AN: Okay so I loved most of the finale and I don't got a daddy kink or into that. However, that line Tommy said still has me really happy. Kind of like him calling Buck kid. This is not about that though, but it's about the part I hated on the finale. Where Chris went with his grandparents. The better option would have been what I created here. Emotions ahead. This is not a Buddie love story only friendship, but if I ever did a sequel could lead there to a Bummie kind of deal (Buck, Tommy, Eddie.) Though right now it strickly Tevan though Tommy's only mentioned doesn't appear. I don't think Eddie would have went for Kim if he was with Buck so this why did this.
Summary: Buck gives Christopher another option instead of going with his grandparents. One that keeps him L.A. Eddie adds to that by offering to be the one that leaves. (Not the state)
Title: Second Option
"What if you stay with me?" Buck asked looking at Christopher. "I know you're upset with your dad, but maybe instead of going with them you could come stay with me." He offered.
He had thought about it last night when he'd been laying in bed with Tommy. He wasn't sure if it was a stupid idea or not. He knew his past exes would have blown a top with the thought. He'd been trying to think of what to say to Christopher. Eddie had asked him to talk to him and he'd drawn a blank until last night. With everything going on with Bobby too. He hadn't been asking for the permission to do it just to know if it was completely stupid. The answer had been no. He'd been smiling like crazy too because Tommy hadn't thought it would be nuts to see if Christopher wanted to stay with him. He'd also told Tommy that if anything happened to Eddie, he was Christopher's legal guardian. It was why he'd thought about it in the first place. Eddie had given him a copy of those papers which were in his safe. He also was on the forms to be able to sign things for Christopher now.
"Dad put you up to that, so I won't go, didn't he?" Christopher asked looking at Buck.
"No, I haven't said anything about it. I promise you, Chris. The only person who knows besides us is Tommy. I wasn't asking him just wanted to know if it was stupid. He told me to make sure you knew it was an option and not to say it was a mandate." Buck replied. "If already got the spare bed at the loft when you stay over." He added.
He'd gotten if years back when Chris started staying over more. Some nights when Eddie crashed there if Christopher was with a friend he'd use it too. He'd been nervous about explaining the second bed the first Tommy had stayed over. He shouldn't have worried though because Christopher had already told him about the bed. There was also the bookcase of books at the loft he had. Most of them had two copies because he'd read some of the books Chris read so they could talk about them. He'd gotten him the entire Rick Riordan collection that had been out the year before. He knew that Eddie read some of them too, but they didn't hold his attention as much. He got that he'd tried reading the manga that Chris liked, but he still hadn't gotten the hang of them. It was hard reading back to front. He had noticed that Eddie had been reading one of them though.
"Do you think they'll be mad if I stayed with you instead?" Christopher asked. "I don't really want to go to Texas, I just can't stay here. I'm mad at him and hurt. I can't even look at him right now." He said looking down. "I know you got Tommy too and he's cool. I actually like him with you. I didn't want to ask if I could stay because I didn't want to screw things up with you two. He makes you happy."
All the past relationships that Buck had he couldn't stand them. He'd never met Abby, but he didn't like her from what he'd heard either. Tommy hadn't given him the look of annoyance that he was there like Taylor had plenty of times. He'd been the one that offered to take him up in the helicopter. Buck had actually wondered why he hadn't thought of that too. It had been awesome hanging out with them. They'd kind of ganged up on Buck about which Star Wars movie was better too which had resulted in a pillow fight. One that Buck had lost and had been begging for mercy over. Tommy hadn't been mad that Buck had canceled plans either the other day when he'd had the stomach flu and his dad had picked up an extra shift. Buck's last girlfriend had had the nerve to tell him he should learn to take care of his self, that Buck couldn't be his best friend. It was what had been the final nail in her coffin. Which he'd thought was funny since she was obsessed with death.
"You are not going to screw anything up, Chris. Tommy's not like the others. One the first things he said was that he wasn't trying to replace me in your life. You couldn't stop talking about me when he was over here that first time. That was actually the night he kissed me." Buck said with slight smile thinking about that. "It wouldn't matter though because you come first always. I told Natalia to get out after what she said. No one in my life comes first more than you, your dad's second. He's my best friend, but you're practically my kid too. I have helped raise you the last six years." He smiled. "So, if you want to stay with me because you can't handle being here, then you stay with me. It's never once been a hardship. I love you."
Christopher smiled getting off the bed going over to Buck wrapping his arms around him. "I want to stay with you. I love you too, Buck. You're my best friend and I think of you like a dad too." He said holding on as tight as he could. "Can you go tell them for me? They can stay a couple days if they want, but don't want to go with them. They still say stuff about dad at times. I'm mad at him, but I don't want to hear more what they been saying. They said they were going file for custody. They didn't know I heard them."
He had so many emotions going on, but he didn't want to be taken away for good. He still loved his dad, he loved it here in L.A. It was the other things he couldn't handle right now. If he stayed with Buck then he could still see his friends. He could go to the summer camp he'd been looking forward to. He could also go to the new Star Wars with Tommy and Buck like they'd planned. He planned on reading the Twilight books this summer too. Afterwards, Tommy had said they'd watch the movies. Tommy was the one that had gotten him the books. He'd asked him what he liked because he was cool, he wanted to know more about him since he was going be in his life more than his dad's friend. It would be nice if this all worked out and Buck got married to Tommy. He'd have three dads. It would be awesome, and he'd always thought it was pretty neat that Harry and May had three dads.
"Sure thing. If you hear any shouting don't worry about it because I'm not going back down. After all I technically can make legal decisions for you if I need to, they can't." Buck smiled giving Christopher another hug kissing the top of his head. He was going wing it, but if Chris didn't want to go he wasn't letting him. He had a say too and the papers to prove it.
~911 911 911 911~
Eddie wasn't sure if Buck had succeed or if Christopher was needing more time when Buck came out without his son. Buck's face gave nothing away and he was worried. He wasn't going to stand in Chris' way if he really wanted to go. He didn't want him to resent him. He'd fucked up so bad with what he'd done. He loved Chris more than anything in the world. He was the only thing he had left that held a piece of Shannon. He'd been so stupid with what happened with Kim. Then she'd came there looking exactly like Shannon. He should never had let her in. He'd do anything to go back and change things.
"Christopher ready to go?" Helena asked. "If he forgets something we can replace it, or you can send it."
"We need to go now because the plane leaves in little over an hour." Ramon said.
"He's not going with you." Buck said. "He's going be living with me."
"The hell he is." Ramon said glaring at Buck. There was no way his grandson was staying there.
"Christopher is coming with us. He's not staying with you." Helena said at the same time her husband did. "You don't have a bedroom for him. You live in a loft that is not a place for him to live. He needs his own room, his own space."
"You did this, you went in there and talked him out of coming with us. Where he belongs. Where he should have stayed six years ago instead of ever coming here." Ramon shouted. "This last stunt only proves he shouldn't have been here."
"Oh and you think you two are that much better?" Buck asked. "You think Chris didn't hear you about the whole filing for custody to steal him from his dad? He heard you two, it's one the main reasons he doesn't want to go. I also have more power than both of you do. Eddie's his dad, but I'm the one on papers too. Something happens I'm the one that gets Chris. So yeah, if he wants to come live with me he can. If I need to find another place until he's ready to come back home I will. I'd take a fucking bullet for my son. So don't you dare stand there and tell me that he's going to be living with you two when he said he doesn't want to go." Buck said with anger in his voice.
He wasn't sure if he was supposed to let that slip out about being Christopher's guardian, but he didn't care right now. He was furious that they thought they were going to take Chris away. It wasn't just Eddie they were trying take him from it was him. He would find another place to live if he had to. He wouldn't mind a house, he'd always wanted one someday. Chris wasn't just his kid on paper. He was his in his heart too. He loved Chris and he would do anything in this world for him. He hoped to god nothing ever happened to Eddie, but if it did he would take Chris without even blinking.
"I'll move in the loft. If he wants to live with you instead of here then you can stay here and I'll go there." Eddie said to Buck. "How dare you two think I'm going let you steal him from me. You tried that already and Buck helped me find Carla who got him into the best programs and school. She helped me when I was working and stuff. Buck has helped too. He's done more for Chris than the two of you combined since we moved here. All you have done is try and get him back to El Paso." Eddie said glaring at his parents. "You want to try and take me to court you'll lose. I can guarantee you that."
He was furious. He was glad that he'd made Buck his son's legal guardian. Right now proved that even more that Buck would fight for Chris. He had been prepared to let Chris go to Texas. He didn't want him to resent him, but now, knowing this that his parents were going use this to take Chris away from him forever, no. If Chris never could forgive him he'd let him stay with Buck for good. He prayed it didn't come to that, but he would. He loved his son enough to give him the time. He'd move into the loft and take that punishment of being alone. He'd trade with Buck if Chris wanted to stay here in his own home.
"We're taking Christopher with us." Ramon said. "He already hates you, don't make it worse.."
"You're not fit to take care of him, Eddie. You need help, you thought your dead wife came back. Yes we've seen the picture, but it's not her. So, until you get help Chris is staying with us. We're not letting him live in this environment. Living with here or at some loft is not the point. He needs to be away from you." Helena said.
"I'm not going with you." Christopher said from behind Buck. "I am staying with Buck. You said it was my choice. I get to make it and I'm going to live with Buck. He's my dad too. I'm thirteen and a judge would listen to me if you forced it. I'd tell them where I wanted to live and it would be with Buck. I don't hate my dad, I'm just mad and hurt. There is a difference." He said because he was upset, but he'd never once hated his dad. "I only called you because I didn't know if Buck would want to take me. He's the one that asked, dad didn't even know." He added.
Helena and Ramon looked at each other then back at their grandson. "He can't give you a stable home anymore than your dad can." Helena said.
"He'll have a slew of women coming and going. That's no place for you, that's worse than now." Ramon added. "No, you're coming with us. So get your stuff and we're leaving."
"I have never once put Christopher anything but first in my life. Every one of my exes are my exes because they didn't respect that and they weren't good enough. I have someone right now and they no without a shadow of a doubt that Chris comes first. They agreed that this idea wasn't stupid when I asked if it was. I wasn't asking for permission for Chris to move in, but it wouldn't have been an issue because they care about Chris too. They know he's my number one, my son, and that if it came to a choice that I'd pick Chris." Buck said. "If I have to I'll call someone to come here and remove you."
He went with gender neutral because he wasn't wanting to get into the debate if Eddie's parents were homophobic. This would turn into an even longer debate, but they would lose. If he had to he'd call Athena. He'd get her to come here and put an end to this. Make Helena and Ramon leave. They weren't going to take Chris away from him and Eddie both. Right now he was putting Chris above Eddie and he was his best friend. He wanted to be there for both of them. He would, but he needed to make sure Chris had somewhere safe to go. If that meant he had to be more there for Chris right now than Eddie he would. He'd make sure Eddie was okay though. He wasn't going to let him spiral again. He'd be here to make sure he didn't go into that dark place again like he had after he got shot or Shannon died. He'd just have to do it differently.
"Christopher made his choice so leave." Eddie said. "I'd trust Buck any day of the week to have my back before I'd trust you two. If he says he can take Chris then I don't doubt that. Buck's always been the person Chris could turn to when he didn't agree with me on other things. He's taken care of Chris so much over the years. Talked to him when I couldn't find the right thing to say to him. He's my co-parent and I know he'd do anything to put Chris first. Even if it means taking Chris' side on this. He's my best friend that's got me through a lot of things." He took a breath from the rant he'd been on. "I know for the past he'd end things with anyone that objected to the role he plays in Chris' life. I also know the person he's with cares for my son and there won't be a problem."
He'd known why Buck didn't mention Tommy being a guy. So he didn't say it either. He didn't give a fly that Buck and Tommy were together, but he didn't know how his parents would take it. He'd also gotten a text while he'd been waiting on Buck to come out with Christopher. It had been from Tommy. He hadn't told him what was going happen. He'd only told him to go with it if Chris agreed. There was no problem on his end with it. He had no clue what in the world the message had been about until Buck had said Chris wasn't going with his parents. He knew that Chris liked spending time with Buck and Tommy together. Chris had told him that Tommy was the right fit for Buck. He'd thought the same thing.
"This is far from over and done with." Helena said. "If we hear one thing about that woman here again then we will take him. No one will stop it either." She added.
"I'm done with her, I never had sex with her either." Eddie said. "I already set up an appointment to talk to someone about it too. If Chris wants to talk to you he can, but don't talk to me. We're done, you aren't going to run my life. I'd let Buck tell me what to do before ever would you." Which he did go to him for advice all the time.
Christopher walked over opening the door. "I'm staying with Buck, here. You can go. Don't expect a call or text. You lost that when you said you'd get custody. I only needed a place to stay, not a forever home. I have that already here in L.A."
He couldn't look at them right now. He'd thought they might be upset he wanted to stay, but not say the things they had. He should have known though since they'd talked about suing for custody. He had liked the idea of staying home and his dad being the one to go to the loft. He knew he'd eventually forgive him, but right now it hurt too much. It hurt knowing his grandparents were trying to drive an even bigger wedge into it. This was about his emotions not for them to stick it to his dad. He didn't want to leave forever, just right now. He needed time, but not for them to drag his dad through the mud. There was a difference.
Helena and Ramon glared at Buck and Eddie before they went over to the door. They tried to give Christopher a hug, but he backed away. They walked out the door and Christopher shut it behind them. He didn't want a hug from them and when they had said they loved him he couldn't bring his self to return the words. Love didn't feel like what they were showing. It felt like control and a stab in the back. He'd asked to go, but not like this.
"Before I came out of my room I called Maddie." Christopher said. "I asked her if she could pick me up so I could see Jee. She said she could." He looked at Buck instead of his dad because he couldn't look at him right now. "Since dad said he'd move to the loft, do you think Tommy would help with that?" He asked.
Buck hadn't doubted that Eddie meant it about switching, but he still looked at him. When Eddie only nodded he got his answer. "Yeah, Chris. He offered to help me if you wanted to stay at the loft."
"I'm going to my room until Maddie gets here." Chris said before he walked out of the living room closing his door. The sound of the lock going back in place could be heard in the quiet.
~911 911 911 911~
"I'm sorry if I surprised you with asking Chris to stay with me. I didn't know what else to do." Buck said once they were alone. "I thought it would be better if he stayed in the same state at least. I thought of it when went back to how I consider Bobby the dad I never had even if mine's alive. I didn't want Chris to end up being poisoned by them. I wanted you two to make amends so it didn't come to that. Which is why I thought of it too. You put me on the papers to make decisions and I know you're not dead. Don't you even think about fucking ending your life or letting this impair your judgement right now. I will hog tie you to a bed if I have to. I just thought it might be easier and I didn't want him to go either." Buck added.
He'd got there when Eddie had called him to tell him Helena and Ramon were about to leave with Christopher. He asked him to talk to him to try and get him to change his mind. To do anything to get him to stay. He didn't want to lose his son, but if Chris needed to go he understood. He got that he'd fucked up royally, but he still loved his son and would do anything for him to make it better. It had cemented the idea and he'd told Tommy he'd be back later or he'd call if Eddie was too upset for him to leave him if this didn't go well. He'd left him at the loft, but Tommy had said he'd come over if Eddie needed him too.
"You didn't do anything wrong Buck. I meant what I said to them. I told you that after the Tsunami too. I don't trust anyone more than I do you with my son. Made that all legal when put you as his guardian." Eddie said. "He looks up to you, Buck. You've always put him first. I clearly didn't this time, I failed him again. If living with you until he can forgive me is what he needs then I'll move into the loft. It'll be easier on him here. Tommy texted me said not to worry about him, it changed nothing with you two. I had no idea what he meant though." He said.
Buck smiled before he moved in hugging his best friend. "I'm still your best friend. If you need to talk to me you can. I'm also here for Chris. So, if I don't answer a text right away don't panic. I'll send you pics as usual. I love you both. I told you I'd try and fix it and I meant it."
Eddie held on because he needed the hug right now. Everything that had happened in the last few days it was crashing down. "Thank you, for having my back again. I love you too. I promise I'm not going kill myself. I love him too much to do that even if he's angry at me right now."
"You're welcome. I'd also find away to bring you back and then beat your ass. I'm not the best at it, but Tommy's been teaching me a few moves. Or I'd get him to kick your ass." Buck said. He kept rubbing his hand over Eddie's back knowing he needed it right now.
"Way I feel right now you'd have no problem taking me down." Eddie said. "Go ahead and call Tommy, see if he can do it right now. We can use my truck. I'm hoping it won't be for long, but he didn't tell me when he'd come back from Texas. They didn't either. If we can get the clothes and stuff moved if I need anything else you can bring it to work with you. We're trading beds though. I'd do the same thing if Tommy was one your exes. I don't want think about you having sex in my bed."
Buck laughed. "That's cool, I don't want think about sleeping in the bed you were getting buzzy with your exes either. Time's going heal him. I'll protect him with my life." He added getting serious again. "Same way I'd do you."
"I know you will." Eddie replied "I'm just glad that he had the second option of staying with you." He said.
Time healed some things and he was hoping it would heal the rest of him with it now that he'd said goodbye to Shannon for good. He'd give their son what he needed. He was relieved that Chris had once again picked Buck instead of going with his parents. He wasn't alone for real since he had Buck helping with Chris, but he still felt like he was on and island right now. It was going to be lonely at the loft not able to see Chris. He pulled out his phone sending a text since Chris wouldn't come out of his room.
I'm sorry and I understand that you're furious right now. I just want you to know I'll never stop loving you. If it takes a week, a month, or years for you to forgive me, I'll be here. I'll give you the space you need. Just know that I will always love you, Christopher. If you need me, you call or text and I'll show up. I'll text you even if you don't reply. Before I move out can I get a hug? Even if you can't look at me or say anything. I'll still go if you can't do it, it's only an ask not a demand."
'Yes'
~THE END~
EN: Thanks in advance for reviews and kudos. Hope you enjoy.