"My life is complete now." Cruz planted one last kiss on Cyra's lips before leaning on the counter. They were both wearing gold wedding bands around their ring fingers.
"No, it's not. You have to see Chad and Lily graduate college."
"Very true."
"Man, I really, really wish I didn't have to leave 51."
He frowned and shook his head. "But you'll be at your old station at least."
"It's not the same. I have to go back in two days after being off work for two months. Plus, who knows what's happened at station 74? I mean, I haven't been there in forever. And it'll be hard because I will think about Lily and Chad all day." She got up and started washing the dishes in the sink. "But it's great that we're on the same shift at least. That way, we can all enjoy our days off as a family."
"Very true. Here, let me help." As he was about to grab the drying cloth, Lily started crying. He paused and looked into Cyra's eyes before turning and going to her nursery. He picked up his daughter and sat in the rocking chair, looking at her. "Come on. There's no need to cry." She looked at him with her shining, sleepy eyes. Her crying slowed, and she just stared at him. The sides of her mouth twitched, and a small smile formed. Cyra walked in at that moment and bent down next to them.
"That's her first real smile." Cyra put her hand on Lily's stomach, and the grinning baby reached for her mom's hand.
"Lily and Chad are the best parts of coming home. Besides you, of course." Joe smiled at his wife, admiring her beauty.
The next day, Cyra walked into station 74. "Welcome back, Birch." A tall, muscular man greeted her first thing.
"Number one, it's Lieutenant. Number two..." She held up her turnout coat. It had her rank and new last name on it.
"You finally found someone that could put up with you?"
"Barnes, just because you couldn't get with this doesn't mean others couldn't." She walked into the kitchen to see the two other squad members, as lazy as ever. "Jackson, Afonin, attention." They simply glanced up at her.
Jackson was a country guy sitting in a recliner with a camouflage pattern mug in his clutches. "Hey, there, boss lady. Heard from Severide you were coming back. Said you were a pain."
"That's only because I took his job. Although, he got over that when I saved him from certain death."
"Ah. Cyra the hero. I heard you had a baby. How that going?" She almost forgot about Afonin's habit of skipping words.
"Great, actually." She pulled out her phone and showed them all a picture. "So, what's changed in your lives?"
Afonin laughed. "I had American girlfriend, but things not turn out well." She patted the Romanian's shoulder.
"You'll meet that one girl soon. I mean, why not? You're a stud. Women also really dig firefighters."
"I know. They are just so snobbish, it seems. Maybe I look in wrong places."
"Quite possibly."
The alarm rang out. "Truck 52, Engine 93, Squad 7, structure fire. 5310 South Street."
They ran out to the squad, and Cyra got into her seat. "Well, this isn't how I wanted to celebrate coming back."
"Better than sitting on our butts all day." She shook her head as they drove down the road. When they arrived, she was pleasantly surprised.
"Hey, Station 51."
Casey and Joe both smiled when they saw who it was. But Casey remembered he had to give his men orders. "Let's get going. Herrmann, Cruz. You're with me." Severide also joined the group.
Cyra pulled her air pack on. "Afonin, let's back them up." The group started toward the building. Cyra was walking next to Severide. "I see you got your old job back."
Severide shrugged. "Yeah. I wish you were still at 51, though."
"Nah. You don't need me. At least not all the time." They all put their masks over their faces and went into the burning building. "Fire Department, call out!" There was no sound of a human voice. Suddenly, they heard a cough from the staircase. Lying at the top of the landing was a woman choking on all the smoke in her environment. Cyra and Afonin helped her to her feet and helped her slowly down the stairs while 51 kept going up. Making sure Dawson had the woman taken care of, they ran back inside and up the first flight of steps. The others were coming out of the room, and right before Cyra was going to call out, the ceiling fell, and everything from the floor above came with it. "Joe! Matt! Are you okay?"
"Yeah, we're all fine. You?"
"We are fine, comrades," Afonin answered as Cyra was too busy looking for a way to get to the men. There was groaning from the floor above them, and another part of the floor fell. "Cyra!" She tried to get out of the way but wasn't fast enough. Afonin got in between the flaming wooden beam and Cyra. They both fell and were underneath its crushing weight, both unconscious. Afonin was half covering Cyra. The Pass' activated, and that caused the men of 51 to work faster.
Casey tried to keep his fear under control. "Chief, Cyra and Afonin are down. We can hear their PASS devices going off, but we are still trapped."
"Casey, the stairs are out. Mills and Capp are getting ready for the ladder now. We will get all of you out."
Cruz and Severide were trying to push through the debris while Herrmann looked at it, trying to find a space for visual. He dropped to his stomach and shook his head. "It's a flaming beam."
Casey grabbed his radio. "They're pinned under a burning beam."
"Mills, Capp, Barnes, and I are coming up right now."
"Come on!" Cruz was getting frustrated and more agitated as every second passed. He paused when he heard voices. He calmed down slightly, but it didn't stop him from trying to get out.
"Barnes! Help Mills!" The squad member helped pull up the beam while Capp and Boden pulled the two people from underneath. They dropped it once their friends were free. Boden picked Cyra up and carried her to the window while Barnes and Capp had Afonin. Mills was left to help the others.
Once the two injured firefighters were getting medical treatment, Capp and Boden watched, still breathing heavily. "The way they were trapped made it look like that guy was trying to protect Cyra."
"You seem surprised." Shay and Dawson were quickly getting into the ambulance with Afonin. Other paramedics were taking care of Cyra, but she was definitely in better shape than her friend, even if she was unconscious. Finally, the others came down the ladder.
Cruz was at her side, but the medics loaded her into the ambulance just then. After a quick exchange, he got into the back with them. Casey walked over to the chief. "How is she?"
"So far, nothing seems to be majorly wrong. She took a hard hit. But her squad lineman is another story. He looked like he was trying to protect her and took the heavy damage."
"That usually happens when you try to protect someone in a dangerous situation." Jackson was standing with Barnes behind him. "Excuse us." They returned to their squad, and Casey looked at them with a curious expression.
"They seem a little off."
Severide shook his head. "It's the first day their lieutenant is back, and she and a close friend of theirs are in the hospital. They have every right to be a little cold."