Yes, I am aware I have a bunch of stories people are waiting for me to update, but this idea got stuck in my head about a month ago and I had to flesh it out. I was trying to keep it under 10,000 words, but that just wasn't gonna happen. Please enjoy!
It was the morning of the wedding. They were getting married around 7 pm meaning they had the whole day to get ready.
Maya, however, was up at her usual 5 am. She had a sick, anxious knot sitting in her stomach, though none of it was because of the wedding. No, she was beyond ready to marry the woman who was sleeping next to her in bed.
The feeling in her stomach was because she had her hearing that morning to discuss the disciplinary actions she would face because of her decision to use their engine to save a boy's life instead of waiting for an aid car and letting an 8-year-old die.
The little boy was recovering in Grey Sloan's burn unit, and Maya had been told by Owen Hunt that if they had waited even 5 more minutes, Zaza would not have had a chance. They still didn't know if the boy would survive because of the extensive burns, but he had done well so far so everyone was cautiously optimistic.
Maya would do what she did again in a heartbeat, but today, she had to go face whatever discipline she was going to get. She hadn't told anyone, even Carina, that she had the hearing this morning, not wanting to do anything to dampen the mood of the wedding.
Also, her fiancé had only been out of her two-week quarantining for 48 hours, meaning they had done a lot of catching up over the past two days though none of it involved talking because that was all they had been able to do for the last 6 weeks.
Her meeting with the fire chief was at 8 am, but she decided to go for a run before. She had left her dress blues in her office the day before, planning on going for a run, going to the station to get a quick upper body workout in at the gym, and then showering and going to headquarters. She was going to ride her bike to the station before her run this morning, so she had a way to get to headquarters, planning on changing into her formal uniform once she was there.
She had gone over and over her plan in her head the night before as she tossed and turned, trying to sleep. She had maybe slept an hour because of her nerves, but she was pretty sure her adrenaline and excitement would keep her going for the entire day.
She quietly got out of bed, pulling on her running gear before going into the kitchen. She wrote a note for Carina before grabbing her bike and helmet, heading out the door. The ride to 19 was fast and she quietly entered the station, putting her bike in her office before heading out for her run.
By 7 am, Maya had managed to run 10 miles and finish her workout in the gym. She checked her phone, making sure Carina hadn't texted her yet, before going to get in the shower. She sighed as she washed her hair, trying to calm her nerves.
She was worried about what was going to happen with her meeting with the Chief. She knew from him that Robert and Andy had met with him the day before, though he would not tell her what they had said. She just hoped they were honest, that they had spoken the truth, and did what they felt was right. Obviously, she hoped they had had her back because she had had theirs so many times in the past, but as long as they were honest, she was willing to make peace with whatever they said. She tried to push it out of her mind as she continued with her shower.
Once she was done, she went back down to her office, going into her bunk to dry her hair. She sighed as she got herself ready, grabbing her dress uniform and carefully folding it into her backpack.
She checked her phone, seeing Carina had texted her. They had agreed to meet at the hospital at 10 am because Carina wanted to go to the chapel there, to light candles for her mom and brother before the wedding. She had said she could do it alone, but Maya had told her she would join her, if the Italian wanted which of course she did. Maya had agreed to this before she knew she would have an important meeting with the chief, but she was determined to both be there for her future wife and take care of this disciplinary meeting so that she could just have the next week off that they had both agreed to take for an at home honeymoon.
She had told Carina that she had some last-minute stuff to do for work before taking the time off they had planned for their honeymoon which wasn't an outright lie, but also not completely the truth.
She decided she would tell Carina after the wedding, probably tomorrow unless she didn't get any sort of punishment, then she would probably just tell her when she got home. As much as Maya wanted to hope that she would be telling Carina about this meeting today, she was fairly sure she was going to have at least some kind of repercussions for her decision to save a life.
Maya quickly texted Carina, telling her she loved her and that she would see her in a few hours. She then checked her bag one last time to make sure she had everything before heading out.
Once she was at headquarters, she headed into the locker rooms that were in the basement with a small gym that was often used for physical therapy. She finished getting ready, changing her clothes before locking up her bag in a locker and heading up to her meeting.
The meeting was rough, Maya being asked what had happened and then informed that she would be demoted to a non-ranking firefighter and also on two weeks of unpaid leave. She would be on probation when she got back, and any disciplinary issues in the next year would result in her immediate dismissal from the Seattle Fire Department. She would not be eligible for a promotion of any kind for the next five years. They were also considering moving her to a new station, but that decision would be made in the next week after more time to look through her files, and they would let her know. The only thing she asked was that they wait until the following day to tell her team which the chief seemed annoyed with, but eventually agreed to. She took all of it, thanking the chief before leaving.
She went back down to the lockers, giving herself five minutes to feel her feelings and cry a little bit before stuffing it all back down, promising herself that today would not be ruined by this. That today was still going to be the best day of her life even if it felt like the rug was just pulled out from under her at work.
She changed back into her civies before heading back to 19. It was only 9:15 when she got there so she quickly put her bike in her office, or rather her former office. She knew she would have to come back and clean it out in the next few days, but for now, she was just going to leave her stuff.
She then headed out, stopping at a coffee shop that she and Carina frequented pre-pandemic to grab some coffees and croissants to take to Carina. Once she had the drinks and pastries, she headed to the hospital. She got there, waiting out front on a bench for Carina who arrived about five minutes later.
"Good morning soon to be wife," Maya said, smiling as she walked over to the Italian, pressing a gentle kiss to the lips that had just been unmasked for this moment, "How has this morning been?"
"It would have been better if I woke up with you," Carina said, wrapping her arms around Maya's waist, "Did you get all your work done this morning?"
"I did," Maya nodded, "And now, I am not going to think about work anymore today because the only thing that matters to me is marrying you."
Carina smiled, giving Maya another kiss as she thought about how truly different the woman standing in front of her was from the one she had met in the bar a little over a year ago. Well, maybe different wasn't the right word because Maya was still the same driven, intelligent, intriguing woman she had fallen for over a glass of wine, but she had grown so much, become someone who knew what things were worth prioritizing and what didn't matter so much. Part of it was getting out from under her dad's abusive control and part of it was finding someone who was worth risking the potential hurt to love.
"What?" Maya said, interrupting Carina's thought.
"I just was thinking about how much I love you," Carina said honestly, laughing a little at the blush on Maya's cheeks.
"I love you too," Maya said, handing her her coffee as she kissed her again.
"We should go put these in the car," Carina said, taking a sip of her coffee, "We can't drink them in the hospital."
"Ok," Maya nodded, "Oh, I also got croissants."
"You are spoiling me today Bambina," Carina smiled, opening the bag and taking a bit of one of the pastries.
"Well, you still have about ten hours to bail on me, and I want to make sure you don't," Maya said, smiling at her.
"Oh, so after I marry you, this all goes away?" Carina said, raising an eyebrow.
"I mean, I can't spoil you forever," Maya said, looking at her, "That would just be crazy, though maybe I am a little crazy."
"Oh, you are for sure, Bambina," Carina said, nodding, "But you are my crazy."
Maya leaned in and gave her another kiss before they put their coffees into the car.
"Ready?" Maya said, slipping on her mask as Carina did the same.
"No," Carina said, putting her hand in Maya's, "But I don't think I ever will be."
"I will be right here," Maya said, rubbing the back of Carina's hand as they headed into the hospital.
They quickly made their way to the chapel, Carina glad that it was only open to staff because she did not want to have to deal with anyone while she tried to do this. They slowly walked into the chapel, Carina stopping at the door for a moment.
"You alright?" Maya asked, stopping with her.
"Si," Carina nodded, "I just haven't been in here since that night…"
"I am right here with you," Maya said, squeezing Carina's hand tightly, "For whatever you need."
Carina took a deep breath before they both continued into the chapel. They both pulled off their masks as they approached the rows of candles. Carina picked up the matches, managing to actually get them lit this time.
"Mamma, Andrea, Nonna," Carina said quietly, "Maya and I are getting married today."
Carina began speaking softly in Italian, Maya picking up a word here and there from all the Italian she had been studying while Carina was in Italy though her fiancé was speaking quite quickly and quietly so she didn't get much. Carina stopped speaking and they went to sit down on the front pew, Carina leaning her head on Maya's shoulder. They sat there in silence for a long while before Carina picked up her head.
"Ok," she said as Maya looked at her, the blonde brushing a tear off her fiancé's cheek, "Let's go home."
"Ok," Maya nodded as they both pulled their masks back on.
"Thank you for coming with me," Carina said as they walked out of the chapel, "It means a lot to me."
"I will do whatever you need me to do when it comes to things like this," Maya said, "Always and forever. I know how important Andrew and your mom and the rest of your family are to you. I wish they could be here today."
"Me too," Carina said, biting her lip behind her mask.
"Hey," a voice from behind them said, "What are you doing here? I thought you weren't back for a week?"
"Jo," Carina said, smiling at her mentee, "Hello. I am back in the US, but I am getting married today and then we are both taking a week off to just be together. Jo, this is my almost wife, Captain Maya Bishop, Maya, this is Dr. Jo Wilson, the one who I told you about who just transferred to OB."
Hearing her wife call her captain felt like a literal punch in the gut, but she pushed it aside as she exchanged hellos with Jo.
"Oh, I'm getting paged," Jo said, "Well, you two enjoy your time together and congratulations on getting married. Make sure she doesn't have any babies frozen with someone else before you marry her."
Carina waved as Maya gave Carina a confused look, "What the hell is she talking about?"
"Her ex-husband left her after less than two years of marriage because he found out his ex-wife had had babies with the embryos they had frozen together while she was undergoing cancer treatment for a brain tumor," Carina shrugged, "And he wanted to go be their father or something."
"That is so complicated," Maya said, shaking her head, "Well, I can promise you that I do not have any secret embryos frozen with a previous partner."
"Neither do I," Carina said, shaking her head as they headed out of the hospital.
They got to the car, sanitizing their hands before they headed home.
"I am going to go lay down for a little bit," Carina said as they walked into the house, "I woke up when you left this morning and I couldn't go back to sleep, but now I want to sleep."
"Sorry I woke you up," Maya frowned as they both scrubbed their hands.
"You didn't wake me," Carina said, shaking her head, "I mean, you might have, but I stayed awake thinking about Mamma and Andrea and how excited I was about the wedding and other things, but now I'm tired."
"Go sleep," Maya said, kissing Carina gently, "I am going to go do a few things unless you want me to join you."
"You don't have to Bambina," Carina said, shaking her head, "I know you do not do very well with being still."
"Sorry," Maya said, looking down a little, knowing her constant need to move was often exhausting.
Maya honestly wanted to go lay down with Carina, to help her get the rest she needed and also rest herself because she was tired, but she was worried if she stopped moving, she would start freaking out about work, and that was exactly what she did not want to do today.
"It is not a bad thing, Bambina," Carina said, pulling her close, "You go do what you need, and I will do what I need. The rest of our lives are going to be balancing what we need and sometimes that will mean doing different things so we are both ok."
"I love you," Maya said, giving Carina a kiss before the brunette went into the bedroom, closing the door as Maya went into the kitchen, realizing it needed to be cleaned before she could start doing any other wedding stuff.
Did she overclean the kitchen, scrubbing in all the cracks and corners, cleaning out their toaster and her coffee maker and everything else on their counter? Absolutely. She told herself she just wanted the place to be extra clean for after the wedding so they didn't have to worry about it when they were just focusing on each other, but deep down, she knew that if she stopped moving and thought about what had happened this morning, it would either end in a panic attack, breakdown, or most likely both.
As she cleaned, she decided to focus on everything she loved about Carina, making a long list in her head of everything from how she smiled when she was asleep to the way she could calm her down from a panic attack to the way they had grown together in the past year. The more Maya thought about how happy Carina made her, the happier she started to feel.
She made Carina some coffee, knowing her fiancé would only sleep for an hour at the most and would need some liquid caffeine to wake her up the rest of the way.
Maya had spent so long learning how to make proper espresso, watching YouTube videos on the best techniques and trying it over and over while Carina was in Italy. She had even facetimed with Gabriella while Carina was on her flight home to get some last-minute pointers.
Carina had wanted to quarantine at a hotel, but Maya insisted she could just do it in the guest room at their apartment.
Maya had spent a week getting it ready for her, making sure it was stacked with all Carina's favorite snacks, putting a mini fridge in with drinks and moving the TV from the living room into the room where Carina would be stuck. She also made sure to put several of her Olympic t-shirts and sweatshirts in there along with a few of her work shirts because she knew Carina loved them most. She spent the entire day before Carina got home making her favorite foods and perfecting the coffee.
She had picked her fiancé up at the airport, body aching as Carina got in the back seat of the car, both of their faces covered in masks. Carina had gotten out of the car first, Maya giving her a few minutes to go upstairs before she followed, just to make sure they kept their distance.
When Maya walked into the house, she heard the water in the shower running. Carina had told her in the car that she was planning on showering and then crashing because she was so exhausted.
Maya went into the kitchen when she got home, making a cup of tea for Carina and leaving it on the nightstand in her room before closing the door and settling on the couch with a book. She heard the shower turn off after a while, and about ten minutes later, she got a text from Carina, thanking her for the tea and everything else, telling Maya she loved her and that she was going to sleep.
Maya texted her back quickly, telling her she loved her too, and to text her if she needed anything at all. Carina had landed at noon which was 9 pm in Italy meant by the time they got home, her body felt like it was close to 11 pm so she ended up sleeping the entire afternoon, calling Maya around ten pm to tell her she was awake. They had facetimed for almost an hour, before Maya started falling asleep and Carina insisted she get some rest.
Before she fell asleep, Maya had left a croissant and a cup of coffee outside Carina's door, going back into her room before texting her fiancé, telling her to open her door. Within a minute, Maya's phone was ringing again.
"Bambina, you did not have to do this," Carina said as Maya answered, "Also, how did you get so good at espresso?"
"I practiced," Maya said, yawning as she laid down in bed, "A lot. Vic and Travis got a lot of coffee while you were gone. And I facetimed Gabriella to make sure I made it exactly right."
"Oh Bambina," Carina said, tears springing to her eyes, though she blamed those on her jetlag, "Grazie. Thank you for doing that for me."
"I love you," Maya said, smiling a little as she started to fall asleep, "I'm glad you're home. Once thirteen and a half more days before we can actually be together."
"I love you too, Bambina," Carina said, "Now, go to sleep."
Maya was out before Carina even had a chance to hang up the phone, having been too anxious about her wife coming home to sleep the night before.
The two weeks in quarantine had been hard for both of them, but they made it through and now they were getting married. The blonde smiled as she thought about getting married, going to their table to roll up their programs for the wedding.
As she started tying the scrolls, she started humming and dancing a little, just letting herself feel all the excitement and happiness about today.
Soon, she started singing, hearing a voice from behind her and realizing Carina was awake. She immediately abandoned what she was working on in favor of swinging Carina around the kitchen as they talked.
When Carina brought up inviting her parents, Maya felt a feeling she had been avoiding almost as hard as her feelings about her job. She loved Carina more than anything in the world and was so so happy and proud to be marrying her today, but telling her mom and dad, mostly her dad, was beyond terrifying to her.
She had spent more nights than she cared to admit lying awake thinking about it while Carina was away. She and Carina had talked about it, the Italian even telling her that they should invite her mom to live with them because no one should have to live alone with their abuser during quarantine. Maya had almost picked up the phone and called her mom so many times, but the thought of having to talk to her dad, of him possibly answering the phone or being there if she went to see her mom had her paralyzed.
She knew her dad had no control over her, but she was scared if she saw him, she would somehow fall back into his manipulations and screw up her relationship with Carina again or go back to becoming someone she had worked for months to not be anymore. She made up excuses to not invite her family, knowing she was being slightly selfish because Carina would probably have given everything to have her family at their wedding.
However, Maya's fear still outweighed anything else, but instead of dwelling on it, she forced her thoughts back to how beyond excited she was to marry the beautiful woman in front of her. She was ready to get back to the work she had to do, but Carina pulled her back close, making the entire list in her head fall away as their eyes met followed soon after by their lips.
Before either of them knew what they were doing, they were in their bedroom, Carina pushing Maya up against the door as she pulled on her clothes. Soon enough, both of them were naked on their bed, reminding each other of yet another reason why they loved each other so much. Carina had already had her turn and was in the middle of blowing Maya's mind when she heard a noise from the living room.
"What was that?" she asked, not stopping what she was doing to her soon to be wife.
"I can't hear anything," Maya said before letting out another moan as Carina continued.
Just as Maya let out another moan, they both heard a crash outside the door.
"Damn it," Maya said, moaning again before she tried to move to get up, "Andy must be here. Shit. It's already 2 pm. We have to stop."
"Are you sure?" Carina asked playfully, making Maya gasp as she moved her hand.
"I don't want to," Maya said, moaning again, "But we have to. Andy is here and we have to get ready."
"Alright," Carina said, moving so Maya could get up.
"Andy has the worst timing," Maya groaned, pulling on her shirt, "I didn't even get to finish."
"We will have plenty of time for that tonight," Carina said, also grabbing her clothes, "And the rest of the week. Now go before Andy comes in here."
Maya opened the bedroom door, closing it quickly before going to see her friend. As she walked, she tried to come up with some logical reason for why they weren't there when she walked in, kicking herself as soon as she said they had been in the shower because her hair was not only not even a little bit wet, but also sticking up all over. However, Andy didn't say anything so they headed into the kitchen to get ready.
"How do you want me to do your makeup?" the Latina asked as she looked at what Maya had out.
"I don't know," Maya said, nerves starting to grow about the wedding.
"Well, what are you wearing?" Andy said, "Maybe that will help."
"I also don't know," Maya sighed, "I have a bunch of dresses and suits in the coat closet, but I can't decide."
"A bunch?" Andy said, "How many is a bunch?"
"I don't know," Maya said, looking down at her feet.
"More than five?" Andy asked, eyes wide when her best friend nodded yes, "More than ten?"
"Probably between ten and fifteen," Maya said, grimacing a little as she looked at Andy, "Maybe more."
"Ok," Andy said, walking over to the coat closet, "Let's figure this out first because as much as I'm sure Carina would enjoy it, you cannot get married naked."
Maya groaned but followed Andy, opening the closet.
"Did you rob a bridal store?" Andy asked, looking into the closet.
"No," Maya said, "I ordered them all online because when would I have had time to go to a store that isn't even open to get dresses. I can return everything that I don't wear."
Andy shook her head but started pulling dresses out, wanting them all out so Maya could see them all and hopefully make a decision.
"How about this one?" Andy said, holding up a beautiful white dress with thin straps.
"I don't think I like the top of that one," Maya said, shaking her head.
For the next twenty minutes, Andy tried and failed to talk Maya into any dress at all, but Maya just couldn't decide. She was starting to freak out a little bit, and nothing Andy said seemed to help.
However, Carina came walking out of the bedroom, the blonde instantly feeling calmer just seeing her soon-to-be wife. The Italian tried to talk Maya into letting her choose what she would wear for probably the tenth time since she heard about Maya's dress indecision just yesterday. Maya wanted to let her, to just be done with the whole thing, but she was also pretty insistent on adhering to the tradition of not seeing each other before the wedding. Almost all of this wedding was unconventional, but Maya wanted to keep this one part of wedding tradition.
Just as Carina was about to make another comment about choosing Maya's outfit when there was a knock at the door. Carina went and opened it, finding Amelia standing outside.
"What are you doing here?" Carina asked, confused.
"Your fiancé called me yesterday and told me you were planning on getting ready for this wedding alone," Amelia said, "And that just can't happen so I am here. I was just tested this morning so we are good. I can't stay for the wedding because I have to work, but I have the next three hours to help you get ready."
"Thank you Amelia," Carina said, "Come in."
"Hey Amelia," Maya said, smiling as the neurosurgeon poked her head around the corner, "Thanks for coming."
"I can't let one of my best friends and the woman who literally saved my life get ready for her wedding alone," Amelia said, "And you're Andy right?"
"Yeah," Andy nodded, "I work with Maya."
"Amelia Shepard," the neurosurgeon said, "Now, I am going to take this one to get ready."
"In the bedroom," Carina said, nodding as they turned down the hallway.
"Alright," Amelia said, "What are we doing?"
"Well, I want to leave my hair down," Carina said, "Maybe put some curls in the end."
"Let's start there," Amelia said, "Now, sit."
"You really did not have to do this," Carina said, "I'm sure you are busy with the baby and Meredith being home."
"I have spent so much time in that house," Amelia said, "I would literally use any excuse to get out."
"Oh, so I'm just a reason to leave the insanity house?" Carina said, cocking an eyebrow.
"I mean, a little," Amelia said, cracking a smile as Carina smiled at her, "No. I would have come even if I was crazy busy. You are one of the reasons I even get to have a family to make me insane and today is an important day for you. I wish I could be there for the actual wedding, but with Tom leaving, I am extra busy."
"I understand," Carina nodded, "Bailey and Ben will be there. Actually, Ben is the one marrying us."
"Really?" Amelia said, starting to work on the curls.
"Si," Carina nodded, "Maya was talking to her team about the wedding while I was in Italy, and he offered. He is special to both of us so it makes sense to have him do it."
Amelia nodded as she continued working.
"How are you feeling about getting married?" the neurosurgeon asked.
"I feel like I am already married," Carina said honestly, "To me, marriage is more about the relationship and the commitment that the piece of paper. Maya and I are committed to each other, are so in love with each other that it feels like we are married. But I am excited because she is excited, and having a party right now feels like exactly what we all need."
"I feel the same way about Maggie's wedding," Amelia nodded, "I mean, it's just going to be our house and a few other people who have strictly quarantined, but I am so ready to just have something happy to be a part of for a few hours."
"Si," Carina nodded, "After this year of loss and uncertainty and everything else that has been so hard, I am ready to just enjoy some time with Maya celebrating our love."
"And you deserve it more than anyone I know," Amelia said, smiling as she grabbed some hair spray, making sure the curls she had been working on getting into Carina's hair would stay, "And Maya seems like she really, truly loves you."
"And I her," Carina nodded.
"Are you writing your own vows?" Amelia asked.
"Si," Carina nodded, "I have mine done."
"Can I hear them?" Amelia asked, "Just so you can practice?"
"No," Carina said, shaking her head, "Sorry. I don't want anyone to hear them before I say them to Maya."
"I mean, I guess I can respect that," Amelia said, "I'm sure they are beautiful."
Carina nodded a little before Amelia kept going with her hair.
"Is it hard that your parents can't be here?" Amelia asked, "I mean, my dad obviously couldn't come to my wedding, but my mom and sisters chose not to come, and it was so hard."
"I wish my mamma and Andrea could be here," Carina said, determined not to start crying, "But my papa…he does not approve of our relationship and I have learned in the past year just how little he actually cares about me so not having him here is better."
"Is Maya's family coming?" Amelia asked, finishing with the curling iron.
"No," Carina said, "She is not exactly out to them and hasn't seen her dad since he assaulted her last year. She hasn't seen her brother in longer than that, and she does not want to deal with her mamma. I keep trying to get her to invite her mamma at least, but she is insistent that she does not want her there. I just hope she doesn't regret it."
"At the end of the day, it's her choice," Amelia said, spraying all of Carina's hair with hairspray. Carina nodded.
"Now, let's get to work on your makeup. Can I see what you are wearing?" Amelia asked, making sure Carina's hair looked perfect, "I mean since you never actually would tell me what you chose."
"Si," Carina nodded as she got up, "I went with the pantsuit because even though I am getting married, I still do not agree with the whole idea, and I will not bend to the patriarchal demand for a bride to wear a dress."
"Respect," Amelia said, smiling at her friend, "That is going to look amazing on you. Is Maya wearing a dress?"
"She doesn't know," Carina said, shaking her head, "She cannot decide what she should wear. She had like 20 dresses, but she won't just pick one."
"I thought she was really good at making choices," Amelia said, confused as she started work on Carina's makeup.
"Normally, she is," Carina nodded, "But she is not acting like she normally does when it comes to the wedding. She is happier than I have ever seen her, but she is also anxious and I think trying not to deal with how she is feeling about her parents. Maybe something else too. I don't know. She seems a little off to me today, but it could just be the wedding."
"I'm sure it's just because she's so damn excited about marrying you," Amelia said, "Because who wouldn't be excited to marry you. I know I would if you weren't already taken and I weren't in a happy relationship with Link."
Carina just laughed a little, shaking her head at her friend before stilling herself again to let Amelia get back to her makeup. Carina had no doubts that Maya wanted to marry her. The blonde had made it abundantly clear that she was so ready to marry the Italian, but Carina couldn't help but feel like something was bothering Maya today. She doubted anyone who wasn't her would even pick up on any differences in the blonde, but she knew Maya so intimately that she picked up on something.
She was going to ask Maya about it after her nap, but the blonde had been so happy that she had thought it might have just been her being paranoid. However, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was bothering Maya. She had told herself that she would ask her about it tomorrow, after the wedding and their celebrations both with their friends and alone because she knew Maya wouldn't be honest with her until that was over if something was really bothering her.
Amelia finished up Carina's makeup fairly quickly, smiling as she stepped back.
"You look beautiful Carina," Amelia said as the bride to be got up, going to the mirror and smiling, "Maya is one lucky lady."
"Thank you, Amelia," Carina said, turning to look at her friend, "But I am the lucky one."
"Alright," Amelia said, "Now for the outfit."
Carina nodded, changing her bra before stepping into the pantsuit, Amelia coming over to help her with the zipper.
"Wow Carina," Amelia said as her friend turned to face her, "You look beautiful."
"Grazie," Carina said, looking at herself in the mirror, "I spent my two weeks in quarantine in Italy trying to pick what I was going to wear and even after asking you and a few other people, but I just kept coming back to this one."
"You made the right choice," Amelia said, "Are you going to wear any jewelry?"
"Si," Carina nodded, "My mamma left me these earrings. She wore them for special occasions when I was young."
"They're beautiful," Amelia smiled, "And so special. Hey, are there any Italian traditions you guys are doing at your wedding?"
"Well, we made confetti and bomboniere for everyone to take home," Carina said, "It's basically a little box with confetti and sweet almonds and it's supposed to represent wealth, health, happiness, and all that. I didn't really want to, but Maya insisted. She worked on them while I was quarantining. She would sit in our room with the door open and her mask on and I would sit in the extra room doing the same and we would talk and one night, she asked me if there were any traditions from Italy, I liked from weddings I had been to, and I told her that I always thought those were fun. She worked the next day, but by the next time she got home, she had somehow gotten everything and worked on them while we talked the next time."
"That is adorable," Amelia said, "She really loves you."
"I know," Carina nodded, "Oh, and last night, she surprised me with another Italian tradition called la serenata which is basically a serenade the night before the wedding and normally, it is done from outside the window and the bride is supposed to lower food and accept the marriage one last time, but Maya just stood outside the bedroom door and sang to me, and it was so special."
"That is a beautiful tradition," Amelia said, smiling, "Is blondie a good singer?"
"She is pretty good," Carina nodded, "And she sang to me in Italian which was even better even with her messy pronunciation and trouble with the tune."
"Please tell me you recorded it?" Amelia said.
"I did," Carina nodded, "And no you cannot see it. I recorded it for myself and no one else."
"You are no fun," Amelia pouted.
"Hey Babe," they both heard from the other room, "Andy and I need to get going. I have to get this stuff to Vic for the wedding."
"Wait just a second," Carina called, "Amelia, help me take this off so I can say goodbye."
"For someone who is so against traditions and weddings in general, you both are so weird about not seeing each other in your outfits," Amelia said as she helped Carina out of the pantsuit before the Italian pulled on regular clothes.
Carina just shrugged as she left the room.
"Did you choose your outfit?" Carina asked as she walked over to Maya.
"Not yet," Maya sighed, "I'll pick something before we get married though, promise."
"The wedding is in two hours," Carina reminded her.
"I know," Maya said, wrapping her arms around Carina, "I'm hoping that once we are at the restaurant, I will just figure it out."
"Are you sure there is nothing keeping you from choosing the dress?" Carina asked.
"I am just being indecisive," Maya reassured her, "But it has nothing to do with me being indecisive about marrying you because I have never ever been more sure about anything in my life than that I want to spend the rest of it with you. I love you more than I even knew I was capable of Carina."
"I love you too, Maya," Carina said, pressing a kiss to her fiancé's lips.
"Ok," Andy said, walking back into the apartment, "Save it for after 'I do.' Maya, we need to get going."
"Alright," Maya said, pulling away, "I will see you in a few hours. I love you."
"Love you too Bambina," Carina said, "Now go."
Carina nodded, watching as Maya and Andy left before going back into the bedroom.
"Ok," Amelia said, "Well, what are you going to do now? I need to leave for work, but you have a few hours before the wedding."
"I actually have a surprise for Maya that I need to go finish up," Carina said, "Can you help me get back in my outfit? And then I need to pack."
"Going somewhere?" Amelia asked as she helped Carina back into her clothes, "Thinking about leaving Maya at the alter?"
"No," Carina said, shaking her head, "No. We are going somewhere together. She just doesn't know it yet. It is going to be safe, but just a time for us to get away."
"And Maya knows nothing about it?" Amelia asked as Carina started putting some things in a suitcase.
"Not a thing," Carina said, shaking her head, "I booked everything while I was in quarantine here. I think she will enjoy it."
"With the four pieces of lingerie you just put in that bag, I would say she would probably enjoy anywhere you took her," Amelia laughed as Carina stuck her tongue out at her friend.
"I am going to bring other things too," Carina said, going over to the closet.
"Do any of them happen to have also been used in your research at the hospital?" Amelia asked, leaning on the doorframe.
"No," Carina said, shaking her head, "Those are strictly for my work. We have our own collection for at home."
Amelia laughed as Carina put some clothes in the suitcase.
"Don't you have to work?" Carina asked, going into the bathroom to grab their toothbrushes and other hygiene items.
"Shit, yeah," Amelia nodded, looking at her watch, "Do you need any more help before I go?"
"No," Carina said, shaking her head, "Thank you so much for coming over and helping me get ready."
"Of course," Amelia smiled, giving Carina a small hug, "Congratulations. I am so happy for you."
"Grazie Amelia," Carina said, hugging her back before the neurosurgeon headed toward the door.
"I will see you when you get back to work," Amelia said, grabbing her keys she had left on the table, "Enjoy your wedding and honeymoon."
"See you soon," Carina nodded as her friend left.
Once Amelia was gone, she went back into the bedroom, finishing packing their bag before taking the bag down to the car. By the time she had everything loaded up, it was time for her to head to the restaurant.
As she drove, she thought about how much she was missing her brother and mom today. She had been so grateful that she had been able to go talk to them as best as she knew how that morning, but every part of her still wished they could actually be there today.
She got to the restaurant, parking her car before going inside. She almost stopped breathing when she saw how absolutely beautiful it was inside. She had heard about the fire here from Maya, obviously, but now, just a few short weeks later, she would have no idea. As she looked around, she thought about how insanely happy she was to be here and also how much her brother would have loved this because despite his constant teasing about her love life, Andrea had told her several times that he was so excited for how happy Maya made her.
Vic found her standing there, startling her a little. The two of them were not incredibly close because Carina had only barely gotten to know Maya's team, but she knew they could be good friends given time.
Just as they pulled out of the hug, Andy came walking into the dining room.
"Vic, hey, I need some help with…oh, hey Carina," Andy said, stopping as she saw the Italian.
"Hello Andy," Carina said, sensing something wasn't quite right, "How are things going?"
"Well, actually, I was coming to get Vic because Maya is freaking out a little bit, and I know you both didn't want to see each other before the wedding but…"
"Where is she?" Carina asked, cutting her off.
"Come on," Andy said, guiding Carina to the office where Maya was pacing.
"No," Maya said, "We can't see each other. It's bad luck. It…"
"Bambina, hey," Carina said, stopping the pacing, "Hey, look right here. Just focus on my eyes. Right here. Good."
Andy stepped out, giving the two of them space.
"Bambina, what's going on?" Carina asked, noticing Maya was still dressed in her sweats, "Do you not want to get married?"
"No," Maya said, "No, I want to marry you. I just…I don't know. I came out to my parents and told my dad to basically fuck off and told my mom she could come live with us and now there are a lot of things I am feeling that I don't quite know how to deal with and I just…I don't know."
"Hey," Carina said, pulling Maya's frantic attention back to herself, "I am proud of you."
"You…you are?" Maya said, feeling herself start to calm a bit.
"Si," Carina said, brushing a piece of hair off Maya's face, "I know that was incredibly hard for you, and I am so proud of you for doing it. I love you Bambina."
"I love you too," Maya said, melting into Carina's touches, "Thank you."
"I will always be here to cheer for you," Carina said, "And I will always be proud of you, especially when you do things that are so hard for you."
They just sat there for a few minutes, exchanging small kisses and soft, gentle touches until there was a knock on the door. Vic and Andy were both standing there when Maya opened it.
"Everything going alright in here?" Andy asked.
"Yeah," Maya nodded, smiling at Carina, "I'm good. I just needed to be reminded how amazing my family is."
"Your family?" Vic said, confused.
"Yeah," Maya said, wrapping her arm around Carina, "She's pretty great. And I guess you two are alright too."
"Aww," Vic said, realizing what her friend meant, "Could you two be any more adorable?"
"Shut up," Maya said, rolling her eyes at her friend.
"Ok," Andy said, "This is all very cute, but you two are getting married in thirty minutes. Maya, you need to pick what you are going to wear."
"Ok," Maya said, noticing Carina had been looking at one particular dress she had hanging up in the office, "I think I know."
"Alright," Carina said, giving Maya one more quick kiss, "I will let you get ready, but I am just across the hall if you need me."
Maya nodded as Carina stepped out of the office while Andy went in to help her get dressed.
"Come on," Vic said, guiding Carina across the hall, "You can put your stuff here. This is basically a storage room, but because of the fire, we cleaned it out, and haven't restocked it yet. Is there anything you need?"
"I don't think so," Carina said, smiling when she saw Vic had a table and some chairs in the room for her along with a small mirror on the table. Nothing fancy or anything, but a place she could finish getting ready.
"I need to go put a few more things out," Vic said, "But if you need anything, just let me know."
"Grazie Vic," Carina said as the younger woman left.
Carina took off her coat, hanging it on a coat rack that was also in the room. She looked at her outfit, making sure it was still looking good. She then grabbed out her makeup, touching up a few things before pulling out her phone. She had a message from Gabriella, wishing her well today, and telling her that she was so proud of her. Carina quickly texted her back, knowing her friend was on shift.
Just then, there was a knock on the door.
"Come in," Carina called as she finished her message.
"Happy Wedding Day Carina," Miranda Bailey said, opening the door.
"Grazie Bailey," Carina said, giving her a small hug, "And thank you for being here."
"Well, I know Shepard wanted to," Bailey said, "She tried as hard as she could to get the time off, but with Korasik leaving, we just couldn't spare her tonight."
"Lo so," Carina nodded, "She came over and helped me get ready earlier."
Bailey nodded, having run into Amelia as the neurosurgeon was arriving for her shift. Just then, there was another knock on the door.
"Ready?" Ben asked as Carina opened the door.
"More than ready," the woman nodded.
"Alright," Bailey said, "I am going to go out there."
"Come on Carina," Ben said, "Let's get you married."
Carina followed Ben out before realizing she had forgotten her bouquet.
"I'll be right back," she said, stepping back into her room.
As she did, she saw that Amelia had just texted her, telling her to enjoy her wedding and congratulations. She quickly texted her back, hearing Vic start to play as she grabbed her flowers.
She stole a quick look at Maya before grabbing Ben's arm. She wanted to just stare at Maya, but she knew she would almost assuredly trip and fall in front of all these people if she did.
They walked down the aisle, Carina smiling when she saw Maya's mom standing there, her heart soaring for her wife because maybe this meant that Maya's mom was finally ready to get out of the abusive situation she was in. It also made her that much prouder of Maya for going to talk to her parents before the wedding because the look on her mother-in-law's face told her exactly how important it was for her to be here.
They got to the alter, Carina finally allowing herself to take in the full beauty that was the woman standing in front of her. The dress Maya was wearing was the exact one she had been hoping she would choose. It hugged her in all the right places and made her look absolutely stunning. Carina's entire heart melted as Maya mouthed the words to the end of the song to her, Carina knowing that the blonde meant every single word.
When Maya realized she had forgotten her vows, Carina was worried for half a second that she was going to have a full-blown panic attack as her eyes started darting around, but as soon as Maya locked her eyes to Carina's, everything calmed down.
She had really meant to write her vows, but between everything going on at the station and Carina being in quarantine and trying to avoid thinking about her parents, every time Maya slowed down, she either felt like she was going to burst into tears so she kept moving or she would fall asleep.
However, standing here in front of Carina, she got out the few words she needed her to know, that she loved her and would forever choose to do everything by her side.
Carina looked into her eyes, their look communicating volumes in mere moments, telling each other everything they needed to know.
Carina had written her vows, spending a few days of her quarantine in the US working on them, but she decided not to say them here, deciding maybe sometime later, she would tell Maya, but she didn't want to make the blonde feel any worse about forgetting hers.
Ben quickly finished the ceremony, both women feeling a sense of elation and love and about a million other feelings as they pressed their lips together for the first time as wife and wife.
As they pulled apart, someone started the music and dancing immediately began.
The rest of the evening was nice, Maya and Carina talking with their friends, but also managing to steal minutes alone.
They talked to Maya's mom, the older Bishop woman congratulating her daughter and new daughter-in-law, telling them she would just go back home for the night, that Lane would probably yell and throw things, but that she would be alright and that they could work out her moving in later in the week, once Maya and Carina had gotten to enjoy some time just the two of them. Maya and Carina both tried to insist that she come home with them or that they would get her a hotel for the night, but she said it was fine.
Carina made a mental note to pull Katherine aside later and insist she go stay at their house because she and Maya wouldn't be there for the next week, but she didn't want to ruin the surprise for Maya.
After Andy left them to go get something to drink, Maya smiled at her wife.
"You know, we never had a first dance," she said, wrapping her arms around Carina.
"That is true," Carina nodded, smiling as they slowly started dancing to the slow music.
They danced for a few minutes, Maya resting her head on Carina's shoulder eventually, starting to feel the exhaustion of the past few days.
"Bambina," Carina said, having looked around and seen everyone from 19 staring at them, "I think something happened. Everyone's looking at us."
"Maybe we're just so hot they can't keep their eyes off us," Maya said, smiling as she looked at Carina.
"No," Carina said, stopping the dancing.
Maya turned and looked, noticing the look on everyone's face, glancing at the clock on the wall and noticing it was midnight. All she had asked the battalion chief was to wait until the next day to tell her team, and she realized he had been an even bigger asshole than she thought and had set up an email to send at midnight, technically the day she had asked him to tell them.
"Do you think it's a fire and they all have to leave?" Carina asked, having no idea what was going on.
"No," Maya said, shaking her head as she tried to stay calm, "Um, I think I know what they just found out, and I promise I will tell you in a little bit, but I need to go talk to them. Um, can you maybe get our stuff together? I want to leave once I talk to them."
"Ok," Carina nodded, voice full of concern.
She had no idea what was going on, but she could tell by Maya's demeanor that it was not good, "Are you ok, Bambina?"
"Um, not really," Maya said, looking up at the ceiling, "But physically, everything is fine, and I will be just fine. I promise, I will explain at home."
Carina nodded as Maya gave her a quick kiss before walking over to her team, the Italian desperately wanting to go be by her wife's side for whatever was going on, but she could tell Maya didn't want that right now.
Carina knew Maya liked to be strong for her team, but that she tended to bring out the blonde's soft and vulnerable side which Maya loved when they were alone but did not enjoy in front of other people. Carina went to grab her and Maya's bags before going to talk to Katherine Bishop to tell her about their plans and insist on her staying at their house.
Meanwhile, Maya walked up to her team as Robert and Andy walked out, both of them almost yelling at each other. Maya decided not to touch that for now.
"I am guessing you all just got an email about the chief's decision about my job?" Maya said, looking around and getting a few nods, "Ok. Well, yes, it's true. I knew about it because they cannot demote me without telling me. I met with the chief this morning. I am no longer captain and have been demoted to a non-ranking member of SFD. I am on two weeks of unpaid vacation and on probation for the next year. There is also a chance I will be transferred to another station, but that is still in discussion. I will answer any questions you have now, and then I am going to go home and be with my wife because I am married now, and all I want is to enjoy that so I will answer your questions now and then no one is allowed to contact me about work or preferably anything else for the next week because that time is for my amazingly hot and perfect wife. So, any questions?"
"Is this because of Zaza?" Travis asked.
"Part of it, yes," Maya nodded, "I disobeyed direct orders from the Battalion Chief. They have been unhappy with my actions for a while now, but there was nothing the brass could do until I stepped out of line."
"So, part of the reason we are losing you is because of the tensions with PD?" Ben asked.
"They won't come out and directly say it," Maya sighed, "But yes. But hear me when I say I would not have done anything differently. I stand by each and every choice I have made when it comes to PD and defying the chief and everything. Peoples' lives are far more important than my rank in SFD."
"Is there anything we can do to fight this?" Vic asked.
"I don't know," Maya shrugged, "I ask that if you do, that you do so respectfully and no one puts their jobs on the line for me. I am fine with their decisions because like I said, I believe I did what was right."
"Who's taking over?" Jack asked, "Not that I want your job because I really really don't, but I just want to know if you know."
"I have no idea," Maya said, seeing Andy slip back in, tear tracks apparent on her face, "If I could choose, I would say you or Herrera, but I will not give a recommendation because they will not promote whoever I recommend. Respect whoever they put in charge please. More than you all respected me at the beginning. I understand that this might be hard, but if you ever had any respect for me, please respect whoever is replacing me."
They all nodded, no one asking anything else.
"Alright," she said, "I am going to go try to enjoy my wedding night. Thank you all for coming to my wedding. Like I said, I will not answer anything about work for the next week because this time is for me to enjoy my amazing wife."
Everyone offered quiet congratulations for the marriage and said other things before Maya went to walk away.
"Mai," Andy said, walking up to her friend, "I…"
"Listen," Maya sighed, "If this is about what happened in your meeting with the chief, just leave it for now. I trust that you and Sullivan told the chief the truth and what you truly believe was right, and for now, that is what I need to believe. Today has been shitty enough without hearing what happened and don't pretend nothing did because I know the look on your face. You can tell me, but not now. Not on my wedding night, ok?"
"Ok," Andy nodded, respecting the boundaries Maya was clearly setting for her, "Well, congratulations. Enjoy your honeymoon. You both deserve it."
"Thank you," Maya said, smiling at her friend, "Now, if you will excuse me, I am ready to go home with my wife."
"I never thought I would hear you say anything like that," Andy said, smiling at her friend.
"Honestly, neither did I," Maya said, smiling a little, "I'll see you in a week. Thank you for everything."
Carina, who had gone to put their bags in the car, walked back in and up to Maya at that moment.
"I need to go thank Vic and her parents," Maya sighed, truly exhausted.
"Come on," Carina said, taking Maya's hand.
They quickly went around the room, telling everyone goodbye and thank you before heading out of the restaurant.
"Did you get my mom a hotel?" Maya asked, suddenly realizing she hadn't seen the older woman when they left.
"No," Carina said as they got in her car.
"What?" Maya said, "Damn it. She should not be home with him. Can we go over there and…"
"Bambina, breathe," Carina said, taking her hand as she started the car, "I did not send your mamma back to the house with your dad. I sent her to our apartment because we are not going to our apartment."
"What?" Maya said, exhausted and overly emotional brain struggling to understand what Carina was saying.
"We are going to a VRBO," Carina explained, "It's nothing too fancy, but it is on the Sound and it is going to be our honeymoon until we can take a proper honeymoon."
"But I don't have anything," Maya said.
"I took care of that," Carina said, "Now, are you ready to tell me what happened?"
"Not yet," Maya sighed, "Not here. I really didn't want to tell you until tomorrow, or I guess later today, but the fire chief is a bigger asshole than I thought."
Carina just rubbed soft circles on the back of Maya's hand, knowing that when the blonde was ready, she would talk about what was upsetting her. It took about twenty minutes to get to the VRBO, and when they did, both women grabbed their purses before going inside.
"This place is cute," Maya said as Carina unlocked the door.
Carina flipped on a soft light, revealing a trail of rose petals and Christmas lights leading to the bedroom.
"We don't have to do this now if you aren't up for it," Carina said, wrapping her arms around Maya's waist.
"Are you kidding?" Maya said, "I have a smoking hot wife to sex up tonight. Come on."
They went into the bedroom, Maya gasping when she saw the Christmas lights that were strung up and the champagne that was chilling in an ice bucket.
"When did this get done?" Maya asked as she pulled down Carina's jumpsuit.
"Ben and Bailey set this up for us," Carina said, smiling.
"This is incredible," Maya said, kissing Carina as she felt her wife undoing her dress.
The next two hours were filled with them reminding each other why they were physically so perfect together. After their third round of sex, both of them were physically exhausted, just lying in each other's arms, Carina tracing patterns up and down Maya's arm.
"So, are you ready to tell me what happened earlier?" Carina asked gently, not wanting to ruin the moment, but still sensing that Maya was off and probably needed to talk about it.
"I…So…Um…" Maya kept trying to start, feeling the tears she had been shoving down all day threatening to come pouring down her cheeks, "Well, I am sorry if you thought you married a fire captain today because you didn't."
"Cosa?" Carina asked, confused.
"So, um, remember how I told you about that hard call with the little boy earlier this week?" Maya asked, feeling Carina nod though she was completely unable to look at her wife, "So the work I had to do this morning, I was actually meeting with the fire chief to discuss what was going to happen because of that and they have decided to demote me all the way back to a non-ranking firefighter. I am also on suspension for two weeks and probation for a year and ineligible for a promotion for five years and I might be transferred out of 19."
And saying those words out loud to the one person in the world she trusted more than anything made the tears she had been holding in start falling fast and hard.
"Oh Bambina," Carina said, wrapping her tightly in a hug as the blonde sobbed, letting out all the emotions she had been trying not to show all day.
Carina just let her cry, not shushing her or anything, knowing that Maya needed to let out how she was feeling. The "off" feeling she had been getting from Maya all day made perfect sense now. The blonde had all but lost her job earlier this morning. After about ten minutes, Maya's tears had slowed, and Carina leaned over, grabbing some tissues, wiping Maya's cheeks before giving her some to wipe her nose.
"Sorry," Maya said, putting the tissues on the nightstand, "I wasn't going to tell you any of this until later because I didn't want to ruin today."
"Bambina, this does not ruin today," Carina said, brushing a piece of hair off Maya's tear-stained cheek, "Today will always and forever be the day we got married, or yesterday I guess, and nothing can take that away."
"I'm sorry," Maya said, looking down again.
"Sorry for what?" Carina asked, putting a hand under Maya's chin, bringing blue eyes to meet brown.
"You thought you were marrying a fire captain," Maya sighed, "And now I am going to be running into just about every fire on my shift and it's a pretty big pay cut too, and I have not title and it's just not what you signed up for."
"Bambina, I signed up for you," Carina said, cupping Maya's face in her hands, using her thumbs to wipe away the tears, "I signed up for every messy and beautiful and amazing thing about you whether you are the chief of the entire fire department or lose your job completely. Maya, your job title does not matter to me. Do I love that you are about to be in more danger every shift? No, not especially, but does it make me upset or angry or not love you as much? Absolutely not. Not even a tiny little bit. In fact, it makes me love you more."
"What?" Maya said through the tears that were flowing again.
"Si," Carina nodded, "Because you are continuing to do what you love even though it is not going like you planned and because you are suffering these consequences because you chose to save lives and do what you know is right, and that makes me love you more which I didn't think was possible."
"I love you too," Maya said as Carina leaned down and pressed a kiss to her lips, "So so much."
Carina smiled as Maya started yawning.
"Are you tired Bambina?" Carina asked.
"Yeah," Maya nodded, "I think I have only slept an hour in the last 48, maybe more. With everything with work and then being excited about the wedding and just being my normal anxious self, sleeping has been hard."
"I know," Carina said, nodding, "Same. Let's go get a quick shower just to rinse off and then we can sleep."
Maya nodded as they both got up, going into the bathroom. The shower was big and nice, but both of them were pretty focused on just getting clean and going to bed because while Carina had been up for almost 24 hours at this point except for her forty-minute nap in the morning, and while the day was amazing and both of them loved their wedding, it was also exhausting.
They both decided to forgo pajamas, just wanting to feel their bodies together tonight. By the time they got into bed, it was close to 5 am.
"I love you, my beautiful wife," Maya said, smiling at Carina.
"I love you too, mia bella moglie," Carina said, pressing a kiss to Maya's lips, "Now, let's go to sleep."
Maya nodded, the two of them snuggling close together, knowing that despite everything that was happening in their lives, they had each other and for them, that was all they needed.
What did you think? I hope you liked it!