Dusty's Shame

Emergencies still didn't happen much around Propwash Junction, so it took a day or two for Dusty and Sky to get used to the somewhat hectic nature of working at Piston Peak Air Attack for half of fire season. But they melted into the scenario like second nature, never losing their touch. The firefighters always welcomed their comrades back warmly. Blade, though still a rough and stern fire chief at heart, always greeted them with a nuzzle to Sky and a nod to Dusty with a "Welcome back, Champ." Both Dusty and Sky loved being at Piston Peak, and they were happy to still be welcome on the base.

But this had been a dry year, and fires were more common in the park. Small ones, not nearly big enough to make the news, but still requiring the attention of the firefighters.

"Dipper, set up for a drop on the north end of the fire near the river." Blade barked out his orders. "Champ, tag on and extend."

"Copy that!"

"You got it, Chief!"

Sky, more often than not, stayed in Blade's hoist hatch so she could keep an eye out for civilians trapped in the fire or monitoring the Smokejumpers. On occasion, she would stay with Maru back on base and stand guard in case someone came in with an injury. So far, it seemed to be a smooth fight. Everyone did their jobs and the fire had only a slow rate of spread. But Sky still kept a vigil lookout, wary of any changes. They were almost done containing the fire when Patch called reporting a second fire beginning to form downriver. Blade sent Windlifter, Dynamite, Blackout, and Avalanche ahead to start taking care of it while everyone else kept working on the current fire. Sky kept her radio on so she could hear updates from the rest of the team.

"Blade! Come in, Blade!" Dusty's voice crackled over the radio.

"What's goin' on?" Blade asked.

"I just finished my drop but I'm out of retardant." Dusty said. "Should I scoop off the river?"

Blade looked towards the river. They may have had a dry year, but the river was still plenty high enough to scoop off. The winds were calm. Besides, they needed to finish up this fire quickly so they could help Windlifter at the second flame. "Go ahead. But be careful!"

"Copy that!" Dusty banked off and flew around, heading for the river surface. Sky kept a close eye on Dusty. For some reason, she felt a little uneasy about letting Dusty scoop off the river. Or maybe she thought too much about what happened when he tried to scoop off the lake during their last big inferno.

Dusty smoothly glided down to the surface of the river, pontoon scoops down and ready to go. He hadn't needed to scoop off the river in a long time, but he felt confident he still knew what to do.

"If we're gonna get this fire out, I've gotta reload."

"Pull up! That's an order!"

"No! I can do this!"

Dusty shook his nose a bit, continuing his steady dive. That's in the past. I'm a better firefighter now. His pontoons touched the surface of the water and he began his scoop.

"Dusty! Watch out!" Sky suddenly shouted over his radio. But her warning came right before a log floating in the river suddenly flipped up in the current. For a split-second, Dusty saw the brown of the tree. Then one of his pontoons caught the log and the bark scraped against his hide. His propellers chipped off pieces of the wood as he suddenly took a nosedive into the river.

"Champ! Dusty!" Blade shouted, making a hairpin turn and flying towards the river. He and Sky scanned the water for a moment before sighing in relief at the sight of Dusty popping up from the waves. His pontoons kept him afloat, and he sputtered and coughed up water that forced into his mouth.

"Dusty, you okay?" Sky asked into the radio.

"I'm fine." Dusty coughed. "But my engine's…..stalled….."

Sky heard something strange in Dusty's voice. Like he was just reminded of a very unfortunate task he had to do. But she shook it off as Blade gave his orders. "Dipper, Dynamite! Keep working on that fire. I'll check back in as soon as I can. Dusty, keep your pontoons downstream. I'll pull you to shore."

"I'll get out on my own." Dusty murmured.

Blade blinked in surprise. "Come again?"

"I said 'copy that.'" Dusty said, sounding completely serious and not like he was trying to cover up something. Blade would've shrugged if he could, and he flew after Dusty.

The plane continued to bounce around in the currents of the river, lacking control in the waves. But he remained calm, keeping an eye on Blade and hoping the helicopter could pull him to land soon.

The current swept him away again, down a small drop and under fallen trees that hung over the river.

"Are you all right?"

"I'm okay!"

"There's too much coverage. Don't worry! I'll get you at the next clearing!"

Dusty shook his nose again, groaning in frustration. Stop. What's going on with me?

Sky watched anxiously, switching her gaze back and forth between Dusty and the river ahead of them to keep track of how far they went. "Blade, we should be coming up on a small beach where Dusty can get back to the lodge from here."

"Copy that." Blade said, readying his hoist. He threw the hook and cable, wrapping it around Dusty's tail. But before it could tighten, the loop slipped over Dusty's tail and came loose. Blade growled a little in frustration. Normally, he had killer aim and would rarely miss a shot like that. But he couldn't get a good angle, and there wasn't an easy place to grab Dusty with the winch. Moreover, the unpredictable nature of the river only added to the difficulty.

"Let me go down there." Sky offered, either seeming to read or actually reading Blade's thoughts.

"Sky, stay up there!"

"It's too dangerous."

"The hoist! It's caught!"

"I got it!"

"Redline it!"

"Dusty!"

Dusty shut his eyes and growled, louder this time. What's going on? Why do I keep thinking about that? It was a stupid mistake but I'm not making it again! Just get out of my head, stupid memory!

"Dusty?"

Dusty opened his eyes to see Sky standing on one of his pontoons, staring at him worriedly. It appeared that, during his frustration and flashbacks, Sky came down on Blade's hoist and hooked it around one of Dusty's pontoons, allowing Blade to pull Dusty towards a sandy beach just ahead. Now, Sky stood on Dusty's pontoon and held onto his propeller to keep her balance, and she looked concerned.

"You okay?" Sky asked.

"I'm fine." Dusty assured.

Sky analyzed Dusty's gaze, but she knew they were already in a bad situation and she couldn't push it right now. She would just have to chalk it up to shock from getting hit and swept away.

Blade managed to haul Dusty back to solid ground and the little plane popped out his pontoon wheels to roll up onto shore. Sky unhooked Blade's hoist and he reeled in the cable. "Champ, you all right?"

"I'm okay." Dusty confirmed.

"Good." Blade gave a small nod. "Sky, you go with him back to the lodge and take off. Meet up with Windlifter and start helping with that fire. I'm going back to check on Dipper's progress."

"Copy that." Sky and Dusty said at once. Blade flew off.

"Come on, Dusty." Sky said, beginning to walk through the trees.

"No. No, you take Sky and go on. I'll keep moving."

Dusty blinked, but shook off the memory and began following Sky. But they didn't get far when they heard Blade's voice above them, shouting for them to stop. They looked up as Blade hurriedly yet carefully lowered himself through a space in the trees and landed in front of them.

"We gotta get out of here." Blade urged, leading them down a different path.

"What's wrong?" Dusty asked.

"We ended up getting carried right next to the fire Windlifter was fighting." Blade explained. "Winds have picked up and it's almost on top of us."

Sky and Dusty briefly looked behind them to see a thick column of smoke, and the air definitely felt warmer. The two of them quickly followed Blade through the trees, but within minutes they could feel the temperature rising as the fire caught up with them.

"Blade, what do we do?" Sky asked, forcing her fear into a corner for now. "We can't outrun it."

"Just give me a minute." Blade muttered, scanning their surroundings. Sky was right; the fire had grown to a moderate/rapid rate of spread, which means it would soon be on top of them. There wasn't a meadow or any clear place for Dusty to take off, and the trees were getting too close together even for Blade to hover out. If they didn't find a safe spot soon, they'd have to take cover somewhere and let the fire burn over. It wasn't the most favorable option, but it might be their only shot at getting out of the fire without injury.

"Blade, there!" Sky stopped the helicopter and pointed. Blade followed her gaze to a cave at the bottom of a mountain, just high enough for him and Dusty to get in.

"Good eye." Blade nodded, leading Sky and Dusty towards the cave. The fire grew closer, beginning to surround them. Sky darted into the cave to scope it out while Blade stopped outside. "Windlifter, come in."

"I read you, Chief." Windlifter replied.

"Dusty, Sky, and I ran into a bit of a problem. Fire's almost on top of us." Blade explained quickly. "We're taking shelter in a cave for now. I'll radio you when we're out safely."

"Copy that." Windlifter said hesitantly.

"Windlifter, I'll be fine." Blade assured. He signed off, and he hurried into the cave. "Sky? Where are you?"

"Right here!" Sky called, jogging up to him. "The cave's pretty deep and it doesn't look occupied. We'll be safe in here."

"Good." Blade nodded. He turned around to keep an eye on the fire, but then he noticed something. "Wait a minute. Where's Dusty?"

Sky and Blade took a look, but quickly realized Dusty was nowhere in sight. Before Blade could stop her, Sky darted back out of the cave and into the fire. Blade was careful to keep right behind her. Damn it! How did I lose track of him? Blade growled in frustration, but pushed his anger aside for now. He and Sky shouted for Dusty, praying they could find him before the fire completely engulfed them.

"You can't outrun the fire."

"I didn't want to push my engine."

"You don't have what it takes. You don't!"

"I never wanted to be a firefighter anyway!"

"Then go back to racing!"

"I CAN'T!"

"Dusty? Dusty!"

"Champ, wake up!"

Dusty's eyes shot open, and he suddenly registered everything about his surroundings at once. Most of the forest around him was aflame, and Blade and Sky stood right in front of him. They shouted at him, panicked and concerned. It took a minute for Dusty to register that they were ordering him to move his tail and follow them. Dusty shook his nose and obeyed, staying right beside Blade as they all hurried back to the cave.

But as they came closer, Dusty slowed down and stopped again. His eyes widened as he stared at the cave as though the structure were a monster. Sky noticed Dusty stop again and groaned in frustration as she ran back to him.

"Dusty, what is the matter with you?" Sky demanded.

Dusty didn't answer, his eyes wide and his breathing borderline hyperventilating. All he felt was pure terror, and he couldn't stop thinking about that mine. He couldn't fully register the scenery around him. It all looked too much like those moments before he, Blade, and Sky became trapped in that old mine. That moment seemed decades ago.

"Dusty, you gotta calm down." Sky urged, trying to keep a calm tone to her own voice. "Come on! We have to get into that cave!"

Dusty froze, staring at the cave with that same terror-filled gaze. No. Not in there. Not again.

"Move it, Crophopper!" Blade snapped a second before he suddenly rammed into Dusty from behind, sending the plane shooting forward and into the mine. Sky jumped, landing on Dusty's wing and getting thrown into the cave with him. Dusty careened to one side and slammed nose-first into the wall, instantly going into a daze. Sky jumped off Dusty's wing and hurried to the entrance of the cave, searching for Blade. She found him on the other side of a flaming tree that fell over just a few feet from the cave. Blade managed to jump up high enough to get his front wheel over, pushing with his back wheels to force the rest of him over the log. He grimaced a bit at the flaming bark scratching his retardant tank, but once he got over he hurried into the cave. A couple more flaming trees fell over the entrance to the cave. Sky screamed, but Blade herded her further into the cave and the two of them pushed Dusty along. A wave of flames rushed into the cave, but Blade only felt it lick his tail before they got a safe distance away.

Out of instinct, Blade put himself between Dusty and Sky to protect them. Sky shielded her face with her arms as the heat rushed into the cave, instantly drying the wetness on her jeans from the river. Dusty kept hyperventilating, his eyes wild.

Huge chunks of burning wood fell in front of the entrance.

A wave of fire shot straight towards them.

He braced himself for the burning sensation on his hide, only to find Blade taking the full brunt of the impact.

He was fully encased in Blade's shadow, unable to do anything while the fire chief became injured protecting him and Sky.

"Dusty, stop hyperventilating like that!" Blade snapped. "You're just going to hurt your lungs and Maru will throw a fit!"

Sky noticed Dusty was truly hyperventilating, to the point where he began wheezing. "Knock that off, Dusty! What's the matter with you?"

But Dusty didn't seem to hear her or Blade. It was like he became deaf to everything around him.

Sky slapped her hands against Dusty's nose. "Damn it, Dusty! Stop it!" Secretly, Sky wished she could just knock Dusty out for the time being. Her psych-man powers seemed to react to her wish, because she felt a surge of her power flow from her and into Dusty. The plane tensed up, then relaxed and closed his eyes as he fell into unconsciousness. Sky jumped back, a little shocked by what she did.

"What'd you do?" Blade called over the roar of the fire. Sky shrugged, then flinched again when more debris fell in front of the cave. Soon, they were plunged into darkness. Blade flicked on his lights, casting the glow towards Sky and Dusty. "You all right?"

Sky coughed a bit. "Yeah. I'm good." Her eyes widened a bit. "What about you? Are you okay?" She hurried to the other side of Blade, the side exposed to the fire, but to her relief she saw no burns or injuries of any kind.

Blade chuckled softly. "I'm fine, Raven. Really."

"Good." Sky smiled. "Because I thought for sure I would have to pound you this time."

Blade rolled his eyes, but he cast a concerned glance to Dusty. Why did he freeze up like that? He's never done that before.

Dusty woke up a few hours later and, soon after he did, they all heard the sound of a saw cutting through wood. Light streamed into the cave, and a voice called in.

"Hey Chief! Sky! Dusty! You in there?"

"Blackout?" Sky called.

"We're in here!" Blade called.

"THEY'RE ALIVE!" Avalanche cheered. He and Blackout resumed their work, cutting the logs and pushing them aside until the entrance was clear enough for Blade, Sky, and Dusty to come out.

"Fire contained?" Blade asked, looking around at the retardant-coated, burned remains of the trees and greenery around them.

"You bet." Dynamite nodded. "Windlifter's standing by in case of a medical airlift and Maru's waiting on the call."

"Good." Blade nodded, switching on his radio and calling Maru.

"Never loses his touch." Sky noted as she, Dusty, and the Smokejumpers watched Blade work. "Even in a life-or-death situation."

"It's second nature for him, now." Dynamite shrugged. "He never loses his focus. Part of the job, I guess."

Once Blade finished his call, he returned to the others. "How much longer until it's fully out?"

"We should be able to mop it up by tonight." Dynamite assured. "We'll meet you back at base."

"Perfect." Blade nodded crisply. "Raven, Champ, let's go."

"Yes Chief." Dusty and Sky said, the former quieter than the latter. They followed Blade dutifully through the forest, expecting to find a clear place to take off to fly back to base. But, to their surprise, Blade led them to the road leading up to the base and forced them to hike all the way back. Neither one of them questioned him. Blade didn't really seem to be in the mood for it anyway.

Maru stood at the entrance to the base when they returned. "Hey guys! I was gettin' worried about ya."

"Everyone here and accounted for?" Blade asked, not really acknowledging Maru's mild concern.

Maru saw this, and he instantly recognized Blade's body language and stern glare that showed he was in a bad mood. Uh oh. Not good. "Yep. Smokejumpers are still at the second fire, mopping it up. Everyone else is here."

Blade nodded, then spoke up in a sharp tone. "Crophopper! Come with me. We need to talk."

Dusty flinched, but dutifully followed Blade towards the main hanger. Sky and Maru exchanged looks. "He's really angry, isn't he?" Sky guessed.

"Oh yeah." Maru sighed. "What happened out there?"

Sky stared after the aircraft as they disappeared into the hanger. "I'm not really sure."

In the main hanger, Blade shut the door to give them privacy and rolled up to Dusty, his eyes settled into one of his angrier glares. Dusty swallowed a bit. Blade still had a Glare of Doom, and he wasn't afraid to use it.

"Mind tellin' me what happened out there?" Blade asked/demanded.

Dusty looked down. "Uh…..it's hard to explain….."

"Find a way to explain it easier." Blade ordered.

Dusty cringed. Great. He's using the same tone Skipper takes with me when he's trying to force answers. I hate that. "It's just…I mean…uh…"

Blade kept glaring at him for a moment, but he forced himself to calm down a few notches. "You froze out there. It was like you had never been in a fire before. What happened to make you freeze?"

Dusty refused to make eye contact with Blade. "It's nothing."

"It's not 'nothing.'" Blade snapped. "It almost got you killed." Dusty cringed again. Blade tried to stay calm, knowing he couldn't lose his temper quite yet. "Were you in shock from the river?"

"No." Dusty said.

"Did you get hit by any debris from the fire?"

"No."

"Was there a malfunction with your engine or gearbox?"

"No."

"Are you injured at all?"

"No."

Blade was steadily losing his patience. "Then tell me what the hell was goin' through your canopy while you were just standing there in the middle of a wildfire."

Dusty sighed. "You wouldn't understand."

"Try me." Blade challenged.

"No. You really just won't understand." Dusty insisted, turning a little ways away from Blade.

The fire chief glared hard. "Fine." He turned and began making his way to the door. "You are hereby grounded until further notice."

Dusty gawked at him. "What?!"

"You clearly are in need of medical attention or may require psychological help." Blade said in a firm, authoritative tone. "So you are grounded and will not go flying for any reason until Maru deems you fit to work."

"But what about when another fire breaks out?" Dusty protested. "You might need me!"

Blade whipped around to the plane, his glare burning with fresh intensity. "Well you'll be a pretty useless firefighter if all you can do is stand there and do nothing!"

Dusty shrunk back, his eyes lowering to the ground. Blade turned and left the hanger, but he heard footsteps and found Sky walking beside him. He knew a talk would be coming. There was a line between friend and chief, but Sky always knew how to talk in both situations to help resolve any problems on the base. Whether or not anyone would admit it, they all knew she was a big help when tempers flared (unless it was her own).

"That wasn't very nice, you know." Sky said, trying to soothe Blade's temper.

"Well if a firefighter can't do what's required of him, he can't be trusted to do his job." Blade said firmly.

"Come on, Blade." Sky shrugged. "Whatever Dusty's going through will clear up."

"I know." Blade said. "It's just….."

"Just what?" Sky asked.

Blade sighed. "It's just that I thought he got lost because of me. I thought that I should've been keeping a better eye on him. Then I find out he got separated from us because he froze up? That's not supposed to happen by now. I trained you both better than that. Or at least I hoped I had. I don't understand what could've happened."

"Just give Dusty time to cool off and calm down." Sky suggested. "He might talk to me tomorrow."

Blade nodded. "That'd be great, actually. He'll talk to you."

It was so dark. The only light that cast into the mine was that of the fire that raged at the entrance. The flames reached into the mine like the claws of a monster, scratching at the walls and trying to reach them.

Blade pushed him and Sky back, protecting them. But the claws of the fire managed to catch him, and burns shaped like scratch marks appeared on his side.

"Blade! Stop! You're gonna kill yourself!"

Maybe Blade didn't hear him. Maybe he ignored him. The monster continued to try and grab them, and with every swipe of his flaming claws a new burn appeared on the fire chief.

Then, a wall of fire shot into the mine, and he shut his eyes and braced for impact. He heard a scream, but it wasn't his own. When he opened his eyes, Blade was gone.

"Blade! No. No, come back!"

A snake-like tendril of fire came into the mine now, wrapping around Sky's waist and pulling her up.

"No!" He grabbed her hand in his teeth, and she hooked her fingers on to keep her from getting dragged out.

"Dusty, don't let go!" Sky screamed. "Help me!"

He pulled, trying to keep the fire from getting her. But the fire pulled back with a fierce intensity, and he had to tighten his grip on her hand to the point where he almost broke her fingers. But Sky's hand suddenly slipped from his mouth, and she disappeared into the flames.

"No! Sky! Sky, come back! NO!"

Dusty's eyes shot open as he jerked awake. He gasped and panted, his eyes darting around. But he calmed down when he realized he was still in his hanger back at Piston Peak.

Just a dream. Just a dream. He repeated. Just a dream. Calm down, Dusty.

A knock at the door startled him. "Hey Dusty!" Sky called from the other side of the door. "You missed breakfast!"

"Aw great." Dusty muttered. He overslept, and now Sky would definitely get suspicious. He quickly opened the hanger door and put on a somewhat forced smile. "Hey Sky! Yeah, sorry about that. Overslept."

"Clearly." Sky giggled. But she could see leftover terror in Dusty's eyes. He must've had a nightmare. "Did you sleep okay?"

"Oh yeah." Dusty said. "Pretty well."

"Good." Sky nodded, hiding the fact that she so did not believe him. "You sure you're not hurt after what happened yesterday?"

Dusty's smile faltered as he remembered yesterday's events. But they seemed to blur with his horrific nightmare. "I'm not hurt, Sky. Really."

"I'm not just talking physically." Sky said gently.

Dusty looked down, his smile gone. Dang, she's good at reading people. Doesn't even need her powers for that. Dusty noticed Sky coming forward with her hand outstretched, and he knew at once she wanted to look into his head and see his dreams. He recoiled, forcing Sky to stop.

"Dusty, you know there are people on this base you can talk to." Sky said. "You could even talk to Jammer if you wanted."

"There's nothing to talk about." Dusty said, trying to get a reassuring smile back on his lips.

"Really?" Sky raised an eyebrow. "Because yesterday you gave me a heart attack because I thought you were going to be killed. It's okay if—"

"I said it's nothing! Just drop it!" Dusty snapped. Sky reeled back a bit at his tone. Dusty's expression relaxed. "I'm sorry. There's just nothing to talk about."

Sky looked down. "I don't believe you."

Dusty didn't respond. Sky turned on her heel and walked off, her hands in her pockets. Dusty sighed, moving out and rolling around the base. He still couldn't fly anywhere, and he began to wonder how he could get back to work without admitting why he acted like an idiot before. No good ideas came to mind, and he definitely didn't want to face Blade just yet.

Around lunchtime, the team got a call from Jammer. A camper had gone missing around the same time when the fires started yesterday, and the air attack team was needed to help with the search party. Blade ordered Windlifter and Dipper to take off and start searching the burn areas while Sky went with the Smokejumpers to meet up with Jammer and the rangers to help the ground crew. The fire chief cast a look to Dusty, but the plane refused to make eye contact with him. So Blade only took off without another word.

Dusty watched everyone go, and he longed to join them. Why did I have to freeze up like that? Why did any of that have to happen? He sighed softly, making his way to Maru's shop. The tug wasn't there because he was over at Cabbie's hanger giving the warplane's propellers a tune-up. Dusty looked around the shop for a moment before his eyes settled on The Wall. He rolled up and parked right in front of it, staring at the pictures of firefighters passed. As he scanned each picture, he came to the covered right-hand corner of The Wall where Nick Loopin' Lopez's picture rested. Dusty looked around, making sure nobody was nearby, and carefully moved the boxes that covered Nick's picture. He stared at the deceased helicopter's image, and he caught sight of something else: a cover of a magazine depicting Blade and Nick on the "CHoPs" set. Dusty found himself staring at Blade. But instead of seeing the navy blue and white paintjob, he kept seeing the red and white of the fire chief he knew.

"Blade is down. I repeat, Blade is down!"

Dusty shut his eyes for a moment, desperately willing the pain to go away. He quickly covered Nick's picture and the magazine cover. He sighed heavily, swallowing the lump in his throat.

"Somethin' on your mind?"

Dusty jumped and spun around to the entrance of the garage, seeing Maru there. "Oh! Uh, no."

Maru scoffed, driving into the garage and going to his workbench. "Liar."

Dusty rolled his eyes. "You and Sky both. What's the big deal?"

"The big deal is that you're hurting and it's my job to make you better." Maru said. "So what'll it be? The wrench to the head or a casual talk?"

Dusty raised an eye frame. "Those are my options?"

"Wrench it is!" Maru announced, reaching for a hefty wrench nearby.

"Hey whoa!" Dusty yelped. "I'll take the talk!"

Maru smirked, but his eyes held complete seriousness. "Then start talking, Dusty. Blade and Sky told me about how you froze up during the fire. Sky even asked me, me of all people, to talk to you. What happened out there?"

Dusty looked down. Though he didn't want to, he found himself flashing back to the events of the cave yesterday. How he froze up like an idiot and Blade and Sky had to come out in the middle of an inferno to help him. How they managed to get into the cave and the fire tried to come in and reach them. How Blade moved in front of him and Sky…again…and he could've…..

"He could've died." Dusty whispered.

Maru's gaze softened to one of slight confusion. "What? Who?"

"Blade." Dusty murmured, not looking to Maru. "It was my fault. I was the one who got us grounded in the middle of a fire. He didn't have to protect me. He could've just left. Why didn't he leave?" He sighed angrily. "But no, that would've been too simple. He just had to protect me and Sky. I didn't ask him to put himself in danger just to help me. I didn't ask him to die because of my mistake!" Dusty swallowed, fighting back his angry tears. I will not cry. Not in front of Maru of all people.

Maru's eyes were soft with sympathy. "Dusty, you're talking about what happened in the mine, aren't you?" Dusty only nodded in response. "That wasn't your fault—"

"That's just it! It was my fault!" Dusty snapped. "I was such an idiot! I couldn't listen to the simplest of orders. If I had just done what Blade told me, we wouldn't have ended up grounded and he wouldn't have gotten hurt!" He glared at Maru. "He almost died that day because of me."

"No. He didn't." Maru insisted firmly. "You know why he got hurt? Because he was just doing his job. Look, everyone on this base, including you and Sky, are firefighters. You risk life and limb to protect people and make sure they escape a fire unharmed. But Blade? His job is a hundred times harder. He's the chief; it's his job to make sure his team makes it out of every fire and can go home to their families."

"Well what about him?" Dusty demanded. "Doesn't he deserve to come home alive after every fire? Doesn't he have a family waiting for him? I didn't ask him to—"

"You never had to ask him to protect you. It's just his job." Maru said. "And as for Blade's family, I'm not entirely convinced he has one. He's never mentioned a family outside of us." Maru's tone softened. "Now, what you witnessed back in that mine was just the price Blade had to pay to keep his team safe. It's the responsibility of a chief to do what's necessary to protect his team, and that's something that Blade accepted when the chief before him passed down the role. And even after witnessing that, after seeing the worst a fire can do to a firefighter, you still stuck with it! I've seen guys who witnessed a lot less than that and completely chickened out. As for whose fault it is, well the fault isn't on anyone." Dusty opened his mouth to protest, but Maru interrupted him sternly. "And don't go tryin' to blame yourself. Let's say you did everything Blade said. What if you still ended up grounded? Well, Blade would've done everything he could to make sure you got out safe. And what about what happened yesterday? That wasn't anyone's fault. It's just a curveball thrown at us during a firefight. It's something we have to deal with when we fight fires. One of the best lessons a firefighter can learn is how to be flexible, so that you can deal with situations like that. Do you understand what I'm telling you?"

Dusty didn't speak for a moment. He sighed. "I just….I felt so terrible…if he had died…I never would've forgiven myself…"

"Hey, come on. It's like you doubt my abilities as a mechanic." Maru scoffed. "Look, do you see Blade's picture anywhere on The Wall?"

Dusty glanced to said memorial. "Next to Nick's. On the magazine cover." He cracked a smile.

Maru rolled his eyes and laughed. "His sense of humor has returned! Praise Chrysler!" He still chuckled, relieved to see a small smile appearing on Dusty's lips. "Do you feel a little better now?"

"Yeah." Dusty sighed. "Yeah, I do. Thanks, Maru."

"No problem." Maru said. "Just do me a favor."

"What's that?"

"Talk to Blade when you get the chance. He'll never show it, but he's been real worried about you."

Dusty nodded. "Yeah. I can do that." He turned and rolled from the garage, in a little bit of a better mood than before.

He never noticed Sky peering out from around the side of the garage, having sat under a window and listened in on the entire conversation. She stared sadly after Dusty. I knew he felt bad before, but I never knew he was so scarred by what happened. She sighed softly, her eyes settling in a soft, determined glare. But now I know what to do to help.

Blade tended to do a quick round about the base before going out to his perch to look out for fires. He did this for two reasons:

One, he liked to make sure everything was in order at the end of the day.

Two, you never know what the Smokejumpers might be up to.

As he did his rounds, Blade caught sight of Dusty aimlessly rolling about the area. He paused, staring at the small plane. Earlier, when he and the others returned from a successful search and rescue operation, Sky pulled Blade aside and shared with him her memory of listening in on Dusty and Maru's conversation. Now that Blade fully understood what really went through Dusty's mind, he could only feel pity. Blade started towards Maru's shop, wanting to check in with the base's mechanic since Maru tended to do most of the paperwork. Dusty passed him, but kept his gaze averted.

Blade paused. "Hey Champ."

Dusty stopped, turning as Blade also turned around to face him. "Yes, Chief?" He hoped he didn't do something wrong again. Or maybe Blade was still angry about him freezing up.

Blade glared at Dusty. "What happened back at that mine and the cave was my own choice. Whatever consequences that come with those choices, I will accept. But don't you ever blame yourself for those consequences. Got me?"

Dusty blinked in surprise, wondering if Maru talked with Blade after talking with him. Dusty glanced briefly to Blade's side, where he was burned back in the mine, but one of the benefits of vehicles is the lack of scarring. There was no scar or any sign of a wound, and Dusty knew he'd have to accept that his friends, his fellow firefighters, could get injured on the job. He was one of them, after all.

Blade's glare deepened. "Got me?"

Dusty hardened his gaze and nodded. "Yes sir."

Blade analyzed Dusty's gaze. He no longer looked afraid or guilt-ridden. A good sign, and maybe this time he'd stay that way. Blade smirked a little as he rolled off. "Rookie."

Dusty blinked, confused. He watched Blade go, wondering if he was forgiven yet.

Several days passed, full of peace and quiet. During fire season, these were days the team savored, yet they remained alert for the sound of the siren.

Today was one of those peaceful days. Dusty and Sky chatted about a race happening in October, when fire season would hopefully be over. Maru tinkered with something in his shop, keeping an eye out for the Smokejumper boys in case they tried anything funny. Said boys did tricks off their favorite dirt ramp. Dipper, Dynamite, and Pinecone played cards in the main hanger. Cabbie listened to a soccer match on his radio. Windlifter lifted logs, the echoing THUD seeming to be in perfect rhythm with Patch's records playing over the speakers. Blade went out for spot fire scouting, but came back without any word on potential fires.

Then, the siren sounded.

"All aircraft and jumpers, we got a report of a wildfire on the west end of the lake." Patch called over the speakers.

"Let's load up!" Blade barked, spurring everyone into action. Sky ran off to Maru's garage, where she kept her fire extinguisher and harness. Dusty stayed out of the way, watching with envy as the rest of the team started preparing to head out into the fire.

Stay safe, guys. Dusty sighed softly.

"Champ!"

Dusty nearly jumped out of his paintjob, looking over to Blade. The helicopter hovered above the runway, waiting for Sky to jump into his hoist hatch.

Blade gave his usual stern glare, but he felt a smirk tugging at his lips. "Come on! Let's load and go!"

Dusty smiled broadly. "Yes Chief!" He hurried over to the retardant hoses so Maru could load up his pontoons. Then he got in line behind Dipper, taking off with her, Cabbie, and Windlifter. The firefighters flew off, ready to do their job again.

Dusty sighed happily as they flew. This is the life of a firefighter. I think I can live with that.

A/N: The inspiration behind this one came from a thought I had: did Dusty come out of that experience in the mine with some trauma? I figured yes, especially after how guilty he looked after Blade crashed. And thus, this oneshot was born! Hope you enjoyed! Leave a review if you like!