Chapter Text
The scene was already full of sirens. The blue blaring lights fading into a blur as the 118 pull up to the scene, the silence thick in the air with the tension and grief of losing Bobby. Everyone is mad at one another, everyone blames one another and the only thing lifting their spirits is Eddie coming back to the job.
Well it lifts Buck’s spirits.
“118, listen up. Ravi, Buck I need you to go inside and find any remaining victims.” Chimney yells, voice strong and confident as it slices through the air. Ravi and Buck nod at each other as they enter the abandoned asylum no longer in flames.
The building structure, piled high, was set on fire by what the victim said to dispatch, Maddie, was lit up by teenagers and he simply ran in to find any remaining people inside. Weirdly enough, there are no teenagers in sight.
“Athena,” Chimney starts as Eddie and Hen keep close behind him. “Where are my patients?”
“The truth is Captain, I’m not sure.” Athena frowns. “Dispatch said this man was adamant there were people inside, that’s why he ran in. I reckon they ran off, knew better and knew they would be caught.” Athena spits out the words as she shakes her head. Calling someone who isn’t her husband Captain makes the grief rattle through her even more.
Meanwhile inside, Buck and Ravi make their ways through the halls of this maze, the smoke from the fire put out, filling the air making them choke even through their masks.
“LAFD, call out if you can hear us!” Buck yells, his voice echoing as Ravi yells the same thing over and over.
“Buck, here” Ravi calls Buck over as they come to a halt at a big room which looks like the psychiatric ward. Beds lined up against the walls, however it looks like the fire hasn’t spread this far just leaving an eerie feel to the room and its abandoned look.
Inside, there’s a man laying on the floor with blood trickling down his right arm from what they can see. “Sir, LAFD we are here to help.” Buck says, stepping in front of Ravi further into the room.
“Don’t move.” The man suddenly yells, getting up and holding a gun up, aimed right at Buck.
Chimney, Hen and Eddie still stand outside, talking with Athena as the four of them try to figure out where their teenagers have gone and whether they are hurt.
“I’ll try to find those kids. Hang tight.” Athena says, they all nod as she walks away to talk to the back up that just arrived.
“And dispatch didn’t specify whether they were hurt?” Eddie asks the question even though he already knows the answer to it. Chimney sighs and shakes his head, staring back at the building.
“Where are they?” Hen furrows her brows as she watches Chimney’s face set into a frown.
Chim shakes his head, gripping onto his radio and clicking onto the call button.
“Ravi, Buck. Talk to me, what’s going on in there?” Chimney asks and there’s a long silence before the radio crackles back into connection.
A voice the three don’t recognize speaks up. “I want the whole 118 here. Now. If any police get involved, if anyone else except Howard Han, Henrietta Wilson and Eddie Diaz comes up here. I will kill them both.” The voice fades as quickly as it speaks, and the three look at each other.
Everyone is too far away to have heard it, to have heard the threat, the threatening voice that mocked them all. Eddie’s brain runs, his best friend is up there, someone he loves more than he should, is up there in the hands of someone no one knows.
There’s a silence between the three of them for a few beats, no one saying a word until Chimney nods. “We say they need backup, we go in and get them out no matter what.” Chimney whispers, no one close enough to hear anyway.
Eddie and Hen share a look and both nod, the three of them walking past Athena and another police officer.
“The man inside is badly injured. We are heading inside,” Chimney says, his voice too calm for the situation that is unraveling. “If the teenagers show up, call for backup.” He explains, and Athena hesitates for a second.
“Do you need any help? Is it that serious?” Athena asks.
“No, we should be fine. Just a precaution to make sure we can get him safe and secured before we move him.” Hen smiles, her smile wavering slightly, but nothing so bad that Athena would notice.
“We move slowly.” Chimney whispers as they walk up the stairs, their footsteps sitting heavy.
Truth be told, they don’t know where they are going and just walk, the weight of everything on their shoulders. Chim can’t help thinking, what would Bobby do? How would Bobby save them all?
Chimney lags behind them slightly, pulling his phone out and texting Maddie “I love you.” Nothing else. Nothing more needs to be said.
“Cap, here.” Eddie whispers, a 118 bag dropped on the ground as they head towards the open door that is being held open by a tray of old medical supplies and inside they see Buck and Ravi pressed against the wall with their hands up, the back of the man holding the gun facing the rest of the team.
Eddie makes eye contact with Buck’s blue eyes, before flicking his eyes over to Ravi, whose hands are shaking as if an earthquake was beneath them, but Buck’s hands are still, too still.
It’s almost as if the man could sense their presence because as soon as they step closer to the door he turns around to face them, pointing the gun between the 3 of them.
“Ahh, finally. Sit down, over there, all of you on the ground.” The man says, voice calm and steady which contrasts with the thick tension intoxicating the room, they move further into the room slowly as the man keeps the gun drawn on one of them at all times. He shuts the door, the metal clanging as he shoves the tool tray away.
Hen sits down first leaning against one of the bed frames, Ravi next to her, Chim at the head, then Eddie and Buck sit next to each other. Buck is pressing his body as close to his best friend as he can, feeling his warmth grounds him. Eddie feeling Buck’s body keeps him in check he is in fact alive and okay.
“Who are you? What are you doing?” Hen pipes up, her voice wavering through the confidence she paints.
“Me? Well we’ll find out about that later, after we find out about you all.” He smirks, his dark eyes glinting in the light as he takes a step towards them and points the gun at Hen. “Why don’t you take the spotlight first, Henrietta Wilson. You seem to have your perfect life put together hmm? Stand up!” The man suddenly yells and Hen looks at Chimney before following the man's orders.
He drags a chair from the side of the room, the metal rusted and worn, the top not looking any better. “Sit.” He demands, which she does. The old chair creeks from age as Hen carefully positions herself on the chair.
“Now, Hen. Why don’t you tell us your deepest, darkest secret. How have you sinned?” He asks, a drop of poison in his voice.
Hen thinks, really thinks who this man is and what he wants, why does he want to know? Why does he need to know?
“Cheating on my wife,” she admits. “With my ex wife, it was unforgivable and still until this day, even after I was forgiven I carry guilt and regret.”
The man hums, hums in approval and shrugs. “That was easy. Poor Karen must have really broken her heart. Does Denny know this happened? Does Denny know about the girl who was hit and killed by you?” Her blood ran cold when she heard their names.
“Why are you doing this?” She whispers.
“Because I can.” He replies. “Feel free to ask me a question, since you were pretty easy.”
“What’s your name? Who are you?”
"Well, I said one question so I’ll answer the first one. Rupert Griffin, although people just call me Griffin.” He explains the smugness shown through his voice. “Anyway, enough about me. You can go and stand over there.” He, Griffin, says as he points to the corner of the room. “Any funny business and I'll shoot your friends, okay?” He yells and Hen nods as she walks to where he said.
Griffin points his gun at Ravi, nodding towards where Hen is standing, her fists clenched down by her sides. “You, go stand with her. You are clear, unimportant to me.” He watches Ravi stand and move slowly towards Hen as she keeps her body extremely still. “Now then, you're new captain.” He smirks as he directs Chim to the chair, his jaw clenched so tight it looks like it could break.
“Wow cap, where do you even start for the long list of times you have messed up,” Griffin laughs, like actually laughing as if this is all some joke. Eddie hears Buck breathe out and back in, counting every breath.
Chim shakes his head. “I know I’ve messed up but why are you doing this?” Chim pleads, looking up at Griffin. “Just let them go, if it’s me you want.”
“Oh Howard, the person I want isn’t here. But I know this would hurt them more.” Griffin threatens. Who could it be? Chim wonders, thoughts springing into his mind. “Confess Howard, confess to the things never said out loud.”
“Well, my wife leaving and I didn’t know how to help her,” Chim sighs, avoiding eye contact with Buck. “Not being able to save those people from Jonah, risking Hen’s life. Kevin.” He whispers when he says his dear friend, his brother's name.
“Oh, Howard, Howard, Howard. How you’ve screwed up, I guess all captain’s are fuck up’s.” Griffin scoffs, pacing around the room. “You know, you can mess up all you want and no one would bat an eyelash because of who you are? Who the badge and uniform make you?”
“Is this about our job?” Eddie finally speaks up for the first time, the first time they’ve been in that room and Buck snaps his head towards him.
“No Diaz,” Griffin shakes his head. “It’s about the job you failed to do. Now it’s getting interesting.” He grabs Chim and shoves him towards the other pair, as he crashes into Ravi and Hen grabs them both before they can fall.
Eddie is standing up before the gun is even drawn at him, brushing off his legs as he goes to sit on the same chair. He mouths the words ‘It’s gonna be okay’ to Buck before taking the spotlight.
“If we were to list all of your sins Edmundo, we may never even leave,” Griffin starts, already twisting the knife. “First, your son? Catching you with someone who looked exactly like your dead wife. The dead wife you couldn’t save.” The words cut deep, everyone flinching at his words. “But that isn’t your biggest sin, is it? Not now, not the sin you carry everyday.”
No one can piece together exactly what he’s talking about, no one except Eddie himself.
“Admit, Eddie, these may be your last moments.” Griffin teases, his facing getting inches away from Eddie’s.
Eddie shakes his head. “I don’t know what you want me to say.” He snaps and Griffin scoffs, using the gun to hit Eddie across the face, blood now trickling from his cheek.
“You know what, you know Edmundo.” Griffin whispers so close that Eddie can see every pore on his worthless face.
“I love someone, more than I should.” He says making eye contact with Buck, Griffin laughs finally moving away from him, Eddie starts staring at the ground. “And I can’t tell them because then it’s real. Then I have to admit it to everyone and I know my parents disapprove.”
Griffin smiles, turning to Buck. “Get up.” He yells and Eddie snaps his head up as Griffin presses the gun against the side of Buck’s head. Buck staring into Eddie’s eyes, frowning but the slightest glint in his eyes still appears, the happiness and joy that makes Buck, Buck.
“Tell him, Eddie. Tell him.” Griffin whispers, pressing the gun so hard it makes Buck wince. Eddie hesitates, not being able to physically get the words out as he tries to stutter them out, the gun clicks. “Too late.” He shrugs, pulling the trigger and Buck closes his eyes accepting his fate
Before Eddie is yelling. “It’s you! It’s you Buck.” Eddie confesses, the words already gone before he can catch them.
The bang everyone thought was going to come, the bang that was meant to come never did. The only sound filling the air is Griffin’s laughing as tears threaten to fall on the three members standing at the back. As tears fell from Eddie’s eyes but Buck didn’t fall, he stayed standing.
“It’s a fake gun?” Hen yells.
“Obviously, surprised you hadn’t clocked it yet.” He smirks, throwing the fake gun down on the floor.
Griffin shoves Buck backwards which makes him sit on the bed, Griffin stroking his face before looking at the other 4 people and narrowing his eyes at them. “Now you, Evan Buckley.” Griffin smiles down at Buck. “You’ve sinned, a lot.”
“Where do I even start?” Buck says slowly, looking at Eddie still processing his confession. “First of all, my biggest weakness is when I act without thinking.” Buck starts, earning an immediate reaction from Griffin.
“That’s not what I-”
“Let me finish, I chased after a dog and nearly got myself killed for one. Well that’s not the only time I have nearly gotten myself killed, I guess I’ve tried always to be the savior.” Buck laughs under his breath, cold but calm. “I didn’t tell my sister’s husband why she left.”
“Yes, those are,” Griffin pauses, for the first time he is speechless and he is not in control anymore. “Bobby, talk to me about Bobby.”
Buck frowns, he hasn’t been able to bring himself to talk about Bobby to anyone at all really. He can’t tell anyone how guilty he feels every single day he wasn’t able to save him, because everyone will just tell him it isn’t his fault.
“I mean, yeah I feel guilty. Every day I feel so guilty.” Buck shrugs, earning a frown from Eddie, wondering why Buck is so calm.
“What about Daniel?” Griffin has hit the nail on the head, the final point that makes Buck go silent. “You were born to replace him. You failed at that too.”
Silence.
Buck looks down before replying. “I know. I’d give anything for him to be alive instead of me.” He admits. Everyone looks away from Buck, the whole confession weighing down on everyone’s shoulders, Eddie wishes he noticed, he paid more attention.
Suddenly, the silence fills with the sound of their radio’s coming into sound. “Chim, talk to me. What’s going on up there?” Athena’s voice fills the silence in the room as they all look around at each other.
“You 4, I want you to go outside and tell Athena Grant and only Athena Grant I have a hostage situation,” Griffin starts. “And I need 10 minutes, 10 minutes and then I will come out, hands in the air and no one has to be hurt anymore. If it’s before, I will kill him.” He turns to Buck, shoving his hand on Buck’s neck.
“Why him?” Eddie says, his voice almost pleading.
“Because, he is my revenge.”
Buck speaks up. “Just go guys. Please.” His voice cracks at the edges as they stare at him before cowering out of the room, hesitating at first but Eddie stays put in the same seat.
“Please, not him.” Eddie says, a hint of anger in his voice. “I-”
“Eddie, please just go. Chris needs you.”
“And I need you.” Eddie says, Ravi hovering in the door frame.
Buck doesn’t even know what to say, but when Griffin tightens his once rested hand against Buck’s neck. That’s when Eddie stands.
“If anything happens to him, I swear to god.” Eddie snaps, pointing at Buck before he mouths the words ‘I love you’ to him, leaving with Ravi, alongside Chim and Hen who are halfway down the stairs.
As soon as they make it outside, Athena is grabbing Eddie by the arm. “Where’s Buck? Where's the patient?” She asks, keeping a professional tone, even with the 118.
“I-” Eddie can’t speak, can’t say what happened because everything felt like it was moving in slow motion, instead between Ravi, Chim and Hen they explain what happens. Eddie not taking his eyes off of the old building even once.
“Okay.” Athena says slowly, as if she’s trying to process all the information. “We don’t know if he is still armed, Eddie. I need you waiting around the back and I will post officers in that direction. Hen, Ravi I need you round either side of the building and Chim I need you here with me. We wait no longer than 10 minutes” She orders as everyone nods.
She grabs Eddie’s arm before he can walk away. “We are getting him out of there.” Athena nods, Eddie copying her before running around to the back, being sure he never takes his eyes off of the window he knows they are in, even though he can’t see inside.
Meanwhile inside, Griffin sighs, a deep long sigh before sitting down next to Buck, his knee pressing against his own. “Why are you doing this?” Buck whispers, looking anyway but near the man next to him.
“16th of April 2019 is the day my son, James, died. A bridge collapsed with me and James in the car, it was a pileup really and I was easy to get out of the car but James, he wasn’t so easy. He was crushed by a part of the bridge that had come down on the roof which had pinned another car down next to us.” There’s a pause, just for a beat.
“It was Bobby Nash that explained to us that it was between James and the woman in the other car, that there were slim chances of both surviving based on the piece of structure.”
“They were the same age, both 19 they had their whole lives ahead of them but it was Bobby that decided to save her because she was pregnant.” Griffin blurts out, Buck just nods at certain intervals as he takes in everything being said to him.
“It was his job to make that choice, or both of them could have died.” Buck finally speaks up, watching Griffin’s face turn dark.
Griffin stands up, waving his arms around gesturally as he speaks again. “He chose her. He chose her baby and he walked away from mine.” His voice cracks as he cries and Buck stands up slowly, making no sudden movements.
“Then why…why are you punishing us for Bobby’s mistakes.” Buck murmurs, voice quiet but loud enough to hear.
Griffin scoffs. “Because you are his closest links, you may not remember us but you were at the scene.” Of course, Buck links the dots and finally remembers the day, not well but just enough.
“Nothing will bring James back, you are angry, Griffin.” Buck says, his tone shifting to a softer and more sympathetic tone. “And you are angry with the woman. But it’s no one’s fault. And I am sorry.”
“No you're not.” Griffin shakes his head as he takes slow paces towards Buck. “Before James died, before Bobby even made the choice he pointed at you, he told me he understood what it’s like to have a son because he had you, he said he couldn’t imagine anything happening to you." A beat goes by. "So this is my revenge Buck.”
Buck can barely process what is said to him before he can feel a cold metal, then a sharp stabbing pain in his abdomen and when he looks down he can see the pocket knife plummeting into his stomach.
Eddie whispers, still staring at the building. “Where are you Buck?”
Griffin takes the knife out and Buck dodges him before elbowing him in the face, holding his stomach as blood trickles whilst he tries to limp towards the door before the other man grabs his jacket aggressively, fingers curling around the neck of the jacket.
“Standby.” Athena radios, her voice echoing through each person's radio.
Buck is thrown against a wall, causing the pain in his stomach to throb even more before Griffin stabs Buck with the knife, in and out three times as Buck yells out in pain, blood dripping between his fingers as he uses all of his strength to shove Griffin back.
“2 minutes, then we are breaking this son of a bitch down.” Athena whispers to Chim and he nods in agreement.
“This is my revenge on you, Bobby.” Griffin smiles, actually smiles as he plummets the knife one last time into Buck’s stomach. “You took my son away, I’ll take yours away.”
“30 seconds guys.” Athena radios yet again.
“Please don’t do this, don’t kill me.” Buck pleads, blood filling his mouth, staining his usually bright smile. “James wouldn’t want this.” He says and that makes Griffin crack ever so slightly, the smallest amount.
“10…” The countdown to the end starts.
“James…he would” Griffin starts and stops.
“9…”
“No,” Buck can’t even speak anymore, the pain unbearable.
“8…”
“Weren’t you so set on dying Buckley?” Griffin questions, holding the knife up again between them.
“7…”
“No, I’m terrified of dying. I died once, never again.” Buck admits.
“6…”
Griffin looks away and Buck takes that as his chance, kicking him back and bending over, gripping so hard onto his side.
“5…”
“Goodbye Evan.”
“4…”
Buck nearly falls over from the pain but begs himself to stay strong, for Maddie.
“3…”
For Ravi, Chim Hen.
“2…”
For Eddie. For Chris.
“1…”
For Bobby.
Buck tastes the fresh air as he exits the first door closest to him, seeing Eddie in the distance as he runs as fast as he can to him, adrenaline numbing the pain.
“Hold.” Someone shouts, an officer's voice nearby maybe.
“Eddie.” Eddie can barely process his name before a weight is crashing into him, Buck wraps his arms around the other man’s shoulders, clinging onto him as Eddie holds Buck up from his under arms.
“God, I was so scared.” Eddie breathes out, pressing his hand against the back of Buck’s head to press it against his shoulder.
Buck starts automatically sobbing. “Me too.”
Eddie feels a warmth against his stomach, a wet warmth that isn’t natural and so he pulls away from Buck as he presses his hand against Buck’s stomach seeing thick red before Buck begins to fall to the ground.
Eddie supports him to the ground, his voice slicing through the air. “Help!” He yells. “118, I need help.”
Eddie can barely process everything before there’s an explosion from the room they were all just in, glass shattering as he folds over Buck’s body to protect him. Police move to go inside as Eddie rips Buck’s shirt off with all the might he has, deep red wounds covering his stomach and abdomen.
“Hen, Chim!” Eddie yells just as they run towards him, med kits in hand as they kneel down next to them both.
Buck reaches up and grasps Eddie’s hand with the little power he has as Chim and Hen start working to stop the bleeding. “I love you too.” Buck whispers before his body goes still, slipping from Eddie’s.
“We’re losing him.” Hen says Eddie's pressing his fingers against Buck’s neck and when he feels nothing he’s immediately pressing his hands down hard on his chest. Like he’s done before.
Eddie counts out loud under his breath. “1…2…3.”
“The bleeding won’t stop, he’s losing blood.” Chim says as he keeps switching the gauze.
Ravi comes running towards them with the AED, and they attach the pads to Buck’s chest and the monitor reads “Do not shock.” Which makes Eddie immediately go back to CPR.
Eddie tilts Buck’s head back, and pinches his nose as he breathes into his mouth. Unprofessional at the best but Eddie doesn’t care right now. Hen presses her fingers to Buck’s neck and shakes her head, forcing Eddie to go back to compressions.
“Come on Buck.” Eddie begs, out of breath but desperate.
Buck’s blood is on Eddie’s hands and if he doesn’t survive it quite literally will be too, he keeps counting, the cold air brushing through his hair that has fallen from its usual pushed back way too messy in his face.
Eddie stops as Hen checks his pulse again.
“Nothing.” She shakes her head again and Eddie continues, stopping only to breathe into Buck’s mouth again, his lips cold against his as he breathes for him.
“Please, you can’t leave me Buck.”
~~~
Next Chapter:
“Buck, Buck!” Someone shakes Buck awake, the lights are bright as he wakes up unaware of where he is.
“Bobby?”