Is This Forever?

Thoughts

Continued...

1 month later
May, 14th, 2025
Derek's pov

I've been fighting to get back and I did. I made it back to my family to my home. I can't really move. I think my body is still numb and I asked for Tommy but nobody could reach her, I guess she was at work. My aunt surprised me with my boys from Philly though. They were my rock before coming out here. They're like my brothers and I can't wait until Tommy meets them.

He thought she wasn't going to come until he saw the door open and she walked through it still in uniform bypassing everyone and heading directly for him and the kiss she left on his lips was so long the room became quiet with slight awkwardness but they didn't care. He tried to bring his hand to her face but it faltered at the end. As it was said he was still weak.

"Come on you two get a room." One of the men said. Tommy broke the kiss but their faces were still inches apart. "I love you" she whispered. "I love you too." He whispered back. "Uh, guys this is my fiancé Tommy." He said not breaking eye contact with her.

"Yeah, we hoped." One of the men said. "Tommy this is Kash, Johnny, D2, and Bobby." Before she could say anything she got a call over her radio. "Oh. I have to go but I'll be back tomorrow morning." She said kissing him once more and he nodded. "Nice meeting you guys." She rushed out as she jogged out of the room.

"Okay. I got two questions. One. Is she a cop or something? Two. How the hell did you pull her." Kash asked when the door closed behind her. "Right. 'Cause no disrespect my brother but that woman is fine." D2 said piggybacking off of Kash's comment. "First of all, I know you saw those big ass letters that spelled 'paramedic' on her back. Secondly, y'all are talking about her like she's some random woman. That's my fiancé, so watch your mouth." Derek warned.

"Come on Derek we just wanted some insight into your relationship and seeing that you're wedding is in three months and you told us we were going to be in your wedding but you haven't told us who your best man was going to be. So, we don't know what to think." Bobby said.

"My wedding is still on and on this route Johnny's going to be my best man 'cause he's the only one that ain't talking," Derek said. When he heard the contests around the room he laughed.

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The Ambulance

"Cap, did you get a chance to see him?" Nancy said over the sound of the sirens. "I did. What a coincidence we had to drop a patient off here just a few hours after he woke up because we usually have to go to West Park." Tommy said oblivious. Nancy and TK looked at each other and smiled.

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While all this was going down Owen and Amira were having a heated conversation on the phone. Mind you they were both at work so they were more whisper shouting than yelling.

On the phone
Owen: Amira I can't do this with you right now.
Amira: Neither can I but here we are
Owen: You're mad over nothing
Amira: No, I'm mad because you keep lying to my face
Owen: Oh come on. what have I lied to you about?
Amira: That's not the point
Owen: That's quite literally the point Amira
Amira: Owen who did you sleep with?
Owen: Amira I didn't cheat on you. I didn't sleep with anybody and this conversation isn't work-appropriate so I'll talk to you later. Love you
~End Of Call~

After he hung up like clockwork the bell rang. The EMS team was already on site but they needed assistance. A woman that was in her late thirties was caught on a banister 60 feet in the air. They wanted to know how this even happened but they digressed. They set up a rescue pad and cut her loose. Brielle seemed to be okay besides the slight embarrassment that she was feeling at the moment.

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The Engine

"Cap are you okay?" Paul asked. "Why wouldn't I be?" Owen says from the front of the truck. "Well I don't know if you know but voices carry and I don't know if you think you were whispering earlier but you weren't," Paul informed. "So what did you guys hear and most importantly what do you guys want to know." He sighed. "We heard it all but we don't feel like it's our place to ask you about it." Marjan interrupted. "Well, that's a first," Owen says in remark to Marjan's statement.

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At the firehouse

Everyone was helping with dinner tonight, even the two captains. The music they were playing reminded the two all too well of the night of their do-over date. When they swayed to the music together. Enjoying each other's company. Basking in the glow of their newfound love. They shared a small glance and then went back to what they were doing.

"This is all wrong. I shouldn't be looking at him in that manner. My head has been filled with the thoughts of my fiancé and I can't let Owen invade my space like that, not now. Derek was my chance at real love again and it needs to stay that way. Owen is in my rearview and he needs to stay back there."

"What I told Derek just a month ago needs to stay true. I'm stepping back. Though I should've stepped back a long time ago. Once I cheated and she found someone new that's when I should've let her go. Tommy deserves what Derek is giving her and whatever I gave her was way less than she deserved so I'm done. It doesn't matter how much I love her. I can love without being in love with her. I'll love her from a distance."

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Derek's Condo
2 weeks later

Derek and his friends were all at his place catching up when the doorbell rang. "I'll get it," Barbra said from the kitchen. When she opened it she saw it was Tommy. "Hey, Tommy." She smiled. "Hey, Mrs.Barbra. Is Derek here?" She asked. "Yeah, he and his friends are sitting in the living room." She says as she lets Tommy in.

When she gets to the living room she sees that he has a beer in his hand. Shaking her head she walks over to where he sat. "Hey, baby." He smiled and then leaned in to kiss her when she sat down next to him. Once she sat down she grabbed his face, bringing her lips to his ear.

"Derek didn't I tell you that you can't be drinking like that." She said with a hint of a smile in her voice. "Why are we whispering? Also, this is my first one." He said. "Okay, then it's your last one too." She said. "Baby."

"No, the doctor said one a day, and as a medical professional myself, I'm telling you one a day as well." She whispered once more, kissing him behind his ear, then taking the beer bottle out of his hand, taking a sip of it then handing it back still looking at him while she did it.

"What was y'all talking about? Being freaky, weren't you? Kash laughed. "Why are you so nosey," Derek asked. While they were talking about what they were whispering about, Tommy got up to get a beer from the kitchen and regained her position by Derek.

"Tommy I know we've asked you this a few times before but I'm still confused. How did he manage to put a ring on your finger.? I mean you went on a date with him and decided you wanted more of.. how do I put this?... That?" He said looking and pointing over at Derek.

"I took a chance and it turned out alright." She said smiling over at Derek. She noticed his bottle was now empty so she took one more sip of her beer and handed the rest to him. "What's this for?" He asked while the other four talked amongst themselves. "I'll make an exception this one time."

Taking the beer out of her hand he takes a sip of it and hands it back. "We'll share it. So, technically I only had like 1 and 1/2" He said. "That's not how that works but I love the effort." She said taking it from him. "Y'all make me sick," D2 said shaking his head. "You can't be a hater you're whole life," Johnny said. "Thank you, Johnny," Derek replied.

2 hours later.....

Everyone has been talking even Barbra came and sat down with them. They were deep in conversation when they heard a knock on the door. "I'll get it." Barbra volunteered. "No Auntie. You've been up all day I got it." He said taking his arm from around Tommy.

When he opened the door he was shocked at who it was.

"Mom?"

TBC