Everyone Needs A Hero

Part 4 Lean On Me

- 1week after the Pearl Apartment Fire-
Dean was half awake as he walked down the hall to the locker room. It had been a long night and an even longer shift. He had barely been there for most of it. They'd put out two fires,saved a baby from a storm drain and had responded to a couple MVC calls.
"Hey " Vic called out to Dean as she followed him down the hall.
"What do you want ?" Dean answered in an irritated tone.
"Well it kinda seems like you need a friend or a hug. Are you ok?" Vic told him why she was there quietly.
"Fine Hughes. "Dean snapped "Now please leave me alone."
"Oh come on, please we could to the roof and talk? Or not talk. "Vic offered "I also might know where a bottle of tequila might be and we'll be off shift in a couple hours so I don't think anyone will mind"
She attempted to wrap her arms around Dean as she spoke.
"God why won't any of you leave me alone? I am fine ! I don't need you to check up on me or hug me because you think I'm sad. Just ,just back off. "Dean yelled pushing Vic off him and to the floor.
Vic shook on the floor as she watched Dean walk away and tried to regain her composure. She was hurt,mad and most of all confused. Her shoulders instantly felt sore. Dean would never hurt her before so why was he so violent now? It didn't make sense.
The only thing Vic knew as she sat on the ground was that she couldn't tell anyone. If she went to Sullivan Dean would be fired. And Ripley. God what would Ripley do if he found out ? Fire Dean or worse. She couldn't tell anyone. It was her secret.
"Vic you alright?"
Vic turned around to see Travis Montgomery standing over her.
"No. And I'm going to tell you what happened but you can't go to Sullivan and you can't tell Lucas."Vic replied quietly as she used the wall to pull herself up.
- Present Day -
Vic glanced over at Dean for a moment as she grabbed her uniform from her locker.
He seemed a little more focused,a little more human. That was probably because people from the station were actually talking to him now. Even if it was only 3 people and two of them hadn't stopped.
She had definitely been surprised when Jack walked into the beanery last week with Dean and acted like nothing happened. He had even jumped to Dean's defense when he caught everyone else staring. She had been surprised that he was so willing to forgive Dean after everything that Dean had done. She couldn't wrap her head around it and left because she didn't want to be in the same room with the person who had dropped her to the floor like she was nothing.
But now things were different. What Ripley had said was true and had somewhere inside of her. It was almost like she cared about Miller again. And now she thought she might be ready to forgive him.
"Hey Miller you want to get a drink after work ?"Jack approached Dean and the two broke off into conversation.
Vic turned back to her locker and pinned her badge on quietly. She wished she had the courage and strength that Jack did to just walk up to Dean and have a conversation.
Since their fight in the hallway Vic had exchanged four words with Dean. And they were only because they'd needed to communicate to do their jobs. A single sentence.
At least Jack had tried several times after he had been shoved into the ladder truck. Even if he had been rejected every single time.
"Hey " Andy approached Vic " So Ripley told Sullivan what happened between you and Miller. "
"He did ? I can't believe it I told him not to." Vic sighed angrily at the revelation.
"He said that too. He also said you'd be mad " Andy continued" But Dean's not going to be fired. I just wanted to say that I wish I had known so I could have been there for you."
Vic nodded"Thanks. He tried to apologise but I wasn't. I couldn't be bothered to hear him out. Is he mad at me for that do you think?"
Andy put a hand on Vic's shoulder"He's not mad at you. He's mad at himself for hurting you. Because believe me Vic that was the last thing he wanted to do. He understands why you don't want to speak to him. But you need to know he never meant to hurt you."
Andy walked away a few minutes later. Vic sat down on the bench and sighed. She hadn't wanted to hurt Dean either. And she might have. She might have when she stopped talking to him or when she started leaving the room whenever he came in. Or when she walked away when he tried to apologise.
Vic looked down at the ground and cried softly. This whole situation was awful. Ben had died in a fire which was sad but also reminded her of when Ripley almost died. His death had broken Dean so much that he threw her on the ground. But that part of the situation Vic hated the most was how much of a bad friend she had become. Instead of trying again she had given up on Dean entirely and left him when he needed someone. She had let her pride get in the way and had hurt him.
Vic looked up and blinked the last of her tears away before getting up and heading to the beanery.
She walked in and looked over at Dean who sat having a conversation with Andy,Jack and Dixon. Dean seemed happy.
"You know when my wife died. My first wife. Not Andy. Obviously. I didn't want to forgive Ripley. " Sullivan said quietly having had caught her staring. "And I didn't. I left. Went to Montana. Kept my head down. And then one day I got a call that Pruitt Herrera had cancer and was stepping down. "
"So you came here ? "Vic asked looking at her captain with a new sort of respect. He hadn't mentioned any of this before.
"I did. But I didn't want to. I told Ripley I wasn't interested. But he fought. Lucas saved me. He brought me here. To this station,with these people. He may not have been the one doing the saving but he was the one who had given me to those that were" Sullivan recounted the events that led him back to Seattle" I found a family. Met the incredibly stubborn but beautiful Andrea Herrera who I eventually married. Ripley put me here. And for that I will always be thankful. I forgave him even when I thought I couldn't. "
"Because if he hadn't done that you wouldn't be where you are today" Vic said softly.
"You know if Miller had actually hurt you I probably would have suspended him. Ripley sure as hell would have fired him. But he didn't."Sullivan told her "And the thing I've learned being the captain of this station is that everyone deserves a second chance. Or in this case a third chance. "
"Or in Warren's case eight chances " Vic smiled lightly.
Sullivan nodded with a smile.
"Thank you sir."Vic said quietly.
Vic walked over to the table where they sat and exhaled lightly. Nervously.
"Hey guys you mind ?" She asked looking at Gibson,Herrera and Dixon who nodded and left.
"Uh I'll leave " Dean mumbled quietly getting up to leave.
"No" Vic tried "Sit. It's fine. "
Dean was incredibly confused but sat back down anyway.
"So are you leaving then ?"He asked her with a sad look.
"No. I'm not." Vic answered and looked down at the table suddenly becoming nervous.
"I thought you hated me. Couldn't stand to be in the same room with me. "Dean accused growing even more confused."You made it pretty clear you didn't want me around"
"I don't hate you." Vic cried " I just. I was hurt. And scared. And confused. I didn't know how to look at you or talk to you without feeling the way I felt when you pushed me off you. So it was easier to not look at you. And not talk to you."
"What about everyone else? I mean they took your side. " Dean said " They hate me "
"They weren't taking my side " Vic explained emotionally feeling tears forming in her eyes " Well Montgomery was. But everyone else wasn't. They didn't know. I didn't tell them what happened between us."
Dean looked shocked "You didn't tell anyone?"
"You had just thrown Jack into the ladder truck. And not even a week or so later you were pushing me. If Sullivan or Ripley found out I was worried they'd fire you. So I didn't tell them" Vic explained"I didn't want you to get fired. And I didn't want Ripley to punch you in the face."
"Why would Ripley punch me in the face ?" Dean questioned his confusion only growing. "Why would they fire me ?"
"Because you hurt me. And because you shoved a female firefighter." Vic said calmer.
Vic looked over at Dean who closed his eyes and sighed.
"Right I could see why Ripley might want to hit me. And why I could have been fired. " Dean replied. "But why would you care if I had been fired ?"
"Because even if you hurt me and I didn't know how to talk to you or bring myself to look at you I still care about you." Vic declared " I never stopped. I hoped you were ok. Hoped you would go back to the old you. "
"Yeah well the old me is the same person who left Ben Warren in a fire to die. So I'm not sure I want to be him again" Dean admitted" They keep telling me it's not my fault but maybe if I had been there. "
"It's not your fault." Vic said quietly" Leaving Ben behind in that fire saved your life. That little girl has a mom because of you."
"And there's a little girl who lost her dad. Danny lost her dad because of me." Dean replied.
"No Danny lost her dad because he sacrificed himself to save a little girl. That little girl got to go home to her mom because of Warren."Vic corrected.
"Dean "Vic said quietly" I'm so sorry I haven't been there. I'm sorry I left. I'm sorry I couldn't be a good enough friend to hear you apologise. I forgive you."
"I'm sorry I pushed you" Dean apologized"I never wanted to hurt you and I hate that I did. I'm sorry for the awful things I've said to you. And I forgive you too."
"I know"Vic accepted quietly" I know you didn't want to hurt me. You mind if I go with you and Gibson to get that drink?"
"I declined. I'm staying in with Pru. Besides don't you have plans with Ripley anyway?" Dean replied.
"I do yeah. We're getting flowers for the service. He wanted to go with me. " Vic smiled tearfully "That was a sweet thing you guys did for Bailey."
Dean smiled back "It was. Wasn't it?"
"Looks like I'm not the only one to forgive Dean" Jack looked at Andy as they walked past the beanery to see Vic and Dean smiling as they talked.
"Told you everyone else would follow in your footsteps." Andy teased" I think she had already forgiven him but just needed time."
"You might be right " Jack agreed " She cared enough to not get him fired and that's something."
Andy laughed "Yeah it is. Now come on we have chores and they probably don't want us staring at them "
"I think Dean's used to the staring but Vic. Well she has no idea." Jack agreed following Andy into the barn to start on their chores.
"Think it'll stop now that she's forgiven him?The staring." Andy wondered.
"I have no idea. But my guess is they'll stare even harder " Jack responded " But who knows I could be wrong ? "
"Yeah and we both know you're wrong about a lot of things" Andy teased with a smile.
"Careful there Andy " Jack teased back flinging the water from his rag at her face.
"Oh you just brought a knife to a gun fight " Andy said with a mischievous smirk as she picked up the bucket of nearby soapy water.
Author's Note
I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I wanted to keep it kinda light with this chapter. I loved reading your comments to my last chapter and if anyone has any suggestions on what should happen next I'd love to hear them.
Enjoy
George O'Malley's Girl