08 | ❝ AFTERMATH ❞

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CHAPTER EIGHT

❝ AFTERMATH ❞

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[ season 2, own storyline ]

LISSIE POV

THE EVENING ENDED COMPLETELY DIFFERENTLY FOR EVERYONE. The last thing Lissie expected was to become a babysitter for the eldest Buckley, who was a little tipsy. Seth received an unexpected call for work, so he asked her – as she was the only sober person still present at the bar – to drive his beloved/friend home. Lissie wasn't entirely sure where their relationship stood. Were they still just friends, or were they now a couple? Because even a fool could see that they were madly in love with each other.

Halfway home, Maddie said she was hungry and couldn't wait until they got home, so Lissie was forced to stop at a kebab place. At first, Maddie didn't approve, because she preferred Mexican food. Nash was sure she had mentioned something about Seth serving the best tacos, and it sounded so ambiguous that even the waitress who took their order blushed. She admitted that seeing Maddie in such a state was quite amusing, and she couldn't resist taking a few photos and recording a short video of her encounter with her. She would leave it for posterity or until she needed to use it as a little blackmail.

It was difficult to say exactly how long after leaving the bar, they finally made it to their destination. It was still dark, and Lissie was glad she had the next day off. Buckley, on the other hand, had an afternoon shift waiting for her, which she hoped she would make it to.

Lissie helped Maddie lie down in her room, and she fell onto the mattress with a giggle.

"Tell Seth I love him."

Maddie laughed drunkenly, which amused Lissie.

"I didn't know you were already at that stage. That was quick."

"Oh, I've always loved him," she said sincerely, probably taking advantage of the fact that she wouldn't remember it tomorrow. "Did you see his face? And his muscles? And that smile? And his face? It's like Michelangelo carved him with a chisel."

"I didn't look at him that way," she muttered, helping Buckley take off her shoes.

"No?" Maddie looked at her with wide eyes. Barely, because her eyelids kept closing on their own from exhaustion. "Maybe it's for the best. You wouldn't be right for each other."

"Believe me, I feel the same way," she replied, covering her with a blanket. "Besides, I know someone who would be right for him."

"Who?" Buckley asked, but she was already closing her eyes and sliding her hands under the pillow. "Do I know her?"

"Very well."

"Do I like her?"

"Definitely," Lissie smiled. "Rest, Maddie. You could use some sleep."

Maddie muttered something incomprehensible and, at the last moment before she fell completely asleep, opened one eyelid.

"Stay with me tonight. Rosie would kill me if she found out you were coming home alone at night."

A second later, Buckley was asleep. Lissie shook her head, but decided to take her up on her offer.

SHE WAS WOKEN UP IN THE MORNING BY MADDIE AND HER ATTEMPTS TO GO DOWN THE STAIRS. She clearly hadn't sobered up during those few hours of sleep, and the water and pills she had left by her bed did nothing to help her hangover.

Lissie jumped up from the sofa where she had slept all night and stood in front of the stairs, looking at her colleague with pure amusement. When Maddie raised her tired gaze to her, she immediately wagged her finger at her, while supporting herself with the other hand on the banister.

"Don't say anything," Maddie said before Lissie could speak.

"It didn't even cross my mind," she replied with an amused smile.

"Sure," Maddie drawled, and when she finally reached the bottom of the stairs, she looked at her painfully. "Oh, I don't think I can go to work today."

"First we'll have breakfast, and you'll take a shower, and then we'll worry about that. Seth asked me to take care of you, so I will."

She took Maddie by the arm, and Maddie accepted it with great relief. She led her to the kitchen, where she sat her down at the table, and Buckley immediately lay down on it.

"I think I'm dying," she mumbled indistinctly. "When I die, tell my siblings not to write anything stupid on my grave."

Nash refrained from laughing and put the kettle on for coffee. She knew it might help Buckley at first, although she could imagine Buck and Rosie's amusement when she told them about the state their older, responsible sister was in. Everything had been documented, so she had proof.

"You're not dying, you just have a hangover," she said, placing a plate of sliced bananas on the table to help with the nausea. "Rest and you'll be fine."

"Then why do I feel like I'm dying?"

"The effects of drinking too much alcohol."

"Impossible." Maddie lifted her head from the tabletop, but only enough to look at Lissie, her expression resembling that of a surprised Pikachu who couldn't believe what she was hearing and seeing. Fortunately, Buckley reached for a piece of fruit lying in front of her and, with some difficulty, swallowed it. "I'm not drunk."

"You definitely are."

"I only had one glass of wine."

"You mean a dozen," Lissie pressed her hand to her mouth to keep from laughing out loud. Looking at the pained and distraught Maddie, it was getting harder and harder to hold back. "Halfway through the party, you went with Seth to get new drinks and didn't show up at the table until he got a call for work and asked me to drive you home."

"Really?" Maddie's mouth opened wide, and Lissie was sure she could see a piece of unchewed banana in her mouth. What was the point of that? "You have a car? And a driving licence?"

Maddie's expression reminded her of a young child discovering that the Earth is not flat and revolves around the sun. This time, Lissie couldn't help herself and covered her face with her hand in embarrassment.

"I didn't say anything stupid, did I?" Maddie continued, and when she saw the cup of hot coffee, her eyes immediately lit up with happiness. She took a few sips without even waiting for the drink to cool down a little. "Oh, that's better. You're a goddess, you know that?"

"I just found that out," she snorted briefly, sipping water herself. "And you said all sorts of things, but let's just say I don't know anything."

Maddie breathed a sigh of relief.

"I don't remember anything," Buckley shook her head, but immediately hissed in pain and rested her chin on her hand. Then she sighed heavily. "I blacked out somewhere halfway home." Lissie thought that maybe it was for the best. She didn't want Maddie to feel uncomfortable about their brief conversation about Seth. "I have to call Sue. There's no way I can work today in this condition."

"You know she'll tear your head off, right?"

"As if there's much left of it," she joked, and when she laughed, she grimaced again at the pain in her head. "No way, I'm going back to bed. I'll eat something later, and you don't have to stay with me. Thank you for your help. Without you, I probably would have died."

"You would have just been more tired."

"You know how to cheer a person up."

Lissie just snorted quietly. Maddie gathered herself from the kitchen, and Nash watched her struggle up the stairs to the first floor bedroom. She sympathised with her pain and was only confirmed in her belief that the decision to abstain was absolutely the right one. However, she didn't have the heart to leave her completely unprotected, so to be on the safe side, she called Sue herself, saying that she could replace Maddie on her shift if necessary. Fortunately, their boss decided that there was no need and that they could manage with one person less. Later, she decided to prepare something for Maddie to eat once she was fully awake and had more energy.

She left a note on the fridge telling her to heat up dinner and that, as compensation, she was lending her the car to get to her flat. She was tired after the evening and longed for a shower, and couldn't imagine wasting more hours travelling by bus.

It was almost midnight when she finally made it home. When she entered the flat, the first thing she noticed was that all the furniture had been moved around, and the things that had been in it were now scattered across the sofas and armchairs. In the middle of the flat stood Rosie with a high ponytail that kept falling over her face, wearing a loose, old T-shirt and shorts. She was holding a wet cloth in one hand and a broom in the other. The room was filled with the citrus scent of cleaning products, and their shared dance playlist was playing from the speakers.

"Did a tornado hit or something?" she asked, and Rosie straightened up and looked at her as if she hadn't expected her at all. Buckley was clearly troubled by something.

"Are you back already?"

Rosie put down the broom, and Lissie walked over to the pile of bags, but she wasn't sure what was in them.

"You say that as if you'd rather I'd come later," she teased. "But seriously, what made you decide to do a thorough cleaning? The last time I saw you like this was when you first left Marrie in Chicago with Chim."

At the sound of her ex's name, the cloth fell from her hands.

"Chim? Why are you mentioning him?"

Lissie frowned, looking at her friend.

"Rosie, you're starting to panic."

"I'm not panicking," Nash raised an eyebrow, not believing her words for a moment. "Maybe a little."

"The question is why, right? Why did you start cleaning the whole flat as if, I don't know, you were expecting some demanding guests, about whom I know nothing, by the way."

"It was dirty," she replied too quickly. "Of course. What other reason could there be?"

"There must be one, since you're cleaning like crazy. Are you okay? Because this isn't like you."

Buckley sat down heavily on the pile of clothes that had ended up on the sofa. She wiped her sweaty forehead and sighed heavily.

"Is it wrong that I want to have a perfectly clean flat? I'm not Buck, who thinks mess is tidiness."

"There's something to that, but I still don't believe you," Rosie rolled her eyes at her friend. "Talk. What's going on?"

"Nothing's going on, Lissie! I just... I felt like today would be productive if I cleaned the whole flat. Too much energy and stuff.

"You know you can feed me any line, but saying you have too much energy after a night at the bar is the worst lie I've ever heard from you." Lissie laughed and approached her friend with a cup of coffee, which she handed to her. She moved the clothes aside so she could sit next to her. "Rosaline Buckley. What are you hiding from me?"

"Nothing. Nothing at all."

"I think you're hiding something."

"I don't think so."

"Do you want me to guess?"

"You're terrible at it."

"That's true, but this time I can try. Considering that I saw you leaving the bar with Chim yesterday and that you start to panic at the mere mention of him, I conclude that it has something to do with him."

Rosie groaned in dissatisfaction and leaned heavily against the sofa.

"You can be annoyingly perceptive sometimes."

"That's what happens when you've known someone for a decade and delivered their baby. I literally had your blood on my hands, so I can say that I know you inside and out."

"That..." Rosie pointed at her and grimaced, but there was amusement in her eyes. "...was disgusting." Buckley rubbed her face with her free hand, and when she spoke again, she was all red. "As if I could sleep with Chim."

Lissie was speechless for a long moment.

"What?" she finally said. "Can you repeat that, because I think I misunderstood."

Buckley growled in irritation.

"I slept with Chim!" She looked at her angrily. "Are you happy now?"

"In a way. Although I'm more curious about whether you slept with him or just sort of? Because, you know, there's a significant difference."

Rosie looked at her friend, unable to believe what Lissie was saying. However, she quickly realised that Nash was obviously making fun of her.

"Do you want me to quote the definition of having sex with someone?"

"Not with someone," Lissie corrected her with a cheeky smile. "With Chim. And now I need more details."

"No way!"

Rosie quickly got up from her seat. She put her cup down on the only free space she could find around her and then moved deeper into the flat. Lissie followed close behind.

"You can't escape me! Was it weird, or just awkward? Or was it the opposite, did you have the best sex of your life? You know, did you see stars before your eyes, did you sigh with pleasure and think only about your bodies becoming one?"

Rosie turned to her nervously and looked at her with a stern expression.

"You've read too many romance novels."

"It's Marrie's fault," Lissie shrugged. "We found a hobby we both enjoy, but don't worry, she reads ones that are appropriate for her age. Although last time she peeked at the one I was reading and I had to work hard to explain to her what it means when someone enters someone else.

"Melissa!" she exclaimed indignantly, and Nash smiled innocently. "I don't know if I want to know more about this. Let's pretend I didn't hear that."

Lissie snapped her fingers.

"I'm with you. But that doesn't change the fact that you haven't answered me."

"Because I don't know what to tell you," she confessed to Rosie, and Lissie became a little more serious, seeing that what had happened was clearly tormenting her friend. "We came home yesterday, and since Marrie wasn't there, I went to his place. We started watching a film... Everything seemed so pleasant and easy. As if what had happened over the years hadn't happened. I don't know who made the first move, but we started kissing and..."

Rosie paused to take a deep breath, but when she did, she couldn't finish. Lissie did it for her.

"And you accidentally ended up in his bed." Rosie just nodded. "Okay, but it wouldn't be the first time. After all, Marrie came from somewhere, and I still have that kiss of yours in the flat in front of my eyes when I caught you two.

"The worst thing isn't that I slept with him," she confessed, and Lissie frowned. "It's that I ran away in the morning without a word.

That was not what Nash expected to hear. She leaned her back against the wall next to her, feeling that it was slowly becoming too much information and too many experiences with the Buckleys for one evening and morning.

"That complicates things a bit..."

"Complicates? Lissie, Chim has been texting and calling me since early this morning, and I'm ignoring him because what am I supposed to say to him? The last straw was when I peeked through the peephole in the door when I was about to take out the rubbish so I wouldn't bump into him."

"You know you can't avoid this conversation, right? Sooner or later you'll have to talk about it, and considering that you're raising a child together and working together, it'll definitely be sooner."

"I know. You don't have to remind me." Rosie sighed heavily and leaned against the wall next to her friend. "It's just... It scares me. You know perfectly well how it ended last time. I don't want a repeat performance."

"No one said it has to end the same way. Listen, it's been years since you broke up. You were both different from what you are now... People change, just like situations do. And the very fact that you're afraid it might be the same proves it.

"I'm confused myself."

"I may not know him that well, but I don't think he would have slept with you if it didn't mean anything to him. Talk to him about it calmly and tell him everything that's on your mind. He'll understand."

"What if I screw up again?" Rosie had tears in her eyes. "I've already hurt him once because of my own problems. I don't want to do it again."

"You're only human," she smiled gently at her. "You have the right to make mistakes and, above all, to love someone who has always been important to you."

"Thank you... I thought I didn't need to talk about it, but I was wrong."

"No problem. Always at your service. I'm your best friend for a reason." Lissie pulled her into her arms, and Rosie hugged her, needing that support. "By the way, next time you could clean my room too, since you're already trashing the whole flat."

Rosie snorted through her tears, slowly regaining her humour.

"No way. You're responsible for him."

"How rude," she feigned indignation. Lissie shook her head in amusement. "You Buckleys are completely twisted. One picks up a girl right in front of me, another gets drunk like crazy, and the third ends up in bed with her ex. And all in one evening. You drive me crazy."

Rosie moved away from Lissie and looked at her with all her curiosity.

"Now I want to know everything."

"First, my dear, let's finish cleaning up this mess. Then I'll tell you everything."

"Sounds reasonable," Rosie agreed, and finally seemed to feel a little better.

CHIM POV

A FEW HOURS EARLIER

HOWARD DIDN'T THINK HE WOULD BE ABANDONED AGAIN, OR AT LEAST IT FELT SO. Waking up, he groaned softly and rolled onto his back. Instinctively, he reached out, hoping to wrap his arm around Rosie, who lay beside him, but... The other side of the bed was empty.

"What the...?" he muttered, squinting to see around.

He knew he hadn't dreamed the night, because the pillow was clearly dented and even smelled of the perfume Buckley had been wearing since he'd met her.

He secretly hoped she was in the bathroom or making them breakfast and coffee, but he felt it would be too good to stay. The striking silence throughout the apartment only confirmed that she had left him completely alone. He didn't even hear the loud music Buck played every morning since he moved in, which meant he hadn't yet returned from Taylor Kelly, whom Lissie had reportedly left the bar with. All the better for him—he could avoid his friend's embarrassing questions, and he knew that if he knew what had happened here... It would end badly, but he wasn't entirely sure for whom.

He felt frustrated and sad, but what could he expect? He knew Rosie all too well, and he knew she didn't want to hurt him. He understood perfectly well that they weren't the same couple they had been over nine years ago—they had a daughter to think about, and the previous evening... had completely spiraled out of control.

THE CHANGE THAT DAY WAS QUITE STRANGE FOR CHIM. Not because Rosie wasn't at work, as he knew perfectly well she would be, but because for the first time, he didn't feel at home in the firehouse... The last time he'd felt this uneasy was when he joined the team under Captain Vincent Gerard, but even then, he'd had Rosie by his side, and now... He felt completely lost, even though he pretended everything was in order around others.

He sat at the table, staring at his black phone screen, waiting for any sign from Buckley. He even checked several times to make sure the messages had been sent. The lack of messages didn't reassure him at all – he just wanted to know she was okay. That was all he asked for. A conversation about that night could definitely wait.

He finally unlocked the screen, hoping something had changed, but it hadn't. Apparently, it was here to stay... At least for a while. He saw how worried the others, especially Bobby and Hen, were about him, but he didn't feel ready to admit what had happened between him and Rosie. Besides... He had anticipated Buck's reaction and preferred to simply spare himself the thought.

He wondered what he could do to ease the burden of this situation, or at least distract himself from it all, but nothing came to mind – he felt he had to wait. Finally, she had to break her silence. He glanced again at the messages he'd sent to his ex – after a while, he realized he'd sent far too many. He only hoped he hadn't completely freaked her out.

Only after dinner did the moment he'd been waiting for arrive – he received a notification that three new messages had appeared in his conversation with Rosie. Without a moment's hesitation, he grabbed his phone and headed to the ambulance, where no one was watching. The cab was the only quiet place where no one would disturb him... except Hen, but he could bear that.

ROSIE:

It wasn't supposed to be like this... I didn't want to ignore you, but I needed a moment to breathe. I just... I had absolutely no idea what to say. I didn't feel ready.

I was afraid I'd get your hopes up and it would all turn out to be a one-time thing, or that you'd regret what happened... You know, we both have too much to lose. What would we tell Marrie if we weren't one hundred percent sure? It would break her heart, and both of ours.

As for you wanting to know if I got home safely... Remember, we live literally next door to each other and it's not far to go?

Chim laughed, simultaneously feeling a truly overwhelming sense of relief. Although she was right, because with the news of a "safe return," he'd definitely been acting foolish.

CHIM:

I've never been so sure of anything in my life as I am of how I feel about you, Rosey... And that includes last night. I don't regret anything, I swear. If you just give me a chance... You know I won't let you down, because you know me best out of the whole crew. The question is, do you feel the same way I do?

ROSIE:

Yes... And that's the problem. I'm afraid I'll let you down again, like I did years ago... And I couldn't bear that. I know I promised no running away, and I still cling to that thought, but deep inside... I feel a certain blockage, and I have no idea how to get rid of it.

CHIM:

What do you think we did... That it was just sex?

ROSIE:

Don't you dare think that... For me, it definitely wasn't just sex, but everything I've wanted all these years... Even if I panicked later and ran away.

CHIM:

Rosey... Maybe it's time to go back? This time, not just for Marrie, so she could have a complete family, but for us both? I never stopped loving you, and it's clear you haven't stopped loving me either...

He must have waited much longer for a reply than the previous few – she clearly had to think carefully about what she should have replied to him. He watched as dots appeared on the screen, then disappeared several times. The whole thing lasted about two or three minutes, but finally the long-awaited message appeared.

ROSIE:

I don't want to talk about what's going on between us on the phone...

CHIM:

Me neither. Are you home?

ROSIE:

Yes... Come over when you get back from your shift. We can talk calmly...

CHIM:

In front of Marrie and Lissie? Are you sure?

ROSIE:

Yes. The little one will be sleeping off school since the weekend is starting, and Lissie... If she's up, she can be our psychologist.

Firefighter Han snorted with laughter. Rosa was joking about it, but he knew from his own experience that Melissa had simply missed her calling, because this profession was a hundred percent a good fit for her.

ROSIE POV

THESE WERE THE WORST HOURS OF ROSIE'S LIFE, OR AT LEAST THAT'S HOW SHE FELT. She hadn't slept much the night before, and now she kept glancing at the door, wondering if this had all been a good idea. Fortunately, Marrie and Lissie were asleep, so she knew they could talk in peace.

Suddenly, she heard a distinctive knock on the door, which was how she knew Chim had arrived – they'd established a system for the young lady so that in case of emergency, she'd know it was definitely them.

"It's open," she said, loud enough for him to hear. She didn't want to wake the girls, given the hour.

The door creaked, reminding her to oil it, and a moment later, she saw none other than Han in his fireman's jacket. She had a feeling he hadn't even bothered to enter his apartment; he'd come to hers first. He looked genuinely tired, but she wasn't surprised – after all, it was their job, and she'd caused him a fair amount of stress over the past twenty-four hours.

They stood there for a few moments in complete silence, unsure where to begin.

"Hey," Buckley said quietly, then lowered her head.

"Hi," Howie replied, his gaze never leaving hers. "I was thinking about our text conversation and..."

She could see he was really tense, so she motioned for him to sit on the couch while she grabbed the cups of coffee she'd prepared just before her ex arrived. She had a feeling he probably needed it after his shift.

"You made it the way I drink it." He looked at her, surprised. "Just like..."

"Before I left, yes," she said, taking a sip of her drink. "I never forgot what you like."

Chim blushed, completely embarrassed by her gesture. Rosie snorted, covering her mouth with her hand.

"We were, are, and always will be a mess," the man admitted. "And a huge one at that, but... That's exactly what I want. For the rest of our lives, no matter how long it lasts..." Rosie looked at him, completely speechless. She hadn't expected to hear such a declaration from him. Though she had to admit, hearing his words warmed her heart.

"That's exactly what you said when you asked me to marry you ages ago..." She sighed. She felt her eyes glaze over. "I want to try again too. We've been putting it off for too long."

The Asian man smiled at that. Buckley noticed he was actually relieved.

"I completely improvised," he laughed nervously, and she gave him a small smile. "I should have made it clear from the start, not..."

"It was interesting trying to rebuild our relationship," she replied. "Besides, I've done too much for you to just let it go." Even Marrie took advantage of it, because she wanted to set us up herself.

He agreed. They both remembered her surprise when, back in Chicago, they'd told her they'd be living literally next door to each other, not together, as the six-year-old had thought.

"So what now?" Rosey asked him after a few moments of silence. "Do we admit to the others that their crusade was a success?"

"I'd like to, but I'd rather take advantage of the fact that we have our secret." He put his arm around her. "They'll strangle us for this, but I think it'll be worth it."

The dark-haired girl just snorted with laughter and set her mug down on the coffee table. Chim followed suit.

"You're right, actually," she admitted. "We don't owe anyone anything. Well, maybe except Marrie, but she'll figure it out on her own. She's too observant."

Han agreed with her – he loved his daughter as much as Rosie, but sometimes her behavior surpassed his expectations of a child her age. The girl's mother knew this all too well. Despite everything, they were both immensely proud of her—not because of her incredible academic achievements, though they didn't complain about her grades, but precisely because, for a girl barely nine years old, she was truly herself. One moment she could be sweet and charming, the next she could straighten someone out when needed. Her intelligence and cunning only helped her in this.

"We'll get through this," Rosie said. "No matter what happens, we're in this together."