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The Seattle Phoenix Fair was a great way for the city to celebrate that covid was over. After the horrible year they had had due to the virus and other stuff, the distraction was very much welcome. Or, at least, for the most part.
The firefighters at Station 19 were a bit tired since they had been working over time at the fair, having to spend precious hours after shift basically babysitting drunk people. And, while Dean had a problem with stilt walkers, Maya was really unsettled by the man who swallowed swords. That was not natural.
And so, the former captain was standing next to the table they had set with water bottles and firefighter helmets for little kids, eyes scanning the fair, always alert but, more than anything, she was ignoring the new captain of station 19. Yes, he had been around for more than 6 months but he would never stop being an outsider and Maya did not like him at all –which didn’t have anything to do with the fact that he had her job. Or maybe it was that, but just a bit.
A few hours had passed since they got to the fair which meant more people were arriving and more children wanted to take pictures with the fire truck or the firefighters, but mostly with the engine.
Maya grabbed a water bottle for herself and was unscrewing the cap when she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket and her smart watch lighting up at the notification. The blonde took a quick sip of water before she set the bottle down, slightly turning her head to see what Beckett was doing. He was busy getting popcorn and Maya took they chance to take her phone out, even if she wasn’t supposed to and even when she could easily see what it was about with her smart watch but she liked way too much to defy Beckett even in small ways like that.
She smiled when she saw she had a new text from Carina.
Carina – I won’t be able to go to the fair, bambina, I’m so sorry but there’s an emergency at the hospital that needs my attention, I love you
Maya’s smile faded and she couldn’t help but sigh at what she just read. She was really looking forward to see Carina at the fair since, thanks to the overtime the team was doing, the couple had barely seen each other the last few days other than when Carina occasionally visited her at the station.
The lieutenant was so lost in thought, almost imagining the moment when she would see her wife later in the day, that she didn’t hear Beckett approach her, not until he was close enough that the sound of the man chewing on his popcorn finally drew her attention.
“Anything more interesting than doing your job, lieutenant?” He asked in that patronizing tone he always used with Maya. He loved to let her know he was the one in charge.
The former Olympian quickly shoved her phone inside her pocket and crossed her arms over her chest. “No, sir.” She shook her head.
The captain clicked his tongue. “If you took your phone out during working hours it must have been important. C’mon, tell me what it was.” He pressed, shoving a fistful of popcorn inside his mouth.
Maya felt the muscles of her jaw tense and had to bite the inside of her cheek to stop herself from saying something she would regret. But she also knew he would not back down so she had to answer. “It was a text from my wife, saying she won’t be able to come to the fair, sir.”
There was a moment of silence before the man scoffed. “At least you won’t be distracted.” Was what he said.
Maya had noticed that Beckett never said much when Carina or Emmett were mentioned and he avoided them when they were at the station. The blonde wouldn’t be surprised if he was, on top of being sexist, homophobic –which was ironic considering that station 19 was the only firehouse with two openly queer firefighters– and his silence was out of self preservation, instructed by the chief to prevent any complains against him.
So, the lieutenant only rolled her eyes an continued handing out water bottles to anyone who asked for one.
It wasn’t long before a little girl, who looked no older than 5, approached Maya and stared at her in awe.
When the blonde noticed, she smiled. “Hi.” She waved her hand at the kid.
“You’re a girl firefighter?” The little kid asked, her eyes opened as wide as they could go.
The lieutenant chuckled, crouching down so she could talk to the girl better. “That’s correct. I’m a lieutenant at Seattle Fire Department,” she pointed at her badge, “which means I get to boss some people around.” She explained in a whisper so Beckett wouldn’t hear.
“But I thought only boys were firefighters.” The small girl innocently said, looking up at her mom as if looking for confirmation but the woman only shrugged and gestured at Maya with a head movement, which made the girl look at the firefighter again.
Maya reached out and took the girls hands in her own. “What’s your name?”
“My name is Olivia but you can call me Liv.” The little brunette, Liv, answered.
The blonde smiled again. “That’s a very pretty name. My name is Maya and let me tell you that girls can do anything they want to do.” She gently squeezed Liv’s hands. “We can be firefighters, doctors, pilots, even astronauts.” The girl’s eyes sparkled. “And we can play any sports we want, as well, so don’t let any boy tell you you can’t play with them.”
“Really? I can be an astronaut?” She looked back at her mom again before returning her eyes to the firefighter.
Maya nodded. “If you work really hard, yes, you could be an astronaut.”
The little girl’s smile was so wide that Maya could even see she was missing a tooth. It took her a little by surprise when Liv hugged her, almost making her fall when the girl circled her neck. She went stiff for a second, not really used to kids but she quickly recovered and wrapped one arm around the girl’s body while she kept her balance with the other.
“Is that your helmet?” The little brunette asked as she let go of Maya, pointing at the red helmet on top of her turnout gear.
The blonde nodded and stood up to her full height. Her legs were starting to burn a little by the crouched position. “Yeah, that one is mine.”
Liv walked to the gear and traced the ‘19’ with the tip of her finger. “Can I put it on?” She asked.
Maya stood next to Liv and grabbed her helmet. “Well, this one might be a little bit heavy for you but we have some really cool helmets for kids like you.” She pointed at the table. “Would you like one?”
“Yeah!” The girl exclaimed, very excited, skipping all the way to the table.
The lieutenant grabbed one of the plastic helmets and placed it on Liv’s head. “Would you like me to pick you up so your mom can take a picture?” She asked when she saw that the woman had her phone ready to take the photo.
“Please!” The small brunette said, lifting her arms in the air.
Maya smiled and placed her own helmet on her head. “We match now, see?” She commented, picking the girl up, setting her on her hip.
The girl’s only response was a big smile. She held onto Maya from her neck with one hand and she made a peace sign with the other. The mom snapped a couple of pictures before Beckett saw the pair and joined the frame as well, which almost made Maya frown, only containing herself so the pictures would not be ruined.
Maya put the girl down who ran to her mother, asking to see the pictures right away. When she saw them, her whole face lit up. “We look so pretty!” She grabbed the phone and showed the pic to Maya, one of the first ones where only the two of them appeared. “Thank you so much, Maya.” Liv hugged the firefighter again, circling her waist.
The blonde patted her on the back a couple of times. “You’re welcome, Liv.”
And with that, the little girl and her mom walked away, Liv turning back to wave at Maya one last time.
Not long after that, a boy approached them with his dad, asking for a picture with the ‘fireman’ and the truck, so Maya was more than happy to not appear on the picture –anything to stay as far as she could from Beckett. She almost barked a laugh at how the man puffed up his chest and how he flexed his arm for the picture. He looked ridiculous.
A few more people asked them for water bottles, more pictures, repeat. Until another girl, who looked around 10, approached Maya a little nervous but examining the blonde’s face as if she knew her.
“Hi, there. Do you want a water bottle?” Maya offered, hand extended with a bottle towards the girl.
The skinny redhead shook her head. “No, I don’t, it’s just…” a crinkle formed between her brows. “Are you Maya Bishop? As in, the Olympic runner?”
Maya’s eyebrows rose almost to her hairline. Of course she would get recognized from time to time but it had become less often as the years passed. After all, London 2012 was her debut but also her only time in the Olympics and it had happened almost a decade ago.
The blonde put her hands on her hips and straightened up a bit. “Yes, that’s me.”
The redhead beamed at the firefighter, even blushing a little under her pretty freckles. “Oh, my God, I can’t believe I’m meeting Maya Bishop!” She gushed, turning to her parents and pulling them closer. “Mom, dad, this is her! From the picture at Micah’s school!” Then, she turned to Maya again. “My brother goes to Baker High and I saw a picture of you in the high school's track team and another on the podium in the Olympics. You’re the reason I want to apply to my school’s team this year! I wanna win a gold medal just like you.”
Maya felt her chest swell with pride, pushing away the bad memories of her dad in her high school days. “That’s incredible… uh…” Her brows knitted, trying to remember if the girl said her name.
She hadn’t and she noticed that the blonde was indirectly asking her for it. “I’m Annie.”
The firefighter smiled. “Well, Annie, I bet you will do wonderfully on your track team.” She placed her hand on the redhead’s shoulder. “It’s a lot of hard work and sacrifice if you wanna be the best but, if that’s what you truly want, it will be worth it.” She gently patted Annie on the shoulder. “If that’s your dream, do everything in your power to achieve it but if tomorrow your dreams change, don’t be afraid to chase them, as long as you stay true to yourself.”
The young girl stayed quiet for a second, staring at Maya, taking in her every word. “Did you chase your dreams, Maya?”
A smile quickly appeared on the firefighter’s lips as she thought about Carina, her team and how they were still fighting every day for what’s right. “I do it every day.”
Annie’s smile turned into a grin as she positioned herself next to Maya, an arm behind her back, ready for her mom to take a picture of them. “Take a photo of us, mom!” She ushered.
The lieutenant rested her arm on the girl’s shoulders and smiled at the camera.
Beckett didn’t waste any time to try to join the pic but was unexpectedly stopped by Annie.
“I just want a picture with her, sir.” She innocently said.
Maya pretended to wet her lips to stop herself from laughing out loud at the expression on Beckett’s face. He really didn’t like to be excluded, especially in favor or a woman, especially if that woman was Maya.
Annie’s parents took a few more pictures, the girl asking Maya to pose a certain way, and then they were gone, not without Maya telling Annie she could come visit her anytime at the station if she wanted some tips about running track. The girl was extremely excited at that.
Out of nowhere, Beckett snorted. Maya was tempted to ignore him until he made that sound again. The blonde rolled her eyes and tilted her head fo the side. “What was that, sir?”
He shrugged. “Nothing, I was just thinking that you’re like one of those girls in the car dealerships who looks pretty to attract people.” He mocked Maya and ate some more of his popcorn.
The lieutenant clenched her jaw so hard her teeth hurt by how insulting his words had been but before she could say anything, a person asking for a water bottle interrupted her and then Beckett spoke again.
“Hey, step right up and take a picture with a pretty firefighter!” He shouted.
“Can you not?” Maya asked, turning, with a scowl all over her face.
“Can not what?” The man asked, if he was being completely ignorant or a complete asshole, Maya was not sure.
“You know, I’m an Olympian and just, there are better words to describe me.” The lieutenant said with a tight smile.
“Step right up and take a picture with a pretty Olympian firefighter!” Beckett repeated, emphasizing the word ‘olympian’ to mock Maya along with an eyebrow wiggle.
Ugh, Maya wanted to kill that man so freaking much.