Chapter 3: Seeing Red Flags In The Morning, It's A Warning

Eddie shared a worried glance with Hen and Chim as the truck raced towards their latest call-out - an electrical fire inside a laundrette. Bobby was in the captain's seat, unusually silent and brooding; the repetitive tapping of his fingers against his knee a clear sign that things were not okay.

It was obvious that something had happened between him and Buck, although Eddie had arrived too late to witness what - or why it would've caused his best friend to race out of the fire house like his tail was on fire - but then Buck's behaviour had been anything but normal throughout the last few months. Not that Eddie could really blame him; not after everything he'd been through. The news that he'd quit had come as a shock to them all, but Eddie knew it was just Buck lashing out, reacting to a situation he couldn't control. He was certain once the younger firefighter'd had a chance to calm down that Buck would be back working alongside them in no time.

Pulling out his phone he fired off a text to the man in question, conscious of the uncomfortable silence filling the truck. When, a few minutes later, he still hadn't had a reply, Eddie frowned.

"Hey, Cap." He waited until he had Bobby's full attention. "Is everything okay?"

Chim's wide-eyed stare warned him a little too late that it probably wasn't a question he should be asking whilst they were on their way to a call, but Eddie wasn't someone to walk away from helping out a friend in need. Although whether that friend right now was Bobby or Buck was still to be determined.

Bobby sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. "Look, you're all going to find out anyway," he answered finally, his voice weary. "Buck is filing a lawsuit against me and the LAFD. His lawyer sent me a letter this morning."

"That boy..." Hen shook her head in disbelief. Chim stayed silent but Eddie could tell he wasn't happy. Eddie, though, was just confused.

"That really doesn't sound like Buck."

Bobby nodded his agreement as the truck pulled to a stop outside the burning laundrette. "I thought so too, and yet here we are."

"Maddie is going to kill him." Chim's voice was grave as he threw open the door and jumped out. Hen followed suit with Eddie a step behind, and while waiting for Bobby to climb out and take charge of the scene he checked his phone once more.

Still nothing.

"Listen," Captain Nash warned as they assembled in front of the laundrette, dark smoke billowing out into the streets around them. "I've spoken to the commissioner about the situation." Making a point of looking at Eddie, Bobby continued, his face serious. "He's strongly advised that no one makes contact with Buck while all of this is being dealt with."

Eddie scowled, making his feelings on that bit of information clear for everyone to see. Bobby could do little more than offer an apologetic smile before turning to Chim. "I know Maddie's his sister and so the situation is a little more difficult, but that unfortunately means you too." Chim nodded solemnly as Hen patted him on the shoulder in a show of support.

Eddie sighed, fighting the urge to roll his eyes at the ridiculousness of it all. They had just under half of their shift left. Originally, his plans for after work had been simple: pick Christopher up from his abuela's so he could spend a little time with his boy before dropping him off at school. Now though, it looked like he needed to track down his best friend so they could have a serious conversation, Bobby and the commissioner's advice be damned.

Evan didn't know how long he sat there, his back to the wall of the fire house as he hugged both knees to his chest. The panic had subsided once he'd remembered how to breathe through it - a technique he hadn't needed to use in a very long time, but one that came in handy all the same - and with a clearer head came the anger and confusion.

Pulling the crumpled piece of paper from his pocket, Buck took his time to read the official looking document declaring his intention to sue the Los Angeles Fire Department and Captain Robert Wade Nash for wrongful termination. The words sent a chill down his spine as Bobby's look of disappointment flashed before his eyes, but that wasn't even the worst part.

Right at the bottom of the page, next to the lawyer's signature, was his own.

Buck felt his anger boiling over. He knew he hadn't signed anything for Lochert and yet the messy scrawl on the page was an exact replica of his own. How the hell had he forged it so perfectly? And why?

Furious at the betrayal, Buck climbed to his feet, pulling out his cellphone as he forced shaking fingers to dial the man's number. It rang once, twice, three times before going to voicemail. His message was short and to the point.

"Hey, it's Evan Buckley. Call me back. Now."

Ending the call, Buck paced a few feet as he tried to work out his next course of action. The thrum of nausea at the pit of his stomach was making it hard to think straight but he knew he couldn't just hang around the station feeling sorry for himself. He needed to fix this mess before it got any worse.

With the jeep in the shop being repaired, Buck ordered an Uber to take him back home. There was a ten minute wait due to traffic so he carried on pacing back and forth, hoping his lift arrived before the team made it back from their call. He couldn't bear the thought of running into them yet, not after what had gone down with Bobby.

His phone vibrated signalling a message. The screen showed it was from Eddie but Evan left it unread, just like the twenty other messages on his phone from the last couple of days. Instead he opened his web browser and typed Lochert's name into the search bar, scowling as the only results that popped up appeared to be promoting the lawyer's firm. Making note of the address in downtown LA, Buck heard his Uber arrive just as his phone started ringing.

This time the flashing screen displayed the name he wanted to see - Kev Lochert.

Taking a deep breath, Buck answered the call as he jogged towards his Uber, nodding politely at the driver as he climbed in the back and settled into his seat, strapping himself in.

"Evan, it's Kev. I got your message. How can I help?"

Buck grit his teeth against the angry tirade he wanted to launch at the man. "The lawsuit, why did you file it?"

There was a pause before the lawyer responded. "We never filed it, Evan. Your message this morning made it loud and clear that it wasn't what you wanted."

"I have a copy," Buck growled. "Right here in front of me. It has your name all over it."

Lochert hummed, but didn't seem put out at being corrected. There was another pause before he carried on. "I think I might know what's happened here. Hold the line for me, will you? I'll be right back."

The tinny sound of hold music filled his ears and Buck slumped back in the seat, closing his eyes in a bid to shut out everything going on around him. If Lochert was telling the truth and he'd never actually filed the lawsuit, maybe this was all just one big misunderstanding. Not that it didn't still suck - Buck couldn't get the image of Bobby's disappointed face out of his head. But shouldn't he be used to disappointing people by now? It was what he always did.

A soft click signalled the return of Lochert. "It's as I thought, Evan. We had the paperwork drawn up in advance in case you decided to go ahead with the lawsuit and my secretary seems to have submitted it in error."

Buck couldn't help the loud sigh of relief at the news, slumping down further into his seat. "So what does that mean? Can it be retracted?"

"Of course," Lochert agreed readily. "But I'll have to bring some paperwork over for you to sign. I can meet you at your apartment in, let's say twenty minutes?"

"Yeah, sure. I'll be there."

Hanging up the phone, Buck allowed himself a modicum of hope. Once he'd sorted things out with Lochert he would call Bobby and explain the mess. And apologise, of course. Just like he'd originally planned.

Things were finally starting to look up.