Against All Odds (E.Buckley x Female Reader)

7

As I turned a corner I saw a group of firefighters gathered near a makeshift command post. My heart leaped, and I pushed forward, my voice breaking with emotion. "Buck! Evan Buckley! Is he here? He's from the 118."

The firefighters turned to me, and one of them, a man with soot-streaked cheeks, stepped forward. "Y/N, right? I've seen you at the station." I nodded frantically. "Yes, that's me. Have you seen Buck? Please, tell me he's okay."

His eyes softened with empathy. "We haven't seen him." I felt my knees weaken, the fear threatening to overwhelm me. But then, over the noise of the crowd, I heard a familiar voice calling my name.

"Y/N!" I spun around, my eyes wide, scanning the crowd desperately. It was Eddie making his way through the mass of people, his uniform dirty and torn.

"Eddie!" I screamed, my voice cracking as I ran toward him. The crowd seemed to part as I rushed forward, he caught me in an embrace. "Where's Chris? Is he with Buck?" He asked me.

"I don't know." I sobbed. "I'm sorry Eddie, I failed you. I lost him Eddie." I hugged him but he stood in shock. "Chris" He whispered. I looked up at Eddie feeling all the emotion in his body.

I inhaled deeply. "I give you permission to hate me all you want" I sobbed. "No, Chris!" I turned around to see Christopher wrapped up in a blanket being held by a woman.

I ran with Eddie and hugged Chris crying. If Chris was alive that meant that Buck had a chance. "Christopher!" I heard a voice yell.

I turned towards it and saw Buck standing there. I exhaled and ran to him, "Buck!"

"Y/N," he murmured, his voice choking with emotion. "Oh God, Y/N." I clung to him, my body shaking with sobs of relief and joy. "I thought I lost you. I thought you were gone." I sobbed into his chest.

Buck held me tightly, his own tears mixing with the grime on his face. "I'm here, baby. I'm here. I promised I'd come back to you."

We stood there and then it clicked in Buck's head, "Where's Christopher?!" He panicked. "He's okay! He's with Eddie. He's with Eddie." I reassured him.

We stood there, wrapped in each other's arms, oblivious to the chaos around us. I pulled back slightly, looking up into Buck's eyes. "I love you so much. I couldn't bear the thought of losing you."

"I love you too, baby. I thought of you the whole time. You kept me going, Y/N. You and Chris kept me going. I knew I had to come back to you." Buck whispered, his voice filled with the depth of his emotions. "And I'm never letting you go again."

Bobby, Hen, and Chimney find us and come to check us out. "Hey, you guys alright?" Bobby asked us. "Yeah." I said. "We're great," Buck said suddenly losing balance. "Buck!" I helped him sit down. He held on to me and the rest of the team as he watched Chris and Eddie hug.

A few days later, I am in Buck's apartment upstairs in his bed staring at the ceiling. Buck was downstairs in the kitchen doing God knows what.

We hadn't been talking much since the tsunami. We mainly wasted away the days in bed watching a movie or each other. Then there was a knock at the door.

"Hey, Buck." I heard Christopher say. "Good morning, Buck." I heard Eddie say. I grabbed my robe and wrapped it around me, then I headed down the stairs.

"Okay. There's a morning snack and midday snack, two coloring books, and a bunch of Legos. Between us, he's never built anything that kinda looks like anything. He just likes sticking things together. Good morning Y/N." He paused to acknowledge me then continued. "There's 20 bucks for pizza, and if I were you, I'd eat a couple extra slices. You look like you're wasting away to nothing."

"Eddie..." Buck lets out. "I will say, honestly, you being laid up is working out for me. I mean, you're no abuela, and you're half a Carla, but you'll do in a pinch." I smiled at them Buck was terrified, but it was nice that Eddie could still trust us. "You want me to watch Christopher?" Buck said fearfully. "It's easy. He's not very fast." I headed to the living room with Chris.

"After everything that happened?" Buck said. "A natural disaster happened, Buck." Eddie placed his hands on his shoulders. "I lost him, Eddie. I lost both of them." I walked in the kitchen behind Buck.

"No, You saved him. You saved us and that's how we will remember it." I told him, rubbing his shoulders. "And now, it's his turn to do the same for you." Eddie told Buck.

"I was supposed to look out for him." I hugged him from behind. "And what, you think you failed? I failed that kid more times than I care to count, and I'm his father. But I love him enough to never stop trying, and I know you do too. Buck... there's nobody in this world I trust with my son more than you." Eddie told Buck.

"Okay, buddy. I gotta go." Eddie called out to Chris. "I'll let you out." I told Eddie.

"Love ya, have fun. Maybe try going to the zoo this time, something inland." Buck and I chuckled.

I walk Eddie out to the hall. "Thank you Eddie." He turned around confused, "For what?" I smiled, "Not giving up on him." I stared at Bucks apartment door.

"Or me." I smiled tearing up. Eddie walked over and hugged me tightly. "I would never give up on you two."

I let go, wiping my tears. "Go! I don't wanna make you late." I laughed walking off.

I walked into the apartment, I watched Buck talk to Chris from the kitchen. I made breakfast for Buck and I and we just enjoyed the day with Chris.