Well, it's hard to believe we're at this point, folks. At just over 14K words, this is the last chapter of "Danger Zone," which wraps up the Chicago storyline. There will be an epilogue, but this is the last hefty wordcount until next book. I feel pretty pleased with how this ends, so I hope you will feel the same.

Kelly reminisces, the 126 Squad Company gets caught up to speed, a call at Navy Pier takes 51's breath away, Matt and Kelly tie up loose ends, one goodbye hurts more than others, and a trio makes a pact that should really scare some people.

Here's the end of "No Survivors" and part of "Mayday!" No character bio at the end this time - I'm saving the rest for later!

***

The last time he had woken like this, they had been cocooned in blankets on the floor of Owen's house. Buttercup had been curled up at their feet, Kelly had one of his worse nights of sleep after he came to the realization he was in love with his best friends, and he had no idea what the hell to do with that knowledge. This time, he had woken after one of his best nights of sleep to find his limbs tangled with those of Matt and Sylvie, the three of them somehow managing to fit in a bed that should have been too small for them.

They all had far fewer clothes on this time, too.

It took a remarkable amount of effort for Kelly to figure out how to free himself from his lovers without waking them up, and he nearly did so with Sylvie. He paused when the paramedic stirred, her nose wrinkling adorably before she settled again, her head resting against Matt's collarbone. The captain hadn't woken at all, and Kelly sighed in relief before finally getting out of the bed and finding a pair of sweatpants and a shirt to slip on. There was no way he was going to get back to sleep, not with the sun shining . . . and he had a feeling if he stared at Matt and Sylvie, that would just end with them waking up, too. Chances are they would be waking up soon, anyway, with how their internal clocks were wired, but considering that was the best Kelly had slept in a long time, he was going to let them get as much rest as they could.

He entered the kitchen just in time to hear his phone start vibrating on the counter, and he raised an eyebrow as he checked the Caller ID. He chuckled, already guessing what this was about, and he clicked answer as he went to work finding what he needed to start the coffee machine. "Hey, Cap."

"Hey, Severide." Owen sounded a mixture of resigned and amused. "Judging by your tone, you already know what I'm about to ask."

"I have a feeling," Kelly snickered; Matt and Sylvie's phones had been dropped on the coffee table, and both of their screens were lit up like Christmas trees with missed calls and text messages. "Let me guess . . . do I know where Sylvie is since she didn't go back to the hotel last night?"

"You're a natural," Owen deadpanned, making Kelly snort. "I take it you know, then?"

"Yeah, I know," Kelly couldn't help but smile. "She's here and safe with us."

"I don't doubt it." Owen's matter-of-factness made Kelly's smile widen. The fire captain's trust in others was something Kelly admired most about him, and it made him want to keep that trust close. "I'll tell the others to stop the onslaught. I'll warn you in advance, though . . . you might need to endure a shovel talk from Nolan."

A shudder went down Kelly's back, and the lieutenant grimaced as he tucked his phone under his ear so he could pour a mug for himself. "After that performance he put on the other day . . . I'm not looking forward to that."

"Hence the heads-up." Kelly could hear Owen's smirk through the phone. "I'd give you one myself, but since I've already had to do that with Carlos, I'll let Sylvie's brother have the honors this time around."

"I'm sure he's thankful for the opportunity," Kelly sighed. "Don't think I didn't realize you just subtly figured out what happened last night."

Owen snorted. "It was only a matter of time, Severide. I suspected way before I ever met you and Casey, but I knew for sure after the wildfires in San Angelo. I'm just relieved this had a happy ending."

"Yeah," Kelly smiled. "Me, too." He took his mug over to the windows, looking out over the waking city of Chicago. "And Captain? Matt and I have our answer. We just need a meeting with you and Grissom."

"I'll be sure to include you two in the meeting when we discuss returning to Austin," Owen promised. "Given his schedule, I wouldn't be surprised if it takes until after next shift. Either way, I should leave you be. Sorry if I woke you up."

"You didn't," Kelly shook his head. "We left our phones on the other side of the loft."

Owen snorted again. "Oh, I bet you did." Kelly snorted into his coffee at the words. "See you later, Severide."

"Later, Captain," Kelly returned before hanging up.

"That was Owen?"

He turned in surprise to see Sylvie had come into the kitchen, her hair hastily pulled on top of her head in a messy bun and a CFD sweatshirt (his or Matt's, Kelly couldn't tell) barely reaching her knees. For the normally put-together paramedic, it was a messy look on her. Kelly loved it. "Apparently, people noticed when you didn't go back to the hotel last night," he nodded, casually tossing his phone away onto the nearby couch.

Sylvie peered at her phone screen curiously, and she balked in shock. "What the hell?"

"I'm guessing you got more concerned texts and calls than I did," Kelly snickered.

"I need to get used to having a protective older sibling," Sylvie mumbled, putting her phone down in favor for finding a mug and pouring herself some of the coffee. "I think Nolan tried to get in touch with me more than Owen, TK, and Buck combined."

Kelly blinked. "Not Eddie?"

"Eddie's messages would have tipped the scale in the others' favor."

Kelly chuckled. "You have a hell of a partner."

"I do," Sylvie nodded, biting her lip. "I missed my old ones, though."

Kelly smiled, beckoning for her to come to him. "Good thing you're getting them back."

Sylvie beamed up at him. "It feels so good to win."

"Jackpot," Kelly smirked, tucking her into his side.

Sylvie sighed in contentment, snuggling into him. "Feels better than the jackpot." She frowned in consideration. "Then again, I've never won the jackpot, so . . . "

"I'll take this over any jackpot," Kelly told her. "You know, it felt so wrong before, and it made me second guess everything. After everything that happened the last two years, with the serial arsonist, my work at OFI, you losing your birth mother, Halleck . . . what happened with the three of us? Did we do something wrong?"

"No," Sylvie answered at once, shaking her head. "No, Kelly, you and Matt never did anything."

"We know that now," Kelly sighed. "But when Grissom marched into the firehouse and said he would be investigating everyone . . . well. We knew we'd be scrutinized more than the rest." He made a face in annoyance. "Wish I'd had the foresight to point out Stella."

"She did whatever she could to make sure she could fake her way out of that list," Sylvie told him. "And I wasn't exactly around to point fingers."

"You never did that whenever you saw her, either," Kelly pointed out.

"No," Sylvie deflated. "I didn't. I always thought it would end up as my word against hers. I didn't anticipate Matt being around the corner at Molly's, right within hearing distance . . . well, recording distance." Kelly looked disturbed at Sylvie's line of thought, and before he could speak, she reached up and rested her palm against his cheek. "Kelly, what's happened is what happened," she told him. "And I'm happy with where we've ended up, even if it was a tough road here. Enough of the 'what ifs,' I'm done thinking about them. I'm in it for the here and now . . . and whatever the future brings us."

Kelly relaxed under her touch, nodding in agreement. "The here and now," he agreed, bending and kissing her.

Sylvie hummed happily, her hand sliding to the back of Kelly's head to pull him closer. It was a miracle neither of them dropped the coffees they held in their other hands.

"You know if we go for round whatever it would be, there's no way we're getting out of this loft, right?"

The dry quip from the other side of the room made them separate, and Sylvie threw a pointed look at a smirking Matt. "Where's the downside to that?"

Matt grinned at the retort and walked across the room to join them, one hand curling around the back of Sylvie's neck, thumb brushing her pulse point, as his chin rested on Kelly's shoulder. "Oh . . . maybe an overprotective brother recruiting the other brothers to bust down the door?"

Kelly burst out laughing at the image. "He so would!"

"He really would," Sylvie admitted with a blush. "And so would TK and Buck. Alright, fine, you win."

"Wasn't trying to win anything, dear heart," Matt chuckled, kissing the top of her head. "But I do value my life and Kelly's, so thank you for doing the same."

She giggled. "I know I promised Christopher that his dad is my priority in the field, as he's my partner . . . but I think Eddie knows I value your lives more."

"Then don't let Christopher hear you say that," Kelly warned. "He may not want us to move to Austin when he learns his dad dropped to third priority."

Sylvie grinned playfully. "Our secret."

Matt snorted loudly. "Worst kept secret ever."

***

"You know the three of you are probably gonna get nailed right away when you walk into the firehouse tomorrow, right?"

Eddie's pointed look made Sylvie burst into a peal of laughter when the group met for a late lunch at the trio's preferred diner in Chicago. "What, like being by each other constantly wasn't what we were originally doing?"

"Not since you came back to Chicago," TK pointed out.

"He's got us there," Kelly admitted.

Owen snorted into his coffee. "I say Squad 3 figures it out first."

"Oh, I'm not betting against that," Buck shook his head. "I know they're gonna figure it out first. Pretty sure Cruz has been rooting for them longer than we have."

"He has," Sylvie agreed. "He's the one who told me to see if I had a chance when you two came to Austin."

Matt pinched the bridge of his nose. "Did he tell you he's the one who, in a way, sent me after Kelly after everything happened with my head?"

Sylvie blinked. "He did?"

"What I'm getting from this conversation is we should have an open tab at Molly's for Cruz," Kelly decided.

"You have a hell of a crew, Lieutenant," Eddie grinned. "I'm pretty confident those three would walk through all nine circles of hell for you if you asked them to do it."

Kelly grimaced. "Good thing I never would." He looked at Matt, raising an eyebrow. At Matt's nod, he cleared his throat. "And I wouldn't ask my new one to do that, either."

While Owen openly grinned, TK, Buck, and Eddie looked blankly at him. "Why would you leave Squad 3?" Buck asked.

Nolan, who had let the conversation run its course, shook his head with a grin. "My sister gets her guys, and it's not even going to be a long-distance relationship. You really aren't letting Kidd win."

"Nope," Sylvie smiled confidently as she reclined in her chair. "She lost big time, and I am reaping the benefits."

TK's fork clattered onto his plate. "Wait a minute," he blinked rapidly, pointing between a grinning Matt and Kelly. "You agreed?"

"We agreed," Matt confirmed with a laugh.

"You boys are looking at the new commanding officers of the 126," Owen smiled proudly. "Effective as soon as Chief Radford retires and I move into his position."

"Yes!" Buck whooped in joy as TK bounded from his seat to all but tackle Kelly in a hug. "We have the best house ever!"

Eddie was much calmer as he walked over to Matt, but his smile was just as wide as TK's as he hugged the captain. "Welcome to the 126, Casey."

"Thanks, Eddie," Matt returned the hug with a smile. "Any chance you can resuscitate Kelly if TK kills him with his hug!"

"I am not killing my new officer!" TK glared.

"I'm still your current commanding officer, son," Owen reminded him, making Nolan laugh into his drink.

"Let me convey my gratitude, Dad!"

"I appreciate breathing, though, TK," Kelly patted his back, but his expression was fond as he hugged TK in return. "But thank you for the gratitude."

As Buck jumped from his chair to join the celebrations, Nolan moved from his chair to sit next to Sylvie, his multicolored eyes watching the circle of firefighters before turning to his sister. "I already have a good idea about your answer, but I've got to ask anyway," he said. "How are you feeling about this?"

"Over the moon," Sylvie answered immediately with a brilliant smile. "As soon as Owen told me he had offered them the 126, I knew I had to go talk to them. I had an idea about how I wanted that conversation to end . . . but this is more than I ever hoped for."

Nolan smiled, drawing her in for a hug. "It's what you deserve after everything that's happened."

Sylvie beamed. "Does that mean they escape a shovel talk?"

Nolan snickered. "I called them getting hired by Captain Strand all the way back in Los Angeles, where I also made it clear they should get themselves together and tell you how they felt. I'll let it pass." He raised his voice as the celebratory ones behind them died down. "That doesn't mean if they do something to hurt you, I'll be more than happy to use Jack's pull to make sure no one ever sees them again."

Sylvie giggled. "That's a shovel talk, Nolan."

Kelly sighed. "He was a little more terrifying with Kidd."

"She hurt my little sister," Nolan said simply as he stood. "You two haven't." He raised an eyebrow. "Yet."

Matt held up his hands placatingly. "And we never will."

"Then we won't have a problem," Nolan smiled pleasantly.

Sylvie closed her eyes and rubbed her forehead. "How did I get the seven most overprotective guys ever in my life?"

"Eight," TK corrected. "I come with Carlos."

"You forgot Judd, Paul, and Mateo, too," Buck added.

"Stone," Owen ticked off on his hand. "Elliot. Carisi. Fin."

Sylvie dropped her head into her arms. "Matt, Kelly, I think there will be a line if something ever goes wrong."

"Good thing we'll do whatever we can to make sure nothing does," Matt patted her shoulder.

"See?" Buck waved at him and Kelly. "This is why we constantly nagged you."

Sylvie gave pleading eyes to a very amused Owen. "Now I understand Buck and Eddie's pain when I was like this."

"Karma's a bitch, Cap," Eddie chuckled. "But it'll pass soon enough."

Owen checked his watch, then rolled his eyes. "Alright, I know we all plan to be at Molly's before we go our separate ways, but it's five o'clock somewhere right now. First round of drinks is on me."

As Buck whooped, Nolan kissed the top of Sylvie's head and stood, turning to Matt and Kelly. "Take care of my sister," he requested, his tone all seriousness and no playfulness.

And there were no signs of the latter on the officers' faces when they nodded solemnly in reply. "You have our word," Kelly promised.

Nolan's stance relaxed, and the prosecutor smiled before hugging both men. "Then welcome to the family."

***

Truck 81, Engine 51, and Ambulance 61 were called to action almost immediately after Boden's morning briefing was completed next shift. That left six firefighters in the house, and Sylvie and Eddie had taken over the bunkroom as they planned out their trip back to Austin.

That left Kelly to go over the inventory checklist at the squad table, and as he scanned through the remarks from the previous shift, he felt three impatient gazes on him. He let them stew for about a minute before looking over the top of his clipboard. "Can I help you guys with something?" he asked, smothering a smirk.

"You and Casey arrived at the same time as Brett today," Tony began.

"Actually, she arrived with them," Capp corrected.

Oh, it was really difficult not to grin ear to ear. "So?" Kelly shrugged.

"Really, man?" Cruz narrowed his eyes. "Do we have to have another intervention?"

"Oh, I hope not," Capp sighed. "It was crowded in that office."

"We'd have to add Casey to this one, too," Cruz added. "That would really crowd a place."

"And you wouldn't pull Sylvie, too?" Kelly asked in disbelief.

"Yeah, because we would absolutely be able to abduct her from under Diaz's nose," Capp rolled his eyes. He paused, rethinking his words. "Actually, he might have more success than us . . . "

"Pretty sure it's Price we would have to be worried about," Tony nodded.

Kelly pointed to Tony in agreement, and Cruz huffed. "C'mon, boss, it's us!"

"That's exactly what I'm worried about," Kelly snorted. "On whose behalf would you be giving the shovel talk?"

"Aha!" Tony sat up straight triumphantly. "Was that a confirmation?"

"What are we confirming?" Eddie asked as he walked out of the firehouse, inventory clipboard tucked under his arm.

Before Kelly could answer, Cruz turned in his chair, looking intently at Eddie. "Status of our three favorite officers?" he asked.

Eddie didn't skip a beat. "Off the market."

"All three of them?" Capp brightened.

Kelly rolled his eyes, now completely unable to keep from smiling. "If it helps, Nolan did threaten us."

"But not much, since they haven't hurt her," Eddie added. "There's some sadistic part of me that really wants to see just how much pull he's got now that he's got this EADA position . . . "

Kelly swiveled in his chair to narrow his eyes at the paramedic. "You are not being very helpful right now, Diaz."

"What?" Eddie grinned. "He asked."

The gleeful cheers of his team meant there was no way Kelly could keep glaring. "Yeah, we wouldn't have been able to go much further into shift without shouting it."

"Definitely not," Eddie agreed with a snicker.

"Haha!" Cruz leapt from his chair, smiling widely as he did. "I knew it! I knew it! Congrats, boss!"

Kelly laughed, giving up on what he was doing to stand and accept the bear hug from his 2IC. "Thanks, Cruz – oof!"

"Group hug!" Capp declared as he and Tony piled onto their fellow squad members.

"Guys!" Kelly complained, trying to figure out how to hug three burly squad firefighters at once, able to hear Eddie cackling in the background. "Guys, c'mon, let me breathe!"

"I guess they know?" Sylvie asked dryly from the doorway.

"No, today's Random Hug Day," Eddie quipped. "Yeah. They figured it out."

"After Eddie ratted it out!" Kelly barked.

Cruz untangled himself from the hug to bounce over to Sylvie with a grin. "Way to go, Roomdog!"

Sylvie giggled, hugging Cruz tightly. "Thanks, Joe."

"Alright, when are you guys coming to Molly's next?" Tony asked impatiently.

"Yeah, this?" Capp gestured between the two. "And Casey, y'all are getting a round after all you've gone through this past year."

"I think we're aiming to head back to Austin the day Nolan flies back to New York," Sylvie answered. "So . . . probably in a few nights?"

"He's not going back to Austin with you?" Cruz blinked in surprise.

"She tried convincing him," Kelly shrugged. "But he wants his first visit in Austin to be when the 126 is rebuilt. The 'full Austin experience,' I believe were his words."

"That'd be one hell of a first trip," Capp whistled. "And knowing Captain Strand, it'll be all pomp and circumstance for the reopening."

"It's Owen," Sylvie snickered. "What's worse than 'all pomp and circumstance?'"

Eddie snorted. "Good God."

The bells rang overhead, and when both rigs were called, Sylvie smiled at Kelly. "Race ya there?"

"Tony?" Kelly smirked. "Gun it."

"Yes, sir!" Tony laughed as he ran for the driver's door of Squad 3.

"Hey!" Sylvie protested as she and Eddie took off for the ambulance. "Kelly!"

Kelly just laughed as he hauled himself up into the officer's seat, and Tony honked twice before peeling out of the firehouse at full speed, lights and sirens going. "It's good to see you with that big a smile on your face, Lieutenant," Capp twisted in his seat to look at Kelly. "Really, we're happy for you."

"Thanks, Capp," Kelly smiled, listening to his radio. "Hey, water rescue. Capp, Cruz, you guys gear up on the way."

"Copy that," Cruz nodded, finding his wetsuit. As Capp did the same, he also looked over his shoulder. "So this could be one of our last calls with you, right?"

Kelly did a double take, stopping in the middle of slipping into his wetsuit to look over his shoulder. "Huh?" he tried to play dumb.

Even Tony took a moment to give him a look. "Like you and Casey wouldn't jump on the first opportunity you got to move closer to Sylvie," Cruz shook his head. "Captain Strand picked the two of you to run the 126 while he was on medical leave, and now he's taking a hell of a promotion, leaving the 126 open for the taking. Don't tell us he didn't offer you the house."

Kelly sighed. "He did," he nodded. "After Mouch's ceremony, he pulled us aside and made the offer. We knew before the end of shift that we were gonna take it. After we and Sylvie decided to go all in . . . it was a no-brainer."

"Good for you, Severide," Tony smiled. "They're lucky to have you."

"Just don't forget about little old us, alright?" Capp smirked.

Kelly grinned. "I've been working with you maniacs for years. I couldn't forget you if I tried."

Cruz laughed loudly. "Back atcha, boss!"

Kelly fondly turned ahead to the pier as Tony expertly maneuvered to a stop in front of a man drenched head to toe, his arms waving desperately to them. Kelly dropped out of the rig and walked over, and the man began desperately speaking. "I heard an explosion," he explained, pointing out at an overturned boat in the water. "Our engine blew, then the whole thing rolled. I just saw the shoreline and swam for it."

"Is there anyone else onboard?" Kelly asked.

"My brother-in-law, Caleb," the man nodded. "He was down below. I didn't see him, I just swam for it."

Kelly nodded and turned back to his team, where all of his men were clad in their gear. "There's one man below," he announced. "That boat's gonna sink any minute. Cruz, you drop in from the top side with me. Tony, Capp, you guys come up through the bottom, enter through the starboard side. Backup's on the way."

The three men nodded, and Kelly picked up the gear he needed for the dive. The hum of an engine made him look over the railing, and the lifeguard of a fast boat waved to him. "Need a lift?" he asked.

Kelly nodded, and the lifeguard pulled up to the end of the dock. "Here you go," Capp handed a towel to the drenched man.

"Ambulance should be here any minute," Kelly added. The man nodded, starting to dry off, and Kelly led his team down the dock and into the boat. "Lieutenant Severide," he introduced himself.

"Darryl," the lifeguard answered.

Kelly nodded as he hopped into the boat. "Thanks for the ride."

"No problem."

Kelly watched his team pile in. "You guys good?" He got three confirmations, and he nodded to Darryl. "Alright, get us out there before that boat goes under." Darryl nodded and expertly piloted them out towards the boat as the squad firefighters fixed their flippers, goggles, and air bottles into place. As Darryl slowed next to the boat, Kelly turned back to him. "Two drops."

"Ready?" Capp asked Tony, who nodded in return. "Go!"

The two fell backwards in tandem and into the water, and Kelly turned to Cruz expectantly. When Cruz fixed his breather and gave him a nod of confirmation, Kelly silently counted down before flipping back into the water, a splash next to him indicating Cruz had done the same. His 2IC swam into the boat first, his flashlight bouncing around in the dark water. Kelly followed him inside, watching as Cruz scanned the darkness. The man gestured up towards the air bubble at the top of the boat, and Kelly propelled himself up so his head was out of the water.

He took out his breather as soon as he breached, and when Cruz had done the same, he asked, "Cruz, can you see anything over there?"

"Nothing," Cruz shook his head.

Capp and Tony's heads appeared next, and as Tony coughed, Capp gave their report. "I saw where the engine blew out the hull. Trunk and cockpit are underwater. No survivors."

"OK," Kelly sighed, thinking fast. "I don't like the look inside here. Sixty seconds, search for the body, then we're out the way we came. Understood?"

"Copy," Cruz nodded.

The four firefighters put their masks back into place, and with deep breaths, they ducked back under the water.

***

"There," Eddie pointed. "That's their rig."

Sylvie nodded and parked with the back of their ambulance to the water. One man stood waiting for them, towel draped around his shoulders. "Hey," Sylvie greeted as she walked towards him. "Are you OK?"

"Yeah," he nodded as Eddie opened the back of the ambulance. "I mean . . . I'm freezing."

"Let's get you checked out," Eddie patted the back bumper of the ambulance.

Sylvie unfolded a shock blanket and covered the man in it, but his attention was out on the water. "The divers have been out there a long time," he mumbled.

Eddie twisted to look out at the water, then looked down at his watch. He swallowed hard and looked at Sylvie, who was chewing her lip as she looked out at the capsized boat. They had no idea how long the divers had been out in the water, but Eddie knew how long it took for air bottles to run out . . . and judging by the man's words, that time was almost up.

***

Kelly's flashlight bounced off several scattered items that were of no help, so when the sixty seconds were up, he gestured Cruz back to the air bubble. They breached at the same time and waited for Tony and Capp to join them. "Anything?" Kelly asked.

"Negative, Lieutenant," Cruz shook his head.

Kelly sighed in frustration. "That's it, I'm calling it. Everybody out."

"Copy that," Cruz nodded, fitting his breather back into place.

Kelly did the same, putting on his goggles. He was about to dive when a faint sound reached his ears. He paused in his actions, then blinked and ripped off his breather. "Wait, wait, wait!" he waved, stopping his men from diving. "You hear that?"

Capp looked around, frowning at the metallic clang. "It could be a broken gear."

"Shh!" Cruz gestured sharply to stop him from talking.

Kelly swam as quietly as he could to follow the sound of the clanging, and he felt along the edge of the boat. His fingers hit something that wasn't the wall, and he looked sharply at Cruz. "I feel a handle, like some kind of door. Feel that?"

Cruz's hands followed the path his took, and his 2IC suddenly nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, I feel it."

"See if you can get any leverage."

"Copy that!"

Cruz fixed his breather into place and ducked under the water, grabbing the handle with both hands. Kelly grimaced as he worked to turn the handle from above, and when the door gave way, he and Cruz both reached in. A flailing hand grabbed his, and relief filled Kelly as he and Cruz pulled Caleb out. "Come on!" he pulled him into the air bubble, and Caleb coughed and sputtered. "We got you!"

***

Eddie alternated between checking the man's vitals, his watch, and his captain as precious seconds ticked away. Sylvie, on the other hand, had her hand clenched tightly around her radio, the material of her gloves protesting the grip. She ignored the strain as her blue eyes darted all around the capsized boat, looking for any sign of any firefighters.

So focused was she on searching for Squad 3, she didn't register the sound of incoming rigs until she heard their doors shutting. She tore her eyes from the water as she turned and watched the crews of Truck 81 and Engine 51 walk to join them, Ambulance 61 pulling around to the other side of EMS 99. "We heard the call on the radio while we were out," Matt explained as he walked to her side. "Any victims missing?"

"Yeah," Sylvie managed to say. "One adult male."

Matt nodded, peering past her to where Eddie was helping the shivering man on the bumper. He then looked out on the water, watching the lifeboat circling. "Who from Squad is diving?"

Sylvie swallowed hard, trying to work moisture into her mouth. "All of them," she finally croaked.

"What?" Herrmann balked.

Ritter and Gallo exchanged startled looks, and Matt's eyes widened in alarm, now realizing why Sylvie looked like she was ready to throw up at any moment. The contents of his own stomach were revolting as he watched Eddie check his watch again, the paramedic's concern evident. Matt gulped, stepping closer to Sylvie, his hand instinctively searching. Her free one grabbed his at once, their fingers entwining and holding for dear life, both searching for the missing member of their trio.

***

"My brother-in-law, Jace," Caleb coughed.

"Yeah, he made it to shore," Kelly assured him.

Capp's voice cut through the air. "I'm out of air, Lieutenant."

Kelly turned in concern, and he saw Tony check his air bottle and grimace. "Me, too," the engineer nodded.

Cruz's expression was grave as he, too, checked his air. He silently showed his amount to Kelly, and the lieutenant knew without looking at his own bottle that he was almost out as well. "OK," he looked around, then pointed. "Look, there's an opening in that corner." He looked back at Caleb. "How's your swimming? Can you hold your breath?"

Kelly had to feel impressed at the determination on Caleb's face. "I can damn sure swim out of here."

"OK," Kelly nodded. "Let's get – "

Ominous creaking cut him off, and Kelly swung around, watching the boat shift around them. Piles of equipment dislodged from where they had been resting, and the minimal light that hadn't been coming from their flashlights abruptly vanished. "You guys," Cruz gulped. "That's our way out."

Kelly's heart rate went up a few notches, and he took a deep breath to steady himself. "Alright, hold on."

Cruz joined him in ducking below the surface, both of them swimming as fast as they could for the debris. They pushed as hard as they could, but nothing budged from where everything had lodged firmly in place. Kelly's lungs started to burn, and with a sinking feeling, Kelly knew time had run out for him just like it had for Capp and Tony.

A look at Cruz showed the other firefighter was now holding his breath, too, and Kelly finally gestured, telling Cruz to swim for the air bubble. Cruz gasped greedily at the air when he breached, wrenching his breather from his mouth. "I'm out!" he warned.

"Damn it," Kelly seethed, looking around the rapidly disappearing pocket of air around them. "We have to find another way out!"

***

Matt's free hand fumbled for his radio, and he took a moment to steady his breathing before he clicked it on. "This is Truck 81 to the CFD Fast Boat," he announced. "You got eyes on Squad 3?"

The lifeguard was fast to answer. "Negative, Truck 81."

Matt bit his lip, asking a final question. "How long have they been in the water?"

"22 minutes."

Matt's heart dropped into his stomach, and Sylvie whimpered next to him. "How much time do they have before their air bottles run out?" the man on the bumper asked quietly.

Eddie was pale as he looked around the assembled firefighters. "Diaz?" Matt prompted.

Eddie closed his eyes. "None."

"Oh, my God," Gianna whispered, Violet squeezing her shoulder supportively.

"How long can they hold their breath?" Pelham asked.

Eddie didn't have an answer. Neither Matt nor Sylvie wanted to provide one, the captains desperately watching for any sign of firefighters breaching the surface of the water. Come on, Kelly, Matt silently pled, watching the boat disappear from view. Come on!

***

Their rapid descent abruptly stopped, and Kelly jolted with the force. A quick look around showed his crew looked disoriented for a moment, but they quickly recovered and swam upwards. A new pocket of air awaited them, and Kelly gratefully inhaled as much as he could. "You good?" he demanded, looking around.

He got hazy nods in reply. "What happened?" Caleb sputtered.

"We hit the bottom," Cruz answered.

"Depth is thirty feet!" Capp added.

Kelly looked around, thinking fast. "Alright, everybody drop your tanks and your weights, and sit tight. I'm gonna look for another way out."

"Copy that," Cruz nodded.

As he, Tony, and Capp struggled to keep their heads above water and drop their unneeded gear, Kelly took a deep breath, then dove back under the water.

***

"Come on, come on, come on," Herrmann ground out, the normally patient lieutenant all but bouncing on his heels as he watched where the boat had gone down.

"Where are they?" Pelham scowled.

Matt barely recognized his voice, as frantic as it was, when he called for the fast boat again. "CFD fast boat, any sign of the divers?"

"Negative," came the answer.

Sylvie's grip almost crushed his hand with her grip, and Matt tried another call. "Truck 81 to Austin Squad 9. Do you copy?"

Thankfully, the response was swift. "Austin Squad 9," Owen answered. "Go ahead, Truck 81."

"Do you have an ETA to Navy Pier?" Matt asked, desperately searching for any way to help Squad 3.

"ETA is seven minutes, Captain. We're pushing as fast as we can."

"They're not gonna make it," Violet whispered.

Matt flinched at the words, but he couldn't argue with her. He knew that was seven minutes to arrival, then whatever amount of time it took for them to don the rest of their gear, get out on the water, and dive. It would turn into a recovery instead of a rescue.

The metallic taste of blood filled Sylvie's mouth as she blinked away tears, finally having to look away from the water as she released her lip from between her teeth. This was the worst part of her job, one she absolutely despised. There was nothing she hated more than standing around and doing nothing while her friends, her family, the people she loved, risked their lives and potentially would not return. She couldn't look at the water, and she knew she would shatter if she even turned in Matt's direction. Instead, she focused on the shivering man still looking out at the water . . . and at Eddie, who was looking at her expectantly, as if awaiting orders.

That thought hit her like a lightning bolt, and she straightened to her full height, mouth dropping open in realization. Eddie grinned and nodded, seeing she had finally snapped out of "worried girlfriend" mode and had gone right into "captain" mode. And not just paramedic captain mode . . . squad paramedic captain mode. "You're with me?" she asked, hoping she didn't sound hysterical.

She felt the inquisitive eyes of Engine 51 on her back, but Eddie merely gave a firm nod. "Always," he promised.

Sylvie nodded, closing her eyes and taking a moment to steady herself. She couldn't be the worried girlfriend and partner right now. That's not what Kelly needed. He needed her to be what Owen had hired her to be: his squad paramedic captain. "Brett?" Mouch asked in concern.

"Screw waiting," Sylvie said firmly, unwinding her hand from Matt's as she clicked on her radio. "CFD fast boat, send that Zodiac back here, now."

"Copy that!" the boat turned tail immediately. "On the way."

"Who're they picking up?" Gallo blinked.

"Us," Sylvie ground out, turning sharply and walking over to her ambulance, wrenching open doors and searching for what she needed as Eddie ran around to the other side to do the same. "Austin EMS 99 to Austin Squad 9."

"Go ahead, 99," Owen answered.

Sylvie took a deep breath as she slung her wetsuit over her arm. "Diaz and I are diving after Squad 3."

Startled exclamations from 51 were pushed to the back of her head as Owen answered. "Copy that, 99. We'll call for another boat and get out there to join you if we're needed. Good luck."

"Thanks."

"You two can do that?" Violet asked in surprise.

"Squad paramedics, remember?" Sylvie managed a smile as she shimmied into her suit, quickly throwing her hair into a tight ponytail afterwards. "Though usually, the 'squad' part is handled by the actual squad."

"But then there are times when we're needed to, say, leapfrog across a minefield," Eddie nodded, slinging his air bottle onto his back before grabbing their medical bags. "And we're reminded we did, in fact, get all the necessary training for these types of rescues."

"Mikami and Mackey are gonna take care of you now, OK?" Sylvie put a hand on their victim's shoulder.

He nodded, looking up at her hopefully. "Good luck out there."

"Thank you," Sylvie nodded, slinging her radio over her arm. "We'll get them as fast as we can."

"Boat's here!" Eddie called. Sylvie raced away from the ambulance to catch up to Eddie, who was already loading his gear into the boat. "This might not be pretty," he warned her.

Sylvie clenched her jaw. "You wouldn't sit this out if it was Buck down there."

Eddie's expression darkened. "Hell, no, I wouldn't."

Sylvie nodded, then turned when she heard running behind her. "Sylvie," Matt swallowed, face pale as he finally caught up to her.

"I'm going in," she held up her hand, stopping him from continuing. "Eddie and I, we know what we're doing."

"I know you do," Matt nodded, hands helplessly curling into fists at his side. "Just . . . please . . . be careful."

She nodded, recognizing the terror he wouldn't show the rest of the house. "I will."

Matt suddenly stepped forward and took her face in his hands, giving her a searing kiss that took her breath away. She clung to him in return, pouring all the reassurance she could into the embrace. Both were panting harshly when they finally separated, and Matt gave her one last kiss on the forehead. "Go," he choked, taking steps back before he joined them.

Sylvie nodded, accepting Eddie's help into the boat. "I'm not coming back without him," she vowed. Matt nodded, forcing himself to keep walking backwards, knowing that if he stopped for one second, he would be jumping in after them. Sylvie took a deep breath and turned around, nodding to the lifeguard. "Take us out there."

"Yes, ma'am," Darryl nodded, peeling away from the dock and speeding out towards the water.

Matt watched them leave, feeling his heart thud in his throat and barely hearing the sound of incoming sirens behind him. He almost jumped out of his skin when he felt a hand on his shoulder, and he turned to see Pelham had joined him, the rest of Truck 81 and Engine 51 having lined up on the dock as well. "They'll get them," Pelham said confidently.

Matt was barely able to nod. "I know."

***

Spare gear floated past Kelly as he looked through the boat, searching for any Hail Mary way out of trouble. He finally found a panel that was tightly shut, but it didn't take much effort for Kelly to pull the door open. When he found the circuit board inside, he smirked. Bingo. Working as fast as he could, he disengaged a few wires and clamped them in different places. Sparks flew almost immediately, and Kelly spun in the water to swim back to the air bubble.

He felt the pressure wave before he emerged. "Fire in the hole!" he shouted in warning.

Cruz's eyes widened in alarm, and Kelly saw Capp and Tony inhale as much air as they could before the explosion sounded.

***

"Down!" Eddie lunged for Sylvie, tackling her to the bottom of the boat as the plume of water rocketed high into the sky.

Sylvie flinched when she and Eddie were drenched, and clatters of wood hitting wood made her freeze. She leaned forward and picked up a chunk of wood before looking at Eddie with wide eyes. "Did the boat just blow?" she demanded.

Eddie carefully peered over the edge of the boat, estimating where the explosion had happened. "Yeah," he nodded. "That was the boat."

Sylvie looked around at the rubble and debris now littering the water, and she shook her head. "Stop us as close as you can," she ordered.

Eddie slung his air bottle onto his back, making sure everything was fastened in place. "We don't know what we're gonna find down there," he pointed out.

"I'm an optimist at heart, Eddie," Sylvie told him. "We search until we're empty or until Owen's team is in the water."

"Copy that," Eddie nodded.

The fast boat slowed in the middle of the debris, and Sylvie took a deep breath. "On my mark." Eddie nodded as they put their masks on, and Sylvie counted down with her fingers. Three. Two. One.

***

Matt drummed his fingers against his thigh as Sylvie and Eddie disappeared off the fast boat. "I hate this," he seethed.

"Captain!" Herrmann called.

Matt turned to see Squad 9 had now joined the mass of rigs, and Owen ran down the dock to join them, Buck and TK not far behind in scuba gear. "We saw the geyser when we were pulling up," Owen explained, emerald eyes critically scanning the area. "Is that where the boat went down?"

"Yes, sir," Pelham nodded. "Brett and Diaz dove in a few seconds ago."

Owen nodded, clicking on his radio. "Austin Squad 9 to the CFD fast boat. Can you keep us updated?"

"Copy, Squad 9," the fast boat answered.

***

The explosion had done just what Kelly had hoped: ripped the boat apart and gave them a new way out. He swam towards the hole created, and he waved everyone through. Capp swam through first, guiding Caleb with him. He waited for Tony to join them, and the three of them took off for the surface.

A flash of silver out of the corner of his eye made him turn, and Capp's eyes widened when he saw another diver swim into view. The red and black of his suit was just like theirs, but there was only one firehouse numbered 126 currently in Chicago. Capp gratefully passed Caleb over to Eddie, and the squad paramedic led them up to the surface.

As soon as they breached, Capp coughed and sputtered, spitting water out of his lungs. Caleb's face was pale and his lips were blue, but Eddie held tight to him as he waved for the other lifeboat's attention. "What the hell?" Capp finally managed to ask as the boat arrived.

Eddie pulled off his breather, glaring at him as best as he could through his goggles. "You really thought we were gonna stay put when we realized you had run out of air?" he scoffed, gesturing for Capp and Tony to climb onto the boat after Caleb. "Squad sticks together, you know that!"

"Thanks," Tony coughed as he hauled himself into the boat.

Eddie climbed on behind them, turning to scan the water. "You ditched your gear?" he asked.

"We had to," Capp nodded. "It was the only way we could get out of the boat."

***

"I think somebody surfaced!" the man stood from the ambulance bumper, pointing out to the water.

"Yeah, yeah, they're up!" Gallo brightened. "They're up!"

"That's not all of them," Matt shook his head. "I count three."

Owen clicked his radio. "Squad 9 to CFD lifeboat. Who came up?"

Eddie's familiar voice answered. "Cap, it's Diaz. I've got Capp and Tony with me, and the man who was stuck inside."

Matt swallowed hard. As relieved as he was to hear Capp and Tony were out of the water, that still left three in the water. "Brett's still in there?" Owen clarified.

"Yes, sir," Eddie answered. "Capp said Severide and Cruz should be behind them. Best guess is she's down there with them."

"Come on, Sylvie," Matt begged, crossing his fingers. "Come on . . . "

***

Kelly had been about to swim after Capp and Tony when he realized only two men in black and red had left the boat. That meant one was remaining, and Kelly pivoted, his flashlight bouncing around the wreckage of the boat to find his remaining firefighter.

He swore his heart stopped beating when his light focused on Cruz floating face down in the pocket of air that had formed, his eyes open but unseeing.

Kelly grabbed Cruz and pulled him out of the wreckage, glad he had given the order to ditch their gear. All of that weight would have dragged them both down all the way to the bottom with no hopes of surfacing again. He put all his strength into swimming, feeling both his lungs and his muscles protest.

Suddenly, part of Cruz's weight was gone, and in a panic, Kelly looked through the water to find what had happened. He was startled to find a slim figure in another wetsuit on Cruz's other side, and he would recognize those azure eyes anywhere. If he hadn't been in the water, he would have gasped in relief. Instead, he swam with newfound vigor towards the surface, Sylvie helping him pull Cruz to the top.

They surfaced at the same time, and Sylvie pulled off her mask and goggles to furiously flag the fast boat. "Move!" she shouted as Kelly coughed, getting water out of his airway. "Come on, move!"

Darryl drove the boat over and immediately leaned over the edge to grab Cruz's arm. Sylvie pulled away and furiously swam for the ladder onto the boat, and she scrambled up into it as Darryl laid Cruz flat on the ground. She turned and waved to the other lifeboat, seeing Eddie return her signal and direct the boat towards them.

"Squad 9 to EMS 99," Owen's voice came from one of their radios as she interlocked her fingers, one palm flat on the back of her other hand. "Can we get a report?"

Sylvie gritted her teeth as she planted the heel of her palm into Cruz's chest and started compressions. "Hold it up for me," she ordered. Darryl obediently held her radio up close enough to her mouth. "Severide's behind me, Cap. Doing compressions for Cruz now."

The other boat zoomed to be side by side with them, and Eddie carefully but quickly leapt onto the fast boat. "What do you need?" he asked.

"Take over," Sylvie answered, still working on compressions.

"Copy," Eddie joined her.

Kelly watched from the edge of the boat as Sylvie left Cruz's side, Eddie immediately taking over with compressions. Sylvie moved to Cruz's head and pinched his nose shut before tilting his head back and giving him a rescue breath. "Come on, Cruz," he swallowed hard, watching the paramedics work to bring his 2IC back.

Water suddenly spurted from Cruz's mouth, and as the man choked, Sylvie quickly moved out of his way. "Get him upright!"

Eddie helped pull Cruz into a sitting position, keeping him tightly in place. "There you go, brother," he sighed in relief, patting Cruz's back to dislodge any more water. "There you go."

Sylvie collapsed back on her heels, covering her mouth with her hand to stifle the sob that wanted to come out. Similarly, Kelly dropped his head onto his arms, the tension draining out of his stance. She stumbled to her feet and pawed at Kelly's arm, finally grabbing onto him and hauling him into the boat. Kelly went willingly into her arms, sagging into her and holding tightly to her as she hugged him tightly. "Thank God," she gasped.

"Thanks for coming after us," Kelly closed his eyes, nuzzling into her neck.

Sylvie sniffled. "Don't make me do it again."

***

"Alright, let's move!" Owen barked, turning and waving. "Let's go, boys!"

TK and Buck joined him and Matt in sprinting to the lifeboats as they returned to the dock, Capp and Tony moving a little stiffly as they assisted Caleb in standing. "How are you two doing?" Matt asked, focusing on Kelly's men as TK and Buck assisted Caleb out of the boat.

"Really glad oxygen exists, Cap," Tony managed a smile as Capp gave a thumbs-up. "We weren't down there as long as Severide and Cruz."

"We'll still have Violet and Mackey check you out," Matt patted Tony's back, helping him out of the boat. "Glad you got out of there."

Capp nodded in agreement, watching the final boat veer up to the dock. "So are we."

Matt nodded, watching Pelham, Gallo, and Mouch help the pair of squad firefighters down the dock, then he turned as Eddie stood and helped a weary Cruz to his feet. "Here, Casey," Herrmann pushed 61's gurney towards him.

Matt nodded and took the gurney as Owen and Eddie helped Cruz onto the gurney. "How're your lungs, Cruz?" Owen asked, watching Eddie assess him.

Cruz coughed weakly. "Don't think I'll be running a marathon in the next twenty-four hours or so, sir."

"You better not run any marathons until a doctor at Med clears you," Eddie grumbled.

Owen patted Cruz on the shoulder. "Way to fight, Cruz."

Cruz smiled faintly. "Thanks, Cap."

"Mind giving me a hand, Lieutenant?" Eddie asked.

"Sure thing," Herrmann nodded, taking the other side of the gurney.

Ritter grabbed the end, and the three firefighters took off back towards the ambulances. Owen turned in time to see Matt lunge forward and pull Kelly and Sylvie into a hug, the truck captain not caring at all that they were dripping wet or that he was going to get soaked as well. "That is the last time you scare me with a water rescue like that!" Matt spat, pulling away to frantically check over Kelly.

"That's the last time I want a water rescue to be that close," Kelly admitted, enduring Matt's fussing. "Because now I know how long I can manage to hold my breath."

"And you never want to have to hold it longer than that?" Owen guessed.

Kelly gave a sheepish smile. "Experience?"

"Gotta love when idiots decide to try skating on ice that's too thin and we have to get sent after them," Owen chuckled, stepping forward. "But you're good?"

"I'm good," Kelly nodded. "Exhausted, but that's easily fixed."

"Good job," Owen patted his shoulder, then looked at Sylvie. "And good job to you, too," he added with a smile. "Once you got out there, you were professional until you didn't have to be anymore. I'm lucky I got you before any other house did."

Sylvie smiled in reply, looking as drained as Kelly felt. "Thanks, Owen."

"Come on," Matt lightly tugged on Kelly's hand. "Let's get back to the house, then we can see Cruz."

"I'll see you there," Sylvie kissed Kelly's cheek, then Matt's.

She lightly ran down the dock back towards her ambulance, and Kelly sighed. "We really don't deserve her."

"Oh, I know," Matt snorted. "But she seems to think we do."

"How about neither of you give her a reason to change her mind?" Owen suggested dryly.

He received vigorous nods of agreement. "We definitely won't," Matt promised.

"Good," Owen smirked at them. "Because don't forget who's going to be your boss when you get to Austin."

"Who aren't we going to get a shovel talk from?" Kelly huffed.

Owen laughed as the trio walked down the dock at a comfortable pace. "Mateo, probably. He'd try and back up Paul and Marjan, but he'd look like a puppy."

Matt snickered. "Dead on, Cap."

***

In what felt like no time at all, Boden had joined the rest of his firehouse and Squad 9 in Cruz's room. The amount of people crowding the room would have made most doctors kick them out, but not Connor Rhodes. The Chief of the ED had looked at the mass of concerned firefighters and merely sighed in fond exasperation before turning on his heel to personally check on Cruz. "Alright, home stretch, bud," Connor put the chest-piece of his stethoscope on Cruz's back. "Take a deep breath in." Cruz obliged slowly, and Sylvie absently chewed a nail as she strained her ears to listen. "And breathe out." Cruz let out his breath, and Sylvie relaxed back into Kelly's chest, the lieutenant's arms loose around her waist, Matt's hands on their shoulders. "Well, you squad firefighters are like cockroaches," Connor declared, looping his stethoscope around his neck. "Somehow, you keep coming out of these situations in remarkable condition."

Eddie snorted. "Sylvie and I got shot."

"And you two just dove off Navy Pier to pull Squad 3 out of the water," Owen smirked, pride clear in his voice. "You're proving his point."

"What did you expect me to do?" Sylvie raised an eyebrow. "Leave them out there to drown?"

"God, no," Matt shuddered.

"Well, that didn't happen, and it's good news because of that choice," Connor smiled. "You're doing well, Cruz."

"'Course, he is," Herrmann grinned. "'Cause he's a stubborn bastard."

"We're cockroaches, according to the good doctor," Buck corrected.

TK snickered. "Someone in this room definitely is."

Buck glared at him. "Excuse me, Mr. Shot by a Kid?"

"Mr. Pulmonary Embolism and Tsunami Survivor," TK countered.

Owen cleared his throat. "Should I go down Sylvie's list?"

"No," Matt and Kelly shook their heads at the same time.

Connor looked between them with eyebrows raised, then he chuckled. "That sounds familiar." He took a step away from the bed. "I'll want to check you again in a few hours, but I think you'll be cleared for discharge tomorrow. After that, just make sure you take it easy until we clear you for duty again, OK?"

"Will do," Kelly nodded.

"Thank you, Dr. Rhodes," Boden smiled.

"Any time, Chief," Connor waved the gratitude away. "Always happy to help my favorite firefighters. I'll see you guys soon, right?"

"Count on it," Sylvie grinned.

Connor eyed her and her officers, then chuckled. "It's like looking in a mirror."

Sylvie's cheeks turned even redder as she looked at her shoes, and Boden blinked in bewilderment as Connor left. Pelham chuckled, a mischievous glint in his eye. "So . . . all worked out, I take it?"

"I should've asked Grainger to ride along," Matt pinched the bridge of his nose.

Pelham snorted. "Oh, like he wouldn't be digging for information, too!"

"I mean . . . " Herrmann shrugged, unable to keep from grinning. "Ya kissed her pretty hard, Casey."

By that point, Sylvie had completely turned to hide her burning face in Kelly's chest, the squad lieutenant shaking in laughter as he rubbed her back in what was meant to be a comforting motion. "I already had one partner potentially drowning in the water," Matt held up his hands defensively. "I wasn't too keen on the thought of both of them going down."

"Pretty sure that's what Buck would've done if he and Eddie had been together when he volunteered to leapfrog across a minefield," TK nodded.

Buck shrugged unapologetically. "Guilty."

Eddie sighed. "We're never gonna live that down."

"So to make sure we're not missing anything," Violet pointed around the trio. "All three of you are . . . ?"

"Together," Matt confirmed with a pleased smile. "Yes."

"Yes!" Gianna whooped, only to shrink behind Violet when multiple nurses turned to see where the noise had come from. "Yes!" she repeated quietly with a small fist pump.

"Happy endings," Mouch gave a pleased smile. "Good for you three."

Matt and Kelly exchanged looks, then with a nod from Kelly, Matt sighed. "Not necessarily for 51, though."

Gallo's smile froze. "With Captain Strand becoming Deputy Chief . . . that leaves the 126 without its commanding officer."

"Commanding officers, actually," Owen cleared his throat. "Judd has been the acting officer for Ladder 126, but he's told me he's not ready to take over the house. He's been happy with the overall 2IC position, and I know that's what he would prefer. Ultimately, the goal of the 126 would be to have two commanding officers . . . one running the Ladder company, the other the Squad company."

Herrmann nodded slowly. "And you've got the two perfect officers right here."

Owen nodded firmly in return. "I do."

"And we've already agreed to the positions," Kelly looked around the room. "My crew guessed when we were heading to the Pier. We planned on telling everyone at the end of shift."

"And since the Chief said we would be dismissed after visiting Cruz . . . " Matt shrugged. "Figured now was as good a time as any."

"While I doubt the Commissioner will be happy to see two of his best officers leave," Boden stepped forward from the wall, a fond smile on his face, "I can't think of two officers who deserve it more. The 126 is lucky to be getting you. Congratulations."

Matt's stance eased at the acceptance from their current boss. "Thanks, Chief."

"That just leaves us with new officers to find," Violet pointed out.

Herrmann cringed at the thought, and Kelly cleared his throat. "Actually – "

"Joe!" Chloe burst through the door, eyes wide when she saw her husband in the bed. "Oh, my God!"

"Hey," Cruz quickly sat up, grimacing in slight pain.

"Are you OK?" Chloe's hands cupped his face before moving to his shoulders.

"Yeah, I'm good," Cruz nodded. "I'm good."

Chloe narrowed her eyes, then turned to Sylvie. "Is he really?"

Cruz made a face, but Capp and Tony snickered when Chloe turned to the best medic in the room. "A little rest, and he'll be home tomorrow," Sylvie nodded.

Chloe sighed in relief and dropped a kiss on the top of Cruz's head. His hands cradled her baby bump, and he looked up at her apologetically. "I'm sorry I ruined the baby shower."

Chloe giggled. "It's OK."

"Alright, we heard Dr. Rhodes," Boden gestured to the firefighters. "Let's give them the room."

Kelly nodded, reaching over and squeezing Cruz's shoulder. "Feel better, man."

"Thanks," Cruz nodded, holding up a fist. Kelly, Capp, and Tony each bumped it, followed by Eddie. When Sylvie came forward, he instead held his arms out for a hug. Sylvie smiled and hugged him carefully yet tightly, and Cruz sighed. "Thank you for saving me."

She kissed his cheek. "It was a team effort." Cruz gave her a deadpan look, and she blushed. "You're welcome."

***

"The call at the pier is all headquarters is buzzing about," Seager said as she passed coffees around the table. "Van Meter is complaining about heroics again."

"He can complain all he wants," Kelly shrugged, taking the coffee handed to him. "It saved Cruz's life. I'll never apologize for that."

"As you shouldn't," Pelham nodded. "We saw the boat go down, and we knew if you were still in there – "

"Let's not go there," Matt muttered.

Grainger patted his shoulder sympathetically. "It must've been painful just standing there."

"Oh, geez," Matt dropped his head into his hands. "You have no idea."

"Brett and Diaz were awesome, though," Pelham grinned. "We really need paramedics like them in the CFD. Think Mackey and Mikami would be interested?"

"Mackey, maybe," Kelly tilted his head thoughtfully. "She's close with Cruz. Mikami, though . . . I'm not sure."

"Well, we could always use more badass women in the CFD," Seager smirked. "And speaking of badass women, since I start at OFI in an hour . . . "

She raised an eyebrow expectantly, and Kelly snorted. "Right to the point, huh, Seager?"

She smiled prettily. "You know me so well, Severide."

"Down, girl," Pelham chuckled. "He's taken twice over now."

Seager's eyes widened in delight. "Really?"

"About time!" Grainger declared with a laugh.

"Anyway!" Matt cleared his throat. "Pelham knows this since we told the rest of the house, and you two were next on our rounds. Captain Strand has offered us the commanding positions at the 126, and we've accepted."

Grainger's smile was happy and sad at the same time. "That's not a surprise," he nodded in acceptance. "Congrats, guys. You deserve them."

"Thanks," Kelly nodded, giving Seager an apologetic look. "You're losing your preferred arson partner, though."

"Hey," Seager held up her hands. "I can always find a new one." She tilted her head towards Grainger and Pelham. "Or ones."

Pelham snickered. "Two black thumbs. That was a fun week."

"Fun month and a half, really," Grainger nodded.

Matt smiled. "What if that could be a permanent thing?"

Grainger blinked. "Excuse me?"

"We're leaving 51," Kelly folded his arms, waiting for the penny to drop. "That leaves the truck and squad officer positions open."

"And if only we knew a pair of officers who could fit those roles and could work well together," Matt grinned. "And have already worked well together and with their crews."

Grainger choked on his coffee. "You're kidding," Pelham's jaw dropped as Seager hastily pushed a few napkins in Grainger's direction. "You can't be serious!"

"Oh, we're serious," Matt laughed.

"No," Pelham shook his head. "Wendy? What just happened?"

"I'm pretty sure they're handing you Truck 81 and Squad 3," Seager beamed.

"We leave Chicago for Austin at the end of the week," Kelly explained. "Chief Boden said if we could find replacement officers in that time, we could do that. Otherwise, it would be up to him."

"You worked well with the house even when you weren't temporarily floating for us," Matt pointed out. "And when you did take those officer posts, you both clicked quickly with the house. Honestly, the two of you are our only picks before we leave."

"And we'd like our crews to be in the best hands possible," Kelly nodded. "We trust yours."

"I know it's a lot to ask, especially from you," Matt looked at Grainger apologetically. Pelham was still in the floater pool, but Grainger already had a posting at Firehouse 40. He would be giving up that position to transfer to 51. "But we're asking anyway. What do you think?"

Pelham's grin already gave them an idea of what his answer was. "Kidd isn't coming back?" Grainger clarified.

"Oh, hell, no," Matt scoffed as Kelly shook his head. "She's out of the CFD for good."

"Good, because that would have been a dealbreaker," Grainger finally smiled. "You've got yourself a replacement, Casey."

"Count me in," Pelham agreed.

Seager whooped in delight, and Matt grinned, holding up his coffee. "Cheers, guys. You just saved Boden a hell of a lot of trouble."

"Saved him?" Grainger snorted. "Have you met Jason?"

"Hey!" Pelham punched him in the shoulder.

Seager snickered into her coffee, and Kelly grinned at her. "You sure know how to pick 'em, Seager."

"Yeah, well," Seager smiled, watching the lieutenants dissolve into a bickering argument, Matt their amused spectator. "They're my friends, y'know?"

"Yeah," Kelly nodded, offering his coffee. "To all your arsonists getting caught."

Seager smiled, tapping her cup against his. "And to every arsonist shaking in their boots when you get to the 126."

Kelly laughed, pleased at the riposte. "I will definitely drink to that."

***

"It's been finalized." Owen looked away from the raucous over at Matt, Kelly, and Sylvie's table when he heard Grissom's voice. The CFD commissioner joined him, Boden, and Hank at their table, grim satisfaction on his face. "Stella Kidd is officially blacklisted, and I've put out a word to several fire departments around the country. If she gets a job in another department, I'll resign my post."

"Bold words," Boden rumbled.

"True ones," Grissom shrugged. "It's one thing for me to condemn her, but it's not just me."

Owen nodded. "I put out a word, too, and I know one of the first things Nolan did when 99 went back into service was contact McCoy. Now that's a man with a reputation."

Hank chuckled into his drink. "I haven't met many of Manhattan's ADAs, but I saw Barba in action, and I know Stone's record. I'd be worried about the boss who forged them into formidable prosecutors."

"Liv's one of very few people I'm scared of," Owen admitted. "Jack McCoy's another. You heard his orders in Los Angeles. He hasn't had Nolan on his staff for long, but the moment it was confirmed Sylvie was Nolan's sister – hell, his half-sister – McCoy gave everyone permission to unleash hell to find the sniper. He damned Kidd for what she did to Sylvie."

Hank sighed. "I almost feel sorry for Kidd." At Owen's incredulous look, he snorted. "Almost."

Owen shook his head. "I'm definitely not. I'm sorry this happened to you, Wallace, but you never saw the Sylvie that arrived in Austin. Kidd deserved what she got."

"She did," Boden nodded. "I don't want anything like that to happen to 51 again."

"Well," Owen grinned, "I think you have a good new pair of officers that'll make sure it doesn't."

"And speaking of new officers," Grissom folded his hands, giving Boden a knowing look. "My first deputy told me some paperwork crossed her desk this morning from you."

Boden grimaced. "Let me be the one to tell 51 no matter how it goes?"

Grissom scoffed. "What do you take me for, Wallace? I'm a politician, but I'm not a backstabber."

Owen snickered. "I like that. Can I use that in Austin? I have a feeling I'll need to use it."

"Knock yourself out, Captain," Grissom rolled his eyes. "Keep stealing my stuff."

Owen grinned. "I'll tell them you called my officers 'stuff.'"

"Go ahead," Grissom waved the threat away. "Kelly knows I respect him, and through that, Casey and Brett."

"Good to see they're finally together, too," Hank added.

"Yeah," Owen smiled. "Happily ever after."

"On that note," Boden stood from his chair. "Excuse me, everyone!" he bellowed, his booming voice silencing the bar at once. "I know we only have tonight left and our out-of-staters leave tomorrow, so I just have a few words to say, and I'll try and make it quick. Matt, Kelly . . . and since we didn't get to do this last time, Sylvie. Get over here." Cruz, Buck, and Nolan playfully pushed the trio into the center of the bar to join Boden, and Sylvie already had tears in her eyes as the battalion chief looked at three of his best (now former) officers. "For years, you made Firehouse 51 a very special place," he told them. "Everyone you worked with on shift got to call you brothers and sister. The house was never the same after you left, Sylvie, and Matt and Kelly, it will never be the same again with your departures. I thank you for your kindness and generosity and passion for these jobs. You will be dearly missed." He held up his beer. "To Casey, Severide, and Brett and their adventures ahead."

"Hear, hear!" Herrmann held his beer high.

The toast was echoed across the bar, and Matt stepped forward, hugging Boden tightly. "Thank you, Chief," he whispered.

"Not your chief anymore, Matt," Boden shook his head, even as he returned the hug.

"To hell with that," Kelly shook his head. "Once a member of 51, always a member of 51, right?"

"Right," Boden chuckled in agreement. "Except for Kidd."

Sylvie made a face. "I'll be glad when I only have to tell that story one more time in Austin. Nolan said he'd cover the story in Manhattan."

Boden turned to her with a somber smile. "Take care of these two, you hear me?"

Sylvie nodded, giving him a tight hug. "Copy that, Chief."

"And hey!" Matt spun around, holding up his beer. "To our new adventures in Austin." He tilted his beer in the direction of the other table. "And to the new officers of Truck 81 and Squad 3, whose ridiculous adventures at 51 are just beginning."

Grainger and Pelham grinned at the resounding cheers from their new crews. "Alright, listen up!" Herrmann called. "Open tab the rest of night! All drinks, on the house!"

Sylvie giggled, looking more high on the happiness that swirled through the bar than the wine she had. "This is the Chicago I missed."

"And we'll do everything we can to keep it this way," Hank promised, holding out an arm.

Sylvie leaned into his hug. "Thank you, Hank."

"Jay and Hailey send their apologies for not being here tonight, by the way," Hank added. "They don't leave Kim or Makayla unless they have to."

"As they should be doing," Matt nodded in approval. "We're happy she's pulling through."

"So are we," Hank sighed. "I admit I was worried about the three of them – not because there's three of them in a relationship, but because they all work together. But Jay and Hailey . . . they behaved professionally the entire time. Ruzek was enough of a wreck for both of them."

"That's the sign of a good workplace relationship," Owen nodded. "You're professional when the situation calls for it."

Kelly wrinkled his nose. "I can't tell if that's a call-out to Captain Nash or not."

Matt snorted. "Let's not go there."

"I just hope the bastard who shot Kim gets what he deserves," Sylvie said darkly, her blue eyes shifting with her tone. For a moment, Matt could see swirls of grey so similar to Nolan's emerging from the azure depths. "Tell me he did?"

"Jay and I deserve a shot at him, Sarge!"

Hailey's voice from when he had been ready to kill Roy Walton rang in his head, and he had to take a long drink to stop his smirk from spreading. It had been Hailey's quick reflexes that led to her tackling Roy before he could grab her boss's weapon, and Hank had been all too happy to drag the bastard down to the Cage. Watching Hailey unleash her anger on the man had been satisfying to watch, and her cheeks had been flushed with exhilaration when she finally left the Cage, her knuckles bruised under her gloves. He had sat and waited while Hailey stalked from the room like a lioness, took Makayla to Chicago Med to sit vigil at Kim's bedside, and when he was satisfied his lovers were safe with the rest of Intelligence watching over them, Jay had returned to the district in record time. Where Hailey had been a lioness and wildfire, Jay was a wolf on the prowl with ice in his veins. Where Hailey had whaled on Roy, the former Army Ranger had been methodical in his hits, the brass knuckles he had secured only strengthening punches he never pulled. Hank hadn't been sure what made Roy finally pass out: Jay's final blow or the overall pain. Jay hadn't spared Roy a look as he left the Cage; he just slipped the brass knuckles off his hands and spoke under his breath.

"I don't want to know what you do with him next."

Hank had nodded his understanding and let Jay slink from the room. That was why Jay Halstead was perfect as his 2IC: the only time the man was willing to bend around rules was when the people he loved were in the line of fire or had already been through it, and this was one of those few times and he would go no further than he needed to go, which was unleash on the outlet provided after he and Kevin had been the ones to find Kim. Now that his part was done, Hank knew Jay was going to follow Hailey's routine: shower at home, change clothes, and return to his girls. That had left him alone with Roy, and there had only been one heart beating by the time he was done.

"He did," he answered simply, hoping it was enough for Sylvie.

Satisfaction flashed in her eyes. "Good."

"Keep the city running while we're gone?" Matt requested with a smirk.

Hank snorted in fond exasperation. He and the truck captain had always had their differences, but mutual respect had won out in the end. "As long as you make sure Austin doesn't burn to the ground."

Matt laughed, raising his beer. "Copy that."

Hank nodded, tapping his drink against his. "Good fortune to you and Severide, Captain. Long may you ride."

Matt smiled. "Thank you, Sergeant."

***

Sylvie was glad that most of their goodbyes were said at Molly's the previous evening. Leaving without a word to anyone but Cruz the first time she had left Chicago for Austin had been so difficult, and it had left a hole in her heart that had been hard to patch. From San Angelo to Los Angeles, that hole had slowly been patched, and having the party at Molly's and the opportunity to finally have those goodbyes had done an excellent job of mending what had been cut open.

But of all the goodbyes, this one hurt the most, and she knew it would only hurt more each time it happened.

"I know I'm technically the one who got you your job in Manhattan," she attempted to joke as they walked through O'Hare. "But is there any way you could transfer down to Austin?"

Nolan laughed in amusement, his arm around her shoulders tugging her closer to his side. "You know I'll be down there for the reopening of the house. Jack's already agreed to give me that time off."

Sylvie sighed, leaning her head against his arm. "I wish there was some way we could have found out earlier."

Nolan snorted. "I don't know how much you would've liked me before. I was pretty miserable while I was alone."

"Bet you twenty bucks I could've made you not miserable."

"You wanna know why I won't take that bet?"

Sylvie smiled innocently up at him. "Because I'd win?"

"Hands down, you would win," Nolan agreed. "How did I get the human embodiment of sunshine as my little sister?"

Sylvie laughed, delighted to hear those last three words. She would never get tired of them. For so long in her life, she'd only had her adoptive family. Losing Julie had been heartbreaking, and while she had Amelia, they were practically an entire generation apart. Having Nolan in her life was an unbelievable feeling, one she could get punch drunk on and just want more of. "You must have done something right in your life, then."

Nolan smiled softly. "It made me a pretty lucky man, in that case."

Sylvie slowed when she saw the security checkpoint ahead, and she swallowed hard, turning to Nolan. "Made me a pretty lucky woman, too."

Nolan reached up and brushed his fingers over his sister's cheek, over facial features so similar to his. Every time he looked at her, it felt like he could pick out traits they shared, tugging at his heartstrings each time. And as much as he would have wanted to answer her question in a positive way . . . "I wish it could be that simple," he told her. "But I'll take every chance I can get to see you."

Sylvie sighed in defeat, nodding sadly. "I figured that would be your answer. Let me know when you land?"

"You got it," Nolan nodded. "And let me know when you reach Austin."

"Copy that."

Nolan sighed and reached out, pulling Sylvie firmly against him. Sylvie listed into him with a small whimper, holding as tightly as she could. "I hate goodbyes."

"Oh, good." Sylvie's voice was muffled by his shirt. "That's another thing we have in common."

Nolan smiled into her hair. "How about 'until next time?'"

Sylvie considered, then nodded. "Until next time," she agreed.

Nolan kissed the top of her head, reluctantly releasing her. "Until next time."

She reached up and kissed his cheek. "Give our best to everyone in New York?"

Nolan nodded, squeezing her hand. "Do the same in Austin for me."

Sylvie smiled. "You got it."

Nolan glanced up at the monitors displaying the times and sighed. "I need to go."

Sylvie squeezed his hand in return. "Have a safe flight."

"And safe drive," Nolan nodded, untangling his fingers from hers and turning to walk to security.

Sylvie shoved her hands into her pockets to try and stop her trembling, walking backwards until she couldn't see her brother any longer. She swallowed hard, then abruptly turned on her heel to return to the exit.

Matt and Kelly stood waiting for her, and when she reached them, she reached for their hands at the same time. "It's going to get more difficult each time," she whispered, sniffing when her voice choked.

"It'll make every new time that much better," Kelly told her, thinking of dark hair, blue eyes, and delicious-smelling food freshly cooked.

"Thank God for phones," Matt added.

Sylvie smiled, thankful for their attempts to cheer her up. "I know. I just hate thinking that we live on different ends of the country."

"The 126 will be finished before you know it, and then you get to show him your neck of the woods," Kelly smiled. "It'll be like no time at all."

Sylvie nodded, then burst into a fit of giggles. "I can't believe you two didn't like him at first."

Matt snorted. "In our defense, everyone thought there was something going on between you two."

Sylvie's giggles erupted into full laughter as they left the airport and headed for the group of vehicles waiting for them. "Everyone was idiots!"

"What are we idiots about?" Eddie's eyebrows raised to his hairline.

Sylvie was back to giggling as she skipped to the ambulance. "How everyone thought Nolan and I were anything but platonic."

Buck wrinkled his nose. "We never thought that."

"Yeah, because there were some logical thinkers who knew I was already spoken for," Sylvie smiled happily at Matt and Kelly.

The pair smiled at her in reply, and Owen opened the door to the officer's seat of Squad 9. "Ready to go?" he asked.

Sylvie looked up at O'Hare, knowing her brother was inside waiting for his flight. "Yeah," she nodded, opening the driver's door of EMS 99. "I'm ready."

Owen nodded, looking at Matt and Kelly. "Last chance to back out."

Kelly immediately shook his head. "Not on your life, Captain."

"Onwards and upwards," Matt agreed.

Owen smiled, nodding as he climbed up into the rig, TK rounding the rig to the engineer's seat. "Onwards and upwards."

***

Nolan: Landed safe and sound. Hope the rest of your drive goes well.

Nolan slid his phone back into his pocket as he headed for the baggage claim, knowing there was a chance his sister might not answer. He knew she and Eddie would be switching drivers on the way to Austin, and there was a good chance she was catching sleep in the passenger's side at the moment. That didn't mean he wasn't anxious for a response, though.

His surprise came when he arrived at the baggage claim and found a pair of police officers awaiting him, and he snorted. "I shouldn't be surprised. You want an eyewitness's account in person?"

"I don't know what you're talking about, Counselor," Elliot tilted his head innocently.

Nolan rolled his eyes. "Nice try, Detective."

Olivia shook her head, patting Elliot on the shoulder. "Owen gave us a short version. It was Stella Kidd?"

"It was Kidd," Nolan confirmed, eyes shifting from the baggage carousel to the pair of police officers who were like Owen's siblings. "Casey caught her confronting Sylvie outside of Molly's and recorded most of it. He delivered it straight to Commissioner Grissom, and Kidd was kicked out of the CFD the next morning in front of 51's entire chain of command. Then she threw Sylvie back into her ambulance and managed to punch her where the sniper hit her before Squad 3 intervened."

Elliot growled lowly. "Bitch."

Olivia shook her head in disappointment. "At least now it's over."

"It's over," Nolan nodded, finding his belongings and taking them from the carousel. "And now Captain Strand has his successors at the 126."

"Good for Casey and Severide," Olivia nodded in approval as they walked to the exit. "I never really got to know them before this year, but I saw them in action when I was in Chicago helping Intelligence. The 126 is in good hands."

"It is," Nolan agreed.

Elliot scrutinized Nolan, noting the reluctance in his stance. "And you're just wishing part of you was there with Sylvie."

Nolan sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "The rest of my family is gone," he revealed as he followed Olivia and Elliot to their vehicle. "It's just been me for the longest time and it was like being stuck in some limbo. Running into Sylvie at Forlini's after seeing her previously . . . that was the best thing that had happened to me in years. Everything improved from there, and it was all thanks to her. She became my friend just like that." He snapped his fingers in demonstration. "I didn't even think twice about the blood transfusion if it meant she lived. And when Dr. Halstead told me she was my sister . . . " He swallowed hard and shook his head. "I couldn't move from her room. It took Peter almost dragging me to make sure I took basic care of myself. The rest of my family died in the hospital, I couldn't not be there for her."

Elliot's lips curled in a sneer as he helped Nolan put his belongings in the back of the vehicle. "Shooting Copeland suddenly feels so much more satisfactory."

"I know the two of you went in there because he was holding Owen," Nolan turned to the pair of officers. "But you also avenged my sister. I owe you for that."

"You don't owe us a thing, Nolan," Olivia shook her head at once. "She's family, too, she has been ever since Owen took her in."

"I know," Nolan nodded. "But that doesn't change anything. I know Jack asked for you to make sure that son of a bitch paid for what he did. The two of you made sure he did. I mean it, I owe you, and no questions asked when you call it in." Elliot raised an eyebrow in question, and Nolan grimaced. "Alright, when it comes to you, maybe a few questions."

"Fair enough," Elliot nodded, folding his arms. "But I told Sergeant Voight something in the immediate aftermath of that shooting. I told him we don't bleed red or blue in this family. We bleed purple. One of us gets hurt, the rest of us do, too . . . and we don't like it when our own is hurt."

Olivia nodded in agreement. "We're a team," she told Nolan. "And that's something the rotten criminals running amok should be worried about."

Nolan smirked. "More like frightened."

"Damn straight," Elliot nodded. "Whaddya say?"

Nolan tilted his head, then nodded. "We look out for each other, just like our family is looking out for each other in Austin."

Olivia smiled in satisfaction. "Amen."

"Semper fi," Elliot agreed. "Manhattan's not gonna know what hits it."

Nolan grinned, stepping back so Elliot could shut the trunk. "Then let's get to work."

***

Manhattan should be afraid. Very, very afraid.

I love how the Chicagos are so intertwined and connected with each other, and after the L&O premiere event this year, I am eagerly latching onto that concept with both hands again. Expect to see all three divisions forming their connections next book . . . and we will see Benson, Stabler, and Price being formidable partners in crime, too.

Los Angeles, Chicago, and Manhattan are cleared up . . . which just leaves Austin to go. See you soon for the epilogue to wrap this up!

 . . . yeah, I still can't believe I just typed that.

graphic by marvelity