Their shift started an hour ago and Buckley was still not here. To say Bobby was upset was an understatement. He was furious. Not only had Buckley not show up, but Bobby also found out that he left during his shift. This is why Buckley was always the man behind. Never putting his all into his work. Buckley's chores were never done correctly, he was always found by other coworkers slacking off in the locker room. Hell, even Bobby found Buckley laying around. That did not end well for Buckley, but Bobby needed to show that he meant it was his rules. He needed Buckley to know how bad he hurt the team with the lawsuit. This was the only way to do so.
"Hey Cap, have you heard from Buckley yet?" Henrietta "Hen" Wilson asked. Bobby shook his, "Not yet, but when I do, that boy is in a heap of trouble. Who does he think he is leaving in the middle of a shift and then not showing up for his next one. If he wanted so goddamn bad to be here, this is a great way to show it." Hen nodded along, not to get on Bobby's bad side. She tried to be there for Buck, she really did. She knew what it felt like to be the man behind and how it felt to be discriminated against. But she knew that if she disobeyed Bobby, she wouldn't have a job anymore. Bobby made it clear to everyone that they were not allowed to speak to or interact with Buck. Something Hen regretted.
The next to ask Bobby about Buckley was Eddie. Though Eddie gave his best friend the silent treatment, he had already forgiven the golden retriever of a man. Eddie just had his own problems to deal with first. The bruises he is currently hiding tells it all. He had to take time to get his mind back together, and those fight clubs were helping. He also had Chris to look out for. That poor kid had been having nightmares ever since the tsunami. Eddie was looking forward to asking Buck to join him and Chris tonight for a movie night. He missed his best friend, the co-parent of his child. Even if he hadn't forgiven Buck, Eddie would still invite the man to see his child. But Bobby denied that he had heard anything, so Eddie left for the locker rooms, a dejected look on his face.
The only person not to ask was Howard "Chimney" Han. He understood that Buck probably didn't feel like coming in, after they all had been treating him. Chimney always wondered why the department had held Buck back when he himself had a life altering event yet had been approved to come back right after he was given the go ahead by his doctors. He had taken it upon himself to look into why, then the lawsuit meeting came around and he found out that Bobby had lied to Buck. Chimney's heart went out to the kid. When they were in the elevator, if it wasn't for Bobby and Eddie being there, Chimney would have held the doors for Buck. Instead of asking Bobby, not believing that he would tell the truth, Chimney texted Maddie to see if she had heard from her brother. Chimney was worried for the man. He saw how tired Buck was. How the man avoided coming up to the loft and avoided the bunk rooms. He hadn't even seen the man change in the locker rooms.
A few minutes later, Maddie had texted back saying she hadn't really spoken to Buck since the tsunami. That was a big red flag for Chimney. Before the fire truck, the two Buckley siblings were attached at the hip. Chimney knew they had been through a lot together. But to hear that she barely contacted him after the tsunami was worrying. Chimney then contacted Athena, begging her not to tell Bobby, to go check Buck's apartment to see if he was there. Surely the man is just in bed. His phone pinged, but before he could check, the bell rang, signaling the start of his next shift. Chimney would check it later, away from the team.
After Chimney had texted her to check Buck's apartment, Athena was in high alert mode. She knew something was wrong when Bobby stopped inviting Buck to the hangouts at their place. Bobby always made an excuse saying Buck wasn't feeling good. After Bobby had come out to Buck about him holding Buck back, Athena kept an eye on her husband. This wasn't like him at all. He had let Chimney back with no problem and didn't tell Eddie to take time off after his wife's death. So to say that she was suspicious about the man she came to love, was an understatement. Athena texted Chim back, saying that she would look, and took off to Buck's apartment. In her job, she had come to learn to always expect the worst as to not be surprised. Reaching his apartment building, Athena had a bad feeling in her gut. Buck's jeep was not in his parking spot. She walked in and went straight to the worker there. "Excuse me sir, I am Sergeant Grant of L.A.P.D and I need to know if a tenant, Evan Buckley, left this morning. He has not shown up to his station and I was asked to check in." Athena stated. The worker typed away on his computer before looking at her. "Ma'am, I'm sorry to tell you this, but Mr. Buckley canceled his lease last night and left at 6 o'clock this morning with his belongings."
Athena was shocked. Buck left? Did he tell anyone? "May I go up to his loft to look around. I want to make sure he didn't leave anything that might hint to where he went." The worker nodded and handed her the key. She made her way to the elevator and took her phone to call Chimney. It went to voicemail. Of course it did. She had heard the radio call his station out right as she texted the first time. "Chimney, I need you to call me right as you get back to the station. Alone. It's about Buck." As she finished the voicemail, the elevator doors opened to Buck's floor. Athena went and unlocked his door before walking in. The place looked abandoned. Not even his furniture was left. She started looking around before finding two letters. One to her, and one to Christopher. Athena was about ready to cry. Her Buck really did leave.
Athena sat on the ground and opened her letter. 'Hey Athena, I'm hoping that you or Carla would find the letters first. I'm sorry I didn't let you know sooner. But it was a last-minute decision and I had to get the hell out of dodge. Ever since I got back to the station, I have been treated less than a probie. Please don't hate Bobby over this. I know I hurt him with the lawsuit. I tried my best to make it up to him. To everyone. But I know Bobby and I know that they wouldn't not follow him and his actions. You were the closest person I have had to a mom, and it hurts me to leave like this. I promise you that I will call once I am settled into where I am going. But promise me you will still love him, Mama Thena. I love you, -Buck' Damn that boy and his selfless self. Even though her thoughts about Bobby not being the man she knew, Buck had wanted her to continue to love him. Athena was pissed. How could he treat Buck so badly to the point where he thought his only option was to leave? Oh, just wait. When they get back to the station, Bobby won't know what hit him. Athena looked at the bottom of the letter, 'p.s. Could you please either hand Chris his letter or give it to Carla. I would mail it myself, but I don't want Eddie to ask right now' Just what did they do to this man?
Folding her letter, Athena left the apartment and went to Eddie's, knowing that's where Chris and Carla are. She knocked on the door and waited for Carla to answer. "Aunty 'Thena! Why are you here?" Athena smiled and hugged Chris before looking at him. "Aunty 'Thena, why are you crying? Is my Bucky ok?" Chris asked, worry setting in. "He will be buddy. Here, he wrote you a letter. How about you go read it while I talk with Carla, ok?" Chris nodded and left for his room. Carla looked at Athena, "What did our boy get into this time?" Athena made sure Chris was in his room before looking back at Carla. "More like, what trouble did my idiot husband and his crew get into. They mistreated that poor boy to the point where he left. His loft is cleaned out and all that was left were these letters for me and Chris. Even after what my husband has done, Buck still found it in him to tell me not to get angry at him," Athena pushed out. Carla looked like she had seen a ghost. She was speechless. Buck left. They could hear Chris crying in his room before going in there to calm him down
"Why did he leave, Aunty 'Thena? Was he sad? I know daddy said mama left the first time because she was sad. Maybe that's why." Christopher was too smart for his age. Athena nodded and hugged the boy. They stayed like that until Chris had gone to sleep. After saying goodbye to Carla, Athena headed to the station ready to knock some sense into those idiots. She got there right as the trucks had come back. "Hey Athena! What are you doing here? Aren't you on shift?" Hen asked, getting no response. Athena stared right at her husband. "Robert Nash, how DARE you treat that boy so poorly? He was in the right to file that lawsuit. I know it hurt, but that gave you NO RIGHT to hurt him." Shit, she was pissed. Said defendant stared at his wife, shocked about what she was saying.
"Honey, what do you..." "Don't give me that shit, Nash. You know what you did. You made that boy think his only option was to leave the state. That's why he never showed up for his shift. He left and it's all because of your ego." There was an audible gasp as all of the crew had heard it. They all turned to Bobby, who was as pale as a ghost. Chimney was pissed at Bobby. The brother of his girlfriend felt like he had to leave them because Bobby couldn't get his head out of his ass. "Chimney, did you know this? Did he tell Maddie?" Hen asked. Chimney shook his head and explained that Maddie hadn't really talked to her brother since the tsunami. This shocked Athena. After all that boy went through to save his sister from her ex, she didn't even have it in her to check on her own brother.
Bobby cleared his throat before speaking. "'Thena, Buckley had betrayed our trust. I did what I thought was right to get it through his head how hurt we are." That got to Chimney. "No, YOU did this so you could boost your ego by making Buck the black sheep. As Athena said, he was completely right to file the lawsuit. Hell, I would have filed one for him. How is it that I was allowed to come back even though I had a literal POLE through my head, yet he was barred from coming back after being put on blood thinners? We all understand that our job is dangerous, even more so on blood thinners, but he understood the risk he was taking. Only for you to make him the man behind once you allowed him back." Bobby went to Chimney, who then immediately backed away. "Do not touch me, Nash. Not after everything you've done".
Hen was in tears. Her golden retriever left because they never stood up for him. If only she had spoken up to the chief. If only she had tried harder.
Eddie couldn't find it in him to look at his captain. He couldn't find it in him to even blame his best friend. After all, he had helped in the treatment, even if it was for his own mental help. If only he had reached out sooner. Maybe then Buck would have stayed.
Bobby was disappointed in Buckley. He fought so hard to be back but left anyways. Wherever that boy goes, Bobby knew he would cause trouble. The only thing he didn't see, though, was the slap Athena had given him. He looked at his wife in horror. "You best not come home tonight. I can't even look at you right now, Nash."