Chapter Text
After dropping the lawsuit Buck had hoped that by doing so he would get his family back. He thought maybe because he decided not to go through with everything that he would be forgiven. This past month back at work has proven the opposite to him.
The silence that has filled his days this past month has become deafening. The constant cold shoulders or mumbled insults as he walked past. The only ones remotely acknowledging him were Hen and Chim. Which if he had to guess was because Chim wanted to still be on Maddie’s good side and Hen was trying to show some semblance of peace. He appreciated it nonetheless.
Nowadays it felt like the only time he had human interaction is when Maddie came over on Wednesday nights for sibling wine night. Buck had never been more grateful for his sister in these past couple of months and the lawsuit. Even if she did not agree with him fully, she never left his side. That is more than what he can say for anyone else that he had once considered family.
But even with his sister by his side, Buck could still feel that missing piece that was left by the 118, Eddie, and Chris. That is what had hurt the worst, not seeing Chris. It had now been almost three months since Buck had seen him last, and trying to talk to Eddie was useless. Every time he tried to talk to him it would be met with a grunt of acknowledgement or a snippy remark telling him to mind his business. Far from what Buck once had with his best friend. Buck missed it. Missed him. Probably more than a friend should.
The station’s alarm brought Buck out of his thoughts as the crew ran past him to rush to get on their turnouts. Buck didn’t move from where he was standing, he knew there was no point. He had been man behind since he had come back and he knew that Bo- the captain was not going to change his mind anytime soon.
He went back to the current task at hand, preparing lunch. A meal for all the co-workers he had yet to have a singular pleasant experience with since his return, but he made them food, nonetheless. Maybe this time there would be an acknowledgment of his work or a thanks. If he was really lucky, a spot at the table. He doubted it but he could hope.
As he put the casserole he had prepared into the oven a little while later, he realized this would probably be his only chance to get a break. Buck sat on the couch in the loft, just close enough to the kitchen he could run back there when the crew got back so no one would catch him resting. He didn’t want them to have another thing to be pissed at him for and ‘slacking off’ would definitely do it. Buck laid his head back against the backrest of the couch and closed his eyes. Only five more hours and he could leave. It was not much of a comfort but a comfort still.
Just as he began to relax his phone went off. Unknown Number- Montana. Buck declined the call guessing it was spam or probably the wrong number. No one had called him recently unless it was Maddie or his elderly neighbor asking him if he could help her with a lightbulb or getting her cat off the patio. He closed his eyes again hoping he could get a little rest before the crew returned. His phone went off again, Unknown Number- Montana. Okay maybe not spam, still probably the wrong number. Buck declined the call again. Almost as soon as he declined it, they called back again. Okay, guess he isn’t getting any peace today. Buck reluctantly answered, hoping he could just say “wrong number” and go on with his day.
“Hello?” Buck asked.
“Um, hi. Is this Evan Buckley?”, a vaguely familiar female voice said on the other side of the line. Guess it’s not the wrong number.
“Yes, it is, can I ask who it is calling?”
There was a long pause on the other line and Buck almost hung up and then the woman answered. “Buckle?”
That nickname. He hadn’t heard it since he was twenty and working at a ranch. One of the rancher’s granddaughters was little and clung to Buck, warming up to him immediately, giving him the nickname because she couldn’t quite say Buckley. A ranch in Montana…
“Harper?” There was no way that little girl was calling him. The last time he saw her she was nine and he had decided to leave the ranch after getting into an on-again-off-again relationship with her older sister, Macy, that did not end well to say the least.
“Hey Buckle.” Harper answered back with a broken voice.
“Harper, is that really you? The last time I saw you, you were so little.” Buck smiled as he talked. “Wait. How did you get my number? Also, no offence, love to hear from you, but why are you calling?” Buck was grateful to hear from her, but he could definitely admit this was weird.
“Yeah, I bet this is a surprise.” She answered back with a hesitant tone.
“Surprised is an understatement considering I haven't seen or heard from anyone from the ranch since I left. Not a bad surprise, just a confusing one.” Buck admitted.
“Yeah, I bet.” She paused and Buck waited for her to continue. “Sorry, I am just struggling to find a way to tell you this,” she said.
“Is everything okay in Montana?” Buck asked, hoping to guide her in some way because he is really confused.
“Um not really.” She said in a broken voice that made Buck’s heart sink. “Grandad and Macy got in an accident. They didn’t make it.” Harper was crying now.
Buck’s heart sank even more. Even if Macy and his relationship was not the best he still cared. Their grandad was a dick, but he gave Buck a job when he needed it. Buck also knew that they had no other family meaning that Harper was alone. She had to be 18 now but that still didn’t change that she was a kid.
“Harps, are you okay? Do you need me there or something? Is that why you called?” Buck asked. He was truly lost on why she called him. He only worked for her grandad for a year and that was a long time ago.
He heard sniffles on the other side of the line. “Um no that is not why I called but you might end up coming here once I tell you why.” She paused again, making Buck extremely anxious. “Youhaveadaughterthatmacynevertoldyouaboutandihavenoideawhattodo” she rushed out, Buck not understanding a word of it.
“Harper, can you try that again? Take a breath. I got none of that.”
“Yeah, sorry.” She took a breath. And began to ramble. “You have a daughter. Macy never told you and I told her to, but you know, she never listened to me. I tried to find a way to tell you but, you know I was nine and had no phone. Grandad was a dick and said that you didn’t need to know because you left. Which honestly is a stupid reason. Like if that was me, I would be pissed. But no grandad was all ‘he left, it doesn’t matter’ and Macy was all ‘it's fine, he’ll never know’. I thought it was stupid because Danny is the best kid ever, but Macy was insist-”
“Haper, WHAT?” Buck finally interrupted her after the words ‘you have a daughter’ finally set in. “I have a daughter?!” He couldn’t believe this. This had to be a prank.
“Right, sorry. I got a little carried away there. I ramble when I’m anxious.” she said. “You have a daughter. Her name is Daniella, but we call her Danny. She is eight, well eight and a half if she is the one to tell you. She is very adamant about the half.”
Buck took in that information. Eight. Okay the timeline adds up. But that can’t be right. He can’t have a kid. Can he?
“Evan?” The sound of his name brought him out of his thoughts.
“Sorry, I was just taking it all in.” Buck took a deep breath. “Are you 100% sure she is mine, Harper? Like 100% sure? Because I need to know. I can’t- I can’t take this if it's not true.” If this really was his kid.
“Given she is your carbon copy down to the birthmark, I would say so. Well other than her hair, that's all Macy. My sister was a bitch, but she wouldn’t lie about that.”
“Don’t call her that.” Buck says tiredly on instinct.
“Right, sorry, hoe.” Harper snarks back. “Wait, why are you defending her? She never told you about your kid, but I can’t call my own sister a bitch.”
“Haper” Buck is brought back to when he had to constantly tell a nine-year-old Harper to watch her language. “Wait, you said there was an accident. Are you okay, is- is Danny?” There was a sudden rush of panic through Buck.
“Yeah, we are both fine. Because I am 18, I was given guardianship of her temporarily. Apparently, Grandad left everything to Macy and me if anything were to happen. That's how I found your number. I was able to go through grandad’s record in his office and find your old file. By the way, why have you not changed your number in nine years? It seems a little weird to me.” She was rambling again.
“Harper. Are you really focusing on that right now?” Buck asked.
“Right. Well, when I found out about the accident and had the meeting with the lawyer, I kinda got super overwhelmed and the only thing I could think of was to call you because- well your Danny’s dad. I am only 18 and I have no clue how to be a parent. Like I can be a fun aunt but parenting I have not a clue. I can barely tell the girl no when she wants ice cream for dinner. I have no room being her parent Evan!”
That was- a lot. Being called by his first name was also a shock but he couldn't dwell on that right now. “Okay Harper, let me get this straight. Your Grandad and Macy got into an accident. Leaving you with the entire ranch and Danny. So, you call me because I am Danny’s dad. Right?” He hoped he was getting this because honestly, he was getting a little overloaded with information.
“See you get it.” There was a pause. And then her broken voice returned. “Buckle, I don't know what to do. I am so lost.”
Hearing her broken words hit Buck in the chest. He has a kid. A kid that just lost her mom and her aunt, that is just a kid herself, is calling him. “Harper, what do you need me to do?”
“Please come here? Please.” She was crying. He knew what he needed to do.
“I’ll be there as soon as I can, okay?” Buck had no idea what he was going to do about work, but he really couldn’t just leave his daughter and Harper in this. He knew had to go there.
“Thank you, seriously thank you.” Harper answered back.
Buck heard the trucks returning and the crew began to unload. Shit. He needed to- he needed to do something. “Hey Harper, I am going to let you go and I am going to look into flights. I’ll call you soon as I land. I promise"
“Thanks Buckle.” She answered back in a broken voice before hanging up.
Just as Buck lowered the phone from his ear, Bobby, Hen, Eddie, and Chim got to the top of the stairs laughing about something. Buck sat there frozen, unable to move from the conversation he just had.
“Buckley, why aren’t you working?” He heard Bobby ask but Buck didn’t answer. He still sat there frozen.
Worried looks were exchanged by the people around him, but he did not notice them, too overwhelmed by the past 20 minutes. He stood up and began walking towards the stairs on autopilot, not acknowledging anyone. “I- I have to go.” He said before bolting down the stairs to the locker room to get him things. His only thoughts on Danny and Harper, needing to get to Montana. Fast. He did not hear his teammates shouting after him as he rushed out the door to get to his jeep.