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Chapter Text

They were both all smiles and inexplicable laughter as he pulled her into his lap, covers pooling around them as his hands traced her bare skin. Her arms draped his shoulders, hand doing its telltale glide up the base of his neck as they locked eyes only briefly, lips slotting together once, twice.

Kelly pulled away first, but before Stella could pout and pull him right back, her husband’s hand gently pushed her unruly curls over her shoulder, peppering the skin in kisses that made more laughter start to bubble out of her as he trailed up. “Kelly—”

His nose brushed her jawline, kissing the corner of her mouth before looking up at her with those piercing blues and almost-boyish smile. She all but swooned, more than appreciative for the amber glow of the sunset streaming through the tall loft windows. Did he realize just how pretty he looked? “What?”

“I think you missed,” she pointed out, brow quirking.

Kelly matched her expression, but there was clear mischief behind his. “Did I?”

“Uh-huh,” she answered, squeezing the back of his neck before both hands came up to cup his face, thumbing his cheek delicately. “Need some help?”

“Nah. You’re just impatient.” A squeeze to the back of her own neck accompanied his quip, gradually pulling her face closer to his own once more.

“Oh, so that’s how you’re gonna be?” Stella returned. “Y’know—”

He only laughed before muffling the remainder of her sentence with the aforementioned kiss. Her eyes fluttered back shut immediately, melting just a little more securely into his lap. God, she really could just stay there for hours if they could, feeling his hands wander her body but still keep her held close all the while.

Kelly had all but melted at that point as well as the kisses turned lazily loving, her hands cradling his face always filling him with a honey-sweet warmth. As much as he loved being smothered by her, though - the only exception - then wasn’t the time. It was her time, he’d decided.

That said, he swiftly flipped them over, earning Stella’s contagious laughter as their noses brushed. His hand found her left one on the pillow, fingers lacing together seamlessly. His admiration was shameless as he took a moment, studying her; long, dark curls splayed across the pillows, sunkissed skin and brown eyes illuminated amber, that somehow-unfaltered adoring smile that graced her face almost every time she looked at him the last four years and change.

“I am actually the luckiest man in Chicago.” Yeah, that certainly still held no less true than that cold day he finally gave her her ring.

Stella seemed to read at least some of his thoughts, free hand finding the back of his neck as her smile returned. “I love you, Kelly.”

Kelly’s did too, sealing another small kiss against her lips. “I love you too, Stell.”

One thing was clear by a few minutes later, when he’d flipped onto his back and she’d immediately taken the opportunity to drape herself against him and revel in his hand slowly stroking up and down her arm: down to the touch, nothing compared to those moments. Not even the job they loved so much. Nothing.

Chapter Text

For a reason - or reasons - Stella and Kelly were still trying to figure out, Rory’s favorite thing at the firehouse was drills. More specifically, when Kelly had Squad run drills, but she didn’t mind watching Stella and Truck either. 

She was hardly a year old. Had yet to say any proper words and had only made her first wobbly steps a few weeks ago. But she loved watching drills.

Rory was sat in Stella’s lap outside, in the near midst of the apron. She was watching the scene in front of her attentively: Kelly overseeing ladder drills after Squad had a little too much fun trying to tease his softer side.

“C’mon, Capp!” Kelly called up. “I know you can do better than that!”

Rory giggled, Stella looking down amusedly. “What’s so funny, huh? You think Daddy’s funny? Bein’ all big and bossy?” She poked the baby’s stomach. “He scares them, but he certainly doesn’t scare Mama.”

The one-year-old looked up, giving her a two-tooth smile. “He doesn’t scare you either, does he, huh?” She took her tiny hand, waving it up and down. “Imagine bein’ scared of your daddy. Ain’t the rest of Squad so silly?”

Rory nodding made Stella snort before it turned into proper laughter, making Rory giggle more in turn. The noise drew Kelly’s attention and he turned, his stoic expression melting into soft amusement. “What’s going on over there?”

“Someone’s just havin’ a good laugh at your men, don’t worry!” his wife called over.

He shook his head fondly, but his expression immediately hardened when he turned back around, folding his arms as he looked at his phone timer. “Getting better. Keep moving, c’mon!”

Their daughter continued watching intently, squealing and pushing herself out of Stella’s lap when Kelly himself got involved in the drill. The only thing she loved more than the actual drills was the rare occasion of him getting involved in them, because he almost always showed off.

Stella couldn’t help but laugh, watching her clamber to her feet. “Yeah, look at him go, baby!”

Rory turned, practically beaming as she pointed to the wall of the building where the ladder drill was happening. “Da!”

Her mother nodded, still thoroughly amused. “Yeah, baby, that’s Daddy!”

She stumbled a few steps over, nearly falling but regaining her balance. “Da-a!”

Kelly could make out the sound from on the ladder, almost unable to fight off the urge to smile and turn around as his chest bloomed with warmth. He got about halfway down the ladder before opting to slide down the rest.

The action elicited a very happy squeal and tiny clapping from behind him, a smile finally breaking out onto his face as he took down the ladder.

Kelly set the ladder down, Cruz stopping the timer before reading off a time that, sure enough, was quicker than the rest of Squad’s. He only nodded his head towards Tony. “You’re back up, Tony. Time him, Cruz; I’ll be over there for a minute.”

“You got it, Lieutenant.”

He turned and started over to Rory and Stella, smiling brighter as the one-year-old nearly bounced in place, reaching out for him. “Someone’s having fun, huh?”

Rory nodded slightly, making grabby hands before making an unexpected exclamation.

“Dada!”

Kelly halted in his tracks, glancing up at Stella as they shared an equally surprised expression. “Did she just..?”

“Yeah, she, uh, she just— holy sh— sugar,” Stella drew out, pushing herself to her feet.

He looked back to their baby, leaning down. “Can you say that again, honey?”

Rory gave him her two-tooth smile, stumbling closer before reaching up again. “Da-a— Dada!”

“Oh, my God..!” Stella started to laugh, her surprise melting as Kelly’s did the same, a smile once again crossing his face.

He stepped the rest of the way over, leaning all the way down to scoop her up and toss her into the air, laughter pealing out of her. “Ha-ha! Listen to you!”

She grabbed his polo, already toying with one of the little bugles attached to his collar. He pressed kisses to both her cheeks, diverting her attention as she giggled and grabbed at his own face. “Wow. You’re something special, Rory.”

“Y’know, I just knew you were gonna be the first proper word outta her mouth,” Stella told him, closing the distance and resting her hands on his shoulder. “They say ‘Mama’ is the easier one, too! But…”

“Since when do the Kidd-Severides ever do ‘easy’?” Kelly responded, making Stella huff amusedly. “Case in point,” she responded.

She rested her chin on her hands, watching Rory with a smile. “We’re a whole family of show-offs, huh, lil’ lady?”

The one-year-old smiled back, already busying herself with Kelly’s collar again as she babbled quietly to herself. “Dada.”

His smile brightened, glancing over to Stella. She lifted her head, returning the gesture as she leaned in to kiss him once, twice.

“Well, at least she learned from the best,” he commented, chuckling.

She hummed, pressing one last kiss to her husband’s lips. “That she did, baby.”

Chapter Text

“Could I change it if I wanted, can I rise above the flood? Will it wash out in the water, or is it always in the blood?”

- John Mayer, “In The Blood”

If there was one thing Kelly Severide hated, it was being reminded of, constantly compared to, Benny Severide.

“Your father had an eye for this too.”

“If Benny were here…”

“You’re just like your father.”

He knew deep down most people meant well; very few did it to actually dig at him - Benny was an excellent firefighter with a nose for fire investigation. Kelly was the exact same. That’s what they were commenting on.

But part of him couldn’t help but see it on a deeper level. Hardly anyone knew Benny quite like he did. The real Benny.

The womanizer; the unfaithful. The overly confident.

The Benny that he spent his childhood missing, feeling isolated from. The Benny he spent his teen years bashing about his unloyalty to his mother. That he cursed and shoved and decked to the ground. That he finally demanded respect from once and for all.

The absent father. The neglectful father.

Kelly had his own history with women, there was no denying that. But he’d moved past that. He never looked back to that lifestyle, not after Anna and Stella taught him the wonders of actually holding on to someone. Fighting for them.

It was a little hard to not feel vulnerable with the whole “like father, like son” ordeal. It made him apprehensive, anxious even.

Women were one thing, but fatherhood was an entirely new, foreign ballpark. Boden felt like the honest-to-God closest thing he had to a father, but that could only get him so far.

Kelly wanted a family. He wanted a family with Stella. A warmth had bloomed in him that he thought was impossible when she’d told him she was pregnant.

But then the thoughts started to creep in.

Was it in the blood? Was it simply fate to follow in his father’s footsteps, whether he wanted it then or not?

They swirled around him. Stalked above him like dark thunderclouds. They followed him, if from a distance whenever Stella reassured him, until that fateful February night. When she brought their baby earth-side and he’d caught them, caught her , in his own arms. That was when they started to slowly dissipate.

Some time later, a little past six in the morning, Kelly felt the most at ease he’d ever been, simply sitting in that hospital room by the window.

Stella was asleep - she had been for the last few hours by then. Rightfully so; she’d delivered a baby, their daughter, after several hours of essentially powering through by herself. No one deserved to be resting more than her at that moment, he thought to himself.

That said, still wide awake, he’d taken to the seat by the window, cradling a warm, sleepy little bundle to his chest.

Rory Shay Kidd-Severide. His pride and joy.

There were only so many features to be made out on her, things that could change with time, but in that moment, Kelly saw a perfect mix of both him and Stella in her tiny features. His wife’s complexion, the wisps of her dark curls that he just knew would grow into wild ringlets. But Rory’s eyes: bright, icy blue.

Her own piercing eyes were half-lidded in that moment, nearly shut entirely as she almost seemed to nuzzle against his bare chest. He stroked her rosy cheek delicately, eliciting a murmur from the infant that made her father smile.

He kept repeating the gesture, nearly enamored. He didn’t often like using the word ‘perfect.’ But what other word was out there to describe the newborn in his arms?

Rory yawned, tiny fingers curling into fists as she murmured again and started squirming.

Kelly hushed her, instinctively adjusting her carefully. “‘S alright, honey,” he soothed softly. “Daddy’s here…”

The infant gradually settled back against him at the sound of his voice, eyes fluttering as her fists uncurled. He went back to stroking her cheek, although the action was interrupted after a bit when her hand pressed against his.

He drew it back, just enough to watch as her tiny fingers slowly curled around his pinkie instead, a soft sigh escaping her parted lips.

And that was when Kelly knew he was a goner. Sitting there with the sun rising, bathing the room in a soft, orangey-yellow glow that warmed him and no doubt the then-dozed off newborn. She was wrapped around his finger then, but even after she would let go, whenever that was, he would still be wrapped around hers.

He would do anything for her.

His mind wandered, and he felt an almost incredulousness.

He would be insane for leaving Rory. Abandoning her, Stella. Being unfaithful, neglectful. He’d known that.

Yet, in that moment, it felt impossible to do that. The mere thought of abandoning the little bundle against his chest broke his heart - tore him apart. Let alone as she got older, but heaven forbid he rush that; when she could walk, talk, truly bond.

And that was when Kelly knew another thing once and for all: he would never be Benjamin Severide.

There was a difference between them. Differences . Kelly didn’t abandon, he protected. No matter what. His first priority wasn’t firefighting or investigating. It was family. His family.

And all that said, Kelly loved. He loved fiercely, deeply. His world wasn’t firefighting anymore, it was the two girls in the hospital room with him.

Kelly Severide shared a name with his father, shared an occupation. But his own little family would never, ever see anything like Benjamin Severide.

Chapter Text

Stella didn’t even have to open her eyes to know it was going to be a long day. Her body was wracking with waves of simultaneous too hot and too cold, her stomach was in tight, nauseating knots, and her head was already pounding. The sheets under her felt damp with sweat.

She didn’t get sick a whole lot, to be perfectly honest; it was a rare occasion. But that said, oftentimes when it did happen, it happened.

Cracking an eye open, the morning light streaming in made her shut it again with a groan, and it took an effort to throw an arm that felt like it was filled with lead over her eyes. How did this happen? She wasn’t sure, but all she knew was that she was grateful her forty-eight hours of time off wasn’t over yet.

Her limbs felt too heavy to move, but she was sure if she did move anyway, her stomach would betray her and promptly discard of the takeout her and Kelly had eaten the night before. So, she managed to fall back into a restless sleep.

“Stella?”

The voice and knocking at the door drew another groan from Stella as she stirred. She managed to kick off her sheets, suddenly feeling too hot as she maneuvered onto her side and buried her face into her pillow.

“Hey, sleepyhead, it’s almost noon time.” Her door was pushed open, and she craned her head to see Kelly in the doorway.

He’d been smiling, evidently amused, but it vanished as he took her in, concern starting to take its place. “Are you okay?” His voice softened.

“Peachy…” Stella managed a murmur. A shiver wracked her body, clutching her pillow.

Kelly walked over, setting a hand on the bed so he could lean forward, carefully pressing the back of his free hand to her forehead. Burning hot. “You’re burning up, Stella..”

He eyed her sheets, disheveled and damp. “Do you feel alright enough to get out of bed?”

No. Stella felt far from it. But she hated making people worry, especially her best friend, so maybe moving would get him to back off a little and she wouldn’t have to feel guilty about him having to hover over her.

So, she nodded, the action making her head spin. With her lead-laden arms, she slowly pushed herself upright, trying to avoid looking at as much direct sunlight as possible as her stomach churned in protest.

Kelly rounded to her side of the bed, noticing her slight sway, and helped ease her up onto her feet. Most of her weight fell against his side immediately, but he wasn’t fazed, only still concerned as his arm snaked secure around her waist. “Alright, c’mon…”

Stella’s arm curled around her torso as they took one slow step at a time, down the hall and into the main room of the loft. Everything was hazy, and she let Kelly do the maneuvering, simply going wherever he was guiding her.

That was, at least until her stomach couldn’t handle the movement anymore, the bile rising in her throat as she all but stumbled towards the bathroom.

He stayed close behind her, steadying her as she just barely managed to collapse in front of the toilet before she was gagging and her stomach was disposing of everything.

Stella felt a gentle hand on her back, running up and down soothingly as her wild curls were tentatively brushed back behind her shoulders.

It was some time before her stomach settled and she could finally lift her head, trying to catch her breath. Once again becoming fully aware of Kelly’s presence, her cheeks burned even hotter than they already felt. “Sorry…”

“Stella, you’re sick; why’re you apologizing?” He was bemused.

“You don’t needa see this…” she mumbled.

“Yeah, well, tough shit,” he huffed, almost amused. “I’ve seen worse.”

His hand traced for a few more seconds before he was reaching for a stray hair tie she’d left on the bathroom sink, carefully securing her curls back with more meticulousness than she’d realized he had regarding hair.

He watched her closely as she pushed herself to her feet a short time later, flushing and leaning against the sink as she washed her hands, grabbing her toothbrush.

“Take my bed once you’re done,” he instructed lightly. “I wanna wash your sheets.”

Stella’s heart skipped but she felt a wave of guilt, shaking her head. “Kelly, you— you don’t—”

“Stella.” Kelly’s voice steeled slightly, but still remained gentle. “It’s okay. And it’s more comfortable than the couch.”

She finally resigned after some more protest, her legs feeling increasingly like Jell-o the longer she was standing, her body beginning to heat back up. She hated having to ask, and even he could tell in the meekness of her weak voice, but they both knew deep down it was the best idea. “Can you help me..?”

“Yeah, of course.”

Once she was settled in his room, he finally felt comfortable enough to leave her alone as her drowsiness returned. He returned briefly to set a cool, dampened face cloth over her forehead, but then he set right to work on other measures.

His heart hurt for her, to a point that likely wasn’t normal for someone who was just supposed to be his best friend. But he was fully aware he couldn’t shake the feeling, the feelings, no matter how hard he tried, and the fact scared him.

Stella made him feel things he rarely ever felt. Even when he tried to deny it, over and over again. But he couldn’t risk it with her, not when she’d inadvertently been his saving grace time and time again.

He’d take care of her and pin it on decency, not letting on the extra dose of worry and protectiveness. He’d watch her go off on dates and ignore the telltale clench of his chest. He’d do it all if it meant keeping the peace and synergy between them. And it scared him. But what could he do?

Kelly distracted himself by moving around. He threw her sheets into the washer as he said he would, entering the kitchen area and managing to locate a container of chicken stock.

You wouldn’t do this for anyone else. Why her?

He was starting to know full well, deep down. But he couldn’t face that reality, he couldn’t grasp those intense feelings. Because she’s my best friend.

Face the music.

Kelly’s phone pinged several minutes later as he transferred some of the warmed broth to the mug on the counter, and he glanced over to it. Casey. Glancing at the clock, it’d completely slipped his mind they were meant to meet up in an hour.

Unlocking his phone, he tried to think of a response. Admittedly, he didn’t want to leave Stella alone in the loft. But could he tell Casey that?

He could just go out as planned, pretending that nothing was up. But he looked up towards his room, and his heart ached.

I can’t, Case, I’m sorry. Something last minute.

Stella finally shuffled out of Kelly’s room during the early evening, spare blanket wrapped around her shoulders. The pounding in her head had lightened significantly, becoming more of an ache, and although her limbs still felt like they were tied to lead balloons, the broth and toast he’d left for her in the room hadn’t completely unsettled her stomach.

She hadn’t seen him since he’d checked in on her in the midst of slowly eating a piece of toast, but he’d left a number of things for her. The food, a cup of medicine, and a clean one of her other nightshirts. Plus, she was fairly certain he’d re-dampened the face cloth she’d first vaguely registered him placing over her forehead hours before.

The thoughts made her heart flutter and her stomach do unsickly flips. She still wasn’t entirely used to the fact he had a genuine soft side, one that she was starting to see more, and the feelings it instilled in her were hard to deny.

Kelly was reserved, and his walls were high, but little by little, she was seeing a truer version of him. And it was almost scary in a way, that it was her and seemingly only her seeing it. What did that mean?

Hazy and exhausted, though, she couldn’t try and rangle those thoughts and questions swirling. She’d cross that bridge of feelings when they got to it.

Kelly was watching a movie, although he didn’t seem totally focused on it. When he noticed her, he sat up slightly. “Hey, feeling any better?”

Stella managed a small smile, slowly walking over to the couch and perching herself down on the other end. “Yeah, no thanks to you.”

“Definitely better. Ouch.” He feigned hurt, placing a hand over his heart for effect. “After all I did for you?”

Their eyes settled on each other. She could never get sick of his eyes - piercing blues that spoke the hundreds of words he didn’t. Eyes that watched her with a closeness that filled her with a sticky-sweet warmth.

Her voice softened even still, losing all trace of humor as sincerity laced through it instead. “Thank you, Kelly..”

Her best friend gave her a small smile in return. “Of course. Any time.”

Kelly pat the space still between them after a few seconds. “You don’t have the plague. Come closer.”

“I don’t need to get you sick..” she protested.

“I repeat: you don’t have the plague. Don’t sweat it.”

It was once again clear he wouldn’t accept her protests. So, she relented, carefully scooting closer and letting her legs settle over his lap.

Her eyes fluttered, despite the fact she’d just woken up a short time before, head resting against the back of the couch. She heard a small amused huff from Kelly, registering in her brain the feeling of his hand gently tracing up and down her leg.

Certainly, this isn’t normal.

Her brain was hazy, though, too exhausted to care. And he wasn’t protesting anything. “Kelly..?”

He hummed in acknowledgement.

She reached a tired hand out. “Mean it; thank you…”

Kelly’s expression softened, the familiar intense emotions flooding him. Even when she was sick and shaky, locks of dark curls escaping her ponytail as she looked at him through exhausted, half-lidded eyes, she was still beautiful. The most beautiful woman he’d seen. And there was no denying it.

He inhaled slowly, the intensity of his wistful gaze going completely unnoticed by her. Then, he took her hand, thumb brushing over her knuckles and squeezing gently. “I got you.”

Feeling truly at ease for the first time all day despite the waves still rolling through her, Stella let herself doze back off beside him. And if their hands stayed clasped up until he moved from under her, carefully taking her into his arms and bringing her to her remade bed so as not to disturb the sleep she needed, then it was nobody’s business but their own.

Chapter Text

“No.”

Stella vehemently refused at first, with the excuse of paranoid “what ifs?” It seemed ironic, given her own wild, carefree past, but admittedly, it didn’t deter his persistence.

“C’mon, Stella, it’s fine. It won’t be the end of the world. I have the helmets, I know what I’m doing.”

“Kelly, no.”

He wasn’t sure why she was so adamant against it, she’d never seemed to have had a problem with motorcycles to begin with.

Despite his determination to get her to agree to a little joyride of sorts, he left it alone for a while. But he wasn’t done.

It started to become clear, though, that maybe there was something a little more serious behind her refusals. When his playful persistence was starting to get met with genuine seriousness, any humor of it all was beginning to get replaced by concern, until he finally approached it with his own seriousness.

“Can’t I just… not wanna take a ride?” she countered from her spot on the stool.

Kelly could hear it in her voice, though - there was more to it. He sighed, leaning against the island and looking at her. “Of course; I’m not saying you can’t, but… there’s more to it, Stella, I can tell. What is it?”

“It’s nothing; there’s nothing to worry about,” Stella responded. “I just.. I just don’t want to, okay?”

“Stella.” He watched her closely.

She held his eyes for a few moments before sighing, looking away and running a hand through her wild curls. “I used to ride them a lot. Grant, he— he’d got a motorcycle license in his late teens, and we rode it a lot. Without many precautions. Especially in our drug hey-days. The peak of them. We really didn’t give a shit, y’know? No helmets, speeding down seemingly empty roads. We only wore the leather and shit because it looked cool, not for safety. ‘Cause playing by the rules was never fun, obviously.”

She huffed a laugh, bitter. “And then, one day, we were mile-fuckin’-high as per usual, and he wanted to go on a joyride. So, we did. And he’s revving right down some empty back road and we’re completely oblivious to some branch in our path. Next thing I know, the bike’s tipping forward and I’m— I’m thrown past him and tumbling across the road.

Minus some scrapes and bruises, we weren’t hurt, by some damn miracle, I still don’t know how. But Grant got the license revoked not long after that, and that was the last time I ever sat on a motorbike.”

Stella looked away, blinking a few times to try and clear the mist starting to cloud her eyes. “I got lucky then. But what if I don’t now? What if we don’t, and—”

“Hey, Stell. Honey.” Kelly cut her off, rounding the island to move closer to her. “Those’re low chances. But if you don’t want to, you don’t have to.” He paused a moment. “You should’ve told me. I wouldn’t’ve asked so many times about it.”

“No, you’re fine,” she dismissed him. “It’s silly, it’s not a—”

“It is a big deal,” he corrected her. “And it’s not ‘silly,’ Stell; that was something serious. Don’t play it off.”

“You’re one to talk,” his wife deflected weakly.

Kelly’s brows quirked. “This isn’t about me.”

Stella was silent for a few seconds before sighing and standing up from the stool. Wordlessly, she moved over to him, nearly melting into him at the feeling of his arms snug around her back. “I wanna try,” she mumbled. “I wanna move past it. I need to move past it.”

“Another day.” His tone was gentle but resolute.

She only hummed in response.

That day came about a week later. And that was why they were standing outside, Stella staring between the helmet in her hands and Kelly’s motorcycle a few feet in front of her.

Her husband sat down on the vehicle, turning his head to look at her and beckoning her with a quick tilt. “C’mon.”

She took an apprehensive step closer, before shaking her head and scoffing at her own hesitance. “I’m so— This is so stupid—”

“Stella.” Stella looked up. Kelly held out his free hand. “It’ll be okay, I swear.”

“Kelly…”

“You got this, Stella Kidd.”

There was a slight twinkle in her dark eyes, a small smile forming. She closed the distance after taking a breath, taking his hand. He squeezed it reassuringly, before letting go to let her carefully climb onto the bike right behind him.

“Just hold on to me,” he advised. “Hold on tight, that’s it. Trust me.”

“I do.” She looked down at her helmet. “I do..”

Everything felt a little hazy, but the motorcycle didn’t rev to life until Kelly felt her arms secure around his torso. A difference from Grant, she immediately noticed.

“This is gonna be so much fun,” Grant drawled, nearly stumbling over to the motorcycle.

She giggled. “Hell fuckin’ yeah!”

“The ultimate fuckin’ joyride! On Cloud 9 with my baby,” he laughed, unceremoniously clambering onto the bike and turning to face her with a crooked grin, eyes well past a mile away. “C’mon, Stella Bella.”

If her hold on Kelly was too tight, her husband didn’t point it out, at least for a while. At a stoplight sometime later, though, she felt a gloved hand over hers and a squeeze through the material. She heard his voice over the engine. “Just relax!”

“Ease up, Stella Bella!”

“I’ll show you eased up!” she laughed. “Go fuckin’ faster!”

He didn’t go overtly fast, even when the lane was empty. She loosened her grip, looking around more and fully processing the scenery around them, bathed in golden oranges and yellows from the setting sun.

Kelly was sharp, Stella knew that plenty well. Attentive to detail. And that carried over. He was constantly looking, aware, even when there was no one around them.

They wound up on some back roads, eventually, traveling down some empty street in the woods. Seeing a clear, straight shot in front of him, Kelly revved the engine, the wind whipping around them a little harder as he picked up speed.

Her grip initially tightened, almost calling for him to slow down. But then, trust him. He knew what he was doing. He wasn’t Grant; he would look out for her.

Instead, she loosened up even further, still holding him but watching in fascination as they whizzed by everything, a blur of colors and cool wind. It was beautiful, it was fun.

Stella couldn’t help a laugh. It must’ve been loud enough to draw Kelly’s attention, as she saw his helmet turn slightly, his voice calling over the noise, “see?”

In a moment of newfound bravery, she moved one of her arms from around him, holding it out and feeling the wind beat past them even better.

It almost felt silly, being amused and so enamored over something like riding a motorcycle through the woods, but she felt a carefreeness that was different from the one she felt over a decade before. Racing down an empty road with a man she truly loved, surrounded by nature painted by golden hour, was dopamine in its most natural form. She’d never felt quite like this even after her strongest doses once upon a time.

And that said, her laughter grew, managing to carefully free her phone from the confines of her leather jacket and opening the camera and swiping over to video, hitting the red record button. Sylvie and Violet were going to be so jealous.

When the video was taken - a lot of unprompted laughter, even from Kelly after a while - Stella stuffed her phone away, fully ready to bask in wherever the journey was taking them.

Eventually, though, the adventure needed to come to an end. They found their way back into town and the main streets, illuminated only by streetlights, building lights, and the occasional set of car headlights under the navy blanket of sky.

Kelly finally pulled back into the loft, kicking the bike rest into place as both he and Stella pulled off their helmets. Upon them dismounting the motorcycle, he turned his head to look at her, met with a very telling smile. Nevertheless, he asked, “well?”

She laughed even more. “Holy shit, Kelly, that was amazing! I— oh, my God, you’re so—” She cut herself off, shaking her head incredulously before grabbing his face and pulling him into a searing kiss. One that left both of them breathless when they pulled apart, and she studied his features. “Thank you… for working your.. husband sorcery..”

Kelly chuckled, hands finding her waist as he held her flush against him. “It’s only fair with the amount of wife sorcery you’ve used on me.”

She hummed, admiring him with a softer smile for a moment before placing another kiss on his lips, stroking along his cheek. “Well, I think this went a little further beyond just a few little pick-me-ups.” She pretended to think for a moment, one hand leaving his face to trail down his chest.

Her smile became familiarly cheeky, dark eyes half-lidded and twinkling with something a little more intense. “What say I thank you, hm..?” she whispered.

His grip subconsciously tightened, his lips curving up slightly at the insinuation. Leave it to Stella. “I say I’d be ridiculous to decline.”

“Yeah, you would,” she answered, both of their smiles growing as she promptly closed the gap between them, effectively seizing any real conversation for the next while.

If all motorcycle joyride days ended being blissed out under the covers, Stella thought, then maybe those bikes weren’t so bad after all. Yeah, she could definitely manage.

Chapter Text

The quiet that had overtaken Kelly’s office was interrupted by the sound of his phone going off with a call. Sparing a quick glance at Rory, who was sleeping in her carrier on a chair he placed beside him, she was thankfully still out like a light, and he reached for his phone with a small smile.

Van Meter

Sigh.

Thankfully, the call was a short one, but it left him with a mission. He stood up, pocketing his phone and carefully picking up the baby carrier.

After quickly checking in with Boden and grabbing his radio, he made his way back through the firehouse and found the rest of Squad sitting in the common room by the TV. “Hey.

Van Meter called; wants me to take a quick second look at the house from this morning’s call. I can’t take Rory with me, so if you guys could keep an eye on her, at least until Kidd gets back with Truck…”

Capp seemed like he was about to lodge a protest, but Cruz beat him to speaking. “Yeah, sure thing, boss. We got it under control.” He shot Capp a look.

Kelly nodded, letting Cruz take the carrier. “Thanks.” He took one last look at the ten-month-old before turning and heading towards the apparatus floor.

Admittedly, the only one of Squad he trusted to watch over his kid was the only other father there. And that was probably the only reason he asked them to do it instead of asking someone like Herrmann or waiting for Truck and Ambo to come back; he wouldn’t trust Capp or Tony alone with Rory as far as he could throw them, as much as he loved the guys. They were damn good firefighters, but certainly not babysitters.

He could only have faith in his decision-making.

Watching Rory wasn’t all too bad. She was quiet outside of her giggling and occasional babbling, and making her laugh was an easy way to stop her from getting too fussy. It felt easy, needing to do so little for so long. Maybe they’d learned a lesson from Julia, after all.

Until it wasn’t easy.

They’d set her on her playmat, and she was quiet, preoccupied. Cruz got up to use the bathroom. Gone for three minutes tops. But walking back into the common room, the first thing he saw was the empty playmat, and he swore his heart dropped into his ass.

So much for that lesson. Déjà vu, much?

He rushed over. “Guys, where the hell is she?”

Both Capp and Tony’s heads snapped over to the playmat. Tony groaned, getting to his feet as Capp did the same. “Not again…”

“I was gone three minutes tops!”

“She was just here, we swear! Not even a minute ago!”

“We’ve been over this! She could’ve gone anywhere!” Cruz ran his hands down his face. “Okay. Tony, bullpen. Capp, bunkroom. I’ll check out by the meeting room.”

It felt like a miracle - or a curse - that Truck hadn’t returned yet, but one could assume they’d gotten back-to-back calls. As long as whatever it was bought them more time.

The three Squad members split up, but unfortunately, it didn’t seem like they would be so lucky that time around. Everywhere he looked: empty. “Oh, fuck…”

“Cruz?”

Cruz whipped around, finding Ritter. Seeing the sheer frantic concern on his face, the younger firefighter sighed, shooting him an almost pitiful look. “Don’t tell me you guys lost Rory…”

“Please help us.” Cruz sent him a pleading look in return.

Ritter shook his head immediately, putting his hands up and taking a step back. “I’m not getting myself involved in this. That’s your problem, man.”

“C’mon–”

“Good luck!” The Engine firefighter started walking towards the common room.

Cruz groaned, heading towards the bunkroom and checking everywhere all the while. Still nothing.

He found Capp. “Did you find her?”

Capp shook his head. “Nope. Double-checked under all the beds and everything.”

“Shit. Okay.” Cruz paused, wracking his brain. “Okay. Let’s go find Tony, reconvene, and hope neither Severide nor Kidd come back in the next five minutes.”

The other only nodded.

Entering the common room, Kelly was mildly surprised to find Rory with Violet and Ritter at the table, Squad nowhere in sight. The two waved as he approached, Violet speaking up. “Hey, Severide.”

“Hey..” The lieutenant took the ten-month-old from Violet into his own arms, pressing a quick kiss to her rosy cheek. “Hey, firebug…” He glanced back at Violet and Ritter. “I left her with my guys; what’s she doing with you? I mean, as long as someone’s with her, but…”

“I think she bested them at hide ‘n seek,” Ritter answered, making the PIC huff amusedly. “The three of them have been running around like they were set on fire for a while now. Apparently they haven’t realized; we were waiting to see how long it would take.”

“Gotta hand it to you, you’re extremely brave for trusting Capp and Tony with her,” Violet added.

“I didn’t, but I was trying to give them the benefit of the doubt with Cruz there.” Kelly shook his head. “Lesson learned. I’ll have Herrmann watch her next time.”

“Sounds like a much better plan.”

The sound of footsteps made them turn their heads, watching as Capp and Tony hurried into the room. Upon seeing their lieutenant, they froze.

Kelly sent them a pointed look, adjusting Rory in his arms. “Mind telling me why you two are running around like that? And where’s Cruz?”

“Bunkroom,” Capp answered. “Look, we may have gotten a little distracted for a moment…”

His brow quirked. “Must’ve been a pretty long moment for you to have lost her.”

“Lost is a bit of a strong word; it hasn’t been that long, no more than a minute–”

“Considering I ran into a very panicked Cruz more than a just a minute ago, I would disagree,” Ritter chimed in, earning him an annoyed look from the two Squad firefighters.

Kelly looked at Ritter briefly before coming back to Capp and Tony. “Yeah?”

As if on cue, there was another set of footsteps. “Guys, I think– Oh, uh, hey, Lieutenant..!”

“You think what?” Kelly questioned.

“I… Nothing, nothing. I see Rory found you.”

“Y’know what I think? I think it’s funny that you three lose a ten-month-old in your own firehouse ‘cause you can’t look at her every two minutes while she’s in an open space.” He couldn’t help the slight satisfaction he felt watching them stiffen. “As soon as Truck gets back, meet me on the apron. We’re gonna set up a Denver drill.” He walked past them to head to his office. “And don’t take too long getting there!”

As soon as he got back to his office, Kelly sat down at his desk, carefully adjusting Rory so he could hold her in front of him. “You gave them a run for their money, huh?”

She only babbled, reaching up for his face. He chuckled to himself. “Already evading some of the best search and rescue firefighters in Chicago. You’re really something, aren’t you? Wait ‘til your mom hears about this one.”

He lifted her up a bit, pressing kisses to both her cheeks as she grabbed his face afterward, smiling amusedly and attempting to do the same. “If you’re gonna scare them and make them run around, at least do it when I’m here, okay?”

“Da!”

“Thanks, firebug.”

Admittedly, it wasn’t the best scenario to return back to the firehouse to, but Kelly would’ve been lying if he said he wasn’t at least a little proud. Because as long as his baby girl was safe and sound, everything would be alright.

Chapter Text

“Extreme thirst and nausea are signs of internal bleeding.” Part of him wondered if he’d ever forget the sheer look of fear on the guy’s face. But he needed the help, or else.

But he knew he’d never forget what followed.

The other two exchanged looks, a subtle nod as one stepped back. The other turned to face the injured driver, pulling the handgun from his pocket.

“No, wait–!”

The shot echoed throughout the warehouse and rang through his ears, spattering blood against the dirty glass, and all he could do was recoil in shock and horror as his heart fell into the pit of his stomach. “What the–?!”

The black-haired one stalked back towards him, snapping. “Hey, hey, firefighter.” He crouched to his level, staring him right in the eyes. “I can handle the ambulance, but I hope you can drive this thing.

Or we got no use for you, either.”

Kelly startled awake, a snapshot of red dripping down glass flashing in his head, and sucked in a breath, unable to contain his quiet groan as his bruised ribs protested the sharp intake of air. His eyes squeezed shut, but he felt movement beside him caused by his own jostle, a head lifting from his chest. “Kelly? Hey–”

The gentle hand on his chest trailed closer to his heart, and he opened his eyes to see Stella looking down at him, dark eyes pooled with worry. “Another nightmare?” she asked, voice impossibly soft.

He watched her silently for a moment, unable to find the energy to answer. Instead, he sighed, closing his eyes again and trying to will the racing of his heart to slow. She didn’t need to feel how shaken he was.

But closing his eyes only brought him right back to that warehouse. Right back to the chair and the cuffs locked around his wrists and the blood. The scream. Gunshot. Blood, blood, blood–

“--lly, Kelly..!” Kelly’s eyes shot back open, and he didn’t even realize he’d started crying until he felt his wife stroking his face, thumbing away a tear beaded in the corner of his eye. “You’re safe, baby; you’re home…”

“That’s not it…” he managed.

Well, it was admittedly one of the many things plaguing him: that idea of not being home. He knew he almost wasn’t, after making the most dangerous gamble of his life. But what choice did he have? It was either try to escape the rig and pray he survived the explosion, or actually listen to the guys and get shot when they were ready to dispose of him.

Stella being hurt was always the last thing on Earth he ever wanted to see. They lived with their lives constantly on the line, but he always wanted her out of true harm’s way when she could be.

But sometimes it slipped his mind that pain wasn’t always caused at just the physical level.

Kelly knew he could’ve killed them all himself, by meticulously crashing the rig - put an end to it just like he said. But he’d have taken himself out in the process. And he couldn’t do that. Not to her.

In a time before Stella, he probably would’ve taken that route. Taken out two bastards who’d only set out to do harm even if it meant himself, too. That was just how he was. Still was, sometimes; old habits died hard.

“I thought you were dead.”

But Stella had changed so much just by being there. Choosing him. Choosing him again, even after he’d fucked up. Never truly let him go.

It was in the recesses of his mind the whole time: how worried she probably was. Because he knew if she were the one missing, he’d be restless. Anxious, fearing the worst.

And if he’d been killed, it’d have killed her, too, in a sense. Just like it would kill him, too, if something ever happened to her.

So he knew the choice he had to make; it didn’t feel like much of a choice at all. He’d fight like hell. He needed to get back, for her sake and his sake. Because he needed her, needed to see where their story would go, in good times and bad. And he couldn’t have the future that he wanted, that they wanted, if he was dead.

And that was all but confirmed as he stumbled through the mess of smoke and debris into her arms. As he felt her face press right against his neck, breathing out an “oh, my God…” against his skin as it finally came to an end. As he sat on the back of the ambulance and stared at her, and she stared right back, before cradling his face and pressing her forehead to his, pressing a long kiss to his forehead.

Living for her was worth far more than anything else, always.

Kelly pushed himself up, ignoring the second protest from his injuries, trying to focus on Stella’s careful touch as she helped him. He watched her hand go right back to his heart, a bittersweetly familiar motion, before staring at a random spot on the blanket in front of him, unfocused. “It’s… more than just that…”

“Then talk to me,” his wife prompted gently, thumb stroking his chest. “You don’t have to keep trying to push it down, Kelly.”

He wanted to, though. That was just how he was; compartmentalizing it until he was numb to it and moving forward. He didn’t want help.

But what he wanted and what he needed were two separate things, he’d realized over time. And he’d already pushed her away once when he needed help. Never again.

A few days had passed since the incident, but he still hadn’t told her the specifics of what went on, what he saw. He didn’t want her to know what he’d bore witness to in that warehouse. The fact he tried to help a man roped into a mess far beyond his head and it only got him brutally murdered, instead.

Stella didn’t deserve to know that. But he wasn’t sure he could keep trying to bury it much longer.

“The guy who initially drove off with the truck, I don’t think he wanted to be there,” he started quietly. Stella’s head tilted wordlessly, eyes fixed on him. “He said he was being paid to drive them wherever. But I didn’t know that before…”

“Before what..?”

“I thought he was one of those bastards. Hid under the truck after managing to swipe an old phone and took a pike pole to the back of his knees. He had a gun, I wrestled with him, and it… went off, hit him. So, I tried to help him and he tried to get me to leave, told me he was just doing his job. But then the other two showed back up, and I was getting pushed into a chair and cuffed.”

Stella’s eyes widened slightly. “So, does that mean… the first time you called me…”

“Yeah.” Kelly huffed. “Guess it’s a good thing I know your number and a keypad like the back of my hand.”

She couldn’t help a small, amused smile, dropping her hand from his chest and grabbing his own instead. She lifted it, pressing her lips to the mark still faint around his wrist. “I guess so.”

Any levity in his face dissipated as soon as it’d appeared. “They sat the driver down but… he started showing symptoms of internal bleeding almost immediately. He probably had an hour at most. I pointed it out, thought that maybe they would let him get help somehow…”

Her face fell as he went quiet, heart in her throat as she realized almost instantly where he was about to go with his explanation. “Oh, God…”

“They looked at each other, and one of them pulled his gun from his pocket. Pointed it at him and fired. Right through his forehead.” His voice was quiet, almost hollow as he once again fixated on some random spot on the blanket.

Stella moved his hand into both of hers, holding it tightly. “Kelly…”

“Told me to drive or they’d have no use for me, either.” His voice wavered, and she tried to ignore the way her chest constricted almost painfully tight, eyes never leaving him. “All I can see is his blood on the glass. His scream, I– it’s my fault–”

“No, no, don’t say that. Don’t do that,” she cut him off, moving one hand to press it right back against his chest. “It’s not your fault, Kelly. That’s not your fault at all, baby.”

“They wouldn’t’ve shot him if I hadn’t said anything; I should’ve just kept my mouth shut, or–”

“Hey. Look at me. Look at me.” She lifted her hand, gently tilting his face towards her and wiping a tear that’d slipped. “Listen to me. What happened to that man is not your fault, Kelly Severide. You didn’t know they were going to do that to him. You didn’t kill him.”

Kelly shook his head. “It was my fault he got shot in the first place–”

“You were defending yourself, Kelly. He had a gun. What else were you supposed to do in that moment?” his wife countered, voice firm. But almost immediately, it softened, and she couldn’t help the slight waver in her own voice at the thoughts that followed. “If you hadn’t fought back, it would’ve been you who got shot first. And they would’ve been even quicker with you than they were with him.”

She exhaled, trying to steel herself. “Did you pull the final trigger on him?”

“No…” Kelly mumbled.

“Then it’s not your fault. Simple as that,” Stella told him.

“I can’t stop seeing it all.” The afterthought was barely above a whisper. “I thought…”

He didn’t finish, but the haunted look in his piercing eyes told her everything she needed to know. And frankly, she would’ve been lying if she said she wasn’t worried, petrified, about the same exact thing. She’d told him just that.

“But you didn’t, thank God.” She wiped the new tears that had appeared. “I know if anyone can get through this, Kelly, it’s you. You’re the strongest person I know.”

Kelly stayed silent, but he finally met her eyes again, looking the slightest bit lighter. The start she was hoping for. “And I’m here for you; I always will be. One day at a time, we’ll get through this. Together. You don’t have to do this alone.”

Stella brought her other hand up, cradling his face and pressing her forehead to his just as she’d done that fateful morning. “You got this, Kelly Severide.”

She didn’t see it, but her husband’s smile was small, slight. “Thank you…”

“Of course.” She pulled back, pressing a lingering kiss to his forehead before dropping her hands to his shoulders, pulling him gently. “C’mere, baby..”

Kelly leaned into her immediately, letting her carefully pull him down into her embrace, pressed against her chest. Stella felt his arms wrap around one of hers, and she smoothed her fingers through his silvering hair, tilting her head down to kiss the top of his head. “I love you so, so much,” she murmured into his hair.

He held her tighter, and the warmth dripping in his voice despite it all made her feel almost fuzzy, heart fluttering as the tension finally started to dissipate. “I love you.”

It was a little while before he finally fell back asleep, a few more tears admittedly falling before he could. But finally, as they laid down and he focused in on her touch, the way she wrapped herself secure around him so they couldn’t possibly get any closer, he let sleep overtake him. She was there, and that was all he needed.

Only when she heard the telltale signs of evened breathing did she let herself fall back asleep, too.

It hurt her immensely to see him hurting like that; a rare sight she could probably count the amount of times she’d seen on one hand. It killed a part of her, knowing she could only do so much for him. But she’d do every single thing she could.

There was a lengthy road ahead of them, that much she knew. But just as they always did, they’d do it all together and work through it together. And just as they always were, they’d be okay. He’d be okay.

And that was all she needed.

Chapter Text

The sound of crying through the baby monitor was what roused Stella. Evidently Kelly, too, by the way she heard her husband groan quietly and retract his arm from resting over hers, presumably to rub his eyes.

She felt him shift under her, preparing to move out from his spot half under her, but she beat him to it, propping herself up with a sigh and setting a gentle hand on his chest to stop him. “I got her…”

“You sure..?” he mumbled.

“Mhm,” she hummed, leaning down to press a light kiss to the side of his face. “She’s probably hungry; go back to sleep, babe…”

Kelly sighed himself, reaching up to pull his wife back down into a proper, albeit tired, kiss. A silent thank you.

With that, Stella sat up entirely, pushing the duvet off and sliding out of bed. She shuffled her way over to the nursery, flicking on the dim lamp by the crib and lifting their fussy five-month-old up into her arms. “C’mere, baby, I know… Mama’s got you…”

She tried rocking Rory first, slowly pacing the room to see if the baby was just having trouble staying asleep. It calmed her a little bit at first, but when it stopped proving effective and tears kept streaming down her pinkened cheeks, her mother moved over to sit in the plush rocking chair. “Okay, baby bear, hold on…”

Adjusting Rory, Stella pulled down one side of her maternity bra. Her daughter didn’t require much guidance, quieting and latching on with little struggle as her tiny hand began kneading Stella’s chest. “There you go, baby bear, atta girl..”

The next few minutes were spent in a peaceful quiet, the silence only broken by the occasional small noise from Rory or by Stella ultimately starting to hum the first song that’d come to mind.

Eventually, the five-month-old detached, and Stella leaned over to grab and place a cloth over her shoulder before carefully lifting Rory higher up and over the cloth, rubbing her back. “Almost all better now, huh? Is someone feeling better?”

When Rory was taken care of a couple minutes later, she gave them another few long moments before slowly pushing herself up, heading back over to the crib.

Trying to put her daughter down, however, only resulted in her starting to whine in protest. Stella sighed, debating on letting her try and put herself back to sleep, but when bright baby blue eyes grew watery again, tiny fists clenched, she caved, pulling her back up. “Okay, lil’ lady, okay. Shh. Mama’s still here…”

She ambled back over to the rocking chair, lowering herself back into it as she stroked the side of Rory’s head. “I know, baby bear, I know..”

The five-month-old kept whining quietly, wriggling against her mother’s chest, and Stella sighed quietly, wracking her brain for other potential soothing solutions. The tune reappeared in her head, and, rather than just starting to hum it again, she opted to take a slightly different approach.

“At last, my love has come along. My lonely days are over, and life is like a song.”

Stella couldn’t help but smile to herself as the gentle combination of her voice and the rocker’s movement had the desired effect, Rory starting to still as her whimpers died down. She moved her hand to the baby’s rosy cheek, thumbing it soothingly.

“At last, the skies above are blue. My heart was wrapped up in clover the night I looked at you.”

Her eyes fluttered, clearly fighting to stay open as she murmured, but they ultimately shut alongside a quiet sigh. There was the ghost of a smile on her face, and it made her mother’s smile brighten a little, too, continuing to stroke her cheek.

“I found a dream that I could speak to. A dream that I can call my own. I found a thrill to press my cheek to. A thrill that I’ve never known.”

Rory’s breaths had evened out, chest finally rising and falling slowly in a telltale sign of sleep. But even still, Stella didn’t move, watching her closely and soaking in the moment. The quiet moments like that weren’t uncommon by any means, but she was sure as hell going to take each and every one of them while she could. Not to rush anything - God forbid she do that.

But the more Rory grew, the more defined her features became. And slowly but surely, much to Stella’s delight, she was seeing more of her husband in their daughter. A perfect mix of them. A symbol of just how much they loved each other; how far they’d come.

“You smiled, you smiled. Oh, and then the spell was cast. And here we are in Heaven, for you are mine at last.”

She let herself finish the song before carefully standing back up. That time, she was able to put Rory down with no issue, the five-month-old remaining peacefully asleep. Smiling to herself once again, she leaned down, pressing a featherlight kiss to the baby girl’s head. “Goodnight, baby bear. Mama loves you so much.”

Turning the lamp off, she silently made her way out of the nursery and back to her and Kelly’s bedroom. She slid under the duvet, cuddling back up against his side, but was surprised when he moved to hold her again, too precise a movement for him to be doing it unconsciously.

It was confirmed by his voice breaking the quiet, still laced with drowsiness. “Since when do you sing..?”

Her eyes widened slightly, cheeks flushing. “You heard that..?”

“Heard all of it..” Kelly sounded pleased, despite his tiredness. Warm with adoration. “Wasn’t expecting you to do any more than hum..”

“Sorry…” she mumbled, lifting her head. “I, um… thought you would’ve fallen back asleep by now. I… it was one of my favorite pastimes growing up, but I never thought sharing it was… that important, I guess…”

Even though his face was mostly obscured by the dark of the room, just enough moonlight from the window was cast on his face for her to notice he was looking at her. She could sense it, too. “You sound beautiful, Stella.”

“Really..?” Stella asked quietly.

“Really,” Kelly confirmed. “C’mere…” Her husband pulled her head back down against his chest, fingers carding through her wild curls to keep her in place. He pressed a kiss into her dark hair. “‘S nothing to be embarrassed about.” I think I just fell a little deeper in love with you.

She couldn’t help a small smile, relaxing against him. “Thank you…”

He squeezed her forearm resting under his. “You’re an incredible mom, you know that?”

Her heart fluttered, wrapping herself around him a little tighter. “I love you…”

“I love you..”

The couple finally dozed back off after a few minutes, feeling a newfound lightness. Although Stella wasn’t expecting someone, him, to finally hear an interest years in the making, maybe it wouldn’t hurt to let him hear it a little more. Because he was her person, and she could always trust him.

At last.

Chapter Text

The years where Halloween duties fell onto second shift were always interesting. Some shifts went smoother than others, but there was always bound to be something to talk about.

As it stood, that something in question was a costume contest between various members of the shift, who got a little too excited at the prospect of what was actually a bet. Whoever’s costume got the most votes from children making a trick-or-treat pitstop, won.

Stella thought it was worth it to watch play out, if not solely for seeing Cruz, Capp, and Tony in ridiculous costumes.

Until the night got better.

She was standing on the apron talking to Violet and Novak, helping the two paramedics hand out candy.

“You should’ve joined the contest, Stella,” Violet pouted. “You so could’ve won. And I wouldn’t’ve even been mad about it.”

“Well, I had to make it fair for the rest of you, obviously. I woulda smoked all of you,” Stella teased. Her eyes jumped over to a short way’s away from them, where Cruz and Capp were in a rather heated back-and-forth, much to the amusement of the little boy dressed as Captain America in front of them. With raised brows, she looked back to Violet and Novak. “Besides, I know better than to agree to any idea Capp comes up with. Certainly not a bet.”

Violet looked over to the bickering, where Tony had since entered the fray. “Y’know, I gotta wonder how Severide handles them sometimes.”

Stella snickered. “I think he wonders the same thing.”

Novak tilted her head. “This feels… painfully normal.”

“Oh, yeah.” The Truck lieutenant nodded. “Work with them for another year or two and you won’t even blink. Give it five minutes and they’ll be horsing around and trying to scare the shit outta each other with Capp’s clown horn.”

“Stella!”

Her attention turned to the familiar voice of the young woman walking up the apron, holding the hand of a particularly bouncy toddler. She smiled instantly. “Well, look who we have here!”

As soon as her hand was free, Rory was running the rest of the way to her mother. “Mama!”

Stella laughed, leaning down and scooping the three-year-old up before she could crash into her legs. “Hi, baby bear!”

Upon holding Rory up, Stella realized what costume she was in, a surprised laugh leaving her. “Stop. Are you what I think you are, lil’ missy?”

With back-to-back crazy shifts and way too much work to do, plus the fact they were working on Halloween, Stella and Kelly hadn’t quite found the chance to help get Rory a costume. Thankfully, her babysitter, Marci, was more than willing to step in, but the costume was a secret shared between the two that neither Stella nor Kelly had been able to figure out.

Until then.

Rory nodded, beaming. “Fi-fiwer!”

“It would’ve been just a little more obvious had she not taken off like a rocket and knocked her hat off,” Marci spoke up, laughing as she walked over with a little black firefighter helmet in her hands. “For the record, this wasn’t even my costume idea; it was all hers. She wanted to copy you guys something awful.”

“Look at you! You got the braids and everything!” Stella pulled one of Rory’s little French braids forward. “Gunning for your mama’s job now, huh?”

“Maybe not your job,” Marci answered. “Check her arm.”

She’d been so focused on Rory’s coat and braids in general, not to mention the sheer look of excitement in her sparkling blue eyes, that one specific detail had passed her by. Red and white duct tape. “Oh. My God. You didn’t.”

“We kinda did.”

Before she could say anything else, the three-year-old stuck out her arm, pulling the sleeve so she could look between that and her mother as she started giggling. Stella’s eyes landed on the lettering over the duct tape.

RESCUE SQUAD

Another smile broke out across her face as she started laughing again, pleasantly surprised. “Oh, my God, you’re kidding! That’s actually incredible!”

“Every time I think she can’t look more like you and Severide, I get proven wrong,” Violet chimed in. Her and Novak were looking on with stars in their eyes, clearly both amused and adoring.

“Please keep proving us wrong,” Novak added, sounding as incredulous as her partner.

“Oh, my God. I need– hold on, hold on.” Stella looked around before her eyes settled on the three bickering Squad men. “Cruz!”

They finally stopped, looking over to her. “Yeah, Kidd?” he called.

Stella adjusted Rory so they could see her costume, watching amusement cross all their faces as the toddler waved excitedly to them. “Can you go get Severide?”

Cruz nodded. “Got it!”

“Well, I think someone deserves some candy for havin’ the sweetest costume ever,” Stella said, kissing Rory’s cheek before looking at Violet and Novak. “What d’you two think?”

The toddler’s icy eyes lit up, nodding eagerly and watching the two paramedics expectantly. Violet hummed in faux thought, nodding herself after a moment. “Definitely.”

“Oh, totally,” Novak answered. “Literally the best costume I’ve seen all night.”

Violet grabbed a small handful of fun-sized chocolates from one of the Halloween bowls in front of them, waiting for Marci to momentarily hand Rory back her jack-o-lantern bucket before dropping the candy inside.

Stella bounced Rory, watching her fondly. “What d’you say to Vi and Lizzie, baby bear?”

“T’ank you!” the three-year-old exclaimed, making both paramedics laugh.

Seeing movement in her peripheral a short time later, Stella turned, seeing Cruz and Kelly coming up the apron. She started to smile, gasping dramatically to grab Rory’s attention. “Look who it is..!”

Rory’s eyes landed on Kelly, who had since noticed her and was starting to smile himself, wriggling eagerly until her mother finally set her down. “Don’t lose your helmet this time, lil’ missy!”

Without breaking much of her sprint, one of the toddler’s little hands flew up to keep her helmet on, making Stella laugh.

“There’s my little rugrat!” Kelly crouched down, lifting Rory up with a small toss when she reached him. He adjusted her helmet so he could see her eyes better. “Guess you’re a real firebug now, huh? I didn’t realize we had a new candidate in the house!”

“Better than a candidate, actually!” Stella called, making her way over to them. “Look at her arm.”

“Oh, yeah? Lemme see.” Similar to what she did for Stella, Rory stuck out her arm immediately, a giddy smile on her face as Kelly carefully adjusted her arm so he could read it.

His eyes widened slightly before a smile started crossing his own face. “Well, look at you! Since when were you on Squad?”

Rory giggled. “Sin’ now!”

Her father’s brows raised, amused. “Yeah? You trying to take my place on Squad?”

“She already took your place as the youngest to join Squad!” Capp butt in. “Beat you by twenty whole years!”

Kelly looked over, shooting his sniggering crew an unimpressed look. “Was I talkin’ to you?” he retorted.

Capp stood a little straighter, eyeing him cautiously. The lieutenant nodded curtly. “That’s what I thought.”

His attention was brought back to Rory by the sound of giggling, the toddler having watched the exchange in amusement. “You think this is funny, huh? You think it’s funny? Aiming for Daddy’s job?”

Kelly poked her side when she nodded after a moment, bouncing her and drawing more laughter out of her. “Little rascal,” he huffed fondly.

He pressed a kiss to both of her rosy cheeks before setting her back on the ground, gently pulling both of Rory’s braids forward over her shoulders.

Looking at the three-year-old in front of him instilled an inexplicable warmth. A positively overwhelming mix of pride, love, wonder, and so many other things under the sun he couldn’t pinpoint.

The little girl looking back at him with those sparkling doe eyes wasn’t a carbon copy of either him or Stella. Although she more closely resembled Stella when she was even smaller, the more she grew, the more of himself he saw in her features.

He didn’t like to use the word ‘perfect,’ but that’s what she was in a way: a perfect mix. And God , what a wonderful feeling that gave him.

“You already get candy?” he asked her.

Rory nodded happily. “Mhm!”

Kelly smiled. “Good.”

Rory and Marci stuck around for a few extra minutes before starting to depart, the babysitter wanting to make sure they got the remainder of their trick-or-treating rounds in before it got too late for the toddler.

Holding Marci’s hand as they walked off the apron, Rory turned, beaming and waving. “Bye-bye, Mama! Bye-bye, Daddy!”

Both her parents smiled, Kelly returning the wave as Stella called after her, “bye-bye, baby!”

When Rory turned around, Stella sighed fondly, wrapping her arm around Kelly’s as she leaned into her husband’s side. “I can’t believe she actually wanted to dress as a firefighter.”

Kelly nodded in agreement, still watching the two retreating figures. “Maybe it’s in her blood,” he answered, amused.

Stella hummed, tilting her head in thought. “Maybe. Not that it matters.”

He nodded again in a silent affirmation, and a small smile crossed her face.

Their attention was ultimately diverted by more children approaching the firehouse, and they watched on as Cruz, Capp, and Tony once again began bickering in their attempt to convince the kids who to vote for.

Even still, Violet and Novak would tie for winner at the end of the night.

A very happy Halloween, indeed.

Chapter Text

When she first awoke to the light streaming into the room, the sun just barely over the horizon in its entirety, Stella was convinced Kelly had forgotten to set the alarm for shift yet again.

But then she felt it. The warmer atmosphere, the beach-like saltiness tinging the air. And she quickly realized, remembered, as she opened her eyes and took in the coastal hotel room, oh, right, they weren’t in their bed. They didn’t have work. Kelly didn’t have to set the alarm.

With that knowledge in mind, Stella made a fruitless attempt to pull the thin sheet hardly draped across their bodies a little higher up before pressing her face right back into her husband’s bare chest with a deep sigh, arm draping right back across his torso while sleep edged closer to reclaiming her.

Despite the exhaustive blur the last couple days had been, she felt oddly grounded; the most secure she’d felt since before the nightmare that was their last shift. A sense of normalcy was finally starting to creep back in, and the relief that came with it was immense.

Part of her mind was still reeling from it, and she had a feeling it would be for a while. They’d had close calls, too many to count confidently. She’d been forced to consider the idea of a life without him. But even so, none of those experiences had felt quite like… that.

Stella wasn’t one to doubt. To give up. She’d spent so much of her life trying to do anything but. But being stuck down in that train, oxygen slowly running out, it’d started to consume her, even if just for a few moments. What if..?

It had all slowly piled on, higher and higher, heavier and heavier. The disconnection, the little she could do for the victims they were trapped with. The oxygen. There was a race against the clock, but it hadn’t been her race to win. She was stuck waiting at the finish line, and for the first time in a long time, her fate was out of her own hands.

So much of her life had been spent in the rough; she’d looked after herself and practically only herself, gave her all to other people who gave none to her in turn, and had accepted that nobody would look after her the way she wanted to be deep down.

But then she landed at 51, and Kelly came along. And for the first time, she was truly looked after. She was protected, she was loved. Loved in that inexplicably raw way she’d started to believe only existed in the movies.

And down in that subway, she knew they’d come. She knew Kelly would come, hell or high water. Although there was no choice but to put her rescue into his hands, she felt prepared to. Confident to. Once upon a time, it would’ve scared her, having such intense faith in someone that wasn’t herself. But now, having unwavering faith in Kelly Severide came as easy as breathing.

Her faith in his ability to get there had never completely dissipated, but she hadn’t been able to help the way her mind started to wander, succumbing to that suffocating feeling of helplessness.

Talking to Kelly hadn’t been an option for her, despite Adam’s offer of the phone. She knew they’d be together later. Saying ‘goodbye’ wasn’t an option. It would’ve made it all too painfully real, fully reintroduced the idea that she might never see him again.

And yet, for a brief moment collapsed to her knees, head nearly in her hands as the remaining oxygen around them continued to drop, the little voice in the back of her mind spoke up. Should she have called him?

Should she have said goodbye?

Stella could feel herself starting to spiral again, back to those moments. As much as she tried to remind herself now wasn’t the time, there wasn’t any need to - she was fine, they were fine, it was over - the thoughts just kept stalking. Swirling.

Reminding her of what could’ve happened. How close she’d come to…

There was the familiar feeling of fingers gently threading through her hair, stroking her curls, and she was pulled from her mind, thoughts starting to fizzle out as quickly as they’d arrived.

She was fine. They were fine.

Stella sighed contentedly, letting her thumb stroke against Kelly’s chest. She threw her leg over his own, pressing her body closer still against his side. Not that she really could get closer at that point, but it sure as hell wouldn’t stop her from trying.

Readjusting, she rested her chin against his chest, admiring him. For the first time since before their last shift, he too looked more relaxed. Tired, but not exhausted. Content. Her heart fluttered, a small smile forming.

It wasn’t that he’d looked bad - she’d never thought that a moment in her life even on their worst days - but stress was a look she hated seeing on him. Most of the time. Because sometimes, actually, it was rather–

She blinked, feeling that all too familiar rush akin to that of a teenager with her first crush. And yet, she couldn’t even be mad about it. She could only be mad about how handsome he looked just laying there. The sunrise wasn’t making it any easier–

“Do you mind..?” Kelly’s voice, thick with sleep, drew her back out of her thoughts yet again. But he wasn’t looking at her, eyes still closed.

“What?” Stella feigned innocence. She knew he knew, though. Somehow. The only one who could ever see right through her.

“You have a staring problem,” he answered.

She huffed, pressing a kiss to his chest. “Yeah, well, you have an attractiveness problem, so…”

It was her husband’s turn to huff, the ghost of a smile pulling at his lips. He didn’t respond, eyes remaining closed, but his hand formally in her hair gently ran down her back.

His free hand slid down to her thigh, slowly tracing back up, and she was almost so consumed by the pleasant, contented shiver the touch brought that she nearly missed his other hand slipping up underneath her - his - shirt, fingertips ghosting her side.

And then he was tickling her.

The air left her in a rush, a breathless squeal escaping before her face split into a wide smile. “Kelly!”

With his arm too secure around her, she couldn’t roll off to the side. When she tried to pull herself up, though, which was already a feat within itself from her uncontrollable giggles, Kelly’s hand moved from her thigh to her arm, quickly but gently pulling her back down to him. He’d distracted her.

Her other arm was trapped underneath her from how they’d been laying, so that meant she was effectively trapped. More or less. Could she have freed herself? Probably. But where was the fun in that?

Stella managed to look up, finally meeting his then-open eyes. He had that boyish smile on his face, piercing eyes twinkling as she heard his quiet laughter between bouts of her own. She tried unsuccessfully to swat his arm away. “Stop..!”

He didn’t, instead reaching that extra sensitive spot just above her hip - what an asshole - and focusing that. She buried her face back against his shoulder, trying to stifle her growing laughter and break free.

When he was seemingly satisfied with himself a few seconds later, he finally stopped, hand settling still against her waist. She lifted her head after another few moments, measuring him with a glare that held absolutely zero malice. “You’re an asshole.”

Kelly only smiled knowingly at her, squeezing her waist affectionately. “Good morning to you too, sunshine.”

“Mm.” Stella rolled her eyes, pulling herself up a little higher so she could cup his face, pulling him into a kiss once, twice, sighing happily against his lips. “Good morning.”

His hand had slipped back out from under her shirt, going right back to thread through her curls between kisses, and even despite the momenteral wake-up call his surprise had brought her, she already felt rest starting to tug at her again. It really had been a long couple days.

So, she resumed her place nuzzled against his side, completely wrapped around him. The sheet atop them was in further disarray, but it seemed like he cared as little about it as she did, neither of them moving to correct it as his free hand settled over her arm draped across his torso.

There was a kiss pressed to the top of her head, and that was when she let her eyes flutter back shut, any ounce of tension she’d first woken up with completely dissipated as she drifted back off, subconsciously holding her husband tighter all the while.

Stella had anticipated them only staying in bed for another hour or two at most, even despite how early they’d initially woken up, but it was just past noon when they finally managed to detach from each other and pull themselves out of bed, the sun well into the sky.

Per her suggestion, after sitting down for some food at a restaurant farther down the street, the rest of the day was spent at the beach just in front of their hotel. They certainly weren’t alone, but thankfully locating a spot wasn’t too hard.

Kelly had never been totally partial to the beach, at least the lounging around and doing practically nothing aspect of it; swimming in the water or playing with some type of ball or frisbee had always been more his speed. But he soon found, both he and Stella making their way through their own books, that maybe there was something good to be found in the lounging after all.

Maybe it was mostly because, though, although his wife could’ve easily chosen to lay directly beside him, she chose to rest her head against his back instead. And at some point, he felt her adjust, cheek pressed against his skin, and he didn’t hear her turn a page after several minutes, knowing full well she’d fallen asleep right there.

He couldn’t remember the last time either of them had actually taken the time to fully relax. They’d certainly had their fair share of date nights and lounging around in bed during days off, but the last time they’d actually decided to take a trip evaded him.

Even so, they’d never done a trip quite like this: flying out of the country for almost a week - a little longer than just an extended weekend. Admittedly, though, it felt warranted, deserved. Especially after the hell of the last shift. It was their first proper vacation in God only knew how long, but it was also consequently a reminder of Stella’s words: they needed to make more time.

And make more time they would, starting in Cancún.

Kelly hadn’t quite been paying attention to the time, but about an hour or so passed before Stella stirred awake, shifting to resume reading her book from right next to him instead.

It was around when the sun started its descent below the horizon some time later that they finally made their way down to the water. And almost instantly, Stella’s mood had shifted as they wandered up to their waists, a mischievous twinkle in her dark eyes as she started to poke and prod him, teasing.

He knew what his wife wanted to do, waiting for the right opportunity to pounce. Unfortunately for her, she wouldn’t get that chance, not if he had anything to say about it.

When she took another playful swipe at him, he grabbed her waist, pulling her flush against him. Stella stumbled, eyes widening a little as her hands went to his chest, steadying herself. Kelly huffed amusedly, brows raising slightly as he studied her. “Having fun?”

She hummed, nodding. “Yeah. But I know how we can have even more fun.”

He clicked his tongue, pretending to think before lowering his voice, despite the fact no one was in their immediate vicinity. “I think we’d get in trouble if we did it right here.”

She looked around. “I mean,” she drawled, “what they don’t know, won’t kill ‘em.”

Kelly rolled his eyes, a smile tugging at his lips as he closed the gap between them, feeling one of her hands leave his chest to cup his face. His own hands slid down her back towards her bottom, kiss breaking so he could lift her just off her feet.

Stella made a surprised sound, almost immediately starting to smile brighter as a pleased giggle escaped. Her other hand came up, cradling his face, and in that moment, looking up at her, he was certain he’d forgotten how to breathe.

He’d found her beautiful since that fateful first day of the tactical training course over a decade before; long before they ever truly knew each other. And even still, somehow, she’d only gotten more beautiful with time. So, so much more, inside and out.

He’d seen her hundreds of different ways, in hundreds of different places. Hairstyles, outfits, settings, moods, all of it. But this… this…

Looking happy and utterly carefree, wild curls tousled further still by the seabreeze. Sunkissed skin and brown eyes, always so deep in their shade, transformed by the setting sun into luxurious amber, speaking the hundreds of words they didn’t need to tell each other, full of so much love and devotion it almost overwhelmed him. But the smile that graced her face, her goddamn smile – warm and adoring and everything in between that escaped him in his mesmerization.

Kelly still didn’t quite know what he’d done to deserve her. For her to take him back, for her to marry him. And maybe he’d never know. But the last thing he would ever do was let go. She was his wife, and he was her husband. This was his to fight for, to keep, and he’d do just that, for the rest of his life.

Her soft laughter drew him back to reality, her thumb pressed lightly to his bottom lip as she studied him, seemingly just as raptly as he’d been her, head tilted just a little. Wordlessly, he hoisted her a little higher, his initial reason for picking her up temporarily fizzled out.

Stella closed the gap, humming appreciatively into the kiss as her hand not on his cheek rested against the back of his head.

When they broke apart, her voice was soft as her thumb stroked along his jawline. “Thank you.”

His brows furrowed slightly, confused. “For what?”

Her hand left his face momentarily, motioning at the sunset-painted beach around them before settling back in place. “For this.”

“You kiddin’?” Kelly carefully set her back on her feet, hands sliding back to her hips. “This was all your idea. All I did was realize you were right.”

Stella tilted her head in consideration, a small, playful smile forming as her hands ran down his arms. “Well, thanks for remembering how smart I am.”

Kelly huffed, unable to help his own smile as he shook his head. “I never forgot. But…”

She studied him, smile fading slightly. “But..?”

He stayed silent a moment, waiting, and then his smile started to grow before he used his hold on her hips to push her over into the oncoming wave, laughing at her surprised shout.

His wife re-emerged a few seconds later, looking utterly betrayed, pushing her soaked bangs and strands of curls out of her face. Kelly laughed more, hand resting on his hip as he watched her stand back up straight. “What? You think I was about to let you get me first?”

Stella stammered for an answer, but was unable to come up with something, folding her arms with a pout. Kelly huffed, stepping over to her and pushing some of her hair back behind her shoulder to litter a few kisses against her neck.

“You’re an asshole.” Despite her best attempts to maintain her irritated appearance, her resolve melted a few seconds later, tilting her neck with a soft sigh to give him better access. His arms snaked back around her waist, amused smile evident in his tone. “Love you too, honey.”

She rolled her eyes, leaning into him nevertheless. “Don’t push your luck, babe.”

He would, in fact, push his luck, and it would be her turn to push him into the water not even five minutes later. He’d manage to take her with him, but she wouldn’t even have the heart to be mad about it.

As much as she didn’t want to leave Cancún, she knew their vacation, albeit temporary, was the turn of a page. They both knew it. The first of a new kind of memories, a new chapter of their life.

And they were ready to keep moving forward.

Chapter Text

She was about to put on her necklace when he came up behind her, one hand settling on her hip as the other brushed her curls back behind her shoulder, and she watched him through the mirror as he tilted his head down, pressing repeated kisses to her neck.

Stella rolled her eyes as Kelly’s own flickered up, nudging him back with her shoulder. “Nuh-uh, don’t you dare start. You want us to be miss our reservation?”

Her husband’s lips ticked up into a smirk, both hands resettling on her hips. “You want me to answer that?”

“Let me rephrase that,” she huffed. “We made this reservation two weeks in advance; I do not want to be late, let alone miss it at all, so don’t start.”

“We have time,” he reassured her, one hand tapping her hip.

Stella ignored him. “If you’re gonna get up in my business while I’m still tryin’ to get ready, can you at least make yourself useful and help me with this?” She held up the silver pendant.

Kelly chuckled, relenting and reaching for the jewelry with no hesitation. “Of course.”

He clasped the necklace around her neck, before gently wheeling her around to face him. Letting her eyes scan him over, it was her first time getting a good look at his outfit for the night, and she could’ve sworn she heard the little devil on her shoulder whispering into her ear, it wouldn’t kill you to be a little late–

It was a simple all-black ensemble, dress shoes and pants with the sleeves of his button-up rolled back to just below his elbows. But her eyes jumped right back to his chest, where he had just enough buttons undone for his own signature silver pendant to be visible, and she practically had to drag her eyes back up to meet his own, getting met with yet another small smirk.

Busted.

He tilted his head, icy eyes piercing straight through her. “You sure you don’t wanna be late?”

Stella had to find her voice, finally clearing her throat after a few seconds of struggling and trying to keep herself from ogling him further. “Yup…”

Kelly hummed, a knowing glint in his eyes as he pressed another brief kiss to her neck before stepping back. “Well, don’t let me distract you anymore.”

The audacity…

For all her husband’s bravado, though, his eyes hardly left her as he waited from his new spot sat at the foot of the bed, intently watching her search for and slip on the rest of her jewelry.

She’d gone the classier route herself: a wine red satin wrap blouse tucked into some black high-waisted dress pants. Combined with her favorite black boots and half of her curls pulled into a ponytail, she felt good. Real good.

As excited as she was for dinner, one of their rare proper date nights and an even rarer date somewhere on the fancier side, she was more excited for what would come later.

Focus, woman.

Giving herself one last once-over and fixing her bangs in the mirror, she nodded in satisfaction before turning to face Kelly. Before she even had to speak, he understood, standing back up. “Ready?”

“Yes!” Stella grabbed her black clutch off the dresser, making sure everything she needed was inside. “Let’s go.”

When they’d made their way out the front door, Kelly locking it behind them, he held out his arm for her to take, a softer smile etched on his lips. She returned the gesture, immediately looping her arm through his own as they started their way outside.

The roads seemed busier than normal. Granted, it could easily be attributed to Valentine’s Day and God only knew how many people having similar going-out ideas to them, but even so…

They didn’t pay it much mind, though, Kelly’s fingers tapping the beat of the classic rock song playing on the radio against the steering wheel as Stella talked about her agenda for the next Girls on Fire meeting.

“I might have them on the ropes course again,” she mulled. “They could use the additional experience. If you don’t mind helping out again.” She looked over to him.

“‘Course not,” he told her, glancing at her briefly before back to the road. “I’m more than happy to.

“We could switch it up a bit, too,” he suggested as he stopped at a red light. “Up the difficulty a little. Not a lot, but they all got a pretty good hang of it last time.”

“Oh! Yeah, sure, that would be great.” Stella started to smile, watching him fondly. “Thanks.”

Kelly cast another glance her way, something honey-sweet reflecting in his bright eyes. “It’s no problem.”

A comfortable silence overfell them after that, save for the low volume of the radio. When the light finally turned green, he started to pull forward and pass through the short intersection. Bopping her head a little to the radio, reveling in the good mood blanketing them both, Stella glanced out her passenger window as Kelly looked out his side.

He saw the car, then. But it was too late, too close. His eyes widened slightly, nevertheless trying to jerk the steering wheel and redirect. “Shit–!”

They’d been the only car at the intersection. Where did it come from? Why weren’t their lights on?

Why were they going that quick?

He didn’t get a chance to warn her before the collision happened. They felt it, he felt it: the black car colliding with the driver’s side of the Mustang and sending them skidding off-course.

It was all a blur from there.

For a split-second, nothing was processing, and his mind was eerily silent, moving so slowly in motion it was almost frozen in time. Until he breathed in and everything kicked back into high-gear, senses racing to catch up with the present with a ferocity that matched the way his body jostled.

And then he blacked out.

How they came to a stop, he didn’t know. How they didn’t nail one of the overpass poles, he didn’t know. How they’d stayed right-side up, he didn’t know. Everything was dark, calm. Silent. Peaceful.

Somewhere along the way, he regained some semblance of consciousness. Not enough to move, not enough to see. But enough to hear, enough to feel. Even if it felt like he was shrouded in a heavy fog, the rest of the world an echo just out of reach.

Maybe it was the adrenaline still coursing through his veins, but he couldn’t feel any pain. He felt warmth, though; a familiar warmth, enclosed around his hand, comforting, squeezing. And through the distant siren wails that had muddled together, he heard something else, someone else. He heard her - warm, emotional, worried, hopeful.

“You’re not going anywhere.”

And he held onto that, held it close as everything faded once again, blanketing him in the serene silence of the unconsciousness.

Kelly’s limbs felt like lead the next time he came to, uncooperating. But he was feeling a lot of things. A dull pain all throughout, especially in his head, but more important to him, that warmth, still enclosed around his hand, threaded between his fingers.

There was an all-too-familiar stroke across his cheek. He didn’t need to see to know who, but he wanted to see her, was desperate to. He hadn’t been able to help her. Fuck, he hadn’t even been able to help himself. How did it happen? How did it go so wrong so fast? He put all his focus into his eyes.

Finally, they started to crack open, and there was a surprising lack of bright hospital light that made him want to squeeze them back shut immediately. He blinked slowly, turning his head to see just who he’d wanted to see. “…Stell..?”

“Kelly,” his wife breathed out. “Oh, my God, Kelly–”

Stella leaned over, cupping his face briefly before holding him close. “Hey, you. Scared the hell outta me,” she mumbled.

“‘M okay…” Kelly murmured, a half-attempt at reassurance given his state. “Not goin’ anywhere…”

“Yeah, you better not, Kelly Severide.” Stella’s small laugh was watery, and she sniffled, a moment passing before she took his hand into both of hers and carefully moved to press a feather-light kiss to his knuckles. “You got banged up pretty good back there.”

He nearly winced at that, sighing quietly. “What’s the damage?”

“Mild concussion. Seatbelt gave you quite the bruising across your chest. Worst thing is, your leg is gonna keep you outta work for the next few weeks,” she told him. “The docs said it coulda been a lot worse, though. We both lucked out, especially you.”

Kelly tried not to dwell over the fact he’d be out of commission for a while, giving her a once-over - at least the best he could with his position. Outside of looking a little disheveled, a few superficial cuts on her face, she didn’t seem awfully banged up herself. The fact she was sitting beside him and not in a hospital bed herself spoke for itself. Thank God for that. “What about you?”

“I got one hell of a headache,” she huffed, “plus some seatbelt bruising myself. They want me to take next shift off as a precautionary measure.”

“Good idea,” he responded with a slight nod. He inhaled, trying to adjust a little too much, unable to help his wince when his chest protested with a sharp twinge of pain. “Damn…”

“Easy, baby.” Stella gave his hand a comforting squeeze, seemingly mulling over what it was she wanted to tell him next. “It’s looking a little less fortunate for your Mustang. You might not be salvaging it.” She frowned. “That was a damn nice car, too.”

Kelly couldn’t help but chuckle. “She had a good run. Besides, a car with four doors might be the better option now.”

His wife sent him an inquiring look, head tilted slightly in confusion, before she realized what he meant, a smile starting to cross her face as she thought about the future to come. “I think you’re right.” Nevertheless, she couldn’t help herself. “Don’t wanna be the cool car dad that all our kids’ friends talk about?”

It was Kelly’s turn to shoot her a look, raising a brow. “You kiddin’? I got plenty to choose from.”

Stella laughed, squeezing his hand again. “I’m pullin’ your leg. Not that the car matters; they’ll already be talking about you anyway because you do risky stunts while rescuing people for a living.”

Kelly huffed, shaking his head fondly. “Just wait ‘til they hear about you.”

Stella hummed, still smiling as she shook her own head, but it faded after a few moments. “I’m sorry about tonight; leave it to us to have to celebrate Valentine’s at Med. So much for date night.”

“Looks like we didn’t make the reservation after all.” She tried to level him with a glare, but failed almost immediately upon seeing his almost-boyish smile, rolling her eyes fondly as he continued. “In all seriousness, Stella, don’t; it’s not your fault.

Is it ideal? No. I’d rather it not have happened at all. But I’m still here, and you’re still here, and that’s all that matters. I have all I need today right here.”

Her expression softened, holding his hand a little tighter as she reached her free hand out, cupping his face and gently stroking her thumb along his cheek. “Even when you’re the injured one, you know just what to say.”

“I try.”

She hummed quietly, studying him. Admiring him. Her voice was low. “I love you.”

The smile on his face softened, and the amount of warmth in his piercing gaze as he stared at her nearly made her melt on the spot. He’d always had that effect on her, never getting any weaker. If anything, it’d only gotten stronger with time. “I love you, too.”

It certainly wasn’t the way they wanted to spend the rest of their Valentine’s Day, but considering how much worse things could have gone, they were grateful. And at the end of the day, they were still spending it together; what else did they even need?

Chapter Text

"I can't wait for the vision that the two of us had

I know we still have

I can break every now and then

I'm praying on that, praying on that"

- Leslie Odom Jr., "Holding on to Us"

“Are you ki– you kiddin’ me..?”

“Kelly, we’re pregnant.”

It didn’t fully hit him right away.

Even after they’d finally pulled apart long moments later, eyes glossy with a hundred questions rushing through his head, some part of him was still beyond incredulous. Even after he pulled away just long enough to grab that white test again, staring at that little plus sign and thinking about exactly what it entailed, what it meant for her, for him, for them, he was still in disbelief.

Words had escaped him, the almost overwhelming warmth unfurling in his chest, blooming his heart, melted away all the exhausting weight that’d started to pile atop him over the past couple weeks - the last few days, hours, alone. Chased away the storm clouds that had accumulated over his head.

Life had always had a funny way of working out for them, one way or another. In Kelly’s own words, they’d gotten pretty good at curveballs. Getting to that light at the end of the tunnel, and venturing forward until they reached the next one.

Kelly hadn’t expected the light to arrive so soon that time. To shine so bright and vast and hopeful it could envelop them.

He was so distracted by his own attempts at refocusing himself that he didn’t realize the little plus sign in front of him had gone blurry because of his own emotions, unaware of the tear slipping down his cheek until he felt a soft hand on his face, catching and swiping it away after an arm wrapped around his.

Blinking, he finally glanced away from the test again and to Stella, who was already watching him with twinkling dark eyes, lips tugged into that adoring upside-down smile he loved so much.

“So…” she started, trailing her hand from his cheek to the base of his neck, squeezing it lightly. “How’s that for a cure?”

“How’s that…” Kelly finally found his voice, still thick with emotion, laughing breathlessly as he turned to face his wife better. “It’s– It’s amazing, Stella.” He set the test down at the foot of the bed, using his then-free hand to gently brush some of her curls back over her shoulder, exhaling a wavering breath. “It’s perfect.”

Stella sighed deeply, reveling in the feeling of his hands rubbing down her arms until her own were held in his. “Good. ‘Cause I was getting real nervous about showing you that.”

For the first time since she led him to their room, the confusion returned, brows furrowing slightly as concern started to encroach. “What? Why?”

She exhaled, shaking her head a bit. “I know I had no real reason to be, I just–”

Knocking on the bedroom door frame interrupted them, and they turned to see Natalie standing in the doorway, a small, almost sheepish smile on her face. “Sorry, I just… we’re about to head out. I hope I’m not intruding.”

Stella blinked, shaking her head almost immediately. “No, no! Don’t worry about it! We’ll be right there to walk you girls down.”

“Oh, you guys don’t have to–”

“Hey, we want to, okay?” Stella glanced at Kelly, who nodded silently in agreement. “We just need a moment.”

Natalie nodded, once again giving them another little smile. “Okay. Thanks.” She left the doorway, leaving the couple alone again.

Kelly blew out a breath, hand scrubbing his eyes before turning his attention back to Stella. She carefully wiped at her own eyes, suddenly acutely aware of their own dampness. She met her husband’s eyes, still shining but a little less indicative of his emotionality, tipping her head towards the door. “Good?” she asked gently after a few moments.

His gaze flitted briefly to the test still laid at the foot of the bed before back to her, and he gave her a minute nod. “Yeah.”

She slipped one of her hands back into his, sending him a soft smile that he immediately returned. “C’mon.”

Reeling their minds in was easier said than done, trying to act like she hadn’t just revealed the way their life was going to change forever. There was a bit of a haze surrounding them even as they walked down the stairs to head outside, albeit a pleasant one, but one they couldn’t entirely pull themselves from either way. They kept glancing at each other; a silent check-in, a silent reminder. But with each glance, it felt a little harder to keep the composure they’d had to all but throw together.

Outside, Kelly helped Natalie situate her bag into the trunk of Julia’s car, Stella giving each of the sisters a tight hug after the fact. He was more than content to stand back and let them have their moment, but was pleasantly surprised when Natalie tentatively approached him afterward. A briefer hug, but one nonetheless.

Stella looped her arm through Kelly’s before looking back to the girls. “If either of you need anything, and I mean anything, or you just want to talk, you reach out, alright? To either one of us. Don’t be afraid.”

They agreed, giving their last “thank you”s before getting into Julia’s car. Stella exhaled, a new wave of emotions starting to swell inside of her, and she lowered her head to rest against Kelly’s shoulder, squeezing his hand. Her husband squeezed back briefly before dropping her hand to wrap his arm around her waist, pulling her flush to his side and pressing a kiss to her forehead.

Neither of them said anything, nor moved until the car had pulled away from the loft and drove down the street, gradually disappearing into the night. But even then, they didn’t move far, Stella only shifting to snake both arms tight around his torso.

Kelly chuckled, wrapping his arms around her in turn before peppering a few kisses along the side of her face. They stayed there for a few long moments, basking in the close contact, before he pulled back just far enough to nod wordlessly towards the building. Finally, they moved to head back inside and upstairs.

As soon as the front door of the loft was closed behind them, he took one of her hands, guiding her towards the couch so they could both sit down, hands still clasped as he rested them on her thigh.

His free hand came up, resting against the back of her neck. “Why were you nervous before?”

“I think a lot of it was the hormones,” Stella admitted, running a hand through her curls. “But I just– I know this isn’t what we talked about, what we’ve been doing all the planning for, and it’s kinda the opposite, in fact, considering what I told you before about Aunt Laverne and me not being sure about pregnancy–”

“Stella, hey,” Kelly cut her off as she started rambling, squeezing her hand to draw her focus back to him. “Honey. It doesn’t matter to me how we do this. Genuinely. As long as I get to do this with you , as long as you’re comfortable, that’s what matters to me.”

She stared at him for a few moments, eyes beginning to shine with the threat of tears, and when she spoke up again, her voice was softer. “I know. That’s… That is part of why I made up my mind.

The other parts are just… everything else that has happened recently. Watching over Natalie and helping bring her and Julia back together. And Jade, the baby, I… feeling all those emotions, all the pain, and surviving it, coming out on the other side, something… clicked, I think. All I knew, looking at that baby, was how much I want that life with you. Regardless of how. If I could get through all that, inspire Jade to try, take care of Natalie when it mattered most, then I can do it - handle this. We can handle this, together.

Part of me is still absolutely terrified,” she chuckled weakly, lifting her free hand to wipe her eyes. “About what could happen to me, my job. I don’t know what’s gonna happen. I don’t want to end up spiraling down that same dark hole that Aunt Laverne fell into.” She blew out a deep breath. “But… I have you. We’re all-in on this together. And I know that when it comes down to it, we’ll figure it out like we always do, and I’ll be okay in the end, because I always am when I’m with you.”

For a few seconds, Kelly was silent, nearly stunned as he processed her words. He felt a new wave of emotion roll through him, eyes almost starting to mist up once more, but one feeling stood out above the rest. Pride. He squeezed the back of her neck gently. “You’re incredible, you know that? I’m proud of you, Stella.”

It was Stella’s turn to be made emotional, a small smile starting to tug at her lips as she shook her head, squeezing his hand. “Kelly...”

Kelly chuckled, leaning forward and carefully cradling her jaw in both hands to once again pepper a few kisses against her face. “You’re right. I’m not going anywhere; we’ll take it one day at a time.”

Her smile brightened, hands lightly grasping his wrists. “Thank you.”

He shook his head almost immediately. “Thank you.” There was that waver to his voice, chock-full of fondness, but she realized a sort of melancholy under its saccharine surface, a bittersweetness behind those icy eyes. Something deeper buried beneath his words, the potence almost starting to worry her, but before she could ask him if something was the matter, he continued talking, that bittersweet melancholy disappearing. “How’d you figure it out?”

Stella couldn’t help but huff, dropping his wrists but letting one of her hands subconsciously find his again, resting them on her thigh. “The first clue was just… my emotions being all over the place. The fact I felt like I could barely contain any of it after Jade changed her mind. It felt weird, wrong. It’s never been that bad before, and as soon as I realized that, I couldn’t stop trying to figure out why. At first, I pinned it on exhaustion and just… all the stress of the last few weeks, but…

Then, this morning, I realized I was late, after seeing my stuff in the bathroom. And that was when everything started clicking into place. I ran to the store after you went out to continue the investigation and took a test when I got back, before Natalie and Julia got here.”

“Do they know?” Kelly asked.

She shook her head. “No. Nobody else knows, just us. I, um, was hoping we could keep it that way for at least a little while. If that’s okay with you, too. I’m not ready to play fifty questions with the rest of the crew.”

He huffed, amused. “‘Course. Neither am I.” Trying not to think about the inevitable badgering from Squad, he squeezed her hand, mulling for a few moments. “We can share when we’re ready, figure things out from there. But… maybe not wait too long.” He didn’t voice his specific concern, but she knew him like the back of her hand. That, and she couldn’t deny her own concerns.

She nodded. “Right. But for now…”

Kelly started to smile. “Little one’s our secret.”

Stella couldn’t help the way her breath caught in her throat, albeit brief. Although it’d just about fully hit her by then, something about hearing the words from her husband’s mouth, the confirmation of an actual baby - their baby - made it fully, truly, click for her.

They were starting a family. They were having a baby.

She couldn’t help the incredulous laugh that escaped, vision blurring with new unshed tears as she leaned forward, cupping his face and pulling him into a long kiss. She could feel him smiling into it, a contagious move, so much unadulterated joy buzzing between them that it wasn’t quite a kiss for a few moments.

It’d truly hit him then, too. Fully, finally clicked.

And then they were moving, completely subconsciously, his arms around her moving to carefully shift her into his lap as he leaned back against the couch, all without breaking their kiss. Stella leaned right back into him, nearly breathless when they finally pulled apart, forehead falling to rest against his.

One of Kelly’s hands cupped her own cheek, wiping a tear that had escaped. He tilted her head down, lips lingering against her hairline. When he pulled back, she met his eyes, thumb stroking along his cheekbone.

“‘M so glad it’s you,” she murmured, unable to keep from smiling anymore, even if small. “I don’t think I could do this with anyone else. Only you.” He was it. God, was he it. Any type of life without him, in any capacity, was no longer a life.

And once upon a time, that would’ve scared her. Letting someone become so intrinsically part of her and her very being that nothing else made sense. It still did, a little bit, but nothing had ever felt so right. Not until him.

She heard her husband’s own breathing hitch briefly, staring up at her with glossy eyes. His voice had thickened again, wavering as he oh-so-gently tucked her curls behind her ear. “Only you, Stella.”

Kelly had tried. God, had he tried. But the dream was always just out of reach, the rug pulled out from under him as his chances got ripped from him again and again and again. But somehow, she’d changed that. She’d changed him. He didn’t know how, didn’t know why he deserved it, but he’d be holding on tight for the rest of his life.

They were both crying by then, but neither of them had the capacity to care, merely take it in stride as they pulled each other into another kiss. When it broke, Stella carefully adjusted so her legs were strewn across his lap rather than straddling him, lowering her head against his shoulder.

He held her securely, pressing a final few kisses along what he could reach of her face before resting his head against hers. “I love you.”

His wife couldn’t press any closer, but it didn’t stop her from trying. “I love you so much.”

It was an unexpected jump into that next chapter they so desperately wanted, but even despite the inevitable obstacles they knew would be ahead, they also knew they wouldn’t have it any other way. They’d do it together, and God, would it be worth it.

So if a few extra tears were shed when his hand found her still-flat stomach, her own settling over his, then that was nobody’s business but their own.

Chapter Text

It was almost four in the morning when Kelly finally woke up to growing whimpering from the baby monitor. Again. Turning his head, he reached his free arm over to his nightstand to turn his phone on, withholding a sigh when he noticed the time on the device practically taunting him.

On the plus side, it was almost an hour or so later than Rory normally woke up. On the other, it’d dashed any subtle hope he felt instinctively waking up an hour earlier to silence that maybe she’d finally sleep through the night after only waking up once. At least he’d gotten used to it by then.

Giving himself a few more moments to wake up a little, the whining began teetering into crying territory, and he knew he couldn’t stay put any longer. Despite the check-in turn technically belonging to Stella in their God-sent trade-off system, his wife was still fast asleep against his side, completely unfazed by the noise, and it felt only fair to let her continue to sleep off the roller coaster that was their last shift while she could.

As tedious as a fussy baby could be, their fussy baby could be, he’d take all the time he could get.

So, carefully detaching himself from her grasp, silently relieved when she only so much as unconsciously buried her face deeper into the pillow, he slunk out of their bedroom towards the nursery.

Upon entering the room, he flicked on the lamp in the corner before moving over the crib, reaching down and settling a gentle hand on Rory’s stomach. “Switchin’ it up on us, huh?” he mumbled.

Kelly carefully lifted the infant up into his arms, and the results of that were almost immediate as she quieted significantly but not entirely. Even still, he couldn’t help a vaguely amused huff as he watched her delicate features gradually unscrunch. “You know exactly what you’re doing.”

Rory only snuffled, murmuring incoherently as she looked up at him through half-lidded bright eyes, but it felt like an answer enough. Ever the cuddler.

Per their usual routine, though, if an hour late, he knew what she needed, quietly exiting the nursery and heading to the kitchen.

Once Rory’s bottle had finished heating, he leaned against the kitchen island, watching as her wriggling ceased as soon as the bottle was in her mouth, tiny hands coming up to grasp at it just above his own.

Sure enough, she’d quieted entirely except for her suckling, making quick work of it as her eyes flitted between his own and the bottle, wider and a little more awake. At least for a bit.

“Your mom’s gonna be real pleased with me when she finds out I didn’t wake her up,” Kelly commented, volume even lower then with how much closer he was to their bedroom, even if he’d shut the door behind him. He was met with routine silence, but the corner of his lips still tugged up into a slight smile even still.

He could already hear Stella’s voice in his head, the displeased look on her face. Kelly, you’re supposed to wake me up, that’s the whole point of us trading off. You need the rest, too.

He did, in fact, rest.

You know that’s not the point.

Mind-Stella raised an eyebrow, shooting him that look, and he couldn’t help the amused huff that escaped, shaking his head slightly as he looked back down to Rory. “Don’t tell her, okay? Promise me you won’t? This is our little secret now.”

His daughter stared back at him, but if he didn’t know any better, there was some semblance of amusement in her rosy features as her head tilted vaguely before her attention shifted back to the bottle. “Thanks, firebug.”

When she was all taken care of a few minutes later, he returned to the nursery. Rather than settling her back into her crib right away, though, he carefully situated himself into the rocker near it.

She wanted to keep watching him, judging by the way she fought to keep her own icy eyes on him, but it was a battle she was losing as they fluttered between open and closed, a yawn interrupting. Kelly chuckled, taking her tiny hand in his and gently thumbing along her palm.

Kelly was stopped by her fingers curling loose around his, a few beats passing before her eyes closed and stayed closed.

If he stayed put for another few minutes, though, simply taking in the gentle, steady rise and fall of her chest and occasionally brushing his thumb along her cheek, then that was between him and the arriving dawn.

When he woke up again a few hours later, he realized two things.

First and foremost, Stella was out of bed, nowhere to be found in the room. And secondly, when he reached for his phone to check the time, the alarm hadn’t gone off; it’d been completely turned off, in fact, which meant he’d slept in an extra hour or so later than he intended to.

There was only one culprit, because he knew full well he hadn’t disabled his own alarm, although he had no idea what had prompted her to do it. He pushed himself up with a sigh, rubbing the sleep from his eyes before pushing the duvet back and getting out of bed.

Walking out into the main room, hit with the swirling scents of a cooking breakfast, a smile immediately started to tug at his lips despite his ongoing confusion as he heard a familiar lilting voice talking and humming animatedly from the kitchen.

Stella was by the stove, still sporting her robe and extra unruly curls, Rory held securely in her left arm while her right hand wielded a spatula, carefully flipping what he soon realized was french toast.

He allowed himself a few moments of uninterrupted, unadulterated admiration before walking closer, Stella’s head turning when the movement caught her attention. Her dark eyes lit up, already present smile blooming even bigger. “Well, good morning, sunshine!” she teased.

Kelly raised a brow, closing the distance over to her. “Says the one who shut off my alarm this morning. Which,” he tilted his head, “care to explain?”

His wife shot him a cheeky smile, sliding the slice of french toast onto a plate beside the stove already stacked with a few slices. “Gladly.” She leaned over, pressing one, two kisses to his lips before turning the burner off, setting the spatula down, and moving over to the kitchen island, where she picked up a notably unfamiliar mug, wisps of steam still curling delicately from the top. “I shut your alarm off ‘cause I couldn’t have your surprise ruined, now could I?”

“Surprise?” Both brows rose that time, and Stella had the charmingly annoying audacity to laugh at his continued confusion and hesitance at the word, before holding out the black coffee mug for him to take. Her expression softened, an achingly familiar warmth to the gentle volume of her voice. “Happy Father’s Day, Kelly.”

Oh.

Blinking in mute surprise, he glanced down at the mug, met with thin cursive lettering and a little heart underneath. And under the heart, a handprint. A baby’s handprint.

Happy 1st Father’s Day

And just like that, the hesitance and confusion melted away and it all made sense. Even after the copious comments about it during shift, the playful poking and prodding from Squad that had nearly earned them a couple extra drills, the calls had gotten so hectic that it’d slipped his mind.

“Oh, and before you ask,” Stella continued, a playful glint returning to her eyes, “yes, that’s her actual handprint. No, don’t ask how I did it. A woman never reveals her wife sorcery.”

Kelly’s gaze flickered between her and the mug, smiling amusedly as he chuckled almost breathlessly. But any proper words, any proper sentiments, dissipated on his tongue. Unbeknownst to him, though, his piercing eyes spoke all the words, all the reverence, he couldn’t quite conjure at the moment. “Stella…”

“Ah! Don’t thank me yet!” She carefully took the mug from him to set it back on the counter, readjusting her hold on Rory, who was watching things unfold with all the intent curiosity an infant could muster, and walked around the island, pushing toward him a little giftbag that had also slipped his attention. “Just a couple more things.”

“You didn’t have to–”

“Kelly, between what you did for Mother’s Day and literally every day since we’ve had her, this is the least I can do.”

He deflated, softening, and she leaned into his space, bringing him into another, gentler kiss. “I mean it. Now, open it. We’re both getting impatient.”

Chuckling, he did as he was told, pulling the giftbag towards him and taking out an envelope tucked inside first. “She’s as quiet as a mouse right now. You’re the impatient one.”

“Do you mind?”

“Not at all, actually.”

Stella rolled her eyes. “Fuck you. Respectfully.”

Kelly raised a brow, lips quirking up into that almost boyish smile. “Don’t threaten me with a good time.”

She scoffed, barely biting back her own smile as she smacked his arm. He laughed more, but didn’t egg her on anymore, instead finally starting to open the envelope.

After reading the card, including a lengthy but heartfelt note from her, he moved to pull out whatever was wrapped in tissue paper, carefully pulling it away. From his peripheral, he saw her watching, waiting, closely, the ghost of a fonder smile on her face.

In his hand was a framed photo of Stella and Rory in what looked like a café, although when it was taken or by who, he didn’t know. Judging by the gummy almost-smile on the infant’s face as she looked up at Stella, though, his wife caught mid-laugh as she looked back at their daughter, he knew it was a recent one.

“Violet took it the other day, when I met with her for lunch,” Stella supplied without him needing to ask. She’d always been scarily good at seeing right through him, reading him like a book. “Figured you could use a new picture for your desk. And as soon as she showed that photo to me, I knew what it would be.”

Kelly stared wordlessly at it for a few more long moments, as if he hadn’t already committed both his girls to the very grains of his memory, before finally looking back up at her. “It’s perfect, Stella. I love it.” All of it , he didn’t even need to add aloud, because the way her eyes twinkled told him she knew full well.

“I love you,” she responded simply.

A smile etched its way across his face, and he gently tugged her back over to him after carefully setting the frame on the kitchen island, peppering a few kisses along her face before ending on her lips.

“Thank you,” he murmured when they pulled apart several beats later, eyes misty. For everything .

Stella smiled back, that painfully fond one that made such a warmth bloom through his veins he wondered how it was possible to love someone so unwaveringly much. “Of course.”

Kelly took Rory from her arms, who was all too happy to finally be there judging by the gummy smile she gave him, babbling unintelligibly as she reached up for his face. He chuckled, catching one of her tiny hands in his before pressing a kiss to her palm. “And thank you .”

The greatest gift of all.

His attention briefly shifted back to Stella after kissing the crown of their daughter’s growing curls, whose expression hadn’t faltered. If anything, she only looked even more fond watching them, if such a thing was possible. But it wasn’t hard to feel the exact same way, not at all.

Well, one of the greatest gifts.

And nothing would ever come close to them. That much he knew.

Chapter Text

Stella’s eyes fluttered open, sighing as she tried to adjust to the yellow-orange glow streaming in through the big bedroom windows.

Her stomach already started to feel like it was in a knot: the nauseous one that she’d unfortunately become well-acquainted with in the last few weeks. She nuzzled her head farther into Kelly’s bare chest, simultaneously trying to block out the early morning sun while also subdue her nausea.

However, she could only subdue it for so long, though, and after a couple minutes, she had to push herself up in a hurry, nearly stumbling out of bed and to the bathroom.

Kelly stirred, ever the light sleeper, propping up on one arm and rubbing the sleep from his eyes. “Stella?”

Realizing what was probably the case, though, he pushed out of bed himself, making his way to the bathroom.

His wife was hunched in front of the toilet, gagging, one arm coiled tight around her middle; she hadn’t gotten sick yet, but it was painfully clear she was fighting a losing battle. Feeling his heart pang, Kelly knelt down behind her with a saddened sigh, one hand gently pulling her messy curls back over her shoulders while his other ran up and down her back.

Stella said nothing, wordlessly shifting to slump against him instead. He let go of her hair, wrapping his arm fully around her shoulders. “You okay?” he asked gently.

She shook her head, and when her body finally betrayed her seconds later, he was quick to help her lean forward, carefully pulling back her hair to hold while his free hand resumed soothing up and down her back. “I got you…”

When she was finished, she fell back against his chest, finally able to speak. “I hate this…” she mumbled hoarsely.

“I know, I’m sorry.” Kelly kissed the back of her head, helping her sit upright momentarily so he could get up and grab a washcloth, running it under cool water before taking the space beside her.

Stella returned right back against his side, eyes fluttering shut as he carefully wiped her face. Although she’d normally have tendencies to protest, she didn’t quite have it in her to care. It made her feel a little better that he cared that much.

Eventually though, she felt fine enough to get back to her feet, the nausea worn off for the time being. Checking on her one final time, he left her to finish refreshing herself, going to the kitchen to start making breakfast.

Kelly was standing in front of the stove when she came out of their bedroom a little later, bundled in her robe. He felt arms slip around him, starting to smile when he caught her in his peripheral, chin resting on his shoulder. “Well, good morning, sunshine.”

Stella huffed, mildly amusedly. “Yeah, we’ll go with that.” She kissed his shoulder nevertheless. “Mornin’.”

“How’re you feeling now?” he checked.

“Better.” She rested her head back against his shoulder. “You remember what today is?”

Kelly’s whole expression started to brighten, chuckling. “How could I forget?”

“And you’re excited?” His wife looked at him.

“More than I think you realize,” he answered.

Stella smiled, moving a hand to tilt his face towards her so her lips could press against his. “That makes two of us.”

“Stella Kidd-Severide?”

The aforementioned woman looked to Kelly as they stood up, nervous yet beyond excited all-the-while. They followed the assistant, Stella habitually looping her arm through his while they did so. At least until they got to the room.

She sat on the examining table while he took the chair next to her, the assistant smiling kindly. “Doctor Acevedo will be right with you; just hang tight.”

With that, the couple was left alone in the room. Stella looked at Kelly. “This feels so surreal…”

He huffed amusedly, shaking his head in mild disbelief. “Tell me about it..” Staring at the black screen near her opposite side, he tried to picture what he was about to see on it. But he couldn’t.

Admittedly, though, as long as whatever size or shape of their baby they were about to see was healthy, he didn’t care what he saw.

The door opened shortly after, her obstetrician stepping in and smiling. “Hey, guys!”

It wasn’t their first overall appointment, but most of that first one had been medical discussion, tests, and plenty of varying questions. They hadn’t gotten to hear or see anything, simply receiving the official confirmation that she was indeed pregnant.

Sitting in their next appointment, though, there were significantly less tests and information being presented directly to them, mostly Doctor Acevedo recording things while asking her routine discussion and check-in questions. But they knew something special was coming up. A different first.

And sure enough, eventually, Doctor Acevedo got up from her chair and started gathering some materials, turning back to look at them. “Now, though, onto the fun part of the day. So we can try and get a real good look at this lil’ baby.

“I just need you to lift up your shirt so I can use this gel here. Be warned, it’s a little cold.”

“I gotta admit, I’ve been the most excited for this whole part,” Stella commented, laughing a bit as she pulled up her t-shirt.

The obstetrician laughed as well, sitting back down and rolling closer to her. “You’re not the first to say that and I definitely doubt you’ll be the last. It’s always so fascinating.”

Stella looked at Kelly as the gel was applied, and he chuckled as she shuddered slightly. She reached for his hand and he let her take it, squeezing lightly.

Doctor Acevedo turned on the screen, picking up her transducer and pushing her chair back towards Stella again. “Alright, let’s see here…”

The room was silent as she pressed the device to Stella’s stomach. But then, a few seconds later, the room came alive with a small albeit steady thumping, fuzzy black and white displaying a vaguely reminiscent shape curled on the screen before them.

Her breath caught, eyes glued to the screen. Suddenly, things felt a lot more real. So, so much more.

Their baby. That’s their baby.

Threading their fingers together, she subconsciously held Kelly’s hand tighter, feeling his other hand rest over their conjoined ones after a few seconds. She focused on the heartbeat as she watched the screen, acutely aware of the fact it all stemmed from the growing little life inside of her.

Doctor Acevedo traced the device around slowly, finding a better angle, and after a few more moments of surrealment, Stella finally looked away from the screen and back to Kelly.

Her husband’s piercing eyes were still trained on the screen, trying to grapple with his own emotions as he seemed someplace between there and in his mind. She didn’t fail to notice the slight mist starting to gloss his eyes, and the sight made tears nearly threaten to well in her own. Damn hormones.

Finally, though, something drew Kelly back completely and he finally looked back at her. He was at a loss for words, instead focusing on the only sound in the room. He exhaled slowly, lifting their hands to press a gentle kiss to the top of hers.

“Well, everything’s looking good!” Doctor Acevedo’s pleased observation pulled both their attentions back to the screen after a second. “For reference, baby’s about the size of a strawberry right now; right on track. They’re being a little shy right now, but with the right angle… we got their head over here–” she pushed a button on her remote, freezing the screen and pointing to the left-hand side, trailing as she continued explaining– “just a little bit of their arm peeking out next to it, and a little leg down here on the other side.”

“Oh, wow…” Stella breathed out. On one hand, on the surface, there wasn’t much to look at. But on the other?

It was everything.

Her eyes flickered back to Kelly’s, unable to keep her gaze away from him for too long, and his shifted from the screen back over to her. The corner of his lips ticked up, the ghost of a smile that spoke a thousand words, and she held his hand tighter in silent response.

After a while longer of pausing and unpausing the ultrasound at various angles, making measurements and jotting down several notes, Doctor Acevedo rolled her chair back after turning off the screen, setting her transducer down. She grabbed a wipe, rolling back over to the examining table and starting to carefully wipe the gel from Stella’s stomach.

“Like I said, baby’s results are looking normal; as it stands, you two have got a totally healthy baby on your hands. Of course, if anything changes, doesn’t feel right, please reach out. But I wouldn’t be worried.”

Stella felt a slight weight lift from her shoulders that she hadn’t even realized was there, nor the breath she was holding until it escaped. Glancing back over to Kelly, the minute shift in his expression and posture that only she could clock told her everything she needed to know - that he felt that relief, too. Totally healthy. Everything was okay.

The obstetrician smiled, looking between the two of them. “Any questions?”

Sharing another look, they both shook their heads after a moment of contemplation. “No, I, uh, think we’re good,” Stella answered, a small smile tugging at her own lips. “We got exactly what we wanted.”

Doctor Acevedo smiled again. “It’s always the best feeling when it goes well.” Her expression brightened. “Ah! Speaking of, I’m assuming you two would like some pictures to take home?”

Stella’s eyes widened slightly, nodding almost immediately. “Oh, my God, yes, that– that would be perfect, thank you.”

“You got it!” She typed away at her computer for a few moments before pushing herself up from her chair. “Okay, hang tight! I’ll go get you those copies. And after that, you’re all set.”

Slipping off the examining table, Stella looked at Kelly, who was standing up from his own chair. There was another smile pulling at her lips, another wave of emotion swelling in her chest and fluttering her heart. “That was…”

Kelly nodded wordlessly in agreement, but although she could tell they were in the same boat, there was still that distant look behind all the rare emotionality; that part of his mind that was still somewhere else, dwelling on something she couldn’t quite pinpoint. Her brows furrowed slightly and she tilted her head, scrutinizing him as one hand came up to rest against the back of his neck, squeezing lightly. “You okay?” she asked softly.

He nodded again, finally speaking up again, voice soft as hers. “Just… incredulous.” His gaze flitted somewhere past her. “Didn’t think I’d get this,” he tacked on after a few beats. Didn’t think I’d get my turn.

She lifted her other hand to cup his jaw and redirect his attention to her. Her eyes shone. “Well, you are. It’s your turn, Kelly.”

Some of that distantness dissipated as his own expression softened. Rather than say anything else, though, he leaned in, closing the gap between them and pressing their lips together, soft and saccharine.

After one, two kisses, Stella pressed a third one to his cheek for good measure, right as Doctor Acevedo re-entered the room with a manila envelope. Smiling, she handed it off to Kelly, the closest one to her. “I’ll see you guys in a few weeks, okay? But if you have any questions, don’t be afraid to call. I hope you two have a wonderful rest of your day.”

The ultrasound photos were up on the fridge almost as soon as they got home, only displayed after they’d taken a few extra minutes to admire them. And even then, after they were up, it took another few long moments for Kelly to be pulled away entirely, one lingering thought on his mind.

It’s our turn.

Chapter Text

"And I know I keep a lot to myself

But still, you're more a part of me than anybody else

So if you need me to tell you more

You're one of the few things that I'm sure of"

- JP Saxe, "The Few Things"

She was half-aware of the bedroom door opening and shutting, in that weird space of consciousness and sleep, and slow footsteps approaching the bed. She kept her back firmly turned, though, only listening.

There was the sound of faint rustling—a shirt being removed—but then there was a pause. A small part of her contemplated turning, but then she heard a sigh, followed by the shifting of the covers and the slight dip of the bed.

Truthfully, Stella didn’t like going to bed angry. Hell, she hated fighting with Kelly at all to begin with. But she couldn’t just shake off what happened on that call, his nonchalance. As much as she loved him.

And that was the thing, wasn’t it? The situation was just that: a strange emotional concoction of just how much she loved him, and the aching troubles of the not-so-distant past rearing their ugly heads, front and center.

She didn’t want to work a different shift from him, because God, she loved that they were able to share that experience. And sometimes, they barely even saw each other on the same shift as is; what would happen when they saw each other even less?

But at the end of the day, when their jobs came into question, if they couldn’t handle it, what choice did they have?

She was more awake then, much to her chagrin, but she still refused to move. Judging by how stiff her body felt, almost every part of her laced with tension over the last shift, she wondered if he knew she was awake. Not that she thought he’d say anything right then, but he’d always been scarily observant when it came to what made her tick.

Stella wasn’t sure she had it in her to face him, though, literally or figuratively for that matter. Her chest felt tight, sleep-addled brain swimming with dozens of never-ending thoughts, fears, what-ifs. She felt spring-loaded, wondering fleetingly if she should give it a few minutes until she thought he was asleep before slipping out of bed. She just wanted it to be over, regardless of the solution they reached—although she certainly had a hope for which one they did.

Her husband was laying right there, right beside her, and he still felt a thousand miles away. And as upset as she was, she despised that more than she ever could his stubbornness.

She forced her body to settle down, willing sleep to reapproach no matter how fitful; the sooner she fell asleep, the closer they got to a solution.

She wasn’t sure how long she stared at the bedroom wall ahead of her before it was finally replaced by peaceful black.

Why Stella woke up, she didn’t know. But the first thing she realized upon cracking her eyes open was Kelly’s sleeping figure in the dim moonlight—she hadn’t just unconsciously turned and faced him, but she’d moved closer, too.

He was more right there than he was before, and if she reached out her arm, it could drape across most of his bare chest.

Her brain told her to stop encroaching on his side, to move and flip right back over and go back to sleep. She was still upset with him, and as far as she was concerned, he was some semblance of upset with her, too. She didn’t need to run the risk of disturbing him.

But God, as ridiculous as it sounded, her heart missed him something painfully awful. And she was much too tired to truly care about anything else.

So, in her partially-awake state, she shuffled the rest of the way over to her husband’s side of the bed, hand resting tentatively against Kelly’s chest as her head rested against his shoulder with a deep sigh, eyes fluttering back shut. In a weird way, part of her already felt lighter.

For several moments, the bedroom fell silent again, and Stella wondered if he was still asleep. But then, she felt it: the shifting of his arm. Instinctively, she lifted her head just enough, and was met with his arm slipping around her upper back.

That was it, then, and she allowed herself to melt deeper against his side, arm subconsciously snaking the rest of the way around his torso. Her chest ached a little less, mind feeling a little clearer, a little more grounded, as some of her anxieties started to dissipate.

Just not all of them.

“‘M still upset,” she murmured, half against his chest and without opening her eyes. Because it was the truth—she was. But despite it all, she would never not love the feeling of being so close to him, the feeling of warmth instilled by his enveloping touch. Never not love him.

She heard him huff after a few seconds in a wordless response. And to everyone else in the world, he would sound irritated, displeased. But she knew him, better than everyone else in the world, and she heard it, knew it. Amusement.

Nothing else was said, exchanged. But she felt his hand slide down to her waist, settling just above her hip before squeezing lightly, and nothing else needed to be said or exchanged.

Tomorrow would be a new day, and just like they’d done every step of the way so far—every new day, no matter how they ended the one before feeling towards each other—they’d figure it out together.