You know, I thought writing Sylvie, TK, and Buck was a blast . . . then I started writing Owen and Elliot. Boy, am I so grateful fanfiction exists. I mean . . . look at them! XD

Owen and Elliot have a lot to catch up on, the Diaz boys and Buck move into their new home, TK celebrates one year of sobriety, Carlos is in trouble, and why does there have to be a call right at the end of shift? Also, fair warning . . . Google-provided Italian ahead. XD

Enjoy the first part of "Bad Call!"

***

No one at the 126 hesitated to say goodbye to Owen when he apologetically bowed out of the impromptu celebration of Tim's life. Not even TK, who had taken one look at the way his dad and other father figure gravitated towards each other, and told Owen to chat with Elliot away from the house. "I'll have my time to catch up later," TK told him. "I missed him for sure, but you need this more than I do right now."

That led to the most . . . Owen didn't even know how to describe the car ride back to his house. Elliot had caught a cab to the 126, and while the silence wasn't awkward, there was a tenseness because neither of them spoke. In a way, Owen was grateful because there was no way he wanted to have any major life discussions in a car on the roads of Austin. That had never been his style, and it sure as hell wasn't Elliot Stabler's.

Buttercup, God bless the dog, scrambled to his paws when Owen unlocked the door and padded to the entrance when the fire captain stepped inside. He paused when he saw the unknown man behind him, and Owen smiled. "In case you weren't aware, the 126 has a dog now."

"Apparently," Elliot chuckled, crouching down and extending a hand, knuckles towards Buttercup. "Handsome fella."

"That he is," Owen agreed. "This is Buttercup. I got him for the house because . . . " He trailed off, then cleared his throat. "Yeah, I need a drink or two before I get into why we're in Austin."

"Hi, Buttercup," Elliot grinned. "You're looking out for the Strands, huh? I already like you." Buttercup sniffed Elliot's knuckles curiously, then let out a soft woof and bumped his head against his hand. Elliot took his cue to scratch Buttercup's head, the man snorting as the dog's tongue lolled out of his mouth. "Oh, yeah. I like him."

"Buttercup has a soft spot for anyone involved with the 126," Owen smiled, taking two tumblers down from the cabinet and finding his good tequila. "Glad to know you're still in the good books."

Elliot sighed, shrugging out of his jacket and hanging it over one of the bar chairs. "Yeah, me, too." He took the tequila Owen slid his way with a murmur of "Grazie."

Owen raised an eyebrow, surprised. "Prego, fratello."

Elliot did a double take, pausing from taking a sip. "Parli italiano adesso?" he asked.

"Abbastanza per una piccolo conversazione," Owen shrugged.

Elliot snorted loudly. "That's more than 'a small conversation.'"

Owen smirked, switching back to English. "One of Liv's detectives is Italian. TK got interested in the language, and I joined the lessons sometimes. Impressionato?"

"Molto," Elliot admitted, raising his tumbler. "You're managing the accent well, too."

"You should hear Carisi," Owen laughed, clinking his tumbler against Elliot's. "I promise, his girlfriend melts."

"I believe it," Elliot nodded, taking a sip of tequila. He made a pleased sound, looking at the alcohol. "I'd forgotten how good your taste in liquor is."

Owen raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, I guess ten years does that."

Elliot winced. "Owen – "

"Let me stop you from apologizing for the wrong thing," Owen held up a hand, setting his tequila down. "I do not need one for you leaving SVU. You did something, saw something on the job that made you decide to leave. I've seen that happen countless times while in the fire department, especially after the Towers fell. You never have to apologize for that."

Elliot blew out his breath slowly. "There hasn't been anyone who's seen it like that," he whispered. "Thank you for that . . . though I am still sorry for leaving."

"For leaving?" Owen raised an eyebrow. "Or for leaving us just as you returned . . . without a single word to anyone?"

Elliot closed his eyes. "Both," he admitted, hanging his head.

"That's what's got me spinning right now," Owen gestured to his head. "And where TK was shocked when you came back, it's what's got me a little north of pissed off. You didn't just leave. It was like you vanished off the face of the planet, Elliot. No trace of you anywhere, not a word to anyone . . . well, I take that back. Not a word to Liv. Or TK. Or me." He licked his lips, shaking his head, suddenly unable to look at his best friend. "You were a lifeline to me after Gwyn and I divorced, Elliot. You were a second father to TK . . . hell, after the way he greeted you at the station, you still are. Aside from Liv, after my divorce, you were the most important person in TK's and my life, Elliot . . . and you were gone like that." He snapped his fingers. "And it hurt – "

"Like hell," Elliot's voice broke. "I only told Cragen, because I knew if I talked to you about my thought process after the shooting, you of all people would have known how to get me to stay. Not even Liv could've done that. And you would have convinced me, I know that for a fact. If I had come face to face with you and talked to you at all, there was no way I would've left." He took a deep breath, looking up at Owen. "You were my brother, Owen. I never would've been able to leave if I visited you."

Owen swallowed. "Elliot, I never stopped being your brother, and I'm sure as hell not going to stop now." Elliot's eyes widened, and Owen rounded the corner to sit on the bar chair next to the other man. "Look . . . this isn't something that's just gonna heal because we talked about it," he said. "You know I'm gonna demand you keep in contact when you leave."

Elliot chuckled weakly. "Yeah, that can be arranged."

"Oh, it's getting arranged, whether you like it or not," Owen pointed at him. "I went ten years without hearing a peep from you. Never again, buddy."

Elliot laughed that time, pulling out his phone and opening his contacts. "Yeah, that's fair."

Owen opened his own contacts and slid his phone across the counter to Elliot, taking the other man's phone and punching his new information in. "Serious question, now."

"Oh, we weren't doing those already?" Elliot snorted.

Owen raised an eyebrow. "Does Liv know you're here?"

Elliot paused, then slowly shook his head. "No, she doesn't," he confessed with a sigh. "Why I'm here . . . it has to do with everything I've done since I left SVU."

Owen gestured impatiently. "Go on. What trouble have you been up to?"

Elliot scoffed. "Like you haven't gotten into any trouble in ten years, Mr. Danger Magnet."

"We'll get to me later," Owen waved the statement off. "You. Now."

Elliot sighed, leaning back in his chair. "Well . . . immediately after SVU, I did a walkabout for a few years. After that, I started doing private security overseas. I ended up in Rome . . . and I came out of retirement in 2017."

"You did?" Owen's eyebrows shot up.

"Yeah," Elliot nodded. "I'm NYPD's liaison detective in Italy. We're based in Rome."

Owen smirked. "Questo spiega l'italiano."

"Sì, lo fa," Elliot agreed, chuckling. "Anyway, it started when I was working on a terrorism task force. The entire family lives there now." He traced the rim of his tumbler. "They're still over there."

"They're not here with you?" Owen asked in surprise.

"No," Elliot shook his head. "I made this trip alone." He chewed his lip. "The only people who know I'm here are my family, of course, and my boss in Rome. He was the one who had to grant me the leave to be here." He looked up at Owen. "The news of what happened to you and your paramedic captain . . . Brett, right?" Owen nodded in confirmation. "Well, to put it bluntly . . . it spread like wildfire from FDNY to NYPD. And it finally made its way to me. As soon as I heard what happened to you . . . " He shook his head. "I had to make a trip out here. I had to see for myself you were OK." He swallowed hard; Owen could count on one hand the number of times he had seen Elliot terrified. This was one of those times. "Part of what the report said . . . you have . . . ?"

"Lung cancer," Owen finished for him when Elliot couldn't say the words. Elliot nodded numbly, and Owen put a hand on his forearm. "Stage 1."

"From the Towers," Elliot guessed flatly.

"From the Towers," Owen confirmed. "When I was getting my treatment, I learned Buttercup has the same cancer. That's why I got him for the firehouse."

Elliot smiled down at Buttercup, who had laid at Elliot's feet. "You have a heart of gold, Owen Strand."

"Pot, meet kettle, Elliot Stabler," Owen smiled, squeezing lightly. "I'm in remission." Elliot's eyes widened hopefully, and he nodded. "Before Pilot Knob woke, I got the news my tumor was reduced by 73 percent. I'm scheduled to get the rest of the tumor surgically removed in a few weeks. I'm fine."

"Thank God," Elliot let out the breath he had been holding, and Owen shifted to grasp his shoulder comfortingly. "Based on everything I heard, Liv and Fin had the entire NYPD in an uproar over the IC's decision, and that doesn't even begin to cover what I heard about FDNY. I didn't realize it wasn't just because of you . . . but because of the lung cancer." He looked at Owen worriedly. "The moment I heard about the wildfires and the lung cancer . . . honestly, I was a wreck. Kathy finally told me to take a trip out here and see for myself that you were OK."

Owen smiled. "Remind me to send Kathy a gift basket."

Elliot choked out a laugh. "Will do." He sat back in his chair. "Now . . . Austin?" he gestured around them. "I thought you would live and die in New York."

"I thought I would, too," Owen agreed. "But the original crew of the 126 was taken out in an explosion. Only one member survived – he's the current acting officer of the ladder crew, Judd."

Elliot cringed. "Oh, man . . . just like the 252."

"Just like the 252," Owen confirmed. "Deputy Chief Radford asked me to rebuild the house from scratch, just like I did after 9/11. I initially refused."

"What changed your mind?" Elliot tilted his head.

"Two things," Owen answered, swirling his tequila around. "One was the lung cancer. I discovered it right before the move. As for the second thing . . . " He paused. "That isn't for me to tell you," he finally said. "If TK wants to share it, he can." The detective didn't pry, and for that, Owen was grateful. "So TK and I moved out here to Austin and rebuilt the 126. The paramedics were already established: Paramedic Captain Michelle Blake and her team, Tim Rosewater and Nancy Gillian. You met Nancy at the ambulance, which has Tim's dedication painted on it. Michelle left the AFD a few months back."

"I saw," Elliot nodded, looking solemn.

"Anyway, it was the ladder crew that TK and I focused on," Owen continued. "Mateo Chavez has some of the highest scores in field testing, but had problems passing the written portion of the exam. We fixed that last spring. Marjan Marwani came from Miami, Florida. She was the initial daredevil of the house."

"Initial?" Elliot smirked.

"I'm getting to that," Owen playfully swatted at him. "And Paul Strickland, firefighter initially from Chicago. He's our very own Sherlock Holmes. After Judd agreed to certain conditions, he rounded out the team. In the summer, our house was sent to Santa Monica for a first responders conference, but before we reached the city, we were pulled to assist a train derailment. That was where TK met Buck and Sylvie. Buck was born in Pennsylvania but was a member of LAFD. Sylvie was raised in Indiana but, like Paul, was from the CFD."

"Guessing they liked TK enough to follow him to Austin?" Elliot quipped.

Owen snorted, taking a long pull of his tequila. "I wish it was that simple." Elliot frowned in concern. "Long story short: Deputy Chief Radford gave me a squad rig and the authorization to form my own crew. TK pitched Buck and Sylvie. I made the offers. Sylvie initially said no, and Buck was going to think about it. By the end of the week, stuff happened, and I had two new members of the 126. Just like TK, if they want to tell you what happened, they will. But I really only know everything that happened with Buck. I have the overview from Sylvie of what happened, but not everything."

"Heard," Elliot nodded in agreement.

"So Sylvie's a squad-certified paramedic, and Buck is TK's partner in the field," Owen went on. "He has records in heavy rescue from the LAFD, and prior to her move, Sylvie was one of the most highly respected paramedics in the CFD. She got her captain's rank easily." He took a sip of his tequila. "Michelle resigned from the AFD to help her sister and other homeless people around Austin, and while Sylvie became the chief paramedic of the house, Paramedic Captain Tommy Vega came out of retirement to lead the EMS crew. Everything was settling back into place . . . then Pilot Knob woke up." Owen stared into his alcohol. "We were at a frat party, and Sylvie and Tim were helping one of the students. They asked for my help in transporting him, and a lava bomb came from nowhere. It would have hit Sylvie if Tim hadn't knocked her out of the way. He was dead on impact. There was nothing any of us could have done to save him. It haunted me and Sylvie for days."

"I'm so sorry, Owen," Elliot whispered, reaching up to squeeze the hand Owen still had on his shoulder.

Owen nodded faintly. "Put me in a bit of a spiral. It was awful for Sylvie; survivor's guilt is a bitch, and it's the only time she's ever lost a paramedic under her command." He snorted. "Only good thing about her being stuck out in the wildfires with me was that it meant she was smothered by her best friends afterwards."

"Buck and TK?"

"Nah," Owen shook his head. "Her two best friends from Chicago. They're officers at the house she left: Truck Captain Matt Casey and Squad Lieutenant Kelly Severide. They're staying in Austin for who knows how long since they helped with the dedications to Tim, so you'll run into them if you come to the firehouse."

"When I come to the firehouse," Elliot corrected.

"Exactly," Owen rolled his eyes. "Anyway, a few weeks after the wildfires, Chief Radford greenlit Sylvie for her own ambulance specifically for squad calls. She and Buck struck gold in that situation because Buck's best friend and former field partner in Los Angeles, Eddie Diaz, is dual-certified. She flew out to recruit him, and we kept it a secret from everyone until Eddie moved here with his son. And not long after they moved, Buck's sister Maddie moved here and is working as a dispatcher alongside Judd's wife, Grace." He made a grand gesture. "Hasn't my life been exciting?"

Elliot sniggered. "I told you I wasn't the only one getting in trouble."

"Hey!" Owen protested loudly.

Elliot's laughter almost covered the door opening. "Oh, good," TK sighed in relief, poking his head around the corner. "I wondered if I was gonna come in and see you two committing bloody murder."

"Like that was gonna happen," Owen rolled his eyes.

"Uh, you clearly didn't see how you reacted when you first saw him," TK shook his head, waving out the door as he shut it behind him. "I think Casey and Severide were trying to figure out if they would have to get between you guys."

"I'd like to see them try and stop him," Owen admitted.

TK stared at Owen. "You do remember those two jumped a suicide bomber, right? They would absolutely try."

"I like these guys," Elliot grinned.

"Yeah, you'll like Sylvie even more," Owen sighed. "Any idea when she'll be back?"

TK grinned. "Whenever she's done with whatever she's got planned with her boys."

"Yeah, fair," Owen shook his head in exasperated amusement, standing to empty his glass and put the tequila away. "Those three."

"It's a trainwreck I can't stop looking at," TK agreed, plopping into the seat Owen just abandoned and flopping against Elliot; the older man just chuckled and finished his glass, sliding it across the counter to Owen's waiting hand. "Oh, but I'll gladly watch this instead."

"Well, good thing I'm sticking around for a while, huh?" Elliot patted TK's hand.

"How long for?" TK looked up at him.

"Eh," Elliot shrugged. "My boss on the task force basically told me to return when I was certain I would no longer have a heart attack in regard to your dad's wellbeing."

Owen pinched the bridge of his nose, sighing as TK cackled. "I hate you, Elliot."

"No, you don't."

Elliot grinned. "Probably at least a week," he told TK. "Maybe longer? I'm not sure. Depends on when Owen kicks me out of Austin because he's so tired of me being here."

"Tomorrow," Owen deadpanned.

Elliot rolled his eyes. "Bastardo."

"Cretino," Owen retorted without skipping a beat.

"Idioti," TK butted in. "Parliamo italiano adesso?"

Elliot raised an eyebrow. "È davvero impressionante."

"Puoi ringraziare Carisi," TK shrugged.

Elliot turned to Owen. "Why do I get the feeling they're utter menaces?"

"Carisi's not a Trouble Twin," Owen smirked. "That's the other detective . . . who's now a Park Police sergeant in California, right?"

"Yep!" TK confirmed with a devilish grin. "Between me, Carisi, and 'Manda . . . Carisi's a saint."

"Great," Elliot sighed.

TK fidgeted. "Uh . . . the reason I asked . . . " He bit his lip, looking down. "I'll be one year sober in a few days," he let out in a rush.

Elliot turned to him sharply, leaning forward to show he was paying full attention. "What was that?" he asked. TK flinched, and Elliot quickly shook his head. "No, I didn't mean it like that," he hastened to tell the young firefighter. "Just . . . say it slower?"

TK swallowed. "I'm an addict," he said quietly. "Opioids. A year ago, I proposed to my boyfriend, and he told me he was leaving me for his spin instructor." Elliot's eyes narrowed in a familiar way, and Owen refrained from grabbing his phone and warning NYPD. He sure hoped TK wasn't about to give a name because as much as Owen wanted Alex dead for hurting his boy, he also didn't want his best friend to commit murder. "I got pills to get high, but I overdosed. Dad saved my life, and we moved here afterwards."

"God, Tyler," Elliot shook his head, opening his arms; Owen watched with a smile as TK gratefully fell into the offered hug. "I'm so sorry about that. Any chance I can get this bastard's name?"

"No," TK answered simply. "Because I just got my second dad back, and I'm not keen on seeing you in jail."

Elliot grinned smugly at Owen. "Well, since he put it that way . . . "

"We were kinda coparenting him," Owen snickered.

"Yeah, but not like Buck and Eddie with Christopher," TK quipped.

Owen guffawed, quickly covering it up with a cough. "You just attract the most interesting people, don't you, Owen?" Elliot snorted.

"It's a talent," he shrugged.

TK shifted his chair closer so he could keep leaning against Elliot. "Anyway . . . my boyfriend, Carlos, is hosting a celebration for the entire firehouse the evening I get my chip," he said. "I invited Casey and Severide, too . . . if you're still in the city then, I'd really like for you to come, too."

Elliot smiled down at TK, lifting a hand to ruffle his hair. "I wouldn't miss that for the world, kid. Of course, I'll be there."

TK beamed. "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

TK cleared his throat. "And heads up, Dad . . . I may have volunteered us for something tomorrow."

Owen paused. "What did you do?"

***

"There!" Christopher decided.

"Nice choice, buddy," Matt nodded. "Three, two – "

He and Kelly set Christopher's dresser carefully on the ground, and Christopher beamed from where he perched on his bed. "Perfect!"

"Oh, good," Kelly exaggerated exhaustion. "Not sure I could've moved it further."

Christopher giggled. "But you carry heavy gear every shift."

Matt burst out laughing. "He's got you there, Sev."

Kelly rolled his eyes. "Shut up, Case."

Sylvie poked her head into the room with a grin. "All set up in here?" she asked.

"Yep!" Christopher confirmed, climbing down from his bed. "Your friends are awesome, Sylvie."

"You think so?" Sylvie winked. "I guess I have to keep them, then."

Christopher nodded in agreement, and Matt huffed. "Good to know our friendship depends on a ten-year-old's approval."

"Hey, I've learned Christopher is an excellent decision maker."

Kelly smirked. "Does this have to do with Christopher agreeing Eddie should move to Austin?"

Sylvie sniffed. "I plead the fifth."

"That means yes," the lieutenant stage-whispered to Christopher, who burst into a fit of giggles.

Sylvie scowled. "You suck."

"Sylvie!" TK's voice faintly came from down the hall. "Little help!"

"On it!" she dashed out of the room.

Matt shook his head, peering out of the room and down the hall; he could barely see Carlos helping Nancy and Maddie unpack stuff for the kitchen, and he smirked when he saw Sylvie help TK and Owen straighten Buck's room. "I'd forgotten what a chaotic mess moving was," he remarked.

"We just did this months ago with Sylvie," Kelly reminded him.

"Yeah . . . and we did it with Capp and Tony."

Kelly paused. "Touché."

"How did that go?" Eddie stepped out of his bedroom, brushing dust off his hands.

"About as well as you think it did," Matt snorted as Buck left the bathroom. "You'd think the Halsteads might have set heads straight. But no, you put them in the same room with Sylvie . . . "

"Hey, now!" Sylvie glared over her shoulder. "Don't diss the Halsteads!"

"See?" Matt gestured. "Betrayal."

"Actually, they're pretty hilarious," TK admitted. "Jay had to remind Will of the Hippocratic Oath when Cruz dropped all of us in a group chat together."

Sylvie faltered, staring at TK in horror. "You're in a group chat with the Halsteads."

"I'm in there, too," Buck held up his hand.

Sylvie groaned, walking down the hall towards the living room. "Everyone's a traitor."

"Am I one if I found the rosé you like for when pizza finally gets here?" Carlos held up the bottle.

Sylvie pointed triumphantly. "Carlos is my new best friend."

"Ouch," Matt scoffed.

"See?" TK whispered to Owen as Maddie passed water bottles around. "Trainwreck."

"Yeah, I know," Owen shook his head in amusement.

There was a knock on the open door into the house, and Tommy peered inside. "We come with desserts!" she announced.

"Come on in, Cap!" Eddie gestured, grinning when he saw the eager twins peeking around Tommy's legs. "¡Hola chicas!"

"¡Hola!" the Vega twins chorused before bounding to join Christopher as he walked down the hallway with Buck. "Hi, Christopher!"

"Guess they have a favorite, too," Nancy chuckled.

"Christopher is everyone's favorite," Eddie rolled his eyes fondly.

"Still fond of the Rollins girls," TK shrugged.

"And Noah," Owen added.

"Amelia," Sylvie, Matt, and Kelly said at the same time.

"Who now?" Charles asked as he walked into the house, a large bag in each hand.

"My half-sister," Sylvie explained, hurrying to take one of the bags. "She's about nine months old now."

"And absolutely adorable," Matt added.

"Yeah, she's got Sylvie wrapped around her finger," Kelly smirked.

Sylvie raised an eyebrow. "Uno reverse."

Buck and Nancy burst out laughing, and Kelly shrugged unapologetically. "Guilty as charged."

"Something smells good in here," Carlos remarked, opening one of the bags.

"Well, in the spirit of firefighters, one of them is a molten chocolate cake we'll need to pop in the oven," Charles said, opening the second bag. "And then classic cheesecake and berries in here."

Carlos whistled. "Increíble."

TK paused, then turned to Owen. "Ricordami di imparare di più lo spagnolo," he said.

Owen snickered when all heads shot to them. "Non l'hai già fatto?"

"OK, I feel like I just stepped into the twilight zone," Maddie pointed between the two. "Anyone else?"

"Dude," Buck gawked. "You speak Italian?"

"My best friend in New York is Italian," TK deadpanned.

"OK, I understand that," Tommy pointed at TK, then looked at Owen, impressed. "You, too, Captain?"

"Conosco un po," Owen shrugged.

A loud snort came from the doorway. "Una grossa bugia, fratello," Elliot said as he stepped inside, expertly maneuvering around moving boxes with pizzas in his hands.

Owen raised an eyebrow. "Cosa hai intenzione di fare al riguardo, arrestarmi?"

"And now I'm really lost," Kelly muttered.

"Don't mind them," TK shook his head. "They're making up for ten years of no snark. Now they're trying to out-snark each other. It's been like this since yesterday . . . except this time, they're doing it in Italian."

"Someone has to keep your dad on his toes," Elliot shrugged, putting the pizzas down.

"Oh, believe me," Owen scowled. "I have three trouble triplets that do that enough."

Buck whistled innocently, tilting his head to admire the light fixtures. "You might need to add Eddie to that group, Cap," Nancy giggled. "You know, since he's running with them now."

Eddie rolled his eyes. "I'm gonna be the one keeping my captain in line."

Matt and Kelly both snorted. "Good luck with that," Matt grinned.

"Hey!" Sylvie smacked him in the arm.

Owen sighed. "Lord, help me."

TK grinned, stepping forward. "Anyway, Captain Vega probably told everyone yesterday, but this is Dad's other best friend from NYPD and my second dad, Detective Elliot Stabler. Going around the room, this is the Vega family: EMS 126 Paramedic Captain Tommy, her husband Charles, and their twins, Evie and Isabella. On the other side of the counter, that's the Diaz family, Eddie and Christopher. Then it's the Buckleys – Evan is my partner on Squad, but you only call him that if he really does something stupid. He's Buck otherwise." Buck stuck his tongue out in reply, then smiled at Elliot. "I rest my case. That's his sister, Maddie, she's one of our two favorite 9-1-1 dispatchers."

"Do we know any other Austin dispatchers?" Nancy hissed to Sylvie.

"You tell me," Sylvie shrugged.

"Anyway," TK cleared his throat. "This is Nancy, she's Captain Vega's partner. Then there's Paramedic Captain Sylvie Brett, she's Eddie's partner and leads EMS 99. She used to actually ride Squad with us, then she got handed an ambulance and jumped ship."

"Jumped rig is probably more accurate," Sylvie shrugged.

Matt sighed as Kelly laughed. "Very funny, Sylvie."

"I try to be."

"And her best friends, Captain Matt Casey and Lieutenant Kelly Severide," TK smirked. "They're based at Firehouse 51 in Chicago." He entwined his hand with Carlos's, smiling. "And this is my boyfriend, Carlos Reyes. He's our favorite member of APD."

"Everyone's?" Elliot checked with Owen.

"Well, we don't really know anyone else," Owen began.

"Dad!" TK huffed.

"He's not wrong," Nancy shrugged. "Seriously, it seems like every time APD is on a scene, Carlos is always the responding officer."

"Someone has to keep an eye on this one and make sure he's not in the doghouse again," Carlos nudged TK.

TK squawked, causing Buck and Sylvie to burst out laughing. "Excuse me!"

"Shot with a gun," Carlos deadpanned. "Pulling the stitches. Crossbow lady. Rig stealing. Do I need to go on?"

"At least I didn't leapfrog across a minefield!"

Elliot's eyes bugged open wide, and Kelly choked on his drink. "What did you just say?" Matt stared in horror at Carlos.

Sylvie blanched, and Buck gulped. "Oh, this ain't gonna be pretty."

Tommy turned around quickly, looking at her daughters. "Niñas – "

"Christopher, can we see your room?" Isabella realized what her mother wanted at once.

"Sure," Christopher nodded, looking around the room in confusion as he led the girls down the hall.

"A minefield?" Elliot repeated once the kids were out of earshot.

"T told me about that," Charles pointed at Eddie and Sylvie. "It was two brothers out there, right?"

Eddie winced, feeling two livid green gazes on him. "Yeah . . . that was it."

"That was you two?!" Kelly demanded. "What the hell?"

"You never mentioned that!" Matt glared at Sylvie.

"And this is why!" Sylvie defended herself. "I mean, look at us! We're fine!"

Owen raised an eyebrow. "Just like Casey's fine, I hope?"

Matt froze, and Sylvie's eyes narrowed to slits. "What?"

Kelly paused, then glared at Matt. "You didn't tell her?"

"Are we now just debating ridiculous calls or something?" Nancy looked around in confusion.

"No, we're just watching a trainwreck," Buck shook his head. "Look, Sylvie and Eddie are fine. Casey is obviously fine if he's here. Can we start eating soon? I'm starving."

"I'll second that," Tommy raised her hand quickly.

"You just got here!" Eddie scoffed.

"We had an early lunch."

Sylvie gritted her teeth. "We're discussing this later," she hissed.

"Yes, we are," Matt agreed darkly.

"Right," Elliot looked over his shoulder. "And then it's placing the living room furniture afterwards?"

"Yeah," Eddie nodded quickly, anxious to evade the officers' death glares. "Thanks for agreeing to help, by the way."

"No problem," Elliot nodded, opening one of the pizza boxes. "Family of the Strands is family of mine."

"Semper Fi, right?" Owen smirked.

"Oorah," Elliot chuckled.

Eddie paused. "Navy?"

"Marine," Elliot corrected.

Eddie blinked, then groaned, making Buck laugh loudly. "Of course you are."

"Eddie served in the Army," Buck explained through his laughter.

"Oh," Elliot nodded, eyeing Eddie critically. "Well . . . you'll do."

Buck, Sylvie, and TK descended into hysterics, and Eddie glowered at the three. "Yeah, laugh it up, you three. See if I patch any of you up next shift."

"Now I see how the Strands deal with it," Carlos whispered to Matt and Kelly, seeing the identical smug smirks on Owen and Elliot's faces.

"Dumbasses," Kelly shook his head fondly.

"Our dumbasses, though," Matt smirked.

"Amen," Carlos agreed, watching the kids return for dinner.

***

TK had figured when he asked Carlos if it would be possible to host his one-year sobriety party at the house, his boyfriend would say yes. Carlos had, in fact, been ecstatic at the thought and told TK his only job was to invite who he wanted. He would take care of the rest. Apparently, that included asking Charles to cater the party, and TK swore he could hear the tables groaning under the weight of delicious food. Christopher, for certain, looked like his eyes would pop out of his head as he looked at all the food, restrained by Eddie's hand on his shoulder.

He turned his chip over in his hand, biting his lip as he thought about what to say. "'An attitude of gratitude,'" he began before looking up. "You hear that a lot in the program, and as I look around this room . . . I have so much to be grateful for." He looked from Carlos next to him, to the ladder company with Grace and Michelle, Owen and Elliot and the Vegas at the other end of the counter, to the squad company with Matt, Kelly, Christopher, and Maddie on his right. "I would not have made it through this year, or earned this chip, without all of you."

"We love you, bro," Paul grinned, raising his glass.

"Yeah, we do," Marjan agreed proudly.

TK smiled. "Last year, I was in a very dark place. I relapsed, and I almost died . . . and then Dad brought us to Texas." Owen smiled happily at him, and TK nodded. "Serving here has been a true honor. I know this last year has been hard for a lot of people in this room." His gaze swept over Sylvie, then Buck, then Nancy. "But for me, it's been a year full of miracles. My dad is in remission." Owen ducked his head bashfully at the whoop from Buck, causing everyone to chuckle. "I'm working alongside heroes who have become much more than friends. They've become family."

"You're getting dogpiled after this," Nancy sniffed, rubbing one of her eyes. "I hope you know that."

"Like he's gonna complain," Judd smirked, causing Grace to giggle.

TK shrugged, looking at Matt and Kelly. "Even the out-of-staters aren't too bad," he grinned. "Not when they make family happy."

"We do our best," Kelly smirked.

TK smiled fondly, flipping his chip around in his fingers. "And I found an incredible man," he looked at Carlos, getting a bashful smile in response. "Who showed me that it is OK to open up my heart again." Carlos ducked his head to hide his blush, and TK smiled, looking back down the table. "And then maybe the biggest miracle of all, one I've wondered about since I was seventeen . . . I got my second father back." Elliot grinned, lifting his glass in acknowledgement as Owen clapped hi on the shoulder. "All right!" TK perked up. "Thank you, everybody, for being here. Let's dance, enjoy Charles's amazing food . . . even have a drink, and remember, tip your servers!"

"Hey," Owen smacked the countertop, holding up his drink. "To TK!"

"To TK!" Tommy agreed, raising her own glass.

TK blushed as the toast was echoed by everyone. "Now food?" Christopher asked hopefully.

Charles laughed. "If that's not a compliment, I don't know what is!"

Everyone disbursed to find what they wanted, and TK found himself dogpiled not by Nancy, but by two very enthusiastic blonds. "Buck! Sylvie!" he wheezed, even as he hugged them back. "Can't breathe!"

"Sorry, man," Buck grinned at him. "Congrats!"

"You are saving me a dance, or so help me, I will find a way to convince Carlos to kill you," Sylvie poked him in the chest.

"Yes, ma'am," TK chuckled.

"Seriously, Buck," Eddie snorted. "Let the man breathe."

"See, we'd try that with Sylvie," Kelly smirked. "We know better."

Sylvie smiled innocently at him over TK's shoulder. "Smart man."

"Yeah, can I break it up so I can hug my son?" Owen asked.

Buck sighed dramatically. "I guess."

Sylvie wriggled out of the hug as Buck released TK, and the young man blushed at the obvious pride on Owen's face. "Love you, Dad," he mumbled.

"Love you, too, son," Owen smiled, hugging him tightly, and squeezing even tighter when TK sank into the hug happily. "And I'm so proud of you."

"Thank you, Dad."

"And I guess I chose a good time to make a trip back to the States," Elliot chuckled, ruffling TK's hair. "Though I'm a bit surprised I haven't seen Liv or her team barging down here."

"They're working," TK shrugged. "I checked with Amanda, they couldn't make it."

"You do know that the same threat I made stands, right?" Owen raised an eyebrow. "You're telling Liv everything first, or I'm telling her for you."

Elliot held up his hands. "Heard, Owen."

"Is that gonna work?" Carlos asked tentatively.

He blinked when both Strands and Elliot burst out laughing. "Right," TK wiped his eyes. "He hasn't seen Liv when she's pissed off yet."

"Yeah, key word 'yet,'" Elliot sniggered.

"Considering the tales I've heard from Intelligence about what Captain Benson's like on a case, I don't think I ever want to see that," Matt grimaced.

"I don't want to see Voight and Stabler," Kelly corrected.

"Oh, geez, no," Owen rapidly shook his head. "Liv's told me stories of that man. No, thank you."

Elliot smirked. "You know I wanna meet the guy now, right?"

Owen swiveled to face the Chicago officers. "I blame you for the carnage that's going to bring."

"Yeah, fair enough," Kelly sighed.

"Hey! Adrenaline junkies!" The group turned to see Nancy stab her fork in the direction of the food. "Get over here before we eat it all!"

"And we will!" Paul promised. "We have assistants."

The Vega twins and Christopher waved, and Carlos chuckled. "I guess if I asked Charles to cater, we should probably eat the food."

"If it's anything like those desserts he made the other day, that's all gonna be gone with no leftovers," Elliot agreed.

"Oh, believe me," TK rubbed his hands together eagerly. "It is."

***

Sylvie left the locker room at the 126, running a hand over the lace braids she made to keep her hair out of her face. "Looks good, Cap!" Nancy chirped, giving a thumbs-up from her ambulance.

"Thanks, Nance!" Sylvie smiled back, then sniffed. "Oh, is that my go-to?"

"Good thing that hasn't changed," Matt smiled, holding up a coffee cup. "Peace offering?"

Sylvie eyed the cup, then looked up on the second floor where Kelly gave a small wave from the paramedic captains' office. "Guess we're doing this now," she sighed, accepting the cup from Matt.

"Sooner, the better, right?" Matt followed her up the stairs.

Sylvie waited until she was inside her office to respond. "Alright, what happened first?" she asked, pulling her chair out and dropping into it. "The minefield or your injury?"

Matt sighed. "The head injury," he admitted. "It was before Eddie moved to Austin. You were in L.A. when it happened."

Sylvie narrowed his eyes. "Tell me everything."

Kelly shook his head. "All that I know is still whatever he, 81, Hawkins, and Grainger have said. Squad didn't respond to the call."

"It was a drunk ride-share driver," Matt explained. "I asked him to turn the engine off, guy refused, I reached in through the window to turn the engine off, and then he's swerving down the road, pedal all the way down. Grainger's crew was coming from another direction, and they almost collided. They didn't, thankfully, and when the guy inevitably crashed again, it launched me onto the road. And of course, I had to take my helmet off to reach into the car . . . "

"Of course," Sylvie pinched the bridge of her nose, taking a large gulp of coffee.

Matt grimaced. "Hit the ground hard and had the worst migraine the rest of shift. Sev here pretty much confined me to his office."

Sylvie held out her fist for a bump. "Good call."

"Thank you," the lieutenant bumped her fist with his.

"And that's that?" she asked Matt with a frown.

"That's that," Matt nodded, careful not to wince when he felt the front of his head throb. "I worked the last shift before we came here without problem."

"And the shift before that, we were fighting laundromat fires left and right," Kelly told Sylvie. "Even my head was hurting from the detergent fumes."

Sylvie looked long and hard at Matt, then took a deep breath. "Promise me you're OK," she said. "Because I'm not keeping an eagle eye on you in Chicago anymore."

Both men winced at the reminder, and Matt nodded. "I promise I'm OK," he told her.

Sylvie finally nodded with a sigh. "Guess I should find a way to thank Grainger for making sure nothing worse happened."

"Pretty sure we've got that handled with the amount of times we've gone out for drinks," Kelly snorted. "You need to meet his best friend the next time you're back in Chicago, by the way. Herrmann compared them to us."

Sylvie's eyebrows raised. "What did you four do?"

"Why do you assume that?" Matt protested.

Sylvie rolled her eyes. "You know who you're talking to, right?"

Kelly chuckled. "They investigated the laundromat fires with us. Turns out there was a chemical in detergent distributed around Chicago that made them ignite in dryers. After their shift was finished, they showed up at the house to help us get to the bottom of it all. Ended with the four of us and Engine 51 working to stop a delivery truck fire."

"It was a hell of a shift," Matt agreed.

"I know all about those," Sylvie leaned back in her chair. "Crazy calls included."

Kelly eyed her. "Including a minefield."

Sylvie sighed, putting her cup on her desk. "Yeah, including the minefield. Two boys were trying to find a drone they crashed, and they miraculously avoided any mines. The owner of the field tried to help them, only he got blown up. So there was no one left who knew where all the mines were placed, and the bomb squad wasn't going to arrive for forty minutes. That meant we had to go out to the boys and make sure one of them didn't bleed to death. It was going to be me and Owen, but Eddie argued for him to go instead."

"Obviously you didn't walk through it," Matt frowned.

"No," Sylvie shook his head. "They extended the ladder over the field, and Eddie used an empty duffel to make sure wherever we jumped was safe. He threw the bag, jumped onto the bag, spray painted a ring in the grass, then continued. I followed behind him, jumping into the circles he made. Only one mine went off, so we didn't have anything to worry about."

Kelly shook his head, chuckling darkly. "God, you make jumping across a minefield sound so simple."

"Oh, it was terrifying," Sylvie shuddered. "So I'm glad Eddie went first." She paused. "Of course, he admitted part of that was because he was worried about what you two would say."

Kelly swiveled in his chair to face Matt. "So the next time we go out for drinks, we buy Eddie's rounds."

"Yep," Matt nodded.

Sylvie rolled her eyes. "Overprotective bastards."

"Hey," Matt pointed at her. "San Angelo, remember? You told us we could be."

"I did," Sylvie conceded, holding up her hands placatingly. "But you're not temporarily helping out here, so I get a call, you're staying put."

"That's a little frustrating," Kelly grumbled. "Best firehouse in Austin, we're not working, which means we can't cover your six."

"EMS 99. EMS 126. Code three, priority two."

Sylvie finished her coffee and pitched it in the trash can as she rushed to the door. "Don't worry," she smiled at them. "Eddie's got it for you."

"And he's our second favorite for it," Matt smirked.

She frowned. "Who's first?"

Kelly blinked slowly. "You know who we're talking to, right?"

She gave them a cheeky grin, then took off down the stairs. "God, we're doomed," Matt sighed, facepalming.

"One hundred percent," Kelly agreed, patting his shoulder.

***

Matt took a seat at the counter in the kitchenette, grabbing his water bottle and looking through his pockets for his pill container. He found a few aspirin and tossed them back quickly, wincing at the pain in his head. "Geez," he seethed, rubbing his forehead.

"Everything alright, Captain?" a familiar voice asked.

Matt twisted to see Elliot walk into the kitchenette, eyeing him in concern. "Yeah," he nodded quickly. "Just think I drank too much at the party."

Elliot smirked. "Yeah, I found it pretty amusing Tyler and Carlos threw that party right before this shift."

"Not many people still call TK by that name," Matt noted.

Elliot shrugged. "He started going by TK . . . around middle school, I think?" he thought back. "Wow, it's been that long." He sighed, leaning against the fridge. "He still liked it when I called him by his name, so I still use it. He hasn't asked me to stop, but if he does, I will."

"I get the feeling he won't," Matt gave a small smile. "He's too happy you're back to care."

"Yeah, I've already promised to keep in contact now that I showed back up in their lives," Elliot chuckled. "I don't plan on breaking that again." He looked around the kitchenette, then huffed. "Figures."

"What?" Matt frowned, looking around, too.

Elliot pointed, laughing loudly. "Owen always had to have the most complicated machines in his firehouse."

Matt laughed, too, seeing Elliot meant the espresso machine. "And all 51 has is a typical coffee pot."

Elliot shook his head fondly. "Idiot."

"I resent that, thank you!" Owen glared mockingly at Elliot as he entered the kitchenette. "And what are you doing here? I thought you were interested in checking out APD?"

"I was," Elliot nodded. "But they seem to be in a frenzy about something, so . . . "

He gestured around, the action lifting the leather jacket he wore. Matt frowned, seeing the glitter of a detective's badge on his belt, then saw the holstered weapon, too. "You carry off-duty?" he asked.

"I do, yeah," Elliot nodded. "Undercover cop, and international, too. No clue who might recognize me, so it's safer for me to carry."

"Well, the frenzy might explain this," Owen pointed over his shoulder.

Matt turned in his seat, blinking as Carlos entered sheepishly. "Carlos?" he asked in surprise.

"Hey, Casey," the young cop smiled, then he blinked and looked around. "Where's Severide?"

"He went with Buck and TK," Matt shrugged. "Testing out the rig's new tires, I think was how it was put?"

"Apparently, the amount of times they took it in the wildfires wore the tires down faster than usual," Owen rolled his eyes. "They got replaced off shift, and now the boys are off joyriding. Again."

"How many times does that mean they did that in San Angelo?" Elliot grinned.

"Enough that they knew the mountain by heart."

Elliot chuckled. "Sounds like Tyler."

"C'mon, sit down," Owen pointed to the chair next to Matt as he pulled ingredients from the fridge. "I promised a smoothie."

"Oh, God," Elliot rolled his eyes playfully.

"Hey!" Owen swatted Elliot in the shoulder. "Don't diss my smoothies. Or my espresso machine."

"Too late," Elliot smirked at Matt.

Matt shook his head in amusement, turning to Carlos. "Did TK call and ask you to come?" he asked.

"No, he didn't," Carlos shook his head, fidgeting as he sat. "I was just . . . in the area."

"Well, good," Owen nodded, finishing with the blender and pouring the drink. "Don't need an excuse to come here, right?"

He set the smoothie in front of Carlos, who smiled. "Thank you, Captain Strand."

Elliot grinned. "Oh, I like this one."

Owen raised an eyebrow. "You're very welcome, Officer Reyes." He shook his head, turning to the pitcher and storing it in the fridge. "Call me Owen."

Carlos smiled around his straw. "I'll try."

Matt looked at Carlos curiously. "I thought I remember you saying you had a shift today?"

"I did," Carlos nodded. "But it ended early."

"Slow crime day?" Owen suggested.

"I'd think it'd be pretty busy, considering how the precinct looked," Elliot frowned.

Carlos sank in his seat. "I got suspended," he mumbled.

"What?" Owen did a double take.

"You, of all cops?" Matt couldn't help but ask. "No way!"

"Can you talk about it at all?" Elliot asked, pulling up another stool. "Cop to cop?"

"Uh . . . " Carlos gulped. "I'm not really supposed to talk about it."

"Then don't say exactly what happened," Elliot shook his head. "Broad picture?"

Carlos sighed. "I may have made a bad call today."

Owen frowned. "Comes with the territory."

"Yeah, all the time we have to be out there making split-second decisions based on nothing but your gut," Matt agreed.

"Yeah," Carlos sighed, swirling his straw in his smoothie dejectedly. "Think from now on, I'll just go by the book. Not sure I can trust my gut."

Matt tilted his head. "Maybe it's you we should introduce to Intelligence and not Detective Stabler. Sometimes, I think Voight is allergic to 'the book.'"

Elliot smirked. "I'm starting to understand why no one wants me in the room with this guy."

Matt grinned. "I kind of wanna stick you on a case with Halstead. The two of you would balance each other out perfectly . . . if you could work with a former Ranger."

Elliot made a face. "If he's a cop, he's gotta be alright."

"Good undercover guy, too."

Owen watched Carlos smile in amusement at the two men. "What I think all three of us are trying to say is, the book isn't exactly handy sometimes. Your gut's what you take out there with you." Carlos nodded somberly, and Owen leaned on the counter so he could look him in the eye. "Carlos," he said softly, waiting for the officer to look at him. "Every now and then, you're gonna make a bad call. Happens to all of us . . . although I'm pretty sure it's a little bit tougher today in your uniform in mine."

Carlos swallowed. "Not that I have a uniform at the moment."

Owen's face fell. "It's that serious?" Elliot's eyes widened.

"I don't know yet," Carlos gestured helplessly.

"Well, what about your dad?" Matt asked, looking from Owen to Elliot. "Last time I was here, you said he was in law enforcement, right? Texas Ranger?"

Owen whistled. "Well, he's seen everything. Can you talk to him?"

"Already did," Carlos replied.

"And?"

"He told me not to leave town," Carlos deadpanned glumly. "It's his case."

All three men blinked. "That's practically the definition of 'conflict of interest,'" Elliot remarked.

"He's not investigating me directly," Carlos amended. "My department is. It's just connected to a case he's working on."

Elliot made a sound of understanding and nodded. "That makes more sense . . . still gotta be uncomfortable as hell, though."

Carlos snorted softly. "It's nothing new," he grumbled. "Things have been uncomfortable between us for a while. Since I came out, and then when I joined APD."

"He didn't want you to be a cop?" Owen raised an eyebrow.

Carlos shook his head. "I think he thought I was too soft," he said, sighing and sipping his smoothie. "Maybe he's right."

"He's not," Owen said at once, causing Carlos to blink up at him. "There should be a heart behind that shield. You've got a good one."

Carlos smiled shyly at the praise. "Owen's right," Elliot agreed, and Carlos's eyes shifted to him. "Liv wouldn't be where she is today if she was all book and no heart. Her heart's what makes her perfect for her position . . . same for Owen here, too, and I'm guessing the good captain next to you as well." Carlos nodded in agreement. "I just met you, alright?" Elliot raised an eyebrow. "But I know Tyler wouldn't be with you, and Owen wouldn't be happy with you being with his son, if you didn't have such a good heart. More police in the field need what you've got, so don't you dare lose it. You got it?"

"Heard, sir," Carlos smiled, fighting a blush.

"Good man," Elliot nodded, leaning back in satisfaction. "And it goes without saying that if you prove me completely wrong and break Tyler's heart, no amount of Rangers in this state will protect you from me. Got it?"

Carlos gulped, looking so much like a deer in headlights that Matt snorted his water up his nose, causing him to cough. "Copy that."

"Station 126. All units. Structure fire."

Owen looked up when the bells rang, then his radio crackled. "Squad 9 to FC 126," Buck's voice called as the ladder crew ran to their rig. "We're pulling up to the firehouse now."

"Copy that," Owen responded, setting his smoothie in the fridge before running for his turnout gear.

"PC 99 to FC 126," Sylvie's voice was next. "EMS vehicles in route to the scene."

"Copy, 99," Owen nodded, running out the door as the squad rig barreled onto the drive, Kelly out of the officer's seat the moment it stopped. "Meet you there!"

Kelly gave a two-finger salute as Owen climbed into the officer's seat, and TK waved as he whipped the rig back out onto the road. Kelly waved as Marjan drove the ladder rig after them, and the squad lieutenant walked into the kitchenette, looking like a kicked puppy. "Aw," Matt smirked teasingly. "How much did it kill you to get out of the rig?"

"Screw you, Case," Kelly groused, then paused. "Carlos? Weren't you supposed to have a shift today?"

Carlos sighed, Matt patting his shoulder sympathetically. "It's a long story."

"Aren't they always?" Elliot muttered in agreement.

***

Both ambulances were already on scene when the firefighters of the 126 rolled up to the building. Owen jumped out, assessing the flames flying out the windows, then he turned to his house. "Get that ladder up!" he pointed. "Prep a 2 and a half, start putting some water on that second floor. Also prep an inch and a half for us to take up there." The ladder crew burst into action, and Owen turned as Sylvie jogged up to him. "What do we know?" Owen asked, walking to meet her halfway.

"Fifteen units in the building," she reported. "APD's getting a headcount for who's missing."

"We have any idea how it started?" Owen looked up at the building.

"Not yet," Sylvie shook her head, then pointed. "But some of the residents are saying that the sprinkler system went off on the second floor first."

"Alright, command triage," Owen ordered, and Sylvie nodded, running back to the paramedics. "126! Suit up fully!" he barked. "We're gonna attack this thing at the source – "

"Sir!" Eddie's voice rang out, and Owen turned to see him and one of the officers block a frantic man from getting closer. "Sir, you can't go in there!"

"My wife and daughter are still inside!" the man panicked. "Please!"

"Hey," Owen walked towards him. "What unit are they in?"

"304," he answered immediately, pointing up at the building. "In the smoke!"

Owen found the unit and nodded. "Alright. Ladder, go up on two. Squad, we're on rescue, third floor."

"Copy that!" Buck nodded, he and TK crouching to put their masks on.

***

"Alright, y'all," Judd faced his team as he led the ladder crew to the second floor. "Everybody, stay in contact with the hose. We're staying together. Understand?"

"Yes, sir!" Mateo answered.

Judd nodded, looking at the door. "Give me the Halligan," he ordered, holding out his hand.

Paul handed the tool over, and Judd gave it a hard swing at the window. The glass shattered at once, and Judd veered to avoid flames in his face. Paul was instantly in the frame, turning the hose on and spraying every flame he could see.

***

"Austin FD!" Buck knocked on the door of Unit 304. "Anybody in there?"

When there wasn't an answer, Owen gestured TK back. "Take it, Buck," he ordered.

Buck nodded, then used the battering ram to open the door. He instinctively shied away from the smoke that plumed out of the unit, and he dropped to crawl under the smoke. "Fire department!" he yelled. "Call out!" Owen and TK followed him into the unit, their flashlights hitting every surface. Buck's finally hit the face of a woman on the couch, and he jogged over. "I got someone!" he called.

"How's she look?" Owen asked, turning from where he was on the opposite side of the room.

"Smoke inhalation," Buck assessed, putting two fingers on the woman's neck. "She's still got a pulse." He looked up, turning to Owen. "I gotta get her out of here."

"Go!" Owen pointed to the door. "We'll keep looking for the kid!"

Buck nodded, picking the woman up bridal style. "Stay safe, alright?" he said. "I'll see you out there!"

TK gave a thumbs-up, and Buck ducked out of the door. "Oh, thank God!" the woman's husband almost collapsed on the ground.

Buck hurried down the stairs to the first paramedics he saw, which were Tommy and Nancy. "Smoke inhalation," he told them. "Doesn't look like she has severe burns."

"She's lucky," Tommy sighed. "Nancy, let's get an oxygen mask on her."

"Copy," Nancy nodded.

"Ellie," the man swallowed. "Where's Ellie?"

"Squad's still up there looking for her," Sylvie assured him.

Buck turned around, clicking his radio on. "Cap, TK, the daughter's name is Ellie," he told them.

"Heard!" TK responded.

***

The fires by the window died enough for Judd to make a decision. "I'm going in!" he called. "Chavez, my six! Strickland, Marwani, keep on the flames!"

"Yes, sir!" all three answered.

Judd nodded, climbing into the unit and continuing to spray water on the flames. Each other member of his crew climbed in after him, all four clinging to the hose. "More slack!" Paul shouted out the window.

Judd experimentally pulled on the hose, then nodded, heading further into the unit. "Austin FD!" he bellowed. "Anyone in here?"

He made sure his flashlight was on, scouring the apartment further. "Judd, do you see anything?" Mateo asked, just a few inches behind him.

Judd shook his head, not seeing anyone . . . then his beam fell upon wires and chemicals that made him freeze. "Homemade bomb supplies!" he answered, and Mateo balked. "We gotta fall back, now!"

***

"Ellie?" TK called, searching under the bed.

"Ellie?" Owen pulled back curtains. "Ellie, if you can hear us, come out!"

"Emergency traffic!" Judd called over the radio. "All units evacuate the building, now! Explosive materials on the second floor!"

TK balked, spinning around. "Did Judd just say there's a bomb in the building?!"

"Yeah!" Owen nodded. "And there's a kid in it, too!"

"Maybe she got out?" TK looked around.

"The door was dead-bolted!" Owen pointed out, shining his light on the doorframe.

TK gestured helplessly. "We looked everywhere!"

"You know how good hiders the kids in New York are," Owen reminded him, and TK nodded in agreement. "She's scared and she's trying to be safe. Where does a kid go to stay safe?"

TK smacked the top of the bed. "Well, I would hide under the bed, but I already checked there!"

"What about Jesse and Noah?" Owen asked. "Noah typically chose the bed, too."

TK perked up. "The closet!" he turned around. "Jesse hides in the closet!"

"Then we check them again!" Owen rushed to join him.

***

"Fall back!" Judd yelled from the stairs as Paul, Marjan, and Mateo barreled down to the ground. "Everybody, fall back!"

"What happened?" Buck shouted up, walking away from Tommy and Nancy.

"Explosives!" Judd called back. "Is that everyone?"

"No!" Buck shook his head, pointing to the third floor. "Cap and TK are still in there!"

***

"Ellie?" Owen searched one of the closets, pushing aside every article of clothing and checking every basket. "Ellie? Are you in here?"

"Cap!" he faintly heard TK. "I found her!"

Owen ran out of his closet to TK's, where his son was carefully helping a young girl out of a wicker basket. "Is it almost over yet?" she asked, looking around.

"Come on!" Owen gestured, hurrying for the door.

TK hefted Ellie into his arms, and the two firefighters went as fast as they could down the stairs to the ground. Owen's feet just left the stairs when an almighty boom erupted behind them. Both dropped to the ground instinctively, and the firefighters manning hoses turned away from the blast. "Whoa!" Ellie's eyes widened to the size of saucers.

Owen chuckled weakly as Sylvie and Eddie ran towards them with another gurney. "You said it, kid."

***

Carlos was surprised when he got a call from his father to get to headquarters as soon as possible. When he arrived, he was escorted to the observation room for one of the interrogation rooms. Gabriel nodded at him, then pointed to the man at the table. "That the guy?" he asked.

Carlos blinked in surprise, seeing the bank robber who had a bomb strapped to his chest sitting at the table, fidgeting, his orange coat draped over the chair. "Yeah, that's the guy," he confirmed.

"You're certain?" Gabriel asked.

"Yeah, that's him," Carlos nodded definitively. "How'd you find him?"

Gabriel turned to the other man in the room. "Detective, can I have a few minutes alone with the witness, please?"

"Of course, Major," the man nodded, leaving the room immediately.

When the door was shut, Gabriel turned to Carlos. "We didn't find him," he revealed. "He found us. Walked into APD on Guadalupe a few hours ago, pretty shook up. His name's Armando Teban. Works construction, lives in Dove Springs with his son."

Carlos recalled the name Armando shared on the scene, when Carlos let the man go. "Enrique," he said, and Gabriel nodded. "What about the bomb?"

"We think it was real," Gabriel answered.

Carlos blinked. "You think it was?" he repeated incredulously.

"He wasn't wearing it when he turned himself in," Gabriel explained. "Claimed he made his rendezvous, the man who forced him to wear it removed it, took the cash." He led Carlos to the nearby table, which had a mass of folders on it. "We presented him with a photo lineup. He picked out these two faces . . . " He opened two of the folders, revealing two men. "Which suggests he's telling the truth."

"Who are they?" Carlos frowned, looking at the faces. Neither looked familiar to him.

"Anthony Marlowe and Chris Wolfe," Gabriel identified. "Former bunkmates at Allred Prison. This afternoon, they almost burned down the apartment building they were living in. We found bomb-making components in the kitchen."

"Are they in custody?" Carlos asked.

Gabriel sighed, shaking his head. "Your friend in there gave us a description of a brown panel van they were operating out of, and we figured they may have been injured in the blast, so we're monitoring hospitals, urgent care facilities, vets. We'll get them."

Carlos nodded, tilted his head. "That's all?"

Gabriel raised an eyebrow. "What else is there?"

Carlos blinked, then scowled. "How about that I was right?" he asked. "That my instincts were good?"

Gabriel sighed. "Carlitos, you know I can't comment on an ongoing investigation."

"You mean the investigation onto me," Carlos narrowed his eyes. "Right? That's what I am to you. An ongoing investigation." He scoffed, shaking his head. "Well . . . you let me know when my captain tells you what to think of me. I'll be interested to know."

Before Gabriel could say a word, Carlos left the room, trying his hardest not to slam the door behind him.

***

"Alright," Grace stood from her station, removing her earpiece. "And that is my shift for the day."

"Oh, lucky," Maddie smirked. "I still got a few more hours to go."

"Well, look at it this way, honey," Grace chuckled. "You get quite the lie-in tomorrow morning."

"I'm already looking forward to it," Maddie grinned. "Have a good evening, Grace."

"You do the same, dear," Grace patted her shoulder, walking off the dispatch floor.

Maddie watched her go, then her monitor lit up with an incoming call. Maddie clicked to answer. "9-1-1, what's your emergency?" she asked.

"I'm lost in a parking garage," a woman's panicked voice answered. "I can't find my car!"

Maddie did a double take, then closed her eyes, rubbing her forehead. This was going to be a long four hours left in her shift. "Uh . . . ma'am, that doesn't really qualify as an emergency," she said.

"And my water just broke! I'm pregnant!"

Maddie jerked upright in her seat. "That definitely makes it an emergency," she nodded, getting to work. "Which parking garage?"

"I'm . . . Austin . . . mall, lower garage."

Maddie frowned, hearing static on the call. "OK, it sounded like you said Austin Center Mall, but you're breaking up really bad," she said, tracking down the location.

"Yes!" the woman answered with a pained cry. "She's coming! Please! Please help! Hurry!"

"OK, help is on the way," Maddie promised. "Can you tell me your name and what you're wearing so my people can find you?" She paused, not hearing a response, only static. "Hello?" she asked, dread filling her. "Ma'am?"

There wasn't a response, and Maddie gulped, switching the line to send the unit required.

***

"Wait," Kelly said slowly, looking around the kitchenette. "These guys had homemade bomb supplies in their apartment?"

"Oh, geez," Matt groaned, dropping his head onto his arms.

"Now you've done it," Sylvie glowered.

"I'm not following?" Elliot looked around in confusion.

"They like chasing arsonists," Owen explained, making Elliot snort. "Kinda what they're known for."

"What he's known for!" Matt gestured wildly to Kelly. "He drags us along for the ride!"

"And when did I have to twist your arm?" Kelly challenged, eyes narrowed. "Huh? In fact, the first time it ever happened, she – " He pointed at Sylvie, whose eyes widened. " – was the one to get you into my office! She volunteered!"

"Hey!" Sylvie protested loudly.

"And who was the one to volunteer first to check out those laundromat dryers?" Kelly folded his arm, looking at Matt expectantly. "It wasn't me!"

"Truck blew a tire!" Matt argued. "What was I supposed to do, sit on my ass and be bored?"

The trio froze when Buck and TK burst into laughter behind them. They swiveled to see the firefighters slumped against each other, Eddie's face split with a grin as he leaned against the counter. "Oh, man," Buck wheezed, forehead on TK's shoulder. "Oh . . . this is great."

"Please come to Austin more often if this is the entertainment we get," TK agreed, shaking in laughter.

"That's exactly why we're here," Matt glared. "Your personal entertainment system."

"I'm entertained," Eddie shrugged nonchalantly.

Kelly narrowed his eyes at Owen and Elliot, both of whom were trying to smother their grins. "Don't," he warned.

"EMS 99," the bells went off, causing both paramedics to look up incredulously. "Person down, Austin Center Mall."

"Austin Center Mall?" Sylvie repeated, checking her watch as she stood from her chair. "Seriously?"

"We're almost finished with shift!" Eddie groaned, even as he ran for the ambulance.

"You aren't," Buck teased.

Eddie glared. "Screw you, Buck!"

"Well, enjoy your dinner with Carlos tonight!" Sylvie waved to TK.

"Thanks!" he gave a thumbs-up back.

She nodded, then pointed at Matt and Kelly. "Text you when I'm done, OK?"

"Copy that," Kelly nodded.

"I'll do the same," Eddie promised Buck.

Buck saluted jauntily. "Go save a life!"

Eddie rolled his eyes fondly, shutting the driver's door as Sylvie climbed into the passenger seat. A second later, the ambulance rolled out of the garage, lights and sirens going. "99 got pulled for a medical call?" Nancy asked in surprise, watching the ambulance leave. "I thought that would be us!"

"Less likely to be a squad call this time at night," Owen predicted, gesturing to the pitch black sky. "Ladder? Probably."

"He's not wrong," Kelly agreed.

***

"Whoa!" Sylvie held up her hand to stop Eddie as he drove towards the parking garage. "Stop, stop!"

Eddie stomped on the brake, and he groaned, seeing the sign above the garage. "Seriously? It couldn't be just a little higher?"

"Of course, the clearance is under 7 feet," Sylvie sighed, closing her eyes and letting her head fall back against her seat. "Couldn't make it a little easier for over eight-foot bus to attend a call, could you?"

Eddie rolled his eyes, putting the ambulance in park. "Blame Dispatch, not me."

"Yeah, I know," Sylvie grumbled, unbuckling her seatbelt. "Well, get your gear. We're hoofing it the rest of the way."

"Copy," Eddie agreed, opening his door.

They swung their medical bags over their shoulders and each put a hand on the gurney, walking as fast as they could through the garage. "How close were we to finishing shift when we got this call?" Sylvie asked as they walked. "Thirty? Twenty minutes?"

"Fourteen," Eddie corrected, checking his watch. "It officially ended ten minutes ago." He sighed, looking around the parking garage. "And we are still on our journey to the center of the Earth."

Sylvie rolled her eyes. "Must be the 126 luck."

"The 126 luck?" Eddie repeated.

Sylvie snorted. "You do know the kind of calls we get, right? Figures we get one right before the end of shift. It absolutely tracks."

"It's just a pregnancy call, Sylvie," Eddie sighed. "We grab her, we take her to the hospital, and that's that. You'll get back to your boys before you know it."

Sylvie blushed, but managed a glare back at him. "And you'll be back to yours, too."

Eddie scowled. "Shut up."

Sylvie snickered as they rounded the corner, then she pointed. "There she is," she said, and the two of them picked up their speed. "Get her ABCs. I'll get ready to start a line."

Eddie nodded, crouching down to check on the woman lying on the ground. He prepared to roll her over, then he frowned, seeing something wrong. "Cap?" he said uncertainly, looking up at her. "She doesn't look overly pregnant."

Sylvie looked down to see for herself, and an ominous click made Eddie freeze. A second click behind Sylvie made the paramedic captain immediately raise her hands to shoulder level, and Eddie turned back to the woman, finding a handgun in his face. He rose to his feet, his own hands raised in surrender. "Don't move," the man behind Sylvie hissed, aiming at her. "Don't yell."

Sylvie steeled herself and nodded, turning to face the man as the woman got to her feet, still aiming at Eddie. "You wanna rob us?" Sylvie guessed, then pointed at their bags. "Go ahead. Good drugs, right there."

"We don't want your drugs," the man spat as if disgusted, and he grabbed her shoulder, shoving her towards the brown van on the other side of the support beam. "We want your expertise. In there." Sylvie stumbled, glaring at the man, then opened the doors to the van. She immediately gasped, and Eddie, keeping his hands above his shoulders, moved to see what she saw. He balked, seeing the wheezing man collapsed on the floor of the van. "You're gonna save his life," the man finished.

Sylvie took a deep breath, then climbed into the van. Eddie followed her, shifting their positions so he was in front of her, blocking their captors from aiming directly at his captain. Sylvie put her stethoscope on, and she looked over their patient, frowning. "These look like blast injuries," she assessed, looking up. "Was he near a bomb when it went off or something?"

"Or something," the man muttered.

Sylvie shook her head, drumming her fingers on her knee. "Your friend's in serious trouble."

"We brought you here to tell us something we didn't already know?" the woman scowled from where she crouched by the victim's side.

Sylvie snorted. "You want me to tell you something you don't know? Do you know he's hemorrhaging?" She gestured to the patient's body. "These bruises suggest traumatic internal injuries. He needs a hospital."

"No," the man shook his head instantly. "No hospitals. You fix him here."

Eddie couldn't help but laugh. "You think we can 'fix this' in a parking garage?" he asked incredulously. "Are you high right now?"

Faint laughter suddenly sounded, and the man grabbed Eddie, yanking him down. "Not a word," he hissed, gun pressing to his back.

Eddie kept his hands raised, mind sorting through any ideas that could get him and Sylvie out of this situation. He listened as the voices got closer, and he looked out of the corner of his eye to see Sylvie tauter than a bowstring, her eyes closed, surgical gloves protesting with how hard she squeezed her fists. A car unlocked nearby, and soon the couple peeled out of the garage. Eddie barely relaxed, and Sylvie gritted her teeth, turning to their captors. "We can't do this here," she ground out. "We need a place that's more private."

The man shook his head. "It is what it is."

"I know a place two or three blocks from here," Sylvie said. "It's a restaurant that's been closed for months. If you really want us to help your friend, it's his best shot."

The man narrowed his eyes, thinking, then nodded curtly. "But you leave your radios here."

Sylvie nodded in agreement, and the woman backed up, keeping her gun trained on them. "Are we seriously doing this?" Eddie hissed under his breath, reaching up to lift his radio from his body.

"We escaped a minefield alive," Sylvie whispered back. "I'm not keen on being shot while held hostage, but we'll do what we can." Eddie nodded, and while both their captors' eyes were on Sylvie, he made sure his fingers caught onto and took something else off as he removed his radio. They laid their radios on the inside of the van, and Eddie made sure their captors didn't see what else he held. "Bring the gurney closer," Sylvie ordered. The man shoved it towards them, and Sylvie looked at Eddie. "Let's go. One, two, three!"

They lifted their patient onto the gurney, and the man gestured with his gun. "Come on!"

Sylvie and Eddie rolled the gurney behind their captors, and Eddie made sure their eyes were on their path out of the garage and not on him as he let his St. Christopher's medallion fall from his hand and land on the concrete with barely a sound.

***

If no one predicted it would be Sylvie and Eddie involved in this, have you been paying attention to what you're reading? XD Sylvie's the paramedic danger magnet in this, of course she gets this call.

My apologies if Italian got butchered in this chapter. I ran what I wanted through Google translate, so if the Italian is incorrect, blame Google.

Now, because I have no idea what all will be included next chapter, you all might get something you've been hoping to get for a while. Again, you might because it depends on how long the chapter is. Hopefully that keeps you on your toes! ;)

Keep an eye out for the next part!

graphic by marvelity