She's Worth It

Chapter One

Three weeks till the next episode :(

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Ross was in her office, having called Andy in to talk to her about Vic's behaviour after the Space Needle call with the media and how she talked to Osman.

Andy knocked on the door.

"Come in," Ross called out. She looked up, her expression sad.

Andy, having noticed, furrowed her eyebrows. "What's going on Chief?"

"Close the door please."

"What's going on?" Andy asked again, walking closer to Ross' desk.

Ross looks down momentarily, composing herself before looking back at Andy.

"Mayor Osman was just here." Andy's face turned to one of anger.

"What did he want?" Andy asked, anger clear in her voice. "Did he give an update on Hughes' job?"

Ross sat down on her chair, unhappy to tell the captain of 19 this news but knew she had to. Hughes was one of her firefighters and she knew Andy would want to know if Vic was going to be fired or not. Ross hated this. Vic was just speaking facts, but she knew Osman's ego was getting in the way of seeing clearly.

"Um, Andy," Andy cut her off.

"Why are you using my first name?" Andy asks, concerned.

"He gave me a choice," Ross started, "he said if I terminate Vic," Ross saw Andy open her mouth, but Ross raised a hand. "I could use her salary to allocate funds 'anywhere I see fit'"

Andy's mouth fell open for a moment before schooling her expression and sitting down, not liking this news.

"Do you know what you're going to do yet?" Andy asked, looking down momentarily but looking back up.

"I don't, Andy," Ross said, regret clear in her voice.

Andy looked down at her hands. Vic is vital to 19. She's one of the best things about 19. Crisis one. Her calm nature. The way she was able to get through to Beckett when he was at his lowest point and didn't want any help. Andy hadn't helped nearly as much as Vic had.

Andy was shaken out of her thoughts when she heard Chief Ross calling her name.

"Herrera!" Andy snapped her head up but wasn't focused on Ross.

"You just solved a big problem for me" Ross had told her after Andy had complained about station 23 to her, saying that it was a frat house and more. Then she thought back to the day Chief Ross came into the station to announce that it was being shut down. How she tried and failed to get Ross to change her mind.

"Before you make any announcements, can we revisit the conversation? Look, it's... it's a really good house." Andy recalled trying to fight for 23, even after saying horrible, yet true, things about the house.

"Herrera, I try not to make a habit of waffling. You make a decision, and you stand by it, good or bad." Ross had told her back, Andy could see that she didn't like having to close the house, but she also saw that Ross had no choice and just stood in line.

"Andy!" She heard from Ross and looked at Ross.

"I know how you can solve this department's budget problem without firing Hughes or anyone else," Andy told her.

Ross raises an eyebrow. "Just how do you plan on doing that, Herrera?"

Andy knew that she would most likely regret this, but she knew how important Hughes was to the station and her. The station needed Victoria Hughes.

"Herrera?" Ross asked when Andy didn't respond right away.

Andy inhaled and exhaled. "Demote me," Andy told her in one breath. If you get rid of my captain's salary and bring in a battalion chief, you'd have my captain's salary to use to keep Crisis One alive." Andy saw the shock on Ross' face and continued. "Victoria Hughes is too important to station 19. Too important to not be a firefighter and not have Crisis One. It's clearly too important to be shut down." Andy's eyes welled up, knowing that once again, seven years after wishing for this position that she was once again giving it up. "it's the right thing to do."

"Herrera, in the past few years of getting to know you I've seen your grit, your determination, how smart you are, how you can think on your feet, and I cannot afford to lose that in a captain, I just can't," Ross said, standing up and moving to stand in front of Andy. Andy looked up at her. "We just held your captain ceremony three weeks ago. Do you know how bad it would look, for the department, for me and you?"

"I don't care how it looks for me. I just need Hughes to continue to be a firefighter, Ross." Andy took off her captain bars. "Unless you find a way to have budget room for me as captain, Vic continuing to work at 19 and Crisis one," Andy lets a tear fall but wipes it away just as quickly, "I step down," Andy told her, leaning forward to place the bars on Ross' desk.

"Andy," Ross called out when Andy was at the door. "Why?"

Andy looks her straight in the eyes, "because she's worth it." Andy answered and walked out of the office.

Ross looked down at her desk and at the captain bars Andy had so selflessly left behind. Why does she have to be so God damn selfless when she deserves captain the most? Ross wondered to herself.

Continue?