From this chapter forward, this story will be written by myself, Ghostie. I hope I do this story justice for Bella, who has decided to step away from writing.

"Hey," Karen stepped up to where Buck was sitting by himself with a sleeping Kira in his arms.

The family and others were gathered at the Wilson home for Denny's birthday party. It had been going for about an hour now, the team meeting and getting to know Karen's parents and siblings while also celebrating the boy's eighth birthday. Food had been catered and was sitting in the kitchen to grab buffett style, presents were stacked on the dining table, and cake was chilling in the fridge waiting to be eaten.

Denny was running around the yard with his cousins and kids from his class at school. Parents of those children were milling around with the rest of the family. Hen and Karen had been socializing around to the different groups of people, being the best hosts that they were. Bobby, Athena, Chimney and Maddie had commandeered the patio table and were talking amongst themselves. Buck had been sitting with them until Kira had fallen asleep, so he had moved to a quiet corner in the living room.

"Hey, you need help with something?" Buck asked quietly so as not to disturb his daughter.

Buck had volunteered to help move things around for the couple when they needed a table or bench moved to a different spot to give more room for the kids in the yard to play.

"No, thought I'd take the little one from you," Karen nodded her head towards the front door. "Eddie just pulled up."

"Oh!" Buck nodded, carefully handing over the sleeping baby to Karen before standing. "Thanks."

Karen was already bouncing softly as Kira whimpered in her sleep, not paying attention to him anymore. With a fond smile at the two of them, Buck finally turned and headed for the door. When he stepped onto the front porch he found Eddie had parked across the street and was just helping Christopher out of the truck.

"Christopher!" Buck yelled as he bounded off the porch, skipping all three steps, and jogging across the lawn.

"Buck!" Christopher went to step forward when Eddie reached for him.

"Hang on a second there, mijo." Eddie huffed, "Did you look both ways?"

Christopher just tilted his head back and smiled up at his dad. Before he could respond Buck was right in front of them and lifting Christopher into his arms for a hug. The boy giggled and wrapped his arms around Buck's neck to hug back.

"How was school yesterday? You had to read your book report, right?"

Christopher nodded, "Everyone loved it!"

"Of course they did, it was about a chocolate factory, what kid doesn't love that?" Buck laughed as he sat Christopher back down on his feet, releasing his shoulders once the boy had his crutches steady, before turning his attention to his friend. "Hey."

"Oh, so I am still here, good to know." Eddie rolled his eyes, but he was smiling as he lifted a gift bag from the floor of the backseat.

Buck snorted and rolled his own eyes before looking back down at Christopher, "Your dad's being dramatic."

"He always is." Christopher replied with as straight a face as he could muster before breaking out in giggles.

"Oh yeah," Eddie ruffled Christopher's curls and playfully shoved at Buck's shoulder before closing the back down of the truck and turning his attention to his son. "Buck's more dramatic than I am."

"I'm feeling attacked right now," Buck pouted, placing a hand dramatically over his heart, causing Christopher to giggle harder.

"Case in point, Christopher."

Buck just smiled brightly at Eddie before turning and ushering his best friend and Eddie across the street and into the house. Eddie and Christopher quietly greeted Karen as she was still sitting on the couch with a sleeping Kira. Christopher carefully ran his had down Kira's head before he rushed for the backyard to wish Denny a happy birthday and to play with the other kids.

"Presents are on the dining table," Karen whispered as she stood, handing Kira back to Buck. "I can take it."

"Oh, thanks. And thanks for having us."

Karen smiled at Eddie, "Christopher is one of Denny's best friends now, of course he was invited." Then she was walking away.

Eddie scratched at the side of his arm, "I'm just glad Shannon agreed to let him. I know she had things planned this weekend for them."

"So she wasn't mad to lose half a day with him?"

"No," Eddie shook his head. "I think she's seeing someone so it gave her time to see him this weekend."

"Oh?"

Eddie hummed but then shook his head. Buck knew that Eddie wasn't ready to say more about it at the time. Eddie reached for Kira and gently plucked her out of Buck's arms, settling her in his own. Together they headed for the backyard so Eddie could say hello to the rest of their team and family, being introduced to some parents of the classmates, and to Karen's family. Eddie was handed a solo cup of iced tea by Hen– alcohol was forbidden as it was a children's birthday party– but Buck took it as Eddie's hands were full of a sleeping baby.

Now that Christopher was there and playing with the rest of the kids, it only took a half hour before Karen was calling everyone inside so that Denny could start opening his presents. Buck and Eddie stood towards the back of the room as all the kids gathered around the birthday boy. Somewhere along the way, they had lost a now awake Kira to one of their many family members. Buck trusted his team and family with his daughter, but he always knew whose arms she was nestled in at all times– currently that was Athena's.

"You up for a movie night tonight or do you have other plans?" Eddie asked, keeping his voice low as they watched Denny tear open a new Star Wars Lego set from one of his classmates.

"What plans do you think I would have?" Buck chuckled. "I'm either working, taking are of Kira, or hanging out with you and Chris while taking care of Kira."

Eddie shrugged as he leaned into Buck's shoulder. "I wasn't sure if you were having another Buckley sibling night with Maddie."

Buck hummed, "Nope. I've got other plans."

"What?" Eddie turned his head to look up at him.

Buck was looking straight ahead. "Yeah, I'm hanging out with my third best friend in the whole wide world."

Buck could see the confusion on Eddie's face and it didn't take long for him to break out laughing, covering it up with a horrible fake cough when a few heads turned their way. Buck bumped his shoulder into Eddie's.

"You, idiot. I've got plans with you. Now ."

"Wait just a minute." Eddie huffed in fake annoyance. "I'm your third best friend?"

"Well duh. First two are my kid and your kid." Buck tilted his head back and forth. "Well, technically they're tied for first so that would make you second, but really it's third, so you're third in line as best friend."

"That's just cruel." Eddie mumbled under his breath as he turned his attention back to the birthday boy; Denny had just unwrapped a Razor Scooter from his grandmother. "First I get dropped as favorite Diaz–"

"You were never favorite, that's always been Chris."

"-now I'm not even first best friend."

"Again, that was always Christopher–" again, Buck tilted his head. "-and Kira."

"Yeah, well. You're–" Eddie frowned, clearly trying to think of something to retort back with.

Buck leaned closer in order to whisper in Eddie's ear, "However there is no competition that you'll be favorite boyfriend."

Buck watched as Eddie's ears and neck turned a light shade of red in embarrassment. He chuckled as he threw an arm over Eddie's shoulders and returned to watching Denny open his presents, just in time to see him tearing open the one from Buck– a firehouse Lego set.

"Thanks, Buck!" Denny smiled up at him from across the room.

Buck smiled back and nodded, trying not to laugh at the way Eddie had ducked his head to look at the floor when people turned to look at them once more.