Stand By Me

Five

(Warning: This chapter contains scenes of someone being talked out of suicide)

Sat on the kitchen counter at the firehouse the next day, Taylor decorated the cupcakes she had made and laughed as Shay slapped Mills' hand away from the bowl of frosting. She had just applied the frosting to the next cupcake, when the first call of the shift came in and she headed out to the truck.

It didn't take them long to reach the scene, finding a large group of onlookers already gathered with their phones out and Taylor couldn't help the anger she felt as she followed Boden over to the police officer in charge.

"What have we got?" Boden asked, his voice filled with power and authority.

"A young boy about sixteen," the police officer explained, "We've tried talking him down, but he won't listen and shifts away from us every time we approach."

"Chief," Taylor said as she looked over at the young boy balancing precariously on the bridge railing, "Let me talk to him before we do anything drastic..."

"Okay," Boden agreed, watching as Taylor removed her jacket and took it as she made her way forward.

"Don't come any closer," the boy shouted, prompting her to pause and raise her hands.

"I just want to talk," Taylor replied gently.

"All anybody wants to do is talk, but nobody is willing to listen..." the boy argued angrily.

"Try me... my names Taylor, what's yours?"

"Cameron."

"I can't listen from all the way over here, Cameron, how about you let me join you at the railing?" Taylor suggested, continuing when her request was met with silence, "I promise, I won't touch you and my hands will be in full view the entire time."

"O-okay."

"Do you want to start by telling me what happened?"

"They just don't listen," Cameron mumbled, "I've tried to tell them that I can't be the person that they want me to be, but they have all of these expectations and they won't accept anything less... this is my only way out."

"That's not true, Cameron..."

"Yes it is, they'll never accept the person I am or the career that I choose."

"There's someone in your life that does accept you though, right?" Taylor added, "That one person who has your back and supports every decision you make, what's their name?"

"Corey... his name is Corey," Cameron said, looking over at her and closing his eyes momentarily as tears rolled down his cheeks.

"I've been where you are right now, Cameron, I've stood on the edge of that imaginary cliff in your head..." Taylor admitted, knowing that time was essential and that the chief wouldn't give her much longer, "I've had that moment where I've looked back and found nobody there to help me, but if you look closer, dig a little deeper, you'll realize that that isn't true."

"Corey?" Cameron questioned with a slight frown.

"You will always have him to bring you back from that point of finality, whether he is just a memory or physically at your side," Taylor answered with a smile, knowing that she got through to him, "Why don't you come back over onto this side of that railing for me?"

She held her breath as she offered him her hand to take, watching hesitation flash in his eyes and letting it out when he took it. He was soon stood on solid ground and Taylor handed him over to the police, slumping back against the railing to rein in her emotions.

A hand on her shoulder soon pulled her from her thoughts and she looked up to find Matt watching her, giving him a nod to signal that she was ready to head back. With a shaky deep breath, she retrieved her jacket from the chief and followed her team back to the truck.

"Taylor," Boden called as she made her way towards the kitchen back at the firehouse, causing her to pause and look at him, "Good job out there."

"Thanks, chief."

The feeling of being watched quickly caught her attention and she glanced over at the squad table to find Kelly watching her concerned, so she threw him a smile to let him know that she was okay before disappearing from view. Once she had finished decorating the rest of her cupcakes, Taylor volunteered to make lunch and put together a simple pasta salad with chicken.Resting her elbows on the counter as everyone ate, she stared into the cup of coffee she'd made herself and snapped back to reality as someone gently nudged her side.

"Looking for anything specific at the bottom of that cup?" Shay asked with a smile.

"Answers to my life," Taylor mumbled, glancing up as Shay put her arms around her from behind her and rested her chin on Taylor's shoulder.

"Well, I'm pretty sure that one of those answers is sitting out at the table with squad..."

Taylor couldn't help glancing over at Kelly, sighing heavily and resting her head against Shay's. She had liked him for a long time, but she also knew that he deserved better than what she could offer and didn't want to become just another name on his fairly long list of one-night stands.