ATF Alternate Universe
Sorry if this doesn't make any sense at all. Just kinda came to me while I was shoving the chocolate in my mouth…again…and again.
JD was relaxing on the couch when the doorbell rang for the first time that night…accompanied by the call of …"TRICK OR TREAT!!!"…through the door.
"Buck!!" the kid yelled as he jumped up and raced for the door…excited about the arrival of the first trick-or-treaters of the evening.
Buck quickly exited the kitchen so he and kid could open the door together. He had to chuckle when he saw the kid racing for the door. JD was every bit as hyper as the kids on the other side of the door.
Guess those 20 Snickers bars he had today's got nothin' to do with that. Buck grinned.
"Awww…look, kid." Buck wrapped his arm around JD's shoulders and beamed as he got an eyeful of the little goblins. "What'a we got here???…a devil and a witch." Buck loved kids…and he loved Halloween.
"Here 'ya go." JD placed a generous handful of candy in each child's bag.
As he closed the door, Buck eyed his roommate. "What was your favorite costume when you were a kid?…I mean…a littler kid?" Buck teased.
"Funny, Buck. You always gotta get that in, don't ya?" JD shook his head at his best friend. "You know…some day…I'm not gonna be twenty anymore."
"Yeah…but I'll still be older…so you'll still be a kid…so there…" Buck stuck his tongue out at the boy.
"Geez, Buck…you're worse than the little kids," JD mumbled as he shoved another snack-size candy bar in his mouth.
"Aw, come on. What was it?" Buck grabbed the boy in a headlock.
JD squirmed his way out…then ran his fingers through his hair, trying to regain some semblance of order to it. "I dunno…I guess probably when I went as a cowboy."
"Cowboy, huh? You liked playin' cowboys 'n Indians when you were a kid?" Buck asked.
"No…no Indians…just good cowboys…and bad cowboys," JD said, flopping back down on the couch to watch TV until the next batch of trick-or-treaters showed up.
"Oh…so you were what? Sheriff?" Buck guessed as he sat down next to the kid. He knew what the answer would be. JD was the most honest…do-the-right-thing kind of person Buck had ever known.
"Yeah…so what?" JD turned to his best friend. "Got a crack to make about that, too?"
"Just can't picture you as a sheriff…that's all, kid."
"For cryin' out loud, Buck…I'm an ATF agent…so why can't you picture me as a sheriff?" "Well…to be honest, kid…can't picture you as an ATF agent, either. You just don't look the part, kid…sorry." Buck plopped his long legs on the coffee table. "And sheriff???" he continued…"Just can't picture you as a 'big man'…'walkin' tall'…that's all."
JD opened his mouth to argue…but the doorbell rang again and he jumped over the back of the couch to beat Buck to the door. He reached to open it…never bothering to check the peephole…it was…after all…Halloween. "You're so full of crap, Buck…" JD smiled, never taking his eyes off the older man as he began to pull the door open…
…only to have it shoved open by a very large man…who wrapped his arm around the kid's throat. "OK…Wilmington…I told you I'd get even with you for killin' my little brother…and look what I got here." The man put a gun to JD's temple. JD's eyes were glued on Buck.
Buck could see the kid was terrified…but he still managed to give Buck his best 'guess-I've-gone-and-got-myself-in-a-situation-again' little smirk of a grin…
God…I love this kid.
"Look…just let the kid go, Oswald. You want me…and you've got me. You don't need him. He'll just be a pain in your ass, anyway," Buck said.
"Am not!" JD choked out and the man increased the pressure on the kid's throat…and yanked him up a little higher. The boy was already balancing on his toes.
"Son…this is the bad guy here…you don't need to be trying to 'sell' yourself to him," Buck criticized as he made his way towards the boy. "Don't you have a brain in your head?"
"Shut up, Buck," JD whispered…barely able to talk with the man's arm around his throat.
Buck could see the boy's eyes beginning to fill…and felt a pang of guilt…as he continued "Not a lick 'a sense…this one. Go ahead…take 'im. Be a big load offa my back. You're gonna have your work cut out for you though…he's a full-time job…I'll tell 'ya."
"Buck???!!!" JD gasped. "What…???"
"Ssshhh…now, son. You just go on and go with this man here." Buck placed his hand gently on JD's cheek…wiping away the tears there…gave the kid a quick wink…then grabbed the gun and shoved the boy aside in one fluid motion. JD stumbled…and tumbled to the floor.
"You never were a 'bright' man…Oswald. You're gonna have to do a lot better than that if you want to get me." Buck held the man at bay with his own gun…then added…"and this…this is for hurtin' 'my' little brother…" Buck smacked the man on the side of his face with the gun and he crumpled to the floor.
Buck quickly turned his attention to JD…who lay motionless on the floor. "JD…son…???" Buck lifted the boy in his arms. "JD???"
Buck pushed the kid's hair from his eyes…his eyes which were beginning to flutter open…"Buck??? Wha'happened???"
Buck grinned from ear-to-ear with relief when he heard the kid's voice. "I…I think you hit that hard head of your's, kid. Sorry." He pulled the boy close to him. "You OK now?"
"Yeah…I'm…fine."
Shit Buck knew how crowded hospital emergency rooms were on Halloween. And he knew…that with that answer…the kid would be there soon.
Buck stood up…pulling the kid up off the floor as he did. "C'mon…kid…sit here on the couch…I'm callin' Nathan."
"No…don't…he's…goin' out…with Rain. Don't…bother…him…ple…"
Buck grabbed the portable phone and turned back in time to see JD slump over on the couch. "Kid!!"
Buck was punching Nathan's number and trying to get an assessment on the kid at the same time. "C'mon…pick up…pick up…" Buck prayed out loud.
"Buck…I'm tellin' 'ya…" Nathan answered…seeing Buck's number pop up on the caller ID…"JD can't go into sugar-shock…no matter how much candy he eats…now…give it a rest…will 'ya?"
"Nate…"
Nathan's tone changed as soon as he heard the panic in Buck's voice. "What's wrong, Buck? Somethin' wrong with JD?"
Nathan knew that it had to be the kid. Buck was a seasoned ATF agent…a take-charge kind of guy…but when it came to JD…if the kid had a splinter…Buck was a basket-case. "What's wrong, Buck?"
"He's hurt…he hit his head…he was talkin' before…but now…he's…out…" Buck was trying to revive the boy…but to no avail.
"I'll call an ambulance, Buck…and then I'll call the others…we'll meet you at the hospital." Nathan wished he could be with them…he knew Buck was scared…like he always was when the kid was hurt. "Buck…Buck…you there???"
"Yeah…I'm…here."
"OK…listen…now…keep him warm…keep him covered up. He's probably goin' into shock…you gotta keep him warm…and calm. Understand, Buck?"
"Yeah…keep 'im warm. Nate…call the police, too. Tell 'em they need to make a pick-up here."
"What?" Nathan asked.
"Just call 'em…OK, Nate."
"Sure, Buck. Right after I call the ambulance."
Buck grabbed a quilt off the kid's bed and wrapped him in it. He could feel that the kid was already getting one of his world-famous fevers.
JD started to stir. "Buck???" The kid's eyes were open…but he seemed totally disoriented.
Buck cringed when he saw the fear in the boy's huge hazel eyes. "S'OK, kid…just stay still. Ambulance is on the way." Buck stroked the boy's hair…trying to keep him calm, like Nathan said.
+ + + + + + +
By the time JD was coming around…again…after passing out again in the ambulance…the others were all scattered about the emergency room cube. Not really allowed by hospital rules…but who was going to throw out six ATF agents? Especially these six…which had probably been there enough to have a wing named after them.
"Hey, son…how 'ya feel?" Chris placed his hand on the back of the kid's head, wincing when he felt the good size goose egg there.
"Hi, guys…I'm fine," JD smiled.
They were all relieved to see the kid smiling. The doctors had assured them that it was a mild concussion…and the fever…well that was just typical JD.
The kid could leave if he promised to go home and take it easy for twenty-four hours.
The others promised to sit on him if necessary…and the doctors knew from past experiences with the boy…they meant it.
+ + + + + + +
The others had all congregated in the waiting room while Buck was getting the kid signed out.
The two best friends finally appeared. Buck had his arm wrapped around the kid's neck…beaming…his 'kid' was going home.
"Well…son…you ready to go home…get to bed?" Chris asked.
"Me???No.I'mnottired.Nottiredatall.WhywouldIwanttogotobed???I'mnottired," JD said…a-mile-a-minute.
"Son…how many candy bars did you eat today?" Chris asked.
"IncludingthefivethenursesgavemewhileIwashere???" JD asked.
THE END
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