"Heya, Bishop. Do you have a minute?" I open the door for Maddi, letting her go in first before handing her my bag to take into the station with her. "Yeah, Cap. What can I do for you?" Andy jogs up to me while I keep the door open for her too. "Hey, Mads." They wave at each other as our captain makes her way into the station. "Good morning, Captain Herrera. Thanks for letting me hang out here today. Our neighbors are redoing their kitchen, and I can't study with all that noise." I rub the teen's back while Andy assures her that we'll all keep an eye on her.
"Why don't you head on up and get yourself some breakfast with the team." The teen happily takes Andy's bag as well before running up the stairs to the kitchen. "How's her training going? Her form looks a million times better than it did the last time I did drills with her." We watch Maddi head into the locker room first to get cleaned up before greeting the rest of the team. "She beat her own time this morning." Andy grins at the pride shining through on my face, teasing me about how Maddi has me wrapped around her little finger. She's not wrong because there is little I wouldn't give to keep her and Antonio happy.
Maddi is like the little sister I never had, and as long as I do a better job with her than I did with my own brother, I think I can potentially be a good friend to her at least. "How far is she away from beating your time?" I gulp down the rest of the water in my bottle, rolling my eyes at the mere thought of that ever happening. "She has a better chance of beating my time at the academy, but my Olympic record is still safely secured. Or I think so, she's capable of anything, so there might be hope for her yet. She definitely has the potential to take gold at the meet." She pats me on the back while opening the door to her office, leading me inside.
"We'll still love her no matter the outcome. She's family now. Which brings me back to how good it is to see you back at 19. Right where you belong, Mai. It's been hell trying to run this station without your coaching." I raise my brow at her before taking a seat on the other side of her desk. I know we're friends again, but her view on my presence at the station took quite the three-sixty to what it was before we had the huge blowout. "You've never appreciated my advice before, Herrera. But from where I'm standing, you've been doing a pretty good job since you got promoted. It doesn't seem like you need me at all."
She throws me with a rolled-up piece of report, scoffing at my choice of words, even if some of it was a compliment. "I'm being serious here, Mai. I've accepted that our friendship isn't ever going to be what it was, but that doesn't mean I don't appreciate the role you played in getting me here." She points around the office and her name plaque on her desk. "I owe you one, Bishop." I nod my head slowly, not quite trusting my former best friend's sincerity yet. She might feel this way now because she seems to be in a good mood, but her gratitude can change into resentment with a swing of the hat.
"Uhm, I'm actually glad you said that, because I need a favor. Two actually." She smirks at me, locking her fingers on top of the desk. Technically it's only one favor, since the second one is just common respect from an employer. "Lay it on me, Lieutenant." I lean forward while grabbing a piece of paper and pen from her desk to write down my first favor. When I turn the note around so she can read it, I hold onto the armrests of my chair, biting down on my grin from the mere possibility of it happening. She smirks through her eyeroll, pressing the office phone between her ear and shoulder while dialing the number needed for my favor.
"They'll have it delivered before the end of the week." I thank her profusely while folding the note up into a tight square before slipping it into my chest pocket with the photo I have of Carina. "Since you should have gotten this done years ago, I'll allow you one more wish." I remind her that the request I made for it, is still saved and untouched on her computer, but suck my cheek between my teeth to ask for the next favor. "About the overtime schedule, can I be removed from this weekend's roster?" Her eyes widen and her eyebrows lift into her hairline while I stand my ground while she reminds me how I'm the one who offered my name for any extra shifts in the past.
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Caught in the Middle
Fanfiction*Sequel to Meet Me In The Middle* Maya Bishop has come to terms with the fact that even at her best, she'll never be good enough for Carina. She has given up on her pursuit down the path of forgiveness and redemption from others, risking the uncerta...
