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Fireline | Eddie Diaz

Summary: When the 118 is sent to Texas to help with the wildfire, (Y/n) never would've thought to reunite with Owen and TK Strand, the people who became her family after her father died in New York. Eddie notices how close TK and (Y/n) are, and decides putting some distance between him and (Y/n). When Owen and Hen’s helicopter crashes, (Y/n) vanishes without a trace, and suddenly Eddie has much bigger problems than jealousy.

TW ‼️: wildfire, parent loss, discussion about loss and grief and emotional distress

Trope: Slow burn & friends to lovers

Request: Anonymous

Wordcount: 15,6k (the reason why it took me so long to upload)

GIF by @bilosan

9-1-1 Masterlist | Eddie Diaz Masterlist

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

The bay in the firehouse of the 118 was busy as everyone prepared for the trip to Texas.

Gear bags were on the floor beside the fire engine. Buck was shoving the last of his belongings into one of the compartments while Hen held a clipboard with a medical supplies list.

(Y/n) was kneeling beside an open medic bag. She carefully double checked the supplies inside before Hen checked them off on her clipboard. "Bandages?" Hen asked across from her. "Got them." (Y/n) answered.

"Burn dressings?" Hen asked as she marked the other supply with a check mark. "Got those too." (Y/n) said, but Hen looked at her suspiciously, as she was ready to check the item off the list. But checked them off eventually.

"Extra gloves?" Hen asked. (Y/n) looked up, "Hen." she sighed softly, rolling her eyes a bit. "What?"

"You literally watched me pack the bag." She said, pointing at the bag in front of her. Hen grinned. "Well, I’m just making sure." She said, crossed off the last thing of the medical supplies list and walked away with the clipboard and pen in her hand.

(Y/n) rolled her eyes, putting everything in the bag and zipped the bag closed. She pushed herself onto her feet as footsteps came closer.

Before she could react, someone reached down and picked up the medic bag she had been about to carry. She immediately knew who it was. "Eddie."

He had placed the medic bag over his shoulder and adjusted the strap. "What?" he asked.

"I was carrying that." she said, and pointed out at the bag that was now hanging over his shoulder. "Not anymore." he said, giving her a small smirk.

(Y/n) crossed her arms, "I am perfectly capable of carrying a medic bag." She said.

Eddie nodded simply, "I know." he answered. "Then give it back." she said. Eddie pretended to think about it, but then shook his head "No." he said, and then walked away.

Her jaw dropped, "No?" she said as she followed him. Eddie shrugged, "It weighs almost as much as you do." he joked.

"It does not."

"It does."

"It doesn't."

Eddie’s expression morphed into an amused smile. "You gonna fight me for it?" he commented. (Y/n)’s eyes narrowed as she folded her arms, "Maybe." she said.

A laugh echoed through the bay, making both of them look over. Their eyes followed the way the sound came from.

Buck was standing nearby with a bottle of water in his hand, "Oh, this is getting good." he laughed.

“Don’t you have anything else to do Buck?" (Y/n) asked. He made a thinkful face, pressing his finger to his lower lip as he looked up. "Mmm nope, I did everything Hen assigned me to do." He answered as he took a sip from the bottle of water in his hand.

"You two do realize this is exactly why everyone thinks you're together, right?" Buck said as he swallowed his water and pointed between them.

"We're not together," they both said at the same time. (Y/n) glanced at Eddie when this happened, Eddie noticed but kept his eyes locked on his best friend.

Buck immediately burst out laughing "Wow." he said. Eddie rolled his eyes slightly, placing a hand onto his hip.

Hen walked over and looked between them. "What's going on? Why is no one here packing for our trip?" she asked.

Buck pointed dramatically between them "Exhibit A." he said. Hen glanced up from her checklist, "What am I looking at?" she asked no one in particular.

Buck looked offended, "Seriously?" He scoffed. Buck gestured toward Eddie and (Y/n), Eddie was carrying the medic bag (Y/n) had been packing just then.

The two of them continued their discussion as if Buck and Hen weren’t even there.

Hen watched for a second. Then she sighed, "Oh." Buck’s eyes went wide and he slapped the back of his hand against Hen’s upper arm. "Right?" he asked, a smirk spread across his face.

"There is nothing happening," (Y/n) said immediately. Buck grinned at her, "You didn't even ask what we were talking about." he pointed out.

(Y/n) folded her arms across her chest, "I don't need to." she replied. Buck smirked, "That's suspicious."

Eddie shook his head with a quiet sigh, "You two need hobbies."

"We have hobbies," Buck argued. Hen glanced up from her checklist, "What hobbies?" (Y/n) asked then.

Buck pointed dramatically at Eddie and (Y/n), "This." he said. (Y/n) groaned, "Please stop." she sighed.

"We're just saying," Hen replied with a shrug. (Y/n) frowned, "Saying what?" she asked. Buck gestured toward Eddie, "You stole her bag." Buck said. "I carried her bag," Eddie corrected. "You do that all the time," Buck pointed out. Eddie looked genuinely confused. "So?" Eddie asked.

Buck turned his attention to (Y/n), "And you let him." Buck said, pointing at her. (Y/n) shrugged. "Because it isn't a big deal."

Buck snapped his fingers, "Exactly." (Y/n) looked between Buck and Hen. "What exactly?" she asked. Neither of them answered. The silence stretched on for several seconds. Long enough to become awkward.

(Y/n) glanced at Eddie. He looked back at her with the same confused expression. Neither of them seemed to understand what Buck and Hen were getting at.

Buck threw his hands into the air. "See?" he exclaimed. "This is what I'm talking about." Hen nodded in agreement. "You've been like this for months." she said.

"You do realize, we're standing right here," Eddie reminded them. "Good," Buck replied with a grin. "Maybe you'll finally listen." he added.

(Y/n) rolled her eyes while her arms remained crossed her chest. "You're both ridiculous." she laughed. Eddie hummed in agreement.

And with those words, Buck watched the two of them walk back toward the engine side by side. Hen followed Buck's gaze and smiled.

Then the two of them exchanged a knowing look. Oh, these idiots.

Hen finally glanced at her watch and clapped her hands together. "Five minutes!" she called out. "If you're not on the engine in five minutes, you're getting left behind."

The crew immediately got back to work.

(Y/n) picked up her gear bag while Eddie grabbed his own.

Buck leaned closer to Hen. "You think Texas will finally knock some sense into them?" he asked quietly. Hen watched Eddie hold the compartment door open so (Y/n) could stow her bag before closing it himself.

A small smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. She shook her head. "Not a chance."

_

The drive to Texas had been long. About 20 hours, at least that’s what Hen told the crew. But it felt more like 20 years if you’d ask Buck, who at some point had fallen asleep during the drive.

But it was long enough that everyone had found a way to pass the time.Hen had spent most of the trip reading. Eddie tried to sleep, but when he wasn’t doing that, he’d look out of the window. (Y/n) had listened to music for a while before eventually giving up and joining whatever conversation Buck had started.

Now he was slumped against the window, mouth slightly open. A small streak of drool decorated the glass. (Y/n) had noticed hours ago, she had taken a picture of him, and Hen had taken one too.

The engine slowly rolled to a stop. Outside, smoke hung in the distance. The sky looked hazy and orange. Even from inside the vehicle, (Y/n) could see the effects of the wildfire.

Hen stood from her seat "We're here." she said. Nobody answered, but Buck snored softly against the window. Hen sighed, "Buck."

Nothing.

"Buck."

Still nothing.

Finally, she leaned over and nudged his shoulder "Buck, wake up. We're here." she said. Buck nearly jumped out of his skin, "What? What happened?" he asked, voice low as he wiped the drool from his face.

"We arrived." Hen said. Buck blinked several times, trying to let his eyes adjust to the light. "Oh." he said, and opened the door.

The crew climbed out of the engine one by one, immediately hit by the heat. Buck stepped down from the truck to hit solid ground. "Whoa." he reacted as his skin was met by the Texas air.

(Y/n) glanced over at him, "What?" she asked. Buck looked offended, confused like he was questioning if she wasn’t feeling this heat too. "What's up with the air?" he asked, still a bit drowsy from his nap.

Hen grinned, "Wildfire, remember? That's why we're here." she reminded him. "No, I mean the way it feels." he said, Buck waved his hand dramatically. "It's like getting slapped with a wet towel." he added, making a disgusted face.

Eddie walked around the front of the engine and joined them, "It's called humidity, Buck" Eddie said. Buck frowned, "I don't like it." he said.

Eddie smirked, "Welcome to Texas, Buck." he said, giving his shoulder a small pat. "It's always like this?" He continued his round of questions. "Pretty much." Eddie reacted.

Buck looked horrified, "I'm going back to California." he said, making a move to open the truck again. "Really Buck? You've been here thirty seconds." (Y/n) said. "Yeah and it’s been thirty terrible seconds." Buck said.

"Come on," Hen said. "Let's check in before Buck melts."

"I am melting," Buck complained, as he walked after the team. The team was walking toward the command center, passing other fire engines and crews from different departments and cities.

Buck glanced at (Y/n) "Delete those pictures." He said. (Y/n) looked at him innocently "What pictures?" she asked.

Buck’s expression changed to something that said; you know what I’m talking about "The ones you took while I was asleep."

(Y/n) looked confused, "I don't know what you're talking about." she answered as she shook her head.

Buck looked at Hen, "You took pictures too!" he said as he pointed at Hen. But Hen didn't even try to deny it, she smiled and nodded. "I did."

Buck threw his hands into the air, "I work with bullies." he said, dramatically.

(Y/n) smiled to herself, "I prefer to think of it as potential blackmail material." she said, as she turned to Buck and held up a finger.

Buck gasped dramatically, "I knew it."

(Y/n) turned her face to look in front of her, avoiding eye contact with Buck "I haven't decided when I'll use them yet." she said, a grin tucking on the side of her face.

"You are evil." he said. (Y/n) shrugged her shoulders, "So I've been told." she said.

Eddie let out a quiet laugh. Buck immediately pointed at him "And you're encouraging her." he claimed. Eddie looked at him as if he was a crazy person, "I didn't say anything." he said.

Buck shook his head, "No but you laughed." he said. A thin smile formed on Eddie’s lips, "I couldn't help it."

Buck shook his head, "I want a new team." he sighed. Hen looked over her shoulder, with a face that said: are you for real right now? "You say that every week," Hen reminded him.

"One day I'll mean it."

(Y/n)'s smile lingered as she looked around, scanning the area. But then her eyes locked onto a familiar figure standing near one of the command tents, and her smile faded.

She slowed to a stop. The group continued across the busy staging area, still teasing each other.

Her heart skipped a beat. There was one thought going through her mind right now: there’s no way.

A few steps ahead, Eddie noticed she was no longer beside him. He stopped in his tracks too, and partly turned his body as he looked over his shoulder. "You coming?" he asked.

But (Y/n) didn't answer. She didn’t hear him. It was like one of those moments where the sound around her was completely muted.

She was still staring. Eddie followed her line of sight, and spotted two firefighters standing together in wildfire gear. He didn't recognize either of them.

"Owen?" she said, while taking a step forward. The man turned around at the sound of his name, and a smile spread across his face as he met her. Beside him stood another firefighter, with dark hair and a helmet tucked beneath his arm. He looked up as well, for a brief moment, everyone simply stared at one another.

Then the younger firefighter's face broke into a huge grin "(Y/n)?" he said. When she heard him say her name, she took off running. Without another thought crossing her mind. "TK!" she called out

The sound of her voice made Buck and Hen stop walking. Both of them turned around. Buck looked back just in time to see (Y/n) throw herself at the younger firefighter. He caught her effortlessly, laughing as the force of the hug nearly knocked him off balance.

Buck's eyebrows shot up, "Well..." Hen glanced from (Y/n) to Eddie, who hadn't moved. He was still standing there, watching the reunion unfold.

Buck and Hen exchanged a quick look before walking back toward him. "You know who that is?" Hen asked as she came to a stop beside Eddie. Eddie shook his head, "No." he simply said.

Buck folded his arms across his chest as he watched the pair, "She seems pretty excited to see him." he noted. Eddie didn't respond, his eyes remained fixed on (Y/n) as she pulled away from the hug, still smiling. A second later, she stepped over to the older firefighter and wrapped him in an equally tight embrace.

Buck tilted his head "Maybe it's family?" Buck pointed out. Hen nodded thoughtfully, "Could be." she said, trying not to make any conclusions already. Buck glanced sideways at Eddie. "Or maybe it's an ex." he then said. Hen immediately elbowed him in the side. "Ow!"

"What?" Buck asked, while he let his hand rub his side. Hen shot him a look, "Stop talking." she whispered under her breath. "I was just guessing." Buck said.

Eddie finally looked away from the group. "I have no idea who they are," he admitted quietly. And for some reason, that bothered him more than he expected.

(Y/n) stepped back from Owen with a wide smile. "It's so good to see you," she said. Owen smiled warmly before placing a hand on her shoulder. "It's good to see you too, kid."

TK laughed as he adjusted his helmet underneath his arm. "I can't believe you're actually here." he said. (Y/n) grinned at him, "I was about to say the same thing." she smiled.

TK looked her up and down, "You haven't changed a bit." he said. She scoffed at his comment, "I have." she said. But he shook his head, "Nope."

"I have."

"You still tackle people." TK then said. (Y/n) rolled her eyes, "Don’t be so dramatic, you caught me, didn't you?"

"Barely," TK laughed.

The three of them shared another laugh before (Y/n) noticed three familiar faces approaching. Buck, Hen and Eddie stopped a few feet away.

For a brief moment, an awkward silence settled over the group. Buck looked between (Y/n) and TK before finally breaking it. "So..." he began, pointing between the two of them, "What’s happening..?" he asked.

(Y/n) blinked before realizing she had completely forgotten about her team. "Oh," she said with a small laugh. "Right." She stepped to the side and gestured toward the 118.

"Owen, TK, this is my crew." She smiled at Hen first, "This is Hen Wilson." she said. And Hen stepped forward and shook both their hands. "It's nice to meet you." Hen said and smiled friendly.

"You too," Owen replied kindly.

(Y/n) turned toward Buck, "And this is Evan Buckley." she introduced him. "Just Buck," he corrected with a grin as he shook their hands. TK chuckled, "Nice to meet you." he said.

Finally, (Y/n) looked at Eddie, "And this is Eddie Diaz." she said as she motioned to Eddie. Eddie stepped forward and offered his hand. "Nice to meet you." he said. "You too," TK replied as they shook hands.

For just a moment, the two men studied each other before letting go.

Buck glanced back at (Y/n), "Okay," he said. "Story time." he simply said. (Y/n) smiled apologetically. "My dad and Owen worked together in New York," she explained. "They were in the same firehouse." she added.

Understanding crossed Hen's face. "Owen looked out for me after my dad died," (Y/n) continued. "And TK and I grew up together."

TK nodded, "We're basically siblings." he pointed out.

(Y/n) smiled at him before turning back to her team, "It's a long story," she said. "I'll tell you another time."

She looked toward the command tent where firefighters were already gathering. "But I think we should probably check in before they come looking for us." she said as she pointed towards the tent.

Hen nodded, "Good idea." she said.

Everyone turned toward the command center. Almost without thinking, TK fell into step beside (Y/n).

A few paces behind them, Buck leaned closer to Eddie. "So..." he whispered with a teasing smile, "basically siblings, huh?" Eddie glanced ahead at the two of them walking side by side. Then he looked away again. "Yeah," he replied.

But for some reason, the uneasy feeling in his chest hadn't gone away.

_

The afternoon dragged on. The fireline stretched for miles, disappearing into a haze of smoke and ash. Every firefighter worked in the same rhythm: dig, clear, move and repeat.

(Y/n) worked a few yards away alongside TK. The two of them had fallen into easy conversation while clearing brush, talking between swings of their Pulaskis. "...and then Dad made us scrub the entire truck," (Y/n) said with a laugh.

TK shook his head, "To be fair, you were the one who dared me." he said as he continued digging. "You still did it." (Y/n) laughed.

"You dared me." TK said, he stopped and turned towards her. "I was eleven." she said as she looked up at him. "You were evil." he said, wiping the back of his hand against his forehead. (Y/n) laughed and bumped his shoulder. "You survived." she grinned.

A few yards away, Eddie looked over. Again.

Buck noticed, he counted silently as he continued his movements. By the time five minutes had passed, Eddie had looked toward (Y/n) and TK six times. Buck smirked to himself.

Another minute passed and Eddie looked over again. Buck couldn't help it anymore "Dude." he spoke up. Eddie glanced at him, "What?" he said.

Buck rested both hands on the handle of his tool, "In the last six minutes, you've looked over there at least seven times." Buck pointed out. Eddie frowned, "I have not." he denied.

"Yeah you have." Buck said, watching Eddie stop his movements and straighten his back. "I've been watching the fire." Eddie said.

A smirk appeared on Buck’s face and he nodded slowly. "Interesting." he said.

"What?" Eddie asked, a confused expression now projected on his face. "The fire's apparently wearing wildfire gear and talking to (Y/n)." Buck said. Making Eddie roll his eyes. "You're ridiculous." he said, shaking his head and continuing the task he had been given, like any other firefighter at the fireline right now.

Buck grinned as Eddie clearly wanted to get out of this conversation. "I'm observant." Buck said. Eddie drove his tool into the dirt one last time before stepping back with a sigh. "I need some water." Eddie said.

Buck looked at him, "So do I." he said. And the two of them started walking toward the supply station. It was set up nearly a quarter mile away beneath a large canopy, with stacks of bottled water and sports drinks waiting in coolers.

For a while, neither of them spoke. Their boots crunched over dry dirt while helicopters circled overhead.

But Buck finally broke the silence "So..." he started. Eddie sighed, "No." he simply said. He knew what was coming. Buck looked confused but also entertained, "I didn't even ask anything." he smiled.

"I know what you're going to ask." Eddie said, keeping his eyes right in front of him. Buck smiled, "Oh do you?" Buck teased.

"Yes."

Buck folded his arms as they walked, "Okay then…”

"What?"

"Who's TK?" Buck asked.

Eddie looked ahead, "I don't know." Eddie answered. "But you want to know." Buck said. Eddie didn't answer and Buck laughed quietly. He got his answer whether Eddie answered or not. "I knew it." Buck said, shaking his head laughing.

They reached the supply station and Buck pulled two bottles from a cooler and handed one to Eddie. The cold plastic felt like heaven against overheated hands. For a moment, the two simply stood in the shade, drinking in silence.

Buck emptied half his bottle before looking back toward the fireline. Even from the distance, (Y/n) and TK could still be seen working side by side.He glanced back at Eddie. Eddie was already looking in the same direction.

Buck shook his head, "You know..." he started. Eddie closed his eyes and tried to cut him off before he could even finish that sentence. "Don't." he said.

But Buck just continued, "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're jealous." Buck said. That made Eddie almost choke on his water. "I'm not jealous." he said, after swallowing the sip of water.

"No?" Buck asked. "No." Eddie answered, dead ass. Buck raised an eyebrow, "You've looked at those two more times in the last ten minutes than you've looked at the actual fire." Buck pointed out.

"I'm making sure everyone's doing their job." Eddie explained, but he knew what was happening the entire time. Buck laughed, "Sure you are." he nodded, while taking another sip of his water.

Eddie twisted the cap back onto his bottle and Buck checked his watch, "I should get back." Buck said, and downed the last bit of water fast. And tossed his empty bottle into the recycling bin before taking a few steps away.

Then he stopped.

"You coming?" Buck asked. Eddie looked down at the bottle still in his hand, "I'll be there in a minute." he said. Buck studied him for a second "You okay?" he then asked.

Eddie nodded, "Yeah."

Buck frowned his eyebrows, "You sure?" he double checked. Eddie nodded "I just need a minute." he told him. Buck nodded, and accepted the answer "Don't take too long." he told him. With that, he turned and headed back toward the fireline.

Eddie watched him disappear through the smoke. The silence settled around him. He leaned against the folding table beneath the canopy and took another slow drink.

He told himself he was just cooling down. That was all.

His thoughts drifted back to (Y/n). To the way she'd smiled when she saw TK. To the way she'd run across the staging area that morning without a second thought.

He let out a quiet breath. He needed to stop thinking about it.

Voices nearby interrupted him. "Hell, I'm in," a woman's voice said.

Eddie looked up.

A few yards away, one of the command tents stood open. Inside, several firefighters were gathered around a large folding table covered with maps and radio equipment.

He recognized Owen Strand standing at the head of the table.

Beside him stood three other firefighters in wildfire gear, one woman and two men. "Driving through fire instead of digging a ditch?" another firefighter said with a grin. "Sign me up."

Eddie couldn't help but glance back toward the fireline. (Y/n) and TK were still working side by side in the distance, he could hear her laugh in his head.

He looked back at the tent, this was an opportunity to do something different. To help where help was needed. And to get his mind off the (Y/n) and TK situation.

His feet carried him forward before he had fully made the decision. Inside the tent, Owen rested both hands on the table. "Alright," he said. "Eight-man team."

His eyes moved around the group.

"But you're taking a medic. You don't know what you're going to find up there." he said. A brief silence followed.

Eddie stepped through the opening of the tent, the water bottle still in his hand. "I'm a medic." Eddie spoke up.

Several heads turned toward him.

"Eddie Diaz," he said. "Firefighter with the 118, Los Angeles." he clarified. Recognition crossed Owen's face.

The woman tilted her head, "You're a medic?" she asked.

"Firefighter," Eddie replied. "But I was a medic in the army, been on more than a few missions that looked a lot like this." he explained.

A large firefighter standing near the back of the tent gave him an approving nod. "What are you waiting for, Hollywood?" he said. He pointed toward the exit. "Grab your gear and meet us down by the motor pool. We'll roll out."

Eddie looked at Owen. Who gave him a single nod. "Copy that," Eddie replied. With that, he turned and headed back toward the staging area to grab his gear.

_

Eddie left the command tent with his mind racing. The conversation he had overheard still echoed in his head.

Eight-man team. Take a medic. You don't know what you're going to find up there.

He had stepped forward before he could second-guess himself. Now there was no turning back.

His boots kicked up dust as he made his way across the staging area. Fire engines from departments all over Texas lined on the sand, while firefighters hurried from one assignment to another.

The air was thick with smoke, even breathing felt heavy. Eddie tightened his grip around the water bottle still clutched in his hand.

He told himself he had volunteered because people needed help. Because that's what firefighters did. That it had nothing to do with needing a change of scenery. It had nothing to do with trying to stop himself from looking across the fireline every other minute.

At least, that's what he kept telling himself.

The familiar engine from the 118 came into view. Buck was leaning against the side of it, talking to Hen. As Eddie got closer, he heard Hen finish her sentence. "Me?" she said with a shrug. "I volunteered for base camp medical."

Buck nodded thoughtfully, "Honestly, that sounds a whole lot safer." he said. "Exactly." Hen said with a smile.

Buck noticed Eddie approaching and straightened up. "There he is," he said. "I was about to come looking for you." Eddie stopped beside the engine, "I was getting water." he explained.

Buck glanced at the half-empty bottle in Eddie's hand, "For half an hour?" Buck asked. "It wasn't half an hour." Eddie shrugged. "It felt like half an hour."

Hen looked between them before shaking her head, "You two sound like an old married couple." she said. Eddie ignored the comment and opened one of the side compartments. His wildfire pack was right where he had left it. He reached inside and lifted it out, checking that the medical pouch was still attached.

Everything was there. He slung the pack over his shoulder. Buck watched the movement and his playful expression slowly faded. "Why are you grabbing your gear?" Buck asked.

Before Eddie could answer, the sound of an ATV engine grew louder, all three of them looked up. Marjan pulled to a stop beside the engine, one hand resting casually on the steering wheel. She looked at Eddie and smiled, "You ready, Soldier?" she asked.

Eddie grinned and nodded, "Be right there." he answered. Marjan pointed toward the motor pool. "Well, hop to it. Those at-risk kids aren't getting any less at-risk." she said, and with that, she hit the accelerator and disappeared back down the dirt road.

Buck slowly turned back toward Eddie. His eyes dropped to the pack hanging from Eddie's shoulder. "You volunteered." Buck pointed out.

Eddie simply nodded, "They needed a medic." Eddie said. Buck folded his arms across his chest "They've got plenty of firefighters." He tried to puzzle the pieces together. "Well, they needed a medic." he repeated.

"And you just happened to volunteer."

Eddie sighed and closed the compartment door "I don't see the problem." he said. Buck studied him for a long moment, and then he sighed "I think I do." he said.

Eddie frowned, "What does that mean?"

Buck looked past him toward the distant fireline. Even from here, (Y/n) and TK were still visible through the haze, working side by side.

Then Buck looked back at Eddie "You've been watching those two all afternoon." he pointed out. "I have not." Eddie tried to deny it, but who was he kidding? "In ten minutes, you looked over there eight times." Buck went on.

"You counted?" Eddie asked, kinda surprised. Buck shrugged his shoulders, "Yeah, I got bored." he admitted. Hen let out a quiet laugh.

Eddie rubbed a hand across the back of his neck, "How many times do I have to tell you that I was watching the fireline." Eddie’s voice sounded more annoyed now.

Buck raised an eyebrow, "The fireline?" he asked, unconvinced.

"Yes."

"You mean the one with dark hair that keeps making (Y/n) laugh?" Buck kept on going. Eddie sighed and looked away.

He hated that Buck had noticed, and he hated it even more that Buck wasn't wrong.

"They grew up together," Eddie muttered. Buck nodded, folding his arms over each other. "They did."

"So… they're friends." Eddie continued. Buck nodded once more, "Looks that way." he said. Eddie shifted the weight of the pack on his shoulder, "That's all." Eddie said. Buck nodded, and stepped a little closer. "Then why does it bother you so much?" Buck commented.

For a second, Eddie forgot how to answer. He searched for the right words, but none came. Buck saw the hesitation, a small, knowing smile crossed his face. "I think you're running." Buck pointed out.

Eddie frowned at the conclusion Buck made. "Running from what?" he asked. Buck nodded toward the motor pool where the rescue team was gathering "Your problems." Buck answered.

The words landed harder than Eddie expected, he opened his mouth to argue but instead, he closed it again. Was Buck wrong? He wasn't sure. All he knew was that getting away from the fireline had felt like the right decision.

He adjusted the strap of his pack one last time. "I need to go" he said quietly. Again, running from his problems. Buck's expression softened, "I know."

For a moment, neither of them spoke. The sounds of the wildfire filled the silence between them. Finally, Buck reached out and squeezed Eddie's shoulder. "Just come back in one piece." Buck said.

Eddie nodded, "I always do."

Buck smiled and he glanced toward the waiting vehicles. "And when you get back… maybe stop running and actually talk to her." he advised him.

A radio crackled somewhere nearby. The rescue team was leaving. Eddie picked up his stuff and made his way toward the motor pool.

Buck watched him disappear into the smoke before letting out a quiet sigh. Hen stepped up beside him. "You really think he's running?" she asked.

Buck kept his eyes on the road ahead. "I think he's trying to outrun something that's been standing right in front of him the whole time."

Hen smiled to herself "Good luck with that."

_

(Y/n) drove the blade of her Pulaski into the dirt and wiped the back of her sleeve across her forehead. The heat was relentless, smoke hung low over the fireline, making everything beyond a few yards look hazy.

Beside her, TK kept talking about one of the calls he'd run a few weeks earlier, making her laugh despite the circumstances.She was halfway through replying to his story when movement caught her eye.

Someone was walking back toward the line, when she looked over her shoulder she spotted Buck. Alone. And unconsciously her smile faded from her lips.

Without thinking, her eyes searched the path behind him. Maybe Eddie had stopped to grab another bottle of water. Maybe he was helping someone. Maybe he was only a few steps behind.

But there was no one.

A strange feeling settled in her stomach when Buck reached them and rested his tool against the ground. He looked from TK to (Y/n). "Everything good over here?" he asked.

TK nodded, "Same old." he smiled as he looked from Buck towards (Y/n). "Good." Buck smiled.

But (Y/n) didn't say anything, she was still looking past him. And that didn’t go unnoticed by Buck "What?" he asked, following her line of sight.

She looked back at him, "Where's Eddie?" she asked. It was such a simple question. But hearing herself ask it made her realize she'd been looking for him for the last few minutes.

Buck scratched at the back of his neck, "Oh yeah, he volunteered for another assignment." Buck explained as he continued his movements.

(Y/n) frowned, "Assignment? What assignment?" she asked, a bit confused.

"There was a request for another medic." Buck nodded toward the mountain. "Some camp full of at-risk teens got cut off by the fire. He went with the rescue team." he explained.

For a moment, she just stared at him, "He volunteered?" she needed confirmation. Buck nodded once, "Yeah."

She looked toward the smoke-covered ridge in the distance. Of course he had volunteered. If someone needed help, Eddie never hesitated. But still… something about him leaving without saying anything bothered her more than it should have.

She looked back down at the dirt and drove her tool into the ground a little harder than necessary. TK glanced at her, surprise written over his face. "Wow, you okay?" he asked.

She nodded immediately, "Yeah, I'm fine." she said. But the answer came too quickly and of course Buck noticed. His eyes stayed on her for a moment before he quietly stepped closer. "He'll be alright." he tried to reassure her.

She gave a small smile, "I know." she answered and continued doing her task. "You sound like you're trying to convince yourself." Buck said.

She let out a short laugh, "I've known Eddie long enough to know he always volunteers for the dangerous stuff." she said. She wanted to get off this topic as fast as possible, so she kept doing her job. Maybe if she continued, Buck would drop it.

Buck crossed his arms, "Doesn't mean you have to like it." Buck said. She didn't answer, because she knew he was right.

She had spent years telling herself that every firefighter understood the risks. That it came with the job. That if she could accept them for herself, she could accept them for the people she cared about too.

But watching someone walk toward danger… was always harder than walking into it yourself.

Buck watched the emotions flicker across her face, Then he smiled gently. "You know Eddie," he said with a shrug. "He can handle himself."

(Y/n) nodded, "I know."

She looked back toward the smoke-covered ridge, her eyes lingering just a little too long. Beside her, TK paused his work. He glanced at her for a moment before a familiar grin spread across his face.

"You know," he said casually, "you get this little wrinkle right here." He reached up and pointed between his own eyebrows.

(Y/n) frowned at his words, "What wrinkle?" she asked. "That one." He said, and pointed at the wrinkle on her own face. She rolled her eyes and brushed his hand away. "I don't have a wrinkle." she said.

"You do."

"I don't."

TK leaned lightly on his tool, completely unbothered, "You get it every time you're worried." he smiled.

"I'm not worried."

He raised an eyebrow, "No? You’re not?"

"No."

He nodded toward the smoke-covered ridge. "You've looked at that mountain about six times since Buck got back."

(Y/n) opened her mouth to argue, only for nothing to come out.

Buck watched the exchange with growing amusement, "You two always like this?" He asked, pointing between the two of them.

TK laughed, "We've been doing this since we were kids." he explained. (Y/n) let out a quiet groan "Unfortunately." She mumbled.

"Hey." TK bumped his shoulder against hers. "I'm charming." he said. She shook her head, "You're annoying." she groaned.

"Same thing." TK shrugged his shoulders. Buck shook his head with a laugh. "I can see why you call each other family."

TK looked over at (Y/n), the teasing smile hadn't left his face. "If she gets any quieter, I'm going to start charging Eddie for making her mope." TK said.

(Y/n)’s head snapped toward him, "I am not moping." she reacted, a bit annoyed maybe.

"No?" TK folded his arms.

"No."

"So you haven't spent the last five minutes staring at the mountain because a certain firefighter disappeared into it?" he asked, his eyebrows raised.

"I've… I’ve been watching the fire." she stumbled on her words. TK nodded slowly, "Sure." He said, with a time of voice that wasn't clearly buying it.

"The smoke."

"Mhmm."

"The terrain."

TK smiled wider, "The firefighter." he added for her. Without warning, (Y/n) yanked her elbow into his side. It wasn't hard enough to hurt. Just enough to make him stumble.

TK let out an exaggerated groan and clutched his ribs. "Oh, come on!"

Buck looked between them, "What happened?" he asked. TK pointed at (Y/n), "Violence." he groaned, gripping his side.

(Y/n) crossed her arms, "You deserved it."

"For telling the truth?" TK asked as he rubbed his side. She narrowed her eyes. "Keep talking." she dared him.

TK grinned, "What are you going to do? Hit me again?" he asked. She took a step toward him and he immediately backed away with both hands raised. "See? Violent." He said, as he pointed at her.

Buck laughed while shaking his head, "I've got to admit..." his eyes looked from TK to (Y/n). "...you two really do act like siblings." he continued

The words made (Y/n)'s expression soften. She glanced at TK. He caught her eye and smiled. Despite everything, she smiled back.

Then, almost without thinking, her gaze wandered toward the mountain once more. Toward the thick wall of smoke where Eddie had disappeared.

The smile faded as quickly as it had come. TK noticed. His playful expression disappeared for just a second.

He nudged her shoulder. "He's going to give you a hard time for worrying this much." TK said quietly, so only she could hear.

(Y/n) looked down at the dirt beneath her boots, "I'm not worried." she claimed. TK let out a small laugh. "No…” He picked up his Pulaski again, "You never are."

_____

The crew rotating onto the fireline arrived just as Buck, TK, Mateo and (Y/n) finished their section. The fresh firefighters spread out along the containment line, taking over where they had left off.

(Y/n) pulled her gloves off and held them between her hands. Her shoulders ached, her arms felt heavy from hours of swinging the Pulaski.

Beside her, Mateo stretched dramatically before letting out a groan. “My back is officially filing a complaint,” Mateo said, rolling his shoulders.

Buck laughed as he rested his Mcleod tool on his shoulder. “I think the rest of your body beat it to the paperwork,” Buck replied. TK adjusted the straps of his pack and nodded toward base camp. “Come on,” TK said. “Let’s turn these in before they decide we’re useful again.”

“Best idea you’ve had all day,” Buck said and immediately fell into step beside him. In the hours TK, Mateo, Buck and (Y/n) had spent together, TK and Buck actually had a lot in common. They did have a few good conversations during the work.

The four of them started walking back through the smoky camp, carrying their tools toward the equipment tent.

Buck broke the silence first when they made their way towards the equipment tent. “I still want to know who took pictures of me sleeping in the engine,” Buck said, looking directly at (Y/n).

She couldn’t help smiling “I have no idea what you’re talking about,” she replied, trying to sound innocent. “Oh please.” Buck scoffed.

Mateo looked between them. “There are pictures?” Mateo asked, sounding far too interested. “There might be,” (Y/n) admitted with a shrug, while she tried to suppress the smile that was breaking through.

Buck pointed accusingly at her, “Delete them.” he commanded. She shook her head “No.” she laughed.

“They’re embarrassing.” Buck said, shaking his head. “What they are is: potential blackmail material.” (Y/n) corrected him.

TK nodded at her correction. “I support this decision,” TK said.

Buck looked betrayed to his left, “You too?” he said. TK smiled, “I’ve known her too long.” he shook his head. He glanced at (Y/n) “Never stand between her and quality blackmail.” he added.

Mateo laughed and (Y/n) laughed quietly. For a moment, everything felt normal. But that feeling changed when they rounded the corner of one of the supply tents.

Several ATV’s were parked nearby. Two firefighters gathered beside one of the ATV’s while two were chilling on the back. (Y/n)’s steps slowed immediately. Without thinking, her eyes settled on him.

Eddie was sitting on the back of one of the ATV’s, his helmet resting beside him, while he was peeling an orange. He looked tired. Ash covered the sleeves of his jacket and his face. His hair was wild, due to his helmet.

As if sensing someone watching him, Eddie looked up, throwing an orange peel on the ground. Their eyes met. For just a second, neither of them moved.

(Y/n) felt the urge to walk over. To ask if he was alright, maybe even hug him. But the thought surprised her. She pushed it away before she could overthink it. Instead, the first thing that came to mind slipped out. “You’re back…” (Y/n) said softly, a small smile tugged at her lips. Eddie blinked as the corners of his mouth curved. “Yeah,” he answered quietly.

For a second, it seemed like he wanted to say something else.

Before either of them could speak again, Marjan looked toward the approaching group. “You guys didn’t hear, did you?” Marjan asked. TK frowned at her question. What were they supposed to hear? “Hear what?” TK asked, confused, immediately looking between Marjan and Judd.

The atmosphere changed instantly. Judd leaned the back of his head against the side of the ATV, while Paul looked down at the dirt.

Buck’s smile faded. (Y/n)’s eyes moved from Marjan to Eddie. He wasn’t looking at her anymore. A knot formed in her stomach. Something was wrong. Really wrong.

Marjan took a slow breath. “The helicopter…” Marjan began, “It went down.” she added.

There was a silence.

“What helicopter?” TK asked, his voice suddenly tense.

The crew was busy at the fireline, they didn’t catch anything about the helicopter trip Hen and Owen had made to help the rescue crew in their search to JJ, one of the missing kids of the camp.

“The one Owen took to help us look for one last missing kid from the camp.” Paul answered quietly. TK stared at him. “W-What do you mean it went down?” TK asked, taking a step forward, starting to stumble over his words

“There was a mechanical failure,” Judd explained. “They lost contact.”

(Y/n) felt her heartbeat pounding in her ears. She looked at Eddie again, she didn’t know why. Maybe because she needed some feeling of comfort?

This time, he met her gaze. There was something in his eyes she had never wanted to see. Sympathy. The kind people wore when they didn’t know what to say.

The silence that followed settled heavily over the group. No one seemed to know what to say about the situation.

(Y/n)’s eyes were still locked on Eddie for another second before she looked away, down to the ground.

She took a slow step backward, then another. No one noticed.

Everyone’s attention had shifted to TK as he spoke up. “What do you mean they lost contact?” TK asked, his voice rising. “Where were they?” he asked. He sounded like a mix between angry and scared. But would you blame him for that? His dad was in that helicopter.

Paul rubbed a hand over the back of his neck, “They know the general area.” Paul said. “General area?” TK repeated, eyes widened. “That’s all they’ve got?” he asked. And when no one answered that particular question, he shook his head and turned away from the group.

Judd stepped forward, trying to keep his own worry under control, “Hey, listen. They’re working on it.” Judd reassured him… well… he tried. “Are they? Because as far as I heard, there hasn’t been sent out a rescue team for them.” TK shot back.

While the conversation continued, (Y/n) quietly turned away. She pressed the palm of her hand against the center of her chest, in an attempt to slow down her heartbeat. But her heart refused to slow down.

She closed her eyes, breathe in… breathe out… repeat. The voices in her head became louder than the actual conversation that was taking place behind her. The memories came rushing back to her before she was able to stop them.

He’s a hero.

We’re sorry for your loss.

He didn’t make it.

The things people told her when her dad had died.

She swallowed hard and opened her eyes again. Not here. Not now. She forced herself to breathe. When she turned back around, Buck and TK were already walking toward the command tent. The rest of the group followed close behind.

Well… not everyone… Everyone except Eddie.

He did get off the back of the ATV, but he was leaning against it with his lower back. His eyes were on her, he was watching her, really watching her.

(Y/n) quickly dropped her hand from her chest. Forcing a small smile and gave him a tiny nod, silently telling him she was fine.

But Eddie didn't look convinced, his brow furrowed almost immediately. For a brief second, it looked like he was about to walk over. But instead, a loud voice came from the command tent, drawing Eddie’s attention away.

He turned his head just long enough to notice who was raising their voice, but when he looked back she was making her way towards the tent.

(Y/n) stepped inside the command tent, like everyone else. Normally she would have been the first one asking questions, demanding answers and looking for solutions. But TK and Buck had both already taken that job. Which was great, because at this point she couldn’t find a single word.

The command tent buzzed with activity, maps were spread across folding tables. “This is a joke!” TK said as he banged both his hands on the table as the person in command showed where the chopper went down.

“We know exactly where the chopper went down. So why haven’t you sent out a rescue team?” he asked immediately.

An incident commander looked up, “As I said, the beacon is coming from two miles inside an active burn zone.” he explained. “it’s not safe to send anyone up in the dark” he continued, as he kept his eyes on TK. But TK refused to look back.

“Commander, with all due respect, we accept the risk and we ain’t asking anybody else to go.” Judd spoke up. “You know I can’t authorize that” the commander replied to Judd’s indirect plan.

“You know, those are our people up there.” Buck cut in, “They could be bleeding out right now. Dying.” TK added, his eyes growing more desperate with every word he spoke.

The discussion continued. Questions. Answers. But none of them were good enough for the team.

(Y/n) stood near the back of the tent, staring at the map without really seeing it. Every minute that passed felt like another minute slipping away, wasted. The waiting, the planning, the talking, she had done all of this before.

And none of it brought her father home.

Her eyes drifted away from the map, toward a whiteboard standing just outside the tent entrance. Vehicle assignments, engine numbers and resource tracking. Beneath it hung a large key board, rows of labelled hooks and most of them were occupied.

A thought entered her mind, but she immediately pushed it away. She couldn’t do that… or…? The thought came back to her anyway. She looked back toward the never ending conversation, a few feet away from her. Her arms were folded across her chest, and no one was paying attention to her.

TK was still arguing, his emotions took over the conversation. Buck stood beside the commander, while Marjan, Paul, Judd and Mateo were listening and jumping in now and then.

No one looked her way. (Y/n) took a single step backward, and then another. And before she realized, she slipped quietly out of the tent. The voices behind her faded.

She stopped in front of the key board, her hand hovered over the rows of hooks.

Engine 118.

Her fingers closed around the keys before she stopped herself, she stared at the keys for a second. Clamped in her hands. She shook her head, “Bobby would kill me.” she whispered to herself, and placed them back where they hung before.

Her eyes scanned the board once more.

Medic unit

Am ambulance… she stared at the label for a moment. Her hand reached forward for the keys. Her index finger slipped through the ring and she closed her fingers around the keys.

For a moment, she stood perfectly still… She could still go back. She could walk back into the command tent, and wait for someone else to make a plan.

But she had done that once before. She wasn't doing it again.

She moved quietly between the rows of engines and ATVs. Every now and then, she glanced over her shoulder. No one seemed to be looking for her, thankfully.

The command tent remained lit behind her. Voices drifted through the open flap, TK was still arguing. Even from this distance, she could hear the frustration in his voice.

She stopped beside one of the ATV’s, it was the same one Eddie had been sitting on only minutes earlier. His wildfire pack rested on the back, together with his helmet on top of it and the visor catching the glow of the floodlights.

(Y/n)'s hand instinctively rose to the chain around her neck. Her father's dog tag. The worn piece of metal had been with her through every academy class, every shift, every difficult call, and she had never taken it off. Not once.

Her fingers tightened around it, for a moment, she simply stood there. Then, with slow, careful movements, she unclasped the chain. The weight disappeared from around her neck and it felt wrong. It almost felt like she was leaving a part of herself behind.

She placed the necklace on the back of the ATV, between Eddie’s wildfire pack and his helmet. Her fingertips lingered against the metal for a second longer. "If this goes wrong..." the rest of the sentence stayed inside her head.

She couldn't say them out loud. Instead, she looked back toward the command tent one last time. Through the opening, she could just make out TK's silhouette. His hands moved as he spoke, still trying to convince someone to send a rescue team.

(Y/n) drew in one slow breath and then she turned away. Without another glance back, she disappeared, heading toward the ambulance parked at the edge of the lot.

______

Eddie wasn't listening anymore. He had moved to the back of the tent several minutes earlier, standing near the entrance.

Not close to (Y/n), he hadn't wanted to crowd her. Not after everything that had happened today, after spending hours pretending not to look at her, he figured giving her space was the better choice.

Still… Every now and then, his eyes drifted toward where she stood. She hadn't spoken once. She simply stared at the maps, lost somewhere inside her own thoughts. It didn't feel like her. Normally this would’ve been one of the moments where she spoke her thoughts.

Eddie looked in front of him for maybe two minutes, before he looked toward her again. And now, the spot was empty. His brow furrowed, he glanced around the tent. Did he miss something? Where did she go?

Maybe she had stepped outside for some air, he thought by himself. He waited another few seconds, but a quiet feeling of unease settled in his chest.

Without interrupting the conversation, he slipped through the entrance of the tent. He looked left, then right. But there was no sign of her. There were some firefighters moving around the camp, carrying equipment and supplies, but (Y/n) wasn’t with them.

His gaze landed on the row of parked ATV’s. He walked toward them, his pace becoming faster with every step he took. When he reached the ATV, he wanted to reach his helmet, but his eyes fell on something that wasn’t in the right place.

Eddie froze, a dog tag rested on the back of the ATV. He recognized it almost immediately, it was (Y/n)’s, she wore this every day, and never took it off. He had seen her wrap her fingers around it more times than he could count.

Slowly, he grabbed the necklace from the ATV, and lifted the chain into his hand. The metal was still warm. His heart beated in his chest as he realized what was happening. "No..." he mumbled to himself.

The word barely left his lips as his eyes swept across the camp. Frantically searching for her. Then his eyes fell on the empty space beside the key board. Eddie read the schedule as he checked which key was gone, but wasn’t supposed to be.

After countless of no’s, he found it. Underneath the medic unit, the key was gone, but wasn't on the schedule.

With that realization, his stomach dropped. He closed his hand tightly around the dog tag and turned. He almost broke into a run. Buck had just stepped out of the command tent when Eddie reached him. "Buck!" he said as he stopped in front of him.

Buck looked up, "What happened?" he asked, as he clearly saw the panic in Eddie’s eyes. Eddie stared at the chain resting in his palm, her dog tag swung between his fingers.

Buck looked down at it before looking back up at Eddie, "Why do you have (y/n)’s dog tag?" Buck asked quietly as he frowned one brow.

Eddie looked up at Buck, “I found it.” he answered. “Found it where?” Buck asked. “On the back of the ATV, next to my helmet.” Eddie replied.

For a second, Buck just stared at him, and then his expression changed. "...She left it?" Buck needed to double check.

Eddie nodded once, "She left it." the words were barely above a whisper. "I've never seen her take it off." he added.

Buck frowned at his words, "You sure?"

Eddie nodded, "I've worked with her for years. She wouldn't leave this by accident." he said. Eddie's eyes drifted toward the vehicle lot, Buck followed his gaze. For a long moment, none of them spoke.

Then Buck looked back at Eddie, the teasing expression he'd worn all day was gone. "You think she's in trouble?" Buck asked, seriously.

Eddie slowly shook his head, "No." Eddie started, and closed his hand around the chain. "I think she's about to get herself into trouble." he added.

Before Buck could answer, the flap of the command tent opened behind them. TK stepped outside first, frustration still written across his face as Judd, Paul, Marjan and Mateo followed close behind.

TK glanced between Buck and Eddie and immediately sensed something was wrong. "What happened?" he asked as he read the scene he stepped into.

Neither of them answered immediately. They both looked at eachother. But Buck looked at Eddie , silently asking if he wanted to explain.

Eddie opened his hand and the dog tag caught the light. TK’s eyes wandered to Eddie’s open hand, and his expression changed the second he recognized it.

"...Where did you get that?" TK asked, taking a step forward. "I found it," Eddie answered. "Beside my helmet." he added.

TK frowned at Eddie’s words, "That doesn't make any sense." he said, clearly confused about the situation.

"No, It doesn't." Eddie said, and he looked toward the rows of ATV’s again where he found it. "She left it there…” Eddie continued, looking for answers.

For the first time since leaving the command tent, TK looked up with realization. He knew where Eddie was going with his words. "No." TK said as he shook his head. "No, she wouldn't."

Silence settled over the group.

"Has anyone actually seen her since we left the tent?" Marjan asked as she looked towards the vehicle lot.

No one answered for a moment.

Then Paul slowly folded his arms, "I haven't." he answered. "Me neither," Mateo admitted.

Judd's eyes narrowed.

Without another word, he turned toward the board with all the keys to every engine, truck, ambulance and ATV.

He checked the schedule, he let his fingers hoover over the board. For a second, nobody spoke and they just looked at Judd. Then Judd let out a long sigh. He rubbed a hand over his beard, and turned around to face the group. "She took one of our ambulances…”

Without another word or hesitation, Eddie moved past Judd and grabbed the 126 engine key from the board, and made his way towards the right engine.

TK followed close behind Eddie with Buck following close on his heels. Buck moved quickly and when he was walking directly behind the two guys, he sighed.

"So," Buck muttered under his breath as they walked, "this is officially the worst deployment we've ever been on…”

______

The ambulance was having trouble with pushing itself into the hill while a thick layer of ash covered the road.

(Y/n) tightened both hands around the steering wheel, while the windshield was little more than a wall of gray.

Smoke swallowed the road only a few feet ahead, forcing her to creep forward at barely walking speed. “Come on…” she muttered under her breath as she tried to lean closer to the windshield, trying to make out the faint outline of the road she was driving on.

The engine groaned, followed by a sharp metallic crack as the steering wheel jerked in her hands. The ambulance shocked once before settling heavily to one side. “No, no, no…” she groaned.

Her foot eased onto the brakes and tried the accelerator again, but the engine protested, and the ambulance refused to move.

(Y/n) let out a frustrated sigh as she closed her eyes for a small second before climbing out of the driver's side.

The smoke hit her immediately, it stung her eyes and burned the back of her throat. She walked around to the front of the ambulance to see what had stopped the ambulance. And there it was… one of the front tires had been shredded by sharp rocks hidden beneath the ash.

She stared at it for a second. Changing it would take too long, the time she didn’t have.

So, she opened the back of the ambulance, slipped her medic pack over one shoulder and she grabbed her flashlight and radio before shutting the backdoors of the ambulance.

She looked ahead… She could barely see ten feet in front of her. But she started walking.

The only sounds were her own boots crunching over the sandy grounds and the distant roar of the wildfire. She tried to shield her eyes from the smoke, it helped a little, but still her eyes were red and burning because of the smoke.

Minutes later something appeared through the smoke. Her pace quickened and the outline became clearer.

The helicopter.

The helicopter was laying on its side where it had crashed, the giant propeller on top was gone, and the tail of the helicopter was on scene but a few feet away from the body of the helicopter.

Adrenaline flooded through her body as soon as she saw the wreckage. She broke into a run, “Hen!” her voice echoed across the hillside “Owen!” she called out.

She scrambled over broken pieces of metal, shining her flashlight through shattered windows, but the windows were broken so she wasn’t able to look through them.

She got on her knees and wiggled herself under the space, so she could peek into the cabin. Empty. Her breathing grew heavier as she pushed herself from underneath the wreckage again. “They got out,” she whispered as she pushed herself back onto her legs.

She turned in a slow circle. Think. If they survived the crash… where would they go? Her eyes scanned the area, but there was nothing else there to be found.

“They can’t be far.” (Y/n) told herself, and just started walking to one of the hills. “Hen!? Owen!?” her voice called out, desperate for any kind of response. She hurried up the hills, maybe if she got higher, she could spot something out of the ordinary.

When (Y/n) slowly but carefully went down the hill again to search the otherside of the hill, her eye fell on two bright yellow wildfire jackets.

The jackets were partly burned, but they were still recognizable. Each one of the jackets had been tied high around a broken wooden pole. It was a marker. A trail. A small smile crossed her face despite everything, “Hen…” she said to herself.

It had to be Hen, she was always thinking ahead. Always making sure someone could find them. (Y/n) ran over to the trail Hen had possibly made. Her steps slowed as she realized what she was looking at.

An old mine sat before her, or rather… what was left of its entrance. Massive timbers, fallen rock and splintered wood buried nearly the entire opening. She ran forward as soon as she realized what it was. “Hen! Owen!” she called out for the twentieth time that day probably, but she still didn’t get a response.

She didn’t think for a second and just started digging, one piece at a time. (Y/n) dragged branches out of the way and pushed broken boards behind her.

When she reached the first heavy beam, she planted both boots firmly against the ground and pushed. But there was no movement. She gritted her teeth and tried again, the timber shifted only slightly before settling back into place.

A frustrated groan escaped her lips. She wiped sweat from her forehead with the back of her sleeve before trying again. “Come on…” she groaned.

Her arms trembled with the effort but the beam refused to move.

She even moved to another section. But that was more impossible: there were more rocks. More wood. Every piece she cleared revealed another obstacle beneath it.

Only if she had more hands, or tools…

Soon her breathing turned ragged and her shoulders burned, but still she refused to stop.

She pushed, another groan left her lips… and still no movement. She squeezed her eyes shut for a brief second before trying again. But it was too much, it was too heavy… She couldn’t do it alone.

_

The engine rumbled steadily as it drove over the uneven sand road. Every few seconds, the heavy vehicle lurched over another hidden rut, throwing everyone slightly from side to side, but no one complained. They all had one goal: finding Hen and Owen.

Judd kept his eyes fixed on the narrow trail ahead, both hands tight around the steering wheel. Buck sat beside him with a folded map spread across his lap, occasionally glancing between the paper and the smoke-covered road outside.

Behind them, Paul, Mateo and Marjan kept their eyes locked on the side windows. No one had much to say. Eddie sat in one of the seats, his elbows resting on his knees while his fingers absentmindedly rolled (Y/n)'s dog tag chain around his hand before letting it slip free again.

He stared at the necklace for a long moment. She had left it behind, and that thought refused to leave his mind. Across from him, TK watched the movement without saying anything.

He had noticed the hold on the necklace Eddie had since the moment Eddie climbed into the engine. Eddie hadn't stopped looking at it since.

The silence stretched between them until another bump jolted the truck. TK finally decided to break it. "You've been avoiding me all day." TK said.

Eddie looked up, caught off guard, "What?" he said, confused. A small smile tugged at the corner of TK's mouth, "You heard me."

Eddie frowned at his words, "I wasn't avoiding you." he claimed. TK tilted his head slightly as he studied Eddie’s body language, "Weren't you?" he asked, one of his eyebrows furrowing. "It kind of looked like you were." he added.

Eddie let out a quiet breath through his nose, "I think you're imagining things." Eddie said. TK chuckled "I don't think I am." he said as he shook his head.

The truck bounced again, forcing both of them to grab the wall of the truck for balance. When everything settled, TK looked back at Eddie. "You disappeared from the fireline." TK pointed out. "I got reassigned," Eddie corrected him.

"You volunteered." TK corrected Eddie now. Eddie's eyes flickered toward him. "...Yeah, and?" Eddie didn’t see the point in denying it. "You mind telling me why?" TK asked.

For a moment, Eddie didn't answer. Instead, he looked toward the windows, outside there was nothing but smoke. Finally, he sighed, "I just needed some space." he answered the question.

TK nodded slowly, "I figured…” he paused for a moment. “I just wasn't sure if it was space from the fire… or from us." TK continued.

Eddie rubbed a tired hand over the back of his neck, "It wasn't you." he said. TK smiled knowingly, "No?"

Eddie hesitated for a second, "It wasn't... you." he told him. That answer earned a quiet laugh from TK.

For a moment, neither of them spoke. The only sound was the steady hum of the engine beneath their feet. Then TK glanced down at the dog tag still looped around Eddie's fingers.

After a moment of silence, TK spoke up again "Can I ask you something?" he asked. Eddie nodded, "Shoot." he said.

TK smiled to himself, "Do you think (Y/n) and I are dating?" he asked. Eddie nearly dropped the chain as those words fell off his lips. His eyes snapped up to meet TK's, "I..." he stumbled over his words. TK couldn't help laughing "I knew it." he laughed.

Eddie groaned quietly and looked away while TK folded his arms with an amused smile. "Eddie, I've known her almost my whole life." TK started. "And today..." He pointed gently toward Eddie, "...you watched us like someone trying to solve a murder." he added.

Despite being ashamed of himself, Eddie let out a short laugh. "Okay, It wasn't that bad.” Eddie said. "Oh, it really was that bad." TK said.

Eddie shook his head, embarrassed now that someone had finally called him out. "I just..." he stopped as he searched for the right words, and let out a sigh. "I couldn't figure it out." he added.

TK's smile softened immediately. "Eddie..." TK began, and he waited until Eddie looked back at him. "My dad practically raised her." he continued.

"After her father died, she spent more time at our house than her own." A warm smile crossed his face as old memories surfaced. "She stole my hoodies, my room and even my cereal.”

Eddie frowned slightly. "I never got any of it back." TK laughed but the memory made him shake his head. "She's family..." He let those words settle before continuing.

"The best sister I never actually had." he smiled.

Eddie stared at him and everything suddenly made sense. The hugs. The teasing. The effortless conversations. The way Owen looked at her.

TK watched the realization slowly spread across Eddie's face. Then, with a grin he asked quietly, "So… How long have you been in love with her?" he asked.

Eddie looked up. His mouth opened slightly, but before a single word could leave it, the engine slowed and the people in the engine were brought to life again.

Judd eased off the accelerator, "What've we got?" Buck asked from the front, leaning toward the windshield, trying to see through the smoke.

Marjan leaned toward the window between the driver and the passenger’s seat, "There! There’s a vehicle." she said as she pointed right in front of them.

The engine rolled to a stop behind a lone ambulance sitting crooked across the narrow trail. Eddie was already on his feet, he opened the door and his boots hit the ground, followed by more.

Eddie, Buck and TK reached the abandoned ambulance first. The driver's door was closed, Eddie pulled it open. But it was empty.

The keys were still in the ignition.

Buck walked around to the front of the vehicle before crouching beside the tire. "Blown out," he said, running a gloved hand over the shredded rubber. "She didn't get much farther than this."

TK looked toward the smoke-covered hillside, "So she kept going on foot." TK concluded. Eddie didn't like the sound of that, not one bit.

Judd stepped up beside them and looked toward the barely visible trail disappearing into the smoke, "We're close," he said. "Everyone back in. We keep moving." Judd ordered.

Nobody argued, and within seconds, the engine was moving again. The drive felt even longer than before. No one spoke. Even Buck had gone quiet.

Eddie's knee bounced restlessly, every passing second felt like another second she was out there alone.

Finally, Judd slowed the engine again. The dark shape of the crashed helicopter appeared through the smoke. "That's it," Judd said.

Even before the vehicle pulled to a stop, TK and Buck had already jumped out. The others followed and they spread out immediately.

Paul and Mateo headed toward the tail section.

Buck climbed on top of the tilted helicopter body while TK wiggled himself under to peek into the cockpit like (Y/n) did minutes before. "Dad!" TK called out. But nothing. Only the wind.

Eddie stepped around the nose of the helicopter, scanning the ground. His stomach tightened at the sight, but then… a faint voice. It was barely audible beneath the crackling fire.

"...Come on..." he heard, it was soft. But enough to make him freeze in his movements. He waited for a second, to see if he wasn’t going all crazy. There it was again. "Move!" The voice was tired, frustrated and desperate.

Eddie turned and moved toward the hillside, His head tilted, listening. Another groan and then the unmistakable scrape of wood against rock.

Buck noticed him stop, "Eddie?" he called. But Eddie didn’t move. Didn’t answer. He just moved up to the hill, following the voice. When he reached the top of the hill, his eyes landed on two bright yellow wildfire jackets tied high to broken wooden poles.

Without another thought, he took off running, "Eddie!" Buck shouted after him. But Eddie was already gone. The rest of the team exchanged confused looks before hurrying after him.

The more Eddie came down the hill, the old mine came into view as did (Y/n). She was on her knees in front of the collapsed entrance, both hands braced against a massive timber. Her turnout jacket was streaked with ash.

She pushed with everything she had. The beam shifted only slightly before dropping back into place. A frustrated groan escaped her mouth, "Come on!" she breathed. "Please..." She didn't even hear the footsteps behind her.

Eddie reached her side without slowing. He dropped beside her, planted both hands against the timber and pushed. The sudden movement made (Y/n) look up. Their eyes met. For a second, neither of them spoke.

Her face was covered in soot. His eyes were filled with relief and worry.

He didn't ask why she had come. He didn't tell her she was reckless. He simply held her gaze for a small moment before giving the smallest nod.

Then he looked back at the beam, "On three," he said. Behind them, the others finally reached the mine. Without hesitation, they grabbed hold of whatever they could. And together they started digging.

The moment TK spotted the opening, everything happened at once. "I see them!" TK shouted, already dropping to his knees. "They're in here!"

Everyone rushed toward the gap.

Paul and Mateo used pry bars to shift the remaining timbers while Marjan and Judd carried loose rocks away by hand.

Another beam moved. Then another.

The opening became just wide enough, and TK didn't hesitate. He slipped through first. "Dad!" he called out. Buck climbed in right behind him.

Hen was the closest to the opening and was only a few feet away from Owen. Both covered in dust and completely still.

Buck immediately dropped beside Hen as TK focussed on his dad.

"Hen?" he called, gently patting her shoulder. No response. (Y/n) squeezed through the opening beside him. "Move over." she said. Buck shifted just enough for her to kneel beside Hen. (Y/n) pressed two fingers gently against Hen's neck.

Then (Y/n) finally breathed again, "I've got a pulse." she said. Buck let out a relieved laugh, "I could kiss you." he said. "Get in line," she muttered, already reaching for her flashlight to check Hen's pupils.

Behind them, TK was checking on Owen. "Dad?" Owen groaned, it was barely audible. But it was enough to give him some sign of life.

Outside the mine, the rest of the team widened the opening even further. "Let's get them out!" Judd called.

Within moments, Owen's arms were draped over TK's and Judd's shoulders as they carefully guided him toward daylight.

Buck and (Y/n) moved in beside Hen "Easy," Buck said, "We've got you." Together, they carefully assisted her out of the mine. Eddie took over (Y/n), and helped Hen get into the engine, and Buck climbed in beside her. Then TK and Judd both assisted Owen into the engine.

(Y/n) watched it happen, and for the first time since they'd reached the mine… Everything slowed. (Y/n) stood where she was, watching everything happen. Watching Hen and Owen finally receive the care they'd needed.

A shaky breath escaped her, "They're okay..." she whispered to herself. She barely realized she'd spoken aloud. She closed her eyes, and every muscle in her body suddenly felt heavy.

The adrenaline she'd been running on had disappeared. She slowly crouched down, resting her forearms on her knees as she tried to steady her breathing. "They're okay." that’s what she kept telling herself.

“They’re okay” Eddie's voice answered quietly.

She looked up, he stood a few feet away… His turnout coat streaked with soot. His jaw so tight she thought he might crack a tooth.

Then he shook his head once, slowly. Like a disappointed parent. Like someone trying very hard to stay calm. "What were you thinking?" he asked her.

(Y/n) pressed her lips into a thin line and looked away. She didn't answer.

Eddie let out a frustrated laugh with both his hands on his hips. "No, seriously. What were you thinking?"

She stood straight again and folded her arms across her chest, "I was thinking they needed help." she said, straight forward.

Eddie shook his head again, not looking at her as he heard her answer to his question. "You stole an ambulance." he said. "I borrowed an ambulance." She corrected him.

His eyes wandered back toward her, meeting hers. "You drove into an active wildfire." he pointed out. With her arms folded across her chest she shrugged her shoulders, "I got here." she said.

"You came here alone." Eddie said.

"I wasn't alone for long."

His jaw clenched as he sighed, pressing his eyes closed for a moment. "That's not the point." he said as he motioned with his hand. She finally looked back at him, "Then what is?" she asked.

"The point is..-" he started, but stopped himself. He let his hand rub across his mouth. "The point is that you could've been killed." he continued.

"Yeah, well… I wasn't." she shot back. "You don't know that!" His voice rose before he could stop it.

Making several heads turn, Buck looked over from the engine, and TK followed his gaze. Neither of them moved.

"You think I don't know that?" she said, her voice quieter than his. "You think I wasn't scared?" she asked him.

"You sure had a funny way of showing it." Eddie commented. She laughed once, a short, bitter laugh. "My whole life I've watched people tell me to stay behind. To wait. To trust someone else.” she said, and took one step closer. "I already lost my dad, Eddie." she continued, her voice cracked as those words left her mouth, tears burning in her eyes. "You really think I was going to stand there and wait for it to happen again?"

Silence.

The words hit Eddie like a punch.

She swallowed hard, "I wasn't going to lose Hen or Owen…" she said, shaking her head while trying to suppress the emotions. "I couldn't… I just couldn't."

Eddie opened his mouth, but nothing came out. He looked at her, really looked at her: ash covered her face, her gloves were torn and there were cuts across her knuckles from digging through splintered wood.

She'd been terrified the whole time. She wasn’t reckless. She was terrified. Terrified of history going to repeat itself.

He looked down and shook his head once. "I know." he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

She frowned at his words. "No… I didn’t.” Eddie answered.

Another silence took over the conversation.

Eddie took one step closer to her, "You scared me." he admitted. (Y/n)’s shoulders dropped.

Eddie laughed quietly at himself, "I was so mad." He looked down at the ground between them. "But I wasn't mad because you stole an ambulance…” he continued. He swallowed, "I was mad because I thought..." but the words were caught in his throat. He closed his eyes for a moment.

I Thought I was going to lose you.

He almost said it, but instead, he shook his head. "I just..." he stopped again. He couldn't do it.

(Y/n) waited, she could see him fighting for the words. Instead he stepped forward. One hand gently cupped the back of her head and the other wrapped around her shoulders. Then he pulled her into him.

The hug was sudden, tight and almost desperate. "I'm sorry," he whispered into her hair, "I'm so sorry." he repeated.

(Y/n) was frozen for a second, but then her hands gripped the back of his wildfire jacket and she buried her face against his shoulder, tears slowly dripping down her cheeks.

_

The atmosphere around base camp had completely changed. The chaos from earlier had disappeared and was replaced by the familiar rhythm of firefighters packing up after a deployment.

The commander had dismissed all of the out-of-state crews after the rain that fell at night.

So, tents were being taken down, hoses were rolled up and stacked and gear disappeared back into compartments. The wildfire was finally contained.

Hen and Owen were both awake in the medical tent, already driving their crews crazy by insisting they were perfectly fine. (Y/n) smiled to herself as she lifted another medical bag into one of engine 118's side compartments.

Beside her, TK slid a plastic storage bin into place before pushing the compartment's contents farther back as he helped her pack. "You know," he said with a grin, "my dad asked the medic how long it'd be before they let him leave." TK said.

(Y/n) laughed softly, "Already?" she asked. TK nodded as he closed the compartment, "Five minutes after he woke up." he added.

She shook her head, still smiling, "That sounds exactly like Owen." she laughed. TK chuckled, "He also tried to leave the tent when the medics weren’t looking."

(Y/n) rolled her eyes affectionately, "Of course he did." she said as she reached for another bag, setting it beside the others before stepping back to make sure everything fit.

As she adjusted one of the straps, movement in the corner of her eye caught her attention. Someone was walking toward them.

Eddie.

He'd changed out of his wildfire jacket, carrying it over one shoulder. Eddie slowed in his steps when he reached them.

TK noticed him almost immediately, and let his eyes drop briefly to Eddie's hand. A familiar silver chain hung loosely between his fingers. TK looked back up at Eddie, then over at (Y/n). A small, knowing smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. Without saying a word, he quietly dusted his hands together. "I still have to check the equipment on engine 126." he said casually.

(Y/n) glanced at him, knowing what he was doing.

"I'll be back in a minute." TK said, and took off. He lightly squeezed her shoulder as he walked past and as he passed Eddie, he gave him the faintest pat on the arm. "So don't take all day." TK added.

Eddie looked after him, "...Thanks." TK lifted a hand in response, before disappearing around the corner of the engine.

Silence settled between them, it wasn’t uncomfortable.

(Y/n) reached up and pushed the compartment door closed. The heavy metal door clicked into place with a solid thud. And then she turned towards Eddie. "So…" she said softly.

Eddie lifted his hand, "I think this belongs to you." he said, letting the dog tag resting in his open palm. For just a second, (y/n) stared at it. A smile crossed her face, "I was wondering where that ended up." she said.

She looked down at the worn metal, "My dad always told me never to take it off." she said quietly. "The only time I ever have..." she stopped for a moment, "...was then."

Eddie nodded slowly, and looked down at the tag lying in his hand. "When I found it..." he stopped himself and let out a quiet breath through his nose. "I thought you left it because you didn't think you were coming back."

(Y/n) didn't answer, and she didn't have to… The silence between them said enough.

Carefully, Eddie held it out to her. She reached for it and their fingers brushed. Neither of them pulled away. She looked at their hands, with the dog tag in it. For a long moment, they simply stood there, both still holding the chain between them.

"I owe you an apology," Eddie said quietly, making her look up. "For yelling at me?" she asked. He shook his head, "For thinking I knew why you went."

A small smile appeared on her face, "TK talked to you." she said. "He did." Eddie answered. She chuckled softly, "I thought he might."

Eddie smiled for the first time, "He also made me realize I've been an idiot." he chuckled softly. She raised an eyebrow, "Only a idiot?" she laughed. Eddie laughed, this time a genuine laugh, for the first time on this trip. "I deserved that." he said.

Another comfortable silence settled over them.

Around them, firefighters continued loading equipment into other engines, completely unaware of the quiet conversation taking place beside the engine of the 118.

Eddie looked at the dog tag still resting between their hands, and let go. He looked back at her, while she held the necklace in her hands. "I spent the whole day thinking…-" Eddie started.

"Stop." (Y/n) interrupted him. He blinked, "What?" he asked, confused. She shook her head once, like she was trying to physically clear the noise from the air. "Just… stop talking for a second." she said.

Eddie frowned slightly, "I’m not-" he started. "Yes, you are." (Y/n) cut him off again. Her voice softened, but there was something steady underneath it now. "You’re doing that thing where you think too much and then you’re going to stop saying what you actually mean." she said.

He opened his mouth again to say something, but then closed it. She knew him too well. (Y/n) exhaled slowly, like she was grounding herself. "At the mine," she said quietly, "you almost said it."

Eddie’s jaw tightened "I didn’t- "

"You did." she said, and stepped closer. There was barely any space left between them. "And then you didn’t." she added.

Silence, Eddie looked away for half a second. When he looked back, something in his expression had shifted. "I couldn’t- " he said.

"Still talking."(Y/n) said. A faint, helpless laugh escaped him "I’m trying to-" Eddie tried to say. "Shut up." she said, she reached up suddenly, grabbing a fistful of his turnout shirt. She pulled him down to her and kissed him.

There was no hesitation, no warning, nothing.

Eddie froze for half a second. Then his hand came up, careful, settling at her waist like he was making sure this was real and kissed her back.

Around them, the world kept moving. Engines starting, some people shouting orders, compartment doors being closed. But neither of them noticed.

"Uh…" a familiar voice said, they broke apart instantly. "Eddie?" The familiar voice snapped them both back to reality. They sprang apart quickly, like nothing happened. (Y/n) immediately took half a step backward and reached for the compartment she'd closed moments earlier, pretending to check the latch.

Eddie cleared his throat and folded his arms, trying very hard to look like he'd been standing there discussing equipment all along.

Mateo rounded the front of the engine, his attention fixed entirely on the clipboard in his hands. He scribbled something down before finally looking up. "Oh, there you are!” Mateo said.

He looked at Eddie first, then at (Y/n). "...Everything okay?" Mateo asked. "Yeah," Eddie answered a little too quickly. "We were just..." He looked toward the open compartment, "...checking the medical inventory." Eddie said.

(Y/n) nodded immediately, "Just making sure everything's packed before you head back." Eddie nodded. Mateo glanced at the neatly organized compartment, "Makes sense."Mateo answered as he looked back down at his clipboard.

"I was actually looking for you, Eddie." Mateo said. "What's up?" Eddie asked, and Mateo flipped a page. "Judd wanted me to make sure the rescue gear from your engine got loaded onto the 118 and not on some other engine." Mateo said.

"Oh." Eddie said as he nodded. "I can do that." he folded his arms over his chest. "Perfect." Mateo said, and scribbled another note. Then frowned, "Huh."

"What?" (Y/n) asked, while closing the compartment again, hoping she sounded calmer than she felt. Mateo scratched the side of his head. "I don't know..." He said, as he looked between them again. "I feel like I interrupted something."

(Y/n)’s heart skipped, as Eddie stayed perfectly still. Mateo tilted his head "...Were you arguing?" he asked.

(Y/n) blinked "What?" she asked, confused, while shaking her head. "You both look..." He searched for the right word. "...flustered."

Neither of them answered. But Mateo shrugged. He tucked the clipboard under his arm. "Whatever it was, I'll pretend I wasn't here." he said. He started walking away before stopping again. "Oh! And TK's looking for you, (Y/n)." he said. "Thanks Mateo," she replied.

"No problem." and Mateo wandered off with his clipboard. The moment he disappeared around the next engine…

(Y/n) let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. Then she started laughing, not loudly but just enough that she had to cover her mouth.

Eddie looked at her before shaking his head with a grin, "What?" She looked up at him, still smiling "He thought we were arguing." she laughed softly.

Eddie chuckled "I think that's better than him knowing what actually happened." She nodded "Oh, definitely." she said. (Y/n)’s laughter slowly faded and their eyes met again. "I should go find TK," she said softly.

Eddie nodded, "Yeah." a small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "I'll see you in a minute." he said.

She smiled back, and just as she started to step away, she stopped herself. Eddie looked at her questioningly. Without saying a word, she leaned in.Her hand briefly caught the sleeve of his T-shirt as she rose onto her toes, pressing a quick kiss against his cheek.

It lasted barely a second, "See you in a minute," she whispered. Before Eddie could even think of a response, she turned and walked away toward the engine of the 126.

He stood there for a moment, watching her go, taking a corner and a smile slowly spread across his face.Then, still shaking his head to himself, he turned on his heels and got back to work.

(Y/n) spotted TK near the back of the 126 engine, tightening the straps around a stack of equipment cases. "You were looking for me?" she asked as she walked up beside him. TK looked up as he closed one of the equipment cases "I was." he said and he clipped it shut before glancing toward the 118.

"So..." He tilted his head slightly, "...Whose idea was it?" he asked. (Y/n) frowned at his words, "Whose idea was what?" she asked.

"The kiss." he said.

She stared at him for a long second, "I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about." she denied. TK raised an eyebrow, "Really?" he said, placing his hands on his hips, not buying the answer she just gave him.

"Really." (y/n) said.

He laughed quietly "I've known you for years…” he started. "And?"

"I've known Eddie for..." He pretended to think about it. "...A couple of days." he continued. (y/n) folded her arms, trying not to smile, "So?" she said.

"I'm still willing to bet it was you." he said. She let out an amused scoff, "Why?"

TK shrugged "Because Eddie would've apologized for twenty minutes before kissing you." he concluded. (Y/n) looked down, unable to hide the smile spreading across her face. "...He actually did."

TK pointed at her with a smile across his face "I knew it." he said. The two of them laughed together, and after a moment, TK's grin softened. "You happy?" he asked.

(Y/n) followed his gaze toward the 118. Eddie was fastening one of the compartment latches while Buck loaded the last gear bag into the engine. She smiled to herself. "...Yeah… I am."

TK nodded once, "Good." Before either of them could say anything else, someone called from across the camp. "TK!" They both turned, Marjan waved him over from beside the 126. "We're rolling!" she called out.

TK sighed dramatically "Guess that's my cue." he said. (Y/n) let out a sigh, "I guess it is." she said. For a moment, neither of them moved. They just looked at each other and smiled, then TK stepped forward and pulled her into a quick hug. "I'm glad you came." he said. She smiled against his shoulder, "So am I."

He pulled back, pointing a finger at her, "Try not to steal any more emergency vehicles." he said as he held one hand firmly on her shoulder. She laughed, and playfully pushed him, "No promises." she said.

"I mean it." he said, dead serious and pointed again at her. “Get outta here" she said with a smile on her face. TK smiled one last time before turning toward his crew. Halfway there, he (y/n) looked up. "Take care of him." She smiled, and shook her head laughingly.

With one last wave, TK jogged back toward the team of the 126. (Y/n) watched them for another moment before turning toward Engine 118.

Buck was lifting the last gear bag into one of the compartments while Eddie secured another latch. Neither of them had noticed her yet.

She slowed her pace, the smoke that had blanketed the mountains all week had finally begun to lift.

Firefighters called out their final goodbyes across the base camp, engines rumbled to life one by one. It was over.

Eddie looked up, the moment his eyes found hers, his expression softened. A small smile found its way onto her face. She walked the rest of the way over. "You ready to go?" Eddie asked her.

(Y/n) sighed and nodded "Yeah." she helped to close the remaining compartment doors as Eddie closed the one he had been working on with a thud.

Eddie reached for the rear passenger door and pulled it open, and stepped aside when (Y/n) made her way to the door too.

He sent her a smooth wink, she chuckled softly. “Thank you,” she said quietly only for him to hear, as she climbed into the cab and couldn’t help but smile. Eddie followed, pulling the door shut behind him.

Slowly, one by one, the fire engines from all over the state pulled out of base camp.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

9-1-1 Masterlist | Eddie Diaz Masterlist

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