53 | ❝ BUTTERFLY EFFECT... ❞

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CHAPTER FIFTY THREE

❝ BUTTERFLY EFFECT... ❞

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TRIGGER WARNING!!!

This chapter contains an 18+ scene. If you feel this type of content isn't for you, we recommend skipping to the next section.

Enjoy!

[season 4, own storyline]

LISSIE POV

A LOT CAN CHANGE IN A FEW MONTHS. Starting with Rosie, who was positively glowing during her pregnancy. Lissie compared the Rosie she knew now to the one she'd met when she was pregnant with Marrie. It wasn't even that she had Chim with her this time; she was genuinely happy about this pregnancy. It was a stark contrast to what had happened to her a few years earlier. Her family was growing, and that meant their small, two-room apartment wasn't a good place for them. So the three of them moved into a larger apartment that was perfect for Rosie, Chim, Marrie, and the twins on the way. There was even room for Albert. Lissie played a part in this because, as promised, Buck offered his help with the search, and wherever the youngest Buckley was, there was Nash. As Chim once put it, they were an inseparable duo. Besides, Lissie herself wanted to help her friends, and above all, relieve her friend of additional worries.

Besides the Buckley-Hans, Suzanna was going through changes. Little Bobby was the apple of her eye, and what began as a silly romance and a lot of uncertainty turned into her greatest love—not only for her son, but also for her husband and his daughter. Suzanna was trying to find her footing not only as a mother to Bobby and Charlie, but also as a wife, and Lissie watched this with a smile on her face, because she was definitely doing a great job. She devoted a lot of time to all of them, but she also began to think about returning to work—for now, only remotely, because she wanted to spend as much time with them as possible. Lissie believed that Suzanna was so comfortable with family life because she already had experience—after all, she had helped raise more than one child, starting from a very young age. Sometimes she was exhausted, of course, but that's when Jonathan and Charlie came to the rescue, and Charlie was absolutely delighted with her little brother. If it weren't for the fact that the world had gone completely crazy, with the pandemic spreading rapidly—which made the already demanding work of emergency services even more complicated—Lissie would have been the first to help her aunt. However, little Bobby had a weakened immune system from the very beginning, and she didn't want anything to happen to him. Especially since she herself had ended up in quarantine because she had symptoms of the virus, which, fortunately, turned out to be just a common sinus infection. That's why the only time she saw her cousin was when she talked to Suzanna on video chat. She'd held him in her arms only a few times, right after he was born, and over those months, he'd grown into a big baby who, day by day, showed more and more of his father's traits. However, these video calls were a daily routine not just with them, since she also spoke with Rosie and Marrie this way.

Lily and May found their calling working in the dispatch center. Athena wasn't happy that May had started college only to decide after a month to take a year off so she could work and help others. Harry and May had recently been forced to move in with their father to minimize the risk of infection, and Lissie missed her younger siblings terribly. Video calls gave some sense that they were still in touch, but it wasn't the same as seeing each other in person. Jonathan told her that sooner or later, this lockdown would take a toll on people's mental health.

One thing Nash's life definitely wasn't lacking was love. Her relationship with Buck was blossoming, and she felt like she was in some kind of glass bubble where it was just the two of them, and the whole world around them didn't matter. If someone had told her a few years ago that she'd be happy with the best guy she could ever meet in her life, she definitely wouldn't have believed it. But that's what happened, and even though Buck annoyed her just as often as he amused her, she loved him with all her heart. She could picture them together in the future, just as happy as they were now. After everything they'd been through together, there was no way they could trust anyone else the way they trusted each other. It didn't erase what she'd been through, but it definitely helped her accept what had happened. The nightmares only came back to her sometimes, but she could handle them, especially since, after each one, Buck would wake up next to her and calm her down, without demanding any explanation from her.

Lissie smiled as she poured coffee into a mug for her boyfriend, just as the bathroom door swung open. Buck stepped into the kitchen wearing nothing but boxers, his hair dripping wet, and that mischievous smile he always had when he was up to something.

"Don't even try to get me wet..." Lissie began, seeing him approach her, but before she could finish, he had already hugged her from behind. All the water soaked into her clean T-shirt, and she literally wanted to strangle him. "Buck!" she laughed, amused. "Now I have to change again."

"I can help you with that," he replied without hesitation. He brushed her hair aside and kissed her neck, sending shivers through her body. His hands quickly found the front of her T-shirt, slipped under the fabric, and began pulling it up. "Anyway, I much prefer you without all that unnecessary clothing."

"I know exactly what your 'help' will look like."

"Like what?" he asked, planting more kisses. "Tell me."

"You just want to drag me into bed," she replied. "Again."

She pressed against his chest and ran her fingers through his wet hair. She could feel on her buttocks that Buck was more than ready to take her right here and now, even though they'd already had sex once right after waking up. Or maybe it was twice? She was starting to lose track.

"Me?" he replied innocently, sliding his hands higher up her breasts. "Maybe that's exactly my plan."

"We should get to work soon..."

"We still have a little time," he insisted, then moaned into her ear as she began to move her hips, pressing against his manhood. She said one thing but was definitely doing the opposite, because if anything was true, she would risk being late for work for the sake of those few extra moments of pleasure with Buck. "You know I can be quick and efficient."

Lissie giggled, but her laughter died halfway and turned into a sigh of pleasure as his fingers slipped under the fabric of her bra and his thumb brushed against her sensitive nipple.

"But with you, it never ends after just one time..."

She turned to face him, and that was a mistake, because Buck seized the moment and immediately lifted her up. She braced herself with one hand on the countertop and pulled him toward her by his boxers with the other, which he did immediately.

"That's true." He leaned over her to kiss her on the lips, but stopped just before they touched. His fingers rested on her chin, and he tilted her head up slightly. They looked into each other's eyes the whole time, until Buck smiled unexpectedly, but not like before—now she knew he must have been thinking of something pleasant, because that was when he always lifted the corners of his mouth in a subtle, almost imperceptible way. Then he brushed their noses together, and although that sexual tension still hung between them, there was something else now. "Do you want to know what I've been thinking about for a while?"

"You know I do..." Lissie clenched her fingers in his hair and pulled gently backward so they could look at each other again. "What's on your mind?"

"A baby," he replied, and she immediately recognized that his voice had started to tremble with nerves. "Ours. Mine and yours... I'm not saying right now... It's just that Colton showed up, and this kid is brilliant and has trusted me from the very first moment... And I love taking care of him... And now Rosie and..." he fell silent, flustered, and Lissie, seeing this, immediately grew serious and moved her hands to his neck and shoulders, trying to calm him down. "When I look at Rosie, it might sound silly, but I imagine you as if you were pregnant, and then I always feel this warmth that I can't quite describe... And excitement, too, and I wonder if, if that happened to us, would we be able to handle it..." Buck took a deep breath, and Lissie didn't interrupt him, patiently waiting to hear what else he wanted to tell her, though her heart beat faster as she wondered where he was really going with this. "Maybe it's just silly "baby fever," because I read that guys get it too, and... Actually, forget what I just said. "

Buck tried to pull away from her, but she wouldn't let him go. She just smiled at him and brushed the strands of hair from his forehead.

"It's not silly," she replied, kissing him on the corner of his mouth. "You know I love you and I'll listen to everything that's going through your head, and we both know you have a thousand thoughts a minute." Buck snorted softly and visibly relaxed. "Thank you for sharing that with me."

"I just want to know if someday..." he began again, this time a little more quietly. "Have you ever considered it? In some future, when you're ready, but... with me."

"I've thought about it." She placed her hand on his cheek and ran her fingers over his birthmark. "And when I think about the future, that's how I picture us together. With children..."

"Children?" he picked up on it immediately, cheerfully.

"Of course. At least two. We both know it's much better with siblings." Buck nodded, the tension slowly leaving him. "But let's not rush into anything. It's not exactly the right time to get pregnant... Besides, I want to make the most of what we have right now, just the two of us."

"And I even know how we can make the most of this time."

His hands found their way onto her body again, stripping her of her T-shirt in seconds. Lissie laughed at his eagerness, but she wasn't any less eager herself, running her hands over his bare chest down to his boxers.

"Show me how fast and efficient you can be," she asked, echoing his own words. She lifted herself up so he could more easily remove her shorts, and he pulled her to the edge of the countertop. "We need to start practicing so we can get good at having sex once we have a baby, because with them there's always less time for it."

"Don't worry." Buck looked at her with a smug smile. "We'll never have any trouble with that."

And he kissed her until she was breathless, before she could answer.

WHEN THEY ARRIVED AT THE FIRE STATION QUITE A WHILE LATE, EVERYONE UPSTAIRS IMMEDIATELY TURNED THEIR ATTENTION TO THEM. Especially since, on the way up the stairs, Buck had dragged her into a brief series of kisses, which ended with her fastening the buttons on her shirt whilst still on the bottom step. Almost everyone gave them a meaningful look, but what was even stranger was that Ian and Eddie each pulled ten dollars out of their pockets and handed them to Hen and Chloe in turn.

Fontaine's presence in their team was something new. When, shortly after Suzanna's wedding, Chloe's mother fell into a coma and could not be saved, the young woman had to make the agonising decision of whether to keep her on life support or let her go. Chloe knew her mother had been suffering for many months, so — and in accordance with Mrs Fontaine's last wishes — she took her off life support. She held a modest funeral for her, attended by everyone from the 118th, and later resigned from her job at the control room. Due to staff shortages, she took Rosie's place in the unit — they had effectively swapped roles, and both Sue and Bobby were happy with the arrangement.

"What were you betting on this time?" asked Lissie, putting the kettle on.

"What we weren't betting on would be a better question," replied Hen.

"You lot," Lissie pointed at the whole group, "are addicted to gambling."

Chim immediately threw his hands up in the air.

"Don't drag me into this. I kept quiet this time."

"I find that hard to believe," Buck replied. "So?" He looked at Ian and Eddie this time. "What was the bet?"

"Whether you'd be late for work," Chloe said bluntly, smiling maliciously. "For reasons well known to everyone."

Fontaine raised her left hand and formed a circle with her thumb and index finger. She slipped the finger of her other hand into the centre of the circle and moved it around a few times. The gesture she made was unmistakable, causing Lissie to nearly choke on her breath, whilst the rest of the group burst out laughing. Buck threw a handful of nuts at Fontaine, which landed in her loose hair, only prompting even more laughter amongst the crowd.

"Buck!" called the Captain, appearing at the top of the stairs. "What's all this food being thrown about? Clean it up."

"Yes, sir," he replied without hesitation.

Bobby frowned, and Lissie cleared her throat nervously, feeling herself blush even more at the mere thought that her father might have overheard what they'd just been talking about. She'd rather avoid that. He might accept her relationship with Buck and be happy for her, but there were some things he didn't necessarily need to know.

"Besides, you're late," Bobby announced, glancing at his daughter.

Lissie just blushed even more. Even so, she didn't regret a single second she'd spent with Buck that morning.

"Something... held us up." "She tried to explain, but the giggles from Chloe, Chim, Eddie, Hen, and Ian weren't helping at all. 'Traffic... Yes, traffic! In town. There was loads of traffic. Like never before."

When she looked at her father, she knew he hadn't believed a single word she'd said. He then turned his gaze to the rest of the team, who were still quietly laughing at them. At least Chloe didn't repeat her gesture, but Buck was doing his best not to look at the Captain, and all the Captain had to do was glance at Buckley to guess what had really caused them to be late for work.

At first, a look of realisation crossed Bobby's face, followed by utter indignation.

"Really?!" he exclaimed, trying not to look at either his daughter or her boyfriend. "Good heavens..." Lissie opened her mouth, but he quickly silenced her. "Don't say a word, please. I don't want to know any more. You'll both stay behind and tidy the storeroom for being late."

"But Dad..."

"Cap..."

Buck and Lissie tried to protest, especially as they'd had their own plans for after their shift, which had clearly just been thrown out the window.

"You should have been on time," he muttered. "I won't change my mind. You'll clean the whole storage room spotless."

"You're in for it," said Chim, looking at the pair with amusement as he sipped his coffee. "I can't remember the last time it was cleaned. Probably months ago. You've got your work cut out for you."

"Shut up, Chim," Buck snapped at him. "As if you and Rosie are any better."

"Exactly!" Lissie chimed in immediately, glaring at her friend. "You're no better."

Fortunately for everyone, the alarm sounded in the fire station, jolting everyone to their feet.

"I want to hear more about them in the truck," Chloe said to her as they walked downstairs together.

Lissie just laughed.

"MELISSA HOPE NASH!" Chim shouted, but there was an amused smile on his face. "Don't you dare, you little elf."

"Stop me."

She gave him a defiant look until finally Howard let go of her and allowed her to jump into the truck first.

The situation they encountered didn't seem complicated in the slightest. A pregnant woman had gone into labour, and things were moving so quickly that by the time they arrived at her home, the baby was crying its heart out and clamouring for its mother. The baby was safe and sound, but according to her husband, the woman had taken a COVID test a few days earlier, which had come back positive. At first, it seemed that she was not in any serious danger, but when she started coughing and having trouble breathing, the decision was simple — she had to be taken to the hospital.

Lissie and Chim were in the back of the ambulance, looking after the patient, whilst Hen and Chloe sat in the front. They'd done everything they could. They'd administered the standard medication, which should have helped, but that damned virus was unpredictable, and what normally worked simply wasn't having any effect in this case. Nash tried to explain what had happened by saying that the woman had been further weakened by childbirth and a generally lower immune system, and this had led to her passing away in the ambulance. When they arrived at the hospital, they tried to resuscitate her for a good fifteen minutes, but the doctors were unable to do anything more — they pronounced her dead.

Breaking the news to her husband, who had arrived at the hospital late, was the hardest part. Lissie wanted to take on the task herself, but Chim said he had to do it. Despite this, she went with him, because she could see that the whole situation had shaken him quite a bit, and she was beginning to worry that, in this state, he might not be seeing Rosie for who she was, or realising how her labour might have ended.

When they returned to the station, Chim immediately offered to tidy up the ambulance after the call, without asking anyone for help. Everyone realised he preferred to be on his own for a while, but they kept an eye on him as they watched him from the changing room.

"That really got to him," said Eddie, opening his locker. He glanced sideways at Chloe, and she immediately flashed him that flirty smile of hers.

"Are you surprised?" Lissie glanced briefly at Diaz, then turned her attention back to watching Chim. "I'm pretty sure that, if he were in that patient's shoes, he'd have pictured Rosie."

"What?" Ian shook his head. "That's crazy."

"Are you sure?" Lissie rested her hand on her knee and turned to her friend. "You know perfectly well what happened during Marrie's birth. Chim wasn't there, and when he found out what really happened, he was a right mess for a good few weeks."

"But Rosie's fine." Buck took his girlfriend's hand. "She told us that herself on the video call recently, remember? The doctor said she and the twins are fine."

"That's true..." Lissie nodded. "They are, but what about him?" She pointed at Chim by the ambulance. "I wouldn't be so sure about that."

Nash's phone vibrated in her pocket, and when she looked at the screen and saw a message from Rosie, she sighed heavily. She showed the screen to Buck, and he simply put his arm around her.

Rosie: Got a lot of work on your shift? I hope you're not overworking yourself... Do you know what's going on with Chim? I've been trying to get hold of him, but no response...

At first, she felt like ignoring the message, but she didn't know which was worse — leaving her in the dark or pretending nothing had happened.

Lissie: We've just got back from the job, and Chim's tidying up the ambulance. You know he likes to have everything in order... He's probably put his phone on silent and can't hear you. I'll tell him to get in touch.

Rosie: Whenever he has a spare moment. I know you've got a lot on your plate, and it's nothing important. It's just that the twins are using my insides as a basketball court. They're particularly lively today and won't let me forget they're there.

Lissie smiled, for she could picture a joyful Rosie, somewhere in the middle of the kitchen in their flat, or at her desk in the control room, with her hand on her tummy... Her message only reinforced her belief that she needed Chim by her side at all times to truly enjoy this state of affairs and the anticipation of having children. She could only hope that Han wouldn't do anything foolish after today's incident.

THE SHIFT WAS OVER, AND CHIM HAD BEEN UNUSUALLY QUIET UNTIL THE VERY END. Lissie tried to strike up a conversation with him, but he was stubborn and insisted that nothing was going on. Nash had to believe him because there was nothing else she could do. At least for now.

Following her father's instructions, she and Buck stayed behind to clean out the storage room. It turned out to be a challenge, because Han was right when he said that no one had cleaned the place in a long time. Maybe there wasn't any visible dust—her father wouldn't have let it get that bad—but such a thorough cleaning had definitely been done a very long time ago. This led to the fact that when she went to Buck's for the night, they took a quick shower together, and later both collapsed into bed, nearly unconscious.

That night, however, her dark thoughts wouldn't leave her—or perhaps she was just too exhausted—and she didn't get any sleep; Buck's snoring that morning was exceptionally irritating, and she got up at the crack of dawn and couldn't fall back asleep. She stared at the ceiling as if it were going to answer all her questions. Later, she started scrolling through her social media, where she came across the profile of a female firefighter from Texas. Her name was Marjan, but she had recently become popular under the nickname Firefox after videos of her in action went viral several times. Lissie herself had been running the 118th unit's Instagram account for some time, where she showcased the work of the fire department and their team, but above all, she focused on educational content for others. Some of the tips were really simple, and knowing them could save more than one life.

Lissie noticed a female firefighter from Texas and, seeing no other entertainment at the moment, sent her a short message referencing one of her operations. Surprisingly, the girl replied almost immediately, following her back on Instagram, and so a few minutes flew by—talking with Marjan, a conversation that started with the fire department and moved on to favorite movies and books to recommend.

Eventually, though, she got bored with browsing the internet and set her phone aside. She looked at Buck, but he was fast asleep—lying on his back, one hand on his bare chest, the other tucked under a pillow. He was breathing calmly and snoring steadily, completely unaware that she herself was trying to find something to do to tire herself out and fall asleep again, or to kill time until Buck woke up. She could get up and go make breakfast, but Evan might just as well wake up in a few hours, and her efforts would be in vain.

Lissie propped her elbow on the mattress and began to study him. She looked at his tousled hair, the lashes casting shadows on his cheeks, and his slightly parted lips, which she had already begun to miss. Then her gaze drifted lower to his jaw, where she could see the first traces of a day's stubble, and further down to his neck and bare chest. The blanket barely covered him from the waist down, because one leg was bent at the knee and completely exposed, and the rest of the fabric—she had to admit it without hesitation—was draped over her. Buck looked completely different when he slept—gentler, calmer, without that constant pressure to please everyone, without the thought that no matter what he did, in his own eyes he was still doing too little, that he could always do more.

She smiled when Buck snored again, because it just meant that he could finally rest and get some sleep. And she wanted that for him, but that morning she decided to change those plans a little. She leaned down and at first just gently kissed him on the jaw. Buck didn't move an inch, nor did he show any signs of waking up. She planted another kiss, this time lower on his neck. Then he made a brief gesture with his hand, as if trying to shoo away some pesky fly, and then let his hand fall back onto his chest, but he was still asleep. She decided to go further, and with each successive kiss, she went lower and lower. First, she focused on his neck and shoulders, then moved to his chest, lingering there a little longer. First, to feel his heartbeat beneath her fingers again, and second, to check if Buck had woken up.

He sighed in his sleep, but was still asleep. Even so, she could tell the difference in his breathing—until now steady, it had become more ragged. She recognized it well enough to know that even if he was asleep, everything she did was having an effect on him. She smiled almost devilishly and leaned over him even closer. She slid her hands to his sides as her lips focused on his lower abdomen. The kisses were short and gentle, like little brushes, but they clearly worked, because Buck finally mumbled in his sleep, and she was almost certain the word he spoke spelled out her name. That only emboldened her further. She moved lower until she finally pulled back the comforter, revealing his body. She unconsciously licked her lips when she saw his cock coming to life. That evening, when they went to bed, they were so exhausted they didn't even have the strength to put on pajamas—Buck fell asleep completely naked, and she in a half-undone robe that had completely opened and slipped off her shoulders while she slept.

Lissie slid her fingers first to his hips, then to his thighs, until finally she wrapped them around his penis. She began to slowly move her hand up and down, rotating her wrist at a calm, steady pace. She ran her thumb over the head, remembering full well that it always worked on him. Buck's breathing quickened, and he thrust his hips forward, practically seeking her touch himself.

"Come on..." she whispered softly, more amused than impatient. She wanted him to finally wake up, but it seemed she'd have to try harder.

She smiled as she glanced at him briefly and settled more comfortably on her knees between his legs. Without stopping her hand movements, she leaned forward and at first just touched him with her tongue. Buck clenched his fingers on the sheet and shifted nervously, and she paused, checking again to see if he was awake yet. Buck's eyes were still closed, so she decided to continue. She ran the tip of her tongue over the head of his penis, using her hand to help at the same time. She kissed and caressed him, listening for sounds from him, and when his sighs grew louder, she finally dared to take him into her mouth. At first, she moved slowly, inch by inch, remembering to breathe, just as Buck reminded her every time she knelt before him like this.

Where she couldn't reach with her mouth, she helped herself with her hands, until finally...

"Damn it, Spitfire..." Buck's hoarse, sleep-drenched voice spoke over her.

Lissie looked up and saw him watching her, which made her push forward again until she felt the head of his penis hit the back of her throat. Buck slid his hand into her hair and at first tried to push her away, but she grabbed his wrist. She tilted her head back for a moment, releasing him from her mouth. She interlaced their fingers and placed his hand back on the sheets.

"I wasn't expecting a wake-up call like this," he said, propping himself up on his other elbow. He sat up to get a better look at her, and she just smiled at him, all too innocently, because it only made him crave more of her touch. "I was sure it was just a dream..."

"I can always surprise you, Buckley."

"That's more than certain."

And to prove her point, she took him into her mouth again. This time, more confidently and more deeply. Moans grew louder and more distinct from his lips, and she began to feel them between her own legs. What had started out as just a way to pass the time while waiting for Buck to wake up had turned into a morning full of pleasure. Lissie even began to wonder if maybe they really weren't quite thinking straight when they ended up in bed or somewhere else in his apartment almost every day, having sex. If that was the case, she wasn't about to complain, because she loved every moment they spent together, and the knowledge that Buck couldn't take his eyes off her, let alone his hands, only made her heart and the area between her legs feel warm.

Lissie sat up and ran her thumb over her lips to gather some of the semen. Buck let out a long moan as she left him waiting for release, and it was clear she was teasing him. Her innocent smile returned, but the grip on his hand vanished, so he quickly slid his fingers back into her blonde hair, where brown streaks were reappearing more and more often. He pulled her toward him, laying her on top of him, and took possession of her lips. He kissed her until she was breathless, as if she hadn't just had them wrapped around his penis a moment ago. Lissie moaned into his lips as he sucked harder on one of them, and his hand found its way between her breasts.

"Good morning," she said with a smile, pulling her head away from him for a brief moment. She sighed with pleasure as he ran his fingers over her nipple, then moved that touch to her other breast. "Did you get enough sleep?"

"Are we really going to talk about whether I slept well right now?" he replied, leaning down and kissing her neck. Lissie giggled softly and tugged gently at his hair. Buck slid his hands onto her back, pulling her close. "I need you. You can't wake me up in such a pleasant way and then completely forget about me."

"Who said I forgot about you, Cowboy?"

He looked at her, but before he could say anything, she pushed him back so he lay on his back. Lissie straddled him, took his penis in her hand, and slowly lowered herself onto him. When their bodies joined, they both held their breath. She swore loudly and threw her head back, then began to move. Slowly at first, to find the right rhythm, but impatience got the better of them, and he met her movements head-on. He grabbed her hips, and she braced her hands against his chest to steady herself.

Neither of them needed much to reach fulfillment—Buck thrust his hips a few times, Lissie slid her fingers to his neck, gently squeezing it, and the bedroom was flooded with a wave of moans and hot sighs they let out as they climaxed together. Buck slid the robe completely off her shoulders and pulled her toward him so she could lie on his chest. They were still joined, but neither of them was in a hurry to change that.

Lissie rested her chin on her hand and looked into his hazy, gleaming eyes.

"That was..." she began.

"Exactly what we needed," he finished for her. "At first, I felt like I was still dreaming."

"Did you have an erotic dream?"

"About you? Always."

The blonde laughed, but immediately hissed, overwhelmed by too many sensations at once. She felt too sensitive to keep him inside her, which Buck immediately picked up on and withdrew from her, a move they both greeted with a drawn-out moan.

"What did you dream about?" she asked curiously. "Maybe it's something we should add to our list..."

"We should make a new list, because we crossed everything off the old one."

"I like it," she replied. She ran her fingers over his tattoo and felt him begin to stroke her back, his gentle touch brushing against her phoenix. "It reminds me of how far I've come."

Buck didn't answer right away. He kissed the top of her head, then smiled at her.

"So we should add sex on a jeep to it. And in an elevator. Because I think I might have dreamed about two things today."

Lissie laughed, almost unable to believe what she was hearing.

"We can add both of those places," she assured him. "What were we doing in that dream on the jeep?"

"If you want, I can show you," he offered with a mischievous smile, and without waiting for her reaction, he turned them so that this time she was lying on her back and he was on top of her. "We're in no rush..."

"I have to go home today. I don't have any clean clothes left, and after we were late, I'd rather not upset Dad any more..."

"I'll drive you home this afternoon," he replied, kissing her neck. "Or tonight," he planted another kiss, this time on her right breast. "Or tomorrow after breakfast."

His hand slid to the side, then to the inside of her thighs.

"You'll have to convince me more." She smiled and tilted her head to the side to give him better access.

Buck ran his fingers further down and draped her leg over his hip. He moved his hand to her buttock and...

The doorbell rang downstairs.

"Did you invite anyone over?" she asked curiously, but he kissed her again, and she managed to forget that anyone was at the door.

"Don't worry about it. It's probably just a neighbour, so nothing important."

Lissie relaxed, but this time someone knocked. Once, twice, and...

"Buck!" Chim called out. "I know you're in there. Open up."

"What...?"

"Don't ask me," Buckley muttered grumpily. "I didn't invite him."

"I know from Rosie where you keep the spare key, so do me a favour and open up, because I don't want to see you and Lissie in a situation I don't want to see you in!"

Buck groaned and rested his head on her shoulder in resignation. Lissie wasn't exactly thrilled about it herself, but she'd rather Chim didn't find her naked in bed.

"We'll find out what he wants, get rid of him quickly, and then get back to you, showing me exactly what you dreamt about."

The boy smiled contentedly and kissed her, ignoring another knock at the door.

A few minutes later, Lissie was wearing Buck's tracksuit, the only thing suitable to wear from all her clothes strewn about the bedroom. Buck had thrown on nothing but shorts and a sweatshirt, and when he opened the door, Chim was standing in the corridor with a suitcase.

To say that Lissie and Buck were taken aback would be an understatement.

"Can I stay with you for a while?" asked Han, without so much as a greeting.

He didn't give either of them a moment to react and walked straight inside.

Lissie was the first to come to her senses.

"Chim, what are you doing?" She folded her arms across her chest and looked at him. "You should be somewhere else."

"I can't risk infecting Rosie with something," he replied confidently. "So I've decided to move in with Buck until the birth."

Nash felt as though she'd misheard him.

"Hold on, I've got something to say here too," Buck piped up, pointing at his friend. "First of all, I'm not in a position to take you in..."

"The sofa will do," Chim cut him off. "Need I remind you of the time you stayed over at my place? You owe me that."

"Have you gone mad?!" Lissie shouted, jabbing Han in the arm. "You're not staying here, there's no way! Rosie needs you, for heaven's sake! Especially now!"

"Melissa!" Chim snapped, using her full name, which he only ever did when he was genuinely annoyed with her—which was almost never. "I won't let the same thing happen to Rosie as happened to that woman!"

"So you've decided that the best solution is to leave your pregnant girlfriend?"

"I'm not exactly abandoning her. I'm just trying to keep her safe. It's only temporary, until things calm down..." Chim took a quick breath. "Besides, I haven't left her on her own. She's with Marrie."

"And an eleven-year-old is supposed to look after her own mother?!"

"I should have expected that's what this was about..." Buck muttered sarcastically. "Does Rosie even know you're here?"

Howard didn't reply, and that riled Lissie up even more.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me," she snapped, letting her arms fall limply by her sides. She wanted to say more, but her phone, which was lying on the kitchen island, rang. As she picked it up, she snorted in anger and showed the screen to the other two, where a photo of Rosie was displayed. "You're stressing out a pregnant woman, Han," she said directly to him and answered the call. "Flower?"

"Chim's gone!" Rosie's terrified voice came from the other end of the line. You could tell she was crying and could barely breathe. "I woke up and... he wasn't there." Lissie pressed her lips together and glared at Chim with all her fury. "He didn't leave a note, his clothes are gone... Oh my God, what if something's happened to him? And I don't know anything because I can't get through to him?" Rosie sniffed. "Or... what if he doesn't want me anymore? Liss, I'm alone and I can't..."

Whatever else Rosie wanted to say, she simply couldn't, because all that stress had left her unable to catch her breath. Lissie could hear it all too clearly, and tears welled up in her own eyes as she realised just how vulnerable and distraught her friend must be feeling at that moment, and that she couldn't help her right there and then.

"Rosie," she said her name gently, trying to put her anger at Chim out of her mind. She had a more important task now. "Take a deep breath. You can't..."

"JUST DON'T TELL ME NOT TO GET NERVOUS!" She shouted so loudly that Lissie had to pull the phone away from her ear for a second. Then Rosie started crying. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..."

"It's all right," she reassured her immediately. "Chim's fine."

But something could just as easily happen to him any minute now, she added silently.

Rosie drew a sharp breath.

"What?"

"He's at Buck's place," she explained, trying to find a way to tell her friend what her stupid boyfriend had come up with. She was furious at the way Chim had behaved, and now also because he couldn't take responsibility for his actions and wouldn't even admit to Rosie what his plans were. She was the one who had to explain to him. "He said that this way he'd protect you, the twins, and Marrie from the virus..."

"But that's nonsense! After all... he's been going to work as normal until now. And everything was fine, why did he do it?"

"Because he's scared..."

"So he's left me? And where is he staying?!"

"If I've understood correctly, he wants to take Buck's sofa..."

Lissie didn't finish her sentence when she heard footsteps approaching. Someone snatched the phone from Rosie's hand, and then Marrie spoke up.

"WHAT HAS HE DONE?!" The girl's scream was just as loud as the one her mother had let out earlier. It was all the more surprising because Marrie never lost her temper like that. "WHAT'S WRONG WITH HIM?!" Lissie switched to hands-free so that Buck and Chim could hear every word clearly. "HOW CAN YOU LEAVE A PREGNANT WOMAN?! EVERYTHING WAS FINE UP UNTIL NOW, AND SUDDENLY HE WANTS TO PROTECT US?!" YOU KNOW WHAT? FINE! WE'LL MANAGE ON OUR OWN! I'LL LOOK AFTER MUM MYSELF, AND WE'LL BE FINE!"

Buck's eyes widened at what he heard, and then he sighed silently. Chim, meanwhile, stared at Lissie as if paralysed.

"Marrie..."

"No, Auntie," she said, a little more calmly. "Dad's a coward, that's all! The last few months have been the worst of the pandemic, and now things are slowly starting to settle down, so he should have fewer worries than before... If he doesn't want to live with us, he doesn't have to."

"We'll talk about this some more, sweetheart, but put your mum on the phone." There was a brief silence. Lissie switched off the speakerphone and moved closer to the window to ensure a modicum of privacy for what she wanted to say to her friend. "Rosie?"

"I'm here..."

"Chim's been a right idiot, but you're the most important thing right now. Take a deep breath and have a drink of water, OK? Have a rest and trust me, you won't be left to deal with this on your own."

"Do you promise?"

"I promise."

The girls hung up, and Lissie turned to Chim, furious.

"Explain yourself," she ordered. "Now."

"I've got nothing to explain," he replied. "You know full well that COVID could strike at any moment. You were in quarantine with suspected..."

"So what?"

"So it actually could have been COVID, and if you'd had a severe case, you might well not be here anymore," he snapped at her, illustrating in an exceptionally cruel way what might have happened.

"You know perfectly well that so many things have happened in my life that any one of them could just as easily have led to my death. That's life, Chim! We don't get to choose when we die! All we can do is enjoy what we have, and you've just scared your pregnant girlfriend. She needs you, and you've left her."

"I can't lose her, Liss. I'm doing this for her safety..."

"No." She shook her head, and Buck didn't dare interrupt their conversation. "You've let fear get the better of you. I've been worried about her from the very start, too, and I wouldn't survive it if anything happened to her, but can't you see she can't be left alone with all this?"

"It'll be safer for her this way."

Lissie clenched her fists, stopping herself from hitting him.

"Safe? SAFE?!"

"So what? Can I stay?"

Chim ignored her and looked at Buck, who froze, faced with a decision he'd never wanted to make. He looked up at Han, then glanced at his girlfriend, and it was clear she was still furious.

"Chim..." he began, but Lissie pointed a finger at him, silencing him at once.

"No," she replied for him. "You're going back to your own home. Now."

"As far as I know, you don't live here, and you don't make any decisions."

"Hey!" Buck called out, admonishing Chim. "Cut it out, man. Lissie and I are together, and she has just as much right to run this flat as I do."

"Legally, you're the tenant, so? Can I stay the night?"

"Do you remember what you told me, that you didn't want to let Rosie down? As far as I'm concerned, behaviour like this is proof that you're doing just that..."

"Really?" Chim put his hands on his hips. "And should I remind you that I let you sleep on my sofa, even though you were a hopeless flatmate?"

"I haven't forgotten... I just think you should at least have a chat with Rosie and reassure her."

"I'll do it via webcam. I'm not going to cut myself off from her completely... I'll help them as much as I can, but I just won't put them at risk."

"In that case, you know that..."

"Evan," Lissie interjected quickly. "If you agree, I'm leaving. And I won't be back here until he comes to his senses and goes back to his home, his child, and his pregnant girlfriend!"

Buck looked as though he was pondering for a brief moment, and she could almost see the entire thought process unfolding in his mind. He was weighing up all the pros and cons. She knew he wanted to be fair to Chim, as well as to Rosie, and to her, too, but the situation wouldn't allow it. The only question was whether Buck would do the right thing or simply make the whole situation worse.

"Chim..." he finally said, quietly and uncertainly. "You can stay, but I don't like it."

Lissie looked at her boyfriend in shock.

"Solidarity," she snorted indignantly. "Fucking sperm."

"It's not like that..." Buck began to explain, but she wouldn't even listen to him. She turned and ran upstairs to the loft to pack all her things. If that's how they both saw it, then so be it. "Lissie..." Buckley was hot on her heels, trying to talk to her. "What am I supposed to do, then?"

"I don't know... Maybe chase him out and drag him back to Rosie by force?" She snapped, grabbing her bag and stuffing whatever she could see into it. "If it were about us, would you have run away like a coward, too?"

"But it's not about us, it's about Chim and Rosie." He walked over to her and took her hand, and she let him. She paused for a moment and took a deep breath. "I don't approve of what he's doing, but I can't just kick him out onto the street. He put me up on his sofa twice when I needed it."

"Rosie did the same when you met up again in LA."

"I remember, and I don't want her to think I'm doing this to spite her. If Chim's panicking, it's better he does it at my place than at someone else's."

"And Rosie and Marrie are supposed to be left on their own? If something were to happen..."

Her voice caught in her throat at the very thought of complications. She was immediately reminded of that New Year's Eve when Marrie was born, the blood on her hands and all over Rosie, which they'd never quite managed to wash off the wooden floor afterwards. Buckley, unconscious, and how she had practically begged her to save the baby if anything happened, not her... Lissie felt a single tear roll down her cheek, but she quickly wiped it away. Buck saw it, though, and kissed her on the side of her head.

"Everything will be all right..."

Lissie sat up straight and pulled away from Buck.

"Nothing will be alright," she replied, slinging her bag over her shoulder. "Until Chim comes back to the flat, I'm staying with my parents."

"What? Liss, come on..."

"No," she said firmly. "I'm disappointed in both of you. Rosie even more so. She needs peace and support, not an absent boyfriend and a brother who takes his side."

Buck tried to stop her from talking some more, but she deftly sidestepped him. Downstairs, she merely glanced at Chim and, without even saying goodbye to him, left the flat, hoping that they would both come to their senses after all.