Work Text:
Los Angeles !
Eddie hadn't waited long after his breakup with Ana, who had tried to contact him two months after it happened. Of course, he hadn't picked up. He hadn't felt anything for her the whole time their relationship had lasted, and breaking up with her had been a huge relief. He wished her to be happy and to find the man she needed, because it was not him. Not when his heart already belonged to someone else, except he'd been too blinded by his parents' expectation to realize it. Getting shot had awakened him from his torpor, and after being released from the hospital he had broken up with Ana, who wanted to take care of him but Eddie only needed one person, and he was looking at them right now cooking in their kitchen.
Being with Buck was easy, and natural. When Eddie told him about his feelings for him, Buck didn't hesitate to put an end to what was going on with Taylor. Their first kiss had been better than anything Eddie could have imagined, and their first time had been just as good. It had been hard for them to wait for him to fully recover from his shoulder injury, but they've been patient, and Buck had taken the opportunity to grant Eddie's request : to move in with him and Christopher.
The young boy, who was now nearly eleven and growing too fast for Eddie's liking, jumped of pure joy when he heard the two news. He was not shocked to know his father in love with a man, and moreover his best friend, he adored Buck and wanted him with them all the time. Their entourage were not surprised either : the 118, Athena, Maddie, Pepa and Abuela. It was obvious that there were feelings between these two idiots, and everything was going for the best. Buck and Eddie still worked as much in symbiosis, their new relationship had not changed that and it relieved not only Bobby and the two concerned, but also the Fire Chief who had wanted to ensure the proper functioning of the firestation and the A-Shift following this change.
"Are you done staring at me like I'm a piece of meat ?"
But Buck's voice was more amused than annoyed.
"Why ? I have the right to watch you as much as I want." Eddie closed the distance between them and went to him, sliding his hands from his hips to his abs, which he stroked through his t-shirt. "You are mine so I do what I want."
He punctuated his words with a kiss on the back of his neck.
"Don't distract me while I'm cooking !"
"It's an order ?" Eddie laughed.
"Absolutely !" Buck said.
Eddie planted another kiss this time on his neck, before pulling away and going to lean against the fridge.
"I'm hungry !"
"Patience, handsome !"
Patience wasn't Eddie's biggest quality when it came to Buck's cooking, which was always divine. After all, he had learned with the best of all, namely Bobby, and also with Abuela who made a point of showing Buck all her recipes to cook for Eddie and Christopher. His parents had a hard time getting used to this idea, that their son had decided to break up with a perfect woman in every way to get into a relationship with a man. They didn't understand, but Eddie no longer wanted to live for others, he wanted to live for himself.
Breakfast was ready. Bacon and scrambled eggs for Buck, and a pepper and ham omelette with a hint of chili for Eddie. Christopher having spent the night at Hen and Karen's for a sleepover with Denny, the couple were alone until lunch.
"You are not going to leave this kitchen, ever." Eddie told him, after enjoying a melt-in-your-mouth first bite of his omelette.
"You tell me that every time." laughed Buck.
He leaned closer, Eddie did the rest of the way and their mouths touched. They finished eating and talked about nothing and then, while Buck tidied up the kitchen, Eddie went to run the washer. Together, the cleaning was done in a very short time, and they took a long shower together.
"Do we have time ?" Eddie asked, eager for his lover's caresses and kisses.
"We do have time, um." Buck replied between kisses. "You look so sexy in the shower."
Buck let out a hiss as Eddie's hand tightened around his erect penis.
"You're going to like this even more."
He crouched down, hands on Buck's hips to maintain his balance, and took his man's massive cock into his mouth after licking it from base to the top. He sucked him on greedily until it exploded deep in his throat. He let Buck pick him up and kiss him. The younger returned the favor by grabbing him tightly and stroking him hard, just like Eddie liked.
Laughing, accomplices and in love, Eddie and Buck kissed on the sofa after getting dressed. They had time before they went to get Christopher.
"I would like to stay like this all my life." said Eddie, sitting astride Buck.
"Nothing is stopping you, you know." He encircled him with his broad arms around the waist. "I love you, and I don't want this life with anyone but you."
"While you could have children of your own ?" Eddie tried.
"We can adopt, if of course you want children with me."
Eddie cupped his face and gave him a firm kiss.
"Yes, I do want children with you. You're right, we'll adopt, but we have time."
"Yes, I do intend to marry you first." Buck said, sliding his hands under Eddie's ass.
"I love you so much, I regret that I wasted all this time trying to please others."
A phone vibrated loudly on the coffee table. It was Eddie's, who sat down on the sofa to reach for the small device. He winced when he saw the caller's name. Her again !
"Ana ?" asked Buck, who was aware of the constant calls from Eddie's ex-girlfriend.
"She's persistent, that's for sure." said the latter. The call ended, and Eddie put his phone back on the coffee table. "Why does she insist ? If I don't pick up, it's because I have nothing to say to her."
"It may be important !" Buck ventured to say. "She may be pregnant."
"Stop your bullshit, I never slept with her !" snapped Eddie. "I couldn't, I thought about you too much, and my body didn't want her."
"I know, I'm sorry." Buck sat up on the sofa and faced him. "Look, if she keeps calling it’s clearly that she hasn’t moved on. She tries to try her luck again."
"Except I don’t give a fuck, I just want her to stop calling me."
"Then block her number !" Buck said.
When he saw the slight grimace of his lover, Buck understood that Eddie did not know how to go about it.
"You and your tech phobia !" he teased.
He picked up the phone and looked for Ana's contact.
"Why didn't you delete her number ?" asked the young man.
"It was not very important at the time, and then it slipped my mind. Eddie admitted with a shrug. The phone vibrated again at Ana's name. "Block her, please !"
So Buck rejected the call, and after two very simple manipulations, blocked Ana Flores's number.
"There you go, if she tries again, her call will fail automatically !"
"Thanks !" Eddie kissed him. "Let's get our son !"
At the Wilsons's !
They had accepted Hen and Karen's invitation to lunch. Buck had been picked up by Denny and Christopher in the garden, and Eddie stayed with the couple in the kitchen. He took the opportunity to set the table and tell them about Ana's incessant calls.
"Didn’t you pick up once to find out what she wants ?" Karen asked.
"Why would I do that ?" Eddie asked back, picking up the stack of plates Hen had put on the counter. "I have nothing to say to her. Buck says maybe she wants to try her luck again."
"It may have something to do with Christopher, she was his English teacher if I'm not wrong." said Hen.
"She'ss been working at another school since she became vice-principal." Eddie put the plates around the table. "No, she clearly wants to reconnect for sure, but that doesn't interest me. She should know that I don't want to talk to her, right ? If I don't pick up, there's a reason."
"Some people are more stubborn than others, and if Ana is, then she won't give up." Karen told him. "You might bump into her when you least expect it."
"Ah, I don't want to think about it and continue to live my life as it is. With Buck and Christopher, we are very happy like that."
"How is the permanent roommate with Buck ?" Hen asked.
At this question, Eddie smiled. Living with Buck every day since he moved in, and especially since they were a couple, was too good to be true. It was perfect. They were as in sync with each other as they were at work.
"That awesome, hum ?" smiled Karen.
"I'm in my place with him. It's going smoothly, we're taking care of Christopher together, he's cooking there's less risk of me accidentally set the kitchen on fire." Both women chuckled. "And above all, falling asleep and waking up next to him, in his arms, I never felt that. He's the person I want to share my life with, and I don't intend to let anyone ruin my happiness."
And that would go for anyone who tries to interfere in his new relationship with Buck. He wouldn't let anyone take away from him what he had always wanted and finally had : true love, a partner in every way. With Evan Buckley, he felt like he was home.
Three days later !
They were tired. After a long weekend of rest, they had chained a twelve hours shift which had turned into a fifteen hours one. The calls had hardly stopped, and the last one had been a four fire alarm. Fortunately, no one had died or been injured. Having showered at the firehouse, Buck and Eddie returned home exhausted, where a good smell of food hung in the air.
"My God look at you two !"
Carla knew from their exhausted faces that they had had a long day.
"You need to eat, and sleep." she decreed. "Come on, come sit down. Christopher has already had dinner, he's done his homework and he's showered."
"Where is he ?" Eddie asked, slumping into a chair in the kitchen.
"In his room, he reads." They heard the familiar sounds of the boy's crutches. "Not anymore !"
She served them a plate of spaghetti Bolognese with meatballs.
"You are an angel, Carla." Eddie thanked her.
"When I saw that you weren't home at the scheduled time, I took the lead." she said, waving her hand.
"Dad, Bucky !"
Christopher walked into the kitchen. Eddie wiped his mouth with a napkin after swallowing his first bite, and turned to hug his son.
"Did you have a good day, mijo ?" he asked before giving way to Buck.
"Yeah, and I got an A on my science project." he told them.
"Hey, that's great !" cried Buck.
"Come sit down, Christopher." Carla told him. "Your dads need to eat after the hard day they had."
Eddie didn't miss the way Buck swallowed, he had tried to hide it by wiping his mouth with a napkin but not that fast. They would talk about it later.
"What happened ?" Christopher asked, once seated in a chair.
"There was a big fire, that's why we didn't come back on time." Buck explained. "You don't blame us, do you ?"
"No !" chuckled the little boy.
The couple finished dinner, then they left the kitchen on Carla's orders, who insisted on cleaning up.
"Do you want us to read you a story, son ?" Eddie asked, choking back a yawn.
Unlike Buck, who yawned jaw-droppingly.
"No, I'll be fine, you're tired." replied Christopher.
Once he was in bed, Eddie properly wrapped his son in his blanket, and kissed him on the forehead after removing his glasses, which he put on the nightstand.
"Good night, my son !"
"You too, dad !"
Buck's turn came, then Christopher closed his eyes and fell asleep. Buck and Eddie exited the bedroom, closing the door behind them.
"There are leftovers for tomorrow's lunch." Carla told them as she's about to leave. "You want me to take Chris to school ?"
"No, I will, but thank you !" Eddie said. "Thank you again for tonight, and for the diner. You are the best !"
"Keep saying sweet things to me, my little Diaz !" Carla smiled at him. "Alright, goodnight you two !"
"Be careful on the road, and send us a message when you're home safely !"
She promised them, and they got a text twenty-five minutes later. They had sat in front of the TV waiting to receive Carla's message, they got up from the sofa not without hiding their fatigue, and turned off everything in their path to the bathroom, then in the bedroom. Once they were lying face to face, Eddie spoke up.
"I saw you swallow when Carla told Christopher about his two dads. Do you still have a hard time getting used to the idea that you are his father as much as I am ?"
"It doesn't really have any legal value." Buck said. "Okay you made me his guardian if anything ever happened to you, but it's not the same."
"Evan, you're his father !" Eddie hammered, cupping his cheek. "We don't care about the rest, you'll adopt him once we're married, but that doesn't change the fact that Christopher sees you as his second parent, he refers to you. He adores you as much as I love you."
Seeing tears welling up in his man's pupils, Eddie sealed their mouths in a tender kiss that turned languorous. They went no further than kisses, both exhausted from their day.
The next morning, Eddie took Christopher to school while Buck went shopping for some odds and ends they were missing. Parking in his place at the bottom of his building, Eddie did not see Buck's jeep, a sign that he had not yet returned from shopping. He sent him a message while returning to their apartment. A small eight-hour shift was waiting for them today, starting at 12:30 p.m. They would barely have time for lunch before leaving, but what a surprise – and not a good one – Eddie saw when he saw someone he thought he would never see again, waiting outside the door of his apartment.
"Ana !"
His voice was flat and monotonous. When the young woman with the long black curly hair turned to him and smiled at him, he was delighted to find that he felt nothing.
"Hello, Edmundo !"
He took upon himself not to grind his teeth.
"What are you doing here ?" he asked, crossing his arms and stopping between her and the door.
They were far too close for his liking, so he uncrossed his arms to unlock the door and put some distance between them. There, he felt better !
"So, what do you want ?"
"Aren't you inviting me in ?" she asked, a small smile that she no doubt meant to seduce on her lips.
"No !" he replied placidly, making her quickly become disillusioned. "For the third time, what do you want ?"
"I called you !"
"I know, and I didn't pick up. That should have been enough for you to realize that I had nothing to say to you."
Eddie did his best not to lose patience. He clearly didn't want to deal with this. Looking at his watch, he saw that it was almost 9 a.m. He wanted to spend the three hours he had before him going to work being with Buck, lounging and having sex with him before having to take care of their eight hours shift.
"Months have passed and I can't forget you." Ana said. "I still love you Edmundo, and I would like to give each other a second chance, if only you would give me more room in your life."
"Why would I do this ? I broke up with you and I'm not going back with you." he snapped without raising his voice. They were still in the hallway. "It's over, I'm with someone today, someone I'm going to spend my life with, and you better move on like I did."
There had never really been a page to turn with Ana, he had dated her for the wrong reasons, and it was a mistake he had brushed aside without looking back.
"It's impossible, you can't have met someone so quickly." said Ana, whose smile had disappeared.
"I have no explanation to give you."
The ding of the elevator sounded, and Eddie turned his head towards it, hoping to see Buck there. He smiles. Two bags in his arms, he advanced towards them. He gave Ana a strange look, then a questioning look at Eddie, but Eddie moved away from the door to let him through, still smiling at him.
"You were fast." Eddie said.
"Yes, there were not many people this morning." Buck said. "Is everything alright ?" he asked.
Eddie knew he was talking about Ana. He nodded and winked at his friend.
"I'm going to put the groceries away." Buck said.
"I'll join you in two minutes." He followed him with his gaze until he disappeared into the kitchen before returning his attention to Ana. "I'd like you to leave now, I would like to spend the morning with my boyfriend before we have to go to work."
"Your what ?" Ana choked out. "Since when are you gay ?"
His face had turned into a disgusted pout. A facet of the young woman that Eddie did not know.
"I don't have to give you an explanation, Ana. You and me is long over, and it should never have even started. I didn't answer your calls or your text messages because I had nothing more to say to you. I thought you would have moved on, but I see you haven't and it can't go on anymore, Ana. You can't keep calling me – anyway I blocked you – and you don't have the right to come to my house asking for a second chance when I didn't do anything to make you believe it would be possible." he said. "Go home, live your life and stop harassing me !"
"I'm not harassing you !" she protested.
"Oh you're not ? What about the many calls and text messages you sent me over the past three months when I never picked up ?"
"You could have picked up and told me you wanted me to stop !" Ana replied.
"Oh no, don’t try to turn the situation your way, it won’t work ! Go home and stop trying to contact me. I'm with Buck now and I'm going to built a life with him. Goodbye Ana !"
He took a step back to go completely inside and closed the door, pushing the lock before leaning against it. How could a conversation be so tiring ?
"Babe ?"
He hadn't been aware that his eyes were closed. Eddie opened them and met the beautiful blue eyes of his man, who was advancing towards him. Buck looked through the peephole, and smirked. Ana hadn't moved, she was still on the other side of the door biting her lip, seeming to think about what she was going to do.
"She is always there !" understood Eddie, who knew that way of smiling from Buck.
"Don't worry, she'll be gone soon."
Buck kissed him, no, he devoured his mouth and Eddie let himself go. Shirt and t-shirt parted, revealing each other's perfect torso. Buck pushed Eddie against the door, making noise on purpose. He leaned down but instead of taking his mouth for another kiss, he sucked his right nipple between his lips, squeezing a groan of pleasure from the other man. He put the other nipple through this gentle torture, then moved down his body until he was kneeling on the floor. Buck undid Eddie's jeans with confident gestures and a hungry look. When its turgidity spurted under his nose, he sketched a carnivorous smile.
"Don't hold back !"
With a single "bite," Buck swallowed it the way Eddie liked it, and Eddie let out a hoarse moan close to a cry of deliverance. He could have come on the spot if he hadn't had more stamina than that, but he held on and enjoyed the soft, hot caress of Buck's mouth along his cock. Eddie couldn't hold back from expressing his pleasure out loud, their neighbor from the two apartments on their landing were already at work at this hour. Eddie completely forgot that Ana was behind the door — unless she was finally gone — and savored the moment. Buck stopped and moved up his body to kiss him. Hobbling, they headed for their room, throwing off their clothes as they went. In the hallway, while Eddie was naked and Buck still in jeans, the youngest pinned the oldest against the wall and gave him a loud spanking. Eddie's response was equally so.
"I take you there, or in our bed ?" Buck asked, sliding his massive cock between Eddie's ass.
"I don't care, but hurry up !"
He was on the verge of implosion. Entering the bedroom, Buck pushed Eddie face down on the bed, then unzipped his jeans. Meanwhile, Eddie pushed himself up on his knees but before he had time to pull himself up on his hands his man's mouth and tongue were on him preparing him. Being new to sex with a man before he was with Buck, Eddie would never have thought he'd love that aspect so much, but the other man tasted him with all-consuming, incandescent passion every time.
"Buck, baby I'm ready !" moaned Eddie. "Fuck me !"
The stretching, burning sensation lasted only a moment, and Buck engulfed him in one long thrust. Their skin was covered with sweat very quickly as Buck moved in and out of him with more and more speed and force. Eddie's pleas filled the whole room, until they both came in unison. Eddie lay on his stomach, and Buck had no choice but to follow, laying on top of him, still inside him. Short of breath, they burst out laughing.
Firehouse 118 !
"Karen warned you that you would see Ana again when you least expected it." Hen said, when Eddie told them about his ex's unexpected visit.
He must have filled in the blanks for Bobby and Chimney by telling them about the calls and text messages he had been receiving nonstop for three months.
"She finally left ?" asked the Captain.
"When Buck and I left, she wasn't there anymore."
He kept silent about the fact that he got sucked off just two minutes after slamming the door in Ana's face. He kept the details of his sex life with Buck to himself, and he was sure they were very grateful to them even though they didn't broach the subject.
"Do you think she's going to come back ?" Chimney asked.
"Let her try, and I will file a complaint for harassment." Eddie replied. "Plus she grimaced when I told her I was dating Buck, she was clearly disgusted at the idea."
"We don't think about it anymore, but we are still on our guard." Buck said, hugging the handsome Mexican's neck affectionately.
The alarm is sounding...
One week later…
Eddie had had a weird feeling all week long, like he was being watched hard. Everywhere he went… When he was going to drop Christopher off at school, or pick him up. When he and Buck went shopping, or even when they went to work. He couldn't get it out of his head that someone was staring at him. It's been a week since the Ana episode, he hoped never to see her again in his life, but he remembered perfectly the disgust she had shown when she had understood that he was in a relationship with a man.
"Hum, Eddie..."
Sketching a smile in the darkness of their room, Eddie stroked the hair of Buck sleeping next to him. The alarm clock would soon ring four in the morning, and Eddie had been awake for about ten minutes.
"Why aren't you sleeping ?" Buck muttered.
"I'm no longer sleepy."
Eddie continued to stroke his hair tenderly until the alarm clock rang. He silenced him immediately.
"Come on, Carla will be arriving soon to take over." he said to him.
All the time he was getting ready, Eddie always had a bad feeling. Dressed in his regulation attire, he turned on the coffee machine and took out two mugs. Buck joined him, more alert than he had been at the sound of the alarm clock, dressed in the same way as him.
"How are you ?" he asked her. "You're tense, more than all week."
"You've noticed ?" wondered Eddie.
Although he wasn't that much. They knew each other perfectly, and knew when one had a problem. It was also like that on the job, they had an ease in understanding each other that confused most people. This symbiosis made them the best pair in the Los Angeles Fire Department.
"What's the matter ?" Buck asked.
"I have a bad feeling, that's all." Eddie shrugged. "I feel like I've been watched at all week. I think I've been getting paranoid ever since..."
"Since you saw Ana again." Buck said for her.
"You didn't see the face she made when she realized I was with you. She was clearly disgusted, and not in a sad way. No, it was pure disgust, babe."
"Do you think she is homophobic ?"
"Maybe, in any case I never asked her the question, and it never came up in our conversations." Eddie said. "She never asked me about the team, and I never talked about Hen and Karen."
Buck didn't like to see his man, his best friend in this condition. He turned off the coffee pot and was about to pour some into the two mugs, when the front door opened.
"Boys ?"
Carla's voice sounded panicked. Buck put the coffee pot down, and the two men went to find her in the living room. She had just put her things on the sofa.
"What ?" Eddie asked.
"You should go outside." she told them, before adding : "And call Athena."
Buck and Eddie descended to the bottom of the building, and it was Buck who saw the damage first. The shattered windows and windshield, the four flat tires, and the dented bodywork. Someone had unleashed on his car.
"My jeep !" he exclaimed, shocked. "Eddie..."
He already had the phone to his ear. He did not call 9-1-1, but someone who would not be happy to learn that someone let his nerves been put on the car of the man she considered to be her son.
"Athena, sorry to wake you up but I need you to come to my house." … "You'll see, but it's about Buck."
"Eddie..."
"I know, and I'm pissed off too, but Athena is coming with Bobby."
Calmer than his boyfriend, Eddie walked around the vandalized car and assessed the damage. It was on returning to the front of the vehicle that he saw an inscription made with a very flashy pink spray paint. You stole him from me ! Eddie didn't have to think long about what that meant. He swallowed his rage and took pictures of everything vandalized : the windows, the tires, the windshield and every dented door, and finally, the inscription. He was going to make her pay every penny for the repairs, she wasn't going to get away with it. Yes, she. Eddie was one hundred percent sure of himself. Ana Flores was responsible for this disaster.
"Who could have done this ?" Buck moaned, tears rolling down his cheeks that he couldn't contain.
"I know very well who did this." Eddie wiped the tears from his mate's cheeks. "Hey, don't shed any tears for the bitch who did this."
"The bitch ?" Buck repeated. "Please, it's not like Ana to do that."
"I know she did this, and Athena will prove it."
At the same time, Bobby's car pulled up nearby. He left the headlights on, and their Captain and the Sergeant who was his wife, got out of the car. Athena Grant-Nash was not a woman to be intimidated, and when someone came after her family, she always made that person pay the full price. She loved Buck like he was her own son, and she knew her husband thought of him that way too, she wouldn't let this vandalism go unpunished.
"Buck, are you okay, son ?"
Bobby approached the youngest of his firefighters and hugged him.
"My… my jeep…"
The sobs in Buck's voice broke the hearts of all three present.
"Who did that ?" Athena asked, after circling the jeep. "You stole him from me." she read. "What does it mean ?"
"It means my ex, Ana Flores, blames Buck for me not wanting to give her a second chance. "
Eddie explained to Athena the calls and texts he had received for three months before Buck blocked the young woman's number, at Eddie's request, then, of Ana's visit a week earlier and the conversation they had had. Meanwhile, Athena jotted down everything he said in a notebook she always had with her. He also told her of his feeling of having been spied on throughout the past week.
"It's just a hunch, but I know it's her."
"And I would prove it." Athena asserted.
She made a phone call.
"You want to take your day off ?" Bobby asked the boys.
"Buck ?"
Eddie would make the decision based on what his man decided. He regained his senses.
"No, I need to occupy my mind."
"Alright, go get your things, I'll take you to the firehouse, you two are too on edge to drive."
They complied and, going back up to the apartment, Buck went to the bathroom so that Christopher, who was having breakfast in the kitchen, wouldn't see him in the state he was in. The youg boy chuckled when Eddie ruffled his hair then kissed him on the cheek.
"Hey, I'm not a baby anymore !" cried Chris, not without a smile. "Aren't you at work yet ?"
"We forgot something with Buck." Eddie said. "Carla, can I talk to you for a minute ?"
They went into the living room, and Eddie whispered what was happening downstairs at the moment, and his suspicions about who was responsible for the vandalism.
"If there are still traces of the incident when you leave, make sure Christopher does not see anything."
"Don't worry, he won't." Carla said. "Are you sure it's her ?"
"I'd bet my money on it !"
Buck came back, no trace of anger or sorrow on his face, and went to say hello to Christopher cheerfully, then the two men took their bags near the entrance and left.
At the firehouse, they weren't surprised to see Chimney and Hen waiting for them on the mezzanine. However, Buck was surprised to see Maddie.
"Where's Jee ?" he asked, referring to his niece.
"She's with the Lee's." Maddie said. 'Evan, is…'
"No, Maddie, it's not okay at all !" he exploded. 'Damn it, she went after my car and…"
"Hey, hey..." Eddie put a hand on the back of his neck and pulled him against him. "Breathe, and calm down ! That's it, cariño, inhale through the nose, exhale through the mouth."
"She'll pay every dollar the repairs will cost, I swear !"
He kissed him in the crook of his neck where Buck squealed in pleasure every time and it didn't escape this time except he tried his best not to make that horny little sound when they weren't alone. He led him around the table, and they sat down in their usual places, and while Bobby was preparing breakfast, Eddie related what had happened, and about his suspicions.
"Are you sure it's her ?" Chimney asked.
"For the last time, yes, I am sure of it." Eddie replied, his left hand resting on Buck's leg. "I know Athena will find the evidence she needs, and it's holding me back from going to confront her myself."
"Athena always finds, and this case is not important enough in the eyes of the police that she will have no trouble convincing her superiors to let her lead the investigation herself." said Hen.
Hours later !
It didn't take Athena long to verify every piece of information Eddie passed on. Armed with Ana Flores's phone number, she had managed to trace every trip the vice-principal made throughout the week. She even had the list of many calls and text messages Eddie had given her over the past three months. After her research, she went to see her friend Lieutenant Lou Ransone and showed him the file she had built against Ana Flores to ask his opinion.
"Do you thing I can get a search warrant with that ?"
"You don't have another suspect ?" Lou asked her, after going through the evidence.
"Eddie is sure it's her. I've tracked every move Buck and Eddie made over the past two weeks, and every time Ana Flores's phone pegged nearby, and, that night at three in the morning, her phone puts her right downstairs. Buck and Eddie's building."
"It's worth a try." Lou nodded.
"Do you want to come with me ? If I find myself alone with this woman, I might slap her after what she did to my baby's car." said Athena.
"Mama Bear pulls out her claws." Lou joked after accepting.
They went to see the Judge together, and Athena reiterated her and Eddie's words and beliefs regarding the identity of the culprit.
"Very well, but if it isn’t her…" said the Judge.
"I would look elsewhere, but I'm not wrong." Athena asserted.
The Judge signed a search warrant for the home, vehicle and office of Ana Flores. Being Vice-Principal of a private school, she certainly had a desk where she could have hidden evidence, such as a spray can of pink paint and a crowbar. As for the deflated tires, she must have used a knife or any sharp object. Forensic experts continued to examine Buck's vandalized car.
Warrant in hand, Athena and Lou left the Judge's office.
"Where do we start ?" Lou asked.
"We go to her house, whether she is there or not, we have a warrant." Athena replied.
Ana was not at home, but her landlord was and opened the young woman's apartment to the police. After a thorough search, they found clothes covered in pink, most likely from a spray paint can.
"Athena, come see this !"
Athena asked the two patrol policemen they had taken with them to wrap up the evidence after putting on gloves. She joined Lou in Ana Flores's bedroom, and what she saw made her blood run cold. The wall opposite the bed was lined with photos and newspaper articles relating to Buck and Eddie, except that anything about Buck was crossed out with a black marker. Athena even recognized some photos, where Buck and Eddie were with Christopher, because they were photos from Buck's Instagram account, and Ana had replaced the young man's head with her own. She even saw with horror that Christopher had also been scratched from the photos.
"She's completely obsessed with Eddie." said Athena.
"Look at this !" He showed her a small notebook. A diary, which he flipped to a random page and read aloud : "When my dear Edmundo and I get married, I'll make sure to send Christopher to Texas so we can be just the two of us, and one day have normal children, because there's no way I'm raising a dead woman's handicapped child."
"Give me that !" With gloved hands, she picked up the diary and flipped through another page. "He is always there hanging around in our paws. Another good reason to send Christopher to his grandparents, it will get rid of this parasite of Evan Buckley ! This parasite ? What a bitch !"
Lou pulled out a plastic bag for evidence and Athena slipped the diary into it.
"I call a team to take pictures of the wall and tear everything down." Lou said.
Athena took out her phone and took several photos of the wall.
The next stop for Lou and Athena after the arrival of a scientific team, was the private school in which Ana Flores was Vice-Principal. They asked to see the Principal of the school first, and Athena explained the facts to them. Shaken to hear such news from one of the employees, the Principal led them to Ana Flores' office.
"Miss Flores ?"
"Yes ?"
But the Principal entered the office and made room for Athena and Lou.
"Miss Flores, you are going to follow us to the police station !" Lou said.
The two patrol officers entered the office and searched every corner.
"They have no right to do that !" she protested.
"This search warrant authorizes us to search your office, your car..." Athena pointed to the warrant. "… and we found some very interesting things at your home."
"You went into my house without telling me ?" Ana spat.
"We didn't need your consent, and your landlord kindly let us in, and what we found in your room is quite puzzling." Lou said. "Your car keys, please !"
Ana didn't. Athena stepped forward and grabbed the young woman's purse, and a single look stopped Ana from protesting. Athena took the car keys and turned to the Principal.
"Do you know what his car is ?"
"Yes, come with me !"
Athena asked an officer to come with her, and Lou stayed in the office with the other. In the employee parking lot, the Principal pointed to a metallic blue car at Sergeant Grant. Athena pressed the button to unlock it, and went straight to open the trunk. She found exactly what she was looking for, hidden under a small blanket. She took the evidence in photos, and waited for the scientific team.
At the police station…
"Don't you want to call your lawyer ?" Lou asked, sitting down across from Ana.
She had been taken to an interrogation room, before Lou and Athena joined her there after making her wait for ten good minutes to gather the evidence for the interrogation.
"Why ? I'm not under arrest, am I ?" Ana asked.
"You will be, and you can always call your lawyer." said Athena.
"I did not do anything wrong."
"As you want !" said Athena. "Vandalism is a crime, Miss Flores. Going wild on a Los Angeles firefighter's car isn't very popular, you know ?"
"I… I don't know what you're talking about at all."
But her hesitation betrayed her, and they could smell the lie from miles away. Lou opened the folder containing several photos, and pulled out an enlarged one of Buck's jeep, which read You stole him from me on the hood, tagged in pink spray paint.
"It's Evan Buckley's Jeep, it was vandalized last night, around three a.m."
"How does this concern me ?" Ana asked. "I was sleeping at that hour !"
"We know very well that this is not the truth." Lou said. "Your phone is bound at this time downstairs from Mr. Diaz’s building, which has also been Mr. Buckley’s home for a while now. Not to mention that we found clothes stained with pink paint spray at your house, the same spray that was in the trunk of your car, and which was used to spray this message on the hood of the jeep."
Ana fell silent, and swallowed.
"How about that photo board you wallpapered your bedroom with ?" Athena continued, spreading pictures of said wall on the table. "Or what you wrote in it."
Lou took the diary out of the plastic bag and opened it to the last written page and read aloud.
"It did me a world of good to let off steam on the car of this asshole who perverted my precious Edmundo. I would know how to make him see that I am the perfect woman for him. Evan Buckley must disappear from his life, I will use the hard way if necessary."
Lou closed the diary.
"It's all very poetic." he scoffed.
"Unfortunately, most of what you wrote can't really be held against you, it's just words written in a diary but a Judge might take it into account, just like he's going to take into account the evidence we have found in your home and in your vehicle." said Athena. "And it also looks like you spent weeks spying on Eddie Diaz and his family."
"I want to see him !" Ana said.
"You want to see who ?"
"Edmundo. I want to talk to him, face to face."
Ana's tone was firm and assured.
"I don't think you're in a position to claim anything." said Athena.
"You have your evidence, and I will only talk to Edmundo, and after that I will talk to my lawyer."
Ana crossed her arms and leaned back in her chair.
Firehouse 118 !
In the relaxation area of the loft, Buck was lying down, his head resting on Eddie's lap, who was massaging his skull with one hand. He had been on hot coals all day, and only the moments spent on the field had calmed him down. Only two medical calls, and back at the firehouse, Eddie had dragged the young man to the loft and for half an hour they had not moved from the couch. Buck was dozing, they hadn't heard from Athena, but they trusted her. When she was launched in an investigation, she was like a pit bull and did not let go of her prey. She would prove Ana Flores' guilt.
"How is he doing ?" Hen approached the couple and sat down on an armchair near them. "He looks like a child, asleep like that."
"Don't be fooled by it, Hen. He's hurt because his jeep means a lot to him, it's a gift from Maddie and to find it like this, it really shocked him, but he is fuming inside." Eddie said, still gently massaging his head. 'It will be better when this matter is settled."
“Athena is going to prove that she is guilty." said Hen, referring to Ana.
"I know."
It couldn't be otherwise, anyway. Athena came to see them at the end of their shift, as the second team took their place.
"So, anything new ?" asked Eddie, who had Buck's hand in his, and his gym bag on the other shoulder.
"Yes, we have the evidence, and we arrested her." Athena replied. "She hasn't really confessed, but she's guilty, and she wants to talk to you."
"I beg your pardon ?" Eddie gasped.
"She insists on talking to you, but I didn't come here to take you back to the station with me, just to pass the message on to you." said Athena. "You go home to get a good night's sleep, and you come see me at the station tomorrow, with Lou we'll show you what we found, and you'll decide then whether you want to talk to her or not."
"And, Ana, is she going to be released ?" Buck asked.
"She will probably be released on bail before her appearance before the Judge, but with Lou we are going to make her spend a night in the cell, it will make her think twice before going after my boy’s car."
She touched Buck's cheek, and he smiled.
Back home, they quickly recounted the day's events to Carla and Ana's special request to speak to Eddie, and then she left. Eddie gently opened the door to his son's bedroom, and watched him sleep, looking peaceful. How could he have thought for a second that Ana would be perfect for his family ? Oh on paper she was, but she would never have made him happy. She would have restrained Christopher to his limits, and neither he nor Eddie would have been happy and fulfilled. Not like they were with Buck. Buck was perfect.
"Are you going to talk to her ?" Buck asked, once they were both lying in bed.
"Only if you’re okay with me confronting her." Eddie replied. "She will compromise with me."
"All right." Buck leaned down to kiss him. "You would never have gone back with her, huh ?"
"Never." Eddie lay on his back and pulled Buck close to him, he kissed his forehead and stroked his arm. "You are the love of my life, Evan."
The next day !
After having breakfast with the family, the three of them, Buck and Eddie drove Christopher to school in Eddie's car, then drove to the police station. Athena greeted them and led them to Lou Ransone's office. They told them the story of the investigation, the evidence collected and the interrogation.
"Wow, hang on !" Eddie stopped them. "She wanted to send Christopher to my parents ?"
"She didn't say it, but she mentioned it in her diary." said Athena.
"I want to see it !"
Athena passed it to him, the expertise being finished. Eddie leafed through it, and by the end, he was fuming.
"Okay, I'm fed up !" He closed the diary, handed it back to Athena and stood up. "Where is she ?"
"An officer took her to the interrogation room." Lou told him.
"I want to talk to her !" Eddie said. "I know she won't tell me anything if Buck is there, but I want him to attend everything."
Athena and Lou exchanged a knowing look. Athena led Buck into a room behind the one-way mirror of the interrogation room, Eddie following.
"Hey…" Buck took his hand in his and spoke softly to soothe him. "Don't get carried away, it won't help."
Mocking the onlookers, Eddie kissed Buck to give himself courage and strength, not to confront Ana, but to not jump at her throat. He had never taken on a woman in his life, he was not going to start today, even if it itched.
Ana was pacing the interrogation room when the door opened. When she saw the object of her desires, a bright smile lit up the young woman's face.
"Edmundo !"
She took a step in his direction, but the glare he was giving her stopped her in her tracks. Damn, she had never seen him angry like that. No, not her Edmundo, he wasn't going to hurt her. She had to be careful what she was going to say, and find the right words to get him to agree to have the charges dropped on her, and maybe then they could start over and be the family that they were meant to be together. Both, without Christopher. Clearing her throat, she pulled out the chair and sat down.
"Won't you sit down ?" she asked, when Eddie remained standing on the other side of the table.
As far away from her as possible.
"No, I'm not here for tea."
Eddie's voice cracked like a whip, with no emotion in his voice other than suppressed rage. All she had to do was say the wrong word for all hell to break loose on her. The door closed, and that's when Ana saw Lieutenant Ransone leaning against the door.
"I said I wanted to talk to him alone." Ana said.
"No, that's not an option." Ransone said. "Anyway, you are in an interrogation room here, the camera you see there turns on and automatically records everything that happens in this room as soon as someone opens the door."
"Say what you have to say to me !" Eddie snapped at Ana.
"Edmund…"
"Call me like that one more time, and I'm leaving !" he warned her.
"Eddie…" Ana gulped. "It's all... it's all just a misunderstanding I..."
"A misunderstanding ?"
He wanted to burst out laughing, but he restrained himself.
"So you didn't smash my boyfriend's car in the middle of the night ?"
"I… I don’t know what got into me, okay ? I'm sincerely sorry for that, I was angry, and jealous that you replaced me with a man." Ana apologized, putting all her heart into it to sound sincere.
But Eddie wasn't fooled, any more than Athena and Buck were on the other side of the one-way mirror.
"Please Edm… Eddie…" Damn, she thought that was ridiculous, she preferred to call him Edmundo, his real name. "Give me, give us a second chance please. I know I can be the perfect woman for you, we could be very happy, and start a real family."
"And what about Christopher, huh ? Where do you place him in this little fairy tale that you created for yourself ?" Eddie asked. "With my parents, right ? Oh yes, I'm aware of your little plans to get rid of Buck and our son. Do you really think I would let you ?"
"Christopher needs stability, and to be constantly watched I... I can't give him that and..."
"But I'm not asking you to !" he stopped her. "Christopher needs both his parents, Buck and me, by his side, to surround him and encourage him in his life. He may be disabled but he is not helpless."
"I don't want to raise someone else's child, you hear me ?" Ana belched, jumping up from her chair.
"IT WILL NEVER HAPPEN !"
Eddie's outburst startled Ana, and Buck on the other side of the mirror.
"I never should have gone out with you, but I did because that's what my parents expected of me, to find a mother for Christopher, but I was completely wrong. I already had someone in my life who complemented us perfectly, and made us happy, and that person is everything to me. I fully intend to marry him, and he will adopt Christopher then. You and me, that was the biggest mistake of my life."
"Don't… don't say that Edmundo. It's not a life, two men can't love each other, it's unhealthy." she said, her face changing. "He perverted you, you are not gay."
"It doesn't matter what the hell I am, I know who I am and who I love. And I love Buck more than my own life, you hear me ? You're going to pay every penny it will cost to fix the jeep, then you'll be out of my life, and my family's life. I forbid you to approach me or anyone around me. I never want to see you again !"
"Edmundo… please…"
But Eddie was already opening the door to the interrogation room. Ana wanted to follow him, but Lou stopped her in her tracks.
"You should call your lawyer !"
He closed the door behind him. Back in Lou's office, they all took stock.
"I want a distancing measure !" Eddie said.
It was done within the next hour.
…
Having got their day off, Buck and Eddie went home, and took advantage of Christopher being at school to spend the day in bed. Naked. There was nothing like sex to decompress. Legs tangled, they kissed tenderly after recovering from a searing orgasm.
"We're all sticky. Buck mumbled.
"Don't care." Eddie breathed against his mouth. "Kiss me, Buckley !"
Buck complied with pleasure. Their stomachs called them to order, having not eaten anything since breakfast, so they went to take a shower, got dressed simply and Buck prepared something simple and quick. On the couch after eating, they cuddled together in front of the TV, but paid little attention to what was playing on the screen.
"I can't believe she thought she could get me back." Eddie sighed. "I'm sure my parents would find excuses for what she did."
"Do they often talk to you about her ?" Buck asked, turning off the TV.
The two men switched positions and sat facing each other, one leg bent on the couch.
"My mom, especially. For her, Ana is perfect for me, and she hopes that I come to my senses and leave you to go back to her."
"But you won't, will you ?"
The doubt Eddie could read in Buck's eyes broke his heart.
"Of course not." He cupped his cheek and kissed him. "Stop doubting, mi amor, it's only you who counts. You and Christopher."
"He will always be my priority, as much as you." Buck breathed. "I love you, Diaz !"
"I love you too, Buckley !"
…
A month passed, and the judgment of Ana Flores took place in just one week. She received a suspended sentence, as well as community service and full reimbursement for repairs to Buck's jeep. The Vice Principal had looked for Eddie in the courtroom, but he and Buck had decided not to go there, they were done with her and if she wanted to talk to him, their lawyers as well as a very tough Sergeant would tell her clearly to forget this idea.
The distancing measure did not stop Ana, who had taken advantage of her newfound freedom to follow Eddie who was going to pick up Christopher at school.
"Are you kidding me ?" he snapped when she came to meet him as he got out of his car. "You have no right to come near me !"
He took out his phone.
"Edmundo please…"
"Go to hell, Ana !"
He called Athena, who arrived at school but Ana had already left.
Eddie's parents and sisters came to Los Angeles for a few days, and while Buck entertained Christopher and his cousins in the garden, the discussion was quite heated in the living room.
"Are you serious, she called you to complain ?" Eddie couldn't believe it. He looked at his sisters. "I hope you are not concerned."
"Oh no !" Adriana said.
"Ana tried to get us on her side when you broke up with her, but I told her to fuck off." Sophia said.
"How can you say such a thing, Sophia ?" said Helena. "Can't you see your brother is making a big mistake ?"
"Oh because following me, harassing me for months because she can't accept a breakup, and smashing my boyfriend's car, that's not a mistake, is it ?" snapped Eddie. "Papi, you don't seriously think like mom, do you ?"
"Well, she made mistakes but, Christopher needs stability and…"
"Ana never wanted to raise Christopher !" Eddie stormed. "If it had worked out for her and me, she would have made sure to send him to you in Texas so as not to be bothered with the disabled child of a dead woman."
Adriana and Sophia swore in Spanish that shocked many, Eddie included. He had never heard his sisters swear like that.
"But you don't care, I see." Eddie said, not seeing any bewilderment on his parents' faces. "Actually, that would have been fine for you, huh ? All you want is to get your hands on Christopher, you don't give a fuck about me or what I want."
"Watch your language !" his mother snapped.
"No, I'm not going to sit here and listen to you tell me how stupid I am to stay with Buck, when the person you think is perfect for me is just a jealous, homophobic madwoman who wanted to get rid of my son and my best friend for having me all to herself." Eddie replied. "I love Buck, and I'm going to spend my life with him, and if you don't like it then you and I have nothing more to say to each other !"
He fetched Buck and Christopher from the garden, greeted all his nephews and nieces, and took his two men to the beach. The weather was magnificent. Christopher was building sand castles just a yard away from them, and Eddie and Buck watched him, sitting on large towels.
"Are you okay ?" Buck asked.
"Yeah, I'm not even surprised anymore when it comes to my parents." He told him about the heated discussion they had had while Buck and the children were in the garden. "But I don't need them." He looked at Buck. "I only need you."
He straightened up to take something he had slipped into the back pocket of his jeans. He knelt before Buck, and presented before him a silver ring edged in black on the edges.
"Eddie…" Buck gasped.
"I'm sick of waiting, I want to spend the rest of my life with you, Evan Buckley. Will you marry me ?"
"About time." Buck said, a tear rolling down his cheek. "Yes, Eddie, I'll marry you whenever you want."
Eddie slipped the ring on his fiancé's finger, then kissed him.
"Dad !"
They pulled apart to see Christopher coming towards them, a bright smile on his face. He had witnessed the whole scene. The young boy let himself fall gently into his dads arms, chuckling.
They had been frank with him after Eddie had confronted Ana, and they had explained everything to him. Christopher knew that Ana should not come near him or their family. He understood. That evening, after the marriage proposal on the beach, Eddie told his son what had happened with his grandparents at Abuela's house.
"No, I don't want to go with them !" the boy immediately exclaimed.
"It will never happen." Eddie reassured him. "Buck and I will always be here for you, and we will never let anyone take you away from us."
One year later !
She had regained her position as Vice-Principal, on the sole condition that she demonstrate irreproachable behavior and that she no longer do anything wrong. A whole year had passed, and Ana was still thinking of her dear Edmundo. Turning the page was difficult for her. If she couldn't approach him, she could spy on him through the social media of this asshole who had brainwashed him. She had created a fake profile on Instagram and received an alert each time Evan Buckley posted a new photo. She had almost turned a blind eye when he posted a photo of their engagement, then of their wedding. Even Eddie's parents could do nothing to prevent this catastrophe. And today, while working at her desk, she received a notification. She picked up her phone, opened Instagram and clicked on the notification. No, no, no… that couldn't happen.
The photo showed a tiny newborn's hand clasping one man's finger, while the newborn was in another's arms. In the description, it was noted :
Welcome to our princess, Cora Maddie Buckley-Diaz !
She could never get him back. She had to make up her mind, although it angered her to have lost the one man she was ready for anything for, but she didn't want to go back to jail, not even for a day, so she turned off the notifications and deleted her fake profile.
She had to turn the page, she had no choice !
THE END !