Spark

Under Pressure

Buck whistles as she strolls into the station to find Bobby, Chim, and Hen already congregated in front of the locker rooms so she couldn't get around, though luckily for her she wasn't as late as usual and had come in already changed for work, "Morning, guys. What're you staring at?"

They turn in almost unison.

"Good, you're here," Bobby said, "I want you to meet our newest recruit and probie. He's finished the academy just last week, top of his class. A former army medic, done two tours in Afghanistan and has a Silver Star. Likes to be called, 'eight pack'. I'll introduce you, come on."

"Now that is a beautiful man," Chim said as he followed Bobby's gaze into the locker room where a man was just putting on his uniform shirt.

"Where's the lie? And I like girls," Hen replied, causing Buck to look over their shoulders at what they were all seeing. A moment later, an even wider grin spread over her face.

"No fucking way! G.I. what the hell are you doing here?"

"Songbird? How the hell have you been?" the man called back, coming out of the glass-walled room and sweeping Buck into a tight hug. A moment later, he pushed Buck away and started checking him over."Man, am I glad you're alright! You are alright, aren't you?" The man held her by her arms and looked her over with a critical eye causing Buck to laugh and playfully swat away his hands.

"Yeah, I'm alright. I actually go by Buck now."

"So, you know each other?" Bobby asked. While he had known that Buck had trained for the SEALs, he had thought Buck was a ringer. "You're not a ringer?"

"Yeah, we met in Afghanistan when we were stationed at the same camp for half a year and I had to patch her up the first day into her team arriving," Eddie answered. "Been best friends ever since."

"I would have been fine. It was just a scratch," Buck replied, falling back into the easy bickering they had had when they had both been in active service. "And no, I never said that I rang. I only told you that I had a problem with flicking the switch." 

"You had two GSW wounds that needed twenty-six stitches each!" Eddie gave back, rolling his eyes at the familiar words from his friend.

"As I said, scratch."

Buck stuck out her tongue at Eddie and laughed when he playfully grabbed at her again, ignoring the gaping the others did at her words.

Eddie just rolled his eyes at his friend before holding out his hand to the two members of the team he had not yet met. "Eddie Diaz." 

"Hen Wilson," Hen introduced herself as they shook hands. "And this is Howie Han. He goes by Chimney."

"Pleasure, I look forward to working with you all," Eddie replied.

"Well I'm glad you two already get along because  I brought you here to be Buck's partner with the heavy rescue," Bobby said and Buck grinned at that. Eddie did, too. He was glad for that since he knew that Buck would have his back.

"This is gonna be awesome. Just wait until I tell Smooth Dog and the team who my new partner is." 

Eddie groaned but went right back to smiling. They both stood there smiling at each other, basking in the feeling of having their best friend close again.

"How's the missus and the son, Christopher?"

"Chris is fine. He's with my Abuela right now. I have no idea how Shannon is, however. She left shortly after I got discharged."

Before they could talk more, the alarm blares and they gear up and mount the truck in a matter of seconds. Eddie sits down in front of her on the truck and they share a smile.