𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙛𝙪𝙡 𝙢𝙚𝙨𝙨. Evan Buckley ¹

twenty four

BEAUTIFUL MESS.
chapter twenty four.

HUNTER FOUND HERSELF crawling around a restaurant floor with Eddie and Buck looking for a nose. The tip of a nose to be exact and it seemed to be nowhere in sight.

"Fuck," Hunter groaned, "this shit ain't easy on my hip."

Buck looked over at her before laughing, "and here I was thinking you were good on your knees."

Hunter tried to keep a straight face as she glared at him. Eddie shook his head before saying, "wouldn't you like to know, buck."

The blonde reached over to give Diaz a high-five at his comment. Buck just rolled his eyes and continued in his search.

"Found it!" He exclaimed, the blond man popped up off of the floor with the nose in his hand. Hunter smiled at the man, he was way too excited for just finding a missing appendage off of the floor of a restaurant.

The three friends stood around as Hen and Chim began transporting the woman. Hunter looked over, trying not to scrunch her face at the separated nose while the others shook their head.

"Hey," one of the other employees called, "you're under the mistle-drone."

Eddie laughed as he looked at the two blonds, "come on, it's christmas tradition."

Buck looked down uncomfortable, figuring Hunter wouldn't want to considering her apprehension about finding a new guy- she definitely wouldn't want to kiss him for traditional.

Hunter glared at him as she flipped him off while the employee kept encouraging it. "You gotta do it," she called from a table she was cleaning, "and he's cute," she fake whispered.

Hunter rolled her eyes before looking at Eddie who was still encouraging it before grabbing the wrist of Diaz and pulling him to her. Letting him go for a second, she grabbed the bag of his head with her hand in his hair while letting the other touch his cheek before placing their lips together in a rather agressive manner. Besides, she knew Lane wouldn't have cared if it meant her making someone stop talking shit.

Eddie was too surprised to move, along with the Buckley boy. "There," she said, smirking at the boys, "can't break tradition, right?"

"We don't talk about that, got it?" She told Eddie sternly who quickly nodded his head in agreement.

The next call was more entertaining for her. "Where were you?" The marine asked Eddie once he learned of his military past.

"Bagram-"

"Ah army?" He asked and earned a nod from Eddie, "nobody's perfect."

Hunter laughed before agreeing, "that's what I keep telling him."

"No shit? Where were you then?"

"Dwyer," Hunter said with a sigh. Dwyer was not a renowned base by any means. It was actually regarded as one of the tougher placed to stay.

"Yeah, Hunter here was a gunny," Eddie told the other marine.

"Commander?"

Hunter laughed, "Holloway-"

"What a dick," he said, making Hunter laughed while Buck said something under his breath, gaining weird looks from both Hunter and Eddie.

They had transported the only critically injured man to the hospital before another lady told them of the Marines recital he needed to make. "Hey, sarg," Hunter called, walking up to him with Eddie.

"We hear you have a show to make," Eddie called.

"Yeah," he said sadly, "but I'll never make it on time anymore."

"Oh no," Hunter laughed, "we're gonna get you there. Come on," she waved him to follow to the firetruck.

They all managed to pile into the truck. Hunter and Eddie did their best to assist him and changing, the bloody service uniform would not have been good for homecoming. However the combat utility attire would work just fine.

"I'm gonna cry. I-I know I'm gonna cry. Those soldier reunion videos on YouTube always get me," buck said as Hunter helped tie one of the boots while the Marine put his button down on. The blonde shook her head at the man, they always got her too, to be fair.

They had all raced inside the school, firefighters following the running father who didn't want to miss anymore of his daughters solo. Hunter smiled at the sight inside of the auditorium. The audible gasp that left his daughter and the hug that ensued made tears gather in the corners of her eyes.

It hurt Hunter to know she never had a moment like that with her dad and she never would. He never cared enough to surprise her at and Cody at home, or even when he was he never showed up to any of their games or Christmas programs. And when she would come home from her tours, no one was ever waiting.

Eddie on the other hand had a whole other world of feelings as he watched. Still upset with himself for walking out that time and then thinking about Shannon. How Shannon would affect Chris. Shaking his head, he turned around and followed his friends who were walking out. Hunter ripped her coat off before wiping her eyes and climbing in the truck.

Hunter later found herself with the same two boys as they watched the youngest member of the Diaz's wait in line for Santa all by himself. Hunter smiled at the kid, it was impossible not to like them.

"You're just tryna protect your kid," Hunter sighed at the situation Eddie was in. He had to sneak around Christopher's back in order to sleep with his own wife.

"But now she wants back into his life-"

"Seems like she's already back in yours." buck commented. Hunter shot him a glare as she smacked the back of his head.

"But would I be doing it for me or Chris?" Eddie asked, "I guess sex complicates everything."

Buck laughed as Hunter shook her head with a chuckle, "you said it brother," they all watched as the boy in question made his way back down to them.

"Hey, big man," Hunter said as she knelt down and gave him a fist bump, "buck and I were getting worried."

Chris hugged her before saying, "you should be worried for buck- not me," he laughed as did Hunter.

The blonde stood up as she watched Chris approach his dad. "He is such a good kid," Hunter said to buck who was watching too.

One of Santa's elves looked at them before saying, "you two have an adorable son."

"Oh," Hunter said in surprise while Buck's eyes widened in shock, "Uh-"

"Yeah, Uh," buck stuttered before smiling, "thank you?"

spent forever trying to make new
graphics cause I was too lazy to actually
write. New cover and chapter header so
theres that at least.