Dandelions

May Grant

Edited 29/10/2025

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At first, Buck was just the hot firefighter who worked at the firehouse where her mom's boyfriend was captain. May and her friends used to scroll through his Instagram and laugh at his latest shirtless surfing photo. How modeling had never been one of Buck's many pre-firefighting jobs would always be a mystery to her.

But with time, that started to change.

After her mom and Bobby got married, the Grant house became the regular setting for family dinners. The 118 was always invited to birthdays and celebrations, but family dinners were different. Those were for Athena, Bobby, May, Harry, Michael — later David — and Buck. That was, of course, when he wasn't busy with Maddie, or with Eddie and Chris.

It didn't take long for May to realize the change in her family's dynamics. Her mom didn't even blink the first time Bobby invited Buck to dinner. Athena had just nodded, as if Buck's place at the table had always been unquestionable.

As the months and years passed, Buck stopped being just Bobby's firefighter — he became part of the family. It was Buck who babysat Harry whenever Athena and Bobby both got called in. Not because no one else could, but because everyone knew he was the first person they could count on. Buck never made it seem like a favor either; he'd show up with snacks, games, and a dozen ideas for the day already planned.

The stories Harry told afterward were always the same kind — full of laughter and chaos and little lessons hidden between them. Trips to the zoo, the aquarium, the planetarium. Buck, Chris, and Denny tagging along together, asking questions, learning things, and somehow having the time of their lives doing it.

If anything could win Athena's approval faster than good grades, it was seeing her son come home bright-eyed and curious. May knew her mom had always had a soft spot for Buck. It went back to his rookie days — when he'd not only saved her life, but had the nerve to stand up to her.

Athena had told May and Harry the story more than once, usually when a call brought the memory back. It was one that stuck with her — the baby in the walls.

The dispatch had sounded strange from the start. A neighbor reported hearing cries echoing through the pipes. The 118 rolled out with Athena on scene, and by the time they traced the sound, the truth was worse than anyone expected. A teenage girl had given birth alone, in secret, then panicked and flushed the baby down the pipes.

The rescue was chaos. The baby's cries were faint, muffled behind drywall and metal. Every second counted. Buck worked fast, tearing through walls and cutting into the sewer line. When they finally pulled the newborn free, she was wet, filthy, and barely breathing — but alive.

Then came the harder part.

Athena had found the girl in the bathroom, weak, bleeding, and barely conscious. She decided to transport both patients in the same ambulance. There wasn't time to wait for a second unit, and the girl needed immediate care. To Athena, it was simple: two lives, one chance to save them both.

Buck disagreed. He reminded her it went against protocol — that no victim should share transport with the person who hurt them, no matter the situation. To him, it wasn't about judgment; it was about safety and procedure. Athena stood by her choice, convinced compassion had to come first.

The argument between them was nearly as intense as the rescue. Athena had to pull rank to get her way. Both patients survived, but afterward, Buck filed a report. Athena accepted the reprimand without protest.

When May and Harry first heard the story, they'd cheered for their mom. To them, Buck had been in the wrong — a rookie too stuck on rules to see the person in front of him. But Athena had just shaken her head.