𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗧𝗪𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗬 𝗙𝗢𝗨𝗥
"𝖳𝖧𝖨𝖲 𝖫𝖨𝖥𝖤 𝖶𝖤 𝖢𝖧𝖮𝖮𝖲𝖤"
"𝗔ll right, everyone, as close and as tight to the truck as you can be," Buck ordered, ushering kids and teachers to the truck. Adrienne pushed the children in front of her closer to the truck.
"Teacher spotted it out there after recess.
Nobody claimed it," Athena says, referring to a red backpack in the playground.
"Yeah, but it's not a package. I thought this guy sent his bombs through the mail," Buck added.
"Maybe he changed his M. O.," Chimney suggested.
"Or inspired some other crazy," Athena says. Allowing the bomb squad to do their job, Adrienne ushered the children who peeked their heads out back into position. Buck and Adrienne lowered the kids and teachers down so they wouldn't get debris in their eyes.
"All units, be advised! Fire in the hole!"
"Three.. two.. one—"
The bag then blew up. The kids started to move forward to try to see what happened.
"Hey, guys, stay back," Adrienne instructed.
"Substance appears to be some kind of... grayish paste."
"It's tuna fish!" A little girl said. The 118 team, plus Athena, turned to the little girl. One of the teachers leaned down to the girl's level.
"Emily. Was that your lunch?" The teacher asked.
"Yes," Emily, the little girl, replied.
"Why didn't you say something?" Athena asked.
"I don't like tuna fish. Am I under arrest?"
After Adrienne gave a stern talking to Emily, she joined her team members as they went back to the trucks.
"These false alarms are almost more nerve-wracking than the real thing," Chimney scoffed.
"Don't even think that," Hen says.
"Maybe the whole thing is a false alarm," Buck says, "Maybe it's over."
"Maybe," Adrienne sighed. Little did they know... it was far from being over.
⁂
Adrienne heard Buck from her kitchen trying to coat Ellie into saying her first words. All she really heard were Estelle's giggles and Buck's groans of frustration.
She herself couldn't help but chuckle at Buck's sad attempts. A text notification from Travis pops up on her phone.
"Don't know how I'm going to do this. It's been a while since I last interacted with him..." The message reads. Adrienne smiled at the message. Unbeknownst to her, Buck was watching her from the doorframe.
She replied to the message, "Based on what you told me during dinner, you'll be fine. Just go easy with him."
Since Adrienne was distracted, Buck was able to sneak up behind her and snaked an arm around her waist. He rested his head in the crook of her neck.
"Okay, hands off, Buck," Adrienne sighed.
"Why? It's not like you're with him," Buck says. She knew exactly who he was referring to. Adrienne could see the sadness on his face once she turned to face him.
"Travis and I aren't together, yeah, but we aren't together either," Adrienne replied.
"Then let's be."
"Hm? Be what?"
"Together," Buck replied.
⁂
Their next few shifts Adrienne spent trying her best to avoid Buck. She needed time away from Buck to think.
He wanted her. But did she really feel the same way about him?
Sighing, Adrienne parked the ladder truck inside of the station. She walked up to find Travis sitting on one of the couches.
Travis had a spreadsheet of photos and his camera sitting in front of him.
"Travis!" She says, approaching him, "What are you doing here?"
"Hen invited me. Said that your captain was okay with me taking a few photos," Travis replied. Eddie, Chimney, and Hen approached Travis to examine the photos. Chimney gave Travis a nod of approval.
"They look nice," Chimney says.
"Yeah, nice work, Trav," Hen added. The rest of the 118 (except for Buck, obviously) gathered around to look at the photos. Most were giving verbal compliments to him while others asked him to snap some photos of them.
Out of the corner of her eye, Adrienne could see Buck staring daggers into Travis's head. He was just about to make his way over to him when Adrienne stopped him.
"Don't you dare," She scolds. She grabbed Buck by the hand and drags him away. Adrienne took Buck to the locker rooms.
"What is your problem?" Adrienne asks.
"You know what it is," Buck mumbled. Adrienne rolled her eyes, "I don't think we are "just friends", Adrienne. I get jealous whenever I see you with Travis."
"We hooked up in that bathroom at the bar. I've kissed you numerous times," He argued.
"There were certain circumstances to that—"
"But that isn't what friends do!"
"You want to know the truth, Evan?" Adrienne questioned. She knew he'd actually listen to her if she called him "Evan" instead of "Buck".
"Travis and I are never getting back together. We established that over dinner," She explained.
"He's in love with someone else."
"Wh-Who?" Buck asks.
"You should be able to put two and two together. Use that Buckley knowledge your daughter has half of," Adrienne replied.
Just like that, Adrienne decided to leave Buck alone in the locker room. She returned to the team, not talking to anyone as she rummaged through the fridge.
"Can we just order pizza? I'm not in the mood to cook," Adrienne sighed.
⁂
Much to her dislike, Adrienne was stuck in the ladder truck with Buck. Neither of them dared to speak to one another. Adrienne was on the driver's seat while Buck was the passenger.
"118, 118 this is dispatch. We got Bobby Nash on the line. He says it's important."
Buck and Adrienne looked at each other confused. Just as Adrienne prepared to turn the street...
The truck exploded.
Her body collided harshly with the ground. Such a blow should've knocked her unconscious.. no, it should've killed her. Her hearing was spotty. Glass shards were embedded in her leg.
Blood seeped from her head and mouth. There was only one scream she heard and it was heartbreaking... Buck's.
His cries.. his pleas for help...
It broke her heart knowing that she couldn't do anything. Her vision started to get blurry.
Was this the end? It couldn't be. Not yet. Not ever.
Buck's condition was slightly worse than Adrienne's. His leg was underneath the ladder truck. Adrienne felt a hand touch her shoulder.
"Hey, stay with us, okay? We're gonna get you transported," It was Chimney, "Get her on a gurney, now!"
Adrienne knew she could cling on for just a little longer. Someone was in need of more help.
"No.. Buck... get Buck," She struggled to speak.
"Adrienne, we—"
"I'll be fine, Chim."
Chim refused to follow her request. It was too dangerous for them not to transport her. Buck screamed in pain.
"Get her on a gurney!" Chimney shouted. As they loaded her onto an ambulance, Adrienne watched the 118 struggle to get the truck off of Buck's leg. She just prayed he would be okay.
She could see the pool of blood she left behind. Her eyes were failing her.
The last thing she saw and heard were shouts of her name, and dozens of people rushing to the truck to help Buck.
⁂
Everything happened so quickly.
"We're losing her! We're losing her!"
"Stay with us, Strickland. Stay with us."
"Get her in surgery NOW!"
Bright lights clouded her vision when she finally opened her eyes. Her vision slowly made out a silhouette watching over her.
"Welcome back, Adrienne."
It was Athena.
"Athena...," She struggled a bit to speak, "Wh-What happened? Where am I?"
"The explosion happened two days ago. You probably won't remember much. You lost a lot of blood," Athena replied. It was true her memory was spotty, but she could remember the one person that was with her.
"Is Buck okay?" She asked.
"He's here. He's been asking about you," Athena replied. As if on cue, Buck was wheeled into the room. Athena slipped out of the room to give them privacy.
"You're okay. You're okay!" Adrienne smiled. She could see a tear falling down Buck's face. He gripped her hand tightly.
"I was so scared of losing you. When I saw your body, all I could think about was... 'please don't let it be her'," Buck says, "I guess someone was watching over both of us."
He pushed a hair out of her face. God, he had so much love in his eyes. Buck wanted to kiss her.. to give her all of the love he needed to give her.
"Move in with me."
Did he hear that correctly? Did she just..
"What?" He asked, confused.
"I said move in with me. Please?" Adrienne replied. He smiled and pulled her in for a kiss.
"We're more than friends, Buck," She said in between their kisses. He chuckled before kissing her again.
"I know."
⁂
"People assume we choose this life. I'm not so sure. Sometimes I think this life chooses us. For those that answer the call, there can be no doubt, no equivocation. It's not just the lives of those we serve that depend on us, but our own," Bobby adressed a crowd. They were having a small gathering for the end of Eddie's probationary year.
"The lives of our fellow firefighters and first responders. Today we welcome into those ranks a new brother. After a year of hard work and dedication, I am proud to officially declare that your probationary period is at an end. Welcome to the Los Angeles Fire Department, Firefighter Diaz."
Everyone erupted in cheers. Christopher walked over to Eddie with his helmet and a smile on his face. Christopher hands Eddie his helmet, and the crowd erupted in cheers.
Everyone went stood and went around to say their congrats to Eddie.
Estelle slips out of her father's arms and runs up to Eddie. She wrapped her little arms around his leg.
"Hey, El," Eddie smiled. He pick her up and takes her back to Adrienne and Buck.
⁂
Day turned into the night.
Adrienne straddled Buck as he planted kisses on every exposed part of her body. His hands were exploring her body. Adrienne lifted his chin and pulls him in for a kiss.
"We should stop. We don't want another Buckley running around," Adrienne groaned. Buck kept a firm grip on her thigh.
"I wouldn't mind that. Estelle needs a sibling," Buck replied. Adrienne pulls away from Buck.
"Give it another year," She says. Adrienne removed herself off of Buck's lap to lay down beside him. Buck grabbed the tv remote from the nightstand.
"You pick this time," He says.
"You already know what I'm going to choose," Adrienne replied.
"Captain America: Civil War. It's your favorite."
⁂
𝗮/𝗻:
Now they're actually together :).
Knowing that Travis and Adrienne aren't getting back together, who do you think he's going after?