Chapter 5 Confrontation part 2
Early morning (Diaz residence)
It was 0430 hours in the morning and as was habit for Buck, she woke up early. Even though she had been home for months, her military habits remained steadfast. Thus, Buck lay there quietly savoring the feel of Eddie twining around her like a vine, a strong hand resting protectively on her belly, where their child rested, safe and sound, his leg wedged between hers.
With a soft grunt, she slowly untangled herself from Eddie's hold and sat up, only to feel a firm hand settle on her hip and squeeze softly in question.
"I gotta pee Eds. And then I need to get ready to go pick up Maddie's clothes, remember?" Buck murmured as she patted his hand gently.
With a groan, Eddie leaned up on his elbow as he switched on the bedside lamp, casting the room in a soft glow.
"You sure you gonna be okay? I can still get ready and go with you." Eddie suggested. Buck glanced over her shoulder at Eddie with a perfectly arched brow.
"And wake Chris? Oh, hell no! And I ain't dealing with your grumpy ass amor. You had a long shift yesterday. Sleep. You don't have to be up until 0700 hours." Buck broke off as Eddie barked a soft sound of laughter out, casting a quick glance at the door, mindful of the sleeping child down the hall. At Buck's raised eyebrow, he smirked. "You do know you can just say 7 AM? You aren't in the navy anymore carinõ." Eddie stated fondly as he looked at his wife.
"Habit," she huffed out, "only reason I wake up so early too," Buck admitted with a smile and a soft shake of her head. "Now lay down and get some more sleep, I'll be fine . Promise." Buck said as she got up and made her way to the on-suit bathroom to get ready for the day.
Two and a half hours later, found Buck keying her way into Maddie's apartment. Once she closed and locked the door, she made her way to Maddie's room to pack what her sister wanted. She made quick work of packing and headed out the door, locking up behind her. At the entrance of the apartment building, Buck felt a familiar tingle go down her spine. She casually glanced around her as she walked to the jeep. Once she got in the jeep, she glanced at the rearview mirror with a smirk.
Four hours after Buck had left the warm comfort of her husband's arms, she knocked on Chim's door. The man himself opened the door and stepped to the side as Buck moved through the door.
"Morning," Buck chirped as she passed him the bag she carried.
"Morning," Chim grunted as he took the bag, heading for his room, and speaking over his shoulder to Buck. "Maddie's in the kitchen. There's coffee." Chim mumbled as he walked off.
Buck glanced at Chim in amusement. "Thanks."
With that Buck moved to join Maddie in the kitchen.
Once Buck stepped into the kitchen, Maddie gave her a subdued smile, while handing her a cup of tea. "morning." Maddie said as she sipped her own cup of coffee. "Thank you for getting my bag. Though I still think you're overreacting." Maddie said as she gazed at Buck.
"No problem. And I don't think it's overreacting Maddie. Your parents still have that PI on retainer." At that Maddie stared at Buck, eyes wide. "How could you possibly know that?"
"The PI was outside your apartment when I left your place Mads. I'm not saying this to scare you, but I spent 15 minutes winding through the city to shake this guy before I even came here." Buck stated seriously.
"What? Oh NO! Why? Why would they have someone watching me? They already know where I live." Maddie sputtered as she shakily placed her cup down on the table with a rattle.
Before Buck could reply, however, Chim came into the kitchen, face pale and eyes wide.
"Did I hear you correctly? Do they have some stranger watching Maddie? That has to be illegal right?" Chim asked almost pleading.
"Yeah, you heard right. And unfortunately, no Chim. He is perfectly within bounds as a PI to do as he wants. He has all his permits, Chim. And as long as he follows the laws and rules and he doesn't pose a threat to Maddie, we can't do much." Buck replied with an annoyed huff.
"That's just great!" Chim grumbled as he gathered Maddie in his arms.
"Look Maddie, ignore this guy for now and carry on about your day as usual. If you feel unsettled or threatened we will deal with it then. But for now, ignore it. I've got your back on this I promise. 'Buck stated as she gazed at her sister who was clearly rattled by the idea of someone following her.
Buckley parents( interlude)
Later that morning found the Buckley parents meeting the PI they had hired to follow their daughter at a café just down the street from their hotel. Once all three were seated, Phillip looked at the man and raised an eyebrow in question.
"Well? What did you find Mr. Harper?" Phillip said with a hint of irritation in his voice.
"There wasn't much to see Mr. Buckley, your daughter didn't sleep at her apartment last night. A blonde woman entered her apartment around 6 this morning. Left 20 minutes later. I recognized her from the photos I took about two weeks ago and decided to follow her. She gave me the slip. Which had me confused I'll admit, usually civilians don't notice me, let alone have the ability to shake me once I follow them. Imagine my surprise when I had a buddy of mine do a background check on this woman. She happens to be retired military. And she's one of the best. You didn't mention I would be dealing with a woman like her." Teagan Harper stated irritated with the Buckley parents for leaving out vital information like that.
"We weren't aware of the woman's occupation Mr. Harper, and I don't see how it should concern you at all. She is just one woman." Phillip growled.
"One woman? No, I'm afraid she's not. She is one very dangerous woman and you would do well to heed that warning. She isn't someone you want on your tail. This is also why I am telling you folks that I am no longer handling the case. And you can take your retainer too. I want no involvement in being in this woman's crosshairs."
"But you can't just leave! We paid you! It's just a woman for crying out loud" Margret said outraged.
"And you can have your money, Mrs. Buckley." Teagan Harper stated, placing the money on the table. She isn't just a woman and I'm done here. Have a good day." Harper said as he stood and left the café, leaving behind a stunned Phillip and Margret Buckley.
Later that afternoon- At the station.
Maddie had just ended her afternoon shift. And had arrived at the station hopeful that the team was at the station as she didn't want to be at her apartment or Chim's place alone right now.
To her delight, the team was there and she could hear the laughter coming from the loft. With a smile, she made her way up the stairs, heading for Chim on the couch.
"Hey guys," Maddie said as snuggled into Chim's side, while a round of greetings echoed back to her.
After a few minutes of peace and silence, Chim asked Maddie, "Are you doing okay? Did you see the PI today?" "No, I didn't see him. And my day was okay, under the circumstances."
"PI?" Hen asked, interest piqued as she shared a look with the team.
"Yeah. PI" Chim said with a voice filled with frustration and disdain.
"What PI are you guys talking about?" Tom a member on the truck asked.
Chim and Maddie shared a nervous glance then shrugged. "My parents decided to hire a PI to follow me around. They don't know that I know about him though." Maddie stated with a huff.
Chim glanced at Eddie while Maddie explained the PI to the team.
He was surprised to see that Eddie seemed unfazed by the whole thing. Almost unconcerned. "You got nothing to add Eddie?"
Eddie glanced at Chim as the loft grew silent, eyebrow raised, "What would you like me to say, Chim?"
"I don't know man. Maybe something about the fact that there is a PI involved at all? Or how about what he can find out about YOUR wife, or the fact that she spent 15 minutes this morning to shake this guy? Bet you didn't know that did you?" Chim said scathingly, only to be surprised much like the rest of those present when Eddie merely chuckled. "Chim I already know about the PI being there this morning. Buck told me when she got home. As for the PI tailing her? He's an idiot. He should have done his homework. If he did, he would have known she would spot him and he would have known she would have no problem shaking him. Even a surface-level dive would have given him more than enough info to know she has skills beyond your average civilian. But beyond that, he would have found out she is a retired military veteran if he dug into all of us which he must have if he's worth the ink on his PI license, and his contacts would have given him enough to know she isn't an enemy he would want to make. All it would take is him learning her call sign and he would back away." Eddie stated with a shrug.
"That sounds ominous." Tom chuckled.
"Call sign?" Hen asked before anyone else could speak.
"Viper. Her call sign in the Navy was Viper. A name that holds a lot of weight within the special forces community. It's a name that scares many and causes many more to feel fear." Eddie stated with an air of pride at his wife's achievements.
"I'm sorry. Did you say 'Viper'? That must be a hell of a story." Bobby, who up to that moment had been quietly listening, said with wide eyes and a shocked voice said. Something many could understand. Because it was hard to reconcile the image of the loving mother and dotting wife with that of the cold image the word 'Viper' depicted.
"Viper was her call sign, Bobby. And she earned that name the hard way. If you mention 'Chief Petty Officer Evalynn 'Viper' Diaz to anyone in service you are likely to hear they know of her. Mention her in certain special forces circles and you will learn even more. The name CPO Evalynn Diaz or Viper commands a lot of respect, Bobby. She was a hell of a sailor and a damn fine SEAL. She was also one of the first women to pass and succeed in a tier 1 operational unit. As for how she ended with Viper. Well let's just say on the battlefield she is known to be a savage and fiercely confident soldier. Someone who doesn't fear her enemies and won't hesitate to do what needs to be done to complete her mission objective."
"Wow", Hen breathed out, awe coloring her voice." wait if her call sign is 'Viper', why do you call her 'Buck'?" Hen asked confusion coloring her voice.
"Easy. She picked it up in boot camp. She can run damn fast when she wants to and can jump really high when the need arises. Instructors started calling her 'Buck' when she defied the odds and could outrun anyone on her team. Her close friends started calling her 'Buck' and it stuck. Viper was something that came later on when she was in the field and started fighting combatants. In the field, it was 'Viper' and is what everyone knows her as. And off the field, her brother-in-arms and friends called her 'Buck'." Eddie explained.
"Damn. Your wife really sounds like a badass. And she also sounds kinda terrifying." Trent, their young paramedic said, eyes bright.
"She is." Eddie agreed with a soft laugh. "Besides Chim, Buck already suspected he would be there. She made some calls yesterday, that's how she knew Maddie's parents hired a PI in the first place. Bucks got a lot of contacts. She's gotten enough scuttlebutt on him that she's got a good idea of his capabilities, his strengths, and his weaknesses. Buck is prepared to wage war to protect Maddie. That means she won't go in unprepared or with no idea of the players involved."
After a moment of silence, while the team took in the terror-inducing image Eddie just created, Tom murmured "That sounds terrifying."
"Yeah. I mean this isn't some war-torn country." Trent said in disbelief.
"Might not be the Middle East," Eddie agreed," but the battlefield remains the same. Just different scenery." Eddie deadpanned.
The team was once again left reeling as they were reminded of the fact that Eddie was still a bit of a mystery and that he had lived an entirely different life while deployed and that they might never fully get to know the man he is and used to be.
"You seem way too blasé about this, Eddie, and about how terrifying your wife seems to be." Chim blurted without thinking, still reeling from what he just heard and from what he had seen when Buck showed a little of what she was capable of. Her cold and calculating eyes still haunt him.
"Blasé?", Eddie scoffed, "No Chim, I'm very much aware of her capabilities. You forget we served together on the same battlefield. I have seen what she can and will do to protect her people. And I have seen her bleed to complete her objective. I have seen her men follow her through hell." Eddie stated with a distant look in his eyes, mind transported back to when he was deployed, "Something you all need to understand, Buck and her team were sent to places others couldn't go into because they didn't have the training or experience, and in some cases, they just weren't able to handle the level of pressure that would be on them. Buck and her team didn't just knock on hell's door, they kicked the door down and stormed the gates, they did what was needed. Showing fear was never an option. Least of all for Buck." Eddie explained to a stunned 118.
"Why least of her?" asked Hen.
"Let me ask you this Hen. When you entered the LAFD was it easy for you?" Eddie asked looking at Hen expectantly.
"No. It wasn't, you already know that Eddie. It was a male-dominated environment and still is to a degree. And the captain then wasn't a fan of women or women like me." Hen told Eddie blandly.
"Right. Emphasis on women in a male-dominated environment. Something that is ramped up even more so in the military in certain circles. Some men still don't believe women should take an active role in combat. Ev didn't just take an active role. She blew through all the liberal-minded asses and became a SEAL. One of the best too. Some guys didn't like that at all."
"Wow, that sounds pretty badass. And really inspiring." Trent said getting murmurs of agreement from all those present.
Before anyone could say anything they heard a yell from down in the bay area.
"Madeline!" Hearing her name, Maddie got up and looked down to see her parents with thunderous expressions on their faces and sighed as she moves down the stairs. The 118 followed behind her.
"Mom, Dad? What are you doing here? "I told you to give me time and some space" Maddie huffed as she looked at her parents.
"Madeline you need to come with us. You are not safe here. We know about your friend. The blond one? She's a danger to you." Margret said, using her best innocent and concerned mother look.
"I'm sorry. What are you talking about? Blonde friend? Are you talking about Buck? Oh, please! What possible reason could you have to think she is a danger to me? Or you know better yet, how do you even know about her?" Maddie challenged with a glare as she glanced at the team behind her and her brother-in-law, who seemed seconds away from launching himself at her parents. Which had her glancing meaningfully at Chim and then at Eddie, thankful that the man caught her hint and put a hand on Eddie's shoulder, making the man take a deep breath and nod at both Chim and Maddie, assuring them that he would remain calm and follow Maddie's lead-for now.
With a quick nod at Eddie, Maddie turned back to her parents and, "Well?"
"What did you expect us to do Madeline? You weren't talking to us. We wanted to know if you were okay. So, we hired someone to find out for us." Margret said with the air of someone who did nothing wrong.
"Oh. You hired someone to find me? A PI you mean?" Maddie said scathingly.
"Madeline don't take that tone with your mother" Phillip warned.
"I need you to leave. And just let me be. it has been enough that you lied to me about my sister. But having me followed that's just wrong." Maddie said as the events of the last month and a half caught up to her. The knowledge that her parents would lie about her sister and abandon her and that they hired a PI making her feel like she was no longer safe was just too reminiscent of her time with Doug.
"We are not going anywhere Madeline," Phillip growled as he made to grab Maddie's arm and pull her out of the station with them, only to be stopped when Eddie stepped in front of Maddie, acting as a shield while Chim pulled her into his arms. "I think it's time you both left," Eddie growled with a dangerous fire in his eyes making the Buckley parents pale at what they saw in Eddie.
"I agree. I believe you both need to leave before I have to call the police and have you both escorted off the premises." Bobby said firmly as he stepped up next to Eddie.
"No! Madeline, you are coming with us, now!" Margret yelled making a dash to grab Maddie from Chim's arms. Only stopping when she was grabbed by Bobby and Eddie as Bobby ordered Trent to call dispatch and request a squad car to remove the Buckleys.
Within 10 minutes, Athena pulled up with a squad car behind her, "Guys, what's going on?"
"Sergeant Grant, if you and your people could please remove these people," Bobby asked pointing at Phillip and Margret," They have overstayed their welcome in this station and are causing a distraction with my team," Bobby stated as he looked at the parents with veiled disapproval.
"Of course, Captain Nash. Sir? Ma'am? If you would please follow these officers? Officers Brunswick and Chaves will escort you to your vehicle." Athena ordered as she nodded at the officers, both gave a sharp nod to their sergeant and stepped up to the Buckeyes.
"Sir, Ma'am, follow us," Brunswick said firmly as they each grabbed an arm and started to steer Margret and Phillip out, much to their protests, and yelling out Maddie's name.
"you okay Maddie? "Eddie asked as he looked at Maddie and saw her pale face and bright eyes.
"No. I'm not okay Eddie. But I will be. I just can't believe they would stoop as low as they did." Maddie sobbed into Chim's shoulder.
"Mads, I hate to say this, but maybe you need to get a restraining order on them? What they did today was borderline crazy. I mean they just wanted to grab you and leave." Chim stated softly.
"You're right. And I don't feel safe anymore. It all just feels like Doug all over again" Maddie whispered as a tear trailed down her cheek.
"If you're sure Maddie? We can get you a temporary restraining order, and if you still feel the same we can get you a permanent restraining order." Athena suggested.
"Get the restraining order, Athena, please? I don't feel comfortable with them or safe at all." Maddie told Athena.
"Alright, when you're ready come to the police station and we'll get your TRO filed. Once we get you in front of a judge we can file for a PRO and then hopefully they leave you alone and go back home." Athena suggested softly as she took in Maddie's broken expression.
"What about the PI?" Chim asked hesitantly as he held Maddie tight.
Everyone was startled as they suddenly heard Buck's voice say calmly " The PI is no longer an issue. What did I miss?" as she stepped into the station on silent feet.
"Crap! You gotta learn to make some noise girl!" Hen gasped as she and a few others clutched their chests.
"Sorry, habit." Buck smirked." So? What happened?"
"Maddie's parents showed up. Made a scene and tried to grab Maddie to make her leave with them. Apparently, you are a dangerous woman and shouldn't be around Maddie." Eddie told Buck as she sidled up to him and stood next to him, his arm coming up to rest around her waist.
"Ah, well that's bad. Are you good Mads? They didn't touch you did they?" Buck growled, eyes going cold and glinting like sharpened blades in a cold winter sun.
"I'm fine now Buck, thank you. I'm going to file for a restraining order. But what do you mean about the PI not being an issue? What did you do?" Maddie asked slightly nervous as she took in her sister's deadly look.
"Me? Nothing. PI met with your folks this morning at a café and was pretty shocked to hear that the guy refused to work for them anymore. I guess he finally grew some brain cells and had a friend run a background check on me. PI backed out once he got what little he could from his friend." Buck shrugged with an air of indifference.
Her statement was met with wide eyes and shocked laughter.
"damn girl! Remind me to never get on your bad side," Athena laughed as she took in the 118 and their shocked looks and the way Buck seemed totally unconcerned while Eddie simply smirked as he pulled his wife firmly into his side.
"What did I do?" Buck asked innocently, head tilted like a confused puppy.
"Nothing amor." Eddie laughed as he kissed her jaw nuzzling his nose into her neck gently.
"De alguna manera no te creo" Buck told Eddie lightly.( Hu-hu somehow I don't believe you.")
"Soy amor herido, de verdad". Eddie joked, clutching theatrically at his heart. Eyes twinkling in mirth. ("I'm wounded love, truly I am.")
"Sorry to interrupt you two, but I need to head in. Maddie, when you're ready ,come see me, okay?" Athena told Maddie as she bid the 118 farewells.
Once Athena left, Buck turned to Maddie and once their eyes met, Maddie left Chim's embrace, as Buck met her in the middle, she caught her sister in a tight embrace of comfort, whispering soft words of comfort as Maddie clung to Buck for all she was worth. Soaking up the comfort her sister so willingly offered.
"Want me to take you home or do you want to spend the afternoon at our place?" Buck asked Maddie once they parted.
"Would you mind taking me to the police station? I want to get the TRO over with and then, maybe we could go to your place?" Maddie asked hopefully.
"Sure, no problem. Police station, then home. And maybe you can get some rest when we get there. I know a certain little boy who would very much like to get to know his aunt." Buck stated as she turned to look at Maddie with a smile then glanced at Eddie and nodded at him, receiving a nod of acknowledgment, and understanding from Eddie. With that Buck took Maddie's handbag from Chim and headed out with Maddie.
Eddie looked on and smirked at his wife, drawing the team's attention." what are you smirking at, kid?" Bobby questioned with a look at Eddie.
"Nothing Bobby. I just can't help thinking that certain habits really don't leave even if you don't need them anymore. That's all." Eddie shrugged.
"What does that mean?" Chim asked slightly concerned.
"Did you see how Buck positioned herself? Slightly in front of Maddie and to the side? She fell into what's called ' protect and defend'. A method often used in the military to protect HVTs. something she would have done a lot in the service." Eddie told the team who could only stare back at Buck and Maddie, noting that Buck had moved to open her Jeep's door for Maddie while looking around the parking lot. And to their surprise, once Maddie was seated, Buck took in the area again as her hand went to her thigh.
"um… why'd she do that? the whole looking around and touching her leg? Is that like a nervous twitch?" Trent asked Eddie as they watched the women leave the station.
"The looking around was her scanning for any threats. As for the leg? Simple. Thigh holster. Bucks is used to having a weapon on her when she is in defend mode. The hand on her leg was a subconscious motion. She was reaching for her weapon to be ready to attack should the need call for it." Eddie told the team plainly.
Before anyone could respond, the siren blared, causing the team to groan as they hurried to get their gear on and head for the trucks. Ready to do their jobs and save the people of Los Angeles that needed their help.
Buck and Maddie spent the afternoon at the station filing the temporary restraining order. Once Athena confirmed that the order has been filed and that Maddie's parents would be served as soon as possible, they left the station and headed to the Diaz residence where Maddie took the time to get to know her nephew better, marveling at the strong family unit her sister had clearly made for herself, and the love that was so clear to see and achingly lacking in her own childhood home.
While Maddie spent her afternoon laughing with her sister and nephew and feeling the tension from the encounter with her parents fading away, Phillip and Margret were raging in anger at the fact that they had just been served with a restraining order prohibiting them from talking or seeing their daughter and both blaming the child they had abandoned when she no longer served her purpose. "This can't be happening, Phillip! We can't lose Madeline. What would people think should they hear about our own daughter betraying us like this?" Margret asked with cheeks flushed with anger.
"Nothing they won't say anything because we are going to talk to Madeline and she will come to her senses and stop this foolishness at once!" Phillip thundered.