36 | ❝ THE STORM IS COMING IN QUITE CALMLY... ❞

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CHAPTER THIRTY SIX

❝ THE STORM IS COMING IN QUITE CALMLY... ❞

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[season 3, episode 1 + own storyline]

ROSIE POV

THE NEXT DAY AT WORK BROUGHT THEM A CALL TO A SENIOR CITIZEN'S HOME. The daughter of one of the retirees called for help for her father, who had started behaving very strangely, at least in her opinion, and her brother, who accompanied her. The old man had barricaded himself in his room and wouldn't let anyone in. Eventually, Bobby, Rosie, and Hen tried to get in through the door, while Ian, Eddie, and Chim tried through the window. Without going into details, it was... an unpleasant situation.

"Kids these days," Rosie shook her head as she and the captain left the building after taking the patient to the hospital.

Nash clearly had a similar attitude to her own.

"Rosie?" he asked her gently. "I was wrong. I should have let you go out into the field as soon as you came back to us. Old me and cowardly...

Buckley snorted with laughter and patted her friend on the shoulder. Her anger had long since passed — specifically, when she was able to drive the ambulance for the first time after her break.

"I shouldn't have reacted like that in front of everyone," she said openly. "Suzanna's words got to me a little. Besides, I was in a different place then than I am now. I know you worry about us like we're your own children. I treat you like a father and Athena like a mother. I really don't hold it against you."

"By the way... She and Lissie were right that you'd come alive in the field, because that's what happened, and I can see it."

Rosie smiled, but didn't have time to answer him because Bobby's phone started ringing — as it turned out, it was the fire chief about Buck.

"Will you come with me? You know how he is..."

"Impulsive and hot-headed? Apparently, those are traits we have in common."

Nash laughed, and Rosie walked ahead of him toward the car.

BUCK'S SISTER FELT THAT HER BROTHER WOULD NOT TAKE IT WELL THAT HE COULD NOT RETURN TO WORK YET. Not only had he argued with Bobby, but he also didn't want to talk to her much, unless the conversation was about taking care of Marrie, who was eager to spend time with her uncle, or was initiated by their older sister, even though Maddie was on Rosie's side.

A week passed like this — the only person Buck had any contact with was Lissie.

"You know what your brother is like," Nash said through the camera during her friends' shift. "He'll get over it; he just needs time. That's what connects you to..."

"Something positive connects us? I always thought you guys thought we were stubborn and reckless."

Ian, who was there, burst out laughing, for which he got a punch in the arm from his friend.

"Hey, that hurts!" he cried, then looked at Lissie. "Say something to her! I got hit for doing nothing..."

"Oh, don't cry, Ian. You're a big boy."

Rosie smiled to herself — she knew she would never stop thanking fate for bringing these two into her life. She felt fulfilled thanks to their presence.

Garcia left them alone, pretending to be an offended child. Both girls found this downright amusing.

"Getting back to the topic at hand," Buckley said, looking at her friend. She smiled at her. "I know that of all of us, only you can get through to Buck, even if you don't quite believe it, knowing your attitude."

Lissie frowned.

"That's nice, but I don't know..." she sighed.

"I know I was skeptical, but since you came into his life, Buck has become a completely different person. I saw it, but I was afraid he would end up hurting you, and I would never forgive him for that, even if he is my brother."

"That's really nice, but I don't know if I'm ready to take that step, to be with someone..." said Melissa. "I wouldn't want him to suffer because of me if it didn't work out."

Rosie gave her a big smile.

"I was wrong about my brother's intentions," Rosie replied. "If you two are meant to be together, know that you have my blessing. I want you to be happy more than anything. You both helped me achieve that, so I want you to experience it too. I can't see any other option for you two than happily ever after."

Lissie's face turned red with embarrassment, while Buckley's heart grew warm. She felt that her brother and her best friend becoming a couple was only a matter of time, even if they didn't know it yet.

LISSIE POV

A FEW DAYS AFTER BUCK WAS DISCHARGED FROM THE HOSPITAL, SHE HAD A SPECIAL MISSION TO FULFILL. At least that's what everyone kept telling her when they said that if anyone could help him get over his argument with her father and the fact that he wasn't going back to work, it was her. She didn't quite believe it, but she could try. Especially since she felt that she was the only one who could understand how he was feeling right now — at least in part.

When she knocked on the door, she wasn't surprised that he didn't open it. Only when she went inside did she leave all her things on the kitchen table and then stand under the stairs.

"Buckley, come downstairs," she called to him, knowing that for the past few days, all he had done was lie down — either in his bed or on the couch, taking breaks only to eat something. "I know you're lying there, so don't even try to pretend you're not here."

"Because I'm not here," he replied in a muffled voice, and she was sure he had his head buried in a pillow.

Lissie laughed quietly and shook her head.

"I didn't know your apartment was haunted," she said, slowly climbing the stairs. When she reached the top, just as she had thought, she found Buck buried in his bedding, wearing sweatpants and a hoodie over his head. "Ghosts seem pretty lively. Especially one of them."

"Very funny," he retorted, throwing a pillow at her, but it fell beside her.

She folded her arms across her chest and leaned her hip against the wall, looking at him amusedly.

"For a firefighter, you have terrible aim."

"I'm not a firefighter, Liss. Not anymore."

"It's a temporary situation. Get up, lazybones. If you don't want to talk to me, we don't have to, but I won't let you eat nothing but pizza and kebabs."

"I don't just eat pizza and kebabs..."

"The empty packaging in the kitchen says otherwise." Lissie turned and started walking downstairs. "If you don't come down in five minutes, know that I'm going to tell Marrie, who has decided that if you don't listen to me today, she won't visit you at all for the foreseeable future."

That was enough for her to hear the rustling of the sheets and his footsteps. Although there wasn't a grain of truth in any of her words, she smiled to herself because she was sure that this would work on him.

When he came downstairs, he looked at her almost reproachfully.

"That was a low blow," he said sulkily.

"I'm just the messenger," she said, raising her hands. Then she began to take individual items out of the bag and lay them out on the table.

"Did you rob a grocery store or something?" he asked, picking up a can of corn. He looked at the label for a moment, then put the product back on the counter.

"I only bought the essentials for dinner," she replied, folding the plastic shopping bag. "Plus, I promised you a long time ago that I would bake you a cake, so this is a good opportunity to finally do it."

Buck sighed heavily and leaned his elbows on the kitchen counter.

"I appreciate what you're doing, but I don't need your pity... You don't have to spend time with me just because you think I'm going to completely break down or something."

"Buck... It's not a favor," she replied immediately, then walked around the counter and stood next to him. "It's a concern. Do you think I'm your friend because you're a firefighter?"

"I was..."

"You are," she insisted. "You have health problems now, but that doesn't mean it will always be that way. From my own experience, I can tell you that recovering from a traumatic injury is a long process, and you've been pushing yourself too hard lately," she smiled. "I know you wanted to go back to work," she said, putting her hand on his shoulder, encouraging him and showing him that she was there for him. "And it will happen eventually, I'm sure of it."

"How do you know that?"

"I just have a feeling. And I believe in you. I know you won't give up."

Buck didn't answer right away, but after a moment, he took her hand and squeezed it gently.

"Thank you," he smiled briefly. "I think you're the only one who can really understand my situation. Everyone else just blames me for pushing myself too hard."

"We're all worried about you," she said, intertwined their fingers, and looked at them for a moment. Only then did she look up at him again. "Don't hold it against them, especially your sisters. They mean well. Besides, in some ways they're right, because your body needs to fully recover before you can go back to work."

"If I went back and something happened to me, I'd still have the best paramedics in the city at my disposal..."

"Who, instead of taking care of the victims you're called to help," she quickly interrupted him, "would be worried about you. That's not why you all joined the fire department. Don't tell me you don't see how that would make the whole unit's job more difficult."

"So I should just give up completely?" he asked indignantly.

Lissie shook her head.

"You're not the kind of person who gives up so easily," she reminded him of something she had seen with her own eyes many times. "I know how much the fire department means to you. Just remember that it's not the only thing that gives your life meaning."

BUCK HELPED HER PREPARE DINNER. They ate it together, and later, reminding him of their old bet, which she had lost, she set about making him a cheesecake. She wasn't sure if he had said he wanted the cake because of her or if he actually wanted one, but she decided not to dwell on it.

"What about you?" Buck asked at one point as she was preparing the cheese mixture to pour onto the crust. She did this with extreme caution, because preparing a cheesecake only seemed simple in the recipe.

"What about me?" She frowned, looking at him just as he was licking the remains of the mascarpone cheese package with his finger.

"When are you going back to work?"

Lissie's heart beat a little faster, but this time it was definitely from stress. The truth was that she had been putting off the decision for as long as possible because she had no idea what to do. Her father had told her that he would always help her and that she didn't have to worry about money. She also had some savings set aside, but they were dwindling with each passing week.

"Actually..." she began, biting her lower lip. "I don't know. I talked to Sue, and she told me she could always find a place for me in the dispatch room, but..."

She was simply afraid that returning to that building would destroy all the peace she had somehow regained, like a house of cards. She felt it when she came to talk to Sue that one time, when she spent only half an hour there, and the whole time she had the feeling that she would never feel safe there again — as if someone was constantly watching her.

"I don't think it's for me anymore," she concluded with a heavy heart. She put the mixer down in the dirty bowl next to her and placed the finished mixture on the counter. Working in the dispatch center only made sense if she didn't feel like an animal in a cage there. She loved helping others, but maybe it was time to find something new for herself. "And honestly, I don't know what I could do. After such a long break, I won't go back to marketing, and I don't think I'd even want to..."

"What about the fire department?" he asked unexpectedly, and she looked at him in surprise. "You used to work in Chicago with Rosie and Ian... Haven't you thought about going back? It didn't work out for me, but maybe you could make it work."

"I don't know..." She shook her head, but she still remembered Rosie's words on the roof of the fire station. And how she found herself thinking about it more and more often, and how she felt a kind of nostalgia when Ian told her about their latest missions in which they had saved someone's life.

She quit her job because of Austin, because she was sure that someone might want to take advantage of her again, just because she was doing what she was supposed to do. But Haywood was dead, and even when he attacked her in Chicago, he did it solely to get revenge on her father.

"I'd love to see you in uniform," he smiled at her, and she shook her head amusedly. "Besides, I've heard so much about how you were a great paramedic in Chicago. You'd have a chance to rub Hen and Chim's noses in it."

She laughed briefly and reached for the bowl of cheese mixture to pour it onto the prepared baking sheet with the biscuit base, but Buck beat her to it and did it for her.

"You know what I'd love to see?" she asked, and Buckley looked at her with a raised eyebrow in a questioning gesture. "You're finally answering Rosie's call and talking to her."

"I talk to her... Just not about what happened," he replied, putting down the empty dish. "It's not fair that your father treats her more leniently and allows her to return to work even though she had a spinal injury."

"You know that's not true, right? He treats you both the same, except that, unlike you, Rosie didn't have surgery that caused a blood clot in her lungs."

Buck sighed heavily and looked at her with resignation.

"You know how to cheer a person up."

"Always at your service," she nodded amusedly. "You know I'm right, Buck. Your health is the most important thing right now."

"You're never wrong, are you?"

"I am very often," she replied calmly. "But every mistake is a lesson for us. Obviously, it would be much better to learn from the mistakes of others, but the point is to admit that we were wrong. That's the first step to success."

"Yes," he agreed with her. "You're absolutely right."

ROSIE POV

THEY HAD THEIR HANDS FULL DURING THE SHIFT, ALL BECAUSE OF THE KIDNAPPING OF A PREGNANT WOMAN. It started with a call they received about a blue newborn baby in a car during a police check — Ian and Chim took the baby to the hospital, while the rest of the team was to help with the search, because the woman Athena found the girl with was definitely not her mother. It was clear that she was insane.

"Where is the child's mother?" asked Seth, who had arrived at the scene. "She may still be alive. Let us save her..."

"But I am her mother," the woman insisted. "When can I see Aria? Where is she?"

Rosie, who was watching her friend's attempt to talk to the perpetrator, finally almost gave up. It was getting on her nerves — she would have loved to punch the redhead in the face, but she realized that this would not be behavior befitting a rescuer.

"All three of us know she's not your child," she said, looking resignedly at Detective Navarro. "If the girl's mother dies, I will genuinely make sure you don't get out of prison."

She felt herself losing control, which Seth also noticed.

"Thanks for your help, but calm down," he said to his friend. "You'd better do it nicely before Bobby gives you an order."

She knew he was right, so she stepped aside, where the captain, Hen, and Eddie approached her.

"Are you sure you can handle this case?" their boss asked her. "After all, it's a kidnapping, and it involves a child..."

Buckley looked at them angrily and snorted.

"Are you seriously asking me these questions? We have more important things to do than worry about how I feel right now. I won't give up until we find her."

She headed for the car, leaving the others completely stunned.

"Lissie's right. She's seriously made of steel," Eddie said, and they followed her.

LUCKILY, THE SITUATION HAD A HAPPY ENDING. The mother of the newborn girl survived thanks to an efficient rescue operation, to which Rosie contributed greatly — she saved her as best she could, which fortunately worked. She was incredibly proud of herself, and her loved ones shared her pride.

"I genuinely felt the same way I did before the Austin case," Buckley admitted that evening as the three of them prepared dinner. "I felt that joy of saving someone's life again. I may have been going on missions with you for practically two weeks, but this was the moment I'd been waiting for. At least according to Jonathan from therapy.

"He really helps you," Marrie smiled. "I don't remember you ever being as energetic as you are now..."

"True..." Chim replied, kissing his beloved on the cheek. "I'm blossoming because of it."

Both girls laughed.

"Still..." the woman began. "This whole thing got me thinking. Howie, remember our conversation a few months ago?"

The man looked at her and then burst out laughing.

"You have to be more specific..." he replied. "There have been a lot of them, you know?"

"The one about the baby."

Chim and Marrie froze, especially the nine-year-old.

"You were thinking about siblings for me, and I had no idea?" asked the girl. "What changed?"

The adults looked at each other, and Marigold clearly understood what they meant—the situation with Austin and everything surrounding it.

"So... you'd like to revisit that?" Han asked, looking at his beloved.

She confirmed it, and the man hugged her with joy. They both looked at their daughter.

"What is it?" she asked, surprised. "Is there something on my face? Seriously, you don't have to worry about me... I won't be jealous. You know I'd love to be a big sister."

"I can't imagine a better one," her dad replied. "You're one of a kind, young lady."

The girl just laughed and joined her parents' embrace.

LISSIE POV

BEFORE NOON, SHE ENTERED THE BUCKLEY-HAN APARTMENT, ALMOST AS IF IT WERE HER OWN. Chim was bustling about in the kitchen and was the first to notice her.

"Couldn't you knock? Let us know you're coming?"

He looked at her, amused. Lissie shrugged and pointed her thumb at the door she had closed behind her.

"If you didn't want me here, you wouldn't have left the door open."

Han just smacked his lips happily, then greeted her briefly and handed her a cup of decaffeinated coffee made especially for her. She still couldn't stand regular coffee, but for some time now, Chim had been surprising her with new ways of serving decaf. This time, it was coconut flavored, which actually tasted like coconut, and it was hard to tell that it was coffee.

"Hey, this tastes great," she replied, leaning against the kitchen island. "What's this?"

"That will remain my sweet secret," he said, sticking his tongue out at her, and she rolled her eyes.

"And you see, you were waiting for me. Otherwise, you wouldn't be ready for this."

"One must always be prepared for your arrival," he replied, looking at her over his shoulder. Lissie noticed that he was cutting something on a wooden board, so she assumed he was preparing a snack for Marrie for the day they were going to spend together. She had promised the young girl a trip to the pier, so she had to keep her word. "Sometimes I feel like you're here more often than I am. I go to work — you're here. I come back from work — same thing."

"I leave you alone at night."

"At least that much."

"Hey!" she called out and threw a peanut that was lying in a bowl on the counter at his back. "You adore me, Howie, and you can't imagine life without my humble presence in it."

"I would argue with that humility."

Chim laughed, and she snorted with amusement. She began sipping her decaffeinated drink while looking around the room. She couldn't see Rosie or Marrie anywhere, so she assumed they were still getting ready. Marrie was going to spend the best day of her life with her favorite aunt and uncle—something Buck had no idea about yet—while Rosie and Chim were going to take turns going to work. They had entrusted Marrie to her care after she convinced them that only the young girl—apart from herself, allegedly—had any influence over her uncle.

"Are the girls still getting ready?" she asked after a moment.

"Marrie couldn't decide whether she wanted her hair in braids or down," Chim explained, standing on the other side of the counter with his own cup of coffee. "Rosie was helping her, but she's in a bad mood today herself."

"Did something happen?"

Lissie was immediately concerned.

"I think she just didn't get enough sleep," he explained, and after a moment, quick footsteps and a cheerful child's voice calling her favorite aunt's name could be heard.

Marrie ran up to her and hugged her with all her might. Lissie leaned over her goddaughter and kissed her on the head.

"So, are you ready for the adventure of a lifetime?"

"Yes!" Marrie exclaimed happily. "I can't wait."

"That's the spirit. High five!" Lissie high-fived Marrie. "All packed for the day?"

"Almost. I'll be ready in a minute. Dad?" The young girl looked at her father. "Will you help me?"

"Sure, come on."

Chim put his arm around her, and they went to her room together. Rosie approached her friend, and Lissie could now see why Han had said earlier that she was in a bad mood.

"You'll keep an eye on her, right?" Rosie asked uncertainly. Lissie remembered how afraid she had been to leave her alone with Marrie when she was only a few weeks old.

"Of course," she assured her immediately. "You know I would never let anything happen to her..."

"I know, I know... I trust you. I just have this strange feeling."

"Which tells you that...?"

"I have no idea," Rosie sighed. "I just feel uneasy. Maybe it would be better if you stayed away from the pier?"

"I don't care, but Marrie might be disappointed... She's been waiting for this for almost a week."

"I'll feel safer if you're somewhere in the city center, not there..." Rosie insisted. Lissie didn't really want to argue with her, because after all, she was Marrie's mother and knew what was best for her.

"It's not the first time we'll be there... Nothing has happened to us so far, so why would it this time?"

"I just feel like the pier isn't a good idea."

"Why?" Marrie asked. The girl stood in the middle of the hallway with her hands on her hips, waiting for her mother's answer. "We're going to the pier with Auntie, and that's final. You promised me I could go there..."

Rosie looked first at Chim, then at Lissie, seeking help, but quickly realized that she would find none from either of them. Han himself was confused.

"All right..." Rosie relented, but it was clear that she still had some concerns. "You can go to the pier, but check in with me now and then, okay?"

"Sure thing," Lissie assured her. She wanted to joke that it was unlike Rosie and what she required of her when caring for Marrie, but she didn't want to stress her out anymore. "Every hour, is that okay?"

"As long as I know you're all right."

"Aye, aye!" Lissie saluted with two fingers, and Chim and Marrie laughed briefly. Then she looked at her goddaughter. "Captain Marigold Buckley-Han. Ready for an unforgettable adventure?"

"Yes, ma'am!" she repeated after her, which even made Rosie laugh a little this time.

"In that case, tell your parents how much you love them and that you'll see them in a few hours, and let's go!"

Lissie put down her cup, and when Marrie said goodbye to her father first, she took the opportunity to approach her friend. She grabbed her by the shoulders and kissed her on the cheek.

"She'll be fine, I promise. I'd rather die myself than let a hair on her head be harmed."

Rosie just nodded and put her own hand on Lissie's.

MARRIE REFUSED TO BE PERSUADED TO WAIT DOWNSTAIRS AND WAS THE FIRST TO LAND ON HER UNCLE'S BED. Buck groaned loudly, awakened unexpectedly from his sleep, and pushed the blanket away from his face.

"Hi," said Marrie with a broad smile. "Get up, Uncle," she patted him on the shoulder. "We should have left a long time ago."

"We should?" Buck looked at his niece, then at Lissie, who was watching them happily.

"Don't look at me," Lissie replied, putting her hands up.

"We're going to the pier," Marrie explained cheerfully. "And you're coming with us. We have a lot to do!"

Marrie jumped out of bed and ran downstairs, leaving her aunt and uncle alone for a moment. Buck pulled the covers back over his head, and Lissie decided to take matters into her own hands. This time, she pulled the covers off, and Buck looked at her with silent reproach.

"Do you want to break your niece's heart?" The boy didn't answer, but she could see in his eyes that it was the last thing he wanted to do. "That's what I thought. Get dressed. We are going to the pier, and the three of us will spend the whole day there. Besides, it won't hurt you to get some fresh air, because I have a feeling you've forgotten what that is."

Buck finally gave in and got out of bed.

"It doesn't make any sense, but I'm doing it just for her." he lowered his voice so Marrie couldn't hear him downstairs, then pointed at Lissie. "And you, because you won't leave me alone."

"You flatter me, Buckley, but you should do it for yourself first and foremost, because right now you're just feeling sorry for yourself."

"And that's enough of your sympathy for me."

"I always have it," she said, standing next to him, putting her hand on his shoulder. "I'm just taking you out on the town now. I won't take no for an answer, especially from Marrie. Kiddo hasn't been able to wait for this day at the pier for a week, and when I told her you were coming with us, she literally went crazy."

"You're quite the dodger, I must admit. You had this planned from the very beginning, didn't you? You knew that I wouldn't be able to refuse her, of all people."

"I know you, Buck," she said gently, smiling encouragingly at him. "Now get ready," she patted him on the chest. "We'll make you breakfast, and you get yourself together, because looking like this..." she pointed to his crumpled clothes and tousled hair. "You can't show up with us like this. Marrie and I have to respect ourselves."

"You're still insulting me," he looked at her amusedly, but he was smiling at her, so she knew he was joking. "Any additional orders, Nash?"

When he addressed her by her surname, a new warmth passed through her body. She liked how she reacted to it. In fact, every way he addressed her made her feel energy flowing through her entire body.

"None, Buckley," she winked at him, and she laughed sincerely, putting her hand on her chest and tilting her head back.