So . . . who would believe me when I say this is one of only two (and a half? or three?) episodes left before this book ends? Hell, I don't believe me. Almost two years of writing, and we're finally reaching the conclusion of this masterpiece. That just makes me want to finish it even more.

Eddie enters foreign territory (aka Firehouse 51) and puts his detective cap on, Joe gets an opportunity he's not too keen on, Boden has five (5) headaches and their name is the Austin 126 Squad Company, another reason for Owen's liaison olive branch is revealed, squad sticks together, and a confrontation that has been in the making for a long time has Sylvie reaching her breaking point.

Enjoy "A White-Knuckle Panic!"

***

"Gotta say," Eddie remarked as he and Sylvie strode up the apron to Firehouse 51, the male paramedic looking around appreciatively. "You left a pretty nice firehouse to go to Austin."

"Yeah, there are times when I miss this place," Sylvie smiled fondly, pausing at Ambulance 61 and running her fingers over the golden lettering that spelled out Leslie Shay's name. "But I'm happy at the 126."

"And there's our ambulance crew for the time being!" The duo looked over at the squad table to see Cruz bound up, Capp and Tony standing from their seats to meet them. "I can't believe we actually managed to get you back here," Cruz grinned.

"Well, it turns out Radford found a nice way to thank the CFD for letting us have Casey and Severide," Sylvie shrugged, hugging Cruz. "So 51 gets a squad ambulance for . . . well, I don't think we know how long we're liaising out here."

"Where did Squad 9 get assigned?" Tony peeked out onto the apron, seeing only EMS 99.

"Firehouse 20, believe it or not," Sylvie grinned.

Capp and Tony burst out laughing, making Eddie blink. "What's so funny about that?"

"Oh, Captain Strand working with Captain Delaney," Capp chortled. "I need someone to film that."

"Well, since someone left the firehouse," a familiar voice drawled, "we don't have Mikami to handle that for us."

"Oh, boo hoo," Sylvie turned on her heel and grinned innocently. "Do you complain like this all the time when I'm not here?"

"Shut up," Kelly grinned, holding out his arms. "C'mere."

Sylvie giggled and moved forward, hugging him tightly. "Hey, Kelly."

"Hey, Sylv," he rubbed her back. "Got the all-clear?"

"Rhodes and Marcel both did," Eddie confirmed. "Cap's back to work, too."

"Good to hear," Kelly grinned. "Talked to Boden, every call we get that requires an ambulance will include you two, so be ready for a busy day."

"Oh, we will be," Sylvie promised, a manic glint in her eyes. "We've been itching to get back to work for days."

"What, you haven't been enjoying the 'get to know the long-lost brother' game?" Cruz teased.

"Oh, that wasn't the problem," Sylvie rolled her eyes. "It was more Buck and TK moping about how they were stuck back on a ladder crew until the three of us got cleared."

Eddie snorted. "We fixed that pretty clearly by asking if they would have rather gotten shot, too."

"That would shut them up," Capp nodded.

"By the way, I just noticed," Cruz looked the pair up and down. "You got back in the CFD uniforms."

Sylvie and Eddie looked down at their dark grey shirts and navy pants, and Sylvie grinned. "Well, Casey and Severide got the whole Austin FD kits while they were with us. We figured we would return the favor."

"Good idea," Kelly nodded.

The door to the apparatus floor opened, and Matt poked his head out with a grin. "There they are!"

"Morning, Captain!" Eddie waved.

"Hey, Matt!" Sylvie skipped over to hug him.

"Hey, Sylvie," Matt hugged her in return, dropping a kiss to the top of her head. "Boden's getting ready to start the morning briefing."

"Alright, let's go," Kelly waved his team inside.

The conference room was full of chatter when they entered, with Violet and Gianna visibly brightening when they saw Sylvie and Eddie. "Ah, first order of business has just arrived," Boden smiled, causing everyone to quiet down. "From this shift onwards until an undetermined point in time, Austin EMS 99, comprised of Captain Sylvie Brett and Eddie Diaz, will be attached to Squad 3. Any calls requiring an ambulance response will have them dispatched with the crew."

"Sorry, ladies," Sylvie smirked at the crew of Ambulance 61.

"Hey, no problem," Violet waved the apology away with a cheeky grin. "We know they're your boys anyway."

Laughter erupted in the room as Sylvie blushed. "She's not wrong," Kelly gave Sylvie a wink.

Sylvie's blush deepened, and Eddie rolled his eyes. "She survived a sniper, Severide. It'd look really bad if this is how she died."

"Shut up, Eddie," Sylvie seethed.

Boden chuckled fondly. "And the only other item on my list . . . on Saturday, Deputy Commissioner Hill will bestow the Firefighter's Award of Valor upon one Randall McHolland." It was Mouch's turn to blush as the room burst into cheers. "However, due to other events that are taking place and DC Hill's cramped schedule, there will not be the usual ballroom event," Boden continued. "I'm really sorry, Mouch."

"That is a-okay," Mouch shook his head. "I don't want a whole big thing."

Boden nodded. "HQ has put it on us to secure a venue of a smaller version." He scanned the room, then gestured to the back. "Ritter, Gallo, maybe the two of you could handle that?"

"We'd love to," Ritter grinned.

"Sure thing," Gallo agreed.

"Good," Boden nodded. "Dismissed."

Sylvie and Eddie left Mouch to grab Ritter and Gallo, the pair's steps in sync. "Pretty quick briefing," Eddie remarked.

"Depends on what needs to happen during the day," Sylvie shrugged. "Sometimes they've taken almost half an hour."

Eddie wrinkled his nose. "Geez."

A snort behind them made them turn, and they found Matt laughing at his phone. "Alright, share," Sylvie folded her arms.

"Pelham is quoting Hawkins on this," Matt cleared his throat. "'I don't understand how the idiot has started to miss Veronicat.'"

Eddie frowned. "I'm sorry . . . Veronicat?"

"As Grainger put it, the demon spawn," Kelly snickered.

"Apparently, while the cat was terrifying, she was entertaining," Matt rolled his eyes. "Entertaining. The thing apparently tore up my office when Grainger brought her to work one day."

"While you were in Austin?" Sylvie guessed.

"Yeah," Matt nodded. "Hawkins' apartment was getting fumigated or something, and he didn't want to put her in a shelter. So because Grainger was giving him a hard time about it – "

"Grainger got stuck with the demon cat," Eddie finished.

"Bingo."

"Gotta love karma," Sylvie giggled.

"Captain?" Capp suddenly appeared at the end of the hall. "Gabby Dawson's on the house phone. She wants to talk to you."

The three officers looked surprised at the name, and Eddie looked at Sylvie in confusion. "Wasn't she – ?"

"One of my former partners," Sylvie nodded.

Matt cleared his throat awkwardly. "And my ex-wife."

"Seriously?" Eddie gawked.

"Wonder what she's calling for," Kelly frowned.

"Well, whatever it is, say hi for me," Sylvie gave Matt a thin smile. "It's . . . been a while."

Matt nodded hazily. "Yeah, I will."

The bells rang overhead, making Eddie jump. "Always have to get used to a new system," he muttered.

"Squad 3. EMS 99. Person trapped, 2059 West Canal."

Kelly shook himself out of his stupor, grinning at Sylvie. "Race you!"

"Hey!" Sylvie sprinted after Kelly, leaving Eddie to fumble and run after them. "That's cheating!"

Kelly's delighted laughter echoed down the hallway, and Matt shook his head in amusement, passing Capp to find the house phone. What could his ex be calling about today, of all days?

***

"Clearly, you still know Chicago," Eddie remarked as Sylvie expertly steered them down the streets.

"You drive all over the place for six and a half years, you get a GPS map in your head," Sylvie grinned. "Here we are."

Eddie peered out the window as Sylvie drove them down a rougher road, where several workers were crowding around the wall of one of the buildings. As Squad 3 pulled in behind them, Eddie did a double take as he climbed out of the bus. "Whoa!"

Sylvie leaned her head back, looking up at the small, one-man airplane tangled in the power lines between the two buildings. "You know, I'd be more surprised if I hadn't heard of a rescue like this from Owen and TK."

Eddie blinked in surprise as the rest of the squad firefighters jumped down from their rig. "Seriously?"

"Yeah, it was before my time at the 126."

"Capp!" Kelly shouted. "Call ComEd, get those power lines shut down." Capp nodded, turning away and clicking on his radio as Kelly turned to Sylvie and Eddie. "Stand by, we'll work on getting him free."

"Copy that," Sylvie nodded, watching the group head for the roof of the building. She turned to Eddie with a grin. "You haven't seen Squad 3 in action, have you?"

"Other than San Angelo?" Eddie shook his head. "No, not at all."

Sylvie beamed. "Oh, you'll wanna watch this. These boys are good."

***

Kelly peered over the edge of the roof, looking down at the man screaming for help. "Hey, just sit tight, OK?" he called. "We're gonna get you out!" As the rest of his crew joined him, Kelly backed away from the edge. "OK, this thing's hanging on by a thread," he told them. "We need to make sure it's secure before we can try and pull him out. Tony, you help me tie it off. Cruz, just get in position. Keep him calm."

"You got it, Lieutenant," Cruz nodded.

As Kelly and Tony got to work on the ropes to secure the plane, Cruz buckled his harness on. Capp checked the safety line attached to him, then patted his shoulder. "Ready to go, Cruz."

"Copy that," Cruz nodded, swinging one leg over the edge of the roof.

The pilot anxiously looked up towards him, and he gulped. "Oh, hurry, hurry! Please hurry!" He whimpered, looking down as Cruz carefully climbed down the wall to be even with him. "Please God, get me out of here!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa," Cruz held out his hand, stopping the pilot from squirming. "Don't move. My lieutenant's gotta tie a couple knots still. Alright? You hurt?"

The man swallowed. "No, no, no," he looked himself over. "I don't think so. Just terrified."

Cruz silently commended the man on being honest. "How'd you end up in a mess like this?" he asked, looking over the wreckage.

"A cable snapped," he answered. "I lost control of the pitch. I was trying to bring it down in that parking lot over there, but I couldn't clear the building."

Cruz watched the panic overtake the pilot again, and he tapped his shoulder. "Hey, hey, hey, this is gonna make a great story at cocktail parties, alright? That one time you walked away from a plane crash without a scratch, huh?" The pilot laughed, and Cruz grinned, watching the panic lessen. "There you go. You're doing alright. That's right, I got you." He saw Kelly give him a thumbs-up from the roof, and Cruz leaned into the cockpit, wrapping the tether rope around the pilot. "There you go, just breathe. Just breathe. I got you." When the pilot was secure, he looked up at Kelly. "Bring down yellow!" Kelly tossed down the rope, and Cruz fastened it to the pilot, making sure both of them could be caught by the rest of Squad 3 should the worst occur. "Right here, there you go. We got you, we got you."

He waved to his crew, and Kelly nodded. "OK, lower them both!"

Cruz made small hops to climb down the building, keeping a tight grip on the pilot. "There you go," he nodded, keeping an eye on him. "There you go. Walk in the park!"

"Nice work, Cruz!" Kelly praised, he and Capp feeding more line. "Keep it going!"

Cruz looked over his shoulder, watching the ground approach. "You're good, buddy. We're almost there, almost there." His boots hit the ground, and he heard boots on gravel as Sylvie and Eddie jogged up to them. "There you go, buddy."

"Oh, my God," the pilot gasped, bending over double.

Cruz unfastened their lines, turning to Sylvie. "He's OK," he said. "He's just a little shook up."

"Yeah, I don't blame him," Eddie looked up at the creaking plane.

"How do you do that?" the pilot looked at Cruz.

Cruz blinked. "Do what?"

"Just . . . " The pilot gestured wildly. "Hang off the ledge like it's a day at the beach! Aren't you scared?"

Cruz snorted. "Man, I got a baby on the way. Nothing scares me more than that."

Eddie burst out laughing. "Amen, brother."

Sylvie giggled, gently taking the pilot's arm. "Come on, let's get a look at you."

The pilot nodded, hobbling along with her. "Hey, who . . . who is that guy?"

Sylvie grinned. "That's Joe Cruz."

"Yeah, well . . . " The pilot looked back at Cruz, a look of awe in his eyes. "Joe Cruz is a rock star."

Sylvie laughed and nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, he is."

***

"So, if we are keeping tally, I have the current score," Eddie told Sylvie as they walked back into Firehouse 51.

"Score?" Sylvie blinked. "What are we keeping score about?"

"Squad calls," Eddie answered with a grin. "1 to nil, Firehouse 51 in the lead."

Sylvie snorted. "You know if you and Buck keep that up, Owen's gonna go looking for calls on purpose."

Eddie shrugged. "Details."

"Hey, Sylvie!" Sylvie turned around as Matt walked up. "Gabby said to send her love," he told her. "She heard about Mouch's medal and was calling to congratulate him. She asked me to record the ceremony for her. She really misses everyone here."

Sylvie smiled in reply. "That's really sweet of her to check in. Hope you told her we miss her, too."

Before Matt could reply, Sylvie turned on her heel and moved into the kitchen. Eddie cleared his throat awkwardly, slipping his phone back into his pocket. "Do, uh . . . do I want or need to know something?"

Matt grimaced. "Let's just say things got awkward the last time Gabby was in Chicago after she left."

"Yeah," Eddie sighed. "That'll do it."

Matt fidgeted awkwardly before he left for his quarters, and Eddie crossed the common room to join Sylvie, who was searching the cupboards. "I need some sugar," she muttered. "Sugar makes me happy."

Eddie grinned. "Donut run after our next call?"

"God, yes," Sylvie groaned, plucking a candy bar from one of the cabinets and turning around to munch on the chocolate. "That'll make me happy, too."

Eddie watched Matt find Kelly in the hall, and he folded his arms. "Permission to ask a potentially uncomfortable question, Captain?"

Sylvie looked at him over the edge of her candy bar. "Permission granted," she said slowly.

"Uh," Eddie held out, trying to determine how to phrase his question. "When you figured out your feelings . . . was Casey still – ?"

"No," Sylvie shook her head, able to guess where Eddie was going with the question. "He and Gabby divorced the winter before we really became our little group." Eddie nodded, and Sylvie bit her lip. "I mean . . . maybe I had a little crush on them, but nothing like this."

"Well, now you're in the best place to do something about that."

Sylvie's eyes narrowed. "Excuse me?"

"I mean, come on," Eddie gestured around the house. "You're back in Chicago, they are literally down the hall, you can talk to them any time you want off shift . . . and they are crazy about you."

Sylvie's cheeks flushed. "Eddie!"

"What?" Eddie shrugged. "I'm just calling it as I see it! And we know they don't see anything wrong with poly relationships. They accepted the Med doctors and the Intelligence officers. You're running out of reasons to not try."

Sylvie pursed her lips. "I still have a pretty big one, Eddie."

"Yeah?" he raised an eyebrow challengingly. "Like what?"

" . . . even host a medal ceremony?" Eddie mentally cursed timing as Gallo and Ritter entered with Violet and Gianna trailing behind them. "Like, do you think the union hall would be a good place for something like this?"

"I guess we could reserve a private room at a restaurant," Ritter shrugged. "Or maybe it should be outdoors . . . "

"What if we do it on the patio at Molly's?" Gallo suggested. "It's outdoors, there's a bar right there – "

"You want Mouch to host his own medal ceremony at his own bar?" Gianna blinked.

Violet sighed, shaking her head in annoyance. "There must be a thousand venues in Chicago that would make it feel like a really special day. Like, just off the top of my head: one of the dozen or so classy old private clubs."

Gallo made a sound of appreciation. "That actually sounds pretty nice." He blinked at his girlfriend. "What's a private club?"

Gianna burst into a fit of giggles, burying her face in his shoulder. Violet looked over her shoulder at Sylvie. "How did you work with these two when they are clearly so out of their depth?"

"That's why I left," Sylvie deadpanned. "To give them the best handler possible."

Eddie snorted loudly. "Nice save."

"I thank her for her service," Sylvie smiled sweetly. "We're done with this discussion."

Eddie sighed, watching her head for the bunkroom. "Yes, ma'am."

"What conversation?" Ritter looked at him in confusion.

***

"There he is!" a bright voice said from behind Cruz, and the firefighter turned from inventory to see a well-dressed man in a fitted suit and coat walk up with a box. At his confused look, the man chuckled. "Ah. Mark Newcomb. Nice to meet you down here at a more . . . reasonable altitude."

Cruz nodded in recognition; this was the airplane pilot. "Oh."

"You like whiskey?" Mark asked, opening the box and handing it to him. "Best bourbon you'll ever taste."

"Oh!" Cruz blinked in surprise, looking at the box. "That's not necessary."

"Are you kidding?" Mark scoffed. "I was in a white-knuckle panic up there, Joe. Then you came along, and what you did . . . it was incredible."

Cruz shrugged uncomfortably at the praise as he closed the box. "All in a day's work."

"And I Googled you, man," Mark added. "I came across this video of you demonstrating your invention . . . the Slamigan?"

Cruz brightened at the mention. "Oh, yeah?" He opened the door to the back of the rig, and he traded the box of bourbon for the Slamigan he had down on the floor.

Mark looked at it in appreciation, hefting it in his hands. "What a beast," he marveled. "I read on your website you're branching out into other products?"

"Yeah, yeah," Cruz nodded. "Lady Bunker Gear, coming soon . . . well, not as soon as I'd like. I'm still saving up for the prototype."

"Well, Joe," Mark smiled proudly at him, "Your worries are over. Venture capital is what I do. I look for upstart companies in all sectors; biotech, fashion, whatever. And I . . . well, I try to identify the ones that I think are being held back by a lack of capital."

Cruz nodded slowly, trying to figure out what that meant. "OK . . . cool. I'm not much of a finance guy."

Mark chuckled, handing back the Slamigan. "Well, here's all you need to know. I want to give you an infusion of cash. Whatever you need to take Slamigan to the next level."

Cruz did a double take. "You want to invest in my company?"

"No," Mark shook his head. "I don't invest in companies. I invest in people. And Joe Cruz . . . I'm gonna change your life."

***

"Brett!"

Sylvie jolted awake from her brief doze, and she blinked when she saw Cruz leaning over her. "Yeah?" she asked, carefully sitting up.

"That guy from the plane crash this morning dropped by," Cruz grinned. "Look at this!"

Sylvie took the black and gold card he held out to her, and she tilted her head as she read. "Mark Newcomb, Chief Investment Officer, Newcomb-Hager Venture Capital?"

Cruz nodded eagerly. "He says the Slamigan is too good to be a side hustle. He wants to grow it into a major brand that sells firehouse equipment for all of North America and beyond . . . and he wants me to be the CEO!"

Sylvie smiled happily. "Well, I'm not surprised," she said. "It's an amazing invention."

"Brett, you have always believed in it," Cruz told her. "That's why I wanted to tell you first. I mean, it's gonna be a lot of work, and I don't really know what a CEO does, but I can learn."

"You totally could," Sylvie agreed.

"And I got that baby boy on the way," Cruz plopped onto the bunk next to her. "I gotta provide for that kid."

"Does that mean quitting the CFD?" she asked.

Cruz balked. "Oh, no. No way."

"You'd have to do both jobs at once," she pointed out. "Can you do that?"

"Sure," Cruz nodded, but he looked less sure this time. "I think so. We haven't really talked about it, but you know, I'll know more tomorrow. Newcomb and I are gonna sit down, and we're gonna hammer out the details."

Sylvie beamed, reaching over and squeezing his hand. "I'm really happy for you, Joe."

Cruz squeezed her hand back. "Me, too."

***

"And final tally for the first shift with the Chicago Fire Department," Buck announced as Sylvie handed out coffees. "Firehouse 51, five squad calls. Firehouse 20 . . . three."

"Ha!" Eddie whooped, making Sylvie roll her eyes. "Gotcha!"

"Buck, I think you're rubbing off on your partner," Owen said dryly, taking a sip of his coffee.

"Oh, like you aren't internally disappointed, Dad," TK nudged him with his shoulder.

Owen made a face. "Shut up."

Sylvie giggled. "To be fair, on those calls, Squad 3 did most of the work. We were mainly spectators."

"Spectators who patched up the idiots when they were back on solid ground, though," Eddie pointed out.

"That first guy doesn't count," Sylvie shook her head. "He was just in a bit of shock."

"Who was the first guy?" Buck tilted his head.

"Chief Investment Officer of some venture capital company," Sylvie shrugged. "He was taking a one-man plane out for a spin, aimed for a parking lot to land, and ended up in wires instead."

"We handled a similar call in Austin," TK nodded. "Except it was a medical evac plane . . . and it was the unfortunate victim of that solar storm."

"Yeah, this happened with no fuss," Eddie shrugged. "One of the smoothest operations I've seen, anyway."

"And now this guy is apparently offering to help Cruz turn the Slamigan into a major brand," Sylvie added. "They're meeting today."

"That'd be a pretty good business," Owen whistled, impressed. "I've seen that in action, I know I'd supply the AFD houses as soon as I had the funds for it."

"And that would make Joe's day," Sylvie giggled. Her phone chirped, suddenly, and she flipped it over to see a single text message.

Joe: I need help. I don't know what just happened.

She frowned, then hastily guzzled down the rest of her coffee. "That's Joe," she explained, scrambling out of her seat. "I think something may be wrong."

"Let us know if you need something," Owen told her.

"Will do," Sylvie nodded, hustling out of the diner.

If anyone looked at the table, they would find it comical that the four men were watching her leave, then as if in a sitcom, simultaneously turned and leaned in towards each other. "Anything?" Owen asked.

"No interactions whatsoever," Eddie shook his head. "I mean, Kidd's part of the house, sure . . . but I don't think I ever realized . . . with this many teams in the house, they're not around each other as often as we are. They literally never crossed paths."

"That's good, though, isn't it?" TK looked at Owen worriedly. "We don't actually want something to happen, right?"

"That's preferable, yes," Owen agreed. "But – not that I don't trust the words of Grainger and Pelham – all we have right now are circumstantial words said and circumstantial looks. We need something that firmly confirms that not only is Kidd the reason Sylvie left Chicago . . . she also said all those gross taunts to her."

Eddie made a face. "I'll probably want to punch her at the end of this trip, won't I?"

"Not if I get there first," Buck shook his head.

"Don't be silly, Buck," TK chastised. "Casey and Severide should get first dibs."

Owen laughed. "Definitely."

***

The last time Sylvie had seen Cruz this much of a wreck was when he had been fretting about 51 before his marriage to Chloe. That alone spoke to how worried he was about . . . well, whatever had happened.

And as the story poured from Cruz's mouth, she understood where the worry was coming from. "I know it sounds crazy, because five million is a lot of money, but I just . . . " He made a frustrated sound, gesturing to himself as Sylvie finished cutting up the pastry she had bought on her way over. "I had this itch in my chest where I couldn't scratch it?"

"I know," Sylvie nodded, understanding the feeling.

"It just felt like everything was slipping away, you know?" Cruz sighed. "I had to get out of there."

"Sounds awful, Joe," Sylvie nodded, offering him one of the plates.

"Oh, no thanks," Cruz shook his head. "I have zero appetite."

Sylvie blinked. "Wow. Now I know it's serious."

She probably deserved the dirty look he gave her. "Sylvie, I am so stressed out, I can feel every part of my face. Did I just make a huge mistake? I mean, what are the chances that I'm ever gonna see another opportunity like this one?"

"Hey," Sylvie put her hand on his arm, stopping his fidgeting. "You have to trust your gut, and your gut sent you a very clear message."

Cruz nodded absently, eyes darting to the time on the wall. "Chloe's gonna be home soon," he muttered. "How am I gonna look her in the face? She's gonna think she married a dud."

"Not a chance," Sylvie immediately shook her head. "She's gonna respect you even more than she already does."

Cruz gave her a hopeful look. "You really think?"

"Thousand percent," Sylvie nodded. "You're your own man, Joe. That means something in this world."

Cruz sighed in relief. "Thank you, Sylvie."

She raised her coffee in acknowledgment, and as she sipped from the mug, she refrained from giggling as Cruz abandoned his fork and picked up the pastry to eat it by hand. That's my boy.

***

Sylvie was . . . odd at the start of the next shift. Eddie had come into the firehouse in uniform, and while his captain had looked more alert than last shift, there was also . . . something about her expression Eddie was certain he didn't like.

It had been during Boden's briefing that Eddie realized what the likely cause of her unrest. The very person he and Squad 9 had discussed was nowhere to be seen in the conference room. Instead, a familiar lieutenant occupied the table shared by Capp and Tony. "Where's Kidd?" he asked Gianna quietly.

"Today's her lieutenant's exam," the young medic answered. "Apparently, Casey tapped Pelham to be 81's extra firefighter." She wrinkled her nose, looking adorably confused in the process. "Something about having someone he could trust?"

Eddie guffawed, and he quickly clapped a hand over his mouth to try and stifle the sound. "Something on your mind, Diaz?" Boden raised an eyebrow.

"No, sir," Eddie shook his head, hearing Gianna giggle. "Just . . . something in my throat."

Sylvie gave him a bewildered look, but Boden merely hummed. "And the final item on today's list . . . Lieutenant Jason Pelham will be riding with Truck 81 today in place of our own Stella Kidd, who is taking the lieutenant's exam at headquarters. We aren't certain when she'll return to the firehouse, so until she comes back, Pelham rides 2IC to Captain Casey."

"Can we still keep him when Kidd gets back?" Capp asked, a completely serious look on his face.

Matt laughed loudly at the words, and Kelly gave Capp a wounded look. "Et tu, Capp?"

"What?" Capp shrugged. "We got used to him."

"Oh, thanks," Pelham rolled his eyes as Tony and Cruz snickered. "That's the only reason I'm here, huh?"

Boden chuckled. "Dismissed."

Kylie, Chief Boden's assistant, was waiting by the door as the firefighters left the conference room. "Hey," Sylvie nudged Eddie, a small frown on her face. "What was that with Mackey?"

"Inside joke," Eddie shook his head. "Wonder how things will go on Truck with Kidd out for the time being."

Something flashed in Sylvie's eyes, far too quick for Eddie to identify, but he knew his captain's smiles. The one she gave was absolutely fake. "Well, as long as Matt trusts who he puts on his team."

Eddie nearly ran into the kitchen counter, he was so surprised by that statement. "Say what now?!"

Sylvie sputtered, her azure eyes wide as she fumbled for words to say. "All I meant was – "

The door to the apparatus floor suddenly opened, and a familiar head poked inside. "Can someone help me with this?"

Sylvie had never been so grateful to see her brother in her life, even if they had only known each other existed for a few months. "Nolan!" she sped over, grabbing the door to open it. "What are you – whoa!"

"Yeah," Nolan grunted, readjusting his hold on the massive basket piled high with what looked like the best goodies from a baby store. "I was dropping by to visit when I found this on the table out by the squad rig . . . figured this would belong to somebody."

He dropped the basket onto the table, a few of the toys squeaking when the basket hit. "Uh," Eddie blinked. "Yeah . . . Cruz!"

"Yo!" Cruz jogged into the room, stopping in his tracks and gawking at the basket. "What?"

"Dad to be?" Nolan guessed.

"Yeah," Cruz gulped, looking at the basket in surprise. "That's me."

"Wow," Sylvie inspected the basket from top to bottom. "That is a lot of baby swag."

"It's the mother lode," Cruz agreed. "Who is this from?"

"I don't know," Nolan shook his head. "No card or anything, but I think I saw something that looked like a folder tucked in there somewhere? It was just sitting out on the table, figured it would be better to bring it inside."

"Definitely," Sylvie agreed, then gasped and squealed. "Oh, look at this!" She held up a onesie, giggling as she looked at the size. "Oh, that is the cutest thing!"

"It's like you got a visit from a fairy godmother," Eddie perused the pile of massive stuffed animals.

A groan came from Cruz, and the three watched the firefighter flip open a glossy black folder to look at something inside. "What's the opposite of a fairy godfather?"

Sylvie slipped around Nolan to peer over Cruz's shoulder, and she blinked. "'We're gonna make a lot of money together,'" she read the pink Post-It note stuck inside. "I thought you told him no?"

"I definitely did," Cruz nodded.

"Told who no?" Nolan frowned.

Before either could answer, the doors opened again, and Gallo balked. "Ritter! Ritter! Incoming!"

The quartet turned as Ritter hastily stood to welcome the grey-haired woman in a police uniform that entered. "Trudy! Hi!"

"Hey," Trudy nodded. "So lay it on me, guys. Did you reach out to Soldier Field?"

"Yeah," Gallo nodded, looking like a deer in headlights. "We went there, and we talked to the director of operations. What's his name?"

"Maldonado," Ritter supplied. "He told us . . . " He trailed off, and he pointed past Sylvie and Eddie as footsteps approached. "Oh, here's Violet! Perfect timing!"

Trudy did a perfect turn on her heel, her eyes piercing on the PIC. "So what happened?" she asked.

Violet faltered, mouth opening and closing like a fish. "Well . . . we tried . . . "

"What's been happening?" Nolan leaned down to whisper in Sylvie's ear.

"Mouch's medal ceremony," Sylvie answered. "They've been working to find a venue."

"OK, now wait a minute," Trudy held up her hand, stopping a stammering Violet in her tracks. "Intruders."

Gallo blinked, and Eddie looked at Sylvie in amusement. "Guessing this is Sergeant Platt."

"Yes," Sylvie nodded. "Sergeant Trudy Platt runs the 21st District, where the Intelligence Unit operates. Trudy, this is my partner on 99, Eddie Diaz, and this is my brother, Nolan Price."

"Nice to meet you, ma'am," Eddie waved.

Trudy narrowed her eyes at Nolan. "Since when have you had a brother?"

"Are we counting when we realized the other existed or are we starting when the doctors made the discover after they transfused a pint of my blood into her when she was shot by a vengeful sniper in Los Angeles?" Nolan riposted.

Cruz looked terrified at the counter, and Gallo and Ritter looked torn between running and taking pictures. Trudy tilted her head as if assessing Nolan, and the prosecutor merely raised an eyebrow expectantly. "I like him," she decided.

Cruz blew out his breath in relief. "You're lucky, man."

"Ah, Trudy!" Boden walked out from the hallway, and Trudy turned to face the chief. "Glad you're here. We had a change of plans. DC Hill travels at the end of the week. She just asked to do the medal ceremony today right here at the firehouse." If this hadn't been a serious change of plans, Eddie would have laughed at the visible relief on the faces of Gallo, Ritter, and Violet. "I'm sorry, Trudy. I know this is not what you had in mind."

"That's OK, Chief," Trudy shook her head. "We all serve at the pleasure of the muckety-mucks. What time are we talking?"

"2:00," Boden answered. Trudy nodded and walked out the doors, leaving Boden to look sternly at the younger firefighters. "Which means you only have a few hours to gin up some kind of pageantry so that this doesn't look like an afterthought. Go."

Sylvie turned to Eddie, eyes wide. "Do we have our dress uniforms here?"

"I don't," Eddie shook his head. "I think we all agreed to keep ours at the hotel."

"Just make a call to the hotel, I can run and get them," Nolan volunteered.

"Really?" Sylvie's eyes brightened. "Oh, God, I love you."

Nolan grinned. "Love you, too."

"Yeah, I'll call," Eddie nodded, pulling out his phone. "Thanks, Nolan."

"Any time," Nolan kissed Sylvie's cheek. "As long as I get a seat at the ceremony."

"Deal," Sylvie giggled.

As Nolan left, the bells rang overhead, followed by the dispatcher. "Ambulance 61. Person injured, Whitaker South High School, 1121 West Polk Street."

As Violet gratefully ran towards the apparatus floor, Eddie headed into the hallway, the hotel's number pulled up and ready to dial. Gianna flew from nowhere and sped out to the rigs, and Eddie's plans changed when he saw Matt and Kelly talking to each other as they headed to their offices. "Casey!" he called, pocketing his phone and jogging to catch them. "Severide!"

The two turned around in unison, creeping Eddie out a little. How did they do that? "What's up?" Matt asked, slipping his hands into his pockets.

Eddie checked behind himself to make sure they were alone, then he looked back at Matt and Kelly. "Direct quote from Sylvie," he said. "'As long as Matt trusts who he puts on his team.'" Matt's eyes widened while Kelly's narrowed to slits. "I'm pretty sure that wasn't a dig at Lieutenant Pelham."

"No," Kelly seethed. "I don't think so, either."

"Any chance we can call headquarters and ask them to hold Kidd longer?" Matt asked.

Kelly snorted. "Good one."

"I wasn't kidding."

"They'll want a reason," Kelly warned. "And unless you want to outright say we think she's responsible for making Brett's life hell . . . "

"We could," Eddie shrugged.

"While she's one of DC Hill's favorites?" Kelly shook his head. "No, we need solid evidence."

Eddie balked. "What's this about being the favorite of the CFD Deputy Commissioner?"

"Yeah," Matt nodded. "Kidd hit a pothole and just barely managed to stop the rig before we hit a pair of teenagers. DC Hill came to commend her."

Eddie sighed. "Well . . . I hate saying it. I'm a bit impressed by that."

"Yeah, so were we at the time."

Eddie shook his head. "OK, enough about Kidd. Do the two of you have your dress uniforms here at the firehouse?"

"Er," Kelly blinked at the abrupt change of topic. "We should. I do."

"Yeah, in my office," Matt nodded. "Why?"

Eddie gave a wry smile. "Well, funny story . . . "

***

"You know, I always thought the first time I'd be in Austin FD dress blues would be when the 126 reopened," Buck remarked as he and TK followed Owen up the apron to Firehouse 51, where rows of chairs had been placed.

"Sorry to burst your bubble, Buck," Owen chuckled, readjusting his jacket cuffs. "Medal ceremonies ruin the fun, I guess."

"This is when I'm glad all that's required of me is the usual work clothes," Nolan quipped, gesturing to the tailored suit he wore.

TK snorted. "Yeah, rub it in, why don't you? We go straight back to work when the ceremony is finished, and who knows if we get called before we change back into our uniforms."

"Wouldn't that be fun?" Sylvie's laughter rang across the apron, and the two squad paramedics approached, their caps under their arms. "Looking good, boys!"

"You like?" Buck twirled with a cheeky grin.

Eddie wolf-whistled in response, eyes dark. "I like."

Owen sighed heavily. "Not in front of your captain, boys."

Buck grinned sheepishly. "Sorry, Cap."

Owen rolled his eyes. "I thought I only had one child."

"You never realized you got these two after you hired them?" Eddie gestured between Buck and Sylvie.

"You're not including yourself?" Owen raised an eyebrow.

"No, sir," Eddie smirked. "Technically, I'm as good as your son-in-law."

TK burst out laughing at the gobsmacked looks on both Owen and Buck's faces. "You broke 'em, Eddie!"

Sylvie looked over her shoulder, hearing two sets of footsteps approach, and she coughed meaningly. "Fix 'em. We have company."

Owen shook himself out of his stupor and managed to stand straight to his full height. "Thanks for the invite, Wallace."

"Pleasure to have you, Owen," Boden nodded. "More like I should be thanking you for graciously lending your paramedics to my house."

Owen made a face. "I think Commissioner Grissom just wanted to get back at me for taking Captain Casey and Lieutenant Severide for a while by splitting us up."

Boden chuckled. "That does sound like the commissioner." He gestured to the woman in uniform next to him, who had been watching the conversation with interest. "This is First Deputy Commissioner Gloria Hill. DC Hill, I have the pleasure of introducing you to Captain – and soon to be Deputy Chief – Owen Strand out of Firehouse 126 in Austin, Texas."

"Pleasure to meet you, ma'am," Owen smiled, extending his hand.

"And it's an honor to meet you, Captain," Hill nodded in return, shaking his hand. "Thank you for your service to our country."

Owen nodded. "I believe you're already familiar with my chief paramedic, Captain Sylvie Brett."

"Yes, indeed," Hill smiled at Sylvie. "I understand she left quite the hole when she left Chicago."

Sylvie blushed, looking at her feet. "Violet's done a pretty good job."

Owen laughed at her embarrassment. "She stole her partner, Eddie Diaz, from the 118 out in Los Angeles." As Eddie nodded to the highest-ranking officer, Owen turned to his team. "My son and 2IC, TK, and his partner in crime, Evan Buckley. He goes by Buck."

"Ah, yes," Hill smirked. "I seem to recall the commissioner complaining about Captain Casey and Lieutenant Severide joining those two on an unauthorized rescue mission . . . San Angelo, was it?"

"In our defense, we were planning two different missions," TK held up his hands. "Same goal, different plans."

"And they probably would have gotten away with it," Buck added. "They're the officers."

"Pretty sure they would have been under heavier fire because they're officers," Eddie quipped dryly.

"What would have been heavier, De Leon's issues or the wildfire?" Sylvie wondered.

Eddie gave her a dubious look. "I know you were on painkillers, but you do remember how quickly everyone shut that man up, right?"

"I remember," Owen grinned cheerfully. "And I know Michelle told Captain Vega to give me the good stuff."

TK snorted. "It's Michelle. Of course, she did."

Boden looked as if he was getting a headache. Hill, on the other hand, chuckled. "Well, whatever the circumstances were, it's a pleasure to have you all here."

"Pleasure is all ours," Owen nodded.

As Hill and Boden returned to the front row of seats, Nolan finally snickered from where he had been biting his tongue behind Sylvie. "So not only did I get a half-sister in Los Angeles, but I also got two brothers, a surrogate father, and a brother-in-law?"

"And apparently a nephew," Owen closed his eyes. "If you're counting Eddie, you're also getting Christopher."

"You get Carlos with TK," Sylvie offered.

TK smirked. "And you get Casey and Severide with your actual sister."

Sylvie squawked. "TK Strand!"

"Whoops!" TK bolted around Owen. "Bye!"

"Get back here!" Sylvie took off after him.

Nolan watched them go, barely able to smother a laugh. "You know what? After years of being by myself, I'll take it."

Owen patted his shoulder with a resigned grin. "Welcome aboard the crazy train, Nolan. I don't know how we stay on the rails."

"Were we ever even on them?" Buck asked.

"Probably not."

***

"And by stopping the company from going back inside, Randall McHolland not only saved the life of that little girl," Boden spoke from the podium as he addressed firefighters in dress blues and family members who had gathered for Mouch. "He saved the lives of his brothers and sisters at 51 as well. Now, nothing of the action that Randall took that day surprised any of us. He's a brave and humble man who would not apply the word hero to himself, but make no mistake . . . that is exactly what he is." Tuesday chose that moment to bark, making Ritter attempt to shush her and blush as ripples of laughter spread. Boden, too, grinned as he continued. "He is also a good friend, and it is my honor to call up my friend Randall McHolland to accept his medal. Deputy Commissioner Hill has kindly joined us here today to make the presentation."

Trudy squeezed Mouch's hand, and the firefighter rose from his chair to join Boden on the makeshift stage. Herrmann was the one to lead the round of applause as Hill followed. "It is a privilege to be here with you all to present the Firefighter's Award of Valor," Hill declared, smiling at Mouch as he swiveled on his foot to face her. "Randall McHolland, your actions exemplify the kind of courage and selfless service to others that make the men and women of the CFD so special." As she picked up the medal from where it sat on the podium, Mouch turned to allow her to reach around his neck. "I commend you for your dedication, your service, and your valor." The snap of Hill fastening the medal around his neck rang in the air with finality that brought a smile to Sylvie's face. "Congratulations."

Mouch performed a perfect salute, which Hill returned with a smile. Gallo whooped from where he sat between Ritter and Gianna, and Kelly laughed before starting the next round of applause. Mouch looked around at everyone gathered on the apron with a beam, and he waved the applause down. "I'm gonna keep it short and sweet," he said. "I just want to say . . . 51 is the best place in the world. I love you guys." He turned to the five firefighters in different dress blues, a fond smile on his face. "And once a member of 51, always a member of 51 . . . even if you are states away."

"Hear, hear!" Kelly smirked.

Sylvie blushed as red as the medal ribbon, ducking her head as Eddie playfully slung an arm around her and more calls of affirmation echoed Kelly's. "You can't take her back!" Buck hollered.

That made more laughter erupt as Sylvie turned in her seat to swat Buck's shoulder. "Congratulations, Firefighter!" Owen called, smiling as he applauded.

The members of 51 stood in celebration, and Sylvie blinked back tears she stood to join them. Mouch had made it clear, as did everyone else, that she was still considered a member of 51's family. After all that had been said to her, after all she had mentally gone through . . . that meant the world to her.

***

"Gabby says thanks for the video," Matt told Kelly as they gathered in their own little groups after the ceremony. "And she asked to give Sylvie her best. Pest her for a phone number, if I can."

Kelly snorted. "Sounds like Dawson."

"You know, I'm starting to wonder if I should have said no to Chief Radford." Matt and Kelly turned to see Owen walk up to join them, the older captain slinging off his cap and scratching the back of his head. "Pretty sure that job will require me to be in nicer dress than my usual uniform."

"Oh, it does," Kelly grinned.

"Great," Owen made a face. "I'd say no if I didn't have ulterior motives."

"You, with ulterior motives?" Matt snorted. "God forbid we ask about them. You'd never tell."

"Actually, I would," Owen smirked. "Can I get a moment of your time?"

Kelly blinked in surprise, looking at Matt. "Sure," Matt nodded, gesturing further up the apron and closer to the firehouse.

"Thanks," Owen followed them up the apron. "First off, how have Sylvie and Eddie been here?"

"Their usual chaos," Kelly grinned. "Which gave us another team to focus on instead of Ritter, Gallo, Mackey, and Mikami trying to create the perfect ceremony for Mouch."

"Oh?" Owen looked around. "They did a nice job throwing this together quickly."

"This was because DC Hill's schedule changed suddenly," Matt shook his head. "Apparently the plan to beat included something on Soldier Field?"

"Ah," Owen chuckled. "Didn't work out, I guess."

"Nope," Kelly snickered.

"Well, he couldn't have asked for anything better," Owen declared, folding his arms. "He had everyone here that he needed to see."

"He did," Matt agreed. "And Trudy's happy, so that's an added bonus." He blinked, then turned to Owen. "But I don't think this is what you wanted to discuss."

"No, it's not," Owen shook his head, turning back to them. "I don't know if I ever thanked the two of you for everything you did. Coming to Austin while I was in recovery, helping with the arsonist case, helping in the dust storm . . . hell, you even came to Charles' funeral, and you didn't know him that well."

"He was family to the 126, and to Sylvie," Matt shrugged as if it was that simple. To him, it was. "We were happy to come."

"And we were glad to help you out," Kelly nodded. "You built one hell of a house, Cap. And this is the second time you did it. You have a gift."

"I guess I do," Owen turned, smiling softly as he watched the four others under his command burst into laughter at something Cruz said, Nolan's arm slung around Sylvie's shoulders like it was second nature. "I just wish it wasn't one that made its appearance in times of tragedy."

Kelly winced, scratching the back of his head. "That does seem to be forgotten. Sorry."

"No, don't be," Owen shook his head. "You aren't the first to say it, you won't be the last. You're right. I've got a good house. It's gonna be hard to leave it in someone else's hands."

"You accepted Deputy Chief Radford's job when he agreed on your exceptions," Matt pointed out. "You've got the time to find that person."

"I do," Owen nodded. "Fortunately for me, I don't need that time . . . I hope."

Kelly raised an eyebrow. "You had someone in mind."

"Of course I did," Owen smirked; with an inkling of dread, Matt realized he had seen that same smirk on Benson and Stabler's faces when they were plotting. "I'm looking at them."

It was like ice had been dumped down his back. The blood drained from Matt's face, and as he turned to look at Kelly, his partner's green eyes had widened dramatically. They had thrown offhand comments about that possibility around the firehouse, Nolan had flat-out told them he expected Owen to give them that offer . . . but it was another thing to have that offer given to them. Matt swallowed hard, turning back to Owen. "Sir . . . us?"

"You really didn't see that coming?" Owen asked in surprise.

"With as much as we made light of the possibility, I don't think we ever expected to actually hear it," Kelly admitted, looking past Owen to Nolan. "But . . . it started to sink in that you might ask us."

"Honestly, there was no other option I looked at," Owen shook his head. "I have one hell of a house, and I only accept the best at the 126. I asked the two of you to run the house while I was out because they knew you, and there were no other officers I trusted with my teams. And to put it bluntly . . . call it the dad in me, but there were no other officers I wanted to work with Sylvie."

Matt swallowed hard, his gaze sliding around Owen to where Sylvie leaned into Nolan's side, her megawatt smile a beacon among the firefighters. "Does she know?" he asked quietly.

"That you're the ones getting this offer?" Owen shook his head. "No. She doesn't. Right now, this offer is between the two of you and me. I want this decision to be yours, and yours alone. It's not a secret you would do anything for her."

"I think we made that pretty obvious in San Angelo, Cap," Kelly quipped.

"Exactly," Owen snorted. "You likely risked your bugles with that stunt, and you did it anyway. Like I said . . . this decision is yours to make. 51 is one hell of a house, too, and I know what you'd be giving up to move down to Texas. I won't ask anyone else to decide for you. Not even the woman who controls your heartstrings like you're marionettes."

Kelly grimaced at the comparison. "Are we really that whipped?"

Owen barked in laughter. "You do remember who saw right through you that morning after your sleepover?"

Matt blinked, looking at Kelly. "What?"

"Not important," Kelly blushed.

Matt sighed, chewing on his lip as he looked across the apron and over every firefighter, every family member, all of them pieces of Chicago they would have to leave behind if they went to Austin. "Before I automatically say yes, can this wait until after shift?"

"Of course," Owen nodded. "I didn't expect an answer right away . . . although I wouldn't have been surprised if I did."

"Guess we should be working on our impulse control," Kelly snorted.

Owen smirked, then turned and pointed. "I thought she's over there?"

"Which is why we need to figure out what it is when she isn't here."

"Good point," Owen nodded, then frowned. "And who is that man, and why does Cruz look like he wants to kill him?"

Curious at the abrupt non sequitur, Matt and Kelly looked around Owen to see the smirking, well-dressed man speaking to a fuming Cruz. "Hang on," Kelly narrowed his eyes. "I think that's the pilot we rescued the other day."

"The hell's he doing here at the firehouse?" Matt asked in confusion. "Again?"

Before they could get an answer, the bells rang, echoing across the apron. "Engine 51. Truck 81. Squad 3. EMS 99. Ambulance 61. Battalion 25. Structure fire, 2700 Ogden."

Matt and Kelly looked apologetically at Owen, but the captain grinned. "Go be heroes." The pair nodded and ran for their rigs, and Owen crossed the apron to stand out of the way of departing rigs. EMS 99, the only rig out on the apron instead of in the firehouse, was the first to depart, and the members of Squad 9 waved when Sylvie honked her horn at them before flipping on their lights and sirens. As the rest of the rigs rolled onto the streets of Chicago, Owen turned towards his team. "Anyone know what that discussion between Cruz and that guy was about?" he asked.

"Uh, from what I gathered from Sylvie, the guy saw Cruz's Slamigan and now is pressuring him into making it a major brand," Buck answered.

"He's the guy who had a huge amount of baby items delivered right to 51 with the plan he had made," Nolan added.

"So he just shows up to a medal ceremony and suddenly starts talking to Cruz's wife about it like it's a done deal?" TK scowled.

Owen's eyebrows raised. "Oh, he did, did he?"

Buck said what they were all thinking. "What a bastard."

***

The ambulances had peeled off and parked as the bulkier rigs arrived, and Matt dropped from the officer's seat of Truck 81 as a man fleeing from the burning building reached Boden. "I'm missing one of my guys," he coughed. "I think he's still inside. Dominic, my fry cook."

"Everybody else get out?" Boden asked.

The man nodded. "I think so. I'm not sure."

Boden nodded, speaking into his radio and giving orders. "OK, we have at least one victim unaccounted for, male employee. Truck, Squad, primary search. Engine, let's get a line in there."

Matt nodded, flipping his oxygen mask into his hands. "Pelham, mask up."

"Heard!" Pelham crouched on the ground, readying his tank.

"Hey, Capp!" Kelly beckoned. "You're with me!"

"Ritter, let's drop a line!" Herrmann bellowed.

As Ritter ran by back to their rig, Kelly turned to Capp as his loyal firefighter joined him. "We'll follow Engine."

"Copy," Capp nodded.

Ritter returned with the hose, and Matt and Pelham joined Kelly and Capp as Herrmann took the lead into the building. Once Matt heard the sound of the line starting, he turned to Kelly. "We'll search the kitchen!" he called. "You guys check out that hallway!"

Kelly looked down the hall that Matt pointed, and he nodded in agreement. "Copy that. Capp, let's go!" Capp followed Kelly, their flashlights sweeping through the smoke. "Fire department! Call out!" Kelly poked his head through the swinging doors into the kitchen, calling for the fry cook before pulling back out. "Fire department! Call out!"

"Help!" came the answering cry, and Kelly turned to face one of the closed doors. "In here!"

With one hard push, Kelly broke through the door, keen eyes finding the downed fry cook through the smoke. "Yeah, I got him!" he announced into his radio. "Bringing him out now!" He heard Capp's booted footsteps behind him as he made his way into the room, bending down to help the coughing fry cook. "Come on, let's get you out of here." Capp took Dominic's other arm, and the pair of squad firefighters retraced their steps out of the room. "Hey, Capp!" Kelly tapped him on the shoulder. "You bring him outside! I'll go clear the rest!"

"Copy!" Capp nodded sharply, taking all of Dominic's weight and beginning the trek out of the restaurant, leaving Kelly to venture further.

One deep inhale of smoke brought Dominic to his knees, and Capp crouched down, grunting with the effort of keeping Dominic upright. Two winking flashlights emerged from the smoke, and the two officers of Truck 81 arrived, Pelham not hesitating to help Capp. "Kitchen's clear!" he reported.

Matt's head was on a swivel as the captain looked around, frown visible through his mask. "Where's Severide?" he asked.

Capp turned and pointed. "Searching one last room in the back!"

Green eyes narrowed, and Matt tapped Pelham's shoulder. "I'm going to give him a hand. Help Capp."

"Copy," Pelham nodded.

As Pelham and Capp returned to the entrance, Matt steadily walked through the smoke, his flashlight sweeping every inch of the restaurant. He had seen the direction Capp had come from, so his partner couldn't be too far away. He almost reached the end of the hall when Kelly appeared from somewhere, and he was alone. "We're all clear," he said. "Let's go."

Matt nodded and turned to return the way they had come, but a surge of fire interrupted his progress. He felt Kelly grab his shoulders and yank him back, and he stumbled back into his partner, shaking his head as the roar rang in his ears.

***

That roar echoed to outside the restaurant, and as Violet and Gianna looked up from where they were treating Dominic, Sylvie spun around from where she had been prepping in case of another victim. Her eyes widened when she saw the flames licking out of the building, and with horror, she realized there were still two firefighters missing.

"What was that?" Boden demanded into his radio. "Casey, Severide, report!"

Thankfully, Kelly was quick to answer. "Hey, Chief, we're good, but we gotta find another way out! Gonna try the bathroom window!"

Boden nodded, turning and gesturing sharply to the three firefighters waiting. "Squad, go meet your lieutenant at the bathroom window."

"Copy that, Chief," Cruz nodded, leading Tony and Capp around the building. A few seconds later, Sylvie could hear him over the radio. "Hey, Severide, I'm looking at a security gate here. Give us two minutes."

Sylvie swallowed hard, gloved fingers tight around her radio as she looked at Eddie. Would two minutes be enough?

***

Kelly frowned, shaking his head. He had full faith in his team, but he wanted himself, and his partner, out of this building as soon as possible. "Hey, screw that," he told Matt. "I think I saw another window in the back. Come on!"

"Alright!" Matt nodded, following Kelly through the restaurant.

Sure enough, they found beams of light peeking through a metal rack of supplies, and it took no effort for the pair to shove the rack aside. "On three?" Kelly asked, and Matt nodded, twirling his Halligan around so the metal end was aimed at the glass cubes. "One, two, three!"

Their Halligans hit at the same time, glass shards cracking and falling to the ground. That was the only countdown spoken, and that was the only one they needed. Years and years of working together in the field meant they could practically read each other's minds, and it showed in the way each time they swung, their Halligans hit in unison, the glass continuing to fracture under their combined hits.

They had managed to start making a hole when Kelly finally panted, "You didn't have to come find me!"

Matt gave him a sharp look. "What?" he asked in disbelief.

"You should have gone out with your company!" Kelly insisted.

Matt's next swing shattered multiple glass cubes, widening the hole provided. Kelly's eyes widened at the force, and Matt spun to look at Kelly, green eyes blazing more than the fire starting to climb the walls. "No way!" the blond snarled. "There's no way in hell that was gonna happen! We stick together, remember? I'm not leaving you, ever!"

Kelly stared at Matt with wide eyes, watching as the captain took his Halligan to the glass again. That was indeed what they had promised each other even before they came together at the cabin, back when Sylvie had vanished. Ever since then, they had stuck to that promise from San Angelo to Austin, and even after their confrontation after Matt lied, they had been glued at the hip. He had watched Olivia and Elliot drop into a burning factory, without hesitation, for their best friend. Matt had ignored the fire burning around him just to find Kelly.

"We don't need to think about our answer, do we?"

Matt looked at Kelly, confusion in his eyes this time. "What?"

"Captain Strand's offer," Kelly elaborated. "We . . . really don't need until the end of shift to come up with an answer, do we?"

A small smile formed on Matt's face. "No," he shook his head. "But it's best to wait until after shift to give that answer."

"Yeah," Kelly nodded, grinning widely. "And we need to get out of here."

"Right," Matt laughed. "One, two, three!" The officers swung in tandem, and the rest of the glass finally gave way, falling in a rain of crystal shards. Kelly whooped, grabbing the windowsill and hauling himself out and into the open air. His boots landed with a thud, and he turned to hold his hand out for Matt. The captain grasped his hand and jumped into the window, crouching like a cat on the sill before he, too, landed on the ground. He didn't let go of Kelly's hand, however, as he reached up and removed his oxygen mask, and he laughed in delight. "You're not out of the doghouse for thinking that about me, though."

"Fair!" Kelly chortled as he, too, removed his mask.

They rounded the building, Kelly taking one moment to watch Cruz put all his muscle into removing the security gate. But a cry of delight rapidly stole his attention, and he and Matt opened their arms at the same time. Barely a second later, their beloved paramedic jumped into their embrace, her arms winding around their necks. "You bastards!" Sylvie forced out, burying her nose into their shoulders. "Don't you do that to me again!"

"Sorry, sweetheart," Matt smiled, resting his temple against hers as Kelly nuzzled into her neck. "I couldn't let our idiot of a squad lieutenant burn in there, could I?"

"Bastard," Kelly grumbled.

"Your bastard."

Sylvie's giggle was interrupted by a guttural yell from Cruz, and Sylvie shrieked, recoiling from the sound. Matt and Kelly clutched her close, arms wrapping around her protectively as they sought for what startled her. That was when they saw Cruz finally bring the security gate crashing to the ground, Kelly's 2IC heaving with each heavy breath. They could almost see smoke coming out of his ears.

It was Tony who finally asked what they were all thinking. "Cruz, man," he laid a cautious hand on Cruz's shoulder. "You OK?"

Cruz just let out a soundless snarl and stormed back to the rigs, leaving the five to stare after him.

***

Kelly: Squad 9

Kelly: Tense up

Kelly: We're going to war

TK: Excellent

Buck: Who are we killing?

Eddie: We're killing someone?

Owen: Boys

TK: Severide said "war"

TK: I think the question is justified

Joe: I don't think "killing" is necessary

Capp: I'm up for it

Tony: ^

Tony: TK and Buck asked who they're killing

Capp: Don't we have dibs if it's our brother

Tony: Good point

TK: We can always bury the bodies

TK: And Dad can be our alibi

Owen: Does this have to do with that smug idiot we saw at Mouch's ceremony?

Sylvie: Prick

Buck: Sylvie!

Sylvie: He is!

Sylvie: He tried bribing Joe into making the Slamigan some big major brand!

Sylvie: And then he showed up at the ceremony and talked to Chloe about it!

Sylvie: You know what

Sylvie: If you kill him

Sylvie: I'll be the alibi

TK: Perfect

Eddie: I don't think I've ever seen her this pissed off before

Kelly: You clearly never saw how she reacted to the Badlands

Buck: The what now?

Kelly: I rest my case

Joe: We don't need to kill anyone

Joe: I just need a show of force

Tony: I'm in

Capp: ^

Kelly: Considering you tore a steel security gate off a window because you're this angry

Kelly: Yeah me three

Owen: He did that?

Sylvie: Oh yeah

Sylvie: Bit hot actually

Eddie: Sylvie!

Sylvie: I literally got his now-wife to ask him to repropose to her

Sylvie: Nothing's gonna happen

Sylvie: Like I said

Sylvie: I'll be your alibi

Owen: You know what

Owen: To hell with this

Owen: What do you need my guys to do

TK: Thanks for volunteering us Dad

Owen: You just asked me to be your alibi while you buried bodies

Owen: Your inclusion was already guaranteed

Eddie: I mean

Eddie: If Sylvie's our alibi

Eddie: I'm in

Buck: ^

TK: . . .

TK: Yeah what do you need us to do

***

Joe: So how much would I have to pay you if I needed legal advice

Nolan: Excuse me?

Joe: Hypothetical question

Nolan: . . .

Nolan: Does this have to do with that arrogant asshole that showed up at the ceremony?

Joe: That obvious?

Nolan: It's pro bono for friends and family of Sylvie

Joe: Oh thank God

Joe: Because I need your help

Nolan: What do you need?

***

Cruz pushed the button to chime the bell on Mark's gate, and he stepped back, placing his hands in his pockets as he waited for an answer. He didn't have to wait long as Mark stepped out of his home and opened the gate, looking at Cruz with a wide smile. "This is a nice surprise!" he chuckled. "Good to see you, Joe. Come on in." As soon as Mark reached out to pat his shoulder, Cruz grabbed his wrist and wrenched it away from him, twisting just enough to make Mark gasp in pain. "Ow!"

"I need you to understand something," Cruz said quietly, eyes narrowed. "You think you got me figured out? That I'm some rube firefighter, doesn't know his way around a balance sheet?"

"Get off!" Mark hissed, trying to pull out of Cruz's grasp.

Cruz's grip, perfected by years of firefighting, merely tightened as he leaned into Mark's face. "Buddy, you have no idea who I am, and you can't even imagine what I'm capable of. But if you come anywhere near my firehouse or my family again, you will find out."

Mark finally yanked out of Cruz's grasp, but as Cruz stepped back with a satisfied smile, he revealed the vehicles parked behind him. Mark's face slowly drained of color as he took in Kelly, Owen, and Nolan standing in a line, the fire officers wearing the jackets that proclaimed their ranks, Nolan dressed to the nines in a suit, his briefcase in his hand clearly indicating his profession as an attorney. Tony, Capp, TK, Buck, and Eddie stood behind them, slightly shadowed by the landscaping, silent sentinels with dark promises on their faces. Cruz had tried to protest Kelly's involvement in particular, stating he didn't have to put his bugles at risk for him. Kelly had merely smiled and told Cruz there was no way he wasn't going to take a stand for his friend. As Kelly's expression hardened every second Mark was in Cruz's vicinity, Cruz felt relief that his lieutenant had his back.

"Whatever, dude," Mark finally muttered, glowering at Cruz. "You want to walk away from a fortune, I can't stop you."

"That's right," Cruz smiled like a shark. "You can't do a damn thing about it."

With that, Cruz turned on his heel and confidently walked across the street towards his family, leaving Mark in the dust. "And he won't press charges?" Owen asked under his breath.

"He laid a hand on Cruz first," Nolan answered just as quietly. "Cruz just acted in self-defense."

Kelly grinned proudly. "Atta boy, Cruz."

***

TK: Mission accomplished

Carlos: What mission

Buck: Without a hitch

Carlos: What mission

Eddie: And don't worry Sylvie

Eddie: No bodies to hide

Carlos: What happened

Sylvie giggled into her drink as she read the text thread, and she felt Matt shake in silent laughter next to her. "Poor Carlos."

"Missing all the fun," he agreed.

Sylvie: No alibi?

Buck: No alibi required

Eddie: Not according to Nolan anyway

Kelly: I think I have a new favorite prosecutor

Kelly: All due respect to Stone

Matt: You're just saying that because Nolan is Sylvie's brother

Kelly: That helps

Eddie: He also said Cruz's response was self-defense

Kelly: That too

Carlos: I thought you two were supposed to help corral the dumbasses!

TK: Cruz isn't a dumbass

Buck: Yeah he hasn't gone through a tsunami yet

TK: Or nearly drowned in corn

Buck: Or had his leg crushed by his rig

TK: Or been shot by a kid

Sylvie: Or been forced to do makeshift surgery in a restaurant

Sylvie: Or leapfrog across a minefield

Sylvie: Or been shot by a sniper

Eddie: Wait

Eddie: Those three things make me a dumbass

Buck: Nah

Buck: You're still my handler

Matt: Bet he handles you real well Buckley

TK: And that came from Casey!

Sylvie burst into a peal of giggles, dropping her phone onto the table as she hid her blushing face in her hand. "You are an enabler!"

"What?" Matt asked innocently, barely able to take a drink of his beer. "Buck started it."

"What was that about?" Ritter asked, looking at their phones inquisitively.

"Nothing to worry about," Matt shook his head.

"If you say so, Captain," Mouch shrugged.

"Hey, look at Mr. Humble over here!" Herrmann appeared, frowning at his friend. "Are you ever gonna take that medal off?"

Mouch looked down at it with a grin. "Not tonight," he shook his head. "Maybe not ever."

"Well," Stella sauntered up next, leaning on Mouch's shoulder and pointing at the medal. "As someone who missed the ceremony, I think it looks cool."

"Thank you, Kidd," Mouch nodded in satisfaction. "And I forgive you for missing out because of your exam."

"Yeah, how'd it go?" Mackey asked curiously.

Stella rolled her eyes. "Those white shirts are like robots. I couldn't get a read on how I was doing at all. I might have aced it . . . or completely tanked it. I really have no idea."

"I got a good feeling," Gallo smiled.

"Thanks," Stella's smile was more of a smirk, and as she flipped her hair confidently, her dark eyes settled on Sylvie. "I appreciate the support."

The wine Sylvie had just finished suddenly made her nauseous, but she forced a smile on her face, feeling another pair of eyes burning into the side of her head. "I'm happy for you, Stella," she said. "You've put your whole career into this."

"Damn right, I have," Stella nodded.

Pelham's eyes darted from Stella to Sylvie to a suspicious Matt, and he coughed meaningfully. "Did I hear there was some kind of party being planned?"

"Yeah," Mouch turned in his chair to point at the four youngest at the table. "You all, right?"

"Oh," Gallo blinked, and Violet and Gianna resembled deer in headlights. "Y-yeah."

"Wow, a party, too?" Herrmann rolled his eyes. "When is this Mouch celebration gonna end?"

"Not tonight," Matt shook his head. "Next drinks are on me."

"Alright, then!" Mouch grinned.

"Oh, holy smokes!" Herrmann laughed. "I'll get 'em!"

Pelham bet he was the only one who saw the frustration in Matt's eyes as he followed Herrmann to the bar, and he cleared his throat. "Wanna compare notes, Kidd?" he asked, and he felt a thrill of satisfaction as he forced the woman to look away from Sylvie. "I might give you an idea about if you passed."

"Oh," Stella paused. "Sure."

"Great," Pelham plastered what he hoped was a friendly look on his face as he led her away from the table. "So, written portion . . . "

"Hard to believe there's gonna be another lieutenant at the house," Herrmann remarked as he got to work on the next round of drinks.

"You're so sure she passed?" Matt asked.

"Well, sure," Herrmann blinked. "You know Kidd. Damn good firefighter, she knows her stuff. You think she didn't?"

Matt seethed, trying to figure out how to convey his thoughts. "I think she did," he admitted heavily. "I just wonder – "

His phone rang at that moment, and he sent a silent thanks into the air as he checked the Caller ID. "It's Sev," he told Herrmann, stepping away from the bar. "My tab, remember?"

"You got it, Cap," Herrmann nodded.

The way to the front of Molly's was blocked, so Matt made his way through the throng of people so he walked out of the back of the bar. "Yeah?" he asked, stepping out into the back alley.

"Well, as TK said, mission accomplished," Kelly announced. "Mark Newcomb is no longer going to be a problem."

"That's good," Matt smiled. "No need for Nolan to prep a case for trespassing?"

"Unfortunately, no. And those were his words."

Matt couldn't help but chuckle. "OK, yeah, I like him, too."

"Not just because he's Sylvie's brother?"

His own words were teasingly thrown back at him, and Matt laughed. "Yeah, not just because of that."

"He appreciates your honesty," Kelly said dryly; Matt's attention waned when he heard the faint sound of the front door to Molly's slam. "Listen, since it's after shift and I have Captain Strand right here – "

Raised voices poured into the alley, and Matt paled when he recognized them. "Sev, I need to call you back."

"What?"

"Call you back!" Matt hissed in insistence, making his way towards the end of the alley, where it poured out onto the street . . . where he could clearly hear Sylvie and Stella's voices.

***

The droll of Molly's faded to background noise as Sylvie watched Matt abandon the bar to head out the back, and her mouth suddenly felt dry. All of her time so far in Chicago had been surrounded by those she trusted, those who had an inkling of what had gone wrong before. Even Pelham, for some reason, had an idea of what was going on, and he had managed to take Stella away from her. But Matt was out of sight, and that left her at the table with other members of 51 . . . members who either had no idea what had happened or turned a blind eye.

Oh, God, she really hoped they didn't turn a blind eye.

The bar was suddenly suffocating, and she nearly fell as she scrambled out of her seat. "My head is starting to bother me," she stammered in excuse as she fumbled with her jacket. "I'm gonna head out."

"Need a ride?" Ritter asked, immediately starting to stand.

"No," Sylvie shook her head, already walking backwards. "But thank you!"

She turned and walked as fast as she could to the door without catching anyone's attention, desperate for fresh air. She completely missed Pelham turning to answer his phone and leave the bar to hear better, leaving a pair of dark eyes to watch her every move.

She burst out onto the street, taking deep breaths as she tilted her face to the sky. Chicago had once been her home, full of friends watching her back. Why was it now, when she felt so close yet so far from Matt and Kelly, when she had her brother to watch her back, when she had her entire company on her side, that she felt so alone?

The door opened and shut behind her again, and her entire body tensed like a bowstring when she heard a voice that stabbed her like rose thorns. "And you seriously keep convincing everyone you aren't sleeping with Casey?"

Sylvie swallowed hard, closing her eyes. "Kidd . . . "

"No, I don't get it," Stella cut across her. "The more you say otherwise, the more you wrap them around your finger. And now Pelham, too?" Her disgust was clear. "You can say whatever you want, but you really are just a – "

The bowstring snapped. "Shut up, Stella."

"Excuse me?!" Stella's voice was shrill.

"I said shut up," Sylvie spun around, azure eyes narrowing at the bristling woman. "I have done nothing wrong except spend time with my best friends. I did exactly what you wanted to, and I moved across state lines to stay away from them because of you. I never contacted them for months because of what you said to me, Stella! What more do you want me to do?"

"You do see what city you're standing in right now, don't you?" Stella gestured around. "What did you have to do to get Captain Strand to loan you to the CFD, huh? Guess you just lead everyone around like they're hounds panting after you."

Sylvie's blood roared like lava in her veins, and her lips curled in a snarl. "You do not get to insult the man who singlehandedly put me back together when I shattered," she spat as she stormed forward. "Owen Strand has been nothing but respectful and supportive of me, and he was ready to punch another fire captain who insinuated the same thing you just did. It was Commissioner Grissom that assigned me and Eddie to Firehouse 51." She raised an eyebrow. "Unless you want to accuse me of seducing him next?" she asked sarcastically.

Stella shook her head, fury in her eyes. "You aren't going to win this, Sylvie," she threatened. "I won the first time, I'll win it again."

"I don't have to win," Sylvie shrugged in reply. "But I can almost guarantee you'll lose, too." Stella opened her mouth, but Sylvie cut across her. "You're so focused on Kelly, and Kelly only, that you have never paid attention to him and Matt. Those two have walked through fires together and for each other time and time again, and that kind of devotion can't be faked. You only want Kelly to be yours. All I have ever wanted, more than anything else, is for both of them to be happy, and that's what they are. As far as I'm concerned, I already have won. And that means you have lost." She shook her head, stepping back down the sidewalk. "You're obsessed with him and want to possess him," she finished, fighting to keep her voice from breaking. "I love them, yes, and I love that they love each other. And there isn't a damn thing you can do about that."

"You bitch," Stella seethed, storming down the steps and further towards her.

"I guess it takes one to know one," Sylvie shot back, stopping Stella in her tracks. "I'm done fighting you, Stella. I'm based in Austin now, and I'll be out of your city in no time. You won't ever see me again, and I'll be out of your hair. If you want to ruin my life, take your best shot. But if you're really going to try and send me to hell . . . you're only going to drag yourself there with me."

With her bit said, she abruptly turned and walked down the sidewalk, no longer caring if it looked natural or not. She was not going to give Stella the satisfaction of seeing her run, even as she gave up her fight with her tears, letting them fall down her cheeks. She angrily scrubbed them away, her teeth sinking into her lip so her crying wasn't audible, and she tasted blood on her tongue. She had meant every word she said: she loved Matt and Kelly with everything she had, and of course, she did want to be with them. But above all else, she wanted them happy, and if she didn't fit with them, then so be it. That one-upped Stella every time, and that was what she would tell herself if Stella indeed tried to ruin her for all of Chicago to see.

Stella could only watch the blonde disappear into the Chicago night, and silently fuming, she turned and marched back up the steps, wrenching the door open to Molly's with a silent snarl. She changed her expression into a more pleasant one as she stepped inside and let the door close behind her, already plotting as she returned to the bar.

She completely missed the green eyes that followed her every move, but she did feel a peculiar chill down her spine as the owner of those green eyes practically stabbed his phone as he made a call.

***

"He really just hung up on you?" TK blinked.

Capp snorted. "That's a first."

"Shut up," Cruz jabbed him in the ribs.

Matt's ringtone abruptly blared again, and Kelly answered before the first ring finished. "There you are!" he huffed. "What the hell was – ?"

"I need to meet up with you, Captain Strand, and Nolan, now."

Matt's voice was almost unrecognizable with the vitriolic rage coating his tongue, and Kelly faltered. "What?" he asked, the only word he was able to say.

"Don't make me explain more than once, Kelly, I am begging you. We need to meet, now."

Kelly swallowed hard. "Where?"

***

"I probably have no right saying this, since I know you least," Nolan frowned as he stepped out of Kelly's car, the driver and Owen doing the same. "This doesn't sound like Casey."

"No, it's not like him," Kelly agreed, watching Matt's truck swerve into a parking spot. "And he sounded – " He broke off as Matt jumped from his truck and slammed the door shut, the sound ringing in the night. "Upset," he finished pointlessly.

"I can see that," Owen frowned.

Kelly reached the end of the walk at the same time as Matt, and he reached out to grab his partner's hand. "Matt, what's going on?" he asked.

He gasped when Matt's fingers curled around his in a vicelike grip. "I only want to explain this once," Matt said tightly, green eyes the color of acid. "Preferably before I punch the bricks like I really want to right now."

Kelly gulped. "You're worrying me, Matt."

"You're not the one who needs to be worried about me, Kelly," Matt shook his head, jogging up the steps and ringing the doorbell.

Owen and Nolan exchanged bewildered looks. "Maybe I should've asked this first," Owen finally turned back around. "Where are we?"

He got his answer when the door opened. "Casey?" Grissom asked in surprise, then he blinked. "Kelly? Strand? And . . . "

"Nolan Price," the attorney raised his hand. "Manhattan DA's office."

"Oh," Grissom nodded, then he frowned. "What brings you here this time of night?"

"We're still waiting on an answer on that, too," Owen looked at Matt.

Matt closed his eyes, mentally counted backwards from five, then held up his phone. "This," he answered shortly, pitching it to Grissom.

He caught it with one hand, looking at it in confusion. "What's this?"

Matt's eyes narrowed to slits. "All the proof you need. I know who forced Sylvie to leave Chicago."

It was as if a nuclear bomb exploded. Owen inhaled sharply, Nolan recoiled, and Kelly's confusion morphed into pure anger. Grissom's gaze turned glacial, and he opened the door wider. "Come on in."

***

. . . I really don't think I have anything to say at the end of this other than what everyone's probably thinking right now: Stella is screwed.

On that note, have Eddie's character biography!

***

Edmundo

Spanish, "fortunate protector"

Melancholic

brooding, thoughtful, sensitive

The Warrior

forceful, loyal, determined

Type 1, The Reformer

purposeful, self-controlled, perfectionist

INFP

The Healer

Slytherin

cunning, leadership, resourceful

Virgo

the sensitive lover, loyal, analytical, kind, hardworking, practical

Earth

hard-working, loyal, empathetic

Upright Death

new beginnings, letting go, change, transitions, sudden or unexpected upheaval

Archetypes

Dark and Troubled Past, Karmic Jackpot, Lineage Ladder, Misery Builds Character, Nerves of Steel

Lawful Neutral

The Judge

Status

alive

***

One episode down . . . one (and a half? or two?) left, and when I say we're wrapping things up, we are really wrapping things up. So, next time . . . "No Survivors!"

graphic by marvelity