Chapter Seventeen: Respect Earned

Blade woke up the next morning to find he still remained by Sky's side. He smiled softly, gently nuzzling her head. She hardly stirred, but the steady rise and fall of her chest assured Blade she was still okay.

"Morning, Sleeping Beauty." Maru greeted, still working on Dusty.

"Morning." Blade didn't move, but glanced over to where his comatose SEAT rested. He frowned. "Any change from last night?"

Maru snorted. "You expected something so soon? It's only nine."

Nine a.m.? Yeesh, when was the last time Blade slept in so late? "Just make sure to keep everyone posted."

"I know." Maru assured, still focused on his work. "Most everyone felt comfortable enough to sleep last night, but no doubt they'll return soon enough."

Blade nodded, resuming his staring at Sky. He couldn't remember her looking so peaceful before, or maybe that was just because the last twenty-four hours turned out to be pure hell for all of them. Then he thought of something. "You think these two have family back home?"

"I'd be surprised if they didn't." Maru said, knowing what was coming.

Blade nodded again. Reluctantly, he pulled away from Sky and rolled off towards his hanger. He briefly noticed Dipper standing outside the garage doors, but continued on. He knew what he was about to do was one of the hardest things a chief had to do, but it would be cruel to not do it. Still, Blade couldn't remember what Sky told him about her family, if she did at all, so calling Mayday would be his best bet.

"Hey there, Blade!" Mayday greeted warmly. "So glad you called! I heard you had quite the fire up there at Piston Peak."

"One of the biggest in history." Blade confirmed. "And the biggest in my time as a firefighter."

"Well I'm happy to hear you're all right." Mayday said. "I was worried for a moment. But I figured if you really had listened to me during training, you'd be fine."

Blade smirked. I really do owe this position to you, Mayday. Thanks. "Yeah. Hey, do you know Dusty's and Sky's family?"

"Don't know much about Dusty's family." Mayday admitted. "But Skylar lives with Skipper and Sparky." There was a pause. "Why? What's happened?"

Blade sighed. When was the last time he had to make a call like this? Clearly not long enough, if it still hurt. Especially given his bond with Sky. "Mayday, Sky and Dusty crashed during the fire."

Another pause, this one much longer. "Oh…." That was all Mayday could say apparently.

"They're still alive." Blade said, hoping he wasn't unintentionally lying given Dusty's condition. "Our mechanic is working on Dusty now, and we're having a doctor come up to look at Sky. I just wanted to let you know what happened."

"Of course. Thank you." Mayday's voice sounded funny, like he was crying a little. Yep, there's a sniffle. But Mayday cleared his throat and gathered his composure. "Really, thank you for telling me. I'll let Dusty and Sky's friends know."

"I'll call when they're awake again." Blade assured. Mayday thanked him and hung up. Blade sighed heavily, staring at the ground for a moment. He only had to make a call like this once or twice in his time as chief, which was really saying something given where he worked. He never broke down or got emotional, but sometimes it got a little uncomfortable. What was he supposed to do while the loved ones of a lost firefighter started sobbing? He wasn't exactly an expert in comforting people. This time, though, things were different. This time, it involved someone he grew to care very much for. And as for Dusty….all right, so the little plane managed to hit a soft spot in Blade. Dusty's dedication and generally happy nature reminded Blade of Nick. He did something that actually impressed Blade, and now the helicopter could finally admit he was rather proud of Dusty.

Blade wasn't sure how long he stayed in his hanger, but the sound of Mayday's voice over the radio jolted him from his thoughts. "This is Chief Mayday to Piston Peak. Blade, you still there?"

Blade pressed the pedal to the radio. "I read you—"

"WHERE IN CHRYSLER'S NAME IS MY DAUGHTER?!" a new voice shouted, nearly rattling Blade's eardrums.

It took a moment for the fire chief to respond. "Who is this?"

"Commander Skipper Riley now where is she?!" the voice shouted.

Commander? Well, now I see where Sky gets her attitude. Blade tried to keep himself from snapping at Skipper, knowing he was just concerned. "Sky is currently unconscious, like Dusty."

"I'm coming up there." Skipper announced.

"No good." Blade countered quickly. "Park's closed because of the fire."

"I don't care." Skipper snapped. "I'm coming to see my daughter!"

"Your daughter is fine! I promise." Blade said firmly.

There was a moment of silence, save for the static of the radio. "Everyone out. I want to speak with him alone." Skipper's voice sounded distant, like he was turning away from the radio. After a moment, a door shut in the background. Skipper's voice returned, a little softer. "How can you promise me that she's safe? That they're both safe?"

"Because I know neither one of them are the type to just give up." Blade said. "And Sky knows she has people waiting for her to come home. I personally made sure they were all right and our mechanic is going to do what he can to fix Dusty."

"And….his gearbox…I mean, it was—"

"Broken when he came out here? I know. It failed right before he crashed."

"Is he going to make it?"

"I think he's got a good chance. As long as he doesn't give up."

"He won't. Believe me, he won't." A pause. "Can you promise me, the next time I see my daughter, she'll be alive?"

Blade nodded. "You have my word. I would never let anything happen to her."

Skipper was silent for several seconds. The last time he spoke before hanging up, his voice sounded ragged yet relieved. "Thank you."

"You sure I can't help out with anything?" Sky asked Maru, sitting up on her makeshift cot. The human doctor Ol' Jammer sent left several minutes ago. While he wasn't a psych-man, he determined Sky's injuries could've been worse. Sky's burn began bleeding again, she had several scratches across her back and arms, bruises up and down her arms, and she re-sprained her ankle. Luckily, landing on her sprained ankle allowed her to involuntarily tuck and roll and lessened her blow. The doctor insisted Sky not wear her ankle brace and simply keep the appendage wrapped while staying off it. So Sky was back on crutches, with bandages wrapped all over her torso and up her arms to make her look like a mummy in jeans and a sports bra.

Maru chuckled at Sky's attempt to offer her help. "Raven, the last time you helped me with an operation, you ended up with that burn. I got this."

Sky sighed. "Oh all right."

"Now go on and get some fresh air." Maru said, focusing mostly on his work with Dusty. The orange and white plane hadn't moved an inch, but Maru didn't worry about it just yet. "You should get a little exercise in even if you can't move all that well."

Sky looked down. She was worried about Dusty, just like everyone else. The entire Air Attack team gathered outside the garage, watching Maru work. But she knew the best way she could help this time would be to stay out of the way. So she lifted up her crutches and leaned on them, hobbling out of the garage and standing beside Blade. The helicopter gave her a soft smile before they both returned their attention to Dusty. He was still pretty beaten up; Maru hadn't had a chance to hammer out all the dents. Right now, he worked on replacing the plane's damaged prop. The entire team were worried, and it was clear based just on the looks on their faces. Crashes were no surprise to them; they all saw their fair share of injuries. It was just part of the job. But this was almost too much. Nobody could help their cheers when Maru announced Sky was still alive, and they were thankful the rain took care of the fire. Now, it was just waiting for Maru's work to pay off.

But Dusty remained unconscious throughout the day, and as night fell everyone began turning in for the evening. A single prayer ran through their minds: please let Dusty wake up tomorrow.

Blade, Sky, and Dipper were the last ones at the garage as night came over the base. Maru still worked, not taking his focus off his job. Blade sighed. "Come on, Raven. Let's get some sleep."

Sky sighed too. "Okay."

"You should get to bed as well, Dipper." Blade said, looking to the SuperScooper. She looked exhausted, and he had to wonder when the last time she actually slept was. Dipper gave no indication she even heard her chief speak. "Hey, Dipper. Did you hear me?"

"Yeah." Dipper murmured, not taking her eyes off Dusty. "I'll be okay."

Blade and Sky exchanged looks. This seemed….different…from Dipper's usual fan girl personality she had around Dusty. Sky gave Blade a pat, encouraging him to the hanger, and she hobbled over to stand beside Dipper. The two females stared at Dusty, hoping he would give some indication that he still hung on besides the quiet sound of his breathing.

Sky finally spoke. "You okay, Dipper?"

Dipper didn't answer. Then she sighed. "I don't want him to die."

Sky sighed, patting the SuperScooper's side. "Yeah, me too. But don't worry. Dusty's pretty tough. And Maru's doing a great job taking care of him." If Maru heard her, he didn't show. Sky looked to Dipper. "You know, this is the first time I've seen you act in a way that didn't scream 'crazy fan girl' around him."

Dipper chuckled softly. "What makes you say that?"

"I can see it in your eyes and in your body language." Sky said. "You're showing sincere care for him. Why is it that he had to crash like this for you to show this kind of care?"

"Don't get me wrong." Dipper said. "I really do care about Dusty. He's such a nice guy and he'd be a great friend. But…" She sighed sadly. "He'd never like me like that."

"Why do you say that?" Sky asked curiously.

"He's the great Dusty Crophopper. And you're the amazing Skylar Riley." Dipper said. "I'm just…me. He'd never go for a girl like me. So I acted the way I thought he would've expected. That first bit of excitement from when we first met was real, but everything else was part of the act. I put all my heart into how much of a fan I was of him and you. He reacted just the way I knew he would."

Sky stared at Dipper, realizing just how insecure the SuperScooper seemed to be. "Hey, Dusty's a lot nicer than that. You saw him when we first met Blade. He didn't even want to talk about his world championship; he's just too humble to brag about his racing. It's not about the trophies and the fame for him; it's a deep-seated passion. Under all that fame, he's just Dusty Crophopper, a nice guy from Propwash Junction who's always open to making new friends." She smiled at Dipper. "Dusty's not exactly looking for a girlfriend right now, but I know he would be happy to have you as a friend."

"You think so?" Dipper asked.

"You bet." Sky nodded. "Just like how happy I am to have you for a friend."

Dipper smiled warmly, and she sighed. "Thanks, Raven."

Unfortunately, everyone gathered around the garage the next day to see Dusty still unconscious, and Maru still working away. Dipper remained in front of the garage. Sky explained to Blade last night about Dipper, and Blade made a deal with the SuperScooper: she could stay as long as she wanted, but the second Dusty woke up she was to immediately get something to eat and go to bed. Dipper agreed.

Everyone else milled about the base. Patch alerted Blade to a call from Jammer over the radio, and he and Sky disappeared into Blade's hanger to answer.

"This is Chief Ranger. How are things on your end, Jammer?" Blade asked.

"Doing all right." Jammer said. "It's mostly cleanup from here. The rangers are spreading out to check if any of the other buildings got scorched and we got a team working to clear the main road and rebuild the gate. But I'm actually calling about something else. Are Skylar and Dusty there?"

"Skylar, yes. Dusty's still getting fixed up by Maru." Blade reported.

"That'll do." Jammer said. "We found a couple campers in the tunnel near Augerin Canyon, and we brought them back here to help them out. They've been asking about Dusty and Skylar for a while now. Can they talk to her?"

"I'm right here, Jammer." Sky said. "Put 'em on."

There was a pause. "Skylar?"

"Harvey! Winnie!" Sky greeted warmly, relieved to hear the voices of the elderly RVs.

"Oh thank Chrysler in heaven!" Winnie sounded like the weight of the world was lifted off her. "We were so worried about you two!"

"You really saved our lives, Skylar." Harvey said. "A couple of the rangers found us and brought us back to the lodge."

"Are you two okay?" Sky asked, concerned.

"Winnie was a little traumatized and I got a burn or two." Harvey admitted. "But we're okay. When we heard you and Dusty crashed, we practically begged Ranger Jammer to let us talk to you."

"We thought you two had died, just to save us!" Winnie sounded like she was crying a little.

"It's okay." Sky assured. "Dusty still needs a little work and I'm a little beat up myself, but we're still alive. And Dusty's going to be so happy to hear you two are all right."

"We wanted to come up and see you, but Ranger Jammer says we'll have to leave the park when we're able to." Harvey said. "The place still isn't safe for visitors. You should see the state of the lodge. It's soaking wet!"

"I can imagine." Sky said.

"When can we see you two again?" Winnie asked, calming down a bit. "We want to find some way to thank you."

"You don't have to do that." Sky said humbly. "Besides, Dusty and I might be staying here for a while to heal up, and I wouldn't want you two to go through such trouble waiting for us."

"It wouldn't be any trouble at all." Winnie assured. "Just tell us where we can meet you once you're out and about."

Sky thought for a moment. Then, her face lit up. "Hey! How about you two come to the Corn Fest?"

"The what?" Harvey asked.

"The Corn Fest!" Sky said. "It's coming up in a couple weeks. Go to Propwash Junction, Minnesota. That's where Dusty and I live. You two can meet us there and you'll have a lot of fun at the festival!"

"That sounds like a wonderful idea!" Winnie said happily. "Well, we best be off. Harvey still has a day or two left to heal up himself before we leave. See you soon!"

"Bye!" Sky said cheerily, hanging up. She sighed in content, then caught sight of Blade's smile. "What?"

"It just amazes me how kind you can be." Blade said as he and Sky journeyed outside. "You're as kind as you are strong and brave, and those are very admirable traits."

Sky looked down, blushing a bit. "Well, you're awfully brave and strong yourself." She cast a look to the burn mark still on Blade's flank. "Dusty and I owe you our lives."

"No you don't." Blade assured. "It's my job to keep my team safe."

Sky smiled warmly. Then, Patch's voice came over the PA. "All aircraft and jumpers, TMST agent approaching base. I repeat, TMST agent approaching the base."

Sky looked out to see a large tanker and a forklift driving up the road to the base. Her eyes fell into a glare. "You have got to be kidding me."

Blade had met TMST agents in the past, but never one that looked like this. Sky's reaction made him blink in surprise. "You two know each other?"

"We don't have a good history." Sky growled, her grip tightening on her crutches.

Blade looked back and forth between Sky and the TMST agent. "Maybe you should just stay up here. I'll take care of this."

"No, it's because we don't have a good history that I'm coming with you." Sky said determinedly, keeping alongside Blade as they approached the TMST agent and his assistant. Blade didn't protest, despite his lingering doubts. They stopped some feet away from the TMST agent and his assistant, and the tanker's dark blue eyes gave Blade a once-over before they flicked over to Sky.

The agent's eyes narrowed. "Hello again."

"Sup." Sky returned the subtlety hostile greeting.

The agent stared at Sky for a moment and then, realizing she wouldn't leave, returned his attention to Blade. "Chief Ranger, I assume."

"Affirmative." Blade nodded.

"I am Ryker of the Transportation Management Safety Team." The agent introduced. "I am here to discuss a pair of incidents that occurred two days ago."

"Very well." Blade said, getting a feeling he wouldn't be able to avoid it anyway.

"Your crash occurred first. Explain what happened." Ryker half-ordered, half-requested.

"Two of my teammates and I were fighting a forest fire." Blade said bluntly. "My teammates were in trouble, I helped them, as per my job description as their chief."

Ryker's eyes looked to the burn on Blade's side, and he noted Sky's glare trained on him. "Miss….."

"Skylar Riley." Sky said.

"Miss Riley, were you one of the trainees involved?" Ryker asked. His assistant scribbled away on his clipboard.

"What about it?" Sky asked, a snarky tone beginning to creep into her voice.

"Could you give me the details of the incident?" Ryker said.

Sky cast a look to Blade before resuming her glaring at Ryker. "We were fighting the fire from the air when the second trainee ran into a complication and became grounded. We were forced to take cover let the fire burn over."

"Is that how you and Chief Ranger received your injuries?" Ryker seemed to know the answer already.

Sky began to wish she wore her jacket instead of just her sports bra, her bandages still exposed. "I was not injured."

Ryker looked to Blade, or more specifically the burn on his flank. "Then how did such injuries occur?"

Blade kept his stern glare. "I can handle more pain than they can."

Ryker's glare wavered for only a moment, but enough of a moment for Sky to notice. She then caught sight of the hose nozzle on top of Ryker's roof, and it clicked in her head. This guy actually used to be a firefighter.

"Where is Mr. Crophopper so we may discuss the second incident?" Ryker asked.

"Currently being repaired." Blade replied simply.

"Details on his and Miss Riley's crash?" Ryker requested.

Blade looked to Sky, allowing her to give the story. "We were working a rescue operation and taking on water. After said operation was completed, my partner's gearbox became damaged and his engine seized. In the resulting crash, I was thrown off him."

"How did Mr. Crophopper's gearbox become damaged?" Ryker asked, sounding almost confused.

"It previously had damage which prevented him from going to max torque." Sky explained, keeping her glare in her eyes.

Ryker's eyes narrowed a bit. He looked to Blade. "You allowed him to go out with damage to a critical component of his flying mechanisms?"

"It was a choice Dusty made on his own." Sky growled.

Ryker half-ignored her. "It is my understanding he was taking on water at night. Did you permit this?"

"I did." Blade said without hesitation. Sky tensed a little, praying Windlifter didn't hear. The Sikorsky wouldn't stand for Blade taking responsibility for his call.

"Exactly why was such an action necessary?" Ryker demanded.

"It was necessary to save lives." Sky snapped.

Ryker was definitely beginning to lose his patience with Sky, and he glared at her. "Do you know the rules of firefighting and why they are in place?"

"I do." Sky nodded.

"Do you understand the 'why'?" Ryker snapped.

Sky's glaring eyes locked with Ryker's. "How long were you in active duty as a firefighter?"

Ryker blinked, staring at her. "Long enough."

"When you went into action to fight fires and save lives, how often did you think of the rulebook? How often did your mind run through all the rules of firefighting? Did you ever once think about what you were and were not supposed to do? Or did you just go in and do your job, because when it comes to saving lives, the rules should not be the first thing on your mind? You just do what you can to help people, because you're their only hope." Sky's voice didn't hold any sass this time. Instead, she sounded genuinely curious.

Ryker stared at her, his glare barely lessening. The two stayed with their eyes locked for several moments, a silent understanding passing between them. "Why did you and Mr. Crophopper not return to base to refill?" Ryker asked, sounding more curious than demanding now.

"We couldn't fill up before we left." Sky said. "We had to go out with what was left in the aircrafts' tanks because of a burst in the water line."

Ryker's eyes narrowed again. "I did not pass such a burst. Where does the main water line flow?"

"To us and to the lodge." Blade answered.

"What dictates the flow of the water?"

"A lever connected to the pipes, located above ground and alongside the outside of the lodge itself."

"And the lever pointing parallel gives the water to the base." Ryker guessed.

"No, when it's perpendicular to the ground." Blade said.

Ryker blinked. His assistant tensed up, casting a look to his boss. Sky noticed the change in the tanker's look. "Which way was the lever facing when…" She could even finish the question when something clicked in her head. "The sprinklers…..oh Mother of Dodge!"

"What?" Blade asked, sounding almost worried now.

"Cad messed with the water line." Sky realized. "That's why the sprinklers were gushing out so much water. There's no way they could be so powerful without the extra boost. He must've switched the water to the roof sprinklers to kick up the power." She began fuming, her nose flaring a bit in her anger. "We flew right over that damned lodge. We saw how much water those sprinklers pushed out. We never even gave it a second thought."

Blade began to realize what Sky meant. If Cad really did tamper with the water supply, that means he prevented the team from getting full tanks of retardant before going out to fight the fire. He forced Dusty and Sky to go up the waterfall to refill, which caused the gearbox to fail, which caused them to crash, which almost cost them their lives. Blade glared, but this time out of pure hatred for the white Cadillac that was technically his boss. Then, he caught sight of Sky beginning to move towards the entrance of the base. "Sky? Where are you going?"

"I'm going down to that stupid lodge, find that even stupider excuse for a park superintendent, and I'm going to beat him into a pile of scrap metal!" Sky shouted, hobbling off with her crutches. Blade couldn't remember when he ever heard her so angry. Still, he felt a similar anger. After years of putting up with Cad, this was crossing the line. He was tempted to finally sic Maru on him.

Suddenly, Ryker shot forward, putting himself between Sky and the path that led to the lodge. He stared at her, letting her furious look wash over him. Sky took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "Listen, buddy, it is taking all of my willpower to not shout at you." Sky spoke through gritted teeth. "But so help me Chrysler, you better get the hell out of my way or else."

Ryker stared at her as his assistant pulled up alongside him. The large tanker still didn't move for several moments. "You are injured."

Sky blinked, her anger turning to confusion in an instant. "Huh?"

Blade stared at the interaction. He had feared a major fight would break out, but Ryker's response surprised even him.

"You are injured and healing." Ryker said. "It would be best if you remained here until you can move properly." He looked to Blade. "Please have your mechanic forward the reports."

Blade nodded, finally over his surprise. "Of course."

Ryker looked back to Sky, his glare softer. Sky stared back at him. She could tell from that look in Ryker's eyes that she had somehow earned his respect. To Ryker, Sky's stare back at him meant he earned her respect as well. He gave a crisp nod and drove off, his assistant following close behind. Sky stared after Ryker, smiling softly.

"I think you impressed him." Blade said as he rolled up beside Sky.

"Yeah." The girl shrugged. "He impressed me too."

A/N: The scene with Ryker coming to the base was inspired by a near-exact instance in another story. AmbulanceRobots has a story called "War Stories," which is a wonderful collection of stories revolved around the firefighters of the Cars world. Chapter 9 of that story brings Ryker to the base to talk with Blade.