Chapter Text
Tuesday, 6:47pm
The last time Eddie saw Buck.
“Do you want to stay for a bit longer, make the most of time before you leave?” Buck asks, they have just been on their third online house viewing of the week, Buck said the ceiling are too low so it’s not the right one, like the first one, the drive and garage weren’t big enough, and the second, the colour of the walls was weird, Eddie said they could just paint it but no, Buck didn’t like it. Eddie can see him using his puppy eyes asking him to stay, which normally would work, but today he can’t.
“Sorry Buck, I’m gonna go home and facetime Chris before he goes to bed,” Buck's face slumps but he’d put Chris first too, so he understands. “And besides, I haven’t even found a house yet, a house you like as well,” Eddie chuckles making Buck crack a small smile, “so it’s not like I’m moving tomorrow.” Eddie puts his hand on Buck’s shoulder, gliding his thumb over his collarbone, pulling his whole body closer and embracing him, Buck in return wraps his arms around Eddie like it’s the last time they’ll ever hug, even though they both know it’s not. They both take a deep breath in and as they exhale, they separate.
They smile at each other and Buck walks Eddie to the door. “See you tomorrow Buck.” Eddie waves a hand in the air behind him as he walks down the corridor to the elevator. Buck waves out the door and walks back inside, he shuts the door. He can feel the tears again, he’s ended up in tears every time he’s alone ever since he found out Eddie was moving, he knows it’s not soon and he knows it for Chris, he isn’t upset because of that, he’s upset because Eddie is leaving him, everything they have built together over the past 7 years, the team they are together at work. Him, Eddie and Chris, the little family they have created, two thirds of them will be 800 miles across the country, and he’ll be alone. The one person he never thought would leave him alone since the second they met (maybe a little bit longer than that) is leaving him alone. That’s a punch to the gut 800 times over. 1 punch per mile separating him and his favourite people.
He bangs his head back against the door and sucks back the tears. Then heads for the bathroom.
As he’s washing his hands he hears a clattering outside the bathroom. Eddie probably forgot his phone as usual, “Eddie?” Buck shouts as he dries his hands on a towel and unlocks the bathroom door. “I haven’t seen your phone maybe it’s on the couch?” he says as he looks at the open door. Eddie normally closes the door. “Eds? You here?” Buck questions looking up to the loft, nothing but the sunset glow bouncing off the wall. He looks into the living room, the empty bottles of beer still making a ring of condensation on the coffee table. He turns around.
Punch. To. The. Gut.
Wednesday, 9:26am
Buck hasn’t shown up for work and it's already 2 hours into their shift, he’s never normally late because he always gets here before Eddie to make him a coffee. Bobby and Maddie haven’t heard anything either, along with rest of the 118. Eddie’s just going to assume he’s sick and can’t find his phone to call anyone. Yeah, that’s what’s happened, he’ll go check on him after his shift. Yeah, it’ll be fine.
Wednesday, 6:38pm
“Hey Cap, could you come with me to check on Buck later? I think he’s upset with me cause of something I told I the other day so he might not answer the door to me.” Eddie asks Bobby who is dishing out the team’s dinner, he has his own key, but Bobby being there can’t hurt.
“Yeah of course, I have to pick Athena up from the station on the way though, but she can come with us too.” Bobby nods, Eddie cracks a small smile and takes two plates of food to the table, where Buck's seat lays untouched, normally it would be slightly pulled out and squint cause he never pushes it back under the table properly, meaning Eddie comes past behind him to push it back under. But he doesn’t need to today, Buck’s imperfection that some of the time piss Eddie off but then the majority he honestly loves, aren’t there today, and it just feels… different.
Eddies worked shifts without Buck before, either if they aren’t scheduled together or if Buck is off sick but today just feels different.
Wednesday, 8:12pm
“I’ll meet you in the parking lot,” Bobby shouts across the car park of the firehouse, Eddie throws a thumbs up at him as he walks to his truck. He gets into the car and turns it on, waving to Chim and Hen who are chatting inside, as he pulls out of the parking lot. It takes 23 minutes to drive to Buck’s from the firehouse, and adding Bobby picking up Athena, Bobby will get there in about 26 and Eddie in 23.
Wednesday, 8:35pm
Buck still isn’t answering. 3 minutes he has to wait. Then him, Bobby and Athena will go see Buck, find he’s okay and then leave. That’s what’s going to happen.
Wednesday 8:38pm
3 minutes, Bobbys truck pulls into the lot, as he planned. Eddie gets out the car, pull his key to Buck's apartment out of his pocket and meets Athena and Bobby at the door.
“When was the last time you heard from him?” Athena asks Eddie after giving him a hug and getting a pat on the back from Bobby.
“I left here just before 7 yesterday and then I texted him when I got to my car, then to my drive then again when I was on my couch, like always.” Buck's made him text him when he leaves since the shooting, if Eddie even take an extra 10 seconds to text him Buck will already be calling him and then stay on the phone until Eddie is in his house with the door locked.
“Like you said earlier Eddie, he’s probably just sick and can’t get to his phone.” Bobby tries to reassure Eddie, it works a bit but Eddie is always the worst outcome is the only outcome type of person, but he doesn’t even what to think about the worst thing.
They take the stairs because the elevator has an out of order sign on the doors. Eddie leads them to the stairwell, up to the 7th floor.
Wednesday, 8:40pm
They get to the floor of Buck’s apartment, walk closer to the door, but instead of seeing a closed door with the number 417 on it, they see an open door, Athena peeks her head round the door “Buck, you here?” she calls out, Eddie and Bobby stay in the corridor, Eddie closes his eyes waiting for Buck to call out, mumble, anything just so they know he’s there. Nothing. Athena comes back out, signalling Eddie and Bobby to come in.
Eddie steps inside, the air feels cold, it feels like no one has been here in years, Bobby flicks the lights on.
“Beer bottles” Eddie says.
“What?” Athena and Bobby ask. Athenas is coming down the stairs from the loft. No one. Bobby checks the downstairs bathroom. No one.
“The beer bottles we had yesterday, they haven’t moved, they are still there.” Eddie picks up one of the bottles, uncovering the ring of condensation left by the bottle Buck was drinking from. Eddie places it back down where it was, lining it up with the original placement.
“Call him again” Athena says to Bobby.
Ring, ring, ring.
They all look at each other, Eddie's eyes wide, the ringing continues out the apartment.
Into the corridor.
The elevator, they call it to their floor.
The doors ding open, Buck's phone, lying flat in the corner of the elevator. Bobby's name lighting up the screen.
Athena picks it up and declines the call.
15 Missed calls
34 unread messages
They are all from different members of the 118 and Maddie.
The first message notification is from Eddie.
Eddie: I’ve got to my drive Buck! Give me 45 seconds to get to the couch.
Athena looks at Eddie “You said you message Buck when you get to your car?” she asks.
“Yeah, like clockwork, car, drive, couch” Eddie tells her.
“You are sure the first message got sent?”
Eddie pulls out his phone from his back pocket, “yep, here” Athena takes his phone and looks at them side by side.
“The first notification on his phone is from you saying you’re on your drive, but nothing about you being in the car.” Athena explains. “What’s Buck’s password?” Athena asks Eddie.
“9211” the years Eddie and Chris were born.
They walk back to Buck’s apartment, and all sit at the island.
Athena goes onto Buck’s messages, it's already open on the conversation with Eddie. A message he was typing, barely able translate.
H5eop 922
Help 911.
“Look, he was trying to send a message to you, I think it says help 911,” Athena tells the men, Bobby has his arm around Eddie trying to comfort him, nothing could comfort him right now. Something happened to Buck, something bad.
“Check the rest of the phone, we’ll go ask the building manager and ask for security footage.” Bobby says to Athena, looking to Eddie to see if he agrees.
“No, I’m staying here, I’ll help with the phone.” Eddie stubbornly says to Bobby. Athena nods at Bobby and he leave the room.
“How long does it take to get to your house from here?” she asks Eddie.
“Um, yesterday it was 17 minutes”
“So, in the 17 minutes from you leaving and getting home, something happened to Buck, meaning his phone gets left in the elevator.” Athena deciphers, Eddie can hear the worry behind her voice, but Athena being Athena, she isn’t going to let that stop her from finding her adopted son.
“They would’ve been in the complex when I was here surely?” Eddie questions, which saying it out loud feels like a punch to the gut. If he stayed when Buck asked him to, he’d be fine now. None of this would be happening.
Punch. Punch. Punch.
“We don’t know that yet, let’s wait for Bobby before we jump to any conclusions.” Athena reassures him.
Too late. Punch. Punch. Punch.