Questions And Answers...

The Scars We Hide...

S8 Ep 14 ..... with a throwback to S4 Ep 21.

When Stella isn't busy being in love with Kelly, she is looking out for her firehouse family. S8 EP14 saw Stella put an arm around Gallo when a call touched him closer than most. Gallo's wrist is quite badly burnt and will leave a scar, and Stella uses the opportunity for Gallo to show off his wound to some of the 51 crew, which starts a discussion about the scars they wear...

What we didn't find out is about Stella's scar....

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They say that every scar tells a story, and wasn't that the truth? Every firefighter earns his or her scars and will trade their stories like they are badges of honor when the years of rescues and saving lives are over, and half-remembered stories are recited at family gatherings or to strangers in corners of mostly empty bar rooms.

Stella, too, had her scar, and whether that was lucky or not, it was in a discreet place and not one she openly talked about.

"Only Kelly gets to see that."

She had responded to Gallo with a grin when he had asked where hers was, walking away from the squad table where the others were sharing their stories.

And the first time Kelly had seen it was after he and Stella had gotten together after the ice cube fiasco at Molly's which had ended up with her getting herself in all kinds of trouble with Hermann when the machine had caught fire, causing some damage to the kitchen. Stella, with her usual over enthusiasm, had promised Hermann that she would put right the damage. Which was easier said than done as she had struggled with the large piece of drywall, wondering how the hell she was going to make good her promise.
That is until Kelly had turned up, toolbox in one hand, ready to help a damsel in distress.
After several minutes of banter going to and fro, the heat that had been simmering between them for weeks boiled over and all thoughts of the wall were forgotten as they all but fell on each other, finally giving in to what both of them had been trying to fight against ever since Stella had arrived at firehouse 51.

Ending up back at her apartment, what happened was lusty and hot, the suppressed attraction that had started years ago at the academy finally culminating in a fast and furious coming together.

Later, both lying replete, there was a post-sex contented silence between them, while his hand idly traced the curve of her waist, her hip, and then her thigh.

Stella yawned and rolled over, stretching her arms over her head, completely magnificent in her naked glory.
Kelly couldn't help but stare. Everything about her was perfect, from her hair, and her pert boobs down to her long, long-toned legs. God had been in a good mood the day he had sculpted Stella Kidd.

As she watched, slumber lazy blue eyes travelled down her body and then came to rest on an area just on the right side of her pubic bone. There was a two-inch, ridged scar, slightly puckered and still angry even though it had been through the healing process a long time ago. It looked like a burn scarring.
He reached out his index finger and touched it, the skin a little rough under the pad of his finger.

"How?"...

"Long story..."

"I got time." He was touching the uneven skin as if it fascinated him, curious as to how she got burnt in such an intimate area.

Stella put her hand over his finger to hold it in place, but still his movements. Turning her head towards him, she shrugged as if it wasn't anything important.

"It was in Auburn." She sighed, snuggling closer to him, thinking with one part of her brain how much she loved being close to him like this.

"We were attending an apartment building fire in one of my early months as a candidate. There was a secondary fire that we didn't know about. Anyway, I went in with the other truck guy, and the ceiling came down on me."

Kelly raised himself on one elbow, moving her hand away so he could look at the scar again.
It sat proudly on the rise of her pubic bone, disappearing beneath where her underwear would normally be.

"But how did it get through your protective gear?"

Stella grinned without humour.
She had always been meticulous with her turnout gear, ensuring that it was in perfect condition and checking it for any damage after each call.

"Part of my hazing. Some of the guys were always messing with my gear. I didn't know they had made cuts in my pants around my....." she pointed to her pubic area. "So what was gonna happen if I got showered by pieces of hot and flaming drywall and gypsum? "
Kelly's eyes ignited with anger. "That was meant to be funny?"

"To them. Yeah."

"You filed a complaint, right?" He was staring at her intently.

Stella shrugged. "What do you think? Kelly, I had to work with those guys. It was bad enough on a good day with them."
She sounded somewhat philosophical about it, but he wondered if she was putting on a front.

She knew when she signed up to become a firefighter that she needed to be ready for the fight against a century of tradition and egoistical macho heritage. And that's exactly what she had to face at Auburn.

"They shouldn't have got away with it!" Kelly was suddenly mad, He hated injustice and bullying of any type. And what he hated more was that Stella Kidd, who had more balls than most men he knew, was wearing that scar because of some neanderthal backwards bastards.

"I know. And they wouldn't now. But I was young and green. If it happened now I"d string them up by their balls using their bootlaces."

That earned her a loud laugh. Kelly did not doubt that she was serious.

"I'd pay good money to see that happen."

"Anyway, at least it's hidden away and not somewhere everyone can see it."
Stella placed a soft kiss on his chest. He smelled of soap, and she breathed it in, loving the scent of the light citrus.

"Well, there is that... guess only someone very lucky gets to see it." He murmured, running his hand down her hip and then towards the disfigured piece of skin moving down to her hip and placing a tender kiss on the puckered blemish.

Stella tenderly pushed her hand through his hair. These were sides to Kelly Severide that had surprised her. This gentleness with her and unabashed protectiveness.

He raised his head to look at her and smiled. Stella's heart lurched in a series of somersaults, wondering how many women had had those eyes turn on them in a way that her only option was to drown in them.

"What about you.....how many scars are you hiding?"

She was drawing circles on his chest with the tip of her finger.

Kelly smirked self-deprecatingly. "Too many to count."

Stella believed him. There were many stories about his reputation with women, and for a second, she wondered if this was a good idea. In the next moment, she pushed away any thoughts of disquiet. This, whatever it was between them, had been there from the moment they had met at the academy. Maybe this was just the inevitable.

"Rumours are that Chicago's littered with broken hearts inflicted by one Kelly Severide."

Kelly grabbed her butt and pulled her against him.

"You shouldn't listen to rumours."

Stella laughed.

"Well, clearly I didn't." Pulling his head down to hers, she closed her eyes, letting herself get lost in the warmth of his mouth and the heat of his body.

Somewhere in the recesses of her head, a little voice was asking her.

"Where will this end?"