Work Text:
“I thought the vest stopped the bullet.”
“I thought it stopped it.”
Panic and pain
“Scola…”
“Everything will be okay, you listen to me.?"
"Stay with me.”
“Help is on the way.”
“Scola, please, I don't wanna die.”
“Internal bleeding, it's too late.”
Time has always been a mystery to Scola. One day, you meet someone, and in a matter of weeks, you feel like you've known them for years. Or years can go by, and you see them occasionally without them having any impact on your life. One day you're laughing with someone, and the next you're facing their death.
And you don't know, you'll never know when it will be the last conversation, the last greeting, the last joke, the last hug until it's too late to appreciate it more.
And now, covering Dani's body with a white blanket, he felt the weight of that incomprehension. A few hours ago, she was talking about meeting her son, and now she was gone. Her life slipped away from her body because she saved his life and decided not to receive medical attention so as not to delay the rescue of Maggie and OA.
“Scola?” It was Maggie. She had crouched down beside him, her eyes red and irritated, and she was using the soft voice she uses with all the survivors they manage to rescue.
He didn't want her to talk to him like that.
She took him by the arm as they both stood up. His legs were shaking, and watching them lift Dani's body made him feel miserable.
He looked around: scattered officers doing their job, processing the scene, an ambulance that arrived too late, and blood—her blood.
He looked at OA. His expression was slightly different from Maggie's. He assumed that, having served in the military, losing a comrade was something he had probably experienced more than once. You could see his frown, but if you looked a little closer at his eyes, you could see the pain welling up in his irises. What would he look like?
“He's in shock.” OA approached them, concerned. Scola kept looking around and then at them, his features screaming confusion mixed with pain.
“Should we take him to the car?” Maggie asked.
“That won't be possible. They blew up the bridge,” Dan replied, approaching them.
“They did what?” Maggie responded.
“Yes, ma'am. We came by boat. They're over there.”
Stuart simply let himself go, and as he sat in the boat and watched Dani's body lying in front of him, he shed his first tears.
The phone rings.
“I guess you're in the middle of a case,” Isobel remarks.
“Yes, it's Maggie,” Jubal replies. “She's probably calling to let me know they're back,” he says as he gets up. “I'll go answer it. I'll be right back.”
Today was a difficult day. He's used to being under pressure, but today was different. He felt a knot in his stomach and felt that everything was five times harder.
“Maggie?”
Silence.
“Maggie, what's going on?”
“She didn't make it.”
No
“Who? What's going on?” Deep down, he knew. He just...
“Dani, she... the vest didn't stop the bullet.”
And now, he has just lost an agent.
“I'm on my way. Are the others okay?”
“Yes.”
“Okay.”
People react differently to bad news, depending on its magnitude and the impact it has on their lives. You can get anything from a simple nod to a fit of hysteria. Curiously, Jubal could only lean against the wall as he felt the comfort of seeing Isobel alive slip away from his body and guilt creep into his heart.
A life that was under his responsibility had been extinguished, and he had been unable to prevent it.
“He's coming here, right?” asked OA.
“Yes,” replied Maggie. She didn't look at him; she just put her phone away and leaned against the wall, shedding a tear from time to time but quickly wiping it away.
“If you want to cry, you can,” he said.
Dani hadn't been on the team for years, but she made her presence felt. Both Maggie and OA had noticed her loyalty and availability to them.
“No, he needs us right now, at least until he can be with Nina.”
Scola was being examined by a doctor, on Jubal's orders.
“At least we can sit down,” he insisted, taking her by the arm
“You know, when I first spoke to her, she was quite surprised by how quickly you pulled me out of my undercover mission. I wonder what experiences she had that made her so surprised by how close we are,” she said as they sat down
OA nodded, “I noticed,” then smiled at her. “When we were at the hospital... after the drone explosion, she kept texting me asking for updates on your condition, so I thought about inviting them to your house. When I asked her to stop by for your favorite burgers, she immediately asked me to tell her which one was your favorite.”
Maggie nodded and, as she let her tears fall, she said, “This isn't fair.”
“I know.”
There was really nothing they could do. Sometimes she felt a certain desperation to turn back time so she could hug all those who were no longer with them in this world. The list continued to grow, and with it, the pain of loss.
“OA, Maggie?”
Nina
“Are you guys okay? Where's Stuart?”
“He's fine, physically speaking,” replied OA.
“He hasn't spoken since, you know,” Maggie added.
“Dani,” replied Nina.
She had heard about Stuart's new coworker and was eager to meet her because he had spoken highly of her, and it seemed that he had finally found someone he could trust in the field. After Tiffany, it had been difficult for him to adjust to the idea of a new partner.
“I'm so sorry for your loss.”
She couldn't say anything else because Scola was coming out of a room, looking pale and tired. She hurried over to him, and when they finally made eye contact, she could see how broken he was. She hugged him tightly, feeling him tremble, so she held him steady and whispered that everything would be okay as she stroked his back.
“Guys.”
Jubal
Maggie and OA turned to see him coming.
“Are you okay?” he asked, looking back and forth between them and Nina and Scola.
“Don't worry,” Maggie replied.
“Did you get checked out by the doctor? That's an order.”
“Jubal, we're fine.”
He nodded as he let out a sigh.
“I'm sorry, it's just... I can't lose anyone else.”
“How is Isobel? Does she know about this?” Maggie asked.
“She's fine, she's talking and conscious, and no, I haven't told her yet.”
“I know I have to tell her, I just don't want to ruin her recovery.”
"Don’t go, don’t go so easy
Don’t go, don’t go and leave me
Don’t go, go
So can I call you tonight?
I’m trying to make up my mind
Just how I feel
Could you tell me what’s real?"
Sitting on the sofa in their living room, Scola held his sleeping son against his chest, the smell of baby calming him as he rubbed his little back. He turned to Nina, who was watching him intently.
“She wanted to meet him.”
“I know.”
“She also wanted to meet you, to be your friend.”
“I know.”
He nodded as he leaned back completely. “I wonder if there was any way to avoid all this,” he said. “She didn't deserve to die.”
“That bullet was actually aimed at me, you know.”
“At you?” Nina asked, terrified.
“She saved my life.”
“Then I will be eternally grateful to her,” Nina replied, leaning closer to him and taking their son's hand.
Scola kissed his son's little head and, as he held his family in his arms, he made a promise to himself: he would be a good father, husband, and agent, and he would honor Dani's life by giving his best every second.
“Thank you, Dani.”
Today was Dani's memorial service.
It had been a bit chaotic. When they told Isobel, she did everything she could to leave the hospital and handle the matter. It took Phillip and Jubal begging her to stay and promising that Jubal would take care of it.
“Isobel, please, I don't think I can bear to lose anyone else.”
Even so, she wrote a letter to Dani's parents, and Phillip attended the memorial service on her behalf.
Time flew by, and now, dressed in black, Scola prepared to approach Dani's parents. His mother looked devastated, hugging her husband tightly and seemingly unable to stop her tears.
Now he was a father, and when he found out that Nina had been shot, he felt like he was dying. He didn't even want to imagine what would become of him if he lost his son.
So he cleared his throat and approached them.
“Mr. and Mrs. Rhode,” he said, extending his hand.
“I am very sorry for your loss. My name is Stuart Scola. I worked with your daughter.”
“Thank you, son,” replied her father.
“I just wanted to tell you that you raised a good person. She... I knew her for only a short time, but it was enough to realize that she was loyal, brave, and strong.”
Her mother nodded. “She loved helping people.”
“I am the father of a child, and I hope to raise him to be a good person, just like your daughter. It was an honor for me to have worked with her.”
Her mother hugged him, crying, “It's good to know that my little girl is appreciated.”
When she let go of him, she looked him in the eyes and said, “Take care of yourself, son. Thank you for your words.”
And with that, he walked away. He saw Maggie and OA in the distance, dressed in black.
“You came,” he said to them.
“Of course, we're a team,” Maggie replied.
Scola nodded; they were a team.
“Are they her parents?” Maggie asked.
“Yes, I just offered them my condolences.”
“Would it be okay if I spoke to them?”
“Sure, they're quite friendly.”
That's how Maggie approached them.
"How are you doing?" OA asked as he watched Maggie with Dani's parents.
“I think I'm okay. Nina has been with me, talking and listening, and she's already scheduled an appointment with a therapist for me,” he said as he put his hands in his pants pockets.
OA looked at him, “I'm glad to hear that.”
Scola smiled. “You know, I've been thinking about you guys.”
“About us?”
“Yes, you and Maggie.”
OA frowned, confused.
“You know what, forget it. This isn't about me.”
“You can tell me.”
Scola hesitated for a second.
“When I met you two, I was impressed by your bond, and over the years I've seen you grow closer, and, well, when Kristen left and Tiffany arrived, I thought... I could have something like that with her in our own way.”
Scola sighed as he turned to see Maggie hugging Dani's mother.
“And when she also decided to leave, I wanted to stop her, but then I realized it was best for her, so I let her go, and now Dani...”
OA nodded and, while touching his shoulder, replied, “You can count on us. Believe it or not, we enjoy having you as our third wheel.”
Scola smiled. “Well, I'm glad to hear that.”
“Seriously, we're a team, and if you need us, we'll be here for you, Maggie, me, or both of us.”
Scola smiled as he looked at OA. Since he started working at 26 Fed, he felt that he had undergone a change. Kristen was the first to help him with that change. He began to appreciate people again sincerely. Emily had also helped him remember that people are not eternal, and then Tiffany... she really became one of his people. They were awkward together in a good way. She had reminded him that communication was essential to having a good relationship at work and outside of it.
And over time, he had grown to love her. Before, he didn't think he could ever feel that way about anyone, but Maggie and OA had taught him that platonic love can be a source of love and support in life.
His job reminds him every day that people are truly evil, but Dani came into his life to remind him that there are still good-hearted people out there, eager to help others.
He wished that people could live forever, but life wasn't like that. He lost his brother, he lost friends, and he might lose more people, but life goes on. So today, he has decided to remember them fondly and honor every little lesson they taught him.
“And I'm pretty sure,” OA added, “that Tiffany is also willing to support you. You just have to call her.”
Outside the church, in a quieter place, he finally decided to call her
The phone rings once, twice, third times, she answers.
"Stuart?"
"Hey, how's life in Georgia treating you? Better than in Hotlanta?"
"Come on, man, are you going to say that every time we talk?"
Scola laughed.
“It brings back good memories, Tiff.”
“So, how are you doing?”
“You're the third person to ask me that today.”
When he woke up this morning, Nina hugged him tightly and asked him, Recently OA and now her.
“Well, then I'm the third person who cares about your state of mind,” she replied.
“I'm at her memorial service, I spoke with her parents...”
“but...”
“I... just, I don't know.”
“It's only been a few days, Stuart.”
He sighed, “I know, it's going to take time.”
“Hey... I'm really sorry for your loss, and in a way, I feel bad for leaving...”
“No,” he cut her off quickly. “Tiffany, you didn't want this anymore, and you said yourself that there's nothing more dangerous than a partner who doesn't want to be in the field,” he recalled their conversation. “Besides, you're happy, and that's enough for me.”
“Then do me a favor. Nina told me how things happened.”
"You've been talking a lot, huh?"
“Yes, it concerns both of us.” He could hear her laugh, which made him smile. “Just don't blame yourself for what happened.”
Well, that wiped the smile off his face. “Yes, uh, I think that's a topic for later.”
“No, it's not, and believe it or not, as much as these things hurt, they happen. I carried the guilt for Hobbs' death for a while and... it's hard.”
“And since I imagine this is going to take some time, if it hurts a lot one night, you can call me or talk to Nina. We're both here for you.”
“Thanks, Tiff.”
“You know I'm here for you, no matter the distance.”
Stuart looked at Dani's photo on the wall, where pictures of those who had passed away were displayed.
Returning to work had been a challenge, but he had decided to take Tiffany and OA's word for it and had relied on them to be able to return.
“It was a short time, I wish I could have met you sooner, but I will remember you fondly. Thank you for allowing me to see my son grow up. I will tell him about you, he will know you,” he ended with a smile.
“Did they finally hang up the photo of her?” Maggie asked, approaching down the hallway with OA behind her.
“Yes, it's here now,” Stuart replied, smiling as he received a brief hug from Maggie.