Thank you all so much for the reviews! I enjoy reading them and I'm having so much fun writing this fanfic. I had a bit of writer's block with this chapter, but I hope you all like it! Please continue to read this story and leave reviews!
CHAPTER 12
That kiss was the best thing to happen to the two of them. Sylvie could finally breathe. She wasn't hiding anymore. Matt wasn't hiding. He finally made the move and it was well worth it. After weeks, no months, of thoughts that the two of them had about each other, the kiss finally happened. Matt smiled at Sylvie as she tried to wipe the water from her face that Matt had sprayed on her just a few minutes ago. The timer on the oven went off, which meant the lasagna was done. Matt stepped aside to let Sylvie take the lasagna out of the oven and place it on top of the stove.
"Smells great." Matt teased with a whisper.
"Yes it does." Sylvie whispered.
She was nervous about looking at him. She wasn't sure what Matt wanted but she knew it was Matt that made the first move. They stood there in awkward silence before Matt moved aside.
"I'm starving." he chuckled, trying to break the awkward silence.
"Me too." she smiled.
Sylvie grabbed two plates from the cabinet above the stove and handed one of them to Matt. She sat her plate down on the stove and opened the silverware drawer to grab some forks for her and Matt. She handed him one and placed her fork on her plate. She then grabbed a spatula from the drawer and used it to cut the lasagna and place a piece on her plate as well as Matt's plate. They ignored the fact that they had just kissed.
"I have some plastic bowls that we could put some of the lasagna in for lunch tomorrow, if you want." Sylvie casually said.
"Sure." Matt answered.
Sylvie placed the leftover lasagna into two separate bowls for her and Matt to take for lunch tomorrow. After she put the lasagna in the fridge, she and Matt went over to the living room and sat on the couch and their dinner and watched TV. It was a bit awkward for them and neither of them knew how to start the conversation. After they ate, they took their plates into the kitchen and placed them in the sink. Sylvie tried to leave, but Matt grabbed her hand and she turned around.
"About that kiss." Matt said as he looked at Sylvie.
"Yeah, it was..." Sylvie said before being interrupted.
"Amazing." he whispered.
His whisper sent chills down her spine. She just looked at him, speechless as to what to say.
"It was amazing." she finally whispered.
"Can we talk?" he asked.
"Of course." she replied.
"I have been wanting to do that ever since you came back, more like since you and Kyle broke up the first time." he admitted.
"Really?" she curiously asked.
"Yeah." he said as he walked back over to the couch.
Sylvie followed behind and sat beside of him on the couch.
"Wow." she replied.
"When you and Kyle first got together, I was happy for you but I was also still grieving the fact that Gabby had just left me and I felt jealous that Kyle had you and I had no one." Matt said.
"You were jealous?" Sylvie questioned with a half smile and curious look.
"Yeah. In a way, I felt like Kyle was taking the only person who became my best friend, away from me. Then when you and him broke up, I didn't want to say or do anything because I felt like what we would have had would be a rebound thing, me with Gabby and you with Kyle. So, I tried to give you space but then Kyle asked you to marry him and then we lost Otis, so I just gave up." Matt explained.
"Well, since we are being completely honest with each other, I was never in love with Kyle. I loved him but as a friend. Every day that I was in Fowlerton, I wanted so badly to be here, but namely, I wanted to see you. I thought we started getting closer after Gabby left and it hurt me knowing that I left you alone." Sylvie said.
"You came back." Matt noted.
"I did and I'm so thankful I did. I guess I told Kyle I would marry him because my first engagement ended so horribly and I was starting to feel like I would end up alone and be that crazy cat lady who has a million cats and no husband and I didn't want that anymore." Sylvie told him.
Matt looked at her and smiled.
"You, Sylvie Brett, are the most amazing person I have ever met. I'm just glad you're back home where you belong." he smiled.
She couldn't help but smile back.
"And you, Matthew Casey, are the most amazing person that I have ever met. I'm happy I'm home too. Kyle wanted me to be a stay at home wife and that's not me. I love working and I just felt like Kyle and I were stuck in the friend zone, ya know?" she said.
"Yeah, I do. You know, it's funny. I think Severide and Kidd had this planned out. You know, kicking me out of his apartment and leaving me to stay with you and all that." Matt joked.
"Now that you mention it, I think you're right. I know Stella has been trying so hard to get me too...never mind." Sylvie mumbled.
"Yeah, Severide's been acting the same way." Matt chuckled.
They continued to talk for a little bit before going to bed. It was nice for them to talk about the kiss and their feelings but they did agree to take things slow and to keep it a secret for now. They both agreed to have a little bit of fun with both Stella and Kelly since they knew that both Stella and Kelly would keep asking them about each other. The next day at work, Sylvie and Matt tried to avoid each other, as to not make anyone suspicious of what had transpired the night before.
"So, tell me what happened with Casey." Stella said with a smile on her face.
"There's nothing to tell." Sylvie lied.
"So, Casey didn't kiss you or anything?" Emily chimed in.
"No. Nothing happened. I mean, we ate dinner and watched TV but nothing happened." Sylvie sighed.
"When is that man gonna admit he's got the hots for you?" Stella asked.
Sylvie wanted to laugh because Matt already admitted his feelings but she couldn't give it away. If she did, then she would never hear the end of it.
"There's times when I think he'll act on it, but doesn't. What am I supposed to do?" Sylvie questioned.
"You're gonna have to make the first move." Emily teased.
"Easier said than done." Sylvie replied.
"I guess Kelly and I are just gonna have to set you two up together." Stella joked.
Sylvie shook her head. Her friends were determined to get her and Matt together but keeping the secret that she and Matt had decided to take things slow was starting to eat at her but she couldn't say anything, at least not right now.
"I'll make you a deal. If we aren't together by Christmas, then set us up." Sylvie joked.
"It's Spring, so I'll give you both until Easter." Emily chimed in.
"Easter. Take it or leave it." Stella said.
"Fine. Easter. It's only about a month away, so what's the harm in that?" Sylvie questioned but already knew the answer too.
"This is gonna be fun. Sylvie Brett, you and Captain Matt Casey better start talking soon because if not, well, we are going to set you two up and there's literally nothing yo can do about it. Oh, and Kelly will also be involved." Stella joked.
The three of them laughed until the alarm sounded.
"AMBULANCE 61. WELLNESS CHECK. 366 EAST 94TH STREET." the dispatcher said over the intercom.
Sylvie and Emily ran out the door and to the ambulance as quickly as they could. When they arrived on scene, they were greeted by the landlord.
"Hi, I'm Sylvie and this is Emily. We are paramedics with the CFD. We got a call about a wellness check." Sylvie asked one of the neighbors of the apartment building.
"My name is Ruby. I was walking by this apartment to get to mine when I noticed an odor coming from this apartment. Justin is a college student and usually comes out with his dog, Tori, every morning but I didn't seem them today and his car is outside." Ruby explained.
Sylvie and Emily knocked on the door and called out but no one responded. The landlord showed up as the two of them were about to kick in the door.
"Can I help you two?" the landlord said.
"We got a call to do a wellness check on this tenant. Are you the landlord?" Sylvie asked.
"Yes. My name is Julia. What's wrong with Justin?" Julia asked.
"We're not sure. We just received a call to do a wellness check but no one answered." Emily said.
"Here, let me." Julia said as she knocked on the door.
No one answered. Julia took her master key and opened the door. There was a horrible smell coming from the apartment. Sylvie and Emily made it to the bedroom where the source of the odor was coming from. Justin, the tenant, had been murdered along with his dog.
"AMBULANCE 61 TO MAIN. I NEED THE CHICAGO FIRE DEPARTMENT AND INTELLIGENCE UNIT TO THE SCENE." Sylvie called over the radio.
"COPY THAT AMBULANCE 61. IS THE ADDRESS THE SAME AS THE WELLNESS CHECK?" the dispatcher asked.
"YES!" Sylvie replied.
The dispatcher sent in the request to get the Intelligence Unit of the Chicago Police Department to the address. Hank Voight and his whole team arrived on the scene within a few minutes. Sylvie relayed what was going on and after waiting to get the all clear, they transported the body to Chicago Med. When Sylvie and Emily arrived back at 51, Truck 81, Squad 3, and Engine 51 were all out on separate calls. About an hour later, everyone else came in.
"Cruz, set up drills for Squad!" Kelly ordered.
Kelly was in a foul mood due to the call that they were just on.
"Mouch, I need you to run drills for Truck!" Matt ordered.
Sylvie and Emily could tell by the tone in Kelly and Matt's voices that the calls didn't go so well. Herrmann then walked in the common room angry.
"Engine, get ready for drills!" Herrmann ordered.
Something must have happened in order for Truck, Squad, and Engine to have to do drills.
"Brett, can I see you in my office?" Matt firmly said.
Sylvie didn't like that tone in his voice but did as she was asked. She walked into his office and he closed the door. He was livid.
"Do you wanna tell me why CPD had to get involve with your wellness check?" Matt asked.
"We got called out on a wellness check and when the landlord let us in, you could smell this rotten odor that came from one of the rooms. When I went in there, I saw a body with a gunshot wound and a dead dog. I had no choice but to call CPD." Sylvie retorted.
"Apparently your wellness check victim and all three calls that we were on today, are connected somehow. I need you and Foster to be careful on your calls.
Intelligence thinks there is a serial killer out there and that the killer may be targeting the CFD." Matt said.
"What makes you say that?" Sylvie asked.
"Voight and Boden were talking about how you and Foster just happened upon a crime scene while Truck 81 was at a fire. During that call, Squad 3 gets called to rescue people that were stuck in an elevator a few blocks from where we were. Last, Engine 51 gets a call a few more blocks from that. Voight and Boden checked the addresses and the times that we went on the calls. All the calls were within a four block radius and the calls were ten minutes apart. As your superior, I'm asking that you and Foster be careful on these calls. We have to be on our guard." Matt explained.
"We will." Sylvie softly replied.
"There's one more thing." Matt firmly said.
"What's that?" Sylvie asked.
Matt closed the blinds in his office and then walked over to her.
"This." he whispered as he gave her a passionate kiss.
She returned his kiss and knew that if they wanted to keep everyone out of the dark, at least until they figure things out, then they would have to stop. They pulled apart and Matt quickly opened the blinds. Kelly and Stella were trying to see if they could spot Sylvie and Matt together in a compromising position so that they could tease them, but they were disappointed when it wasn't what they thought.
"I'll let Foster know of the situation. Oh, uh, does CPD think it's someone after the CFD or just some random killer on the run?" Sylvie asked, hoping that whoever was listening didn't catch on.
"Right now, we aren't sure. Just be safe and stay alert." Matt replied.
Matt knew why Sylvie asked that but he also felt the need to say it again to get his point across. A few hours later, everyone was gathered in the common room. Truck, Squad, and Engine had just completed drills and were tired. Chief Boden came into the common room to make an announcement.
"Due to the events pertaining to the recent calls, Family Game Night has been cancelled until further notice. I'm sure you're all aware of the dire situation that has taken place. We need to be on alert but also try our best to be safe and cautious. Once this guy is caught, then we will resume Family Game Night, but please, watch out for one another as well as yourself. If you see anything suspicious, notify CPD immediately. That's an order." Chief Boden said.
Boden left the room and everyone was on pins and needles. They have dealt with far worse than this, but they still had to be on alert. Just a few weeks ago,
they had a series of false fire alarms going off, which interfered with the CFD going to a real call. Matt and Kelly finally found out who was starting the false alarms and why and got it taken care of.
"AMBULANCE 61. TRUCK 81. SQUAD 3. ENGINE 51. BATALLION CHIEF 25. STRUCTURE FIRE. 876 EAST BANKS STREET." the dispatcher said over the intercom.
"Let's go!" Boden yelled to everyone.
It didn't take them long to arrive on the scene. The scene was filled with smoke. Victims were coughing and running out of the building.
"Brett! Foster! I want you to set up triage. Casey, I need Truck to check for any clear openings that will help get anybody in the building out. Severide, I want Squad 3 to conduct a search and rescue. Herrmann, stand by with the fire cannons." Boden ordered.
With that, everyone went to work.
"AMBULANCE 61 TO MAIN. WE NEED ADDITIONAL AMBULANCES ON SCENE." Sylvie called out over the radio.
"MAIN TO AMBULANCE 61. SENDING ADDITIONAL AMBULANCES TO THE SCENE." the dispatcher said over the radio.
Within minutes, several more ambulances arrived on scene to help set up triage for the victims.
"All clear!" Matt yelled over the radio as he checked the main entrance.
"All clear over here, Captain!" Mouch yelled out over the radio.
Mouch had checked the back entrance way and determined that it was safe.
"Gallo, what's your status?" Matt called out.
"It's all clear, Captain. Looks like everyone got out." Gallo replied.
Just then, Gallo and the others heard yelling. People were trapped on the floor above them.
"Severide, we need Squad!" Matt yelled over the radio.
"On our way!" Kelly yelled back over the radio.
Kelly, Matt, Capp, and Tony all headed inside to help Truck 81 rescue the remaining victims. Matt and the other members of Truck 81 had did most of the rescuing but it was still dangerous. The fire was spreading fast and the smoke was heavy and thick, making it hard to see anything and anyone.
"Chief, we have about four victims on the second floor. Cruz and Mouch are checking the third floor for victims." Matt called out over the radio.
"How bad is the fire?" Boden asked.
"The smoke is heavy and thick, but it looks to be clear on this floor." Matt replied.
"Captain, all clear on the third floor!" Joe called out over the radio.
"Alright, let's get everyone out of here!" Chief Boden yelled out over the radio.
Joe and Mouch arrived back on the second floor where the rest of Truck 81 and Squad 3 were. Parts of the building were starting to fall and they knew that they had to get out of there right now. The building was starting to collapse a little bit with the third floor starting to crumble. Stella and Gallo managed to get one of the victims out safely but the situation was dire.
"We need to evacuate now!" Matt yelled.
Mouch looked around and saw that there was a clear exit.
"Casey, there's a clear path over here!" Mouch yelled.
Matt ordered the victims to follow Mouch and Kelly out to safety. Stella and Gallo were already outside and were under orders of Boden not to return inside the building. Tony, Capp, and Joe helped get the victims from the second floor to the first floor and then to outside, where it was safe.
"All clear, Lieutenant!" Joe said over the radio to Kelly.
"Copy that! Cruz, what's the status of the fire?" Kelly asked.
"We need to get the water cannons on it as soon as possible." Joe relayed.
"Copy that! We are almost to the first floor." Kelly yelled over the radio to let everyone know that he and the others were almost out of the building.
A few more minutes past by and they were out of the building.
"Herrmann, now!" Boden ordered.
Herrmann and the rest of Engine 51 turned the water cannons on to help put out the fire.
"Did everyone make it out of the building?" Boden asked Kelly and Matt who had just made their way over to the Chief.
"Yes, Chief." Kelly replied.
"I want you and the rest of Truck and Squad to get checked out." Boden said.
"You got it." Matt replied as he and Kelly went to tell the others.
Tony, Capp, Joe, Stella, Mouch, and Gallo were helping the victims get treated by Sylvie and Foster, along with the other paramedics on the scene when Matt and Kelly walked over.
"Brett, Boden wants all of us to be checked out." Kelly said.
"We got the last of the victims checked out and transported. Foster, can you start helping me check Truck and Squad for Boden?" Sylvie asked.
"You got it." Emily relied.
"Truck with me, Squad with Foster!" Matt ordered.
While Squad 3 was getting checked out by Emily, Sylvie checked everyone from Truck 81. One by one, they were given the all clear by Sylvie. Matt was the last to be checked. He had a small cut on his forehead.
"How bad is it?" Matt asked.
"It's just a small cut. You'll be fine. Doesn't need any stitches." Sylvie replied.
"Hey, are you ok?" Matt asked.
Sylvie looked around to see if anyone was around before she got up in the back of the ambulance and had Matt follow her.
"I am now." Sylvie breathed.
She didn't realize that she had been holding her breath this hold time. Matt took her hand.
"I'm safe. Ok." Matt said.
"I know." Sylvie replied.
After Sylvie gave Matt the all clear, he quickly glanced around to see if anyone was around and once he saw that the coast was clear, he gave her a kiss, which she happily returned. They quickly pulled away before being caught and Chief Boden showed up.
"Brett, how's Casey?" Boden asked.
"He has a small cut on his forehead, but other than that, he's good to go." Sylvie smiled.
"That's good." Boden said and then left.
After loading up their equipment, everyone returned back to Firehouse 51. Sylvie was in the bunk room working on the report from the call that they had just back from while Emily was restocking and taking inventory of the ambulance. Matt looked at Sylvie, who looked up to see him. He motioned for her to come to his office and she smiled. She brought her report with her and walked inside Matt's office. He closed the door and closed the blinds. He then gave her a kiss and held her as close to him as he could.