The Los Angeles crew learn just how tame they are compared to Buck's new crew, Eddie gets spooked by a smart home (Lena isn't helping), and the 126 deal with an explosive new problem in the city, one far more dangerous than any of them expected.

Buckle up, folks. Enjoy . . . if you can.

***

It turned out all it took for May to let Bobby out of the doghouse was for him to commandeer a helicopter and go searching through the Hollywood Hills for Athena, who had been put in the field to help evacuations. That had led to her being caught up in the landslide that brought down the Hollywood sign, and . . .

Well, Eddie was glad he, Maddie, and Josh had been invited to the Grant-Nash household that evening. Thank God for Carla, who had agreed to stay with Christopher until Eddie returned home. It was likely he'd be catching a ride, though, because he had a feeling he'd be downing a lot of alcohol that night.

"Poor woman," Athena lamented, shaking her head as she sipped from her wine glass. "She hadn't been outside her house for seven years, and the one time she has to leave, it's because of a landslide."

"First it was an earthquake," Eddie rubbed his forehead. "Then the tsunami. Now a mudslide. What's next, a volcano?"

"Don't jinx it," Maddie scoffed. "Knowing this family's luck? Yeah, we'll get a volcano."

"Can we do wildfires first?" May asked weakly. "I've already had a rough first day with water and mud. I don't want to go straight to lava."

"God, me, neither," Josh grimaced. "Yes, wildfire first."

"Well," Athena quirked an eyebrow. "If you leave the dispatch center, you'll never have to do a volcano."

"Mom!" May groaned.

"OK," Bobby pinched the bridge of his nose. "Can we do this another day? Or another night? We just succeeded in helping Los Angeles from a mudslide and landslide. Let's focus on the fact we're all OK. Sound good?"

"I'm with Bobby on this," Eddie agreed. "Even that weird love triangle thing that happened at the Hollywood 'H.'"

Bobby snorted loudly. "That was like a live rom-com right in front of us."

"Poor Hen," Eddie snickered. "She had the front row seat. I would have died laughing if I was in her shoes."

"She just died of embarrassment," Bobby grinned easily, taking a pull from his water.

"And then you said there was a bunch of pregnant women trapped underground?" May asked.

"Yeah," Eddie sighed. "Lena volunteered to rappel down and help Chimney. It helped having a woman there." He grinned. "Chimney originally went down a chimney and told Lena she wanted everyone to know that was how he got his name."

"Seriously?" Josh guffawed.

"Seriously," Eddie nodded. "She heard him say 'I feel like such a cliché' when he was going down."

Maddie threw back her head and cackled. "Oh, I would've paid anything to hear him say that!"

"Honestly?" Bobby grinned. "Me, too."

The sharp sound of a phone ringtone made Maddie blink, then she hissed out a curse and fumbled for her phone. "I forgot!"

"Forgot what?" Josh frowned.

Maddie looked up at Eddie, eyes wide. "Did you tell Buck everything is OK?"

Eddie balked. "Uh . . . "

Maddie sprang from her seat and rushed out of the room, answering and putting her phone to her ear. "Buck! Oh, my God, I'm so sorry – "

Eddie sighed, running a hand over his face. "Buck and his crew were able to hear about the mudslide from where they are."

"Crap," Josh sighed, closing his eyes. "I totally didn't think about that."

"None of us did," Athena shook her head. "Except these two."

Eddie shrugged. "Pretty much every natural disaster we get is breaking news across the country. This isn't the first it is."

***

"Oh, my God," Maddie hurried out of the room as far as she could. "I'm so sorry, everything's been such a rush since shift ended – "

"Maddie, I completely understand," Buck interrupted. "Though I am gonna blame you for my complete lack of sleep last night."

"All of ours!" a muffled voice shouted.

"I wasn't gonna say that!" Buck barked.

Silvery laughter echoed, and Maddie swallowed. "You're with your crew?" she asked timidly.

"Yeah," Buck said. "Our captain was far too gracious in allowing Sylvie and me to stay at his and TK's house until we find out where we're staying. We've been looking at places, and it's looking like Sylvie knows where she's landing. Then again, she could basically be an HGTV hostess, so . . . "

"I take that as a compliment!" the silvery voice declared, causing the other voice to cackle.

Maddie sank her teeth into her lip, already able to understand exactly what Buck meant when he said their chat was "tame" compared to his with TK and Sylvie. "Um, I'm with Eddie, Athena, May, and Josh," she said tentatively. "Buck . . . Bobby's here, too."

There was silence on the other end. "Athena said he's been trying to make up for how he acted," Buck finally said.

"He has," Maddie nodded. "He and Eddie have had . . . a lot of conversations between themselves, and I know May and Athena have been on his case. He's been really sincere about wanting to apologize and be better . . . but then again, I don't know him like any of you do."

A heavy sigh came on the other end of the line. "Hey, Cap? You got some time?" Buck's voice was a little faint. There must have been a response, because Buck's voice was clearer. "I'm willing to talk," Buck said. "But it has to be with all of you on the other line . . . and I want my crew here on my end."

"I think they'll agree to that," Maddie nodded, heading back to the main room. "I really, really want to hear from the two who can match you in chaos."

"Match?" the offended voice of TK gasped dramatically as Maddie took her seat again, very aware of five pairs of eyes on her. "That's impossible! I'm worse."

"Oh, you are not!" Buck shouted. "You didn't go through a tsunami or have a ladder truck drop on your leg!"

"I got shot! By a kid!"

"We get it, boys," a fourth voice said dryly. "You both are disasters I have the job of wrangling. And God help me when your sister joins in."

"Oh, thanks, Cap," Sylvie huffed. "I at least try to keep them under control."

"Yeah, then it's my job to control all of you when you ultimately join in."

Maddie smirked, switching to speaker in the middle of the conversation. "Have you seen these two?" Sylvie snorted, and Maddie had the pleasure of seeing Athena's eyes widen comically, May's jaw drop, Josh fumble with his glass, and Bobby choke on his next drink. "Tell me the only way to stop them isn't to match them! Come on, tell me!"

"Yeah, Cap!" Buck goaded. "Or would you rather we not have saved your ass from that cell phone tower?"

"Technically, Captain Vega came up with that," TK pointed out.

"TK!"

A sigh came over the phone. "I get why Judd has nicknamed each of you 'Dumbass' now."

Sylvie sniffed. "I'm happy with just being Dumbass. These two are Dumbasser and Dumbassest."

"Has he actually said who's who?" TK asked curiously.

"Do we want to know?" Buck snorted.

"I do!"

"So do I, honestly," Eddie finally managed to speak through the wide grin on his face. "I think Buck is Dumbassest."

"Eddie!" Buck protested loudly, barely audible over the laughter of TK and Sylvie. "You're supposed to be on my side!"

"I'm the one who's been with you for most of your daredevil stunts," Eddie pointed out. "I know how much of a dumbass you can be."

He sighed. "You're no fun."

"You definitely are," Eddie looked around, Maddie's shoulders shaking as she tried to avoid cackling. "You should see the faces in this room."

" . . . when did we get put on speaker phone?"

"Saving your captain's ass from a cell phone tower," Josh stammered out.

"Two captains!" TK crowed.

"That's what you're focusing on?" Sylvie demanded.

"Uh, I think the words I'm looking for are 'thank' and 'you.'"

"Thank you, TK," the final voice – the captain, obviously – deadpanned. "Nice to meet you, Maddie, even if it's on the phone. You, too, Eddie."

"Thank you," Maddie smiled. "Uh . . . "

"Owen," he responded to the prompt. "The one who has to deal with the decision to have TK, Sylvie, and Buck all on the same crew."

"It was amazing, thank you very much," TK said smugly.

"He also never shuts up about how great an idea it was, as you can tell."

"Hi, Maddie!" Sylvie chirped. "And, uh . . . however many else of you there are." Pause. "Yeah, can we actually know who all is there?"

"Maddie, Eddie, Josh, Athena, May, and Bobby," Buck answered. "Right?"

"Hey, Buck!" May grinned widely.

"That's May. Hey, Miss Dispatcher!"

May beamed. "Good to hear your voice, Buckaroo," Athena smiled warmly.

"Thanks, 'Thena. Bobby? You there, too?"

"Yeah, Buck." Bobby's voice was clogged with tears. "I'm here."

"Right. Well, as I think you figured out, this is Sylvie, paramedic captain extraordinaire – "

"You're always going to introduce me so dramatically, aren't you?" she asked dryly.

"Is the sky blue?"

"Depends on the time of day," TK said cheekily. "For instance, since it's sunrise, it's multi-colored."

Buck groaned. "I hate you."

"No, you don't!"

"Boys," Owen sighed.

"That's TK, my new partner who I basically share a braincell with," Buck elaborated. "Our captain already introduced himself."

"You have two captains on your rig?" Bobby asked in surprise.

"It's a squad company," Owen explained. "Our rescues can be so specialized, we might need a paramedic with us no matter the scene, and if we're needed elsewhere, we might not be taking the house ambulance with us. Ergo, Sylvie's a lifesaver."

"As evidenced by her performing surgery basically 100 feet in the air," TK said smugly.

"Yeah, they get it, I'm a badass," Sylvie huffed. "Back to the point?"

Eddie couldn't help it. He burst out laughing. "Oh, Buck, I see why you like her."

"I told you!" Buck laughed. "Seriously, I'm pretty sure everyone at the house is a little in love with her. Even Judd, and he's married."

" . . . yeah, I can't refute that," Owen admitted.

"Owen!" Sylvie screeched.

"You really weren't kidding when you said you three are more chaotic," Athena whistled lowly.

"Oh, I really wasn't," Buck agreed. "Then again, Little Miss Paramedic over here chased arsonists for an entire year, so – "

"There were three of them!" Sylvie yelled, TK's laughter almost covering her up. "And I helped with two of them!"

"Oh, my God, they're insane," May stared at Maddie's phone.

"Congratulations, May," Owen snickered. "You summed up my kids in a nutshell."

"What were we even talking about?" TK asked.

"Right," Buck sobered. "What the hell happened in L.A.?"

"I got buried in the Hollywood Hills," Athena smirked.

"I had to keep track of flooded and ruined roads," Josh rolled his eyes.

"Love triangle on the Hollywood H," Eddie smirked.

"Illegal adoption ring," Bobby finished.

There was silence on the other end. "What the hell?" Sylvie finally sputtered.

"See why Austin doesn't phase me too much?" Buck snorted.

Maddie's eyes flicked up to Bobby, who made a sound similar to a cat getting strangled at the casual drop of Buck's location. "Yeah," Sylvie sighed. "I never got shot at with a crossbow bolt in Chicago."

Eddie did a double take. "Wait," Athena leaned forward. "Did you say – ?"

"A crossbow bolt?" Sylvie repeated. "Yeah, Owen and I got shot at by a crossbow. Crazy lady thought cell towers spread viruses and decided to shoot someone working on the tower we were at. TK here sprayed her with a garden hose and Buck led the other paramedics of the house to get her contained."

"It was awesome," TK said gleefully.

Bobby closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose, an exasperatedly fond smile on his face. "That's you for sure, Buck."

"Yeah," Buck's voice hardened. "It's me. Turns out this crew's got my back."

"And we waited for him to tell us about Daniel," Owen inserted smoothly. "Whole story, too."

Bobby flinched. "Buck, I know what I did wasn't acceptable."

"You're right," Buck interrupted. "It wasn't, especially when everyone at the 118 knows Maddie and I prefer to keep some of our past to ourselves. I had just found out some of my past, and instead of being able to come forward with it myself, Chimney aired it to the entire house. Not only that, he aired incorrect information to the house. The absolute least you could have done was stopped that from spreading to everyone else. You didn't."

"No," Bobby agreed quietly. "I didn't."

"We were already on the outs after the lawsuit. I could only take so much more from the house. I know you had your reasons for keeping me off duty . . . but I was ready, Bobby. That was already a blow to the trust I had in you. This . . . final nail in the casket."

"I know, Buck," Bobby swallowed hard. "I know, and I will regret that for a long time. I wasn't upfront with you about why I really held you back, and I should've stopped Chimney."

"Captain Nash, I'll be frank with you," Owen said. "You sound like a captain who cares very much for your crew. I've gotten that much from Buck. Just remember the difference between having your firehouse as your family and having to be their captain. Buck can still be your family while still thinking like a captain. You had heavy rescue record breakers ready to return to work, and you kept him to the side, telling yourself you were trying to protect him. If you attended a scene where Buck's heavy rescue experience was required, would you forgive yourself if that call ended badly?"

Eddie looked up at Bobby, hearing a new outlook on the lawsuit. "No," Bobby's voice was quiet and chastised. "No, I wouldn't. I just thought about protecting the firefighter who is like my son under my watch who I saw almost die twice and almost lost a third time."

They heard Buck inhale sharply. "And that's understandable," Owen said patiently. "But there's a time to separate the family man from the captain. If I thought the way you did, Captain, I would have kept TK off my crew for months after he was shot. But I trusted the medical professionals and department members who said TK was ready to return to work, and I trusted TK when he said he was ready to come back. TK and I hold the top spots for heavy rescue records in New York, and I knew that experience was what I needed. So I put aside the protective father and trusted him to be on the rig. The difference between you and me, Captain Nash . . . TK is my son. If anyone had the right to use the 'protect my son from the harms on the job' card, it was me. And I did, for as long as TK was on leave. The moment he could come back, the captain's helmet was back on."

Stunned silence filled the room, and Maddie and Eddie looked at Bobby, the only one in the room who hadn't known the relationship between Owen and TK. Still, when Eddie looked around the room, he could see all of them shaken by the revelation of how injured TK had been. "I understand," Bobby finally said, nodding.

"I don't know you personally, so I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt," Owen said coldly. "But let me make one thing clear, Captain . . . Buck's one of mine now. When it comes to either the 118 or him . . . well. Let's just say when I go to bat for my crew, I guarantee you I give my all." That sent a shiver down Eddie's spine, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw both May and Josh shudder. "Trust in your people – your family – and you'll find that trust returned. The lawsuit was strike one. Chimney was strike two. I bet no one wants a strike three."

May's gaze flicked to Athena, whose face was unreadable as she stared at Maddie's phone. "No, sir," Bobby agreed.

"Good," Owen said brightly. "Glad we had this chat."

"Buck?" May said quietly. "Your captain scares me."

"Yeah, he just scared me, too," Sylvie snorted. "Good job, Owen."

"Just doing my job!" Owen said loftily.

"And Bobby?" Buck's voice was quieter. "I'm not going to forget this for a while . . . but I'm on my way to forgiveness. Maddie's kept me up to date about everything . . . please don't take advantage of this trust again."

"Never, Buck," he promised vehemently. "I won't."

"Good. Guess Papa Bear's getting added to the chat."

That finally broke Athena, who snorted loudly. "And what, is Harry Brother Bear?"

"He is now!" May grinned widely.

"I'm sorry, what?" Bobby looked around in confusion.

"Group chat," Eddie smirked. "At least we're not pets."

"You told them?!" Sylvie shrieked.

"They argue like cats and dogs," Maddie snickered.

"They really do," Owen snickered.

"Oh, thanks, Dad," TK huffed.

"You're welcome!"

"OK!" Josh interrupted, leaning forward. "I want to know one thing before this call is done . . . did your house seriously face down an army tank the other day?"

There was silence in the house. "Wait, what?!" Eddie's eyes widened.

"Damnit," Buck sighed. "I knew I forgot to mention something."

"You forget the tank that all but bonked Owen in the nose?" Sylvie asked in amusement.

"It's easier than you think!"

"I mean, we never mentioned it to SVU," TK said. "Speaking of, did Liv chew you out yet, Dad?"

"It was a little bit more than 'chewing out,' son," Owen sighed.

"Spill," Maddie ordered, eyes wide. "Now."

And Buck, ever the storyteller, launched right into the story. "So believe it or not, the guy drove the tank from where it was kept in a museum . . . "

***

"You know, hearing from Grace what some of those Austin calls are like is one thing," Josh marveled as he and Maddie walked to their stations the next day. "To actually hear from Buck and his team about what they're really like? That's something else."

"Tell me about it," Maddie whistled. "I know Buck sent that video of the 126 staring the tank down to our chat this morning. I'm gonna take a look at it on our break."

"I'll take it at the same time as you," Josh picked up his earpiece. "I wanna see it, too."

"You got it," Maddie smiled, putting her earpiece in as well. She tapped into the system, clearing her throat and taking her first call of the day. "9-1-1, what's your emergency?"

"Hi," a woman's voice answered. "Can you please send an ambulance to 6643 Mapleton Drive? A man has been . . . injured."

Maddie furrowed her eyebrows, typing the information in. "What is the nature of the injury?"

"My boyfriend fell in the shower. I think he hit his head."

"Help is on the way," Maddie nodded, sending the information out. A glance at the confirmation said the 118 was on its way. "Can you tell me if he's still breathing?"

"Hard to tell . . . I think so."

"If you place your hand below his nose, you should be able to feel him exhale, even if it's subtle."

"The thing is, I'm not . . . in the room with him right now."

Maddie tilted her head curiously. "Can you go in there and check?" she asked.

"Um . . . I'm not in the house, either."

Maddie frowned in disbelief. "Where are you calling from?" she asked slowly.

"A different house."

"But . . . how do you know he fell in the shower?"

"I saw it on the video feed."

Maddie froze in her typing. "There's a video feed in his shower?" she asked slowly; she saw Josh start in his seat nearby.

"He has this smart home," the woman hastened to explain. "Everything's online, and he gave me the password in case of emergencies. This is an emergency, right?"

Maddie gawked at Josh, unable to believe her caller.

***

"Well, it's good to hear Buck is starting to make up with Bobby," Lena murmured quietly to Eddie as they followed the other members of the 118 up to the house, the woman absently twirling a Halligan in her hands. "He seems to be in a better mood today."

"Hearing from Buck that he's on his way to forgiving him would do that," Eddie agreed just as quietly.

Bobby reached out and rang the doorbell. "LAFD!" he announced.

"Dispatch said the patient was unconscious," Lena frowned.

"They also said it was a smart home," Bobby pointed out.

The door chimed, then slowly opened. "Welcome, Los Angeles Fire Department," a female voice said smoothly.

Eddie did a double take, exchanging surprised looks with Lena. "Am I the only one really creeped out right now?" Hen shuddered.

"No," the others agreed, making their way into the house.

***

Bobby was the first into the bathroom, and he yanked the shower door open. "Come on, let's go!"

"On it, Cap," Hen ducked under his arm.

"Let's see what we got here," Chimney crouched down with her.

"Alright, what are his vitals?" Bobby asked.

"Pulse is steady," Hen pressed her fingers to his neck. "Scalp is lacerated, probably a concussion." She raised her voice. "Anthony, can you hear us?"

Anthony remained unconscious. "Looks like first or maybe second-degree burns from the water," Chimney looked his reddened skin up and down. "His veins are collapsed. Probably hypovolemia. We'll need a line in his ankle."

"There's still shampoo in his hair," Bobby pointed out. "He fell down with the water still on . . . so who turned it off?"

Hen looked warily up at the dripping showerhead, then Lena pointed out the Hildy monitor in the corner, which brightly flashed: Shower complete. Have a nice day!

***

"OK, I see the firefighters," the woman, Justine, said. "We're good, right?"

"Just a few more questions for the report," Maddie said quickly. "Did his smart home send you an alert this morning, or . . . ?"

"I . . . happened to check in on him and saw he needed help," the woman answered.

"He's very lucky you did," Maddie nodded. "Check on him . . . in the shower."

***

"Now, who would wanna live like this?" Eddie complained as he and Lena pushed the gurney up into the house. "Cameras and microphones everywhere, not knowing who's watching or listening."

Lena chuckled. "Well, I hate to break it to you, Diaz, but if you got a computer or a smart phone, smart TV, smart anything . . . then anyone can spy on you."

Eddie sighed. "Now I'm thinking I shouldn't buy that fancy smart coffee maker I keep seeing commercials for."

As Lena walked past a Hildy monitor on the wall, it suddenly came to life. "Hello, Eddie," the voice said cheerfully, causing Eddie to stop in his tracks. "Here are some popular coffee makers. Would you like to hear the reviews?"

Eddie stared blankly at the coffee makers that appeared, and Lena shook her head, laughing loudly. "Welcome to the future!" she crowed.

"Why does it sound terrifying to me?" Eddie gulped, pushing the gurney just a tiny bit quicker, to Lena's amusement.

***

"I worry about him, you know," Justine sighed. "Alone, in that house. We were supposed to be planning our future together, not giving each other space."

Maddie frowned, typing more into her report: suspected cyberstalking. "But if you're using the house to check on him all the time, that's not giving him space, is it?"

***

Their patient groaned, and bobby leaned over him. "Anthony, Anthony," he put a hand on his arm. "It's OK. You fell in the shower. Lucky for you, we found you in time."

"How?" Anthony croaked.

"Your girlfriend called 9-1-1," he answered.

Anthony's eyes bugged open wide. "No!" he yelled, starting to thrash. "No, no, no, no, no, no!"

"Pulse is racing!" Chimney looked through his bag. "Let's sedate him!"

"Wonder what set that off," Hen frowned in confusion.

"Maybe something about his girlfriend?" Lena suggested.

"It's my ex!" Anthony hissed.

Bobby blinked, and Eddie turned to look at Lena. "Anybody can spy on you," he repeated her words.

***

"I'm just waiting for him to remember how much better things are when we're together," Justine sighed wistfully.

Maddie's eyes narrowed, and she clicked the button on her keyboard that dispatched LAPD to Justine's location.

***

Justine opened her door when there was a knock and found one very unimpressed LAPD patrol sergeant standing there. "Justine Zerbiak?" Athena asked.

"Can I help you?" Justine asked.

"Just thought I'd come check in," Athena said pointedly.

Justine sighed. "That 9-1-1 lady sent you."

Athena smirked. "She wanted us to have a talk about your future."

***

Despite Owen's complaints about his crew, he loved them. He really did. He loved that TK had found two people he loved like siblings, and he loved that they had created their own mini-family within the 126.

But as he looked down at the cake in front of him, he couldn't help but think why he thought it was ever a good idea to leave the three of them in the same room. "And the second opinion confirms it," TK grinned widely. "You are officially in remission. Congratulations, Dad!"

"Woohoo!" Sylvie cheered, clapping from where she stood with the paramedics.

"Tumor slayer!" Marjan whooped.

"Way to go, Cap!" Mateo beamed.

"About time we had some good news around here," Judd smiled happily.

"A whole lotta folks been praying for you, Captain," Grace nodded next to him.

"Well, I appreciate that," Owen smiled, looking around the room at the 126 family, as well as Carlos and Michelle standing with TK. "Um, but . . . " He grimaced at the cake on the table. "This is the ugliest cake I've ever seen. What . . . why does it look like this?"

"It's your tumor," TK smiled innocently.

Owen blinked. "It's my what?"

"It's your tumor a year ago," Marjan nodded.

"When it was bad," Mateo elaborated.

"I gave your scans to the bakery," TK nodded. "It was Buck's idea."

"I objected Buck's idea," Paul said from behind Owen.

"I've seen worse looking cakes!" Buck snorted. "You should've seen the cake we had when Chimney came back from rebar stuck in his brain."

"Wait," Mateo balked. "That was real?!"

Owen shook his head, chuckling. "I'm both repulsed and moved," he said with a soft smile. "And, uh . . . I'm at a loss."

"A 73% loss!" Sylvie clapped in glee.

"Now you are just one surgery away from that cancer being completely gone!" TK looked even more excited than her.

"Let's go!" Buck whooped.

Owen smiled as TK bounded over and engulfed him a hug. Now he remembered why it was a good idea to have these three.

***

"It's cool that Michelle came down here for this," Carlos smiled, watching Owen chat with the brunette woman, Michelle looking better than he had seen in a while.

"It's cool you did," TK smiled. "Thanks for being here, babe."

"Hey," Carlos grinned. "Free tumor cake." TK snickered, and Carlos softened. "But really, I'm glad your dad got the news he wanted. 73% loss? That's amazing."

"It is," TK agreed. "I want it to stay that way."

"Me, too," Carlos agreed.

TK took the last sip of his drink. "Speaking of parents, when am I gonna meet yours?"

Carlos smiled and swiftly changed the subject. "You want some more punch?"

TK blinked at the non sequitur. "Um – "

Carlos had already left.

***

Tommy sat back at the counter, watching everyone in their little groups. Owen was with Buck and Judd, Carlos and TK were still in their corner, Marjan was showing Paul and Mateo something on her phone, and Sylvie was seated on one of the stools giggling with Tim and Nancy.

"Tell me, friend . . . " And that was Grace, sliding down on her left while Michelle leaned on the counter to her right. "What are you doing all the way back here?"

"Just taking it all in," Tommy smiled.

"How is it, being back?" Michelle asked.

Tommy's smile tightened. "Honestly, Michelle . . . it's been hell."

"What?" her eyes widened.

"Oh, no, ma'am," Grace's eyes narrowed. "Now, you tell me who's been giving you a hard time. I'm gonna have Judd come in here and beat 'em up, OK?" She paused. "Unless it is Judd, then you leave it to me. I got you."

Michelle laughed, and Tommy smiled at her best friend's words. "Judd's been my champion," she assured her. "And honestly, I couldn't ask for a nicer group of folk." She looked at Sylvie, who had her head thrown back as she laughed at something someone had said, likely Tim based on his proud face. "No, it's just . . . the last time I had on this uniform, my girls didn't exist."

"Ah," Grace's face cleared with understanding.

"It was easy to completely be present in my job," Tommy sighed. "And now – "

"You're thinking about your family," Michelle finished.

Tommy nodded, grateful Michelle understood, too. She had left the job to take care of people like her sister, after all. Of course her best student knew what she was thinking. "Oh, I'm feeling guilty. Guilty for not being there, guilty for maybe not really being here."

"Judd says you've been doing amazing," Grace said.

"Yeah, well," Tommy's eyes slid to Tim and Nancy. "Maybe you should ask my crew that. I'm not sure they know what to make of me yet."

"Hey," Michelle gave her a shoulder nudge. "I worked with Tim and Nancy for years. They just don't know you like they know me . . . and like they're obviously getting to know Sylvie. She's been a champion for you, too. She knows what it's like to go through partners. Give them a little bit of time. They'll come around."

"Besides," Grace smiled. "You're impossible not to love, Tommy Vega. Impossible."

Tommy's smile was genuine that time. "I'm glad you think so."

They looked back at the party, but Tommy blinked when she saw Nancy and Tim had migrated to Paul, Mateo, and Marjan. Sylvie was gone.

So was Owen, she realized.

***

The paramedic captain leaned in the doorway of her own captain's office, seeing him stare blankly at the black rock that was left from 9/11. She finally knocked on the frame. "Knock knock."

"Come in!" Owen spun around, looking far more casual than he should have.

Sylvie smiled, walking in. "You haven't touched your tumor cake," she observed the red velvet cake.

Owen smiled weakly. "It's growing on me."

Sylvie snorted, sitting in one of the chairs. "Very funny, Cap."

"I try."

Sylvie gestured out the windows, where they could see the party still in full swing. "You skipped out on your own party."

"I didn't skip out!" he protested.

Sylvie snorted. "You skipped out, and now you're hiding out."

"I'm not hiding," he sniffed. "My name is on the door. how could that be hiding? I just wanted some time to . . . " He floundered for words. "Savor the moment."

Sylvie's eyebrows raised dubiously. "Savor the moment," she repeated. "Permission to be blunt?"

Owen grimaced, already bracing for what she would say. "Granted."

"You're brooding."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Owen lied through his teeth. "I got great news. Everyone I love on the planet is here to support me and celebrate the news. I'm good."

Sylvie sighed. "Owen, my two best friends are a captain and a lieutenant, both of whom I've seen bottle stuff up. It's never ended well when it stayed that way."

Owen blinked. "Well, if it's like wine, it gets better." Sylvie closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose, and Owen finally cut it with the puns. "Nothing's bottled up," he assured her.

Sylvie nodded slowly, clearly still not believing him, but the alarms went off, and they were out of the office in less than a second.

***

"9-1-1, what's your emergency?"

"My husband! He just fell into a steaming trench!"

"Ma'am, where are you calling from?"

"Paradise Family Fun Center!"

***

"Ladder 126. Squad 9. EMS 126. Paradise Family Fun Center."

***

"What the hell are we looking at?" Marjan looked at the steam rising on the course.

"Well, it ain't methane," Judd whistled, waving a hand in front of his nose.

"Nope," Sylvie agreed, holding a hand over hers.

"Smells like the Earth cut a giant fart," Mateo sniffed.

"Yeah, that's the sulfur," Buck confirmed.

"What are we saying, that a hellmouth opened up under Paradise Family Fun Center?" Marjan asked in disbelief.

"Sounds pretty typical of us," Buck snickered.

"Chicago was less crazy than this," Sylvie sighed. "And that's saying something."

"You wanna go back?" TK raised an eyebrow.

"Hell, no, if I keep getting calls like this."

"Underground hot springs, maybe?" Paul suggested.

Owen shrugged as they passed the paramedics. "Maybe."

***

"I don't feel good," a boy in Tim's care mumbled.

Tommy paused in her trek around, looking at him in concern. "Headache? Does your tummy hurt like your mommy?" He nodded miserably, and Tommy smiled comfortingly. "OK, baby, we're gonna fix you up."

She departed, and the boy looked up at Tim. "Is my daddy gonna die?"

"Don't worry, bud," Tim said confidently. "Nobody's gonna die today, I promise." He didn't see Tommy look sharply at him. "We got the best team of firefighters over there working on him right now."

"Let's get that little man on O2," Tommy said. "Monitor for pulmonary edema. Triage anyone that breathed in that stuff."

"Copy that, Cap," Tim nodded, pulling out an oxygen mask. "Here we go, gonna put this right over your face . . . "

***

"Once again," Sylvie turned to TK through the mask she wore. "First time wearing one of these on a call like this."

"Probably won't be your last," TK shrugged.

"SO2 is off the charts," Paul reported. "70 ppm, Cap."

"Victor!" Owen bellowed. "Victor, can you hear me?"

Buck squinted through the steam. "I think I see movement, but it's hard to tell!"

"He probably passed out from the SO2," Sylvie nodded. "Or the heat."

"Steam's hot, Cap," Mateo said. "230 degrees."

"Alright," Owen straightened. "Judd, bring the rig as close as you can. Buck, get ready. You're going in. get a rescue grab."

Buck perked up. "I get to rappel into that?" he asked excitedly.

"'Get to,'" TK rolled his eyes. "That's an interesting choice of words."

***

It only took a few minutes for Buck to end up hanging from the ladder in his harness, Judd carefully maneuvering the ladder over the trench, TK at the winch for the rope. "That's as far as she'll go, Buck," Judd said when the ladder stopped.

"Hold tight," Owen told Buck. "Sending you in." He nodded, adjusting his grip on the rope, and Owen turned to TK. "Lower him down, nice and slow."

TK nodded, starting the winch, and Sylvie watched Buck carefully as he was lowered in. "How're you feeling?" she asked.

"Like a rotisserie chicken," Buck deadpanned.

"Keep coming," Owen signaled TK. "Keep coming, keep coming, and . . . " He clenched his hand in a fist. "Right there!"

TK stopped the rope, and Buck watched his footing as he walked to Victor. "Victor," he crouched over the black man. "My name's Buck. I'm gonna get you out of here, OK?" He paused, not hearing a response. "Victor, can you hear me?" He heard a groan, and he sighed in relief. "He's alive!"

"Always good to hear!" Sylvie called back.

"Alright," Buck slung the other harness off his shoulder. "Victor, I'm gonna wrap this around you, and then our team is gonna pull us out of here, alright?"

"Temp's spiking!" Mateo warned as Buck secured the harness. "350!"

"Oh, is that what I'm feeling?" Buck asked sarcastically, nodding when he heard the harness click. "You're all strapped in," he told Victor. "You can let go now."

"I can't," the man said weakly.

"Yeah, you can," Buck nodded. "You're strapped into a harness." He reached over for the man's hand. "Here, just – " He lifted, and as Victor screamed, Buck stared in shock at the melted flesh that strung between the pipes and the hand he pulled away. "What the – ?"

"Buckley, what's your status?" Owen asked.

"I'm working on it!" Buck answered. "But he's a little . . . melty!"

"He's what?" Sylvie asked in disbelief.

"His flesh is seared to this thing!" Buck answered. "Drop me a saw, I can travel him with a piece of this devil's head!"

"370, Cap!" Mateo called.

"No time," Owen decided. "I don't care if you use a spatula. Scoop up what you can and get him out of there, now."

"OK," Buck took a deep breath. "OK . . . sorry in advance, Victor." He looked up. "OK, let's go!"

"Bring them up!" Owen barked to TK, who went to work on the winch. "Bring them up!"

As soon as they were out of the pit, Sylvie ran to the screaming victim's side, Buck helping her get him on the gurney they had. Nancy ran to join her, and Sylvie nodded, taking over as the highest ranking paramedic on the scene. "Get him on fluids, and dress these burns with Silvadene, stat," she ordered.

"Copy," Nancy nodded.

Owen smiled, watching the man reunite with his family, then Buck took deep breaths as he removed his helmet, doubling over. "Good job, Buckley," he said, patting the man on the shoulder.

"Thanks, Cap," Buck smiled weakly.

"You OK?" TK asked in concern. "You were almost boiled!"

"Nah," Buck smirked. "Just a little blanched. Sylvie would love it, though, my pores feel great – "

"Oh, stop," Sylvie rolled her eyes.

"It's like nature's schvitz," Owen smirked. "Alright, bed the ladder – "

The air whooshed around them, and Sylvie screamed, eyes widening in terror. "Cap!"

"Fall back!" Owen yelled, grabbing her by the arm and yanking her behind the Squad rig.

Sylvie went willingly, Buck and TK scrambling to join them as the other crews hid behind their rigs. Owen tucked Sylvie between him and the rig, cautiously peering over the top. TK used the rig to look over the top, Buck on the step to the doors. "Hey, I told y'all that wasn't methane!" Judd called.

"Yeah?" Marjan scowled. "Then what the hell is it?"

***

"Hey, guys!" Mouch's voice from the common room made Kelly look up from the report he was finishing at the Squad table, the rest of his crew looking up from their activities. "You need to see this!"

Kelly frowned, tucking his clipboard under his arm and heading into the common room. "What's – ?"

"Holy shit!" Gallo sputtered, eyes wide in horror.

Matt didn't correct Gallo's language; he was too glued to the screen to do it. "What the hell is that?" Stella's face was drained of color.

Kelly turned to look, and he almost dropped his clipboard at the breaking news. "A volcano on the southern edge of Austin, once thought to be extinct, has only been dormant, scientists are now telling us, when what geologists are calling a volcanic fissure opened up underneath Paradise Family Fun Center," a reporter was saying as lava bubbled from a trench on screen. "But scientists warn this could be just the beginning. Pilot Knob off Highway 183 is part of a magmatic system several miles in diameter that's been inactive since the late Cretaceous period. Today, it woke up."

"Austin?" Herrmann repeated in disbelief. "Austin, Texas?"

"I had no idea there was a volcano in Texas," Mouch twisted to look up at everyone. "Did any of you?"

"Not a clue," Kelly shook his head.

"Oh, my God," Ritter whispered, sounding terrified.

"Hey," Herrmann turned and put a hand on his protégé's shoulder. "It's in Texas. That's nowhere near us. There's nothing to worry about."

Ritter swallowed hard. "Yeah. Nothing to worry about at all."

Based on the looks on not just Ritter's, but also Gallo's and Joe's faces, Kelly had a feeling they were worrying about something after all. "Just all the other first responders that will have to face a goddamn volcano, of all things," Gallo gulped.

***

"So do we think this whole thing's gonna blow?" Owen asked as he and Sylvie met in his office with several first responders personnel and scientists.

"I'll let Dr. Limaye of the U.S. Geological Survey answer that one," the chief online answered.

The screen switched to a well-dressed woman. "I know when one thinks 'volcano,' one pictures a conical mountain spewing lava and ash," she said.

"Yeah, that's exactly the kind of thing I'm trying not to picture," Owen grumbled.

"But Pilot Knob proper is essentially extinct," Limaye said. "It's the system around it that's become active: volcanic material that's been bottled up for millions of years. The magma that's moving underground is looking for a way out, and it's finding it."

"When's it gonna come out next?" Sylvie asked. "I'm thinking about the airports and the neighborhoods out there."

Owen couldn't help but smile at Sylvie's thoughtfulness about civilians potentially in harm's way. "All flights out of Austin-Bergstrom have been grounded," the chief answered. "And we're contacting the residents, evacuating strategically."

"How strategic can you be?" Owen asked.

"We're using the seismic activity we've been seeing to track the movement of the magma underground," Limaye answered.

"So what can we expect?"

"More of what you already saw, Captain. Lava flows up to 35 miles per hour; semi-molten volcanic ejecta, or lava bombs; curtains of fire hotter than 2100 degrees."

Sylvie swallowed hard. "So what you're saying is, every crack could become a mass-casualty event."

Limaye sighed. "Potentially, yes."

***

Sylvie: I regret saying Chicago was less crazy than Austin.

Joe nearly dropped his phone when he saw the text he received. "Oh, thank God," he whispered in relief.

"What?" Gallo perked up.

"She's OK," Joe said, typing back.

Joe: What the hell is going on?

Joe: That volcano is on the news here!

"Does she say what's happening?" Ritter asked anxiously.

"Hang on, I'm reading," Joe waved them off.

Sylvie: Your typical "volcano" isn't the problem.

Sylvie: It's the systems around it that will be the problems. It's lava flows, volcanic ejecta, and fire over 2100 degrees.

Sylvie: Our house is basically going to be driving right into hell.

Sylvie: God, am I glad I'm on a firefighting crew and not on an ambulance.

Sylvie: My boys are overprotective as hell, and I'm actually glad for it.

Joe sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I'm going to be on my toes for this entire shift."

"So are we," Gallo looked at Ritter nervously.

"I'm sorry I almost gave her away," Ritter said miserably.

"No, it's not your fault," Joe shook his head. "I think everyone would be worried about a volcano if it was closer."

"It's nowhere near me, and I am worried," Gallo huffed. "I think I would be even if I didn't know Brett was somewhere in that area."

Joe couldn't help but laugh. That was very true. "The last thing Casey and Severide need to know is their girl is in the middle of a volcano emergency."

"Oh, God," Ritter's eyes bugged open. "Dibs not telling them."

"None of us are."

***

"Check it, then double-check it!" Owen ordered sharply, passing through the Ladder and Squad crews, all of them in their turnout pants, ready to leave at a moment's notice. "Then check it again! I don't want any surprises out there today."

"What, besides the active volcano?" Judd scoffed.

"Maybe I should pack the all-weather gear in case it starts raining blood next," Marjan quipped.

Owen smirked. "A little locust repellant wouldn't be a bad idea, either."

Sylvie sorted through everything in her jump bag once again, then heard a derisive scoff behind her. "See that?" Tim said. "Rallying the troops with quippy quips? That's what a real leader does."

"That's what a Marvel character does," Nancy corrected, helping wheel more supplies over to their ambulance.

"In the meantime, where's our rallying?" Tim asked. "Where's our captain?"

Sylvie peeked over her shoulder, curiosity piqued. She hadn't heard that dubiousness from Tim since Tommy had joined the house. "You're just mad because she called you out," Nancy accused.

"No!" Tim shook his head too quickly. "Maybe a little . . . fine! I shouldn't have told that kid his dad was gonna be OK. I slipped up."

"It's understandable," Sylvie stood up, walking over to take a few things she needed. "We always want to comfort people in their worst, scariest moment. That's part of the gig. But I've learned not to make promises you can't keep."

Tim sighed. "Alright . . . but still, I could use a little rallying. Michelle may not exactly have been a motivational speaker, but she could do more than just criticize."

Sylvie raised an eyebrow. "You do remember Captain Vega hasn't been on the job for a while, right?"

"Yeah, and she has little kids, too," Nancy agreed.

"Michelle had a missing sister," Tim countered. "She was a walking episode of Unsolved Mysteries, but she still managed to find the time for the occasional 'attaboy.'"

Nancy faltered. "You have a tiny point."

***

"OK, I need a break from the Internet," Eddie declared as he walked into the living room after putting Christopher to bed. "Ever since that smart home call? I see ads for coffee makers every time I go online. Read the news, coffee maker. Check the weather, coffee maker."

"It's called targeting advertising, Eddie," Maddie rolled her eyes, smirking at him from where she lounged on the couch.

"I don't even want a new coffee maker!" the man exploded. "The one I have is fine! I only mentioned it in front of Lena . . . " He swallowed. "And Hildy."

Maddie's eyebrows shot up, and she snorted. "You're scared of Hildy?"

"I'm not scared," Eddie shook his head. "I'm . . . suspicious."

"So you're scared."

"I'm not scared!" he protested loudly, reaching for the TV remote. "So I just want to – "

"Wait," Maddie lunged, stopping him from picking up the remote. "Eddie, look."

"What?" Eddie frowned, turning to see what she was looking at.

He froze, just like Maddie, unable to look away from the newscast. "A volcano on the southern edge of Austin, once thought to be extinct, has only been dormant, scientists are now telling us, when what geologists are calling a volcanic fissure opened up underneath Paradise Family Fun Center," the report came in, and Eddie balked, seeing the lava under a golf course. "But scientists warn this could be just the beginning. Pilot Knob off Highway 183 is part of a magmatic system several miles in diameter that's been inactive since the late Cretaceous period. Today, it woke up."

"Oh, my God," Maddie's voice broke. "Buck . . . "

Eddie swallowed hard. "Call him," he urged. "Call him, now!"

Maddie was already dialing.

***

"9-1-1, what's your emergency?"

"Help! We need help! The swimming pool! My buddy's stuck in the swimming pool!"

"Your friend is drowning?"

"Melting! The swimming pool, it's on fire!"

***

"Ladder 126. Squad 9. EMS 126. Volcanic activity."

***

"How is it that you're dealing with a volcano, Buck?"

"I don't know," Buck shook his head, grateful TK had taken the wheel as they drove to their current emergency. "But it's what we're dealing with, and . . . well, I'm glad neither of you are here."

"And yet right there is where I want to be right now," Eddie groused.

"Buck, please, keep us updated?" Maddie begged. "Whenever you can, I just . . . God, how am I more scared about this than I was with the tsunami?"

"Because the tsunami and the wave after it hit, then it was basically just getting through the flood," Buck answered, shuddering a little at the reminder of what he went through. Sylvie's hand rested over his, and he squeezed it thankfully. "This is . . . well. You know volcanoes."

"Yeah, I wish I didn't," Eddie sighed. "Buck, please . . . be careful."

"I will be," Buck promised. "As much as I can be."

"I love you," Maddie whispered.

"Love you guys, too," Buck smiled, hanging up.

"All good, Buck?" Owen twisted in his seat to look.

Buck sighed, closing his eyes. "As good as it can be, Cap."

***

"Mommy, we're scared," Evie's face was terrified on Tommy's phone screen.

"Yeah, we're scared," Isabella piped up.

"Oh, no, no," Tommy frowned from where she sat in the back of the ambulance. "Why are you scared?"

"They saw the news," Charles explained behind them.

"Ah, well, you do not need to be scared," Tommy assured them. "No, babies, you are far away from what's happening. You're totally safe with your daddy."

"We're not worried about us," Isabella looked down. "We're worried about you."

"We don't want you to burn up in the lava," Evie nodded.

"Oh, no," Tommy shook her head. "I'm not gonna burn up."

"But you don't know that," Evie frowned.

"Yes, she does," Charles rubbed her back. "Paramedics only come in after the dangerous part is over. Right?"

Tommy swallowed. "Right."

"Promise?" Isabella asked.

"I promise."

"You see, girls?" Charles chuckled, and Tommy could practically feel Tim's stare burning into her as he looked at her through the rearview mirror. "I told you. Now, tell Mama you love her so she can get back to work, OK?"

Tommy smiled as her girls chorused their love. "I love you, too, babies," she said, blowing them kisses.

"Let's go brush your teeth," Charles ushered them away. "Let's go." When they were gone, he sighed, turning back. "Crisis averted. Thanks, T."

"Yeah," Tommy nodded, ending the call and slumping back, giving Tim one last look in the rearview.

***

Everything was in chaos when they arrived at the pool party. Sylvie took one look at the teenagers around, then turned to Tommy. "We need to split up."

Tommy nodded in agreement. "Take who you want."

Sylvie turned. "Tim, let's work on triage!"

"Copy!" he nodded, shouldering his bag and putting his mask on.

"Nancy, with me," Tommy ordered.

"You got it!" Nancy jogged after her.

"Judd, Paul, you're on recovery," Owen ordered. "TK, you assist medical. They're gonna need hands. Buck, you're with me. Mateo, you get on these spot fires."

***

The first person Sylvie and Tim arrived at was buried under a towel and a disposed laptop. "Hey," Sylvie bent down, Tim helping remove everything. "I'm Sylvie, and this is Tim. Can you tell us what happened to you?"

"I'm not even sure," the young man swallowed. "Everyone went crazy when the pool started boiling. I guess I got trampled by the herd. College life, am I right?"

Sylvie cracked a smile, looking at Tim as he tapped a silver rod against his foot. "Can you feel that?" Tim asked.

The boy swallowed. "My buddy in the pool, is . . . is he . . . is he OK?"

"Don't focus on him right now," Sylvie shook her head. "We're focusing on you right now. What's your name?"

"Spence."

"Alright, Spence, can you answer Tim's question? You feeling anything?"

"Yeah," Spence nodded, blinking when he read the patch on Sylvie's turnout coat. "Hey, you're EMS, so what color tag am I?"

Tim snorted. "Oh, don't worry about that. Triage tags aren't a diagnosis."

"Come on, man, I'm premed. What color is it? Is it yellow?" Sylvie looked up, seeing Tim silently show her a red tag, which Spence saw. "Why is it red?" he stammered. "I can feel you tapping my fingers!"

"But not your feet," Tim said gently. "Now, just hold on. Lie still. We're gonna get you on a backboard."

"Oh, God," Spence whimpered. "It's a spinal injury, isn't it?"

"Well, we're not doctors, but since you can feel your hands, that's a good sign," Sylvie told him, watching Tim ready the backboard. "Hopefully, it's just swelling."

"So I'll still be able to walk, right?" Spence asked. Sylvie and Tim exchanged wary glances. "Promise me I'll walk!" Spence was close to hysterics.

Tim closed his eyes. "I can't promise something I don't have the power to keep, Spence," he said. "But we're gonna do everything we can to avoid doing any more damage."

"Could you . . . " Spence's voice broke. "Could you call my mom?"

"They'll give her a call when you're at the hospital," Sylvie told him.

"Please, please, could you call her?" Spence begged. "Tell her Spence loves her. Maybe don't tell her I got stampeded at a frat party, OK? Could you just tell her I was studying or something?"

Sylvie couldn't help but laugh. "You injured yourself studying? No one could sell that."

"Please," Spence begged. "I'm not used to lying to her. She's gonna see this on the news. Please?"

Tim sat back on his heels, sighing. "Alright," he said. "I'll call her when we drop you off in the ambulance."

"You promise?" Spence asked.

Tim gave a small smile. "That, I can promise." He looked around, then nodded. "How about we go with waterslide accident?" he asked Sylvie.

Sylvie giggled. "I think we can sell that."

Tim smiled widely at her approval, then his smile froze when he felt the ground shake. Sylvie held her arms out to steady herself, then turned when she heard Owen's screams. "Fall back!"

"That seems not good," Tim gulped.

"Get clear of the pool!" Buck's voice joined in.

Sylvie threw herself on the ground, covering her head with both hands. She saw Tim lay himself over Spence, shielding him as well, as flaming rocks flew over their heads. "Volcanic ejecta!" she realized.

"What?" Tim blinked at her.

"Magma," she translated.

"Oh," he took a deep breath, straightening up. "Alright."

"OK," Sylvie got back up as well. "We need to get out of here."

"Just drag me out of here!" Spence whimpered, looking around at the fires. "Please!"

"When we do it, we're gonna do it right," Tim said.

Sylvie looked around for the nearest firefighter in 126 gear, and she finally saw one. "Cap?" she called, making Owen look over. "Can you give us a hand?"

"Of course," Owen nodded, jogging over. "Just a transfer?"

"Yeah," Sylvie nodded.

"Captain Strand, this is our buddy, Spence," Tim introduced. "He injured himself on the waterslide." Owen's eyes raised dubiously, and Tim grinned conspiratorially. "At least, that's what I'll be reporting to his – "

He faltered when the ground rumbled again, and Sylvie looked around. "Where did that come from?" she asked.

Owen saw fire from the corner of his eye, but Tim was the first to look up. His eyes bugged open, and he surged to his feet. "Captain!"

Owen thought he meant him, but Tim threw himself at Sylvie at the last moment. She squeaked when Tim shoved her away from Spence, then hot fire made Owen recoil. Everything was quiet for a few dreadful seconds. "Tim?" Spence whispered.

The only response they got was Sylvie's horrified scream.

***

I think I'm the cruelest to Sylvie in this story. That's . . . not surprising, given my track record of other stories I've written.

The fallout of the volcano continues next chapter, as well as the final chapter before "Hold the Line" . . . and we get all three firehouses in the same place once again!

And on a brighter note . . . I've spent my entire day (I kid you not, the entire day) listening to a sea shanty medley and imagining Buck, TK, and Sylvie singing it. I might need to include that at some point.

Keep an eye out for the next chapter!

graphic by marvelity