With a heavy exhale, Mariana's eyes traced along the lines etched into the wooden table before her. It was stained with coffee rings, crayon marks, and paint and clearly it had been marked with love. She clenched her fingers around the handle of the mug in her hands and shut her eyes. As if sensing her nerves, a strong and steady hand landed on her forearm and the familiar touch brought her some semblance of comfort.
"What do they mean false testimony?" she finally asked, opening her eyes so she could see her aunt and the attorney sat across from them. "It's been over a decade since the last case. What could have come up since then?"
"They're grasping at straws," Tyler Jones answered. "For what reason, I don't know. I got a judge to sign off on refusal from jail leave for the time being."
Valentina and Mariana visibly relaxed. The younger woman glanced over at her boyfriend who looked torn between supporting her and ripping someone's head off. She turned her head to the other side, looking past the dining room where they were set up and into the living room where Diego and Christopher were coloring and talking animatedly. The two nine year olds took to each other like a duck to water. It made her heart hurt as she thought about her and Luis sitting in that same spot years ago.
"So what happens next?" Eddie's question broke her out of her reverie. He squeezed her hand as reassurance of his presence and she was honestly so grateful. He had been a rock for her to cling to since they got the letter two days ago. Valentina called and set up this meeting yesterday and Eddie informed Mariana that he wouldn't be leaving her side, no matter what happened.
"We have a retrial," Tyler sighed. "It's less than ideal but there's no way he will be declared innocent. The physical evidence might be gone but Mariana is the perfect candidate to keep him guilty. A first responder, a nurse, a former foster kid who turned out fine. You get on the stand and tell everyone what he did and you will have a closed case."
"She shouldn't have to tell people her story," Eddie bit out.
"Eddie," she said softly. "I'll do it. I'll do anything to make sure he stays behind bars."
He could see the fierce determination in her dark eyes and he nodded without hesitation. She offered him a small, strained smile and he ran his calloused thumb over her knuckles in response. Mariana turned her attention back to the issue at hand and paused when she noticed Valentina's expression. It was one of longing and hurt. Her aunt's eyes locked with her own and the older woman blinked away any evidence of her emotions.
The rest of the meeting consisted of paperwork, legal jargon, and plans for the future. By the end of it, Mariana felt well and truly drained. She offered her hand to Tyler and he shook it before he shook Eddie's.
"I need you to understand," Eddie informed the lawyer. "That at the end of the day, I will do anything and everything to protect my family.
"I understand loud and clear, Mr Diaz," Tyler assured him.
Mariana pulled away from his side to go kneel down by Chris and Diego. "Nice job, guys! Beautiful work."
"Thank you, titi," Diego answered, wrapping his small arms around her neck. She hugged him gently and ruffled his hair as she pulled away.
"It's time for us to go, Diego, but I promise we'll see you again soon. Maybe you and Chris could have a sleepover?"
The two boys cheered excitedly and Mariana dropped a kiss to each of their heads before standing to let them say their own farewells. She made her way to the front door where she turned, staring up at the second floor balcony. Her eyes were transfixed on the section that, to an unknowing eye, you wouldn't be able to tell that it was repaired and repainted. Her knee ached with phantom pains even thirteen years later.
"Hey." Eddie broke her out of her thoughts. "Ready to go?"
"Yeah. Is Chris getting ready?"
"Yes ma'am." He pressed a chaste kiss to her cheek before heading out to start the car. Mariana leaned against the archway leading to the living room and watched as the two boys said goodbye. Chris slowly made his way to her and Mariana smiled at him, leaning down to try and rub off the purple marker on his cheek. He giggled at her efforts and she winked, rubbing her nose against his.
"C'mon, dad is gonna get grouchy if we make him wait too long and he won't let us have ice cream for dinner," she reminded him.
"You're good with him," Valentina said from behind Christopher. "Really good."
Mariana looked up at her aunt, the smile falling from her face. "He's my whole world. I would do anything for him."
"Do you resent me? For not loving you like that?" Insecurity shone in the older woman's eyes and Mariana stood, resting her hands on Christopher's shoulders.
"I hated you a long time ago but I've grown past that. I didn't need your love. I didn't even need you to try and stop him. What I needed to know was that you were trying to protect me. Instead, you blamed me. I was a child, Valentina. I didn't need to be strong. I needed to be safe." Mariana directed Christopher towards the door. "Let's go, Chris."
As they walked towards Eddie's truck, Mariana could feel everything crashing over her. She tried to even out her breathing as she helped Christopher into the truck and buckled him in before she climbed into the passenger seat.
"Okay?" Eddie asked once she was buckled. She started to nod her head before she changed her mind and quickly shook it. He slowly eased out of the driveway and started the drive towards home.
"What can I do to help?"
"I don't know," she whispered, her voice cracking. He reached over and held his hand out. She grasped it like it was the only thing grounding her to the world at that moment and bowed her head. He could feel her tears splash against his skin, but he knew she was trying to not show Christopher. The three sat in silence the entire drive.
"Hey, we're home," he announced. Mariana leaned back against the seat and waved for them to go on without her. He hesitated but she shot him a pointed look with her red-rimmed eyes. Eddie carried Christopher into the house and set him down on the couch, glancing uneasily over at the front door.
"Why is Mari sad?" Christopher asked innocently. Eddie took a seat on the coffee table so he could be at his level.
"Sometimes, buddy, we are given family that hurts us rather than helps us. Mari's uncle and aunt really hurt her years ago. So bad that her uncle had to be sent away. She's sad because sometimes when people really, really hurt us, it's very hard to forget that. But Mari is very strong and she can survive anything. Especially since she's got us."
"Can I give her a hug?"
"If she says it's okay."
The front door opened and shut and Mariana walked in, wiping stray tears off her cheeks. She collected herself as best as she could and tried to smile at them. Christopher slid off the couch as she approached.
"Can I hug you?" he asked.
"Yeah, bud, thank you," she whispered. Mariana scooped him up in a hug and sat on the couch with Christopher cuddled up into her side. Eddie leaned forward so he could press a kiss to her forehead before sitting next to her on the opposite side of Christopher.
"Okay?" he asked.
"Better. I'm at home. I've got my two boys. I'm safe." She took a deep breath before letting her body relax. "I love you two so much."
"We've got you, sweetheart. Always."
/
They decided not to tell the team. Mariana knew they would freak out and she didn't want to put her problems on them. Not when they all had their own lives to deal with. Instead, she found herself absentmindedly flipping through a magazine while the others played pool and Buck told them all about his new friend, Red.
"Look, I'm just saying Red is a forty year veteran of the department. Two citations for bravery. Now he lives alone in a one-bedroom apartment he pays for with his pension," Buck declared.
"Well, from the way you described him, it sounds like he's okay with that." Eddie leaned over the table to line up his shot and Mariana took that as a chance to lower her magazine and admire the view.
"Well, I'm not okay with it."
Eddie sent the ball neatly into the pocket and she used her foot to pat his ass in congratulations, too lazy to use her hand. He shot her an unamused look as she blinked at him innocently.
"So it's all about you," Chimney teased Buck.
"No, come on, that's not what I'm saying."
"It does seem like his situation is bothering you more than it bothers him," Bobby pointed out.
"Yeah, I mean it does bother me! Look, Red has no friends, no family. All the guys from the 134, they don't talk anymore. It's like they just left him behind."
"I'm sure they didn't mean to, Buck," Hen consoled him. "Life gets busy. It's easy for people to lose touch, especially when you don't work in the same firehouse anymore."
"Well that doesn't make sense to me. I mean, that would never happen to us."
"Of course not. We're family."
"Yeah, it's never gonna change."
"Yeah! Like if Bobby retired." Buck gestured to their captain who regarded him with a curious expression.
"You know something I don't?"
"Some day," Buck reiterated as the team laughed. "Or y'know, one of us got moved to another house. We would still all stay in touch."
"Exactly! Like you three." Eddie gestured to Hen, Chimney, and Mariana. "You still keep in touch with the guys that used to be here, right?"
"Um, I don't know if we'd call some of them friends," Hen admitted.
"I spoke with Tommy last year," Chimney added. "I was calling to ask for a favor, but…"
"They all hated me or thought I was a freak. Didn't help that I purposefully carved up a chicken at the kitchen counter with a very sharp knife," Mariana sighed dramatically as she boredly flipped the page of her magazine.
"Like a chicken breast?" Buck asked.
"No. No, I wish." Hen grimaced. "It was a full chicken. Feathers and all."
"I got it from a market in Lennox."
"Anyways," Eddie declared. "That won't happen to us."
"It won't," Mari hummed. "Because Bobby and Buck joined the firehouse and somehow wormed his way into my cold dead heart and revived it to the point where I care about you all or something. And then Hen and Chim were already best friends.
Chim and Maddie are locked together so that means Buck is attached to Chimney. Buck is my best friend so he can't get rid of me even if he wanted to. Bobby has Athena who also has me as their third child. I got shot so Eddie was hired to fill in for me but we liked him so much that we adopted him and now I have him full time.
So you're welcome for getting shot because you realize now that you can't live without me and you're stuck with me forever."
The team stared at her in silence and she just merely flipped to the next page of the magazine, ignoring their various groans and mutters of her complete nonchalance. She grinned but Eddie could see it didn't meet her eyes. She had been having trouble sleeping and practically had a panic attack when he dropped a spoon in the kitchen and it banged loudly on the tile. He begged her to call Dr. Allen and set up a session sooner than her usual monthly one. Mariana agreed but even that didn't assuage his worries.
In fact, knowing that she would have to go to court and face Daniel again made him more worried than ever.