One Shots - Capt. Maya Bishop and Dr. Carina DeLuca

Things We Lose in a Fire

It's been a month.

It's been a month since the explosion.

A month since Jack lost his brother.

Vic lost, she didn't really know how to explain their friendship. Her and Dean formed a bond that no one could explain. They just naturally understood each other. It was more than her friendship with Travis, it ran deeper than the brotherly connection Jack had with Dean. It was just more. Dean was inlove with Vic and it kinda makes sense now. She was always so focused on the next step she never really paid attention. Then she became Captain and she worked hard to gain the respect of her team but still she didn't see it granted she had her own things happening with her and Carina. The conversation she had with him a year ago makes sense now, remembering when Dean told her he wasn't clear with his intentions when he allowed Vic to move in and help him with Pru.

Warren lost his son, she chuckles thinking of how Dean always called Ben "dad". Ben really was like the father of their team. She's hoping that Miranda and Ben will fight to keep Pru. Their team is her village, each one of them had a hand in raising Pru. She thinks back to the day JJ gave birth and she had to call Carina to walk her through birth process and how to keep JJ calm.

Travis lost his friend.

Andy lost her brother. Her dad chose Dean to be part of the family he was creating for each of them. For his daughter. They were all Pruitt Herrera's kids, but Dean was his favourite.

And her. She lost her moral compass. Dean was always wanting to do the right thing. He always did the right. He pushed her to be better, to do better. He encouraged and challenged her even when she didn't like it. He challenged her to fight and bend the rules to save a life. In the end, she is a better firefighter because of Dean.

Lost in her thoughts, she doesn't hear Carina opening the door. She feels Carina kiss her head "hi bella, I thought you'd be in bed" she says sitting down next to Maya.

"He told me to be clear about my intentions" she says "when I asked you to be move in. He told me to be clear about my intentions. He always knew what to say when I was struggling. I mean, I have Andy, but Dean and I we were different than the others, you know" she finally looks at Carina her eyes shining with tears. Carina knows that losing Dean was hard on the team, especially Maya but she never showed it at the station.

"And Pru" she finally chokes as the tears come and she doesn't know how to stop the tears from falling.

"Calmati bambina" Carina whispers wrapping her arms around Maya. Maya wipes her tears and takes a few deep breaths "that perfect little girl has to live in a world where she will only hear stories of how great Dean Miller was. He was a great firefighter, but he was an even better human being, the perfect dad and he was changing the world. We're great firefighters, this isn't just a job for us, we're not adrenaline junkies out for a thrill" she breathes deep again "he was the best of us. When you join the academy and become a firefighter, you already accept that you could wake up one morning with your son or your daughter kissing you all over your face or sneaking into your room to cuddle, you wake up kiss your wife or husband, you hold them before you walk out the door, you tell them you love them and you walk out the door not knowing if you're coming back to see your child cuddling with your fiancé so you burn that image in your brain or see your child sleeping on your girlfriend while she was reading them a bedtime story" she finally stops.

"Bambina" Carina whispers "those are my worst fears, but I know you. I know your strength, your determination, I know you are stubborn enough not to give up. I know you cannot promise me anything and losing you will break me but I am also so proud of the work the team does. Each one of you risk your lives not for glory, not to be recognised, it is your calling Maya. I think that is one of the many reasons why Andy's papa hand picked each of you. He knew you would do more than what is expected, more than what is asked of you to save a life, to give someone else another chance at life. I am so proud of be part of this family. I couldn't have done a better job at choosing each of you, if I had to choose. I never would have guessed that I would here from holding you in bed on my lunch break to walking you through Pru's birth to being able to call you my fiancé. I love our family. I love you, bambina" she finishes.