chapter twenty , Rodent, I am your mentor
a/n : If you've watched Station 19, you'll recognize the call of this episode is from 1x02, Invisible To Me.
sexual content this chapter!
Skip if needed!
And there's a new face joining the story! Hope you enjoy🫶
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"Okay. Here are just some of the rules I happened to scrounge up."
Emery slides a typed-out paper to him. "Once we agree to all the rules, I'll get it laminated."
Emery and Buck had been sneaking around for almost 2 months now. And the sex was just as good as the first time. They finally got the rules in order, but the schedule. That was another unsolved situation.
Buck quirks a brow and lets out a huff. "I'm not even shocked anymore."
"Good, you shouldn't be." Emery folds her hands and watches Buck read the list.
Some of the things that were already on the list were things she had told him about after they had sex. Those were the ones he was okay with, then he saw the other ones :
- Sex anytime I call you
- STD tests
- No talking about life outside of work
- No work talk
- Just no talking. AT ALL!!!
Buck inhales a breath, he stands up and walks around Emery's minimalistic apartment. Emery knits her brows together. "Uh, is everything okay?"
Buck continues to open and close drawers until he finds the one he's been looking for. He grabs a pen and looks at Emery. "Yeah, everything's fine."
Buck walks over to her. He sits back down at the bar stool on the island beside Emery. She watches as he scribbled out of the rules and her jaw drops.
"What. The. Hell?!"
Buck points the pen at her and Emery pulls her face back. "I'm not going to be at your beckon call." He squints his eyes. "If we want to have sex, then we need specific days. That work for the both of us."
Emery arches a brow, "That's fair." She scratches the side of her neck. "I'm sorry, I wrote that whole "sex anytime I called you" thing. I just..."
"I know, you're mesmerized by my dick."
Emery sputters. "What? No!" She looks to the side with her face hot. "Whatever! What other things did you have?"
Buck couldn't help but smile at her nervous expression. "We shouldn't do this forever, right?"
Emery nods, "Right. I'm sure you're looking for your next Abby. So...how long would suffice you?"
Buck shrugs a shoulder, "I don't know, I mean, I wouldn't mind it going on for...a while."
Emery raises her brows, "Is that right?"
Buck rolls his eyes when Emery begins to smugly smirk. "All right, whatever--"
"No, no. It's cool--you're pussy-whipped." Emery looks back at the paper. "I don't blame you."
Buck scoffs and shakes his head.
Emery gnaws on her lower lip, thinking about how this planning thing was going to work. She taps her perfectly clean and manicured nails against the marble island. Buck's eyes shift to her nails. He could already feel those nails dragging down his back.
"Six months sound good?"
Buck shifts his eyes back to Emery. He nods his head and writes down the rule. He then writes another rule down that Emery couldn't see him write down. Buck pushes the list toward her. Emery reads the words and her core begins to ignite. Buck then grips one of the metal bars of Emery's chair and pulls her towards him. She lets out a small gasp as her chair was now in between Buck's legs. She looks at him with her breathing gradually becoming heavy.
"As long as we're doing this. No one gets to touch you but me." Buck tilts his head and looks into her eyes, his blue eyes beaming with confidence. He then flits his eyes to her soft luscious lips that put him in a trance. "Okay?"
Buck didn't know why, but figuring out Emery and Eddie went out for drinks made him feel a certain way. He knew that they weren't involved. Well, Maybe they were—
They weren't.
Emery slightly opens her mouth, mesmerized by the way Buck took control. The way his raspy velvet voice was something she could feel in her fingers made a heat pool between her legs. She then clears her throat. "Okay. Only you."
Buck's heart pounds against his rib cage hearing those words come from her mouth. He leans forward and presses his forehead against her temple. Emery closes her eyes from the close proximity. Her chest tightens and it felt like she couldn't breathe. And she knew the only way she would feel better is with Buck's lips on hers.
"You know, we can start this official schedule thing when we get an actual...schedule." His breath hits her ear. His voice was a velvety slick wave that washed over her and caused Emery's pussy to throb. She turns to him with her button nose brushing against his sharp-edged one. "Yeah. Yeah, that sounds reasonable..."
Buck smirks and turns Emery's chair to him. He then touches her thigh and leans forward, his lips hungrily finding hers. Emery cups both sides of his neck and kisses him back. Buck moves his hands to her pants and begins to unbuckle them. Emery wastes no time standing up from her chair and straddling Buck's waist on the chair he was sitting in. Buck's hands grip Emery's waist and he moves his lips to her neck. A chill rushes down her spine and she inhales a shaky breath.
Emery wraps an arm around Buck's neck, pulling him closer until their chests were flushed against one another. Buck lightly bites Emery's neck and she softly exhales. "Buck..." Emery slips a hand under his shirt.
Buck's cock stirs from the soft whimper of desperation that he received from her. He pulls his lips from Emery's neck and meets her gaze. Emery inhales a trembling breath and her eyes flit to his lips. "The table."
Buck's jaw goes slack. For a second, he thought he misheard her. One of the first times they had sex at her apartment. Buck could've swore that their hookup was going to quickly end before it started when Emery stopped Buck from fucking her on the countertop. And he was going to ask Emery to repeat what she said until she pressed her lips against his and forced a groan from Buck. Emery deepens her grind against his hardening cock. "I want you to fuck me on the table."
Buck groans which causes a small smile to form on Emery's lips. He leans forward and captures Emery's lips against his. He grips her thighs and stands onto his feet. Emery's locks her ankles around Buck's waist. With their lips still connected, Buck walks Emery over to the table and sits her on it. Emery lets out a small breath as she moves her hands to Buck's belt. In an urgent manner, she begins to unbuckle it.
Buck grips her shirt and pulls her button up shirt open. He leans forward and places sloppy kisses across the top of her breasts. Once she gets his belt unbuckled, Emery cups the back of Buck's neck with both hands, and pulls him into a rough kiss. Their teeth clank together as they explore each other's mouth.
Emery slides her hands into Buck's hair and begins to massage his scalp. Goosebumps form across Buck's arms and he shivers against her lips. "Fuck, Emi..."
Emery's stomach tightens and she moans against his lips. "Yes, keep saying my name like that." She opens her eyes and looks across Buck's lustrous face. Emery didn't mean for her tone to come off that desperate. Especially being desperate for Buck. He knew how to get under her skin. Buck didn't mind Emery being needy. She was the kind of girl that didn't have to beg or act desperate, but she chose to do it anyway to get any form of pleasure faster. Buck would give her that pleasure whether she begged or not. Buck's eyes open and he meets Emery's wanton dark gaze.
Emery unwraps her legs from Buck's waist and she begins to pull her pants and panties down. Buck follows her movements by dropping his jeans and boxers. Emery touches Buck's lower back and pulls him back over to her. Buck pushes Emery's shirt off her body. As soon as the crisp air hit her arms, goosebumps formed across the back of her neck.
Emery unclips her bra and it drops off her body. Buck unbuttons his shirt and drops it to the ground. He then leans forward and desperately finds Emery's hot lips against his. She softly moans and kisses him back with the same intensity. Emery softly whimpers against his lips as his fingers brush against her folds. Buck growls as Emery's whimpers increase.
"Buck..." Emery whines. Buck parts Emery's folds with his fingers and gently massages her clit. Her legs begin to tense as Buck rubs her clit faster than before. Soft curses slip through her lips and she grips the edge of the table. Buck leans forward and kisses her neck. Emery tilts her head to the side and her eyes flutter shut.
Buck plunges two fingers inside of Emery and she moans. "Shit." She moans. Her hands fly to his back and she presses the pads of her fingers into his skin. Buck softly groans, "Harder."
Emery has to open her eyes to register what Buck said. Like he could feel her eyes on him, Buck opens his eyes. Emery inhales a shaky breath and her face begins to grow hot as Buck continues to look across her face like he was in awe of her. Emery digs her nails into Buck's back and he moans. "Like this?" She breathes.
Buck nods his head, "Yes, just like that."
Emery's walls tighten from the breathless tone that had taken over Buck. It filled her with confidence being able to have someone like Buck this breathless in her presence. She did that.
Emery didn't realize that her orgasm was rushing towards her until the coil in her stomach snapped. Her walls began to pulsate around Buck's fingers and her moans bounced around the kitchen walls. Buck continues to coax her through her orgasm by rubbing her clit. Emery's breathing became quick from the continued attack on her clit.
Buck pulls his fingers from Emery's soaked cunt. She opens her eyes and she's greeted with Buck putting his fingers in his mouth. Emery's lips part and she softly moans. Buck licks his lower lip, "Fuck, Emi. You taste so good." He leans forward and ghosts his lips over hers. Emery's breathing falters and Buck can't stop the smirk from forming on his lips. "You wanna taste?"
Emery could hate Buck all she wanted, but she knows that he could make her putty in his hands with that smirk. Emery would do anything if Buck asked her. "Yes." Emery breathlessly whispers.
Buck leans forward and closes the space between their lips. Emery immediately parts her lips, letting Buck's tongue slip into her mouth. She moans as Buck's tongue presses against hers. There was a saltiness she could taste and it made Emery hot all over again tasting herself on Buck. Without interrupting the kiss, Emery lowers her hand between Buck and gently grips his shaft.
Buck's muscles twitch from the sudden contact. He slightly pulls his mouth from Emery's, his lips still brushing against hers. Emery keeps her eyes on Buck.
"I know one of the rules I had was for testing..." Emery speaks through her soft pants. Buck keeps shifting his eyes from Emery's lips to her eyes, not knowing which one to focus on. He felt like he wanted everything from her. But that would be weird to say. Buck even thought it was weird to think. So, stop thinking it.
Buck's always been known as the boy who "falls hard". But Buck couldn't do that. Not with Emerson. He truly did despise her, but he wasn't an idiot. He knows how attractive she is. There was a point at the beginning of his time at the 118 when he wanted to take her out to dinner. But that didn't end well. Buck was trying everything to rip any thoughts he had about Emery as anything other than a coworker and a hookup.
"Buck?"
Buck blinked, noticing Emery's brows were furrowed. She was worried.
"I'm sorry...could you repeat that?"
Emery softly chuckles, "We'll get tested together. Some other time." She tilts her head. "But right now, I just want you to fuck me."
Buck was dripping in Emery's hand at this point. She runs her thumb across the tip of his cock and Buck softly groans. Buck grips her hips, which signals Emery to press the head of his cock against her folds. "Fuck." Buck slightly leans forward, his legs begin to go weak.
Emery watches as Buck's eyes flutter shut. She observes his expression as he tries to gain more control over himself. Emery inhales a breath and kisses his lips again. As soon as her lips found his, Buck could feel the tension in his body slip away. The fuzz in his head disappeared and he felt in control again. Emery hadn't known that the kiss was going to help him, but she knew he needed something. And she was glad this was it.
Buck slowly pushes himself into Emery and her kiss halts. She parts her lips and moans. Buck keeps his eyes on Emery's as she adjusts to the feeling of him inside of her. There was a patient silence in the apartment. Buck suddenly found himself running soft circles around Emery's hip with his thumb.
Emery feels her heartbeat settle and she lets out a small breath. "I'm good now."
Buck pulls out of Emery with his tip still in, then he pushes back in. Buck's movements were calm and rhythmic as he continued to move in and out of her. Emery felt her breathing begin to quicken from the slow pleasure creeping through her body. Emery looked down at where their bodies were connected and she began to grow hotter.
Emery moans and her hands find his shoulders. "Buck, harder."
Buck complies with Emery's pleas and his thrusts sharpen inside the girl. The table underneath them begins to creak but neither of the firefighters pay any mind to it. Emery pushes her legs further apart, allowing Buck to hit deeper into her. Buck's hips snap against Emery's which forces a lust-filled cry to leave her lips.
"Emi, you feel amazing." Buck moans. He presses a palm against the table, balancing himself. Emery's moans were loud and her heart was pounding through her ears, but she could still hear Buck's moans brushing her ear.
Emery's nails dig into the back of Buck's shoulders and his moans reluctantly increase in volume. In his past relationships and hookups, Buck never wanted to be the guy to be loud while having sex. And he never was, no matter how much he wanted to express his pleasure in volumes; he forced himself to stay quiet. But being inside Emery right now. With the way she would desperately press her lips against his, the way she would claw his back and clench around his cock. He couldn't control his moans while being with her.
Emery firmly presses her lips against Buck's, just needing that familiar pressure. Then she parted her lips as Buck's movements hit deeper inside of her. "Oh, fuck!" Her nails dig more into his shoulders. Buck clenches his teeth and groans. He leans forward and kisses her neck. The table underneath them begins to shift as Buck fucks her harder. Emery leans her back against the table and Buck climbs halfway over the it, his belly flushing against hers.
Buck watches as Emery raises a hand and grips the edge of the table. Her back arches and she squeezes her eyes shut. "Shit, Buck!"
Buck chuckles from watching Emery enjoy him being inside of her. And he couldn't stop the cocky question from escaping. "How does it make you feel...knowing that I'm the one who can make you scream like this?"
Emery opens her eyes again, she meets Buck's darkening gaze which caused her stomach to tighten. She lets out a small laugh, "It drives me fucking crazy." Emery cups the side of his neck and pulls Buck down into an open-mouthed kiss. Buck immediately moans and he presses a hand against the table. He continues to thrust in and out of her, hitting her G-Spot repeatedly.
"Fuck, just like that!" She moans against his lips.
Buck twitches inside of Emery and he groans. "I'm close, Emi."
"Me too," Emery whispers. She lowers a hand down and rubs her clit. Buck tucks his head into the crook of her neck. His movements begin to lose their rhythm as he gets closer to his climax. But he still keeps his thrusts deep.
"Oh god..." Buck softly whimpers into her skin. Emery tangles a hand into Buck's hair and pulls at it. Buck could feel Emery's walls begin to pulsate around his cock and it drove him crazy. Emery lets out soft incoherent moans as she creeps closer to her orgasm.
Emery pinches her clit and her orgasm hit her like a truck. She arched her back and her chest hit his. "Fuck!"
Emery's walls become so painfully tight around Buck and her cunt sucks him deeper into her, which causes him to release deep into her. Buck lets out a low moan and his body tenses against Emery's. He then quickly collapses on top of Emery, his head still in the crook of her neck.
They both stay in that moment their sweaty bodies against one another's. The apartment was silent except for their heavy pants. Emery opened her mouth to say something, but she was quickly interrupted by the table creaking louder than before. She closes her mouth and pulls her brows together.
Buck lifts his head up and looks down at her with the same confused expression. "Did you hear—"
The table gives out and collapses to the floor. Emery lets out a groan from her head hitting the table and Buck's body clashing against hers.
"Oh, shit..." Buck groans. "Are you okay?"
"I will be once you get off!" Emery taps his shoulder.
Buck pulls out of Emery and gets off of her. Emery inhales a breath and coughs. She sits up and looks down at the table underneath them. Emery cups the back of her neck. "Oh, god this was Mahogany."
Buck winces, "Sorry."
Emery looks back at Buck. "I have to get a new table." She scratches the corner of her lips. "Before Amaya gets home."
Buck frowns. He grabs Emery's bra and panties, he hands them to her and she grabs them. "What time does she get home?"
"2:30."
Buck looks at his watch, "Em...it's 12."
Emery looks at Buck with wide eyes. She slips her undergarments one. "Oh, fuck me..."
A flirtatious smirk forms on Buck's lips. "Already did that."
"I will curb-stomp you." Emery points her finger in his face. Buck's smirk drops. She stands up and grabs her jeans. Buck begins to put his clothes back on.
"2 hours is enough time to buy a table—"
"Not for me." Emery lets out a dry chuckle. "I look into the year they were made, what they were made from, where they originated..." she shakes her head. "Then I have to build it—I'm screwed."
Buck buttons his shirt up and he lets out a harsh breath. "No. You're not." He turns to her. Emery looks at Buck with a defeated expression.
"I am going to help you."
Emery raises her brows, "You will?"
Buck nods his head. Emery then furrows her brows. "Why?"
Buck shrugs, "I am part of the reason why it broke." He then smiles. "I don't see it as a bad thing though...it was good sex."
Emery rolls her eyes and softly laughs. She then looks back at the table and she bites her lower lip. "It was pretty good sex, wasn't it?"
☆
Buck was able to keep Emery from going overboard with her in a detailed search for a table. It took around 2 panic attacks until Emery was fine with it. But once she got used to it, it was easier for her to pick out a table.
Once they got the table picked out, she and Buck went back to her apartment and got the table put together. It was a lot easier getting it done with Emery easily understanding the instructions and Buck able to follow her directions. Who knew these two would be such a good team outside of work?
The table had finally been finished when Buck and Emery sat down at the island. "So..." she starts.
Buck glances at the side of Emery's face. She bites the inside of her cheek and looks at him. A smile ghosts her lips, "Thanks, Buck. I..." she sucks in a breath. "...couldn't have done it without you."
Buck chuckles from the pain Emery went through to say that. "Yeah..." he touches her shoulder. "I know you couldn't have."
Emery rolls her eyes and looks to the side. "All right, leave."
Keys clank together and the front door opens. Buck detaches his hands from Emery's shoulder and he stands up from the stool. Emery's eyes shift to the list of rules on the island, she quickly grabs it and stuffs it in her jeans pocket.
"Emery, I'm..." Amaya trails off her sentence when she sees the boy standing in the kitchen. Buck rubs his hands against his jeans, "H-hey, Amaya--I've got to go." he then quickly brushes past her and slips out the front door.
"Why was Buck just...?" Amaya trails off her words when she notices the starry gaze across Emery's eyes.
"Em...?"
"Yeah?"
"Did Buck kiss you or something?" Amaya questions.
Emery raises her brows, "What?—Gross!"
Amaya holds her hands up, "All right, sorry. You just look like you were in awe or something."
"Yeah, I'm in awe about how Buck can make me so...irritated." Emery folds her arms.
Amaya opens her mouth, "Ah, there it is. What'd he do now?" She hangs her bag up.
"He came over to tell me that I was wrong." she scoffs. "Can you believe that? Me wrong." she shakes her head.
Amaya blinks, still waiting for Emery to clarify.
"He said Harry Potter was better than Star Wars."
It scared Emery how good she was at lying.
Amaya raises her brows, "Oh."
"Why'd you say it like that?"
"Like what?--"
"Like you agree with him?" Emery takes a slight step toward her sister.
Emery knew that this was only a lie she was coming up with, but now this had turned into a serious conversation.
Amaya frowns, "I just think people should be able to like them both."
Emery rolls her eyes, "Lame." she grabs her bag off the island counter. "You can't be Switzerland in this, Amaya. Choose."
Amaya waves a dismissive hand, "Yeah, yeah. Go to work."
Emery lets out a soft hum and shrugs her shoulders. She grabs her keys and makes her way out of the apartment.
☆
"Okay! Team, today we're gonna be working on some basics!"
The 118 were all lined up as their Captain walked up and down each line.
"Air-consumption drills—Let's pair off."
Emery raises her brows and a smile forms on her lips. Simultaneously, Emery and Buck turned to Eddie.
"Hey, Eddie!"
Emery then pulls her brows together. "Wait, what?" She then laughs. "Why are you trying to partner up with my best friend?"
Eddie raises his brows, "Guys, we really don't have to do this n—"
Buck then laughs, "Your best friend? Eddie's my best friend."
"Okay, we're really doing this now." Eddie covers his face and lets out a deep sigh. "Can't we just do rock, paper, scissors?—
"No. No, no." Emery wags her finger. "This isn't about us partnering up anymore..." she tilts her chin up at Buck. "You really think you're Eddie's best friend?"
"And you think you are?"
Emery pinches the bridge of her nose. "This is insane—insane!" She points at Eddie. "You stay away from him, Buck."
"Actually, Em. You're going to stay away from Eddie." Bobby speaks.
Emery snaps her eyes over to Bobby and Buck laughs. "B-But, I don't wanna stay away from Eddie, Cap."
Bobby smiles softly, "Don't worry, you'll love this. We got a new Probie and he's yours."
It's like Emery and Buck changed emotions. Emery raises her arms and laughs while Buck's smile drops. Bobby looks over at the firehouse door, Emery's eyes widen and she starts to jump as a person walks through the door. "Oh My Gosh—Oh My Gosh!"
Hen chuckles, "Can you believe she gets this excited over new cleaning products?"
"I can believe it." Eddie nods.
"Wait, if I wasn't Emery's Probie, then, who was I?" Buck asks, his eyes trained on the ecstatic girl.
"Now all a sudden, you're having an existential crisis over this?" Chimney chuckles. "It's Emerson, you don't care."
Buck pulls his brows together. "Right, yeah—no. I don't care." He chuckles. "It's just, Probie's got a nostalgic ring to it, y'know?"
Eddie frowns, "Yeah, it's the end of an era."
Chimney, Buck, and Hen all agree.
"Yeah."
"Uh, hey." The new firefighter holds a hand up with a sheepish smile on his face. "I'm Tom Fletcher. I can't wait to work with you guys."
Buck takes a step forward, but Emery shoves him to the side and walks over to the brunette boy. "Hi, Hi, Hi! I'm Emerson Sharpe—your mentor!" She grips his hand with both of hers and vigorously shakes his hand up and down. The brunette boy raises his brows out of shock and he chuckles softly. "All right, I am...loving this enthusiasm!" He then begins to shake Emery's hand.
"I cannot wait to learn from you, Miss Sharpe."
Emery's eyes widened and she didn't think she could smile any bigger. But she did. "You are my rodent."
Tom pulls his brows together, "Uh..."
"What she meant to say was..." Hen touches Emery's shoulders and lightly shakes her. "...you're her first Probie, so you're kind of like her—"
"Guinea Pig." Tom finishes. "Rodent—hah! I get it now!"
Hen's eyes widen and she slowly nods her head. She looks at Bobby, who has the same look on his face. These two were oddly perfect for each other. Buck felt a flare of envy rushes through his body. It caused his chest to tighten uncomfortably.
"You look constipated."
Buck blinks and looks at Eddie, "What?--I'm fine."
"I didn't say you weren't fine, I just said you looked constipated." Eddie voices with a chuckle. "What, a few minutes ago, you were overjoyed to be a part of my team; now you're over it?"
Buck slowly shakes his head, "No, I'm still overjoyed. Can't you tell?"
Eddie follows Buck's eyes and sees that Buck's attention was still glued to Emery and Tom. "You don't like the new guy?" He snickers.
"I haven't even talked to him yet," Buck says.
"And? You hadn't talked to me and you still had an issue." Eddie scoffs.
Buck frowns. That was a fair point. "Well, I'm a changed man now."
"Yeah, right." Chimney chuckles. "You're probably just scared these two'll torture you for the rest of their careers here."
"Guys, guys, guys! Get over here and meet Tom!" Emery motions her hand towards herself, Hen, Tom, and Bobby. Chimney, Buck, and Eddie walk toward her.
"Hiya, I'm Chimney. Everyone calls me Chim."
"Is your name, actually Chimney?" Tom asks
"I would say yes, but my conscious says no."
Emery holds a hand over Tom's ear and begins to whisper. "The reason we can him Chimn—"
"No, no, we're not talking about that today!" Chimney speaks, his voice was stern.
Emery holds up her hands and presses her lips into a firm line. "My bad."
Everyone else greets themselves to Tom. Then Bobby speaks. "All right, Chimney and Hen. You're pairing off, Eddie and Buck you're next, then Emery and Tom."
Emery turns to Tom, "Let the competition begin, Probie."
Buck squints his eyes at Emery and Tom. When was the last time Emery called him Probie?
Everyone got into their turnout gear. Chimney and Hen were the first pair up the stairs. Buck looks at Emery, "We're so taking your time down."
Emery lets out a sharp breath, "Oh, please. Probie and I would never let that happen, right Probie?" She looks at Tom, who was staring at her with wide eyes.
"Uh, r-right. Would never let that happen."
The stairs clatter, Chimney and Hen make it down the stairs.
"Go!" Bobby shouts, which signals Buck and Eddie to run up the stairs with the rolls of fire hoses. Emery inhales a breath, "All right, so you remember what to do, Probie?"
Tom's back becomes stainless steel. "Run up, drop a line, hit the catwalk, pull the other line up, head down. Pull a giant tire across the barn—without running out of air." He recites.
Emery nods her head with a soft him. "Also, I have the fastest time. I don't wanna put pressure on you or anything, but—I'd like to keep the fastest time."
"Em..."
Emery looks over at Bobby and he was giving her a stern look that said "be nice". The girl inhales a breath, "But, also, don't feel the need to rush. Take your time if you need to."
Buck and Eddie begin to run back down the stairs. They run back Bobby and the captain shouts.
"Go!"
Emery and Tom sprint up the stairs. They get to the balcony on the top floor. Emery drops her hose and Tom does the same thing. The girl begins to pull the other line up from over the balcony and Tom follows her lead. As soon as she was done getting the line from over the balcony, Emery grabs her rolled line and throws it back over her shoulder. Then the most horrifying thing Emery could think of happens.
She hears a beep.
Emery stops and turns to see Tom was still attempting to pull his line over the balcony.
"I'm out..." Tom pulls his mask off. "Shit—I mean shoot."
"No, no. Shit's right." Emery sputters her lips.
Tom inhales a breath. Emery was trying to restrain herself from reprimanding him, but Tom could see the look of disappointment across her face. "I'm sorry, that's my bad."
Emery scratches her brow, "It's okay. This is just basic drills, Probie." She cracks a small smile. Basic drills everyone should be able to do. Emery pushes that thought down. She is a mentor now, she needed to go about this in a mentor way; not her Emery way.
Emery clears her throat, "Let's start over." She says and lowers the line again. Tom catches a quick glance of Emery's tank odometer and his eyes widen.
"Holy shit!" He grabs the odometer. "You still have half a tank left."
Emery blinks, "Yeah..."
Tom lets out a breath of disbelief and fascination. "How do you regulate your air so well? Wh-What's the trick?"
Emery frowns, she then shrugs her shoulders. "I dunno...being awesome?" The girl walks back down the stairs. Tom looks down at his empty odometer and scoffs.
"Dammit..."
☆
After finally finishing the basics (Emery and Tom were the last ones to finish every course), the alarm in the station went off, signaling that there was a call. There was a fire alarm pulled at one of the Los Angeles high school. As soon as Bobby told them the high school they were going to, Emery was locked into the call. Because it just so happened that Amaya went to that high school.
The principal walks up to the group of firefighters. "Hi!—Hello."
"I'm Bobby Nash, the Captain."
"Oh, I'm Principal Linsley, I'm sorry you had to come out. I'm sure it's a false alarm. It happens like clockwork this time of year."
"What's so special about this time of year?" Buck asks.
"Exams," Emery answers. "Exams are ass."
"Makes sense why they would pull the alarm." Tom voices.
The Principal looks at Tom with a pointed glare. Tom's small smile drops and he looks at the ground. "Sorry, ma'am."
Emery softly snorts, "Hey, don't worry about it, Probie." She nudges him with her elbow. "I have had my fair share of speaking before thinking."
"No, you think before you speak..." Eddie says. "...it's just you don't care about what you say."
Emery nods and points at Eddie. "Yeah, that makes more sense." She looks back at Tom and sees worry across his face. Emery sorry opens her mouth, "Not that I'm saying I would do that to you." She touches his arm which causes Buck to squint his eyes.
"You're my Probie. I'm a softie with you."
A small smile forms on Tom's lips and he chuckles.
"All right, 118!" Bobby claps his hands. "Let's sweep—Sharpe and Fletcher, interior. Buck and Eddie, exterior. Aid Car on standby."
Emery smiles, "All right, Probie! Let's make it happen." She nudges Tom and makes her way into the building.
Buck looks over at Bobby, "Uh, hey, Cap!"
Bobby turns to Buck, "Yeah?"
"Can we try...switching things up?"
Bobby pulls his brows together. "What do you mean?"
"Like, interior maybe, just maybe it could be me and Emery. While Tom can be outside with Eddie."
Bobby deadpans, "Buck, Emery needs to keep her eyes on her Probie."
"I-I know, it's just...me and Emery don't get along, so, maybe this could help with that." Buck shrugs, trying his best to not show his jealousy.
Bobby chuckles, "You and Emery work just fine as firefighters."
"B-But—"
"Go and check the exterior with Eddie, Buck." Bobby laughs and gives him a pat on his shoulder. "I'm sure you'll be fine."
Bobby walks past Buck and the boy lets out a defeated breath. His attempt to get Emery away from Tom fell flat. And now he was going to be in his head, thinking nonstop about what they were talking about.
"I spy with my little eye, something...blue."
Tom hums, "I wonder what that could be."
Emery and Tom both look at the fire alarm that was soaked in blue ink. The curly-haired girl chuckles and turns the alarm off. Once the school halls fell silent, Emery spoke into her radio.
"Confirmation on the pulled alarm, south hallway. Continuing our sweep."
"All righty, let's get a move on, Prob—"
"Hey, Em."
Emerson looks down the hall and sees her sister standing with her back to her. The eldest Sharpe sister tilts her head. "Hey, Maya. You good?" She squints her eyes at her quiet sister. "Why aren't you outside with the other students?"
Amaya starts to walk down the hall without another word. Emery's eye twitches, "Amaya, hold on!" She jogs after her sister.
Tom slightly opens his mouth. "I-I don't think this is—Miss Sharpe, I don't think that this is sweeping!"
"Amaya Sharpe, come over here and show me your hands now!"
Amaya's entire body runs cold from the base in Emery's voice. When Emery was mad, you could tell. The way her voice was twisted into something so intimidating and fiery...
It felt like death by 1000 cuts. With a jagged rock.
Emery catches up with sister. She grabs Amaya's wrist and turns her around. Emery pulls Amaya's hand from her sweatshirt pocket, revealing the blue hand. The curly-haired girl scoffs. "You pulled the fire alarm." She looks away from her sister.
"And you've been caught!" Emery lifts up Amaya's hand and begins to wave it around. "Blue handed."
Amaya rolls her eyes, "It was the only quicker way I could think of to get you here. No questions asked."
Emery lets go of her sister's hand and arches a brow. "Can you explain further?"
Amaya motions her head down the hall and continues to walk. Emery looks behind her and sees Tom following after the sisters. She looks down at her watch and scoffs. Emery follows Amaya down the hall and she enters the school bathroom. Emery enters the bathroom and sees a girl laying on a blanket on the bathroom floor.
"I did everything I knew." Amaya runs a hand over her crinkly hair. "I-I put her head up and I got some towels from the gym!" She inhales a shaky breath. "But I didn't know what else to do."
"She's pregnant."
Emery deadpans and looks over at Amaya. "Really? I hadn't noticed."
"Emery, please," Amaya whispers. "Can you help her?"
The bathroom door swings open and Tom enters. He looks at Amaya and Emery, then the girl on the ground. "Oh...Oh My God. Is she...? Is that girl—"
"Yeah, she is, Probie." Emery clears her throat. "And we're gonna help her."
...
It took Tom a minute to register everything. But when he did, he gasped, "I-I'm sorry—what?" He looks at Emery. "Em, we have to tell some—"
"No!"
Emery and Tom turn to the pregnant high schooler on the ground. "P-Please don't tell anyone. Especially my mom."
Emery gnaws on her lower lip. "Don't worry about that right now..." she sends Tom a look that says "Don't freak out on me now". And Tom closes his mouth.
"Let's just take care of you, all right...?"
"Toni." Amaya speaks.
Emery nods, "Toni..." She pulls her tank and turnout jacket off; she sets it in the corner on the floor. Tom follows Emery's lead.
"Okay, Toni." Emery walks over to the teenager. "I need to give you a quick exam, that okay?"
Toni softly cries but she nods her head. Emery sits on her knees in front of Toni. "Here, put your legs up."
Toni complies, and Emery puts a towel over the girl's legs. Tom holds Toni's fingers. "Her pulse is elevated but steady."
Emery pulls her brows together and looks at Tom. "You're a paramedic too?"
Tom shrugs a shoulder, "I was a nurse before this."
A small smile forms on her lips. Amaya frowns, "Male nurse, I like it." She nods her head. She looks back at Toni. "I've been timing contractions. 2.3 minutes apart." Amaya crouches beside Toni.
Emery looks over at her sister and a small smile spreads across her lips. "Okay, we'll just round that down to 2." She then nods. "Nice job, Maya."
"Uh, hey, Amaya?"
Amaya looks over at Tom.
"Can you do me a favor? Can you fold up that towel and put it underneath her neck for me?" Tom gently asks.
Amaya nods her head and grabs the towel. As she folds it up, Tom gently lifts Toni up. "Now, Toni, I know you don't feel comfortable talking to your parents, but maybe there's a teacher or—or the principal."
"That's the problem." Toni sobs.
"Her mom is the principal," Amaya adds.
Emery and Tom exchange a look.
"I haven't told her yet," Toni says. "She pays attention to pretty much every other kid but me. The only thing she'd notice is if I brought home bad grades."
Amaya lightly touches Toni's hair and runs a thumb over her forehead. "Which Toni doesn't—ever."
Emery shifts her eyes over to Amaya's hand on Toni's hair. "And you two are friends? Just good friends?"
Amaya's back straightens, "We met in the gardening club."
"Maya..."
Amaya looks down at Toni and she slightly opens her mouth. "Uh, right—sorry." She looks at her big sister. Emery knew there was more to the story, she was just waiting for someone to explain it.
"Toni and I have been dating for a few months."
Emery raises her brows, "O-Okay...but, what about..." she closes her mouth. Now isn't a good time.
"Okay, well the father—where's the father?" Emery looks at Toni.
"We're not together anymore. But, he's getting his braces off right now."
Emery inhales a breath. She resisted the urge to say anything her mother would say. "If he can't even pay for his own braces, should he really be having a kid?"
Toni quickly jolts from the worsening pain. "Ow! Oh, my god—help me please!"
Emery examines Toni and she looks at Tom. "Okay, she's fully dilated. We've gotta do this here and now."
"Wh-what?" Amaya shakes. "What?!"
Tom nods his head, he scoots in front of Toni. Emery touches Tom's chest, stopping him. "Hold your horses, Probie." She chuckles. "I've delivered my fair share of ankle biters. Watch and learn."
"Well, I've aided before—"
"And you can aid here." Emery smiles. "No biggie."
Tom slightly opens his mouth. "Okay, but maybe don't call them ankle biters..."
"Who's the mentor here?" Emery snaps her eyes over to Tom and smirks. Tom slightly opens his mouth, but he then closes his mouth and presses his lips into a firm line. "That's what I thought. Now, go call the Captain and tell him we need supplies."
Tom nods his head, "Yes, ma'am." He stands up and grabs his radio.
Emery looks back at Toni and Amaya. "So, you two have been dating for a while now, huh?"
Amaya bites the inside of her cheek. Emery had a lot more questions, but she was forcing herself to hold back. Anaya could tell from the way Emery's eyebrow twitched. That's how you know she was always restraining herself from telling the truth.
"Okay, so, bad news..."
"What?—What more bad news could there be?"
Tom inhales a deep breath, "Well, there was another call, and since there was no reason for the aid car to stay—"
"But there is a reason for the aid car to stay!" Emery snaps. "Toni's in labor—"
"Captain Nash didn't know that, Miss Sharpe."
Emery presses her thumb between her brows and closes her eyes. "No...yeah—you're right." She nods her head.
Toni lets out another cry and Emery looks back at the teenager. Amaya looks at Emery, "Em, what now?"
Emery gnaws on her lower lip, thinking. "Okay—Amaya grab some hand sanitizer and paper towels." She then looks at Toni. "And Toni? I need you to push now."
Toni shakes her head and begins to cry harder. "I-I can't—it hurts."
"Hey, you can do it." Tom softly speaks.
"Please don't make me do th-this." Toni cries.
Emery's eyes soften, "Look, I know this is scary—"
"I can't do it!" Toni snaps. "I can't—"
"You can," Tom says.
"No, please—"
"Okay, little teapot!" Emery shouts, an idea popping into her head.
Everyone looks at her. Emery slightly opens her mouth, "Okay, this is gonna sound really weird, but...when you sing it, it'll distract your brain." A soft expression then finds her face. "And when you're distracted, I am telling you, you can do ridiculous things—amazing things!"
Emery swipes her tongue across her lower lip. "This morning? I stretched my oxygen tank to almost double its time."
"That's your trick?" Tom asks.
Emery shrugs, "Yeah, I don't know why it works. It just does."
Toni lets out another cry.
"Okay, ready...?"
Emery holds up her latex-gloved hands and begins to sing. "I'm a little teapot—"
Toni cries again.
"—short and stout. Here is my—"
Toni lets out a scream and Emery's frustration rises.
"Come on, Toni, work with me here!" Emery exclaims.
"Handle and here is my—" Toni screams and begins to push. Amaya runs back over to the three and holds Toni's hand.
"Okay, good—awesome!" Emery exclaims.
"Here is my spout—that's it! That's good, keep pushing!"
In a way to comfort Toni, everyone in the bathroom begins to sing. As soon as they finished singing, Emery felt a light and slippery product slip into her hands. Emery looks at the baby and her heart drops into her stomach.
"Oh, God—"
"Fletcher." Emery snaps. Tom closes his mouth. Amaya and Toni look at the adults. "What, what's going on?"
Emery inhales a shaky breath, "The baby...it's still in the amniotic sac." She looks over at Tom. The boy slightly opens his mouth. "Uh, usually the sac breaks when the baby comes out, b-but—"
"Don't worry." Amaya softly whispers as she presses her forehead against Toni's. "My sister has delivered hundreds of babies and Tom, he's a nurse." She looks at him. "Right?"
Emery and Tom exchange a look of uncertainty. For the first time today, Tom saw that Emery had no idea what she was doing.
The radio clicks and Bobby speaks. "Guys, it's Nash, just checking in."
Emery slightly opens her mouth. "Okay, all right—it's still attached to the cord. The Aid Car is minutes away, correct? We should wait."
Tom slightly opens his mouth. "Emery, we have to let the baby out and clear the airway."
"Fletcher, we have no medical tools and no backup. Protocol is to just wait for help."
"We are the help, Miss Sharpe." Tom's voice was soft. "Right?"
Emery's jaw clenches. In the first responder world, protocol is everything. Emery knew that she's spent her whole life following other people's rules. But in this moment, she saw that not only was Tom looking to her for advice; but so was her sister and a teenager who just gave birth (and she was sure that if the baby could, it would've looked at her too).
Emery slowly nods her head, "You're right. We need to do this now."
She looks back at the baby and focuses on its movements. Emery pulled her brows together, noticing that there were none.
"Fletcher, the baby's not moving."
Tom snaps his eyes over to the baby and his back straightens. "Oh, no, no, no, no..."
"Sharpe, Fletcher. What's your status?" Bobby speaks over the radio.
Toni's mouth slightly opens. "Oh, God, did I kill it? Is my baby dead?"
Emery and Tom keep their eyes closely on the baby, waiting for a single slight movement that would tell them to continue with the extraction.
Then Emery saw it...
"Twitch!" Emery exclaims. "Twitch! I saw her twitch! Let's get her out."
"Amaya, we need something to suction with, like a straw." Tom quickly speaks.
"We don't have any scissors," Emery states.
"We could tear it if we pinch it just right," Tom informs the curly-haired girl. "I've seen it done in an O.B."
"Okay, now isn't the time for bragging, Fletch."
"No, I wasn't...here..." Tom grabs a piece of the thin layer between his thumb and index fingers. He then begins to pull at it, which snaps the layer open. Emery snaps her eyes over to her sister. "Straw, straw, straw, straw, straw!" She holds a hand out to her.
Amaya hands the straw to her sister. Emery grabs it and puts the straw into the baby's mouth. The girl then sucks the blockage out of the baby's mouth and spits it on the ground. Emery wraps the baby in a towel and gently rubs its chest. "Come on, kiddo...wake up." She softly speaks. "Please, wake up."
A small coo comes from the baby and it starts to cry. Emery's focused and worried expression relaxes and she's left smiling. "Yes! There we go, sweetheart!"
Amaya laughs and she looks at her sister. She's never seen Emery in action as a firefighter. It was amazing.
Emery gently hands the baby to Toni.
"Guys, the principal is looking at me like she's about to take my head off. What's your status?"
Emery looks at Tom, "I've got it. Stay with them." She stands up and walks over to her radio and answers. "Captain, could you put the principal on, for a moment?"
Toni snaps her eyes over to Emery. The firefighter looks at Toni, "You can't hide this from your mother forever." She says. "But, if you don't want to tell her now. We can figure something else out."
Toni looks down at her baby, and then at her girlfriend. "What should I do?"
Amaya bites the inside of her cheek. "You do whatever feels right to you. I'm with you every step of the way. Remember that."
Toni gives Amaya a small smile. She looks back at Emery. "Okay, I wanna tell her."
Emery nods her head and a smile forms on her lips. "You're a strong girl, Toni. You know that?" She motions to Amaya. "You are too good for my sister that's for sure."
Toni manages a laugh, "I am, aren't I?"
"Right, says the girl who just gave birth on the high school bathroom floor." Amaya kisses the crown of Toni's head.
Toni winces, "Yeah, that's pretty bad, isn't it?"
Emery frowns and slightly pinches her fingers together. "I mean, a little."
☆
Buck was looking through his locker when he heard a slam next to him. He jumps and snaps his eyes over to the beaming girl. "Oh!" He covers his nose.
"Hi!" Emery exclaims, leaning her back against the lockers.
"You haven't taken a shower yet."
"Nope!" Emery holds a paper out to him. "I figured it out."
"You smell like after birth."
"You mean...victory?" Emery giggles and pushes the paper towards his chest. "I know."
Buck chuckles but he grabs the paper and looks at it. "Is this...?"
"The schedule? Yes. Once we got back from the call, it felt like I was on a roll or something. So, I put that energy to good use."
"Very good use indeed." He looks over the paper and frowns. "I like it."
"I know. I was the one who made it." Emery punches his arm. "I got to go—"
"Take a shower? Yeah. You reek."
Emery shrugs a shoulder, "Yeah, and I feel sticky. And not in a good way." She then gives Buck a wink that sends a heat down to his dick. Emery walks away and Buck exhales a sharp breath.
It was the end of the day and Emery had already taken a shower before she headed off to her bunk to sleep before the next call. But before she went to her bunk, Emery had something gnawing at her since she left the high school. And it wasn't going to go away until she said something about it.
Emery leaves the locker rooms and makes her way up the stairs, to the Captain's office. She stands outside the door for a moment, hesitating. Emery opens and closes her fists. If she said something about this, who knew what repercussions she would face...
Emery's never faced repercussions at work before. Did she really want to start now?
"Fuck it." Emery raises her hand and knocks on the door.
"Come in!"
Emery opens the door and steps into the office. "Captain."
"Emerson, how can I help you?"
Emery slightly opens her mouth. "Well, you could start by telling me why you sent the Aid car away at the high school...sir."
"Well, it was a false alarm." Bobby starts. "It's protocol to send the rigs where they can help the most people."
Emery nods her head. She knew it was protocol. She was all about protocol, which is why it was such an odd thing for her to ask about. Even Bobby was wondering what was going on.
"Do you...do you think that you jumped the gun on that, sir?" Emery questions.
"Excuse me?" Bobby raises his brows.
Emery's jaw goes slack. Oh, shit. Oh, shit. Oh, shit. I change my mind—I don't wanna be brave. I wanna follow the rules and be a coward for the rest of my life.
"Well, Captain, sir..." Emery clears her throat and rolls her wrist. "Fletcher and I hadn't even confirmed that we finished sweeping the whole building. There was no reason for you to send it away." Her voice was calm, cool, and collected. "You, were wrong today, sir."
Emery closes her mouth once she stops talking. She watches as Bobby just stares at her with zero ounce of emotion on his face. She was being kept in the dark over this. Then Bobby smiles, "I'm glad you spotted that."
Emery raises her brows, "Spotted...?—Huh?"
"Em, you calling me out for me sending the aid car away early was the right thing to do." Bobby stands up and rounds the table to stand in front of the girl.
Emery raises her brows, "Wait, is this some kind of test? Because that is very problematic sir—"
"No, no. I didn't purposely send the aid car away as a test. But I did notice my mistake at the end and wanted to see if you noticed it too. And I wanted to see if you were going to call me out for it." Bobby explains. "Only a good mentor is capable of something like that."
Emery softly smiles, "Uh, thank you, Captain."
"And a good leader."
Emery's smile drops.
"You should apply for Lieutenant, Emery. It'd be good for you and this Station." Bobby gives her a pat in the arm.
Emery stands there for a moment as he sits back down at his desk. Apply for Lieutenant?
Emerson hasn't thought about doing that since Helena died. Did she really want to put herself through that again? She didn't want things to end up like last time. It's not like there's anyone around for you to hurt.
Emery pushes the persuasive thought down. "Thank you for your suggestion, Captain. I'll think about it."
Emerson walks out of the room. As soon as she closes the door behind her she jumps up and down, silently cheering. She stops in her tracks and looks around, making sure no one sees her. Emery straightens her shirt and walks down the stairs to her bunk.
━━━━━━━━━━
author's note.
Lieutenant Emerson...? Lieutenant Emerson. 🫡
words : 8959