Buck stared at Diego. He couldn't help it.
Was the young man sitting hunched on the sofa, hugging his knees, possibly Buck's best friend?
It wasn't that he was sitting hugging his knees. It was the odd look in his eyes. Buck could tell when Diego had zoned out when his greeny-hazel eyes darkened. It usually only happened when Sid talked about his latest failed date, or when had Manny had gone loco over anything that threatened his precious daughter. But now, and almost every day for the last week, they were the colour of dying leaves in the rain. That was the only way to put it. Diego couldn't even be bothered to give Manny the ritual of a punch on the shoulder any more.
And the craziest thing was, Diego's crazy eyes always came when he looked at Peaches.
Buck and Diego pretty much became the chief babysitters while Ellie and Manny looked for a new house instead of the flat. And since Ellie found it hard to make up her mind, Buck and Diego's humble flat, filled with the mindless junk that Manny forgot to baby-proof, became a second home for the 8 month-old.
Peaches was a remarkable baby, able to capture the hearts of the responsibility-hating uncles. And her affection for Uncle 'Jago' assured her place in the tough guy's heart. Uncle Buck and Uncle Jago always made up games and let her do things which her father would never allow her to do, and the little daredevil was indulged in Buck and Diego's flat (the' BAD' place, as Sid, who was harshly looked over as babysitter, had grumbled).
Buck and Diego loved Peaches being there. It was just recently that Diego had stopped the role-play, stopped the games and stopped all the time that he used to invest in his niece. Buck was left to rule Babydom alone, and it wasn't a choice he liked.
Now Diego just sat and stared.
But Diego's reputation was the guy with the mysterious past. Diego had never really opened up, apart from to say something about his life in Soto's gang, and only when asked. Diego once said that half the gang were murdered. Maybe a young girl was among them?
Perhaps someone in his birth herd, Buck wondered. Buck didn't really see Diego as scared of anything, not even ghosts of little girls, so had dismissed it and just decided to let it slide.
But tonight he couldn't.
"What's up?" he asked, trying to be casual. He had to repeat it twice to get Diego's attention.
"Hmmm? Oh nothing. Just tired."
Buck raised an eyebrow.
"You've been tired for the last week. What are you, an insomniac?" He followed Diego's gaze, settling on his wrist. Squinting, he could read the upside-down words, from a tattoo inked long ago.
Sabre. He read thoughtfully. Buck wasn't one for deep thought, but it clicked now.
"You're missing your birth gang!" he cried. "You're missing your mother and your father and all the friends that you left and…." He stopped abruptly. Diego stood up, his eyes clearing rapidly, now filled with annoyance and anger. Oh crap.
"No Buck!" he exclaimed. "Do you have nothing better to do than try to analyse my life? Well I can tell you one thing," he said, stalking to his bedroom door.
"You don't know anything." He said, almost silently, scarier than any shouting. He slammed the door on Buck and the baby.
Peaches turned to Buck, her little hands flying to her chubby pink cheeks. "Oh no Uncle Buck. Why's Uncle Jago so sad?"
"I dunno lil' Ellie. " he replied, scratching his brown crew cut, now growing out.. What had he done?
Fifteen minutes later, a calm, composed Diego walked out. Buck held his tongue.
"I'm sorry Buck." He apologised, as Buck dropped his mouth open. "I guess you're right. I haven't seen my mom or my dad in 6 years. Or any of my old friends."
An apology? From Diego? Dammit, I've got to arrange a doctor's appointment…