Buck spent every waking moment he could at the NICU with his daughter, watching her gain strength and grow more and more everyday. The nurses tried to reason with Buck, to go home and get some rest. The only time he went home was when he had to shower, that was it. Then he was back with his daughter. The entire 118 already warned the nurses how stubborn Buck was, so there was no point in trying to reason with him. The only day he left for longer than an hour was the day of Natalya's funeral. The whole 118 was there for Buck, but the passing days he barely was there himself. The only thing he kept holding onto was his daughter who needed him, other than that he was hollow. Lost into his own sea of his mind. Buck always wore his heart on his sleeves, so to see him so isolated broke anyone who looked into his direction. He kept his gaze fixed on her casket, expressing no emotion. His face was a blank page while he stood there. Maddie and Eddie were right by his side, the rest of the 118 was right behind him. Bobby placed his hand on Buck's shoulder, he didn't even budge.
Everyone eventually left after the service, all except Buck and Maddie. She was so worried about Buck, so she barely left his side.
"I promise I'll make sure our daughter is taken care of. You won't ever have to worry about her, I got her back. I pinky promise," Buck whispered towards the grave. He swallowed down the lump in his throat, and finally left with Maddie.
"Buck!" Buck heard in the parking lot. He looked up from the ground, searching for Eddie's truck for the owner of the voice. Then he saw Chris, with Eddie standing close behind. Buck smiled looking at Chris.
"Hey Bud!" Buck said softly as he walked up to Chris and Eddie.
"Buck! I missed you!" Chris said as he flung his arms around Buck's neck. Buck sniffled a little bit, stray tears threatening to fall from his eyes as he tightly hugged Chris.
"I promise I will come see you soon buddy! I have been super busy lately," Buck whispered to Chris, while still hugging him.
"I know. Dad told me about your baby being born," Chris said softly. Buck gulped and released Chris before holding out his pinky.
"I pinky promise I'll be by to hang out soon enough, I haven't forgotten about you Chris," Buck said smiling.
Chris giggled and hooked his pinky with Buck's. Eddie smiled looking at Maddie, who was also smiling down at her brother.
"Alright bud I've got to go. How about I FaceTime you and your dad when I get to the hospital, and you can see her?" Buck asked. Chris smiled and nodded so fast that Buck started laughing before hugging him again.
"Okay! I'll call you as soon as I get there," Buck smiled before he got up. He looked over at Eddie, who leaned against his truck. Eddie saw Buck's face switch from happy to blank, as if he was wearing a mask that was taken off. Eddie grabbed his arm and pulled him into a tight embrace, his heartbreaking for Buck. Buck sighed and hugged Eddie back, not wanting to let go.
After a few moments of the embrace, Buck pulled away and headed back to the hospital. Once he was there, he greeted all the nurses and went straight to his daughter. He situated himself after picking her up. He looked at the monitor and smiled, her stats were improving. He talked to her softly about everything before he pulled out his phone to FaceTime Chris and Eddie. Once their faces appeared on the screen, Buck smiled and showed her off to them while she was sleeping on his bare chest. He forgot all about his marks when he started the call.
"Hey Buck... What happened to your chest?" Chris asked. Buck bit his lip nervously, looking down at his chest.
"This was from when I got struck by lightning.." Buck answered honestly.
"Oh that's so cool!" Chris exclaimed, smiling. Eddie looked at Chris, before looking back at Buck. His eyes trailing to the marks and his bare chest before looking back at him.
"Ooh hang on, let me page in the rest!" Buck smiled as he added Bobby and Athena, Maddie and Chim, and Hen to their FaceTime call. Everyone stared at Buck's marks for a moment before gushing at how cute his daughter was. Buck explained how much of a fighter she was, she was getting stronger and stronger every day.
"Just like a Buckley!" Chim pointed out, and Buck smiled nodding while Maddie giggled.
"What can I say, us Buckley's don't give up without a fight," Buck said smiling.
"Ain't that the truth!" Athena said while everyone nodded. Buck and Maddie shrugged while smiling.
"You haven't told us her name yet Buckaroo!" Hen commented.
"Well I was thinking Buckette!" He joked.
"You Better Not!" Maddie teased back, earning a laugh out of everyone in the call.
"Honestly.... I don't know yet..." Buck sighed looking down at his daughter.
"It'll come to you Buckaroo! Promise! She's beautiful, I have to get to work! Hey Buck... You are going to be a great father, I just know it. I'm proud of you" Athena smiled as she waved good bye. Buck smiled at her words, biting his lip nervously again. She'll never understand how her words affected Buck, and how good it made him feel that he made someone proud.
"You made us all proud Buck." Maddie said softly, and Buck blushed a little bit smiling. The nurses came in to check on Buck and his daughter.
"You guys were right, definitely stubborn!" The nurse rolled her eyes smiling at Buck. Buck shrugged and looked up at her smiling.
"We did warn you!" Eddie said to the nurse. She giggled and shook her head.
"Alright Evan, you tell me if you or her needs anything," she said as she smiled, looking at the little girl in Buck's arms.
"I will. But I'm comfy here," Buck said stubbornly.
"Of course you are," the nurse said as she giggled. She left them, and shortly after Buck started getting sleepy. He yawned and decided to end the FaceTime, putting his daughter back into the incubator. The nurses drilled it into his head to never fall asleep with her on him, and he knew he was about to fall asleep so he put her back into the incubator gently. He laid on the chair beside her, and drifted off finally.
The next few days she continued to grow, and gain strength. Buck still barely left her side, except showers and he did visit Chris and Eddie for an hour here and there. Finally the day has come, she has grown enough and she was finally able to go home as long as she passes the car seat test. Buck called Eddie first to pass on the good news on his daughter. When Eddie didn't pick up, figuring he was on a call at the firehouse, he left a voicemail then called Maddie. Maddie was so excited for Buck and his daughter. She told him she would be there as soon as she got off work. What Buck didn't know, Maddie called Athena and Bobby the moment she got off the phone with him. They were going to throw Buck and his daughter a surprise welcome home party. It's been a rough road for the two, but she was finally strong enough to come home. Hen and Karen were in, helping Bobby and Athena plan the party. Maddie was going to go help set up the moment she got off work. Finally they got a hold of Eddie and he smiled, confirming he was going to be there.
Eddie called Buck back answering the phone, "hey Buck. Sorry I was freeing someone from their car. What's up?"
"We might be going home soon!! She has to pass the car seat test before they can officially say she can go home, but they love how much she has improved!" Buck said excitedly. Then he stared at his daughter, unlocking a new fear.
"Oh shit ... We get to go home... H-Hey Eddie.. what if I can't do this? I had the nurses help me... But I'm taking her home... Alone... Oh shit!" Buck rambled on, starting to feel himself panic slightly.
"Buck! You are going to be okay! I promise. You have so many who will be happy to help you, including me. You are going to be okay, I promise you'll do great!" Eddie reassured.
"But Eddie, how are you so sure I'm going to be a good father?!" Buck whimpered.
"I just do," Eddie said softly. That eased Buck's nerves slightly.
Eventually the car seat test began, and Buck watched her while bouncing his leg nervously. She fell asleep almost instantly, and her stats continued to stay steady. While Buck and his daughter were still stuck at the hospital, Maddie and the rest of the 118 were at Buck's apartment trying to get it ready as fast as possible. They got the cake, the presents for the baby, and cute baby girl decorations. They made a banner that said "welcome home baby!" While they were setting everything up, they were bantering and taking bets on what the baby's name was. Karen and Bobby brought Buck some homemade food he can just reheat in the oven and eat on for a while. Eddie sat down with Chris at the table to make Buck a card. Everything was in place and ready, which was perfect timing because Buck called Maddie and told her she passed. They were waiting on discharge papers so they could go home. Maddie asked Buck to text her on his way home. Her excuse was so she could head over and help him get situated with her niece when he got home. After a few minutes, Maddie received the text. Buck was finally headed home with his newborn daughter. Natalya had her coming home outfit picked out, a dress she had when she came home from the hospital as a little girl. Natalya's mother let Buck keep it since she knew that's what Natalya would've wanted for her daughter. Buck teared up when he put her in her outfit, and he took so many pictures of her in the dress. Then he panicked putting her in her carseat, worried he was going to break her as he maneuvered her into her carseat. She truly was beautiful, and Buck couldn't express the love he felt for her. The nurse gave Buck clear instructions on what to do next, and Buck nodded smiling as he grabbed the carseat and her diaper bag. After a long couple of weeks, Buck and his baby girl were finally ready to go home.
It took them thirty minutes to get from the hospital to Buck's apartment, thanks to LA traffic. He looked down at his beautiful daughter when he spoke softly, "alright baby girl, this is it. This is home, not much but it's home. Just me and you." He took a deep breath in and out before unlocking his apartment door.
"SURPRISE!!" Everyone jumped out as soon as Buck turned on the lights in his apartment, causing him to jump back. He placed his hand on his heart and sighed with relief before looking at everyone in awe. He started tearing up a little bit as he looked at all the decorations and effort everyone put in for him and his daughter.
"Awe guys! All this for us?" Buck smiled softly as he fully walked into his apartment.
"Yes Buck! It's not everyday you bring home a beautiful little girl buckaroo!" Athena smiled as she looked down at the little girl in her carseat, that Buck still gripped onto tightly. Buck smiled as Maddie tightly hugged her brother. He received hugs from everyone, especially Eddie and Chris.
Buck held onto the carseat tightly, his dad instincts kicking into overdrive. He knew he could trust everyone here with his and her life, however it was still all new to him. After a while, everyone got situated, cake and presents was passed out to Buck for the little one. Buck took her out of her carseat, hesitating at first. He very slowly moved her arms around the buckle, terrified he was going to break her still, and held her tightly after fixing her swaddle.
"My Baby brother and my beautiful niece!" Maddie started crying happy tears, causing Buck to blush. There were plenty of pictures taken of the beautiful little girl, but Buck went into protective dad mode and didn't allow anyone to hold her just yet. He feared the worst with the germs, and it freaked him out. Everyone respected his wishes, they weren't here to hold her anyway. They were here for him, to help him settle into parenthood, and get him some well needed stuff for her. Buck looked down at this little one and he felt his heart swell, and he smiled hoping his face showed her the amount of love that he felt for her. Apparently it did, because Eddie was quick to take a picture of him with her. Chris sat next to Buck the whole time, both laughing and having a great time together while Eddie captured the moments with them now three together.
"So we still don't know her name Buck so we didn't know what to put onto the banner!" Maddie pointed out while she set Buck's piece of cake in front of him so he'd be able to eat it. He looked at the cake then back at his daughter in his arms, as if he was trying to figure how to maneuver to eat it. He pouted until he figured it out, then he smiled and took a bite of cake, smiling in triumph.
"Mmm this cake is good!" Buck sighed happily with his mouthful of cake. Maddie gently slapped him for talking with his mouthful, but Buck rolled his eyes happily.
"I am sorry I got overwhelmed with everything. Everyone I'd like you to officially meet, Ophelia Rose Buckley," Buck smiled as he held her proudly. He earned so many awes and left so many in tears.
"Buck! It's a beautiful name! She is beautiful!" Athena said proudly.
"Buck, I know we speak for everyone here when we say we are so proud of you," Bobby spoke softly, as he placed his hand on Buck's shoulder. Buck beamed at him, causing him to tear up some more.
Eventually everyone decided to go home, all except Maddie. She cleaned up while Buck attended to his daughter, giving her a diaper and outfit change and a bottle. And after a while, Maddie left as well only after she made sure Buck was settled and okay. Buck smiled and nodded with his daughter as she slowly drifted off to sleep while drinking her bottle. He placed her on his chest, and burped her. Then once she was asleep, Buck headed upstairs to his bed, and placed her in her bassinet right beside him before laying down himself. He was wiped out from today's events. He had his village here with him and he was so thankful they were there for him and his daughter, Ophelia Rose Buckley.