Chapter Text
Eddie was in a rush; it was mid-afternoon, 3:45 to be exact, and he was waiting patiently for his son to get off the bus when, finally, the bus came to a stop. He began counting all the kids who got off the bus when he realized Chris wasn’t there.
He looked at the bus driver in a panic. “Where is Christopher? He didn't get off the bus?” The driver looked at him, confused, “He never got on the bus.”
“What?” Eddie was panicking even more now; his chest felt tight. “I just thought someone had picked him up,” The driver says with a shrug. Eddie gulped, hoping the driver was right and that either Pepa or Buck had picked Chris up.
He couldn’t have known how wrong he’d be.
“Right, right, uh, thank you,” Eddie finally said, after just staring at the driver for what felt like forever. The driver nodded at him before driving off to the next drop-off spot.
Eddie froze, his blood ran cold, and he couldn’t help but just stand there until he heard a horn honking loudly, making him jump. He didn't know how long he stood there for; it could have been minutes or an hour, but he finally moved back to his truck and headed home in a panic, driving as carefully as he dialed Pepa’s number.
“Hola, Eddito, ¿todo bien?” Josephina asks once she answers the call. (Hello, Eddito, everything okay?) He sighs softly, hearing his tia's sweet voice, making him relax slightly. “Uhm,” Eddie clears his throat. “Everything is fine, I just thought you picked Chris up for me.” “No, no,” She responds.
“I’ve been home all day. Is everything okay?” “Yes,” Eddie sighs. “I-I’m okay. So you don’t have Chris?”
“No, I don’t, check and see if your Buck did.” Eddie’s brain blue-screened for a minute.
“Your Buck,” repeating in his head before coming to his tia shouting his name.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” She checks again. “I am fine,” he lied. “Are you sure?” She asks once again
." I will be, 'he thought. Then says outloud, “Yes, I've got to go, Tia,” then he hangs up abruptly.
He took a deep breath, praying to a god he wasn’t even sure of, hoping that Buck had Christopher, as he pulled into his driveway. As he gets out of the truck, he opens his and Buck’s messages, texting three simple words:
“I need you.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Buck is casually watching TV and drinking a beer on his couch after a long day of babysitting Jee and Robbie, when suddenly his phone vibrates with a text he wasn’t expecting, seeing three simple, yet alarming words from Eddie:
“I need you.”
He feels his heart stop for a brief moment before quickly grabbing his keys, phone, and wallet, running out the door, towards his truck, quickly putting on his seatbelt, mumbling to himself:
“I am coming, Eddie. I’m coming.”