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Chapter Text

It was times like now that Sylvie wanted to drown in the freezing river or in eggnog. At the moment, she didn’t care which it was.

She sat on the couch, her legs tucked under her, and she hoped her smile was believable as she watched the Dawson siblings make their rounds of the firehouse. Based on the way Griffin and Ben inched closer to her, Tuesday curled at her feet, she had a feeling she wasn’t doing very well. Violet, thankfully, had decided to stay close to her, and she could feel her partner’s inquisitive gaze as she looked from Sylvie to the two former Chicago first responders: Sylvie’s longest-standing partner and her ex-boyfriend. Stella, in particular, had tightly embraced Gabby and was working on talking her ear off, and the only positive Sylvie got from that was the relief that flashed across Matt’s face as he careened away from his ex-wife. That, however, put him in Antonio’s crosshairs, and Sylvie sighed, seeing her ex’s gaze dart to her.

“So,” Violet held out, perching on the arm of the couch next to Sylvie. “Those are the Dawsons.”

“Yep,” Sylvie nodded, popping the p.

“Casey’s ex-wife and your ex-boyfriend.”

“Uh huh.”

“I don’t remember her,” Ben admitted, leaning on the back of the couch and giving Gabby an uneasy look.

“She was dead set on having Matt,” Griffin recalled, his grip on his mug of cocoa tight as he watched Gabby and Stella incline their heads together. “Kind of reminds me of Kidd with Kelly.”

Sylvie flinched at the reminder, pulling her legs even closer under her. “I know.”

“What happened with her brother?” Ben asked, glancing at Sylvie. “He was a detective, wasn’t he?”

“He was,” Sylvie nodded. “He became addicted to painkillers in his final year. He started getting rehab, but he relapsed after one of his teammates was arrested after covering for him. Gabby was already working in Puerto Rico, so he moved to join her and get further help.” She hesitated and sighed, blowing gently on her cocoa. “I haven’t talked much to either of them since they moved,” she admitted. “The last time Gabby was here, she . . . ”

“Was all over Casey?” Violet guessed dryly.

Sylvie blushed. “I think that was her side quest.”

“I don’t think I like her very much,” Ben remarked, tilting his head as he watched Gabby and Stella. “Or how they’re looking at Matt and Kelly.”

“Antonio’s been looking at you, too,” Griffin added.

“Great,” Sylvie sighed, leaning her head back. Violet shuffled so Sylvie’s head landed in her lap, and she gave her partner a grateful smile. “Some years, I like the holidays better than others. I don’t think I’ll like them much this year.”

“They won’t stay that long,” Ben frowned. “Will they?”

Sylvie snorted. “You don’t know the Dawsons’ stubbornness. It’s their way or the highway.”

“I thought that was Kidd?” Violet blinked.

Sylvie held out her hands in exasperation. “They’re damn piranhas.”

Kelly finally made his way over, an unreadable expression on his face as he glanced back at Matt and Antonio’s discussion. “Did you know they were coming?” he asked.

“Not a clue,” Sylvie shook her head, shuffling on the couch to make room for Kelly. “Once Antonio went to join Gabby in Puerto Rico . . . that was it until she came back a few years ago for the charity event.” She scoffed quietly and grumbled into her mug. “And hogged all of Matt’s attention.”

Kelly winced. “And I couldn’t be a buffer because that was when I was assigned to OFI.”

Violet hummed and leaned on her knees, watching Boden, Herrmann, and Mouch arrive to greet their visitors. “So should I talk to Gallo and Ritter about running interference?”

“Against the Dawsons and Kidd?” Sylvie scoffed. “Good luck. Especially if they’re trying to get us back.”

Kelly snorted. “Not likely.”

“Well,” Sylvie sighed, standing up and downing the rest of her cocoa in one go. “I’ll let you tell them that. I am currently not on enough sugar to try.”

She marched back into the kitchen, beelining for the pot of cocoa, leaving Kelly to sigh and pinch the bridge of his nose. “Happy holidays to us,” he grumbled. “Ghosts of exes past.”

“Any way we can help?” Ben asked.

“Can you make them leave?” Kelly asked seriously.

“Matt’s custody of us is tentative enough, and he’s still fighting to keep us here,” Griffin bit his lip. “Maybe if we think of something that doesn’t put that in jeopardy.”

Kelly sighed. “We’ll put our heads together. We want you and Casey here more than we want them out.”

“Hey, Lieutenant?” The voice made Kelly look up, and Gallo approached him, inventory clipboard under his arm. “We have another visitor down at the end of the apron. He’s at Otis’s memorial.”

Kelly sighed and nodded, standing from the couch. “Thanks, Gallo.” He looked at Griffin and Ben. “Want to come with?”

“Sure,” Griffin nodded. “It’s getting a little stifling here anyway.”

“I’ll tell Brett,” Violet volunteered, hopping off the arm of the sofa. “We’ll be out in a few minutes.”

“Thanks, Violet,” Kelly nodded. “C’mon, boys.”

Gallo moved to tell the rest of the house as Kelly led the way out onto the apparatus floor, and he paused to grab his jacket from the squad table before approaching the driveway. Sure enough, there was a lone man standing at Otis’s memorial, and Kelly slowed, noticing the visitor was very attentive as he took in every detail. The moment his footsteps registered, the man turned to face him, and Kelly had to remind himself to keep moving and not falter. The most striking feature that stood out were the colors that swirled in his eyes like a kaleidoscope, from green to blue to grey and more. He wore a wool overcoat to ward off the cold, but Kelly could still recognize fine textiles when he saw it. Whoever this man was, he was in a line of work where nice clothes were a necessity. “Welcome to Firehouse 51,” he said, stopping a few paces away.

“Thank you,” the man smiled in a charming way that . . . looked familiar for some reason. Where had he seen that kind of smile before? “I’ve been meaning to visit Chicago for a long time. Finally got around to it.” He took a few steps away from the memorial, and Kelly resisted the urge to straighten his back. As slender as this man was, there was an aura about him that made him wary. “I remember hearing about the Arnow fire. The CEO revamped the entire production line after it, didn’t he?”

“He did,” Kelly nodded, unable to keep the surprise out of his voice. Lucas Carrington had made that public in Chicago, but he didn’t know if that news had made it out of the state. “51 actually visited his company about it. His furniture met the bare minimum of the safety standards. Another call we had months later was to a woman who lit a candle near one of his sofas. The injuries she sustained . . . ” He grimaced. “She was badly burned.”

“I’m glad the CEO decided to do something about it, even if he had to be visited for it to happen,” the man nodded, pressing his lips tightly together as he looked at the memorial. “Some people in power never give it a second thought.” He turned back to Kelly. “Otis is the one who got the rest of your house out of that fire, right?”

Ben’s eyes widened, and Kelly swallowed hard. “Yeah,” he nodded, the echo of Sylvie’s pained cries from her broken arm ringing in his head. It mixed with the sounds of the rest of the firehouse starting to emerge onto the apparatus floor. “Yeah, he did.”

The man whistled lowly, sounding impressed. “Sounds like it could’ve been a hell of a lot worse. I know it’s years later, but I’m sorry your house lost someone like him.”

“Thank you,” Kelly said sincerely. “It means more than you know.” He cleared his throat and stepped forward, extending his hand. “I’m Kelly Severide. I run Squad 3.”

“Nice to meet you, Lieutenant,” the man smiled, shaking Kelly’s hand. “I’m - ”

The sound of ceramics shattering on concrete made Kelly flinch. It was Violet’s concerned “Brett?” that made him turn on his heel, already plotting the quickest course to get back to the firehouse, courtesy be damned. He didn’t move, however, when he saw Sylvie standing by the ambulance, her mug broken into pieces at her feet, hot cocoa steaming on the asphalt, but she didn’t seem to care. Her azure eyes, glittering with unshed tears, were staring past Kelly to the man who, just like her, had frozen where he stood. “Nolan?” she croaked.

That smile returned to the man’s face. “Merry Christmas, Sylvie,” he said simply.

As if a spell was broken, a wide smile spread across Sylvie’s face, the first Kelly had seen since she had been informed she would have to make her case for continued funding for her program. With a jolt, he realized he had just seen that smile, too, and it was on the face of the man Sylvie sprinted for. “Oh, my God!” she gasped in shock, bulldozing into Nolan’s arms, flinging her own around his neck. “Nolan, you . . . oh, my God!”

Nolan laughed loudly, lifting Sylvie off her feet and twirling her around. Sylvie’s delighted squeal echoed, and anyone who had remained in the firehouse were drawn outside by the sound. “Surprise!”

“Surprise?!” Sylvie’s voice rose in pitch, and she looked up at Nolan with an emotion akin to wonder and awe, reaching up with trembling hands to cup his face. “This is . . . I mean . . . ” She swallowed hard, and Kelly resisted the urge to step forward and comfort her. “You’re here? You’re actually here?”

“Yeah, Sylvie,” Nolan smiled, raising his own hand to brush away her tears with his thumb. “I’m here.”

Laughter bubbled from Sylvie’s throat that also sounded like a sob, and she buried her nose into Nolan’s coat as she hugged him tightly. “I can’t believe it!”

“Believe it, dulcissima,” Nolan chuckled, nuzzling the top of her head. One of his hands expertly wove through Sylvie’s hair to cradle the back of her head, a move that appeared to have been done several times before until it was effortless. “Or else I have to go back and explain why I’m not following orders.”

Sylvie half-heartedly smacked his shoulder. “Don’t you dare!”

“Well, I’ll be damned.” Kelly turned at Herrmann’s voice, and the engine lieutenant was watching the pair with a wide smile. “I never thought I’d get the chance to meet him.”

“It seems now we do,” Boden nodded, stepping away from the crowd of firefighters and towards the pair still entwined around each other. “Welcome to Chicago, Mr. Price.”

“Thank you, Chief,” Nolan smiled, shifting so he could pull Sylvie into his side so he had one hand free. Sylvie didn’t protest the action at all; in fact, she snuggled into Nolan’s side, her arm winding around his waist so she stayed plastered to him. “I’m glad I could finally come down here.”

Boden hummed. “And I should expect you to be here every shift from now until you return?”

“Well, unless I become a nuisance,” Nolan shrugged. “Or Sylvie kicks me out of the house. Then I’ll have to entertain myself over at the 21st or the courthouse.”

Herrmann snorted loudly. “Oh, yeah, what are the chances they’ll enjoy having you there?”

Nolan smiled innocently. It was the exact same smile Kelly had seen on Sylvie’s face multiple times when she was ready to hatch an insane plan. “I’m a joy to have around.”

Boden sighed heavily. “God help us all.” He shook his head and held out his hand. “Why don’t we get inside so you aren’t out here in the cold?”

“Thanks,” Nolan nodded, shaking Boden’s hand. “Looks like I’m not the only visitor, either.”

“No, you aren’t,” Boden confirmed. “And you aren’t the only one who arrived unannounced. But I think Brett should have the honor of introductions.”

“Right,” Sylvie blushed, clearing her throat. “But . . . inside.”

Nolan chuckled, letting Sylvie lead the way back into the firehouse. “I’ve survived New York winters. We aren’t in a blizzard or an ice storm. I’ll be fine.”

“There’s cocoa inside,” Sylvie deadpanned.

Herrmann chuckled. “Start a tally. They each have a sweet tooth.”

“Why are we making a tally?” Gallo frowned.

“Oh,” Cruz’s eyes lit up. “Oh, I think I know.”

“So when you said orders,” Sylvie held out, leading the way into the firehouse.

“That’s what I meant,” Nolan smiled, taking off his overcoat and hanging it on a hook, revealing the dress shirt and waistcoat he wore underneath. “Apparently, I did a good enough job the past few weeks that I’ve been told if I don’t take the amount of time off I’ve built up over the years and show my face in the courthouse before the New Year, I’m demoted, effective immediately.”

Sylvie guffawed in the middle of pulling two new mugs from the cabinet. “Oh, my God, you’re joking.”

“Because Jack’s a joking man,” Nolan rolled his eyes, laughing and leaning against the counter with his hands tucked into his pockets. “OK, maybe he wasn’t that dramatic, but the point stands. He filed the leave and never told me until the notification popped up in my email at the end of the work day.”

“Even with the case you just handled?” Boden asked in concern. “It was safe for you to leave?”

Nolan snorted. “Jack wouldn’t have basically kicked me out of the city if he wasn’t sure it was safe for me.” He gestured to Sylvie as she puttered about putting together new mugs of cocoa. “Like I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t safe for Sylvie.” The paramedic preened and ducked her head with a blush. “Do you really think I would risk that, Chief?”

Boden let out a heavy sigh. “No,” he admitted. “I know you wouldn’t.”

“Wait,” Antonio frowned. “Nolan Price . . . courthouse . . . you don’t mean Jack McCoy, do you?”

“My boss,” Nolan confirmed.

Antonio balked, the color in his face disappearing, and Sylvie blinked, pointing between him and Nolan. “I didn’t think about that. Did you two ever run into each other when Intelligence - ?”

“Never,” Nolan shook his head, giving Antonio a considering look. “I got the rundown from Barba on the cases if I was ever needed to consult, but no.”

“Fucking hell,” Antonio muttered, roughly rubbing a hand over his face. “Sylvie, how the hell do you know the District Attorney’s right-hand man?”

Nolan’s eyebrows rose. “What did you just say to my little sister?”

Any color that remained in Antonio’s face drained away, and silence hung like fog over the kitchen. “Little sister?” Gabby repeated faintly.

Kelly felt like smacking himself in the face. “Every expression you made,” he looked at Nolan. “They’re mirror images of Sylvie’s.”

“We got that a lot in Manhattan,” Sylvie nodded, walking around the counter and handing a mug to Nolan. “Yes, Nolan is my older brother and the Executive ADA in Manhattan’s District Attorney’s office.”

“And what does that mean?” Ritter asked in confusion.

“It means if something happens to McCoy, you’re looking at the one who’ll become the Acting DA,” Antonio replied.

Stella choked on her coffee, and Nolan tilted his head. “You don’t sound too happy about that . . . Dawson, right?” Antonio did a double take, and Nolan smirked. “What? Did you never keep an eye on your sister’s boyfriends?”

Cruz fidgeted from his place by the doorway. “Suddenly, I feel put under a microscope.”

“Oh, I liked you,” Nolan pointed at him. “I was surprised, but Sylvie has nothing but good things to say about you. Don’t worry about it.”

Cruz gave Sylvie a wide-eyed look. “Uh . . . thank you?”

“I can’t believe you hid something like that!” Antonio scoffed at Sylvie.

Two pairs of eyes, one kaleidoscope and the other azure, stared hard at him, then Nolan snorted. “And you dated this man?”

“Yeah,” Sylvie sighed, sipping her cocoa. “I should’ve gone for Burgess.”

“I thought for sure based on what you said that you would go for Halstead or Lindsay.”

Tony froze with his mug halfway to his mouth, and Mouch stared at the siblings with wide eyes. “I considered it,” Sylvie admitted. “Maybe if Jay didn’t end up like another older brother. I totally would’ve gone for him.”

“Just him?”

Sylvie hummed. “Lindsay, too. Though I’m not sure if I was her type. I never asked. But I think Jay and Hailey are in a ‘will they, won’t they’ situation with Kim, so there may have been a chance.”

“I’m sorry,” Gallo blinked rapidly. “Both of them?”

Sylvie blinked and looked around at the wide-eyed gazes on her, and she shrugged, fiddling with her mug as she hopped up onto the stool next to Nolan. “It’s not the first time I’ve had crushes on multiple people at the same time. That was actually the first solid relationship I ever had.”

“Really?” Ritter perked up, looking curious.

“Ryan and Jordan, right?” Nolan tilted his head. “Your junior and senior year of high school. Went to prom with them both times, too.”

“Yeah,” Sylvie nodded. “We all had crushes on each other, and they were dating first, and . . . well, our classmates had other things to worry about than staring at two boys and a girl dating each other at the same time.” She snorted and rested her head on Nolan’s shoulder. “What does it say about my love life when that’s the best relationship I’ve had so far?”

Nolan smirked. “You know where your bar is set.”

Cruz sighed. “Well, now I don’t feel so bad.”

“Two people?” Stella repeated.

Nolan frowned at her. “Do you have a problem with that?”

“There’s nothing wrong with it,” Ritter quickly interjected with a sharp glance at Stella. “I know multiple people who have been in polyamorous relationships, and they’re just like everyone else.”

“I try not to argue with my heart,” Sylvie shrugged.

“It’s the best one there is,” Nolan smiled, kissing the top of her head.

“I can’t argue with that,” Boden chuckled. “So long as nothing interferes with your work here, Brett, it doesn’t matter to me who you’re involved with . . . or how many you’re involved with.”

Sylvie beamed. “Thanks, Chief.”

“OK, so he knows Cruz,” Violet leaned forward, her dark eyes glittering mischievously. “Does he know everyone else?”

“Cruz’s lieutenant gave himself away at the memorial,” Nolan smirked at Kelly. “I would’ve gotten him and Captain Casey anyway, given the amount of times Sylvie never shuts up about them.”

Sylvie blushed furiously. “Nolan!”

Nolan just laughed and pointed around the room. “That means those two are Capp and Tony, who unofficially adopted Sylvie a few years ago.”

“Sorry, Nolan,” Capp grinned unapologetically.

“The more squad boys looking after my sister, the better,” Nolan said firmly. “Another no-brainer: Violet, Sylvie’s partner in crime.”

“That’s me!” Violet grinned proudly.

“Which makes you two Gallo and Ritter,” Nolan pointed to the young firefighters next to her. “Mouch and Kidd round out Truck 81, and Herrmann is in charge of Engine 51. Dawson is the odd woman out since she’s no longer a member of the firehouse.” Gabby didn’t look too pleased with her introduction, but she couldn’t argue, not when Nolan turned to consider the pair of teenagers lingering by Matt. “But these are two faces I haven’t seen in a photo or a video.”

“You wouldn’t have, not yet,” Sylvie shook her head. “Meet Griffin and Ben Darden, Matt’s wards as of the end of October. Their father was a former member of 51 and was best friends with Matt and Kelly. He died in the line of duty ten years ago, two years before I joined the house.”

The mirth in Nolan’s eyes dissipated. “I’m sorry, boys,” he said, looking from Griffin to Ben.

“Thank you,” Ben nodded, giving him a shy smile.

“So it’s been ten years?” Nolan asked, looking from the boys to Matt. “How did you get custody?”

Matt sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Their mother is currently serving time for her fourth DUI.”

Nolan blinked. “Her fourth?” he repeated.

“Yeah,” Matt nodded. “Her first one happened here in Chicago.”

“Ben and I stayed with Matt while she served her time,” Griffin explained. “Once she was released, we basically bounced around the country. We finally ended up in Portland, and . . . ” He shrugged helplessly. “Once Mom was given a lengthy sentence and our aunt walked out on us, I went to the one person who felt stable.”

“Good,” Nolan nodded, then he frowned when he saw the looks shared around the firehouse. “Not good?”

“I have custody, but it’s still an ongoing fight with their social worker in Portland,” Matt admitted. “She’s arguing the boys should stay in Portland while I want them here in Chicago.”

“And we don’t want to stay in Portland,” Griffin hastened to say.

Ben scoffed. “No one even noticed we were on our own after our aunt left. No one even knew Griffin flew out here by himself to get Matt!”

Nolan blinked once, twice, then narrowed his eyes and turned to Matt. “And you’re dead set on custody?”

“I’d give my life for them,” Matt said firmly, making Griffin duck his head and Ben smile. “I’ll do whatever it takes.”

Nolan hummed thoughtfully. “Give me a day or two to put out some feelers. If you want and will accept the help, this is right up the alley of a few attorneys I can think of.”

Kelly’s jaw dropped. “What?!”

“Nolan,” Matt swallowed hard. “I couldn’t possibly ask - ”

Nolan held up his hand, cutting off Matt’s words. “You aren’t asking, Captain. I’m offering.” He raised an eyebrow at Sylvie. “Your opinion?”

“I want the boys to be happy,” Sylvie answered instantly with a smile at the Dardens, who answered her smile with bright ones of their own. “And I want Matt to stay.”

“Well, there we go,” Nolan said matter-of-factly. “If their social worker isn’t taking the boys’ wants into consideration, that’s a problem. Add in they didn’t notice their de facto guardian was missing or that Griffin left? The boys should’ve said something to someone, but it sounds like no one was paying attention, too. That sounds suspiciously like neglect, and that’s inexcusable. Plus, you’re one of Sylvie’s best friends, Captain. I want to help if I can.” He smirked devilishly. “I guess you can consider it a Christmas present.”

Sylvie burst into a peal of giggles, and the sound made a smile form on Matt’s face. “Alright,” he nodded in agreement. “Thank you, Nolan. I appreciate it.”

The bells tolled before Nolan could say another word, and Sylvie groaned when Ambulance 61 was called. “Oh, come on!” she complained. “The universe hates me!”

Nolan laughed and reached out his hand, swiftly snatching away Sylvie’s mug before she slammed it onto the counter. “I’ll still be here when you come back, soror cara,” he told her. “Go save a life.”

Sylvie calmed at his words, and she nodded, kissing Nolan’s cheek. “Te amo.”

“Te amo etiam,” Nolan responded, kissing her cheek in return and squeezing her hand.

Sylvie reluctantly let go of his hand and sprinted after Violet, who had run ahead to get to the driver’s seat of the ambulance. Shortly after the doors crashed shut behind Sylvie, Ambulance 61’s siren wailed to life. “Can we still ask questions?” Gallo asked tentatively.

“Of course,” Nolan nodded, moving away from the counter to perch on the arm of the couch. “I anticipated an interrogation.” He raised an eyebrow at Boden. “Since I’m assuming no one here knew?”

“Only Herrmann did,” Boden confirmed with a nod at the engine lieutenant. “As far as I know, the only other member of Intelligence who knew was Detective Olinsky. As for Chicago Med . . . well, you’re Brett’s emergency contact and power of attorney, so who knows who there knows about you.”

“And they probably wouldn’t tell unless they needed to,” Nolan nodded in understanding. “Confidentiality.” He considered Cruz. “You sounded like you weren’t too surprised.”

“There was a picture of you and Sylvie on her phone as her screensaver for a long time,” Cruz admitted. “All she ever said was that you were the most important person in her life. She always found some clever way to redirect whoever asked, now that I think about it.”

Gabby’s jaw dropped. “I remember that now,” she sputtered, turning to look at Nolan with wide eyes. “She always stared at it for a few seconds before putting her phone away.”

“I was the same way for months after she moved here,” Nolan smiled. “If the 225 wasn’t down the street for me to visit when I needed to visit someone who knew Sylvie, I think I would’ve gone insane.”

“Why don’t you have the same last name?” Ritter asked curiously, sitting down on the couch next to Tuesday.

“We do,” Nolan replied. “But it was based on Sergeant Voight’s opinion that Sylvie should  change it when she moved here.” At the confused looks, Nolan sighed and leaned forward, resting his forearms on his knees. “Both of our parents died before Sylvie finished high school. It was in their wills that I have custody should anything happen to them, and I had already graduated law school, so there was no fight for me to be named Sylvie’s guardian. I started off as a defense attorney, but there were two cases in particular that made me decide to switch sides. Jack hired me for his office soon after he heard, and I rose pretty quickly through the ranks. By the time I was named Executive ADA, Sylvie had flown through the FDNY’s academy to become a paramedic. She had firehouses all around Manhattan fighting for her to be placed with them for her candidacy, but she ended up at the 225, the firehouse closest to the courthouse.” He chuckled and sipped his cocoa. “We visited each other so much, our coworkers started joking we could swap jobs for a day and no one would notice.”

“Is that true?” Mouch blinked.

“We never tried,” Nolan shrugged. “But Sylvie soaked up any information I shared like a sponge, and I was always happy to talk about my work with her if she asked any questions. Whenever there was a trial on her day off, she was at the courthouse more often than anywhere else. When she wanted help studying for the academy, I helped her in any way I could. I like to think I retained a lot of the medical knowledge that came from that.” He snorted into his cocoa. “I think I’m the only one in the courthouse with a first-aid kit packed to the brim for any emergency. Sylvie drilled that preparedness into me. Haven’t had to use it yet, thank goodness.” He cleared his throat. “But back to Ritter’s question. As the Executive ADA, I work cases of all levels of priority. I primarily work high-level homicides, but Jack can pull me at any time to work another case if he thinks it needs my expertise. Some of the cases I’ve worked have put a target on my back. I’m safe behind the courthouse’s walls . . . but the perfect person to get to me was right down the street and a much more visible target every time she got called out.”

Matt swallowed hard. “Sylvie.”

Nolan nodded grimly. “And the NYPD heard whispers that she was being eyed for just that after I prosecuted a case that ended in the takedown of an organized crime ring running from Manhattan into the Bronx. I love my job, but I would give it up in a heartbeat if it meant Sylvie would be safe. Jack knew it, everyone in the DA’s office knew it . . . and Sylvie knew it, too. And she didn’t want me to give up my career for her.” He sighed heavily. “So we went to Jack and asked him if there was another department she could transfer to, one with a police presence he thought could keep her safe if the unthinkable happened. He, in turn, talked with other captains of the FDNY to put out feelers around the country. One of them came up with Chief Boden, and Jack spoke with Sergeant Tutuola - a detective at the time - about his and Rollins’s case with the Intelligence Unit.”

“And by the time we were contacted about bringing on Sylvie, the house had been through so many floaters after Shay’s death,” Boden said heavily, making Kelly and Gabby flinch. “Voight agreed to keep an eye on Sylvie, but he recommended that she change her last name so there would be less of a connection to Nolan.”

“By that point, I would agree to anything if it meant Sylvie would be safer,” Nolan nodded. “So Sylvie took our mother’s maiden name and made the move. The last time we saw each other was when she accompanied Stone for his father’s funeral. We were very careful with any other contact we had with each other. I still get cases that end with shady and powerful people very pissed off, but ever since Sylvie’s been here, there’s never been a move made against her. Whether that’s due to her changing her name or the threat of Voight’s unit breathing down necks, I don’t know. All I know is that I’m very grateful for everything that’s been done to protect her whether people know they’re doing it or not.”

“But you’re here now,” Stella frowned. “Doesn’t that put her in harm’s way?”

“Kidd!” Cruz glared.

“Jack wouldn’t have given his go ahead if it was dangerous,” Nolan shook his head. “And believe me, as much as I wanted to make this trip, I was hesitant for that reason, especially with the case I just finished. But Jack assured me that NYPD people he trusted would be monitoring criminal activity the entire time I’m here. I’m not letting anyone who would see my sister hurt so much as look at her the wrong way if I can help it.”

Gallo gulped. “I would be terrified to date someone who had a brother like you.”

Nolan snorted. “My sister is a big girl. She knows what she wants, and she usually picks good ones. My problem would be if someone tries to turn her into a person she should never be or puts her in a cage. What kind of brother would I be if I didn’t do whatever I could to see her happy? We don’t have any other family. She’s all I have, and she’s the most precious thing in the world to me.”

Herrmann smiled fondly. “Maybe you could rub that attitude off on my kids while you’re here. You’re a good one, Nolan.”

Nolan smiled in return. “I’m trying not to be rusty after eight years of no in-person contact.”

Capp snorted loudly. “Coulda fooled us.”

Nolan laughed and stood from his perch on the couch. “It’s like getting back on a bike. Sylvie brings out the best in everyone.”

“No kidding,” Matt whispered.

Nolan raised an eyebrow but didn’t comment as he pointed at the stove. “May I?”

“Oh, please,” Herrmann nodded. “Herrmann family recipe. I’m glad you like it.”

“Thanks.” Nolan moved to the pot of cocoa and refilled his mug. “Anyway, I’ve missed out on eight years of my sister’s life. I’m not missing any more.” He held out his hands expectantly with a grin that would make anyone swoon. “And when better than the holidays to start?”

Mouch huffed. “You’re a heartbreaker, aren’t you?”

Nolan smirked. “Sylvie got it from me.”

Stella snorted into her mug. “That explains a lot.”

“So other than homicides, what have you prosecuted?” Ben asked curiously.

Nolan chuckled, walking back to the couch. “How much time have you got?”

By the time Ambulance 61 rumbled back to Firehouse 51, Nolan had recounted several of the cases he had prosecuted in his time at the District Attorney’s office, though Matt knew some gorier details had been edited for the boys’ sake. He had been in the middle of discussing a woman who killed her fiancé when he threatened to tell the world about her company’s faulty products when the door to the kitchen opened, and he cut off in the middle of his sentence. “Sylvie?” he asked in concern, straightening in his seat.

It got the attention of everyone else in the room, most of the firefighters having chosen to stay and listen to Nolan’s tales. Now all their attention turned to the blonde as she trudged back into the firehouse, her eyes rimmed red. “Oh, no,” Cruz whispered.

“What happened?” Nolan asked, setting his mug on the coffee table and extending his now empty hand.

“Overdose,” Sylvie answered quietly, taking Nolan’s hand. The prosecutor gently tugged, pulling Sylvie to him, and she let her brother guide her onto the couch so her head rested in his lap. “It was a Greek party before exam week.”

“The girl died at the hospital,” Violet explained, taking the chair quickly pulled out by Ritter between him and Gallo. “Narcan didn’t work. That’s not the hardest thing, though.”

“We were the second ambulance that got called,” Sylvie said miserably. “The first one got delayed to a man with dementia who forgot to take his medications . . . which had expired two months ago.”

“Oh,” Mouch’s face fell. “Is he on our list?”

“No,” Sylvie shook our head. “He isn’t.”

“List?” Griffin looked around. “The paramedicine list?”

“Yeah,” Mouch nodded. “We’ve already made an impact on ambulance response times since Sylvie started, but it isn’t perfect.”

“Which is why I need to convince the board to keep funding it,” Sylvie sighed. “And to do that, I need to prove the program works.”

Nolan raised an eyebrow. “Does it?”

“Of course, it does!” Sylvie glared up at him. Nolan merely smirked, and Sylvie huffed. “I hate when you do that, you know?”

“That’s exactly why I do it,” Nolan chuckled, carding his fingers through Sylvie’s hair. The action earned him a sigh of comfort, and the lingering tension in Sylvie dissipated. “Your idea works, Sylvie. Have you got a presentation plan?” Sylvie hummed and nodded. “Then all you need to do is work from there. Take your mind off it for now. You’ve still got . . . ” He checked his watch and blinked. “Was I really talking for that long?”

“I didn’t know listening to cases could be that entertaining,” Capp remarked, sipping his coffee.

Tony abruptly smacked the table and pointed at Sylvie. “That explains your friendship with Stone!”

“She always was the only one who could keep up with him,” Gabby recalled.

Sylvie lifted her head from Nolan’s lap and raised an eyebrow at her. “And now not only do I have an attorney for my brother, I also have one as one of my best friends. One to defend me, and one to throw the prosecution if I ever do something to go to trial.”

Gabby recoiled and stared at Sylvie with wide eyes, and Nolan laughed. “I have a resignation letter drafted in case that ever happens, and Jack is fully aware in case that situation happens.”

“Yeah, it’s official,” Cruz nodded, downing the rest of his cocoa. “Textbook definition of best brother. No competition.”

“I know,” Sylvie grinned up at Nolan. “And I hated pretending you didn’t exist.”

Nolan smiled and kissed her knuckles. “No more.”

The smile Sylvie bestowed him was as radiant as the sun, making Kelly’s breath catch in his chest. When he glanced down the table at Matt, he found the fire captain with his eyes focused on the blonde. Without needing to speak, he knew they were thinking the same thing.

When was the last time they had seen that bright smile from the best friend they both knew they deeply loved?

Chapter Text

In the short amount of time he had been back in Chicago, Ben had decided the Windy City was a much better fit for him and his brother than Portland. Portland had been their mother’s hope for a fresh start . . . one of her many attempts at a fresh start that had once again ended in a DUI charge. This one, however, had stuck and put her in prison, leaving him and his brother to stay afloat somehow. Their aunt hadn’t known what they needed, and their guidance counselor and social worker had been ready to separate them.

Then Griffin had flown and found Matt Casey, and for the first time, Ben found an adult he trusted, one who truly had their best interests in mind. Matt was an immovable object when it came to Ben and his brother, and with Kelly Severide backing him up, their social worker could not keep arguing forever. He knew Matt would have to fight to make their move out of Portland permanent, but Matt was stubborn. He wouldn’t give up easily.

Maybe that had rubbed off on him and Griffin when they had stayed with him all those years ago, because the way Griffin folded his arms and glowered at the siblings in front of them was all Matt Casey. “No,” his older brother said simply.

“You’re just going back to the loft, right?” Gabby asked, doing her best to look helpful. After hearing Kelly and Sylvie’s opinions, though, Ben thought she just looked desperate. “It’s late. It’s not too far out of our way to drop you off.”

“What do you think we are, elementary aged?” Griffin scoffed. “We don’t need to be dropped off. We already have an Uber on the way. We’ll be fine.”

“Besides,” Ben scowled, adjusting his backpack on his shoulders. He hoped his grip wasn’t too tight to show how uncomfortable he was with the pair in front of him. “We barely know you.”

“You know Gabby,” Antonio argued.

Ben snorted. “I don’t. Or I was young enough that I don’t remember her now.”

“I remember I cracked a rib while she was watching us,” Griffin scowled. “I don’t want any chance of a repeat.”

Gabby’s cheeks flushed, but Ben couldn’t tell if it was from embarrassment or anger. “That was nine years ago!”

“Yeah,” Griffin huffed. “I’ve grown since then. I’m not a helpless kid, Gabby. I managed to take care of myself and Ben for a month before I flew here to get Matt. We’re going home, and we don’t need two people who’ve become ghosts to chaperone us when we don’t need them.” Antonio narrowed his eyes, but he didn’t get a chance to speak.

“Is there a problem out here?”

It was a welcome voice, one that settled Ben’s hackles even though he had only known the man for less than a day, and he turned to watch Sylvie’s older brother approach, the man with his hands in his pockets, his multicolor gaze locked on the four. “We’re just trying to go home, sir,” he said.

Nolan knitted his eyebrows, looking between the Dardens and the Dawsons. “I hope you’re not trying to stop two teenagers from getting home.”

“No!” Gabby huffed. “We’re offering to take them home!”

Nolan’s eyebrows rose. “And did their guardian say you could? Their guardian who, as you well know, is still working on making sure he keeps their guardianship?”

Gabby resembled a fish with how her mouth kept opening and closing as she stared incredulously at Nolan. Antonio was the one who scowled and turned to the prosecutor. “We’re friends of Casey’s, Counselor,” he said.

“I don’t care,” Nolan shook his head. “And if, God forbid, something happens, do you think the Dardens’ social worker is going to care?” Antonio opened his mouth to argue, but Nolan turned to Griffin. “Call Casey.”

“Yes, sir,” Griffin nodded, pulling his phone out of his pocket.

“Look,” Gabby cleared her throat. “This is just one big exaggeration - ”

Nolan held up his hand, stopping Gabby in her tracks. “One big exaggeration,” he repeated, doubt coating his tongue and making Gabby flinch. “Tell me, Ms. Dawson, if something happens to the Dardens if they leave with you, will you call this ‘one big exaggeration’ when the social worker moves to strip Captain Casey of his guardianship?”

Gabby swallowed hard. “No,” she whispered.

“I certainly hope not.”

Griffin tapped his phone’s screen, putting his call on speaker, and Matt answered after two rings. “Griffin?” he asked, sounding concerned. “Is everything OK?”

“Ben and I are fine, Matt,” Griffin replied, looking up at the Dawsons. “We’re at the bottom of the apron.”

“Is there a problem with your ride?”

“The app says it’s on the way,” Griffin said. “The Dawsons are trying to offer us a ride instead.”

There was a long period of silence on the other end of the line, one that made Antonio grimace. “I see.” Matt’s voice was expressionless, and based on Gabby’s swallow, that was not a good thing. “Am I on speaker?”

“Yes, Captain,” Nolan answered. “You are.”

“Price.” Matt sounded relieved. “I know you were on your way to your hotel. Can you stay and make sure the boys get their ride? Not with the Dawsons.”

“Absolutely, Captain,” Nolan nodded. “I’d be happy to.”

“Thank you. Gabby, Antonio?” Matt’s voice hardened. “We’ll talk later. You do not get to try and insert yourselves into the boys’ lives when you both have been gone for years. I’m not risking losing them. Is that understood?”

Gabby let out her breath shakily and nodded. “Yeah, Casey,” Antonio nodded as well. “We understand.”

“Good. Thank you for calling, Griffin.”

“It was Nolan’s idea,” Ben chimed in.

“Then thank you as well, Nolan. I appreciate it.”

“You’re welcome, Casey,” Nolan smiled. “I know you want to keep these boys with you. I’ll do what I can to make sure you do.”

A sigh came from over the phone. “Apparently, Sylvie’s big heart is a genetic thing. Thank you, Nolan. Boys, I’ll see you tomorrow. Have a good night.”

“Thanks, Matt,” Griffin smiled.

The dial tone hit without another word to the Dawsons, and Ben looked at the siblings expectantly. “Goodbye.”

Griffin snickered, and Nolan’s lips twitched into a small smirk, but the prosecutor remained silent, his piercing gaze on the Dawsons. “Have a good night,” Antonio finally said, giving a short nod before gripping Gabby’s arm and leading her away.

The remaining three watched until the pair were out of sight, then Griffin sighed. “I thought they would never leave.”

“They’re certainly . . . ” Nolan trailed off as he thought of a word to say. “Persistent.”

“Try stubborn,” Ben snorted. “You missed them trying to hog all of Matt and Sylvie’s attention before you showed up.”

Nolan clicked his tongue, looking deep in thought as he looked in the direction the Dawsons had vanished. “All due respect to your guardian, but I’m trying to figure out how he was married to Gabby.”

“Don’t ask me,” Ben held up his hands defensively. “I barely remember the woman.”

Griffin shrugged halfheartedly. “I guess time was better to Matt than it was to her.”

“Evidently,” Nolan murmured. Headlights flashed down the road, and he nodded in the direction of the car that pulled up to the end of the apron. “Is this your ride?”

Griffin checked his phone and smiled. “Yes, it is,” he nodded. “Thank you, Nolan.”

“You’re welcome,” Nolan smiled in return. “I’ll see you boys soon.”

Both Dardens waved as Nolan walked down the sidewalk, and Ben made a decision as he slid into the back of their Uber. “I really like him.”

“Me, too,” Griffin grinned in agreement.

Matt put his phone down on his desk with more force than necessary, and he forced himself to take a deep breath as he braced his hands on the edge of his desk. “What the hell are you doing, Gabby?” he sighed, shaking his head in confusion.

Popping up unannounced for another one of her team’s charity events was one thing he could deal with. He had managed that just fine two years ago. For her to pop up again, her interest in him as evident as if the sky decided to turn green, and try to force herself into some role in the Dardens’ lives was unacceptable. Even though he had forgiven Gabby for the incident where Griffin had cracked his rib, it still put him on edge. Griffin and Ben were older now, and Griffin had proved he could look after himself and his brother . . . but they shouldn’t have to do that when it came to two siblings who were effectively ghosts. Hell, when was the last time they had heard from Gabby or Antonio?

There was a quiet knock on his door, and Matt grimaced when he checked the time. “Come in,” he said.

The door to his office opened, and Kelly poked his head inside, a concerned look on his face. “Hey,” he said, stepping inside and closing the door behind him. “I heard you raise your voice from my office. Everything OK?”

Matt let out a heavy sigh and dropped into his chair. “No,” he admitted. “The Dawsons tried giving the boys a ride when they left the firehouse.”

“What?” Kelly asked sharply, narrowing his eyes. “You didn’t tell them they could do that, did you?”

“No way,” Matt shook his head. “The only people I’ve told them that have permission to take them anywhere are you and Sylvie. Boden, if it’s an emergency. Certainly not the Dawsons.” He snorted and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Why the hell would I do that when I have no clue when they’re just suddenly going to pop up out of nowhere?”

“You wouldn’t,” Kelly said matter-of-factly. “You’d walk through all nine circles of hell for those boys if it meant you get to keep their guardianship. Granted, it sounds like the Dawsons are a circle all by themselves - ” Matt couldn’t help but snort again. “ - but you would do it. If there’s been any threat to that guardianship, you’ve gone after it with extreme prejudice. You’ll just have to nail it into their heads that you’re not messing around, Case.”

Matt sighed and nodded, leaning back in his chair and looking up at the ceiling. “I want this to be over,” he whispered. “I want to not worry about someone from Portland showing up and taking the boys. I don’t want Gabby looking at me like she wants me to forget we ever divorced. When it comes to the Dawsons, the past should stay in the past.”

He heard Kelly’s footsteps come closer, and when the lieutenant’s hand landed on his shoulder, he relaxed under the other man’s touch. “Is this a bad time to say I really wanted to strangle her every time she did that?”

Matt chuckled. “I would’ve let you.”

“Oh, good. Because she isn’t getting any chance to screw with your feelings again. Not on my watch.”

The fierce protectiveness was laced with something else as well, and Matt tilted his head back further to meet Kelly’s eyes. “I haven’t heard that from you since we agreed to break up because we wanted to work here together.”

Instead of rushing into a denial, Kelly clenched his jaw. “Well, I do think how we ended our relationship is the only one for both of us that didn’t end in a spectacular implosion.”

Matt couldn’t help but bark in laughter. “You aren’t wrong,” he admitted. “Of all the relationships I’ve had, the one I had with you is the only one I would want to go back to.”

Kelly was silent for a few seconds, and for a brief panic-filled moment Matt worried he had overstepped. “Technically you are the acting leader of the house if Chief Boden isn’t here, making you the superior officer,” the lieutenant finally said. “But we would just need to make sure we keep personal problems outside of the house while we’re on duty.”

Matt blinked in surprise. “You would be up for trying again?” he asked.

“I would,” Kelly nodded. “Right now, we’re more stable than any other time in our lives . . . well, the situation with the Dardens aside, but I get the feeling that’ll resolve itself soon.”

Matt snorted. “I’m certainly feeling better about it now than I did twenty-four hours ago.”

“Yeah, same,” Kelly chuckled. “My point is, there’s no better time than now. Though in the spirit of being honest with each other . . . ”

He trailed off, and Matt smiled knowingly. “Sylvie?” he guessed.

“Yeah,” Kelly sighed. “Sylvie.” He glanced down at Matt and snickered at the look in his eyes. “How long have you been head over heels for her?”

Matt raised an eyebrow. “Uno reverse.”

Kelly rolled his eyes but didn’t argue. “Touché.” He sighed and dropped his head so his chin rested on Matt’s shoulder. “Count on us to not only fall in love with each other, but also with the same woman. At the same time.”

“Which we now know Sylvie is no stranger to,” Matt whispered. “We love each other. We love her. The boys adore her. Where do we lose?”

“If she doesn’t feel the same way,” Kelly answered, but his words were laced with doubt. “But if we aren’t with each other, we’re with her. And you didn’t see her face when Dawson and Kidd tried ambushing us at the same time.”

“I saw her relief when I got away from Gabby,” Matt said, clenching his jaw. “And I certainly saw her take every chance she could to evade Antonio’s attempts to get her alone.”

Kelly’s quiet growl rumbled in his ear. “Thank God for Nolan and his clear protectiveness of his little sister.”

“He’s terrifying,” Matt freely admitted. “He’s treated Sylvie like a queen since he laid eyes on her, and she worships the ground he walks on.”

“Oh, believe me, I know I never want to piss him off,” Kelly snorted. “If this is what they’re like now, it makes me wonder what they were like in New York before Sylvie had to leave.”

Matt hummed thoughtfully. “Better for them to be that close than for Sylvie to suffer a broken heart.”

He felt Kelly nod. “But we would do what we could to piece it back together.”

Matt smiled in agreement. “You bet.”

“Why the hell would you stay at that hotel when I have a perfectly good guest room available?”

The voice stopped Matt and Kelly on their way out of Firehouse 51 after shift, and they turned at the same time to watch Sylvie leave the locker room with her phone tucked to her ear, her face adorably scrunched up as she listened to the response. “Nolan?” Matt guessed with a grin.

Sylvie rolled her eyes and nodded, holding up a finger to tell them to wait. “It’s the holidays, stultus es,” she huffed, and Kelly blinked at Matt in confusion. Matt shrugged in response; if Sylvie was going to slip into Latin just like that, maybe they would have to learn. “You are staying with me. Or do I have to call Jack and make it an order?” 

Kelly snorted and laughed, starting to walk down the apron. “I’m beginning to think that’s actually a big threat.”

And it must have worked, for Sylvie grinned smugly. “I’ll meet you there. Amo te.” She hung up with a pleased look on her face. “Works every time,” she said happily, skipping to join them. “Besides, there’s no way Nolan is spending the holidays in a hotel. He’s here, in my city. He’s staying with me.”

“And no one can say no to that face,” Matt smiled.

Sylvie ducked her head and blushed. “Well . . . that, too.” She adjusted her duffel over her shoulder and frowned. “By the way, before I fell asleep in the bunk room, I thought I heard raised voices from your office.”

Matt grimaced. “The Dawsons.”

The way Sylvie tensed and glanced away set off alarms in his head, and he glanced sharply at Kelly. The lieutenant’s eyes narrowed, and he stepped closer to Sylvie and gently bumped her shoulder with his. “Sylvie?” he pressed.

She exhaled shakily. “I didn’t like the way Antonio kept looking at me,” she confessed. “And if it wasn’t Antonio looking like he wanted to pull me into a closet and lock us inside - ” And that was an image Matt wanted out of his head immediately. “ - it was Gabby looking like she was judging me every time I talked to Matt. Or Kidd - ”

She stopped abruptly, and Kelly halted at the same time, briefly hesitating before wrapping a gentle hand around her elbow. “What did she do?” he asked, his voice eerily calm.

Even Sylvie looked startled by the bitter laugh that bubbled out of her throat. “What hasn’t she done?” she asked, shaking her head and starting to walk again. “I swear, she’s hated me since we grew closer.”

Matt blinked. “That was over two years ago.”

“Exactly.”

“What the hell?” Kelly made an exasperated gesture. “Sylvie, if she’s been giving you grief since . . . she broke up with me! She doesn’t get to dictate who I decide to spend my time with!”

“You may need to actually tell her that, Kelly,” Sylvie shook her head as she unlocked her car. “Because she looked delighted when Greg expressed interest in me then gave me the most poisonous look ever when I later said on shift that I wasn’t interested and proceeded to spend my Molly’s night with the two of you.”

She closed her driver door and started the engine, and Matt looked at Kelly in surprise. “Did you know?”

“No,” Kelly shook his head. “But honestly, I’ve tried to avoid anything personal with Stella. The only time it’s been the two of us since the break-up was when she asked for my help with the squad part of her lieutenant’s test, and other than that, the only time I’ve usually seen her outside of work has been at Molly’s.”

Matt sighed heavily. “And like she would let me see anything when I’m her superior officer.” Kelly nodded in agreement, and Matt tossed his keys up and down in his hand as he walked to his truck. “Well, now I’m going to be watching her like a hawk,” he muttered, opening his door with more force than necessary. “So we’re all going to be dealing with our exes.”

Kelly sighed. “Happy holidays to us.”

Considering all he had unpacked was all he had needed for the one night he had stayed, It had taken no time at all for Nolan to move out of the hotel room he had booked. In truth, he hadn’t made the reservation for more than two nights, for he had fully anticipated Sylvie all but demanding he stay with her.

As if I would want to stay anywhere else, he thought as he peered at the framed pictures in the apartment’s living room, his fingers tracing Sylvie’s features in each one she was in. He didn’t plan on wasting a second of his time with his little sister.

He paused when his hand hovered over a picture in a frame that had clearly been owned longer than the rest, and he swallowed hard, carefully picking up the frame to take a closer look. Sure enough, it was exactly what he thought it was: him with his arms tight around Sylvie, both of them smiling brightly at the camera, Sylvie in FDNY paramedic dress blues.

Soft footsteps padded across the floor, then Sylvie leaned into his side. “I remember that like it was yesterday,” she said quietly. “Most of my New York pictures are in my room or still in boxes . . . but I couldn’t hide that one. I wouldn’t.”

“The day the 225 celebrated the end of your candidacy,” Nolan smiled. “I remember. I still have this picture on my desk. I have a few gala ones around my loft. Hiding who you are may have kept you safe, but you are never going to be forgotten, Sylvie, not as long as I’m still breathing.”

Sylvie giggled wetly. “And you better keep breathing.”

Nolan chuckled. “That’s the plan. And Jack has people in New York who are making sure I stay that way.”

“Peter kept me in the loop about the Richard Wheatley trial, at least until he was kicked off the case,” Sylvie said, walking towards the sofa and sitting. “That’s the case the chief meant yesterday, wasn’t it?”

Nolan sighed and nodded as he took the seat next to Sylvie. “Yes,” he confirmed, taking her hand in both of his. She shuffled closer in response, close enough that their sides pressed against each other. “The jury deliberated for so long, we thought it would end up hung. But they came to a decision. Guilty on all counts.”

Sylvie smiled brilliantly. “If anyone could have convinced them, it would be you.”

Nolan rolled his eyes fondly. “You’re biased.”

“Maybe,” Sylvie shrugged unrepentantly. “But you’re good, Nolan. I’m here because of how good you are. I said I never wanted you to give up your career for me, and I meant it. You are without a doubt the best in Jack’s office, and Chicago has been great to me. It’s felt like hell to be separated for this long, but I don’t regret every friendship and advancement in my career I’ve made here. I can’t regret any of it because I don’t know who I would be without them. Where would you be if I had stayed and you put me over your career?”

Nolan looked down at their joined hands, thinking long and hard over what Sylvie said. Would he have kept the EADA position? At that time in his life, he had made it clear over and over again: his little sister was his priority over everything. She was his biggest strength in his life, and that meant she was also his greatest weakness, his Achilles heel. “I don’t know,” he admitted, running his thumb over Sylvie’s knuckles. “But likely in a position that wouldn’t have put me in such a spotlight.”

Sylvie nodded in agreement. “You’re Jack’s . . . well, jack of all trades, Nolan. You belong in the Executive ADA post. That’s why you got it as quickly as you did. You deserved it, Nolan.” His sister’s validation made his heart clench, and he closed his eyes and nodded. A moment later, Sylvie’s free hand cupped his cheek, and he instinctively leaned into her gentle touch, opening his eyes to see hers brimming with tears as she smiled at him. “Up until that point in my life, you did everything you could to put me first,” she said softly. “It was my turn to think about you first, and I would make that choice again every single time.”

Nolan let out his breath in a rush, inclining his head towards Sylvie’s. She leaned forward and met him halfway, their foreheads touching. “Thank God for you, Sylvie,” he whispered, his voice breaking. “But I miss you like hell.”

“I miss you, too,” Sylvie responded immediately, stroking Nolan’s cheek with her thumb. “And you’re going to take part of my heart with you when you leave. But you’re here, Nolan. That’s what matters. Neither of us have to hide anymore.”

Nolan couldn’t stifle his snort in time. “Voight will love that.”

“Screw Voight,” Sylvie said simply, her azure eyes flashing. “It’s been seven years, Nolan. I’m done pretending you don’t exist. If that bothers Voight, then oh, well. Jefferies has made it clear his office is watching out for me no matter what Intelligence does.”

Nolan smiled fondly. “He and Jack are two very different attorneys, but I’m glad Jefferies has a straight moral compass.”

“I’ve never doubted it,” Sylvie smiled. “We’ll figure this out, Nolan. It doesn’t have to be today.”

Nolan nodded in agreement. “You’re right.” He shrugged halfheartedly and chuckled. “That’s one thing I’ve really missed about you: your optimism.”

“Well, get used to it,” Sylvie’s grin widened. “It’s the holidays. You know how insufferable I get.”

Nolan laughed and turned his head to kiss Sylvie’s palm before pulling her in for a hug. “After the year I’ve had, I’ll take the insufferableness if it means spending them with you.”

Sylvie smirked. “You may regret that.”

“We’ll see.” A phone chirp made them pull away, and Nolan searched for his phone. When he saw the message that blinked at him, his eyebrows rose. “Tell you what,” he said slowly, narrowing his eyes as his mind whirled with possibilities. “You plan whatever we’re doing today. There’s something that needs my attention right now, but after that’s handled, I’m all yours.”

“OK,” Sylvie nodded, frowning as Nolan carefully untangled himself from the hug and stood. “What’s going on? What happened?”

Nolan sighed and showed her the sender of the message, watching her expression darken. “Do you need to guess?”

“Are you out of your damn minds?!”

There was something satisfying about hearing an adult yell and not having it aimed at him, Ben decided as he sat back in his chair and watched Matt lash out at the pair of siblings that sat at the table across from them. The fire captain paced like an angry lion, green eyes burning like acid. In comparison, Kelly sat with his arms crossed, only his eyes showing his anger at the situation. Griffin sat next to Ben against the wall, his eyes flitting back and forth between Matt and the Dawsons as if he was watching a tennis match.

Jay Halstead, on the other hand, looked like he wanted to be anywhere other than in the room. His boss, who leaned against the wall behind him, merely watched with an intensity that made Ben feel like he was in the principal’s office. At least this time, he wasn’t the one in trouble.

He was pretty sure he wasn’t the one in trouble, at least.

“We were just trying to help!” Gabby insisted. “You and Severide were on shift, Matt! They were going home alone!”

“We’ve left the firehouse by ourselves before,” Griffin argued. “Usually in an Uber. And if someone did take us, it was someone Matt approved!”

“Which I certainly didn’t do with the two of you,” Matt glared.

“Casey, it’s us,” Antonio leaned forward, dark eyes narrowed on the captain. “You can trust us!”

“It’s in Griffin’s medical files that he cracked his rib when you were watching him, Gabby!” Matt snapped. “If you had taken the boys and something happened, what do you think authorities would say? What the stubborn women in Portland would say when they found out?”

“When,” Kelly repeated. “Not if.”

“Nothing would have happened!” Gabby protested.

Jay actually let out a sound of disbelief and facepalmed. “Nothing happened because the boys didn’t go with you,” Hank said gravely. “That doesn’t mean the hypotheticals no longer exist.”

Antonio scowled. “We try to do something nice, and we’re suddenly the bad guys?”

“You’re the bad guys in the picture everyone would paint.” That voice came from the final occupant of the room, and the tone demanding respect made Antonio’s spine visibly stiffen. There were few authority figures Ben could say he trusted, but when Antonio made him uncomfortable, he would respect anyone who made the former detective uncomfortable. As Mark Jefferies leaned forward in his chair and leveled iron eyes on his former investigator, Ben decided the State’s Attorney was likely someone he could trust, too. “Medical records can be accessed,” he said. “So can personnel records. If something had happened to these boys while you had them under your watch, CPS would see Griffin cracked a rib while Ms. Dawson was being neglectful. The right eyes digging in the right places would find why you left the CPD and followed your sister to Puerto Rico, Antonio. They would have everything they needed to remove the Dardens from Casey’s care and ship them right back to Portland.”

Ben flinched at the thought. “No,” he shook his head violently. “I’m not going back there!”

“And you won’t,” Kelly promised, swiveling in his chair to face the boys. “Matt and I won’t let that happen.”

“Why couldn’t you just take no for an answer?” Griffin demanded, wrapping his arm around Ben’s shoulders. “We aren’t little kids anymore, Gabby! And your brother isn’t a detective, either. You had no reason to take us!”

“I’ve known you for years!” Gabby huffed. “You aren’t strangers to me, Griffin!”

“You are to us!”

Griffin’s shout echoed in the suddenly silent conference room, then a tentative knock sounded on the door. Hank pursed his lips but didn’t look away from the Dawsons as he answered. “What is it?”

The door cracked open, and Adam poked his head in, a confused look on his face. “Sorry, guys,” he said, hesitantly looking around before settling his gaze on Hank. “Sarge, Platt just sent someone up who said you asked him to come here.”

Jefferies looked inquisitively at Matt and Kelly, but the two fire officers looked just as perplexed. Hank, however, straightened off the wall, his eyes sharpening. “Let him in, Adam.”

Adam nodded and ducked out of view. A moment later, a different man stepped inside, and Antonio laughed derisively. “Of course, you’re here, too.”

“I don’t even know what I’m here for,” Nolan shrugged as he folded his arms, taking in the amount of people that had been stuffed into the room. “I thought I did when I saw who messaged me, but now I’m not so sure.”

“Well, I’ll be,” Jefferies whistled lowly, rising from his seat. “Nolan Price. What’s it been, three years?”

“Sounds about right, sir,” Nolan nodded, firmly shaking Jefferies’ hand. “You were in Manhattan to help Benson and Stone with one of their cases.” He smirked. “I’m sorry, but you can’t have him back.”

Jefferies sighed. “I try every time I somehow manage to get him on the phone.”

Nolan snorted. “First, you’d have to convince Jack. Then you’d have to convince Stone. And if you somehow managed that, you would then be facing Benson and her son. Good luck with that.”

Jefferies chuckled and shook his head. “I’m not a man who would take Peter from his family after all he’s been through. I’m just glad he’s found his place.”

“He’s very happy,” Nolan promised.

“That’s all I need to hear.”

Nolan nodded then turned to Hank. “Sergeant.”

The cool curtness made Ben blink, and Hank nodded in return. “Counselor. I understand you intervened on the Dardens’ behalf last night?”

Nolan’s eyes sharpened, and he nodded, turning his head to immediately seek where the Dardens were located. “Did you two make it back OK?”

“Yes, sir,” Griffin nodded.

“Good,” Nolan said with a pleased smile. “So what’s this meeting about?”

Hank snorted. “Apparently, the Dawsons thought coming here to complain about you ‘sticking your nose where it didn’t belong’ was a good idea.”

Nolan blinked once, twice, then snorted loudly. “My nose? I thought the boys made it perfectly clear they wanted nothing to do with them.”

“Thank you!” Ben huffed. “Finally, an adult here who listens other than Matt and Kelly!”

“Hey!” Gabby glared.

“He isn’t wrong,” Nolan said bluntly, gesturing to the seat across from Jefferies. “May I?”

“Please,” Matt sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “The sooner this headache ends, the better.”

“Excellent.” Nolan pulled out the chair and sat down without further ado, either not noticing Jay give him an appraising look or choosing to ignore him. “The Dawsons said they were trying to take them home, and when I asked if they had Casey’s permission to do so, they said me being concerned over what could happen if something went wrong was ‘one big exaggeration.’”

Kelly looked at Gabby incredulously. “Are you trying to kick the boys back to Portland?”

“Come on, Severide,” Antonio huffed. “That won’t actually happen, will it?”

“Heather dragged the boys all around the country because of all her DUIs, and the boys have never had a stable life to the point these women think Portland is where they should stay,” Matt seethed, closing his eyes and mentally counting backwards from ten. “The only reason I was able to take them from Portland in the first place is because I pointed out just how neglectful they were when they never noticed the boys were on their own for over a month. They’re insistent that Portland is where they should be. It helps that I live in the loft with Kelly - I don’t know what luck I would have if I was by myself.”

“Custody cases like this can get very ugly,” Nolan said, steepling his fingers and resting his elbows on the table. “These women sound so determined to get what they want, they’ll find any weakness, no matter how small, and pick at it to make it larger so they can point and say they were right.”

“Weaknesses?” Gabby scoffed. “We aren’t weaknesses!”

Nolan looked at her dubiously, then he pulled out his phone and scrolled through something. “So you aren’t the Gabriela Dawson listed in Griffin’s medical records as the one who admitted he cracked a rib while under your watch because you were having a phone call with your boyfriend at the time?”

Jay sat upright in his chair, and Gabby’s jaw dropped. “How - ?!”

“How did you know that?” Jay demanded. “How did you get those?”

“Or,” Nolan held out, continuing to look through his phone contents, “you aren’t the Antonio Dawson who became addicted to the painkillers you started taking after a shoulder injury?” Antonio’s face drained of color, and Nolan raised an eyebrow at him. “Do I need to bring up the charges Officer Ruzek was arrested under, or - ?”

Antonio’s hands slapped on the table, making Ben jump. “Enough!” the former detective growled, rising from his chair and glaring daggers at Nolan. “That isn’t something you should have access to!”

“But I got them,” Nolan pointed out, folding his hands and leaning back in his chair, meeting Antonio’s glare without fear. “I asked one of the detectives back in Manhattan to, and I quote, ‘scratch the surface’ and see what she could come up with that could be used against the two of you. If this is what she found with just ‘scratching the surface,’ what do you think those two vultures in Portland might have tried to find if you took the Dardens and something happened? How do you think that would look on Casey?”

Gabby had covered her mouth with both hands, and she shook her head side to side. Antonio stood frozen, wide eyes flitting from Nolan to Jefferies to Hank. “Sarge,” he began.

“He isn’t wrong, Antonio,” Hank shook his head. “Custody cases can get nasty, and serious harm can be done to both sides. And while Casey and I have our differences, I remember how well he took care of Griffin and Ben. He is their best chance, and if there is any threat to that chance, I will be one of the first in line to handle that threat.”

“Casey is their guardian,” Nolan said simply. “He has the final say. He shouldn’t have had to say anything, given I could hear the boys saying they didn’t want to go anywhere with you before I even left the apparatus floor. Yet here we are, and now you know I can dig even deeper to protect them if I must.” He plucked his phone off the table and stood. “Are we done wasting time?”

“At least we know the Dardens,” Antonio muttered. “You’re the one digging yourself into this hole.”

Nolan’s eyes narrowed. “You really don’t like that I’m the one they trust and not you, do you?” Antonio did a double take, and Nolan chuckled darkly. “Dawson, I have served as Jack McCoy’s Executive ADA for over a decade now. Do you think I got that position on a whim? I was a public defender and defense attorney for years before I decided to switch sides, and Jack’s prosecutors told me point blank they would rather swallow nails than face me in court. I know what tricks these people will try and play because once upon a time, I used them to win. Years ago, I used them to win for whoever paid me. Now, I use them to win in the name of law and order.” His eyes narrowed further, and he braced his hands on the table as he leaned forward, closer to Antonio. “Or does it bother you that now that I’m here, it’s really obvious that my sister wants nothing to do with you?”

Antonio’s jaw clenched tightly. “She’s changed.”

Biting laughter erupted from Nolan’s throat, a sound that made Hank tense. “Dawson, I taught Sylvie everything I knew so she could use it to keep herself safe if she needed to, and anything I couldn’t teach her was taught to her by Jack. She got along with Stone for a reason. If she wanted, she would wipe the floor with you and walk away with a smile on her face, even back when she dated you. She doesn’t have to give you the time of day if she doesn’t want to, and if you do anything that she doesn’t like, I will gladly have Detective Slootmaekers dive as deep into your records as she can and bury you alive. My sister’s happiness is my priority, and she wants her best friend and the boys to stay here in Chicago.” He turned and looked pointedly at Matt. “I did volunteer myself into this, I know, but if you’ve changed your mind on the help - ”

“No.” Matt’s voice was firm as he shook his head, a note of desperation in his tone. “Nolan, if you can help us, I want that help.”

Nolan nodded firmly. “I’ve already reached out to a few attorneys in Manhattan that owe me a favor or two. I anticipate I’ll hear back from them either later today or tomorrow. Are you OK with me giving them the gist of the case?”

“Yeah,” Matt nodded. “You might be able to explain it better than me.” He chuckled bitterly and gestured with exasperation towards the Dawsons. “I’m already drained from repeating myself like a broken record.”

“Then leave it to me,” Nolan said. “And if you have any questions, feel free to call me. If something happens in New York, I can be called back to work at any moment, but for now, I’m all Chicago’s.”

Matt smiled slightly, the most relaxed he had looked since they had all gathered in the room. “Thank you, Nolan.”

“My pleasure,” Nolan smiled in return. He stepped away from the table and turned to Hank. “Do you need anything else from me, Sergeant?”

“No, Counselor,” Hank shook his head. “We’ve heard everything we needed to.”

“Good,” Nolan nodded, typing out a quick message on his phone. “Now, I was promised a dessert crawl around the district by my sister, and while I may regret the sugar high and crash I’ll get later, I did say she could choose what we’re doing today. At least I know I’m in for a good night’s sleep.” He snorted and muttered under his breath as he approached the door. “For the first time in seven years.”

“Nolan.” Hank’s voice stopped the prosecutor in his tracks, and he turned towards the sergeant with sharp eyes. Hank gave him a long, considering look, then his voice softened. “Enjoy your time. Look out for her.”

Respect flashed through Nolan’s multicolor eyes, and he nodded, a pleased smirk curling his lips. “I always do.”

Hank nodded in return, and Nolan left the room without any further words. Antonio was left staring at the place Nolan had been in before he vanished, and Griffin looked around in awe. “He’s awesome,” he whispered.

“He seems full of himself,” Gabby frowned.

Jefferies laughed and patted Griffin’s shoulder as he stood. “There’s a fine line between confidence and arrogance, Griffin. Nolan knows he’s the best, and that’s why he still fields job offers from all around the country. Hell, I would be sending them to him if I thought I had something worth his time. But I know he’s Jack’s man through and through, and it would take a hell of a lot for him to even consider leaving the Manhattan DA’s office. It’s no secret that Jack is grooming him to eventually take his chair, and when Nolan runs - when, not if - he’ll win by a landslide. He lives and breathes that city, and he’ll do anything to protect it . . . and the people know it. He’s a defender’s worst nightmare, and Jack is damn lucky he’s on his team.”

“Jesus,” Jay gulped, looking at Hank with wide eyes.

Jefferies turned to Gabby and Antonio with a grave expression. “And he is not a man you want as your enemy,” he warned. “When he says Sylvie’s happiness means everything to him, he isn’t lying. Nolan would cut out his own heart and give it to his sister if he needed to, and he would do it with a smile on his face. The only time they’ve seen each other since Sylvie moved to Chicago was when Sylvie accompanied Peter to Manhattan for his father’s funeral, and now that he’s here . . . ” Hank grimaced, and Jefferies chuckled, walking around the table and patting his shoulder. “Try not to begin a war while he’s here,” he advised. “I have no interest in having to watch my team go up against Jack’s.”

“No,” Hank sighed. “And I have no interest in finding myself up against Olivia’s team. You do know who Price just convicted, right?”

“I do,” Jefferies nodded. “Which means Nolan not only has the 2-7 backing him up, but also Benson’s team and Stabler’s. Homicide, SVU, and Organized Crime.” Antonio’s eyes widened, and Jefferies nodded. “Like I said. You don’t want him as your enemy. And if you do anything that Sylvie doesn’t like . . . ” He shrugged and walked to the door. “I won’t protect you, Antonio. I won’t stand in the way of a good man going to war for his sister. You of all people should know how that ends for the wrongdoer.”

Kelly snorted as Jefferies departed. “Not well.”

“In Price’s case, that is an understatement,” Hank grumbled, then he sighed and rubbed a hand over his face. “I would have appreciated a warning that he would be here, given who he just convicted, but when everyone says he puts his sister first, they mean it. If he finds out they’re in danger because he’s here, he’ll be out of the city before we can say ‘leave.’” He turned to the Dawsons with a steely glare. “The Dardens are in Casey’s care, so he has the final say,” he told them. “Don’t press him again. I’m not on your side here. Understood?”

Antonio took a deep breath, but he didn’t look happy as he nodded. “Understood.”

“Good,” Hank nodded in satisfaction. “Shall we?”

Ben was all too happy to scramble to his feet and hurry out the door. Griffin was right on his heels, and Matt and Kelly filed out behind them. “Whoa,” Matt whistled, leaning against the wall as Hank and Jay brought up the rear. “That was . . . ”

“Yeah,” Jay shook his head, blinking rapidly. “Wow. And that guy is Sylvie’s brother?”

“He is,” Hank nodded, pressing his lips tightly together. “His conviction rate is as close to perfect as one can be in his profession, and he is completely wrapped around his little sister’s finger. When it comes to her, his protective instincts are turned up to eleven.” He glanced at Matt and Kelly as the group walked towards the main area of the building. “Was Antonio trying to get alone with Sylvie while they were at the firehouse?”

“His eyes were on her practically the entire time,” Kelly admitted.

Jay winced. “So how screwed is Antonio?”

Hank snorted. “That depends on how long Price wants to play with his food.”

“I’m just glad he’s helping,” Matt said, giving Intelligence’s bullpen a quick glance as they stopped at the top of the stairs. “I mean, before now, with how hard those women in Portland were pushing . . . ”

He trailed off, and Hank tucked his hands into his jacket’s pockets. “Casey, a blind man could see how loyal you, Severide, and Sylvie are to each other,” he said. “You three gravitate towards each other no matter where you are, and I guarantee you that Price clocked it the moment he stepped onto 51’s grounds. I don’t like how Price always seems to throw himself into cases that could leave him in the crosshairs of dangerous people, but I admire his dedication to Sylvie. He would find a way to rearrange the constellations for her if she asked just because it would make her happy. She wants you and the boys here in Chicago, Casey, so that’s exactly what Price is going to make happen. You have a very powerful ally backing you now. Remember that.”

Matt swallowed hard. “I will.”

“Good,” Hank nodded in satisfaction.

Jay sighed and scratched the back of his head. “I’m still trying to wrap my head around the idea that Sylvie has a brother that she never told anyone about.”

Hank patted his shoulder. “That’s partly my fault. Sorry, Jay.”

Jay did a double take. “Wait,” he shook his head, scrambling after Hank as he strode back towards his office. “What does that mean?!”

Chapter Text

Dawson’s way or the highway.

It had been an inside joke at 51 while Gabby was there, but as the years had gone by, Sylvie had come to realize it was the truth. When Gabby put her mind to something, she was dead set on it, and nothing and no one would get in her way. Her marriage to Matt had imploded because of it, and once that realization had sunk in and Matt became such an integral part of her life, Sylvie did her best to never spare the woman another thought after her visit two years ago.

Yet when Nolan had met her and explained why he had been needed at the district, the flames of her anger had been fanned back to life. Why did it seem like her former partner always bulldozed back into Chicago when it was the last thing Matt needed?

“Is that the paramedic oath?”

Nolan’s words jolted her out of her stupor, and she blinked dumbly, realizing she had been glaring into the Chicago River for several seconds. She turned to see Nolan patiently watching her, his head tilted to the side, and she cleared her throat. “Was I actually saying it?” she asked weakly.

“I will serve unselfishly and continuously in order to help make a better world for all mankind,” Nolan recited with confidence.

Sylvie blushed and ducked her head, glad her arms rested on the railing of the Riverwalk so she didn’t have to focus on standing upright. “You remembered.”

“Of course, I remembered,” Nolan nodded. “It was the oath you swore when you took your badge. It’s important to you, so it’s important to me.” Sylvie swallowed hard, then gloved hands carefully took her hot cider from her hands and set it to the side. A moment later, one of those hands took hers and the other gently cupped her cheek. “Look at me, soror cara.” It was a request, not an order, but Sylvie opened her eyes and looked up at her brother all the same. “What’s going on in that head of yours, dulcissima?” he asked, stroking her cheek with his thumb.

Sylvie exhaled shakily, leaning into Nolan’s touch. “This was shaping up to be the worst holiday season ever before you arrived,” she admitted. “I have the oversight panel where my program is either fully funded or dead in the water, Matt has been desperate to keep the boys here, Kelly is going back and forth between 51 and OFI . . . ” She laughed bitterly. “Then in came the Dawsons. Like damn wrecking balls, and that’s exactly what could have happened if the Dardens hadn’t been so stubborn.” She sniffed and attempted to blink tears out of her eyes. “God, that makes me sound like a bitch.”

“You sound human,” Nolan corrected, brushing away her tears. “You sound like someone with a lot on her plate who also has to watch the people she cares for the most handle their own problems while wanting to do everything she can to help them, too. You sound like you, Sylvie. If this city makes you doubt that, it makes me wonder if it’s time for you to come home.”

Sylvie giggled weakly. “I was tempted so many times last year, you have no idea.”

Nolan frowned. “Now I definitely want to know.”

“I’m too sober to talk about last year.”

Nolan’s frown morphed into a scowl. “Sylvie Amelia Price.”

It had been eight years since Sylvie had heard her full name, and the firmness of Nolan’s voice made her wince and lower her gaze. “Why does having a heart like mine hurt so much?” she asked, hearing her voice break.

“You love them.” It was a statement, not a question, and Sylvie could only close her eyes and nod, not trusting her voice to verbally confirm. “Oh, Sylvie,” Nolan sighed, bending and pressing a kiss to the top of her head. Sylvie burrowed into her brother’s chest, and Nolan pulled her closer as if he could shield her from the world around them. He had done exactly that for most of her life, and it was instinctive for Sylvie to lean into the comfort he so willingly offered. “Do you think I call you what I do for no reason? You have a big heart, and yes, that means it can be hurt more than others’ hearts. But that means you care more than anyone I know, and when you love, you do it with everything you have. Hell, Sylvie, there’s more love in your fingernail than some people have in their whole body.” She snickered at the mental image, and she practically heard Nolan roll his eyes before he continued. “But don’t you dare think of giving up your heart when it’s so good,” he said fiercely, squeezing her to emphasize his point. “With the lives we’ve chosen, we need more hearts like yours. You have no idea how many times at the start of my career when knowing I would come home to you was what kept me going.”

Sylvie’s eyes widened. “Really?” she whispered, pulling back to look up at him in surprise.

“Really,” Nolan nodded, cradling her face in his hands so she had no choice but to keep her eyes on him. “I may have been your guardian after our parents died, but you were my rock in a profession that takes a heavy toll. In a profession where my coworkers preferred to bury themselves in their work, I had a life outside of the office, one I wanted to go back to when my day was done.” His voice rang with the confidence he was known for in the courtroom, and Sylvie swallowed hard, hanging onto every word. “I said in front of your entire house that your heart is the best, and I meant it. Whatever I have to do to keep it that way, believe me, I will do it because I can’t imagine what this world would be like without it. So whatever you need from me while I’m here, it’s yours.”

Sylvie smiled weakly. “Even if I ask you for a miracle?”

Nolan didn’t bat an eye. “Then I’ll add miracle worker to my résumé when I go back to New York.” Sylvie giggled, and Nolan smiled softly. “I have eight years to make up for, soror cara. Besides . . . it’s the time of year for miracles, isn’t it?”

Sylvie beamed up at him. “You being here is enough of a miracle for me.”

Nolan chuckled warmly and tilted her head up, and Sylvie’s eyes fluttered shut as her brother kissed her forehead. “I’m just getting started.”

“Aha!” Herrmann’s gleeful call from the bar made Matt and Kelly look up from their conversation. “I wondered when you’d be dropping by!”

“Why wouldn’t I include the best bar in the city on my tour?” Sylvie grinned as she pulled off her jacket. “Come on, Herrmann!”

Nolan just laughed as he looked around appraisingly, nodding as he took in the bar. “First responders bars are the best, after all.”

“I better live up to the hype,” Herrmann grinned. “Your usual, Brett?”

“You bet,” Sylvie nodded.

“Nolan? What about you?”

“Best bourbon you’ve got,” Nolan replied instantly.

“Coming right up!” Herrmann nodded, immediately turning to the bottles behind the bar. “Gotta appreciate a man who knows how to pick his poison.”

Nolan snickered. “He’d appreciate having the 2-7 team here, then.”

“How has the squad changed?” Sylvie asked curiously, hopping onto the stool Nolan directed her towards. “Jack mentioned Lieutenant Van Buren had retired, but I didn’t visit the precinct when I was there a few years ago.”

“She did,” Nolan smiled, taking the stool next to her; with a start, Kelly realized Nolan had placed himself between Sylvie and the rest of the bar. “After the career she had, it was a well-deserved retirement. You’d like her replacement: a lieutenant named Kate Dixon. She’s very fair, but she’s a no-nonsense woman. A good fit for the 2-7. Bernard is still there.”

“He is?” Sylvie’s eyes brightened.

“He is,” Nolan nodded. “He’s been eyeing retirement the past year, though. Probably been waiting for a solid successor.”

Sylvie narrowed her eyes. “That implies there is one.”

Nolan shrugged. “Well, I admit, I’m biased there.” He paused to smile at Herrmann when the man brought his bourbon and Sylvie’s rosé to the table. “Thanks, Herrmann.”

“No problem, Nolan,” Herrmann smiled in return. “First round on the house for the newest member of the family.”

Nolan paused with the glass halfway to his mouth, blinking in surprise. Sylvie giggled next to him, and Nolan finally grinned and tilted his glass towards Herrmann. “Best welcome to a family I’ve ever had!”

“That’s the 51 treatment, Counselor!” Cruz hollered from his table with Capp and Tony.

Nolan eyed the rest of the bar, noticing the glances turned his direction and how they looked between him and Sylvie. “So how long until everyone here starts gossiping about me?” he asked.

Sylvie snorted into her wine. “Jay and Adam are probably handling that on their own. You’re my power of attorney and medical proxy, so anyone at Med who’s needed to look at those knows who you are, and if anyone had questions, they never asked me.”

Kelly snorted. “Jay’s gonna be pissed if Will knows and he doesn’t.”

Sylvie grinned over the rim of her glass. “Will might as well be the doctor assigned to 51. Of those at Med, he probably knows everyone’s medical proxies and power of attorneys.”

Nolan frowned. “Hearing your firehouse has an assigned doctor doesn’t fill me with confidence, Sylvie.”

“At least he’s a good one.”

Nolan rolled his eyes. “Always looking on the bright side.”

“So she’s always been like this?” Matt asked, leaning forward curiously.

“Sunshine incarnate?” Nolan grinned. “Always.”

Sylvie blushed, attempting to hide behind her wine glass. “Nolan.”

“I didn’t say it was a bad thing,” Nolan pointed out, nudging her with his shoulder. “I prosecute murderers for a living. Your optimism meant I kept my sanity. The best part was when that infected the 225. I swear, you’ll never find a better house in the FDNY for that reason alone.” He paused and amended, “and the captains run a tight house. That, too.”

A wide grin split Sylvie’s face. “They’re both still there?” she asked eagerly. “Really?”

“Really,” Nolan nodded. “In fact, I think the only change to Karns’ shift is the addition of the paramedic who took your place after you left. Unless it’s happened in the past few weeks, everyone is still there.”

Sylvie giggled in evident delight. “If you don’t have them already, you are getting me phone numbers when you go home.”

Nolan snickered. “Yes, ma’am.”

“Captains?” Kelly repeated.

“Captain David Zimmers is the paramedic captain of the house,” Sylvie explained. “He was my commanding officer from the beginning of my candidacy to my departure from Manhattan. Captain Rick Karns runs the house, and he does an incredible job of making the shift feel like a family while still adhering to professional boundaries and the chain of command. They made it clear they wanted me for my potential, not just because my brother worked right down the block, and they didn’t go easy on me, either. I’m glad they didn’t, because that prepared me for Voight and Dawson.” Matt choked on his beer, and Sylvie smiled prettily. “Plus, Jack likes me and made sure I could hold my own.”

Nolan had to put down his bourbon, he laughed so hard. “There were days he spent hours verbally flaying his prosecutors for the smallest mistakes, then you would show up and he would be a completely different person!”

“So you’ve always been able to wrap people around your finger,” Kelly concluded, reaching over to clap Matt on the back as the captain worked on clearing his airway.

“It helped being the baby of the station,” Sylvie said dryly and took a sip of her wine. Her phone rang suddenly, and she quickly swallowed her drink and checked the Caller ID. “Oh,” she blinked in surprise. “Hang on, I need to take this. I’ll be right back.”

Nolan frowned in concern but stood from his seat to let Sylvie out. She kissed his cheek in thanks and hurried to the back of the bar, putting her phone to her ear as she went. Kelly watched her until she was out of sight, his brow furrowed in concern. He glanced at Matt to find his partner doing the same thing, his lips pursed.

“Wrapped around her finger, huh?”

Both officers whipped around at the same time and found Nolan back in his seat with his arms folded. Now that Sylvie was gone from the table, all of the prosecutor’s attention was focused on them, and Kelly realized he now knew what a bug felt like when it was placed under a microscope. He swallowed hard, his mind racing to find some explanation for the man who had effortlessly silenced Antonio while protecting Sylvie.

Nolan, however, surprised him when he shook his head and chuckled as he sipped his bourbon. “Part of my job is reading people, guys. Severide, I clocked you the moment Sylvie dropped her mug on the apron. Casey, you were watching her every time Antonio got close enough to talk to her. Add in that most of the pictures Sylvie has in her apartment are of the three of you in some capacity and most of the stories she’s told me from the past three years involve you two? What other conclusion am I supposed to reach?”

Kelly gulped. “One that doesn’t lead to you verbally crucifying us?”

Nolan let out an inelegant snort. “What the hell have you two done to possibly warrant the kind of lashing I gave the Dawsons? I reserve that for anyone who really pisses me off, like if they spectacularly ruin a case or have the gall to play with my sister’s feelings and intend to break her heart. I’ve only been here 48 hours, and I don’t think you meet that criteria.” He narrowed his eyes over the rim of his glass. “Unless you do intend on doing that last one.”

“No!” both men blurted at the same time, Matt balking at the thought and Kelly’s eyes wide in alarm.

Nolan spread his hands in a “there you go” gesture. “Then we don’t have a problem. I want the best for my sister, and so far, you two haven’t proven to be anything else. Just answer one question for me.” He placed his glass on the table and leaned forward, steepling his hands and leveling an iron stare on them. “How long have you been in love with her?”

Kelly had endured enough ribbing from his crew that most of the time he was able to brush off teasing on this subject. This was the first time someone other than his partner had called him out on his feelings, though, and of course it had to be Sylvie’s brother that did it. Still, he knew the answer as vividly as he had when he recognized how he felt, and he instantly provided it. “The Carol Spears case,” he said. “She had every chance to tell me to leave it alone like everyone else was doing. She never did. In fact, she jumped right in. I fell hard and fast.”

Nolan nodded in satisfaction and turned expectantly to Matt. “That was definitely when I recognized I felt something other than friendship,” the captain said slowly. “When did I know for sure? The Arnow fire.”

Nolan nodded in understanding. “She broke her arm in that fire.”

Matt flinched, and Kelly bit his tongue so he didn’t lash out at the prosecutor. His tone had made his words a fact, not an accusation. “It was my call,” Matt muttered, staring down into his beer bottle. “I was the one who said it was safe for them to help evacuate. She got hurt because of a call I made. I swear, my heart stopped beating when I saw her in pain.”

Nolan didn’t immediately respond that time. He drummed his fingers on the table, frowning as he watched Matt. The captain fidgeted, trying not to wilt under that multicolor gaze, then Nolan finally spoke again. “When Sylvie called me to explain what happened, she said she followed Chief Boden’s orders into that building, not yours.”

Matt blinked. “He gave the order,” he confirmed. “But I asked for the medics’ help.”

“And Sylvie would have gone into that building anyway had you given the order,” Nolan said firmly. “Her job is to save lives, Casey, whether that requires her to wait by her ambulance for patients to come to her or it requires her to charge into a burning building to get to them. She also told me she openly testified at the commission that she would’ve gone into the building anyway. Isn’t that right?”

“Yeah,” Matt swallowed and nodded. “She did. Boden told her all she needed to do was submit a letter, but she came along with us.”

“Because Sylvie is as loyal as they come,” Nolan smiled. “That Arnow fire was hell for all of you, especially because you lost a member of your house in the blaze. Any of you could have called for medics to assist, and she would’ve had one foot in the building before you could say ‘help.’ She was that loyal to begin with, and the 225 ingrained that loyalty even further in her. Maybe you still blame yourself for her injury, but Sylvie? She never has, and she never will.” Matt blushed and lowered his eyes from Nolan’s, but Kelly could see the tension in his shoulders relax. “And the fact that you still value her opinion so highly after this long?” Nolan continued gently. “That tells me all I need to know. You’re a good man, Casey. Both of you are good men.”

Kelly’s heart returned to a steadier tempo, and he took a deep breath. “Thank you, Nolan,” he said gratefully. “That means a hell of a lot.”

Nolan smirked. “You think Sylvie needs my go-ahead when it comes to relationships?”

Matt snorted. “No, but she adores you. I can tell she would never want to disappoint you.”

Nolan acquiesced with a nod. “And I never want to disappoint her. It was the two of us for so long, I think our coworkers worried we were codependent.” He grumbled into his bourbon as he took a drink. “I was miserable for months after she left, I’ll admit that. It’s harder to make friends as a prosecutor than you do as a first responder.”

“You probably make some pretty powerful ones, though,” Kelly pointed out.

Nolan scoffed. “Depends on if they have ulterior motives.”

Matt grimaced, the faraway look in his eyes indicating he was remembering his alderman days. “Touché.”

“Look,” Nolan sighed, rubbing his forehead and resting his forearms on the tabletop. “I can count on one hand the number of people I would risk my career for, and Sylvie was the first one I ever put down. She means the world to me, and based on what I saw at 51, here tonight, and when I’ve talked to her, she obviously means the same to you. I don’t know when I’ll see her again when I leave, so just promise me . . . take care of her, please.”

“Always,” Kelly vowed with a firm nod.

“We plan on talking to Sylvie soon,” Matt explained. “Hopefully before you leave so you’re in the loop. She’s already told us a few things, and we . . . ” He chewed his lip, debating how to phrase his words. “We still have a few pieces of a puzzle to put together,” he finally said. “Kelly and I dated each other before we both got assigned to 51. We agreed to give it another shot, and we both know we’re in love with Sylvie. There are just a few people who . . . ”

He trailed off, and Nolan tilted his head. “Very clearly will not like the idea so you have to deal with them?” he guessed.

Kelly snorted into his beer. “Three guesses regarding who we’re thinking about. You probably don’t even need two of them.”

“Probably not,” Nolan agreed, a jovial tone to his voice as he swirled the ice in his drink. “All three exes.” Matt made a face, indicating Nolan had hit the nail on the head. “My money’s on the three of you. Just saying.”

“Thanks for the confidence,” Matt sighed, taking a large drink from his beer. “We’re gonna need it.”

“Sorry about that,” Sylvie panted as she hurried back to the table, tucking her phone into her pocket. “It was Chief Hawkins. I didn’t want it to go to voicemail.”

“Is that your field chief?” Nolan asked, standing to let her get back to her seat.

“Yeah,” Sylvie nodded, hopping back onto her stool. “He greenlit my idea for the paramedicine program. He had an important update for me. I’m glad I answered.” She paused, looking around the table as she reached for her wine. “Did I miss anything important here?”

The three men exchanged glances, and Nolan smiled as he took another sip of his drink. “No,” Kelly answered for all of them, giving Nolan a tiny nod as he, too, sipped his drink. “You didn’t miss a thing.”

Something was bothering Sylvie.

It was a relatively slow shift at the firehouse (he was not going to say the q-word, thank you very much, Capp), so Kelly and his crew had moved into the common area. Sylvie had claimed the smaller table, and she and Mouch were poring over several documents. She currently had her nose buried in her laptop, her brow furrowed as she worked, and Kelly caught Mouch frowning over his papers as he watched her. Several times, he appeared ready to ask Sylvie a question.

Yet he always glanced over at the couch before he did, which was where Nolan had planted himself and was currently looking through files of his own, one hand flipping the pages, the other absently scratching Tuesday’s head as the Dalmatian curled on the other cushion. Nolan’s eyes, too, were darting between his reading and Sylvie, but he didn’t move from his seat. Mouch looked concerned, but he followed Nolan’s lead and remained silent.

Eventually, Sylvie started muttering incoherently and shuffled papers around, drawing attention from the other firefighters in the room. Gallo looked at Violet worriedly, but Violet shrugged, not appearing to know what was going on. “Um,” Cruz looked at Kelly in bewilderment. “Should we check on her?”

Kelly frowned and looked at Nolan. The prosecutor’s gaze lingered on Sylvie for longer this time, but when Sylvie just huffed and went back to her computer, Nolan merely went back to his reading. “Maybe when Nolan starts looking more concerned,” he replied.

“When’s that gonna be?” Tony asked, giving Sylvie a dubious look. “Before or after Brett explodes?”

“Question, actually,” Capp leaned back in his seat. “Is she still gonna be Brett when he leaves? Or will she go back to Price?”

Kelly blinked then considered. “I never thought about that.”

“What are they even doing anyway?”

The unwelcome voice made all four squad firefighters turn and frown. “When were you invited into this conversation?” Cruz scowled.

Stella made an exasperated gesture around the room. “Practically everyone else is in here!”

“So?” Kelly raised an eyebrow. “Stop eavesdropping, Kidd.”

Stella had the gall to look offended, then Sylvie made an annoyed noise. They turned in time to see her sit back in her chair and lean back her head so she looked up at the ceiling. “Nolan?” she asked.

Just like that, Nolan closed the folder he held and smoothly rose to his feet. “What is it?” he asked, stepping around the couch to lean against the back of it.

“This is the time I really wish I could sit in on one of your trials.”

Nolan grinned. “Were murder trials really such an inspiration for you?”

“They were for presentations,” Sylvie grumbled. “Especially make or break ones.”

“Murder trials?” Gabby repeated from the kitchen. “Seriously?”

“Well, yeah,” Sylvie blinked at Gabby as if she had said something stupid. “Persuasive presentations and speeches in particular.”

“Yeah, that’s why I managed to get Sylvie into some of the less graphic portions of trials if she needed a push for a presentation or a speech she needed to make,” Nolan nodded. “When you’re a prosecutor in a trial, you want justice served, and you want the right call to be made. Ultimately, though, you and your opponent want the same thing: for the judge and the jury to rule in your favor. That often means a win can come down to how persuasive your argument is.”

Sylvie giggled. “And you are very persuasive.”

“Well,” Nolan drawled with a grin.

“So this is about the panel at the end of the week?” Gallo asked.

“Yeah,” Sylvie sighed, gesturing to the mess on the table. “Just making sure I don’t have any loose ends. Chief Hawkins said the friend he has on the oversight panel just had a family emergency, and she won’t be there to help push the funding through.”

“That was the call last night,” Kelly realized.

Sylvie nodded miserably. “So now it’s an even tighter vote, which means I need to make sure this is perfect.”

“It will be,” Nolan squeezed her shoulder. “You always put in so much effort for presentations like this, and what’s your track record on them?”

Sylvie squirmed in her seat. “Really good,” she mumbled.

“Exactly,” Nolan nodded. “Just make sure you check off everything Jack and I have told you.”

“Right,” Sylvie nodded, checking off her fingers. “Facts, evidence, confidence, and whenever possible - ”

She abruptly cut off, realization dawning on her face, and Nolan smirked. “Whenever possible?” he prompted.

“Get witness testimony,” Sylvie breathed, lunging to look through the papers again with a manic grin. “Thanks, Nolan!”

Nolan laughed and returned to his seat on the couch. “You’re the one that remembered!”

“If the committee can meet some of our clients and hear their stories,” Sylvie whispered, searching through her notebook. “That could work!”

“Smart idea,” Antonio smiled.

Kelly narrowed his eyes at the former detective, but Sylvie merely flapped her hand at him. “Brain thinking. Hush.”

Antonio did a double take, and Kelly bit his lip and looked away to avoid bursting into laughter. It was so satisfying to see Sylvie had no interest in what her ex had to say. “What’s this about being quiet?” Herrmann asked, walking into the common area with Ritter on his heels.

“The oversight panel,” Mouch explained. “Price gave Brett an idea.”

“Ah,” Herrmann nodded in understanding. “Free drinks for you after having to give that presentation, Brett.”

“Thanks,” Sylvie mumbled, completely absorbed in her work.

Instead of looking offended like Antonio had, Herrmann merely chuckled and beelined for the coffee. “Atta girl.”

“By the way, Lieutenant,” Ritter glanced at Kelly, a small frown on his face. “Do you know anything about a call the captain had to take?”

“Today?” Kelly tilted his head as he thought. “No, I don’t think so. Why?”

“His office door is closed, blinds drawn,” Ritter answered. “I think the Dardens are in there, too. I didn’t see them on the way here.”

Kelly groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I swear, if those women decided to call while he’s on shift . . . ”

An unfamiliar ringtone cut him off, and Nolan searched his pockets to find his phone. He barked in laughter when he saw the Caller ID, and he placed his phone on the arm of the couch. “How goes the day?” he asked cheerfully.

“What did I do to piss you off?” a familiar voice demanded, and Sylvie’s head shot up from her work. “Seriously, I’m wracking my brain here, Nolan. I’m coming up with nothing.”

Nolan snickered. “So you are the one who got the Acting EADA position while I’m out.”

“I didn’t even know someone could be the Acting EADA!” Peter Stone ranted, and while Gallo, Ritter, and Violet looked confused, Herrmann, Mouch, and the rest of Kelly’s crew all grinned in realization. “And I have this position through the holidays?! What the hell, Nolan?”

Nolan winked at a stunned Sylvie. “I didn’t know that was a thing, either, until Jack basically kicked me out of the courthouse.”

She burst into a peal of giggles and tried to cover her mouth, but it was too late. “Was that Sylvie?” Peter asked after several seconds of silence.

“Yes, it was,” Nolan nodded.

“You’re in Chicago.”

“Yes, I am.”

“And you have me on speakerphone.”

And how could Kelly miss a cue like that? “Hey, Stone!” he called.

The other firefighters did the same, and Sylvie laughed in glee, scooting her chair to be closer to the phone. “Hi, Peter!”

“Hello, everyone,” Peter greeted. “I apologize for that outburst in front of my boss.”

“Why wouldn’t I take the opportunity to get one over on you?” Nolan grinned, and Kelly noticed the dawning realization on Stella and the Dawsons’ faces. Peter had essentially been Jefferies’ right-hand man while he had been in Chicago. If Peter was calling Nolan his boss, that put into perspective how high up the food chain Nolan truly was. “You know you won’t stay SVU’s top prosecutor forever, Peter. You’re made for a higher position.”

“Yeah, but I would appreciate more warning in advance than walking into the courthouse and immediately getting the news dropped in my lap,” Peter grumbled. “You need to prepare for this job.”

Nolan knit his brow, and the firefighters looked around at each other. “It sounds like this is basically the same thing you did here in Chicago,” Mouch said slowly. “Right?”

“Believe it or not, there’s a catch when it comes to working with this squad.”

Kelly caught the exact moment realization sank in for Nolan because the prosecutor’s eyes widened and his face split with a grin. “Frank is giving you a hard time, isn’t he?” he guessed.

“Yes, he is!” Peter complained, and Nolan burst out laughing. “He’s digging in his heels and refusing to budge!”

“What level of grouch are we talking about here?” Nolan continued, grinning like a maniac. “The Grinch or Scrooge?”

“Both,” Peter ground out. “I swear, Nolan, the only prosecutor he will willingly work with is you! I mean, yeah, he’ll tolerate Maroun, but he’s acting like his favorite toy has been taken from him.”

“I’m telling him you compared him to a dog,” Nolan said in a sing-song tone.

“Don’t you dare. He’ll eat me alive.”

Nolan snickered, looking delighted by how the conversation was going. “It’s only for a few weeks, Peter.”

“Sure, a few weeks,” Peter scoffed. “A few weeks for Cosgrove to make me and everyone around him miserable because he’s missing you but won’t admit it because Jack and I are probably the only ones who have any clue where you are right now.”

Nolan was still chuckling as he rested his chin in his hand. “Alright, I’ll give him a call later today and tell him what happened. Just direct him my way if he keeps giving you grief or . . . I don’t know, maybe Bernard and Dixon need to gang up on him.”

“You think they haven’t already tried?”

Nolan stared at his phone. “It’s been three days, Peter.”

“Like I said. The Grinch and Scrooge.”

Nolan sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Maybe I should make that call sooner rather than later,” he muttered.

“My sanity and those of Bernard and Maroun thank you ahead of time.”

Nolan frowned at his phone. “You know, since Jack basically forbade me to work on anything related to the courthouse, you have to go complain to Benson now.”

“Yeah, I know,” Peter conceded, and Kelly saw Antonio’s eyes widen. “But Cosgrove is your best friend, Nolan. You were the best bet first.”

Nolan rolled his eyes. “What faith you have in me.”

Peter snorted. “Considering you and Cosgrove went from trying to rip out each other’s throats in the middle of the courthouse to suddenly doing whatever you could to protect each other’s throats? Yeah, I have faith in you.”

Nolan narrowed his eyes at his phone. “Are we seriously gonna get into arguing about how our working relationships with our squads evolved?”

Sylvie tilted her head. “Wasn’t your first case in New York being the special counsel and prosecuting SVU’s lead prosecutor at the time? Also your current girlfriend’s friend?”

Peter sighed. “Not so sure that’s an accurate statement after the Wheatley case. But yes.”

Sylvie blinked at Nolan in confusion. “Barba went into the defense field after he resigned from the DA’s office,” he explained. “And he defended Wheatley.”

Sylvie winced. “And wasn’t he on trial for the murder of Benson’s best friend’s wife?”

“Stabler might as well be Liv’s brother, they’re that close,” Peter corrected. “Yes, that was Wheatley. You can imagine how thrilled she and Stabler were.”

“No one in the SVU squad was happy,” Nolan sighed. “But we walked out of that courtroom with a conviction against Wheatley, so at least that’s in the rearview.”

“Benson?” Antonio finally spoke up. “As in Lieutenant Benson?”

“Captain Benson now,” Peter said, sounding surprised. “Antonio is there? I thought Sylvie said he left Chicago.”

“He did,” Sylvie folded his arms. “He decided to come back with Gabby.”

“ . . . and what’s she doing there?”

Gabby scoffed. “We can’t come visit our friends?”

“We’d appreciate not getting ambushed on shift,” Sylvie replied.

Gabby narrowed her eyes at her, and Kelly swiftly straightened in his chair. “Seconded.” Gabby reeled as if slapped, looking at Kelly with a hurt expression, but the lieutenant smirked. “We’re no good to the people we serve if our heads are screwed up because people who up and left after hurting our own suddenly jump back into our lives.”

Gabby’s eyes widened, and Peter cleared his throat. “And that sounds like my cue to hang up. Sylvie, I may call you later for your help with something.”

“Sure,” Sylvie nodded, looking between Kelly and Gabby as if she was watching a tennis match. “No problem.”

“Thanks again in advance, Nolan. Enjoy your time in Chicago. Say hello to Jefferies for me, will you?”

“Will do,” Nolan nodded. “Do the same to Jack and Sam.”

“Sure thing.”

A click signaled the end of the call, and Antonio frowned. “Benson and Stone?” he asked. “I never would’ve seen that coming.”

“Well,” Nolan smiled thinly, “nothing tells someone you love them like risking your license by creating the evidence needed to convict the bastard who threatened her son. He almost handed in his resignation to Jack afterwards.”

“Until he called me panicking over what he had done and I gave him a verbal headslap,” Sylvie recalled. “If you love someone enough to put your career on the line for them, that doesn’t automatically make you a bad person. That makes you a human being.”

“People need reminding of that sometimes,” Nolan nodded. “Especially in our professions.” He sighed and sat back against the couch cushions. “He still hasn’t shared everything you said to him, but whatever it was stuck with him. He decided to stay in the office, and whatever he said to Benson stuck with her, too. It took them a few weeks to work out any issues with being romantically involved while still keeping their positions but considering how quickly they submitted paperwork to their superiors and how hard they worked to show they could keep any personal problems out of the office, they became a literal power couple. They’ve been going strong for over two years now, and Benson’s son adores Peter.”

“Good,” Sylvie smiled happily. “Peter deserves a happy ending like that.”

“Well, unless one of them does something to massively implode what they’ve built, I don’t see that happening,” Nolan told her. “They’re good for each other. Everyone can see it.” He snorted in amusement. “And he’s one of the few prosecutors Stabler has given any approval at all, so who knows? If anyone eventually does have a problem with the commanding officer being in a relationship with her team’s prosecutor, he could always transfer to prosecute for organized crime. Problem solved.”

“Oh, there’s an idea,” Sylvie brightened. “Do you think if I asked, they might give me any advice I might be missing? Especially Benson, since she doesn’t know me and may be less biased.”

“I don’t see why not,” Nolan shrugged. “She’ll give a fair assessment, too.”

“Wouldn’t you want a firefighter’s opinion, though?” Stella asked.

It would sound like a fair question if Kelly hadn’t heard the condescension in her tone. He glanced sharply at Stella, but Sylvie scoffed and leaned back. “I would gladly ask members of the FDNY but considering how popular I was with them and likely still am, they’re biased in my favor,” she said. “When I was in New York with Peter for his father’s funeral, I stayed for Barba’s trial. If anything, Benson is going to recognize me from being on Peter’s side during that trial and actually be against me. I don’t think she will be, but that’s a possibility. That already is better than going to Captain Karns or Captain Zimmers.” Stella opened her mouth, but Sylvie waved her hand in disdain. “Look, if you or the Dawsons aren’t going to say anything helpful, can you just go? I don’t want to argue with you while I figure this out.”

Stella looked at Kelly in disbelief, but the squad lieutenant folded his arms and smirked. “You heard her. Go do inventory on the truck or something.”

Stella flushed angrily at the clear dismissal, but with all the eyes on her, she couldn’t argue with the senior officer. She stormed out towards the apparatus floor, and with a huff, Gabby grabbed Antonio’s arm and dragged him after her. “And that woman is a lieutenant?” Nolan asked Sylvie in disbelief.

“Yeah,” Sylvie sighed, turning back towards her laptop. “She took the exam late in the spring. She’s only here because a lieutenant position hasn’t opened up yet.”

“I’ll be glad when one does,” Cruz muttered.

“A current lieutenant, former PIC, and former detective, and they’re acting like this,” Nolan muttered and shook his head. “Honestly, my best friend’s daughter is more mature than the three of them combined, and she’s a teenager.”

Capp and Tony burst out laughing. “Nolan!” Sylvie’s jaw dropped in shock.

“Can you say that to their faces when they come back?” Violet grinned. “I want to see their faces when you say that.”

“Violet!”

“Is that the detective Stone was talking about?” Herrmann interjected, though he didn’t look like he disagreed.

“Yeah,” Nolan nodded, smiling fondly. “Frank Cosgrove. He’s the junior detective of the Homicide Squad. Kevin Bernard has been with the squad for years, so he has seniority. Frank joined . . . oh, four, five months ago?”

“And Stone mentioned ripping each other’s throats out?” Mouch asked warily.

“Yeah,” Nolan cleared his throat. “That was before we were friends. We, uh . . . had some intense disagreements about one case in particular. That explosion happened after Frank used a coerced confession in court when I had made the decision to throw it out.”

“Oh,” Sylvie winced.

“Yeah,” Nolan nodded. “Long story short, we made it through the case, but it was a rough road to get there. My second chair, Sam, had to be the one to give the closing argument. That might have been the only reason it was salvaged. Frank and I both apologized to each other for our parts in how difficult we made it, and from that point on, we worked twice as hard to cooperate with each other.”

“Clearly, you did better than that if he’s this grumpy that you aren’t in Manhattan,” Ritter remarked.

Nolan chuckled. “Yeah, well . . . it probably helped that I agreed to let Lily shadow me for a report she had to do for one of her classes.”

“His daughter?” Sylvie guessed.

“Yes,” Nolan nodded. “She’s about Ben’s age, and she’s super sharp. She couldn’t shadow Frank, and when she asked if she could follow someone at the courthouse, he asked if I knew anyone who would take her on. We had gotten past some of the gorier details of a case at the time, so I said she could shadow me if she wanted. Her face lit up like a Christmas tree when I told her that. It seemed like for every question I answered, she suddenly had two more.”

“And how did she do on the paper?” Violet grinned.

Nolan smirked smugly. “Best score in her grade.”

Sylvie’s laughter was interrupted by Ben bursting into the room. His wide eyes looked around the room before he bolted to Nolan and lunged to hug him. Nolan yelped in surprise but then started laughing, hugging Ben in return and looking over the boy’s head. “So I’m assuming the call went well?”

“Yeah,” Matt cleared his throat, a stunned expression on his face as he leaned against the doorframe, Griffin beelining to the couch as well. “That’s the longest conversation I’ve had with anyone about this case that isn’t those vultures, and I’m including Sev.”

“And?” Kelly asked, his heart in his throat.

“Langan agreed to help,” Matt answered with a grin. “In fact, he insisted on it and told me to tell you that he’s doing it pro bono on both our accounts.”

Sylvie squeaked in shock, her jaw falling open. “Really?” Nolan grinned, looking like a kid let loose in a candy factory. “If Langan said he won’t count the favor, I’m not going to argue.”

“Langan?” Sylvie demanded, turning to look at Nolan. “You got Langan for them?!”

“He was the first one I called,” Nolan admitted. “A few other attorneys came to mind, but I had him in my sights the moment you told me what was happening.”

When Sylvie whimpered and looked ready to faint, Kelly quickly stood and walked to check on her. “Who’s Langan?” he asked.

Sylvie swallowed hard. “Trevor Langan,” she answered. “When I left Manhattan, he already had a reputation as one of the best defense attorneys in the city, and he’s only gotten better since then. He’s expensive, but he’s worth the price.” She looked at Nolan in disbelief. “And you got him for Matt pro bono?!”

“Oh, trust me, when I called him, I fully anticipated having to call in the favors he owed me,” Nolan shook his head. “For him to agree to not just take the Dardens pro bono but for him to say I should keep the favors? He wants this case badly. I figured he would. He helped Benson adopt Noah, and I know he has a soft spot for cases like this.” He smiled at Matt. “You have one hell of an attorney, Casey, and he’s gonna make sure you and the Dardens stay right here in Chicago.”

“Hell, yes!” Gallo whooped.

The rest of the firehouse cheered in delight, and Matt shook his head in disbelief as he crossed the room. “I can’t stress this enough,” he said, holding out his hand. “Thank you.”

“You’re very welcome,” Nolan smiled, shaking Matt’s hand. “Like I said. Consider it a Christmas present.”

“Best Christmas present ever,” Griffin declared. “Sylvie, your brother is the best.”

“I know,” Sylvie grinned. “Move so I can hug him.” Nolan laughed harder at that, but Griffin and Ben obediently moved out of the way so Sylvie could hop over the top of the couch and land on the cushions next to her brother. He held open his arms, and Sylvie curled into him as she hugged him, the siblings so entwined that had Kelly not known the paramedic so well he would have wondered where one sibling ended and the other began. “What does Jack want for Christmas?” she asked, snuggling into Nolan. “I don’t care how expensive it is. He’s getting it for kicking you out of the city and making you come here.”

Nolan chuckled and kissed the top of Sylvie’s head. “You can call and ask while I’ll make sure my best friend doesn’t drive the rest of the team to an early grave.”

“Deal.”

The mood in the room was far livelier than it had been earlier to the point Boden and Kylie were drawn from the bullpen and Stella and the Dawsons back from the apparatus floor. Sylvie’s words from the previous shift rang in his head, and Kelly quietly moved away from Matt, Sylvie, Nolan, and the Dardens to be close enough to the trio. “Something happened,” Antonio muttered, frowning as he took in the joyful mood.

“Yeah, it did,” Kelly told them. “One of the attorneys Nolan contacted agreed to help Matt and the Dardens.”

Stella whipped to look at him so quickly her braids almost smacked Gabby in the face. “What?” she asked in shock.

“Yeah,” Kelly nodded. “And based on what I’ve heard, there’s only one way this is gonna end. Matt is staying here with the Dardens. He’s staying right where he belongs with me and Sylvie.” That made all three of them look at him in shock, and Kelly smirked. “I don’t know what kind of plan you’re cooking up with, but it won’t work,” he said. “Matt and Sylvie are mine, just like I’m theirs. Try whatever you’d like, but we know you want something. Here’s the thing . . . none of us want anything to do with any of you.”

Gabby’s eyes widened, Stella’s jaw clenched, and Antonio growled. “Severide - ”

“Go on,” Kelly goaded, zeroing in on the former detective. “Try something here in front of the entire house. Try something in front of the man you yourself said would be the Acting District Attorney if anything happened to his boss. How will that end for you, hmm?”

Antonio gritted his teeth but fell silent. “Severide,” Gabby began.

“It isn’t set in stone,” Stella interrupted, her eyes flashing with greed. “Not yet.”

“Not yet,” Kelly conceded. “But you should know by now, Stella. You’ve seen the three of us together. We would do anything for each other. You saw us jump from our rigs for Sylvie. You saw Sylvie and me do everything we could for Matt after his head injury last year. You saw them drop everything and take the fast boat to get out to the pier and reach me.” Stella fumed, her eyes burning, and Kelly leaned in for the kill. “Get it through your head that I want nothing to do with you,” he hissed. “And I want everything with Matt and Sylvie.”

He didn’t wait for a response. Instead, he turned and walked back to where Matt was leaning against the table, his face giving nothing away. “Game on?” he guessed, briefly glancing at Stella and the Dawsons before looking back at Kelly.

“Yeah,” Kelly nodded, leaning into Matt’s side and smirking as the captain easily swung an arm around his shoulders, their free hands placed on the couch behind Sylvie as she animatedly spoke with Nolan. “Game on.”

Chapter Text

Nolan had seen enough of the FDNY brass at his time in Manhattan to recognize that if the man walking into 51 wasn’t a member of the CFD’s he was close to getting there. He was followed by three others in CFD uniforms, all with lieutenant bugles on their collars, the woman with her dark hair in a jaw-length bob cut wearing a jacket proclaiming her a member of the Office of Fire Investigation.

It was the woman that made Kelly sigh in mock annoyance. “And I was just starting to have a really nice day.”

“Easy, Severide,” she smirked at him. “I know you’re Casey and Brett’s favorite lieutenant. I get my favorite lieutenants today.”

The lieutenant in grey laughed. “Glad I’m someone’s favorite!”

“Oh, my God,” Sylvie buried her face in her arms, very clearly blushing as Violet, Gallo, and Ritter laughed behind her. “I’m never gonna hear the end of that.”

“Hey, I took a shot, and when I gracefully bowed out, I got some great friends,” the lieutenant smirked at Matt, who playfully saluted in return. “I still won.”

“And it was another voice of reason for the chief,” the lieutenant in navy, his uniform a match for Kelly’s, smirked.

That meant the man in the lead was Sylvie’s paramedic field chief, Evan Hawkins, and he rolled his eyes. “Why the hell am I friends with you?”

“The academy,” came the prompt answer. “Greg thought you were worth keeping around.”

The lieutenant in grey snorted. “Figures.”

Nolan turned to look at Sylvie, taking pity on her. “Chief Hawkins?” he guessed.

“Yeah,” she nodded, collecting herself and standing from her seat. “Chief Evan Hawkins, this is my older brother, Nolan Price.”

Evan blinked in surprise. “I think I know that name somewhere,” he remarked, holding out his hand.

“Possibly,” Nolan shrugged, shaking his hand. “I’m the Executive Assistant District Attorney in Manhattan.”

The lieutenant in grey choked. “What?” the lieutenant in navy balked.

“Brett!” the woman grinned widely. “How did that never come up?”

“It’s a long story,” Sylvie sighed. “I say that so many times. Nolan, the other lieutenants here are Greg Grainger, who runs Engine 40 at Firehouse 40; Jason Pelham, the current sitting lieutenant of Squad 5 at the same house; and Wendy Seager, who works in the Office of Fire Investigation. She likes to steal Kelly from us when a big case comes up.”

Wendy smirked. “Like I have to twist his arm.”

“You have these two now,” Matt pointed out, pointing between Greg and Jason.

“Yeah, they’re my best friends,” Wendy shrugged. “But Severide is the go-to arson chaser.”

“She’s got you there, boss,” Cruz grinned.

Kelly sighed. “One day, OFI will stop trying to poach me. One day.”

“Not while I’m working there,” Wendy smiled prettily.

Matt snorted. “He’s ours, Seager. Hands off.”

Wendy made a show of holding up her empty hands. “Yes, sir.”

“Alright,” Evan sighed. “Enough of these troublemakers.” He sat down across from Sylvie, ignoring the protests behind him. “You said you had something to run by me?”

“Yeah, for the oversight panel,” Sylvie nodded, clicking on her laptop and turning the screen so it faced her chief. “I can provide all of the data and evidence and whatnot, but it might take more convincing since this is for full funding. Would it be possible to arrange a way for some of our patients to attend the panel and give firsthand accounts of how paramedicine has worked for them? What they did before the program and how they’re doing now that the program is running?”

Evan’s eyebrows rose, but as he scanned the document Sylvie had on her laptop, he began to smile. “I think it absolutely would be,” he nodded. “Send me that list, and I’ll see what it would take for transport. It’s a brilliant idea, Brett. Good work.”

“Nolan helped,” Sylvie smiled at her brother.

“I just led you down that thought process,” Nolan shook his head. “You arrived at the idea on your own.”

Sylvie narrowed her eyes at him only to turn and blink when Wendy snickered. “Sorry,” the OFI lieutenant waved her hand and tried to smother a grin. “It’s just . . . I can see it.”

“You should’ve seen them when he surprised us his first day here,” Matt grinned. “Every day, you just see more resemblances.”

“Wait,” Greg blinked, pointing at Nolan. “That implies . . . is this your first time here?”

“Yes,” Nolan confirmed.

“Does that have to do with why you’re Brett and not Price?” Jason asked Sylvie.

“That’s part of the long story,” she said dryly.

Jason snorted. “Well, it’s not like I’m gonna have anything to do.”

Matt blinked. “Did something happen at 40?”

Greg scoffed. “Did something happen at 40,” he grumbled, and Evan made a face. “That’s putting it lightly.”

“OK,” Sylvie said slowly, glancing from Greg to Jason to Evan. “That’s a story, too.”

“Worse,” Wendy shook her head. “It’s an inquiry.”

“An inquiry?” Kelly repeated sharply, rocketing from his chair. “What was the call?”

“Downed power lines and a blown transformer,” Greg answered. “One of the firefighters got zapped by a line. Later, she claimed Jason ordered her to secure the line solo without the proper equipment.”

That got incredulous looks from all over the house. “No sane lieutenant would do that,” Matt said in disbelief. “Let alone you, Pelham.”

“That’s because I wasn’t in charge of that part of the call,” Jason ground out. “I was getting Squad ready to extricate the driver of the truck pinned by the accident.”

“The problem is that while the testimonies of everyone at 40 don’t support McBride’s claim, they don’t contradict her, either,” Wendy said.

Mouch groaned. “That’s not good.”

“McBride?” Sylvie blinked. “Why do I know that name?”

“She’s volunteered with Kidd’s Girls on Fire a few times,” Wendy replied. “That’s how I know the name. Sarah McBride.”

Kelly muttered something under his breath that Nolan was willing to bet was unkind towards the lieutenant in question, and Matt frowned. “Anything we can do to help?”

“Can you go back in time and get a clear POV that clears him?” Evan asked seriously.

Matt grimaced. “That would be nice.”

“It would be helpful for murder trials, that’s for sure,” Nolan remarked, folding his arms. “This McBride, do you know her?”

“No,” Jason denied. “I’ve never met her before. I don’t know why she’s gunning for me.”

“Could someone else have talked to her?” Herrmann wondered. “Someone on her engine?”

“I don’t know who,” Jason shook his head. “I’ve never worked anywhere near Engine 37.”

Greg’s expression darkened. “Someone from 37 didn’t have to talk to her.”

Wendy’s eyes widened, and Evan cursed, making Sylvie look at him in surprise. “No,” Jason breathed, his face draining of color. “You don’t think - ?”

“Who else has it out for you, Jason?” Greg demanded. “Who else possibly has the pull to pressure a firefighter into making a fraudulent statement like that?”

The look on Jason’s face resembled that of a man who knew he was going to his doom. Nolan didn’t like that expression on the face of someone Sylvie called a friend. “Who are we talking about?” he asked, looking around the room.

“Deputy District Chief Don Kilbourne,” Wendy answered. “He’s made it his personal mission to ruin Jason’s career.”

Nolan glanced at Jason. “And what did you do that earned you that kind of wrath?”

Jason sighed heavily and rubbed a hand over his face. “My captain at the time was on a downward spiral,” he said. “I caught him stealing at one of our scenes, and we had a fight that ended in me having to subdue him. Later, I said I wouldn’t report him if he returned the goods and took early retirement. He did both, and I told Greg and Evan to keep their mouths shut.”

“And Chief Kilbourne saw the fight?” Nolan guessed.

Jason smiled bitterly. “And saw me punch his friend.”

Nolan sighed. “Well, there’s motive right there.”

“But we don’t know if Kilbourne actually talked to McBride,” Sylvie pointed out. At the offended looks she received, she held up her hands defensively. “I’m just saying!”

Nolan tilted his head thoughtfully, running through a few ideas in his head. After a moment, he pulled out his phone and scrolled through his most recent contacts. “Nolan?” Cruz asked in confusion.

Nolan merely dialed one of his last contacts and waited patiently. After a few rings, a female voice answered. “Do you need me to follow up on those surface digs you had me do, Counselor?”

Nolan snorted then coughed, seeing the amusement on Matt and Kelly’s faces. “Not right now, thank you, Jet,” he said. “Though I was hoping you might check a few more things for me.”

“Don’t you have your own tech specialist over at the 2-7, Price?” Even though she asked the question, Nolan could hear Jet begin to type on her keyboard. “Or are you stalling?”

Nolan sighed. “No, I am not stalling, and no, I am not ignoring Frank.”

“So you know he’s being a bastard? Well, more of a bastard than usual?”

Nolan rolled his eyes. “Stone mentioned.”

“Yep, that would do it. What do you need? Off the record again, I assume?”

“Yes, please,” Nolan nodded, pretending he didn’t see the amazed and incredulous looks being passed around the room. “It’s about a Deputy District Chief named Don Kilbourne. Can you see if he visited Firehouse 37 in the past day or so?”

“Don Kilbourne . . . ” Nolan waited patiently, listening to Jet hum absently as she typed. “OK, so I tapped into - ” Nolan cleared his throat sharply, and Jet paused. “Sorry. Right. Yes, Chief Kilbourne visited a Battalion Chief Gabriel Stewart. I see it marked that he asked about a Firefighter McBride.”

Jason swallowed hard, and Ritter and Gallo leapt forward to push a chair behind him. “Can you see if he followed up on that?” Nolan asked, watching in concern as Greg guided Jason to sit.

The clicking of Jet’s mouse lasted a few seconds. “Yep, he did,” she confirmed. “Just comparing times, he was at the hospital between the time she was admitted and when she was cleared to leave.” She paused for a few seconds. “Should I keep tabs on this, too?”

Nolan sighed heavily. “Yes, please. Thank you, Detective.”

“No problem, Price.”

Nolan tapped the icon to hang up the call, and Jason buried his face in his hands. “Damnit.”

“Now I want to punch a superior officer in the face,” Matt glowered.

“Make it a good one,” Greg ground out. “For all of us.”

The bells rang overhead at that moment, summoning all rigs except for the ambulance, and Kelly groaned. “Great timing.”

“Look, it’s not over yet,” Matt told Jason firmly, squeezing his shoulder. “We’ve got your back.”

Jason managed a small smile. “Thanks, Casey.”

Matt nodded and ran for the apparatus floor, firefighters flooding after him. It left just Sylvie and Violet in the common area, and Sylvie swallowed hard. “We’ll figure out something, Pelham,” she said quietly.

“How?” Jason asked bitterly. “Kilbourne’s been in his position for years, and he’s dead set on keeping me out of any official posting. If the inquiry rules in McBride’s favor, with my record, I’m facing termination.”

“What?” Violet balked.

“No,” Greg shook his head violently. “No, they can’t do that.”

“Well, what am I supposed to do?” Jason threw his hands up in the air in exasperation. “I’m not gonna appeal to Kilbourne! That man’s an immovable object!”

“Then we make him move,” Nolan said simply.

All eyes swung to him. “What?” Jason asked blankly.

“You said there’s an inquiry,” Nolan said, beginning to pace back and forth and missing Sylvie’s knowing smile. “That means we have some time. When is it taking place?”

Jason swallowed. “Tomorrow morning.”

“But if none of Firehouse 40’s reports can clear Pelham,” Violet began.

“They don’t need to,” Nolan shook his head. “We just need McBride to rescind her statement.”

Jason scoffed. “Yeah, that’ll work. ‘Hey, I’m facing an inquiry because of a report I think you falsely filed because of the insistence of this prick of a deputy district chief. Can you rescind it?’”

“You don’t have to ask,” Wendy said, looking at Sylvie. “Can you take 61 out of service for a while? We can ask her.”

“Yeah,” Sylvie nodded, getting to her feet. “I’ll go ask Boden.”

“And if she decides to stay stuck?” Jason asked as Sylvie disappeared deeper into the firehouse.

“There’s another angle to try,” Nolan replied, folding his arms. “Sounds like your old captain owes you one hell of a favor for his career.”

Jason swallowed hard, looking pale at the thought. “I haven’t spoken to him since he took early retirement. I doubt he would just up and admit the deal we had.”

“Maybe he doesn’t have to do that,” Evan said slowly, looking deep in thought. “He and Kilbourne were friends. If McBride admits Kilbourne convinced her to make the report, maybe he can share it’s something Kilbourne could do.”

Jason still looked frozen in place, and Greg squeezed his shoulder. “You don’t have to come with us,” he said. “We can do this for you, Jason.”

“It’s just a big risk,” the man whispered.

“It is,” Nolan agreed. “But you risked your career to keep him from tanking his, and this chief is going after you when you did nothing wrong. This risk will keep you in the CFD if we play all the cards right.”

Jason looked down at his hands and gulped. “Make sure they get played right?” he asked weakly.

“Lieutenant,” Nolan smiled, “my entire job is to make sure I play all my cards correctly.”

“Boden cleared us,” Sylvie announced, jogging back into the room.

“OK,” Wendy nodded. “Brett and I go talk to McBride while Greg and Evan go talk to Stafford.”

“Want some company?” Nolan offered the two men.

“That would be a big help, actually,” Greg nodded. “And maybe if we convince Stafford first - ”

“It could help convince McBride,” Sylvie grinned.

“Alright,” Evan stood from his chair. “I’m convinced. Let’s do it.”

Jason still looked utterly terrified, so Violet moved from the couch to take Sylvie’s former chair. “We’ll be mission control,” she offered with a grin.

It got a laugh from Jason, and the lieutenant smiled when Tuesday shoved her nose into his hand. “Yeah, OK,” he nodded. “Thanks, Mikami.”

“You made sure Stafford’s career wasn’t ruined at the risk of your own,” Greg patted Jason’s shoulder. “He didn’t lose everything because of you. Sounds like a good time to repay the favor to me.”

Retired Captain Will Stafford appeared to be a stern man when he opened the door to his house, but when he laid eyes on Greg, his eyes filled with warmth. “Greg Grainger,” he smiled. “Is that you?”

“Captain Stafford, sir,” Greg smiled. “It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

“It has,” Stafford nodded, glancing at the man next to him. “And . . . Evan Hawkins, right?”

“Good memory,” Evan smiled. “Yes, sir.”

“Paramedic Field Chief,” Stafford noted. “Nicely done.” He looked at Nolan next and frowned. “I’m sorry. I don’t recognize you, though.”

“You wouldn’t, sir,” Nolan shook his head. “I just got into Chicago. My name is Nolan Price.” Stafford nodded, absorbing the knowledge, and Nolan braced himself. “I’m the Executive ADA of the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office.”

Just like that, Stafford stiffened, and Greg swallowed. “Captain, we wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t important,” he said. “Please, hear us out. Jason needs your help.”

Those seemed to be the magic words. Stafford’s eyes widened, and he stepped back, opening the door further for them. “Come on in.”

Greg sighed in relief and led the way into the house. “Thank you, sir.”

“Well,” Stafford eyed Nolan and shut the door behind the trio, “it has to be bad if there’s a prosecutor here.”

“Not in an official capacity,” Nolan assured him. “In fact, my boss threatened to demote me if I did anything close to work while I was on vacation.”

Evan did a double take. “Wait, what?”

“Well, that probably applies to prosecution work,” Nolan amended. “I don’t think he would demote me for helping out here.”

“I hope not,” Greg muttered. “Or else I’m flying up to Manhattan and arguing on your behalf, especially if this works.”

“If what works?” Stafford asked warily, taking a seat at the kitchen table.

“Jason has kept his word for two years, Captain,” Greg said, sitting across from him. “What happened at Whiskey Point has stayed between him, us, and a few other people he closely trusts. He’s done everything he can to protect you.”

“Sounds like,” Stafford nodded, glancing around at Evan and Nolan. “Something happened, didn’t it?”

“He’s been in the floater pool ever since,” Evan told him. “He only recently has a chance at having a command that will stick.”

“A chance?” Stafford’s eyes widened. “He deserves it!”

“I agree,” Greg nodded. “That’s why I want him running the squad crew at 40, but now that may not happen.”

Something flickered in Stafford’s eyes, and Nolan leaned forward, narrowing his own eyes. “You suspect something,” he deduced. “Don’t you?”

Stafford sighed and closed his eyes. “Chief Kilbourne was on the scene,” he said. “He saw Pelham hit me. He would have the authority to keep Pelham in the floater pool.” He shook his head in disappointment. “He must really have it in for him. Nobody deserves it less.”

“I agree,” Greg nodded. “And yet here we are, with Jason bracing for the possibility of being given his walking papers.”

The horror and shock on Stafford’s face was something that couldn’t be faked. “What?” he sat up straight. “You’re kidding!” He looked from Greg to Evan, but the field chief pursed his lips and shook his head. “What happened?”

“Firehouse 40 was assisted by another house on a call,” Greg explained. “A young firefighter on that engine got hurt. She’s blaming him.”

Stafford closed his eyes and hung his head, and Nolan sighed. “Captain . . . how close were you and Kilbourne?”

“I haven’t really kept up with anyone from the CFD, but he and I were tight,” Stafford admitted. “He was there when both my sons were born. Why?”

“We know Kilbourne visited Firehouse 37 and met with Battalion Chief Stewart about this firefighter,” Nolan said. “And we know he then visited her at the hospital before she was released.”

Stafford’s eyes widened in realization. “Sir, we believe Kilbourne pressured McBride into fabricating this story to frame Jason,” Evan said quietly. “Is that . . . does that sound like something he’d be capable of?”

Multiple emotions flashed across Stafford’s face before he finally settled on one: rage. “Yes,” he replied evenly, his hand curling into a fist on the tabletop. “In fact, it’s kind of his patented move.”

Nolan’s eyes widened. “Fucking hell,” Evan breathed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “How many?”

“I don’t know,” Stafford shook his head. “But he’s done it before.”

Greg took a deep breath, visibly working to calm himself. “Can you tell that to the higher-ups?” he asked.

Stafford swallowed. “That’s a big ask, Grainger.”

“I know,” Greg nodded. “But this inquiry is tomorrow, sir. Less than a day to save Jason’s career. And you owe him one hell of a favor.”

“If it’s the stealing you’re worried about, that shouldn’t come up,” Nolan said. “This is about a deputy district chief abusing his power to manipulate a young firefighter with a bright future into falsely accusing an innocent lieutenant of being the cause of her injury. That’s all.”

“Please, sir,” Greg urged. “Jason doesn’t deserve termination.”

Stafford swallowed hard. “No. No, he doesn’t.” He took a deep breath and nodded. “Alright. What do you need me to do?”

Get Pelham to Commissioner Grissom before he leaves headquarters if you can.

The moment the text from Sylvie had come in, Matt and Kelly had grabbed Boden and Jason and beelined for headquarters.  “Guys, come on,” Jason sighed.

“Nope,” Matt shook his head, pinning Jason between himself and Kelly as they headed into headquarters. “If we can put this to bed before you ever step foot in front of an inquiry board, we are absolutely doing it. Take it from me, they suck.”

“They do,” Boden agreed, leading the way through the halls. “And you shouldn’t have to go through it.”

“You won’t go through it,” Kelly corrected.

The fire commissioner was speaking with his secretary when the quartet arrived, appearing ready to leave. He blinked in surprise when they approached, but he frowned and gave them his full attention. “Chief, Captain, Lieutenants,” he acknowledged. “Office hours are over, unfortunately. I have time tomorrow.”

“This can’t wait, Commissioner,” Boden shook his head. “We wouldn’t be showing up if it could.”

“Please,” Kelly urged. “It has to be now.”

Grissom pursed his lips, his eyes flitting over the group. They finally settled on Jason, who looked like death warmed over, and he exhaled slowly. “Is this about your inquiry board tomorrow morning, Lieutenant Pelham?”

He swallowed hard. “Yes, sir.”

Grissom sighed and rubbed his forehead. “Unless you have something substantial that could delay the meeting, I don’t know what I can do.”

“Commissioner!” Sylvie’s voice settled any nerves buzzing in Matt, and he turned to see Sylvie run down the hallway, Wendy and Nolan right on her heels. “Oh, thank God,” she gasped for breath, bending over double. “They caught you.”

“Brett?” Grissom asked in confusion.

“Give me a second,” Sylvie waved his concern away. “I sprinted all the way up here. All due respect, sir, but you can’t leave. Not yet.”

Grissom looked more concerned than upset as he folded his arms. “And why can’t I?”

“Because, sir,” Wendy stepped forward, giving Sylvie a worried look as she did. Nolan placed his hand on his sister’s back in support, though, and Wendy turned back to the head of the CFD. “We just need five minutes of your time. That’s all.”

Footsteps sounding in unison made any background noise in the hall quiet, and Greg and Evan walked into view, their steps perfectly in sync. Evan’s face gave nothing away, but Greg’s eyes held a glint of triumph. Between them walked a young woman with curly hair and a pale face, her arms tight around herself, but she still walked evenly next to a grey-haired man with an expression of steel. It was the latter that made Jason swallow hard. “Cap?” he asked weakly. “What - ?”

“You’ve got some amazing friends, Jason,” the man smiled. “You should keep them.”

Jason glanced between Greg and Evan then chuckled. “Yeah. Yeah, I plan to.”

“Captain Stafford,” Grissom said slowly, walking around his secretary’s desk. “Alright, you have my attention. I never thought I would see you in CFD headquarters again.”

“I never thought I’d be here again, sir,” Stafford agreed. “But I couldn’t stay away for this.”

Grissom’s eyebrows rose, and Sylvie gave the young woman an encouraging smile. “It’s OK,” she said. “He can’t get to you here.”

Hope sprung in Matt’s chest, and he looked at Kelly with wide eyes. Did that mean . . . ?

The young woman took a deep breath, held her head high, and stepped forward. “Commissioner Grissom, I’m Firefighter Sarah McBride,” she said. “I’m the one who made the false report about Lieutenant Pelham under coercion from Deputy District Chief Kilbourne.”

The quiet that had fallen over headquarters upon the new arrivals was broken as whispers erupted from every corner. McBride swallowed hard, looking like she wanted the ground to open up and swallow her whole, but she stood ramrod straight, bravely meeting the commissioner’s gaze and refusing to look away. Grissom’s face darkened with anger, and when he spoke, it was with a quiet, even tone that Matt knew meant he was keeping a tight lid on his emotions. “That is a dangerous abuse of power if it is true, Firefighter,” he said.

“It is, sir,” McBride promised. “He visited me while I was still in the hospital, before I was cleared to leave.”

“And this isn’t the first time he’s done something like this, Commissioner,” Stafford said grimly. “Not by a long shot.”

By that point, McBride was beginning to tremble, her eyes darting around as she took in the amount of people watching the show of force. Sylvie quickly moved to her side and rubbed her back supportively, azure eyes glaring at anyone who dared to give the young firefighter a judgmental look. Grissom looked from McBride to Stafford to Jason, then he took a deep breath and removed his coat. “I hope no one here has any immediate plans,” he said. “This will take longer than five minutes.”

“I feel like I just ran a marathon,” McBride confessed the next evening at Molly’s, staring into the club soda she had been given. While several firefighters had offered to buy her a drink after she had stood her ground at headquarters, she had declined, citing the pain meds she was on as her reason for not drinking alcohol. The tables that had been pushed together for the group were laden with food instead, everyone pitching in to provide a thank you to McBride and Stafford for helping Jason. “I swear, my heart hasn’t stopped racing since last night.”

“Adrenaline is a crazy thing, isn’t it?” Sylvie grinned. “Nothing like it.”

“Finally, something that isn’t genetic,” Nolan muttered into his bourbon. “I can blame Casey and Severide for that.”

“We will happily take the blame for that,” Kelly smirked.

“Or can we blame that on her former house?” Matt grinned at Sylvie.

“Well,” Sylvie considered, “Captain Karns is a heavy rescue officer.”

Matt’s eyes widened, and Kelly choked on his beer. “You never mentioned that!” the lieutenant sputtered.

“Oh, I didn’t?” Sylvie grinned. “Oops.”

“You’re scarier than you were last year,” Greg decided.

“That you probably can blame on me,” Nolan conceded. “Sorry.”

“Ohohoho, no,” Wendy shook her head with a grin. “Don’t be sorry. I like this Brett. Is she as persuasive as you can be?”

“If I remember correctly, his words were ‘we could have switched jobs for a day, and no one would notice,’” Matt smirked.

Greg muttered a curse and dropped his head into his arms. Evan barked in laughter and patted his back comfortingly. “She would’ve eaten you alive!” he crowed.

“I still can’t believe you went into all that trouble for me,” Jason marveled.

“I’m so sorry, Lieutenant,” McBride whispered, looking down at her white-knuckled grip on her club soda. “You didn’t deserve that. I shouldn’t have done that.”

Jason had begun shaking his head before McBride finished speaking. “Kilbourne is a very persuasive man,” he told her. “And he would’ve eaten you alive, too. He has . . . had . . . a lot of pull in the CFD. A show of force is his modus operandi. You did what you had to do because you thought that was the only way you could push forward with your career. That’s a human reaction, McBride.”

“At the cost of your career,” McBride said miserably.

“Hey,” Sylvie leaned forward, placing her hands over McBride’s. “In the end, you did the right thing. Kidd and I have our differences, but she started Girls on Fire for a reason, one I fully support. Being a female member of the fire department when it’s predominantly a male profession means the deck is more than likely stacked against you . . . but that means you have to decide early on what kind of firefighter that means you’ll be: one who keeps her head down and goes with the flow while people like Kilbourne lord over her, or one who proves she has the strength to fight any battle put in front of her?”

“Believe me, Sarah,” Wendy grinned, “everyone is going to see a badass firefighter who refused to let a corrupt deputy district chief win. If any firehouse’s commanding officer doesn’t want someone like that at their house, I’ll eat my badge.”

“Any commanding officer that isn’t corrupt,” Greg pointed out.

Wendy winced. “Good point.”

“Let’s hope there isn’t,” Evan sighed, taking a sip of his beer. “Or at least one I need to have a part in taking down.” He frowned at Nolan. “And you do this for a living?”

“I convict murderers for a living,” Nolan corrected. “Convincing a remorseful captain to stand up for his former lieutenant? Piece of cake.”

Jason whistled lowly. “Thank God you’re on our side.”

“Or at least on Brett’s side,” Wendy added.

Matt snorted. “Trust me, we’ve been saying that ever since he got here.”

The door to Molly’s abruptly slammed open, and McBride’s face drained of color. “Oh, God.”

Matt spun around in his chair, seeing Kelly do the same, to find Kilbourne marching through the entryway, the man’s face twisted in an ugly sneer. “You!” he roared, pointing at a frozen McBride. “You cost me my career!”

“You did that yourself, you bastard!” Greg snapped, rocketing from his chair to join Matt and Kelly. “Did you think you could manipulate everyone for this long without getting caught?”

“Wait,” Evan blinked. “Your career? That means - ?”

“Instead of attending an inquiry board and getting rid of you,” Kilbourne snarled with a vitriolic glare at Jason, “I was called to Commissioner Grissom’s office, where he put me on administrative leave pending a full investigation . . . followed by a threat of termination!”

“Oh, I don’t think that’s a threat,” Sylvie grinned viciously. “The commissioner doesn’t say that lightly.”

“No,” Kelly agreed. “He does not.”

“All you had to do was say nothing!” Kilbourne spat, practically frothing at the mouth as he pointed at a recoiling McBride, Wendy immediately putting her arm around the young firefighter supportively, Jason moving closer as well. “Was that really so hard?”

“Hey, that’s enough!” Matt barked. “Herrmann!”

“Already calling,” Herrmann promised, his phone to his ear as he stood behind the bar, one hand outstretched to keep an outraged Stella from leaping over the bar.

“It was one thing, McBride!” Kilbourne growled, storming forward. “Why couldn’t you keep your damn mouth shut?”

Before he reached McBride, however, Sylvie smoothly stepped in his path, folding her arms and glaring daggers into Kilbourne. “Don’t you talk to her like that,” she ordered, azure eyes flashing.

Kilbourne blinked slowly, looking surprised by the petite woman daring to stand in his way. After a moment, however, that surprise was wiped away by fury that made Matt’s blood run cold in fear for the woman he loved. “Stand aside,” he told her. “Now.”

And Sylvie, brave and loyal, stubbornly shook her head. “No.”

The rage that flashed in Kilbourne’s eyes made Matt’s heart leap into his throat, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw firefighters from various houses jump to their feet as the deputy district chief strode towards Sylvie, one hand outstretched. Sylvie swallowed hard and took one step back, but she remained in Kilbourne’s path even as the man strode forward with the intent of pulling or shoving her aside. Matt didn’t want to know which it would be.

“Don’t touch her!”

The voice was so cold, so tense, so forceful, so enraged, that Matt almost didn’t recognize it. The command cut through the panicked fog settling in his brain, and he staggered in surprise, blinking rapidly as he reached for the table to steady himself. He watched Kelly and Greg do the same thing, and Kilbourne himself faltered, stumbling back several steps. Sylvie exhaled in gasp, the bravery she displayed cracking as she watched Kilbourne back away from her, but Kilbourne’s focus was no longer on her.

No, his attention, and everyone else’s, was on Nolan Price as he stood from his chair, his usually multicolored eyes now as dark as a thunderstorm as they bore into the deputy district chief. Every little sign Matt recalled seeing on Sylvie when she was angered were now blinding lights on Nolan as he rounded the group, his entire stance primed and tense for a fight. Still, his grip was gentle as he curled a hand around Sylvie’s arm and swiftly stood in front of her, guiding his sister behind him. Sylvie didn’t resist, letting Nolan plant himself in front of her like a human shield, her own hands trembling as she leaned against the table behind her.

To his credit, Kilbourne swallowed and overcame his temporary stupor. “I don’t know who the hell you are,” he growled, “but this isn’t your business.”

“You just threatened to hurt my little sister,” Nolan retorted, and Matt smothered a flinch at the venom in his tone. This was not the Nolan they had gotten used to seeing at the firehouse. This was the right hand of Manhattan’s District Attorney, the prosecutor Jefferies and Hank were so wary of. “You sure as hell made it my business.”

A stunned reaction to that piece of information had never satisfied Matt as much as it just had. “You - ?” Kilbourne began, starting to peer around Nolan to glance at Sylvie.

“You’ve said your piece,” Nolan snapped. The power in his voice drew Kilbourne’s attention back to him, and Matt swallowed hard. If this was the type of domination Nolan displayed in the courtroom, no wonder he had the reputation he possessed. “Now I’m going to say mine. You are done threatening to drop an axe on someone’s head if they don’t fall in line with you. Lieutenant Pelham didn’t deserve your childish vendetta, and Firefighter McBride sure didn’t deserve the noose you looped around her neck. You aren’t a god, Kilbourne, so don’t play with firefighters’ lives and careers like you are. If Commissioner Grissom has any sense, termination is going to be the least of your concerns.”

“Yeah?” Kilbourne sneered, some of his bravado returning. “And what the hell do you think you can do about it?”

“Oh, he did not just ask that,” Cruz breathed, Tony and Capp’s eyes lighting in glee from their table.

Nolan’s lips curved in a smirk, and he pulled his phone out of his jacket and tapped on the screen. His call was answered on the third ring. “Nolan Price,” came an unfamiliar voice, but Sylvie’s azure eyes brightened. “I heard you’ve gone missing.”

“Missing?” Nolan smirked. “No, Captain. Jack just told me to visit family for the holidays.”

“Family?” the man on the other end repeated. “I’ll be damned. It’s about time, Nolan. I expect you to get her on a call before you leave, understand?”

“Yes, sir,” Nolan chuckled. “But that’s not why I’m calling.”

“What can I do for you?”

“How fast can you start spreading word about a corrupt deputy district chief?”

Kilbourne’s eyes widened. “A corrupt deputy district chief,” the captain repeated, his jovial tone gone. Now it was all business and edged with steel. “How fast and far are we talking? FDNY or further?”

“Oh, as far as you can,” Nolan replied, a sinister grin on his face. “This bastard abused his authority to pressure a young firefighter into blaming her injury on a lieutenant he’s had a useless, pathetic vendetta against for two years, and he just tried to physically threaten Sylvie. Commissioner Grissom is threatening termination.”

“And you don’t think that’s enough.”

It wasn’t a question. “No, Captain,” Nolan confirmed. “I don’t.”

“Neither do I. I have contacts as far as Austin and Los Angeles, and they’ll be just as outraged. Have you told McCoy yet?”

“You were the first one I called,” Nolan admitted. “I hope you don’t mind, Captain, but I have you on speaker.”

“Not at all. Sylvie?”

“Yes, sir,” Sylvie answered, straightening off the table.

“Are you OK? This deputy district chief didn’t hurt you?”

“No, sir,” Sylvie shook her head. “Nolan intercepted him before he could.”

“As he’s always protected you,” the captain praised, and Nolan smirked. “Though if he had tried anything, I fully would have expected you to put your former captain’s lessons to good use.”

Sylvie giggled. “Zimmers is always going to be my captain, sir. He didn’t stop just because I left New York.”

“He’ll be delighted to hear that, Sylvie. Counselor?” The business, no-nonsense tone was back. “Give us time to work, and I guarantee this man will have a very difficult time finding a place in any firehouse in the country, let alone a department. And anywhere Zimmers and I don’t reach, McCoy certainly will.”

The color had drained from Kilbourne’s face, and the dark satisfaction on Nolan’s face made Matt so glad he was not the one in the prosecutor’s crosshairs. “Great minds think alike, Captain.”

“The 225 protects its own, and as long as I hold my command, Sylvie will always have a place at my house.” Sylvie ducked her head, tears brimming in her eyes as a smile formed on her face. “And anyone who tries to screw with her had better be ready to screw with us. We’ll get right to work.”

“I appreciate it, Rick,” Nolan smiled. “Something tells me a bunch of people here in Chicago will appreciate it, too. Thank you.”

“One does one’s humble best. Enjoy your time with your sister, Nolan.”

“I always do.” A click signaled the end of the call, and Nolan made a show of putting his phone on the table behind him and folding his arms as he looked at Kilbourne. “Do I need to make any other calls?” he asked. “Or are you ready to get the hell out of this bar because no one wants you here?”

“I would leave while you have the chance, Kilbourne.” Hank’s gravelly voice made Kilbourne sharply turn to face the Intelligence sergeant who stood in the doorway, flanked by Jay, Adam, and Kevin. “You made enough enemies today out of the CFD,” Hank continued. “You don’t want the weight of McCoy’s office on you, too.”

“Like it would be a chore for Jack, though,” Sylvie mumbled.

Nolan smirked in silent agreement, and Kilbourne snarled like a wounded animal as he glared at Nolan. “You’ll regret this,” he warned.

Nolan scoffed. “No, I won’t. You threatened the most important person in the world to me. If bringing this city to its knees and burning it to ashes would protect her, I would do it in a heartbeat and with a smile on my face. What do you think that means I’m willing to do to you?” Not even a breath was heard in the silence that fell over Molly’s, and Nolan stepped forward until he stood toe to toe with Kilbourne. Before that day, Kilbourne’s predatory glare would have made Matt cautious. Now, however, Kilbourne was clearly the prey for the apex predator that Nolan portrayed. “Let Intelligence escort you out, now,” he seethed. “Or you’ll find out.” Hank made a gesture with his hand, and Adam and Kevin stepped forward. Kilbourne sneered but finally acquiesced, sharply turning and walking for the door. Hank and Jay stepped aside for the man to leave, and Nolan huffed, turning and picking up his drink. “Good riddance,” he muttered, downing the rest of his bourbon in one go.

“You know, I hear all the time in movies and shows that someone can ruin a life with one phone call, and it always seems a little extreme,” Jay remarked. “Now I know better.”

“It just needs to be the right phone call,” Nolan shrugged nonchalantly.

“Alright,” Wendy turned to the bar with wide eyes. “His next drink is on me. That was awesome.”

Hank eyed Nolan appraisingly before giving a nod of approval. “Nice work, Price.”

“Always happy to put bastards like that in their place,” Nolan nodded in return, holding out his hand for Sylvie which she instantly took. “Especially one like that.”

“If this place has cameras, I want that video,” Greg declared with a grin. “That was priceless.”

“Thank you,” McBride swallowed. “No one’s stuck up for me like that before.”

“Well, get used to it,” Sylvie told her, taking a deep breath and retaking her seat.

Nolan nodded in agreement, rubbing his thumb over Sylvie’s knuckles. “You’re OK?” he asked.

“Yeah,” Sylvie nodded. “I’m OK. He just spooked me for a moment.” She shook her head with a chuckle. “I didn’t expect you to call Karns.”

“Well, who better to start with?” Nolan shrugged. “It was either him or Commissioner Newhart, and Karns knows you best. Plus, he’s right down the street from Jack.”

“So you’re on a first name basis with her former captain?” Evan asked for clarification.

Nolan snorted. “Who else would I go to when I wanted to gloat about her accomplishments here?”

Sylvie blushed, and Jason shook his head in amazement. “I know you stood up for Sylvie, but thank you for putting him in his place,” he said. “He’s been holding a sword over my head for so long.”

“You’re welcome,” Nolan smiled. “Clearly, you didn’t deserve any of it. If I hate anything, it’s an innocent person being punished unfairly.” He wrapped his arm around Sylvie, accepting the bourbon Herrmann handed him with his free hand. “Besides, I meant what I said. Threaten Sylvie, and it’s my business.”

Sylvie beamed up at Nolan in clear adoration as she leaned her head on his shoulder, and as Nolan kissed her temple, Matt caught sight of Stella behind the bar. She clutched a dish towel with white fingers, and her expression resembled that of a deer standing in headlights. When she realized Matt was watching her, she swallowed hard and turned back to her work, pointedly not looking anywhere near them. Matt finally felt his hackles lower as they all retook their seats, Molly’s slowly returning to normal now that Kilbourne was gone. A clear point had been made: there was no line Nolan wouldn’t cross for his Sylvie.

And it seemed like that was finally sinking in for Stella.

Chapter Text

“I still can’t believe you lost your temper like that,” Sylvie marveled as she shut the door to her locker at 51.

“That?” Nolan scoffed, leaning against the lockers behind Sylvie with his ankles crossed. “Please. It would’ve been worse if he actually had gotten a hand on you.”

Sylvie gave him a sly look. “What, put a hand on me, lose the whole arm?”

“My equivalent of it, yes,” Nolan smiled cheekily.

Sylvie giggled in amusement and fastened her watch. “Now I think Joe was right about anyone wanting to date me needing to be worried since I have you as a protector.”

Nolan raised an eyebrow. “That depends on who’s interested in you and what I think of them.”

Sylvie gave him an exasperated look, but she paused when Nolan gave her a pointed one in return. “Nolan,” she began, swallowing hard.

“You admitted you love them, Sylvie,” Nolan interrupted gently. “Maybe you don’t notice it, but I do. Their eyes follow you the entire time you’re in the same room as them if they aren’t following each other. And your back was turned, so I won’t blame you for this one, but when Kilbourne moved towards you, they were ready to jump in and intervene themselves. They likely would have if I didn’t give him a piece of my mind first.” Sylvie ducked her head and looked at her feet, and Nolan pushed off the lockers and walked towards her, putting two fingers under her chin and urging her to look up at him. “They make you happy, Sylvie, and clearly you do the same with them,” he told her. “What’s there for me to worry about when it comes to Casey and Severide?”

Sylvie scoffed. “Our bitter exes?”

“Oh, screw them,” Nolan rolled his eyes. “The Dawsons will go back to Puerto Rico eventually, and if Kidd wants to advance her career like everyone says she does, that can’t happen here at 51 where all the officer positions are taken.”

Sylvie swallowed. “Not unless things go seriously south for Matt.”

“They won’t,” Nolan said firmly. “The Dardens don’t want to go back to Portland, and those vultures have made some serious missteps that Langan won’t hesitate to shove into their faces. Casey isn’t going anywhere, Sylvie. Have faith, soror cara.”

Sylvie closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “I’ll do my best.”

“That’s all anyone can ask for,” Nolan smiled and kissed her forehead. “Now . . . last shift before your oversight panel. You ready?”

Sylvie smiled weakly. “As ready as I can be.”

“Oh, great!”

Sylvie’s exclamation from the counter made Matt look up from his paperwork. “What’s going on?” he asked, seeing the rest of the firefighters had turned as well.

“Oh,” Sylvie looked up and waved her phone in explanation, Nolan stepping away to refill his coffee mug. “Nolan updated my contacts for the 225. Most of them are still the same, thankfully.”

“Yeah, speaking of which, you tell my boys,” Kelly folded his arms and playfully glared. “You left out a very important detail about your old firehouse’s commanding officer.”

“Tell us what?” Capp spun around from talking to Tony, the engineer’s head poking up over his newspaper.

Sylvie blushed. “You suck, Kelly.”

“So get this,” Kelly turned to his crew. “Her former captain? He runs a heavy rescue squad.”

“What?” Cruz’s jaw dropped as he looked at Sylvie. “Girl!”

“Well, it never came up!” Sylvie said defensively, glaring at Nolan when her brother snorted in amusement. “It didn’t! Most of you didn’t even know I came from New York, let alone worked at a house with a heavy rescue squad!”

“You didn’t need to mention the New York bit!” Capp argued.

“With how competitive you guys are?” Sylvie snorted. “You’d have immediately wanted to know who you were up against to prove you were the better team.”

Four squad firefighters’ mouths hung open in shock, and Matt burst into snickers. “She’s got you there!” he crowed.

Kelly whipped around and glared at his boyfriend, but an unfamiliar ringtone stopped any chances of that happening. Nolan choked on his coffee and searched for his phone, and he grinned when he saw the Caller ID. “Sorry, guys,” he apologized, placing his coffee on the counter and placing his phone by his ear. “And what happened that finally made you call?” he asked.

“What the hell happened to make McCoy and Stone act like they’re going to war?”

The no-nonsense voice had Nolan smirking. “Oh, going to war, are they?” he asked, unable to keep from grinning when Sylvie choked on her coffee that time. “I don’t know. Did you do anything recently to piss them off?”

A curious combination of a growl and a groan was his response. “Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, Nolan. I can hear you smirking.”

“Yeah, well, I’m the one who’s been fielding calls left and right about what a jolly mood you’re in this holiday season,” Nolan retorted, leaning against the back of the sofa and absently scratching Tuesday’s head. “I think it’s a fair question.”

There was a brief pause, then a sigh came over the other end. “A little heads up that you were leaving would have been appreciated.”

Nolan’s expression softened. “Frank, if I had known Jack was planning on cashing in my time off, I would’ve mentioned it,” he said. “I would’ve appreciated the heads up before he filed the leave for me, but he didn’t give me a chance to argue. Besides, I can’t remember the last time I took a vacation. He knew I needed it.”

“And you definitely deserve one with how the Wheatley trial went,” Frank conceded. “Fine, I’ll lay off Stone a bit.” Nolan snorted dubiously. “I said ‘a bit!’”

“Uh huh,” Nolan snickered. “You know he got the temporary position dropped in his lap, too, right? Jack likes keeping us on our toes.”

“Well, he’s keeping everyone on their toes right now,” Frank grumbled. “They’re both seriously pissed off about something.” Nolan barked in laughter and quickly covered his mouth. “You do know something!”

“OK, yes, I know what’s got him and Stone in a twist,” Nolan admitted. “It’s got nothing to do with you or the NYPD, though. Don’t worry about it.”

“As long as I don’t have prosecutors going after me for something I didn’t do, I’ll do my best,” Frank replied. “But seriously, warn me the next time you pull a disappearing act. Otherwise, you’re telling Lily you didn’t get kidnapped.”

Nolan chuckled. “No scaring Lily. Got it.”

“And on a more serious note . . . ” Frank’s voice softened. “Look, I won’t pry since I know you need the vacation, but wherever you are, just stay safe, alright? Stabler and Bell don’t think Wheatley will go to prison quietly, and everyone here is on edge waiting for the other shoe to drop. I don’t want to come into work one of these days to the news that you got greenlit.”

Nolan smiled fondly, recognizing the concern in his best friend’s voice. “I’ll be careful,” he promised. “The police here know about the Wheatley trial. Their ears are to the ground just in case. And if something does happen, I’ll be on the first flight back I can get.”

Frank sighed heavily. “That does make me feel a little better. Better than nothing at all, I suppose.” A faint voice on the other end made Frank pause, then the detective grumbled in annoyance. “The prosecutors got something. Guess I can throw in an apology to Stone while I’m over there. Take care, Nolan. Let me know when you’re heading back?”

“I will,” Nolan nodded. “Thanks, Frank. Enjoy your holidays.”

“Thanks. You, too.”

Nolan tapped his screen to end the call, and he smirked at Sylvie as he put his phone back in his pocket. “I guess Karns really did get right to work. According to Frank, Jack and Peter are ‘going to war.’”

Sylvie sighed and rubbed her forehead. “At this rate, Kilbourne isn’t even going to be able to walk into any fire department headquarters.”

“So?” Nolan shrugged unrepentantly. “It’s his own fault for abusing his authority in such a way. You reap what you sow.”

“Just out of curiosity,” Gallo frowned, “how many defenders noticeably dread facing you in court?”

Sylvie grinned. “Enough that I remember hearing whispers about defenders preferring to swallow nails over going against him.”

Violet shuddered at the mental image. “Ugh.”

“That’s it,” Herrmann threw his hands in the air. “I’ve heard enough. Anyone who actually wants to go up against you has to be insane.”

“With the way this job takes a toll on you?” Nolan tilted his head side to side as he took back his coffee. “It can happen.”

Matt had no clue why Sylvie had been nervous leading up to the oversight panel. The moment she stepped up to the podium, she had captured everyone’s attention and held them in the palm of her hand. She knew exactly how to give her pitch, weaving a story - a true one, Matt knew that because of the binder he and Kelly reviewed - of how her program was not only reducing nonemergency calls but also promoting wellness and mental health awareness. The patients Hawkins had arranged to transport backed up her entire speech.

It was later at Molly’s, Mouch behind the bar and handing out glasses for wine, that Matt realized he had been watching a mirror image of Nolan. “OK, serious question,” he leaned on his forearm and pointed between Nolan and Sylvie. “Is charisma genetic? Because I swear, I was watching Nolan give that presentation.”

Nolan laughed loudly as Sylvie blushed. “That’s all Sylvie,” the prosecutor promised, slinging his arm around her shoulders. “I did tell you she sat in on every trial she could.”

“Monkey see, monkey do,” Violet nodded in understanding.

“Well, the monkey did an amazing job,” Mouch smirked, pouring Sylvie a heavy helping of wine. “Your program is smart and effective and forward-thinking, and they heard that today. No matter what happens - and with the CFD bureaucracy, you really never know - you did an absolutely terrific job, Brett.”

“Thank you,” Sylvie smiled. “And I appreciate all of you being there. It meant a lot to me.”

“Like we were gonna miss it,” Kelly shook his head.

“Any idea when a verdict will come in?” Violet asked.

The door to Molly’s opened, and Nolan straightened. “We may already have one.”

Matt turned and watched Evan step into the bar, a grin on his face. “Chief?” Sylvie asked hopefully.

“I hope I’m not interrupting,” Evan said, looking around the bar.

“You can interrupt all you’d like if it’s good news,” Mouch told him.

“Then why wait?” Evan grinned. “They voted unanimously, Brett. You’re fully funded.”

Violet shrieked in delight, and Nolan hastily ducked out of the way as she tackled Sylvie in a hug. “Never doubted it!” Kelly whooped.

“Alright, forget the wine,” Mouch declared. “I’m getting the good champagne!”

“Congratulations, Brett,” Evan smiled proudly. “You deserve it.”

“Thank you, Chief,” Sylvie smiled happily, carefully extracting herself from her exuberant partner. “And thank you for backing me so much. I appreciate it.”

“You made me believe in it,” Evan said simply. “I was with you every step of the way after that.”

“Still,” Sylvie held out her hand. “Thank you very much.”

Evan smiled brightly and shook her hand. “My pleasure.”

Sylvie spun and grinned widely at Matt and Kelly, and the truck captain felt his heart flip-flop in his chest. “Finally!” she cheered.

“Well?” Kelly gestured impatiently. “C’mere!”

Sylvie needed no further prompting to fling her arms around them, and Matt was all too happy to pull her close. “That’s our girl,” he praised, smiling into the crook of her neck. “Way to go, Sylvie.”

“Thank you,” she beamed. “Oh, I finally feel like I’m not stuck underwater in the middle of winter.”

Kelly grimaced. “There’s an image.”

Sylvie blushed. “It’s been a long, hard month.”

Matt snorted. “You’re telling me.”

Sylvie grinned impishly in reply, and Matt didn’t need to look over her head to know Nolan was watching them. He looked anyway, and while he was used to seeing disapproving or warning looks on the faces of people related to the person he was romantically interested in, that wasn’t how Nolan looked at all. Granted, Nolan didn’t look overjoyed, but given the conversation that had taken place nights ago at Molly’s, Matt knew he and Kelly had his approval. No, the prosecutor’s expression was clear: what better opportunity could they possibly have than the one in front of them?

One glance at Kelly, and Matt knew he was on the same wavelength. “Wanna get out of the city for a night?” the lieutenant asked. “We could all use an escape.”

Sylvie blinked in surprise, but she quickly smiled and nodded. “That sounds perfect, actually.” She looked over her shoulder with a sly smirk. “As long as Nolan can survive a night in Chicago without me.”

Nolan snorted and rolled his eyes. “I’ll manage, Sylvie. I’ve hogged enough of your time. Spend one with your boys.”

Sylvie blushed bright red, but she didn’t argue with her brother. “Finally, someone says it, and it’s someone she isn’t going to argue with,” Mouch sighed in relief.

Nolan snorted as he took the champagne handed to him. “She can try and argue if she wants. She just knows I argue for a living.”

It had been funny watching Griffin and Ben’s amusement as the teenagers assured their guardian they would be fine at the loft for one night by themselves. Griffin had been quick to remind Matt that they had been on their own with no one noticing for an entire month - what was one night compared to that?

So while that launched Sylvie into a long rant about how the Dardens were never going back to Portland, it meant she never noticed Nolan sneak a piece of her jewelry from where she had placed them in a small bowl on the counter. He waited until Sylvie had been gone for an hour, then he texted one of the contacts he had gotten in the past week. “Thanks for this,” he told the detective gratefully as they walked through the halls of Chicago Med.

“You’re welcome,” Jay smiled, pressing the button for one of the floors as the elevator doors closed. “You’re doing me a favor, in a way. 51 is taking all your time, and the only prosecutor I ever really got to know was Stone.”

“And Sylvie hogged him,” Nolan guessed.

Jay snorted. “Like you wouldn’t believe. It makes complete sense now, but I really wonder how Casey and Severide would’ve reacted if they were the same people they are now.”

“Please,” Nolan smirked. “Stone was the one who finally helped kick Rollins and Carisi into gear. If Casey and Severide had been into Sylvie then like they are now, he would’ve happily done what he could to get them together.”

“True,” Jay chuckled. “Main desk is right over here.”

Nolan followed Jay into the Emergency Department, his multicolored eyes taking in every detail he could. Various doctors and nurses glanced over at him curiously, and he noticed a few of them blinked in recognition. A pair at the desk looked up at their arrival, and an older black woman who looked slightly familiar smiled. “Ah, I wondered if we might get a visit,” she said warmly, walking around the desk with a hand outstretched. “Nolan Price, yes?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Nolan nodded. “I’m guessing you’re Ms. Goodwin.”

“Yes, I am,” Goodwin confirmed. “Welcome to Chicago Med.” She frowned in concern and looked him up and down. “Though I hope it’s not for medical help.”

“Oh, no, nothing like that,” Nolan assured her. He paused, reconsidering Goodwin, then cleared his throat. “You don’t happen to have any relatives in New York, do you?”

Goodwin blinked then shook her head. “No, none that I’m aware of. Why?”

Nolan coughed and shook his head. “Just curious.”

“And this is Dr. Daniel Charles,” Goodwin gestured to the man who had been standing with her. “He’s our Chief of Psychiatry. Dr. Charles, do you know who this is?”

“Only from brief glances at Brett’s file,” Charles replied, a friendly smile on his face as he stepped forward. “I wondered what it may take for us to finally meet you.”

Nolan grimaced. “Let’s not go down that line of thought.”

“Nope,” Jay rapidly shook his head. “I’ve heard rumors of what you’re like when you’re on a warpath. I’m not going there.”

“We all heard that rumor,” Goodwin said darkly. “Thank you for dealing with that horrible man, Counselor.”

“It was my genuine pleasure,” Nolan smirked.

“So,” Charles folded his hands on the desk. “What can we do for you? I assume this isn’t just a social call.”

“It sort of is,” Jay looked around. “Will is on shift tonight, isn’t he?”

“He is,” Goodwin nodded. “He and Maggie are checking with a patient right now, but I think they should be done in a moment.”

“Will?” a woman with her dark hair held up with a clip asked as she walked up, a clipboard under her arm. “Yeah, he’s just adjusting the IV line. He’ll be out shortly.” She tilted her head as she considered Nolan. “You look familiar for some reason.”

Jay snorted. “Wait until you see him next to Brett.”

“What’s wrong with Brett?” a bearded man in black scrubs asked as he arrived next, his brow furrowed in concern.

Nolan sighed and rubbed his forehead. “You know, I really wish my sister had been joking when she said 51 might as well have an assigned doctor.”

“Has 51 regaled you with some of their crazier stunts on the job?” Jay asked. “Or off them?”

Nolan gave him a dirty look. “You’re a big help, Detective.”

“Arson chasers,” Jay shrugged. “That’s all I’m saying.”

“Arson chasers?” That came from a red-haired man who emerged from one of the curtained-off beds, his intelligent eyes surveying the room. “Did we get Casey, Severide, or Brett in here?”

Nolan groaned. “This was a bad idea.”

“No, this was a great idea,” Jay grinned. “Remember, I told you I could easily give you Will’s number. You were the one who asked if we could actually visit the hospital.”

“And I regret it very much,” Nolan muttered.

Will paused in the middle of clicking his pen, then he pointed it at Nolan. “You’re her brother,” he deduced. “Nolan, right?” At the startled looks from the dark-haired pair, Will shrugged. “I’ve seen her file enough to remember who to call if disaster struck. Doctor-patient confidentiality, you know.”

“Assigned doctor,” Nolan repeated with a defeated sigh. “Seriously.” He nodded and stepped around Jay, hand outstretched. “Nolan Price. Thank you for every time you’ve looked after my sister when she’s been here.”

“Will Halstead,” Will replied, firmly shaking Nolan’s hand. “Thankfully, she’s one of the easier patients I get from 51. First responders are notoriously awful patients.” Nolan made a face, and Will smirked. “Not surprised?”

“I wish I could be,” Nolan grumbled. “Remind me to share the story about the first five-alarm her house in Manhattan got called to.”

“Please wait until we’re at Molly’s,” Jay grinned. “Or when she isn’t there so we have blackmail material.”

“We’ll see.”

“These are my partners, Natalie Manning and Connor Rhodes,” Will introduced. “Nat specializes in pediatrics, and Connor runs the ED.” He turned and gestured to the black woman in blue scrubs who pulled the curtain behind her. “And this is Maggie Lockwood, the charge nurse of the ED. Mags, this is Brett’s older brother, Nolan Price.”

Maggie blinked. “Wait. Brett has an older brother?”

Nolan pinched the bridge of his nose. “This was more entertaining the first few times I went through this.”

“It’s a long story,” Jay said, taking pity on Nolan and patting his shoulder. “One I’m sure we’ll all hear before he goes back to New York. He’s the Executive Assistant District Attorney in Manhattan. He’s one of Stone’s bosses.”

“Ah,” Connor folded his arms. “So you stole him.”

“Jack stole him,” Nolan corrected. “And if you would like to try and convince Captain Benson he should move back here and do a long distance relationship, go ahead.”

Connor winced. “No, thank you.”

Nolan smirked. “I thought not.”

“So, what brings you here?” Natalie asked curiously. “Brett isn’t here, is she?”

“No,” Nolan shook his head. “She got full funding for her paramedicine program, so Casey and Severide took her out for the night.”

“Oh, thank God,” Connor sighed in relief. “Did they finally make a move?”

“If they don’t, we may need to stage an intervention,” Will said, no sign of a joke on his face. “It’s getting ridiculous.”

Nolan gave Jay a look of disbelief. “Does everyone in this city know those three belong together?”

“Everyone except them, the Dawsons, and Kidd, apparently,” Jay quipped.

“Lovestruck idiots,” Natalie muttered.

“Natalie,” Charles sighed.

“What?” Natalie asked defensively. “They are!”

“And how long did it take for you, Will, and Connor to figure out your relationship?”

That made Natalie blush, and Connor shook his head. “What would you two have done if I hadn’t come back to take the chief of the ED position?” he wondered.

“Let’s not think about that,” Will huffed. “Anyway. What can we help with?”

“You went to a jeweler to get a ring resized, didn’t you?” Nolan asked.

Will blinked in surprise. “I did, back when I was getting ready to propose to Natalie,” he confirmed. “You need the name?”

“Yes, please,” Nolan nodded. “It’s the perfect time to visit with Sylvie out of the city for the night.”

“Yeah, give me a second,” Will said, putting down his clipboard and looking around the desk area. “Oh, thanks, Mags.”

“No problem,” Maggie smiled, handing him a Post-It pad and a pen.

“Christmas gift for Sylvie?” Goodwin guessed.

“Yes,” Nolan nodded. “But I don’t plan on looking at anything there.”

Natalie narrowed her eyes. “Now I’m curious.”

“You’ll find out when Sylvie gets her present,” Nolan smirked.

“Alright,” Will said, tearing off the top Post-It and handing it to Nolan. “That’s the name and the address of the shop. One of the best in the city for a reasonable price, too.”

“Thank you, Will,” Nolan smiled. “I appreciate it. Sylvie will, too, once she gets this for Christmas.”

“Now I’m curious,” Jay admitted.

“Like I said,” Nolan smirked. “You’ll find out once Sylvie does.”

“Seriously?” Sylvie stared in surprise as Kelly stepped out of the kitchen and held out a glass to her. “You keep a bottle of my favorite rosé here?”

“Of course,” Kelly said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. “Why wouldn’t I keep your favorite drink here?”

Sylvie shook her head in disbelief but took the glass. “The stupidest thing Kidd ever did was break up with you.”

Matt snorted his opinion of that statement. “Her loss is our gain.”

“Damn right,” Kelly agreed. “And the Dawsons’ losses are mine. To never giving those three the time of day again.”

“I’ll drink to that,” Matt raised his glass.

“Can I drink the entire thing?” Sylvie asked, eyeing her glass.

“There’s still more in the bottle,” Kelly assured her.

“Excellent,” Sylvie decided, downing most of her wine in one go. “Because those three are getting on nerves I didn’t even know existed.”

“So screw them,” Matt shrugged. “The Dawsons will be out of here soon and Kidd will eventually get placed at another house.”

“You know, Nolan said almost the exact same thing the other day,” Sylvie smiled.

“Your brother is a smart man,” Kelly smirked.

“Why couldn’t he show up every time we needed something fixed in our lives?” Matt wondered.

“That would be nice, wouldn’t it?” Sylvie sighed, adjusting her position so she reclined across the couch, her feet kicked up on the armrest as she stared up at the ceiling. “Honestly, this was shaping up to be the worst holidays ever before he showed up.”

Matt frowned. “The worst?” he repeated.

“Well, the situation in Portland,” Sylvie pointed out. “Your place here was in jeopardy, then in came the Dawsons looking to blow up everything. And Kidd clearly is still after Kelly.”

Kelly snorted. “That’s not happening.”

“I was in danger of losing the people who mean the most to me, and I was in danger of potentially losing my paramedicine program,” Sylvie continued. “So yeah, diving into the freezing river sounded tempting for a time.”

“And look at where we are now,” Matt said, pushing off the wall and walking towards the living area. “Nolan got me a lawyer who’s sure to keep me here in Chicago, and you’ve got full funding. We’ve almost got everything we want.”

Sylvie hummed in agreement, but then she blinked and looked at Matt. “Almost?” she repeated.

“Maybe everything was the wrong word,” Matt amended. “Kelly?”

“I think everyone is a better one,” Kelly agreed.

Sylvie slowly sat back up, her azure eyes looking between Matt and Kelly. “Everyone?” she repeated.

Kelly sighed, placing his glass on the table next to his chair. “You two give me heart attacks, you know,” he said. “The ambulance going over the bridge, the drunk driver sending you crashing into the ground . . . I swear, I don’t know who it would hurt more to lose. It’s been me and Matt since the academy, but Sylvie . . . God, I can’t picture a life without you.”

“And I don’t want to picture a life without either of you,” Matt added, pausing before he reached Sylvie and gesturing to the cushion next to her. She swallowed but nodded, shifting over and giving him room to sit. Matt immediately did, not breaking eye contact with the paramedic. “It’s a scary feeling, one I’m not familiar with. If I had to choose between you and Sev, I couldn’t. I’d sooner tear out what remains of my heart because the two of you have the rest of it.”

Sylvie’s eyes were wide, but there was no fear in them. Was Matt reading too hard, or did he see a glimmer of hope there? “I know that feeling all too well,” she whispered, turning from Matt to look at Kelly. “But I didn’t . . . I thought - ”

She cut herself off and looked down, pressing her lips tightly together. “You thought we may judge you for loving two people at the same time,” Kelly guessed.

Sylvie winced. “You saw how Kidd reacted.”

“And you know what I told her the other day when she tried to imply this wouldn’t be possible?” Kelly asked, taking the seat on Sylvie’s other side. “I told her I don’t want anything to do with her because I want everything with you and Matt. I meant it then, and I mean it now.”

“Kelly and I already talked about this, and we’re of the same mind,” Matt said, holding out his hand. He didn’t touch Sylvie, though, waiting for her to give him a cue. When she reached for him in return, he took her hand in his, tangling their fingers together. “This is the most stable we’ve been at any point in our lives. We love each other. We love you. The only way we lose in this scenario is if you don’t feel the same.”

“I do,” Sylvie nodded rapidly. “I want nothing more. I just had no clue . . . ”

“There’s a lot to figure out,” Kelly admitted. “There’s the chain of command, Boden can help us with that. And of course, those vultures in Portland need to be handled.”

“But right now, everything is going right in our lives,” Matt said, brushing his thumb over Sylvie’s knuckles. “There’s no better time to go for what we want, and I want this. I want to be here in Chicago with the boys and the two people I love. I’ve never had a relationship like this before, but God, I want it, Sylvie. I want you and Kelly.”

“So do I,” Kelly nodded. “It’s been the three of us for years. You, me, and Matt . . . we fit, Sylvie. This is how we’re supposed to be. We belong together. Whatever that life will ultimately look like down the road, that’s the life I want. That’s the life I choose.”

“It’s up to you, Sylvie,” Matt told her. “We’re in this however you are.”

Sylvie’s eyes darted between Matt and Kelly, and she exhaled shakily. “God, I really want to kiss you both right now,” she admitted with a sheepish laugh.

And how could Matt miss a cue like that? He chuckled and released Sylvie’s hand to cup her chin. “Is that a yes?” he asked.

The smile he received from Sylvie was bright enough that he was certain it could power Chicago all by itself. “Yes,” she nodded. “Absolutely, yes.”

Kelly grinned victoriously, his emerald eyes brightening in the firelight, and Matt tilted Sylvie’s head up and kissed her. She eagerly kissed him in return, and Matt smiled against her mouth, delighting in her shiver. He and Kelly had said there was a puzzle to piece together, and now that final piece was slotting perfectly into place. They had all waltzed around each other for long enough, and finally they were all sharing the same dance.

And as Sylvie turned and took the initiative to pull Kelly into a kiss, the lieutenant happily following her lead and tangling his fingers in her hair, there was a part of Matt that smugly thanked Stella and the Dawsons for showing up when they did. In a way, they could blame themselves for pushing them together, and Matt would greedily take his loves with both hands and never give them up.

Now he had everything he wanted.

Chapter Text

Snow had started falling before Kelly had risen in the morning, and he leaned against the windowsill and smiled as he watched the flakes dance through the wind. “I’m glad our internal clocks are hardwired to wake as early as we did,” he remarked. “It’s gonna be a longer drive back to 51.”

“I don’t mind,” Sylvie smiled from where she had curled up on the chair closest to the window, a mug of coffee cradled in her hands and her blonde curls tumbling over one of Kelly’s old sweatshirts. It was the only garment she had on, and it was the only one she needed with the fire crackling merrily. “I love the snow. Not when it’s the cause of our calls, but in Manhattan, it always made me realize the holidays really were right around the corner.”

“And we only have two shifts left until Christmas,” Matt said, stopping behind Sylvie and dropping a kiss on the top of her head. The bright smile she bestowed him made Kelly hastily hide his own grin behind his coffee mug. God, could he be any happier with how this trip had turned out? “I guess it’s another sign.”

Sylvie sighed and leaned against Matt’s side, her eyes fluttering as the captain ran his fingers through her hair. “It really does remind me of Manhattan.”

“What did you do when you worked on Christmas?” Kelly asked curiously. “You’ve always looked a little down when we’ve done it at 51.”

“Because Nolan always spent the day at the 225, whether I was working Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, without fail,” Sylvie replied, her azure eyes slightly dimming. “Captain Karns practically insisted on it the first year my shift fell on Christmas Day. Most of the firehouse’s families came by throughout the day and went to other gatherings at other times, but me and Nolan . . . we only had each other. So Karns made sure Nolan knew he was always welcome for any holiday.”

Matt whistled lowly, sounding impressed. “Your captain sounds like a good man.”

“He is,” Sylvie nodded in agreement. “You’d like him.”

“Sounds like we’ll have to visit Manhattan one year,” Kelly smiled.

Sylvie grinned. “I’m holding you to that.”

“I expect you to,” Kelly chuckled, finishing his coffee and placing the mug in the sink. “Because after all the surprises Nolan somehow keeps managing to pull off this year, I fully want to repay the favor somehow.”

“We’ll figure out a way,” Sylvie chirped, standing from the chair and padding to the kitchen so she could put her own mug in the sink. “We may need to twist Voight’s arm, but we’ll figure it out.”

Matt snorted loudly. “If Voight doesn’t let you leave Chicago to spend time with your family after the lengths Nolan went to this year, then he doesn’t have a heart.”

“I think Jay, Hailey, and Kim have melted some of the ice around it,” Sylvie mused thoughtfully.

Kelly snickered. “That’ll do it.”

Cruz, Tony, and Capp were already in uniform and sitting at the squad table when the trio arrived at 51 for their shift. Nolan was already there, too, and he was leaning against the table and listening to Cruz, who was gesturing as he spoke. Once the three were in his line of sight, however, Nolan immediately looked up and raised an expectant eyebrow. “Don’t,” Sylvie instantly said with a warning point.

“I didn’t say anything,” Nolan held up his hands in protest.

“Don’t you dare!”

“I didn’t say anything!”

That made Capp and Tony look up from their crosswords, and all it took for them to piece everything together was Matt and Kelly grinning and Cruz’s gaze zeroing in on Sylvie’s faint blush. “Finally!” Cruz shouted happily, jumping from his chair to hug a now bright red Sylvie.

“The painful wait is over!” Tony laughed.

“Painful?” Kelly repeated with an indignant squawk.

“Lieutenant,” Capp leaned forward. “I mean this with all due respect . . . do you really want to know how detailed our plans for locking the three of you in a room with no escape were beginning to get?”

Kelly stared at Capp in shock, and Matt rolled his eyes with a sigh. “I dread asking.”

“I’m not going to ask,” Nolan shook his head. “Because I don’t want details. I will gladly encourage my sister to go for the men she loves, but I don’t want to know more than that.”

By that point, Sylvie’s face burned almost as red as the rigs behind her. “Nolan!”

The raucous laughter from the squad firefighters made Kelly shake his head, but he was unable to keep a smile from his face. “I guess that means you approve?” he asked dryly.

“When these two are the ones who make you smile like that?” Cruz grinned, clapping Kelly on the shoulder. “Of course, we approve, boss.”

“None of us have ever been in love with more than one person at once, so we may not completely understand,” Capp shrugged. “But you’re happy. That’s what matters.”

Tony nodded in agreement, and Matt smiled. “Thanks, guys.”

“We should probably be thanking Nolan, too,” Cruz remarked as the group headed into the common area. “Everything’s been going right since he got here.”

Nolan snorted. “Careful, Cruz. You may jinx it.”

“What is Cruz jinxing?” Gallo asked, looking up from his work in the kitchen.

“My capabilities as a miracle worker, apparently.”

“Matt, Kelly, and I had that conversation this morning, actually,” Sylvie giggled, bounding over to the cupboards and grabbing four mugs. “And you promised me you would add that to your résumé when you went back.”

“Yeah, I did, didn’t I?” Nolan sighed, pausing to scratch Tuesday’s head. “And I’ve never broken a promise to you.”

“Just record Jack’s reaction when he sees it, please,” Sylvie grinned.

“He’ll understand once I tell him why I add it,” Nolan huffed. “Though Stone may complain.” Sylvie blinked, and Nolan shrugged. “He, Benson, and Fin complained all the time that it would take a miracle to get Rollins and Carisi together.”

“They’re both still there?” Antonio asked in surprise.

Nolan barely blinked at the appearance of the Dawson siblings. “And they finally admitted their feelings for each other last New Year. I swear, Stone was plotting how to lock them somewhere in the courthouse. He was getting fed up with them.” He snorted. “Ironic, given that Benson is usually the one who advocates for acting.”

“So what happened?” Sylvie asked.

“Oh, he started pointing out every single time they put each other above anything else,” Nolan grinned. “And then he went right for the kill: Jesse and Billie treat Carisi as their dad because he’s the only father they’ve ever known.” Sylvie’s jaw dropped, and Nolan laughed. “Plus, Carisi spent New Year’s Eve with them, to which Peter pointed out he spent his with Benson and Noah while Tutuola and Tamin were with their girlfriends. Neither Rollins nor Carisi could come up with a good comeback . . . especially when Jesse piped up that ‘Sonny makes Mama smile really wide.’”

Sylvie threw back her head and laughed loudly. “Oh, that’s perfect!” she exclaimed gleefully. “Good job, Peter!”

“Yeah, that’s been entertaining to witness,” Nolan chuckled, accepting the coffee Sylvie handed to him. “And now Tutuola is insulted because the girls call Stone the best uncle now. I think they have that right since he pushed Rollins and Carisi together.”

“Wish we’d known that in the summer after the pier,” Capp huffed. “Maybe he’d have come back and wrangled these three idiots.”

“Capp!” Kelly protested.

Sylvie, however, blushed, and Nolan frowned. “He tried, didn’t he?”

“Oh, the amount of times I heard him say ‘put me out of my misery,’” Sylvie sighed, dropping her head into her arms and making Nolan cackle. “I’m serious! Apparently, he’s the go-to person when it comes to all the bets that were made because he was the ‘best source for content.’”

“Seriously, guys?” Matt looked incredulously at Cruz, Capp, and Tony.

“Well, what was the chance she was going to talk to me about her obvious feelings for you two?” Cruz asked defensively, either not noticing or not caring when the Dawsons shot him sharp looks. “Besides, the only other people I could’ve talked to are the ones running the other bets.”

“Burgess and Manning,” Sylvie muttered. “Of course.” She sighed heavily and lifted her head to rest her chin on her hand. “Alright, I’ll bite. Who bet we’d get together during the holidays?”

Ritter’s eyes brightened, and he whooped as Gallo groaned. “Yes!” the engine firefighter laughed gleefully. “That’s the 51 pot going to me!”

“You might get the other pots, too,” Cruz admitted. “But I think Rhodes and Asher were the closest on Med’s side. Intelligence . . . well, who knows there. They investigate for a living.”

Nolan hummed thoughtfully. “That explains the reactions from last night.”

Sylvie blinked at him. “What happened last night?”

“I’m sorry,” Gabby shook her head, keeping Nolan from answering. “What does that mean?”

Kelly folded his arms and leveled Gabby with an iron look that dared her to contradict him. “It means that after pining for my best friends for over two years, I can happily say the three of us are together.”

Sylvie whipped around to look at him with wide eyes. “Wait, what?”

“The Carol Spears case, if I remember his words correctly,” Nolan grinned at her from behind his coffee mug. “If I can say that. Sorry, Severide.”

“Oh, you’re fine,” Kelly smirked, delighting in the way Antonio’s eyes flashed with jealousy. “You nailed it.”

“The Arnow fire,” Matt freely offered. “Yeah. Over two years.”

Sylvie swallowed hard. “Wow, I’m an idiot.”

“Well, how common is it to fall in love with two people at the same time?” Nolan asked, immediately twisting to fully face his sister. “And how common is it to have that love returned from both people to you and to each other?”

“That would be an interesting survey,” Violet mused.

“I’m not interested in arguing with the man whose paycheck involves him winning arguments,” Kelly shrugged. “If we made you think there was no chance your feelings were returned, then we’re the idiots, and we have to worry about him sending whatever NYPD he can rally after us.”

“That’s true,” Nolan nodded cheerfully.

“No offing our lieutenant,” Cruz scowled. “Or our captain, but we squad firefighters would like our lieutenant unharmed.”

“Hey!” Gallo protested. “He’s my captain, and I don’t want anything happening to him!”

Nolan just chuckled into his coffee. “We already had this discussion. So long as my sister is happy, then I’m happy, and I know she picked two good ones. She’s in good hands.”

Antonio grumbled. “I’m trying not to be insulted.”

“I’m not insulted because I know Casey and Severide,” Cruz narrowed his eyes. “Which of us is the better man, huh?”

“It’s just . . . ” Gabby gestured frustratedly. “How is no one asking questions?”

“Because we have eyes,” Ritter deadpanned. “And they work.”

Sylvie choked on her coffee, and Violet patted her shoulder. “You were very obvious,” she told the blonde.

“Thanks, Violet,” Sylvie coughed. “That’s very helpful.”

“Hell, Stone never had any eyes here, and he knew,” Cruz pointed out, and Capp and Tony snickered. “Then again, he had ears, so . . . that worked, too.”

“Basically, our senses work,” Gallo grinned.

“I sure hope everyone’s senses work,” Boden remarked as he walked into the room with Herrmann, Mouch, and Stella behind him. “Why are we questioning our senses?”

“Apparently the Dawsons’ don’t work if they never realized Brett, Casey, and Severide were all into each other,” Violet chirped.

Sylvie facepalmed with a sigh. “That’s one way to tell the chief we need to fill out some HR paperwork.”

“You do?” Mouch brightened and grinned. “Finally!”

“See?” Cruz pointed triumphantly to Mouch. “Senses! They work!”

“Please,” Herrmann huffed. “We all have eyes and ears.”

Matt pinched the bridge of his nose with a sigh. “We probably deserve all this, don’t we?”

“For being painfully obvious for two years?” Mouch nodded. “Oh, yes, you do.”

“Think of it this way,” Herrmann said as he walked to the coffee maker. “You won’t have us ganging up on you with everyone at Intelligence and Med once they find out.”

“Alright, everyone, get it out now,” Boden shook his head, but he was smiling as everyone on shift burst into raucous laughter except for Stella, who watched with an unreadable expression. “I expect everyone to act professionally once we finish the morning meeting.”

“Yes, Chief,” the three squad firefighters chorused.

They sounded far too innocent, and Kelly narrowed his eyes at them. “You three suck.”

“We appreciate you, too, boss,” Cruz smiled brightly.

Boden just chuckled. “Conference room, everyone.” The crews scrambled to pour out of the conference room, but smiles were given to Matt, Kelly, and Sylvie as they did. That just left Boden, Nolan, and the Dawsons with the trio, and Boden smiled warmly at them. “Meet me in my office after the briefing. I’ve never filled out HR paperwork for this before, but I have full confidence in the three of you being professional enough to keep your positions here.”

Sylvie sagged in relief, the last of her worry dissipating. “Thank you, Chief,” she said gratefully.

“You’re welcome,” Boden nodded. “Just do your best not to give each other heart attacks.”

Nolan frowned over the rim of his coffee mug. “Now you’re worrying me when that’s what you’re worried about.”

Boden sighed. “I would say you used to their antics.” He patted Nolan’s shoulder sympathetically. “But you don’t.”

Sylvie took one look at her Caller ID the next morning after shift and sighed as she answered and put her phone on speaker. “Who told you?”

“Who didn’t tell me?” Peter retorted, and Griffin and Ben burst into snickers while Matt and Kelly exchanged amused looks. “In the past 24 hours, I’ve fielded calls from Intelligence and Med asking if I knew anything about how the three of you finally got together and put each other out of your misery.”

Matt sighed and downed the rest of his coffee in one go. “We’re not gonna hear the end of this for months, are we?”

“You know our friends,” Kelly rolled his eyes. “We probably won’t hear the end of it for a year.”

“Or at least until we run into some life-threatening scenario,” Sylvie added.

Peter snorted. “So knowing you three, a few shifts.”

Griffin and Ben outright laughed that time, and Sylvie glowered at her phone. “I hate you sometimes, Peter.”

“Then you can come to New York and tell me yourself sometime,” Peter said smugly. “Since Nolan has already graced you with his presence.”

“Where is Nolan?” Griffin asked curiously.

“He said he had something to pick up,” Sylvie shrugged. “Other than that, no clue.”

“Maybe something for Gabby’s charity gala,” Matt said with a sigh. “I thought one of those was enough.”

“This close to the holidays?” Peter asked in surprise. “You said it was the 23rd, right?”

“Yeah,” Kelly snorted. “We finish a shift that morning. Excellent time for everyone to get ready for a gala.”

“Short notice for everyone who isn’t prepared for an event like that, too,” Sylvie rolled her eyes. “And I’m not the only one who noticed Dawson looked right at Matt when she gave out the invite, right?”

Kelly glowered. “She certainly did.”

“That woman has no tact, does she?” Peter sighed. “Honestly, sometimes I wondered how she and Antonio are siblings.”

“It’s easy to tell now,” Ben quipped. “They both act like it’s a crime if people don’t fall in line with their ideas or what they want.”

Peter was silent for a few seconds. When he spoke again, his tone was sharp. “Have they been harassing you?”

“No,” Matt shook his head. “They toed that line when they first got here, but Nolan handled that pretty quickly. I think he may have scared them with the information he was able to find on them. At least, information he was able to get someone else to find for him.”

“Detective Slootmaekers, I’d bet,” Peter said. “She’s insanely talented with technology. He probably had her find just enough to get the Dawsons off your backs.”

“And it’s worked for the most part,” Sylvie said. “I think now they’re just resorting to wearing everyone down through sheer annoyance.”

“They’re not helping their case by needling you and trying to contradict you every chance they get,” Kelly scoffed. “Especially Antonio, if he’s still trying to get your attention.”

“Oh, he has my attention,” Sylvie glowered. “Just not the kind he wants.”

Peter snickered. “Let’s just hope he doesn’t make a fool out of himself at this gala.”

“I don’t know,” Kelly mused thoughtfully. “Maybe he’d finally get a hint.”

“What more of a hint could I give him?” Sylvie huffed in frustration, barely giving the door a glance when a knock sounded. Matt crossed the loft to open it. “He’s just not putting the damn thing together.”

“Who’s not putting what together?” Nolan asked, walking into the loft and placing a pastry box on the counter.

“Dawson,” Peter answered. “Hi, Nolan.”

“Hi, Peter,” Nolan responded, pressing his lips tightly together as he leaned against the back of Sylvie’s chair. “Which one?”

“Yes,” Ben deadpanned.

Sylvie giggled, and Nolan smirked at Ben. “Have you ever considered practicing law with a tongue like that?”

“If we stay in Chicago, I’ll consider it,” Ben replied.

“A diplomatic answer,” Peter laughed. “Jack would approve.”

Ben looked pleased by the compliment, and Nolan chuckled. “Fair enough.”

“You’ll be OK, though,” Griffin frowned in concern. “Right?”

“Of course,” Matt smiled, ruffling Griffin’s hair. “All we need to do is just be polite enough that we get through the night without Kidd or the Dawsons trying to get us alone.”

Kelly frowned. “Or at least not getting out of sight of anyone who knows they mean trouble.”

“I’m sure we can manage that,” Matt nodded. “Kelly and I always stick together like glue at events like this. It’s basically expected of us by now.”

“What do you say, soror cara?” Nolan smiled at Sylvie. “Want to find out if you still remember how we rolled in Manhattan?”

A thrill of excitement raced down Sylvie’s spine and drove away any reservations she had about attending an event where the Dawsons and Kidd would surely be seeking some sort of upper hand. Now all she thought about were some of her happier memories from Manhattan when Nolan invited her as his plus one to formal events he was required to attend as Jack’s Executive ADA. “Hell, yes,” she eagerly nodded.

“I’m trying to determine if I pity the Dawsons or not,” Peter decided. “All I know is I want pictures.”

Nolan grinned as Sylvie giggled. “That shouldn’t be a problem.”

The one relief Sylvie had as the days closer to Christmas and the charity gala approached was that Nolan had told her not to worry about what he would wear. All she had to do was tell him what color she would wear, and he would find matching attire as fast as he could. His only request was that she wear a cool color, and he had seemed remarkably pleased when she showed him what she had planned on wearing. When she asked why that was important, he had easily diverted the topic. Sylvie was so focused on her shift the next day that she completely forgot to interrogate him again.

Of course, given her shift was full of calls ranging from ridiculous emergencies regarding last-minute holiday shopping shenanigans to holiday decoration disasters leading to awful fires that made her heart skip every time Matt and Kelly raced into action, the gala was the last thing on her mind when she staggered into her apartment and collapsed on her bed for a well-earned nap. Thank God for her brother, who knew how long to let her sleep, when to prod her back into the land of the living, and exactly how she took her coffee so she had time to recharge before she got ready for the evening.

Her hands were buried in her golden tresses when a predicament dawned, and she groaned in annoyance. “Nolan?” she called, hoping her brother wasn’t occupied with anything time-consuming at the moment.

He poked his head through the doorway a few seconds later, adjusting the cufflinks for one of his sleeves, his suit jacket over his arm. “Yeah?” he asked, multicolored eyes trying to assess the situation.

Sylvie awkwardly shrugged. “Can you give me a hand here?” she asked meekly. “It’s been a while since I’ve done a style like this.”

“Of course,” Nolan instantly nodded. He walked into her room, dropping his suit jacket on her bed, and gently took the French braid she had created out of her hands and into his. “I take it you don’t get the opportunity to attend a formal event like this often, huh?”

“It depends on who’s invited to the CFD gala,” Sylvie said, about to nod before realizing that would pull her hair out of Nolan’s hands. “So no, it hasn’t come up. This is the first time since . . . ” She paused to think. “2015, I think. And even then, I didn’t do anything too extravagant.” She smirked wryly in the mirror. “It would’ve been a little suspicious if I showed up looking like a Disney princess.”

“Please,” Nolan chuckled, watching as Sylvie worked on braiding the other part of her hair. “After all the events I dragged you to, you graduated from a princess. Look at you, dulcissima. You look like a queen.”

Sylvie smiled with a light blush, pleased with her choice for the evening. She anticipated a lot of moving around, so instead of a dress, she had picked a jumpsuit of navy chiffon with a cinch belt of delicate beads and cape-style sleeves that reached the floor. “Says the one who’s going to be drawing everyone’s eyes the moment he walks in the room. Why am I not surprised you went with a three-piece suit?”

Nolan glanced down at the suit he wore that perfectly matched the color of Sylvie’s jumpsuit and shrugged nonchalantly. “They help me make a statement when I want to.”

“So how many times have you worn them in court?”

Nolan smirked. “Depends on who I’m facing.”

“Defender or defendant?”

“Yes.”

Sylvie giggled and finished braiding. “God, I missed this.”

“Me, too,” Nolan smiled, releasing the hair he held and watching Sylvie twist the braids into a low bun. “I know this was sprung on 51 last minute, but all those events you accompanied me to are some of the best memories I have.”

“Mine, too,” Sylvie nodded, tilting her head side to side to check and make sure her hair was secure. As she reached for a few jeweled pins to insert into the braids, she met Nolan’s eyes in the mirror and smirked. “Though I admit, it was also fun watching you try and avoid all those harpies.”

“Oh, my God,” Nolan rolled his eyes, making Sylvie laugh. “I don’t know what it was that made them all just . . . flock together.”

Sylvie smirked. “Yeah, what’s so attractive about a handsome man who clearly treats his little sister with love and respect?”

“Yeah, yeah, laugh it up,” Nolan sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “You’d think that would mean I have better luck with women than men, wouldn’t you? Nope.”

“Well, in that case, screw them,” Sylvie declared, checking the pins she placed in her hair. “And their loss is the gain of whatever man gets your attention.” That time, there was no immediate response, and she turned with a frown to see Nolan with a sheepish look on his face. Realization hit her, and her jaw dropped. “Wait a minute - ”

“Remember how everyone is asking if some characteristic we both share is genetic?” When Sylvie nodded, Nolan shrugged. “Seems our taste in men is, too.”

Sylvie wasn’t known in Chicago for being a matchmaker for nothing. All it took was remembering Nolan’s stories and the calls from Peter and Jet for her to connect the dots, and she grinned knowingly. “Your best friend?”

“Who comes with at least one teenager who is very easy to like,” Nolan smiled wryly. “Yeah. Any chance you can figure out if that’s genetic?”

“I’d have to ask someone at Med,” Sylvie managed to say. “Confidentiality, y’know. Wow.” She laughed and ran a hand over her finished hairstyle, having to mentally remind herself she couldn’t run her fingers through her tresses like she normally would. “What a pair we make.”

“Well, there’s one difference here,” Nolan pointed out. “Frank isn’t here, so there’s nothing you can do about it.”

Sylvie rolled her eyes. “Fine,” she muttered and turned back to her dresser to peruse her earrings. “No meddling.” She glared at him in the mirror. “For now.”

Nolan chuckled. “Like you wouldn’t grab the first chance you could when it presented itself.”

“Oh, I will,” Sylvie promised. “But for now, the focus is on tonight.” She nodded to herself and chewed on her lip. “On the charity gala. For Dawson. Where I know she and my ex-boyfriend are probably planning something. Likely Kidd, too. I just have to get through tonight.” She sighed. “God help me.”

“Well, I’m not sure if he’ll make an appearance,” Nolan remarked, stepping closer and observing as Sylvie sorted through options. “But you’ve got me. And you’ve got Casey and Severide. Didn’t you tell me in the chronicles of all these break-ups that they were the ones who broke up with all of you?”

Sylvie nodded. “Yeah.”

“Then screw them and their wants,” Nolan said bluntly. “Their losses are your gains, and you have the perfect opportunity to show them that tonight. They’re going to be dealing with a united front: you, your boys, and everyone from 51 who’s making an appearance tonight.”

“I hope you’re right,” Sylvie said, checking one of her jewelry boxes. She paused and glanced at Nolan’s cufflinks to see what he had picked, and she smiled. She knew exactly which pair of earrings to choose now. “By the way, I just remembered,” she said, taking the pair she wanted from where they rested in the box. “Why were you so happy I chose to wear blue?”

“Ah,” Nolan brightened. “I wondered when you would ask that.” Sylvie blinked in confusion, then Nolan walked back to his suit jacket, reaching into one of the pockets and pulling out a pair of small velvet boxes. “This was meant to be my gift to you on Christmas,” he explained, holding one box out to her. “But when I heard the gala was happening and that this would be ready in time, I couldn’t think of a better time to give it to you.” Sylvie curiously took the box from him, then Nolan amended, “I guess ‘give it back’ would be a better way of putting it.”

When Sylvie flipped open the box, she understood his amendment immediately. She gasped in shock and amazement and clapped her free hand over her mouth, feeling tears brim in her eyes when she saw the sapphires and diamonds winking up at her. “You - ” she began, then she swallowed in an attempt to clear her throat. “I thought . . . ” She shook her head and took a calming breath. “I thought I lost this when I moved!”

“You did lose it,” Nolan nodded. “Captain Zimmers found it in the ambulance about two weeks after you left and gave it back to me. I just waited for the perfect moment to put it back in your hands.”

Sylvie exhaled shakily, moving her hand from her mouth to wipe away her tears. After she had graduated from the FDNY academy and gotten her placement at the 225, Nolan had surprised her with a pair of rings, one for both of them, and told her that no matter where they went in life, they would always have each other. They had worn them every day since, though Sylvie had kept hers on a chain around her neck so she wouldn’t risk damaging or losing hers. She had been devastated when she had arrived in Chicago and hadn’t found it among her belongings. She didn’t need jewelry to know her brother loved her, but to have this piece back, one that meant the world to her . . . 

She carefully plucked her ring from its cushion in the box and slid it onto her right ring finger, and she let out a weak giggle. “A perfect fit.”

“I may have taken one of your other rings to the jeweler so they could make sure it would fit,” Nolan admitted. “I had them check mine, too, just in case.”

Sylvie smiled, admiring how the gemstones sparkled under the lights in her room. “Gabby might actually have a fit.”

“Let’s see her explain that to everyone she works with,” Nolan smirked, taking his own ring from the box he still held and sliding it onto his right ring finger. “Feels good to wear it again.”

Sylvie looked at him in surprise. “I noticed you weren’t wearing it while you were here. You mean . . . ?”

“I decided to wear mine again when I knew yours was back in your hands,” Nolan explained. “Or back on yours, to be precise.”

Sylvie laughed. “I know I say it all the time . . . but best brother ever.”

Nolan chuckled, watching his sister eagerly turn back to her mirror to finish getting ready. “One does one’s humble best.”

Kelly knew Gabby’s charity did excellent work in Puerto Rico and had expanded to other countries as well. That didn’t mean he wanted to be around the woman herself when she was clearly reaching for some way to get to Matt.

So he stuck close to the captain’s side when they arrived at the event hall that evening, and Matt bumped his shoulder with his gratefully. Kelly returned the gesture, and his eyes immediately found where Gabby was animatedly speaking with a group of people who were nodding along with what she was saying. Stella was already at her side, both women in gorgeous dresses that were drawing eyes around the room. “How long can we get away with staying here?” he muttered.

Matt snorted quietly. “How long is considered polite?”

Kelly wrinkled his nose. “How short of an amount of time is considered impolite?”

“Glad I’m not the only one thinking that.” Kelly turned at the voice and smiled in relief when he found Cruz walking up to him, Tony and Capp behind his 2IC. All three men looked uncomfortable, but the fact that they had shown up spoke volumes, and Kelly had never been so happy to have such a loyal team. “Maybe we just wait and see if people start getting tipsy?” Cruz suggested. “I checked the bar. They’re serving some good alcohol here.”

“So then we act drunk so we can leave?” Capp smirked. “Maybe grab some of those drinks on the way out?”

Tony snorted. “Speak for yourself. That may make those three come our way.”

Kelly sighed, seeing Antonio appear behind Gabby and Stella and whisper in their ears. “Now I understand why some women travel in packs.”

“I prefer this pack.” The five men turned to see Violet appear from a throng of people, Gallo and Ritter with her. While Violet looked comfortable in her sleeveless dress, Gallo and Ritter looked ready to hide under a tablecloth. “Yeah, this?” Violet gestured to the group. “This is better.”

“We saw Boden, Herrmann, and Mouch somewhere on the other side of the room,” Ritter said with a vague gesture. “Voight, Jefferies, Platt, Goodwin, and the Halsteads are here, too.”

Matt whistled lowly, sounding impressed. “It’s a bigger crowd than the last time Gabby was here.”

“Pulling out all the stops, I guess,” Gallo shrugged.

“Sounds like her,” Cruz muttered.

Gabby had broken away from the group she was with and had begun approaching when she suddenly stopped in her tracks, her eyes widening and her jaw hanging open. Kelly blinked, wondering what she had seen, when Ritter choked on the drink he had taken, Gallo whistled, and Violet grinned widely. “Casey, Severide, you lucky bastards,” Cruz breathed.

Kelly turned in time to see Nolan and Sylvie enter the room, all eyes immediately turning to them as if they were magnets. The brother and sister pair wore the exact same shade, Nolan’s three-piece suit and Sylvie’s chiffon jumpsuit deep navy. Simplicity suited Nolan perfectly, the blue of his suit bringing out the multiple colors in his eyes, but Sylvie’s billowing cape-style sleeves and braided hairstyle threatened to take Kelly’s breath away. Both siblings clearly noticed the attention on them, and only Kelly knowing Sylvie so well meant he saw the smirk that began to form. Not only was she comfortable with the attention, but she enjoyed it.

And this, Kelly realized as she leaned up to whisper in her brother’s ear, Nolan smirking as well and drawing her closer to his side, Sylvie’s hand tightening around his elbow, was a glimpse of the paramedic that had only been seen in Manhattan, not in Chicago. This Sylvie looked perfectly at ease with all the eyes on her, and she walked with a confidence that seemed like second nature.

This was definitely Sylvie Price, not Brett. “Damn,” Ritter coughed, trying to clear his throat. “Are they trying to kill people?”

“I’m pretty sure the Dawsons’ jaws are on the floor,” Tony remarked, taking a quick look over his shoulder. “So . . . that may not be too far off, actually.”

Kelly shook his head, attempting to untie his tongue as the siblings approached them. “Wow,” he finally managed to say, unable to take his eyes off Sylvie. “You look incredible!”

“Thank you,” Sylvie smiled, her azure eyes sparkling in the chandelier lights. “I’m glad I remembered how to get ready for one of these events.”

“Just like riding a bike,” Nolan smirked, squeezing the hand she had tucked into the crook of his elbow.

Sylvie elegantly shrugged, and God, Kelly had no idea someone could elegantly shrug. “Well.”

“I mean, look at you!” Violet gushed, rushing forward to inspect Sylvie’s outfit. “Seriously, where have you been hiding this?”

Sylvie playfully swayed side to side for her partner, Nolan watching with a fond smile. “In my closet, of course!”

Violet narrowed her eyes. “Seriously, girl.”

“I’m serious!” Sylvie laughed. “Most of the formal outfits I wore in Manhattan are off to the side in my closet. They’re typically not in view when the doors are open. Come on, how often am I gonna wear something like this here in Chicago?”

“Depends on where we take you on a date,” Matt replied, clearing his throat as he, too, finally managed to speak. “Sylvie, you’re gorgeous.”

That brought a blush to her cheeks, making Nolan smirk. “She always has been the belle of the ball.”

Cruz whistled. “I believe it.”

“You look amazing, too, Nolan,” Kelly added, eyeing the prosecutor’s attire appraisingly. “Especially since this got sprung on all of us.”

Nolan chuckled and playfully bowed. “Trust me, I’ve had to make something work in a shorter amount of time. Comes with the territory.”

“Oh, wait a minute,” Gallo blinked, leaning closer. “Hang on . . . ” His eyes widened. “Matching cufflinks and earrings!”

“You noticed,” Nolan smiled, twisting his arm to show his sleeve as Sylvie tilted her head to show the studs she wore. Sure enough, both wore the same design: gold scales of justice with a caduceus as the center rod, the silver snakes around the scales with sapphires for eyes. “Wasn’t sure if I would need them while I was here, but when the opportunity presents itself, seize the initiative, right?”

“Did you always manage to match so perfectly in Manhattan, too?” Capp asked.

Nolan snorted. “You’d be surprised by how many judgmental looks you could get if even one aspect of your attire doesn’t match.”

“Don’t ask how we know that,” Sylvie said with a grimace. “Let’s just say I learned to keep a separate wardrobe for those formal events because apparently my dress blues weren’t up to snuff.”

Matt blinked in surprise. “Really?”

“At least if you don’t have an officer’s rank,” Sylvie shrugged. “That’s OK. Like I needed an excuse to dress like royalty. I grew to enjoy it, and I got to see Nolan in his element. It was a win in my book.”

“Whether it was a win for me depended on the event and if I was playing verbal chess all night long,” Nolan rolled his eyes.

“Well, that’ll be my job for the night,” Gabby said as she joined them, her lips pressed tightly together as she looked over the pair. “Unless you plan on doing that for me. You two look ready to steal the show.”

“No stealing your thunder here,” Sylvie shook her head with a sweet, polite smile. “We just did our best to dress for the occasion.”

“I think we did a decent job,” Nolan tilted his head. “What do you think?”

His smile was so disarmingly charismatic that Kelly had to blink rapidly. God, if he wasn’t completely wrapped around Matt and Sylvie’s fingers, a feather could knock him down a rabbit hole and into feelings for the prosecutor. Even Gabby looked close to swooning before she did a double take and coughed to clear her throat. “Yeah,” she nodded. “Yeah, you . . . you definitely did.”

“Decent,” Capp scoffed. “Brett has her boys, but the only way Price is going home alone is if he wants to go home alone.”

“Capp!” Cruz jabbed him in the ribs.

Sylvie, though, burst into a peal of laughter. “Didn’t we have a similar conversation before we left my place?”

“It went something along those lines,” Nolan admitted with a nonchalant shrug. “I’m not offended. I’m just also not that kind of guy. Casual has never appealed to me, and it never will.”

“Gotta admire that,” Violet smiled.

“And now we know what you needed resized at the jeweler’s.” That came from Will as he appeared with Jay, the doctor’s eyes locked on Sylvie’s right hand. “Damn, that matches perfectly.”

“And she didn’t know she was getting it until I showed her the box this evening,” Nolan chuckled. “I’m just glad she went with blue.”

Sylvie extended her hand, and Kelly stepped closer for a better look at the ring adorning her right ring finger. The gold band itself resembled twining vines, small diamonds and sapphires acting as the leaves. The center stone was a hexagonal sapphire that glittered under the chandelier lights, a beautiful match to Sylvie’s eyes. “It’s perfect for you.”

Sylvie preened at the compliment. “It was the perfect re-gift.”

“Re-gift?” Antonio parroted with a frown.

“I thought I lost it when I moved here,” Sylvie explained. “If I could’ve traded my entire formal wardrobe to find where I left this, I would have. A physical representation of my connection to Nolan is worth more than any fancy dress.”

That got her a look of bewilderment from the Dawsons, but Jay’s eyes sharpened and he pointed to Nolan. “They match,” he realized.

Nolan nodded and held out his hand next to Sylvie’s so their rings were side by side. Sure enough, the small baguette-cut diamonds inlaid in his gold band were the perfect complement to the intricate vine design engraved throughout. It wasn’t as bejeweled as Sylvie’s ring, but it was still a perfect fit for Nolan himself. “Can you two be connected any more than you are right now?” Kelly wondered.

He hadn’t expected an answer, but Nolan smirked. “Well, if I thought I could convince her to come back to Manhattan - ”

Sylvie swatted him in the shoulder. “Maybe if Matt and Kelly could follow me back.”

Nolan grinned smugly, and Matt cleared his throat. “Let me actually make sure the boys stay with me before we ever think about that, OK?”

“Has that been your entire plan, Price?” Boden asked, a teasing frown on his face as he, Herrmann, and Mouch arrived. “Set everything right just to take three of my officers from me?”

“Yep,” Nolan nodded, a straight look on his face. “You caught me. That’s been my whole plan all along.”

“We’re already trying to make sure Casey doesn’t go to Portland,” Mouch scowled. “I like you, Price, but you can’t steal him.”

Sylvie giggled hysterically, and Nolan winked at her. “Drat.”

“In all seriousness now, though,” Boden turned to Gabby. “It looks like your group is doing excellent work, Dawson. Be proud of it.”

It earned one of the first sincere smiles Kelly had seen from Gabby since she walked into 51 earlier in the month. “Thank you, Chief,” she said gratefully. “I hope everyone enjoys the night.”

Nolan slightly rocked on his heels as he looked appraisingly around the room. Kelly wasn’t sure if that meant good or bad news for Gabby. “I’m looking forward to it,” the EADA finally said.

One of the most important lessons Sylvie had learned at her brother’s knee and at the side of Jack McCoy was that staying quiet and pretending to not listen meant a wealth of knowledge could be learned. That was exactly what she did as she flitted around the room, her eyes reading every display around the room while keeping her ears open. It allowed her to mentally track where each of her people were located throughout the room, and it also meant she knew a former detective’s eyes were on her the entire time. Just like she knew that, she knew two pairs of emerald eyes closely followed her, her men never far away, always looking out for her. They always do, she thought with a small smile, taking a sip of the wine she held.

“Sprung as it may have been, they picked the right time to hold a charity gala.” Sylvie merely blinked at her brother’s voice, and she turned her head as Nolan approached, biting her lip when she saw the flash of irritation in the pair of eyes he had smoothly stepped in front of. “Generosity is far more common towards the holidays.”

“I know,” Sylvie nodded, stepping away from the map of countries that Gabby’s charity was helping. “And it’s a good turnout. She’ll be pleased.”

“She’ll probably be more pleased when she hears what gets raised tonight.” Sylvie raised an eyebrow curiously, and Nolan shrugged. “Well, I don’t know the numbers, but given I don’t see or hear any negativity from anyone about the charity, I assume it’ll be a good haul.”

Sylvie nodded in agreement, though she inclined her glass in the vague direction of the pair of eyes that followed them like a hawk. “Well, nothing negative about the charity.”

Nolan snorted. “Your ex is rusty after years of not being a cop.”

Sylvie burst out laughing, and she didn’t have to look at Nolan to know her brother looked pleased as punch with himself. “Nolan!”

“Please,” Nolan rolled his eyes. “If he isn’t watching you, he’s looking like he’s plotting what to do about Casey and Severide. And since all they’ve done is keep eyes on each other and you, he’s been a grinch all night.”

“At least Kidd is keeping her distance,” Sylvie remarked, spotting the lieutenant lingering near Boden. “That’s a bit of a surprise.”

“You’d rather her be all over one of your boys?”

Sylvie grimaced and downed the rest of her wine. “Touché.”

“Look, I know the three of you weren’t thrilled about this, given it seemed like a trap, but look around,” Nolan said, gesturing to the room. “Gabby is occupied with sweet talking everyone, Kidd is learning all she can, and Antonio knows he can’t walk up to you without me, Casey, or Severide noticing. This is easier than some of the events we attended in Manhattan.”

“It is,” Sylvie admitted, allowing the lingering tension in her shoulders to ease. “And hey, no harpies trying to flock around you.”

It was Nolan’s turn to grimace and eye his drink as he contemplated draining it. “Thank you in advance for being my shield.”

“You’re welcome,” Sylvie chirped with a grin.

A lull in conversations around them meant the instrument ensemble’s music became clearer, and Nolan smiled, finishing his drink and placing it on the closest table. “In the spirit of old times . . . ”

He turned to her and held out his hand invitingly, and Sylvie smiled brilliantly, putting down her empty glass and slipping her hand into his. “When was the last time we did this?” she wondered, following Nolan onto the part of the floor cleared for dancing.

“Fundraising event for the governor’s campaign, about a month before you moved,” Nolan instantly answered, adjusting their hands so he could pull Sylvie closer, placing his other hand on her waist as her other one settled on his shoulder. “Of course, that was one of the few political events we attended that ended up being enjoyable.”

Sylvie snickered. “It probably wouldn’t have been a good look for the governor if any of his people were fawning over you.”

“Drunken fawning, no,” Nolan agreed with a laugh. “But I know there were eyes on me.”

“There were eyes on both of us,” Sylvie corrected. “But none of that went anywhere.”

“How could it?” Nolan shook his head. “I was never interested in a hook-up at an event like that, but that night in particular, I ignored everyone I could. I was going to spend every second I could with you before you were gone.”

Sylvie swallowed hard and looked down at her feet, unable to concentrate on her brother’s intense multicolor gaze for long. “It was hell at first,” she admitted. “When I saw pictures of Shay . . . we could have been sisters, we look so alike. It really felt like I was just . . . replacing her. Add in that I went through so many partners my first year, and I wondered . . . ” She trailed off and shook her head. “If I hadn’t been so stubborn about making sure you didn’t give up anything for me, I would’ve run right back to Manhattan.”

“You know I would’ve, Sylvie,” Nolan told her, squeezing her hand comfortingly as he led her around the dance floor. “We got hell about it, but it’s the truth.”

“I know,” Sylvie smiled, returning the pressure of Nolan’s squeeze. “You made that very clear from the beginning. And I’m glad I decided to stay, especially once I got close to the State’s Attorney’s office here. But there are times when I just thought . . . ” She shook her head, trying to hold back her tears. “I can’t go back to how it’s been the past years, Nolan. How am I supposed to go back to pretending half of my existence doesn’t exist?”

“Well, it’s going to be hard to hide me now that most of your people here have met me,” Nolan pointed out, a hint of amusement in his tone, but his expression was serious as he inclined his head to rest his forehead on hers. “So don’t hide it. You don’t need to, and I certainly didn’t come here expecting you to do it. We can be careful without cutting each other out. We aren’t puppets, Sylvie. There are no strings on us.”

Sylvie smiled in relief and weakly giggled. “Good. It might have actually broken my heart if I had to live a lie like that again.”

“Never again, dulcissima,” Nolan promised, kissing her forehead. “And if Voight wants to throw a fit about it, he’ll find out why I rose through the ranks as fast as I did.”

That really made Sylvie laugh, and she moved closer so she leaned against Nolan, her brother effortlessly winding his arm around her waist. “God, I seriously owe Jack one hell of a Christmas present,” she decided.

“We both do,” Nolan smiled, resting his chin on top of her head, careful not to disturb her hairstyle. “Though we may be on to a birthday present by this point unless we can figure out this present in two days.”

Sylvie hummed thoughtfully. “Well, I can’t fully give you yours until after Christmas, considering I still need to talk to Jefferies.”

Nolan looked down at her curiously. “What could you possibly get me that needs Jefferies’ input?”

Sylvie took a deep breath. “Hopefully fast-tracking a court order to approve a last name change.”

It was a good thing they had reached the edge of the dance floor, for Nolan stopped dead in his tracks and Sylvie almost stepped on his toes. She quickly regained her footing, but Nolan just as quickly released her hand and tilted her face up to look at him, his eyes wide in shock. “You mean - ?”

“I’m going back to Price,” Sylvie nodded and smiled. “Assuming you have no objections.”

“Assuming I - ” Nolan cut himself off with an incredulous laugh. “Why the hell would I have any objections? No, Sylvie, I have none. That . . . ” He shook his head and pulled her into a hug that could have broken her ribs. Sylvie merely wound her own arms around him just as tightly. “Tantum te amo, soror cara,” he whispered, his voice wobbling.

Sylvie’s smile could have rivaled the sun in power. “Te amo etiam, frater carissime.” She felt the multiple worried pairs of eyes on them as Nolan gently untangled them, and she let out a watery laugh, careful not to mess up her makeup too much as she wiped away tears. “God, this is the best Christmas ever,” she declared.

“No damn kidding,” Nolan sighed happily, tucking her into his side. Sylvie snuggled there with no complaint. “It’s gonna be hard going back to Manhattan.”

Sylvie smirked slyly up at him. “You could always move here.”

Nolan’s loud snort made her burst into laughter. “Frank would kill me, and considering he’s a homicide detective, he would probably get away with it.”

“But that wasn’t a no!”

“You two good?” Matt asked, looking between the pair as he and Kelly approached.

“Yeah,” Sylvie smiled, beaming up at her brother. “Never been better.”

Chapter Text

The Severide cabin out in the woods was a much better type of secluded than the house in Portland had been. Their mother had become more isolated with each city they moved to, and the Portland house had been no different. In fact, that had probably been part of the reason no one had noticed their aunt had abandoned them for so long. Both houses were surrounded by trees, but the Severide cabin, at least, felt like a home and not a ticking time bomb.

Plus, the snow on Christmas made the cabin feel like they were in the middle of a Hallmark movie, and Griffin had no idea he would appreciate such a comparison.

But it was worth seeing Ben smile and laugh as he ran through the trees while being pursued by Sylvie, the pair illuminated by the moon and stars in the sky. It turned out the blonde was ridiculously competitive when it came to snowball fights, and both the boy and the paramedic were covered in snow. Griffin leaned on the porch railing, running a hand through his dripping wet hair as he watched Sylvie quickly duck behind a tree, Ben’s snowball hitting the bark with an audible thud. “Come on, Ben!” he goaded when his brother sprinted into view. “Get her!”

“Griffin!” Sylvie loudly protested.

“You got me out of the game!” Griffin grinned. “I’m on my brother’s side!”

Any further arguments were silenced when Ben ran towards Sylvie’s hiding place, and the blonde squeaked and took off again, her braids flying behind her. “Get back here!” Ben barked, not hesitating in pursuing her.

Griffin laughed in delight, cradling his hot cider in his hands as he watched. His brother’s cheeks were flushed, but it wasn’t in frustration or anger. No, everything in Ben’s bearing screamed happiness as he tried to nail Sylvie with snow. It was such a change from their last Christmas that Griffin realized with a pang that he had barely spared their mother a single thought.

“You look like you’re thinking hard.”

Griffin jumped in surprise and fumbled not to slosh hot liquid over his hands. “Jesus, Nolan,” he huffed in annoyance.

“Sorry,” Nolan smiled apologetically, leaning on the railing next to him. “Apparently, I need to wear a bell or something. I’ve been doing this a lot.”

“Yeah, you do,” Griffin sighed. “Sorry.”

“No need to be sorry,” Nolan shook his head. “Something on your mind?”

Griffin fidgeted and stared down into his drink. “This is our first Christmas without our mom,” he said quietly. “And yet . . . it’s the first Christmas that feels like Christmas since our dad died. It actually feels like ‘happy holidays.’”

Nolan nodded in understanding. “Feeling a little guilty?”

“A little,” he admitted. “I mean . . . she’s our mom.”

“And yet, you yourself said that the last time you felt you had a stable environment was the last time you were in Matt’s care.”

Griffin ducked his head. “Yeah.”

It was silent for a few seconds, and while it wasn’t uncomfortable, Griffin was relieved when Nolan finally spoke again. “From what you, Ben, and Matt told me, you went above and beyond to care for yourself and your brother when your aunt left you, and I am very impressed you did that while keeping up with your schoolwork. Despite that, Griffin, you’re seventeen. You still have time to be a kid. You shouldn’t have had to be the adult in your family. This is probably the first time since your mom’s arrest, or at least since your aunt left, where you don’t have to act like one, right?” Griffin nodded, and Nolan tilted his head. “How does it feel?”

“Really good,” Griffin confessed. “And relieving.”

“And that’s exactly how you should feel,” Nolan said firmly. “The really good part, at least. The relief, not so much, because you shouldn’t have had to be in the position you were. You and Ben deserve to have happy holidays, and as horrible as this may make me sound, if that means you don’t think about your mom, that’s OK. You still have Ben, and you have Matt and Kelly, too.”

“And you and Sylvie,” Griffin pointed out.

Nolan let out a startled laugh. “Yeah, I guess you do.”

“I do,” Griffin nodded, gaining confidence as he spoke. “Matt did his best to hide it, but Ben and I both know how much the possibility of moving to Portland took a toll on him. He didn’t want that at all, and neither did we, but he would have done it without hesitation if it meant he could keep his guardianship of us. In less than a month, you’ve cared and done more for us than anyone in the past has done since we left Chicago. Hell, you got us an attorney who should, unless our luck really turns for the worse, get us out of Portland and into Matt’s care for good. I don’t think I can put into words what that means for me and Ben. The amount of adults we truly trust after everything our mom put us through . . . we’d have fingers left over if we counted them. You’re one of the few, Nolan. I know you came here for Sylvie, but . . . thank you for everything you’ve done since you got here.”

Nolan smiled softly, and when he held out an arm in invitation, Griffin immediately curled into his side, letting the prosecutor hug him. “You are very welcome, Griffin. I’m glad I came.”

Laughter erupted from the woods, and the pair looked up in time to see Ben hurtle towards the porch, an ear-to-ear grin on his face. Sylvie pursued him at full speed, her braids dripping behind her. Griffin realized what Ben had done at once, and he burst out laughing. “Did you drop a pile of snow on her?” he asked.

“Of course!” Ben laughed.

“Oh, you are going to pay for that,” Sylvie ground out, but her voice held no heat in it as she stomped up the porch steps. “Preferably some time when it’s warmer and I’m not going to freeze out here.”

Nolan grinned as he opened the door to the cabin. “Maybe don’t say that when he can hear you, soror cara.”

“I’m too cold to care right now.”

The way Matt and Kelly did double takes when Sylvie trudged into the cabin made Griffin break into hysterics again, then Matt saw Ben’s smug grin and sighed. “You won the snowball fight, didn’t you?”

“Yep!” Ben chirped.

“How big was the snowball you hit her with?” Kelly asked, fighting a grin as he watched Sylvie remove her coat.

Ben tilted his head innocently. “Who said it was in a ball?”

Nolan laughed and nimbly stepped back to avoid water droplets as Sylvie shook her head like a dog to get some of the water out of her hair. “It definitely wasn’t in a ball.”

“Of course not,” Matt shook his head fondly. “You OK, Sylvie?”

“Peachy,” she nodded, smiling thankfully as Nolan handed her a towel. “Though I call dibs on jumping in a hot shower before you, Ben.”

“Fair,” he nodded in agreement.

“Well, before we do anything else,” Matt cleared his throat, drawing attention back to him. “There’s still something I need to give you boys.”

“What?” Griffin blinked and shook his head. “Matt, you don’t need to - ”

“You’ve already done so much for us this year,” Ben hastily added. “You didn’t need to get us anything.”

“I know,” Matt said, holding up a hand to stop them from protesting further. “But this is something I want to give you. I needed most of the firehouse’s help for it.”

Griffin didn’t understand until Matt pulled a book off the shelf, and Sylvie gasped in realization. Griffin recognized the type of book he held right away, and he swallowed hard, holding out his hands to take the scrapbook Matt held out to him. Ben immediately shucked off his coat and boots to join Griffin on the couch, and the older teen eagerly flipped open the book. Their father’s beaming face grinned up at them, Matt and Kelly bracketing him on either side. Every page was filled with pictures from Firehouse 51 and around Chicago, making a complete catalogue of Andy Darden’s life from the fire academy all the way to his final shift.

After years of their mother trying to wipe away every memory from her life, therefore wiping every memory from their lives . . . “Matt,” Griffin swallowed hard, feeling his throat begin to clog with tears.

“We practically tore the firehouse apart looking for every picture we could find,” Matt admitted, gesturing between himself and Kelly. “We wanted to include everything we could. Boden, Herrmann, Mouch, Cruz, Capp, and Tony helped, too. Everything we found is in this book. I don’t know how much you remember - ”

“Almost nothing,” Ben interrupted, shaking his head as he peered over Griffin’s shoulder, his wide, dark eyes locked on an image of Andy roughhousing with Cruz while Kelly egged him on. “This is . . . ” He trailed off before bounding up off the couch and lunging for Matt, making the captain grunt in surprise when Ben engulfed him in a hug. “This is perfect.”

“Thank you, Matt,” Griffin smiled widely, carefully placing the scrapbook to the side to join his brother. “This is the best Christmas ever.”

Matt smiled happily, hugging both boys close to him as Kelly, Sylvie, and Nolan watched, Sylvie with tears in her eyes. “Merry Christmas, boys.”

If the charity gala hadn’t been four nights ago, Gabby would have thought she was imagining things because of potentially having too much to drink.

As it was, she stared at her email for the third time, put aside her phone to finish her coffee, then returned to her email again, thinking she possibly could have missed something. But no, the amount of money raised at the charity gala remained the same as it had been the first time she checked her email.

No way.

She abruptly stood from 51’s table, and Antonio blinked at her in surprise. “Gabby?”

“I’ll be back,” she shook her head, walking to the door that led out onto the apparatus floor. She knew just who she had to talk to. Sure enough, she found the person she was looking for perched on the squad table, abandoned since the entire house was out on a call. “What did you do?” she demanded.

Nolan gave her an unimpressed look then returned to his phone call. “That date and time should work perfectly, thank you. I’ll get back to you later.” He ended the call and placed his phone to the side then folded his arms and raised an eyebrow. “How can I help you, Dawson?”

Gabby flushed, feeling a little guilty for interrupting his call, but she straightened when she remembered why she was outside. “What did you do?” she repeated.

Nolan snorted. “I’m gonna need more than that. I’ve done a lot of things since I got here.”

“The gala,” Gabby explained. “I saw you making the rounds. You talked to a lot of people.”

“I did,” Nolan confirmed. “When I wasn’t with Sylvie, at least.”

“Nolan . . . ” Gabby swallowed. “I got an email from my supervisor this morning. That gala . . . we got more donations in one night than we have in over a year.”

Nolan blinked in surprise, then a smile spread across his face. “Nicely done, Dawson.”

“Me?!” she squawked. “You don’t get it, Nolan! I saw a list of the donors - the majority of them spoke to you at least once during the night.”

“Yes, I talked to people,” Nolan nodded. “I gave them my thoughts on your charity. I didn’t tell them to donate to it. While my job is to get people to agree with me, I know they won’t always fall in line with me.” He gave her a pointed look. “And while I’m not always happy with that result, I’ve learned to accept it when I lose.”

Gabby flinched, recognizing a barb when she heard one. “But . . . ” She shook her head in disbelief. “Why?”

Nolan blinked again. “Why what?”

Gabby gestured to him in frustration. “I’m pretty certain you hate me,” she said bluntly. “So why do what you did at the gala? You didn’t have to do that! In fact, you could have ruined our work!”

“Why the hell would I do that?” Nolan asked, sounding genuinely confused. Gabby opened her mouth, but Nolan shook his head and held up his hand to stop her from talking. “Seriously, why would I? You’re right that I clearly don’t like you, and I haven’t hidden that fact from anyone here. But I saw everything your charity put together for the gala. I heard stories about all the work you’ve been doing. You serve an excellent cause, Dawson. Why should your charity suffer because of my personal feelings for you? My dislike of you has nothing to do with your work. Does that really sound like something I would do?”

“But Chief Kilbourne,” Gabby began.

“He harbored a childish, immature grudge against a lieutenant who did nothing to deserve his ire,” Nolan interrupted, and Gabby shut her mouth with a click. “That grudge led to him coercing a female firefighter with a bright career ahead of her to lie and blame Pelham for her injuries, and that could have been the end of Pelham’s career. Commissioner Grissom was already taking action against him. When he made a move against my sister, that combined with his heinous actions meant I just pushed for the harshest consequences for him. He fully deserved what got handed to him. Your charity hasn’t done anything like that at all.”

Gabby wilted where she stood, hearing the hum of rigs returning to the firehouse behind her. “No,” she whispered. “It hasn’t.”

“So I ask you again: why should your charity suffer because of my personal feelings for you?” Gabby swallowed hard, unable to speak. “No, no, better question,” Nolan stepped closer, his multicolored eyes boring into hers as the rigs parked on the apparatus floor. “What does it say about the two of us when that was the last thing on my mind . . . but it was the only thing on yours?”

Gabby’s heart sank to the pit of her stomach, and Nolan tilted his head with a pointed look at her. “Nolan?” Sylvie asked quietly.

“What’s going on?” Matt asked sharply.

Gabby lowered her eyes from Nolan’s and took a deep breath. “Nothing,” she answered, backing away from the prosecutor and conceding defeat.

“Just making a point, Casey,” Nolan nodded. “And I think it hit home.”

Gabby felt multiple pairs of eyes staring after her as she hurried back into the firehouse, shame coiling in her gut. Oh, yes, that point had hit home perfectly.

And while she didn’t know Nolan Price very well, she thought she knew him well enough to know he would not pull his punches if she confronted him again.

The days leading up to the holidays in New York always meant the halls of the courthouse were infested with cheer despite some of the horrible cases that crossed prosecutors’ desks. Now that they were in the past, staffers were back to business, noses buried in paperwork and whatnot as they swarmed from office to office.

It was a familiar sight to Jack McCoy as he approached his own office after his lunch break, though the ragtag group that waited outside the door was one he was still getting used to seeing. He couldn’t help but chuckle as he walked past them to unlock his door. “How’s the juggling going?” he quipped cheerfully.

“How the hell does Nolan do this?” Peter groused, running a hand through his hair. “Even I didn’t cover this wide spread of cases under Jefferies.”

“Admitting you can’t do something, Stone?” Elliot grinned. “There’s a first.”

“Shut up, Stabler,” Peter glowered. “I can handle it. I just can’t imagine doing this every day.”

“Not every day,” Jack shook his head, opening his door and walking to his desk. He didn’t stop the gathered group from following him inside. “But depending on the severity of the case, Nolan could be handed a case from any jurisdiction.”

“Like the Wheatley case,” Olivia nodded in understanding.

The name made everyone grimace, even the teenager with her dark hair in braids. “Exactly,” Jack nodded, raising an eyebrow at the teenager’s father. “And before anyone asks - ”

Frank immediately held his hands up in the air defensively. “I wasn’t going to.”

Jack ignored the snickers of Olivia and Elliot. “I gave Nolan leave through the start of the new year,” he continued. “If he decides to come back to New York before then, you’ll be the first one to know.”

Frank huffed in exasperation, but Jack noticed the tension that lifted from his shoulders. “I really wasn’t going to ask,” he grumbled, but he nodded gratefully.

Lily bit her lip to contain her giggles, and Jack winked at her. “As long as you keep from terrorizing Peter, I’ll keep you updated, Cosgrove.”

“Oh, thanks, Jack,” Peter rolled his eyes.

“How long did you last before you called Price to complain?” Olivia grinned.

“Jet did, too,” Elliot smirked.

“I apologized, didn’t I?” Frank glared at the captain and the detective, both of whom snickered. “He disappeared from the city a week after he won the case against an organized crime boss who’s got pull all over the place, and he did it without a word. Excuse me for reaching the worst conclusion!”

Well, when it was put like that . . . “Nolan himself didn’t know I had put in the leave for him until he got the notification and I visited him at the end of the workday,” Jack reminded Frank. “But you make a good point.” His phone chirped with an incoming message, and he absently rummaged through his coat pocket to find it. “Rest assured, though, I know where he is. He’s as safe as he can be if he isn’t here.”

Frank sighed. “That’s reassuring.”

“You still don’t know where he is?” Elliot asked in surprise.

“And you do?” Frank retorted.

Elliot shrugged. “I think Jet does,” he admitted. “Apparently, Price has asked her for a few favors while he’s gone. I don’t know what they were, but depending on what he asked her for, she’s probably figured it out.”

“Then that’s three people here who know,” Peter nodded.

Frank snorted. “Of course, you know.”

“I sure do,” Peter smirked smugly and perched on the edge of Jack’s desk. “And that bugs the hell out of you, doesn’t it?”

“Are you trying to get my dad to hurt you?” Lily asked, no jape in her tone.

Elliot barked in laughter and hastily coughed to cover it up. Olivia merely sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. “No hurting my partner, please,” she requested. “Or I get to hurt him back.”

Jack hummed absently as he checked his notifications. “Please don’t incite a war between your squad and whoever Nolan will bring to Cosgrove’s defense, especially since it would likely be between different departments.”

That got him four looks of confusion. “Seriously?” Elliot asked, sounding more curious than irritated.

Jack, however, ignored him in favor of smiling when he found the image that had just been sent to him by Nolan. While he had never visited Chicago, he knew what a courthouse looked like, and that was where Nolan and Sylvie stood with a number of people surrounding them, all with bright smiles on their faces. He caught the glint of sapphires on Sylvie’s right hand as she snuggled into her brother’s chest, Nolan holding his sister tightly to him, both beaming at the camera with matching looks of glee. It was the caption, however, that made him do a double take.

Best Christmas present in years, Jack. Thank you so much. - Nolan & Sylvie Price

Jack blinked then laughed warmly, holding out his phone for Peter to see. “You’re gonna have to amend one of your contacts, Peter.”

“I what?” Peter blinked as he took the phone. When he saw the message, however, he blinked then grinned widely. “Oh, my God, really?” He paused and frowned. “Wait, when he says Christmas present - ?”

“Not mine to him,” Jack chuckled. “My present was kicking him out of the courthouse for the holidays.”

Peter whistled, sounding impressed. “Did we teleport into a Hallmark movie or something?”

Elliot guffawed. “Did we what?”

“Rhetorical question,” Jack waved away the question and took back his phone when Peter held it out to him. “But I guarantee Nolan is just fine.”

“Better than fine, by the looks of it,” Peter agreed. “He didn’t mention anything about moving, did he?”

Lily’s eyes widened in alarm, and Jack snorted. “Trust me, I would be fielding complaints both from here and there if Nolan made that decision. I’m not sure who would be worse.”

“Cosgrove,” Elliot said at once. “I don’t know what the other option is, but I already know the answer.”

“Which one?” Olivia asked, pointing between Frank and Lily.

“Yes.”

Jack shook his head fondly as he turned on his computer. “If we have to worry about anyone leaving, I don’t think it will be Nolan,” he remarked. “It would take one hell of an incentive for that to happen.” He tilted his head in consideration. “Now, if we’re discussing someone coming back, on the other hand . . . ”

Peter balked. “Serious question. Would Manhattan be ready for that?”

Jack smirked. “The city handled it before.”

“I’m lost,” Lily mumbled.

“We all are at this point, hon,” Olivia patted her shoulder.

“Look, as long as Price is safe and doesn’t have any of Wheatley’s goons on his ass, I’m satisfied,” Elliot shrugged and headed for the door. “Just warn me in advance if the DA’s Office hatches some master plan to take over the city.”

Peter guffawed. “What?”

Jack merely hummed. “Where’s the fun in that?”

Elliot gestured wildly at Jack. “You see?!”

“You see?” Frank told Lily. “This is why I decided it’s a good idea to stay on Nolan’s good side.”

“And everyone’s sanity thanks you,” Peter quipped.

Lily giggled hysterically, and Olivia grinned. “I’ll keep my prosecutor happy, and you do the same thing for yours. Deal?”

“He’s not mine,” Frank muttered; if he saw the dubious eyebrow Lily raised at him, he ignored it. “But fine. Deal.”

“My team needs its own prosecutor, apparently,” Elliot huffed as he opened the door. He did a double take when he opened it and found someone poised to knock. “Ayanna?”

“Elliot,” Ayanna swallowed hard.

Her tone made Jack tense, and he looked up sharply from his computer. “Sergeant Bell,” he greeted.

“Sir,” Ayanna nodded respectfully as she stepped inside.

Jack took one look at her face and felt his heart sink. “What happened?”

“You aren’t gonna be pissed at us if we automatically say Brett for a few shifts instead of Price, are you?”

Griffin couldn’t help but laugh at the question, and judging by how quickly Nolan ducked his head to take a drink of the bourbon Herrmann had poured, he was just as amused. Sylvie just giggled and patted Capp’s shoulder comfortingly. “Don’t worry, Capp. I won’t sic Nolan on you if you mess it up once or twice.”

“Or a dozen,” Tony snarked.

“Or a hundred,” Cruz continued the trend.

Sylvie immediately turned her back on the brewing argument, shaking her head in exasperation. “Honestly, if someone doesn’t call me Brett at first, I’m going to be a little disappointed.”

“You really want to encourage them?” Kelly smirked.

Matt snorted. “Like they need any encouragement.”

“Yeah,” Sylvie sighed. “They really don’t.”

“At least they’re a good crew,” Ben said, grinning when he saw the squad crew dissolve into bickering. “You know they have your back.”

“They do,” Kelly nodded in agreement with a fond smile. “They always do.”

Matt sighed and looked into his drink. “Speaking of having our backs . . . ”

Nolan immediately narrowed his eyes. “What happened?”

Matt cleared his throat. “Kidd talked to me after shift,” he said. “Remember that call we had with Truck 72?”

Kelly made a face. “That bunch of idiots?”

“Kelly!” Sylvie swatted his shoulder.

“What?” he asked defensively as the Dardens burst out laughing. “They were! They were completely useless! We would have been better off on that call without them!”

“Well, their lieutenant is leaving Firehouse 25 and transferring out of the state,” Matt said. “And Kidd told me she’s looking into transferring.”

Kelly choked on his drink. “Wait,” Sylvie’s jaw dropped. “Really?”

“I thought we would be dealing with her until your custody case concluded,” Kelly coughed.

“Me, too,” Matt admitted, clapping Kelly on the back in an attempt to help him clear his airway. “But apparently, whatever conversation Gabby had with Nolan struck a chord with all of them. She’s still going to work at Molly’s, but she’s applying to be the lieutenant of Truck 72. She actually sounded excited about whipping a crew like them into shape.”

“Well,” Kelly cleared his throat, glancing over to the bar as Stella delivered refills to Gallo, Ritter, and Violet, “given the job she’s done with Girls On Fire, she’ll certainly be able to accomplish it.”

“And she’s no longer around to hound you on shift,” Sylvie added.

Matt sighed. “It means I’ll need to find a new member of Truck 81. Again.”

“Oh, you’ll find someone,” Kelly shook his head. “And you’ve always found the right fit. Remember Gallo?”

Matt snorted. “Remember how much arm twisting it took to convince Boden about him?”

“You saw Sylvie at the paramedicine panel, right?” Kelly pointed out. “Pick anyone, she’ll convince Boden within a minute. I’d even put money on it.”

Sylvie groaned and dropped her head into her arms. “This is why I dropped out of the debate team in high school,” she muttered. “Everyone kept nominating me to give our arguments.”

“And remind me, how did those debates go?” Nolan grinned.

Sylvie glared at her. “I’ll let that pass if you get me a refill.”

Nolan chuckled and stood from the table. “Well, since you got me such a great present.”

Sylvie smiled innocently at him, and Nolan laughed and kissed the top of her head as he plucked her empty wine glass from the table. Griffin watched him head to Herrmann, who was speaking with the Halsteads at the bar, then looked back at Sylvie. “I’m glad you’re that close with your brother,” he said.

“I’m lucky to have him,” Sylvie smiled, watching Nolan turn to answer a question from Will. “He was just starting to make his career when our parents died. He could have pushed me to the side in favor of his work, but he didn’t. He prioritized me instead, and I watched him turn down countless career pushes in favor of ones that kept him close to me. Jack recognized that and respected that while still pushing Nolan to reach his full potential. I don’t know what kind of relationship Nolan and I would have if Jack hadn’t been as supportive as he was.”

“Something tells me you may not have been as big a target,” Matt mused.

“Probably not,” Sylvie admitted, giving Nolan a quick glance when he checked his phone before returning her attention to Matt. “Who knows? I may have never left Manhattan.”

Kelly made a face. “I don’t like that thought.”

“Especially since that probably means we would still be in Portland,” Griffin remarked.

Matt grimaced. “Yeah, let’s not go there.”

Ben, however, frowned, his attention drawn elsewhere. “Nolan doesn’t look happy.”

Sylvie immediately twisted in her seat. “What?”

Griffin turned to look, too, and he saw what Ben had noticed. Nolan had his phone pressed to his ear, and his mirthful expression had vanished. In its place was a professional mask, one that had the Halsteads turning to look at Sylvie in concern. “Something happened,” Griffin realized.

“Yeah,” Sylvie whispered, swallowing hard and watching Nolan nod and take the glass offered by Herrmann, the lieutenant watching with a small frown. “Yeah, something did.”

“No, thank you for telling me, sir,” Nolan was saying into his phone as he returned to the table, placing Sylvie’s wine in front of her. “I’ll tell Voight and Jefferies and keep you in the loop. Thank you.”

He hung up with a heavy sigh, and Griffin’s heart sank. “Nolan?” Sylvie asked quietly.

“That was Jack,” Nolan explained, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Richard Wheatley got sprung from Rikers.”

Griffin swallowed hard. “So you need to leave?”

“Yeah,” Nolan nodded. “He’s calling me back in case Wheatley tries tracking me down. It’s more likely he’s going to go after Stabler, but considering I’m the one who prosecuted him and got him locked up in Rikers in the first place . . . ” He shrugged halfheartedly and smiled bitterly. “It comes with the territory, unfortunately.”

Sylvie exhaled shakily and nodded in resignation. “OK.”

“Hey,” Nolan gently tilted up her head so she looked at him. “I was able to stay this long, and we knew something like this could happen. We’ll see each other again, Sylvie. Even if I have to twist Voight’s arm to make it happen.” Sylvie giggled at the mental image, and Nolan playfully winked. “We’ll be OK, soror cara.”

“Yeah,” Sylvie nodded, and when she moved closer to Nolan, her brother tugged her into his chest for a hug. “We always will be.”

“How soon do you have to leave?” Matt asked quietly, noticing Molly’s had gone quiet when their friends saw what was happening.

“As soon as I can get a flight,” Nolan admitted, rubbing Sylvie’s back when she whimpered in protest. “So if there’s a redeye tonight with seats available, I’ll probably catch that one.”

Kelly whistled lowly. “Damn.”

Nolan shrugged, his smile appearing forced. “Organized crime bosses and their oily fingers in everything, you know.”

“Well,” Matt blew out his breath in a rush. “At least you got a heads up.”

“I did,” Nolan conceded, looking down at Sylvie. “And I do have a few more hours.”

“Not enough,” Sylvie whispered.

Griffin winced at the pain he heard, and Nolan nodded, resting his chin on top of Sylvie’s head. “Not enough,” he agreed. “I guess that just means we need to see each other again soon.”

That brought a ghost of a smile to Sylvie’s face. “My turn to visit you next time.”

Nolan chuckled. “You’re on.”

“Yeah, he got to see Chicago,” Ben piped up. “That means we need to see Manhattan.”

Griffin nodded firmly. “It’s only fair, right?”

“Sounds fair to me,” Matt grinned. “But that’ll have to wait until after this whole custody issue.”

“Sounds like a plan to me,” Kelly nodded.

“Deal,” Nolan decided, pulling back to smile down at Sylvie. “Besides, Stone is going to be insufferable if you don’t visit despite all his attempts to convince you otherwise.”

“Soon,” Sylvie promised. “And I need to meet this team of yours. Who knows, maybe the boys will get along with Frank’s daughter.”

“I think they would,” Nolan nodded, then he took a deep breath. “Right. Back to Manhattan.” He sighed and examined his drink before downing the rest of his bourbon in one go. “Maybe I can convince Stabler to let me have another go at Wheatley once they catch the bastard. He made my vacation end early.”

Sylvie burst into a fit of giggles. “As long as I get a video if that happens!”

Nolan grinned smugly, and despite his displeasure at knowing one of his new favorite people had to go, Griffin couldn’t help but smile as well. Even though Sylvie was obviously disappointed that Nolan had to leave early, her brother had done his best to turn her tears into laughter. A blind and deaf person would be able to tell Nolan loved her dearly. Griffin hated that he had to leave, but Nolan made it clear they would see each other again.

Griffin couldn’t wait.

Chapter Text

Anyone who knew Hank Voight knew prosecutors were far from his favorite people in the world. Sometimes they tried to tell the police how to do their jobs, and sometimes they were more focused on what would look best for their careers than how to pursue justice. Some let their hearts rule over their brains or vice versa, and some focused more on political prowess than the courtroom itself.

Yet as he stood on the apron of Firehouse 51 and watched Boden’s shift say their farewells to their newest family member, Hank had to admit Nolan Price sure knew how to make a favorable first impression. From what he had heard, all of his focus had been on Sylvie the moment he laid eyes on her, and that was where his focus stayed. Everything he had done while he was in Chicago somehow tied back to his sister, whether it was finding an attorney to help Matt keep custody of the Dardens or weaving a web to trap Kilbourne. Word had rapidly spread through the city about the disgraced deputy district chief’s fall from grace, including condemnation from departments around the country originating from outrage in Manhattan. Not only had Nolan made known just how many strings he could pull with his position and connections, but he also made it clear that he was all bite and no bark when he came to his little sister’s defense. The biggest conclusion Hank had reached in less than a month was that Sylvie’s fierce love for her brother was returned just as strongly by Nolan, perhaps even moreso. His utter devotion to her was his greatest strength.

Now it was more evident than ever why Sylvie had moved from Manhattan: she was also her brother’s Achilles heel. If Nolan’s orchestrated takedown of Kilbourne was what he was willing to do to someone who merely attempted to intimidate his sister, Hank knew the prosecutor would do everything in his power to bring a city, a state, hell the country to its knees if any actual harm came to Sylvie. If that harm originated from someone in an attempt to bring Nolan to heel? It was absolutely believable that Nolan would either risk or give up his job to save her. Everyone in Chicago was learning that tidbit of information, a tidbit that everyone in Manhattan had already known.

As Hank watched Sylvie cling tightly to Nolan’s coat, her azure eyes swimming with tears, and saw how Nolan cradled her to him, his lips pressed to the top of her head as he fought his own tears, he silently promised to keep a closer eye on Sylvie for the man who had spent his entire vacation making her holidays the best they could be. This prosecutor was one he respected and decided he ultimately liked, and if part of his decision was because he wanted to make sure he was never on the wrong end of Nolan’s wrath? Well, that was his business and no one else’s.

He heard the faint sound of footsteps behind him, but he waited patiently for his former 2IC to speak.  “She really is his biggest weakness, isn’t she?” Antonio finally muttered, his eyes locked on Nolan.

“She is,” Hank confirmed. “That’s what makes him so dangerous. Any fight she picks is a battle he’s willing to wage for her: the Dardens’ custody, Lieutenant Pelham’s employment - ”

“Me,” Antonio muttered.

Hank snorted. “You haven’t been around for two years, Antonio. That means you haven’t seen what the rest of us have known practically that entire time: she’s clearly in love with Casey and Severide, and anyone who watches them together knows not only do those two love her just as obviously, they also love each other. Hell, there were betting pools across departments about when they would finally confess and get together. It was only a matter of time before it happened.” He gave Antonio a pointed look. “And the fact that you, your sister, and Kidd never stopped . . . whatever you were doing probably got them moving, too. Don’t think I didn’t notice how you watched Sylvie the entire night of the gala. I certainly know who noticed.”

Antonio huffed. “Based on your interactions with each other after he first arrived, I thought for sure you two hated each other.”

“Dislike, maybe,” Hank admitted. “It was my recommendation that Sylvie change her surname and they limit contact with each other as much as possible to keep her safe. That meant the only time they saw each other in person prior to this was when Sylvie accompanied Stone for his father’s funeral. They adhered to my suggestion, and I don’t blame Nolan for any disdain he held for me. Still, it kept Sylvie off anyone’s radar for this long, and now I’ve seen his devotion to her firsthand.”

“And what if changing her name back makes Sylvie a target again?” Antonio challenged.

Hank sighed at the thought. “Then I hope the idea that Intelligence is watching over her will be enough of a deterrent. If not . . . well, it’s been a long time since I’ve worked with Benson.”

Antonio frowned. “Price works homicides.”

“With his position, he works homicides and any case McCoy personally hands him because it needs his expertise,” Hank corrected. “Richard Wheatley is an organized crime boss who killed the wife of an NYPD detective. Benson’s squad initially handed the case before it was taken from them because the detective in question is her brother in all but blood. When Wheatley ended up in court, Wheatley fired attorneys left and right until he found one that successfully argued Stone off the case, then he fired that one and hired Rafael Barba. In response, McCoy handed the case to Nolan, who thought two steps ahead of Wheatley and not only kept him from witness tampering but also goaded him into taking the stand. The jury might have been hung or might have released Wheatley otherwise. Instead, they decided to convict. Benson and Stabler owe Nolan, Antonio. If, God forbid, something happens to Sylvie, how do you think a notorious police pair might decide to repay him?” Antonio swallowed hard, but his silence was answer enough. “You and your sister made your beds when you chose her charity,” Hank told him. “You made better lives for yourselves there. We all can see it.” He inclined his head towards the top of the apparatus floor, where Nolan was saying farewell to Griffin and Ben while Matt and Kelly comforted Sylvie. “Be happy for those who are working on making their own lives better, too.”

Though Antonio contemplated those words, he never had a chance to respond. Nolan finally broke away from the Firehouse 51 crew, his red-rimmed eyes and his hands in white-knuckled fists the only signs of his displeasure. Hank had to respect him, though, for doing exactly what he said he would do: he would find the earliest route out of the city if a danger to his family ever arose. “Thank you for this, Sergeant,” Nolan said gratefully, a weariness in his voice that did not match the man Chicago had come to know and love.

Hank didn’t like that weariness at all, but unless he personally flew up and handled Richard Wheatley himself, there was nothing he could do . . . though that was a sorely tempting idea now that he considered it. “You’re welcome, Nolan,” he replied. “All set to leave?”

“Unfortunately,” he grumbled, then he sighed and relaxed one fist to run his hand through his hair. “But Sylvie and I knew this was always a possibility. It’s the nature of the job. I’ll just take my frustration out on whichever idiot becomes the next defendant I prosecute. Maybe it’ll be Wheatley and the second conviction will be even sweeter.”

“I don’t pity whoever ends up at that table,” Hank chuckled. “The entire city’s gonna be betting on you.”

“That’s reassuring,” Nolan muttered, sounding both sarcastic and genuine. He finally glanced at Antonio and gave him a curt nod. “Safe travels to you, Dawson.”

Antonio pressed his lips tightly together, and Hank braced himself for an outburst. But it seemed Antonio did know when to concede defeat, for he returned the curt nod and kept his tone even. “Likewise, Price.” He paused then offered additional parting words. “Give Wheatley hell.”

If Nolan was surprised by the olive branch, the only sign he gave was a slow blink of his eyes. When he nodded next time, though, it was with a small smile. “If I see him before Stabler likely gets his hands on him, I sure will.”

Antonio nodded in acceptance and walked up the apparatus floor to join Gabby, and Hank quietly snorted. “That went better than I thought it would.”

Nolan merely shrugged. “If we run into each other again at some point, then we run into each other again. Better to end on a high note than a low one.” He smirked. “If only some of the defenders I faced learned that.”

“Their loss,” Hank shrugged uncaringly.

“Literally, in some cases.” Nolan sighed and glanced up at the dimming sky. “We better get going, or else you’re going to have to physically drag me to the airport.”

“Your sister might kill me if I do that,” Hank quipped, but he nodded and turned to walk towards his car. “And I have no desire to get on her bad side when I know she’s upset enough that you have to leave early.”

Nolan chuckled weakly and walked after Hank. “Smart man.”

Hank smirked. “I haven’t kept my position by being an idiot.”

“I’m just gonna say what everyone is thinking,” Frank scowled from where he sat on the couch in Jack’s office with his arms folded. “Richard Wheatley is a damn cockroach.”

Ayanna snorted. “Welcome to what my entire team has dealt with since he showed up on our radar.”

“Now we’re all involved,” Olivia sighed and rubbed her forehead. “SVU initially investigated Kathy’s death, Organized Crime took over the investigation, and the Homicide Squad’s prosecutor convicted him.”

“If it means a dangerous man is found sooner rather than later, there will be no complaints from me,” Jack said from his desk, his hawklike eyes narrowed. “I expect this will be your highest priority, Sergeant?”

“It already is,” Ayanna assured him. “And Stabler has already claimed dibs.”

The detective smirked dangerously from the place he had claimed by the door. “This time, this snake isn’t escaping.”

“Well, unless we’re investigating our own cases,” Kevin said, gesturing between himself and Frank, “we’re happy to lend helping hands.”

“We’ll take you up on that,” Ayanna nodded.

Voices outside Jack’s office caught their attention, and Frank heard the tail end of Peter’s statement. “ - would rather swallow nails than anger you?”

Familiar laughter followed, and as Frank straightened where he sat, he noticed he wasn’t the only one that turned to the door. “I can name a former deputy district chief who probably wished he did that instead.”

A hysterically-laughing Peter walked into the office first, and he was followed by a smirking Nolan. If the Executive ADA was annoyed that his vacation had ended early, it didn’t show on his face. “That didn’t take long,” Olivia blinked in surprise.

Nolan shrugged as he shut Jack’s office door behind him. “It’s Wheatley. I’d rather not risk any of his goons tracking me down outside of New York.”

Peter muttered something under his breath that was hard to hear, though Frank swore he caught the words “sergeant,” “intelligent,” and “challenge” somewhere in the sentence. Whatever he said made Nolan snicker and Jack snort in amusement. “Welcome home, Nolan,” he said with a smile and rounded his desk. “But I hope you know you aren’t working until tomorrow.”

“I know,” Nolan nodded, accepting Jack’s welcoming hug. “I won’t argue with you on that. I need to come down from this vacation high.” Jack raised an expectant eyebrow, and Nolan rolled his eyes. “Fine. I know you want to say it.”

Jack chuckled and patted Nolan’s shoulder. “I told you so, didn’t I?”

Nolan sighed and nodded. “You did. Thank you so much, Jack. I owe you one.” He paused then amended, “I think a lot of people might say they owe you one for getting me out of New York.”

Jack smirked. “A certain deputy district chief might not, hmm?”

Peter laughed loudly then turned and coughed into his arm in a futile attempt to smother his amusement. Nolan just grinned sheepishly. “In my defense, he had it coming.”

“Oh, based on what I’ve heard, he absolutely did,” Jack agreed. “Well played, Nolan.” The pleased look paired with the devilish smirk on Nolan’s face made Frank wonder what the hell his best friend had done with his vacation time. And what was this about a deputy district chief? “We’ll discuss Wheatley tomorrow,” Jack decided, and Nolan nodded in agreement. “Get some rest, Nolan. I imagine you didn’t get much on the flight.”

Nolan snorted. “Try none.”

Jack nodded in understanding. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Yes, sir,” Nolan nodded in return. He rolled his head around to get the kinks out of his neck and smirked at Frank. “So, other than giving Stone a hard time, how were your holidays?”

The amusement on Peter’s face vanished at once, and Frank snorted and marched forward to pull his best friend in for a hug. “If you do not give me some form of warning next time you’re gonna pull a disappearing act, I am hunting you down, my lieutenant’s permission be damned,” he declared. “You hear me?”

Nolan laughed and hugged Frank in return. “Understood.”

Olivia smiled and gently elbowed Peter. “You’re still the Bensons’ favorite, Peter.”

Peter cracked a smile in return. “That’s what matters.”

Elliot made a face in Kevin’s direction. “I feel like I’m fifth-wheeling.”

The homicide detective just snickered. “How do you think Maroun and I feel?”

A lull in cases meant Kate dismissed both detectives early, but she did so with a knowing smile at Frank. The detective bit back a sigh when he caught Kevin trying to smother a grin. Knowing his partner, Kevin had likely told her Nolan had returned, and that probably impacted her decision to give them the rest of the day. Still, Frank wasn’t going to argue with his boss, especially not when Nolan instantly agreed with his suggested plans for the rest of the day.

The moment he unlocked the front door to his brownstone and ushered Nolan in ahead of him, a joyful cheer came from deeper inside. Nolan’s face immediately brightened, and he quickly placed the bag he brought on the floor before he had to stumble backwards when a brunette blur crashed into him. “You’re back!” Lily whooped.

Nolan laughed and wound his arms around Lily, hugging her tightly. “Surprise!”

“You were gone so long!” Lily complained, looking up at Nolan with big brown eyes. “Dad hated it.”

“Hey!” Frank protested as he shut the door behind him, but he sheepishly shrugged when Nolan gave him an incredulous look. “Alright, I didn’t like it - ”

“He hated it,” Lily repeated.

“ - hence the warning I’m tracking you down if you do it again,” Frank finished with a sigh.

Nolan chuckled and ran a hand over Lily’s braids. “I guess that means you’re keeping him in line, huh?”

“Who says I wouldn’t be right there with him?” Lily grinned.

Frank smirked smugly. “That’s my girl.”

“Like father, like daughter,” Nolan agreed, patting Lily’s shoulder. “It’s good to be back.”

“Where were you?” Lily asked, practically bouncing up and down like a kangaroo. “Jack seemed certain you would be OK, but he didn’t say anything else.”

“Well,” Nolan held out with a grin. “Funny you should ask that. Maybe if you open this, you’ll get an answer.”

He picked up the gift bag he had placed on the floor and held it out to Lily, whose eyes brightened. “Really?!”

Nolan laughed. “Go on!”

Lily snatched the bag with a delighted squeak hurried back into the living room, leaving the men to watch her fondly. “I still can’t believe you bought her a gift,” Frank shook his head, beginning to walk after his daughter.

“You’ll understand when she opens it,” Nolan smiled as he followed Frank.

They arrived in time to see Lily dive into the tissue paper inside the bag, and her jaw dropped. “Whoa!” she breathed, reaching inside and withdrawing Nolan’s gift.

And Frank understood immediately what Frank had meant. Lily loved collecting snow globes, and the one she cradled in her hands now was undoubtedly one Nolan had picked out specifically because of the city he visited. Frank had never visited Chicago, but he recognized the skyline that formed the base of the globe. The Cloud Gate of Millennium Park and the Centennial Wheel were inside the globe itself, and Lily rotated the globe to admire it from all angles. “I found it in one of the gift shops I passed,” Nolan explained. “And what were the chances you had one like this?”

“I don’t,” Lily smiled. She carefully set the globe down on the coffee table then hugged Nolan tightly. “I love it. Thank you, Nolan.”

Nolan smiled and hugged her back. “You’re welcome, Lily.”

Lily gingerly picked up the snow globe and the remnants of the gift bag and tissue paper, then she hurried deeper into the brownstone, likely to her room. “She is not going to shut up about that for a while,” Frank warned.

Nolan shrugged unrepentantly. “It made her happy.”

This man, Frank thought fondly with a laugh. “So . . . Chicago, huh?”

“Yeah,” Nolan nodded, leaning back against the couch. “I’ve been meaning to visit for a while. When Jack made me take the vacation, I figured it was the perfect time. It’s beautiful during the holidays.” He wrinkled his nose. “The drivers can be a little stupid with the weather, though.”

Frank snorted. “That’s not too different from here.” Nolan smirked in agreement. “And what was the big deal about a deputy district chief?”

“Ah,” Nolan grimaced. “That. A few years ago, one of the fire lieutenants I met while in the city caught his captain stealing, and they fought while on the scene. Later, he said he wouldn’t report the captain if he returned the goods and took early retirement. The captain did that, and the lieutenant kept his word. Except the deputy district chief was friends with the captain and saw the whole thing. He just didn’t know about the stealing.”

Frank nodded slowly. “And he took it out on the lieutenant.”

“Bingo,” Nolan smiled bitterly. “He stuck the lieutenant in the floater pool, and he’d been bouncing around firehouses, never keeping a command. He found one at Firehouse 40 with one of his best friends, but while on scene, one of the firefighters blamed him for an injury she sustained. He was facing an inquiry, where he would likely be terminated if he was found to be at fault.”

Frank scowled. “Let me guess. This deputy district chief had a hand in it?”

“He got the firefighter to blame the lieutenant before she was dismissed from the hospital,” Nolan nodded. “Luckily, she was convinced to recant her statement, and the lieutenant’s former captain came forward to reveal this was the deputy district chief’s MO. The lieutenant was cleared of wrongdoing, and the deputy district chief . . . ” He shrugged and smirked. “Good luck to him when it comes to job hunting at a fire department now. Serves him right, though. When he found out he was going to be under review, he tracked down the firefighter and tried to chew her out in public. He’s not very smart when he’s pissed off. He did it at a firefighter bar.”

Frank snickered. “Yeah, that was stupid.” He tilted his head, seeing Nolan’s smug expression. “You really can’t help but find trouble even when you aren’t working, can you?”

Nolan shrugged. “I just tried to help right a wrong.”

“And helped save that lieutenant’s job. You gave him a miracle for the holidays.” Nolan abruptly laughed, and Frank blinked in confusion. “What?”

“Nothing,” Nolan shook his head, struggling to hide a grin. “It’s just . . . I really do have to put that down on my résumé now, don’t I?” Before Frank could ask questions about that, Lily bounded back into the room, and Nolan smiled at her. “So, other than apparently making others miserable because I wasn’t here - ” Lily burst into a peal of giggles, and Frank frowned at his daughter. Traitor. “ - tell me what I missed for the holidays.”

If the Jimmy Doyle murder case was some form of karma unleashed on their group, Elliot was never going to snark about Frank and Nolan again. That case had been a ticking time bomb the moment the 2-7 tracked down Doyle’s girlfriend, and how Nolan kept it from exploding, Elliot had no damn clue. All he knew was that Nolan had to navigate a minefield of politics while getting a conviction that fit the crime. The first-degree manslaughter charge to Kendra Daniels didn’t stick, but the second-degree manslaughter did, satisfying the NYPD’s thirst for blood. Somehow Nolan had remained calm and cool and unwavering the entire time, and Elliot’s respect for the Executive ADA had grown immensely.

He also now knew he never wanted to find himself in the middle of an argument between Frank and Nolan. He had thought their row over Nicole Bell’s confession had been bad enough. Frank’s frustration over the Kendra Daniels case had almost boiled over, and only Kevin miraculously managing to talk his partner down kept the pair from going for each other’s throats in the courthouse. The tension between them during the case was so thick Elliot could have cut it with a butterknife, and he seriously thought Kendra’s conviction was all that saved their friendship. He had seen Frank cautiously make his way to Nolan once everyone was dismissed from the courtroom, but Ayanna had called him aside before he could see where that conversation went.

But, as Elliot looked around Jack’s office as Ayanna reported on the conclusion of the Wheatley case, things appeared to be on the mend for the pair. Kevin and Sam still seemed to be tiptoeing around them a bit, but from what Elliot heard around the department, Lily Cosgrove was a big part of how they were reconciling. It was no secret to anyone that Nolan was the girl’s favorite person other than her father, and there was no way Nolan’s heart would let him stay away from the teenager just because of an argument with Frank. In fact, nowadays Elliot was certain he saw more of the pair off shift than he did on shift.

Still, the irony wasn’t lost on Elliot as he spied Nolan reviewing Jet’s report with Frank reading over his shoulder. They were acting like a divorced couple working on reconciling, for God’s sake.

“Well,” Jack sighed and returned Ayanna’s file back to her, “I can’t say I’m sorry this is behind us.”

“Bastard deserves to rot wherever he goes,” Jet grumbled.

“Isn’t there a saying somewhere about not speaking ill of the dead?” Kevin wondered.

Olivia just snorted. “I think people like Wheatley can be excluded from that.”

“I won’t do it, but I’ll support Jet in it,” Nolan shrugged, snapping shut the folder he held and handing it back to the detective. “Though I am disappointed I don’t get to go another round against him.”

“Even if you were going up against Barba again?” Sam asked.

Olivia and Peter grimaced at the former SVU prosecutor’s name, and Nolan shrugged. “He was decent competition, at least.”

“I still don’t know how you pulled that off,” Olivia admitted. “Barba is good.”

“He is,” Nolan agreed. “But if someone gets cocky enough, they start talking too much.”

“And Wheatley loves the sound of his own voice,” Elliot nodded then paused. “Loved,” he amended. “God, that’s odd to say.”

“Get used to it,” Ayanna smirked. “He’s gone.”

“Sounds like a drinks at Forlini’s type of night,” Nolan mused, walking over to where he had placed his briefcase by the wall. “Frank?”

“Definitely,” the detective agreed. “Count me in.”

Olivia’s eyebrows shot up, and Peter looked incredulously at Jack, Kevin, and Sam. Jack merely raised an eyebrow at the SVU prosecutor. “Would you rather them be fighting?” he asked.

Elliot immediately shook his head. “Definitely not.”

Jack snorted. “Thought not.” There was a knock on the doorframe, and Jack raised his voice. “Come in!”

The man that poked his head through the doorway made Olivia blink in surprise. “Langan,” she greeted, crossing the room to meet the defender. “I heard you were out of town.”

“I was,” Trevor Langan nodded, accepting Olivia’s brief hug. “I just flew back in from Portland last night.”

A loud thud came from the wall followed by a vicious curse. “Nolan!” Sam gasped.

“I’m fine,” Nolan groused, grimacing and rubbing the top of his head as he backed away from the coat rack. “Stood up too fast.” He checked his hand to make sure he wasn't bleeding and huffed, satisfied when he found his palm clean. “Ouch.”

“You’re sure you’re good?” Frank asked in concern.

“Yeah,” Nolan gingerly nodded, then he looked towards Trevor with an intensity Elliot had rarely seen outside the courtroom. “You said Portland?”

“I did,” Trevor nodded with a smile as he pulled a folder out of his briefcase. “I checked your office first, but everyone said you were up here. I figured it would be better to put this in your hands myself than just leave it on your desk. I think you’ll be pleased.”

Nolan all but yanked the folder from Trevor’s hand and immediately opened it, and as the prosecutor scoured its contents, Elliot looked at Frank for an explanation. Frank, however, looked completely lost. So did Kevin and Sam, for that matter. Olivia looked like she was biting her tongue to avoid asking a question. Jack, meanwhile, leaned against his desk, his arms crossed expectantly, and Peter appeared to be eagerly waiting for something from Nolan.

A moment later, Nolan’s eyes widened and leapt from the page to a smirking Trevor. “They’re suspending their licenses?” he asked in disbelief.

“Pending a full investigation,” Trevor nodded smugly. “It turns out this isn’t the first time this pair have forced their preferences down guardians’ throats or they’ve been neglectful regarding their charges. This is just the first time anyone has so brazenly stood up to them. Once you asked me to take this case and I got the ball rolling, other families came forward. There’s only one way this is going to end, Nolan.”

“Termination of their licenses,” Nolan breathed, a grin growing on his face as he finished reading. “Serves those vultures right.” He closed the folder and looked hopefully at Trevor. “And the boys?”

“It turns out when they’re actually given a chance to be heard, people who care listen,” Trevor smiled. “The captain got full custody, and the move is permanent. The boys will never have to set foot in Portland again unless they want to.” He snorted and shook his head. “Though based on how they complained about the place, I don’t think they will unless it’s for very dire circumstances.”

Nolan snorted. “Believe me, they won’t.” He closed the file and gave Trevor a grateful smile. “Trevor . . . thank you so much. Are you sure I don’t - ?”

“Keep the favors for another time,” Trevor shook his head. “The satisfaction of this win and watching those women’s careers come crumbling down was payment enough.”

Olivia’s jaw dropped, Ayanna whistled lowly, and Elliot looked at Nolan in shock. Trevor Langan was an expensive private attorney, but as he knew when SVU pooled their finances together to hire him for Olivia years ago, he was worth every penny. What case did Nolan put in front of him that led him to waiving any payment, favor or not? “Well, I won’t argue any further,” Nolan decided, tucking the folder under his arm and holding out his hand. “I appreciate it, Trevor.”

“It was a genuine pleasure,” Trevor chuckled. Nolan nodded and stepped away, then Trevor tilted his head. “I just realized . . . when did you start wearing that again?”

Elliot blinked then followed Trevor’s line of sight. Nolan paused in the middle of opening the folder again, and he tilted his right hand side to side. The baguette-cut diamonds in the vine-engraved gold band on his ring finger winked under the lights of Jack’s office, and Nolan smiled. “Recently,” he replied. “It was the right time to put it back on.”

Elliot blinked in confusion, and when he looked around the office, he found Olivia, Peter, Ayanna, Jet, Kevin, Sam, and Frank looking just as lost. Jack, on the other hand, smiled warmly and looked proud of his second in command, and Trevor chuckled. “I’ll leave you to it,” he said, walking back to the door. “If anything happens, Nolan, let me know. I’ll be in the loop whatever the fallout in Portland is, but if something else happens or, God forbid, the boys’ mother does anything stupid - ”

“I’ll call you,” Nolan promised.

Trevor nodded and left the office, and Peter looked incredulously at Nolan. “What did you unleash in Portland?” he asked.

“I honestly don’t know what I expected when I asked,” Nolan admitted, absently perusing the folder’s contents. “A satisfying and positive outcome? Yes. Kicking up a hornet’s nest? Not so much. But considering what he’s included in here . . . this is so much more than I hoped for.”

Jack hummed thoughtfully. “May I?”

Nolan nodded and handed him the folder. “Have at it.”

Jack’s hawklike eyes scanned the pages, and after a few seconds of reading he clicked his tongue and shook his head. “Forget a hornet’s nest,” he said as he handed back to the folder. “Langan is leaving scorched earth in his rearview.”

Nolan snorted and walked over to put the folder in his briefcase. “It couldn’t have happened to a nicer pair of vultures.”

“Didn’t Jack send you on vacation so you didn’t have to work?” Peter asked.

Nolan smirked. “I didn’t work.”

“You started a chain reaction to ruin the career of one deputy district chief and hired the best private attorney in the city to rain hell on Portland,” Peter deadpanned. “That’s not working?”

“Nope,” Nolan smirked, popping the last syllable as he walked towards the door, looking like he was strutting more than strolling. “That’s me using my vacation time wisely. Pretty productive use of it, don’t you think?”

With that parting shot, he disappeared out the door and left silence in his week. Elliot blinked once, twice, then shook his head and looked around to see Olivia and Ayanna just as stunned and Frank staring where Nolan had disappeared. “Jack,” Elliot finally said, turning to look at a visibly smug District Attorney. “Why the hell did you hire such a terrifying man?”

Jack laughed and rounded his desk to return to his chair. “Believe it or not, Detective, I did not hire Nolan solely for his skill in a courtroom. And I look forward to the day you learn exactly what clinched his spot in my office.”

Maybe it was just a lineage of the District Attorney thing, Elliot would later decide, because that ending line was just as scary as Nolan had just been.

Chapter Text

As he drove through traffic to reach the courthouse, the wail of sirens starting to grow louder, Frank decided on two things. One was that, assuming he would be able to get past Elliot, he was going to give Olivia hell for putting the Rublev case in jeopardy to begin with by hiding their star witness and refusing to tell the prosecutors where she was now located.

The second was that, assuming he could get away with it, he wasn’t going to let Nolan out of his sight for at least forty-eight hours. Hell, Lily probably would help him with that if she didn’t have school.

He finally found a place to pull over and quickly threw his car in park. Crime scene investigators were already on the scene, as were medical examiners. Frank ignored them in favor of weaving through patrol officers he recognized from the 2-7, barely giving anyone a second glance. There was one he acknowledged, though, and he quickened his pace to catch up with the younger detective. “Shaw, what happened?” he demanded.

“Based on reports right now, Rublev was shot at point blank range,” his partner for the case, Jalen Shaw, reported, falling into step with Frank. “He died almost instantly. Price did his best to help, but according to the MEs, he was basically a lost cause.”

Frank sighed, seeing the bloodstains on the concrete sidewalks. “Any other casualties?”

“None,” Jalen shook his head. “Just Rublev.”

“And Nolan and Sam?”

“Getting cleared by the paramedics right now.”

Frank sighed and rubbed his forehead, weaving around police and searching for where the ambulances were parked. “This damn case has been hell from beginning to end.” He quickly found Sam where she was being assisted from the back of an ambulance, looking shaken but unharmed. She nodded to the paramedic who assisted her then walked back towards the courthouse, and Frank quickened his pace to reach her. “Sam!” he called.

Sam turned at once, and she sagged in relief. “Frank,” she smiled wearily. “Hey.”

“Are you OK?” he asked, looking her up and down.

“Yeah,” Sam nodded, wrapping her arms around herself. “My ears are just ringing. I’m fine.”

Frank nodded, accepting her answer, then looked around. “Where’s Nolan?”

Sam glanced around with pursed lips. “He could be anywhere,” she admitted. “He tried helping Rublev, but . . . ” She shrugged helplessly. “He’s probably giving a statement somewhere or checking bystanders.”

Frank sighed. “Of course, he is,” he muttered, beginning his trek around the courthouse.

Jalen and Sam fell into step behind him, and while Frank mainly focused on his surroundings, he heard Jalen quietly speak with Sam. It made him smile in approval, for many of the detectives Kate had tried pairing with him had either blatantly not gotten along with the prosecutors or treated them like they were made of porcelain. So far, Jalen had done neither of those things. In fact, he had treated the prosecutors with more respect than all of the previous detectives combined. First thing I do after we finish our reports for this case, Frank thought. Convince Kate to bring Jalen permanently to the 2-7.

Frank finally found Nolan by the edge of the courthouse, the senior prosecutor speaking with a few pale pedestrians, his suit jacket and tie nowhere to be seen. Olivia and Elliot were interviewing other bystanders nearby, and Frank abruptly swung away so his path didn’t cross the captain’s. He beelined for Nolan, who stepped away from the pedestrians when he noticed him approaching. “I’m fine,” he said before Frank even opened his mouth.

“Yeah?” Frank raised an eyebrow, eyeing the drying blood on Nolan’s hands.

Nolan glanced down at his skin with a grimace. “It’s Rublev’s, not mine.”

Frank raked his gaze over Nolan, pressing his lips tightly together when he found no sign of any injuries. “You’re still getting cleared by medics,” he said firmly. “Sam already has.”

Nolan stubbornly shook his head.  “There’s still work to do here - ”

“Sit down, Nolan.” Frank wasn’t sure what was more impressive: the iron command in the voice that brokered no argument or how quickly Nolan obeyed and dropped onto the bench behind him. Frank quickly turned to see a green-eyed man with greying blond hair standing nearby, his arms folded and an exasperated expression as he leveled a firm look at Nolan. Based on his black FDNY uniform, he was a captain. “Or I tell Jack,” he warned.

Nolan gave him a dirty look but didn’t argue. “Fine.”

A snort came from the man with greying black hair who stepped past the fire captain, a jumpbag over his shoulder and his jacket indicating his rank as a paramedic captain. “If I’d known you giving him an order would have made him finally agree, I’d have called you over immediately,” he remarked, placing his bag on the ground.

The fire captain smirked. “It’s the stubbornness of Prices.”

The paramedic captain outright laughed at the face Nolan made. “Deal with it, Nolan. We know you better than most people.”

“You gentlemen certainly do.” That came from Jack, and the District Attorney drew all eyes as he stopped by the fire captain. “How are my prosecutors, Karns?”

“The 207 cleared Maroun,” Karns replied with a nod in Sam’s direction. “As for Nolan . . .  Zimmers?”

“Nothing to report from what I can tell,” the paramedic captain answered after a few moments. “Your ears are probably ringing, though.”

“No kidding,” Nolan muttered, experimentally shaking his head.

He grimaced immediately, and Zimmers snorted and patted his shoulder. “Don’t do that,” he advised.

“Yeah,” Nolan sighed in agreement as he pinched the bridge of his nose. “Good idea.”

“And this is why you get cleared by a paramedic before you jump headfirst into something else,” Frank told him with a scowl. “Got it?”

Nolan rolled his eyes but grumbled, “Yes, sir.”

Frank scowled at the snark, but he was distracted when he saw Karns survey the crime scene. The fire captain whistled lowly and shook his head. “I admit, I was looking forward to seeing him get his reckoning,” he said. “This isn’t nearly as satisfying.”

Nolan scoffed. “Glad someone had confidence in me.”

Karns raised an eyebrow. “You didn’t think you could convict him?”

Nolan sighed and rubbed his forehead. “Well, it was definitely turning into an uphill battle without a witness.”

Zimmers looked up from checking his bag and frowned. “Didn’t you have one?”

Olivia, who had started to make her way over, faltered in her steps, her eyes wide. “We had one,” Nolan slowly replied. “Then we didn’t.”

Karns blinked. “How the hell did you, of all people, lose a witness?”

Nolan hesitated, but Frank spoke before he could. “The prosecutors didn’t,” he said with a pointed glare at Olivia. “They didn’t drop the ball.”

“Cosgrove!” Olivia narrowed her eyes, instantly on the defensive.

She was stopped from further words when Zimmers turned piercing grey eyes on her, his gaze assessing her. “And you’re in a relationship with your ADA, aren’t you?” he asked. “How did he take that?”

Olivia swallowed hard, and Karns snorted. “Better question. How does an SVU captain lose a witness when it involves busting such a high-profile figure for sex trafficking?”

Frank didn’t know many firefighters to begin with, but these two were rapidly becoming his favorites. “Excellent questions,” he smirked.

Olivia swallowed hard. “Nicole’s been through enough,” she whispered.

Karns blinked slowly. “And what about others trafficked by Rublev who may not have closure? One over many?”

Elliot remained silent, but his piercing gaze on Olivia said it all. “And now Sirenko’s deal stands,” Frank added, digging in the thorns. “20 years, possibility of parole.”

“And he’s the one who shot Ava, which kickstarted the whole case, right?” At Zimmers’ words, all of them looked at the paramedic captain in surprise. “It was my ambulance that was closest to the scene,” he explained. “I was the one who confirmed her death.”

Olivia flinched, and Karns shook his head. “I’m just a fire captain, but that sounds like a noose around the prosecutors’ necks,” he said.

Nolan muttered incoherently under his breath, but Frank had the feeling it wasn’t kind. “Unfortunately, this is how the trial ends,” Jack sighed. “All we can do is clean up the rest of the ring.”

Karns sighed and turned to him. “If there’s anything my house can do to be of help - ”

“I know to contact you,” Jack smiled and held out his hand. “Thank you, Rick. I appreciate it.”

Karns smiled and firmly shook his hand. “You’re welcome.”

Zimmers slung his bag over his shoulder and squeezed Nolan’s. “Take care of yourself, Nolan, OK?”

“Oh, I don’t think that’s going to be a problem,” Sam finally spoke, her dark eyes glittering as she looked at Frank.

“Well, assuming there’s nothing left for him to do,” Frank shrugged.

“There isn’t,” Jack shook his head. “Not after what happened. Both of you are dismissed for the day.”

“Good,” Frank smiled pleasantly. “You’re coming home with me. No arguing, or I’m pulling Lily from Cromwell and having her say it.”

Nolan groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. “You play dirty, Frank.”

“I play smart,” Frank corrected. “You’ve said no to me before. You’ve never said no to Lily.”

Elliot snickered. “He has you there, Price.”

Frank raised an eyebrow expectantly, and Nolan sighed and nodded. “Thanks, Frank. I do appreciate it.”

Frank held out his hand, and Nolan accepted his help standing. “Someone has to make sure you don’t run yourself into the ground because of this clusterfuck.”

Olivia and Elliot winced, but Zimmers outright laughed. “I like you,” he decided. “Make sure he doesn’t overdo anything.”

“David!” Nolan protested with wide eyes.

“Yes, sir,” Frank readily agreed.

“Excellent,” Zimmers smiled pleasantly. “Someone else is looking after our people.”

Karns hummed and side-eyed Olivia. “I’m glad someone is.”

“Rick,” Nolan sighed. “Just . . . leave it, alright?”

Karns’s radio chirped at that moment, distracting the fire captain. “Squad 6. Ambulance 90. Heavy rescue and medical assist required.”

Karns’s face set determinedly, and he clicked on his radio. “Copy, Dispatch. Send the location.”

“Copy, Captain.”

“Thank you,” Nolan told them sincerely. “And good luck.”

“Thanks, Nolan,” Karns smiled. “Take care of yourself, or I’ll sic David on you.”

Zimmers smirked, and Nolan chuckled. “I know you will. I give him hell about it, but I’m in good hands.”

Frank gave a pleased smile, and Karns nodded. “We’ll see you soon.”

The pair of captains disappeared into the crowd, and Jack sighed. “We’ll regroup tomorrow,” he decided. “Captain, do your best not to castrate my office again.”

Olivia slowly nodded. “Yes, sir.”

Jack raised a dubious eyebrow but turned to Sam. “If you need anything, Sam, let me know.”

“I will,” she smiled. “Thank you.”

Jack nodded and walked towards the front of the courthouse, and Nolan wearily sighed. “I’m not looking forward to the press conference this is going to generate.”

“That’s another day’s problem,” Frank said. “Now, will I have to drag you away from here, or are you going to come willingly?”

Jalen’s eyes widened, and he looked at Sam worriedly, but she just looked amused. “You could sound a little less threatening, you know?” Nolan sighed, taking his suit jacket and tie from the back of the bench.

“But it’s the threat that gets you going,” Frank pointed out. “Come on. Lily’s going to have my head if you aren’t in a better mood before she gets home.”

Nolan huffed but obediently shuffled to Frank’s side. “You know, if anyone asks how we’re friends, I’m going to start telling them it’s because you blackmail me with your daughter and not because I genuinely like you better than everyone else in our circle.”

Frank pushed down the wave of warmth that rushed up his spine at the words, and he instead smirked smugly. “If it means I get to keep you, then by all means, I will use my daughter against you. And she’ll let me do it.”

“Yeah,” Nolan sighed. “I know she will.”

As they maneuvered through the crowds, Frank stepped closer to Nolan, shielding the prosecutor from curious and eager looks sent his way. No one was going to say a single word to his best friend unless Nolan himself wanted to talk. “So,” he held out, “first name basis with the captains?”

Nolan instantly smiled. “They’ve been at the 225 for years, before I joined Jack’s office,” he explained. “They’re right down the street from the courthouse, so we’ve crossed paths often. They’re good men. If there’s a firehouse you want to respond to your emergency, it’s Karns’s house.”

Frank hummed thoughtfully as they cleared the crowd in front of the courthouse. He noted with a sense of satisfaction that Nolan appeared in no rush to increase the distance between them despite how much room they had on the sidewalk. “I guess I better hope they’re the ones who come if that ever happens.”

He was too focused on tracking down their runaway mass murderer to truly look at the paramedics swarming the Canal Street station, but Frank was certain he had seen an ambulance with Zimmers’s number on it before he and Jalen trekked through the tunnels. He never got a chance to double check, though, because he and Jalen launched right into the manhunt for their killer. John Nelson quickly made Frank’s list of suspects arrested that he hated the most.

Andrea Rankin, however, quickly climbed the ranks of people in general that Frank hated the most. He already didn’t like her because she was defending Nelson, but his opinion of her plummeted further when he saw how she treated Nolan. She acted as if it was a personal offense that Nolan was leading the prosecution, and the snide condescension in her voice when she spoke to him made Frank’s hackles raise, the urge to snap back at her almost overwhelming. How dare she treat Nolan in such a way when Nolan, of all people, was the first one to discover Nelson’s massacre in the station and did what he could to help the survivors? The moment Frank had reached the bottom of the stairs and found his best friend disheveled and his hands and shirt cuffs caked in blood, he knew Nolan would want to be the one to prosecute the mass murderer and secure his sentence. The change to a federal case and the pursuit of the death penalty had made Nolan hesitate, yes, but nothing would sway Nolan away from seeking justice for Nelson’s victims. Hell, he had brought the jury back to the crime scene to clinch the guilty verdict.

So when Nolan’s attempt to mend what little remained of the bridges between him and Andrea outside the courthouse was met with scorn and a venomous rebuke, everything in Frank wanted to push the bitch into oncoming rush hour traffic . . . or maybe he could try and convince Zimmers if he had anything in his ambulance that could handle her and wouldn’t be traced back to a paramedic.

Before Nolan could reply, however, the screech of brakes from nearby made the trio wince. They turned to the street in time to see five firefighters drop from a ladder rig, none of them looking pleased. The woman who had emerged from the officer’s seat narrowed her eyes at Andrea before glancing at Nolan’s pale face. “Everything OK here, Counselor?” she asked.

Nolan shakily exhaled. “Fine, Lieutenant,” he replied. “Though apparently I’ve changed from working with the Innocence Project to pursuing a death penalty for a mass murderer in federal court.”

The lieutenant’s eyebrows rose, and she looked down her nose at Andrea with an impressive “I am disappointed in you” expression. Frank almost felt sorry for the defender. “I imagine running towards a massacre without hesitation and doing everything you can for the victims while not knowing if you’re lying when you tell them they’ll be OK is going to change you,” she said, her glacial tone matching the icy blonde highlights in her chestnut hair. “Perhaps she can reserve judgement for you for pursuing justice until she’s drenched in innocents’ blood because she tried to keep them from dying.”

Andrea recoiled as if she was punched in the gut, her eyes wide in horror. “How long did it take the medics to clean the back of the ambulance after they transported victims?” the other female firefighter of the crew asked out loud.

“Definitely over half an hour,” one of the men replied, his arms folded as he considered Andrea. “And that was because they were transporting a victim who didn’t have an exit wound. Turns out a bullet embedded in an artery can make blood spray into nooks and crannies all over the rig. Captain Zimmers and Scott both deserved long soaks in the showers once they were done.”

Frank’s eyes widened at the first name, and he finally saw the pristine white number on the side of the ladder rig: 225. “Lieutenant,” Andrea began with a hard swallow.

“She’s right, Andrea,” Nolan interrupted, and Andrea gave him a hurtful look, one that made the prosecutor scoff. “Don’t give me that. Maybe I have changed, but I’m not going to apologize for it. I decided years ago to stop defending cruel monsters. My job now is to make sure they get their reckoning in the courtroom. If you want to keep defending people as evil as Nelson, you go ahead. I’ll keep ensuring their victims get the justice they deserve.” Andrea’s eyes flashed angrily, but the firefighters clustered closer, making her hesitate. “Go, Andrea,” Nolan told her. “We’re done here.”

While Andrea had never once retreated in the courtroom, she clearly knew she was outnumbered now. She looked around at the firefighters then clenched her jaw and turned on her heel. She walked away with her head held high, and the last member of the ladder crew scoffed. “Good riddance.”

“And she used to be your friend?” Frank asked incredulously.

Nolan shrugged wearily. “I guess I’m not the only one who changed.”

“Clearly, we know who changed for the better,” the lieutenant quipped, turning to look at Nolan with concern. Her position now allowed Frank to see the nametag on her shirt: Johnson. “You’re sure you’re OK, Nolan?”

“I will be, Isobel,” Nolan nodded with a small smile. “Though I’m glad Jack already said Sam and I are getting the day off tomorrow since we finished this case.”

“Good,” Johnson nodded, though she didn’t look entirely convinced. “Whatever that snake said to you, get it out of your head, Nolan. Whether people agree with the death penalty or not, no one can argue about whether or not Nelson is going to pay for his murder spree. Focus on that.”

Nolan slowly nodded with a deep breath. “Thanks, Isobel. I’ll try.”

Johnson patted his shoulder then considered Frank. Frank blinked once but didn’t look away. “You’re one of the detectives who found Nelson?” she asked.

“Yes, ma’am,” Frank nodded. “Detective Frank Cosgrove, Manhattan North Homicide Squad.”

“Lieutenant Isobel Johnson,” she introduced herself. “Thank you for catching that awful excuse of a human being.”

“Are we sure he is a human being?” the last member of the crew muttered again, making his teammates snort.

Frank indulged him, however. “If he has a scrap of humanity in him, I’ll eat my badge.”

Nolan snickered. “I’m not explaining that to Dixon and Shaw.”

“Hence why I said it. Never gonna happen.”

Johnson smirked at their bickering. “Enjoy the reprieve, both of you. You deserve it.”

“Thanks, Isobel,” Nolan smiled then looked back to include the other firefighters. “Christian, Maggie, Oliver. Thanks, guys.”

“Good seeing you, Nolan,” Christian, the man who had spoken last, replied as Maggie and Christian smiled.

“Give my best to the rest of the house, too,” Nolan added.

“We will,” Johnson nodded, beginning to walk backwards towards her rig. “Don’t be a stranger.”

Nolan chuckled. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”

Johnson grinned and climbed back into her seat. Christian revved the rig to life and honked twice in farewell, and Nolan laughed and waved. Maggie and Oliver waved from the back as Christian expertly maneuvered back into traffic, and Frank watched the ladder rig rumble down the street. “You just know everyone at that house, don’t you?” he couldn’t help but ask.

“I do,” Nolan freely admitted as he rolled his head around. He looked much more relaxed than he had before speaking with Andrea. “Karns and Zimmers especially have done what they can to make me feel welcome over the last eight years in particular, and they have a lot of influence in the FDNY.” He smirked at Frank. “And that helps when you’re trying to bury a deputy district chief’s career six feet under.”

Frank couldn’t help the laughter that bubbled in his throat. “And this is why I know better than to piss you off.”

Nolan threw back his head and laughed, and relief flooded Frank at the sound. Yes, he far preferred the prosecutor like this than the one that had been bracing himself for whatever Andrea decided to throw at him. “Happy prosecutor, happy life?” he japed, walking towards the crosswalk.

“It’s worked in my favor so far, hasn’t it?” Frank pointed out, quickening his pace so he walked side by side with Nolan. “What do you say? Celebratory drinks? I’ll buy the first round. Maybe even the second, after all the work you did in the courtroom.”

Nolan grinned. “You’re on.”

A knock on his closed door the next day had Jack looking up from reading the article about John Nelson’s sentence, and he checked the time before removing his glasses. “Come in!” he called, already guessing who was at his door. The door immediately opened, and Jack smiled when he saw the worried doe-like eyes of the girl that entered first. “And how are you enjoying your long weekend so far, Lily?” he asked kindly.

“Good so far, sir,” Lily replied, fiddling with the bracelet on her wrist. “Some of the upperclassmen had testing to do, so I didn’t have to go today. But . . . ”

She trailed off, and Jack chuckled. “Looking for Nolan?” he guessed.

Lily smiled sheepishly, but Frank shrugged unrepentantly. “The case and Rankin did a number on him,” he said bluntly.

Jack nodded somberly, pressing his lips tightly together. He had received four very descriptive opinions of Andrea Rankin’s behavior following the verdict reading and how she treated Nolan when he tried offering an olive branch. His opinion of the defense attorney had already been low, and now it had dropped further. “That they did. I figured you may try and look for him. I take it he hasn’t been answering any texts or calls?”

“Nothing,” Frank confirmed, an uneasy look on his face. “That hasn’t happened before. He left Manhattan last Christmas, but the first time I called him, he picked up right away. Now, it’s radio silence. I don’t like it.”

And he very clearly didn’t. Jack wondered if the man even realized his right hand was twitching next to where his sidearm was holstered. “He’s gotten like this after some cases,” he said as he shut down his computer. “But when he does, he’s predictable. That’s why I made sure he and Sam took personal days. I know where he’ll be, and I have a lunch invitation to get to.” He peered over his computer with a smile. “I was told if I saw either of you to invite you as well.”

Frank blinked in surprise. “What?”

“Us?” Lily repeated.

“Yes,” Jack nodded, standing from his chair and retrieving his coat from the rack. “It isn’t a far walk. I think you and I could both do with some levity, Frank, and I think you’ll be very interested, Lily. Of course, you can decline. It’s not often kids get a long weekend like this.”

“Dad?” Lily looked up at Frank with wide eyes. “Can we?”

Jack knew what Frank preferred before his daughter even asked. Her desire to accept the offer made his decision even easier. “Of course,” he nodded, giving Jack a grateful look. “Thank you, Jack. We appreciate it.”

I appreciate it went unsaid, and Jack smiled. “You’re welcome,” he said, putting on his coat and plucking his phone and keys from his desk. “No decisions were easy for Nelson’s case. Follow me.”

Jack knew this walk by heart. It was one he had taken several times in the past decade, both with and without one or two of his favorite people. That meant he was able to take his eyes off the path to watch the Cosgroves’ reactions as he led them down the street from the courthouse. Frank’s eyes brightened in realization when he recognized where they were heading, but he kept silent, waiting for Lily to discover their destination even though Jack knew he wanted to ask questions.

Still, Jack knew that silence was worth it when Lily’s eyes widened as she looked up at the building in front of them in awe. “I don’t think we’ve ever passed this house before!” she said excitedly.

“Perhaps not,” Jack shook his head, leading the pair up the apron and towards Firehouse 225’s apparatus bay. “The 2-7 is in the opposite direction, and that’s likely the direction you come from when you come to the courthouse. But the 225 has always been welcoming towards members of my staff.”

Sunlight shone through the windows and the open doors into the apparatus bay, reflecting off the stainless steel surfaces and illuminating the wood and marble that made the modern-looking firehouse feel more like a comfortable home. All three rigs were present, but the bay itself appeared to be devoid of personnel. Rustling from the ambulance, however, caught Jack’s ear, and he led the Cosgroves around the rig. “Hello?” he called.

The rustling abruptly stopped, then a young woman poked her head out of the back. “Mr. McCoy!” she grinned. “You made it!”

“I would be a fool to miss an open invitation for Squad’s gnocchi soup, Scott,” Jack chuckled. “How they ever figure out how much is needed to feed the house and whoever drops in, I’ll never know.”

“They have to be quick calculators to do what they do,” Lizzie Scott shrugged, ducking back into the ambulance for a brief moment before hopping down onto the floor. “But I’m never gonna complain.” She brushed off her hands on her pants then smiled at the Cosgroves. “You must be the Cosgroves, then?”

“Yes, this is Frank and his daughter, Lily,” Jack nodded. “Frank, Lily, this is Captain Zimmers’s partner, Elizabeth Scott.”

“Lizzie or Scott is fine,” Lizzie told them, extending her hand.

“Nice to meet you,” Frank nodded and shook her hand. “You have a great captain.”

Lizzie beamed happily. “I’m glad I met his expectations. I heard he was picky when he was choosing a new paramedic.”

Jack smothered a snort. Of course, Zimmers would have set a high bar after training Sylvie. Under his tutelage, she had been on track to becoming the youngest paramedic to reach the rank of lieutenant before she transferred to Chicago. “The 225 in general has a habit of settling for nothing less than the best,” he said. “This shift hasn’t changed personnel in years for that reason.”

“Really?” Lily asked in surprise, looking between Jack and Lizzie as the paramedic led them up the stairs. “Is that unusual?”

“For everyone to remain? Yes, it’s very rare.” That came from Johnson, who awaited them at the top of the stairs with a smile. “But these crews walk the walk when it counts. Glad you could make it, Detective. Good to see you again.”

“Likewise, Lieutenant,” Frank nodded.

Jack frowned. He didn’t remember seeing Johnson or her crew after Rublev’s assassination. “When did you meet?”

Frank scowled. “Rankin.”

Johnson grimaced. “My crew was plotting how to get rid of her on our drive back.”

“I still say raiding the ambulance is an option,” Oliver remarked from the dining area.

Lizzie blinked. “Was she that bad?”

Frank snorted. “Let’s just say raiding the ambulance was one of my first ideas. I came up with many over the course of this - ” He glanced at Lily warily and cleared his throat. “ - I’ll just say case from hell.”

As if summoned, Zimmers appeared from around the corner, an intrigued look on his face. “And surely a homicide detective knows how to get away with murder?”

Jack sighed at the raucous laughter that question induced. “How about let’s not discuss this in front of the District Attorney?”

“You could always cover your ears, sir,” Lily grinned.

That got even more laughter, and Zimmers nodded approvingly. “I like her.”

Jack shook his head in exasperation and followed Zimmers around the corner and into the kitchen. “I think kicking Rankin down a peg or two is satisfying enough. Nolan should have the final say.”

Said prosecutor looked up from his coffee in the corner, both eyebrows raised. “What am I having the final say about?”

“I flat out asked him if he wanted me to push her into oncoming traffic,” Frank informed Jack as he and Lily followed him, the detective’s pale eyes scanning his environment and the crowd of firefighters packed in the area. “He said, and I quote, ‘not in public.’”

Nolan choked on his coffee, and Karns grinned widely. “Did he, now?”

“In my defense,” Nolan coughed, one of the firefighters near him clapping him on the back, “this was just after I included the subway train in my closing. I was at the end of my rope.”

Jack sighed in resignation. “Defense accepted. I saw those crime scene photos.”

“Lizzie and I were in and out of the station multiple times,” Zimmers said with a scowl. “Defense is absolutely sound.”

“Thanks, David,” Nolan sighed wearily, but his smile was genuine as he set his coffee to the side. “Hey, guys.”

Lily rocketed forward and all but plowed into Nolan, making the prosecutor stumble in surprise. “What did Dad say about disappearing?” she glared up at him.

“I didn’t disappear,” Nolan shook his head as he hugged her. “I just needed some time without anyone trying to contact me. It’s a ‘phone on silent’ day.”

“We had already planned a comfort dish day for the medics after the massacre,” Karns explained from where he was stirring something in a large pot on the stove. “Once the verdict came in and Isobel told us about Nolan’s . . . unpleasant opponent - ”

“That’s one way to put it,” Frank grumbled.

“ - we invited him,” Karns continued, his lips twitching upward at the comment. “And we agreed to further extend the invitation if anyone else wanted to drop in. Jack said everyone else had plans for the day, but he agreed to come, and he figured you and your daughter may be in the neighborhood, especially since Nolan silenced his phone.”

Nolan smiled apologetically. “Everything just kind of hit all at the same time, y’know?”

Only Jack’s many years as an attorney meant he noticed how Frank’s pale eyes, alert and ready to spot anything out of the ordinary in a new location, softened at Nolan’s words. “I get it,” he nodded, stepping forward and putting a hand on Nolan’s shoulder. “Other than that, are you doing OK?”

Nolan’s smile relaxed just like his posture. “Yeah,” he nodded, leaning into Frank’s offered comfort. “I’m doing better. Thanks.”

Frank smiled and shifted so he wrapped his arm around Nolan’s shoulders, allowing the younger man to lean against his side. “You’re welcome, Nolan.”

Lily immediately plastered herself to Nolan’s other side, and the prosecutor smiled and gave her a one-armed hug. Most of the firehouse went back to their activities, but Karns and Zimmers both observed the trio with raised eyebrows before looking at Jack. Jack merely smiled and shrugged because he knew exactly what the captains were thinking. It was exactly what other members of their circle thought and likely what everyday civilians thought, too: the three looked just like a family. Jack would have fingers left over if he counted the number of partners he had seen with Nolan, but Nolan looked far more comfortable and open with Frank than he had with all of them combined. Similarly, Frank had a reputation for being on alert and on guard, but he relaxed and most of, if not all of, his defenses lowered when he was with Nolan. Sam joked that they seemed to think no one else existed when they were in the same room, but sure enough, they always gravitated towards each other as if drawn by a magnetic pull when they were together. Jack wouldn’t be surprised in the least if there were more romantic than platonic feelings between them.

But he wasn’t one to push his attorneys into telling him anything personal unless dire circumstances meant he had to. And if Nolan was likely to confide that information in someone, it was going to be with someone who no longer lived in New York.

As lunch progressed, Frank grew to understand why Nolan found solace in the 225. The only crew he hadn’t met prior to then was Karns’s heavy rescue squad, and the four men seemed to know exactly how to take their minds off the horrible case that had concluded. Simon Parker, Luke Owens, Marcus Emerson, and Alec Matthews spent minutes on end sharing calls that ranged from simple extractions to ludicrous climbs up buildings. Lily’s eyes grew wider with each extreme call, and she leaned so much to hear better that the ends of her braids almost fell into her soup. Nolan occasionally interjected with a question or a comment that led to fierce debates between the four firefighters, many of which led to friendly ribbing from Johnson and her crew. That left Zimmers and Lizzie to referee, though the paramedics spent more time grinning and laughing than trying to intervene. There was a genuine camaraderie among everyone at the 225 that put Frank at ease, allowing him to fully enjoy sharing a meal with all of them.

Fortunately, the bells didn’t ring until after the table had been cleared, and it had only been for Ladder 225 to reinforce another house. Jack politely bowed out to return to the courthouse, but Lily bounded after Simon and Marcus to get a tour of the firehouse and the remaining rigs. Nolan trailed after the trio with Luke and Alec, making sure to keep a watchful eye on the eager teenager.

Frank leaned against the table close to the wall, a fond smile on his face as he watched his daughter interrogate the firefighters, all four men patient and attentive as they answered. “She’s definitely a detective’s daughter,” Karns remarked, setting aside his finished paperwork and standing from the head of the table to join Frank.

“She always gets so curious whenever she finds a new interest,” Frank explained, smiling as Lily climbed into the back of the squad rig, Simon making sure she didn’t fall. “I apologize in advance if she exhausts your men.”

“Oh, they won’t mind,” Karns waved away the apology. “Often when people think of firefighters, they think of people putting out fires, climbing ladders, or paramedics helping people. Heavy rescue takes specialized training, so anyone taking an interest in our calls is enjoyable. Plus, if we ever visit schools to talk about firefighting, it’s often to elementary schools. Those kids get very hyper, and it takes lots of patience to handle their questions. In a way, Lily is a breath of fresh air. You have a very intelligent daughter, Detective.”

“Thank you,” Frank smiled, pleased as punch by the captain’s high opinion of his daughter. “Though now I do have to wonder if there’s another potentially dangerous career she may want to pursue.”

Karns smirked. “Police or attorney?”

Frank snorted. “Police or prosecution. You think she’s curious now. You should see how she grills Nolan.”

Karns’s smirk widened. “Oh, now I really want to.” He turned back to watch Lily poke her head out the window, the girl nodding attentively to what Simon was saying, then he turned back to Frank. “Well, I’ll tell you this. The FDNY has a reputation of looking out for its members, so if she does end up choosing firefighting as her profession, she’ll be in good hands if she stays here.”

Frank smiled slightly. “I believe you.”

A loud horn rang out in the firehouse, echoing off the metal walls, making both men wince and turn around. Lily burst out laughing as Marcus grinned smugly, Simon sprinting away as Alec chased him. “Then again, she may already be adopted,” Karns said dryly, pushing away from the table and shaking his head in fond exasperation. “As if she wasn’t already.”

That made Frank do a double take. “Excuse me?” he looked at Karns in surprise.

“Nolan cares a hell of a lot about her,” Karns said as if it was the simplest thing in the world. “He cares a hell of a lot about you, too. We know him well enough by now to recognize when someone is important to him. Nolan is family to my house, and anyone important to him is family to us. You and Lily are welcome here any time, Cosgrove. I mean it.”

Frank’s eyes widened, and he swallowed hard. The captain radiated utter sincerity. He meant every word he was saying, and Frank believed all of them. “Thank you, Captain,” he whispered. “That means a lot.”

Karns smiled and nodded, then he turned and strode with purpose towards his rig, barking his firefighters’ names in a tone that had them scrambling to meet their captain. Frank couldn’t help but chuckle as he watched Karns herd them, and Lily’s eyes glittered with mirth as she watched from the rig. As much as the mental image of his daughter running into a burning building terrified him, she looked at ease on the rig.

A picture on the wall behind him caught his eye, and Frank pushed off the table to inspect it. He blinked in surprise when he recognized almost every face in the frame: Rick Karns, Isobel Johnson, and David Zimmers as the ranking officers, and the crews of Ladder 225 - Christian di Angelo, Maggie Miller, and Oliver West - and Squad 6 - Simon Parker, Luke Owens, Marcus Emerson, and Alec Matthews - all accounted for. The one current member of the 225 not present was Zimmers’s current partner. Instead of the bubbly, red-haired woman, a young blonde woman with sparkling azure eyes stood at Zimmers’s side, her megawatt smile easily the brightest of them all as she beamed at the camera. Sure enough, the patches on her jacket marked her as a paramedic, thus making her Lizzie’s predecessor on Ambulance 90.

Frank glanced at the date the photograph was taken, and he narrowed his eyes. Something about that date . . . “Hey, Scott?” he called over his shoulder, seeing the young woman checking off items on a clipboard.

She immediately looked up at her name. “Yeah?”

“When did you join the 225, if you don’t mind me asking?”

Lizzie tilted her head as she considered. “It was around Thanksgiving, 2014,” she replied. “That was my official transfer date, at least. Apparently, the house went through a lot of paramedics in the floater pool before Zimmers decided to permanently hire me.”

Frank nodded slowly. “How long were they looking? Do you know?”

Lizzie hummed. “I started not long after Halloween,” she answered. “I think the position first opened . . . mid-July? Somewhere around then. I just remember hearing it was a big surprise when the previous paramedic left and that it wasn’t the captains’ decision. I didn’t push for any other information.”

 “Karns and Zimmers especially have done what they can to make me feel welcome over the last eight years in particular, and they have a lot of influence in the FDNY. And that helps when you’re trying to bury a deputy district chief’s career six feet under.”

The date on the frame of the photograph stated the picture was taken May 26, 2014, less than two months before the paramedic position suddenly opened. That was within the timeframe Nolan indicated he had become closer to the 225. Perhaps that sequence of events was a coincidence . . . but in Frank’s line of work, coincidences were few and far between. Given Jack’s open familiarity with the firehouse, there was a connection between this departed paramedic and the District Attorney’s office. Frank was certain of that.

But what was the missing link?

Defense attorneys were quickly becoming Frank’s least favorite people of all time, especially when they did their best to hurt the people he cared about.

While the SVU, OC, and Homicide teams still maintained their inner circle, a quartet consisting of himself, Nolan, Sam, and Jalen had quickly grown closer since Jalen agreed to permanently move the 2-7 the same day Kate extended the invitation. Nolan and Sam already worked well together, but Frank rapidly discovered how he and Jalen gelled together to the point they acted like a well-oiled machine in the precinct and in the field. Their inner circle had teased him about setting up some sort of “impossible gauntlet” for detectives to conquer in order to get his approval as a partner, but Frank had always scoffed and rolled his eyes at the thought. Kevin Bernard had left some big shoes to fill, after all. That was it.

As case after case landed in their laps, however, and arrest after arrest led to conviction after conviction, Frank began thinking otherwise. Jalen ticked every box a detective could possibly want in a partner: he respected the chain of command, worked well with Frank, and he wasn’t afraid to debate points in a way that didn’t grate on Frank’s nerves. Not only did he work well with Frank, but he respected the prosecutors, too. It helped that Jalen had graduated law school, which was another point of view he brought to their investigations that Frank openly admitted was useful. Jalen also wasn’t condescending towards their prosecutors, and he didn’t treat them like they were fragile glass, easy to break as the slightest mishandling. All of those green flags combined made Frank realize Jalen really had blazed through a gauntlet he hadn’t even known existed in the first place, and he had done so with flying colors.

And their perfect record reflected that. Every case they found resulted in a conviction, either the result of a deal or the work of Nolan and Sam. Each conviction was a boost to their confidence and morale, and it soon became just as common for Frank to spend an evening out with Nolan, Jalen, and Sam as it was for him to spend one with Lily, Nolan, or both. They grew closer off the job just like they did on the job, to the point Frank had begun to view Jalen as a brother, one he trusted without question to have his six, and Sam as a sister, who wore her heart on her sleeve.

Which solidified his utter distaste of certain defense attorneys even further. Lara Vega has been smug from the beginning when she attempted to object during Nolan’s opening, then she targeted Sam in an attempt to utterly discredit the District Attorney’s office, acting as if they were beneath her. After she subpoenaed Sam and put her on the stand as a witness for the defense, Frank let out his frustrations at the shooting gallery to the point he beat his personal best that night. Now he knew the trick was to picture the target as someone whose guts he hated.

Then there were defense attorneys who were too new when they took on a huge case and tried to spin it into a spectacle and make a statement. That was exactly what the Troy Booker case turned into, and both Nolan and Jalen bore the brunt of that burden. It was the first time Jalen got a case wrong, and Booker had spent over a year in prison for a murder he didn’t commit. He escaped custody on his way to the courthouse, and while the original charges were dropped, the corrections officer badly injured by Booker in the escape died from infection. Nolan had no choice to charge Booker for murder once again, and this time the charge stuck. No matter what Frazier tried, going as far to lay blame solely on Nolan and the justice system, or what Booker claimed happened in prison, the jury chose to convict. It was a choice that rattled Jalen due to the confession he coaxed from Booker that started this whole whirlwind, and it rattled Nolan as the case uncovered everything ugly in the justice system. There was no clear winner here other than the system, and it took days for the team to find their footing again. Jalen and Nolan still occasionally walked around eggshells around each other, something that made Frank grit his teeth because if the two ever came to blows, he knew which side he would pick. Jalen was arguably his most trusted friend on the police force, a man he considered his brother, but he had long since learned arguing with his heart on his feelings for Nolan was pointless. When he had crossed the line from seeing Nolan as his best friend to seeing him as the man he loved, he had no idea . . . hell, maybe that line had never existed in the first place. He did know that if push came to shove, he would stand by Nolan without hesitation.

It helped that their most recent case also involved SVU and Organized Crime. The Rublev case was firmly in the past, and having the additional teams also helped smooth things between Jalen and Nolan. Luckily, the case was also rather straightforward, so much so that the defense attorney had looked like he knew he had a losing case during Nolan’s opening . . . and that was before he received the prosecution’s witness list. “Why can’t it always be this easy when we team up with each other?” he asked, not expecting an answer as their group left Jack’s office together.

“Maybe we can chalk it up to the holidays repaying us after last year,” Sam suggested. “You know, since they soured after Wheatley got out of Rikers.”

Nolan snorted. “That sure spoiled mine. I wasn’t supposed to come back until after the New Year.”

Peter smirked at him. “Gonna try a do-over this year?” he japed.

Frank shot Nolan a look he hoped wasn’t too obvious, but Nolan chuckled and shook his head, much to Frank’s relief. “I did what I wanted to do when I visited, so I’m staying here this year,” he said. “Besides, I think Jack only offered the ‘get kicked out of Manhattan for free’ card once. I’d have to ask again.”

“Get kicked out of Manhattan?” Jalen repeated.

“Right,” Elliot grinned. “You weren’t here when Price pulled a disappearing act and didn’t tell anyone where he was going.”

“Jack told me to use the vacation time that piled up, and I used it to spend the holidays out of state,” Nolan explained. “That’s all.”

“Nearly gave Cosgrove a heart attack,” Olivia snickered.

Frank glowered at the captain. “And how was Stone during that time?”

Olivia grimaced, and Peter smirked. “I, at least, knew where he was. Though I would have liked being warned in advance.”

“I apologize, Peter,” Jack told him, and he did sound slightly apologetic. “But yes, unless Nolan has something planned and has yet to tell me, the majority of my office will be staying in the city.”

Nolan shrugged. “I did miss most of the Manhattan gatherings while I was away. Are any of those still planned?”

“My squad was discussing something since Muncy just joined a short time ago,” Olivia replied, pausing at a conference room door and knocking on the doorframe. Frank smiled fondly when he peered inside and saw Lily and Noah scramble to gather their school supplies from where they were spread out over the table. Both had the day off from school as their teachers prepared for final exams, and both had come with their parents to claim a room for themselves and finish any last minute studying or assignments. “You guys have Shaw and Yee now.”

“And OC got Whelan and Reyes,” Elliot nodded. “The whole group has new blood everywhere.”

“Maybe we can plan something in Central Park,” Sam suggested. “Something for the kids, too.”

“What for us?” Lily asked as she joined them, Noah shrugging on his backpack and hurrying after her.

“Just discussing holiday plans,” Frank explained.

Lily glared at Nolan. “No disappearing.”

Nolan exaggerated rolling his eyes as Sam giggled. “Yes, ma’am,” he agreed with a smirk at Frank.

“Come to think of it, I don’t remember the DA’s office doing anything together for the holidays other than a potluck during a workday,” Peter mused.

Something flashed across Jack’s face, too quick to name, but the pain that flickered in Nolan’s eyes lingered long enough for Frank to notice. “I can,” he said quietly.

“It’s been a long time,” Jack nodded heavily. “Close to a decade now, I think.”

Olivia tilted her head thoughtfully, watching her step when they reached the staircase to the main level. “I think Barba may have mentioned one once shortly after he joined . . . ”

Jack hummed. “That sounds right.”

A sharp scream echoed from the main entrance, stopping the group in their tracks. “What the hell?” Elliot narrowed his eyes, reaching for his sidearm.

Olivia sprinted down the stairs, her coat flying behind her. Frank and Jalen were on her heels, their guns already drawn. Before Olivia reached the doors, a pale-faced woman burst in, her eyes wide and her hands coated in blood. “In the alley,” she gasped, pointing a shaking finger. “Someone . . . oh, my God!”

“Take a deep breath,” Olivia told her, putting a hand on her shoulder. “What did you see?”

Frank bypassed the captain and continued in the direction the woman had pointed, Jalen watching his back. The streetlights illuminated the prone man lying in the alley, and Jalen balked at the dark pool steadily growing around him. “Oh, my God.”

“Call 9-1-1!” Frank ordered, holstering his gun and running towards the man.

“On it!” Jalen nodded and pulled out his phone, backing away to stand on the sidewalk.

Frank skidded to a stop next to the man and crouched down, hastily pulling off his suit jacket. “Sir, can you hear me?” he asked, placing a hand on the man’s shoulder and shaking as hard as he dared. “Can you hear me?”

A weak moan spilled from the man’s lips, but no words left him. A high-pitched shriek came from the front of the alley, and Frank looked up in time to see Sam pull Lily away. Nolan rounded the corner a moment later, and he quickly dropped his briefcase and overcoat by Sam and ran to join Frank. “Where’s the wound?” he asked, turning on his phone flashlight.

Frank carefully rolled the man onto his side, allowing Nolan to aim the light. Whatever color the man’s shirt was had now turned red, and Frank swallowed hard when he saw the gaping wound along where the man’s torso met his arm. “Jesus, Mary, and Joseph!”

“Damn,” Nolan shook his head, removing his own suit jacket and shoving it along with Frank’s against the wound to try and stop the bleeding. Frank knew it would be a futile attempt with how wide open the wound appeared to be. “That’s got to be an arterial bleed.”

“Nolan?” Jack called from the front of the alley.

“Deep laceration by the shoulder!” Nolan called back, pressing his lips tightly together as he adjusted how he crouched. “It’s pumping hard and fast, Jack.” He paused then looked at Frank. “Switch places.”

“Frank blinked in surprise. “What?”

“Now!” The command was sharp and biting, and Frank scrambled to comply. Nolan shuffled to crouch closer to the wound, and he handed his phone to Frank. “Here. Give me some light.” Frank nodded and aimed the light as best as he could, and he watched Nolan carefully peel away the man’s shirt to inspect the wound. “It looks like an axillary artery tear.”

“A what?” Elliot asked in bewilderment as he stepped into the alley; Frank could see Olivia and Peter behind him, Peter shielding Noah like Sam was shielding Lily.

“It means he needs help, and he needs it quickly,” Nolan shook his head. “Where’s that ambulance?”

“Closest one is ten minutes out,” Jalen reported.

“Ten?!” Frank’s jaw dropped.

“But the 225 is so close!” Lily protested.

“Not if they’re already out on a call,” Nolan shook his head, his face pale. “And with the rise of nonemergency calls since the pandemic . . . ”

“Well, we have to do something!” Olivia insisted.

“Then shut up and let me think!” Nolan snapped.

Olivia reeled but swallowed hard and kept her mouth closed. Elliot gritted his teeth but did the same. Lily looked at Nolan in shock, likely having never heard him sound so short with anyone, and Jalen warily eyed Frank. Frank just watched Nolan, practically able to see the gears in his mind whir as he thought of a solution. His fingers tapped the pavement next to him, and his other hand kept the jacket against the wound.

Nolan finally snapped his fingers. “We passed a few parked NYPD motorbikes, didn’t we?”

“We did,” Frank nodded.

“OK,” Nolan took a deep breath. “I need one of their helmets. Whose car is parked the closest?”

“Mine,” Olivia answered. “It’s only a block or two down.”

“Get your jumper cables,” Nolan ordered.

“I’ll get them,” Peter volunteered, fishing his keys from his pocket.

“I can get one of the helmets,” Elliot nodded.

“Fast as you can,” Nolan told them. “Go!”

The men ran in different directions, and Frank looked at Nolan. “What are you thinking?”

“You see the angle of the gash?” Frank followed Nolan’s finger as he traced the wound, and he nodded. “It’s not flat, so I can’t put enough pressure on it to stop the bleeding. A regular tourniquet isn’t going to work here. Helmets won’t give under pressure, and the rounded edge should fit the slope of the gash.”

Frank nodded, understanding Nolan’s idea. “And you’ll use the jumper cables to tie it into place.”

“That’s the plan,” Nolan nodded. “I just hope it works.”

Frank glanced towards the front of the alley, where Lily and Noah were peering with wide eyes around Sam and Olivia. “Yeah, no kidding.”

Elliot ran back into view first, holding up a helmet. “Will this work?”

Nolan nodded. “Frank, keep this in place until I tell you.” Frank nodded and took over pressing their jackets against the gash, and Nolan held out his hands. Elliot pitched the helmet to him, and Nolan nodded gratefully. “Thanks, Stabler. Alright.” He turned the helmet over in his hands. “This needs to be quick. One, two, three!”

Frank ripped their jackets away, and he caught sight of the angry wound before Nolan shoved the rounded part of the helmet into the curve of the man’s arm. He twitched and hissed in discomfort, but he otherwise didn’t react. “Got the cables!” Peter announced, ducking past Elliot and into the alley.

Nolan extended one hand and took the cables. “Hold this in place.”

Frank nodded and took over holding the helmet, making sure he kept the pressure the same as Nolan had. “Any specific plan here?” he asked.

“Tie them as tight as I can,” Nolan answered. “Peter, lift him up for a minute for me.” Peter crouched down and carefully lifted the man off the ground, and Nolan wrapped the cables around his torso. “Better to have to cut the cables because they’re too tight than to have him bleed out because they weren’t tight enough.”

Frank grimaced at the mental image. “Good point.”

Nolan gave him a crooked grin. “I do my best. Hold that, and him, steady.” Peter nodded, and Nolan adjusted how he held the cables. “Heads up, sir . . . this is probably gonna hurt.”

He pulled the cables tight and taut, and sure enough, the man screamed in pain as Nolan wrangled the cables into place. He was quick yet efficient, tying the cables into a knot that kept the helmet in place. When Frank carefully pulled his hands away from the helmet, it didn’t move at all. “Dad?” Lily whispered.

“Is he OK?” Noah asked tentatively.

“Well,” Nolan winced as he clenched and unclenched his fingers. “Cables are in place. And the bleeding . . . ” He ducked his head to take a look, and he grinned. “It worked!”

“What?” Sam’s jaw dropped.

“Seriously?” Jalen asked in disbelief.

Frank shifted to look as well, and he grinned. “The helmet’s covering the entire thing,” he explained. “Just like Nolan said. Add the pressure of the cables tied in place - ”

“It’s just like a junctional tourniquet,” Elliot realized.

“Exactly like a junctional tourniquet,” Nolan nodded, about to wipe his hands on his pants when he glanced down and saw how much blood was on his skin. “It should keep him from bleeding out until - ”

He paused at the sound of sirens, and Sam sighed in relief. “Finally!”

The ambulance that parked at the front of the alley was unfamiliar, as were the paramedics who dropped from their seats the moment the engine stopped. “Dispatch said it was a stab wound?” the paramedic captain asked.

“That’s my guess,” Nolan nodded. “The laceration needed a junctional tourniquet.”

The paramedic captain eyed the helmet and cables, then she gave Nolan an impressed look. “Quick thinking, Price. Nice work.”

Nolan gave a pleased smile. “I’m just glad it looks like it worked.”

“We’ll monitor him en route, but unless I find something here I don’t like, I’ll keep the helmet and cables in place,” the captain explained Elliot and Jalen helped her partner bring a gurney to the injured man. “I don’t want to risk another bleed, especially from an axillary artery.” Multiple pairs of eyes snapped to Nolan in surprise, and Frank barely refrained from openly gawking. How had the prosecutor gotten the wound origin exactly right? “That means someone will need a new helmet and jumper cables,” the captain added.

Jack eyed his stunned colleagues with amusement before nodding. “The old ones were for a good cause.”

“No kidding,” the captain whistled, taking another look at the makeshift tourniquet as she and her partner adjusted the man on the gurney. “Seriously, Price, this is impressive. I don’t know where you learned this, but this looks like how I would teach candidates at the academy to improvise if needed. Ever considered being a paramedic instead of a prosecutor?”

Peter, surprisingly, erupted in laughter before coughing into his arm. Jack outright grinned, and Nolan smiled and shrugged sheepishly. “I . . . may have heard that once or twice.”

The captain snorted. “We’re not far from the 225, Price, and I’ve covered for Zimmers occasionally. I’d bet my bugles you’ve heard that way more than once or twice.” Nolan ducked his head bashfully, and the captain shook her head with a smile. “You’ve got a good one, sir,” she told Jack as she and her partner pushed the gurney towards their ambulance. “Keep him.”

“That’s the plan,” Jack smiled proudly. “Thank you, Captain Sampson.”

Sampson inclined her head respectfully. “Have a . . . well, better evening.”

The silence hanging over the group was just edging towards uncomfortable when Sampson closed the doors to Ambulance 74 and her partner drove away with lights and sirens. As the ambulance vanished down the street, Noah spun around and grinned widely at Nolan. “How did you know all that?” he demanded, practically buzzing with questions.

“That was awesome!” Lily gushed, brown eyes bright.

Nolan chuckled wearily. “Making connections that flow through the country isn’t the only reason to make friends with first responders like paramedics. The 225 taught me a few things.”

“A few.” Elliot couldn’t have sounded more disbelieving if he tried. “That wasn’t just a few things, Price. If I didn’t know you, I would say you acted just like a paramedic would.”

“I’m just glad it worked like I hoped it would,” Nolan said, examining his bloody shirt and grimacing. “But I don’t recommend doing it in a suit. Jack? I have an extra change of clothes in my office.”

“Go ahead,” Jack told him. “Cosgrove? Are you OK?”

Frank experimentally checked his clothing. There was significantly less blood on his shirt than Nolan’s, but his cuffs were red instead of white. “Got a spare jacket, by any chance?”

“I should have something,” Nolan nodded. “Come on.”

“We’ll wait for you,” Sam said.

Jalen tilted his head towards the end of the road as police cruisers began arriving. “We’ll explain what happened, too.”

“Thanks,” Nolan smiled in relief.

“Lily?” Frank asked.

She immediately ducked under Sam’s arm and ran to follow them. “How many firehouses do you know?” she asked curiously.

Nolan smiled faintly. “None as well as I know the 225.”

It later occurred to Frank, as he listened to Olivia and Elliot regale their group with ludicrous tales of a fire captain who was like a brother to them and the calls he and his son often responded to, that Nolan hadn’t given Lily a definitive answer.

Nolan flipped through the papers he held and gave Frank an incredulous look. “Aren’t things supposed to slow down during the holidays?”

“People go insane around the holidays,” Frank snorted. “You missed this last year.”

Nolan sighed and scratched the back of his head as he reviewed the case files. “What god did I piss off?” A knock on the door made him look up. “Yes?”

“Excuse me, Mr. Price,” one of the security guards said, peering into the office. “But someone asked to see you if you were available.”

Nolan blinked and checked his watch. “I have a bit of time before I’m needed in a courtroom. Go ahead.”

The security guard nodded and gestured, and a young woman with dark hair braided down her back stepped into the doorway. “Nolan Price?” she asked.

“Yes, ma’am,” Nolan nodded politely.

“My name is Andrea Daniels,” she said, holding out her shaking hand with a shy smile. “Um . . . my dad, Corbin, was the one attacked outside the courthouse a few nights ago.”

Frank’s eyes widened in realization. “Oh!” Nolan blinked in surprise, quickly moving forward to shake Andrea’s hand. “How is he?”

“Well,” Andrea took a deep breath, “the doctors said he lost a lot of blood, but it was a straightforward fix. He’ll spend a bit more time in the hospital, but he’s on track for a full recovery.”

Frank sighed in relief. “Thank God.”

“That’s wonderful to hear,” Nolan smiled. “Any word on who attacked him?”

“No,” Andrea shook her head. “Apparently, there wasn’t much evidence in the alley.”

Nolan glanced inquisitively at Frank, who shrugged. “I didn’t take a hard look,” he admitted. “But nothing looked out of the ordinary.”

“Well,” Nolan looked back at Andrea, “let us know if we can help in any way.”

“Thank you,” Andrea smiled. “I appreciate that. My mom will, too. She’s flying in from an out of state conference today.”

“She’s beating the holiday rush,” Frank remarked.

“That’s what I don’t miss from last year,” Nolan smirked, leaning back against his desk and folding his arms. “O’Hare gets crowded as hell.”

Andrea stared at Nolan for a moment before clearing her throat. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “But before I go . . . the doctors say that arterial bleed would have killed my dad if you hadn’t made that tourniquet for him.”

Nolan’s smirk faded, and he slowly nodded. “It bled hard and fast,” he told her gently. “I’m just glad I could help him.”

Andrea swallowed hard. “Eight or nine years ago, my mom had a meeting here at the courthouse and brought me with her,” she said slowly. “There was a platter of brownies on the table, and I ate one without asking what was in them. I’m severely allergic to peanuts, and I had an anaphylactic reaction to the brownie. Everyone in the room was panicking, and I was so scared.” She licked her lips. “But there was an off-duty paramedic there that day. She managed to make my mom tell her where my EpiPen was, and she stayed with me the entire time to keep me calm.” Nolan had gone very still, and Andrea smiled shakily. “She’s the reason I want to enroll in medical school after I’m further in college. I want to be able to do that to someone if they’re having a medical emergency and everyone around them is panicking.”

“That’s very brave of you,” Nolan smiled, but there was a melancholy to it that made Frank on edge. “I wish you the best of luck with that pursuit.”

“Thank you,” Andrea smiled in return. “The reason I bring that up . . . I didn’t hear the paramedic’s name, and my mom didn’t hear it, either. I think I heard she moved not long after that. But I remember what she looked like. And . . . I’m sorry if I’m prying, but . . . ” She glanced down at Nolan’s right hand, which rested on his forearm. “She wore a ring that looked similar to that one.”

The baguette-cut diamonds winked under the office lights as Nolan lifted his hand and twisted it this way and that, and he took a deep breath. “I remember that day,” he said quietly. “I was in the middle of witness prep, which was in a different part of the building. I only got the rundown after the ambulance had left.” He looked at Andrea. “Blonde, blue eyes?” he asked. “Ring gold with sapphires and diamonds? Designed to look like twisting vines?”

It was such a specific description that Frank knew Andrea’s answer before she replied. “Yes,” she smiled widely and nodded. “Yes, that’s her!”

Nolan smiled in return. “The rings were sold in a set,” he said. “I have this one. She has the other.”

Andrea’s laugh of delight would have made Frank smile had Nolan’s words not felt like an ice bath. “Can you tell her - ?” she began hopefully.

“I’ll tell her your story,” Nolan promised.

“Thank you,” Andrea beamed. “And thank her, too.”

Frank’s phone buzzing in his pocket jolted him out of his racing thoughts, and he silently thanked whoever contacted him as he searched for his phone. The message from Jalen recalling him to the precinct made him decide he owed Jalen a drink or ten, and he cleared his throat. “Duty calls,” he said, glancing at Nolan and doing his best to not let his eyes turn towards the ring that now seemed to glint tauntingly under the lights. “Let us know if you or Sam need anything.”

“Will do,” Nolan nodded. “Thanks, Frank.”

Frank remembered to tell Andrea he was glad her father was doing better before he left Nolan’s office, and the tension winding around his chest released as if a bowstring snapped. He exhaled slowly as he navigated the halls of the prosecutors’ offices by heart, he had made the trek so many times before. He hadn’t even thought to quiz Nolan about the ring he had worn on a daily basis, and now he was torn between wishing he had and wishing he had never heard that conversation. Because now he knew that ring was part of a set, and the other ring was in the possession of a blonde-haired, blue-eyed paramedic who moved about eight years ago. That was the exact description of the paramedic who had once been Zimmers’s partner at the 225 . . . and Nolan claimed the 225 had taught him what he learned to save Corbin Daniels’s life last night.

Frank’s heart twisted in his chest as he realized there was some crucial detail of Nolan’s life he was very clearly missing, and the thought that the man he loved kept such a detail close to his chest hurt more than any bullet wound.

What are you hiding, Nolan? he wondered with a hard swallow. And why are you hiding it from me?