41 | ❝ REBUILDING IS NEVER EASY... ❞

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CHAPTER FORTY ONE

❝ REBUILDING IS NEVER EASY... ❞

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[season 3, episode 5-6 + own storyline]

LISSIE POV

BUCK WANTED TO MAKE UP FOR HIS MISTAKES, AND LISSIE DECIDED TO HELP HIM. He needs to apologize to the entire team, and that couldn't be easy—she'd heard it in her father's conversation with Athena. He didn't comment on the fact that she was dating Buck, but she also tried not to mention it out loud, fearing his reaction.

"You could try cooking them something," Ian suggested when she met him and Buck for dinner. They did it as a thank you for actually being the one who allowed them to talk and sort things out.

Thanks to that, they decided to keep trying. And they were together.

"You know, the way to a man's heart is through the stomach," he continued, tucking into an extra portion of pasta. "As you can see, I wouldn't be offended by that myself."

"Because you eat everything up like a vacuum cleaner," Lissie joked, and Buck let out a short laugh. "But sometimes you say something smart."

"Yeah?"

Ian raised an eyebrow at her.

"It's a one-in-a-million thing, so don't overdo it."

"I don't know why you think that's a good idea, since I'm terrible at cooking," Buck replied, and Lissie looked away. "They'll just get more pissed off than let me apologize."

"I'm pretty sure you wouldn't do that yourself," Ian commented with amusement. Garcia finally leaned back in his chair and settled comfortably, resting his hands on his stomach. "This." He pointed at his empty plate. "Lissie, you know I adore you, right? But you're cooking even more."

"If I cook dinner for them, they'll know right away," Buck continued, unconvinced. "The whole 118th knows I'm bad at it, and Bobby and Rosie will recognize Lissie's cooking immediately."

Buck sighed heavily, and Lissie knew he missed the team. He wanted to fix this and get back to how things were before the lawsuit, but it might be a lot harder than he expected.

"It's the intention that counts." Lissie grabbed his hand. "How about I instruct you, and you do the rest? And you handle everything else; that is, you decide what you want to make them for dinner and do all the shopping."

"Sounds like a plan to me," Ian commented. "Even if you want, I can tell you the day the Captain calls for a shopping day. So you can meet up by chance."

"That's a terrible idea..."

"Please, let us know," Buck interrupted, and Lissie just rolled her eyes.

AS PROMISED, IAN LET THEM KNOW WHEN THE 118TH WOULD GO GROUP SHOPPING. Lissie didn't think it was a brilliant idea, but Buck insisted, supported by Ian, and somewhere in the middle of it all, the two suddenly became friends. She didn't complain because she was happy that her brother and boyfriend were getting along so well.

They were halfway through their shopping, in the baking aisle, when she first spotted her father's fire truck outside the window, and then the entire team, which had been deployed for special operations.

"Are you sure you want to have your first meeting with them after the hearings at the grocery store?" Lissie asked, just to be sure.

"There's nothing wrong with us shopping at this particular store... Just a coincidence. No one will notice."

"Shopping at a store eight miles from your apartment."

"Hardly anyone but you knows that."

He smiled innocently, and she just shook her head.

"I'm sure at least half the team..."

"You're exaggerating," he replied, kissing her cheek. "If something goes wrong, you can always say 'I told you so.' "

"Just to get you down and see that scolded look on your face? I think I'll give up."

"I'm not making a scolded face," he protested immediately, following her down the aisle.

Lissie just laughed.

For a moment, they chose the ingredients together, though it looked more like Lissie was searching the shelves, trying to find the best ones for cooking. But Buck was a quick learner, and she soon realized that all he had to do was describe exactly what they were looking for, and he would immediately spot it, often much faster than she herself.

"Buck?" A familiar voice interrupted their search. When they turned, Chim, Hen, and Rosie were staring at them in surprise.

"Hi," Buck said nervously. Lissie smiled at them and waved. "Who would have guessed... What are you doing here?"

Rosie looked at Lissie with a look that clearly said she wasn't buying this nonsense and knew perfectly well it was no accident.

"I could ask you the same thing," Bobby interjected, approaching the three. Eddie and Ian appeared right behind him. Garcia gave a subtle thumbs-up, and Lissie wanted to slap his friend over the head for his stupid idea.

"We were driving by," Lissie began, not wanting Buck to get any more upset. "And we stopped by to do some shopping."

"Completely by accident?" Rosie folded her arms across her chest, and Lissie just smiled at her innocently.

"Eight miles from your apartment, that's definitely a coincidence." Chim looked at Buck with narrowed eyes.

"Only here they have..." Buck began searching for some excuse that would confirm their presence at the same store as 118th, but he wasn't succeeding. "Okay, listen. I came to apologize to you about the lawsuit and what happened at the hearings. I didn't mean for things to turn out this way..."

"What did you expect?" Han interrupted sharply, surprising even Lissie.

She didn't know this side of him, and she understood that Chim must have been extremely angry with Buckley all along.

"Chim, stop it," Rosie quickly admonished him, not wanting to escalate the situation between the group, especially in public.

"No," Chim stepped forward, practically standing in front of Buck. "The lawsuit is one thing, but you were talking about our private matters."

"You have to be honest with a lawyer..." Buck defended himself, but that only infuriated Chim more. "Why are you so angry?"

"Because you're pissing me off and you think everything revolves around you!" Han snapped in his face. "You didn't care if your actions hurt anyone. You weren't thinking about anyone else, not even your own sister!" Chim punched him in the chest. "You're a self-righteous idiot, so enjoy it while you can, because she" this time he pointed at Lissie "will eventually see it too, and there won't be anyone there for you."

"Chim! Stop it!" Rosie interrupted, clearly displeased with what he'd just done. "You don't have to defend me. I know perfectly well what to say to my brother! He didn't jump in front of that damned truck, and the fact that he lost his mind along the way was because he loves this job just as much as any of us."

"Of course, but he still filed that stupid lawsuit! It's because of him that Marrie can't see her favorite uncle and misses him terribly, as you know perfectly well."

Lissie noticed that those words affected everyone, especially Buck. Marrie was really important to him, and he asked about her every day, but as Chim said, he couldn't contact her before because he filed the lawsuit, and now he had to repair his relationship with his sisters and everyone else first.

The argument probably would have lasted much longer if it weren't for the alarm going off outside, and then the collision of two cars in the store parking lot, which led to the entire 118th rushing to help.

THAT EVENING, BUCK WAS DEPRESSED ALL THE TIME. Lissie, meanwhile, was chatting with Rosie, who was furious with Chim for the incident at the store. She was still furious with her brother, too, which she didn't hide. And Nash was in the middle of it all, trying to understand both sides.

"Look... It's not over yet," she tried to comfort him, but she wasn't very successful.

"They all hate me," he replied, leaning his head back against the couch. "And Chim was right. You should be, too."

"Now you're talking nonsense. Don't let yourself be fooled by what Han told you in anger."

"But he was right."

Lissie sighed silently, but before she could respond, her phone vibrated on the coffee table in front of the couch. She saw her father's name and picture on the screen, which Buck also noticed.

"Answer it," he muttered, running his hand over his face. "Let's get this over with if your father says what everyone knows. That I don't deserve you."

"Buck..."

"Answer it," he ordered, interrupting what she was about to say.

Lissie sensed he needed a moment alone. She put a hand on his shoulder, trying to reassure him and show him he wasn't alone in this, and then answered the phone. She moved closer to the stairs so that if anything happened—if her father were to do something similar to Chim—Buck wouldn't hear.

"Hi, Dad."

"Hi, sweetie," he replied, exceptionally calmly on the other end. "Put him on the phone; he's not answering."

"What?"

"I know you're at Buck's," he said, and she glanced briefly at her boyfriend, who hadn't changed his position. "I want to talk to him."

"I don't know if that's the best idea... He's really down. And I kind of understand why everyone's mad at him..."

"Mellie," he interrupted. "I won't hurt him. 118th is going to the rage room right now as part of our bonding. I just want to invite him along with you."

"You should have started right away."

"You didn't let me."

"You didn't have to be so secretive," she muttered, then returned to Buck. She pulled her phone away from her ear and handed it to the boy, who was looking at her in shock at what she was doing.

"What's wrong?" he asked uncertainly.

"Dad wants to talk to you," she replied, and that was enough for Buck to immediately take the phone from her.

She hadn't heard their conversation, but when he handed it back, she saw a glimmer of hope in his eyes. She was curious who had come up with the idea of spending the evening in the rage room, but she was starting to think it might not have been such a bad idea. Letting out her negative emotions always had a positive effect, and Jonathan always told her so.

She hoped that this time they would not only get rid of the bad atmosphere among their twisted family, but also that they would all be able to return to the way things were just a few days ago.

ROSIE POV

HALLOWEEN WAS RUSHING AHEAD, AND THAT MEANT THEY WOULD EXPECT THE STRANGEST CALLS, MORE INTENSIVE THAN USUAL. It all started with a call at the harvest festival—crows attacked two boys, but no one knew exactly how it happened. Ironically, children from Marrie's class were injured, but she herself wasn't on the trip.

"That's what I call a coincidence," Rosie replied as Ian offered her his hand to help her out of the fire truck. She put on her sunglasses. "Whatever happened here, I'm so glad Marrie stayed home with Lissie today."

That morning, their daughter had told them she had a stomachache, so they'd left her with her favorite aunt, but she and Chim knew she didn't want to go on the trip because of the two boys she'd been trying to avoid like the plague.

"At least one disaster without her involvement," Garcia agreed. "As if she had any of their radar."

They both laughed and went over to the others. It turned out the two injured students were hiding in a nearby barn. Bobby ordered them to put on their snowsuits and helmets, which they did.

They walked very carefully, but Chim's name tag kept falling off. Hen and Rosie had already started teasing him about knowing who he was, so he didn't have to worry about it.

When they finally reached the barn, they found they were supposed to be dealing with two of Marrie's nemeses.

"Mrs. Buckley and Mr. Han," one of the boys recognized them. "Damn it..."

"Aren't you a little young for that kind of language?" the paramedic asked him. "You'd better control your tongue, or this will end badly for you someday. I'll definitely mention this to your teacher..."

"Dean's pretty scratched up," he pointed at his friend, changing the subject. He knew the woman wasn't worth messing with.

Hen immediately began examining his wound. It didn't look too bad, though a hospital was inevitable, but the kid's reaction was more terrifying than they'd expected.

"Am I going to die?" he panicked, and Wilson rolled her eyes. She also recognized the two bullies from Denny's stories, but she tried to remain professional, as did Rosie and Chim.

"Are you sure the crows attacked you for no reason?" Rosa asked them.

Dean was adamant that that was exactly what had happened, but Riley, for that was the blond boy's name, visibly hesitated. Buckley was very suspicious of them, but there wasn't much they could do about it, as it wasn't their job—and in less than five minutes, the kids were shifting blame. They finally devised a plan to get them out—Riley wore Bobby's jacket and helmet, and they bandaged Dean's face and wheeled him out on a stretcher. Fortunately, everything went well, even despite Chim's obvious fear of the aforementioned birds.

When they arrived at the hospital by ambulance, the girls handed the boys over to the doctor. Chim's voice from outside the building alerted them.

"They've attached themselves," he said cautiously.

"What?" Rosie asked him, completely unaware of what her boyfriend was talking about.

The man turned toward the ambulance, but he was just as surprised as his girlfriend, even more so. She wordlessly patted him on the back and then loaded the stretcher into the ambulance.

Buckley, on the other hand, began to wonder if her beloved wasn't starting to get paranoid after the whole ordeal.

LISSIE POV

THE DAY OF THE VISIT TO THE TATTOO ARTIST HAS COME. Lissie felt her stomach twist with excitement, but also fear. She had many doubts, but ultimately, the thought of getting rid of that damn mark outweighed them all.

"If you're hesitant, you can always cancel," Buck suggested as they stood together in front of the tattoo parlor, Lissie examining the designs in the window.

"And lose deposit?" She glanced at him. "Your two hundred bucks, which I'm going to give back, by the way."

Buck rolled his eyes.

"I'll pretend I didn't hear that."

"I'm serious," she said, grabbing his arm. "That's a lot of money."

"And I'm about to go back to work, so I can go crazy."

Lissie shook her head with amusement. She was glad the visit to the rage room had turned out well for everyone. Buck was going back to work, and that completely perked him up. She was only worried about how this first day might go, but she had to believe that sooner or later, everything would work out.

"I'll give you that money back anyway," she insisted, finally deciding to press the doorknob.

The bell hanging above the door jingled softly, and a pleasant, oriental scent immediately filled the room. The room was cozy, bright, and in no way reminded her of a tattoo parlor.

"Are you sure this is here?" she asked him, just to be sure. "It doesn't look like a tattoo studio."

"What?" He snorted with amusement. "What do you think a tattoo studio looks like?"

"I don't know, I've never been to one, but I imagined it would be all dark colors. An emo girl sits behind the desk, heavy metal blaring from the speakers."

"You're adorable."

Buck kissed her quickly, then walked over to the desk against the wall. Before he could ring the bell, a girl with short black hair emerged from the next room. She wore casual clothes, the only hint of her obsession with tattoos being the ones she could spot on her arms.

"Hey," she greeted cheerfully, extending a hand to each of them to greet her. "I'm guessing Melissa?" she asked, looking directly at her, and Lissie just nodded. "Stressed?"

"A little," she replied, feeling the knot in her stomach only intensify. "This is my first time getting a tattoo."

"We'll deal with this stress," she winked. "I'm Aria, and we'll be spending the next few hours together."

"Can Buck stay?" Lissie glanced first at the tattoo artist, then at him.

Aria just smiled at her again.

"No problem for me. What would you like to drink? I have some damn good tea, and this will come in handy when we're choosing the design."

"That won't be necessary," Buck said, gesturing at Lissie. "She knows exactly what she wants to get tattooed."

Somewhere between their conversation at her parents' wedding reception and that day, she'd revealed a grand plan. Or maybe not so grand, because her dream was to get a phoenix tattoo. It had always been an incredible, fantastical animal for her, one that could rise from the ashes. And she couldn't think of any better way to relate to herself—life had kicked her ass so hard in a short time that she almost wanted to give it up entirely.

But she'd decided to get back on her feet, and slowly, step by step, she was getting back on track. She still had nightmares and sometimes felt like someone was following her, but she fought it. She found joy in the simplest things, and Buck was there for her through every good day and every bad. Just like Rosie and the rest of her family. She wasn't alone in all of this, and she had the best supporters she could have ever hoped for.

Aria prepared drinks for them, then sketched a design with exceptional speed and skill, which Lissie completely approved of. She felt her heart pound, and her hands began to tremble as she took off her shirt, for it was the first time anyone would see the mark, a reminder of what had happened. Every time she looked at it, all the memories came flooding back, and it was no different this time, especially when Aria asked her to choose the right spot. The tattoo artist didn't ask about her scar, and in fact, she even tried to distract her from the fact that she had one. Lissie was very impressed that Buck had done a great job finding it.

He was also supportive, and even though he was there at her request, he did everything he could to keep her from feeling too overwhelmed. He even wanted to turn away when she consulted Aria about the tattoo location, but Lissie told him not to. Later, when she was lying on the bed in only her bra, she reached out her free hand to Buck and squeezed his hand.

The session took almost the entire day, but the final result brought tears to her eyes. The phoenix proudly stood in a place she hadn't been able to look at for months, because all she could see was that cursed memento Austin had left behind. Now his initials were completely covered by black ink, which, line by line, transformed into the spread wings of a bird preparing to fly. He held his head proudly, tilted slightly upward. The lower part of the phoenix faded into delicate, curving lines that somehow resembled smoke or flames. The feathers extended further below his shoulder blade, and some even pointed toward his spine. The entire tattoo was subtle and exceptionally feminine, just as she'd dreamed. Now she knew she wouldn't have to be afraid to wear a more open-back top or even a simple bikini.

WHEN THEY RETURNED TO BUCK'S APARTMENT, SHE CONTINUED TO LOOK AT HERSELF IN THE MIRROR IN HIS BATHROOM. She couldn't stop looking at her tattoo, and she felt like this was one of those moments she needed. As she covered the terrible mark on her back, she felt as if she were slowly accepting what had happened to her. She knew she would never forget it, because it was impossible, but she wanted to finally put a thick wall between herself and it, so it would never affect her life again.

Buck knocked on the door to give her a moment to put on her shirt, but she didn't. Partly because she was still admiring her tattoo and wanted him to see it again, but also because she didn't see the need to do it—not anymore.

"Can I be honest?" Buck said, folding his arms across his chest and leaning his shoulder against the doorframe. "I can't imagine any other design that would fit."

"Will you take a picture of it?" She handed him her phone, opening the camera. "I'll send it to Rosie. I promised her I'd show her once I got it done."

"No problem, but it'll look better in a while, once it heals." Buck clicked the screen, a soft sound letting her know he'd taken the picture. "Remember what Aria said about taking care of it now?"

"Yeah, yeah," she replied, searching for something Buck had on, then finding his sweatshirt, which she put on. "If I forget, I'll ask my private expert."

Lissie gave him a quick peck, and they went into the kitchen. They worked on dinner for a while, chatting, as they always did, about everything going on around them. She was happy that she was spending the evening and night with Buck, but she was also nervous about what her boyfriend's day would be like tomorrow, since it was supposed to be his return to work.

"I'm sorry there won't be any party for you tomorrow," she said, opening the fridge, where she'd put the dish in which she'd personally prepared tiramisu the day before. She'd hidden it after arriving so they could go to the tattoo studio together, but she'd covered it up so he couldn't see it and knew he hadn't touched anything. "That's why I made something. It's not much, but I wanted to sweeten your return a bit."

"You didn't have to..."

"I wanted to." She reached for his hand and squeezed it gently. "Besides, we can make up for that tiramisu we didn't manage to eat on our date, but mine's alcohol-free."

"I'll fix that, and next time we go out to dinner, it won't be a problem."

Lissie laughed briefly, handing him a piece of dessert. She rubbed her hands together eagerly, eager to try it herself.

"I'll take your word for it, Buckley."

They enjoyed the dessert in silence for a moment, and Lissie practically melted at the taste. Tiramisu was definitely her favorite Italian dessert.

"How come no matter what you make, it's always amazing?" Buck asked, spooning another serving.

"Let's leave it a secret for now," she winked at him, and Buckley just laughed briefly. "But I can reveal one thing," she said, turning a bit serious. She set her empty plate on the counter only to begin serving another slice. "Next week I start my training for the fire department, and once I pass all my exams, I'll be back working at one of the units in LA."

Buck's smile only widened. He placed his plate next to hers, then cupped her face in his hands and kissed her, pouring all his enthusiasm into it.

"And what was that for?" she asked jokingly.

"For how proud I am of you," he replied. "You have no idea how happy I am."

ROSIE POV

THE DAY THAT ROSIE COULDN'T WAIT FOR AND ALSO DREAD CAME —BUCK'S RETURN TO WORK AT THE UNIT. Rosie couldn't sleep, so she busied herself with baking. Meanwhile, she texted Lissie, who was also nervous about Buck's return to work. At least as much as they could, because Lissie was spending the night at Evan's.

When Marrie and Chim joined her shortly before seven a.m., every available space in the kitchen and dining room was filled with baked goods. Neither of them was surprised; quite the opposite—the nine-year-old immediately ordered her to take the cupcakes to school, or at least some of them. This time, her mother agreed—she didn't like her bringing sweets to school, but the fact was, someone had to eat what she made.

"It'll be alright," Marigold said as they left the apartment. Today, they were taking their daughter to school together. They were grateful that Lissie was helping them care for her, but they had to accustom her to the fact that when young Nash returned to the Academy, things would change. Buckley-Han knew this perfectly well, but she still didn't complain. "Uncle won't do anything, Auntie will join you at work... I can feel it."

"Since when have you been such an optimist?" Chimney asked, amused. "Just the day before yesterday, you were faking a stomach ache to get out of school because of that trip."

When they returned from that fateful "crow" shift, the girl, at the urging of her mother's best friend, confessed to their cheating. Due to the circumstances, they let her off this time, but she was expressly forbidden from making such "jokes," as they called them.

"I just know you. I know he did wrong, and I was angry with him myself, but I guess it runs in our family; we act first, think later."

Rosie burst out laughing, knowing their daughter had a point.

"I'm actually glad he's coming back..." she replied, getting into the car. "But I'm afraid the rest of the team won't be so understanding."

At that point, she looked at Chim with a rather firm gaze.

"What have I done?" he asked. "I promised you I'd be good. Aren't you overreacting a bit, honey?"

"You said that last time, too," his beloved said. "But okay. You're right. My emotions are getting the better of me, so I'm starting to overreact."

Han held her hand for a few seconds, which helped calm her. She smiled at him, and he started the engine, and they finally pulled out of the parking lot.

WHEN THEY GOT TO WORK, BUCK WASN'T HERE YET, BUT FROM WHAT SHE KNEW FROM LISSIE, HE WAS ALREADY ON HIS WAY. Rosie tried to stay calm, but the closer he got to his arrival, the more stressed she became.

"It'll be okay," Hen reassured her. "Eventually, everyone will get used to your brother being on shift with us again."

"I'm more worried about how he'll react to all this," Buckley replied, pulling out a piece of pumpkin pie she'd saved especially for Evan. "I know that it's his fault, but... I'm worried."

"It's understandable, because you're his sister and you care about him." Wilson sat down on the bench next to her. "Sometimes I think it's your protection that's why he still works here, despite all the mischief he's caused over the years..."

Rosa laughed.

"Let's both admit it," she began. "Bobby has a soft spot for himself, no matter what that idiot does."

"Correction," Henrietta replied, lightly punching her in the shoulder. "He has a soft spot for both of you."

They burst into laughter just as Ian knocked on the door.

"He's here," Garcia said. "Just saying, like you two wanted to say hello."

They both nodded and headed for the men's locker room.

"Welcome back," Hen said, as the younger Buckley was adjusting his uniform.

"Hey, bro," Rosie joined her. She handed him a box of her baked goods. "I know it's definitely not as good as Lissie's, but I wanted to give you something to sweeten your day."

"I see I'm not the only one, though I went more into the Halloween spirit," the dark-skinned lifeguard replied, also giving him a gift. "I'll admit, besides Ian, you're the first ones to even greet me, but I expected it to be tough after all this," he replied, the girls sitting on either side of him. "What's that deliciousness?"

"Pumpkin pie, your girlfriend's recipe," his sister announced.

"Mine's Red Velvet," Wilson began. "It bleeds when you cut it."

Buck smiled.

"You have friends here, you know that," Rosie began. "They just follow the captain..."

"And he's not ready to be happy about my return." Buck sighed. "You must be reading Lissie's mind, because she texted me the exact same thing today. I also heard about your late-night texts..."

"Don't complain," Rosey said sharply. "Thanks to my late-night pastry-making session, you're done with dessert."

The three of them burst out laughing.

"The whole firehouse's done with it," Hen replied. "She and Chim must have brought three baking sheets and two more full of cupcakes." The girl felt embarrassed and wanted to leave. However, her brother waved her off, telling her not to worry.

The conversation eventually turned to the latest gossip. First, Evan asked Wilson how things were going with the baby, but since she wasn't willing to share much, considering what she called "a long and complicated process," the girls wanted to know how things were going with Lissie.

When his girlfriend's name came up in the conversation, Buckley immediately brightened up, much to Rosie's delight. He mentioned that things had been better than ever since the lawsuit, but that they'd only been meeting up at his apartment or out on the town because he was afraid of confronting Bobby and Athena—or rather, that things might get a little too awkward between them.

"But remember," his sister told him, her eyes revealing how serious she was about this. "If you make her cry again, I'll forget you're my brother and kick your ass. And I know Ian would love to help me with that."

Buck just held up his hands defensively, and Hen laughed.

"I missed your duet on shift," she replied. "I'm just starting to feel like things are finally starting to fall into place."

THE NEXT SHIFT WAS ON HALLOWEEN. Rosie and Chim watched from a distance as Bobby instructed Buck at the stand on what to do when kids arrived at the firehouse. They both saw he wasn't happy about it.

"It's really obvious he's your brother," Han said, earning a punch from the girl a moment later. "Hey! What was that for?"

"For your teasing. In case you've forgotten, we used to spend a whole shift at the firehouse, and it was driving us crazy."

The Asian man didn't have a chance to respond, as he and Seth appeared next to them with a tray of coffee.

"For my favorite trio of firefighters," he greeted happily. "Where's Buck?"

They pointed to the stand where Evan sat sulking, listening to Captain Nash's monologue.

"Just a few days ago, you didn't want to hear anything about our brother," Rosie said, surprised. "What's changed?"

"Just because I was angry with him doesn't mean I stopped liking him... After all, we've known each other since we were kids, Rosetta."

The woman looked at him suspiciously.

"That's why I know you expect something from us." Rosie folded her arms across her chest. "I know you too well, Detective..." He hesitated, then took advantage of Buck being alone at the stand and moved toward him.

"Would you like some coffee?" They heard the officer ask, handing him a mug marked 'Buck.'

Rosie and Chim exchanged glances.

"Something's going on here, and I want to know what it is."

The older Buckley sibling hurried toward her best friend and brother.

"It's never boring with your family," Han muttered, joining the group as well.

The woman wanted to comfort her brother after Bobby kept him out of action, saying she'd gone through something similar after her return, though not completely.

"Early in my career here, the only times we were outside the station were at the beginning and end of a shift," she said to her brother, and Chim agreed. "It took some getting used to, even if it took a few months..."

"While you were both insufferable," Seth laughed. "Kevin and I couldn't get enough of you."

They both waved their hands.

"It wasn't that bad... I guess?" Chim said.

"How did you manage?" Buck asked them.

"We got to know the unit like the back of our hand," his sister replied. "It's useful, even if it seemed like it wasn't."

Navarro agreed. Buck simply needed to learn patience, so this was the perfect time. "Did you talk to Maddie today?" Seth asked suddenly, as if he couldn't keep this one secret any longer.

"I knew you wouldn't bring us coffee without a reason, ha!" Rosie exclaimed smugly. "Did you have a fight?"

"No... I was just curious," he replied tensely, then vanished from the firehouse at lightning speed.

The three of them looked at each other, completely confused.

"Sooner or later, they'll find out what this is all about," Buck concluded, then went to get the rest of the flyers.

AFTER RETURNING FROM THE OFFICE, ROSIE SAW THAT BUCK HAD ASKED EDDIE FOR HELP WITH THE STAND, BUT HE COMPLETELY IGNORED HIM. She decided to take matters into her own hands and help her brother, since his best friend had ignored him. Ian was definitely on board with this.

"Give me back the candy, thief!" a familiar girl's voice said. "It clearly said only two, and you took two whole handfuls!"

As Buckley and Garcia turned toward the argument, they saw Marrie dressed as a fairy. She tried to hit a slightly larger boy in a prisoner's outfit, but he was too quick for her.

"And what are you doing to me, little Tinkerbell?" he asked her. "That pretend firefighter let me! It's none of your business!" Then Marrie's rage reached its peak, and in an instant, the child was on the ground, pummeled by the girl.

"You won't insult my uncle!" she cried. "He's a real firefighter! And a hero!"

Rosie felt her heart melt when she heard her daughter's words about Buck. She knew she'd done wrong, which meant her mother would soon have to intervene, but she still felt proud that the nine-year-old could stand so firmly behind their family.

"Marrie, stop it." Harry, beside her, tried to persuade her to let go, but it was difficult. Young Grant noticed Rosa heading toward them. "Your mom is coming..."

"Marigold," the woman said sternly. "Let me handle this."

The girl finally gave in and allowed herself to be pulled away by her friend, though her face still showed her displeasure at the situation. The culprit, seeing Buckley heading their way, handed over the candy without hesitation, much to her surprise.

"I'm sorry, ma'am," he replied contritely.

"Just because you're older and stronger doesn't mean you should disregard others like my daughter," she said calmly, taking the candy from him. "Now, get lost. I don't want this to ever happen again in our firehouse."

The boy nodded and left with his friend and his mother, who was accompanying him, apologizing for her son's behavior. Rosie returned to the rest of the group, who were waiting for her at the stand. The nine-year-old looked at her with as much contrition as her opponent.

"How screwed am I?" Marrie asked, looking at both of her parents. Fortunately, the entire conversation no longer interested anyone except the aforementioned group of them.

"We don't like that you used violence," Chim replied clearly. "But you wanted to defend your uncle. That's commendable."

"You need to get better at controlling yourself," Rosie said, then looked at her brother. "Will you take care of it? There's no better teacher for this than you..."

After all, he helped her, Lissie, and Maddie, so why not take his niece under his wing? It would also give them the chance to spend time together, something they'd been missing out on because of the lawsuit.

"I'd love to teach Marrie how to deal with her growing anger," her uncle replied. "Besides... Thanks, kiddo."

"I'll do anything for family," she said, snuggling up to him. "I've missed you, you know?"

"I miss you too... You have no idea how much..." he sighed, kissing the top of her head.

BUCK POV

HE KNEW HIS FIRST DAY BACK TO WORK WOULD BE TOUGH, BUT HE DIDN'T EXPECT TO LEAVE EARLY. And that was after a shift where he'd been completely bored and had to put up with annoying kids. He was glad Marrie had stood up for him, because it seemed his favorite niece still believed in him.

He picked Lissie up from the stationery store. He had no idea what she was doing there, but she was holding a bag full of supplies that, as it turned out, she was going to use for a scrapbook photo album. Buck couldn't wait to see the finished product, but he knew it would still look amazing. And he hoped there would be pictures of them together, too.

"I found a great Italian place," he said as he pulled his car into the gas station parking lot.

"Really?" Lissie raised an eyebrow and looked at him with amusement. "Called a gas station?"

"No," Buckley laughed, unbuckling his seat belt. "I need to fill up. I didn't get a chance to do it sooner."

"Did the shift go as badly as you told me?" she asked with concern, keeping him inside for a moment.

Buck sighed, and that was answer enough. On the one hand, he understood their attitude, because he hadn't been fair to them. On the other hand, he felt betrayed by them, because he thought they'd side with him, but they didn't, and all this time he'd been simply furious...

"Your father let me go early because he thought I was overexerting myself..." He ran his free hand over the steering wheel, then looked at her with a brief smile. "I won't complain to you about how unfair I feel the Captain didn't let me in. I don't want you to look at him differently later because of it."

The fact that he was dating Lissie, who was his Captain's daughter, definitely complicated his entire relationship with Bobby now, but he didn't regret it. Liss was everything to him, and he knew he'd have to make an effort to show her he truly cared. And he was going to do it, even if the Captain never treated him the way he used to.

"Thank you," she replied. "A little patience..."

Buck snorted briefly.

"You're just another Nash telling me that today." Evan shook his head in amusement. "You know, even Hen and Rosie stood up for me with the Captain? I didn't ask them to, and they did it anyway. Even after what I put them through..."

"Rosie's your big sister," she reminded him, as if it were natural. "She'll always defend you, even if she's pissed at you. But I suggest you don't do that in the future. Bad Rosie is terrifying Rosie, and even I'm afraid of her."

"I won't."

Lissie smiled contentedly.

"That's good. Rosie's already been through a lot of bad things, and she doesn't need to add to the argument with her beloved brother."

"The only one." Buck held up a finger to emphasize his point. Young Nash's smile faltered slightly, but he had a feeling he was just imagining it.

"Just don't let the soda go to your head too much," she joked. "As for Hen, she probably just wants things to work out between you all. This situation is bothering everyone, especially you and my father..."

Buck just nodded.

A few minutes later, they were leaving the gas station store, ready to continue their journey. However, just as they were about to get into their car, they first noticed a woman with a huge bump on her forehead, and then, in her car window, a remarkably realistic corpse.

"I'll never understand Halloween," Lissie muttered sarcastically, observing the holiday decorations.

"Is there any holiday you like in the whole year?"

"I'm sure you'll find something. Like Independence Day, but that, too, raises certain concerns with the mere thought of crowds of people."

Buck laughed briefly and put his arm around her. He vowed to himself that he would do everything he could to find at least one holiday in the whole year that would bring Lissie joy and not bring back bad memories.

Later, they noticed the corpse in the window, moving its leg.

"Did he...?"

Lissie pointed at the departing car.

"Yes!" Buck shouted and ran after the car, trying to stop it, but he couldn't, so he turned back to Lissie. "Get in the car. We'll follow her."

A TRIP TO THE HOSPITAL WAS NOT ON HIS PLANNING LIST. However, while rescuing not only the woman behind the wheel but, as it turned out, the injured man in the window, he unfortunately injured himself. At first, it seemed the blood on his hands belonged to the man he was saving, but when he and Lissie noticed the cut, they were so scared. He saw it in her eyes and in the way she carefully instructed the paramedic on the medications he was taking, giving the exact names and dosages. He had never hidden this from her, but he was still surprised, because he hadn't thought she would pay that much attention to it. The paramedic stopped the bleeding and said it would be best to go to the hospital and run tests to make sure everything was okay. They took him away in the fire truck, and Lissie followed them in his jeep. The thought of another hospital visit irritated him terribly, but this time he couldn't ignore his problem.

Thankfully, the tests revealed nothing, and only when the doctor confirmed that everything was fine did he see Lissie breathe a sigh of relief. It was an incredible and definitely new feeling for him, realizing that there was someone besides his sisters who cared and worried about him.

The sun was just starting to rise when they finally managed to piece together the entire incident report and spotted Bobby at the reception desk.

"Did you let him know?" Buck looked at Lissie curiously. The captain was the last person who could possibly show up at the hospital right now.

"No," she shook her head. "Maybe someone from dispatch notified him, or the police."

"Maybe," he said, grabbing her hand, searching for a little courage in that small gesture. Lissie didn't let go, and then they walked over to her father. "Hi, Bobby..."

"Hi, Dad." They said it simultaneously, and Bobby immediately turned from the reception desk and approached them.

"I heard you hurt yourself." He looked at Buck with concern. "Are you all right? Are you okay?"

"Everything's fine now," Lissie assured him.

"It's just a small cut from the broken window," Buck added, raising his bandaged arm. "The paramedics knew about my medication, so they quickly stopped the bleeding."

"But they brought you to the hospital?"

"Just to make sure he was okay," Lissie answered for him, but when Bobby looked at her directly, she immediately fell silent. As if she understood, she couldn't interfere in this conversation. Still, Buck was grateful for her trying.

"The doctors ran tests, but they said they were very good, and I can go home."

Bobby nodded.

"So what exactly happened?"

"Completely crazy," Buck began briskly. "A woman ran over a pedestrian two days ago. She must have hit her head because they found a hematoma, which blinded her to the fact that she was driving around with an injured guy in the window the whole time. They're operating on him now, and the doctors say he has a chance of coming back."

And then, for the first time since he returned to work, the Captain smiled, almost proudly.

"That's because you saved him." He gestured at them, then focused primarily on Buck. "You weren't worried about yourself."

"I know I acted quickly again, like I always do. That's because the uniform is almost like my costume... It suddenly makes me feel strong and brave. I'm nothing without it."

Lissie squeezed his hand, and that was enough for him to know she supported him. Although Bobby's unreadable gaze, which caught the gesture, sent a chill down his spine. He wasn't just talking to his Captain anymore, like he had been a few months earlier. He was also talking to his girlfriend's father, wondering at what point the two roles would begin to intersect, if they hadn't already.

"That's not true," Lissie finally said. "It's not the uniform that makes you brave. It's just who you are."

Bobby folded his arms and nodded with a smile.

"Lissie's right," he agreed with his daughter. "You saved two lives out of uniform. You, too, at the risk of yourself, which I don't condone, but I understand where that came from."

"That means..." Buck paused, refusing to believe it could be true. "Are you ready for me to come back?"

"It doesn't matter," he shook his head. "The important thing is that you are, but we still have some things to discuss."

"Is that a sign I should leave?" Lissie looked at her father with a raised eyebrow. She didn't need to hear any response from him because his eyes spoke louder than his words. "Really?" she chuckled briefly. "You're stealing my boyfriend from our date, Dad. I'll remember that next time you plan something with Athena."

"I'll give him back in one piece, I promise," Nash assured.

Lissie gave Buck a quick kiss on the cheek, and he was grateful for it, because he was afraid to be alone with Bobby and didn't want to expose himself even more if he were to kiss his daughter right in front of him.

Which didn't change the fact that he already missed her presence and the taste of her lips.

BOBBY TOOK HIM TO BREAKFAST. To discuss his active return to work, and for a moment, they did talk about it. But he sensed that wasn't all, and sooner or later, a topic they hadn't had a chance to discuss before would come up—his relationship with Lissie.

Buck was still impatient, so he couldn't bear this lull, waiting for the storm to erupt.

"Bobby, I..." he began, but he didn't know what he should say. Assure him that he wouldn't hurt his daughter? Extremely clichéd and insincere, because after all, he'd already done that. Say he couldn't see beyond her? True, but that wasn't what Bobby needed to hear. "I know you're worried about what's going on with Lissie, and..." He took a short breath because everything he felt he should say still felt hopeless. "I didn't want to betray your trust in any way. The lawsuit had shown otherwise, but in Lissie's case... It wasn't... I didn't..."

If his older sister's characteristic trait was that she talked like crazy in stressful situations, he couldn't utter a single coherent sentence. Which, he thought, was far worse.

"The thing is..." he spoke again, this time trying to arrange it all in his head so that it sounded sincere and true. "I didn't do it on purpose, either for fun or to use her against you in some way... I remember what you told Eddie right after she arrived at the unit... That she was completely off limits to anyone in the 118th and..."

"I say anything like that?" Bobby interrupted him in surprise.

"Yeah... Diaz was talking about her being pretty... It was a general conversation with Hen about her even existing. You heard that, and I remember you were furious with him for even saying that, and you warned him you wouldn't let her get involved with a firefighter from your department..."

"Buck..."

"And I really didn't want to disappoint you, but I couldn't help it, and I fell in love with her... I thought it was just friendship, but one smile from her was enough... Even after everything she'd been through and..." Buck finally decided to say everything he felt. He didn't dwell on it, speaking from the heart. "I couldn't help it. I've never felt like this before, not even with Abby... I know I don't have much to offer her, but I love her. I truly do, Bobby. I want her to be happy, and I'll do anything to make that happen. There's no one else for me."

Bobby remained silent, but he continued to stare intently at Buckley. He wasn't sure if he was trying to read anything more into what he'd just told him. Perhaps he was analyzing what he'd just heard and wondering if he should actually believe him. The captain's lack of any reaction only made him more nervous, so much so that he unconsciously began to jiggle his leg under the table.

Who would have thought—Evan Buckley, stressing over a conversation about the girl he'd been dating?

But this wasn't just any girl. This was Melissa Nash.

His whole world.

"You know..." Bobby finally spoke, and Buck dared to look at him. "When Lissie was born, I promised to protect her, that she would never suffer, nor feel the loss of her mother without even having the chance to know her."

Bobby took a short breath, and Buck didn't press him, seeing he needed a second to gather his thoughts. He was grateful that the Captain had opened up to him like this, as he'd only heard about Lissa's biological mother for the second or third time.

"As you can see," Nash began again, "I haven't done a very good job of protecting her so far. And I won't make that mistake again. That's why I'm worried, Buck. You have to understand that I know her exceptionally well, and I could see perfectly well that she fell in love with you, probably even before she realized it herself... I know how strongly she can give her heart, but she's an adult, and as much as I'd like to, I can't force her to anything."

Buck lowered his gaze, almost expecting what Bobby would say next—that he wasn't worthy of her. And if anyone, Bobby was the one who knew best on that matter.

"But I also saw how you look at her and how you treat her," Bobby added with exceptional calm. "And if I remember correctly, I told you myself that if anyone was going to be with her, I'm glad it was you... I know you've changed and matured since we met. Just like the fact that, for some reason I can't understand, it's my daughter with you... She's literally glowing. She's calmer, and I see the same girl she used to be."

Bobby finally smiled briefly, but Buckley sensed it wasn't over yet.

"Just remember, if you hurt her, you'll have to deal not only with me, but with Athena as well," Bobby warned in his caring fatherly voice.

"And Rosie," Buck added. "She already told me she wouldn't mind me being her brother if Lissie cried because of me."

Despite their seriousness, they both smiled at each other, completely understanding that they wanted the same thing—for Lissie to be happy.