Chapter Text
He doesn’t know what to expect when Carlos tell him there’s an opening at his work.
The only thing he’s sure of, however, is that he and Chris need to get out of El Paso. So Eddie runs as fast as he can. Between Shannon passing away and his parents trying to convince him he’s not a good father some distance sounds amazing. It’s true, he wasn’t a good husband to Shannon and he hasn’t been the greatest father to his son but he’s trying. Fuck if Eddie hasn’t been trying since the day he got back from his last tour.
Thankfully his son is more forgiving than the rest of their family. Carlos is working for the Secret Service, he doesn’t know where, but he tells Eddie they need people they can trust. Eddie has two military tours under his belt and five years as a firefighter. It’s quite helpful to get the position. He has two interviews, one with Athena Grant, head of the department security and a second with Robert Nash. Eddie is not sure how he survives through an interview with the current Chief of Staff of the White House. But he does.
“We’d really like for you to become part of our team, Mr Diaz,” Bobby tells him at the end of the interview and Carlos beams behind him.
“I’d love to,” Eddie agrees and his phone beeps with an email full of details as soon as they end the call. NDAs, contracts, request for new phones and accommodations.
He feels something loose in his chest and for once Eddie is hopeful.
Bobby’s team puts everything together in record time.
Flights, housing, they find a school that can accommodate Chris’s needs paid in full as part of his compensation. Carlos picks him up from the airport, gets them home and helps them settle down. Chris seems to love the new place, a lovely two bedroom with a balcony big enough for a swing set. It doesn’t have a backyard and space like they had in El Paso but it’s enough. Carlos’s fiancé swings by to help them unpack. He entertains Chris while Eddie wrestles more information about the job out of Carlos.
“Look,” Carlos says taking a sip out of his beer. “I can’t talk about this, especially in a place that hasn’t been swiped for bugs.” He shrugs and Eddie gets it, he does, but he’s still curious. “Bobby and Athena will brief you tomorrow as soon as you come in.” Which is fair, he knows you can never be safe enough.
“Alright,” He nods. “I’ll wait a few more hours.” Carlos bumps his shoulder just as Chris calls for them. He doesn’t miss the softness on Carlos’s face as he watches TK with Chris.
He feels like he’s going back to school.
Eddie drops Chris off first. He walks him inside, waits until his teacher picks him up and then finally forces himself to turn around and leave. Chris will be fine, he’s always fine. His son is a very social child that tends to make friends very fast. To his relief there’s not much traffic on his way to work. It’s one less thing to worry about. Eddie is not anxious per se, he’s taken up more challenging gigs. He’s been through active battle for god’s sake. Running security for someone won’t be that hard.
Another thing, wearing tailored suits feels weird as opposed to his work gear. He misses his turnout pants and cotton t-shirts they had as uniforms. This, however, is a high standards job so they made sure his wardrobe was also updated. Carlos is waiting for him at the entrance. He goes through the standard checks up and then they’re moving to a debrief room on the lower levels of the White House.
“I feel like you’re about to sacrifice me,” He jokes and Carlos rolls his eyes.
“Yes, Edmundo,” Carlos side steps and avoids the elbow aimed at his side. “I brought you here to sacrifice you so the President can get a re-election.” He’s about to snap something back when someone clears their throat behind them.
“Gentlemen,” Robert Nash nods as he passes them by.
“Morning, Bobby!” Carlos bounces along and Eddies follows quickly. “How are you this fine morning?”
“Stressed as always,” Bobby replies and there’s a glint in his eyes. Eddie thinks he’s only half serious. “I need to get this out of the way and go back to work as soon as possible. So please take a seat.” He motions to the chairs laid around the meeting table and turns on the projector.
“Bobby loves his PowerPoint presentations,” Carlos fake whispers and Bobby throws him a dirty glare.
“There’s nothing wrong with having visual aids during important meetings,” The older man replies and Eddie sees the ghost of a smile. “Mr. Diaz, welcome to the White House!” The screen comes alive and the title ‘How to keep idiots safe’ appears in bolt letters. “I’m sure you’re curious on why we brought you here. Carlos will be moving up to the President’s personal detail.” He presses a button and the next slide reveals the face of a handsome blonde man. Eddie knows him. Of course he knows who it is. You’d have to be stupid to not recognise the President’s brother. A wild child in his youth, he turned his life around after his sister decided to run first for congress and then for the presidency. He’s been by her side and one of the driving forces for her win for the past ten years. “So that means the bane of my existence needs a new detail.” There’s a certain fondness behind the words. “This, of course, is Evan Buckley. Thirty years of age, former wild child, brother to the President of the United States and currently the priority of the Secret Service.”
Eddies nods along, focusing on the avalanche of information coming in.
Eddie is a little bit stressed.
Bobby gave him four different folders to review. One for the President, one for her brother, one for her husband and one for her parents. The last, he’s gathered, are around on a need be bases. Most commonly around the election periods for the necessary photo ops. Which sounds fair to him. Eddie has his own family issues, he’s not about to barge into someone else’s.
Maddie Buckley, she was born in Hersey, moved to DC when she was nine with her family. Following on her father’s footsteps, was voted into the Senate at the age of twenty five. A strong candidate for the Democratic Party, she build her platform on voting in favour of women’s rights, fair immigration laws and universal healthcare. She run a killer campaign for presidency with the help of her little bother and husband at the age of thirty. Eddie will admit that he actually did vote for her in the previous elections. He flips through the rest of the information regarding her detail, her day to day and so on.
He picks up the folder of the husband next. Howard Han, son to a well known Korean business man. He moved to the US when he was six, had nothing to do with business or politics. He and Maddie met on the fire station he was working. Eddie reads over the information two more times until his brain catches up. Something tightens in his chest when he realises that they’ve both been part of the brotherhood. There’s a brief description of all the charities he keeps as the First Gentleman, several of them related to firefighters and their families. As well as his daily schedule.
There’s not much on the Parent Buckleys folder that he doesn’t know already. Proper WASP family, both come from money with strong ties to the Republican Party. Phillip retired from politics the moment Maddie announced she’s running for Senate. A smart and calculated move, Eddie is sure, as it wouldn’t look great to run opposite each other. Not that he’d had any chance, from the little Eddie has seen of Maddie during her interviews, she looks like a force of nature.
He’s left the most important one for last. Eddie has had the pleasure of hearing about what, America and the entire world to be honest, has lovingly dabbed as The First Sibling. Evan Buckley is the most chaotic person Eddie has ever read about. From his early twenties sleeping around and finding himself in protests regarding the corrupted system to cleaning up his act and following Maddie on the road. His calendar is full of one charity event after another. Lots of lgbtqia+ and cancer related ones, plus some adjoined with Maddie and her husband. He seems to be hard working and not really what Eddie expected.
Their first meeting comes to shutter any good impression Eddie had so far.
“I don’t understand why I need a new detail,” He watches as Evan’s face morphs into a frown. “Carlos was perfectly fine and if you need to move him I’ll just have Ravi or Lucy.”
“Ravi is scared of you,” Bobby throws not looking up from his phone. “And you keep distracting Lucy by flirting with her.” Eddie is standing up, trying to hide smile. “I know it comes a surprise to you, Evan, but we rather like it when you come home alive.” Eddie watches something flash in Evan’s eyes but then it’s gone. “Eddie,” Bobby finally turns to look at him. “This is Evan Buckley, your new assignment.”
“Nice to meet you,” Eddie extends his hand politely and Evan takes it. The handshake is firm but quick.
“I don’t need you here,” Evan says instead and Eddie barely holds his tongue before he snaps something back.
“Buck!” Bobby beats him to it. “I will not have this discussion again. It is what it is.” There’s something in his voice that makes Evan -Buck?- settle down. His face goes blank and then he puts a fake smile on.
“Welcome to the White House,” He says again, politeness dripping from his tongue.
“Somehow I doubt that,” Eddie shoots back before he can stop himself.
For the first since he accepted the offer he worries he made a mistake.
They leave him be for the rest of the day.
He has a few days to shadow Carlos so he can learn Evan’s day by day. So he goes back to his studying and asking questions. He also gets to meet the other stuff quickly and by the time he looks at the watch it’s 5pm and he needs to pick up Christopher from school. It takes a bit longer to drive back but he gets there in time.
Eddie lets Christopher’s stories from his first day help turn his brain off from the challenge that’s going to be Evan.