FRIENDLY FIRE: A 9-1-1 fanfiction

Part Twelve: Buck

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EMMA

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"Okay, I still think just showing up at his house unannounced is a bad idea," I shrugged at Eddie, offering him a thin, sarcastic smile, "your choice though."

"I'm telling you, Buck needs this," Eddie assured me quickly, guiding Christopher and I into the elevator of Buck's apartment complex.

Somehow in the last few days, between sparring sessions and calls, Eddie had managed to convince me to meet Buck. When I'd agreed, I hadn't realised it would mean I'd be showing up unannounced and unwelcomed.

"Well that's one opinion," I argued again, glancing down at Christopher, "what's your verdict, kid?"

Christopher beamed up at me, mumbling out his answer, "I think you're cool so I'm going to make sure he thinks you're cool too. Then, we can all be friends together."

"That's very diplomatic of you," I nodded quickly, giving him a closed lip smile before patting his head. "Have I mentioned how glad I am that we're doing this? Because I'm totally so glad, wouldn't change a single thing. Nope, not at all."

The elevator came to a stop, releasing us onto the right floor so Eddie could lead the way to Buck's apartment.

"Think of this as charity," Eddie joked as we stopped in front of a door and he bent down to pull a key out from under the welcome mat. "It's all for a good cause."

"You're such a good friend, I can't think of single reason he wouldn't want to hang out with you right now," I muttered flatly as he unlocked the door.

"I know right!" He grinned over his shoulder at me, pushing the door open to let Christopher go in first before gesturing for me to go in.

"Oh, hell no, you're going to cushion the blow of what's coming," I waved my finger in his face before pointing to the inside of the house. "Go tell him we're here, I don't want to get shot."

"Buck doesn't own a gun but okay," Eddie nodded, agreeing to head inside first for me to follow. "Buck! Where are you?"

"If he's not here, doesn't that make this breaking and entering," I groaned, taking in my surroundings carefully.

There was a lot of empty takeout boxes and waste all over the kitchen and living room and the apartment was horribly warm and stuffy, like the windows hadn't been opened in months.

"It's not breaking and entering, this is Buck's place," Eddie shrugged casually before taking two steps at a time up the stairs.

"Love how the law doesn't apply if it's Buck's place," I muttered to myself, staying put at the end of the stairs.

"You're gonna love Buck," Christopher suddenly told me,

"Yeah?" I sighed defeatedly, "I'm sure I will, I'm just not sure he's gonna feel the same way."

"Why?" Christopher asked innocently, adjusting his glasses on his face slightly as they tilted accidentally.

"Um...well," I crouched down so I was the same height as him, "you know how Buck used to be a firefighter?"

"Yeah," Christopher confirmed quickly,

"And you know how Buck left his job as a firefighter?"

Christopher nodded slightly, his smile infectious even if I didn't want to smile.

"Yeah well, I became a firefighter here in California at the same time as Buck was leaving his firefighter job," I tried to explain it as best as I could. "So Buck might think I'm taking his place."