Full Moon (Creepy AF).

chapter six , Very Superstitious

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Emery walks into her kitchen and opens the freezer. She grabs the pint of ice cream and sits on the bar stool at her island. Emery grabs a spoon and eats some of the ice cream. She hears footsteps and her eyes shift to the raven-haired man.

"You're eating ice cream? Without me?" William grabs a spoon and makes his way over to her. He stands between Emery's legs and eats some of the ice cream.

"So, full moon's tomorrow." Emery says. "I've got a loooong night."

William pulls his brows together. "It's a 24 hour shift...don't you always work 24 hours?"

"I mean, yeah, but full moons are when people are at their most...ferocious." Emery explains.

William raises his brows and chuckles. "Ferocious?"

Emery nods, "Yeah, I mean, whether it's violently or sexually. Their ferocious." She sputters. "One time Chim and Hen had to get a couple...unstuck from each other."

"How...does that happen exactly?"

Emery shrugs, "Don't ask me, man..."

William traces Emery's bare thigh and goosebumps forms across her skin. Emery swipes her tongue across her lower lip. "So...about that ferocious full moon thing—"

"It's not the full moon, yet." Emery shakes her head. "Keep it in your pants..." she looks at the boxers he was in and arches a brow. "...boxers." She corrects herself.

"Do we really need a full moon to have sex?"

Emery looks at the ice cream. "Nope, but...we already had sex. And I'm kind of tired." She tilts her head up to him.

William eats some of the ice cream, "No worries." He kisses her forehead. "I'll get my stuff."

Emery raises her brows, "Well, you can stay the night. If you want."

William pulls his face back and looks at her. "Really?"

Emery nods her head. "Yeah. Of course."

William hasn't slept over at Emerson's house. Ever. So, her suggesting for him to stay the night was the step forward in the right direction for their relationship. Emery puts the lid onto the ice cream and places it back in the freezer where it previously was.

"Who's this?"

Emery closes the freezer, turns to William, and her heart drops into her stomach. She swallows as William holds the picture. Emery's hearing goes in and out. Her palms start to grow sweaty and it feels like she can't breathe. Emerson felt like she was back in that moment. So many moments that should've brought a smile to her face made her want to sob ever night.

"Emerson?"

The girl blinks and she focuses on her boyfriend. Emery slightly opens her mouth and snaps her eyes over to the picture frame in his hand. "Uh, no one." She makes her way over to him. "She's..." Emery falls silent and her eyes slightly widen, realizing what she said. "...no one."

Emery taps her finger against her thigh four times.

William looks at Emery and notices her silence. He looks back at the girl in the picture and presses his lips into a small line. "Let's go back to bed." He puts the photo back.

Emery spaciously nods her head. "Yeah, okay..."

William interlocks his fingers with Emery's and made their way back to her room.

☆

Emery makes her way into the locker room and unlocks her locker. She hears footsteps behind her and turns to see Buck entering the room. Her mouth opens. "Well, well, well—look who it is?" She turns to him.

Buck hangs his head low and sighs. "Out of all the people to see my first day back. Why is it you?"

"Because I'm the best?" Emery bunches her shoulders.

Emery watches as Buck walks over to his locker and opens it. She presses her lips into a firm line and pushes herself off the lockers. Emery walks over to Buck, leans against the locker, and stares at him.

"So, how are you?"

Buck looks at her and blinks. "I'm sorry?"

"You fully healed? Traumatized?"

"I'm...fully healed and I am not traumatized." Buck cautiously confirms.

Emery's gaze was soft and a smile was ghosting on her lips. She almost looked...comforting. Did she really care about him?

Then a small snort escapes her lips and she cackles. Buck's face drops. Emery points at him, "I can't believe that you choked on bread and almost died."

Buck rolls his eyes and looks back into his locker. He knew it was too good to be true. Emery touches her stomach. "It was during your date and Abby had to give you a tracheotomy. You realize that, right?"

"Yeah, yeah. I got that, Emi." He looks at her with squinted eyes.

Emery smirks, "You know what I was doing while you were healing from your tracheotomy?"

"What? Staying home alone, eating ice cream?"

Emery shakes her head, "Nope. I was getting railed."

Buck wrinkles his nose. "Gross—"

"Oh stop. Sex is a part of life, Probie." Emery smacks his arm and walks back over to her locker.

"You do realize that if I did die, you wouldn't be able to laugh, right?" Buck questions.

Emery rolls her eyes, "Uh, duh! That's why I asked before hand." She slightly turns her head and sees Buck take his shirt off. She looks back into her locker. "I'm a very thoughtful person, Probie."

Buck huffs, "Right, because that's obvious."

The full moon shift was more difficult than past full moon shifts. And that's because Bobby decided to split him, Buck, and Emery into one group while Hen and Chim were in the other. Bobby wishes he never put himself with them.

"Hey, did you know that Gravity is heavier during a full moon?" Emery states.

Buck looks at the girl and picks up his bag. "Really?"

Emery nods, "Mhm, Scientists have proven it."

Buck raises his brows, "Thanks for that info, Em. Very useful."

Emery squints her eyes. "Maybe now you might actually have some knowledge in that brain of yours to share with others." She gives him a pat on the shoulder before grabbing her things. Buck gets out of the fire truck and follows after Bobby.

"Hey, Cap. You know it's a fact that gravity is heavier during a full moon." Buck informs his Captain. Emery over hears Buck and her mouth hangs open. She jogs over to the two.

"Scientists have proven it." Buck states, walking in Bobby's right side.

"What?! I just told you that!" Emerson seethes, she walks on Bobby's left side. "Cap, he's taking my ideas. Fire him!"

"Don't be dramatic, Emi." Buck brushes her off. "Everyone can read articles and stuff online."

"Enough with the Emi. My name doesn't have an 'I' in it." Emery seethes.

"Well, I'm sorry, you're majesty." Buck then raises his brows. "I'm sorry, Princess—"

"Oh, screw you." Emery snaps.

The two continue to bicker back and forth, causing Bobby's eye to twitch. "All right, you two. Even if you both read it from different places. It shouldn't matter, because the idea that the moon causes odd behavior and happening goes back to the first century. It's folklore, magical thinking."

"Captain, whether it's Superstition or not—you can't deny that there is some crazy shenanigans that go down during these Full Moon shifts."

The three firefighters enter the building and get into the elevator. "Did you just say shenanigans?" Buck chuckles.

Emery looks at him, "Yeah, so? Would you have preferred me to say 'shit?' we're at work, Probie."

"I'm sure it doesn't matter whether you say 'shit' or 'shenanigans'." Buck moves his head from side to side.

Emery looks at Bobby, "Captain, what would you prefer? Me to say 'shit' or 'shenanigans' during work?"

Bobby lets out a soft breath. "Shenanigans, please." His voice was filled with annoyance.

"You're making him angry." Buck nudges Emery's arm. Emery squints her eyes at Buck and elbows him.

The elevator opens and a woman was standing there. "Hey. She's this way." She starts down the hall with the three following after her. "Jackie's six months pregnant. She's new. This class is only open to moms who are at least 26 weeks. I warn them about overexerting themselves."

The woman opens a door and holds her hand out to the room full of pregnant women. "And behold, the Salbahasana."

"Yeah, Locust Pose." Buck nods.

Bobby and Emery look at the boy. Buck slightly opens his mouth, "I've dated, like, 50 yoga instructors."

Emery nods her head, "Of course..." she scoffs.

They walk over to the woman in labor. "All right, can you guys please clear out so we can get in there?" Bobby voices.

Buck sets the board down.

"I can't move." The pregnant woman states. "Everything hurts. The baby, is he okay?"

"Well, we have to check first, ma'am." Emery softly assures, she gets on one knee. "I'm gonna touch you right here on your stomach." She touches the woman's stomach and nods.

"Okay. There's no trauma to the abdomen." Emery states.

"Vitals seem normal." Buck speaks. "Fetal's heartbeat normal."

"Is the baby okay?"

"Your baby is fine." Bobby reassured the woman.

"Oh, he's not mine." She states. "I'm a surrogate."

"Listen, can you tell me where you're feeling your pain?" Bobby asks. "Is it localized in your back, your arms, your legs?"

"Arms and legs, but it's-it's the worst in my butt and down my thigh and calf." The woman describes.

"She slipped a disc." Emery informs.

"Okay, we're gonna need to get her on her side, okay?" Bobby looks at Emery and Buck. "Very carefully support her head. Em gently grabs her leg, all right?"

Buck and Emery follow Bobby's orders.

"Let's go this way towards you guys, okay? Very gently."

Emery slowly starts to lower the woman's leg. But a scream erupts through the room which catches the three firefighter's attention. Another pregnant woman was screaming in pain, having contractions.

Bobby looks at Emery and Buck. "All right, I'm gonna take care of that. You think you guys can handle being alone."

"Yeah."

"Please don't leave me with him."

Buck and Bobby look at Emery. She opens her mouth, "I-I mean, yeah. We'll be fine." She waves a hand. "Go on."

Bobby makes his way over to the other screaming woman. Emery slowly starts to lower the woman's leg and Buck keeps her head steadies.

"What are the chances that two of these women start having contractions the same—"

"Oh, My God—My water broke!"

Emery, Buck, and Bobby look at the pregnant woman.

"Emery?"

The curly-haired girl snaps her eyes over to Buck. "You just had to open your mouth, didn't ya, Probie?" She touches her knees and stands up. Emery makes her way over to the woman. "Hi, ma'am, I'm gonna help you onto the ground, all right—"

The woman starts to take off her pants and Emery raises her brows. "Okay—all right."

"It's coming. It's coming now."

Emery crouches in front of the woman. "You're not new to this, are you?" She chuckles.

"This is my fourth kid." She huffs.

Emery nods her head, "All right—I need towels now!"

Another woman screams, catching everyone's attention. "Holy shit." Emery huffs.

"Bobby, I have never done this before." Buck says, nervous.

"That's why you've got us, Probie." Emery chuckles.

"They say when a full moon's hallway between the eastern horizon and its highest point, it can induce labor." The yoga instructor pronounces. "I knew I should have cancelled this class."

"Full moons, am I right?" She looks at the woman in labor and chuckles.

The woman glares at Emery and the firefighter's smile drops.

"Just saying, I told you!" Buck says, standing up.

Emery's mouth hangs open, "Wh-wha...And I told you!"

"Okay, we can discuss who told who first later, guys." Bobby states.

"If you're not in labor right now, could you please go out in the hallway and give us some space. Thank you!"

"Okay..." Emery looks at the woman in front of her.

Another woman screams in the room. Emery looks over at the other woman now having contractions. "Are you kidding me?"

"Just go. I've got this."

Emery looks back at the pregnant woman in front of her. She pulls her brows together, "You're gonna deliver your own baby?"

"Yea, I told you, it's my fourth."

"And she's a doula." A woman calls out.

Emery slightly opens her mouth and nods. "Oh, right. Well, Uh, you go girl." She pumps her fist and makes her way over to the other screaming woman.

As the three firefighters try their best to treat every woman that was having either contractions or in labor, a few paramedics come in with stretchers.

"You still think this full moon stuff is a myth?" Buck asks.

"Yes, and I still think you're an idiot."

Emery laughs softly, but she then pulls her brows together, and her laughter quiets down. "Wait...does that mean you think I'm an idiot too?"

Buck smiles and looks at Bobby, waiting for his answer. Bobby chuckles, "No, Buck believing in the moon thing and him being an idiot are two separate things."

Emery nods her head while Buck's smile drops.

"Oh, okay, good." Emery lets out a sigh of relief. She looks at Buck. "He had me scared for a second."

"Being called an idiot is really that terrifying?" Buck deadpans.

"If it's grouped with you? Hell yeah."

☆

"Connor? 911's here. Open the door now."

"All right, step aside, sir." Bobby orders. He stands in front of the door. "Connor? Los Angeles Fire Department. We can't help you if you don't open the door."

A small groan comes from the bathroom.

"Connor, I don't want to have to break this door down."

The door unlocks. Bobby opens the door and they enter the bathroom. Emery's mouth hangs open as she looks around the bathroom. "Whoa mama."

"Right? This bathroom is awesome." Buck whispers.

"I wanna marry this bathroom." Emery chuckles.

They look at the man sitting on the edge of the bathtub. "Can you tell me what you're feeling?" Bobby asks.

"Something's happening." Connor says through his pain. "Like, the worst cramping pressure feeling that I've ever experienced—it's like I'm gonna give birth or something."

"Oh, stop it." His boyfriend scoffs. "We had sushi tonight. He always orders the omakase, but he can't handle anyone telling him what to do, so he orders more..."

"You just have an upset stomach—"

"If you tell me I just have a stomachache one more time, I'm gonna stab you with your toothbrush." Connor snaps.

Emery purses her lips and she slightly widens her eyes. "Okay..."

"I swear, I felt it moving, okay? I felt something moving."

Emery wrinkles her nose.

"How long have you been having the cramps?" Bobby asks.

"Uh, about a week." Connor answers. "Yeah, I made a doctor's appointment for Friday."

"Any other symptoms?" Bobby asks.

"No."

"Oh, he's been having a lot of gas."

"Shut up!" Connor barks.

"You have." His boyfriend shrugs. "I mean, i-it kind of builds like an overture, and then there's a nice little tuba solo."

Emery rolls her lips into her mouth to keep herself from smiling.

"It's a tremendous amount of horrible flatulence."

"Paul."

"Okay, just lean back, let me have a look."

Connor shows his stomach and leans back against the bathtub.

"You guys eat a lot of sushi?" Buck asks.

"He does—about four or five times a week." Paul states.

"I try to go carb and fat free as often as possible." Connor adds.

"You guys ever try the brown rice pasta?" Buck asks. "You know, it's not that bad."

"You know, it's a little gummy for my taste." Connor replies.

"Yeah, I see that, okay."

"Hey, what's your body fat percentage?"

Emery rolls her eyes, "Give me a break..."

"I swing between, like, 50–"

"Okay, can we finish the most interesting conversation of all time later?" Bobby questions.

"I don't think eating raw fish is the answer to lowering your carb and fat intake." Emery sighs, she lightly touches his stomach. "Does that feel tender at all?"

"No."

"What about your bowel movements?" Bobby asks. "Any diarrhea?"

"No."

"Yes. Why would you lie to him about that?" Paul exasperates. "He's trying to help you."

"Okay. Sorry. Yes." Connor looks at Bobby.

"He has poop shame."

Buck chuckles softly, but Emery nudges him. Emery looks at him, "I have poop shame too." She states. "And I'm poop shy."

Buck snorts and Emery glares at him. "Laugh again, Probie. Do it."

Buck's smile drops and he nervously looks away from the girl.

"Okay. Just take a deep breath, okay? Relax." Bobby puts on his stethoscope. He starts to place his stethoscope against Connor's abdomen, but he lets out a loud groan of pain.

"Oh, no, no, no. I'm gonna burst! I'm gonna explode!"

Bobby takes the stethoscope off. "Let's get him in the ambulance right now."

Emery gets the stretcher and they roll him into the ambulance. The entire ride, Connor wails in agony.

"God, just make it stop!" Connor pleads. "Drive faster. I feel like I'm gonna explode all over the place."

"All right, Connor, you're doing great. We're almost to the hospital." Bobby assures. "They're gonna do a scan, figure out exactly what's going on."

"Th-there's something under my leg." Connor says.

"It's just the IV tub, all right? It's underneath you." Buck states.

"No, no, no, it's moving. There's something moving under my leg." Connor starts to whimper.

"All right, let's turn him and check it out."

Emery nods her head, "Turning him." She lifts Connor's body and turns him.

"Oh!" Buck holds his hands up.

Bobby's eyes widen.

Emery turns her head and sees their reactions. She pulls her brows together, "What? What are you guys..." she looks at Connor's leg and sees a worm hanging out of his shorts. Her eyes widen and she throws her arms in the air. "Shit!"

Connor's body slams back against the stretcher and he groans. "Sorry, sorry, sorry..." Emery quickly lifts them up.

"What the hell is that?"

"What?"

"That's a tapeworm."

"Tapeworm? I have a tapeworm?" Connor shrieks.

"Wait, it's coming out of his..."

"...ass." Emery finishes with her nose wrinkled.

"Oh, I'm gonna be sick." Paul dry heaves.

"Oh, get it out. Get it out!"

"I can see the mouth!"

"I mean, we can pull it out." Buck suggests.

"Are you out of your mind?" Emery cranes her neck forward.

"Absolutely not." Bobby also says. "We're almost to the hospital—they're gonna remove that with the proper instruments put him on some albendazole, and then we call it a night."

"No, please, no. I can't take those drugs." Connor states. "They're toxic. They put me on Flagyl for diverticulitis once, and it gave me severe heartburn and turned my pee burnt sienna."

"Burnt Sienna?" Buck knits his brows.

"It was brown! Okay? It was dark brown." Paul seethes. "Now, just please, I am begging you, get it out!"

Buck looks at Bobby. The Captain motions his hand to Connor. "It's all you, Buck."

Buck looks at Emery and she raises her brows. "I'm holding him up."

"Really? So, you two have no problem delivering a baby, but this creeps you out?" Buck chuckles.

"It's a worm, dude." Emery seethes. "Of course it's creeping me out."

"Also, seniority has its advantages." Bobby shrugs.

Emery points at Bobby with one hand. "That too."

"Just get it out!" Connor cries.

"Okay."

"What are you waiting for? Get it out." Bobby says, amused.

"I have to be careful, all right?" Buck grips the tapeworm. "If it breaks, it'll crawl back inside and regenerate."

Emery's stomach turns and she dry heaves.

"I'm definitely gonna puke." Paul smacks his boyfriend's arm. "I knew you didn't go from a 34 to a 31."

"Tapeworms are an old fashioned model's trick for losing weight."

"You know, these things can live inside of you for, like, 20 years?" Buck informs.

Emery's eyes blow wide, watching as the tapeworm keeps going as Buck continues to pull on it.

"This is insane—it's like a magician's handkerchief."

"Actually, it kind of makes perfect sense." Buck continues. "All the sushi you guys eat."

Emery snaps her fingers. "Knew it. It's like playing Russian Roulette but with parasites."

"And with the moon—parasitic breeding cycles rise and fall with the full moon."

"Will you shut up about the moon?" Bobby huffs. "I honestly don't know how you're so calm about this."

"It's nature, you know?" Buck shrugs. "Circle of life."

"You can appreciate the Circle of Life and still be grossed out." Emery groans.

"Man, this has to be, like...six or seven feet." Buck raises his brows with amazement.

Everyone but Buck let's out sounds of disgust.
"You been worn lately? This thing has been stealing all your nutrients." Buck inquires.

"How do you know so much about tapeworms?" Bobby asks.

"I tended a bar one summer at a surf beach in South America." Buck states. "They are as common..." he pulls on the tapeworm. "...as..." he yanks the last of the worm out of Connor. "...housecats."

Emery gently sets Connor down. Buck places the tapeworm in the bag. "Congratulations, Connor. It's a boy."

Emery looks at Buck, "Who knew you actually had knowledge about something, Probie?" She pats Buck's shoulder. "I mean, it's about tapeworms, but it's...something."

☆

Emery gets out of the shower with the towel wrapped around her chest. She walks over to her locker and opens it. Emery grabs her wide-toothed comb and runs it through her curly hair. Emery was usually one of the last people out of the firehouse after a shift ended. She took her time with getting ready. One, it took her a while to make sure everything was in order. Two, she liked being away from home. Especially, since she knew that William was going to be there. He was most likely wanting to know more about the girl in the picture and Emery couldn't handle explaining that to him.

She hasn't even told Bobby and Buck about her. Hen and Chimney have been trying to convince Emery to share her story with them. But, Emery didn't know if she could. She wanted to move on. But, how could she if her own co-workers kept bringing it up?

Emery puts lotion on across her body, hoping to distract herself from her drowning thoughts. Her chest starts to tighten and she quickly puts her clothes on. Emery's breathing starts to pick up in pace. Tears start to blur her vision and she starts to wheeze.

She's gone because of you. Emery's mind echoes.

She lightly pats her chest and leans her head against the lockers. The cold feel of the locker against Emery's head caused her body to cool down. Which got her hands to stop shaking. She then knocks on the locker four times.

"Hey, Em?"

Emery jumps and quickly turns to the entrance of the locker room. William holds his hands up, "It's just me."

Emery exhales through her mouth, but she was still tense. "Will, what...what are you doing here?"

William looks at his hands and walks over to the curly-haired girl. "You didn't come home..."

Home?

William slightly opens his mouth, realizing the tensing in Emery's body to his statement. "I meant...your apartment. You never came back. You were an hour late."

Emery slowly nods her head. "Oh..." she looks back into her locker and closes her eyes, trying to gain composure. Emery opens her eyes and softly chuckles. She neatly folds her towel, walks over to the hamper, and tosses it in. "We dealt with a tapeworm today and my skin was crawling so much, I just had to scrub harder than usual."

William watches as Emery quickly moves around the locker room, organizing everything. She goes back to her locker and grabs her bag. She knocks on the locker once again. Four times. "It takes me a while to get ready. I usually shower here and—"

"Are you avoiding me?" William asks, his voice was soft. Emery keeps her eyes on her locker and her jaw clenches. She turns to William and chews on the inside of her cheek. "I'm not...avoiding you."

Emery blows air out of her mouth. "Not really, at least." She rubs her forehead. "I wasn't lying about taking my time with getting ready. I was taking my time, because that tapeworm was fucking gross, all right?"

Emery and William both softly laugh. She closes her locker door. "I just, never answered your question about the woman in the photo." She looks at her sneakers. "And I'm sorry, but I really don't want to answer that question yet."

Emery looks at him, "Is that okay?"

A small smile twitches onto William's lips. "Yeah, Em. That's fine." He walks over to her and cups her face.

Emery inhales a soft breath and exhales through her nose. She smiles and chuckles. William kisses her forehead. "Look at us, communicating."

Emery bites her lower lip and giggles. "We're like an actual couple."

William frowns, "Yeah, it's nice, right?"

Emery raises her brows and nods.

"Really nice."

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author's note.

I don't know if I wanna do the 'Emery Begins' episode in season one or two...

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