I Need Them

The Statement

“You actually confessed?” Eddie asks, as Buck stands up to put his hands on Eddie’s shoulders.

Buck focuses on making Eddie look at him, as he says, “I swore to them you had nothing to do with it.”

Eddie can’t stop shaking his head, unable to make any sense of it, “Buck, why would you do that?”

But Buck has to make him understand, “I had to tell them about the gun. But all they know is you took it, and brought it back to the pawn shop you stole it from.”

Eddie can’t even think about that right now, “Buck, you can’t do this. I’m not letting you do this.”

Buck’s just as stubborn, “What I can’t do is let everyone else take the fall for my mistakes. You all paid the price for what I did. Since I started at the 118, all of you have worked so hard to assure me you will always be there in a way mine and Maddie’s parents never were, and that we’d never have to worry about splitting up. That’s how it’s always been, and Eddie, right now, I have to do this for my own peace of mind. I can’t keep letting people bail me out.”

Buck reaches up to grip a hand on Eddie’s neck, “Tell me you understand.”

“Got the report on the gun.” Athena tells hastings, as she looks it over. “It’s not a perfect match for the bullet we tested.”

“Not yet.” Hastings notes.

“There’s a good chance Eddie’s father did something to the gun.” Athena theorizes. “Right before we confiscated it.”

Then something clicks, “When I saw the initial report, it linked this bullet to a very rare model, one Eddie once mentioned to me about previously being given as a gift from his father. Looks like the lab’s going to need to keep testing.”

“You really think Ramon did something to his own family’s gun?” Hastings asks.

“He definitely knew we’d come for him once we knew he bought it from the pawn shop.” Athena informs Hastings. 

“That would mean he knows Mr. Buckley killed Mackey.”

Athena asks, surprised, “Do we?”

“We have the recorded confession on tape.” Hastings reminds her.

Athena nods, “You’re right. We do.”

Eddie pushes himself away from Buck, mind made up, “I’m talking to Athena.”

But Buck can’t let him do that, pulling him away from the door as he says, “No, absolutely not. They already know everything.”, then has to tell Eddie,

“In the morning, they’re going to arrest me, and this whole thing will finally be over for good. For all of us.”

“No it’s not!” Eddie insists. “This is going to just be the start.”

Buck flinches, and Eddie just uses that to plead, “How exactly am I supposed to do this without you, huh? Can you explain that to me? Because that’s exactly how I’m going to have to explain it to Chris, when I tell him his Papa, his Bucky, isn’t coming home.”