Chapter Four

How do I get her to talk to me? How do I get her to be as open as she was with me when we were roommates the first time around? Will she continue being captain after all this?

"She deserves the world after everything that has happened to her. Captain was always Andy's end goal. I think we just need to make her feel that same excitement she first had at the thought of being captain to help her through this."

Jack was at Andy's apartment and had gotten her into bed when he got a text from Maya.

We need to remind her of why she wanted to become a captain to begin with.

How?

We need to show her that the house is still a family. That while all of us aren't working there anymore, we still have each other's backs.

Jack read the message and tried to think back to what made her so passionate about the job.

Her dad. Saving people. Ryan encouraged her that she should be doing more.

Jack thought back to the day Andy told the team that her dad wouldn't be coming back and the speech she made.

"My dad's always ran things a certain way around here. He likes us to chase a rabbit on a track, but it's just a stupid trick to keep us all running, just a stupid price, the Pole Day. I'm done chasing the rabbit. I am the rabbit. The rabbit runs because she loves it. I do this job because I love it. I don't need a prize. Every day here is the prize. Every life saved. Every fire put out. We're Seattle firefighters. Station 19 is where we choose to be."

Jack smiled at the memory. He knew how much Andy deserved to be more than just a firefighter at the station.

Do you remember the speech she made when she told the team Pruitt wouldn't be coming back?

Yeah. Of course, I was so proud of her. What about it though?

I think we need to remind her that she's the rabbit.

How do we do that?

First things first we let her rest and then next shift we just try to talk to her.

Okay. I'll see you tomorrow, Jack.

It was a day later, and everyone was at the station. Jack and Theo included. They both wanted and needed to be there for them.

It was 10 minutes into the shift when Andy called for a lineup.

"Look, I know last time we saw each other I was falling apart, but today is a new day." Andy started, the lack of emotion in her voice was unsettling to everyone. "Bishop, Wiggins, Sullivan, and Cutler on the ladder. Montgomery and Larsson are on the aid car and me, Hughes, Finch and Kline are on the Engine." Andy finished. "Dismiss…"

Andy got cut off. "Wait, Cap." Andy heard come from the side and saw Jack and Theo.

"Ruiz? Jack? What are you doing here?"

"The rabbit runs because she loves it." Jack quoted, stepping closer to Andy.

"I do this job because I love it. I don't need a prize. Every day here is the prize." Maya added.

"We're Seattle firefighters. Station 19 is where we choose to be." Vic added on even without knowing what Maya and Jack were trying to do.

Andy's lips pulled up, but she didn't say anything.

"Andy, we know we missed the signs that you've been struggling but we're here now, okay?" Maya walked towards Andy and stopped when she was in front of her. "Andy, you can always come to us, okay? I need you to know that." Maya watched Andy nod. "Can Jack, Ruiz and I talk to you alone?" Andy nodded and turned to the rest of the team and told them that they were dismissed before turning and walking out of the barn to go to her office.

The four of them got to Andy's office, Jack closing the door while Andy moved over to her desk and leaned against it.

"What did you guys want to talk to me about?" Andy asked, looking between Jack and Maya, trying to read them but was unsettled when she couldn't.

"We're your closest friends, Maya and I," Jack stated. "We feel like we should have noticed. I know I'm not around a lot anymore, but we are still friends, Andy. We're all still a family, okay?" Jack watched Andy look down. "We're always going to be family. Even if one of us ends up moving far away. Even though Ruiz resigned and I'm not a firefighter we are always going to be part of 19." Jack watched Andy look up, eyes watery and stepped forward to pull her into a hug. "I love you, Andy. Okay? You know that, right?" Jack felt Andy nod.

"I know. I do. I promise. It's just so hard sometimes." Andy admitted and pulled out of the hug. She looked at Maya. "I'm sorry."

"Hey. Hey. You have nothing to be sorry about." Theo said, taking a step closer to Andy. "I know you've lost your way recently, but never forget how much you love this job. You deserve this, okay? I know you're struggling right now, but you have all of us here for you." Theo told her. "I watched you at station 23 Andy, you turned that team around and managed to make that "boys club" into a family. You demanded respect. You got annoyed with Maddox, but you never let him push you around." Theo stepped closer to Andy when Jack moved out of the way and Theo rested a hand on her shoulder. "Things may suck right now. Things may be hard right now, but you are not alone. You are never going to be alone. We're station 19. We fight the fight together." Theo told her, repeating her own words back to her.

Andy looked from Theo to Maya and Jack. "Thank you." Andy smiled, teary-eyed. "I really appreciate this, guys."

The three of them smiled and Andy sighed. "I don't know what to do."

"None of us noticed that you were struggling but now we know and can talk about options." Andy sighed again. "I think you should be talking to someone," Theo told her and was surprised when Andy nodded.

"I'll talk to my cousin and see if she has anyone she can recommend me to," Andy told him and looked at Maya and Jack, she saw them relax a bit, both probably thought that Andy would fight the idea. "Now, I need to get some paperwork done. Is there anything else?"

Maya and Theo shook their heads.

"Just call us if you're ever feeling down, okay? We don't want you struggling on your own." Andy nodded.

"I promise I will." Andy agreed and watched them turn and leave, closing the door as they did. Andy sighed and walked around the desk to sit in her chair.

She just didn't know if she would be able to keep that promise.