Mari doesn't know what happened. One second she's bent over a patient as Hen is sprinting towards her while the bank vault door closes and the next second she's falling asleep with the sounds of Eddie and Bobby shouting at her to stay awake.
That must have been some crazy dream. Or was it a dream? She remembered Christopher waking her up this morning like usual. Eddie learned quickly that while the dark haired latina seemed to run off a crazy amount of energy but only after she had some coffee in her. So they made a deal. On the days she slept over, Mariana got to sleep in while Eddie got Christopher up and ready for school and started the coffee. Christopher would wake Mariana up and greet her with her morning hug before the paramedic started breakfast.
Christopher already woke her up though. She had made eggs and bacon before she and Eddie dropped Christopher off at school and headed into work. Right?
"-ana! Mari, wake up."
She blearily blinked her eyes open once, twice, a third time before she realized where she was.
"Oh, what the hell?" the dark haired woman yelped, jumping into a seated position. Her vision went dizzy for a second and she groaned, clutching at her head in an attempt to make the world stop spinning.
"You're okay. You and Hen were knocked out with the vault guy," Buck explained. An arm slid along her back and gently lowered her back down to the ground while a bright light invaded her sight. She groaned and shut her eyes, fighting back against the penlight.
"Sorry," Buck murmured. "How do you feel?"
"I've never been hungover, but I'm starting to think this is how it feels," she grunted, turning her face so his thigh blocked out the light streaming in. His gloved hand brushed along her cheek and she sighed.
"EMTs are going to transport you and Hen to the hospital and I'll be there the second we're done here, okay?"
"I'm okay," she mumbled. "Don't gotta worry about me."
"Might not have to, but I want to."
/
A day later and Mariana found herself in a place she thought she would be in sooner. One IV drip of saline and an eight hour nap later and she was feeling back to normal. However, the second she woke up from her nap and got discharged from the hospital, Crystal drove her home where she got dressed and was promptly picked up by the police on suspicion of aiding and abetting a robbery.
All in all, a fucking wild ride of twenty-four hours.
"As you can see by the videotape of the vault, I was unconscious," Mariana announced. "I had clearly been doing my job before I passed out and ended up in the hospital. So, I have no idea where you think I had the time or the ability to steal some cash."
"You were the diversion, of course," Detective Mercer stated simply. Mariana held back the eye roll that was threatening to break to the surface. She had promised Athena and Bobby that she would behave. The latina shifted in her chair and pursed her lips, her brow furrowing as she tried to wrap her mind around what the hell they were accusing her with.
"Now, we've heard from your teammates that you call yourselves a family. That must be a touchy subject for you, not to mention the multiple disciplinary reports your former captains have written," Detective Wash added.
Mariana sank back in her chair and crossed her arms over her chest, a bored expression on her face. "Is that your evidence? That some old guys couldn't handle a little sass?"
"You appear to be an outstanding citizen from the outside. Paramedic firefighter, ER nurse, volunteering at the soup kitchen and at the group home. But your file indicates a different story. Foster kid bounced from home to home until your uncle and aunt took you in. Arrested at nineteen for illegal street racing."
"And that makes me a bank robber? Because that just sounds like a lot of profiling and stereotyping to me."
"But you got off. Do you owe Sergeant Grant a debt for helping you with that?"
Mariana actually had to laugh at that. "Athena would rather I come over for dinner some nights as a way to pay back my "debt" over me stealing from a bank for her."
"Fine, then what about Edmundo Diaz?"
"What about him?"
"You two seem pretty close."
"We're teammates. We're friends. Is that a crime as well?"
"And yet your bank statements indicate you've been paying for some things for his son."
"Is that a crime?"
"Eddie, I live in a tiny studio apartment working two jobs with my parent's and abuela's life insurance. I'm not hurting for money so let me help!" she sighed as she grabbed a grocery bag out of her trunk.
"Angelita, I'm not going to make you pay for stuff," he argued.
"You're not making me do anything! I'm offering and you're going to accept it. I get that it's a pride thing for you, but you need to suck it up and realize that I'm not going anywhere anytime soon so you better get used to my stubborn ass."
He raised an eyebrow at her tone and then chuckled, pressing a chaste kiss to her forehead. "You are a stubborn ass. But it's a cute ass."
"Well this ass is going into the house so I can make dinner. You can get the other bags."
Mariana headed towards the house where Christopher was excitedly waiting. She had promised homemade pizza where her sous chef could help her. Eddie was stuck on dish duty.
"I didn't realize helping a friend was a crime. I'll keep that in mind and do it less I guess," she snarked.
"Well you also have a relationship with Evan Buckley."
"He's my friend. Again, didn't know that was a crime. Are we done here?"
/
Knock knock.
"Coming!" Mariana called as she stuck her bookmark in between the pages and shut the book. She stretched and headed for the door, intent on getting her shawarma and eating while watching HGTV. The sight on the other side of the door ruined that plan.
"Ms Ramirez," the officer greeted her nervously. Mariana rolled her eyes and held her hand out for the warrant, snatching it out of the officer's shaking hand.
"You won't find anything but be my fucking guest," she snapped. "If my food gets delayed, I'll be pissed."
"Yes, ma'am," the officer stammered out. Detective Mercer shot her a nasty look and Mariana simply smirked and opened her door wider before going to sit on the couch with her book. While Mercer immediately started tearing her place apart, the other officers were far more hesitant.
Mariana Belicia Ramirez had a reputation with LAPD. Not only was she Athena Grant's pseudo adopted daughter, but she also was very well known for her appearances in the PD to advocate for foster kids. Anyone who had dealt with her either in their offices or at a fire scene knew not to mess with the dark haired woman. She had a biting, acerbic wit and a cold demeanor that could make even the toughest officer feel ashamed and a bit scared. One glare from those hazel eyes was enough to make you want to turn around and walk the other direction. It was the famous ER nurse glare, some would say.
"Can you at least put my stuff back after you fucked it up?" she growled. "There's an organization system for a reason."
"Sorry ma'am," an officer squeaked. She smirked and turned the page of her book, a satisfied air settling across her shoulders.
"Do you think you would be so hard pressed to blame us if Hen and I weren't women of color?" she commented to Detective Mercer.
"Are you calling me a racist?"
"Kicked dog will holler," she hummed, turning to the next page.
/
After a few whirlwind days filled with scorpion venom, bank robberies, police interrogations, and search warrants, Mariana was glad to finally take a break. She leaned back against the pillows on Maddie's couch and grinned as the brunette appeared with pizza boxes in hand. Hen and Karen cheered at the sight of food. The kids were stuck with Buck and Eddie for the night while they had a girl's night. Athena would have joined but she and Bobby had a date night.
"So, Mari...how's Eddie?" Karen asked as she stole a slice off of Hen's plate. The latina shrugged, heat blooming in her cheeks.
"I don't know," she mumbled, avoiding their glances.
"Boo!" Hen exclaimed. "C'mon, spill the tea."
"You've been watching tik toks again, haven't you?"
"Stop avoiding the question."
She sighed and set her plate on the coffee table before facing the three other women. "I don't do emotions. I think we all know that quite well. Part of me feels like everything is right in the world with him and Christopher but part of me feels like running for the hills. Like something has to go wrong at some point. Is that normal for a relationship to feel like that? Like...I love hanging out with Christopher and he's such a great kid. Eddie is amazing but there's just something holding me back."
"Like what? Fear? Anxiety?" Maddie asked. "That's normal. That's kind of what's happening with Chimney and me."
"No it's more like...I just don't know if this is what I'm supposed to feel? What does love feel like?"
"You'll know when it feels right. Whatever you choose to do, we understand," Hen assured her.
Mariana nodded in thanks and turned her attention back to her pizza, but she had lost her appetite by now. Something just wasn't sitting right in her heart and she didn't know what.