Chapter Text
Chapter One
Eddie hung up the phone, "Still not answering me," he said as he looked over at Buck.
"He's not answered you at all, he's not answered anyone in the last month," Buck pointed out, "Not Denny, Harry, or any of his friends from school. Hell, the school has been finding it hard to get in touch with him as well about the work he’s supposed to be doing," he reminded him.
"I'm going to have to go down there," he added, "I'm going to call Abuela, I know she's been able to see him occasionally."
"You think something is going on?" Buck asked, looking worried.
"I know something is going on," Eddie told him, "Look, my parents finally got what they wanted. Christopher. They’re going to be doing what they can to keep him. I'm expecting a letter through that damn door telling me that I have to give up custody of him. At the moment, I told them four months, that is all they have him for. I've drawn up a few things, to make sure that if they try that, then I will have them classed as kidnapping him. Doesn't matter if he is willing, he's still a child. He is in my care, and he has one month left. They’re already violating the guardianship papers that I made sure they signed and were filed. So, I'm going to get time off and go down there and get him. I'm going to speak with Abuela and ask her if she knows what is going on. If she doesn't, I'll be going tomorrow as soon as Garrard has someone to cover my shift. This is a family emergency."
Buck nodded, "Okay, I'll be coming with you. I don't care about hiding our relationship. I'm done trying to keep Gerrard off our backs. I can't..." he sighed and shook his head.
"I know," he said as he nodded his head and agreed. “Tomorrow we ask for the leave and then head out as soon as we can. He can't stop either of us from going on leave," he added.
"He can," Buck pointed out, "but we know to go over his head, Alonzo wasn't the one that forced us to have Gerrard at the 118. That fucked up councilwoman with a grudge did so. Gerrard and her are dating."
"Yeah," he nodded, as he grabbed his phone, "Right, call Abuela and see what she knows." He waited a while before the call connected, "Hey Abuela, I'm with Buck, is it alright if I put you on speaker?" he said after she had greeted him.
"Of course Neito," she said, her voice sounding tired and worn.
"Are you okay, Abuela?" Eddie said, frowning, he hadn't heard her so down since his grandfather had passed away.
"Your parents, they are vile creatures," she said, "you need to come and get Christopher. They have locked him away, not letting him do anything. Not school work, nothing. They... they are hoping that if they beat him down enough that he will agree to remain here. He can't. Your sister and I are trying to get him out of there. But that woman, she has people there to stop anyone. You-" she began to cry, "he is so alone, Neito, you have to come and get him."
"I will, I will abuela," he said, looking at Buck who looked worried.
"I'm calling Athena, maybe she can help in getting someone down there to take him into custody. This is abuse now, it's crossed the line," Buck said, grabbing his own phone and making the call.
"We're going to be getting him back," Eddie promised, feeling nothing but a burning white-hot anger at his parents. “There is paperwork in place that states what they were allowed to do with him. They've breached it with him not FaceTiming me twice a week, even if he doesn't talk. He is also supposed to answer all calls, or they are to do so for him. And he has to complete each day's schoolwork. Since he hasn't been, then they are breaking the contract for them to have him for a couple of months. I have things to use against them, I promise, I didn't just let him go. I refused to let Christopher go until they signed it all, with NO changes."
"Good, good," she said, crying lightly, "I wish I had never come out here, Eddito."
"Then you'll come back with us," Buck called out from where he was on the call with Athena.
"I will," she nodded, "I will, I can't remain here anymore. I thought it would be nice to be near Ramon, but it has been nothing but a nightmare," she stated quietly.
"Then we'll get you home, we'll help you sort things out to make sure that you will never have to go back," Eddie promised her.
"Thank you," she said.
"Right, Athena has some friends down in El Paso, she made sure of that when she learned what your parents were trying to do back then. She's going to have them do a wellness check and to make sure they talk with Christopher alone. Since she's going to report on the isolation that the Diaz's parents are doing," Buck said as he got off the phone and walked back over.
"Good, if they get him out of that house tonight, I have a spare room that he will be able to stay in," she said.
"Thank you, Abuela," he said, "I'll talk to you again later on, see what is going on with the wellness check," he added.
"I'll call you as soon as I know," Isabel said, sounding a little more hopeful than she did when she had first answered the call.
"Now all we can do is wait," Buck said as Isabel ended the call and the two settled in to wait for more news. "I messaged Tommy. He's going to pop over and see if we want anything."
"That's nice, he really doesn't have to," Eddie said, as Buck leaned against him, wanting some comfort after what they had just learned.
"You know Tommy, he's always wanting to help, with anything, even those of us so damn confused about shit," Buck snorted, glad of something new to think of instead of the constant press of worry for Christopher that they had been feeling since the moment Eddie had failed to get in touch with the teenager again.
"I know, Tommy has been a great help with that," Eddie said as he let his boyfriend of only a month tuck himself away in his arms. He couldn't help tightening them around him, needing to hold onto him as much as the other did, both of them needed the comfort.
"He really has, still can't believe he was the one that broke up with me and then shoved me at you," he snorted, shaking his head.
Eddie laughed, "I think he was feeling the both of us out when we first met him. The trip to Vegas, the fight, that was him seeing if I was interested," he began.
"It was that kiss for me, after the game and he came over, he's a good kisser," Buck smiled, he and Eddie still spent time around Tommy, as much as they could. He had become a really good friend over the last month after they had broken up. Helping them to find their footing and to answer questions that either of them had. Introducing them to a few more people that they had become friends with.
"My first kiss with a guy was with him too," Eddie said casually.
"What?!" Buck said, looking up at him, "How did I not know that?"
Eddie laughed, "I didn't know if I was gay or not, or Bi, or anything. I didn't know if I should talk to you or say anything that I liked you at all. So he kissed me and asked me what I thought. It was... nice, but for me the wrong person. Like your kisses a lot better."
Buck chuckled, "Yeah, he kinda did the same thing with me. Kissed me and then waited for it to register," he snorted, smiling, "Well, wonder which one he prefers?" he grinned.
"Don't know, and I'm not going to ask, he's just started to date someone. Not told me who it is yet. The only thing he's said is that it's someone that we know," Eddie said.
"I felt like such a damn dick when we broke up. He knew that I wanted kids still, and he just didn't. But... I would have settled," he sighed, "He made me happy."
"I'm happy that he did. He's a good guy," Eddie told him, "he knew that you would, and he didn't want you to just settle and give up something that you wanted. It's why he broke things off, he talked a little to me about it," he added when he saw the curious look on Buck's face.
"Oh," he nodded, still feeling a little guilty, he had really liked Tommy, the man had helped him discover a part of himself that he didn't even think existed, and now it sounded like he had also helped Eddie come out the closet as well. "Oh, that reminds me, I found out who he's dating, though that was by accident," he grinned.
"Oh, and who would that be?" Eddie asked, waiting for the gossip.
"Lou Ransone, a detective that Athena knows. She accidently mentioned Lou was on a date with Tommy. She was going to talk with him about Chris, but has asked Rick Romero to take care of things as well, as the two both know of people down in El Paso," he answered.
"Ahh," Eddie said with a slow nod, "Do you think they’re going to be able to talk to him?" he worried.
Buck slumped against Eddie even more and nodded, "They have to, it's a wellness check. They have to actually see him and speak with him to learn his condition. They’ll keep going until they talk to him. Tomorrow, we tell Gerrad that we will be taking some leave to deal with a family crisis."
Eddie nodded as the two settled in to wait. Only getting up to answer the door when someone knocked. Finding Tommy standing there and Lou Ransone. The two made a striking pair as they entered the home.
"Hey," Tommy said, hugging the both of them, "You two alright?" he asked, as he and Lou made their way inside and sat down.
"Waiting for news. Romero and two cops from El Paso are talking," Eddie answered him, "We're waiting."
"Romero is good," Lou said, "Good man, and will keep going like a dog with a damn bone," he added.
"Sorry to erm... disrupt your date with our drama," Buck apologized.
"It's fine, we'd rather be here with friends at the moment. You both needed us here," Tommy told him.
Eddie and Buck nodded, grateful for them both being there. They talked lightly about things for another two hours before a call came through to Eddie's phone. It was a number from El Paso. He answered it, putting it on speaker. "Hello."
"Is this Edmundo Diaz?" the man asked.
"Yes, who is this?" Eddie asked, fear gripping his heart.
"I'm Detective Joshua Rose, I'm one of the ones that went to check on Christopher Diaz at the home of Ramon and Helena Diaz," he stated.
Eddie looked fearfully at the others, "Is... is Chris okay?" he asked.
"He's hurt, and in critical condition at the moment. A Mrs Isabel Diaz is with him at the moment and she and only two others will be on the list. Yourself and she insist on a Mr Evan Buckley being on it," he added.
"He's my partner," he stated, "I... I'll be there as soon as I can. I need to get the time off from my Captain. We'll fly out as soon as that is sorted."
"Helena and Ramon Diaz have both been arrested and will face charges for the abuse and neglect they had taken part in. I'm very sorry to come to you with this news. I hope to see you here soon. I'll tell you more about what has happened when you arrive," he said.
The call ended and Eddie found himself enveloped by his boyfriend's arms, soon joined by Tommy as he cried, hoping he could get there and be with his son, and that he would be fine. He would, he didn't know if he could live without Christopher in his life.