Chapter Text
Maya Bishop was the youngest Captain in the history of the Seattle Fire Department and well on her way to being the youngest Battalion Chief in Department history as well. She was also an Olympic gold medalist who won the gold in the 10,000 meter sprint at the 2012 Olympic Games in London on a sprained ankle no less. She had amazing friends who were her chosen family and she knew she was blessed with the best younger brothers a girl could ask for, even though one had passed away and her chosen brother could be the nosiest and most annoying man in existence. From the outside looking in, she was on the top of the world but to those who knew her best it was clear she was missing a piece of her puzzle, she was missing her heart.
Maya had given her heart away years earlier but a series of unfortunate events cost her the only person she had ever loved, other than her brothers. It had been two years since she had seen the love of her life but she loved her as much today as she had when they were together. Even though Maya knew the chances of ever seeing her one true love again were slim, she couldn’t help but hold out hope that one day her love would return to her. Until that day came though, Maya Bishop, once queen of the one night stand, was committed to being one hundred percent celibate. She loved her soulmate and even if they would never be together again she was committed to her and their love and would remain so for the rest of her life. It didn’t matter if one day or a hundred years passed because one fact would always be true, Maya Bishop was irrevocably and completely in love with Carina DeLuca.
She was so in love with her Italian goddess that even while in the midst of a conversation with her chosen younger brother her thoughts drifted to her love.
“And then Meredith asked me if I ever saw myself as being more than just ‘mommy’s boyfriend’ to her children and I froze and just let her walk out of my house without saying anything! I froze, Maya, and now she thinks I don’t want to be a parent to them but I do; I want to be a parent to them so bad but I didn’t think she’d ever want me to take on that role so I froze. She hasn’t talked to me in two days, Maya, and I’m afraid she’s going to end things before I have the chance to explain,” Andrew DeLuca, Carina’s biological younger brother and Maya’s chosen brother, explained exasperatedly. “Maya? Maya, are you even listening to me?!”
“It’s been two years today,” Maya mumbled as a reply.
“Two years, what are you…oh,” Andrew replied as understanding washed over him.
“I wish I could talk to her even just one more time, tell her how much I love her and how much she means to me. I wish I could tell her I was stupid back then and I should have gone to Italy with her when her Visa expired. I’ve tried contacting her you know…I’ve written letters and I’ve even sent some to Gabriella’s home but they all get returned unopened. I tried calling her too but her number was disconnected as soon as she left. Maybe I should go see her? Maybe if she saw me she would let me explain and we could find our way back to each other. The travel restrictions are finally over so I could fly to her,” Maya rambled clearly deep in thought before she turned her eyes to her brother. “Have you heard from her…at all,” she asked hopefully.
“I’m sorry, sis, but I haven’t. She hasn’t stayed in contact with anyone from Seattle. I think…I think it was too hard for her to be in contact with any of us. I wish she’d reach out but I have to respect her choice and just hope that one day she will reach out or better yet come home,” Andrew replied sadly.
“Do you think I should fly to Italy? I know it’s been two years but I love her Andrew and I want…no I need to fight for her, for us.”
“Maya, I know you love Carina and I do believe the two of you are soulmates but I worry what it will do to you if you fly there and it’s not the happy reunion you are hoping for. It destroyed you when she left and I don’t want to see you in that place again,” Andrew replied sadly.
“I know but I don’t think I could live with myself knowing I could have gone to her and fought for us but didn’t. The restrictions were lifted yesterday and I should have been on a plane then! Andrew, she needs to know that she was always good enough and I just let my own stupidly and stubbornness get in the way before but I won’t do that again. She needs to know how much I love her and that I’ve put in the work with Diane so I can be the best version of myself for myself and for her. I need to try, Andrew,” Maya said with the desperation clear in her voice.
“Mai, I hear you, I do but it has been two years and I think at this point Carina has made it clear that she doesn’t want to talk to any of us and we need to respect that. Now, I’m not trying to be insensitive, you know I ship Marina but can we stop talking about Carina and can you help me with Meredith, please,” he begged his blonde sister.
“Shit! I’m sorry, Andrew! I was a little in my head and completely ignored your issues with Meredith,” Maya said apologetically.
“It’s okay,” Andrew replied.
“Okay, so Meredith asked you if you ever saw yourself as being more than her boyfriend when it came to the kids,” Maya asked to make sure she had heard the younger man correctly.
“Yes. You know I’ve been wanting to have a more legitimate role in their lives for a long time but I didn’t want to pressure Mer because I know I’m not their dad; I know I can’t replace Derek and I don’t want to replace him but I would like to be like a bonus dad to them. I mean, I love them like they’re my kids, ya know? Hell, they even call you Auntie Maya solely because you’re my sister so that must mean something, right,” he rambled.
“Hey, slow down and breathe. Yes, the kids calling me their aunt and making it clear they do it because I’m your sister means something; it means they see you as a parent even if they don’t say it. As for Meredith, it’s gotta be hard to think about someone else being a father to your children when their dad passed away so it’s probably taken her a minute to wrap her head around the fact that she’s actually okay with you taking on an actual role in the kids’ lives. But, it’s been years and you’ve been waiting years for her to let you in in that way so it makes sense to me that you froze when she finally asked that question. I’m guessing you were shocked and probably thought you imagined her asking you and by the time your brain caught up to what was happening it was too late because she was already storming out of the house. Am, I right,” Maya asked knowingly.
“As always, yes,” Andrew grumbled, only slightly annoyed at how well the blonde knew him.
“And that’s perfectly reasonable in my opinion but, Andrew, it’s reasonable to me because I know you’ve been wanting to be a dad to them for years. Meredith, well she doesn’t know that because despite me telling you to talk to her about your feelings you never told her you felt that way. So for her, she probably thinks you don’t want to be a dad or at least not a dad to her children from a prior relationship. You need to talk to your girlfriend, and you need to do it now; don’t be like me and let the best thing to ever happen to you walk out of your life because you’re too stubborn to fight,” Maya said as she comforting squeezed the younger man’s arm.
“I’ve tried talking to her, Mai, but every time she sees me she turns and walks in the other direction. What do I do? How do I make her at least hear me out?”
“Do what I didn’t do when it was Carina and I struggling; don’t give up and let her walk away forever. Go to her house, wait in her office, write her a letter if you have to, beg Amelia or Lexie to arrange a meeting; do whatever it takes, Andrew,” Maya told the man hoping he would take her advice and not make the same mistake she had made.
“Okay, I can do that. She’s actually on shift right now but will be finishing up soon and it’s Wednesday so the kids are with Lexie and Mark for their weekly ‘hangout with the Sloan’s’,” Andrew said as he got up and began to make his way towards the door before turning around. “Mai, I know it’s hard right now but maybe you show Carina you care by respecting her wish to not communicate. One day she will come back and then you can show her the letters I know you write every day and hide away in those shoeboxes in the back of your closet. Like you said the travel restrictions just lifted so maybe she’s already thinking about coming back, you never know,” Andrew said sincerely.
Nodding her head, Maya looked at her chosen brother with a mixture of sadness for herself and hope for him before saying, “I hear you, I do, now go get your girl.” And with that, Andrew was out the door so quickly he missed the next words the blonde uttered. “And I’ll go get mine.”