"So, there's something up with Buck, right?"

It's Chimney who asks the question as he drops into a seat at the table, but Eddie, who's setting the table for dinner, and Hen, who claims to be supervising, both nod in instant agreement, settling in around him so they can discuss the matter further. Bobby, who's in the kitchen, working on dinner for the station, lifts his eyes to watch them but doesn't interject with his own opinion.

"Oh absolutely," Hen says, pursing her lips.

"I mean, it can't be normal," Chimney continues in the hushed tones of one discussing someone with a terminal illness. "To be that happy?"

All three of them lean over in unison so they can peer over the railing to where Buck is on the lower level, actually whistling, as he polishes the door handles of one of the trucks.

Because the thing is, Buck is normally a pretty happy guy; he's quick to smile, always up for a joke or a prank, and doesn't tend to sweat the small stuff. But there's that, normal, level of happy, and then there's whatever Buck has been lately. The kind of happy that has him beaming from the minute he walks in for his shift to the minute he leaves, the kind of happy that has him pointing out the silver lining in every situation, the kind of happy where he volunteers to do the jobs that everyone else is doing their best to get out of, and not only volunteers but seems ecstatically happy to be doing them. It's more than a little bizarre, and frankly, it's really starting to worry his friends.

"Whatever he's on, I want some," Eddie mumbles, straightening in his seat.

"When did this start?" Hen asks, prepared to work through this methodically. "It's been at least a week, right?"

Chimney frowns and scratches his chin as he thinks. "Since last Thursday, maybe? He took the morning off to take Taylor to that doctor's appointment, remember? He brought brownies in for everyone that afternoon when he got back, and he's been all smiley ever since."

"You think something happened after the appointment?" Eddie asks.

"Must be," Chimney says decisively. "I doubt he'd be so happy if something had happened at the appointment, and he was already like this by the afternoon, so it has to be something in between."

Their discussion is interrupted by a quiet scoff, one that's quickly hidden by a false sounding cough. The trio twist in their seats to get a look at Bobby, who's trying to hide that he'd been watching them theorise in total disbelief.

"What do you know?" Hen demands.

"That you three would never cut it as police detectives," he says with a shake of his head as he neatly slices cucumber for the salad.

They ignore the jab and Chimney says, "But you know something. Buck told you!"

"Buck hasn't told me anything," Bobby says carefully, maybe too carefully because Eddie bursts out-

"But you suspect something!"

Bobby just snorts and says, "Sure, and so would you three if you gave it a minute's thought."

He's looking at them with slightly widened eyes, as if trying to emphasise something, but the other three are totally lost, gaping at him for a moment before turning to each other, as if all hoping that one of the others had worked it out. Bobby scoffs again and just moves to the railing to announce that the food's ready.

"Right," Hen says in an undertone to the other two as firefighters stream up the stairs to eat. "We'll all try and get it out of Buck over the rest of the shift and then compare notes about what we find out."

"Right!" the other two agree.

They all turn to see Buck gushing to Bobby about the food he's prepared, that wide smile still stretched across his face.

"So weird," Hen says with a delicate shiver, before going to join the chow line.


"So, Buck," Chimney says, loudly and bluntly over dinner. "Why are you in such a good mood lately?"

Hen wants to facepalm and Eddie rolls his eyes heavenward at the lack of subtlety, but both wait to hear his response, willing to concede defeat if an outright question is the key to getting the answers they crave.

But Buck just smiles, something knowing and secretive in it, and replies, "Why shouldn't I be? I have a job I love, a beautiful wife, and a great family." He gestures around at them all and they might have cooed at the sweet sentiments if it hadn't completely failed to answer the question.

Chimney opens his mouth to continue the interrogation but Buck has already turned away, engaging a fellow firefighter in a conversation about her upcoming wedding.


Hen is slightly more subtle later that night as they're preparing for bed, but only slightly.

Buck's standing at the open door of his locker, messing around with his phone, smiling as he taps something out on it.

"You know, Buck," she says casually, sweetly. "If you ever wanted to talk about anything, I'm here."

"I know, Hen," he says simply. "And I appreciate it."

But he doesn't elaborate further, just pats her shoulder as he walks past.


Eddie doesn't get a chance to corner his friend until early the next morning when he finds him sitting on the bumper of one of the trucks watching the sunrise. Their shift will end in only a couple hours and he knows this might be his last chance to find anything out before he has to compare notes with Chimney and Hen and Buck disappears for his forty-eight hours off shift. So Eddie eases onto the bumper beside him and pretends to watch the sunrise also.

"You know, I consider you my best friend, right?" Eddie says casually, eyes not leaving the horizon.

Buck blinks a little, looking surprised by the topic. "Of course. I feel the same way."

"So, if you had something you wanted to share, I'd be excited to hear it…" Eddie trails off and waits expectantly.

Buck just chuckles quietly, claps Eddie on the shoulder and says, "And I'll be excited to share it with you." He doesn't offer anything further and Eddie lets it go, the pair just sitting in comfortable silence as the sun steadily rises over their heads.


"Nothing, right?" Hen asks at the end of their shift, looking at the other two as they stand in the driveway

"Nothing," they confirm glumly.

"Whatever it is, he's not gonna talk about it until he's ready," Eddie says.

Bobby huffs a laugh as he walks by, ready to head home, but stops when Buck calls his name and jogs up to them all.

"You're all going to be at Bobby's tomorrow night for the barbecue, right?"

"I'll be there with Karen and Denny," Hen confirms.

"I'm bringing Chris," Eddie adds.

"We'll all be there," Chimney finishes, referring to Maddie and Jee.

"Excellent," Buck says, clapping his hands together. But he doesn't offer why exactly that's excellent before he's jogging off to his jeep, swinging himself inside, and driving off with a wave of his hand.


The next night does indeed find them all assembled at Bobby's for dinner, with a lot of chatter and laughter being shared. Hen, Eddie, and Chimney all keep half an eye on Buck but as the night wears on and his behaviour doesn't yield any answers, they find their curiosity begin to ebb away.

That is until Buck calls for everyone's attention claiming to have an announcement to make. Taylor is at his side, her arm around his waist as she leans into him, a glowing smile gracing her face. Hen, Chimney, and Eddie all straighten a little, wondering if this will be it.

"Some of you guys have noticed that I've been in a pretty good mood lately, and I'm sure have been curious why. Well, Taylor had a doctor's appointment last week and it confirmed something that we've suspected for a little while. And there's no one we wanted to tell before you all, our family, so we're very excited to announce that Taylor's pregnant."

Maddie's the first to react, letting out an excited shriek, but the others aren't far behind, words of happiness and congratulations being called out as everyone stands and surges forward to embrace Buck and Taylor.

Hen, Chimney, and Eddie hang back for a moment to exchange glances.

"We really should have seen that coming, huh?" Hen says, thinking about what Bobby had said.

"Yeah."

"Uh huh."

Then they shrug, identical smiles breaking over their faces, as they join the others in congratulating the pair.

"Fatherhood, hey, Buck?" Hen asks when it's her turn to pull him into a hug. She gives him a quick once over, noting his happy expression, the way he's glowing almost as much as Taylor. "It's a good look on you."


Last one! Hope everyone enjoyed BuckTaylor week!