Save Me (An Eddie Diaz 911 Fanfiction)

Broken

"So, I guess," Hen asked slowly, "Maddie still sparks joy?"

"Always," he responded.

"Not the Harry Potter quote," Jane looked at Chimney, keeping her tone purposefully light, since she'd said her peace and she didn't want to but in anymore. She'd support her friends no matter what. "It was one thing to bring in Bueller, but to bring up Harry Potter? That's low emotionally Chimney! Low! Also, you know how much Snape triggers me!"

"Be calm, my Hufflepuff," he asserted. "It was unintentional."

"Lies!" Jane pointed to him dramatically. "Every movie quote we make is intentional Howard Han! I know it was! We are one in the same!"

"Okay, you movie buffs," Hen looked at them with an exasperated smile, "Two of us need to get to work and someone still has laundry in the dryer to judge worthy or unworthy."

"Yeah, yeah, rub it in, why don't you," Chimney grumbled good naturedly as he led them to the door, giving them both a hug. "I'll just be here. Sorting clothes. You go save the people of Los Angeles."

"Will do," Hen said after her hug, unperturbed by her partner's grumbling.

Jane hugged him just a bit tighter and whispered into his shoulder, "You take care of yourself, understand? And since you brought it up, we should probably have another Harry Potter marathon."

Chimney nodded, and then gave her a mischievous grin before he closed the door, "Always."

"Jerk!" she called through the closed door and as she and Hen walked away they could hear him laughing. "Seriously, that man triggers me! Harry should have named his second son after Hagrid. I don't care what people say."

"Jane," Hen said gently, "they are children's books. They are children's books that have already been published. I think you can let it go."

"Never!" she declared grandly, stomping down to her car, grumbling something that Hen thought was on the lines of, "Silly Muggles will never understand."

Hen just shook her head with a big smile. She loved that girl, even when she was being ridiculous as much as she loved the man they'd left inside that apartment. Chimney and Jane were her team. Yes, she loved all of the 118, Bobby, Buck, and Eddie, but Chimney, Jane, and Hen were a unit. They'd all fought like hell to be in that uniform and they'd made it. Hen just hoped that whatever happened in the future, they'd keep fighting. She hoped that even when they inevitably parted ways, she'd still have them.

And so, with another shake of her head to remove these depressing thoughts, Hen jogged after Jane, because she was the one driving them to work.  

..........

Despite its drama and trauma, Jane Thomas loved her job, but today was one of her favorite parts. Fire Safety lectures to the local grade schools. Each day this week they would have a different elementary school come in for an hour or so and give them a safety lecture with a side of honking the horn on the firetruck. That day was the first class. For so many reasons, these were days that Jane took seriously. Offering up different scenarios and possible escape routes if the kids found themselves trapped in school or at home. Especially, if they were caught upstairs.

"And don't panic," Bobby was telling the grade-schoolers who were sitting in chairs in front of him, Buck, Eddie, and Jane. "Because panic can be more dangerous than flames, toxic fumes, or a sucking chest wound."

"Cap's a little intense, huh?" Eddie murmured to Buck as they pushed the television forward for the next part of the presentation while Jane stepped up to speak.

"Oh," Buck said gently, "He takes these talks very seriously. You'll hear why in a minute." He nodded towards Jane.

"Now," Jane said to the kids, smiling at them all, especially Harry who beamed at the woman in front of him. "It is very important that you remember everything we said today, because it can save your life. Now, I know what you're thinking. What are the odds that you'll be in a situation like this? Well, I have a story for you. A long, long, long time ago," Jane dragged the longs out, earning some chuckles from the kids, keeping their attention easily, "When I was your age, I attended a class just like this one. Not long after, I found myself trapped in a fire. I was scared, but like Bobby said, I knew I couldn't panic. I remembered everything that the firefighters had taught me, and I got myself and my friend out of there."