Archive of Our Own ^beta

There is a child crying in the middle of Disneyland.

This is unacceptable.

Buck pulled on his belt, making sure his costume was in perfect order, ran a hand gently over his coiffed black hair, and sauntered over. The child was about six or seven years old. Glasses held to his face with a red cord, curly dirty blond hair, striped red and white shirt and khaki shorts. He sat against the side of the Little Mermaid: Ariel's Undersea Adventure building, partly hidden by the bushes cut into four-foot-tall swirls. Crutches laid on the ground by his legs, but he didn't look injured.

Buck had heard of that disorder. C. Cer- Cerrrrrrreeebral Palsy! That was what those guys, Wampler and Traylor, who climbed mountains in Colorado and California had.

"Excuse me," Buck said as he approached, a curious tone to his voice. "Are you a merman?"

Sniffling, the little boy looked up, squinting in the sun to get a good look at Buck in his Prince Eric outfit. He rubbed his hand and arm across his face to wipe away tears and snot. "W-what?"

Smiling, Buck knelt beside the boy. "A merman." He motioned to Christopher. "Why, it's as if you suddenly appeared from a dream I had. I saw you here, looking like Ursula herself had just transformed you and left you alone to learn of the human world by yourself."

A twitch at the edge of the boy's mouth hinted at a smile, but then the tears and the frown won. He shook his head. "I'm not a merman," he said. "I have CP."

Ding ding! Cerebral palsy. Buck couldn't claim he knew too much about that, but he knew the basics.

With a sagely nod, Buck said, "Ah. I see. I'm not sure I believe you, though. About not being from the sea."

The boy's frown was now confused, rather than sad. "Why?"

Buck motioned to all of him. "You're so cute! In fact, you remind me of my dear Ariel." Then Buck paused, let out a small gasp, and lightly hit himself in the forehead. "Where are my manners? My name is Prince Eric." He held out a hand in the most princely way he could. "Whom do I have the pleasure of meeting?"

With another sniffle and wipe of his face, the little boy reached out to shake. "C-Christopher," he said shakily.

"Christopher," Buck breathed out, smiling warmly. "When Ariel first arrived on land, she didn't know where she was. Why, she couldn't find the palace bathrooms any more than the stables."

He said it with a teasing lilt and got an amused little smile from Christopher in return. Success!

"She needed help during those first few days," Buck continued, voice gentle. "You…seem like maybe you need a little help yourself. Are you lost? Don't know where to turn?"

The humor left Christopher's face in an instant, and it was like a cloud had covered the sky. "I lost my dad," he admitted, looking at the ground. "I wandered off, even though…I'm not s'posed to. Now—" He shrugged helplessly.

Humming, Buck glanced around at the people walking around near them. No one looked frantic, nor were casting their gazes about as if searching for a lost child. How far had Christopher wandered? Buck rubbed at his chin in thought, then perked up and smiled at Christopher again.

"Maybe we can't see your dad because we're too close to the ground," he suggested conspiratorially. When Christopher only gave him a bemused expression, Buck explained. "If I lift you onto my shoulders, you'll be able to see all around the park. It'll be like you're in a tower back at my palace. Surely you'll be able to see your dad from that high."

And if they headed toward a Baby Care Center as they looked, all the better.

After getting Christopher situated on his shoulders—so smoothly that Christopher gasped in delight and asked if he had super strength—Buck smiled and asked, "Alright then, Chris. What's your dad's name?"

In a mock serious tone, Christopher leaned forward over Buck's head just enough to see his eyes and said, "Edmundo."

Buck couldn't help but laugh.

…

…

He had lost his son. In Disneyland.

Eddie had stood in line for pretzels while Christopher sat on the edge of a planter, but when he had paid and returned to that spot, Christopher was gone. No sign of him, and the people walking by either ignored him or shrugged and said they hadn't seen him. Eddie left the pretzels on the planter as he rushed to find his son.

He'd gone as far as Adorable Snowman Frosted Treats, then turned and tried the path to Pacific Wharf, then did a one-eighty and headed back toward Grizzly River Run. Christopher had liked the look of that one. He was just tall enough but Eddie had hesitated to let him go on it—too worried about hurting him on their first outing together alone. Maybe he'd gone back there?

Except he wasn't there. He wasn't anywhere. Had he been kidnapped, not just wandered off?

Had Eddie let his son get kidnapped on their first outing together? His parents were right. He wasn't cut out for this. He wasn't cut out for being a father. He should have just left Christopher with them in Texas. He shouldn't have brought Christopher out here in some stupid macho 'fuck you' statement to his parents—and some half-baked attempt to run into Shannon 'on accident.' Now, because he was stupid, his son was in danger. His son was lost. He was a failure as a parent.

Eventually, a cast member approached him to see what was wrong. "I've lost my son," he told her, his heart racing. "He's six. About this tall," he motioned, "brown, curly hair. Glasses on a red string. Red and white shirt. He—He has C.P."

She took note of everything Eddie said, then used her radio to relay the Missing Child information to other cast members. "Where did you last see him?"

Running a hand through his hair, Eddie let out a huge huff of breath. "Near the seats for World of Color?"

With a nod, she said, "Let's head back that way. If he just wandered off, he's likely to still be in that area. If anyone else finds him, they'll radio."

They walked back toward World of Color at a fast pace, but not running, though Eddie would rather be running. It felt like if he could just get there quick enough, Christopher would be back on the planter, right where he'd been meant to be, eating the pretzels Eddie left behind. He would look up at Eddie with his big, trusting eyes and ask "What took you so long, dad? Did you have to pee really bad?" and Eddie would laugh and hug him tight and say, "Yeah, buddy. I had to pee really bad, but I'm back now." And everything would be okay again.

Just as they neared the end of the Grizzly Peak area of the park, right before the seating area for World of Color came into view, Eddie saw something that made him stutter to a stop.

"Chris."

He was there, sitting on some guy dressed as Prince Eric's shoulders. Christopher never let anyone carry him, but there he was, arms stretched wide, giant smile on his face, being carried. His crutches held under the prince's left arm.

"—part bird, not fish," Eric was saying. "Maybe if you flap your arms, you'll transform back! Flap! Flap!" He laughed as he spoke, and Christopher giggled in return, flapping his arms like an awkward penguin.

The giggle knocked Eddie back to his senses. "Chris!" he shouted, darting forward. The cast member who had been walking with him had to jog to keep up.

At Eddie's shout, both Christopher and Eric turned to look at him. If anything, Christopher's smile grew larger. He stopped flapping his arms and instead placed them on Eric's hair. "Dad!" he cried joyfully.

Eric stared at him with wide eyes. As Eddie and the cast member stopped in front of them, Eddie heard him mutter, "Nope. Definitely mermaids. Way too handsome to be related to Skuttle." Then he shook his head and smiled. "Hello. You must be this wonderful boy's father, Edmundo."

"Eddie," Eddie corrected automatically, then reached out for his son. Eric gave him up immediately. As soon as Christopher was in his arms again, Eddie knelt on the ground and clung to him desperately. His son clung back just as hard. "I was so worried about you!"

The cast member was talking to Eric, but Eddie had no ear for them. All of his attention was for his son. His son, who was alive, who wasn't kidnapped, who wasn't hurt, who was back, here with him.

"I'm sorry," Christopher muttered into Eddie's neck, tears in his voice. "I won't walk off again. Please don't be mad."

If anything, Eddie clung tighter. "I'm not mad," he whispered back, matching tears in his own eyes. "I was scared. I thought I lost you."

After several long moments of Eddie and Christopher simply hugging each other, Eric cleared his throat. When Eddie looked up, there was a warm smile on his lips.

"I'm glad you found each other," he said, his voice appropriately regal. "Christopher was very brave."

Immediately, Christopher pulled away from Eddie to shake his head. "Nuh-uh. Prince Eric was brave." He smiled up at Eric. "He made me brave too."

An endearing flush spread across Eric's cheeks, and the cast member beamed. "That's a prince's job, right?" she said brightly. Then she turned that megawatt smile on Eric. "Do you need anything else from me, Your Highness?"

Eric shook his head. "I think everything's under control here. Thank you."

With a nod, the cast member gave a little bow to Eric. She turned her smile at Eddie and Christopher. "Have a wonderful rest of your vacation, without any more scares," she wished them, then left to return to her previous position.

She was gone before Eddie could thank her for her help. He didn't even know her name.

"Well then," Eric began, drawing Eddie's attention again. He squatted down beside the pair so that he was on their level, and sat Christopher's crutches on the ground beside him. "I think you need the perfect ride to reset after all this excitement. Don't you?"

He really was the perfect Prince Eric. Bright, shining blue eyes. Perfectly coifed black hair—it didn't look like a wig, but what did Eddie know? Muscled and yet lithe body. Stunningly attractive, with a warm, welcoming smile. Even though he was a stranger, something about him made Eddie feel like he could trust him with his son. Maybe it was the prince persona.

"He wanted to go on Grizzly River Run," Eddie said absently.

Eric winced, but tried to recover his princely attitude. "I was thinking something a bit more calming. To start," he amended when Christopher got a pinched look on his face. "Just around the corner from the River Run is Soarin' Around the World. Have you been there before?"

Thus began several minutes of Eric describing different rides—from calmer ones like Soarin' and Golden Zephyr to more exciting ones like Radiator Springs Racers—and helping Eddie plan the rest of the day based on how enthusiastic Christopher was about each one. All while still squatting on the ground, heedless of the other people passing them by. Eddie watched his hands gesticulate, his eyes sparkle, and his lips move as if hypnotized. He wasn't even sure how often he responded, content to watch this prince interact with his son.

Eventually, a mom and her daughter approached. The daughter was dressed as Ariel and the mom was holding up a camera. At the reminder that this man had a job other than making Christopher smile, Eddie cleared his throat and finally stood up—though he still held tight to Christopher's hand.

"I'll let you get back to your, erm, princely duties," Eddie said haltingly as Prince Eric also stood. He held out his hand. "Thank you. For—Thank you."

Eric grasped his hand firmly, confidently, and gave him a smile. "It was my pleasure," and was there something flirtatious in that phrase? "If I could, I'd spend all day with your adorable son. Part fish or part bird," he added with a wink at Christopher that made him giggle. His smile turned warm when he refocused on Eddie. "You're doing a great job."

With that, he waved them off and turned his attention to the little Ariel, delighted to meet her and ask her how Flounder and Sebastian were, to take pictures and hug her and sign her book. Grabbing Christopher's crutches, Eddie turned and walked them away from Eric in the direction of Soarin'. Christopher waved at Eric with his free hand for a full minute as they walked away, before facing forward and focusing on walking instead. Eddie couldn't even say anything. He kept looking back as well.

You're doing a great job.

It shouldn't mean anything. Eric was a stranger who had only met Eddie for a few minutes—finding the child he lost and then talking about Disneyland. He didn't know what Eddie was like as a father, how he had abandoned his son and wife for a war because somehow that was less stressful, how he struggled to be the father Christopher deserved. And yet, something about those words warmed Eddie through. They made him feel like even though he made mistakes, even though he struggled, he was doing alright. He was trying, and that's what mattered.

"I hope we run into him again," Christopher said from beside Eddie.

Eddie smiled and ruffled Christopher's hair. "Me too, Buddy."

…

…

Just after his lunch break, Buck got called to talk to his boss.

"You did a good job," she told him, "but next time, just take the kid to the nearest cast member. They can radio about the lost child, instead of you leaving the character spot to walk them to Baby Care yourself."

"Right," Buck agreed readily. He didn't want to lose his job, after all.

A little over an hour later, he was again in a character spot, dressed up as Prince Eric. He took pictures with a dozen kids dressed as princesses, two dozen more not dressed up, and made that connection with each of them that lasted maybe four minutes for him but a whole day at least for the kids. He loved kids. That's why he told his roommates that, when he was looking for work while attending the fire academy, he'd lucked out with this job. Seeing them smile was worth any heat or hunger.

"H-hey there!"

Turning around, Buck came face to face with the next child in line and grinned. "Well hello there, Christopher!" He instantly knelt before the boy. "Fancy meeting you again."

Christopher beamed up at him as he took the last steps into Buck's personal space. "Hi, Prince Eric!"

At his heels was his ludicrously attractive father, carrying a shopping bag from one of the many stores. Buck shot him a smile as well, and earned a small one in return, before turning his attention back to Christopher.

"How many rides have you been on, my friend?" he asked. "Which was your favorite?"

"Race cars!" Christopher cheered, then giggled.

Buck joined in on the laughter. "Ah, I'm so glad! Did you win?"

Christopher shook his head with a small frown, but he didn't seem overly upset. "No. Daddy's driving…needs work."

Surprised, boisterous laughter escaped Buck before he could stop it. This kid had sass!

His father gave a self-depreciating grin. "Hey. Remember, I was a medic, not a fighter pilot, buddy."

Ah, an ex-soldier then. A military medic. Buck wondered how many tours he served, and where. Out of costume, he might have thanked the man for his service, but that would be weird while dressed as a Disney prince. Also, that odd grin—like he wasn't proud of his work in the service.

Christopher nodded sagely, though he didn't even glance back at his dad. He leaned closer to Buck and whispered, loudly, "He saves people. Like a superhero."

Now his father frowned, clearly uncomfortable with the praise. "I'm—I'm not a—"

"Now now," Buck interrupted, turning his gaze from Christopher to his dad. "Where I come from, saving lives is one of the most honorable things a person can do." He winked. "Sounds like a superhero in my book, Edmundo."

"Eddie," Christopher's dad corrected again, even as his face flushed beautifully.

Buck nodded. "Right. My apologies. Eddie." Standing, Buck held out a hand to Eddie. "It's a pleasure to meet a genuine hero."

Eddie's grip was firm, his handshake solid, and Buck liked him even more when he ducked his head and, almost shyly, said, "Thank you."

"You're a hero too," Christopher noted from between them. When both men looked down, he clarified, "You saved Ariel…and all the other merpeople. And Max. You didn't…leave him behind."

Buck clapped a hand over his heart. "Max!" He beamed at Christopher and knelt again so they were eye-to-eye. "You remembered my dog. You are indeed a genuinely kind boy." Buck reached forward to gently poke Christopher's chest and Christopher preened with the praise. "Of course I would never leave Max behind. He is my best friend."

"Can I be your friend too?" Christopher asked, all innocence.

First, Buck glanced at Eddie. The man did not look worried about the question, so Buck turned his attention back to Christopher and gave him a warm smile. "Of course. I would love to be your friend."

Without warning, Christopher surged forward to wrap Buck in as big a hug as a six-year-old could. Buck's smile turned even warmer as he returned the embrace. God he loved kids, and this one was so sweet!

When Christopher pulled back, he asked, "Do you want to…get ice cream with us?"

Buck's heart broke and it looked like his dad's did too. There was a line of other children, and adults, all wanting a picture with him or an autograph. He couldn't just walk off.

"Unfortunately, I can't," Buck said slowly, and hated how the smile fell from Christopher's face. "But!" he rushed out, hoping to salvage the moment, then leaned in to whisper. "If you go to the Adorable Snowman and tell them I sent you, I can buy your ice cream." He gave a frown. "It's not the same as being there together, but I hope you accept it."

While not out and about, Buck had managed to befriend almost all of the workers in Adorable Snowman Frosted Treats that worked the same shifts he did. Most of them would honor the promise and then Buck could pay them once he was out of costume. He just hoped Antonio wasn't working the registers, because Antonio was a jerk.

Though sad that his new friend would not be joining them for ice cream, Christopher accepted the gesture. The cast member standing nearby took their picture with Buck, and then Christopher gave Buck another big hug before beginning his slow but purposeful walk toward the Adorable Snowman. Eddie stayed behind just long enough to give a grateful smile and a soft, "Thank you."

…

…

Kids had entirely too much energy. That was Eddie's professional observation.

How many lines, how many rides, how many shows could they go to before exhaustion finally set in? Eddie's feet hurt, and three different bags hung from his arms—that he had to find a locker for every time they got on a new ride, and yet Christopher just kept chugging along. Periodically, they had to stop and rest, or Eddie had to carry him while they were standing in line for a long time, but other than that his son was a powerhouse.

"Let's go find something for dinner, mijo," Eddie said, just short of begging.

It would be a very early dinner, but 1) Eddie just wanted to sit for a while without admitting he was tired and 2) the wait for a table plus the wait for food would mean they didn't eat until closer to a reasonable time for dinner.

Without breaking stride, Christopher nodded. "Okay." He inclined his head to the left. "L—Let's go…that way."

It wasn't until they passed the Adorable Snowman shop that Eddie realized where they were headed. He frowned. "Chris, you know…Prince Eric might not be around right now."

But Christopher had a stubborn set to his shoulders and didn't slow his pace. "He'll be there," he said with confidence.

For his son's sake, Eddie hoped so, but he also knew that different characters were out at different times. The fact that they'd run into Eric twice throughout the day was already amazing. If they went by his area and found him again, Eddie would have to start believing in fate.

He braced himself as they rounded the corner toward the World of Color seats and the Little Mermaid ride. No line was set up. No one was crowding around to get pictures and autographs. Prince Eric wasn't there. Eddie's shoulders slumped in disappointment.

Wait, why was he disappointed?

So the guy had winked at him and been mildly flirty. He was playing a prince. That was expected. Besides, Shannon had left him less than a year ago. And this guy worked for Disney. There were so many levels of wrong associated with Eddie being excited to see him agai—

"Eric!"

Christopher's shout jolted Eddie out of his spiraling thoughts, even as his son sped up his pace. And there, across the street, standing with a cast member, was Prince Eric. By the looks of it, they had just finished his autograph session and were about to head off. But at Christopher's shout, Eric perked up, turned around, and gave Christopher the most beatific smile. Eddie's heart lurched.

"Christopher!" Eric greeted brightly, already kneeling down to meet Christopher's hug. "Did you have a good day today?"

Christopher nodded emphatically. "Yeah." He glanced around and saw the cast member standing there, an impatient expression on her face. "Are you in trouble?"

Eric glanced at his coworker before shaking his head. "No. Angie is just making sure I get back to the castle in time for dinner with Ariel." He leaned in to conspiratorially whisper. "But I think Ariel would agree that saying hello to my favorite visitor is a good reason to be late."

The smile that lit Christopher's face could have powered all of Disney, and he laughed. "You're my favorite too!"

Eric gasped dramatically. "Really? Even over Prince Charming?" Christopher nodded. "The Beast?" Another nod. Eric took this very seriously. "That is quite the honor, Christopher. Thank you."

Then Eric lifted his gaze to Eddie. Having that charming smile directed at him made Eddie's palms sweat. "We were heading to dinner too." Could Eddie not come up with anything more interesting to say? He motioned to his son. "Chris was hoping to see you again."

With a put upon sigh, Eric said, "Only the son. Not the father. I understand." When Eddie fumbled for a response, Prince Eric laughed. "I joke. I am a fan of good humor." He ruffled Christopher's hair, earning a giggle. "I am very glad I got to see you two again before I head back to the castle."

Christopher hugged him again. "Us too."

Prince Eric returned the hug and then, once they had pulled away, booped Christopher on the nose and said, "If you're ever in Disney again, I hope you come by and see me."

Then, intermingled with many many promises of meeting again, they said their goodbyes. The prince even took the time to clasp hands with Eddie, like they were comrades in arms, and wish them a safe journey home.

"And remember, you're doing a great job."

The cast member—Angie—then urged him away, but not without Prince Eric turning around to give them one last wave before they disappeared through a door.

As they settled down to eat at Cocina Cucamonga, Christopher was full of praise for the day. He recounted his favorite things they'd done, how awesome different rides were, and all the amazing characters they'd met. First and foremost, Prince Eric.

"We have to come back soon," Christopher told him seriously, between bites of pollo asado chicken. He dropped about as much food as he got into his mouth, but they had forks to pick up the rest and napkins for dirty faces, so Eddie didn't stress over it too much. "So he doesn't…forget me."

The sorrow in Christopher's voice doused the pleased feeling in Eddie's chest. Other than their brief separation, today had been fantastic. A complete success. Christopher was smiling and laughing instead of being sad that his mom was gone. And now, here he was, worried that someone else was going to leave him.

Reaching out, Eddie cupped Christopher's face. "Oh buddy, he won't forget you," he promised, though there was every chance the man would. They were two faces out of thousands that he probably saw every day. But for Christopher, Eddie would lie and hope it became the truth. "Just you watch. Next time you see him, he's going to smile, and he's going to tell you how much he missed you."

Christopher looked at him with so much hope in his face that Eddie felt it like a weight on his shoulders. "You think so?"

Eddie nodded. "I know so."

After all, they had met him three times in one day, among thousands of other people and his character spot session hours. That had to mean something, right?

…

…

18 months later

"That's Eddie Diaz. New recruit."

Buck knew that face, knew that smile. It took a minute, face scrunched up in concentration, for him to place it, but he did. Eddie Diaz. The dad of that amazing kid with C.P. he helped while working part-time at Disneyland California during firefighter training. Christopher.

What were the odds?

When Bobby first tried to introduce them, Buck's lips began to quirk up. How awkward would this be? But it was great to see the man again, and now they worked together rather than Buck being on the clock. They could actually talk, and, if Buck remembered right from back then, flirt without it being weird or reason for firing.

"I'm Buck," Buck introduced.

But then Eddie met his eyes, and there was no recognition. He held out his hand with a politely interested smile. "Nice to meet you. I'm Eddie."

Irritation flared in Buck's gut and he frowned. Any nostalgic warmth he'd felt for Eddie was wiped away. "Right," he huffed before turning and stalking away, ignoring the calls of his teammates.

So Eddie didn't remember him? Fine. Then Buck would pretend not to know him too.

…

…

Ignoring their bizarre start and Buck's truly asshole-ish behavior on Eddie's first shift, Buck was turning out to be the best partner Eddie had ever had—as a civilian or a soldier. He was in tune with Eddie like no one ever had been. Any time they had a call and Eddie couldn't do something himself, Buck was there to lighten the load, to lend a hand, to pick up whatever slack Eddie couldn't. And he hyped Eddie up when they were just hanging around the station, making Eddie feel as comfortable as if he had been part of the one eighteen for years, not a month.

It didn't hurt that he was easy on the eyes, either. Expressive blue eyes. Beatific smile. Golden hair that curled when wet. And a warm heart that was unmatched by almost anyone Eddie had ever known, other than his own son. Not to mention his muscles, and that surprisingly attractive pink birthmark over his eye.

If anyone heard the way Eddie's thoughts ran away with him when thinking about Buck, they would never let him live it down.

Especially if they knew that, the more Christopher asked if they were going to Disneyland soon to see Prince Eric, the more Prince Eric's face was being replaced with Buck's in his mind. And yeah, part of the reason for moving to California had been in hopes of running into that man again, of going back to Disneyland and letting Christopher meet his Disney Prince hero again, but Eddie wanted to get at least a month's work in before he took a day off for the trip, and the longer he worked, the more guilty he felt about going to find another man. But then, Buck didn't know he had a son, and what if that was a major turnoff?

So it was with trepidation that, during the earthquake, Eddie revealed to Buck that he was worried about Christopher at school.

"He's adorable," Buck said, then beamed. "I love kids!"

His expression was so open, so pleased and warm, and yet inviting, like there was something Eddie was meant to say in return but he'd missed his cue. Part of Eddie relaxed, hearing that Buck liked kids, while another part worried about the missed cue, but the majority of him was focused on trying to get his damn phone to get signal so he could call Christopher's school!

"He's at school, right?" Buck asked. When Eddie nodded, Buck told him about school safety measures and how Christopher was fine.

It shouldn't have worked, but it did. Maybe it was the puppy dog eyes, or his earnest tone. Eddie's nerves calmed—not entirely, but enough that he could focus on the job.

Until, of course, the cell reception came back up. Until they were released from work and Eddie raced to his car. After he dropped his keys twice because his hands were shaking so much, Buck tapped him on the shoulder.

"Come on," he said, nodding toward his jeep. "I'll drive."

The entire way to Christopher's school, Buck talked about nothing. It was about places he'd visited, sports he'd tried, odd jobs he'd had. Nothing serious. And the light, even tone of his voice soothed Eddie enough that he stopped shaking out of his own skin. It didn't stop him from bolting out of the car as soon as they pulled up in front of the school and Eddie saw Christopher standing there, waiting for him.

When he was done holding Christopher, thanking the teacher and God, and no longer felt like he was about to cry, Eddie led Christopher toward the Jeep. "My coworker is gonna drive us home. Okay?"

Christopher nodded. Even after experiencing his first earthquake, he was steady in his walk. As they neared the car, Eddie noticed that Buck had gotten out to stand beside it. He gave Eddie a small smile, as if to say, 'See? He's alright. Everything's alright.' Then Christopher looked up and spotted him.

The little boy gasped. "Eric!"

Eddie's brow furrowed. "No, Chris, his name is—"

But Buck lit up like a Christmas tree and knelt down to Christopher's level. "Christopher! How have you been, buddy? I missed you."

Now Christopher was beaming. "You remember me?"

Eddie's mind raced. When had Buck met Chris before? And if they had, why didn't he say anything in the truck earlier?

"Of course I do," Buck assured the little man. "I would never forget my favorite visitor."

Christopher launched forward to give Buck a hug, which the large man returned whole-heartedly. The shadows of the night made Buck's blonde hair look dark, almost black, and his face turned away just enough to hide his birthmark. And it hit Eddie like another earthquake.

"Prince Eric?" he asked, gaping.

Buck glanced up at him, then whispered to Christopher conspiratorially, "Took him long enough to realize, huh?"

Christopher giggled, and Eddie wanted to be upset about the dig, but the day had been so stressful, he was just glad his son was safe and happy, and now the guy he had been crushing on turned out to be the guy that heavily influenced his reasoning for moving to California in the first place. It was…It was a lot.

Eddie ran his hands over his face. "I'm too tired for this."

With a nod, Buck said, "Come on. Let's get you both home."

On the way to the house, Christopher and Buck talked non-stop. Buck re-introduced himself and explained what being a face character meant, and Christopher caught him up on all the things that had happened in his life since that trip to Disneyland. Eddie just gave directions.

By the time they got home, Christopher had begun to doze off, so Buck jumped out of the jeep to open the front door while Eddie carried Christopher inside.

"Alright. Sleep tight, you two," Buck said in a quiet tone, almost a whisper. When Eddie glanced over his shoulder at Buck, he held up a hand in a stationary wave. "I'll see you at work?"

Eddie nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, at work."

He pressed his lips into a thin line, unsure what to say next. Letting Buck just leave felt wrong. Not after the day they'd had, after how close he and Buck had become in just a month, after learning Buck was the one who made that Disney trip a success and not a complete meltdown. But Eddie didn't know what to say.

Nodding, Buck stepped backward. One more step and he'd be outside, closing the door, leaving. Eddie opened his mouth. "Buck."

Buck paused, hand on the doorknob, and lifted a curious eyebrow.

Eddie cleared his throat. "I'll—I'll call you. Tomorrow. Okay?"

Somehow, that earned a smile, like Eddie had finally given the right answer. "Yeah. Yeah, okay."

Then he was gone. Eddie went about putting Christopher to bed. Just as he was pulling the covers up over Christopher's shoulders, his son roused slightly.

"Dad? Where's Buck?" he asked.

With a small huff, Eddie said, "He went home. He's tired, just like us."

Christopher accepted that with a hum. Then he smiled. "He remembered me. Just like you said he would. Said he missed me."

Eddie laughed quietly. "Yeah. Yeah he did. I guess I'm the only one with memory problems, huh?"

Christopher reached up to sleepily pat his father's face. "It's okay. He forgave you."

Forgave. The fact that there was even something to forgive would explain their first meeting. How Buck had come up to greet him with the others, seemingly just as pleased as anyone to have him, but went cold and angry as soon as they'd introduced themselves. Eddie might have done the same in Buck's position.

They definitely had a lot to talk about tomorrow. For one, Eddie's bad memory. For two, why Buck never said anything. For three, Buck had been flirty as Prince Eric, and even once or twice as himself. Now that Eddie didn't have to feel guilty about liking Buck, because Buck and the other guy he'd liked were the same person, maybe, just maybe, they could explore that a little more.

Meeting a person once in a day was chance. Twice was coincidence. Three times was fate. And meeting them again, under a new name and totally different circumstances, but falling for them again? That was destiny.

…

…

fin