training wheels. // evan 'buck' buckley

xli. wrongful termination

buck stared at the city skyline as he sat across from chase in the dimly lit office, the tension between them thick. the lawyer, calm and calculating, leaned forward, his fingers interlaced on the desk.

"suing the city is no small matter," chase began, his voice low but direct. "you’re not just suing the department. you’re suing the city of los angeles. that’s going to come with consequences, buck. if you don’t win, you’re not just out of the 118. you might not be a firefighter anywhere, in any city."

buck clenched his jaw, his gaze falling to the file in front of him. he’d heard this before, the same warnings, the same risks laid out like a game of chess. but this was his life, his career. he couldn’t just give it up without a fight. "i get it. but i’ve got no choice. i'm going to win this."

chase nodded, his expression neutral but his eyes sharp. "i'm on your side, but you need to understand something. if you’re going to take this case all the way, you’ll need to cut off communication with everyone at the 118. no calls, no texts, no meet-ups. anything could compromise the case."

buck’s stomach twisted at the thought, but he swallowed it down. the 118 was his family - had been, anyway - but right now, they weren’t on his side. they didn’t believe in him. "that won’t be a problem," he muttered, his voice tinged with bitterness. "i don’t have much to say to them anyway. i’m alone in this."

chase studied him for a moment, then leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingers against the desk. "make sure you know what you're doing, buck. once you cross this line, there’s no going back."

buck nodded, standing up with a sense of finality. "i know."

the drive to bobby and athena’s house felt longer than usual, the weight of what he was about to do pressing down on him. when he pulled up to the familiar house, he hesitated for a moment, staring at the front door. he knew he had to face this head-on. no more running.

buck knocked, and after a moment, athena opened the door, her face softening into a smile. "buck. we weren’t sure if you’d come by."

he offered a tight smile, rubbing the back of his neck. "yeah... about dinner the other night. i’m sorry. i shouldn’t have stormed out like that."

athena stepped aside, gesturing for him to come in. "it’s water under the bridge. come on, we’re just finishing up."

bobby appeared in the hallway, his expression a mix of concern and relief. "glad to see you, kid. you doing alright?"

buck let out a short, humorless laugh. "define ‘alright.’" he followed them into the living room, the weight of what he had to say making his heart race. "look, there’s something i need to tell you. it’s probably going to be the last time we can talk for a while."

athena and bobby exchanged a glance, both of them now on alert. bobby stepped closer, his brow furrowed. "what’s going on, buck?"

buck took a deep breath, running a hand through his hair. "i’m suing the city," he finally said, the words hanging heavy in the air. "i'm suing the department. and i'm suing you, bobby, for wrongful termination."

the room fell into a thick silence. athena’s eyes widened slightly, while bobby’s face hardened with a mix of shock and disappointment. "buck..." bobby’s voice was strained, disbelief laced with hurt.

"i won’t stop fighting until i get my job back," buck continued, his voice steadier now. "even if it means going against you. i’m not asking for forgiveness. i just need you to know that this is what i have to do."

athena folded her arms, her expression unreadable. "you’re serious about this?"

"ibam." buck’s throat felt tight, but he forced himself to keep going. "this is the last time we’ll talk for a while. my lawyer said i need to cut off contact with everyone at the 118 to keep the case clean."