𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙛𝙪𝙡 𝙢𝙚𝙨𝙨. Evan Buckley ¹

thirty six - season three

BEAUTIFUL MESS.
chapter thirty six.
       season three.

"ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?"

"Look, I just thought it was pain in my leg-"

"Well, right now, you're a big ole pain in everyone's ass," Hunter groaned with a pointed look.

"She's right," the eldest Diaz said, pointing over the to the girl, "you should have told us the second you thought something wasn't right."

Imagine the surprise as the 118 watched their favorite blond man cough up blood and pass out at their Captains house. At his welcome back party of all places. Buck had felt bad, all his friends and family had watched him in a moment that was not a small health hiccup.

The 118 had been notified by Maddie that Buck would be okay, then right before she left she made sure to task Eddie and Hunter with taking care of the boy.

"I— I just," buck shook his head as he tried to find his thoughts, "you guys know how much coming back means to me. If I can't work... then what am I doing?"

"Healing?" Hunter sarcastically asked as she glared at the boy, "and you know that was my welcome back party too-"

"I'm sorry," Hunter had been back on the job for less than two weeks but the party just worked better if thrown for the both of them.

"And Buckley? There's more to you than being a firefighter. You have a hell of a lot of people who depend on you," Hunter said, giving him a soft but pointed look.

"You're not doing anyone any good by pushing yourself too far, you need to be healthy."

By the end of the hour, Hunter and Eddie found themselves walking out of Buck's hospital room. The two shared a look before sighing. They knew buck didn't have much in his life. He woke up everyday and all he wanted was to save people, to help them.

What was even more of a surprise was the next night when Hunter answered the knock at her door only to be greeted with Buck. Hunter let out a groan as she rubbed her eyes before stepping to the side and letting him in.

"I quit."

"You what?" Hunter asked, eyes widening. She was already asleep for the night. The words that came out of his mouth surprised her more than she could comprehend.

"Yeah, I, uh quit," buck said as he sat on the couch, "Bobby wanted to put me on light duty- I— I can't do light duty."

"Oh, Buck," Hunter sighed as she sat down next to the man, "it wasn't going to be permanent-"

"So you're on his side?" He asked accusingly as he stood up and looked down at her.

Hunter groaned as she sat back on the couch, "No, Buck, sit back down and let me talk."

The blond man nodded as he sat back down, he wouldn't admit it but the Callahan woman did scare him. Especially when she used that voice.

"Now, I'll say this once, don't you raise your voice at me again. Second, I believe in the fact you will be back at the 118 like nothing ever happening. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow. You have to take the assignment Bobby gives you— quitting doesn't solve anything."

"But, Hunter, you don't understand. All I have is being able to help people. Saving lives in the first thing I've found that calls to me," buck put his head in his hands as he closed his eyes before softly continuing, "Im the man I am today because of that firehouse. I'm nobody without it."

"You'll never be nobody," Hunter said quietly as he wrapped her arms around his forearm and laid her head on his shoulder. She let her fingers lightly ghost over his tattoo in a way that raised goosebumps on his arms, "there's so much more to you than being a firefighter-"

"Says the firefighter," he said sarcastically with a shake of his head.

"You fight for your job, and you fight hard. But don't you dare try and come back before your ready," Hunter told him without lifting her head, "you will always have a spot on the 118 and Bobby knows it."

"How did you— when you were shot-"

Hunter sighed, she already knew where his question was going, "well, the titanium hip held me up in bed. Then after that the pain killers and liquor did. I got to fighting and shooting more than I shoulda been— wait, please do not take me as an example in what to do."

The Buckley boy let out a chuckle, "No, when you knew you couldn't go back— did you fight it"

"Well at first I did. But I knew I couldn't go back, the only reason I wanted to was so I could..." Hunter shook her head as she trailed off, not daring to say the words.

"So you could what?"

"I wanted to die a warriors death, on the battle field," Hunter contemplated on saying the next part or not but did eventually, "I thought that way I'd be able to see Lane again."

Before buck could say anything Hunter continued again, "then I realized I wasn't fit to go back. I came to terms with it and I couldn't be happier. The 118 was better than I coulda asked for."

"But what if there is nothing else for me?"

"There always is Buck," Hunter tried to assure him, "don't count the firehouse out yet."

Buck nodded his head, if he wanted to say more he never bothered with it. He gently laid his head down on Hunter's that was still resting on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry for yelling," he said suddenly, "I'm just pissed-"

"It's okay," Hunter cut him off before laughing slightly, "just don't let it happen again Buckley."

"I promise I won't, Callahan," he joked back, "can I stay here tonight?"

Hunter let a smile creep onto her face at his sheepish question, "of course, but for once can you please leave me some room?"

Buck scoffed, "don't act like you don't like me being on top of you-"

"You're pretty smug for a boy I could kill in his sleep."

"Hey, you wouldn't," he challenged before turning more concerned, "Right?"

Hunter just laughed as she stood and walked back to her bedroom, the boy following in suit. It seemed this was now happened often enough that neither felt uncomfortable by the idea of the other staying over. Buck liked to think it reflected highly in regards to who he had become, he was able to stay over at a girl's and not have sex. While it might not have seemed like a lot, it was to Buck. And it spoke volumes to Hunter too, that he wouldn't push her past how she felt. She admired that about him.