So I told myself I wouldn't stay up way longer than I should to finish this . . . and then after fluff and goodness I just wrote angst after angst after angst and went . . . screw it, might as well get this over with so I don't have to deal with angst for the next chapter. So . . . have 0.2K shy of 10K words, folks. Worth every bit of sleep I didn't get.

Sylvie meets Chief Radford, Carlos meets his boyfriend's new siblings, Josh introduces Maddie and Eddie to a friend, the 126 gets intruders, Chicago has entered Investigate Mode, Owen makes a call, and Sylvie gets the courage to do something from two of her new colleagues.

Enjoy!

***

Deputy Chief Radford had contacted Sylvie himself to give her options about when she wanted to meet for her evaluation. She had decided the sooner she met with him, the sooner their entire crew could get to work at the 126. The next morning, after the Strands had taken her and Buck to their favorite breakfast diner, she was taken to AFD headquarters for her interview.

Radford had her taken to his office immediately, and Sylvie stepped inside to see the man flipping through a few papers. When he looked up, Sylvie felt herself relaxing, something in Radford's gaze reminding her of a mixture of Herrmann and Voight. "Sylvie Brett," he smiled warmly, standing from his desk. "Welcome to Austin."

"Thank you, sir," Sylvie smiled, shaking his extended hand. "I'm happy for this opportunity."

"I'm glad you accepted it," Radford nodded, gesturing for her to sit. "Though I was under the impression from Firefighter Strand that you would likely prefer to stay in Chicago."

Sylvie flinched. "Recent circumstances changed my mind."

Radford frowned, and Sylvie expected an interrogation before the man finally nodded. "Should you ever decide to tell me what happened, I will be more than willing to listen. You're part of my department now, and the AFD looks after its own."

Sylvie smiled. "That means a lot, sir. Thank you."

"You're welcome for basic human decency," Radford chuckled. There was a knock on the door, and as he sat down, he called, "Come in!"

Sylvie turned in her seat as the door opened, and a pretty brunette woman in a paramedic uniform stepped inside. "Good morning, Chief," she nodded.

"And to you, Captain," Radford nodded back. "Ready?"

"As I'll ever be," she nodded, walking over.

Sylvie turned to Radford, a little confused. Radford just gave her a smile. "I will be interviewing you for the rank of Paramedic Captain. I did want the opinion of the current Paramedic Captain at the 126, too."

Sylvie's eyes widened, and she looked at the brunette in surprise. "Michelle Blake," she introduced herself with a smile. "It's wonderful to finally meet you, Sylvie."

***

"How long does it take to decide she's perfect for Paramedic Captain?" TK scowled, pacing and checking his watch repeatedly.

"Until the chief decides," Owen deadpanned.

Buck snorted loudly. "I don't think I know of paramedics with ranks in the LAFD, so don't ask me anything."

TK sighed, dropping into a chair. "She deserves it."

"She does," Owen agreed. "But Chief Radford wants to make sure it's ironclad."

"Fair."

Buck hummed a tune to himself, checking the time himself, when the doors to headquarters opened. He looked up, seeing a vaguely familiar man step inside as he checked his phone. It clicked a few seconds later when he saw the hoodie he was wearing was from the APD. "Carlos?" he asked in surprise.

Both Strands looked up as the police officer spun around, trying to see who called his name. "Carlos!" TK jumped to his feet, smiling widely.

"Hey, TK," Carlos smiled warmly, hugging TK tightly when he bounded over. "What're you doing here?" He paused. "Wait, is that Buck?"

"That's me!" Buck playfully saluted, standing up and walking over, hand outstretched. "Good to meet you, and not see you on a screen."

"Great to finally meet you, too," Carlos nodded, shaking his hand. He abruptly snapped his fingers, understanding in his eyes. "That explains why you guys are here."

"What does?" Owen frowned in confusion.

"He's my ride," a smooth female voice answered, and Buck turned to see a brunette woman in a paramedic uniform walk up, Sylvie behind her with a wide smile on her face. "And I assume you three are the other captain's?"

"Yes, we are," TK nodded before her words sank in. "Wait a minute – ?"

"You got it?" Buck asked hopefully.

"I got the rank!" Sylvie beamed.

Buck whooped in delight as TK cheered, both sandwiching the blonde in a hug. Sylvie squeaked in surprise, then laughed and did her best to hug them back, given she was smushed between them. Owen chuckled, watching the three celebrate. "I guess you sat in on the interview, Michelle?"

"I did," Michelle nodded. "Chief Radford wanted my opinion on the new Paramedic Captain of the 126. I quite like her."

"I find it hard to believe anyone wouldn't like her," Owen remarked, then cleared his throat. "Boys? I'd like to be able to work with the new captain before you smother her to death."

The two sprang away from Sylvie, who was blushing in embarrassment. "Now these are the circumstances I prefer when meeting people," Carlos smiled gently, holding out his hand. "Congratulations, Sylvie."

"Thank you, Carlos," Sylvie shook his hand, then paused. "Are you a hugger?"

Carlos laughed. "I'll hug any friends of TK's!"

Sylvie beamed, hugging Carlos enthusiastically. "I should warn you . . . I'm very tactile."

"Very," Buck emphasized, TK nodding rapidly. "As in, expect her to be attached to someone's hip constantly."

Sylvie's cheeks were pink when she stepped away from Carlos. "Thanks, Buck."

"Hey, I'm usually open for hugs," Carlos smiled. "I'll let you know if I'm not."

"Thank you."

"So, this is Rescue Squad 9?" Michelle stood next to Owen, watching the two blonds gravitate towards each other and to TK, who had stepped next to Carlos, his arm around the officer's shoulder.

"This is Rescue Squad 9," Owen smiled happily.

Michelle tilted her head, then nodded her approval. "I'm looking forward to the house meeting them."

***

"Hey, Josh?" Maddie looked up from the Chinese takeout she was eating.

"Hmm?" the dispatcher's head shot up from his drink, Eddie hiding a grin at the look.

"Where did you say your dispatcher friend worked?"

Josh swallowed his sip. "Austin," he answered. "Grace works in Austin."

Maddie's jaw dropped. "No way."

Eddie blinked, looking between them. "What did I miss?"

Maddie gave him a wide grin. "Guess which city Buck's going to."

Eddie's eyes widened, and Josh choked on his soda. "Seriously?" Eddie gawked.

"How did that work out so well?" Josh sputtered.

"I don't know!" Maddie grinned. "I never said you knew a dispatcher in Austin, but that's pretty awesome."

"What are the chances?" Eddie whistled, impressed.

"OK, hang on," Josh checked his pockets, then found his phone. He scrolled through his contacts, then found what he was looking for. "I'm putting this on speaker."

He put the phone down on the coffee table between them, and Eddie found himself leaning forward, anxious to hear from Josh's friend. A moment later, the call connected. "Josh!" a warm voice with a thick Southern accent greeted. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Hi, Grace!" Josh smiled, even though the woman couldn't hear him. "I've got a few friends on my end with me, if that's OK."

"Oh, absolutely," Grace answered immediately. "Who's with you?"

"Eddie Diaz, a firefighter with the Los Angeles 118," Josh began.

"Hello, Grace," Eddie spoke so she heard him.

"Nice to meet you, Eddie."

"You, too, Grace."

"And another dispatcher," Josh said. "Maddie Buckley."

"Hi, Grace!" Maddie smiled widely.

There was a moment of silence. "I'm sorry, Josh," Grace said, an odd tone to her voice. "Did you say Buckley?"

Maddie understood why Josh made the call, and her jaw dropped. The dots connected for Eddie a few moments later. "No way," he breathed.

"Yes!" Maddie nodded rapidly. "That's my last name!"

"Judd!" Grace called, her voice faint. "Can you come here for a moment, please?"

"If she's about to confirm what I think she is," Eddie began.

"Yeah, Gracie?" a man's deep, Southern drawl grew from faint to clear. "Hey, I just got a call from Cap."

"I'm on a call right now. Josh, Maddie, Eddie, this is my husband, Judd."

"Hello!" Josh greeted.

"Hi, Judd," Eddie said.

"Nice to meet y'all," Judd responded, sounding confused. "But, uh . . . not sure where they're from."

"Josh is a dispatcher in Los Angeles," Grace explained. "And he works with Maddie Buckley."

There was a beat of silence. "Buckley?" Judd repeated.

"Buckley."

" . . . any relation to Evan Buckley?"

"Holy – !" Eddie and Maddie exchanged wide-eyed looks.

"I give up," Josh shook his head. "This is way too crazy. Grace? Buck is Maddie's younger brother."

Judd burst out laughing. "Well, I'll be damned! We're meeting your brother tomorrow, Miss Maddie!"

"You are?" Maddie perked up.

"We are?" Grace echoed.

"Yeah, that call from Cap? Buck and Sylvie arrived in Austin yesterday, and Sylvie had her meeting with Chief Radford today. They've got their Paramedic Captain, which means we've got our Squad. Celebratory barbecue tomorrow after our night shift."

"Good for her," Eddie smiled.

"From what I've heard about the girl, she deserves it. Cap already sounds proud of her, and I can't tell if it's just only his opinion of her, or the fact he worked 9/11 with her old chief."

"It could be both," Grace pointed out.

"True."

"Can you tell Buck we said hello?" Maddie asked hopefully.

"I sure will," Judd promised.

"And, uh . . . " Josh fidgeted. "Just look out for him, please? He's uh . . . "

"A bit of a danger magnet," Eddie finished for him.

"Aw, hell," Judd groaned. "Just what we need. Another one. Cap and TK are bad enough. He just put a third on his new rig?"

"Didn't TK say Sylvie hunted arsonists with her former house?" Grace wondered.

There was the easily recognizable sound of someone hitting their head on the nearest solid surface. "Their entire crew is made of danger magnets," Judd groaned. "Lord help me."

"Oh, dear," Grace chuckled. "Maybe I should let him prepare for his shift . . . and prepare to meet these two."

"Yeah, I need to get ready for mine at the dispatch center," Josh checked his watch. "Thanks for picking up, Grace."

"Any time, Josh," Grace assured him. "And send me Maddie's number. I want to keep in contact with her. I'm sure there are many stories we can share between us."

"Yes, please," Maddie smiled widely. "Thank you, Grace."

"Of course, dear. Have a good day, all."

"You, too!"

The click ended the call, and Eddie looked up with wide eyes. "Holy shit."

"How did that end up so perfect?" Maddie demanded.

"I don't know," Josh grinned. "But at least we have a better idea where Buck is."

"Yeah," Eddie nodded, slurping his soda. "At least we know that."

***

"Oh, God," Tim groaned as he jumped down from the driver's seat of the ambulance, Nancy almost collapsing out of the passenger's seat. "That took forever."

"How long did that call take?" Paul groused as the firefighters dropped from Ladder 126. "Four, five hours?"

"Long enough," Judd huffed, leaning out of the driver's seat. "I'm beat."

"I need coffee," Mateo mumbled, leaning on Marjan.

Owen ran a hand through his hair, frowning when his hand came away with soot. "Showers first or coffee?" he asked.

"Coffee," TK declared, trudging up the stairs. "So I don't fall asleep in the shower."

"I'm with TK on that," Paul agreed.

Michelle couldn't help but smile tiredly as she, Tim, and Nancy followed the tired firefighters. "We might as well hit the bunks."

"You kidding?" Tim snorted. "I'm dead on my feet."

"I'm surprised you weren't dead at the wheel," Nancy remarked.

Michelle grimaced. "And suddenly I'm happy I was in the back of the ambulance."

"So coffee, showers, sleep," Owen ticked off on his fingers as they made it to the loft.

"Yeah, sounds good," Paul nodded, covering a yawn as he took the coffee cup pushed to him by the person in the kitchen. "Thanks, Brett."

"You're welcome, Strickland," Sylvie smirked, going back to a mixing bowl.

Paul choked on his coffee, and Nancy shrieked, backing up into Tim, the two paramedics toppling onto one of the couches. Buck, who had been lounging on the other couch in the loft, burst out laughing, almost falling off. "Oh, man," he choked. "Oh, that was so worth it!"

"Whoa," Mateo's eyes widened. "Intruders!"

"Intruders making breakfast?" Sylvie pouted, eyes wide and innocent. "That's insulting."

"Nancy!" Tim's voice was muffled by his partner's uniform.

"Sorry," Nancy rolled off him, rubbing her head and looking around.

"I'm sorry," Marjan looked around. "What is happening?"

"Well, we got a message from Carlos about . . . oh, a few hours ago, saying you would be at your five-alarm fire for a while," Buck answered, swinging off the couch and checking his phone. "We thought we'd check in once you got back."

"And I got ingredients to make cinnamon rolls like I did back in Chicago," Sylvie gestured to a rack of cooling rolls. "I was just about to ice them when you got up here."

"Coffee's in the pot," Buck pointed. "I didn't want to learn Cap's fancy espresso machine."

"Hi!" Sylvie waved a spatula, then held out her hand to Buck. "Pay up."

Judd blinked slowly. "Excuse me?"

"We bet who they'd react to first," Buck sighed, opening his wallet and handing over a twenty-dollar bill. "I thought for sure one of you would be tired enough to land on me."

"I thought you'd go for the kitchen," Sylvie shrugged, smiling smugly as she slipped the bill into her pocket. "I remember five-alarms so close to the end of shift. I went for the coffee to make it to the end."

"Yeah, yeah, you win, I get it," Buck rolled his eyes, turning to the 126 and smiling widely. "Hello!"

"What?" Marjan finally sputtered.

That set TK off, who burst into hysterical laughter and collapsed against his dad, who was smiling just as widely. "See, if we were doing interviews here at the station and you pulled this, I would have stolen you from your departments no matter what," Owen declared.

"Thanks, Cap," Buck beamed as Sylvie preened, taking her bowl of icing and moving to ice the cinnamon rolls.

"126, meet our newest additions to the house and TK's and my new crew members," Owen gestured. "Firefighter Evan Buckley is TK's new partner, another record-breaker in heavy rescues – "

"Call me Buck," he nodded.

"And our cinnamon queen back there is our riding paramedic, Captain Sylvie Brett," Owen pointed to the blonde.

"Cinnamon queen?" Mateo asked faintly.

"Hey, I was in Chicago for a while," Paul chuckled. "I heard rumors about her baking. I'll have two of them."

"You got it," Sylvie smiled, putting her utensils down and skipping over. "Good to see you again, Paul!"

"You, too," Paul smiled back, accepting her hug. "You got the rank?"
"I got the rank."

"Never a doubt in our minds," TK boasted.

"He was pacing headquarters so much, he was gonna wear a hole in the floor," Buck snickered.

TK took the nearest sugar packet and launched it at Buck's head, making him yelp. "Shut up, Buck!"

"No throwing stuff while I'm working!" Sylvie barked.

Owen rolled his eyes, seeing the stupefied looks of the rest of the 126. "Oh, God."

"You hired them, Cap," Judd reminded him.

"Yeah, and I determined when I saw them at the airport that they're gonna be the death of me. I'm aware, Judd."

"Can killing Captain Strand wait until I have a cinnamon roll, at least?" Tim asked.

"Oh," Sylvie pointed to a nearby wrapped plate. "Those are already finished for the paramedics."

"What?" Paul's eyes bugged open.

"Oh, yes!" Nancy whooped, racing for the counter.

"I didn't think you'd all come back at the same time!" Sylvie defended herself. "If you were helping with overhaul, EMS could have been back way before you!"

"She has a point," Michelle nodded, strolling over to pluck a roll from the plate Nancy held out. "Thanks, Sylvie."

"No problem. Paramedics look out for each other."

"I like her," Nancy decided, pointing at Sylvie. "We're keeping her."

Sylvie beamed happily, and Judd sighed. "Hell, we're never gonna be able to say no to that face, are we?"

"That's the plan!" she chirped.

"I mean, we already can't," Buck gestured between himself and TK.

Owen snorted. "I'm well on my way there."

"Hopefully these help," Sylvie slid the rack of finished cinnamon rolls their way. "Family recipe."

"Oh, they'll help," Paul picked two. "Word in the CFD was you're a baking queen."

"Not so much a baker anymore," Sylvie shrugged, picking up a cinnamon roll of her own.

"Arsonist hunter?" Mateo suggested.

Sylvie grinned sheepishly. "Depends on who pulls me into it."

"He will," Judd pointed to Owen.

"Hey!" he protested.

"He would," TK nodded.

"Great," Sylvie smirked. "Another crazy officer to follow on arsonist hunts. Sign me up!"

Tim stared at her. "It's a little concerning how quickly you jumped on that."

"Someone has to keep him alive, right?"

Marjan snorted into her cinnamon roll. "Wow," Owen winced.

"Oh, yeah," Marjan chortled. "We're keeping her."

Sylvie couldn't help but giggle as she joined the paramedics, watching Owen try to defend his honor, which TK kept cutting down each time to Buck's delight. "Oh, I really like this house already."

"Welcome to chaos," Nancy gestured dramatically.

"She probably had it at her old one," Tim pointed out.

"Are you watching the train wreck I'm watching right now?"

Sylvie exchanged amused looks with Michelle. "Is it always like this?" the blonde asked.

"Oh, this is them when they're exhausted," Michelle smiled. "Wait until they're wide awake, they'll be even more impressed with your rank then."

"Great," Sylvie sighed. "Let's just hope it's not the 'one of the youngest Paramedic Captains' impressed."

"It won't be," Michelle shook her head. "Owen, let alone Deputy Chief Radford, wouldn't have pushed for the promotion if that was the case. If there's one thing the new 126 has taught me, it's not your age that matters, it's what you bring in experience." She nodded at Owen, smirking as he tried to defend against both TK and Buck. "I'm looking forward to seeing what he snatched this time."

Sylvie smiled, watching TK and Buck. "Yeah. I am, too."

***

Being at 51 during the fallout of Sylvie's departure was . . . well, to say it was eye-opening into the house's dynamics was an understatement. It almost looked like lines were being drawn between groups wanting to latch onto each other and never let go, as well as lines being drawn between those who were going to be baying for the blood of whoever was responsible for Sylvie's departure. Squad was obviously their own team. Violet and Gianna joining Gallo and Ritter hadn't been a surprise, either.

And when he wasn't on Engine 51 kindly asking for Ritter's help getting up to speed, Grainger was maneuvering through the house with Matt and Kelly. That friendship had surprised him; he had seen firsthand how protective the two men were of the blonde paramedic, and he had been so sure he would be on their hitlist. He had been even more certain of it after Matt's attitude at the first fire after the announcement was made because the captain had not been happy with his conduct at all.

Instead, the two officers had taken Grainger under their wing at 51, showing him the ins and outs of everything on shift, and Grainger had promised his help in doing whatever he could to determine why Sylvie left. It was obvious the paramedic had been so respected by not only her house, but the majority of the department, Grissom's involvement proved that. To see that respect evident on Matt and Kelly's faces made Grainger realize he really had never had a chance with her at all. It was going to be one of these two, he was certain of it. Which one, though . . . that was the question he didn't know the answer to.

Of course, they had to find out where she went first, before that ever happened.

"Captain Leone," Kelly tossed out, scrolling down his phone.

"Who?" Grainger asked, looking up from his inventory list.

"She's one of the captains over at Firehouse 20," Matt explained from where he was perched in the officer's seat. "She was out to get Brett, Kidd, and Foster when we had to bunk with them for a few shifts."

"Why was that?" Grainger frowned.

"The girls converted one of our common areas into a lounge for female firefighters and it . . . didn't go well," Kelly wrinkled his nose. "Leone basically made them paranoid for an entire shift."

"Made Kidd and Foster paranoid," Matt corrected. "We kept giving Sylvie outs."

"We did," Kelly nodded. "She made a good lasagna. Shame Kidd and Foster still thought their slices were poisoned."

Grainger blinked. "Poisoned lasagna?"

"Yeah," Matt rolled his eyes. "They had quite the minds. I don't think it was her, though. She'd be too obvious. And Delaney would have ratted her out to Grissom before you could say 'got you.'"

"True," Kelly sighed.

"So are you two going the Whodunit route or the 'what was said to make her leave' route?" Grainger asked.

"It could lead to the same thing," Matt frowned.

"If you go the Whodunit route, you're going to be combing through the entire department," Grainger pointed out. "If you go the 'what was said' route . . . well, it might be easier to narrow down who made her leave."

"Because depending on what was said, there might be others in the department who would be more obvious," Kelly nodded, catching on to his train of thought. "Thanks, Grainger."

"No problem," he nodded, ticking off something on his list and frowning. "Huh."

"What?" Matt swung out of the seat, hanging onto the rig and peering over his shoulder.

"Third shift must've ticked a wrong box or missed something," Grainger tapped his paper before pointing to the compartments with his pen. "Double female coupling is right there."

"Huh," Matt saw the discrepancy Grainger pointed out. "Make a note of it, I'll let third shift know."

"Copy," Grainger nodded. "You know, you can tell a lot about a lieutenant by the way he organizes his rig."

"Oh?" Kelly raised an eyebrow, folding his arms. "Do tell."

"Your guy, Herrmann, he's got all of his foam equipment in one compartment so he can reach it easy," Grainger pointed. "He's got his ropes and his forcible entry tools in the first compartment in case the truck's not there yet. And everything is perfectly lined up." He whistled, impressed. "He gave me some ideas about how to rearrange when I get back."

Matt grinned. "Glad we could provide something useful in your time here."

"You kidding?" Grainger snorted. "I get to watch the best officers paired in the CFD work on calls together. I'm benefiting no matter what."

"Flattery will get you everywhere, Grainger," Kelly chuckled, pulling out his phone when it rang.

"I mean," he shrugged, making Matt laugh. "Can you blame me? Have you seen yourselves?"

"Careful," Matt smirked. "Sev doesn't need a bigger ego than he already does."

"Shut up, Case," Kelly narrowed his eyes, answering his phone. "Severide." He paused, then nodded. "Yeah, hang on, I'm gonna put you on speaker." He shifted his phone, pressing the screen. "Go ahead, Burgess."

"Hey, Casey!" Kim's voice came from the tiny speakers.

"What's up?" he called from the engine seat.

"I've got Jay looking over my shoulder. We've been looking through the footage at 51 – "

Kelly almost dropped his phone. "You've been what?" Matt stared in shock.

"Is that a bit too much?" Jay asked innocently. "Voight gave us the all clear to do it."

"Voight did?!"

"I think he has a soft spot for Brett," Kim snorted. "He's given us permission to help you out when we're not actively working a case."

Matt shook his head, surprised. "Remind me to buy him a drink the next time he's at Molly's."

"Noted."

"We've been focusing on Brett, but there's not much of note," Jay said. "As far back as we can go, she's mostly around you two, Squad, and Mackey. There's only a handful of times we see her with anyone else. There's a couple with Kidd, but there's also ones with Gallo, Ritter, and Mackey."

Kelly frowned uneasily. "You said Kidd?"

"Yeah, hang on." Matt exchanged looks with Kelly, who silently shook his head, telling him to wait. "Yeah, there's a few we see where Kidd crossed paths with Brett," Jay said. "One was with Gallo in the kitchen when Halleck was a problem, once she's leaving the locker room with Gallo where Brett entered a bit before, and then there's one time Brett's leaving the bunks and Kidd comes out a bit after her."

Kelly hummed thoughtfully. "You think it could be her?" Grainger asked.

"She's my ex," Kelly shrugged. "And her friendship with Sylvie in particular started to splinter once Sylvie got closer to us."

"Huh," Grainger nodded thoughtfully. "She seemed shocked by Sylvie's transfer during the meeting."

"Yeah, I saw that, too," Matt sighed.

"You said Kidd was going to take the lieutenant's exam, right?" Kim asked.

"Yeah, she's signed up for it," Kelly confirmed.

"Why would she risk doing something like that when she has a potential promotion coming up? That would ruin her career if she did it and was found out."

"That's a good point," Grainger admitted. "I had that happen at 40 once. There was going to be another lieutenant on one of the rigs once he passed his exam, and two weeks before the exam, our battalion chief had it leaked that the firefighter was threatening to out one of the other crew members if he didn't follow everything he said. He's never gonna get a promotion again in the CFD."

"Kidd's been talking nonstop about this exam," Matt frowned. "She wants it, badly."

"I doubt she'd risk it," Kim admitted.

"Is that all you found?" Kelly asked.

"At 51, yes," Jay confirmed. "We'll keep digging around from our end."

"Thanks, guys. We appreciate it."

"Any time, Sev."

A click signaled the end of the call, and Grainger shook his head, checking his completed list. "I'm sorry that fell through, guys."

"Not your fault, man," Matt shook his head. "We've got an entire department to go through." He paused when Kelly's phone rang just as he went to put it away. "Again?" he asked in surprise.

Kelly checked the Caller ID, then blinked and answered. "Severide." He listened, then looked at Matt with wide eyes. "After shift? We'll be there. Thank you."

"That doesn't sound comforting," Grainger frowned.

"I'm not sure if it's supposed to be," Kelly admitted. "That was headquarters."

"What do they want?" Matt straightened.

"You and me to meet with Grissom, right after shift," Kelly answered. "As soon as we can."

Matt swallowed, adrenaline pumping at the thought of what Grissom might want with them in a few hours. "Guess we can't say no to that."

"What do you think he wants?" Grainger asked carefully.

Matt and Kelly exchanged worried looks. "No idea."

***

"Will?"

The redhead looked up blearily from where he'd been resting his head on his arms in the lounge, sighing when he saw Connor leaning in the doorway. "Hey," he sighed, reaching for his phone to check the time. "Incoming patients?"

"No," Connor shook his head, stepping inside and placing his tablet on the table. "None yet. I came to check on you."

Will frowned. "I'm fine, Connor."

Connor snorted, sitting down across from him. "Will, I know you. If you weren't at Molly's with me and Nat, you were there with Jay and Brett. And since that announcement, you've been working shifts more than you've had time off. Be honest."

Will sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I don't know how I'm feeling," he admitted. "I'm sad she left, I'm pissed she left without saying a thing, I'm even more pissed at whatever reason she left because she wouldn't have left without one, I just wish I knew what it was!" He took a deep breath, realizing he was about to start shouting. "And yeah, I'm here working shifts while Jay's been texting be about how Intelligence is helping how they can when they don't have a case, and I just . . . "

He trailed off. "You feel like you aren't doing a thing," Connor finished.

"I'm not!" Will seethed, gesturing wildly to the hospital. "Everyone at 51 is right there to try and find out what happened, and everyone at Intelligence has free reign of the city to investigate. I'm stuck here at Med, and I can't do anything here. Nothing!"

"Maybe we can't help them investigate," Connor reached over, putting his hand on Will's arm. "That's not what we do. We're caregivers. We help people with their pain. We do whatever we can to make them feel better. And we can do that with the CFD and Intelligence. You know as well as I do that 51 especially is gonna be hurting from this, and we need to keep everyone's heads in the game. Not everyone has to help by investigating. We'll help however we can by doing what we do best."

Will swallowed, unable to look away from Connor's piercing crystal gaze. Connor had been his best friend for years, and he had been for a reason. The surgeon knew him best out of everyone at Med, maybe even Natalie, and he had just proved that by hitting his fears on the dot. Not only that, but he knew exactly what to say to try and alleviate those fears. He nodded faintly. "Thank you, Connor," he whispered. "I needed to hear that."

"Any time, Will," Connor nodded. "Whether it's on the job or off it." He patted his arm, then stood up. "Catch a bit of rest if you can. You've been on your feet the whole day. I'll come get you up or have one of the nurses get you."

Will sighed, lowering his head back onto his arms. "God, I love you, man."

Had he been looking up, he would have seen the soft look Connor gave him. "I've got your back, man," he squeezed Will's arm.

He left Will to rest, quietly shutting the door behind him. When he turned around, he wasn't surprised to see Natalie standing there, her arms tight around herself, nervously chewing her lip. "How is he?" she asked quietly.

"Worried out of his mind," Connor answered, beckoning for her to walk with him through the ED. "No surprise there. He and Jay got close to Brett these last few months."

"I know," Natalie nodded. "I'm worried about him, too."

"So am I," Connor admitted, checking his tablet to see how the ED was doing. "But that's who Will is. When someone he cares about is in trouble, he's one hundred percent invested in seeing how he can help."

Natalie was silent as they walked. "How can we help him?" she finally asked.

"By making sure he knows he has us to lean on," Connor answered. "And making sure he knows he has us to help him." He turned around, folding his arms. "To be blunt, Nat . . . you let one hell of a good man go."

Natalie flinched. "I know I did," she whispered. "I . . . I tried to tell him that last year. When we were in that wreck, I lost my memory, and I was going to tell him I was still in love with him, that I wanted to try again. But I lost my memory, and with my memory gone, I was certain Philip had proposed and I had said yes . . . I was in the worst possible place."

"Will loved you and knew you were in a bad place," Connor said. "He tried to get you out of it, and you thought he was jealous. Understandable, yes, but Will has always looked out for you." He looked down when he felt his pager buzz. "I love you both, and you're my best friends," he said. "But Natalie, I'm pretty sure I know whose side I'll take if there's another fallout between you."

"I don't blame you," she ducked her head.

Connor nodded, turning around and shouting orders to the nurses, ready to get back in the game.

***

The two officers were directed right to Grissom's office when they arrived at headquarters after shift. Neither man spoke, and no one tried to speak to them, either; the tension crackling around them stopped any attempt to speak right in their tracks.

In fact, the only person who spoke to them was Grissom himself, who looked up as Matt and Kelly walked into his office. He glanced at them, raised an eyebrow, then leaned back in his seat. "Why do the two of you look like you expect me to crucify you?" he asked coolly.

Matt and Kelly exchanged worried looks. "We . . . kind of did," Kelly answered hesitantly.

Grissom snorted. "Captain, Lieutenant, are the two of you the reason Brett left the department?"

"Honestly, sir, we don't know," Matt admitted. "We've been thinking over everything we've done, and . . . well, we don't think we're responsible."

Grissom nodded. "That's the conclusion I've come to as well." He checked the papers, then raised an eyebrow. "Though I have to say, reading that two officers from 51 chose to jump from moving rigs was an interesting day."

Kelly grinned sheepishly. "Sorry, Gris."

Grissom beckoned for them to come further into the office. "Kelly, last year, you were doing everything you could to leave OFI to return to 51. I saw how close not only you are to Captain Casey and Brett, but also how close she is to the two of you. I fully believe the two of you aren't responsible for Brett leaving."

"Thank you, sir," Matt took a deep breath. "We needed someone to tell us that."

"You're welcome," Grissom nodded, clasping his hands together on his desk. "I would like to know, however, if you've found anything in your search for answers." At their shocked looks, Grissom sighed. "You're a Severide, Kelly. If your father had a question that needed answering, he went to great lengths to answer it. I knew you would look into Brett's disappearance the moment I shared it."

Kelly winced. "Guilty."

"We've been thinking about several different people in the CFD," Matt said. "Lieutenant Grainger from 40, he's been our sounding board. Kind of a nonbiased view, so to speak. We haven't been able to narrow it down."

Grissom hummed, nodding. "Thank you," he said. "If I know the two of you – and I know your careers pretty well – you won't stop trying to solve this until you know why she left. All I ask is for you to keep me in the loop."

"Yes, sir," Matt nodded.

"Absolutely," Kelly agreed.

"There's just one thing I would like to know," Grissom looked at them. "Will Brett's absence at 51 affect your work?"

"No," Matt answered after a moment. "It's hard without her there, it is, but we know how to be professional on the job." He smirked. "Sev actually saved me from making a fool of myself with Grainger that same shift."

Kelly snorted loudly. "You were ready to take his head off, and now he's our next closest friend in the CFD. How did that happen?"

"I really wonder," Grissom chuckled. "Well, don't let me keep you from the rest of your day."

"Copy that," Matt nodded, turning with Kelly to the door.

Grissom watched them go, then looked at his phone when it rang. He frowned at the familiar area code, then answered. "Grissom."

"Commissioner Grissom," an unfamiliar voice greeted. "A pleasure to actually speak over the phone. This is Captain Strand, Austin FD."

"And Sylvie Brett's new captain," Grissom straightened. "How has she settled?"

"Settled pretty well," Owen answered. "Both in and out of the firehouse. Seriously, she's already taken over the kitchen. She makes wonderful cinnamon rolls."

Grissom chuckled. "Glad to hear she's doing well."

"She has yet to say exactly why she left Chicago," Owen said. "But she did say something last night. She said something got 'thrown in her face,' and she had no intention of speaking to the person who said it to her again."

Grissom frowned. "I don't like the sound of that."

"No, I don't, either," Owen agreed. "I know Chief Radford said you would be looking into why she left. If I find out anything that could help you, I'll let you know."

"Thank you, Captain," Grissom nodded. "I appreciate it."

"Thank you for your help, Commissioner. I got quite the diamond from you."

Grissom snorted. "Lucky man."

"Lucky indeed."

***

"Buck! Sylvie!"

The two new members of the AFD turned when they heard Judd's call, and he waved to them from where he sat with a pretty, petite black woman. "Hey, Judd," Sylvie beamed. "What's up?"

"Well, you know a bunch of us firefighters and one police officer," Judd gestured to the woman. "This is our house's favorite dispatcher. Meet my wife, Grace, who works at the Austin dispatch center. Gracie, meet Sylvie Brett and Evan Buckley."

"Nice to meet you, Grace," Buck shook her hand politely.

"You as well, Buck," Grace smiled. "You were in Los Angeles, yes?"

"Yes, ma'am," Buck nodded.

"With Josh Russo?"

Buck's eyes bugged open wide, and Sylvie blinked, looking at Buck. "Who's Josh?"

"One of the supervisors of the Los Angeles 9-1-1 dispatch center," Buck breathed. "Maddie works with him. You know Josh?"

"I do," Grace nodded with a grin. "We met at a conference in Dallas. He called when Maddie realized I was in the same city as you. Imagine my surprise when I learned you were not only in the same city, but at the same house as my husband."

"How small is this world?" Buck sputtered.

"Pretty damn small," Judd chuckled.

"Geez," Buck sighed. "Now my sister has a spy."

Grace laughed loudly. "I'll only share with her what you want me to share, Buck."

"Thanks."

"At least it's just a dispatcher for you," Sylvie leaned into Buck. "I learned that Owen worked with Chief Boden for a time at 9/11."

"Really?" Judd whistled. "Damn."

"I did." Sylvie looked up over her shoulder to see Owen walk over, plate of food in his hands. "He was a tough worker, and one of my favorite out-of-state firefighters to work with that day. I thought I couldn't steal you from him," he added to her.

Sylvie blushed. "Good to know I'm worth stealing?"

"If half the things TK bragged about both of you are true, then yeah, you both were worth stealing," Judd nodded.

"Oh," Owen smirked. "They are."

Buck sighed. "How crazy a family did we just join?"

"A crazy one," Grace giggled. "A good one, though."

"A very good one," Judd nodded. "And this is from the only survivor of the former 126 crew."

"You are?" Buck's eyes widened.

"Judd, I'm so sorry," Sylvie swallowed, shifting where she sat so she could give him a hug.

Judd blinked, but smiled softly and hugged her back. "Thank you, Sylvie. I appreciate it. It was . . . pretty damn difficult to get used to the idea of different firefighters in the house, especially from all over the States." He snorted. "Especially New York."

"City versus country?" Buck guessed with a grin.

"Yeah, that's one way to put it," Judd snickered.

"It seems like a good one," Sylvie looked around, where the three paramedics were fussing over Buttercup, Paul and Marjan were talking to Mateo, and Carlos had snuck up behind TK and made the green-eyed firefighter jump several feet in the air. "I hope it is."

"It is," Judd nodded. "Cap worked his city ass off to make this house a family. Hell, I had a hard time making this a new one. If you want a family, you came to the right place."

"Thanks," Buck smiled hesitantly. "After what happened at the 118, I think I need a new one."

Judd frowned. "I don't think I like your old house."

Owen snorted. "I'm not sure I do, either."

Sylvie smiled faintly, standing up from her seat and walking back into the house. She dropped back onto the couch in the living room, pulling out her phone and staring at her contacts list. She hadn't changed her phone, only her number, so everything else on her phone was intact. From what Buck had implied, things . . . hadn't ended well with him at the 118. She, on the other hand, had been on good terms with everyone at 51, Intelligence, and Med. All except Stella, that is. It still sounded like Buck was in contact with people back in Los Angeles.

Where the hell did she start in reconnecting with everyone in Chicago when she had run like a coward?

"Sylvie?" The quiet voice made Sylvie's head shoot up, and Tim gave her a worried look, Nancy hovering behind him. "Are you OK?"

Sylvie swallowed hard. "Um . . . " She shook her head, running a hand through her hair. "No. I don't think I am."

"Anything we can help with?" Tim asked. "I mean, we're not Buck and TK, but – "

"An unbiased ear might be best, actually," she admitted.

"You got it," Nancy plopped herself down on the ground, sitting cross-legged while Tim sat on the chair behind her.

Sylvie stared incredulously. "You just met me!"

"So?" Nancy shrugged. "You're 126 now, not to mention a paramedic. We've got to stick together when the firefighters outnumber us."

Sylvie took a deep breath, looking down at her clasped hands. "I can't tell you everything," she said. "I want to tell TK and Buck first. But . . . from what I've heard from Buck is that while he left Los Angeles on not so good terms with his firehouse, he never lost contact with people he trusted, those he told he was leaving." She blushed, looking down. "I had everyone in my corner in Chicago . . . and only one person knew I was leaving Chicago. And he found out on accident."

Tim whistled softly. "How did he find out?"

"By walking out of the apartment and into me on a phone call with Buck and TK," Sylvie smiled sheepishly. "At least it was him and not . . . "

She trailed off. "Not who?" Nancy prompted gently.

Sylvie took a shaky breath. "Have you ever had people so close to you, it's like pieces of your heart are missing when they aren't with you?" she asked quietly.

Tim shook his head, but Nancy nodded. "Once," she said. "When I was in college and my girlfriend was killed by a drunk driver in an accident."

Sylvie balked. "Oh, my God, Nancy, I'm so – "

"Thank you, Sylvie," she smiled sadly. "It hurt like hell for so long, especially since I haven't found a relationship like that since. I'm bisexual, but I identify as demiromantic. Bethany practically was a piece of my heart, and it took years for me to have it back."

Tim seemed to realize where Sylvie was going with her questions. "Who did you leave behind?" he asked quietly.

Sylvie laughed bitterly. "Who didn't I leave behind?" she asked. "I left behind a partner who was still green yet growing so much as a paramedic. I left behind two boys who are the next generation of firefighters. I left behind three overprotective Squad brothers and two other brothers who, as a police officer and an ED doctor, would literally get away with murder." She buried her face in her hands. "And I left behind the two men who became my best friends and gradually became the two I fell in love with so easily. I left without saying a word, and it hurts like hell."

Tim balked, and Nancy hastily scrambled to her feet. "Can I . . . ?" She gestured to the open seat by Sylvie, and she nodded. Nancy dropped next to her and hugged her tightly, and Sylvie smothered a sob in her shoulder. She felt the cushions on her other side sink, then the comforting weight of Tim's hand rested on her back. "I'm so sorry, Sylvie," Nancy whispered. "You left all of them . . . to come here?"

"What happened for you to make that call?" Tim asked.

Sylvie swallowed hard. "The right words from one person is all it takes."

Nancy glowered. "What did they do?"

Sylvie snorted. "Oh, just pointed out – in quite a mean way – what the brass at the CFD would think of me if certain friendships were brought up."

Nancy frowned, trying to think of what she meant. It was Tim who got it. "Someone seriously didn't think you, of all people, would try to manipulate your way to officers?" he asked in disbelief.

"Not just that," Sylvie mumbled.

Tim scoffed. "We just met you, and that doesn't sound like you at all."

"I appreciate the confidence," Sylvie sighed. "Most of the brass don't know me, either. One skewered opinion . . . "

She didn't need to finish the statement. "Well, that's not gonna happen here," Nancy announced. "Not in this house."

Sylvie sniffed, smiling. "Thank you."

"Any time, Cap," Nancy winked.

"And hey," Tim squeezed her shoulder. "You get back in contact with everyone in your own time."

"Thanks," Sylvie smiled.

"No problem," he stood. "I'll make sure everyone outside knows we didn't murder you."

Nancy snorted. "You do that." Tim mock saluted, then headed back out of the house. "You good?" she asked Sylvie in concern.

"Yeah," she smiled faintly. "I'm good."

Nancy nodded, giving her a quick squeeze. "Glad to hear."

"And, uh . . . " Sylvie looked down at her phone. "I'll be back out in a moment. There's something I need to do."

Nancy nodded. "We'll keep everyone occupied until you come back out."

Sylvie nodded gratefully, clicking the first contact. "I appreciate it."

Nancy headed out onto the patio, joining Tim with Michelle, and Sylvie quietly made her way to the hall, out of sight from the windows. She leaned against the wall, mentally preparing herself and clicking the call icon. She closed her eyes, listening until she heard the cue to leave a message.

Here goes nothing.

***

"Where'd Sylvie go?" Carlos looked around in confusion as everyone regathered on the patio.

"Inside," Tim shrugged.

"She had something she needed to do," Nancy nodded, taking a sip of her beer.

Owen frowned. "Is she OK?"

The two paramedics glanced at each other. "I think she will be," Nancy finally answered.

Sure enough, Buttercup trotted over to the door a few moments later, and Sylvie smiled tiredly, bending down to scratch his head. "Hey, boy."

"Aw, man," TK pouted. "Now Sylvie's the new favorite."

"Understandable," Buck smiled innocently. "He likes a dog more than a cat."

TK scowled and punched Buck in the shoulder. "Shut up!"

Sylvie's smile was more genuine at their bickering. "Sylvie?" Mateo tilted his head, making her look up. "Are you OK?"

Sylvie sighed, looking down at her phone before putting it away. "I will be."

***

It wasn't often Kelly turned down Squad night at Molly's. Ever since it had just been him, Joe, Tony, and Capp on the crew, Kelly made it a goal of his to keep his brothers tightly together, whether it was on shift or off. When one of them had something in mind to do off shift, Kelly was onboard ninety percent of the time. If he couldn't make it, it was because he had other plans.

This was not one of those nights.

He swallowed hard, finishing listening to the voicemail on his phone as he unlocked the door to the loft. He opened the door as quietly as he could and shut it behind him, locking it just as quietly.

"I already got one out for you."

Kelly didn't jump at Matt's voice from the living area. He just removed his jacket and hung it over one of the chairs, dropping his keys on the counter. He walked over to join Matt on the couch, accepting the beer the blond slid his way. Matt's was already halfway done, and he looked like he was eyeing another. "You got one, too?" Kelly guessed.

"Yeah," Matt nodded. "I was at my construction job when the call came in. You?"

"Class at the academy. I listened to it on my way up."

"Time stamp?" Kelly held out his phone, letting Matt see when it came in. "She called me first, then," Matt nodded wearily. "I . . . wasn't prepared for that."

"God, me, neither," Kelly shook his head in agreement. "What'd she say?"

Matt was silent for a few moments. "I'll play mine if you'll play yours?" Kelly nodded, and Matt pulled out his phone, placing it on the table and pressing play on the last voicemail he received.

"Matt." Sylvie's voice sounded broken, and Kelly couldn't help but flinch. Their best friend had pain unlike anything he had heard before dripping from her tone, and there was nothing either of them could do to help her. "I, uh . . . I really don't know how to begin this. Hell, I didn't even plan on this until a few minutes ago, but . . . you and Kelly both deserve some answers, even if I can't say some of them. First things first: I'm OK. Physically, I'm great. Mentally . . . that's going to take some work. And that brings me to the question I know you're asking . . . why I left Chicago." She took a deep breath. "And I can't tell you everything. I can't, because I still can barely think about it without getting sick. I mean that, as Joe's likely told you by now. He saw me try to say it, and I couldn't. I left because mentally, that was what I had to do. And yeah, maybe that makes me a coward, especially since I can't tell you why I left. But I know you, and I know as pissed off and upset and angry as you might be, I also know that since I left, you've likely been leaving no stone unturned trying to find out why I left. It's one of the things I love about you . . . when someone you care about is hurting, you'll freeze hell to try and make things better. I don't know what I did to get that from you, but thank God I did it."

Kelly heard her swallow before she continued. "And I know you'll keep trying to find out why I left. I don't expect you to stop. You wouldn't be you if you stopped. But please . . . don't let it take over everything. Even if I didn't leave the CFD on the best terms, I'm in a good place right now. I know you could look up this number and figure out by the area code where I'm located now, but if I know you, you respect my privacy enough to not barge in like that. You need to know I've met the rest of my firehouse, and I think you'd like them. They'll take care of me. You take care of yourself, too. Whether that's at 51 or finding Gabby again, I don't know. I do know that I want you to have the best life you can have, with no compromises. You're one in a million, Matt Casey, and you deserve that. And one more thing . . . please, look out for Sev. You're both going to need each other more than ever. I know losing Darden before tore you apart . . . don't let the same thing happen this time. I couldn't live with myself if you lost each other because of me." She exhaled shakily. "I owe you more than I could ever say, Matt. Thank you . . . and I'm so sorry I never said a word. That's my biggest regret about this move. I'll see you again. I promise."

The click seemed far more audible in the empty loft, and Matt closed his eyes, picking his phone up from the table. "She's right," he said hoarsely. "I have been so tempted to check the area code . . . but she never said once where she went. It's gotta be on her terms if we find out or not." He laughed bitterly. "I'm lucky I hadn't started driving when I heard the message. I would've crashed the moment I heard her voice."

Kelly snorted. "I ran into the doors. I started listening when I entered the building."

Matt barked in laughter. "How similar of a call was yours?"

Kelly simply put his phone on the table and started the voicemail. "Hey, Kelly." Sylvie sounded even more exhausted this time as he listened; that was no surprise now that he knew Matt had been the first call she made. "I don't know what all you've heard by now, especially with your ins at headquarters with Commissioner Grissom. If he's done what he said he would do, you . . . don't really know anything. And as much as it hurt to do, that's how I wanted to leave Chicago. Still, you and Matt deserve to know more, even if it isn't everything. And it's not going to be everything. But . . . here's what you need to know. I'm OK. Physically, I'm great, even. Mentally . . . Dr. Charles would probably have a field day if I showed up to his office right now. That's part of the answer to the question I know you're asking: why I left Chicago. I took a pretty big hit from something, and I can't tell you what that is. I really can't, because it still makes me sick to just think about it, not say it. I couldn't even tell Joe, and he's the only one who knew I was leaving. That mental hit was what led me to leaving, and that probably makes me a coward, especially when I can't say why I left. But I know you, Kelly. I know that since I left, you've probably been tearing apart every lead you've gotten about why I left, trying to find exactly what was responsible. It's one reason why I love you . . . when someone you care about is hurting, you give everything and more to make things better, no matter the consequences. I really don't know what I did in my life to get that from you, but thank God I did it."

"You didn't have to do a thing," Matt's voice cracked.

Kelly silently shook his head as she continued. "I know with how close you are to Grissom, you'll use whatever resources you can get your hands on to find out why I left. I don't expect you to stop. You wouldn't be you if you stopped. But please, don't let it take over everything. I didn't leave the CFD on good terms, but I ended up in a good place. You could look at my number right now and figure out where I am based on the area code, but if I know you, you respect my privacy enough not to do that. What you need to know is I've met the rest of my firehouse, and I think you'd like them. They'll take care of me. I'm asking you to take care of yourself, too. Whether that's at 51, or OFI, or someone else . . . I don't know. I do know that I want you to have the best life you can have, with no compromises. You're a rare diamond in the rough, Kelly Severide, and you deserve that. Just do one more thing for me . . . look out for Matt, please. You're going to need each other more than ever. I know losing Darden before tore you apart . . . don't let the same thing happen this time. I couldn't live with myself if you lost each other because of me." She took a deep breath. "I owe you more than I could ever say, Sev. Thank you . . . and I'm so sorry I never said a word. That's my biggest regret about leaving. I'll see you again. I promise."

The click seemed even louder this time, and Kelly set his beer down a little harder than necessary as he picked up his phone. "Damn right I'm gonna keep looking," he ground out. "Someone is responsible for chasing our girl out of Chicago, and I want to know who."

"Me, too," Matt agreed darkly. "We need to be smart about it, though."

"We will be," Kelly promised. "She deserves that."

"She deserves more than that," Matt said roughly, rubbing a hand over his face. "We deserve the best life? That's what she deserves."

The raw pain in his voice matched the same pain Kelly felt thrumming in him, and he shook his head, unable to keep from chuckling. "Even if it isn't with us?"

A laugh tore itself from Matt's throat. "You know you love someone when it tears you apart to say yes to that question."

Kelly nodded, swallowing hard. "Yeah. I've never felt like that for anyone." He pinched the bridge of his nose. "Count on us to fall in love with the same girl who's been our best friend for years."

"God, I don't even know when I started," Matt sighed.

"There's one upside to it, though." At Matt's questioning look, Kelly gave a small smile. "If it's not with me, there isn't anyone else I'd rather her be with."

Matt snorted, raising his beer. "I'll drink to that." Kelly clinked his bottle against Matt's, and both took a long pull. The silence in the loft was heavy, but it wasn't tense. That had, in a way, been what Kelly expected when he came back. Hearing Sylvie's exhausted voice was enough to pain him; he could only imagine what it had been like for Matt. "She wasn't wrong," Matt finally said.

"What about?" Kelly looked at him.

Matt shook his head. "We've been each other's lifelines for so much in the past decade. I don't know how I would've handled the last few days if it wasn't for you." He looked at Kelly, green eyes more open than Kelly had seen in a long time. "We can't lose each other, Kelly. What that would do to me . . . " He trailed off, then finally shook his head. "We can't."

"We won't," Kelly vowed, holding out his hand. "You're not gonna lose me, Matt. We're sticking together, no matter what."

Matt nodded in agreement, dropping his hand into Kelly's, the two clinging tightly to each other. "No matter what."

***

I really either go pure fluff or pure angst with Sylverasey, don't I? There's no in between. They're just like that. Also, I felt it was important to give Sylvie not only time with Michelle, but also Tim and Nancy. They were such an underrated duo, and I think Sylvie would click with them.

I think one more chapter to see what Squad 9 is made of before we get another time jump . . . and then we start really moving with plot points! The next 9-1-1: Lone Star and 9-1-1 seasons will officially start, and the sooner that happens . . . well, the sooner we get to the wildfires!

graphic by marvelity