A/N: I FINISHED WRITING THIS STORY LAST NIGHT. It will be 32 chapters and an epilogue. I will be posting the final chapters over the next two weeks! Hopefully you guys will enjoy where I'm taking this!

Happy reading!

angellwings


CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT: The Spanish Inquisition


The next day, he's finally able to get the natural gas connection inspected and approved. He's almost done moving the appliances in when his phone pings with a text message. He's expecting Sylvie. They've been exchanging texts all day long. She's currently with her parents. Her mother loves museums, she said, and her dad loves music so there was plenty to show them around town. It's close to dinnertime so it wouldn't be unreasonable to think she'd pick their conversation back up now.

But it's not Sylvie.

It's Christie. That's when he remembers that he hasn't actually spoken to her in a couple of weeks. He'd gotten...distracted.

"Hey, Violet brought home a dog to 'foster' (obviously, now we're keeping it) and the doofy thing ran through our back screen door. Be a good little brother and come look at?"

He snorts through a chuckle and shakes his head.

"Fine, I'll do my brotherly duties I guess. I'll be finished up in an hour or so. Is it okay to come over then?"

"Perfect! Also you're staying for dinner."

Great, he loves his sister but he hates her vegan cooking. He's sure some people absolutely love the vegan lifestyle. Matt Casey isn't one of them.

Lucky for him, his sister knows him pretty well.

"We're ordering pizza."

That's more like it.

"In that case, I'm in."

She replies with the eyeroll emoji and only the eyeroll emoji. He expects nothing less.

An hour and a half later, the door at his sister's place swings open.

"Matt!"

He grunts as Violet collides against him with a hug. He laughs and hugs her tightly in return.

"Hey, kid!" He says as she backs away and let's him in the house. "How's it going?"

"Dad finally got me a car," Violet announces with a smirk.

Matt winces. "Let's hope you don't drive like your mom."

Violet laughs loudly as his sister's voice drifts down the stairs.

"I heard that!"

"Good! You need to know I'm worried," Matt replies. He then turns to Violet with a playful glare. "Sometime soon you're taking me driving. I have to see how you drive."

"I've had a license for a year, Matt," Violet says with a put upon sigh. "The DMV wouldn't have passed me if I couldn't drive."

He barely withholds a scoff. He'd like to think that but he knows better. "Yeah, well, since I can't trust your mom's driving instruction, just humor me, okay?"

"Fine," she says with a shake of her head. "But only because you seem to doubt me and I wanna prove you wrong."

He chuckles and nods. "You wouldn't be a Casey if you didn't."

Christie appears at the bottom of the stairs and hugs him briefly. "Pizza's on the way and I've got beer in the fridge."

"Perfect," Matt replies. "Now, where's this door?"

"In the back, but before you take one step onto my new carpet…" her sentence fades slowly as she points down at Matt's boots.

He rolls his eyes but the affectionate grin on his face contradicts it. "Yeah, okay. You'll get a dog but I can't wear my shoes. Makes sense."

"We got a dog under protest," Christie says as she glares playfully at her daughter. "I was tricked!"

Violet lets out a bright laugh and shrugs innocently. "If you need me I'll be upstairs doing my homework with my dog."

"Spoiled brat," Christie calls after her fondly.

Matt's phone chimes as he toes off his boots. He pulls out his phone as Christie leads him to the back door. He grins warmly at the sight of Brett's name in his messages.

"My mom is having a detailed conversation with our waiter about why this restaurant should stop serving farm raised salmon. OMG. Help! How do I stop this?"

He laughs but tries to keep it quiet. He's not sure he's ready to explain Brett to Christie.

"Find a new topic? What does she like to rant about more than farm raised salmon?"

"Oh, that's easy! Democrats! Never thought I'd live to see the day where I willingly discuss politics with my parents."

This time there's no chance of stifling his laugh. He loves his sister and his niece but he kind of can't wait to get home and see Sylvie. He's been busy today and they've been texting so he's managed to avoid missing her...until now.

"Oh my God, Matt Casey! Why didn't you tell me!"

He yelps as his sister's hand suddenly slaps his shoulder. He looks up from his phone with an offended expression. "Ow! What? Tell you what?"

She points at his phone and then him. "Who's the girl? And how long have you been seeing her?"

He blinks at her in surprise. "How the hell do you know that I'm—"

"You were grinning and laughing like I haven't seen you since—" she stops and bites down on her bottom lip.

"Gabby?" He asks knowingly. "You can say her name. I won't have a breakdown at the mere mention of her."

She sighs and squeezes his arm consolingly. "Yeah, since the early days with Gabby." She pauses and then glares at him warily. "It's not Gabby is it? You two aren't back together, are you? Because I liked her at first but the way she left was ridiculous and you never deserved that."

"No," he says with a crooked grin. "I'm not and never will be back with Gabby. But it's nice to know how you really feel."

"Hey, you don't hide how you feel about Jim so there's no reason for me to hide how I feel about Gabby," Christie tells him. "So, if it's not Gabby then who is she? Do I know her?"

"You've met her once or twice, yes," he admits hesitantly. "She works with me."

Before he can explain any further her face lights up and she grabs his arm excitedly. "Brett! It's Brett isn't it? That paramedic I've heard you talk about?"

"I didn't think that I talked about her that—Jesus, was I that obvious?" He asks in embarrassment.

"You don't tell that many firehouse stories but here lately she's been coming up in the ones Violet and I manage to get out of you," she tells him with an amused grin. "So I was right? It's her?"

He can't stop the smile from stretching across his lips as he answers her. "Yes, it's Brett. Sylvie Brett." He's not sure if he's ever mentioned her first name. "But it's pretty new and she's had a lot going on so it's been difficult trying to get our feet under us."

"But you like her? It's serious?" Christie asks.

"I'm...I'm pretty sure I more than like her so yeah. It's serious," he replies truthfully.

"Then when you manage to get your feet under you, if that's what you want to call it, you're bringing her over for dinner. I want to properly meet Sylvie Brett," she insists. "Okay?"

He chuckles and nods hesitantly. "Yeah, okay. I'm not sure when that will be, though. So, don't start planning the menu just yet."

"Oh! Is she vegan?"

The memory of Sylvie scarfing down bacon that morning comes to mind and he laughs involuntarily. "Definitely not."

"Damn," Christie pouts. "I was hoping she could convince you since I can't."

"Convince me to be vegan?" Matt asks as he bites back another laugh. "Wow, that's a pipe dream if I've ever heard one. Never gonna happen. I don't care who you use to try and persuade me."

He swiftly dodges another swat before finally turning the conversation to her broken screen door. That is the reason he came by, after all.


"Great. You talk politics with your parents and I'll eat veggie pizza with a cauliflower crust and we'll both be doing things we don't wanna do tonight."

The image of Casey forcing himself to scarf down a "healthy" pizza is enough to earn a sympathetic wince, even if he can't see it. She imagines his grimace as he swallows and bites her bottom lip to try and hide a smile.

The waiter reaches her, after having survived her mother's plethora of questions and political beliefs, and she gives him an apologetic glance. "I'll have the Carbonara. And would it be possible to place a to go order?"

The waiter nods. "Of course. I could come back later for that order."

"Great! I would appreciate that."

No way she's letting Matt have veggie pizza for dinner.

The waiter jots something down and then walks away.

Her dad gives her a curious look before turning his eyes toward the dessert menu. He tries to sound casual as he speaks, but utterly fails. "So, who's the to go order for?"

"Oh! Um," she stammers with a blush. "Casey." She holds up her phone to indicate they've been texting. "He's being forced to endure veggie pizza at his sister's place. I thought I'd bring home something he actually likes to make up for it."

Her mother makes a noise. There's no word for it, but it's that noise all mother's make when they want to say something but think better of it. A short hum of interest is the only way she can think to describe it.

"What, mom?" Sylvie asks with a bemused grin.

"Nothing. I said nothing."

"But you thought something." She chuckles and then lifts her brows at her mother expectantly. "Just spit it out. We all know you're going to eventually."

Her father grins but then lifts the dessert menu to cover it.

"You seem awfully close to this Captain Casey is all," her mother says observantly. "You're living with him-"

"Not just him," Sylvie interrupts. "He has a roommate."

Her mother gives her a look that tells Sylvie she doesn't find that detail to be pertinent. "You work together. You talk about him all the time. If I didn't know any better I'd think the two of you are dating. But that can't be because if that was the case you would have told me. Considering how close we are."

She was really hoping to avoid telling them until things with Matt were a bit more stable. She didn't want to get anyone's hopes up - least of all her own - but that's going to be impossible now. Her mother is onto her.

She sighs and stares at her parents pensively while she debates what to tell them and how much. "Matt has been really great to me these last four weeks. We've definitely gotten closer."

Her mother perks up and gives her a crooked grin.

While her father lowers the menu and quirks one brow at her. "He's Matt now, is he?"

She blushes furiously and tries to play it off. "Well, off shift he's not Captain Casey. He's just...Matt."

"But that's the first time we've heard you refer to him by his first name," her mother points out. "Actually, that's the first time I've ever heard his first name. I like it. Matthew is a very respectable, traditional name."

Well, shit. She's stepped in it now.

"How old is Matt?" Her father asks as his eyes narrow slightly.

"Thirty-eight. What does that matter?"

"It doesn't. Just curious. And he's still single at his age?"

Oh, here we go. The inquisition.

"No, honey," her mother says with an admonishing glare. "He was married to her old partner, remember? Gabby."

"That was him? The Casey that was married to her partner is the same one she's dating?"

"Yes, dear. Keep up. They divorced. Last year. She told us this."

Dear god, kill her now. She adores her parents but she really does not want to spend the night rehashing the strange shared history between her and Matt.

"Maybe she told you, but I don't think she told me. I'd remember that," her father said with a furrowed brow.

Her mother lets out a long suffering sigh and then points an eager smile at her daughter. "So, how serious is it?"

"Mom, I didn't say we were dating," Sylvie replies nervously.

"Oh please!" Her mother exclaims as she waves a dismissive hand at her. "A mother knows. Honestly, I thought you were dating him last year after things ended with Kyle the first time around. The way you talked about him—well, I used to tell your father all the time that I thought you had a crush. Didn't I, honey?"

"I'm sure I don't remember," her father answers flatly.

"Well, I did. That's why I was so surprised when you called and told me you were engaged to Kyle and moving back to Fowlerton! I assumed you'd moved on with Casey. I was worried I didn't know my daughter as well as I thought I did, but now I understand."

Well, that's good because Sylvie doesn't. "You thought I had a crush on Matt last year?" She did but she wasn't aware it had been so obvious that her mother noticed. "And what do you mean, you understand? Understand what?"

"Obviously, you were unsure about having feelings for your former best friend's ex-husband so when Kyle proposed you retreated to what was safe and familiar and then if you add to that losing your friend Brian—of course you wanted to come home. That was awful. I'd want to run away for a little while too if that had been me," her mother explains with a sympathetic smile.

Sylvie blinks at her, feeling stunned - like she's concussed or had the wind knocked out of her. Holy shit. Her mother knows her far too well. Better than she knows herself, even. None of that even occurred to her until just now. "I-I suppose so, yeah. That makes sense."

"I think you've watched too much of that Dr. Phil," her father grumbles. "How's their tiramisu? Is it any good?"

"It's very good. You'll love it," Sylvie answers as she tries to reel in her spiraling thoughts. Suddenly every moment after Kyle dumped her is replaying through her mind in fast forward.

"I think you broke our daughter," her father comments glibly with a fond but exasperated look at his wife. "Don't listen to her. The past doesn't matter. Even if I am a little confused about this Casey being the same one your last partner was married to. There's really not another Casey at that firehouse of yours?" He stops and shakes himself, forcing himself back on topic. "Not important. Look, all that matters is that you like the boy—if I can call him that at 38–and he makes you happy. If he's good to you and good for you then that's all I care about. I will not see you in the middle of another Harrison situation. It was hard enough to watch that the first time around."

Her mind quiets and she focuses a warm smile on her father. "Thank you, daddy. I appreciate that and you don't have to worry. Matt couldn't be more opposite from Harrison if he tried." She's done revisiting the past. Her dad is right. It doesn't matter. All that matters is what she and Casey are building now. "Matt is truly the most wonderful man I've ever met," she admits softly. "I feel very fortunate to have him in my life. You know how every now and then you lose your equilibrium? You just have a moment where you feel like your falling - just waiting for a crash landing that never comes?" She waits for them to nod before she continues. "Well, I've felt like that for a few years now. I couldn't find my center - anywhere. But then…"

Her mother smiles gently at her and shares a knowing look with her father.

"But then...Matt?" She prompts.

Sylvie nods and sighs happily. "But then Matt. I don't feel like I'm waiting on a crash landing anymore." She laughs and shakes her head at herself. "That probably makes absolutely no sense."

Her mother reaches across the table and squeezes her hand. "No, baby, that makes complete sense. I know exactly what you mean."

Her parents share a secretive look and Sylvie can't help but wonder exactly what they think they know. A part of her wants to ask but then another part of her thinks she's better off in the dark. For now, she'll side with the latter part.

Best to leave it alone.


Matt walks through the front door and immediately heads to the fridge. He's starving. When his sister said she was ordering pizza, he assumed it would be something resembling a normal pizza. He should know better by now than to assume anything with Christie. He shoved down two pieces of that veggie pizza to be polite and then washed away the taste of the cauliflower crust with a beer. Now he's home, and the fridge is surprisingly empty.

Great. Perfect. He should have stopped on the way home.

The door opens and he turns to find Sylvie entering the apartment. She extends two styrofoam containers out in front of her. "I hope you like Lasagna and Cannolis."

"You are brilliant," he declares as he takes the containers from her. He thanks her with a soft lingering kiss as he does.

"The minute you told me what she ordered for dinner I knew I couldn't let your suffering be in vain," Sylvie says with a playful grin.

He snorts in amusement. "Like I said, you're brilliant. How was dinner?"

"Good! Sort of felt like The Spanish Inquisition at certain points," she tells him with a light chuckle. "But good. It was all I could do to keep them from following me over here so they could meet you, by the way. You should be grateful NCIS is on tonight. They never miss it or else they'd be over here right now."

He laughs as he sits down at the kitchen island and opens his food. "You know I'd be okay with that, right? I'd like to meet your parents."

She steps into his side and skims a hand up and down his back. "I know, but this is still so new and I didn't want to freak you out with a one-on-one situation." She kisses his cheek and then walks over to the coat rack as she unbuttons her coat. "They're coming to the firehouse on their way out of town tomorrow instead. So, you'll still get to meet them just with less pressure. It's better that way. Trust me. My mother may as well work in the Intelligence Unit with the way she interrogates people. How was your day?"

"Busy but productive," he answers. "And I let a little too much time pass since the last time I saw Christie and Violet, so even though I hated the food, dinner was worth it. Oh, yeah, and Violet has a car now, by the way. I mean she's had a license for a year but it didn't feel real cause she didn't have anything to drive. But now...Christ, I am old. She's seventeen! My niece is seventeen! When did that happen?"

Sylvie hangs up her coat and smiles fondly at him. "That's a good point. You know, I may have to rethink this. I didn't realize how old you are. First you don't know what Spotify is and now this? This might be the straw that breaks the camel's back."

He gives her half a smirk and rolls his eyes while she walks back over to the island. "Very funny."

"Oh, I'm totally serious," she tells him with a teasing grin as she wraps her arms around him from behind. "I mean, wow, I had no idea you were so ancient."

"Ancient, huh?" he asks as he leans back into her hold. "You just wait till I finish eating and I'll show you how not ancient I actually am."

"Looking forward to it," she murmurs against the shell of his ear.

Before she pulls away she gently nips at his earlobe and very nearly causes him to forget dinner all together. If he wasn't starving he'd choose to feast on her instead. She must somehow read his mind because she laughs brightly and squeezes his shoulders.

"Eat first. You'll need the calories," she tells him with a wink.

God, he loves her. He loves everything about her. Head to toe, inside and out, down to every microscopic atom.

Now, if he could only work up the courage to tell her that would be great.