Surrera one-shot (English)

The Valentine's Day Ball

Every year on Valentine's Day, the Sullivan family, one of the richest and wealthiest families in Seattle, organized a ball. Robert's parents, each time, chose a companion for their son to show up at that ball since he had no intention of looking for a woman to date. Robert, unlike his parents, was a person who did not care much about money and everything he achieved since he left home, was all his own merit. He had always dreamed of being a firefighter and in fact after school he managed to get into the academy and became a firefighter. In Seattle the Sullivan family was obviously very well known and everyone had a lot of respect for them. For this reason when Robert was asked if that was his family, he often denied because he did not want to be favored in any way. Even during the academy he was often asked if he was part of that family since they had the same last name, but he always denied it until the day he officially became a firefighter. After that day, word got around within the department and they often played Robert off even though he hated it a lot. After too many times that Robert had been very different from his colleagues, one day he showed up at the department to set the record straight. He didn't want to be helped in his career just because he was a Sullivan, but he wanted to make a career for his own merits. Even though the department wasn't very happy about it because they were afraid of losing the donations from Robert's parents, he had assured that this would never happen as long as things were kept separate. The Chief agreed and from that moment on Robert was considered like all his other colleagues. He worked at station 19 and even though everyone always believed that he had made it to the rank of Lieutenant thanks to all the effort he had put in, there was one person in particular who still didn't believe him. She was the other Lieutenant of station 19, Andrea Herrera, but everyone called her Andy. She was the daughter of the Captain of the station, but she had never had any privileges, except one. Her only privilege was to be able to choose the station where she worked and she obviously chose station 19. Since always Andy had never had any concessions from her father, but on the contrary he seemed to be even more severe with her. She too, just like Robert, had earned everything with her own effort even if they both thought the same thing about each other. They both thought that Andy's father helped her just as she thought that Robert's parents had received many favors to get him to that point. Andy's mother, Elena, had left her career as a firefighter when she got pregnant with Andy, but she really enjoyed being a housewife. Things between Andy and Robert got even more complicated when Pruitt Herrera decided to retire and so Andy and Robert entered into a competition to become the new Captain. One morning the two found themselves together in the gym training and as usual they argued.

Robert: "Of course you will be the Captain in the end. Of course your father will support you in the final choice" he said as he continued to run on the treadmill.

Andy: "My father will never support me, you never have" she replied as she also continued to run on the treadmill next to the one where Robert was and he started laughing.

Robert: "Sure, sure, of course"

Andy: "My father has never helped me. He treats me like everyone else if not worse. The only thing he has helped me with is where to work"

Robert: "Ah, ah, see? He helped you"

Andy: "Why don't your parents instead donate large sums to the department so that you are always treated better than everyone else?"

Robert: "It's true, they have in the past, but I have been making things clear for many years now. They can donate all the money they want, but I want to earn my own money, I don't want it to be given to me just because my parents are rich" Andy burst out laughing.

Andy: "You're rich too. I bet you have a millionaire's trust fund"

Robert: "I've never touched that money and I don't plan on doing so" Andy looked at him in confusion.