Reputation

I don't like your little games

Don't like your tilted stage

The role you made me play

Of the fool, no, I don't like you

Shutting the front door behind her, Maya drops her bag onto the floor and makes her way through the apartment. She was having a good day, waking up next to Carina and the surprise visit from her wife at the end of her shift had her feeling good, that was until she came home to Dixon waiting for her outside her home. 

Tossing the envelope onto the table as she flops onto the couch as she continues to stare at the envelope that could be her shot at becoming captain again but all she could think of is how this would affect her mending relationship with Carina. She pulls out her phone from her pocket contemplating whether she should text her wife. They were taking things slowly but she didn’t want any more secrets between them. She wasn’t going to make the same mistake twice; she needed to talk to her wife first. She opens up her text with Carina and types up a message.

Maya: I know we said we’d take things slow but there’s something I really need to talk to you about and it’s sort of urgent. Do you think we could meet sometime tomorrow for coffee and talk about it? 

She hits send before she can chicken out, she places her phone on the table and decides to take a shower as she waits for a response. 

An hour later she checks her phone and smiles as she sees Carina’s response.

Car: Is everything okay bambina? I could meet you before my morning shift if that works for you.

God how she missed hearing her wife call her bambina, she quickly replies 

Yes nothing to worry about, yes works for me. I’ll see you then, good night my love. 

Biting on her bottom lips she worries if that was too much until Carina’s name pops up and she lets out a sigh of relief

See you then bambina ;) 

The next morning after trying on multiple outfits and panicking like a teenager who's getting ready for their first date Maya heads out of the house. 

She reaches the cafe nearest to Grey's Sloane 15 minutes before she's supposed to meet Carina, she grabs a booth and fiddles with her ring as nervously waits. 

Ten minutes later Carina walks in and spots the blonde deep in thought. 

"Maya" she says softly, not wanting to startle her. 

"Carina, hi" Maya greets flashing her a nervous smile. 

"Is everything okay? You looked like you were somewhere else" Carina asks, sliding into the opposite booth. 

"Sort of well not really, it's just" Maya cuts off as a waiter approaches their table. Taking a deep breath Maya tries to gather her thoughts as Carina orders for both of them. 

"You were saying" Carina says as the waiter walks away. 

"Yeah so actually I'll just show you" Maya mumbles as she grabs the envelope out of her bag and places it on the table. 

Che cosa, is this-? "No just please open it" Maya interrupts a confused Carina. Maya chews on her bottom lip as she watches Carina open the envelope. 

"Mio Dio Maya, where did you get these from?" Carina whisper yells.

"When I got home yesterday, Dixon was waiting for me, he handed me this and essentially wanted me to be his pawn" Maya hurriedly explains

"Che schifo!" Carina scoffs, shaking her head in disbelief.

"I'm calling the union tomorrow and reporting this" Maya grumbles stuffing the pictures back into the envelope. 

Carina's head snaps up, Maya was going to report this. Last time Maya didn't have proof and now she does in a way it makes sense. It would definitely help her get her captaincy back, nothing mattered to the blonde more than her captaincy. 

"Carina, baby what's wrong" Maya's worried voice pulls her out of her thoughts. "Carina you're crying" Maya says softly leaning across the table to wipe a few stray tears off her wife’s face. 

“You’re going to report this?” Carina stuttered.

“Of course I am, it’s unacceptable. One he shows up at our house and two god only knows how he got hands on those pictures.” Carina’s brain slowly catches up and Maya was talking about reporting Dixon. “oh grazie a Dio” Carina blurts out in relief before chuckling to herself.

Maya frowns “Carina, you’re worrying me one minute you’re crying and now you’re laughing and I haven’t said anything funny”

“When you said you were going to report this I thought you were talking about Ross and Sullivan.” Carina replies and she can see the flash of hurt that crosses Maya’s face.

Maya looks away from Carina and takes a deep breath “I’m not going to lie that hurt but I understand why you would have assumed that, after what I put you through the past half year. I was so focused on trying to get my captaincy back that I lost focus of what truly means the most to me. I lost my captaincy but I almost lost you too. I survived the loss of captaincy but I don’t think I’d survive losing you Carina. There may be other chances for me to become captain but there’s only one you in this world Carina and I can’t lose you I won’t lose you” Maya’s voice wavered as she hurriedly wipes away her tears.

“Hey hey bambina” Carina says softly reaching across the table to take Maya’s hand causing Maya to look at her wife. Carina’s eyes were filled with tears as she squeezed Maya’s hand “You’re not losing me Amore mio”

“I just want you to know that you’re more important to me than my job, I’m sorry I made you feel like you come second to my job” Maya says feeling the weight of her mistakes. I know that I have a lot of work to do to rebuild our relationship, but I also know that I am willing to do whatever it takes. I never want to make you feel like you come second again ever again.”

Carina looks at Maya for a long moment, brown eyes searching blue “ Thank you for telling me all this I needed to hear it, I know you’re trying Maya and I’m so proud of you” Carina says giving Maya’s hand another gentle squeeze. They sit in silence holding each other's hand across the table sipping coffee and shyly glancing at each other. 

“What are you going to give the pictures to the union?” Carina asks, breaking the silence. 

“Uh no I was thinking I should talk to Ross and Sullivan and let them know, even if what they are doing isn’t above board their privacy has been breached and they deserve to know that.” Maya responds. 

“Si that’s a good idea” Carina replies “I hope they burn those pictures” she continues scrunching her nose earning a gag from the blonde. 

As much as Carina wanted to call in sick and spend time with her wife she knew she could head in to work “Maya I have to go now but I really appreciate that you wanted to talk this through with me” she says. 

“Of course thank you for coming” Maya says, a hint of sadness in her voice as she steps out from the booth and watches Carina shrug her coat on. 

“I’ll see you later bambina” Carina says before leaning in to press a soft kiss on Maya’s cheek. “Let me know when you reach Greys” Maya exclaimed as feeling her heart stutter. 

But I got smarter, I got harder in the nick of time

Honey, I rose up from the dead, I do it all the time

I've got a list of names and yours is in red, underlined

I check it once, then I check it twice, oh!