While SVU (plus a sergeant and an officer) rushes to find their arsonist, Matt deals with having to sit out a few shifts . . . at least he trusts the guy who's running Truck in his place.

***

When Olivia returned to the precinct, she stopped in her tracks, seeing Garland, Carlos, and Nick exchanging files between themselves. "You know, Liv, when you said Stabler was aggressive, I didn't know it was this aggressive," Nick remarked, showing what they were looking at.

"You're going through his records?" Olivia asked in surprise.

"This is the wife of a police detective who works counter-terrorism," Garland reminded Olivia. "Any piece of information we have, we will sift through."

"And Nick thought an unbiased set of eyes might be helpful," Carlos added.

"Unbiased?" Olivia repeated.

"I was your partner," Nick shrugged.

"I think it's fairly obvious what my bias might be," Garland remarked dryly, nodding to the NYPD crest on the wall.

Olivia conceded with a sigh, sitting down next to Carlos. "And your findings?"

"Multiple firearm discharges, six fatal shootings," Garland answered, raising an eyebrow. "And I'm still going through the IAB logs."

"Disposition on multiple charges," Nick continued, then snorted. "Oh . . . and referred for counseling."

"We were both referred," Olivia corrected.

"Why did he resign from the force?" Garland wondered. "There's no official reason."

Olivia tensed, looking down at her hands. She felt Carlos scoot just an inch closer, no doubt trying to offer some form of comfort without breaking professionalism. She gave him a grateful smile, and Carlos nodded encouragingly. "His last shooting was a 16-year-old girl who brought a gun into the stationhouse," she told Garland. "And, you know, my guess . . . my guess is that he just didn't want to go through the hoops. IAB interviews, counseling."

"You guess?" Garland repeated in surprise. "Come on, he didn't tell you?"

"From what I've heard from TK and his father, sir, he didn't have contact with either Captain Benson or Captain Strand after he left the force," Carlos offered quietly.

Garland turned to Nick, who merely nodded. "They didn't when I took his place," the sergeant added.

Olivia nodded, confirming their statements. "I know how this looks," she said, gesturing over the files everyone held. "He got too rough back in the day . . . but it wasn't just testosterone. It was because he cared so much."

Garland nodded, mulling it over. "And he was your first partner, the one who had your back," he listed. "You were his junior when there weren't that many female detectives. I get it."

"Someone's gonna think that at some point and possibly bring it up," Nick pointed out.

Olivia sighed, nodding. And thank God that Garland was bringing it up before anyone else might. "Chief, I'm not making excuses for him, and I'm not apologizing for him," she said. "But I believe that he changed."

"I hope so," Garland admitted, surprising her. "Forgive me if I have my doubts. A grunt former Marine, a night college degree, and a CPI like this? He goes off the grid for six years, and somehow the old boy network got him back on the force."

"He's a good detective, sir," Carlos shook his head. "I've seen parts of how he works, back in Austin. That's the most recent shooting in the books," he pointed to the file Nick held. "And it wasn't fatal. He took that shot to save Captain Brett's life. He's a good man."

"I believe you, Officer," Garland held up his hand, stopping Carlos from saying more. "But he is also a lucky man. This wouldn't happen today. Which is why I would like to make this clear here and now." He turned to Olivia and steepled his fingers. "I will not have the behavior listed here in one of my captain's squad rooms."

Olivia nodded firmly. "That is understood."

***

"Thanks for coming out for this," Fin said gratefully as he pulled up to the CSU garage.

"Hey, if it means I can help in any way, I'm yours while I'm here," Owen nodded, stepping out of the passenger's seat. "Severide would be all over this if he was in the city."

"Liv said something about Brett passing out in the hospital?" Fin asked worriedly as they approached the garage.

"It was a near miss at the coffee shop not too far down the block," Owen corrected. "One of the city's defense attorneys brought her back."

"Manhattan's finest," Fin chuckled, then nodded to Kat as they approached the garage. "Arson get anything?" he asked.

"Maybe," Kat shrugged, tapping her pen against her notepad. "They found a cell near a piece of the gas tank."

"That could easily have been the trigger," Owen mused, whistling lowly as he looked around the car again.

"DNA? Prints?" Fin checked.

Kat shook her head. "He was pretty thorough. He used a burner phone. Nothing on the outside, but maybe they'll get lucky and find prints on the inside of the cell phone case."

"Do they know the vic's spouse was NYPD?" Fin scowled.

"They do," Kat assured him. "For what it's worth, arson says this doesn't look like Antifa or some improvised Boogaloo device. It was more sophisticated, so it might be terrorist-related."

"I'll text Liv," Fin sighed, moving away to send the message.

Owen did another round of the car, then registered Kat hovering uncertainly nearby. "Got a question, Tamin?" he asked, straightening.

Kat bit her lip. "Arson was asking me about Stabler," she said. "They wanna know what he's involved with."

Owen pursed his lips. "I have no clue if I can even say," he admitted.

"But you know what he's been doing?" she pressed.

"Bare bones," Owen shrugged. "I'm not police, Kat. There's no way he'd tell me everything."

"But you were best friends!" she stared.

"Are best friends," he corrected. "That didn't suddenly disappear."

"You mean like he did?" Kat asked.

Owen narrowed his eyes at her. "If there's something you want to say about the man who, along with Liv, was there for me with TK when no one else was, then say it."

Before Kat could speak, Fin rejoined them. "Captain's with Garland," he said in confusion. "None of the old boys up at 1PP will even tell them why Stabler's in New York."

Owen shrugged. "Guess you gotta ask him, Fin."

***

The familiar trill of a ringtone made Sylvie flinch from where she reclined across the hospital seats, and she groaned, feeling her head pound. "Oh, I feel like I just got hit by a semi," she muttered.

"You sound like you did, too." Eddie appeared in her line of vision, a very unimpressed look on his face. "Next time, we'll have the coffee delivered instead of my dead on her feet captain walking, got it?"

"Copy," Sylvie agreed, sighing and readjusting the jacket that was under her head.

She heard her ringtone cut off, then TK's cheerful voice. "Hi Casey! Hi Severide! Fair warning, Sylvie just woke up from her six-hour nap."

"Six hours?!" Sylvie shot upright, instantly regretting it when her head protested.

"And she is laying back down!" Eddie added, gently pushing Sylvie back onto the chairs.

"She's also already been read the riot act, so that's not necessary," Buck remarked.

"She can also very clearly hear all three of you," Sylvie sighed, closing her eyes against the bright lights.

"Then maybe next time, don't give them a reason to be this annoying," Matt quipped. "And don't pass out on them."

"I didn't," Sylvie huffed. "I nearly passed out."

She heard the telltale sign of someone's head hitting a hard surface. "Thanks, Sylvie," Kelly ground out. "Matt just had an exam done, and now I need to tell whoever's doing his MRI that he's repeatedly hitting his forehead against the table due to your stupidity."

Sylvie opened her eyes quickly. "Matt finally got an appointment for his head?"

"Yeah, that was what we were planning on calling about before I saw the group chat," Kelly huffed. "What the hell, Sylvie?"

"I know," Sylvie sighed. "I just . . . with how busy the hospital is after everything that happened last night, we lowly paramedics are the only ones who can really explain to the Stablers all that's going on, and I didn't want to miss an update, so I just . . . I didn't realize my blood sugar was as low as it was. Or that I hadn't slept since before we left Austin."

"Yeah, in Sylvie's defense, I haven't slept more than twenty minutes at a time," TK admitted. "This is . . . according to Dad, it's a miracle that Kathy's alive, let alone that she woke up. We're all on edge here. Even Nick and Carlos are throwing themselves into this investigation."

"It's that bad?" Matt asked softly.

"Yeah," TK whispered. "It's . . . it's bad."

There was silence on the other end, then Kelly sighed. "Shit."

"Give Detective Stabler our best when you can," Matt said.

"And if there's any help I can give, tell Captain Benson to call at any time," Kelly added. "Arson's one of my specialties."

"We'll do that," Buck nodded.

"Guys?" Sylvie whispered. "'M sorry I worried you."

"Which time?" Matt asked, his voice saying he was only half-joking.

Sylvie shook her head. "Eddie? Kill me now."

"No can do, Cap."

"We understand, Sylv," Kelly told her. "Not happy in the slightest, but considering I'm pretty sure we were the same way in San Angelo . . . "

He trailed off, obviously not very happy with his thought process. "Just take care of yourself this time around," Matt finished.

"I will," Sylvie promised. "You, too, Matt. Don't make your head worse."

"I won't," Matt assured her. "I'm already lining up a floater to run the truck until I get this MRI."

"Let me guess," Sylvie said dryly. "Grainger?"

"Nope." She could hear Matt's grin. "Someone who probably needs the position more than Grainger."

***

"After SVU, I did a walkabout for a few years," Elliot told Fin when they met at a restaurant not too far from the hospital. "Then I was doing private security overseas."

"And that thing in Rome?" Fin asked.

"That came out of a terrorism task force I was working on," Elliot answered. "The liaison job, that opened up four years ago."

Fin nodded thoughtfully. "When you called me, you told me you were coming here for a conference. Anything else?"

Elliot shrugged. "A few training sessions. Next week, I'm supposed to testify at a trial."

Fin's eyebrows raised. "What's that about?"

"These two guys involved in extortion, money laundering," Elliot rolled his eyes. "They were hiding out in Puglia. I picked 'em up six months ago." He caught Fin's line of questioning, and he shook his head. "They're . . . you know, they're minor players."

"OK, let's go back to your terrorism task force," Fin told him. "Arson said that the bomb signature was more international than domestic. Owen figured the same."

Elliot sighed, deflating. "I was worried about that," he mumbled. "I ought to give my supervisor at Intel a heads up. Half these cases, I can't even talk about."

"Right," Fin nodded, knowing to stop while he was ahead. He knew even approaching the topic of confidential cases would be like walking on eggshells. If Elliot couldn't talk about them, he wouldn't pry. "How's Kathy doing?" he asked.

"Hanging in there," Elliot answered with a tense smile. "You know, Kathy was the one who insisted we go to Liv's ceremony."

"And Liv did not even know you were coming," Fin deadpanned. "Didn't know you were in New York. Thought you told me you were gonna call her."

"I know I told you that I would, and then I meant to," Elliot nodded. "I promised Owen the same thing. And then once I picked up the phone to do it . . . " He trailed off, shaking his head. "I felt like I was carving my heart out of my chest the first time I saw Owen and Tyler again. I didn't think I could do it again with Liv."

"I get it," Fin nodded seriously. During his time in Austin, he had heard from both Strands the struggle it had been to see Sylvie wrestle with contacting Matt and Kelly after she had left Chicago . . . and they had only been separated from each other for less than half a year. If that was the struggle they went through in that short amount of time, he could only imagine what it felt like for Elliot and Owen to reunite after all that time. "How much has Owen brought you up to speed?" he asked.

Elliot raised an eyebrow. "Only on his front, really."

Fin nodded. "Makes sense. I'll do it on our front." Elliot nodded, sitting back to listen. "Liv moved on," he started bluntly. "It took her a minute, but she moved on. She has a son now. She's had a couple of relationships. One was pretty solid. Not as much as her current one."

"Son?" Elliot repeated, a fond smile on his face. "Good for her." He tilted his head. "Who's the guy?"

Fin snorted and smirked. Did Elliot really expect him to answer that? "You have to ask her that."

Elliot hummed thoughtfully, picking up his coffee to take another drink. Fin could see the metaphorical gears in his head turn, then Elliot's eyebrows raised, and he put the drink down. "The ADA," he said.

The certainty made Fin blink. "What made you say that?" he asked.

"Other than the cold professionalism and the way he wanted me out of the precinct, but used logic and the law to give me reasons to get out?" Elliot chuckled. "I'm pretty sure I saw a picture of a boy and Stone on Liv's desk. Based on what you said, I'm guessing that's her son. I don't think Liv would trust her kid with just anyone."

And this is why Stabler's a good cop, Fin thought approvingly. "She and Stone have been together for more than a year now," he said. "Took them a bit to get there, though. The previous ADA left her at the steps of the courthouse . . . after he had to testify in the trial with Stone as special counsel. None of us were easy on Stone when he first joined. But they're a good team when they're catching our guys. And you're right, Liv has a pretty tightly knit circle of people she trusts with her boy. Stone adores him."

"Good," Elliot nodded. "I think someone who couldn't stand the thought of a kid before a relationship would be a dealbreaker."

"I agree," Fin said. "He adores Liv, too. And Owen's made it pretty clear he would burn Stone's body should he ever do something to hurt her, so . . . "

Fin shrugged, and Elliot laughed. "He would do it, too," he remarked with a grin. "How often does a defense team try to use that against them?"

"Often enough that now Stone doesn't even have to start to stand before a judge dismisses any objections regarding his relationship to the captain of the squad," Fin smirked.

Elliot threw back his head and laughed loudly. "At least that saves him trouble!"

"You shoulda seen their faces by the tenth time or something like that," Fin grinned. "As soon as they knew they were serious, they disclosed to D.A. McCoy and to Garland. Practically every judge knew going into session that there was a chance the defense might point it out."

"And then they get slammed before the question even begins," Elliot snickered. "Stone . . . any relation to Ben Stone?"

"His son," Fin answered. "Pitched for the Chicago Cubs for a while, but an injury took him out of the game. Became an attorney and worked for the State's Attorney Office in Cook County, Chicago for a few years."

"Chicago?" Elliot repeated, blinking in surprise. "Did he know Sylvie?"

"As a matter of fact, they were drinking buddies after the office crossed paths with her old firehouse," Fin confirmed, internally impressed with how quickly Elliot was making connections.

Elliot snickered. "So Owen wasn't the only one they went to Austin for."

"Nope," Fin shook his head with a chuckle. "Pretty sure she took Stone bar crawling one night we were there."

Elliot burst out laughing. "Oh, that sounds like her."

Fin nodded in agreement, then their phones chirped with text messages at the same time. Fin checked his, then saw Elliot's facial expression. "Liv?" he guessed.

"Yeah," Elliot nodded tensely, taking a few dollar bills from his wallet and tossing it onto the table. "Hospital?"

"Yep," Fin mirrored his actions, and they headed for the door at the same time.

***

When they entered the doors of the hospital, they saw Sylvie had migrated from laying down on the chairs to leaning against TK, her head on his shoulder. "Hey," Elliot paused to gently touch her arm. "How're you doing?"

"Better," Sylvie smiled. "Thanks."

Elliot nodded, looking up at Olivia jogged up to them. "There you are," she sighed. "Lab found DNA on the cell."

"Any matches?" Elliot asked.

Olivia shook her head. "There's nothing in the system, so they're checking for close kin DNA."

"Do you have enough of a sample for long-range familiar?" Fin asked.

She snorted. "Not to match the perp once we find him."

Elliot blinked. "SVU does genealogical now?"

"It has to be backdoor for the ancestry sites and these new DNA banks," Fin shrugged.

Any other conversation was cut off by alarms beeping and wailing just down the hall, making Sylvie lift her head from TK's shoulder. "That's not good," she mumbled.

Owen suddenly appeared out of one of the rooms down the hall, and TK balked as he stood, realizing all the staff was rushing into the room he just left. "Really not good!"

"Hey, what's going on?" Elliot shouted, running down the hall. "That's my wife!"

"Step back, sir!" one of the doctors held up her hand, stopping him in his tracks.

"I was just talking to her!" Owen stammered, looking from the hospital staff to Elliot with wide eyes.

"You have to move back," the doctor insisted.

"Dad, come on!" TK appeared, taking Owen's arm and tugging him back.

"Elliot, let them get through," Olivia pulled Elliot away. "You can't be in here."

"What's going on?" Buck joined them with Eddie, the two carrying vending machine snacks, their eyes on the now closed-off room. "What happened?"

Sylvie swallowed. "She's coding."

Eddie gulped. "Oh, no."

***

No one bothered trying to get Sylvie to sleep again as they waited anxiously for word on Kathy's condition. Even Fin and Olivia remained, leaving the precinct in Nick's hands for now.

When Elliot finally emerged from Kathy's room, suit jacket slung over his sleeve, Olivia shot up from her seat like a rocket, hurrying down the hall to him. "How is she?" she asked anxiously.

"Cardiac arrest," Elliot answered hoarsely. "But her heart rate's stable now."

"Oh, thank God," TK dropped his head into his hands in relief.

Elliot nodded in full agreement with TK's statement. "Just trying to figure out what caused it."

Olivia sighed. "Elliot, I hate to ask you in the middle of all this . . . "

"You need my case files," Elliot finished for her. When Olivia nodded, he gave a tight smile. "I'll ask Intel to get 'em to you."

Olivia nodded thankfully.

***

"It could be nothing," Matt told Boden at the start of the next shift, two other officers in the room with them. "We'll know more after these tests on Wednesday, but for the next couple of shifts, it's better if I don't see any action." He caught the dubious look Boden gave Kelly, and Matt couldn't help but chuckle. One thing he always appreciated about Boden was his unabashed concern for those under his command. "I'm fine, really," he told the chief. "Just . . . playing it safe."

"And considering all I've done to make sure he's telling the truth about this, he's sure," Kelly added.

"Which is why Lieutenant Pelham is here, I assume," Boden swiveled to face the last officer in the room.

"Yes, sir," Pelham nodded, leaning against the other wall. "Casey called me to check and see if I was either available or knew another officer who could substitute for him on calls. I made sure I could work this shift, the next, and any others he may need."

"And while he's running 81, I can pitch in around the house, take some paperwork off your plate," Matt offered. Boden raised an eyebrow, and Matt held up his hands defensively. "I want to stay busy."

Boden chuckled. That was just like Matt. "Good," he said. "In that case, welcome to 51 for the time being, Lieutenant. Thank you for helping us out."

"Happy to help, Chief," Pelham nodded, shaking his hand. "Especially if it's for Casey."

Boden nodded, dismissing the three officers, and Matt led the way out of the chief's office. "Really, Pelham, thank you for this," Matt insisted.

"And really, don't mention it," Pelham chuckled, shaking his head. "Any time I get to float in this area is a treat. And c'mon, it's 51! Greg had the time of his life here. I'm glad I finally get to see what all the fuss is about."

"That bodes so well for this shift," Kelly groaned as they walked into the briefing room.

"What bodes well, boss?" Cruz looked up from his conversation with Gianna.

"Nothing," Kelly shook his head, ignoring Matt's snickers.

"Lieutenant Pelham?" Herrmann asked in surprise, seeing the addition to the officers.

"Yes, that is our first order of business this morning," Boden walked in and took the front of the room. "I have to call an audible today. Due to medical concerns, Captain Casey is gonna have to take the next two shifts out." Shock rippled through those assembled, and Matt fidgeted, not looking at anyone in the room, choosing to focus on Boden. "Lieutenant Jason Pelham has been personally asked by Casey to take the reins and call the shots for Truck 81 while he's out."

"Thanks, Lieutenant," Gallo spoke up.

Mouch and Stella nodded in agreement, though Stella's face was slightly unreadable as she looked from Casey to Pelham. "Happy to help," Pelham nodded.

Boden nodded, returning to his paperwork. "OK, couple of other announcements – "

The bells rang before he could continue, and everyone looked up to hear the call. "Engine 51. Truck 81. Ambulance 61. Structure fire, 26th and Austin."

Matt nodded, watching those called scramble out of their seats. "Take care of my team?" he asked Pelham.

"Like they're my own," Pelham promised.

Matt nodded, clapping Pelham on the back and watching him run out towards the rigs.

***

"Thanks for helping us out here, Lieutenant," Mouch said as they rolled towards the scene.

"I was tempted to thank Casey for giving me a position for this shift," Pelham smirked, and he heard Gallo quietly snicker from his position. "Nah, it's not a problem. After everything with the bad detergent and exploding dryers, I jumped on this when he made me the offer. According to Greg, if you're substituting, this is the firehouse to be at."

"And that's coming from the lieutenant who didn't initially have the warmest welcome," Mouch quipped.

Pelham thought back. "That was right after Brett left, wasn't it?" he asked.

He heard the scrunch of gloves tightening. "Yep," Stella answered curtly. "Dropped off the face of the Earth, basically."

"Really makes us wonder why she did," Gallo said. "She's entitled to privacy, of course she is . . . that just doesn't seem like a Brett move."

"Because it's not," Mouch said darkly.

Pelham cleared his throat, fidgeting in the uncomfortable tenseness that arose from that line of conversation. "I shouldn't have brought it up," he said. "Sorry about that."

"How could you have known?" Mouch shrugged. "Not your fault, Lieutenant."

Pelham nodded, then caught sight of smoke rising a few blocks away. "Here we are."

He heard Mouch and Gallo shuffle to get their gear ready, and when Stella put the brakes on, he dropped out of the officer's seat to take a long look at the building in front of them. "Save my store!" a man ran up to them, his eyes wide. "Please, just save my store!"

"We're on it, sir," Pelham nodded, seeing the ambulance pull up behind them. "Let these ladies check you out, OK?"

Violet hopped out of the ambulance and gestured the man over, and Pelham turned around, sizing up what they were working with. "Lieutenant?" Boden joined him. "Size it up."

"Fire's on one, heavy smoke on two," Pelham instantly answered. "Fire's not in the structure yet, but looks like there's plenty fuel in there."

Boden nodded in agreement. "51, lead out," he ordered. "Pelham, primary search on one. Kidd, with me."

Pelham nodded, crouching down to put on his gear. Had he looked up, he would have seen Stella's sour face at being left out of the firefight. "Charge the line!" Herrmann ordered, and the hose filled. "Alright, let's go!" 51 led the way into the building, and Pelham heard the loud bangs before he saw them. He instinctively ducked when he heard another, and he watched fire whoosh around the shop. He heard Herrmann groan, then the engine lieutenant clicked his radio on. "We got balloons exploding in here, Chief!"

Pelham scanned the shop, then gestured. "Mouch, that way!" he pointed. "Gallo, with me!"

"Copy!" Mouch nodded, leading Stella in the gestured direction.

Gallo stuck close to Pelham's side as they maneuvered through the store, Pelham's flashlight beam sweeping back and forth. "Fire department!" he shouted. "Call out!"

"Help!" a woman's voice called, and the two firefighters turned at once. "Help!"

"Go!" Pelham ordered.

"Got it!" Gallo took off through the flames.

The coughing woman looked up at him when he arrived. "My daughter!" she choked. "I can't find her!"

"We'll get her," Gallo promised. "You gotta go. Come on!"

Pelham watched Gallo escort the woman out, then he turned as he came back to back with Herrmann. "How's it going?" he called.

"As good as can be expected!" Herrmann answered.

A flash of movement caught Pelham's eye, and he craned his neck to look. "Did you see that?" he barked.

"Yeah!" Herrmann nodded, turning to Ritter. "We're gonna go check that out! You keep going!"

"Copy!" Ritter nodded.

Pelham made his way through the store, finding a young black man low to the ground. "Hey," he bent down. "Fire department. We're getting you out of here."

But the man shook his head, tugging on Pelham's coat. "Upstairs," he coughed. "My neighbor, she's unconscious. Hurry!"

"Wait – " Pelham began, only to blink as the man took off for the stairs. "Hey!" he ran after him, hearing Herrmann curse and follow him. "Get back here!"

When the two firefighters made it up the stairs, the young man turned to them. "You have a bail-out rope?" he asked.

Pelham blinked in surprise, exchanging looks with Herrmann. "Yeah, of course," the engine lieutenant confirmed in confusion.

"Great," the young man nodded, tossing aside a wad of rope. "Then I don't need this."

"Attention, everyone!" Boden's voice came over the radio. "We have a missing girl inside, six years old, location unknown."

Pelham nodded, clicking his radio on. "Mouch?" he asked.

"Searching, Lieutenant!" Mouch responded.

Pelham nodded, following the young man into a room off the stairwell. "There she is!" he pointed, and Herrmann immediately ran to the woman's side, checking her over for injuries. "Front stairwell's fully involved, only clear way out is the window."

Pelham and Herrmann exchanged surprised looks once again. Pelham knew they were thinking the same thing . . . this young man was very well informed about firefighting terms. "Alright," Pelham nodded, walking to the window and opening it, looking outside. "Kidd, I need a ladder to a second-floor window," he reported. "B-side, center. I got two civilians coming out. One male, one female unconscious."

"Copy that, Lieutenant," Stella answered.

Pelham rejoined Herrmann and the young man. "Ladder's on its way," he said. "How is she?"

"She needs oxygen," the young man answered before Herrmann could open his mouth. "We'd get her down faster with a hasty harness."

Herrmann raised an eyebrow, looking at the young man. "You a firefighter?" he asked.

The young man shook his head. "Not anymore."

Pelham blinked in surprise, then headed over to the window, looking out to see Stella and Gallo lining up a ladder. "Victim's coming out in a hasty harness!" he called down.

"Copy!" Gallo nodded.

Pelham moved to the side, watching Herrmann and the young man move into position. "Ready?" he asked.

"Yep," Herrmann grunted, maneuvering the woman safely out the window. "And . . . go."

Gallo watched attentively as the young woman was lowered, and when she was within reachable distance, he caught her when she was low enough. "Got her!"

Pelham nodded, swiveling out onto the ladder and sliding down effortlessly. He watched Gallo help the paramedics load the woman onto the stretcher, then he looked up when he saw the young man swing expertly onto the ladder. He slid down just as Pelham did, and the lieutenant reached up to support him when he landed on the ground. Herrmann was the last down, looking at the young man, obviously impressed.

***

"She was just running around the store, looking at all the piñatas," the woman gasped, looking from Violet to Gianna.

"Your heart rate's elevated, so just try to relax," Violet soothed.

"And these balloons hit a light or something, and just burst into flames!" the woman continued.

Boden narrowed his eyes, turning to the shopkeeper. "Hey, you," he pointed. "What do you put in your balloons?"

The man took a deep breath. "Helium is really expensive, and acetylene works just the same, so . . . "

Boden gritted his teeth, turning around as Pelham returned, Gallo on his heels. "Heads up, flammable gas stored on site," he said. "Let's hurry it up."

"Mouch?" Pelham asked into his radio. "Report!"

"No sign of the girl yet," Mouch answered.

Pelham nodded, turning to Gallo. "We're coming in to help you look."

Gallo bent down to put his mask on again, but he paused when Mouch's panicked voice answered. "Negative, Lieutenant! Do not come here! We need to evacuate right now!"

Pelham turned to Boden worriedly, realizing what the chief had. That meant Mouch had found the gas. "Emergency, emergency!" Boden barked into the radio, and the members of Engine 51 fled the building. "Evacuate now! We are going defensive!"

Pelham watched firefighter after firefighter leave the building, but he couldn't find the last member of his temporary team. "Mouch?" he called. "What's your status?"

He didn't get static in return, but the man didn't answer, either. "Mouch, report!" Boden ordered. "Mouch? Report!"

Pelham looked back at Gallo, who looked just as worried as him. Stella had joined them next, axe in hand, looking ready to charge into the building at a moment's notice. Herrmann crouched behind Ritter, taking part of the hose in hand, then Ritter perked up and grabbed his radio. "Here he comes!"

Mouch trudged out of the building, a child-sized bundle cradled in his arms. The woman by the ambulance sobbed in relief, then screamed when the building burst into flames. Pelham grabbed Gallo and crouched down to avoid glass flying over their heads, and he watched Mouch drop to his knees, shielding the girl from any further harm. When the fire settled, Herrmann let out a low whistle, staring at the remains of the shop. "You good?" Boden asked, moving forward to check on Mouch.

"We're all right, Chief," Mouch nodded, and Boden sighed in relief, patting Mouch on the back.

Pelham shook his head, turning to an awestruck Gallo. "Yeah, just like Greg said," he remarked. "This is the house to be with."

"Yeah, that's the truth," Gallo agreed with a wide grin. "Welcome aboard, Lieutenant!"

***

Cruz, Tony, and Capp had their heads together at the squad table while Matt made copies of incident reports to send to Boden. He was almost worried by their determined faces until Truck 81 and Engine 51 pulled back into the bay, then he was concerned when Gallo hopped down from the truck, bouncing around like a hyper puppy.

Ritter beat him to the punch, though. "Yo!" he bounded up to the squad crew with a grin. "You guys missed the Mouch save of the century!"

Gallo nodded eagerly as Pelham watched with an amused grin. "He was like, 'Chief, don't come in! It's too hot!'" Matt smothered a grin at the Boden mimic, then Gallo kicked out with his foot. "But then, he bursts out of the building, the little girl in his arms!"

"Boom!" Ritter mimed an explosion. "The building explodes behind him."

"He falls to a knee, and he's like – " Gallo dropped to the ground, letting out a manly roar.

Mouch bashfully ducked his head as the four who had stayed behind gave him impressed looks. "Mouch, that sounds like it's out of a movie!" Cruz grinned.

"Way to go, Mouch," Matt praised, patting his shoulder.

"Just doing my job," Mouch mumbled, a pleased smile on his face. "But thanks, Cap."

"Sorry I missed it," Matt playfully glared at Pelham as the lieutenant joined him.

"Glad you got to miss it so I couldn't," Pelham joked, making Matt scoff as they walked through the house. "Nah, but really . . . be proud of him. All of your crew, Cap. You've got a good one."

"Thanks, Pelham," Matt smiled as they reached the offices.

"Does kind of make me wonder what would've happened if Severide was the one who called out," Pelham mused. "Then I'd have had to miss that call."

Kelly, who had been deep in reports, turned when he heard his name. "Wait," he blinked, mind catching up with the rest of what he said. "You're squad certified?"

"Yeah," Pelham grinned, seeing Matt's eyebrows raise in surprise. "That's actually my main specialty in the department. Though since squads are few and far between here in the CFD, I go wherever I'm needed. I'm qualified to run most crews in the CFD." He paused. "Except an ambulance or EMS," he amended his statement. "That's what Greg decided to do in an attempt to one-up me."

Matt shook his head, impressed. "You and Grainger just keep on surprising us, Pelham."

Pelham grinned. "Gotta keep you two on your toes somehow, don't we?"

Matt scoffed, playfully punching him in the arm. "Go write a report."

"Yes, Captain, sir," Pelham mock saluted, spinning on his heel and whistling as he walked off to do just that.

Kelly shook his head and snickered. "How is he friends with Grainger?"

"Probably the same way I'm friends with you," Matt smirked.

Kelly scowled at him. "How dare you."

***

It was impressive, Amanda decided, to see Olivia's eyebrows climb higher towards her hairline the more she listened to Intel on the other end of the phone. "Right, anything you can send will be great," the captain nodded. "And we'll keep each other in the loop. Great, thanks." She hung up and looked at the trio in the room, sighing heavily. "Turns out Stabler has been working anti-terrorism, international sex trafficking, and organized crime."

Sonny whistled lowly, obviously impressed. "That's a hell of a résumé, Cap."

"Don't I know it," she muttered.

"And it doesn't really narrow this down," Amanda added, checking her notes. "Well, this particular cell trigger, it's common in the Middle East, the Mediterranean region, North Africa."

Olivia turned to Kat. "Kat, put in a call to Threat Assessment and see if there are any groups or individuals who were targeted by NYPD overseas. See if they might have a presence here."

"On it," Kat nodded, walking past Sonny and out into the bullpen.

Olivia turned back to her laptop, well aware that Sonny and Amanda were having a silent conversation between themselves. They must have come to a decision, for Sonny gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before leaving to follow Kat into the bullpen. Amanda closed the door behind him, then turned to Olivia. "Do you think Stabler was the target?" she asked.

Olivia closed her eyes, pressing her fingers to her forehead. "I don't know, but it certainly looks like it."

Amanda padded closer, pulling up one the chairs. "You doing OK?" she asked in concern.

Olivia snorted. "You know, I've been better."

"Were you and Kathy Stabler friends?"

Olivia refrained from snorting again. Wasn't that a story? "You know, not at first . . . and it's such a long story, but over time, we got really close."

Amanda grinned. "Kinda like us?"

Olivia chuckled, appreciating her lightness. "Yeah."

"You never talked much about Stabler," Amanda realized. "All I know is when I got here, his desk was empty. A shrine."

"Yeah," Olivia nodded, remembering that clear as day. "Stabler had a pretty big presence in the squad room."

"I know Nick always felt the brunt of trying to fill his shoes," Amanda checked out the blinds, seeing said sergeant and Carlos bent together over one of the desks. "From what he told me, you and Stabler had a . . . " She trailed off, trying to find the words. "Complicated relationship," she finished lamely.

Olivia, though, smiled in agreement. That pretty much summed everything up, didn't it? "We did," she said. "You know, back then . . . nobody looked out for me the way he did."

Amanda smiled warmly, her gaze drifting from Nick to Sonny, who was looking intently at his computer. "I get that."

Olivia smiled fondly, happy two of her people had found each other, then Kat burst into the room. "Hey, I think we caught a break," she grinned. "The lab found a familial match to the DNA on the cell phone trigger."

***

"You're a cop?" Lenski raised an eyebrow, looking Sonny up and down. "I would have taken you both for lawyers."

Peter smirked. "He gets that a lot."

Sonny rolled his eyes, and Lenski snorted. "A district attorney drives all the way to Green Haven to talk to Yuri Lenski. I must have something you want."

"Actually, yes," Peter nodded, folding his hands. "You have any cousins or nephews who went into your line of work?"

"Gambling?" Lenski laughed incredulously, turning to Sonny. "You didn't come here for slot machines. The guard tells me that you are SVU. That cop's wife who got blown up, that was your unit, wasn't it?"

Sonny was certain his expression said it all. "Whatever you tell us, no one will ever know it came from you."

Lenski scoffed. "People still fall for that?"

Peter sighed. "OK, Mr. Lenski, you're a smart man . . . but you're also up for parole in a couple months."

"79 days," Lenski supplied.

"You help us, DA helps you," Sonny gestured to Peter.

But Lenski was already shaking his head before he finished talking. "I've already done four years. I can do three more with my eyes closed. I don't turn on family."

***

"Mr. Lenski wasn't very forthcoming," Peter said into the speakerphone as Sonny drove out of the facility. "We checked his visitor log. No cousins, no nephews."

"But he has a wife and two mistresses that visit him," Sonny continued. "One on Tuesday, one on Thursday, and one on Saturday."

"Well, he can't be making much money while he's in Green Haven," Olivia quipped. "I'll have Kat, Rollins, and Carlos follow up. One of those women wants him home."

***

"Liv was right," Kat announced as she joined Amanda and Carlos in walking away from their cars. "Lenski's second mistress gave up his nephew Sacha Lenski, 26, no record."

"Doesn't look like an international terrorist," Amanda frowned, looking at the picture Kat showed on her phone.

"Yeah, and when Sylvie Brett gives you puppy eyes, you don't think she can stare down a gun-wielding arsonist, right?" Carlos countered.

"Point to Reyes," Amanda conceded.

"And this guy's been playing with matches since he was five," Kat added. "Supposed to blow up the neighbor's boat for the insurance, ended up burning both houses down."

Amanda grimaced, then pulled out her badge, followed by Kat and Carlos. "Hey!" she called to one of the workers at the shop. "NYPD, Austin PD," she introduced them, gesturing between herself, Kat, and Carlos.

The man narrowed his eyes. "What's this about?" he asked.

"We need to speak with one of your workers," Kat answered.

The man scoffed. "Let me call the local precinct. We're tight with them."

"Yeah, your buddies can't help you," Kat smirked. "We have a warrant. We could shut you down for the day."

"Just make it easy on yourself," Amanda nodded. "Tell us which of these guys is Sacha Lenski."

A buzzing sound instantly cut off, followed by the thud of heavy equipment hitting the ground. "Runner!" Carlos shouted, taking off.

"Go, go, go!" Amanda gestured furiously to the officers they brought.

"Austin and New York PD!" Kat shouted, making sure she called Carlos's department as well.

She rounded the corner in time to see Carlos tackle the guy who had to be Sacha, landing right on his back. "Stay down!" Carlos ordered, pulling a pair of handcuffs from his jacket.

"Stay down!" Amanda reinforced, aiming her gun at him.

Kat bent over double, wrenching the welding mask from Sacha. "You got him?" she asked.

Carlos nodded as he fastened the cuffs. "It wasn't me!" Sacha spat at them. "I didn't do it!"

"Oh, really?" Carlos snorted as he stood. "What didn't you do?" Sacha sneered, but didn't answer. "Yeah, I hear that all the time," Carlos rolled his eyes, firmly grasping Sacha's arm. "Come on, buddy. Let's take a ride."

***

"So it's official," Pelham announced as he sauntered up to where the officers had claimed a table for themselves on Molly's patio. "Firehouse 51 is the place to be."

"Ouch," Grainger emphasized a grimace.

"Yeah, and then he tries to go after my position," Kelly grumbled.

"Did he convince you?" Grainger grinned.

"What?" Kelly squawked indignantly, making Matt laugh into his beer. "Hell, no!"

"Damn," Grainger shook his head sadly. "Then I coulda taken Casey's floater position."

"51, in our hands?" Pelham sniggered. "I don't think they're ready for that."

"Oh, come on," Matt huffed. "They deal with us leading them on a daily basis."

Pelham considered. "Yeah, that's fair."

Grainger shook his head fondly, and Kelly nudged his arm with the bottom of his beer bottle. "Pelham mentioned you've got EMS training?"

"Dual-certified," Grainger confirmed. "We were flying through the courses at the academy, and since Jason here decided to pursue the career of an adrenaline junkie, I figured that, should Evan not be available, I better have the ability to patch him up if needed."

Pelham scoffed. "And you call me your friend."

"Friends are the ones who call each other out when it's needed," Matt shrugged.

Kelly smirked. "Ergo: our current situation."

Matt sighed, dropping his head, and Grainger smiled sympathetically. "Not too fun, is it?"

"No, it's not," Matt shook his head, taking a sip of his beer.

"If anything, I'm kicking myself about it," the engine lieutenant admitted. "I just said I'm EMS certified, and I didn't pick up on it."

"You aren't around him practically 24/7," Kelly shook his head. "I didn't pick up on it as fast as I should've."

"I made sure you didn't," Matt told him.

Kelly sighed, rubbing his forehead. "I still don't know why you didn't tell me," he said. "You can tell me anything, you better know that by now."

"I do," Matt assured him. "It's just . . . I grew up in a family full of secrets. I guess, it's . . . " He faltered, swallowing hard. Did Sylvie feel similar to this? he wondered. In the days before she left the CFD? As far as he knew, she still hadn't come clean to anyone about the reasons why she up and left so suddenly, not to mention she wasn't giving any hints about who was the reason she left. Matt thought he was doing a good job keeping secrets, such as the headaches and the tunnel vision . . . and that he was head over heels for his two best friends, one across the country and the other sitting right next to him. Sylvie was the one who was medaling in secret keeping. "It's become a fallback for me, shutting people out, when things get too rough," he finally settled on saying. "I'm working on it."

"Good," Kelly snorted.

"And if you ever need ears that aren't constantly around the firehouse or a paramedic's who might be on shift," Grainger gestured between himself and Pelham. "You've got us, too."

Pelham nodded in agreement, and Matt smiled. "Thanks, guys."

"Hey, it's what friends are for," Grainger smiled back.

"Amen," Matt tipped his beer.

Grainger clinked his bottle against his in return, the two men drinking. "Your MRI's tomorrow, right?" Pelham asked. "You all set for that?"

"All set," Matt nodded. "And if I'm not, then I'm pretty sure Kelly's gonna strangle me to death and have the Halsteads make it look like an accident."

Kelly snorted. "Pretty sure?"

Matt paused, reconsidering his word choice. "You definitely have them on standby for that situation."

Kelly patted his shoulder. "There you go, buddy."

Matt closed his eyes, hearing Grainger and Pelham struggle to contain their laughter. "God, I hate you, Sev."

"Love you, too, man."

Pelham choked on his drink, and Grainger hastily clapped him on the back, hoping to clear his airway. "Did they just – ?" the truck lieutenant wheezed as quietly as he could, coughing into his sleeve to avoid being heard.

"Yeah, they did," Grainger sighed, taking a sip of his own drink. "Welcome to my world, pal. I've dealt with this since Brett left."

"My sincere condolences."

"Thanks, I need them."

***

"Sacha Lenski, 26," Olivia showed Elliot the picture on his phone.

"Means nothing to me," Elliot shook his head. "Who is he?"

"No record, no known connection to any radical groups," Olivia shrugged. "As far as we can tell, he is a low-level earner for random crews. He used to do odd jobs in electrical, and now he's working at an autobody repair shop in Willets Point."

"This guy's DNA is on the phone?"

"Well, we're waiting for the lab to confirm, but it is likely. He's got no alibi, he says he had nothing to do with it, but he hasn't lawyered up."

Elliot snorted. "He's no mastermind." He tapped his hand against his leg as they walked down the street. "Well, let's check his financials in the Iron Triangle," he suggested. "That's Russian mob, Italian mob, Albanian."

Olivia nodded. "He did live in Malta for three years as a teenager," she told him. "You know, maybe the question isn't who paid him, but why." Elliot hummed thoughtfully, nodding along. "So aside from the defendants that you're testifying against, who else knows that you're here?"

"Joint Task Force, my boss at Intel, my kids," Elliot answered immediately.

"Any way they posted on the Internet, social media?" Olivia asked.

Elliot shook his head in denial. "Accounts are locked, and I told them not to." He looked at Olivia warily. "Any chance I can get five minutes with this guy?"

"No." Olivia's voice was like steel. "You aren't going in that room. Or do I need to remind you that you have scared kids and a wife fighting for her life?"

Elliot sighed. "No," he said heavily. "You don't need to tell me, Liv."

"Well, I will if you try that again," she warned, turning on her heel to return to her car. "I gotta get back."

***

"For the hundredth time, I don't know anything about this car!" Sacha groaned.

From his position against the wall, Nick mimicked babble behind Sacha, making Sonny bite into his lip to keep from laughing. "We found the phone that was used as a trigger," Fin told Sacha. "There was DNA on it, and it's gonna be yours."

"Did you?" Sacha asked, tapping the table. "You know, now that I think about it, I lost a phone in Coney Island. You have my new phone."

Sonny did laugh that time, cold and grating. "Yeah, we do. And did you know that if you turn off tracking, we can still trace it to under the Manhattan Bridge on Friday night when the bomb went off?"

"I don't think so!" Sacha snapped. "I was at the shop, all day! Ask my boss!"

"Why, because he'll lie for you?" Fin deadpanned.

Sonny's laugh quickly turned into a cough. "Need a lozenge there, bud?" Nick grinned.

"Nah, I'm good!" Sonny gave a cheerful thumbs-up.

"I don't know anything about bombs!" Sacha shouted.

"Really?" Nick scoffed, pushing off the wall. "Because you sure didn't blow up your neighbor's house when you were seventeen just by wishful thinking!"

"Whoever told you that, they're lying," Sacha glowered. "You can ask my old neighbor. I had nothing to do with that, either."

***

Nick gave the one-way mirror a look that clearly said "bullshit," and Olivia turned off the sound, turning to Peter. "How long has this kid been shadowboxing them?" he asked.

"All night," Olivia grumbled.

"Keep him talking," Peter ordered. "He thinks he's brighter than he is."

Kat rushed into the office, looking out of breath. "Captain, I made some calls," she panted. "Turns out young Sacha isn't connected. He's more of a wannabe. That Iron Triangle garage has been linked to VIN switches on stolen cars and insurance fraud."

Peter blinked. "That's all penny ante. That's a big step up from that to a hit on a cop's wife."

"Or a cop," Olivia countered. "It's more likely that Elliot was the target."

"Maybe we're asking the wrong question?"

That came from the other occupant of the office, and Olivia turned to Carlos, who was watching the interrogation intently. "What's your take?" Olivia asked, curious for his opinion.

"Maybe it shouldn't be about the target with Sacha," Carlos answered. "Hear me out . . . what if we should consider he's being set up?" Everyone in the room exchanged bewildered looks. "OK, yes, with his history and how he's trying to deal with this, he's obviously the one who did this," Carlos held up his hands to stop any questions before they began. "But what if he didn't realize he was hitting a cop? What if he was told it might be a usual hit?"

"Like something to do with insurance," Kat nodded, warming up to the idea.

"Good angle, Carlos," Peter nodded, turning to the mirror. "Arraign him."

Olivia did a double take. "You do that, he's gonna lawyer up."

"Exactly what I'm hoping for," Peter grinned viciously. "Listen, if he's a patsy and he's looking at 25 years?"

"Then a lawyer will get him to cooperate," Olivia finished the thought, matching his grin as she turned to Carlos. "You sure you aren't a detective, Reyes?"

Carlos blushed. "Just trying to help, Captain."

***

"You seriously did this?" Kelly asked in surprise, scrolling through the Spotify collection that was included in the text chain.

"It turns out that when you're sitting in a hospital waiting with scared kids for news about their mother who's fighting for her life after being in the middle of a bomb explosion, you have time on your hands," Sylvie said dryly, nodding from where she was pulled up on Matt's phone via FaceTime. "So yes, I made a playlist for Matt to listen to. I figured if I can't be there while he's getting the MRI, I can at least send something helpful."

"Hey, this is helpful on its own," Matt smiled warmly at her. "Thanks for making the call."

"Of course," Sylvie smiled. "Just give the playlist to the radiology tech, and he'll pipe it through the headphones."

"I would never have time to do this," Kelly muttered, scrolling through the music. "You're an angel, Sylvie."

"Uh, Matt may think I'm the devil after this," she giggled. "It's mostly smooth jazz and a couple of Taylor Swift slow jams thrown in."

Kelly guffawed. "Taylor Swift?"

"Do not judge when I was in charge of music, Kelly Severide," Sylvie pointed warningly at him. "I read that MRI patients aren't supposed to listen to anything too stimulating."

Matt smiled. "Thank you, Sylvie."

"You're welcome," Sylvie nodded. "Let me know when you're finished, OK? And . . . uh . . . have fun?"

Matt chuckled. "I'll do my best."

Sylvie waved, then Matt hung up the call just as the door to the back opened. "Matt Casey?" a man in a lab coat called.

"That's me," Matt nodded, standing from his chair.

"Hey," Kelly stood up with him, hand on his shoulder. "You got this, alright?"

Matt nodded with a smile. "Thanks, Kelly."

Kelly squeezed his shoulder tightly. "I'm not going anywhere."

Matt nodded, following the man back to the MRI as Kelly sat back down in the chair to begin the long wait for the end of the appointment.

***

Peter prided himself on his poker face in court. He could keep an expression of . . . well, stone . . . whenever he needed to, and when it was required, he could pull out the stops on emotions to influence the jury however he needed them to feel.

As he watched the attorney pulled to represent Sacha shuffle through paperwork, he was having a very hard time keeping a straight face, though he couldn't decide if he was more annoyed or amused. "Counselor?" the judge finally spoke up. "Are you with us?"

The man looked up, startled. "Oh . . . sorry, Your Honor." He cleared his throat, finding his statement and reading from it monotone. "Your Honor, my client is pleading not guilty, and we've requested that he be released on his own recognizance pending dismissal of the shoplifting charge."

Peter resisted the urge to facepalm. "Wrong case, Counselor," the judge growled. "This is Sacha Lenski, charged with attempted murder . . . of a police officer!"

The attorney merely blinked. "OK. Sorry again . . . just got this."

Peter cleared his throat, stepping in before the man could embarrass himself further. "Your Honor, can I request a ten-minute recess to bring my colleague, Mr. Cryer, up to speed on this?"

The judge huffed, giving Cryer a dirty look. "Make it five."

Peter nodded, leading Cryer and Sacha into another room. "Alright, let's talk," he declared, dropping his files on the table and sitting down. "Your client needs to know that in addition to attempted murder, he's also looking at use of a weapon of mass destruction, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison, and use of a destructive device in connection to a crime of violence. That's another thirty years."

"I get it," Cryer nodded. "You had me at mass destruction?"

"Did I?" Peter tilted his head. "Too bad, I've got more. The victim was a cop's wife, and every corrections officer is gonna know that from the moment he starts his life sentence."

Cryer frowned. "I take it you're looking for something."

Finally, something smart out of this man's mouth, Peter thought dryly, just as Sacha blurted "I didn't know it was a cop car! I swear to God!"

"OK, that's enough, Sacha," Cryer held up his hand.

"No, that's actually a good start," Peter cut him off with a smirk. "But if this was a job for hire, then we have to know who hired your client."

Cryer frowned. "He cooperates, he gets full immunity?"

Peter snorted. And we're back to idiocy. "Not on attempted murder, he doesn't," he rebuked sharply. "But if his information plays out and he's willing to testify in front of a grand jury, that would mitigate." Cryer frowned, leaning over to whisper to Sacha, and Peter shrugged, gathering his belongings. "When your client's ready to make a proffer, I'm all ears."

The door suddenly opened, and all three looked up as a man in a suit stepped inside, face cold. "Excuse me," he said stiffly. "Sacha Lenski don't say another word."

"Excuse me, he's my client," Cryer frowned.

"And we're in the middle of a deal here," Peter added, on edge now that he recognized the man.

Spencer Cochran was well-known among the district attorneys, after all. "Not anymore," Cochran shook his head. "I've been retained by his family. My client is innocent of all charges, and we look forward to our day in court to prove that."

Peter sighed, turning to Sacha. "Mr. Lenski, you don't have to go along with this. you already have a fine lawyer."

"Yeah, and now he's got a better one," Cochran snorted. "Perry Mason over here didn't even know what my client was charged with."

Yeah . . . Peter would give him that one.

***

"Spencer Cochran?" Olivia's jaw dropped.

"Who . . . who's Spencer Cochran?" Carlos looked around in bewilderment.

"He was an up-and-coming attorney when I was still with SVU," Nick looked around. "Guessing these reactions mean he's a bit more than that now?"

"Just a bit," Sonny grumbled. "And there's no way the Lenskis could afford him."

"No way," Peter agreed. "Whoever he was working for brought Cochrane in."

"Where is Sacha now?" Amanda asked.

"He's on his way to Rikers," Peter answered. "He pled not guilty. I did manage to get the bail set at one million."

"You better get him in protective custody," Fin warned.

"I already arranged it," Sonny nodded.

Olivia's phone rang, and she turned to check the Caller ID. "That's Stabler," she sighed. "I'll let him know."

Peter nodded, listening to Olivia answer, then frowned when another phone went off. "That's mine," Carlos frowned, checking his pockets before finding his. "TK?" he asked as he answered. "What's going – ?"

Carlos abruptly cut off, Olivia's sudden inhale made everyone in the room look between the two. Carlos's eyes were wider than saucers, and Peter watched the blood drain from Olivia's face. "Liv?" he asked quietly.

"Carlos?" Amanda whispered. "What's going on?"

***

"No wonder Boden asked if he could jump into action if I couldn't get a relief lieutenant," Matt groused, shutting a file drawer harder than necessary. "This paperwork is mind-numbing!"

"Weren't your very own words 'I'll help with the paperwork?'" Kelly asked with a grin.

"Shut up, Sev," Matt sighed, shaking his head and heading for the coffee pot.

"I'm just saying!" Kelly cackled.

Matt sighed, scratching the back of his head. "I just feel like I'm twiddling my thumbs," he admitted. "When a doctor says 24-48 hours until they call you in for results, we should assume 72, right?"

"That's probably a Sylvie question, not a me question," Kelly shrugged.

Matt nodded thoughtfully, then saw Kelly bite his lip. "Alright, out with it," he huffed. "What's the question?"

Kelly snickered. "How terrible was the playlist?"

Matt blinked. "Excuse me?"

"Sylvie wanted to know," Kelly grinned. "And she said you can be honest. How terrible was the playlist?"

Matt sputtered. "It was great!" Kelly gave him a dubious look, and Matt fidgeted where he stood. "It was . . . definitely a distraction?" Kelly was outright grinning now, and Matt slumped. "It was horrible," he admitted.

Kelly's loud laughter made Ritter and Gallo poke their heads into the room in surprise. "Oh, she thought that might be your answer!" Kelly crowed.

"Of course she did," Matt rolled his eyes, filling up his mug. "She probably did it for that exact reason." He took a sip of his coffee. "Damn payback for the head injury, I bet," he muttered.

"Can you blame her?" Kelly raised an eyebrow.

Matt sighed. "No, I cannot."

Kelly nodded, still chuckling. "Hey, Severide?" Stella poked her head into the room.

"Yeah, Kidd?" Kelly raised an eyebrow.

"Uh, I was gonna ask Capp and Cruz to run over a few things with me just to make sure I got 'em nailed down, but for some reason, Chief has them watching a truck on the sidewalk," Stella frowned. "Can I go over something with you?"

Kelly checked his watch, then shrugged. "Sure," he nodded, heading towards her. He paused when he heard Matt's phone ring, and he snorted. "Maybe it's not so much 24-48 hours after all," he quipped.

"What's that about?" Stella blinked as they headed for the apparatus floor.

"His MRI results," Kelly shrugged. "Said he should get them back in – "

The sound of a ceramic mug shattering on the floor made both stop in their tracks, and made Ritter and Gallo spin around from where they were in the kitchen. "Was that – ?" Gallo blanched.

"Casey!" Kelly sprinted back the way he came, Stella stumbling before following.

Matt was still standing right where Kelly had left him, phone to his ear, eyes wide. "Captain?" Gallo asked faintly, a tremor in his voice.

Matt swallowed, looking at Kelly. "It's Sylvie," he whispered.

Kelly's heart lurched in his chest. A call from Sylvie that made Matt react like this . . . that only meant one thing. "What happened?"

***

Olivia screeched into a parking spot in front of the hospital, not even bothering to see if it was correct before she lurched out of the driver's seat, Carlos doing the same from the passenger's seat. She barely remembered to lock her vehicle before she sprinted for the entrance.

Owen came running from down the sidewalk, grocery bag in his hands. "Did you – ?" he gasped, panting for breath.

"Yeah," Olivia nodded, leading the way into the hospital. "Do you know – ?"

Owen shook his head. "Not a thing."

Carlos made his way to a pale, red-eyed TK when they reached the floor they were looking for, Buck silently backing away from his partner to rejoin Eddie, who had Sylvie curled against him, the blonde's face stained with tears.

That left Owen to silently place the grocery bag on the table and walk with Olivia down the hall to where Elliot stood, his back to them, facing the hospital room where his wife had been placed. "Elliot?" Olivia asked quietly.

As if on automatic, Elliot stumbled away from the empty room to stare at them with blank, lost eyes. He opened his mouth to speak, but a choked sob was torn from him instead. "I'm so sorry, brother," Owen swallowed hard, drawing Elliot into a tight hug.

Elliot shook from the force of his sobs, then Olivia wormed her way into the hug, drawing Elliot into both their arms. "I'm so sorry," she whispered, squeezing him tightly.

Between the fire captain and the police captain, they managed to support Elliot's weight as all the grief and sorrow that had been welling in the detective unleashed at once, and as Owen clung to him and Olivia just as Elliot clung to them, he met Olivia's tear-filled eyes and silently begged her to read his thoughts.

Catch the sick person who killed his brother's wife.

***

Poor Kathy, and poor Elliot. I don't remember if I expected this to be the outcome of Elliot's return, but once I saw it happen, I thought "that doesn't surprise me." Still . . . what a blow.

Squad 9 wraps up their time in New York next chapter, and Matt awaits the results of his MRI!

graphic by marvelity