In firefighting teamwork is very important. Without teamwork firefighters can and do get hurt- even killed. The theory is two in two out. For every firefighter you have on the inside of the building, you have that many outside to back them up. But a twist on two in two out is that you and your partner enter, you and your partner exit. It was an unwritten, understood rule. You don't let your partner down.

Walsh had figured that out quickly in the academy. Now in real life he had to practice it everyday. Lt. Pratt and the others went over tools and equipment with him each shift to make sure that he was comfortable with them. DK was chosen to help guide him, even though he had only 2 years experience in the field, DK showed his natural abilities and his flexibility. DK enjoyed being the senior man for once. Walsh showed the same raw talent and natural abilities that made DK a good firefighter. Together the sky was the limit for the pair.

Oddly though, since Walsh arrived the Squad's action was limited to a couple MVCs and alarm bells sounding. It gave them the time to get to know him though. And play a couple practical jokes. While he was sleeping, DK and Tommy Doyle put shaving cream in his boots, then with Lt. Pratt's help they pulled a fake alarm. Billy jumped up out of bed and put his feet in his shoes to go to the bay.

"What the?" He yelled perplexed as he pulled his foot back out of his shoe and found it covered in the white cream.

Tommy and DK couldn't control their laughter.

"What's the matter rook?" Tommy called across the room

"Someone put shaving cream in my shoe!" Walsh responded

He then realized that it was a false alarm and set to cleaning out his shoe.

He hadn't finished cleaning out his shoe when the alarm sounded for real this time.

"Squad 55, Ladder 100 respond for a commercial building fire 118 Riverside." The alarm box calls

The squad heads off for the engine. It was well after midnight and they were headed for a warehouse complex located by the river. They headed for the call and could see the building complex they were heading to. It looked eerily calm. They pulled on scene to find a 5-story warehouse building that appears to be abandoned. There isn't any visible smoke or fire, but this wasn't sitting right with them.

"DK, you and Walsh do a quick sweep." Lt. Pratt instructs, "Miller and Wright stretch a line, Doyle get the hydrant."

Ladder 100 pulled up and began to set up awaiting word from the engine company.

DK and Walsh entered into the dark building. It was balloon framed in the entry and it had large expanses of open ceiling.

"Smell that?" DK asks

"Yeah." Walsh replies

"That's smoke, and where there's fire." DK smiles

They continue on the search for anything, people, fire, anything. They clear the first floor and continue on to the second floor. The smell began to get stronger and they noted it. Towards the southwest corner they found a room that was closed. They checked the door, it was hot.

"This is it." DK said as he radioed it in.

"2nd story, southwest corner, we need a line up here." DK says

Miller and Wright quickly come to their location with the line. Walsh takes the axe and on DK's cue he busts open the door to find the room fully involved. It takes a few minutes and the fire was under control.

DK smiled to Walsh. It was over; Walsh's first fire went uneventfully. And that was just fine for everyone involved. As they excited the building Lieutenant Pratt walked up to them.

"Well DK?" He asked

"Well what?" DK asked in return

"How was our rookie?" The Lieutenant asked

"Like an old pro." DK smiled as he walked on.

"Well Walsh, want to keep doing this for the next 20 years or so?" The Lieutenant asks

"You bet!" Walsh smiles

"Good, I thought that's what you'd say." The Lieutenant adds with a smile to his face.

They returned to the station a little before 6. They would be off duty in 3 hours and another crew would take over protecting the streets. They all felt a little excitement over their rookie's success. They decided it was only fitting to have a celebratory breakfast. On the way back to the house they stopped at a corner market and bought everything they would need, some eggs, plenty of milk, potatoes, bacon, orange juice, and fruit. They would get back to the house and prepare a feast for a king.

Tommy guided the engine back into the bay and they all hopped out of the truck. They stripped down out of their bunker gear and headed for the kitchen. DK took on egg duty. They all said that he could whip up the best eggs, and once again he was out to prove that the legend was true. Tommy fried up the potatoes and bacon and soon they were all sitting together at the table- the "round table" of Camelot.

They all enjoyed their morning meal together. Soon enough it was 9 AM and time for them to head off to their real homes. Walsh came down the steps with his bag on his shoulder. He had a couple days off, and he was going to search for a new apartment. He could afford better than what he had and so he was out to find himself a nice place. The perfect bachelor pad he thought.

He met Ashley in the afternoon. She was going to help him find a place. After all, she knew what he would need and what he could afford. So they met up and began their search.

"Hey Billy." Ashley had the need to tell her little brother something important

"Yeah?" He asked

"I need to talk to you." Ashley had that tone in her voice; he wasn't sure what to make of it.

He nervously responded, "Yes?"

"You know that Andrew and I have gotten more serious." She asked

"Well yeah, you've been going out for 3 years now." He replies

"Well, he asked me to marry him." She smiles

"That's great." He responds to his sister

"I'll be Mrs. Ashley Sutton." She says

He laughs for a moment, he had never thought of her as anyone other than Ashley, and if you had to be technical about it, Ashley Walsh.

"What's so funny?" She asks

He stops, "Nothing, I was just imagining."

"Then I'm not going to ask you." She says

"Ask me what?" he questions

"I want you to give me away." She tells him

He sits quietly, he was honored by the request.

"I'm…" he struggles with the words, "I'm honored" he finally gets out.

They pull up in front of an apartment building. Walsh looks around a second. He forms a quick opinion on the neighborhood, seems nice enough to him. They meet an agent and tour the apartment. It was a wonderful 2-bedroom loft. He liked the idea of the loft apartment, and liked the fact that it had space. A firehouse wasn't exactly spacious, so while he was off duty he wanted to be able to spread out. He decided that he didn't want to look around anymore. There were some improvements to be made that he could do on his days off. He signed the lease and now had a nice place to call his own.

The next few weeks were full of activity. It was December now. The Christmas season was upon them. The first snowfall blanketed the city. The lights reflected off of the pristine white snow as the city was subdued. It had been snowing for hours now and the squad had been enjoying the downtime. They were fixing dinner when the alarm box called to them.

"Squad 55 respond for a MVC car into the building corner of Amsterdam and 104"

Their plans stalled and so they headed out the door for the call. Tommy carefully glided the truck through the snow-covered streets. It was obvious how quickly someone could wreck their car in this weather. Tommy had no plans of turning the truck into the next causality.

They arrived on scene and quickly set to work to securing the vehicle. The driver was DOA so there wasn't much to be done there. Once they wrapped up on scene they returned to the house to finish their dinner.

It was a bonding time for the guys. Then they would vacate to the lounge and sit in the chairs watching basketball before retiring to their bunks for the night. The guys weren't hard to figure out, they enjoyed food, fun, and sleep. And this night they would get a silent night.