Tatiana had the day off of school this had been the plan for weeks since the wedding is tomorrow. But with her broken arm, it is helpful. Cruz decided to let her spend the day at 51. She was excited to get everyone to sign her cast. She walked in with a pack of markers all different colors. Her cast was just white so any and every color shows up on it easily. Part of the reason she chose it. She wanted to have everyone at 51 sign it. So far, Joe, Will, Chloe, and Foster have signed it. She didn't ask Brett cause she was in Rockford for Julie's funeral. Last night was the bachelor party so she spent the night at her grandmother's house and Joe picked her up this morning.
She runs into the firehouse a tired Cruz following. She immediately goes to the Chief's office and knocks on his office door. After he hollers come in she skills right in and sets the box on the desk.
"Chief! Can you sign my cast?" She asks grinning.
"Good morning to you too. Yeah, I can sign it." He takes the box of markers from her and grabs the black marker from it jotting his name onto the cast. She thanks him and hurries off to the common room where Gallo was sitting at the table messing with his phone.
"Whatcha doing?" She asks looking over his shoulder.
"Well, Chief gave me and Ritter permission to make an Insta account for the house." He says smiling at her.
"I wanna be in posts I'm practically a member of 51!" She grins setting the markers down on the table.
"I'll talk to Cruz about it later for now do you wanna help me get a picture of Tuesday?" He asks standing up.
"Yeah!" She grins looking over at Ritter who was busy cooking breakfast. Tuesday following hoping for someone to drop some.
"Gallo Use peanut butter to get her attention," Ritter mentions as Gallo runs off to grab his turn-out gear to put in the background.
"What's the chance he heard that?" Ritter asks her.
"Slim. You wanna sign my cast?" She asks picking up the markers again.
"Yeah! Give me the blue marker." Ritter says setting down the skillet as she walks around the counter. He signs the cast while Gallo sets up the video.
"Okay Tuesday come here." he says, Tuesday runs over and he gets her to sit down. "Tuesday look at me," He says holding a treat up. The puppy looks at the boots sniffing them. Cruz walks in looking at the activity and rolls his eyes sitting on the couch.
"Come on Tuesday. Right here. Come on. Come..." Gallo repeats before Tuesday walks up he drops his arms in defeat while Ritter and Tatia laugh.
"Told you to try peanut butter," Ritter says.
"You're not good at this influencer thing." Tatiana giggles while she grabs a plate, "Now can someone help me get food? I have one arm." Tatia asks as Herrmann and Mouch walk over to the Food.
"How, h-how do you guys got that much energy?" Herrmann asks visibly tired.
"We should not have tried to keep pace with them last night." Mouch groans putting some bacon on Tatia's plate for her.
"You had three beers and then started dozing off." Cruz laughs from the couch.
"Your light weights," Tatiana says holding in a laugh.
"One it was four two where did you hear that?" Mouch asks putting eggs on the girl's plate.
"I technically own a bar." She laughs and goes to the couch leaving a concerned Mouch. He was too tired to question it any further though
"Why, um, why are you trying to turn Tuesday into Cindy Crawford?" Herrmann asks walking over.
"I need her for the 51 Insta. I need the perfect first post." Gallo explains.
"I'm gonna help him!" Tatiana tells him with her mouth full.
"Don't talk with your mouth full please," Cruz says quietly while Gallo keeps explaining.
"Look, tons of houses have them now, and they post everything from fire safety tips to recipes," Gallo explains scrolling through a page on a tablet. "They're great community outreach, and people love seeing the day-to-day of a firehouse." He finishes as Chief walks in behind him.
"You sure you don't want me to call in a floater?" Chief asks leaning on the counter with his coffee mud.
"But I won't get to hang out here if you do," Tatia says giving him a pouting face.
"No. A shift is just what I need to keep the wedding nerves at bay. Besides Tatiana wants to get everyone to sign her cast and I don't want her doing that at the wedding." He jokes looking over at her.
"Exactly!" She agrees turning around on the couch.
"You missed out last night."
"Ah, well. The boss needs to maintain a certain plausible deniability with these things." Chief says moving from the counter. "It does look like everyone was having a good time."
"Oh, yeah." Gallo agrees.
"Oh, but not too good. Chloe was worried I'd look puffy in the wedding photos, so I drank a lot of water." He says.
"Ah, smart woman. Donna... she set ours up right in the front entry. First thing you see when you walk through the door. You'll be looking at those photos for many, many years."
"Rest of your life," Herrmann says.
"Mouch wanna sign my cast?" Tati takes the sling on and lays her arm on her lap.
"Yeah, sure." He takes the green marker and writes on it quickly.
"Thanks. Herrmie! Wanna sign my cast?" She looks at him grinning
"Never call me that again Tatiana." He says sitting on the couch next to her.
"Why what are you going to do?"
"I'll stop letting you hang out with Annabelle." He teases as he grabs the purple marker, the color he knows is her favorite. He puts his name on it just as the bells are called. Every walks to the doors and she can see from the couch them struggling to leave.
She quickly puts her sling on and stands up to see what's going on she doesn't go over though not wanting to get in the way. She hears Foster yell about the back door before watching them run towards it. She goes over to the main doors to see what was going on. She watches as men lock others to the rigs 51 yelling at them. Maybe she should've gone to school today. She steps back as everyone goes to the doors to cut the chains off.
–––Later–––
Tatiana looks around as a crowd of people enter the common room where she sat on the couch. She's surrounded in barely time. She zones out missing everything the crowd and 51 say. She doesn't like strangers, or crowds all that much now she's on the couch with random people.
"Get away." She glares at a guy trying to take the remote once he realized she was watching a kids' show. She didn't know what to do as she looks at Severide who was talking to one of the protesters. He smacks the phone out of one of their hands as Chief walks in. "I should've gone to school." She mumbles as the lieutenants and captain leave.
"Tots." Cruz hurries in and over to the couch.
"Hey." One of the protestors looks at him with a look of offense.
"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.
"No, fire truck got hit by your face," Mouch tells him motioning to the blood on the edge of the rig.
"You were supposed to stay mark free for the wedding pictures," Tatiana says with a giggle.
"Ah, that's bright. Well, Tatia I thought I'd take your approach and get hurt right before the wedding."
"Okay, let's clear a path for Ambo. Let's get him to Med." Chief says.
"Uh, Med... no, I don't need to go to a hospital..." He tries to sit up.
"But you have to. "
"No, Cruz, Cruz. You got your bell rung, man. You're in concussion
protocol now." Severide tells him.
"Yeah, but I'm getting married." He goes to sit up again.
"Listen to them, Uncle Joe."
"Okay."
–––Next Day–––
Tatiana grins looking at herself in the mirror. She looked like a real-life princess, the white dress goes down to her ankles with the skirt had a pastel pink underlayer with white tulle covering it. The top was white with pastel pink flowers on it. Her hair is in an updo with a flower crown. She turns around when she hears the bathroom door open. Outcomes Chloe in her dress.
"You look like a princess!" Tati grins looking at her she steps out of the way of the mirror.
"Thank you, sweetie. " Chloe smiles walking by her to the mirror. "Come here." Tatiana comes over and stands in front of her.
"Hey, you guys ready to go? " Ritter knocks on the door before poking his head in. All the ladies look at him.
"Yes, we are." Chloe looks down at her soon-to-be niece. "Go with them find your uncle I walk out last."
"Okay, Aunt Chloe." Tati hugs her before following Stella and Brett out. Cruz stands in the hall fiddling with his hands nervously. "Uncle Cruz!"
"Tots." He looks at the smiling girl. "You look like a little princess." He says but all he sees when she smiles is her dad. Like a little piece of his best friend is still here. Following him through every step of life.
"Thank you! I still think you're mean for not letting me get that tiara." She giggles hugging him. He chuckles and looks at the doors.
"Okay, we gotta line up. Get ready to go down that aisle you got your flowers?" He asks her.
"I got them right here." Brett holds up the basket. She moves over to them and hangs the basket on her casted hand.
Everyone lines up, Stella and Kelly at the front, Casey and Bret behind then Leon with one of Chloe's friends, Tony and Capp with two more of her friends. Then Joe with Tatiana behind him. Chloe of course walked last. Tatiana has been quite nervous about this wedding. Like once they get married there won't be a spot for her. They'll eventually have their own kids and they won't want her around. But today, for right now she's not worried.
She stands in front of Kelly looking up at the couple. The preacher goes on about marriage as Tatiana looks in the crowd of people. Her best friend sitting in between her brother and her mom. Her attention is brought back to the bride and groom as they say their vows to each other.
"And I understand there's a special little girl you two wanted to include in their day." The preacher says. Kelly looks down at his niece grinning as she looks around confused. This wasn't a part of the rehearsal. No one told her this was happening. Cruz turns around smiling.
"Tati come here." He says motioning for her to stand between him and Chloe. She hurries over and looks up at them. "Tatiana. Chloe and I wrote vows to you to make sure you know just how big of a part of our family you will be." He begins as he pulls two pieces of paper from his pocket passing one to Chloe.
"Tatia. When I met you, you were eight years old and was the niece of a guy liked. Who wouldn't leave his side the entire picnic. And never in a million years did I think that I'd get to help raise you. You already are a kind, loving, and amazing person and I'm grateful to get to be a part of your life and proud to get to be your aunt." Chloe says smiling at her, "I promise to care for you and be there for both good and bad. I'm excited to watch the amazing things I know you'll do. And most of all I promise to love you as my own forever and always." Tatiana wipes away her tears. They really care she's really a part of their new family that they're building.
"I love you." She mumbles hugging Chloe before turning and looking at Joe who was waiting to say his.
"Mija, when your dad told me about you I was excited, excited to get to be apart of your life, excited to see him and Julie as parents. Excited to be the fun uncle. I told him I'd teach you Spanish and promised him to be the best uncle for you. Be there for every moment, I didn't think those moments would be so hard. Over the years I have watched you brave through losing not one but both of your parents, and some how you still have a smile." He paused taking a deep breath and looking at the young girl's face. "Your dad would be so proud of the young lady you're becoming Mija. I already promised your dad that I'd love you as my own and be there for everything but now today me and Chloe give you this necklace as a promise to love you and raise you as our own." Cruz looks behind him at Kelly who pulls out a necklace from his pocket. It was on a silver chain with a heart charm, around the heart were the birthstones of, Otis, her mom, Julliete, Joe, and Chloe. In the middle was her birthstone. Joe presents it to her before having her turn around and he puts the necklace on her. She turns back towards them and he kisses her forehead.
"I love you, Uncle Joe." She hugs him, her tear-filled eyes looking up at him.
"I love you too Tater Tot."