#we see magic when maddie is with characters other than buck or chimney

[alkaysani]

🔥 topic: anything 911 related

oh boy

well, i think they don't know what to do with maddie after her PPD

like the whole 6a storyline (you know which ones), and then the way she was just there afterwards was very telling

and while we're here, i also don't like for a really long while madney was just all about maddie, and i'm really happy that hen addressed it, but also though as soon as she addressed it, it became about maddie again? and like, enough of that now please, thanks

send me a 🔥 for an unpopular opinion

[chevelleneech]

Still on the finale, because of course I am

And as such, I must say

…what the hell was going on!?

Bobby was in a coma for barely half the episode, after being dead for 14 minutes. Sergeant Athena I’m-not-a-corrupt-cop Grant accosted a man her husband nearly killed, at gun point, threatening to kill him because she decided he set her house on fire. Chim and Maddie became foster parents in the blink of a fucking eye. Buck had no real point this episode other than to be present in scenes that the audience aren’t meant to view as meaningful, despite the repetitive nature in which he is always present for his male bestie with whom he was assumed to be dating. Tommy was just there, as always. They spent too much time with Amir and the Cartel, when quite frankly, that should have been the cliffhanger at the very least. And lastly, Eddie had the most near sensible storyline this episode, with Chris not talking to him then wanting to leave, and him not wanting him to go, yet even that was sullied by it being given a lack of importance.

Eddie and his parents should have been going back and the entire episode about this, because it’s that important. Isolating Chris to his bedroom, was ridiculous. I understand Gavin may not be entirely capable, perhaps, of committing to emotional scenes the way this would have required, but that just means Tim and co should have written it in a way that allowed us to see Chris’s grief as a child who has the same disabilities and potential neurodivergence as Gavin, seeing as he’s playing very close to himself anyway. But I think the episode would have benefited from the audience hearing from Chris as we’ve done in the past with lighter emotional topics.

Outside of that, this was the most pointless and anti-climactic season finale of any show I think I’ve ever watched. Yes, Gerard is back and that’s a big deal for what it will mean for the characters next season, but… was it a surprise? No, because they had him at the ceremony for no reason. I guess anyone who isn’t chronically online would have been shocked, but everyone on here is as overly invested as I am so like, it’s whatever, but damn.

I wish something was unexpected. Although, I guess technically it was the BT date, because no one thought they’d have Buck sit down after all that emotional stress to have a date night type meal, but that was the writers way of making Tommy the man Buck goes home to, even though they refuse to commit to them in a serious way. They ended them with a joke that was funny but contextually inappropriate, and that was that, as is every BT interaction has been the entire season.

Anyway, I really hope season 8 will regain the magic the first few seasons held. Seasons 2-4 especially, and imo, plenty of episodes in 5 and 6. Because I truly do not understand what happened. I know ol girl took over in 5 and 6, but Tim coming back made the show worse. So was it the network execs who actually saved the earlier seasons? For real, who was around to keep things flowing as well as they once were? We need them back. I mean, I completely understand and was in full support of the strikes, and I know Tim chose to change Buck’s storyline at the last minute, but him changing one character should not have dragged down every one else’s too.

Chimney getting sick was the best episode of the season by far, and honestly felt as thought out as the cruise arc. So I’m assuming Tim had it at least partially drafted, and Kenny Choi delivered as he always does. But honestly, they even had Angela coming across as stiff with some of her dialogue, and Mother is truly one of the greatest to ever do it. Someone just seriously missed the mark this year, and after all the hoopla about it being a top rated series and deserving its renewal compared another series… it didn’t prove itself, I’m sorry to say.

If we get 18 episodes back, I really hope Tim and co figure things out and try to realign with what fans enjoy about the series and with what he wants to say. Because at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter about ships, it’s about the story. It’s about making us fear for these characters lives, even though we know they don’t plan to kill anyone off. It’s about giving them calls to respond to, that puts them in harms way the entire time only for them to either prevail or fail. It’s about the guest stars who play the citizens in need, who break our hearts and make us smile just as much as the 118 does.

This show had something so special, because it’s found family genuinely felt like family. Their hurt was our hurt, and their love was our love. Until s7. Now, they seem like damn near every other procedural drama on tv where the cast chemistry is there (for almost everybody), and the acting is solid for what’s being given, but the spark isn’t entirely there. I want the spark back.

[whineandcheese24]

got mad and wrote abc another complaint. this one's not as much about bucktommy and about the show's overall problem with commitment, especially in season 8, read under the cut

I wrote a critique the other day specifically about the Bucktommy breakup, but more generally, this show has a huge problem with follow-through. You start interesting and emotional arcs with characters, and then wrap them up in 5 seconds. Season 7 ended with Hen and Karen's life in complete chaos. They were in the midst of a custody battle with a vindictive councilwoman, and separated from their traumatized daughter. We were told in interviews that there would be tension between Hen and Chim over seeing Mara become more and more part of Madney's family. We even got to see a bit of that tension in episode 1. Season 7 also ended with Gerrard at the helm of the 118. This left Buck and the rest having to deal with answering to a boss they hate, and Bobby at a job he hates. We were told that we'd see Buck learning how to deal with answering to Gerrard and being separated from Bobby. There was so much room for growth on Buck's part, as well as an emotional and angsty storyline for Buck and Bobby when Buck realized that Bobby had been planning on leaving without telling him. Maddie and Chimney ended season 7 with a new kid who is not only older than their daughter, but also dealing with the trauma of losing two sets of parents in a short time span. That, along with the afforementioned tension with Hen could have made or a great long-term emotional arc for the whole family. All these arcs had so much potential for long-term emotional storylines, and what happens instead? All of them are solved within the first 4 episodes in an incredibly rushed way. Hen and Karen get Mara back without too much fight, Ortiz is arrested and Gerrard gets a cushy new job (which is its own problem), and Bobby gets back to the 118. There's no payoff, it's all just magically okay. And then the next episode, instead of maybe focusing on Mara's trauma from moving around a bunch and almost losing her second set of parents, all of that is forgotten in favor of giving Denny a completely random near-death experience, which itself is pretty immediately forgotten. Eddie's storyline with losing Christopher and never getting over Shannon is still ongoing, but instead of leaning on the rest of the firefam for support like Ryan Guzman mentioned wanting in multiple interviews, he goes to a priest? Here's a perfect opportunity to lean on Hen, who has experience losing custody of a kid, and Athena, who has experience losing a lover out of the blue with no closure. But does he do that? No. He goes to a stranger for advice who tells him to stop punishing himself when that's not even the root problem. The root problem is that he's never gotten over Shannon and keeps trying to replace her. But we're never going to come back to that, are we? Also, what happened to all the other characters? Harry, May, Sue, Linda, and Ravi, all prime opportunities for fresh and interesting storylines, have just disappeared? Seriously, what happened to Harry? Is he just living on the streets? The reason people latched onto Bucktommy so much is because it was fresh and interesting. Not only was Buck's bisexual awakening so revolutionary, he was finally in a healthy stable relationship. He was finally off the hamster wheel. People love Tommy, not just because he's a great character, but because he's new and different and he opens doors for new stories. We had this new character who had his own untouched backstory, and with Buck in a committed relationship, we can see new arcs for him with his job, as well as dealing with problems that come when you get farther into a relationship. Now Buck has to find someone new and develop a new relationship before any of those doors open again. The point being, 911 has failed to commit to any interesting storyline for longer than 5 seconds. This is true for more than just season 8, but I don't have the time to go through all of them. It's not just bucktommy, though that might have been the last straw for a lot of people, it's everything.

[that-was-tedious]

Bobby is my favorite character and I will not be taking any notes at this time.

I love every single other character/regular in this show. Buck is definitely a close second, also Chimney. I love them all tho. But Bobby is so human, and flawed, and he’s been so traumatized I’m unsure how he isn’t in a mental hospital (thank god for TV magic) but he still is everyone’s dad and he loves them all so much.

He adores his wife, he loves her kids as his own, he’s bffs with her ex husband, he’s adopted everyone at his fire station as his children and he loves them so much. He pushes Buck to be better, but also gives him the support he so desperately craves. Buck is just as good for Bobby, as highlighted in the lightning episode. Hen is seemingly always so sure of herself, but Bobby helps give her the validation she needs and support! (Athena Grant, you are also a wonder and Hen couldn’t have better friends.) And he treats Hen like the important member of the team that she is, no questions asked. Chimney’s life would be so drastically different without Bobby (as would all of their lives tbh) but he’d probably be dead so like. This one is slightly different from the others I understand but it’s early please forgive me. And Eddie! It seems like the epitome of “hey you’re my father in law and my own dad is kind of iffy so could you adopt me?” (Look, even if Buddie never becomes canon they’re a little married, to quote Turk from Scrubs. Buck does help raise Christopher and is an integral part of Eddie’s life as his best friend). But Bobby gives Eddie the truth when he needs it and he just loves his kids so much. He gets to be a dad, even after what happened to him. After EVERYTHING that’s happened to him. He’s in a happy, stable relationship, has a bunch of kids that love him to death, and he’s so human.

It’s not every day that a television show has characters that are this complex and human. Sure, they’d all be dead ten times over in real life (or in jail, or in a hospital, mental or otherwise) but the way they react to things is so much more realistic than most tv shows.

Also Athena and Bobby? Dream team. Crime solving duo. If they ever do another spinoff, please just let it be Bobby and Athena being “retired” and solving the most ridiculous crimes and cold cases wherever they go.

I miss his dynamic with May (and Harry, but he and May were much closer cause of the season where she was home and not at college) and I hope we get to see it again.

I just have a lot of feelings about Bobby. All of them really. (He doesn’t really interact with Maddie. She actually doesn’t really interact with anyone but Chimney and Buck very often which is kind of weird but also not? Idk she and Eddie should get together to make fun of Buck more often. Just two people, drinking beer and talking about one of the most important people in their lives and how he’s an idiot.)

Anyway, this has been a long rant to say that Bobby is one of my favorite characters ever and if anything ever happens to him I will sob like a baby.

Thank you for coming to my TED talk.

PS: let that man treat Ji like his granddaughter. He MARRIED them, give him the baby to cuddle and spoil rotten. Her real grandparents kinda suck and live far away.

Okay NOW I’m done. 💜

[princessfbi]

I saw you wrote a Now You See Me fic and I was wondering how you would do a NYSM AU for the 911 characters? Maybe how would you dress them too?

*gasps* NONNIE THIS IS A GIFT!

So the thing about that movie is that it's a Robin Hood heist type of movie. Ok so Bobby would definitely be the Dylan role. The one that's pulling all the strings but isn't actually on stage with the others. But he can pull off pretty much any magic trick imaginable. Athena would be an FBI agent and they met when she had to call Bobby in to help her solve a case. They fell in love and got married and it took Athena all of ten minutes to figure out that Bobby was involved in some... less than upfront business. But she knows her husband and she knows that sometimes the rules don't often help people when they should so as long as she doesn't see it, she doesn't need to know about it.

I'd make Eddie the daredevil. He's the escape artist who can pretty much break through any lock. He drives fast cars, motorcycles, and walks through fire. He'd also be a fighter (but the more like healthy way like Ryan does in real life where it's a release and it's about endurance/mindfulness and not the poor coping skills to deal with his trauma that Eddie had in season three) His life is high stakes, high paced, and locked in speed which would be a really awesome parallel to his calm demeanor. I'd pretty much keep him in the same clothes he wears now but like a shit ton more of those v-neck shirts. Give me all the v-necks. Season 4 hair FOR SURE!

Hen would be the animal tamer. Literally there isn't an animal that she doesn't connect with. She has so many pockets and literally there's just animals hanging out in them. Like it wouldn't be uncommon for her to just be talking to someone and then randomly out pops a baby bunny like it's nothing. The ferret definitely hates Chimney. Her and Karen would also have an animal sanctuary where they take care of animals that have been abused or abandoned by hack jobs, circuses, and magicians who didn't realize the care and work that comes with working with animals. I think I would keep Hen in the same style she is in the show but I would let her have a bolder lip and wild glasses like Aisha has in real life. Karen is already fabulous so we will not be touching a hair on her head.

Chimney is absolutely the mentalist. He's been on talk shows, he's been a consultant on failed TV shows, he's even almost had his own show on TLC. But nothing sticks. He has the perfect charisma to be a front man but things just keep falling through. But he can read a person from halfway across the room without a blink. He is very good at his job. Literally one of the best. I'd keep his scruffy Chimney look from S4 but I would stick closer to Kenny Choi's style at premieres. He's always ready to be on if the occasion arises so he wants to look good. Button down, slacks, possibly a chest. I mean talk about dreamboat Chimney with him in a three piece suit but no tie and the sleeves of his button up rolled up his forearms! OH MY GOOOODDDD!

And finally, the newbies. The Buckley Siblings. They ran away young and haven't stopped running since. They're pickpockets. Buck is a prodigy at sleight of hand and Maddie is one of the best grifters no one knows about. Buck has the fastest hands Bobby has ever seen as he watched Buck nick about five wallets, a watch, and someone's phone in less than two minutes. Maddie has a keen ability to blend in almost anywhere. She can catch your attention one second and then blend into the crowd the next. Like we're talking full on Megan Fox doing a costume change in the middle of Grand Central in TMNT. They're good kids though. They never steal more than they need and they keep their targets, if they can help it, to business people with three piece suits and Rolexes that cost more than any apartment Bobby's ever had. But Buck's fingers are young and restless and Bobby watched Buck lift a woman's wallet only to drop it back into her purse when he heard her talking on the phone about how her asshole boss had screamed at her in front of everyone. A noble gesture but the quickest way to get caught. He corners Buck knowing that picking the younger of the two will bring out Maddie (she's very protective of her brother and she could give Marvel's The Black Widow a run for her money) and offers them a job. We'd keep it to the Buck S1 looks (GIVE ME THOSE RIPPED JEANS PLEASE) because he'd be still very young during this but keep the S4 hair but Maddie would be all JLH's style because stunning. STUNNING I say! And she would have the most versatility because it's just constantly changing.

I'd probably go a more Leverage style in regards to the heist rather than get too complicated with all the stuff about The Eye but there'd be so much Madney and Buddie and Bathena and Henren love happening because when you're a drifter the family you find is so important. So it'd be a lot of Found Family Vibes. There'd be a bit where they're disguised as firefighters of course. Perfect opportunities for hurt/comfort too! I think I would do Eddie Whump though this time around (I know! But imagine that like the baddie sabotaging Eddie's locks or something and they can't get to him) OH MAYBE THEY CON DOUG OR SOMETHING.

Anyways thanks Nonnie cus now I'm gonna be thinking about this all day.

[buddiebeginz]

I just caught up to the current episode of 911. Jesus that ending 😭 I’m pretty sure I sat there and stared at the tv for a good five minutes afterwards in shock right along with Buck.

Okay get comfy because this is going to get long. I have a lot of thoughts on  why I think it’s more likely than ever that Buddie will become canon. I’ve seen a lot of fandom talking about why they feel the same and honestly it’s not surprising given the way that shooting scene played out. But I have some other thoughts I haven’t seen talked about yet too.

--

I’ve gone back and forth on whether or not I think Buddie will happen. I want them to get together in canon and I think the show should definitely make it happen and not just because us fans want it to happen either.

Since Eddie arrived the show has continually written Buck and Eddie in a way to say to the audience there’s more going on there. So I don’t think it’s some far fetched idea that so many of us ship them or want to see them end up together. I’ve shipped many characters who I knew were never going to get together in canon but Buddie has always felt different. It’s not just wishful thinking there’s a lot of substance there provided by the writers.

Still more recently I’d kind of lost hope that Buddie was ever going to happen. Throughout season 4 I’ve been wondering if the show was working on pulling Buck and Eddie in different directions. I figured maybe they were just tired of listening to the fans yell about Buddie. I figured it’s why we had been seeing a lot more of Taylor and Ana and why we rarely see Buck and Eddie and Chris spending time together the way we used to in season 3. It had actually been bumming me out a lot because I miss that dynamic in the show.

---

Last night’s episode changed my mind on that though and not just because of the shooting. I was worried at first when I saw that Carla was meeting Ana because I wondered where this was going. Like was the show trying to solidify Ana as a more substantial part of Eddie’s life now? Were they trying to show that she was important enough to start meeting more of the people in Eddie’s life? But I realized after watching that the whole reason Ana was even included in the episode was for Eddie and Carla to have the convo they did.

Eddie and Carla talk about Carla’s dad. Carla says that she was thankful she got to spend time with him (before he died) and she was sorry she left them (Eddie and Chris) Eddie says “you were where you were supposed to be”. When Eddie says that Carla gets this look on her face like she’s considering his words and thinking about the meaning and responds with a line of questioning that gets her to asking Eddie about Ana. Mainly I think because Carla is one of the people who knows Buck and Eddie better than anyone and when Eddie said to her “you were where you were supposed to be” she was likely thinking so how come you’re not where you’re supposed to be with Buck?

Eddie and Carla talk about Chris and how Eddie had been worried about him (after what happened to Shannon) and how happy he is to have Ana around.  Carla presses Eddie about how he feels about Ana and Eddie simply says “it’s easy being with her” (aka he doesn’t have to be emotionally invested). Carla responds and says she’s glad Eddie is moving on but most importantly she tells him “just be sure that you’re following your heart and not Christopher’s”. 

The show easily could have framed this whole scene in a different way if they were planning on making Ana and Eddie into a more significant thing. Eddie could have responded and said he was following his heart being with Ana. The show could have shown Eddie watching Ana and Christopher with a sense of ease and love on his face instead he clearly looked like he was thinking about what Carla said and it was obvious he’d been running from the fact he was only with Ana for Christopher.

----

The other thing that made me feel like Buddie is much more of a certainty and the main thing I wanted to write this for since I haven’t seen anyone else really talking about it is what’s going on with the other couples and how that correlates with Buddie.

911 is obviously an ensemble show so some characters and ships will inevitably get more attention than others still there’s usually some that are the consistent main. For example Hen and Karen they’re a great couple but I wouldn’t necessarily call them a main couple of the show. To me the central canon couple of 911 is Athena and Bobby and second to them I think would be Chim and Maddie at least in season 4 where they’ve had a lot of focus given the baby storyline.

I think we’re headed towards both of these couples being on the rocks. Clearly Athena and Bobby are about to go through some stuff. I’m hoping Bobby doesn’t die but no matter what their marriage is in trouble at this moment. As for Maddie and Chim I think it’s likely that they’re headed for a postpartum depression storyline so that will probably spell some trouble for them too.

My point in all of this is if you watch the ending of the recent episode right after the argument between Athena and Bobby we saw the shooting with Buck and Eddie. In the promo for the next episode the majority of what we see is Buck and Eddie juxtaposed with what’s going on with Athena and Bobby and Chim and Maddie.

TV shows particularly drama ones like 911 ebb and flow and there’s usually some kind of balance. If you have one or more of your main couples in the middle of the worst times chances are you’ll see other couples in the best times. So while Athena and Bobby might be unraveling which hopefully is just temporary) in the midst of this shooting Buddie might be coming together or at least closer to getting there. More on that below. 👇

----

I don’t necessarily think that Buddie will just magically get together in the last episode of season 4. Part of me doesn’t even want that to happen. I think it makes much more sense for things with Buddie to happen gradually. Besides which nothing in tv ever wraps up that neat and tidy anyway. Shows like 911 thrive on drama so if Buddie is going to happen there has to be conflict involved before they get to that point.

My guess is that this shooting will push one of them to recognize their feelings for the other and he’ll want to tell the other one but something will stop him. I think it could be Buck. Like maybe while Eddie is recovering Buck talks to Taylor and finally realizes/admits his feelings for Eddie, to which she says something snarky like she knew that already. She pushes him to go tell Eddie the truth but when Buck goes to the hospital he ends up seeing Ana there and decides not to tell him. Maybe in season 5 we have to watch Buck figuring out his sexuality and dealing with his feelings for Eddie while seeing Eddie with someone else.

911 could also surprise us and it could be Eddie who realizes his feelings for Buck. We had that scene with Carla and Eddie and it’s clear that Eddie is only with Ana for Christopher. We had Carla telling Eddie to follow his heart. When you look at the symbolism of what happened during the shooting Eddie’s blood ended up all over Buck which is like a trail to this heart (albeit a morbid one) not to mention Eddie reached out for Buck when he was on the ground. So Eddie could wake up and realize the truth about his feelings for Buck and want to tell him but be afraid to loose his best friend. Or maybe Eddie is afraid to change anything now that Christopher seems happy again finally.

There could also just be a scene with them in the hospital or maybe Buck comes to stay with Eddie and Christopher to help take care of Eddie and and  it’s clear the atmosphere has changed between them. Like we don’t get anything super serious yet but there’s something more there and they both feel it but aren’t acting on it yet. Maybe Buck tells Eddie how he felt when he saw him get shot maybe Eddie tells him he reached for him. Maybe they both realize they couldn’t bare to loose the other.

Everything that’s happened thus far with Buck and Eddie feels like it’s leading towards something. It definitely feels like something is going to change with them heading into season 5. I feel like they’re going to leave us on some kind of cliffhanger and then drag out whatever happens next season. Which makes sense as it incentives more people to watch. But I’m more optimistic than ever that Buddie will happen now.

---

I do agree with what others have said that there’s no place really for the writers to go now than to put Buck and Eddie together even if it doesn’t happen immediately. The shooting scene was completely framed like Buck watched the man he loved get shot and they were even wearing complimenting colors which is something I’ve seen done often in movies and tv for lovers. They were staring at each other and reaching out. I mean how do you explain that if it doesn’t lead anywhere?

Not to mention the whole thing was done in slow motion and the scene didn’t focus on anyone else besides Eddie and Buck for a few minutes. It even had an almost a freeze frame with the two staring at each other across the street and since there was blood and the ambulance the whole scene was lit up bright red. And apart from everything else red is pretty much universally known as the color for love.

One other thing I forgot to add was that the convo with Eddie and Carla happened in an episode called Suspicion where people are keeping things from the people they love. The mother keeping things from her bridezilla daughter, Bobby and Athena keeping things from each other, Maddie keeping her depression from Chimney, Hen’s mom keeping how sick she was from Hen.

Why would 911 choose this episode in particular to feature all this important Buddie stuff? That important convo with Carla and Eddie where Carla basically tells Eddie she knows he’s not following his heart. That crazy intense moment with the shooting where Buck and Eddie are just staring at each other like soulmates having to watch the person they love die.

Maybe because both Buck and Eddie have things they’re hiding? Things they’re hiding from themselves and things they’re keeping from the person they love the most. Each other.

[fereldenshero]

Bucks been through a lot of physical shit but he never had any emotional trauma. There was times like the red episode, the Daniel storyline, and Buck telling Eddie he wishes it was him that got shot that hint that Buck might be dealing with some deeper mental issues, but then these issues always end up being completely solved by one pep talk from Eddie or Maddie at the end of the episode and are never mentioned again

boy oh boy, this sure is one of the opinions ever! let us go through all the reasons why i disagree, shall we?

first off, i want to preface this by saying that im extremely behind on the show. like, the last season i fully watched was season 3. the only episodes from season 4 that ive seen are s4e4 and s4e5 (ive been a buck girl since 2018, idk what to tell ya) and then ive also seen a few gifs from s4e14. plus, i havent seen any full episodes in a long ass time. so when i mention specific events that happened in the show, i could either be totally misremembering or just straight up not know what happened. okay? okay! (im also putting this under a read more bc it got a bit long thumbsup)

so first off, i dont. fully agree with him going through "a lot of physical shit". there could be instances that happened in s4 or s5 that im just not aware of yet, but as far as i know, the only instances of physical trauma came from him getting his leg crushed in s2e18. personally, i lump in his broken leg, pulmonary embolism, and the severe cut he got during the tsunami episodes as kind of one instance since they all happened due to one incident, but youre more than free to separate them if youd like. even then, thats not a whole lot ? i mean, it is quite a bit for a regular person to go through, but for a tv show character in a show thats lasted for 5+ seasons, it doesnt Feel like a lot. if there are any other instances where hes gotten hurt that im missing, totally feel free to let me know, but thats all im aware of

"he never had any emotional trauma." okay. well first off, dont you think that serious physical injuries would lead to a lot of emotional trauma? especially something like, oh, i dont know, getting your entire leg crushed underneath a firetruck? i feel like that would have some lasting effects on a person. second off, you just. proceeded to list off things that definitely indicate Something? im not quite sure what "the red episode" is, but the daniel storyline is definitely going to fuck with him for a while, plus seeing one of your closest friends get shot, is. well thats gonna stick with you. theres also no indication that hes not still dealing with the aftermath of those instances. just because we're not actively seeing him say "this thing happened to me, and it was bad and still sticks with me" doesnt mean that those things didnt happen and werent bad and werent still effecting him. theres also no indication that after speaking with maddie and eddie, that he was magically cured or that their "pep talks" fixed everything. im not sure about the specifics about the one with eddie, but i know that with maddie, talking with her most definitely didnt fix anything. if anything, it just. helped him a bit. it didnt magically fix him, it didnt make everything all better. all it did was help him with understanding that hes not broken or unloved and that shes always there for him. just because they havent been explicitly brought up since they happened, doesnt mean theyre not still effecting buck to this day. from my understanding, season 5 has been more focused on maddie (+ chimney as well i think) and eddie, so it makes sense that they havent expanded on those specific events yet. the 911 writers dont strike me as the type of tv writers to just. forget character development theyve done. im sure theyll bring everything that they need to bring up, when they need to. 911 is a show about patience - us as the audience always have to wait to see what happens, and how they get brought back up.

[bluenet13]

Brothers

Second prompt for @badthingshappenbingo

Fandom: 9-1-1.

Characters: Evan Buckley, Eddie Diaz, Christopher Diaz.

Prompt: Big Brother Instinct.

Summary:  Continuation to "Buck Begins." Revelations about his past and the actions of friends from the present teach Buck the real meaning of family and brotherly love. Or, after Buck has a bad day, Eddie and Christopher save the day.

Links: ff.net - AO3

Maddie and Chimney had insisted he stayed at their house for the night, but Buck had politely declined. He wanted to be alone, whether to wallow in his own misery or to try to gain some new perspective about the revelations about his life, he didn't know. He wasn’t even sure the two were mutually exclusive. But he just couldn’t see himself spending the night with anyone but himself. Coming face to face with Maddie was one thing, but spending the night at her house as if nothing had changed was above his current level of forgiveness.

So he had hugged his sister, asked if he could take the bag of mementos home, and walked out of the apartment as soon as she nodded. Not even waiting to wish Chimney a good night.

Now sitting alone in his car, in the parking lot of his apartment complex, his fingers trembled as he fumbled with the zipper of the bag. Drawing in a long breath, then blowing it out slowly, Buck decided this could wait until tomorrow. He told himself the parking lot around him was dark, the only light coming from a nearby street lamp, so he wouldn't be able to see anything anyway. But in reality, he just wanted to spend the night alone with a cold beer to stop his thoughts from wandering. So, with a grunt he got out of his car and gingerly walked to his building.

His simple plan however, came crashing down as soon as he reached the front steps. Sighing, Buck closed his eyes and wished he hadn’t gotten out of the car.

"Uncle Buck!" Christopher practically bounced off the steps as soon as he saw him, his little body crashing with Buck's legs a second later. "I missed you."

Barely able to suppress a whimper, Buck stumbled before he was able to gain his footing and kneel down in front of the boy. "Hi Chris,” he said, half-forcing a smile on his face, while he also did his best to ignore the adult now standing next to his son. This unexpected visit wasn't Christopher's fault. "I missed you too, buddy. Sorry work's been keeping me busy." He didn’t like to lie to Chris, but he couldn’t as well say what had really been keeping him busy.

"It’s okay, Buck. Daddy told me your parents came to visit. And my dad is always busy too when my abuela comes from Texas," Chris said simply.

Drawing back away from Christopher, Buck turned to look at Eddie. A shadow crossed Buck's eyes and Eddie just slightly shook his head as a response. He hadn’t shared anything else with Chris.

"What brings you guys here?" Buck wondered after the silence around them had become oppressive. "Isn't it a little late for a visit on a school night?" He hoped he wasn't sounding rude, for Chris' sake that is, with Eddie he would need to have a few choice words next time they were alone.

"There's an errand I need to run before work tomorrow, so I was hoping Chris could spend the night here before you drop him at school in the morning?" Eddie asked quickly, his eyes looking at anything but Buck.

Silence seemed to stretch around the three men. Christopher waited expectantly, his hand still on Buck's leg, even as the man rose to his feet and stared at Eddie with raised eyebrows.

For his part, Eddie did his best to look as innocent as possible, offering no additional words until the silence stretched for too long and he saw his son's smile turn into an uncertain frown. "If you're still busy with your guests, I can just call Hen or Chimney. Chris always says you're his favorite and must fun uncle, but I'm sure he understands. Right, Chris?" Eddie added eventually, the ex-Army Medic not missing a beat.

"Sure, Chris. You can stay with me," Buck said at the same time as Christopher nodded his agreement with his father. The boy's frown had turned into a sad smile, and just as quickly into a full on grin.

"Thanks, uncle Buck." Chris practically shouted, his bright, grey eyes shining even more than usual. "Daddy, can I have the keys to get my backpack?"

Buck hadn’t missed how Eddie was trying to avoid his gaze and he had to stop himself from asking what type of errand was so sudden. Eddie usually gave him a few days warning when he needed him to babysit Chris, unless it was some sort of emergency. Buck wouldn’t argue that most often than not he was a dumbass, but not as much as to not be able to read his best friend’s intentions. But Chris had already lost his mother and Buck didn't want him to think he wasn't wanted here, so he didn't say anything else and just bid his time. Turned out luck was on his side and he would be able to rip Eddie a new one right here and now.

But Edmundo Diaz was always a step ahead, so he put an innocent smile on his face and turned towards his car. "I can do it for you, Chris. You can stay here with uncle Buck. I will be right back."

Buck glared at his teammate, but Eddie still wasn't looking directly at him. So instead he grabbed Chris' hand and led him to the front steps. Sitting down as he asked Chris how school was going.

Eddie came back in the middle of Christopher's very excited and detailed explanation of the upcoming science fair. And how he was working on a presentation about climate change and natural disasters. Not like most kids who wanted something easy and chose a volcano, instead talking all about how his daddy had fought tsunamis, and mudslides, and even traveled back home to Texas to fight a real wildfire. If Buck hadn’t been there, he would have thought Eddie had grown wings and the magical ability to bend the elements, cause Chris' voice was full of awe and admiration, as if he was talking about Iron Man himself. But Buck guessed Christopher was right and they were all superheroes in their own way.

"Here you go, Chris. I will leave you to Buck so you can continue telling him all about your project." Eddie kneeled down, hugging his son after helping him with the straps of his backpack. "I will see you after shift tomorrow."

"Bendicion, daddy," Chris said in practiced ease.

"Dios te bendiga." Eddie kissed his son's disheveled locks and turned back towards his car.

Buck had been around the Diaz men enough to understand they were sharing both a blessing and a farewell. A wishful smile escaped his lips as he silently wondered what it would have been to share that type of relationship with his parents. And if maybe Daniel had, before everything had gone to hell.

Fingers wrapping around his own drew Buck back to the present and he looked down to find an expectant Chris staring back at him. His eyes settled on the boy for a minute, and not for the first time he marveled at Christopher's strength and cheerfulness, considering all he had been through in his short life. And again, not for the first time, he wished he could be more like him.

Looking back to the parking lot around him, Buck sighed as he saw that Eddie's car was gone. So he turned back to Chris and smiled. "Ready, buddy? Maybe we can play some rounds before we go to bed. How does that sound?"

Christopher nodded repeatedly, his hand tugging at Buck's as he pulled them both towards the door.

-x-x-x-

"Buck, can I have a cookie?" Christopher's voice came from beside him and Buck jumped slightly as if suddenly being woken up from a dream. Another grunt escaping his lips as the movement jarred his tender side. The doctors had given him a clean bill of health, but the fire had still caused a minor burn and his side was bruised from his hard landing during the explosion.

Turning his eyes to the tv, Buck grimaced seeing the score. He wished he could blame it on being distracted but Chris was just that good. Turning to the boy in question, Christopher's hopeful look reminded Buck of his question. Shaking his head to clear more unwanted thoughts, Buck set his controller down and raised from the couch. "Of course, Chris. But only one," Buck said easily, a faint smile gracing his lips as he remembered the one time he had ignored Eddie's warnings, giving Chris half a box of cookies, then regretting his decision with a passion as the boy had been on a sugar rush until three in the morning.

Walking into the kitchen, Buck went to the cupboard he had prepared for Chris once it had become a common occurrence for the boy to spend the night at his house. Peanut butter, grape jelly, Cheez-It crackers, and other snacks occupying every available inch of the small space. And at the back, the box of cookies he had come searching for.

Last Christmas, Chris had spent a Saturday at his house while Eddie secretly went shopping for presents. After dinner, Buck had offered Chris a white fudge covered Oreo and the boy had loved it. The previous morning, Buck had rushed to three grocery stores trying to find more boxes of the Holiday Edition cookies. Now he made a point to only eat them with Chris and it had become their special treat.

Tonight as he opened the box to grab two cookies and then walked back to his living room, Buck absentmindedly wondered if Daniel had been an Oreo guy, or if maybe he had preferred Chips Ahoy!, or something else entirely.

"Here you go," Buck said, moving closer to Chris and setting the cookie and a glass of milk in front of him. He then sat back down on his side of the couch and sadly stared at his own Oreo.

"Thank you, uncle Buck," Chris said cheerfully, instantly reaching for the fudge covered delicacy. "One more round?" He asked innocently.

"Yeah…" Buck knew he should have said no, but selfishly, he welcomed the distraction and dreaded the moment he would again be alone with his thoughts. He hated to admit Eddie’s instincts had been spot-on and Christopher had been the right kind of distraction he needed that night. A 6 pack would have been less of a compromise but also a lot more destructive.

One round then turned into three, Chris' eyes beginning to close by the end of it, before a barely suppressed sniff woke him up. Pausing the game, he turned to his right with inquisitive eyes. "Are you okay, Evan? Why are you crying?" He asked, his voice barely above a whisper. His small hand moving to rest on Buck's knee.

Buck had been playing video games for years so the motion had become automatic even as his mind was a million miles away. Upon hearing Chris’ question, he shook his head, and for the first time noticed the blur of tears on his eyes. His fingers had continued to press the bottoms on the controller, following the game, but his mind had drifted back to Daniel as Buck wondered what it could have been like growing up with an older brother. One that introduced him to new games and fought the hard boss battles for him. Maddie had been great, but circumstances had turned her into more of a mother figure than a sister, and at that moment, Buck considered that he hadn’t just missed out on growing up with a big brother, but a real sister as well.

"Evan?" Christopher asked again, his eyes looking worried as the boy wondered if he should call his father.

Closing his eyes, and taking in a deep breath, Buck released it slowly as his eyes opened again. "Sorry, Chris. I'm alright. Didn't mean to worry you." Using the sleeve of his LAFD hoodie, Buck wiped the tears from his face and willed them to stop coming. "I just got some bad news recently."

Christopher nodded and moved to hug Buck, a steady hand drawing comforting circles on the firefighter's back, his head resting on his shoulder.

The pair stayed like that for a few minutes, until Buck pulled back, and just stared at Christopher. With a smile, Buck fixed Chris' glasses which had become crooked after the impromptu hug, then moved his hand to the boy's disheveled curls. "Thank you, Chris."

"You're welcome, Evan. When I got bad news about my mommy, all I wanted was a hug…” Chris began to explain awkwardly, his feet shuffling on the spot. “Just thought it could help you too." He finished matter-of-factly, even though no explanation was ever really necessary for such a declaration of affection.

Buck smiled and ruffled Chris' hair. "You're a very smart boy, do you know that?"

"My daddy says I'm too smart for my own good," Chris said simply, then scrunched his face. "I’m not sure I understand what that means, but daddy says it a lot."

Buck couldn’t help the chuckle that escaped him. "You will know soon enough, buddy. Don't worry about it. Now time to go to bed."

"Okay, Evan." Chris agreed easily, turning the game off as he stood to follow Buck. Then something came to him and he lifted his hand to stop Buck’s progress. “Wait here,” he said before he moved to the kitchen, coming back a few minutes later with an ice pack in his hand. Without saying anything else he carefully pressed it to Buck’s injured side and used his other hand to move Buck’s to hold it in place.

Buck sighed as soon as the cold began to alleviate the throbbing on his side, then raised his eyebrows in a silent question.

Chris shrugged. “Daddy never wants to use it, but I have learned to notice when he needs one.” He explained shily, looking up at Buck from under his glasses.

Buck smiled sheepishly, wondering who needed the other more, Christopher or Eddie. But who was he kidding, he needed the both of them even more. “Thanks bud. Now let's go.”

Fifteen minutes later, teeth brushed and pajamas on, Christopher was lying comfortably in Buck's guest room. "Good night, Evan. Thank you for letting me stay tonight."

"Thank you, Chris," Buck said emotionally, before a sudden thought occurred to him. "You never really call me Evan. Why now?"

"When my daddy and I have a serious conversation, he always calls me Christopher, and often when I overhear him talking to abuela, she calls him Edmundo. So Evan made sense for our serious talk. I..." Chris explained simply, the rest of his sentence ending in a yawn as his eyes finally closed and his breathing evened out.

Too smart for his own good, indeed. Buck thought to himself as he turned off the lights and walked out of the room with a sincere smile on his face. Chris’ ice pack still tightly pressed to his side.

Maybe life had taken a brother away, but fate had gifted him a teammate that had turned into an older brother and it had only taken a night with his nephew to remember. Eddie would never replace what Daniel could have been but Buck was still infinitely grateful to have him in his life.

-x-x-x-

The next morning Buck woke up feeling lighter than the days before.

After taking a quick shower, he went to his guest bedroom and woke Chris up, then made his way to the kitchen. By the time the boy sat down at the kitchen table, showered, dressed and ready for school, Buck already had two plates of eggs and toast ready for them. The two then ate in comfortable silence until Chris reached down to his pocket and slid his hand towards Buck. Setting two pills on the table and a tube of antibiotic cream. A determined and proud smile on his face.

Buck returned the smile and downed the two pills, but waited until he was alone to apply the cream. Chris didn’t need to see his wound, as minor as the burn had been, and worry about the same thing, or worse, happening to his dad.

When Chris went back to his room to pick up his school supplies, Buck did quick work of rubbing the cream and redressing the wound, then took it to his bathroom cabinet, where Chris had most likely taken it from. Or at least that’s what he thought. If he was being honest with himself, it had been quite a while since he last used it. Not that there hadn’t been injuries in between…

During the drive to school Chris resumed his conversation about the science fair, and Buck offered to help him finish his presentation this weekend. Chris gladly agreed and offered Buck to be a part of the stories he would share. After all, every superhero needed a sidekick.

Buck had to bite his lip not to argue that last statement, feeling lucky just to be included.

“Goodbye, uncle Buck.” Chris then said when Buck parked in front of his school. “I will see you this weekend.”

“Bye, buddy. Have a good day.” Buck replied with a smile, and, only when Chris had closed the door and was walking to the school’s front doors, he added to himself, And thank you. As it turned out, it wasn’t only Eddie who had good instincts.

-x-x-x-

Parking in his usual spot and walking towards LAFD Station 118, Buck could see Eddie standing at the front of the apparatus bay. His feet shuffling nervously, much like Christopher did when he was nervous.

“Morning,” Buck said as he came to stand next to his best friend.

“About last night, I can explain.” The words began rushing out of Eddie as soon as he parted his lips. “I didn’t mean to ambush you. Or well, I did. But...”

Lifting his hand in a placating gesture, Buck shook his head, then moved his arm over Eddie’s shoulder, engulfing him in an awkward side hug. “No need to explain. Thank you.”

“So it went well?” Eddie asked, feigning surprise.

“Better than well,” Buck admitted. “You’re one lucky dad, Christopher is a great kid.”

“We’re both lucky. And not only because we have each other,” Eddie said in a rare display of affection, his arm going over the shoulder of the best friend that had become his little brother.

Side-by-side Buck and Eddie then walked home.

Evan Buckley had been born a savior sibling, and even if life had made it that he couldn't save Daniel, that didn't mean he hadn’t saved many others along the way. And however broken his past was, it had led him here.

It also meant that now he had a big brother looking down on him from heaven, and one standing right by his side.

[princessfbi]

Bookshop AU + Character in Peril but for Madney Plssss

Bookshop AU + Character in Peril but for Madney

You, Nonnie, are speaking my language!

First Lines:

Maddie didn't understand how Buck always managed to lose his math book in their very own bookstore but he did. Every Monday morning she was left scouring their wide shelves of their tiny corner store looking for the wide brimmed spine with plastic red coloring that should stand out like a beacon in the middle of the second hand romance section but instead it blended in and stayed hidden from view.

The smell of the coffee that Buck was brewing to try and make up for again losing his math book was enough to ease some of the panic that itched under her skin as the press for time ticked down.

If you had told her that at age twenty-five she would own and operate her dream bookstore with a small cafe tucked in the side then she would've swooned on the spot and gotten lost in the fantasy.

If you'd told her that she would've taken her then twelve year old brother with her and ran across the country with only a handful of bags, a collection of collectable books she'd been saving since she was fifteen, and bruises on her skin that hurt down into her heart then she would've frozen up in terror.

If you'd told her that she would be looking for a sixteen year old's math book and found it sitting next to a copy of Little Women and a dog eared sun baked hardback of an Agatha Christie anthology then she would've laughed in your face.

Premise:

When Maddie flees from Hershey, PA and her abusive fiancé, Doug, she takes only what was important. Her passport, her few keepsakes, a handful of first editions she started accumulating when was she fifteen, and her twelve year old brother. With her parents trapped in their grief and hiding from Doug, Maddie and Buck arrive to the West Coast looking for a new start. Eventually, Maddie is able to open a small bookstore/cafe with an apartment above the store.

One day a cute guy walked in and ordered two coffees and a scone before taking a seat at the small table by the window so he could watch the door.

By the time he finished his scone and was halfway through the second coffee, it became painfully obvious that he'd been stood up. Taking pity on him, Maddie offers him another cup of coffee and that's how she finds out his name. Howie or Chimney as his friends call him. He's a firefighter paramedic and he'd raced him after a twenty-four hour shift to make it to a date with a girl who was more interested in the uniform than she was Chim.

It took Chimney three minutes to get Maddie to laugh. Full belly, tears streaming down her face laughing. She couldn't remember the last time anyone other than Buck got her to laugh that hard. It was nice to laugh again.

They spend hours chatting with Chimney watching as Maddie stood and took care of the store before dropping back down to pick up their conversation. She opens up about why she loves books so much and the comfort they bring. She grew up in a tomb from an age where she could remember what it was like to see light. Books were her escape; her chance to remember what light was like.

When Buck comes back from school he finds Maddie and Chimney totally wrapped up in each other. Chimney, a little confused as to why Maddie has a tall gangly sixteen year old, makes his excuses but asks if Maddie would be interested in getting dinner sometime.

Maddie, a little hesitant since she hasn't dated anyone since Doug, freezes and Buck answers for her.

"Yes," he says. "She's definitely interested."

"You only want me to go so I'll bring you leftovers."

So Maddie and Chimney get closer and it's incredibly soft and romantic and everything they deserve. Chimney takes Buck under his wing and introduces him Bobby and the firehouse. He notices the little hiccups that come with the Buckleys. How Maddie shuts down sometimes when she's feeling pressured. How Buck panics when he thinks he's messed up. But slowly Chimney's family takes in the Buckley family.

And it's good. Everything is good.

Then Doug comes to town.

Additional Notes:

There is something about the idea of Buck calling Maddie in tears because Doug has him that I wish we had gotten and if I wrote this AU that would happen (this is also because I would like to see a twist on the whole Domestic Abuse victim being the person in peril and instead would have the abuser underestimate them and have them go fucking feral because you know JLH would act the hell out of it)

Literally if Doug touched a single hair on Buck's head Maddie would've started swinging and I stand on this hill with my iced coffee like the stubborn Scottish Midwestern that I am

Maddie for Chimney's birthday does a 'Book that's like A Movie' display and it's totally cheesy and Chimney loves it

Feel like Doug would try to burn the bookstore down because he's a dick

Christmas at the bookshop is magical because Maddie literally makes it look like it came straight out of a Hallmark movie

The entire aesthetic is Madney with fairy lights and warm fires and joy. So much joy.

Maybe this would take place like starting at Thanksgiving and goes towards Christmas

Send me two (2) tropes from this list + a ship and I’ll describe how I’d combine them in the same story.