Taking Back Control Of My Lfe

LA - Part III

"This is not what I had expected my first shift back from Seattle to go," Buck sighed as he sat on the other side of Sargeant Grant's desk office.

"I've heard from CPD that you tend to get involve in various... situations," Athena chuckled. "But you lasted ten months here before having to make a trip into my office, better than you did in Chicago."

"I swear to you, I have no idea how I get myself involve with this type of situations," Buck almost pleaded.

"Lieutenant Voight said that it is not that trouble loves you, but that you are placed in situations where you are needed... where you can do your best and help the most people you can," Athena shared with him.

"H-he said that?" Buck asked, feeling quite emotional.

"He did," Athena assured him kindly.

Suddenly the doors of the office were slammed open and a young couple entered. Athena and Buck stood up at the conmotion.

"You! Are you the firefighter that found them? My little girls?" The red-head woman asked him with tears in her eyes.

Let's rewind time to earlier this week. Buck had just come from his last trip of the year, compared to Portland and Las Vegas, Seattle was not Buck's favorite city in the west coast. But he still enjoyed the small vacation, his love for traveling not disminishing over the years. If anything his hunger for travel has grown.

His first shift back was something that had Buck anxious. Chimney was finally back with the 118. After waking up from his surgery a few months back, he cursed Buck's existance and blamed him for everything. His failing relationship, his issues in the 118, his precarious position with the Fire Department, and even his accident.

Seeing that this belief, even after probation, was mantained. He was taken from the 118 and placed into another Fire House. Chimney was furious, even tried to barge into Buck's house and confront the lieutenant. It was only Hen giving him an ultimatum that worked. If he did not change his atittude she will stop being his friend.

So, Chimney, stunned beyond belief, took the warning seriously. He kept on his therapy and his anger management program. He worked hard and earned his way back to the 118.

Buck knows that some might consider him timing his trip just in time for Chimney's return cowardly, but Buck honestly did not care. He baked Chimney a welcome-back cake and left.

However, it seems that Buck had nothing to worry about. Chimney was still this funny guy, with a dry humor, but this time he knows when he is crossing a line and apologizes. He also apologized to everyone back in the 118. Even Buck got one, when he got back from Seattle.

Chimney now worked seamlessly with Hen and if she gave him an order, he listens. He also listens to Buck now. So, when Buck ordered him to aid him to break into the shed of the house they had been called to check, because of a gas leakage, Chimney did as ordered.

When they found the missing twins that had been dominating the news. The daughters of this rich owner of an international chain store, whose father is the Senator of California... well, Chimney freaked, but followed Buck's orders.

They called dispatch and had them bring LAPD, who then arrested the couple that the 118 had just taken to the hospital. They then interviewed Buck and asked him how he had known to look in the shed. Buck then explained that he had seen the same sweaters the twins had in the picture of the day they had gone missing. One had the same paint stain on the bottom and both had the initials of the girls on the collar.

The following week the LAPD was all over the place after they discovered that this had not been a single kidnapping, but Buck had discovered the middle point of a trafficking ring.

To say that Buck's name was all over the news... was to underestimate the situation.

It was madness!

Back to the present, Buck was paralyzed, unable to answer. So, Athena took pity on him and answered for him. "He is."

"Thank you! Thank you so much!" The woman, Scarlet Waters, rushed to him and hugged him tightly, repeating 'Thank You' over and over again, against his chest.

"I hope there will be no problems between him and the police," the man turned to the sargeant, almost protectively. "He saved my daughters."

"That he broke into the shed of a private property is something he should have not have done, especially in middle of a shift," Athena said and raised her hand when the concerned parents looked ready to protests, silencing them. "However, he did aid the LAPD into finding your daughters, as such there will be no charges leveled against him."

"I believe that after saving my granddaughters and aiding the LAPD into uncovering a trafficking ring, he deserves much more than just that," now it was an older man in his late fifties who entered into the office. The Senator of California was in the office. I repeat the Senator of California was in the office. "I believe a promotion might be close for you."

"Lieutenant Buckley got promoted at the beginning of the year and is already on the fast track to becoming a captain," Sargeant Grant cut in before things start to get out of control.

"Then an Award of Merit," Senator Waters was unmoving about it.

"He deserves it," his son, Steven Waters, added.

"You won't hear a complain from me," Athena replied with a deadpan. "He deserves that award, he saved over half a dozen little girls, you granddaughter included. And the information we got with the dismantling of the ring will aid us into finding where the others are. Maybe not all, but many."

"Good," Senator Waters smiled slightly. "Then I'll contact the mayor and the Fire Department, and get things going."

"Oh! You need to come and have dinner with us!" Scarlet practically ordered the blond. "Helena and Juliette will love to see their hero again!"

After that, the Waters left, Buck continued to stay still. As if he was frozen to that spot on the ground. He felt as if a storm had passed and left destruction all over.

"What the hell did just happen?" Buck uttered in stunned.

"You just earned some very important contacts," Athena chuckled. "Oh, and an award. Congrats!"

"Fuck!" Buck cursed. "Why is it always me?"