Ruiz, Maddox, Barnes, Duval, Domenick, and me were at a Bar.
"So- So, he's all amped up after we knocked down the fire right? And he's all- He starts strutting around, walking around like- Like he won a Super Bowl or something, right? You know what I'm saying? Flexing. Flexing. Flexing. And out of nowhere- Bam! - Maddox disappears into the open septic..."
Maddox and his friend, Jeremy returned.
"Which had not been emptied yet." Ruiz continued the story.
"Oh!" All of us commented.
"Oh, what are we talking about?" He questioned.
We were both cracking up.
"Hey, guys. Uh... Cap, Ruiz, this is Jeremy. We were in the- The Academy together. But now he's a big shot at 42 in Oregon." Maddox introduced.
"Hey, man." Ruiz greeted.
"Yeah. Thanks for letting me crash the commiserating."
"Hey. Uh... Herrera's buying tonight. So, you picked a good one." He told him.
No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. It's the first round. The first round." I corrected.
I heard the song playing.
"OH, my God. This is my song."
"Same." Duval agreed.
"Come on. Girl."
"Hey!" I yelled.
We were dancing.
I ended up bumping into Jeremy.
"Ooh. Sorry."
"Sorry." He apologized.
We both chuckled.
"Jeremy."
"Andy."
He leaned closer.
"Andy."
I chuckled.
"Nice to meet you."
"You too."
I laughed.
"Whoo!" Jeremy cheered.
"I love you, man!" Maddox yelled.
"I love you too!" He yelled.
"I love you, John!" He yelled again.
"I love you!"
"Whoo!"
I laughed.
Jeremy and me danced on the dance floor.
I joined Ruiz at the Bar.
He chuckled.
"What?!"
"It's just dancing." I pointed out.
"Uh-huh. Yeah. It's never just dancing."
"Oh. "It's never just dancing." Mm."
I took a sip of my Beer.
I sat it back on the Bar countertop.
Ruiz cleared his throat.
"Ugh. This stupid no sex pact."
"Yeah. Well, you realize you only have yourself to blame for that."
"Well, you know what?" I questioned.
"Sadly, it's actually given me so much clarity. Like, without any entanglements and complications, I see what I want and need so much more clearly now. Like, if I had tried talking to Chief Ross before the pact, it would've been even more disastrous."
I chuckled.
"Even more disastrous?" He questioned.
"Oh. No, I meant, like, if I had tried talking to Chief Ross about my future before the pact, it would've gone badly."
I had grabbed my purse off my previous seat.
"When did you talk to her?" Ruiz inquired.
"After you told me to go after what I wanted."
"What did you say?" He questioned.
"I just-"
I sighed.
"I was- I was honest. I told her that Aquino was coming back and that means I would've been bumped to Lieutenant and if I'm gonna be a Lieutenant anywhere, I'd rather it be at 19."
I sighed.
"No. I- I told her I was proud of the changes I made at 23, but it would've been hard to see it revert back to a boys' club."
"So, you told her that 23 was a lost cause?" Ruiz questioned.
"I didn't sa- No, Theo, I was just honest. I-"
"So, you wanting to go back to your precious 19 is the reason 23 got shut down?"
"What?" Duval questioned.
I sighed.
"So, you're the one who got us shut down?" She inquired.
"No. That is not what I said."
"Okay. Then what did you say?" Duval questioned.
"Cause if Ruiz is calling you out, then-"
"Duval-"
"Hey, ladies. We are commiserating here. We are not fighting. Unless it's with Jell-O." Maddox told us.
"Hello." The Bartender greeted.
"Hello."
He chuckled.
"Okay. What's happening?" Maddox questioned.
"Nothing."
"Nothing." Ruiz answered.
"Stop it. We all deserve to know the truth. So, you can tell them or I will." Duval threatened.
I sighed.
"Look. Okay. I- I- I talked to Chief Ross before the Station shut down and I asked her if- I asked her to transfer me back to 19 as a Lieutenant, alright?"
Ruiz cleared his throat.
"Aquino was coming back anyway and I decided McCallister's punishment had gone on long enough. Look, I didn't ask to be at 23. I didn't ask to be in charge of changing decades of toxicity and misogyny, alright?"
"Whoa."
"I- I- I had done my part and I was ready to go home."
"But you were supposed to be our- Our Captain." Domenick pointed out.
"I- I didn't tell her to close it. And after she decided to, I tried to fight-"
"You sold us out to leverage your way back to the Girl Scouts." Maddox pointed out.
"That is..."
"You know, you constantly preach that we are a team."
"That-"
"We have each other's backs, right?" Duval questioned.
"But the first chance you get, you just stab us in ours."
"That is not-"
"Some freaking Captain you are." Maddox pointed out.
"Hey, 23, let's go somewhere else. Come on." He ordered.
"Hey, Jer, you coming?" Maddox questioned.
"Dude, she just said she tried to protect you all. You think an interim Captain really has the power to- To shut down an entire Station?" Jeremy defended.
Barnes, Duval, and Domenick had walked out.
"I'm gonna finish my Beer, man."
"Whatever."
Maddox walked out.
"Hey, Theo. Hey. You know that..."
Ruiz walked out.
I threw money on the Bar countertop.
I sat back on the Bar stool.
I sighed.
"Okay."
"Yeah."
We downed our shots of Tequila.
"So, my first Station down in Oregon got shut down two months into my gig there. It sucks but it happens. And they will get over it and they will land on their feet somewhere else."
"Yeah, right No. I get- I get that they're mad. I was mad. But I-"
I sighed.
"I don't think I did anything wrong."
"Mnh-mnh."
Jeremy shook his head.
"Like, all I did was advocate for myself, which by the way, Ruiz was the one who told me to do that."
"Yeah. KNowing what you want and fighting for yourself I like that in a woman."
"Oh, yeah?"
"Yeah."
"Mm."
He chuckled.
"What else- What else do you like in a woman?"
"A lot of what I'm seeing right now."
I chuckled.
"Sorry. Sorry."
I laughed.
"I'm sorry."
"Does that- Does that line normally work for you?" I questioned.
"Yeah. Yeah, it d- No. Not really."
I laughed.
"Two more shots, please." Jeremy ordered.
"Oh, God, no. I don't think I can do another one."
"Oh, no. These are for me. Got some erasing to do."
"Ah, right. Um... So wait."
"Thank you."
"So, wait. So, wait. So, wait. So, wait. Um... There's one thing I can't get pass."
"What?" He questioned.
"Oh, I know. Some people like conventionally attractive men."
"Oh, hilarious. No."
"What are you gonna do?"
"Um... Are you- Are you really friends with Maddox?"
"That douchebag?" Jeremy inquired.
"No. I was gonna leave, pretend I didn't see him, then I saw who he was with." He answered.
"Who?"
"You."
"You did it again. You did it again."
"Okay. I swear that wasn't a line."
"Sure, sure, sure, sure."
"It just happened."
I drank the shot of Tequila.
Jeremy drank his shot of Tequila.
"Whoo!" I commented.
"Pretty good, right?" He inquired.
"Yeah. Mm-hmm."
"Two more?"
"Yep. Well, sure. Why not?"
"Why not?"
I chuckled.
We walked out of the Bar.
"Totally. Oop."
We both laughed as Jeremy nearly tripped.
"Watch your step. Watch your step." He warned.
"Okay. I definitely cannot drive."
"No. I'll get you an Uber."
"No, it's okay. I- I can get my own."
"Oh. Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa."
I chuckled as Jeremy pushed my phone in my hand down.
"Or- Or we could share one."
I chuckled.
"What?"
"Okay. I- I have a pact."
"Oh, yeah? Like a pinky promise?"
"Mm-hmm."
We kissed.
"Ooh! Um..."
I cleared my throat.
"Yeah. A- A pinky promise to a friend that I won't sleep with anyone."
"Well, is this friend a boyfriend?" He questioned.
"No. Just a friend who has my back. And..."
I laughed.
"And we- We've decided to try celibacy."
Jeremy was kissing my neck.
I inhaled sharply.
"Hoo!"
I laughed.
"Okay. Well, then you really shouldn't be kissing me in a parking lot."
We kissed.
I broke the kiss.
"Okay. Sorry. No. I'm gonna- I'm gonna stay strong." I said, backing away from him.
Jeremy scoffed.
"As cute as you are. But if you give me your number, I mean, we- When the pact is over, I, you know-"
"Okay. Wh- Wh- Why would you kiss me in a parking lot if you have this- This "pact?"
He was leaning against a wall.
"Well, um... Because you're hot. And..."
I chuckled.
"I like you. And you forced me to have fun when I was having a really crappy night. But, um... Now,"
I clicked my tongue.
"I got to get home. So..."
"Wow. Okay."
"Yeah. Alright. It was fun hanging out."
"Come on, Andy. We were having a good time."
"Yeah..."
"Come here.' Jeremy said, grabbing me in his arms.
"And now it's time to go home."
We both chuckled.
"Why are you being such a bitch?" He questioned.
I scoffed.
"Why are you being such an ass?"
I tried shoving Jeremy away.
"Come on. You can stop the game."
"What are you doing?" I questioned.
"I'm not playing a game." I pointed out.
"What are you doing?" I questioned him.
"I said get-"
I grunted as Jeremy grabbed my ponytail.
"Come on." He ordered.
We were both grunting as I fought against Jeremy.
He wasn't letting go of me.
I shouted as Jeremy pinned me to the wall.
I got him off me.
Jeremy grabbed me from behind as I tried running from him.
"No. Stop it."
He shoved me against the wall.
Jeremy put me in the position where I couldn't fight him off me.
Robert
Maya was expecting Andy to show up at 19 an hour ago.
I just brushed it off as she was busy talking to Natasha about transferring her.
We glanced at each other.
"Robert, I'm worried something happened to Andy."
"Andy can defend herself, Maya. She doesn't need guys fighting fights for her. She's made that abundantly clear."
"You sound just like her."
"Who?"
"Andy."
"She told Ryan and Captain Herrera she didn't need them fighting fights for her. She definitely don't need her ex-husband fighting fights for her."
Andy walked in.
She looked like hell.
"I've had a lot to drink. And I do not need a lecture about my drinking. So, save it. All of you."
Jack was going on and on about his family that he was learning more on.
"Ca-- Can I just cut you off?" Andy questioned.
"Yeah."
"At least, your family isn't completely destroyed."
"Herrera." Beckett warned.
"Well, at least, you knew who your parents were growing up!"
"Clearly I didn't know either of them very well!"
"Well, not all of us have Hero fathers who would give up their lives for their kid's!"
"What did you just say to me?"
"Oh, come on, Andy! Do you really think you would've earned Lieutenant that fast if your father wasn't Captain?!"
"Yes, I do! Because I earned it after two years! Don't ever think he gave it to me because I'm his daughter!"
She stood up.
"And I'd choose your next words extremely carefully." Andy threatened.
I saw the look in her eyes.
"He did. He gave you the Lieutenant position to make you happy."
"That's it!"
Andy grunted as I grabbed her by the waist.
"Let go of me, you big oof!"
"When you calm down, I will."
She was fighting against me.
Andy was wearing down a lot faster than she normally would.
"And you broke the pact on top of it?!"
"Not voluntarily."
"I'll kill the SOB." Maya said, standing up.
"Who the fuck is this guy?"
"I don't know. He's gone. He left."
"He's a Firefighter at 42. His first name is Jeremy." It was Ruiz.
"We gonna go kick this guy's ass."
"Let's go."
"Come on, Andy."