Before Us (Kelly Severide Love Story)

Short and Fat

"I KNOW I'M ACTING A BIT CRAZY, STRUNG OUT, A LITTLE BIT HAZY"

"Rachel, honestly, what can we do?" I ask.

"Nothing you can do," she shrugs, "I on the other hand have to make sure Wallace Boden doesn't end up in jail" she adds.

"And how is it looking?" I question as she sighs, "you know I can't discuss confidential information with you" she reminds me, "come on Rachel, it's me" I push her.

"It's not looking good" she gives in, "and the Serena Holmes girl is M.I.A which means I can't even cross-examine her to look for holes in her statement" she explains. "Which means you have to try and discredit the evidence" I understand what she's saying, "and it's hard to do that when the evidence is air-tight" she mentions.

"So we need to find Serena Holmes?" I suggest.

"No" she shakes her head, "the police need to find her," she tells me, "you do anything and that's witness tampering" she reminds me. "Is it though, if she has not been called as a witness?" I question, "you already know the answer to that" she responds as I realise I asked a stupid question.

"If we can't use her as a witness then she is useless" Rachel states.

"Hey, the bail hearing went well and he is out" she mentions when she realises my expression, "yeah but the bond was set quite high which is not a good sign" I point out, "it's better than bail being denied" she argues.

"That's true" I nod.

"Go to work and do your job and leave me to do mine" she instructs, I nod and say my goodbyes before driving to the firehouse.

The mood is sunken, everybody moving around like dead bodies tied to strings.

"I can't believe this is happening" Brett sighs as we get changed, "I know" I reply, "I mean we could guess it was coming but I still can't believe it" I comment. It is not surprising that Boden has basically been forced to take time off but it doesn't make it any easier. 

"Guys, Riddle is holding a meeting," Gabby tells us.

"So he is here to rub salt in the wound" I groan before we make our way to the meeting room, standing in the back because we are the last ones to come in.

"The problems Chief Boden faces are regrettable" he starts, as if he cares, "our thoughts are with him as he deals with his private legal matters" he adds.

"But those thoughts are for outside these walls" he orders, "in here, we have sworn to put our own personal troubles aside" he reminds us, "and focus on protecting the citizens of Chicago."

"Now, in order to do that" he continues, "we have to have unassailable leadership" here it comes. "Which is why it is my honour, to name Dallas Patterson the new Battalion Chief of Firehouse 51!" He announces.

Can't say I'm surprised.

It was his plan all along.

Now I kind of regret telling him to kiss my ass.

"Come on up here, Chief" Riddle invites, "collect your bugles" he adds.

The thought of calling Patterson, Chief, actually burns my tongue. I can barely call him anything other than bastard without feeling the need to throw up after.

Patterson struts to the front as if he has been waiting for this moment his whole life.

"Thank you sir" he smugly grins, at least try and act as though you are upset about what happened to Boden.

Riddle starts to clap and shoots us a look that tells us to clap as well. I lazily bring my hands together, barely making any sound before letting them fall to my side.