So I noticed it's been a while since I updated, and since I'm still in the thick of something else that is eating up a lot of my writing time . . . have another chat part while you wait. It does lead into the next chapter, and I think everyone will have a ball with this.

Group chat part trois, subtitled "Sylvie Starts To Do Her Thing." You'll understand.

***

Carlos: I have a problem

Eddie: Isn't that a first?

Frank: What's a first?

Buck: Carlos having a problem

Sylvie: It doesn't happen very often

TK: The only problem I remember having was with the parents

Carlos: Not my finest moment

Matt: You were drinking while Sev, Eddie and I had to go to the 126 afterwards

Matt: Definitely not your finest moment

Carlos: Thank you for that reminder Casey

Kelly: Well you're running out of time to share your problem

Kelly: Pretty sure the flight attendants will tell me, Case, and TK to put our phones away in a few minutes

Carlos: Right

Carlos: My problem

Carlos: I'm trying to find a way to blame this situation on Austin

Nolan: What situation is this

Nolan: And will it be a problem with this case

Carlos: This situation is this case

Frank: You lost me

Nolan: That's bad

Nolan: You pulled Carlos onto this case

Frank: I know

Frank: What's the situation

Carlos: See normally I would say "only in Austin would this situation happen"

Carlos: And yet it's New York where the prime suspect in a murder trial is a world-famous tennis star

Frank: That's your problem?

Nolan: Says the New York-based homicide detective who brought an Austin patrol officer onto the case

Nolan: No offense Carlos

Carlos: None taken

Carlos: I think

Frank: The guy helped crack the kidnapping case in Austin

Frank: That was a pretty good audition for this case

Nolan: Oh I know very well how that case ended

Frank: Is this really the place to discuss my driving?

TK: Go find your own chat for that

Eddie: Suddenly they don't seem so out of place

Nolan: Shut up

Sylvie: Back to Carlos's point

Sylvie: I see it

Sylvie: Which world-famous tennis star?

Buck: Lucy McDaniel

Frank: How the hell did you know that

Eddie: It's Buck

Eddie: He knows a lot of random facts

Eddie: It's one of Chris's favorite things about him

Buck: And tennis was a hobby for a while

Buck: I still follow it on occasion

Frank: You should talk to Kevin in that case

Buck: Noted

Kelly: Question

Nolan: Answer

Nolan: Maybe

Kelly: Why did a world-famous tennis star kill a judge

Nolan: Excellent question

Nolan: Would the police in the chat like to answer that question

Nolan: The prosecutors would like to know that too

Frank: One day I am going to kill you

Frank: One day

***

Grumpy Cat: Those two do know they're the only ones in that chat that aren't a couple

Grumpy Cat: Or, well, together

Grumpy Cat: Right?

Golden Retriever: Are we sure they aren't already together?

Golden Retriever: They sure sound like a married couple

Cocker Spaniel: So do you and Eddie

Cocker Spaniel: You went backwards

Grumpy Cat: While you Casey and Severide just kind of leapfrogged wherever life took you

Cocker Spaniel: Pretty sure we'd go in the right order if polygamy was legal

Golden Retriever: This coming from the girl who was certain her boys didn't love her

Cocker Spaniel: Uno reverse

Grumpy Cat: This is why you're the Dumbassest Buck

Golden Retriever: If that's what we're basing my dumbass title on

Cocker Spaniel: Dumbass title

Golden Retriever: Who has the dumbass title between Nolan and Frank

Golden Retriever: Because I think it's a tie

Cocker Spaniel: If awareness matters

Cocker Spaniel: Nolan is very aware he's attracted to Frank

Grumpy Cat: And yet he's doing nothing about it

Cocker Spaniel: He admitted it right before we flew up to New York

Cocker Spaniel: Explain to me why the murder trial where the deceased was your second dad's wife is the best time to do something about it

Golden Retriever: And that's why you are Dumbasser

Grumpy Cat: Guilty

***

Ladder Boss: Question

Medic Boss: Answer

Ladder Boss: For the odd cop out

Murder Boss: Great

Murder Boss: Picking on the police continues

Court Boss: You could always not answer

Murder Boss: I didn't even get the question yet

Squad Boss: {Image: Griffin and Ben leaning over their phones}

Murder Boss: Ah

Murder Boss: So your teenagers are doing that too

Ladder Boss: Oh good

Squad Boss: I swear to God, one day we'll need a Slamigan to pull them apart

Murder Boss: A what

Medic Boss: Remind me to temporarily add you to the squad chat one day

Medic Boss: Cruz can give you the rundown

Court Boss: It's an impressive enough tool that some sleazebag bastard tried poaching him

Murder Boss: Guessing that didn't end well

Squad Boss: Not for the sleazebag

Ladder Boss: That was just the week to make idiots hurting our people to go away

Medic Boss: Best and worst days of my life all at once

Medic Boss: Sorry Nolan

Court Boss: The bitch who threatened you got blacklisted and you got your boys

Court Boss: If that's not the best day of your life I'm worried about your head

Ladder Boss: Given the amount of life-threatening calls she's been in the middle of

Medic Boss: Matthew Casey

Squad Boss: Fuck

Squad Boss: Get out guys

***

Frank: Any idea when it'll be safe to go back to that chat?

Nolan: No idea

Nolan: It'll probably be safe after 24 hours or so

Nolan: Casey's head injury is a sore subject between all of them

Frank: Pun intended?

Nolan: And you keep saying you're going to kill me

Nolan: You know I've helped people get away with murder, right?

Frank: Lily would never forgive you if you killed me

Nolan: That's cold

Frank: Because it worked?

***

Nolan: Just to make sure

Nolan: There are days when you're tempted to kill Casey and Severide, right?

Sylvie: You did see how the group chat ended, right?

Nolan: Right

Nolan: Carry on

Sylvie: No, now I want to know what Frank did

Sylvie: Nolan?

Sylvie: And this is why you're also a dumbass

***

Buck: WEIMARANER

Carlos: Gesundheit

Frank: That's a dog breed Reyes

Carlos: I know it is

Carlos: So what's it doing here

Eddie: For the last time Evan

Eddie: We are not getting a dog

Eddie: And definitely not a dog that big

Buck: . . .

Buck: Wait

Sylvie: Oh my God

TK: You dumbassest

Buck: WRONG CHAT

Matt: I'm sorry

Matt: Wrong chat?

Kelly: How many chats do you three have?

Sylvie: With everyone in it?

Sylvie: Or just the three of us?

TK: The number of group chats in total . . .

TK: Yeah that would take a while

Nolan: The four of us have one

Frank: Seriously?

Nolan: Says the one in the Sane People Only chat

Nolan: And apparently I'm a dumbass, so

Nolan: No Sane People Allowed

TK: You're really embracing that aren't you

Nolan: I was reminded the other day part of why I'm a dumbass

Sylvie: You're welcome

Eddie: Wait a minute

Eddie: Weimaraner

Eddie: Dog breed

Eddie: Evan

Buck: I feel the need to hide in the rig

Kelly: Nope

Kelly: Not helping you there

TK: ^

Eddie: I know of a chat you have like that

Buck: Someone kill me

TK: Nope

Eddie: TK is Grumpy Cat

Carlos: What

Eddie: Sylvie is Cocker Spaniel

Matt: A beautiful one

Sylvie: The appropriate response

Eddie: Evan is Golden Retriever

Frank: I can definitely see that

Eddie: Alright

Eddie: So which of us did you deem Weimaraner

Eddie: And did you give the rest of us dog breeds as well

Kelly: You're kidding

Sylvie: Kill Buck for me will you, TK?

TK: Yes ma'am

Buck: I really need to check my chats

Buck: But coming up with six breeds is tiring

Nolan: It's not Carlos

Carlos: ?

Nolan: TK is Grumpy Cat

Nolan: If they're handing out breeds you're probably a cat too

Carlos: Why are you thinking logically right now

Nolan: Someone has to out of the four dumbasses

Nolan: Seriously

Nolan: Who's the Weimaraner

Sylvie: Well

Nolan: Oh

Nolan: Me?

Sylvie: Yeah

Nolan: Huh

Nolan: I'll take it

Frank: Really?

Nolan: It could be worse

Nolan: One of us could be a Pekingese

Kelly: Oh fucking hell

Buck: What do you have against Pekingese?

TK: They're fun to watch!

Matt: If you seriously made any of us a Pekingese

Sylvie: None of you are a Pekingese

Matt: Oh thank God

Eddie: Fuck

Eddie: I think I know what I am

Eddie: The 118 used to compare me to one

TK: Scorching hot right now Diaz

Eddie: Yep

Eddie: Pitbull

TK: Bingo

Frank: Dare I ask why you got that nickname?

Eddie: Get me drunk and I'll tell you

Frank: It's a date

Buck: Hey!

Buck: My boyfriend!

Frank: I know very well he's yours Buckley

Frank: Just remember who knows everyone the least in this chat

Sylvie: Fair

Sylvie: Rottweiler

Carlos: I had no idea Nolan could laugh that loudly

Carlos: Wow

Frank: Nolan

Nolan: If there is one thing neither of us will live down it's the Nicole Bell argument

Nolan: And none of these guys know what it was like working with you before then

Nolan: Good choice guys

Frank: Just so you know

Frank: We're back to me killing you

Frank: Fine

Frank: I'll own Rottweiler

Frank: What's Reyes

Sylvie: Well that was a little difficult

Sylvie: We went through a lot of dog breeds

Sylvie: Then we remembered TK is Grumpy Cat

Buck: Egyptian Mau

Frank: So he's Pretty Cat

Carlos: Excuse me

Frank: My ex-wife's parents have an Egyptian Mau

Frank: Lily thinks he's pretty

Frank: She isn't wrong

TK: For a second I thought you were flirting with my boyfriend

Frank: Well

Frank: He is pretty

Buck: TK's just staring at his phone right now

Buck: I think you broke him Cosgrove

Frank: At least now I know how to shut him up

Frank: I'm not lying though

Sylvie: Nope

Sylvie: You're not

Sylvie: First thing we all agreed on when we saw a picture of Carlos in uniform

Sylvie: Well, we called him hot

Sylvie: But pretty works too

Carlos: I should've gone back with the others

TK: The worst part is I can't argue with him because he could literally get away with murder

Nolan: I've helped murderers get away with murder

TK: Oh good, a partner in hypothetical crime

Sylvie: Kelly the German Shepherd could help catch you

Kelly: Not as bad as I was expecting

Sylvie: And Matt is a Belgian Malinois

Matt: Nice

Sylvie: Very handsome breeds

Carlos: Great

Carlos: They get handsome

Carlos: I get pretty

Frank: You said it this time, not me

Carlos: Can someone shut him up

Nolan: I've tried

Nolan: Clearly I know how

Sylvie: Try a different technique

Buck: Near death experiences usually do the trick

Sylvie: My brother is not getting into one of those

Frank: Oh, but I can?

Sylvie: You're a homicide detective Frank

Sylvie: How often do you get into those when you go to arrest a suspect?

Frank: Depends on the murder weapon

Nolan: You two are never allowed to be alone in a room together

Sylvie: Funny how that's what you think

***

Nolan: You aren't helping

Sylvie: Was I supposed to be?

***

Matt: Wait a minute

Matt: That's five

Matt: Who's number six?

Frank: Casey

Frank: It's three a.m. here

Matt: And I just got back to the firehouse after battling a five-alarm

Matt: What about it

Eddie: Oh yeah

Eddie: That was only five

Carlos: Why the hell are we doing this now?

Nolan: Lucy McDaniel's arraignment is in a few hours

Nolan: Why now?

Sylvie: Oh, number six

Sylvie: That's Owen

Frank: You gave your deputy chief a dog breed

Kelly: Or is it a cat breed?

Kelly: You know

Kelly: Since TK is Grumpy Cat

TK: I'm really gonna be Grumpy Cat if my phone buzzes again

Buck: Nah

Buck: Cap got a dog breed

Buck: Chief

Buck: I keep needing to remind myself of that

Carlos: For TK's sanity, will you say what it is?

Sylvie: That was actually one of the easiest

Sylvie: Great Pyrenees

TK: Is it insubordination if I throw my phone at Severide's office so he stops laughing

Buck: I'll do it to Casey's if you do it to Severide's

Sylvie: They're laughing?

TK: Yes

Nolan: Owen Strand, a Great Pyrenees

Nolan: That fits

Nolan: Yeah, I'm laughing too

Frank: . . .

Frank: Me, too

Sylvie: Told you so!

***

Kelly: I can't believe the chief called us to headquarters for this

Nolan: Are you responsible for why Sylvie is doubled over laughing?

Olivia: Does this have anything to do with why my senior detectives are cackling?

Elliot: I'm missing context

Frank: ^

Matt: All I know is the chief called Squad 9 to headquarters

Matt: As far as I know they haven't done anything wrong

Nolan: Severide has Buck and TK on his team

Matt: True

Sylvie: Oh my God

Sylvie: Please tell me Eddie isn't kidding with me

Sylvie: Because he just sent me the most hilarious scenario

Owen: Are lawyers always this cutthroat

Nolan: Are we talking prosecutors or defenders

Frank: You're vicious either way

Nolan: That's a compliment

Frank: It was meant as one

Nolan: Oh

Nolan: Thank you

Frank: Any time

Nolan: Back on topic

Nolan: Which one

Owen: My ex-wife

Elliot: Gwyn?

Matt: What did she do from the grave?

Kelly: {Image: Owen giving the camera deadpan look while TK laughs at a colorful macaw in a cage}

Kelly: Not pictured is Buck rolling on the floor

Kelly: Couldn't fit it in

Kelly: Nor could I fit Marjan slumped over the doorframe

Sylvie: Eddie was right!

Olivia: No fucking way

Olivia: She left you Ginsburg?

Frank: Ginsburg?

Owen: She left me Ginsburg

Owen: This bird hates me

Kelly: It really does

Kelly: All it's done since we got here is insult him

Kelly: What the hell

Kelly: I could write a whole insult book with this

Kelly: Chapters and everything

Sylvie: Get a video!

Owen: Do not get a video!

Matt: I can hear Paul and Mateo from here

Matt: I think Marjan already sent one

Owen: Of course she did

Frank: Can you get me that video?

Nolan: ^

Owen: I didn't expect that from you two

Nolan: You didn't expect a homicide prosecutor and detective to need some laughter in their day

Frank: ^

Matt: And people say Kelly and I think on the same wavelength

Sylvie: That's because you do

***

Elliot: Oh you little matchmaker demon

Sylvie: That's rude

Sylvie: I'm an angel not a demon

Elliot: You didn't deny the matchmaker part

Sylvie: Ask Sam what they called me in Chicago

***

Elliot: Hey Maroun

Elliot: Question

Sam: What did Frank and/or Nolan do

Elliot: {Image attached: a screenshot of the text chain with Sylvie}

Sam: Oh

Sam: Yeah apparently she was called the Queen of Hearts in Chicago

Sam: Let me guess

Sam: Frank and Nolan?

Elliot: You're familiar with this then

Sam: You aren't the one watching them flirt with each other after a verdict

Sam: Pretty sure they don't even realize the other is doing it

Elliot: Dumbasses

Sam: I think they're in that chat actually

Elliot: And which one's the dumbass?

Sam: I'm not touching that with a ten-foot pole

Sam: You're welcome to ask in my stead

***

Elliot: So I asked a little birdie something

Owen: I dread to ask

Elliot: No this isn't a question for you

Matt: That's ominous

Elliot: It is for you

Elliot: And Severide

Elliot: And Brett since she might actually be the safest one here

Nolan: This involves me doesn't it

Elliot: You're half right

Frank: I don't like that

Elliot: Who's the dumbass between those two

Olivia: What

Matt: Nope

Matt: Not touching that

Kelly: ^

Sylvie: It's Nolan

Olivia: I didn't actually expect an answer

Sylvie: Solely because we're siblings

Sylvie: TK is back to Dumbasser

Sylvie: Buck again holds the crown as Dumbassest

Nolan: Frank is the resident sane person

Frank: Thank you for finally acknowledging that

Frank: Dumbass

Kelly: He's the sanest in the sane chat too

Matt: Solely because the rest of us are in Austin around the majority of the dumbasses

Owen: What the hell did you start Stabler

Elliot: Chaos

Olivia: As usual

***

Murder Boss: Yeah

Murder Boss: I can't stop seeing it now

Court Boss: Great Pyrenees?

Murder Boss: Great Pyrenees

Squad Boss: Buck is absolutely a golden retriever

Squad Boss: TK isn't much of a grumpy cat right now

Medic Boss: That's probably because he's enjoying his dad's suffering

Medic Boss: I'm assuming it's suffering based on how Ginsburg was described

Ladder Boss: Ginsburg

Murder Boss: Who the hell names their pet that?

Squad Boss: Gwyneth Morgan apparently

Murder Boss: Never met her

Court Boss: None of us did

Court Boss: Not even Sylvie, I think

Medic Boss: Nope

Medic Boss: But keep me up to date on the bird antics anyway

Court Boss: Same here

Court Boss: Since I still have yet to know a motive

Murder Boss: We're trying

Ladder Boss: Copy that

***

Shoutout to supercorpsbixth for helping me out with figuring out the breeds, including a 1 a.m. emergency chat to determine the cat breed for Carlos.

So yeah, another chat chapter while I fine-tune the order of episodes I'm going in. Law & Order had fewer episodes than Lone Star and Chicago Fire, so shuffling them around is a little challenging sometimes.

At this point, we'll see which episodes make up next chapter! In the meantime, if anyone wants more Brettseyride, Pricegrove, and/or Sylvie & Nolan sibling goodness, I'm in the process of a multi-shot in my Sylverasey collection dedicated to all three. It was meant to be four parts . . . it's currently seven and climbing XD They're just so much fun to write! Romance, angst, found family, badass moments, and more, so check it out if you haven't already!

graphic by marvelity