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"So," Buck says as he walks up to Christopher, "what do you do for fun?"

And Chris tells him exactly what. He likes pancakes with cinnamon syrup and lots of whipped cream, and he loves going to the movies, but he tells Buck that he and his dad haven't been able to go to a movie lately. Buck looks up the showings on his phone while Chris rambles on, taking notes in his head.

"Buck?" Chris calls for him.

"Yeah, buddy?" he says, not looking up from his phone as he tries to determine which of the movies listed would be appropriate for an eight year old boy.

"Can [y/n] come with us?"

Buck looks up at Chris. [y/n], Eddie's little sister. As far as he knew, she didn't normally work on Saturdays.

"We can call and ask," Buck tells him, his heart softening at Chris' growing smile. Buck finds [y/n]'s contact in his phone and dials her number, putting the phone on speaker before handing it to Chris. They boy practically shrieks when his aunt answers the phone, making Buck wince slightly.

"Hola, Christopher!" [Y/n]'s voice rings out. Buck tries to ignore the way his heart flutters. "You're spending the day with Buck today?"

Buck has a feeling she knew Eddie's plan.

"We're going to go get pancakes and see a movie," the boy tells her. "Right Buck?"

Buck sits down next to him. "That's right, buddy," he tells him. "We were wondering if you'd like to come along, [y/n]. If you're able to."

"Oh, well I supposed I can make some time for you two," she sighs, making Chris giggle. "I'd love to. Want me to meet you there at the loft, Buck?"

"No, no, we can pick you up from your place. If - if that's okay with you."

"Sure, no worries! Whatever is easiest for you. Just let me know when you're on your way, okay?"

"Sure thing," Buck tells her. "We'll see you soon."

"See you soon! Bye, querido sobrino."

"Adios, tia!"

About thirty minutes later, Buck and Chris are waving to [y/n] as she comes up to the car. A small green backpack is slung over her shoulder and she's dressed in blue jeans and a tank top. Her smile is bright as she opens the door and slides in, saying hello to Buck before turning towards Christopher.

"Oh Chris, did you pick that shirt out?" she gasps. Chris nods quickly. "It looks very nice on you, honey."

"Thanks!" he says with a big, toothy grin. "Are you ready for pancakes?"

"I'm always ready for pancakes," she says, winking at Buck, who feels his face flush as Chris laughs.

"Let's go, Buck!" Chris urges.

"I'm going, I'm going," Buck laughs, [y/n] laughing with him.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hen asks him about Buck and Chris just as Eddie is about to check his phone. He pulls it out, opening the message from Buck.

"Looks like [y/n] joined them," he says with a smile, showing Hen and Chim the picture of Buck, Chris, and [y/n], a huge stack of pancakes in front of Chris. Buck and [y/n] wear equally bright smiles. [Y/n]'s arm is wrapped around Chris' shoulders and her hand is pressed against Buck's arm. Buck's cheeks are noticeably pink.

"Hey, when is Buck going to admit he's in love with your sister?" Chim asks, a huff leaving his mouth when Hen elbows him.

"Eddie's brows furrow. "What are you talking about?"

Hen and Chim look at each other and then at him.

"You're actually being serious," Hen states. Eddie nods. "You don't see the way he looks at her? They way he lights up when she walks into a room?"

"Like at his welcome back party," Chim adds, Hen nodding vigorously. "He rushed through saying hello to everyone but then spent like ten minutes with her."

"And, if I do say so myself, she definitely feels the same way," Hen says. Eddie still just stares at them. He looks at Bobby as he walks up to them.

"Are we talking about Buck and [y/n?" he asks, making Eddie gape at him. "What?"

"Eddie didn't know that they're in love with each other," Chim tells him. Bobby looks at Eddie like he's crazy.

"Don't worry, Eddie," Bobby says, patting his friend on the shoulder. "You'll see what we're talking about."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Y/n] is sitting next to Buck on the bench as he holds onto Christopher, who is entranced by the water below. He had been talking for an hour about wanting to see a sea lion.

"Thanks for coming with us today [y/n]." Buck looks down at her, his blue eyes meeting her hazel ones. "This was fun."

"Well thank you for inviting me," she tells him with a smile. Buck likes the way her eyes sparkle when she smiles at him. "Are you feeling any better?" she asks tentatively.

"Actually, yeah," he says softly. "A little bit. I - I still don't know what I'm going to do."

"Understandable," she muses. "You've found a job that you love and are passionate about. I know how much you love being a firefighter, Buck. It isn't just a job for you - it's your calling. You don't feel like you can do anything else and you don't want to do anything else. I get it." She takes a deep breath as she rests a hand on his arm, her grip firm and gentle at the same time. Comforting. "You just have to be patient. I know that the chief said, but maybe it'll change. It this is what you are meant to do, the job will find a way to pull you back in, one step at a time."

Buck hates that he's tearing up right now. He's grateful that [y/n] doesn't mention the moisture gathering in his eyes. She just smiles at him.

"Thank you for saying that," he says softly, his voice more like a whisper. Christopher's voice cuts in before she can respond.

"Where did all the water go?"

The two adults share a look before looking out at the water. Buck hears [y/n] gasp.

"Evan, is that -,"

"We need to go right now," he cuts her off, launching himself off of the bench. He picks Chris up in a fireman's carry and goes to reach for [y/n], but her hand finds his first. he takes off running, trying his best to be gentle as he pulls her along.

"We're not going to make it to any buildings!" [y/n] shouts, her voice barely carrying over the volume of the panicked crowd. Buck's eyes lock on the carnival booth that they were at earlier.

"Come on!" he shouts, pulling harder to get them there. He sees the wave getting closer. He pushes Christopher under the booth's counter, ushering [y/n] under as well. He sees her crouch down, shielding Chris, and she calls out his name when Buck hesitates to look at the tsunami racing towards them.

He throws himself over the side of it, barely having time to latch onto [y/n] before the water slams into them. He panics when the water rips him away from her and from Chris. He yells for them but water fills his mouth. He is able to get to the surface, but the current is strong and he can barely stay above the water. He tries to look for Chris and [y/n] but everything is going by too quickly. He yells Chris' name, then [y/n]'s.

His heart nearly stops when he hears Chris shouting his name. He turns his head and spots Chris holding onto a pole.

"I'm coming, Chris!" he yells as loud as he can. "Hold on!"

He swims to the kid, reaching out his hand to try to grab him but the current pushes them apart, and Buck misses him. Buck manages to grasp onto a string of lights and shouts at Christopher, telling him to let go, that he’d catch him, and he does. He pulls Chris to a mostly-submerged fire engine, and Buck is relieved to see that no one is stuck inside the cab. He gets Chris up onto the rig and manages to pull himself up as well, gasping for air. He pushes himself onto his hands and knees and maneuvers Christopher further down the back of the engine where the ladders and hoses are. He holds Chris tight to chest, trying to comfort the boy and himself. 

“Where’s [y/n]?” Christopher asks, and Buck doesn’t know. He’s been looking around, trying to see if he can spot her, but he can’t. 

“We’ll find her, Chris,” he promises. “I’ll find her.”

A few moments later  he hears a woman calling for help, and is mad at himself for being disappointed that she isn’t [y/n]. He gets the woman to the engine and Chris points out a whole group of people who are swimming towards the truck, and Buck is about to help them when he hears someone yell his name. He blinks slowly, thinking he imagined it, but then he hears it again. A woman’s voice. [Y/n]'s voice. He yells out her name, turning his back on the other survivors. He might feel bad about that later, but he needs to get to [Y/n] first. He hears her yell again. 

“Buck!” Christopher yells, pointing at something on the other side of the truck. Buck climbs on top of it again and looks to where Chris is pointing, and he finally spots her. She has her arms wrapped around a tree, and he can see the blood on her face from the truck. 

“I’m coming for you!” Buck shouts before he jumps into the water. He moves as quickly as he can to get to her, panic rising in him when he sees just how much blood covers her face. Soon his arms are around her and the tree, keeping them there for a moment. Thankfully, the current has weakened greatly, and he doesn’t have to hold as tightly onto the tree.

“Buck,” she gasps, drawing in a breath. 

“I’ve got you.”

“Chris?”

“He’s safe. You see that engine over there?” he says, pointing to it. She nods. “He’s on top of it with some other people. He’s okay.”

“How fitting,” she chuckles. Buck laughs with her. 

“Let’s get you over there so I can look you over.” She just nods. Halfway to the engine, she speaks again. 

“I think I hit my head,” she whispers. Buck frowns and tries to mask his worry.

“I think you did too,” he says. “We’re at the engine, I’ll hold you up, okay?”

“Okay,” she says, before reaching up and holding onto one of the railings. A middle-age man grabs onto her arms and helps her up, nodding when Buck thanks him. Buck climbs up himself, and sees that [y/n] is already sitting by Christopher, who has his arms wrapped around her. 

“I’m alright, sweetie,” she assures him. Buck kneels in front of them. 

“[y/n], let me take a look at your head,” he says gently. She turns to face him fully. He doesn’t miss the way her body relaxes when his fingers come in contact with her head. She winces when he dabs at the cut on her forehead. Blood is oozing from the cut and Buck moves to take off the button-down shirt that he is wearing. 

“This will sting because of the salt water, but I need to get all of this blood off your face, okay?”

“Do what you need to.” Her voice is soft.

He’s quiet as he cleans her face, Christopher resting his head against [y/n]'s shoulder. 

“Is Dad going to come find us?” Christopher asks, his gaze shifting between Buck and [y/n]. The two share a look. 

“I’m not sure, buddy,” Buck tells him. Christopher’s face falls.

“He just doesn’t know we came out here,” [y/n] tells him. “He probably thinks we’re back at Buck’s place or at the movies. But we’ll see him soon, okay, carino?” 

“Okay,” Chris sighs. [Y/n] ruffles his hair. At this point Buck has gotten most of the blood off of her face, and can now see the cut clearly. He’s grateful to see that it is superficial, but there is already a bruise forming around it. 

“Are you hurt anywhere else?” he asks her, his hands laying gently on her knees. 

“I think something hit my ribs. They hurt a little bit, but not bad.”

“You sure?” Buck asks. [Y/n] rolls her eyes and nods. 

“What about you?” she asks him. She glances at the cuts on his face and arms. 

“I’m fine. I think I bruised some ribs too.”

She hums in response. She shakes her head as if she’s trying to wake herself up. Buck figures she might have a concussion. She scoots back, bringing Christopher with her, until her back is pressed against the exterior of the cab. 

“Let’s play I Spy, huh?”

“Okay!” Chris laughs, making [y/n] laugh too. “You are gonna play, Buck?”

“Of course I am,” he says, sitting down in front of them. “I spy with my little eye…”

They play that game for a while trying to keep Chris preoccupied. Buck hears hushed gasps coming from the other people on the engine, and looks up at the water. He feels bile rise in his throat at the sight of the bodies floating past them, face down and deathly still. He quickly picks Chris up and places him up on the raised part of the bed by the railings, facing him away from the bodies. [Y/n] sits up straight, her head tilted in confusion. She looks out at the water before he can stop her and he sees the moment she realizes what he was shielding Chris from. The content, patient smile that lit up her face was gone in an instant, and Buck desperately wished he could do something to put it back. [Y/n] stands and sits beside Christopher, her arm around his shoulders in a way that prevents him from turning his head too much. Buck tries to catch her gaze but she won’t look at him. She won’t look up from her lap at all. He wants to take her hand but freezes when someone approaches them. He looks up to see the first woman that he saved from earlier. She crouches in front of Chris and reveals a deck of cards in her hand, miraculously dry. 

“Hi, I’m Alex,” she introduces herself. “My friends and I are going to play a game, do you want to play?” 

She’s only asking Christopher. The boy looks up at his aunt, who nods.

“If you want to, sweetie, go ahead,” she says encouragingly. Christopher smiles and nods to Alex, who takes his hand, continuing to block his view of that part of the water as she guides him to sit with the others. She looks at the couple over her shoulder, giving them a knowing look. 

Once they’ve sat down, Buck turns to [y/n]. She has angled herself away from the group of people so that they can’t see her face. Buck sees her chest rising and falling, but it’s doing so much too rapidly for his liking. Then he catches her voice hitching, and he sees a tear falling down her face, and he curses himself for not doing more to comfort her. 

“Hey, hey,” he whispers, quickly sitting beside her. He doesn’t want to do too much so he just holds her hands, but then she leans against him and tucks her face into the crook of his neck. He lets go of her hands to wrap his arms around her, holding her as close to him as he can. 

“It’s okay,” he tells her. “You’re okay, I’ve got you.”

She whispers an apology but he quickly silences her. 

“Don’t apologize, it’s okay,” he mumbles. He presses his lips to her hair and leans his head against hers. “We’re going to be okay, [y/n]. I’m not going to let anything happen to you or Chris.”

“I know.” Her voice is muffled as she speaks against his skin. A shiver runs down his spine. She pushes herself off of him, but her hands remain on his arms. “I’m scared, Buck, but not because I don’t feel safe. I do feel safe. You make me feel safe. You -,” she falters, trying to think of how to phrase it. “I’ve always felt safe with you around me.” she finally meets his gaze, although hesitantly, as if she’s afraid of how he’s going to react. Buck can’t believe what he’s hearing. 

“You feel safe with me?” he asks, his voice quiet. Unsure. [Y/n] nods. 

“I can’t explain why,” she tells him. “I’ve just always felt that if something ever happens, you’d try your hardest to keep me safe. When you’re in the same room as me, it’s relaxing. Even if you’re on the other side of the room or haven’t seen me yet, your presence makes me feel safe.”

Buck sits there and takes her in. she’s probably panicking while he figures out what to say. No one has ever said anything like that to him before, ever. And he feels so strongly for her. He’s never cared for anyone as much as he cares for her. And she’s right - he would go to the ends of the earth for her. 

“I love you.” The words come out of his mouth before he can stop them. Her eyes widen and she gapes at him, and he gets scared but he blubbers along anyway. “Now is the worst time to tell you this, I know, but I am so in love with you. I’ve loved you for a while now. At first it was weird because every time you talked to me or even looked at me I felt like I was having a medical emergency, because I would get lightheaded and my heart would start pounding and I wouldn’t be able to breathe. I thought I knew how it felt to be in love with someone but with you - either I was wrong about how I felt about her or this is the strongest form of love possible, because I literally cannot stop thinking about you.” His breathing is labored, his chest heaving as he observes her. He feels like he’s floating when her lips break into a smile, her cheeks turning a bright pink. 

“You love me?” She sounds hopeful. Buck smiles too. 

“So much,” he assures her. “More than I thought was possible.”

“Buck,” she gasps, laughing quietly. “I -,”

Her voice cuts off when the fire engine lurches to the side. Buck latches onto the railing and tightens his hold on her. 

“What was that?” she asks. She lets out a yelp when it happens again, and the water around them begins to surge and push its way through the debris again. 

“Chris!” [Y/n] shouts over the noise of the water. Her nephew looked at her, panicked. Alex is beside him, holding him tightly. “Hold on to something, do not let it go, okay? Hold on tight.”

Buck is about to pull [y/n] into him when he hears, and sees, someone fall into the water. He looks at [y/n] once before rushing to the side, reaching his hand out to try to grab the man. Their hands lock and he tries to pull him up, but he loses his grip when the engine lurches and shudders again, and he hears a splash behind him. Then he hears Christopher yelling and screaming [y/n]'s name. Buck turns around in a panic, barely stopping himself from jumping into the water. [y/n] fell and the tide is going back out. He needs to get to her, needs to save her, but he needs to stay with Christopher. She would tell him to stay with Christopher.

Christopher stumbles over to him, managing to step over the ropes and hoses that litter the flat surface, and Buck latches onto him, keeping him away from the edge. 

“Buck, Buck, [y/n] fell,” he whines. 

“I know, buddy,” Buck tells him. “We’re going to find her again, okay? We just need to wait until the water settles down again. I promise buddy, we’re going to look for her.”

“Is she going to be okay?” the boy asks. “Maybe dad will find her.”

“Maybe,” Buck says quietly. “I hope so.”

When the water resides, Buck climbs down from the engine and helps Christopher down. He scans the area, unable to decide where to go from here. He needs to look for [y/n]. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Eddie is standing outside with Hen, Chim, and Bobby discussing what and where they should go next when all of the sudden, Hen gasps and goes completely silent for a moment. He, Bobby, and Chim all turn to look at her. 

“Eddie, is that [y/n]?”

“What?” Eddie gasps, whirling around to face the direction Hen was looking in. He sees her immediately. “Oh my - [y/n]?” he shouts her name and rushes toward her. She looks straight at him and he hates the look on her face. Her eyes are dazed, void of emotion even when he gets to her and he grabs her by her shoulders. 

“[Y/n], what -,”

“Eddie?” she whispers. He reassures her that he is there, that he’s real. “Eddie,” she sobs. 

“What happened - what are you doing here?” He hears the others approaching them. Eddie tilts her head to get a better look at the cut on her forehead, which is oozing blood, the skin around it turning an ugly shade of red. 

“We went to the pier,” she cries out. 

“Chris?” he asks his sister. “Buck?”

“Buck kept us safe.” Her voice is hoarse. “We were waiting on a fire engine when the tide went out. I - I tried to reach for someone in the water, I thought I could help her, I couldn’t let her die Eddie I -,”

“Shhh, shhh,” he says, pulling her into him. 

“I don’t feel good.”

Eddie looks at Hen and Chim, who slowly start to step towards them. Hen reaches out and rests her hand on [y/n]'s back. 

“[Y/n], why don’t we get you to a bed? Chim and I will look you over.”

“I need to find them.” Her voice is muffled by Eddie’s shirt. 

“There are dozens of first responders out there right now,” Bobby says, making the young woman pull out of Eddie’s embrace. He looks at the siblings. “We will find them. Let them check over you, [Y/n].”

She is silent for a moment before she nods. She lets Hen guide her over to a cot, Chim following close behind. 

“Go with them, Eddie,” Bobby commands him. Eddie looks at him like he’s crazy. “Be with your sister. We’ll find them.”

Eddie nods hesitantly, watching Bobby walk over to another fire captain. He turns and follows his sister. 

--------------------------–-- an hour later –--------------------------------

“Bobby!” 

He would know that voice anywhere. He turns around and sees a bloodied, bruised Buck, who is carrying Christopher on his back. 

“Buck!” Bobby rushes over to him.

“Cap!” Chris shouts, making Buck flinch. 

“Let’s get you two inside,” Bobby says. “Chris, what do you say we give Buck a break? I can carry you.”

“I want my dad,” Chris whines, though Bobby knows he’s trying to be patient.

“I know, buddy, he’s right inside,” the captain says. “Your dad is here.”

Buck gently places Christopher on the ground, keeping a hand on his shoulder to keep the kid steady. 

“Bobby, Bobby I need to go back out there,” he says, keeping his voice low. Bobby ushers them along, moving them as quickly as they can handle. “I - I lost [y/n]. We got separated and I couldn’t find her.”

“Buck -,”

“I need to find her, Bobby.”

“Dad!”

Eddie whirls around, not wasting a moment to rush to Christopher. 

“Christopher, oh my -,” he falls to his knees in front of him, scooping his son up into his arms. He looks up at Buck, who has a haunted look on his face. “Buck -”

“I’m so sorry, Eddie,” he says, his voice choked up. “I - I lost her. I couldn’t find her, I’m so sorry.”

“Buck -,”

“I need to keep looking for her.”

“Buck!” Eddie nearly has to shout to get his attention. It takes a lot of effort for Buck to meet his gaze. “She’s okay.”

The shock is clear on his face. “Wha-”

“[Y/n] is here,” Bobby steps in. Buck turns to him. “She stumbled in about an hour ago, pretty banged up.” Buck almost looks like he doesn’t believe him. He looks to Eddie, who nods. 

“Where?” he asks. “I need to see.”

Eddie carries Christopher, who immediately falls asleep, through the tented area. They don’t walk very far before they see Hen and Chim, standing next to a cot. They see Buck before [y/n] does. Buck sees Chim tap [y/n]'s shoulder and point in his direction, and sees him mumble something. [Y/n] tries to sit up straighter and turns to look in his direction. His heart had been pounding before, but as soon as he saw her face his heart nearly stopped. He is frozen more a moment, not sure what to do or if she wants him there, but then she says his name. And then she’s trying to move, trying to swing her legs over the side of the bed. 

He rushes past Eddie, moving as fast as his feet will carry him. He needs to get to her, needs to have his hands on her. Hen and Chim aren’t there anymore, they moved to stand with Bobby and Eddie. 

“Buck,” she gasps right as gets to her. He collapses onto his knees in front of her. 

“[Y/n], oh God, [Y/n],” he rambles, resting his arms over her thighs. “Are - are you okay? I’m so sorry -,”

“I’m okay, nothing serious,” she assures him, one of her hands moving to his hand, running her fingers through his hair. “I’m okay, it’s not your fault. I’m okay.”

A sob tears through him and he presses his face into her legs. He feels her lean over him, her arms placed gently around his shoulders and neck. He listens to her breathing and doesn’t realize until he feels water trickling down his neck that she is crying too. 

“I love you too, Buck,” she whimpers. “So much. I love you.”

“I couldn’t keep you safe.” 

“You did, Buck. You kept me as safe as possible.”

“Y/n -,” Buck opposes, lifting his head from her lap. She shushes him. Buck rambles on. “I didn’t jump in after you. If I had you wouldn’t have been alone out there. You…,” he brushes a finger against the fresh bruise on her collarbone.

“You stayed with Christopher. That’s what you had to do - that’s what I wanted you to do. You kept Christopher safe. You saved me, got me to the engine. You saved all those other people.” [Y/n] runs her fingers through his hair again. “You did your best, Evan, and I’m so proud of you.” 

Before Buck can respond, they hear Chris calling out to [Y/n]. They look over at the rest of the 118, having forgotten that they were there, and see Chris wiggling trying to get out of his father’s arms. Eddie places him on the ground and Chris has enough energy to walk to his aunt. Eddie stares after him. [Y/n] is too busy coddling Christopher, checking him over and giving him reassurances, to notice the misty gleam in Eddie’s eyes. Buck does notice, and meets his best friend’s gaze. 

“I need to talk to Eddie for a second,” Buck mumbles. [Y/n] nods, although hesitantly. “I’ll be right back, I promise.” 

He leaves her with Chris, going to stand with Eddie. 

“Eddie -,”

Buck barely gets his name out before his friend is crushing him in a hug. Buck is still for a moment before returning the embrace.

“Thank you for keeping them safe.” Eddie’s voice is shaky. He pulls away from Buck, but keeps a grip on his shoulders. Buck knows Eddie well enough to be able to decipher the look in his eyes. The intense relief and gratitude that he sees there nearly makes Buck crumble. “They’re the two most important people in my life, Buck. You’re the third.” Buck’s eyes widen. “You kept them safe. And I’m glad you’re safe.”

“I would do anything for them,” Buck tells him. 

“I know you would. It took you long enough, by the way.” The soft grin on his face confuses Buck for a second. 

“Wha -,”

“You and [y/n]. I’m happy for you.”

“Oh - I - I love her, Eds,” he tells him. Eddie just nods with a smile. Buck looks over to [y/n], who is now curled up on the cot with Chris curled up on her lap. Relief washes over him, and he smiles back at Eddie, who puts a hand on his shoulder and starts to guide him toward them.