There was one hour left to the Christmas eve shift and Bobby announced that they were going for a quick drive. He wouldn't let Mariana drive and instead forced the brunette to sit in the back with a smug looking Chimney.
"What? Why are you looking at me like that?" she asked. "Do I have something on my face?"
"Chim, stop antagonizing Mari," Hen sighed.
"She just makes it so easy!"
"I'm going to take your present and shove it u-"
"Kids! Can we behave?" Bobby shouted from the passenger seat. Buck had the privilege of being the driver as Mariana pouted in the back. But her mood changed once she recognized where they were driving to. She perked up in her seat, tilting her head to the side as she studied the landscape they passed. She was familiar with this drive because she made it constantly.
Buck pulled to a stop in front of the cemetery gates and they slowly filed out. Bobby opened one of the side compartments and pulled out five bouquets of snowdrop flowers. He passed them out to the team, handing the last one to Mariana. She stared up at him with glossy eyes as he offered her a gentle, fatherly smile.
"It's only right that you get to celebrate Christmas with your family too," he said.
"I-I haven't been by since the shooting," she stammered out. "I wouldn't know what to say."
"Then let us do the talking," Hen assured her.
They silently followed Mariana to the line of Ramirez tombstones. Each person laid a bouquet down at each gravestone before stepping back. Mariana laid the final bouquet at Luis' grave, her hands trembling.
Buck wrapped an arm around her shoulder and pulled her into his side, lending her some strength. He hugged her comfortingly, his eyes never leaving the names that laid before them.
"Mr and Mrs Ramirez, Senora Ramirez, Luis and Jess," Bobby started. "It's nice to meet you. I'm Captain Bobby Nash of the 118, Mariana's captain. We wanted to come by and thank you for creating, raising, and loving such an amazing, brave, strong, and capable young woman. When we almost lost her earlier this year, we realized just how much our lives would change for the worse without such a bright soul in it."
"We wanted you to know that we've got her back. Mari's our family too and while we know you are watching over here everyday, we gladly will share that responsibility with you. This team is her family and no matter what, we will be by her side to weather every storm."
The small brunette pulled away from Buck and wrapped her arms around Bobby, hugging her adoptive father with all her might. "Thank you. Thank you all so much."
She pulled back so she could see them all. "Thank you to this team for giving me a reason to live and to fight. I wouldn't change it for the world."
/
Mariana hefted her bag up onto her shoulder and waved bye to her team. "Merry Christmas guys. Have a great day with family!"
Although she was invited to the Grant household for dinner, Mari would be spending her Christmas morning completely alone. Her plan was to sleep in as late as possible and then she would watch trashy reality TV shows until she had to go to the Grants.
Stepping out of the firehouse made her realize just how alone she would be this Christmas. This was normal, it happened every year. But something just felt empty in her chest as she thought about it.
"Mariposa, wait up!"
She stopped and turned to see Eddie jogging to catch up to her. The lights of the firehouse and the string lights on all the surrounding buildings added a glow to his face that added a glow to his face and made his dark eyes appear lighter. She tilted her face up to see him better, her dark hair spilling over her shoulders in loose waves.
"What's up?"
"I know this is so last minute and I understand if you say no but you've already done so much for me and Christopher and I don't want you to spend Christmas alone. So, if you wanna...y'know, join us for Christmas Eve and stuff. You can sleep over and help me play Santa and stuff." He awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck and studied the tree next to her. She blinked once, twice, then a third time.
"Boy Wonder, that's your time with Christopher. I don't want to intrude on your family time. I'll be fine alone, I've done it since I was twenty two. I promise."
"I don't want you to be alone, Mari. You aren't intruding on anything. Chris wants you there, it was his Christmas wish and everything. I want you there. You mean a lot to both of us."
"What do you mean that's his Christmas wish?"
Eddie ran a hand through his hair and sighed. "He said he asked Santa for me to come back from Afghanistan and I did. So he said he asked Santa to bring someone into our life that makes me happy and makes him happy."
"And you think that's me."
"I know it's you, mariposa."
A slow smile spread across her lips. "Do I get to cook breakfast?"
"Please don't let me try to help and burn the kitchen down."
"And we'd have to run by my apartment to grab presents."
"I'll drive. Is now a good time to mention that I haven't decorated anything but the tree?"
"Then what are you waiting for?" She grabbed his hand and started dragging him towards his truck.
They stayed up until one in the morning, wrapping presents in his room and stringing lights and garland around the living room. He had just finished putting the last of the garland around the coffee table when he realized that she had fallen silent. Eddie found her sprawled out on the couch with some paper snowflakes clutched in her hands. He gently extracted the paper out of her hands and set them down on the coffee table, mentally reminding himself to set an alarm for five thirty so he could be ready for the tornado that was Christopher Diaz on Christmas day. Slowly but surely, he slid his one arm under her knees and the other under her shoulder and lifted her up.
"Sleep...couch," she mumbled out.
"Nice try but I'll take the couch," he scoffed as he gently laid her down on his bed and pulled the sheets around her. She rolled over, sleepily looking up at him.
"Not fair. Your bed."
"Go to sleep, Mari."
"'M cold."
He sighed and stared down at her with a fond smile. "You're a pain in the ass."
"Chim says it's my best quality."
Eddie slid in under the cover, making sure not to get too close. He didn't want her to feel how fast his pulse was racing at the mere idea of sharing a bed with her.
That idea was thrown out the window once the alarm started chirping at five thirty. Eddie groaned and shut it off before he realized with a start that she was pressed up against his side. Her dark hair obscured her face but he could feel the soft puffs of air she breathed out against his shirt. He brushed her hair out of her face, revealing the innocent and soft look that replaced her normal scowl. Her nose scrunched up as her eyelids slowly fluttered open.
"Good morning," he greeted.
"Merry Christmas," she replied, rolling away from him and stretching. "You said Chris won't be up until six?"
"He's not allowed to get up until six," he laughed. "Let's me sleep in more."
"Smart. Did Santa eat the cookies last night?"
"He might have left one or two."
She grinned and bounced out of bed while he watched her leave. He joined her in the kitchen minutes later where she was eating the last two "Santa's cookies" and chewing on a carrot stick. He stole one of the carrot sticks and started the coffee machine.
"Can't believe you left all the reindeer food for me," she grumbled.
"Aw, come on. You make like sixty batches of cookies and get mad when I eat three of them?"
"Uh yeah. Alright, so how do we do this? Do you do breakfast first or presents first?"
He shrugged, pouring them both a cup of coffee. "Presents first, I guess. Christopher is too excited to focus on anything else."
By the time the clock hit six, they were sufficiently awake and ready for the excited kid to come bursting out of his room. The second Christopher appeared in the doorway, he lit up at the sight of Mariana.
"Santa granted my wish!" he exclaimed. She crouched down so she could give him a big hug.
"Merry Christmas, buddy," she whispered.