Chapter 1 – tick tock

Derek Shepherd sat in the sleeping quarters in the station, his eyes firmly fixed on the clock on the wall. The minute hand moving slowly around. The ticking the only sound echoing around the room, besides the light snores of his men.

It was a quiet day, he knew he shouldn't say that, it was risking the inevitable, but so far it was quiet. He had washed the fire truck, which technically wasn't his job, he was the lieutenant, he didn't wash trucks, but he was bored, the minutes were dragging, he had to do something, he had even gone on the pastry run buying doughnuts for his team, he had even shined his boots himself, he couldn't even remember the last time he had willingly done that, but now, he was sat literally twiddling his thumbs.

Waiting.

It didn't actually make all that much sense for it to be so quiet? It was Halloween, one of the busiest nights of the year - parties often got out of control, stray fireworks wreaked havoc in the air, trick or treaters pushed their luck, and jack-o-lanterns started fires in the craziest of places. Yet here he was surrounded by his sleeping men with nothing to do. He knew he wouldn't sleep though, that wasn't an option.

He hated the hanging around, it wasn't that he wanted people to be in danger, or that he wanted possessions or homes or lives to be destroyed, but the thrill of a 911 call, the adrenaline that ran through his body as he changed into his protective gear on route to a shout was just like nothing else. He didn't know how to explain it – it just gave him such a high. It was the job he had always wanted, and the uniform too!

His family thought he was crazy when he came home at 18 and announced medicine was too mundane for him, too predictable, the thought of slaving over text books and medical journals for the rest of his life no longer appealing.

He didn't want to be one of the sheep following the flock. His mother was a nurse, his father a neuro surgeon, his sister Kathleen already a qualified psychiatrist, Nancy was a year into her OBGYN residency, Anna was away travelling for a year before beginning her internship – desperate to be a neuro surgeon like her father, and Amelia, his little sister was running around the house with a medical text book forever in her hand 24/7 – inevitably showing signs of a career in medicine, and Mark – his brother- not by blood – but his brother all the same was desperate to 'Give women the bodies of their dreams and make ugly people beautiful' that was how he had put it! He knew he had a big head, but he also believed he would achieve his dreams, and he did, Mark Sloan was not a quitter!

But he had wanted to be a fire fighter.

He had wanted to be different.

He hadn't wanted to conform – that just wasn't him.

They had laughed at first, ridiculed the idea – Derek Shepherd a fire-fighter, Mark had even checked the date to see if it was an April fool, timid little Derek Shepherd willing to risk his life day in day out. Derek Shepherd, born into medical royalty with a renowned surgeon as a father, a mother known as a war hero for the work she had done with the injured soldiers - had announced that he wanted to be a fire fighter.

He had proved them wrong, he worked out, he trained, he got himself fit, he basically reinvented himself - and he had made it! The day he passed out in parade in front of his family was the proudest day of his life, and theirs too, everything had been perfect...it was a shame it couldn't stay that way.

Now aged 36 he was the lieutenant of his watch, in charge of a team of 10 men, desperately hoping to make the next rank soon...desperate for another bugle on his helmet, but for now...saving lives, fighting fires, even rescuing cats from trees – this was what he lived for, it was all he had, or so it seemed.

Tick

Tock

Tick

Tock

Tick

Tock

The alarm sounded, jostling him from his thoughts, the screech of the bell filled every inch of the station, bouncing off walls, ensuring everyone who needed to hear, heard. His team springing to life, some taking the stairs, others flinging themselves expertly down the pole that joined the sleeping quarters with the waiting trucks below.

Derek flung himself into the driver's seat, as his men clambered in and began to throw their equipment on as Stan, his right hand man raced into the passenger seat, the fire report in his hand.

'Apartment fire, corner of Valley and West, a family complex,' he gulped as Derek fired the truck into life and sped off into the night.

The siren blasting, alerting the traffic on the roads to make way, to move over

'God dam it move.' Derek shouted, the adrenaline pumping through his veins at an alarming rate, his pulse racing 'come on man, shift it, and get that tail wagon out of my way,' he bellowed as he manoeuvred the truck through the surprisingly busy streets.

He loved the power of driving, the control he had over the roads...he loved his job.

'two more blocks man.' Stan directed as he pulled his own helmet onto his head and grabbed Derek's to pass to him the minute they pulled over.

As they closed down on the apartment block, the air became thicker, smoke penetrated the air and the dark night's sky was illuminated with flashes of red, orange and yellow flames as the inferno took hold of the building up ahead.

'It's big Stan, it's big.' he whispered as he concentrated on pulling the truck as close as he deemed safe to the burning building.

As his team piled out of the truck; and the one that had parked up behind, he beckoned his men over

'Self-preservation is critical, take risks-if you can succeed but remember two in, two out, stick to your teams, no one is left alone and most importantly remember...it's a beautiful night to save lives.'