I know you all are sad this story is ending! Thank you so much for reading and commenting. Y'all are amazing! Hope you enjoy this turn of events, see you next week for the final chapter! Love y'all.


One Year Later

Max barely finished the morning briefing before the bells go off.

Ambulance 61, Truck 81, Squad 3, Apartment Fire 2579 W Bay Street

"First day back and the bells go off before breakfast" Tris grins as she nudges Marlene on the shoulder as they climb into their turnout gear.

"Bring it on!" Marlene laughs as she hops on Truck 81.

It was her first shift back after being on maternity leave. She had been moved to work in the bullpen doing administrative work when she announced she was pregnant and now after 2 months at home with her and Caleb's son William she was ready for some action.

"Did you cry leaving my baby today?" Tris teases as they ride to the call.

Marlene chuckles, Tris was absolutely in love with her nephew. She and Caleb didn't have to worry about date nights or needing a break. Natalie had come to stay for three weeks when he was born and was already planning to come for Christmas. Tris and Tobias were planning to keep him overnight that weekend between shifts. Marlene always chuckled at her sister-in-law because Tris referred to him as her baby. She and Tobias maintained that they weren't trying for a baby, but Tris clearly had baby fever.

"Only a little but I think your brother is really the one you need to worry about, I suspect he has already called the nanny multiple times and will probably pop up at home at some point today too."

Tris shakes her head and grabs her mask as the Truck pulls up and she can see the smoke already billowing from the roof of the building that was on fire. She and Tobias wanted kids but now she wondered if it was time for them to take the first steps toward becoming parents.

"Prior, with Me, Vega, and Newhouse you two hit the first floor" Zeke instructs as he assesses the fire.

"Squad, 3rd floor" Tobias instructs, and everyone gets moving.

Zeke and Tris headed up the stairs to the first apartment on the second floor. Tris tries the door handle and when it doesn't budge, Zeke turns around to a door in the small duplex and mule kicks the door in.

"Damn," Zeke says as he sees a woman passed out on the floor and the fire ablaze in the kitchen.

Tris kneeled next to the woman and shakes her head seeing a needle sticking out of her arm.

"She's high" Tris observes as she checks her pulse to make sure she is alive.

"I'll carry her out," Zeke tells her knowing there was no chance they would get the woman up to walk out on her own.

Tris does a scan of the room and sees a toy fire truck on the floor and a few books scattered.

"Pedrad she's got a kid," Tris tells him frantically looking to see if she could see any movement.

"Fuck, 2 minutes Prior, this roof isn't going to hold," Zeke tells her as she hauls the woman over his shoulder to carry her down the stairs.

Tris gets low looking around the room and she sees movement under the dining room table. She crawls closer and she sees a small boy with her complexion, probably only 3 years old with the biggest brown eyes, peering at her from under the table hidden in the legs of a chair.

"Hey, I know you're scared but I need you to come with me," she tells him calmly.

He shakes his head no, staying hidden behind the chair. Tris looks back at the fire, knowing the building was going up fast.

"Look, you can trust me I'm not going to hurt you," Tris tells him in another attempt to coax him out.

"Prior, you got one minute to get out of that building" Max calls over the radio.

Tris closes her eyes for one second and then opens them again.

"I really need you to come with me, I don't want to scare you but if you don't come to me, I'm going to have to come and grab you. We need to go now"

She reaches her hand out again and slowly the little boy crawls to her as the ceiling groans as the fire quickly spreads.

"That's it, Come on Honey," Tris praises as he crawls to her.

Tris scoops him up and wraps him up in her turnout gear to protect him from the fire. There's a loud groan as the ceiling on the other side of the room starts to collapse.

"Prior, Report" Max barks over the radio.

Tris doesn't respond as she moves quickly to get outside of the apartment and down the stairwell, she and Zeke came through with the little boy clutching to her. She could feel him trembling.

Tobias lets out a sigh of relief when he sees his wife emerge from the building.

"51, hit it, let's get that fire out" Max commands when he sees Tris.

"Had us worried there for a minute, Prior" Zeke tells her as she pulls back her coat to reveal the little boy.

"It just took a little convincing that's all," she says in a sweet voice as she rubs his head.

Tris carries him to the back of the ambulance where Shauna listens to his lungs where the mother was lying in the gurney.

"Is he hurt?" Shauna asks.

"No just scared" Tris confirms.

"This is my friend Shauna; she's going to make sure you are okay," Tris tells him rubbing his back to comfort him as he tightened his arms around her neck.

"He's got a death grip on you" Tobias observes as the little boy clings to Tris still.

"Mind if I ride to Med with them Lieutenant?" Tris asks Zeke.

"No go ahead, Vega, Newhouse, and I will help with the overhaul"

"Hey what's your name? I'm Tris" she says gently to him as he looks up at her with his big brown eyes. He reminded her of her little brother Matthew when he was small.

"Don't worry, you're safe now" she whispers, still holding him close.


Uriah smiles as he sits on the stool in the exam room in front of Tris and the little boy.

"All clear" Uriah says pulling his stethoscope away.

"Good job!" Tris tells him enthusiastically holding out her hand for a slap which he gives her.

"I want my blankie," the little boy says looking up at her. Tris feels as though her heart might break.

"We don't have your blanket remember, I bet we left it at your home buddy"

"Mom is still coming down. She's not in any shape to see him yet" Uriah tells her leaning against the doorframe of the exam room.

"Hey Tris, DCFS is here about the boy," Christina tells her popping into the exam room.

Tris picks him up and carries him to the waiting area, holding him close again as she sets him on her hip. She and Christina greet the case worker and Tris feels herself getting angry as she listens.

"Nicky was being fostered by Gina Waters; she is not his mother" Niles the case worker confirms.

"Nicky, now I know your name, that's a good one," Tris tells him in a happy voice jiggling him a little in her arms.

"He's not going back there, is he?" Christina asks.

"No, I just saw his file. Neighbors had called with complaints, and we were planning to investigate. Unfortunately, the agency is a little overwhelmed right now."

"Where will he go?" Tris asks, her heart tugging as Nicky laid his head on her shoulder.

"I'll take him to the Steven Center Group Home until we can find another family for him"

Christina watches Tris noticing how every time Niles went to take Nicky out of her arms, she took a step back shielding him.

"Nicky, you and I are going to go play together," Niles tells him.

When Niles takes him out of her arms Tris feels an ache she never felt before.


"You, okay?" Tobias asks Tris as they snuggle together in bed the following afternoon noting how distracted she had been since shift ended.

"Yeah, well…Nicky, the little boy from the fire, I can't get him out of my head. He kept asking for his blanket, the poor kid has been bounced around from foster home to foster home, it's probably the only thing that he feels is his,"

Tobias pulls her closer to him to comfort her. Tris doesn't say anything else, but Nicky fills her thoughts for the rest of the evening.

The next day Tris makes her way to the apartment building where she rescued Nicky and finds a child's blanket in a bedroom that thankfully wasn't burned. She takes it home and washes it and delivers it to Niles at DCFS.

"This was very thoughtful of you, Tris. Nicky seemed pretty attached; he couldn't take his eyes off you."

"I didn't do anything special," Tris tells him honestly.

"I'll make sure he gets it for bedtime," Niles tells her with a soft smile. Tris returns his smile and then turns to leave when she stops and turns back to Niles.

"He doesn't have any family?" she asks, worrying, filling her mind about what would happen to Nicky.

"None on record. Birth mom was an addict, gave him up when he was an infant." Niles confirms after making a few clicks on his computer screen.

"Damn kid can't catch a break"

"And because of what he's been through he's going to need special attention, which will make him harder to place. But he's still young enough - he's got a shot." Niles tells her, wanting to be as honest as possible knowing the reality Nicky was facing.

"I hope so, he deserves that," Tris tells him as she turns to head out. She knew the foster system was tough with Christina being her best friend.

Niles sighed, he could tell Tris was attached to this little boy from the hospital. There were so many kids that needed homes, but Nicky needed a miracle to happen for a real chance.


Tobias unlocks the door to the townhouse, and he is immediately hit with the sweet aroma of food when he walks through the door. He had taught a class at the fire academy that afternoon and wanted to chill out on the couch and get some rest before shift in the morning and he was happy his wife had made dinner.

"Hey Babe" he calls as he walks in on his wife smiling as she pours a glass of wine.

"Hey!" Tris calls back as she finished setting the kitchen table.

"This is a big meal; did I forget a special date or something?" Tobias asks furrowing his eyebrows and looking at the spread she had made which included mashed potatoes, steak, and a chocolate cake.

"No, go wash up and have a seat" she chuckles.

When Tobias sits down Tris sets a plate down in front of him and he notices she looks a little nervous.

"You want to tell me what the special occasion is now?" He asks cutting into his steak.

Tris sets her fork down and figures she might as well get it out of the way. She had purposefully made Tobias his favorite meal in hopes it would ease him into going along with her idea.

"Well, this is kind of crazy, and I know we haven't talked about expanding our family much but how would you feel about us becoming foster parents to Nicky, the little boy I rescued from that fire last week? I can't get him out of my head, Tobias, the way he climbed into my arms and hung on for dear life. He has nobody and I just I feel like this was meant to be"

Tris bites her lip as she watches Tobias take in the information.

"This means a lot to you, doesn't it?" he asks, taking in the hopeful look in her eyes.

"Yes, and Niles told me when I called to ask that if Nicky does well, we could even adopt him formally if we wanted to if the foster parent thing goes well. I know this is different, and I'm not sure how you feel about adopting a baby and not having a child that is genetically ours..." Tris adds. She was so nervous she was practically bouncing in her chair as she watched Tobias process his thoughts.

"I want to have a family with you, and I think we have so much love to give, whether that's through us having our own baby or being foster parents," Tobias tells her after thinking for a moment. It was the truth. He'd honestly never thought about being a parent until he met her. How they had a family didn't matter to him.

Tris squeals with delight and hops up to hug him. Tobias pulls her into his lap, and she kisses him with everything.

"I love you" she beams when she pulls away.

"I always knew you were going to be an amazing mother, Tris; you really think we're ready for this?" Tobias asks.

"Yeah, I do, you and me we can do anything when we work together"

She leans down for another kiss smiling.


Tris and Tobias walk into the group home and hear the sound of kids laughing in the room. She couldn't shake how drawn she was to Nicky and Tobias had agreed to visit him with her after Niles approved it. She takes a deep breath when she sees him sitting all alone on his bed while the other children play.

"Hey Nicky, Remember me? My name's Tris, and this is my husband, Tobias. Do you mind if we hang out with you for a while?" She keeps her voice nice and calm.

Nicky doesn't say anything, he plays with the blanket she had pulled from the fire. Tobias sits on one side of him and Tris on the other. Tris smiles at him and sees a book on the bed. Tobias notices how small he looks sitting there.

"Corduroy, I used to love this book!" She tells him excitedly as she picks up the book.

Tris opens the book and begins to read to him. After a few pages, he starts to help her turn the pages.

"Look a bear," Nicky tells her pointing to the page.

"That's right a bear" Tris grins looking down at him and then looking over to Tobias with a smile before she continues reading. Nicky was supposed to be with her and Tobias, she could feel it.


"Okay, foster parent application," Tobias says looking at the paperwork they had laying on the kitchen table.

"Check," Tris says sliding the application into an envelope.

"Parenting class?" Tobias says going to the next item on the list.

"Scheduled for after shift on Tuesday" Tris nods.

"Letter of Recommendation?"

"I was thinking about that…think we could ask Chief?" Tris asks.

"I can't think of anyone better" Tobias smiles and reaches his hand over to squeeze hers. "Zeke and Tori have some stuff in storage they aren't using for Dallas when they move back in together and they said we could have it"

Tobias chuckles when he sees his wife's eyes light up with excitement. Turning the guest room into a room for Nicky was going to be even easier now. Marlene and Caleb had purchased a home right before the baby was born that had a guest room for Natalie and Ramon when they came to visit so they were okay with the space they were working within the townhouse.


Christina grabs a cup of hot chocolate and sits down on the apron of Firehouse 51 in a lawn chair next to Tris and Marlene.

"How are you feeling?" she asks, settling into her chair.

"Nervous," Tris says honestly. "Niles from DFCS told us that he's being pressured to place Nicky with a family"

"You and Eaton have everything in order, the room you set up for him looks amazing. I'm really proud of you for doing this Tris" Christina tells her, and Tris feels emotional. Knowing what her best friend had endured in the foster care system had made her all that more determined to give Nicky a good home.

"It's going to happen, I know it," Marlene tells her giving her arm a squeeze.

"And thank you so much for helping us with the Nanny situation," Tris tells her sister-in-law.

When Tris and Tobias told everyone their plans to foster Nicky, their 51 family had jumped into gear. Max had written them a glowing recommendation, and Caleb and Marlene said that Will's nanny could watch both Will and Nicky on the days that they had shift. Tori and Zeke had passed along things that Dallas had outgrown and didn't need anymore. Tris was feeling confident that their home inspection in three days was going to go well. Fernando had joined Andrew and Jeanine to help paint and set up Nicky's room for the home inspection the day before.

"With you, me, and Eaton all on the same shift, it makes perfect sense, and the kids are going to be around each other all the time anyway" Marlene shrugs with a smile. With how close Tris and Caleb were, she knew that her son and Tris' children were going to be just as close.

"I'm really proud of you Tris, Uriah and I have talked about fostering too once we get married" Christina adds. Knowing firsthand how many kids in the foster care system needed love and a stable home.


One year later

"Will you read it to me, Daddy?" Nicky asks in a small voice as he brings a storybook to Tris and Tobias.

Tris looks over and sits on the bench at the end of the bed and smiles.

"Of course buddy, I've been practicing my Goldie Locks and The Three Bears voices just for you," Tobias says as he picks up Nicky and sets him in his lap.

Tobias was an amazing father. She didn't know how she got so lucky. They sit there as a family reading the book, Nicky laughing at Tobias and his voices of the different bears. Tris leans down to give Nicky a kiss on the head.

"Again," Nicky says excitedly when Tobias finishes.

Things were perfect with Nicky; he needed some extra love and attention at times, but it was nothing that Tris and Tobias couldn't handle. The first time Nicky called Tris mommy and Tobias daddy, Tris sobbed tears of happiness. For Tobias, it was a feeling he couldn't describe. His relationship with his parents was still strained, but Tobias made sure to put his wife and son first. He leaned on Chief Boden, Zeke, and even Andrew for advice, wanting to learn how to support his son through all he would experience in the world as a young Black man.

Nicky loved his Abuelita and Abuelo - as he called Natalie and Ramon - and they had fallen in love with him as well. Nicky had started asking to call them on Facetime randomly and Tris laughed that Natalie now worried about him getting enough to eat or if he had a hat on his head the same as she did with Will. Tris shook her head when a box arrived the day before full of presents for Nicky from the Dominican Republic which he eagerly opened. Andrew, Jeanine, and Matty were taken to him as well. They had just had Nicky with them the weekend before so Tris and Tobias could have a date night.

"Tomorrow Bud, Mommy, and I have to go to work, but I bet Ms. Corina can bring you by the Firehouse so you can see the Fire trucks. Let's go get your jacket and your shoes on" Tobias tells him with a chuckle as he kisses his forehead.

"Okay," Nicky says happily as he runs out of the room to go grab his jacket and shoes.

"Any word from Niles?" Tris asks as she grabs her phone from the nightstand.

"No, Tobias huffs. He and Tris were frustrated. Niles had approached them about formally adopting Nicky, and then an aunt popped up. Since she was a blood relative the courts would look favorably on her. Tris was panicking, she had no idea what she was going to do if they had to give him up.

"We can't lose him, he's our son," Tris says her voice wobbly as she sighs. She wipes a few tears away. She couldn't imagine their life without Nicky now. He was everything

"Hey, it's going to be okay. We are going to do everything we can. I will not let anyone take him from us" Tobias assures her and pulls her into an embrace.

"Do you think we should call in a favor to Nita?" Tris asks, pulling away.

Tris ran into Nita a few months after she and Tobias had gotten married when 51 responded to a fire in Nita's office building. Nita was doing well; she'd finally made partner at her law firm. Tris realized that she would never be close to Nita but the two resigned themselves to keeping in touch.

Tobias grimaces, he didn't love the idea of Tris being friendly with Nita, considering how she pulled away when Nita popped up in her life the first time. Tris assured her they were done, and she hadn't looked back since. He realizes that he needed to put away his pride and worries to fight for their son.

"At this point, I think we need to put every card we have on the table"

She picks up her phone and dials while Tobias goes to get Nicky in the car.

"Hey, I need some legal advice, do you think we could meet for coffee tomorrow?" Tris asks.

She's hopeful when she hangs up and grabs her overnight bag for shift before heading to the car.

"Tia Marlene!" Nicky squeals as Tobias helps him out of his booster seat when they arrive at Caleb and Marlene's house.

"Hola mi guapo sobrino (Hello my handsome nephew)" Marlene grins picking Nicky up and kissing his cheeks while Nicky giggles.

"What's up, bro?" Tobias asks Caleb as he grabs Nicky's overnight bag.

Nicky squeals with delight as Caleb takes him from Marlene and swings him up in the air.

"Corina's best friend is getting married today. I'm off today, so I thought I would hang out with my boys today with Papi and Matty. Papi said he and Jeanine can handle them if I get called into a scene" Caleb confirms as Marlene kisses him goodbye.

Tobias smiles as he nods, he was so grateful for their village. Andrew and Jeanine had really stepped up over the years, especially now they were grandparents. Marlene's parents were amazing too, helping out, along with Hana and Tori if there was a major incident when everyone was on shift and Caleb got called to a crime scene.

"See you in one sleep okay," Tris tells him and gives him a kiss on the cheek.

"Thanks, Tio Caleb" she grins at her brother going back to get in the car.


Shauna groans as she wakes up and then sits up panicking when she looks over at the clock seeing what time it was and she had shift that morning.'

"Don't go" Nita mumbles as she reaches for Shauna and pulls her back down pressing her naked body against hers causing Shauna to groan as memories of their lovemaking from the night before run through her mind.

This relationship started off as a drunken night between the two, but they quickly realized they had no strength to stay away from each other. Shauna couldn't believe that she had given Tris so much hell for trying to work things out with Nita and not choosing Tobias and now she found herself falling head over heels for this woman.

Shauna forces herself to pull away as Nita runs her hands over her hips.

"I hate to run, but I'm gonna be late for shift". She apologizes and then gives her a kiss before hopping out the bed.

Shauna had been shocked the night she walked into a bar and found Nita sitting alone at the bar. They awkwardly said hello, but Nita offered the seat next to her. After a few drinks, Nita confessed how intimidated she was by Shauna. Shauna apologized for being a bitch and admitted that she went out of her way to not get to know Nita.

"Well do you want to get to know me?"

That question had ignited something between them. At first, Shauna told herself it was just that night, but it turned into more dates over the next few months. Neither one of them was sure how to bring up that they were an item to Tris or Tobias yet.

"Don't give me that pout" she chuckles as she pulls her shirt over her head and Nita pokes her lip out sitting up in the bed.

Nita furrows her eyebrows when her phone rings. She reaches over to the bedside table to grab it.

"Who is it?" Shauna asks, seeing the look on her face.

"Hi Tris," she says carefully as Shauna's eyes go wide. "Sure, coffee, tomorrow… Sounds good. Text me the address"

She hangs up and looks at Shauna.

"We have to tell them" Nita reasons.

"I know, I know…" Shauna says. She leans over and gives Nita another kiss before heading to the firehouse.


Tris and Tobias sit anxiously in the coffee shop the next morning after leaving 51. Marlene and Caleb were keeping Nicky for a few extra hours.

"Hey" Nita greets them as she slides into the seat in front of Tris and Tobias.

"Thanks for meeting us" Tobias offers. Things had been awkward between him and Nita when she and Tris were still together, but he'd come to realize that she wasn't to blame for anything, and she did seem like a nice person.

"No problem, I'm happy to help" Nita smiles genuinely.

Tris and Tobias go over all the information from the day they rescued Nicky from the fire, to applying to be foster parents and working with DCFS to wanting to formally adopt him.

Nita looks over all the paperwork and makes notes.

"I'm not going to lie this is going to be a tough case, but I really think we can make a good case for you two"

"We'll do whatever it takes," Tris says firmly and Nita smiles. She could see how much Tris and Tobias loved that little boy.

They talk for a little while more about the information Nita needed to gather and the next steps. Tobias looks up and waves at Shauna as she enters the coffee shop.

"What are you doing here Preston?" Tobias asks as she approaches the table, waving hello.

Nita had suggested Shauna drop by and maybe it would be easier to just put it all out there.

Tris furrows her eyebrows as Shauna slides into the seat next to Nita.

"Ummmm, we wanted to talk to you…and…well…." Shauna stumbles over her words.

"We?" Tobias asks, confused, and Tris chuckles, realizing what was going on.

Nita bites her lip and grabs Shauna's hand, lacing their fingers together.

"Shauna and I have been seeing each other for a few months now and we didn't want it to be weird, but we felt like we should tell you…."

"I'm happy for you," Tris tells them with a big smile. Nita deserved to be happy, and so did Shauna. Just because she and Nita didn't work out, didn't mean that she couldn't find love with someone else.

"So… this isn't weird?" Shauna asks, relaxing and squeezing Nita's hand.

"I mean…it will be a little weird if we go on double dates with my wife's ex-girlfriend" Tobias teases.

"Asshole" Shauna tells him as she rolls her eyes and then sticks her tongue out at him.

"Hey, you kiss your mother with that mouth!" Tobias says gripping his chest in mock outrage.

"Are they always like this?" Nita asks Tris with a grin.

"Worse" Tris confirms with an eye roll.


It takes a few months for Nita to get the custody hearing arranged. Tris and Tobias are overwhelmed with all the love and support from their friends and family who showed up to the hearing. Natalie flew in from the Dominican Republic, the entire 2nd shift at 51 was there along with Andrew, Caleb, Susan, Hana, and Tori.

Nita made a compelling argument, going over the stable environment Tris and Tobias had created for Nicky despite the counter arguments made by Nicky's aunt Celeste who had learned that her sister had abandoned her baby only recently.

The courtroom was overcome with joy when the judge came back, ruling that Tris and Tobias would be allowed to formally adopt Nicky. Tris and Tobias promised Celeste they would stay connected if she wanted to be involved in Nicky's life.

"Mommy, can we go home?" Nicky asks with a yawn as Tris picks him up. It had been a long day, she was tired too from all the emotional ups and downs of the custody hearing.

"Yes, Let's go home, Abuelita is going to make dinner," Tris tells him and looks at Tobias with the biggest smile.