"Hey!"
Evan stopped and turned to where he heard the voice behind him, a smile splitting his face when he spotted Eddie jogging to catch up to him. Evan had just gotten into work, his second week with the 118, with his new family, and it seemed Eddie had only been a few minutes behind him. Evan waited for the older man to catch up before they stepped in stride with one another as they headed through the open bay doors of the firehouse.
"You just drop Christopher off at school?" Evan asked as Eddie wrapped an arm around his waist and squeezed his side.
"Mmhmm," Eddie nodded, his head turned into Evan's shoulder as he kissed the younger man's shirt. "Lily?"
"At daycare with Beth."
They tried not to show a whole lot of PDA when at work but seeing as they spent their first full weekend away from one another since they started dating four months ago, Evan leaned more into Eddie's side. Christopher had gotten a cold from school and they had learned the hard way in early January that Evan's immune system wasn't the greatest and being around Christopher caused him to get sick and in turn got Lily, Olivia, Elizabeth and Maddie all sick by the end of the month. So when Christopher fell sick once again, Evan was ordered by Maddie to stay away until he was over the worst of it. That had meant the whole weekend. His only moments of contact had been facetiming Eddie once Christopher was asleep for the night.
"Morning, boys." Hen smiled as they passed where she was taking stock of the ambulance.
"Morning," They said in unison as Evan gave her a quick wave.
Her chuckles followed them into the locker room where Eddie finally pulled away from Evan after one final squeeze to his side so they could go to their separate lockers and get changed into their uniforms. Another firefighter, Henley, a tall stocky red hair man with a rich beard and all, was sitting on one of the benches tying his shoes.
"Morning Eddie, morning Buck," Henley said as he finished and stood, "You two have a good weekend?"
"Christopher was sick," Eddie frowned, "Spent the weekend keeping him comfortable."
Henley nodded and turned to Buck as the blond pulled his shirt over his head to be replaced with his work shirt. "Spent the weekend redecorating Lily's nursery. Decided I didn't like the pink. It was too much."
Eddie laughed as he buckled his belt, looking to the side at Evan. "What color did you end up going with?"
"A pale orange." Evan shrugged and turned back to Henley, "How was your weekend?"
"Good, proposed to Vanessa."
Eddie looked up with a smile, "And?"
"Of course she said yes, we've been together since high school. If she had said no, I don't know how we had made it sixteen years together."
Eddie and Evan both congratulated the man, each giving him a hug. He nodded his thanks and made his way out of the locker room, leaving the boys to finish getting ready. Evan loved being at the 118. He had only been with the group two weeks and they made him feel like he was one of them since day one. He was sure it helped that he was Chimney's brother-in-law... and dating Eddie - a secret they couldn't keep a secret because Evan's brother-in-law had no idea what secret meant.
But he didn't care. It felt so good to be working again, to be able to help others again. Even when he had been a firefighter back in Boston, he wasn't close with anyone there. He was afraid to get close to them, afraid they would see through his smiles, through his façade of a happy family life. Here he didn't need to worry about that because he was actually happy. He had his sister back in his life, he had a brother-in-law, two if you counted Albert, he had a boyfriend that was the total opposite of what Evan ever knew about love and dating, he had two wonderful nieces and an amazing daughter. He was building the life he had always wanted.
Just as Evan buckled his belt and Eddie tied his shoe, the bell rang out for a call. Evan quickly slipped into his shoes, not bothering to tie them, and they both rushed out to grab their turnout gear and jump into the truck, already listening to Bobby rattle off the information about an apartment building fire. When they got on the scene it was like a silent chaos. The cause was already known, a fault space heater. Evan looked at Eddie questioning why someone would be using a space heater in the middle of March in L.A. and Eddie just shrugged. They turned their attention back to Bobby as the captain began giving out orders.
Eddie and Evan were send into the building to help evacuate, along with Henley and Peters, a short and strong middle-aged woman with long raven black hair always in a braid. The fire had started on the third floor and they had to move past to reach the top two floors where people were trying to clamber down the stairs, choking on the rising smoke. They passed Henley and Peters on the fourth floor, both nodding to let Eddie and Evan know they needed to continue to the fifth. With a nod back they continued. Quickly but efficiently they each took a side of the hall and knocked on doors, checking apartments to make sure they were empty. At the end of the hall Evan found a young girl and her mother passed out in their kitchen. He called for Eddie over the radio and together they grabbed the pair, double checking nobody else was in the apartment, and made their way back down.
As they reached the second floor stairwell there was a rumble through the building and Evan had to lean his back against the stairwell wall to steady himself, lifting the little girl no older then Christopher, higher into his arms. Eddie had been next to him and had sat himself down on the stairs, the mother slung over his shoulder.
"You okay?" Evan yelled to Eddie as the older man stood and waited a second to steady himself.
Eddie just nodded and continued down the stairs, Evan right behind him. Evan heard the tell tale signs of ceiling cracking above them as they reached the foyer of the building. Henley and Peters were waiting at the doors for them, grabbing for the mother to help Eddie finish carrying her out. Evan was only a few steps behind when he felt it. The floor shifted. With panicked eyes at Eddie, now empty handed turned around, Evan nodded to him. Eddie knew exactly what Evan was about to do when he stepped back through the door and reached out, grabbing the child as Evan did his best to toss her away from himself and harm.
And then the floor, and Evan, were gone.
Eddie felt someone's hands on his shoulders as he was pulled back out, watching as the floor caved where Evan had just been standing. Henley and Peters had to hold Eddie back from running back in after Chimney had taken the little girl from his arms. The mother had woken up as they were leaving the building and was screaming for her daughter, they were eager to reunite mother and daughter.
"Buck?" Bobby was standing next to Eddie now, speaking into his radio. "Buckley, do you copy?"
There was only static on the other line as they all held their breath. They had to step back to the trucks away from the building as more and more started to crumble away. Henley still had his hand wrapped around Eddie's bicep, ready to hold him back if he tried to race back inside.
"Hey, Cap."
Everyone sighed with relief as Evan's soft voice came over the radio.
"How you doin', kid?" Bobby quickly asked, "Are you hurt?"
"Um," They heard some shifting, "Not sure. My leg hurts but I don't think it's broken. Don't think I'm bleeding either. Maybe just some cuts on my face from falling debris."
"Okay, that's good," Chimney cut in, "Did you hit your head when you fell?"
"Hey, Howard, uh no. No, I landed feet first, that's why my leg hurts." Evan laughed, then coughed.
"Okay, Buck. What do you see around you." It was Bobby again.
"I can see the stairs that lead back up to the foyer but there is a lot of ceiling pieces in my way." Evan replied, "I could climb up and over but if any of it shifts, I can see a gap between them, I'd get stuck if I fell through."
Bobby run a hand over his face and looked around before turning back to his radio. "Any windows on the sides?"
"Too small for me."
"Dammit." Bobby muttered, forgetting he still had the button held down on his radio for Evan to hear him.
Evan laughed. "Okay so not the greatest odds but if someone is able to get to the basement door and help me, I think I can get up the stairs."
"I'm going." Eddie took a step forward.
"I'll go too," Chimney added, "Just in case he's more hurt then he realizes.. or is telling us."
Bobby nodded, "Go around back, the basement door is closer and maybe the floor isn't collapsed there."
Both men took off for the building, heading for the back. Chimney had a medical bag with him. The fire was still blazing, a second firehouse had shown up to help, but the rumbling had stopped and so had the crashing pieces of the building. They seemed to have a slight reprieve in disaster as they waited. While still trying to put out the flames through the third, and now second story windows, everyone waited with bated breath for anything to signal they had gotten not only their youngest firefighter, but their probie from the building. It seemed like hours passed before they heard a beep on the radio and Eddie's voice rang out.
"We've got him!"
Bobby could here a few soft cheers behind him from the rest of his team but he didn't breath again until he saw his three men come around the side of the building a few minutes later. Chimney and Eddie were supporting the younger man as he tried his best to walk on his own two feet back to the trucks. Hen and Peters had already left with the mother and her daughter in their ambulance so they escorted Evan to the other firehouse's ambulance. Evan sat down on the bumper and took a deep breath as Eddie pulled his helmet and mask off for him.
He let Chimney, another paramedic whose name Evan didn't know, and Eddie look him over for injuries. His right ankle had been twisted in his fall but wasn't broken, not even sprained. It was going to be swollen for a few days though. He had minor cuts up his neck and on his face but nothing that needed stitches. They had pulled his turnout coat off carefully when he was complaining of some pain on his left side, and lifted his shirt. There was already bruising forming but both Chimney and Zander, Evan caught the other paramedic's name, concluded he didn't have any broken ribs. Bobby still ordered Evan to the hospital to be checked over a second time, just in case.
Three hours later Evan returned to the firehouse with Eddie, using crutches to stay off his now wrapped ankle. Eddie helped him up the stairs into the loft and onto the couch in the living space. He grabbed a pillow off the couch and sat it on the coffee table, carefully lifting Evan's leg to rest his ankle and foot onto the pillow. Evan leaned his head back and blinked as Bobby swam into his vision above him, hands on his hips and a deep frown on his face.
"Hey, Cap!" Evan smiled, "Just a swollen ankle. Doc says to stay off it a few days."
Bobby nodded as he looked over the younger man. "You got lucky."
Evan's smile faltered and he nodded, "I know. But I knew I wasn't going to get out of it when I felt the floor shift. I just didn't want that little girl to go down with me."
Bobby reached down and squeezed the blond's shoulder. "You did good, Buck."
Evan's smile was back as he looked up at Bobby again. "Thanks."
Bobby gave his shoulder another squeeze before he huffed and turned away, heading for the kitchen. "Just try not to do it again."
Evan laughed and turned his attention back to Eddie, who was now sitting on the coffee table next to his foot. Eddie had a soft smile on his face but Evan could still see the fear in the older man's chocolate eyes. Evan lifted his hand and Eddie quickly grabbed hold. Evan squeezed to prove he was still there. When Bobby had ordered Evan to the hospital it was without question that Eddie would be going with him. The second crew was already taking down the fire with the rest of the 118, Bobby wasn't worried now that all his men and woman were out of the building. Eddie hadn't released his hand except for when they had taken Evan back for x-rays on his ankle and the bruising on his side. Once he was back in his cubicle in the E.R. Eddie was right back to holding his hand. The adrenaline had worn off from Evan and the younger man just smiled sleepily at him.
Once he had been released on orders to rest a few days and to stay off his foot, Evan had made Eddie take him back to the station. They still had hours left of their shift. Eddie had protested but in the end Evan had won. Within minutes of Eddie having him settled on the couch many had come over to check on him. Hen brought more pillows, fluffing them around him; Chimney brought him his phone from his locker and the book he had been reading on downtime; Henley handed over a sketch pad and pencil from his own locker; Jackson, a small petite blonde brought over a blanket and covered him in it; and Bobby made sure he had a nice hot bowl of chicken noodle soup. Evan just smiled and thanked each one as they did something else to make him comfortable on the couch while they worked.
Evan was left alone three times until the end of shift from calls.
Then it was end of shift, Eddie helped him down to the locker room where they changed and then headed for Eddie's truck. Without a word, Eddie headed for the daycare to pick up Lily, a car seat now a permanent fixture in his truck along with Christopher's booster seat, it just made it easier then always having to take Evan's jeep when they had the kids together, there was also a booster seat in the Jeep. Eddie had ran into the daycare to pick up the little girl, his name already listed as a pickup and emergency contact other then Maddie and Howard. Once Lily was buckled into her car seat, babbling happily about something and chewing on the ear of her stuffed rabbit Christopher had bought her for Christmas, Eddie jumped back into the truck and turned them towards home. They knew Christopher would already be there with his caretaker, Carla Price.
In such a short time Eddie couldn't believe how much he and Evan had combined their lives. Since Evan had moved into his own apartment two months ago Eddie had found himself with a drawer and a third of a space in the closet for his own clothes, as well as a bed, dresser and toy chest for Christopher in Lily's nursery. It went the same way with his home. Evan had a drawer in his dresser and clothes in his closet. A crib was set up against the wall in his room for Lily, a changing table and dresser combination next to it. Her toys stayed in her crib when she wasn't there. A stroller sat at the front door, a baby swing in the living room, and a high chair at the dining room table. In just four months Eddie could no longer picture his and Christopher's lives without the other man and his daughter. And he never wanted to.
He knew technically Evan was still legally married to his husband. His abusive husband as Eddie had learned just after the new year. He and Evan had had a night alone just before Evan had moved into his own apartment. Maddie had taken Lily for the night and Christopher had a sleepover at Bobby and Athena's with Harry and Denny. Evan had opened about his marriage, about the abuse. But he also knew that Evan had filed for divorce from the man before Thanksgiving, they were just waiting for word that they had been signed and returned. Eddie was on edge for Evan, always looking around. Evan had shown him a picture of what the man looked like just in case he ever showed up, he didn't want Eddie to be blindsided, especially because Christopher. But Eddie also noticed at Thanksgiving Evan was no longer wearing his wedding band.
"Dad! Buck!" Christopher saw them before Carla as they entered the house.
Eddie was carrying Lily in his arms, her diaper bag over his shoulder. Christopher got up from the couch and headed for them, stopping as Eddie moved to the side for Evan to step into the house, crutches and all.
"Oh dear, what happened?" Carla asked as she walked up to them.
"Just a minor accident at work," Evan addressed Christopher as he saw the little boy's lip quiver, giving him a smile to show he was okay. "Twisted my ankle, been told to stay off it a few days."
"So you're okay?" Christopher asked as he stepped up to Evan and wrapped his arms around the man's legs.
"I'm his father and he bypasses me for you," Eddie huffed but he was smiling as he dropped the diaper bag on the floor.
"I'm good, Superman." Evan ran his hand through Christopher's curls before the boy backed up and turned towards his father.
"Hi dad," Christopher smiled up at him and hugged his legs as well.
"Hi, mijo." Eddie patted his back with his free hand. "Let me put sleeping beauty down for a nap." Eddie headed for the bedroom with Lily.
"You forgot sleeping beauty, here." Carla laughed as she grabbed onto Evan's arm as he swayed sleepily.
Eddie turned to look and snorted. "I can only carry one at a time. I think he'd squish her in my arms."
Evan stuck his tongue out even as Carla helped him to the couch. A similar action from the firehouse then happened. Carla fluffed pillows around him, Christopher covered him in a blanket and snuggled into his side, and Eddie propped his wrapped ankle onto the coffee table on a pillow. Within minutes Evan was snoring softly on the couch while Christopher silently snuggled his side, watching cartoons on low volume. Eddie watched them for a moment before following Carla into the kitchen where she had been working on dinner for the boys.
"Now tell me what really happened to that boy."
Eddie sighed and leaned his hip against the counter, arms crossed over his chest as he watched Carla add finishing touches to a salad she made to go with the baked pork chops and mashed potatoes. Sometimes Eddie really loved Carla. She was good with Christopher, and was a mother hen to both boys, now all three and Lily, but she wasn't overbearing like his own mother had been growing up. She knew when to push and when to let them stumble through something themselves, all with a steadying hand on their backs.
"Apartment building fire. We were just getting the last tenants out when he felt the floor beneath him shift. I stepped back in to grab him but instead had to react to grabbing the little girl he threw at me. One second he was there, and then he was gone with the floor." Eddie bowed his head then looked back up at the woman standing in front of him. "It took ten minutes to raise him on the radio but other then a few bruises and cuts, and his twisted ankle, he came out unscathed."
Carla nodded, "Well that's good then. He staying here while he has to stay off that foot?"
"Yeah. I called Maddie while he was getting x-rays at the hospital, just to be sure there wasn't a break or internal bleeding anywhere. She offered to take Lily but I didn't think Evan would like that. One night here or there without her he's okay with but more then that and I can see the panic in his eyes."
Carla nodded, also knowing Evan's full story. Evan had had a panic attack in front of her just over three weeks ago when Eddie had taken Lily on a walk with him and Christopher while Evan was in the shower. He had completely forgot he had told Eddie to go ahead and take her. When Eddie had returned and saw how panicked Evan was and why, Eddie always made sure when he had Lily that Evan was told more then once. She felt for the young man, but also saw how loved he felt being around Eddie and Christopher. She knew he and his daughter were in good hands with the Diaz boys.
Twenty minutes later Carla was out the door and the two men and Christopher sat at the table eating dinner. Evan had Lily in his lap feeding her mashed potatoes from his plate between sucks of her milk bottle. The little girl was just seven months old now, starting to sit up and even crawl around the house with Christopher following her everywhere. Once they realized Lily was crawling, Eddie suddenly found all his outlets with caps and bottom cabinets in the kitchen and bathrooms with child locks. Both he and Evan looked at Carla who had just smiled at them the day they came home to it all. They found out the next day Maddie had done the same to Evan's apartment.
Eddie was not happy to say he was embarrassed when Carla had to open one of his kitchen cabinets because dammit, apparently child proof also meant Eddie proof.