♣️Season 1, Episode 14♣️
Nicole sits on the couch, constantly texting Kelly.
To Brother Bear: so? did you get cleared?
To Brother Bear: I know you saw my text
To Brother Bear: KELLY BENJAMIN SEVERIDE
To Brother Bear: did you get cleared?????
From Brother Bear: you are gonna have to wait and see
To Brother Bear: you jerk face
On shift, Nicole sits in her brother's chair at the Squad table, waiting to see if her brother was cleared. Shay had already arrived, but won't tell her due to promising Kelly. The other Squad boys laugh at her.
"Waiting to see if Severide arrives?" Capp laughs.
"Shut up, Capp. I am very testy today so don't go pushing buttons you don't want to see blow up in your fac-"
"Ambulance 61, Truck 81, Squad 3,.."
Climbing into the rig, Shay looks to Nicole in the passenger's seat, "According to Dawson, Mills is very detailed oriented."
Nicole looks back at Gabby in the back, "You absolute skank! The candidate? Damn girl."
They laugh all the way to the accident site where Truck and Squad managed to arrive first, "Driver fled the scene but the passengers pinned in there pretty good. Door's jammed, we need to cut her out. Cruz, Otis, get ready to assist Squad with cutting."
"You hurt anywhere?" Nicole asks the woman.
"No, I'm-I'm good."
Shay climbs in the back and puts her in a C-collar, "This is just gonna go around your neck."
Gabby questions her, "Can you tell us your name?"
"Ambrosia."
Nicole nods, "Oh, yeah? You working tonight?"
She turns to her, "A little. You were in my dream," She says to Gabby before passing out.
"What'd you take, sweetie?" Nicole asks, shining a pen light in her eyes.
Shay draws her attention, "Nicole, track marks."
Gabby turns to Matt, "Hey, Casey. How long until we get in there?"
"Five, maybe ten minutes. Let's go!"
Eric Whaley, Kelly's temporary replacement starts yelling instructions to Squad before they lift the top of the car off and extract the woman.
Looking her over once she's on the backboard, Nicole notes, "She's gonna arrest. We've got to get her to the hospital, now."
They wheel her into the ambulance.
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Next shift, Nicole is back to sitting in Kelly's chair, watching as the garage door opens to reveal her brother. The rest of Squad stands and greets him as the rest of the firehouse make their way out. Nicole waits for him to greet his unit before hugging him and kissing his cheek, "You're back!"
"It was bugging the crap out of you to not know, wasn't it?" Kelly smirks as he greets everyone else.
"Shut up."
Herrmann asks him, "And the neck's 100%, right?"
Kelly starts pretending to spar, "Yeah, wanna spar a couple rounds after shift and find out?"
He shakes his head, "Yeah, I'm good."
Otis carries Pouch, Nicole quickly taking her and presenting her to Kelly, "And this is Pouch. Best damn thing to happen to this house, after me of course."
Mouch jumps in, "Otis is transferring."
"What? Come on, it's not like I'm being rocketed into space. I'm going over to Morningside," Otis defends himself.
"Kelly," Boden gets his attention, "Your relief Lieutenant Eric Whaley."
He walks forward, shaking Eric's hand, "It's been a while."
"You two know each other?" Boden asks.
"Yeah, I was...." Kelly trails off.
"Engaged to Eric's sister," Nicole finishes, "The first Renee."
Eric turns to Kelly, "There was a second one?"
Nicole glares at Eric, "Keep your opinions to yourself, Whaley."
Boden decides to intervene as Matt pulls Nicole back to him, "Well, now that you're back. Whaley will move over to Engine and relieve Jeff Turner for the next few shifts. Okay, listen up everyone. Some of you may know Gabby's brother, Detective Antonio Dawson," He joins the group, looking a little worse for wear, "He has some information from the CPD force."
"Thanks, Chief. Last few weeks have seen a spike in fatal overdoses. ME's office has connected at least dozen deaths to a toxin batch of heroin. Now be aware, it's laced with fentanyl and in most cases, does not respond to normal protocol. We are now approaching each overdose as a potential homicide."
"Truck 81, Squad 3, Engine 51, Ambulance 61, structure fire."
Antonio warns Gabby about staying off the case as they climb into the rig.
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For most of the time at the scene, the paramedic trio stayed back, allowing the others to do a search of the building and only move forward when Squad comes out with a victim.
They wheel the stretcher up to the sidewalk, "Move him all the way back."
Easily, they slide the man into the rig to do a better examination. Herrmann comes to the back of the rig, "Hey, it's not as bad as it looks, old timer. The kitchen ceiling's gonna need some patching up but otherwise it's not as bad as it looks."
"It's a sign to finally get my ass to Florida. Wanna buy a bar?" He asks, causing them to laugh before Herrmann closes the back doors.
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Nicole heads out to the apparatus floor to check off on Shay and Gabby's work in the rig when she sees Matt, Mills and Nancy talking, "Nancy? Hey, what are you doing here?"
Nancy hugs her, "I just wanted to see where you two worked. It's nice."
"Yeah, we're very proud of it," Nicole smiles, walking back into Matt's arms, "And wait until you hear all about your son as a Lieutenant. He's one of CFD's best."
"Stop it," Matt shushes her.
"No, really, Lieutenant Casey's the best. I couldn't ask for a better leader," Mills adds, eating a cookie.
Nicole takes a cookie, "These are delicious!"
Nancy smiles at her, "I'm glad you think so. I'll have to have a plate waiting for you when you get off-"
"Ambulance 61, person in distress.."
Nicole gives Matt the cookie, "That's me. It was nice to see you here Nancy."
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Shay questions Gabby's thing with Mills, "So why are you guys keeping it on the sly?"
"It started out being what I wanted but then Boden called him on the carpet, gave him some big BS about this being the time to master your craft. Mills really took it to heart."
"I don't know, if I dug someone as much as you dig him, I wouldn't be able to hide it. Especially working together, 24 hours a day, side by side," Shay says.
Nicole snorts, "Trust me, it's not easy. Matt and I tried that at first but then Kelly caught us making out on my couch so hiding it went out the door."
Gabby asks them, "Are you trying to make me feel worse?"
"For someone who's such a mad person on calls and on the job.."
"You are sure timid in your personal and love life," Shay finishes for Nicole, "I mean, take some risks. Have some fun."
She thinks about it for a second before nodding, "You know what? Thank you. Excellent point, which you both have made. Before. Granted, I am at a place in my life where I could really embrace the message. I'm texting him right now."
Shay turns her head slightly to face Nicole, "What about you? Should we expect an engagement announcement soon?"
Nicole shrugs, "I hope so. But you know, his mom lives with us now and Matt's going crazy making sure she follows all the rules and doesn't get in trouble and all that. I'm just trying to seem normal because, you know, the first time we kinda met was at her parol hearing."
"That's the first time you met his mom? Has he met your parents yet?" Gabby asks.
"Well, my mom lives in Minnesota and doesn't ever entertain the idea of coming to Chicago as long as Benny lives here. I don't give a rat's ass about Benny's thoughts or opinions on my life. So the only family that leaves is Kelly and I swear to God, sometimes I think if Matt and I ever broke up, Kelly would chose him."
Shay shakes her head, laughing, "Nah. Kelly tells me all the time how you're the best little sister he could have ever gotten. How Matt better treat you right or he's gonna kick his ass."
Gabby laughs, texting Mills, "When's Clarice due?"
"Uh, two weeks," She shakes her head, "I'm getting butterflies."
Nicole shrugs, "Oh, plenty of time. Yeah."
Getting to the call, they are met by a man who guides them upstairs, "I heard screaming, but we never have trouble down here. None."
Shay sighs, "I hate hotels."
Knocking on the door, Nicole calls out, "Paramedics!"
She opens the door to see a man tied to the bed, "Don't tell my wife."
They spot a hooker on the ground and immediately move towards her. Shay examines her veins, "She took a hot shot."
"Okay, honey? Can you hear me?"
Getting no response, Gabby starts prepping a narcan shot as Shay studies her, "Angolan respiration. She's barely breathing."
Nicole ties her arm to see her veins better as Shay looks at the man, "You get your rocks off by watching girls shoot up?"
"I never forced them to do anything. That was completely their thing."
"Their?" Shay asks, looking around before getting up to look around in the bathroom, "There's another girl in here. 61 to main, we're gonna need another ambulance and CPD for a DOA."
"I can't get a line in, her vein's collapsed," Nicole says as Shay rejoins her, "I'm gonna go sublingual. If this is the same bad dupe, we don't have time for anything else."
Shay puts her hands on the girls jaw, "I can't get her jaw open."
Nicole sticks the needle in just under the girls jaw, waiting a minute before watching her eyes shoot open and take a deep breath.
"What's happening?"
Gabby and Shay help her sit up, "My name's Gabby, this is Nicole and Leslie. We're gonna get you to the hospital, alright, come on."
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The next morning, Nicole watches from the doorway with Matt and Nancy as Nancy's parole officer searches the house, "I would have put on a pot of coffee if I had known you were coming."
"If you had known I was coming," She moves to Nancy's room, "This wouldn't be an unannounced visit."
When she opens a box full of letters, Nancy tells her, "Yeah, those-those are personal letters."
She keeps looking through them, "As long as you're on parole, nothing in here is personal."
Matt tries to keep the peace, "Yes, we understand, officer."
"Pretty straight forward, Nancy. You are to be in this house from nine pm to nine am everyday, not to consume alcohol or illegal drugs, you are not to associate with any known criminals, and we have an appointment on the 23rd in my office," She says, "It's yours to screw up."
"Well then, you have nothing to worry about," Nancy comments.
The officer leaves as Nancy's phone rings, "One second. Can I call you right back?"
Matt guesses, "Rick?"
Nancy moves around Matt, "Uh, no, I called that off."
"Why? He-he seemed nice," Matt asks.
"He was too nice," Nancy comments, Nicole nodding in understanding.
"So, who was that on the phone?"
"Uh, a friend."
Matt doesn't let go, "Another pen pal?"
Nancy chuckles, "Wow, you make it sound so tawdry. But, yeah, someone kind enough to visit me in prison."
She goes to her room as Nicole grabs Matt's hands, "Come on, let's go sit on the porch and relax. You don't need to be stressing right now."
"Okay," Matt sighs.
They sit together on their porch bench swing, wrapped up together. Nicole rests her head on Matt's shoulder as his rests on her head.
"You know," Matt breaks the silence, "I had a big plan of going out to dinner and then taking a walk under the stars. But your accident and Kelly's shoulder reminded me that life is way too short and if I don't do this now, I'm going to regret it for the rest of my life."
He stands up, taking Nicole with him before reaching into his pocket as he gets down on one knee, holding a ring box open to her. She gasps, bringing her hands up to her mouth as tears well up in her eyes.
"Nicole Jennifer Severide, you are the best thing to have ever come into my life. With your sarcastic attitude, your big heart and brilliant mind. I know that with you by my side, I can never go wrong because you're there to give me a kick in the ass if I need it. So, will you spend the rest of our lives with me? Will you marry me?"
"Yes!" Nicole shouts, tackling Matt in a hug before kissing him.
Matt stands them up, slipping the ring onto her finger and kissing her again.
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Herrmann gathers everyone in the briefing room the next shift, "As you can see from the perspectives, the offer on the table fluctuates based on how many of us get on board with the actual offer. Now, it also entails that the owner would be carrying the loan himself."
"$70,000?" Mouch reads, shaking his head, "He'd never take it."
"Guys, nothing ventured, nothing gained. If he turns us down, he turns us down. I'm just looking for the 7k in cash to get the 10% down. Who's in?"
Nobody says anything for a minute until Otis, "I'm in."
Herrmann smiles, "Otis, buddy. Alright, we'll keep you apprised while you're over at Morningwood."
Otis stands, waving him off, "Oh, no, I'm happy to announce, thanks to all you people who bet that I wouldn't make it here, that I've withdrawn my transfer request."
Everybody looks around confused, Herrmann speaking up, "Get out of here with that, no one was betting against you."
"What?"
He looks confused while Herrmann brings them back to focus, "Alright, anyone else? Look, it's a neighborhood bar in Bucktown. We're looking to bring in the new families who've moved in and thus far been neglected. You're gonna pass up a deal like this? Mouch?"
"Too volatile."
"Nicole?" He looks to the younger Severide.
She gives Herrmann a small smile, "Herrmann, you know I love supporting you and your business ideas and this is actually one of your better ones. However-"
"No, don't say however."
Her and Matt share a smile as Boden walks in to see what everyone's gathered for, "Matt and I have to save our money. Weddings are expensive."
Gabby gasps, jumping across the room to grab Nicole's hand to see her engagement ring, holding it up for everyone else to see, "You're engaged?!"
Everybody cheers, hugging Nicole and Matt in celebration before they settle down enough for Herrmann to try one last time, "Okay, the future Casey's are out. Anyone else? Just looking for one more to put in 23 hundred, we're home."
"I'm in," Gabby says.
"Dawson."
"I'm making an investment, I gotta make money to pay for med school, so," Gabby justifies, as Shay looks at her like she's crazy, "What? Plus, it sounds like fun."
They hear Kelly and Eric yelling, Nicole the first one out of the room, "How is this your business?"
"How is this my business?"
"Yes!"
"It wasn't just Renee's life you screwed up, it was our whole family's!" Eric yells at Kelly.
"Look, I moved on with my life, okay?" Kelly spots everyone gathering, "Maybe you should too," He goes to walk away.
"Tell me, how do you move on from seeing your sister's car wrapped around a telephone pole? I know you wouldn't if it was Nicole."
"C'mon," Kelly turns back.
"Yeah, yeah, your boy here, the great Kelly Severide..."
Nicole whispers to Shay, "Has Kelly not told him?"
Shay shakes her head, "No and he forbade me from telling him."
She rolls her eyes, "Screw that, he's my brother."
"Where was Kelly? Never heard from him."
Nicole steps forward, "Your innocent sister hooked up with an ex before the wedding."
Kelly turns to his sister, "Nicole!"
"No, he needs to know that you aren't the monster he's making you out to be. Kelly found out about it so he called off the wedding and didn't say anything because your entire family was in the hospital after Renee hit that pole. He didn't want to dump more grief on you guys. So he took the hit of the breakup. That's what happened. So, lay the hell off my brother," Nicole shares, glaring at Eric.
Boden joins the group, "Shay, hospital just called. Clarice's water just broke."
"Thanks," She quickly leaves, Nicole leaving the room too.
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Nicole sits, laying against Matt on the couch at home as they sip beers when Nancy comes out, dressed nicely, "Uh, what are you doing?"
"Going out," She says, like it's the most obvious thing in the world.
"To do what?"
"Have dinner," They hear a car horn from outside.
Matt sits up, Nicole falling behind him, "With this pen pal guy?"
Nancy backs away from the window, "Yes, indeedy."
He argues, "You're parole officer said-"
"I'll be back before my curfew, don't worry about it," She cuts him off.
Matt stands up, "I'm worried about it, mom. You're not even 24 hours into being-"
"I'm not going out to sell crack!" She yells at him, "I thought you invited me into your home so I could live my life but if your intention was to parent me or-or somehow get back at me for what happened, then you shouldn't have bothered."
As she goes to leave, Matt stops her, "Whoa-whoa-whoa. Hold up! Nobody talks to me like that. Alright?" Nicole sits up on the couch as Matt faces off with his mother, "Especially in my own house."
Nancy looks back to Nicole as if to ask for her help, but Nicole shakes her head, "I'm going out for dinner, Matthew. I'll be back before my curfew. I hope you have a wonderful night."
She leaves the house, Matt moving to the window to watch her leave before Nicole stands behind him, kissing his shoulder blade, "Babe, come sit down. She'll be okay."
They sit on the couch, Matt's knees bouncing before Nicole climbs on his lap, kissing along his neck, "You know, with your mom out of the house, we can finally get around to that engagement sex."
"I am a little angry and tense."
"So very angry and tense. Let me help you relieve that."
Matt stands up, quickly, hooking his arms underneath Nicole's legs so she doesn't fall and moves to the bedroom. He slams the door shut behind him before throwing her back on to the bed and stripping off his shirt.
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AN: ENGAGED MATT AND NICOLE!!! FINALLY!!
Nicole is like a mama bear when it comes to Kelly. Don't yell at him or make him like a monster or she'll come at you.
QoC: How do you think Nicole will react to Gabby talking to Voight about finding out who shot Antonio?
Thanks for all of the votes and reads and comments!!!