Playing with fire (Amelia Shepherd) ABANDONED

fifty five

Mallie walked into the station after telling Amelia about Myles, looking around for any sign of life in the empty downstairs area.

"Hello?" Mallie called.

"Cruz, great," Ross' head popped around the stairs. "You okay?" she asked.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Mallie asked.

"Because you look like you're a minute away from a breakdown?" Ross smiled slightly. "You wanna talk about it? We have our meeting, anyway, so, we can talk fast and cover it all before helping Hughes with her clinic."

Mallie stared at her for a few seconds.

"Is everyone here?" Mallie asked.

"No, they're out on a call. Vic's showing the girls the storage room with Gibson," Ross said.

"Gibson?" Mallie asked. "He's here?"

"He's volunteering," Ross said. "Come on," she said.

Mallie headed upstairs after Ross and followed her into the kitchen, looking out of the windows at Vic and Jack training the girls downstairs for the girl firefighters camp Vic was doing.

"I think it should be Vic," Mallie said, crossing her arms over her chest as she watched Vic talk to the girls. "On Crisis One with me."

"Ah, your favourite child," Ross laughed.

Mallie looked over her shoulder curiously.

"We were upstairs on the roof before the thunder and lightning started. Ruiz asked where you were and Hughes told him that her 'mom' was 'momming' with her little brothers and sister. She also thought it important to brag about how she's your favourite of the 'fire children'," Ross said.

Mallie laughed.

"Sounds like Vic," Mallie said. "I don't know, I think she's got the skill set for it. And she and Dean were close. Not like how Dean and I were close. It was always Vic and Dean. If anyone's gonna help me, it's got to be Vic," Mallie said.

"I think that's a good idea," Ross said. "Now that's discussed, I have a question."

"Okay," Mallie said, walking to sit at the island.

"Beckett," Ross said.

Mallie scowled and Ross sighed.

"That's not a happy face," Ross said.

"I'm not a happy girl," Mallie said.

"What's he like as a captain? Do you have any concerns around him?" Ross asked.

"Look, I don't know if he's drinking again, or whatever, but Beckett is a dick. On the best of days. This is a firehouse filled with flawed yet strong people, mentally and physically, and Beckett doesn't respect us. He's not looking out for us. Bishop is going through a lot right now and he's choosing to exploit her pain instead of helping," Mallie said.

"These are some serious allegations, Mallie. I know you understand that," Ross said.

"I wouldn't be telling you this if I wasn't genuinely worried about my family," Mallie said. "Look, Ross-"

"You can call me Natasha," Ross said.

"Natasha," Mallie corrected herself. "I know you and Sullivan served together, and I know that you know about him growing up with my dad and Ripley. Did he ever tell you about Chance and Phoenix?"

"I knew that they passed away. He didn't tell me any details. And it was Ripley who told me they'd even passed because Robert just disappeared to Spain for a few weeks and I was worried," Natasha said.