*****Flashback*****
Mercedes stood in uniform, waiting for her name to be called. She felt so awesome. She the only girl to survive training at the fire academy. She was surrounded by 19 men that were taller, wider, and stronger than she was, but she made it. When her name was called, she stepped up and received her certification and recognition as the only female of her class. She smiled and accepted, walking off the platform. She moved to brothers and mother, who was crying.
"Awe, Ma, why are you crying?"
"I never thought I would see the day my baby girl became one of the guys."
"Ma, I'm not one of the guys yet. I still need my station assignment. Then I will find out if I am one of the guys."
"What if you get put in a different precinct than your brother? No one will be able to watch over you."
"Ma, I applied for 32nd or 55th. Mo knows all the guys in the 32nd and we both know all the guys in the 55th. Besides, if Lieu did what he promised, I'll get the 55 without a doubt."
"Now you call him Lieu?" Rose burst into tears.
"Mo, help me out here. Tell her it'll all be all right."
"Ma, Mercedes will be fine. If she gets into the 55th, I will be around, and she knows everyone on the Third Watch. She's new so she will get in the same shift as them. Don't worry, they are good people, very protective. We're one big happy family."
"Thanks Mo. Dad isn't here, is he?" She cringed. She had missed the first year and had to re-apply the second year. When her father told her she was chunking out, she had progressed to anorexia and was too weak to even try and get in. She had almost died, and Mo was the one that saved her. Which drove her harder to become a firefighter and a paramedic. She wanted to prove she was over her problems and could move on, and she did.
"My baby sister, one of the guys." Mikey hugged her tightly.
"Thanks, Mikey. Glad you could make it. You still clean?" She looked over him, eyeing him.
"Yes, I'm clean. Stop worrying about me; look at you, Little Miss Firefighter." Mikey flicked her little bun and she spun around.
"Watch it. I may be small, but during the academy I learned how to bench-press 250 pounds. You weigh half that don't make me embarrass you in front of Mo."
"Oh, listen to her. Miss hard ass now. I swear, you become more like Mo every month." He cracked at her about her time of the month.
"You aren't careful, I'm gunna become Mo right now and cuff you." She smacked Mikey upside the head.
"Oh that's it!" Mikey picked her up over his shoulder and ran around with her, as she kicked her legs and squealed.
"Graduates! You Have Your Station Assignments! Come Get Them!" The Chief yelled. Mercedes got down, walking over to get the envelope. Coming back a moment later, the group looked at her as she opened it, reading it, she frowned.
"What? What's wrong?" Mo looked at her as she held the paper. Looking up at him she sighed.
"I got into the 55." She was faking it the entire time. Mo grabbed her and started tickling her.
"Don't ever do that again!" He pinned to the ground, tickling her.
"You're going to mess up my uniform! Get off me!" She kicked at him. He got off of her and helped her up.
"Who are you training under?"
"I am probie under Jimmy Doherty." Oh, Jimmy Doherty. Mercedes thought he was one of the cutest firefighters she had ever seen. Those muscles, that build, those dimples. Mo made a face.
"Around the block Doherty, he's the worst of the bucket boys. He touches you the wrong way; I'll kill him."
"Mo, give it a rest. I am not in the position to have a relationship, nor do I plan on starting one now, especially with Doherty."
"My baby girl is grown up!" Rose starting crying on Mikey's shoulder as he held her, rolling his eyes.
"She did this at your graduation too Mo." He just pet his mothers hair and sighed.
"Yeah she did. My Army and Police one. She'll get over it Mercedes, don't worry."
"I'm not worried I just-" She got cut off as she got knocked over by the water from the hose line her graduating class hooked up. She jumped up and looked at them, completely soaked.
"You better cool off their, Boscorelli! Things might get too hot for ya!" The graduating class laughed as she tried to ring out her clothes.
"You guys are so NOT funny!" She laughed and threw mud at them. Out of nowhere a mud fight ensued. After an hour of war, Mercedes moved towards her family, who were waiting at the car, and looked at them.
"Umm. Does this mean I have to ride on the trunk?"
Mercedes stood in uniform, waiting for her name to be called. She felt so awesome. She the only girl to survive training at the fire academy. She was surrounded by 19 men that were taller, wider, and stronger than she was, but she made it. When her name was called, she stepped up and received her certification and recognition as the only female of her class. She smiled and accepted, walking off the platform. She moved to brothers and mother, who was crying.
"Awe, Ma, why are you crying?"
"I never thought I would see the day my baby girl became one of the guys."
"Ma, I'm not one of the guys yet. I still need my station assignment. Then I will find out if I am one of the guys."
"What if you get put in a different precinct than your brother? No one will be able to watch over you."
"Ma, I applied for 32nd or 55th. Mo knows all the guys in the 32nd and we both know all the guys in the 55th. Besides, if Lieu did what he promised, I'll get the 55 without a doubt."
"Now you call him Lieu?" Rose burst into tears.
"Mo, help me out here. Tell her it'll all be all right."
"Ma, Mercedes will be fine. If she gets into the 55th, I will be around, and she knows everyone on the Third Watch. She's new so she will get in the same shift as them. Don't worry, they are good people, very protective. We're one big happy family."
"Thanks Mo. Dad isn't here, is he?" She cringed. She had missed the first year and had to re-apply the second year. When her father told her she was chunking out, she had progressed to anorexia and was too weak to even try and get in. She had almost died, and Mo was the one that saved her. Which drove her harder to become a firefighter and a paramedic. She wanted to prove she was over her problems and could move on, and she did.
"My baby sister, one of the guys." Mikey hugged her tightly.
"Thanks, Mikey. Glad you could make it. You still clean?" She looked over him, eyeing him.
"Yes, I'm clean. Stop worrying about me; look at you, Little Miss Firefighter." Mikey flicked her little bun and she spun around.
"Watch it. I may be small, but during the academy I learned how to bench-press 250 pounds. You weigh half that don't make me embarrass you in front of Mo."
"Oh, listen to her. Miss hard ass now. I swear, you become more like Mo every month." He cracked at her about her time of the month.
"You aren't careful, I'm gunna become Mo right now and cuff you." She smacked Mikey upside the head.
"Oh that's it!" Mikey picked her up over his shoulder and ran around with her, as she kicked her legs and squealed.
"Graduates! You Have Your Station Assignments! Come Get Them!" The Chief yelled. Mercedes got down, walking over to get the envelope. Coming back a moment later, the group looked at her as she opened it, reading it, she frowned.
"What? What's wrong?" Mo looked at her as she held the paper. Looking up at him she sighed.
"I got into the 55." She was faking it the entire time. Mo grabbed her and started tickling her.
"Don't ever do that again!" He pinned to the ground, tickling her.
"You're going to mess up my uniform! Get off me!" She kicked at him. He got off of her and helped her up.
"Who are you training under?"
"I am probie under Jimmy Doherty." Oh, Jimmy Doherty. Mercedes thought he was one of the cutest firefighters she had ever seen. Those muscles, that build, those dimples. Mo made a face.
"Around the block Doherty, he's the worst of the bucket boys. He touches you the wrong way; I'll kill him."
"Mo, give it a rest. I am not in the position to have a relationship, nor do I plan on starting one now, especially with Doherty."
"My baby girl is grown up!" Rose starting crying on Mikey's shoulder as he held her, rolling his eyes.
"She did this at your graduation too Mo." He just pet his mothers hair and sighed.
"Yeah she did. My Army and Police one. She'll get over it Mercedes, don't worry."
"I'm not worried I just-" She got cut off as she got knocked over by the water from the hose line her graduating class hooked up. She jumped up and looked at them, completely soaked.
"You better cool off their, Boscorelli! Things might get too hot for ya!" The graduating class laughed as she tried to ring out her clothes.
"You guys are so NOT funny!" She laughed and threw mud at them. Out of nowhere a mud fight ensued. After an hour of war, Mercedes moved towards her family, who were waiting at the car, and looked at them.
"Umm. Does this mean I have to ride on the trunk?"