December 22, 2021

There was loud banging on the door and then Joey was yelling. "Pops! Pops! POPS!"

Ben shot up, his heart racing. He rushed to the door of the room where he'd been sleeping and ripped it open. "What's wrong? What's…. what's the matter?!"

"Nothing. Everything's fine."

The older man sighed and scratched his chest. "Then do not call me like that. I thought the damn station was on fire."

"Sorry," Joey said genuinely.

"And you're sure everything is good?"

"Better than good." Joey practically dragged Ben down the Christmas-decorated stairs, Ben's hand slid down some garland, tickling his palm. The holiday season usually filled him with joy as he celebrated with family and friends, but this year was tough. Dean loved Christmas and it was the first time since he'd started at 19 that they wouldn't get to share their traditional Christmas day beer.

"That's not a thing," Ben said shaking his head as they walked out of the station into the bright morning.

Dean shrugged. "That's why we're making it a thing. You and me." The want to roll his eyes was overpowered by a yawn. It was a week before Christmas and they'd just come from a four-alarm just hours earlier. In his four months at the station, he'd never seen a fire spread across so much space so quickly. It'd almost taken out an entire cul-de-sac of eight houses. Along with Station 23, they'd contained it. And while a lot of owners lost their stuff, miraculously, there were no fatalities. Afterwards, Dean had stood in the locker room and had begged any and everyone to go with him to a bar to grab a drink. The rest of them had all scurried off leaving Ben alone with the hyper man. "I don't suppose you want to grab one, Probie?"

"Oh! Uh, it's eight in the morning. And I have to… get home," Ben said lying whilst checking his phone, begging it to ring.

"It's one drink," Dean said.

Ben sighed and the man began nodding knowingly. They worked so closely with one another, so while he knew Dean, he didn't really know him. They were two of only four Black men at Station 19 and Dean was the only one in his squad. When he'd told Miranda that, she suggested that he invite him over, but Dean already had a group and Ben was still debating whether or not he wanted to break into their tight circle. Most of them were younger and he was the only one who was married with a kid. "One. Where are we getting this drink? Your place or mine?"

The strong man gripped one of his shoulders gently. "We can go to my place. Come on."

"Fine." Dean jumped on his back and it took a quick second for Ben to control the brolic man. The two of them howled with laughter. In his car following Dean, he called Miranda running the story down.

"Aww, a little man date. A mandate!"

"Please, stop, babe," he said laughing. "We're getting a drink and I'm coming home to you and the kid."

He imagined her shrugging as she said: "We're good here. Have a good time, babe. And then…"

"And then?"

Her voice dropped an octave and his spine straightened. "When you come home, you'll find out."

"I'm not going now," he told her and she scolded him lightheartedly. Ben pulled into a small, dusty lot behind his coworker. "Alright, alright, cut your lecturing. I'm here."

"Have fun, my love."

"I love you," he said.

"I love you."

Dean knocked on his window, jerking his head. Ben had heard he lived in a boathouse, but walking onto it, he was in awe. The outside was almost gawdy with way too many decorations, but Ben could appreciate the enthusiasm. That's how he was about Halloween. The inside was decked out from floor to ceiling and though there didn't seem to be true coherence, he loved it. "This is great, Miller," he said pointing to the tree that was overrun with ornaments.

"Yeah, my sister helped me." Dean held out a bottle of beer as low music played. Maybe they were on a man date. Ben chuckled to himself as he accepted the drink. "You like Blue Moon?"

"It's my favorite," Ben said truthfully.

"Sit, sit. Relax." The two of them sat down, sipping awkwardly for a minute. Ben tried to gulp down as much as he could without appearing like he wanted to leave. "Is this weird? This is weird, right?"

"We don't usually hang out," he exhaled. "You're usually with Hughes or Gibson."

Dean rubbed his chin. "Yeah, I went through the academy with Gibson and Hughes, well… she's, uh… she's great."

Ben thought he detected something in the man's voice that he'd suspected during his first days on the job—the man was in love. Though he doubted the woman knew. "Cool."

"But that's no reason why we can't be friends, too. I'm a likable guy." Dean's smile rivaled the flashing lights.

"You got room for one more on your roster?" Ben asked, mirroring his new friend's face.

"There are only two of us in A, we have to stick together." Dean looked at him seriously and Ben wondered if the beer had infiltrated his system that quickly or if he'd always felt that way.

The older one inhaled. "Then.. we're friends. Done." He put the bottle to his lips and closed his eyes. "Ooh, I love this song."

"You do not like Muddy Waters."

"I don't like…" He extracted his phone from his pocket and tapped around and showed a perfectly curated list of his favorite musical artists. Muddy Waters was right at the top.

Dean grinned. "I knew I liked you, Warren. Those other people have no class."

The men cracked up. "So, why are we drinking at nine in the morning?"

The younger one shrugged. "It's a long night and I was just looking for a little company during the most wonderful time of the year."

"You're really a big fan of the season?"

"You're not?"

"It's cool. Halloween's my thing, but my family loves Christmas, so I've learned."

"Well, Christmas at my house was always professionally done. Pictures, trees, decorations, the works. That's why…" He gestured to the room. "I'm trying to make up for lost time."

Ben looked around. "I think it looks good."

"Thank you, brotha."

They talked a little more and somehow that one beer turned into three. Despite being more than a few years apart, they had a lot in common and Ben was glad that he'd taken him up on this offer. On the fourth one, Ben had his shoes off, laying on the couch. Dean was already asleep and he stared at the ceiling watching the lights flicker. His phone buzzed and he answered it, walking out on the deck. "Hey, baby."

"Do you have a girlfriend?"

"Am I supposed to really answer that?"

She giggled. "I miss you," Miranda whined. "Where are you?"

"Still at Miller's. He lives on a boat," he said leaning on the railing peering over the water.

"Really?"

Ben nodded like she could see him. "And I'm tipsy."

"Want me to come and get you?"

"I'm good. I'll only be a couple of hours."

Back inside, Dean turned over. "You're leaving?"

"Not yet. But I am hungry."

That perked the man up. "We should have breakfast!" Ben agreed. "Sausage, grits, eggs! I'll cook."

"You cook?" Ben asked half-jokingly.

"Yes, Warren, my mom made sure I could cook and clean and do all of the things. There's something to her credit." He mumbled that last part, but Ben heard the annoyance. "But, um, I'm going to run to the bathroom first."

While he was gone, Ben scrolled his Facebook and saw all kinds of holiday pictures. "I'll guess I'll join the masses," he said to himself snapping a picture of Dean's place and a selfie of him in front of the tree.

Dean sauntered across the room. "Ay, get one of me." He raised his beer and Ben took the picture. "Tag me, please. Oooh! Let's get a selfie."

Ben squinted. "For…?"

"For prosperity. To document this."

He grinned. "And 'this' is…"

"The start of our new Christmas tradition."

Ben nodded, not actually minding how it sounded now that he'd experienced the wonders of said tradition. Finally, he was making a friend at the station. He walked over to Dean, grabbing his beer. Holding up his camera, he starting recording saying: "Say 'Christmas beer'."

Dean laughed loudly. "I thought it wasn't a thing."

The eighteen-year-old began smiling broadly. Ben copied it, confused and intrigued. "What, Joe?"

"I was looking at more footage of the station like Captain Herrera told me to and… I think I found something."

"Something like what?" They sat down in front of the computer and Joey pushed play. "What I am I looking at?"

"Watch."

Ben rubbed his eyes and stared at the screen. A bunch of his fellow firefighters were in the kitchen making dinner and some other people milled and out of the shot. He kind ofremembered this scene. Though, it could have been any day of the week over the course of the last five years. "What am I —" Then, he saw himself on the screen. Moments later he was joined by Dean and the two of them walked down a hallway. Dean was talking and gesturing unsurely and nervously. "Now, there's no sound, but—"

"Shhh!" Joey made a face. "Will you and Miranda take my baby?" Ben said softly as Dean mouthed the exact phrase.

"You can read his lips?"

The older one shook his head. "No, but I don't have to. I just know that's what he said." The scene continued as the two men headed toward the huge island in the middle of the kitchen where Vic, Emmett and Maya were. They'd all testified to hearing Dean ask, but it had all amounted to nothing it seemed. Until this. "Run it back." Joey did and kept his eyes on his dad. "Will you and Miranda take my baby? You two are the best parents that I know."

Joey paused it as Ben and Dean shared a hug. "Download that and send that to me ASAP. Like now. And don't tell anyone about this, okay?" The boy nodded. "Promise me."

"I swear," Joey said.

"Good."

"Are you taking it to Condola?"

"No." Ben got up from the chair and ran toward the steps. He doubled back and hugged Joey, kissing his curly head. "This is great. You did good, Joey. Thank you."

Ben hopped into his car and drove as fast as he could without breaking any laws. At Grey Sloan, he dashed in to find his wife. As he rode the elevator up to her office, his phone beeped. For a third time, he watched the conversation with his friend. "I'd be honored, man. That's what I told him. I said that!" The other person in the elevator gave him a strange look and darted off of the car as soon as the doors opened.

In her office, Miranda was lying on the sofa with a pillow between her legs. Quietly, he walked over to her, dropping to the floor. His lips brushed against her skin. "Ben Warren, that had better be you."

"Wake up and see," he said.

Her big, brown eyes opened. "I knew it was you."

"You let other men kiss you like that?" He asked, smiling.

Miranda licked her lips and brought him in for another kiss. "I'm not going there with you."

"Sit up, I want to show you something that Joey found."

They rewatched the video several times over with Miranda, who could read lips, confirming that Dean was saying what Ben and the others said he'd said. "Now, what do we do?"

"I was going to take it to Condola, but she's out of town. I was thinking…"

"Benjamin, no," she said reading his mind.

He understood that she didn't want him to, but he had to try. "I'm gonna take it to the Millers."

"You're going to piss them off," she said.

"I have to do something."

"Wait for Condola. She's the lawyer. She'll know what to do. Just wait!"

He touched her hand, wiggling his about so that their fingers became entwined. "I can't."

Miranda shook him off. "If you do this… If you don't go through the proper channels and you make it so that we don't even stand a chance…"

"What?" She stood up and moved toward her desk. Ben wanted to follow her, but stopped himself. What he thought would be great news was turning sour. Was she right? "Miranda?"

"You think that you'll show them this video and what? That they'll say how sorry they are for treating their son the way they did? That… that they'll break down and give us Pru? They barely even let us talk to her or see her, Ben! It will be the end of the road if you take this video to them." When she turned to face him, he saw that her cheeks were wet with tears. "Please." Usually uncompromising and stern, she was begging him not to do what he was sure would be the right move. Hadn't she just said that she admired his gusto? "If they see that video, they'll think we're throwing his death in their faces and the fact that he… preferred us over them. I don't want to fight with them anymore," Miranda said on the verge of panic.

"Okay, okay, okay, baby. Okay," he said walking over to her. He knelt in front of her and brought her in for an easy kiss, slipping his tongue into her mouth, calming her. "I won't."

"It's added stress that I don't want to have to deal with or need to deal with. Not ever, but especially not right now."

"Is it your heart?" He held his breath wondering if he'd missed any signs. "I'm sorry. I wasn't even—"

Miranda chuckled and shook her head. "No. My heart is perfectly fine, but…"

"But what, baby?" She backed up in the computer chair and reached over to grab a tablet, handing it to him. His eyes scanned the screen thoroughly and though he knew exactly what it all meant, he was dumbfounded. "Wait… what?"

"Are you sure you're a doctor?" She asked, zooming in on her HCG levels. Pregnant? They were having a baby? Three-quarters of him were ecstatic, over-the-moon, but the other quarter was deathly afraid that this time would be like last time or worse. "Breathe."

He did as he was told. Air felt good going though his body again. "But… but…"

"'But… but…'," she teased, grabbing the front of his shirt, her eyes wide and anxious. "I'm pregnant, hon."

His heart twirled and dropped into his stomach. The conflicting feelings made him want to throw up with joy. Was this a joke? He'd long given up on the idea that he'd help bring a child into this world biologically. It just didn't seem to be in the cards. So this was throwing him… "Oh, my God, Miranda."

"Ben?" Their eyes met and he saw that she was tearing up again and knew he was doing the same, his vision blurry. "Are you h—"

"Yes!"