Bobby was just pulling into his parking space at the firehouse when his phone beeped at him from the cup holder. He put the car into park and turned off the engine, pulling the key from the ignition and grabbed his phone as he stepped out of the truck. He was always the first of the team to show up at the station, always wanting to be early to give Captain Garrison from B-Shift - or Captain Locke from C-Shift - time to bring him up to speed on anything that he needed to know before the switchover of shifts. He locked the truck and started heading for the open bay doors, unlocking his phone to check the notification. He had been added to a group chat labeled 'DIAZ-BUCKLEY BABES' by Eddie. He opened the chat to read the first message.
From Eddie Diaz: Buck's in labor, happened an hour ago. We're at the hospital now, Maddie is on her way, she will keep you all updated for us. Bobby - I need that paternity leave now. :)
Before he even had a chance to type out a response himself messages from their rag-tag family starting pouring into the chat and he quickly sent his off and turned his attention to Captain Garrison as the man waited for him inside the bay doors.
From Maddie Buckley: I'll be there in 5!
From Athena Grant Nash: I'm off today, would Buckaroo like me to be there?
From Hen Wilson: He's only 34 weeks, what happened!?
From Chimney Han: What Hen said!
From May Grant: OMG, I'm going to be an aunt today!
From Helena Diaz: Oh my Gosh, Eddie! Tell Buck we love him.
From Helena Diaz: Your father is booking us flights to LA right now!
From Albert Han: Oh, I get to be part of this!?
From Sophia Diaz: I better get to be the Godmother of one of those babies!
From Chimney Han: You're family now Albert, of course.
From Bobby Nash: I already have a list of volunteers to cover and the paperwork signed. You're officially on six weeks, if you need more time let me know. Tell Buck everyone is here for him!
It took ten minutes for him to debrief with Captain Garrison, then told the man about Buck. Garrison congratulated him - it was no secret that Bobby and Athena were Evan Buckley's unofficial adopted parents. Bobby and Garrison went their own way and Bobby headed for his office to change and check his phone again, noticing his phone had not stopped blowing up with notifications from the group chat. He knew he would have to put his phone on silent. After he had changed he headed upstairs to start breakfast for his crew as they would be making their way to work within the next ten minutes. While he cooked, he kept reading the messages on his phone - knowing the only reason Hen and Chimney were not making more comments was because they would both be driving into work themselves.
From Isabel Diaz: Let us know when Evan would like us to stop by. If you need me to take Christopher, I will Mijo.
From Eddie Diaz: Athena - Buck says please (He definitely said "I want my mom" in not so many words and I don't think he was talking about Margaret Buckley).
From Eddie Diaz: Hen/Chim - Mr. and Mrs. Buckley showed up unannounced this morning to our house (and I am seriously questioning how they knew where we lived!) and caused a panic attack that started labor before I could calm him down. Security had to escort them out when Buck yelled at them - Mrs. Buckley had the audacity to say she belonged in the room over me!
From May Grant: That bitch!
From Athena Grant Nash: May, language! Eddie - Tell him his mother is on her way!
From May Grant: Wait for Harry and I! Us and Dad are just around the block!
From Eddie Diaz: Mom - I will send your love to Buck. Abuela - Chris is here with us, Carla hadn't gotten him off to school yet, maybe Pepa can bring you?
From Josephina Diaz: Do not worry, I am on my way to pick her up and we will be there shortly.
From Adriana Diaz: Mom! I'll pay you back but tell dad to get tickets for Soph and I too! Jared's watching the kids.
From Maddie Buckley: Just arrived, give me some time - the parents are about to ambush me at the doors...
Fifteen minutes later and Bobby looked up as both Chimney and Hen came bounding up the stairs, both with their noses in their phones, typing away. They weren't the last to arrive, but they weren't the first either. Henley and Jackson were both sitting on the couches after learning from Bobby about Buck's labor. He had seen Peters come up the stairs but then she had disappeared back downstairs seconds later, he assumed because she had forgotten something from her locker.
"How are we meant to work with this!" Chimney huffed as he shook his phone in the air, sitting down on a stool at the island, Hen following suit.
"We silence our phones and leave them in the truck went on calls." Bobby arched an eyebrow. "I know we're all worried, he still had six weeks, but we were also told he could go into labor as early as thirty five weeks with twins and it would be normal."
Hen frowned, "But he didn't even make it to that. He's at thirty four. They're preterm now."
"And what is up with their parents?" Chimney asked.
They didn't know much about the Buckley parents because Buck didn't like to talk about them, but in the last couple of months during his pregnancy they had gotten a few tidbits of information. They knew their names - Phillip and Margaret. They knew they were workaholics - Phillip was an ex-military man that now ran the IT department for some high powered business, Margaret was a Paralegal. They only understood what Maddie said about them - "They weren't bad people, just bad parents" - after Buck told them they were both emotionally and mentally not there for their children - and physically as they both worked sixty hour weeks and usually took off alone most weekends to "get away from the stress", leaving Maddie to care for Buck - and then a nanny once Maddie was away for college.
Bobby looked back down at his phone at the same time as Chimney and Hen, reading through the multitude of new messages.
From Athena Grant Nash: Buckette if they give you any trouble I will deal with them when I get there.
From Sophia Diaz: So, what exactly is up with the Buckley parents?
From Michael Grant: We'll be there in ten, Athena may be breaking some speeding laws - and texting while driving laws.
From Eddie Diaz: Tell her to slow down, we don't need you all in an accident just to be here for Buck, that won't do him any good.
From May Grant: She's slowed down - maybe fifteen minutes now.
From Maddie Buckley: Okay, I'm inside. Buck's doing good - though Eddie may already have a broken hand.
From Eddie Diaz: Possibly.
From Ramon Diaz: Your mother actually broke my hand when you were born, Mijo.
From Eddie Diaz: That's not comforting.
From Adriana Diaz: That's hilarious!
From Maddie Buckley: Sophia - first of all, hello and nice to meet you (and the rest of Eddie's family), I'm Buck's big sister. And the deal with our parents is they wanted kids but shouldn't have had kids.
From Albert Han: Should I come to the hospital too?
From Chimney Han: "They're not bad people, just bad parents"
From Maddie Buckley: Do not quote me again, Howard!
From Chimney Han: Sorry.
From Maddie Buckley: No Albert, I know you just got off work yourself. We've got plenty of people here, and I'm sure none of us are actually going to see the babies until tomorrow anyway. Go to sleep, kid.
From Albert Han: If you're sure?
From Eddie Diaz: Yes, Albert. Sleep. It's just going to be a lot of boring waiting anyway. You can come see them tomorrow with everyone else.
From Karen Wilson: Oh I have missed a lot! Tell Buck I am thinking of him! Let me know when I'll be able to bring Denny and Nia to meet their new cousins!
The crew where just finishing up breakfast, getting ready to clean up when the bell rang and they all had to silence their phones and head for the trucks. It was an hour and twenty minutes before they had returned from a car accident - thankfully not involving the Grant's on their way to the hospital - and they had put their turnout gear away, ascended the stairs into the loft to relax and unsilence their phones to catch up on the messages. Henley was nice enough and made a pot of coffee, placing a cup in front of Bobby, Hen and Chimney each once it was brewed.
From Maddie Buckley: The 'Buck Threatens Eddie's Life' counter has begun... we're already at 3.
From Sophia Diaz: I say it'll be over 100 by the time the twins are born.
From Adriana Diaz: Naw, too high. Somewhere around 70.
From Helena Diaz: How is Christopher doing? Is he still there?
From Maddie Buckley: Christopher is keeping Buck entertained with stories and coloring; Eddie thought it best to just keep him home from school today and tomorrow seeing as how there would be no way of him concentrating on schoolwork.
From Athena Grant: We're heading up to the maternity ward now.
From Eddie Diaz: Room 132A
From May Grant: Harry and I are going to the gift shop.
From Maddie Buckley: Counter now at 8... he made Buck cry.
From Helena Diaz: Edmundo!
From Michael Grant: How?
From Karen Wilson: Eddie Diaz what are you doing!
From Adriana Diaz: Of course he did.
From Sophia Diaz: Oh my God, big bro, how could you?
From Eddie Diaz: I didn't do anything!
From Carla Price: He took his hand away and our Buckaroo did not like that.
From Eddie Diaz: I can't feel my hand, I was trying to trade them out!
From Ramon Diaz: Stop complaining and let Buck squeeze your hand.
The bell rang out again. They followed the same instructions as before. They silenced their phones and headed for the trucks. They returned only forty five minutes later this time - again trudging back upstairs and returning to their phones.
From Maddie Buckley: Counter at 25
From Maddie Buckley: The parents weaseled their way back onto the ward. My mom wanted to yell when Buck cried for Athena when she showed up at his room. I had to stop myself from laughing.
From Eddie Diaz: You didn't stop yourself, you just waited until the door was closed and she couldn't see you.
From May Grant: Concentrate on your partner Diaz! My brother is giving birth to my niece and nephew, he is your responsibility!
From Maddie Buckley: Counter at 31... Eddie's phone is now broken.
From Adriana Diaz: As it has only been two hours and this threat count is already at 31 I would like to amend my initial number and follow Sophia that it'll be over 100. Thank you.
From Josephina Diaz: My mother and I have reached the ward, what is the room number again?
From Carla Price: 132A
From Helena Diaz: Are all of you camping in his room?
From Maddie Buckley: All expect my parents - yes. We were told only 4 but after the whole two commotions they've made, I think the nurses figured it better until it was time for the actual delivery.
From Maddie Buckley: 38... nope sorry 40.
From Hen Wilson: How has he threated Eddie's life 40 times in just over two hours?
From Michael Grant: He's being very creative... and tame seeing as Christopher is sitting right here.
From May Grant: Did anyone else know that Buck could speak German?
From May Grant: And that apparently Eddie does too?
From Ramon Diaz: Edmundo took German throughout high school.
From Maddie Buckley: Buck traveled the world - I think he can speak a little bit of Spanish, German, Russian, French, Italian and Irish.
From Sophia Diaz: Do they use German so Christopher doesn't understand him since my nephew does know Spanish?
From Michael Grant: Seems logical
From Michael Grant: So maybe he's not being so tame in German, Eddie's red as a tomato.
From Adriana Diaz: Ha!
From Sophia Diaz: Oh my God, can we get a video so I can look up a translation?
May Grant has sent a video
From Sophia Diaz: Why is it pointed at the end of the bed? :(
From May Grant: Sorry, the first one was pointed at them but Buck started crying when he saw the phone pointed at him.
From Bobby Nash: How is our boy doing in general? No distress for the babies?
From Athena Grant Nash: Everything is good right now. The babies' heartbeats are normal, as is Buck's, even if he is in pain. He has asked for you but knows you have to work.
From Bobby Nash: We're off at 8, I'll be there right after. I promise.
Bobby frowned and sighed as the bell rang once again. Chimney and Hen felt the same way as once again they silenced their phones and headed for the trucks. This time they were gone for almost three hours before they returned to the station. It was just past lunch time so Bobby got to work making lunch for the crew while Chimney and Hen ran through the missed messages out loud for him. They skimmed through dozens of random chats between those at the hospital with the parents-to-be and Eddie's family back in El Paso. It seemed Eddie's parents and sisters were trying to get to know Buck and Maddie a little more through the chat seeing as they were basically family now. They even talked a little about the Buckley childhood and the reasons behind why Buck had not spoken to his parents since he turned eighteen. A new message came through just as they had sat down for lunch and had caught up with the conversations.
From Maddie Buckley: They've taken him to surgery. Baby B was in distress and they are doing an emergency c-section. We're all in the waiting room now.
From Chimney Han: Oh God, how's Buck? How's Eddie?
From Athena Grant Nash: Eddie's been allowed to go back with him.
From Maddie Buckley: Buck was crying, Eddie was trying to reassure him as they wheeled him down the hall.
From May Grant: Pretty sure the threat counter is now at 88 or 89 - we're not sure if he threatened him on their way to the surgery.
From Hen Wilson: What kind of distress was the baby in?
From Maddie Buckley: Her heart rate dropped. They think the cord may have gotten wrapped.
From Hen Wilson: Are your parents still there?
From Maddie Buckley: One guess.
From Chimney Han: Have they said anything?
From Athena Grant Nash: Margaret tried to push her way through the doors down to surgery with them.
From Athena Grant Nash: Almost pulled Eddie away by his collar.
From May Grant: Mom stepped in like a badass as usual. Buck said 'Mom' and Mrs. Buckley actually had the audacity to think he was asking for her. Pshh.
From Maddie Buckley: Before she could pick a fight security stepped up again. Guess they've been keeping an eye on them all morning. They haven't caused enough to warrant them being thrown out of the hospital yet.
From Sophia Diaz: Shame
From Helena Diaz: Provoke them. Get them to fight and make a cause.
From Adriana Diaz: Mother!
From Sophia Diaz: Go mom!
From Isabel Diaz: I agree with my daughter-in-law.
From Helena Diaz: I'm just saying they do not need that type of stress, especially Buck. He's already worried and scared enough I am sure now that he is in surgery to deliver those babies.
They were only halfway through lunch when once again the bell rang and they were all turning their attention back to work. Henley, Peters, Jackson, Johnson and Wade - as well as Abel from B-Shift, who had stayed to cover for Eddie after doing his own 12-hour shift the night before - were picking up the slack at the station so they could keep track of the conversations and news of Buck, but when the bell rang their full focus had to be on the job. They returned just over two hours later. They weren't even fully out of the truck when Bobby unsilenced his phone and there was an instant ding of a notification.
From Ramon Diaz: Any news?
From Athena Grant Nash: Still in surgery. Eddie said he would be out once the babies were born and Buck was settled back in his room.
From Ramon Diaz: Helena, the girls and I will be flying out tomorrow afternoon.
From Isabel Diaz: You may stay with me while you are here.
From Ramon Diaz: Thank you, mother.
Bobby sighed. He knew it was going to be a long afternoon. When he returned to the loft Jackson and Wade were already cleaning up from their lunch they had to leave when the bell had rang on them the last time. There were another two calls and more random chat messages through the afternoon that kept Bobby, Chimney and Hen busy. They even joined in a little more then just reading through messages when they were able. It was a half hour before their shift was over - Captain Locke of C-Shift had already arrived to get ready for his shift - getting updated by Bobby about work and of Buck and Eddie. Bobby had even gotten a call from Captain Garrison that he and some B-Shift firefighters would be taking their afternoon shift tomorrow to allow Bobby, Chimney and Hen to take the day to spend at the hospital once the babies were born. Bobby thanked him a dozen times before hanging up. As he did his phone dinged with a new message and he opened it instantly.
Maddie Buckley has sent a photo
From Maddie Buckley: Baby A - its a boy! Born at 3:24pm; 3lbs, 9ozs
Maddie Buckley has sent a photo
From Maddie Buckley: Baby B - its a girl! Born at 3:33pm; 3lbs, 7ozs
Both photos were of the babies - one in a blue beanie and one in a pink - were in incubators in the NICU. Bobby knew that was coming. They were considered preterm - preemies. He would have been surprised if they were any bigger. Congrats started flooding in from everyone - even those already at the hospital when another photo dinged in.
Maddie Buckley has sent a photo
From Maddie Buckley: SURPRISE BABY C - ITS A GIRL! Born at 3:44pm; 3lbs, 1oz
From Sophia Diaz: OH MY GOD OH MY GOD OH MY GOD
From Athena Grant Nash: What!
From Chimney Han: Is this a surprise to all or just us? Did they know?
From May Grant: THREE BABIES OMFG
From Hen Wilson: ...I think Bobby stopped breathing.
From Bobby Nash: I'm fine. Any word on Buck... and Eddie?
From Albert Han: Yeah like did he faint?
From Maddie Buckley: This is actually Eddie. I took Maddie's phone once they were delivered to get the photos. Sorry it took so long, they had to clean them and Buck up, and get him settled. I stopped to get something to drink and then saw everyone in the waiting room. I wanted to wait until everyone could be updated together, so figured end of shift for Bobby, Chim and Hen was the best time.
From Maddie Buckley: (Eddie) And I'm doing okay... I think. No I did not faint, Albert. No, we did not know about the third baby. Even the doctor looked shocked - he assured us it's not uncommon - rare - but not uncommon for a baby to be hidden until birth. Her heartbeat was never picked up on ultrasounds.
From Helena Diaz: Must we wait for their names?
From Karen Wilson: Names?
From Maddie Buckley: (Eddie) Buck and I will have to reevaluate their names now that we suddenly have a third. Buck had picked out cutesy matching names when we thought we only had twins.
From May Grant: Of course he did
From Sophia Diaz: Can we just name this surprise baby. I think Sophia makes a great name!
From Helena Diaz: Sophia Isabel Diaz!
From Sophia Diaz: Jr. You forgot the Jr there, mom.
From Helena Diaz: I was not... nevermind.
From Adriana Diaz: If anything I think the baby should be named after me.
From Athena Grant Nash: Alright ladies, maybe the parents should pick the name, yes?
From Albert Han: So... should we all congregate at the hospital to see babies... and I guess Buck... in the morning.
From Maddie Buckley: (Eddie) Yeah that's probably best. I'm staying here for the night. I'll add Buck to the group so I can continue to update. Abuela - if you could take Christopher. Athena - if you could bring Christopher and Maddie in to say goodnight first, and Maddie can get her phone back.
From Athena Grant Nash: We are on our way back, sweetheart.
From Isabel Diaz: Of course I will take him for the night. We will wait for him to say goodnight to his daddies.
Maddie Buckley has added E. 'Buck' Buckley to the chat
From Bobby Nash: I'll see you and the kids at home, Athena. Tell our son I'm proud of him and will see him in the morning.
From Athena Grant Nash: I will and see you soon, dear.
Throughout the rest of the evening and the night more messages continued to pour through the chat. Many of them had silenced the notifications so not to be disturbed. Bobby kept his open and fell asleep to reading chats between Maddie, Eddie (using Buck's phone), Chimney and Hen - with Albert, Sophia and Adriana chiming in from time to time. The first of many had been why Eddie had kept the surprise Baby C from those already at the hospital for almost five hours. He had just replied that he wanted to let everyone know at the same time. Those at the hospital had already been told the twins were born and as healthy as could be when Eddie had taken Maddie's phone - but nobody had been allowed to see them yet because Eddie wanted Buck to see the babies first in the morning once he was rested enough. Everyone understood that.