Buck's POV

Waking up his head first started hurting, then his chest, arms, until his entire body seemed to have been put on fire. He slowly sits up and that's when it hits him… Where was he? He opened his eyes and cursed himself as the lights were too bright. So he slowly opens them again adjusting to the light and he registers the surroundings. The pale white paint, the smell of his deodorant, and the sight of the familiar black duvet. He was at his apartment again. And like the last time he went out to be wasted, he seemed to have magically appeared at his apartment again.

"How did I get home?" Buck thinks out loud.

"You were magically whisked away by some fairy and carried you home."

Buck shouts as he hears a woman's voice beside him. Suddenly he feels the duvet move revealing… Taylor on her lingerie only.

"I- Uh… Taylor. What are you doing here?" Buck asks as he looks away ashamed to have seen her partially naked and beside him! That's when he was suddenly conscious of his clothing and yep, he was just in his underwear also.

"D-did we?" Buck asks Taylor while flicking his finger back and forth between them and Taylor laughs.

"We did before. Right? In the bathroom of a bar? In a van, remember?" Taylor says grinning but Buck was scrambling for his clothes. "Buck, we've seen each other naked already, what's wrong?" And when she asked that Buck heard something snap within him.

"What's wrong? What's wrong is that I always seem to be saved by you whenever I am drinking. What's wrong is that I don't even know who I am anymore. What's wrong is that I've been framed! And what's wrong is that my best friend believed someone he just met other than me, a person whom he's known for two long years!" Buck snaps at Taylor and she recoils back. "Crap… I'm sorry. I-I didn't mean to… Fuck!"

"Buck, calm down we didn't do anything I promise. What has got you so worked up? Come sit down please." Taylor says and Buck sees her patting the mattress as he slips a leg in his jeans.

Buck toys with the idea of either hoping he can get his legs in the jeans and make a run for it out of his apartment or sit and talk. His head screams as the hangover hits worse than before and that's when he knew he could make a run for it but he knew Taylor would R.K.O him before he could get out of the second floor. Reluctantly, he sat on the bed, his back facing her, and made sure not to get under the covers as he was very aware that Taylor was in her undergarments.

"It's... It's all a mess, and you have to believe me I didn't do it, but I know she is going to spin her lies… I mean fuck! Eddie believes Ana so I'm screwed either way." Buck says willing his voice not to crack.

There's a moment of silence and to Buck, it felt like hours. He didn't know what Taylor was doing or thinking! He hadn't felt the bed move so she hadn't gotten up but he was too scared to look at her.

"Buck, what exactly have you been framed for? It sounds serious, especially the fact Eddie believes her, I may be way out of the box here but with what you have said and the conversations we've had previously..." There's silence and Buck dreads what she is going to say, he knew Taylor would pick up on the small details and put stuff together "Has Ana accused you of something? Something that's sexual? Because we've seen each other naked already, and you're acting like it's your first time seeing a woman in her garments? And did the cage fighter wannabe hit you hence the bloody nose and bruise?" Buck flinches at the words she said, but there it was the reason she was such a great reporter, she had the ears and the nose of a bloodhound. If anyone would have figured something out by just following bread crumbs, it's her.

He needed to get out of there, he was alone with a woman in their underwear if someone was to come in it would add fuel to the already blazing inferno. He wills his body up and quickly pulls his jeans on and slips a shirt over his head as he heads downstairs.

"BUCK! Where are you going?" Taylor's shout can be heard as he gets to the bottom of the stairs.

He wandered round the kitchen, his head constantly being murdered from the light. He needed to grab some Advil or Tylenol and coffee, he had to go to work today but part of him wanted to phone in sick.

'Wouldn't that make me look more guilty?'

The sound of the coffee machine starting breaks his train of thought. He looked around and he hadn't seen his phone which meant it was in his car. He dreads to think of the number of calls and texts he has but in the same way, at least he hadn't had to deal with them whilst drunk. Grabbing two cups he makes the drinks as he knows Taylor will be down in a minute and he would have to explain as she wouldn't leave, he hears the footsteps coming down the stairs.

"Buck, can you tell me what's wrong?" her voice gets louder as she gets closer to him.

"What? So you can use it as a story to further your career? Just like you were going to do to Bobby? Yeah, I can see the headlines now; "LA Firefighter charged with sexual assault." That would make you some air time no doubt." Buck spits out but instantly regrets it. Still, he knows she would take Ana's side. Everyone always sides with the woman.

"Okay, I admit that I was desperate before for a story and conveniently, your Captain was intoxicated with LSD. But no, I wouldn't do that to you. Not anymore." Taylor says and Buck scoffs at it. "Listen, we're friends and I believe you. Hell, I'm most likely to be the only one who knows the person you want is Eddie and no one else. So there's no chance I can see you doing this, please look at me."

Buck continues to look out the window. She was right, she knew he wouldn't do anything like that because she knew he liked Eddie. By the end of the day, the whole firehouse would know and God knows who else! He wouldn't be able to show his face. Turning around he sees Taylor, she has that sympathetic smile and he hated seeing that on peoples faces when it came to him and his problems.

"I know this is hard and it's only going to get worse, but I promise you I'm on your side and I believe you 100%, there is no doubt. But you need to tell me everything that happened, okay?" he watches as she explains and can see she has been truthful and that she wants to help. So with a gentle nod, they walk to the sofa so he can explain the worst day of his life.

As they sit there Buck can feel Taylor's presence beside him, he needed to get his side out so he had someone.

Buck explains what happened at the party, Ana jumping on him, Eddie punching him, and how he ended up in the bar and taking the drugs.

"Sounds to me she actually assaulted you and not the other way round, and Eddie well I have no defense for him hitting you, but he is the type to act and then take years to think about his actions from what you've told me, but also he attacked you because of her lies. In my eyes Buck, she went in there knowing exactly what she was doing and played a blinder. She's a small woman and you're... Well, a six-foot beefcake. It worked perfectly in her plan if she had one."

He looks at her and gives a soft smile. It was nice to know someone believed him, but he knew she only thought this way because she knew how much he liked Eddie.

"People always believe the woman, you see it on the news all the time. Then years later it comes out the man did nothing but his life is ruined, I can't have that happen, I'd lose everyone and everything might as well be dead." Buck chokes out.

Taylor stays silent for a bit after he said that. She just stared at him, contemplating what he said. And then Buck sees Taylor stand up and goes upstairs. Buck thought that maybe she had enough of him and that she just wants to leave. He wouldn't blame her. After all, it was his fault that this happened to him.

"Is this why you took these?" Taylor questions while she was coming down from upstairs. When Buck saw Taylor's legs in front of him, he saw that she was holding the last two pills he had kept.

Hesitantly, Buck tried to look for an explanation as to what those pills were. He was about to say that those were just pills for headaches. But before he could Taylor spoke up. "And don't tell me these are pain relievers because I know that these are drugs. "Buck. I can see why you would take pills after everything you've told me. I do. But you've got to stop this right now. It never ends well."

Gripping Buck's hands, she says "I've read and seen how drugs took down the humblest of men Buck. And I do not want that to happen to you ever. Do you understand me?"

"I do." Buck says as he feels his eyes burning up but no tears came.

"This on the other hand," Taylor brandished the Faundicity pills Buck had left before putting it in the trash can, "Gone. Now I'm going to get dressed and ready. We'll go to the bar and get your jeep back then you can drive me over to the station. It's my first day of being this tardy at the station so that's a first for me."

Then before Buck looked up she already headed upstairs and he could hear shuffling above him.

Buck paces around the living room uncertain whether to go to work and risk seeing Eddie or any of the team. Bobby might swap him to B shift if he asked but oddly Buck didn't want to be moved. After all, he did nothing and maybe Eddie would listen to his side this time especially without Ana around. Despite all these ramblings, he was adamantly looking at the trash can where Taylor threw the pills. He was itching to grab it and just take it as he relieves the high he experienced last night. He needed that right now, just to get him through the day.

A little while later he hears Taylor coming down just in time as he also just finished preparing his stuff, at the end he decided to go to work.

Taylor looks at Buck a once over and her eyebrows knit together albeit a moment but long enough for Buck to notice, "Ready to face the music?" She says in an upbeat tone.

"Hope so." Buck says and they get off his apartment and goes on to fetch his car.

After meeting Randy, the bartender, getting his car, and being warned about the drugs he took last night, they were on their way to Taylor's station. When he dropped Taylor off she looked back once more to Buck and stared at his eyes, way too long, before saying take care then heading in for her work. Buck knew she was just worried, but somehow he was irritated by it. Other people showed him pity and sympathized for him.

He just realized that his phone was still in the glovebox, so taking it out he sees that it's nearly drained and has a few notifications which Buck promptly ignores. He charges the phone with the power bank he had, 'Thank God for those' Buck thought then drives into the fire station.

Parking on the far side of the lot, he hurriedly makes his way to the side entrance hoping to avoid any of the people who were at the party yesterday, especially Eddie… If he was even here. He didn't see Eddie's car outside so he might not be in yet. Taking the chance, he starts striding to the lockers but then he hears an argument happening upstairs.

"…Would not do anything like that." He hears Chim say.

"I agree with Chim here Cap. We know Buck, this seems to be a far cry." Hen says rapidly.

'What are they talking about? Me?' Buck thinks and before he knew it he was midway to the stairs where he could barely see them but hear them clearly.

"Wait, let me just say that you guys weren't there. I was behind Eddie and we saw how Buck was on top of her, Ana saying 'no', Eddie punches Buck, and him running off into the night…"

But before Bobby could say something else Chim cuts in, "Come on, Bobby. Seriously? Think about it. It's Buck, while yes he might have had a reckless past with women but for the previous four years of working with him, you still think that he would…"

Flattered that someone actually believed in him, he stands up and strides towards them. Chim and Hen's shocked faces made Bobby turn around and his face was stoic but Buck could see a glint of hurt in his eyes.

"You actually think I am capable of doing that? You of all people should know Bobby. After everything… You would believe her over me?" Buck says his voice nearly cracking at the end.

It hurts. That Bobby, one of the important people in his life, doesn't believe him.

"Buck, listen…" Bobby says but Buck just shakes his head.

"No. Save it… I came here today to work and not to gossip, so can I please just do that?" Buck says willing his eyes not to shed a single tear.

"In the position I was in, I am obliged to look at the perspective that I had. Not Ana's." Bobby said before Buck could turn his back on him, "I do believe that you can not and would not do that ever to any woman. But from where I was standing that's the implication, so now that you're here, tells us what really happened." Bobby says striding towards him before placing a hand on his shoulder.

The familiar touch of one big and heavy hand on his shoulder. He did not know what it was but he felt grounded. For the first time since yesterday's spiral, he felt at ease. And it was on Bobby's touch.

And so he told everyone what really happened.