But I'd Have Had to Miss The Dance (Sylverasey Collection)

IVb ~ Loyalty Makes You Family

Sylvie arrives in New York, and her first impressions on the first responders of Manhattan start a domino effect. Criminals are convicted, secrets are shared, family bonds are forged, friends reunite, and a certain trio is almost killed. It doesn't necessarily happen in that order.

So this took way longer than I thought it would . . . the word count just kept jumping the more I wrote, but there was so much to include here, and I didn't want to leave any of it out. How does 16K+ sound for everyone?

Enjoy family, platonic, and romantic feels abound!

***

The next time she had to fly somewhere early in the morning for a major event that would make her nerves jump, Sylvie decided she would not touch a cup of caffeine until after that event. By the time her flight had finally touched down at LaGuardia, she had been about to bounce off the walls of the plane, she was so hyped up on coffee and a mixture of dread and anxiety that made her stomach churn.

Thankfully, she had the walk to the baggage claim to try and calm herself down, but Sylvie found herself drumming her fingers on her phone as she weaved through her fellow travelers. She knew the only way her heart would stop threatening to beat out of her chest and these terrifying "what ifs" would be when she was finally in the same room as her brother. And that still wasn't going to happen until she was through New York traffic and at the courthouse. At least Peter's going to be in the vicinity when that meeting takes place, she thought with a small smile as she approached the baggage claim. Her best friend was taking his role very seriously, and he had been the one to blatantly say he was willing to be close by when Nolan and Sylvie had their first in-person meeting. Jack had even volunteered his office for the meeting, which Sylvie had been grateful for. From what she vaguely remembered of Jack's office, it was a welcoming, spacious room that wouldn't make her feel claustrophobic. The last thing she needed was to feel like the walls were closing in on her.

When she finally found the baggage claim, she also found her best friend pacing and occasionally glancing up at the monitor, a rare look of impatience on his face. She couldn't help but grin, and she crept up behind him before jumping on his back and wrapping her arms around his neck. Peter yelped and instinctively reached behind him, and Sylvie laughed and clung to him like a koala. "Hi!" she sang in his ear.

"Finally!" Peter laughed, and as Sylvie hopped back to the ground, he spun around and engulfed her in a hug. Sylvie giggled and hugged him tightly, feeling her nerves settle as she took comfort in her best friend. "Those were the longest four days of my life!"

"How long do you think my shift felt?" Sylvie grinned at him. "I swear, twenty-four hours lasted three times as long."

"Well, you're here now," Peter rubbed her back. "And you don't need to worry about 51 for a whole month."

"At least," Sylvie nodded, watching luggage begin to spin on the carousel. "I wouldn't be opposed to staying longer." She bit her lip worriedly. "Assuming this goes well, that is."

Peter snorted. "Sylvie, if this goes anywhere other than the way I think it'll go, I'll eat my old Cubs gear."

Sylvie glanced up at him in surprise. "You're that confident?"

"Absolutely," Peter nodded. "So get those stubborn and negative 'what ifs' out of your head. Nolan is likely thinking enough of those for both of you, and unfortunately, I'm not there to talk him out of them. Jack might be doing his best, but I think the person who might have the most success with that is currently on the clock."