From Intern to Family | 9-1-1 Fanfic

Chapter 32

Thanksgiving was still a confusing concept to me. It felt like Christmas, but also not, and I still wasn't sure what the celebration was for. Chris just told me it was about turkeys and I haven't found out anything else since then.

I finished getting ready, grabbing my backpack that had some paperwork in it. Even though I technically wasn't allowed to work today, that didn't mean I wasn't going to keep up with it. I just had to hide it from the others.

Besides, what else was I going to do while they were out on call? Everyone's families weren't turning up until midday, so I had the whole morning at the firehouse with the team.

I left my room and headed to the kitchen, smiling when I saw the others waiting for me. We were dropping Chris at Karen's on the way and then they'd come together to the firehouse later. That way he wasn't on his own.

"Morning Blue, you ready to head out?" Buck asked, ruffling my hair as he passed.

A hum of agreement left my lips as I got my shoes on. Bobby was making us all a nice breakfast this morning, hence why Eddie wasn't currently forcing me to eat.

We dropped Chris off first and then I relaxed across the backseat. "Are you excited for your first Thanksgiving, Coop?" Eddie chimed from the driver's seat.

"Yeah, I think so. It's good so far." I grinned.

The pair carried on chatting to me about different Thanksgiving traditions and one in particular caught my attention. Apparently, it was Bobby's favourite part. When everyone sits down to eat, we all go around the table and say what we're thankful for.

I couldn't help the bubble of nerves at the thought. There were things I was thankful for, of course, but I don't think I'm brave enough to actually say it out loud. What if the others think it's silly?

Still, I tried to put it to the back of my mind for now as we finally pulled up the firehouse.

"Happy Thanksgiving guys!" Everyone repeated the same phrase, sharing hugs and smiles. I couldn't help but feed on their cheerfulness, matching their happy smiles.

We all gathered around the kitchen, grabbing various breakfast items that Bobby had made. Today was typically a busy day for calls, so they were making sure to eat quickly before the bell rung.

"So Cooper, how would you like to join us on call today?" Bobby offered, passing me a waffle.

I blinked in surprise, "Really? Are you sure? Last time it didn't go so well." They went quiet at my statement, as if remembering the incident last time I joined them.

The Captain, however, didn't seem to care. "We all have rough days on call. But we'd rather all be together for today, rather than you being by yourself here." He explained.

Hesitantly, I agreed to ride along with them. This was going to be a good day and I wasn't going to let anything ruin it. Luckily, the rest of the team were more than happy for me to join them. Buck called shotgun to sit next to me, which made a shy grin grow on my face.

It wasn't long before the first bell of the day sounded and I eagerly raced downstairs. Like before, I let everyone else get in first before I jumped in after them. True to his word, I ended up next to Buck who wasted no time chatting to me.

"Coop, heads up." Eddie called before a heavy fabric was hitting my face. A surprised noise left my lips and I glared at the smirking man. The glare quickly fell away when I looked down at the item.

"We know Buck's hoodie got destroyed in the bridge accident and he got a new one. Since you're a part of this team and this firehouse, we decided you should get a piece of our uniform too." Bobby explained.

The back of the hoodie had 'LAFD' across it like the normal ones, but the word 'intern' was printed just below it. On the front, like the others' hoodies, it had my initials just under the firehouse badge.

Apart from the loud siren, the truck was relatively silent. I gripped the item tightly in my hand and internally cursed at the dampness in my eyes. "Thank you." I whispered, turning my head to swipe at my eyes.

"Are you crying?" Chim teased.

"I hate you all."

We all laughed at my comment as I slid the hoodie over my head. It was a perfect fit and I had a feeling that the warmth inside of me wasn't just from the soft fabric.

They arrived at their destination and I still couldn't help but stare in awe as all humour left their expressions. It was admirable how quickly they could focus on the situation.

I stayed next to the truck, hands tucked into the new hoodie, and watched as the team worked together to put out the fire.

Honestly, I don't think I could ever get used to watching them do their jobs. Not when they're so good.

For the rest of the morning, I got to watch the team take on a number of different calls. Ranging from fires, to family disputes and even a classic cat stuck in a tree. I know the rest of the large firehouse family were already setting up for Thanksgiving dinner.

So, when the Chief gave the call to say we were off the clock for an hour, we made our way back as fast as we could.

I greeted everyone as we entered. I couldn't help but smile as I watched the team greet their partners and their kids. Especially when Eddie scooped Chris up into a hug and Buck joined. What I didn't expect was for Buck to roll his eyes and grab my arm, pulling me into the hug too.

I melted into the embrace, laughing along with Chris at the affection pouring from the two adults. My heart thumped happily in my chest as I thought about how far I'd come in all these months. Seems like I really found what I needed.

"Okay everyone, let's eat!" Athena cheered, smiling up at Bobby endearingly.

Spare tables and chairs had been dragged in to make one large seating area so we could all be together. I took my place in between Athena and Chris, smiling when the woman gently stroked my hair.

Bobby, sat at the head of the table, linked hands with the others sat either side of him. We all proceeded to link hands and I gulped, knowing what was coming next.

One-by-one, everyone at the table began to list what they were thankful for. Bobby had taken slight pity on me and allowed me to go last, since it was my first time. But, my nerves hadn't lessened by the time my turn rolled around.

I looked to Eddie across from me, taking a deep breath when he gave me a reassuring look. "I'm thankful for Bobby accepting my internship and I'm thankful that you guys never gave up on me." My voice was quiet, but everyone heard me clearly.

The table all smiled at each other and Bobby sent a quick prayer before we all dug in to eat. The food was delicious and I happily dug in to anything that was passed to me. As an Englishman, there were a lot of things I hadn't tried.

They might not be as good as a Sunday roast, but the company made it better.

Dessert was passed around when everyone finished and I almost drooled at the sweet flavours. I was definitely joining Buck and Eddie in their gym session tomorrow to make up for this.

I glanced around the table, looking at every individual sitting beside me. Some of them I had only spoken to a few times, others I had interacted with more. Yet every single one of them felt like home.

Is this what family feels like?

I didn't get a chance to ask anyone a question as Bobby stood up. "Sorry ma'am, the firehouse isn't open currently. Is there an emergency?" He questioned.

The stairs were behind me and I hadn't bothered to turn around yet. "No no, I'm just looking for someone." That voice was familiar. My head snapped around and I sucked in a wheezy breath.

"Mum?"