"Don't walk away from me." Andy warned as he locked his car door, his hand reaching out for his smaller son, Harry to accept.
"Thanks Dad." Little Harry piped up as they began to walk up the gravel drive that lead to the firehouse. "Can we get something to eat? I'm hungry."
"What she said was wrong Dad. Why the hell didn't you stop her?" Ella Darden snapped, a mixture of hurt and anger in her voice as she continued to walk away from her dad and younger brother. She didn't bother looking anywhere except the way she was heading, not even towards her Uncle Kelly when he spoke.
"Ella, come on." Andy tried again.
"Morning Ell." Kelly Severide beamed as he noticed the arrival of the Darden family. He had clearly been unware of the tension as he continued to play the game of cards with his fellow Squad firefighters.
"I've been waiting for this for 8 months to start back with the squad. I got the all clear and she called me selfish. That's complete bull-"
"Stop." Andy cautioned, his eyes darting to Harry who seemed to be watching his big sister intently.
Ella scoffed which only made Andy even more annoyed. He had been battling with the teenager all morning and he was starting to get tired of the attitude.
"You and I are going to be having words later, Ella." Andy Darden's voice boomed after the 5ft3" blonde that rushed across the apparatus floor, his raised voice catching the attention of the rest of Squad 3.
"Whatever." She huffed, throwing the heavy door close as she disappeared into the common room, away from her father and younger brother.
Andy stopped in his tracks and sighed, Ella had become almost unbearable since she and Heather hadn't been getting along and he was torn with what he should do. Feeling a tug on his hand, he looked down, not able to help the small smile that appeared at the sight of his 7-year-old son, Harry.
"Is Ellie okay?" The blonde hair, green eyed boy whispered, in attempt to hide his voice from the other firefighters.
Harry was the spitting image of Ella when she was small, her hair had darkened over the years, yet her green eyes remained the same. It was the Darden genes, of course, the only thing Ella had inherited from Heather had been the attitude whilst Harry seemed to inherit the frizzy hair.
"Heather and Ella been at it again?" Severide's voice interrupted Andy's attempt to answer his son. Noticing his god son on the floor, Kelly was quick to scoop him up and offer him a 'high five'. "Hey there bud."
Kelly had been both Ella and Harry's godfather, alongside Andy's sister, Victoria and of course, Matt Casey. Whilst Heather had always seen Kelly as a flight risk, someone that always seemed to drag her husband into the worst situations, Andy couldn't fault him, most of the time.
Andy nodded at the former question. "All night. All morning."
"And a lot of shouting." Harry added with a grimace. Shaking it off, he joined the Squad firefighters at their table, leaving his dad and Uncle Kelly to talk.
"Still not getting on?" Kelly asked, concern etched on his features.
It wasn't news to them that Heather and Ella had been constantly arguing, Kelly had heard from Vicky and Matt just how bad the situation had been, he had even witnessed a few altercations, months prior when the family had gotten together to celebrate Victoria's birthday in the June. Ella had been trying to give Vicky a refresher course on some gymnastics, a sport the Aunt had enjoyed in her youth but when Heather caught the pair, there had been hell to pay. How dare Vicky encourage any physical activity in her niece's condition. Ella Darden had been a diabetic and suffered various muscular conditions that prevented her from doing the sport she loved, she was required to go under numerous observations and alterations to her medication before she could compete again without causing permanent damage. The whole situation had caused a massive riff amongst the family.
"No." Andy shook his head, solemnly. Looking around to make sure no one was listening, he spoke, "Ell got back on the team. She had try-outs, didn't tell anyone."
Kelly's eyes widened. "That's great but-" He didn't need to finish because now this outburst made sense.
"Anyway, have you seen my sister anywhere?" Andy asked his best friend of 15 years. When Kelly gave him a blank look, he continued. "I'm just wondering how long it will take for Ella to fill her in."
When Ella rushed into the common room, anger etched across her face, the firefighters were quick to take cover. There was nothing quite like Ella when she was angry and with only one look it was clear that the storm was brewing.
It was busy as everyone had started arriving for their shift. She walked towards the cupboard to get a mug for her coffee but had been unable to find any, first shift had clearly not bothered cleaning up after themselves again.
"You alright there, Ell?" Otis asked as he appeared beside the Darden, ready to grab himself a coffee too.
"No" She bit, instantly making Otis retreat from asking her anymore questions.
Before they all knew it, there were pots and pans clattering everywhere and the noise was almost unbearable. She was simply trying to find a mug for her coffee, but the anger directed at her mother seemed to find its way to the china and stainless steel.
"Woah, woah, woah. What's going on here?" A loud yet calm voice called over the crashing. With Ella still busying herself, the woman stepped forward and took the mug from her, spinning her around.
"What?!" She snapped. It was only when she took a moment to look at the soft eyed, brown-haired figure, clad in Truck issued gear that she noticed who it was. Her aunt, Vicky.
"What's wrong?" She asked, carefully, one hand tucking her niece's wavy hair behind her ear, like she had done when she was only a small child and the other running across her arm caringly.
"Mom." Ella said, shortly.
Victoria nodded, mutely before she looked back up to the now filled common room. She noticed a few eyes fixed on the pair but couldn't find the person she was after. Turning back to the 15-year-old, she spoke. "Let's find Uncle Matt, instead." With an affirmative nod from Ella, she continued. "Hey guys, anyone seen my husband around here?" Vicky questioned anyone who listened, her hand still wrapped comfortingly around her niece's shoulder.
"He's talking to Boden" Herrmann informed from behind them, before taking the mug Ella had just found, earning a dissatisfied glare from the youngest Darden.
"What did he do?" Ella joked. Ella had a different relationship with Casey compared to Severide. Having been married to her Aunt Vick, Casey was the one she would talk to, no judgement.
"He didn't do anything." Matt walked in behind them and lifted her over his shoulder, shocking the teen and Vicky at the same time.
"Put me down" Ella squealed, using her clenched fists to hit his back in the hope that it would help free her. "Vick, tell him, please" Ella almost begged. Trying to catch her breath.
"Enough now. Come on." Vicky said with a laugh, tapping her husband of 6 years on the shoulder, signalling that enough was enough.
"You better do as your wife says otherwise you'll be in the doghouse." Gabby joked as they both watched Ella struggle in her godfather's grasp.
"Thank you, Gabby, Aunt Vicky." Ella thanked the two women.
With a smile, Gabby moved away and began preparing breakfast for the house of hungry firefighters. Usually, this was Andy Darden's job but by the look of it, he was avoiding the storm that was his daughter too and she doubted that he would appear any time soon.
"Okay, what did you want?" Casey asked lowering her to the floor carefully. When he didn't receive an answer and Ella seemed to find the pile of washing up interesting, he turned to Victoria. "Vick?"
"Heather." She said, simply.
Casey nodded in understanding. There was no need to elaborate, it was a well-known fact that Heather and Ella didn't get on very well, they had been arguing back and forth for months, it had even got to the point where Ella had been staying with Vicky and himself in the townhouse they bought when they finally tied the knot last year after being in a relationship for 12 years.
"What's Dad said?" Victoria asked, carefully. She knew what her brother was like, he would never openly side with Ella in the fear of losing Heather, it wasn't healthy, especially for the two Darden children.
Ella scoffed, she had been about to complain when she decided against it.
Victoria noticed Ella's reluctance and instead changed the subject, something she knew the young Darden would be grateful for. "Enough of that." Vicky beamed, "I heard you had some news for us."
"News? What news?" Gabby joined in from behind the kitchen island.
It was in that moment that Ella's attitude completely altered despite it being the whole reason her and her mother had argued that morning. She was now smiling and with a shine in her eye, she spoke, everyone in the common room quietened to listen. "Yeah...You are looking at the reinstated..and improved Ravens Gymnastic Squad captain." Ella beamed as the common room cheered.
They all knew that Ella had to step down from her position as captain of the squad after she suffered from severe muscular damage earlier that year, that left her suffering from chronic pain and unmanageable symptoms caused by the Type 1 diabetes she had already been suffering with. As captain she continued her role as the team coach and still performed some routines, but the uneven bars were her favourite.
"Congratulations champ" Casey enveloped Ella in a hug before turning to Vicky and whispered, "How do you do that?"
The woman shrugged with a chuckle and stepped forward. "You must get it from Aunt Vick." She joked, wrapping her niece in a bundle.
"We're so happy for you kid" Herrman smiled.
"That's my baby girl" Gabby ruffled the younger Darden's hair.
They hadn't noticed Andy walk in or as he watched his daughters' face light up with excitement as she told the firehouse. It was then that he caught his younger sister's glance and the glare said it all. She was pissed.