Every Breath You Take (I'll be watching you…)

Summary: Buddie fic. Mysterious gifts start appearing at the firehouse for Buck from a secret admirer, but as the gifts get progressively more sinister and the 118 grow increasingly worried, they must uncover the mystery before someone close to them gets seriously hurt, or worse. Protective!Eddie. Established Buddie relationship. Follows on from Turning Point but can be read as a standalone.

Disclaimer: I do not own 9-1-1 or anything associated with the show.

TRIGGER WARNING: NEEDLES/DRUGS

Author Notes: Thank you for reading! I love writing these characters so much.

Set after season 6.

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Chapter 11

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"Eddie!" The name was raw and broken as Buck screamed it out, already surging forward as Eddie dropped.

He crashed to his knees beside Eddie, hands reaching out, eyes searching every inch as a distant memory played out inside his mind. A memory of wide eyes and blood, the taste of iron in his mouth, and the feel of gravel against his skin. He would never forget that day, and as he looked over Eddie now, his chest tightening and shaking hands reaching out, he feared the worst.

But even though Eddie's face was twisted up in pain, a low grunt escaping his mouth, he was already attempting to sit up, even as he glared down at his leg and the red that blossomed out there. Buck pressed his hands down on the wound, Eddie's blood warm and slick against his palms. In the back of his mind, he knew it could be worse, but in that moment, all he could see was the memory of the light fading from Eddie's eyes in that fire engine as they raced to the hospital.

Eddie's hand gripped his wrist, tight and reassuring, and Buck raised his head enough to meet bright brown eyes that were much alive and very much aware. But the moment of relief was short lived.

"Why?" David asked, his fist clashing against the wall before he began pacing back and forth behind Buck, the frustration and anger coming off of him in waves, polluting the air around them. "This isn't how it's supposed to be… it didn't need to come to this."

"What did you think would happen?" Eddie growled out, already making another attempt to push up from the floor, but he froze, jaw tightening, and Buck knew without looking that David was aiming the gun at him.

"I told you, Buck," David continued, his voice a broken whine. "And now I have to… I have to…"

Buck met Eddie's gaze, searching it a moment before licking at his dried lips and slowly pushing up, already missing the loss of physical contact with Eddie. His chest hollowed out, leaving him feeling like an empty shell, and his heart ached. It ached knowing what he was about to do, and it ached knowing what would happen if he didn't.

"You were right," he breathed out, and he hated the words coming from his own lips. "He can't protect me." He forced himself to turn around, forced himself to face David, deliberating taking a small side step to block David's view of Eddie. "You… you're the only one who can…"

David paused, gun lowering a fraction as he looked over Buck. "He can't live."

"Let him go," Buck pleaded. "Let him go and I'm yours. I won't fight. I won't run."

"Buck…" Eddie growled out, and the name said everything it needed to say.

Don't do this.

"I'm the one you want," Buck continued, and he took a step forward until the gun was pressed into his chest. "If you kill him, you'll have to kill me too. But if you let him live, I'll go with you."

And David truly seemed to be considering it, quiet as he looked over Buck and Eddie. Even as Eddie found his way to his feet, as unsteady as he was, David hesitated. He swallowed hard, looking Buck over carefully, before finally shaking his head, slow. "No..."

Buck took a breath, his mind too clouded to respond. But it turned out, he didn't need to. David wasn't done yet.

"I want to hear you say it. I want him to hear you say that you want me."

The words caught in Buck's throat, every inch of him rebelling.

"Say it."

"I…" Buck started, but the rest of the words refused to form.

David reached out and touched his cheek, earning himself a low warning from Eddie, but he wasn't listening to Eddie. He was focused solely on Buck, and his grip became just that little bit firmer against Buck's skin as the gun pressed harder into Buck's chest. "Say it, and he lives."

"Or how about you drop that gun, and you live?" came the echo of a familiar voice from the stairwell, firm and very much in control. Athena. "LAPD. I suggest you lower your weapon."

A low growl rumbled in David's throat and he glared at Athena as he lowered his hand away from Buck, before looking over Buck's shoulder and at Eddie. "No. How is it fair?" He looked to Buck once more, meeting his eyes with a dangerous glow in his. "Why does he get to have you?"

Buck had no answer to that. Any answer he could have formed came with a whole other group of issues that Buck spent too far much time burying behind smiles to dig out now. Besides, nothing he said in that moment would have helped. He knew as much when he saw the cold resolve settling across David's face. He knew as he felt the pressure of the gun lessen against his chest, as he saw David taking a step back, searching out Eddie as he readied to take aim.

He swung to face Eddie, Eddie who was using the banister to keep himself up and drag himself out of Buck's protective shadow. Eddie who didn't even flinch at the three gunshots that rang out in quick succession, even though Buck swore his heart stopped with each one. But it wasn't Eddie who dropped to the ground, the thump and the metallic skitter of the gun coming from behind Buck, from David as he collapsed to the ground in a heap.

Athena didn't lower her gun until she reached David and checked his pulse and it wasn't until she straightened up, sliding her gun away and reaching for her radio that Buck remembered how to breathe and move.

"We're clear," she said into the radio, and Buck was spinning to face Eddie once more.

The rest of her orders were distant and muffled amongst the buzzing in Buck's head. He reached Eddie just as Eddie gave up standing on his injured leg, and went down to the floor with him, his hands once more finding the wound on Eddie's leg.

"You're going to be okay," Buck muttered, and he wasn't sure who he was trying to reassure more, Eddie, or himself.

"I know," Eddie answered, lowering his head in an attempt to catch Buck's gaze but Buck was lost to the blood-soaked jeans and the way his own hands shook. "Buck… hey, Buck."

But even as Eddie tried to tell him, over and over, that he was fine, Buck found he couldn't relent, couldn't take his focus away from the blood and the wound, until the paramedics made their way to them. He fell backwards when they got there, instinctively giving them room to work, watching them as if he was watching an old movie on a broken television set.

He was aware of his name being said, aware of the adrenaline leaving his body, leaving him feeling faint and fuzzy, and he swore he saw what looked like not-Bobby from the corner of his eyes, swore he felt his hands on him and heard him say 'It's okay, kid, I've got you' as the exhaustion fully took hold and dragged Buck into the darkness that was waiting for him.

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Bobby sat in the hospital seat beside Buck's bed, watching over the kid's sleeping form as the machines monitored him. Fear had gripped at his heart as Buck had passed out in his arms back inside that abandoned house, but the feel of his heartbeat had helped settle Bobby somewhat. As the paramedics on scene looked after Eddie, even as he fought to be by Buck's side, Chimney came up the stairs with Reynolds from the B team.

He had called Athena and Bobby as soon as Eddie had left him at the firehouse, filling them in and telling them he'd meet them there. It seemed he was true to his word as he dropped beside Bobby and Buck with his paramedic bag. Dehydration and pure exhaustion, Chimney concluded. No doubt brought on by whatever Carter had pumped into his system.

As for Eddie, blood loss was minimal and any pain he was currently suffering was well deserved, according to Chimney, for abandoning him and going out on his own. But Eddie didn't care about his own wound, even as the paramedics tried to fight to get him into the back of a separate ambulance from the one Chimney loaded Buck up into. In the end, Bobby had to interfere, telling them it would be easier if they just let him go with Buck.

The doctors at the hospital confirmed what Chimney had already told him, but that didn't stop Bobby from worrying as his gaze wandered over the light bruises he could see, as well as the gash on Buck's forehead. Superficial wounds, the doctors had said. They would heal with time, though they would happily provide painkillers to help so long as he rested up. The very idea of Buck resting up made the corner of Bobby's mouth tick up in a half-smile.

He was just shaking the thought from his mind as he heard Buck's strained voice from beside him.

"You're still here," Buck said, and his eyes moved away from Bobby and up towards the ceiling as he let go of a long breath, looking defeated in a way that had Bobby furrowing his brow.

"Of course," Bobby answered, unable to keep the confusion from his voice. "And I don't plan on going anywhere."

Buck said nothing, his eyes closing.

"You're safe, Buck," Bobby continued, reaching out and placing his hand on Buck's. "I called Maddie. She's on her way-"

At that, Buck's eyes shot open and he looked over Bobby again through bleary eyes, his head tilting as if he was just seeing him for the first time. "You called Maddie?"

"Yes, of course."

Buck pushed up a little, his eyes never leaving Bobby, even as they began to glisten. "Bobby?"

And he sounded so unsure as he said the name that Bobby was taken aback. He gave a soft smile and let go of a light chuckle. "Yeah, Buck. It's me. Who else would I be?"

Buck didn't answer, his gaze falling for a moment and jaw working, as if whatever thought was going around his head was too painful to voice out loud. He looked around the room, seemingly putting everything together, the heart machine beside him speeding up as panic seemed to settle in his eyes and he tried to push up from the bed. "Eddie…"

"Is fine," Bobby answered, pushing up from his chair so he could gently force Buck back down. "They're looking after him now and he's probably fighting them every step of the way because he would much rather be here with you."

But Buck didn't seem like he wanted to believe it, or perhaps, Bobby thought, more accurately, he didn't dare believe it. So, Bobby held his hands out, placating him for a moment, before pulling his phone from his pocket. Eddie answered almost immediately, the sound of his voice causing Buck to sink back into his bed.

Of course, that also meant that Eddie was now on his way to Buck's room, despite the nurse calling after him that he needed to rest his leg. Bobby could hear the commotion through the phone as he was cut off and shook his head, sliding his phone back into his pocket. When Eddie arrived, he had a crutch helping him to keep his weight off of his injured leg, but it was quickly abandoned as he shot towards Buck's bed.

Bobby took a step back as they both attempted to fuss over each other before Eddie silenced Buck's worrying with a kiss. Bobby couldn't help the warm smile on his face and nodded his head, excusing himself to give them some space. If either of them heard him, they said nothing, both too lost in the bubble of relief that the world made for them.

He was in the reception not long after, grabbing a coffee from the machine, when he heard Maddie's voice near the doors. He moved to her and nodded to the receptionist, letting them know he had it.

"Maddie," he greeted, embracing her in a small side huge as he held his coffee away from her.

"How is he?" she asked once she pulled back, her eyes wide as they searched Bobby's.

"He's fine," Bobby answered, and he held a hand out, motioning toward the corridor that led to Buck's room. "He's awake, which is good news. The doctors want to keep him in for twenty-four hours on observation, make sure the drugs are completely out of his system and that he doesn't have any adverse reactions, but other than that, they say that, physically, he's fine."

She followed his lead through the halls, keeping his pace. "And mentally?"

Bobby took a breath. "Buck is strong."

"Bobby…"

He paused, turning to look at her. "Honestly, we won't know until he opens up."

"So, we still don't know what happened while that creep had him."

Bobby placed a hand on her shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. "Whatever happened, we'll be here to help him through it."

Maddie offered up a sad smile and nodded in agreement.

When they reached the room, Bobby looked through the window of the door and hesitated. Eddie laid beside Buck on the bed, pressed in as close as he could get, his arm over Buck's chest and injured leg resting over the top of Buck's over the covers. Both appeared to be fast asleep, peaceful in a way Bobby hadn't seen them in days, possibly weeks.

He made to reach for the handle, but Maddie placed her hand over his and shook her head, a loving and endearing gaze resting on her face as she looked through the window at the pair. "Let them rest. They need each other right now."

And Bobby had to agree, though he knew it extended well beyond that moment in time. They had needed each other long before now, needed each other before either of them had even joined the 118, and once they had found each other, Bobby had seen how much both of them had grown, both separately and together.

So, yes, he thought. They needed each other in a way he understood very well, because he could see it in the way he and Athena needed each other two. Two halves of a whole, lost until they had found each other.

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A/N: Final chapter coming soon...