#but he’s not kameron and connor’s baby’s dad. donor not dad!!!

[fruitydiaz]

just remembered buck’s going to (possibly) have a biological child

[colberine]

i also haven’t really noticed that big of a longing look like i expected in that last scene with buck and kameron

but my eyesight isn’t the best so maybe i missed the whole i’m going to propose when she wakes up look

[ninjatrashpanda]

The Other Shoe (Waiting for it to drop)

Written for @bucktommypositivityweek Round 2! Today's prompt is "Coming Out Scenes!"

Read it on AO3 here.

“I, uh, I think it’s time to face the music,” Buck whispered, tugging on Tommy’s sleeve. His eyes wandered over to his parents, who had watched him and Tommy like hawks throughout the entire reception, though Buck had a hard time predicting what they were thinking. On one hand, therapy had been going well, and while The Buckleys would probably never be the big happy family Buck had wished for as a kid, Mom and Dad were trying. They had been nothing but supportive about him being Connor and Kameron’s sperm donor last year, and Buck would be lying if he said he hadn’t felt a pang of appreciation when they had stood up for him against Chimney’s father and stepmother.

On the other hand, well, these were his parents, and old fears die hard. While they had apologized for how they had treated him and Maddie and become better, there was a little voice at the back of his head that told him they’d just be disappointed again. The fact that his mother hadn’t managed to get rid of the bewildered look on her face since he had dragged Tommy into Chimney’s hospital room didn’t help.

“Should I be scared?” Tommy asked, raising an eyebrow.

Buck chuckled, though it sounded more like a nervous exhale. He stole another glance at his parents, then shifted his gaze to the floor, kicking at an imaginary speck of dust. “Nah,” he said, though he admittedly wasn’t even able to convince himself of that. “Not scared. Just... prepared.”

Tommy followed Buck’s gaze across the room, where Buck’s parents stood stiffly by a wall, half-empty champagne flutes clutched tightly in their hands. Buck knew they had been mingling just a few minutes ago, but he still couldn’t help but feel that they looked, well, out of place. While they were nothing but polite, they didn’t really mesh with anyone else, and always seemed a little awkward.

“They don’t seem like they bite,” Tommy observed, in that casual, dry tone Buck had grown to appreciate over the past few weeks. In an instant, a part of his anxiety evaporated and bubbled to the surface in a barely held back snort.

“Not literally, no.” Buck ran a hand through his hair with a shake of his head, the slight smile Tommy had brought to his face staying on his face. “It’s just... history, you know? They’re trying, and I get that, I do. But sometimes it’s like...” He trailed off with a shrug, struggling to find the right words. “It’s like I’m still waiting for the other shoe to drop.”

Tommy nodded, his hand reaching out to squeeze Buck’s. Buck had told him the basics, how Maddie had practically raised him, how their parents had been neglectful and controlling. He vaguely knew about Daniel, too, though Buck hadn’t delved into the whole Savior Baby thing yet. The subject was…touchy, to say the least, and while he knew he had to breach it at some point, he wanted Tommy to have as neutral an opinion on his parents as possible. They were putting in the effort, so Buck figured they deserved that much.

“Well,” Tommy said, squeezing Buck’s hand again, a bit firmer this time, “if things get weird, you’ve got me for backup. Just say the word, and I’ll distract them with my fake mouth static.”

Buck couldn’t help but let out a genuine laugh at that, which surprised even himself. Tommy had a knack for diffusing tension, and Buck was grateful for it. It was one of the reasons he had gravitated toward him in the first place. He tightened his grip on Tommy’s hand, drawing strength from the contact, before letting go and straightening up.

“Good idea. You’re renowned for your fake mouth static after all.”

“Damn right I am.”

They stood there for a moment, neither quite willing to take the first step towards the inevitable conversation. The reception was starting to wind down, (because the nurses were kicking people out now) so at least if this developed into a scene, not too many people would end up seeing. Chimney, now recovering well after the whole viral encephalitis debacle, was in high spirits, chatting animatedly with Hen and Karen. Maddie was close by his side, smiling brighter than he had ever seen, seemingly refusing to let go of her new husband’s arm.

The love between them gave Buck a tiny surge of courage. If Maddie and Chimney could find happiness after everything they had been through, then maybe things could work out with his and Maddie’s parents too.

“Alright,” Buck said, straightening his posture, bracing himself for impact. “Let’s do this.”

They crossed the room together, Tommy a step behind Buck, offering silent support. Buck’s parents straightened as he approached, their faces neutral masks. They clearly didn’t know how to react, and Buck could hardly blame them for that.

“Hi,” Buck said, forcing a smile. “You probably have a few questions.”

His mother’s eyes softened, but there was still a glimmer of uncertainty in them. His father cleared his throat, his grip on the champagne flute tightening just slightly. The atmosphere was stiff, and the air felt thick enough to cut it with a knife.

“Hi, Buck,” his mother replied, her voice wavering just a bit. Buck was actually (positively) surprised that she used his nickname, though he had to admit it sounded almost foreign in her voice. “Yes, we, uh…” She glanced at his father, who nodded, urging her to continue. “We do have some questions, but—”

“We don’t want to push,” his father interjected, his tone uncharacteristically gentle. “We’re just… trying to understand.”

Buck nodded slowly, the tension in his shoulders easing just a fraction. They weren’t throwing accusations and bad faith arguments around, so that was a good start. Still, Buck knew that they weren’t out of the woods yet. He hadn’t spoken about the big B yet, after all.

“Yeah,” Buck said, rubbing the back of his neck, a nervous habit he hadn’t quite outgrown. “I figured. And, uh, it’s okay to ask. I know this is… a lot.”

He could see the moment his mother tried to put on a brave face, her lips curving into a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “We were surprised, that’s all,” she said. “When you came into the room with…”

She trailed off, her eyes moving over Buck’s shoulder to where he knew Tommy stood just a foot or two behind him. He took a deep breath. This was it. No going back. He had thought about it for weeks at this point, had said it out loud to himself in the mirror, but not to anybody else, not even Maddie or Tommy.

“Tommy.” He turned slightly, reaching out his hand out to Tommy, who took it into his own with a smile as he stepped up. “Mom, Dad, this is Tommy Kinard. He’s my date. He, uh… he’s the reason I figured out that I’m bisexual.”

The words hung in the air for what felt like an eternity. Buck could feel his heart pounding in his chest, the sound of his blood rushing through his ears almost deafening. He knew this moment was pivotal (one of the most important in his life, probably) and the weight of it pressed down on him like the world on Atlas’ shoulders.

His parents exchanged glances, and Buck could see an onslaught of emotions flitting across their faces: surprise, confusion, and perhaps a flicker of something that could be hope. His mother’s fingers tightened around the stem of her champagne flute, and his father took a small step closer to her.

Tommy, for his part, stayed by Buck’s side, his presence a quiet but powerful anchor. He gave Buck’s hand a reassuring squeeze, a silent promise that he was here, and that he wouldn’t leave. Buck was grateful for that; it reminded him that no matter what was going to happen, he wasn’t alone.

His mother was the first to speak. “Bisexual,” she repeated, as if testing the word on her tongue. Her brow furrowed slightly, but there was no trace of anger or disappointment in her tone. Instead, she seemed...curious. “I…well, I didn’t expect that.”

Buck could see his father’s jaw tighten momentarily before he let out a slow breath. “Buck,” he began, his voice careful, deliberate. “This is…this is a lot to take in. But I want you to know that we’re listening. We’re trying to understand.”

Buck nodded. This wasn’t a rejection, not outright. But it wasn’t exactly acceptance either, not yet, at least. Still, it was something, and in this moment, something was better than nothing.

“I know it’s a lot,” Buck said, his voice quieter now. “And I don’t expect you to get it all at once. I only figured it out a few weeks ago, too. I just wanted you to know, because…because it’s who I am. And Tommy… he’s important to me.”

His mother’s eyes softened at that, and Buck could see her shifting, recalibrating her thoughts, trying to process this new piece of information about her son. “Tommy,” she said, as if tasting the name for the first time. She looked at him then, really looked at him, and there was something in her gaze that was almost…gentle. “It’s nice to meet you, Tommy.”

Tommy smiled, his usual confidence replaced by an almost shy nervousness. “Nice to meet you too, Mrs. Buckley. And Mr. Buckley,” he added, nodding respectfully toward Buck’s father.

Buck’s father gave a small nod in return, though his expression remained unreadable. “Tommy,” he repeated, his voice a bit more measured. “You’re… Buck’s boyfriend?”

Buck sucked in a sharp breath. Obviously that question would come up. He should’ve been prepared for it, but he wasn’t. He and Tommy hadn’t even really had that conversation. He’d certainly like for Tommy to be his boyfriend, he just wasn’t sure if Tommy was at that point yet. It had only been a few weeks after all. They had been on four dates, one of which was a complete disaster, and another that hadn’t even been a date at first, but an apology for the date that had been a complete disaster.

“Yeah,” Tommy said, his tone steady. “I’m his boyfriend. And I know this might be surprising, but Evan…he means a lot to me. I care about him.”

Buck’s breath hitched in his throat. He hadn’t expected Tommy to say it outright. He had expected a lighthearted “Not yet” or “We’re seeing each other.” That he’d gone right ahead… Buck’s heart swelled just a little bit. He squeezed Tommy’s hand a little tighter, grateful beyond words. Tommy’s answer made Buck just a little braver.

Finally, his mother spoke again. “I…I see,” she said, her voice softer now, almost hesitant. She looked at Buck, her eyes searching his, as if trying to reconcile the son she knew with these new things she was learning about him. “And you… you’re happy?”

Buck felt a lump rise in his throat. It was such a simple question, but it carried so much baggage. She wasn’t asking if he was happy with Tommy. She was asking if he was happy with himself, something that would’ve been absolutely unthinkable just three years ago.

“I am,” Buck replied, his voice growing more assured. “I’m happy, Mom. I’m happier than I’ve been in a long time.”

His mother’s eyes shimmered with unshed tears, and she nodded slowly, as if coming to a decision within herself. She reached out then, tentatively, her hand hovering in the air for a moment before she placed it on Buck’s arm. “That’s all we want, Buck,” she whispered, her voice wavering a little. “We just want you to be happy.”

His father, who had been silent for most of the exchange, cleared his throat again. “It’s…a lot to adjust to,” he admitted, his voice gruff but not unkind. “But if this is who you are, and if this man makes you happy, then…well, we’ll do our best to understand.”

Buck felt a surge of relief wash over him, so powerful that it nearly knocked him off his feet. It wasn’t perfect, not by a long shot, but it was something. Something good. It was yet another step toward healing their relationship, and for that, he was grateful.

“Thank you,” Buck said, his voice barely above a whisper. “Thank you for not, like, freaking out.”

His father gave a small nod, and his mother’s hand tightened on his arm, a silent reassurance that they were, in fact, trying. Tommy smiled and wrapped his arm around Buck’s shoulders, Buck leaning into his side almost automatically, enjoying the warmth of their connection.

His mother glanced over at Tommy, her expression softening further. “You’re welcome to join us for dinner before we fly back to Hershey, Tommy,” she said, a small, tentative smile tugging at her lips. “We’d like to get to know you better.”

Tommy’s eyes widened at the invitation, and Buck didn’t blame him. It was already unusual that Tommy had met his parents this early, but getting invited to family dinner? That was big. “I’d love to, Mrs. Buckley. Thank you.”

Buck’s father gave a curt nod, not quite ready to add anything further, but his stance had relaxed just a little. There was still a long way to go, a lot of conversations to be had, but in that moment, Buck knew they were moving in the right direction.

As the reception continued to wind down, Buck stood there with Tommy by his side, his parents before him, and for the first time in a long while, he felt a cautious sense of optimism. The journey ahead would be challenging, there was no doubt about that, but they were all still here, still trying, and that was more than Buck could have hoped for when he first approached them.

As they exchanged a few more words, lighter now, less fraught with tension, Buck realized that this was what he had been waiting for all along. Not just acceptance, but the willingness to grow, to move forward together. And maybe that was enough to help the wounds of the past heal.

[motherfracker]

Okay, so I saw a tweet earlier about the donor arc, the look on Buck's face when he first holds that child and how he has to steel himself to hand over that baby to Kameron.

And I'm on my bullshit today, because it's such a cruel writing choice for Buck as a character. Because this man is so fearful of people leaving him, he cannot handle rejection, and a baby can't do either of those things... so Buck has to do it for them. Be the one to leave this time. What a knife to the gut! And sure, if Buck really wanted to be a donor, he could be a donor. But to not only make him a donor to a former friend/roommate (and let's be honest, Connor had to have been a crush, he followed that boy from Peru to LA), someone he personally knows is raising a child that is biologically his, to then having the woman carrying this child who will be the mother of this child give birth at his apartment, on his couch, and he is the one to deliver the baby and the first one to hold them. And you expect me to believe that Buck just moved on from that? That he didn't feel every single second of that deep in his soul?

That man is still thinking about that baby.

He wants a family. And he's been subconsciously building one with Eddie, he's co-parenting Chris. But that is never explicitly stated or talked about. He doesn't have a relationship with the Buckley parents. He only has Maddie. Bobby has been mentioned as a father figure in a few instances, but they have not recognized that to each other. And you want me to believe that Buck would move on from holding his own baby in his arms?

No, I don't buy it.

Buck could never be a "donor, not dad" with that much personal connection. Kameron was living in his loft at the end of her pregnancy! The lines are so blurred, they don't even exist anymore! The only way he could have successfully had a donor arc was if it was anonymous.

So, give me the fic. The fic where Buck grieves that loss of family. Where he still grieves it after s7, because Chris is gone, and it feels kind of similar. There's barely any contact, if any at all, and someone else is raising your kid.

Because Buck thinks about that baby.

He always will.

[matan4il]

Buddie 611 meta

I LOVED that the ep showed us how Eddie wasn’t doing compressions on Buck because someone instructed him to. No, he just couldn’t stand by, couldn't let someone else try to bring his partner back to life, so he announced he was taking over, fuck anyone who would try to stop him. No one even tries to, they wordlessly acknowledge Eddie as Buck's mad with worry partner, much like how in 315, the team treated Buck while Eddie was in danger. And then Eddie shocks Buck’s heart back and gets his pulse going again. Eddie literally kept Buck’s heart going, and then he was still so distraught that he yelled at the medical staff (even though as a medic, he knows it’s pointless), “Do more!” 'Coz that’s what Eddie himself was doing, he stepped in and did more than he was asked to, a continuation of us having seen him doing exactly that in 610 as well, when he didn’t wait for Bobby to decide what to do to help Buck, Eddie charged up an electrocuted ladder he was just thrown off of. Because when it comes to Buck, he will always do more. ~~

The significance of the bond between them is also shown when Eddie is the first flashback Buck experiences within the coma dream, the first lifeline to the real world. That’s continued when the second flashback is to the tsunami, where Buck saved Chris. However, Eddie and Chris aren't quite present in these flashbacks. Buck’s subconscious is at war with itself. The Diaz boys are this powerful connection to the real world (much like Buck and Chris were Eddie’s back in 315, as I tried to demonstrate in this gifset), but the coma dream shows the power of childhood trauma and how much we can be trapped by the desire to fix it. The whole dream contrasts Buck having parents who are loving, who want and appreciate him, with everything bad that would happen if he weren’t with the 118. As the dream goes on, the price keeps getting higher, yet Buck still struggles until the very end with letting go of the illusion that his parents love him, and the sense he himself can be fixed if they do, like he’d then finally feel good enough. That’s why, in a sense, Eddie and Chris have to be more absent than present for the coma dream to be seductive. Because if they’re fully present, if he truly engages with their coma versions and remembers the family unit he has outside the dream, the balance would be tipped over, the battle would have been decided before Buck had a chance to learn his lesson.

That’s why he only hears what happened to Eddie, he doesn’t witness it firsthand, and why when the dream's seductive nature is failing, suddenly Chris is there (despite his coma version not being in LA) to tempt Buck into staying. Even then, walking away from the dream version of Chris while telling him that he’s not real is the only thing Buck says he'll always feel guilty about. ~~ 

I just gotta include a small note here on how much I love the progression we’ve had from Bobby saying in 101 that while Buck calls him “pops,” they’re not a family, through Buck telling TK aloud that Bobby’s basically his dad (in the crossover) to Bobby finally admitting this is true for him as well. I’ve pointed out this season repeatedly (like in my 610 meta) that the show’s dealing with questions of fatherhood, including the question of biology in that context, and this ep was no different, yet this truly was one of the highlights for me when it comes to this theme. I love how much Buck and Bobby mean to each other. ~~ 

Buck’s mom saying “your kids” and Buck being confused until she clarifies it’s not his actual children, it’s his students, then his disappointment, that’s one loose end that the ep didn’t wrap up, because that is a continuation of the whole sperm donor situation (with Margaret once more being at the center of confusion on whether Buck is a dad or not). This one is only going to be really addressed once Buck fully deals with his role in Connor and Kameron’s baby’s life, something he can’t properly do until he also faces his role in Christopher’s, a role that this ep really emphasized. No other kids were by Buck’s bed, not even May who has free access as a legal adult and who has now admitted she knows Buck is her step dad’s other kid. Chris needs his Buck in a way that no other firefam kid does. ~~ 

Which brings me to the heart wrenching fate we (and Buck) learn the Diaz boys have suffered in his absence. I have mentioned countless times in my meta posts how important I believe 204 was to Buddie. How critical Buck’s decision to step into Eddie’s mess with him was. Not once, but twice in that ep, first when he helps Eddie by talking to Bobby about Chris spending the day at the station with the 118, then when Buck introduces Eddie to Carla. I have always said Eddie was very attracted (and not just physically) to Buck from the start, but Eddie’s Christopher’s dad first, so he never would have been able to fall for anyone who doesn’t also love his son as much as he does. In other words, I’ve always thought the heart eyes Eddie gives Buck at the end of the Carla introduction scene, that was the moment when he was gone. And now we learn how meaningful Buck himself knows that was. Without that happening, his subconscious just knows Eddie’s parents would have succeeded with their threat of getting Chris away from his dad, leading to Eddie completely falling apart. Buddie's tale is a love story, and this coma revelation is basically the show telling us Buck’s subconscious already knows this. ~~ 

Eddie’s reactions in the real world are also a reflection of how important Buddifer’s little family unit is to all three of them. Keep in mind, even with his therapy, Eddie is still a reserved guy, right? He normally remains calm in the face of adversity, it takes a lot to rattle him, he doesn't easily get to the point where he falls apart emotionally. When he does in this ep, he only allows himself to when his son is looking away. And even then, he just can't go on answering Christopher's questions about Buck's state. So it highlights how important Buck is to Eddie, when the latter DOES fall apart. When he jumps in to take care of Buck on the gurney as it’s wheeled into the hospital. When he shouts at the medical staff. When he looks so wrecked at the hospital, close to what previously it took weeks of insomnia to do to him. When he can’t look at Buck's comatose body or stop himself from crying while he listens to Chris speaking or bring himself to be strong for his son and answer him. And of course, when the reserved Eddie goes against hospital regulations and parental common sense (to keep your kid away from disturbing sights), sneaking his son in to see Buck. But Eddie does it because he gets it. When Chris says he needs to talk to Buck, Eddie knows the full weight of this, because it’s his truth, too. Both Diaz boys need their Buck to wake up. So everything Chris is saying, all the comfort he’s offering, along with the insistence that Buck MUST return to them? He’s speaking for Eddie as well. ~~ 

I also liked that Buck realized during his coma dream two truths that seem, but are not, mutually exclusive: that he does have a family worth going back for, but that ultimately, he’s returning for himself. He’s not trying to please anyone else, he’s not trying to get anyone else’s approval. His adoptive family matters to him, even his bio parents who have failed him repeatedly matter, but at the end of the day, he’s not going back because his loved ones do or don’t need him, do or don’t accept him, do or don’t approve of him. He’s going back because he loves them and he wants to be with them. And that ties in with another thing we see in this ep. 

Bobby describes the coma dream as a world where Buck can fix everything. Buck says not all, seemingly implying he couldn’t bring Bobby back from the dead. But that’s not actually true, is it? 'Coz the coma world is Buck’s subconscious, it can be altered in whatever way he wants. Bobby can be there and talk to him despite being “dead” which means... he’s not really dead, not in the way that makes death so tragic, depriving us of our loved ones. Chris can be at the hospital, despite not being in LA and not knowing Buck. It’s a coma dream, there are no rules! Buck’s subconscious is king! And we know how important it is for Buck to fix things, Eddie pointed it out in 504, and we saw a callback to this just last week. The climax of this ep is even set against the musical backdrop of Coldplay’s Fix You. But this trait stems from Buck feeling like he needs to fix things, to be the hero, in order to be worthy of love. In the coma, Buck realizes he IS loved. And therefore, he doesn’t need to fix EVERYTHING in order to make a difference and be deserving of love. He IS enough, exactly as he is, limited fixing possibilities and all. That’s how he gets to choose both his loved ones and himself in coming back to reality. ~~ 

Oh, can we talk about the heart drawings scene from 514 and how it relates to this ep? I recently answered an ask about it, and pointed out I think Eddie’s heart has been Chris for years now, and for a long time, it was only him. But that scene showed how, thanks to the way Buck has been there for both of them along the years, helping, healing and loving them, Eddie’s heart is no longer exclusively his son. It’s Buck, too. Which explains why the heart theme we’ve been seeing with Eddie since 413 has expanded to include Buck’s in this ep, with Eddie literally restarting it. So 611 really affirms who Eddie’s heart now belongs to. We see how, without Buck, he would have lost Chris as well. Without Buck, he would have lost his whole heart. ~~ 

And that brings us of course to what kind of a person Eddie would be once that happened. We learn he would have become this angry man, drawing on his reaction during the lawsuit story arc. But notice that in both cases, a part of the issue causing Eddie's anger is not having Buck. Yes, back in s3 Eddie was dealing with Shannon’s death, but he doesn’t really start losing it until he also can no longer speak to Buck. Similarly, in the coma dream, he becomes Angry Guy due to the loss of Chris, but that is tied in with the absence of Buck in his life. In other words, losing Buck causes Eddie SUCH grief, that it has no other way out except for rage. ~~ 

Did you notice how once again, Buck got to be Madney’s truth teller? He did that first in 208, when he realized Madney are basically dating. Interestingly, everything he told Maddie about them was also true for him and Eddie. Then in this ep, he tells Chim Madney basically should be married, since they already share every other part of domestic and committed life. Obviously this will come into play soon. So just remember that once again, his words can be easily applied to Buddifer as well, plus Buck’s truth teller status was paralleled back in s2 with Maddie in 204, when she asked her brother about his newfound boy crush on Eddie... ~~ 

Okay, last one, but I just had to share with you maybe my fave parallel from this ep. You might have noticed in my 610 meta how much I think the lightning stroke parallels the shooting arc. Well, this was true with one of the sweetest moments in the ep’s conclusion. Just like how, at the end of 414, we got to witness Eddie hugging Chris while Buck watched on, so we get to see Buck hugging their son while Eddie looks on now. Except Eddie isn’t just looking. He enables the hug by helping Chris into Buck’s arms. Tell me again: how is this not a family? How are these men not partners, dedicated and loving towards each other in every way that matters...? ~~ 

Please enjoy direct links to my weekly meta posts, my Buddie gifs and more of my content in my pinned post. Endlessly thankful to @whosoldherout​, who​ blows my mind away every week with her hard work and beautiful gifs for my meta. Tag list will follow in the reblog, please let me know if you wanna be added/removed here. Thank you in advance for any reblog and like! I’m operating on far too little sleep in order to get this posted quickly, so I can't explain how much any and all encouragement matters to me. Thank you! xoxox

[m3r1m4r5u333]

So... I kinda feel like the 9-1-1 is foreshadowing a pregnancy...

So I speculate. Btw this ends up being more like a fic premise than speculation. Feel free to use these ideas if you want to x)

I'm a rabid crow so buddie would naturally be my favorite pick to be parents. (Also it's just more interesting to me to speculate about Buddie becoming surprise parents than for example Maddie and Chimney. I mean there is always Maddie's previous post-partum to add some challenge but still... Buddie is my go-to plot bunny factory, and Hen and Karen just got another child etc. So. Buddie it is.)

Btw one reason why I jump to buddie becoming parents (again) is that I think the show has foreshadowed it before. Remember that Christmas episode, Buck playing with Denny and Chris, with Eddie fondly watching them play?

Buck asks something like "who needs more cement?" and both kids want some, so Buck says Chris will have to wait, as Denny will get his first, "this big old piece"...

What could "cement" symbolize...?

Children, right?! Having more children does tend to add more "cement" to a family, right? The bonding, the responsibility... It's like cement!

And hey, didn't the Wilsons just get 'a big, old piece of cement'... Mara!

Also, during christmas there were four stockings hanging on the mantelpiece in the Diaz home. Like it was a family of four.

So Buddie... Tbh I think it would end up being them being dads if just either of them somehow ended up becoming the dad of a sudden 'child surprise'...

After all, taking care of a baby is hard and exhausting, and Buck and Eddie just naturally lean on each other for help, we've already seen it happen with Chris. They could not watch the other one struggle and not offer to help.

So how could Buck or Eddie become a dad of a baby? Could happen many ways I think.

Might be Buck or Eddie, impregnating a woman who decides to keep the baby, and then realises it was a mistake, as motherhood is certainly not something they enjoy, or are good at. Maybe single parenthood doesn't suit the mom's schedule due to them having a super demanding lifestyle thanks to their chosen field of work, something like that.

So the mom could decide that the other parent, the dad, would simply do a better job. So they'd show up at their doorstop, like a modern version of a stork, to drop off the baby, and then fly away. Or maybe to get them to share the responsibility, share custody and be a part-time parent.

The sperm donor story arc also feels like unfinished business to me.

I feel like Connor really wasn't as eager to become a parent as he pretended to be. I think he was just indulging Kameron, to fulfill her dream of motherhood, to make her happy, and was actually having seconds thoughts himself.

Really, the way he is introduced as someone who used to go by the nickname "Party Connor"...? Curious.

And do you guys remember the theme of drugs & neglect happening in the same episode in which Connor shows up to ask Buck to be a sperm donor...? Because Bobby also rescues Hoover in that episode!

Hoover is the dog which finds and eats the drugs his careless owner left lying around, and then needs to be resuscitated. So the team calls Hen on her day off, to ask for medical advice on how to treat a dog.

Hen... who is currently getting thoroughly drunk with Buck despite it being daytime, Hen who is asking Buck if he really is capable of fathering a child and walking away. Feels like foreshadowing to me!

My suspicion is that Connor might actually be an addict, that would explain his wild "party" past.

The stress of parenthood might make him relapse, leaving Kameron to deal with the baby alone. As we know, Cameron used to lead a wild lifestyle, and Kameron and Connor were already fighting before the baby was born...

Also, as this episode hints... Not all dads adapt to not being the biological parent of the child they are raising. Connor isn't the biological dad of the child Kameron gave birth to. What if that leads to problems, what if Connor is the type who secretly thinks that being the biological father matters more than being the father who is there? Chimney's dad isn't the only person in this world to think this way!

And hmm.. Connor was said to be infertile. But hey... What if he... isn't, after all?

The reason Connor was said to be infertile was "slow swimmers" aka slow sperm mobility, right? Well newsflash, having "slow swimmers" doesn't actually always mean it's impossible to conceive. It can be harder to conceive, but yeah, it's not necessarily impossible. It can even happen naturally.

So... What would happen if "Party Connor" relapses and becomes "Party Connor" once again...

What if he starts using and neglects his child?

And to add a cherry on top of the disaster, what if Kameron finds out she's late?

... Already expecting another baby?

How would she manage the single parenthood of two babies if it turns out that Connor isn't a reliable adult..?

What if she realises that the task is too much for her to take on,

that trying to care for two babies (or maybe even more than two, what if she's expecting twins) on her own...

would just make them all fall down?

Btw, Connor might not even believe the baby she's expecting is his since he appeared to be certain that having slow swimmers meant that he is infertile! That might make them really fall out, Connor leaping to the assumption that her wife is cheating on him.

So... I think she'd contact Buck and ask for help. After all, it doesn't seem like Kameron really has a family of her own, the way she was living in Buck's apartment when she and Connor fought. Maybe there is no safety net, and it's just her and Connor.

Until... it's just her. And the babies.

[cap1412-assistant]

So... hear me out. (idk if someone already talked about this)

I've been thinking about that reel from the 911 ig account that said "5 Top thing to remember from season 6":

#5 Chris has his first crush

#4 Hen stays a firefighter

#3 Buck delivers his (sperm donor) baby

#2 Maddie proposes to Chimney

#1 Athena and Boby goes on a cruise

And we saw Chris on his Buck 1.0 phase (kid version), Hen still is at the 118 (I don't know if they are gonna do something more with that), Madney's wedding happend and, of course, we saw the 3 episode Cruise disaster (because it capsized)...

I know everyone hate the sperm donor arc but it happened and they said to remember.

So what if something happens to Connor and Kameron and Buck ends up being a father to his sperm donor baby?

I love Buddie as much as the next person and I'm here for Tommy as the love interest cause he's great and makes Buck happy (yeah, I can ship Buck with both of them and love both pairings) BUT what if an accidental baby is a deal breaker for Tommy. Maybe he doesn't want kids or he doesn't want to be lees of a firefighter to become a dad or whatever.

WHAT IF that is what separates them? (I will hope for Buddie to become a thing as much as I'm still waiting for Supernatural to come back and give Destiel a happy ending. I know. I'm hopeless)

I mean... maybe I'm making no sense and reading too much into that list. Maybe I'm delusional. But I feel like everyone forgot that baby and I want Buddie endgame but I don't want Tommy being a bad guy or dying or breaking up with Buck over something stupid or cheating on him. I still want his first boyfriend to leave a good mark on him, you know.

Any thoughts?

[wackybuddiemewbs]

In the light of the most delicious promo shenanigan we have received... and the wonderful takes I have since read around here...

I will just say this about Buck's fit of jealousy and seeming outburst in a basketball court that will lead to Eddie losing a shoe like Cinderella...

I would so love to see this become so much more than Buck not being able to stomach Eddie hanging out with another guy.

Sure, as a Buddie truther, I wanna see that drama first and foremost. But I'm gonna stay clear of that for most this post. Because I don't want to focus on the potential outcomes between those two, but just take a moment to look at Buck as an individual character and where he currently stands in his life.

I feel like we've got a lot of "greatest hits" and scenes similar to what we've seen in previous seasons that remind the audience of how things have started, and how they have changed.

Zoom in on Buck...

Here is Evan Buckley, who came back from the dead... and he's in many ways where he was very early on, right? He is still looking for his place in the world, seemingly not that much wiser.

And now he's surrounded by people who are seemingly moving forward faster than him (which is not to say that he's jealous of their achievements or that he genuinely begrudges them for their happiness, don't get me wrong).

But I would love to see it being explored that Buck feels like he is yet again stuck in one place, whereas everyone else moves forward (and away from him). So it's less an issue of jealousy but of feeling of inadequacy. Cue for abandonment issues rearing their ugly heads yet again...

I mean, let's look at where his friends and family are at right now:

Love life: Chimney and Maddie have a child, have made it through some very rough patches, and are now getting married. Bobby and Athena nearly died, but yet again, came out of this stronger together than ever. Eddie is in a (dead) relationship, but a relationship no less.

Career: Hen is coming more and more into her own as a captain. Eddie seems to be exploring other job opportunities as well. And from the looks of it, he will be "chosen" by someone else, seeing his potential in another field of their job.

"Sense of adventure" (also Buck's coping mechanism, way to feel "alive"): Eddie may have an opportunity to get that, if he joins up with Tommy et al.

Parenthood: Chimney and Maddie are a happy family with Jee. Eddie and Christopher hit some bumps in the road. And while Eddie did turn to him for help, Buck was the catalyst for Christopher's abandonment issues to come to light in the face of his player attitude. But it's possible he felt less like he was being part of the solution than he actually was. And of course, there is still Connor and Kameron and the baby, which may be an issue yet to come back at him full-swing.

Contrast that with where Buck is standing right now: Even though he is supposed to finally be back in the world of the living, as Eddie said...

Love life: He is in no romantic, committed relationship. Even though we all know he wants to be.

Career: He is not advancing in his career the way others are. He is not considered as interim captain. He doesn't seem to have any other job opportunities outside being part of the team he loves. He is not seen for potentials in other fields.

"Sense of adventure" (also Buck's coping mechanism, way to feel "alive"): He is not "picked out" as a potential candidate to go on adventurous side quests, so to speak. He doesn't get something to feed his compulsion, which would be those daredevil moves or new shiny helicopters that Eddie may get to operate, if he chooses to go ahead with this.

Parenthood: He does not perceive himself as a parental figure for Christopher, as far as I'm concerned (even though he is...). The child he helped two people have is not his to have, donor, not dad. Even though I am convinced that Evan "I love kids" Buckley definitely wants to be a father, and that the experiences of last season cemented that (see how his face lit up in his coma dream at the mention of "his" kids, only for them to turn out the kids he taught at school).

Which is not to say that he hasn't progressed (double negations!). I think he has an understanding that he is a part of this family, more than ever. But. Buck struggled last season with finding peace and finding ways to move forward. His entire arc has been focused on "software updates" and evolving into someone "worthy", someone who'd be loved anyway, someone who could have true peace (with himself).

And I still think this hasn't been fully resolved. He is not at peace with his life, even though he may look the part (or tries to look the part). Last season, it became apparent that he wasn't himself ever since the lighting strike. And, as Eddie pointed out to him, how could he be? This fundamentally changed him. And yet... nothing much's changed in his life. Or rather, it feels like someone hit the reset button for him, every time he thought he was moving forward.

Sure, he made some important steps in that direction. He tries to embrace life again, after he fell into the arms of a death doula who seemingly only wanted to talk about death, death, death. Buck wants to move on from that. He is not (or no longer as) fascinated by it. But. He isn't there. Not yet anyway.

But what he can see is that life is moving on at a fast pace, and to me, it almost feels like he is in a rush to catch up again. Only to see that people are finding ways to move on, rightfully use opportunities to grow and advance in their lives. Whereas he feels like all he can do is be good old Buck again, someone you don't want your kid to be a role model for.

"So (they don't) end up like me."

I mean, for me, the imagery of the couch still comes to mind whenever I think about this. This is still not the couch he picked out by himself. He seems to be in this strange sort of limbo where he knows that he has a family to rely on, wants what's best for him, but deep-down still fears that he won't get there any time soon. That he is not enough, still. That he needs another software update to kick-start his life back into action and movement and improvement, but it's just not happening, no matter what he does.

Which is a long-ass, rambled way of saying... Buck may finally reach the point where he has to question the way he's coped in the past with his abandonment issues, his fear of rejection, and the war he's been raging against himself for so long. In an effort to be "someone", as he once promised his sister. And how that may finally give him that much-needed kick-start. And I do hope the narrative makes more out of this than "good old Buck being jealous of other people teehee".

How that may be resolved? I don't know. I obviously hope for the Buddie in it all, and I see all the potential (while ogling at the image of Eddie and Buck in the kitchen with those misty eyes... and hands in places they haven't been in seasons!). Because Buck's relationship with Eddie is what ticks almost all of those boxes, honestly (except for the career issue, I guess).

But yeah, can't wait to see that guy all bewildered and bothered (and potentially getting someone else very much hot and bothered, *ahem*).

That being said... I shall now crawl back under a rock and see how it all plays out. Cheers!

[whiteowl-18]

I've said this before and I'll say this again: Buck getting Connor and Kameron's baby would be really bad writing. It would be a terrible narrative choice and it would go against the themes that the show has established in his story specifically. It would also not make sense from a legal perspective. I know a lot of people want him to have a baby, but it shouldn't be this baby. This is not his baby. He said it himself: he's a donor not a dad. I'll be very disappointed if he gets this baby simply because of biology.

[lenaboskow]

no but your palm anon is up to something because i've been thinking the same? that wording feels way too intentional to mean nothing. (sure, it's also oliver once again reiterating that buck is eddie's co-parent in all but title but it feels like more?) and maybe it's not the return of connor and kameron's actual kid, but maybe the sperm donor story will be brought up in relation to having kids? and that brings up buck's actual role in chris's life and tmmy realises that buck isn't just the fun uncle/dad's best friend to chris? and that brings up tmmy not wanting any kids himself?

(and hey, if we wanna go full drama, what if tmmy mentions he doesn't want any more biological kids and he's glad he's a gay man so he doesn't have to? and the buck is like "what do you mean any more?" and tmmy mentions that he had an oopsie baby with some hookup/relationship back when he was closeted and basically admits to being a deadbeat who abandoned his biological kid and signed away his parental rights and buck just can't fathom ever doing that like who tf would ever do that and be so blasé about it? and that's the main conflict that leads to a break-up?)

okay imma need all y’all to stop because accidental baby acquisition is my favorite trope and if i get my hopes up i’ll be depressed

but damn now i’m thinking back to that one anon who brought back up that bts with the random kid and omfg

[canonicallyobserving911]

Buck & Eddie: Buck is not C&K’s baby daddy but he is Chris’ second dad

In 6x10 “In a Flash”, while Buck was at Maddie’s and Chimney’s new house, he told his parents (along with everyone else in the room), “I’m the donor, Connor is the father!”  He also told them it’s a boy but at this point, Buck being the biological contributor is irrelevant because Buck’s NOT Connor and Kameron’s baby daddy.

Buck’s already a father, he’s been one for 5 years and the color of the shirt he wore in that scene proves who his son is.

Christopher Diaz is Buck’s son and Buck is his second dad.

The Buckley-Diaz Family has been wearing different shades of blue a lot since 5x18 “Starting Over” and Buck primarily wore light and baby blue during 6A but the shirt he wore in 6x10 was navy-blue. Eddie wore a lot of navy-blue in 6A and Chris wore a combination of both shades (light and navy-blue) to coincide with the shades both of his dads primarily wore.

The shirts Buck and Chris wore in 6x1 “Let the Games Begin” during their family dinner were a lighter shade of blue and included both white and grey while Eddie’s shirt was tan which is his signature family color (a shade of brown).

Since the end of 6A, the Buckley-Diaz Family have all been or will be wearing navy-blue shirts which could mean Buck and Eddie are getting even closer to becoming a CANON couple.

In 6x9 “Red Flag” Eddie wore a navy-blue jacket, a tan t-shirt (his signature color) and some blue jeans while he slept on his family’s navy-blue couch.

In 6x10 “In a Flash” Buck wore a navy-blue button-down shirt with a black t-shirt underneath it.

In 6x11 “In Another Life” Chris will be wearing a navy-blue golf shirt with a white collar.

Eddie is Chris’ biological father and Buck is Chris’ second dad!

Full stop!

The color navy-blue is being worn by all the Buckley-Diaz Family members and it’s happening more often. Within three episodes, all three of them have worn or will wear their family’s signature color of navy-blue and Chris will be wearing it when he’s sitting at Buck’s bedside while Buck is in a coma.

All three of them wearing navy-blue is significant and it means something. Does it mean Buck and Eddie are even closer to becoming a CANON couple than they’ve ever been before?  Only the showrunner(s), writers and producers know the answer to that question.

[whateverthedragonswant]

Can we talk about this?

And can we talk further about Buck's and Eddie's purposeful positioning?

And then can we talk about these two scenes?

Connor with an open beer in his hand: "All that rest and relaxation is starting to get to you, huh?"

Buck: "Not exactly. There's been less of that than you might think."

*Buck gets up to answer the door; Connor goes to take a sip of beer*

Eddie going to get Buck a beer: "Guess all that company must've wore you out."

Buck: zzzzzzzzz

*Eddie cheers himself & takes a sip of beer*

And let's not forget this little moment:

And then of course we had this:

Buck's happiness and underlying excitement vs Connor's very subdued reaction that Buck definitely picks up on

Which then brings me back to:

Why the LAFD onesie? Why not a neutral color onesie? Or a sports team onesie? Why the firefighter onesie? Sure, it can be explained away as pertaining to Buck, but the fact that the show chose for us to see Connor's almost hesitance after they purposely have had the old roommate theme for Buck in a big bad way after they chose to go the sperm donor route...

and after they chose to do this scene as well as show us these shots the same episode that Buck gets struck by lightning himself:

(where they show Buck and Eddie holding the glass/looking at it at the same time, the glass that formed due to the lightning strike, Eddie has huge piece vs Buck's little piece aka Eddie is closer than Buck to where they need to be -> it's possible now that Buck might have a bigger piece himself after his experience, which makes sense that he asked Eddie about the shooting which started off Eddie's own journey/positioning)

That the dad was so tired from work that he fell asleep while at the beach with his two kids. (goes back to falling asleep on Eddie's couch up above)

And we got this shot in 6x07:

Christopher is in between a boy and a girl

"So what'd she have to say about my future?"

And we got this shot in 6x10 where they purposefully have Eddie watching Buck with the kids (a boy and a girl) and we are meant to see him doing so over Buck's shoulder:

While we now know that Buck's baby is a boy, the point is there is a 2 kid theme going on here.

And while it's too early to call what's going to happen with Connor, Kameron, and the baby, as well as Buck himself, I do think that they purposely showed us that little reaction Connor had to Josh alongside Connor's lack of enthusiasm about the baby (and Buck noticing while also contrasting Connor with his own enthusiasm) because something is going to happen there. I just don't know exactly what that is yet, but Eddie and Christopher are going to be right there when it does.

Why else all of this and especially

...you know why

[vanmarkus]

Buck gets a baby!!

I love reading Buck as a dad!! (I have a wip of Buck getting a baby girl but it's still a very empty doc 😂)

ohh well make sure you let us know when that doc starts filling up 👀

Okay, so Buck gets a baby, but it's actually Connor's baby. Without giving too much away, Buck ends up being responsible for the baby for an indefinite amount of time and he has to wrestle with all the feelings that come with it, because he is the dad but he isn't and he can't quite catch parental feelings because that wasn't the deal, he knows eventually he's gonna have to give him back.

And while all of that is going on, come Eddie to the rescue, which is frankly not much of a rescue but a shared struggle, because they are professionals but Buck is too emotional about this and Eddie has totally missed this part with Chris so now he's also emotional... And where it all leads to is of course the two of them realising what it means to be a family together.

It is angst, but I promise it has a happy ending!!

Here is a very very small bit of a tease:

Buck was the donor, not the dad. It wasn't an easy thing to wrap his head around initially, but making Connor and Kameron happy and helping them bring a new life into a loving family was worth it. Besides, he had quite a few months to deal with the idea.

But doing the reverse in only a handful of hours was infinitely harder than that.

Ask me about my wips

[thegirlwithataser]

I know everyone is really upset about the finale rn but actually i have mixed feelings, so if you want to read my immediate thoughts after watching without the heavy negativity that is kind of hitting everyone else right now, please enjoy:

So first, the positives:

I really liked the big emergency actually. I liked that they were all in danger, it added a more complex layer of anxiety because the effort to save wasn’t focused on just one person. I especially loved Buck during this emergency. He was the only one not really injured and I loved seeing him keep his cool and figure everything out. Especially notable to me was the way that he didn’t try to take over. He got Hen focused on being the lead and just focused on getting everyone out and being as safe as possible. I thought his scene with Hen was great, and I loved the scene with him and Eddie. His “I’m sorry about this, this is gonna suck.” line was phenomenal.

I also really adored the Kameron of it all this episode. I liked seeing Buck play a more detached third party while still being a good guy and keeping an eye on her while Connor was off getting his head on straight. I liked her giving birth on the couch actually, I thought it was a good way to tie up the loose ends with the Buck being a donor storyline. I think it was necessary for him to have the sort of hard ending to the situation and him delivering the baby and then deliberately handing him off was perfect.

Also, Hen and Karen adopting a little girl? Sign me UP dude. I’m so so excited to see you here that goes.

Now for the Buck and Eddie of it all:

One, I don’t love the Natalia and Buck storyline, but I’m choosing to mostly ignore it for the time being. I don’t actually think this represents Buck having no character growth. It’s a new relationship, one that doesn’t stem from him being desperate to be in one and isn’t the result of him bending over backwards to make it work. He was fine with her leaving, and now that she’s back and wants to try, he’s cool with that too. He’s letting life happen to him for the first time and not stressing himself out over being perfect and doing everything for someone else. Obviously we have to see where this goes, but I don’t think this represents him being the same person he was at the start of the season.

As for the Eddie and Marisol storyline, I understand why they’re doing it. Eddie never really got to date in his twenties. He was thrust into a very serious relationship very early in life and was a dad before he could even legally drink. With Ana, he dove right into another serious, adult relationship. With Marisol, he gets to do the butterflies, the awkward flirting, the lighthearted fun. This is an incredibly low stakes relationship, something he has never, ever, gotten to try. I don’t like that we’ll have to watch it, but I absolutely understand the point of it. I will be angry if they try to turn it into an endgame relationship for him, but I really don’t think they’re going to.

The last thing that I’m intrigued by is the bathena cruise trip. After they got tickets at the end of last season I was SURE that the start of this season would be an emergency with the ship coming back to port and I am returning to that head canon. It would be so GOOD and such an insane parallel to the plane crash from season one. I’m really really excited to see where ABC takes 9-1-1 next season.

[freewayshark]

unhinged theory that Kameron will ask Buck to help raise the baby bc she's scared and thinks Connor will leave. then Connor admits to Buck he doesn't feel like the baby is HIS. and Buck thinks Kameron only wants his help because the baby is biologically related to him and eddie is going to be like. no. it's because you're a great dad (to chris). and then buck is going to invite connor out w/ him and chris and show him that you can love and be a father to a kid that's not *genetically* yours

!!!!!!! I really really like this theory and would absolutely love to see it play out. Absolutely not out of the realm of possibility given the way everything else with fathers and sons has played out this season

Also you put together the sperm donor theory to begin with so I will follow you anywhere regardless

[canichangemyblogname]

What we should see more of in 9-1-1:

Jee Yun and Buck scenes.

Adventures in babysitting, feat. Evan Buckley and Tommy Kinard

Hen, Karen, and the whole Wilson Family scenes. Happy.

Buckley-Wilson dinners

Karen Wilson

Silly, goofy, fun Hen and Buck as friends scenes. (Not a fan of ABC’s “Mother Hen” characterization of Hen.)

May Grant

Hen and Karen date night

Karen Wilson being a scientist

Denny, Harry, and Christopher hanging out at a 118 get-together

Eddie and Karen hanging out together

Ravi. A Ravi-centric episode

Wilson-Diaz family dinners

Chim and Buck hanging out AS brothers-in-law. Have them work together to build a playhouse for Jee Yun or something

David Hale being a doctor

Maddie getting to know Tommy. (Likely by accident, but then on purpose. Like she stops by Buck’s place and Tommy’s just… there. “He ran to the store; he’ll be back in 10. You’re welcome to wait.” Buck later finds out that they made lunch plans or that he promised to help Maddie with something.)

Eddie, Chim and Tommy hanging out together. Either all three or some combination.

Buck and Tommy casual date night in

Maddie spending quality time with another woman and discussing things other than the men in her life. She needs more opportunity to pass the Bechdel Test.

Buck and Tommy date gone haywire. Like… 20 car pile up on the way to the restaurant haywire. (Thinking about that one post by @/shaunashipman…)

Karen Wilson

David Hale

Buck interacting with either May or Harry Grant. (Don’t just tell me they think of him like a step-brother; show me.)

Wilson-Grant family dinners

Athena and Hen spending time together

Athena being anything but a cop

Hen spending time with her kids

Chim being a good father

May and Harry Grant

Lena Bosko or Lucy Donato

Eddie or Buck making friends with a woman and staying friends with her. Can these men PLEASE have women in their lives who they aren’t related to and who they respect and admire without any ham-fisted romance subplot? Please.

Chim and Maddie having a peaceful, calm and collected date night or vacation (while everyone else has a chaotic night). Please give Chim a break.

Karen Wilson

Maddie making a friend outside of work

Eddie finding a hobby. Like painting.

Eddie joining a vet’s group to help deal with his PTSD. He gets connected via Bobby, who is sponsoring a vet in AA.

Buck gets a dog. Give that man a dog. He and Tommy seem like #dog dads

Josh Russo having a non-traumatic date

Hen, Chim, and Tommy shooting the shit like they once did. Then joined by Eddie, Bobby, Athena, Buck, Karen, and Maddie to show the progression from where they were to where they are now and how Hen & Chim built a better culture as well as the 118 family.

The unfired Chekhov gun that is Buck’s sperm donor baby. Connor, Kameron, where are you? They just fuck back into Buck’s life and then fuck off?

Taylor Kelly. The writers did her character so dirty. She would have been so great if they had never nuked her character to make her Buck’s gf. Bring her back and let her be an amazing reporter. Even for one episode. (And give her a badass gf [maybe Ali?]. Ultimate power couple! Give sapphic fans more!)

Mr. and Mrs. Lee