Love, Dad | Joe Cruz

Chapter 19: A Cruz-Allen Wedding

"She's my kid and you guys just fucking scared her with this stunt so don't Hey me." Cruz glares at him not even realizing what he said. The protestor backs down with a look of guilt none of them having meant to scare her. Though none of them knew there was a ten-year-old sitting in the firehouse anyway. "Come on Mija let's get you to the bunk room you can watch TV on my laptop." They leave the room and as they make it to the bunk room she looks up at him.

"You called me your kid. That's new." She says.

"Your my niece, my goddaughter, and my kid. As long as you want that last title."

"Like a third parent? You're not replacing Mom and Dad?"

"Of course not, I will and always be Uncle Joe or Cruz or whatever name you give me. You can be my kid without me being your parent 'cause we're making the rules up as we go, kid."

"Okay."

"Now I better get out there and see what's going on. If anyone other than 51 comes in scream. Stay in here

"Okay!"

She tried to listen to him but after maybe an hour she got bored and left the bunk room venturing to the tower and looking out at the crowd both outside and inside. She looks at her dad's memorial where she saw a guy climbing on it. She unlike the firefighters had not been told to not engage. She runs out there to him

"Get off of that! That's my dad's memorial!" She screams at him. He looks at her wide-eyed and slides off. "Thank you. Stay off of it please it's disrespectful. Cause he doesn't have shit to do with this protest." She says and walks off back inside. No one will argue with a ten-year-old talking about her dead dad's memorial. No one with heart at least. Cruz didn't notice her absence at first not until he comes to the tower where she was staring outside. He comes over nervous to know if she saw.

"I screamed at a guy who was climbing in Dad's monument." She says softly.

"Oh, Mija."

"He got off and didn't say sorry but he's been blocking other people from getting on it since."

"Your dad would be so proud." He smiles at her pulling her to his side.

"I hope so... You better get out there it's getting ugly." She says pointing out the tower window.

"Shit okay stay here." He says before running out to the apron. She watches as a fight breaks out. 51 for the most part trying to calm down those attacking minus Kelly who started the fight. She watches as Cruz gets elbowed and falls to the floor. Against her better judgment, she runs out and dodges people to get to him

"Uncle Cruz!" She says loudly drawing attention to him laying on his side unconscious his forehead bleeding.

"Cruz? Cruz is hurt!" Kidd yells hurting to his side. Tatiana stays next to him a nervous look on her face.

"Someone elbowed him and he fell and I think he hit the engine." She cries out. She backs up and they roll him over before she returns to his side.

"Joe? Can you hear me, Joe?" Sylvie lightly taps his face

"Oh, I feel like I got hit by a fire truck." He says with a groan.