Chapter Text
Brett clapped along with the crowd as Matt got up and walked to the front, ready to have his medal pinned to his uniform. His smile was radiant, and Sylvie was glad to see it. The weeks and months following the kidnapping had been really tough, but there had also been a lot of good mixed in.
First, they had both focused on recovering physically. Matt had learned how to do things one-handed while Sylvie navigated crutches, and then later on how to walk in a boot without toppling over. They both helped each other with the harder parts, and of course they had help from 51 whenever they needed it.
It had been a whirlwind of pain, inconvenience, and doctor's appointments, but they had still found the joy. Sylvie remembered one particular date night where they had laughed at what others around the restaurant must have thought at the sight of them. Matt had helped Sylvie into her chair, ensuring she didn't fall and then placing her crutches against the wall. Brett had returned the favor when Matt needed help, by cutting his steak and buttering his roll. They had enjoyed the looks of confusion and sympathy they were getting, and Sylvie honestly couldn’t blame the people. If she had seen a couple, one with a sling and the other with a huge cast, she would wonder what happened too. She and Casey had joked about how telling the others what had happened wouldn’t have lessened the worried looks, it would have increased them.
As their physical ailments became less troublesome, the mental pains of what they'd gone through hit in full force. After countless nights of little to no sleep, switching off between having nightmares and comforting the other through nightmares, Sylvie had convinced Matt to come with her to therapy. He'd been understandably reluctant at first, but was willing to give it a shot. She would love him forever for his willingness to try, because the therapy had been a huge success. Neither of them had nightmares any longer, nor were they haunted by what had happened to them. Brett honestly wasn't sure if the therapist or Matt deserved more credit for pulling her out of the darkness; therapy with him there had seemed ten times more healing.
They also had to navigate through their coworkers, who had become extremely overprotective. It started out amusing, but soon turned irritating. It was especially bad at Grant's trial, where they'd both testified. Sylvie was sure the entire firehouse was going to drag them out of there before they got a chance to be on the stand. Her and Casey eventually had to tell everyone to stop, after they tried to prevent the two from speaking to Felix. He had requested their presence just to thank them for saving him and his sister. It was a necessary meeting for closure, and Felix apologized half a dozen times for his part in their experience. Luckily, after their request, the members of Firehouse 51 did their best to stop, and the improvement since then had been wonderful.
Finally, she and Casey had to adjust to being off work for a long period of time. They weren't used to having so much free time, and often got bored. Sylvie wasn't happy Matt got hurt, but she was glad that they were off work together. It would've been much worse alone, something she knew from her three months off with a broken arm. This time around, Matt made sure she never experienced being alone. Despite being cleared for work a week before her, he waited and they went back together. It gave Sylvie butterflies, knowing he chose her over going back to work. She knew how much he loved being a firefighter.
Fortunately, the waiting was finally through. They had their first shift back just yesterday, and it was just as good as Sylvie expected. What she hadn't expected was this awards ceremony. Boden hadn't informed her or Casey until shift yesterday, in order to prevent them from protesting their medals of valor, he claimed. He assured them they were well deserved, and that they had no choice; the ceremony was happening.
And so here they were. Sylvie was jolted out of her reflective thoughts as her name was called. Smiling, she stood up, going to join her fiance. Yes, that's right. Sylvie would never want to take back what happened, because it had brought her more joy than she'd ever known. Matt had waited only until both their injuries were healed. Last week, he had proposed. Sylvie was both surprised and delighted that, like her, he'd been thinking about marriage before the kidnapping. Their worries were for nothing; as seemed to always be the case, they were on exactly the same page. It definitely wasn't too early, it was right on time. And this time, Sylvie had no doubts. She was finally going to make it past the engagement to the actual ceremony.
Burgess had never been to a CFD medal ceremony before, but she was fairly certain they weren't usually this crowded. She had watched as Brett and Casey took their seats, both in their dress blues. The two had seemed almost overwhelmed with the amount of support they were receiving. Kim wasn't sure why; they'd survived a kidnapping by a gang, and in the process they had managed to take down the leader, resulting in the collapse of the gang. On top of all that, they had kept the government's secret weapons plans from falling into the wrong hands.
The members of Firehouse 51 sat in the front. Surrounding them were other firefighters and paramedics, most of whom had worked with the Captain and PIC at some point in their careers. Then there were the police officers, paying their respects to the two individuals responsible for disbanding a Chicago gang. As she sat with the rest of Intelligence, Burgess thought she also saw some government officials, likely expressing their gratitude that no weapons had been stolen.
Other friends and family members of those from the firehouse also littered the area, surrounded by many civilians who had heard about the ceremony in the news. Brett and Casey had been very popular for a few weeks, which neither of them liked.
But they deserved it, and Kim only hoped they could see that. They had been forcefully thrown into the gang's plans, and despite the danger and threats, had stood strong, prioritizing others over themselves.
Their selfless natures were what really brought them together. When Burgess first heard they were dating, she was surprised. After all, they'd worked together for a lot of years. However, the more she thought about it, the more it made sense. Matt had been part of a serious relationship. Of course neither of them had looked at each other in that way. However, when the situation changed, Brett and Casey had taken each other by surprise. And Burgess couldn't help secretly thinking they were the two that should've been together all along. They were more compatible than anyone else she knew.
It would've been absolutely heartbreaking if their happiness was wrenched away when it was only just beginning. That's why she was so grateful that both Brett and Casey had managed to make it away with only temporary injuries.
She watched as Brett walked up to join Casey at the front. The only lingering sign of the kidnapping was Sylvie's slight limp, which would go away in time. Burgess wasn't sure if it was even noticeable to anyone there who hadn't seen Brett with a boot just a week ago.
Instead, people were probably noticing the ring on Brett's finger, sparkling in the sun. Burgess smiled as Sylvie reached the front and took Matt's hand. They weren't about to kiss in front of everyone, but after all they went through, hand-holding was perfectly acceptable. They were engaged, after all. Burgess knew she would soon be attending a different ceremony for the two lovers.
After their medals had been pinned on, they saluted, and a huge round of clapping followed, as everyone cheered for the two heroes. That's exactly what they were, even if they were too humble to admit it. Kim knew they would last, because they always stuck with each other, even if--no, especially if it was life or death.