Christmas week was finally here, but this year was different. The 118 had to work which meant that they couldn't spend Christmas with their family. Before going to their shift, Eddie invited Hen, Denny and Buck to build gingerbread houses.

"It got ugly." Eddie said, taking a sip of coffee. "After I said we worked on Christmas, he went straight to his room as wouldn't speak to us for the rest of the night."

"Mm. It's just new. He'll get over it." Hen said, understanding him.

"Abluela's bringing him to my aunt's. I know he's gonna have a great time. He just... Last Christmas was...special." Kate gave him a sad smile and put her hand on his arm to confort him. "This one's harder."

Hen nodded. "Huh-uh. Is that why you invited us all here? Trying to cram as much Christmas cheer between now and then?"

Eddie gestured to the living room's table. "Well, thought it'd be nice to bring the boys together for a playdate."

Kate and Hen chuckled and looked at the Chis, Denny and Buck. "All three of them." Kate said.

"All right, who needs more cement?" Buck asked, mixing the bowl.

"I do!" Chris said.

"Me!" Denny added.

"Denny, will we do you first with this big ol' piece." Buck smiled.

"Hey, Buck." Chris called.

"Yeah." Buck said, looking at the bowl, smiling.

"Can I spend Christmas with you?" The little boy asked.

Buck looked at Eddie and Kate who shock their heads with sad expressions, pitting the little boy.

"I'm sorry, buddy, but I'm going to be working on Christmas with-with your dad and Kate." Buck sadly said.

"Stupid work." Chris said, looking down at his gingerbread house.

"I promise you. He'll forget he was even mad by New Year's." Hen said.

"That's what I've been trying to tell him." Kate said, squeezing Eddie's arm to reassure him.

Buck got up and walked to the table, sitting next to his twin. "Is it just me, or does Christmas suck this year?" He asked.

Eddie sighed. "Definintely not just you."

"It's been a rough year... for everyone." Hen paused. She was right, it's been hard to all of them. "So I'm happy to immerse myself in the magic of Christmas, and just look forward to putting this year behind me."

"I wouldn't be surprised if there's one more smack in the face to come." Buck said.

"Hopefully not." Kate said and the adults looked back at the kids playing.

After an hour, the kids finally finished their houses. Chris walked carefully to the table with the house on his hands.

"Look!" He said happily.

The four looked impressed at his house. "Wow, buddy, it looks amazing!" Kate said.

"It looks delicious." Eddie smiled.

"Thank you." Chris grinned, but stopped when he remembered about the Christmas that he wouldn't be spending with them. He went back to help Denny carry his house.

Denny intorduced his house with a big smiled on his face, leaving Hen and Kate specheless. After a while, they chatted for a little longer until Hen and Buck went back home. Eddie and Kate didn't even have time to talk to Chris as he went to his room. Eddie sighed and went to the kitchen to get a glass of water. Kate watched his back, standing by the doorframe with a concerned look on her face. Walking slowly towards him, she wrapped her amrs around his waist, leaning her head against his back.

He looked down before turning around to hug her, kissing the top of her head. She rubbed her hands on his back, her head pressed against his chest. She looked up at him, giving him a small sad smile. She herself was sad too and he knew it. He smiled a little as well and kissed her on the lips.

"Next year is gonna be diferent. I promise." She said, smilling up at him.

He chuckled a little and gave her a smaller kiss.

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Their first emergency on their shift was at the aiport, where a man had been suck on the plane's blades. Leaving the truck, a man walked towards Bobby.

"Baggage handler chased a runaway cart into the engine inlet hazard zone. The aricraft was taxiing. Both fans were spinning. These things, they suck in the square footage of a four-bedroom house every second, so..." The man said as the team walked quickly to the scene.

"Buck, Eddie, get me, uh..." Bobby looked at the blades before looking at the two, trying to figure out how (and what with) to take the man out. "Everything."

Bobby then looked up at the airport's window where a lot of people where standing, watching the scene. "Officer, you might want to clear this tarmac and that window up there. Once we open this thing up, it's probably not gonna be very pretty."The officer nodded and went upstairs.

The man grunted and moved his feet making the team run up to him. 

"Whoa, that's impossible."

"Sir, can you hear me?" Bobby asked.

"We got a live one." Chim said.

"Okay, we need to take this thing apart now!" Bobby said to Buck and Eddie.

While they worked, Kate and Hen stood back watching the scene.

"With everything that could happen this week, this man getting suck in this thing is just so... unpredictable..." Kate said.

"Eh, we've seen worse." Hen said. Kate nodded in agreement.

"He could've been ran over by a car, but he got suck by this." Kate said, Hen nodding.

Once they took the blades, Bobby called the girls.

"I can see him in there. He seems to be in one piece." Chimney said.

"I don't see a lot of blood." Hen added. 

"Okay, very carefully, let's pull him out of there. Easy." Bobby ordered.

They carefully pulled the man out, putting him on a gurney as he groaned in pain.

"This is unbelievable." Chimney commented.

"Nothing appears to be broken." Kate said.

"What stopped the compressor?" The man who took them to the scene asked.

"Looks like this got sucked in first." Buck said, walking towards them with golf clubs. "Locked up the blades."

Buck and Kate smiled before turning around to face Bobby who was also smiling. However, his nose was bleeding.

"Uh, Cap?" Kate called, gesturing her nose as in for him to touch his nose.

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After that call, the team went back to the station. Kate watched from upstairs as Buck and Bobby were talking. Concern filled her as she thought about the nosebleed. Radiation. Obviously.

Eddie walked towards her. "Hey, you okay?"

"I'm fine. I just need to talk to Bobby." She said, not looking at her.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

She looked up at him. "The nosebleed."

He raised an eyebrow. "The nosebleed? What about it?"

She sighed. "Come on, Eds. Bobby was in that tunnel for a long time. It's because of the radiation. You don't get a nosebleed just because."

"Maybe he got one just because." He said, confused.

"I don't think that's what happened here." She said. Buck then walked upstairs. "I'll be right back."

Kate gave him a quick kiss on his cheek before going downstairs to the locker room. She leaned on the doorframe with her arms crossed over her chest. Bobby looked up at her.

"You're not gonna start acting like Buck, are you?" He asked her.

"I might." Kate said. She walked to stand in front of him, leaning back on the glass door. Bobby sighed and looked down.

"Look, it was just a nosebleed. Could've been allergies, could've been the Santa Anas. Could've been how cold it was out there on that tarmac." Bobby told her.

"Could've also been because of radiation." She said. "Was this your first nosebleed? Have your gums been bleeding? Have you had any strong headaches? Diziness?" She asked.

"Are you diagnosing me?" He asked.

"I haven't been noticing any of the symptoms which means you could be hiding others like shortness of breath, bruising, irregular heart beat." She pointed a finger at him. "Are you?"

"Kate, I'm not hiding any symptoms, because I'm not having any symptoms of whatever it is you and Buck think I have." Bobby said.

"That tunnel fire, you were there for way too long. That much exprosure to radiation can cause aplastic anemia." Kate told him.

Bobby sighed. "Kate, listen, I appreciate you concern, but I am fine. So, please, stop thinking about unecessary problems. Here is our real problem. Five people voted for burgers, five people voted for Chinese and... Buck voted for turkey for this year's Christmas dinner. I don't feel like cooking this year."

"Aha! Fatigue. Also a symptom." Kate pointed out.

"Katilyn, listen. I know you're worried but there is nothing to worry about yet. So as my grandmother always used to say, don't go borrowing trouble." Bobby tried to reassure.

"Bobby, I know that sometimes you want to go through things alone because you don't wanna worry anybody, but you don't have to. Listen, you're one of the most important person in my life. I do have to worry because I don't know what I would do if anything were to happen to you." Kate said, shocking her head and looking down. 

Bobby looked at her sadly. "Hey, come here." He said, pulling her into a hug. She was also one of the most important person in his life. He knew that she meant what she said. She pulled away and smiled a little before going back upstairs. Small tears in her eyes but she shut her eyes closed so they would disappear.

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Before their next call, Maddie called Buck. Him and Kate went to the locker room as Maddie asked. Confused, Buck picked it up but didn't put it on speaker.

Thanks, Buck. Leave me here, dying with my anxiety.

They were worried that it'd be something bad. Buck paced around the room as Kate waited anxiously.

"All right. See you soon. Bye." Buck said, hanging up.

"So, what was it?" Kate asked while he turned around.

Buck sighed. "She's going back to Big Bear?"

Kate narrowed her eyebrows. "What? To do what?"

"Frank said she had to go there to 'let Doug there' kinda thing..." Buck said, not sure of what he was saying.

"She's still having problems with Doug?" Kate asked.

"Yeah, yesterday she got a money check from his money and she was... disoriented." Buck said.

They started walking upstairs. "Right. Is she okay, though?"

"I mean, she said she was." Buck shrugged.

Kate sighed and the bells soon rang.

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It was Christmas Eve already. Their first emergency was a commun one. Kate, Eddie, Chim and Hen got inside the house after Bobby who took the little boy out. His mom was laying down and she wasn't breathing. They bent down next to her. Hen checked her pulse.

"No pulse. Starting compressions." She said as she started doing compressions on the woman's chest as Eddie held the O2 mask on her nose and mouth.

Kate cut her shirt open as Chim prepared the desfibrilador and applied it on the mother's chest.

"Hold CPR." Chim said and Hen stopped the compressions. "She's in the V-fib. Gonna shock her. Clear!" The woman's chest moved up and down abruptly, but she didn't respond. "She's not converting. Resume compressions." 

Hen continued. "Come on."

Chim shock his head. "She's not converting. Gonna shock her again. Clear!"

The same happened to her chest and she didn't wake up. "Resume compressions."

"Kate, switch." Hen said.

"On it." Kate started compressions once again. After what looked like minutes, the machine started beeping and the woman's heart started beating again.

"We got a pulse." Chim said, making Kate stop doing compressions.

Kate and Hen looked in front at each other, Kate smiling and giving Hen a friendly tap on her shoulder as she panted. Eddie smiled at Kate.

The woman opened her eyes and was soon being transported on a gurney by Chim and Eddie. The girls went outside and saw the woman's son sitting on the porch. 

He looked up at them. "The police officer didn't let me go with my mom. Am I in trouble? Is is because I hurt her? I didn't mean to." The boy cried.

Kate gave him a sympathetic smile as Hen said. "Of course not." She said and looked at Kate. Hen nodded, silently telling her that she could handle this. Kate smiled and walked towards Eddie and Buck.

"Hey, you okay?" Eddie asked, pulling her into a side hug.

"I'm fine, just... disoriented, I think." She said, looking at Buck who smiled.

After that call, they went home to get ready and sleep a little for their next shift on Christmas. Eddie had taken Chris to his Abuela's so she would take him to Eddie's aunt. Therefore, Kate had already said 'Merry Christmas' to him.  She was washing the dishes and started thinking. She hadn't slept in her apartment in ages. She only goes there twice or three times per month. She didn't mind, though. She loved the Diaz's house as much as she loved the Diaz boys. Love. None of them had said their 'I love you'. 

What is he waiting for?

Maybe he wanted her to say it. No, men always say it first. Right? Wrong. She should say it and tonight would be a great night to say it for the first time. Someone opening the door, broke her out of her thoughts. Eddie.

"Hey, I'm home!" He said.

"Hi!" She said from the kitchen, drying her hands before going to the living room.

"He's at my Abuela's." He said, walking towards her and giving her a kiss. "I want you to dress up."

"Why? Where are we going?" She smirked.

Eddie smiled. "I wanna take you to dinner."

"Is that so?"

"Yeah." He gave her another kiss. "Now, go get a dress."

She smiled and went to his bedroom. She didn't know why, but there was a dress on his bed. She raised an eyebrow and smiled. A paper note was on it. 'You don't have to thank me ;)'. She chuckled and put it on without thinking twice. 

She went to the bathroom and applied some make-up. Smiling at herself in the mirror, she got out of the room and walked to the living room where Eddie was standing in a suit.

He looks so hot.

She smiled and he did the same. His eyes showing amazement at her sight.

"You look stunning." He said, walking towards her.

"You look very handsome yourself." She smiled and gave him a kiss.

"Shall we?" Eddie said, motioning to the door.

"Please." Kate smiled as he put a small white jacket around her shoulders.

They walked to the car, Eddie driving. They stopped at a fancy restaurant and got inside. Sitting at their table, they chatted and laughed. Also learnt a bit more about their past.

"Okay, my turn." Eddie said, while Kate took a sip of her wine. "If you could be an animal, which one would you be?"

"Humm, tough question." She smiled as Eddie laughed, taking a bite of his food. "I think I'd be... an owl!"

Eddie laughed. "An owl? Why?" He asked, confused.

"Yeah, I mean, they have wisdom and those feathers... beautiful!" She said. "Okay, now it's my turn." She thought. "Who is your favorite football player?"

"Ooh, uh... Patrick Mahomes or maybe Travis Kel-" Eddie started but Kate interrupted.

"No, I meant football like... soccer." She said, taking a bite of her food.

"Oh, I don't really watch soccer." He admitted.

She swalloed her foor quickly. "What?! You don't watch soccer?" She asked, surprised.

"No, I'd rather watch someting else." Eddie said.

Kate put her hand in her heart as in fake hurt. "I think I'm starting to doubt this relationship..." She shock her head with a smile.

Eddie chuckled. "Well, I'm sorry." She chuckled. "What's yours?"

"I really like Kevin de Bruyne."

"Manchester City, right?"

"Right!" She grinned. "I'm so proud of you." She then looked at her dress. "Thanks for the dress. It's beautiful!" She smiled softly.

"Yeah, it was my mother's." Eddie smiled.

"Really?" Kate let out a happy breath. "She has great taste."

The couple laughed and finished dinner after a while, going home after. Going to their room, Kate took her high heels and turned around to face Eddie who ran towards her and started kissing her. The kiss began to get deeper and more passionate as they moved themselves to the bed. He took his jacket and started kissing her once again.

She started to take his shirt off, him doing the same to her dress, unziping it. They made out for some time until he ended up cuddling with her, her back facing him as he gently kissed her neck. She turned around to face him. 

"I really enjoyed tonight. Thank you." She smiled, looking deep into his eyes.

"Me too." He said, kissing her forehead. "I love you, Katilyn." He said.

There it was! The 'I love you'! Inside her body, Kate felt like music from how happy she was.

"I love you too, Edmundo." She smiled and kissed him, curling into him. Her phone beeped, though, which made her sigh and pick it up.

"It's Bobby. He says he passed the radiation test." She smiled happily.

"That's great." Eddie grinned.

Below that message, Bobby said: 'Told you'.

Kate chuckled. 'Congrats on being right. And on the resuts too.'

She sent it and cuddled with Eddie until her phone rang again for them to wake up, but that wouldn't be for 6 more hours, giving them time to enjoy each other's company. The words 'I love you' and Eddie's voice made her fall asleep peacefully.

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The alarme had to beep at some time and in 45 minutes, they'd be at the station once again for their Christmas shift. Going upstairs, Kate smiled.

"Hey, guys. Merry Christmas!" She said, her team saying it back but not with as much enthusiasm as her. "Come on! I know this sucks, but at least we have each other." She said, almost hopeless. She saw Eddie sit next to Hen, giving her even less hope.

"Sorry, Kate." Buck said.

"That's okay, I understand you."

After a few minutes, the bells rang and they went to a woman's house. Bobby knocked on the door of the woman's apartmet.

"LAFD, open up, please."

The woman opened the door and she was... blue. Literally blue. The team's expressions became confused and surprised.

"This is not okay!" The woman yelled. She held her mouth. "Ouch! Jeez."

They got in after Bobby. "Okay, ma'am, please take a seat and tell us what's going on." Bobby said as the woman sat on a chair.

"What's going on? Look at me! I'm a Smurf, and I need a root canal." She said, panicking.

"Pulse is steady." Hen said.

"Pupils are normal." Kate added. "How long has this been going on?"

"The teeth since last week. The Avatar look since I woke up. And on top of that, I have to go to work today. On Christmas! I mean, what kind of loser has to work on Christmas?" The woman yelled desperatly, not understanding that what she said actually hurt the team in a certain way. They looked at each other. "Right. Sorry." She shrugged.

"Ma'am, do you mind if my guys here take a look around?" Bobby asked.

"Oh, that's fine. You very handsome men, please go look through my messy apartment." The woman said. Kate looked at Eddie, him doing the same before he went to look around the apartment. "Because this wasn't humiliating enough already."

"Okay, ma'am, have you taken any colloidal silver supplements?" Chim asked.

"What? No."

"Any silver-based eye drops?" Hen asked.

"No. No."

"Nose sprays?" Kate added. "Any medication we should know about?"

"Benzocaine. Toothache gel. She used the whole thing." Eddie said, coming out of the bathroom.

"And a trash can full of empties." Buck added, coming from behind.

All of the sudden, the woman started shaking.

"She's seizing." Chim warned.

"Okay." Hen said as she and Kate put the woman on the ground.

"Could be Methemoglobinemia." Kate said.

"Okay, put her on the CO-oximeter." Bobby said, Chim doing so.

"Methemeglobin levels are 60%" Hen said. "61. Clibimg."

"Anything over 70 could be deadly." Chim said.

"Kate, get her on 02. Run a fluid line." Bobby said.

"I'll grab the methylene blue chloride." Chimney said.

"It's the benzocaine. Overuse can prevent the body from releasing red blood cells." Eddie informed.

Kate injected the needle on the woman's arm, dark red blood coming out of it.

"Uh, why is she bleeding chocolate syrup?" Buck asked.

"Because, blood thinner boy, Methemoglobinemia causes her blood to appear much darker than normal, which then causes her skin to only reflect blue light, hence the Smurf lady." Chim explained.

"Methylene blue converts the ferric iron into ferrous iron and turns the blood back to red." Hen explained.

"Never seen a case this advanced, Kate." Chim admitted. "Let's give her two doses."

"Methemoglin levels dropping." Kate said. "Skin colour's turning back to normal."

"Oh, my God." The woman said, taking the O2 mask of off her. She looked at herself. "I'm... I'm not blue! Ouch, but my teeth. How am I gonna get through work?"

"Well, good news. You earned yourself a day off." Hen said. "And a morphine drip."

They went back to the station, parking the firetruck.

"Okay, we're good!" Bobby said as he helped parking the truck.

"Yes, yes you are, Captain." Athena said from upstairs, making Bobby turn around. "Merry Christmas!"

The rest of the team came out of the truck, smiling as they saw Athena.

"Athena, what are you doing here?" Bobby asked.

"We came to save you." Athena said. "Someone said you were ordering takeout for Christmas dinner."

"I did vote for turkey." Buck said. 

"Did she say 'we'?" Eddie asked as the team walked upstairs.

"Merry Christmas!!" A big amount of people yelled and when they recognized who they were, their smiles got bigger. It was members of their family.

Denny ran towards Hen, her picking him up laughing.

"Christopher!" Eddie and Kate said at the same time.

"Dad! Kate!" The three gave a big group hug. 

"Merry Christmas!" Eddie said. 

"Merry Christmas, kiddo." Kate cheered. She got up to greet Eddie's Abuela.

Soon after, Maddie came upstairs with Chim which made Kate look at her. Eddie looked at Kate, motioning his head towards Maddie. Kate smiled and told them that she'd be right back.

She walked towards Maddie, hugging her. "Merry Christmas, Maddie!"

Maddie laughed. "Merry Christmas, Kate."

"So, how'd it go?" Kate asked, pulling away.

Her sister sighed. "It wasn't easy, but I finally feel... free." She smiled and so did Kate.

"Okay, let's eat before the bells ring." Bobby said.

They sat on the table, Kate sitting between Eddie and Buck.

Bobby started his usual speech. "We're grateful for this food, and we're graetful to have each other. Amen." Once said, they began to start eating and chatting. 

After dinner, Eddie and Chris were playing with Abuela when Buck came with a gift. Kate watched from afar as the little boy opened the gift to find a big car. She watched how happy he was, tears threatning to fall as she smiled. After that, Eddie walked towards her, pulling her into a tight hug.

Pulling away, he said. "Merry Christmas, mi vida."

"Merry Christmas." She kissed him on the lips, smiling as they pulled away, as Chris walked towards her, showing his cool car.

"Hey, my mom wants to take a picture together." May said when she walked to them.

Kate smiled. "Okay, let's go."

The three placed themselves between Buck and Hen's family. 

"Just get everyone to fit in." Athena said. "All right, on three everyone. One, two, three!"

"Merry Christmas!" They all shouted happily.

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Hello!! Hope you liked this chapter. I am actually very proud of it haha. Hope you have a wonderful 2025! Thank you soooo much for reading and voting. See you next chapter, pookies!