You & Me & Our Little Family

Family Business Duties

"What do you mean you're going to Italy?"
"Bambina, I wish I didn't have to, but as head of my family I am the only one who can deal with this situation."
"Bullshit.  What about Raphael? I thought the whole agreement was that he took care of everything and you were able to live your life here in Seattle with me and our kids?"
"Under most of the circumstances that is true, but this a a unique situation.  Besides, he already tried to deal with it while I was still pregnant.  Unfortunately it is an opportunity for the business that requires the head of the family to be the one who's there...di persona."
"So that's it? We don't have a discussion?  I don't get a say?"
"Maya, I love you more than anything in this world, but you knew that there would be times that I would have to step away from our family to conduct business.  Don't act surprised by this, por favore."
"What I'm surprised by is that you are just being so casual about having to fly to Italy for a week when you literally just gave birth two months ago!  We have two newborns and a toddler Carina and you're just going to take off?"
Carina's eyes flared and her mouth drew itself into a thin line as she stared at Maya.
"Oh capisco, it's ok for you to take off and go to Japan and Hawaii after two weeks of our daughters being born, but I can't go to my country when they are two months old for five days? No raga Maya! "
"I wasn't the one who actually gave birth Carina!  You're still healing for Christ's sake!"
"That's the amazing thing about being an OB my love, I actually do know what the body can and can't take!  Besides, I didn't hear you voicing concern when we had sex the morning after you came home!"
Maya opened her mouth to respond but instead closed it again, exhaling in frustration as she started to pace.  Carina stood her ground on the other side of the living room with her arms crossed and her very Italian temper simmering as she struggled to stay calm.  After a minute, she took a deep breath and began again.
"Bambina, I need you to listen to me and to understand.  I tried to get out of this every way I could.  I offered to do a zoom call even, but this meeting is molto  importante to the family business and I have no choice but to go.  I'm only going to be gone five days...and two and half  of those are for traveling back and forth.  Please Bambina, I need to not fight with you about this.  I don't want to go but I have to, va bene?"
Maya stopped pacing and stared at Carina.  She could see that she wasn't going to win this fight so she took a deep breath, exhaled and crossed the living room.  Stopping in front of her wife, Maya exhaled again before wrapping her arms around Carina's waist and pulling her close.
"I don't want to fight with you either.  I'm sorry.  I just worry about you, you know that.  And I know you're capable of taking care of yourself, but you know I still worry.  You also know I'll sleep like shit and be a cranky bitch with everyone except our kids.  That's what happens when you're away from me my love, I spiral."
"That's only half true Bambina.  When we are separated, you are also so strong and you give me so much of your strength.  Your love and protection stays with me constantly.  It's one of the many reasons I fell in love with you."
Maya tilted her head back and let out a deep sigh before bringing it back down and staring into Carina's warm brown eyes.
"Do you want me to take you to the airport?"

"Fuuuckin A Maya, you scared me!"
Andy shook her head as she stumbled back into the door and stared at Maya, leaning back with her feet up on her desk, looking at her phone.
"Her plane is about to take off. I won't hear from her for another seventeen hours at least Andy."
"Maya, not to be rude but where are your children?"
"Miranda asked if Liam could do a sleepover because Pru wanted to see him and my mom is at my house with the girls."
"And you didn't think you should, I don't know, help your mom, maybe?"
Maya looked up from her phone and pursed her lips.
"My mom has already raised twins, I haven't.  Plus, Andrea looks so much like Carina I just needed to take a minute before I could look at her little face."
Andy smirked and pointed at Maya.
"Holy shit, you're scared!"
"What? That's bullshit."
"No, it's not, Queen of the Clipboard Maya Bishop is scared of taking care of her own twin daughters!"
"I'm not scared Andy, I ju-"
The klaxon went off and Andy turned to leave as Maya jumped up and followed her.
"Where are you going?"
"I'm a firefighter aren't I?"
"Yeah, who's on maternity leave.  Stop stalling and go home, you'll have plenty of this soon enough."
Andy kicked off her shoes and jumped into her turnouts, swinging her jacket over and through her arms as she climbed up.  Maya stood in the doorway of the barn and watched, giving Andy a narrow-eyed frown as Andy smiled and blew her a kiss before the engine disappeared out of the building.  Jamming her hands into her pockets, Maya wandered across the empty expanse of the barn and headed toward the clinic annex.  She was standing there, looking at the framed picture of Jack, Ben and Carina when she felt her phone vibrate.  Pulling it out of her pocket, Maya smiled at the text message.
'Ti amo Bambina, per sempre 🫦'
Maya typed the text back.
'Sempre e per sempre amore mio 💋'
Pushing her phone into her back pocket, Maya turned and headed toward the gym, deciding that she'd check on the recruits before going home. 
"Ok recruits, pair up for simulated harnessed rescue. Let's go! Move! Move!"
Sullivan stood watching as Maya scanned the recruits, setting her eyes on Ellis and Jones before casually walking toward them.
"No Nat, you have to weave it like this..."
"Oh is that how you've seen Captain Se-"
Cam spotted Maya just as Nat was about to finish her sentence.
"OH! Uhhh...h-hey Captain Deluca-Bishop! W-wh-what's up?"
She stood up straight as Nat turned around to face Maya, her face bright red.  Maya let a smirk pull at the side of her mouth as she arched an eyebrow and looked at their harnesses.
"You're right Ellis, that is the way to weave the harness for maximum comfort and strength.  Good job.  Jones, let me show you if you don't mind?"
Nat's eyes went wide for a second as she stared at Maya before nodding and handing Maya her harness. 
"Ok, first you want to untangle the leads and keep them at an angle like this.  Then go ahead and step into the harness...good...bring it up like this and secure it around your hip bones.  The good thing about us being women is that we have a cleaner line for the harness to sit, see?"
Nat held her breath as Maya got it up to her thighs and reached around her hips, pulling the harness snugly into each side of her pelvis before reaching around Nat's waist and securing the belt.  Cam could barely hold back a giggle as she watched Nat trying desperately to stay calm.  Maya continued, looking over at Cam as she lifted the harness shoulder straps over Nat's back and brought them down across her chest.
"The trick here is to use the back of the harness to hold the most pressure so it doesn't cut into the chest.  Follow what I'm doing here Ellis."
Cam struggled to get the straps right so Maya finished securing Nat's straps at her waist and patted her hips before turning to Cam and taking ahold of her harness, repeating the procedure over her shoulders.
"You've got to keep these straight otherwise when your body weight comes up against gravity, you're going to pull a back muscle.  Understand?"
Nat simply stared at Maya as she checked over Cam's harness, trying desperately to maintain her composure.  'Fuck me, you are so goddamned hot' she thought to herself before blinking and shaking her head. 
"S-so Captain, how many rescue climbs have you done?"
"Well, last I checked, Captain Herrera and I are still the state champs with just over six dozen.  It's not about how many you do though, it's about how effectively you can get them done.  And it all starts with harnessing up properly so you can get to the victim and not have to screw around with readjusting once you unclinch for the rescue and then lock n load to get back up as quick as possible."
Maya stepped back and looked at both of them as they stared at her.  She shook her head and gave them a half smile.
"How many more times should I show up and give you both pointers before you stop looking at me like a couple of deer caught in headlights?"
Cam blinked and smiled as she tried to act casual.
"Oh I don't know, like maybe six or seven more times?"
Nat chimed in.
"Or, y'know, as many times as you want.  I mean, I learn something from you every time you show up."
Maya started to give them a crooked smile when her phone went off.  She pulled it from her back pocket and read her text, her face changing expression.  She looked up at Cam and Nat, setting her face into serious mode.
"I'm looking for Probies who can be the best.  The fan girling thing was flattering, but you both need to get it out of your system.  I need focus because I need to know you can handle this job.  So find your focus, got it?"
They both nodded as Maya hit a button on her phone, turned and walked away already in a conversation.  Cam turned to Nat and grabbed at her sleeve.
"Can you believe that just happened?"
"Yeah, cause I'm pretty sure I fucking orgasmed when she touched me.  I don't know Cam, she's so fucking sexy...and I'm so jealous of her wife."
"Well get your shit together my friend.  You heard her, she's pretty much pegged us to be her Probies, so we need to earn it because I don't want her thinking we're only good for traffic duty at a scene."