Her converse shoes hit the pavement as she stepped cautiously off the bus and swallowed. She slung her black and brown backpack over one shoulder and snaked her other arm around the mid section of her over sized grey sweatshirt as she looked around. The bus station was nearly deserted, with a few sketchy characters lingering by the side of the building. It was dawn, and she had a good hour walk to the firehouse.

***

Stella hummed happily as she poured herself a bowl of cereal. She didn't want to admit it, but she was happier than she had been in a long time, even if she didn't know where things were going with Kelly, but it seemed different this time somehow.

Gabby passed behind Stella, offering her a playful nudge in the ribs to which Stella returned the gesture with a soft shove. "Careful Kidd," Gabby warned, "you're glowing."

Stella turned away to grab a spoon and hide the colour rising in her cheeks, "Shaddup Dawson," Kidd countered a little sheepishly.

Gabby sniffed a laugh, "I'm telling ya, you're going to have to do better than that if you don't want the whole house to know."

Stella pondered her words a moment as she munched on her cereal, was she really being that obvious? Before she had time to answer Herman appeared, "We've got company" he announced as Casey followed him closely.

"Kidd?" Casey asked causing Stella to stop chewing as she took in the creases of concern that lined his face, "a word, in my office."

Stella swallowed her cereal slowly and straighten as Severide looked up from reading the paper and Gabby looked between her husband and friend. Something was wrong.

"Yes Captain." Stella replied with a curt nod ditching her bowl in the sink.

Stella followed Casey towards his office, "What's this all about?" She asked as he held open the door for her to step into his office and singled for her to sit, "Did I do somethin'?"

"No," Casey ran his hand through his hair, as Kidd sunk into the chair by his desk.

"Then what is it?" She asked uncertainly.

"CPD is here." Casey explained, "There's a girl who claims she's looking for you?"

***
Stella bust through the door of the firehouse into the drive to find Antonio Dawson and Kim Burgess leaning on front of a black suv. Antonio pushed himself off the car and Kim shoved her hands deeper into her pockets. Casey appeared behind her a moment later.

"Where is she!" Stella demanded.

Antonio held up a hand in an attempt to calm Stella as the firefighters eyes darted frantically between the two officers. "She's in the car," Antonio began, and no sooner had the words left his lips than Stella started for the handle.

"Stella," Burgess's voice was calm but filled with concern and it caused the firefighter to pause, "an officer picked her up trying to lift some food from a convenience store." Stella's eyes closed for a painful beat, "they brought her down to the station and she said she was a runaway. It wasn't until we threatened to book her that she told us about you."

A sudden wave of nausea hit her like a ton of bricks but she forced it down, "She's a good kid," Stella breathed, "I can pay for whatever she took."

"We took care of it," Antonio told her gently, "looks like she's been through the ringer."

Stella nodded as her hand closed around the handle and she yanked the door open to reveal a teenage girl, about 17 with tight dark brown curls that cascaded down to the middle of her back. She sat clutching her backpack ton her chest. "Oh Maya," Stella breathed as the younger girl looked up at her with tears welling in her dark brown eyes.

"I'm sorry," the younger girl whispered as she tried to blink away the tears.

"It's okay," Stella, pulled her into her arms, her hand snaking up beneath the younger girls curls to cradle her head again her body as sobs began to wrack her thin frame. "You're okay," Stella whispered into her ear as she rubbed comforting circles along the teenagers back, "I got you," she blinked away tears of her own, "I got you."

After a few more beats and when the sobs finally started to subside, Stella reluctantly pulled back to look at her, keeping one hand on her arm, "This all you brought?" She nodded in the direction of the backpack.

The younger girl nodded and Stella had to look away for a moment in an attempt to control her own emotions, "Okay," she nodded, "Come on then."

Stella helped the younger girl from the car, and took in how frail she looked, but she forced a smile and ran both of her thumbs under the younger girls eyes to dry her tears before planting a kiss on her forehead. Stella looked into her eyes, "You're going to come inside okay, and then we're gonna figure this out, okay?" Stella searched the dark brown eyes of the teenager a moment before the younger girl refused to hold her gaze any longer and looked at the ground. Still, she nodded in agreement.

"Okay," Stella whispered running her hand down the back of her head before wrapping her arm around the younger girls shoulders. She stepped outside the shadow of the car door and closed it, revealing the two officers, "Thank you guys," Stella offered, "I won't forget this."

Antonio nodded and Kim offered a smile, "Take care."

Stella forced a smile and a nod before turning back towards the firehouse while the officers climbed back into the car and drove off. Firehouse 51 had made their way into the drive.

The younger woman seemed reluctant but allowed Stella to guide her towards the group of people that hovered outside the garage.

When they came close, Stella stopped a few feet short, as she felt the younger woman lean closer into her. "Maya, this is my firehouse family."

"Guys, this is my kid sister Maya."