know that I'm with you the only way that I can be
eddie & bobby, implied pre-buddie | gap filler in the middle of LabRats | rated: G | 2K
Eddie accepts the call and hadn’t even looked at the name. It’s not Buck. And it’s not a FaceTime. Which is surprising on both counts but not unwelcome. It hits him with a rolling wave of homesickness though. Still. Eddie smiles when he answers. “Hey, Cap. How’s it going?”
“Hi, Eddie,” Bobby says. “It’s good to hear your voice. It’s not the same without you around.”
God, he feels that. Nothing is the same without his team. But Eddie has Chris. They’ll be okay. “I miss you, too. Sorry, I should have called you sooner. I’ve been thinking about you though.”
“Me too. And don’t worry about that. How is Christopher? Are you two settling in out there?”
Eddie glances in the direction of the living area where Chris is on the sofa playing a solitary round of racing against the game. Where Eddie’s son is happy and they’re back together, Diaz boys against the world, and Eddie couldn’t ask for anything else.
Maybe he can ask for a few things. Like something to fill the Buck shaped hole in his chest. But he’s not pushing his luck here.
He still has Buck. They talk all the time. Every day.
“Chris is good. Moved back in with me a couple weeks ago. We’re so much better. It’s great. What about you? How’s Athena? And the kids?” Eddie should really call May and see how school is going. She texts him silly memes and instagram posts every so often, and sometimes makes fun of whatever Josh has posted about Glee this week. As she should.
“That’s great, Eddie. I’m so glad you two worked it out.”
“Me too, Cap. Holy hell, me too.” Eddie waits for a moment, hoping Bobby will answer his questions.
He doesn’t.
Maybe Eddie should ask again?
Or maybe something happened?
“Is there,” Eddie starts and how does he even ask. What does he ask? “A reason you called me?”
“Yes,” Bobby answers.
Eddie checks the time and the calendar, and A Shift should be off the clock by now. Should be. But they were on the last shift. They were on not long ago.
“Did something happen?” Eddie asks lightly, trying not to worry. He doesn’t need to worry. He’s not worrying.
“Yes.”
Fuck. Okay. So. He’s worrying. Eddie’s heart immediately pounds. There could be lightning or earthquakes or psychotic kidnappers, and any one of his team could be in trouble.
“Is it,” Eddie swallows hard and has to know. He can know. He can take it. God, please don’t let it be Buck. Please don’t let something happen to Eddie’s partner because Eddie left him and isn’t there. “Is it Buck? Did something happen with Buck?”
“No. Not exactly. He’s safe as far as I know. He’s been with Athena.”
Okay. Then Eddie can breathe a little again. “Who then? What happened?”
There’s a pause before Bobby answers and Eddie can hear something in the background of the call but has no idea what it could even be. “I can’t give you many details. I don’t have much time.”
He doesn’t have much time. Bobby. Doesn’t have much time.
Bobby doesn’t have much time.
(read on AO3)