Crash (A 9-1-1 Buddie Fic)

Chapter 2

“Gracias for the meal,” Eddie forced out, sparing his Tía a quick glance before heading to cut Christopher off before he could return.

He couldn’t even bring himself to look at his father as he passed him by, but he could hear the confusion clear in his voice. He heard his Tía admonishing his father in Spanish as he asked what he had done wrong, and Eddie tried to push it from his mind as he met with Chris in the hallway.

“Hey, Bud,” he said, smile tired and thin as he placed a gentle hand on Christopher’s shoulder, redirecting him toward the front door, “time for us to head out.”

“Did something happen?” Chris asked, brow pulling down in confusion.

“It’s nothing.” Eddie shook his head. “Hey, what do you say we grab some ice cream on the way back?”

“Can we get some for Buck too?”

“Sure, we can do that.”

-.-.-.-.-

Buck stared at his parents a moment before his mind caught up and he accepted a side hug from his mother as she passed him by and into Maddie’s house. Wide and questioning eyes sought out Maddie but the look on her face matched his confusion and she offered up subtle shrug as her mother brought her into an embrace.

“Mom? Dad?” Buck questioned, closing the door behind his father.

“We hope we’re not disturbing anything,” his mom said, as his father clapped him on the back, “but with Christmas right around the corner and after everything that’s happened, between Jee and the proposal, and the lightning… we really wanted to spend it as a family.”

“We did go to your apartment first,” his father added, “but they said we had the wrong place?”

“Err, yeah,” Buck answered, “I moved out.”

“Really?” His mother spun to him, her head tilted to the side. “It was such a nice place.”

Buck opened his mouth to say something further but found no words would form. His brain felt like it had stalled and all he could do was stare at the scene in front of him. At Chimney and Hen rounding the couch to greet his parents also, offering up their hands for shaking.

“Oh, don’t tell me,” his mom said as she looked to Hen. “It’s… Hen? Right?”

Hen nodded politely, smile on her lips. “It’s nice to see you, Mr and Mrs Buckley.”

“Oh please, call me Margaret. We’re all family here.”

“And Phillip, please,” his father added, shaking Hen’s hand and offering up a polite nod of his own.

Since Buck had found out of the truth behind his childhood and since his parents had been confronted by their behaviour, they truly had made an effort to improve. They made an effort to actually talk to both of their children and to listen to them to. They made an effort to be involved and present. They made an effort to try and make up for their wrong doings. But that didn’t mean it didn’t feel weird, disconcerting even. And there was always a part of Buck that was reminded of the version of his parents he had seen in his coma.

The feeling caught him off guard, and he could feel his chest tightening as he tried to find something to anchor onto, to remind him he was awake. He half expected Doug to appear from the kitchen, the conversation in front of him washing over him, the words unclear, everything feeling suddenly askew. He didn’t realise how lost he was beginning to feel until he felt Maddie’s little finger entwine with his, the touch bringing him back and making him look down at her as she looked back up at him with knowing and soulful eyes.