#Stellaride fanfiction

[torreshalstead]

Family means family

Summary - After Stella dies on a call, Kelly locks himself away and refuses to see anyone including his daughter. There was only person who could pull Kelly out of the spiral he was in, yet he was 2000 miles away. But a single phone call from the last person Matt Casey expected to hear from changes that.

Warnings - Major Character Death

Notes - this is a prequel to Memories Bring Back You. That fic goes against my own long held headcannon that Severide is the most likely character to die from a broken heart so it was interesting to delve into a situation where he can’t do that and how that would impact him. This came out with a lot more Brettsey in than I had originally planned but I’m not mad about it! You don’t have to have read MBBY for this to make sense, they are standalone. Hope you enjoy! AO3 Link

Matt Casey finally had a second to sit down after an incredibly busy shift. When he hadn’t been on a call, he was busy running drills trying to get a couple of new firefighters on his rig up to scratch. They weren’t quite the same as his Truck crew back in Chicago but he was determined to make them as good as they could possibly be. He did enjoy seeing them grow and develop but he was still tired and was looking forward to a quick lie down, if the bells would allow it.

It wasn’t the bells that hindered his sleep however, it was his phone ringing and a glance down at the screen showed it was possibly the last person he had expected to see calling him.

He swiped his thumb across the screen to answer the call.

‘Hey,’ he said, unsure what tone he should be taking.

‘Hey Matt, I’m sorry to call but…’ Sylvie’s voice tailed off. It was quieter and shakier than he remembered. He knew her well enough to understand that this was not going to be a catch up call.

‘No, it’s okay, what’s up?’ He asked, his uncertainty turning to concern.

‘It’s not me, it’s Stella,’ he heard her sniff as she stifled a small sob. Matt sat up straighter.

‘What happened?’ He asked quietly, a lump growing in his throat knowing this couldn’t be anything good. He had spoken to Stella just last week. Lizzie had wanted to show him a painting she had done of him and Kelly, so Stella had video called him. She had seemed fine then. That meant that something must have happened on a call.

‘There was an accident’, Sylvie took a deep breath in an attempt to calm herself but it came out shaky. ‘She didn’t make it out of a storage unit fire…’

Matt’s head dropped to his hands, it felt like a piece of his heart had been chipped off at his her words. He had known Stella for years, lived with her for a few. Watched her develop into the most incredible firefighter and leader. Been an incredible wife to his best friend and seen her become the most wonderful mother to Lizzie. That she had been taken from her family, both the one with her husband and daughter and the one at the firehouse. It wasn’t fair.

‘Kelly needs you Matt, I don’t want to ask or tell you what to do-’

‘No, I’m on the first flight.’ He interrupted with a small shake of his head. It was his best friend. There was nothing to keep him from Chicago at this point. ‘Thanks for calling Sylvie,’ he said softly, knowing it would have been hard for her to pick up the phone to call anyone and tell them about Stella, let alone call him.

‘They’re our family,’ she said quietly.

‘How are you doing?’ He asked, knowing that Sylvie always put everyone else's needs above her own and he doubted this time would be any different.

‘I.. I haven’t processed it yet. I don’t think any of us have. Just trying to hold it together for Severide’, she sniffed. ‘He’s in a bad way Matt’.

‘I wish I could say I would expect something else but he loves her with everything he has. Has he told Lizzie?’

‘That’s part of the problem. He hasn’t seen her since it happened yesterday. Sorry I didn’t ca-’

‘No no, it’s fine. I get it Sylvie, I do. Where is she then?’ He asked, knowing his best friend must be in an awful place if he was refusing to see his daughter.

‘She’s with Cindy and Hermann, she just thinks they are both working late I think. I’ll explain everything else when you get here. Let me know which flight you get on and I’ll pick you up.’

‘Okay. And thank you Sylvie, I’m glad it was you that called,’ he smiled softly, allowing himself a moment of comfort.

‘Of course, I’ll see you soon Matt’. And with that the call ended. And Matt was sitting alone in his office with the knowledge that one of his closest friends was no longer with them and his best friend was in agonising pain and he was almost 2000 miles away.

—————————————————————————

His chief had granted him the furlough immediately, no questions asked. He hadn’t even gone back home, just grabbed his station bag which had a couple of changes of clothes in it and headed straight to the airport. He had enough friends in Chicago that someone could lend him some clothes if needed. He didn’t want to waste any time.

Matt didn’t know what he would find when he touched down in Chicago but if Sylvie had called him, he knew it wouldn’t be anything good. Kelly had suffered loss before, more loss than one person should experience in their life and to have his wife taken away from him and leave him as a single parent, it was just cruel.

When Kelly had taken the OFI position after Stella had given birth, Matt wasn’t even a little bit surprised. He knew how much he loved his wife and Stella was just at the beginning of her career. She still had so much to give to the CFD. Severide had always been exceptional at arson investigation and if it meant he could be at home for his daughter then it made perfect sense.

However Matt knew his best friend, had known him and worked alongside him for years, so he knew that somewhere inside he would be questioning if he had been on the call if he could have helped, or even saved her. Without knowing the exact details of the call Matt couldn’t give a definitive answer but knew that if Kelly had been there, the likeness was that Lizzie would have lost both of her parents that day and Matt would be flying back to his home city for an even more heartbreaking reason.

Before he got on the flight, he dropped Sylvie a message to let her know when he was due to land, with a caveat to say she didn’t need to pick him up and he could get an Uber. He knew that she would be waiting for him at the arrivals gate though. He had also sent a message to Boden, Cruz, Hermann and Mouch to let them all know he was on his way back and that Sylvie had filled him in. He wished he was heading back to see his friends for a more positive reason but some small part of him was glad he would be around people experiencing the same grief he was. If he had had to go through losing Stella alone in Oregon, well, he’s not sure he could have.

—————————————————————————

As he had expected, Sylvie was waiting for him when he got through the arrivals gate. He could feel the nerves and the sense of uneasiness coming off of her as soon as he spotted where she was standing. She was tugging her sleeves over her hands, glancing around and nibbling her bottom lip. He hadn’t seen her since the morning after Kelly and Stella’s wedding, they had said goodbye at her apartment door as she had to go to shift and he had a flight to catch. They hadn’t spoken aloud the thought they were both sharing, that it might be the final time to see each other. They just held each other closely.

He walked over to her and before saying anything wrapped her tightly in his arms. He knew it had been the right decision when he felt her stiffness disappear and she melted into his embrace. He didn’t loosen his hold when he felt her shake and her tears wet his neck, he just let her cry in his arms. He felt the tears begin to spill from his own eyes but didn’t care enough to wipe them away. They were both sad, a horrible thing had happened and crying was a natural response, what onlookers thought didn’t matter right now.

‘Hi,’ he said softly when she eventually pulled back. He reached to wipe a stray tear from her cheek, not questioning how easy it was to fall back into simple physical contact with her.

‘Hi,’ she echoed. ‘That all you bring?’ she asked, nodding to the bag which was slung over his shoulder.

‘Yep, came straight from the firehouse, figured I could borrow some clothes off people if I need to’, he said as the pair started to walk towards the exit.

‘I still have a few of your things,’ Sylvie said quietly, a hint of embarrassment laced through her voice.

‘Then that’s perfect’, he said, smiling to dissuade her of those feelings. He still had a couple of her shirts in the back of his closet too. Getting rid of them had always felt too final. ‘Is Severide at the loft?’ He asked.

‘We think so’, she answered. ‘We haven’t seen him since the hospital. But that must have been where he went.’

‘Okay, so first stop is there? Then go see Lizzie?’ Sylvie nodded in agreement. First thing first, he had to see if he could coax his oldest friend out to see his one and only daughter, Matt knew it would be a challenge but knew he needed to succeed. For Kelly’s own sake.

—————————————————————————

The drive to the loft was bizarre. The air was thick with everything they weren’t saying. Matt was fighting the urge to reach across the centre console to hold Sylvie’s hand or rest his hand on her leg like they used to. What had brought them back together was something so tragic but the fact it could have been anyone who came to pick him up brought him an ounce of hope. Maybe it was wrong to feel this way considering where they were driving and what would be waiting for him but in the same breath he knew that Stella would want everyone to be happy.

When they pulled up to the loft, it was eerily quiet.

‘I’ll wait in the car for you. If you can get him out then I’ll drive you both to Hermann’s, I don’t imagine he’s in a fit state to drive,’ Sylvie said as she put her car in park.

‘Okay, I’ll leave you with my bag?’ he asked as he got out of the car, Sylvie nodded.

The walk up to the loft was bizarre, almost a sense of deja vu took over him, having walked this route for many years but not being back to visit in some time. Although he knew there was likely to be a spare key above the door frame, now was not quite the time to invade his friend's privacy. He would wait to see if he would be invited in, so knocked the door loudly and waited.

He couldn’t hear any movement inside but Kelly’s Mustang and Stella’s Jeep had been outside, along with his bike so Matt knew he was inside.

‘Kelly, it’s Matt, you going to let me in?’ He said loudly after a couple of moments, accompanying it with another loud knock. ‘I’m so sorry about Stella, Sylvie told me. I can’t imagine what you’re going through. Open up and we can talk about it?’ When he still received no response, he tried another tack. ‘Sylvie and I were going to go and see Lizzie, I’m sure she’d like to see her dad? You could come with us?’

After another few moments of silence, Matt decided today was clearly not the day. Grief worked in funny ways and if Severide needed another day of solitude then Matt was going to be the one to grant that.

‘I’m going to go now Kelly but if you need me I’m at the other end of the phone. I’ll give Lizzie your love and I’ll be back tomorrow. And I really am sorry mate’. He hung his head and rested his palm against the door, hoping for a moment that Kelly would open the door but when that didn’t occur, he turned around and walked back to the car and to Sylvie.

‘You tried’, Sylvie said solemnly when he climbed back into her car.

‘I guess, let’s go see Lizzie and we can try again later’, Matt said. He hadn’t seen Lizzie in person since she was a baby, when Stella and Kelly had surprised him with a visit, although he spoke on the phone with her a lot so he was excited to see her. A pang deep in his chest reminded him that she didn’t know her mother had died and her father had locked himself away from the world. Maybe that was best, he thought, to give her another day before her life was irrevocably changed forever.

—————————————————————————

When Matt knocked on the door to the Hermann residence, with Sylvie behind him, he wasn’t sure he’d be able to keep it together in front of the little girl but knew he had to.

Hermann opened the door and immediately pulled him into a hug. The older firefighter was not usually one to initiate physical contact but Matt held him tightly anyway.

‘Good to see you man’ he said when he finally pulled back. ‘Did you see him?’

Matt shook his head dejectedly, ‘wouldn’t open the door’.

‘Same for all of us. Come on in then, the little one is in the garden playing.’ He stood back to let them in, ‘hey there Brett’, he added when Sylvie passed him with a sad smile.

The house was devoid of its usual hubbub. There had always been kids running around, the smell of something delightful coming from the kitchen, but today it was void of all of that as they walked through to the backyard.

Lizzie Severide was sitting on the swing set, kicking her feet against the dirt but not attempting to swing any further than the couple of inches it was moving as a result of her motions. When the door opened and Casey and Syvlie stepped out, her head shot up and a sudden look of disappointment flickered across her young face when the people at the door were not the ones she was clearly waiting for. The excitement when she realised who it was took over quickly however and she squealed with excitement before jumping off the swing and running towards the pair, throwing herself at Matt’s legs.

‘Uncle Matt!’ she said excitedly as he knelt down and pulled her into a tight hug.

‘Hey kiddo,’ he said as he kept the little girl cradled against his chest, trying to pour all the love he had for her into it. ‘How are you?’ he said as he pulled back slightly, keeping his hands on the tops of her arms, squeezing lightly.

‘Good. Cindy made brownies,’ she said excitedly, tugging at the bottom of her shirt and bouncing from foot to foot. ‘But Mommy and Daddy are working,’ she said, pushing her bottom lip out. The pout he was sure could get his best friend to do anything his daughter asked.

‘They are, they have important jobs. But I know they love you lots and lots,’ Matt said and pulled a smile onto his face, shielding the pain.

‘I know,’ Lizzie said with a smile, clearly it was something her parents told her a lot. Good, Matt thought, she should be told it as often as possible.

‘Did you see who I brought with me?’ Matt asked, nodding his head up at Sylvie. Lizzie’s head spun around quickly to look where he was nodding, the smile widened on her face as she realised who had come to visit with her favourite Uncle.

‘Auntie Betty!’ Matt had to stifle a laugh at this and shot Syvlie a questioning look.

‘People were calling me both Sylvie and Brett and somehow Auntie Betty was born,’ she chuckled lightly.

‘I like it,’ Matt said with a wink.

‘Only I call Auntie Betty!’ Lizzie said firmly, the little girl clearly had her mothers fire within her.

‘Of course, only you get to call me Auntie Betty,’ Sylvie smiled and ran her hand over the girl's head, her curls were attempting to be restrained with some tight dutch braids but a few flyways were escaping.

‘Uncle Matt’, Lizzie said, turning back to Casey, an inquisitive look in her eyes.

‘Yes Lizzie’, he said, dreading the question that was coming next.

‘When Mommy and Daddy coming home?’ She looked down at the floor sadly. This had clearly been a question she had asked numerous times since she had arrived at the Hermann’s.

Sylvie had explained on the drive to the loft earlier what had happened. Kelly had brought Lizzie to the firehouse to celebrate her birthday and surprise Stella, that’s when the call to the storage facility came in. Kelly and Lizzie had stayed at the firehouse, assuming the call wouldn’t take too long and they could continue the birthday celebrations afterwards. When the worst had happened, Boden had called Kelly immediately knowing he would want, more accurately, would need to be there. Kelly left Lizzie at the firehouse with Stephanie, Kylie’s replacement, and Cindy had picked her up from there. Lizzie hadn’t seen her father since.

Kelly had pulled up to the scene and it had been worse than anyone had imagined. Cruz and Boden had to physically restrain him to stop him running into the building that was still burning. Sylvie’s eyes had filled with tears when she had been telling Matt how Kelly hadn’t stopped calling Stella’s name, his voice getting more hoarse with each yell.

When she had been brought out by the Truck crew, Kelly had attempted to resuscitate her himself, yelling at everyone that he could help her, he could bring her back. The rest of them had looked on in desperation, no one knowing when they should pull him back.

Finally, Boden had pulled him back. He had fallen to his knees and hadn’t said anything else. The tears stopped and he just watched them load her into the ambulance. Sylvie described it as seeing his soul disappear, it was like it was just Kelly’s body, he wasn’t in there anymore, his eyes had grown empty and he hadn’t said anything else.

Cindy and Hermann had expected Kelly to come and pick Lizzie up after leaving Med but he hadn’t shown. They had tried calling, Sylvie and Joe had gone round to the loft but there had been no answer. They hadn’t seen or heard from him since.

‘As soon as they can sweetie,’ Matt said, hoping the small white lie wouldn’t come back to haunt him. ‘How about we go inside and have one of those yummy brownies and you can tell me everything you’ve been up to since I’ve seen you last?’

Lizzie took a moment to contemplate before she nodded with a smile and tugged on Matt’s hand, pulling him towards the kitchen.

——————————————————————————

‘Can you drop me off at the loft?’ Matt asked as the pair got back into the car having spent the last couple of hours hearing all about what Lizzie had been drawing or making or eating. Once you got the little girl talking, there’s no way to stop her. It was refreshing, Matt had thought, she was such a happy child, he really hoped she’d be able to keep that spark even when the awful news was broken to her.

‘Are you going to try and talk to him again?’ Sylvie asked curiously.

‘Figured I’d fill him in on how Lizzie is doing and hope that works, then I’ll kip on the couch’.

‘And if it doesn’t, you plan on sleeping in the hallway?’ She chuckled.

Matt ran his hand over his chin, his 5 o’clock shadow firmly adorning his cheeks. ‘Guess I hadn’t really thought that far’, he admitted bashfully.

‘Okay, well if you can’t get through to him, I’ll wait downstairs and you can crash with me,’ Matt’s head swivelled quickly towards her, ‘I have a perfectly good couch Matt, you know that.’

‘Guess I do’, he smiled. ‘Thanks Sylvie, that sounds like a plan’.

‘I’ll give you 20 minutes, if I don’t hear from you then I’ll assume you’re staying with Severide, okay?’ Matt nodded in agreement as they continued their way towards the loft.

The climb up to the loft felt less unusual this time, but Matt had less hope that his friend would open the door than he had had previously. He knew Kelly well enough to know that he would have gone completely into his shell and it would take a lot to get him out of it.

He had debated bringing Lizzie back with him, knowing that Severide would have to open the door to his daughter. But having no idea what state Kelly was in on the other side of the door, he didn’t want to subject Lizzie to that. He would give Kelly one more chance to let him in of his own volition before he resorted to more drastic methods.

He knocked the door slightly harder than he had done when he had been here a few hours ago, thinking maybe it was just that he had been in his bedroom and couldn’t hear him knocking.

‘Sev, hey. It’s me again. I’ve just come from seeing Lizzie. She misses you man, is asking about you and Stella. I just told her that you both loved her.’ Matt took a deep breath before continuing. ‘It can’t come from anyone else but you Kelly, and I know that’s awful and painful, but it has to. She can’t hear this when she hasn’t got you there to turn to. You’re all she’s got. She needs you.’

‘She’s grown so much man, and she’s the spitting image of Stella. She’s so smart too, took great pride in telling me all the things Hermann does wrong around the house that Cindy has to correct him. You must be so proud of her.’

‘I’m going to go now, give you a little bit more time. But I’ll be back first thing tomorrow. And Sev, I’m coming in whether you like it or not. And I really would prefer if you opened the door for me, don’t want to screw my shoulder up again by barging it down. But I will.’

As he turned to leave, he stopped and approached the door again.

‘We are all here for you. We love you, we love Stella and we love Lizzie. You’re not going through this alone man.’

—————————————————————————

‘Thanks for letting me stay Sylvie’, Matt said as he finished his takeout. They had ordered Chinese when they got back to her place, neither being in the mood to cook. Placing the empty container on the coffee table and he relaxed into the back of the couch.

It was odd being back here in her apartment. They had spent the majority of their time here when they were together. He had begun to think of it as much more of their apartment with the amount of time he spent there, sleeping in her bed more often than he slept in his own.

This is the place where they had spent their first night together, but he also knew this was the place where he had broken her heart, telling her he was leaving and going to Oregon. He knew he had had his reasons, knew that Sylvie understood them, but he still wished that they had stayed the course. He missed her, had spent a long time missing her before realising that it was futile. Until the thing keeping them apart stopped being an issue, then they would continue to stay apart.

It had stopped being an issue in the last couple of months, but Matt had still not made the final decision to come back to home. He did genuinely love his job in Oregon, fighting forest fires was something completely different and refreshing. He had spent a long time working with his crew to bring them up to the level he expected. But without the boys, there was nothing keeping him in Portland anymore.

He had contemplated coming back so often. Of calling up Boden and seeing if he could return, the likelihood of coming back to 51 was slim, he knew that, all the leadership positions had been filled. But even if he was back here, he would be around his family again.

Griffin had been accepted into the CFD and was now working as a candidate at a house across the city, although Matt knew his dream was to work on 81, the same truck as his father.

Ben was studying Maths over on the East Coast. He didn’t have the same pull back to Chicago as Griffin did but also had no inclination of staying in Portland. When he had applied to colleges on the East Coast and got accepted to a small school, he was incredibly excited and Matt was equally as proud of him.

He would be lying if he had said that Sylvie wasn’t a factor in his decision either. Both for the want to come back and the uncertainty about it. He didn’t expect them to be able to immediately fall back into what they had before, but at least without the physical distance between them, it could actually be a possibility again.

‘It’s no problem’, Sylvie said with the soft smile that Matt had been so fond of. It was different to the smile that Syvlie used the majority of the time, the one she dolled out to patients as easily as breathing. This was the smile she shared only with those she cared deeply about, the ones that she had let into her life and through her defences. Matt was grateful that he could still be included in that group. ‘You sure you’ll be okay out here?’ She brushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear. ‘We’ve shared a bed before, I don’t mind,’ she said softly.

Matt smiled warmly but shook his head. ‘It’s alright, I’ve stayed out here before. It’s perfectly comfortable. I don’t think either of us are in an emotionally stable state to be sharing a bed again, not yet,’ he added with a glance up at Sylvie and clocked how a blush started to spread across her cheeks. ‘But I’m here if you need me’, he said and she nodded in response.

‘Probably a smart idea,’ Sylvie said with a smile that didn’t quite meet her eyes. ‘I’ll get you some blankets then.’ She retrieved them, placed them on the coffee table and then smiled before retreating to her bedroom, leaving Matt standing alone in the living room wondering if he had just made the wrong choice.

At some point in the night however, he felt a small hand on his shoulder and awoke to see Sylvie standing over him, her eyes rimmed with red. He sat up quickly and she reached out a hand to him, he hesitated slightly before placing his hand in hers. She tugged him wordlessly towards her bedroom and he went willingly, following her without question.

She climbed into the bed, the side she had always slept on and held up the covers for him to slide under as well. When he had made himself comfortable, she curled herself into his chest, her body warm against his. He wrapped his arms around her in a familiar motion, allowing himself a moment to breathe in her usual vanilla shampoo scented hair. The pair fell asleep, awash in the comfort that being in each other's presence and arms provided and when they awoke in the morning they didn’t question it, they simply just smiled.

—————————————————————————

Sylvie was on the shift that day so Matt drove her to work and then headed straight over to the loft in her car. He wasn’t taking no for an answer today, he needed to see his friend and he needed Kelly to agree to go see his daughter. Keeping Lizzie in the dark any longer than necessary wasn’t the right thing to do but at the same time, the news had to come from Kelly.

Approaching the front door, he stretched out his shoulders. Matt hadn’t been kidding when he said he’d break down the door if he needed to. Feeling like he should probably give his friend a warning, he knocked on the door and announced his presence.

As with the previous times he had stood in this spot, there was no answer. So Matt took a couple of steps back, he knew the door was pretty heavy so might take a bit to get it down. Just as he began to take the first step forward it opened and a dishevelled looking Kelly stood before him.

He didn’t say anything as Matt took in his appearance. His hair, much greyer than it had been when Matt had left Chicago, was stood up in a myriad of directions, he was supporting at least 2 days worth of stubble on his cheeks and if Matt had to take a guess, the sweatpants and t shirt adorning his body were equally as old.

‘Hey,’ Matt said as he walked past his friend and into the apartment they had once shared. Just like Kelly, the apartment was also in a state. There were empty beer bottles littering the coffee table and the kitchen counters, containers of home cooked food no doubt brought over by Cindy and Donna, were sitting out of the fridge.

‘Didn’t want you breaking down the door,’ Kelly huffed as he walked over to the couch and threw himself down on it. Resuming the position that Casey assumed he had been in since he had returned here after the news broke. He reached out and grabbed one of the beer bottles off the table and took a swig, clearly one of the not completely empty ones.

‘I wouldn’t have to if you'd opened it yesterday when I knocked,’ Matt said, standing near the kitchen, unsure if his best friend would welcome him sat down near him at this point.

‘Thought you’d take the hint that I didn’t want company,’ Kelly said with a gruff laugh.

‘Well too bad, I’m here now so why don’t you get cleaned up and we can go see Lizzie. She’s asking for you.’

Kelly shook his head and lowered his gaze, picking at the label on the bottle.

‘I know it’s tough-’ Matt started to say before Kelly’s head shot up, his eyes rimmed with red.

‘You know?’ Kelly scoffed harshly. ‘You’ve had to tell your daughter that her mother is dead and won’t ever be coming home?’ He laughed coolly and took another draft from the bottle. ‘Didn’t think so’, he muttered and his gaze fell back down to the floor.

‘No, but I did lose a fianceé,’ Matt said calmly. ‘And I had to tell the Darden boys that their mother was in jail and couldn’t come home.’ Matt took a deep breath before continuing. ‘And I lost my father when I was a kid too, lost my mother at the same time as well in a manner of speaking.’ Matt swallowed, he wasn’t one to compare traumas but he hoped it would reinforce with Kelly that he was speaking from a place with a little knowledge on the subject.

Severide looked up, the tears that had been held back by his eyelashes before, were now silently making their way down his cheeks. ‘Sorry,’ he said quietly. ‘I didn’t mean it like that.’

‘I know you didn’t,’ Casey said as he made his way over to the living space and took a seat on the empty chair. ‘But Lizzie needs you Kelly.’

‘I know but how do I tell her? I haven’t even processed it myself yet,’ Kelly said, angrily wiping the tears away from his face as if they were a display of weakness.

‘You process it together,’ Matt said steadily. ‘I’m not saying it’ll be easy Severide, hell, it’ll be the hardest thing you’ve ever had to do. But it’s the right thing to do.’

Kelly nodded, keeping his gaze firmly on the floor. ‘I keep thinking I’m going to see her, out here making dinner or coming in the door after a shift. Keep hearing her voice, talking to Lizzie, playing with her. And then I look over and there’s no one there.’ He sniffed and wiped away his continued stream of tears. ‘And if I’d have been there, I could have done something. I could have saved her.’ The final sentence was distorted by a sob and a thud as the beer bottle he had been holding fell to the floor and Kelly cradled his head in his hands.

‘If you’d have been there, Lizzie would have lost two parents that day.’ Matt said slowly. ‘There was a reason when you had her, you went to work at OFI. And you can say it was the hours of whatever, but I know you and Stella had the discussion about you both being on a call. When you’re a first responder and have kids, you have to think like that.’ Kelly nodded but kept his head buried in his palms.

‘I can’t do this without Stella,’ he whispered.

Matt had stayed strong until this point, had decided this was not the place for him to display his grief, he was here for his friend, but the heartbreak in hearing those words brought tears to his eyes.

‘You can’, he said, ignoring how his voice cracked. ‘You’re not alone in this Kelly. Your 51 family is here for you and we won’t let you go through this alone. We’ve got you and we’ve got Lizzie.’

‘She was the best mom’, he said, lifting his head out of his hands slightly to gaze across the room. Matt followed his line of sight and saw that his eyes had landed on a framed photo of Stella and Lizzie laughing. ‘She was scared about it when we found out we were expecting but she was incredible. The pregnancy, the birth, everything. I fell in love with her even more every day.’ He wiped a wayward tear but a hint of a sad smile was beginning to tug on his lips. ‘And then Lizzie came along and she’s the spitting image of Stella. A mini her if ever there was one. She talks like her, walks like her, has her eyes and her smile. Stella taught her everything she knew, and I know she’s so proud of her,’ his smile faltered but he continued. ‘I’m so proud of her. I’m proud of them both. They made me who I am but without Stella… it just feels like a piece of me is missing. And I don’t want to pass that hurt on to Lizzie. She doesn’t deserve that. She’s so perfect. Too perfect to be in pain.’

Matt sat silently, letting his friend get everything out that he needed to. It was breaking him to see Kelly in this much pain and for the first time he really understood why he had been avoiding seeing his daughter.

He was trying to protect her. To let her have a couple more hours, more days, before her life would be changed forever. He didn’t want to be the one that caused her pain.

‘Stella didn’t deserve to die.’ Kelly said into the silence. Matt didn’t know how to respond, he agreed of course but in their line of work unfortunately they could never guarantee they would walk out of every fire. Both he and Kelly understood that but he guessed the reality was something that couldn’t be completely comprehended until it happened.

‘Is she okay?’ Kelly said, turning his head quickly to look at Matt who looked stunned at the question. ‘Lizzie, I mean.’

Matt nodded. ‘She’s fine. She misses you and her mom and has been asking about you. Cindy and Hermann have just been saying you’re still at work which seems to have appeased her for now but it won’t for much longer.’

Kelly nodded, wiping his hands across his face and pressing his heels into his eyes. ‘Will you come with me?’ He asked as he stood up. ‘To tell her?’

Matt nodded in agreement, ‘I’m here for whatever you need. We’re family.’

—————————————————————————

Whilst Kelly showered and got himself cleaned up, Matt busied himself by tidying up around the apartment. Throwing out all the empty bottles and checking the contents of the food containers to see if anything could be saved and refrigerating what he could salvage. By the time Kelly came out of the bedroom, the loft was back to looking in a more inhabitable state.

‘You didn’t have to-’ but Matt shook his head before Kelly could finish his sentence.

‘Don’t. We’re family.’ He smiled, and Kelly returned it, albeit a smaller smile but it was genuine all the same. ‘I called Cindy to let her know we were coming over’. Kelly nodded. ‘You ready?’ Matt asked.

‘No, but I don’t think I ever will be.’

‘Come on then, let’s go’. Matt said, leading the way to the door. He turned around once he had reached it and saw Kelly rooted firmly to the same spot he had been a minute before. He opened the door and waited patiently. He knew his friend just needed another moment, he had said he was going to see Lizzie today and Matt believed him.

‘Okay’, Kelly said shakily as he ran his hand through his hair and walked through the door Matt was holding open for him.

—————————————————————————

The drive to the Hermann’s was tense, the air was thick. Everytime Matt glanced over Kelly he was bouncing his leg and wringing his hands. The old roommates sat in silence, this was going to be tough no matter which way you span it and if Kelly needed any help, Matt hoped he knew he could ask.

When they walked up to the door, Severide hesitated with his fist outstretched, an inch away from making contact with the wood. Matt rested his hand comfortingly on his shoulder and felt an ounce of tension drain from Kelly who knocked 3 times before taking a step back.

Cindy opened the door, a sad smile on her face as she pulled Kelly in for a hug.

‘I’m so sorry for your loss Kelly,’ she said quietly, holding him tightly before pulling back. ‘She’s in the garden.’

Kelly nodded and pulled his lips into a tight line.

‘I’ll stay with Cindy but we will be in here if you need us,’ Matt said, closing the front door behind them and gesturing to the living room.

Kelly nodded again and walked towards the backdoor. Matt heard the yells of ‘Daddy!’ when he opened it. It felt like a stab to his chest knowing that that excited voice would become the exact opposite in just a few moments.

He and Cindy sat side by side on the couch, neither knowing what to say or do, trying to give the Severide’s their privacy but at the same time being ready to jump in with support if it was needed.

After 15 minutes when neither Kelly or Lizzie had reappeared, Matt walked into the kitchen to peer out the window. What he was greeted with, shattered his heart even more.

Kelly was sitting on the swing, with Lizzie in his lap, her body curled tightly into his, his arms around her, a hand running over her hair. Matt could see the tears on Kelly’s face from here and could see how the little girl's body was shaking too. Severide was talking quietly to her whilst lightly pushing the swing back and forth. Matt stood there for a moment, before it felt like he was intruding on a private moment and returned to the living room. He smiled softly at Cindy and nodded at the unasked question.

A couple of minutes later, Severide appeared with a tired Lizzie still curled in his arms holding on tightly to her father.

‘Uncle Matt, is it alright if you take me and Lizzie home?’ He asked, his eyes were still red from the tears but he seemed lighter than when he had left the loft.

‘Of course’, Matt got up and smiled. ‘You okay?’ he mouthed, not wanting to ask anything else outright in front of Lizzie. Severide nodded with a sad smile.

Lizzie fell asleep in the back of Sylvie’s car as Matt drove them back to the loft so Severide carried her upstairs and tucked her in on the couch.

‘I don’t want to put her in her room in case she wakes up and doesn’t know where she is’, Kelly said as he leant against the kitchen island, with Matt on the other side.

‘Good idea. Do you want me to get you two anything?’ He asked but Kelly shook his head.

‘You’ve already done enough man, we appreciate it. And I know Stella would too’, he smiled sadly again. ‘When are you going back to Portland?’ he asked curiously, knowing his best friend must have had to drop everything quickly to make it out to Chicago as fast as he did.

‘Still got a few things to work out on that front, but I’ll let you know.’ Matt smiled as he picked up his jacket. ‘I’ll leave you to it, but call me if you need anything okay?’ Kelly nodded and followed Matt to the door.

‘Thanks again, not sure anyone else could have got me out that door today’.

Matt hesitated and then pulled Kelly into a hug, slapping him a couple of times on the back before pulling away. ‘Family means family’.

—————————————————————————

Matt used the remainder of the day visiting his sister who he hadn’t seen since he had left either. She hadn’t heard about Stella but had met her a few times so was still saddened by the news. She offered to let him stay there that night which he took her up on. Sylvie had said he could crash at hers again but it felt weird being there without her and he didn’t want to intrude on Severide’s time with his daughter.

He got up early the following morning, his flight was later that afternoon but he had a couple of things he wanted to get done before he headed to the airport.

First was to stop by 51. He was picking up Sylvie and a conversation with her was high on his list but first, he had a meeting with Boden.

He had called his old boss and mentor the previous afternoon when it became clear to Matt that he was needed back in Chicago. The same thing that had called him to leave for Potrland in the first place, was now calling him home. Family.

He wanted to speak to Boden about returning to the CFD. And specifically about returning to Boden’s district. He knew he wanted to return to 51 at some point but for now he would settle to being somewhere under Boden’s watchful eye.

He hadn’t expected the meeting to be as direct as it had been. Boden without hesitation offered him the command position back on Truck 81. It wasn’t the same company it had been when he had left but Boden was wary about putting a floater or someone from another house into the empty space. The whole house was grieving and that crew specifically had lost their leader. But if there was anyone who Boden felt comfortable being in charge of the truck, it was Matt Casey. He was grieving too and understood just what an important person's shoes he would be attempting to step into.

Matt had been shocked by the offer and let him know he would need to speak to Kelly about it. Although for years 81 had been his rig, it was Stella’s now and her husband should at least get a say about who would take over. He didn’t want anyone to feel like he was replacing her or usurping her position.

He was still deep in thought, when Sylvie walked onto the apron.

‘Penny for them?’ She asked with a smile, nudging him gently with her shoulder.

‘Not sure they’re worth that but I’ll tell you in a bit. Fancy a walk along the riverwalk? I missed it in Portland’.

—————————————————————————

Matt wasn’t sure what Sylvie’s response would be when he told her he was coming back to Chicago. He hadn’t expected her to jump into his arms immediately but he also hadn’t been expecting the stoney silence he was currently experiencing.

‘Say something Sylvie,’ he asked as they continued to meander next to the river.

‘Don’t come back just for me,’ she said quietly and abruptly stopped.

‘What?’ Matt asked, confused, turning around to face her.

‘I’ve moved for relationships before Matt, and felt stuck and I don’t want you to feel like that.’ She ran a hand through her hair, her expression difficult to read. ‘If you want to come back to Chicago for you, then please do. I know it’s your home. But if you’re only coming back for me, then please… please don’t’.

‘I’m coming back for a number of reasons,’ Matt started. ‘But I won’t lie to you and say that you aren’t included in that. But you’re not the only one.’ He added quickly as she opened her mouth to interrupt him.

‘There’s nothing holding me in Portland anymore. Griffin is in Chicago now and Ben’s off at college. And sure I like my job there but it’s got nothing on the CFD. And I need to be here for Severide. He won’t say he needs the help or even ask for it, but this is going to be so hard on him and Lizzie. I can’t abandon them.’

He reached out his palm, hoping Sylvie would take it. He squeezed her hand lightly when she did.

‘But the reason we didn’t work was because I wasn’t here. And I’m not saying we will get back together or everything would be simple again but if I’m here then at least there’s a chance, right?’ he smiled and Sylvie returned it warmly.

‘There’s a chance’, she echoed. ‘But what about work? Will the CFD have you back?’

‘Boden’s offered me the spot on 81. But I need to talk to Kelly before I take it. I don’t want him to think I’m erasing Stella’s legacy by going back to it. She deserves to be remembered and held in everyone’s memory.’

The pair continued to stroll along the riverwalk, taking in the early morning bustle of Chicago. And if they were still holding hands at the end of it, then neither of them mentioned it.

—————————————————————————

Sylvie dropped Matt off at the loft again, having called ahead to make sure it was alright for him to pop in.

‘Hey’, Kelly said as he welcomed Matt in through the door. A stark comparison to the last time he had opened the door for him. ‘Want breakfast?’ He gestured to the kitchen where the bacon was cooking in the pan.

‘Nah I picked something up with Sylvie’, Matt smiled and followed him over, taking a seat at one of the bar stools.

‘Interesting’, Kelly said with a smirk as he turned the bacon over.

‘Shush, but there is something I want to talk to you about’, he said, a sudden sense of apprehension filling him.

‘Shoot’, Kelly said, busying himself with some eggs.

‘I’m coming back to Chicago. And Boden offered me the command of 81’. He saw Kelly freeze, still facing away from him. After a couple of seconds of silence, Matt continued. ‘But I told him I needed to speak to you. 81 is Stella’s truck and I don’t want you to think I’m stepping in where I shouldn’t, or trying to take over from her.’

Kelly turned around and shook his head. ‘If anyone’s going to take over from Stella, I’m glad it’s you.’ He said with a smile, his eyes brimming with tears. ‘You understand how big of a task it is, to walk in her shoes. And I know the crew would respect you, unlike if someone new came along and tried to take her place. And I know Stella would be okay with it too.’

‘If you’re sure?’ Matt asked.

‘I’m sure, but you’re sure you want to come back to Chicago? You’re not just coming back because of me and Lizzie right?’ He gestured at himself and then down the corridor with the spatula in his hand. ‘Because we’ll be okay, it’ll be a tough road, but we will be okay’.

Matt chuckled lightly, ‘you sound just like Sylvie. No I’m not just coming back for you too, although it has factored into my decision. And no, before you ask, I’m not just coming back for Sylvie either. Chicago is my home and my family is here. And it’s time for me to come back to that’.

‘Okay then’, Kelly said, downing his tools and walking round to the other side of the island. ‘Welcome back to Chicago,’ he said as he pulled Matt into a hug.

‘I do have to go back to Portland first and actually resign,’ he chuckled as Kelly pulled back a smirk etched on his face. ‘But I’ll be back for the funeral in a couple of days, and then I’m staying. For good.’

#Stellaride #brettsey #sevasey #Matt Casey #Kelly severide #Stella kidd #Sylvie Brett #Chicago fire #Stellaride fic #Brettsey fic #Chicago fire fic #one Chicago #one Chicago fic #Stellaride fanfic #Stellaride fanfiction #Brettsey fanfic #brettsey fanfiction #chicago fire fanfic #Chicago fire fanfiction #one chicago fanfic #one chicago fanfiction

[proceduralpassion]

𝐌𝐨𝐧 𝐀𝐦𝐨𝐮𝐫

𝐏𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝐊𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐒𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐱 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐚 𝐊𝐢𝐝𝐝 (𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐞)

𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲: 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐚 𝐦𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐧𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐛𝐨𝐫 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐲 𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧. 𝐍𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐀𝐔

𝐀/𝐍: 𝐇𝐢𝐢𝐢𝐢 𝐈 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞'𝐬 𝐚𝐥𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐚 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐊𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐚 𝐦𝐞𝐭, 𝐩𝐫𝐞-𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝟒, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐦𝐲 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐦𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭'𝐯𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬- 𝐚𝐬 𝐧𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐬. 𝐔𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐟 𝐈'𝐥𝐥 𝐚𝐝𝐝 𝐞𝐱𝐭𝐫𝐚 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐫 𝐢𝐟 𝐢𝐭'𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝-𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐩𝐥𝐬 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞, 𝐫𝐞𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐠 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲𝐞𝐝! <𝟑

𝐖𝐂: ~𝟏.𝟐𝐤

𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠(𝐬): 𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐠𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐥/𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐥 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡

Stella sighed as she plopped her last box on the table. After hauling in every single package of her belongings into her new apartment, she felt dead on her feet and had just enough energy to fall on her new couch. She laid down and closed her eyes, taking her time in evening her breaths and allowing the aches to leave her overworked muscles.

Chicago was a new slate for her. It was her first time on her own and while it was scary, she was enlivened with the road ahead of her. She’d enrolled in the fire academy and was due to start her first day on Monday. There were no new friends made as of yet, but she had perused the area in her battered Jeep Scrambler and found interesting little coffee shops and hole in the wall restaurants she might explore in her off time. 

And despite its desolate environment, she was proud to call this dingy old apartment her own. It was dirt cheap and probably had a broken health code violation or two, but it was the first place she could call hers and that would have to be enough for right now. 

She sought comfort on the leather couch she copped on sale from Walmart and her eyes were heavy, silently asking for rest. It was right when she was on the brink of a good ass nap, that she heard the miniscule pitter patter of feet across the dusty wooden floors. She recognized the sound immediately, due to her other previous abhorrent living conditions. The gasp flew from her mouth before she could even fully sit up and her elevated pulse left her just a little weary on her feet when she rose up like a rocket. 

“Shit, shit, shit!” She exclaimed. 

Her eyes raced around the room, looking for that nettlesome rodent that was somewhere spurting across her living room floor. 

She’d give the big creature its credit, it was by the largest rat she’d ever seen in her life. And even still, it was moving rapidly around for its size. 

“I don’t get paid enough for this shit,” Stella grumbled. 

She actually hadn’t been paid anything at all. The landlord had allowed her to pay several months rent in advance with the money she’d saved up for the past year. But with her focus on excelling at the fire academy, she had no incoming cash at the moment, including the money it’d probably cost to get an exterminator here.

“Plan B, I guess.” 

She actually didn’t have a plan B and she looked around her unpacked apartment for anything to kill the vermin with.

When Stella first came to look around at the place, she had noticed an abandoned hoe outside on the stoop. It hadn’t moved even after she signed her lease papers and was still there today in its corner as she walked in and out of the building to move her things in.

“Ding, ding, ding,” she said to herself as she walked outside to grab it. 

She was so focused on her designated path that she hadn’t looked up with enough notice to collide straight into a hunk of flesh. 

Hands were there to grasp her before she fell to the ground from the force of the impact. She groaned in surprise and looked up to be met with a smirking expression from a handsome, rugged man. Stella only took two seconds to admire how attractive he was considering she was still focused on getting that rat out of her apartment.

She apologized with a mutter, “Sorry, woman on a mission.”

Even as she moved to walk around him, he held onto her, “Wait. You’re my new neighbor?”

Stella looked at him again with a sense of confusion before looking out at the building next door and the classic Ford Mustang parked out front that wasn’t there before.

“Hmm, I guess I am. Stella.” She held out a hand to introduce herself.

“Kelly,” the man responded with a firm shake.

“Well, I’d love to stay at chat but I gotta go see a man about a rat.”

Kelly guffawed, “I think you mean horse.”

Stella grinned awkwardly, “No, I mean a literal rat.” She grabbed the hoe that was a few feet from her. “Wish me luck.”

She didn’t wait for him to leave, merely stalking back in like the rat axe murderer she would be for the next few minutes. Instead of walking back to his apartment, he stood there for a few minutes in both amusement and deep thought. He considered whether she’d call the police for him being a trespasser and he figured he’d take the chance, considering she seemed like cool-weathered.

He slowly ambled in, grinning at the curses he could hear from her while in the hallway. If the unit was anything like his own, he knew the hallway led to the living room and the kitchen branched off shortly before then. 

He took that detour, hoping that what he was looking for would be there. It took a few glances into the unpacked boxes but he clicked his tongue in approval once he found what he was looking for. He grabbed it and then picked up a random container that’d be large enough for the creature.

Walking into the living room, Kelly was amused once again at Stella taking haphazard swings with the hoe while trying to capture the rat. He wanted to warn her that she’d potentially mess up her floors if she kept doing that, but the last thing he wanted was to scare her or the rat that was almost in the perfect position to be cornered.

So instead of speaking up, he quietly traipsed over to the other side of the room to put the vermin in the perfect position of being captured. Stella looked up at him and before she could speak, he held up a finger. He poured a little bit of the ammonium cleaner in the storage box and took a few more quiet steps towards the rat. He locked eyes with her again while doing so and their steps were in tandem until the pest was trapped between them. Attempting to make its run, Kelly dropped the container over it and watched its movements gradually slow.

“Huh,” Stella coughed out. Her eyebrows rose in surprise before she looked back over at Kelly, “Smart.”

Kelly merely shrugged in response.

Stella walked over to him, holding her hand out, “I guess I should re-introduce myself properly.”

They exchanged names yet again, this time with bright smiles and much more appreciation. Stella let out a breath of relief, “Boy, I don’t know about you but that kinda took the wind out of me,” she started walking back towards the kitchen, “You want something to drink?”

Kelly looked down at his watch, “Another time.” He adjusted his jacket and kicked at the box with the now dead rat inside it.

“Oh, well definitely another time! How else am I gonna thank you for potentially saving me from rabies?”

He simply chuckled, though it wasn’t something he was going to hold her to. She needed help and he was simply there to provide an assist. He hadn’t planned to say anything further, but only set to walk out her unit and back to his.

“Well, I guess, I’ll be seeing you!”

He nodded in goodbye, neither of them knowing just how soon they’d be seeing each other. 

Tag list: @sparklemichele @smoothdogsgirl

#chicago fire #kelly severide #stella kidd #stellaride #kelly severide fanfiction #stella kidd fanfiction

[severidescigar]

She was my best friend - Stellaride

Fandom: One Chicago

Pairing: Kelly Severide, Stella Kidd & Leslie Shay

A/N : Pure heartbreak 🥲 my all time favorite one shot I ever wrote.

•••

After Casey moved out of the apartment, Kelly and Stella’s relationship only kept progressing so they decided to start looking for a new place to move in, that would feel more homey and cozy rather than the big industrial loft that still held so many of their memories for the past few years.

With moving came a lot of packing which was the least exciting part of the whole process. As Kelly was out all morning buying some more storage boxes, Stella was left emptying a few last drawers before being completely done. She quickly came across a stack of CDs and one in particular stood out as it had the words ‘The Contract’ written on it. While usually not being one to snoop around, she frowned debating whether she should play it or not, ultimately deciding for it as curiosity took the best of her.

“Is it on? It’s on!” Kelly’s voice echoed through the room as he appeared on the big screen. “The contract, rule number one” a womanly voice could be heard immediatly followed by Kelly’s again “We promise to never get in each other’s business…Rule number two, no matter how much work gets to us we promise to never bring it home.” The camera turned around revealing Shay holding a bottle of tequila and a smile immediatly appeared on Stella’s face. She had never heared Shay’s voice and the only picture she saw of her was the one hanging on the wall at the firehouse, as Kelly did a great job at burying old memories that brought him so much pain. “We should also say that no matter how much life gets to us, we should never bring it to work. Because what we do is so much more important than all this.”

“Is that it? Any other rules?” Kelly could be heard asking as she passed the bottle of tequila to him.

“Just one! That we…we promise to be there for each other…always, no matter what.”

“Always”

Hearing someone clearing his voice behind her Stella jumped at the sight of Kelly standing in the doorway. He’d been there a while watching most of the CD play out.

“I’m sorry I wasn’t trying to snoop through your stuff” she tried excusing herself just to be interrupted by him. “It’s fine, don’t sweat it.” Kelly sat down on the floor next to her, letting a deep breath out and pulling a box out of the drawer filled with pictures.

“You never told me much about her…” Stella said unsure, waiting to see how he’ll react so she’d know whether to drop it or not.

"She was my best friend…the purest soul I ever met, the only person I could trust for the longest time. On her first day at 51, my roommate had just moved out and she said she was looking for a new place to stay…so she moved in with me. We just clicked, like I never clicked with anyone before then…I can’t even explain it. We used to get on each other’s nerves sometimes but at the end of the day we only wanted the best for each other…we never fully respected this contract. When I injured my shoulder once on a call, she’d give me painkillers…took them from ambo and used to blame it on junkies stealing them during inventories. She’d went through so much trouble just because I was hiding an injury that would bench me for a few months…and I was so selfish because never once did I think about the possibility of her losing her job for what she was doing for me. At some point I wasn’t far from being addicted to them…I went cold turkey and in a matter of weeks I was clean…but just because she was there for me and never let me lose my focus. Then her ex showed up pregnant out of the blue, saying she still had feelings for her…which didn’t turn out too good but after that Shay kept saying she wanted a baby so bad and I thought it was some weird phase she was going through, but next thing I know we were at a fertility clinic talking about IVF and all these other procedures, but that fell through too…and that’s one of my biggest regrets, because now I’d still have a part of her here with me. Each time we fought it was because she wanted the very best for me and I didn’t want to listen and she kept pushing…man she was so stubborn. One time there was this bombing at Med, casualties everywhere and she stumbled, impaling herself in some kind of metal sticking out of the debris…she was losing so much blood but she patched herself up and kept working until she passed out…we barely kept her in bed, she wanted to go right back into the action. The days before her death we fought and we made up right before she went in that building…the building I carried her out of. Each morning after that I was waking up going to her room and hoping she’d be there…nagging me about eating her yogurt. You don’t realize how many useless fights you have with someone until they’re gone…you don’t appreciate them enough until they’re not there anymore one day. After her death I dissappeared for a while…I couldn’t go back home or to work, the thought of her was too painful and apparently it still is after all these years. When she died, I know a part of me went with her…something inside of me shifted and I wasn’t the same after that day. I wish you would’ve met her though…she would’ve loved you to the point where she would’ve tried to steal you from me.“ The two shared a laugh as Kelly’s voice slowly became more and more shaky and Stella gave his hand a comforting squeeze.

"I wish I’d met her too…I know we would’ve easily hit it off. ” Stella said looking at the pictures in front of her. “I’m sure if she was still here, she would be so proud of who you’ve become.”

“She would’ve kicked my ass so bad, each time the two of us had an argument…or each time I remotely made you upset.” He said as a small smile crept on his face at the thought of Shay scolding him when it came to relationships.

“Do you believe in soulmates Kelly?” Stella asked reciving a confused look from him in return “Because I think she was yours.”

“Then what are you?” He asked turning himself around to face Stella. “Hmm, I don’t know…but soulmates don’t have to be lovers, a soulmate is someone who gets you and connects to you on a level you can’t explain, it’s someone who inspires you to be a better person, someone you can carry with you forever and no matter what happens the love you have for them never dissappears…it’s you and Shay.”

Kelly thought after all these years he’d be able to say more than a few words about her without tears immediately appearing in his eyes, but oh boy he was so wrong. Shay will forever live on in his heart and he promised himself he’d never let her memory be forgotten.

#kelly severide #stella kidd #leslie shay #stellaride #shayveride #kelly severide one shot #kelly severide imagine #chicago fire #kelly severide fanfiction #stella kidd imagine #stellaride one shot #brettsey #upstead #matt casey #sylvie brett #hailey upton #jay halstead #chicago pd

[allielu105]

An Unexpected Family Reunion- CH 40 End Scene

Previous. Masterlist.

It was Monday morning and somehow everyone in the Severide household managed to over sleep. 

Sadie rushed to get dressed, brushing her hair up into a messy bun. She saw a folded up piece of paper on her night stand and mentally kicked herself for forgetting.

Going into the kitchen where Kelly was making coffee to go she shoved the piece of paper at him. 

"I need you to sign this!"

He quickly opened it up, glancing at the form. 

"Report card huh? Why did you wait…oh hey! Great job Sades!"

He smiled as he signed the report card full of nothing but As and Bs. 

"Thanks, hey I'm going to take the bus to school."

She mentioned quickly shoving the paper in her bag. 

"You don't want me to take you?"

Kelly asked as she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. 

"No, it'll make you late for shift. I'll be fine. I love you."

"Love you too…"

He barely finished the sentence before she was out the door. 

Stella emerged from the bedroom carrying both of their bags as Kelly finished up with the coffees. 

"Ready?"

She asked, grabbing her cup and handing Kelly his bag. 

"Ready when you are."

He kissed her cheek before following her out the door. 

As the pair walked up the apron to the firehouse Kelly's phone dinged. 

Checking it, it was a text from Sadie. 

Sades: Made it to school, wasn't late 🙃

Kelly: Good, have a good day. Love you 

Sades: love you too, yall be safe ❤️‍🔥

The rest of the day passed rather uneventfully for both Severides.

Kelly sat at the squad table later that afternoon, glancing up every once in a while, knowing Sadie was due back from school but she hadn't arrived yet. 

He pulled out his phone and checked the time, 4:30. 

He sighed and tapped on Sadie's number, pressing his phone to his ear as it rang.

Intelligence pulled up to a fresh crime scene in their respective vehicles. 

A city bus sat crookedly parked on the street, its nose crashed against a parked car. 

As the group stepped closer they could see blood splattered against the windows which were also littered with bullet holes. 

"What are we looking at?"

Voight asked the responding officer gruffly. 

"Suspected gang shooting…everyone in there is deceased. No witnesses yet."

Voight stepped onto the bus. The driver was dead, slumped over the wheel. Looking around he saw a handful of bodies laying on the floor and across seats. 

"Based on some of these tattoos I'm seeing it looks like something went on between the Latin Kings and the Black Disciples."

Atwater commented from behind him, looking at the bodies around them.

The floor was littered with brass bullet casings, blood pooled around where the bodies fell. 

A phone rang towards the back of the bus, Voight followed the sound of gentle chiming.

The phone was resting on the floor, partially covered in blood. 

With a gloved hand he picked it up, the screen still lit as it continued to ring. 

He stared at the screen, the name on the caller id read 'Kelly Bro' and a picture of Kelly and Sadie Severide stared back at him. 

**I do plan on doing a book 2 to this story. So stay tuned for future updates!**

#one chicago fanfiction #chicago fire fanfiction #chihard #kelly severide fanfiction #stella kidd #firehouse51 #stellaride #kelly severide #kellyseveridesister #chicagofire #chicagopd #voight #severide #severidesister

[summerslovelight]

The nightly struggle: Figuring out which fandom I want for my bedtime story. ♥️

#chicago fire #me #stellaride #stella kidd #kelly severide #one chicago #personal #harry styles #i love love #one direction #sex education #maeve wiley #otis milburn #maeve and otis #motis #soulmates #bedtime stories #fanfiction #fanfic #ao3 #archive of our own

[flowerstarslove]

Chapters: 5/? Fandom: Chicago Fire Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Stella Kidd/Kelly Severide Characters: Kelly Severide, Stella Kidd, Members of 51 (Chicago fire), original children characters, Original Character Additional Tags: Ian Severide, Promotion, nausea and dizziness, Nervousness, Mention of pregnancy, Remembrance, Birth, Pregnancy Test, Conversation, Chicago Med - Freeform, surprise, Exams, Childbirth, DC Hill, maternity, Mila Severide Summary:

Stella is about to be promoted, but the news she receives is not what she was expecting.

#Stellaride #fanfiction #Family Severide

[caseyandsloan]

This is a story that I’m currently working on!

Please let me know what you think and if you have any requests for the story as well<3

#chicago fire #matt casey #stellaride #sylvie brett #firehouse 51 #kelly severide #matthew casey #matt casey fanfiction #chief boden #matt casey imagine #jesse spencer

[ao3feed-chicagofire]

Me Plus You

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/GeqH4pZ

by NikkityNakNoo

This is a Stellaride fanfiction.... but just a little different to how we first met Stella Kidd! I used characters we know and love currently so forgive the deviations from the timelines of characters joining 51. I kind of just wanted to play out a different road to the begginings of Stellaride but with as many beloved characters as I could.

It is #Stellaride with some twists and turns but with the same ❤️.

I've written the first few chapters but there is a story to tell so I couldn't wait to write the whole story before getting your opinions.

X

Soooo let me know!!! Comment even if you dont like it!!! And if you do Kudos would be most welcome!

Obviously all of the characters belong to the #oneChicago writers and legal owners.

Words: 4188, Chapters: 3/3, Language: English

Fandoms: Chicago Fire

Rating: Not Rated

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Categories: F/M

Characters: Kelly Severide, Stella Kidd, Matthew Casey, Sylvie Brett, Emily Foster, Joe Cruz (Chicago Fire), Christopher Herrmann, Harold Capp, Tony Ferraris, Randy "Mouch" McHolland, Darren Ritter, Blake Gallo, Wallace Boden, Kylie Estevez

Relationships: Stella Kidd/Kelly Severide

Additional Tags: Romance

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/GeqH4pZ

#chicago fire #chicago fire fanfic #ao3feed #fanfic

[torreshalstead]

Masterlist

Links below to all my fanfiction including Upstead, Burzek, Stellaride, Brettsey, Chenford, Hawkami and Rollisi. I’ll try and keep it updated as I post more.

Thanks for all your support on these stories!

Upstead

You make the miles worth it - Multichapter - Hailey begins training for the Chicago Marathon and meets a handsome stranger - Complete

It Seemed Like a Good Idea - Multichapter - Hailey needs a visa to stay in Chicago so Jay offers to marry her - In Progress

I’ll show you mine - Multichapter - Hailey and Jay meet whilst undercover which turns into a secret relationship - In Progress

Together is a wonderful place to be - oneshot - Jay and Hailey face some difficult decisions after a new commander is appointed.

home - oneshot - post 10x12 fix-it fic. The real reason Hailey hasn’t heard from Jay. Happy Ending.

Empty - oneshot - no one in Intelligence has touched Jays desk after he left, including Hailey.

wishing i was in his arms tonight - oneshot - After a long shift at work, Hailey’s favourite person is at the end of the phone

It’s Christmas after all - oneshot - Hailey wasn’t looking forward to spending Christmas alone. But maybe she won’t have to.

warm. comfortable. safe. - oneshot - Hailey wants to ask Jay to move in but she has some doubts.

The day that everything changed - oneshot - an introspective on Hailey’s first day meeting Intelligence

Matching rings and matching names - oneshot - post 9x01 Hailey and Jay discuss engagement rings

i think it’s cause of me - oneshot - Bolivia and why he’s not calling from Jay’s POV

The Paramedic and the Bullet Magnet - twoshot - Hailey is assigned to Ambo 16 and meets a cute cop on a call

still my wife - oneshot - 10x20 fix it fic where Jay gets told Hailey is in hospital and returns

Can I have this dance? - oneshot - Upstead daughter is off to prom

holy ground - twoshot - pre 8x04, based off released deleted scene of Hailey and Jay waking up together

Burzek

Your eyes in my life - Multichapter - Kim has a one night stand with a stranger in LA. 6 years later he is assigned as her rookie, but he doesn’t know she had his daughter - Complete

Maybe the special ingredient was special after all - oneshot - Adam takes cooking classes to try and win Kim back

20 hours - oneshot - post 2x06 Adam’s time in solitary effected him more than he let on.

Marry Me - oneshot - it’s Kim’s wedding day and it’s breaking Adam’s heart watching her walk down the aisle to someone that isn’t him.

all of it - oneshot - post 10x17 morning after fic. She was finally back in his arms and neither wanted to let go.

Stellaride

Memories Bring Back You - oneshot - Kelly is trying to show his daughter that memories don’t always have to be sad (Warning - MCD)

Family means family - oneshot - Prequel to Memories Bring Back You, Casey returns to help Kelly work through his grief. (Brettsey & Stellaride)

Brettsey

Someday feels a hell of a lot closer now - oneshot - He was the last person she expected to see but here he was, Matt Casey was back in Chicago.(11x18 spec fic)

The Pretty Girl in the Club - oneshot - Matt spots a pretty blonde across the bar on a night out and hope she feels the same pull does

Knight in Shining Armour - oneshot - High School AU where Sylvie needs a date to prom

The Reminder - oneshot - the ring is a painful reminder that he let her go but he wouldn’t let her go again

whatever she needed - oneshot - Matt’s office is always open if Sylvie ever needs a shoulder to cry on

a ring to prove it - oneshot - post 11x22 speculation/wish fic

Hawkami

No Grief in Sleep - oneshot - it’s was less painful to be asleep because he was still there

Rollisi

always there - oneshot - Jesse wants to ask Sonny to walk her down the aisle, she has flashbacks to some of her favourite memories of him.

Chenford

Strong arms and soft kisses - oneshot - post 5x12 what happened after the bedroom door closed. (Mature)

Happiness looks good on you - one shot - Angela finding out about Tim and Lucy and her reaction.

A place with us - one shot - Tim and Tamara’s conversation about her not feeling like she fits in anymore.

Words like knives - oneshot - Lucy and Tim run into Lucy’s mom and she is not impressed with their relationship.

bequeathed - oneshot - Isabel is back in LA and wants to talk and Tim doesn’t know why (5x20 spec fic)

Her Source of Comfort - oneshot - one bed fic set during 5x01

The Inheritance Clause - oneshot - Tim needs his inheritance but he must be married, his father suggests Lucy

[allielu105]

An Unexpected Family Reunion- CH 34 Gut Check

Previous. Masterlist.

The next morning at school Sadie was walking through the crowded hallway on her way to Chemistry class when Scarlett O'Malley appeared in front of her, blocking her path.

"Move"

Sadie said flatly, seeing as she really wasn't in the mood to deal with her. The stress of everything lately has been building and her whole life and routine has been thrown off.

"What's wrong Severdie? Are we homesick?"

"What are you talking about O'Malley?"

"You, I mean being in foster care has to be rough. Away from your only family?"

Sadie was confused, she hadn't told anyone her situation, not even Collin. As far as she knew the only person privy to that information was her school counselor.

"How did you-?"

A teacher came between them

"Move it along ladies, get to class."

Scarlett gave her a smartass smirk before walking away. Sadie made her way to class, but was unable to pay attention. She was thinking of ways that Scarlett could have known anything about her personal life.

Later that afternoon Stella walked out to the squad table looking for Kelly, her phone pressed to her ear.

"Yeah Maggie he's right here."

She handed the phone over to her confused fiance.

"Hey Maggie, is everything ok?"

"I just got a call from Ann saying Sadie never came back from school. I was hoping she was there with you."

His brow furrowed as he stood up

"No she's n...." He stopped talking as he watched his little sister making her way up the apron.

"I got her Mags, she's here. I'll give you a call back." He abruptly hung up and made his way over to Sadie.

"What the hell are you doing? Get in here!"

He quickly ushered her into the building.

"Hey Sadie's here!" Gallo announced happily

Kelly frowned and shook his head at him, as he led her to his quarters, Stella followed close behind.

Closing the door he turned his attention back towards the nervous teenager.

"Sades! What the hell?"

"I'm sorry Kelly, but I needed to talk to you."

He took a calming breath, he was happy to see her, but was also afraid the wrong person might have seen her walking into the firehouse.

"What is it?"

"Is there a firefighter named O'Malley you may know, or maybe he's on another shift here at 51?"

"I know there's not one at this house. There's an O'Malley over at 91, but I haven't talked to him in years....why what's this about?"

"There's this girl at school who's been bullying me-"

"You're getting bullied?" Kelly asked in a protective tone

"Calm down, I can handle myself. Her name is Scarlett O'Malley, somehow she knows that I'm in foster care."

"Well maybe she talked to one of your friends."

"I haven't told anyone, not even Collin."

"Oh you and Collin are still a thing?" Stella smiled, which was met by a glare from Kelly. "Sorry"

"Well maybe she found out another way." He said, exasperated

"Kelly...you always tell me to trust my gut. And my gut is saying something isn't right."

#one chicago fanfiction #chicago fire fanfiction #chihard #kelly severide fanfiction #stella kidd #firehouse51 #stellaride #kelly severide #kellyseveridesister #chicagofire

[otter-love-asl]

Sixth Sense

Summary: . While filling in on Ambo, Stella gets a surprise that caries outside of the firehouse. Stellaride Appreciation Week 2021 Day 1. Prompt from @selenaurrr

Characters: Kelly Severide, Stella Kidd

Relationships: Kelly Severide & Stella Kidd, Kelly Severide/Stella Kidd

Read on Fanfiction.net & AO3

More Stellaride Appreciation Week 2021 Here

#Stellaride Fanfiction #Chicago Fire Fanfiction #Kelly Severide and Stella Kidd #Stella Kidd and Kelly Severide #Stellaride Appreciation Week 2021

[flowerstarslove]

Chapters: 7/? Fandom: Chicago Fire Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Stella Kidd/Kelly Severide Characters: Kelly Severide, Stella Kidd, Members of 51 (Chicago fire), original children characters, Original Character Additional Tags: Ian Severide, Promotion, nausea and dizziness, Nervousness, Mention of pregnancy, Remembrance, Birth, Pregnancy Test, Conversation, Chicago Med - Freeform, surprise, Exams, Childbirth, DC Hill, maternity, Accident, Amusement Park, Family Severide, Clara Severide, Mornings Summary:

Stella is about to be promoted, but the news she receives is not what she was expecting.

#Stellaride #Family Severide #Stella Kidd #Kelly Severide #Marriage life #Ian Severide #Miriam Severide #Chicago fire #Fanfiction

[riseandfxll]

Emotions - Chapter Two

Summary - After the death of Kelly Severide’s father, he spirals into a deep depression. He starts drinking and he stops showing up for work; but Stella never gave up on him, even after he'd given up on himself.

Read chapter one here

[also posted on my ff.net & Ao3]

Stella was woken by the rays of morning sun peeking through the half-closed blinds. Blinking against the sudden brightness, she took in her surroundings. She had no idea what time they had fallen asleep last night, only that sleep had won its battle sometime after they made their way to Kelly’s sofa, his head cradled in her arms.

And that was the scene she witnessed after her eyes adjusted to the harsh light of the morning; Kelly’s head nestled into the crook of her neck while she lay along the couch. They had somehow manoeuvred themselves in their sleep so that the rest of their bodies pressed up against each other in an unconscious attempt to find comfort in the other.

An involuntary smile pulled at the corners of her mouth as she lay there, admiring the man next to her. He looked like a different person when he was sleeping; he was calm, almost peaceful even. It was as if the demons that chipped away at him when he was awake were also sleeping, finally allowing him a moment of calm.

She ran her hands through his hair as he stirred next to her. It was longer than he usually let it get, it was even starting to curl around his ears. It suited him.

The silence was broken by a content sigh and Kelly turning so he could face her. “Morning,” he greeted, smiling up at her. It was the first real smile she had seen on him since the night Benny died.

“I forgot how peaceful you look when you sleep,” she replied, returning his smile.

He pushed his elbow into the cushions beneath him, lifting himself so their faces were level with each other. “I can’t remember the last time I slept that well,” he told her. “Hell, I can’t even remember the last time I slept without drinking so much I passed out.”

The thought of Kelly alone on his couch surrounded by empty bottles of beer was enough to make her heart hurt and tears sting the back of her eyes.

Kelly placed his hand on her cheek, rubbing his thumb in against the soft skin. “Thank you for coming, Stella.” He whispered, just loud enough for her to hear the sincerity in his voice.

Stella could feel his breath on her skin as he spoke, “I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”

The space between them was so small that all one of them had to do to close the gap was lean towards the other; so that’s what the lieutenant did. He knew the look in Stella’s eyes mirrored his own, the look of wanting, of needing to be close to the other. He leaned into her, his hand still cupping her cheek; and pressed his lips against hers in a kiss that was not one of lust, but one of love, of hope, of comfort.

She kissed him back, showing him that her feelings echoed his. In each other’s arms they were safe, nothing and no one could harm them. No flame, no bullet could tear them apart from each other again. So that’s how they stayed, long after their lips had parted; sitting on Kelly Severide’s sofa with their foreheads pressed against the other’s, staring into each other’s eyes.  

He took a deep breath, readying himself to speak, “after all this time, you came looking for me in this pit of darkness I buried myself in...”

“I never stopped looking for you. For a way to pull you back out.” She whispered back. It was the truest thing she ever spoke. She hadn’t ever given up on him, on finding him in whatever emotional cave he had lost himself in.

#stellaride #stellaride fanfiction #stella kidd #Kelly Severide #chicago fire #one chicago #fanfiction #angst #angst/comfort #writing&fanfiction

[ao3feed-chicagofire]

BY YOUR SIDE

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/1zGK9av

by NikkityNakNoo

This is a Stellaride fanfiction that I wrote after I tried to second guess what Derek and co have planned for Ep1 Season 11. I couldn't begin to guess what was going to happen when the cabin door shut at the end of season 10 and THAT truck pulled up outside so I made up my own story!

This is my take on what could have happened when the happy couple started their honeymoon!

There"s a person who went away in an earlier season but is he really gone forever?!

I really hope you like the wonderings of my imagination. Please do let know what you think of my story. X

All the characters of course belong to the Chicago Fire writers and all kegal owners.

Words: 6201, Chapters: 4/4, Language: English

Fandoms: Chicago Fire

Rating: Mature

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Categories: F/M

Characters: Kelly Severide, Stella Kidd, Matthew Casey, Sylvie Brett

Relationships: Stella Kidd/Kelly Severide

Additional Tags: Wedding, Honeymoon, Ex husband

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/1zGK9av

#chicago fire #chicago fire fanfic #ao3feed #fanfic

[wandawxdow]

One Chicago fic recs

Chicago PD

Jay Halstead X Reader

Where Have You Been by Resanoona

Somebody’s Watching by Resanoona

get a room by onechicagolife

personal space heater by onechicagolife

Jay Halstead X Hailey Upton (Upstead)

“Fake Vows Don’t Count” by Lady_RhaeSnow18

“Tactical Gear! Really Jay?” by Lady_RhaeSnow18

Mr and Mrs Chuckles by Lady_RhaeSnow18

bundled up by Ruzek-Halstead

The Cure To Nightmares by onecpd

pillow talk by imjustwritingg

no better view by anniesardors

Compass by fank0ne

you’re my home by hailsstead

Be Alone Together by proseccoandpd

Crash My Party by AnnaJustice

i want your midnights by fromiftowhen

injury by ruzekhalstead

Things Left Unsaid by ilithiyarys

whatever works by ruzekhalstead

Silver Lining by detectiveupstead

Retribution by blackfriars

Butterfly Bandages by CosmosInMyPocket

Trudy. Officer Trudy Platt by CosmosInMyPocket

As Long As We’re Flying by onecpd

i miss you, i'm sorry by imjustwritingg

Don't Carry This by sumsflowers

One to Three by TheWritingGiant

Halstead!Sister & Brothers

Drunk Tank by malewk172

Stupid Game by study-coffee-chicago

Chicago Fire

Kelly Severide x Stella Kidd (Stellaride)

Red Rope, Haul Out by fighterkimburgess

Where I Want to Be by RT219

thanking my lucky stars by vhslmtd

Becoming Three by pinkliberty

#chicago pd #hailey upton #jay halstead #hailey x jay #upstead #upstead fic #jay halstead fanfic #jay halstead fanfiction #jay halstead x reader #jay halstead imagine #jay halstead x hailey upton #fic recs #chicago pd fanfiction #Chicago pd ao3 #fanfiction #fan fics #kim burgess #adam ruzek #kevin atwater #hank voight #trudy platt #one chicago #jay x hailey #chicago fire #Chicago fire fanfiction #stellaride #stella kidd #kelly severide #stella x Kelly

[proceduralpassion]

𝐓𝐨𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐲

𝐑𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭/𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲: “𝐏𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐝𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐬𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐦 𝐬𝐨 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐀 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐏𝐞���𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐁 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐜𝐮𝐝𝐝𝐥𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐭𝐡 - 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐚 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐜𝐤 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐧/𝐥𝐨𝐟𝐭 𝐝𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐬𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐦 🙏🏻” 𝐎𝐑 𝐊𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐚’𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐚𝐛𝐲𝐦𝐨𝐨𝐧 𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐮𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐝

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫(𝐬): 𝐊𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐒𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐱 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐚 𝐊𝐢𝐝𝐝 (𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐞)

𝐖𝐂: ~𝟏.𝟓𝐊

𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠(𝐬): 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐲 𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐮𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐨

Stella plopped onto the sofa as Kelly finished up bringing in the luggage for their winter getaway. They both had some furlough time saved up and decided to use some of it for an unofficial babymoon. There wasn’t exactly a lot nearby to do during the winter time, but the cabin always brought memorable times for the couple. There was the time they got back together, the numerous anniversaries spent here, the time that Kelly took Stella ice fishing for the first time. It may not have been the most extravagant vacation, but it would serve them just fine as they celebrated their impending parenthood.

Stella was currently six months pregnant with their first child, a bountiful baby boy. They had already decided on a name, Andrew, after Kelly’s fallen best friend, Andy. They decided they were going to call him Drew for short, but the sentimental meaning wasn’t lost on either of them.

Though nervous in the face of becoming responsible for a whole other human life, they were excited to be on this journey together. And that’s what this cabin trip was supposed to be about. Celebrating how far they had come and the new milestones they were making together.

Stella took the time to catch her breath from the short trek from the jeep to the cabin. These days, she got out of breath from simply walking up a flight of steps. She was grateful that her temporary light duty relegated her to the OFI office and Girls on Fire sessions because even if it was safe for her to do so, she couldn’t fathom constantly being on the run while out on calls.

She could hear Kelly behind her as he settled the last of the luggage and began unpacking. They had a separate bag filled with all of the cooking essentials they needed since they would practically be on their own in the middle of nowhere. Of course, there was plenty of non-spoilable, canned food in the pantry, but Kelly made sure to get all her favorites and cravings for this weekend. Her mouth practically watered at the invisible taste of loaded baked potatoes touching her tongue. She glanced back as she looked at him putting away the butter, sour cream, and cheese that they would pull out later when they started to prepare dinner.

For now, they would revel in the down time. They’d come here, straight from their shifts, and still needed time to wind down from their busy work lives. She hadn’t realized her eyes began closing until they opened with a start as she felt her husband plop right next to her on the couch.

Without words, he gestured towards her feet. She silently lifted them up in question but laid back down in bliss as he began to massage them.

“Damn, you sure know to pamper a girl.”

Kelly chortled, “I try.”

They laid there for a little bit before they decided against getting too comfortable and not moving for the rest of the night. Stella got up to go shower the day away while Kelly took the opportunity to finish unpacking in the bedroom.

Later on, they worked together in the kitchen to get dinner prepared. Stella cut vegetables while Kelly worked on the salmon bites. Together, they put the baked potatoes together. Or rather, Stella seasoned the potatoes and Kelly just put them into the oven.

Dinner was a quiet affair that just consisted of them enjoying their meal and each other’s company. They used their right hands to eat while allowing their left hands to intertwine within the other’s and savor each other’s presence. Stella also stretched her feet in Kelly’s lap, being mindful of her doctor’s advice about keeping her feet elevated.

Not many words were exchanged until after they were finished washing and drying their dishes by hand. It was only then that Stella dragged Kelly into the main living area of the cabin for a movie of her choice. It was an agreed upon promise on the trip up that she would have the honors of picking the first flick that they’d watch while up here. Kelly set the movie up while Stella was up and out of her seat merely minutes after she sat, to get popcorn and more snacks.

“Hmm, note to self: popcorn and pretzel M&M’s go good together.” Stella mentioned as she walked back and forth between the kitchen and living room for snacks and drinks. She hands him the movie theater box of pretzel M&M’s and giggles when he shakes his head.

“You and your cravings… I’m begging you not to bring the horseradish out.”

Stella laughs, “Don’t worry, Drew seems to have a sweet tooth.” She grabbed a Hershey’s Cookies and Cream bar just for good measure if the M&M’s didn’t do it for her.

“Ahh, Drew seems to have the sweet tooth.” Kelly teased.

“Well, he’s the one asking fo-”

She was getting ready to justify her increase in sugary snack intake when the lights suddenly zapped. There was a slight second of flickering before they just shut off completely. And when they both looked simultaneously at the microwave timer, they knew that the entire cabin’s power had just been cut off. They let out kindred groans of frustration as they realized they were now resigned to a powerless house.

“I’ll get the candles,” Kelly said as he rose from the couch and wandered around in search of sources of light.

Stella ventured towards the window and took notice of the current snowstorm taking place outside. The news mentioned that there’d definitely be snow in the next few days, but that was an understatement, given their current predicament. The winds were torrid as they threw the falling white particles in every which direction at dangerous speeds. It was falling too fast for them to try and venture back home tonight. But she also knew that this cabin didn’t have a generator. Without any heat, tonight would be a freezing, lightless event until the sun rose back up tomorrow morning.

Kelly set out to place candles all around the living room, bedroom, and hallway in between so that they could at least have minimal sight in front of them as they moved around.

“Well, this isn’t how we wanted to start off our babymoon.” Stella pouted as she plopped onto the couch.

“Could be worse, I guess. Glad I brought plenty of firewood.” Kelly responded as he moved towards the fireplace. Stella, too, was glad that the cabin had an old-fashioned fireplace instead of the electric ones that are present in most newer Chicago residences. Being in an old cabin passed down from Kelly’s family was a win in a case like this where any dulcet of warmth was welcomed.

Once he got the fire started, he slid the couch, with Stella still on it, closer to the fireplace so that they could bask in the heat from it. And then, he grabbed a nearby blanket and placed it over the both of them as he cuddled beside her on the couch.

Stella smiled to herself as she felt Kelly rub her arm back and forth, attempting to gather even more warmth for her. She hadn’t even gotten all that cold yet with the power not being off for that long, but found it sweet that he was already taking preventive measures to keep her and Drew toasty.

“My own personal generator, what did I do to deserve such a gift?” She joked as she landed a chaste kiss on his cheek.

“Be an incubator” Kelly cracked right back, which earned laughs from the both of them.

A comfortable silence permeated the air as they lounged in each other’s embrace. Kelly had shifted so that his head was closer to Stella’s belly. His hand rubbed her back and forth in a soothing sway.

“You feeling alright?” He asked after a while.

“Yeah, I’m good.” She responded. “We’re good.” She corrected after a beat.

All of their planned activities- movies, card games, building snowmen, baking cookies- all required either electricity or safe weather, none of which they had right now. Maybe things would be better tomorrow where they could go outside and enjoy the day or the electricity would be on before then, but for now, they came to the calm resignation that the rest of their night was essentially over.

As first responders, their first instinct wasn’t to panic because they knew they had prepared enough to have the right amount of supplies and resources to last them until the storm blew over. Sure, there were slight twinges of disappointment that their plans got sidetracked, but they were still content just to lie in each other’s arms and enjoy each other’s company.

“You know… there are other ways we can keep warm until this storm blows over. Ironically enough, it involves less clothes.” Stella hinted.

She could feel the vibrations of Kelly’s smirk even with his head turned away from her. She wasn’t expecting the sudden movement and let out a surprised yelp as she felt herself being lifted from the couch. Giggles echoed through the hallway as they moved into the bedroom.

“Tell me more, Mrs. Severide.”

Enjoy!

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