Maya was in the kitchen of her apartment, trying hard to make a pork tenderloin and a side of roasted veggies for her date night with Carina. She had invited the Italian over and promised to cook dinner.

Maya was not a great cook, she wasn't even in the top five at the station, but her food was usually edible and tasted decently good. It was nothing like Carina's incredible Italian cooking that blew Maya's mind every single time, but this was one dish Maya was actually good at. It was currently 5:30 and Carina was going to be there any minute.

Just as Maya was finishing her final flip on the veggie, her phone dinged. She figured it was Carina, telling her she was on her way up.

However, when she pulled out her phone, she saw it was Andy, inviting her to go out to Joe's with the team that night. Maya's jaw dropped as she re-read the message three times and probably would have kept reading it except there was a knock on her door. She walked over to the door, still staring at her phone as she opened it.

"Hi Bella," Carina said, knowing instantly that something was off with her girlfriend, "What's wrong?"

"Hi," Maya said, coming out of her daze, "Sorry. Hello. I missed you."

"Hi," Carina said as Maya leaned up and kissed her, "Now, what is wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong," Maya said, "Actually, I think it's the opposite of wrong. Andy just invited me to go out to Joe's with the team tonight."

"Oh Bella," Carina said, smiling as she watched Maya smile, "That is great. I am so happy for you."

"But tonight, is our date night," Maya said, looking at Carina, "I can't go out."

"Yes you can," Carina nodded, "I know how important this is to you. We can have date night another night."

"Or…never mind," Maya said as they walked into the kitchen, "I don't want to cancel date night though. It's been like 4 days since we have gotten to spend any time together."

"What were you going to suggest?" Carina said as Maya pulled out two plates while Carina got some silverware.

"Would you maybe…wanttocometothebarandmeetmyteam?" Maya said quickly.

"What?" Carina said, laughing, "Ok, Maya, you know English is my second language and while I am very good at it, I need you to slow down, just a little bit."

"Ok," Maya said, taking a deep breath, "Would you like to come to the bar tonight and meet me team and hang out? I would really like to let them all meet you and I think you would probably like them and I know you've met Travis already and maybe it's a terrible idea. We can just stay in and watch a movie and do other stuff tonight. I'm sure my team will invite me out again."

"Do I get a chance to tell you what I think?" Carina laughed a little as Maya poured them both a glass of wine.

"Yeah, of course," Maya nodded, handing her a glass of wine, "Sorry."

"It's ok," Carina smiled, planting a small kiss on Maya's lips, "I would actually love to come with you to Joe's and meet your team."

"Are you serious?" Maya said, biting her lip.

"Si," Carina nodded, "They are a big part of your life and I want to meet them. What time are they going?"

"Like 8," Maya said, "So we can have dinner and hang out for a little bit if you want."

"Sounds good," Carina nodded, "Now, do you need any help with dinner?"

"No," Maya said, "You can just sit and relax. Tell me about your day."

Carina told Maya all about her day at work, the blonde listening intently as she finished up dinner.

After they ate, they relaxed on the couch with their wine, turning on an Italian movie Carina loved which turned into background noise as their heated make out session turned into more. Finally, at 7:30, they both went into the bathroom to freshen up.

"You did a number on my hair," Maya said, running her brush through her long, blonde hair.

"You are one to talk Miss Hair Puller," Carina said, laughing as she picked up the extra brush she kept at Maya's.

They danced around each other as they got ready, Carina sensing the anxiety that was pouring off of Maya as they got ready to leave.

"Hey," Carina said, grabbing her hand as they were about to walk out the door, "Are you ok with me meeting your team?"

"Yeah," Maya said, "Yeah, of course I do."

"Then why are you so anxious?" Carina asked, wrapping her arms around her girlfriend's waist. "I haven't been out with my team since I got promoted," Maya said, looking down, "And things have been going better at the station, but I don't know."

"You are nervous about how this is going to go," Carina nodded knowingly, "That's ok. I will be right there with you, ok? Remember, they are your friends."

"I know," Maya said, nodding, "Ok. Let's go."

They had decided to walk to Joe's and then Uber back to Maya's after because she lived close enough. Carina held Maya's hand the entire time, rubbing slow circles on it to help keep her calm.

"Alright," Maya said as they stopped outside, "Ready?"

"Ready," Carina nodded, smiling.

Maya took a deep breath before opening the door. They walked into the bar, Maya smiling when she saw her entire team was already there.

"Let me introduce you and then I will grab us drinks, ok?"

"Sounds good," Carina nodded as they made their way over to her girlfriend's team.

"Ok," Maya said, walking up to everyone, "So, everyone, this is my girlfriend, Dr. Carina Deluca. Carina, I know you've met Travis and Ben, but this is…"

"Andy, Robert, Vic, Travis, Dean, Jack, and of course Ben," Carina said, expertly pointing to each member of the team, "I have met them all."

"Before tonight?" Maya said, looking between her girlfriend and her friends, "When?"

"Over the past few weeks," Carina shrugged, "I met the night I came by the station after the snowstorm."

"I was dropping papers in your office," Andy said, "And I may have seen you two kissing, but I was still mad at you so I didn't say anything."

"And I met Ben years ago, but I also ran into him at the station after I brought you lasagna," Carina said, looking at him.

"And I put two and two together that you two were together," Ben said, "Although Carina was very insistent you two were not dating."

"We weren't then," Carina shrugged as she looked between Ben and Maya, "I met Vic in the hospital elevator."

"I may or may not have seen you two having coffee and kissing a little at the nurse's station," Vic said, "And then Carina and I took the elevator down together."

"Si, and I told her my girlfriend had brought me coffee," Carina said, "But I did not know who she was at the time, or that she had seen us."

"I tried out that coffee place by the way," Vic said, "It was amazing. I know why you drive out there."

"And then you were there when I met Travis," Carina said, looking at Maya.

"Yeah, and that meeting made me forget my headphones and get roped into lunch with the Dixons," Travis said, shivering a little as he thought about that day.

"Sorry," Carina laughed, "And then Dean was bringing his beautiful little girl to the hospital for a checkup."

"Yes," Dean said, "And she took me down to the lab. And I didn't even realize she was the person who helped with Pru's birth. Thank you by the way."

"It was all Maya," Carina shrugged, "I just kept her calm and gave her some tips."

"Well, still," Dean said, "Thank you. Also, I saw you two together that day when I left the hospital."

"Oh, that day," Carina said, giving Maya a knowing look, "Si. It was…a long day and Maya made it better."

The blonde smiled, leaning her head on Carina's shoulder.

"I also met Captain Herrera when he stopped by Maya's building last week," Carina said.

Maya looked at Andy, seeing the confusion on her face as to why her dad was at Maya's apartment building.

"Ryan," Maya mouthed to her, earning her a nod from the lieutenant.

"What about Jack and Robert?" Vic asked, "Have you met them before tonight."

"Si," Carina nodded, "I met Robert in the park when I was waiting for Maya to go for a run."

"You must really like her if you are willing to run with her," Andy said, shaking her head.

"Wait," Maya said, "You said some man was…that was Sullivan?"

"Si," Carina said, nodding as Maya glanced at her boss, deciding not to do anything at the moment, "And I met Jack at the hospital one day and he told me all about his ex-girlfriend who became his boss."

"What?!" Maya said, looking at him, "You did what?"

"Calm down Bella," Carina said, grabbing her hand, "He didn't know who I was or that I knew who you were."

"And I thought she was upset about her boyfriend," Jack said, wincing as soon as he said it because he heard how it sounded.

"So, you thought you would complain about your ex-girlfriend?" Vic said, raising an eyebrow at him as she watched Maya practically fume.

"I was just…" Jack started only to get cut off by Ben.

"Gibson, just stop while you are ahead," he said, "Or at least not more behind."

"Come on Bella," Carina said, seeing how mad Maya was at Jack, "Let's go get a drink."

"Ok," Maya said, feeling Carina squeezing her hand, "Yeah, ok."

They walked over to the bar, Maya ordering herself a beer to start, Carina asking for a glass of white wine.

"Are you mad I didn't tell you I had met your team before?" Carina asked as they waited for their drinks.

"Not really," Maya said, shaking her head, "But why didn't you?"

"Well, I knew you weren't super sure what you wanted us to be for a while," Carina said, "And I didn't know most of them had any idea that I knew you. Also, I knew how hard they were being on you, and I didn't want you to have to think about it more than you already were, especially with me."

"Thank you," Maya said, leaning over and giving her a small kiss, smiling as she pulled back.

"Of course," Carina said as they both thanked the bar tender for their drink, "I did enjoy meeting most of them though. You have a good family here. I would like to get to know them all better if you are still ok with that."

"Yeah," Maya nodded, "I really would. Thank you for saying we should both come here tonight. I don't think I knew how much I needed this."

"I like getting to see you with all of them," Carina said, "Now, they are all starting to stare so let's get back over there."

"Ok," Maya said, nodding as she took Carina's hand, "Let's go."

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