CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR: You've Got Something There


Matt gives Sylvie's shoulder a supportive squeeze while they wait for Atwater. They've just come from a scene that, with anyone else, may have turned into an argument, but not with Sylvie. Is this how functional adults actually operate in relationships? Do they talk to each other the way she's talked to him? Kelly and Stella seem too. He always thought they were an exception, but the more time he spends with Sylvie the more he starts to think that they're less an exception and more a good example. He's gotten used to some bad habits in his previous relationships and tried to pick up his partner's slack. He's beginning to realize that he shouldn't have to do that.

Sylvie willingly opens up to him and if she ever doesn't all he has to do is ask. She hasn't once run from him when confronted. He feels like that fact shouldn't amaze him, and yet it does. Constantly.

He's let himself settle for dysfunctional his entire life. He almost doesn't know what to do with himself and a relationship that seems to happen naturally. What is a relationship like when you're not constantly repeating the same arguments over and over again? Or when getting someone to talk to you isn't like pulling teeth? At nearly 40, he's still learning. Luckily, Sylvie's a good teacher.

The door opens and Atwater walks in with a nod and a wave. He closes the door behind him and then moves to stand between Boden's desk and their chairs.

"Thanks for taking the time," he says as he shakes everyone's hands one by one. "We had a break in the case and we wanted you all to be informed as soon as possible."

"Already?" Sylvie asks in surprise. "You've only had the case a couple of days!"

"What can I say?" Kevin says with a grin. "We do good work."

Boden smirks at him and shakes his head in amusement. "What's the latest?"

"We tracked down the ex. He used a credit card at a roadside motel. We went and checked it out today and...well, it wasn't pretty. It looks like a suicide. He even left a note expressing remorse for Hope's death. He said he didn't mean to kill anyone. He just wanted to scare her. Seems like the guilt got to him," Atwater says with a sympathetic glance aimed at Sylvie.

Matt's brow furrows and then he blinks at first Sylvie then Atwater. Is he saying what he thinks he's saying? "Are you...are you telling us this is over? Case closed?"

"Well, we still gotta dot the 'i's and cross the 't's but we think so. We have to do our due diligence and make damn sure it was a suicide before we'll call the case officially 'closed' but it looks likely," Atwater answers. He looks from Casey to Sylvie. "I wouldn't move back to your place till we give you the official all clear but you shouldn't have to stay away too much longer."

"That's better news than I ever got from Spencer, at least," Sylvie says as she releases a relieved breath.

"Keep your ringer on. We'll make sure you stay looped in," Kevin promises. "I gotta get back but I'll see you guys around."

"Absolutely," Matt agrees.

"Tell Voight we say thank you," Boden tells Atwater with a sideways glance at Casey.

Casey fights the urge to scoff and roll his eyes. Instead he nods and gives Kevin a halfhearted smile. "Yeah, we're all grateful that he let you guys take the case."

"Anytime," Atwater says with a nod. "Happy to help 51 whenever we can. You guys have done plenty of favors for us over the years too. Big ones."

Once Kevin leaves, Boden dismisses them but not before warning Brett to keep him informed. She assures him she will. Once they leave Boden's office, Matt takes her hand and leads her into the Blue Room. He shuts and locks the door behind him. He wants to gauge her reaction to Atwater's news.

"How are you feeling about this?" He asks in concern.

Her brow furrows. "I'm...not sure. I don't want to get my hopes up but I'd hate to think there's more to this than a guilty suicide - as terrible as that is."

He's not sure either. He knows she wants her life back and he wants that for her. Her independence is important to her. He's always admired that about her. There's no way he's ever denying her that.

But...he's also enjoyed having her close these last few weeks. This relationship they have now, started during all of this. What are they after it's resolved? How does this work when they don't share space? Will it work when they don't share space? His chances of screwing it up will surely increase once they're no longer forced into closeness, right? When he's no longer on her hip will what they have be the same?

He also hates himself for worrying about that at a time like this. He wants this case resolved. He needs Brett safe. She does not need to keep being dependent on all of them. It upsets her and adds stress she doesn't deserve. She'll be happier when she's given back her agency and her space. Above all else, he wants her to be happy.

"I know all I've been talking about since this started is getting my life back," Sylvie says with a nervous gulp. "But now that it's almost here I'm-I don't know-nervous? That's stupid, isn't it?"

A soft scoff escapes him as her words strike a chord. He shakes his head and pulls her to him. "No. I was actually just thinking...I'm nervous too. Probably for different reasons, but I'm definitely nervous."

"What are you nervous about?" Sylvie asks with a small curious smile.

"Don't-Don't take this the wrong way, okay?" He asks anxiously.

"Okay? Now, I'm worried."

"No," he says as he rubs his hands up and down her arms. "It's nothing bad, I'm just afraid you'll misunderstand."

Her eyes narrow perceptively. "Are you nervous about us?"

He rubs the back of his neck and looks away from her as he answers. "Well...yeah. We haven't done this yet without literally being in the same place at the same time, all the time. How do we scale that back? Can we scale that back? And then I feel ridiculous for worrying about that because obviously I'd rather have this case resolved and see things go back to normal for you. But...your normal didn't include me. I don't want you to think that I don't want you to be independent or support you in whatever you decide to do but I-"

A hand covers his lips, cutting him off. He finally glances back up at Sylvie to find her smiling affectionately at him.

"I would never think that, Matt. You've been nothing but supportive this whole time. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that you have my back. You've told me enough times. Honestly, do you think I'd forget so easily?" She asks him as she pulls her hand away.

He knows his face looks stupidly stunned. He feels stupidly stunned. He really thought she'd take offense. His knee jerk reaction was to proactively apologize for a fight that hadn't happened yet. He never once considered that she might actually...understand.

She frames his face with her hands. Her gaze looks patient and warm. God, every day he gets closer to saying those three little words out loud. In fact, they're this close to falling off his lips right now.

"I'm nervous about that too," she confesses.

"You are?" He asks in surprise.

She nods. "I'm insecure as hell about this whole thing. What if you don't want me when I'm back to living independently? What if what we have is because of some hero complex? How is this gonna work once I move back in with Cruz? When we have to split our off duty time between our individual obligations and responsibilities? I mean, you've put off your construction jobs more often than not since I moved in. You can't do that forever. Do we have time for each other off shift or even on shift? I have questions too. You're for sure not alone."

"I can assure you of two things with absolute certainty," Matt says as he bands his arms around her waist. "What we have has nothing to do with any sort of hero complex and your independence is one of the most attractive things about you. That will never keep me from wanting you."

She blushes and bites back a beaming smile. "Well, I'm glad we cleared that up." One of her hands drops to his neck and the other slides back into his hair. "And in the spirit of clearing things up, my normal may not have included you before but it most definitely does now. You got that, Captain Casey?"

A smile easily overtakes his face as his eyes search hers for any signs of insincerity. He doesn't find any - not that he expected to. "Got it, PIC Brett."

"Oh!" She says as a sudden memory lights up her face. "Before you dragged me into your quarters this morning-"

"Which I plan to do again later-"

She laughs and rolls her eyes. "Insatiable. That's what you are. Well, before you do that and I forget again, I made my last doctor's appointment this morning. I'll need to leave early from the shift after next for my final follow up. Boden already cleared it. So, that combined with the news about the case today…"

"Your life is that much closer to being back on track?" He asks with a knowing smile.

She nods and beams at him. "The case will be wrapped up soon and in a couple more shifts I'll be back on Ambo. All I need is a car and I'll start to feel like myself again. Once that happens, you and I can start to figure out how this will work in real life."

"This isn't real life?" He asks in amusement.

"No, this is prime time network crime procedural life."

He laughs and hugs her tighter to him. "Makes sense."

"It doesn't but I appreciate your support," she says a moment before she filches a quick kiss. "We should get back before anyone realizes we're gone. By the way, what did you do to Jordan?"

"I didn't do anything to him," Casey answers truthfully. "I walked him out, like I said I would."

She lifts a disbelieving brow at him. "Matt Casey."

He sighs in resignation and shrugs. "I may have told him to get out and stay out or else he and I would have problems."

"Is that all?" She asks warily.

"I also made sure that Severide and Herrmann know he's persona non grata," he said, clearing his throat bashfully. "Just in case."

Her skeptical expression melts into something mirthful and appreciative. "I know I snapped at you earlier, but...thank you for taking care of that for me. As much as I hate to admit it, sometimes a little help is necessary. You're very good at picking up on when it truly is necessary."

"Thank you for actually talking about what was bothering you and not shutting me out," he replies. "I can't tell you how much it means to me that you let me inside your head. I'm not used to that."

They both know why he's not used to that and who he's accustomed to facing conflicts with, but neither of them feel it's necessary to say it.

She nods slowly and cards her hands through his hair. "Then I guess we'll have to work on that. Together. Eventually, you'll stop expecting the worst and I'll realize accepting your help doesn't make me weak. It might, in fact, make me stronger."

"You've got something there," he tells her as he presses his forehead to hers. "I think maybe the secret to all of this is that we might be stronger as a team, you and me."

"I like that," Brett agrees as she continues to run her fingers through his hair. "Thinking of us as a team - or just thinking of us as an us at all."

"Me too," he says with a deep contented breath.

He'd like to keep thinking of them as a team or an 'us' or a 'we' for the foreseeable future. Hopefully, he won't screw this up. Not with her. He'd like to keep her for as long as possible.