"Alright well, this roof seems stable enough to-" Gerald started but immediately went silent as he stepped on an awkward piece of roofing. Arnold and the others looked over. Creaking was heard.

"Uh, guys?"

"Gerald…!" The creaking noise kept growing and growing. Arnold immediately dropped the pike pole and ran toward him.

"GERALD!"

The roof started caving in where he had stepped. Arnold tackled him just in time and they were both tossed to the ground while the roofing collapsed as fire flared up and crackled violently from the giant hole.

"Ventilation! What's happening up there!" Captain Presley shouted on the radio as she saw the fireball pouring from the roof.

"Cap, we're alright! Most of the roof is stable but a part of it collapsed!" Ben replied. "Get off that damn roof now!"

"Thanks…" Gerald was breathing heavily, and so was Arnold as the fire poured at their feet. Arnold soon got up and helped Gerald to his feet.

They were all soon climbing down the ladder. Pep had both pike poles they had dropped.

"Alright, Dean, get this ladder away from the roof." Arnold soon said as he was the first one off the ladder. Dean soon moved a lever on the control panel, but nothing happened. "What the?"

"Dean, didn't you hear me?" Arnold looked at him. "I heard you but… the ladder isn't moving!" He kept moving the lever. Warren and Pep soon got off the ladder. Gerald soon did as well. "C'mon!" Dean kept moving the lever. The ladder finally started moving back into place as it retracted.

"That was odd…" Arnold cocked his head for a moment. He then unstrapped his helmet strap and exhaled.

A Battalion Ford truck was soon seen arriving. None other than Stella Shortman.

Arnold soon hopped off the truck and walked over toward his mother.

"Boy, you sure look like you could go for an ice bath or something." Stella smirked as she shut the door. "Ugh, sounds like a good idea right about now."

"I just came over from the call 23 is on, how's it looking over here?"

"Welp, we have a deceased person here, and we almost had another one from ventilation." Arnold replied. "Wow." Stella replied as a member from 24 ran over with a hose.

"You doin' okay?" Arnold asked. "Can't say I am but I'll live." Arnold lightly nodded. "Love you, mom." Arnold hugged her. "Aw, I love you more, son." She hugged him back.

"Well, I'll let you go with your team now." She let go as Arnold nodded. He soon walked away as she smiled at her son.

To think he was once a bright and eager kid when she first saw him, and now following in her footsteps. Who knows, maybe one day he may put in an application for Battalion Chief!

"Mom, Dad, I'm so happy to see you again!" Spinelli greeted her parents with a hug. "Aw, Pookie, we're so happy to see you once more! We've missed you the past few days!" Flo replied to her daughter.

"We're happy to see you again, sugarplum! Hey, where's your boyfriend?" Bob asked.

"Out on a shift. He won't be back until tonight so I'm stuck by myself for the time being." Spinelli shrugged as Bandit ran up and started barking.

"Aw, who's the little guy here?" Flo soon bent over and picked up Bandit from the ground. He started licking her face as Flo tickled him. "He's such a cute little puppy!" Bob looked over.

"How's Andy doing?" Flo asked. Spinelli didn't know how to say it. "Um… Mom, Dad, I think you should all sit down. I'll be back in a moment." Spinelli soon went to Andy's room.

Bob and Flo looked at each other in confusion as Bandit slipped out from her arms and started running around.

BOOM

CRASH

The hole in the ceiling revealed a massive fireball crashing through, weakening the roof.

"Dispatch, this is Battalion 55, requesting an additional Engine and Ladder!"

"Copy that, Chief. Sending Engine and Ladder 23. Over."

"All units, retreat and prepare for an exterior attack!" Stella radioed every unit.

Three fire attack units soon exited as they all took off their breathing masks.

"Exterior attack? No problem!" Dean said as he turned the hose back on and aimed it high at a window that had fire pouring from it. "We don't back down easily!" Pep exclaimed.

"Let's hit this fire, people!" Stella exclaimed as sirens were heard and seen. Engine 23 and Ladder 23 were arriving.

Engine 23 parked near Engine 55 and Ladder 23 parked behind and sideways of Truck 55.

"Good timing, you guys. Get ready for an exterior attack." Stella told the Captain of 23.

Soon…

"HIT IT!" Stella shouted as every hose line was spraying at the fire. Both Truck 55 and Ladder 23 were positioned to spray water at the fire as well.

"Clemente, a little more to the left! You're too close to 23!" Stella told her. "Got it, Chief!" Pep tried moving the lever, but nothing happened.

"Didn't you hear me?" Stella looked up at the truck control panel and had her hands on her waist. "I heard you b- but the Ladder isn't moving, and neither is the water cannon!" She kept moving the lever.

"23! I need you to aim your deluge gun at the hot spots! Clemente, what is going on up there?"

"Chief, the controls aren't moving!" The Ladder finally moved to the left.

Stella went wide-eyed for a moment. "That doesn't sound good…"

"We're in position, Chief!" Luiz shouted as he had the Engine Deck Gun aimed at the flames. "Charge it!"

The deck gun started shooting water from its cannon and at the fire.

Arnold overheard the minor problem with the ladder and was starting to get concerned.

Spinelli came into the living room with her daughter in her arms. Her parents were seated on the couch.

"Is something wrong, dear?" Flo asked. Spinelli soon sat down while patting Andy's back for a moment. "Mom, Dad… We found out who the arsonist is-"

"Well, that's great!"

"I'm not done yet. The arsonist is a crazy woman who had a crush on Arnold as a kid, and now she's back. Back to terrorize the city. She's partnered with the Police Chief in burning buildings and covering his tracks. And worst of all… I'm afraid she's coming after our little girl… To get back at him for 'rejection' and 'revenge' or whatnot, but that's not the point. The point is that Andy is in the crosshairs of danger!"

"Oh God no…!" Flo had a terrified look on her face. "Goodness no! Not a baby!" Bob added as he couldn't believe his ears.

"Mom, Dad, I hate having to ask this because I don't wanna let go of Andy but… Could you guys consider caring for her until the arsonist is behind bars?" Spinelli asked.

"Anything for you and Arnold, and especially Andy. We can't imagine how much of a heartless person would want to kill an innocent little baby!" Flo replied. "I hate saying this 'cause I never said it before in my life but… I'm scared. I'm scared of what might happen next, and not knowing whether I'll see Andy grow up into the woman she's destined to be." Spinelli gave a concerned look to Andrea, who was clueless about everything.

"Please promise me that…"

"You have our word, honey."

An Hour Later

The fire was finally extinguished, and most members were rolling up their respective hoses.

Ladder 23's ladder retracted and was soon placed back into its neutral position. The deck gun on the Engine was also in its neutral position.

"C'mon already!" Pep tried retracting the ladder. The water was shut off, but the ladder wasn't moving again.

After a minute, the ladder finally started retracting and was soon moving to its spot.

"I'll see you at the station, hun, I gotta stay here and meet with Kurt and Joe." Stella told her son. "Alright. Love you, mom." Arnold hugged her. He already had his coat off but his turnout pants on.

"Love you more, sweetie." Stella kissed his cheek and hugged him.

"Alright, and we're all done here. Close him up and get him to a recovery room." Phoebe told the nurses as they all got done repairing a patient's ACL tendon.

She soon walked out of the operating room and threw away her gloves.

"Phew, nothing gets more rewarding than this." She smiled to herself. She then looked at the time. "Time for me to almost clock out. Haven't been to Arnold's place for a while, I think I should drop by to see if he's home. Wonder how his mom's doing." She thought.

"If it isn't the best doctor in the house… How's it goin', Dr. Hyerdhal?" One nurse smiled at her. "Welp, what can I say? I just absolutely love this job!"

"At your position, maybe." The black-haired nurse smirked. "Oh, quit your whining."

"I see you're gonna clock out soon. What are you planning to do after?" She asked. "Well, can't say I have much to do, I also have a bit of a complicated relationship but uh… Anyhow, I'm intending to see how one of my best friends is doing." Phoebe replied as she was signing paperwork.

"I remember back when we were first new to this, you used to have a close blonde best friend, I think, what even happened to her?"

"Ugh, it's a long and complicated story. Long story short, she ditched me and told me off one day and my current best friend who's a firefighter was there to comfort me. And well, I really don't talk or even think about that son of a gun anymore." She put her pen down. "Well, on the bright side, she's probably somewhere all lonely or whatever, and you're here living your best life, and saving people!"

"Oh, stop! I do this 'cause it's a passion I have had since I was a little girl! I had many passions about stuff, but I decided to be the best doctor in the city, and well, look where I am." Phoebe smiled. "That's how you do it, girl! Livin' your best life!" The nurse smiled and rubbed her shoulder.

Little did Phoebe even know, the ghost from her past was back, and more murderous than a serial killer, except for being mindless.

Meanwhile…

As the three trucks were all headed back to the station, something felt off inside the Ladder truck.

"Yo. You okay?" Dean noticed Arnold extremely quiet on the way back to the Station. "Hm? Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine."

"C'mon, man. You can talk to us." He replied as he took off his headset. Arnold sighed and took off his headset. "I guess I just feel a little off, I don't know really." He shrugged. "Man, you got something on your mind and you ain't sayin'. C'mon. Tell us." Dean patted his shoulder.

"Arnold, you look rather off. What gives?" Pep noticed and took off her headset. "Guys, I'm fine. I just have a bad feeling about the arsonist." Arnold crossed his arms as he kept looking out the window. Pep and Dean raised an eyebrow.

"Alright, alright! I may be feeling a little odd without Spinelli beside me…" Arnold started to blush. "Ah, I knew something had you lookin' like a sad mule!" Dean laughed. "C'mon man, that's not cool." Arnold lowered an eyelid and raised an eyebrow. "I don't call you a rabid chimpanzee when we're in the weight room!"

"Ohhh, burnt!" Pep laughed. "Hey, at least I'm not the guy who's taking care of more pets than babies." Dean laughed and hit his shoulder. "At least my girlfriend didn't dump me out of the blue to meet other people." Arnold started to laugh. "You guys are the best." Arnold then smiled.

"Hey, it's why we're all family." Ben soon chimed in. "Oh, you got that right, Benny." Pep snickered.

"So we givin' each other nicknames now?" Dean chuckled. "In that case, how about you clean up the trucks with Benny, Pep Boys?" Arnold laughed. "You dick!" She couldn't help but laugh.

It sometimes goes unsaid, but I want to thank you all for reading this story and I sincerely appreciate it. :)