Well, I am once again a liar. No actual episode yet, that'll be next chapter. There was a lot of filler stuff to cover here, and there's 10K+ words of it, so . . . whoops? XD

Owen gets a surprise, Sylvie gets a phone call, the AFD really needs to stop stealing CFD firefighters, officers get new assignments, and Cruz is the ultimate shipper.

***

Owen woke the next morning to hear clanking in the kitchen and the woofs of Buttercup. He checked the time on his phone, relieved that this time, he'd woken with his natural alarm clock and not some Godawful time after noon. He swung out of bed, resolving to quickly run through the shower and check out what was happening downstairs.

As he jogged down, he saw Charles taking command in the kitchen, directing Izzy and Evie to distribute dishes of food around the island. "Good morning, Owen," the man gave him a smile. "We thought we'd give you a break after you flew in."

"That's . . . really nice of you," Owen smiled, accepting a plate offered by Izzy. "That ended up being a trip that . . . did not go how we thought it would."

"No, I don't think it did," Tommy agreed, setting a plate of sausage links on the island, and she brushed off her hands before offering a hug. "I'm so sorry, Owen."

Owen sighed, sinking into her hug. There was something about the Vegas that drew him in like a moth to a flame. "Thank you, Tommy."

"Maddie took Christopher over to Buck and Eddie's with Paul," Izzy recited. "Uncle Judd and Aunt Grace took Paul to Carlos and TK's."

"And Nancy and Marjan went to visit Sylvie," Evie finished.

"So no one spends the morning alone!" Izzy beamed.

Owen's smile widened with every word the twins spoke, and he shook his head, crouching down. "That is unbelievably kind of all of you."

He held his arms out, and the girls crowded in for a hug. "Mama said you lost someone like family," Izzy mumbled. "We're sorry, Captain Strand."

Owen smiled sadly, giving her an extra squeeze. "Thank you, girls."

"You should thank Mateo the next time you see him," Tommy smiled. "He laid the groundwork for this master plan."

"I will do that, thank you," Owen nodded, accepting a plate from Evie. "And . . . wow, I never knew my kitchen could produce so much food."

"That is why I am the kitchen master," Charles winked. "Dish up, Owen. Take anything you want."

Owen eyed the mountains of food. "That's dangerous to say."

Tommy laughed. "Welcome back, Owen."

***

Sylvie sighed in relief, closing her eyes as she took a sip of her mimosa. "Oh, that tastes good."

"Yeah, we thought it might," Marjan sat next to her, giving her a hug around the shoulders. "You were outnumbered most of your trip, so we thought you might want a girls' hang-out today."

"While Maddie entertains her three boys," Nancy smirked, sitting on her other side. "And the Vegas called dibs on Captain Strand."

"Oh, he probably needs the twins today," Sylvie admitted, taking a large gulp of her drink. "The Stablers . . . Elliot is a widower with five kids."

"Ooo," Marjan winced. "Poor kids."

"Twin hugs in abundance for Owen," Nancy nodded. "Understood."

"Yeah, he needs – " She paused when her phone rang, and she blinked when she recognized the ringtone. "Excuse me," she muttered, searching through her pockets and answering her phone before it went to voicemail. "Peter? What happened?"

"What happened is you really underestimated your pull in the District Attorney's office!" the familiar voice of Nolan Price barked from the other end.

"And I keep telling him that the only pull you've got is with me," Peter's voice sounded much closer.

"Which, considering I swear you're his favorite, is pull in the District Attorney's office!"

Sylvie bit her lip, trying to keep from laughing, especially when she saw Nancy and Marjan's inquisitive looks. "Peter, what did you do?"

"You know when I told you that you were basically giving Price to us on a silver platter?" Peter asked.

"Yeah," Sylvie held out slowly, not connecting the dots.

"I wasn't kidding, Sylvie. Hell, you might as well have given him to us on a diamond platter."

"Is that a thing?"

Peter groaned, and now Sylvie could hear Nolan's laughter. "What I mean to say, Sylvie, is Jack hired him on the spot."

Sylvie's eyes widened. "You're kidding."

"No, I'm not!" Peter huffed.

Marjan gave her an expectant look and Nancy gestured impatiently, and Sylvie snorted. "I'm sorry, Peter, I have two friends who look like they want to overhear everything we're saying."

"Oh, great. I interrupted something, didn't I?"

"The 126 joined forces to surprise all of us this morning," Sylvie smiled. "So Nancy and Marjan took me out."

"Oh, that's fine, then. We're already on speaker over here."

"Mainly because he hasn't given me your number yet," Nolan grumbled. "So I could yell at you myself."

Sylvie rolled her eyes, putting her phone on speaker and putting it on the table in front of her. "Yell at me or thank me?"

"Who says I can't do both at the same time?"

"He's a lawyer, Sylvie," Peter snickered. "He can multitask."

"Yeah, I know," Sylvie smirked. "I've seen you in court, remember?"

"She has?" Nolan asked curiously.

"Yeah, a few times back in Chicago. At that point, no one was surprised if she was at the courthouse. I swear, they thought she was an ASA and not a paramedic."

"Hi, Stone!" Marjan called.

"And hello, person we don't know!" Nancy added.

"Morning, ladies!" Peter returned. "And thanks for taking Sylvie out. She deserves it . . . if she isn't hungover."

"God, that was a bitch in the morning," Sylvie sighed, rubbing her forehead. "And I only drank half the bottle."

"I drank the other half and showed up at the courthouse the next morning," Nolan quipped. "Guess that's what we get for drowning our sorrows."

"Still cheered me up on an otherwise gloomy day," Sylvie smiled. "Marj, Nance, this is Nolan Price. We met in New York while Kathy Stabler was in the hospital. Nolan, this is Firefighter Marjan Marwani, she's on Ladder – "

"Hi!" Marjan sang.

" – and Paramedic Nancy Gillian, on the other ambulance at the house."

"Hi there!" Nancy grinned.

"Nice to put names to the voices," Nolan greeted. "Sorry we interrupted your morning."

"Oh, no, we're happy to watch some entertainment," Nancy grinned, leaning back in her chair and crossing her legs, looking like a smug cat. "We missed it while it was all in New York."

Sylvie groaned, closing her eyes and leaning her head back. "Is that all you think of us?"

"Well, Cap's also in charge of making sure the house is running," Marjan shrugged. "You, Buck, and TK, though?"

"Word of advice, Price, if you ever see that trio together, run."

"So it's a good thing it's only Sylvie that I ran into at the bar?"

"Hell, yes."

"I can hear you two," Sylvie grumbled.

"We know!" both attorneys said at the same time.

"Can I take them off speaker now?" Sylvie pled.

"Oh, go ahead," Marjan waved with a grin. "We had to get some teasing in."

"Thanks," Sylvie sighed, picking up her phone and switching it back. "So what's this about my apparent pull with the District Attorney's office?"

Nancy choked on her mimosa, and Marjan reached over to pound her on the back. "You what?" the paramedic coughed.

"Diamond platter, Sylvie!" She could hear Peter's grin. "Like I said. Jack hired him on the spot."

"And I wasn't expecting to go from a defense attorney to the Executive ADA!" Nolan added.

Sylvie's eyes widened. "He hired you as what?"

"Yeah," Peter's laughter was evident. "You didn't expect that, did you?"

"No!" Sylvie burst into a peal of laughter. "Oh, my God, congratulations, Nolan!"

"Thank you, Sylvie," Nolan sighed, but she could hear his smile. "Really, I had no idea how you would get me a foot in the door . . . apparently, even I underestimated how good I am. Now Stone doesn't have to worry about swallowing nails any time soon."

Sylvie balked. "He told me he didn't think about that!"

"And I was going to regret saying that because even though I love you, swallowing nails might be preferable to facing Price in court," Peter told her. "Though I would face him if it meant protecting you."

"He's a good friend, Sylvie," Nolan remarked. "Keep him."

"Oh, thanks," Sylvie rolled her eyes.

"Please. It's more likely I'd have to defend Casey and Severide against Price, and you know it."

It was Sylvie's turn to choke on her drink that time, and unlike with Nancy, her lungs didn't clear as quickly. "Whoa," Nancy scooted closer, wrangling the glass out of her hand. "Sylvie?"

"Sylvie?" Nolan's worried voice sounded in her ear. "What happened?"

"Drink went down wrong," Sylvie managed hoarsely, coughing weakly as Nancy rubbed her back. "Don't do that, Stone!"

"I'll apologize for almost killing you," Peter told her. "I make no apologies with my comment because you know it is one hundred percent true."

"Who now?" Nolan asked curiously.

Sylvie closed her eyes, knowing she was blushing bright red. "My two best friends," she mumbled.

Three snorts sounded at the same time, two from next to her and the last from over the phone. "If we're discussing Casey and Severide, put the phone back on speaker," Nancy decided.

"Oh, my – " Sylvie buried her face in her hand. "We are not discussing this!"

"New person here," Nolan reminded her. "Who exactly?"

"Captain Matt Casey and Lieutenant Kelly Severide, both at Firehouse 51, where Sylvie moved from," Peter answered helpfully. "Absolutely smitten with her, would do anything in the world for her. Including murder."

"Aha." Nolan sounded more amused than anything. "Maybe I should've stayed in defense. That would be an interesting case."

"Please, I'd throw it if I had to prosecute."

"Stop talking," Sylvie begged, seeing Marjan's shoulders shake from laughter. "Seriously. Stop. Talking."

"Honestly, I'm pretty sure everyone in Chicago has this all mapped out if it ever came to it – "

"I will hang up on you if you continue," Sylvie threatened.

"Yeah, and I know you would," Peter sighed. "Alright, one last thing then you get back to your thing with Marwani and Gillian."

"Yeah, go ahead," Sylvie rubbed her forehead.

"Price wasn't kidding about getting your number. I wasn't gonna give it without asking you first."

Sylvie blinked, then smiled, touched at his thoughtfulness. "Oh, go ahead. I'll add another lawyer to my collection."

Peter scoffed. "And here I thought I was the only attorney in your life."

"You really want Benson to hear you say that?"

"Nope!" Peter was quick to answer, and she could hear Nolan laugh loudly on the other end. "Definitely not."

"I didn't think so," Sylvie smirked. "So thank you for the update, and maybe go suck up to your girlfriend, just in case she has a spy who heard that."

"Knowing Liv, I wouldn't put that past her," Peter muttered with a sigh. "Thanks, Sylvie. Give my best to everyone else, will you?"

"Absolutely," Sylvie smiled. "Thanks for the call. And good luck in the new position, Nolan!"

"Thanks, Sylvie!" Nolan told her. "I owe you one."

Sylvie grinned. "And I will collect."

"See, if she ever tells you that – " Peter began.

Sylvie laughed. "Bye!"

"Bye, Sylvie!"

"Bye!"

Sylvie hung up, then realized both women were giving her identical confused looks. "What?" she asked defensively.

"I'm getting mixed signals," Nancy looked at Marjan.

"About?" Sylvie looked between them in bewilderment.

"So you don't have a crush on this guy?" Marjan asked, pointing at her phone.

Sylvie almost dropped it as she reached to put it on the table. "God, no!" she shook her head. "I mean . . . OK, I can admit he's very good-looking, but no, I don't think of Nolan that way. I barely know him, for God's sake!"

"Oh, good," Nancy sighed in relief. "I'm still rooting for you with Casey and Severide."

Sylvie's jaw dropped, and Marjan snorted. "I don't know if anyone's flat out told you this, Sylvie . . . you're very obvious."

Sylvie groaned, burying her face in her hands. "I hate my life."

Nancy giggled, waving to get a waiter's attention. "Oh, be real. You love it."

Sylvie's phone pinged with a text, and she picked it up to see who it was.

Unknown: Your best friends sound amazing

Unknown: And to be serious, thank you for getting me through the door

Unknown: I do owe you one

Sylvie smiled, adding the number to her contacts. "Yeah, I do."

Sylvie: You're welcome, Nolan

Sylvie: I'll collect the next time I see you

***

"Owen! TK!"

The Strands peeked out of their rig when they heard the familiar call of one of their favorite kids, and TK grinned, jumping down and jogging to the doors. "Hey, Christopher!" he greeted, bending down to hug the boy. "Oh, this is a surprise!"

"He insisted on coming in with us today," Eddie chuckled, ruffling Christopher's curls as Owen walked up to them. "He wanted to check in on two of his favorite people."

"Well, we're honored to be among them," Owen smiled, cleaning his hands with a cloth as he joined them. "Good morning, Christopher."

"Morning, Captain Strand," Christopher gave him a toothy grin.

"He was a joy to watch while you were gone," Maddie smiled, dressed in her dispatch uniform, ready to head to work as soon as she dropped Christopher with the Vegas. "Though he was very worried when your schedule constantly changed."

TK made a face. "I can imagine."

"I'm sorry about your friend," Christopher told them sincerely. "Losing someone hurts."

Owen nodded solemnly. "And this hurt a lot, buddy," he said. "Thank you for saying that."

"He's already decided when we finish this shift, he's making a card to send to the Stablers," Buck grinned.

The eager nod Christopher gave made TK's heart melt. "Oh, Christopher," he swallowed. "I think they'll really appreciate that."

"They will," Owen nodded, swallowing as he remembered how much the Stablers appreciated handmade gifts. "You're a good kid, Christopher."

"He's the best," Eddie smiled, dropping a kiss on top of his son's head.

"He is," Owen agreed. "Right, we're up and running in ten, but I need to meet with the captains, Judd, and TK in my office before anything else happens, so can you two handle inventory on the rigs?"

"Sure thing, Cap," Buck nodded.

"Thanks," Owen turned to TK. "Grab Judd for me?"

"On it," TK nodded, jogging for the locker room. "Judd!"

Owen headed up the stairs, finding Sylvie and Tommy bent over files; Tommy was most likely briefing Sylvie on what she had missed while she was out. He knocked on the doorframe, smiling when they looked up. "What can we do for you, Captain?" Tommy tilted her head.

"Can we chat in my office real quick?" Owen pointed to the other room.

"Yeah," Sylvie nodded, tucking her hair behind her ear and walking to join him.

Owen led the way into his office, seeing TK and Judd get to the top of the stairs just as he sat in his chair. "First off, no one's in trouble, so don't start thinking of alibis or anything like that," he informed them.

"Oh, good," Judd sighed. "I was wondering what might be wrong."

"Nothing's wrong," Owen shook his head. "It's good news, actually." He smiled at TK. "I got the surgery scheduled."

TK's eyes brightened, and he whooped happily, barreling into him for a hug. "Finally!"

"Oh, that's good news!" Tommy gushed with a smile.

"About time, Cap," Judd grinned. "When is it?"

"It's a week from Thursday," he answered. "I'm working on settling things with Chief Radford about how long I'll be out . . . but it'll also depend on how the surgery goes, so that's up in the air right now."

"Understandable," Sylvie nodded.

"So my concern right now is who's going to be running the house while I'm out," Owen looked around. "I know TK would prefer an officer on Squad . . . Judd?"

"I love this house, Cap, but I'm not fit to run it just yet," Judd shook his head. "I'll happily be the second to whoever you trust."

"That's the thing," Owen braced himself. "I have two officers in mind, both of whom I trust with the house and the teams. I just need to make sure it's possible to have them temporarily transferred here."

Tommy blinked. "Temporarily transferred?" she repeated.

Judd looked bewildered, but Owen gave Sylvie a pointed look. She froze in her chair, eyes widening. "No way," she breathed.

"Yes way," Owen nodded with a grin. "If it's possible, I'd like to see this house in the hands of Casey and Severide while I'm out."

"You're serious?" TK asked, looking like his birthday had come early.

"Completely," Owen nodded, watching Sylvie try to recover from the bomb that he just dropped in her lap. "I would much rather have two officers I know and trust, who the house knows are two brilliant firefighters, run the crews than anyone else."

"Oh, what the hell," Judd laughed, leaning back in his chair. "If you get 'em, Cap, that's fine by me. I'll bite at the chance to work with Casey."

"And considering Severide's reputation in the CFD?" TK grinned. "If Buck is against that, I'll eat Buttercup."

Owen grimaced. "Disgusting, but I'll allow it. Tommy? Sylvie?"

"It works for me," Tommy smiled and nodded.

Owen turned to the last member of their little group, who had been silent. "Sylvie?" he prompted.

Sylvie cleared her throat. "Yeah," she finally nodded, a wide grin forming on her face. "Are you kidding? If you get them, when you can finally go drinking after your surgery, I'll pay for every round."

Owen grinned. "Now that's even more of a reason to get them!"

***

It proved what complete, utter idiots the two men were when, as Matt slung his overnight bag from his truck, he realized the only thing that felt different between them was that they were open with how they felt for each other. He had thought there might be some form of awkwardness between them . . . but there was nothing. Nothing except the feeling that this was natural for them, that it was right . . . and while they both knew there was a piece missing, they had spent their entire time off just basking in the knowledge that they loved each other, and that was enough.

Herrmann was already running checks on the engine with Ritter, the older lieutenant muttering to himself and looking over his clipboard. "Morning!" Matt chirped in greeting.

"Morning, Captain," Ritter waved.

Herrmann looked up from his clipboard to wave, then he paused and narrowed his eyes. "Uh oh."

"Uh oh?" Gallo poked his head out from inside the truck, inventory clipboard of his own in his hands. "What does that mean?"

"It means look at their faces," Herrmann pointed at Matt and Kelly, who gave each other amused, knowing glances. "See! That's what I mean! Those are troublesome looks, I'm telling ya!"

"Yeah, sure," Matt rolled his eyes fondly, watching Kelly wink at him. "Is Chief in yet? We need to talk to him before the start of shift."

"Yeah, he should be in his office," Gallo nodded.

"Thanks, Gallo," Matt gave him a lazy two-finger salute before heading into the firehouse.

"I'm telling you," Herrmann jabbed his pen in the air, in the direction the two officers disappeared. "When they look like that, trouble's afoot!"

"Uh huh," Ritter nodded, clearly disbelieving.

***

Kelly was leaning in the doorway to his quarters when Matt reached his own. "You sure you're good with doing this now?" he asked.

Matt smiled, touched by his boyfriend's . . . no, that didn't sound quite right after all they had gone through . . . his partner's thoughtfulness. Yes, that sounded much better. "I'm sure," he nodded, absently tossing his overnight bag on his bed before joining Kelly. "Better now than later."

Kelly nodded in agreement, lacing their fingers together. "Alright, then."

It was a short walk down the hall to where Boden was shuffling through papers as he paced behind his desk. "Chief?" Matt knocked on the door. "Can we talk to you?"

Boden looked up from his work, and Matt saw the moment their chief noticed how close they stood together, hands linked, and fingers intertwined. Boden's eyebrows rose to his hairline, and he reached up to remove his glasses. "I think I know what this could be about, but absolutely," he nodded, pointing his pen to the door. "Go ahead and close it. We'll keep this private."

"Thanks, Chief," Kelly nodded, reaching to shut the door.

Boden gestured to the chairs in front of his desk. "Have a seat." He watched his two best officers sit, and he knew them well enough to recognize the slight tenseness in their bodies, and how close they were to each other that their knees touched. His men were on edge, and he wanted to remedy that as soon as possible. "Whatever you have to tell me, I will tell you one thing right now," his voice rumbled as he sat across from them. "As long as what happens outside of this firehouse does not impact your abilities to do your jobs, your positions on Truck 81 and Squad 3 remain yours."

There went the tenseness, and both officers relaxed. "We needed to hear that," Matt admitted.

"We were debating what would happen if that ended up being a problem," Kelly added, giving Matt an uncertain look. "But given the news Matt got the other day . . . "

"I understand," Boden nodded. "Now . . . how can I help you two?"

The captain and the lieutenant exchanged looks, then Matt took a deep breath. "We're disclosing, Chief," he answered. "Kelly and I started a relationship after last shift."

"One that took us God only knows how long to start," Kelly quipped.

Boden grinned. "About damn time," he declared, and his grin widened at their surprised faces. "I always wondered, given how close the two of you can be. Either that, or with Brett somehow in the mix."

While Matt sighed in relief at Boden's obvious acceptance, Kelly laughed at his remark. "Oh, believe me . . . we've gotten that, too."

"I believe you," Boden chuckled, opening one of his file drawers and sifting through folders until he found what he needed. "As I said . . . as long as any problems you have outside of the firehouse don't affect your abilities to do your jobs, then you have my full support to remain here at 51."

"Thank you, Chief," Matt smiled happily, feeling Kelly squeeze his hand. "That was what we were hoping for."

"Then I'm happy to deliver," Boden nodded, handing them each a document. "I just need the disclosure paperwork before the end of shift. I'll leave it up to you on when you decide to tell the house . . . though I may recommend doing so soon, considering what's happened the past few weeks."

Kelly grimaced. "I apologize for my actions and behavior, Chief," he began.

Boden held up his hand, stopping Kelly in his tracks. "I'll let it pass, Severide," he said. "Given nothing major happened in front of the rest of the house."

"No, sir," Kelly shook his head.

"Then it slides this once," Boden told him. "I'd rather not have another time."

"You won't," Kelly promised.

"Besides, he's threatened me with Sylvie if I'm ever that stupid again," Matt said lightly.

Boden laughed and nodded. "I believe it. Now, is there anything else?"

"No, Chief," Matt shook his head, taking his documents and standing. "Except again . . . thank you."

"You're absolutely welcome," Boden smiled, standing and walking around his desk. "And I say this as your friend and not your boss . . . congratulations."

Kelly smiled, easily going with Matt into Boden's hug. "Thanks, Chief."

***

Mouch took one look at the duo when they emerged on the apparatus floor and balked. "Oh, God."

"See?" Herrmann gestured triumphantly, and Matt shared an amused look with Kelly, who barked in laughter and went to ready his gear. "I told you that look means they're up to no good! I told you!"

"Yeah, it's never good when they get that look," Mouch shook his head desperately as Violet and Gianna peered out of the back of Ambulance 61. "You run and never look back."

"Do we look that scary, Sev?" Matt wondered.

Kelly snorted. "Please. We're not attack dogs."

"De Leon?" Violet raised an eyebrow.

Both men paused. "OK, so we're attack dogs when it comes to people we care about," Kelly amended. "Did anyone piss us off in the past 48 hours or so?"

As if on autopilot, Matt's gaze veered to where Stella was readying her gear, and she flushed under his stare. "I hope not," Gallo shuddered, jumping onto the truck to continue inventory. "I wouldn't sleep for a week."

The squad table was suspiciously silent, and Matt turned to see all three staring at him. "What?" he asked defensively.

"Well?" Cruz asked impatiently.

Matt sighed. "Rein in your boys, Sev."

"Really?" Kelly grinned. "I was gonna tell them their next round at Molly's is on me."

That got everyone's attention. "What'd they do to deserve that?" Herrmann asked, genuinely curious.

"Fine," Matt shrugged. "Then Cruz's second is on me."

While the rest of the firehouse looked confused, Cruz's eyes lit up. "No way," he breathed, looking from Matt to Kelly as Tony and Capp started to grin. "You mean – ?"

Matt nodded, unable to keep from smiling. "Disclosed to Boden this morning."

"What?" Gianna's jaw dropped as Stella froze where she stood.

"Yes!" Cruz cheered, jumping to his feet as Capp whooped with glee. "I knew it!"

"Yes, your little interventions worked," Kelly rolled his eyes, but he, too, was smiling when Cruz hugged him. "Thanks, guys."

"Congrats, you two," Tony smiled.

"Wait," Mouch blinked, looking from Matt to Kelly. "Does that mean – ?"

"Honestly, we've probably been dating for years now, but since we never called each other out on our feelings until after last shift, we're officially saying it now," Matt nodded.

"Awesome!" Gallo was the first to grin, scrambling from the truck to hug him. "Congratulations, you two!"

"That's really awesome," Ritter agreed, beaming at them.

"I knew there was something more than friendship between you when you were working out of 20," Violet smirked triumphantly. "And now Delaney owes me fifty bucks."

"Fifty?" Gianna stared at her.

"Pretty sure he was betting on Casey and Grainger, then Severide and Brett or something."

Matt gave an unrepentant grin. "I mean, Grainger is pretty hot. I like my lieutenants green-eyed and running Squad, though."

"Aw," Kelly playfully grinned. "Good, I'm your type!"

"Oh, but now they're gonna be insufferable," Capp sighed. "Maybe this wasn't such a good idea."

"No, no," Cruz shook his head. "This was the best idea."

"Honestly, as long as these two are happy, I'm happy," Herrmann held up his hands, smiling at his fellow officers. "So their rounds can be the second and third. Your next one is on me."

"Thanks, Herrmann," Kelly smiled. "I heard I missed one the other night, so I'll take it."

"Ah, hell," Mouch shook his head fondly, walking forward to Matt. "If anyone deserves to be together, it's the two of you. I'm happy for you."

Matt relaxed, glad they had the acceptance they were receiving. "Thank you, Mouch."

"For being a decent human being?" Mouch snorted, pulling Matt into a hug. "I guess I'll accept it."

Matt watched him head to do the same to Kelly, then he turned and caught Stella's eye. The woman hadn't made a move, but she wasn't outright spitting vile at them. He walked over and leaned on the truck with one hand, knowing that while they were the same height, his position gave him a bit of leverage over her. "You're going to test to become a lieutenant, so there's no reason for you not to be my 2IC," he said lowly. "But put one toe out of line when it comes to me and Sev, and I promise that will change before you can say 'problem.' Are we clear, Kidd?"

Stella lifted her chin, eyes flaring, but she nodded stiffly. "Clear, Captain."

Matt nodded curtly in response, turning on his heel. He paused when he saw Gianna standing there, but he saw her wide smile. "Congratulations, Captain," she told him, fiddling with her hands.

"Thanks, Mackey," he smiled, winding an arm around her shoulders as she gave him a hug. "You just keep on treating Gallo right, you got me?"

"I got you," Gianna giggled as they rounded the truck.

***

Matt had fully expected Stella to be watching him and Kelly with eagle eyes as the shift went on, but he couldn't help a victory smirk by the end of shift when she looked disappointed that there was nothing to report. They had been professional to the letter, which had surprised even Matt himself. Still, that proved exactly what he had thought at the beginning of shift . . . it was like it had always been meant to be.

"Just so you know," Cruz grinned as they walked towards their vehicles. "Squad is absolutely taking you up on those free drinks tonight at Molly's."

"We'll keep our word," Kelly chuckled, leaning into Matt's side as they walked

Matt smiled, happy to sling his arm around Kelly's shoulders, tugging the man closer. "Did you say they had an intervention for you?"

"Oh, God," Kelly rolled his eyes as Cruz laughed loudly. "I kid you not, after our discussion last shift, they pulled me into my quarters."

"Hey, we look after our lieutenant," Capp snorted from Kelly's other side. "So yes, we invaded your quarters to set you straight. And if we have a happy lieutenant, then we're all happy."

"Life motto," Cruz nodded sagely.

Matt snorted. "I'm surprised Gallo didn't give that line."

"Considering these boys have ridden with me for years?" Kelly snickered. "I can't see Gallo saying something like that . . . not yet, anyway."

Matt conceded with a nod, then heard his and Kelly's names be called from behind them. The duo turned to see Boden walk up to them, and he blinked when he saw the look on his face. "Something wrong, Chief?" he asked.

"I'm not sure," Boden shook his head. "But I got a call from headquarters as I was packing up. Commissioner Grissom is asking for a meeting as soon as we leave the firehouse."

"All three of us?" Kelly asked, seeing Cruz and Capp stop in their tracks.

"Sounds like," Boden nodded. "He didn't sound upset . . . but then again, considering the political ring he runs in . . . "

He trailed off, and Matt swallowed and nodded. "Guess we're heading to headquarters."

Boden nodded, heading for his truck, and Capp and Cruz exchanged bewildered looks. "Didn't they just turn in disclosure paperwork?" Capp asked.

"I think it just got sent in," Cruz nodded, watching the officers pull away from the firehouse. "I don't think that's what this is about."

***

"He's waiting for you," the secretary told the trio of officers as she knocked on Grissom's door.

"Come in!" Grissom called, and Boden was the one to open the door and step inside. "Wallace," he nodded, gesturing them over. "Matt, Kelly. Perfect timing. I was just about to connect on the phone with Deputy Chief Radford."

"Radford?" Kelly repeated in alarm, and Matt gulped when he recognized the name. "He's in Austin, right?"

"Is everything OK?" Matt all but demanded.

Grissom held up his hand, stopping the two panicked men from saying anything else. "I'm sorry if I got you worried because of such short notice," he said. "As far as I know, everything is fine. The chief didn't sound concerned when he called originally, though he did ask that I pull you in for a call as soon as I could."

"Me and Sev?" Matt blinked, confused.

"Yes, but he added that Chief Boden should be present for the call as well," Grissom nodded, looking at their boss as he dialed on his office phone. "Hence the invite for all of you."

"What's this about, sir?" Boden frowned.

Grissom sighed as the phone rang. "I think Austin is trying to steal my firefighters."

"Excuse me?" Boden's eyebrows rose.

The line connected, and Radford's familiar voice filled the office. "Commissioner Grissom! That was quick."

"Well, I have very prompt firefighters at 51," Grissom snorted. "I've got Chief Boden, Captain Casey, and Lieutenant Severide here."

"Good morning, Chief," Matt greeted politely.

"Good morning, Captain," Radford replied. "I'm glad to be connecting under much better circumstances, considering how we parted in San Angelo."

Kelly refrained from snorting. "Feeling's mutual, sir."

"How can we help you, sir?" Boden asked.

"Well, this isn't a personal call," Radford began. "Your house is aware that Captain Owen Strand is in remission from Stage 1 lung cancer, correct?"

"Yes, sir," Matt nodded. "We learned that out in the wildfires."

"The good news is Captain Strand has scheduled a surgery that will hopefully remove all traces of the tumor from him," Radford informed them.

"Really?" Boden grinned widely. "Oh, good!"

"That's gonna be a relief to the house," Kelly smiled.

"It's a relief to me, too," Radford chuckled. "Though this does leave me with a bit of a situation. Once Captain Strand goes in for surgery and starts medical leave to recover, it leaves Firehouse 126 without its leader."

"Really?" Matt blinked. "What about Ryder? TK?"

"Captain Strand asked them both," Radford replied. "While Firefighter Ryder thinks he could eventually become a captain, he prefers the 2IC position for now. As for Firefighter Strand . . . well, I believe Lieutenant Severide can speak to how many variations of calls a rescue squad could receive. The amount of time between now and his father's surgery is not enough time, Firefighter Strand believes, for him to take up the mantle of acting officer."

"He's right," Kelly nodded. "Depending on the type of rescue required, there are several ways it could go. The more time to prep for something like that, the better."

"And TK doesn't have that kind of time," Matt deduced.

"He does not," Radford agreed. "So that left Captain Strand with the task of finding an officer or two to run the house while he's gone. Fortunately, he was able to name exactly who he wants rather quickly."

Matt still wasn't sure where this was going . . . not until Grissom groaned and closed his eyes. "Where is Captain Strand getting the idea that he can steal my best firefighters, Chief?" he asked in annoyance.

Realization hit Matt like a freight train, and he looked in shock at Kelly as Radford's laughter filled the office. "If you actually want to call and blame someone, it was a throwaway comment from a Detective Stabler in New York that gave him the idea."

Grissom grumbled under his breath. "Police."

"Wait a minute," Kelly shook his head rapidly, eyes wide. "Are you saying . . . ?"

"Captain Strand is requesting if it's possible for Captain Casey and Lieutenant Severide to run the 126 while he's on leave," Radford confirmed. "Captain Casey ultimately in charge of the house and the Ladder Company while Lieutenant Severide runs the Squad Company." He paused. "If you need more convincing, apparently Captain Brett is all for the idea."

Grissom growled, seeing both men grin widely. "You had to use that card, didn't you, Chief?"

"I like to have the best in my department, Commissioner," Radford chuckled. "So if I have to play dirty, I will."

Boden sighed. "That'll mean I'll have to find floater officers as well."

Matt grinned. "I can already think of at least one."

"Maybe two, if the other is agreeable," Kelly nodded. "And I'm certain he will be."

Grissom pinched the bridge of his nose. "The two of you would probably be on a plane before I even had a chance to officially ask . . . do the two of you want to take up that offer?"

"Yes, sir," Matt and Kelly chorused at the same time, beaming at each other.

Grissom made a helpless gesture. "I guess my men continue to be at your disposal, Chief."

"Excellent," Radford laughed. "I'll be in contact with both of you about the details of what being at the 126 will entail . . . especially since we don't know what this surgery will take out of Captain Strand, we don't know how long he'll be out and how long that means you'll cover for him."

"However long he needs, we'll cover," Matt promised, smothering the urge to grin like a loon.

"I had a feeling that would be your answer," Radford remarked. "Thank you, Captain, Lieutenant. You're doing Austin a huge favor."

"I doubt it'll feel like that to them," Grissom quipped.

"Definitely not," Kelly grinned.

***

"How do the two of you look more up to no good than you did during shift?" Herrmann frowned when Matt and Kelly walked up to the bar. "I don't like that."

"Don't worry, Herrmann," Boden shook his head, chuckling from where he sat with Mouch. "It doesn't mean a thing for us."

"Wait," Mouch blinked. "For us?"

"You're getting rid of us for a few weeks, at least," Kelly smirked, accepting the beer slid his way.

"Rid of you?" Herrmann protested. "Why?"

"They're driving to Austin the day after tomorrow," Boden answered, Matt nodding as he took a sip of his beer. "They'll be covering the 126 while Captain Strand is on medical leave."

"Whoa, really?" Mouch perked up, watching both officers give genuine smiles. "That's awesome!"

"Yeah, and send our love to Brett while you're there, will you?" Herrmann added.

"Will do," Matt nodded, looking around the patio. He found who he was looking for relatively quickly, and he nudged Kelly before smiling at the others. "We'll be sure to be here tomorrow night before we leave."

"You better," Herrmann nodded. "Enjoy the drinks."

"Thanks," Kelly nodded, following Matt around the patio.

Matt paused, seeing the identical smirks aimed at them, and he sighed, rubbing his forehead. "Alright, who won the bet between the two of you?"

"That'd be me," Grainger sang smugly, laughing at the face Pelham made at the statement. "In his defense, I have known you both longer than he has."

"Honestly, everything I've heard about 51, I would've thought Brett would be in the mix somehow," Pelham muttered.

Kelly burst out laughing, turning to cough into his arm when he almost choked. "Not a bad guess, buddy," Matt patted the other lieutenant's shoulder. "But since she's in Austin and not in Chicago . . . "

"Word of advice, don't show interest in her around these two," Grainger smirked. "They're a little protective."

"A little?" Pelham stared at him incredulously. "Have we heard the same stories?"

"Considering I lived one or two of them?" Grainger snorted.

Pelham sighed. "What did the two of you do to my best friend? I swear he was normal before he met you."

"According to Hawkins, he wasn't," Kelly grinned.

Grainger raised his beer in acknowledgement of the statement. "In all seriousness, guys, congrats," he smiled, rising from his chair.

"Thanks, Grainger," Matt nodded, accepting the other man's hug. "Thanks for helping keep us straight, too."

"Or, well . . . " Kelly smirked. "Not so straight."

"Straight as a circle?" Pelham suggested.

Matt snickered. "Oh, that's us."

"Hey, I'd be a hypocrite to judge," Grainger shrugged. "I'll gladly punch anyone who does."

"If this not-a-hypocrite doesn't do it first," Pelham argued.

Grainger raised an eyebrow. "Then we better have Evan on standby. We'd have broken hands."

Kelly laughed loudly. "Warn Jay Halstead in advance, he'd make sure you get away with it."

Pelham smirked. "Noted."

"So, what can we do for you?" Grainger asked, looking between the two. "I figured you'd be over drinking with Squad 3."

"Yeah, we'll head over there in a few," Matt nodded, seeing where the trio was laughing loudly in the corner at something on Capp's phone. "We just had something to ask the two of you first."

"Oh?" Pelham tilted his head, setting his bottle down. "Sure. What's up?"

"So," Matt leaned on the table, feeling Kelly lean on him in response. "Deputy Chief Radford and Captain Strand in Austin requested that we take over the 126 while Captain Strand is out on medical leave . . . and we accepted."

"Really?" Grainger smiled widely. "Good! And you get to see Brett again, too."

"That was a big part of saying yes," Kelly admitted, looking down at Matt. She was their best friend, the one they both accepted they loved before they admitted their love for each other . . . and they had seen firsthand that she accepted poly relationships when she had all but hugged Will, Natalie, and Connor to death. If there was any chance of them finding out if something could happen between the three of them, this one was being handed right to them. "The main thing is we don't know how long we'll be gone, so . . . we'd prefer any floater officers stay with the firehouse as long as we'll be in Austin."

"Smart," Pelham nodded.

Matt bit his lip. "We'd prefer the officers get along with each other, too. Happen to know a pair that fits that bill?"

Kelly saw the moment the realization hit Pelham, as the officer choked on his beer. "Wait," Grainger's eyes widened as he pointed to Pelham. "Are you asking the two of us – ?"

"Yeah, we are," Kelly grinned and nodded. "The two of you know the house, and we know you work well together. Who better to ask?"

Pelham finally got his breath back, and if possible, he was grinning wider than Kelly. "I don't even need to be asked again. Whether Greg agrees or not, I'll take a squad position any day."

Grainger laughed. "Guess I need to find someone to cover 40!"

"We owe you guys for this," Matt smiled.

Grainger snorted. "We wouldn't say no to another round."

Kelly laughed, already heading for the bar. "Copy that!"

***

Owen: Once again Elliot saves my life

Elliot paused in the middle of pulling on his coat when he saw the text on his phone, and he frowned, picking it up when he saw more texts roll in.

Olivia: Don't tell me he already ran off to Austin

Olivia: Again

Owen: If he did he's nowhere near the 126

Elliot: I'm still in New York guys

Elliot: Literally walking out of the office door

Elliot: So I have no clue what I did

Owen: Helped me get exactly who is running the 126 while I'm out

Owen: That's what

Olivia: The only ones I heard suggested were

Olivia: Hang on

Olivia: Owen Strand

Owen: Uh oh

Elliot couldn't help but snicker, though he nearly ran into his new boss when he headed for the door. "Sorry, Sarge," he winced.

"Head in the clouds there, Stabler?" Ayanna Bell inquired, though she looked more intrigued than annoyed.

"Nah," Elliot shook his head, hearing the clip-clop of boots behind them as he held the door open. "It's Liv and Owen."

"Who and who?" Jet Slootmaekers blinked as she joined them.

"Captain Benson, I assume," Ayanna remarked as the three headed for the stairwell. "As for Owen . . . I don't know any Owens in the department."

"He's not police," Elliot chortled. "Oh, God, he would be caught dead before he wore a police uniform."

"Ah. Fire department, then?"

"Yeah, he's in Austin," Elliot nodded. "Captain Strand."

Ayanna's eyebrows rose. "I didn't know you knew Captain Strand."

"My brother in all but blood," Elliot smiled fondly. "Did you ever hear about the silo explosion in Austin that took out an entire firehouse?"

"That was the 126, right?" Jet asked curiously. "I remember that from the news. Only one member of the house survived."

"And Captain Strand is the only person to ever completely rebuild a firehouse from scratch," Ayanna made the connection. "Good reason to leave New York, I suppose."

"Well, that wasn't the main one," Elliot grimaced, remembering hearing the guilt in TK's voice when he spoke about his relapse. "But he's done a damn good job. You should meet his team one day."

"So what's up?" Jet asked.

Elliot: Liv used the full name

Elliot: What did you do Owen?

Owen: . . .

Owen: I may have convinced Chief Radford to reach out to Casey and Severide

Olivia: Owen!

Elliot: Yeah I'll own that one

Elliot: I didn't seriously expect that would work!

Owen: Neither did I!

Owen: But apparently it did

Owen: So now I'm getting Casey and Severide for the 126 while I'm out

Olivia: You pulled the 'I have Sylvie Brett' card didn't you

Owen: I didn't

Owen: The deputy chief, on the other hand . . .

Elliot laughed loudly, shaking his head. "He's going on medical leave soon, so he's been working on finding who'll run the house while he's out. He succeeded."

"And why's that funny?" Ayanna asked.

Elliot snickered. "He stole from the CFD."

"Excuse me?" Ayanna blinked as Jet burst into laughter.

"This is the second time, too," Elliot added, continuing to text.

"Oh, that's gold!" Jet cackled.

Elliot: Good job Owen!

Elliot: Now try to avoid being killed by whoever runs the CFD next time you see them

Owen: Yeah

Owen: I get the feeling I'm not on Grissom's good side anymore

Olivia: Maybe you should stop stealing his firefighters

Owen: Like it would be too difficult to lure away Casey and Severide when I have Sylvie

Elliot: He's got you there Liv

Olivia: Whose side are you on here El?

Elliot: Whichever side keeps Owen alive

Elliot: Obviously

Owen: This is why he's my brother

Elliot shook his head, still chuckling as he pocketed his phone. "Honestly, Jet, you'd probably get along with his son pretty well."

Jet grinned. "Hey, Sarge – "

"You are not going to Austin any time soon," Ayanna said sternly. "Not unless work with Organized Crime takes you there."

Jet pouted. "Fine."

***

"Does anyone know who Grissom assigned to 51 while Casey and Severide are out?" Mouch wondered as he joined the group walking to the firehouse.

"Casey said 81's was still getting hammered out," Gallo shook his head. "Apparently Squad's floater was clinched quickly."

Capp frowned. "Does that mean there weren't that many officers available?"

"Or maybe we have too good a reputation that there were several options," Cruz snickered.

"Surely truck officers are easy to come by, though?" Ritter asked.

"They usually are," Herrmann nodded, then blinked. "Wait a minute . . . Grainger?"

All of them looked up to see Grainger leaning with one hand against Truck 81, scowling down at the booted pair of feet sticking out from under the rig. "I swear to God, Jason, if you break my rig before I even get a chance to take it out on a call, I am going to tie you up and toss you to Casey," he threatened.

"Hey, now," the familiar voice of Pelham was slightly muffled from under the rig. "I know what I'm doing!"

Grainger rolled his eyes. "I'm not even here for an hour, and I'm already in danger of not having a rig to command." He gave them a wave. "Morning, everyone."

"Morning, Lieutenant," Ritter nodded, looking a little confused.

"Were you floating for last shift?" Herrmann asked, looking over at the engine.

"Nope," Grainger grinned. "I'm floating for this one. Undetermined amount of time while Casey's out." There was a clang from under the rig, and he winced. "Of course, if this rig is broken – "

"Nope!" Pelham rolled out from underneath the rig, and Cruz's eyes brightened when he saw the navy lieutenant's polo he wore. "Just a hydraulic leak. Easy as pie."

"Oh, good," Grainger sighed in relief, offering his hand. "Thanks."

"No problem!" Pelham grunted as he accepted Grainger's help and got to his feet, tossing his wrench from hand to hand. "Nothing to it, really."

"You're squad certified?" Gallo asked in surprise.

"Yep," Pelham nodded. "Greg here chose to get dual-certified in the medical side of things, and I wanted the heavy rescue experience. He can basically cover everything except Squad."

"And likewise, Jason here can cover everything except EMS," Grainger added. "So when Casey and Severide said they needed floaters while they were out, preferably ones who worked well together . . . "

"We get the two of you the entire time they're in Austin?" Cruz asked, starting to grin.

"Indeed, we do," Boden nodded, walking over from where he was checking on his buggy. "For the duration of Captain Casey and Lieutenant Severide's assignment in Austin, Lieutenant Grainger will be in command of Truck 81 and Lieutenant Pelham will be in command of Squad 3. Casey and Severide handpicked and asked them themselves, so I expect all of you to respect their decision."

"Absolutely, Chief," Cruz agreed, smiling widely at Pelham. "Welcome aboard, Lieutenant."

"Thanks, Cruz," Pelham nodded. "Looking forward to riding Squad again after so long."

"And I've been on Engine for so long, I'm ready to see what this rig can do," Grainger patted the side of the truck.

"You won't be disappointed, Lieutenant," Mouch promised.

"Oh," Grainger looked past Mouch to where Stella was walking into the firehouse, her steps slowing when she saw the floaters. "I hope I won't be."

***

"Hey, Cap?" Eddie leaned out of the back of EMS 99, seeing Sylvie reclining against the rig as she completed her report. "We'll need more bandages and vials of fentanyl after our next run."

"Copy that," Sylvie nodded, absently chewing on the end of her pen. "What about sharps?"

Eddie peered into the bin. "Yeah, we could use a restock on that, too."

"Noted," Sylvie flipped the paper on her clipboard, starting to write about what they needed. "Uh . . . anything else we need before shift ends in a few hours?"

"We could use hugs!"

Eddie dropped the bin he pulled out at the familiar voice he never expected, and Sylvie's head shot up. A wide grin split her face when she saw the two officers in polos that walked into the firehouse, both with identical smiles. "Finally!" she cheered, dropping her clipboard and sprinting across the apparatus floor, drawing curious looks from everywhere. "You're here!"

"Surprise!" Matt laughed, bracing for Sylvie to crash into them.

She nearly knocked them off their feet when she leaped for them, her arms wrapping around their necks. Kelly's laughter echoed through the firehouse as his arms went around their waists. "I take it you're happy to see us?" he asked.

"Are you kidding?" Sylvie grinned. "We get you to ourselves for who knows how long!"

"Wait," Eddie blinked, picking up the supplies he spilled as he exited the ambulance. "We do?"

"Yeah, you do," Owen nodded, finishing wiping down one of the saws and setting his supplies down. "Captain, Lieutenant, I owe you big for this."

"Oh, no, you don't, sir," Matt shook his head, nuzzling the top of Sylvie's head, admiring her braided bun in the process. "You handed us an opportunity to be with our best friend and work at the same time."

Sylvie giggled happily, snuggling into their hug. "In case anyone hasn't figured it out yet," Owen chuckled fondly, "Captain Casey and Lieutenant Severide will be running the firefighting crews while I'm out on medical leave. While the overall command of the house and the Ladder Company falls to Casey, Severide will be running the Squad Company."

"You're kidding me," Paul's jaw fell open.

"Oh, hell yes!" Buck whooped, punching the air as TK laughed. "We get the CFD's best!"

"I take it that's acceptable?" Kelly smirked.

"Oh, yes," TK nodded eagerly. "Very."

"Sorry if I'm stealing any chance for you to boss the entire house around," Matt looked sheepishly at Judd.

"You're giving me a break, Cap," Judd laughed, extending his hand. "It'll be a pleasure to just be a 2IC again."

Matt grinned, shaking his hand. "In that case, I look forward to the opportunity."

The bells chose to ring at that moment, and Sylvie groaned when she heard the squad company get called. "Oh, come on!"

"Guess we're getting those extra supplies sooner rather than later!" Eddie laughed, running for the driver's seat.

Sylvie huffed, wriggling out from the hug. "You know where the spare key is!" she called as she walked backwards. "You two are staying with me, no arguments!"

"Aye aye, Captain!" Matt saluted.

Sylvie rolled her eyes, climbing into the ambulance as Eddie flipped the sirens on. "You're obviously so disappointed with this development," the man teased.

"Shut up and drive," Sylvie swatted at him. Though as Eddie laughed as he drove out of the station, she settled back in her chair, a satisfied smile on her face. As long as Owen was out on medical leave, she would have Matt and Kelly in Austin.

What was there to be disappointed about?

***

When she arrived back at her loft when shift was finished, her mouth started watering when she smelled the brunch being cooked. "Oh, my God," she sighed in relief, letting her overnight bag drop by the door. "You two are the best, and let no one tell you otherwise."

"We don't, thank you very much," Kelly grinned cheerfully as he came from down the hall, out of his uniform and in a dark red Henley that had no right to look so good on him.

"Did you have time to clean up before you left the firehouse?" Matt asked, looking out from the kitchen.

"Thank God, yes," Sylvie sighed, plopping on the couch and propping her feet up on the armrest. "Literally just enough time to get through the shower before the end of shift. I think I got the motor oil smell off me."

"Motor oil?" Kelly asked in surprise. "Really?"

"We get weird calls in Texas," she sighed.

"You'd think we would know that by now after that whole wedding fiasco," Matt quipped, walking into the living room and extending a plate piled high with breakfast foods to Kelly.

"At least we've seen firsthand the craziness that happens at this house," Kelly chuckled, nudging Sylvie's feet.

She sat back up, taking her plate from Matt and scooting over so both men could sit. "There were crazier ones in Los Angeles," she told them, digging into the omelet Matt had made. "No one's stolen one of the rigs here in Austin. Or duct taped themselves to a billboard. Or had an octopus drop out of a vent and onto their face."

Matt stared at her incredulously. "How the hell does Captain Nash survive?"

"Easy," Sylvie grinned. "His wife."

Kelly snorted into his glass. "Sounds about right."

Sylvie sighed, tucking her legs under her. "You two are really here for the entire time Owen will be out? I mean, he talked to me, Tommy, Judd, and TK about it to make sure we were OK with you coming – "

"And you were against it, right?" Kelly asked with a straight face.

Sylvie flicked a piece of bacon at him, making Matt laugh when it hit his partner in the nose. "Yes, I was against it so much that they all decided you should be stuck with me," she scowled.

"You're stuck with us for however long Owen is out," Matt confirmed.

She relaxed, curling back against the couch. "I can't wait."

She noted that Matt's grip on his fork seemed tighter than usual, then he sighed. "There is something we need to tell you, though."

Sylvie blinked. "It's not bad, is it?" she asked, looking between them.

"We don't think so," Matt shook his head.

"Then what is there to worry about?" she asked.

She seemed genuinely confused by the idea that they were worried about her reaction, and that gave Kelly the confidence needed to take a deep breath and just say what they had to say. "That it might be weird that your best friends are now dating?"

Sylvie blinked once, then twice, then her eyes widened. "Really?" she squeaked, looking between them in shock.

"Yeah," Matt nodded, swallowing. "We are. And we . . . honestly probably should have been earlier."

"I think we've decided Andy was trying to get us together since the academy," Kelly admitted. "We were a bit too idiotic to see it . . . though the rest of my crew did."

Sylvie looked like she was trying to find what to say as her eyes darted from one man to the other, and Matt could almost see the gears in her head try to kick back into motion. "Sylvie?" he asked hesitantly.

"The two of you?" she repeated, pointing between them. "Together? Not with someone else?"

"Not with someone else," Kelly confirmed, biting his tongue to refrain from tacking on a "yet" at the end of the sentence.

Sylvie's megawatt grin could have powered the building. "Oh, my God!" she squealed, dropping her plate on the coffee table so she could hug them, making the two men scramble to drop their own plates. "That – " She couldn't finish her sentence, she was laughing too much. "Oh, that's wonderful!"

Matt imagined the relief he felt was similar to what Atlas would feel if the weight of the sky was taken from his shoulders. "Thanks, Sylvie," he managed to say, hugging her tightly. "We had no idea how you would react."

"Are you kidding?" she pulled back, gripping their shoulders so they couldn't look away from her. "The only thing I want most is for the two of you to be happy. You thought I might be upset if that meant the two of you together? If that's your answer, I'm going to smack both of you on the back of the head."

Matt winced at the thought. "Copy that."

Sylvie sat back, unable to keep a smile off her face. "I'm happy for you," she said sincerely, squeezing their hands. "So wipe away any thoughts that say otherwise, you hear me?"

"We will," Kelly nodded. "Thank you, Sylvie."

"You're welcome," she beamed, returning to her brunch . . . grateful that neither man could hear her inner thoughts. Because she was happy for them, she was beyond happy . . .

But how the hell had she never seen that they were in love with each other?!

***

"Sorry, boys," Pelham smirked, dropping the Jack of Clubs and the Jack, Ace, and King of Spades onto the table. "That's four."

"Oh, come on!" Capp protested as Cruz laughed and adjusted the scoring cards from him and the floater lieutenant. "He's cheating somehow! He has to!"

"I warned you!" Grainger called from where he and Gallo were doing inventory on the truck. "Pelham's a wizard at Euchre. Kicks ass every game he plays, no matter who his partner is . . . even if it's three-person Euchre."

"I believe it," Tony grumbled, gesturing for the cards to be passed to him.

"Next time, we're playing Go Fish or something," Capp decided.

"Sure," Cruz snorted, then looked for his phone when it rang. "Oh, excuse me," he said, standing and walking onto the apron. "Hello?"

"How did I never see that they're in love with each other?!"

Cruz reeled when he heard Sylvie's voice, and he cleared his throat. "I guess Casey and Severide finally reached Austin?"

He heard Sylvie sigh and flop onto something that sounded like a mattress. "Yes, they did," she said. "They made it. And I am grateful I heard it from them and not someone else."

"Yeah, they said they wanted to tell you in person," Cruz nodded, walking to Otis's memorial so he could make sure no one overheard his conversation. "They didn't think you would want to hear over a video or phone call."

"They were right." Sylvie sighed again, and he could picture her running a hand through her hair. "God, I'm happy for them."

"You are?" Cruz smiled.

"Of course I am! There's no one I love in the world more than the two of them, so that the two of them love each other? I'm glad it's with each other and not someone else."

Cruz hesitated, then asked timidly, "What about you?"

Sylvie huffed derisively. "What about me?"

Cruz facepalmed. "Sylvie, if only you knew the number of bets around Chicago that involve figuring out the puzzle that is you, Casey, and Severide . . . and I know you. I know you've been in love with them for . . . well, I don't even think I know how long."

There was silence on the other end for a few seconds. "I don't know," she admitted. "I mean . . . "

She sounded so lost, and Cruz wished he could be in Austin to hug her. "Sylvie, you can be happy for them and still see if there's any possible way for something to happen between all three of you," he told her.

"Can I?" she asked with a huff. "I didn't even see they were in love with each other before now!"

"So how can you know they don't see you that way if you don't try and find out?" Cruz asked. "Hell, Severide said part of the reason they agreed to be in Austin was so they had the chance to be with you again.

"I'm their best friend, Joe," Sylvie argued weakly.

"And maybe you're not the only one who's had thoughts about being something more," Cruz told her gently. "But you won't know that unless you find out."

He was worried she may have hung up on him, she was quiet for so long. "Alright," she finally whispered.

Cruz blinked. "Come again?" he asked, starting to smile.

"OK," Sylvie said louder. "Fine. You're right. I'll . . . I'll try and see if it's possible."

Cruz could have whooped, he was so delighted. "You won't regret it, Sylvie," he promised.

"I better not, Joe," Sylvie warned. "Because I can't handle this going wrong and losing both of them if it goes south."

***

We're getting a little progress here! XD And to those of you wondering when this slow burn will end . . . I promise, Brettseyride will be established by the end of the book. There's no way I'm doing all this work just to disappoint you before the next book.

Now we're moving along with the 9-1-1: Lone Star storyline. "Slow Burn" is next chapter!

graphic by marvelity