Thank you guys for all the feedback! I truly appreciate it. I know that Kelly's talk with Matt about Gabby in the last chapter was one that might not have been how he would have handled it, but this chapter explains why he sort of lashed out about Gabby leaving. Also, there is romance in this story but it's not going to be right away, so I hope you all will be patient with this. I like a slow burn for characters who are in the process of becoming a couple because it builds to their friendship and to their actual relationship when they finally get together. Please continue to leave reviews and comments and I hope you all like this chapter!

CHAPTER 2

"Did I catch you at a bad time?" Sylvie asked.

"Ah, no. It's this weather. I don't think I've ever seen a storm this bad before. I got a feeling that come daylight, we all will be outside working, possibly helping clean up debris." Matt said.

"You're probably right, but I think there's gonna be a lot of flooding going on." Sylvie responded.

"You're right, but we still need to be prepared." Matt sighed.

Sylvie could tell that Matt was frustrated about something.

"What's wrong? I know that look, Casey." Sylvie said.

"What look?" Matt questioned.

"That look you get when something is bothering you." Sylvie said.

Matt looked at her with a half smile. Did he just hear her say that she recognized one of his looks, one of the looks that Gabby never noticed or did but brushed it off? He was happy to hear that Sylvie noticed the way he looked.

"Truth?" Matt asked as he got up from his desk and pulled the door shut.

"Truth." Sylvie answered.

Matt closed the blinds and kissed Sylvie with so much passion. She returned the kiss and it had never felt more right. Then reality hit him.

"Casey, Chief needs us in his office." Kelly yelled.

Why in the world was he daydreaming about Sylvie for? He cared about her, but he couldn't help but think about her. Matt got up from his desk and walked to Boden's office where Kelly and Boden were.

"Casey, I need you, Severide, and Herrmann to go outside and access the damage so that when day breaks, we can get on it. The storm has stopped but the power is still down. I need to know if we can get anyone in and out of here. I want to know how bad the damage is and what we need to do to move the debris. This storm did some damage, but if we get called out, I need to know that we can get every vehicle out of here." Boden said.

"On it, Chief." Kelly said as he and Matt left Boden's office.

Matt went to the common room to get Herrmann.

"Herrmann, we need you to help us." Matt said.

"Coming, Captain." Herrmann said as he left the common room.

Sylvie looked up from the table she was sitting at and saw Matt leaving but not before he gave her a look. Herrmann, Kelly, and Matt did as they were told and accessed the damaged. They moved a few trees but the real damage was in the streets. Trees had fallen on top of vehicles and debris flooded the streets. Although it was daylight outside, the sky was filled with dark clouds. There were no signs of a clear sky or of the weather letting up.

"Captain, we have a problem!" Herrmann called out.

Matt walked over to where Herrmann was standing.

"What in the...it looks like a tornado! Get inside and take cover!" Matt yelled.

The three of them ran inside.

"Hey guys, there's a tornado heading this way! We need to take cover!" Matt yelled.

"Everyone to the bunk room! Let's go, let's go, let's go!" Boden yelled.

Everyone ran towards the locker room. Matt, Herrmann, and Kelly weren't sure if the tornado was heading their way or if it was heading the opposite direction but they knew that they had to take cover just in case. Everyone knew the drill for taking cover in this situation. Matt defensively protected Sylvie. His instincts were to protect her. Everyone was huddled in the bunk room against the walls. They couldn't see or hear anything. Everything was still out. After an hour, Boden got up.

"Casey, Herrmann, Severide, come with me. The rest of you, stay here. If we aren't back in ten minutes, then come look for us." Boden said.

While Boden, Kelly, and Herrmann were walking out, Matt stopped.

"I'll be back. I promise." Matt whispered into Sylvie's ear and then left.

Sylvie looked up and watched Matt leave.

"What was that about?" Emily spoke in a low voice.

"Nothing. He was saying that they would be back." Sylvie said.

Stella and Emily gave her a look.

"That's what Kelly always tells me but he says it all seductively." Stella quietly laughed.

The three of them let out a quiet laugh. The men came back in after a few minutes.

"You guys can get up now. That was definitely a tornado but from what we can tell, the power is still out and there is debris everywhere, but it seems as if the storm has passed. We saw the power company out there accessing the damage but it looks like we can't do much here. All we can do is wait for the power and communications to come back on. I've checked my phone and service is still out. I'm gonna need you all to be ready for anything." Boden said.

Everyone got up and stretched. Stella and Kelly went into his office and pulled the blinds down, which meant that they were not to be disturbed unless it's important. Sylvie went to the locker room to get a shower but remembered the power was out, so she went to Matt's office.

"Hey, since we finally have some sort of light coming through the windows, I was wondering if we had any bottles of water to use to take a sponge bath. I literally feel dirty." Sylvie laughed.

"The only bottles we have are bottled water in the common room." Matt said.

"In that case, I'll wait." Sylvie said as she turned around.

"Hey Brett, come here." Matt said as he closed the door behind him.

He lowered the blinds and gave Sylvie a passionate kiss. Sylvie returned his kiss with just as much passion.

"Earth to Casey." Kelly joked.

Matt snapped out of his daydream.

"Oh, sorry. What's up?" Matt asked.

"Boden said that if the weather clears up and we can get out when shift is over, we can stay and get overtime but it's optional, not mandatory. That goes for everyone." Kelly said.

"Thanks, Severide." Matt said as he went back to his thoughts.

"No problem. I've already told everyone in the common room so they can decide what they wanna do. So far everyone said they would help except for Stella, Brett, and Foster." Kelly replied.

"What's with Brett and Foster?" Matt curiously asked.

"They weren't in there and neither was Stella. They probably went to the bathroom or locker room to do some kind of girly thing." Kelly joked.

The two men laughed.

"I'm sure they would stay." Matt half smiled.

"I agree." Kelly said.

Kelly went to his office where Stella joined him shortly after. Sylvie, on the other hand, was in the Chief's office.

"Hey Chief, I know you are offering overtime and it's not mandatory, but I can't stay. I want to stay, but I can't." Sylvie said.

"It's not mandatory, but can I ask why?" Boden asked.

Sylvie pulled out a letter that she had been carrying all day and handed it to Boden. Boden read the letter and then handed it back to Sylvie.

"Go take care of this after shift. We got everything covered here." Boden said.

"Thanks, Chief." Sylvie replied.

"Brett, if you need anything, let us know." Boden said.

"I'm gonna need a few days off to go to Fowlerton. I have to make sure everything is ok." Sylvie told Boden.

"Whatever you need." Boden replied.

Sylvie got up, opened the door to Boden's office, and walked to Matt's office. She dreaded telling him that she has to go back to Fowlerton, but she had to do it.

"Hey, you got a minute. We need to talk." Sylvie fretted.

"Sure, what's up?" Matt asked.

"After shift, I have to go to Fowlerton. I received this letter and I have to go." Sylvie rambled as she handed Matt the letter.

Matt read the letter and gave it back to Sylvie.

"Do you need me to come with you?" Matt asked.

"I don't know how bad it is. I keep checking my phone every chance I get to see if I have service. I need to call and see how things are." Sylvie said.

"Your family is important. If you need anything, just know you can always call me." Matt stated.

"Thanks. That means a lot." Sylvie noted.

Matt got up and gave her a longing hug. She returned the hug.

"Hey, everything's gonna be alright." Matt said.

"I know." Sylvie replied.

Sylvie and Matt walked to the common room where everyone, including Chief Boden, were gathered. As they were prepared to hear what Boden was about to say,
the power came back on. Everyone started cheering and rejoicing about the power being back on before they settled down.

"Alright, now that we have power, let's see if the radios are up and working. Be ready for any possible calls we may get." Boden said.

Boden left to go check the radios. The radio communication was still down, but the power to the firehouse was back on and that was a start. Sylvie checked her cell phone and was able to get signal.

"Hey mom, I got your letter. What's going on with dad?" Sylvie asked.

"He had a heart attack. They are doing emergency surgery as we speak, but honey, we need you here as soon as you can. I know the power has been out and the phones have been down, but if you can come home as soon as possible, that would mean the world to me." Sylvie's mom said over the phone.

"As soon as shift ends, I'm gonna go home and pack some clothes. Chief is giving me the week off and if I need more, he said he would figure something out."
Sylvie said.

"Alright, sweetheart. Just be careful. I love you." her mom said.

"Love you, too." Sylvie replied.

They both hung up the phone and Sylvie went back to work. Everyone was in the locker room taking turns getting a shower. After everyone took a shower and changed clothes, they started cleaning the debris outside around the firehouse. The radio communications were still down but cell service was back and that's all they had to work with. Phone lines were down for work phones and the debris outside was horrible, but it didn't stop everyone at 51 from working. Sylvie's mom was old school when it came to getting in touch with people. Although she did have a cell phone and a house phone, Sylvie's mom and dad preferred to write letters to Sylvie. It was one of the things that Sylvie's parents told Sylvie to do because phones may not work. Still, Sylvie's mind was on her father. She looked around outside to see how much damage her car sustained during the storm, but to her surprise, her car wasn't touched. In fact, all of 51's employees vehicles were untouched. Sylvie felt like Otis was there with them. After Otis died, the whole house had lost a huge part of their family. Sylvie wasn't around when Leslie Shaye had been a paramedic and although her loss was felt through the house, it didn't compare to Otis. Otis was the one who could make everyone laugh, even in a serious situation. Otis was like the missing puzzle piece that completed the house. No one loss was more important than the other, but a few of the members took his death harder than others. Getting back to work was hard, but life went on. Kelly, Matt, and Herrmann were working with their crew on the debris.

"Cruz, I need you and Capp to get the leaf blower. We are gonna try to blow some of the small and loose debris away." Kelly ordered.

Joe Cruz, Sylvie's roommate and ex boyfriend, went with Capp, another member of Squad 3 to get the leaf blowers. Matt was helping Truck 81 and helping Herrmann with Engine 51 cut up the bigger trees.

"Gallo, I need these trees sawed up as best as you can. Get Mouch to help you. Herrmann!" Matt called out.

"Yeah, Captain!" Herrmann yelled.

"I need these trees moved! They are blocking the the front entrance!" Matt yelled.

"Got it, Captain! Alright guys, let's move them!" Herrmann ordered.

Herrmann and the rest of Engine 51 helped Matt and Truck 81 move the trees from the main entrance. Squad 3 was on the back lot clearing the entrance. Engine 51 was helping both Truck 81 and Squad 3 with anything they needed. Sylvie and Foster had found some rakes and garden gloves and used trash bags to rake the small debris that surrounded the firehouse that Squad 3 hadn't yet cleared. Chief Boden was inside the firehouse trying to get in contact with anyone from headquarters but couldn't get through. After everyone had finished doing all that they could to clean the debris up around the firehouse, they headed inside to see what they could find to eat for lunch. Kelly, Matt, and Sylvie stayed back for a minute. Kelly needed to talk to Matt and Sylvie was checking on her father's condition.

"Casey!" Kelly yelled.

"Yeah." Matt replied.

"Listen, I just want you to know that I wasn't trying to bad mouth Gabby in any way. I just didn't like how she left you without so much as talking to you about leaving." Kelly said.

Matt gave him a look.

"Where is this coming from?" Matt asked.

"When we were finally able to get service, I had gotten a text from Gabby. She wanted to know how you were doing. I said that you were doing fine and that you were working. I didn't mention anything else. It got me thinking about how good of a friend she was to me and I felt like I had probably said some things about her that I shouldn't have." Kelly explained.

"I get it. You know, Brett and I have been spending a lot of time together lately and if we're being honest, I kind of like her, but Gabby left and it still hurts. Ya know?" Matt answered.

"Yeah, I do. I just didn't want you to think it was out of line for me to say those things about Gabby when she's been a really good friend to me and I should have minded my own business." Kelly said.

"Do you remember when she left and I spent months getting a text here or there or a video call that lasted less than minute?" Matt asked.

"Uh, yeah. You were hurt." Kelly said.

"Exactly. I remember how you were when Shaye died and I think that when Gabby left without saying goodbye to you and the rest of the house, you took it hard.
Am I right?" Matt asked.

"Yeah." Kelly admitted.

"Plus, I know you were still angry about that whole Grissom sitation that happened earlier." Matt said.

Fire Commissioner Carl Grissom was Kelly's father, Benny Severide's, good friend. Grissom begged Kelly to come back to OFI (Office of Fire Investigation) but Kelly refused too. Kelly and Grissom had a huge fight about how Kelly should be in a higher rank than Matt and how Chief Boden was holding Kelly back. Kelly told Grissom that he was happy as a Lieutenant on Squad 3, but with Grissom, there was always a hidden agenda, especially where Kelly Severide was concerned.

"Yeah. That too. I think I just need a freaking drink and since we couldn't get out of the house last night because of the storm, I just went off and I'm sorry about that." Kelly said.

"No need to apologize but I forgive you. So, uh, what else did Gabby say?" Matt asked.

"Nothing. She just wanted me to tell you she's happy. Other than that, that's all she said." Kelly said.

"Thanks." Matt replied.

"Hey Casey, I do think that you should be happy and I see how you look at Brett. Give it a chance and see where it goes. I love Gabby and always will as a friend, but what could it hurt too see how things go with you and Brett?" Kelly said.

Kelly headed inside the firehouse to give Matt something to think about. Matt stayed around to see how Sylvie was doing.

"Everything ok with your dad?" Matt asked a crying Sylvie.

"No. He's getting worse and they aren't sure if he'll make it through the surgery. They found several blockages and the surgery is taking longer than they had anticipated. I've gotta see if Chief can let me leave right now." Sylvie rambled through tears.

Matt's heart broke for Sylvie. He wanted nothing more than to pull her close to him and never let her go. He wanted to be the one that she could lean on.

"You're not driving in this weather." Matt said.

"What are you talking about? I have to get to Fowlerton. How else am I going to get to Fowlerton Hospital?" Sylvie questioned.

"I'll take you. We'll go see Chief Boden and tell him the situation. I'll drive you. You are too emotional and the last thing we need is for our number one paramedic getting in a car accident because she's crying." Matt said.

Sylvie knew better than to argue with Matt. That was one of the many things that she liked about him.

"Fine." Sylvie said.

With that, they headed inside to talk to Boden.

"So, the plan is that I'll take Brett to the hospital to see her family and see how her dad is doing, stay at a hotel, and be back before next shift." Matt said.

Boden gave Matt a knowing look. Matt knew that Boden's look meant that Boden was onto Matt's true intentions.

"Casey, I want you to take next shift off to rest. The trip to Fowlerton is going to be long and you are going to be exhausted. Stay the night in Fowlerton and then come in after next shift. That's an order." Boden said.

Matt nodded to let Boden know that he understood Boden's orders.

"Brett, I've called in a replacement for you, so you don't have to worry about that. Chout said that he could use the extra shift, so he's covering your shift while you are gone. If you need anything, let us know. We are here for you." Boden said.

"Thanks, Chief. I appreciate that. The last time I talked to my mom, she said they found some blockages during surgery and it was worse than they had originally thought but we are still optimistic." Sylvie said.

After talking for a few more minutes, Matt and Sylvie left the firehouse. The drive to Sylvie's apartment was not one she was ready for. She knew the risks of a heart attack, especially with the blockages, and she knew that there could be a chance that her father could die. All of these thoughts raced through her mind but she was happy that Matt was taking her. He was right. There was no way she could have made it as emotional as she was. They arrived at her apartment and she packed a suitcase full of clothes, including dress shoes and a black dress that she might need but hopefully didn't have to use. Matt helped her with her suitcase and carried it to the truck for her. This was going to be a long ride, so Matt decided to stop at a gas station to fill the truck up with gas and get some snacks to eat, before heading on the road. She couldn't imagine going to Fowlerton with anyone else to help her deal with this.