Chapter Text
Chicago was home to 2,665,039 people. Different people, with different lives. Families that have lived there for generations. People that need a fresh start, a new life and they figured that the windy city would be just the place for them.
Then there was Dylan. A born and raised Chicagoan, practically baptized with the water of Lake Michigan that ran out of the city the second she could grasp at something outside of it. Chasing whatever wild dream she had for herself at 18.
But she was back now. All those years later, craving the familiarity of it all. The pier, the river. The streets she still knew like the back of her hand whether they had been gentrified or not. Chicago was her home. And it always would be.
Her parents had welcomed her back into their home with open arms, the same house they’d lived in since she was born. The same house her mom lived in since she was born. The same house that her great grandparents built all those years ago.
It was a no brainer. Her parents were getting older, the house was slowly falling apart and she knew enough about construction and interior design to keep the house from turning into dust right under their hands.
So she was back, Chicago giving her a nice warm hug and a giant welcome. Tomorrow was her first day at the firehouse she had been assigned to, having gone in to talk to Fire Commissioner Grisom the first day she got in, her transfer papers already neatly on his desk thanks to her station back in Boston.
To say she was nervous was an understatement, “Dylan, can you please stop pacing? You’re gonna wear a hole in the floor.” Her mother, Nora, sat on the couch, crochet hook and yarn in hand as the news played in the background.
Her daughter had her thumb nail in between her teeth, gnawing it down to the quick as she went back and forth behind the slightly worn green couch. “I’m nervous.” She muttered, not even bothering to move her hand away from her mouth.
Sure, you have first days all the time. A new school, a new state, a new environment, in this case a new job. But meeting firefighters in a firehouse where the chief was 1. Probably expecting a boy and 2. Possibly a sexist prick, it made Dylan nauseous to even think about.
“You’ll be fine. You’ve known how to defend yourself since you were thirteen. Somebody says something you don’t like, just sock them in the jaw and tell them to get over themselves.” The older lady spoke with a shrug, her eyes not even lifting from the pattern she was working on.
Dylan paused, tilting her head slightly, “Mom, you have literally always told me to never hit first?” She went around the couch, tossing herself into the empty space on the opposite end, leaning her head back, “Besides, I want to make a good first impression. I want them to take me seriously. I start throwing punches at the first asshole I see and I’m that emotional female coworker,” She shifted into a mimicking voice, rolling her eyes.
“So I’ll just go there, introduce myself to the first person I see and ask them to show me where Chief Boden’s office is. Simple enough right?” The brown haired girl turned her head to face her mother, urging her to agree. “Right?”
She sighed softly, shooting a glance at her kid, “Sure, if that’s what you want to do honey, go for it.” A soft smile grew on her face before she tuned back into her crocheting, which took up most of her time.
If Dylan’s mom was home, she either had yarn or cooking ingredients in her hands. Always. Cooking was a generational thing, crocheting was just a new hobby she took up as she got older, wanting something to do with her hands in her free time. Which worked, and though she’d tried to pass it down to Dylan it didn’t work.
She was more of a dance and draw type of person, both of those being things she did regularly, at least when she had time anyway. Between getting her stuff situated in the house, relearning the streets that she never really forgot and dealing with her job, finding a dance studio to use in her free time wasn’t even on the list of things she had to do.
Though as she sat in silence next to the loving lady she called her mother, it popped into her head and she got up, running upstairs to her room to look into it. That task taking up the rest of her night.
The girl slept pretty well that night, stress making her want to curl into a ball and just sleep it away, so when she woke up, stretched and her back popped just the right way, she knew that the day was going to be great.
Today will be good. You’ll make friends. You won’t make a fool of yourself. A mantra of words that Dylan played in her head as she got ready, braiding her shoulder length hair back into a bun and neatly tucking it in.
Her shirt was nicely pressed to her chest and honestly, looking as put together as she was, Dylan felt like she could take on the world. Well, at least a hoard of firefighters. Basically the same thing if you look at it sideways right?
After a quick goodbye to her mom and dad along with a small talk about how difficult Chicago citizens could be, which again, she knew, Dylan was out the door and as ready for the day as she could ever be.
51 was about half an hour from the house and the entire drive there she just played her music as loud as possible and tried to ignore the way her hands kept getting sweaty as she gripped the steering wheel.
As soon as she parked outside she froze. Eyes just focused on the station. “Alright. Just introduce yourself to the first person you see, ask for Chief Boden’s office. That’s it. Easy.” Dylan muttered under her breath, grabbing the black duffle bag from her backseat before hopping out of her jeep.
“Introduce yourself, ask for Chief Boden. Introduce yourself, ask for Chief Boden,” Repeated under her breath all the way onto the apparatus floor, slowly creeping in between the firetrucks. Her eyes landed on the table that sat just to the left of the vehicles and the lack of people sitting there.
With immense amounts of fake confidence, she pulled open the doors that went inside. As soon as her eyes were on the inside she almost let out a vocal ‘wow’. This firehouse was way nicer than her old one. Things looked actually up to date and painted. Something she was supposed to be in charge of back in Boston.
Which she barely had time for. “You look lost,” A voice from behind made Dylan jump slightly, turning and seeing another girl, hair also braided back with a wide smile on her face. “You new?” She questioned even though the answer was obvious.
Dylan nodded faintly, “Uh, yeah, yeah, I’m Dylan, I’m supposed to meet Chief Boden?” She could tell by the other girl’s uniform that she wasn’t the chief in question. Though she did accept the handshake that was offered up as she introduced herself.
“Right, well, I’m Stella, welcome to 51, I’ll bring you to his office,” The other firefighter let their hands split before guiding her to the bullpen, pointing directly across. “That’s it down there, nice meetin’ ya.” Stella patted her back, turning back to the other room, no doubt ready to talk about the appearance of a new face.
They were no amateurs when it came to people moving in and out of the firehouse, it was practically grand central station at this point. They hadn’t had a steady ambulance duo in months and it didn’t seem like it would be happening anytime soon.
Slowly, Dylan went up to the open office door, peering in at the man sitting at his desk, “Can I help you?” He looked up at her before she could even knock on the frame, her back straightening as she spoke.
“Yeah, uh, I’m Dylan Sawyer, new lieutenant for truck 80?” She spoke hesitantly, her lip getting dragged between her teeth as he stood. God she knew that look all too well. The not entirely disappointed but ‘you’re not who I expected’ look.
The ‘oh you’re a girl’ look. But Boden gave her a warm smile regardless, reaching his hand out, “Welcome to 51, I’m sorry I just-”
“Was expecting a boy, yeah, I uh, I get that a lot.” Dylan interjected, shaking his head firmly, “Sorry to disappoint.” She hadn’t even thought about what she was saying but Boden instantly shook his head, squeezing her hand.
He didn’t care what or who you were, a firefighter was a firefighter and he’d die on that hill. “No disappointment at all. Morning briefings about to start, why don’t we get you acquainted with the rest of the house and we’ll get you settled right in,” Boden’s hand went to her back as he walked out of his office in front of her.
She smiled softly to the woman sitting at the nearest desk to the chief’s office, noting to learn her name as soon as she could. Boden stopped her outside the door, walking into the filled meeting room, someone sitting at each spot in the room.
All ready to look at her the second she came into the room. After a couple seconds, Boden waved her in, her head low as she walked to him. With a deep breath she looked up, almost immediately being met with a pair of familiar eyes.
“DJ?”
“Matt?”
“She’s a DJ?”
Boden glanced at the girl next to him and back to the blonde lieutenant on the far wall, “You two know one another?” He questioned, his eyebrow piqued.
Matt nodded, the smile that had grown on his face never fading, “Yeah, we grew up together. Neighbors, friends, all my life,” He spoke, fighting the urge to run across the room and give her a hug.
Instead he just kept his smile, ignoring the way everyone else had looked between the two of them. “Alright, well, if you wanna give a little introduction for everyone,” Boden turned to the girl, hands coming to rest on his hips.
“Uh, I’m actually so horrible at introductions-“ She muttered, Boden chuckling softly.
“No worries, we’re glad you’re here all the same,” He gestured for her to be able to escape the line of everyone’s sight, Dylan of course beelining to the one and only Matt Casey as Boden continued to talk. “I expect nothing but warm welcomes for Lieutenant Sawyer. Make her feel at home. Don’t forget. This is a family.”
The group nodded, dispersing back into the kitchen for breakfast. Dylan took the fact that everyone else had disappeared to turn to Matt, her eyes practically glistening, “I didn’t know you were a firefighter!”
Her excitement was nearly impossible to contain, looking over the matching lieutenant's shirt he had on, “Well neither did I, I didn’t even know you came back to Chicago,” Matt pulled her into a hug, squeezing slightly.
He missed her. Simply put, it had been over ten years since the two saw one another. But as soon as their eyes met it was like they were 18 again and living under her parents roof.
“Well, I just moved back. Been here maybe two? Three days?”
“And I didn’t get a call? I’m hurt DJ,” Matt mockingly put a hand over his heart, earning a light nudge from the shorter girl as she laughed at him.
It was almost like no time had even passed, “Sorry I was too busy sorting out this position, which I might have to reconsider if I have to deal with you everyday,” She teased, crossing her arms over her chests.
Matt raised his eyebrows, nudging her back, “Oh you’ll love working with me, cmon I’ll show you around and you can drop that bag into a locker,” He chuckled, leading the way to the exit of the room.
Dylan walked next to him, honestly just relieved that she wouldn’t be working blindly here. She knew Matt, she probably knew him better than she knew herself.
Or at least she did back when they were younger. Things were probably different now but if they were, it didn’t seem like it as he gestured to the locker room. “This is the locker room, obviously, uh I don't know if Boden had a locker picked out yet…”
Matt trailed off, glancing around at them all. “I don’t think so, so , you can drop your bag in,” He continued, moving to unlock his own locker. “Here.”
The brunette chuckled softly, “You sure?” The question was instantly brushed off and met with a ‘positive’ so she leaned over and dropped the duffel bag into the bottom.
Not without taking a look inside, her eyes falling on the pictures he had up on his door, “Oh, my god you do not still have this picture-“ Dylan pointed at the one that was practically eye level, of them as kids.
“I do,”
“God, look! I don’t even have my front teeth, Matt this picture is horrible and that’s the one you choose to keep up?” She laughed, her hand coming up to cover her mouth.
The two were wearing equally silly looking cowboy outfits, the only difference was the cow print shirt that Dylan had on compared to the tan shirt Matt had. Even their hats were the same.
He laughed softly, shrugging, “Eh, I think it’s cute,” Dylan turned, lightly hitting his arm.
“It is not, how many people have seen this?”
“Everyone,”
“ Everyone? ” Dylan’s eyes widened, both out of embarrassment and amusement. There wasn’t much she could do to change that but maybe she just wouldn’t tell the others she was mystery cowboy #2 in the picture Matt keeps up in his locker.
As Matt nodded, Dylan covered her face, pulling herself back in before leaning her head on his shoulder to look at the other picture he had up. It was him and a girl, smiling at a party. “Who’s that?”
She didn’t recognize her as someone in the firehouse so she asked, lifting her head and glancing over when he didn’t answer, “You don’t have to tell me.”
A glaze had gone over Matt’s eyes as he looked at the photograph. “No it’s okay, uh that is, was , my fiancé, Hallie.” He cleared his throat after talking, his eyes not meeting Dylan’s as she looked over at him.
“Was?”
“Yeah, she um, she died a few years ago. Fire.” He muttered, letting out a breath when Dylan put a hand on his back, almost instinctively leaning into it.
She frowned slightly, rubbing her thumb against him, “I’m sorry Matt,” Dylan spoke softly, Matt simply clearing his throat.
“It’s alright,” He shut the locker door, putting a smile up for her, “I’m alright now and stuff,” Which wasn’t a lie. Hallie and him were a good couple all that time ago and he’s had a lot of time to grieve and now he was just, Matt.
The two made their way through the rest of the firehouse, only stopping again in the bunk room when Matt explained the whole lieutenants situation. “There’s only two quarters, mine, and Severide’s. I’d say sorry but, my rooms pretty cozy, not to brag.”
Dylan laughed, shaking her head, “Oh yeah, you’re so humble,” She shrugged, looking at the array of mattresses. “I think I can manage with a bed out here. Won’t have to hear you snore.”
It was Matt’s turn to hit her arm, “I do not snore,” He exclaimed defensively, his eyebrows raised and his mouth dropped open as he stepped back. Dylan continued to laugh, nodding her head.
“Oh yes the fuck you do.”
Before they could even get back to the kitchen area the alarm bell went off, calling practically the whole house to a pile up on the highway.
“God I’m kind of nervous.” Dylan admitted as they sped to the apparatus floor. Matt waved his hand at her, lightly scoffing.
“You’ll be fine, you were always good at bossing people around,” He winked at her as they split, Matt dipping into his outer gear by his truck and Dylan going to the same outside of hers.
It was pretty bad. At least seven cars, all varying degrees of severity. The first vehicles the trucks were to was a minivan pinned by a Kia, 81 and 80 moving in to work together.
Casey, looked at the Kia, lifting his head, “Alright, Otis get the jaws and get this lady out of here,” Her legs were crushed down by the steering wheel, the far leg being hidden by the airbag.
While he took in that driver, Dylan was peering in the backseat of the minivan. “Wait, wait, Matt, there’s someone back here. And they’re bleeding pretty heavily,” She went around the cars, facing him. “We should get them out first, it looks bad.” A man, probably about 23, was on his side in the trunk, blood spilling from his abdomen.
The other lieutenant glanced back, shaking his head, “Well get them out but it’ll be easier if we move this person first and then we move the car.”
“The more time that persons back there, is more time that they’re bleeding out. I’ll have one of my guys break the glass, pull them out and then we’ll be out of your way.” She spoke quickly and quietly, Otis standing in wait for direction.
The way it was positioned it was impossible to just get them both out at the same time, the driver's door dented in on the edge of the van. They were gonna have to cut the top of the car off to get her out if anything.
Casey sighed, his eyes flicking between the cars and the girl in front of him, “Alright, do it.” He muttered, going against his gut judgment.
Dylan nodded instantly, turning heel to call one of her guys over. “Right, uh, Reynolds, we’re getting this guy out first,” She gestured to the minivan, her guy borrowed the jaws from 51, their set being used a couple cars away.
Once they got the man out of the back, they transferred him to a gurney as Casey and his team pried open the Kia’s door. The lady was unconscious now, her skin paling as they transferred her to a gurney.
There was blood covering her left leg, completely soaking the once light blue jeans she had on. Dylan’s eyes went from her to Matt, eyebrows pulled down as she sucked in a breath.
She made the wrong call.
And she was aware of that the whole ride back to the house. Matt hadn’t even given her a second glance at the scene. Not as they helped more people. Not as they helped clean things up.
None of it. So the second they were parked in the bay, she dropped her outer gear and jogged over to his truck. “Matt.” Ignored. “ Matt. ” Dylan spoke again more firmly, the blonde turning, his arms spreading out to his sides.
“What? What Dylan? Are you going to say you made the right call? That getting the other person out first was more important? Cause it wasn’t and that lady probably didn’t get to the hospital because of it,” Matt snapped at her, the girl’s entire body freezing as he spoke.
They were friends for years, they’d had fights. Like when she wanted to be friends with this kid that Matt hated. And she still didn’t know why he hated little Cooper Garvez from down the street but they didn’t talk for a week over it.
That was probably the worst they’d had. “Matt he was bleeding out, how was I supposed to know she was too?” She tried to defend herself but he just shook his head, stalking away. Dylan pressed her tongue against her cheek, annoyance and anger flaming up at the fact that he was mad at her.
So she did what she did best. Well, tried. She was going to grab the notebook from her duffle bag. But said bag was locked away in Matt’s locker and it was probably pointless to ask for it.
Instead she trekked into the bullpen, reminding herself to introduce herself to the lady at the desk before asking for some paper. Her name was Connie and honestly, she seemed pretty sweet even though she looked like she was going to yell at you at any moment.
She thanked Connie for the few pieces of blank paper and went back out to the common room. If it had been pre-call, she would have gone and sat in one of the seats next to Matt. But instead she sucked in a breath and sat at the opposite end, across from two of his truck members.
“So, DJ, right?” The first one said, leaning onto the table. She looked up, nodding slightly. The man, who’s hair was decently neatly pushed back along smiling at her.
“I mean nobody really calls me that except for,” She paused, glancing down at Matt before sighing, “I prefer Dylan.” The pencil in her hand was twirled between her fingers as she spoke, honestly shocked that they were so openly talking to her.
Granted it wasn’t like she was the first female firefighter. Stella was literally the first person she met and she was a member of truck 81. So maybe this house just was different. Which would be a breath of fresh air compared to the last couple houses she worked at.
The mustached man nodded, “I’m Brian, well, everyone calls me Otis and this is Joe,” He introduced the guy next to him one swift move, gesturing over to his friend as he did. Joe waved, holding his hand out for her to shake, which she did.
Dylan’s eyebrows scrunched together, “Ni- wait, how do you get Otis from Brian?” She questioned, propping her elbow onto the table with her hand under her chin. Not that firefighter nicknames ever really made sense, mostly being some sort of dumb inside joke everyone had.
“Well, I’m uh, the elevator guy. And you know, Otis is the most popular elevator company in the country, so, Otis. ” He spoke flatly, every part of him hating the moment he had to explain the meaning behind his name.
“You don’t look like that makes you very happy,” Dylan commented, acknowledging the lack of a smile and near grimace as he spoke.
He shrugged slightly, “I mean, I would prefer to be acknowledged outside of my amazing, talented, and vastly wide elevator knowledge at least sometimes,” The man spoke, brushing it off as a passing comment with a light laugh even though it was so painfully true.
The girl nodded, “Well, Brian ,” She over emphasized his actual name, smiling faintly, “That’s what you’ll get from me then. I think names have a lot of honor and respect put behind them.”
Joe raised his eyebrows slightly, “God, now he’s gonna get used to getting what he wants,” He muttered, leaving the table with a grin, and pulling his friend with him. Not without Otis giving her a quick thank you as he was.
Dylan sighed softly, leaning over the table and sketching quickly onto the paper in front of her. It had always been an outlet. Something she pushed herself to do when she got annoyed or frustrated and it always made for both a good picture and just a good use of the energy.
If she was having a hard time at school, or the rarer times she was having issues at home, she’d lock herself away either in her room or in the corner of the library and just draw. A lot of her drawing filled notebooks still sat in a box in her parent’s attic.
She could feel Matt’s eyes on her, trying to take a look at what she was drawing and failing miserably. Shooting a glance at him, Dylan grabbed the papers, moving into the bunk room instead, sitting at the table that was set in between the two lieutenants quarters.
It was a while she sat there, the bell not going off again the entire time, her picture practically done by the time the other seat was filled in. “You still draw when you’re upset?” Matt, and he leaned onto the armrest to once again try and look at her paper.
“You still a dick when you’re mad?” She quipped, not even looking up as she used her finger to smudge some shading into the drawing. Usually she’d use a tissue or a q-tip but the only thing available was her pinky so it would have to do.
Matt sighed lightly, peering over at her, “Can I see it?” He asked, giving her a faint smile when she looked up at him. With a huff she turned the paper towards him. It was just a lily, filling up most of the page but she managed to smudge out a shadow that made it look lifted off the paper. “You’re still super talented.” Matt commented, holding the paper up.
Dylan smiled, her head falling slightly, “Well I took plenty of art classes in college they better have helped some.” She spoke, Matt shaking his head.
“You were good before too, you didn’t even need to take classes,” He defended her almost instantly as he handed the paper back, the two falling into a small silence. There had of course been a couple photos made for him too when they were younger.
His favorite one at the time was a drawing of Garfield that she had done for his birthday, the orange cat having been both his favorite cartoon and favorite bit in the newspaper. He’d do anything he could to read the comics section everyday, usually bringing it next door for the girl to read too.
Dylan was the first to speak up, sighing, “I’m sorry. We… I should have gone with your idea.” She picked at a piece of skin hanging off her finger as she avoided his gaze.
Because of course he was watching her. Finally seeing someone after years of wanting them back around meant almost never taking your eyes off of them. The guilt was eating at her and she knew she should have looked better. Should have just trusted Matt’s judgment.
Matt shook his head, “So am I, I shouldn’t have snapped at you. It’s not like you saw the ladies leg. None of us did until we got her out. It’s not your fault.”
“Is the other driver gonna be okay?”
“I don’t know, I haven’t checked in. Do you want me to?” He knew they weren’t supposed to. It was better to keep your emotions out of it.
All first responders are taught to leave their feelings at the emergency room doors and to just let the doctors do what they have to do. Their duty was over.
But that rule was hard at 51, their hearts too big to care if it hurts if it means also learning the good. It was worth it to them.
Dylan shook her head slightly, “No it’s okay. I don’t think I could handle the bad news today,” She laughed dryly, her mind fully on how horrible the first call on her first shift was.
“Okay,” The man went to stand but he paused, looking at her again, “Are we good?” Matt’s face was a bit warm as he kept his gaze to her, hoping they were cause honestly, he couldn’t handle his best friend working in the same firehouse as him and them already not being on speaking terms.
She smiled, nodding gently, “Yeah Matt, we’re good.” He returned the smile as he properly stood, his own boring and official paperwork waiting for him at his desk. Dylan would have to get to hers soon too.
“We’re always good,” She tagged on quietly, to herself as he walked away, reminding herself that this man that she was working with.
The one she might have butt heads with was the one person that she knew through and through. His last, his secrets. Just like he knew hers.
Just like he knew her .