At the start, Buck used to be the hot firefighter who worked at the firehouse of her mom's boyfriend. May used to swipe through Buck's Insta and giggle with her friends at his latest shirtless pic after surfing. How modeling was never one of Buck's many jobs before he became a firefighter will always be a mystery to May.
With time, that started to change. After May's mom and Bobby got married, the Grant house started to have many family dinners. The 118 got invited to many parties, but family dinners were for Athena, Bobby, May, Harry, Michael, later David joined, and for Buck. That is when Buck did not have plans with Maddie or Eddie and Chris.
May then realized that things have shifted in her family's dynamic. Her mom did not even flinch when Bobby invited Buck to family dinner the first time. As if Athena had thought Buck's place on the table was obvious. Maybe it had been.
As months and years passed, Buck became family not just to Bobby but to the Grants. It was Buck who babysat Harry, not because there was no one else to look after him, but because Buck had been the first option. The stories May heard of Harry's outings with Denny, Chris, and Buck had her a little jealous. The zoo, aquarium, planetarium - Buck took the boys to museums and they enjoyed it!
If anything could ever get Athena's quick seal of approval, it would be to see her son enjoy studying. But May knew her mom had a soft spot for Buck since he had been an unruly probie. Not only had he saved Athena, but he had also stood up to her.
Athena told her children the story. About the flushed baby and the bleeding teenage girl. How Buck had tried to stop Athena from using the same ambulance for the mother as the one for the baby. Athena had strong-willed her way through and got her way.
May and Harry had cheered for their mom, but Athena had shaken her head and told them that she had been in the wrong. There was protocol for these things and Athena had disregarded it. So, she did not fight it when she got a reprimand from her captain, after Buck had filed a report because of her conduct.
Both May and Harry had been angry at Buck for what he had done, but they soon forgot about it. It was yet another lesson of action and consequence their parents tried to impart on them. It was not until May started working as a 911 dispatcher that she understood how bad things could have gotten. Why there were protocols in place about keeping victims away from abusers.
May also understood why her mom regarded Buck so well, and why Bobby was not-so-secretly grooming him to become the future captain of the 118 (like honestly, everyone but Buck had noticed. Even Chief Alonzo was on it!). Bobby and Athena had seen beneath the golden retriever personality, deeper than the childhood trauma, they had seen the diamond in the rough and got to work.
Seeing the man and firefighter Buck had become filled May with confidence. It was clear to her now that Buck was worthy. Buck was now a lieutenant and one step closer to becoming captain of the 118. Now May could see that it took guts to do what Buck had done. No wonder he was her mom's favorite child, even before he had made her a grandma—twice over!
Even May's dad was fond of Buck. Buck and Michael had this ritual in which they prepared together for PRIDE. David joined the two of them in the last couple of years.
Bobby, well, Athena brought two children into the marriage, Bobby brought one. As for May, Buck is the one she goes to vent about their parents (and yes, it's their parents!), the one she asks for help when she has homework or a project. Buck is the one she didn't think twice to call when she got drunk at a party for the first time. Buck had dropped his Tinder date immediately to pick her up and let her stay in the bed of his loft. Buck was there the following day and sat beside her as Athena scolded May.
Mid-scolding, May had thought, "Yes, only a big brother would withstand an angry Athena Grant for her." Not only did May have a big brother now, she was also an aunt to the most adorable baby girl in the world!
And as an aunt, May had new responsibilities, like helping get everything ready for the big Elle reveal masquerading as a housewarming party. Things at first had been weird, with both sets of grandparents sizing each other up. Though, the ice broke when Margaret and Philip Buckley thanked Bobby and Athena for being the parents Buck needed.
It left them all speechless. Especially Buck, who looked at his biological parents as if he had never seen them before. Bobby was immediately charmed by the sincere thank you. Athena, however, was not that quick to forgive. May knew her mom well, and she could hold her grudges. Athena would be civil, but she would keep an eye on them.
Eddie, Margaret, Phillip, and Harry were tasked with preparing the backyard for the 118 and company to come. Meanwhile, Athena, Bobby, Buck, and Chris were Team Kitchen, preparing all the food for the party. May was especially excited for Bobby's famous chili.
Meanwhile, May had been tasked with looking after the bundle of joy, Danielle Kameron Buckley. Not that May had to complain. Guests started to arrive. Hen, Karen, and Denny were the first to get there. They beat Maddie, Chimney, Albert, and Jee, who took extra time because Jee got her first set of clothes dirty with applesauce.
Margaret and Phillip descended on Jee, while Denny made a beeline to Chris and Harry. When Ravi, Josh (who brought Terry as his plus one), Pepa, Michael, and David arrived, Buck gave them a tour. Eddie played his part by calming his backyard home Buck's nerves, by teasing Buck that his soccer field should have been for basketball. Albert and Chimney soon joined the teasing. They might not know about Eddie's objective, but the two of them loved basketball and teasing Buck.
In the end, it worked. Buck calmed down and showed his house to his family and friends. He blushed at the praises and took the good-natured ribbing with grace. Though, the nerves returned when they reached Chris' room. Connected through the bathroom, there was Elle's nursery, where May was waiting for the reveal as planned.
Buck turned to the 118 and company, who were smiling fondly and did not look surprised that Chris had his own room in Buck's house, and fidgeted nervously on his place in front of the bathroom door.
"So... I'm sure you've all been wondering why I suddenly decided to buy a house," Buck started, almost stumbling over his words because of how nervous he was, "and that's not because I don't trust the others!" Buck rushed to explain. "I just... needed some time to wrap my head around it. I... I'm a dad."
There was a deep silence as everyone, who did not already know, simply stared at him in shocked silence. Then everyone exploded.
"Wait! What?"
"Jee has a cousin?! I'm an uncle?"
"Who did you knock up? It can't be Natalia, you just broke up. Was it Taylor? Please tell me it was not Taylor!"
"It was Kameron," Buck cut in, before the room descended into chaos.
"Kameron? As in the friend you helped get pregnant!" Karen repeated, confused, before smiling. "Did she give birth?"
Buck winced, shaking his head with a grimace. "There was a car accident... Kameron did not survive, but they were able to save my daughter."
"Oh, Buckaroo," Hen shook her head in compassion.
"A girl? Look at us matching!" Chimney clapped Buck on the shoulder, trying to lighten up the mood. "Welcome to the club!"
"Hey, I don't want to be a buzz killer, and I'm super happy for you Buck... but wasn't the baby supposed to go to your friend Conner," Albert piped up nervously.
Buck stopped laughing and his face turned expressionless, making everyone turn to him in concern. Eddie took Buck's behavior in stride and took charge of the situation.
"As the godfather of the lady of the hour, I will have the honor of presenting her," Eddie said to all of them and guided them through the connected bathroom to the nursery.
Buck watched as his family and friends threw him concerned looks as they moved past them. Buck all but collapsed on Chris' bed the moment they were all gone.
This was going to be hard.
After May left Elle to be awed and pampered by her family, she made her way to Chris' room and laid down beside Buck. "You should stop brooding, you look silly." She teased him.
"I do not brood," Buck chuckled.
"You are right, you pout," May said, laughing with him. "You do not. We've got your back, big bro."
"Thanks, little sis," Buck smiled at May.
This was going to be hard. Thankfully, Buck was not alone.