Chapter Text
“I don’t get it, Andy…you’re FREE: back on the market and free to take advantage of all the hot men eager for your company
which I notice that you are not ‘leaning into’ AT ALL…what gives?”
“He’s GONE, Maya. He left Seattle, and I don’t know where to find him…he swore Warren and Dr. Webber to secrecy and no one
else knows where he went. I have to find him, Maya: make him see that I’m not the same woman that I was: I DON’T WANT to ‘lean
nto’ that behaviour any more; it’s probably why we’re both divorced in our thirties and still bar-hopping.”
“WHOA…HARSH ! But probably true!” Maya Bishop admitted. “What’s your point?”
“Isn’t it obvious?”, Andrea “Andy” Herrera retorts. "THAT’S WHY I don’t ‘lean in’ and dive into bed with the first hot rando
who approaches me at Joe’s - which I’ve decided I’m not going there anymore; old habits die hard, and the temptation is too strong...
you’ll have to do ‘self-care Wednesday 'on your own from now: sorry, babe.”
“Yeahhh…that’s a bridge too far, Ands: the man is GONE and so is the woman; we two are the hottest recent divorcees in the Emerald
City: If you’re so miserable single, why did you file?”
"What the LIVING FUCK??!! You; Carina; Gibson: you three were the main three pushing me to do that! You picked and picked at me: ‘he
undermined you; he ‘back-doored’ Bishop’; ‘Ooh, Ooh!: he’s ruthless and puts his career first over you.’ Over and over until the constant
chorus of ‘you should file on him’! and my own anger combined so that I did the stupidest, most foolish, irrational, and lame-brained thing
I’ve ever done, and there’s a list of those misadventures a mile long: such as storming Acting Chief McCallister’s office that night, in my
trauma/fueled and irrational state of mind I blamed him for my transfer when it wasn’t his fault at all…when my papi’s memorial engine
burned was when
I decided, and you all got what you wanted…I’m HERE and el amor de mi vida : the love of my life is gone.”
[The love of my life is gone.] She grabs her jacket, handbag, and keys, hurrying to the front door.
"HEY-where are you going?!" Bishop cries.
Over her shoulder, Herrera answers: "To find him."
/*FLASHBACK*/:
Seattle Fire Department HQ, HR Conference Room/
“The date is September 17, 2022. I am Deputy Chief of Personnel, Michaela Lorenzo; also present in descending order of rank are Chief
of the department Lucas I. Ripley, Director of Human Resources, Monica L. CasaBuena-Hendricks, Battalion Chief Robert E. Sullivan, interim
Captain Andrea S. Herrera-Sullivan, Captain Sean Beckett, Executive Assistant to The Chief Natarsha W.A. Romanisk, and Stenographer Sara
R. Castillo. We also have Union Steward Mick Ocampo, representing Capt. Herrera-Sullivan and Davia Clark, representing Capt. Beckett. The
purpose of this meeting is to read into the official record testimony pertaining to the alleged misconduct of Captain Sean A. Beckett, to wit: that
you disrespected a superior officer - Chief Sullivan; that you have appeared at multiple active scenes intoxicated or impaired, and that you
promoted and fostered a toxic workplace in general.
“Ms. CasaBuena-Hendricks will begin the interview; her questions are concerning sexual harassment of a subordinate officer: YOURSELF-
which is alleged to have been continuous, unwelcome, and ongoing. Captain Herrera-Sullivan, In your complaint, you describe twelve
separate incidents when Captain Beckett requested that you join him for quote unquote ‘drinks and to hang out’, which you assert that
you declined each time: yet he persisted-you still assert that?”
“Yes, I do, Ma'am.”
"What did you take that to mean: 'drinks and hang out'?"
"He wanted sex."
“And you made it clear that you did not desire a personal relationship of that nature?”
“Correct..SORRY...the first time I did make it clear; on subsequent occasions I...made excuses as to why I would not accept.”
"Hmmm; can you provide examples of those excuses?"
"(Ahem)...I...um...the second time he asked, I said that things were still too messy between my husband and myself...the sixth time I said
something like 'you know that that was a one-time thing; that we'd already violated the 'unwritten code' and that I did not desire a repeat."
CasaBuena asked, "And you deemed those... REASONS-let's call them - as sufficient so that Captain Beckett would have or SHOULD HAVE
known that you did not desire further intimate contact with him?"
"Yes, Ma'am," Andy said confidently. "Captain Beckett is a 46-year-old man who's been married and divorced; in my view, he possesses more
than sufficient life experience to know when he's being 'blown-off', so to speak."
"Blown is right!", Beckett grumbled.
"CAPTAIN...that will do," warns Chief Romanisk.
"Tell 'em how you asked about the size of my package outside the Emerald," the drunk slurred.
"If you open your mouth again, Captain you WILL NOT LIKE WHAT HAPPENS NEXT!" Ripley near-shouted. "Ms. CasaBuena-
Hendricks...we should close this hearing and reschedule: Beckett is impaired."
The board exchanged agitated glances. "Captain Beckett, you are excused. If you return to the follow-up hearing either drunk or in any
way under the influence, don't worry about the hearing-I will terminate you ON THE SPOT. Prior to the next hearing, you are required to
submit to a Breathalyzer. If you refuse, you will be terminated. Do you copy, Ms. Clark?" said Luke.
"Yes, Chief."
"Please ensure that Captain Beckett understands that if he comes here again drunk or contacts Captain Herrera-Sullivan in ANY WAY
I will refer him to the PD for stalking. The Union will be notified when the two of you should appear again. Thank you."
Robert is one of the last to file out of the room; he had hung back for a whispered conversation with Ripley; Andy hurried to catch
up with him..."Robert, please...I need to talk to you..."
"Contact Amy Quinn; she has already reached out to your attorney. I'm selling my house; I owned it before we were married; however
I've instructed Ms. Quinn to deposit $140, 000 of the profits into your bank. You'll need to recover the rest of your property before
the closing and as I've changed the locks and security code, contact Amy to gain access. I'll see you through this...final humiliation
and once that's concluded, I'm leaving Seattle. Any other contact should be done through our attorneys. "Ya todo se hablo...
it's all been said-that's what you told me, right? Goodbye, Andy."
"ROBERT...PLEASE...this can't be...the end!"
"We're in HEADQUARTERS, Captain: keep your voice down..."
"I'll keep my voice down: if you agree to meet me later...please. I know that I don't deserve it after causing you yet more pain just
now, IN THERE. All I ask is that you meet me tonight, or anytime, anyplace that you choose. I just...I beg you don't leave Seattle until
we talk...even if it's for the last time. I have no right to ask - especially after I left you without a word and didn't give you a chance to-
to explain. PLEASE."
He looks away, clearly battling with himself. "Robert?"
"Yeah. Alright," he said grudgingly. "I'll text you the time and location. Was that all?"
She nodded and offered a weak smile, which he didn't respond to. Maybe he didn't see she thought to herself.
Tonight, Tonight, Tonight-Genesis
Because tonight, tonight, tonight - oh
We're gonna make it right
Tonight, tonight, tonight - oh.
I got some money in my pocket, about ready to burn
I don't remember where I got it, I gotta get it to you
So please answer the phone, cos I keep calling, but you're never home
What am I gonna do
Tonight, tonight, tonight - oh
I'm gonna make it right
Tonight, tonight, tonight - oh.
/////
The four-alarm blaze would have been bad enough with a full contingent of personnel; with eight men and women injured or off-
line due to swallowing smoke (and Beckett relieved of duty and exiled from the scene for being hungover, Battalion Chief Robert has
no choice except to leave control of the scene to Ripley when the north rear corner of the building collapsed, trapping at least two other
two other first responders an EMT he went into action: "Bobby...come out of there alive-that's an order!"
He grins and tosses his best friend a salute before trotting toward the collapse: "Rivera, Miller; eyes open and heads on a swivel and keep
in mind that this is where the larger fireworks are kept...copy?"
Both firefighters answer "Yessir!"
/////
"Reports every ten mikes, Chief," Ripley advises Sullivan, then turns to address his wife. "Babe...Herrera's losing it over in the Aid Car: when
you transmitted to Sullivan just now, she started hyperventilating. What should I do?"
"Have Warren sedate her? The scene is controlled for the most part. What do you think?"
"We could do that...or maybe you should talk to her."
"VIC..."
"Please, Baby? You are known as the Chief who goes above and beyond to take care of your people. Can I bring her over?"
A DEEP sigh from Ripley and he looks askance at his spouse. "That's strike one Hughes!"