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 9
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The good news, Bobby thought to himself, was that there was currently no sign of Eddie or Chimney when he and Athena arrived at the small apartment building. Athena had used her station contacts to pull up the address for Devon McDaniels and within an hour they were knocking at the door, waiting for an answer.
The bad news was that no one was actually answering.
Athena pounded on the door once more, voice powerful as she called out. "LAPD. I'm just here to ask a couple of questions."
But the apartment remained as silent as before. Not even the sound of a mischievous intruder or two, searching for clues in a place they should not be.
"Maybe he's sleeping?" Bobby suggested.
"With these thin walls?" Athena shook her head and let go of a sigh as she looked over the door before trying once more. "Mr McDaniels? You're not in trouble, we just need to ask you some questions."
"He's not there," came a raspy voice from behind them.
They turned to face an older woman with grey hair shoved up into a bun. She looked at the door they had been knocking on and then back to them, and Bobby was beginning to feel thankful for noisy neighbours.
"This is the apartment of Devon McDaniels, right?" Athena questioned, hitching her thumb over her shoulder in the direction of the door.
The woman twisted up her face. "Well, it was."
"Was?"
"Judging by the boxes he took with him, I'd say he's gone and moved out. Bailed on the rent too if I had to guess."
"What makes you say that?" Bobby narrowed his eyes, brow furrowing.
"Landlord called by after he went. Made a right ruckus, shouting, throwing furniture about. He was pissed. Gave Miss Gladys a right old fright."
"Miss Gladys?" Athena raised an eyebrow, a small smile playing across her lips.
The woman turned into her apartment and called out with a few clicks of her tongue. Within moments, the patter of tiny paws answered and she scooped down to pick up a small dog.
"Right…" Athena let go of a light scoff. "And this landlord, I don't suppose you happen to know where we can find him?"
"You know, I might still have his business card… he gave it to my grandson a few months back." She disappeared before returning with Miss Gladys tucked under her arm as she handed the business card over to Athena.
Athena nodded in thanks and pulled a card of her own out of her pocket, passing it to the woman. "If Mr McDaniels happens to return, could you pass this on to him? We would really like to speak to him."
The lady gave a dry laugh. "Yeah, good luck with that one. I don't think he even left a forwarding address."
She went back into her apartment, and once the door was closed, Athena handed the business card over to Bobby with a raised eyebrow and thinned lips.
"D. Carter," Bobby read. "So, our bartender turned stalker is into real estate too?"
"Think about it," Athena answered. "What better way to gain access to your victims? And with the settlement from the lawsuit after the rollercoaster incident, it would be the perfect investment opportunity."
"This still doesn't help us in finding Buck."
"No, but it does help give us a list of addresses to start searching."
-.-.-.-.-
"You sure this is the right place?"
Chimney gave Eddie a look of concern as Eddie shut the engine off and looked out at the house just ahead of them. It looked very much like a family home, two cars parked out front – one most definitely a soccer-mom in the making SUV – and a neatly pedicured garden that the HOA would be proud of, much like the surrounding neighbours and their homes. It certainly did not match what Eddie had imagined given their brief interaction with Devon at the club. But, he guessed, looks could be deceiving.
"It's the address he gave the hospital," Eddie answered with a shrug.
He climbed from his truck, waiting until Chimney had done the same, before setting off up the pathway toward the front door. He knocked on the door and waited, and Chimney was just about to reach out and ring the bell when the door opened and a young woman looked back at them with a look of suspicion.
"Sorry, I think we…" Chimney started, exchanging a quick glance with Eddie as he cleared his throat. "We're looking for Devon. Devon McDaniels."
She seemed to stiffen and her eyes narrowed, and in the dim light, Eddie felt he had seen her somewhere before. "What do you want with Devon?"
"It's you," Eddie said, her face and voice clicking into place now that she had spoken, "from the club. Sorry, we're firefighters with the 118. We were there that night when Devon…"
"Relapsed?" she provided for him, shrinking a little into herself and wrapping her arms around her stomach. "Is he in trouble?"
"Not the kind you're probably thinking of," Chimney answered only loud enough for Eddie to hear before continuing. "We just really need to talk to him about a few things."
She nodded and opened the door a little further before leading them through the house. "He's in the back room. We said he could stay here for a few weeks until he finds a new place." She knocked on the door to what must have been said room and gently opened it when a small voice answered. "Devon, there are some firefighters here to talk to you."
Devon pushed up from his chair, looking very much like a startled animal, wide-eyed and ready to dart if anyone made too much noise or moved too quickly. His friend offered up a small smile to Eddie and Chimney before leaving them to it, shutting the door slightly behind her.
"Devon?" Chim questioned, voice calm and gentle.
"You certainly look a lot better than the last time we saw you," Eddie supplied, and Devon seemed to shift nervously at that.
He shuffled from foot to foot, hand tapping against his leg as his gaze fell. "I know what you think of me… but I didn't… It… I didn't take those drugs."
"You know, I believe you." Chimney took a step forward and waved his hand toward the bed, a gentle suggestion for Devon to take a seat.
Devon shook his head. "No. No one believes me. Melissa, Tommy… they said… They say I imagined it and the police… I know what happened, or at least, I know that I didn't take those drugs. There was someone there."
Eddie looked to Chim, feeling his stomach hollowing out. It seemed Chimney's earlier suspicions were right. Carter was involved in Devon's 'accident', if you could call it that. "And this someone? Do you remember anything about them?"
"It was dark, and my head was a mess," Devon answered, finally relenting and taking a seat on the edge of the bed, his gaze falling to his hands. "It was like… I couldn't see straight. I felt weird, like I was-"
"Spiked?" Chimney raised an eyebrow.
Devon swallowed hard and nodded. "I thought I was just tired but when I got to the bathroom, there was someone there and… I don't… I can't remember."
"I don't suppose you remember seeing a bartender that night? Would have been the only guy on shift?"
"Yeah… David," Devon answered. "He er, he's the one who told me about the club."
"David? David Carter?" Eddie took a step forward, voice rising a little. "You know him?"
"He's my landlord- was my landlord. He's a good guy. Offered to change the locks and install cameras when I started having problems."
"Problems?"
"Someone was messing with me. Leaving these weird ass gifts at my apartment. I thought it was my girlfriend at first, but it turns out she thought I was cheating on her." Devon looked between Eddie and Chimney. "After she left, I started noticing things were going missing or being moved… I mentioned it to David and he said he's swing by and change the locks, but when Melissa offered me a room here, I decided to make a clean break."
There wasn't much else to say, and Chimney passed on a copy of Athena's business card that he took from his wallet to Devon, telling him he should give her a call. They didn't mention the photos or that David had likely been the one taking Devon's things. It didn't seem appropriate to be the ones to break that news to him, especially since they couldn't exactly stick around to comfort the guy.
"So, what? Carter tries to kill Devon because, what? He moved out?" Eddie swung around to face Chimney, coming to a stop just in front of his truck.
"I guess he didn't like the idea of being left."
Eddie ran his hands over his face, trying to control the rage and worry that so desperately wanted to send him spiralling. "And God only knows what he's doing to Buck right now…"
"Buck is stubborn, he'll keep fighting until we get to him."
"That's what I'm worried about," Eddie answered.
Carter, it seemed, did not handle rejection well. And Buck, he let his heart rule his head and his mouth. It gave him a dangerous defiance that had led to him getting hurt before, and Eddie worried this time would be no different.
"Okay, so, we know where Carter isn't keeping Buck," Chimney continued, leaning against the hood of the truck as he spoke. "I mean, how many places can one guy own?"
"The keys…" Eddie breathed out, remembering the different keys he had found in the drawer back at Carter's place. "Devon said he was his landlord, right? That's why he had all those keys. And the photos? Devon isn't the only one he's been watching. Devon isn't the only one he's a landlord to."
"Great…" Chimney leaned forward, resting his head in his hands, and let out a long breath. "Well, that really narrows it down. Not like we can just check some random database for landlords."
"We can't," Eddie answered, pulling his keys out, "but we know someone who might."
-.-.-.-.-
Buck hadn't even realised he had fallen asleep, until the sound of the metal door opening woke him with a jolt. David was back, and this time he carried what looked to be a small bowl and cloth. Buck pushed up on the bed, ignoring the way his head spun, and he glared as David approached.
"It's okay," David said, slow and tentative as he lowered himself to take a seat at the edge of the bed beside Buck. His spare hand shot out to grab Buck's wrist when Buck made an attempt to move away, the grip surprisingly strong, keeping him in place. "It's okay, Buck. I won't hurt you."
And it seemed he genuinely believed his own words. Buck could see it written in the man's eyes, a cold look he recognised, though at the time he had seen it before, he didn't have the maturity or experience of the world to understand what it meant. He had seen that same look in Doug's eyes, seen the strained smile whenever he gripped a young Maddie's wrist a little too tightly for a young Buck's liking.
"I just want to clean you up," David said, his fingers still firm against the skin of Buck's wrist, showing no signs of letting go just yet. "Okay?"
"I'm fine," Buck bit out, though he found himself frozen in place by that darkness in David's eyes. Eyes that stared relentlessly back into his own, unwavering as the owner tilted his head slightly.
"Buck…" David breathed out, gentle, and his grip loosened a moment before tightening again, the smile never leaving his face.
"Why?" Buck found himself asking, his heart beating hard within his chest.
"You're hurt," was the simple answer David supplied, but that was not the question Buck was truly asking and Buck shook his head a little, swallowing the lump in his throat before clarifying.
"Why me?"
He was aware of the presence of not-Bobby beside him, aware of the closeness as he leaned in, looking over Buck's shoulder and straight at David. "Are you sure you want to know?"
David let go of his wrist at Buck's question, his hand moving to cup the side of Buck's face instead, and Buck tried his best not to flinch at the touch. "You saved me, Buck. That night, at the fair… you saved me."
The County Fair… The rollercoaster. Buck shook his head. "No, no… that was the night I lost someone. That was the night I failed."
"You didn't fail me."
And the words were so genuine and heartfelt that in any other context, Buck would have been touched by it. He would have felt a warmth spreading throughout him, knowing he had made a difference. But instead, it felt like acid burning at him from the inside out, making him feel sick to his stomach.
"You told me you would keep me safe," David continued, eyes taking on a sheen of fondness, like he was becoming lost in a memory. "And you did. You got me down, and you saved my life. You kept me safe, and now I just want to do the same for you. I want to keep you safe."
"From who?"
"From everyone." David's smile spread into a grin that showed too much teeth and too little true happiness.
A sense of danger flickered inside of Buck, a fear he had only felt under extreme circumstances. He didn't feel like he was looking at a man. No, everything about David reminded Buck of a predator. He felt like he was staring into the enclosure of a dangerous animal at the zoo and that animal was staring back, stalking ever closer. Except, unlike the times he had visited the zoo with Christopher, there was no glass or fence to keep them separate.
"What have you done?" he asked, fearing the answer.
"Nothing," David said, gently stroking at Buck's jawline, "and I won't need to, so long as you let me keep you safe."
-.-.-.-.-
The firehouse was quiet and dimly lit, cots out and ready as the firefighters on shift got in what sleep they could before the next call. It didn't take long for Chimney and Eddie to find Ravi passed out in his cot, dead to the world. That is, until Eddie placed a hand over his mouth and leaned over him. Ravi jerked awake with a muffled cry and wide eyes that looked back and forth between Eddie and Chimney, his cries becoming a confused whine as Chimney put a finger to his lips.
Considering he had told Bobby that he was taking Eddie home, Chimney didn't fancy getting noticed by any of the other firefighters and risk them alerting Bobby to their presence at the firehouse. So once Ravi settled, they crept toward Bobby's office and let themselves in so they could talk in private.
"What's going on?" Ravi asked, and Chimney immediately shut the door behind them and made shushing motions with his hands.
"We wanted to ask you a question about your real estate property stuff," Chimney answered, voice low.
Ravi's brow furrowed and he looked down at his watch. "It's two o'clock, in the morning."
"Well, we were just so curious, and we couldn't wait."
"Are you drunk?"
"No, we're not…" Chimney took a breath and closed his eyes a moment before continuing. "Ravi, we just want to know if you're able to check up on property owned by other landlords."
Ravi let go of a light scoff. "You think just because I'm in property that I know everyone else?"
Chimney shared a look with Eddie and both shrugged, because, well, yeah, that was exactly what they had thought.
"So, you're saying there's no way you can find out if a landlord owns any other properties?" Eddie asked.
Ravi held up a finger. "Well, that's… I wouldn't exactly say that."
"Then what would you say?" Chimney tilted his head, watching Ravi carefully.
"I might know someone who knows someone. He helps me to… erm, acquire information and I don't ask questions."
He didn't elaborate, leaving them in silence for a moment before Eddie spoke up, his gaze focused hard on the ground.
"The stalker has Buck."
Immediately, Ravi spun to face Eddie, worry and questioning falling into place on his features. "What?"
But apparently that was all they had to say. Within half an hour, Ravi was hearing back from his contact, receiving a small list of addresses that belonged to David Carter. They used Bobby's computer to pull them up, and when they reached one on Pacific Drive, Eddie spoke up, leaning closer to the screen over Ravi's shoulder.
"Wait, I think I've heard of that place. Weren't they going to tear it down?"
Ravi nodded. "There were plans to turn the location into a mall, but the funding fell through after Covid so they started selling the properties off again."
"So, these properties would be pretty empty, right?" Chimney asked, looking at the photos displayed on screen.
Not just empty, but abandoned by the looks of it.
"Yeah, I'd say so." Ravi nodded.
"You hear that, Eddie?" Chimney asked, leaning away from the computer with a small smile on his face. "Not that I would ever kidnap anyone, but if I ever did, that's the sort of place I'd keep them. Don't you think?"
Silence.
"Eddie?" Chimney turned to look Eddie's way, only to find the spot he had been occupying now empty. His gaze moved immediately toward the now open office door, and he cursed under his breath as he set off immediately, no longer attempting to stay quiet.
But Eddie was already at his truck and starting the engine before Chimney made it out of the firehouse. He didn't even look back as he swung the steering wheel, tyres screeching in protest as the truck peeled away from the firehouse and out onto the road.
"Eddie!" Chimney called out, even though he knew it was useless. Just like he knew that Eddie wasn't taking any chances. He wasn't going to let anyone stop him from getting to Buck. "Oh, this is going to end badly… Damn it, Eddie."
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A/N: More soon...