Hello All!

This is my first story so please be kind and review. Every chapter will begin with the plot of the present day moving forward, which will trigger a memory or a story that will flash back.

I do not own the characters of Chicago Fire, just Willa…for now.

I would appreciate any feedback you would like to give me!

xxR

Chapter 1

Kelly made his way into the firehouse and ran into the one person that he was looking for. He nodded at Casey looking nervous.

"Hey man, Happy birthday!" Severide didn't verbally respond but instead nodded again and continued to walk so he was only a few feet away from Casey. "What's up Severide? You look like something is wrong." Casey eyed his best friend suspiciously.

"Yeah its just—I uh— went by the jewelry store before shift." Kelly had his hands in his pockets and he was shifting nervously.

"Why would you—oh…" A sudden realization hit Matt. "OH!" He clapped his hand to the back of Severide's back. "Why didn't you tell me, man?!"

"I wasn't sure I was actually going to go through with it. You know how dumb I have been about it in the past." Kelly almost looked bashful. "She deserves more than me promising that I won't run off. She deserves to be cared about enough to be someone's wife." Kelly looked at Matt shakily. "My wife." Kelly smiled and Matt laughed nodding. "Jesus, that sounds bizarre."

"You'll get used to it. Trust me." Matt smiled and thought of how wonderful it was to be able to call Gabby his wife. "You're right though Sev. She is the best thing to happen to you. I am happy you got over your fear of marriage."

"It wasn't so much of a fear, as much as a misunderstanding of what real marriage looks like." Kelly's eyes softened as he thought of his favorite married couples, "Until now."

"Lemme see the ring." Matt asked. Kelly looked back at him blankly. "Come on, I know you have it on you. I carried Gabby's around for like a week and a half before I proposed." Severide smiled as he reached into his squad jacket and pulled out the velvet box.

Matt opened it and grinned. "Good work." Severide let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. "Lets go see what they cooked up for your birthday."

Kelly walked into the kitchen with his old army bag draped over his shoulder waiting to see what Jimmy had cooking. Hopefully it was edible, Kelly thought. Jimmy wasn't as good as the previous two candidates that entered 51, but he was steadily improving. He set his bag down next to Mouch and the two nodded, the gentlemen's hello.

"What ya got Jimmy?" Kelly asked with curiosity. He was having a good morning and was hoping the streak would stay alive in the food department.

"Well Lieutenant, since it is your birthday, I figured I would pull out all the stops…"

"And by I, he meant me," Gabby walked in from floor with grocery bags in her hands. "Happy birthday Kelly!" She gave him a peck on the cheek as Kelly smiled and gave her a one armed hug.

"Thanks Dawson. You know how much I appreciate the birthday food Jimmy, but, Dawson, you should just go back to cooking. Give Jimmy something to aspire to."

Jimmy held his hand to his heart with the spatula still in it. "Ouch Lieutenant, that hurts." He said with mock offense. Gabby smiled, handed the bag to Jimmy and said,

"Just be glad you don't have to compete with Peter. He was the cooking champion around here." As she said this, she handed Kelly a card. It was from Mills. Gabby leaned over to whisper Kelly's ear, "there is a chocolate cake for you in your quarters from a certain former firefighting chef. I figured you would want that one for yourself."

"I could kiss you Dawson." Severide said grinning.

"You better not. She's a little taken." Casey said as the Chief strolled into the kitchen, from his office with a big smile on his face. Matt kissed the top of Gabby's head, while the Chief made his way to give Severide a birthday handshake.

"A little…?" Gabby smiled as she glanced down at the two rings on her left hand. "Tell that to your daughter, Lieutenant." Gabby kissed him on the cheek and Matt squeezed her side causing her to squeak and then laugh at her husband.

"Hey hey birthday boy!" Cruz, Hermann, Otis, Chili and Sylvie strolled into the kitchen. "Something smells good!" Cruz said as her reached over to grab a cinnamon roll.

Gabby smacked him with the spatula. "Those are the for the Lieutenant, Cruz." Cruz rolled his eyes, handed one to Kelly then picked on up for himself. Severide shook his head and laughed.

"What?" Cruz asked with a somewhat incredulous look on his face.

"So Kelly what is the plan for you tonight? Did Willa force you into something?" Matt asked, knowing the answer full well.

"Actually," Kelly began, smiling as he had sensed there was some sort of plan in the works (there always was with the boys at 51), "I think we are just going to grab a drink at Molly's then have some dinner. Nothing too fancy." Kelly smiled, made knowing eye contact with Matt and then got a bit flustered. He blushed, something that was about as common as a Mouch leaving the couch.

Gabby noticed Kelly's uncomfortable blushing and cocked his head while raising an eyebrow. "What is it Kelly?" he asked.

"Well…" Kelly didn't know if he should share.

"Well what Kell?" Hermann had joined the group who noticed that Severide was anxious and he was catching on faster than Kelly thought possible.

"I…um." Kelly shifted. "I was going to…um…"

"Kelly," Gabby was fully in front of Kelly now, "what are you going to do?"

"I am going to…uh…propose."

Otis spit out his milk. Hermann cocked his eyebrow even higher (if that was even possible) and Gabby burst into infectious smiling that even Kelly couldn't resist.

"You are?!" Herrmann, Otis and Gabby chimed at once, all with varying levels of shock.

"Yeah." Severide looked down, smiling, as he pulled the ring from his pocket. He opened the case and handed it off to Gabby, knowing she would take care of it.

"Oh Kelly!" Gabby grabbed the ring while covering her mouth with her free hand. She teared up a bit, making Kelly question whether or not he was doing the right thing.

"Do you think I should do this? I mean, I know I told her I didn't want to, and she and I aren't necessarily the best when it comes to figuring out the small stuff, and we aren't what either one of us thought we would end up with, but I just…"

"I am going to stop you right there Kelly," The Chief stifled Kelly's insecurity. "I know we have given you a hard time throughout you and Willa's relationship, but it was only because we knew she was different." Boden's eyes softened as he continued, "she is the one for you Kelly. We've all known it almost from the first time we met her, even if she didn't. Or you didn't. Or her boyfriend at the time didn't." Matt and the Chief chuckled and the room of firefighters followed suit.

Matt continued for the Chief, "She is what we want for you. Mostly, we are just mad it took you this long to figure out that she shouldn't just be your girlfriend, but she should be Mrs. Kelly Severide."

Kelly had a hard time not getting emotional, his eyes misted over. He stuck his hand out so that the Chief would shake it. "Matt. Chief. Thank you." It was a simple response, but it conveyed his idea on how much he truly wanted to be married to Willa. "Hopefully she will give me the best birthday present I could ever ask for," Kelly turned back to Gabby who placed the ring in his hand.

"She will. I know it." Gabby smiled brightly as the alarm went off.

"Truck 81, Squad 3, Ambulance 61. Vehicle Accident. Halsted and Randolph."

Everyone moved with speed to gear up and get in their respective trucks. Once they were off Cruz asked Kelly, "Hey Lieutenant. You remember when Willa came here for the first time?"

Kelly widened his smile, if that was even possible, "Yeah. I do. She was a force to be reckoned with in that bright blue dress."

Cruz looked a little surprised. "You remember what she was wearing?"

"Hell yeah." Kelly laughed a bit.

Cruz seemed a little confused. "What you fell in love with her that day, didn't you, so you had to remember her outfit?"

Kelly laughed again, a bit harder. "I only remember because it's hard to forget every detail when you get turned down as spectacularly as I did with Willa. Watching her walk away is firmly imprinted in my mind." The rest of the squad laughed from the back of the truck.

Cruz laughed longer and harder than the rest of the Squad. "She was not buying the playboy act, was she?"

"Hell no." What Kelly didn't tell Cruz was, he was right—he did fall in love with her that day. What a day that was.

Almost 2 years previous…

Kelly was sitting in his chair at the squad table reading a book Leslie had bought him ages ago. He wasn't usually a reader, but he promised Shay before she died that he would get around to reading it, so he wasn't going renege on that promise now. He was just about to finish the chapter when there was a quiet voice that politely chimed in front of him.

"Excuse me," Kelly looked up from the war novel only to find a pretty auburn haired woman looking a little lost.

"Hello. Can I help you?" Kelly asked, standing up. He was struck by how breakable she seemed. She was short; her head didn't fall much higher than his shoulder, and she seemed to glow in the sunlight, a result of her pale, porcelain skin.

"Sorry, I should introduce myself," she shifted her bag to her other shoulder and reached out her hand. "My name is Willa Nixon. I am looking for Chief Boden."

Kelly took her hand. Her grasp was stronger than he expected and her smile was infectious. "I'm Lieutenant Kelly Severide. I will take you to his office." It was then that he took his time to look at her completely. She looked so happy, it made Kelly grin. She was wearing a royal blue sundress with wedges that added height to her small stature. Her lips were painted red and her eyes were bright. She was cheerful and walked with purpose. Something was incredibly comforting about her. Kelly could tell she was different. She wasn't what he was used to seeing.

Willa followed Kelly through the firehouse, conscious of all the stares she was met with when she passed though the kitchen/living room area. Some of the guys rolled their eyes, others chuckled to themselves and others just gawked at her. Willa smiled to herself and made a note to try and get an answer out of the Chief as to how the men behaved around women.

Mostly Willa wondered about Severide. He seemed almost morose, but there was something alive in his eyes. Willa knew when there was a fire in someone's eyes that all they needed was a spark. Something told her that Kelly had one hell of a spark inside of him.

They wound through the back of the firehouse to the Chief's office, Connie, Chief Boden's secretary, ushering them both in.

As they entered Willa thanked Severide. "Thank you Kelly. I appreciate it." He eyed her carefully, like he was suspicious of her motives. It wasn't necessarily off putting, but it did seem a bit odd to Willa, but she supposed this had to be a trait of the job, constantly looking out for danger in people, places, situations.

"You're welcome Ms. Nixon." He said simply and nodded at the Chief.

"Willa Nixon." The Chief smiled, making the Lieutenant relax. "It is so nice to finally put a face to the voice on the phone." They shook hands warmly. Willa chuckled.

Kelly wanted to hear more of her throaty laugh. It was enticing. "You too Chief! I am so excited to set things up with you! The kids are going to be thrilled to work with everyone."

Kids? Severide wondered. She has kids? Or was she a teacher? Maybe she was looking for tours, or some kind of extended field trip. He didn't have to wonder for long, the Chief answered his internal questioning.

"Kelly. Ms. Nixon—" she cut the Chief off

"Willa, please." Boden smiled warmly. Thinking that he admired her for having the guts to cut him off. She was brave, just like the men and women at 51.

"Willa," he stressed her name, "is setting up a vocational program for the students at the high school she teaches at so that they can test out the Fire Department and work with us on a sort of internship program. Two kids from the 12th grade will be chosen each quarter to come to the firehouse for 4 hours a shift, learning and interacting with us and trying their hand at paramedic and firefighting work." Willa seemed thrilled her smile grew as Boden explained the program to Kelly.

"Wow Chief. That seems like a lot of responsibility." Kelly said honestly. Willa's smile fell.

Defensively, she spoke, "A lot of my students don't have the opportunity to get internships outside of school and I am trying to give them options they have never had before. They deserve a chance." The Chief eyed Kelly, giving him a look that said, "tread carefully."

"I… I…" Kelly stumbled. He didn't want to disappoint her, but he didn't really know why. "I just mean, it will be tough dealing with an age group that we don't usually interact with. It's nothing that we can't handle though. I am sure that they are great kids." The Chief seemed happy with his response. Willa was still suspicious, but seemed to accept this answer. To the Chief, Severide said, "Have you talked to Casey yet?"

Willa didn't know who Casey was, but he or she seemed like another important part of the firehouse. He assumed that this person was another leader in the house. She hoped that he was more receptive to the idea than Kelly was. She wondered what made him so hesitant. Was it just more work that he didn't want to deal with, or was he worried about something else.

The Chief answered Kelly with a nod and added, "He and I discussed it briefly. Will you go find him? I think we should all sit down and hash out the details." Kelly nodded and left the room, leaving the Chief and Willa free to discuss.

"He seems a bit intense." Boden chuckled a bit to himself.

"He is. But he is talented and a good man. He will look out for the kids."

"I believe you Chief. I just want to make sure he understands that the kids aren't Candidates. They are here to see what the CFD has to offer and get a taste of what life might be like for them if they work hard. It might be their only chance." Boden noticed the slight hitch in her voice at her last sentence. She had to be one of the most intensely passionate people he had ever talked to.

"Willa, that's why I am so excited to help." She smiled at Boden's response and sighed.

"You say that Severide will back the kids, but what about the others? Will they want the kids around?" Willa seemed nervous.

"They will love it. Trust me. This house is a family Willa. And if they aren't particularly thrilled, well…then I guess I will just have to make it clear to them that they need to supportive." The Chief smiled and Willa laughed. Just as she was about to ask more questions about the serious faced Lieutenant, he reentered the room with a sandy haired man who she assumed was Casey.

He reached his hand out as soon as he spotted her. "Lieutenant Matt Casey." She grasped his hand and smiled. He seemed much more overtly friendly than Severide.

"Willa Nixon." Matt noticed just how brightly she smiled and returned her smile with one of his own. It was hard to turn someone down with a smile that contagious and a grip that firm. Matt could tell instantly that he liked her and that she would always be welcome at 51.

Matt liked the idea of bringing students into 51. He thought it would make the house more fun and give the guys something to do on their downtime. He was also game for pretty much anything that helped kids, especially ones who didn't have opportunity like the ones at Willa's school.

Kelly, Matt, Willa and the Chief discussed the parameters of the program; what the kids would be expected to know, how they would grade the students, what the students would and would not be allowed to do.

Everyone seemed to agree, this was good for 51 and this was good for the students.

Kelly wasn't convinced at first, but the more he listened to Willa describe her students, especially the ones she was working so hard to try and get into the program, it was easy for him to change his mind. She was so intensely impassioned about these kids, the feeling rubbed off on anyone she talked to—especially Kelly. It wasn't long before he was 100% convinced this was good for all parties involved.

As they wrapped up conversation, Kelly could feel himself looking at Willa longer than was justifiable. Something in her eyes and the way she carried herself made him aware of her on a whole new level.

At first Kelly thought it was just plain old lust. He wanted to sleep with her.

But.

As he thought about it, he realized it was more. He wasn't just attracted to her, he was drawn to her.

Willa shook hands with the Chief, "Thank you so much. I will bring the kids with me next shift so they can get started. I am sure there will be some papers I will need you to sign in between now and then, but as long as I have your OK, I think we should be good to go." Willa's smile was infectious.

"That sounds great to me Willa. I look forward to meeting your students." The Chief smiled and led Willa out of the office, with Matt and Kelly following. They moved through the kitchen to the floor where the Chief said goodbye and made his way back to his office.

Matt turned to leave, but Kelly remained firmly planted where he was standing. Some of the boys had come to watch the mystery girl leave. There was an audience.

Kelly acted without really thinking. "Willa!" She turned, well on her way to her car. Kelly ran to meet her outside of the house.
"Yes Lieutenant?" She seemed suspicious. "What can I do for you?"

"I was just—uh—I wanted to know if you would, maybe, um, grab dinner with me tomorrow?" Kelly asked her nervously. He was unaccustomed to the feeling of unease around a woman. What was wrong with him? This never happened to him. Ever.

Her eyebrows shot up. She was confused. "You…what?" She didn't thnk she was hearing correctly.

"I want to take you to dinner tomorrow." This time Kelly tried to fake confidence, since it clearly was not making its usual appearance.

She stood, making him wait, with her hands on her hips, as she attempted to formulate a response. Finally she replied. "Kelly." Severide took note of her remembering his name. "What on earth makes you think that I am going to voluntarily go on a date with someone who is both a notorious womanizer and someone who, just 15 minutes ago, expressed concern for the education of MY students whom I care about deeply and want to succeed more than anything?"

Kelly deflated; his confidence was nowhere to be found now. "I didn't mean to—"

"Save it Kelly. I get it. I look like an easy lay for you." Kelly tried to interrupt. She really did seem different to him. "Don't try to argue. I'm not going to go get dinner with you Lieutenant. Not now. Not ever. What I AM going to do is continue to develop the program that YOU didn't want to be involved with that will save student lives." And at that, she turned and strutted out to her car, leaving an open-mouthed, shocked, and uncomfortably turned on Severide in her wake.

Cruz walked up to Severide and put his arm around him, "she was not buying the playboy act, was she?"

"No." Severide said, still not sure of what he had just witnessed.