Sumary: you all know the drill; I don't own the characters blablablabla.

Sorry for taking so long in publish this chapter but last week died the mother of one f my closest friends due a pulmonary cancer and the week before one of my father's closest friend died of brain tumor, so is being a rough month. But sadly life continues without our love ones so please enjoy the story.

Also tanks to Josielynn, Lunky and Jane for their comments.

The new me

Veronica POV

-"Buff, I am exhausted Pep, you are an excellent fitness trainer is been one week only, but I feel that I can lift the whole truck" says Veronica sweating while she is punching a sandbag.

-"This is only the beginning V, and before you finish Lieutenant Fahey wants to speak with you in his office".

-"Our shift is almost over so I am going to talk to him right now".

Veronica walks to the first floor while uses a towel then the sound of the telephone stars ringing.

-"Joe! Get the phone!" shouts Pep from the punching bag she is obviously sing it again.

-" You get it!, I'm making lunch!" shouts back Joe from the kitchen.

-" You get it!" continues Pep.

-"No, you get it!, You're closer, okay?!

-"I'll get it, I am closer ok!" ends Veronica running to the telephone "fire station 17, May I help you?

-"Hi Probie, is Lionel"

-" Oh, Hi what do you need?"

-"Can you tell Lieutenant Fahey, that we just saw Shane on Fulton Avenue".

-"Shane is Lieutenant Fahey's son right?" But before Veronica can hear the answer, she hears another person talking close to Lionel. "Hey, ask her if today's Malcolm X's birthday".

-"Is that Terrence?, and why is he talking about Malcolm X's birthday?"

-"Well he told us that he don't have school today because today is Malcolm X's birthday".

-" I'll talk with the boss, but you might bring him in, just in case". Sighs at the end, it seems like one of her lame pretext to avoid Physical education.

-" Lieutenant, Lionel and Terrence just spot jour son skipping class, they are bringing him here". Comments Veronica after knocking at his door's office.

-"Again?, since my brother's death, Shane wasn't the same, he skip classes, and his grades are going low, I don't know what to do anymore". Sighs with a sad face.

-"Are those…." Says Veronica trying to change the subject and pointing to a group of boxes apparently full of folders and what it looks like a board map with a lot of color pushpins.

-"My investigation of the fires and possible arsons of this firehouse area, but as far I can see, I can't make any more progress, maybe you can bring a new fresh perspective, Would you give it a try?".

-"Yeah sure boss, you can count me on, thanks, I'll pick those reports after my duty shift ends"

-"Ok rookie, the crew is going to wash the truck, so you better go and help".

-"Right away, boss". Says finally leaving the office to pick all the cleaning products.

-"Aaand don't forget, tomorrow we have the firefighters picnic and tonight is your initiation party, don't worry nothing life threatening ".

When Veronica gathers all cleaning products and several buckets, She, Joe and Pep starts cleaning their truck, the firehouse SUV stops closer to the main gate, Lionel, Terrence and a boy who should be Lieutenant Fahey's son, Shane, exits the car and before the boy says anything Joe starts.

-"Your father is waiting for you in the locker room, and he is seriously angry."

-"Yeah, what else is new?" continues the boy with a face of indifference.

-"I guess you'll find out, when you get punished" finish Joe while scrubbing one of the sides.

-"Hey, dude, just do what I do, the second he opens his mouth, start crying." Smiling says

-"Or better yet, tell him it's in your DNA, That means everything horrible you do is his fault. Lionel closes the door while carrying some boxes of supplies.

-"Joe, how do I play this one?" ask Shane

-"Play?, You get in there, look him in the eye, and say you're sorry. Go!" shouts Joe angrily.

Shane walks slowly to the inside of the firehouse.

-"Give him a break, Joe, Kid's mom split, when he was, like, two, he's an orphan".

-"He's not an orphan Terrance, he's got a dad".

-"Yeah, so no mom and a firefighter dad, pretty much makes him an orphan".

-"Well, he's got us Pep".

All of them sigh indicating that this is not an alternative, then Veronica continues scrubbing close to Pep.

-"V, you need a good makeover change, I have seen your clothes, and your hair could use a nice haircut".

-"Do you think so Pep? I don't know where to begin with!"

-"Don't worry as soon as we finish here we can have a girls afternoon ad go shopping, and I know the right place to take care of your hair, and your skin V, you still look like an school geek".

When their duty shift is finish they go to the shopping mall, Pep had her ride off the pastels and pinks and girlish clothes she used to wear. Her new Image will be tougher so she picks out reds and blacks and greens. She finds jeans and miniskirts and stuff she's never wear before. New Jackets and green cups that screams she is wild and bold. Combat boots that shows she is not longer the shy and geeky Veronica. And to finish her new image Pep walks to her Aunt Gloria's hair salon, where she finally opts for a radical hair style and cuts her own to a very short one, where she is taught by Gloria how to take care of her skin, and to get rid of the brackets. Finally they went from Gloria's hair salon to the place where her initiation party is held.

-"An Irish Pub?, we are firefighters and we party in an Irish Pub?, this is so cliché"

-"Come on Veronica, you look gorgeous" reinforces Pep. "today is your first day of the new you, think it like a test, and please have fun, you like that you never had a party in your school".

When Veronica and Pep walks in the pub, all the firefighters gathered there starts to cheer and shout loudly until they reach the group.

-"Veronica, have you ever had one of these?" laughs Jack pointing several filled glasses.
-"No, don't do it, what is this?
- "Oh, it's an Irish Car Bomb, yeah. Here, you put it in like this" he picks one of the shot glass and drops inside of one larger glass "let it drop right in there, and chug it all at once".
-"Are you doing one Lieutenant Kennedy?"

-"Call me Mike when we are off duty V, may I call you V?, I can see Pep's work, you look better and no I am stick with beer"
-"You're gonna love it. Ready?" continues Jack.
-"You ready?" says Ray in unison
- "Oh, it's gonna make me sick". Comments Veronica with a sick face.
-"Come on. Now..."
-"One, two, three"

They drop the shot glass while the rest of the crew are chanting
Drink, drink, drink, drink,
drink, drink, drink, drink...
-" Come on!" yells Jack and Ray when they finish their drinks
- Go, go, go, go, go, go!
Go, go, go, go! Continues the crew while Veronica tries to finish her drink
-"Wow, oh, my God, what was that?. I'm going to be so sick tomorrow."
-"Let's get another shot!" shouts Ray.

-"I think I gotta slow down a bit." Says Veronica after spending half an hour drinking
-"No, you gotta get wasted at a Initiation party".
-"That's tradition".
-"No, no, no, Jack, the lady knows her limitations. Let her go. Send her home."
-"Are you calling me a lightweight Tommy?
- "Yeah, Lightweight." Challenges Tommy with a poker face.
- "Ohh!, we have a challenge"
-"OK. Last one to empty their glasses runs naked around the bar." Raising a full beer Veronica challenges.
- "We got a challenge Boys!"
- "Oh, we got a race here! All right. Loser takes off all their clothes." Yells Frank
-"Ready, on three."
-"One, two, three." Chants the crew.

While Tommy starts drinking heavily hoping to win and see her running around in her underwear, Veronica drops the contents from her beer in another glass.

-"No, no, no. What the hell is that?" says incredibly.
-"I said last to empty their glass. Did I say anything about drinking it?"
- "Tom, the lady's right, Tommy." Sentences Frank
- "Ohh, man, defeated by the rookie, see, oh, we got a cute one here now, huh?"
- "Take it off! Take it off!" cheers the crew.
Take it off!, Take it off! Take it off!
Take it off! Take it off! Take it off!

Continues to chant the crew and many of the people in the pub before the crowd starts whistling when Tommy stands and removes his clothes, when Veronica fells somebody's hand in her shoulder, at the moment she turns around that somebody kisses her hard on her lips. The time seems to go slower when she hears a familiar voice.

-"Hello Veronica, it's been a long time babe".

-"Yolanda… Yolanda Hamilton?".

For those who read this story, some of the old Gang will appear in the next chapter, and I'll try to start with the Hearst plot as soon as I can.