Spoilers: Only if you've not seen up to and including 8.08 Wannabees.
A/N: When I saw the clip online with Eddie looking at houses and Buck finding out, my first thought was one particular line of dialogue I included in the story. Can you guess which one?
WARNING!: A mention of vomiting. Just the action, no graphic details.
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"You're thinking about moving. … Nice, but where are you going to find a place like this in L.A. at your price point?"
"They're not in L.A. They're in El Paso."
~~~~~~ Buck & Eddie; 8.08 Wannabees; written by M. Green & J. Leffler
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Buck sat through the meeting with the realtor, only commenting when Eddie forgot to mention something the house needed in order to accommodate Christopher's needs.
Listening to Eddie start the process of leaving Los Angeles, Buck started getting angrier and angrier at his friend until he knew some of the next words out of his mouth might cause a rift between them.
When Eddie logged out of the Zoom meeting, he put the tablet down on the coffee table and sat back, their shoulders once again touching. Buck remembered how they'd sat like this more than a hundred times over the years, and that they may not sit like this again if Eddie follows through with moving back to Texas. It only made Buck even more irritated, and it wasn't only the fact that Eddie hadn't mentioned one word of his plan to move back to El Paso. Because—
"Buck?"
Buck startled out of his thoughts and looked at Eddie. "Huh?"
Eddie furrowed his brow. "I said… What did you think of the realtor?"
Buck shifted on the couch so he was facing Eddie. "You are my best friend Eddie. And I'll always have your back. You know that, right?"
Eddie smiled. "Yes, of course, I know that. Both things you said. But—"
"Good, so uh…. With all due respect: Are you out of your damned mind?"
"What?!" Eddie said as he pulled back in surprise.
"I said—"
"No, I heard you. I'm just…" Looking guilty, Eddie briefly shifted his gaze towards the fireplace mantle where there were several photos of Chris. He sighed. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you bef—"
Buck stood from the couch, not able to sit still any longer.
"It's not that you didn't bother letting me in on your grand plan. It's the fact that, after everything, you think leaving L.A. is the way to get your son back!"
"Buck…" Eddie stood up from the couch and tried to put his hand on his shoulder, but Buck took a step backward away from him. Eddie looked vaguely hurt by the action, but continued, "Buck, I told you. I'm tired of—"
"No, I…I remember exactly what you said. But you're going to be leaving the life you've made for yourself and your son behind. You're leaving family, the 118, the friend's you've made – your support network. What about your job?! You're leaving all that behind to go back to a place that caused you a lifetime worth of struggles!"
"I know that, but I miss Christopher so—" Eddie's voice cracked "—much. He's moving on without me, doesn't seem to even miss me, so what else can I do? Moving back to El Paso is the only way I can think of to be in my son's life again."
Eddie made his way around the couch and headed to the kitchen. After a couple of deep breaths, Buck followed him.
When he entered the kitchen, Eddie was grasping the back of a dining chair with both hands so tightly that Buck was surprised it wasn't breaking into little pieces.
His heart went out to his friend, but he had to keep pressing or he would lose both Christopher and Eddie for good, and that was just unacceptable. Buck was well aware that close friendships could survive the distance, but he had never been very lucky in that regard. He knew it was selfish of him, but he couldn't lose anyone else right now.
"Eddie…"
Buck reached out to touch Eddie's shoulder, but Eddie didn't respond to the gentle pressure trying to get him to turn around. He shifted his hand down to one of Eddie's, feeling the tenseness in the grip on the chair. He squeezed Eddie's right hand hard a few times to get his attention, and finally after another minute, Buck got him to relax his stranglehold on the chair.
He pulled the chair that Eddie had been grasping back from the table, causing his friend to move back with it. Buck gently applied pressure to Eddie's shoulder to get him to sit down. After a moment, Eddie wiped at the tears on his face before sitting and leaning on his elbows, hands gripping his hair, and looking absolutely miserable.
Buck pulled out another chair and sat at the table with Eddie. "Just remember, I am your friend and I care about both you and Christopher. OK?"
Eddie nodded slightly, indicating he was listening.
"Good, because I need to get real with you, and I hope you won't hate me for it."
"I could be angry with you, but I would never truly hate you," Eddie said, almost whispering.
"We'll see," Buck replied, before clearing his throat. "Eddie, I – I want you to stop and think instead of simply reacting, because to me this sudden desire to move is pure reaction and very little to no deliberation.
"I'm going to ask you some questions, and for each I only want a yes, no, or not sure response. Got it?"
Eddie dipped his head once in acknowledgement as he clasped his hands tightly together.
"Good," Buck said, with a return nod. "Do you remember why you moved away from El Paso?"
Eddie didn't respond right away, and Buck could see his friend was truly considering his answer before giving it.
"Yes," Eddie replied with a grimace on his face.
"Before you moved to L.A., did your parents make every time they helped you into a reason why you weren't a good father?"
Without hesitation, Eddie said, "Yes."
"Before this situation with Chris, did they try to get you to move back to Texas? Try to get you to hand over custody of Christopher?"
"Yes and yes."
"Since you came to L.A., have your parents continued to criticize and/or denigrate you personally? Or your ability to parent?"
"Yes to both."
"I know you gave all the information to your parents about Christopher's various doctors, therapies, etc, but since he's been in El Paso, have they made sure to keep up with it all?"
Eddie's eyebrows shot up at that question. "Not sure."
"In the last month, have your parents given you any updates about Christopher?"
"No."
"Since he's been in Texas, have your parents asked for your input about anything related to Christopher?"
"No."
"From the day your parents came to take Chris back to El Paso to today, have your parents done anything at all to help you and your son reconcile? Mediate in any way? Encouraged the two of you to talk, get family therapy, or have Chris simply listen to your explanation of what happened with Kim?"
Eddie moved a hand to rub at the back of his neck as he replied, "No to all of that."
Buck can see the warring emotions on his friend's face, some combination of frustration, devastation, and more that was difficult to decipher with any accuracy. It was just possible that Eddie just might be on the cusp of seeing what Buck could about this whole situation.
He nudged Eddie's foot with his own. "Do you see it yet?"
"Not sure, but some at least."
"Good, because I have another question." Eddie gestured for him to continue. "Did you even discuss your plan to move to El Paso with Chris?"
Eddie groans as he closes his eyes and lowers his forehead to the table with a thump. When it seems like his friend was going to repeat the action, Buck puts his hand in the way.
Leaving his forehead on Buck's hand, Eddie says, "I'm doing it again, aren't I?"
Buck couldn't help but chuckle a bit at Eddie's I'm-a-moron tone of voice. "Seems like it."
Lifting his head, Eddie locks eyes with Buck and says, "Thank you."
"Don't thank me yet, because I've got some more difficult questions for you."
Eddie's expression morphs to one of someone on their way to the gallows. "I need a break, Buck. Please."
Buck could see that Eddie needed time to process all of the questions he'd just been asked, so he took some pity on his best friend. "Here"—He grabbed a scone from the basket and handed it to Eddie—"have another scone and I'll get us something to drink. Juice? Water?"
"Juice," Eddie replied with a slight smirk. Buck smiled in reply, remembering Eddie's full explanation for the whole Risky Business dance party he'd interrupted.
Buck kept an eye on Eddie as they ate their snack in silence. He watched as Eddie, completely lost in thought, basically demolished the scone into a pile of crumbs, barely eating any of it. He ignored the mess, preferring it if it meant that Eddie was finally thinking instead of reacting.
After they finished their snack and cleaned up their – Eddie's – mess, Buck took a deep breath and looked Eddie in the eye.
"We good?" he asked.
Eddie looked surprised by the question, before immediately replying, "Of course, Buck. It's been hard answering your questions, but I needed to hear them. We said we'd have each other's backs, and today, you're showing you have mine. So, yes, we are good."
Buck exhaled, relieved he hadn't ruined the most important friendship of his life. "That's, uh,… Thanks."
Eddie dipped his head in acknowledgment and smiled. "So, I take it there's more I'm going to hate yet need to hear."
Nodding, Buck said, "Yep. Sorry."
"No apologies necessary. You're just trying to help me and Christopher."
"Exactly, so I've gotta ask. Have you even gone to El Paso to visit your son?"
"Of course, I've gone out to visit him!"—Eddie abruptly stood from his chair and throwing up his hands in frustration as he started pacing—"Twice. I didn't get to see him either time. It went about as well as you can guess based on the questions you've been asking me."
Buck reached out and gently grabbed Eddie's wrist, forcing him to stop pacing. He then tugged a little to get Eddie to sit back down.
Eddie sighed as if he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. Buck thought that his friend had been carrying that weight since he was 10 years old when Ramon told Eddie he had to be the man of the house.
"I don't really want to talk about those visits right now, Buck. Later, OK? Looking back on those visits, I see it now. I do. My parents…they don't…"
"I'm sorry, Eddie," Buck said as he placed a hand on Eddie's shoulders and gently squeezed it.
"No, I'm sorry. I should have told you about going to El Paso before now. Asked you to come with me. But you and… It was still new, and I didn't want to get in the way of that. Plus, I thought I had to do it on my own."
"I appreciate that, but new relationship or not, I would've gone with you had you asked. And if Tommy…" Buck shrugged, feeling disappointed and saddened at the same time. "It doesn't matter anymore."
"Buck—"
"Another time, Eddie. This is about you, not me."
"No, this about Christopher, and how we are going to get him back home."
Buck's mind blue-screened on the "we" for a moment before, his brain finally rebooted and he grinned. "Exactly. I'm sick and tired of my two best friends being at odds with each other."
Eddie matched Buck's grin before asking, "So what's next?"
"Well, since you sprang your grand plan on me, I've not really had the time to really consider any options, but here's another question for you."
Eddie groaned before gesturing for Buck to continue.
"Okay, uh. I know you wanted to respect Christopher's choice, and your parents practically gaslit and guilt-tripped you into letting him go. But why are you letting a 14-year-old continue to dictate everything? I know your parents are absolutely not helping the situation, but why aren't you standing up for yourself? Why are you letting your parents run all over you? Do you realize how much ground you've ceded to them if they were to get it in their heads to sue for custody? You need—"
Suddenly, standing up and bolting from his chair, Eddie rushed to the sink and vomited up his recent snack. Buck rushed to his side and turned the water on, using the hose attachment to wash the mess down the drain. He then grabbed a paper towel, wet it, and handed it over to his friend, who used it to wipe his mouth off. Taking a bottle of water out of the refrigerator, Buck twisted off the cap and handed it to Eddie, who still looked fairly pale.
Eddie took a couple of small sips before finally looking at Buck with tears in his eyes. "If I lose him for good…"
Buck hated how that sounded, and shuddered to think what might happen if Eddie no longer had his son in his life in any way, shape, or form. He knew that if Eddie's parents hadn't been so gung-ho to take Christopher away, that his two friends would be in a much, much better place than they currently were.
He placed a hand on Eddie's shoulder. "It won't come to that. I truly believe, that if we can get you both in the same place and you have a chance to talk – without your parents there and maybe with a therapist to mediate – I know that you would be able to rebuild your relationship with Christopher."
"You really think that?" Eddie asked in a hopeful voice that was close to a whisper.
"I do," Buck replied, imbuing his voice with as much conviction as he possibly could.
Eddie set the water down on the counter and moved to give Buck a hug.
After a minute, Buck teasingly said, "Kind of need to breathe, bud."
Looking sheepish, Eddie stepped back and said, "Sorry."
"Nothing to be sorry about. I think we both needed that hug."
They both turned so they could lean back against the kitchen counters.
While Eddie continued to sip his water, Buck considered options for getting Chris back home, which would likely mean a confrontation between the Diazes. Some of his ideas were selfish, but he couldn't help it, because he couldn't stand the notion of no longer having the ability to regularly hang out with Christopher and Eddie whenever possible.
After several minutes of silence, Buck decided to give voice to some of his ideas.
He bumped his shoulder against Eddie's to get the man's attention. "I don't think you should move to El Paso."
When Eddie looked like he was about to speak, Buck continued. "One option is to rent a place near your parents' house. If you wait two weeks, then we'll have a four-day off that week and nearly two-and-a-half days off the following week. With the vacation time you've got stored up, you shouldn't have to take any unpaid time off, depending on how long you end up staying in El Paso. That should give you and Christopher time to work on your relationship, perhaps convince him to come home."
"How do you know that?" Eddie asked.
"What? Our schedules?" When Eddie nodded, Buck hesitated for a moment before replying, "If you pay attention to the scheduling, there's a pattern to it, and very rarely does the LAFD veer from that pattern."—Buck grinned—"I've got it memorized."
"Of course you do," Eddie said, returning the grin.
Usually, Buck would not admit to knowing such a thing, and he was happy that Eddie accepted all his weird quirks or knowledge, and did not make fun of him for them. Teasing, yes, but nothing meanspirited.
"Or," Buck said, drawing out the word. "I think you should just go and bring Christopher home whether he's ready or not, because you are the adult and he's not. You gave him time and space, but enough is enough. I love Christopher, but it's not right that he's stayed away for so long that your parents have allowed him to stay with them for so long. There were and are several other options"—he gestured towards himself—"right here in L.A. if Chris is not ready to live with you yet. If you go with that option, it might be extra tense between you for a while, but I think it will be best in the long run, especially if you both agree to see a family therapist."
Looking pensive, Eddie pushes off from the kitchen counter and heads back towards the couch. Buck gives Eddie a few moments to consider the options by refilling his drink before going to sit down next to his friend.
Buck doesn't know how long they've been sitting there before Eddie finally speaks.
"What if we do a combination of your ideas?"
"As in?"
Eddie shifts to face Buck. "As in we go to El Paso and rent a place for a couple of weeks, but at the end of that time Christopher comes home with us regardless."—Eddie rolls his eyes and mutters—"Can't wait to have that discussion with my parents."
"Anyway," Eddie adds, "while we're there, I want to try working on my relationship with my son. Get him to want to come home, instead of forcing him. In the meantime, you get to see him and maybe act as a mediator between us. Be my back up and a distraction for my parents."
Buck didn't know what to say. He hadn't even considered the idea that Eddie would go with either of his plans, let alone a combination of them. Hell, he hadn't even imagined Eddie wanting him to go with him to El Paso. He really wanted to see Christopher and was more than okay playing mediator if it meant the teenager would be coming home soon. He was even willing to back Eddie up however he could with the Diazes. Of course he wanted to go with Eddie. How could he not?
Before he could say any of that though, Eddie said, "Sorry, Buck. I know I just volunteered you to come with me and use your vacation days, but to also—"
"Hey, no. It's fine. I'm totally on board with your plan. To help you get around your parents' interference and talk to Chris, convince him to come home. I was just surprised you wanted me to come with you is all."
It's difficult to describe the current expression on Eddie's face, but if Buck had to guess it could be translated into something along the lines of don't be an idiot.
Buck holds his hands up in surrender and grins. "I formally retract my last statement about being surprised. I'm so very not surprised. In fact, I totally expected you wanted me to come with you but had a momentary bout of foot-in-mouth disease."
Eddie chuckles. "Do you think you've recovered enough to help me plan for this trip?"
"Let's do this," Buck said, clapping Eddie's shoulder. He then smirks before asking, "You got a clipboard I could borrow?"
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The end.
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A/N: I've had about 90% of this done since before Christmas but haven't had the chance to finish it until now. Of course, today ends up being a migraine day for me, so I hope the ending makes sense and works, because I wanted to have this posted before the end of 2024. Happy New Year 2025!
Thanks for reading!
*Please do not repost or use this or any of my other works on another site or app without my knowledge or consent. FanFiction and Archive of Our Own are the only two sites (as AZGirl on both) where my fiction should be posted. Thank you!