Playing with fire (Amelia Shepherd) ABANDONED

fifty

AN: starting off s6 in chapter 50 makes me really happy

there's also been a six month timejump? ish? i think we're in late 2022 so i've made the collective decision that all the kids are 3 years old, with pru being three months older than the boys. this is just bc i can't remember when they were born and the timeline is a mess, so, they're all three and it's great.

enjoy :)

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"Mallie!" Carina yelled. "It's time!"

Mallie stood up from where she was sorting files at reception, following Carina upstairs and towards the gym where Maya was working out in tense silence with Sullivan.

"Maya," Carina said. "It's time."

Maya didn't snap out of her workout zone.

"Uh, Maya?" Carina said.

Mallie sighed and walked over to Maya, grabbing the punching bag and peering around it. Maya blinked in surprise.

"It's time," Mallie said.

"Oh, shit," Maya sighed.

"Okay, c'mon. You gotta be quick so I can wish Travis good luck before he goes for his major meeting thing," Mallie said.

"Okay," Maya said, tugging her gloves off and following Mallie and Carina towards the shower room.

They slipped inside, Carina giving Mallie a weak smile before Mallie tugged the door shut and leaned against it, staring down at her boots and starting to hum to entertain herself.

"Hey, Cruz. What, uh... What are you doing?" Ben said, walking into the locker room.

"Just, uh, leaning," Mallie said. "Y'know, just... giving my spine some... I can't even lie. Carina's getting turkey bastered in there and, as future godmother of their child, I'm stuck on door duty," Mallie muttered.

Ben laughed.

"Lucky you," he said.

"Lucky? Dude, I kind of forgot how babies were actually, like, made. I mean, JJ just turned up and pushed Pru out, so we didn't deal with the pregnancy, and then Saffie just went and died on me and the twins were already there. I didn't realise it was... Fuck, I don't know, but Carina? Amazing woman for stabbing herself with needles every day to give herself extra hormones for a baby," Mallie said, making a face.

Ben laughed again and nodded.

"I get it. Tuck, he was already there when I met Miranda, and then Joey was, like, fully grown when we met him, so, you do kind of forget the actual process," Ben said.

"Exactly!" Mallie said.

"So, uh... They're doing it in work," Ben said.

"They're on some fucking schedule and they have to follow it to the T. We've got a copy of it on our fridge. It's not even my kid," Mallie said.

Ben laughed loudly.

"Why do you have a copy?" he said.

"Because Carina and Amelia are best friends and Carina spends all of her time at my house when Maya and I are working so Amelia isn't alone with the kids, especially now Meredith is chief and is at the hospital so much more. We have Mer's kids stay over a lot, too. Carina loves it, but she's basically moved in, so, we have a copy. Carina's been bastered in my bathroom," Mallie said.

"Well, that sounds-"

"Engine 19, Ladder 19, Aid Car 19," the klaxon sounded loudly.

"Desk duty," Ben said.