Chapter Text
Prologue
Buck’s world stopped on November 14th, 2024. He had thought to himself before, how could time ever stop again like it did during the pandemic? Then almost everyone he knew and loved, his family, just… blipped. Towards the end of a 24 hour shift, on November 14th, 2024, approximately 50% of the human population blipped from existence. They were there and then they weren’t. When Buck heard the estimated percentage on a documentary that came out around 2026, he thought to himself how he could only have been so lucky to have 50% of the people he knew disappear. There was no rhyme or reason to who it was. Some people Buck knew didn’t lose anyone close to them and then there were people like Buck. People like Buck, who lost almost everyone. Hen, Karen, Athena, Chimney, Maddie, and if the universe wasn’t cruel enough already, Eddie. In a literal blink of an eye they were gone.
Bobby wasn’t on shift when it happened. Bobby was standing in a field him and Athena just closed on to build their dream home. He would sob to Buck a few days later that he had her in his arms, he had her and then… nothing. Eddie wasn’t on shift either. Eddie, who was more excited and full of life then Buck had seen in years, was cleaning his house in preparation for Chris’ return from Texas. Maddie was at dispatch. Karen was at the lab. Hen and Chim were cracking up next to the ambulance about the call they just returned from. Buck was standing on the steps to the loft of the firehouse when the laughing ceased so abruptly he turned to look and there was…. Nothing. Buck called and called their names, he broke into a sprint around the firehouse. Nothing. That’s when the bell went off and they didn’t stop.
The world was in chaos. He worked an impromptu additional 24 hours on top of the one he just finished. Car crashes, plane crashes, five alarm fires, children abandoned in their homes, the worst possible day imaginable. As often as he could in between emergencies, Buck was rotating through trying to get a hold of his people. He called Bobby, then Hen, then Chim, then Maddie, and lastly Eddie. Over and over, but only Bobby eventually returned his call. Buck had only heard the man so broken once before, the morning after the plane crash during his probie year. He sobbed to Buck that he couldn’t find Athena, he was more informed then Buck who was too busy on shift to watch the news. People were gone from everywhere. He was still so in shock he couldn’t comprehend that everyone else, his people, were probably, just, gone.
On hour 48 the LAFD fire chief asked for any additional firefighters to stay on shift if at all possible. He was ready to sign up for the call to keep his mind preoccupied until he realized, if Eddie was gone, really gone, someone needed to get Chris. Not only did someone need to get him, he would be Buck’s responsibility now. His ward… his son. No, Buck couldn’t let himself spiral down that path. He looked to Ravi, a drained and exhausted version of his friend, who knew automatically that Buck wasn’t going to be able to stay. He simply shook his head yes, just enough of an approval for Buck to go. So he did. He tried calling and calling, but the phone lines were down from the extensive use that they had been put to by, well, everyone.
“Think Buck, think.” He took a deep breath and started rewinding the tapes in his head. And fuck. Chris was on a flight from El Paso. He was on a flight home. Buck floored it to LAX as best he could, avoiding the crashes, the out red lights, the intense chaos that was the streets of LA. Buck prayed to a God he wasn’t familiar with that Chris was not on a flight that had lost it’s pilots and if he was then he prayed that there was an Athena Grant on that flight that landed it.
LAX was more akin to the zoo. He was surprised they were even letting people in the door, but it appeared security had abandoned their posts given all flights were most certainly grounded.
“What airline was he on?” Buck whispered to himself as he tucked into a corner at the front entrance trying to think.
That’s right, he was on SouthWest. Eddie knew it was more reliable, albeit more expensive too. As a welcome home present, Buck shelled out to cover half the cost to not only make sure Chris was comfortable, but that Eddie was too. Buck spotted the SouthWest counter and ran as fast as his legs would take him. He slowed only when he reached the counters, but before he had a chance to hone in his search he heard his name.
“BUCK!” Christopher shouted from behind the counter. A desk agent had gathered a group of children to wait on the conveyor belts.
“CHRIS!” Buck hurdled the weighing table and pulled him into this arms. Everything from the past two days catching up with him. He allowed just a few tears to fall on the young boys shirt. Or more like young man, Chris was gone for months and he really came into his own on his time away.
“Where - where’s dad? Is he here?” Buck pulled away and gripped Chris’ shoulders. He never was good at delivering bad news to Christopher. “No, no, no, no. Don’t… he can’t be.” Chris broke into a full on sob, collapsing on to Buck. They stayed like that for a few moments before Buck scooped up a still sobbing Chris on the right, his duffle on the left, and made his way back to the Jeep. On the car ride back to Buck’s loft he tried calling Chimney and Maddie both a dozen more times, when that failed Buck took an abrupt shift in route to head to Jee’s daycare.
“Stay here, Chris.” The boy had taken to staring out the window aimlessly, but managed to give Buck a slight head nod. Buck took off jogging up the hill to Jee’s daycare and was relieved to find her in the playroom being watched by an adult with a few other children.
“Uncle Buck!” She exclaimed when she saw him and ran towards him. He did his best to pull it together for the five year old.
“My favorite girl!” He met her short stride halfway and scooped her into his arms, hugging her tighter then he meant.
“Uncle Buck! Where’s mommy?” His heart sank again. He looked at the teacher who was completely out of it for some kind of assist. Her eyes never looked up from the spot on the floor.
“Mommy is… Mommy is away for a little bit. We can talk about that later. Why don’t you go get you backpack?” He set her back down and watched her pad away to her cubbie.
“Hi, I’m Buck. Jee-yun’s uncle. I think…. Ummm… her mom and dad… went away. I should be on the approved pick up list. Can I take her home?” The lady finally looked up and nodded her head yes. Not even bothering to check the list. Buck felt horrible. Wanted to ask what he could do to help. Wanted to know how long she’d been there. And oh God, he never considered the possibility that children disappeared. This poor teacher probably watched some of the kids disappear in front of her eyes. He just nodded back and put Jee in the back of the Jeep.
He felt so irresponsible for not having Jee in a car seat, but it’s not like he really anticipated any part of today. He finally got Chris and Jee back safe and sound in the loft. He set Jee up to color and had Chris curled up in one of his old LAFD hoodies watching a documentary with promises to talk more later. Finally around 7 p.m. the phone lines started working again.
“Buck! Please tell me you know what’s going on. I can’t get a hold of mom or Bobby. Harry called me crying because dad… disappeared. Have you spoken to mom or Bobby?” May frantically yells into the phone. He walks away from Chris and into the kitchen to answer.
“I - I spoke to Bobby yesterday, but with the phone lines down I haven’t heard from him since. He -“ Buck’s voice faltered, hating he was the one that had to tell May about Athena.
“So mom is gone too.” Her voice cracked on the end of her sentence. “Buck, what, what do I do?” He thought for a second. No doubt May should not sit in her dorm alone tonight.
“Come to my loft. I have Jee and Chris here and —“ Buck froze. He knew Hen disappeared and if Karen did too then…. Denny and Mara would still be stuck at school. “Hey, actually I need you to come here as soon as you can. I have Jee and Chris, but - but I need to go look for Denny and Mara.”
“Wait Hen’s gone too? What about -“ Buck cut her off.
“I’m going to call Karen when we hang up, but please come to the loft. You shouldn’t be alone tonight.”
Karen did not pick up.
About 20 minutes passes before May arrives with a tear streaked face and Buck pulls her in for the tightest hug he can without crushing her smaller frame. Relief washing over him having another one of the 118 children in his arms. Here… not gone.
“Buck -“
“I know. I know. I’m sorry and we can talk when I get back but I have to check on Denny and Mara. Please.” He gestures to the two kids in his living room.
“I got it, Buck. Go!” She all but pushes him out of the door.
Another frantic drive, but with significantly less chaos on the roads, Buck arrives at the school Mara and Denny attend. All the lights are on and the school is bustling for 7:30 p.m. on a Friday night. Buck enters the front with a hoard of other adults. There’s a few teachers posted in the foyer repeating for them to go to the gym for reunification. When he enters the gym it’s filled to the brim with kids and adults a like. Some kids far too young to be at this school, almost like they bussed the elementary school over here as well. There’s parents sobbing on the floor in some spots. Buck finally finds a person with a clipboard.
“Hi. I’m Evan Buckley. I’m here for - for Denny and Mara Wilson?” The lady with the clipboard flips through a few pages and points in the direction to where they should be.
He pushes through a crowd of folks and for the fourth time today hears, “Buck!” It’s Denny who waits to help Mara up before they are running over to him. He audibly breathes a sigh. All the 118 children are safe and accounted for. If he didn’t have to hold it together for the Wilson siblings’ sake, he would have curled into a ball right there on the gym floor and sobbed. He brings them both in for a hug just like he shared with everyone else and pulled back for the inevitable question.
“Where’s mom and mama?” Denny asks. The look donning his features implies to Buck the young boy already seems to know the answer. Mara won’t even look up from the floor. Buck not strong enough to speak, simply shakes his head from side to side. Denny has silent tears slip out of the corner of his eyes and Mara continues to look at her shoes. Completely dissociating from reality.
“C’mon. Let’s get you guys out of here.” He returns to the lady with the clipboard to let her know he’s taking the kids. She confirms with Denny that he knows Buck before letting them walk out the door. Buck thinks to himself that these teachers are a little better off than the daycare worker he saw earlier in the day.
The loft was a somber scene upon their return. Chris, Jee, and May were bent over barely gnawing at slices of an old frozen pizza they must have found. Denny and Mara place their book bags on the ground and join at the bar top to do the same. Buck runs his fingers through his hair looking at the five kids at his kitchen island. Relieved they were fine, terrified of what’s next. He stood at the head of the table and did his best to explain what was happening. He tried to hold it together, but his voice cracked and some tears fell on his cheeks. The kids all ended up sobbing and all Buck could do was offer tissues and hugs. All but Mara accepted. Finally around midnight, he wrangled all the kids to sleep. Mara and Denny shared Buck’s bed upstairs. May took the couch. Chris and Jee were sharing the air mattress he found tucked away in his closet that hadn’t been used since Hen and Chimney slept on it during COVID. Buck stood in his kitchen glancing back and forth between all the places soft breathes emanated from.
“What am I gonna do?” Buck backed into his fridge, slowly sliding down. With one last shaky inhale, he let himself completely break for the first time.