(A 911 Buddie fanfic) Every Breath You Take (I'll be watching you...)

Chapter 11

A/N: Thank you so much for reading!!! All of your support has been amazing while I have been writing and posting this story.

I have one more chapter to post after this one. Once that is done, I'll be starting on my next Buddie story in this series. I cannot see myself giving up writing these characters anytime soon - I love them far too much. ^_^

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Chapter 11

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"Eddie!" The name was raw and broken as Buck screamed it out, already surging forward as Eddie dropped.

He crashed to his knees beside Eddie, hands reaching out, eyes searching every inch as a distant memory played out inside his mind. A memory of wide eyes and blood, the taste of iron in his mouth, and the feel of gravel against his skin. He would never forget that day, and as he looked over Eddie now, his chest tightening and shaking hands reaching out, he feared the worst.

But even though Eddie's face was twisted up in pain, a low grunt escaping his mouth, he was already attempting to sit up, even as he glared down at his leg and the red that blossomed out there. Buck pressed his hands down on the wound, Eddie's blood warm and slick against his palms. In the back of his mind, he knew it could be worse, but in that moment, all he could see was the memory of the light fading from Eddie's eyes in that fire engine as they raced to the hospital.

Eddie's hand gripped his wrist, tight and reassuring, and Buck raised his head enough to meet bright brown eyes that were much alive and very much aware. But the moment of relief was short lived.

"Why?" David asked, his fist clashing against the wall before he began pacing back and forth behind Buck, the frustration and anger coming off of him in waves, polluting the air around them. "This isn't how it's supposed to be… it didn't need to come to this."

"What did you think would happen?" Eddie growled out, already making another attempt to push up from the floor, but he froze, jaw tightening, and Buck knew without looking that David was aiming the gun at him.

"I told you, Buck," David continued, his voice a broken whine. "And now I have to… I have to…"

Buck met Eddie's gaze, searching it a moment before licking at his dried lips and slowly pushing up, already missing the loss of physical contact with Eddie. His chest hollowed out, leaving him feeling like an empty shell, and his heart ached. It ached knowing what he was about to do, and it ached knowing what would happen if he didn't.

"You were right," he breathed out, and he hated the words coming from his own lips. "He can't protect me." He forced himself to turn around, forced himself to face David, deliberating taking a small side step to block David's view of Eddie. "You… you're the only one who can…"

David paused, gun lowering a fraction as he looked over Buck. "He can't live."

"Let him go," Buck pleaded. "Let him go and I'm yours. I won't fight. I won't run."

"Buck…" Eddie growled out, and the name said everything it needed to say.

Don't do this.

"I'm the one you want," Buck continued, and he took a step forward until the gun was pressed into his chest. "If you kill him, you'll have to kill me too. But if you let him live, I'll go with you."

And David truly seemed to be considering it, quiet as he looked over Buck and Eddie. Even as Eddie found his way to his feet, as unsteady as he was, David hesitated. He swallowed hard, looking Buck over carefully, before finally shaking his head, slow. "No..."