A/N: This chapter is still set during 310. This may be my only update this weekend. I have some actual real life house work that I've been putting off to write this fic lol. I can't put it off any longer.

I hope you guys enjoy the chapter! Thank you to those of you who have left me encouragement in the comments lately! It means the world to me to know you trust the plan I have for this story and want me to continue it!

Happy reading!

angellwings

"I probably wouldn't be this way,

I probably wouldn't hurt so bad,

I never pictured every minute without you in it,

Oh, you left so fast."

-"Probably Wouldn't Be This Way" by LeAnn Rimes

"So, this is weird, huh?" Sylvie asks as she backs the ambo into the house. "You and me, partnered up for a couple of shifts?"

"A little," Pete replies with a smirk. "But it's just for two shifts. We can handle it. We did pretty well on that first call. That's for sure."

"We did! Didn't we?" She asks as she holds out her fist for a bump.

He laughs and reciprocates. "Yeah, I can definitely tell that Leslie Shay is your partner based on the fist bump alone."

"It is kind of her thing," Sylvie agrees. "Oh, and that call! Can you believe that guy? Jumping out of the house without a single thought about reaching his wife? That was ridiculous."

Mills shakes his head and scoffs. "I know I shouldn't judge a civilian victim but in this case I can't help it. When I was on Truck and Squad we had so many calls where one spouse sacrificed for the other. This was the first time I ever had a call where one spouse completely abandoned the other."

"It was pretty messed up," Sylvie agrees. "I can't imagine leaving behind someone I love like that."

They step out of the rig and meet at the back doors. Pete glances around anxiously but smirks when he doesn't find anyone else. "Looks like Truck, Squad, and Engine are still out on overhaul."

"Looks like it," Sylvie replies, purposfully playing dumb.

"Which also means, we're essentially alone," Mills tells her with a slow sinful smirk.

"No," she replies with a quiet giggle. "Not in the house! I don't care how alone you think we are, there's always someone watching!"

"Oh, come on! The turn out room's a good spot!" He teasingly protests. She can tell he already knows he won't change her mind.

"If it isn't Peter Mills. What are you doing in the wrong house?"

They both freeze at the new voice and turn to find Chaplain Orlovsky grinning knowingly at him. The Chaplain just caught them debating whether or not to make out in the turn out room. Great. Wonderful.

"Aren't you at 105 now, young man?" He asks.

"I am, Chaplain," Pete says as he shakes Orlovsky's hand. "I'm just filling in for Shay."

He nods and then turns to Brett. "Sweet Sylvie," he says as he shakes her hand too. "You know that's how I learned your name? I put a descriptor that starts with 's' in front of it. I do that with everyone, but yours was the easiest. Never met anyone so gracious as you. Well, aside from Lieutenant Casey."

Sylvie laughs brightly and feels her cheeks heat with a modest blush. "Thank you, Chaplain. That means so much coming from you. Can we help you with something?"

"Casey or Herrmann around?" He asks.

"Not yet. Last we heard they were finishing up overhaul," Sylvie replies. "You're welcome to hang around with us until they get back."

"You know, Sylvie, I've been meaning to talk to you," Orlovsky says with a warm smile. "I wanted to tell you how grateful I am that you were brought to this house. You're just what they needed. Hope, light, and warmth. The good lord was looking out for them when you were assigned here."

Emotional tears prickle at her lashes. They're joyful and grateful but also...sad. The idea that this house needed hope, light, and warmth means they'd lost at least a little of that before. Imagining this family she's come to love as hopeless and broken hurts her. On the opposite end of that, though, hearing someone outside the house tell her that she's important to 51 means the world to her.

She feels Mills smiling affectionately at her. He hasn't known her that long, but he likely sees the unshed tears in her eyes very clearly.

"I don't know what to say to that, Chaplain," Sylvie tells him honestly. "Thank you."

"No," he says with a shake of his head and a pat of her arm. "Thank you."

Before any of them can say anything else, Truck 81 and Squad 3 pull into the house. They haven't even come to a full stop when the doors are opening and both teams are greeting Orlovsky with jovial shouts of his name. Pete pulls her inside the house as Orlovsky talks to the guys about passing the boot for the Good Shepherd Soup Kitchen.

A half hour later, Cruz finds her to try out a new recipe for Molly's II. It's awkward at first, as she expected, but before long they fall into an easy rhythm. They're friendly and pleasant to each other. Joe is, of course, nothing but kind to her. The man really is a big teddy bear. He is one of the sweetest men she's ever met. If she wasn't already attached to Mills, she could see how she might be persuaded to date him. Whoever he ends up with is going to be a very lucky girl. It just won't be her.

They present their new creation to the house. It's a delicious baked savory treat that's essential Christmas dinner in a bun, and it's a hit. Joe wants Molly's II to premiere at a holiday food festival so they figure this item will be absolutely perfect for it. Thank goodness that everyone else seems to agree.

Mills helped her test the recipe on their last date and, after how eagerly it was accepted, she thanks him with a kiss to the cheek. It's not until after that she realizes the entire house witnessed the exchange. She tries to shrug it off and will away the embarrassed flush of her cheeks. Joe catches on first and the hurt look on his face makes her want to cringe. Her impulsive show of affection may have just set them back to where they were at the start of shift.

She leaves the kitchen, looking for Stella, and finds her on her bunk with her laptop.

"Hey, Sunshine," Stella says jokingly as she takes in Sylvie's glum face. "What's wrong?"

"Cruz asked me out and I said no because...well for a lot of reasons but mostly because I'm already seeing someone-"

Kidd's face lights up with intrigue. "Oh! Your first date with the cute guy from the bar! What was his name? Mills, right? Did it go well?"

"Oh my god, Stella. It went very well. We've had two official dates and we're working on a third," Sylvie explains with a small grin.

"Good for you, girl! After that mess with your ex, you deserve a nice guy." Stella pauses and then narrows her eyes on her. "He IS a nice guy, right?"

"The nicest," Brett assures her. "And my temporary Ambo partner for the week which is only a tad awkward. He's really been wonderful to me, but I just accidentally let Cruz find out so now I think he's back to hating my guts." She flops down on the cot next to Kidd's and sighs. "I like Cruz. I do. I just don't...like like him. You know?"

"I know," Stella says with an understanding nod. "As much as it sucks, I think you're just gonna have to let it pass in it's own time. Cruz seems like a great guy. He'll bounce back eventually."

"That's why I feel so awful! He is a great guy! He's just not the great guy for me."

"You can't make yourself feel something you don't, Brett," Stella assures her. "You were honest with him. That's all anyone can ask of you. Cruz will understand eventually."

"I hope you're right," Sylvie replies.

Stella scoffs and chuckles. "I'm always right. I'm insulted that you're doubting me right now."

She chuckles and sits up to face Stella again. "I apologize. I will never doubt you again."

"That's more like it. Apology accepted," Kidd says with a smirk and a nod.

Mills and Brett are everywhere Casey goes in this house. He's fine with it, don't get him wrong, but it's more of a reminder that he's all alone in the world. Up until now, he and Sylvie's courses have run parallel. Both of them were single and starting over. As much as he hates to admit it, he'd come to rely on that fact for a bit of comfort. He should have realized that wasn't going to last. Eventually, Sylvie would start dating and she would have to make time for someone besides her firehouse family. He needed to do the same. Maybe he wasn't ready for a romantic relationship, but socializing would be good for him — according to Chaplain Orlovsky anyway. While drying out, he'd avoided going out to any bar that wasn't Molly's but it was time to start getting back into the world...at least a little.

Maybe this time, though, he'd take a buddy to keep him from getting too wasted.

He looks up to see Severide heading his way and grins. No better buddy for a night out than Kelly Severide.

"Sev," he says as he gets his attention and they come to a stop in the hallway. "Plans after shift?"

"Uh, home, rest."

"Nope, you and me. Good old-fashioned Chicago bar crawl."

Kelly lifts a brow at him with a knowing grin. "You sure that's a good idea? You're barely dried out from the last month or so."

"Okay, so...no bar crawl then. Just one drink and then we'll go home."

Kelly eyes him skeptically. "Come on."

"I'm serious!"

"One drink?"

"That's all I'm asking."

"Alright, fine. One drink tonight and then we go home. Deal?"

Casey smirks at him and nods. "Absolutely. Deal."

Matt wakes up on the couch at home with a headache. He's still in his clothes from last night and he's gotten extremely ripe while passed out in the living room. He smells like alcohol and cigarette smoke. He's hungover, but it's not the worst hangover he's had lately. His stomach isn't rebelling and the sound of the coffee maker doesn't roar like a train engine. His headache isn't even that bad.

As he sits up and looks around for his phone, the night before comes back to him with great clarity.

He and Kelly met two girls at the bar. Severide went home with one. And Matt…

Almost went home with the other.

What stopped him? Two things. One, the knowledge that he'd done the one night stand thing once already and all it did was make his life more complicated. And two…

His drunk brain forgot he was single. All night last night he kept thinking Gabby would be pissed if he stayed out all night right before the Molly's II opening, and she'd be especially pissed if he spent that late night with another woman.

It wasn't until he started to leave the bar that he realized his mistake. That heartbreaking realization had him drinking a little more when he got home and passing out on the couch.

The lock on the front door clicks and it swings open revealing a much too cheerful Kelly Severide.

"Hey, there you are!" He says brightly. "I was wondering if you'd be here when I got home. You and that blonde chick really hit it off."

Matt shakes his head as he stands from the couch and heads to the kitchen. "I've already tried the one night stand thing and it's not for me."

He'd rather not mention the other reason he couldn't bring himself to leave the bar with — what was her name? Amy? No. Not Amy. Ainsley. He didn't want to sound as fragile as he felt. Especially not to Kelly.

Matt poured himself a cup of coffee and winced at the time on the coffeemaker clock. "I gotta get cleaned up and go. Today's the Molly's II opening. I told Herrmann and Brett I'd be there."

"Herrmann and Brett, huh?" Severide asks with a grin.

"What?" Matt replies in irritation.

"Nothing," Kelly says, shaking his head. "Just that you and Brett seem to be actual friends now. I think it's cool that you guys were able to get passed the way it all started. It kinda gives me hope. Maybe I can do the same with Stella."

Now it's Matt's turn to grin. "Did things start awkwardly with you and Stella? I thought you said you didn't hook up with her?"

"I didn't!" He assures him. "But it wasn't the best beginning I've ever been a part of, and I do actually like her. I want to be friends, if we can."

"Well, you could start with not walking out of the room every time she enters it," Matt suggests with a quiet laugh.

"Yeah, thanks, Captain Obvious," Severide replies with a scoff. "Go get ready and get out of here. You're annoying me."

Matt smirks at Severide as he takes his coffee into his room to shower and change. Stella Kidd is under his best friend's skin like no one ever has been before. He can't wait to see how this all plays out.