Sylvie is best friends with two idiots, Buck continues to ask questions, the 126 teases the little brother of the family, the chat reaches new chaotic heights, and the dispatcher besties have a discussion.

Enjoy!

***

The bells rang through Firehouse 51, and Sylvie groaned in annoyance. She felt the bunk shift, then Kelly's arm wrapped around her waist, the exact grounding she needed. "It's not for us," he muttered, voice heavy with sleep.

"Nope," Matt agreed from his desk. "It's for Engine."

"Stupid bells," Sylvie huffed, attempting to scoot closer to Kelly before freezing, not sure if he would be comfortable with her moving closer.

Kelly, however, rubbed his thumb comfortingly along her back. "What, do you think I'm gonna bite?" he asked jokingly.

Sylvie blushed, but the encouragement was all she needed to press herself closer. "Thanks," she whispered.

"Whatever makes you comfortable," Kelly assured her.

Matt snorted. "And like he's gonna complain about being that close to you."

Kelly groaned in annoyance. "Shut up, Case!"

"Make me!" the truck captain grinned at him.

"Don't tempt me!"

Sylvie fidgeted, then reached over to Matt's nightstand, finding the first item she felt (why was a pen randomly on his nightstand?) and throwing it blindly in Matt's general direction. A thump and a yelp signaled she accurately hit her target. "Shut up, Matt."

"Yeah," Matt cleared his throat. "Shutting up."

Kelly snickered loudly. "Oh, man, now I want you to move in if you can get him to be quiet that easily."

"Will this work on him, too?" Matt wondered.

Sylvie propped herself up on her elbow, squinting through the dark to glare at Matt. "If you shut up, I'll try later when he annoys me."

Matt held up his hands, one holding the offending pen, in defeat. "Yes, ma'am."

Kelly snorted, and Sylvie glared down at him. "Stop while you're ahead, Sev."

"Yes, ma'am," he parroted Matt.

Sylvie groaned, flopping back on the bunk. "Why am I friends with you two?" she wondered.

"No idea," Kelly answered, his arm automatically settling back around her. "But we're lucky bastards to have you as one."

Sylvie blushed harder, hiding her face in his chest. "Shut up," she whined.

Matt snickered. "Go to sleep, you two."

"Yes, sir," both chorused at the same time.

***

"How many firefighters do you guys know outside of the LAFD?"

The sudden question from Buck made all activity in the loft stop. "Uh," Chimney held out for a long time.

"Do we know or do we keep in contact with?" Bobby asked the question from where he was finishing making a cup of coffee.

Buck tilted his head. "Both," he decided.

"Well, there was my house before I moved to L.A.," Bobby took his mug and walked over to the lounge. "But considering how I left, I've barely been in contact with them since."

"And we all started here, we haven't really left," Hen gestured to herself and Chimney.

"I started a year after you, and everyone I've met has been in our department," Eddie reminded him.

"Huh," was all Buck had to say, going back to checking his phone.

Hen and Chimney exchanged bewildered looks, and Eddie leaned forward, frowning. "Does this have to do with why you seem glued to your phone?" he asked.

Buck looked like a deer in headlights. "Yeah, I've realized I'm kind of on it a lot more than usual," he cleared his throat, putting it down.

"Hey, if you're in contact with other firefighters, there's no problem with that," Bobby shook his head, sitting on the arm of the chair Hen was in. "You're clearly ahead of us."

"Where'd you meet them?" Chimney asked.

"It was after the climb into the train derailment," Buck answered. "One firefighter, one paramedic."

"Paramedic?!" Hen bolted upright, almost knocking Bobby off the arm.

"I was fine!" Buck waved her down. "She just checked me over after an adrenaline rush."

"You better be fine," Hen glowered.

Buck huffed. "Honestly, if I could get anything past her, it'd be a miracle."

"Her?" Eddie raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, it's not like that," Buck glowered. "She has a clear type, and it'd be difficult to start a long-distance relationship when they were only here for, like, two days." He snorted. "Besides, the other guy's a ten, but he's dating a cop. I can forgive him, his boyfriend's hot, too." Chimney choked on his drink, and the sudden silence made Buck look around in confusion. "What?" he protested.

"I don't think any of us realized you swung that way, Buck," Hen looked at him with wide eyes.

" . . . you didn't?" Buck blinked.

"No," Chimney grinned. "At least, it never came up."

"Oh," Buck looked to Hen with matching wide eyes. "Well . . . the closest thing I can identify to as bisexual."

Hen cheered gleefully, leaning forward with her hand up. "Yes! There's more of us!"

Buck laughed, slapping his hand against hers. "Sorry it took me so long to say it when I didn't realize I never said it."

"OK, is there anyone else with a bomb they want to drop in the group while they're at it?" Chimney exaggerated looking around. "Might as well blow us all up at once."

Eddie, who had been looking at Buck for a very, very long time, finally held up his hand. "Bisexual as well," he offered.

Chimney sputtered and nearly fell out of his seat as Hen cackled in delight. "I guess Chim wasn't actually expecting an answer," Bobby grinned.

"Yes!" Hen whooped. "We outnumber these two!"

"Oh, God, Cap, she's gonna be insufferable now," Chimney groaned, looking at Bobby.

"What do you want me to do, split up my best firefighting and paramedic pair?" he raised an eyebrow.

"No!" Buck and Eddie shouted at the same time.

Hen had collapsed on the floor at that point, she was laughing so much. "Well, geez," Chimney slumped as booted feet came up the staircase. "This just got interesting."

"Bobby, why does my best friend look like she's about to laugh herself to death?" Athena raised an eyebrow, crossing the loft with her arms crossed.

Hen and Buck exchanged looks before bursting out laughing again, Eddie grinning sheepishly. "Give them a few minutes."

"Only a few?" Athena eyed them.

Bobby just shook his head, grinning behind his coffee mug. "Boy, are there some stories to tell, Athena."

***

Buck: If I'm a golden retriever, what does that make both of you?

The absolutely random question made TK choke on his boba tea, and he quickly put both his phone and his drink down, turning to cough into his arm. "Whoa," Owen frowned, putting down his coffee in concern. "TK?"

"Babe?" Carlos poked his head around the ambulance, where he was talking to Michelle.

"Sorry," TK rasped, holding up a hand to stop the questions as he finished coughing. "Just . . . went down the wrong way."

"Are those two trying to kill you or something?" Nancy eyed his phone warily.

"Honestly, I'm beginning to wonder," TK picked up his phone.

TK: What the fuck, Buck?

Buck: I'm serious!

Buck: My team calls me a golden retriever.

Buck: What does that make the two of you?

TK stared at his phone, then dropped his head onto the kitchenette counter. "Yeah, Buck's trying to kill me."

"Oh, no," Judd snorted. "What's he doing now?"

"Trying to determine what type of pet/animal Sylvie and I are."

There was silence in the house before Marjan burst into hysterical laughter. "I'm sorry, what?" Paul grinned widely.

"He started it!" TK gestured wildly as Marjan leaned against the ladder truck, still laughing her head off. "Apparently his team calls him a golden retriever, and now he's asking what Sylvie and I are!"

"Honestly, with that face right now?" Tim pointed. "I'm seeing grumpy cat."

TK squawked indignantly as Marjan slid down the rig, face buried in her hands as she tried to stop laughing. "I'm what?"

"Yeah, I can see it, too," Paul agreed. "The silent judging you do sometimes? Definitely Grumpy Cat."

"For the love of – " TK looked around for support, but even Carlos was giving him a sympathetic smile. "Really, babe?"

"I'm a bit outnumbered, TK," Carlos gestured to the nodding firefighters.

TK sighed, grumbling as he picked up his phone.

TK: My crew has dubbed me Grumpy Cat.

Buck: Oh, my God, seriously?

TK: Marjan hasn't stopped cackling like a witch since.

TK: Stupid paramedics.

Sylvie: I beg your pardon?

Buck: BUSTED

TK: Present princess of the chat excluded.

Sylvie: You are so lucky I managed to sleep after we finished driving.

Sylvie: I would chew your head off for that paramedic comment.

Buck: Not the princess?

Sylvie: It's not the worst nickname you could have for me.

Sylvie: And I got to spend basically the entire night at the firehouse with Matt and Kelly.

Sylvie: I'm in a happy mood.

Buck: So what pet is cute and sweet and adorable?

"OK, quiz time," TK looked up challengingly. "If I'm Grumpy Cat, what would you say someone would be if they were cute, sweet, and adorable?"

"Is this for Brett?" Paul asked.

"Yeah, it is."

"And tactile," Paul added to the list. "Physical touch is that girl's language."

"Cocker spaniel?" Nancy suggested.

TK pointed victoriously at her. "Paramedics are the best."

The firefighters in the room protested as Nancy whooped, high fiving Tim victoriously.

TK: Courtesy of one of my favorite Austin paramedics.

TK: Cocker spaniel.

Buck: YES

Sylvie: Are we seriously guessing what animals we are?

Buck has changed their name to Golden Retriever

Golden Retriever: Yes.

TK: We are not doing this.

Golden Retriever: Oh, come on!

Golden Retriever: Like you guys don't have group chats with funny names.

Sylvie has changed their name to Cocker Spaniel

Cocker Spaniel: Only because this is not the worst name I could ever be called.

Cocker Spaniel: But I swear, if anyone but you guys calls me this . . .

Golden Retriever: Scout's honor, princess.

Golden Retriever: Come on, TK.

Cocker Spaniel: I did it.

TK has changed their name to Grumpy Cat

Grumpy Cat: You guys are so lucky I like you.

"Great job, Nancy," TK sighed, pointing his phone at her. "Now because of that, our names in this chat are what we are."

"Seriously?" Nancy grinned widely. "Awesome!"

TK huffed. "I'm the only cat."

Owen patted him on the shoulder, smiling widely. "That just means you're one of a kind, son."

He sighed. "Let's go with that."

***

"When do you head to med school?" Natalie asked at Molly's that night, looking at Emily intently.

"I end at 51 next month, and I start school after that," Emily smiled.

"One more month of you singing out of tune," Sylvie sighed dramatically.

Hailey snorted into her beer bottle, and Kim burst out laughing. "You sound so disappointed," Emily pouted.

"Well, yeah," Sylvie nodded. "I'm going to lose my partner."

"It's always difficult when you have to change," Hailey smiled sadly. "When Rojas transferred back to Organized Crime, it felt so weird. Atwater had to change partners again."

"It was difficult when Dawson left, too," Kim recalled.

Sylvie lowered her eyes, and Natalie smiled sadly. "How many have you had?" the brunette doctor asked.

"Mills," Sylvie counted on her fingers. "Chili. Borelli. Gabby." She smiled sadly at Emily. "You're number five."

"Holy crap, girl," Hailey stared at her in shock.

"I'm sorry to do this to you again," Emily reached for Sylvie's hand.

"You're doing what you've wanted to do your whole life," Sylvie squeezed her hand thankfully. "There's no way I'm going to stand in the way of that."

Emily bowed her head. "But I almost let it ruin us last winter."

Sylvie swallowed.

***

Sylvie looked up when she heard a glass be set on the bar in front of her, and she lifted her head from where it rested on her arms, recognizing her favorite rosé. "Herrmann?" she asked in surprise, looking at the engine lieutenant.

"Someone remembered your order," he nodded over her shoulder. "And you looked like you needed it." He patted her hand. "It's on them."

The "on them" was all Sylvie needed to know. She turned in her seat, glass in hand, to see Matt and Kelly at their usual table by the wall, Matt's concern clear on his face as Kelly silently raised his beer in invitation. Sylvie slipped from her stool at the bar and crossed the bar to join them, hesitating for a second before climbing into the seat next to Matt. "You remembered," she smiled, swirling her wine around.

"You looked like you need it," Matt shrugged.

"Everything OK?" Kelly asked, leaning forward. "You don't typically sit in Molly's alone."

Sylvie fiddled with her sleeve. "I wanted to hang, and now that I'm here . . . " She slumped. "Feeling antisocial, I guess."

Matt bumped her shoulder with his, and Sylvie returned the touch before laying her head on his shoulder. "I'm sorry, Sylvie," he told her.

"Is this about Foster?" Kelly asked.

Sylvie blinked at him. "Did you notice, too?"

"She looked like she was riled up about something," Kelly shrugged. "But that was mainly because it was riling you up, too, and that's what I was focused on."

Sylvie bit her lip, preening at the thought of Kelly focusing on her. "Out of the blue, she's started challenging my authority as PIC, going on about her med school experience."

"What?" Kelly looked offended on her behalf.

"I know!" Sylvie gestured wildly. "I mean, it's really insulting! I – I'm trying to be accommodating, but I have a limit!"

"That doesn't sound like her," Matt frowned. "Have you talked to her yet?"

Sylvie opened her mouth, but when Kelly looked past her and made a face, she straightened and looked behind her. Emily had stepped into Molly's, her eyes sweeping the bar. The look in her eyes made Sylvie's heart drop to her stomach, and she abruptly pushed off Matt, the truck captain blinking in surprise. "I gotta go," she stammered, fumbling to put her jacket on. "I'm not up for this tonight."

"Um, I'm sorry," Emily's voice raised, freezing Sylvie where she stood. "Did I interrupt something?"

That drew the attention of Capp and Tony, who turned in sync from their nearby table to check on their lieutenant, who had turned narrowed eyes onto Emily. Matt, however, was focused on Sylvie as she did her best to ignore Emily, hurrying for the door as quickly as she could. She stumbled down the steps, fumbling for her phone to get an Uber –

"Sylvie!" She squeezed her eyes shut, mentally counting back from ten. "Sylvie!" Emily shouted, coming closer. "God, if you have something to say, say it to my face!"

"Will you stop acting so entitled?" Sylvie exploded, spinning around to face her partner. Emily took a step back, eyes wide at Sylvie's fury. "You have been on my case since yesterday! You had no business questioning my medical ability on that call. I'm the Paramedic In-Charge. We had a patient's life on the line."

"That's exactly why I spoke up!" Emily snapped. "I have the experience, and a nasotracheal intubation – "

"Is a risky procedure," Sylvie cut her off. "But it's one that I have personally performed dozens of times in the field."

Emily scowled, going into defensive mode. "OK, well, I couldn't have known that."

"Emily, you didn't have to know that," Sylvie shook her head. "It wasn't your call to make." She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down, even as she felt her heart race harder and tears prickle her eyes. "You may think that your education makes you a better paramedic than me, but I earned my place as PIC after years of experience in the field. I chose this life. It wasn't a back-up plan. It wasn't a consolation prize." She drew herself up, looking Emily in the eye. "So, if you don't respect that fact, maybe you need to see if some other house will take you in, because I am losing my patience fast."

She turned on her heel and didn't give Emily the chance to respond, walking quickly down the sidewalk, returning to look at her phone for an Uber. Before she got the chance to open the app, she heard feet hurrying after her, and she gulped, almost running in her dread that it was no longer just Emily, but also Stella trying to catch up to her.

"Sylvie!"

She stopped in her tracks, closing her eyes and pinching the bridge of her nose, feeling herself start to shake. "I can't go back in there," she choked out as the two men who followed her ran up to either side of her. "Not right now."

"You don't have to," Matt shook his head, stopping on her left side. "It . . . kind of killed the mood anyway."

"Oh, my God," she groaned.

"We're not heading back in there," Kelly told her. "And you aren't getting a ride alone, so we are either taking you back to your place . . . "

"Or you could come over to ours," Matt finished the offer.

Sylvie took a few deep breaths, trying to calm herself down. "I really don't want to go to an empty apartment right now," she whispered, hating herself when her voice cracked.

She felt the men close in, bracketing her between them, Matt's arm around her waist, Kelly's around her shoulders. "Then you're coming to ours and staying however long you want," he decided.

"It's been a while since it's been just the three of us anyway," Matt agreed.

Sylvie gave them a watery smile, sniffing and putting her phone back in her pocket. "Thanks, guys," she said, scrubbing at her eyes.

Kelly squeezed her tightly, and Matt pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "We look out for each other, Sylv," the captain said. "Anything at all, you can tell us."

Sylvie smiled. "How did I get so lucky to have you two?"

Kelly grinned. "How did we get so lucky to have you come to 51?"

Sylvie giggled. "Harrison left me at the altar."

Matt rolled his eyes. "That name is forbidden from now on."

Kelly snorted. "His greatest loss of all time is our greatest gain."

Matt tilted his head, considering. "Touché, Sev."

Sylvie let out a full laugh, wrapping her arms around the officers, walking with them towards where they had parked.

***

"We got it figured out, though," Sylvie told Emily. "And that's important for any partnership."

"Amen to that," Hailey raised her beer.

Sylvie smiled happily and raised her drink with the other girls. She took a long sip of her wine, then felt a finger tap her shoulder. She turned around, then smiled when she saw Joe behind her. "Hey!"

"Hey," Joe nodded. "Hey, uh . . . could I talk to you for a minute?"

"Of course," Sylvie nodded, putting her glass down. "I'll be right back." Kim gave her a quick wave, and Sylvie followed Joe to the back of Molly's. "What's up?" she asked.

"Look, uh," Joe rubbed his hands together anxiously. "I know Foster is leaving soon, and I was wondering . . . do you know who's replacing her yet?"

"No," Sylvie shook her head. "Not yet." She sighed. "I don't know if I should look through paramedics myself or wait for headquarters to assign one to the house."

"Actually," Joe took a deep breath. "I was wondering if you might want a recommendation." Sylvie blinked, and Joe started rambling. "I – I mean, I know that this will be your sixth partner in that many years, but I can vouch for her work ethic, she's an amazing person, and I think she would really – "

"Joe!" Sylvie laughed, holding up her hands to stop him. "Yeah, it sounds like this is a good recommendation. Just have her send me what I need to know, OK?"

"OK," Joe smiled from ear to ear. "Thank you, Sylvie. You won't regret it!"

Sylvie giggled. "I bet I won't."

She turned to head back to her table, and Joe cleared his throat. "But, uh . . . can I give you a heads up?"

Sylvie paused, turning back around. "Sure," she tilted her head, curious.

Joe glanced towards the bar, where Herrmann and Stella were serving customers. "Capp, Tony, and I had to run a bit of interference before the shift ended," he said quietly. "Stella . . . to say she wasn't happy you and Severide were in Casey's quarters would be an understatement."

Sylvie blushed at his words, but she took a furtive look towards Stella, who was not at all hiding the looks she threw Kelly's way and the narrowed eyes she gave Matt, who was laughing at whatever their friend had said. "I'm not entirely surprised," she admitted. "She . . . we grew further apart after everything with the serial arsonist and they brought me home."

"I know," Joe nodded. "I just thought you should know . . . Squad's keeping an eye out. Casey and Severide are happy with you, and we'd like it to stay that way."

"Yeah, me, too," Sylvie agreed with a nod.

Joe gave her a long look. "Though I have been wondering . . . ?"

He trailed off, but the question was obvious. Sylvie sank her teeth into her lip, feeling her heart lurch. "It's not like that, Joe."

"I know you, Sylvie," he said gently. "At least I know this you better than Casey and Severide. The way you look at them . . . you never looked at Dawson or the chaplain like that."

Sylvie ducked her head. "They don't like me or each other like that," she said.

Joe made a sound of disbelief, noting the looks Matt and Kelly occasionally sent their direction; they always seemed to want to make sure they knew where Sylvie was. "I wouldn't be so sure about that."

Sylvie sighed. "I'm not getting my hopes up, Joe. I tried something once, and it blew up in my face. I don't want that kind of ruin in my life again."

Joe sighed, nodding. "I'm just looking out for you."

"And I appreciate it," Sylvie smiled, rising on her toes and kissing his cheek. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Joe gave a playful bow, making her giggle.

***

"How many dispatchers do you know that don't work in Los Angeles?" Maddie abruptly asked during her break at the dispatch center.

Josh paused in refilling his coffee. "That was a bit random."

"I know," Maddie sighed. "I'm sorry, but it's based on a question Buck asked, and I guess I haven't really thought about it much."

"Well, you've only been a dispatcher two years, and you haven't gotten out of the city much," Josh reminded her. "Sue has a few contacts around the states, I'm pretty sure." He tilted his head, thinking as he sat across from her. "There was one conference I attended with her," he finally said. "I think it was in Dallas? It was in one of the Southern states, I know that. I got along really well with an Austin dispatcher; her name was Grace. I think I still have her contact information somewhere, and we get in touch a few times a month just to compare crazy calls." He snorted loudly. "I remember a month back or so she told me about a son who got one of his toy cars stuck up his nose, then she had to resend the firehouse to the same family because the dad wondered how it happened and then got the car up his nose." Maddie giggled, and Josh nodded. "That was basically my reaction." He leaned back in his chair, tilting his head. "What brought the question on?"

"Buck met two first responders from out of state while he worked the train derailment," Maddie explained. "They were attending the conference in Santa Monica, but they were called in for assistance."

"I think I made some of those calls," Josh thought back. "Yeah, I know I sent a few rescue specialist crews to assist. I'm glad he made some new friends."

"That was what he was saying," Maddie told him. "He wondered how many of us had friends or kept in contact with others in our field that weren't concentrated where we worked."

"So like Sergeant Grant-Nash having police friends outside of Los Angeles or California, or us having dispatcher contacts," Josh nodded, understanding.

"Yeah," Maddie nodded. "And Buck came to the conclusion that basically all of his friends and family are centered around the 118, and not much else."

"Except these two new friends."

"Except these two next friends," Maddie agreed.

"Well, from what I know about Buck, he seems to have two settings," Josh remarked. "One is his 'I barely know you, so I'm not sure how I'm going to act right now, but I'll get back to you,' and the other is his 'I know you and I really care about you, so I'm going to cling to you like a koala and never let go.'" Maddie burst out laughing at his descriptions, and Josh gestured wildly. "Am I wrong?"

"No," Maddie giggled. "No, you're not."

"Buck takes the relationships he has and never lets them go, and he seems very focused on having their attention," Josh nodded. "I mean, I don't know what it was like at home for him – and you, I suppose – but whatever it was, he values the people he has with everything in his heart, and it's like he's afraid if he does a single thing wrong, it's just going to evaporate like fog in the sun." He sighed, checking his watch and standing up to go back on shift. "He's lucky that no matter what, he's got you," he gave her a smile and walked out.

He didn't notice Maddie's smile waver as he left, nor did he hear the sharp exhale like she'd been punched in the gut. He definitely didn't see the glimmer of guilty tears that barely formed before she took a deep breath, stood from her seat, and prepared to head back as well.

***

And now we're getting into the main angst part of the fic . . . starting to set up how the new team in Austin will form. Here's what I've figured out so far:

1: Maddie is not pregnant in this timeline, which will make it easier to set her up with Nancy in the long run.

2: I'll dive into Chicago Fire S9 before either 9-1-1 S4 and Lone Star S2 start because that sets up Sylvie's side of the story.

3: Maddie is going to make some choices that will make her and Buck closer, but it will also set up Buck's side of the story.

4: I still want Michelle to have some content in this story even though she won't be working at the 126 because I loved her dynamics with Owen and Carlos, and to explore what it might be like with Tommy.

If anyone has any ideas about what factors could potentially cause Sylvie and Buck to make the transfer to Austin, I'd love to hear them! I'm working on the groundwork, but any extra reasons could be very helpful.

graphic by marvelity