she asked, looking past Buck.
“No, he’s out on a call,” Buck lied, drawing her attention back to him.
“Can I wait? I have some of his things and I would also like to talk to him,” she said, her finch dæmon fluttering nervously around her head.
“I’m sorry, but he’ll be gone for several hours at least,” he said, drawing on every ounce of will power he had to remain polite and not yell at her like he wanted to do. “Why don’t I take those things for you and I’ll make sure that he gets them.”
She frowned. “I’d rather wait for him.”
Feeling his patience snap, Buck said, “Well, we don’t always get what we want and not everyone simply takes it.”
She looked hurt and Buck guessed that she didn't see what harm she’d done. It was true that parents of small children occasionally touched their dæmons but the bond between parent and child was much closer than between teacher and student. Her next words confirmed his suspicions. “Christopher was hurt because he overextended himself. I was making sure that he got the medical attention that he needed. I didn't mean to upset him but he’s a sensitive boy.”
Buck’s eyes narrowed. “He’s a nine year old boy who trusted you not to do anything inappropriate.”
She huffed. “I picked up his dæmon, it’s not like I assaulted him!”
Buck reached out and snatched the sweater and book from her hands. He was furious but he knew that no matter how much he argued, Ana would not sway from her delusional beliefs. “We’re done here,” he said coldly.
“You can’t stop me from speaking to Eddie!” she protested.
By his side, Kathika snarled. “Leave, now,” she commanded.
Ana looked like she was going to argue further but then she huffed and turned on her heel, then stormed from the station. Buck waited until she had left before heading up to the loft and making his way over to the couch where Eddie was hiding out. He placed the items down gently on the coffee table and then sat down next to him. “She’s gone,” he told him.
Eddie gave him a small but genuine smile. “Honestly, what would I do without you?”
Iselda jumped off the couch and pinned Kath to the ground and began to groom her face, her rough tongue swiping over the golden retriever’s ears. “Let’s hope we never have to find out,” she said between licks.
Things went back to normal for them after that. Buck resumed spending their days off at the Diaz household, he and Kathika spending the night on the couch. More often than not, they would wake to find Eddie and Iselda asleep next to them, Eddie drooling on Buck’s shoulder and Kath drooling on Iselda’s. It made them yearn for more but they tried to be realistic, knowing that sooner or later, Eddie would try again after his disastrous end with Ana and he would eventually find someone else. Buck was Eddie’s best friend, nothing more and the sooner that they accepted that, the less it would hurt when they had their heart broken. Again.
Everyone except Eddie seemed to recognise just how far gone Buck was for him. When they caught him staring forlornly at Eddie during down time at the station, they would do their best to distract him. Hen would kick his butt at video games whilst Dara perched on Kathika’s shoulders and groomed her wild fur; Bobby redoubled his efforts to pass on his cooking knowledge to Buck, the pair working seamlessly together in the kitchen, gracefully stepping over the two canines sprawled at their feet; and Chim provided the biggest distraction of them all when he and Maddie announced that they were expecting.
“I’m going to be an uncle?” Buck ask, breathless as Kath danced around his feet in excited circles.
Maddie pulled him in for a hug, her Jack Russell dæmon, Abir, joining Kath in her celebrations. “The best uncle. You’re going to be the best uncle ever.”
“Uncle Buck!” Hyan, Chim’s squirrel dæmon chirped happily.
Chim grinned and held up a finger to high five Hyan. “Oh yeah, first Uncle Buck!” he cried.
Maddie and Buck sighed forlornly, recognising just how many ‘Uncle Bucks’ were in their future, and then caught each other’s eye and burst out laughing.
Buck began reading baby books on his down time at work, and listened more attentively when the others discussed parenting issues. He wasn’t going to be a parent, but he figured that he’d be spending a lot of time with the baby and he wanted to make sure that he did everything right.
“Floor time is important,” Bobby said one day. “Some days you just want to hold them the whole day, never letting them go, but they also need floor time to build up those muscles that they’ll need to roll and crawl.”
“If someone offers to help out with the housework or cooking, don’t take offence,” Hen added sagely. “You’ll be exhausted, emotional, and will feel like you’re in over your head but they’re not passing a judgement on you, they just understand how hard it is and want to help.”
Dara bobbed her head. “Accept the help and if they offer to take the baby for a few hours? You take that opportunity to sleep because those are few and far between.”
Eddie was sitting with Iselda’s head in his lap and he was gently stroking her sleek, black fur. “Just be present,” he said quietly to Chim. “You might not think that it matters but it does. Be there for them, as much as you can. You’ll never get another chance if you miss out on all of those firsts.”
He sounded so sad and Buck knew that he was thinking of everything that he’d missed whilst deployed. He shuffled over on the couch, pressing his thigh and arm against Eddie’s, trying to offer what small comfort he could.
“You’re going to make a great dad,” Bonaria told Chim. “You got this.”
The alarm sounded and in an instant they were on their feet, heading to grab their gear, moving in synchronisation borne from being such a close knit team. They piled into the ladder truck and soon they were moving, the siren blaring, heading to whatever awaited them.
“It looks like we have a potential jumper,” Bobby explained over the headset once he’d gotten off the radio to dispatch. “He’s on the fourteenth floor of a building that’s under construction. Name is Mike Harrington and he was dismissed by the construction company today during staff lay offs. He’s armed with a knife and he’s not letting anyone get close to him.”
They spent the drive mentally preparing themselves and when they arrived, they gathered at the foot of the building. Eddie shielded his eyes as he peered up and then suggested to Bobby, “Maybe Buck and I should rappel down from the top? Then maybe we can block his exit?”
Bobby nodded. “Sounds like a plan.” He surveyed the ground around them, noting the scraps of concrete and machinery that littered the place. “The area beneath him isn’t suitable for the rescue cushion, we’re going to need to talk him down, otherwise this is going to end badly. Okay, Chim, you work the winch; Hen, you head to the floor that he’s on and wait out of sight and be ready to provide medical aid; Eddie, you and Buck harness up.”
Buck held out a fist for Eddie to bump and then they were grabbing their equipment and making their way up to the roof. They helped each other to tighten straps but they were both left to their own devices for getting their dæmons settled into the special harnesses on their backs. The distance was too far for them to leave their dæmons behind. The pain from that kind of separation would render them useless, and so the harnesses had been devised for emergency service workers to take their dæmons with them. Kathika and Iselda were large animals, but Buck and Eddie had trained extensively to be able to carry them with no problems and it was only a matter of minutes before they were ready. Kath snuffled at Buck’s neck and he reached up to scratch her head. “You ready?” he asked her.
“Always,” she said.
“Let’s do this,” Eddie said, and then after sharing a fist bump with Chim, they headed over the edge.
It wasn’t long before they were touching down on the scaffolding surrounding the fourteenth floor, all of them on high alert. They heard a man shouting and a moment later, Buck caught sight of Harrington. His back was to them and he was waving around the knife as he ranted at several men in high-vis vests and hard hats who were standing safely on the other side of the scaffolding inside the building.
“Mike, please,” one of the men called out. “Think of your family. Don’t do this!”
“My family?” Harrington shouted. “What use am I to them when I can’t even keep my job!”
“I’m sorry, but when the Board decided to cut jobs, it’s always last on, first off. It wasn’t personal, Mike. You’ll find something else.”
“Fuck you, Wilson!” Harrington screamed. “It’s easy enough for you to spout that bullshit when you’re still working here! I don’t see any of you supervisors packing your things, just us lowly plebs!”
Buck exchanged a glance with Eddie, both agreeing that they needed to get the others to leave ASAP before they riled Harrington up further. “Uh, hi there,” Buck said, causing Harrington to spin around, his knife held up in front of him. “LAFD, we’re here to help.”
“Unless you can get me my job back, I don’t want your help!” he spat.
“For crying out loud, Mike, no one can get you your job back!” Wilson snapped. “Now stop acting like a spoiled child and get your ass down from here.”
Kathika groaned and Buck wanted to smack the guy. Harrington’s eyes went wild and he darted right over to the edge of the platform. “Screw you!” he shouted.
“Okay, how about you lot scram,” Eddie told Wilson and the others. “We’ve got this from here.”
They looked like they wanted to argue but then Buck caught sight of Hen behind them, ushering them out. Once they were alone with Harrington, they turned to face him. Buck could feel the winds buffering him, and he knew that one false step would send Harrington plummeting over the edge. A movement in his front pocket revealed a tiny chipmunk - Harrington’s dæmon.
“Hey, man, we’re here to help,” Eddie said softly, holding his hands up in a placating manner.
“No one can help me!” Harrington spat.
“Look, I know things seem rough right now, but they’ll get better, I promise.”
Harrington gave a derisive laugh. “Spoken like someone who has it all. I mean, just look at you! You’re obviously a big hero, a beloved fireman. I bet you have a wife at home who spreads her legs every night, 2.5 kids, and a white picket fence! And look at your dæmon! Strong and powerful, the envy of everyone!”
Eddie shook his head. “No. I share my bed with my PTSD from my army days, my kid has CP and struggles every damn day, and I’m no hero, I’m just a guy trying to stop another guy from making a decision that there’s no coming back from.”
“What’s the point?” Harrington said, turning back to look over the edge. Buck glanced down as well, shuddering a little at the drop below him, glad that he and Kathika were safe in their harnesses.
“You have a family who will miss you if you’re gone,” Eddie said. Buck was happy to let him take the lead, staying quiet so as not to disrupt the rapport that Eddie was building.
Harrington barked out a laugh. “A loveless marriage and a grown son who never calls. Neither of them would miss me.”
“You know that’s not true.”
“Just because you have people who would miss you, doesn't mean I do!” Harrington shouted.
“But can you be so sure?” Eddie said, a pleading note in his voice. “Come on, man, just give them a chance to show you how much they’d miss you.” Harrington appeared to be wavering just a little and Eddie pressed his advantage, inching closer. “Come on, Mike, just hand over the knife and let’s get you inside, yeah? We’ll get your wife and son down here so you can speak to them.”
“You really think that they’d miss me if I was gone?” he asked softly.
Eddie nodded. “Yeah, man, I really do. I know that my kid would be devastated if I left him for good, and I’m sure that your son feels the same.”
“Devastated huh?” Harrington said, his head hanging low between his shoulders. “You think so?”
“Yeah, I really do,” Eddie told him, and he was so close now. He was reaching up slowly for the knife, positioning himself with his back to the ledge so he could wrap his arms around Harrington and keep him from jumping. “That’s it, Mike, just give me the knife and you can see your family.”
Harrington nodded and then looked up, a glint in his eye and Buck cried out, knowing that something was wrong. “You know nothing about them!” he snarled, the knife lashing out, slicing through straps. “You seem sure about your own kid though so why don’t we test that!” And then he was shoving Eddie roughly over the edge before he flung himself over as well.
The rope pulled taut, and Eddie was jerked to a stop but the straps that Harrington had cut were those for Iselda’s harness. She slipped from her place on his back, her paws reaching out for Eddie, a cry on her lips. “Iselda!” Eddie screamed, reaching for her but it was too late, she was already falling.
Buck didn't even think, he flung himself forwards. He always kept a little slack in his rope in case of emergencies and this was exactly why. If he didn't save Iselda, then both she and Eddie would die and Buck couldn’t allow that to happen. He stretched his arm out as far as it could go, even as he fell the short amount of distance that the slack allowed for, snatching for the black paw and suddenly he connected. His fingers wrapped around it and his eyes locked on the scared, yellow ones of the panther. “I’ve got you,” he assured her, his grip strong.
“Don’t let me go,” she cried. “Buck, don’t let go!”
“I won’t,” he said, and then he used all of the strength that he had to lift her one hundred plus pounds up. “Use your claws,” he instructed her. “Grab onto my uniform.”
Her free paw came up, claws extended and she latched onto his pants leg. He didn't even wince as they dug into his flesh, just continued to heft her up, until she was against his chest. He let go of her paw and she wrapped it, along with the other, around his neck, and he held onto her tightly, feeling her trembling beneath his touch. “I’ve got you, I’ve got you.”
“Don’t let me go,” she whispered again.
Buck felt Kathika lick at Iselda’s muzzle. “We won’t, we’re never letting you go,” she said.
Buck glanced up to see Eddie sitting in his harness, eyes wide with shock. “Eds, you okay?” he called.
Eddie didn't reply and Buck tapped his radio. “Chim, lift us back up to the fourteenth - we’ll unhitch there. Hen, I’ll need you to check over Eddie but can you give us a few moments first?”
“Copy that.”
They were slowly pulled up and Buck didn't let go of his grip on Iselda the entire time. Her front legs were wrapped so tightly around his neck that if he even moved his head slightly to either side, his lips brushed against her sleek, black fur. He tried his best to keep his touch clinical, to have as little impact as he could but the way that she clung to him made that difficult.
Soon Buck got his feet on the scaffolding and as soon as he and Eddie were safely set down, he lunged forward and threw himself and the two dæmons over the windowsill and into the building proper. He gently set Iselda down and she turned and lunged at Eddie, and Buck gave them a little privacy by turning his back as he began to undo the straps so Kathika could get out of her harness.
As promised, Hen remained where she was, giving them some space. Buck looked over at Eddie, who seemed unable to meet his eyes and he sighed. He hated that he’d violated Eddie in such a way, placing hands on his dæmon, but this had truly been a life or death situation. Iselda wasn’t just falling off a skateboard - she was plummeting to her death. He hoped that one day Eddie would forgive him. “Eddie, I’m so sorry,” he said, in a broken voice.
Eddie’s head snapped up at that and his eyes narrowed dangerously. “You’re sorry?” he growled. “You’re sorry?” He stalked over to Buck, who closed his eyes, preparing for the blow to land. He wouldn’t blame Eddie for wanting to punch him for crossing such a line.
The punch never came, instead Buck’s cheeks were clasped between warm hands and then Eddie was kissing Buck, his soft mouth moving hungrily over Buck’s. Then Eddie pulled back and said, “Don’t you dare be sorry for saving us, Evan Buckley.”
“But I had to touch Iselda,” he protested.
“You are the only person in the world other than me who is welcome to lay their hands on her,” Eddie whispered.
“But… but that’s only something that lovers do!”
Eddie rolled his eyes fondly and pulled Buck back in for another kiss. “Buck, Iselda may be the other half of my soul, but you are the other half of my heart. I was just too blind to see it.”
“Holy shit, that was so romantic!” Kathika squealed.
Iselda butted her head against Kath’s, nuzzling her face. “We’re not entirely clueless.”
“Yes, you are. You all are,” Hen said, emerging from the shadows, Dara perched on her shoulder. “It’s about damn time you lot got your act together. Now, Buck said something about a patient for me?”
Buck looked over at her, a huge grin on his face. “I thought that maybe he was going into shock from me having to touch Iselda but it appears that I was wrong.”
“I’m perfectly fine,” Eddie assured her.
Hen huffed and turned away. “Alright, then, come on. Let’s head down.”
Buck and Eddie followed, their shoulders bumping against each other, Buck with a hand placed lightly on Iselda’s back, and Eddie with one hand tangling in the long fur at the back of Kathika’s neck. A feeling of completeness filled Buck and he couldn't help but smile as he walked, his heart on one side, and his soul on the other.