Me Plus You

Of all the firehouses in all the towns...

Stella parked her jeep outside the station house and grabbed her bag from the back seat. She took a deep breath, checked that her braided pigtails were neat and then got out, heading into the building. Firehouse 51. Two fire trucks and an ambo were parked up. Looks like shift 2 were at home, she concluded, little butterflies churning around her stomach with unexpected nervousness.

There was raucous male laughter coming from the far side of truck 81. It was always good to hear the sound of a happy house. Her nerves flattened a little as she rounded the truck and headed towards the table nearest the door into the firehouse, where there were three uniformed men sitting at a table playing cards.

All three looked up as she approached and she had an odd sense of familiarity as she sought out the nearest one who was smiling at her in query. At least they were friendly.

"Hello.. I'm looking for Captain Matt Casey?"
Stella pulled the slipped strap of her kit bag back onto her shoulder. Her palms were a little sweaty but she made sure she made direct eye contact. It was important to do that from the start. Important not to show any weakness. She had learnt that early on in her career.

"Yeah, sure." He was of hispanic descent with a thin musctache, goatee beard and no hair. His t shirt had a squad 3 badge on the arm. Stella thought his eyes widened fractionally as he was speaking to her and looked a bit startled. She guessed it was because she was a female firefighter. She was well used to that reaction. Another of the men, wearing a baseball cap with the number 3 on it was also looking at her intently and then started chuckling, which made her back straighten a little more. Were they laughing at her? What was so funny? She really hoped her pants were zipped up and had to stop herself from checking.

"Right through there." The first man pointed towards an inner door, then glanced at the two other men sitting at the table, his lips twitching, almost like they had some inside joke.

"Hey, Cruz, Casey went out on an errand with Chief Boden. But Lieutenant Severide is around. Why don't we show her to the Lieutenant's office."

The third man, put down his hand of cards, leaning back in his chair. He had a very mischevious face Stella thought.

Cruz hesitated and then slowly as if some kind of belated understanding dawned he started to nod, a slow grin breaking out on his face.

"Yeah Capp. Yeah...I'll introduce Miss..err,? " He turned towards Stella.

" Stella. Stella Kidd. I'm the new firefighter on truck 81."

The silence was deafening and Stella's heart dropped. Cruz's mouth fell open. She had really been hoping that firehouse 51 would be different from her last one in Auburn about having female firefighters on board. She had heard that it was a good house but she was rapidly realising perhaps that assessment was wrong.

" Good to meet you Kidd." Cruz was holding his hand out. "Joe Cruz ." He introduced himself.

Stella took the hand and gave it a firm shake.

" You too Joe Cruz". He was beaming at her and she couldn't help but give in to the warmth that emanated from him.

The other two men had also stood up and were both extending their hands out to her.

" This is Capp and Tony. Squad 3." Cruz introduced the other men, again both giving her a wide friendly welcome.

Maybe she was being overly paranoid and reading too much into their amusement?

"If you come with me, I'll introduce you to Lieutenant Severide. He will show you around until Captain Casey gets back."

Capp and Tony immedately stepped forward alongside Cruz eager to accompany them.

Cruz led her inside the firehouse. As they walked down a corridor, Stella saw several people in the kitchen area, reclined on chairs and a couch watching t.v. She couldn't hear the conversation but she caught the expressions of jocking and general comradrie and it filled her with hope.

Carrying on down the building she caught a fleeting glimpse of photos lined up on the wall. Firefighters lost in the line of duty. One of them was a girl...Leslie, Elizabeth Shay.......she felt a stab of sadness as the blonde stared back at her, silent stories hiding behind those mischevious eyes. What had happened for her to end up on that wall? She didn't have time to ponder any more as Cruz was walking on ahead and she quickened her step to keep up.

He stopped to knock on a glass door.

"Yeah?" The voice from inside responded.

Cruz opened the door and stuck his head in.

" Lieutenant, we have Truck 81's new firefighter here. Casey isn't around..."

There was a long pause, and then the sound of a chair being pushed back on the floor.

" Yeah sure... send him in." The acknowledgment sounded like it was given half begrudgingly, Stella thought.

Cruz nodded at whoever was inside the office and turned to face her, beckoning her to step inside. Behind her Capp and Tony were smiling in encouragement.

" Kidd, meet squad 3's Lieutenant Severide."

Joe moved aside to make way for Stella. Smiling her thanks at Cruz, she stepped into the Lieutenants office, arming herself with her most professional face.

The man sitting at his desk had his back to her, and after what seemed a few minutes although it was probably only seconds he turned his head over his shoulder.

For a long moment there was silence. Then slow, color crept up Stella's neck and face as she let out a small gasp of shock, finding herself staring into those blue eyes that she had spent quite a few nights recently trying to forget.

She couldn't think of a single word to say, stupidly watching Lieutenant Severide's initial polite smile change to one of surprise and then infinitely slowly a grin spread across his face. The same one that he had worn that night when he had tried to get her number.

The space inside the room seemed to shrink as he got up to stand in front of her.

"Hey." His voice was the same, gravelley and low. And amused.

Stella was staring at him blankly, trying to formulate a sentence.

"Err.. Hi....." and then "It's you!" She stuttered, watching his merriment as she floundered for words.

Severide glanced over her shoulder at the men in the doorway.

"Squad haven't you some drills to practice? " He paused, waiting as the three men continued to hover outside, desparately trying to remain serious but failing as smirks danced on their faces.

"And that's not a question." He ordered.

"Yes Lieutenant. On our way..."

Behind her she heard more chuckling and then footsteps walking away.

Kelly Severide put his hands in his pockets, taking full stock of her, his blue eyes looking over her firefighters gear, the well fitting grey T shirt, the pants that she probably didn't have a right to fill with legs like that, and then back up to her eyes that were staring back at him like a startled deer.

He let out a long held in breath.

"Of all the firehouses in all the towns .....she had to walk into mine."