Reaching an Agreement

by Stan Lee *

ATF Universe

Buck crept into the ATF office as softly and quietly as he could. Several heads turned when he entered and he read a variety of responses in his colleagues' eyes.

Vin was the first to speak. "Jesus, Bucklin. You are in deep shit this time."

Buck winced. "How bad? Scale of 1 to 10?"

"Ten!" Vin spluttered. "Try a hundred and ten, try a thousand and ten, a million and..."

"Alright, alright. I get the picture," Buck cut in. "He's pissed."

"He went fucking ballistic, Buck," JD breathed, obviously still awe-struck by what he had witnessed. "You sure you should be here right now?"

Buck shrugged. "I figger I have to face him sooner or later."

"You'd be better going for later, son," Josiah put in. "We're talking serious, deepest, darkest, foulest temper."

Buck considered for a moment. "Maybe you're right. Maybe I should give him the rest of the day to cool off," he said, starting back towards the door. He was stopped in his tracks by Chris' voice.

"You could give me 'til doomsday and I wouldn't be any less angry."

"Shit," Buck muttered. He was too late to make good on his escape. But at least Chris didn't sound too mad. He turned to face his boss.

"You goddamned, stupid, fucking bastard!" Chris yelled, and every man in the office flinched. "Get your sorry ass into my office. Now!"

Buck stepped up quickly and entered the office. Chris slammed the door behind them and the men in the bullpen breathed a sigh of relief for themselves. They exchanged glances. Poor Buck. He was a dead man.

Buck stood in front of Chris' desk, prepared to brazen this thing out. He'd dealt with Chris' moods a thousand times before, no reason to think he couldn't handle this one.

"Look, Chris. I can explain..." he began.

"Shut up," Chris snapped.

"How can I explain when you won't let me speak," Buck tried again.

"I don't want to hear a single goddamned word of explanation from you, Wilmington, because there is no explanation. Did I or did I not give you specific instructions to stay away from that warehouse until I sent backup?"

"But Chris..."

"Yes or no!" Chris yelled.

"Yes." Buck rapidly decided that in this mood the conciliatory approach was his best bet.

"And did you disobey my direct order and enter the warehouse anyway?"

"Chris, I had to. They were..."

"Yes or no, dammit," Chris yelled again.

"Yes."

"That's all I need to know. Wilmington, you're suspended for five days without pay for disobeying orders and compromising a mission. Get the fuck outta my sight."

"Suspended?" Buck yelled in disbelief. "That's bullshit! If I hadn't gone into that warehouse when I did the whole goddamned gang of 'em would have gotten away. There was no backup near. I made a call and I acted on it."

"It wasn't your call to make. It was mine. You disobeyed me. You're out. End of fucking story," Chris exploded.

"You can't be fucking serious, Larabee! I brought the whole gang in. Four armed men. That's our job isn't it, or did you miss that memo?" Buck yelled back.

Chris' voice turned deadly quiet. "You keep arguing with me on this and I'll add insubordination and make it a ten day suspension. Open your fucking mouth again, Wilmington and I promise you will regret it."

Buck was about to open his mouth to continue when he caught the look in Chris' eyes. The man meant serious business. He snapped his mouth shut and nodded.

"Right. Out. Don't come back to this office 'till next week. And when you come back you better bring a whole new attitude and be prepared to toe the goddamned line."

Buck turned on his heel and started to stalk out. "Oh, and Buck," Chris waited until he had turned back. "Be at the ranch tonight at 7."

Buck spluttered in disbelief. "Why? So you can put me over your knee like a misbehavin' schoolboy..."

Chris flew across the room so quickly that all Buck saw was a blur of movement. He stepped back a pace when Chris got right up into his face.

"Don't give me any ideas, Wilmington. I ought to take a fucking belt to you. I would if I thought it would do any goddamned good. Now listen up 'cos I'm only gonna say this one more time. You be at the ranch this evening if you know what's good for you. Understand?"

Buck pressed his lips together, refusing to answer.

Chris grabbed a handful of his shirtfront and pulled him up tight. "Do you fucking understand?" he growled.

"Yes," Buck hissed, shaking himself free of his friend's grip. He stormed out of the office and through the bullpen, leaving without a word to his startled colleagues.

Chris took a few deep breaths to calm himself then stepped into the bullpen. The men instantly came to attention. "Buck Wilmington has been suspended for five days without pay for disobeying orders," he reported. The men looked at each other in shock.

"That's not fair, Chris," JD protested. Chris turned on him angrily and Josiah stepped in quickly to try to smooth things over.

"What the boy means, Chris, is that it's a bit of a harsh punishment," Josiah said, diplomatically.

"He disobeyed a direct order. That's an automatic suspension," Chris said.

"But cowboy, we've all of us disobeyed yer orders at one time or another. We have to play a hunch sometimes. You've always cut the rest of us slack for that."

"What are you saying, Tanner?" Chris growled

"Just that maybe, 'cos it's Buck..."

Vin didn't get a chance to finish the thought. "Are you saying I was harder on Buck than I am on the rest of you 'cos I'm fucking him?" Chris snapped.

Josiah stepped in again. "I think the boy might have put it a little more delicately than that," he said, dryly. "But I believe it's what we all think."

The rest of the team nodded their agreement.

Chris dragged a hand through his hair. "I know it looks that way, but that isn't true. Buck's been pushing and pushing for months. This isn't the first time he's ignored me and put himself in danger. But I intend to make sure it's the last. The punishment stands. He's out. Any of the rest of you want to join him?" He looked around the room. The men shook their heads. "Good. Then get back to work." Chris slammed back into his office.

"You think he's pissed enough to break them up over this?" JD whispered.

Vin shook his head. "Nah. They've been through a lot of shit and they're still together. Josiah? Am I right?"

Josiah shrugged. "Chris is mighty angry this time, boys. Buck may have pushed him a little too far. I just hope they can patch things up between them 'cos this team is gonna be pretty sorry if they don't."

At 7:15 Buck pulled up to the ranch and parked his truck in the driveway. He turned off the engine but didn't get out immediately. He had been this close to not coming at all. He figured getting reamed out at the office was enough for one day and he didn't care for a repeat performance. But Chris had been pretty plain about wanting him here tonight, so he sucked in a deep breath and went to face whatever Chris had in store for him.

Chris was in the kitchen waiting for him. "Okay. I'm here. Scream and shout, get it over with then I'm outta here," Buck said.

"You're not going anywhere tonight unless I say so," Chris stated flatly.

"Haven't you had enough of telling me what to do?" Buck snapped.

Chris slammed his fist on the kitchen counter. "I haven't even fucking begun. This morning was your boss speaking to you, tonight it's gonna be your lover. And they are both mighty pissed at the way you've been treating them." He walked up to Buck and poked him in the chest with a finger. "Your boss. Remember him? The guy you report to. The guy you are supposed to show some respect to. The guy you undermine, ignore, flout, make a fucking fool of."

Buck stiffened in outrage. "Chris, I never..." he began.

"Never what, Buck?" Chris yelled. "You think the others are gonna respect me if they see you just walk all over me all the time and get away with it? Fuck them, what about you? You have so little respect for me that you blow me off when I give you a direct order. What's that about, Buck?"

"I have the highest respect for you," Buck said, shocked. "You're the finest team leader in the ATF..."

"Well you sure don't act like it," Chris interrupted. "Do you know how many times you've ignored what I've told you these past months? Do you remember how many of your own hunches you've followed, contrary to my direct orders? And how many times have you pulled one of the others along with you - even when you knew damn well I didn't approve?"

Buck opened his mouth to refute what Chris had said, then closed it again when he realized that Chris was right. He'd gone his own way a lot recently. Ignored Chris 'cos he figured he knew better, or that Chris wouldn't really mind, or if he did, Buck could sweet-talk him into forgiving him when they were alone with each other at night.

"You've undermined me, Buck," Chris said, his voice much quieter, almost sad. "You've encouraged the others to flout my orders, you've directly disobeyed me yourself."

Buck bit his lip and reached out but Chris shook him off.

"I'm nowhere near finished with you yet," Chris snapped. "That was from your boss. You think about what he had to say. Now listen to your lover because he is just as pissed. You put yourself in danger. Do you have any fucking idea what it was like for me today? I was begging you not to go into that warehouse. Then to hear those shots through your cell phone..."

Buck winced. "I was fine, Chris..." he began.

"I didn't fucking know that, did I you stupid bastard?" Chris yelled. "All I heard were three shots and then complete silence. I was screaming your name and you weren't answering. I didn't know if you were dead or alive. I... fuck!"

Chris turned and stormed away. He went to stand at the window, his back to his friend, biting his lip, swearing that he wouldn't let Buck see the tears of rage and frustration and fear that threatened to spill. "And do you know what's worse?" he whispered. "Do you know what just about kills me? You've used our bed to try to cover up your insubordination."

Buck flinched at the accusation. "I know you've waited 'till after you've fucked me to tell me things you knew I wouldn't like," Chris continued. "You thought I'd be more lenient, easier to manipulate if you fucked me first. You wanna deny that?"

"Chris, please..." Buck begged.

"You know what it's like?" Chris whispered. "To think you're getting fucked because your partner wants something from you? To get the best blow-job of your life only to find that it's payment for looking the other way? To wonder if the man you thought loved you is only in your bed because he's broken another rule and wants to "soften you up?"

He turned angrily back to Buck shouted, "Maybe you don't give a shit about me as your boss. But do you care so little for me as your lover? Do you care so little about us?" His whole body was shaking with emotion.

Buck crossed the room quickly. "Chris I swear to you I never meant to hurt you like this. You've got to believe me," Buck pleaded. "I admit it. I played you. I went my own way and I didn't think about you and how it would look. And you're right, I did think that even if you were mad at me I could always soften you up in bed. I'm so sorry, Chris."

"And what about what happened today. How the hell could you do that to me?"

Buck swallowed hard. "I was being a selfish, egotistical bastard," he confessed. "All I could see was that they were gonna get away if I didn't go in. I wasn't thinking about how many there were, or about the kind of weapons they had..." he stopped when he saw Chris flinch.

"Fuck! I'm sorry," he muttered.

"That's the problem, Buck," Chris said, his anger returning full-force. "You don't always use your head. That's what I'm supposed to be here for. It's why I'm your goddamned boss. To assess a situation, to make a decision based on all the facts. To stop you from going in blind. Christ!"

Buck could see that his hasty actions, which had seemed perfectly justified at the time, were in fact foolhardy and dangerous. He could only imagine what he would feel if Chris had put himself in the line of fire in the same way. He shuddered at the thought.

Chris stepped up to him. "I don't know if we can carry on like this, Buck."

Buck paled. "Please, Chris. Don't." he pleaded.

"Well what am I supposed to do?" Chris yelled. "Do you want to go on working with me?"

"Of course..."

"Do you accept that I'm your boss? That you do not disobey my orders, that you do not go out on your own, that you do as you are damn well told?"

"Yes."

"And do you swear that you will NOT put yourself into danger when I have fucking well ORDERED you to stay put?"

"Yes."

Chris grabbed a handful of Buck's hair and pulled his face close. "And I swear that if I think for one fucking minute that you are playing me in bed I will kick your ass out of this house, off the team and out of my life. You got that?"

"Yes," Buck groaned.

"Good. Then maybe, just maybe, we can make this thing work."

Buck breathed a sigh of relief.

Chris let go of him and started to walk towards the bedroom. "Now, go and take your jacket off and get yer ass into that bed," he ordered.

Buck looked startled. "You still want me to stay?" he asked, warily.

Chris turned and smiled. "Course I do, you stupid bastard. Besides, you've got a hell of a lot of apologizing to do."

Later, lying in bed, wound closely together, sated, Buck whispered. "Thanks for being so lenient with me at work. I know you could have gone for the ten day suspension. I was being an insubordinate bastard on top of everything else."

Chris smiled at him. "Yeah. Well don't forget that was the punishment your boss handed out. Your lover has a whole other punishment in mind."

Buck looked at him suspiciously. "Like what?" he asked.

Chris leaned up to whisper a set of instructions into Buck's ear.

"Oh, shit. Do I have to?" he groaned.

"That. Or I really will take my belt to you," Chris grinned.

"Think I'd rather have the belt," Buck muttered.

Next day Team 7 was about to begin it's weekly catch-up session when Buck poked his head around the boardroom door.

"Buck?" Chris said, surprised. "What you doing here?"

"Don't worry. I'm not flouting my suspension," he hurried to assure. "I just wanted to come by and say a few things need saying." He turned to face his colleagues. "Guys, I want to apologize to you all. I've behaved badly these last few months. I've ignored my boss, I've caused trouble for you all, I've done some things were stupid and dangerous and I'm sorry." He turned to Chris. "I especially want to apologize to Chris in front of everybody. I've disobeyed orders and I've been disrespectful. I think you're the best damn boss in the ATF, Chris, and I hope you'll forgive me for being a stupid, stubborn, pain-in-the-ass."

Chris smiled at him. "You're forgiven. Come back to us in a couple of days and show us the new leaf you were telling me about. Now, don't you have someplace to be?"

"Yes, boss," Buck said contritely.

"It's so fucking unfair," Vin griped. "You're gonna have a high old time being off work for five days while we slave away here."

Buck smiled ruefully. "Not true, Junior," he said. "Chris has put me under house arrest for the rest of the week."

"He isn't going to get off with just a suspension," Chris growled. "He's got the stable to clean out, the barn to paint, the porch railing to fix. Speaking of which..."

Buck threw up his hands, "I'm gone. I'm gone."

Buck waved to his friends, threw a wink at Chris and walked out of the boardroom.

"Buck."

Buck stopped and turned as Chris stepped out of the board room and walked up to him.

"Thanks, love. That meant a lot to me," Chris murmured.

"Least I could do," Buck smiled. "I better go. I've got chores to do and my lover threatened to take his belt to me if I don't get them finished."

Chris laughed. He reached out and pulled Buck closer.

"I love you," Buck whispered.

"Love you too."

The two leaned in and kissed gently.

Suddenly there was a burst of applause from the boardroom. The two men pulled apart to see all five of their friends crowded round the doorway watching them and clapping, goofy grins plastered on all of their faces.

"Get yer asses back into that meeting room," Chris yelled. The men scattered.

"Got your hands full with that lot," Buck laughed.

"I reckon. But at least there's one of you I can trust not to give me any more shit."

"Scout's honor, love." Buck promised.

The End
Continues in Cementing the Agreement