Latin: "always faithful"

In which a certain sibling comes to New York to solve the problem of non-emergency calls and does what she does best: meddle.

Also known as "Chain Of Command." This beauty is a whopping 13K+ words and I finished it at 1:00 in the morning. If that doesn't tell you how excited I was to write this, then I don't know what will. As anyone who reads my fics knows, I am obsessed with Sylvie Brett and Nolan Price, and my writing clearly shows how much I favor them. I wasn't sure if I was going to make them siblings in this, but once the idea mill started churning out gold, I had to do it.

So enjoy your regular Pricegrove content featuring Hurricane Sylvie taking (back) Manhattan by storm!

***

Unless Nolan had a case that ran ridiculously long, he made it a goal to be away from downtown and at his loft by no later than eight in the evening. Sure, maybe he would continue to chip away at a case at home, but he had learned years ago to not get drowned in his work. That would lead him down a path he had refused to walk when his parents had died. If he had taken that path, he would probably still be at the courthouse at this moment: 11:18 at night, poring over whatever was on his desk since he had no active case from the 2-7. Since he hadn't taken that path, he would be at home catching up on any news he had missed throughout the day.

If he had done that, however, he wouldn't be pacing the baggage claim of JFK Airport and occasionally glancing at his watch. The carousel next to him had started its motor a few minutes ago, which meant the plane's arrivals would be swarming it any time now. Nolan liked to consider himself a patient man, but he learned back in 2014 that when it came to all that remained of his family, he could be as patient as a little kid held back from exploring Candyland . . . which is to say, not patient at all.

A chirp from his phone made him abandon his pacing and check his phone, and he couldn't help but chuckle when he saw the text on his phone.

Sam: I can hear you pacing from my apartment complex.

Sam: Stop it.

Nolan: How the hell did you know?

Sam: You did the same thing when live news covered the incident on the pier until you got an all-clear message.

Sam: Jack told me you did it when Casey was in the hospital for tests on his head.

Sam: Both times.

Sam: Should I continue?

Nolan snickered and shook his head fondly as he slid his phone back into his pocket. "Thanks, Sam," he murmured under his breath, grateful she had settled his nerves even just slightly.

A familiar flash of gold caught his eye, and he straightened, keen eyes searching through the throng of people. He finally found who he was looking for: a blonde woman effortlessly weaving through the crowd with her carry-on slung over her shoulder, her azure eyes scanning her surroundings. The red patch on her navy jacket made her identity even more clear, and Nolan grinned before raising his voice to be heard over the chatter of the airport.

"Sylvie!"

His sister spun immediately to look through the crowd, and azure eyes met bright hazel-green. Her face split with a smile that could have powered all of Manhattan, and she abandoned her quest to the baggage carousel in favor of running to him. "Nolan!"

Nolan laughed in delight and caught her when she jumped into his arms, and when he spun her around, she squealed and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Welcome home, Sylvie!"

"Oh, it's good to be home," Sylvie Price giggled as she buried her head into the crook of his neck, squeezing him tighter. "We really should have flown out here after everything with the Russians."

"That . . . wouldn't have been a bad idea," Nolan admitted as he carefully deposited his sister back on her feet. Sylvie took a few steps back and grinned up at him, and her contagious, sunshine disposition made a matching smile form on his face. "You look good, Sylvie," he complimented.

"Thanks!" she beamed and grabbed his hand; Nolan interlocked their fingers as she led him to the baggage carousel. "It's been a good year for everyone." She paused, and Nolan watched the sunniness darken with the sorrow in her eyes. "Except for Violet," she amended sadly.

"I'm so sorry about Chief Hawkins, Sylvie," he whispered, watching her wipe away tears. "How's she doing?"

"Hanging in there," she sighed. "After he was reassigned to another district, they were able to be far more open as a couple. Having that chance snatched away is . . . can be devastating." She looked up at him with a small smile. "I know it's not the same, because Chief Hawkins is dead . . . but thank you for not letting that happen with me, Matt, and Kelly."

"It was my pleasure," Nolan kissed the top of her head. "That pair of ladies thought they knew better about what to do for two kids than the best friends of their dad? Please. Even Jack was ready to fly out and back up Matt and Kelly when he heard what happened to those boys."

Sylvie giggled. "That would've been a sight to see."

"I would've paid money to see it," Nolan admitted, watching bags spiral along the carousel. "Speaking of the boys, is it just gonna be you the entire time? I'm not complaining, but you're all usually joined at the hip."

"It's just me for the first few days or so," Sylvie confirmed as she reached out to grab one of the suitcases. "Ben has started looking at colleges, so he had a visit already planned when the board reached out to me. The three of them are having that tour, then they'll see if they can get Griffin and fly out."

Nolan nodded and took Sylvie's suitcase as she leaned over the carousel to take a hanger bag as well. "It'd be great to have the entire family under one roof again, even if it's only for a few days." He sighed as they made their way to the doors. "It's been . . . a long few months."

Sylvie looked at him in concern. "What's happened?" she asked. "I've kept up as best I can, but . . . well, you know the news."

Nolan made a face of annoyance. "Don't I." He braced himself against the cool evening breeze as they stepped outside, and he turned to fully face his sister, who was looking up at him with wide, worried eyes so like their mother's. "I'm just really glad you're here," he admitted.

Sylvie kissed his cheek and hugged him again, and Nolan nuzzled into her long blonde tresses to hide his tears. "You and me against the world, right?" she asked.

Nolan smiled, remembering the promise they had made in the aftermath of their parents' deaths. "You and me," he agreed.

***

Jalen's eyebrows rose high as he surveyed the surrounding buildings when he and Frank stepped out of their victim's house. "That's bold, killing somebody with all these windows here," he remarked.

Frank snorted as he pulled on a pair of gloves. "This time of night, this neighborhood, everybody's asleep by the 10:00 news," he told his partner. "Bet you anything, not a single witness."

Jalen smirked as he pulled on his own gloves. "I'll take that bet," he agreed as he turned to one of the responding officers. "What you got?"

"DOA is Alexander Lockett, owner of the house," she answered. "9-1-1 call came in at 12:09 from a neighbor, who heard multiple gunshots."

"Any witnesses?"

"None so far," she shook her head; Frank pointed victoriously at the officer, and Jalen grimaced. "CSU found a wallet and cell phone inside his suit jacket."

Jalen flipped through the wallet's contents. "Anything missing from inside the house?"

The officer shook her head once more. "Not that we could tell."

Jalen frowned. "It doesn't seem like a robbery," he remarked.

"Unless the killer was looking for something specific," Frank pointed out as he stopped by Lockett's body. "What do you got?"

"Shot three times in the chest at close range," the responding medical examiner answered as he gestured around. "Shell casings are here, 9-millimeter."

Jalen nodded as he pulled a business card out of the wallet. "Alexander Lockett, Chief Revenue Officer at Finley & Madison," he read.

"The department store," Frank nodded in recognition. "I was just there buying a present for one of my daughters. It's her birthday at the end of the month."

"Oh, yeah?" Jalen looked at him in surprise.

"Place was a ghost town."

"Yeah," Jalen shook his head, looking down at the business card. "Brick and mortar retail is dead." He paused as his choice of words registered, and he winced and held up a hand as if to placate their victim, making Frank quietly snicker. "No offense."

"Alexander Lockett was divorced," Frank reported to Kate later in the morning as they refilled their coffee mugs. "Got a grown daughter, Melinda. She's living in Ohio. She's en route."

"What about the ex-wife?" Kate asked.

"They split up a decade ago," Frank answered. "She's a diplomat posted in Australia. Confirmed with the state department that she hasn't been back home all year."

"The guy was a boy scout," Jalen said as they returned to the bullpen. "Former colonel in the army. Served in Iraq. moved into the private sector ten years ago. Hit it big as an executive at a mall brand department store, Finley & Madison."

"Neighbors all say he was a stand-up guy," Frank added. "Lived alone, but he was friendly and respectful."

"Well, somebody wanted him dead," Kate shrugged. "I mean, a swanky place like that, he must have had Fort Knox-level security."

Violet nodded in agreement as she gestured to her computers. "He's got cameras covering the backyard, but the security system's log shows the footage was deleted via the app on Lockett's phone at 12:10 a.m."

Jalen frowned. "Right after his neighbors heard shots."

"Do we have anything on the gun?" Kate asked.

"We're canvassing the area for the murder weapon, and we're also looking for any video we can find," Jalen nodded.

Kate thoughtfully eyed the image of Lockett on Violet's monitor. "You know, that guy is awfully dressed up for a midnight smoke under the stars," she said. "I wonder where he came from, who he was with."

A notification blinked on Frank's computer, and he refrained from smirking. His lieutenant and her perfect timing. "Financial workup just came in," he told her. "Shows where Lockett's credit card was last used."

***

"A missing medal points us in the direction of a motive," Frank remarked as he and Jalen left Lockett's brownstone for the second time in two days, Lockett's daughter closing the door behind them.

"Service-related," Jalen nodded in agreement.

"Well, let's hope whatever we need to find who did this isn't classified up the wazoo," Frank quipped as he headed for his car.

A conversation nearby made Jalen turn his head, and he paused. "Hey, Frank?"

"Yeah?" his partner didn't look up from finding his keys.

"How often does the FDNY get ride-alongs from other departments?"

"What?" Frank looked up that time, blinking in confusion. Jalen merely pointed down the street, and Frank turned to see two black-clad paramedics, their FDNY patches on their jackets. They were deep in conversation with a blonde-haired woman clad in navy, any identifying logos not visible to their eyes. "Huh," he folded his arms. "No idea." The woman eventually nodded and stepped back from the pair, tapping something into a tablet. As the pair of paramedics left in their ambulance, Frank finally saw the red and white logo on the woman's quilted jacket, and his eyes widened. "You gotta be kidding me."

"What?" Jalen asked in confusion.

Frank shook his head and stepped away from his car, waiting for the ambulance to pull away before tentatively calling, "Sylvie?"

The woman's head instantly rose from her work, and piercing blue eyes so similar to a shade visible in Nolan's found his. "Yes?" she frowned and tucked her tablet under her arm as she walked over. "Can I help you?"

"Actually, it sounds like you're helping the city," Frank shook his head, a smile forming on his face. The closer she got, the more he recognized her features. "Nolan's been looking forward to your visit."

Jalen looked at Frank in surprise, but Sylvie's eyes darted from the badges they wore to their faces, and recognition spread across her face. "You're the detectives that he works with," she grinned. "Cosgrove and Shaw?"

"That's us," Frank laughed, holding out his hand. "Frank Cosgrove, this is Jalen Shaw."

"Sylvie Price," she grinned as she shook his hand. "It's good to put faces to the names . . . even though I only just heard about you, Detective."

"Thank you," Jalen nodded, giving Frank a bewildered look. "So, your relation to Nolan is . . . ?"

"I'm his sister," Sylvie explained.

"She's part of the Chicago Fire Department," Frank added. "And according to Nolan, she's pitching a version of her paramedicine program that will help decrease the amount of non-emergency calls for ambulances in the city."

"Really?" Jalen gave Sylvie an appraising look.

"I gave my presentation to the board yesterday afternoon, and they gave me the all-clear to go from house to house and ask about their frequent fliers," Sylvie nodded. "Then I just need to collaborate with Captain Karns and the volunteers he gathered to launch a pilot run."

"Sounds like you're off and running," Frank whistled through his teeth.

Sylvie smirked at him. "When a Price puts their mind to something - "

" - there's no stopping them," Frank finished with a fond eye roll. "Your former captain already warned me about that."

Sylvie giggled. "I love Chicago, but I miss the 225."

"So what's the plan with this program?" Jalen asked curiously. "Paramedicine?"

"That's it," Sylvie nodded while looking around. She leaned against the railing to the house behind her and tapped something on her tablet while beckoning to them. His own curiosity piqued, Frank peered over her shoulder as Jalen looked over the other side. "I based the one in Chicago off of a program I read about in San Diego, where a nonprofit ambulance service that caters to frequent 9-1-1 callers. With those calls handled by paramedicine, it frees ambulances on shift to respond to real emergencies."

"And Nolan said your program was fully funded within a few months of getting off the ground?" Frank asked as he took in the map Sylvie was creating.

"Yeah," Sylvie grinned widely. "My field chief arranged transportation for our clients to speak on my behalf at the board, to share how the program helped them. It wasn't even the end of the day when he told me I had full funding."

"That's pretty incredible," Jalen whistled. "So you're taking notes on all the frequent fliers you can?"

"Yep," Sylvie tapped an icon on her tablet, and Frank's eyes widened at the list of files that appeared. "And there's a lot of them, all around the city. Fortunately, practically everyone at the 225, regardless of their shift, has taken an interest in pitching in, so it's not just me and Mouch starting this."

Frank blinked. "Mouch?" he repeated.

"It's his nickname around 51, it's stuck for years," Sylvie blushed. "Randall McHolland. Half-man, half-couch. So . . . Mouch."

Jalen's startled laughter turned into a cough. "Alright, then."

"He was the one who made Chief Hawkins reconsider launching the program," Sylvie explained as she shut her tablet. "We've been riding it together ever since."

"Well, I know a lot of us are gonna be pulling for this to be a success," Frank told her as he stepped away from the railing. "We've all been noticing the increase in calls."

"We dread the day a delay is the difference between a life saved and a murder case going to trial," Jalen nodded grimly.

"And I don't want that case to go to Nolan," Sylvie nodded in agreement, shades of gray clouding her azure eyes. Frank seriously wanted a word with whoever gave that trait to the Prices, because how in the world could their eyes change colors like that? "That's why I wanted to get up here as soon as I could when I got the invitation from the board." Frank tugged his coat closer around him as the breeze increased, but Sylvie merely tilted her head into the breeze, smiling as the few flyaways not tucked into her braided bun blew in the wind. "And I missed New York."

"Like I said, Nolan's been anticipating your visit," Frank told her with a smile. "So we're all glad you were able to stop by."

"I'm glad, too," Sylvie grinned as she hopped down the steps. "He's told me how things between his office and the 2-7 have basically turned on its head in the past few months. I was planning on dropping by the precinct when I was finished with this run, but since I've got the two of you here . . . thank you for having my brother's back. He's got me and my family in Chicago, but all he's had in the past year or so has been Jack and Sam. It really means a lot to know he's got you two looking out for him as well."

"It's no problem," Jalen told her with a smile. "Especially when it goes both ways. I think Frank's adopted both of them."

"I've adopted Sam," Frank rolled his eyes. "But your brother is my best friend. He's had my back for things not many people would be willing to have my six with. I owe him a hell of a lot."

Sylvie got a mischievous look on her face. "Did you really offer to shoot that Rankin bitch?" she asked eagerly.

Jalen burst out laughing, and Frank grinned smugly. "I take it you wouldn't be opposed?"

"I like you!" Sylvie declared, making Jalen laugh harder. "Something about her always rubbed me the wrong way."

"Oh, same," Frank grimaced as the trio walked down the street. "I wasn't there for openings, but Nolan wanted me to map out Nelson's escape route in the station, so I was there to hear the people's witnesses. The moment I saw Rankin, I didn't like her."

Jalen smirked. "Was that because she was defending a mass murderer or because she kept trying to get under Nolan's skin and be the object of his attention the entire time?"

Frank's pale eyes flashed with an emotion that almost made Sylvie trip over her feet and stare. "Yes."

Jalen guffawed. "Smooth, Frank."

"Hey, if you heard the barbs she threw at him after the case was finished - "

Whatever Frank was going to say was interrupted by a shrill scream coming from behind them, and the detective cut short his words in favor of spinning and drawing his sidearm instinctively. Jalen did the same, stepping in front of Sylvie as his narrowed eyes moved from building to building. "Where did that come from?" he asked.

Before Frank could answer, the door to one of the brownstones burst open and a frantic-looking man ran out, his face drained of color. "Wasn't there an ambulance here before?" he asked in a panic.

"It just left a few minutes ago, sir," Frank told him as he lowered his gun. "What happened?"

"It's my wife," the man pointed inside. "She was prepping for dinner, and her knife slipped, and . . . and there's so much blood - "

Sylvie pushed past Jalen and ran for the stairs. "I'm a paramedic," she told him. "Let me see."

"Oh, thank God," the man slumped in relief and held open the door for her. "She's this way!"

Sylvie jogged after him, and Frank didn't hesitate before following on her tail. "See if you can get an ambulance back here," he told Jalen.

"Got it," he nodded as he pulled his earpiece from his collar and spoke into it. "2-7 Squad to Main . . . "

Frank left Jalen to the call as he followed Sylvie through the brownstone, and even though he heard the man's warning, his eyes widened in shock when he saw the amount of blood on the counter and the cutting board, to the point droplets were beading on the edge of the counter and dripping onto the floor. "Whoa," he gulped.

"Please help!" the woman at the counter sobbed, clutching her hand to her chest, her apron now more red than white. "I think I cut an artery!"

"Chair, now!" Sylvie ordered, and the man sprinted to grab one from the kitchen table. "Frank, I need your tie."

"Yep," Frank nodded, not questioning her as he loosened his tie enough to yank it over his head.

"Alright, ma'am, what's your name?" Sylvie asked as she took his tie and walked over to the woman.

"Nora," she whimpered in reply.

"Nora," Sylvie repeated, gently taking the woman's arms and guiding her into the chair pulled into the kitchen. "My name is Sylvie, I'm going to help you."

"You," Frank pointed to Nora's husband. "What's your name?"

"Jason," he answered with a gulp.

"OK," Frank scoped around the room. "Can you find a pencil or a pen or something that we can use?"

"In the office," Jason pointed down the hall.

"Run."

Jason did just that, and Sylvie wrapped the tie above Nora's cut. "Frank, I need something now," she told him.

Frank walked another round of the kitchen, then zeroed in on a pair of utensils by the silverware. "What about chopsticks?" he asked.

Sylvie snapped her fingers and pointed at him with a nod. "Gimme." Frank snatched one from the counter and passed it to her, and Sylvie expertly slid the chopstick into the knot. "OK, Nora, this may be uncomfortable, but it'll help, I promise." Nora nodded weakly, and Sylvie turned to Frank. "In the meantime, I need you to help with the bleeding."

"Got it," Frank nodded as he removed his suit jacket. He tossed it carelessly over the top of another chair and crouched next to Sylvie, carefully taking the towel and holding it against the cut, only wincing for a brief moment when he felt how much the blood had soaked through the towel.

"Alright," Sylvie braced herself. "One, two, three!"

She twisted sharply, and Nora's cries of pain made both first responders wince. Frank had to drop the towel he had so he could grab another one, and the sound the first towel made when it hit the floor made him grimace. "Jesus," he muttered under his breath.

"Almost . . . " Sylvie gritted her teeth as she continued to twist. "There!"

Nora's eyes fluttered as she listed forward, and with a muttered curse, Frank adjusted his position so his shoulder against hers stopped her from falling forward onto her face. "Hey, c'mon," he switched to holding the towel with one hand, his other shaking Nora lightly. "Stay awake for us."

"Bleeding stopped," Sylvie reported, and she joined Frank in shaking Nora. "Stay awake."

"Nora?" Jason reappeared in the kitchen, eyes wide.

Jalen entered a few seconds later. "She's in here."

The same paramedics from before rushed in with a stair chair, and Sylvie gave them a strained smile. "Guess I let you go too soon."

"Guess so," the black-haired male quipped as he crouched to examine the wound. "Looks like she cut her artery."

"Yep, we figured that out," Frank nodded as he looked pointedly at the blood-drenched towel he took away from Nora's hand, the other paramedic starting to wrap the wound in gauze.

"Thank you, Price," the male paramedic nodded. "We'll take her from here."

"Copy," Sylvie nodded and backed away, and she looked at Jason. "Do you mind if we wash up before we leave?"

"Please," Jason gestured to the kitchen sink. "Take what time you need."

"Thanks," Frank nodded as he examined his blood-stained hands and shirt sleeves. "Appreciate it."

Jalen watched the paramedics wheel Nora out of the brownstone, Jason rushing after them, then he shook his head as he took in the mess in the kitchen. "Wow," he whistled as Sylvie turned on the faucet and lathered up her hands. "She's lucky you were here."

"She's lucky Sylvie was here," Frank corrected.

Sylvie grinned at him. "Then she's lucky you recognized me. I would've been calling a taxi and away from this street when this happened."

"OK, so we were all in the right place at the right time," Frank held up his hands in defeat. "How's that sound?"

"Sounds just right," Sylvie tossed him the bar of soap.

Frank fumbled to catch it and scowled at her when she laughed. "Now that's the family resemblance," he grumbled as he worked to wash off the blood on his skin. "It's like I'm talking to Nolan."

"I'm taking that as a compliment," Sylvie grinned as she dried her hands. She took in her blood-damp uniform, and she wrinkled her nose. "And I need a new change of clothes."

"Yeah," Frank sighed as he looked over himself, realizing just how much blood had also gotten on him. "Me, too."

***

Sam's eyes were wider than saucers as she stared at the map on the tablet she held. "And she's managed to put this together as she goes around the city?" she squeaked.

Nolan looked as pleased as a cat that caught a canary. "My sister is the best in the business," he gloated.

Jack chuckled as he removed his glasses. "You trained her well, Rick."

"She was one of a kind when she joined the house," Karns smiled as he retook the tablet from Sam. "She couldn't have been raised by a better man."

Nolan coughed awkwardly and scratched the back of his head. "Well - "

"Are we having a party or something?"

The quartet turned in time to see Kate and Violet walk into the firehouse, Kate looking around in befuddlement while Violet typed on her phone, a duffel slung over her shoulder. "Lieutenant Dixon?" Nolan blinked.

"We had an arranged meeting with Captain Karns at this time," Jack gestured to the commanding officer of Firehouse 225, the man nodding in confirmation. "What about you?"

"Shaw made a call to Main requesting an ambulance to their location," Kate answered. "I told him to let us know where to meet."

"They're about a minute out," Violet reported as she held up her phone.

"And they requested the 225?" Sam asked in confusion.

"That's what he said," Kate shrugged. "I'm interested in knowing how they went from visiting Lockett's home to suddenly coming across a medical emergency."

Karns tilted his head thoughtfully as he checked the map. "When did he make the call?" he asked.

"Uh," Violet frowned as she thought back. "Ten, fifteen minutes ago?"

Karns laughed abruptly and shook his head. "Oh, I know why he requested the 225."

Nolan's jaw dropped. "You're kidding."

"Absolutely not," Karns grinned at him.

" . . . didn't even get to call his name before the guy was running."

"Are you serious?"

Jalen's incredulous voice was covered up by the sound of Frank's laughter, and everyone turned to watch Jalen stare at Frank and Sylvie, the latter two with blood splattered all over their clothes and their jackets over their arms. "Oh, I'm not kidding," Sylvie was giggling as she recounted a memory, Frank grinning widely as he listened. "He gets to the elevator before we do, and the funny thing is that it wasn't Ruzek who was first into the stairwell. No, it's Kelly who gets through the door first, and while they go one way, Matt and I go the other - "

"What the hell happened to you two?!" Sam's jaw dropped.

Sylvie cut off in the middle of her story, and she blinked. "Oh, this?" Frank looked over himself. "Uh, this is what happens when we help a woman who sliced open an artery while she was cooking. Hence asking for my go-bag because I really don't think this is a popular fashion statement."

"No, definitely not," Sylvie agreed. "And I'm the one who probably gets covered in blood more often on the job."

"And as a heads-up?" Jalen looked at the others with wide eyes. "I think these two need to be separated."

"What?" Sylvie blinked innocently. "You don't like my stories?"

Nolan sighed and rubbed his forehead. "These are the fire cop stories, aren't they?"

"And I was getting to the good part!"

Nolan rolled his eyes. "You nearly gave me a heart attack when you recounted this one to me."

"Oh?" Frank looked at Sylvie expectantly. "You get hurt or something?"

"Averett almost hit me with his car in the garage," Sylvie confirmed, making Violet's eyes widen and Kate look at Nolan in alarm. "Kelly retaliated by shoving a dumpster into his path."

Frank did a double take. "A dumpster?"

"Oh, yeah," Sylvie grinned gleefully. "It made Averett crash into a whole bunch of cars, but Ruzek was able to catch him, and we got free rounds at Molly's that night for helping to catch the son of a bitch. Totally worth all the pain on that side of my body."

Jack sighed as he looked at Nolan. "And this is why I both happily and dreadfully anticipate whenever the two of you are in the same city."

"She is nuts," Jalen nodded emphatically.

"I like her," Frank grinned.

"Of course, you do," Kate sighed.

"Sylvie, meet Lieutenant Kate Dixon and Detective Violet Yee," Nolan gestured to the two women. "Kate, Violet, this is my little sister, Sylvie. She's in town to implement a version of her paramedicine program so non-emergency calls are decreased." He looked up and down her bloody clothes in bemusement. "If you can tell by the uniform, and assuming you can see under all the blood, she's a paramedic."

"Yeah, I really need to get out of this," Sylvie wrinkled her nose. "My bag still in the locker room?"

"Right where you left it," Karns confirmed.

"Thanks!" Sylvie bounded away.

"Mind if I?" Frank pointed after her.

"Knock yourself out," Karns nodded.

"Thanks," Frank held out his hand for his go-bag, which Violet handed over. "Be right back."

"Must've been a bad bleed," Kate remarked as she watched Frank vanish after Sylvie.

"Oh, it was," Jalen nodded. "Frank had to grab another towel to use, the first one had soaked up so much blood it wouldn't hold any more."

"Oh, God," Violet shuddered.

Karns gave Nolan an amused look. "If there's someone in trouble, your sister finds them."

"Yeah," Nolan nodded, somehow looking both fond and irritated at the same time. "I can't tell if that just came with the job or if it rubbed off on her from the guys."

"The guys she's talking about?" Jalen asked. "Matt, Kelly, and Ruzek?"

"Not Ruzek," Nolan shook his head. "He's helping co-parent a coworker's adopted daughter. Long story, I actually helped consult on that case. Matt and Kelly, though, yes. Captain Matt Casey and Lieutenant Kelly Severide . . . and if you looked up 'ride or die' in a dictionary, you'd find a picture of them. Loyal to each other, loyal to Sylvie, and completely dedicated to their firehouse and individual teams, to the point all three of Kelly's firefighters have all made it clear they would walk through the nine circles of hell for him if he asked it of them."

Jalen whistled, impressed. "Damn."

"That's hard to find in a team," Kate admitted.

"Severide," Violet frowned. "I know that name."

"The name is well-respected in the Chicago Fire Department," Nolan shrugged. "Kelly followed in his father's footsteps, and he holds several of the academy's squad certification records."

"I thought it was my job to boast about him," Sylvie quipped as she walked back out, now in jeans and a turtleneck sweater instead of her paramedic uniform.

"Shoulda changed faster," Nolan smirked.

Sylvie scoffed. "Yeah, yeah."

"See, now I understand why Captain Karns worries about Nolan if he gets into trouble," Frank said as he walked out next, out of his suit and into a light blue Oxford and khakis. "How many arsonists have you caught?"

Sylvie tilted her head thoughtfully. "Several."

Frank snorted. "Now I know who to consult if we ever get an arson case."

"No, that's my boyfriend." Sylvie paused and reconsidered. "Well, both of them," she amended, and Nolan had to smother a grin when she saw how Kate, Violet, and Jalen all did double takes at how open she was in her relationship. "Kelly's got it in his blood, but put him and Matt together on a case, and it's like magic."

"To the point Commissioner Grissom temporarily assigned him to Chicago's Office of Fire Investigation," Nolan recalled.

Sylvie made a face. "I have tremendous respect for Grissom, especially after everything that happened with Kidd, but not telling Kelly in advance? Rude."

"Is that a problem in your house?" Violet asked, her tone laced with curiosity and nothing else.

"Thank God, no," Sylvie shook her head. "While Matt is our chief's 2IC, there's only an occasional case where Chief Boden doesn't respond. If he's on scene, he's running the call, and Matt and Kelly have spent so long working together that they know how to be professional on shift and to leave personal stuff at the door. As a paramedic, I answer to the IC at a scene, and my overall boss is my field chief. The chain of command was made very clear when we put in our HR forms, and we haven't had any problems with professionalism while on shift."

"That has to be hard sometimes," Jalen murmured.

"Especially when one of us is in life-threatening danger," Sylvie nodded. "But we love each other too much to risk being separated. Even some of the white-shirts spread around the city who aren't our biggest fans admit we're the best team in the CFD." She grinned cheekily. "So we take every opportunity to rub that in their faces."

Frank snorted loudly and pointed at her. "Your sister, Nolan. Definitely."

"I know she is," Nolan grinned smugly and slung an arm around her shoulders. "And proud of it."

Sylvie beamed up at him. "Love you, too, Nolan."

Sam playfully stuck out her tongue. "There's the sappiness that's been missing."

Sylvie squawked, azure eyes widening in mock offense. "Samantha Maroun!" The ADA burst out laughing and took off through the 225, and Sylvie ducked under Nolan's arm to chase after her. "Get back here!"

Jack shook his head, but he looked more fond than annoyed. "Sylvie always brings chaos in her wake," he remarked, "but she always makes things brighter than they were when she arrived."

"Yeah," Nolan smiled, eyes glittering amber as he watched the two most important women in his life frolic around the firehouse. "That's Sylvie to a T."

***

After Sylvie had started her trial run of the paramedicine ambulances, Frank had been looking forward to learning her results. He and Jalen had agreed to join the Prices and Sam at the end of the day to hear Sylvie's recount of the run and even bounce around possible suggestions.

That, unfortunately, didn't happen after Martinez's testimony, and Frank sighed as he shut the door behind the prosecutors. "So what exactly are we hoping to find here?" he asked.

"Anything to salvage this case," Nolan answered bluntly, not looking up from the folder he was flipping through.

"Oh?" Frank raised an eyebrow. "Is that all?"

That made Nolan look up from his perusal, and Frank smirked at him as he sat in the chair across from Sam and grabbed the next folder off the top of the stack. Nolan rolled his eyes in response, but Frank saw the easing of tension in his shoulders. Mission accomplished. "If we could find video or a witness that saw Luke Fallon in Risner's truck that night, then we could at least place him at Lockett's house when the murder occurred," Sam elaborated.

"We tried," Jalen told them as he handed a photograph to Nolan. "The only video that we could recover, other than the traffic cam that was near Lockett's brownstone, was off of an exit of Garden State Parkway at 12:58 a.m."

"But the visor was down, so we couldn't see who was driving," Frank nodded.

Nolan narrowed his eyes at the image. "Well, that's less than an hour after the murder," he said. "Is the exit the truck got off the one closest to Fallon's house?"

Jalen frowned thoughtfully. "No," he said slowly as he counted. "It's actually not. It's four earlier."

Sam hummed as she examined the picture. "That means, presuming Fallon was the one driving, that he didn't go directly home after killing Lockett. Why?"

"Our theory: that's when he was ditching the murder weapon," Frank answered.

Jalen nodded in agreement. "It's close to the hospital where Shane Risner was getting treatment for his pulmonary fibrosis. His father told us that Fallon and Martinez took turns taking him to his appointments because he wasn't feeling well enough to drive himself, so . . . "

Nolan's brow furrowed, and Frank was struck again by traits that were mirror images of his sister's. That was the same look on Sylvie's face when she had been planning how to help Nora. "When I was prepping Vincent Martinez, he told me that sometimes after treatments, Risner asked to go to a park in the area."

Frank immediately pulled up a search around the hospital, and he looked up at Nolan. "Branch Brook Park?" he asked.

"That's it," Nolan nodded. "That's the one." He tapped the table, and Frank put down the tablet so Nolan could lean over it. "He said Risner had difficulty breathing, so he liked to sit on a bench and enjoy the fresh air . . . " He zoomed in on the map, and he pointed. "Coming off the lake."

Frank nodded and looked at Jalen, who rose from his chair to talk to Kate. That was what they needed to salvage the case.

***

"Detective, were you able to run a ballistics test on the gun you recovered from the lake?" Nolan asked in court the next day as he held up the bagged gun.

"We were," Jalen nodded from where he sat in the witness box. "The striations on the bullets retrieved from Colonel Lockett's body matched the rifling and characteristics of that firearm."

Nolan held up the gun for the jury to see. "Confirming that this is the gun that was used to murder Alexander Lockett?"

"That's correct."

"And is the gun registered?"

"Yes," Jalen confirmed and pointed to the defense table. "To Luke Fallon, the defendant."

"Thank you, Detective," Nolan nodded and returned to his seat.

Knight stood from where she sat next to Fallon. "We have no questions for this witness at this time," she announced.

The judge nodded and turned to Jalen. "Detective Shaw, you may step down."

"Thank you, Your Honor," Jalen nodded and left the witness box, exchanging nods with Nolan and Sam as he approached the aisle.

He didn't leave the courtroom, however, and as Knight leaned in to confer with Fallon, he slid into the bench behind the prosecutors, which was currently occupied by Frank and Sylvie. "Nice job," Frank nodded.

"Thanks, man," Jalen bumped his fist against Frank's.

"Prosecution rests," Nolan told the judge.

Knight cleared her throat as she stood. "Your Honor, the defense would like to inform the court that we're filing a motion to change our plea," she said.

"To what?" Nolan frowned.

"Not guilty by reason of insanity," Knight answered promptly.

"Oh, geez," Frank pinched the bridge of his nose as Nolan and Sam exchanged exasperated looks. "Not this again."

"Again?" Sylvie parroted.

"Isn't that what Rankin tried with Nelson?" Jalen asked.

"Yeah," Frank sighed heavily. "And God, was that a show."

"One of the best tools in a defense attorney's arsenal," Sylvie murmured. "Do whatever you can to get the favor of the jury."

***

And it seemed the defense's plan to get the jury's favor was to appeal to their emotions. They had sat through the testimonies of Dr. Simon and Fallon himself about the tumor in his brain and how it stemmed from the burn pits, which Lockett had been in charge of in Fallon's unit. The judge had announced a break before Nolan could cross-examine Lockett, but based on the jurors' expressions, the emotional appeal seemed to be working.

Sylvie had to immediately leave to consult headquarters on her amended ideas for paramedicine, but Frank and Jalen had lingered until they saw Nolan and Sam get pulled aside by a man in army dress blues. They had taken their leave and returned to the 27th precinct with the intention of being on call if either prosecutor needed them.

Jalen had departed before him, and Frank had been about to call it an evening when his phone buzzed with an incoming text. He glanced at his screen before rocketing from his chair and all but running for the door, feeling his heart lodge in his throat.

Nolan: Courthouse ASAP.

At this time of night, the courthouse employees had also started to make their way home. Those that lingered were the ones who recognized Frank on sight from times he and Nolan had left together, and none batted an eye as the man strode through the halls with a determination no wanted to block. Sam's office was still lit, but the door was shut, indicating the ADA was hard at work.

Nolan's door was open when Frank reached his office, and he raised his hand to knock when he noticed Nolan sitting on his couch, staring blankly at a folder in his hands. That expressionless look made Frank swallow, and he adjusted his hand to lightly rap his knuckles on the doorframe. Nolan's head jerked up in surprise, and he sagged in relief when he saw Frank in the doorway. "Thank you for coming," he said gratefully.

"No problem," Frank shut the door behind him as he walked over to sit in the chair across from the couch. "What's going on?"

Nolan merely held out the folder in his hand. "You're the fourth person to have seen this after me, Sam, and Jack."

Frank's eyebrows raised as he skimmed the contents of the folder, and he did a double take. "Fallon has fired his weapon outside of combat?" he asked in surprise. "You have him lying on the stand right here."

"Except when I confronted Martinez with that report, he called it bullshit," Nolan shook his head. "And . . . I believe him." He looked at Frank, expecting him to come up with an argument, but Frank gestured with his hand, asking for more information. "According to Martinez, Fallon was under orders to carry out a mission for recovering stolen ordnance, and he was told to use deadly force. Because of bad intel, everything went to hell."

"He's saying the army concocted an entire lie?" Frank asked incredulously.

Nolan gave a thin-lipped smile. "In Martinez's words, it's standard procedure to disavow. He says Fallon was just following orders."

"And it's been made clear time and time again that if Fallon is anything, he's a good solider that follows orders," Frank murmured as he looked through the report. "You really believe Martinez?"

"I do," Nolan nodded firmly. "I'm pretty good at telling when someone is lying to me. He wasn't lying. Besides, what do you think of this getting dropped in our laps right when the case starts to slip?"

"Convenient as hell," Frank deadpanned as he dropped the file on the table next to him. "So what's with the SOS?"

Nolan ran a hand through his hair in frustration. "Unless I come up with another way to get Fallon convicted, Jack has ordered me to use the report," he explained.

Frank's eyebrows rose. "It's not often he pulls rank on you."

"Chain of command," Nolan sighed as he nodded to the stack on the table. "Sam's chipping away at her end, but we could use another set of eyes. We need to find something else. I'm not comfortable using that report."

"Alright," Frank nodded in agreement. "Where do you want me to start?"

Nolan divided the folders between them, and comfortable silence settled in the Executive ADA's office as the men scanned each folder with precision. Frank lost track of time somewhere after the fourth file, and he had no idea when he found himself sitting with his legs over the arm of the wooden chair, his suit jacket draped over the back of it. He just knew that when he sat up to drop his current folder onto his discarded pile, his bones creaked in protest. He winced in annoyance and carefully readjusted his position so he was sitting properly, and he turned to consult Nolan.

He paused when he saw that like him, Nolan had changed from his upright position. He was sprawled out on the couch, back leaning against one arm while his feet were propped up on the other end. He had discarded even more than Frank, his suit jacket and tie gone, the top few buttons of his shirt undone, and his shirt sleeves rolled up past his forearms. It was such a casual look, one Frank hadn't even seen during their bar crawls, that he couldn't help but stare for several seconds. If Nolan noticed, he didn't say anything, so absorbed was he in the papers he was flipping through.

That amount of concentration just made the pull of attraction stronger, and Frank swallowed hard, suddenly wishing they were as far from an office as they could be. Nolan had been very open about his bisexuality, and when Frank had admitted to Sam that what he felt for his best friend was far from platonic, she hadn't divulged any of Nolan's feelings but made it clear that she encouraged them to pursue that. And so far, at least, Nolan hadn't refused any flirtations.

As if hearing his thoughts, Nolan stirred and looked up from his reading, and Frank suppressed a shudder at the intense shade of blue-green his eyes had turned. The intensity lessened, however, and Nolan shifted and placed the papers back in order. "You find anything?" he asked.

"Nothing that overrides the report," Frank shook his head. "What about you?"

"Maybe," Nolan admitted as he sat up straight. "I've been looking through Alexander Lockett's military personnel file, and I found something odd. The week before he retired from service, the army offered him a position back here in New York."

Frank took the paper offered, and he rested his chin on his hand as he looked over the position. "This is one hell of a deal," he whistled through his teeth in amazement. "Title bump, good pay . . . and he turned it down?" Nolan nodded as he continued through the file, and Frank shook his head in disbelief. "Did he get a better offer in the private sector?" he asked. "I can't think of another reason why he'd let this go." Nolan suddenly stiffened, his eyes darting wildly as he read through a page in the file. "What?" Frank asked in concern.

Nolan swallowed hard, face draining of color as he read. "I think I just found out why."

***

Sylvie had three people in her life she knew as well as she knew herself, sometimes even better: Matt Casey and Kelly Severide, her partners in life, and Nolan Price, her brother who prioritized her more than any golden opportunity in the world of law that would have eaten up his time. Like he had absorbed so much of her medical knowledge when she went through the fire academy and worked at the 225, she soaked up legal knowledge like a sponge whenever he was willing to discuss it with her.

It wasn't Peter Stone from whom she learned how to speak Prosecuting Attorney, after all.

Whenever she could and whenever she was allowed, she attended Nolan's trials and watched him win the highest triumphs and suffer the lowest defeats. She learned to read people like they were books, and while she wasn't to her brother's level, she was damn good at it.

So when she walked into Nolan's kitchen in the morning and found her brother looking like death warmed over, she knew whatever was going to happen during Fallon's cross-examination was going to be rough. "Can you tell me anything about it?" she asked quietly.

Nolan shook his head solemnly. "Just the chains of command," he told her as he gathered his belongings.

Sylvie didn't pry further as they made their way to the courthouse. She was only a little surprised this time when she saw the pair of homicide detectives waiting on the steps for them, the two clocking them the moment they were within eyesight. What did surprise Sylvie, however, was the grim expression Frank wore that was a close reflection of Nolan's. "Did McCoy approve?" Frank asked.

"He did," Nolan nodded. "Report's out."

Sylvie had no idea what report he meant, but judging by Frank's grimace, he did. "I don't know whether to be relieved or upset by that," he muttered.

"You can have both," Nolan said dryly. "Cover both of us." Frank held up his coffee in acknowledgement, and Nolan turned to Sylvie. "You good here?"

"Yeah," Sylvie nodded. "Go ahead."

Nolan kissed her cheek and headed into the courthouse, his expression settling into his prosecutor mask. Frank's gaze lingered on the doorway Nolan disappeared through, and Sylvie was willing to bet that had the detective not been wearing gloves, she would have been able to see his knuckles white, he was gripping his cup so hard. "What report did he mean?" Jalen asked Frank.

"It doesn't matter now that they're not using it," Frank shook his head as he finished the rest of his coffee and tossed the cup into the nearest trash can. "Let's just say I need to show my appreciation for our commanding officer more often."

Jalen's eyebrows raised. "Bet Lieu would be delighted by whatever you do to show that."

"Yeah, I just bet," Frank muttered as he looked at Sylvie. "How many of these have you sat in on before?"

"Too many to count," Sylvie admitted. "Both when Nolan worked defense and prosecution, and several times in Chicago while my best friend worked for the State's Attorney's Office."

Frank did a double take. "Any chance that was the former position of the OCCB's current prosecutor?"

"Peter Stone?" Sylvie grinned. "That's him."

"Girl, you just know everyone," Jalen shook his head in awe.

Sylvie snickered. "Who do you think was Nolan's plus one for the longest time whenever Jack pitched him to sharks at black tie events? I know how to play a room."

"I don't know whether to be impressed by that or scared," Frank muttered as they entered the courthouse.

"You can be both," Sylvie patted his arm. "That's been the general reaction when I've been the plus-one for both Matt and Kelly at CFD galas. It's usually the highlight of our night. Apparently, 51 always places bets on how many white-shirts I can throw through loops."

Jalen stared long and hard at Sylvie before turning to Frank. "Is there any way the next time that happens, we could do security?" he asked. "Because now I really want to see that happen."

"If that can ever be arranged, I owe you fifty bucks," Frank smirked. "Because I would jump on that so fast just to see if every Price has a silver tongue."

Sylvie grinned as they headed for the courtroom. "What can I say? I had a brilliant teacher."

"Yeah," Frank nodded in agreement as he watched Nolan and Sam converse up at the prosecution table. "You sure did."

***

"Mr. Fallon," Nolan clasped his hands in front of him as he stood in front of Fallon. "Yesterday, you testified that you never fired your weapon outside of combat. Why did you make that distinction, between using a weapon in combat versus not?"

"Because in combat, I'm operating under orders," Fallon answered.

Nolan nodded in understanding. "So if you're ordered to shoot someone, you believe it changes your culpability in whatever the outcome is?"

"Yes, because I don't have a choice," Fallon nodded. "I'm following the chain of command."

"But you held Alexander Lockett responsible for the negative impacts of the burn pit suffered by you and your fellow soldiers," Nolan pointed out.

"That's different," Fallon denied. "He was the one insisting that they be used. He wasn't following orders. He was giving them."

Nolan's expression shuttered at the words, and Sylvie swore she heard Frank mutter a quiet curse under his breath. She shot him a concerned look, but Frank clenched his jaw, shook his head, and nodded to Nolan as he took a file handed to him by Sam. "Your Honor, the prosecution is entering into evidence People's Exhibit 27," he said. "This is the official paperwork submitted by Alexander Lockett when he retired from the army." He turned to Fallon and asked, "Were you aware why he left?"

"No," Fallon shook his head. "It happened after my tours were over."

"He submitted a written statement detailing his reasons for leaving," Nolan told him, then visibly collected himself as he started to read. "'It has been my honor to serve our great nation, and I have nothing but the utmost respect for the brave men and women with whom I have served. It is on their behalf that I must leave the institution I have dedicated my life to. For four years, I have requested that my base be allowed to cease the utilization of burn pits for the disposing of waste, but repeatedly, these requests have been denied, and I have been ordered to maintain protocol.'"

As Fallon's eyes widened and Jalen inhaled sharply from Frank's other side, Sylvie looked at Frank with wide eyes, feeling nausea churn her stomach. "No," she whispered hoarsely.

"It gets worse," Frank sighed.

Nolan approached Fallon and handed him the paper he held. "Can you please read this passage aloud for the court?"

Fallon took the paper with trembling hands, and he stared down as he read in a shaky voice. "'I have been forced to do something that I believe is harmful, and I can no longer in good conscience participate in a system that does not protect those who so valiantly protect us.'"

Nolan took back the paper and handed it to one of the court officers as he stepped back and considered the pale defendant. "You claimed that on the night of November 17th, you confronted Lockett, and he refused to apologize, but that's not what happened, is it?"

Fallon shook his head with a swallow. "I didn't know!"

"Objection!" Knight stood.

"Overruled," the judge shook his head. "Sit down, Ms. Knight."

"If you had confronted him, he would have given you the apology you claim you wanted and explained that he tried to honor his duty to protect you," Nolan continued, blue-grey eyes piercing into Fallon. "But you didn't even give him a chance to talk, did you? You just did what you went there specifically to do . . . murder him."

Fallon's shoulders shook as he started to cry. "I'm sorry," he choked. "I thought . . . I'm so, so sorry!"

Nolan watched Fallon cry with a small amount of pity on his face before his prosecutor mask returned, and he returned to his seat without a word. It wasn't until Sylvie felt Frank's hand settle over hers that she realized she, too, had started to silently cry, and she swallowed hard and reached up to wipe the tears away. She twisted her hand so she could grasp Frank's tightly, squeezing to demonstrate her appreciation for the action. Frank squeezed in return, and he didn't make any objection as she shuffled closer to his side.

***

The jury was quick to reach a decision, and the judge examined their written verdict before handing it back to the court officer. "Mr. Foreman, has the jury reached a verdict?"

"We have, Your Honor," the foreman nodded as he took back the paper and stood. "On the charge of murder in the second degree, we find the defendant, Luke Fallon, guilty."

Even though he expected the verdict, Nolan still felt a sense of defeat as he watched the soldiers behind the defense table stand and nod to Fallon as he was handcuffed and led away. He waited for Sam to gather her belongings before he stepped away from the table, and he gestured for his partner to leave first. Jalen offered his arm, and without a word, Sam slipped her hand into the crook of his elbow and walked out with him.

Frank and Sylvie remained waiting for Nolan, and Frank's expression matched the mixed emotions Nolan felt warring inside him. "Onward spins the wheel of justice," the detective said as he clapped him on the shoulder, grip warmingly tight.

Nolan matched the gesture as he nodded in agreement. "Ever on."

Sylvie dexterously found a way to mold herself to Nolan's other side, and with shocked amusement, Nolan found himself effectively sandwiched between his two favorite people. "The chains of command can be a terrible thing," she said as they walked from the room.

Nolan winced, remembering the hysterical call he had gotten from Sylvie in the aftermath of the Arnow factory fire. "They're a heavy burden."

They found Jalen and Sam in conversation with Lockett's daughter, Melinda, and the woman smiled gratefully at Nolan and Frank when she saw them. "Ms. Maroun told me how you worked together to find what was needed to clear my father's name," she said. "I can't thank you enough."

"Well, now that the trial is over, we'll make sure his Distinguished Service Cross is returned to you," Nolan told her.

"Detective Shaw and I will see to that personally," Frank promised.

"I appreciate that," Melinda nodded. Her gaze drifted to the men in army uniforms standing below them, and she straightened. "If you'll excuse me."

"Of course," Nolan nodded.

As Melinda walked to meet with the men, Sam sighed and looked at Nolan. "You were right," she said. "Alexander Lockett tried to protect his men, but he chose to follow the chain of command and ended up dying for it."

Nolan nodded. "He was a soldier, and he was following orders."

"I get it," Sam pursed her lips. "Still not sure that makes it right."

Nolan shook his head in agreement. "No one ever said it did."

"It's why 51 is so lucky we still have Chief Boden, even after his promotion," Sylvie whispered. "Him, Matt, Kelly, Herrmann . . . we all know how it feels to be personally responsible for the people on our watch, what weight their trust holds."

"Lieu," Frank said quietly in agreement.

"Jack," Sam finished.

Jalen sighed as he watched the soldiers give their condolences to Melinda. "Heavy is the head."

Nolan hummed in agreement, and Frank sighed as he checked his watch. "Well, I'd offer to pay for the first round of drinks, but Lily's school hasn't even let out yet," he quipped, the lightness making Nolan snort loudly. "So I guess that's out of the question."

"Not that I wouldn't say no to one," Nolan grinned, ignoring the chirp of a phone. He knew that was Sam's ringtone, and his partner fished her phone from where she had tucked it into her briefcase. "Especially after this case."

Jalen, however, noticed the flash of mischief in Sam's eyes as she read whatever message she received, and she shook her hair out of her face as she looked up from her phone. "Well, you said Lily was concerned about all the non-emergency calls, right?" she asked.

"Right," Frank frowned.

Sam looked at Sylvie with a smile. "We never did get to hear how your pilot run ended up going, did we? Perhaps we could settle for hearing that instead? It could do all of us some good."

Sylvie brightened at the thought, then she looked at Frank. "Only if that doesn't take time away from you and your daughter."

He was shaking his head before she finished speaking. "I think she'd like to hear about it," he told her. "And I could use the cheer-up."

"I'm in," Nolan agreed.

"Awesome," Sam grinned at Sylvie. "What better way to end the day than with friends and family?"

Frank playfully wrapped his arm around her neck, and Sam shrieked and laughed as he messed with her hair. "Excellent point!"

"Frank!"

***

"I can't believe it's still decently nice outside this late in November," Lily marveled as she looked around Central Park.

"That's gonna change soon with the season," Frank said as he scoped their surroundings. "There they are."

The Cosgroves were the last to arrive, but by the looks of it, the others hadn't been there for long. Jack was the only one who had remained in his suit jacket and tie; Jalen's suit jacket was over the back of his and Sam's bench, and his sleeves were rolled past his forearms. Nolan's suit jacket was draped over Sylvie's shoulders, and his tie was around the handles of his briefcase. Kate was in the process of setting down her purse, and Violet had decided to sit cross-legged on the concrete ledge behind the lieutenant. Sylvie had her chin in her hand as she messed with her tablet, her azure eyes almost turquoise in the reflected light.

"Frank!" Sam brightened and waved from where she perched on the bench next to Jalen, drawing everyone's attention to the father and daughter. "Good, that's everyone."

"Hey," Frank smiled as Nolan gestured to the bench next to him and his sister. "Hope we aren't too late."

"I just got here a few seconds ago," Kate shook her head. "It was a last-minute invite."

"Sorry," Sam smiled sheepishly. "It's just that after this case . . . "

She trailed off, and Lily was the only one who didn't have a darkened expression. "We could use some good news," Violet agreed.

"Well, I am happy to provide," Sylvie adjusted her position as she finished with her work.

"Well, first things first," Frank turned to Lily, watching his daughter's inquisitive eyes sweep over the assembled group. "Lily, you've met Nolan already. This is his sister, Sylvie." The blonde waved warmly. "That's Violet Yee on the perch, she's our tech wizard." Violet grinned with pride at her title. "You've met Kate before, and this is Nolan's boss, Jack McCoy." The two commanding officers nodded politely. "And that's Nolan's partner, Sam Maroun, and my partner, Jalen Shaw."

Lily tilted her head at Sam. "Does that make you my aunt?"

Kate did a double take, but Sam burst into delighted laughter. "I can be whatever you decide you want me to be, Lily!"

"But now she's gonna forever hold it against you that the first thing Lily called her is her aunt," Jalen told Frank with a smirk.

"Yeah, I'm aware," Frank rolled his eyes fondly.

Lily shifted to the edge of the bench so she could eagerly look at Sylvie. "Did you really figure out a way to solve the non-emergencies problem?" she asked.

"Well, based on how the pilot run ended up going," Sylvie grinned at her, "I would say I did."

"So it worked?" Jack prompted.

"Here," Sylvie flipped around her tablet so everyone could see the graph she had put together. "The first points are the amount of non-emergency calls the days before I put together the program. The next points are the non-emergency calls that occurred once the trial run began."

Violet's jaw dropped when she saw the drastic change between the days. "That's over half of the calls!"

"And they're continuing to drop," Sylvie pointed out on the graph, making Lily's eyes brighten. "I don't expect all non-emergency calls to suddenly stop, there's only so many calls paramedicine ambulances can take, but with Captain Karns spreading the word through the department, there's already more volunteers to work with the program than I did for weeks back in Chicago. This is a huge dent for just a few days."

"And you managed to do all of this in . . . what, a week?" Kate gave Sylvie an impressed look.

"Yeah," Sylvie shrugged bashfully. "I mean, I knew what I was doing this time around compared to when it was just me and Mouch in Chicago. Plus, it took way longer to convince Chief Hawkins to take a chance on me. I guess my name still goes a long way here."

"Gee," Jalen raised an eyebrow at Nolan. "I wonder why."

Nolan scowled at Jalen, making Violet giggle. "The FDNY is as terrified of me as they are of Sylvie. That's not much."

Frank couldn't help himself. "Are we talking about you two in general, or terrified of what might happen when you get yourselves into trouble?"

Sylvie squawked indignantly, and Nolan glared at Frank. "That hurts, Frank," he groused.

"She's the fire cop, remember?" Sam pointed out.

"Which SA Jefferies constantly calls me to complain about," Jack said dryly, drawing attention to him. "To which Stone laughs and says, I quote, 'that's my girl!'"

Sylvie blushed as Nolan and Sam laughed. "That sounds like Stone!" Sam agreed.

"I still remember the look on his face when we ended up in the same row at his father's funeral," Nolan grinned. "I don't think it ever sank in that we were siblings until he saw us side by side."

"And it was a delight to see him thrown, even though it was not a kind occasion," Jack chuckled.

"I'm just surprised he and Stabler get along as well as they do," Kate remarked.

"He told me the same thing once he gave the SVU prosecution reins to Carisi and transferred to prosecute for the task force," Sylvie giggled. "He said it's pretty easy to do once they find something in common. Guess what it is."

Frank didn't even need to think about it. "Benson's wellbeing."

"Score for the detective."

Jalen's eyes suddenly flashed with suspicion, and he straightened in his chair. "What the - "

Sam reached out to stop Jalen from standing up, and Nolan suddenly grunted next to Frank. That was followed by a shriek from Sylvie, and Frank twisted, hand instinctively reaching for his off-duty weapon. But Sylvie's shriek turned into a delighted squeal. "Griffin?"

"Ben!" Nolan's eyes lit amber, and Frank finally saw the pale, dark-haired boy grinning as he clung to Nolan's back, a tall blond boy bending over Sylvie's shoulder to hug her. "What the - ?"

"Success!" Sam cheered as she fist pumped the air.

Two sets of laughs rang in the air behind them, and Sylvie rocketed from her bench to spin around. Frank turned on his bench to see two green-eyed men in navy quilted jackets approach, the blond man's jacket proclaiming him a captain, the silver-haired man's naming him a lieutenant. "Best unofficial sister-in-law ever," the silver-haired man joked, making the blond cackle.

Sylvie and Nolan simultaneously turned to look at Sam in shock. "You planned this?" Sylvie sputtered.

"You're welcome," Sam smiled pristinely.

Nolan could only shake his head as he stood, and he pulled the dark-haired boy into a tight hug, which Ben eagerly returned. "This is a surprise!"

"Oh, look at you!" Sylvie stepped back to beam at the blond boy, who ducked his head and smiled bashfully at her attention. "Oh, I've missed you!"

"Missed you, too, Sylvie," Griffin smiled.

"And you two!" she swung around to point at the approaching men, who gave her innocent, wide-eyed looks. "I am killing you when we get back to Chicago!"

"You just said that in front of a group of homicide investigators and prosecutors," Ben pointed out from where he was still in Nolan's embrace.

Sylvie shook her head and released Griffin to sprint for the two men, running right into their open arms. "You made it!" she grinned happily at them.

"Of course, we made it," the blond man smiled and kissed the top of her head as the silver-haired man nuzzled into her neck. "You think we wouldn't miss a chance at a family reunion?"

"Besides," Griffin glanced at Nolan, "we heard all about the case you were prosecuting. And since with my schedule, I didn't have any classes today, it was easy to get away for the weekend."

Nolan shook his head fondly and extended an arm in invitation, which Griffin took to hug him. "Best unofficial nephews ever."

"See?" Sam pointed at the seven. "This is sappy."

"You made it happen, Maroun!" the silver-haired man glared at her over Sylvie's shoulder.

"You asked if I could make it happen, Severide!" she retorted.

Lily looked at Frank in confusion, and the detective chuckled as he rose from his seat. "Are you two as danger crazy as you've been described?"

"That usually depends on who's describing us," the blond grinned as he untangled himself from the hug and stepped forward, extending his hand as he did so. "Matt Casey. This is Kelly Severide."

"Frank Cosgrove," Frank introduced himself as he shook the captain's hand. "Nice to meet you both." He inclined his head to where Nolan was engrossed in Ben's retelling of his college visit. "And the visit is appreciated."

Matt's green eyes flashed in understanding. "We're glad we were able to make it."

"Especially since Sylvie's been keeping us updated on getting a paramedicine program up and running here," Kelly added as he and Sylvie finally rejoined them, Sylvie smiling radiantly and looking right at home tucked into Kelly's side. "The numbers are ridiculous."

"Ridiculously amazing," Violet grinned.

"Right, more introductions," Nolan coughed pointedly. "You all know Jack and Sam already. This is Detective Frank Cosgrove and his daughter, Lily. Over there is Jalen Shaw, he's Frank's partner at the 2-7. Kate Dixon is their lieutenant, and Violet Yee is, to quote Frank, their 'tech wizard.'"

"Can I have that on my desk?" Violet asked Kate.

She smirked. "I'll consider it."

Nolan chuckled. "You wanna do the honors, Sylvie?"

Sylvie did just that with a pleased grin. "These are my partners, Matt Casey and Kelly Severide," she gestured to the officers, each nodding at their name. "And their wards, Griffin and Ben Darden."

"Can I get hugs now?" Sam held out her arms.

Nolan rolled his eyes as Griffin and Ben darted to the ADA. "Now she's stealing my nephews."

"Hey, they're mine, too!"

"Wards?" Lily asked quietly, thinking it was quiet enough to not be heard.

When Matt sighed and scratched the back of his head, Lily blushed, realizing she hadn't been quiet enough. "Their father died in the line of duty over ten years ago," he explained. "He was under my command at 51, and his death almost drove me and Kelly apart. Their mother relocated them all over the country . . . but when she went to prison for her fourth DUI, Griffin and Ben were in danger of being placed in separate foster homes. Kelly and I flew out to take their guardianship . . . and that almost didn't happen."

"It comes in handy to have an infamous prosecutor as our unofficial brother-in-law," Kelly threw a grateful look at Nolan.

"All I did was point out facts they should have known," Nolan shrugged. "Really, it was nothing."

"Nothing," Kelly snorted. "You made it so one or two of us didn't have to pack up our lives in Chicago and move to Portland, Oregon for three years."

Jalen looked at Nolan with wide eyes. "You're kidding!"

"They wanted the boys to stay in Oregon," Nolan sighed and nodded. "But even up here in New York, I knew what Griffin and Ben mean to Matt and Kelly. As soon as the Nicole Bell case was finished, I was packing up and heading to Oregon to help."

Frank balked. "This was happening while you were prosecuting Nicole Bell?" Nolan looked at him in confusion as he nodded, and Frank groaned. "Well, now I feel like a bastard for how I acted then."

"That case was no one's finest moment," Nolan shook his head.

Violet looked between them warily. "Was that when you had that row in the middle of the courthouse?"

"That's putting it lightly," Kate muttered, making Jack snort.

"We can safely say that's water under the bridge now," Nolan threw a smirk at Frank.

Frank smirked right back. "Now, there's an idea for what to do with Rankin or Vega if they piss us off again."

Sylvie threw back her head and cackled as Griffin and Ben stared at Frank in a mixture of shock and awe. "I knew I liked you for a reason!"

Jack sighed in defeat, recognizing the appraising glints in Matt and Kelly's eyes. "Lieutenant?"

"Yes, sir?" Kate looked at him expectantly.

"Keep an eye on Cosgrove while those two are in the city, will you?"

"Yes, sir."

***

Nolan continued to surprise Frank, the detective thought the next day as he watched the prosecutor lead Griffin, Ben, and Lily around Firehouse 225. The three had become thick as thieves in the time they had interacted at Central Park, and when Sylvie had brought up visiting the 225, Lily had all but begged to come along. Frank, who could never deny his daughter when she used dangerous puppy eyes on him, had caved almost immediately.

Griffin and Ben clearly had a proficient understanding of all the rigs, and Frank watched with a smile as they animatedly explained their workings to Lily. The girl was visibly interested in all they shared as she followed every gesture they made, to Nolan's amusement as he leaned against the engine and watched the boys regale Lily with tales obviously carried from Chicago.

"I haven't even seen them this enthusiastic with the Herrmanns."

Frank blinked and turned to see Matt and Kelly join him, the two officers in their work polos, Matt's white and Kelly's navy. "Who?" he asked.

"Lieutenant Christopher Herrmann is the engine company officer at 51," Matt elaborated. "He and his wife have several children, a few of them the same age range as Griffin and Ben. But between when the boys left Chicago and when they returned, they barely remember them." He smiled as Ben hopped down from the back of the rig. "They have their friends, sure . . . but they like Lily a lot."

Frank turned in time to see his daughter laugh at something Griffin said, and he felt a tug on his heartstrings at the obvious joy on her face. "She likes them, too," he shared. "Maybe it's a first responder thing."

Kelly shrugged. "And the boys have good instincts when it comes to others."

He gave Frank a pointed look, and it made Frank narrow his eyes. "What's that supposed to mean?" he asked defensively.

"You know what one of Sylvie's nicknames is back in Chicago?" Matt asked conversationally. "Cruz called her the Queen of Hearts one time, and it stuck like glue. To put it bluntly, she's a matchmaker."

The color drained from Frank's face, and Kelly snickered. "And the Queen strikes again."

"Great," Frank sighed heavily and pinched the bridge of his nose, already anticipating dread as he watched Nolan help Lily down from where she had climbed to explore the inside of the engine rig. "And are you going to give me your thoughts now?"

Matt chuckled quietly. "We know what it's like to fall in love with a Price, Cosgrove. You look at Nolan the same way I saw Kelly look at Sylvie for years . . . and he'd say the same thing about me."

"We also know how it feels to almost miss out on having this life," Kelly added. At Frank's alarmed look, Kelly sighed. "Did she share anything about how we got together?"

"I know it was a few months apart," Frank said slowly, turning to look at Sylvie, who was deep in discussion with Karns. "But nothing more than that. I didn't want to pry."

"The year after Sylvie joined the firehouse, she was hesitant about a date she was going to go on," Kelly told him. "I told her if she needed an out, all she needed to do was text me she had a migraine, and I'd pull her out, no questions asked. That was our system for years, and it went both ways. After Matt's year from hell and he moved into my loft - "

"He's not kidding about it being hell, either," Matt grumbled.

Without looking away from Frank, Kelly reached over and punched Matt in the arm. "It became a three-way arrangement," he continued. "The firehouse had been used to seeing me and Matt, then me and Sylvie . . . at some point, it became the three of us. After they helped me chase down a serial arsonist, Matt and I shared our feelings for each other. We hadn't been able to put a name to what we felt for Sylvie until she accepted a proposal from the CFD's chaplain. Barely an hour later, we lost one of our own in a mattress factory fire, and Sylvie was whisked away to Indiana. It felt like she had taken parts of our hearts with her . . . and she had."

Frank could almost taste the hostility rolling off the men as the story rolled on. "What happened to her there?" he asked.

Kelly smiled bitterly. "You're good. Three months after the fire, she was on a video call with my crew when she said another set of words we'd arranged . . . one I hoped we would never have to use. Words we said we would only use if we felt unsafe and needed to get the hell out of somewhere. That life in Indiana would have driven her to an early grave with what everyone expected of her. When we drove out there a few hours later and got her, she was a shell of herself. That was when we knew we weren't going to miss another chance with her."

Frank watched Sylvie - brilliant, golden, cheerful Sylvie - as she gave Karns a hug and all but skipped across the apparatus floor to join Nolan. "No one would've ever known," he said quietly.

Matt nodded in agreement. "We consider ourselves extremely lucky to love her and be loved by her in return," he told Frank. "And you know what else we know?" Frank silently shook his head, and Matt smiled kindly at him. "We know firsthand what it means when a Price looks at someone like Nolan looks at you."

Frank's eyes widened in alarm as his heart skipped a few beats, and Kelly nodded to where Lily was examining every inch of the hoses on the engine. "And we also know that he recognizes you have your family to consider," he added. "Sylvie wears her heart on her sleeve, and while Nolan has a tighter guard on his, he's much the same. He'll put others above himself, just like her. When it came to us and Sylvie, we were the ones who approached her. We only just met, Cosgrove, but Nolan isn't as open as he is with just anyone. One of you is going to have to make a move first . . . just don't miss a chance when it's presented."

***

Nolan watched Griffin, Ben, and Lily explore the 225 like it was Candyland, Lily's eyes bright as she took in all of the rigs. He heard his sister's footsteps as she joined him, and he chuckled. "Reminds me of some of the Christmases we spent here."

"You should see Christmas when we're on shift at 51 some time," Sylvie responded as she leaned against the rig with him. "The Herrmanns, the boys . . . and we'll have Javi this year, too."

Nolan smiled at the mention of the newest addition to 51's family, the young boy adopted by Joe and Chloe Cruz. "I still need to meet him."

"Joe will be over the moon to introduce him to another uncle."

Nolan gave a pleased smile at the title bestowed to him. Even though his job made it impossible to regularly visit Chicago, he was touched to be considered family by every member of his sister's shift at Firehouse 51 to the point he was invited to attend the Cruzes' wedding. Maybe he and Sylvie didn't have any blood-related family any longer, but the family they each had built in their respective cities was more than Nolan could have ever asked for.

"We'll be leaving tomorrow afternoon," Sylvie finally told him quietly. "We need to get Griffin back to campus and Ben back home before Monday."

Nolan closed his eyes and nodded in resignation. "OK," he said simply as he turned to face her. "Thank you for coming out here."

"I loved being back here," she smiled up at him. "And while Captain Karns is going to be in charge from here on out, I'll still be up here to check in on the program every now and then."

"That would be great," Nolan grinned.

Sylvie nodded, then she smirked at him, making his hackles instinctively rise. "Maybe by then you'll have done something about that detective of yours."

Nolan's heart skipped a few beats at her words, and he balked. "Excuse me?"

Sylvie snorted. "Well, that's not an outright denial. Nolan, I clocked him the moment he reacted to Shaw mentioning Rankin." She looked to the side, and Nolan followed her gaze to where Frank, Matt, and Kelly were in a discussion. "He looks at you like Matt and Kelly look at me."

Nolan swallowed hard, looking pointedly at Lily. "It's not exactly the same, Sylvie."

Her eyes softened in understanding. "Nolan, I never thought I would have a chance with either of my boys," she told him. "Even after they disclosed before the Arnow fire, I ran to Indiana to try and get rid of those feelings. That failed miserably." She watched Matt and Kelly approach, and she squeezed Nolan's hand. "Find out if you have a chance," she said as she pulled him into a hug. "He's a good man, Nolan. You win professionally all the time . . . let yourself have a personal win, OK?"

As Nolan folded into Sylvie's hug, his multicolored eyes met Frank's pale ones over her head. Frank held his gaze for several seconds before Lily's call made the detective break the contact, and Nolan took a deep breath as he rested his chin on the top of Sylvie's head. "Copy you."

***

Sometimes your family is you the doom magnet (thank you Laekin04, I'm forever using that), your sister the danger magnet, her boyfriends, her boyfriends' wards, your boyfriend, his daughter, your partner who is his (surrogate) sister, and her boyfriend who is your boyfriend's partner -

Whew, that's a mouthful XD And what a family that's nicely on its way to forging itself. We got limited appearances from Casey, Severide, and the Dardens, but this edition was really a chance for the Prices to shine, which I think they did excellently. I'm thinking of doing a storyline at some point, maybe adapting a favorite of mine from 9-1-1: Lone Star, where we can see the in-laws in action.

 . . . actually, the more I think about it, the more I really want to make that happen -

*coughs* Anyway, I love Lily, I loved Griffin when he appeared, and Ben just needs a hug. Put them in the same room? I think that's a mini-Team Dumbass (you First Responders Files readers know what I mean) in the making. The cousin-in-laws (man that was weird to type) are another favorite dynamic I'm looking forward to exploring. And the longer I look at them, the more they actually start to look related . . .

This is just one big family, and I love them all. Have I mentioned that yet?

Next up in the chronicles is "The System," and we know how grave an episode that was . . . but I do promise there are lights at the end of the tunnel :) Because not only has a daughter given her approval, but so has a sister . . . just one step left!

graphic by marvelity