Chapter Text
The thing with secrets is that they eventually they get found out and the secret Eddie and Buck are hiding is a pretty big one.
It wasn't the one that everyone might think, the truth was that they were both werewolves.
Buck had been bitten shortly after he left home navigating the massive change to his life all alone.
Eddies experience was different, he'd been born a werewolf and watching his family change since he could remember.
Currently there where only 2 people on this planet that knew Evan Buckley was a werewolf - Eddie and Christopher Diaz.
And there were only 2 people in world that knew Christopher Diaz was not a werewolf- Evan Buckley and Eddie Diaz.
Eddies parents weren't happy when he'd bought Shannon home, a regular human.
However all was forgiven when little Chris came along but their love for Chris came with one big condition- that he turned out to be wolf.
Born wolves first full moon shift would happen on their 14th birthday and Eddie was nauseous at the thought of Chris's 14th birthday being just around the corner.
The whole Diaz family would be there for Chris's big night, however Eddie could feel in his gut that Chris wouldn't be shifting.
Chris wasn't exhibiting any of the tell tale signs - red meat cravings, irritability or partial shifts.
Chris hadn't had any particular preference either way to be human or wolf and it made Eddies heart hurt at what his sweet boy was about to face.
Eddie knew what happened to Diaz's that didn't shift- they were bitten.
Eddie had heard the story of one his great uncles who's mother was human.
When he didn't shift the boys father-Eddies Great Grandfather had bitten him.
Eddie knew that Ramon Diaz wouldn't hesitate to do the same to Chris.
"Eddie, you ok" bucks voice breaks Eddie out of his thoughts.
Buck is eyeing him from across the truck, chim sitting next to him.
Eddie takes a deep breath "just thinking about Chris's birthday"
Bucks face falls in understanding, his scent souring with worry Eddie had discussed everything with Buck a month ago when Eddie first started suspecting Chris was human.
Chim looks at Buck and then at Eddie "what's the big deal with Chris's birthday, I haven't seen you worked up like this before Diaz"
"Ah its just my whole families coming up from Texas you know" Eddie trails off.
"For a 14th" Hen says skeptically from beside Eddie, one of her eyebrows arching.
Her voice starlets him, Eddie had honestly forgotten she'd been sitting beside him.
"Well most of the family haven't seen him in a while" Eddie mutters , fiddling with the cuff of his turnouts.
Hen doesn't look satisfied but the truck is stopping and Bobby is barking out orders "Buckley, Diaz! Saws and Jaws".
Buck grins at him and they leap out of the truck.
It's a 5 car nose to tail, buck and Eddie extracting victims form the most damaged cars with Hen and Chim running triage and Bobby directing traffic.
Ambulances arrive quickly to get victims to hospital and the 118 are hopping back into the truck.
Buck jumps in and Eddie follows sitting beside Buck, Hen and Chim taking the other side.
Buck glances at him, soundlessly asking if Eddies ok.
Eddie looks at Hen and Chim then shakes his head, telling Buck-not now.
Buck seems to understand he looks away from Eddie and pulls out his phone, Eddie does the same.
There's a series of texts from Chris
/Dad, how long till u r home?/
/PLS Call Me/
/Dad r U going to be upset if I don't change on my birthday?/
/Dad abuelo called, please come home soon/
Eddie shows Buck the texts, Buck looks at Eddie with anger in his eyes.
" What do you think your dad said to him" buck growls under his breath.
"I don't know but Chris seems pretty rattled" Eddie sighs bringing his fingers to massage his temples.
Eddie taps his screen typing out a message to Chris.
/Hey Mijo, only half done with shift, on our way back to the firehouse from a call might be able to ring you when we get back, what's wrong?/
Eddie watches as the typing bubbles disappear and reappear.
/Granpa rang, Im worried abt my brthdy, I think Im going to disappoint everyone/
/Mijo, I will always love ok no matter what ok/
/Lv U too dad, Thxs/
Eddie closes his messaging app and his lock screen looks back at him, a photo of himself, Buck and Chris.
Eddie turns off his phone and slips it back into his pocket, hoping Chris will be ok until he gets home.
Eddie is tense for the rest of the ride and when they get back to the station, truding behind Buck , Chim and Bobby to the showers.
Alone his shower cubical under the steaming hot water Eddie feels marginally better.
He changes into his well loved lafd t-shirt, some long pants and meets the team on the top story of the firehouse.
Bobby is scuffling in the fridge pulling out various vegetables and then steak, buck chatting to him.
Eddie has to control everything not to pry the package of steaks out of Bobby's hands and eat them raw.
He looks away and sees Hen and Chim are gushing over pitches of Jee-un at the dining table.
Buck suddenly appears at Eddies side and pushes him away from the group and downstairs.
"Eddie are you sure you're ok" buck questions
"Yeah Buck, 'm fine" Eddie grunts
"Really because you look like you're going to wolf out" buck snarks.
" Im just worried about Chris" Eddie says sadly
Buck pulls Eddie into a hug
"It's gonna be ok Eddie" Buck soothes.
"How do you know that Buck" Eddie huffs
"Because he'll always have us" buck says softly
Eddie smiles and Buck smiles back and they walk back up the stairs.
Eddies mood is better and he chats to Chim whilst Buck yaps to Hen , eventually dinner is done and Buck is animatedly telling Bobby about a documentary he watched whilst Hen tells Eddie and Chim about a musical she's planning to take Karen to.
The rest of the shift passes by in the form of a kitchen fire at a school and someone crashing their car into a traffic light.
Eddie gets home and Chris is on the couch snacking on some chips and he can hear an action movie playing on the TV.
"Hey Dad" he chirps out
"Hey Mijo" Eddie replies and he watched as Chris sets down his bag of chips and pauses the tv.
"Dad can I talk to you about what grandpa said?" Chris looks worried.
"Of course Chris, what did you want to say" Eddies heart is in his throat.
"Grandpa said that I had to be a man and not disappoint him on my birthday" Chris fidgets
Eddie sighs
"Chris, look at me" Eddie says warmly
Chris looks at him shyly like he's afraid of disappointing him.
" I don't care what happens on your birthday and neither should you ok , it doesn't matter, I love you , no matter what ok.
No matter what your grandparents do or say, I will always be here for you" Eddie hugs Chris and Chris wraps his arms around Eddie.
" I love you dad" Chris breaths out
"Love you too Mijo"
The next week of Eddies life is a blur and suddenly it's Chris's birthday.
His family is filing in, Tia Peppa, Abuela, his sister's, other family Eddie barely knows and then his parents are walking in.
"Ah Edmundo, all ready for the big night eh, I'm sure Chris is excited " his dad claps him on the back .
"Yeah" Eddie grits out
Chis comes slinking out of his room, years of practice allowing him to move quietly on his crutches.
Chris stands next to Eddie looking at his own feet, trying to avoid eye contact with his grandparents.
"Christopher, you become a man tonight Mijo, you excited" his dad grins and Chris shrinks.
"I guess" Chris mumbles.
I irks Eddie that his parents haven't even wished Chris a happy birthday or bought him a gift but Eddie keeps his mouth shut.
"Dad can I eat" Chris asks looking towards the tables of food Eddie prepared.
"Yeah course, knock yourself out' Eddie replies.
Eddie doesn't know what to do with himself, he debates calling Buck but decides against it.
He watches Chris eat and eventually Chris is showing one his cousins a video on his phone then Chris is saying something about showing him his Pokemon card collection and the boys are going to Chris's room.
All to soon the sun has set and Eddies father is ushering everyone outside, everybody forming a circle.
His mother has Chris on her arm leading him to the center of the circle, Eddies farther steps out of the circle and stands on Chris's other side.
Chris looks nervous and Eddies heart aches for his son, Chris locks eyes with Eddie and Eddie trys his best to reassure him with just his eyes.
Eddie holds his breath and he waits.
He waits
He waits
And predicably
Nothing happens
Chris doesn't change
Chatter stars up among the family and Eddie feels like he's watching a car crash in slow motion, he can't imagine how Chris is feeling right now.
His mothers face is pinched and she looks distressed but eddies father looks calm, too calm and Ramon Diaz is never calm in situations like these.
"It's ok Christopher, were gonna fix this" Eddie watches as father grabs Chris's arm and Eddies blood run cold.
Before Eddie can react his father's eyes flash gold, mouth filling with fangs and he's biting into the soft flesh of Christopher's arm.
Chris screams.