season two // episode two
[ the new firefighter ]
❝Her taste in men is Flynn
Rider. Though, she's not wrong
with that...❞
"𝐋𝐀𝐘𝐋𝐀, 𝐌𝐀𝐗, 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 of Dairy Queen blizzards, get your butts into the car!" Danielle called into the quiet house, standing by the front door with her car keys in her hand. "We're going to be late—again."
Layla walked out of her bedroom. "Have you seen my book?" she asked her mother, looking under the kitchen table as though it would magically appear. "Max, I swear, if you took it—"
"Why is it always me who you blame?" Max asked his sister, walking out of his bedroom that Danielle could see needed to be cleaned. "What if it was Mom who took your book?"
The older of the twins frowned before looking up in her mother's direction. "Did you steal my book?"
Their mother pinched the bridge of her nose and let out a heavy sigh. "Every morning..." she muttered to herself before setting down her keys and walking over to her bickering children. "Do we have to do this every morning? No, I did not take your book, Layla. Max, she blames you because you have a history of stealing her books—"
"And ruining the ending!"
"—but that doesn't mean that she should do it on instinct," Danielle added, giving her daughter a look that silenced her. "And we're going to be late. So, can we please get a move on?"
"Sorry," Max said quietly and Layla nodded.
"Yeah, sorry."
Danielle sighed softly and ran a hand through her blonde hair that her children had inherited from her. "I'm sorry," she told them, crouching in front of them. "It's the heat. It's messing with my brain. I love you both. So much."
"We know," Layla said and Danielle pulled her short blonde locks away from her face. "We'll try not to fight as much."
Max nodded. "Yeah." He opened his backpack and pulled out the missing book. "Here."
"So it was you!"
Danielle fluttered her lips and chuckled to herself. "Well, mystery solved. Let's get you to Aunt Sammy's. Lucky for us she's off today on the hottest day of the year."
"And you have to go to work!" Layla teased, running out of the house at her mother's playful glare. "Sucks to be you!"
After a short drive, a long goodbye—and lots of lovely LA traffic—Danielle had finally made it to work. She looked down at her watch. "Hey, would you look at that?" she said to herself, setting down her belongings on her desk. "Three minutes to spare."
"That's a new record."
Danielle looked up at the voice and smiled. "Hey, I was ready an hour ago," she defended and Athena Grant chuckled, sitting in the blonde's chair. "The twins were not. Ooh, so tell me about it. How was your date with my dad?"
"I'm not talking about this with you."
"Oh, come on!" Danielle frowned, following behind the sergeant. "This is the happiest I've seen my dad in years. You're a big part of that."
Athena tilted her head. "I think it had more to do with the fact that you agreed to come out to California last year. He says he finally won."
"See? He's telling you things about me."
Athena rolled her eyes. "You're not going to let this go, are you?" she asked the younger Nash and she shook her head. "Of course. I should have known."
"So...?" Danielle pushed.
"So, you should also know that I'm not going to tell you anything about my date with your father," she replied and the blonde sighed. "Except that it was really nice."
Danielle smiled to herself. "I'll take it. But just so everyone knows, I was the first supporter of the two of you. Hen and Chim were after me."
"Sure," Athena agreed with a nod. "If that means we can stop talking about it."
Danielle looked down when she heard her phone buzz and hung her head. "Well, lucky for you, LA has a heatwave and people aren't happy." She looked up and clicked her tongue. "Let's get to work, Sergeant."
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𝐃𝐀𝐍𝐈𝐄𝐋𝐋𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐎𝐃 𝐀𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐄𝐃𝐆𝐄 of the road and looked down below her, tilting her head. "Oh, boy..." she muttered to herself before glancing behind her when she heard sirens. "And the 118... It's my lucky day."
Bobby got out of the truck. "What do we got, Dani?" he asked his daughter, walking over to her and she gestured in front of them. "Uh—"
"Captain Nash, may I give you a driving tour on a house's roof," she replied, crossing her arms as the rest of the 118 gathered around them. "From what I got from witnesses, he was driving too slowly for other cars and their patience—you know, LA patience is non-existent—and so they started to pass him."
Buck furrowed his brows. "But how did they end up down there?"
"Well, that's where the LA anger comes into play," she told him, letting out a breath. "He got road rage and took it upon himself to drive alongside the driver who had passed him. Well, there was a car coming at him, he swerved, and—"
"Ended up in a house," Hen finished and the detective nodded. "Right."
Danielle smiled around at them. "Well, best of luck, firefighters... I'll be over there." She leaned up to her father's ear. "You're beaming," she whispered and he looked down at her. "I think people might start to suspect that something's happening because you look—"
"Happy?"
"Creepy," she countered and he frowned. "Just saying..."
___________________________
"𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐋𝐎, 𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐘𝐁𝐎𝐃𝐘, 𝐖𝐄 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐄 𝐁𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆 ice-cold treats for the hardworking firefighters of the 118!" Danielle called into the firehouse, Layla and Max trailing behind her with their own coolers full of treats.
"What are you guys doing here?" Bobby asked, walking down the stairs towards his daughter and grandchildren.
Layla frowned at him. "I thought she just said why we're here." She held up her cooler to him. "We brought stuff!"
Bobby chuckled and took the coolers from her and Max. "You did? Well, that's very nice of you."
Danielle tilted her head. "Sometimes I think you love them more than me," she said when Layla tapped Bobby on the arm.
"Where's Hen?" she asked him.
He smiled at her. "Check the ambulance," he replied quietly and she grinned, running off to find her favorite firefighter—a fact everybody at the firehouse knew. "How about you, Max? Are you at least here to see me?"
"Where's Chim?"
Bobby sighed and hung his head. "He's upstairs." Danielle laughed at her father as Max hurried up the stairs to find one of his grandfather's paramedics. "Why am I not one of their favorites?"
"Because they've known you for their entire lives," she replied, following him further into the firehouse. "Besides, Layla got really excited when she learned you had a female firefighter who was also a paramedic. And Max... well, he just likes to tease you. You know they love you."
"I know. Doesn't mean it doesn't hurt just a little." Danielle rolled her eyes playfully. "Oh, actually, it's good you stopped by. There's someone I want you to meet."
"Dad, I've already met Buck," she said teasingly. "He's the one who almost had an existential crisis when he first met me, trying to figure out how you had a daughter the same age as him. It was actually really entertaining to watch."
Bobby tilted his head. "You're not wrong," he replied before shaking his head. "But, no, not him. Eddie!" Danielle followed his gaze, landing on a man in the firehouse that she had not seen before. "Dani, this is Eddie, he's our new firefighter. Just finished his training after being in Afghanistan for two tours. Eddie, this is my daughter, Danielle."
"Oh, it's nice to meet you," Eddie said and she nodded, shaking his hand.
"Yeah, you, too. Thank you for your service."
"Danielle works with the LAPD," Bobby told Eddie while his daughter stood to the side. "Works with Sergeant Grant, so you'll probably be seeing a lot more of her."
She smiled. "And not just 'cause I'm his daughter," she added before finding the brunette man who keeps her father on his toes. "Hey, Buck! Think fast!" She threw a blue ice pop at him and he caught it, looking down at it. "I know you're training or fasting for the firefighter's calendar, but it's ninety-nine degrees out. Eat something cold."
"Grandpa!" Bobby and Danielle both looked over to see Layla walking toward him with an annoyed look on her face. "Why are there no girls on the firefighter's calendar?"
"Uh—"
"Why can't Hen be on the calendar? She's a firefighter, too!"
Danielle pressed her lips together and looked at Eddie with a smile. "And meet my very progressive daughter, Layla," she said, resting her hands on her shoulders. "Her brother, Max, is upstairs. Layla, this is Eddie, one of Grandpa's new firefighters."
Layla looked up at the man. "Hello."
"Hi."
"You're pretty," she said and her mother pinched the bridge of her nose as her daughter looked up at her. "Dad isn't as pretty as him."
"Okay." Danielle fluttered her lips and clapped her hands. "And on that note... we're gonna go home. And teach my children about appropriate times to say things. Max, get down here! Goodbye, all. Nice meeting you, Eddie..."
___________________________
"𝐒𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐉𝐔𝐒𝐓 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐅𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐒," Samantha Lewis said later that night while sitting at her best friend's kitchen island. "I mean... what did you really see in Sean?"
Danielle sighed and poured herself another glass of wine. "We were eighteen, Sam," she replied, rolling her neck. "He told me everything I wanted to hear. Everything I thought I wanted to hear. Besides, you know that I don't go for guys based on just looks."
"Yeah, but it has to play a part somewhere." Danielle fluttered her lips and dropped her head in her hand. "What's bothering you, blondie?"
"My dad went on a date and seems to be settling into a relationship," she replied glumly. "And I'm happy for him—really—but... I haven't dated anyone since Sean ran off. I mean, first, it was because the twins were so little that I didn't want to date anyone and I didn't think anyone would want to date a teen mom. And then... then they turned five and then six and seven... and I still haven't dated anybody."
Samantha perked up. "Ooh, does this mean I can find somebody for you?" she asked excitedly and Danielle looked at her apprehensively. "What's that look for?"
"Well..." She cleared her throat. "Your number of dates is much higher than mine, and... we don't have the same type. I feel like you're gonna set me up with someone that you'd like more than me."
Samantha sighed and sank in her seat. "You're right. Well, how about that Eddie? Layla has good taste."
Danielle frowned. "She's seven. Her taste in men is Flynn Rider. Though, she's not wrong with that..." She looked down when her phone began to ring and she stood up. "Oh, my God. Sam, stay with the twins!"
"Where—Where are you going?" she asked, watching as the blonde hurried around the house, fumbling with her belongings. "Dani!"
"Live grenade in a man!" she called back, closing the door behind her. She turned on the engine of her car and sped to the scene, finding the 118's firetruck pulled into a parking lot and the bomb squad arriving at the same time as her. "A grenade?" she asked, walking over to her father, Buck, and Eddie. "Really?"
Bobby nodded, pointing at the computer screen in front of them. "He's got a live round embedded in his thigh."
"Uh, I thought this thing already went off," Buck said to him while Danielle looked around at the scene.
"The launch grenade has two components," Eddie replied and she glanced back at them. "Gunpowder which makes it travel and an explosive charge that makes it go boom."
Buck looked at him. "Okay, so why didn't this one go boom?" he asked.
"It's fitted with a proximity fuse," he said. "It's a little smart sensor that tells the cap it's traveled a safe enough distance from the shooter to explode. From his hand to his leg probably wasn't far enough."
Danielle sighed and ran a hand through her blonde locks. "Well, you can't bring him inside a hospital full of people, not with that still inside him."
"We called the military for help," the bomb squad man said and she looked at him.
"The military?" Buck repeated with a chuckle. "Uh, can't you do it? You're the bomb squad."
Danielle shook her head. "They diffuse bombs, Buck. They can't diffuse a grenade."
"We need someone who can. They're sending someone up from Pendleton," the bomb squad man added. "He should be here within the hour."
"He doesn't have an hour," Buck countered.
Danielle looked at the three firefighters. "You need someone who can diffuse a grenade but they're an hour away," she said and they looked back at her. "You need someone with military experience—who was a medic in the Army. You have someone here who can."
Eddie glanced at her and nodded. "She's right. I can do it." Buck frowned and looked at him. "If he doesn't go to surgery soon, he'll die."
"You've done this before?" Bobby asked him.
He tilted his head. "Well, none of the guys I served with were dumb enough to shoot a live round in themselves, but I'm familiar with the ordnance."
Buck looked at Bobby. "I'm in."
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"𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐆𝐄𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐎𝐔𝐓 of him, put it in here, and get the hell away from it," the bomb squad man told Eddie as Danielle handed him an LAPD protective vest. "Let us deal with it."
"Copy that," he replied with a nod and Danielle grabbed the second vest, giving it to Buck. "See you inside."
She moved to stand beside her father who looked at Buck. "Alright, listen, Buck, you don't have to do this," he said.
"You think I'm gonna let the new guy have all the fun?" he replied with a question and Danielle shook her head. "Besides, you wanted us to bond. We might end up real close."
Danielle watched as he and Eddie got into the ambulance and she looked up at Bobby. "Is this the point where we start to pray? Because I haven't prayed in years."
He shrugged, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "It probably wouldn't hurt."
Danielle brought a hand up to her mouth, chewing on her thumbnail and her father looked down at her. "You know it's my nervous habit and three men are in there with a live grenade," she said pointedly. "This feels like an appropriate time to chew fingernails."
Bobby shook his head and they both turned their attention back to the procedure happening inside the ambulance. They watched as Eddie and Buck talked with Charlie before beginning to remove the grenade from his thigh. She held her breath when Eddie strained with the tool and Buck took hold of the box. Eddie gently placed it in the box and she released a heavy sigh.
"Oh, thank goodness."
___________________________
𝐃𝐀𝐍𝐈𝐄𝐋𝐋𝐄 𝐒𝐋𝐔𝐌𝐏𝐄𝐃 𝐀𝐆𝐀𝐈𝐍𝐒𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐍𝐓 once she had closed it and let out a breath. She looked in the direction of her twins' bedrooms and walked over to them. She peeked inside Max's room and saw he was sound asleep, sprawled out on the bed, sleeping upside down.
She shook her head with a chuckle and walked into the room, readjusting him under the covers and kissing him on the forehead. "I love you, peanut."
She moved to her daughter's room, finding Layla still awake. "You should be asleep," she said, leaning in the doorway and she looked up from her book. "The story will still be there tomorrow."
"I just want to finish it before Max tries to ruin it for me," Layla replied, holding up the book that had only a few pages left. "Please?"
Danielle sighed and nodded. "Okay," she said softly, pushing Layla's hair out of her face and kissing the top of her head. "And then bed."
Layla nodded with a smile. "Deal. I love you, Mom."
"I love you more, sweetheart."
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━ author's note:
welcome to the first chapter of the dying embers rewrite!
just a few things that have been changed should you be an original reader:
━ sam has been introduced sooner than the original (because I love her and her quirkiness too much)
━ danielle is a detective (if that wasn't obvious lol) not a firefighter
━ danielle and the twins moved to california from minnesota in season one and already knows bobby's team
━ and for anyone who got hints that sam and buck might be in a relationship in the original—I'm still debating on that. they might still date but with the (spoilers) new storyline for buck in 9-1-1, I'm still trying to figure out what sam's full storyline will be. so stay tuned! or give me ideas!
━ lastly, some chapters will occur during the same episode because so much happens in each one, so just keep an eye out for that :)