#casett

"Have we, really? Because I remember you talking - or yelling, more like - at me, while I just stood there, frozen. So, you know, you talked. I just listened."

"Well, your silence was answer enough, Casey."

"What? No! You see, that's it. My problem is that I turn into a harebrained teenager talking to his crush every time I'm with you and even think of confessing the extent of my feelings for you. You've left me struggling to catch my bearings around you every single time since we've kissed. First with that question about Gabby, which seemingly came out of nowhere, and I believe we both interpreted to mean two very different things, and the abruptness of it all just made my brain stop functioning for a few moments. And then, just like now, you go ahead and assume things. Your self-preservation kicks in and then you just start running. You leave our conversations half done, with you saying your piece, but not hearing mine; telling me I'm in love with Gabby and that you and I can never happen again."

"So, you're saying whatever's happened between us is my fault? Tell me, Matt, am I also to blame for you sleeping with Sydney?"

"I'm not blaming you, Sylvie! I'm saying it's both our faults. And I only went out with her because you told me we could never happen again and when it comes to matters of the heart, I'm not a very intelligent man, Sylvie. I didn't know what to do so I tried to move on from you. Which, FYI, worked splendidly beca-"

"Oh wow, oh if it worked so splendidly, then why the heck are we even talking about this? You've moved on! Great, problem solved!"

"Good God, Sylvie, I was being sarcastic! Giving you space didn't do me any good! As it turns out, there is no moving on from you. I moved on from Gabby just fine. But you? Even trying to move on from you only makes it worse. How can you move on from someone you're wholeheartedly in love with?

"I'm not in love with Gabby, Sylvie. I stopped being in love with her a long time ago. The night of the fundraiser gala was my closure; for once, I got to walk away from her and I was the one to finally close the door on that relationship. Sylvie, I caught feelings for you all the way back sometime after the divorce was finalized, way before the Chaplin came into the picture. I admit I made a dumb mistake pushing you to him, but those feelings? They never went away. They're still here, strong as ever. That has to mean something. I don't believe they're going away. And I don't want them to."

" Matt..."

Casey knew everyone else in the house hated when they drew night watch duty, but surprisingly he didn’t mind when his name came up on the roster.  The house was such a busy place, and they practically lived in each other’s pockets for those three days a week they were on duty, that it was a relief when he finally got a moment to himself just to breathe.

It had been a restless kind of shift, the companies barely getting the chance to get back to the house before the bells were going off again, and most of them hadn’t bothered to take their turnout gear off all day.  So when they’d finally gotten a break that evening, just about everyone had stopped to bolt down a quick dinner, then wandered off to the bunkroom to collapse onto a bed.

Which left Casey more than happy to settle on the couch - in Mouch’s spot no less - and flick through the TV channels.  There wasn’t a lot on, so he settled on a Harry Potter marathon that was playing, even though they were halfway through what Casey thought was the third movie and he’d never seen the first and the second before.  But the action kept him interested enough that he didn’t mind that he had no idea what they were talking about.

The quiet shuffle of footsteps announced someone’s approach and Casey fought the urge to let out an irritated sigh.  That is until he saw the familiar blonde hair and sweet smile.  Of all the people to still be awake it was the one he wouldn’t mind actually spending time with.

Sylvie smiled at him, oddly shy considering how close they’d gotten recently.  “Do you mind if I join you?”

A/N: Okay, this one was SO MUCH FUN. 

23. Hospital room

You can find more info on the prompt game here.

——————-

She’s been told a lot of reasons not to follow up with patients. Usually they have to do with getting attached or letting the potential loss overwhelm you. But not once did anyone mention the potential to get caught up in a hostage situation.

Possibly because it’s unlikely for anyone but Sylvie Brett.

She and Foster came by Lakeshore under the guise of stocking up the ambo but really it was to check on a little girl from an accident scene earlier that morning. Who ever had been driving bailed out and left the six year old, named Hannah, sitting alone in shattered glass and crunched metal with the added bonus of a leaking gas tank. The idea of Hannah being alone in the hosptial didn’t sit well with Sylvie so she’d convinced Foster to swing by on their way from a run of the mill wellness check.

Luckily, Foster was on her way down to the Ambo with supplies when it happened so she escaped unscathed. It being, the driver finally showing his face. Turns out, the accident interrupted a kidnapping and the driver came back to finish the job. Just her luck. But, thankfully, her partner made it out a split second before. Foster making it out also meant she was outside to report the gunshots when they inevitably echoed through the halls.

Sylvie caught sight of him holding a nurse at gunpoint just in time to shut and lock Hannah’s door. Hannah looked terrified and fragile with her arm in a bulky bright pink cast cradled to her chest. She drew the shades closed in the room and, as calmly as possible, picked Hannah up off the bed. She hid them both in the corner of the room, behind the door. She hoped if he broke into the room he’d do a quick look around and move on.

She remembers pressing a finger to her lips to ask Hannah to keep quiet. Tears were streaming down the girl’s cheeks but she nodded obediently.

For several minutes, Sylvie heard nothing but stomping steps, gunshots, and screams. But then…a jiggle. No other word to describe the sound. In most cases that sound is harmless, but in this situation it could be life and death. Her eyes flew to the door handle as it barely moved up and down. She felt so tense that she had to remind herself to breathe. She winced when a gunshot rang out and the lock was blown out of the door.

She took a deep breath and positioned herself in front of Hannah. If he wanted the girl, he’d have to go through her. Turned out, that was his plan too. Though, he didn’t get that far.

Before he could even lift his gun in her direction, the blunt end of a halligan struck the assailant’s back. He fell forward with a grunt and his gun clattered to the ground. Sylvie moved quickly and kicked it away. The gunmen may have been down but that didn’t mean he was out.

Swiftly, Sylvie scooped Hannah up and fled from the room. She didn’t get a good look at the firefighter who saved them. There wasn’t time and Hannah was more important. She reached the hall just as Voight and Ruzek were approaching the nurse’s station. They led them into another room and secured it behind them until the attempted kidnapper was locked down. A doctor was waiting and took Hannah from Sylvie’s arms to inspect her further. Hannah was fine, aside from her earlier broken arm, but Sylvie was grateful for the break. She’d been running on adrenaline and determination for the last twenty minutes. She could only do that for so long.

Which is what brings her to now, sinking into a stiff chair in the corner of a hospital room while a doctor reminds her he’ll need to look her over next.

She resists rolling her eyes and nods. Only after that does she register a fourth person in the room.

Standing over her shoulder, watching the door with hyper-vigilance, is Matthew Casey. No turn out coat, no helmet, but otherwise decked out for a call with his halligan in hand.

“Casey?” She asks with a bleary expression. Had he been there the whole time?

“Brett,” he replies with a sigh of relief. “You okay?”

She takes a moment to take stock of herself. She’s in a little bit of shock. Her heart is racing. Her mouth tastes bitter from the rush of adrenaline. But otherwise, she’s intact. Her one track purpose of protecting Hannah is letting up and she’s able to multitask again. For example, she can take in Matt’s apprehensive face, register that the doctor has given Hannah the all clear, and remember the hand that held the halligan that saved her life just a few minutes ago in one singular swirl of emotions and memories.

“What are you doing here?” She asks instead of answering his question.

“We heard Foster over the radio and we were just a block away so–”

A lopsided grin slips through as her panic and fear start to fade. “So, you came running?”

“As fast as the sirens would let us,” he answers with a small grin of his own while kneeling to be eye level with her seated position.

“The halligan that hit the guy, was that you?” She asks as she nods down at the tool he still holds in a white knuckle grip.

“If I say yes, are you going to lecture me? Because PD told us to wait but there was no way in hell that I was gonna stand around out there with you–”

She cuts him off by placing a hand over his mouth. “Just a yes or no will do.”

She quirks an expectant brow at him as she removes her hand, but still blushes at the boldness of her own gesture. Did she really just feel Matt Casey’s lips against her palm? Is it strange that she still feels his lips against her palm even if both of her hands are now tightly folded in her lap?

“Yes,” he replies with a slight grimace. “We got here and Foster said you were inside. PD was still a few minutes out and waiting felt like too big of a–”

She cuts him off again, but this time she launches her entire body at him in a tight hug. Her arms go around his neck as she slides out of the seat. He tries to counter her weight in his crouched position, but she caught him off guard so they end up falling back against the wall with his arms around her waist.

“Thank you,” she murmurs against his neck. “Thank you for coming after me.”

She realizes she shouldn’t be practically in his lap in the presence of a doctor and a young patient but she can’t bring herself to care. She was scared. She remained calm and assured on the outside for Hannah’s sake but inside…she was terrified. He saved her. He defied orders for back up and reached her just in time. She needs a hug and he deserves one. Professionalism be damned.

She feels him release another relieved breath. It’s warm and comforting and fans out over the back of her neck like the perfect scarf on a frigid day. “It was you, Brett. Of course I came after you. What choice did I have?”

Oh, he had plenty of choices, but he ignored all of them and chose her. Does he know how much that means to her? No, probably not. But damn it just when she thinks she can’t fall any harder, he does something like this and proves her wrong. There’s still plenty of room to fall and her heart shows no signs of stopping. She really hopes he’s falling with her because if not she’s screwed. 

It's been 10 years since Sylvie Brett broke Matt Casey's heart. What was supposed to be the best moment in their life ended up being the moment when she walked away. Now reconnecting after over a decade for their college friends' wedding in the City of Love, can the two find their way back to each other? Or will they only have distant memories of their relationship to cling on to?

Ahh, it’s been a while since I’ve been active. Buuuut since there’s nowhere to go and very little to do outside of my house at the moment, I thought I’d pick up a creative project. Who knows how big the One Chicago fandom is on here, but if you feel like reading yet another story, here’s one for ya :) I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy, and my love and prayers go out to you, wherever you are in the world.