“Thank you for holding, how can I help you?” Asks the man on other end of the line.
“Yea, uh, this is Lieutenant Maya Bishop of Station 19. I would like to request a meeting with Chief Ross as soon as possible. It has to be today,” Maya says still looking at the photos Dixon gave her spread out on her counter. Three photos of Ross and Sullivan being intimate.
“I’m sorry that isn’t possible, the chief is very busy,” Chief Ross’s assistant said.
“Look, it’ll be quick, and I need to talk to her about something,” Maya says and then adds, “it concerns something of a personal nature, but I need 10 minutes of her time today.”
There’s a long pause and just as Maya is thinking she will have to go to headquarters and camp out until she spots Ross in the parking lot, her assistant is back, “there is a 15-minute window in an hour, Lieutenant, it’s then or never.”
“I’ll be there,” Maya promises and hangs up, she gathers up the pictures. And makes her way into the bedroom to change into her uniform. Regulations require that being at headquarters, all active firefighters must be in uniform.
Maya makes it to Chief Ross’s office with 5 minutes to spare. The assistant was pleasant enough when he ushered her into the Chief’s office.
When the door closed, Chief Ross looked up from paperwork on her desk, “you told my assistant this was important?”
Maya fidgets with the envelope in her hand, “six months ago I wouldn’t have thought twice about any of this. I would have gone through with it, with my eye on the goal. Getting my captaincy back. No matter the fallout.”
“Bishop, if this is what…” Ross begins.
Maya talks over her and sets the envelope down, but doesn’t release it, “Dixon showed up at my home and handed me these. You have no reason to believe how I got them and frankly I don’t care.” Then releases the envelope and Ross takes it.
Maya watches as Ross opens the envelope and looks at the pictures. Then looks up at Bishop.
“Like I was saying, six months, hell two months I would have set a meeting with the union and let the chips fall where they may. And I would have felt fine about it. After months of taking Beckett’s crap because of the original fallout of my actions. I would have even thought it was worth it. And I’ve realize that under you I likely will never get my captaincy back, because don’t regret what I did that day. I saved that boy’s life and no one on my team was ever in any danger. And I will always be bitter that after a year of waiting on a hearing about my demotion the closet thing I got was an informal conversation in the barn,” Maya takes a deep breath, “but that’s a separate issue.”
Ross nods, “so you haven’t set a meeting with the union?”
“I have,” Maya disagrees, “with the police union. To discuss Dixon. And much like when I blackmailed you. I’ll be going to that meeting without proof. I didn’t make copies of those pictures. I don’t want my captaincy back this way.”
Ross looks at Maya appraisingly but remains silent.
Maya breaths out, “I hope that when the fallout comes from that meeting. And it will, you, as my Chief, will have my back. And with that I think I’ve used up my allotted fifteen. Thank you, Chief.”
“Bishop?” Chief Ross calls out as Maya turns to leave her office, “I’ll have your back. Whatever you decide to say.”
“If I may?” Maya says, and when Ross nods, “I’m not sure what you did to piss Dixon off. But he’ll keep coming. It’s a matter of when not if.”
Ross nods again and with that Maya leaves the office and looks at her watch and hurries to meet Carina at the restaurant.
She ran into the restaurant 5 minutes later than she would have wanted too and was inwardly cursing herself because this was not a good way to woo her wife back being late to their second first date.
She saw Carina already sitting at a table, “hey sorry, I’m late. I well. I’m sorry.”
Carina smiles, “it’s okay. I just sat down.” Carina looks her wife over and notices that while she is no longer wearing her uniform shirt she is very much in uniform otherwise, “I thought you were off today.”
Maya looks down, “I am, I just had a meeting with Chief Ross.”
Carina nods and smiles, “what about?”
“Uh, maybe we could talk about something else?” Maya suggested, sure they weren’t at that stage where they could talk about all the things that have been going on at the station.
“Is she gonna formally do something that about the blackmail?” Carina asks.
Maya sighs, “no. But I did get comprising photos from Dixon of Ross and Sullivan. And they had the meeting to give her the copies Dixon gave me. And to tell her that I was talking to the police union tomorrow about Dixon.”
Carina looked at Maya, “you gave her the pictures?”
“Yea, I don’t want them,” Maya says then adds, “I don’t want my captaincy back like that.”
“What are you gonna say to the union?” Carina asks.
Maya tilts her head to the side, “we don’t have to talk about my work. We talk about how there is an exhibit at the museum I think you might like. And how maybe that could be a second date.”
Carina smiles and thinks that this is her Maya, and gravity is pulling back to her, but she wants to do this slowly. She wants the foundation to be solid, but hearing Maya speak so dismissive of her job. Dismissive isn’t right, but treating it like a job, and not wanting to obsess about it. Carina likes the idea that Maya can let go of her job some.
Maya sighs sadly, “I messed this up, didn’t I? I really didn’t mean to be late or bring work up at all. I just, and well you asked, but I was late.”
Carina puts her hand on Maya’s gesturing hand and says, “breathe Maya. You didn’t mess anything up.”
“I won’t bring work up again, promise,” Maya says.
“That’s not what I want. I want us to relearn each other. And work is important, no?”
“It’s not the only important thing,” Maya says quickly.
“No,” Carina agrees, “but it doesn’t mean I don’t want to know about what’s going on. How it’ll affect you.”
“I…” Maya pauses not sure what to say.
“What will you tell the police union?” Carina asks again.
“The truth, or at least some of it. That Dixon gave me what he saw as compromising photos of Ross and that he was hoping to make her look bad and it’s not the first time he’s schemed like this,” Maya says, “honestly, I’m not sure. I don’t have proof. And irritating union reps is really stupid. But I’m gonna do it and eventually all of this will blow over. Maybe one day Ross will give me an actual shot to be a captain and I’ll keep working my way back up the ladder. But right now, I’m just focusing on the job one shift at a time.”
“Just that simple?” Carina asks.
“Yea, I wished I figured it out sooner, but yea, just that simple,” Maya says, “Diane’s really helped. I feel like I’ve gotten hit by a,” realizing what she is about to say after what Carina witnessed, “well it’s draining to say the least and my head hurts a lot.”
“I get it. I get why you all line her so much. She’s very helpful.”
“How?” Maya drawls the one word out.
“I helped her and Vic with a patient a few days ago. And she helped me with something, and my head hurt afterwards.”
“You helped with a call?” Maya asks.
“There was a deer in a windshield. And I had to check the pulse of it,” Carina smiles at the memory.
“Tell me everything,” Maya asks excitedly, “don’t leave anything out.”
And Carina does, she tells Maya all about the call and is enjoying spending time with Maya. She feels like they will work this out. That they will get back to the place they were before ‘eyes forward’ took over and they will come out stronger for it. And hopefully they will be able to build a family together, because she still sees it. Maya and their son playing together at the station. She’ll teach him how to roll hoses and she show him all the buttons, but no sirens, not until he’s at least 5, on that Carina will be firm and he will have to wear protective gear if Maya shows him in the barn with the doors down. Carina feels herself letting herself fall for Maya all over again.