Never my love

As she waits for the team to get to her, Maya tries to assess her own body. Her ankle is throbbing as well as her head. She probably fractured a few ribs in the fall too per the pain on her left side. 

The lieutenant also notices a crack in her mask and she can only curse under her breath. They need to move fast as the heavy smoke surrounds her. She will not last long with a damaged mask. 

She tries to move the metal bars to unblock the door but her effort is pointless. The object is far too heavy for the blonde to lift it and move. She sighs in frustration and closes her eyes, the image of her pregnant wife so clear, so real.

"Maya! Are you okay? Are you injured?" Andy's hoarse voice brings Maya back to the moment. 

She looks up, seeing the Latina next to Vic, Theo and Travis on the upper floor. Relief rushes through her body as she sees the team. 

"I'm okay but my mask is cracked. And you need to be careful. The floor is too unstable." Maya searches the ceiling for any indication of more damage, worrying about her friends.

"That's why we will move fast and get you out of here." Andy radios Ben, asking the man to bring another mask for the blonde. She orders Travis and Vic to search for a way to the lower floor. 

"Hold on, Maya. We'll get you back to…" Andy's words are interrupted by a distant explosion that rocks the building. Another part of the floor collapses, missing Maya only by a few feet. 

Andy and Theo are able to take some steps back, closely escaping the fall. 

"You need to get the hell out!" Maya screams, seeing blocks of the ceiling continue falling. 

She only has time to try to cover and protect herself as the remains of the upper floor crumble around her. 

There is an eerily and unusual silence once it is over. Her eyes are tightly shut. She is afraid to open them. She is terrified she will only be surrounded by darkness. She is scared she will find her team injured. 

She pushes through. She needs to move. She can hear her wife's voice in her head. "Come back to me, bambina." 

She opens her eyes to find more dust, smoke and fire. She shakes the pieces of rubble out of her. She coughs, wincing when her throat burns. Her mask clearly not supporting all the smoke. And she knows she won't get that new mask any time soon. "Fuck!"

She is about to call for the team when Andy's voice comes out on the radio. 

"Bishop! Are you there? Do you copy?" 

She is relieved to hear the Latina.

"Yes! I'm here. I'm okay. Is Ruiz with you?" She asks, concerned about the firefighter. 

"I'm here, Bishop. Vic and Travis found a way to your floor. We are coming okay?"

She knows they are running out of time. The situation is escalating quickly, the building getting increasingly unstable. Her eyes are irritated, her vision a bit blurry, and the throbbing in her head is getting considerably worse. 

She hears a strong bang on the door. Her hopes of getting out suddenly higher. They found her.

"Maya, we will need to tear down the wall. Stay clear!" 

Maya moves away from it. She hears the loud crashes on the wall. She sees pieces of it slowly breaking. 

Minutes pass. She wants to help them, she wants to fight. She needs to get back to her wife. She needs to hold Carina. She needs to dance with her Italian goddess once again. She needs to meet her daughter. She needs to teach the girl how to roll hoses and ride a bike. There is so much left to live and love with her family. This can't be it. 

But she can feel her energy draining. She can feel herself getting weaker. Her coughs send shots of pain across her chest. Her eyes are heavy. Her mind is not as clear as before. She realizes she is fading away. So she gathers whatever is left of her energy and grabs the radio. 

"Andy, tell Carina I'm sorry I won't be there for our kid. Please, tell her I love her." 

"No, no, no, Maya! We're almost there. Stay awake, okay?"

Her eyes close. The sound of her friend's voice and the loud bangs now muffled and distant. 

And then, suddenly,  she feels her entire body relax. No more pain. Her head is not pounding anymore. Her chest is light, her breathing is normal. She is somewhere soft and warm. 

She hears a gentle knock, followed by the sound of the door creaking open and hurried, soft steps.

Her eyes are still closed, she is not fully awake. 

"Mommy, mommy. Are you awake?" It's no louder than a whisper, but there is much excitement in the voice. 

Maya slowly opens her eyes to find a little girl looking back at her with a bright smile on her face. She is a carbon copy of Carina. 

The most intense love envelops the firefighter. A feeling unlike anything she ever felt before. It's like she is looking at the most incredible, miraculous and beautiful thing in the world. 

"Mommy, it's pancake day!" The girl says brightly and louder this time, her smile getting impossibly wider. 

Maya can't help but give the little one a matching smile, giggling at her enthusiasm. 

Something moves behind the blonde and in a second, someone is putting an arm around her body and bringing her closer. Not just someone. 

"Your daughter is too much like you waking up this early in the morning."

Her entire body tingles at the words softly whispered in her ear. Her favourite voice. Her favourite embrace. 

"Come on, mommy. Andiamo, mama! Pancakes!" The little girl's little jumps are adorable but she shows a little frustration at her mothers' laziness.

Maya swiftly moves to drag the little girl into the bed with them. Laughter fills the room as the firefighter holds their daughter in a tight hug. 

"In a minute, peanut." Maya voice is soft as she presses a kiss on the girl's head and feels the little one happily snuggling into her arms. 

Carina moves to hold both of her girls closer, kissing their daughter's light brown hair and nuzzling her wife's cheek. 

Maya closes her eyes, letting herself be fully swept by the love and peace around her. 

"You need to wake up now, bambina, please. We need you." 

Carina's voice is so different, choked with emotions. 

"Please, my love. Come back to us."

She slowly wakes to the beeping of machines and a tight hold on her hand. She opens her eyes to find teary, pleading chocolate orbs staring back at her. 

"Hey, bella, you're okay. I'm here." The smile of relief illuminates the Italian face while the tears fall freely. Hours and hours of utter despair waiting to see her wife's blue eyes. 

Maya squeezes Carina's hands. She tries to speak but her throat is dry, raspy. The OB moves to give her a sip of water. "Easy, bambina. Drink slowly."

She swallows with some difficulty but finds her voice. "Hi."

Carina can't wait anymore and presses a soft kiss to her wife's lips. She had been absolutely terrified to lose the love of her life. She instinctively places a hand on her belly, feeling the need to somehow comfort herself and the baby girl growing inside her. 

Maya's eyes follow Carina's movements. When they land on the brunette's pregnant belly, she smiles and puts her hand on top of her wife's. 

She doesn't know how she will ever be able to thank her team for getting her out of that building, for allowing her to live to meet her daughter. 

The fuzzy memory of her dream comes back to her. The faint image of the dimpled smile on a little girl's face, the love surrounding them. She is so fucking happy she will be able to witness that, to live that with her family. 

Carina rests her forehead onto Maya's, drawing a shaky breath. "Don't you dare ever leave us okay? We need you, bella."

"Never, my love. I'll never leave you."