In Flames // 9-1-1 Fox (seasons 1-4)

seventy-eight

The alarm chirped with its annoying morning cry and the two occupants of the bed let out equally frustrated groans. Mariana pulled her pillow over her head as Eddie turned off the alarm. He tugged on his wife's pillow and she batted his hand away.

"C'mon baby, we need to get the boys ready and leave in two hours," he sighed. She had been up half the night, comforting Christopher who had a nightmare, after she got home from a twelve hour shift in the ER. He barely remembered her slipping back into bed until three in the morning.

"Yeah, I know," she grunted. Mariana dragged herself out of bed and he could see the exhaustion clinging to her bones. Guilt roiled in his stomach at the sight of the bags under her eyes. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her back onto the bed, pressing a kiss to her shoulder as she leaned back against him.

"Hey, if you're too tired, you can stay back today," he offered.

"I just need some coffee and I'll be good. The team needs me."

"And we need you to be at your best," he reminded her.

"I'm just a bit tired, amor. I'll be fine. You've got my back."

He let her slip out of his arms and head to the bathroom to get ready for their shift. She had insisted on going to help Christopher last night, but he could have easily stepped up and told her to go back to bed. His heart sank as he realized how much work she had been doing recently. Between online classes, parenting two boys, being a frontline worker twice, and still helping out at the group home by handling paperwork, Mariana barely had time to sit down and take a break. His duty as her husband was to take some of her stress and help her and he was failing at it.

Just like he did Shannon.

///

"Oh, no. Who gave that guy a clipboard?" Hen exclaimed. Mariana grinned as she joined them, her second cup of coffee held in her hands.

"I did. Less work for me," she explained.

"Don't worry. It's a kinder, gentler clipboard as is the man who holds it," Buck declared. "Meet Buck 3.0."

"What, three? What happened to 2.0?"

"Two's leg was crushed by a ladder truck and his girlfriend left him," Chimney replied for Buck. Mari snorted into her coffee and leaned against the truck.

"Still not sure what inspired the software update," Eddie commented.

"I'm just ready to let go of the past."

"Your parents lied to you your entire life and you're just gonna let that go?" Hen asked. "What's your secret?"

"Therapy," Buck answered. "As in my parents agreed to come to a few sessions with me, work our stuff out. Look they're trying so I figured I should try too, right?"

Mari grimaced and exchanged a knowing look with her husband. She would be supportive of Buck, of course. Nice to his parents? That's another story.

"Very mature, Buck," Hen noted.

"Very Buck 3.0."

Everyone groaned in unison as Hen said what they were all thinking. "Okay, I'm not calling you that." She turned to Chimney. "Are you gonna be taking part in these family sessions too?"

"Nuh-uh. Key word family. Which I am not. Technically."

"You're allowed to give yourself some time, you know," Eddie said. "To process."

"I know. I'm just tired of looking behind me. I'm ready to start thinking about the future. Speaking of which...HEY PROBIE!"

The new guy startled and his books tumbled to the ground. Mariana had to grab onto the fire truck before she keeled over from holding in her laughter.