Tapping her heavily chipped, black painted nails on the kitchen counter, Aidan Hale waited for the coffee to brew. Glancing up at the clock she saw that it was 5pm. She had been on shift for nine hours now.

Aidan sighed "Only fifteen more to go." She muttered, slumping her head onto her palm, eyes closed. Working as a firefighter for House 51 in Chicago, Aidan worked twenty four hour shifts every other day.

"Candidate!" She jumped, her hazel eyes shooting open to see her friend, colleague and roommate Kelly Severide standing in the door way, looking over at the dining table. Kelly was the lieutenant of Engine 51, Rescue Squad 3.

Brian Zvonecek, more commonly known as Otis looked up from his magazine "Yes, sir?"

"I don't smell dinner?" Kelly questioned, eyebrows raised as the rest of the men scattered around the room looked amused, all stopping what they where doing to witness the scene.

Otis stammered "A-ah yes. Right. I'll get started right away." Shaking her head, Aidan pulled out her cookie and set it by her empty cup. On the way to their shift, she had made Kelly stop at her favourite coffee shop by their apartment building. Svorski's bakery, was run by an elderly Ukrainian woman named Orla Svorski. For Aidan, there was not much in the world that tasted better than Orla's White Chocolate and Macadamia Nut cookies. She had bought four that morning. One each for her, Kelly and their other roommate and best friend, Leslie Shay. She worked as a Paramedic on ambulance 61 alongside Gabriella Dawson, another of Aidan's closest friends. The fourth cookie was for later, when she would need a pick-me-up. And what better way to pick yourself than a delicious cookie?

Andy Darden chuckled as he watched the man scramble from the table and into the kitchen "Aw, go easy Severide, you were the candidate once too."

Kelly grinned, his teeth straight and white "Exactly. It's my turn to have fun with the newbies." Aidan chuckled as she poured herself a fresh cup of coffee.

"Hear, hear!" Randy "Mouch" McHolland exclaimed, raising his hand from his position on the couch, turning his head back to the television.

Aidan laughed softly as Otis pulled out various pots and pans before running his hands through his curly, black hair and pulling it, eyes wide as he stood frozen in the middle of the kitchen. Aidan took a few steps over to the man and pulled his arms away from his head "Otis. Breathe. There's pasta in the cage and jars of sauce in the fridge. Make that." Otis let out a deep breathe before nodding and heading to get the ingredients that were required. Aidan shook her head with a smile before spinning on her heels.

"Hey!" She cried, watching as Kelly bit right into her cookie. The man simply laughed, taking the cookie and Aidan's cup of coffee with him, out the door and back to the squad table. Frowning, she poured herself another cup and made her way to the dining table.

Looking up at her approach Christopher Herrmann raised an eyebrow "What's with the sad face?" He questioned gaining those around the table's attention.

Aidan pouted "Kelly stole my cookie."

The men tried to keep a straight face, but as Andy started to snicker into his own coffee, the rest were quick to follow.

Matthew Casey, lieutenant of Truck 81 shook his head with a grin "You never learn! Don't leave your food unattended."

Joe Cruz hummed, pointing a finger Casey's direction "True that."

A large bang made everyone turn to the kitchen. Otis's head popped up from below the counter "I'm fine!" He called before disappearing again. The table chuckled, shaking their heads. Aidan lifted her fresh cup of steaming coffee to her lips, sighing in ecstasy at the smell. Just as she was about to take a sip, the PA crackled to life.

"House fire, 788 Maple Street. Engine 51, truck 81, ambulance 61." Letting out a groan of despair, Aidan set her coffee down, untouched.

Herrmann chuckled "C'mon kiddo, saving lives now, coffee later."

"Guys, how do I look?" Aidan looked over from her seat in the truck to see Andy with his mask strapped sideways across his head.

Aidan shook her head with a grin "Heather is one lucky woman."

Andy sent her a cheeky grin as Casey turned in the passenger seat, giving his friend a look of appraisal before nodding "As usual. Like the class clown."

Aidan and Herrmann chuckled as Casey pulled out the radio "Yo, Severide, how soon till you can take Darden off my hands?"

Kelly's laughter crackled through the device "Andy makes squad the day after I'm no longer in charge." He retorted and the group burst into chuckles as they arrived the the scene. Clustered around the street was many neighbours, all watching as a house blazed in front of them.

Piling out if the truck, Aidan pulled on her helmet as a woman approached the firefighters of Truck 81 "The attic. My brother lives up there. He hasn't come down." She informed them frantically, looking towards Lieutenant Casey.

"That window there?" He questioned, gesturing to the small glass lane at the front.

The woman nodded, hand over her mouth "Yes, I haven't seen him. Oh, god." Aidan rubbed the woman's back as she ushered her to step back.

"Think there's a guy in the attic." Casey informed Kelly as he approached the group, Rescue Squad 3 following behind him.

Andy squinted up at the flaming building "I'll raise the aerial."

Kelly survived the scene with critical eyes "He could be on the stairs, in the hallway, anywhere. We'll go in back, work our way up." He declared walking forward before tuning to face Casey "Case of beer we get to him first." He bet.

Casey grinned "Just vent the back." He told him before heading back to the truck and looking up at Andy as he climbed the ladder "Was Severide always such a cocky prick?"

Andy smiled "Only since kindergarten."

Aidan helped Hermann as the two pulled out one of the hoses, ready to hook it up to a water hydrant "This is chief Boden. Want an inch and 3/4 on the front. Need two 2 1/2s on the neighbors' houses. I want my entrance through the rear and ground ladders to the roof." She heard her radio crackle.

Squad 3 approached the back door "Halligan. Let's go!" Kelly called, kicking doesn't he door and entering the flaming building. "Hey, check over there!" He instructed, looking around the smoke and fire filled kitchen. "Severide, do we have a vent?" Casey questioned into his radio as he stood below Andy on the aerial ladder. He glanced up seeing Darden ready to break the window open "Darden wait." He called but it was too late. Aidan watched as the glass fell to the bushes below.

"We're good." Andy gave a thumbs up before climbing into the open window.

The radio crackled once again "Casey, there is no vent." Kelly voice grunted.

Eyes wide, Casey looked up at the window his friend had disappeared through "Darden, back out!"

Aidan clenched her hand around Herrmann's arm as they all watched helplessly below. "C'mon Andy." She muttered, biting her lip anxiously.

It all happened in an instant. The back door slammed shut, sending a gust of smoke through the vent. Any trace if ventilation they had, gone. "Get down!" Kelly ordered, dropping to the floor.

Eyes wide, Andy watched as the flames rose up the stairs and straight towards him.

Casey watched as his friend turned to him helplessly "Darden!"

Andy screamed as the flames engulfed him.