Eddie felt himself getting close and the look on Buck's face as she rode him only made the high approach quicker. She had her eyes closed and her head thrown back in ecstasy as she moaned and Eddie couldn't hold back anymore. He grabbed her hips and started thrusting up into her at a faster pace, making her whine and moan in pleasure.
"Eddie… Eddie please… I'm so close…" Buck whimpered as she looked down at him with lust blown, blue eyes.
"That's it, mi corazón." Eddie moaned deeply, feeling the tightening of his lower stomach. "Dios, you are so beautiful."
Eddie brought down one hand and expertly rubbed Buck's clit with his thumb and with a pleasurable scream, Buck collapsed forward on his chest as she shuddered through her orgasm. The look on her face and her fluttering walls around his cock made Eddie follow her into ecstasy with a deep, satisfied moan, and stuttering hips.
After a few moments of basking in the afterglow, Buck laughed quietly. "God, it's like it gets better every single time."
Eddie chuckled and carded a hand through her hair, "I love you so much. I don't think I'm ever going to get tired of telling you that."
"I love you to the moon and back, to infinity and beyond, forever and ever." Buck smiled as she sat up and Eddie felt his cock twitch where he was still inside her.
Buck slowly eased herself of Eddie, got of the bed and stretched. Eddie couldn't do anything but lay back and admire the lines of her body, knowing that if was a decade younger he would be ready to go again from just looking at her.
"So, Christopher is still sad over that we couldn't go to the Aquarium. I mean, I haven't told him that you're a mermaid there but still, he was bummed out that we couldn't go." Eddie smirked as he pulled off the condom and tied it off before throwing it in the trashcan.
"Oh?" Buck looked up from where she was pulling on her panties.
"Yeah, and now he has started bringing it up every other day." Eddie chuckled. "Saying that we should bring the whole family and go to the Aquarium."
"Your whole family?" Buck squeaked as she stumbled while she tried to step into her pants.
"Careful, cariño." Eddie caught her before she could fall to the floor. "And yes, my whole family. But luckily for you, Abuela told him that it would not work to bring the whole family, which resulted in Chris making Abuela promise to go with us when we go to the Aquarium."
"I don't know…" Buck looked uncertain.
"Why don't you want people to know?" Eddie wondered.
"I guess I don't want them to laugh at me or mock me." Buck shrugged on one of Eddie's shirts.
"Why would you think they would mock you?" Eddie asked softly as he laid a gentle hand on her cheek.
Buck looked up at him with sad but accepting eyes. "Hen and Chim once asked me what I wanted or thought I would do if I wasn't a firefighter and as you know, I don't want them to know about the SEAL thing so I told them that I didn't know. Their response was that I would probably be a model, an actress, or a dancer, and not just any dancer, no, Hen specified that I would probably have been an exotic dancer."
"Buck…" Eddie looked at her sadly, he could see how much that hurt her.
"Am I really only good for my body?" Buck asked in a small voice.
"No, no, mi amore." Eddie pulled her into his arms and he felt his shoulder get damp from her tears. "You are so much more. You are amazing and smart and compassionate."
They stood together for a long while, Eddie just murmuring reassurances into Buck's hair as she let go of the pain and hurt she had been holding close for so long. They pulled a part just as they heard the door open.
"Daddy! Buck!" Christopher called out happily.
"Eddito? Evangeline?" Abuela called out in question. "Are you here?"
"I thought we were going to pick Christopher up?" Buck asked as she quickly dried her tears.
"So did I." Eddie said as he looked around for a shirt.
They walked out to the living room together after Eddie had managed to find and pull on a grey t-shirt.
"Hey, buddy." Eddie smiled and ruffled Christopher's hair. "We thought we were supposed to pick you up at Abuela's."
"Oh, he was so excited about decorating that he couldn't wait to get home." Abuela smiled as Eddie kissed her cheek while Buck bent down to hug Christopher.
"Oh, come and give me a hug, Evangeline." Abuela smiled and Buck walked over to hug her.
Eddie smiled at his family. While no-one in his family had liked Shannon, and he could admit, now looking back, that he could see why, they all seemed to like Buck. Well, everyone of his family who had met her.
He had not really told his parents about Buck, and he had told her why, but he had hinted to them that he was seeing someone and they hadn't seemed happy about it. Eddie chose to ignore them and their complaining, as long as he and Christopher was happy, then that was all that mattered. And they were, they were so very happy with Buck in their lives that sometimes Eddie had a hard time remembering the grey and bleak world he had lived in before meeting her.
"So, mijo, show us what you got." Eddie smiled at Christopher.
"We ended up with three Christmas trees." Abuela chuckled and pulled out three small threes from the bag. One in red, one in blue and one in green. "He said, 'This is daddy'," Abuela held up the red tree. "This is Buck," she held out the blue one, "And this is me," The green tree was held forward.
Buck smiled but Eddie could see the sadness in her eyes before she hid it behind a happy mask as she sat down beside Christopher.
"The blue is for your eyes, Bucky." Christopher informed her with a beaming smile. "You have the prettiest eyes ever."
"Aww, thank you sweetie." Buck kissed him on the cheek.
They spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon with Christopher, decorating the Diaz home for Christmas, but Eddie saw the sadness that would sometimes flash in Buck's eyes and he didn't know how to help and that made him sad too.
It's late when they get called out, someone had fallen into a box and been packaged along with whatever was already in there and then skipped off, luckily the guy had his phone on him and could call 911.
"How long has he been in the air?" Buck asked as they siren wailed.
"Plane took off from LAX 18 minutes ago." Bobby informed them.
"18 minutes, it's nearly long enough to reach altitude." Eddie pointed out. "It's not good. Cargo isn't pressurized or heated."
"I thought coach was bad." Chim remarked.
Working as a firefighter had made all their humor a bit dark, but if they couldn't joke about somethings they would surely go insane or let the job drive them mad.
"Hey, Chim. Make sure we have oh-two and warming blankets standing by." Bobby ordered softly.
"Copy that." Chim acknowledge with a nod.
In the end they managed to save Brandon, thanks to Maddie calling his phone repeatedly so they could find him. And when they rolled into the station again Eddie pulled Buck towards the sofa in the loft, feeling like both of them could use a cuddle right now.
Eddie ran his hand up and down Buck's arm as she cuddled into his side, "Hey, Buck, can I ask you something?"
"You can ask me anything?" Buck murmured quietly.
"Why did you seem so sad today, when Christopher brought a tree for you?" Eddie looked down at her.
"You know I don't talk about my parents much and that's because, to me, they aren't really parents." Buck explained quietly. "All my life they have been more like distant people that let me live with them. My dad only paid me attention when he was mad, or when he could show me off to his work colleagues. And my mom, well, she put me in beauty pageants, and ballet classes, and modelling and photoshoots, but those were the only times she would even talk to me."
"Oh, cariño, I'm so sorry." Eddie whispered softly.
"Christmas was just a time of the year were my dad basically treated me like a rent girl but without the sex." Buck continued. "He would drag me to office parties and introduce me to those he worked with. Old men who would leer and say suggestive things, 'accidentally' touch my breasts or my ass, all the while my dad stood there with a smile on his face."
"He would smile?" Eddie did his best not to let the anger out.
"One off his colleagues implied that he would help my dad with one of his proposals if he could have me for a night." Buck admitted quietly. "And for a moment I actually thought my dad was considering it. So, after I left home, I never really celebrated Christmas, I never saw the point."
Eddie didn't say anything, he just pulled Buck closer all the while knowing that if he ever met Buck's dad he would have to really restrain himself form killing the fucker. How could a father even think about basically selling his daughter for a little help with a proposal?!
How could someone so bright and happy and kind as Buck have such awful people for parents? Then Eddie remembered that Maddie was the one who had raised Buck, not their parents, and it made a little more sense.
"Does Maddie know?" Eddie wondered quietly.
"Some off it, but not all." Buck admitted. "She had so much on her plate already so I didn't want to add to it."
"I love you, mi amore." Eddie kissed her softly before he paled slightly. "We are never ever letting Abuela find out about this, okay? She would beat your father to death with her slipper."
Buck giggled and Eddie felt proud of himself for that, then she spoke up, "In some ways I really want to see that, but at the same time, I don't want Abuela in prison."
"Oh, she would rule the place with an iron fist within the first week." Eddie said with certainty.
"Isabel Diaz, Queen of the Criminal Underworld." Buck giggled as she snuggled closer to Eddie. "I'm getting her a crown."
"What sort of crown?" Eddie wondered with a smile.
"I don't know yet." Buck's voice grew quieter as she talked. "Something fitting."
"In gold or silver?" Eddie wanted to know but when he didn't get an answer he looked down and smiled. Buck had fallen asleep with her face tucked into his shoulder and neck, with a small smile on her face.
Eddie smiled over at Buck as she greeted one of the small children and her mother as they arrived for the LAFD's Annual Toy Drive, a Santa hat on her head and a smile on her face. After their talk about why Buck felt sad around Christmas, she had been happier, lighter somehow, and Eddie was very proud to take the credit for that. Well… half the credit, okay 1/3 of the credit, but that was still pretty big. The other 2/3 were Christopher and Abuela.
A little while later Buck walked over to where Eddie was accepting toys, smiling brightly at him. "I love children, but now they also make me miss Christopher."
"Yeah, I miss him too." Eddie admitted and smiled as she kissed him on the cheek. "I'll go get some more sacks."
"I'll stay here." Buck teased him. "Don't get lost."
"I shall try my best not to get lost on the way five meters that way." Eddie laughed and pointed towards where they were keeping the extra sacks.
"Try really hard." Buck called after him with a tinkling laugh, before accepting another toy from someone. "Thank you."
"You might dress as a firefighter, but I know what you really are." A voice scoffed and Buck looked up.
"Shannon?" Buck was surprised. "What…?"
"I can't believe they allow a whore this close to young impressionable children." Shannon sneered.
Eddie felt anger spike at her words but knew he couldn't curse her out or anything in the middle of the station. They hadn't heard much from Shannon since she turned up at Eddie's house, but Eddie knew that Buck had been receiving strange phone calls but they couldn't prove that it was Shannon.
"What are you doing here, Shannon?" Eddie demanded to know.
"I'm just donating a toy." Shannon said with mock innocence. "And I just wanted my concern noted that you have such people like her working close to children."
"Seriously?" Buck groaned in annoyance and Eddie noticed Chim standing to attention and listening in. "Is 'whore' the best insult you have for me? Nothing more, I don't know, new?"
"You are a whore and probably only sleep with Eddie because you want his money." Shannon scoffed.
Eddie felt anger boil under his skin and he could see the rage on Chim's face too but then Buck burst out laughing. She was laughing so har that she had tears running down her face and she had to hold onto the table for support.
"Okay, sorry, sorry." Buck waved her hand apologetically as she calmed down. "That was hilarious."
"What…? But… I…" Shannon stuttered and stumbled over her words before she steeled herself and sneered. "I was being serious!"
"I know and that makes it ten times funnier." Buck chuckled and shook her head. "Oh, you foolish little girl."
Shannon stood there spluttering for a while before turning around and storming off with a huff. An old man scoffed out, "What an unpleasant woman." Before handing Eddie a stuffed rabbit with a pink bow and walking away.
"You okay, Buckaroo?" Chim placed a hand on Buck's arm.
"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" Buck asked in confusion.
"I heard what she said to you." Chim told her.
"Chimney, it isn't the first time I've been called a whore and it won't be the last." Buck chuckled. "I'm actually disappointed that she couldn't come up with something a little more original."
Chim laughed and patted Buck's arm, "Never change, buckaroo, never change."
"I make no promises." Buck singsonged as Chim walked away.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Eddie asked quietly.
"Yeah, I really am okay." Buck stroked his cheek softly.
"Okay then." Eddie smiled before stealing a quick kiss. "By the way, Christopher is really excited about going to see Santa, he's even more excited that you're going with us."
"That kid is a treasure." Buck smiled brightly, before looking down shyly. "Surprisingly, I'm actually looking forward to it too."
They worked silently for a while, thanking the people that donated but didn't break the pleasant silence between themselves, their shoulders brushing together every now and then. Eddie felt so at peace with Buck by his side, even with Shannon's rude interruption of their pleasant day.
"Oh jolly, well, if you don't just have the prettiest eyes I have ever seen." An older woman with white hair gushed as she locked eyes with Buck. "Don't you think so, Harald?"
"My gosh, you are absolutely right, Martha." The man beside her said.
"Oh, thank you, that very kind of you to say." Buck blushed and looked down.
"Don't hide the pretty peepers now, dear." Martha chuckled. "I didn't mean to embarrass you."
"She's right." Harald told her. "We really didn't mean to be rude, but you do have very beautiful eyes."
"She does, doesn't she." Eddie spoke up as he saw Buck's face go a little bit redder.
"Oh," Martha breathed out in surprise when she looked over at Eddie before smirking. "Well, aren't you a handsome fellow?"
"Thank you kindly, ma'am." Eddie accidentally let some of his Texas accent out and had to hide a smirk at the look in Buck's eyes when he did.
"The children between you two are going to be beautiful." Martha almost squealed.
"Martha, honey, calm down." Harald chuckled as he placed a hand on his wife's shoulder.
"Oh, right, sorry, I didn't mean to assume." Martha stuttered out apologetically.
"It's alright, ma'am." Buck smiled shyly.
"Anyway, Merry Christmas." Martha and Harald told them before walking away.
"Merry Christmas." Buck called after them with a bright smile.
"Are you blushing, Buckaroo?" Hen asked as she walked past them.
"Nope, you are just imagining things again." Buck denied with a laugh.
"I really admire that kid." Buck rested her chin on Eddie's shoulder and had her arms wrapped around him from behind as Eddie took photos of Christopher in the que to meet Santa. "I love the way he always wants to do everything on his own."
"Yeah." Eddie laughed leaned back against Buck as he put his phone away. "So, are you going to talk to me or am I going to have to guess?"
"Guess? Guess what?" Buck asked slightly confused.
"This morning you got a text on you phone, since then you have been acting a bit weird." Eddie pointed out.
"Oh, you noticed." Buck murmured quietly.
"Buck, you are the second most important person in my life, of course I'm going to notice if something is bothering you." Eddie pointed out as he rubbed his hands along her arms around his waist.
Buck pulled back and pulled out her phone with a frown, "I got this text from an unknown number this morning."
Eddie took her phone and looked down to read the text that had bothered Buck all day.
"I can make it look like an accident… It's not like anyone would ever miss you anyway."
"Buck…" Eddie felt worry creep up his throat. "Someone is threatening to kill you!"
"I, we, don't know that." Buck told him. "It could be a prank."
"What if it's not?" Eddie looked at her with worried eyes.
"Eddie, let's not make this into something it's not, okay?" Buck rewrapped her arms around him. "Right now, I just want to have a nice evening with my boyfriend and the best kid in the world."
"I'm sorry, I just… I worry about you." Eddie leaned back against her again.
"I promise to tell you if I get any more weird texts, okay?" Buck murmured against his ear.
"Okay." Eddie agreed slowly before they both smiled as they saw Christopher make his way from Santa towards them "Hey, buddy, how'd it go?"
Eddie and Buck hurried over to meet Christopher at the end of the walkway with the elf.
"It went great." Christopher beamed.
"So, what did you ask for?" Eddie asked with curiosity.
"Can't tell." Christopher denied. "Santa said he'd work on it."
"Oh, man…" Buck chuckled lowly.
"Let's go." Eddie pulled Christopher into his arms and started to walk away, certain that Buck would follow them.
"You two have an adorable son." The Santa's Elf told Buck with a smile.
"Um… Thank you." Buck blushed, feeling bot happy and sad. She would love to be Christopher's mom, but she knew she wasn't.
Buck hurried after Eddie and Christopher, smiling brightly as she heard their laughter.
"Bucky!" Christopher called as she joined back up with them.
"Hey, Chris, you ready to help me pick out a present for my Secret Santa?" Buck asked with a smile.
"Yeah." Christopher nodded enthusiastically. "But we have to help daddy with his too."
"Oh, absolutely." Buck agreed before raising an eyebrow at Eddie. "So… who's your Secret Santa?"
"I got Hen." Eddie smiled. "And I have no idea what to get her."
"You could always get her a spa day." Buck offered. "I heard her talking with Karen a while ago about wanting to do something like that and I might know someone who has a coupon that will make it cheaper."
"And what does this someone want in return for the coupon?" Eddie asked with a teasing look at Buck.
"This person might accept a hiking date in return for the coupon." Buck gave him a big grin, with glittering eyes.
"That could very well be arranged." Eddie hummed thoughtfully before breaking out into a smile and holding out his hand. "Deal?"
"Deal." Buck shook his hand with a laugh.
"You two are so weird." Christopher laughed brightly from his place on Eddie's back.
"Thank you!" Buck beamed up at Christopher, him being 'taller' at the moment.
"Who are we finding a present for, Bucky?" Christopher asked as they walked.
"My Secret Santa is Bobby, so I was thinking we could go to Joss&Main." Buck hummed with thought. "And if we can't find something there we could brave IKEA."
"You don't seem to like IKEA much." Eddie chuckled.
"It's not that I don't like it and I honestly find the furniture easy to put together, I just like to complain about it." Buck shrugged with a small laugh. "It's just dangerous for me to walk into an IKEA store."
"And why is that?" Eddie wanted to know.
"I… well, I tend to get lost in everything and even if I walk into IKEA with a plan of only getting a towel or to it ends with me…" Buck trailed of and looked away in slight embarrassment.
"Buying a lot of other things?" Eddie chuckled.
"No, luckily that is not my problem." Buck rubbed the back off her neck. "Let's just say that last time I was there, I went in to by new plates, and I did come out of IKEA with only the plates I was supposed to buy, but I walked out of there around three hours after I walked in."
"What?!" Eddie looked shocked for a few seconds before he burst out laughing.
"There are a lot of interesting things in there, okay?" Buck defended herself but she was also laughing.
Twenty minutes later, after they had walked around inside Joss&Main for ten of those, Christopher called out, "What about this, Bucky?"
Buck walked over to where Christopher was standing and looked at what he had found, "Oh, that's perfect."
Buck picked up the handheld food smoker and read the back of the box out loud to both Christopher and Eddie, "A food smoker suffuses food and drinks with natural smoke flavor. The smoker comes with wood chips, but you can also use things like herbs, tea leaves, spices, and dried flowers to flavor food and drinks."
"Sound like something Bobby would like." Eddie agreed with a nod. "Good find, mijo."
"Yeah, thank you Chris, this will be absolutely perfect." Buck kissed Christopher on the cheek.
"You are very welcome." Christopher smiled before getting a mischievous look in his eyes. "But I think I should get ice cream for finding it and making it so you didn't have to go to IKEA."
"Oh, so that's what you think, huh?" Buck laughed and shared a look with Eddie.
"Sure, we can get ice cream." Eddie chuckled. "It's almost Christmas after all."
Later that evening, after Eddie and Christopher had dropped Buck off at her apartment, as Eddie is tucking Christopher into bed, Christopher looked at him with big eyes and asked, "Dad, is Santa real?"
"Hmm? Is Santa real? Why?" Eddie hoped he didn't screw up this talk. "Did someone say he wasn't? What do you think? Do you think he's real?"
"W-when you were gone, I asked Santa for you to come back and you did." Christopher admitted quietly and Eddie felt his chest fill with warmth.
"When I was in Afghanistan?" Eddie didn't know if he wanted to cry or hug his son when Christopher nodded. "You know, buddy, Christmas wishes aren't like birthday wishes. Yeah, you can say them out loud and they'll still come true."
"I asked him for Buck to spend Christmas with us and to make her my mom." Christopher admitted almost silently, so silently, that Eddie had to strain to hear him. "Will he?"
"He's sure gonna try." Eddie promised as he stroked a hand through his sons' hair.
"Hey Buck, can I talk to you?" Eddie asked as soon as he saw Buck arrive at the firehouse. They had decided not to have Eddie pick Buck up today because Buck had promised to have breakfast with Maddie before work. "Privately?"
"Sure… Did I do something?" Buck asked softly, looking worried and a little scared.
"No, of course not!" Eddie hurried to tell her. "It is important though."
"Okay, I'll just go and leave my Secret Santa present in the loft and meet you in the bunk room," Buck gave a small smile and Eddie could still see the fear and worry in her eyes.
As he waited for buck in the bunk room Eddie paced. How was he going to bring this up? He knew Buck didn't really celebrate Christmas, she had told him that and the reason why, but was it because she didn't like Christmas or was it more along the lines of her not having anyone to spend and/or celebrate it with?
Eddie knew that Buck would never judge him for asking even if she might not agree, which he hoped she would, both for Christopher's sake and because he himself really wanted her there with them.
"Eddie?" Buck asked slowly as she walked into the bunk room and closed the door behind her.
"First thing first." Eddie said as he pulled her closer for a soft kiss. "Good morning, mi amore."
"Good morning, Eds." Buck laughed quietly before kissing him again, then she pulled back. "What was it that you wanted to talk about?"
"I managed to get Christopher to tell me about his Christmas wish." Eddie admitted.
"Oh, what did he wish for?" Buck wanted to know, a small smile playing at the corner of her mouth.
"He wished for you to spend Christmas with us." Eddie looked into her eyes. "And he wished for you to be his mom."
"He… really?" Buck looked up at Eddie with wet eyes.
"Yes, he adores you, you know? So, I wanted to ask if you wanted to spend Christmas with me and Christopher?" Eddie used his thumb to wipe a tear off Buck's cheek, then he hurried to assure. "You don't have to if you don't want to, but I thought that maybe you do liked Christmas and just didn't have anyone to celebrate with, but if that's not the case then you really don't have to and…"
Buck interrupted him with a kiss, when she pulled back she was smiling, "I would love to spend Christmas with you and Chris."
"Really?" Eddie asked hopefully.
"Yeah, definitely." Buck nodded with a bright smile.
"This Christmas is going to be amazing." Eddie breathed out as he hugged Buck tightly.
They stood together for a few moments, just basking in the others presence and the love they felt for the other.
"Just, be ready if Christopher asks if he can call you mom, okay." Eddie spoke up quietly. "He has been thinking about it for a while but I think he has been scared to ask."
"To have him wanting to call me 'mom' is one of the greatest things that could ever happen." Buck admitted softly.
A few moment later the alarm sounded and they were quickly on their way to an accident scene, a truck had run a red light and hit a city bus.
When they arrived, they could several injured but most of them minor, and Hen hurried over to the driver of the truck while Bobby, Eddie and Buck followed a police officer who had met up with them.
"So, I don't know how, but we have mostly minor injuries, some cuts and bruises, except for this guy, and I don't know if he's gonna make it." The officer led them to where a Marine Sergeant was sitting with a bleeding man.
"Sergeant." Eddie fell to his knees beside them.
"That truck came out of nowhere, man." The Sergeant looked up at Eddie before focusing back on the bleeding man. "Piece of glass clipped him in the neck. Fells like it hit a major artery."
"Carotid." Eddie nodded and saw Buck fall to her knees beside him. "You got your finger in the hole?"
"That's what we're trained to do." The Sergeant informed him. "I've seen it before, unfortunately."
"Me, too." Eddie said. "Where were you?"
"Leatherneck." The Sergeant stated.
"Ah." Eddie looked up at him. "I was at Bagram."
"Army?" The Sergeant asked and when Eddie confirmed he smirked a little. "Nobody's perfect."
"I still say SEALs are better than both." Buck piped up.
"Really?" Eddie huffed out a chuckled.
"What?" Buck sent Eddie a teasing smile. "I was feeling left out."
"You're a SEAL?" The Sergeant wondered, sounding impressed.
"Almost." Buck shrugged, not caring that Chim could probably hear her. "The physical part was easy, but I never managed to be able to shut of my emotions."
"Not everybody can." The Sergeant smiled at her.
"Let's run the fluids wide open." Eddie decided and looked at Chim who was in charge of that part, before turning to the Sergeant again. "You mind keeping your fingers there for a moment? You don't have anywhere to be, right?"
"Right." The Sergeant looked off into the distance. "I'm good."
"Okay." Eddie nodded but he had a feeling that the Sergeant lied about not having anywhere to be, and from the look Buck sent him, she felt the same.
Together with the help of the Marine they worked swiftly, getting the bleeding man on the gurney and stabilized. As they were wheeling the man away towards the ambulance the Sergeant stopped them with a question.
"Is he gonna make it?" The Sergeant wanted to know.
"Thanks to you, Marine." Eddie placed a hand on his shoulder, looking him in the eyes. "How are you feeling?"
"I'm fine." The Sergeant said. "Anything else I can do?"
"We're good." Bobby smiled at him. "Thank you for your service. Literally."
As they walked towards the truck one of the passengers stopped them and told them where the Marine was supposed to go and why. A quick conversation later Eddie hurried over the Marine with a smile.
"I hear you have a show to get to, Marine." Eddie smirked.
"Yeah." The Sergeant sighed sadly. "But I'm never gonna make it."
"Oh, yes, you are." Eddie started to make his way to the truck. "Let's go."
They all piled into the truck and they were off, sirens wailing and the horn honking.
"Better hurry up and get dressed." Eddie pointed out to the Sergeant with a smile. We're going to be there before you know it."
"I'm gonna cry." Buck admitted with a chuckle. "I know I'm gonna cry. Those soldier reunion videos on YouTube always get my tears flowing."
When they arrived at the school, Eddie, Buck and Bobby run in behind the Sergeant and as he hugged, what Eddie assumed was his wife and daughter, Eddie felt Buck grab his hand and squeeze.
"Yup." Buck sniffed as she used her free hand to try a couple of tears. "Every time."
Eddie pulled Buck closer by the hand, feeling his own eyes get wet as they watched the happy reunion. He wished that had happened when he came home from Afghanistan, wished someone had been that happy to see him.
Walking out of the school, his fingers interlaced with Buck's, Eddie knew that if he had come home to Buck, she would have tackled him to the floor in happiness. Dios, he loved this woman so much. Loving Buck made him believe in soulmates and other things that he had called 'Romantic crap' before meeting her.
Christmas morning had Eddie awake with a smile on his face. He and Buck had planned to surprise Christopher with Buck and presents, and Eddie was looking forward to it. He couldn't wait to see the smile on Christopher's face when Buck arrived.
As soon as the clock struck 06:00, Christopher was awake and calling for him, "Dad! Dad? Wake up! It's Christmas!"
Eddie smiled to himself but didn't say anything, waiting for Christopher to find the arrows he had taped to the floor, leading out to the front yard, where a big tree was standing with Buck hiding behind it. Eddie was honestly really proud of his idea and he was going to take full credit on it, no matter what Buck said.
With a smile on his face, Eddie watched as Christopher slowly made his way out of the house without his crutches, a bright smile on his face as he saw the tree. Then the smile threatened to split his face in two as Buck came from behind the tree.
"Buck!" Christopher shouted in happiness and hurried over to her as fast as he could "Bucky!"
"Oh, Merry Christmas, Superman." Buck pulled him into her arms and spun him around.
"I knew Santa could do it again." Christopher hugged Buck tightly.
Eddie couldn't stand back anymore and quickly walked over and joined the hug. His heart felt overfull with love for these two beings in his arms and he never wanted to let go, but he knew he had to, so with a bright smile he pulled back, "Merry Christmas, Evie."
"Merry Christmas, Eds." Buck gave him a smile filled with love and kissed him.
"Merry Christmas, daddy!" Christopher said loudly.
"Merry Christmas, mijo." Eddie hugged him and Buck again. "So, do you want presents first and then breakfast or the other way around?"
Christopher looked thoughtful, which surprised Eddie who had thought Christopher would choose the present first option. "Breakfast first."
"You want me to make Vanilla Swirl Pancakes?" Buck offered softly.
"Yeah, make the special pancakes, please." Christopher beamed.
Vanilla Swirl Pancakes were something Buck had made once or twice for Christopher and Eddie, stating that they were for special occasions and she actually refused to make them if she didn't deem it a special enough occasion.
Buck had told him that Maddie used to make them for her when she was younger, but only on the most special off special occasions, and Buck had continued that tradition. Not that she had had anyone to share them with, she had explained with a sad smile, before meeting Eddie and Christopher.
"You want to be my sous chef?" Buck asked as she carried Christopher, who refused to let go of her neck, towards the house.
"What's that?" Christopher tilted his head to the side adorably.
"It's the second in command of the kitchen." Buck told him before sending a smirk Eddie's way. "We both know your dad isn't allowed to cook, let alone be second in command."
"Yeah, daddy can't cook." Christopher nodded seriously.
"Betrayed by my own child." Eddie looked mock horrified as he placed a hand over his heart dramatically. "How shall I survive?"
Together the three of them made their way into the house, Christopher's laughter bouncing off the walls as Eddie continued to play up the betrayal.
Later that day the two Diaz's and one Buckley was sitting in the living room by the smaller tree that Eddie had inside, with Christopher on the floor by the presents and Buck cuddled up to Eddie on the couch.
For the last half hour Christopher had been reading on the presents and giving them to the right person. So far, Christopher's pile of presents was the biggest and Eddie had no doubt it would stay that way.
Eddie's pile was bigger than Buck's and that had made him a little sad, but what had made him either want to cry or punch something was the shocked look Buck had sported when Christopher gave her the first Christmas present, one that was from Abuela.
"Only two left." Christopher beamed and looked up at them. "First says: To Eddie, From Secret Santa."
Eddie took the soft present wrapped in green wrapping paper, "Thank you."
"The last says: To Christopher From Bucky." Christopher smiled brightly up at Buck as he placed the present in his pile. "Let's open!"
"Hold on, mijo." Eddie spoke up. "We need to explain the tradition to Buck before we start."
"Oh, right." Christopher nodded before turning to Buck with seriousness. "Every Christmas, after we have given out the present, each and every person chooses four presents that we open together, with everybody watching."
"What he means is that we can open all the present except the four we choose and then after the other presents are opened, we gather around and opened one present after the other while everybody is watching." Eddie explained. "So for example, I go first with one present while you and Chris watch and then you and me watch as Chris opens one and lastly me and Chris watch as you open one. Does that make sense?"
"Yeah, it does." Buck smiled.
"Let's do this!" Christopher cheered and carefully picked out four presents and placing them to the side before attacking the others.
Eddie watched with a smile as Buck put four presents aside with a small smile, before he decided to choose which presents he should save for later. He ended up putting a present from Abuela, Christopher, Buck and lastly the Secret Santa to the side.
Ten minutes later as he opened a present from Buck, not the one he put to the side, but another one, he started to laugh. She had given him a Fire Fighter Fire Suppressant with a note around the top that said 'If you ever have to try to cook while you're alone, you might need this'.
Buck looked over when she heard him laugh before smirking when she saw what he was holding. Eddie looked at her with a raised eyebrow and a smile, "Thanks Buck, really."
"You are very welcome." Buck hummed before going back to the present she was in the middle of opening.
When Eddie and Buck had opened all of their presents, except the four on the side, they cuddled close together as they watched Christopher open his. Most of them were from Eddie's parents, even though Eddie had told them that Christopher didn't need that many Christmas presents, they had still gone overboard.
"I love you." Buck murmured as she snuggled into his side. "And thank you for this."
"I love you too, cariño." Eddie kissed the side of her head. "And no need to thank me for this, both me and Chris wanted you here."
Eddie smiled as Christopher finished with the last one of his non-chosen presents, even though he felt annoyed at his parents still. "Okay, now we just need some dice."
"I'll go get one!" Christopher called out and struggled to get up.
Eddie started to get up to help but Buck's grip tightened and pulled him deeper into the couch. "Why do we need dice?"
"To see which one gets to start open the chosen presents." Christopher said as he stumbled towards his room.
"Thank you for stopping me." Eddie whispered to Buck. "Sometimes I act before I think when it comes to helping him and he gets a little mad."
"Any time, mi hombre guapo, any time." Buck hummed and Eddie felt heat surge through his body at the Spanish coming from her.(My handsome man.)
"Since when do you speak Spanish?" Eddie almost growled in her ear making her shiver pleasantly.
"I only know a few words." Buck admitted. "But Christopher has been teaching me some more. Mostly color and animals."
"I got the dice." Christopher declare triumphantly as he walked back into the living room.
After Christopher sat dawn by the couch again he rolled the dice getting a 4, then it was Buck's turn and she got a 3, Eddie finished with a 6, making him the 'winner' and the one that got to open the first present.
"This is from Abuela." Eddie informed them as he started to open a small red present.
He chuckled when he pulled out a gift certificate for a semi-casual restaurant and the note, 'Deja que esa hermosa dama tuya se vista elegante y luego lucirla, haz que todas las demás personas se pongan celosas de lo que no pueden tener.'(Let that beautiful lady of yours dress up and then show her off, make all other people jealous of what they can't have.)
After telling Buck and Christopher what the note said, Christopher giggled with delight while Buck blushed, before she hummed, "I can get dolled up for one dinner."
"My turn!" Christopher exclaimed and picked up a present. "This one is from Aunty Hen, Aunty Karen and Denny."
He looked really happy when he opened the present to find a box of gel pens, plastic sheets and pictures to draw off. The purpose was that you should place the plastic sheet over the drawing and then fill it in with the gel pens and when it had dried you could place it on the windows or mirrors.
"Awesome!" Christopher burst out with a grin, before turning to Buck. "Your turn Bucky."
Buck picked up a present with purple wrapping paper and told the others, "It's from Maddie."
Both Eddie and Christopher watched in interest as she carefully opened the wrapping paper, reviling a three-piece picture frame. The first picture was off two young girls, the brunette looked to be around 15 while the blond looked to be around 5 or 6. The next picture was of Maddie and Buck, Buck looking to be around 16, both of them smiling at the camera. The third and final picture was a recent picture of Buck and Maddie, Buck wrapped around Maddie from behind and laughter in her eyes.
"Who is the kids in the first picture?" Christopher asked as he looked at the pictures.
"The older one is Maddie and the younger one is me." Buck smiled softly.
"Your hair was almost as curly as mine is!" Christopher looked up with wide eyes.
"Yeah, it was." Buck chuckled. "This was right before my mother started straightening it."
"Why would she do that?" Christopher looked confused and from the look on Buck's face Eddie could guess it was because of the beauty pageants her mother forced her into. "Didn't she like your hair?"
"I guess not." Buck smiled sadly.
"My turn again then." Eddie piped up, steering the conversation back to the presents and getting a grateful smile for Buck, and picked up a gold wrapped present. "From Tia Pepa this time."
The present turned out to be a whiskey tumbler that looked like Darth Vader and when Buck saw Eddie pull it out of the box she started to laugh her head off. Around a month ago, Eddie and Buck had been discussing Darth Vader as a villain while they were at Pepa's house and she had apparently remembered and gotten Eddie, who had told Buck that Darth Vader was one of his favorite villains of all time, a tumbler that looked like the head of said villain.
"Who is that supposed to be?" Christopher wondered as he looked at the tumbler in his dad's hand.
"That's Darth Vader." Eddie chuckled. "He's a villain from the Original Trilogy of Star Wars."
"Oh, okay." Christopher nodded seriously before frowning. "What's Star Wars?"
"It is one of the best movies ever made." Buck declared, then she bent down to mock whisper to Christopher. "Maybe, if your dad agrees, we can watch the first one on our next movie night."
"Yeah!" Christopher nodded enthusiastically and then he picked up his next present. "This one is from… Abuelo and Grandma."
Christopher was a little disappointed that they had gotten him socks but he liked that the socks made his feet look like paws.
"This one is from Bobby and Athena." Buck picked up a small present when Christopher told her it was her turn again. Inside were a pair of beautiful silver earrings with blue stones, according to the card that came with it the blue stone represented truth and wisdom.
"Your turn again, daddy." Christopher piped up when Eddie just sat quietly as Buck put the earrings in.
"Right, time for the Secret Santa gift." Eddie smiled and started to open it.
He had a little problem with the tape but refused to use a scissor, not wanting to damage the fabric within. When he finally managed to get the wrapping paper off he snorted at the t-shirt that was reviled. The t-shirt was black but on the front in red and white letters were the text 'I'm a firefighter, to save time let's just assume that I'm never wrong'.
"Oh, that is just perfect." Buck broke down into giggles when she saw the shirt. After a while she calmed down and told Christopher to open another present.
"This one is from… Bucky!" Christopher sounded delighted and after reading the second card on the present which said to be careful, he started to open it. He looked at it with confusion as he turned to Buck, "What is it?"
"It's a Weather Glass Barometer." Buck smiled and explained. "It was invented in mid-19th century and was widely used especially at sea for its ability to predict weather. Fill the glass container with colored water so that it fills a little of the tube. The level in the tube rises when low pressure, which means rain and wind, approaches and the level lowers when high pressure, that's good weather, is coming."
"That is so cool!" Christopher explained as he looked at the Barometer with wide eyes.
"I agree with the hyperactive child." Eddie chuckled with a teasing wink towards Christopher. "That is very cool."
"I just thought it would be something Chris would find interesting." Buck shrugged with a blush but looking pleased that her gift was liked. "Guess it's my turn again."
Buck picked out a present that Eddie knew was from him and he felt nervous butterflies in his stomach. When Buck opened the wrapping the box she pulled out was beautiful. It looked like the night sky or a nebula or something with the text I U in gold on the front. Buck turned wide eyes towards him when she opened the box to find a 24K Gold Dipped Crystal Rose inside.
"You remember our first date?" Eddie asked softly. "The rose I gave you?"
"Yeah." Buck nodded with glittering eyes. "I still have that rose, you know?"
"I know and that's why I brought this." Eddie smiled. "This rose you can keep forever and it will never wither or die, just like my love for you will never wither or die."
Buck let a tear escape from the corner of her eye before Eddie pulled her into a tender kiss, when they pulled back, Buck smiled so brightly she could have put the sun to shame. "I love you, so very much."
"I love you too, cariño." Eddie hummed and kissed her again.
"Are you two done?" Christopher asked after a few moments. "We all still have one present each to open."
"You're right mijo." Eddie nodded before picking up the last gift. "My last gift is from Buck."
He opened it quickly and felt his breath catch in his throat, on a plush pillow in a box there was a man's silver armband with Christopher engraved on it.
"I thought that this way you would be able to bring Chris with you everywhere." Buck looked down shyly.
"It's perfect, mi amore." Eddie breathed out before handing Buck the box. "Help me put it on?"
"Oh, I'll be with you wherever you go." Christopher murmured as he saw the armband after Buck had fastened it on Eddie's left wrist and smiled at his dad.
"Your turn, mijo." Eddie nodded at the last present beside Christopher.
"It's from you daddy." Christopher beamed and opened it.
Eddie already knew that it was three tickets to the zoo. Christopher had wanted to go for a while so Eddie had bought three tickets so that Christopher, Buck and Eddie could go together. After squealing in delight and hugging his dad, Christopher turned to Buck and told her to open her last present.
Buck picked it up and from one look they could all tell that it was a book. "It's from Abuela."
"Why do you sound so shocked?" Eddie asked slowly. "Abuela loves you."
"Oh." Buck got a little misty eyed as she open the book. When she saw what it was she started sniffling a little.
"What is it, Bucky?" Christopher wanted to know.
"It's a book with written down recipes." Buck murmured and Eddie felt like he had been hit over the head. Abuela had given Buck a book with written down recipes? As in recipes that she refused to share with anyone that wasn't close family? She had even barred Shannon from being in the kitchen when she cooked and here she was, giving a book with written down recipes to Buck.
They cleaned up the wrapping paper and discarded boxes together before they all made their way towards the couch again to watch Christmas movies. As Eddie sat down with Buck in his arms he noticed that Christopher was still standing in the middle of the room.
"Something wrong, buddy?" Eddie asked slowly.
"No, it's just…" Christopher trailed of before beginning again. "I have one more Christmas present… for Buck."
"You really didn't have to get me anything more, superman." Buck smiled at him.
"I didn't buy it, I made it. Wait here." Christopher made his way to his room.
When he come back he looked uncertain before handing Buck a folded card. On the front of the card Christopher had written 'I love you Bucky ' and when she opened it she tears started to fall down her face before she herself fell to her knees in front of Christopher, pulling him into a tight hug.
"Yes." Buck declared strongly even as tears continued to fall from her eyes. "It would be an honor."
Christopher started to cry to as he hugged Buck back and Eddie started to get worried until he heard Christopher say, "I love you, mom."
Slowly Eddie picked up the card that Buck had placed on the couch beside her before she hugged Christopher and read what Christopher had written inside the card. 'Would you be my mom?' That made Eddie feel tears gather in his eyes too and he couldn't help but join the hug on the floor.
That night when it was time for bed, Christopher had smiled very brightly when he had said, "I want mommy to tuck me in."
Buck had gone with him with a matching smile on her face, leaving Eddie to clean up the snacks and drinks. Fifteen minutes later, Buck had come out of Christopher's room and walked straight past Eddie and out the door without a word.
Eddie rushed after her to find her standing on the porched with her back towards him, "Buck, Evie, are you okay?"
Buck turned to him with tears cascading down her face, this time not happy ones, and looking absolutely livid. Then she snarled quietly, "I'm going to kill her!"
"What? Kill who?" Eddie asked slowly, never having seen Buck so angry before.
"Shannon!" Buck growled like an angry mother bear and at that point Eddie could see it.
"Why?" Eddie wanted to know.
"She hit him, Eddie!" Buck broke down in sobs as she sank to her knees with a hand over her mouth. "Shannon hit Christopher."
Eddie felt the blood in his veins turn to ice. He didn't want to believe it. Not because he wanted to defend Shannon but because he didn't want Christopher, his sweet, adorable son, to have gone through that. But at the same time…. It would explain so much. Why Christopher became quiet and withdrawn at the mention of Shannon, why he never wanted to talk about her, why he was so shocked that Buck didn't get annoyed when he couldn't do what other kids could…
"What did he tell you?" Eddie's voice broke as he asked.
"When he was falling asleep he said…" Buck sobbed. "He said that he trusted me because he knew I wouldn't hurt him or hit him like his other mom did."
"Why didn't he ever tell me?" Eddie asked more himself than Buck.
"We are never letting her close to Christopher, ever!" Buck declared.
"We are not even letting her see him." Eddie said darkly, before smirking a little. "Is what Jackson said true? About you knowing the perfect way to get rid of a dead body? Because if Shannon ever comes close to touching Christopher again, we might need that knowledge."
Buck snorted and started to laugh. "I love you Eddie, and it's because I love you that I know that you would never hurt a civilian, a non-enemy, in any way, even if you absolutely loath the person."
"I guess you're right." Eddie muttered, then he kissed her softly. "But let me pretend for a while, yeah?"
"As long as you want." Buck snuggled closer.
They sat on the porch in each other's arms for a long time. They didn't say anything because nothing needed to be said. They sat snuggled close together until the sky started to lighten at which point they made their way inside and curled up together in Eddie's bed, falling asleep to the sound of the others heartbeat.