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"No one can explain what happened to me on March 6th, 2025. Some people call it impossible. Others called it a miracle."
Buck couldn't handle it anymore. He had enough. Ever since Eddie left his side to be back with Chris in El Paso was nothing short of pure torture. Don't get him wrong, he 1000% understood where Eddie was coming from, but still. How he missed him.
It had taken him not more than a second after Eddie stepped in that godforsaken truck of his to realize he wasn't just in love with the man, but absolutely head over heels with him. And now he was paying the price.
Eddie had been in El Paso for over 3 weeks now. 3 weeks, 14 hours, and 39 minutes to be exact. Buck had been counting. Every second that passed was one second to many.
Eddie, the blessed man that he was, texted Buck every day. Selfies, nature photos, those weird Google maps pin points that showed locations. The whole shebang. And Buck had memorized them all. All of it filed into little chaotic folders in his mind.
Everytime he saw a photo or a point, he couldn't help but imagine himself by Eddie's side. The first photos were selfies of Eddie alone. A picture of him by a dark oak door with the caption 'arrived at my new house for now' under it. Buck couldn't help but notice how it said house instead of home. It wasn't home. Couldn't be home. Home was here in L.A.
Next was the first pin point he got. It showed the location of a restaurant. Eddie had attached a picture of his food as well. A plate piled so high he wondered how the man even finished it. Under that picture was a caption as well. One that made his heart melt. 'Can't wait to take you here one day' it said.
As the days passed, Buck got more and more pictures and pin points with the most heartmelting captions.
His favorite picture, however, came on a tuesday, 18 hours into a 24 hour shift. Buck was busy in the kitchen, preparing dinner, when the sound of his notifications alerted him.
He hated to admit it, but whenever the 'Howdy' notification he had set up for Eddie chimed, his heart held a little party. He quickly abandoned his sauce to inspect the message. As soon as he opened the little message, he couldn't help but scream out in pure joy.
It was a picture of Eddie and Chris together, standing next to a sea lion exhibit at the El Paso Zoo. The two were smiling at the camera. One of Eddie's arms was around Chris' shoulders. Buck immediately saved it to his phone.
His scream alerted the attention of the others. Hen and Chim looked up from where they were watching the TV. Buck quickly ran over to show them the picture before turning around and showing it to Bobby, who had just emerged from his office.
"We should send him one back!" Bobby commented. So buck held up his phone so all four of them were in view with a variation of a thumbs up or a congratulations when Buck took the picture. He immediately send it back to Eddie who saw it the second it arrived. His heart burst with love as he saw the little heart emoticon appear on the picture.
The two of them spend their days sending pictures to eachother. Most of them were cute or funny. Pictures of food, nature or the most ridiculous selfies. Some were more on the somber side. Especially the one Eddie send on March 5th.
It was late in the evening when Buck heard the 'Howdy' coming from the coffee table. He had been 'watching' a movie. But he wasn't really watching if he was honest. His mind was occupied by Eddie. All day long he hadn't gotten anything from him. Not a selfie, not a pin, not a message. Nothing.
So when the 'Howdy' chimed, Buck was quick to sit up. He grabbed his phone from the table and opened it up. It was a picture of Eddie's lower body on a couch. He was dressed in grey loose sweatpants. One of his legs was propped up while the other was outstrechted, reesting on the coffee table before him. The top of a cold beer was also in frame. The caption almost made Buck cry.
'It isn't the same without you by my side. I miss you.'
And that was the moment Buck realized he had enough. He closed his messages and opened his call list. He scrolled down to Bobby's name and pressed the phone against his ear.
"Buck?" Bobby asked.
"Bobby. I need 2 weeks off. From tomorrow." He replied as he got of his couch and up the stairs to his loft. He needed to pack.
"Eddie?" Bobby asked.
"Eddie." Buck replied, knowing Bobby would understand.
"Allright. Let me know when you arrive." Bobby chuckled into the phone.
"Absolutely. Take care." Buck replied. He heard Bobby mutter the same words back before he hung up. He needed to pack. And now.
Buck pulled the suitcase he had from his closet and began to shove whatever he could find into it. Texas was hot, right? But that thick woolen sweater was still coming with him.
It barely took him an hour to pack everything he needed. He took the suitcase down the stairs and placed it right by the door. Buck marched his way back up the stairs again and sat down on his bed. He grabbed his laptop from the nightstand and began to search for the first flight to El Paso.
10 minutes later his flight was booked for the next day. Buck laid himself down his bed all giddy, knowing that the next day, he would see his Eddie again.
6 in the morning finally rolled around. Not that the time really mattered, Buck had barely slept that night. He was sitting on the bottom steps of the stairs when there finally was a pling from his phone.
Buck sprung up and grabbed his suitcase. His ride to the airport was here. He threw open his door, got out and locked it behind him before bolting down the stairs and outside.
His ride was waiting for him by the entrance, trunk already opened and waiting for Buck to throw his luggage inside.
Buck quickly did so before sliding into the backseat of the car. His driver, a guy named Jackson, turned around in his seat. "Morning man. Early flight?" He asked.
Buck nodded. "Yes, 9 am flight to El Paso." He chuckled.
"So what's the occasion?" Jackson asked as he started up the car.
Buck smiled. "Suprise visit to the love of my life." He admitted, getting a grin out of Jackson.
"All right man, let's get you to the airport at record time." Jackson replied and set his foot on the gas, speeding off.
Buck got his suitcase out of the trunk and bid Jackson goodbye. He stared at the entrance before him. He was finally at LAX. Buck quickly went through the swishy doors and stopped before the board with all of the flights. He let his eyes trail before he found it.
Flight 583 to El Paso.
His flight.
Buck immediately went to the registers to get his boarding pass and other documents in check. His suitcase was checked in and his handbagage was checked. He moved through security before finally entering the zones with the gates.
Buck quickly grabbed himself a vegan sandwich and a smoothie to drink before moving to his gate to wait.
He had some more time to kill, so Buck got his phone out. He was in the middle of a game of candy crush when his 'Howdy' notification chimes again. He abandoned his game and opened it up to see another picture send by Eddie.
It was a shot of cup of coffee together with a plate of eggs and bacon. Eddie had captioned it with a 'morning, what you up to today?'.
Buck grinned. He got up from his seat and moved to the pole that held the board with 'flight 583 to El Paso'. He stood right under it and held the phone right under his chin and took a photo, showing his flattering angle but also the board.
He laughed at the monstrosity of a picture he just created and sended it to Eddie, as well as everyone from the 118, with the caption 'oh idk. just visiting a friend'.
Buck quickly pocketed his phone, not wanting to know Eddie's reaction. He got back to his seat and sat down, waiting for the flight attendants to announce boarding.
When they finally did, Buck was quick to get up and stand in line. When it was finally his turn, he got out his documents and showed them to the attendant. Everything was stamped and checked and soon enough, he was walking onto the plane.
Buck quickly found his seat. He was lucky enough to have a window seat right in front of the plane. He needed it, extra leg room. He stored his handbagage into the overhead bin and sat down in his seat, right next to a older couple. He quickly said some pleasantries before grabbing his headphones and slipping them on. He had a 5 hour flight to get through.
Buck didn't know how he did it, but he had actually managed to fall asleep the minute they were into the air. He normally wasn't a sleeper on any kind of transport. It was all to shaky for him.
So imagine his confusion when he woke up, an hour into the flight, to the plane throwing him around. The headphones slipped from his head as he was thrown around again.
Finally some clarity came to him when he realized what was happening. The plane was hitting some major turbulence. He looked outside the window and saw lightning all around him.
"Ladies and gentlemen. We apologize for the turbulence. It seems we have been hit by some unforseen storms." A voice said over the intercoms.
Buck was about to sit back when another shock of turbulence hit the plane. He almost flew out of his seat again. This time however, the plane continued to shake. The overhead compartments fell open as luggage began to fall down. The flight attendants were scrambling around, trying to help people who got hit.
He was starting to panic a little bit, especially when the lights in the plane dropped and the whole cabin was dark. The only light was the occasional blue spark of lightning peaking through windows.
The motors of the plane were getting louder and louder, whirring into his ears. The plane continued to shake. Buck grabbed his seat tight in his hands. This was it. This was his end.
20 seconds seemed like 20 minutes, but eventually, the lights in the cabin sprung to life again. The shaking of the plane stopped. Danger was over.
Buck looked around to see if everyone was okay. And seemingly, they all were. A deep sigh of relief left his lips.
"Sorry folks, turbulence is over as we passed that Storm. Rest assured, engines are okay and flight is under control. We do advise you to keep your seat belts on. We have decided to turn this plane around and go back to LAX in case of any damage." The captain called out from the intercom.
Buck couldn't help but nod. Splendid idea. Couldn't have made a better decision. With shaking hands he called out for a flight attendants with two questions. First, he was a first responder, so he asked if everyone was okay. And second, he definitely needed a drink.
Buck leaned back in his seat when he got his water. He closed his eyes for a second, needing to come to terms with almost dying. He felt as the plane had indeed turned around and was back on its way to LAX.
It was only an hour back to LAX. No problem he could do that.
Oh how wrong he was.
"Folks this is your captain here. Flight 583 is being told to stay in the air for now. We are instructed not to land. We are being told there is an issue that could take up a while. We apologize for this situation." The captain called out over the intercoms.
Buck groaned. Ofcourse. Just his luck. He threw his head back against his seat, until the sounds of the intercom springing to live again got his attention.
"Sorry folks. Here I am again. We are being told that we are to wait another one to two hours as they are clearing a special runway for us. If you have any connecting flights, we apologize. Flight attendants, please prepare for landing soon." The captain announced.
Buck stared confused at the intercom hanging above his head. Why did they need a special runway? Is it because they turned the flight around? He had no idea. What was going on?
It was one and a half hours later when the plane was finally cleared for landing. The announcement was made and the plane immediately began its descend to the ground.
The plane landing was as smooth as it could be. Buck could feel another sigh of relief leave his body.
"Ladies and Gentlemen. We arrived back at LAX at 11:26 am. Welcome home!" One of the flight attendants said into the airplane phone.
Buck got his phone out of his pocket to check the time and message everyone about what had happened. He looked confused as a message popped up that he had no service. That was weird. Why wouldn't he have any service? His eyes moved to the couple next to him. They were confused to. They didn't have any service as well.
"And the inconvenience continues. We have been asked to deplane right here on the tarmac." The captain announced. Now Buck had lost the whole plot. Deplaning on a tarmac away from everybody else on the tarmac. Something was going on.
He looked outside the little window and was shocked by what he saw. Numerous fire-engines, ambulance and police cars were driving up the tarmac.
The flight attendants gathered in the front and opened the plane door. A staircase was already waiting for them. Buck, being the kind gentleman that he is, helped the old couple next to him with their baggage. He walked behind them as he descended the stairs.
An FBI agent stopped him once he finally reached the bottom, just like what was happening to other people that had already gotten off the plane. They were being separated in 4 groups.
"Your name please?" The agent asked, barely looking up from the passenger list in her hands. The sleeve of her jacket rode up a bit, showing off a state of the art watch. A brand and model Buck had never seen before.
"Sir?" She asked, grabbing his attention.
"Ah, sorry. It's Evan Buckley. B-U-C-K-L-E-Y." Buck spelled out.
The agent nodded. "Thank you. Please make your way over to tent number 1." She said and pointed to a green tent behind her.
Buck, not knowing what to do otherwise, complied with her. He made his way to the green tent where he was instructed to take a seat on a chair by another woman in a white coat, a tag with 'Dr. Williams' attached to it.
"Excuse me? What's happening? And why do I need a doctor?" Buck asked her. The doctor didn't answer. Instead, she held up a thermometer against Buck's forehead.
"No signs of fever. How do you feel? Ant injuries?" Dr. Williams asked him.
Buck immediately shook his head. "No. No injuries. Just a slight headache from the plane turbulence. But what's happening? Can't you tell me? I'm so confused." He answered.
The doctor gave him a kind smile. "It's not my place to tell you. Please move over there and take a seat. Someone will come by with some water and food shortly." She explained.
And again, Buck did as told. He moved to a seating area and sat down next to the older couple from before. The man turned to him, a questioning look on his face.
"Son? Do you know what's happening? They will not tell us anything." The man said.
Buck shook his head. "I'm sorry sir. They aren't telling me anything." He said. He finally took the time to look around.
There were four tents with chairs set up. Every tent had a doctor checking out passengers. There stations set up with food and water. His eyes trailed back to the plane. Numerous agents were running around or talking with the captain and flight attendants.
"Sir, would you like something to drink?" A voice asked. Buck looked up to see a young woman with sandwiches and water in a boxes behind her.
"Yes please." He said and he gratefully accepted the drink and food. The woman moved to the couple om his right, asking them the same question. Buck unwrapped his sandwich and took a bite. He couldn't believe how hungry he was.
Buck pulled out the phone from his pocket once more. It finally dawned on his that he should try again to call someone. Like Eddie or Maddie. He looked down and once again saw the same problem as before.
No service.
How was that possible? He had just texted Eddie and the 118 a few hours before.
Buck pocketed his phone again and sat back in his chair, watching the whole scene before him.
Hours passed by slowly as dawn started to change into dusk and day into night. He must have been sitting on that chair for hours now. His butt was starting to feel numb.
Buck was getting antsy. He had tried numerous times to get answers but nobody would answer. He had tried for a phone to call, but again, nothing.
Finally, he had enough. This had gone on long enough. He stood up and made his way to an FBI agent, one who was obviously in charge. Various agents and doctors tried to hold him back, but to no avail. He was a freight train storming through.
Other confused and antsy passengers gathered around him as they figured out what was going to happen. The FBI agent was quick to notice what was happening.
Before Buck could even say a word, the FBI agent piped up. "Everyone, please calm down. We will be with you soon with all the answers you need. Please go back to your designated tent." He explained with his hands up to calm down the crowd.
Buck scoffed, crossed his arms as he stared down at the agent before. "I'm not moving. Not until you tell me, tell us, what's happening." He demanded. Various 'Yeahs' and 'Exactly' could be heard from behind him.
The FBI agent sighed. He rubbed his hand over his face and faced the crows before him.
"Do you know what day it is?" He asked Buck.
Buck nodded. "March 6th, 2024. Why do you ask?" He answered.
The FBI agent shook his head. "No. Today we are March 6th, 2030. You have all been missing and presumed dead for 6 years." He answered.
The crowd around him began to get loud and confused, but Buck couldn't help but stare at the agent. 6 years? He's been gone for 6 years?
Buck looked back at his phone. It was now three in the morning and he still had no service. He leaned back against the tent wall behind him.
After the whole fiasco on the tarmac, every group was guided into an emptied out terminal hall. Tents with every group number were placed along the walls, 2 on one side and 2 on the other. The whole place was guarded by numerous soldiers.
Buck was carded off with his group to tent number 1 where each of them was assigned a cot to sleep in. He made his way to his cot and sat down on it.
His mind still hadn't comprehended what happened. 6 years. They've been gone for 6 years. They were dead for 6 years. How was it possible.
Buck was clearly spiraling when the couple from before settled themselves in the cots next to Buck.
"Are you allright, sweetie?" The woman asked this time. Buck couldn't help but only shake his head. He wasn't okay. Not in any way.
"No. It's...uh..." Buck tried to explain but just shook his head. He rested his head in his hands.
The older woman chuckled. "It's hard to believe isn't it. I still can't believe it myself. 6 years. Where did we go? How are we still alive? All of these questions are going through my mind." She explained.
Buck nodded. "Exactly. It's...God." He replied, not able to say anything just yet. He leaned back and laid back on his cot, his back was resting against the wall of the tent.
"I don't get how they expect us to rest. To sleep. I want to get out of here. See my sis... My sister! Oh my gods, my sister, and Eddie. Thee must be..." Buck rambled, going down in a spiral until he was stopped by a new presence in their tent.
He was pulled from his trance when the presence spoke up. Buck looked up to see that it was an agent from before. The woman who has taken his name.
"Excuse me? Excuse me!" She called out, catching everyone in the tent's attention. "My name is Agent Addison. But you may call me Liz. I'll be your 'supervisor' for the time being. I know you all have a lot of questions. And right now, we do not have the answers. I can imagine how frustrating this all must be for you all. Most of you probably want to go home, which I can understand. However we cannot release you all just yet." Agent Addison explained.
"Yeah? So when can we go home? Or at least see a loved one?" A voice belonging to a man piped up from the back.
Agent Addison smiled. "Thats what I am here for right now. I'll come around and start taking names and possible phone numbers so we can contact your loved ones. However that may take some time, so in the meantime, we have food and water set up. We also have emergency therapists standby for those affected by everything going on. Do not hesitate to come seek me! Now I'll start calling out names, please let me know where you are and I'll come your way." Agent Addison replied.
Buck had kept himself silent, listening to every word the agent spoke. The information she was providing wasn't staying with him. His mind was occupied with Eddie and Maddie. God they must have been so worried. They must think he is dead. Stepped on a plane and dissapeared. Never coming back to either one of them.
Buck was so inside his own mind that he didn't hear Agent Addison calling his name. He felt a soft hand on his arm, belonging to the old woman from before, pull him from his trance.
Buck looked up at her, seeing as she glanced behind her. "Isn't that your name, Sweetie?" The woman asked, making him finally pay attention to his surroundings.
"Buckley? Evan Buckley?" Agent Addison called out. Buck was quick to raise his hand. "Ah, sorry! That's me!" He called out, grabbing her attention.
Buck watched her as she made her way over to him. She finally arrived before him and gestured to the empty spot on the cot, asking if she was allowed to sit. Buck nodded and immediately shuffled a bit further up his cot.
Agent Addison sat down. She held a brand new tablet in her hands. She turned the screen off for a second before turning to properly face Buck.
"First, I want to ask. How are you? How are you feeling?" She asked, her voice gentle and calm. She had a questioning but also empathetic look in her eyes.
Buck sighed. "Honestly? I'm scared. I'm confused. I don't understand anything. What's happening? What happened? I just... I can't help but think about my sister. And the person I love. They must be so scared." He explained, his voice cracking up with emotion.
The agent laid a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Trust me. I completely understand. I would be frightened as well. Could you tell me more about who you want us to call for you? We can only accept three names and or numbers. There are lots of people we need to call." She explained, voice still as gentle and kind.
Buck nodded. "Yeah. Yeah. I totally understand. I don't know if they have changed their numbers over the years, but I want you to call my sister. Her name is Maddie Han-Buckley. She is a 9-1-1 dispatcher." He explained, watching as the agent wrote the information down on her tablet.
"Anyone else?" She asked. Buck immediately nodded. "Yes. Bobby Nash. He is firecaptain of the 118 firehouse." He answered.
Agent Addison hummed. "Yes. Noted down. Are you perhaps a firefighter as well?" She asked. Buck nodded. "Yes. He is my captain. How did you figure?" He asked.
Agent Addison smiled. "Your physique gave it away. And one of the flight attendants mentioned something about a first responder on the plane as well." She replied, hoping to bring some comfort to Buck. "What was that last name?" She asked.
"Eddie, uh, Edmundo Diaz. He is my best friend. We work together at the 118. He's...He's..." Buck muttered, eyes casting down as they started to fill up with tears.
Agent Addison placed her hand back om his arm. "More than your best friend? Right?" She said with a chuckle. "I understand. We'll be trying to contact all three as soon as we're done here. Why don't you lay back for now? Try to catch some sleep. Or at least rest a bit." She suggested and stood up, ready to find the next name on the list.
Buck was quick to thank her and take on her advice. He laid himself back in his position from before and stared ahead of himself. Eventually, his eyes began to slip closed. The exhaustion was finally settling in. So he laid back and closed his eyes, falling into an uncomfortable sleep.
March 6th, 2024 would go down as one of the worst days ever in Eddie's history books. Next to Chris leaving and Shannon dying, it was the worst day ever.
It was the day he lost the love of his life. He lost his Evan, his Buck.
Eddie's day had started so good that day. He had a day off, so he slept in until late in the morning. With Chris being a late sleeper as well as he gotten older, Eddie didn't need to get up early.
Eddie finally got up when 10 am rolled around. He groaned as he stood up and cracked his back for second. He grabbed his phone from the nightstand and slowly worked his way to the kitchen.
Chris wasn't awake yet, so Eddie got his slow start to his morning. He started his coffee maker and put a pan on the stove to make breakfast. It felt like a bacon and eggs day. So he grabbed the eggs and bacon from the fridge and threw it in the heated up pan.
He grabbed his phone from the counter and unlocked it. He opened his messages and stared at the unanswered message he had texted Buck the night before. He debated on whether he should delete, but he shook his head to himself. Buck deserved to know that he missed him.
With his breakfast finally finished, Eddie plated it up real nice. He placed it on the counter and added a cup of coffee in the back. He opened up his camera and took a picture. He judged it for a second before sending it to Buck.
Eddie laid his phone back down, but immediately picked it up again when he heard a familiar notification. He opened the message, and a toothy grin immediately spread over his face. He stared at the unflattering picture Buck had ever send him. It was of himself, taken from a chin angle with the flight board with 'Flight 583 to El Paso' behind him.
It was the most beautiful picture Eddie had ever gotten. His day couldn't have been better.
Oh how wrong he was.
When Eddie got the news that flight 583 had gone missing, his life fell apart. Buck was on that flight. His Buck was on that flight, and now he was gone.
Various news outlets reported on the missing plane. At first it was speculated that it had crashed. But that was practically impossible. Every possible location had the plane could have been was checked. And nothing had been found. The plane has suddenly dissapeared on all radar. Like God had plucked it from the sky.
Days turned into weeks and weeks turned into months. Eddie was filled with grief as in all that time, there was no news. Absolutely nothing. He had been interviewed by police and FBI. They had asked about his relationship with Buck. Who he was to him. Eddie answered all of their questions. But when he asked his own questions, none of them had answers. The plane Buck was on had just...dissapeared.
It was on the 3rd year anniversary after the plane dissapearing that Maddie decided to hold a funeral for her brother. Eddie was against it at first. He still had hope. He knew deep inside of his heart that Buck was alive. But he could also understand Maddie.
She needed to give him a place to rest. It was her brother, the only blood she had left. And that blood was now gone. So when he got the email that there would be a funeral held for Buck back in LA, he immediately told Chris and the two decided to pack up everything they had.
Now was also the perfect time to return to LA as well. It would give them the opportunity to mourn with their founded family as well. Chris was the one to suggest it. Eddie couldn't help but hold his son close to his heart, agreeing with him.
So the two packed up everything they owned and made the trip back from El Paso to LA. As soon as they arrived back, they visited the 118.
What was once a busy but homey firehouse was now a former shell of itself. Eddie walked in first, Chris following him behind. No one was in the lower bay, so Eddie figured that the crew was all up in the loft.
"Bobby? Hen? Chim?" He called out, hoping to get their attention. His plan succeeded as a few minutes later, the three were standing before him.
"Eddie..." Bobby said as he pulled him into his arms, holding the man close to himself.
Eddie felt two more pairs of arms around him. "We're so glad your here. Especially with the funeral tomorrow. How long are you staying?" Hen asked him.
Eddie slowly pulled back to look at them. "Forever. We're staying here in Los Angeles. We couldn't stay away anymore. We needed out family. Right, Chris?" He answered and turned away to show of his son.
The three fellow firefighters immediately crowded the young boy, pulling him close in their arms. Chris wrapped his arms around them as well, needing the comfort.
When they pulled back, they invited to have father and son come up and eat dinner with them. Just like old times. Times where Buck was still with them. Eddie gladly accepted and together with Chris followed them up to the loft.
The day of the funeral was an incredibly hard one. Eddie had barely the energy to get up and out of his bed. His heart was in furious battle with itself. One side was still so sure that Buck was out there, waiting to be find. The other side pleaded with him to accept that Buck was no longer with them anymore. And that Buck forever had a little place in his heart.
Maddie had opted for a morning funeral. So Eddie had to come out of bed. As soon as he entered the loving room, he noticed the somber mood. Chris was already up, sitting on the couch watching some TV.
"Dad?" He called out when he heard the door to Eddie's room open.
"Yeah, I'm coming." Eddie answered as he entered the living. He looked at his 17 year old sitting on the couch, hands in his lap, fiddling with the hem of his shirt. Eddie knew what that meant. His son needed to talk.
Eddie had already decided the previous night that he was not in the mood for coffee nor breakfast. He instead grabbed himself a water from the kitchen fridge before going back to living room. He sat down next to his son in silence.
The silence went on for a few minutes until Chris finally spoke. "I'm not ready to day goodbye." He admitted. The tears were streaming down his face in rapid rivers.
Eddie didn't say anything. He instead pulled his son into his arms and let him cry into his chest.
Eddie bit back his own tears. He wasn't going to cry just yet. He would do that when they were home from the funeral. He would do that late at night. Where he would slip from his room and into the backyard. He would sit down at one of the comfy chairs and just bawl. But now was not the time. He needed to be strong. Strong for Chris, strong for Maddie and Strong for himself.
It was a few hours later that Eddie found himself standing before a empty casket that was being lowered into the ground.
Maddie had absolutely outdid herself. The ceremony was beautiful and everything that would have wanted for his own funeral. Simple but with a family feel.
Eddie continued to watch as the casket was being lowered. All around him were sniffles, but he kept it dry. He knew he needed to.
He pulled his eyes away for a second when he felt Chris, who had been standing next to him the whole time, shift and bury himself in his father's jacket. Eddie wrapped a tight arm around his son as he felt the sobs shaking his body.
He could barely contain his own cries, especially when he felt a hand suddenly hold onto his own left one. He glances over from his son to Maddie. The woman was crying against Chimney, but her hand was holding tight onto Eddie's. She knew what Eddie meant to Buck and what Buck meant to Eddie.
Loud sirens came from behind them as Buck's casket was completely lowered to the ground. Various other firehouse and taken their laddertruck to the cemetery to commemorate their fallen brother.
Eddie looked up at the blue sky. Oh how he hoped it would start to rain. He wanted to cold drops of rain to hide his own grief. To hide his tears. But no. It's was a bright, sunny day. A ray of sunshine hit him in the face, but Eddie didn't look away.
It reminded him of Buck. Their Buck. Who to them was a ray of sunshine.
Years had passed since the funeral of Evan Buckley. Times had been hard. Really hard. Especially for Eddie. Buck had taken a piece of his heart with him when he was laid to rest.
It had taken him weeks to process his grief and be able to get back to work. But thanks to Chris, Maddie and the 118, he was finally able to get back to work. He started of with light duty and eventually went back to his normal work.
Today was March 7th, 2030. One day after the 6 year anniversary of Buck leaving this world. Eddie had spend the previous day with his son and the 118. First they went to the cemetery to say greet Buck. And afterwards they spend the day at Bobby and Athena's. Instead of mourning they celebrated. They held a barbecue and remembered Buck I'm their own special way. Just like he would have wanted.
Both Eddie and Chris had gone straight to bed once they had arrived home. The day had brought happiness, tears and exhaustion.
It was 8 am on the 7th of March and something was waking him up. It was the ankoyimg sound of a phone call. Who in his right mind decided to call him at 8 in the morning. Eddie groaned as he slapped his hand around the nightstand to try and find his phone. His hand landed on the device and without looking, Eddie accepted the call and pulled the phone to his ear.
"Hello?" He muttered into his phone, exhaustion still clear on his voice.
"Hello? Am I speaking to Edmundo Diaz?" A voice on the inherent side of the line asked.
"Yeah. It's just Eddie though. Who am I speaking to?" He answered. He regretted his decision not to look at the caller ID. He couldn't place that voice.
"My name is Agent Liz Addison. I am calling from LAX Airport. We request your immediate presence as soon as possible." Agent Addison explained on the phone.
Eddie sat up in his bed and rubbed his eyes with his free hand. He sighed into his phone. "Yeah. Sure. Could I ask why though? I don't have any business at that place." He explained, his tone a bit bitter.
A chuckle came through the phone. "Oh but you do, sir." The agent answered.
Eddie brushed a hand through his hair. The agent's reaction got him confused. "What do you mean?" He asked.
"Sir. I cal to inform that flight 583 that dissapeared 6 years ago has landed yesterday evening at lAX Airport. Completely intact. With all of its passengers unharmed." She explained.
Eddie didn't know what to say. Flight 583. The missing flight to El Paso. Buck. Buck was in that flight. Buck was back. Buck was okay. Buck was in LA. This couldn't be true.
"Sir?" Agent Addison called for Eddie. "Sir? Are you okay?" She added.
Eddie swallowed thickly. His hands had begun to shake violently. "B...Buck?" He whispered into the phone.
"Waiting for you, sir. He's here. Waiting for you." She answered.
Eddie almost started to cry. It couldn't be. It couldn't. This was a sick prank. A sick fucking prank.
"Please, we request you come by as soon as possible. Buck and the other passengers are free to go home from 9 am. We hope to see you soon." Agent Addison informed Eddie before hanging up the phone.
Not even a full second later, Eddie's phone rang again. This time he did look at the caller ID. It was Maddie. Eddie immediately picked up.
"Eddie?" Maddie had whispered to him. Her voice was choked up with tears and hope.
"Maddie. D..did you...call?" He asked, hoping she would understand.
"Yes. Yes. They found him, Eddie. Alive and well." She whispered to him. It was obvious the tears were streaming down her face.
"We are coming up to your block. We'll be there in five minutes. Chim's driving us while Bobby, Athena and Hen are in the other car. Please, be ready on five." She said and hung up the phone.
Eddie would be ready in four. The man jumped out of his bed and ran straight to Chris' room. He immediately woke the 20 year old and urged him to at least get some shoes or slides on. They needed to leave, now.
Eddie didn't bother dressing himself. There was no time. He was in his grey sweats and a black tanktop. He pulled on a pair of slides and grabbed the first jacket he could find, which was a black bomber he had thrown over a chair.
Chris finally came out his room, similarly dressed like his father. He made his way to the door where Eddie was waiting for him. "Dad? What's going on? Where we going?" He asked his father.
Eddie looked at his boy standing before him. He swallowed before placing his hands on the young man's shoulders. "LAX airport. It's Buck, Mijo. They found him. Alive. He's waiting for us." Eddie explained.
Chris stared at him for a second before making his way to the door. He agreed with his dad. They needed to leave now.
A few desperate honks came from outside. They had arrived. Eddie threw open the front door and got out, Chris following behind him. He locked the door after his son and made his way to the backseat of Chim's car.
He got in and sat behind Chim. Maddie was turned in her seat. It was obvious she had been crying. "Eddie. Eddie." She desperately muttered his name over and over again.
Eddie held out his hand for her to grab. "Maddie. Let's go and get our Buck back." He said. That was all the motivation Chimney needed to start the car again. With both Chris and Eddie buckled in the backseat, they sped off to a certain airport.
What was a 55 minute commute felt almost like 55 hours. Eddie was getting more antsy and stressed with every mile they were closer to the airport. Maddie was to. He could see it in the way she was playing with her hands.
Soon enough the airport came into view. A special roadside was set up for the families of flight 583. A blinking led board with 'flight 583. Turn right' was flashing at them. Chim did as the board said and turned right. The road laid to a special parking surround by police and newscrew. An airport employee guided them to parking spaces where Chimney quickly parked the car. Bobby following his example.
Eddie was quick to get out the car. He closed the door and waited for everyone else to get out as well. Chris came to stand by his side. His crutches were clutched tight under his arms.
Maddie got out as well. She was about to ask where they were supposed to go until a loud voice through a megaphone could be heard.
"Families of flight 583, please follow us as we will bring you to your loves ones." The voice called out over and over again. Eddie looked around and saw where the voice was coming from. It was an FBI agent walking through the parking lanes.
Eddie nudged Maddie and Chim before going up to the agent and following him. Chris and Maddie were next to him while the others were walking behind them.
A short 5 minute walk brought the group to the closed doors of a terminal. A lot of other people where before them. Families who had arrived earlier. Families who couldn't wait to see their missing loved ones again.
Eddie was shaking. Violently. He hadn't even noticed until he felt a warm but clammy hand curl into his own. Maddie was standing next to him. She was shaking as well. God. Was all of this true? Was Buck really back again.
Finally, the clock chimed 9 am. The doors to the terminal opened. Eddie expected the other side to be empty. But now. He was wrong. Over 191 lost souls stood on other side.
There was an uncomfortable silence for a few seconds before the first cries and screams sounded. People from both sides began to run to each other. Eddie watched as he saw people hug and cry and kiss. He began to desperately look around. If people found the person they missed, then his person should be there as well. Right? Right?!
Eddie was searching and searching. He was weaving and turning around people. He inspected every person around him until his eyes eventually landed on a familiar birthmark.
He came to an abrupt stop. There he was. Buck. Buck stood a few meters away from him. His blue eyes were searching around for either him, his sister or Bobby. He was turning and twisting his head until his blue eyes landed on Eddie's own brown ones.
Both their breath got taken away. They stared at eachother for a few moments.
"Buck?" Eddie whispered.
"Eddie?" Buck whispered.
The two began to walk to eachother. Aa walk that quickly turned into a run.
"Buck!" Eddie yelled as he ran towards the other man. He couldn't believe it.
He had found him.
Buck woke up from his uncomfortable sleep in his cot. Even though it wasn't much, he was glad that he was able to at least get some hours of sleep.
Buck took his phone and touched the screen to check the time. It was a few minutes past 8 am in the morning. With a stiff groan he got out his cot and made his way outside the tent.
Numerous people were already awake as well. They were sitting around the tables in their designated areas, eating a sandwich or just sitting around talking.
Buck slowly made his way to food and drinks table. He selected a sandwich and a water before sitting down at one of the tables in his area. He had just taken a bit when a familiar face sat herself down next to him.
"Agent. Good morning." Buck said as soon as he had swallowed his bite. "Can I help you with anything?" He asked as he went in for another bite.
Agent Addison was practically beaming at him. It was obvious she had good news. "I have some good news for you. We were able to get ahold of all the names you've given us. They are on their way here as we speak. The terminal doors will open at 9, so you all have time to wake up. When your ready, just make your way down there." She explained excitedly and pointed to the doors on the other side of the terminal.
Buck grinned at her. He abandoned his water and sandwich to pull her in for a tight hug. "Thank you. Thank you so much." He said.
"You're so welcome." She replied and got up from her seat the moment Buck released her. She needed to give the other people the good news.
Buck quickly finished his sandwich and went back into the tent. He gathered his handbaggage and made his way to the terminal hall doors together with a few other list passengers.
Instead of waiting in the middle, Buck moved a bit to stand more on the side. He was leaning against the wall. His phone was in a tight grip in his hand. He watched as every minute until 9 passed on his phone.
And when 9 finally arrived, the doors opened with a swish. Buck watched as both sides stood still. A few moments of silence passed before a young woman ran straight into the arms of her father, crying out for him.
That's when all he'll broke loose. People began to run to eachother. Buck watched as people began to kiss and hug each other. He watched as parents grabbed their children. He watched as husband's caught their wives or vice versa.
The whole terminal was filled with desperate wails and cries. With laughter and declarations of love. Buck was now in the middle of the crowd. He had unconsciously moved to the middle of all the chaos.
His head was turning and turning. He needed to find his own people. His eyes finally landed on a beautiful pair of brown eyes watching him. Time stood still all around him. There he was. Just a few meters away. Eddie.
"Eddie?" Buck whispered.
"Buck?" Eddie whispered.
Buck watched as Eddie began to walk towards him. A walk that quickly turned into a run towards him. And Buck did the same.
"Buck!" He heard Eddie scream.
Buck didn't scream back. He jumped into Eddie's open arms. He hid his face into Eddie's neck as the other man lifted him from the ground and twirled him around. Buck wrapped his legs around Eddie's waist and crossed them on his back.
Buck could feel Eddie's desperate hands trail his body. One of them landed on the back of his head, where it buried itself in his hair. The other was on his back, clutching him closer to Eddie.
"You're back. You're back." Eddie whimpered. His voice was getting choked up with every word he said. It was like he still couldn't believe it.
Buck eventually pulled his face away from Eddie's neck to look into those gorgeous brown eyes that had missed his own. "I'm back." He whispered after a second.
And those two simple words was what broke the dam known as Eddie Diaz.
Eddie began to sob uncontrollable. He was full on ugly crying. Words that no one could understand left his lips. He eventually fell down on his ass in the middle of the terminal, Buck still in his arms.
Not that Buck even cared. He wrapped his legs tighter around Eddie and pulled him close again. Both men were crying into each other's arms.
Time passed slowly as they sat there in the middle of the hall. It took him a long time, but eventually Eddie pulled himself back from Buck's embrace. One of his hands gently rested on Buck's cheek. He watched with teary eyes as the other man gently nuzzled into it.
"Okay enough. I need my brother now." Maddie piped up, antsy to get her own hands on her brother.
Both men laughed as Eddie gently stood up. He held out his hands for Buck, who gladly took it. He hauled the other man upright and pushed him straight into Maddie's arms.
Maddie immediately buried her face in Buck's chest and started to cry. And hearing her cry made Buck cry again as well. The two siblings stood in eachother's arms for a long time. Neither of them was willing to let go yet.
Eventually, Buck pulled back. He placed his hands on his sister's cheeks and gently wiped the tears away. "Missed me?" He whispered to her with a cheeky grin. That almost immediately earned him a well deserved punch to the arm. "You don't even know." Maddie answered with a watery chuckle.
Buck was quickly passed on from Maddie to Bobby. And Bobby passed him on to Athena. Athena pushed him towards Hen and Hen him to Chimney.
Buck had spent a good hour crying now, but some of the worst tears were still yet to come. When Chimney finally released him, he turned back to Eddie. Only to see Eddie standing behind Chris, hands on his shoulders.
He looked at the young man before him. While the adults hadn't changed much, young Chris had. Last time Buck had seen him, he was a 14 year old who had just left his dad to go stay with his grandparents in Texas. Now he was a 20 year old that was almost the same height as his father. He was a bit more muscular. His curls ontop of his head had grown out nicely.
"Hi Buck. I missed you." Chris had said. And God. His voice. It had gotten so much deeper. But it was still the same Chris. He knew.
Buck took a slow step towards Chris before pulling him into a hug. And here he went again. Tears slipped past his closed eyelids.
Unknown to him, he had started to shake as he held the young man. Buck looked up when he felt a familiar pair of arms curl around the both of them. Eddie. Eddie was holding them both close to himself.
Buck couldn't help but feel at home with them.
Eventually, the tears and the hugs died down. They all released eachother. Yet Eddie kept himself close to Buck's side. He had a gentle hand on the small of his back.
Buck wiped the remaining tears from his eyes. He looked over at Eddie and the others before stifling a yawn away.
Maddie snickered. "Oh? Are we boring you?" She laughed, obviously no malice in her voice.
Buck smiled. He was about to reply when Eddie did it for him. "How about we go home. You must be exhausted." He said as he inspected the bags under Buck's eyes.
Buck was about to nod until it dawned on him. "Home? A home? Do I even have one left?" He asked. He was gone for 6 years. He wouldn't have his apartment.
Eddie pulled him out of his spiral by taking his hand and pulling it up to his lips. He pressed a soft kiss to those knuckles he missed. "Yes you do. With me. Maddie and I. We kept your stuff in boxes. Nothing is truly lost." He explained.
Buck stared at the two in amazement. They had kept his stuff. Did that mean they still had hope that he would eventually return? That they never gave up on him. Buck was about to cry again when Eddie stopped him by giving him a sweet smile.
"So, come home with me?" He asked and gave Buck's hand a tug. Buck immediately nodded. Eddie released his hand, instead moving it down to his waist and tightly wrapping it around it.
Buck immediately relaxed. He felt safe in Eddie's arms. Maddie and Chim began to lead the group back to their cars.
Even though the walk was short, it sure tired Buck out even more. He, technically, had 6 years of sleep to catch up on. And it was all crashing down on his shoulders.
The cars finally came in sight. Chimney quickly unlocked them and got into his front seat. Chris moved back to sit in his spot before, right behind their driver. Maddie sat back in the front passenger seat.
Eddie however, was waiting for Buck to get in first so he could sit in the middle. He watched as the man crawled in and settled himself. He waited for him to buckle in before he got in.
Eddie had just closed the door and buckled himself in when he felt something land on his shoulder. He glanced over to see that it was Buck. The car hadn't even moved yet and he had already fallen asleep.
Eddie gently grabbed Buck's hand and laced their fingers together. He let them man sleep on his shoulder and turned his head to look outside. Chim started the car and backed out of the space. Soon enough they were back on the highway, making their way back home.
The whole car ride was silent. Nobody said a word. Maddie occasionally turned into her seat to watch as her little brother slept on Eddie's shoulder. Eddie kept his gaze outside. If he started looking at Buck now, he would never stop.
The 55 minute commute was quickly over. The journey back didn't seem like 55 hours. Chimney parked the car right before Eddie's door.
Eddie had the foresight to give the housekeys to Chris so he could let himself in. Which the young man happily did as soon as he was out the car.
"Buck? Wake up, Mi Amor." Eddie whispered to Buck to try and wake him up. "Five more minutes." Buck replied back, which got a chuckle out of all the occupants of the car.
Eddie smiled. "Come on. Wouldn't you rather lay down in a real bed." He suggested. That immediately got Buat's attention. The man finally opened his eyes and muttered something incomprehensible. But it got him to move and crawl out the car through Chris' side.
Eddie and Maddie both got out the car as well. Eddie beelined his way to Buck's side, wrapping his arm around his waist again. He walked him to the door together with Maddie.
"If you don't mind, I'm going to put our boy to bed now. He can barely stand up straight." Eddie suggested as he watched a tired Buck sway on his feet.
Maddie nodded. She leaned up and kissed Buck's cheek before kissing Eddie's as well. "Allright. You to. Please get some rest." She said and gentle waved them goodbye.
Eddie watched as Maddie crawled back into the car. He waited until the car sped off before turning himself and Buck around and into the house.
Eddie didn't waste any second. He helped Buck towards his bedroom and sat him down on the bed. He sank to one of his kneels before him and took of Buck's shoes for him.
"Mi Amor. Let's get you into something comfortable. Okay? And than you can go to sleep for as long as you like." Eddie said in a hushed tone.
Buck didn't say anything. He was to tired to. He watched with bleary eyes as Eddie untied his shoes and eased them off his feet. He watched as the other man tiptoed to his closet and pulled out some of Buck's clothes he left at Eddie's.
The other man gently placed the clothing down next to Buck. "Amor, how about you dress more comfortably and crawl into bed. I'm going to go and fetch you some water and a snack. That okay?" Eddie asked. He was immediately rewarded with a nod.
So Eddie did as he suggested. He gently stood up and left Buck alone in the bedroom. He moved around in the kitchen, grabbing a bottle of water and searching around for a sweet snack Buck would love.
He eventually found something and together with the nettle of water made his way back to the bedroom. As soon as he opened the door, he quieted down.
Eddie couldn't help but melt at the scene before him. Buck had fallen asleep as soon as he was more comfortably dressed. His top half of his body was on the bed. His bottom half, mostly his legs, were hanging off.
Eddie tiptoed his way inside. He placed the water and snack down on the little bedside table. He moved over to Buck and lifted his legs onto the bed. He pulled the blanket from underneath him and carefully tucked him in.
"Goodnight, Mi Amor." Eddie whispered and pressed a loving kiss to Buck's forehead. He watched the man sleep for a few moments before slowly making his way out the bedroom.
It was hours later that Buck finally woke up from his deep slumber. He slowly opened his baby blues and looked around, not immediately recognizing where he was. Then it finally dawned on him. That's right. He was back at Eddie's.
Buck looked around and finally spotted a clock on the nightstand. It was 11 pm at night. Buck had slept more than 12 hours straight. He slowly sat up, blanket wrapped around his shoulders and looked around again. The other side of the bed was still made up. Like no one had rested beside him.
So where was Eddie?
Buck slowly got up from the bed and silently left the bedroom. Chris must have been asleep by now, so he didn't want to make a lot noise.
Buck's first spot to check was the living room. Eddie wasn't there. He was neither the bathroom or the kitchen. But that's wheen Buck spotted it. The sliding door to the garden was open.
He stepped outside in the comfortably warm air. Buck looked around, searching for Eddie. He wasn't on any of the chairs or the steps. He spied everywhere until he finally spotted Eddie.
He was laying in a hammock. That was a new edition to the backyard, not that he minded. Buck gentle padded his way over to the side of the hammock.
"Eddie?" He whispered, hoping to get his attention. His curios expression turned somber as he saw Eddie before him.
Eddie was laying quiet in the hammock. There was a half-drunken beer in his hand. His body was shaking but not from the cold. It was because of silent but steady streams of tears trailing down his cheek.
"Eddie?" Buck asked again, finally able to grab the man's attention. Eddie quickly wiped the tears from his cheeks with the back of his hand.
"Oh, Buck. I thought you were sleeping?" He asked as he wiped his cheeks again and again.
Buck gave Eddie a small smile. "I missed beside me. Got room for one more?" He suggested and nodded at the hammock.
Eddie nodded. "Yeah absolutely." He answered as he scooted over to Buck had space to get on as well.
Buck slowly crawled onto the hammock and laid down next to Eddie. He took away the beer and leaned over to place it on the ground.
Eddie watched as Buck made himself comfortable against him. He took the blanket from his shoulders and laid it over the two of them. Next, the younger man had placed his head on Eddie's chest. Right above his heart.
"Tell me. Tell me this isn't a dream. Tell me your alive and not dead. Tell me you are here with me." Eddie begged, tears trailing down again. Buck didn't say anything at first. He slipped his hand into Eddie's and intertwined their fingers.
"I promise you Eddie, tomorrow when you wake up, the first thing you'll see is me. I promise." Buck answered as he closed his eyes.
"I'll hold you to it." Eddie said as he closed his eyes as well.
Dusk turned into Dawn when Buck woke up. He slowly opened his eyes and was immediately greeted by a pair of brown eyes looking back at him.
He was about to wish Eddie a good morning when a pair of soft lips pressed onto his own. Buck felt the butterflies in his stomach begin to flutter.
The two eventually parted. Eddie raised a hand and cupped Buck's cheek. "You kept your promise." He whispered.
Buck nuzzled his hand for a second before flashing him a grin. "I always do." He replied.
Eddie smiled.
"I love you, Mi Amor."
"I love you to."
"No one can explain what happened to him on March 6th, 2025. Some people call it impossible. I call it a miracle."