#I just need eddie and mara to be there

[lamiue]

THIS IS SO ICE CREAM BEFORE DINNER CODED YOU DONT UNDERSTAND

[wolfblood-of-anubis]

so while i do still plan on making the character tribute videos, i just havent been able to keep it up because of schoolwork, i wanted to ask you guys about any love songs or break up songs you think summarize certain couples from HOA

so send me your ideas in the ‘tell me stuff’ button and if i get multiple songs for the same couple i’ll do a poll for it, sound cool?

[dumbass-hyperfixations]

The text comes at 9:07.

Eddie: Happy birthday, Hen! Hope you have a good one :)

Hen smiles down at her phone as she sets down her bag in the locker room. Someone really ought to teach that man how to use emojis (seriously, is he secretly 50?), but the text warms her heart too much to be bothered by it. At least someone remembered, even from another state. She’ll take the typed out smiley emoticon as a win.

Hen: Thanks Eddie 🥳 how are you doing?

Eddie: Almost done fixing up my house and making small breakthroughs with Chris every day. But I’m sure Buck’s keeping you all updated. How about you? Any big plans today?

Hen: I’m sure it’s going great, we’re all rooting for you ❤️ and yes, Buck’s giving us all the updates, hasn’t shut up about you since you left 😂

Hen: No big plans today, though. Shift, then takeout for dinner.

Eddie: Not even cake? You’re breaking my heart :(

Hen sighs. She’s breaking her own heart over this silly little thing. She feels ridiculous, being so excited and then so disappointed over such a small thing. She scoffs as she kicks off her shoes and shakes off her jacket before answering Eddie.

Hen: I guess I’m just not in the mood this year. Maybe Karen and I will get dinner over the weekend.

Eddie: Oh, Buck and I tried this great Italian place the night before my last shift at the 118! You should ask him for details, their spaghetti bolognese was amazing :D

Well, definitely not doing that. Not while Buck and the rest of the 118 are being excited over a different H.E.N. in their lives right now. Another thing she’s ridiculously jealous of today: firefighting gadgets. And the way Eddie isn’t able to keep Buck out of their conversation even for a second. She bets Buck never forgets his birthday.

Hen: Thanks, I appreciate the tip 🤗

Eddie: Anytime. Hope you have a great day :)

Yeah, Hen thinks. Against all odds, she hopes so, too.

***

Another text comes around at 14:32, while Hen is taking a break on the roof after that call for Archie, the self-proclaimed invisible man.

Eddie: Hey, just got off the phone with Buck. I’m sorry those dummies forgot your birthday :(

Despite it all, Hen chuckles.

Hen: Don’t be acting like you didn’t remember just because of the Facebook alert. I know you well, Diaz 😉

Eddie: Guilty. Still sent the text though!

Eddie: And I know it sucks, but just remember that they still love you. We all do. Probably gonna be making it up to you for a week. I’ll bet you 10 bucks Chim’s gonna send you balloons. Maybe even a serenading mariachi band.

She snorts into her phone.

Hen: Oh god, I hope not. Haven’t I suffered enough?

Eddie: True. You can always guilt-trip Buck into doing yard work for you, though. He’s pretty handy with that. Kind of wish he was here now, helping me around the house.

Yeah, she bets he does. God, those two are so sickeningly codependent. She’s gonna have to hold an intervention one of these days.

Hen: He’s been giving me THE WORST puppy eyes since they realized they forgot. Could probably make him wash the cars too.

Eddie: Yeah, saw ‘em. He called me all sad, asking about your favourite pie. If you don’t talk to him soon, your house is going to look like a bakery display for a week.

Hen: Thanks for the tip. I DO NOT need my kids on a sugar high after all of this 😂

Eddie: At least they remembered, right? And Karen?

Hen: LOL. Mara dressed up real cute. Not for mama though, for picture day 💔 and Karen at least noticed my (very very nice) birthday outfit, but didn’t connect the dots.

Eddie: Ouch

Hen: Yup. I guess she forgot because of the kids’ schedules. Still hurts, though. There’s usually not a thing missing from her trusty planner.

Eddie: I guess she figured she’ll remember. You guys have celebrated how many thousand birthdays together now? She probably just got too confident in her ability to remember everything she loves about you.

She tries to scoff, but it comes out a little wet. Of course, he’s right. And Karen’s gonna feel so bad when she realizes.

Hen: Damn you for being right.

Hen: I’m gonna be angry with you about that, because you and Athena are the only two people I can’t be mad about missing my birthday.

Eddie: Hahaha sure, if it makes you feel better! Gotta go now, getting ready for work.

Hen: I still can’t believe I’m gonna walk back down to the loft and not see you on shift with us 😔 your talents are being wasted in that Uber

Eddie: Don’t I know it :( take care, Hen. And make Buck your gardener! I’ll be expecting pics.

Hen: 🤔🤔 starting to think gardener Buck is more of a gift for you than it is for me…

What can she say, even in her desperate sorrows, she loves making fun of the whole BuckandEddie thing, no matter how platonic it might be.

The answer is immediate.

Eddie: I’ve gotten tired of all the cooking/baking photos Maddie keeps sending me. He needs new hobbies.

Hen: How many of those do you have?????

Eddie: So many.

Eddie: Save them all, though. I like seeing him happy.

Eddie: He is happy, right? Not just putting a brave face for me every time I call?

Well. She can’t even make fun of that.

Hen: Ever seen those videos of amputated dogs that are learning to move around with prosthetics?

Eddie: Yeah?

Hen: Looks kind of like that. Happy, but still getting used to those wheels instead of legs ❤️

Hen: (The amputated legs are you. And the wheels are all those six thousand two hundred and twenty-two FaceTime calls you’re having on and off shift.)

Eddie: Yeah, I got that. It’s the same for me, really.

Eddie: Really gotta go now. Let me know if Chim sends you balloons!

***

At 21:20, Hen’s the one to send the text.

Hen: [image attached]

Hen: I actually got those fucking balloons. Are you psychic?

Hen: Also featuring chocolates from Bobby.

Eddie: Ha! Not psychic, he’s just predictable.

Hen: LOL, that he is. The worst part is that I actually kind of love them.

Eddie: Not seeing 10 different pies on the table, though. Master baker crisis averted?

Hen: Not yet, but he acted like an awkward butler around me for the rest of the shift. Needed some time to cool off, but I’ll ask him tomorrow.

She sets the phone down and opens the basket of chocolates. There’s a note inside with yet another apology, a birthday wish, and a promise of homemade dinner on their next 48 off. I am loved, I am loved, I am loved, I am loved. She thinks the words on a loop in her head, intending on doing so until she believes then again. God, today sucks.

Her phone pings again, Eddie’s contact illuminated on the screen.

Eddie: I just realized. We have never texted as much as we did today.

Surprised, Hen snorts out a laugh.

Hen: That can’t be right. We’ve known each other for well over 7 years now.

Eddie: I’m serious! Check our previous messages.

And Hen does. The last text before today was a few months ago, when she wished him a happy birthday during their 96 off, to which he responded with a simple thank you. Before that, a bunch of school-related email screenshots and links, mixed in with some carpool-themed “I’ll be there in 15!”s and some Denny and Chris sleepover related negotiations. Each short text thread at least a few days, if not weeks apart. Wow.

Hen: LOL, are we even friends 😂

Eddie: Right?! Like, I know we are, but we have absolutely no way of proving it.

Hen: I’m blaming it on the twelve hundred groupchats the Buckleys have created over the years.

Eddie: Seconded! Why do we need one for every get-together? The original groupchat is fine.

“Mama?” Hen looks up to see Mara standing in the doorway, looking a little unsure of herself.

“Yeah, baby?”

“Mom’s calling you for dinner,” Mara says. “Or, she’s asking if you feel like joining us.”

Hen sighs and stands up. To her surprise, the weight of her chest is lifted somewhat. She didn’t even notice that she calmed down and switched her mood during their chat.

“Of course, I’m coming,” she says and hugs Mara again for good measure before they head to the kitchen. Just to let her know nothing is wrong, that she’s not mad at her. Or anyone, in fact. This stuff happens. I am loved, I am loved, I am loved.

After dinner, she sends Eddie the picture of the cake Mara and Denny brought her.

Hen: [image attached]

Hen: Got the cake after all ❤️🎂

Hen: Thanks for today ❤️

Eddie: Looks good! And, anytime :D

[chronicowboy]

thinking about a welcome home party for eddie and chris where buck knows he's in love with eddie. trying to attach himself to christopher's side because they've always used that kid as a feelings buffer (and if buck thinks about that for too long he'll lose his motherfucking mind) and it just makes sense because chris was gone longer than eddie but chris is a teenager now and he missed denny and he's perpetually embarrassed by adult affection so he suffers it for a little while before slipping away to play video games with denny. and then buck is dodging eddie every possible way he can, waiting on pregnant maddie hand and foot, helping bobby in the kitchen, tom cruising it up behind the bar for hen and karen (and eddie), cleaning up messes, taking food and drinks to chris and denny, playing with jee and mara, anything and everything possible to not get stuck alone with eddie because he just can't. and he ducks outside when the whirlwind gets a little too much, when he catches eddie's eye across the room and sees nothing but overwhelming fondness with this little hint of sad understanding, and he just needs a breather. but then the door opens and closes behind him and a warmth as familiar to him as his own body settles beside him and they just breathe together for a moment before eddie jokes that he thought buck'd be happier to see him. and buck can't really joke, not about this, so he tells him that he missed him like a lung and he's just getting used to breathing again. and eddie asks why buck's avoiding him. and buck just whispers "i don't think i know how to be around you anymore". and eddie says "i don't think i know how to be without you, so we should probably figure that out". and buck looks up at him with big, wide eyes and eddie's looking back at him with nothing but certainty in his eyes.

[lemotmo]

All the reasons why I’m pretty sure this isn’t really Bobby’s funeral:

ONE: Tim and the show would never allow anything that big to leak.

From a TV show perspective it doesn't make a lick of sense. It does make sense however if you use this as ‘free promo’. They already used this tactic once before with the 'leaked' Buddie hug scene.

Think about it. We are always complaining that 911 doesn’t promote their show enough. But week after week we get bts shot by ordinary people like you and I. Those pics and videos are then spread all over social media to hype up the masses. It’s the best promo and it’s FREE. 🤷‍♀️

TWO: The Gerrard factor.

We have seen bts of Gerrard being the new 118 Captain. I do not believe for a single minute that Gerrard would want to come back to the 118, because he has got a great job on the Hot Shots set. Next to that, he was almost fully redeemed 🙄 when he helped Hen and Karen get Mara back. And if he would come back? He would never go back to his old ways of being an asshole. If there is anything he learned from Bobby? It is how to be a better Captain.

THREE: Not enough tears.

Why was no one crying at that funeral? Where were the tissues and the red-rimmed eyes? Chim’s face looked teary, but the others? You would at least expect May, Harry and Athena to be hit hard with this. But there was nothing. It was almost emotionless. That is not how you say goodbye to a great character as Bobby Nash. You would show the audience that his family and friends are going ‘through’ it by having them cry and show emotions. 😭

FOUR: The laughing and joking in between takes.

If Bobby was really dead? The actors would want to stay ‘in the moment’ of one of their own dying. Next to that, they would be sad about Peter leaving. They wouldn’t be joking around like this. They even took a picture in front of the casket, making funny faces. 😬

FIVE: Why was Tommy there?

The man isn’t part of the 118 and he has broken up with Buck. In fact, him and Buck parted on bad terms in 8x11, so what is he doing there? And walking in front as well? It doesn’t make any sense for him to be there up front.

Now I could understand that Tommy wanted to pay his respects to Bobby, but he would never be in that front position. It isn't his place.

I can definitely understand Gerrard being there, because he did take a liking to Bobby in the end. The man helped him get his new job.

SIX: Where were Bobby’s mom and brother?

These characters were just introduced and reunited. No way that they wouldn’t be there for that funeral. Especially Charlie, because he seemed like a really nice guy who genuinely loved his brother.

SEVEN: The switching name on the turnout jacket.

In the first bts we clearly see ‘Nash’ on the jacket, but then it randomly changes to ‘Carusso’? That is odd. There was no reason to hide the Nash jacket anymore, because it was literally one of the first things that leaked, after the funeral parade.

Also... who is Carusso? Have we ever seen a character or an extra with that name?

EIGHT: Hot Shots actor in a scene?

Now I’m not entirely sure about this one, because it might just be a coincidence. But in the bts from the scene where Chimney is yelling at Gerrard that he was only half a Bobby? One of the firefighters is called ‘Sanchez’ and he has a moustache. He was supposed to be the Eddie counterpart on Hot Shots. Why was he there?

NINE: The El Paso fire engine.

Now, I’ll be the first to admit that this might just have been because they needed more fire engines and they reused the ones they already had. They can always digitally edit out the El Paso on the side. However, it was right there ‘front and center’ carrying the big American flag. Why would they use that car specifically to be so out in the open? They could have used one of the other real LAFD engines. Instead they used the El Paso one. So they can have more work editing everything out? It doesn’t make sense. 🤷‍♀️

TEN: Ryan/Eddie walks a bit in front of the others.

Now this one is far-fetched and possibly delusional. I agree. But remember I slept about an hour and a half last night after I was up all night going mentally insane over the funeral bts. 🥱

But when you look at the bts footage Eddie stands out in his suit, walking a tiny bit in front of the others, as if he needed to stay in front of them, so they could get a good shot of him. I’m actively wondering if all of this might actually be connected to him somehow.

Like, what if something happens to Eddie and he dreams up this ‘what if’ scenario where he no longer has a place on the 118, because Bobby died. He goes back to LA for the funeral and decides to stay and claim his spot on the team again. But then Gerrard takes over for some reason and denies him the job. He instead gives it to Tommy, who is now also back together with Buck and maybe living with him in Eddie’s old house. So Eddie won’t be able to live there anymore.

He will then basically see that everything he has ever loved and wanted (his job, his 118 family, his house and Buck) is no longer in his grasp and he will hate all of it.

Now remember… this is all highly speculative. We don’t know enough about the rest of the season to actually call this one ‘plausible’. But I feel like this might be something that 911 would be capable of doing. It is such a big trope when it comes to slow burn romances. I cannot help but think that they’ll want to touch upon as many romantic tropes as they can with Buddie, before they actually put them together.

ELEVEN: The Brad stories made by Oliver.

Oliver is a menace and I love him so.😋 He posted those two Brad pics (one where he is hugging Bobby and another one of just Brad) and then removed them after a few seconds. He knew exactly there would be people out there to take screenshots. What was the reason though? It has to be connected to that funeral we saw.

How? I’m not sure yet. We’ll have to see about that when we get more information about episode 16 and beyond.

TWELVE: The Peter Krause and Angela Bassett factor.

I don’t think that Peter is ready to leave 911 yet. He loves being on that show and he himself said in an interview in 2024 that he isn’t thinking of stopping just yet.

In another interview Angela stated that there couldn’t be an Athena without Bobby or something in that vein. Bathena is such a core couple on 911. Athena has already lost two loves: Emmett and Michael. One of them got killed. I don’t think they’ll do that to Athena for a third time. 911 simply is NOT that kind of show.

THIRTEEN: The Tim Minear factor.

Tim doesn’t kill off his main characters. He has no problems killing off guest characters, but when it comes to the mains? Nah. He knows exactly how popular Bobby and Athena are. They bring in a lot of viewers. I’m absolutely certain that there are people out there who would stop watching the show if one of these two characters died.

Tim did say that something would happen that would affect all the characters. I’m sure they are now trying to make us think that this is the event: Bobby dying.

But I’m thinking it might not all be what we think it is. Something else might happen that will change lives. Again, we can’t know that without enough information about the rest of the season. So we’ll have to wait and see.

But for now though… I’m thinking about 8x13 ‘Invisible’. I’m sat for Hen saving the day and for Eddie finally calling out his controlling mother. And maybe some Buddie hints in between all of that. 🙂‍↕️

[alchemistc]

Eddie tips his beer against his lips, fights the smile turning up the corners of his mouth as Mara and Jee each cling to one of Buck's arms, the both of them screaming to their hearts content. It's - loud, and Buck isn't doing anything to temper the noise, growling out one of his Roledex of monster noises, lifting one arm and then the other like some bastardized workout routine.

Beside him, Tommy sighs.

It's a familiar sound, at this point. Tommy is so fucking full of love, and Eddie knows he's spent a long ass time looking for a place to put it. He can't think of a person better prepared to take the bulk of it on than Evan Buckley.

"I cannot handle your lovelorn sighs, dude. You got the guy, you don't need to act like some regency hero watching from the sidelines."

Tommy eyes the neck of Eddie's bottle like he's thinking about punishing Eddie for the comment with a beer tap, so Eddie shifts it out of his reach - he's in no mood for another lesson on the physics of cavitation from Buck while he's cleaning foam off the patio and trying to prevent Jee from lapping it up like a dog.

Denny's too old for most of the horseplay, now, but there's something about Buck that makes kids unafraid to act like kids - he takes a flying leap and gets an arm around Buck's neck, and now he's somehow hauling three of them around with one of those wide, uncareful smiles Eddie's always been a bit jealous of.

Tommy's chest expands, and Eddie can feel his lips pursing, his eyes rolling to the side in warning. Tommy blows the breath out through his nose and scowls.

"I knew Shannon was it for me after our first date," Eddie says into the silence, shocking himself with the ease her name slides past his lips. He hasn't - he doesn't - Christ, even thinking her name sets him back sometimes. But this feels - it feels like the only memory pertinent to the situation.

Tommy's pretty good at keeping a straight face when he's feeling big things - decades of practice, Eddie knows, and he's aware that Tommy has spent another ten years unpacking that, forcing himself to wear his heart on his sleeve. Still. It seems easiest when it's Buck, and Eddie can't fault him that.

"She was such an asshole," Eddie continues, fond, while Tommy's gaze shifts to him, careful, concentrated, that special blend of steady eye contact and a stilling of his body that lets people know he's really listening, retaining, will be able to recite word for word something personal someone told him about themselves. "Even then, even as young as we were, I just wanted to share everything with her. Jokes, and stories about my day - happiness and sadness and... life, you know?"

Tommy swallows. His gaze shifts in the quiet of Eddie's confession, unerringly returning to Buck. Eddie's watched plenty of women in love with Buck looking at him. It's never been that look.

The one Eddie'd clocked months ago, a subtle shift from smitten to in love to something else. Something more.

In the grass, Buck levers himself to his knees and begs for mercy, and nearly takes a knee to the groin for his surrender.

Tommy's chest expands.

"You measured his ring size while he's passed out coming off an extra shift, yet?" (Buck has. Eddie's been fielding a fucking deluge of links in his messages, at least a hundred different rings at this point that look identical to Eddie but Buck apparently has half a million opinions about that he seems to think Eddie can help him with.)

Tommy doesn't give him time to react, this time. The bottom of his bottle hits the top of Eddie's and Eddie scrambles too late, foam spilling along the sides, over his fingers. The patio rug soaks up the liquid as it spills over his fingers, but Tommy seems to think the hassle of cleaning off his brand new patio is worth it, if the smirk on his face is anything to go by.

"I'm going to go rescue my boyfriend before Jee-Yun decides hearing Evan howl in real pain is her new favorite hobby."

Eddie's beer is still foaming, a steady trickle up the neck and down the side, right over his fingers, dripping to the rug beneath his feet. He'll need to go inside and wash his hands soon, maybe rearrange Tommy's tea drawer while he's in there - it's the only thing safe from Buck's wrath in that kitchen. "Get me another beer while you're up," Eddie snarks back, and leans back to watch the way Buck's eyes gleam when, instead of rescuing Buck, Jee and Mara both take aim at Tommy instead, and Tommy's swings them both up into the air while they screech in delight.

[donovankinard]

there'll be happiness after you a post-8x15 firefam ficlet

i wrote this in a fit of easter inspiration after our family egg hunt. this was a hard year, and a rough holiday, and i really needed to find some joy in it, so that's what i did. it started as a drabble, but now it is... not that. the title comes from happiness by taylor swift.

“Thank you, for this, by the way,” Maddie murmurs. She’s clutching a glass of non-alcoholic white wine, sitting on the edge of Tommy’s back deck, with a soft blue cable-knit sweater sitting loosely on her frame. “Jee’s so young, she just…”

“Doesn’t understand.” Tommy finishes, and she nods. He takes a sip of his beer, setting it back down, and shakes his head gently. “It was the least I could do, Maddie, for you guys and for Bobby.”

Bobby; he’s, honestly, one of the biggest motivations behind this. His impact on Tommy’s life, despite so many years of estrangement and such a seemingly shallow relationship, altered him entirely. Bobby was the one who initiated Tommy’s transfer to Harbor, who helped him find a fresh start and never once judged him for needing it. Tommy thought Bobby’s family deserved some good, after everything that’s happened this last week.

And then…there’s Evan.

The younger man is standing in the middle of the backyard, with Jee-Yun sitting up onto his shoulders as he darts around, her tiny hands clinging to his forehead. Their team is racing against Denny and Mara to find the eggs scattered throughout the garden beds, although it mostly looks like Buck is trying to make his niece laugh – and succeeding.

It’s been a hard few days.

Christopher and Eddie came down to Los Angeles for the funeral next week, but the teenager doesn’t have any interest in the egg hunt, so he’s sitting in a desolate quiet. Tommy doesn’t know what the kid’s relationship with Bobby was like, but it’s obvious there was one, and he feels for Chris.

May is prancing across the yard, sneaking a few late-found eggs into Mara’s bucket and poking her tongue out at Harry, who’s helping Denny. She tosses a purple-foiled egg toward Ravi, and it hits him in the shoulder as he fumbles before dropping it. The flush clinging to his face makes Tommy want to laugh, just a little, but he doesn’t dare bring it up; the look he trades with Hen, though, tells him he isn’t the only one who sees it.

“How, uh, how’s Chimney doing?” Karen laces her hand in Hen’s, leaning to look past Tommy as she asks Maddie. “He wasn’t feeling up to this?”

Maddie shakes her head sadly, glancing out at the yard. “He… He’s not coping, with any of it. He’s angry about what Bobby did, putting him first that way. I don’t think he’s ready to deal with it yet.”

“I know what Bobby meant to me, and he was only my captain for a few months. I can’t imagine how it feels for you guys, and with the position Howie was in…” Tommy shakes his head.

Hen sighs. “Well, Buck seems to be holding up just fine. I– I don’t know how he pretends like it’s all okay, I’m on the verge of crying most of the time. Even the kids are worried.”

“I don’t think he’s just pretending,” Tommy replies softly. The women turn to him with inquisitive looks, eyes sad, and he elaborates. “I think he’s hoping that if he acts like what happened wasn’t so awful, he won’t have to feel it. He hasn’t even cried since he’s been here, but he was a wreck back at the lab.”

Tommy can’t imagine how Evan’s feeling, but he can see the shields being pulled up on all sides; it’s like Buck lost his father, but he doesn’t want to admit that because he doesn’t want to hurt the way he knows it will. 

“Hang on, Buck has been staying with you the whole time?” Karen interrupts with a coy smile – it’s an obvious bid toward happier topics, but a welcome one. “Tommy, when were you guys planning on telling us you’re back together?”

“We’re, uh, we’re not,” Tommy laughs, trying to ignore the skeptical looks from all sides.

Karen scoffs. “Come on.”

“Seriously,” Hen adds.

“My brother has been making heart eyes at you all day,” Maddie rounds it up. “You haven’t put a label back on it, but you guys are all in. Pretty sure I saw him kiss you on the cheek when you gave him the salad at lunch.”

Tommy looks back up at Evan; he’s now got Jee slung over one shoulder, as the girl clutches her basket of chocolates and Harry tries to get to them laughingly. It almost, really, looks like before; except for the crack in May’s expression, and the way Denny keeps glancing back over to check on his Mom. 

This isn’t quite the picture Tommy had imagined for their life together. There’s so much grief accenting every movement, every minute; this was supposed to be a happy Easter, a chocolate egg hunt and a nice lunch as a break from the mourning and the desolation.

But the absence of Bobby, beside Athena and Chim’s unwillingness to be here, is felt so sorely that none of it’s quite right.

“It’s not the right time, not with everything going on,” Tommy settles on, tone decided. “But we’ll get there. He’s worth waiting for.”

Karen and Hen both coo at that, and Tommy feels his skin flush, but they’re all interrupted by an adorable three-year-old being set safely on the floor and running up toward the deck. “Uncle Tommy! Denny and Harry are tyna take my choc-ate!”

There are a few gaps in her developing speech, but Tommy thinks that Jee speaks quite well for her age; all of that thought, though, is erased when Maddie clears her throat softly. “Jee, honey, what’d you call him?” She nods lightly toward Tommy.

“Uncle Tommy!” Jee-Yun announces proudly, before turning back to him and stamping a foot demandingly. “Let’s go, you gotta help!”

“Okay, okay!” Tommy stands up, crouching again so the little girl can clamber onto his back before darting out into the yard. He swings her around loosely, careful to keep his grip tight, and ignores the protestations of his ankles when he dodges Ravi lunging toward them.

Eddie clears his throat, watching it all with a stunned sort of quiet, his hand resting on Christopher’s shoulder as he turns to Karen. “It’s never going to be the same, is it?”

“No,” She concedes. The sun is starting to hang a little lower in the sky, casting shadows over their faces from the shutter-roof of the deck. “But it can still be happy.”

“He would’ve loved that,” Hen adds, wincing at the ache of her injury; but she ignores it, glancing back to Eddie before out at the yard, at the way everyone is somehow finding smiles to wear among the chocolate eggs. “Happy.”

thank you for reading! x

[poolofunidentifiedfluid]

Z’s Buddie fic recs

i read an ungodly amount of buddie fics and i felt the need to document them so these are my all time favs so far

ice cream before dinner | cloudydaisies | 58.5k | T

gerrard messes with the team's schedules and eddie 'i just drove my son to flee the state' diaz is the only option to watch mara and jee-yun after school on tuesdays, which, shouldn't be a problem at all, right?)

this one is so special to me i haven’t cried about a fic in a hot second

ripples all the way down | iriswests / @fcntasmas | 57.2k | M

christopher partakes in some parent trapping

no joke this may be one of my favorite fics ive ever read. just read it trust me

burn the straw house down | rarakiplin (gmontys) / @hoediaz | 40.2k | M

buck gets stuck in time, has a break down and then, relatedly, a break through

i had never read a timeloop au before so i was skeptical at first but this was beautiful and amazing and incredible no notes. i also am extremely attached to the oc in this :,) love this tremendously

Where the light enters | june_nights / @beecauseevan | 108k | M

Chris is 800 miles away, and Eddie's house feels emptier than ever. As always, Buck is right there, ready to have his back, to catch him without hesitation if he falls. This is familiar, this is normal, this is the way they've always been.This is fine, until it isn't.Until Eddie finds himself drawn to Buck in ways he never expected—ways that might not be so new at all.

i devoured this fic so quickly and i am a slow reader (if you have religious trauma definitely read the trigger warnings)

Leave the light on (I’ll be coming home) | HMSLusitania/ @hmslusitania | 44.4k | M

An accident on a call leaves Buck with custody of Chris after Eddie is... missing presumed.While they navigate their new family circumstances -- and fight to stay together, despite Eddie's parents' best efforts -- a John Doe wakes up in a coma ward with no memory of his own life beyond the knowledge he has a son named Christopher and, somehow, he needs to get home.

love love love. any fic that brings the will into play i love since we havent gotten that in cannon :,)

upon reflection | jeremycarver / @louisdotmp3 | 24.8k | E

Buck and Eddie get into a friends with benefits situation that quickly spirals out of control.

they are stupid idiots and i love them dearly

if you leave the light on | cloudydaisies | 27.8k | G

the check engine light comes on in Buck's Jeep, Eddie volunteers to fix it and carpool with him in the meantime, and it all breaks down from there, literally and metaphorically

‘check engine light as an extended metaphor’ is a beautifully accurate tag

Half awake if our fake empire | HMSLusitania/ @hmslusitania | 33.5k | T

Buck 1.0 fathered a child and Buck 4.0 comes into custody.

buddie girl dads. you will see from the amount of buddie girl dads on this list and future lists that i have father issues but it makes for a great reading experience

The best lie is a truth (my best mask is my face) | letmetellyouaboutmyfeels / @letmetellyouaboutmyfeels | 43.1k | E

The Buckleys are celebrating their 50th Anniversary, and Maddie and Buck are both expected to come. To take the heat off Maddie, Buck impulsively blurts out that he's seeing someone new. Obviously, there's only one solution: bring Eddie as his fake boyfriend, pretend to be in love with him, and survive the weekend with minimal bloodshed. No problem, except for the, uh. "Pretend" part. Oops.

captured the infuriating nature of the buckley parents perfectly

from the ground up | marviless / @marviless | 51.7k | T

the story of how buck discovers he has a six-year-old daughter, spirals a bit, becomes an astronaut in training, kisses the love of his life, makes lasagna, and learns that his heart might just be the perfect place to build a home, all in seven days.

once again girl dads have me in a chokehold

good pretender | likeshipsonthesea | 85k | E

an au where buck broke up with taylor before 5b, ravi and buck become (actually platonic) friends with benefits, and ravi, eddie, and buck all go on a journey of self-discovery that ends with them all getting what they need

therapy: expensive getting therapy through eddie diaz: free. demi eddie is so dear to me

[becausebuckley]

michelle's buddie fic recs: week 48!

hello loves i'm so sorry for the delay!! life has been kicking my ass lately BUT i've been reading some good fics still and i'm happy to share them <3

this is a mix of fics with all ratings, so some include NSFW content. please take a look at both the ratings and the fic tags before reading! some might also contain spoilers for season 8.

if you come across something you like in this list, remember to show some love to the author by leaving kudos and a comment!

any way the wind blows | notathingtoseehere | 10.1k | M

A post s08e08 look into how Buck could backslide into his season 1 habits when his best friend leaves him. hmmm tis the season of speculation for many more months... may i recommend this one to start off with? i love a return to buck 1.0 so much!! also op i need you to know i did in fact say good job out loud lol

can i be close to you? | myemergence | 4.2k | T

“Woah, woah,” Chim laughs, “please, Buck, do not tell us what or who it is you’ve been dreaming about.” A fic written for a prompt on the Buddie discord, about forehead kisses. Fluff ensues. yes i have in fact been going through the entire buddie forehead kisses tag this past week. no i do not wat to talk about it. but i DO want to talk about this lovely little fic!!

cool | LovelyLittleGrim | 5.6k | T

Buck keeps kissing Eddie on the forehead. Eddie has some THOUGHTS about it. eddie has thoughts and so i do and those thoughts are that buck should keep doing this forever and ever <3 so cute!!

eddie diaz can't have sex | notathingtoseehere | 11.9k | M

Eddie Diaz would like to say that the 118 needs a more involved HR department, or maybe he just needs friends who do less meddling. i love firefam shenanigans and i love demi eddie and i love buddie so basically i love this fic <3

eddie diaz vs the buck's boyfriend agenda | songbvrd/@songbvrd | 23.4k | M

Eddie starts gathering information about why no one trusts Tommy. As he grows to hate their relationship more, he learns more about himself and what he wants. eddie's agenda 🤝 my agenda. all of this author's works are a delight and this is no exception <3

feels like falling in love | justhockey | 5.2k | not rated

five times Eddie doesn’t mean to kiss Buck, and the one time he does. delicious delicious 5+1 fic <3

home is not a place | ithilien22/@ithilien-writes | 9.7k | T

In which Eddie has a series of long overdue conversations - with Chris, with his parents, and also with Buck. eddie and chris having heartfelt conversations at the lake!! this is brilliant and captures their dynamic so well <3

howling all night | clytemnestra/@clytemnestraaa | 3.3k | E

Buck helps him pack. Of course he does. Buck’s helpful like that. Eddie leaves for Texas. this hurt in the best way possible <3 so gorgeous!

i've lost my mind | evenatraitormaymend | 9.4k | T

Buck doesn’t tell anyone about his insomnia for six months. Eddie notices anyway, but neither of them talk about it until it’s nearly six am and he wakes up to Buck climbing in his bed—not having slept since before their 24-hour shift started yesterday. Eddie gets to show Buck how much he’s loved. okay two things i LOVE are eddie taking care of buck but also buck researching and setting up routines and taking care of himself, so basically this is the perfect fic for me <3

the aftermath of liberation and love confessions | ElvenSorceress | 17.3k | T

In which Eddie comes out, sexuality is complicated but coffee is not, Buck makes an excessive salad and is also roasted, everyone has a love confession, and December is the most dramatic time of year. this was a lovely lovely morning read a few days ago!! i love me some good idiots in love <3

the missing children's parents club | notathingtoseehere | 34.5k | T

With Christopher in El Paso and Mara pulled out of custody, there's a lot of parents around the 118 that are missing their kids, and a lot of comfort that can be found with each other. not me realising as i'm putting this together that i keep reccing the same author... i had no idea but i promise they're all brilliant brilliant fics!! think i might have to check out their other works lol this must be a sign

'til my lungs give out | time_leigh | 1.1k | G

Buck wakes slowly, gently. He lays still, breathing slowly, enveloped in the soft embrace of a duvet. He is not awake enough to open his eyes and shifts, slowly turning his head deeper into his pillow, feeling the drag of the cotton, smelling home. There is an arm laced over his chest. Slowly, an ear-splitting grin grows across his face. soft and sweet and absolutely tooth-rotting fluff in the best way possible <3

transduce the mind | detectivemeer/@buick118 | 2.4k | E

Buck’s talking about how nearly a third of US gymnasts are in the southeast and how Maddie did rhythmic dance—not dance, Eddie—and he’s reaching for the remote to find their next binge when all the bad ideas Eddie’s ever successfully obliterated resurrect themselves. And Eddie figures, in a cold empty echo, that his life is already ruined. What's one more grenade launched at the rubble? this is STUNNING and so so so well-written, i loved every second of it!!

trying to be cool about it | jukoist | 6.1k | G

Buck and Eddie have always tried too hard to force themselves to like the people they're dating (to varying degrees of success). They have very different responses to realizing how easy it has been to be in love all along. this is the most brilliant most buddie premise ever and it's executed so so well and i love it!! such a good time <3

when everything's on fire | beartowns/@glowingyears | 15.4k | T

Eddie and Chris move in with Buck after a fire. Buck breaks up with his boyfriend, buys a house with Eddie, and realizes he's in love. In precisely that order. oh the buddie house hunting always hits so good <3 this is a beautiful take on that trope and it's just such a wonderful fic!!

[salty-autistic-writer]

Buck breathes. The ventilator hisses.

The silence extends in tune with Tommy’s rising chest.

Watching it fall again, Buck rubs his knees, shifting on the plastic chair that’s too small. He glances at the clock on the wall and sighs, feeling torn apart. One part of him struggles to find words. The other reaches for the door. The conflict drains him. But he stays. 

Buck stays because he knows what it feels like to be left behind, and he doesn’t want to be the one leaving.

When his words finally find their way back to him, they are merely more than a hoarse whisper. But they echo back from the white walls in a way that almost seems too loud for the solemn air of waiting .

“It’s strange,” Buck says. “I never have problems finding words. I’m the one who talks too much. At least people keep telling me that. Not you, of course. You always listened.”

Until ... until you walked out and didn't give me a chance to make you listen.

Buck swallows, his eyes still focused on the barely-there movement of Tommy’s chest because that’s the only sign of life he gets apart from the machine telling him that Tommy’s heart is still beating and the feeble twitch of a muscle now and then, that doesn’t really mean anything, as Buck was told.

“Not that long ago,” he continues, now talking to fight the rising fear that Tommy stops breathing, “I was in your place. I was the one in a coma. Because lightning struck me, my heart stopped for minutes and I fell into a coma.”

He shakes his head in disbelief. “Still seems so surreal sometimes. When people, family, tell me about it … About how I was dead. How I wasn’t breathing on my own. How they came into my room, talking to me. Holding my hand. Telling me to fight. To wake up. I think they helped me find my way back. And … and I know you think that you’re alone. But you’re not. You can’t just walk out because you’re scared and then think I stop caring, Tommy.”

Buck takes a deep breath, reaching out to take Tommy’s hand in his. “Come back,” he says. “Come back, you idiot. My fridge is filled with cake you have to eat. Jee is asking for her uncle Tommy. Chimney is still waiting to watch that movie with you. Eddie needs more Muay Thai lessons because it really helps him to distract himself. Bobby still wants to show you how to make a proper lasagna. Hen and Karen still want the book back they lent you and they want to remind you that you promised Denny and Mara a flight. Come back, Tommy. Come back and let me say what I couldn’t say because you walked out too fast. Come back. We’re a family.”

It grows into a mantra. Whispered and repeated in Buck’s mind. A mantra. Like a prayer.

Come back.

And Buck breathes. The ventilator hisses.

Come back.

Tommy’s hand twitches in his and Buck doesn’t know if it means nothing or everything.

Come back.

For the tevan advent calendar 2024, Day 8: Family (AO3 Link)

[bekolxeram]

Everyone decides to be sad about Tommy spending the holidays alone today. I just want to say, I hate you all. Especially @mmso-notlikethat with this post. As payback for making me cry my way into insomnia, I wrote this on my phone instead of sleeping.

By the time he knocks on the door, Tommy still has no idea what to expect. “Wear something nice, we’re celebrating tonight,” that’s the only instruction he’s received from Evan, his boyfriend once again. Tommy can’t help but smile at the mere thought of finally allowing himself to say that name.

He has a burgundy dress shirt on with a pair of light grey slim fit pants. Simple, but elegant, hopefully properly dressed for this undisclosed commemoration. March is not known for its holidays, so what’s the occasion that calls for such festivity? They did meet last March at the cruise ship rescue, maybe that was it? Or perhaps Evan is having some sort of career advancement? They’ve been back together for just a few weeks, there’s simply not enough time for Tommy to catch up on Evan’s ever so eventful life. To that, Tommy silently mourn the time they’ve lost, due to his own cowardice.

“Hey — Hey,” Evan takes a step outside of the door to greet Tommy with a quick peck on the lips. Tommy lets the younger man drag him into the loft without much reaction, because he’s still confused by the sight in front of him: Evan in his usual navy blue button up, dark jeans and… a Christmas hat?

Inside the loft is a jumble of sparkly festive decorations. To his left, he sees “Happy Birthday Tommy”; to his right, “Merry Christmas”; and deeper into the living space, “Happy New Year”.

“Jee and Mara helped setting these up,” Evan says while taking half of a roast turkey out of the oven. “This one is from Bobby. He said half a bird is enough for the two of us, if we don’t want to suffer through leftover for the next 7 days.” He then sets the tray next to some roasted vegetables and a casserole. “The casserole is from Chimney, but I’m pretty sure it’s Maddie’s recipe. Hen got you a cake. I think she said something about being sure you would like it. We can have it for dessert. Oh, and the champagne is from…”

“Eddie, because he can’t cook.” Tommy cuts in.

“Exactly!”

“Evan, what’s going on here?”

Evan steps closer, taking both of Tommy’s hands into his own, “You told me the other day that you spent your 40th birthday alone… I only realized later that you were probably on your own for the entire holiday season, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year, Valentine’s Day. I know it doesn’t come close to the real thing, but I was thinking maybe we could make up for a few key moments that we missed.” He dims the lights in the loft with a remote control and fiddles with something on the dining table. Suddenly, the whole room is lit up with colorful patterns and twinkling stars. “I couldn’t get any firework around here, so I borrowed this star projector from Christopher.”

“Oh… Evan,” Tommy sighs, eyes already hazy with tears.

“I’m not asking you to move in with me or to make major commitments. I’m not asking for anything in return at all. This is… a promise, from me to you. No matter what happens, what becomes of us in the future, I’ll be there when you need me, we all will.”

Evan says earnestly, with utmost conviction in his tone. The clarity in his eyes reminds Tommy of that day at the café terrace, almost a year ago. “I just want you to know, Tommy, you’re no longer alone.”

A few drops of tears escape Tommy’s eyes, but before he can respond, Evan pulls out a mistletoe from his pocket and dangles it over their heads.

“You have to kiss me now.” Evan says with a cheeky grin. Tommy waits no time to capture those smiling lips with his own, kissing him with all the love and gratitude in his heart.

“I love you, Evan. I’m so lucky to have you.” Tommy pulls him into a warm embrace.

“I love you too.” Now it’s Evan’s turn to tear up.

Tommy pulls back a little and asks, “hey, would you mind if we celebrate Valentine’s Day first?”

“Oh, you mean you’re interested in the Valentine’s Night activity?”

“Depends on what you have in mind.”

“Come upstairs. I’ll show you.”

[blackcoldcrackedheart]

I could see this happening.

Chimney goes to the locker room to change into his civilian wear after the shift is done and he hears the tail end of Hen and Buck's conversation about it being Buck's turn to bring the wine

"We're having some sort of 118 hangout I forgot about?"

Hen tells him no, that Buck and Tommy are coming over for dinner to her and Karen's place. Chim sees nothing wrong with it, and says that now that Buck and Tommy are back together they should come over for dinner with him and Maddie. Buck agrees but it's tense and Hen smiles but it looks strained as well.

It's the next shift and Chimney is talking to Hen about her plans for the weekend, suggesting a Wilson+Han family day. But Hen declines, saying she and the family have plans with Buck and Tommy. Chimeny suggest that maybe the kids could still meet since he's sure Jee, Mara, and Denny miss each other but Hen tells him that Tommy's nephew is joining them since Tommy's sister and her husband need a babysitter while they're in town.

Now Chimney’s getting annoyed. Maddie tells him she's sure that it's just because Buck and Tommy are another queer couple so maybe they just want to hangout together. Chimeny sort of sees how that could be the case and suggests to Maddie that they should have Buck and Tommy over for dinner since it's way over due, Maddie only says "Sure." before quickly changing the subject.

Chimney goes over spontaneously to Hens place in the afternoon with a bottle of wine since Maddie and Jee are having a mother and daughter day. But he's suprised to see Buck and Tommy at Hen and Karen's for an impromptu movie night...with Bobby and Athena and Josh and his bf.

"You-You guys are having a party or something?"

Buck is quick to run to the door. "It's my fault, sort of got out of hand. I mentioned to Tommy and Karen over brunch this morning that I never saw the devil wears Gucci or something?"

"Prada." "Prada!"

"Yeah, so it became a movie dinner thing after we just combined our plans. Tommy and I were suppose to meet with Josh and his boyfriend."

"And Karen and I had plans with Bobby and Athena."

Now Chimney is pissed. "So...what? You two just forgot about me and Maddie?"

"It's not like that Chim."

"Yeah, sure it's not. Just looks that way though."

While Chim turns around to walk away, Buck looks upset and annoyed and walks back in to the house with Hen begging him to tell Chimney the truth.

"He's just going to make me forgive her and I can't right now, Hen."

Chimney returns home and vents to Maddie about how Hen and Buck are hanging out more and inviting other couples to couples night. Maddie is brushing it off, saying that Buck and Hen are allowed to hangout with other people.

"But it's not other people, it's our friends. Why would they not invite us? It's not like we're the only ones with kids."

Maddie is being too indifferent and almost cheerful for Chimney’s liking, "Why aren't you more upset about this? It's like our friends are icing us out."

Maddie rolls her eyes and tells Chimney that if it's such a concern then they could invite Hen and Buck over to their place.

"Hen, Buck, Karen, and Tommy. It's gonna be a couples night."

"Sure."

"Great. Maybe Friday night then? I think Tommy is off and Karen should be free by 7."

But Maddie says she's has a shift (even though Chimney is sure that she doesn't). Chimney suggests another day and Maddie tells him that's the morning of her ob appointment and she'll probably be too tired to attend anything.

"Maybe we should wait till Eddie gets back?"

"Eddie?" Chimney is confused, he reminds Maddie that Eddie moved so he's not coming back. Not anytime soon.

"You don't know that."

"Pretty sure I do since I saw him pack his stuff and put his resignation in." Now Chimney is suspicious. He asks Maddie why is it important to her that Eddie join them.

"It's important to me. It's important to Buck. I'm sure he would love to have Eddie back. He misses him."

"We would all love to have Eddie back. I miss the guy too but he's in Texas and I'm talking about our friends who are currently in LA county. Which includes your brother and his boyfriend."

Maddie seems mildly annoyed, "Fine, sure. Invite Buck and Tommy here for a guys night."

"Maddie!"

"I've gotta go and check on Jee."

Instead of confronting Buck, Chimney confronts Hen at work. "Hey, is the reason for all of those "impromptu" nights with Buck and Tommy is because of Maddie?"

"You figured it out?"

"Yeah. But I don't understand why though."

Hen tells him what happened. About how Buck told Maddie that he and Tommy where back together Maddie seemed disappointed about it and Buck asked her why she wasn't happy for him. It led to an argument between them. With Maddie admitting that Buck still wasn't being honest about his feelings for Eddie and Buck being upfront about there being no feelings for Eddie, about how Maddie didn't think Buck should settle for the first guy out the gate, with Buck snapping back at her that she settled for the first guy after her divorce.

So now the two weren't speaking to each other.

"When was this?"

"A couple of days after the incident at UCLA campus. Buck and Tommy got back back together and Buck told Maddie the next day."

"Why didn't you or Buck tell me? Buck knows I care about him and Tommy is my friend."

Hen sighs, explaining that Buck wasn't sure if Chimeny would be unbiased between a fight between him and Maddie and Tommy didn't want to get in-between him and Maddie.

"So all of this is because Maddie doesn't approve of Tommy?"

"Yup. She's convinced that Buck doesn't know what he wants. And I love Maddie, you know I do, but Buck is gonna Buck- there's no way he would do anything he's uncomfortable with or unsure about."

Chimney let's out a low whistle. "Yeah....I don't know what to do about this."

Hen shrugs, patting Chimney on the back. "There's nothing you can do. Maddie and Buck need to figure this out on their own."

"Yeah....I guess."

"

[gwenyn28]

It has been two days now and I had a lot of time to think about the whole discourse that happened especially yesterday. I was also able to talk things through with a friend. So here, have my thoughts on that discourse and the show in general.

In my opinion the whole discourse started because of Eddie not being in the episode at all. I think we all can agree on that, right? But actually, I also think that the problem runs a lot deeper. It might have been Eddie this time while the source of this whole discourse lies somewhere else.

We need to acknowledge one thing before diving into this. And that is that this show isn‘t high peak media. It is our „silly little wee woo show“. And we should treat it like that, first and foremost. Knowing about its flaws and how they often handle stuff not properly or how it should have been done. But we still love it, right? That is what we‘re here for.

So. With this out of the way… You can love something and still criticize it. There is no „go big or go home“ here. I can‘t speak for everyone but most of the people I saw on my timeline, speaking for the „Eddie side“ were like this: „I loved the episode. The emergency was great, the acting was amazing. I am excited for the second part. Even though it would have been nice to have Eddie included somehow.“ In the first place, most people acknowledged that it would have made no sense to put him into the emergency itself because he is still in Texas. But there could have been other ways like a facetime call during the first few minutes when we had the unrelated Batheny, Madney and HenRen scene. People complaining about him not being in the emergency? That was added later on, after the whole thing already escalated into a „everyone against everyone“ monster.

I don‘t want to blame any „side“ with „but you started it“. No. For me, that would be the wrong approach. Yes, the topic with Eddie still stands. But actually, it runs deeper in a way that this show has lost one essential part in general lately. This time the discourse started with Eddie but to be honest, it is lacking the familial connections in general. Not only for Eddie. It feels as if all these characters/couples just coexist in the same universe without having any deeper connection. It‘s mostly an outsider brought in to give them a story.

Ortiz was a threat to Mara and HenRen adopting her. Gerrard was the new Captain after Bobby quit that tormented the team. Brad was the obstacle that annoyed Bobby.

The question is: What about the sense of cohesiveness? The emergencies themselves might have gotten better this season, switching between serious and whimsical in a nice way. In the usual and well-known 911 way. But why are these emergencies not connected to the characters anymore? None of them really had a huge storyline that was really satisfying and left us „well fed“.

Hen‘s last bigger storyline was the adoption drama that revolved around the kids. Why not show her connection with Chim, especially since him and Maddie temporarily took care of Mara? This would have been perfect for some conflict between these two best friends that maybe could have lasted throughout a few episodes.

Chim‘s last real storyline was… the wedding? I am not sure, I really can‘t remember anything bigger happening to him even though he deserves it. That is why I am not unhappy about him being infected during this two parter (though I think that they could have gone with something else because… another disease? Really?). For the serial killer part the focus was more on Maddie.

Buck had a few storylines here and there and yes, the relationship was one with a bit more focus. But I think we all agree that they didn‘t do him justice at all with that. He hasn‘t even acknowledged his bisexuality yet. Instead he is floating around, having some minor spotlights here and there and that‘s it. He wasn‘t even shown after that kind of „big“ reveal about „Would it be that crazy to be in love with Eddie?“. These feelings haven‘t been explored yet. On the contrary. It felt as if the seed was planted… but someone forgot to water that plant now.

Bobby had more storylines, yes. But that is all. The amount is different. But there was no complexity and well thought-through plot. Stuff was made up for him but then changed halfway and switched and got twisted until we had weird things that made no sense (the cartel in season 7). Why did he even forgive his mother that fast? It was resolved in one episode. While he started angry and distant (relatable) he forgave her all of a sudden just because she has cancer now. Everything is roses and bubbles. Wow. Or what about the Brad thing? Yes, I know a lot of people have problems with the Hotshots storyline. Because it was not used to its full extent. It would have been amazing (and a lot of people were anticipating it) to parallel the Hotshots episodes and filming to the real life 118 stuff. It was there - rebar guy, the lightning scene… But it went absolutely unused. And instead of a fun little nod towards a 118 meta it was just annoying that Brad got that much focus (not to shit on the actor because he is sweet and well-loved by the cast and crew).

Athena‘s last bigger thing I can remember was the cart cop and the rookie who shot a woman. We know that they love the copaganda life. But why does nobody talk about another rookie now? The episode ended with her acknowledging that it might be the right thing to take a step back (paraphrasing it). But nobody has heard something about it ever since.

And last but not least, Eddie. The source of the whole discourse this time. I get it that a lot of people (me included) are not satisfied with how his storyline was treated these past two seasons. It felt sidelined that after the whole Kim debacle at the end of season 7 it took them six episode to address the „missing joy“ and how much it influenced him not being with Chris. As if they took six episodes and were „oh, damn, we forgot that he has a son in Texas who left. Quick, let‘s whip something up.“ Therefore the dance scene. We might have gotten two episodes now with the Texas arc but… since it has been a while that season 7 ended it feels as if, again, they just remembered that they should do something to wrap up this storyline.

So, let‘s be honest. Like I said. We know that this show isn‘t the best. But we still love it. Mostly because of that feeling the show gives us. How we get emotional. But lately, the emotions were more about fandom stuff than about the episodes. I liked most of them but they somehow felt off. The glue that keeps the 118 family together is missing more and more lately. They act less like a family and more like co-workers. And that feels wrong on so many levels.

And now to episode 14. The first part of the Contagion plot. Let‘s ignore the random scenes in the beginning and focus mainly on the lab accident. The acting was amazing and everything felt good and was exciting. And, let‘s admit it… with how the team stormed into the lab to get that fire under control? The explosion? Hen injured (she was really overdue for an NDE)? Chim infected? Buck in panic that he might loose his team? Maddie devastated because she can‘t do a thing at dispatch? Bobby feeling responsible for his team in that shitty situation? Athena on the outside not able to help her husband? And Ravi somehow finally admitting that he is part of the team, part of the family?

That is what people were waiting for. At least for a bit coming back to the familial connection. They are a team. A family. To say it with Eddie‘s words „That‘s what the 118 is, the family we chose“. But unfortunately he was not a part of the family this time. While everyone else was finally for this one episode (and probably the next) back to the deep rooted bond they share, that they would do everything for the others because they love them and care for each other… he was missing. The family had an Eddie shaped hole the show didn‘t acknowledge.

I don‘t mind that the characters haven‘t acknowledged it. It‘s been… what… an hour? Since the accident happened. No time to call him or inform him yet. But the show could have acknowledged him. With the aforementioned scenes with all the other couples in the beginning. To acknowledge him being there, him still being a part of that family even though there are hundreds of miles between them. The facetime call I was talking about for example.

So, I don‘t want to parrot what has been said so many times over these past probably 48 hours. I am not here to discuss these things again. And while I might have talked a lot about Eddie myself in that time, I think I made it clear that while he is my favorite and that‘s why I talk about him a lot… I can still see the bigger picture. And the actual issues that the show has.

I get it when people say that we should accept the things for „it is what it is.“ And mostly? We do. We accept it. Because we can‘t change it. If we don’t like something, we can always resort to fanfic. But what we can also do is talk about it. And hope and wish for better storytelling for ALL the characters. Because, like I said before, the show is lacking cohesiveness. It feels as if they have a huge pile of boxes and every character is in one of these boxes (in Eddie‘s case it‘s probably a closet xD).

And they have an idea about a story and then pull over one box to use that character to interact with outsiders who create conflict or give them a story while all the other boxes mostly stay closed and untouched. Why not mix the boxes? Why not have them interact more? What about Hen‘s and Chim‘s friendship? What about Buck‘s and Bobby‘s father-son-relationship? What about Athena and Hen? Eddie and Bobby? But all that is pushed aside for side characters or stories that look good on the board.

It wouldn‘t be such a huge problem if these stories would be well-rounded and thought through. But instead of this they lack a lot of connection and since often a lot more is filmed but cut we feel like we‘re missing essential parts in that plot and get confused how this got resolved in the end. Like the story about Bobby‘s mother, for example, who gained forgiveness after years of neglect just because she is sick now. Did we miss something on the way to that?

I know that has been a lot to read now and I am not sure who is still with me but… let‘s sum this up. We might talk and theorize about the show a lot. And that is a good thing. And we‘re all united in the love we have for this show and the characters. But we also should acknowledge that the show is lacking a lot in storytelling lately and that people do and are allowed to talk about that. How disappointed they are in a certain storyline. How something got resolved. How a certain character is treated. That is not hating on the show. It is just an exchange in opinions.

In the end, that is what fandom is there for. Imagine how boring it would be if we‘d all agree after every episode that this was „10/10“ and „amazing“… and then we have nothing to talk about anymore after listing the great things we saw on screen. Imagine we had all the same theories after one bts or still. Wouldn‘t that be boring real quick? „This still could mean that XY happens. - Yeah, you‘re right.“ The fandom would be really… uninteresting, wouldn‘t it?

Fandoms live because of discourse, different ideas, theories and opinions. It‘s okay to voice them in a respectful way, without insulting each other, hating each other or jumping someone‘s throat just because you disagree. I mean… „agree to disagree“ is still a thing, right?

Also, I understand that our nerves are raw. These past months have been hard because of a certain group of people that has constantly attacked and harassed people. So, most of us are probably very quick to get defensive or protective. Because of what has happened over the span of these last weeks and months.

But let‘s not forget that actually we‘re on the same „ship“, on the same side. We should not attack each other because someone has a different thought or theory. If you disagree either talk about it in a respectful way (you might learn a complete new point of view you haven‘t thought about before) or just scroll past it. Don‘t try to act like other people‘s opinions and views are wrong, don‘t invalidate them. Because we shouldn‘t forget that also people‘s own experiences might play a part how some people interpret a certain situation.

So, instead of jumping each other let‘s agree that this is our „silly little wee woo show with flaws“ and that it could be better concerning the character development and cohesiveness for all of them even though some people might just talk about one character in particular but think and care about all of them. Let‘s stop policing what others should think or post. Instead we should unite to enjoy the show together that has a few episodes left this season and is renewed for another one so that we have another year with these beloved characters. Let‘s hope that the writing will get better and unless it does, that people will talk about it.

Because in the end, we‘re here for the same thing, right?

[ironworked]

Let me distribute some protective gear before I get into it *hands out wigs and clown noses*

Ok. So remember how we thought Buck's speeches at the cemetery and at the hospital were about Tommy (finding a family with the 118 etc)?

What if they were about Buck?

Things were rather quiet in 911Land during his relationship with Tommy (at least for Buck) and the relationship itself had been smooth sailing, so maybe when he had his talk with Josh he only had a very nebulous view of that future he wanted with Tommy.

But now Buck's abandonment issues have been triggered, and he's going to go through some very dark moments (Eddie possibly going to Texas, Maddie getting kidnapped) and then, presumably, some very good ones: Eddie fixing things with Chris; Maddie and Chim reuniting and with their new baby; Karen and Hen adopting Mara; Bobby and Athena with their new house...

and then... Buck.

They have said Buck needs to figure himself out (I don't remember what expressions they've used but something along those lines).

Maybe, just maybe, the idea is that after that 'transformative' relationship with Tommy, Buck will find himself going through life 'alone' (all those bad events, and all those celebrations), and that will make him know that he didn't just want Tommy in their easy relationship, that he wants him by his side during hard times, and during the happy ones too.

'Especially when things go wrong.' / 'I can't imagine anything more painful than going through life alone.'

And that's what will make him reach out.

[I say 'alone' because obviously he's surrounded and loved by his family of choice, so what we're talking about here is that particular kind of companionship that he lacks and he's been looking for since s1]

[alchemistc]

Dipping my foot in the mpreg pool to give you all:

They used a condom every time. Even after they'd gone to get tested, it was a fling for both of them, and it wasn't supposed to mean a damn thing.

Only Buck's three months along and Jason won't answer his calls.

Four months, and Cap sits him down and tells him at six he's gonna have to accept being man behind.

Five, and he runs into Jason at the supermarket and tells him he needs his family history. Jason looks spooked, but he overnights it to Buck's loft a week and a half later and Buck sends him a text letting him know he's off the hook.

Jason blocks his number.

Six, and Buck's back to stress baking, just at the firehouse now. He's not allowed to clean much, there aren't a lot of chemicals that are safe, and the probies from B shift bitch about it but they're not carrying a fucking bowling ball around.

At seven, Tommy rounds a corner with his face tipped behind him on a laugh and nearly runs smack into Buck.

When he turns back around he stops dead. Buck can see him doing the math, but even if he was ready to pop it wouldn't quite add up.

He saw Tommy on a call before he started showing and it was the most cordial interaction he's ever had with another firefighter.

---

They say hi. Tommy introduces him to his friend Henry. Buck gestures like he's got bigger plans than going home and eating a pint and a half of ice cream. They say goodbye.

---

Tommy calls him an hour later and asks if he can stop by.

---

"So he's just... not going to be involved?"

"He's twenty-five and a terrible person, so no. It was a fling. The sex was hot."

Tommy grimaces. "Do you need anything?"

"You got a spare bladder?"

---

At eight and a half they put Buck on bed rest and he throws an absolute fit about it. Eddie spends three days watching him furiously clean the loft with the natural shit he'd bought the day he saw those two lines. Hen threatens to bring Mara over to sit on him. Maddie listens to him rant for an hour and then brings him peanut butter banana toast with pickles in bed.

Tommy drops by with his massage gun and swears up and down he actually consulted an OB about which muscles it was safe to use on.

"How do you know an OB?"

Tommy looks shifty. "Do you want me to stay?" He ignores Buck's goggle eyes. Nods his head decisively. "I should stay."

---

Tommy camps out on his couch for two and a half weeks and already has the go-bag in his hands by the time Buck gets down the stairs.

Buck asks him if he wants to be in the room and despite the panicked look in his eyes, Tommy says yes.

---

"They asked me why I wasn't listed on the birth certificate," Tommy hisses, little baby Buckley dwarfed in his arms. He's been staring at her button nose for half an hour now, and Buck keeps trying to remind himself that this isn't permanent.

"What did you say?" Buck asks, genuinely curious.

Tommy's gaze is sad when it meets Buck's. "I didn't."

Like he can't quite help himself, he reaches a free hand in and boops her nose. She's out, though. She likes the sound of Tommy's voice.

Buck sighs. "She recognized you immediately." He's read the books. A million and two of them. Babies know the people that are around, the people that are close.

Amelia knows Tommy.

"It's not just me anymore, Tommy," he intones, and Tommy turns back up to look at him. Startled. Hopeful.

"I've been babyproofing my house like a lunatic for two months," he whispers, and Buck reaches out to rub a hand over the thin skin of Amelia's forehead before he catches Tommy's fingers in his own.

[azaharinflames]

Okay, I come here for my weekly post-ep delulu. It usually comes on Thursday, but I was in a state of shock and, honestly, I was feeling emotionally drained, so. Now it is when I can finally verbalise something I've been suspecting for a while, but that I saw a bit more possible after yesterday's ep.

I think (heavily on something I think, I'm not saying it's a definitive thing) that the show is gearing up to, potentially, have Buck be the new Captain.

Now, per Tim's words, we know the captaincy question won't be answered this season. We'll have an interim Captain (Gerard, this we know), but he'll be there temporarily. The new Captain will be something we'll see come Season 9. So. From here on.

I know a lot of us also wanted to see Hen in this position. And if they go with Hen, please know I will be fucking ecstatic, because I think she deserves it and has worked so incredibly hard for it. But I also think that the incidents from 805, and her NDE in 815, and even the way that almost losing Mara was tied to her job... well, that might make her step down, or decide that captaincy is not what is best for her family. And if the show chooses this path for her, I will only be able to respect that and her choice. Because she deserves to finally be happy with her family, and I get that she does not want to jeopardize it. Even more so after Bobby's sudden passing. I think living through that might put her off the desire for captaincy, and it would ultimately make sense.

However... this past ep also let us see a glimpse of the opposite. Of how this tragedy might motivate someone to step up, take care of everyone, and be a leader. To fight for his people the same way Bobby did. Not only because that's just inherently who he is, but because we have Bobby using their last moments together to tell him he's gonna be okay, that their people will need him.

And that person is Buck.

Buck, who took control of the situation quickly, who has been taking control more and more lately, and who has been shown to be increasingly more comfortable with that. Buck, who has, quite obviously, taken the role of caretaker during this season. I will revisit this a bit later, but the important point to make here is that the foundation is there. Buck immediately went to Athena and started fighting for his team, and they didn't stop until (almost) all of them were out. Buck, who in the preview has already been shown to go and check on Chimney, make sure he can help him.

(I know Oliver mentioned something changing for Buck professionally, but personally, I think that was a reference to losing Bobby, and not to becoming Captain just yet)

Truth of the matter is that I've always believed the end of the series would see Buck as Captain (whether that was in the 118 or, if Hen was Captain there, starting over in a different house). I think that, narratively, that makes the most sense, given that we start the show during his probationary period. Granted, I had not imagined it going down like this, but I've been seeing the potential for a long while, and last night's episode kinda cemented that for me.

They had Bobby quite literally passing down the torch to Buck. Whether that is purely on a moral level or whether that will also bleed into the firehouse, we'll see. But I think it's quite possible that Season 9 will see Captain Buckley, and that his big storyline of the season will be adapting to that. It will also make sense to have this happen to mark the start of a new era, one without Bobby.

Now, as for my guess on how this would work in general:

I think that by making Buck captain, they would also be giving him more mature storylines (which, I think, would feel natural with his character's progression). I think there would be sort of two categories in the firehouse; the OGs (Hen, Chim, Buck and Eddie if he comes back), and then the newest additions (I will include Ravi here because if he becomes a main, it also means a new start for his character. I also think there is a big possibility of having a Grant kid join the firehouse). I think this would feel like a sort of natural progression (by the start of Season 9, Buck will have been at the 118 for almost ten years. He cannot be the puppy-dog of the station much longer).

On a personal level, I personally believe Tim very much intends to settle Buck down with Tommy. Of course, they will have their issues, as every couple in this show does, but I think the intention to have Buck settle in his personal life and be in an unknown world in his professional life might be the move Tim is making. Especially because, as I mentioned before, we've constantly seen Buck feeding and taking care of his team. But the show is making a point of highlighting how Tommy is the only one doing that for Buck.

Also, a small addition to back this up, having Tommy be the sole witness of Buck breaking down is very interesting and very intentional. Because (unless I'm wrong) it speaks of Tommy being the only one able to see through Buck's bs. It also gives Buck someone safe, someone he can break apart with, and someone who he doesn't have to be strong for. The show starting to establish that in 815 feels very important to me.

I don't know. Please feel free to tell me if I'm being too delulu but like, I think this has some potential of eventually happening.