I felt like the last scene at Molly's needed more:

Music plays softly in the background

Stella with a clipboard in hand is actually behind the bar doing an inventory of bottles. Her back is to the door.

The door opens.

"Sorry, were clos..."

"Hey." says Severide.

"Hi" says Stella with a bit of hesitation. He had been actively avoiding her for days and didn't seem to want to talk to her. There was clearly something on his mind. It was baffling because only a week ago, things seemed so great. They had always had this thing between them. This pull. This attraction. When she walked into a room, she automatically sought him out and when she did, he was always looking at her. Even when she wasn't looking, she could feel his eyes on her. She knew they were only friends, but lately it was starting to feel like more. A lot more. She was glad she was looking for her own apartment because things were getting confusing for her and she needed a bit of space so that she could check her feelings. It almost didn't seem to matter now because whatever they had, or were beginning to have, had fizzled. Kelly had shut down and shut her out. It was like a door slamming in her face. She was hurt but didn't know if she even had a right to be.

"Stuck here awhile?" Kelly asked.

"Yeah. I was just about to start inventory. Why?"

"I was gonna hit up Chi Cafe. Thought you might be up for a bite. But," he shrugs, "another time." He seemed resolved and began to turn to leave.

"Wha.. hold on. Kelly..." Stella put the clipboards on the counter and walked around the bar. She walked towards Kelly but stopped about 10 feet from where he stood. She needed some distance. She didn't want him to see the hurt on her face. She didn't want him to see the tears if they began to form.

"Look. I know communication is not your first language, but what is going on with you lately?" She had intended to stop with that question, but the flood of emotions that has been building over the last few days began to take over.

"You've been dodging me and, and just acting off ever since the fire."

Kelly stared at her with a furrowed brow. He looked at her face. At those beautiful brown eyes that were filling with tears. I'm hurting her, he thought. What the fuck am I doing?

"Stella. Look. I'm sorry. I know I've been a little distant. I'm just trying to sort some stuff out."

"What 'stuff?'"

"Just stuff."

"Look, Kelly. That's not good enough. You have been pushing me away. I'm trying not to take it personally, but I think it is personal. What did I do?"

His eyes opened wide. How could she think that she's done anything? She's been nothing but a great friend to him. She's slowly but surely become the most important person in his life. Stella was there for the entire time he was with Anna. She was supportive and hopeful and the one person he turned to to talk things out. She was also funny and smart and fearless. He hadn't felt this way about a woman in a long time. So often he didn't really feel anything towards to women he was with except lust. He was having fun but most of the women he had been with were more for fucking and not much else. Except for Shay and Anna. And now Stella.

"Kelly. Please. You are my friend. More than that really. This horrible, horrible thing happened. And I'm still trying to deal with it. I got shot. I could have died. Otis could have died." Her voice began to crack. "I've needed someone to talk to and you are avoiding me like the plague."

She was suffering. How could he be so blind and uncaring. She had been shot. She didn't have a chance to stop and think about what had happened to Her because everyone was so concerned about Otis. And what was I doing? I was so wrapped up in my own bullshit to see that Stella needed me.

"Stella, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I haven't been there for you. I've just...I don't know. I know you got shot. I know you could have died."

He paused and swallowed to give him a chance to continue without breaking.

"I've thought about that every day since the fire. Every time I look at you, I think about how you could be dead. That bullet would have hit you in the heart if it hadn't hit your radio." His voice began to waiver. "I almost lost you and I can't..."

Stella looked at him with tears in her eyes. She understood that he had been pushing her away on purpose. But why?

"Kelly, why can't we talk about this? I mean, it seems to me like we both need to."

"Stella, I don't know what I need. I just feel like everything is just so messed up right now. If I had lost you, I would have gone crazy. I can't keep losing people that I lo..."

"That you what, Kelly?"

He looked at her, fighting to regain control. If he could only get ahold of himself, he could get out of this conversation and get out of Molly's. He just didn't feel like he could have *This* discussion right now. It didn't matter how he felt about her. Everyone that he ever loved had abandoned him in some way. His dad. His mom. Shay. Anna. He knew he was better off to not let anyone get close to him. To not care that much about another person, who would just end up leaving him.

Kelly looked away and shook his head. No, I'm not going any further. I've got to just end this, whatever this is, now.

"Kelly. Can you just for once, just tell me what your feelin?"

Kelly looked up at her. She was standing in front of him. Beautiful eyes, full lips. Wild hair. Tell her what he was feeling? Ha. Tell her that he was so completely in love with her that he was willing to die to save her. Tell her that he's loved her since the day they met at the academy. Tell her how he regretted how things had ended with them. Tell her that every time he saw her with Zach he wanted to punch him in the throat and that he was happy that they had broken up. Tell her that ever since she moved in, he hasn't stopped wanting to walk into her bedroom and make love to her.

He wanted to turn but he couldn't. He couldn't walk away. Not from her. All he wanted was for her to stop looking at him with such pain in her eyes. Pain that he had caused. He walked towards her and stopped right in front of her.

He was going to hug her and tell her how sorry he was for acting like an ass. He was going to tell her that, yes, they could talk for as long as she needed.

But those eyes. Those lips. You want to know how I feel, Stella? You want to know how I feel about you, he thought.

He moved closer to her, reached out to pull her to him. Then he kissed her. He hadn't intended to but he was physically incapable of not kissing her. Right then. In that moment. That perfect moment. He couldn't have resisted her if he tried. And he was tired of trying not to feel what he felt for Stella. He loved her and nothing was going to stop him from showing her how much.