Work Text:
A Diaz Makes for the Best Partner
Buck sat on his couch. If he was a little late he could just arrive when the team got their placard.
"Buck. Open up." Maddie was at his door. Great.
"I'm getting dressed. I woke up late." It was a bold faced lie.
"That's impossible, even for you." She said at the door.
He couldn't just leave her there. Buck got up to open it.
"Right." She said unamused at him dressed nicely.
He was more formal like for a date. But not his more official uniform for the occasion though.
"You have to get changed."
"I'm not going as a firefighter. I'm going as a civilian." He tells her while she looks at him with a 'no questions do it' attitude. "I wasn't on duty during the tsunami." Buck sighs.
He was trying to get back with repeated setbacks.
"Neither was Collins. That's not stopping him from being there."
It was his day off. But he had helped to direct people in the chaos. Most first responders had done so.
But it was different with Buck.
"Just go get changed. Didn't you say it was important to support the team or something when you went to Eddie's ceremony?" Maddie knew how to get to him.
Buck thoughts about it.
"Christopher's gonna be there. Don't you think he'll ask why you aren't in your formal uniform?" She asked, knowing she'd won.
"Alright. Gimme a second."
It wasn't that he couldn't wear it. It was that he felt he shouldn't. He'd failed that day. Even with everything he did and tried. It still felt sore, even if Christopher was okay. Even with forgiveness.
Maddie drove. She said it was faster to carpool and better for the environment. But he knew she was just trying to prevent him from escaping early.
Now his plan was destroyed. He couldn't show up late. He couldn't mingle a little before taking off. He had to stay.
"You know, when I first heard you were out there I was shocked. I was worried. Even if you are trained, you were on medication and you were watching Christopher."
"I'm sorry about that."
"It wasn't your fault. You both made it. Not everyone did. But you two helped even while fighting to keep yourselves alive." Maddie smiled at him at a red light just outside of the building they were holding it at.
Buck swallowed the feeling trapped in his throat as they went in. Carla, Karen, Isabel, everyone was there really.
"Buck." Christopher whisper-shouted seeing him.
He patted the chair besides him.
Buck both couldn't and wouldn't fight the smile on his face.
"Hey buddy. Sorry I was late. Maddie brought me just in time."
"Daddy and the others are next." Christopher showed Buck the pamphlet he had in his hands.
Buck saw as Chimney and Hen elbowed Bobby and Eddie to tell them that Buck had arrived.
He didn't want to miss this. The team was great. They earned this. Did what they could, went above and beyond to help as many people as possible.
Athena was coming up on the list and Maddie just before her.
Christopher shut the paper before Buck could read the bottom part as the 118 was next.
Athena and Maddie went up.
May was looking at Buck with a smile as he waved from across their tables back at her.
The ceremony had to be about over now. All the departments who were crucial to helping save lives and get people to safety were back in their seats.
"And now it's an honor to issue these certificates of outstanding bravery during the disaster." The speaker said as Buck got this weird feeling about those words.
"May Grant. She was with her mother during the end of the first wave and helped an injured driver while they were both in extreme danger. Please step forward to the stage."
Buck smiled at her and clapped. He hadn't known about it. But he fully believed it.
There were a few other names called after her. Citizens that had done their part to help others. Maddie clapped at a young girl who stepped up to the stage.
"-the ingenuitive use of a drone to help dispatch in checking on others during the crisis. She worked together with Ms. Buckley and saved people who were endangered by a gas leak while escaping the flooding."
The girl looked back at Maddie who with tears in her eyes smiled and nodded at her.
"The last on our list for tonight are two individuals who were at the initial impact zone. They along with the 136 witnesses first hand what happened."
Christopher was looking up at Buck while more details were given by the speaker.
"Oh." Buck's eyes were blown wide as he finally realized it.
They had-
"Christopher Diaz and Evan Buckley. Please join us all on the stage." She called them up.
Buck swallowed with a dry throat. But Christopher grabbed his hand as he got up.
He wouldn't let him go up alone. And he hadn't lied. They made a great team, not just on that day.
So that was why Maddie had made him change.
"Daddy told me. But he said it was a surprise." Christopher said while they walked over.
"We thank each of you. Please look beside you. We all acknowledge your efforts in aiding others on that day."
The crowd clapped but Buck's attention was on Christopher.
The most important part was that he was okay. He pushed down that guilt and regret for now. It may never leave but it felt a lot lighter than it had been.
Eddie was up and coming over towards them now.
Buck watched him lift Christopher up into his arms.
"Maddie got you." Eddie said.
"Yeah. It was really a surprise." Buck raised his eyebrows.
"They just told me the other day. It was Maddie's idea for you not to know so you couldn't refuse." Eddie patted Buck's shoulder as they went back to their seats.
"You weren't a firefighter that day. But a lot of people are thankful that a trained professional was there to help them. And they were encouraged by your partner here during it." Maddie looked over to Christopher.
"A Diaz as a partner is always a good thing." Buck nodded.
With that Buck congratulated May and was introduced to the girl named Charlotte by Maddie.
The half year anniversary of the tsunami wasn't as bad as Buck thought it would be.
And they had a lot of people to talk to the next time if they needed, after this ceremony.
"Eddie says you were the brains behind this operation." Buck chuckled from his seat.
"Well, someone had to make sure you were dressed for the occasion and I knew you couldn't refuse backing up a Diaz," She teased. "You did great. It wasn't as planned but you made it. The both of you."
"Yeah. We did." Buck agreed.
"Once a firefighter-" "always a firefighter." Chimney and Hen said while coming over for a group hug with Buck.
"You didn't need the uniform Buck. Not on that day or on Halloween." Bobby nodded as he came over for a hug.
Finally it was Christopher's turn. Buck squatted down to hug him back as Eddie waited his turn.
Eddie's arm moved over Buck's shoulder as he ended their hug.
"So. You guys ready for some cake?" He asked while Christopher was in front of them.
"What kind is it?" Christopher asked leading the way.
"I think they have every kind imaginable bud." Eddie told him.
They'd walked beside the dessert table as it was being set up while they took to the stage in the department groups.
They were at their tables now with said collected cake pieces of multiple flavors, sizes, and colors on their plates.
Buck cleaned his mouth as he saw Athena talking to Maddie.
"That was really smart thinking Mads. You had a little buddy during it all too." Buck smiled. "And you- Hen told me about-"
"Don't even start. I'm just glad he's okay." Athena put up her hand to stop Buck.
It wasn't a story for the kids to overhead there. Even with Buck's attempt at making it a child friendly retelling.
"Well he's lucky you found him. We passed him while getting cake." Buck said as she looked at his plate.
"Getting wired to keep up with Christopher?" She asked.
"Hmm? No. I got a few to try. I can't eat anymore. I'm stuffed." Buck shook his head.
Denny and Harry were looking at May and Christopher's awards.
"You're coming home with us right? I might need backup." Eddie joked.
"Need. Nah. But yeah. Maddie picked me up so I'm jeep-less."
"Gotta drop off my abuela first though."
"Yeah. The back seats are the coolest though. Right Chris?" Buck asked.
"Ah ha." He nodded with a grin.