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?