Chapter Text
Chimney was furious – spiralling hard, not even sure what he was saying anymore but utterly convinced of his own beliefs.
Doug was alive, he had taken Maddie!
But that wasn't possible, Doug should be dead – the others had told him that, and he knew it.
But Maddie was gone, and Buck was lying to him.
Maddie was gone – she thought she was a bad mother! But that wasn't true, it wasn't! She needed Chimney, he was the only one who could help her!
Buck had NO RIGHT keeping information from him!
“N-now, Chimney, hey come on!” Buck's hands were up, placating him, but Chimney didn't care. “S-she didn't tell me anything!” LIAR! He was always lying, the worthless piece of shit! Why Chim ever put up with him… Maddie was right, God, he was so needy. “J-just asked me to make sure you were OK!”
That did it.
Chimney's fist drew back and then flew forwards, socking his girlfriend's brother, the mother of his child's brother, right in the eye.
Buck dropped like a stone, but Chimney paid it no mind.
“Do I look like I'm OK?!” He snarled, then whirled and stormed out of that damn loft apartment, slamming the door behind him and trembling all over as he stalked back to his car.
God, he hated Buck sometimes!
Behind him, back in that apartment that filled with light, Evan Buckley lay where he had fallen.
Chimney didn't look back – it never even crossed his mind.
Left alone in the apartment, tossed aside like yesterday's trash, unworthy of even a basic check when he hadn't so much as twitched after dropping from the trained paramedics punch – Evan Buckley's heart slowed to a stop.
His breathing stopped.
His brain bled.
And alone, utterly alone, he passed on from this world – a world of friends and family who would turn against him before they learned of this.
Who would blame HIM for the ‘little love tap’ Chimney had given him, when Buck ‘grabbed him’, when he ‘tried to stop me from helping Maddie!’
A world of so-called friends who wouldn't even realise he was gone – he was dead – until after he didn't turn up for his next scheduled shift.
Evan Buckley died alone and forgotten, shouldering the emotional baggage of a team who rarely showed up for him when he actually needed them, but who were more than happy to judge and criticize in the name of apparent ‘love’.
A team who in the coming days and months, for once, would have to reckon with their own mistakes and prejudices, deal with their own baggage for once instead of passing it all off onto the convenient scapegoat to hold before skipping merrily off into the sunset together.
Because no one bothered to check on Buck.
Buck was unable to call Eddie over his bruised eye – Buck was dead – so Eddie did not go over to Buck's after speaking with Chimney.
Chimney admitted to catching Buck in the face with his elbow to Hen, knowing that there would probably be a bruise – he knew how hard he had hit – and knowing Hen was far more likely to believe him than that idiot white boy anyway so getting his own version out there first.
With one punch, Chimney ruined more than one life – and he would never be able to take it back.
Bobby sighed, checking his watch yet again and shaking his head.
God, he had hoped Buck had grown up – what the hell was he doing not showing up for work?! He was never late, and honestly, firefighting – the 118 – that was his life! Or so he claimed.
So what the hell stunt was he pulling now?
It had better not be because of Chimney… If Buck was…was… boycotting, or something, because he disagreed with Chimney helping Maddie…!
Hen had explained it – how Buck had known full well where Maddie was, how she had called him before she left L.A. but Buck hadn't bothered to tell Chimney.
How Chimney had confronted him about it, and Buck had tried to stop him leaving to go after her.
As if Buck knew her better than Chimney! Sure, he was her little brother, but like Chimney said, they hadn’t had much contact through their adult lives – not until Maddie had moved to L.A. after Doug.
Chimney was the one she spoke to and shared her secrets with, finally having someone stable and trustworthy to share her life with – and not wanting to share with her little brother, knowing better than to rely on him too much.
That much was obvious through Maddie's sharing Daniel with Chimney, rather than Buck – through Maddie speaking with Chimney about what Doug had put her through, while lying to placate Buck.
So for Buck to throw a childish tantrum over their relationship – which he had never seemed all that thrilled about, actually – inserting himself into it? Well, Bobby figured he should have expected something – Buck spiralled, not knowing how to deal with things like an adult. It was what he did, and Maddie had shared many stories about his inability to deal with things over the years as well.
But he hadn't expected Buck to not bother turning up for work – hell, he would have known Chim wouldn't be here anyway by what Hen had told him!
Dialling the man again, he sighed as he was sent straight to voicemail.
He didn't bother leaving one or even listening to the recording all the way through – just hung up and decided that he was done protecting Buck from the consequences of his own actions.
He had been lenient so far, giving him the benefit of the doubt – perhaps he was stuck in traffic and that was why he was running late!
But really, basic decency would have told him to call Bobby to let him know by now, or just answering the damn phone when Bobby called instead of repeatedly sending him straight to voicemail.
He was supposed to be on shift today, wasn't he?
Sighing, Bobby headed to his office to mark the annoyance as no call no show in the system.
Let Buck explain that to HR since he couldn't be bothered to explain himself to Bobby!
“Hey, has anyone heard from Chimney?” Eddie asked later that day, as they all gathered around the table for family dinner, loading up their plates. “Did he get off alright?”
“Yeah, I saw him off,” Hen supplied. “Offered to go with him, but he was determined to do it alone.”
“Man, I can't even imagine,” Eddie sighed. “I mean, I know I came here after Shannon with Chris, but I at least kinda knew where she was, and Chris was a lot older than Jee! Does he have any idea where she might be? He didn't seem to when I spoke to him the other day…”
Around the table, people paused their eating, confused and mildly dreading and unable to believe just what they were hearing.
The core group – what was left of them – didn't notice.
“He said he had a lead – Maddie withdrew a bunch of cash at a bank a couple cities over, so he's going to start there,”
Eddie's brow furrowed slightly. “How'd he know that?”
“Oh, her bank statement arrived before he left I think,”
“Ah right – makes sense,”
“Wait, what?” Tanika cut in, staring at them with her fork suspended half way to her mouth. “Back up, back up. What the actual fuck are you talking about right now?”
“Chimney?” Hen looked at her with judging admonishment, as if unable to believe Tanika was not up to date on and fully on board with whatever insanity was going on with that lot now. “And Maddie? She skipped town the other week?”
Ravi, whom the baby had been handed off to, shrank back slightly in his seat, and tried to be as silent and inconspicuous as possible – Chimney had not been impressed with him at the time and had made his displeasure known, and Ravi really didn't want to be the subject of anyone's wrath over that again any time soon.
Thankfully, no one commented.
“No, yeah, I know that. He's on FMLA leave to look after the kid, right?” She stared Hen, Bobby and Eddie down. “Right? Because from the way you're talking, it sounds like he has left town and that the three of you knew about it. Encouraged it.”
Hen rolled her eyes. “Of course he's left town! He's on leave to go find Maddie.”
Tanika – and several others– stared.
“I'm sorry,” Tanika said, voice full of fake pleasantness. “Could you repeat that?”
“Chimney had gone to find Maddie and bring her home, Tanika,” Bobby spoke up sternly. “She seems to think she's a danger to her child, and she needs to know that that isn't true. She's a wonderful mother.”
“And does Chimney know where she is?” Jones asked.
Bobby sighed. “As Hen said, he has a lead.”
“Right. A lead. From… looking at her bank statement?”
“That's what he told me,” Hen said impatiently.
"Is it a joint account?"
"No, why would it be? Maddie had a settlement from Doug, or something, they were keeping it saved,"
“So he… opened her mail.”
“Well, obviously!”
“Right. You do know that's a federal crime, right?”
“Don't be ridiculous! They're partners!”
“Still a federal crime, Wilson.”
“Hold up hold up hold up!” Tanika waved her fork around to gather the groups attention. “Yes, it is a crime, and yes, it is seriously messed up that none of you seem to have a problem with that and that Han even did it in the first place. But bigger immediate issue! Where the hell is the baby?!”
Hen sighed, sounding beyond done with this. “With her father, obviously!”
Eddie wasn't sure why they were suddenly all being stared at in disbelief and no small amount of mounting horror. What?
“And you say you were there when he skipped town Wilson?!”
“Well, obviously, what of it?” Hen asked impatiently.
Tanika just looked between Bobby and Eddie, as if searching for some sense but finding none. Rude. “And you two knew about this as well?!”
“Of course.”
“Yeah?”
“And none of you thought to stop him?!”
Eddie rolled his eyes. “Why the hell would we stop him? He needs to find Maddie!"
“What about what Maddie needs? What about what Jee-Yun needs?!”
“Maddie needs to know she's a good mother, and Jee needs her mom,” Hen snapped back. “What the hell is your problem, Tanika? God, you sound just like Buck! Chim told me he tried to stop him leaving too!”
“Well thank God, one of you with common sense!”
“Hey now!” Bobby cut in, authoritative and censoring. “That's uncalled for Tanika.”
“Seriously.” Jones was staring around at them in disbelief. “All three of you think that this is in any way a good idea?”
Eddie rolled his eyes. “Man, she's his partner – the mother of his child. Why shouldn't he go after her?”
“Oh bloody hell Diaz, please tell me you are not projecting your own issues onto this! Your situation and theirs are not at all the same thing!”
His hackles instantly raised at this, Eddie opened his mouth to respond but Ravi beat him to it.
“Why is it such a bad idea?” He asked quietly. “I mean, aside from ignoring Maddie's wishes. It just… it feels… wrong, I guess?”
“Because it is.” Tanika responded grimly. “And as first responders, these three should know that.”
“What's that supposed to mean?!”
“Seriously? OK, that baby is – what? A few months old? And he is going to – what is his plan exactly? Travel around the country, presumably by car, just randomly roaming until he maybe happens to find Maddie? Is he going to stick to the recommended limit for babies to be in a car seat? Cause, gotta be honest, with how he's seemed since she was born and definitely the last week or so, I do not see him obeying that. So that's already dangerous for Jee-Yun's development. Tummy time? Socialisation? Any of these very important things ringing any bells for you people?! And even beyond that – he has no support out there. Just him, and a baby. Yeah, sure, that's going to go well…
“Also, this is the same Maddie we're talkng about, yes? The one who was stalked across the country by her abusive husband, and who had to kill him in self defence? That Maddie? The Maddie who specifically told Chimey to stay here and look after their daughter? That Maddie?”
Eddie blinked. Those… were pretty good points, actually. But he was sure Chim would have taken it into consideration! He knew Madie and what she was currently going through best, after all. He would know if what he was doing was hazardous for her mental health or not – and no way would he ever endanger Jee!
“Didn't Chimey refuse to sign the birth certificate too?” Martinez spoke up. “Something about needing a son or he loses his dad's money? That was A Thing for a while there, right? Or did he get over that?”
Eddie looked over at Hen, who was far more likely to know. She was frowning.
“What has that got to do with anything?” She demanded.
“Well, if he's not on her birth certificate, if he hasn't claimed her as his kid, then he has no legal right to her, does he,” Martinez pointed out. “So if you think about it, he could be charged with kidnapping in addition to his opening Maddie's mail illegally.”
“That's ridiculous! And anyway, Maddie specifically said she wanted him to take care of Jee! There's video evidence!”
“Yeah, saying to stay here, right? Lean on his family? We've all seen that video, God knows the guy obsessed over it often enough. She did not give him permission to leave the city or the state with her daughter, and he has no legal right to make that decision for himself if he never bothered to file the paperwork declaring himself her father. Which, from what he's said around here, he has not done.”
…no. No, that couldn't be true – could it?
Shit, Eddie hoped Chim had actually decided to do that paperwork.
Well – it wasn't as if Maddie would actually file kidnapping charges! That was utterly ridiculous, this was her partner, the father of her child!
No, Eddie was sure Maddie would understand.
“Even if he hasn't filed the paperwork, Maddie would never have him charged with that,” He pointed out. “She knows why he hasn't signed it.”
“What, you think she'll have nothing to say on him not only disregarding her wishes, but actively endangering her baby?”
Hen sighed, sounding fed up. “No one is endangering anyone, Martinez! Maddie left because she felt she was a danger, her PPD making her believe it! Chimney knows she isn't, and he knows he needs to show her that too!”
There was a long moment of silence, as everyone just stared at each other.
“...hold up. Are you telling us she is actually diagnosed with PPD?”
“Well, of course. She was diagnosed not long after Jee was born,” Hen said impatiently.
“And you knew about this?”
“Chimney told me –”
“Right.” Tanika looked absolutely furious, and Eddie had no idea why. Honestly, this was the first he was hearing confirmed Maddie was diagnosed as well. “And you, trained paramedic that you are, decided not to say anything when she was left alone with a baby during the blackout?! I mean, a few of us,” She gestured between those who were not in the core firefam, nodding along with her, “Had already filed concerns about Chimney's mental health – concerns which you ignored, Captain Nash – but we had no idea how much Maddie was struggling! Hell, it wasn't until after the blackout that we realised she had been alone all that time!”
“Hey, Chimney checked in with her as often as he could!”
“And threatened Buck over it,” Ravi spoke quietly, and Eddie looked over at him in surprise.
Wait, what? Just what had been going on recently? Buck hadn't mentioned anything about that to him… Then again, Eddie had been busy recently. And what with breaking up with Ana and spending time with Chris then everything with Chim… well, he hadn't actually seen Buck much recently now that he thought about it. Huh.
Hen was waving aside Ravi's comment dismissively. “That's completely irrelevant Probie. Point is, Maddie wasn't alone! Chimney called when he could!”
“Yes she damn well was alone! Look, I understand that Chimey has clearly not been thinking clearly – God knows I've personally reported him often enough. And yes, Nash, I have gone over your head to do that since you haven't been taking any of our concerns seriously. The man has a long documented history of anger issues, and he's been increasingly erratic recently – I don't trust that he's safe on the job right now, and I sure as hell do not think he is safe with that baby!”
“That is completely uncalled for!” Hen cut in, furious. “There is nothing wrong with Chimney, he's just been a little stressed recently! I should know, I've been helping him!”
“If you were helping him, then why the hell did you not suggest to him that Maddie stay with someone during the blackout?” Tanika snapped right back. “The whole city was not affected, I'm sure she could have gone somewhere with power, or hell, someone could have gone to her! Had I known she was alone, I would have called in a wellness check for her – you know, that thing that is procedure for just such cases?! Why did you let him isolate them both so much?! And don't you dare blame COVID! If you actually knew about this all along, then you deserve to be reported too! You can't just pick and choose when people get help!”
“You are completely out of line, Tanika! You're making it sound so much worse than it is! Chimney and Maddie were doing fine. Maddie just had a scare with Jee, and now she's run away because she thinks she's a danger to her daughter! And instead of convincing her to stay, Buck helped her run!”
“Wait, what does Buck have to do with this?” Jones questioned. “Everyone knows he doesn't know what's going on with his sister – Chimney’s certainly bragged often enough about not having him around. And the blackout wasn't even the first time he's threatened the guy with not seeing his niece! I don't think he's even seen her more than a handful of times,”
Hen rolled her eyes. “Chimney's looking out for his kid – and having Buck around a baby would not be looking out for her! Maddie didn't need that extra stress. And Chim told me Buck knows where Maddie is, and tried to stop Chimney going after her. Which he had no right to do!”
“Wait, Buck knew?” Eddie asked, eyebrows furrowing. “I thought Maddie wasn't speaking to him? Chim said that, didn't he?”
“Apparently Buck and Maddie spoke on the phone when she left. Chim told me he found out when he went to Buck's to ask about Jee going to the doctors. He was furious, and rightfully so!”
“Buck didn't say anything to me,” Eddie frowned. “He's been worried about her – said he has no idea where she is, but that she needs the time for herself. That this is what she does.”
“Well, he was obviously lying. He knows, but he refused to tell Chimney. Even tried to physically stop him from leaving! Got an accidental elbow to the face for it too – serves him right.”
Before anything else could be said, the siren went off overhead, causing them all to abandon food and conversation alike as they raced into action.
Somehow, Eddie didn't think that would be the end of it.
He was right.
Eddie sighed as he got home, drained from a long shift. He'd missed Buck at his back, having forgotten the guy wasn't scheduled to be on shift today. He'd texted him earlier, and left a couple voice mails (they may have been less than friendly after what they had been talking about at the station, but Eddie was sure Buck wouldn't mind) but the other man hadn't replied.
Dios, Eddie hoped he wasn't sulking over the whole Maddie and Chimney thing. Eddie did not have the mental capacity to pat his feelings at the moment, God knew he had enough going on at the moment without dealing with Buck's emoting and spiralling too.
Right now, he planned to have a quick bite to eat, then collapse in bed for the next however long until he needed to leave to pick up his son.
Unfortunately, he only got as far as dumping his work bag by the washing machine – to be dealt with later, procrastination of house work related tasks was far too easily done, it had to be said – before there was a knock on the door.
Eddie groaned.
Any chance he could just… pretend he wasn't in?
Then again, his truck was in the drive – and that knock had been timed pretty well unless it was a coincidence: had someone come by earlier, but had decided to wait until he was home upon realising he wasn't in?
Then again, he mused as he slouched irritably back down the hall, if it was someone he knew then they would get the message he didn't want to see anyone if he just ignored it.
Hell, if it was someone he knew, then they would surely be able to reasonably presume he would already have potentially fallen asleep, given he had just got off shift?
Oh dios mio, what if it was Ana?!
OK, so she hadn't actually turned up at his house since he had broken up with her, but he knew it wasn't something she had wanted, and she had messaged a couple times, asking if they could talk.
What if she had decided to come in person?
Much as he didn't want to admit it – and wouldn't be, to anyone outside the sanctity of his own mind (which even he could admit, again only to himself, had been a more miserable place than usual since the shooting, but he was fine) – Eddie really couldn't be bothered with a girlfriend right now. Sure, it had been nice having Ana around – she was good with kids since she was a teacher, she was good looking, his parents were thrilling when he told them about her, she could be good for Chris… Eddie was sure he could probably have come to love her at some point? Though it had been nice to have someone so willing to have physical contact around that he didn't feel (too) weird about.
It wasn't as if he could just say to Buck he wanted a cuddle, now was it – Buck being the person who was most often around, and whom Eddie was pretty comfortable with in his space.
But with Ana, there was no convention or anything against cuddling with your girlfriend. Sure, Eddie could never be the one to ask – he was the man, after all, and that just wouldn't be manly; Ana (any woman, really) would probably have dropped him instantly if he had come across as so needy. Thankfully, Ana seemed to like being physically with him, and cuddled up whenever she had the chance.
Sure, he didn't always like it, but he could put up with it. And the sex had been… decent, he supposed. It was nice to have the opportunity again, awkward as it was at times working it around Chris and dating someone who had a teachers schedule.
Shannon had been much easier to meet up with, around their respective schedules for some adult time. He had compared Ana a lot to Shannon, though mostly, again, in the safety of his own head.
All that to say – he really hoped that wasn't Ana on the other side of his front door; he did not have the mental capacity to deal with her right now.
Peering through the peephole, he didn't recognise either of the people standing on his front step.
Ah well, what the hell.
Eddie wrenched the front door open, and scowled darkly at his visitors. He wanted them gone, then he wanted his bed. “Whatever you're selling, I'm not interested.” He snapped.
His tone did not seem to deter either of them in the slightest. Rude.
“Edmundo Diaz?”
Ugh.
“Eddie. Like I said – not interested.” He went to slam the door, but found himself aborting the movement as the two produced ID badges in a very practiced, official looking way.
Those… were not salesperson identifications…
“Special Agents X and Y of NCIS. May we come in please?”
Eddie's eyes narrowed. “NCIS? Isn't that Navy cops?”
“We are, indeed, ‘Navy cops’.” Eddie could hear the air quotes around the two words, and had a feeling that if the man had been anywhere else than on his job, then he would have been rolling his eyes. “May we come in?”
“Why?” Eddie asked suspiciously. “I was army, not navy – I have nothing to do with you,”
“We're not here for your military past, Mr Diaz. May we please come in? This isn't generally a conversation people like to have on their front step.”
Eddie considered for a moment, but ultimately decided he was not letting cops – of any kind – inside his house without a warrant or a damn good reason. He had been brought up never to answer the door to law enforcement officials, and definitely not to let them inside – everyone knew how law enforcement felt about people of Mexican heritage, and Eddie wasn't stupid enough to think that L.A. would be better than the Hispanic populated areas of El Paso that he had frequented growing up. “What's this about?” He asked, honestly seeing no legitimate reason for these people to be standing in front of him asking to come in right now.
He had had nothing to do with the Navy, and he didn't even know anyone in it!
The lead agent (he assumed) sighed slightly, but nodded. “Very well. We're here to ask you some questions about the murder of Evan Buckley.”
Eddie was glad he was still holding onto the door, as he felt his stomach drop out though his shoes and his knees begin to buckle.
He had… surely he has misheard that?! Right?!