AU Backdarft corrie

Early Morning September 11


Corrie Desantis had been transferred to the Brooklyn Police Department from Chicago about two months ago. She had requested it after a bad break up with a lieutenant. After they broke up he had relentlessly pursued her. Eventually she had put in for a transfer to the one place she knew for sure he couldn't block it. Her father was the Captain of the force in Brooklyn.


She walked into the precinct around 9 am. She went to her father's office and dropped off some coffee. They had a short conversation and she bounced off to her desk. She fit in much better here in Brooklyn. Her accent was different but the boys accepted her and they all got along. It was a bonus that her sister lived here and she finally got to spend time with her niece.

After doing paper work for about half an hour, There was a huge commotion.

"A plane just hit the trade center. Come on DeSantis, lets go!"

She grabbed her hat and placed it over her braided red hair and followed Murphy out the door.

Opie Winston had been at the fire station making coffee and mouthing off with his friend, Juice Ortiz. Ortiz and him had been friends for the last two years. Ortiz took Winston under his wing when he started at the station; covering him during supervisor drama and the backdrafts of the flame.

Opie handed Juice a cup of fresh coffee before making his own, "So, was Dee pissed that you were late coming in last night?"

When they reached the trade center Corrie was horrified. On the way down another plane had hit the second tower. People were jumping and bodies were landing everywhere. The thuds were sickening.

"This shit couldn't have been an accident, Murphy," she yelled over the chaos.

They were one of the first on the scene. without thought, Corrie ran inside and to the stair wells. It was crowded as people tried to escape the upper floors. When she came up behind a tell firefight, she latched her hand around his belt.

"Corrine DeSantis, NYPD, mind if I hitch a ride, you seem to be making quite the path," she yelled to the fireman.

Opie didn't glance back; all he could think is how he needed to push forward. He yelled back, "Yeah, but you gotta keep out of my way. Hold on tight!"

She reached out with her other hand and latched her other hand around his belt. The made headway and got off the stairs three floors below the fire . As they came into a large room she spoted Juice, her brother-in-law.

"Corrie?" Juice yelled.

"Yea, Juice it's me, " she ran over to him behind the other firefighter, "I don't think we'll be able to get to the people above the fire. Lets sweep the area and get these people the hell out."

She looked up at the firefighter she had latched onto. He had short, thick hair reminiscent of Elvis. His greeen eyes flashed with determinations and his face was set in the same emotion.

Opie nodded, agreeing with the shadow behind him. He didn't even let it register that Juice somehow knew her. He just let himself take charge of the situation. He rushed off through the door and started leading people out. So many people and so much smoke...it was almost overwhelming.

Corrie and Juice made a quick sweep and made sure no one was left behind. They did so on each floor as they worked together to get the injured out to other first responders. The man Juice had referred to as Ope, was never far from them. They worked as a trio until they were told to head out of the building. Apparently the other tower had suffered a catastrophic failure and fell. It was all so surreal. It was so hot, she'd given her hat to Ope so he could attach it to his belt and she could retrieve it when this nightmare was over.

They were the last out of the front doors. the smoke lingering n the air outside was horrifying. Ope led the small group and as Juice and Corrie made a final sweep of the lobby she watched as he headed out the door to talk to the firefighters outside. She watched through the window, Juice and Corrie making their way towards the door, as Ope's face twisted into a horrifying mask.

The crash and tearing of the building was defeaning as the very walls fell down around Juice and Corrie. Juice held his sister in law close and thought of his wife as the two of the dove under a desk.

Opie stared in horror at the scene in front of him. He recovered faintly, fuzzy, and disoriented for just enough time to call in over his CB to their reporting caption. "We need to call in Captain Trager now...tower 2..."

Tig heard the call for him to go to tower two and he knew that voice. It was Opie Winston from Juice's department. He was still trying to find out where Corrine was when the towers went down. Murphy had been outside but he said he hadn't seen her since they arrived, all he could do was hope she was ok as he jogged up to Opie.

"Winston?"

Opie looked at Captain Tregar with awe on his face, "I-It's....Lieutenant Ortiz...and another officer....I think her name was Corrine...." He shook his head in awe, "I...I tried getting...getting them..."

Tig felt his blood run cold as he processed what Opie said. He looked at him in horror as he rand towards the building, hitting his knees and digging with his bare hands through the rubble while tears streaming down his soot streaked face.

He looked back towards Opie, "Help me damn it, that's my son in law and my god damn daughter in there!"


Corrie coghed and blinked, blood oozed down the right side of her head where she'd slammed into the wall as they dover. She felt dizzy in the darkness. She groped in the darkness for her brother.

"Juice? You ok," she was pretty sure her left wrist was broken.

"Yea," he coughed his reply," some cuts, but nothing major. You ok?"

"Yea, I'm good," she pulled out her flashlight and turned it in. Juice was only inches from her in their groaning, shifting prison. She handed him the flash light and reached for her radio. Her father had a special frequency because of his rank. She depressed the button and spoke.

Tig's heart nearly stopped as he eard the static on his radio and the voice that followed.

"Daddy? Daddy were alive, we're trapped, we have my flashlight and my radio, but the walls are shifting. Daddy," she swallowed, "I'm scared."

Tig squeezed his eyes shut, "I'm here baby. I'm going to find you both."

Opie started digging frantically through the rubble, calling out on his CB for any extra free hands; asking people to help their own.

Hours had passed, they were both exhausted and the flashlight had died long ago. It was hot and they could hear the noise of them digging for them far above their heads. Sweat rolled down Juice's face, he knew he was dehydrated , but at least they had air. He lazily turned his head towards his sister to make sure she was ok. She had a head wound and he was afraid she might have a concussion. A few times she'd nodded off and, to be safe he had woken her.

"You alright, Cor?" he spoke to the darkness.

"Yea, J. I'm good," she squeezed his hand.

She was tired and terrified. She felt like the walls were closing in. She swore if she got out of this she was going to kiss the first man she saw.

As the heat flared around them, they both slipped off to seep.

Tig pulled out his radio as he watched Opie, his fire pants and suspenders pulled over a whit wife beater, dig through the layers of rubble just above them.

"Cor, Juice?" they hadn't answer him in two hours, he was terrified.

Opie finally reached them and his worst fears were that they were dead. He was relieved to hear the soft groan from Juice, "Hey man...hang on...I got ya..." He pulled him out, carefully to avoid hurting him. "Tregar! I need help."

Juice blinked as the bright flood lights assualted his eyes. Tig, Opie, and a few other familiar faces were pulling him from the rubble. he could hear the click of cameras not far.

"Corrie, get corrie," he reached back toward the hole still in firefighter mode.

He searched for Dita's familiar face, sure she would be here whenthey pulled him out.

Opie didn't wait for the command, he started digging through the rubble till he found Corrine. Clearly she was exhausted and weak. Gently he lifted her out of the rubble, holding her close, "Hang in there, Corrie...hang on."


Dita fought her way through the crowd. Her mother had kept Trinity at their house in Staten Island; planning to keep her overnight. She cried out once she saw her husband, "J!!!" She ran to him as fast as she could, her clothes covered in soot as he gently gathered him into her armsl tears streaming down her face.

Corrie felt the strong hands lifting her out of the hole. The light was blinding, but she recognized the concerned face holding her up, it had been the last face she'd seen before the tower crumbled. Over come with gratitude for him come ing back for her and just for being alive she reached up with her unbroken hand and touched his face. Ignoring the blood she knew was on her face and the dirt that was surely smeared there, she grabbed his suspender and yanked him to her. though she was weak, her sudden passion gave her strength as she crushed his lips with hers. She kissed him once, twice, three times, he tasted sweet, if it hadn't been for Tig pulling her away, she would have never stopped.


Juice heard dita's cries and reached out for her, happy to be alive. "Dee!!"

Opie followed Tig to the squad and rode with them to the hospital.


----At the hospital----

Opie sat next to Tig, nervously waiting for Corrie to check out. He breathed out a shaky sigh, shaking his head in shock as the days events played through his head, "I---jesus...what happened out there?"

Tig shrugged, "If you are referring to my daughter shoving her tongue down your throat, I don't know. I've never seen her react that way to anyone, "he loved Opie like a member of the family and he looked him in the eyes, "Honestly, I didn't know she had that in her."

Opie looked at him slowly, "Uh...I was talking about the towers..."

Corrie walked out to the men waiting for her slowly. She noticed the embarrassed look on her dad's face and smiled.

"Daddy," she hugged him, careful of her casted left wrist.

"You're coming home with me, I don't want you in that apartment alone."

"No," she shook her head, making her wince because of her head, "I need to go home, daddy."

she was a nervous mess. Being in that hole had changed her. Hell, thinking the world tumbling down around her damn ears had changed her. She looked at Opie through her lashes and strode over to him.

"Thank you," she spoke softly, looking at him as though she was hypnotized.

Again she reached up with her good hand and caressed the stubble on his face as her dad watched in shock. She gently guided his face down to hers and, this time, kissed him with a quiet passion. Letting her lips touch his in the lightest way she could.

Opie's shock did not abstain him as he kissed her back. He stood up slowly, "I'll take you home."

Once they were in her apartment Corrie sat on the couch beside Opie. When she looked at him she felt a familiar emotion build up in her chest and she tried to ignore it. Now way could she love him, still the feeling was there.
After some silence she turned to him and straddled his lap. She rested her cast on his shoulder while she kissed him. Moving from his mouth to his jaw and then down his neck. She needed this somehow.

Opie gently pushed her away, "Sweetheart...this isn't right. You're in shock..."

She crumbled against him, she knew she was.in shock. Smalls sobs shook her body. She wnted to feel.alive. She was so confused.over the emotions her mind and heart were teling her she felt for this man. The man who knew where to find them. The man who went without sleep and food to dig them out. The love her mind told her she felt was intense. Somehow, she thought, he could make her ok again.

"Opie,"she sobbed, "please. I just...that hole," she rubbed her arms, "I thought I died. Then I woke up in hell. Then I thought we died again. When I saw your face," she cupped his cheek," I knew you would save me.......please..," she looked hopelessly in his beautiful green eyes, "I need this. I nees to know I'm really here and Imnot really still down in the damn hole!"