Save Me (An Eddie Diaz 911 Fanfiction)

Buck, Actually

"Yeah, that sounds awful," Chimney agreed sarcastically.

"I just...I don't want to be that guy again."

"So don't be," the older man responded simply.

"What can I get for you?" the waitress asked.

"Two IPAs and a hard cider please," Buck ordered their usuals for them.

"And a glass of chardonnay," Chimney interrupted, staring down at his phone once again.

"And two shots of Darth Jaeger," Jane chimed. The pair turned their eyes to the woman in shock, finally noticing how on edge she was.

"What?" she asked defensively. "Norman mentioned it on the highway with Lola and I thought it sounded good. They have good taste in movies, and I thought they might have good taste in drinks."

Lola was a woman they'd encountered today who had, had a mental breakdown over her relationship with her husband, Norman. She'd taken a gun and went onto a highway sign in a bathrobe with nothing underneath. In the course of getting her down, she'd shot at them, deflating the rescue cushion and then turning the gun onto Buck. Thankfully, between Buck, Norman, and Athena, Lola was talked down and came into custody safely. All Norman had to do was profess his love while playing "In Your Eyes" from the movie Say Anything, one of Jane's favorites. In the course of his profession, he'd also mentioned numerous shots of jeager. Overall, it had a good ending, but they were lucky. It was just another sad example to Jane about how women were at the emotional mercy of men.

"Besides," she mumbled when they continued to stare at her saying nothing, "you know I hate energy drinks."

She knew they weren't looking at her for ordering the apple cider, but for the jaeger.

The mood at the table was admittedly tilted. On one hand, Chimney was still buried in his phone while he kept stealing looks up at Jane's tense expression. Buck, however, just stared at her as if wondering what had happened to the person who he had thought he knew rather well. A person who, before this moment, he would not have associated with drinking shots. Not because she couldn't, but because she'd mentioned once how she didn't trust people to watch her when she drank. He was glad that she trusted them, but Jane just wasn't a drinker and he couldn't help but be a bit worried about her change in tune.

"Alright," Buck said drawing out the word. "We'll talk about that in a second, but I gotta ask," he turned to Chimney. "Who's the wine for?"

"Maddie. She was parking."

Jane wanted to give up on her drinks and go home at that news. She loved that Maddie and Chimney had a best friendship/almost relationship going on, but she didn't want to be fourth wheeling them with Buck while he was on his second? Third? Identity crisis. She had her own issues, and she couldn't even talk about them with people because they either worked with Eddie or they were friends with Eddie or both and she felt like she was going to go insane!

"Uh," Buck stuttered, "you invited my sister?"

"Hi. Sorry I'm late," Maddie appeared then, smiling and waving as she came over to their table to sit down next to Chimney. 

Jane just wanted to drink and go. Or go without drinks and pig out on her couch with Felix. Or simply cease to exist, whichever came first. But she did love Maddie though and Jane wasn't about to act like her mood was Maddie's fault so she smiled and waved back. 

"I don't know why I get on the freeway," the older woman chuckled at herself. "I always regret it."

"Because you are an eternal optimist, that's why," Chimney responded knowingly.