I Need Them

The Motive

“Bobby, I’m not going to argue with you about this.” Eddie tells him, in between calls. “I’m with Buck. I just can’t see Mackey digging up any real evidence to use against me.”

“What about all the dirt he dug up on us? Could you picture that, before he actually did it? There is nothing Mackey won’t do to get what he thinks he’s entitled to.”

Eddie keeps shaking his head, “On the off chance this actually goes to court, and we have to call up witnesses, I think his reputation will sink him quicker than anything we could throw back.”

But Bobby’s not having it, “Eddie, I’m telling you now, that’s not an option.”

That succeeds in confusing both Buck and Eddie, “What?” “What the hell are you talking about?”

Seeing he has no choice, Bobby tells them, “Mackey called me shortly after you called me asking if I told him anything. He made it abundantly clear that if we so much as drag up his sketchy reputation or show any proof of said sketchiness, he’s going to see to it we all lose our jobs with the dirt he has on us.”

That’s shocking enough to get Buck to speak up, adamant, “No way in hell. I don’t buy that for a second. Mackey might have some connections, but he knows playing dirty would sink him.”

Bobby reminds him, “Mackey has plenty of damning information on all of us.” No thanks to you, Bobby doesn’t say, but Buck knows it’s implied.

Buck’s quick to remind Bobby, “Christopher has both of us. Eddie’s well aware of how much Chris adores me. He knows I’m the first one to help him fall back asleep when he has a tsunami nightmare. Now Mackey might know Eddie’s and my weaknesses, and all of ours, but that still doesn’t change the fact that we’re Chris’ parents. First and foremost. So I know, the court will be on our side in this instance. Because no judge in the room will be able to deny we know what’s best for our kid, and that’s for me and Eddie to be in his life.”

Eddie’s had enough, and goes to grab one of Buck’s hands in support, as they both stand there, and as much as Bobby wants to tell them both to be practical, he can see just by how they’re standing together, leaning on each other, their minds are made up.

“Okay, I understand what you’re saying.” Bobby finally says, resigned. “Clearly you have a better insight on the situation than me, and it does look like you and Chris have a very close relationship as a family of three. Who am I to judge, anyway? It’s perfectly reasonable to think Mackey’s just trying to get attention because he didn’t get his money.”

Buck agrees, “There’s no reason to think it’s anything else.”

Bobby then tells them, “Okay. And you’re going to get a good lawyer to handle Mackey for you, so, it’ll just all work out, right?”

Eddie nods, “Absolutely.”

Bobby sighs in relief. “Okay. I’m glad I talked to you both. Kind of helped put things in perspective for me. Let’s make a plan to get together off shift, what do you say?”

Then the alarm goes off, and that’s the end of the conversation.

Later, Buck’s hanging up his phone, when Eddie calls out behind him,