I will forever say I always planned to post this on Valentine's Day. I'm counting on everyone to make sure I keep saying that . . . because really, I had kind of hoped to have this ready on Sunday, then I realized what today was, and I thought "Score!" XD So . . . Happy Valentine's Day, folks. Guess what present you're getting with this chapter of 11.2K words!

The truth sets one woman free and brings a reckoning to another, 51 reels in the aftermath, Owen gives counsel left and right, and Sylvie decides it's time for her to win, not Stella.

Enjoy the first part of "No Survivors!"

***

Sylvie had never gotten a worst night of sleep in her entire life . . . and she was counting the night after her first altercation with Stella Kidd.

She sat in the back of her ambulance, her nerves so off the charts she found herself having to cycle back to the beginning of her inventory list because she kept skipping materials. Her hair, previously pristinely tugged into one of her better infinity braids, had flyaway strands here and there from where she had been anxiously running her hand over her scalp. Her knee constantly bounced as she sat on the gurney, and she was well aware there were teeth marks on the end of her pen from where she had been absently chewing on the end of it. All of her more negative habits were rearing their heads . . . all because she had let her guard down, and she had been cornered by the one person she had been trying so hard to avoid.

Typical, she thought with a scoff, furiously wiping away tears she refused to let fall. Just when you think you can handle coming back to the city where everything fell apart, someone knows exactly how to make you shatter again.

"Cap?"

Sylvie let out an undignified yelp and scrambled off the gurney, only to smack her head on the ceiling of her ambulance. That yelp was followed by a loud curse, and as she rubbed her head, she glared at her wide-eyed partner, the man halfway into the ambulance. "Eddie!"

"Sorry, Sylvie," Eddie cleared his throat. "It's just . . . that's the third time I tried calling you."

"Oh," Sylvie sighed, bending down to pick up her inventory list. "Sorry. I, uh . . . I didn't have a good night."

"Didn't sleep well?"

Sylvie blushed. "Something like that," she muttered, resigning herself to starting over for the fourth time in less than thirty minutes. "Mind helping me with inventory? So I actually finish the list this time?"

"Sure," Eddie hauled himself into the ambulance, peering over her shoulder to look at her list. "Is there a discrepancy somewhere?"

"Just in my concentration," Sylvie grumbled. "I apologize in advance if I'm in a mood for this shift."

"I don't think you'll be the only one," Eddie shook his head.

Sylvie blinked, looking at him in surprise. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It's just . . . " Eddie trailed off. "You didn't see Nolan or Severide or Captain Strand last night, did you?"

Sylvie tilted her head thoughtfully. "No, I didn't," she shook her head. "I didn't see them this morning, either." She pursed her lips. "Then again, I wanted to get here as soon as I could, so I didn't linger. Why do you ask?"

Eddie sighed. "All I know is Severide got a call, then he, Cap, and Nolan were out of there like bats out of hell. Something had to happen for them to run off that quickly."

Suddenly, the meager breakfast Sylvie had eaten churned in her stomach, and she shoved her clipboard into Eddie's chest, making her partner stumble back a bit. "Sorry," she swallowed hard, regretting the move as nausea rose again. "I think I need to lay down."

"Sylvie?" Eddie dropped the clipboard and grabbed her upper arms, stopping her from swaying. "Cap, what's going on?"

Sylvie could only shake her head, unable to speak and furiously wishing that her life wasn't about to crumble all around her.

***

"Hey, I was thinking about that medal you got," Herrmann told Mouch as they walked up the apron to Firehouse 51.

"Yeah?" Mouch tilted his head.

"Yeah," Herrmann nodded. "How about a medal night at Molly's?"

Mouch did a double take. "What happened to Med night at Molly's?"

"What?" Herrmann snorted. "Ah, this is better. I mean, this is for people who got medals in public service, y'know, which means that we're bringing winners into the bar, which in turn means they're bringing more winners."

He waited expectantly, and Mouch gave him a look. "All of your plans involve bringing people into the bar."

"Yeah," Herrmann nodded. "'Cause I got a nose for business."

A snort behind them made them turn. "Oh, I need some of those skills," Ritter huffed. "Eric wants to do a European vacation this summer, and even with the travel agent discount, I need some extra scratch to pay my fair share."

"Alright," Herrmann didn't bat an eye. "You wanna tend bar at Molly's?"

"No, thank you," Ritter shook his head fervently. "Tried to make a Tom Collins once. It tasted like gasoline."

Herrmann wrinkled his nose. "Well, maybe we can come up with something."

Car doors shutting made them pause, and Ritter blinked. "Lieutenants?" he asked in surprise.

"Morning, Ritter!" Grainger's voice had Mouch and Herrmann turning again, and Herrmann stared as not just Grainger, but also Pelham and Seager walked up the apron. "Glad we got here in time."

"In time?" Herrmann parroted, looking at his watch in confusion. "In time for what?"

"Uh, we were told we needed to attend a meeting right before shift began," Pelham answered. "Apparently, it's gonna involve you, too?"

"Me?" Herrmann balked.

"What's it about?" Ritter looked at his lieutenant in concern.

"Nothing's happened recently at 51 that involves me," Seager shrugged. "But I got the call to be here, too."

Herrmann frowned. "Hey, drop my duffel in the locker room, alright?" he asked Ritter. "We'll find out what this is about."

"Copy that, Lieutenant," Ritter nodded in agreement.

Herrmann handed over his bag, and the four lieutenants walked deeper into 51. "You really don't know what this is about?" he asked.

"Not a clue," Grainger shook his head. "Just had a call from headquarters saying to get here in the morning."

"We got the same call," Pelham nodded to Seager.

"And nothing's brought me to 51 in the past few weeks, not since the whole pet food fiasco," Seager added. "I have no clue what we're doing here."

"Huh," was all Herrmann could say as they walked through the firehouse. They found Stella speaking animatedly with Boden, her hands gesticulating as she spoke, and Herrmann cleared his throat. "Hey, Chief? What's going on?"

Boden and Stella looked over at the same time, and Boden blinked. "Lieutenants," he greeted. "Welcome to 51. What can we do for you?"

"Wait," Grainger stopped in his tracks, causing Seager to almost stumble into him. "You don't know about a meeting, either?"

Boden's brow furrowed. "What meeting?"

"I just got in to ask when the lieutenant results were due to come back," Stella folded her arms, looking at them with a frown.

"What the hell is going on?" Herrmann threw up his arms in exasperation.

The door to the conference room suddenly opened, and a pale-faced Kylie stepped out, the girl looking nervously at them. "Chief?" she whispered. "The six of you are needed inside while the house is still waiting to come online."

"The six of us?" Boden repeated, gesturing between himself, the lieutenants, and Stella.

"Yes, sir," Kylie nodded jerkily. "Now."

Seager looked hesitantly between Grainger and Pelham, but both men shook their heads in confusion. "Very well," Boden frowned, watching Kylie all but flee the area. What had her so frightened?

He got his answer when he took the first steps into the conference room, its blinds shut. At his footsteps, Nolan Price turned from where he had been standing, and his eyes, usually warm and welcoming, froze Boden in his step. Blue-green orbs were now gunmetal grey, and the prosecutor's face appeared carved from stone. Gone were the casual suits he had worn while off-duty in Chicago; he was now in what Boden heard dubbed "attorney armor," which was a tailored three-piece suit that fit Nolan perfectly. This was how he looked as Jack McCoy's hand-picked right hand, and the Executive Assistant District Attorney was ready for war. So was Captain Owen Strand, who stood with his arms folded, emerald eyes glacial. His stance brought Boden back to when he tore into Captain Nash, and that made alarm bells ring in the back of the chief's head. He had once thought he never wanted that expression aimed at him . . . so if Owen indeed looked this livid, Boden was dreading this meeting.

Then his eyes found those of Commissioner Carl Grissom, who sat at the head of the table in full uniform with his hands clasped on the table. The very presence of the highest-ranking member of the CFD made Boden's spine stiffen, and he heard Seager's sharp inhale behind him as the other firefighters trickled in. Grissom had 51's back multiple times, especially when it had come to Sylvie; however, Boden knew better than to assume Grissom was here for pleasantries. While a smoke eater, Grissom was also an experienced politician, and his face gave no reason for his appearance. But given that the atmosphere in the conference room whispered there was an enemy in their midst, Boden shifted on his feet, ready for whatever may come.

None of the men, though, had anything on the fury he saw on the faces of Captain Matt Casey and Lieutenant Kelly Severide. Matt had been prowling about the room like a caged lion, and those green eyes blazed like wildfire as he swung towards the door when it opened. Kelly had lingered in the corner of the room, arms folded, but Boden knew his lieutenant was poised for action at a moment's notice. Just like his partner, his eyes promised pain for whomever he was targeting.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Grainger stiffen to attention, and the engine lieutenant's eyes narrowed. "This is it?" he asked.

"Yeah," Matt bit out. "This is it."

"What is this?" Herrmann asked tentatively.

"Close the door behind you, please, Lieutenant Seager," Grissom requested, though his voice implied it was anything but a request. "Assuming everyone cooperates, this shouldn't take too long."

"Yes, sir," Seager complied without hesitation, shutting the conference room door quickly.

Boden looked around the room with narrowed eyes, something in him saying he should be ready to defend himself. Grissom was the only one with a calm complexion; the four other men appeared one misstep away from a spectacular explosion. "May I ask what this is about, Commissioner?" he asked.

A wry smile formed on Grissom's face. "I understand Firefighter Kidd was inquiring about the results of the lieutenant's exam, correct?"

Stella cleared her throat, holding her head high as she stepped to Boden's side. "I was, sir."

Grissom nodded, perusing the file in front of him. "The results landed on my desk this morning."

Stella's eyes lit with greedy expectation. "They did, sir?"

"They did," Grissom nodded, dropping the file with an icy smile. "Yours, however, are null and void."

The greed flashed to anger. "Excuse me, sir?" she sputtered.

"Null and void," Grissom repeated as he rose from his seat, and Boden finally saw the anger swirl into his eyes. "Because I will not have a firefighter remain in my department, let alone rise to lieutenant, after the vicious slander you leveled on Captain Brett."

Boden turned sharply to Stella, hoping desperately that he had heard wrong. But as he watched Stella's eyes widen and blood drain from her face, he knew he hadn't. "What?" he growled.

"Stella?" Herrmann asked hoarsely, hastily stepping away from her.

"Sir, I don't know," Stella began.

"Bullshit, Kidd." The animalistic snarl that erupted from Matt's throat made Stella stumble back into the wall as the captain stormed towards her, rage twisting his handsome face into unrecognizable features. "Do you really want us to list everything you did to Sylvie? Everything you said, everything you threatened to do to her?"

"I've known what was said to her to make her leave Chicago since Captain Tyson made a gross insinuation to her about how she received her new position." Owen's voice was monotonous where he stood at Grissom's side. Gone was the jovial, kind-hearted man who could joke and play with his team. All Boden saw was the righteous captain who had weathered some of the worst disasters and situations that could ever happen to a commanding officer. "All I had to do was find out who was the first to insult her in such a fashion."

"Captain Strand," Stella began, tensing for a fight.

"Firefighter Kidd, you threatened to publicly out Captain Brett to the brass of his department," Grissom told her, making Herrmann balk and Seager's jaw drop. "You threatened to use that outing to make it appear she was either seducing or sleeping her way to her rank, and you blackmailed her into resigning from Firehouse 51 and transferring out of the CFD. Do you deny these charges?"

Stella clenched jaw tightly. "I want to know who's attempting to slander me like – "

Nolan stepped to the table and tapped something on his laptop, and Stella's words died as Sylvie's voice burst from the speakers. "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?" It was undeniably Stella's voice, and Pelham closed his eyes, mentally counting backwards from twenty to keep his composure. "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."

Herrmann looked at Stella in wounded disbelief, and Seager looked ready to rip the woman to shreds. At this point, Pelham was tempted to let her. "You do not get to insult the man who singlehandedly put me back together when I shattered," Sylvie's voice returned, shaking with God only knew what emotion. "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." There was a pause before her tone became sarcastic. "Unless you want to accuse me of seducing him next?"

"You aren't going to win this, Sylvie. I won the first time, I'll win it again."

Nolan silently tapped the laptop key again, stopping the recording. "I heard the entire thing, Kidd," Matt seethed, gaze paralyzing as he stared down the woman that he should have been able to trust to have his six. "I recorded everything from when Sylvie first started to fight back. You were so damn focused on trying to come out on top, you never took into consideration you were confronting her outside of Molly's, where anyone could have walked out and heard you."

For the first time, Stella was silent, her mouth clenched tightly shut. "Why, Kidd?" Kelly finally asked, pushing off the wall and walking forward, his eyes dark. "What did you think this would accomplish?"

Stella swallowed hard as she looked at him. "Kelly – "

"Lieutenant Severide," he corrected harshly, making her flinch. "After we broke up and you made it clear you didn't want a relationship with me, I have respected those professional boundaries." He stopped next to Matt, the two officers making a formidable obstacle in Stella's path. "If you did this because you had some notion that you could get me back, you're insane," he declared, making her jaw drop. "Because I've never thought about you like that for years, and I never will."

"Severide," her voice rose in hysterics.

"You thought you could make Sylvie the villain," Kelly cut across her. "You thought you could paint her in such a way that the brass would see her as a danger to me and Matt and cut her out of our lives. And what I consider worse . . . you threatened to out her feelings, which she should have felt comfortable telling us herself!"

Stella's hackles raised, and she narrowed her eyes. "If you knew what kind of a slut she was – "

The loudest sound that time didn't come from Matt or Kelly. "Call my sister that vile word again, Firefighter Kidd," Nolan growled, "and I'll make sure you can't talk again."

"It doesn't matter to us what her sexuality is," Matt spat. "It sure as hell matters when someone as blackhearted as you tries to use it against her."

Stella ignored him, focusing on Kelly. "She doesn't deserve you," she declared.

"We don't deserve her," Kelly countered. "And you don't deserve to breathe the same air as her."

"You think we're pissed off you tore her away from us?" Matt scowled. "You made her think we don't want her. We knew months ago that we do."

"Your fate was sealed before you stepped into this room, Kidd," Grissom finally spoke again. "When I asked Sergeant Voight to dig into something for me, he was very willing to lend his team's assistance. We have the footage of your ultimatum to Captain Brett outside of Molly's mere minutes before her call to Firefighter Strand regarding her potential position in Austin. Effective immediately, you are dismissed from Firehouse 51 . . . and from the Chicago Fire Department."

"What?!" Stella's eyes widened dramatically.

"And if I have my way, you will be blacklisted from here on out," Grissom continued, making Stella balk. "No firefighter should ever have to worry about having their reputation endangered so crudely as you attempted to do with Captain Brett."

"Thank God," Seager didn't bother to hide her relief at the verdict.

"Lieutenant Pelham." Matt didn't take his eyes off Stella as he spoke. "I know this is last minute, but would you be willing to ride 81 in Kidd's place for this shift?"

"However long you need me, you've got me," Pelham nodded in confirmation.

Stella whirled on her heel, frenzied desperation on her face. "Chief!"

"Pack up your locker, Kidd." Boden's quiet voice made Stella freeze, tears glittering in her eyes as the chief looked at her with a deadly combination of disappointment and anger. "And get out of my firehouse."

Stella risked a look at Grainger and Seager, only to immediately turn her back on them when she saw nothing but satisfaction at her fate. The only person she had left to seek was Herrmann, but the engine lieutenant had backed himself up to the wall, and that was close to the relative safety of Owen. "You heard him, Kidd," Matt whispered, muscles taut as if ready to pounce on her. "Get. Out."

Stella could say nothing as she carefully walked backwards, wary about turning her back on her former captain. She fumbled behind her for the door handle, and as soon as the door was open, she was out like a rocket and slamming it shut behind her, her own anger boiling to the surface. "Whoa!" Gallo did a double take from where he had been walking to the kitchen, his eyes wide as he took in her stance. "Kidd? What happened?"

Laughter from the kitchen echoed in Stella's head, and she slowly turned to see Violet and Gianna crowded around the coffee pot as Gianna regaled her partner with some tale, Violet's shoulders shaking in amusement. They shouldn't look that happy. The entire vibe of the firehouse felt wrong as it pressed on Stella, the firefighter vibrating as she tried to keep a tight hold on her fury. This was her house, the best house in the Chicago Fire Department . . . and somehow, that bitch of a paramedic captain who had fled with her tail between her legs had whispered poison into the ears of every superior she could find and gotten her fired.

Stella was barely aware of what she was doing as she stormed through the common area and out towards the apparatus floor. It was close to the start of shift . . . and that meant all hands had to be at the firehouse by now, including the object of her ire.

***

A knock on the side of the ambulance made Sylvie reluctantly rise from where she had reclined on the gurney. "We come bearing coffee!" Cruz announced.

Eddie grinned, taking Sylvie's arm and tugging her out of the ambulance. "Our heroes!"

Sylvie finally smiled when she saw Cruz, Capp, and Tony sorting out different treats on the squad table. "Not just coffee, it looks like," she remarked.

"Well, a little bird told us you might need a pick-me-up," Tony shrugged.

Sylvie gave Eddie a fond look as he sheepishly grinned. "And does that 'little bird' have the name Eddie?"

"We plead the fifth," Capp smirked.

Sylvie giggled, plucking a doughnut from the box. "Cheers, boys."

"Hey!" a faint voice came from inside the firehouse, making Eddie frown and look up from his coffee. "What's going on?"

The bang of the doors flying open made the members of Squad 3 turn in surprise, and Sylvie had barely looked up before an iron grip landed on her shoulder and hurled her towards her ambulance. "You fucking bitch!"

The impact against the ambulance made her shoulders flare in pain, and Sylvie stumbled as if she was drunk, shaking her head to try and clear it. When Stella lunged for her again, she managed to duck out of the way, pushing the startled exclamations of her partner and the squad members out of her thoughts. Stella whirled around, her expression twisted into a horrific one of frenzied madness. The last time Sylvie had seen that look aimed at her, it had been in Sun & Salt with only Eddie at her back, neither sure if they would come out unscathed.

With the firefighters at her back, it was a different story this time. When Stella aimed a punch at her, Sylvie's hand flew up and caught her wrist, barely able to stop Stella's knuckles from hitting her. Her other hand planted on Stella's shoulder, keeping the other woman from moving forward. She could hear the ruckus behind her as the rest of Firehouse 51 gathered to see what was happening, but still she ignored them, choosing instead to keep her focus where it belonged: on Stella, and fighting to keep her balance as Stella fought against her. "Like I said," she hissed, azure eyes narrowing. "It takes one to know one."

"Kidd!" Boden bellowed from out of view.

"You little rat," Stella spat, dark eyes boring into Sylvie's as her body trembled with uncontained rage. "I thought you liked keeping your mouth shut!"

"I haven't done a thing!" Sylvie sputtered in disbelief, knuckles whitening as she braced herself against Stella.

"How difficult would it have been to run back to the safety of Austin?" Stella demanded, her voice shrill as its volume rose. "That's all you had to do! You just had to ruin everything, didn't you?"

"Kidd!" Seager was the first to run past a shellshocked Gallo, Grainger on her heels. "Get the hell away from her!"

"I had it!" Stella shrieked, completely blind to Matt, Kelly, and Nolan arriving with Pelham, Owen, and Boden on their heels. "I had the rank! Which of them did you throw yourself at to make this all happen?"

"Kidd!" Mouch's jaw dropped.

"Get your hands off my sister!" Nolan thundered, his grey eyes almost black as he stormed forward.

He was stopped in his tracks when Sylvie's hysterical laughter echoed in the apparatus bay. "You are such a broken record, aren't you?" Sylvie looked at Stella in disbelief, giggles still pouring from her. "Do you ever say anything different?"

"Sylvie?" Cruz asked warily, a few steps away from the women.

"How did that feel?" Sylvie tilted her head, blue eyes like flames as she held her ground against Stella. "To finally say all of that in front of the house?" Realization flickered in Stella's eyes, and Sylvie threw back her head and laughed. It was a grating sound, one that made Gianna flinch. "A relief, wasn't it? Isn't that what you always wanted? To humiliate me in front of as many people as you could? Well, it wasn't the brass, unfortunately for you."

"It was you?" Ritter croaked, staring in horror at Stella.

Stella gritted her teeth, snarling under her breath as she glared at Sylvie. "All you have ever done," she seethed, nails digging into Sylvie's shoulder, "is ruin everything you touch."

"You never stop, do you?" Sylvie shook her head, her fingers curling to dig her own nails into Stella's fist. "You lie, even when it's to yourself. You were so dead set on Sev, getting your rank, getting rid of me that you would tell any lie to make it happen, even to 51." Her eyes darkened to navy. "May the truth set me free."

"Kidd." Stella's spine stiffened at Matt's growl. "Let Sylvie go, now, or I swear to God, we'll do anything it takes to get her away from you."

Stella fumed as she glared at Sylvie, but the paramedic didn't rise to any bait. "It's over, Stella," she shook her head. "I don't know what happened in there, but I have an idea. I told you . . . if you wanted to ruin my life and send me to hell, you would be doing the same thing to yourself."

Stella let out an unholy screech and abruptly released Sylvie's shoulder before shoving her away, putting all her strength into aiming for where the sniper's bullet had hit her. Pain erupted from the weakest part of her body, and she couldn't contain a yelp of pain as she once again hit the back of the ambulance, this time dropping to the ground. She never hit, however, as her faithful partner sprang forward, Eddie grabbing her by her biceps and keeping her from hitting the concrete. "Sylvie!"

Stella bared her teeth and took a single step forward, only to find a wall of firefighters in front of her. "Give us a reason," Cruz glowered, Capp and Tony flanking him with fire in their eyes. "Please give us a reason to hit you back."

"Kidd," Grissom stepped forward, his hands on Matt and Kelly's shoulders all that kept the officers from charging. "You have ten seconds to get off the property before I call Intelligence and ask Sergeant Voight to escort you himself."

Stella whipped around as if preparing for a fight she somehow thought she might have a chance at winning, but Matt and Kelly were poised like apex predators ready to hunt, green eyes zeroing on her as their prey of choice. Gallo, Ritter, Violet, and Gianna were tucked behind Herrmann, Ritter, Grainger, and Pelham, the four elder firefighters silently daring Stella to move. The firefighters of Squad 3 remained between Stella and the paramedics of 99, Eddie's hands moving to check where Stella had shoved Sylvie. Even the smallest wince from Sylvie made Nolan's hackles rise, and the prosecutor prowled forward, no warmth in his dark eyes. "If you want to dig your grave deeper in the ground, be my guest," he ground out. "Because my office has the connections to make sure you never see the light of day again if you."

Stella's confidence wavered in the face of Nolan's wrath. It was Owen who stepped forward next, his emerald eyes piercing in their intensity. "And since it's the sister of a New York DA you just assaulted, do you really want the NYPD to make a visit?" he threatened.

Stella threw one last nasty glare at Sylvie before slinking down the apron. It was only once she was out of sight that Seager slipped through the Squad 3 firefighters and crouched down on Sylvie's other side, concern on the OFI lieutenant's face. "Did she hit anything?"

"She knew to hit where the sniper shot her," Eddie shook his head, lips pursed tight as he helped Sylvie carefully stand. "Permission to take her to Med?"

"Granted," Grissom answered at once.

"I'll drive," Owen held out his hand, not accepting a negative response.

Eddie didn't argue, fishing the keys to the ambulance out of his pocket and dropping them in Owen's hand. "Yes, sir."

"And Commissioner?" Owen turned to face Grissom as Eddie and Seager helped Sylvie stand, the OFI lieutenant opening the back doors for them. "I think it's best we settle the date for our last shifts with the CFD. I want my people back in Austin as soon as possible."

"I understand, Captain," Grissom nodded in agreement. "We'll meet and discuss it off-shift."

Owen nodded and rounded the ambulance, opening the driver's door. "I'm coming, too," Nolan walked over, his touch gentle as he took Sylvie's elbow.

"Not surprised," Sylvie gave a weak smile.

"Sylvie." Only Eddie and Nolan noticed she tensed as Boden spoke, and the blonde held her head high as she turned expectantly to her former boss. She managed to keep her expression straight as she watched Boden struggle to find words to possibly fix the clusterfuck that just occurred in front of his entire firehouse. The battalion chief looked like the weight of the world had landed on his shoulders . . . and in a way, it had. The firefighter he had vouched for and encouraged to climb the CFD ranks had taken that trust and ground it under her heel. That was a betrayal Sylvie would never wish on anyone. Boden finally sighed, bowing his head. "I'm sorry," he finally said. "And I will never be able to apologize enough for all that happened."

"I don't have to forgive you when you did nothing wrong, Chief," Sylvie shook her head. "You weren't the offender. This is all on her, not you."

Before another word could be said, she turned and climbed into the back her ambulance. Nolan hopped in after her, and Eddie shrugged at Boden's wide-eyed expression. "Honestly, Chief, I think the sooner all this is in her rearview, the better off she'll be," he said before jumping into the back.

Seager was quiet as she shut the doors and thumped her fist twice on them. Owen peeled out of the drive and onto the streets, leaving the silent members of Firehouse 51 to watch. "It was Kidd?" Gianna finally quietly spoke, her voice trembling as she leaned back into Gallo's chest.

Grissom's professional mask settled into place as he took intentional steps forward and did a perfect turn so he faced the entirety of the house. The four youngest members of the house looked more crushed than angry, Gianna with tear tracks on her face, Ritter in particular looking horrified. The firefighters of Squad 3 remained standing side by side, their anger on Sylvie's behalf evident. Grainger, Pelham, and Seager looked coldly indifferent, the trio a stark contrast to the rest of the house's emotions. By far, Matt and Kelly looked the worst off. Now that Stella was nowhere in sight, the fight had drained from them, and their exhaustion was clear as day. Ever since Grissom had heard the recording that damned Stella, they had been working late into the early hours of the morning to make everything ironclad. How the pair of officers still stood was beyond Grissom's knowledge.

But still they stood, watching Grissom as the commissioner clasped his hands in front of him, the perfect image of professionalism. "Yes, Mackey, it was Kidd," he confirmed. "Should Captain Brett wish to reveal the entirety of what occurred to make her leave, she will do so. I will not take that dignity away from her. What I will tell you is Kidd's attempted muckraking is unacceptable, and if this proceeds the way I expect it to, she will be blacklisted before you can say 'fired.' Her behavior is a stain on this department, and I will not have anyone like her as a firefighter in my houses . . . let alone as a lieutenant."

"She passed?" Mouch swallowed hard.

"She did indeed pass the exam," Grissom confirmed. "Her scores were among the highest this round. But I value good people over good officers, and that was not Stella Kidd." The firefighters were silent, and Grissom sighed as he continued. "The firehouse will continue to operate this shift, and I'll have someone come and collect Kidd's belongings so no one here has to complete the task. I ask that this house respect that Captain Brett may not want to discuss this now that it is essentially over. According to Captains Strand, Casey, and Lieutenant Severide, she has gone through enough since Kidd's first slanderous attack. I do not want this department to hurt her any more than she already has been."

"Yes, sir," Herrmann nodded.

***

The nurse who met EMS 99 when it veered into the ambulance bay almost dropped her tablet when she saw who was led out of the back. "Brett?" Maggie gasped in shock, hustling forward.

"Hey, Maggie," Sylvie gave her a tight smile, gingerly accepting her hug. "I really don't know how I haven't seen you since I got back here to the city."

"Hey!" Will jogged out to join them, concern on his face. "Restock or a patient?"

"She's the patient," Eddie pointed at Sylvie.

"What happened?" Will immediately scanned Sylvie up and down.

"Stella Kidd happened," Owen answered darkly.

Maggie's eyes bugged open. "Kidd did this?"

Will got the hint, and his eyes narrowed to slits. "Oh, I'm guessing Kidd did way more than this."

"You got that right," Eddie nodded, watching Will lead Sylvie into the ED. "And I still have no idea what made her snap like that."

"What happened is when Sylvie left Molly's last night, Kidd followed and confronted her outside," Nolan explained curtly. "And Casey had already gone outside to answer a call from Severide. He recorded most of what was said and brought it straight to Commissioner Grissom."

"And what are the consequences?" Will asked as he gestured Sylvie into one of the rooms.

"Immediate termination from the CFD," Owen smirked. "And, fingers crossed the commissioner makes it happen, she's getting blacklisted."

Maggie looked at Sylvie in shock. "What did she do?!"

"I really don't want to talk about it right now, Maggie," Sylvie sighed, wincing a little as she hopped onto the bed. "Can I just get cleared to work?"

Maggie looked at Will, and while the redhead looked like he wanted to continue interrogating Sylvie, he nodded and gestured to the door. "If you could step outside for a few moments? This shouldn't take long."

"Yeah, sure," Eddie nodded, giving Sylvie one last worried look before exiting the room.

Owen and Nolan followed him, leaving Will to close the curtain behind them. "She wasn't bleeding, so that's a good sign, at least," Owen remarked.

"If Rhodes is any good like Marcel, then there shouldn't be anything left for blood to come from," Eddie shook his head.

"Connor's in charge of the ED for a reason," Maggie told them, fiddling with her hands. "When we saw the news that she had been one of the victims of that sniper, we hoped she would be in his care." She abruptly scoffed. "I'm so sorry, I usually have better manners. Maggie Lockwood, I'm the ED's charge nurse."

"Owen Strand," the captain smiled charmingly, shaking her hand. "Sylvie's captain down in Austin. This is her partner, Eddie Diaz, and her brother, Executive ADA Nolan Price."

Maggie did a double take, and somewhere behind her, a nurse in blue scrubs poked her head up over her screen, dark eyes wide. "Brett got a brother?" she sputtered.

"What now?" an Asian man in red scrubs looked just as surprised.

Nolan sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose as Eddie laughed loudly. "You know, this was more fun the first few times we got that reaction."

"Half-siblings," Owen shrugged. "Found that out when Nolan volunteered to transfuse his blood for Sylvie in Los Angeles."

Nolan winced. "Not how I wanted to find out I have a sister."

"No, I don't think any of us would want that to be how it happens," Maggie agreed. "These are the other two we work with in the ED, Doctor Ethan Choi and Nurse April Sexton."

"Who are we making introductions to?" Natalie appeared around the corner then blinked when she saw the three men waiting. "Captain Strand? Eddie? Nolan? Where's Sylvie?"

"Will's checking her out," Eddie pointed to the room. "After Kidd shoved her where she got shot by the sniper."

"Kidd did that?" Natalie's jaw dropped.

Nolan facepalmed. "Why do I get the feeling Sylvie's going to lock herself in my hotel room when this shift is over?"

"Because that's exactly what she's going to do to get away from everyone questioning her about what Kidd said and did," Owen quipped dryly.

"Great. Someone keep Casey and Severide off her back if she doesn't want them?"

Eddie made a face. "We'll think of something."

"Include Severide's crew," Owen smirked. "They'd probably help."

"They're loyal to Severide," Eddie reminded him.

Owen shrugged. "And they're protective as hell of Sylvie. Guess we'll see which one wins out."

Their conversation ended when the curtain retracted, and Will led Sylvie out to join the group. "She'll get a wicked bruise where she got hit, and I recommend getting her some aspirin for her head, but she's good to go to work," Will announced.

"Thank God," Sylvie groused, looking like a grumpy kitten as she trudged to slump against Nolan. "I just want to go, go, go."

Eddie shook his head in amusement, clicking on his radio. "EMS 99 to Main, we're ready to go online."

"Copy, 99," came dispatch's answer.

"You're good?" Nolan asked, inspecting Sylvie from head to toe.

Maggie snorted. "Oh, yeah. No one is doubting any familial relationship now."

"You should've seen them in Los Angeles," Owen grinned. "It's difficult because I've known Sylvie longer, but Nolan is older . . . so I really don't know who resembles who."

"You could always say we get it from our father," Nolan pointed out.

"I like him," Ethan decided.

"Yeah, we do, too," Will nodded.

***

"Well, 99 had left Med by the time we dropped off our patient," Violet reported as she dropped by the Squad table, where several of the firefighters had squeezed seats. "I guess that means they're at work."

"That's good to hear," Grainger sighed, leaning back in his seat. "I was worried about her when she got pushed where she was shot."

"Can we not use those last three words in the same sentence any time soon?" Kelly rubbed his forehead tiredly. "I still hear those mayday calls if I drift off too much."

"Same here," Matt dropped the clipboard with his report onto the table. "Honestly, when you think you've seen everything that can go wrong . . . "

"How did we miss it?" Ritter abruptly asked, making everyone look at him. "I mean . . . I know I saw them have their small disagreements, but I never saw . . . "

"None of us really did," Herrmann shook his head.

"Not to this level, at least," Cruz amended. "We knew Kidd still had her eyes on Severide, but to think what she would have been willing to get him . . . "

Matt snorted. "She'd have had to get through me first."

Gallo bit his lip. "She went up against Brett, didn't she?"

Seager shrugged. "To be fair, none of you were the ones she thought might be a threat. No offense, Captain."

Rather than look offended, Matt looked at her curiously. "What's that mean?"

Seager spun a pen on the table, gathering her thoughts. "I told Greg and Jason that the first time I felt welcome at Molly's was when we dealt with that chemical dumping," she said. "You know what was different about that time from all the others I'd been there?" Herrmann shook his head, and Seager gave a wry smile. "It was the only time I wasn't trying to flirt with Severide."

There was a dull "thunk" on the table as Kelly's head hit his folded arms. "And let me guess. Kidd wasn't glaring daggers into the side of your head."

"Not really daggers," Seager hummed. "More like Superman's heat vision. But you get the idea. My point is, Kidd had no problem with anyone who wasn't a woman in the CFD and a person of Severide's attention. I fit that profile, and so did Brett. But I work in OFI, and I only appeared when there was an arson case. Brett was part of 51 on the same shift, and even dumb people knew she was attached to your hips. She had a target, and that's who she went after. And after she was gone?" She mimed brushing off her hands. "Problem solved."

"Then you and Casey got together," Pelham looked between Matt and Kelly. "And she couldn't outright say anything, because a paramedic is one thing. Her commanding officer and the 2IC of the house is another beast entirely."

"One who made it pretty clear that he wouldn't tolerate any ill towards his partner," Grainger smirked, remembering Matt's verbal assault directed at Chief Mercer.

"Which meant a little bit of that rebellion and dislike seeped into those interactions," Seager nodded. "But the rest of the house didn't fit a target she created. So why would any of you have noticed when there wasn't anyone left for her to go after?"

"And she had her beloved lieutenant's position on the line," Grainger added. "Even I originally thought she wouldn't have done this because if she was ever caught . . . good-bye, promotion."

"And that's exactly what happened," Matt nodded.

"Good riddance," Kelly closed his eyes and leaned his head back on his seat. "I never saw just how obsessed with me she was."

"You had your eyes on a better person," Grainger nodded at Matt. He paused, thinking back to San Angelo, then hesitantly offered, "or better people."

Cruz snorted loudly. "Lieutenant, you have no idea."

"Oh, I have an idea," Seager grinned cheerfully as she jumped from her chair. "But since Greg here is off-shift and Jason actually works here today, they can stay and debate this even more. I have to get back to Captain Van Meter and continue to dig through those piles of cases that Severide here could solve in two seconds flat."

Kelly made a face. "That's a bit of an exaggeration."

Seager waved his words away. "Semantics. The point is, I'm heading back to work before EMS 99 returns and Brett thinks we're going to ambush her."

Capp balked. "Oh, God."

"Who wants homemade pizzas?" Gallo rocketed from his chair.

"I wanna see that," Violet decided.

"I'll help!" Gianna almost knocked over her chair in her haste to stand.

Ritter didn't say anything, he just followed the stampede of younger firefighters into the house. "I'm actually curious about watching that, too," Mouch admitted with a chuckle.

"Ten bucks says Gallo tries tossing the dough in the air," Herrmann snorted as he stood.

"I raise that it lands on his head."

"Deal."

That left Matt, Grainger, Pelham, and the entirety of Squad 3 as the rest scattered. "We're a believable bunch, right?" Tony looked around.

Cruz snorted as he sipped his coffee. "Since these four became a crew of their own . . . yeah, this is believable."

"Thanks, Cruz," Matt rolled his eyes.

"I'm just saying, Captain," Cruz shrugged. "I think Brett would be more surprised if the two of you weren't out here waiting for them to pull in."

Kelly opened his mouth to respond, but chirping on their radios got their attention. "Main to EMS 99. Please respond to a person injured, 55 South Ridgeway Avenue."

"10-4, Main," Sylvie answered. "99 responding."

"Well," Grainger rolled out the kinks in his neck as he stood. "Since we've got some time . . . anyone want me to record Gallo trying to make pizzas?" Six hands shot up around the table, and Grainger laughed. "Thought so."

***

"55," Sylvie pointed as they rolled down the street of townhouses.

"Got it," Eddie nodded, smoothly parking their ambulance.

As they left the cab and started pulling out what they needed, a woman hurried down the steps, wringing her hands. "It's my husband, Pat," she explained in a rush. "He built this cabinet for our girls. It fell, and . . . he's bleeding!"

Sylvie hefted the stair chair into a comfortable grip, then nodded at the woman. "Show us."

"It's right up there," the woman pointed up the steps.

Sylvie nudged the door open with the stair chair and stepped into the townhouse, looking around. She stopped in her tracks when she saw what lined the walls and furniture. "So . . . when you said for your girls . . . "

Eddie coughed uncomfortably, his eyes shifty as he glanced around. "Yes," the woman beamed proudly. "Well, that's what they are. They're our children."

"Your children," Eddie repeated slowly, trying not to squirm as he looked at dozens of dolls. "Uh huh."

"And your husband?" Sylvie cleared her throat.

"Right here," a man's voice sighed, and Sylvie and Eddie watched Pat walk into view, his skin almost grey as he clutched a no longer white towel around his bleeding arm. "I told Bev not to bother with an ambulance. It's just . . . just . . . "

He pitched forward in a dead faint, and Sylvie hastily leaned the stair chair against the wall in favor of running to roll Pat onto his back. "Let's get to work, Eddie!"

"On it, Cap," Eddie placed his bag on the ground, unzipping it to find gauze.

"Bev, do you have any more towels?" Sylvie asked. When the woman didn't answer, she looked up. "Bev!"

"What?" Bev blinked out of her shock.

"Can you get us some more towels?" she repeated.

"Oh, yes," Bev nodded, scurrying past them. "Yes, right away!"

As Sylvie carefully unwrapped the now red towel, Eddie fidgeted where he crouched. "We have quite the audience," he muttered.

"I'm trying not to look," Sylvie admitted, wincing when she saw the deep gash in Pat's arm. "Hold up his arm."

Eddie nodded, taking Pete's wrist in his hand. He elevated the arm as Sylvie wrapped fresh gauze around the wound, just in time for Bev to return with a handful of towels. "Is he gonna be OK?" she asked worriedly.

"Yeah, yeah," Sylvie nodded. "He just lost a little blood, but I can already see the color returning to his face."

"Oh, good," Bev sighed in relief, placing the towels next to her.

Eddie bit his lip, looking around at the figurines. "You . . . sure have a lot of dolls."

Bev laughed, looking delighted. "Oh, we do. Pat and I, we met at a doll collectors' convention."

"Oh," Eddie smiled, giving Sylvie a look that said "what the hell?"

Sylvie shrugged, but Bev sighed happily as she continued. "Do you know my mother told me that I would never meet someone right for me? Not with this obsession. That's what she called it. But I met the sweetest man in the world. We collect together, we display together, we even hunt for dolls together. I mean . . . when you know, you know, right?"

They're the ones.

In a way, Sylvie was grateful Stella had shoved her into the ambulance. That way, she could pass off her flinch as a flinch of pain as she recovered from getting shoved. "That's great," Eddie nodded in agreement, thinking of Buck as he gave his captain a concerned look.

"It really is," Bev nodded in agreement.

A weak groan came from the man between them, and Sylvie and Eddie looked down as Pat blinked his eyes open. "What happened?" he mumbled.

"Oh, well, you scared the living daylights out of me, is what happened!" Bev scowled.

Eddie chuckled and patted Pat's shoulder as the other man grimaced. "You passed out, but you're fine now," he said as Sylvie unfolded the stair chair. "Still, we're gonna take you to Med and have a doctor look at that laceration."

Both paramedics helped Pat into the chair, and Eddie directed it out the door. Bev fussed over Pat as they left, and Sylvie remained behind to zip up their equipment. As she hefted it over her shoulder, she took one last look around the dolls.

They're the ones.

She swallowed hard and ducked her head, turning to walk out the door. She had a hell of a lot to think about.

***

Eddie wasn't sure what woke him that night, but when he reached for his phone and checked the time, he groaned in annoyance when it read just after 1:00. "Figures," he muttered, dropping his phone back on the bedside table and debating whether to roll over or not.

"Eds?"

His eyes popped back open, and he sat up, looking around. "Buck?" he hissed in disbelief, seeing his boyfriend's head poking into the bunkroom. Buck waved, then pointed over his shoulder towards the front apron. Eddie looked around, realizing his captain was nowhere to be found, and he quietly slid out of his bunk, grabbing his phone as he went. "What happened?" he asked quietly, joining Buck as they walked out of the room.

Buck's expression darkened. "After Cap came back for shift, we never had a chance to drop by."

Eddie's eyebrows raised. "So you came by in the middle of the night?"

Buck shrugged. "Whenever, whenever, right?"

Eddie nodded in agreement as they left the firehouse and stepped onto the apron. Squad 9's rig was parked out on the street, and Owen and TK had bracketed Sylvie, who stood at the end of the apron with her arms tucked tightly around herself, eyes fixated on a plinth Eddie had seen but had been too busy to pay much attention to. Now, as the partners joined them, he wished he had.

In Memoriam

Firefighter Brian "Otis" Zvonecek

Who lost his life in the Arnow mattress fire, May 22, 2019

And to all the firefighters

Past and present who lay down

Their lives for others

"He was the only other one in Chicago who knew . . . ?" TK trailed off.

"Mills was first to know," Sylvie smiled sadly. "But yes, after that, he and Joe were the only ones who knew I'm polyamorous." Her trembling fingers traced Otis's name with reverence. "So much changed at 51 just because of this fire."

"Gallo joined, right?" Buck asked.

"He did," Sylvie nodded. "Matt tapped him just before I returned to the city."

"Right," TK winced, scratching behind his head. "You were engaged."

Sylvie scoffed. "One of my more terrible decisions in life."

"You couldn't have known how that would end," Owen shook his head.

Sylvie gave him a dirty look. "I may not have known completely by then, but I knew I felt something for Matt and Kelly. I should have known how that would end."

"It ended with them driving for hours to bring you back to the city," Buck chuckled. "Without knowing you'd already broken off the engagement and planned to return."

"I was so happy to see them," Sylvie smiled. "Surprised as hell, but happy." Her hand dropped from the plaque to hang limply at her side. "Now I wish that moment could have lasted forever."

"I could strangle Kidd for what she did," TK growled, green eyes narrowed. "Did she out you in front of the house?"

"She asked me who I slept with to get her fired," Sylvie deadpanned. "Close enough."

"Strangling is too good for her," Buck decided. "Think we could ask Will to loan us some combination of drugs from Med?"

"He's the one who took a look at her after Kidd hit her," Eddie shrugged. "I think you could."

"No murder, boys," Owen warned. "There's nothing we could do to her that would hurt her more than she's already been hurt."

"She threatened Sylvie again!" TK exploded.

"And she got one hell of a reality check from us this morning," Owen shook his head. "I'm furious, yes, but I'm also satisfied with the outcome. Grissom contacted me a few hours ago after conversations with Nolan and SA Mark Jefferies. Kidd is going to be blacklisted from here on out."

"Good," Eddie growled.

"Besides," Owen smirked. "Casey and Severide did a good job of ensuring it would be a very bad idea if Kidd decides to attempt anything again."

Sylvie shot him a neutral look. "Oh, really?" Buck grinned. "They threatened her?"

"And made it very clear what they thought of Kidd outing Sylvie," Owen nodded. "Both of her sexuality . . . and her personal feelings."

"Oh, my God," Sylvie blanched.

"Casey got the majority of your confrontation recorded," Owen told her gently. "He heard that you love them. Every time Kidd tried demeaning you to make herself look better, they grew more furious with her."

Sylvie shook her head, laughing bitterly. "Please tell me this is a nightmare."

"Why is this a nightmare?" Buck asked in bewilderment. "The devil bitch is out of your life for good, your reputation is clear."

"Yeah," Sylvie scoffed. "But at least I got to tell Matt and Kelly I'm polyamorous beforehand. I never told them myself . . . "

She trailed off, and Owen sighed, slinging an arm around her shoulders. She sank into his side gratefully, and Owen could feel her tears on the skin of his neck. "All they were angry about, Sylvie, is the same thing you're upset about," he said. "That this is how they found out. Not that you love both of them." Sylvie was silent, and Owen looked at Otis's memorial. "You'll have to talk to them before we leave."

"Owen," Sylvie began.

"I offered them the 126."

Sylvie's head shot up in shock, and TK's jaw dropped. "You what?"

"When I told Chief Radford my conditions, there were only two people I had in mind," Owen nodded. "After Mouch's ceremony, I pulled Casey and Severide to the side and offered them positions at the 126: Casey running Ladder and Severide running Squad, just as they did when they led the house in my absence. It's not just because I dread to think of separating them from Sylvie again. It's because there aren't any other officers I trust more to run the house." He paused. "Well . . . maybe Grainger and Pelham."

"Oh, my God," Sylvie repeated her earlier words, voice hoarse.

"They haven't given me their answer yet," Owen told her. "But considering their actions in the past twenty-four hours, I have a pretty good idea about what they'll say. Those men would move heaven and hell for you. Stop letting Stella Kidd win. It's your turn."

***

"I believe I owe both of you an apology."

Nolan turned away from where Owen was pouring tequila and gave Boden a confused look. "An apology for what?"

Boden sighed heavily as Owen placed the bottle down and took the chair between them. "I failed Brett as her chief."

"You didn't fail her, Wallace," Owen shook his head.

"She didn't think she could come to me because of how I vouched for Kidd," Boden argued with a dark chuckle.

"Kidd put her in a difficult place," Nolan sighed, tracing the rim of his glass. "Yeah, you favorited Kidd . . . but she didn't even tell the commissioner all of what happened. She didn't go to anyone."

"We can't think about all the 'what ifs' in this situation anymore, Wallace," Owen said quietly. "We'll go mad if we do."

Boden sighed. "I think I'm already going mad, and it has nothing to do with Kidd." He paused. "Well, maybe a bit to do with Kidd."

Owen eyed his tequila. "Is that why you bribed us with the good alcohol to come here tonight?"

Boden barked in laughter. "Nah. I just remember you like good tequila."

Owen grinned and toasted with his glass. "You got me there."

Boden chuckled. "No, uh . . . after your promotion in Austin, there's something I'd like your take on."

"Sure," Owen nodded easily, resting his forearms on his knees and giving Boden his full attention. "What's going on?"

"Deputy Commissioner Hill," Boden began. "She's reached out to me, and she says I've moved onto her radar."

Nolan looked from Owen to Boden. "Since you started off with Captain Strand's promotion, I take it this is a good thing?"

Boden took a pull of his drink. "She has asked if I would like to be considered for a Deputy District Chief role."

"What?" Owen grinned widely. "That's great!"

Nolan frowned. "You don't look too excited about it, though."

Boden shrugged. "More chief work. Less firefighter work."

He was startled when Owen burst out laughing. "I'm sorry," the captain chuckled, covering his mouth to stifle the sounds. "I'm sorry, it's . . . oh, this is my conversation with Casey all over again."

"With Casey?" Boden parroted.

"Oh, yeah," Owen grinned. "See, Chief Radford offered me the position right before the dust storm rolled through. The 126 was scattered across the city, and while Severide, TK, and Buck were able to stick together, Casey hadn't gotten an assignment. So after I had that bomb dropped on me, I asked his opinion. He said when they encouraged you to run for the commissioner's position, one of their persuasion points was that you're a good firefighter."

Boden grimaced. "I think I had my fill of bureaucracy when I lobbied for that position."

Owen snorted. "I'm not the biggest fan of bureaucracy, yet I'm taking one of the highest positions in the AFD. You know why? Casey said I care about the department enough to go toe to toe with those who are only looking out for themselves because I would go to bat for my firefighters. I've been a firefighter, and that's what makes me a good fit. That's what makes you a good fit, too, Wallace. How many members of the brass can you point to and say 'that isn't a firefighter?'" Wallace was silent. "You are a firefighter," Owen said. "You're a great Battalion Chief because you've been where your men have been. That's who they need to lead them. That's who they need as their Deputy District Chief."

Wallace stared down into his drink contemplatively. "Chief, I don't know you anywhere near as well as Captain Strand does, let alone my sister," Nolan finally spoke. "But as far as I'm concerned, you didn't fail Sylvie. When you realized what had been done to her, and knew who had done that to her, you were the first to tell her to leave the station. I respected you in Los Angeles for your support after the sniper attack. If I didn't then, I sure do now. The CFD would highly benefit from having you as one of their Deputy District Chiefs."

Boden swallowed hard. "Thank you, Counselor."

Nolan nodded, taking a sip of his tequila. "Did she say when she needs an answer?" Owen asked.

"She wants one by the end of the week," Boden answered. "She's gonna present the Mayor with an org chart in July."

Owen nodded. "Well, know whatever your decision is, Wallace . . . I know it's going to be the right one."

"I'll drink to that," Nolan held up his glass.

Boden chuckled, leaning forward to clink his against theirs. "I owe you gentlemen."

"If we keep bringing on the tequila, consider it paid," Owen said in full seriousness, looking at his glass appreciatively. "I need this brand."

Nolan snorted.

***

"God, have I had a day," Kelly sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose as he and Matt left the elevator and headed for the loft.

"I feel like it's been nine days instead of nine hours," Matt checked his watch. "Grissom had me write my full statement about what happened."

"Honestly, I just want the last forty-eight hours to go away and never be heard from again," Kelly admitted, fitting his key into the lock. "I never want something like this to happen again."

"We need to give Captain Strand our answer, though," Matt pointed out.

Kelly snorted and opened the door. "Like he doesn't know what we're gonna say."

Matt grinned as Kelly propped it open for him. "Yeah, he probably does," he agreed, stepping inside to put his jacket on the hook.

"He does, actually." Matt spun so quickly on his heel, he almost got whiplash. His heart leapt into his throat when he saw Sylvie leaning against the wall between two floor-to-ceiling windows, arms and legs crossed. "At least, he said he did this morning," she amended, chewing her lip as she pushed off the wall. "And I know what I'm hoping you've already decided." She held up her keyring before carelessly tossing it onto the table. "I forgot I still had a key. Glad I did."

"Sylvie," Matt whispered, hearing Kelly carefully shut the door. He knew without looking that, just like him, his partner was focused completely on the blonde.

"Stella was right about one thing," Sylvie gave them a wobbly smile. "I do have a track record of ruining everything I touch."

"You do not," Kelly furiously denied, shaking his head and stepping further into the loft. "Sylvie, that is a complete lie."

"I've ruined every relationship I've had," Sylvie shrugged. "Harrison, Antonio, Kyle . . . I'd say Stella, too, but I know she did that herself. I'm done with that, though."

"You haven't ruined the 126," Kelly pointed out. "You pushed the necessary pieces for Buck and Eddie." He stopped directly in front of her, taking a deep breath and using the tip of his finger to tilt her chin up towards him. "You haven't ruined us," he finished.

"And that's what I'd been scared about since I left the first time," Sylvie admitted, swallowing hard. "The last thing I want to do is ruin the best relationship I've ever had. I love you both too much to do that, and after everything Stella said the first time – "

"Screw Stella," Matt interrupted her.

Sylvie wrenched her eyes from Kelly's to meet Matt's identical green ones. "What?" she asked dumbly.

"Screw Stella Kidd," Matt repeated with intentional steps towards her. "Screw her fanatical ideas about Sev." He stopped at her side, his hand rising to cradle her cheek. "And screw her for threatening and intimidating and blackmailing the woman we fell in love with months ago into running away and thinking we don't want her."

Even when she had worked up the courage to expect those words, they still send a shiver down Sylvie's spine, and if she didn't feel glued to her spot, she would have jerked away from their touches. "When we went to Austin to run the 126 in Captain Strand's stead, we fully intended to tell you we love you," Kelly admitted, drawing her attention back to him. "And . . . " He gave her a wry smile. "We all know how downhill everything's gone from then."

Sylvie couldn't help but giggle. "That's an understatement."

Kelly snorted. "We've agreed that we want the past forty-eight hours behind us as soon as possible."

"Even though we're gonna be pissed as hell at Kidd for all of it forever," Matt quipped.

"Enough about her, though," Kelly shook his head, looking intently at Sylvie. "Nothing's changed, Sylvie. We want the Austin positions. We want the 126 . . . and we want you."

"And you aren't gonna ruin us," Matt added, remembering her fear. "All you've done is made us want to be better. You, Sev, and I . . . we're better together."

Sylvie sank her teeth into her lip to contain the whimper that threatened to escape. Why did these two always know the exact words to say to make her want to cry? "You're sure?" she asked quietly, needing to hear it one more time.

Both men nodded, no lie on their faces. "Yes," Matt confirmed.

"We're in this however you are, Sylvie," Kelly promised.

Months of weight carried on her back suddenly felt lifted, and Sylvie let her smile split her face. "I'm in," she told them, nodding desperately. "I'm in for it all."

Matt's face brightened, and Kelly's laugh of delight and relief echoed in the loft. She managed to sling her arms around their necks before they tugged her towards them, the three clinging to each other tightly. "Thank God," Matt finally managed to say, bending his head to nuzzle into her neck.

"You know we're never letting you go now, right?" Kelly grinned into her hair.

Sylvie beamed up at him. "I'm holding you to that."

Kelly shook his head, unable to find any other words to convey his relief. So instead of using words, he leaned down and finally kissed her like he had wanted to for so long. Their beautiful girl, the only one who could read them like they could read each other, met his lips with her own, their mouths slotting together like jigsaw pieces fitting perfectly into place. Perhaps that was exactly what they were, because every time the trio found themselves together after Sylvie's departure, they had been trying to click together. Matt and Kelly had fit in the aftermath of Matt's head injury, but there had still been that one piece that had been missing like a limb.

That piece was finally, finally, fitting with them, and Kelly mentally cursed anyone who tried to take her from them again.

Sylvie was the one to break the kiss, and as she looked up at Kelly through her lashes, the hunger that darkened his eyes made heat rush through her blood. She gave him a playful smirk, then turned her head and curled her hand around the back of Matt's neck, tugging him down. Matt eagerly met her kiss, his fingers weaving to entangle in her loose blonde tresses, their longer length allowing him to hold her in place. With Matt's mouth on hers, his hand in her hair, and Kelly's palm possessive on the small of her back, something in Sylvie finally settled, and she blushed when she almost purred in satisfaction. This . . . this had been what she had wanted for months, what she had fervently found ways to deny herself for just as long. She had meant what she told Stella, if Matt and Kelly were happy with each other and not with her, their happiness mattered more than hers. Now to have both of them, in love with each other and her, wanting each other and her, and wanting to move to Austin and the 126 . . . oh, she was going to make sure no opportunity arose for her to screw this up. This was where she wanted to be.

Her lungs, already wanting oxygen after her kiss with Kelly, finally made their starvation known, and she reluctantly pulled away from Matt, drawing in needy breaths. Matt's fingers eased their tight grasp to hold the back of her head, and Sylvie really did purr that time as he rested his forehead on hers. "Stay the night with us?" he asked, voice hoarse.

Sylvie glanced at Kelly out of the corner of her eye, and the lieutenant nodded, silently reinforcing the question. She smiled in reply, glad she had thought to hastily pack and bring a duffel bag with her. "Nowhere else I'd rather stay."

***

Sixty parts later (I'm counting the prologue), and look at that! Established Brettseyride! :) Let me tell you, the relief I felt when this was finally finished . . . at 1:28 in the morning, may I add. I was that excited to finish it. Lucky you guys, right?

Until I got to this episode . . . I actually had no idea when we were gonna get a confession XD I debated the classic Brettsey scene on the apron at night, but I also considered nothing until after the capsized boat incident . . . what do you know, I went with neither option! Option C was a good one, and I'm happy with how this all turned out.

The odd cop out of the main eight is the next biography!

***

Carlos

Spanish, "free man"

Choleric

strength, passion, productivity

The Artisan

creative, inventive, decorative

Type 6, The Loyalist

engaging, responsible

INFJ

The Counselor

Gryffindor

bravery, courage, chivalry

Taurus

the dominant, generous, romantic, reliable, patient, responsible, stable

Water

understanding, devoted, forgiving

The Upright Hanged Man

feeling trapped, confined, uncertainty, lack of direction, letting go

Archetypes

Fair Cop, Family Honor, Mr. Fanservice, Real Men Cook

Lawful Good

The Crusader

Status

alive

***

So with Kidd out of the picture and Brettseyride established, there's only one big plot point left before all roads lead back to Austin . . . and it's a good thing Squad 3 has a squad-certified paramedics currently attached to them at 51.

"No Survivors" concludes next time!

graphic by marvelity