BUT DADDY I LOVE HIM, ᵉᵛᵃⁿ ᵇᵘᶜᵏˡᵉʸ

038

Season 4, Episode 10/11

"THAT'S THE FIRST TIME SHE SMILED." Chim said as he showed the team pictures of his baby.

"Sure that's a smile?" Eddie asked. "That's the same face Buck makes when he's gassy." Rylin laughed hard at his words because she knew he wasn't lying.

"I will take that as a compliment, 'cause it just means she looks like her Uncle Buck." Buck said proudly.

"God, I love her so much. I don't even feel like the same person anymore." Chim said. "Is that weird?"

"What's that saying?" Bobby asked. "Having a kid is like walking around with your heart outside your body."

"Okay, that's weirder." Chim told Bobby. "And morbid."

"Just means it's a whole different kind of love." Bobby smiled.

"How's my favorite Buckley?" Rylin asked, pretending not to see the offended look on Buck's face.

"Yeah, first solo shift with the baby." Eddie said.

"Babies. Plural." Chim said. "She's pulling double duty. Albert and Jee-Yun ever since Albert came back to our place."

"Albert's not staying at your place anymore?" Bobby asked Buck.

Buck shook his head. "Madison's going through a bunch of family stuff right now. She needed a place to live. At least until she turns 18, so Albert said he'd start looking for his own place so Madison can have a home. I didn't know he'd move back in with Chim and my sister."

"You sure you're up to taking care of a 17 year old?" Eddie asked.

"I took Sarah in and she was just about 16." Rylin shrugged. "At that age, there isn't really much to do aside from making sure they're keeping up with their homework and not getting themselves into any trouble."

"Never would've expected Buck to be a father." Chim hummed. "Not this young, at least."

"I'm nobody's father." Buck laughed nervously. "I'm just helping her out until she can be on her own."

Buck wanted to believe his own words. Though he understood he'd never be Madison's father and she'd never be his daughter, he couldn't help but think of their relationship as the exact opposite of that. In the time that they had known each other, they'd grown a certain type of trust only a father and daughter have with each other. He even protects and treats her as a father would with his daughter.

In all honesty, he'd do anything for her.

"Right." Rylin said with a smile.

Buck doesn't know that she knows, but she is extremely aware of his feelings towards Madison. That's because she felt the same way towards Sarah. At times, she does feel like a sort of mother figure towards Sarah, and she's okay with that because just like Buck, she's do anything for her. However, there's other times she feels like Sarah coming into her life was like her baby sister Lilah telling Rylin she'll always be with her. Either way, she knew Sarah coming into her life was a blessing in disguise.