TW: physical, verbal & emotional abuse, anxiety
I will fight
I will fight for you
I always do until my heart
Is black and blue
It was a slow day at the station; the team only had an aid car call that they handled efficiently. Maya was working on some paperwork before her meeting with the Battalion and Fire Chiefs next week. She was in her office when suddenly, she heard voices. Walking out, she saw Vic cradling a little girl in her arms. The girl seemed to be no older than ten and was sobbing uncontrollably. Maya could feel her heart breaking but remained poised. The little girl was scared and Maya saw the bruises on her and how her eye was beginning to swell.
What monster could hurt such a small child? Maya knelt down, making her presence known to the little girl. "Hi sweetie. My name is Maya and I want to help you. Can you tell me your name?"
The girl looked up, squinting with her good eye and nodded slowly. "I'm Norah. My name is Norah."
"OK Norah. Is it OK if I bring you to my bunk so we're not sitting in the middle of the lobby?"
Norah looked around carefully. Vic's arms were still holding her, and Maya had rested her hand on her thigh. They felt safe. She nodded and Maya led them into her office and the room adjacent. Vic sat with Norah on the bed when Maya reappeared with some ice to put on Norah's eye.
"Norah, sweetie, I need you to stay awake for a little longer OK? I just need to ask you a few questions."
Maya noticed that Norah was snuggled in Vic's arms and wasn't going to take her from Vic. "You can stay in Vic's arms while I ask them."
"O-OK."
"Can you please tell me your full name?"
"Norah Angelica Bishop-Jones."
Bishop?
"Cap, you OK?" Vic asked once Maya came back.
Maya nodded, trying not to think about it too much. Could her father have had an affair? "Good, thank you Norah. How old are you?"
"I'm ten," she replied. "My birthday is next month."
"Good. Look, I know you probably don't want to talk about this... But we need to know how you got those bruises, sweetie."
Norah's eyes darted between Vic and Maya. She didn't want to relive any of her trauma. What would happen to her if she did? Her breathing became rigid and both Vic and Maya were attempting to calm her down.
"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine," Maya began singing softly. It was a lullaby that had helped Mason calm down when he was little. The song was one of the only ones that Maya's father had let them listen to and she wanted to see if her assumptions were correct. "You make me happy, when skies are grey."
"How do you know that lullaby?" Norah asked once she was breathing normally again. She didn't know what to think and her eye was throbbing.
Maya gulped. "My uh... my dad would sing that to me when I was little. And to my brother."
Vic noticed the tension between the two of them, already having her own speculations, but she didn't want to interfere. They asked Norah a few more questions until she got too tired and fell asleep. Checking that she was in a deep sleep, the two women left the bunk and sat in Maya's office.
"Is she?"
"I don't know, Vic," Maya admitted. "She could be. The eyes - his eyes - they're too similar. You don't think?"
Vic shrugged. "Only a blood test will tell you that, Maya."
And I will stay
I will stay with you
We'll make it to the other side
Like lovers do
"No! Please don't hurt me!" She shouted, curling up in a ball against the wall. She could feel him getting closer, his rage so evident, and prepared for the blow. Then it came. One after the next.
He got tired after a while and stumbled into his own room, leaving her alone in the dark room. She could feel blood seeping from somewhere and her stomach was in knots. Was that because of the beatings or her nerves? She'd figure it out eventually. Carefully picking herself up, she limped into the bathroom to look at herself. She saw her eye swelling and a nice purple bruise across her face. That would pair nicely with the ones all over the rest of her body.
Deciding that she had enough, she limped back into her bedroom and rummaged for the box under her bed. Picking it up with tears in her eyes, she placed it in a bag, slung it over her shoulder and left the house.
She walked until the sign came into view. Pushing the door open with the little bit of strength left, she crumpled to the floor, someone catching her.
"M-Maya."
"Maya!" She screamed.
Maya ran into her bunk, seeing Norah thrashing on the bed and gently rubbed the girl's back. "Shhh, I'm here Norah. I'm here."
Norah had since woken up, fresh tears falling down her face, but her breathing evened out when she saw Maya watching her. "I- I'm sorry."
"It's okay, sweetheart. These things happen," Maya reassured. "Nightmare?"
Norah nodded, feeling Maya's arms engulf her in a hug. She felt safe. Suddenly, Norah started panicking. "Bag. Bag. Backpack."
"Is this what you're looking for?" Vic asked, walking into the room with a small purple backpack. Norah nodded and she handed it to the girl, she and Maya watching what would happen next.
Norah felt her hands on the box, taking a deep breath and pulling it out. "This is for you, Maya. This box."
Maya furrowed her brow. Why would a little girl be giving her this box? "Norah, are you sure?" She asked. Norah then pointed to the lid, which was addressed to Maya Bishop.
"It's from my mommy."
Maya nodded, throwing an arm around Norah carefully as she opened the box and saw that it was filled to the brim. There were numerous pictures and other folded documents. But the first thing she saw was a letter addressed to her. "Do I-?"
"Yes, Maya. Please, read it. Mommy wrote it for you."
Dear Maya,
I know you don't know me, but my name is Ingrid Jones. If you're reading this, then I must be long gone now, but I don't forget meeting you. I think you were twelve when we first met. Your dad was making you run laps after a race. I always thought it was tough love, but deep down I knew it was more. He and I were close friends and I was also your mom's friend. I was devastated when she passed, but I started helping your dad out more at work and with your little brother. I know this might be tough for you, but I told Norah all about you. She's your half sister, Maya. I'm sorry you didn't get to meet her under better terms, since I'm sure she showed up unexpectedly at the Station. She knows that you're her sister and she's looked up to you since she could talk. Of course, Lane wasn't happy about that. He became abusive. First towards me, but then he started with Norah. She reminds me a lot of you; she loves running, so Lane started training her when she was six. It was tough for her and she had a hard time with his training techniques. I took most of the blows from Lane, wanting to protect Norah as much as I could. I was planning on leaving him and taking her with me, but he stopped me numerous times. We were stuck.
I'm writing this from my hospital bed. I don't have much longer. Your dad, uh, he put me here. I'm watching Norah sleep on the chair next to my bed. She looks so peaceful, but I know that as soon as I'm gone things will get worse for her. Your dad doesn't know when to stop. I've reported these incidences but you know how they get swept under everything else. Please, please keep fighting for her. She needs you.
I know you're probably busy with your own life, but I've talked to my lawyers about my plan. I'd like you to raise Norah. As your sister or your own daughter, it doesn't matter. I just want her to be cared for and I know that you're the right fit. In this box I am putting all the pictures I ever took of her since she was born. Her birth certificate, the adoption papers, and my will are also enclosed. If you have any issues, my lawyer's phone number is on the front page of my will. I'm leaving everything to Norah, which isn't much, but I am requesting you to be her guardian. She can't live with him anymore, I won't let her.
I'm sorry you didn't know about her earlier, but it was the safest thing.
Thank you, Maya.
Ingrid
Maya looked up after reading the letters, tears in her eyes, as she looked at Norah. There was no denying the truth; Norah was her little half-sister, she could tell. Even though Norah had red hair, it was the eyes that gave everything away. They were a piercing blue, the same colour Maya and Mason shared with Lane. It was the only thing Norah inherited from him and Maya was glad.
"Y- You're my sister," Maya mumbled and Norah nodded, leaving Vic completely confused. "I have a sister."
"Hi, Maya," Norah said with a chuckle. "I hate to annoy you or be a bother, but can we please go to the hospital now? I know there's something going on with my stomach."
Vic laughed, leaving to call Grey Sloan and let them know that they were bringing someone in. "Do you want to ride in the ambulance, mini Maya?"
Norah's face lit up and she looked to Maya for permission, so she nodded and grabbed Norah's backpack before following the two of them to the barn.
"Cap?" Andy asked as she was rolling hoses. "What's going on?"
"Norah, go with Vic. She'll get you set up and I'll be right there," Maya instructed, watching Vic help Norah walk to the ambulance. Looking back at Andy, Maya sighed. "That's my little sister. Well, half-sister."
Andy almost choked. "Wait, what?"
"She came in, bruised, and Vic found her. Then she gave me this box which was from her mom who must have passed recently. She's my sister, Andy. I have a sister and she was just beaten by Lane."
Andy pulled Maya in for a hug. "Do you want me to come too?"
"No," Maya said. "You need to stay here. You're in charge while I'm gone. I don't know how long I'll be. And Carina. God, I need to talk to her."
"Maya, breathe," Andy said. "It's OK, I've got this. Go take care of your girl."
I'll reach my hands out in the dark
And wait for yours to interlock
I'll wait for you
I'll wait for you
Carina watched as Maya came into the ER with Vic and a little girl. She walked into the trauma room and saw how beaten the girl was; it broke her heart. The thing she noticed most was the way Maya was with her; she wasn't frozen or in shock, but she was actually rubbing circles on the girl's back and whispering sweet things to her. Another thing Carina noticed was how blue the girl's eyes were. Well, the one she could see. Is this Maya's sister? Did she know about her?
"Carina?" Maya asked, breaking Carina from her trance. "Umm."
"Is that your sister bella?"
Maya nodded. "My half-sister. Her mom left me a note. She wants me to raise her."
"What happened to her? Like to end up at Grey Sloan?"
Maya sighed, running a hand through her hair. "It was Lane."
"Maya?" Amelia asked, stepping out of the room before Carina could respond. "She's asking for you."
Carina held Maya's hand as they walked back into the room Norah was in. She was hooked up to the machines, an IV giving her fluids.
"Maya, you're here."
"Of course I'm here, sweetheart," Maya said. "Did you think I left?"
Norah nodded and Maya gently sat on the bed, holding Norah's hand. "I will never leave you, Norah. I'm so sorry this happened to you, but I'm here now. Your big sister is here."
Before Maya could say anything else, Norah started seizing and Maya was pushed out of the room. It felt like hours had passed until Amelia told her she could go back in, Carina gripping Maya's hand tightly.
"She's OK, Bishop. It was just lack of fluids, not to mention that nice swelling of her eye."
"But nothing out of the ordinary?"
Amelia shook her head. "All her scans are coming back clean. Her ribs are definitely bruised, but there's no internal damage. She's a lucky one."
"Yeah," Maya muttered. "Lucky enough for her dad to beat her up."
'Cause I'm not givin' up
I'm not givin' up, givin' up
No not yet
Even when I'm down to my last breath
Even when they say there's nothin' left
So don't give up on...
The next two weeks were especially grueling for Maya. Norah had been released into her care and she was doing everything she could for her sister to be comfortable in her apartment that she and Carina shared. Norah was happy that her sister had found someone to love and that would be there for her as well. Maya was talking with her lawyer and with Ingrid's lawyer around the clock to get sole custody of her sister.
"Ciao bella, did you sleep well?" Carina asked as Norah emerged from her room. She and Maya had converted Andy's old room into Norah's, since she had found her own apartment. Maya had everything set up the way Norah wanted it and was happy she could do this one thing for her sister.
"Good morning," Norah greeted. "Yes, I slept well. Is Maya home?"
Carina chuckled. She had noticed that Norah was just like Maya; she woke up early and insisted on joining Maya for her morning runs. She had been stuck at home the first week, which was an adjustment, but as soon as the doctors cleared her she followed Maya. "No, sorry. She's working a twenty-four hour shift but will be home this afternoon."
"OK," Norah said as she sat down at the kitchen table and began eating the food that Carina had made. It was her famous French toast and, like her sister, Norah ahd fallen in love with it. "When will Maya hear from the lawyers again?"
"She spoke to them yesterday, bambina. The paperwork is almost complete. We did want to talk to you about something..."
Norah looked at Carina, waiting for her to speak again.
"Maya wanted to know what you want your last name to be. Now I know it's a hard decision, so take all the time you want."
"DeLuca-Bishop."
Carina froze. What? "A- Are you sure Norah? I know this is hard."
"I know my mom's last name was Jones, but she would want me to be happy. And I'm happy with DeLuca-Bishop because I love you, Carina," she replied, watching as Carina's eyes filled with tears.
Norah chuckled, wrapping her arms around Carina. "You love my sister and you're her wife. We're making our little family complete."
"Si, yes we are," Carina sniffled, hugging Norah even tighter. She wouldn't lie that she had hoped Norah would pick their last name, but she didn't want the little girl to lose the last part of her mom she had left.
When Maya came home, she saw her sister and her wife cuddled on the sofa. They had fallen asleep while watching a movie. Maya took a picture of both of them before kneeling next to Carina's head and kissing her forehead.
"Hey..."
"Ciao bambina," Carina grumbled. "Did you just get home?"
Maya nodded. "I'll wake Norah up so she doesn't sleep too long."
"Before you do... She chose a last name today," Carina said as she sat up, rubbing her eyes open. "She wants it to be DeLuca-Bishop."
"W- What?"
Carina nodded. "That's what she told me."
"Are you not happy, Maya?" Norah asked, having just woken up, looking at her sister expectantly.
Maya bit her lip, not sure what to say next, so she sat on the sofa and pulled Norah close to her. "Sweetheart, the process is getting a little harder. Um, dad wants to fight for you."
"Oh."
"Hey, that doesn't mean I'm giving up," Maya said. "His lawyer told ours that he wants partial custody, but I'm trying to get full custody. Your mom was very specific in her will, so it will work for us, OK?"
Norah closed her eyes. "So he won't take me?"
"No, baby, I'll make sure he doesn't," she said, nuzzling her face into Norah's hair, her breathing becoming more even. "I'm not gonna give up."
"Does that mean we're going to court, bambina?"
Maya nodded, not being able to make eye contact with Carina. Court was the last thing Maya wanted, but with Lane suddenly wanting to fight, she didn't have a choice. The lawyers didn't see another way out of this, so the court date was scheduled for two months from now.
"It's OK, my girls, everything will be OK," Carina reassured as she hugged the two sisters. "I've got you both, it's OK."
I'm not givin' up
I'm not givin' up, givin' up
No not me
Even when nobody else believes
I'm not goin' down that easily
So don't give up on me
And I will hold
I'll hold onto you
No matter what this world'll throw
It won't shake me loose
The trio arrived at court that day, all of them a bundle of nerves. This was it. Maya hadn't been able to sleep at all that night, constantly checking up on Norah, who kept having nightmares. They met Andy and Amelia in front of the court building since the two of them would be witnesses on their behalf.
"Maya."
"Mason?" Maya asked in disbelief as she saw her mom walking up to her, tears in her eyes, and hugged his sister. "What are you doing here?"
Mason looked at Maya, their eyes having their own conversation. "I'm here for you, Mai. And for this little munchkin."
"Thank you, Mason, that means a lot to us."
"Of course, sis. I want to see his face when he sees us together."
Because Lane was fighting the adoption, he had to be present in court today. Mason and Maya had reconciled a few years ago and he had even attended her wedding with Carina. They had gotten closer over the years, even though Maya thought the rift was too big to fix, but Mason stayed. He found a job and his own apartment; he was happy.
"OK, it's time," Maya's lawyer, Danielle, said as she appeared in front of the group. They followed her into the courtroom and took their seats.
Maya and Carina sat with Danielle while Norah sat right behind them with Mason, Andy, and Amelia. What shocked Maya was that the rest of the room was filled with her team and Carina's friends from the hospital. They truly did have a village supporting them. Carina held Maya's hand as they watched Lane walk in with his lawyer and he smirked at them. Maya took a deep breath, sending Norah a reassuring smile. She was going to win this.
I'll reach my hands out in the dark
And wait for yours to interlock
I'll wait for you
I'll wait for you
"I am granting sole custody of Norah Angelica Bishop-Jones to..." the Judge began. Maya could feel her nerves skyrocketing, using Carina as her life support to stay calm. Danielle had fought a good case against Lane and things seemed to be going well. It was just up to the Judge. "Maya Katherine and Carina Lucia DeLuca-Bishop!"
Cheers erupted in the court room, while Lane was being escorted out by the police. He had been convicted for domestic violence, child abuse and second-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison.
"Your honour, we would like to discuss changing Norah's name, please," Danielle announced once Lane was gone. The Judge nodded. "Norah would like to change her name to Norah Ingrid Angelica DeLuca-Bishop. Is that in order?"
The Judge smiled softly. "That is in order, counselor. Congratulations!"
Maya smiled as she picked up Norah and spun her around. "I've got you munchkin, forever."
"Thanks for not giving up on me, Maya. I love you."
"I love you more."
'Cause I'm not givin' up
I'm not givin' up, givin' up
No not yet
Even when I'm down to my last breath
Even when they say there's nothin' left
So don't give up on...
I'm not givin' up
I'm not givin' up, givin' up
No not me
Even when nobody else believes
I'm not goin' down that easily
So don't give up on me