Melissa

I have a beautiful son, an amazing almost son, and I couldn't be more grateful to have them in my life. But if they don't do their chores, they're still getting grounded.

[mccallmama]

To Melissa-

Isaac: I, of course, was talking about how Scott reads alone at night.

Isaac: You knew I meant that, right?

Melissa: Let's save me the mental image and agree that's what we're talking about

[mccallmama]

To Melissa-

Isaac: What if he.. gets up to stuff.. alone.. at night..?

Melissa: If you're in the room, he won't, I assume.

[mccallmama]

To Melissa-

Isaac: But that's Scott's room..

Isaac: It's not that big. I mean, it's not a two-person room.

Melissa: I'm sure he wouldn't mind

[mccallmama]

To Melissa-

Isaac: Must've sucked for Scott, only having one parent.

Isaac: Then again, maybe that was a good thing. You're the only good parent.

Isaac: I.. really do wish I could sleep in my bedroom without them nightmares.

Melissa: Why don't you try sharing Scott's room? See if that helps?

[mccallmama]

To Melissa-

Isaac: I think I should just think about having enough strength to survive right now.

Isaac: I'm.. family? I'll keep that in mind.

Isaac: From what I've heard, I would've thought ending it would have been the easiest decision you've ever made.

Melissa: You are.

Melissa: Ending it meant making everything harder for me and Scott. Losing the security of two incomes when you have a kid makes everything harder. But I took the harder road and never looked back.

[mccallmama]

To Melissa-

Isaac: Am I really family? I always worry that I may be just a guy who you have to let live in your home, because he has nowhere else to go.

Isaac: If you think things get better for me, you clearly haven't lived a day in my life.

Melissa: You're family.

Melissa: Everyone has something they think holds them back from getting what they want out of life - you just need to have the strength to push past them and make the best out of what you have.

Melissa: You think I ever wanted a husband like I did? You think it was an easy decision ending it?

[mccallmama]

To Melissa-

Isaac: I wish you could be my mother. I miss having family. Derek told me that he never cared about me. I wanted him to care.

Isaac: I don't see much of a future.

Melissa: You always have family with me and Scott.

Melissa: You can do anything you want with the future. I promise. Even when times are tough, they get better.

[mccallmama]

To Melissa-

Isaac: I messed up again. Derek kicked me out of the loft.... again.

Isaac: I really do think moving away.. may be best. All I do is screw up around here.

Melissa: Your room is still waiting for you at home.

Melissa: And what about your future? About school? I know I'm not your mother, but I want you to at least think about what will help you in the long-term.

[mccallmama]

To Melissa-

Isaac: Thank you for everything you've done for me the past couple months.

Isaac: And.. I'm sorry for everything I've done to you.

Melissa: That's okay, Isaac.

Melissa: Is everything okay?

[mccallmama]

  … Do I even want to know how you’re standing here?

[naivexbraive-lola-deactivated20]

Your face is really familiar. And now, you don’t.

[mccallmama]

Melissa McCall. The woman that assisted on your autopsy.

[naivexbraive-lola-deactivated20]

…This is really good.

[mccallmama]

... Do I even want to know how you're standing here?

[adam-nightingale-inactive]

Sunday Dinner - Chris, Adam, Melissa

[thesilverbullethunter-blog]

Chris let them sit at the table while he went to get the game hens, returning to Adam’s recollection of what could be slightly considered fond memories. “Hey, if I hadn’t learned how to cook, we would have either been stuff with nothing but desserts or my old man’s excuse for barbecue.”

If Chris knew Adam - and he liked to think he did - they both knew to leave any talk of Gerard at that. “If you came around more, my cooking wouldn’t be as special as you think it is,” he excused the remarks humbly to each as Melissa was pouring wine for each of them. He poked at her side in reply to the nudge, chuckling as he ducked back in the kitchen to fetch the chutney.

Hearing Melissa’s reply, he felt empathy. He’d been in one of those positions, feeling some guilt even though it wasn’t your fault. “I’m sure you did everything you could,” he assured her with what he hoped to be a comforting smile.

Looking at Adam again, he tried to make things a bit lighter. “Oh, you know,” the older man shrugged, placing everything on the table before taking a seat. “Surrounded by youth that make me feel old. Raising a teenager.” Chris pressed his lips together before he let himself say 'alone'. It’s been so long, it’s almost like he’s forgotten how to have normal fun. ”What about you? How are things at the Fire Department?”

[adam-nightingale-inactive]

"Things are good," Adam said, warmth in his calm voice. It was relaxing to be here with the two of them; he hadn’t really realized how much he had missed his friend until now. They’d had good times on occasion, fighting each other viciously in training, cooking something up, then listening to Victoria critique both training and cooking. Adam had been sorry to hear of her death, although he didn’t hear about it until after the funeral. He had lit a white candle for her every night for a month after he heard, although as with many deaths, his thoughts had been with the family left behind. It hurt to lose a loved one, but it hurt even more to be the ones left behind - a lesson Adam knew well. 

"We’re keeping busy. Not so many fires thankfully, but every day there’s at least one or two calls for accidents, injuries.. It sure beats Detroit, where half the time, the orders were simple: let the fires burn." He sighed and took a drink of the wine, then looked over at Melissa with a warm smile and merry eyes. "This is delicious, thank you." Adam generally didn’t drink any alcohol, but tonight, he would allow himself this one glass with his friends. Detroit was bankrupt and didn’t have the money to spend on firefighting resources unless lives were at stake; being a fireman in a burning city, a city nobody seemed to want to save, had been hard. Adam had done what he could to keep his department’s morale up — but after being attacked in his home by an angry neighbor with a knife, he’d had enough of Detroit. Sometimes, you just have to give up on the fighting and go live a life, find happiness, he had told himself, while tying up his would-be assailant and waiting for the police to arrive.

"What happened?" Adam asked Melissa after a moment. "I mean, if you’re comfortable talking about it." He knew firsthand that sometimes it was easier to deal with the deaths that happened under your hands by talking, by just letting them go with words, but if that wouldn’t be any help to Melissa, he understood. 

[mccallmama]

"Honestly? I still don't know what happened. Or at least... All the details." She shrugged, looking between the two men around the table. And work wasn't something she normally talked about outside of the hospital, but given the circumstances... she knew she should've talked to Chris about it when it happened. But she was still getting used to being in the loop, and including other people in that.

"She didn't have any injuries, but she was in an accident, I checked over her anyway because I had to... She was looking for Scott." She locked eyes with Chris, knowing they both knew exactly what she was talking about. It wasn't that she didn't trust Adam, but she knew Chris longer, and knew he was the go-to guy about these things. "She was fine, I left to call Scott, and then.... She was dead." She paused afterwards, looking down, and shaking her head. "I was going to get blamed, but Joshua Waite stepped in and said it was all his fault... I got suspended for a while, he got worse." She folded her hands as she finished her plate, pushing it away from her. "So someone wanna explain what the hell happened? Because I certainly don't know."

[mccallmama]

Derek

Derek: You don't need to worry, Ms. McCall, I will.

Melissa: You don't need to be formal, Derek. It's Melissa.

[mccallmama]

Derek

Melissa: Look after him. I know I don't have to tell you that, but it makes me feel better.

[mccallmama]

To Melissa||

*1 hour later*

Isaac: I'm not coming home tonight.

Isaac: I'll see you later this week.

Melissa: That's cute. Come home.

[mccallmama]

To Melissa||

Isaac: I WAS poisoned.

Isaac: No. I don't need counselling! What're trying to say? I know I'm right here.

Melissa: I'm saying that maybe talking to someone will help.

Melissa: I believe you were. But burning furniture?

[mccallmama]

To Melissa||

Isaac: I was only trying to protect you..

Isaac: I know that they've been watching me. In my room. Using whatever was in there. But it's all better now! I burnt it! They can't hurt us anymore! See? You understand, right?

Isaac: Please understand.

Melissa: And do you have any proof someone was watching you?

Melissa: Maybe you should get an appointment with the school counsellor? Given that she knows about all this stuff?