Josh watched Maddie as she got back to work. He could tell that she was worried about her brother, and he didn't blame her. She had every right to worry after what Buck had been through. Josh thought about how he was going to get through to Maddie and calm her down, and the first thing that came to mind was the same thing that he had used to calm Buck down when Maddie had finally been found and was recovering in the hospital from Doug's attack- things would get better in time, but pushing someone to get better, or worrying that things will only get worse, are the downfall that stops a person from recovering. It had worked for Buck. Could it work for Maddie too? He was going to have to try it out if she wasn't feeling less worried by the end of the day.

"Hello?" asked a voice, pulling Josh from his thoughts.

Shaking his head, Josh remembered that he had called Bobby. "Sorry, Captain Nash. My name is Josh. I work for 911. We met when Maddie was transferred to LA County Hospital a couple of years ago?"

"I remember. You're Maddie's mentor. Buck was so grateful to you for sending help out so fast to Chimney and for breaking the rules to get he and Athena a location on Doug's phone."

"Right. Well, I'm calling on Maddie's behalf this time. She's climbing the walls with worry over Buck, so I promised I would call and check on him for her."

"Buck's doing pretty well. Something's eating at him, but he won't tell me about it. I guess it's personal."

"Is he having trouble with his leg? I think that's what's troubling Maddie the most."

"No. It's like there was never a problem. He came back to work and it seemed like any other day, like no time passed at all. We really missed him though."

"I don't doubt that. Maddie mentioned that it was your team that was sent out to a house fire this morning. She was feeling worried that Buck might be suffering from smoke inhalation."

"He's fine. He wasn't in the house for very long, and the smoke was minimal. The fire was contained at the rear of the house. Maddie can relax, Buck is fine."

"What do you want to talk about?" asked Chimney as he sat with Buck in the station house's kitchen.

"Ali..." said Buck.

"You guys broke up?"

"Yeah. She left me in the middle of the night a few months ago. I just thought she was still angry after we argued the night before, but she didn't come back. I found a note in the kitchen that said she wasn't coming back to me and that I needed to get out of her home."

"That's harsh."

"Tell me about it. I figured that she might be angry with me, but I didn't doubt that she meant every word she wrote in that letter. I called Maddie and asked her to pick me up, but I didn't tell her anything. She figured it out when she got to me and found me packing my belongings."

"Maddie must have been upset and worried about you."

"She was. As soon as I told her about Ali and showed her the note, she got angry and went on a tirade about how she was going to make Ali realise her mistake and all of that. It was kind of amusing to watch actually. Once she calmed down, I told her that I really love Ali and that I wanted to work things out. It's taken a while, but I finally got through to Ali. She's adamant that we won't be together again if I still want to be a firefighter."

"That's ridiculous."

"Yeah, I know. I won't give up this job, Chim, but I really miss her."

"That's understandable. You still love her, so of course you miss her. I just hope you know that she's not worth your time if she can't accept that you put yourself in danger to save other people."

"I know that... I guess I just wish things were different, that's all."

Chimney smiled. "You'll meet the right girl someday, Buck. Trust me. I never imagined finding the perfect woman for me, but now I can see just how wrong I was."

"Maddie?"

"Yes. She's perfect. We get along so well, we've already seen each other at our worst. I know her biggest secret and she knows mine. I love her."

"Too much information, Chim," said Buck, "but, I get it. Thank you."

"Anytime."

"Maddie, I spoke with Captain Nash," said Josh, "and he told me to tell you not to worry about your brother. He's fine, and he's enjoying himself. I think he's upset over Ali, but otherwise he's fine."

"Thank you, Josh," said Maddie. "I really needed to hear that. I don't know why, since Chimney also told me to stop worrying because Buck is okay, but it just seems real now."

"You're welcome." Josh nodded at the computer screen. "How about we finish off this shift so you can get out of here and enjoy your night."

"That's a good idea. Chimney wants to take me to a restaurant for dinner tonight. I'm going to pick him up after I finish here."

"Good. The two of you need a night out together, without Buck, I mean."

"Buck's so not coming on my date, Josh!"

"I would hope not," laughed Josh as he returned to his desk and got back to work.