Somethings Change

Chapter 12

A few days later Brian was sitting on his couch with the cats watching a movie. He hadn't seen JJ since the morning of his date and even though he really wanted to hang out with her, she was working late tonight. Every once in a while she would work late shifts and it worries him even more than it usually does. Fighting fires during the day is hard enough but at night when it's pitch black and hard to see it's even worse. He of all people knew.

It was coming up to about 11:30 and dreariness was starting to get to him. He was yawning more and more and he could feel his eyes become heavier, especially under the comfort of Benjamin in his lap.

Just as he was about to shut off the tv and head to bed he heard a knock at his door. Pausing the movie, Brian lifted the cat from his legs and stood, wondering who the hell was knocking on his door so late. His only assumption was Sal who lived a mere five minutes away and considering JJ was working late he didn't know who else is could possibly be.

He twisted the lock and swung open the door, surprised to find who was standing on the other side.

"JJ? What are you doing here? I though you were working late." He questioned.

She had been staring at her feet the entire time and as soon as she looked up at him he could tell something wasn't right. Her shoulders were slumped, there was ash smeared on her face, and her eyes looked glossy from unshed tears.

"Yeah I was. I just got off." She spoke quietly. "But um...I-I came here because I can't really be alone right now." She admitted, trying her best not to break down.

"What happened? Are you alright?" Brian asked concerned by her behavior.

She shook her head no and ran her shaky hand through her now tangled hair.

"There was a call for a house fire a little over an hour ago. It was really bad. There were two kids and their mom. We got the kids out but...w-we couldn't..." Her voice cracked as she trailed off, unable to relive the horrible accident she witnessed not too long ago.

Brian could immediately see where the story was going and felt his heart drop into his stomach.

"Hey hey, shhh...come here." He pulled her in from the cold and into his chest, wrapping his arms around her shoulders to comfort her. JJ wrapped her own arms around his back and leaned into him, silent tears dropping down her cheeks. She really needed him right now. "Shhh...it's okay baby, I've got you." He coaxed, both of them too caught up to realize he let the word 'baby' slip.

"Those kids won't ever get their mom back." She whispered into his shirt, so hushed that Brian almost didn't hear her.

But he did. And it broke his heart to see his best friend, his love, so upset about it.

"These things happen, JJ. They're horrible, but unfortunately they still happen." He ran his hand down her hair and rested his chin atop of her head. "I know you did everything you could to try and save her, but in the end the fire won. And it's not your fault. It's not anyone's fault." JJ remained quiet, processing everything he was telling her. "I'm so sorry you had to go through that, darling." He sympathized.

"It's okay. I knew what I was signing up for when I joined the fire department." She sighed, wishing she could stay in the safety of his arms forever. He always made her feel protected. One of the main reasons she was falling in love with him. "It's just hard." She choked.

"I know." He sighed, kissing her head. "I know." He repeated in a much softer, quieter tone. He then glanced over at the clock and noticed how late it was. He felt very uneasy about letting her leave alone so late especially being so upset and vulnerable. "Come on, let's get you up to bed. You're staying here tonight." He said, pulling back from their hug.