Where it All Began

Planning and Houses

Maddie's POV
Wes and I have been engaged for about 5 months now. I have been at firehouse 87 for about 4 months. So far, for the wedding we have almost everything planned out. The date, July 19 in our hometown. A barn wedding, but not a shitty barn, a beautiful wedding barn that a close family friend made specifically for weddings. I have my dress fitted and ready to pick up. Wes has his tux ready to pick up as well. Luckily I have saved up furlough so we can take our honeymoon the week after our wedding. We're going to the Dominican Republic and then flying from there to Australia. My bridesmaids are my favorite people in the world. My best friend, Abby, my sister Hannah, Wes's sister Megan, and Jesse's sister (meaning my cousin), Caitlin. Standing beside Wes will be Jesse, his best friend Jake, his brother Isaac, and my brother Jonah. It's going to be absolutely phenomenal. I can't wait. There is a month until our wedding. I'm so nervous but so excited. It is going to be the best night of our lives. We are flying in to Indiana a week before the wedding, meaning 2 weeks from now. I have to work double shifts this week and 4 shifts next week but it'll be worth it in the end.
Wes's POV
Maddie is going to pick up her wedding dress today. I can't believe I get to marry the girl of my dreams in exactly a month. While Maddie is getting her dress, I'm going to the tux shop to get my tux and make sure everything fits correctly like its supposed to. I stand up from the couch where Maddie and I are cuddled up together so we can go to our respective vehicles and drive to get our wedding attire. I make sure Maddie is in her truck before I go to mine. I always do. In my truck I turn on the radio and head in the direction of the shop. Once I get there I check my phone to see a message from Maddie letting me know she got there safely. I smile, put my phone in my pocket, and walk into the shop. Inside, I'm greeted by the owner who has gotten to know me through the last few times I've been in here. "Ah, Mr. Moore, nice to see you again!" "Hi, I'm, uh, here to pick up my tux." "Yes right this way. Would you like to try it on one last time as well before you leave?" "Yea, that'd be great. Thanks." I put my tux on and made sure it fit one last time before I took it home. I know Maddie is probably doing the same thing right now.
Maddie's POV
I got to the dress shop and sent a text to Wes letting him know I got there safely. I put the phone back in my pocket and walk into the shop.
After putting my dress on for the last time before taking it home, I had it wrapped and I took it out to my truck and drove back home, meeting Wes in the parking lot. Hey babe. Hey, how'd it go? Get everything taken care of? Yeah, didn't take long at all to put it on to make sure they didn't size it wrong. I smiled and grabbed the box with my dress in it out of my truck.
After we got inside I made sure to put my dress in a place that Wes wouldn't be able to look at it before our wedding day: in the back of my side of the closet behind a few t-shirts and jackets. He doesn't even bother trying to figure out where things are on my side anymore. After putting my dress up I went out to the kitchen to make lunch with Wes standing by my side. So, are you excited? Excited to marry the love of my life in a few weeks? Oh, never! I looked at him and smirked with sarcasm. Wes laughed and came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist from behind. I love you. I leaned my head up against his chest. I love you too.
The next day
Hey, Wes, baby. I'm leaving for shift. I'll be back in the morning and then I have 2 more shifts before the wedding. I can't wait. Be safe. I love you. I will. Love you too. I kissed him and walked out to my truck.
When I pulled up to the firehouse I got out and did my normal routine before shift starts. I go to my locker to change out, put my bag at the bottom and text Wes to let him know that I got there safe and am changed out. Then I go to the common room to get some coffee before sitting down at the table to relax before calls start rolling in. I sit down and see one of my good friends come in. She is the PIC on the ambulance and we have become really good friends over the last few months I have been here. Her name is Marley Davis. She was one of the first people to welcome me in and show me around. I get up and walk with her to the locker rooms, like every morning. Hey girly. Hey Maddie! Big day's comin' up. 2 more shifts after this one right? Yep. I am over the moon! I can not wait until I can go back home for a couple weeks. Give me a little break from it all. But I promise when I come back, that I will have a brand new turn out coat with a new last name on it. Marley smiled at me. I'm so happy for you, really. And luckily, we don't have shift the day of your wedding, so expect us to be there! Well most of us anyway.. I think chief has something going on that day. I think he has to take his daughter to do something. I don't know. But, the rest of your firehouse family will be there! That's great! But really you don't have to come all that way just for the wedding. It's a 3 and a half hour drive. Unless you fly and plane tickets are freakin expensive these days. Maddie it's fine. We are all carpooling somehow so we're only taking like 4 cars between us all. We just want to see you get married. You may have only been here for a few months but you have really made this house whole again. I don't know what we will do when you have to go on maternity leave eventually.. Oh trust me, you are not getting rid of me that easily! I'm EMT certified so I might try and get a job on ambo with you guys until the third trimester. And then I'll take leave. She laughed and we walked out of the locker room to go back out to the common room with the others. Luckily, although I have only been at the house for about 4 months, I managed to work my way up to squad in that short time so I am not in charge of meals anymore. Thank god for that! Being on squad is different. You don't see very many female firefighters let alone one on Rescue Squad. But, I worked my ass off for this spot and I plan to keep it as long as possible.
Wes's POV
I got to the district a little early this morning so I went up to the intelligence unit where I work. Up here is different but I like it. I'm not in uniform anymore and I can get more involved with cases. I work with some of the best detectives in Chicago. My Sargent, Justin Elharrt, is tough, but I deal with it. I mean, I guess he's not that bad. He just looks out for his people. My assigned partner for the job, Marcus Rusk, is an awesome detective. One of the best I have seen in awhile. With my furlough, they all know I will be gone for 3 and a half weeks. Sarge came in and started talking. We got a new case. Everybody turned their attention to the board at the back of the room. I got a call this morning about a 26 year old female, Elizabeth Arthur. She went missing two days ago, the last place she was remembered being seen at was at the club over in Wabash. I sent a couple of the patrolmen over to check it out and they came back with a jacket and blood samples. We need to find out where she went and who did this. Go. Find out what you can. Bring me back information. Jones and Rusk, I want you to go question the people at the club and find out who saw her the night she was taken. On it Sarge. We walked down the stairs of the precinct and out to our SUV. I'll drive. Marcus tossed me the keys and I got in the drivers seat before we drove off. So, weddings in a few weeks. Getting cold feet? Hell no. I can't wait. Yeah yeah, you're just going to leave me for 3 weeks going to have a good time in the Dominican Republic and Australia while I'm stuck here in the city with a half ass relief partner that won't know how to do his job. Thanks man. I told you, you can come to the wedding. I know man and I am coming to the wedding. It's just the rest of the weeks and days that are gonna be hell! Oh I think you'll live. I smirked as we pulled up to the club. We got out and walked in to start questioning.
Maddie's POV
This shift has been slow. We have only gone on 3 calls and have 2 hours left of shift. Normally I wouldn't be complaining but right now, I need to burn off some energy. Hey guys? Yes'm? Okay so since shift has been extremely slow this time around, I'm going to go jog a couple times around the block. I'll be able to hear the bells from there so I will come back as soon as I hear. Okay... You have fun with that..! I'm going to stay here and sit on my ass while I can! Oh I know. You would kill for more sitting on your ass. But for me, I have energy to burn and I sure as hell am not cleaning those damn showers again. It's like a war-zone in there! They all laughed as I was walking to the doors to go run. As soon as I stepped on the sidewalk to start running, the bells chimed up. Truck 62, Squad 24, Ambulance 87, man trapped of unknown causes, 627 East Lasalle.  Dammit... I ran back to the garage and slipped on my bunker gear and jumped into the rig. Come on Moore! You couldn't have sat on your ass like a normal person? Elliot chimed in sarcastically. Oh hush it Elliot. You were dying to have another call before end of shift. Now you got one! Everybody laughed again and we pulled up to that address. I jumped out of the rig and saw a man dangling off the rooftop strapped to a rope. "Really? You needed all of us to get you off the damn roof? Dumbass..." I though to myself.

After the call it was time to head home. It was the end of shift and we were all ready to go home, get some shut eye, and then come back in 2 days for another 24 hour shift.
I got home and saw Wes pulling into our road. He must've had to work all night again on a case. I got out of the truck and stood off to the side and waited for him to pull in and get out. Hey babe. How was shift? It was good. We got a new case were working on. Should be solved in the next day or two. How was yours? Pretty good. Slow though, only had 4 calls total. I'm beat though. Had extra energy so I didn't sleep at all last night. You wanna go in and lay down for awhile? You must've not gotten much sleep either by the looks of it. Yeah. Sounds great. Wes took my duffle bag from me and grabbed my hand while we walked inside to go back to sleep. As soon as I laid down and was secure in Wes's embrace, I was out like a light. I can't believe we will be married in 2 weeks....