And the Band Played On (One Chicago/L&O)

Chapter Four

Sylvie confesses, Shay is very scary when she wants to be, and if Nolan has to deal with a manipulative sergeant so he can see his sister, then that's a price (heh) he'll pay.

***

"Now, that's the smile I like seeing on your face," Shay nodded in approval as she sashayed along the bar towards her partner.

Sylvie's smile widened when she saw the older woman's pleased expression. "Did you put the boys up to it?" she asked.

"Nope," Shay shook her head. "All I did was tell them what I saw. Anything else was all them."

"So you planted the seeds."

Shay shrugged. "If you say so." She checked to make sure Herrmann was occupied, then she leaned on the bartop, folding her arms and smiling at Sylvie. "Looks like all you needed was some quality time with your boys."

Sylvie blushed. "They are not my boys."

Shay's loud snort made multiple patrons turn their heads in surprise. "They are so your boys."

"They are not!" Sylvie's squeak was octaves higher than normal.

"Yeah, yeah," Shay rolled her eyes. "If they're not your boys, then I'm straighter than an arrow."

Sylvie groaned, dropping her head onto her arms. "Why are you so damn persistent?" she complained.

"Because I've lived and been best friends with Kelly Severide for years," Shay answered promptly. "Which means I've been close friends with Matt Casey for the same amount of time. And I have never seen either of them act around a woman like they have with you . . . and you've certainly never lit up around Cruz or Dawson like you do around them. It's like you feed off their presence."

Sylvie nervously twisted her ring around her finger, feeling her cheeks burn with her blush. "Is it that obvious?" she whispered.

Shay's mischievous smirk vanished, and she leaned forward so her hair curtained her face, lowering her voice so only Sylvie could hear. "Only to someone who has spent years of shifts working side by side with you and watched you very carefully when you dated," she answered. "We're partners, right?" At Sylvie's nod, Shay put her hand on top of Sylvie's. "I know I was a bit of a bitch when you started, especially when I learned just how high your qualifications are, but you wormed your way into the hearts of 51's so quickly. I want you to be happy, and I have never seen you as happy as when you spend time with Severide and Casey."

Sylvie chewed her lip. "I like them both," she admitted, eyes shifting nervously around the bar in case she had any eavesdroppers. "But I don't want them saddled to me if they don't feel the same."

Just like that, the mischievous spark was back in Shay's eyes. "You leave that to me," she patted Sylvie's hand. "I've got your back, girl."

Sylvie smiled, squeezing Shay's hand. "Thank you, Shay."

Shay grinned. "The good prosecco rosé I hide behind the bar?"

Sylvie giggled. "The good prosecco rosé you hide behind the bar."

Shay winked. "Coming right up."

Sylvie watched Shay continue down the bar to get the bottle, and she sighed, tapping her nails on the bartop as she looked around Molly's. On the very rare occasion, she could find all of her friends present after a long day of work, whether they were members of the Intelligence Unit, doctors in Chicago Med's ED, or her coworkers at Firehouse 51. She even saw Nagel and Valdez once in a while, and though she was nowhere near as close to them as she was to Peter, she enjoyed hearing about their work in the State's Attorney's office.