Kate almost drowned once, she was 10 and still couldn't swim. One day at the public pool her friends pushed her into the deep end, Kate remember little about what happened after her body sunk under the water.

She remembered what it felt like as she gulped down water, her arms flailing as she tried to pull herself to the top. It was no deeper than 6ft but Kate felt like she was in a never ending hole, after what felt like hours but was only minutes her body stop fighting and at 10 years old she excepted her fate, she was pulled out seconds later and given cpr. She was fine, apart from the realization she needed new friends.

It was a week later that Kate met molly.

This was nothing compared to what she remembered drowning felt like. The water moved rapidly around her, sharp objects landing around her as the wave took almost everything with it. Kate felt her lungs cry for air, she kicked her legs as hard as she could but the water was stronger, there was only so much her body could handle before it decided to stop.

Minutes passed, just as she was about to give up she felt her hand break through the water, a hand grabbed hers and she was pulled up from what felt the ruins of the deep sea.

Kate felt her body land on something hard, she didn't really care who pulled her up or what she landed on.

A gasp ripped through her throat, leaving a burning sensation to linger for a few seconds. She coughed up what felt like a bucket of water, the person responsible for saving her patted her back as she did.

Kate laid down after the 30 seconds of coughing, her chest moved up and down as her lungs took in the fresh ocean air.

Kate turned her head, a woman the same age as her have a soft smile.

"Thanks" Kate panted, she leaned on her elbows and sat up.

"I recognize you, you are the woman who was thrown from the truck 5 months ago"

"That's me" Kate nodded,  wringing out the end of her now tangled hair; Regretting the decision to leave it down.

"You're a firefighter?" The woman asked

"LAFD at your service"

"good, could you help with this" she stretched out her leg, revealing the shard Of glass that protruded from her shin

"What's your name?" Kate asked

"I'm cara. I wasn't here alone, I was babysitting for a family friend, she's a 5 year old girl wearing a pink shirt with a blue skirt"

"Cara, I'm Kate and right now we need focus on your leg, can you tell me how much it hurts on a scale from 1 to 10"

"A there maybe, I expected it to hurt a lot more" she shrugged

"It's probably the adrenaline, it can block out the pain but it will ware off soon" Kate told her,

"So right now it's probably safer to leave this in, if I pull it out you are risk of a lot of bleeding but I'm going to tie something around it to hold it in place" she explained

"Okay"

Kate cupped some water into the wound, cara groaned quietly as she gripped her hand around Kate's shoulder. Kate ripped the material from her shirt and wrapped around her leg.

Cara exhaled a small whimper "I think the adrenaline ran off"

"This should work, at least till someone can come find you"

"What about you?" cara asked

"Well my shift starts soon, but given the circumstances I'd say nows a good time to start" Kate cracked a small joke,

"No, no you can't leave me here" cara shook her head, "let me come with you, please.. I need to find Charlie"

"But you leg-

"You'll need to make sure nothing happens to it right?" Cara asked, her voice shook. Kate could see the fear in her eyes.

Kate was scared too, it her first tsunami but after the earthquake Kate had herself prepared for anything that could come her way in LA. She just forgot that even the people who live here can be scared

"Alright" Kate nodded "I wanna get off this thing and trail the water for any other casualties, you can come with me if you want, but we both know there is a high chance of another wave"

"I'll come" Cara nodded

Kate jumped into the water, the cold shocked her and first but after seconds she adapted to it. She took a hold of Caras handed and helped her down, Cara hissed as the water burned her leg

"Alright be careful, I don't want you getting anymore hurt than you are"

"You're sweet" Cara shivered, her teeth chattering

"It's my job" Kate responded, she threaded carefully through the water.

"Help!" Someone's voice came from under some wood

Kate picked up the damp wood, she threw it aside and pulled the man from beneath the water "sir are you okay?" She asked, inspecting him for any visible wounds.

"Yeah, I'm okay. I just couldn't hold that wood any longer"

"There is a car over there, it's jammed in by a few trees. It's safe to stay on" she pointed, "can you make it over?"

"Yeah, yeah I can" he nodded

"Okay, there will be people coming soon"

Kate really wasn't sure who would be coming or if they'd even reach them, but right now it was all she could say. No promises, no reassurance. Just tell them what might happen.

She trailed along the water, walking against the stride seemed impossible but she knew there were some people who needed help.

She moved through the Debris, pushing floating objects out of her way, she moved more tree out of her way and spotted someone sitting on a fallen tree, the young girl wouldn't have been any older than 5.

Kate swam over, cara followed behind "is that her?" Kate asked

"Yeah I think so" cara nodded

Kate reached the tree, she gave the young girl a smile "hey sweetie, what's your name"

"Cara!" She exclaimed, looking behind Kate

"Oh thank god" Cara exhaled

"I'm Charlie" she answered Kate's question

"Are you hurt anywhere?" Kate asked

"I scraped my hand" she held out her small hand, it was nothing more than a graze

"Oh wow" Kate gasped "well, you are just so brave."

Kate turned and faced the older woman, "you need to stay here with her okay. It's not safe for her to be coming along with me"

"Okay" cara nodded, she climbed up onto the tree. It was pretty wedged inbetween two cars and wasn't going anywhere

"You be brave okay" Kate smiled at the little girl

Kate felt the water moved more around her, she looked down the long path of water and noticed it was building up... the second wave.

Before Kate could even processed what was happening, she felt her legs swoop from under her as the second wave took over, she felt her body get pulled down the stream, watching as cara and Charlie faded away.

After minutes of kicking her legs and flailing her arms, she managed to grab hold of a pole, her body jolted as she grabbed it and she gasped for air, the taste of the salt water burning her mouth.

When the second wave calmed down, Kate looked around and couldn't see anyone, she really hoped that Buck and Christophe were okay. She hadn't much time to think of them, but she knew Christopher was in the safest hands he could he.

"Kate!"

Kate heard the familiar sound of a young boys voice, she turned in the water and spotted Christopher clinging onto a tree for dear life.

"Christopher!" She called, without hesitation she swam towards the boy "Christopher I'm coming!"

She finally reached him, she wrapped her arm tightly around his waist and he hugged her tightly.

"Hey, what happened?" She asked, rubbing his back.

"I fell off the truck, I couldn't see anything" he sniffled, Kate had noticed he didn't hate his glasses.

"Was Buck with you?" She asked, he was still hugging her, his head was resting on her shoulder.

"Yeah"

"Alright, it's okay. You are safe with me okay"

*

Night had fallen, Kate and Christopher made it out of the water hours ago. Once they were free of the cold water. Kate checked Christopher for any wounds and asked a million and one questions, Christopher was the luckiest boy on the world, not even a scratch on his face.

After that, Kate followed a crew to a set up center were she got Christopher some food and water. Kate herself wasn't hungry, the worry about Buck was eating her up. So much as a scratch and he could bleed way more than expected, but she put on a brave face for Christopher who seemed to be okay for a boy who just experienced his first tsunami, but it was Kate's too and she didn't seemed scared either.

He wasn't able to walk much without his crutches so Kate carried him as they walked through the streets, she heard about the place from someone and knew she'd probably find Eddie or Buck or someone there.

"You doing okay?" Kate asked

"Yeah. I miss my dad"

"We are gonna find him soon, I promise"
"You were so brave today you know that?" Kate acknowledged

"Thanks" he murmured, he was exhausted to say the least,

"You know it was my first tsunami too, I think you did a better job than me"

"You did a good job kate. Thanks for saving me"

Kate's heart warmed as Christopher hugged into her, it must have been terrifying for him yet somehow he was still able to put on a brave face. He was the the bravest kid Kate ever knew.

Lights lit up the street corner, Kate turned and noticed the rows of tents. She made it, after a long and cold day she finally made it.

She picked up the pace, having spent too long waiting to find the place was worried it was all an illusion, she said walked long the path and noticed Buck in the distance, she exhaled happily and made her way over.. he looked worried, he looked terrified.. he looked like he was about to tell Eddie that he lost Christopher.

"Eddie!" Kate called out,

Eddie turned around, he noticed his son in Kate's arms and ran over. Kate let Christopher's feet rest against the ground, his face lit up as Eddie ran over,

"Oh Christopher" he kneeled down and scooped his son up, hugging him tightly

Kate left them to have their moment, she walked over to Buck and noticed how his legs were about give way.

She wrapped her arms around him quickly, hugging him tightly "I love you, I'm so sorry"

"I thought.. I though he-.."

"Christopher's fine, he's okay."

Buck pulled out of his girlfriends arms, he noticed the small scratch on her forehead "I thought you would have been in traffic when the tsunami hit, I thought you were safe"

"I was, a woman pulled me from the water." Kate nodded

He didn't say anything else, nothing that could be said in words anyway. Instead he pulled her close and kissed her as if he'd never kiss her again, Kate kissed him back just as passionately.

*

Kate woke up to the sound of whimpers coming from beside her, she turned over and noticed that buck was jerking in his sleep.

It had been a few weeks since his last nightmare, she assumed today triggered something.

"No.. no Chris" he mumbled, tears falling down his face.

"Hey sweetie" Kate rubbed his arm, not wanting to startle him awake

"Chris.."

Kate gently stroked his cheek, "Evan, you are safe. Christopher is safe, you need to wake up"

"No...no"

Kate scooted closer to him, holding him as much as she could "shh, it's okay. You're safe"

Kate felt his arms wrap around her, his eyes slowly opening, buck felt the tears on his face, memory of what happened.

"What.."

"Just a bad dream" Kate murmured, she laid back down, feeling Evans arm around her

"Sorry"

"No" she shook her head, "you have nothing to be sorry for. These things happen"

"I mean for today. I never wanna argue with you again"

Kate gave a short laugh, "Buck, it's part being in a relationship, but I do need to apologize properly. I didn't even consider the impact all this had on you, I forget sometimes that this job is More than Just about Making money. It's about saving people and sometimes it can be hard to to feel whole when you aren't doing what you love most, when you aren't saving people"

"I just hate that I can't do anything, I feel like I'm useless.." his voice broke, he blinked back some tears

"I feel like I'm exactly what I was before becoming a firefighter"

Kate held his arm, "Evan Buckley, you will never be useless. We are more than just our jobs and sometimes it can be hard to realize that"

"Sorry for waking you" he mumbled,

"It's not your fault. You don't have to apologise" Kate reassured. "God knows you've coaxed me from my fair share of bad dreams"

"I love you."

"I love you too"