Clarke Griffin took a deep breath as she stood outside the fire station in Los Angeles, California. It was her first day at the station and she would be lying to herself if she said she wasn't nervous.
She'd been an EMT for 5 years, so it wasn't the work that was messing with her nerves; it was the environment. She'd only worked as an EMT in the small town of Ketchum, Idaho. Her training had been done in California but she had moved away to get some peace and situate her life. The firehouse in Ketchum had a small crew, there were typically only five or ten people there at a time. She knew this was going to be very different.
She rolled her neck to relieve some of the tension and walked in the door.
"Can I help you?" The receptionist asked with a polite smile.
"I'm Clarke Griffin, I start today."
"Oh yes, welcome. I'll get Captain Blake for you. One second."
Clarke nodded and the receptionist disappeared and returned shortly with the captain. He smiled warmly at her and held out his hand.
"Clarke Griffin, nice to meet you. I'm Captain Bellamy Blake."
Clarke shook his hand, her grip firm.
"Nice to meet you too Captain."
"Let's get started with the tour, shall we?"
Clarke nodded and followed Bellamy up a flight of stairs, listening and looking around has he spoke.
"We are an older station, so there are three floors. The vehicles and garage are on the first floor. The common room, kitchen and dining area area are on the second and the living quarters, locker and gym are on the third. We even have a fire pole."
Clarke smiled; she'd never been in a fire station that still had a pole. They came to the top of the stairs that opened into the common room. A few people were seated on couches watching TV or talking.
"Listen up. This is Clarke Griffen, a new EMT. I expect her to be welcomed and treated with respect." There was a chorus of hellos and Clarke smiled and waved. She knew she would be introduced individually later.
Bellamy was about to say something but his cell phone rang where it was attached to his hip. He looked at the screen then turned to Clarke,
"I'm sorry, I've got to take this. Reyes, can you finish showing Clarke around please?"
"Yea, no problem cap."
A cheerful brunette stood up from her place on the couch and walked over, extending her hand. Clarke shook it and smiled.
"I'm Raven...Reyes if you didn't figure that out. I'm an EMT too. So is Luna," she explained, gesturing to the brunette she had been sitting next to who had a full head of impressively wavy hair.
"This is Lincoln, and Octavia. The are both firefighters."
Lincoln sat at the end of one of the couches. He was tall and very muscular with a bald head, dark tan skin and brown eyes. Octavia sat next to him but turned sideways with her legs draped across his lap. It was a casual intimacy and Clarke couldn't tell if they were in a relationship or if it was just the type of familial closeness that developed often in firehouses. Octavia was stunning; she had dark brown hair that came to her mid-back, bright green eyes and the facial features of a Greek goddess. She smiled warmly at Clarke.
"Welcome. I'll get it out in the open now. I'm Captain Bellamy's sister...but please don't hold that against me."
Clarke laughed at her sarcasm.
"I'll try not to."
"So, Clarke. Do you know how to cook." Lincoln asked and everyone groaned. Octavia slapped him lightly on the arm.
"Oh my god, you and food. She just got here. Let her at least see the third floor first."
"It's okay. We all cooked in shifts at my old station. I'm not great, but no one ever got sick. So whatever that's worth."
"I'll take it." Lincoln smiled.
"Alright, let's finish the tour before we bombard you with more questions."
Raven placed her hand in the small of Clarke's back and steered her through the rest of the floor, chattering mindlessly as they went.
"There's more people here obviously, but they're out on call. You'll meet all of them sooner or later."
"Oh, it's okay. I'm horrible at remembering names so small groups is easier for me anyhow."
They made their way to the third floor and Raven showed her the gym and locker room/showers before moving to the sleeping quarters.
"Our sleeping quarters are kind of weird, we're paired up. You're with...Lexa." Raven declared after checking the list. She way she said Lexa's name made Clarke nervous.
"Oh geez, what's wrong with Lexa."
"Nothing. Really, I'm sorry. She's just...she tends to be quiet. She doesn't always hang out with all of us much, but that's all. She can be intimidating but you'll get used to her. She's a firefighter."
Clarke nodded and set her bags on the emptier side of the room; assuming it was hers.
"I'll leave you here to get settled. Come down when you're ready."
"Okay, thanks Raven." Raven smiled, her ponytail swishing behind her as she turned to leave the room.
Clarke opened the bag that contained her blanket and pillow and spread them out over the bed. Then she pulled the few changes of clothes she brought with her out and put them in a drawer and she was done. She never kept a ton of stuff at the fire house. She sat down on the bed for a minute to collect her thoughts.
She really hoped this could be the clean start she was looking for. She had finally gathered the nerve to leave the abusive relationship she had been in for the past three years. She was looking forward to starting over; even if then place wasn't entirely new. She figured it wouldn't be too hard to reinvent herself in LA.
She was about to get up and head back to the common room when a dark haired brunette came striding into the room. Her hair was pulled back from her face in a half ponytail; it was slightly messy and she had a few streaks of black across her cheeks, Clark assumed from soot or ash. She had on black pants and a dark grey tank top that showed off a very toned upper body. She was about half way in the room when she noticed Clarke and stopped short. Clarke found herself starting into some of the most incredible green eyes she'd ever seen.
"Hi, I'm Clarke. You must be Lexa."
Lexa tilted her head slightly, surprised to find someone in her room. As she thought about it though, she remembered the Captain mentioning something about it the previous week; she hadn't paid much attention. She gave the blonde a quick once over; she was average height, had wavy blonde hair that hung just past her shoulders and blue eyes you could easily lose yourself in.
Clarke watched curiously as Lexa seemed to appraise her for a moment before speaking.
"Hey, yea, I'm Lexa."
"Nice to meet you." Clarke held out her hand, which Lexa shook after a moments pause. Clarke was not surprised to find her grip was stronger than the Captain's had been earlier and smirked at the surprise in Lexa's eyes when she squeezed back with a grip just as strong.
"Yea, you too."
"I was about to head back to the common room, I figure I should get to know everyone."
"Sure."
"Alright…well…I'll see you later then."
Lexa nodded as Clarke walked out of the room. Clarke blew out a breath; it seemed like her new roommate was going to be tough to get to know.
She walked downstairs to the common room to find everyone still sitting around on the couches, plus a few new faces.
Raven smiled as she walked in and patted the couch between her and Octavia.
"So, did you meet Lexa?"
"Yes, I did."
"And, how did it go?"
"Um….short?"
Octavia and Lincoln both laughed.
"Sounds about right, don't worry, you'll get used to her."
One of the guys Clarke hadn't met before loudly cleared his throat from the other side of the room. Raven rolled her eyes in response.
"Sorry guys. Clarke, this Jasper and Monty. Jasper, Monty, this is Clarke, a new EMT."
"EMT huh? Well you can check my pulse any day." Jasper winked and then ducked as Raven threw a pillow across the room at him.
"Oh my god Jasper stop it! She hasn't even been here an hour yet."
Clarke laughed.
"Based on your reflexes dodging that pillow, I'm going to guess your pulse is just fine. No need to check it."
"Ohhhh, I'm going to like this one!" Octavia laughed as Jasper blushed and pretended to hide behind the pillow. Monty stood up and held out his hand, which Clarke shook with a smile.
"Hi, I'm Monty. And unlike my uncivilized friend over here, I don't use cheesy pickup lines as my form of greeting."
"Oh, so you save them for later?" Clarke quipped, causing everyone in the room to laugh.
"Well, I see you're fitting in pretty well." Captain Bellamy said as he walked into the room.
"Yes, everyone's been very nice so far."
"Good. Want to come with me and finish the tour down in the garage?"
Clarke nodded and got up to walk with the Captain.
"I'm glad you seem comfortable already. It's not always easy to join a new team."
"They seem like a fun group of people."
"They are a good group; I couldn't ask for better people."
"Good, hopefully someday you will have the same praise for me."
"Oh, I'm sure I will."
Bellamy smiled warmly at her as they continued towards the first floor. He showed her the vehicles and where the gear was kept. He explained the maintenance and cleaning schedule, which was on a board near the pole.
"We don't actually use the pole to respond to calls; there is a net across the floor to stop people from falling down here, but if you ever want to use it just to say you've done it, just let me know. Everyone has at some point."
"Oh, I'll want to for sure. It's just one of those things you dream of in a firehouse, ya know?"
"I do, and there aren't many left so you might as well take advantage. You'll be added to the cooking and chore schedules after your first few shifts. I like to let people get settled in before I throw them in to everything."
"No problem, just let me know when you want me to start."
"Will do."
Clarke was about to ask a question when Octavia, Lincoln, Raven and Luna came jogging down the stairs.
"Little girl with her head stuck in the railing at a park. Griffin, want to ride along?"
Clarke glanced at Bellamy who nodded. She hopped up into the ambulance behind Luna and buckled in as Octavia and Lincoln got in one of the smaller trucks and they headed towards the scene.
They could hear the little girl screaming before they could see her. A large crowd had gathered and Octavia and Lincoln walked up first, quickly clearing the area. They asked people to step back until the only person left was the little girl's distraught mother.
Clarke followed Raven and Luna as they grabbed medical bags and supplies and walked over to the play structure.
The little girl was on her hands and knees on the bridge of the play structure, her head was wedged between the bars and she was screaming at the top of her lungs. Her mother was trying unsuccessfully to calm her down. Raven walked up and started talking to the mom as Luna tried to examine the little girl.
"Are you her mother, ma'am?"
"Yes. My name is Paige. Her name is Brooklyn."
"How old is Brooklyn?"
"She's five."
"Any medical problems we need to be aware of?"
"No, none."
"Okay, what happened here?"
"I don't know. Her and her cousins were playing tag and the next thing I knew they came over screaming that she was stuck."
"Okay, we're going to get her out."
Luna leaned down and put her hands gently on either side of the girls neck to see how tightly she was stuck; there was no wiggle room.
"We're going to need the spreader, its tight." Lincoln nodded and headed to the truck to get the apparatus.
Brooklyn, sweetie, can you lean forward for me a little bit?" Luna whispered. Brooklyn took a shaky breath and seemed to consider listening to Luna but then continued to scream, then she put her hands on the bars and violently tried to pull her head back out.
"No no no." Raven chided and stepped behind her to try to stop her from potentially hurting herself badly by putting so much pressure on her neck. Clarke could see that the little girl was completely panicked. Luna was trying to talk softly to her but it wasn't helping.
Clarke took a deep breath and walked up in front of the little girl; since the bridge was raised she was right at eye level.
"Look at this stuff, isn't it neat, wouldn't you think my collection's complete? Wouldn't you think I'm the girl, the girl who has everything?" Clarke began to sing softly. Brooklyn stopped screaming long enough to hear her and took a few jerky breaths. Clarke smiled at her and kept singing.
"Look at this trove, treasures untold, how many wonders can one cavern hold? Looking around here you think….sure, she's got everything."
Brooklyn's screams and sobs had turned into a slow stream of hiccups and tears.
"You like princess movies?" Clarke asked quietly. Brooklyn slowly nodded her head as much as her position would allow.
"Me too. Know how I knew?"
"H-how?"
"Your Minnie shirt. All Minnie fans love princess movies, because its all Disney."
Brooklyn smiled; Raven and Luna stared at Clarke with their mouths open but Clarke only had eyes for Brooklyn.
"What movie is your favorite?"
"Ummm…Frozen."
"That's a good one. So, I know you're scared, but we're here to help you, okay? But we need your help too. My friends Lincoln and Octavia are going to bring a tool that will spread these bars apart so your head can fit out. And then, my other friends, Raven and Luna are going to check your neck and your back and make sure you didn't hurt yourself."
"O-okay."
"But they all need you to help. All you have to do to help is be brave. They won't let anything hurt you, but if you're screaming or moving around, it makes it hard to do their job. So I need you to be brave…just like Anna was when she went to go find Elsa. Can you do that for me?"
"I…I think so."
"Alright, good girl. The tool that they are going to use will be loud. They are going to put it above your head and bend the bars. It won't hurt you, it just makes a lot of noise. But you know what, can sing a song and it won't be so bad. How about that?"
"Can we sing Let it go?"
"You bet! That's a perfect song."
Clarke gestured at Lincoln and Octavia to go ahead and bring the spreader as she started singing the song.
"The snow glows white on the mountain tonight, not a footprint to be seen. A kingdom of isolation, and it looks like I'm the queen. The wind is howling like this swirling storm inside. Couldn't keep it in, heaven knows I've tried….ok, you're turn."
Lincoln positioned the tool and turned it on; Brooklyn jerked with the loud noise but instead of screaming Clarke saw her clench her teeth and start singing anyways.
"D-don't let them in, don't L-let them see. Be the good girl you always have to be. Conceal don't feel, don't let them know. Well know they know!"
In the time it took her to sing the lyrics in a shaky voice, Lincoln had the bars spread enough.
"Awesome, you're almost done. Let them guide your head out so you don't hurt yourself."
Brooklyn nodded slightly and Lincoln took ahold of her head and lifted it a little then pulled it straight back towards him until she was free. Luna was right there with a neck brace as a precaution.
Her and Raven finished checking Brooklyn out and Raven spoke to the mom.
"She looks fine. It doesn't look like there was any trauma. She'll be sore for a few days, and around her neck may bruise, but she'll be just fine. If you want to take her to get Xrays you're welcome to do so."
"Thank you all so much. That was so terrifying."
"You're welcome Ma'am, that's our job." Lincoln said with a smile as he knelt down next to Brooklyn.
"Awesome job being brave."
"T-thank you."
They all started heading back to their trucks when Brooklyn yelled.
"Wait!"
They all turned and she came running at Clarke, running into her and embracing her in a hug.
"Thank you for helping me not be scared."
"You're welcome sweetie." Clarke hugged her back and then waved to the mom who was mouthing thank you.
They got back into their vehicles and headed back to the station.
"Damn Griffin, you're like the kid whisperer." Raven teased from the front once they were moving.
"Nah, I just know Disney songs." Raven and Luna both laughed.
"Seriously though, that was pretty impressive. Most people can't keep their cool when kids are that scared. Good job."
"Thank you. It's part of the job."
"Well clearly you're good at your job then." Luna replied "And don't think I've forgotten that you can sing. That will be used against you at a later date."
"Fantastic." Clarke rolled her eyes but laughed along with the other two. She was happy their first call had been something fairly easy to handle. She realized as she laughed easily with Raven and Luna that she was already feeling like she was going to fit in well at the station.
Back at the firehouse, after everyone had changed out of their gear, they all ended up back in the common room. Raven, Luna, Clarke, Octavia and Lincoln were all spread out across the couches. Jasper and Monty were in the kitchen cooking since it was their turn.
They were chatting easily, occasionally asking Clarke questions, which she didn't mind answering. After they'd been there about thirty minutes Lexa walked in.
She was wearing loose black pajama pants and a black Spaghetti strap tank top that didn't quite meet the waistband of her pants. Clarke thought she saw a glimpse of a belly button piercing but she was trying hard not to stare. Lexa's hair was damp and hung loose making little wet spots on her top. Clarke found herself staring a little too long despite her efforts not to and Lexa smirked as she walked up.
"Hey Lexa, what brings you out in public?" Octavia asked, her warm smile giving away the fact that her sarcasm was just in good fun.
"Hm, I had to come check out the new girl." Lexa replied as she let her eyes move slowly over Clarke as she spoke. The girl was gorgeous and she found herself wondering what it would be like to kiss her neck; and those eyes. God could she loose herself in those eyes.
Clarke shifted her position on the couch as Lexa's look made her slightly uncomfortable. The brunette noticed, smirked again, and sat next to Clarke on the sofa. She was so close their legs were almost touching but Clarke didn't bother to move. She felt like Lexa was used to people being intimidated by her and Clarke didn't want to give her the satisfaction.
Lexa was surprised that Clarke didn't move, most people did, but she didn't really care either.
"So, I heard you rode along for your first call. How did that go?" Lexa asked.
"Fine." Clarke answered shortly. Octavia and Lincoln laughed.
"Fine? She was like a kid whisperer of some sort. This girl was screaming at the top of her lungs and getting louder. She was starting to freak out and pulling pretty hard to get herself out." Clarke groaned and leaned back on the couch, careful not to make contact with any part of Lexa's body.
"You guys, it really wasn't anything"
"Yes it was, you were great," Octiavia continued "So this kid is screaming bloody murder and nothing anyone says or does it making her stop. Until this one walks over and starts singing the one song from the little mermaid. The girl stops and Clarke keeps talking to her and they sing another song as we use the spreader to get her out. Seriously, I don't know what we would have done had you not been there."
"It really wasn't anything. I'm sure you guys would have done fine"
One of them was about to reply when Jasper came to the doorway wearing and apron and waving an oven mitt around.
"Food is ready!" He announced in a singsong voice before heading back towards the kitchen.
"Well, sounds like you had a good first call Princess." Lexa commented towards Clarke as she stood to leave. Clarke raised her eyebrows.
"Princess?"
"Well yea. If you're going to walk around fixing things by singing Disney songs...I just call it how I see it."
Clarke rolled her eyes as Lexa walked out of the room.
"Thanks you guys." She huffed at Octavia and Lincoln.
"Oh, she'll leave you alone eventually. I told you, she doesn't really hang out with us a lot. But did you see her checking you out? Damn girl" Raven teased and softly elbowed Clarke as they stood up to go get food. Luna, Octavia and Lincoln all laughed and Clarke blushed.
"She wasn't checking me out...more like searching for a weakness." She mumbled, though she secretly wondered if Lexa had been checking her out.
They ate together at a large table, although Lexa took her food back to her room, the rest of them all sat together. The conversation was light and Clarke found herself laughing easily. So far she was happy with the place and felt like she would be a good fit. About half way through the meal, Captain Bellamy joined them. He took a seat next to Clarke at the very end of the table.
"So I hear your ride along went well?" He asked with a knowing smile. Clarke rolled her eyes but blushed slightly.
"Yes, it did. Thank you for asking."
"You got quite the rave reviews from the team you rode with."
"I think they may have been exaggerating a little bit, but thank you."
"No exaggeration involved Captain, she was pretty amazing out there." Raven called from halfway down the table. Octavia, Lincoln and Luna nodded in agreement and Bellamy smiled at her.
"Looks like you're out voted regarding your own amazingness."
"Apparently so."
He put his hand over hers on the table and squeezed it briefly.
"I'm glad you're getting along with everyone so well."
"Me too, thank you."
He left his hand over hers for a few seconds before pulling it away and turning to talk to Lincoln. Clarke caught Octavia's eyes from across the table and raised her eyebrows; Octavia shrugged.
Clarke wasn't sure what to make of the gesture. Maybe Bellamy was just friendly and she was reading into it too much. She finished eating and took her dishes to the sink. She was standing there rinsing them when she felt someone bump her hip with theirs. She laughed and move over to make room for Raven.
"Sooooo...Lexa and the Captain huh? Aren't you popular?"
"Oh my god Raven, shut up! I don't know what you're talking about. Lexa...she wasn't checking me out. And the Captain is just being nice."
"Lexa looked like she wanted to eat you, no pun intended, and Cap was totally flirting with you. I can't say that I blame them, you're hot Griffin. If I wasn't with Luna you might have my attention too."
Clarke groaned and stepped out of the way as she finished her dishes and Octavia walked up with hers.
"She's not wrong ya know? My brother was totally flirting with you. And you better not let Luna hear you call another girl hot Reyes"
"Oh geez, I can't. I'm going to my room to read if anyone needs me."
Clarke said with a laugh as she headed towards the stairs. She glanced back to find the Captain watching her leave. He smiled and waved, she smiled back and hurried up the stairs.
To her surprise, and relief, Lexa wasn't in their room. She took a book out of her bag and laid down to read. She tried for about ten minutes but couldn't get her mind to settle down. It was common for her when she was in new places. She decided to give up and head to the gym. She changed into a pair of tight, black workout pants and a bright blue tank top, grabbed her phone so she had music and headed to the gym.
She thought she had the place to herself for a moment until she spotted Lexa on a mat in the corner doing crunches. Clarke took advantage of the fact that the brunette was facing away from her to watch her for a minute. She had changed out of what she had been wearing in the common room and into tight black shorts and a black sports bra. Her long hair was pulled up into a ponytail and a few loose strands clung to the base of her neck with sweat. Clarke could now see she had been right about the belly button piercing. There were also tribal tattoos on her upper right arm and something that started at the base of her neck and went down her spine; Clarke couldn't make out the details other than it was partly made up of circles.
Everything about Lexa's body was toned; her abs, her arms, her legs; she was stunning to look at and there was something about her that seemed almost magnetic, despite her standoffish personality.
"Like what you see?" Lexa asked, her voice low. Clarke's mouth dropped open; she was mortified. Lexa laughed.
"I can see you in the mirror, Princess."
"I-I was..." Clarke stuttered, feeling incredibly stupid for not realize that just because Lexa couldn't see her own reflection in the mirror that covered the top half of the wall, that didn't mean she couldn't see Clarke.
"Staring?" Lexa offered as she finished her crunches and stood up. Clarke wanted to melt into the floor.
"Yea, I guess I was. My mind wandered...sorry." She muttered and turned to get on the closest treadmill.
Lexa crossed the room and pulled the emergency stop on the treadmill just as Clarke had turned it on. She leaned her arms against the handrail of the machine and dangled the key at Clarke.
"But you didn't answer the question." The look on her fact was almost predatory and Clarke realized what was so magnetic about her; confidence. She radiated it no matter what she was doing.
"What question?"
"Did you like what you saw?"
Clarke snatched the key from her hand, her reflexes quicker than Lexa had anticipated and Clarke saw a flicker of surprise in her green eyes.
"Wouldn't you like to know."
Lexa arched one eyebrow at her as she started the treadmill. She stayed where she was for a few minutes but Clarke paid no attention to her as she started to warm up at a walk. She wondered if Clarke knew how much brighter the blue of her tank top made her eyes.
The blonde wasn't as toned as Lexa, but she was in shape and very easy on the eyes. Lexa looked her up and down slowly before walking away. She mostly did it because she knew how uncomfortable it made Clarke.
"I could ask you the same thing." Clarke taunted as Lexa walked away.
"Wouldn't you like to know." Lexa replied without even looking back. Clarke shook her head; she wasn't sure if Lexa was flirting with her or was annoyed by her. She was difficult to read. She put her headphones in and turned up the music as she picked up her pace. Running had always been her go to exercise to drown out the world and quiet her mind. She was aware of Lexa's presence in the room as she moved to the various weight machines, but she paid no attention to her. She just ran.
Lexa was impressed as she watched Clarke run. She found her stride and seemed to continue at the same pace effortlessly. She would sneak glances at her when Clarke wasn't looking. For some reason part of her felt drawn to the other girl; which was odd. She wasn't typically a people person at all and preferred to spend a lot of her time alone. She liked everyone she worked with and got along with all of them pretty well, but she typically chose to spend her free time alone. The others seemed to understand and no one made a big deal out of it.
Clarke finally slowed the treadmill to a walk and walked a few laps to cool down. She had been hoping Lexa would leave but had no such luck. She had finished on the weight machines and moved over to the punching back suspended from the ceiling. Clarke heard the repetitive thumps of Lexa's fists hitting the bag and cringed. The sound brought back memories of her ex who also had a punching bag but only used it when he was drunk, and it usually meant he was on his way to being angry and violent. Her heart rate sped up and she decided to cut out the rest of her cool down time. She pulled the key out of the treadmill, which brought it to an abrupt stop. She hastily wiped the front of the machine off with a towel and hurried out of the gym; anything to get away from the repetitive punching sound. It didn't always bother her, but when it did she preferred to just leave.
She was so absorbed in getting out and away that she didn't see the Captain until she ran straight in to him coming around the corner. She crashed into his chest and he put his arms on both her shoulders to steady her.
"Shit! I'm so sorry…I wasn't paying attention."
"Obviously. Its no big deal. You okay?"
"Yea…I'm fine. I just got done running and I guess my mind was somewhere else."
He squeezed her shoulders briefly before letting go.
"No problem, just be careful, you don't' want to knock someone over."
"Yes sir, I will be. Sorry again."
Bellamy smiled at her and continued on his way down the hall. Clarke spun and headed for her room as quickly as possible while paying enough attention to avoid another embarrassing collision.
Once in her room she was torn between reading and trying to get some sleep. Sleep didn't come easy to her in unfamiliar places so she opted to try sleep, especially since she had the room to herself.
She changed and crawled in to bed facing the wall. She pulled the covers up over her head and hoped Lexa wouldn't wake her up whenever she came in. That was her last thought before falling asleep much quicker than she anticipated.
