Quarter Life Crisis: a 9-1-1 buddie fic

'Cause you never know what it meant to me

"Maddie is missing again. Can you please watch Amelia? Like now? Please? I'll pay you." I listen to Buck ramble quickly.

"Maddie is....?" I scratch my chin since I can't remember who she is.

He might have told me before.

"My older sister. She has a history of running away. I'll explain later. Can you watch Amelia? I'll pay you. Oh and make sure you change her bandages and ice her bruise on her leg." I hear Buck say fast as I try to interrupt and say that I can watch her.

"Why can't she take care of herself? Isn't she older than you?" I start to question him. 

I don't mind watching Amelia, it's just that Buck seems protective over his older sister.

"She's been through abuse and trauma with her ex-boyfriend. I need to make sure that she's okay." I listen to Buck sigh into the phone as I scratch my head.

"Okay. Buck, we can watch Amelia. Chris wants to see her and have another movie day. No need to pay me back. Go find your sister." I reply with a calm voice and hope that he is breathing calmly too.

"Thank you. I owe you big time. I'll be there in 20 minutes or less. Oh, text me your address." I finally hear Buck calm down.

"Will do. drive safe." I reply to him and text him my address before I go back and see if Chris finished his food.

He's so independent and doesn't need help anymore.

I might have to help Amelia though.

"Change of plans Chris, Amelia is coming over. Maybe she will want to join us in grocery shopping?" I say to my son while I look through our empty fridge.

Damn. We need to go grocery shopping.

Two kids can't be that hard, right?

Chris is a teenager now, it's scary.

"Can we have an ice cream bar for our movie marathon?" I listen to Chris try to bribe me to let him sweets in the middle of the day.

"Maybe after lunch. I have to see if Amelia is allergic to any foods or dyes." I reply grab my phone off the counter and wait for Buck to text me back.

15 minutes later, there's a loud knock on my door. Chris was startled by it but realized it was Buck and Amelia and quickly calmed down.

"Eddie!" I look down at my legs and see Amelia hugging me with one arm

In the last few days since her injury, she's been asking for me more often.

I think that we created a bond when I gave her chocolate that first day.

"Hey kiddo, how are you doing?" I hug her back and watch Buck carry in a pink duffle bag and her school backpack.

"I'm hungry." I hear Amelia say while I watch Christopher go over to gently hug her since he noticed her bandages the other day.

Buck walks in and places her duffle bag and backpack on the couch.

While Chris talks to Amelia about her life, I go over to my worried and rushed-looking friend.

"What's all this for? Is Amelia staying the night? You didn't ask me about that. You and I have a shift on Monday." I glance at my calendar and notice that it's Saturday.

"I'm going to find Maddie." I listen to Buck as he talks in a hushed voice.

I have a feeling that he didn't tell Amelia that Maddie ran away. 

"Please just for one night. I will be back on Sunday night. Amelia thinks it's a sleepover with Chris." I listen to Buck beg me to watch her in his hushed voice.