A/N: This is sort of a filler chapter but hopefully you guys enjoy this chapter anyway lol.
Happy reading!
angellwings
PS - Thanks for all the support in your recent comments! You guys are the best!
"So turn right,
Into my arms.
Turn right,
You won't be alone.
You might fall off this track sometimes,
Hope to see you on the finish line."
- "Turn Right" by the Jonas Brothers
She really shouldn't have stayed over last night. She'd stayed the night before too and she has shift this morning. So does Pete. Luckily her gear is in her trunk and she keeps more than one uniform in her duffle. She could leave from his place and head straight to 51, but 48 hours straight of Peter Mills was addicting and she really should have moderated her exposure.
She feels calloused fingers feather across her jaw and slowly opens her eyes, immediately finding Pete's warm gaze.
"Good morning," Pete says as he bends his head to kiss her softly. "I hate to say this, but...we really have to get up."
"I know," she whines before lightly pressing her lips to his collarbone. "Your bed is much too cozy, though. You can't blame me for wanting to stay right here."
He laughs and she feels it rumble against her. She's tucked into his side with his arm slung around her protectively. Every movement he makes registers against some part of her. She loves it.
"What?" He asks teasingly. "Two days isn't enough?"
She shakes her head and burrows further into him. "Nope. Not in the least."
"Can I persuade you to get up by promising you waffles?" He asks as he rests his chin against the top of her head.
"Only if that offer also includes bacon," she barters.
"I can arrange that," he agrees.
She gets up and throws on his t-shirt that he discarded on the floor last night. As much as she doesn't want to, it's time to start the day and get back to reality.
The closer they get to leaving Pete's apartment, the more his mood darkens. She noticed after she came over that some sort of storm was brewing behind his chocolate eyes, but when she asked him what was wrong he dismissed it. He gave her a quick excuse about a call getting under his skin, but she had a feeling it was more than that.
Not that she blames him. They were abducted and now his father's death may be a murder (with the murderer still at large in the world), she'd be pissed too. Hell, she is pissed. That's why she agreed to see the counselor Boden recommended.
Oh. Wait. Maybe…
"Pete," she says once they're dressed in their uniforms.
"Yeah?" he replies.
She wraps her arms around him from behind and rests her cheek against his broad and sturdy back. God, he's built. She feels so incredibly safe with him. She's never had that before. Harrison never left her feeling protected or treasured. Pete does. She hopes she offers him even a small fraction of that in return.
"Boden recommended that I see this counselor to deal with the trauma of the abduction and everything. I made an appointment for tomorrow after I get off shift." She hesitates to continue but she doesn't want to leave any stone unturned. She wants to help him - be there for him. "I know you say you're fine, but...you could come with me, if you want. We could go together. I think it might really be helpful for-"
"I appreciate the offer, Brett."
Brett. Not Sylvie. The way his muscles tensed at her suggestion didn't escape her notice either.
He pats her hands as they rest on his chest and turns in her arms to meet her eyes. "I really am fine. I just want to work and get through this whole arson shitshow. You know?"
She bites her tongue, to keep quiet, and nods. She can't force him to talk to someone. He has to want it.
"Okay, but if you change your mind…"
"I'll let you know," he promises before leaning down to kiss her gently. "We should go. We're gonna be late."
She swallows back her tired sigh. Her 51 family is going to run her emotionally ragged. Matt and his guilt over Orlovsky, Stella and her tension with Grant, Shay and her grief over Gabby, and now Pete and his anger. She loves them all and she wouldn't have it any other way, but it's exhausting having a heart that so willingly shares other people's burdens. It's how she's built and there's no way to change it or shut it off.
Sometimes, though, she wishes she could - just for a day or two.
The first thing Matt hears upon arriving for shift is that Boden wants to see him and Severide. CFD approved their request for a dedication ceremony in Gabby's honor - next Thursday at 51. It may be a pipe dream, but in his mind he sets that as the deadline for catching the arsonist bastard who killed her. Boden wants himself or Shay to say a few words. He hopes Shay is open to that because Matt's never been good with words and that won't change when his emotions are so wrapped up in everything.
Something is off with Boden, Casey asks after Severide leaves. Boden's father is dying of cancer and it's extremely serious. Matt reminds Boden to let him know if they can do anything for him, but Boden only requests a moment alone. Casey's more than happy to give it to him.
He walks into the common room and finds Brett sitting down with her breakfast. She looks distracted and tired. He serves himself a plate and then drops into the chair next to hers.
"You okay?" He asks in concern.
She sighs but then aims a wan smile at him. "Yeah, I'm good."
It's a half truth. He can see the partial lie in her eyes.
"How are you?" She asks. "Any update on the Chaplain?"
He shakes his head. "No update yet. But Kendra at Med said she'd give me a call if there was any change. And I'm good. Have you talked to Severide or Shay this morning?"
"Not yet, why? Is there any update on the arson case?" She asks eagerly.
He nods, thinking of the map Severide came home with yesterday. "They've identified similar cases all over the city. This guy is definitely a serial arsonist. Cunningham's looking into possible suspects now."
"Well, that's something, isn't it?" Brett asks, drawing in a relieved breath.
"It's progress," he agrees. He narrows his eyes at her. He can't shake his concern. "Are you sure you're okay?"
"I'm fine," she says again. He believes her a little more this time. "Just tired."
The rest of their shift is pretty uneventful. Both he and Brett happen to be retrieving their things out of their lockers at the same time as his phone rings at the end of shift. It's Kendra. He answers quickly and can feel Sylvie's curious stare as she joins him by the bench. He relays the information to her as soon as he hangs up.
"Chaplain Orlovsky regained consciousness this morning," he tells her. He feels a pressing weight lift off of his shoulders. "Odds are he's gonna make a full recovery."
"That's so great," Sylvie says in relief. "Send him our love, will you?"
He nods and wants to say more but they're interrupted by an audience he didn't notice until just now.
"Did I hear that right, Lieutenant?" Herrmann asks.
Brett waves a quiet goodbye and slinks off while he relays Kendra's call to Christopher. His worried gaze follows her for a moment. He believes her when she says she's tired but it's the reason she's tired that concerns him still. There's been a lot going on around the house lately and he'd hate it if she fell through the cracks as a result.
He shakes it off for the time being to talk to Herrmann. He tells Herrmann he'll be going to see Orlovsky directly after leaving the firehouse and Herrmann hands him a hockey jersey for his peewee team - which immediately gives Matt an idea. He heard Herrmann mention that he needed a team building exercise for his young team and Matt knows just the thing.
He tells him all about how the Chaplain's place needs a fresh coat of paint but he's always refused to let his building manager do it and Herrmann jumps on the idea. Matt feels a bit lighter just knowing someone else is as eager to do something for Orlovsky as he is.
He visits the Chaplain and, exactly as Sylvie said he would, Orlovsky agrees with his decision on the scene. Even though he'd been assuring himself he did the right thing all week, hearing it from the Chaplain himself eases the last of the tension in his chest.
He may have doubted himself, but he's grateful the people that mean the most to him never did.
After her appointment she tried to call Pete. He didn't answer. She texted him and never heard back either. Maybe he's just busy but after two days of having him all to herself something about his silence doesn't sit right with her.
She went home and found Stella unloading a new batch of boxes from her car into the apartment.
"He hasn't even noticed that half my clothes are gone," Stella tells her with an eyeroll. "He's on a song writing binge which likely means he's also on a bender. We were supposed to talk when I got off shift but he blew me off for studio time. That's strike two. One more and I get a lawyer."
Sylvie hugs her tightly and rubs a comforting hand up and down her back. "I'm sorry, Stella."
"I've kept this relationship going by sheer grit and determination but I'm out of both," Stella admits as she sinks into the hug.
"Well, let's not think about it for the rest of the day, okay?"
She nods her agreement. "Okay. You look tired. Are you okay?"
"I'm worried about Pete," she admits. "I tried to get him to go to the counselor with me today but he claims he's fine. I know he's not. And now I think he's avoiding me."
"Maybe he's just caught up in something?" Stella suggests helpfully. "How was your appointment?"
"It was good," she says as they pull out of the hug. She feels much more encouraged and relaxed. "It was nice to unload on a total stranger and sort through all the emotions, you know?"
"I don't actually," Stella replies with a dry laugh. "Sounds too emotionally mature for me."
She goes to her room and takes a nap after that. She didn't sleep well in the bunkroom during her shift and she's starting to feel it now. She wakes up three hours later and immediately checks her phone. Still no word from Pete. She tries him again and this time she leaves a voicemail. She'll leave it alone for the rest of the day. He'll come to her when he's ready, she hopes.
Another couple of hours passes and by the time she's preparing herself lunch she's come to a very clear realization.
Pete's not going to call her back. Not today at least.
She huffs and sinks into one of the chairs at the kitchen table. She hates this. Did she do something or say something wrong? Maybe she pushed too hard this morning?
No. No, this is not her fault. She's done nothing but be concerned about the guy she's dating. There's no reason for him to be mad at her or avoiding her that would be caused by her actions. If there's anything wrong then it's Peter's personal issue that he has to work through himself. She didn't cause it. She used to do this to herself with Harrison and she will not do it ever again. Tension in a relationship is not always her fault. It's not up to her alone to fix it.
Stella walks into the kitchen and spots her sulking at the table. She sits down across from her with a sympathetic smile.
"You know what we need?" Stella asks.
"What?"
"A girls night. Wine and stupid rom-coms and junk food. And-"
"Margaritas! Yes, I love this idea. Shay makes the best margaritas. We should invite her over too!"
"Do it!" Stella encourages with an eager smile. "I'll run out and get junk food and ice cream. You text Shay."
"Already on it," Sylvie agrees as her fingers fly across her phone screen.
Stella needs distracting, she needs distracting, and Leslie sure as hell needs distracting. This is perfect. Stella Kidd is a genius. A girls night in is exactly what they need.
When Matt arrives home, he finds Kelly, Antonio, and Shay going over the map with all the fire scenes marked on it and joins them. The geography of the scenes speak for themselves. They're waiting, yet again, on Cunningham. They have lots of information but still no suspects and it's driving him crazy. He wants this resolved and off his plate. He wants to be able to close the door on his pain and get back to moving forward with his life. He will always love Gabby and he will always miss her, but he knows she wouldn't want him dwelling on his losses forever.
She wouldn't want that for any of them. Not for him or Leslie or Antonio.
He sees that now.
As they're wrapping up going over what they know so far, Leslie's phone pings. She grins slightly as she checks her messages and then heads to the kitchen. He watches her gather margarita supplies in a tote and then grab her purse by the door.
"I'm going out," she announces. "Girls night in at Sylvie and Stella's. Don't wait up."
And just like that she's gone.
Kelly laughs lightly. "What I wouldn't give to be a fly on Brett's wall tonight."
He joins his laughter and shakes his head. Hopefully a girls night is just what Sylvie needs to take care of the exhaustion he saw in her eyes this morning. He wanted to press but Sylvie has a pretty good track record of confiding in him when she needs to. He trusts her to know how much she can handle on her own.
"So, who's Brett?" Antonio asks as he looks between Matt and Kelly.
"Our new paramedic on 61," Matt informs him. "She and Shay haven gotten pretty close."
"They look like they could be sisters," Kelly declares. "I had to do a double take the first day she showed up at the house. She's been good for all of us, though. She's the sunshine and rainbows type." Severide releases a fond chuckle before he continues. "We needed that, you know?"
Antonio nods. "Yeah. I know."
"She's damn good at her job too," Matt throws in. "Gabby would have liked her."
"Hopefully I get to meet her soon," Antonio tells them. "Sounds like she's fitting in really well around 51."
"She's already family as far as any of us are concerned," Severide agrees. "I'm sure you'll run into her at Molly's sometime if you never manage an introduction at the house."
Antonio nods again, letting the subject of Sylvie drop. He takes a picture of the map and then pockets his phone. "I should get this information back to the district. I wanna see what other information I can get about these locations. You'll call me when Cunningham gets back to you?"
"Yeah, first thing," Matt promises.
Kelly rolls up the map and walks into the kitchen to get a beer.
"Enough of this case for the night. We need a break. You want one?" He asks as he holds an extra bottle out toward Matt.
"Yeah, that and SportsCenter," Matt states decisively.
"Good call. I'm down with that plan," Kelly agrees.