Serving Chicago

Chapter 8: We Don't Always Make It Out Part 1

Emilia Frances-Gray woke up to the continuous knock at the front door, the sound rang through the 3 bedroom apartment. Throwing a pillow over her face Emilia let out a groan realising the knocking wasn't about to stop she huffed and made her way to the door. Her hair was a bun and it had clearly been in the same style it was last night when she decided to drink half of Chicago under the table. With the memories of last night resurfacing she let out a groan of annoyance and embarrassment. One of her friends Truck shirts hanging over her shorts she realised it must have been Erin who helped her change, she remembered how Mouse and Erin alongside Jay had somehow managed to get her from the car to the apartment she mentally cursed herself.

Emilia finally had the strength to move from towards the door as she screamed at the door “I'm coming. Shut up will you” she answered the door revealing one of her closest friends raising her eyebrows at his attire Severide stood on the other side of the door frame in his dress blues with his hat placed firmly under his arm.

“You have 10 minutes to get ready” There had been no greeting no pleasantries.

Looking her best friend up and down again she demanded“Wh-at? Why?”

“You're late” Emilia's head shot up to the clock that rested above the oven. 8:17. She had less than 15 minutes to get to Arson Investigations for the interview. Emilia hadn't asked Kelly to go and as far as she knew he hadn't been aware that the date she'd been asked to go was today.

“Crap” Emilia quickly rushed towards the guest room where she kept her dress blues in the cupboard. Looking at the dress blues she wiped the tears that formed, she hadn't been in a position where she needed to where her dress blues for almost a year. Shay's funeral. Promising herself not to cry she quickly got dressed and reappeared in the open area and reached for her memo block where she hastily scribbled a few words down.

“What are you doing?” Kelly asked.

“Steve’s working for that guy, you know the hockey player. Security. Just letting him know I won't be back tonight.” Emilia said.

Kelly all but trusted Steve but he knew for his best friend's sake that he just had to be there for her. “You ready?”

As the two made their way to the department a sudden thought crossed Emilia's mind “The firehouse? You're on call”

“Capp’s acting Lieutenant” Severide reassured her by laying a hand supportively across her shoulder, it was a small gesture but it was much appreciated.

“Thank you” Those two words to anyone else would've been taken in the present but Severide knew what Emilia had been thanking him for.

“How's the head?” He asked turning into the 4th district. “Steve called, he was worried. Did you have an argument?”

“uh no- just needed to get away from it all you know?”

Kelly sighed, he knew that there was some sort of tension between Emilia and Steve at the minute and on top of that the AI case was weighing his best friend down. “I’ll always be here for you Emilia. Always”

As Severide parked his Mustang he and Mia stepped out of the car, Emilia began smoothing her hands down the ironed material anxiously before adjusting her beugels. Severide watched his best friend intently wishing he could just take away some of that pain in her once bright eyes.

****

“Good morning Mrs Gray-”

Emilia quickly raised her hand and cut her superior off as she sat down on one of the leather chairs opposite the Deputy District Chief “Lieutenant Frances. I'm on duty. This is Lieutenant Severide”