Chapter Nine

Travis's running for Mayor happened a little bit earlier than in the show. Loved a Vic/Andy moment and I wanted to add it in this chapter.

Miranda was pulled out of the memory when she felt the couch dip. She looked to her right and saw Ben and Joey. Joey had tear tracks on his face, her husband not fairing much better. She reached for Joey's hand while keeping one of Pru's back.

"it's going to be okay." Miranda said while running her hand up and down Pru's back. "it's going to be okay."

"Is it?" Ben asked, a single tear falling.

Vic was still at the station, in shock at what had happened.

"Vic, I have to head to the office, and start the paperwork explaining what happened tonight, you going to be okay to get home?"

"I'll take her home, Chief." Travis interrupted. Coming up behind Vic and resting a hand on her shoulder.

Ross nodded and let them go. Travis kept a hand on Vic's back and directed her out of the station, Vic barely able to move.

Once they got out and into Travis' car, they began the way home when they were stopped at a red light.

"Vic, talk to me, please." Travis pleaded, looking over at his best friend. He hated seeing how broken she looked.

"There's nothing to talk about. Andy's dead because a stupid cop shot at a young black man and Andy stepped in front to protect him." Vic snapped.

Travis looked down for a moment before looking back up and seeing the light change. When they got to their house, they both went their separate ways to get changed. Vic walked into her room and closed the door. She walked over to her dresser to get some clothes when she saw a picture of her and Andy together and her eyes welled up with tears. How was she supposed to go on without her when she was one of the few people, next to Travis, who knew everything about her. Who knew how she struggled with Dean's death so much that it led to her going to his boathouse and them sharing the moment between them talking about being pregnant and Andy telling Vic she had an abortion when she was younger and in school. Vic found that she was one of the few people that Andy talked to about anything. As far as she knew only Michelle, Robert and she knew about her having sex with Beckett. She knew how much Andy regretted it. She knew how big of a mistake it was and could barely look at herself knowing she had taken it too far just because she was hurting and wanted to hurt Robert. She remembered the day at the boathouse. It was the first time in a while that she and Andy had connected with each other in years. She remembered everything about them being at the houseboat.

"This is your errand?" Andy asked, confused.

"Someone bought it. We have to say goodbye." Vic told her, looking around for something.

"Looks like the Millers moved everything out," Andy said after looking through the window. When she turned around, she saw that Vic had grabbed a key that was hidden under a plant and walked to the door. "Oh, so we're breaking in." Andy was not amused.

Vic smiled thinking about it, she knew Andy was a badass, but she still cared about following the law.

"No. We got a key. No breaking needed." Vic told her and Andy was just looking at her with a concerned expression.

"Just because we have a key doesn't mean Okay, this is happening." Andy had tried to stop her, but she wouldn't listen.

Looking back made her emotional. She hadn't thought about Dean in months and now with Andy dying it's like that pain came back full force and Vic didn't know how to stop it.

"It's like he never lived here," Vic said, taking in the empty houseboat. "Pru was supposed to grow up here." She spoke. Vic picked up a flyer that was on the kitchen island. "Holy. They sold this for $2.6 million."

"What?" Andy took the flyer. "No way."

"I mean, do you think if you stack that much money in, like, a like, a paper pile, you could jump off a roof into it and not get hurt" Vic looked around while Andy stood still.

"Well, this is depressing," Andy said while Vic looked out the window. "Why did you even want to come here? We should probably get going. My cousin Michelle will be at my place soon." Andy watched Vic begin to take her shoes off. "What are you doing?"

"I'm going swimming," Vic said simply.

"What? Vic, it's 45 degrees outside, and the water is even colder." Vic wasn't listening and Andy began to worry. "Okay, okay." Andy paused, hoping Vic would stop. "Okay, Vic, I lied, alright? Theo asked me to babysit you, and now I see why." Andy watched as Vic stopped getting undressed and looked up at her.

"I knew it. I knew it." Vic said, "If he was so worried about me, then why doesn't he just call me himself?"

"He doesn't think you want him to."

"Well, how would he know if he didn't even ask? Huh?"

"That's not That's not really fair."

"But what is fair?! Andy, what is fair about any of this?! Okay. Okay, either come with me or don't but I'm... I'm going in."

"Hughes! Hey!"

"Andy, I'm pregnant. Okay. And it's too early for a surgical abortion, and I don't want to take the pill. Also, I made out with Gibson a few weeks ago." "

What? Oh, God. Why?" Andy asked, freaked out and worried.

"I don't know. Because I'm an idiot. Because I'm an idiot and I told Theo about it because I am a sucker. So, we might be broken up right now, but, honestly, I don't even know. So, I just My brain is, like, nonstop trash TV playing over and over, and I just need a few seconds of quiet, okay? So, I'm just gonna plunge into this icy water." "

No"

"So, I can turn my brain off, okay?"

"No, no, not okay. Alright? 'Cause your... your heart hasn't fully Hughes!" Andy called as Vic went into the water.

Vic loved how much Andy cared for her and regretted that she didn't listen to her more. She knew Andy was just trying to help. Andy coming in the water and bringing her up to the surface wasn't something she wanted Andy to do at the moment but now she was thankful for her thoughtfulness. She went in the water, not caring that it was cold. Vic looked down at the photo and felt her heart break again. Vic finished getting changed and walked over to her bed with the picture and curled up into a ball and thought about the conversation they had as they were drying near the fire.

"God, I just want it to be over." Vic sighed and saw Andy look concerned. "I mean, not my life, if that's what you're thinking. I just I want to stop... God, I want to stop feeling like this."

"Does Theo know?"

"No. I know I should tell him, and I'm going to. I just...I don't even know where we stand right now. And what? The first thing I say to him in weeks is, "Hey, I'm pregnant and I'm having an abortion"? Here you go"

"Well, would the decision be different if you were together and happy? "

"I guess only in that if we were together and happy, I would have told him by now."

"I had one,"

Andy told her, and Vic remembered being shocked, she always thought Andy was one of the safe ones. Someone who didn't take risks. She was grateful Andy had shared this with her. To relate to her. To know that Vic wasn't alone.

"Senior year of high school. Ryan and I were Well, we thought we were gonna get married, so when I realized I was pregnant, there was a moment there where I could almost see us having it. But then I-I saw the end of my career before it even started. A life full of resentment and frustration and unfulfilled dreams. So, I had the abortion. I never told him. Probably because I knew he'd want to keep it, and him wanting it would make me want it. And then I guess there's a part of me that always assumed that maybe one day, we'd have our chance. Now he's gone."

"So, is this you telling me not to get an abortion in case Theo dies? "

"No." Andy laughed, glad that the moment had lightened up a little.

"This is , that?"

"God, no! No! That's...It's just me saying I get it. I get how you feel about not knowing whether you should tell Theo or not. And about losing your best friend. It sucks."

"You still owe me some gossip."

"I never promised you that. Stop it."

"Yeah, well Mm." Vic paused. "Can you tell Michelle to bring food over here? I don't really feel like leaving yet."

"Well Alright. We might as well say goodbye to Dean's house in style." Andy said, shuffling over to her bag on the kitchen island to grab her phone.

Vic teared up, remembering how that day was so sad but that it was the day she felt herself growing closer to Andy. She remembered how Andy even told her about Beckett just to try to cheer her up and when she saw that Vic was looking down, in more ways than one.

"Sorry, you guys. This pernil is making me sad."

"Oh, okay."

"It's what Theo made me for our first at-home dinner date."

"Here." Andy pushed over her food, switching it with Vic's.

"I just Oh, God." It was all Vic could get out before Andy finally caved.

"Okay, fine," Andy said, and Vic and Michelle turned to look at Andy. "Here's your gossip."

"Okay." Vic was ready.

"I slept with Beckett," Andy said in one breath. Not being proud of it but knowing Vic was going to press for details.

"Oh, stop it," Vic said, not believing Andy. "Oh, my God."

"Wait. Who?" Michelle asked.

"Captain Beckett," Andy said, ashamed.

"What?" Michelle was shocked.

"Yeah." Andy paused, looking sheepish, taking a sip of her wine. "Uh, also, also Robert knows."

"Oh! Oh-ho! Stop it! Stop it! Oh, my God. This is even better than the cold water. Okay, so, I need to know everything. Can you please tell me? Was it Yeah." Vic asked, curiosity on her face.

"Yeah." Andy said, taking a sip of her wine.

"Was it? Oh! Oh, God! Okay." Vic looked disturbed. AN: We all were. No one asked for that.

"Good for you, prima. Get yours!" Michelle encouraged.

"Okay, well, are you gonna keep Are you gonna keep sleeping with him?" Vic asked her.

"It's... It's too messy." Andy shook her head while Vic raised her glass of wine to her lips.

"Well, that's never stopped you before."

"Victoria Hughes, do not play with me, okay" Andy playfully glared at Vic.

"She's right," Michelle said, playing along, laughing.

"No, no. Don't side with her."

"You know, there's Come on. You know what? I'm gonna do it now. I'm just... I'm gonna... I'm gonna get my pill and I'm gonna make a bed for myself on the bathroom floor. And it's gonna suck, but I don't want to wait anymore, and I want this to be over. So, I'm gonna do it now. And I'm gonna tell Theo."

"Okay."

"Yeah, okay. Well, cheers. Uh, thank you, houseboat, for everything. Thanks, houseboat." Vic said, glass raised, toasting to Dean's place. The ache in her chest lessened slightly.

Vic remembered feeling so much weight being pulled off of her when she was finally able to relax and think about something other than Theo and being pregnant but just in the boathouse with someone who would grow to be her best friend.

Vic missed Dean so damn much and now she had to deal with the loss of Andy, another one of her best friends. This pain hurt so much she didn't know what to do. She began to breathe heavily and that was when Travis came barging into the room and rushed over to the bed. He sat on it and gently pulled Vic into his arms like he did when Ripley died.

"I love you, Vic," Travis told her and kissed her forehead. "I know how much Andy meant to you. How much she meant to all of us." Travis listened to Vic's breathing and was concerned when it wasn't slowing down. "Vic, I need you to breathe, okay? Just breathe with me." Travis continued to try to calm Vic's breathing. "Vic, breathe in for five." Travis showed her what to do and she followed. "Now breathe out for five," Vic slowly breathed out and after following Travis' instructions a few more times she collapsed against his chest. Tears silently falling from her eyes. "I know it hurts, Vic. I know how much she meant to you, and I am so sorry you keep suffering losses."

Vic nodded and breathed out. "It does suck. It does hurt. It hurts like hell Travis." Vic let out a sob and couldn't stop the tears. Travis just continued to hold her until she cried herself to sleep. Since Vic had fallen asleep Travis was left in his own thoughts. His own memories.

He remembered the day Ripley had come in to talk to the team about who they felt should be captain. Jack or Andy.

"So do you have a take?" Ripley asked Travis.

"I have strong feelings about the importance of the role. A captain keeps the team safe above all else. Even the best of teams suffer under poor leadership." Travis paused." The day Micheal died, he was working a controlled burn. He saw an unprotected home, calculated, and decided he could make it and get out in time. And he did. He saved it. But then the wind changed,"

"I know," Ripley said when Travis paused.

"He made it through the flashover. He'd even accounted for that. But the water drop was off. The captain had miscalculated by 20 feet. Doesn't sound like much. 20 feet. But that miscalculation cost me, my husband. It cost him his life." Travis paused and looked down. "I know better than to settle for a captain who isn't sure, and I know better than to recommend a captain who I think might miscalculate." Travis began to tear up.

"I'm so sorry Montgomery. Micheal was one of the good ones."

"I blame that inexperienced captain" Travis sighs. "It was so clear in my mind. The worst thing in the world happened to me because of him."

"Mongomery, if this is too difficult, I have plenty of other people to talk to. I would understand if..."

"He was supposed to keep Micheal safe!" Travis shouted, tearing up even more "He was supposed to help...but he didn't." Travis starts to cry a little. "But it's not all about experience. I've filled in as captain while Herrera and Gibson were at trials. It was harder than I expected. I don't think you can fully appreciate the job until you've tried to fill it." Travis paused "Herrera made a call today without blinking, without hesitating. I couldn't have done the same, not as quickly. And Gibson... he couldn't see it. He disagreed with her outright because of a patient., but hers was the right way to go. She saved all those people. Jack wouldn't have. I wouldn't have. I thought I knew who I'd recommend for captain, but that was before I tried the job for myself. Jack is excellent, but Andy thinks like a captain." lets out a soft chuckle. "She's the better choice. It'd be a mistake to see it any other way."

Travis remembered having that emotional conversation with Ripley. He had known that he called Andy "Green" only weeks before, but Andy had proven she could do the job. Jack had too but she knew with that Herrera blood in her Andy could do anything. Travis teared up. Now she would never get that chance. Travis thought to himself and let the tears fall.

Vic was waking up when a memory suddenly overcame her. It was when Andy had helped her at the hospital when Ripley was dying from hydrophilic acid from the coffee plant fire. She remembered that everyone was questioning her, asking if she was alright. If Jennifer had said something to her when Andy came up to her.

"Hey, Vic. Look at me. I'm going to take you somewhere, okay?" Andy told her, dragging her out of the room and down the hall to a closet. Andy had opened the door. "Here. Perfect."

Vic was confused as she looked into the room. "What is this?" Vic asked and then turned to look at Andy. "

This is a yelling closet. Or a crying closet or a whatever-you-need-to-do closet." Andy told her and Vic looked in the room again. "Go on in. I'll be right here." Andy told her.

Vic was hesitant. "I don't... I don't think I need..." Vic turned back to Andy again and Andy put her hands on Vic's shoulders and looked her in the eyes, nothing but compassion and worry showing in them.

"Yes, you do."

Vic was so thankful for Andy in that moment, although she was closest with Travis, Andy was the only one who was calm and wasn't smothering her with questions. She remembered how when she wasn't able to go and see Ripley because she was too scared, Andy was the one to rub her back and hold her arm, not saying anything but still being there for her. She was thankful for Andy again when she was lying on the top of the engine truck and Andy had come on top and tried to comfort her, resting a hand on her shoulder and being the first of many who would also come up to comfort her. Didn't make her feel any better at the time, but she was glad to know she wasn't alone. Travis noticed she was awake.

"Hey, Vic. Did you just wake up?" Vic nodded. "Do you think you're up to eating anything?" Vic shook her head.

"Not yet, Trav. I just... After seeing Andy like that I feel like I'll throw up at just the sight of food." Travis nods.

"You know, I was just thinking about my run for Mayor," Travis said, a faint smile on his face and he did a happy dance in his head when Vic's lips twitched.

"The time in the kitchen at the station?" Vic made sure to clarify.

"So, what's next on the campaign trail?" Andy asked Travis, who was sitting at the beanery table while she was moving around the kitchen.

"Some canvassing, and actually the rural development coalition is inviting all the candidates to their next big event. Apparently, there's gonna be a mechanical bull." Travis told Andy and evidently Vic who was also in the kitchen.

"Ooh!" Andy exclaimed.

"You are absolutely riding that," Vic said, laughing.

"I'm absolutely not," Travis argued.

"Uh, yeah, we should probably douse you in some baby oil first, too, right?" Vic joked

"No."

"I mean, if that doesn't get you some of Dixon's votes, I don't know what will."

"If the fate of Crisis One hangs on me gyrating on a piece of machinery, we are in real danger."

"I..." Andy started but got cut off when Vic began to sing.

"Ride it, my pony" Andy watched Vic and was amused.

"Stop it." Travis was annoyed.

"My saddle's Yeah. Waiting That's you." Vic continued.

"Please. I don't like this." Travis begged.

"Come and jump on it" Vic sang as Andy joined in on the dance and singing.

"Okay, you know what? I expect this from Hughes, but you're better than this, Herrera.

"I'm really not," Andy told him, laughing.

"If you wanna get nasty, baby" Vic continued to annoy Travis.

"Please stop!"

"Yeah," Vic giggles. "I think that was one of the best moments between us."

"It was one of the few times she really let loose at the station." Travis agreed.

"You know, I think she was finally coming into her own. After going to station 23 she came back a new firefighter. She's been on Beckett's ass on calls but she's always reasonable about it now." Vic said, sitting up on the bed.

Travis nodded. "23 seemed to have made her a better firefighter."

"It did, Trav. I just wish she would've gotten a chance to be the captain here." Vic said, leaning against Travis as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "I hate this, Travis," Vic told him, voice cracking. "Things are never going to be the same without her."