Miss me? XD I hope everyone had wonderful holidays, no matter what you celebrate, and that your new year is off to a decent start! I started my internship at the very end of October, so that has contributed to a lot of my absence. I've also been on an unapologetic Law & Order binge, so it took a bit for me to get back on this track. The upcoming S4 premiere of Lone Star has helped for sure . . . and the fact that the winter storm that hit my state means that I have no idea what the hell my internship will be like when we go back to work. I think I took my frustrations out in this 8.6K chapter of lots of angst.

Olivia gets the green light for war, the police teams get to work, the heat firefighters face don't come from a fire, and there is some good news from the hospital.

Welcome to the next installment of "Survivors!"

***

How did this happen?

The thought ran rings in Olivia's head as the police captain walked down the halls of the hospital, doctors and nurses scrambling to stay out of the way of the woman clad in blackout gear, her hair tied back in a severe ponytail. There wasn't a member of medical personnel who didn't know what the blackout gear meant: all police in the gear were heading to war. And every member of medical personnel knew exactly who the police were hunting.

Olivia paused in the doorway of Eddie's room, smiling softly when she saw Buck murmur something before kissing Eddie on the top of his head. He then turned to the only other occupant of the room, a dark-haired woman in a soft blue sweater and black jeans, and he said something to her before she gave him a hug. That had to be Ana Flores, Christopher's former teacher and one of two friends Maddie made before she left Los Angeles. Athena had vouched for the woman to stay in the room with Eddie in case any updates arrived while everyone was on shift, and the first things Ana had done when she arrived were to ask how Buck was doing, an update on Eddie's condition, and how Christopher was handling everything. The concern she demonstrated in ten seconds alone solidified Olivia's respect for her.

She quietly stepped away to give the pair more time, and she continued down the hallway, deeper into the ICU. She had expected Peter to be the one volunteering to stay with Sylvie, but when Matt and Kelly had returned from the back of the hospital, the stunned shock on their faces had originally made Olivia fear the worst. All they had done was pull Peter to the side and have a whispered conversation with him. Peter's expression went from relieved to shellshocked in less than a second, and he had nodded shakily before departing to make a call. That . . . had really left only one person Olivia could think of who would sit with the paramedic captain.

And sure enough, when she stepped into the doorway of Sylvie's room, she found Nolan sitting by Sylvie's side, his exhaustion evident in his slouch and bloodshot eyes. He was the only one of all of them who hadn't changed his clothes, and whatever product he had used in his hair was now useless as the dark curls showed signs of having fingers continually run through them.

It made Olivia hesitate to enter the room. To see Jack McCoy's hand-picked righthand man, normally so poised and put together, look ready to break into pieces at any moment was enough to tie her tongue.

"You know, that morning she nearly passed out on me in the coffee shop, I had no idea she would become so important." Nolan's voice, hoarse from dryness and little use, jerked her to attention, and Olivia stepped fully into the room, watching Nolan not take his eyes off Sylvie. "And I never expected to see her again. And before she left New York, she let me unload the worst day of my career on her shoulders, and then I was getting the job of a lifetime from Jack. One woman, and she changed my life around for the better."

"She has a habit of doing that," Olivia smiled fondly, running a careful hand over Sylvie's hair. Her spirits lifted as she took in the much healthier hue of the paramedic's skin, the blood transfusion visibly doing its work. If Olivia ignored the telltale sign of bandages raising Sylvie's gown, she would have thought all the blonde was doing was sleeping. "She's amazing."

"She is." Faster than Olivia could blink, the slouch was gone, and she took a step back as all of Nolan's body tensed tighter than a drawn bowstring, bloodshot hazel eyes eerily swirling towards icy grey. "You've been in this industry for over two decades, Captain. So maybe you can tell me something I've been trying to figure out . . . what makes some sick son of a bitch decide to take a shot through her partner and hit her?"

Olivia took a deep breath, calming her unsettled nerves. Prior to now, she had seen a charming, charismatic man who she knew could make juries eat out of the palm of his hand. She had never seen a hint of the man who, according to Peter, made his opponents prefer to swallow nails instead of face him in court. She was now looking at that man. "We're going to find out, Nolan."

"You better, Captain." A chill went down Olivia's spine, and before she knew what she was doing, she was stiffening to attention as Nolan rose to his feet, no hint of kindness on his face. Instead, thunderstorm grey eyes spitting lightning narrowed at her, and he was practically snarling as he spoke to her. "I want whoever did this buried so deep in the ground, he is never going to see the light of day again. I don't care if he's sentenced to life through a court of law or if one of your officers shoots him dead. I joined Jack's office because I didn't want these monsters to walk away free men. I didn't join to see a sniper targeting firefighters shoot Sylvie before I knew exactly who she is to me. Listen to me, Captain, and listen well . . . I want my sister's shooter to pay, even if you have to burn this city to ashes to find him."

Olivia stared at him in a mixture of shock and horror. Sylvie had been open with Peter about being adopted, how she never knew her birth father, but she had met her birth mother before she died having her little half-sister . . . and somehow, in less than a year, not only had Sylvie gained a surrogate father and brothers at the 126, but she now could claim one of the best attorneys as her own blood. Peter had told her Nolan was the type of man to look out for his own, but she had never understood the magnitude of which Peter spoke. Now she knew exactly what Peter meant . . . Nolan Price was not a man she ever wanted as her enemy. She swallowed hard, then gave him a firm nod. "I give you my word," she said quietly. "Whoever did this is not going to escape me or those under my command."

Dark brown eyes met thunderstorm grey, and Nolan managed a jerky nod. "Thank you, Captain," he whispered.

Olivia gave him a tentative smile, setting a hand on his shoulder and squeezing supportively. "Any time, Counselor."

All of the energy seemed to seep out of Nolan with her words, and as Olivia backed out of the room, he dropped back into his chair as if all strength had left him. She reached for the door handle as quickly as she could, but she wasn't fast enough to avoid seeing the vengeful wrath on Nolan's face crumple as he took Sylvie's hand in his trembling ones, and she turned her head as she quietly shut the door, letting Nolan shatter in private.

Her phone rang as she walked down the hall, and she wasn't surprised when she saw the Caller ID. She took a deep breath, then she answered the call. "Sir."

"Captain Benson." Even though she wasn't in the room with the man, she felt the blood drain from her face at the steel in Jack McCoy's voice. "Peter gave me another update. How are the paramedics?"

"It sounds like they're in the clear," Olivia answered crisply, forcing herself to be as formal as possible. "Diaz was easier to stabilize than Brett."

There was a pause on the line. "I know how close those sent from New York are with the Austin 126, Olivia," Jack told her. "No need to put up a front on my behalf."

Olivia closed her eyes, leaning against the nearest wall. "It was bad, Jack," she whispered, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Eddie looked awful, but when they brought Sylvie out of the car . . . you would've thought she was already dead if you didn't hear everyone else."

"Peter informed me of just how personal this has gotten for Nolan. How is he?"

Olivia tasted blood in her mouth, and she hastily licked her lips, realizing she had bitten hard enough into her bottom one. "He's not moving from Sylvie's side," she answered. "And I don't think he will until he sees her awake."

She could picture the District Attorney's eyes icing as his voice turned glacial. "This is no longer a political game between myself and the DA's office down there. I don't care what the intention was with the shot against Brett and Diaz. This sniper attempted to kill the sister of a Manhattan ADA. This case is yours, Captain, and I want no punches pulled in your search. Am I understood?"

Olivia nodded. "Understood, sir."

***

"The Southland remains in the grip of an apparent sniper who appears to be targeting firefighters and rescue personnel. And now it feels as if no open space is safe for the men and the women of the fire departments, local or out of state."

"Way to make us feel ready about the day," Herrmann griped as he watched the news over Ritter's phone.

"Can I just ask?" Paul rubbed his hands over his face. "Why is it always Sylvie and Eddie in this kind of trouble?"

"It was bound to knock 'em down eventually," Judd said grimly. "A minefield and two serial arsonists didn't do it."

"But why did it have to be a sniper?" Gallo leaned back, banging his head against Truck 81.

"That's a good question." The firefighters from both houses abruptly gathered as Owen and Boden approached them, followed closely by TK, Buck, Matt, Kelly, Grainger, and Pelham. "And I don't have an answer for you," Boden continued, looking around at everyone's faces. "This is something none of us have faced before. I know it's scary, the idea that someone is targeting us."

"But we still have a job to do," Owen looked at his house specifically, seeing their worried expressions. "We're just gonna have to do it a little . . . differently now."

***

Hank considered it lucky that they had remained at the first sniper scene the other day. If they had seen the scene of the second shooting, still causing chaos, he wasn't sure how they would have been able to stop for the night.

He stood with Athena and Nick by the former's car, the three searching the skyline as Jet's fingers blurred over her keyboard, the rest of the police fanning out around them. "He couldn't have had much time to set up," Athena deduced. "Probably listening to a scanner, then rushing to calls. Last time, he got lucky. Found a building he could access."

"So where would be lucky here?" Nick frowned.

Hank merely continued looking around the skyline, then he found something that caught his eye. "Jay!"

From where he had been investigating a few yards away, Jay's head poked over the nose of another squad car. "Yeah?"

"I need your eye for a second."

Jay jumped to his feet and jogged around the car, drawing Elliot's attention. "What do you need?" Jay asked, stopping by Hank's side.

"How good a shot do you think this sniper is?"

The sniper of the Intelligence Unit furrowed his brow as he mulled it over. "A damn good one, considering how accurate he was," he admitted. "Why?"

Hank turned and pointed across the block. "Could he have made this shot from up in there?"

Athena's eyebrows raised at the building, and Nick whistled lowly. Jay tilted his head as he considered the parking garage, and his expression darkened. "Easily."

***

"First of all, the temporary change for my house." Owen turned and nodded, and Grainger and Pelham stepped forward. "Thanks go to Lieutenants Grainger and Pelham, who have graciously volunteered to ride with the squad company while Sylvie and Eddie are hospitalized. Lieutenant Pelham will be Buck's partner on Squad 9, and Lieutenant Grainger will be the officer of EMS 99, riding alongside TK."

"Thank you," Marjan smiled weakly.

"Happy to help however we can," Grainger nodded as TK joined him. "Or wherever we can."

"What else?" Gianna asked. "I mean, we're sitting ducks out there in the open."

"Well . . . " Boden grimaced, holding up the bulletproof vest he had under his turnout coat. "Not entirely."

"Oh, hell," Judd facepalmed.

"What he said," Capp pointed.

***

Jay looked over the rifle in his hands appreciatively. "I gotta get me one of these back in Chicago."

"I'll make sure to order one for you," Hank smirked.

"Alright," Jay peered through the scope, resting the rifle on the edge of the concrete wall. "Got the mark . . . here we go."

He went through all the motions a sniper typically would enact to fire the rifle, but no live round left the muzzle. Instead, the dummy shell casings popped out of the rifle and gathered in a pile at his feet. "How ridiculous are our chances of this actually working?" Jet couldn't help but whisper to Elliot and Ayanna as they watched.

Ayanna shrugged, unable to provide an answer. "There's one thing every sniper I know has had in spades," Elliot told her quietly. "And it's what we need right now, too." At Jet's inquisitive look, Elliot smirked. "Patience."

Jet swallowed a groan, then blinked when one of the bright orange dummies popped out of the rifle and rolled along the floor. Jay turned his head to watch the path of the round, and he grinned when it rolled through the grating and into one of the drains. "Gotcha."

***

"I've got to ask, Chief," Herrmann stepped forward, visible worry on his face. "Most of us had our families stay at home. But thinking about everyone else here . . . what about their families? Are they in danger, too?"

Tommy balked at the thought, and Judd quickly reached out to grip her shoulder supportively. "We have no reason to think that," Owen quickly shook his head.

"We had no reason to think Eddie or Sylvie would get shot helping a kid, either," Buck muttered under his breath.

Judging by the expressions on their faces, Matt and Kelly agreed, but they kept their mouths shut. "Look, what we know is that the NYPD and Intelligence Unit under Benson and Voight are mobilizing to investigate the sniper while LAPD is putting additional officers out here every shift," Boden explained. "But they do not have the resources to put an officer at every door. If I had the resources to do that, I would, but I don't. Until they catch his son of a bitch, this is gonna be a stressful time."

"Not just for us," Owen sighed, looking apologetically at Tommy. "But for the people who love us. And I guarantee as scared as we are, it's gonna be worse for them. They're the ones who have to watch us go to work and worry we might not come home." The silence was deafening, but Owen continued. "We'll lean on them, we'll lean on each other, and that's how we make it through this."

***

The crime scene investigators swarmed their level of the parking garage, and Jet couldn't help herself. "Do we need that patience now?"

Elliot raised an eyebrow at her. "What, you got a magnet that specifically attracts shell casings?"

"Those would be on the black market and selling to terrorists before we knew it," Nick muttered from his other side, making Hank snort.

One of the CSIs made a sound, and Ayanna crouched down. "Got something?" she asked.

"Almost got it," the man answered.

After a few more seconds, he backed away from the grating and held up a spent shell casing, making the police officers grin.

***

"Just to be the devil's advocate," Stella held up her hand from where she leaned against the driver's side of Truck 81. "Do we even know the sniper's still out there? With all these new precautions, what if he just . . . gave up?"

"You want to take that chance and he didn't?" Matt spoke for the first time, giving his driver an iron look.

Stella faltered, giving him an incredulous look. "We don't give up," Owen told her, giving Matt a curious look. That was a first from the truck captain. "So we assume the sniper didn't, either, and we let the SWAT team protect us."

"Los Angeles 118. Austin Squad 9. Austin EMS 99."

"And speaking of not giving up," Owen sighed, turning to look at his rearranged team. "Ready?"

"As we'll ever be," TK nodded.

"Hey," Matt clapped Grainger on the shoulder. "Stay safe, you hear me?"

"You guys, too," Grainger nodded, jogging after TK to the ambulance.

***

As TK parked at the construction site, Grainger took one look at their scene and sighed heavily. "I miss Chicago," he mourned as he slipped his sunglasses on.

TK laughed as he followed Grainger to the gathered construction workers, all of them looking up at the massive crane. "You volunteered to ride with us, remember?"

"I remember," Grainger griped.

"What's going on?" one of the workers sputtered, seeing the firefighters and police officers massing. "We didn't ask for cops! Our buddy's hurt!"

"Gentlemen, the police are here just as a precaution," Bobby held up his hands.

"The sniper," another worker realized.

Buck shielded his eyes against the sun, his ears able to pick up the sound of a man yelling in pain. A nudge in his side made him jump, and he turned to see Lena looking at him. "How're you holding up?" she asked.

"He made it through the surgery," Buck answered with a swallow. "The doctors from Med say he's good."

"Then he's good," Lena nodded. "Right? Those are the doctors from Sylvie's city, yeah?"

"I trust them," Buck nodded firmly.

"Good," Lena patted his shoulder.

"Buck!" The firefighter jolted in surprise, and he turned to see Pelham gesture to him. "Come on, they've got this guy on the feed."

"Right," Buck cleared his throat. "Catch up later?"

"You bet," Lena nodded.

Buck jogged to join Pelham as they followed Owen, Bobby, Hen, Chimney, Grainger, and TK to where the construction workers gathered around a camera. A quartet of familiar officers in blackout gear awaited them. "Hey, Caps," Hailey nodded.

"I thought you all were helping search for the sniper?" Owen raised an eyebrow.

"We were the next closest cops in the area," Kevin shook his head. "We heard it was your houses, we drove to get here."

"Thanks," Owen nodded, looking at Bobby. "Captain Nash, you already know Detective Upton and Officer Burgess. These are the last members of Sergeant Voight's unit, Officers Kevin Atwater and Adam Ruzek."

"Good to meet you, sir," Adam held out his hand.

"Likewise," Bobby shook his hand, looking at the video feed with a grimace. "Wish it was under better circumstances."

"No kidding," Kim murmured.

Grainger winced when he saw the amount of blood pouring from the man's wound. "You said his name is Cliff?" he asked the workers.

"That's him," the head worker nodded.

"An arterial bleed," Hen said. "With travel time, he's got eight minutes."

"Maybe ten," Chimney added. "It's pretty high up his arm. He could bleed out quick."

"We contacted SWAT on our way here," Hailey told Owen and Bobby. "Ten minutes out, minimum."

"Airship?" Bobby asked, looking up the crane.

"Maybe less," Hailey shrugged. "But the police's job is to protect you, and when you're way up there and completely exposed, we can't do that."

Buck gritted his teeth as he listened, and he finally shook his head, turning around to Pelham. "I can get him."

"Whoa!" Pelham lurched and grabbed Buck's arm, making Grainger and TK look over at them. "Buck, did you hear what they just said?"

"Yeah, and I heard he's got eight minutes," Buck narrowed his eyes. "And they're just talking and doing nothing!"

"There's a sniper loose somewhere in this city, Buckley," Grainger reminded him.

"Yeah, hard to forget that when my boyfriend and sister are lying in the hospital because of him," Buck snapped, and Grainger held up his hands in surrender. "I need to do something instead of just standing around doing nothing!"

"By this point, that eight minutes is now seven," TK pointed out, checking his watch.

Grainger closed his eyes. "Buck," he began.

"Casey and Severide would do it," Buck told him.

Pelham groaned. "Damn. Yeah, they would."

"Alright," Grainger made a helpless gesture. "Jason?"

"Yeah, I'll go with him."

"Then get moving," Grainger looked up into the sun, squinting to see their victim. "Clock's ticking." Buck and Pelham were off like shots, and Grainger looked helplessly at TK. "Why do I have to be the sane one?"

"Because you're not in Chicago anymore," TK answered.

"Thanks for reminding me."

"What the hell?" Kevin's yelp rose above the other voices.

"Oh, my God," Lena closed her eyes. "Of course, he went up there."

"Buck!" Bobby barked into his radio, nostrils flaring. "Nobody cleared you to go up there! You are completely exposed, and we don't have any way to protect you!"

Owen appeared behind the makeshift crew of EMS 99, green eyes glacial. "If it makes you any less angry, Cap, I did try to stop him," Grainger offered with a defeated sigh. "Figured he at least needed Jason at his back."

"Buck's gonna Buck no matter what we say," Owen shook his head in frustration, tilting his head back to watch Buck and Pelham scale the crane. "He's never been able to sit still when Eddie's in danger."

"In the lieutenant's defense," TK spoke up, "Buck did say a few magic words."

Owen's eyebrows raised expectantly, and Grainger gave a sheepish grin. "Casey and Severide would do it."

Owen closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose. "They wouldn't have even stopped to discuss it."

"Nope," TK shook his head. "When Buck and I were planning to steal our rig, they had already gotten the rest of Squad 3 onboard to rescue you and Sylvie."

"Yeah," Owen put his hands on his hips, watching his team's ascent. "That sounds like them."

Grainger nodded, reaching up and clicking his radio. "Jason? You read me?"

"Loud and clear, Greg," Pelham answered, and Grainger moved through the gathered personnel to take a look at the video feed. "Whatcha got?"

"Our guy's name is Cliff," Grainger told him. "According to everyone down here, there's no way to move the cable that's got him pinned. You'll have to cut it to drop the beam and release the pressure, but the tourniquet will have to go on first. I can walk you through it when you get up there."

"Copy that."

Kevin peered over Grainger's shoulder, and he winced when he saw the amount of blood soaking through Cliff's clothing. "Oh, man . . . I ain't a medic, but that ain't looking too good."

"No, it doesn't," Grainger agreed grimly. "Come on, guys . . . "

"They're up!" Lena shouted suddenly. "They made it!"

"Then we're in business," Grainger nodded.

***

"You know," Buck had to shout to be heard over the wind. "I always wondered how TK must've felt when he had those calls on the Chrysler Building!"

Pelham made sure he had a sturdy grip on the bars before he threw an incredulous look over his shoulder. "The damn Chrysler Building?!"

"I know!" Buck nodded. "And now I know how he must've felt!"

Pelham snorted. "Yeah, I bet you do." He carefully climbed over Cliff, grimacing when he had to readjust his footing. It was never good when you almost slipped on someone's blood. "Alright, Cliff. My name is Jason, and this is my friend Buck. We're gonna work on getting you out of this, OK?"

"Get this off of me!" Cliff screeched.

"Deal," Buck agreed, crouching down. "First, we get this tourniquet on you, OK?"

"Greg, tourniquet's getting in place," Pelham reported into his radio.

"Make sure it's placed well above the wound," Grainger ordered.

Buck nodded, fitting the tourniquet into place above the gushing wound in Cliff's arm. "And Buck?" TK chimed in. "Warn him, would you?"

"Right," Buck cleared his throat. "Cliff? Uh . . . so, this is gonna hurt."

With a deft twist of his wrist, Buck started tightening the tourniquet, and Pelham winced as Cliff's screamed echoed in the wind. "Tourniquet's on," he said unnecessarily, crouching down and checking the saw. "I'm working on the cable. Make sure the area is clear down there."

"Copy that, Lieutenant," Owen answered. "All clear."

Pelham nodded, looking over at Buck. "Ready?"

Buck nodded, shifting so he was out of the cable's way. "Go for it."

Pelham nodded and activated the saw, aiming for the cable. It took about ten seconds to cut through the steel, and even though he knew he was clear, he rapidly backed away as the cable broke free. The resounding crash of the weight landing on something reached them, and Pelham cleared his throat. "I really hope that wasn't one of the rigs."

Buck cautiously peeked out past the crane, and he snorted. "A truck carrying barrels of water, apparently."

"Oh." There was nothing more to say, so Pelham coughed meaningfully and started unwinding the rope they had brought. "Alright, Cliff. How about we work on getting you down from here?" He got a weak groan in reply. "That's the spirit."

***

"Alright, here we go," Grainger guided TK to put the gurney into the proper position as Buck and Pelham roped down with Cliff. "Easy does it . . . and . . . got him!"

Once the board was secure on the gurney, Pelham and Buck went to work undoing their harnesses. "Hang in there, buddy," one of the construction workers patted Cliff's side. "You're gonna be OK."

"You sure about that?" Cliff gasped. "What about my arm?"

Grainger hummed, investigating the wound. The security camera hadn't been able to zoom in, so now he could get a clear look at what he was working with. "Might be some nerve damage," he analyzed, "but I think he'll keep his arm."

The construction worker in charge sighed in relief. "Thank you."

TK snorted. "Don't thank us," he shook his head, pointing between Buck and Pelham. "Thank them."

Pelham sighed, tucking his helmet under his arm. "I'm beginning to get why Casey and Severide were so willing to drop everything and take the interim positions in Austin."

Buck grinned. "You sure the calls were the reason?"

Pelham reconsidered. "I'm beginning to see the secondary reason."

Buck laughed loudly, and for once, he shrugged off the looks he was getting from his former firehouse. "Welcome to Squad 9, Lieutenant."

***

The adrenaline high had worn off quickly as the rig rumbled down the roads of Los Angeles. EMS 99 had disappeared to whisk Cliff to Cedars-Sinai, leaving Pelham to sit in the back of Squad 9 and feel his skin itch with the uncomfortable silence. Owen had been suspiciously quiet ever since they had packed up and departed the scene, and Buck wasn't speaking, either. Pelham didn't want to be the one to talk first.

"It was suffocating you, wasn't it?"

Owen's voice through the headset made Pelham jolt, and he risked a look over his shoulder. Just like him, Buck had looked over at Owen in surprise. "Wh-what was suffocating me?" Buck stammered.

"The helplessness," Owen answered, not looking at Buck, instead choosing to keep his eye on the road. The captain radiated tension, and Pelham could see his white-knuckled fist where it rested on his knee. "That feeling in the aftermath where you should have been doing something, but you know there's nothing you could do."

Buck's grip on the wheel tightened, and he redirected his attention to the Los Angeles traffic. "Cap – "

"If you think I'm mad, Buck, maybe I was for a few seconds," Owen interrupted him. "I'm not even disappointed. I know very clearly what was going through your mind when you made the choice to climb that crane. The most important person in your life was bleeding to death, and in the moment it happened, all you could do was pull him to safety. You weren't the medical professional on scene, and once at the hospital, the only thing you could do was wait." He turned and looked pointedly at Buck. "And if you could have switched places with Eddie, you would have."

"In a heartbeat," Buck whispered, voice breaking.

"I know," Owen said simply. "And you know I've been there. I had that same thought process. The only difference between what happened is that the sniper who shot Eddie is still out in the city."

"Out there, able to shoot us at any call," Buck muttered. "Cap, we were standing there when it happened, and we couldn't do anything to protect him. There were so many of us at this call . . . I would've climbed that crane myself to protect everyone. I could do something to protect all of you, so I did."

"We are a team," Owen acquiesced. "And we're supposed to protect each other." He shifted in his seat to look at Buck. "But what if Eddie wasn't in the clear and you did get shot? What happens to the other most important person in your life?"

If there was a record for how quickly the blood could drain from a person's face, Buck would have broken it. "Oh, God," he croaked, rapidly pulling the rig to the side of the road and parking.

Pelham quickly unbuckled and shifted so he could reach over and put a hand on Buck's shoulder. "Hey," he squeezed. "That was a bit harsh."

"Harsh, but I think my point's been made," Owen remarked, but his green eyes were kind as he reached across the cabin to put his hands over Buck's. "That's all I thought about whenever I got the urge you got. Different situation, I know, but . . . "

"Punch me in the gut, why don't you, Cap?" Buck swallowed hard.

Owen shrugged. "That thought's gonna plague you until this sniper is found and until Eddie is released. I think that's more of a punishment than any angry yelling I could muster, especially since I don't have any angry yelling for you." Buck chuckled weakly, and Owen smiled sadly, shifting to cup Buck's cheek, making the firefighter look at him. "Just think about Christopher from here on out. You hear me?"

"Hear you, Cap," Buck nodded faintly. "Loud and clear."

"Good," Owen nodded, patting his cheek. "Let's regroup with the others."

***

"Oh, great," Pelham sighed when the trio entered the shelter of one of the warehouses set aside for firefighters after the sniper attacks. "There's an audience."

"That's to be expected," Owen patted his shoulder, raising his voice when the rest of the 126 rushed them. "No need for any shouting matches. Buck's had enough to mull over on the ride here."

"Is that why he looks like he's two seconds from passing out?" Tommy asked, instinctively assessing Buck.

"Probably," Owen eyed him. "I gave him a lot to think about."

"That's it?" Buck's entire being tensed at the harsh words, and Owen felt his hackles rise. They had seen the 118 rigs parked outside, and Owen had expected something to happen. Apparently, Bobby Nash was about to come out swinging. "To think about?"

"Last I checked, Captain Nash," Owen swiftly turned on his heel, straightening to his full height as he came face to face with the Los Angeles captain. "Evan Buckley is under my command, not yours. You have no say in how I deal with my firefighters."

"My team was first on the scene," Bobby countered. "It was my call to run."

"I won't argue that," Owen nodded. "But at the end of the day, a man's life was saved, and there was no sniper attack. Do you disagree that we got the desired results?"

Bobby's jaw clenched. "I do when it was a reckless, impulsive, and deliberate decision to make himself a target."

"So why am I not getting this talking to when I went up there with him?" Pelham piped up. Bobbly blinked, as if suddenly realizing Pelham was there. Just as quickly, however, he recovered and narrowed his eyes. "You don't know Buck."

"And I don't?" Owen ground out. "Remind me, Captain Nash, whose entire house, save one member, ran Buck out of Los Angeles. If you know him, you certainly knew how to make him leave."

Bobby recoiled, and his eyes flashed before he snarled, the sound almost covering up the sound of new arrivals. "Captain Strand – "

"When you have three men under your command shot, one of them your own child, then you can insult my decisions," Owen cut across him, stepping forward with poison dripping from his words. "My son bled out in my arms, and my paramedics were the first victims of this sniper. You have no say in my firehouse, Captain. Don't you dare act like you do."

Bobby stepped forward, but a sharp voice stopped him in his tracks. "Hey!" Athena jogged towards her husband, followed by the rest of the investigators. "What's going on here?"

"Probably has to do with the crane climb going viral," Kat remarked, looking at her phone.

Buck wilted, but Pelham merely sighed. "Great. Now I need to make a bet with Greg on who blows up our phones first."

Owen didn't take his eyes off Bobby. "Anyone else gonna challenge my decisions about my men?" he asked.

Any sane person who knew the man was not surprised by who rose to Owen's defense first. "Why the hell's he doing that?" Elliot demanded, quickly crossing the floor to be at Owen's shoulder.

Bobby was smart enough to remain silent. "Cap," Buck said quietly, not moving from where he was shielded by the 126. "Leave it be. I've learned not to let their words hurt me any longer . . . no matter which member of the house is saying them."

Bobby had the audacity to give Buck a wounded look, but the rumbling voice of Boden stopped him from saying anything. "I agree." The broad battalion chief finally stepped forward, dark eyes narrowed. "I consider myself lucky to have never lost a firefighter under my command to a gunshot. I have also never had a firefighter shot in the first place, let alone a firefighter that is my child. I have no right to argue with Captain Strand on this . . . and I say that as an officer with a higher rank than him. You certainly cannot argue with him, Captain Nash."

"We shouldn't be arguing to begin with." Olivia's tone brokered no room for arguments, and without taking his eyes off Bobby, Owen stepped back to let the police captain take center stage. "This is a sniper that has shot paramedics that mean something to everyone in this warehouse," Olivia continued, eyes sweeping the gathered firefighters and police. "A paramedic that once worked here in Los Angeles, now a member of the AFD. A father and a partner." Buck ducked his head, eyes burning, and he felt rather than saw Nancy shuffle closer to him, Mateo closing in on the other side. "And a paramedic captain who held heartstrings of multiple organizations in Chicago," Olivia nodded to the Intelligence Unit and Firehouse 51 before looking at Owen. "Beloved by her new house." Here she took a deep breath, bracing herself for something. "And by her brother, who didn't even know their relation when he volunteered his own blood to save her life."

Owen's eyes widened, and Buck's jaw dropped to the floor. "Wait," Chimney looked around in confusion, seeing the looks of disbelief getting exchanged. "What the hell does that mean?"

"Price is her brother?" Amanda gawked.

"I wondered how you two got pried from her room," Pelham admitted, looking at Matt and Kelly. The two officers looked grim, yet unsurprised, at the bomb that got dropped on everyone. "You knew?"

"He told us," Matt nodded. "He wanted to confirm the timeline."

"I trust Owen to know how to run his firehouse," Olivia told Bobby firmly. "You worry about yours. Your men are all you should worry about. The sniper is for the police." She now focused on Ayanna, Athena, Hank, and Elliot. "District Attorney McCoy secured NYPD's leadership on this. One of the sniper's first victims was the sister of his right hand. Nolan Price wants blood. McCoy wants us to get it for him." Her eyes, normally so full of warmth, iced over. "Let's go get it."

The buzzing of cell phones interrupted the ominous silence that followed, and Buck and Pelham simultaneously searched for their phones. "Well," Elliot's face split with a bloodthirsty grin. "We've got some hunting to do."

"Oh, my God!"

Buck's stammer made Owen spin on his heel. His firefighter stared at his phone with wide eyes, and Pelham looked up from his with a bright grin. "What?" he demanded.

Pelham looked at Buck expectantly, but he shook his head, unable to speak. "Greg and TK took Cliff to Cedars-Sinai, and they got stopped by Dr. Marcel before they could leave," Pelham explained, laughing happily. "Diaz is awake."

***

Buck had been off like a rocket the moment they entered the hospital. TK merely had to point down the hall for Buck to disappear, and Grainger smiled happily as he leaned on the nurse's station, Will and Crockett looking pleased with themselves. "At least that's a happy point in the day," the lieutenant told them.

"Diaz chose the right time to wake up," Pelham commented.

"Eddie's been known to have some good timing," Owen agreed, folding his arms. "How's he looking?"

"Groggy, of course, but considering the sedation he was under for surgery and the pain meds we gave him, that's expected," Crockett answered, looking over his tablet. "He's doing remarkably well."

"You seem to have a habit of recruiting cockroaches to your house, Captain," Will grinned. "They just survive no matter what."

Owen made a face, causing Grainger and Pelham to burst into laughter. "You really want me to tell Casey and Severide you called Sylvie a cockroach?"

"No, she's a lioness," Owen grinned. "Because she's a cat and clearly has nine lives."

"I swear, she's used up half of them from her time at the 126," TK scratched the back of his head.

"Maybe she'll come back to Chicago," Crockett quipped.

Will snorted. "Not likely."

"No," Owen shook his head. "Way I understand it with what I've learned . . . when she wakes up, she could have a hell of a case to go to New York instead."

Grainger blinked. "Say what?"

Will sighed. "You heard?"

"Liv told everyone," Owen nodded. "McCoy's basically ordered them to go scorched earth to find the sniper."

"That's extreme, even for him," TK frowned.

"Not really," Owen shook his head. "McCoy has always looked out for his own . . . and when he goes about it the right way, he can be more cutthroat than Liv or Elliot combined." At the medics' befuddled looks, Owen sighed. "Will, how exactly did Price find out?"

"We left the blood test running when we took him back," Will answered. "We meant to originally just compare his against Sylvie's, make sure he was compatible . . . and the computer did a full test. It came back with the DNA comparison. They're half-siblings."

TK's jaw dropped. "You're kidding."

"Jesus," Grainger closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose. "And neither of them knew?"

"Sylvie never knew a thing about her birth father," Will shook his head. "And in the few conversations I had with Price, he never had any idea, either."

"He nearly lost her without even knowing who she was," TK whispered, face pale. "Oh, my God . . . "

"I remember seeing Sylvie at Med after her birth mother died," Crockett swallowed. "Oh, when she wakes up and learns she has someone else . . . "

"That's the kicker, though," Owen reminded them. "She has to wake up first."

***

When Ana heard running feet from outside the hospital room, she smiled and stood from a weary Eddie's bedside. "I think someone's here to see you," she told him, only half-joking.

Eddie blinked slowly. "You think?"

The croak had a humorous tone to it, furthering Ana's relief that Eddie was well on his way to recovery. Her giggle was interrupted by Buck skidding into the doorway, his blue eyes lighting up the moment he saw Eddie. And Eddie, who had been woozy since waking, brightened at the sight. "Hey, Buck," he croaked.

Buck choked out a half-laugh, tears of relief forming in his eyes. "Hey, you."

Ana patted Buck on the shoulder, giving him a happy smile before taking her leave, her heels clicking on the tile floor. When she took a quick glance back, she found Buck wrapped around Eddie as much as he could with all the wires still in place, Eddie nuzzling into the crook of his neck. She almost wanted to take a picture. Instead, she continued down the hall, slinging her purse over her shoulder.

She found a dark-haired, green-eyed man standing there, his jacket proclaiming his name and rank. Ana smiled and approached him, fiddling with the rings on her fingers. "Captain Strand?" she asked.

"Yes," Owen nodded, giving her a pleasant smile as he extended his hand. "You must be Ms. Flores."

"Ana, please," she shook his hand. "It's good to finally meet you. Maddie had nothing but good things to say about you after everything in San Angelo."

"Well, that feeling is mutual towards her," Owen chuckled. "One of the best hearts I know. Very protective of her brother, too."

"Don't I know," Ana giggled, remembering Maddie's fury over the 118's actions. "Hell hath no fury like a sister enraged."

Owen grinned. "Yeah, I've seen it in action." The joy diminished, and his eyes averted to look down the hallway. "Thank you for staying with Eddie when we had to get back to work."

"I was happy to do it," Ana told him, folding her arms around herself. "This is . . . kind of my fault, anyway."

"What?" Owen blinked. "How is this your fault?"

"I was the one who brought up the mother's actions to Eddie," she answered, biting her lip. "If I hadn't done that – "

"She would still be poisoning her kid," Owen held up his hand, stopping her in her tracks. "And actually, the boy knew what she was doing and dumped an entire bottle of eyedrops into her food. You did the right thing, Ana. Don't take that train of thought."

Ana nodded timidly. "Yes, sir."

Owen waved a hand, and Ana turned to see a young man who looked just like him walk over, a curious look on his face. "TK, would you be able to take Ana to get a drink from the cafeteria? She could probably use one after staying with Eddie."

"Of course," TK nodded immediately with a smile. "I was gonna grab some for me and Grainger, so that works out."

"That's not necessary," Ana began.

TK snorted. "I've learned not to argue with my dad. 'Killing with kindness' should be his motto."

Owen smiled innocently. "I have no idea what you're talking about, son."

TK rolled his eyes. "Yeah, sure." He beckoned to Ana. "Come on. Any embarrassing stories you can tell me about Eddie or Maddie? Or anything about Christopher?"

Just like that, Ana's entire being brightened at the mention of her favorite student. "Christopher was the highlight of every day," she told him, a pep in her step as she joined TK.

The vice principal's voice carried as she and TK walked to the cafeteria, leaving Owen to stay behind, standing vigil over the hallway that contained the rooms of his paramedics.

***

Within seconds of Buck texting Carlos and Carla to tell them Eddie had woken up, Carlos had called him in amused voice, telling him there were three kids who were very anxious to see him. Buck could do nothing but grin and turn the phone call into a FaceTime call as he plopped next to Eddie, handing him the phone.

Christopher, Evie, and Izzy appeared on screen, and their excited cheers made Buck wince off camera. Eddie dealt with the sound, giving a faint smile. "Hey, everyone."

"Hi, Eddie!" the twins waved.

"Hey, Dad!" Christopher beamed. "I miss you!"

"I miss you, too," Eddie told him. "But I'm gonna see you real soon. I'll be home before you know it."

Carla poked her head into the frame, giving him a maternal look. "Let yourself heal first, please," she told him. "You don't have anything to worry about. Buck, Carlos, and I have it under control."

"Where is Carlos?" Eddie frowned.

"Right here!" Carlos appeared behind the twins, smiling happily. "Good to see you awake, mi amigo. We've been pulling for you."

"Thanks."

"Get better soon, Eddie!" Evie chirped.

"Yeah, we hope we can see you again!" Izzy added.

"Love you, Dad," Christopher smiled.

"I love you, too," Eddie smiled.

As the call ended, Eddie finally sank back into the pillows, a look of discomfort on his face. Buck quickly reached out to take back his phone, and before he could remove his hand, Eddie's fingers twined around it. "Thank you for taking care of him," he whispered, giving Buck a look of pure adoration.

Buck smiled, letting his phone drop onto the bed so he could fully entwine his fingers with Eddie's. "He's our son. I'll always take care of him." Eddie pointedly looked a uniformed Buck up and down, and Buck's smile turned sheepish. "Well . . . Carla offered to bring him to her house, but . . . Captain Vega and I talked. We figured this was overwhelming enough without him having to sleep in a strange bed. Better to keep the kids together than apart."

Eddie nodded in agreement. "They doing OK?"

"Better than me," Buck admitted, scratching the back of his head. "Uh . . . I kind of lost it when I told Chris you got shot. I'm sorry, I should've held it together."

Eddie was shaking his head before Buck finished speaking. "You were there for our son when I couldn't be. That's what matters." Buck blushed and looked down at their hands. "Evan?"

The tone of Eddie's voice made him look back up. "Yeah?"

"Ana wouldn't tell me." Eddie's voice was quiet. "Evan . . . what happened to my captain?"

***

"I'm not going to bite, Captain."

Owen snorted softly as he stepped out of the doorway and into the room. "That's not the impression I got from Liv when she said McCoy was giving the NYPD permission to rain hell if that's what it took to find this sniper."

It brought a smirk to Nolan's face as the prosecutor traced the creases in Sylvie's palm. "So everyone knows."

"Everyone knows," Owen confirmed, reaching out and gently brushing Sylvie's hair away from her face. "I'm so sorry, Counselor. I'm sorry this is how you found out."

"Thank you," Nolan sighed, rubbing his forehead. "I'm sorry this happened to your team."

"The 126 has gone through hell, no matter which incarnation it is," Owen said heavily, sitting in the chair across from Nolan and on Sylvie's other side. "But never in my career have I ever had my men deliberately targeted."

"When you're an attorney, whether prosecutor or defender, you go after or protect some sick people," Nolan told him. "Threats are nothing new to me. I can carry them just fine, most of them are just people trying to blow off steam."

"And the ones that are more than that?" Owen asked, dreading the answer.

Nolan gave him a wry look. "You don't like not being able to do a thing, do you?"

"Well, you tell me," Owen grumbled. "If you're anything like your sister, you can read me like a damn book."

He was surprised by the grin that formed on Nolan's face. "Anything like my sister," he repeated with a chuckle. "That's the first time I've heard it."

"And?" Owen prompted.

"Call me greedy since I want to hear it more," Nolan answered, chewing his lip as he looked at his sister. "I told her and Stone during that stupid treasure hunt . . . it's been just me for years, Captain, and I've gotten used to it. Now I find out that the one person who I've felt the most comfortable with in God knows how long is my sister, even if it's just through our father, and it's terrifying."

"What's more terrifying?" Owen asked. "The relation or the threat?"

"Yes," Nolan answered simply. "Because it's terrifying when there's a threat to you and that threat decides to take it out on someone you care about."

Carlos and TK's house exploding flashed past Owen's eyes, and the captain swallowed hard. "Touché."

Nolan sighed. "You don't know me, Captain, and I admit, I don't know you. But here is one thing for you to know, and it better stick in your head." Owen raised an eyebrow expectantly, watching hazel eyes morph to grey. "I am not leaving this hospital until two things happen: my sister wakes and the sniper threat is over. The only thing more important to me than this threat being eliminated is seeing my sister survive."

Owen smiled. "I believe you."

***

Olivia, Fin, Hank, and Jay walked through the precinct with purposeful steps, finding Athena, Ayanna, Elliot, and Nick waiting for them. "You said the ballistics report from the shell casings came in?" Olivia asked Elliot.

"Well, maybe not a report," Elliot shook his head, nodding to one of the conference rooms. "I'm not sure that's what we can call him."

Olivia blinked, seeing the black man with distinctive pins on his lapels. "No, I agree," she murmured. "Sergeant Grant?"

"I'll make the introductions," Athena said, leading her into the room. "Captain Benson, Sergeant Voight, meet Chief Pate."

"Chief," Olivia nodded, holding out her hand.

"Pleasure to meet you, Captain, Sergeant," Pate shook both of their hands. "And given I have had conversations with your District Attorney, Captain, I sincerely wish this is not how we're meeting."

Hank narrowed his eyes. "This has to do with the rounds we found."

Pate nodded. "Close the door." Nick obediently shut the door, and only once it clicked shut did Pate continue to speak. "The casing you found was from a .308-caliber round. Fits what a sniper would use and matches the slugs from both scenes."

Elliot frowned. "That shouldn't be newsworthy enough to send a deputy chief."

Pate shook his head. "The ammunition was match grade. More accurate, more expensive, and much more traceable, down to the lot number. Ballistics reached out to the manufacturer to identify the purchaser . . . then they called me."

Olivia's eyes widened in horror. "You're kidding me," Fin stared.

"So this sniper didn't get his ammo from a gun shop," Nick gulped.

"No," Hank growled under his breath. "He got it from the LAPD."

***

I have two clear favorites, and their names are Sylvie Brett and Nolan Price XD I am completely unapologetic because I am obsessed with these two. And since Sylvie is currently asleep, Nolan gets his time in the spotlight. He's making quite an impact.

I said I've been on a L&O binge, so if anyone is interested in checking in on my rather obvious obsession, there are two additional works you can read.

 ~ "Semper Ad Meliora" is a collection based in Season 22 of L&O that is canon divergent from "Camouflage" on because I am an unrepentant Pricegrove shipper. No fancy crossover, just in-show divergence.

 ~ "And the Band Played On" is a One Chicago/Law & Order crossover I'm writing with Laekin04 where Nolan and Sylvie are full-blooded siblings instead of half-siblings and, once again, unapologetically Pricegrove and Brettseyride. It's hard to describe the timeline because we've really messed with it (wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey XD), but we're having a blast writing it. She's got some amazing Law & Order works, and she's transferred some of my favorites from Ao3 to here on Wattpad, so I highly recommend checking out what she's written.

I did keep Ana as the one sitting with Eddie because here's an unpopular opinion from me: I don't hate her. She's not my favorite character, but she sure isn't my least favorite character. In this series, she's been a friend to Maddie, and also to Eddie, so it makes sense for her to stay. I know a lot of people despise her, but this is just my take.

And Bobby . . . you really should have learned from San Angelo. Owen does not like it when his kids are under fire. And you really shouldn't let it happen when Owen has the entire NYPD backing him up.

I can't really remember who people wanted next for the character bios, so . . . let's start off with our next favorite fire captain!

***

Matthew

Hebrew, "gift of God"

Choleric

strength, passion, productivity

The Warrior

loyal, protective, determined

Type 3, The Achiever

adaptive, excelling, driven

ENFP

The Champion

Gryffindor

bravery, courage, chivalry

Capricorn

the intelligent, ambitious, worker, responsible, disciplined, self-control

Earth

hard-working, logical, empathetic

The Upright Wheel of Fortune

destiny, change, karma, decisive moments, fate, fortune, upheaval, chance

Archetypes

Action Hero, Break the Cutie, The Captain, The Chains of Commanding, Everyone Can See It, Fire-Forged Friends, Friend to All Children, Firemen Are Hot, Mr. Fanservice, Parental Substitute, Polyamory, Rank Up, Red Oni Blue Oni, Samaritan Syndrome, Stupid Good

Lawful Good

The Crusader

Status

alive

***

Kelly, Eddie, and Carlos are the last three love interests to go through - any preferences for who you see next? Go ahead and drop them!

"Survivors" will conclude next time, and I promise I have a good ending for everyone. :) Keep your eyes open!

graphic by marvelity