FRIENDLY FIRE: A 9-1-1 fanfiction

Part Nineteen: Tequila Storm

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Author's note: I'm releasing this chapter early as a thank-you for all the support I've had these past few weeks. Special thank- you to EmmaMartinez2002

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EMMA
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"You're sure about this?" Hollis glanced over her shoulder at me, worry lining her face, "It feels wrong to go out when Ajay is... you know."

I sighed heavily, taking another swig from the metal flask Hank had kindly lent me for the night, "Hol, you look like hell. I look like hell. We both need to get out everything we've been feeling. It'll make us better at this."

Hollis put down her lipstick, turning around to face me, "Breaking things makes us better parents?"

I shrugged, turning to lean back against her chest of drawers, toying with the cap of the flask, "Maybe? All I know is Lena said it helped the 118 deal with their issues, and she bought us two tickets as a gift, so we're going."

Hollis rolled her eyes, reaching back to grab her handbag off the vanity table, her hand knocking into the record player, making the needle scratch for a second. "Lena said so did she? "

I raised my brow at her, taking another swig, the liquid burning down my throat softly, making me clear my throat, "Yeah, what about it?"

"Nothing," Hollis shook her head quickly, standing up to hitch her bag onto her shoulder, "it's been a week now, right? That you've been seeing her?"

I scoffed, kicking off the drawers too, "We're not seeing each other, it's just sex."

Hollis threw me a strange look over her shoulder again, starting to walk out of the room, "Again? I thought Jason was supposed to be your last 'only sex' situation."

I shrugged behind her, a pinch of annoyance pricking my chest as I grew defence against the judgement I felt, "Well he wasn't."

Hollis didn't comment on the bite in my words, instead strolling into the living room and stooping to kiss Caden's head. "So you don't have feelings for her?"

I moved to the kitchen, pulling down a bottle of tequila to top up my flask again, "No."

It wasn't that I didn't like Lena, I did. I thought she was fun and interesting, I loved to watch her fight, and she was great to get drunk with, but she was just a friend. A friend I had sex with regularly but still, just a friend.

"You really need that?" Hollis sighed, and I turned to see her with her hand on her hip, her eyes trained on the flask I was closing up.

I sniffed, tucking it away into my bag on the counter, "Yes?"

"I'm just saying," Hollis held her hands up in defence, walking over to me, "there hasn't been a day this week you've been sober."

"There has!" I protested, heat rising up my neck, my hands fiddling with my bag as I resisted the urge to have another drink.

Hollis gave me a blank look, "It's your choice what you do, Sarge, I'm not your keeper."

"I haven't been drinking all week," I repeated more coherently, clearing my throat quickly, "should we go?"

Maybe I was drinking a little more than usual, but life was also a little more chaotic than usual. I'd moved here, there was a tsunami, I was on unpaid leave, Ajay was in hospital... and the one hundred other things that I wanted to forget too. I didn't think I had to explain myself for wanting a glass or two of wine before bed every other day or so; it was my problem.