Chapter Text
One would think that Maya Bishop would be on top of the world. Her friend of over a year (since the Academy) Andy Herrera, just
barely weathered a storm: a department investigation into her and Battalion Chief Robert Sullivan's secret romance. Maya doesn't know
the particulars, since she and Andy are not talking at the time. She expected Jack Gibson to be the second choice for the open Captain
position (with ANDY as the front-front runner) which doesn't bother her much (at the time (she's been a Lieutenant for a total of thirty
minutes) but once her father Lane 'got into her head' and pushed her to put HER name forward ('I you taught that when you are competing
FRIENDS DON'T EXIST! WHEN ONLY ONE OF YOU CAN WIN fuck your friend or family or co-worker-eyes on the FUCKING prize !"
You said the department has already made a decision that a female should be the next Captain of Station 19: your friend has taken herself
out of the running-don't be afraid to grab onto the brass ring, Kiddo!').
When Andy approached her after discovering that she had put herself forward for the job of Station Commander she had one question...WHY?
"I know you wanted the job, Andy. What do you expect me to do-not try for it?! By screwing our boss' boss' boss you sealed your own fate.
They're gonna make a woman Captain so-"
At that point Andy had delivered a shocking surgical strike "They're NOT though they rightly concluded that your ten or fifteen
minutes as an LT don't qualify you in any way to be a commander; Gibson's PTSD has them worried and as you said my relationship with Sullivan
takes me out of consideration. They are going outside SFD-a woman of color from San Diego. Robert's pretty sure that she's our next leader."
Maya's face reddened and her fists clenched; her eyes narrowed eyes she growled "OH...'Robert says?' You 'queered me'* with your boyfriend,
is that it? Put your two cents in?"
"I didn't have to do that, Maya. I'm not a part of the promotion board, as you well know," Andy rebutted.
"Don't play dumb! I'm talking about informal influence...you sleep in the same bed and I'm supposed to believe that you didn't
influence him to decide on that chick from California?"
"Oh, Please!" Andy scoffs.
********
FLASHBACK
Chief Lucas Ripley: My mandate was to locate a female candidate-obviously a LIEUTENANT-to elevate to the vacant Captain slot at '19' within
the SFD. For obvious reasons, Andrea Herrera will not be considered for that opportunity. Maya Bishop-also from the '19'- doesn't have the
type of experience necessary to be considered.
Battalion Chief Frankel: Rosario from 42?
Battalion Chief Gregory: She's happy as a Lieutenant.
Operations Chief Donaldson: As much as the mandate to put a female in that slot it seems that we lack enough women to consider.
Ripley: Expand the search...look outside Seattle.
END FLASHBACK
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When Lucas arrived home that evening he and his wife sit and discuss their day for some time before Vic announced that Herrera and
Sullivan appear to be on the road to reconciliation. It's clear by her husband's expression that he was less than happy with that news.
"They're adults, Babe," she said. "If they want to be together" she shrugged. "I know that you can barely stomach her."
"For good reason, wouldn't you say?" he retorts. "And it isn't because of her past; I've told you that I've always believed that Herrera's
had one foot out the door from the start. I didn't trust her then and I still don't. I'm sure that she wants him...I don't believe that she
loves him."
Vic argued "I've known Andy for a while and one thing I'm positive of is that she really does love him: she shot down Gibson's proposal
before he even had a chance to ask her and when Ryan came back to 'reclaim her' she set him straight. I'm a woman-trust me! I don't
deny her faults and I don't make excuses for her-"
"Except that you DO. You and all of the rest of that firehouse enable her and EACH OTHER! Not calling out one another's defects and
glossing over the other's questionable and at times against policy behavior is NOT what families do. True friends-TRUE FAMILIES
hold the group members accountable."
"Well..it's their problem, not ours."
"Unless I'M dragged into it. It's why I decided to clarify some parts of the department policies."
TBC