When Worlds Collide

Frustration & Lemonade

Carina was rocking Liam when she heard Maya's phone ring out in the living room. Maya answered and Carina could hear that her wife was having a tense conversation. She looked down at Liam who was just about asleep and kept rocking while she strained to hear what Maya was saying. Another minute went by and Maya's voice started rising before Carina heard the sliding door open and a second later it was silent as Maya had gone outside. Standing slowly, Carina gently placed Liam into his crib and stood for a second to make sure he was asleep before checking the monitor and closing the door as she quietly backed out.
Maya was still out in the backyard on the phone, her gestures indicating that she was in the middle of an intense discussion. Carina opened the slider, stepped outside and closed it, making sure to leave it open a crack so she could hear the monitor if need be.
"No mom, No! He put his hands on my wife! He's lucky I don't have her press charges!...Stop defending him...no...I don't care....look, I've got to go."
And with that she hung up and grunted in frustration. Carina stood silently and waited until Maya turned around and saw her there.
"Are you ok Bambina?"
"I'm so pissed off Carina. She called to 'check on me' and I was going to be good with her, but then I heard his voice in the background. I got so angry because I just wish she'd leave him and never go back. I don't get why she keeps letting him abuse her."
"My love, she is not strong enough yet. And maybe she never will be, but we have to be as supportive as possible so that she can find her strength and free herself."
"I really wish you'd press charges against him. Maybe that would help her figure her shit out once and for all."
"Maya, I'm grateful that you weren't hurt and I know he's a stronzo, but I don't want to give him any more power because that's what he's looking for-a fight."
"Yeah, but letting him get away with it is giving him a head trip that his behavior is untouchable."
Maya was pacing the backyard and Carina knew she was about to explode. She moved toward her wife and reached for her hand.
"Maya, look at me. I love you so much. I am so incredibly proud of you every single day and in every way. Your passion for things to be better is going to help teach our children to always want to do good. But my love, I need you to not hold anger toward your mother because she isn't as strong as you. I want Liam to know his nonna and I want our son or daughter to know her as well. I want her to know that we are her safe space. Por favore Bambina?"
Maya stared at Carina, the outline of hot tears on the brim of her eyes.
"Twins."
"What?"
"I saw you with our twins, a boy and a girl. They looked so much like Mason and me."
"You-you saw them? When....when you were with Andrea?"
Carina's voice cracked as she spoke. Maya's frown softened and she smiled as she pulled Carina to her.
"You looked so beautiful, so happy. I know I've been worried about the whole ticking time bomb thing, but it's only because I don't want to let you-or any of our kids-down. And I just don't know what to do about my dad...or Mason. The hate and anger that they both have, it worries me. I am afraid that I won't be able to protect you or them-"
Carina leaned down and kissed Maya before she could finish.
"I trust that you'll find a way, and do you know how I know? Because I'm married to Maya Bishop, and she is the most determined person I've seen. We will be ok, no matter what your father or your brother or anyone else tries to do."

Maya was lying in the hammock outside when she heard Jack's voice from the fence.
"Hey, can I come over and play?"
"Get in here you friggin jackass."
Jack unhooked the latch and then closed the gate behind him. He walked across the yard and sat at the picnic table while Maya swung her legs down to sit up in the hammock.
"How you feeling Gibby?"
Jack smiled before answering. The nickname had been dropped on him by 'chaos Kate' and while he didn't care for it at first, using it made him feel like he was still part of the team he called family.
"I'm doing ok I guess. I miss you and everybody at the house. At least doing dispatch keeps me connected."
"I miss having you around too Jack. It's not the same without you. But you have been doing rehab and I see you don't have the cane anymore. That's progress, right?"
"Yeah, I mean, I'd like nothing more than to get cleared to be back in a truck-even the Aid car or Crisis One."
Maya reached her hand out and placed it on Jack's knee.
"You just keep working and let's stay positive. I know Vic will absolutely advocate for you to rejoin Crisis One if it's a possibility."
Jack gave Maya his patented offset smile just as Carina opened the slider, grabbed a tray with lemonade on it and came out.
"Hi Jack, I saw you on the cameras. Lemonade?"
Jack took a glass and handed another one to Maya who looked at Carina with a quizzical expression. Carina pointed into the house and smiled.
"Oh your little girl crush is in with Liam. She got here right after Jack. I have to go to the hospital, remember? I'm meeting with a new patient and I am going to sign the paperwork to get Liam enrolled in the daycare center."
Maya gave Carina a deadpan stare. When Andy had told Maya about the crush her cousin Michelle had on her, Maya had asked Andy to not say anything to Carina-so naturally Andy blabbed it. Carina had taken it in good humor and now enjoyed making Maya squirm whenever she could by teasing her wife.
"Seriously Carina, you get way too much enjoyment out of that. And I'm curious why you aren't threatened by her being here alone with me."
"Bambina, if I can get over this-" she said pointing between Maya and Jack "-then I'm not worried about you and your best friend's cousin. Besides, our son is a great deterrent AND we have cameras now. Posso vedere tutto."
Carina smiled, shook her shoulders in her little 'because I'm smart' way, kissed Maya and headed back into the house. Jack smirked as he took a sip of his lemonade.
"You are such an ass Gibby."
Maya chuckled as she drank her lemonade.