Chapter Text
"Gabriella, hurry up or else I'm leaving you behind," Maya shouted impatiently at the Italian who was getting ready in the guest bedroom.
"You can't leave your wife now, amore. That would make you a very terrible wife in turn," Gabriella said as she finally came to the kitchen.
"Why the hell did I agree to this?" Maya huffed and turned to look at Carina, who smiled in amusement as she sipped her coffee.
"Don't let Gabriella get to you, bella. Today will be a good day of helping the people in our community," Carina said.
"Ooh, I can't wait for that, working alongside my American wife and other hot firefighters," Gabriella said cheekily, and Maya rolled her eyes in response.
"You two should get going now. Maya likes being early," Carina said to Maya and Gabriella.
"Wow, you look eager to see me and Maya heading off as fake wives," Gabriella commented.
"Oh, it's fine. I'm not so bothered by it," Carina said sweetly, causing Maya to frown.
"Really?" Maya asked, skeptical.
"Si, really. It's okay," Carina assured Maya, who still didn't look convinced.
"I can call this whole thing off, tell them Gabriella is actually my best friend's wife and was just playing."
"No, you don't have to unless you're okay with losing our little game," Carina challenged.
Maya stared suspiciously at Carina, wondering why she was suddenly okay with this when just days ago, she was cursing Gabriella for pretending to be her wife.
"Go, you're going to be late," Carina said. She kissed Maya passionately, and that was enough to distract her.
"Okay, I love you," Maya said as she broke the kiss.
"Ti amo, bella," Carina said.
Maya and Gabriella headed out.
"You know, it seems your wife is up to something," Gabriella said in the car as Maya drove to the station.
"Yeah, it seems like she is, but I can't figure out what," Maya said in contemplation.
"We'll find out at the station, amore."
Maya rolled her eyes at the pet name.
* * *
"Oh wow, so many firefighters in uniform. How do you cope with seeing them every shift?" Amelia said, eyeing the firefighters appreciatively as she and Carina arrived at the station where everyone was bustling with activity, setting up for the clinic day.
"Behave, Amelia. You're my wife today, so you can't ogle my co-workers," Carina chided her gently.
"Can you blame me? There are handsome men and beautiful women. My bisexual heart is having a field day," Amelia replied with a playful grin.
Just then, Ben approached the two women, and Carina placed her hand on Amelia's back affectionately, causing the brunette to squeak in surprise. Carina chuckled at her reaction.
"Hey, Deluca. Dr. Shepherd, I wasn't expecting to see you here today," Ben greeted them.
"Warren, good to see you. My lovely wife here invited me to assist, so here I am, ready to lend my services," Amelia said smoothly, slipping into character with ease. Carina was impressed at how naturally she played the role.
"What, your wife?" Ben questioned, his brow furrowing in confusion.
"Warren, allow me to officially introduce you to my wife, Dr. Shepherd," Carina confirmed, her tone leaving no room for doubt.
"Really? How did I not know this? I thought..." Ben began, but Amelia interrupted him, knowing he was likely going to mention her past relationship with Lincoln.
Leaning into Carina's side, Amelia played the part of the loving wife perfectly. "Our relationship was a whirlwind. We fell in love quickly. Can you blame me? Carina is an Italian goddess. We couldn't wait to get married and didn't see the need to announce it to people or hold a big wedding. It was a quick, intimate affair," she explained.
"Plus, weddings in my family always have drama, so I wanted to avoid that by not having one," Carina added, further solidifying their cover story.
"Okay, got it. Well, I'm happy for you two," Ben told them before leaving to help the others with the final preparations.
"We seemed pretty convincing, didn't we?" Amelia asked with a smile, once Ben was out of earshot.
"Definitely," Carina agreed, returning her smile.
Maya had noticed Carina's arrival with Amelia and decided to greet them, surprised that Carina hadn't mentioned she would be bringing the neurosurgeon along. She wouldn't complain, though, at having more medical professionals on hand for the clinic.
"Dr. Shepherd, good to see you. I wasn't aware you would be coming today," Maya said, approaching the pair.
"I invited her. She had the day off, and I figured she could help out and meet my co-workers. Plus, everyone would get to meet my wife," Carina said with a smile, wrapping her arm around Amelia's waist. Maya furrowed her eyebrows in confusion.
"Wife?" Maya asked, seeking clarification.
"Ah, Captain Bishop. Even though we've met before, let me reintroduce myself," Amelia said, holding out her hand. "Dr. Amelia Deluca Shepherd, Carina's wife."
Maya shook the outstretched hand as everything clicked into place. Carina's behavior that morning made sense now. She had enlisted her own fake wife to counter Gabriella's antics.
"Oh, wow... Nice to meet you, Dr. Deluca Shepherd," Maya said, playing along.
"I hope it's okay I invited her. I figured the more doctors, the better," Carina added, her eyes twinkling with mischief.
Maya wanted to ask why Carina didn't give her a heads-up about her plan, but she couldn't without blowing their cover. Instead, she assured Carina that it was perfectly fine.
Gabriella came up behind Maya and wrapped her arm around her waist, causing Maya to stiffen briefly before relaxing.
"Amore, I counted all the supplies, and it seems like it will be enough for today. Oh hey, Deluca," Gabriella greeted Carina, then glanced at Amelia with a charming smile.
"My love, this is Dr. Deluca's wife, Dr. Shepherd. Amelia, this is my wife, Dr. Gabriella Aurora," Maya introduced.
Gabriella dropped her arm from around Maya's waist, and Maya inwardly sighed in relief.
"Well, this is a surprise, Dr. Shepherd. I wasn't aware you were married to an Italian," Gabriella said in a flirtatious tone as she extended her hand to shake Amelia's, even though they had already been introduced.
"Dr. Aurora, I'm just as surprised that you're married to Captain Bishop here," Amelia replied with a blush, shaking her hand. The handshake lingered for a few seconds longer than necessary until Maya cleared her throat pointedly. Amelia flushed and dropped Gabriella's hand.
"Dr. Shepherd will be assisting us today, so with this many doctors, everything should go smoothly," Maya said, regaining control of the situation.
"Don't worry, amore. I have a feeling today will be great," Gabriella said with a smile, her eyes locked with Amelia's. Maya looked at Carina with a raised eyebrow, and Carina merely winked with a smile. Maya understood then; this was Carina's plan to get back at Gabriella.
"Well, darling, let me introduce you to the rest of the team," Carina said to Amelia, who finally tore her eyes away from Gabriella's captivating gaze, though it was only for a second as Gabriella spoke in a flirtatious tone again.
"Dr. Shepherd, I look forward to working with you today," Gabriella purred, her eyes lingering on Amelia's form. Then, as if remembering Carina's presence, she added, "Of course, with you too, Dr. Deluca."
Carina rolled her eyes and took Amelia's hand in hers, leading her to introduce her to the rest of the team. Maya felt a twinge of jealousy but quickly reminded herself that this was all for show, just like pretending to be Gabriella's wife.
"Carina just took this to another level, huh?" Gabriella commented to Maya.
"She sure did," Maya agreed, thinking that Amelia must be thrilled to be Carina's fake wife. She knew that the neurosurgeon had always shamelessly flirted with her wife and had even called her "firefighter Barbie" on occasion.
"Well, we better up our game then," Gabriella said, stepping closer to Maya and draping her arm across Maya's shoulders.
"What do you mean 'up our game'?" Maya asked, her body tensing at the sudden proximity.
"It's the battle of the fake wives. Look how well Carina and Dr. Shepherd are acting as fake wives," Gabriella explained.
Maya watched as Carina still held Amelia's hand, introducing her to the team. She heard Amelia refer to Carina as an "Italian goddess" and knew that the neurosurgeon was living her dream with this opportunity. Maya rolled her eyes and moved away from Gabriella.
"Remember that you're here to work, not play games," Maya reminded Gabriella pointedly.
"Of course, amore mio," Gabriella replied cheekily, undeterred by Maya's admonishment.
Maya shook her head and called everyone to attention.
"Alright, listen up," she began, her authoritative tone commanding attention. "Today is clinic day, and we have a few extra hands to help us out. Thank you, Dr. Shepherd and Dr. Aurora, for graciously volunteering your time today."
"You're very welcome, amore," Gabriella said with a smile, and Maya forced a polite smile in return, though she wanted to roll her eyes.
"Thank you for having me, Captain. I just couldn't miss the chance to finally see my lovely wife's new workplace and colleagues," Amelia chimed in, playing her role to perfection. Maya had to take a deep breath, knowing it would be a long day.
"Okay, guys, let's open those doors and give the best care possible to our community today," Maya instructed, ready to get to work and put an end to the theatrics.
As the team dispersed to their assigned stations, Maya caught Carina's eye and subtly called her over as she headed to her office.
"You didn't tell me that you would be having Amelia as your fake wife today," Maya said once they were alone.
"Well, I wanted it to be a surprise, especially for Gabriella. This is how I'll be getting back at her," Carina informed Maya of her plan.
"Amelia must be excited to be your fake wife," Maya observed, a hint of jealousy creeping into her tone.
"Don't worry, the same rules we established with Gabriella apply with Amelia too," Carina assured her,.
"Okay, that's good to know. We should head back there," Maya said, lingering in front of Carina. She checked that no one was watching them and quickly leaned in to kiss her wife.
"I don't think our secret will stay a secret for much longer, especially after today," Maya admitted, her lips curling into a smile.
"Well, I guess we'll have to see who ends up telling the truth and losing between us," Carina said mischievously, her eyes sparkling with challenge. She then turned and headed back to help with the clinic, leaving Maya to follow after a few minutes.
*
*
*
Gabriella hummed to herself as she searched the medical cabinets for more bandages, needing to restock the dwindling pile she had set out in the exam room. The clinic was going well, and they had seen a steady stream of people coming in for check-ups.
She was grabbing some bandages when the door opened behind her. Gabriella glanced over her shoulder and felt an involuntary smile spread across her face at the sight of the beautiful neurosurgeon entering.
"Dr. Shepherd Deluca, or is it Deluca Shepherd?" Gabriella asked in a sultry tone.
"It's Deluca Shepherd. You Italians are very persuasive in getting what you want," Amelia replied, her lips curving into a flirtatious smile.
"That we are," Gabriella confirmed with a charming grin. "Are you here for some supplies?"
"Yes, we're flying through bandages out there."
"They're right over here. Come grab some," Gabriella invited, stepping back only a few feet to allow Amelia access to the shelves.
Amelia approached the cabinet, acutely aware of Gabriella's presence lingering behind her. She stood on her tiptoes, straining to reach a roll of gauze on a high shelf when she felt Gabriella step closer.
"Let me get that for you," Gabriella murmured, her breath tickling the back of Amelia's neck as she reached out to grab the gauze. Once she had it, she stepped back, and Amelia turned around to face her.
"Here you go," Gabriella said, handing her the roll of gauze while holding Amelia's gaze with an intense, sultry look.
Amelia swallowed thickly, her cheeks flushing under the Italian's smoldering stare. "Thank you, Dr. Aurora Bishop," she managed, her voice slightly breathless.
Gabriella chuckled, the sound rich and amused. "Just Aurora. Bishop and I decided to keep our own last names, you know."
Amelia nodded, transfixed by the captivating woman before her. She could feel the heat rising in her cheeks as Gabriella's eyes roamed over her face.
"I know we're both fake married and all, but would it be a problem if I..." Gabriella's gaze dropped purposefully to Amelia's lips before returning to her eyes, leaving no doubt as to her intentions.
"If you?" Amelia prompted, her heart pounding in anticipation.
"If I kissed you?"
"No, it wouldn't be a problem," Amelia breathed, desire pooling in her belly.
Gabriella stepped forward, closing the remaining distance between them. Slowly, she leaned down and captured Amelia's lips in a searing kiss.
The two women broke apart at the sound of the door opening, their heads whipping around to find Maya standing in the doorway.
"Am I interrupting something?" Maya asked, her tone light and teasing, a playful smirk tugging at the corners of her mouth.
Amelia cleared her throat, flustered. "No, we were... I was just getting some supplies." She held up the bandages as proof, chuckling nervously. "I'm going to head back."
She stepped away from Gabriella and headed towards the exit, sidestepping Maya, who still lingered by the door. Maya raised her eyebrows at Gabriella once they were alone.
"I was also just getting some supplies, amore. Busy day, right?" Gabriella asked with an unapologetic grin.
"Get back to the barn. There are people waiting," Maya ordered, her tone clipped.
"Yes, ma'am. You know I like it when you order me around, amore," Gabriella joked, her eyes twinkling with mirth.
Maya rolled her eyes at Gabriella's shameless flirtation. "Just go, Aurora."
As Gabriella sauntered out of the supply room, Maya sighed, knowing they were only halfway through the clinic day, and there was still more drama to come with the whole scheme of fake wives.