#bathena i’m begging you

[radiation-run]

Bobby and Athena at Buck’s bedside while he’s in a coma?

I went ahead and started filling out the paperwork for them 🥹

i just really need Phillip and Margaret to know Bathena aren’t joking around

[mazzystar24]

This episode was like:

👊💥Bobby’s reaction to getting the medal👊💥captain Gerrard being a bigoted dick👊💥councilwoman Ortiz being ominous👊💥bobby handing in his resignation 👊💥montage of bobby getting his affairs in order and convincing himself the 118 dont need him anymore👊💥father/son Buck and bobby moment in the lockeroom with call backs of how buck was when he first showed up and how far he’s came and how buck turns to bobby when he has relationship issues👊💥Athena begging amir cos she’s scared for bobby👊💥buck seeing Kim 👊💥buck and Eddie’s kitchen conversation and the “im worried about you” “I’m worried about me too”👊💥Eddie telling Kim the truth👊💥hen being criticised by Ortiz with all the past losses 👊💥Mara being dragged out of the Wilson house👊💥amir’s reaction to the photos👊💥Kim pretending to be Shannon to give Eddie closure and Ryan’s line delivery of “I’m broken”👊💥CHRIS SEEING KIM AND SAYING MOM?👊💥bobby hallucinating his dad and the scrapbook of people he couldn’t save👊💥bathena’s house burning down and bobby resuscitating Athena👊💥 BOBBY COLLAPSING (heart attack???) WITH NO PULSE

Tim can you let us BREATHE at least between emotional BEATS

Tim heard the term emotional beats and took it literally, I’ve been hit by an emotional bat and maybe an emotional car

[lover-of-mine]

Also they like to cry about how we “only care about Buddie” or “it’s like you’re just counting down to Buddie do you even like the show why are you watching if only for Buddie” and I just want to drill into their brains that we love all the characters and all their arcs but EVERY OTHER PAIRING has had satisfying conclusion (or even partial conclusions) to their arcs at least romantically. It’s normally that we’re flooding comment sections about Buddie because we’ve waited SIX SEASONS. We’d be doing the same exact thing with Madney if they had still not gotten together by season 7. Every other arc that had gotten started on the show has been resolved sooner. It’s normal for the main focus people have to be on the arc that has been going on the longest with the least resolution. Like I’m just begging them to use logic and sense. Us counting down to Buddie and crying for Buddie does not mean we don’t care about Henren or Madney or Bathena or anyone else in this show. It just means we’ve seen satisfying arcs start and conclude with everyone else and Buck and Eddie have been stuck on their respective hamster wheels for AGES and we’re TIRED.

No dude, but literally, I was worried while madney were separated. I have been holding henren's hand through their whole arc with wanting more kids, that I'm still very tense about, they better give them Mara back QUICK, they've been through enough waiting for their little girl. I hold my breath every time bathena fights because they keep trying to kill Bobby after. Buck and Eddie have been going around in this will they/won't they for six season and now that Buck is canonically bi, the will they option just go real. Of course we're gonna be obnoxious about it. Somehow I was having more productive discussions at age 13 in twilight forums. We've been waiting for years, existing in this situation that's half hope, half expecting this to go like every other popular m/m ship ever. But we now have a guy who's queer. Now it's possible. Now we might get to see the conclusion of the way Buck and Eddie orbit each other. The only way you'll shut me up is if I'm dead.

[cal-daisies-and-briars]

For your newest make me write. Im in a huge complete supernatural/fantasy like AU mood here recently so my requests are going to be towards that this week. Also both of them are supposed to be 15 emojis apiece so can we pretend they are if they are not? (Kinda sorry about all the zombies…but feel free to sub everything to vampires or another WIP if you want)

🧟🧟🧟🧟🧟🧟🧟🧟🧟🧟🧟🧟🧟🧟🧟(Im so ready for the Maddie/Buck reunion and ensuing shenanigans. I think by the time you get to to this that the new chapter *may* be out that goes over that. But im also enjoying other aspects of the story as well. I very rarely read bathena start fics so their relationship developing is exciting for me to see as well).

🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸 🩸(Spoilery for those not caught up BUT OMG BUCK WHAT DID YOU DO?!?! I was not ready for that!)

Woohoo 90 total sentences for monster fics!

45 for 🧟 (THANK YOU!!!):

---

 “Just… Be careful.”

Chim thinks he probably should listen to her. But he also knows he likely won’t. 

▪️▪️▪️

If anything, Chim gets worse. And that might be problematic if his feelings were one-sided, but after dinner, it becomes more or less obvious that they are not.

They do dishes together. A chore Chim usually finds tiresome, but now is somehow fun. Christopher and Denny have already begged Maddie, Hen, and Karen to have a sleepover together. Something Chim finds somewhat redundant, seeing as every day forever is a sleepover here. But Chris wants to sleep in Denny’s room. 

“Please,” Karen had insisted when Maddie had asked if they were sure it was okay. “He finally gets to have friends his own age. Chris can have as many sleepovers as he wants.”

So Maddie is off kid duty tonight. 

“Other than movie night,” she asks as they’re finishing up with dishes. “What is there to do around here in the evenings?”

“You got something against movie night?” Chim teases.

“No!” Maddie insists. “Just exploring my options.”

“Well, there are games,” Chim says. But then he has another thought. “Or the roof.”

“The roof?” Maddie asks. 

“Yeah. We’ve got chairs up there. We can steal your brother’s stereo. It’s great for looking at the stars. Now that the light pollution is gone.” 

Chim wonders if this is too weird. Too forward. Too intimate. Too much like a date, if the world was normal enough to afford dates. Actually, scratch that. He knows Hen has set up a date for Karen up there, under the stars. On their wedding anniversary. God, what is he doing?

“That sounds really nice,” Maddie says. “Would you… Would you want to do that with me?”

God, obviously.

“I’d like that, yeah.”

---

45 for 🩸 (Buck's gonna Buck!)

---

“Neither am I,” Eddie says. “Okay?”

Buck nods, still a little weepy. 

“Okay.”

💧💧💧

As tired as he is, Buck can’t really sleep for very long periods. A wound to his front and a wound to his back means nothing is comfortable. Eddie helps set him up on an assortment of pillows to prop him in just the right position, but it’s still a more or less futile effort. He manages to get a little bit of rest when his pain medication sets in, but otherwise, he’s awake and uncomfortable. 

Brought down to reality by his conversation, Buck really gets a chance to think through what he’d nearly done. Not the killing part - which he’d been more focused on before - but the dying part. And the more he thinks about it, the more he thinks about just how right Eddie was. He doesn’t want to die. He doesn’t want their life together to be over just as it finally started.

He really let that compulsive need to fix everything almost get him killed. Maddie was right. He needs to deal with this properly. This pit of dread that lives in his chest that says he is going to lose everything horribly. That says life will never be safe again. He needs to address that head on, and not by trying to be one step ahead of every possible danger. He needs to go back to therapy. He will, he decides. The minute he’s physically up to it.

“I’m sorry,” Buck says again, later that night, when everyone is sleeping and Buck is laying awake beside Eddie. He knows he’s probably going to be saying it for a long time. 

Eddie blinks awake. “Hmm?”

“I’m sorry,” Buck repeats. 

“For waking me up?” 

“No, for everything.”

Eddie sighs. “I forgive you. I’ve already forgiven you.”

“But I’m still sorry.” 

“Buck,” Eddie complains. “Don’t do this. This doesn’t help. Believe me, I know.”

“I’m going to go to therapy,” Buck says. 

“That’s a good idea,” Eddie says. “We could both use therapy. Do you think there are vampire therapists?”

“If there’s not, there should be,” Buck replies. “They’d have the corner on the market right now.”

“Exactly,” Eddie says. “And surely some shrink out there got bit?”

[mangacat201]

Hahahahahahaha. And here we go again, clowning for another year! LOL.

Is it weird that what I’m maddest about at the episode was that they hit EVERY.SINGLE.HOLLYWOOD.CLICHE on the birth scene and then had the gal to give Buck that line about how he’s a professional.

HOT WATER AND TOWELS BOY? (And not even boiled water too, I mean wtf, LOLOL)

(and I am also looking at you Howard Han, but I’m leaving that down to general befuddlement because an ambulance just fell on you)

Anyway. I can’t believe this is the moment they finally got me with the sperm donor storyline. Because to me, it’s not about Buck not getting the family he so badly wants anymore (look right next to you, buddie, I beg of you, but I digress) or choosing a healthy place for himself to keep the kid in his mind (dad vis a vis donor) - I finally understood the assignment.

Buck has had to face the fact that he was chosen to be made, not to be loved, but for a purpose. A purpose that he couldn’t fullfil through no fault of his own, but that has haunted his life forever before he even knew why.

Now he CHOSE a son to be MADE for LOVE.

That’s it.

That’s what it was all about it. It doesn’t matter that he had to give him up (and he’ll get to be in his life for sure one way or the other, so I’m not actually worried about that anymore). The legacy he’s leaving to that little boy that is part of him is getting to grow up being loved the way Buck should have and deserved to grow up being loved.

And now he can let go of that trauma.

He doesn’t have to be anything for anybody.

He can go figure out who he is now without that expectation. He got to say goodbye to the spectre of Daniel and he got to say goodbye to the couch that was chosen for him. And yes, even though he’s still stumbling into a relationship again without really being ready (in the sense that he still hasn’t figured out how he feels about his death) at least he’s actively asking for help choosing for himself. And hell, maybe that’s not too bad a thing. Cause that’s what Natalia does right? Helps people choose how to live their life purposefully and meaningfully and offer companionship along the way. (And maybe she learned something too of the experience?) So Buck can grow a little more, gain the confidence to figure out what it actually is that he wants and then ask for it. CHOOSE life.

Maybe Eddie actually choosing to do the dating thing, to LEARN how to do it, properly, in a way that doesn’t put pressure on him, that’s just figuring out, is a good thing too?

People, hell the show itself, has been talking about how he’s had to mature too fast. Grow up skipping past a lot of milestones, hell his OWN SON is roasting him for his game like a peer instead of an adult. Maybe Eddie has to take that step first to play, to experiment, to just be - in order to also figure out what he wants. When you first start dating things are very serious (Shannon), sometimes you mess up because you haven’t figured yourself out yet (Ana), then you just try to find your footing and have fun with each other and learn (I can see that happening with Marisol) and when you’ve learned your lessons, made your mistakes, had your fun... you’ve matured enough to find what you’ve been making for a long, long time (Buck).

So yeah... typing up all this stream of consciousness I seem to have talked myself out of being mad at were our boys ended up? Funny how that goes.

And yes, this had the feel of a possible series finale that they pulled up very well and that tied up a lot of things (I’m looking at you beautiful beautiful people, Bathena, getting your cruise, dreadful hawaii print and all, and Madney continuing to build the life they choose, growing healthy together which is so fun to watch and Henren finally with a dream they’d all but given up in reach) - but a show does only keep our attention if it leaves its characters some road to go (room to grow or rope to hang themselves, your pick, lol). So since we are actually getting another shot to see them back, I am hopeful now.

So... tldr, I actually want to thank the fandom community here, all the smart, witty, compassionate people digging for the deeper meaning way past what the writers probably intended or even knew was there themselves. Y’all spread your takes and I know whenever I’ve finished watching I’ll go here and find something to explain to me why I shouldn’t be mad about stuff or how I missed that hidden parallel or how someone agrees with my view and I always come away in awe of all the thoughtfulness that goes into all of it.

My little pocket friends, we live to clown another day, here’s to a summer of meta, fix it fic, season 7 spec - this has been my first season in real time, it was an honor and a privilege.

[remorsefulkittens]

911 Bingo Master Post

Phew! What a ride, especially the last 2 weeks!

Second round of BINGO done! We didn’t finish our card…again…but we are very proud of the work that we did turn out!

All of these works were completed for @911bingo! We would like to thank @911bingo for this amazing opportunity, all of these prompts are so good and force us out of our comfort zones and we love it! We also want to thank all of our awesome readers! It makes us so incredibly happy to see that others are enjoying our works!

On a personal note, I (@calliecat-cc) personally want to thank my partner @terriblycontrite for everything she does. I may be good at throwing plot bunnies and teasing out and poking holes in plots, but she really is the brains of this operation and none of these would be possible without her, literally, these fanfictions would not exist.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

(BINGO Squares and Descriptions after Keep Reading break)

Master List: · First Time For Everything · Love Me, Love Me Not · Trial By Flu · Hold My Hand · Decline · Paramedic May…Or Maybe Not · Please Sir! · Buck’s Boredom Buster · Our Style, For You · Arrested · Dosed · Robot Invasion · Tell Me, Sir · Blood and Salvation · Home Fires · Vibrations · Feels Like Love

BINGO Squares and Descriptions:

Title: First Time For Everything Pairing: Evan “Buck” Buckley/Eddie Diaz (Buddie) Bingo Square: “I’m only using my fingers and you’re already shaking.” Rating/Warnings: Explicit / none Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/39266904 Summary: Eddie bottoms for the first time.

Title: Love Me, Love Me Not Pairing: Evan “Buck” Buckley/Eddie Diaz (Buddie) Bingo Square: Anonymous Flower Delivery Rating/Warnings: General Audiences / none Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/39526452 Summary: A sweet gesture doesn't go as planned.

Title: Trial By Flu Pairing: TK Strand/Carlos Reyes (Tarlos), Grace Ryder/Judd Ryder (Jace?) Bingo Square: Home Sick Rating/Warnings: General Audiences / none Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/40971840 Summary: The 126-crew signed up to walk through fire, surely they can handle the flu.

Title: Hold My Hand Pairing: Evan “Buck” Buckley/Eddie Diaz (Buddie) Bingo Square: Hand Holding Rating/Warnings: Mature / none Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/42018708 Summary: The dangers of sex, saws and home repairs.

Title: Decline Pairing: Athena Grant/Bobby Nash (Bathena) Bingo Square: “Please don’t give up on me. Please, please don’t” Rating/Warnings: Mature / none Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/42531720 Summary: On vacation, haunted by nightmares, Bobby turns to old habits to numb the pain and ease his doubts about the mistakes he's made.

Title: Paramedic May…Or Maybe Not Pairing: None Bingo Square: Paramedic May Grant Rating/Warnings: General Audiences / none Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/45835876 Summary: May rides along with Chimney and Hen, but paramedic life may not be for her.

Title: Please Sir! Pairing: TK Strand/Carlos Reyes (Tarlos) Bingo Square: Begging Rating/Warnings: Explicit / none Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/45837865 Summary: A needy TK begs a busy Carlos for dessert, and Carlos makes time to give him what he deserves.

Title: Buck’s Boredom Buster Pairing: Evan “Buck” Buckley/Eddie Diaz (Buddie) Bingo Square: Time Travel Rating/Warnings: General Audiences / none Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/45839743 Summary: The 118 crew debate the merits of time travel.

Title: Our Style, For You Pairing: Marjan Marwani/Paul Strickland Bingo Square: Fake Dating AU Rating/Warnings: Explicit / none Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/45899254 Summary: Paul Strickland finds out the hard way that money can't buy you love.

Title: Arrested Pairing: TK Strand/Carlos Reyes (Tarlos), Owen Strand/Original Female Character Bingo Square: Saved from a bad date Rating/Warnings: Teen / none Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/45901633 Summary: TK sends Carlos to save Owen from a bad date, and Carlos does, the only way he knows how…

Title: Dosed Pairing: TK Strand/Carlos Reyes (Tarlos) Bingo Square: Delirium Rating/Warnings: General Audiences / none Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/45903448 Summary: Plagued by a head cold, Carlos takes too much cold medicine and delirium results…

Title: Robot Invasion Pairing: None Bingo Square: Everyone’s A Robot Rating/Warnings: General Audiences / none Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/45905314 Summary: Christopher wakes up after movie night with Buck and realizes something isn't quite right…

Title: Tell Me, Sir Pairing: Evan “Buck” Buckley/Eddie Diaz (Buddie) Bingo Square: Praise Kink Rating/Warnings: Explicit / none Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/46026316 Summary: Buck knows what he wants, but doesn’t quite know how to ask.

Title: Blood and Salvation Pairing: Matteo Chavez/Original Male Character Bingo Square: Knife Kink Rating/Warnings: Explicit / non-graphic non-con/rape (Other warnings in notes) Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/46043968 Summary: Mateo is held hostage by a sadistic man who nearly breaks his will.

Title: Home Fires Pairing: Athena Grant/Bobby Nash (Bathena) Bingo Square: Flirting With Thoughtful Gifts Rating/Warnings: Explicit / none Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/46068484 Summary: Bobby and Athena keep their passion alive, even when they're apart.

Title: Vibrations Pairing: Athena Grant/Bobby Nash (Bathena), Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz (Buddie), Henrietta "Hen" Wilson/Karen Wilson (HenRen), Maddie Buckley/Howard "Chimney" Han (Madney) Bingo Square: Sex Toy Show AU Rating/Warnings: Mature / none Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/46102888 Summary: Everyone gets what they're looking for at Vibrations, even if they don't know what that is.

Title: Feels Like Love Pairing: Evan “Buck” Buckley/Josh Russo (Bosh?) Bingo Square: “You make me happier than I ever thought possible” Rating/Warnings: Mature / none Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/46124986 Summary: Josh Russo is a by the book firefighter, rankled by the hot-headed rookie…

[texasbama]

Thoughts on the episode?

It was…..good. Not really what I would’ve wanted for a Bathena centric episode but it was good for what it was. I have been begging for some Bathena angst since their argument in 4x13. They never fleshed that one out cause the sniper and alladat but MAN I was ready for it. Cause to this day those issues are still prevalent in their relationship. But anyway. I digress.

The story was dark. Darker than they usually go and idk if I’m a fan tbh.

Im black so I’m allowed to feel however I want about our stories being portrayed. And while they didn’t use images to exploit black trauma, the implication was enough for me. My community knows all to well what happens to our little black girls, for ME its not something I need to see on a tv show.

Now that’s just MY black ass opinion. Yall can agree or disagree. As a member of the community highlighted last night, its not my job to try and get yall to see why these stories are important or convince you it was a good episode or whatever.

Anyway I’ve said my peace. On to 6x04!

[wanderingwomanwondering]

911 Eddie/Buddie Thoughts, eps 413-501

*a long post and no gifs, I’m so sorry*

Can we talk abt the fact that in 413 bathena have an argument about not being partners and how that parallels eddie’s tendency to be an emotional loner, not revealing his heart until his feelings bubble over? He struggles to trust/confide in others bc he struggles to trust/be honest with himself abt how he feels/what he needs. His reasons are diff than athena’s but it’s still a parallel behavior.

Also in 413 eddie is helping a kid who’s mom is hurting him. That feels parallel at least partially to shannon abandoning christopher which caused harm. Eddie is focused on the kid/christopher, focused on helping him…to the complete exclusion of himself and his needs. This is why he chose to continue with ana supposedly for chris’s sake despite carla’s golden advice. Tho we all suspect that chris doesn’t like ana as much as he lets on/as much as eddie wants to believe. But that’s a side note rn.

Then cut to the end of 413, the gunshot scene. Knowing what we know now from 501, basically eddie taking that bullet is a catalyst. The beginning of the end of loner, partner-averse eddie. It’s the start of him needing to reckon with his own wants needs and desires. He’s not going to stop considering chris obviously but he does need to look at himself his life his heart and what makes him happy. Remember Shannon’s complaint in their marriage was that she needed a partner, and now he’s reckoning with the fact that he wants/needs one too, and not just at work.

There are one or two very grounded non-clown ways to read that gsw scene bc dude was just shot out of the blue and there was plenty of shock and fear to go around. But through the clowning glass, we can also see it as a reiteration that buck and eddie are in fact partners in a big way. They just rescued a kid together just like they’ve worked tirelessly together to save countless other people before him. They are partners. At work. I would argue also in life but I’ll get to that later.

Eddie’s prolonged eye contact with buck, reaching for him. Buck’s shock and terror, staring deeply into Eddie’s eyes and watching him bleed. That whole scene begged the question “now who’s going to save eddie?” Literally and figuratively.

The show starts with the literal answer. buck. It’s finally buck. In 414 he hauled him up, dressed his wound, begged him to stay with him and to live. In Eddie Begins, buck was an onlooker, eddie saved himself in true eddie fashion, but in 414 buck ran point on saving him. Buck dragged him to safety, buck lifted him up, buck stopped the bleeding, and buck served as his lifeline begging him to stay/live.

The other interesting thing I noticed about the scene in 414 in the fire truck on the way to the hospital is that *eddie is not wearing his saint christopher medal*. Buck rips open his shirt to stop the bleeding and the medal is not there. It’s absence is loud af. I squinted to see if it had just slid to the side when buck laid him down but i couldn’t see it at all! Please correct me if I’m wrong.

Anyway that choice, to have the medal not be there or not be visible in that particular scene is huge bc that entire sequence from gunshot to arrival at the hospital is just abt eddie (and buck). In a way, in those scenes at least, buck is wo his armor (firefighter uniform) and eddie is wo his armor (the medal). They are vulnerable in those scenes physically (out in the open, exposed to the shooter) and emotionally (not shielded by their personally meaningful protective items). Combined with the staring and the reaching it’s a big indication that things are abt to get deeper between them (fingers crossed).

Back to 501. remember eddie’s been shot before, in combat. I think what makes the sniper situation important is not just that he could have died (he’s been there done that got the silver star) but that he’s not who he was the last time he almost died by gsw. He’s in LA now, he’s not in the military, chris is growing up, he has the fire fam, he has buck, he’s a widower. Eddie is growing, changing. starting to recognize his emotional needs bc for the first time in his life there’s room/opportunity to do that in a big way and not necessarily have it implode his marriage, piss off his family, hurt chris, or ruin his career. IF he actually confronts himself head on and deals with all the stuff beneath the surface. Repressed. This gunshot isn’t exactly abt his mortality but his quality of life. asking him what’s his life abt and more importantly how can he be his whole authentic self complete with his very own emotions needs and desires embracing love care and support leaning on others. Remember in that one therapy session he had those are the things he wants for chris. Now he has to find and choose those same things for himself.

In 414 by the time eddie is in the hospital, the medal is back and prominent in every scene. He’s back to framing his relationship with buck in terms of chris. But he’s the one making decisions for chris. What he wants for himself and for buck isnt irrelevant here. If it was all abt chris and only chris i think eddie would have told buck abt the will ages ago. If it was all about chris and only chris eddie maybe wouldn’t have struggled so much to say that he made buck chris’s legal guardian if he dies. Nah. I think eddie sees buck as his partner in life too on some level but he couldn’t accept/say that plainly. He had to make it abt only chris in his head in order to be okay with linking their trio of lives together forever through the guardian decision. I mean eddie didn’t even tell buck abt the legal guardian decision bc he was shot, he told him bc buck thought he was expendable! Instead of shaking him and saying you are not and never will be expendable to me, he chose to disclose the will. It was effective for sure. Evan heard him loud and clear. But wow you gave buck a whole ass person, like the person most important to you in the world?? And didn’t say anything until you survived a sniper an effing year later?? That’s a hell of a choice!

Anyway i really hope eddie and buck are on their way to being together bc i can’t take much more of this. Before they get there tho my dude eddie has a lot of work to do this season!

I reference 408 and go into more thoughts on 501 here. I blab abt the heart transplant metaphor in 501 as well as my spec abt parts of 502 by extension here. I am dying to talk abt these arcs y’all like srsly so feel free to rb/comment.

[milenadaniels]

Saw a post about a buddie wedding in s5 and I would just like to put it out there that while I live for my Bathena/Buddie parallels, I am begging the show to give us the anti-Bathena romantic arc.

Understand me, I would die and be revived to get a slam-me-against-a-firetruck-on-a-call-to-make-out scene but otherwise?

Bobby/Athena were older, much more established in their lives, and very much in a "we've lived a lot already, we know there's no point in wasting time" frame of mind, so them going from dating to upping each other's antes all the way to the altar made sense and I loved that for them.

Buddie?

I want them to linger.

I don't want 3 seasons of "ooh are we going too fast?? let's slow down" because that's ridiculous. They literally are already raising a child together, they've been hustling down this field all on their own for a long time now.

But I want them to linger.

I want them to be so comfortable, so natural with each other, that it just doesn't occur to them to be running towards the next yard line, you know? Like yeah sure, they'll get married, nobody even needs to propose, it's just a given, why are you asking for a Save The Date?

Move in together? I mean *gestures around* yeah? That's been happening progressively, what, you need a housewarming party? (yes.)

I want them to be so catapulted into married life that these big milestones barely even register because they never had to really work towards them. They fucking sauntered down the path without reading the map. They walked up the winner's podium thinking it was a step stool.

And the only reason they get anything official done is because Maddie and Athena despair and make it their job to poke and prod until the documents are signed and the photographer was hired and the cake was ordered.

The only papers Buddie really laser in on themselves are the adoption papers and I'm okay with that.

[athenagrantnash]

What’s the moment where you fell in love with Athena , Bobby and Bathena? Is there a particular moment that you go back to and rewatch??

So it's easy to pinpoint exactly where I fell in love with Bobby and Bathena (or at least when I realized I was in love), but I'm still not quite sure when I fell in love with Athena.

With Bobby, it was in 1x05 when he confessed to the priest that he murdered his own family. I remember pausing the episode to text my bff and SCREAM because "wait WHAT??? He's my favorite, and he did WHAT????"

And then we got his whole tragic backstory and that sealed the deal. (What? I'm a sucker for angst).

I also pretty much fell in love with Bathena right from the start. It was somewhere between her going to him and asking if he was okay after that man with the motorcycle died and the two of them praying together in church that I fell in love. And I was practically BEGGING for the person he had a date with at the end of that episode to be her, and I cheered SO LOUD when it happened.

My love for Athena... came somewhere between A Whole New You and Athena Begins I think... somewhere between those two episodes she joined Bobby in a tie for my favorite character, but I legitimately don't know when. And that's partly because I wasn't sure if I loved her because she's Athena or if I loved her because she's played by Angela Bassett. And yeah it's a little bit of both, but I love Athena for who she is just as much as I love Bobby for who he is, outside of the people who play them.

[deluweil]

4x14 review - don’t read if you haven’t watched

I’ve been trying to write the review on and off the entire day, but the truth is that there are too many details and I sure as hell can’t go over all of it in one post so here’s my initial one and the rest will come in bursts later.

First off I want to start by saying that I’m glad that Maddie told Chimney, she looked so miserable, and she loves Jee-Yun so  much, she was so happy to have her and the fact that PPD can creep up on a new mother and mess with her head like this is so horrible. 😭😭

I truly hope that she and Chimney will be able to overcome it and enjoy (read exhaustingly but happily) raising Jee-Yun. I have to complement both JLH and Kenneth both did their parts so well. I absolutely love them together! ❤❤

Second (and I know it’s at the end but I’m too excited) I was so happy to see Nia!! 😍😍😍 I had the stupidest smile on face that wouldn’t go away, and now that they met by chance Hen and Karen can be part of Nia’s life too, make a new friend and Nia will be able to see her Denny regularly. It was a perfect scene! 👏💕

Third, I’m glad Athena and Bobby managed to finally sit down and talk about the attack from 3x17. It starts with both apologizing which is good, I’m curious to see how it would have played out if Eddie hadn’t been shot. 🤔

But that was such a sweet and heartfelt long overdue conversation, I absolutely adore bathena and I would have been a wreck if they broke them up! 

Bobby telling Athena: ”There’s this thing people say, ‘I don’t know what I’d do without you.’ Because losing someone you love is such an alien concept you don’t want to imagine what it’s like. I was sitting in that engine thinking I was listening to you dying and I didn’t need to imagine anything, I knew what my life feel like without you in it, and it scared me.” - It was something that held true in this episode for both bathena and buddie, and it was completely heartbreaking. 🥺🥺

Bobby finally coming to terms with what happened and Athena going back to work, once she explained why she kept it from him. And both say the name of the episode as is apparently now tradition lol “Survivors” - and they really are.

I love how Athena talks Buck into helping her get into the building, even though it was a ‘help me save your dad’ moment for a lot of people, in my eyes she is appealing to the Buck who just nearly lost Eddie, begging him to help her not to lose her husband. 

Buck is reluctant at first because he knows how much Bobby loves Athena and wouldn’t want her to risk her life like this, but Buck has been on Athena’s side very recently and understands Athena’s pressing urge to go in for her husband.

Buck wanting to go in with her was expected, Athena’s insistence that she will not be able to protect him in there was expected too, she is going to save her husband but she wants her chaos child to be safe outside. I loved the Buck and Athena’s interaction here. 🤗🤗

“I got you.” Was said by two people in this episode, and in both cases it was to the most important person in their lives. 😭❤ (I meant adult partners, don’t give me the ‘but they have kids’ - kids always come first, it’s different.)

“I didn’t imagine that part right? you actually walked through fire.” Bobby was so cute asking that, it sounded half teasing - something similar to “You like me”. 😉

But Athena’s answer was serious, “Well, you were inside, I wasn’t going a little fire to stop me, I needed my partner back.” 🥺❤

We got a call back to 4x02 - only the roles were reversed now:

Bobby telling Athena, “Thank you for coming to get me.”

And she promises, “Always.” It was sweet, and moving. 

Have I mentioned how much I love them???

A little side-note - Athena telling Bobby that she wasn’t going to let a fire stop her from getting her partner back - is paralleled here, in my opinion to Buck actually going through gunfire to get to Eddie - to get his partner back.

Athena never walked through actual fire, the firefighters deal with, before.

This was Buck’s first time operating under sniper’s fire - something Eddie has experience with. (”At least no one is shooting at us.”)

They both committed this extraordinary acts to get their PARTNERS back!! 

Fourth and last for this post, Congratulations firefighter Albert Han - tell the truth, we all saw this coming from day one, when Albert was fangirling over his brother the life-saver and Chimney was trying to be rid of him lol.

I’m happy for him - I really like John too, I’m happy he’s sticking around.

Now, I know you’re missing my buddie part of the review - but it is so long - it’s getting it’s own post this time. 🙃

Overall it was a good episode, we got a mostly good story told here, I do however take issue with the time-jump. 🤦‍♀️

I mean what is that? Sorry too much actual, emotional, vital stories can be written here, but you know us male writers, we’re not good at this so we’ll just time-jump to where we can screw with you in other ways and leave you wondering about what actually went down in the time elapsed.

I will say this, however, this isn’t a monster of the week kind of show, emotional baggage and trauma doesn’t just disappear. And though I am concerned that we will not see the emotional fallout of Buck and Eddie’s shared trauma and the fact that they heal together this time, I’m talking about Maddie - showing her like this and then just give us an ‘oh, it was fixed when you looked away and she’s good now’ excuse, that will not be tolerated! - this storyline deserve a proper process and resolution.

Hope you enjoyed this post, buddie post will come up soon. 👀💜

[sortofanobsession]

9-1-1 Masterlist

+AU fics **Omegaverse AU fics. ^Coda fics § Prompt Fill

Bathena:

Oneshot/Prompt Fills:

§ +Of Mixed Emotions and Loving Families (Ao3)

Hospital food lacks Love Missing Scenes from 6x11 In Another Life

Madney:

Oneshot/Prompt Fills:

No one should ever mess with Maddie (Ao3)

Bobby & Buck (Bobby as Buck’s Pseudo-Father):

Oneshots/Fics

The Nature of Pain (Ao3) Ch 1, Ch 2

A rescue of a different kind (Ao3) (Buddie Sequel: Play Ball)

In a Flash or Two Pre-6b Speculative Fic (Ao3), Ch 1 (Eddie POV), Ch 2 (Bobby's POV), Ch 3 (Buck's POV)

Hospital food lacks Love Missing Scenes from 6x11 In Another Life

Buddie

Oneshots/Completed:

§ **I’m Begging you to be my Escape (Ao3) Story Masterlist

§ +Some lawyers just don’t follow the law (Ao3)

§ +Breath in, Wheeze out  (Ao3)

§ Buck’s Ducks (Ao3) Follow up Tony the Kid

§ +Fear in the Shadows (Ao3)

^Eddie’s Epiphany (3x10 Coda) (Ao3)

§ +Saving and Losing (Ao3)

§ Music to his ears (Ao3)

+Trauma shakes the soul and marks the skin (Ao3)

§ **Flames fueling the fight (Ao3)

§ +A truly terrible lesson to learn (Ao3)

§ +Never going down without a fight (Ao3)

§ +Uninvited Guests (Ao3)

§ +A Doggone Terrible Birthday (Ao3)

§ +Jet Lag and Second Chances (Ao3)

§ +Demons in the Dark (Ao3)

^Long Drive Home 911 Crossover Coda (Ao3) Ch 1, Ch 2

^Safe Place and Safer People 4x04 Coda (Ao3)

Mother’s Day Flowers (Ao3)

§ +Reality Deep Down (Long overdue Eddie Begins AU) (Ao3)

§ Arguing with Passion (Ao3)

^Problems and Pancakes 5x13 Coda 

^You can't return unless you leave first 5x16 May Day Coda

In a Flash or Two Pre-6b Speculative Fic (Ao3), Ch 1 (Eddie POV), Ch 2 (Bobby's POV), Ch 3 (Buck's POV)

^Terror and Time 6x10 In a Flash Coda #1

§ ^I’m afraid of what you’ll see, right now 6x10 In a Flash Coda #2 Prompt fill

§ ^Dare you to move 6x10 In a Flash Coda #3 Prompt fill

^ Wasn't exactly Wonderland 6x11 In Another Life Coda

^ Intrusive Thoughts and Gambling 6x13 Mixed Feelings Coda

** Beyond Frustration

WIP:

§ The Nature of Pain (Ao3) Ch 1, Ch 2

§ **A Bit Emotionally FUBAR (Ao3) Ch 1, Ch 2, Ch 3 

§ **Life on one’s own (Ao3) Ch 1, Ch 2, Ch 3

Series (Most, if not all WIP)

Buck, Daisy, and the FireFam (Ao3 Series)

A rescue of a different kind

Play Ball

No one should ever mess with the Buckley Siblings (Ao3 Series)

No one should ever mess with Maddie

No one should ever mess with Buck

Buck and Eddie can’t catch a break

Now when do I start to feel again?- Part 1, Part 2

Charles Darwin nodded and smiled a knowing smile Part 1

§ **New Life of Omega Buck-

Part 1: Pain given and pain received

Part 2: Out of the haze  

Part 3: Nothing heals the soul more than family

Part 4: Nothing can hurt you more than family Ch 1, Ch 2, Ch 3, Ch 4

Best Visitors, Worst Visitors

Second 4x04 Coda Ao3 Part 1, Part 2

Don’t share secrets with strangers

[crazybagelbitch]

It’s New Years! They’re having a party at Bathenas and chimney (well mostly harriet) has managed to convince Maddie to come. Harriets asleep but the time midnight comes and Maddie and Chim are a little tipsy...

It’s a bit of a miracle that Harriet is sleeping soundly in his lap while music blares throughout Bobby and Athena’s house and is complimented by the raucous laughter of very drunk people.

He’s a little tipsy, but cannot go as far as them because he brought his little girl to the party. Yes, bringing a three year old to a New Years party probably isn’t the wisest idea, but it would be impossible to find a sitter for the night and Hen and Bobby had both separately begged him for his presence at their party and for Harriet’s.

(To be honest, they all probably love his daughter more than him, but that’s okay, he can’t blame them.)

Maddie, also a bit tipsy, is sitting beside them on the couch, leaning her head on his shoulder. It makes him blush and his belly feel all warm, but he’s just going to tell him it’s the couple glasses of champagne.

“Glad I came,” Maddie murmurs, and he can feel her jaw moving against his shoulder, “was just going to make Harriet smile, but now I’m happy I’m here with you two... and everyone else.”

The last part is hasty, nervously rushed out, and maybe it’s the added liquid confidence in his system, but he’s thinking that maybe he and Harriet were all she really had in mind?

“We’re glad you’re here, too,” he whispers, trying to ignore his heart pounding in his chest like a jackhammer.

“She looks so pretty in her sparkly dress,” Maddie smiles, gesturing down to Harriet curled up on him.

“A gift from Hen. A great pick for someone who I’ve never seen wear a dress before herself.”

Maddie laughs, and the sound doubles up the heat inside him. He’s always loved her laugh, how carefree and full of joy it is. It’s even nicer when her head is laying on him and the sound is so close to his ear.

“Hen’s a good aunt. So is Karen. And you’re a very good dad. Harriet is a very lucky girl.”

“She has a lot of people who love her, that’s for sure.”

“And I’m one of them,” Maddie nods, and God, he can feel her breath against his neck. He’s sure they both smell like alcohol but right now all he can smell is her shampoo, sweet like strawberries misting around her loose curls.

“So lucky,” he murmurs, breath hitching a bit, “so lucky to have you. We both--”

“10, 9, 8, 7!”

“Oh my god, it’s already eleven fifty-nine,” Maddie says incredulously, and fuck, he knows that look on her face. He’s never seen it from her specifically but he knows what the glint in her eye, tracing down his face to his lips means.

“3, 2, 1, HAPPY NEW YEAR!!”

It’s quick, just a timid brush of her lips against his before she sheepishly pulls back, heat on her face.

He hasn’t had enough.

After a quick look down at his lap to check that Harriet is still asleep, he brings his lips back to hers, and she eagerly reciprocates.

“Happy New Year, Howie,” she whispers, lips moving against his.

“Happy New Year, Maddie.”

[loveistherootofhappiness]

Written for Bathena Week Day 1

Word Count: 2100

Summary: L.A.’s been said to be a weird place, but no truly one knows just how weird it is. No one truly knows what type of people lurk beneath the surface of the city’s famed glamour.

Also read here & here

xxxxx

A loud scream echoed through the small shop, followed by “stop it, Jalen.” The few patrons turned towards the source to see two small children running around. A boy, who is assumed to be Jalen, was chasing the little girl with vampire fangs in his mouth and fake blood on his face.

“But I want to suck your blood, Sophie,” Jalen said with an attempted accent as her chased the little girl, Sophie around the shop.

Jalen, Sophie!” A young woman called out to them, causing the children to stop in their tracks. “I told you guys to stop kidding around. Now get over here.” Sophie and Jalen ran to where the woman was standing. “I’m so sorry about them,” she put the items she wanted to purchase on the counter, “I don’t what’s getting into them, must be the full moon.”

“Oh they’re fine. One of mine gets real rowdy during the full moon,” Athena told her as she rung up the woman’s items. Out of her peripheral vision she could see Robert smiling in amusement. After telling her the total, she paid, “have a great one.”

The woman took the bag from her, “thanks, you too,” she and her kids left.

The few customers that were in the shop payed for the items they had and left. Soon it was empty and there was no one but Robert and Athena in the store.

Robert took advantage of the moment alone. While she was distracted by the books she was writing in, he wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, “Have I told how much I love this little shop you’ve got here?” he breathed into her neck. He had to resist the urge to attach his lips to her pulse point.

“Robert, stop, someone could come in at any second.”

“That’s why you should close up shop for a while and come take a walk with me.”

“Where are we going?”

“You’ll see.” Athena silently moved out of his hold and moved towards the door. “Well, come on before I change my mind.” Athena made sure to lock up behind them when they left.

They weren’t even outside for two second before they heard a woman scream, “my purse!” Bobby and Athena looked back to see a man dressed and all black clothing running with the purse and two other men chasing after him.

Robert looked over at Athena. Her eyes took on their familiar yellow glow. He returned his focus to the guy, who seemed to suddenly trip over his own feet and fall, unceremoniously, to the concrete. The two guys running after were able to retrieve the purse and, deservingly, rough him up a bit.

He smirked as he looked back over at Athena. Her eyes had returned to their natural brown. She turned around and kept walking like nothing happened, “not a word Robert.”

“I wasn’t going to say anything.”

“Mm hmm.”

“I just find it cute that you always love to help the mortals.” As long as he’d known her and it had been a very long time, over 300 years, she’d always used her magic to help others. It was one of the things he loved most about her.

Athena glared at him and raised a hand. “Your magic doesn’t work on me, treasure. You know that.” He grabbed the hand and kissed the inside of her wrist.

“I don’t need magic to kill you, dearest.” She snatched her arm back. “I know your weaknesses.”

“It funny,” Robert said as he placed his hands behind his back. “You’ve been saying that, practically, since the day we met. Hasn’t happened yet.”

“That’s the amazing thing about immortality, there’s nothing but opportunity.”

“I’m hurt, treasure. Is this the thanks I get for saving you from that burning?”

“Must you always bring that up. And you saved me from nothing. It was laughable that piece of shit priest thought he could kill me.”

“You were tied to a pole, over a fire pit, surrounded by chanting idiots.”

“Semantics.” Athena waved it off as they kept walking, “though, I guess It was fun to see the fear in their eyes and you didn’t leave too much destruction in our wake. Didn’t even kill anyone.”

“Luckily for them I didn’t have to take it that far. They knew not to fuck with you ever again, hell that whole village did, and I knew I couldn’t violate the Wiccan Rede. You’d have been pissed.”

“I’d like to think I would have made an exception for those bastards.”

“After all the restraint I had to muster to completely mutilate them, now she tells me.” She ignored him as they kept walking. They walked in comfortable silence until they reached the Clubhouse a couple of blocks over.

“I should have known we were coming here.”

“Yes, you should have.” Robert saw the look he was giving her, “don’t look at me like that, you know you love it here. Plus, I thought I could use a drink.” His voice dropped an octave.

“You don’t drink alcohol.” Athena said cheekily, pretending she didn’t know what he was talking about.

“Not what I meant, treasure.” He smiled slyly as his pupils dilated and fangs descended.

As they walked into the club, Elaine gave them a wave as they passed the bar on the main floor and headed for his office in the back. As soon the door closed, he picked her up, placed her on the desk, and attached his lips to hers. He kissed along her jawline and moved down to the column of her neck.

“Don’t take too much, have me out here looking ashy like you did last time,” she grumbled.

He chuckled and said, “no promises, your fault you have the sweetest blood I’ve ever tasted,” before his fangs sunk in it the flesh of her neck. She moaned as her blood rushed into his mouth and down her throat. Hers was a taste unlike any other and he’d never tire of it.

His hands moved up her thighs, completely hating she was wearing pants today. Both of them were completely out of it, lost in what he was doing to her when, “oh fuck, sorry.”

Robert, reluctantly, retracted his fangs and lifted his head from Athena’s neck, at the sound of Buck’s voice. He was surprised that he’d been so distracted that he didn’t hear him coming. Athena swiped two fingers along her next and the holes he’d made there had healed. “Yes, Buck, what is it?”

“Oh, um, Lainey said you were back here. I was just coming to see if you needed anything from me, but you’re busy. I’ll come back-“

“It’s fine Buck,” Bobby smelled the strong sent of watermelon as backed up a bit from Athena “Buck did you go raiding watermelon patches again?

“Yeah, but it’s not my fault. There was some really good looking watermelons and I was hungry.”

“Did you let anyone catch you?” Athena asked him.

“No! Of course not. I’m smarter than that most... some of.... well, I was smarter than that today.” Athena raises as an eyebrow at him skeptically, but didn’t say anything further.

“I hope so,” Bobby said remembering what he and Athena had to do last time Buck had been caught shifting into wolf form. Granted he’s done many things he wasn’t proud of in his 350+ years of life, but even he had to hold back a shudder at that. “In any case, go shower and I’ll need your help with bartending when we get busy later.”

“Got it, Pops,” Buck said affectionately, using his term he’s called since they took him and his sister into their little group.

As he was going to close the door, Athena yelled out “and don’t go sniffing that new human bartender, Eddie, when he gets here.”

“No promises,” Buck answered back, never being one to resist the urge to be a little shit. He closed the door leaving Bobby and Athena alone again.

“He’s going to get himself killed.” Athena said with a little worry.

“He’ll be alright. He’s got us.”

“And I love him , but I’m not cleaning up another one of his messes.” She hopped down off the desk, smoothed out her clothing and using the tie on her wrist to pull her braids back.

Robert chuckled as he looked in the mirror. He whipped the traces of blood from his mouth and righted his clothing. “The others are here.”

“Yes, I feel their energy too. I think you’ve had your fill of me. Let’s go out there with them.”

“That’s where you’re wrong, treasure.” He strolled back over to where she was standing and gave her a peck on the lips “I could never have my fill of you.”

“I love you, too, Robert,” she said simply.

“Woah, you said that without sass or snark. I might need to be scared.”

“And I immediately regret it.” Robert went to respond but she stopped him, “let’s just go.”

Athena rolled her eyes at the laughter she behind her as she walked ahead of him. The walked out of the office and through the people scattered around to head to the section upstairs. Sitting in one of the booths at the end they found Hen, Chim, Maddie, and Buck already in the middle of a discussion. Robert and Athena slid into the booth beside them.

“With the full moon this week, Karen and I thought it’d be a good time to take Denny on his first hunt, but I don’t know if around Halloween is the best time to take him. He’s been begging us and he’s mastered shifting, but there are so many crazies in this town this time of year.” Hen said.

Maddie removed her arm from around Chimney to touch Hen’s shoulder. “Yeah, it can be scary, I remember when I took Buck on his first hunt. I was so worried his inexperience was going to draw unwanted attention. Unfortunately, it’s crazies out every day of the year. But he’s gotta learn how to hold his own.”

“This is L.A. of course this town is full of crazies trying to catch a glimpse of the supernatural and paranormal. One person out out a video of a possible sighting and now this place is chock full of amateur hunters trying to get cannon fodder for their bullshit YouTube channels. Speak of the devil, excuse me for a sec,” Chimney disappeared in a flash and reappeared just as quickly, “sorry about that some kids were playing around with a Ouija board trying to conjure a demon. So I gave them one. Scared the shit outta all of them.”

Everyone else, not phased and used to what just happened continued on as normal. “I remember the days when speaking of the possibility of stuff like this got people tossed in asylums.” Bobby commented.

“Right?” Athena agreed. “Might need to return to that, shits getting out of hand.”

“Well, I think it’s cool that humans are so cool with the idea of the supernatural and paranormal. Certainly makes it easier to exist and coexist with them,” Buck leaned across the table to steal some of Maddie’s food.

“You only say that because you want that bartender that just started working here.” Chimney deadpanned.

“No. Well, I do want him, but that’s not the only reason I said that.”

“Well whatever, I’m just glad we have a place like this where us supers can just be free and not have to worry about walking on eggshells around humans.”

“And we have Bobby to thank for it.” Hen held up her glass in salute.

“Thank Athena, she came up with the concept of this place. I just brought it to life.” Robert kissed Athena on the temple and brought her closer to him, “also when I do hire humans I make sure they are okay with everything that could take place here.” He looked directly at Buck.

Buck eyed them both. “he’s here, he’s at the bar now.” Athena told him. Buck was up and out of the booth and practically sprinted down the stairs like the over eager pup that he was.

Athena and Robert turned around to see Buck down at the bar, leaning over the counter, talking to Eddie.

“I hope this goes well,” Athena commented as they watched them. She thought about listening in on the conversation, but she ultimately decided against it.

“Of course it will, treasure, you’ve never been wrong before. He’ll be the one that keeps him out of trouble.”

A little supernatural au for your morning. I left it open just in case I wanted to go back and do more. Were you able to guess what everyone was (hopefully I made it obvious enough).

[athenagrantnash]

Based on a prompt from @madneyfiles, Bathena angst

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Athena walked carefully down yet another hallway in her seemingly never-ending search for Bobby, the heat of the flames seeming to burn her even through the firefighter gear.

“Oh God, don’t let me be too late,” she breathed silently, as she felt along yet another long corridor. She pushed down the wave of guilt that was threatening to rise – she had to focus – but the nagging thought wouldn’t leave.

If she hadn’t arrested the wrong man, Bobby wouldn’t be trapped in here with the sniper.

If she hadn’t arrested the wrong man, she wouldn’t have to be worrying that she would never see him alive again.

The flames crackled around her, and she heard something crash down in the distance, but she continued doggedly on, down yet another never-ending corridor, walking through an entire hallway of mannequins.

“You think saving lives is a hard job?” she heard a voice demand angrily, and she quickened her steps. The man’s voice was talking to somebody, which meant Bobby had to still be alive!

“Try having to take them,” the voice finished, just as she reached the middle of the hallway – just close enough to see the two figures through the flames.

Her heart caught in her throat. Bobby was on the floor, clutching his side, and leaning against a pillar. The other man was standing barely two feet away, pointing a gun at him.

The flames couldn’t stop her, she didn’t care if she was burned. All that mattered is getting to Bobby. All that mattered was…

Bang!

Read more on AO3

She ran, not caring about the flames surrounding her, her gun raised. The sniper barely knew she was there before she fired twice.

He fell, but she didn’t care.

All she cared about was that that Bobby was slumped over on the ground next to the pillar he had just been leaning against.

“Bobby,” she begged, kicking Ethan’s gun out of reach and tearing her mask off. She knelt beside him, touching his cheek with one trembling hand.

She reached for her radio, her hands still trembling. “This is Athena Grant, suspect is down,” she said. Her voice caught in her throat as she looked down at Bobby. “Need medical assistance,” it was more of a plea than an order. “Captain Nash has been shot.”

She set her radio aside and turned her full attention to Bobby again. The angry flames surrounding them couldn’t hide how pale his skin was, and the entire front of his suit was covered in blood.

“I’m here, Bobby,” she whispered, applying pressure to the worst of the two bullet holes; the one in his chest, the one she was just too late to stop.

He whimpered faintly. “Athena?” he asked, squinting up at her. “How…” he coughed suddenly, interrupting his own question. Athena pretended not to notice the dark blood staining his chin.

“You have to hold on, Bobby,” Athena begged. Where were Chimney and Hen! She needed them! Bobby needed them! “Please, don’t leave me!

“Athena,” he whispered again, so faintly she could barely hear him.

“Don’t do this to me, Bobby,” she begged, not even trying to hold back the tears. She couldn’t be too late. She couldn’t!

“I love you,” his voice was so soft she wouldn’t have heard him if she wasn’t so close.

“Bobby!” she screamed.

His body went limp beside her, just as Chimney and Hen – in full firefighter gear – rushed into the room.

“Bobby!” she screamed again. They were too late! Just like she had been too late. If only she had figured out who the real sniper was faster, if only she had driven to the scene faster, if only she’d found him faster, if only, if only, if only…

She wanted to scream but couldn’t make a sound; nothing mattered anymore. It was almost as if her heart had stopped beating the second Bobby’s had.

---

Athena sat bolt upright in bed with a sharp gasp, her chest heaving. She bit back a sob as she felt Bobby shift beside her. “He’s still alive,” she reminded herself. “He didn’t die that night.”

“Athena?” he asked sleepily, sitting up beside her. “Are you okay?”

She couldn’t answer – she couldn’t even breathe, still caught up in the terror of her nightmare.

He felt him silently put his arms around her, pulling her trembling body closer to him. “It’s okay, Athena,” he whispered. “I’m here.”

Something inside of her released, and she could breathe again. “Bobby,” she whispered, taking one of his hands and bringing it to her lips, kissing it gently.

He was alive, and that’s the only thing that mattered.

[crazybagelbitch]

Urgh but your Athena characterisation is so perfect. Maddie hasn’t told anyone about the pregnancy yet and is super embarrassed when she has to rush off to be sick at a Bathena party. Athena has already put all the pieces together and tries to convince madney not to leave when she overhears Maddie begging Chim to take her home 🥺

It happens so fast. She was feeling fine, slurping at some delicious pasta Bobby had made when all the sudden her stomach had decided, hmm, I don’t actually like this very much.

“I don’t feel so good,” she had whimpered, before rushing outside because the front door because it was closer than the bathroom and her belly wanted to get it out Right. Now.

She hears the door open and is relieved it’s just Chimney with no one else, already feeling absolutely humiliated.

“I’m here,” he hums sadly, resting a hand on her back as she retches into Bobby and Athena’s very nice, undeserving of it shrubbery.

“It’s okay, you’re alright,” Chimney coos, rubbing her back with one hand and pulling her long hair back with the other, “get it out, you’ll feel better in a minute. I’m so sorry, so sorry you’re not feeling good.”

When it’s over she immediately turns around and practically throws herself against Chimney, almost knocking him over.

“Feeling any better?” he whispers, sighing as he pulls her close.

“Y-yes. All better n-now but want to leave. So embarrassed.”

“We can leave if you want, but there’s nothing to be embarrassed about.”

“Yes there is,” she whines, shaking her head against his chest, “nobody knows that I-I’m...” she trails off once she hears the door opening again, “probably think I-I drank too much. Embarrassing. T-take me home.”

“Hey, hey now, sweetheart,” a familiar voice says soothingly from behind them, “there’s nothing to be embarrassed about. This is nothing on your little brother’s whole embolism incident.”

“Mmm. Still.”

“It happens...” she says sympathetically, deliberating for a moment before smiling slyly, “happened to me with both my pregnancies.”

“I’m n-not... how’d you know?”

“I’m not stupid,” she shrugs, raising an eyebrow, “I’ve been pregnant twice before and your boyfriend there seems even more anxious and fussy over you than usual. Congratulations, by the way. You both deserve it. But please don’t leave, no one back there is anyone to judge even if they think you just got a little too tipsy.”

“See? It’s fine,” Chimney hums, kissing her cheek, “let’s go back inside and get you some water.”

“He’s right, I can make you some tea, that always helped me,” Athena offers.

“Okay, b-but... I’m kinda hungry again now,” Maddie admits sheepishly.