Word Count: 4,899
Disclaimer: I am in no way associated with 911, Fox, or anything else related to that particular universe.

Warnings: There is some brief but explicit sexual content in this chapter.

Walker stayed disturbingly close to his side while he leaned against the van, hands clasped around the rifle as they surveyed those walking past. In theory, it was no different to working Pride or any other major LA event. People drifted by and it was their responsibility to assess for threats and subdue them before anything erupted. In practicality, there was less noise than any typical LA event and the clothes of everyone were bleached of colour. It was unnerving that the majority of what he could hear was simply footsteps, and Walker's occasional inhale by his side. It was common for crowds to avert their eyes from the SWAT vehicle but there was something even more timid in facial expressions than usual.

"We can move closer to a service if you want to hear some of the words," Walker murmured without looking at him, their training too ingrained to truly break focus.

Anders and Nicholls were on the opposite side of the plaza, as still as statues in their gear. Occasionally someone would peer at them, blatantly eyeing their rifles or their tac belts, and then keep walking with a bit of extra distance. Tandy was on a roof overlooking the intersection, their eyes in the sky scanning at a broader distance.

He glanced to one side, an acknowledgement of Walker's words. "I'm ready for this to be over."

It took all his self-control to concentrate on the crowds, but he kept wanting to peel off his watch and stare at the scar like he had for hours a year ago, when the memories of bowing his head into his shaking hands while Walker had tried to comfort him kept flickering behind his eyes. It took all his self-control to concentrate on the sounds of people around him, but his thoughts kept drifting to the pitiful sobs that Chris had released against his shoulder when he'd had to leave for his shift this morning. There was nothing he'd been able to say to reassure his son and there was nothing he could say to reassure himself. He didn't want to be there, he didn't want to be this close to where the carnage had swept through a year ago, and he knew his son was terrified that another wave of water would hit LA today and wash him away the same as Shannon.

"Halfway over," Walker acknowledged.

It was cold comfort.

By the time his half-shift was due to conclude, Eddie was ready to scratch off his skin in the desperation he felt to get home to his son. The crowds had thinned, the bulk of the services were over, and some of the solemn silence that had been so unnerving all morning had evaporated. It was almost comforting to hear the chatter around him return along with the giggles of children, the honk of horns, the rumble of traffic gradually returning as some of the roadblocks around the area were removed.

"Diaz?"

He looked towards Walker, who nodded at Polson approaching. He wasn't exactly thrilled to see her but in the month since George's death, he'd had to let it go if he wanted to continue to do his job.

"You're in charge," he told Walker, bumping their fists together. "Don't screw up my squad."

"Wouldn't dream of it." Walker shooed him away and Eddie wasted little time, nodding his head in acknowledgement at Polson as they traded places and Eddie climbed into the waiting squad car.

By the time he'd returned to Headquarters, he'd loosened several straps on his gear. He was ready to swap out of his gear and into civilian clothes, to go home and cuddle his son in his lap. HQ was quiet, most teams out on patrol in case a call came through. He gathered his personal phone and backpack from his locker and was back in his car within five minutes.

Somewhere during his drive home, the control over his emotions began to loosen and the tears started. Despite the traffic swarming around him, he had to pull over and cover his face with his trembling hands. Stuttered breaths passed his lips, tears splashing across his cheeks and palms as he remembered the devastating pain that had coursed through him twelve months ago, as he remembered the terror of watching the Mark fade and scar, as he realised he didn't know where his son or wife were but they were clearly in the middle of everything that had made his shift go to hell.

The Mark at his shoulder erupted with a heartbeat that wasn't his, and he felt the ghostly brush of a hand against the back of his neck that wasn't really there. He sniffed, touching at his neck like he could lace his fingers through another set, and suspected the echo of how he felt was travelling through another.

He used the comforting sensations to drag him back from the brink, as an anchor in a storm, and returned to the road once he had enough control and clear vision to do so. Would it ever stop hurting? Would it ever stop feeling like he was being ripped apart?

Buck was descending the stairs as he parked the car in the driveway, wrapping him into a hug before he'd even shut the car door. Tears prickled his eyes again as he clung to Buck, gripping the backs of his shoulders as he fought to inhale and exhale calmly.

"Daddy?"

He sniffed, covering up the emotional turmoil as best as he could with a smile past Buck's shoulder at Chris waiting on the porch. "Hey, mijo. How have you been?"

Chris' attempt at a smile wobbled. "I missed you."

Eddie kisses Buck's cheek and lets go, stepping around him to move up the stairs. As he scooped Chris into his arms, his kid's legs around his stomach and arms around his neck, he heard the car door shut behind him.

"I missed you too, baby," he whispered, nosing kisses to Chris' cheeks and hair as he carried him into the house. He could hear Buck following them through to the living room and he settled on the couch with enough room for Buck to sit beside them.

"Was work okay?" Chris said while Eddie trailed a hand down his back. He leaned into Buck folding an arm around his shoulders, released something close to a sign when Buck kissed his forehead.

"I thought about you the whole time," he says, a small increase of pressure against Buck's shoulder even as he watched his son's drifting hazel eyes. Some sort of shy smile crossed his lips when Buck's fingers rubbed the back of his neck like the ghostly sensation he'd felt during the drive. He shot Buck a look and Buck quirked an eyebrow at him.

"I take it that it worked?"

"What worked?"

Eddie hesitated between looking at Buck and Chris, unsure how to ever explain the depths of the Marks to his son and not freak him out. Eddie could clearly remember how freaked out he'd felt when he was younger and he'd realised his Abuela and Abuelo could have their own private conversations above his head.

"I just missed you two a whole lot," Eddie said eventually, cuddling under Buck's arm and hugging Chris against him. He hummed a little when Chris's fingers wound into Buck's shirt, realising that they'd formed a new sort of family because the strength of the Marks was so strong. The warmth and safety and love that flowed beneath his skin was almost enough to keep the cold and sadness and despair at bay.

"Do you think Chris could climb a rock wall?" Buck asked as he swirled the beaten eggs in a pan, scraping them with a spatula to avoid them sticking as he made scrambled eggs.

Eddie looked across from where he was hovering over the toaster. Buck's stupid thing tended to undercook the bread or turn it into charcoal in the span of seconds. "I've never taken him."

"Do you want to?"

He poked the Cancel button and the toast popped, maybe a little underdone but preferable to the blackened soot that had been spat out last week. It turned into a good excuse to delay answering Buck's question as he ruminated on the possibilities while spreading butter across the slices. He never wanted to restrict or deny his son the opportunity to do anything. At the same time, he didn't want Chris to get excited about something it might turn out he really struggled with.

"I can ask him after my shift," he conceded eventually, glancing across at Buck who flashed him a wink and wiggled his ass like he hadn't been teasing Eddie with it all morning.

As Buck crossed towards the coffee pot, Eddie tugged him into a kiss and wondered if he was allowed to feel this happy.

Chris was almost vibrating with excitement as he entered the climbing gym, his wide eyes sweeping around the room at the dangling ropes and coloured blocks on the walls. Eddie still felt uncertain but was covering it as best as he could with enthusiasm. Buck, on the other hand, seemed perfectly at ease as he lifted Chris onto his shoulders and started carrying him around to explain how climbing worked, and showing him some of the different grips on the walls, and how the harnesses would keep Chris safe so he wouldn't fall and hurt himself.

"I thought we'd start with this one because the wall is small and the grips are larger and easier," Buck explained, lowering Chris to his feet and pointing out different parts to hold onto and ways to use his arms to pull and legs to push so he could climb up the wall.

Eddie didn't exactly feel useless but he did feel like Buck had this handled, and it was strange to realise just how comfortable and confident Buck was in talking to Chris and teaching him what to do. He loved Buck a little more for the connection he'd made with his son, and he could tell Chris was rapt because his scrunching fingers showed how desperate he was to start climbing the coloured wall. Still, he felt like he was being overprotective and far too anxious that Chris was going to get injured, even though he knew Buck was more than capable of taking Chris' weight on a rope as he climbed. Buck could probably haul Chris all the way to the top without much effort.

Buck helped Chris into a harness and started explaining how the ropes worked to anchor him, so Eddie wandered away to find something that could distract him from his nerves. There was a room off to one side, hidden by some of the walls, and when he peered into it, he could see a series of what looked like rope slings hanging from the ceiling. He frowned, wondering if Buck would know what it was, and then kept exploring.

By the time he'd done a circuit around the gym and returned to Chris and Buck, Chris was slowly manoeuvring his way up the wall and Buck was gently taking the slack from the rope and encouraging him. He hadn't made it far – maybe two feet off the ground – but his grin was enormous when he saw Eddie had returned.

"Look, Dad! I'm so high!"

Eddie could still kiss the top of his head without needing to lift onto his tiptoes but he didn't, some of the fears inside his chest lessening as he met Buck's reassuring gaze.

"Yeah, you are!" he said, shifting to stand beside Buck and wrapping an arm around his back, fingers drawing circles against the curve of Buck's spine. "How high are you gonna climb?"

"All the way to the top!" Chris insisted and wobbled upwards to grip another handle.

Buck didn't look like it was much of a strain for him to take Chris' weight as he gradually ascended the wall, and he seemed so pleased with himself that Eddie kissed his temple and then returned his attention to his son.

"What was that for?" Buck murmured, cheeks dimpling around a smile as he tightened the rope a little more at his waist.

"You've made him happy," Eddie said simply, realising he was hopelessly smitten and not sure if he even cared. Seeing Chris smile and laugh again had given him some hope that they could find a way out of the darkness that had been left behind after Shannon's death, together.

A little over halfway up the wall, Eddie noticed Chris hadn't moved for at least a minute. There was a clear grip up and to the right but he seemed to be wavering and Eddie immediately started thinking this was a terrible idea. Buck brushed a hand against his arm, which helped settle at least some of the anxious twisting behind his heart.

"Mijo?"

"Am- A-Am I really high up?"

Eddie frowned and checked that Buck had the ropes secured. Buck nodded at him, tilting his head to how he had the line thoroughly hooked at his waist and reassuring him that Chris wasn't going anywhere. He inched until he was standing closer to the wall and standing beneath Chris, in his eyeline if he peered past his tummy. "You're almost halfway, bud. Why? What's wrong?"

"I… I've never been this high up before," Chris admitted, his voice small, and Eddie wondered if his son had a fear of heights that had never been discovered until now. And this was a really, really bad time to discover it.

"Do you want to come down?" he said, his overprotective father instinct kicking in as he started assessing the wall and whether he could free-climb it to prise his kid's hands away and get him to safety.

"N-No." Chris' voice wavered so much that it didn't inspire a hell of a lot of confidence in Eddie's stressed heart. "I wanna reach the top, Dad. I wanna prove I can- can do it."

"Then keep going, champ," Buck said, his voice gentle and drawing both Eddie and Chris' eyes towards him. He shrugged when he glanced at Eddie, his face calm, before looking skywards again. "You want to reach the top? Then go for it. Grab that grip to the right and keep going. You're safe and I won't let you fall, alright? I'll never let you fall, kiddo. I promise I've got you."

"You promise promise?"

"Cross my heart, champ." Buck lifted his left hand and made an exaggerated swipe over his chest. "Besides, your dad is right below you so he'll catch you while you squash him."

Eddie shot Buck a look of fond exasperation. The blond grinned, flashing him a wink, and gave a thumbs up to Chris. And Chris was at least making soft giggling noises now.

"You got this, Chris! I believe in you."

Chris started moving again with Buck's reassurance, and he was painstakingly slow, and Eddie knew heart was in his throat as he watched Chris get higher and higher and higher, his arm around Buck's back as if he could somehow help take the weight of his son. And then Chris was squealing, and for a beat Eddie thought he'd slipped and he was terrified, but then the thumping heartbeat in his ears made it clear his son was absolutely delighted because his hands were brushing the ceiling. Tears of pride prickled his eyes as Eddie watched Chris squirm against the wall in delight.

"You're a superstar, Christopher Diaz," Buck announced and Eddie could have kissed him within an inch of his life, right then and there in the middle of the climbing gym.

"I did it, Dad!"

"I can see that, Chris! You're awesome!"

Chris peered downwards with a huge grin on his face, one Eddie hadn't seen in a long time. "Do I have to climb down now?"

Eddie looked at Buck, who hesitated. Clearly the dismount hadn't been thoroughly explained. "This is… This is the scary part, bud. You need to let go of the wall."

"I need to what?"

Buck winced at Chris' shrill tone. "You let go. I've got the ropes. Remember I showed you how they work before? They're tight now because you're up high and if I gradually let it out, you'll come down."

"B-But I- I don't wanna slam into the ground…" Chris said, his joyous words of before sliding towards despair. The crackle of what sounded like tears was absolutely breaking Eddie's heart again.

"Why do you think you're going to slam into the ground, buddy?" Buck asked, tugging at Eddie's arm to stay calm when he was absolutely on the verge of climbing up the wall without a rope to protect his kid.

"Because I- I'll fall and- and it's- it's a really long way down, Buck."

"You want me to tell you a secret, Chris?" Buck began, a cheeky smile on his face as he looked at Eddie. "I've got more muscles than your dad and I know I could get him to the ground without hurting him. Cross my heart that I promise I'll get you down without you getting hurt, okay? I know it's scary but we can do this, together."

Chris still sounded like he was about to start sobbing but his tone indicated he'd resigned himself to what he needed to do. "O-Okay. I- I'm letting go now. Are y-you ready?"

"I'm ready, Superman. You ready to fly?"

Chris released his grip and immediately started shrieking in fright, but Buck knew what he was doing and Chris descended to the floor in a slow and smooth release. Some of the terror in Chris' sounds faded when he began to realise it was like flying, using his feet to push away from the wall a little and extending his arms like a plane when Buck suggested it. By the time he was low enough to fall into Buck's waiting arms, he was smiling again.

"I did it!" Chris giggled, clinging to Buck's shoulders while Buck smothered his face and hair in kisses.

Eddie blinked away his own tears and anxieties, wrapping his arms around the pair of boys. He dropped a kiss behind Buck's ear and rubbed a hand against Chris' curls.

"Told you that you're a superstar, Christopher Diaz," Buck murmured, rubbing Chris' back as some of the trembling of the adrenaline in his body reduced. Eddie just nuzzled at his son's shoulder, inhaling and exhaling until he felt like he was calmed by the fact Chris was safe, and okay, and unharmed, and didn't seem to be put off by the experience.

When he pulled away, Chris was wriggling with barely contained excitement. "Can we do it again?"

The experience at the climbing gym seemed to strengthen the developing bond between Chris and Buck, and Eddie quickly realised that he trusted Buck with his son. If a call went sideways, if a shift dragged longer than expected, then he had someone else he could call beyond Abuela and Carla to collect Chris from school. He updated the emergency contact list the next time he dropped Chris off, amazed at the transformation occurring in his kid because of the light that Buck had brought into their lives. He had never seemed to be negative about any limitations he might have – he couldn't run as fast as other kids, and he struggled going up and down stairs – but climbing the rock wall seemed to be showing him there was so much that he still could do.

The climbing gym had also introduced Chris to other opportunities that Buck was only too happy to take him to – flying yoga, which explained all the strange slings in the room to the side, and acro-yoga.

At first, Eddie had thought they sounded like made-up activities. Chris had been babbling about seeing people flying and how fun it looked and could he try it next time? And Eddie had looked at Buck, who had shrugged and volunteered to take him.

Eddie had then spent the better part of the night after Chris had gone to bed Googling both and realising why his son would find flying yoga fun. Climbing the wall tired him out but his favourite part now was the descent, where he loved pretending to be a bird. Flying yoga, encased in a sling and stretching out his body, would probably be a good thing to keep building his muscle strength and tone and coordination, without exhausting him and leaving him sore and wobbly the following day.

r u sure about the acro yoga?

of course! We'll find something that's just a u+Chris thing b4 u get jealous

i'm not jealous
i'm thrilled my son loves u so much

he loves u 2
we both do

Eddie dropped his phone on his face.

Their annual review was rapidly approaching and Eddie had made one sideways glance towards Walker and Nicholls to know they were thinking the same thing as him: Tandy.

Tandy had improved somewhat in his close combat skills, where he could disarm Nicholls and Anders now, but he still struggled with shifting his body weight enough to tackle someone, to adapt his positioning if a suspect didn't move the way that Tandy had prepared. While Eddie hung over the ropes and called suggestions to Tandy while he circled Anders, it occurred to him he had a better solution.

Athena's eyes narrowed when he made the suggestion, her lips pursing as she looked him up and down. "You know Buck would be good for this?"

It was a difficult feat not to start fidgeting under her gaze. "Yes. I think it would be a real benefit to Tandy, and to the team."

Athena continued to stare at him for a long minute, perhaps trying to see beneath his shirt and identifying the Mark that stained his skin. "Very well," she conceded with a small wave of her fingers towards the door. "I'll make some calls."

Those calls were what led Buck to striding into HQ during Eddie's next shift, a duffle bag over his shoulder as he surveyed the layout of the building. Eddie kept his arms crossed over his chest, even though his fingers twitched against his bicep when Buck's gaze swept across the team and settled on Eddie with a faint smirk and an eyebrow twitch. Eddie was absolutely going to remind him that those sorts of looks had been outright banned in the carefully constructed rules he'd had to establish for this to work without giving everything away. Eddie already knew Walker had questions.

"So if there's anything I can teach you, it's that you have to throw out the rulebook and play to your instincts," Buck announced, discarding his duffle to the floor by the mats and unzipping his hoodie. He shrugged the fabric off and revealed the black tank top beneath, revealing the array of pale pink Marks along each arm and the blackened Mark on his shoulder. Eddie felt Walker shift beside him and heard the low whistle of Nicholls and tried not to smack him over the head, but, if he'd heard it, Buck looked unfazed by the reaction. Instead, he seemed to stand a little taller, shoulders squared rather than curled with shame, and surveyed each of them. "You." He pointed at Nicholls, and maybe he had heard the whistle. "Let's go."

As their most experienced member, Eddie knew Nicholls was formidable and it was why he'd set him up with Tandy. Eddie hadn't told Buck anything about the team other than he needed help with some training drills, so perhaps Buck had sized up each of them and decided that Nicholls was the best target to start with. Eddie had made it clear last night that he and Buck needed to not get too close or handsy in a spar otherwise he'd end up doing something awkward or embarrassing, like leaning in to kiss him.

"And that's a problem, why, exactly?" Buck had mumbled with a teasing grin and a kiss to his lips.

Buck and Nicholls circled each other for several minutes. Buck kept his hands low, in contradiction to most training, and there was absolutely nothing in his face or eyes to betray his thoughts. It was clear Nicholls was unsettled by the behaviour, even in only a few minutes of silence, and then he made a lunge towards Buck's head.

Buck twisted out of the way, leg catching behind Nicholls' knees and he crashed to the ground with a loud, "Oof!". Eddie winced and Walker grunted in sympathy, while Tandy seemed to bounce a little on the balls of his feet when he realised someone could take Nicholls down. Which, Eddie supposed, was the whole point of the exercise. If Tandy could realise that, then maybe he could learn how and start doing it out on the streets.

Nicholls returned to his feet and tried again, and again, and again, but every time Buck managed to find a counter-move that brought him to his knees, or he fell on his ass, or his arm was pinned in such an awkward angle that he had to call it. Buck grinned like a Cheshire cat, a thin shimmer of sweat making his pink Marks glitter and Eddie fought the urge to approach him and run his fingers over the muscles.

"Your training manual is so outdated," Buck said with an exasperated roll of his eyes while Nicholls rubbed his shoulder and swapped with Tandy. He didn't even look tired, whereas Nicholls looked spent. Eddie snorted at the reference and Buck shot him a grin, and Eddie hoped to God that Walker hadn't caught it.

Athena ventured out of her office halfway through Buck's session, which had been established for Tandy's benefit. She surveyed some of Buck's movements, silently observing the way he demonstrated his actions in slow-motion to Tandy and then the way to counter it in equally slow motion. Tandy nodded his understanding and they tried it with more speed, where Buck allowed Tandy the opportunity to take him to the mat. Eddie knew Buck would have to be bruised tomorrow or the day after, but Tandy seemed to be increasingly brimming with confidence and there was a glimmer in his eyes that he could do this. For that alone, Eddie was willing to buy all the ice baths that Buck needed.

"Your boy is good," Athena said with a single nod as she stood by Eddie's side. His head snapped towards her in surprise or shock or horror that she'd- "I was beginning to give up on Tandy and was going to recommend he return to patrol after his review, but Buck's done well. Do you think he'll continue training the kid?"

Eddie swallowed, not entirely certain about placing a member of his squad in the regular vicinity of someone who shared his Mark, but he couldn't deny Athena anything without raising suspicions. "I'll talk to Buck about it when he's finished."

His 'talk' to Buck may have taken place the following day, at Buck's apartment, when they were both naked and shifting among tangled sheets. True to expectations, Buck was speckled in a variety of bruises against his shoulders and hips and legs, and Eddie had taken his time to kiss every blossom of colour until Buck was trembling and pleading beneath him.

"I wish you could've seen how hot you were yesterday," he muttered, palms pressing into Buck's chest as he rolled his hips up and down, shuddering at the feel of Buck's cock deep within him. He'd thought this would go differently, thought that he wanted to take that big body and turn it into putty beneath his hands, but once he'd shown up at Buck's apartment in the early hours after clocking off his shift, he'd changed his mind. He'd spent so much time watching Buck pinning and flipping everyone else that he decided he wanted to pin Buck in place with his hips.

"I wish you could s-see how hot you are now," Buck whimpered, hands clasping at Eddie's waist to guide his movements. "God, E-Eds… You're killing m-me here."

He licked his lips and gazed into those inky eyes beneath him, faint sparkles of sleep still lining the edges because he knew Buck must've only gotten away from the bar a few hours ago. This was undeniably a booty call. "I know you know how to get what you want," he challenged and Buck blinked at him as he processed the words, chest rising, falling, rising again.

And then his world was turning fast, a whirl of colour and light and stifled sounds before he was sighing into Buck's embrace as his back hit the mattress. This was why he'd insisted Buck not come near him at HQ, because he wasn't an exhibitionist but Buck's hands, Buck's raw strength, drove him wild. He moaned as Buck's tongue thrust into his mouth, as the rocking of Buck's hips turned sharper. Buck's hands found his, pinning them above his head, forcing him into surrendering until he wasn't able to think about anything else, and he decided that Buck could train Tandy as much as he wanted as long as Eddie got to watch if this happened after

~TBC~