June 1st, 2002

Alex lay on the couch in front of the lockers. The men were at the table playing their usual night of poker. They already had three calls this evening. She hated busy nights like these. Jenkins nudged Carlos who glanced over his cards at Alex.

"So, Taylor...." Carlos said. Alex opened her eyes knowing something was coming from the guys.

"You and Davis are tight again huh?" Doc asked laying down his hand. The guys groaned.

"Yes we're tight. We're dating. He's my boyfriend." Alex said, "okay?"

"Fine." Doc smiled, "Its good to know that Ty has you. He needs a woman to keep him in control."

"Nice to know you're not a lesbian too." Carlos laughed, "I was starting to wonder there again." Alex groaned grabbed the pillow beneath her head and threw it at Carlos.

"Why are you so interested in Alex's love life?" Kim asked going to her locker.

"Who said anything about love?" Carlos chuckled. Alex frowned sitting up.

"I'm in this relationship, Nieto, because I love him." Alex glared; "I'm not in it for some wham bam thank you ma'am. I have feelings unlike you."

"Enough guys." Jimmy said discarding three cards'

"Agreed." Doc sighed. Kim sat down next to Alex.

"Ignore Carlos." She said.

"It's hard sometimes." She said, "He's always there. Whenever I go over Ty's, he's there."

"He's his roommate." Kim said softly. Alex sighed deeply.

"I know that. Its just-" the sirens cut Alex off. She sighed deeply and jumped up. She ran down the stairs and grabbed her jacket and helmet as she ran for the engine. Alex hopped into the engine as Jimmy sped off.

"Don't pay attention to Nieto." He said. Alex shook her head.

"I don't. I could really care less what he thinks or any of you think." Alex said. Jimmy shrugged. The fire was a three-alarm fire. "Shit."

As soon as the engine slowed down, Alex was out. She grabbed the hose and ran to the nearest hydrant. Jimmy ran up behind her helping her with the house. He cranked it and then ran to the fire. Alex nodded and turned the hose on. The water drenched the fire in front of them, but it was doing nothing. Alex shook her head. A woman ran up to them.

"My daughter! She's in there!!" She cried. Alex turned the hose off and nodded.

"All right. Tell me where and I'll get her." Alex went back to the engine to get the oxygen. She was going to risk it. She hated going into fires like these.

"She's in here bedroom. Down the hallway. I tried to get her, but the fire got too bad." She cried. Alex nodded.

"Go to the paramedics. I'll go get her." Alex glanced back at Jimmy before running into the burning house.

Alex's heart pounded. Flames licked above her head. She could barely see one foot in front of her. The smoke was too thick. Alex pressed her back against the wall as she moved along the hallway. Alex took the flashlight out and tried shined it down the hallway.

"Is someone down here?" Alex called out moving down it. The flames were getting bigger and the smoke was getting more intense.

"Taylor, get out of there now." Jimmy said through the walkie-talkie. Alex shook her head.

"I don't have the girl yet."

"Taylor now!!" Jimmy snapped. Alex ignored her radio and found a door.

"Is someone in here??" Alex called out. She tried opening the door, but something was in front of it. "Shit." Alex pushed open the door and found the limp little girl in front of it. Alex bent down and scooped the little girl in her arms. She whimpered slightly.

"Mommy." She whispered.

"We'll get you to your mother." Alex said moving back out. She looked down the hallway. It was covered in flames. Alex looked around her. There was no way out. There had to be a window upstairs. She knew it was something she should be doing but she had to get this girl out. Alex ran up the stairs, hearing them crack beneath her.

The little girl was whimpering holding Alex tight. She saw the light of a window down the hallway. She started running. The floor started to give beneath her. This was the end. Like her father, she was going to die saving someone's life.

"Hold my neck as tight as you can." Alex said. She felt the girls arms tighten. The floor started to give out beneath Alex's feet. She dove for the window and grabbed onto the sill as the floor fell to the first. She was dangling there, fear swelling in her chest.

"JIMMY!!!" She screamed, pulling herself up as far as she could. The little girl as sobbing as Alex managed to get hr arms out the window. She silently prayed to her father as she hauled her upper torso out the window. She looked down and saw the net below. Thank god. "Now listen me, There is a net like they have at the circus down below. It's safe. You jump out the window onto the net and you can see your momma."

"Like the circus?" She sniffed. Alex's hands began to slip.

"Yeah, Baby, jump on the net." Sweat from the heat and the work she was doing was pouring down her face. Her sweaty hands were making her grip slip. "Please, Daddy." She whispered under her breath as the little girl loosened her grip and climbed up Alex's back. She peered over the edge. "You can do it."

The little girl didn't hesitate. She jumped onto the net and was met by her mother and the paramedics. Alex breathed deeply. The oxygen tanks were weighing her down. She couldn't drop them into the fire. She slowly wiggled more of her way out the window. She knew she had to get the tans off or jumping could cause her some serious pain. She braced herself against the window as she slipped her arm through one of the harnesses straps.

"Taylor!! Are you okay!?" Jimmy yelled up. She ignored him as she got the other strap off. She let the tanks fall down to the net below her. Alex looked at the net. She took a deep breath and pushed herself out the window.

She closed her eyes as she fell. She felt like she was flying. Maybe if she tried hard enough she could flap her arms and fly up to see her father. Alex felt the impact of the net on her back. She groaned slightly as Doc and Carlos grabbed her and pulled her to the ambulance. She was dazed for a few minutes.

"Taylor." Carlos looked at her. Her blue eyes focused on him, "are you okay?"

"Ah...My hands." She looked down at them. They were red and bleeding, "I lost my gloves in the fire."

"It's okay." Carlos said taking her hands, "Just looks like some splinters and over working them." He grabbed some alcohol. "This is going to hurt." Alex nodded slowly as he poured the alcohol on her wound. She hissed in pain. "You did well, Taylor."

"Yeah." She mumbled as Carlos bandaged her hands up. Jimmy walked up to the bus.

"You okay?" He asked.

"Hurt my hands, but yeah." She mumbled.

"The little girl is okay." He said. Alex nodded.

"Good." She said, "I think...I'm going to go home after the doctors look at this." Jimmy nodded.

"Go ahead." He said. "You deserve it." Alex smiled softly as Doc closed the bus's doors.

* * *

Alex walked into her house. Silence. She sighed softly and walked to her bedroom. She looked at her bandaged hands. They would be fine in a couple of days. Alex plopped down on her bed and closed her eyes.

She felt so close to her dad that day. She hat4d to admit it, especially to herself. Something got her out of that fire. Alex closed her eyes tightly. She wanted to be alone. She couldn't call Ty now, but she knew once Carlos got home and told him, he would be over here in a flash. Alex tried to drift off to sleep. She tried to forget the flames and smoke licking at her body. She tried.