Author Note: Hi there, this is my first Station 19 fic, though it's certainly not my ever first fic (15 years on FFnet and going strong). I've struggled to write over the last year so thought I'd try something new. Unfortunately for me I ship a couple that doesn't exist, not even in their own world, and nobody seems to have written fanfiction for them. So, I guess I'll have to do it myself…just so you know, I DO love Vicley. But I also love the idea of Mayic? Hughop? I have no idea what their ship name would be. But the options don't feel great, so maybe it's just not meant to be. Except in this fic…all mistakes are my own.

Disclaimer: Station 19 is not mine, I only play at being a firefighter

The empty apartment gradually lit up as the light came on. Maya placed her keys on the table by the door and looked up. She startled, stepping back slightly.

"Jeez. Vic. You scared me."

She didn't move. Maya stepped forwards, closing the gap between her and the couch. She threw herself down into the space beside Vic.

"Hey, Vic?" she sighed. She was asleep. She grasped her shoulder gently and gave it a shake. "You should go to bed."

"What?" Vic opened her eyes and glanced at Maya. She looked away and back again, blinking rapidly. She yawned. "Maya?"

"You okay?"

"Yeah."

"Vic." She stared at her, her eyes wide, trying to say the words without needing to speak them. Vic didn't bite. "What happened?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing makes you fall asleep sitting up on the couch in the dark?"

"Was it dark?" She asked, looking around the illuminated room.

"How long have you been here?"

"I dunno."

"Since we finished work?" Vic shrugged. Maya sighed again. She squeezed Vic's arm. "I know tomorrow's gonna to be difficult."

The sleepy expression on Vic's face changed rapidly. Her teeth pressed together, her jaw shook. "You don't have a clue what tomorrow is going to be."

"A year, Vic. We were all there in the hospital. I know we weren't gonna marry the guy, but it's still hard."

"Yeah." She grunted softly and cleared her throat. She stood up. "I'm going to bed."

Maya stood beside her. "Come on, Vic. Don't be like that."

"Like what?" she spun around, tears filled her eyes and she glanced away. "It's been a year, Maya. A year. What do I do with that?"

"I don't..." Maya reached out and pulled her into her arms. "I don't know."

Sinking into her arms, Vic's cries grew more intense, longer, until she could barely catch her breath. She wrapped her arms tightly around Maya's waist, resting her head against her chest. The beat of her heart brought about a calmness she hadn't felt in a long while.

"I'm fine." She pulled back, forging the briefest smile. "I'll be okay."

"It's okay if you're not."

"I know." She shrugged and headed across the room. "Thanks for letting me crash, again."

"Any time." Maya took off her jacket and laid it across the back of the couch then headed in the direction of Vic. Before she could walk out of the room, she gripped her wrist. "Hey, you know you're welcome to move in, if that's what you want. You've spent enough time here this year, you practically live here."

Vic chewed on her lip, tears still lingering on her cheeks. She swiped a hand across them. "You sure Andy wouldn't mind?"

"Like she's ever here!" Maya rolled her eyes. "She might as well move in with Sully for what it's worth."

"Let me think about it, yeah?"

"Sure." Maya let go, her fingers trailed across the back of her hand. "There's no rush."

"Night."

X

The next morning, Vic lay in bed, staring into space. Nothing felt right today. It didn't specifically feel wrong, like it had the year before, but it didn't feel right. Her heart ached, far deeper than it had in months. Her head pounded. She'd slept well, at least for a few hours. But the second she woke, and noticed it was past midnight, the harder it was to drift back to sleep. She heard Maya get up and go out. An hour later and she heard the door open again.

Nothing had changed. The world kept on turning. As it had after Lucas died. She didn't know what she'd expected, but this wasn't it.

A gentle knock at the bedroom door reminded her she wasn't alone. She opened her mouth but her lips were dry. No words came out. The door opened.

"Vic." Maya smiled at her, a tray of food in her hands. She held it up and walked towards the bed. "I can leave you alone, if you want."

"No." Her response surprised her. She expected to ask her to go, and yet she didn't really want that. She patted the bed beside her. "You should eat."

They sat in silence, side by side. Maya enjoyed the breakfast she'd made while Vic nibbled on the same corner of toast.

"What time is it?" Vic looked over at the clock and tossed the bedsheets aside, she knelt up and grabbed the fork out of Maya's hand. "You're late for work. Don't be late for me."

"It's fine."

"No! It's not." Vic slid the tray aside and tried to push Maya off the bed. "Don't be stupid."

"Vic, stop. I'm not going in today."

Vic paused on her hands and knees. She glanced away, then back up again, barely catching her eye. "You don't need to not go to work because of me."

"It's too late. I already called Sullivan."

"Maya, no!"

She shrugged. "Whether you want me to take the day off or not, it's happening. You don't have to entertain me, I have things I can be doing."

"Like going to work."

"We all agreed..." she trailed off.

Vic gritted her teeth and breathed out heavily. "You all agreed."

"Travis was going to take the day but then he got asked to deliver that presentation at the school and I told him you'd probably end up crashing at our place anyway. Andy's been AWOL since she started spending so much time at Sullivan's, so it might as well be me."

Vic lowered herself onto the bed, face first, and closed her eyes. Her shoulders shook slowly, as her tears increased. "You don't...I don't need...thanks."

Resting a hand on her back, Maya gave her shoulder the briefest squeeze. "You're family. It's the least I can do."

X

"Herrera, where are you?" Maya shouted into her radio. She paced back and forth across the courtyard.

The line crackled. "In the eastern stairwell, We've just found the child. Gibson's doing initial checks. We'll be out soon."

"Hughes, we need the aid car ready," she shouted.

"On it," Vic shouted back, Ben on the other side as they wheeled the gurney closer to the entrance.

The fourth floor continued to burn. Windows broke as the flames took hold. Suddenly, a gust of dust and flames tunnelled out of every available hole on the upper floor. The courtyard went silent. The radio line barely crackled.

"Herrera!" Maya shouted into her radio, again. No response. "Andy. I need a response. What is happening?"

She glanced back at Hughes, whose hand rested on her forehead, her face paled.

"Come on, Andy. Gibson. Somebody, please answer me."

"Bishop!" Vic called. She glanced back at the building, her heart pounding. Round the side of the brick wall, Andy and Jack appeared, at either end of a stretcher.

"Hughes!" Maya shouted, calling her forward. Ben and Vic wheeled the gurney further for Andy and Jack to lower the girl onto. Maya's heart rate continued to speed along, gradually slowing as relief settled in.

X

"I've got chicken jambalaya on the hob, you'd better not have plans tonight," Vic shouted as Maya arrived home. Silence. She turned down the hob and headed towards the entrance to the kitchen. "Maya?"

She stood with her back to Vic. Her shoulders were drooped, moving involuntarily. She moved her hand to her face.

"Maya. What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Her voice broke, betraying her words.

"Don't nothing me."

"Seriously, I'm fine."

Vic shook her head and walked towards her, stepping out in front of her before she could turn away again. Tears streamed down her face, forging tracks across her skin.

Her mouth slightly open, Vic reached out her hands to Maya's arms, her eyes wide. "What is going on?"

"Bad day."

She narrowed her gaze. "We work together, Bishop. You can't pull the bad day card. We spent most of the day together."

"I need a shower," Maya said, swiping her hand across her eyes. She turned to walk away.

"Stop." Vic grasped at her wrist, holding her steady. She moved to her front and ran her hands up her arms, staring into her eyes. "You have literally saved my life this past year. Talk to me. Don't shut me out, Maya. I'm here for you. Don't do this alone."

"Mason." She let out a choked sob and lowered her gaze, wiping at fresh tears with her fingers. "My, my brother."

"I didn't know you had a brother." Vic frowned. She reached a hand out and brushed the tears from Maya's cheek. "What's happened?

"Di…died, he died."