Captain
Random one-shot.
When the team gets back from the call Theo gets into it with Andy
"I did not undermine you."
"You were second-guessing every decision I made."
"I was giving you information." Andy tried to tell him.
"No, you were questioning me in front of the team. It's dangerous, and it stops now." Theo said, walking away.
Travis comes up to her "He's under a lot of pressure."
"Yeah. Now I wish we weren't having this stupid dinner." Andy told him, angrily taking off her turnouts.
A few minutes later
Everyone walks into the beanery.
"Looks like you got your wish," Travis told Andy.
"Oh, my god. What happened?" Andy asked.
Hughes told everyone that she forgot the food was out and that someone must've left a burner on.
"Are you kidding me? Are you telling me that one of my firefighters left the stove on? What is this, a joke? Another one of your pranks?"
Andy decided to speak in a monotone voice "Yeah, it's a prank. We thought it'd be hilarious to flood the beanery and ruin dinner."
"Did you do this?" Everyone looked up from what they were doing, watching the two.
"Why the hell would I do this? What-- do you really think I would intentionally waste--"
Ben interrupted "Okay, okay, okay. I'm sure it was an accident."
"Are you? 'Cause this seems like exactly the kind of thing one would do to make a new captain look incompetent." Theo said, pissed off.
Maya and Travis speak at the same time.
"Come on."
"Okay, that's ridiculous."
"Listen, Ruiz-" Robert started but got cut off.
"No, it's Captain," Theo said, and Andy had to resist the urge to roll her eyes. He wasn't acting like a captain right now.
"Captain Ruiz, accidents happen, all right? This was an accident." Robert tried to explain but Theo still stormed out after saying they would all be running drills.
Everyone looks at Vic and she says that she'll go talk to him and goes down to his office.
"If I knew Theo was going to be like this I would've fucking taken the job myself," Andy mumbled under her breath, not knowing she said it loud enough for everyone to hear. She continued to clean while everyone else just stopped what they were doing and looked at her. It took a few moments for her to look up. When she did she realized all of them were staring at her. "Shit. I said that out loud, didn't I."
"You did," Maya said, looking at her friend for a minute before it clicked. "You don't want the position temporarily, do you?"
Andy sighed. "When I was at 23 I excelled, you guys." Andy looked at everyone. "I was coming into my own when the house closed. I deserve to be a captain right now. Not a fucking lieutenant. I was finally ready. I was finally captain for more than a shift or two at a time and it all got taken away when 23 closed." Andy said and sighed again.
"But Andy, what if it ends up being permanent for Ruiz?" Travis asked. He wanted Theo to succeed but he knew Andy was right, she deserved to be captain.
Andy looked down, a guilty look on her face. "I- I don't know what will happen, but I just know I can't be stuck as lieutenant for much longer," Andy told them as she walked over to the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water.
Maya and Sullivan raised an eyebrow, looked at each other and then it clicked for Sullivan.
"You're not thinking about transferring, are you?"
"Who's thinking about transferring?" Vic asked, coming back in the beanery.
Everyone looked from her to Andy and Vic saw it.
"Why would Andy be thinking about transferring?" Vic asked, eyebrows furrowed.
Andy opened and closed her mouth, not knowing what to say.
"Andy was asked to be acting captain before Ruiz was," Travis told Vic, knowing that she needed to know.
Vic looked at Andy. "Why didn't you say yes?"
Andy sighed. "I, um. Look, at 23 I was finally finding my way without any personal drama. Look, long story short, When I become captain I want to stay captain. I don't want it temporarily for the fucking fourth time."
"Fourth time?" Sullivan asked.
"First was when Jack and I were captaining the house, second time was when Maya was out helping Carina with the loss of her brother, and then 23 is when I really grew into the best version of myself. Had to deal with two sexist assholes and a new probie but I still figured out how to handle them and gained their respect." Andy sighed and sat down at the beanery table before looking at everyone. "I want to be captain of this house. I want to be able to be your captain, but if I can't get the position in a permanent standpoint at this house," Andy stopped and shrugged her shoulders.
"Andy, you can't just leave. This is your dad's house." Andy chuckled at Travis's comments.
"That's rich. No one fought for me to stay here when I got transferred to 23. I was the only fucking woman at that house for 11 months!" Andy shouted. "And then the only other one was a goddamn probie so it wasn't like I could fucking talk to her like I can with you guys!" Andy stood up. "Look, I need to advance my career and I can't do that when I'm constantly unable to here."
"Yeah, but what if Beckett ends up not coming back?" Vic asked and as Andy was about to answer Ross and Ruiz walked into the beanery.
"I need to speak to all of you." Ross started, "I talked to Beckett and his union rep, and they've informed me that he won't be seeking his captaincy back." Ross told them. "So, I've decided on who I want to be the permanent captain of this house." Ross paused. "Look, there's a bunch of lieutenants here but one has more seniority than the other three."
Everyone looked at Andy while Andy continued to look down.
"Lieutenant Herrera," Ross called, and Andy sighed, stood up and then raised her head to look at Ross. "You've been Lieutenant here for the longest."
"I'm aware of that, Chief," Andy said, not in a rude way but with defeat clear in her voice.
"Lieutenant Bishop, Sullivan and Ruiz. You're all great in one way or another but I can't make any of you a permanent captain again when Herrera's proved herself to me on more than one occasion. That first call I saw Herrera command was proof that she was captain material and the rest of her time at 23 showed what good a leader was."
"So, you're going to be making her permanent captain right now?" Ruiz asked, disappointment in his voice but he looked at Andy. He knew she would make a great captain. She gained the respect of the guys at 23 quickly after becoming acting captain.
Ross nodded and looked from Theo to Andy. "Herrera, I would like to make you the official captain of station 19 if you'll have it," Ross asked and watched Andy smile and nod.
"I'd love that, Chief," Andy said, walked over to Ross and shook her hand.
