But Who's Going To Save You?
Chapter 5: Never Make a Deal with a Fiery
Felicity bounded up the stairs, so quickly, she had to duck under the two cups of coffee Dean was carrying for himself and Lara. "Geeze, Flick. Watch where you're going!"
"Sorry," Felicity called over her shoulder, already halfway across the room. She came to a stop – with a little jump – right in front of Vince and beamed up at him.
Vince, his own mug of coffee hallway to his lips, narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "What do you want, Flickety-Split?"
"Aside from you to stop calling me a name that reminds of a My Little Pony I used to play with when I was six, a name," Felicity told him.
"Joe Bloggs," Vince retorted.
"Thanks," Felicity told him, and turned.
"Alright, whose name?" Vince called after her, rolling his eyes.
Felicity turned back, a grin on her face as she wrapped her arm around the Station Coordinator. "Well," she started. "I have an idea, but the thing is I need some help with it. But unfortunately I need to speak to a fiery, so, in your little book of contacts, who would be most likely to help me, bearing in mind my only payment would be this award winning smile?"
Vince mock frowned. "You won an award for that?"
"No, but I should, don't you think?" she asked, blinking up at him.
"Jake Hudson," he grunted. "Show some leg, don't wear a Rescue uniform and he's your man. And whatever you do, get it in writing. Fierys indeed. What do you want with them?"
"Their hoses," she grinned mischievously, earning a bark of laughter. "And where would I find them? As in, a map would be helpful."
Vince shook his head. "Take one of this lot. And your uniform in case you get a shout." He gazed down at her. "You're not abandoning us, are you?"
"Nope," Felicity assured him. "As much as being called Flick annoys me, I'm happy here." She gave him a finger wave and made her way back to her desk.
"So how was the club?" Chase asked her as she sat down.
"Not nearly as good as the sushi was," she informed him, lightly. "Are you doing anything important?" she asked him.
Chase shrugged. "Re-writing my notes. Michelle apparently can't read it."
Felicity leant over, staring at the page. "I can see why. It looks like two spiders did the waltz across the page. Fancy doing me a favour?"
"Only if you write the notes up for me," he shrugged.
"Only if you dictate them to me, because there aren't enough hours in a shift to decipher that," Felicity agreed.
"Deal," Chase nodded.
Behind then Heidi laughed. "She could have you doing anything, Chase. You should have asked what she wanted first."
Warily, Chase looked over at Felicity. "What do you want me doing?"
"I volunteer at a ballet school. We're a member down and need someone to fill in for the fairy in the Nutcracker." She stood, keeping her face straight as horror washed over Chase's. "Come on, we can go find the pink tights now."
"Pink tights?" Chase choked. "I'm not wearing tights."
"Too late – you already agreed!" Heidi cackled, catching the wink from Felicity.
"Don't worry," Felicity assured him, leading down the stairs. "It's a bunch of six year olds, so you don't have to be able to dance." She got to the door of the changing room, waited for Chase to catch her up, and then, unable to keep her face straight any longer, burst out laughing.
"Oh, real funny!" Chase exclaimed. "Where are we going, really?"
Felicity dove into her locker, pulling out the baby blue summer dress she had come to work in. Quickly, her back to Chase, she pulled her Rescue shirt off and slipped the dress on over her head, and then wriggled out of her trousers. "We're going to see a man about a hose," she told him, turning back to him. "What do you think?"
"You look," Chase frowned. "Pretty."
Felicity sighed. "I can't believe I'm about to resort to this," she muttered. She reached up and pulled her hair out of her ponytail, fluffing it out. "But this is the best I'm going to get, and if it means we get to save our helicopters, than it's worth it." She frowned. "Just do me a favour and don't tell Cole."
"Of course not," Chase muttered, a little bewildered, following her out to the Rescue car. "Seriously, where are we going?"
"I don't care," Jordan announced, waiting by the car. "But I'm coming with you."
"Not that I mind you coming," Felicity told him. "But Vince said I could only steal one person. I don't want him getting pissed off at you."
Jordan quickly shook his head. "Right now, I'm more scared of pissing of Heidi. I can handle Vince."
Felicity walked into the firehouse – Chase and Jordan were parked up and waiting around the corner, out of sight – to find a collection of men sat around a large screen television cheering on those who were playing some form of racing game.
"Man, I wish we'd had one of those back at my station," Felicity exclaimed, loudly.
Collectively, the group turned, letting out all manner of whistles, hooting and cat calls. "Back at your station?" one of them asked.
Felicity nodded. "Fire and Rescue, Leeds. Which I believe makes me something of a sister."
"Oh, you're no sister," another disagreed with a flirty grin.
"An engaged sister," Felicity informed him, holding her ring up.
"Settle down," a third man barked at the disappointed calls. "What brings you to our humble abode?"
"Well, I need some help – from one fiery to another – and I've been told the person I need to speak to is Jake Hudson."
The third man smiled, offering his hand. "That would be me. What do you need?"
Felicity returned the grin, rubbing her hands together. "Well, now that you ask..."
Twenty minutes later, Felicity was climbing into the back of the truck, having been relegated from the front passenger seat by Jordan. "All done," she beamed.
"And now are you going to tell us what you want with the fierys?" Chase asked, turning around in his seat to face her.
Felicity shook her head. "Not until we get back to base." She leant forward, resting an elbow on each of the seats and turned her attention on Jordan. "Now, why do you think you're going to piss Heidi off?"
Jordan sighed and slumped into his seat. "I can't tell you."
"Did you leave the toilet seat up?" Felicity asked him.
Jordan's head whipped around to stare at her. "What makes you say that?" he asked, through Chase's laughter.
"It was something that annoyed me – still annoys me – with Cole," she shrugged, slightly confused at the reaction she was getting from both guys.
"We were joking," Chase just about managed to get out amongst his peals of laughter.
This time, both Jordan and Felicity gave him a puzzled look. "Joking about what?" Jordan demanded.
"We've had Felicity convinced that you and Heidi are a thing," Chase told him, without remorse.
"That was a joke?" Felicity exclaimed. "Oh come on, wind up the newbie jokes should be sending them to the wrong place or buckets of water propped over doors. Not who is dating or not dating who."
"I know," Chase laughed. "But seeing you knock on every door was funny."
"I'm sorry," Felicity sighed, glancing back at Jordan. "I haven't been avoiding you because I have a problem with you. Him," she jabbed her thumb at Chase. "His brother and Lara told me you and Heidi were at it like rabbits all the time."
"Uh, yeah, that's not a problem," Jordan muttered, refusing to look her in her eyes.
Felicity stared at him thoughtfully. "Right you," she said, turning to Chase. "You can go get me a drink for that."
"Aw, what?" Chase asked, sobering up. "That's hardly fair."
"Go!" Felicity demanded, pointing at a shop down the street. "And it had best be chilled," she added as Chase slunk out of the car. "You need to work on your poker face," she told Jordan.
"There's nothing going on between me and Heidi!" he told her.
"Of course not," Felicity agreed, patting his shoulder. "How about we go on the theory that this is still part of Chase's genius wind up. So what did you do?"
Jordan stared at her, weighing his options and finally sighed. "For the record, if Heidi finds out you know, she will kill me. She's got this theory Michelle will transfer one of us."
"Seriously?" Chase exclaimed.
Jordan turned slowly in his seat, finding his friend standing behind him, his mouth hanging open in disbelief. "I thought you were getting a drink."
"Forgot my money," Chase shrugged, grinning like an idiot. "How the hell did I not see that one?"
"Yeah, I'm confused," Felicity sighed. She paused, thinking. "So why did Heidi want a night and a morning off for both of you?"
Jordan sighed, sinking into his seat. "We told Vince we were going to a midnight viewing of the latest Harry Potter with a bunch of mates. He seemed to buy it." He closed his eyes, groaning. "I am a dead man."
"We're not going to say anything," Felicity assured him.
"Speak for yourself," Chase laughed.
Jordan's eyes opened into a scowl. "You owe me. Your shoulder?"
Chase stared back and then sighed in resignation. "Yeah, fine." He hurried around and got back in the car. "I'm not saying anything."
Felicity glanced between them. "Do I even want to know?" she asked, suspecting little more than a prank that had made Chase look like a prat.
"Nah," Jordan told her after sharing a look with Chase.
"So why is Heidi pissed at you?" she asked, shrugging. "What did you do?"
"She wants a drawer. And to leave a toothbrush at mine."
Felicity glanced at Chase who looked like he was trying as hard as she was not to laugh. "So what's the problem, mate?" Chase asked.
"Well I don't know if it's too early for that. We've only been seeing each other a few weeks," he explained, staring glumly at the glove box.
"Did she just come out with it?" Felicity asked. "You know, demand a drawer?"
Jordan shook his head. "Yesterday morning we were late because we had to go back to hers so she could get dressed." Hearing Chase's snickering, he reached over and back-slapped his arm. "Not like that, you nong." He sighed and glanced back at Felicity. "She mentioned it would be easier if she had a drawer there."
"But she did just demand a drawer?" Felicity repeated.
"No," Jordan replied.
"I have no idea what a nong is," Felicity informed him. "But I'm beginning to suspect you are also one. If she didn't flat out ask for one, she's probably not expecting one. Does it matter if she has one anyway?"
"Not really," he shrugged.
"So clear a drawer out and offer it her. It's not like you're moving in with her," Chase told him with a roll of his eyes.
"Rescue Base to Rescue 6 Portable," Vince's voice boomed through the radio, startling all three of them.
Felicity leant forward and snatched the radio off the dash. "Go ahead, Vince."
"Flick, out of curiousity, do they still teach you pommies to count?"
"All the way to a hundred," Felicity shot back.
"Great. Start counting."
Felicity looked at the two guys in the car with her, who just shrugged their shoulders. "Okay," she muttered. "One. Two-"
"And stop there. Now, tell me how many morons you have in the car with you?"
"You had better have a good explanation," Vince informed the three of them as they returned to base.
Felicity pulled her phone out of her pocket and opened up the Voice Memo Application.
"Are you really recording this?" Jake Hudson's voice came clearly through the little speakers on the iPhone.
"Hell yes," Felicity responded. "Now, as agreed."
Jake emitted a defeatist sigh. "Fine. You can use the station and the grounds next Saturday."
"And this is a good explanation?" Vince asked, his arms folded, as Felicity hit the pause button.
"Oh yes," Felicity agreed, aware that she had drawn a crowd.
"You went to borrow a station off the fierys when we have our own?" Vince continued. "Do you have any idea how much you're going to owe them? I am going to be trading them BA's and lord knows what other gear for a decade."
Felicity shook her head and held the phone up, pressing play.
"And?" Felicity pressed.
"And, you can use the hoses, the water, and we'll even throw in a barbie. Hell, I'll even ask the guys if they want to help too – is that alright?" Jake asked. There was a long pause. "Fine. This will only cost you twenty percent-"
"Ten," Felicity interjected.
"Ten per cent of whatever you take over four grand, a signed Roosters shirt and you have to wash a truck."
"Ah, we never agreed on that," Felicity told him. "However, that's fine. I will wash a truck for you."
"How the bloody hell did you wangle that from Jakey-boy?" Vince asked in amazement. "Did you take your clothes off?"
Felicity shook her head. "Followed your advice and took my uniform off though." She grinned and let Vince hear the rest of the recording.
"You drive a hard bargain. I'm glad to see they taught you well. So what's this fundraising for? Bit odd for your holidays."
"Whoever said I was on my holiday?" Felicity asked him.
"You said you were Fire and Rescue," Jake replied sounding slightly confused.
"I was," Felicity agreed. "Then I emigrated. Now it's just Rescue."
"You're Rescue?" Jake spluttered. "Did Marchello put you up to this?"
Dean gave Vince a grin. "I think we've just earned ourselves an extra point," he declared, nodding at Jordan who grabbed a whiteboard from the side.
Vince, staring long and hard at Felicity. "Flickety-split," he said, slowly. "What have you just agreed to?"
Felicity settled down into Vince's chair, putting her feet up on his desk. "That, Vince, would be a charity carwash held at the fire station, complete with barbeque – Fire providing the water and the hoses, and clearing up the mess. Charge $10 per car. Cakes, face paint. Oh," the smile went wider. "And a celebrity raffle with to win a date with one Cole Turner, which, thanks to Cole, will all be publicised at no charge to Rescue."
Michelle cocked her head. "Have you ever considered a job in PR?"
Felicity shook her head. "Hell no! I think that would be my idea of hell."
"Either way, that's a really good idea," Michelle told her.
"They weren't my ideas," she frowned. "Well, maybe the bake sale was. But the rest came from other sources. Cole came up with the date idea."
"Righto, everybody can get back to work now," Vince announced. "Flick, I think there's some cars downstairs that need some washing. And take Tweedle-Dum and Tweedle-Dee with you," he added, pointing at Chase and Jordan. "Call it practice."
The small crowd dispersed. "Washing cars?" Chase moaned as he and Felicity headed downstairs, Jordan right behind them.
"I didn't see you coming up with anything better," Felicity shot back at him.
"Hey, Jordan," Heidi called after them.
"I'll catch you up," Jordan told Chase and Felicity. He turned back to Heidi. "What's up?"
"Nothing," Heidi told him. "I just wanted to see what you were doing later."
"Actually I'm going to be clearing out a drawer." Seeing Heidi's puzzlement, he smiled sheepishly. "You know, for you to leave some things at mine – if you wanted to, that is?"
Heidi blinked. "For real?" At Jordan's nod, she beamed, taking a step towards him, then paused. "Later," she promised.
Well, when I thought life couldn't get any worse, I heard the news about Rescue. I'm heartbroken. Anyway, work isn't improving and it looks like there may well be a second chapter again this week (you can take that as good news or bad news - it's up to you). Either way, I must apologise for this chapter. I had something akin to an epiphany mid-way though, so you will just have to go with it. That and I will attempt to make it better in the next chapters! I think it will also result in this story being longer than I originally thought (again, that's up to you on the good news/bad news debate!)
Miss Deeds - LOL, Cole's turned into a bit of a tool - which was never my original plan. There is some Lara and Dean coming up in the next chapter. Hopefully I will have caught the characters right! As for Chase, I think you're right. Short of having a moment of realisation that he's living in his brother's shadow, they've really done nothing with him!
SarahSoph - Thank you! And it's alright if you don't like Cole (I don't anymore!) Fundraising action in the next chapter, which is hopefully more exciting than this chapter! I know what you mean about Lachie. I was watching thinking, well where the hell did you come from? Oh well, if nothing else, he is rather easy on the eye!
Asah331 - Bless, she is a little naive! And that trip to the fair may still happen! I think there will be much more Chase too!
PS - thank you for all telling me what Lachie stands for. It wasn't until I rewatched that I realised they weren't calling him Lucky! (I'm a goof!)