Differences

Six

Everyone raises their eyebrows at Buck as he walks up the stairs. There's an easy smile on his face and the weight of the world seems to have been lifted off his shoulders for the first time in who knows how long. He doesn't seem to notice the confused looks he's getting from everyone or the two extra additions to the table until after he has a cup of coffee in hand and is sitting at the head of the table opposite Bobby, leaving the chair next to Eddie empty.

"Maddie, Athena, I didn't know you guys were going to be here." He greets, with a large smile.
Maddie returns it, happy to see her brother this happy. "I was dropping Chim off, but Bobby insisted I stayed for breakfast."
He makes a humming noise, glancing around the table. When they land on Eddie, the grin widens a fraction. "I forgot to say thank you when you picked up Christopher yesterday."
Eddie frowns, eyebrows furrowing. "Thank you for what?"
"Kelly sent a friend of ours a picture of Chris and me while we were at the zoo to make him jealous. It's been awhile since I've seen Matt both happy and angry at the same time."
Eddie smiles, even though the explanation makes him more confused than anything. "Glad to help."

"You're not talking about Taylor Kelly are you?" Athena looks at him with a disapproving glare.
He makes a face, "no." He reassures her. "My friend flew in from Chicago a few days ago to come and see me."
Maddie frowns, "you've been to Chicago?"
He nods, taking another sip of his coffee. "I lived there for like five years."
Her frown deepens and everyone else exchanges looks having not known that.

Buck clears his throat, looking at Eddie. "Soon you'll be hitting your second year as a firefighter, any plans?"
He shrugs, "I don't know. You got plans for hitting three years?"
Eddie's surprised by the look of confusion he gets. "If you mean three years of being with the 118, no. I've been a firefighter for five years, counting my first year."
Hen holds up a hand, "you're telling me that when you get here, you had already been doing this job for about two years."
He nods, looking towards Bobby for a second. "Why do you think I never had a one year ceremony?" Looking back at Hen, he raises an eyebrow. "I know I was a punk, but c'mon. I knew how to do all the procedures with experience and I was never referred to as a probationary firefighter. Also, why does the LAFD call you a probationary firefighter for your first year?" He looks at Chimney.
The man shrugs, "Hell, if I know. Why? What were you called during your first year?"
"Candidate. That's how the CFD does it."
"Chicago?" Maddie guesses, seeing as he mentioned it earlier.
Buck nods, "yep."

Bobby leans forward slightly in his seat, "What station were you at in Chicago? I know a few guys who are in the CFD."
"Uh, I was at 51, a busy house."
Bobby nods, he didn't know anyone from there, but he had heard things from a few of his old buddies.
"Why'd you transfer? I mean, Chicago to LA, that's big."
Buck freezes at the question, before clearing his throat and looking at who asked it. "I needed a change and there was a spot open here."
Maddie goes to ask a follow up question to the one Hen had asked, but someone clearing their throat from the stair landing, makes her pause as they all look over.

It's Kelly standing there, a phone in hand. "Sorry to interrupt, but Evan left his phone in the car." He doesn't sound too sorry, but no one calls him out on it. He walks over and hands it to the blonde. "Herrmann called, so expect him to call you again in an hour."
Buck groans playfully, "You couldn't tell him I was busy. I am on shift."
Kelly chuckles, and to everyone but Athena the sight is fascinating. "I put up with Matt yesterday, I'm not putting up with Herrmann today." He looks over to Eddie, "I didn't get to say it yesterday, but you have a good kid. One of the better ones I've seen."
"Thanks." Eddie says, not bothered by the weird compliment.

"Oh, Kelly, this is Athena Grant, she's a sergeant with the LAPD. Athena, this is Kelly." Everyone notices the lack of a last name, as Buck introduces the two.
Kelly reaches over to shake her hand, "Nice to meet you, ma'am."
She nods, "You too, Kelly." She watches as he looks around, a fond look on his face as he takes in the parked vehicles below.
"It's so weird not seeing a squad truck."
Buck makes a noise in agreement, nudging the man the best he can while he's sitting and the other is standing. "I know right? Was weird the first few months here and not seeing one." The two share a look that makes the others feel more out of the place than the conversation.

"Are you a firefighter, Kelly?" Athena asks, hoping to learn something about this man and how exactly he knows the youngest member of the 118.
He nods, "Yes, I'm a squad lieutenant."
"Lieutenant? You have those down in Chicago?" Chimney asks.
Kelly looks at Buck, confused before it clicks for him. "I forgot that the LAFD runs differently. But, yeah we have lieutenants, then captains, a battalion chief is in charge of the station and then you've got the fire commissioner."
Chimney lets out a whistle at the information, "chain of command is long."
"It should be. Things get done easier and there's less questions." There's a sharp edge to his voice that no one can tell the reason for, but it's clear that Buck knows with the way he sighs and gets up.

"C'mon, you should be getting back. You've got like three seasons still to catch up on."
"Well, if you hadn't left I wouldn't be this behind."
Maddie stops breathing at the remark, it's playful in tone but to her it stings. She waits for the hurt or anger Buck might have. Instead, he laughs. Throwing an arm around the older man, "don't know if I really left with the way you blew up my phone."
Kelly shakes his head, "yeah, not like I don't have a few dozen texts from you everyday."

The rest of their banter they can't hear as they finally hit the ground floor.

"Who exactly is that?" Athena asks, looking around the table. When no one says anything, she lifts an eyebrow. "Not a single one of you knows who Kelly is?"
"Didn't you hear Buck, he's a friend from Chicago."
Athena looks at Eddie, unimpressed with his tone. "You left your son with him and Buck yesterday, and you expect me to believe that you don't know more than we do?"
"I don't." He picks up his coffee, before setting it down. "I honestly don't know who Kelly is. I had never heard the name before or Matt's or Herrmann's. I also didn't know he lived in Chicago before."
"I haven't heard any of those names either. You aren't the only one out of the loop." Maddie tells him, a frown on her face.
Chimney glances towards the staircase, not seeing Buck, he speaks. "Are we really that shocked? Out of all of us, even Maddie and Bobby, Buck is the most private. We didn't even know Maddie existed until she showed up."

Before anyone else can say anything, the bell rings and they start rushing down the stairs, Maddie and Athena staying where they are.