Boy, it's amazing how quickly you can whip up a chapter when it's practically all just following a canon episode XD Owen finds out good news and bad news regarding his surgery, Kelly takes the reins for a tense call, Owen gets bored out of his mind, Marjan faces some Instagram trouble, and the three arsonist chasers are back at it.

Trigger warning: this chapter, like in the episode, contains the attempted suicide of a character. If you wish to avoid this part of the chapter, I advise you to stop reading when Marjan breaks into the house and continue after the scene break.

With that said, enjoy "Slow Burn!"

***

If there was one thing Owen hated more than hospitals in general, it was waking up in a hospital and getting light shone in his eyes the moment he first woke.

"Dad?" TK was instantly by his side as Owen winced, trying to shield his eyes from the light. "Oh, good. You're awake."

"Hey, son," Owen gave a weak smile. "Good to see you."

"Good to see you, too," TK smiled, helping Owen adjust the bed. "Dr. Jacobs is going to be back soon. She'll be happy to see you."

"I'll be glad to see her, too," Owen agreed, wincing as he shifted in his bed.

As if on cue, Jacobs stepped into the room, knocking lightly on the door. "Captain Strand," she greeted. "Good to see you're up."

"It's good to see you, Dr. Jacobs," he smiled.

"How you feeling?"

Owen experimentally shifted again. "If I were in the game of Operation, I wouldn't have buzzed once," he decided.

Jacobs chuckled. "Well, I am afraid to say you would have one time, unfortunately."

TK gulped. "Is there a complication?"

"No, not a complication, exactly," Jacobs shook her head. "Just, during surgery, we discovered your tumor was larger than we anticipated."

"What does that mean?" Owen asked worriedly. "Did you get everything?"

"Absolutely," Jacobs hurried to assure him. "It just means that your recovery will take longer than we expected."

"So . . . " Owen trailed off. "How long are we talking here?"

"Three to four weeks," Jacobs answered.

"Three to four weeks?!" Owen balked. "I can't be away from work that long! The taxpayers need me!"

"Dad, I'm sure the taxpayers will understand," TK snickered.

"Well, until your O-levels return to normal, you will experience shortness of breath, fatigue, coughing," Jacobs listed. "But the good news is all you need to do to feel better is to kick your legs up and relax."

Owen grimaced, and TK laughed. "That's not good news for my dad!"

Jacobs shrugged. "Well, either way, the takeaway here is it was a success." Owen nodded in agreement. "Now, I will want to keep you overnight, but you should be good to go tomorrow."

"Alright," Owen nodded. "Well thank you, Doctor."

"You're so welcome," Jacobs smiled, waving to TK as she headed out the door.

As soon as it clicked shut, Owen looked at TK in disbelief. "Four weeks?" he repeated. "That's like, two fortnights!"

"Eh, don't worry," TK chuckled, patting his arm. "We'll find a way to pass the time." He perked up, reaching next to his chair. "Oh! That reminds me." He popped back up with a box in his hands, the lid wrapped in a bow. "Carlos and I brought you something."

Owen chuckled fondly. "You guys . . . you didn't have to do that."

"You can just take the lid off," TK pointed.

Owen removed the lid, peering into the box and blinking in surprise. "It's a puzzle," he remarked, picking it up to examine it.

TK looked at his face, and he swallowed. "You hate it."

"No!" Owen hastened to say. "I love it! Look, it . . . I love poker and I love dogs, and I have both of them right here." He looked at the design, whistling lowly. "I haven't done one of these since I was seven."

"Yeah, 'cause you haven't sat still long enough to try one," TK snorted. "And here's a tip: start with the corners." Owen smirked, nodding as he put the puzzle aside. He looked up when he heard something beep rapidly, and TK grinned, picking up the tablet on the table. "And I believe this is for you."

Owen took the tablet, already guessing what he was going to see. Sure enough, when the call connected, he was greeted by the anxious faces of Buck, Sylvie, Eddie, and the rest of the ladder crew. "There he is!" Paul whooped.

"What up?" Marjan grinned.

"Looking good for getting out of surgery, Cap!" Sylvie beamed.

"You guys are the best," Owen sighed happily.

"How you doing, Cap?" Judd asked.

"Isn't that a question for Casey?" Owen quipped.

"Hey, I'm just a poor substitute for the real deal," Matt appeared over Sylvie, his hands resting on her shoulders. "And good to see you survived."

"And you look good in Austin black," Owen nodded in approval, making Matt roll his eyes. Indeed, both Matt and Kelly had gotten Austin uniforms for their time at the 126, and Owen swore Sylvie had almost started drooling when she saw them for the first time in full uniform. TK hadn't stopped teasing her for hours. "And the rest of you?"

"Judd said he was gonna sell your espresso machine for a mechanical bull," Paul joked.

Mateo brightened as Judd glowered at Paul. "That would be so dope!"

"You sure that wasn't Casey's idea?" Kelly appeared next, grinning as he handed out coffee mugs to Matt and Sylvie.

"Shut up!" Matt narrowed his eyes.

Owen huffed. "You guys are so fired." He got innocent looks in response, and Owen pointed at Mateo. "Probie, did you water the philodendron in the house this morning?"

"Gesundheit," Eddie deadpanned.

Buck laughed as Mateo thought. "I almost did," he nodded. "But I remembered to water the dog, though!"

Owen winced. "Close enough. Doc says I'll be home by tomorrow, by the way."

"Cool!" Mateo grinned. "I'll have the tequila standing by."

"Hey!" TK popped into the frame, scowling as Owen nodded eagerly. "No booze while he's on painkillers."

"Alright, so home by tomorrow," Matt leaned down. "Give us the worst, Cap. How long do Sev and I have to hold down the fort until you're back at the firehouse?"

"I'm shooting for ten days," Owen nodded.

TK snorted loudly. "No, it's three weeks, minimum. And that's pushing it."

"Hey, more time with Brett for us," Kelly shrugged.

Sylvie blushed bright red, making Eddie laugh. "Well, hey, take your time, Cap," Judd told him. "There ain't nothing to worry about, alright? Casey and Severide have it handled, and it's been pretty quiet around here – "

The bells started ringing before he finished the sentence, and everyone groaned. "Oh, come on," Eddie closed his eyes. "Not again!"

"Hell yeah!" Sylvie laughed, jumping to her feet. "Come on!"

"Why'd you have to jinx it, Judd?" Paul sighed in annoyance.

"Have fun storming the castle!" Owen laughed.

"And thanks for filling in for me, Marj!" TK added.

"Happy to run with the adrenaline junkies!" Marjan gave him a thumbs up, running behind Kelly and Buck.

***

"In all honesty, Marjan, thanks for making my job a little easier," Kelly said through the radio as Buck navigated traffic behind EMS 99. "It's been weird enough with just me, Buck, and TK. I have no clue what it would've been like if it was just me and Buck while TK's helping his dad settle in."

"Glad to be of assistance, Lieutenant," Marjan smiled from the back. "Hell, you can have me whenever you want."

Buck snickered. "You do remember he's dating the captain, right?"

Marjan scowled. "Mind out of the gutter, Buckley. Mind out of the gutter."

Buck just laughed as he parked, seeing Sylvie and Eddie leave the ambulance. Tommy and Nancy were already at work, having been out of the firehouse on another call beforehand. Kelly jumped down from the officer's seat, looking around at the wreckage around them, then walked to join Tommy. "Welcome to the show, Lieutenant," Tommy quipped.

"Yeah, a show that's gonna go for another month," Kelly remarked as Matt joined them.

"A month?" Tommy balked. "Is he OK?"

"He looked fine," Matt shrugged. "And Sylvie seemed happy with what she saw, so . . . " He shielded his eyes against the sun, looking around. "Give it to us."

"Car blew out a tire," Tommy pointed. "Hit the guardrail, spun out and clipped the truck that was towing the boat."

Kelly tilted his head to the side, frowning. "What truck?"

Tommy snorted, pointing over the railing. "That truck."

Matt and Kelly peered over the railing, and Matt winced when he saw the truck dangling from the chain used to tow the boat. "Oh, geez . . . rescue scene, Sev. Call it."

Kelly nodded. "Back the ladder up, that chain isn't gonna last long." Matt nodded, turning and starting to bark orders to Judd, Paul, and Mateo. "Buckley, Marwani, harness up," Kelly continued, looking at his crew. "Make it fast."

"Yes, sir," they nodded, running back to the rig.

"Hey, Cap?" Mateo called. "You think we should put the rescue cushion out on the ground?"

Matt looked down and grimaced, shaking his head as he heard the screams from those inside the truck. "No point when we're this high up," he said grimly. "Let's get the winches!"

"Copy!" Judd nodded.

***

"Zombie Paradise?" Buck snorted as he looked at the name of the boat. "Interesting name for a boat."

"You'll have to ask them when we get down there," Marjan snickered as she finished clipping her helmet into place. "Let's do it."

"Hey, it's FireFox!" one of the spectators called excitedly, and Marjan looked to see a camera phone pointed at her. "Are you FireFox?" the owner asked.

Marjan smiled as she pulled her gloves on. "Guilty."

"Oh, my God, you guys," the man gulped. "She's, like, the Serena Williams of firefighters. Say something to my followers! 9,000 are watching. Please?"

"Uh . . . " Marjan thought quickly as she followed Buck towards the railing. "Keep calm, carry on, and feel free to like me on Insta. Anyways . . . " She pointed to the railing as Paul hooked a line to her harness. "Going down!"

Matt checked the lines, then nodded. "Winches are ready!"

"Right," Kelly checked the truck down below, then looked between Buck and Marjan. "Stay light and stay sharp. If that truck starts to go, get out of there. Don't play hero if it means it'll get you killed."

Marjan made a face. "Kind of in the job description, no?"

"Marwani," Kelly warned. She sighed and nodded, then Kelly nodded to Mateo, who was in charge of the winch. "Ready!"

"Slow and steady, Chavez," Matt warned.

Mateo nodded, adjusting the lines. "Good," Judd nodded.

"Austin Fire!" Marjan called as she headed for the driver's side. "We're coming to you!"

"Oh, thank God," a woman's voice gasped. "Please hurry!"

Buck sniffed, then grimaced. "Marjan, can you smell that?"

"Yeah," Marjan eyed the car, watching liquid trickle down the side. "Fuel." She reached the driver's window, then clicked her radio. "Alright, topside, we're good!"

"Kill it!" Kelly ordered.

The lines stopped, and Buck leaned in. "Austin FD," he said. "We're gonna get you out of here, OK? I just need you to remain still."

"OK," the woman took a deep breath, turning to the man in the driver's seat. "I told you they'd make it in time."

"Yes, you did, baby," he smiled. "Yes, you did."

"Is anybody hurt or in pain?" Marjan tried to look inside.

The woman examined herself, then shook her head. "Just some scrapes."

The man looked down. "My legs are pinned under the wheel."

Buck nodded, reaching for the door handle. "We're gonna open the door now, alright?"

Marjan reached for her radio as she opened the door. "Driver's legs are pinned under the wheel," she reported, trying to jiggle the wheel. "Send down the Jaws, topside."

"Copy," Matt answered.

Marjan smiled at the man. "Hey, don't sweat it," she told him. "They're sending me down the tool that's gonna pop this right off. My name's Marjan, and that's Buck."

"McKenna," the woman told her. "My husband's Brady."

"Husband?" Buck parroted, looking between the young couple. "You two are babies!" McKenna giggled. "How long you been married?"

"Four years this July," Brady answered.

Buck chuckled. "Congrats." He tested the leeway on McKenna's seatbelt, then looked at her. "Can you unbuckle your seatbelt for me?"

She reached over to try, and she shook her head. "No. it's stuck."

"Alright, no worries," Buck pulled a switchblade from his harness. "I'm gonna cut you out, OK?"

"Jaws are coming down the line, Marj!" Paul reported.

Marjan nodded, looking up to watch Paul carefully lower the tool. "You're doing great," she told Brady encouragingly. "You're almost out of here."

"The chain won't be able to hold that truck much longer," Judd warned.

"Copy that," Marjan nodded.

"So, four years this young, huh?" Buck asked. "What made you decide to rush in?"

"Sounds crazy, right?" Brady chuckled. "Doing it so young?"

"Not to me," Marjan smirked. "I got engaged when I was twelve."

"She's not lying," Buck smirked as he sawed away at the belt. "I even met the guy."

"Wow," McKenna chuckled. "My parents said I should wait until I figured out who I really was, but I knew. I wanted to be his partner."

Buck smiled, seeing the four paramedics lined up at the railing, ready for their patients. "I know that feeling." The seatbelt finally broke away, and he pocketed the knife. "Time to go, alright? I want you to wrap your arms around me."

McKenna gulped, and Brady squeezed her hand. "Hey, you got this, McKenna."

McKenna took a shaky breath, then nodded. "OK." She leaned forward, and Buck carefully grabbed hold of her. "What about Brady?" she asked.

"He'll be right behind you," Marjan promised.

"I'll see you up there," Brady added.

"You better," McKenna smiled weakly. "Love you."

"You, too," Brady nodded.

McKenna wrapped around Buck, and Buck adjusted his hold on her before clicking his radio. "Topside, ready to go!" McKenna flinched when the line drew them up, and Buck landed lightly on the side of the bridge as Kelly moved to help take McKenna. "Good job, McKenna," Buck smiled.

"McKenna?" Kelly repeated, and Buck nodded. "Alright, McKenna, I'm Lieutenant Kelly Severide. This is Captain Tommy Vega and her partner, Nancy Gillian. They'll take good care of you."

"Hi, McKenna," Tommy smiled in greeting, stepping forward to take her hand. "Come with us – "

"No!" McKenna immediately shook her head, spinning around. "I can't leave my husband!"

"We'll bring him up," Kelly assured her.

"Sit down right here," Tommy led her to the bumper of the ladder rig. "You're gonna catch your breath. I'm not worried. He's in good hands."

"Seriously," Nancy grinned. "Marjan is a boss."

***

The buzz of the Jaws droned on, and Marjan looked at Brady, remembering what she had told Buck. "So, Zombie Paradise?" she asked.

"What?" Brady blinked.

"Your boat," Marjan looked up. "What's it mean?"

"Uh . . . dumb joke between McKenna and I," he grinned weakly. "The boat is our escape plan in case of a zombie apocalypse."

Marjan laughed at the thought. "What major body of water are you hoping to escape to in Austin? Lake Travis?"

Brady blushed, watching her finish with the Jaws. "I guess we just didn't think it through – "

"Marwani!" Kelly called through the radio.

That was all the warning she had before she heard the telltale snapping of chains, and she pushed off the truck as it plummeted down to the road below. Marjan clung to the rope, desperate to hang on, and she could only watch as the truck hit the road nose first and erupt into a fireball, the leaking fuel finally igniting.

Up above, McKenna wailed in grief, slumping in Tommy's arms, Nancy staring down in horror. Sylvie and Eddie, who had been waiting with Kelly and Matt, stared in shock, Sylvie's hand covering her mouth, Eddie gripping the rail like a lifeline. Matt swallowed hard, silently gesturing for Mateo to start reeling Marjan back to the bridge, and it was a somber crew that greeted the woman when she finally got back to the bridge, her face still frozen in disbelief.

***

"He was 26 years old," Kelly sighed, accepting the glass of tequila that Owen slid his way. "Married with a wife who loved him." He took a long gulp of the drink, then showed Owen a tiny gap between his fingers. "Marwani was that close to getting him out when the chain gave way."

"How's she doing?" Owen asked.

"I have to hand it to her, she's strong," Matt complimented, sitting on Kelly's other side and taking his hand. "Stoic, but strong. Doesn't look like it's the first time she's lost someone in her career."

"It's not," Sylvie shook her head with a sigh. "Doesn't make a new one any less rough, though."

"Isn't that the truth," Kelly snorted. "We're off to a great start here, aren't we?"

"Don't," Matt warned, giving him a look. "Don't start going through the what-ifs, Kelly."

"Oh, like what if we tried securing the truck before I sent Buck and Marjan down?" Kelly scoffed. "Too late, Matt. I was going down that path long before we finished the shift."

"I've seen rescues end up worse than this with more time," Sylvie told them. "There was no time to secure the truck, Kelly. You know that."

"You saved the passenger, right?" Owen asked. When Kelly nodded, Owen leaned back in satisfaction. "That's what you should focus on. If you'd had delayed that rescue, you could've lost them both."

"We're never gonna know the what-ifs," Matt sighed, taking a drink of his own. "That's the curse of being the officer in charge."

Kelly smirked. "Maybe I really shouldn't ever go for a captain's badge."

Matt laughed. "Kelly, you'll keep being in charge for squad calls. That's never gonna change, whether you have one bugle or two."

"We don't have these helmets because we know all of the answers," Owen nodded. "We have them because we can be decisive, even when we don't have the answers . . . and then live with the consequences."

Sylvie hummed quietly, face dropping as she thought of the decision she made that led to Tim's death. "Heavy is the head that wears that helmet," she murmured.

"Why's it gotta be heavier in a different department?" Kelly huffed, finishing his drink.

"Hey, I asked you two to hold down the fort because I know who you are," Owen pointed between him and Matt. "Hold those heads high, you got it?"

Matt chuckled. "Copy that, Cap."

Kelly set his glass down with a sigh. "Semper anticus."

"Always forward," Sylvie translated with a smile.

Kelly smirked at her. "You go, girl."

She preened, and Owen stood, turning to hide a smile as he headed for the coffee pot. "Anything besides tequila?" he asked.

"Nah, I think I'm good until tonight," Kelly shook his head. "Speaking of holding down the fort . . . how'd you hold up on your first day off?"

"Relaxing," Owen answered after a moment. "I did some tai chi, finally started that Churchill biography I've been meaning to get into . . . " He tapped the box on the table. "And TK got me a little puzzle."

"Clearly, it's so much fun that you want to wait to open it," Matt raised an eyebrow at the shrink-wrap.

Sylvie giggled, and Owen glared at the interim captain. "I'll get to it!"

"You're climbing up the walls, aren't you?" Sylvie grinned.

"Yeah," Owen sighed, grinning sheepishly as the three officers burst into laughter. "Yeah, I am. Though Judd did give me an idea of what to do."

"Really?" Matt tilted his head.

"Yeah," Owen rejoined them at the counter. "He recommended calling Billy Tyson."

The name was unfamiliar to Matt and Kelly, but Sylvie's face twisted. "The captain of the 121?" she asked. "Your best frenemy?

"That's the one," Owen nodded. "Wasn't too sure about that idea after – " He paused, seeing the confusion from Matt and Kelly, and he cleared his throat. "Well. You know."

Matt looked at Sylvie in bewilderment, and she shrugged, looking down into her glass as she swirled the liquid inside around. "If it gives you something to do, Owen, go ahead," she told him. "I'm not the boss of you."

Owen grinned. "One benefit of being off work, I suppose."

"Yeah, now we're subjected to her," Kelly rolled his eyes. "Again."

"Yeah, so don't make me have to patch you up and send you to the hospital," Sylvie narrowed her eyes. "You got that?"

Kelly's eyebrows raised, and he gave her a smirk. "Aye aye, Captain."

Owen smothered his grin when he saw Sylvie's cheeks flush as she ducked her head. Honestly, how did she not know these boys were flirting with her?

***

"Thyroid cancer came roaring back after the holidays," Billy explained as he walked into his living room, two mugs of drinks in his hands. "At first, I thought I had the flu." He paused as he sat down. "It was pneumonia instead."

"Ugh," Owen grimaced, accepting the espresso handed to him.

"Anyway, this time it spread to my lymph nodes," Billy explained, sipping his drink.

"I'm so sorry to hear that, Billy," Owen sighed, taking a sip of his own.

"I owe you an apology, too," Billy pointed out. "Or, well . . . your new paramedic captain."

Owen gave a small smirk. "Not so new anymore."

"Rumor has it," Billy nodded. "Chief paramedic of the house, I hear? Sounds like she deserves it."

"She does," Owen agreed with a proud smile. "Though it'd be better for you to tell her that and not me." He paused. "Maybe not in front of the interims."

"Interims?" Billy parroted, narrowing his eyes. "Does that have anything to do with why you're playing hooky from work and coming to see me in my humble abode?"

Owen snorted. "There's'nothing humble about this abode," he quipped, looking around the living room as Billy huffed. "I mean that as a compliment . . . particularly if you like antlers."

"Alright, smartass," Billy grumbled, pointing to the pair of longhorns mounted up above the fireplace "You're gonna be the next head up on that wall."

Owen held up his hands defensively, unable to keep from snickering. As much as Billy grated on his nerves at times, he found he had missed having the other man to go toe-to-toe with. "I had my wedge resection surgery," he explained. "So while I'm convalescing, I snagged a pair of officers from Sylvie's old firehouse to run the 126."

Billy nodded thoughtfully. "So you're officially cancer-free?"

"Yeah," Owen nodded before adding, "for now."

Billy stared at him, then chuckled, raising his mug in a toast. "Well, hell, buddy, that is . . . that's great news. Good for you, man. I mean it."

Owen heard the sincerity, and he returned it with a smile. "Thank you. Thank you, Billy."

"How long you supposed to be convalescing?" Billy asked.

Owen shrugged. "Two weeks or so."

Billy stared long and hard at him. "They told you a month, right?" he smirked.

Owen let out a startled laugh, surprised Billy had nailed it right on the head. "Yeah," he nodded. "They pretty much did."

"For working dogs like us, that might as well be an eternity," Billy sighed wistfully.

"But I'm gonna keep busy," Owen said confidently. "I have some mediation tapes. I'm gonna paint my bathroom, and, uh . . . maybe re-pot some plants."

Billy rolled his eyes so hard, Owen thought his eyes might fall out of his head. "Good God, New York, I got a triple espresso right here, and you're still putting me to sleep."

Owen opened his mouth to respond, but Billy's phone chirping made him pause. Billy reached over and turned his phone on, and Owen blinked in surprise when he heard the familiar voice of an Austin dispatcher. "All units be advised, Code 2, 1376 Cherokee Lane."

Owen looked at Billy in surprise, pointing at his phone inquisitively. "Austin Emergency Dispatch," Billy explained.

Owen blinked. "They have an app for that?"

"Yeah, there's an app for that," Billy chuckled, holding up his hand. "Shh."

Owen tilted his head, listening to the report. "10-35 in progress. Suspect is highly dangerous – "

Billy looked disappointed as he closed the app. "It's just a hostage situation. No fire."

"Do you jump on that every time you hear a siren?" Owen asked curiously.

Billy had the grace to look guilty. "It's kind of pathetic, isn't it? Getting a little rush just from tuning in."

"Yeah," Owen nodded in understanding. "But I can't imagine it's very good for your mental health."

"Maybe not," Billy conceded. "But at this point, I will take anything that helps me forget."

"That you have cancer?"

Billy shook his head. "That I'm a dog who can't hunt."

***

"Alright," TK rubbed his hands together, surveying the line-up of dishes on the counter. "We got potato cheese balls, wasabi peas for Marjan, sunflower seeds for Paul, Nancy's beef jerky, Buck's frozen grapes are in the freezer, and there are those chocolate-covered cashews Nancy swears Maddie loves to snack on at work. I think we're all set." Carlos merely hummed, and TK frowned, seeing his face. "What?"

"I don't know," Carlos rubbed the back of his neck. "Is a board game really the right idea for tonight?"

TK blinked, confused. "Why wouldn't it be?"

"It just feels weird, after what Marjan went through, to act like nothing's wrong."

"Well, the whole point is to act like nothing's wrong," TK reminded him. "I mean, I'm sure she's cried enough for one day, alright? So we're gonna give her a good time and get her mind off of it, so don't bring it up, OK?" He thought of something else, and he held up his hand. "And whatever you do, do not give her the Carlos cow eyes."

Carlos's eyebrows raised. "The Carlos cow eyes?" he repeated.

"You know, when you get all lovey and concerned," TK listed, ducking his head to avoid looking at Carlos as his boyfriend leaned on the counter, nodding attentively. "Soulful, big brown eyes – "

"Mmmhmm?" Carlos smiled innocently.

TK bit his lip. "Absolutely wrecks people," he finished.

"You think they're soulful?" Carlos smirked.

"Shut up!" TK groaned, playfully shoving Carlos's face away from him.

He turned when there was a knock on the door, and he jogged over, opening it to see Buck, Marjan, Nancy, and Maddie standing there and waiting. "Hey, hey!" Marjan grinned.

"We heard there's a party going on?" Maddie giggled, holding up a bottle of wine as Buck held up a six-pack of their favorite beer.

TK laughed, backing up. "Come on in!"

***

"Let's go, let's go!" Carlos urged later as TK rolled the dice onto the Catan board.

TK whooped when he saw where it landed, drawing groans from the other party members. "Two wheats, babe! This is it!"

"Come on!" Carlos cheered. "Now we can build that city!"

"Oh, my God!" Nancy groaned as Maddie dropped her head onto her shoulder. "They're going to win again!"

"Rigged!" Buck declared from where he sat by Mateo. "I'm calling it. This is rigged."

"Yes!" Marjan pointed at him in agreement from where she partnered with Paul. "Rigged!"

"Yeah, you know what, y'all?" Paul looked around the circle. "How about we start an alliance to take down this whole Tarlos juggernaut or whatever's going on over here?"

"Hell, yeah," Marjan nodded eagerly.

"I'm in," Mateo agreed. "Buck, can I trade you three sheep for a brick?"

"Deal," Buck slid the required card over.

"Hey, whoa, whoa!" TK glared at him. "Not fair!"

"Hey, if I don't get my usual partner tonight because he's with Chris, then I'm playing how I wanna play," Buck countered, popping a frozen grape into his mouth.

"Besides, it's all over," Maddie gestured helplessly to the Catan board. "Unless Marjan draws another knight card, and what are the odds of that?"

Marjan rubbed her hands together and drew from the pile of cards, and she laughed victoriously and slammed it on the table face-up. "Knight, suckas!"

"Oh!" Buck jeered as TK's jaw dropped.

"Who's got the largest army now?" Marjan taunted with a grin. "I believe that makes ten points, so . . . game over!"

"This calls for celebratory libations!" Paul declared, standing from his chair. "Who wants a refill?"

"Beer me, bro," Nancy held up her empty bottle.

"Please," Mateo agreed, holding out his. "Thank you so much."

Maddie shook her head, giggling as she sipped her wine, then she saw Marjan check her phone . . . which consistently dinged every second. "What's got you blowing up over there?" she wondered.

"Probably going viral again," Nancy shrugged.

Marjan swallowed, continuing to watch her phone, and as the dinging increased, Buck watched the woman's face continue to fall. "What's wrong?" he asked, scooting closer.

"People are being really mean," she answered, showing him her screen.

Buck balked at the message she pulled up. "She should change her name from FireFox to Glory Hog?" He did a double take when another notification popped up, quick enough for him to see before Marjan took her phone back. "And who the hell just called you Thirsty FD?"

"What?" Maddie blanched.

"The hell's happening?" TK demanded.

"I don't know," Marjan shook her head, tapping on her screen. "But I keep getting tagged in this video . . . "

She trailed off when she pulled up the clip, and Buck gulped. "Wait a minute . . . that's – "

"It's the girl from the truck," Marjan whispered, tapping the button to play.

McKenna sniffed, tears in her eyes and her voice as she spoke. "Hey, it's McKenna. A lot of you probably heard I lost the love of my life. I didn't think this week could get any worse . . . but it did." She held up a picture of herself in a wedding dress with Brady, and Buck felt Marjan flinch. "Because I just found out while Brady and I were hanging a hundred feet off the ground, terrified . . . the firefighter who was supposed to save us was taking her sweet time flexing for the cameras. Meet FireFox, you guys."

Marjan flinched when the video of her giving the message to the guy on scene popped up, and Buck shook his head. "They were still prepping the lines when that was recorded!"

"I don't think she knows or cares about that," Maddie said quietly.

"FireFox, you should be ashamed of yourself," McKenna spat, and Paul's nostrils flared as Carlos squeezed Marjan's shoulder. "You care more about likes than people's lives! 'Going down?' Hilarious. Well, I hope everyone who sees this video makes sure you go down, because it's what you deserve."

Marjan dropped her phone with a whimper, burying her face in her hands as Nancy and Maddie hugged her from each side.

***

Owen lasted all of thirty minutes before he switched from his meditative recordings to the Austin Emergency Dispatch app Billy had shared with him. The day seemed to fly as he listened to the drone of dispatchers on calls, and before he knew it, he had not only finished painting his bathroom and re-potted the plants, he had also finished the puzzle that TK and Carlos had bought for him.

The sun had dipped below the horizon and the sky was darkening as he walked down the street, heading for the coffee shop, AirPods still in his ears as he listened. "Ladder 120, they're saying that the car knocked the hydrant clean off," the dispatcher was saying.

The beep signaling an incoming call interrupted the report, and Owen tapped his AirPod, switching to the other line. "Hello?" he asked.

"Hey, Dad," TK greeted. "Where are you? Are you jogging?"

"No, no, I'm just out for a walk," Owen told him. "Trying to get my wind back."

"If you're tired, Dr. Jacobs said not to push it, OK?" TK reminded him.

"Oh, no, I feel fine," Owen promised. "Hey, I started the puzzle! You're right. Beginning in the corners? Game changer."

"Really?" TK sounded delighted. "I'm so glad! Hey, uh . . . Carlos and I were wondering if you wanted to join us for dinner this week with his parents so, you know, we could get to know each other without anybody getting shot this time."

Owen chuckled, glad they were now able to comfortably joke about the EMS 99 hostage situation. "Well, I'd love that," he said. "You name the place and time. I'll be there."

"OK, I'll text you," TK responded. "Oh, and Dad? You really do sound great."

"I feel great!" Owen chirped with a smile, stepping into the store. He found the drink he was looking for, and he plopped it in front of the cashier. "Hi," he nodded to her.

"Hi," she nodded back, seeing the drink. "That'll be $3.25."

Owen nodded, handing her the required money, then paused when he heard the new dispatch alert. "Ladder 126, Squad 9, EMS 126, EMS 99, respond to reported smoke at 1840 Pecos Avenue."

"1840 Pecos?" he repeated, looking at the cashier. "That's right nearby."

"Uh, yeah," the cashier nodded and pointed. "I think it's, like, three blocks that way – "

Owen was out the door in a flash, ignoring her calls to return for his juice. He took off jogging, ignoring the burning in his healing lungs. If there was a fire nearby, he could do what he could before the 126 arrived.

He rounded the corner to see the building in flames, and he swallowed, hurrying up to the open utilities van. "Hey!" he called. "Hey, anybody here?" He heard a clatter past the van, and he looked to see a hooded man stagger out of the building, dusting himself off. A sinking feeling filled Owen, and he knew that feeling was right when the man took one look at him and started running. "Hey!" he barked. "Stop!"

It was no use; the man was already gone before he could even take a step. Another door slammed open nearby, and Owen turned to see another man stumble outside, clothing engulfed in flames. Thinking quickly, Owen grabbed a towel out of the back of the van, and he pushed the man to the ground, patting out the flames as quickly as he could. "I got you!" he shouted, wincing as the man screamed. "Hold still!" The flames finally extinguished, and he dropped the charred towel on the ground. "Is there anyone else in there?" he asked.

"Gerald," the man gasped. "He was in the back. He's trapped in the back!"

"OK," Owen nodded, looking up at the burning building. "OK, all right. You hold still. Help is on the way!"

He burst into the back, using the hood of his hoodie to cover his nose and mouth. He squinted through the flames, calling through the fabric. "Gerald!" he bellowed. "Gerald, are you in here? Gerald?" Something shining on the wall caught his eye, and he paused, seeing what looked like trickling liquid. He narrowed, his eyes, thinking fast to put things together. There was no way this was water; it would have evaporated in the fire.

"Over here!" a voice shouted, and Owen ran around the wall, seeing a man in overalls stumble around. "Help! I can't see! I can't see!"

"Stop!" Owen maneuvered around to reach him. "Stop running! I'm coming to you!"

The man dropped to the ground, coughing hoarsely. "Over here!"

"I'm right here," Owen promised, crouching down and touching his shoulders.

The man's head darted back and forth. "I can't see!"

"I think you had a flashover," Owen explained. "It can make you temporarily blind." The man balked, and Owen turned around, looking around for something to cover him. He found a well-made blanket, and he whipped it off the box, wrapping it around the man's head. "OK, put this over your face and try not to breathe!"

The man nodded weakly, and Owen bent and picked the man up in a fireman's carry, making his way back through the flames. He made it out and laid the man on the ground just before the store erupted in an inferno.

He stared in shock at the rolling flames, barely hearing the sirens of the approaching rigs. "Brett, Diaz, these two need medical!" Matt's voice was easily recognized. "Ryder, Marwani, let's get that two and a half hooked up – "

"Owen?" Sylvie's astonished voice asked.

Owen turned, smiling sheepishly as Sylvie halted in her tracks, Eddie staring wide-eyed at him before moving to help the two workers. "Hey, Sylvie."

"Captain Strand?" Matt frowned, walking up. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"I was in the area," Owen shrugged.

"Talk about Johnny on the Spot," Paul quipped, moving to help Mateo.

"Look, we're dealing with arson," Owen began, hearing the sirens as the rest of the 126 approached. "I saw signs of accelerant in there, so be careful."

"OK," Matt nodded, narrowing his eyes and thinking through the next steps. "Brett, check him out."

"Copy," Sylvie nodded, slinging her bag off her shoulder.

"No, no, no, I'm good," Owen waved her off, turning to the bewildered ladder crew as Squad 9 and EMS 126 pulled into the lot. "Alright, fire began in the northwest corner – "

"Captain Strand," Matt began.

" – so let's concentrate on that wall – "

"Captain Strand – !"

"Paul, Mateo, get up that ladder – "

"Captain Strand!" Matt's voice thundered over the crackle of flames, and Owen saw the entirety of the 126 stiffen to attention at the bark. Owen himself froze where he stood, and he turned to see the other captain with his eyes narrowed. "Captain Strand," he repeated in a calmer, but no less furious voice. "You need to get out of the street, now. You aren't the captain tonight, and you aren't even a firefighter. Right now, you're a civilian, which means you've got to go. So let Brett check you out and leave the scene to us. That's an order."

Paul and Marjan stared at Matt in barely constrained awe; Mateo's clear admiration was obvious on his face. Judd looked back and forth between the two captains like he was watching a tennis match, and Buck and TK had matching deer-in-headlights looks. Kelly, on the other hand, was grinning smugly at Matt's words, and Sylvie's jaw hung open.

Owen took a deep breath, then nodded. "Copy that, Captain," he told Matt earnestly. "It's your scene. You're right."

Matt nodded curtly, then turned to Sylvie. "Check him out back at your rig."

Sylvie fumbled to regain her composure, and she weakly nodded. "Copy," she cleared her throat, taking Owen by the arm.

"And Captain?" Owen looked at Matt. "Give 'em hell."

Matt smirked. "I always do."

***

"Are you an idiot?"

Owen winced when he heard the yell that came from his phone, and he scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "In my defense – "

"No," Olivia cut across him. "No defense, Owen. You just had surgery a few days ago, and your doctor said you shouldn't work for four weeks. What the hell made you think running into a fire was a good idea?"

"Because it's Owen Strand, who can't sit still when it comes to fires," Elliot said dryly.

"I wasn't looking for an answer from you, Elliot!"

"Look, I was right down the block when it happened," Owen told them. "What was I supposed to do, nothing?"

"Call it in?" Olivia snarled. "Not risk doing more harm to your lungs than the cancer and surgery already did?"

"She's right, Owen," Elliot said. "Look, I get wanting to run head-on into the fire, I do. But next time, how about you do it in full gear when you're leading the house again?"

Owen looked up when he heard footsteps approaching, and he saw Matt and Kelly in deep conversation with a man in an AFD jacket, his badge around his neck. "Alright, I need to go," he told them. "Thanks for your concern. I promise, I'm fine."

"You better be, or I'm having Elliot fly to Austin and shoot you in my place," Olivia threatened.

"Oh, great," Elliot snickered. "I'll have Jet cover my tracks."

Owen hung up the phone, then stood as Matt entered. "Captain Strand, this is AFD Arson Investigator Dennis Raymond," he introduced, and Owen shook the man's hand. "He's here to take your statement about what you saw at the fire last night."

"Good to meet you, Investigator," Owen nodded.

"It's an honor," Raymond smiled. "I've been following your career since you got to Austin." He turned around. "Do you mind if I use your desk, Captain Casey?"

Owen raised an eyebrow. "You mean our desk?"

Kelly grinned, pointing to the table that had been set up opposite the desk. "Yeah, sure, give Casey the desk and let me fend for myself."

"I seem to remember Captain Vega offering to let you use her desk so each company could have their own office," Matt countered.

Kelly waved it off. "Semantics."

Matt snorted, gesturing to the desk. "Go right ahead, sir."

"Thank you, Captain," Raymond nodded, pulling out a notebook and pen as he sat in the chair. Owen sat across from him, watching Matt and Kelly take seats around the room. "So . . . according to Captain Ryder's I.R., upon leaving the structure fire at 1840 Pecos Thursday, you stated that you were certain it was arson."

"That's right," Owen nodded.

"OK, can you walk me through what led you to that conclusion?" Raymond asked. "But first . . . maybe start with how you arrived five minutes before the fire company?"

"I was in the neighborhood," Owen answered. "I was at a coffee shop getting a green juice."

"He drinks that all the time," Matt nodded. "According to Firefighter Ryder, he drinks that by the gallon."

"Snitch," Owen muttered, making Kelly snicker.

Raymond, however, frowned. "Small thing . . . if I'm not mistaken, the textile shop is thee blocks in the opposite direction of your home from the coffee shop. So why were you headed that way?"

Owen sighed. "I was listening to the Austin FD 9-1-1 app."

Kelly blinked. "There's an app for that?"

"Of course, there's an app for that," Matt sighed, rubbing his forehead.

"May I inquire as to why?" Raymond asked.

"For fun," Owen shrugged. "But anyway . . . I heard the call come out and I got to the scene as fast as I could, and right away, I felt something was wrong."

"Oh, you felt it?" Raymond raised an eyebrow. "Yeah? Felt it in your gut?"

"Yeah," Owen nodded. "The fire was too fast too quick, and then I saw him."

"Yes," Raymond looked at the tablet with him. "The man in the hoodie. Captain Casey put that in his I.R. Would you mind describing him for me?"

Owen tilted his head, thinking. "Five-ten . . . ish. Medium build."

He could tell Matt and Kelly were exchanging concerned looks behind him, and he knew why. He had basically just described himself, including the hoodie. "Medium build?" Raymond repeated. "That's it?"

"Well, it was dark, and he had his back to me," Owen explained.

"So how do you know it was a him?"

"Well, I don't," Owen admitted. "But I know the profile of an arsonist."

"And what would that be?" Raymond challenged.

"Loner male, feels inadequate, wants to exert some sort of power in his life," Owen rattled off. "Look, I think if you go back and look at the security cameras in the area, you're gonna find him."

"We did, actually," Raymond told him. "Nothing."

Kelly raised an eyebrow in surprise, and Owen shook his head. "Look, the burn patterns at the point of origin were classic sharp V."

Kelly hummed thoughtfully. "Telltale sign of arson," he mused.

"Yes, it can be," Raymond nodded. "But not always."

"I've been doing this over thirty years, Investigator," Owen told him. "Fire doesn't move that quickly without help."

"The dogs found no traces of accelerant," Raymond said. "I spoke with the cleaners, and they didn't see anything or anyone suspicious."

"Well, then he had a clever way of setting it off," Owen decided, coughing into his arm when his lungs protested. "Look, I saw alligator char. You don't get scales that deep or that shiny without an accelerant. This is arson. It was sophisticated, it was deadly, and it's gonna happen again, 'cause this guy's not gonna stop until he gets caught – "

Another coughing fit overtook him, and Kelly leaned forward, frowning in concern. "Need a glass of water, Captain?"

"No, no," Owen waved him off. "I'm fine, it's just my lungs are a little tight from the surgery."

Raymond nodded slowly, eyes narrowed. "Captain Strand, I understand, recently, that you discovered some explosives that cracked a major case for the Texas Rangers. I read you, personally, tracked down the perpetrators yourself."

"No," Owen shook his head. "No, that was a team effort. Me, the captain and the lieutenant here, one of my best friends from New York . . . it wasn't just me. And it was for Sylvie and Eddie."

"Still, that . . . " Raymond tapped his pen against the desk. "That must have been a thrill, right? And it might be tempting to want to break open another one with all that free time you have on your hands?"

Owen stared at him, then scoffed derisively. "Yeah, look, this isn't about me getting a new hobby. If you go back to that scene, you're gonna find something."

Raymond looked long and hard at him, then nodded and capped his pen. "I promise you we will leave no stone unturned." He stood from the desk, and the others stood as well. "Thank you so much for coming down."

"Let me walk you out," Matt offered, gesturing to the door.

"Thank you, Captain," Raymond nodded, following Matt.

Owen and Kelly watched him leave, then Owen turned to Kelly, seeing the neutral look on his face. "Believe me, Severide," he hissed, "I would not be on this as much as I am if I didn't think it was actually arson."

"I believe you, Cap," Kelly finally said with a nod. "Your gut isn't the only one that doesn't like this."

Owen could have collapsed in relief.

***

Grace sighed in happiness, leaning back in her chair as Charles popped open a bottle of white wine. "Charles, this filet was beyond," she praised, looking at Judd. "Right?"

"Man, that's for real," Judd agreed, placing his silverware back on his plate. "What's in your sauce?"

"Oh, uh," Charles tilted his head, thinking as he filled Tommy's glass. "Smoked hickory, white vinegar, and jackfruit."

Judd blinked. "I don't know what a jackfruit is, but you can consider me a fan."

"Well, it's a pulpy fruit native to India," Charles primly informed him. "Known for its sweet and savory flavors."

Grace snickered. "Come on, Charles."

It got a round of laughter around the table, and Tommy smiled, squeezing his shoulder. "Charles is thinking about putting it on the menu," she shared.

Grace paused, rethinking that statement. "Oh, OK, you said menu," she said slowly. "What menu?"

"Oh," Tommy blinked innocently. "Did we not mention we had news?"

Grace scoffed, looking at Judd. "Do they ever?"

"No," Judd snorted.

"What happened, y'all?" Grace asked, looking between their best friends.

"Well," Charles gave a nervous smile. "I was approached by some investors. And now that we're getting back on their feet . . . they want to re-open the restaurant."

Grace squealed in delight, and Judd lifted his glass. "Congratulations," he told them with a wide smile.

"That's amazing, y'all," Grace agreed, clinking her glass against Tommy's.

"Thank you, thank you," Charles beamed happily. "I mean, it's still a little early. And there's a lot to figure out, like . . . well, who's gonna watch the girls – "

"Listen, we are always down to babysit," Grace offered, looking at Judd. "Right?" Judd made a face, and she swatted his shoulder. "Don't look like that!" she admonished, making Judd grin as he wiped his mouth with his napkin. "Say yes, we are!"

"Yeah, well, you say that now, chica, but you know, very soon you're gonna have your own little one to chase around," Tommy reminded her.

"Well, I'm just happy to be off the walker," Grace smirked. "So I say bring it on. Give it to me. I'm ready!"

Charles laughed. "Well, listen, it has been a minute, but it feels like . . . I don't know. It feels like we're all coming to the end of a long, dark tunnel. Yeah?"

"Yes," Tommy agreed.

"Mmm," Judd hummed. "Yeah . . . well, not all of us."

At the Vegas' confused look, Grace explained. "Oh, well . . . yeah, Judd's been a little worried about Captain Strand."

Tommy immediately straightened, looking at Judd worriedly. "Is this about him reporting that arson? 'Cause Sylvie and I saw when the AFD investigator was there interviewing him today. So . . . how'd that go?"

"Well, Casey and Severide are tight-lipped about it," Judd sighed. "But from what I've inferred, it wasn't the captain's finest hour."

Tommy grimaced. "You think he's chasing ghosts?"

Judd pondered. "Lately, he's been a little, uh . . . unmoored."

"I mean, can you blame him?" Grace asked. "One after another, his team moved out. First it was Buck, then it was Sylvie – arguably the one transfer that he's leaned on the most – and then TK just a bit ago."

"And he lost his job, for the time being," Judd nodded. "You know, a guy like Owen really needs that purpose to drive him, whether it's real or not."

"And I can relate to him," Grace gestured over herself.

"Me, too," Charles agreed. "Being stuck around the house all the time? Sometimes, you feel like you're gonna lose your mind."

"I just don't want the cap falling off the deep end," Judd rubbed a hand over his face.

"You know, I don't think we have to worry about Captain Strand too much," Tommy said confidently. "One thing we do know is the man's not crazy."

***

Matt closed his eyes and counted backwards from ten. "You know, Cap . . . I mean this with all due respect, but you're going crazy if this is what you're doing in your spare time."

Sylvie giggled at his resignment. "Look," Owen pointed to the burn patterns on the test wall he built in his backyard. "Alligator char. Only way to get scales that shiny is accelerant."

"So you did use accelerant," Kelly stepped forward, leaning in to examine the burns.

"Yeah, yeah," Owen nodded. "And it matches exactly what I saw in the textile factory."

Matt peered closer himself, and he sighed. "You're right. It does."

"Only you could download a dispatch app because you're bored out of your mind and pick up an arson case from a call," Kelly shook his head, impressed, as he walked back into the house. "Only you, Captain."

"That's a compliment to him," Sylvie snickered, making Owen nod.

"OK," Matt followed them, finishing his beer. "So we have one instance like this. Do we have anything more?"

"We do," Owen nodded, spreading out papers he had on the island, the various tools he had used to mimic the arson all over the place. "In the past six months, there have been at least eight mysterious electrical fires all over Texas. There's a warehouse in Round Rock, a paper mill in Lubbock, a feed store in Galveston."

"Fuel, fuel, and fuel," Kelly nodded, furrowing his eyebrows as he examined the papers Owen handed him.

"Each miraculously started in off-hours or during a holiday when there's nobody in the building," Owen confirmed.

"Investigator Raymond mentioned the cleaners," Matt reminded him.

"But they were two hours late," Owen countered. "They weren't supposed to be there when the fire started."

Matt tapped his fingers against the island, nodding thoughtfully. "So why are we the first ones looking into this?" he asked. "What did you find that everyone else is missing?"

Owen grinned at Sylvie; now he knew he had Matt's attention for this. "If the guy mixed the accelerant with a diluted substance like I did," he pointed to the tray, "then the dogs would miss it. And if he tampered with the wiring of an appliance, it could still be sitting out there. Nobody'd even notice it."

"The accelerant makes sense," Kelly nodded, looking at the solution. "But that leaves the faulty wiring. Circuit breakers would trip the circuit long before anything shorts out."

Owen smirked, picking up two items from the counter. "Unless he switched one out with a counterfeit, like I did. Here's the circuit breaker, that's the real one," he held up one item. "That's what it looks like on the inside." Sylvie nodded, seeing the wiring. "And this is a counterfeit."

She hissed when she saw how similar the counterfeits looked, except for one crucial difference. "And the counterfeits won't stop a surge."

Owen spread his hands in a "there you go" motion. "An accident waiting to happen."

Matt looked at Kelly, and the squad lieutenant shrugged. "It's definitely one of the more extravagant plans I've ever seen," he said. "But it's also one of the more damning ones."

Matt nodded. "Alright, then why did you run this by us first?" he asked Owen. "Why not go right to Investigator Raymond?"

Owen winced. "'Cause I don't want him to think I went around the bend if I'm wrong."

Kelly snorted, twisting the counterfeit around in his hand. "I mean, I'm pretty sure Casey thought you had for a while."

Matt grimaced. "Thanks, Sev."

"Considering the state I was in the night of the fire?" Owen smiled sheepishly. "I don't blame him."

"I'm sorry again for snapping like that," Matt sighed. "I usually stay cooler than that while on a scene."

"Hot as hell, though," Kelly smirked around the mouth of his beer bottle.

Sylvie choked on her drink, turning to cough into her arm, desperately hoping no one saw how red her face turned. "No apologies needed," Owen shook his head. "You were right. I'm a civilian for now, not a firefighter, and certainly not a captain. I shouldn't have tried to run that scene. You have my full permission to rip into me like that if I do something stupid again."

Matt chuckled. "I won't forget that."

"So, like we've said," Kelly tossed the counterfeit up and down. "This whole plan relies on one of these counterfeits. Problem is, I didn't go looking at the circuit breakers when we were doing overhaul."

"Neither did I," Matt shook his head.

"And since Eddie and I left with patients," Sylvie shrugged.

"Well, it's pretty self-explanatory," Owen looked around. "If any one of these buildings has a counterfeit switch in the circuit breaker, that's the smoking gun. We just need to get to one."

Matt chewed his lip thoughtfully. "Think our badges could get us into one of the scenes?" he asked, looking at Kelly.

"They might," Kelly nodded slowly, pulling out his phone when it rang. "We'll just have to be careful. It's still private property."

"Mine possibly can," Sylvie said thoughtfully. "Though I have no idea how a paramedic might get away with investigating arson."

"Yeah, that's usually firefighters' areas of expertise," Kelly agreed, frowning as he saw the Caller ID. Still, he clicked answer and held his phone to his ear. "Hello?"

"Hey, Lieutenant," Marjan's voice was tense. "I'm sorry to bother you on our off-day, but is there any chance we could meet up soon? Like . . . as soon as possible?"

"Er," Kelly checked his watch. "Yeah, I could eat, actually. Text me where you want to meet?"

"Copy that. Thanks."

"Yeah, no problem." He hung up, then placed the counterfeit back on the table. "How about you two handle the rest of that line of thought while I go meet Marjan?" he looked between them.

"Is she OK?" Sylvie asked at once.

Kelly shrugged, picking up his jacket. "Guess I'll find out."

***

Kelly watched the video Marjan showed him, then shook his head in disgust, handing her phone back and reaching for his water glass. "I'll never understand these kinds of people."

"And it's been like this since McKenna made her first video," Marjan huffed. "Still, could be worse. At least this remix only has, like, three million likes so far."

Kelly frowned uneasily. "Do I want to know what a worse number is?"

"No," Marjan shook her head. "You don't."

Kelly sighed, putting his drink down. "It won't do you any good to go down a rabbit hole with those videos, Marjan. Not if it's just going to make you even more angry."

"I'm not angry," Marjan shook her head. "Last night, I was laying in bed, and it hit me . . . what if she's right?"

Kelly frowned. "Right about what?"

Marjan slumped with a sigh. "That I'm a showboat, and deep down, all I really care about is the likes."

Kelly was shaking his head before she finished talking. "I've worked with you for several shifts now, and I know that's crazy talk."

"Is it?" Marjan argued. "Because I never miss a chance to get in the limelight."

"Is it wrong to enjoy a little love from the fans you have on Instagram?" Kelly asked. "That doesn't make you a bad person, or a bad firefighter."

"But what if the only reason I chose this career was because I knew it'd be a great way to get attention?" Marjan fumed. "And it has been! I mean, how else would I be getting DMs from Cardi B?"

Kelly paused in taking a drink. "You get DMs from Cardi B?" he asked in surprise.

"Yeah," Marjan shrugged. "Every now and then for the last couple years." Kelly let out a small whistle, impressed. "Come on, listen to me . . . I am that person!"

Kelly put his glass down, then rested his forearms on the table. "Alright, I'm gonna pull rank here. As the lieutenant at the house, I want an honest answer, you hear me?"

"Loud and clear," Marjan nodded, biting her lip.

"If you could trade places with McKenna's husband, so that you went down and he leaved, would you do it?"

Marjan didn't hesitate. "In a heartbeat."

Kelly nodded in satisfaction. "That is who you are," he told her. "And at every call I've seen you when there haven't been cameras, I've seen you respond that exact same way."

Marjan gave him a small smile. "It just kills me that with one dumb comment, I made this nightmare even worse for McKenna," she explained. "I wish I could just explain to her that in no way did it pull our focus from the rescue." She paused, a look of realization crossing her face. "Maybe I should."

Kelly's eyebrows raised. "Is that really a good idea?"

"I don't know!" Marjan groaned, dropping her forehead onto her hands. "I just . . . I need to do something, Severide! This is gonna bug me until I do!"

Kelly sighed, checking his watch. "You really sure about this?"

Marjan swallowed. "I really want to."

"Alright," Kelly nodded, picking up his trash from lunch. "I'll follow you there."

Marjan did a double take. "W-wait," she stammered, getting off the bench. "You're coming, too?"

"Yeah," Kelly nodded, dropping his stuff in the trash can. "Why wouldn't I?"

"You weren't the one doing the rescue!" Marjan protested. "You didn't have anything to do with this!"

"I was the one who ordered you down there, wasn't I?" Kelly countered, making Marjan falter. "I was the one calling all the shots on that scene, Marjan. You're not the only one getting haunted by this."

Marjan swallowed, then nodded meekly. "Thanks, Severide," she whispered.

"It's what a good officer does for his crew," Kelly shrugged. "So . . . where does she live?"

***

"Thank you again for this," Marjan said gratefully as they walked up the drive to McKenna's door. "You didn't have to do this."

"Maybe not," Kelly shook his head. "But I wanted to. Besides," he smirked. "You probably need an impartial witness if this goes sideways."

Marjan muffled a laugh as she knocked on the door. "Uh, McKenna?" she called. "Are you in there?" When she didn't hear an answer, the pressed the button for the camera on the side of the door. "Hey, it's Marjan," she said nervously. "I'd love to talk if you have a second . . . please."

Kelly folded his arms, looking around. "I'm guessing that's her car," he nodded to the vehicle in the driveway.

"And I hear music," Marjan nodded, knocking again. As she did, Kelly's phone buzzed, and he pulled out his phone to see the text he received. "Listen, I know that I am the last person in the world you want to hear from right now, but I want you to know that I'm sorry for causing you more pain than – "

Sylvie: I know you're with Marjan. Buck sent this to me a few minutes ago.

Kelly's eyes widened when he saw the screenshot, and he put his hand on Marjan's shoulder, stopping her from knocking again. "I got this from Sylvie," he said, showing her the screen. "She just posted this ten minutes ago, according to the timestamp."

Marjan's eyes widened as she read. "'I'm so sorry, you guys. I'll miss all of you, but I'll miss Brady more'?" She gulped. "That sounds like goodbye."

"Yeah," Kelly agreed, shoving his phone into his pocket and hurrying to the windows. "McKenna!" he shouted, banging on the glass.

"McKenna, are you in there?" Marjan hollered. "We need you to open the door right now!"

Kelly gritted his teeth. "Screw it," he shook his head, gesturing to the door. "Get it open!"

Marjan responded instantly, jabbing sharply with her elbow. The glass broke with the force she used, and she reached through the glass, opening the door from the inside. "McKenna!" she called, hustling inside. "Hello?"

"McKenna?" Kelly started searching through the house. "McKenna? Where are you?"

Marjan's scream from the hallway made him turn around. "No, no, no, no, no!" Kelly ran back the way he came, and he saw Marjan run into the bathroom . . . where McKenna lay limp in the bathtub, the water colored red from the blood gushing from her arms. "Call 9-1-1!" Marjan sobbed, and Kelly pulled out his phone, instantly dialing the number as she hauled the young woman from the tub. "McKenna!"

The line rang once, then picked up. "9-1-1, what's your emergency?" the familiar voice of Maddie Buckley asked.

Kelly couldn't help but sigh in relief. "Maddie, it's Severide," he said, putting the phone on speaker as he helped Marjan lay McKenna on the floor. "I need an ambulance sent to 5760 Painter Street. We've got a female, 20s, unconscious. She's slit both her wrists."

He heard Maddie gasp in surprise, whether it was from the call or his voice, he didn't know. "McKenna, can you hear me?" Marjan asked, frantic as she wrapped towels around the bloody gashes.

Kelly thought rapidly as the towels soaked through, blood starting to stain his hands. While he and Matt had never taken full EMS training, only knowing the basics, Sylvie had hammered some protocols into their heads until they knew it by heart. "Raise her arms," he said. "Hold 'em up."

"Yeah, arms up," Marjan nodded, holding McKenna's arms up. "Come on, McKenna, open your eyes!"

"Is she responsive?" Maddie asked, voice all business.

"No, she isn't," Marjan whimpered.

"OK, I have EMS en route. Does she still have a pulse?"

"Yeah, but it's weak!"

"We're putting pressure on the wounds, but we can't stop the bleeding," Kelly said, wincing as liquid seeped through the towels.

"Alright, did I hear you say to put her arms above her heart?" Maddie asked.

"Yeah, we're already doing that," Marjan nodded. "It's not working!"

"Are the cuts on her wrists horizontal or vertical?"

Kelly grimaced, checking McKenna's arms. "They're vertical," he answered. "They go all the way down to her elbow."

"OK, that's too much to compress by hand," Maddie mumbled. "We need to create a pressure dressing. Do you have any duct tape?"

"No," Kelly shook his head. "This isn't our house."

"Check the kitchen," Maddie ordered. "See if there's any plastic wrap of any kind."

"On it!" Kelly nodded, handing the arm he held to Marjan.

She nodded, gritting her teeth as she struggled to tightly hold the towels around McKenna's arms. "McKenna!"

Kelly returned in record time, already unwinding the plastic wrap. He went to work instantly on wrapping the plastic around her arms, relaxing minutely when he saw it work. "Good call, Maddie," he said. "Wrapping's almost done, and the bleeding's definitely slowing."

"Good work," Maddie praised. "Just keep going."

Marjan tore her wrapping and secured it, then checked McKenna for breathing again. She balked when she saw her lips. "She's turning blue," she panicked, pressing her fingers to her pulse point in her neck. "She's not breathing! No pulse." She bit her lip, trying to keep from crying. "Starting compressions!"

Kelly tore off his wrapping, making sure it was in place before checking McKenna's pulse as Marjan continued compressions. "Keep going," he urged.

Marjan whimpered, her tears falling, though she kept completing compressions. "Come on, McKenna!"

"EMS is arriving at your location now," Maddie reported.

McKenna's eyes suddenly fluttered, and Marjan laughed in relief. "That's it, girl! Come back!"

Kelly grinned, feeling a faint thump against his fingertips. "We got a pulse, Maddie! It's weak, but it's there!"

"Great work, you two," Maddie's grin was audible. "Great work!"

Kelly looked up when he heard the rattle of wheels, then the medical team swarmed. "We'll take it from here, guys," the captain said, bending down to check on McKenna himself. "Start a line, run it wide open."

***

Marjan fiddled with the towel in her hand, watching McKenna get loaded into the back of the ambulance. "Is she gonna make it?" she asked nervously.

"Yeah, I think so," the head medic nodded, removing his gloves.

Marjan relaxed, closing her eyes. "Oh, thank God."

The paramedic snorted. "Thank FireFox, more like." Kelly, who was attempting to scrub the blood off his hands (he knew his shirt and jacket were toast, which was a shame, Sylvie had gotten him the jacket he wore and it was a favorite of his), looked up sharply, and the medic nodded. "I follow you on Insta." He nodded to the back of the ambulance, where the doors shut behind McKenna. "You'll probably get an endorsement deal from the plastic wrap company."

Marjan shook her head wildly. "No," she said firmly. "I was never here. You never saw me."

The medic frowned. "Sure . . . but the doorbell cam did, and there's gonna be paperwork."

"That's fine," Marjan nodded. "Just don't post about it, OK? Nobody else out there needs to know."

The medic nodded. "That's a shame," he remarked. "Because this was clutch. You saved her life."

Marjan bit her lip, watching him climb into the driver's seat and pull away from the house, sirens wailing and lights running as the ambulance drove away. "Now, riddle me this," Kelly stepped to her side. "Would someone who's only in it for the likes dive in like you did and be willing to do whatever it took to save her?" Marjan silently shook her head, and Kelly nodded. "You're a lifesaver, Marjan. That's who you are."

"That's who we are," Marjan corrected with a swallow. "Thank you, Lieutenant."

"You're welcome," Kelly nodded. "Now, I'd need to talk to Matt . . . but I have a proposition for you, if you're interested."

"In what?" Marjan looked at him curiously.

"That kind of thinking right here?" Kelly gestured vaguely to the house. "That's exactly the kind of thinking that's needed for a squad crew. And as I said, I'm used to a four-person crew: me and three others. Matt's the same way. If you're up for it, when we start next shift, I'll ask Matt if it's possible for you, while we're running the house, to stay on Squad 9."

Marjan stared at him in shock. "Really?" she asked, excitement in her tone.

"Really," Kelly nodded. "Bear in mind, I'm not asking FireFox here. I'm asking Firefighter Marjan Marwani."

Marjan gave her first grin of the day. "I accept!"

***

For once, his parents at his door didn't make Carlos a little nervous. He opened it widely and gave Gabriel and Andrea a wide smile. "¡Hola!" he greeted.

"Carlitos!" Andrea beamed, hugging him tightly. "Mi amor!"

Carlos hugged her back, then smiled at Gabriel, who tugged him in for a hug as well. "Good to see you, son."

Carlos nodded, closing the door behind them. "Hey, TK," Andrea smiled warmly. "Ah, you look so handsome!"

"Thank you very much," TK beamed, shaking Gabriel's hand. "I'm sorry that we're running behind."

"Oh, nonsense," Andrea shook her head. "We are here early. His father insisted on ordering the car thirty minutes ahead of time."

"Well, you never know about those rideshares," Gabriel shrugged. "Sometimes they dawdle."

TK snickered, nodding in understanding. He had gotten that in New York occasionally. "Oh, and TK, I owe you an apology," Andrea told him. "That day we met at the market, I called you TJ."

"No, it's OK," TK assured her. "It's an easy mistake."

Gabriel hummed, giving Carlos a look. "That our son should have corrected."

Andrea nodded in agreement, and TK snickered. "Oh, don't worry, Mr. Reyes . . . we had a conversation about it." He turned to his boyfriend, smirking at him. "Didn't we, Carlos?"

Carlos concealed a grimace at the reminder. "Yes, we did," he nodded. "So . . . what can we get you to drink?"

Gabriel grinned. "I wouldn't say no to a margarita."

Andrea's eyes lit up, and Carlos grinned. "¿Dos?" he asked.

"Yes," Andrea agreed, nodding eagerly.

"Yeah," Carlos laughed, heading for the fridge.

"Mrs. Reyes, please," TK pulled out one of the chairs.

"Thank you," she smiled, sitting down as Gabriel sat in the one next to her.

Carlos opened the fridge and perused the shelves, and he balked. "Oh, my God!" he groaned. "I forgot about the limes! How could I forget the limes?!"

His parents laughed, and TK shook his head fondly as he retrieved the necessary glasses. "Pull yourself out of the shame spiral, Carlos. It's no big deal." He pulled out his cell phone, dialing the first number in his contacts. "Dad, are you on your way?" he asked.

"No, no," Owen answered. "I have an errand I need to run real quick first."

TK nodded, not thinking anything about it. "Could you please pick up some limes?"

"Yeah, sure, I can do that. Anything else?"

"Nope, that's it," TK shook his head, grinning at Carlos. "Crisis averted!" Carlos smiled in relief and winked at him, and TK laughed. "Alright, I'll see you soon."

***

"OK, son," Owen nodded, hanging up his phone and stepping out of his vehicle, looking up at the warehouse.

"You two owe me that dinner at Osteria Cielo now."

Owen whipped around at the familiar voice, and he came face to face with Matt, Kelly, and Sylvie, the three leaning against Matt's truck, all in dark clothes and work boots. "What're you – ?" he sputtered in surprise.

"Oh, we bet on when you'd try and do this by yourself," Kelly shrugged, pushing off the truck and moving to the back, rummaging through the supplies. "Sylvie thought for sure that you would. I thought you'd at least give us a heads up. Matt was the optimist, he thought you'd ask us to come with you."

"Clearly, Sylvie still knows you best," Matt rolled his eyes.

"Now, you let the current working officers do the investigating," Sylvie walked forward, poking Owen in the chest. "You have a dinner to go to. Wouldn't give you any points if you were late to meeting Carlos's mother, would it?"

Owen paled at the thought. "Definitely not."

"Then go!" Sylvie shoved him back to the driver's seat. "We'll handle this!"

"You're sure?" Owen looked back at them, even as he opened the door.

Kelly paused in his searching and turned to give Owen an incredulous look. "Cap . . . you know who you're talking to, right?"

Owen blinked, then chuckled and shook his head. "Right," he nodded, starting his car. "Arsonist chasers."

"Have fun!" Sylvie laughed and waved.

Owen gave a mock salute as he drove off, and Matt huffed. "He's as stubborn as you, Sev."

"I'll take that as a compliment," Kelly grinned, hefting a crowbar into his hands. "So . . . we doing this or what?"

"I still can't believe that of all the times you come to Austin, it's when there's a serial arsonist on the loose," Sylvie shook her head, leading the way up to the warehouse. "Honestly, it's like the state is trying to keep you here."

"Oh, like they have to twist our arms," Matt snorted, carefully pulling away the yellow tape.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Sylvie raised an eyebrow.

"You're kidding, right?" Matt returned the look. "You say the word, and we're here as long as you need us."

She blinked. "Seriously?"

"Deadly."

She swallowed hard, watching Kelly place the crowbar where he needed to jam the doors open. "You keep saying stuff like that, I might take advantage of it one day."

"Oh, please," Kelly smirked at her. "Take advantage of it."

Sylvie bit her lip, feeling herself blush. OK, yeah, she knew she was being flirted with now. "Noted."

Kelly gave a sharp tug, and the doors to the factory opened with a crunch. "Alright," he tucked the bar under his arm, clicking on the flashlight he carried. "Arsonist, here we come."

Matt and Sylvie clicked their lights on as well, and the trio stepped into the warehouse, their lights bouncing off charred walls. As Matt and Kelly searched for the circuits, Sylvie swept her light over the walls, eyes narrowed. Her light finally landed on shining scales along the wall, and she pulled out her phone. "Got the alligator char!" she called, snapping a photo.

"Found the circuits!" Matt called distantly.

Sylvie stepped back to avoid stepping on mice, and she nimbly made her way through the warehouse to where Matt and Kelly were crowded around a circuit box. "Look," she showed Kelly the picture she took. "Just like Owen described."

"That's definitely alligator char," Kelly confirmed, eyes narrowed.

Matt swung the circuit box open, then they watched as he went to work searching the breakers themselves. He took two of them out, and when he cracked them open, Sylvie swallowed. "Oh, my God."

"Owen was right," Kelly said, an air of disbelief in his voice. "Counterfeit breakers."

"An accident waiting to happen," Matt nodded grimly.

Sylvie aimed her phone and snapped pictures of the breakers and the box. "This is Carol Spears all over again."

"Yeah, we got the M.O.," Kelly nodded. "Now we just need the arsonist."

Matt nodded in agreement, then paused. "Hang on . . . do you smell that?"

Kelly and Sylvie cautiously sniffed, then Sylvie blinked. "Is that smoke?"

"And gasoline," Kelly swallowed. "Run!"

Sylvie almost tripped over the cables on the ground, but Matt grabbed her arm and hauled her to her feet, helping her run for the exit. Kelly was hot on their heels, watching flames lick out from under a nearby door and from the neighboring hallway.

When he made it out of the warehouse, he found Matt had shoved Sylvie behind him protectively, strands escaping the tight ponytail she'd tucked her hair into before they arrived. "Are you good?" Kelly demanded, looking Matt up and down.

"Fine, Sev," Matt nodded swallowing hard.

"Sylvie?" Kelly turned to the blonde.

"I'm good," she nodded, hands clutching at Matt's arm, her knuckles as white as her pale face. "I'm good, yeah."

Kelly nodded, turning to watch the warehouse go up in flames once more. "The bastard came back?" he asked in surprise.

"At the exact same time we were here," Sylvie gulped.

Matt sighed, pulling out his phone. "So what are the chances we just happened to pick the same place to investigate where the arsonist comes back to possibly cover their tracks?"

"What's the chances of getting struck by lightning twice?" Kelly countered.

Matt grimaced. "Yeah," he nodded as he dialed 9-1-1. "That's what I thought."

***

Because how can I not have Matt, Kelly, and Sylvie going hunting when there's an arsonist loose in Austin? I can't. It's too good of an opportunity to pass up.

I'm working out the kinks of "The Big Heat" because based on this ending alone, there's stuff I'll need to change, and I'm looking forward to writing it. And hey - Sylvie finally realized that yes, the guys are at least flirting with her! XD

graphic by marvelity