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"I can't believe that you did this! That you could betray Buck like this! He is supposed to be your brother! Does Maddie know that you would hurt her brother like this?"
In hindsight, Chimney should have seen this coming. He couldn't help but wonder if this was another reason Bobby took time off. Okay, so no one could have predicted that Bobby and Athena's attempt at a vacation would be the same time that Buck would be gone. With Buck gone, Eddie was on edge, and he was making it everyone's problem. No one wanted to work with an emotionally unstable Eddie when Buck wasn't around.
'More like crazy girl Eddie Diaz.' Chimney had known the moment Bobby informed him that there would be a floater assigned to the team while Buck and Bobby were both out of action. Bobby would be returning before Buck, but still, they were two men down, so they had a floater.
A long sigh escaped Chimney as he placed down the plate he had been eating from and turned to look at Hen, "Are you going to help me out here?"
Raising an eyebrow, Hen finished off her own breakfast. "This was your own fault; you had to know that this was how Eddie would react. From the moment you knew that floater was going to be assigned, you should have shown a little more tact in announcing it to them, just walking into the loft with them, with an hungry Eddie waiting." Hen was clearly not going to be any help.
Another long sigh escaped Chimney, "My wife does indeed know, she understands that we can't be two people down. It's only until Bobby gets back, and then it will be up to him how long we will need a floater."
Eddie's glare was chilling, and Chimney was certain that he felt his soul ice up a little. The man crossed his arms over his chest. "No floater could ever replace Buck. Buck is the heart of this team."
Chimney wanted to bang his head on the table. "I am not asking you to become his friend; I just need you to be able to work with him."
Eddie would forever deny that he was sulking and pouting, "I can work with Max just fine."
Hen fought back a laugh at the pained look that appeared on Chimney's face, and she couldn't let the perfect moment pass, "I thought his name was Sam?"
"Is it?" Eddie made it clear that he didn't care what the new floater's name is.
"Yes, yes, it is." Chimney hissed out.
Forcing back a chuckle, Hen couldn't wait for the show that was to come.
Eddie tried, not that hard, but he did try to get along with Max. That was until he found Max in the kitchen. Buck and Bobby's kitchen. No one cooked in there but them.
'How dare he? That is a sacred place!' Eddie couldn't believe how at home he was acting.
"Hey," Max lifted his head and smiled at Eddie, "I was just going to start making everyone dinner."
Crossing his arms over his chest, Eddie scowled at the man, "No, thank you, I have my own food." He would never betray Buck like this.
Max's smile didn't dim at all. "That's okay, there will be some for you if you change your mind."
As Max began moving around the kitchen, Eddie could no longer stay there and watch him disgrace a place that he had no business being in.
Ravi and Harry exchanged looks as Eddie stomped out of the loft.
"Did I say something wrong?" Sam asked, with a confused look on his face.
"No, you did nothing wrong." Ravi wasn't even about to explain the pettiness that Eddie Diaz could reach.
"Trust us, you are better off knowing," Harry added.
"Okay." Shrugging his shoulders, Sam went back to cooking.
Chimney was ready to throw Eddie from the loft or sedate him; both were strong options.
"Remember that Eddie is a trained soldier who had a whole underground fighting stage." Hen reminded Chimney as she was munching on some of the popcorn she had somehow acquired.
"Right. I had forgotten about that." That had indeed slipped Chimney's mind. Looking up at the ceiling, "Is it too much to ask that you give us a small break?"
The alarms going off were his answer.
Hen levelled him with a dark look, "You better damn well hope that this is a small call or Eddie won't be the only crazy girl in the station."
After a call that a cat was stuck in the tree, Eddie had delight in seeing Max struggling to get the cat out of the tree. His delightful mood had damped when Max had tried to sit in Buck's seat. It was Buck's! No one was allowed to sit in it!
When the most delightful smell drifted down from the loft. Perking up, Eddie knew that smell.
"Out of gear first, Diaz." Hen's voice was full of warning, and no one disobeyed Hen when she spoke like that.
Eddie made the quickest change he had ever done before rushing up the stairs to where a familiar humming reached his ears.
The humming stopped as blue eyes met his. "Hey Eds." Buck's voice was soft.
"Buck!" Crossing the distance, Eddie flung his arms around Buck, "You owe me a kiss." He demanded.
Laughing Buck kissed Eddie softly. "That will have to wait until we get home, where more is waiting. Besides, I didn't come alone."
"Papa!"
The only reason Eddie would ever let go of Buck after being denied him for so long was rushing towards him. "There is my Lillian."
Lillian was a little miracle. Buck hadn't known that Natalia had been pregnant when she left for New York. Eddie was still upset that she had hidden the little girl from Buck until she realized that she wasn't cut out to be a mother. Now they had a little girl who worshipped her big brother and had her father wrapped around her little finger. Christopher was a doting big brother. Buck had taken parental leave to adjust to having a little girl and to ensure that everything was in order with Natalia.
Shaking his head, Buck wandered over to where Eddie was hugging Lillian, who was telling him about their day. "Did you play nicely with the floater?" Buck asked after wrapping his arms around his husband.
"I was perfectly pleasant," Eddie informed him.
"That is a damn lie, you and Diaz know it. Buck, please take him home before he gets even more petty." Chimney ordered as he joined them, pressing a kiss on Lillian's cheek.
Chuckling Buck let Eddie go enough to take off his apron, "Supper is in the oven and just needs another ten minutes before it can be taken out. I will take these two home."
Linking Buck's hand in his and Lillian safe in his arms, Eddie happily led his family down the stairs. "Why don't we pick up Christopher and have a nice meal out?" He suggested.
"Kiss! Kiss!" Lillian cheered.
"That sounds like a wonderful idea." Buck agreed.
As they passed Max, Eddie tossed over his shoulder, "See you later, Max, hope you enjoy my husband's supper, it will be like nothing you have ever tasted before."
"I will, and it's Sam."
Buck could only shake his head fondly as he informed their daughter, "Your papa is a menace when he wants to be petty."
Lillian just laughed and blew a raspberry.
"See, she understands." Eddie gloated.
"Christopher will only think you are ridiculous," Buck informed him.
Christopher did indeed find him ridiculous but told him to keep it up.