"You excited?"

Sophia glanced over at Raina who had her eyes trained on the road in front of her. "Am I excited?" she repeated. "The better question is, are you excited? You've been badgering me to meet him for months, now."

"Oh, I'm better than excited. I'm prepared."

Alarm bells went off in Sophia's mind. "What the hell does that mean?"

"Oh, come on, Sophia, you really think I'm going to meet this man and not interrogate him?"

Sophia groaned. "Raina, this is a community event. There will be people there. Children. Making death threats is not the way to go."

As August came to a close, Dean's firehouse was hosting an end-of-summer fundraiser for some of the local schools. Barbeque, games, raffles, and apparently, an FBI-style interrogation hosted by Sophia's best friend.

"If I have to make death threats, then we've got bigger problems," Raina said drily. "Shit," she said when she glanced over and saw Sophia's face, "I didn't mean to suggest—" she cut herself off with a huff. "No death threats," she promised. "Just by the book interrogation."

Sophia snorted. "Well, that's comforting."

"How did it go with Dr. Alvarez?"

"Good, I think. She said it was good I came in."

"I could have told you that."

After everything that happened on the day Sophia and Dean went to the beach, Sophia had reached out to her old therapist and booked an appointment. "It was almost more nerve-wracking to go back then when I first started going," Sophia admitted. "But even though I knew it wasn't unreasonable, everything I was feeling, it was nice to have someone professional tell me that it wasn't unreasonable."

"So, you're okay?"

"Yes, Raina, I'm okay," Sophia said patiently. "Just as I've been every other time you've asked me that."

Once she left, Dean's, Sophia had headed straight to Raina's and told her everything that happened. At first, Raina had been about ready to storm the gates of Dean's apartment with a pitchfork, but once Sophia fully explained, had gained a grudging respect for how he had handled the whole situation.

"You know, just because I want to question him doesn't mean I don't trust you," Raina commented.

"What do you mean?"

"Sophia, are you actually worried that I might think he's not a good guy?"

Sophia swallowed hard. "No," she said. But then, "Maybe a little. Not because I actually think they you'll think that, but because..." she trailed off.

"Because you don't completely trust yourself?"

Sophia didn't answer.

"Well, that's what I mean. I know you don't trust yourself, not completely, but I do. Despite everything, I know that you know what you're doing."

"Well, that makes one of us. But thanks."

The fundraiser was in full swing when Sophia and Raina arrived, so much so that they had to park a few blocks away. Sophia couldn't be sure that Dean would be there at the moment; he was working so if they got a call he would have to go, but she recognized plenty of other faces as she wove her way through the crowd.

And they seem to recognize her, too.

"Hey, Sophia." Carson, one of the firefighters Sophia met the day of the blackout, greeted her with a wink as he passed, a plate piled high with food, no uniform in sight. Apparently, he wasn't working, today.

"Sophia, glad you could make it."

"Hi, Captain Morse," Sophia greeted.

"Scott's just fine," he said, amusement glinting in his eye. "Unless, of course, you're planning on joining my firehouse?"

She chuckled. "No, I think I'll pass on that."

"Well, he's inside," Scott said, nodding to the station building.

"Ah, perfect." Raina threw her a wink. "See you later."

Sophia just shook her head as she watched her best friend go off to her interrogation. "My best friend, Raina," she supplied for Scott's questioning gaze. "She's, er, eager to meet Dean."

"Should I send someone over to warn him? Or save him?"

"He has been warned," Sophia reassured the captain. "And to be honest, there's no saving him at this point. He's got to weather that storm on his own."

Scott laughed. "Well, enjoy the festivities, Sophia. It was nice to see you, again."

"You as well."

And while Sophia didn't really feel like participating in any of the games or activities happening, she did greatly enjoy observing. Kids and families played corn hole and lawn bowling for prizes, adults stood around chatting with plastic cups of beer, and there was a well-used bouncy house occupied with no less than ten kids at all times.

"You really should get some of the cake before it's gone."

Sophia glanced over and saw Alicia, the paramedic, holding out a plate. "Well, I'm not one to turn down sugar," Sophia said, gratefully accepting the dessert. "You're working?"

"What gave it away?" Alicia joked, glancing down at her uniform. "Yeah, we've had a couple of calls so far, nothing too serious."

"That's good."

"I'm surprised to see you hanging out here, alone."
Sophia laughed. "Dean's busy." She gave Alicia a brief rundown of Raina's mission.

"Well, it doesn't look all that scary to me."
Sophia followed Alicia's gaze, and her heart swelled when she saw her best friend and her boyfriend both almost doubled over in laughter. Then, the odd sensation of wanting to cry. Two of the most important people in her life, actually getting along.

"I guess that means he passes," Alicia said, amused and clearly ignorant of the tidal wave of emotion coursing through Sophia's body. "That's a relief."

"What do you mean?"

Alicia laughed. "You know, I've known Dean a long time," she said. "We went through training together, we're rookies together. The only time we haven't been colleagues was when I went for further paramedic training."

Sophia nodded. "Yeah, he mentioned that."

"All this to say, I know him well. Very well. And I've never seen him crazy about someone like he's crazy about you."

Sophia felt her entire face turn red.

"Granted, the entire firehouse can tell that he's crazy about you," Alicia conceded.

"Great."

"But," she continued on, chuckling slightly, "I know that this is serious for him. More than anyone else he's ever been with." Alicia gave Sophia a guarded look. "Is it serious for you?"

Understanding dawned on her. "Ah, so this is your version of an interrogation?" Sophia guessed.

Alicia just gave a small shrug.

"Yeah," Sophia said softly, looking back over at him and Raina. "You know, I've never had that," she said, nodding to the pair. "Just, the ease of knowing that people who I care about are going to get along with each other." Alicia shot her a curious gaze, but Sophia didn't elaborate anymore. "He's honestly the most amazing man I've ever met."

"Hmm." Alicia studied her carefully. "Well, in a lot of ways, I have to agree. I'd date him myself if he wasn't like an annoying little brother to me."

Sophia snorted.

"Just, don't hurt him, okay?" Alicia's words weren't mean, but they did have an edge to them. "He's a good man."

"I know," Sophia said. "And trust me, that's the last thing I would ever want to do."

A moment of silence. "Alright, I guess you can stay," Alicia said.

Sophia laughed just at the moment the firehouse siren went off.

"Got to go." And with a wink, Alicia was gone.

Sophia watched her leave and subsequently, Raina approached. Sophia stared at her, an eyebrow raised.

Raina grabbed Sophia's fork and stuffed a mouthful of cake in her mouth. "Alright," she said. "He passed."