And thus we have arrived at the end. Thank you for all the wonderful feedback and for toughening it out with me. I hope you enjoyed it! As the weather is changing, he farm is calling again so I am not sure just how much I can put out in the next few weeks, but I will try!
The cold and rainy day set a fitting scene for the funeral, each word said in somber certainty by the attending priest expressing the void that GiGi Visari's untimely death had left in the community, and the many lives she'd touched in her selfless pursuit to expand the female influence in tomorrow's workforce.
Although the dreary mist certainly played a role in it; Steve was surprised that only a couple dozen people showed up for her funeral and internment, some of them he recognized from the Public Works Department as well as a few friends from the local blue blood, rich widows that had found a liking in the personable woman's passion for gender equality.
Upon Sarah's request, they'd stayed off to the side a bit, taking in the scene without the societal pressure to shake hands, exchange endearing memories and make uncomfortable small talk about the nature of their relationship with Visari.
The trick seemed to work when those who'd gathered left a respectful distance, allowing them to listen to the priest with only a quick nod of acknowledgement.
Halfway through the graveside service, he'd felt Sarah lean against his arm, using Steve as the proverbial pillar in a storm of traumatic memories that would undoubtedly follow her for the rest of her life.
Therapy would be an important instrument in the future; they'd talked about that on the way to the cemetery. Finding support groups that would offer comfort and a listening ear instead of feeding her anger and guilt about the situation were high on the list of priorities as well.
Then there was the first court date.
Gerry had been a godsend when it came to treating the traumatized Fire Captain with the utmost courtesy and respect, strictly limiting the occasions during which she would have to face Davis while doing an incredible amount of legwork in gathering her testimony ahead of the court date, hoping it would limit the number of uncomfortable and intimate questions that would be asked in front of a grand jury on a high-profile case with incredible public interest.
Well aware of the media storm this situation had created, Milan had relocated to a nearby motel for the time being, hoping to escape the camera-swinging piranhas that had been camping outside her apartment since word got out about the multiple aspects of a tremendously complex and horrifying case.
Although he had his own misgivings about the idea, they had allowed Milan to see Fire Chief Vasquez, so long as an Inspector was present to prevent the swaying of a prime witness, a major concern in this situation being that Sawyer worked under Vasquez, creating the potential for an internal review of the MidTown Terrace Fire Station just like it had happened with the Missing Person's Department.
From what Tanner had told him, there was no denying in the mutual rekindling of a friendship that had been strained by what happened in the past month. According to the African American Inspector, their conversation had been strictly related to fire department matters and what was ahead in regards to finding a new Lieutenant, all the while making it clear to Vasquez that his affinity for Milan would go nowhere, no matter how many plane tickets and offers for a date night he'd come up with.
Steve held his breath when another gust of misty air blew in their faces, sending chills down his back on this somber day. And yet, despite everyone getting soaked to the bone, the gatherers stayed in place until the last prayer was said, the last flower placed on the ornate silver casket and the last farewell muttered, before dispersing into the comfort of their dry cars.
Noticing that they hadn't moved, or approached, the priest nodded at them cordially, hiding the bible under his cassock to protect it from the rain, assuring them to take their time before seeking shelter in the hearse parked nearby until all formalities were finalized.
"You know, she was a force of nature, Steve. I always swore she'd outlive all of us with that fierce temper…"
Nodding gently, he stayed in place, unmoving, feeling Sarah wrap her hands tightly around his arm, then resting her chin on his shoulder.
It served as another gesture of trust, a manifestation of survival from the terrifying experiences they shared up at that cabin, completely void of any sort of quixotic agendas.
"If it's any conciliation, without her, we would have never found you. She kept pushing for us to keep looking, to keep questioning what happened, dig up what reports had been filed away and never give up. In the end, her death paved the way to your rescue…and survival."
"I owe her more than I could ever give back, Steve…"
"No you don't."
Steve didn't know why he'd said that other than the fact that it had felt like the right thing to say. When Sarah shifted her head to look into his eyes, he managed a faint smile to add a measure of confidence to his statement.
"You survived more horror than most people could begin to imagine. You never succumbed to those who tried to take away your conscience, your…your trust in the goodness of humanity. And when you finally got the chance to escape that hellhole up north, you decided to hesitate and save some sorry cop's life, a guy you didn't even know, much less had a reason to trust, by keeping your captivator distracted. I'd say your deed is paid off. And I am sure GiGi would be proud of you and everything you have accomplished."
Upon his words, Sarah's beautiful blue eyes welled up with tears for a brief moment, before she nodded faintly.
"GiGi would probably sit here and say that I had to stay back because, quote, you young cops are a dime a dozen. You get a hangnail and pass out at the first sign of blood. What a funny woman she was. She always used that line when people found out that I was in the fire service and they'd question females on the force, thinking that surely males are the stronger gender and how we wouldn't be able to tolerate seeing raw human tragedy on a daily basis. She'd say "give us ten years, fellas, and you'll wonder what took so long to get women into power."
With a gentle push, Sarah steered him toward the casket, taking one slow step at a time, as the heavy mist turned into out and out rain, soaking his dark gray suit in mere seconds.
Ignoring the cold drops running down his face and matting his hair, Steve cocked his head toward the grave with unmasked amazement.
"Sounds to me like she was a force to reckon with. I regret having met her under…such dire circumstances. Talk about somebody who was destined to make a difference."
As they arrived at the foot of the casket, Sarah drew in a deep breath, fighting back the tears as she clung onto his right arm even harder. At the lack of a response, Steve cleared his throat, then nudged her arm.
"So what are you going to do next? Once this is all over with? Stay with the fire service?"
His earnest question disguised in casual curiosity earned him a warm smile from Sarah, as she shrugged, before wiping away her runny eyeliner.
"Definitely going to stay with the fire service. No matter what happened to me, I know that there's still a need for me to be out there. Help people. Save lives."
Letting go of him and stretching out both of her arms to encompass the city at their feet, the woman who had gone through so much horror giggled for a second; her innocent smile touching Steve's heart in more ways than he could have ever imagined.
"I want to be a role model for the little girls out there, girls who've been told their entire lives that their success is measured by how many kids they've had and how good of a pot roast they can cook. I want them to see me, to see that there's more to life than kitchens and cribs and babies. I want to show them that they are as entitled to seek out their full potential as any man in this town."
With a broad smile, Steve leaned forward and touched the corner of the casket, his other hand reaching over to wipe the rogue tear off Sarah's face.
"In that case, from a purely male chauvinistic aspect of course…I can't wait to watch you break down those barriers and show them what leadership is all about. GiGi opened the door. And I am certain you're going to pave that path and make the difference she always knew you would. Rest assured that when that time comes, Mike and I are going to be cheering you on from the sidelines. Us and the whole squad downtown."
Covering his hand with hers, Sarah's expression changed for a moment, her eyes growing warm, a faint smile lighting up her features. Then, faster than he could react, she leaned forward, her lips reaching for his, their faces so close that he could feel the warmth of her breath.
In amongst the heavy rain, they stood perfectly still, so close to starting a mutual journey and yet so far away from the normality needed for any sort of romance.
Steve could sense her need for belonging and protection, her fragile heart reaching out for the person she deemed her savior, her mixed emotions clinging on to the tiniest bit of a connection.
But despite the opportunity presenting itself, he was incapable of sealing the gesture and kissing her, his rational thinking screaming at him to view Milan's approaches as nothing more than a damaged soul looking for companionship without the due diligence needed to ensure a solid relationship, knowing well enough that the Fire Captain's heart was too confused to understand that a friendship would be more important right now than any sort of physical connection.
Sarah must have sensed his hesitation and pulled back, her eyes nervously searching the ground for many long moments, before glancing back up again, desperately trying to regain a neutral atmosphere between them.
"What about you? Are you just going to disappear out of my life again?", she asked sheepishly, then ran a hand through her wet hair, "My knight in shining armor…you are just going to get back to business as usual?"
"Yeah…pretty much…", Steve answered matter-of-factly, his heart aching at the decision his mind had made at keeping Sarah at bay for the time being. Blinking against the rain, he let his eyes drift over a city that had become his territory, his kingdom to protect and serve.
"Mike and I…we're going to lick our wounds for a little while and then…then we're going to dive head first into the next case. There's never a shortage of crime around here."
"And so they continued on their journeys…", Sarah whispered deep in thought, following Steve's lead to put one hand on the casket, "One went off to fight fires, the other went off to fight monsters. The unsung heroes keeping this town safe, needed by everyone and known to only a few. Their struggles and nightmares nothing but an invisible ball and chain, a burden to share with only those who have been there themselves, who have bled defending their country, who seen the horrors, and shared the victories."
With his mind traveling back to Franklin Hospital and a certain cantankerous Lieutenant awaiting his arrival anxiously, Steve nodded smilingly.
"And we wouldn't want it any other way, now would we?"