Chapter Five: Giddy Up

The problem with being in love with someone is that you get nervous around them. Eddie's problem was that he didn't know what the hell he would do once everything was said and done. Yes, the thought of losing Luna would utterly send him in a downward spiral but he wasnt going to admit that to anyone. At this point, his only option was to talk some sense into Luna and after Christopher threw a fit about missing Luna, he figured he should speak with her, in the hopes of bringing her home. The problem with doing that thought is that he didn't know where she was at least not yet. But she could certainly obtain that information one way or another.

Luna was on a call about a runaway bull at a used car lot. Yes folks you heard that correctly a used car lot.

"I don't see a bull," Owen  says as Judd is helping Luna down from the rig. She was short and the last time she jumped she almost broke her damn ankle. That and Luna was like his little sister or daughter. Either way, he loved that girl so much and sure they had only been working eight months together but he had grown to like her. She was his little and he was her big. Not to mention Grace adored her.

"Oh, that can't be a good thing."

" All right, move the wounded to safety. Watch your backs. This bull's still on the loose. TK. Why don't you call dispatch? See if anybody has eyes on him. Let's grab some axes, just in case." Owen says as Paul and Tk start handing out axes.

"Oh, yeah, that's gonna do a lot of good against a 3,000-pound charging beast," Judd grumbles.

"What kind of reckless idiot brings a rodeo bull into a car lot in the first place?"

" Happy Stan." Mateo points to the guy Michelle was helping.

"That's Happy Stan?" 

"I recognize him from the commercials." Mateo nods proudly.

"Yeah, well, he doesn't look too happy now." Luna sasses.

"Dispatch can't get us a 20 on the bull, but they're urging us to use extreme caution." Tk appears next to everyone.

"Excellent." they approach Michelle who was helping Mr. Stan, "See a bull run by?"

" Follow the trail." She nods forward.

"Good idea." they follow the trail rounding a corner

"Axes up," Owen says as they hold up their axes. They rounded another corner seeing the bull his head stuck in the back of a car window. "TK, call Animal Control. Give 'em our location."

"Poor thing," Marjan says as Luna shakes her head.

"APB, we're at Stan's Used Car Lot. We got a bull in a car."

"With all the blood he's lost, that should hit him pretty quick, but y'all be careful. An injured animal spooks easily, even with the tranquilizer. Believe me, nobody wants that." The officer from Animal control explains.

"Oh, we believe you."

"All right, so no sudden movements, keep our voices down. Let's do this as quickly and quietly as we can. No saws. I don't want anything that could put spark into our friend here. TK, Marjan, you're on the battery-operated jaws, Luna you're on catching,  and somebody makes sure medical's standing by." Owen explains

"For the bull?"

" For us." He replies and the team works together carefully and cautiously to save this poor bull who in the end was brought back to his home. Where a bull goes.

Back at the station they just finished having chow and were collectively doing the dishes.

"Listen, I feel for the guy. I do. I mean, what do you even say to someone who got cancer from being at Ground Zero on September 11th?" Paul says scrapping out his plate in the trash.

"Thank you"?

"Well, yes, of course. I just wish he would've told us sooner is all."  Paul continues.

"He told us when he was ready."

"Okay, then I wish he was ready before he hired us," Paul asks.

"Well, in fairness, I think that he found out about the diagnosis just right before he left New York, so he was still coming to terms."

"And how would you know that?" Paul sasses as Luna rolls her eyes at how rude he was being.

" 'Cause he told me."

" Oh, Great. So he tells the one guy who didn't have to relocate his entire life down to Austin." Paul groans.

"Look, we're here now. Let's just focus on the positive and help Cap in any way we can." Luna says as Marjan nods.

"Hey, I am all for supporting the captain, all right? It's not about cancer. It's about this test that he is never gonna be able to pass, and if this Billy bud gets the keys to the kingdom, you know he's gonna clean house."

"Whoa, hang on a minute. Man, you don't know that. Look, he and the captain don't approach things the same way, but Billy ain't a bad guy. He ain't gonna come through here with a scythe just 'cause we ain't his people." Judd says as everyone gives him a look even Luna. "What?"

"We I mean, man, you ain't just his people. You are his people."

"What does that mean?" Judd puts the last dish in the dishwasher.

" It just means that you're in the club."

"I'm in the club?" Juud furrows his brows.

"Yeah, man. The good old boys club, all right? You look like Billy. You talk like Billy. You're gonna be fine like Billy."

"So, I mean, yeah, we're both Texans, but I don't think it matters what I look like," Judd says as everyone kisses their teeth.

"Tell that to the probie. He's as Texas as you are and Ain't nobody gonna be mistaking you two for brothers." Marjan nods to him Mateo who was quiet the entire time his jaw was clenched.

"Yeah, well, then they would be mistaken because we are brothers because we got the same number on our badge. Ain't that right, kid?"

" I don't want Captain to die!" Mateo yells startling everyone.

Marjan walks up to him. " Hey. Hey, Cap's gonna be all right. Texas has the best cancer doctors in the country." the bell rings before anyone can say or do anything else next.

//

It wasnt until Two days later when they had another shift Luna and TK was taking off in the common area. She was laughing at something he said when she goes to refill their cups of coffee. A tall guy with a flannel walks into the firehouse and TK notices her running down the stairs.

"Hey," He smiles at the man, taking in his beauty, while he had Carlos he also thought this man was gorgeous. "Can I help you?"

"Yes, I am looking for Luna?"

TK folds his arms over his chest. Luna had told them about her abusive ex and he wasnt taking any chances. "Who are you?"

"I'm..."

"Eddie" Luna drops a mug in her hand as she stands behind them, it shatters against the floor.

Luna was talking with Eddie down the stairs while the others were watching from far away, Paul walks up with a bag of chips and tried to read their lips.

"What are you doing here? Is Christopher okay?" Luna starts to panic a bit.

"Christopher is fine....I wanted to see you"

"What do you want Eddie? Because you were very clear on who it was you wanted."

"Luna just hear me out."

Luna scoffs. "Hear me you out? What is the reason for you to be sleeping with someone else?" there were unshed tears in her eyes.

Meanwhile on the staircase.

Marjan taps TK on the shoulder. "She's crying."

Judd walks up drinking some water. "What's going on who is Jitterbug talking to?"

Marjan, Paul, and TK all look at him and each other with worried glances. Mateo just swallows the handful of popcorn he shoved in his mouth. "That's Luna's ex the one that broke her heart."

Judd starts coughing on his water. "Excuse me what?"  Judd looks at everyone who is shaking their heads no. "No, No no I am not letting her get hurt again. Uhuh absolutely not." He was already running down the stairs...

"Judd no..."

"I came here because... you're being ridiculous Luna, you have an entire life in L.A. and you're here playing paramedic."

Luna's blood boiled her body was shaking. She was completely pissed off. "You dont get to do that, You dont get to come here and tell me what I'm being or doing." she was yelling at him so loudly as Judd pulls her back hugging her.

"You okay? Huh?" He cups her face in his hands. She was crying so much. He looks to Eddie. "Boy, I am about two seconds from beating you behind. Leave..." everyone was already crowding around Luna checking to see if she was alright.

"Really Luna? I just want to talk with you. Could you call off your...."

Luna folds her arms over her chest and glares at him. "You did enough talking with Ana because that seems to be what you're good at."

"Ana and I aren't together." Eddie tries to step closer and Judd puts his hand out Eddie moves back.

Luna chuckles tears coming down her eyes. "Fuck off Eddie, get back in your truck and go home. Go to a bar, hell go to Ana's house for all I care, but go away from me. Please." Eddie, his the wall next to him as Judd gives him a warning look.

"You okay?" everyone was talking to her all at once just as the bell rings.

"Let's go!" Captain Strand says as everyone moves into the action the entire time they were looking at Luna.

Everyone piles out of the rig as a woman is running towards them from her house.

"Hi! He's here. He's here. He must've cut a wire or something. Right, this way. I-I did my best to clear it off him, but His name is Chad."

"TK, Luna  you check his ABCs till medical gets here. Everybody, be careful of all this exposed wiring, and Marjan, Mateo, why don't you find the breaker box? Kill all the power."

" Copy that." everyone moves into position.

"All right, airways are open. Respiration's okay." Tk explains as Luna is listening to his heart.

" What do we have?" Michelle walks in.

" Adult male. Witness says he was electrocuted. BP's 125 over 80. Pulse is steady at 70." Luna says her voice cold.

"70 BPM after an electrocution?" She opens his eyes and shines a light on them. " No arrhythmia or tapchnea?"

"- No."

"I can't see any head injuries," Michelle says.

"Power off, Cap," Marjan yells. Gillian and Tim come around the corner and TK and Luna step out of the way.

"We got a laceration on the right arm. He's got a possible lower posterior rib fracture." Gillian explains'

"Let's get his shirt off and get him hooked up to the monitor." They cut his shirt open.

"Abrasions on the lower left quadrant.Did somebody hit this guy?" They all look back at the woman who called it in.

" I mean, I had to. He was clutching onto the wire, and there was nothing else that I could do."

"Wait, if he was holding on to a live wire, how come his hands aren't burned?" Tim asks as everyone looks at her.

"Which wire?" Strand asks.

" It was that one." she points to the one a few feet behind Blake and Judd picks it up following the end.

"This one that ain't connected to nothing?"

She chuckles a bit. " Look, he was literally vibrating."

"Captain Strand. He's got a medical alert medallion.  He has epilepsy." Michelle explains as everyone nods.

"He wasn't electrocuted. He's postictal." Judd chuckles a bit. "Let's get him on a backboard. Give him D-50 to get him hydrated." everyone goes to leave the room and they get Chad loaded up.

Luna was sitting there on the rig quietly, she hadn't said anything for the rest of the shift even after she got back into the firehouse and everyone was worried, usually, she was trying to talk to everyone to cheer them up and make them feel better, but she wasnt okay and her mind doesn't stop thinking about Eddie fucking Diaz. what was the point of him showing up at the firehouse?

It was later in the week and Luna was cleaning one of the rigs with everyone. They were waiting to see what happened with the captain since he saved Billy's life after he got struck by lightning golfing.

" I can't believe he's still alive.  I mean, what are the odds?" Mateo says.

" Pretty good, actually. About 90% of people who get struck by lightning live."

"How do you know that?" Paul furrows his brows

" I'm from Florida Lightning strike capital of the world. And an inordinate amount of them happens on the golf course." Marjan shrugs.

"Yeah, that's why I'm gonna stick to bowling. Hey, TK."

"Mm."

"What do you see in there?" Judd asks TK was wiping the ruff of the truck so he can see right into Captain's office.

" He's still in there."

"Yeah, I know he's still in there, TK, 'cause he ain't come out yet. Who's doing the talking?" Judd sasses as Luna just sighs, she hadn't talked with them since Eddie showed up at the firehouse two days ago.

"The Deputy Chief......"Oh. He's getting up."

"Both of 'em?"  Judd asks.

" - Yeah." everyone gets back to work pretending to be working.

They pretend to be cleaning the rig as he walks the deputy chief out before turning to his team"Missed a spot." he walks off and everyone looks at each other before following after him and seeing him in the kitchen.

"Well?" TK asks.

" Well, what?"

Owen just shrugs continuing to make his expresso. " Everyone can relax. When he's this glib, it's always good news." TK explains.

"No, come on, Cap. What did the man say? He still gonna make you take that test?"

" Turns out I already did." Owen smiles.

"When?"

"When I carried a grown man from the 12th hole to the clubhouse in under 4 minutes."

" In the rain," Marjan adds as he nods.

" In the rain."

"You saved a man's life," Judd says as he nods sipping his expresso.

"Yeah, broke a couple of his ribs in the process."

"Nice one, Cap," Mateo says as everyone looks at him. " About saving a man's life I mean."

"Turns out the deputy chief says that's more than enough demonstration of my fitness in the field."

"Alhamdulillah," Marjan says as everyone looks at her. "Thank God," more or less."

"Well, it also doesn't hurt that he's, uh, down a captain now."

"Yeah, Billy has a long and painful recovery ahead of him. Well, I, for one, am glad that's settled." Owen says as everyone smiles.

"Congratulations, Cap. Now all that's left to tackle is cancer. Anything you need, Cap." Marjan says as everyone nods.

"That's right We're here for you, Cap."

"Thank you. All right, listen, you fakers, why don't you go and actually clean that rig for real? 'Cause, this is just getting sad." They all leave and go actually do their chores, and just like that, the shift ended.

The next week rolls around quickly and the first call of the night is about a rattlesnake Luna loved snakes, so this call was going to be a breeze.

"Austin FD! Open up!" There wasnt an answer. "Got anything from Dispatch?"

" They're supposed to be en route from dinner, but nobody can get ahold of them, so we got Animal Control coming," Judd explains.

"All right, take it."

" All right." TK takes a hatchet to the door.

"All right, let's find this nursery. Paul, Marjan, Luna,  Mateo, you guys look upstairs. Watch your step.

"We're dealing with a 5-foot rattlesnake here."

The group enters the nursery seeing the baby standing up in his crib. Mateo goes to pick him up.

"You haven't seen a big scary snake around, have you?"

"Is he hurt? Check for swelling or puncture wounds." Paul was looking around on the floor with a flashlight.

"Nah, I'm pretty sure he just hates me. He's OK, but I think he pooped. Whoa!" Mateo jumps back

" Whoa, whoa, whoa! - Whoa, whoa, whoa!"

" - And I think I pooped." Mateo comments as Luna wrangles the snake up.

" Finn!" His parents run into the room.

" He's okay. He's stinky, but he's okay." Mateo hands the baby to his parents.

"Thank you. Thank you so much." he goes to shake Luna's hand.

"Sir, I wouldn't come any closer." He backs away from the snake which is covered by a plastic box.

"Is he OK? Where's Danielle?"

" Where's your laundry?" Paul asks.

"The basement." They reply as Paul looks at everyone. They find out from Judd and Owen that Danielle was passed out downstairs in the basement with a plethora of snakes around her.

"Owners say there's a crack in the foundation. They threw a tarp over it to create a moisture barrier, looks like that's what drew the snakes." Paul explains as everyone is getting geared up.

"All right, Judd, Luna,  and I will go in first. Blast those little bastards with some frosty CO-2. That'll give you guys enough time to get inside and get her out in the bag. How far is EMS with the antivenom?"

" ETA is two minutes," TK explains.

"You good to go?"  Owen looks to Judd.

" Hell no! Let's go."

They start blasting the snakes while the others go grab the babysitter.

The 126 find themselves restocking the rigs. While discussing movies.

"C'mon, it has to be The Ring Two or Final Destination 2 or The Grudge 3," Mateo says.

"Man, those are some weak choices."

"Worst sequels of all time?" TK walks up.

" The scariest movies of all time. All right, everyone knows that the scariest movies are the ones where the monsters are inside of you. The Shining. Dude was crazy."

"Or The Exorcist where the demon's inside," Judd says,

"Rosemary's Baby? Devil baby?"

"Cujo?" Mateo says

"Nah, bro." They look at where he is looking and See Owen walking in with a dog.

"What? Oh! "

"- Hey! I mean, that is a fine-looking animal." Judd sats as everyone is petting the dog minus TK

"Everybody, say hello to the newest member of the 126. Buttercup."

"No way! You mean we get to keep it?"

"I'm dying of cuteness," Marjan says as she rubs him behind his ears.

"Oh, finally! I outrank someone."

"Oh yeah, you think he's gonna follow you around  and clean up after you?" Judd mutters as Luna sends him a look that says be nice.

" Good point," Mateo says.

"Seriously, Dad?"

"What?" Cap shrugs.

" I begged you my entire life for a dog and you've always said no," TK explains.

"We lived in an apartment in a high-rise. Who was gonna walk him?"

" And what made you pick this handsome fellow, Cap?" Paul asks.

"This handsome fellow is my canine counterpart."

"Oh! Yeah, he's definitely got the signature look." Judd jokes sipping his coffee.

"He's also got the exact same type of lung cancer as I have."

"Oh, no! That's so sad." Marjan and Luna give the dog a big hug and kiss.

"Oh, come on. Toughen up. Buttercup's a fighter like me. And it's because of him. And dogs like him, that I'm able to get my immunotherapy treatments. Hey! His previous owner donated to him so he was living at the clinic.  They let me adopt him. Hey, TK! Say hello to Buttercup."

"Hey, Buttercup. I got stuff to do." Tk walks off all grouchy.

"Maybe you should've got him a puppy when he was a kid."

"Actually, it was his mother who said no," Owen explains as Luna just laughs

Their next call was at a restaurant, a cook caught the stove on fire. Luna was tired, she hadn't been eating a lot or sleeping well. She and Perry were fighting, they were going through a lot, he was being aggressive, and mean, he had gotten out of hand one time and  Luna shot him down. She was too tired to do this with him, this fighting this hating each other, she already had so much hate to give and it wasnt working. Not to mention she was working herself to the bone.

They were putting their gear away.

"Hey Cap, I hope you worked up an appetite 'cause chicken fried steak is ready in 20 minutes, with pecan pie for dessert."

"Hell yeah, I can feel my arteries clogging already," Paul says as Luna takes off her gear

"Why would one fry a steak?"

" 'Cause, it helps the batter stick," Judd replies.

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me! Damn it. Where's that dog? Hey, dog! The dog."

"His name is Buttercup." Owen corrects.

"Yeah, I'm not calling it that." TK walks off as Luna sits down in her locker, she didn't look good at all. Sweat was pooling around her face, there was a pain in her side, and she was ignoring it all. "Hey, you guys?" Tk calls from the common area, everyone gets up.

"Oh, someone has been a very curious boy," Owen says they walk into the common room seeing a giant mess.

"Oh, oh, oh. Guess we can take pie off the menu." They see the pie half eaten on the floor.

"Yeah, I guess this dog likes to have his dessert first, huh?"

" Nothing's dessert when you never stop eating," Marjan says.

"That is not a chew toy. Leave it." TK was yelling at the dog who was carrying one of his shoes. "From all the shoes you gotta choose, why you gotta pick mine?"

"Cause he likes ya," Owen says with a big smile.

"No, it's because he's messing with me. Look at his face. He thinks this whole thing is funny." Tk starts wrestling his shoe from the dog's mouth.  "Hey, no.  No! God." He pulls the shoe from his mouth. Sighing and walking away.

"Hey, yo, TK! Do not move."

"Buttercup dropped a bomb," Marjan explains as Tk steps in it.

"Oh, gross! God! Why are you guys laughing? That fuzzy thing is a monster. A firehouse is no place for a dog."

"What about the dalmatians? They're like the firehouse OGs." Mateo says.

"Yeah, why is that, anyway?"

" Because I think they're deaf in one ear." Mateo continues.

"That can't be right."

"No, it was because they weren't afraid of fire or horses, which pulled the original fire carriages. They would just run ahead of everybody and warn the town that we were coming." Luna explains as everyone nods.

"Oh, so they were like the first sirens. Well, how cool is that?" Mateo leans down petting the dog's ears,

" Okay, well, that partnership ended with the invention of the automobile. And that thing is not a  Dalmatian." TK mutters walking off.

Their last call was later that night. 

Michelle was walking up with The crew. "Possible cardiac event.  I'm being told bedroom, southwest corner." they enter the house.

"Austin Fire and Rescue." Owen knocks on the door, TK was holding the battering ram and Luna was standing next to him.

"Please help! He's not breathing!"

Owen gestures for TK to get the door down with the battering ram as soon as he does the child is standing there with a gun.

"TK!" Luna uses her body as a shield. the bullet goes through her shoulder and hits TK in his chest.

Luna was finally released from her room in the hospital. She walks into the lobby seeing everyone was waiting for TK. he had a collapsed lung.

"Where is he? What's happening? Is he okay?" Luna was in the waiting room.

"Luna.." Marjan looks around at everyone.

"What? Tell me spit it out?"

TK Strand was in a coma, he hadn't woken up since he arrived at the hospital. When the team tells Luna what happened, she immediately starts crying and yelling about everything being her fault. She just shook her head leaving, getting into her car, she was a mess of sobs and tears and snot and she didn't know where the hell she was going. She didn't know where she might end up. All she knew is that she didn't save her friend again. That she had the opportunity and she failed again, maybe the universe is telling her something.

She finds herself knocking on the door pounding on it, and the person opens. It was pouring down rain. And there on the doorstep was a mermaid. In all its fucking beautiful and stunning glory.

"Luna..." she says nothing hugging them, she just sobs uncontrollably, over and over again.

"I couldnt.....save him. I was supposed to save him and I couldnt and......Shay is dead and now.....oh god." she was a mess a sopping mess. And she was soaked. Not to mention there was still that annoying pain in her side, and she was sweating uncontrollably and now sobbing and covered in water. She had managed to stop herself from crying. "I shouldn't have come here we aren't together anymore and you are with someone."

"No...you will always have me"

Luna shakes her head. "Eddie. I shouldn't be here." she stands up to leave feeling a bit dizzy.

"Hey, Lu you, all right? Hey.."

"Don't..." she passes out as Eddie catches her he lays her down on the floor.

"Hey, Lu. Luna" he moves some hair out of her face. "Luna...Hey." he puts his head to her chest hearing her heart beating. "Luna...Hey..." he begins elevating her legs as she starts to stir a bit. She looks around before staring at Eddie. "You passed out okay?" he places a hand on her forehead. "You're burning up."

"I am fine..." she sits up feeling her stomach turn. "I shouldn't be he-re." she shakes her head, immediately throwing up on Eddie's shirt. "I am so sorry...Oh my god....mm"

"You're gonna throw up again. Go run." they get her to the bathroom just in time. He holds her hair back. "There you go..let it out. You okay?"

The night was longer than she expected and the four-hour drive to L. A wasnt what she had in mind. Nor was she in the best shape to drive herself back to Austin.

"I am fine Eddie I can take care of myself." She sasses drying her hair with a towel. He had given her some warm clothes.

"Luna your not fine, you have a fever, your sweating, your throwing up. There's no way you are making the four-hour drive back to Austin." He says as Luna just scoffs. She feels herself about to hurl again and Immediately runs to the bathroom again. "Nope, if I have to chain to that bed you are not going anywhere." Eddie just scoops her up carrying her to the couch.

"No "can't stay here, what if ana comes by and sees me here I dont want to intrude. I can call Judd or Paul to pick me up."

Eddie shakes his head. "There's a storm warning for the entire state of California has a storm warning." Luna groans

//

Eddie was changing his shirt while Luna was on the phone. He steps back into the living room.

"No Judd I am fine it's probably just a stomach bug....You dont need to come to get....yes, I am aware....Judd....There's a storm...Judd.....you know people listen to phone calls.....Okay Judd when the storm lets up I will come back home....yes, I promise. Okay....I love you too." she hangs up the phone.

"Judd okay with you staying?"

Luna sits back on the couch of the bed, and Eddie sits down with a mug of tea and a bottle of water. "It took some convincing, but yes...more or less there was a lot of swearing and praying and threatening more towards you than me."

"Yeah, he hates my guts."

Luna chuckles. "Everyone does."

Eddie looks hurt by that. "I royally fucked up. I am aware."

Luna just sits back in against the couch, Maybe it was the fever talking but she felt bad for Eddie. 

Eddie sits down on the coffee table in front of her. "Come here let's check you out." he places the thermometer in her mouth while feeling her forehead and throat with his hands. The thermometer beeps and he pulls it out. "Ooh, 104.9 tsk tsk, No bueno." (No good.)

Luna laughs she was loopy from the fever. "I really want french fries."

Eddie just stares at her. "You can barely keep water down, take" he gives her a pill and opens her bottle of water. "Drink." Luna just laughs doing as she's told.

"Mmm Where is Christopher?" she looks around

"He is staying at Pepa's for a week, she missed him a lot." Luna nods, and she yawns half awake. "Someone's tired."

She shakes her head yawning again laying her head down on the pillow. "Nah, I'm just resting my eyes." of course after five minutes she was asleep and he just laughs shaking his head. He puts her clothes in the laundry to dry and then sits back on the couch, playing a video game. He turns to look at Luna who is snuggled up peacefully. He sighs thinking about how this all could've been prevented if he hadn't slept with Ana.

He then decides that he is going to spend all of Eternity making it up to her. Cause she is the only woman he ever wanted and it takes losing her for him to admit that.

Word count: 5200

This is so crazy. Eddie and Luna are they gonna get back together easily? We all know how headstrong Luna is