"Piles of Vegetables, Meat, Legume… and that damn Corn"

Severide gave one last look at the piles of ingredients brought by Elise that now occupied the whole kitchen counter. Kelly had carefully separated everything in three categories: pile number one was filled with tomatoes and some other vegetables he had never seen before. Pile number two, that he had named the meat pile, had been the easiest to put together: chicken and pounds of sausage. The last pile was made out of everything that didn't really fit into the other two. Perhaps he could call it the legume pile because it was packed with cans of pea, beans and corn. He wasn't entirely sure if corn was a legume or a vegetable but aesthetically speaking it had looked better among the peas than with the tomatoes.

The fireman admired his work for the last time and then rested by the side of the counter, trying the best pose he could manage. He straightened his back, contracted his biceps and tried to look as if he wasn't putting any effort into that at all.

Elise's voice approaching made him nervous. He couldn't afford to lose two hundred dollars! The door opened and her presence calmed him down. He smiled, but as soon as he saw Peter Mills behind her he closed his lips.

The two siblings walked into the kitchen silently, but Kelly couldn't help but notice that they had argued or something. Elise walked past him and got impressed:

"Wow! You've organized everything."

Severide smiled proudly:

"Well, I tried. But the corn's still a mystery to me."

She laughed:

"It's okay. I like the way it looks with the peas."

Good one, Kelly! The firefighter thought. Those would be the easiest four hundred bucks he had ever gotten in his life.

"Hey, Lieutenant." Peter Mills said and only then Severide remembered he was still there.

"Can I have a word with you?"

Kelly looked at Elise before looking at Mills:

"Can't it wait?" he asked clearly annoyed.

"Well, it's not that urgent… but I figured that since the day's kinda slow…I mean if you don't have anything more important to do…"

"No, it's okay." Kelly interrupted and looked at Elise again:

"Whatever it is that you're planning to make with all this, I wanna help."

"No, it's fine." She replied "I'm pretty sure you have a lot of other things to do and…"

"I insist." He cut her off. "And besides, like your brother said, the day's really slow." He stated and followed Mills.

"Don't start without me!" Kelly concluded and once again got a smile out of her lips. He had to admit that making her smile was becoming one of his new favorite things.

Severide had to run a little to catch up with Mills and once he did he tapped him on the back:

"This is gonna be quick, right?"

Peter found his reaction a bit strange but answered the question anyway:

"Yeah, I think so."

The two firefighters then headed to an empty corner down the hall. Kelly even considered taking Peter to his office but that was too far and the place they were at was good enough.

"So, what did you want to talk to me about?"

Severide wasn't willing to waste any more time.

"Well, I…I wanted to ask you something…" Peter started "And I would never, ever ask you that unless I really had to…"

"Spit it out, Mills." Kelly said trying to hide part of his irritation.

"Do you think it would be okay if I took some extra shifts?" Peter finally managed to say what he had in mind "I know that I've just gotten to the squad and all, but I really need the money. My mom's having some problems with the diner and I…"

"It's okay by me." Severide cut him off. Partly because he trusted Mills and knew he was able to deliver but mainly because he couldn't wait to get out of there and go back to the kitchen.

"Really?" Mills looked genuinely surprised. "Lieutenant, I don't even know how to thank you…"

"You don't have to. Just do a good job." Kelly said "And don't forget to give the chief the heads-up. You can say that I have already authorized it."

Severide concluded and decided that that conversation was over.

"Hey, Lieutenant!" Mills called out after they were already a few feet apart.

Kelly turned impatiently:

"What?"

"Thank you."

Severide nodded in acceptance and finally walked away. In a few seconds, he was already back to the common room. The place was exactly the way he had left it: empty, except for that top of a head with dark hair which was now searching for something in one of the bottom drawers behind the counter.

"I'm back! We can start now." Severide said excited.

Elise then stood up. But the problem was: that wasn't Elise.

"Well, I'm pretty sure you're not talking to me."

"Dawson!" Kelly exclaimed clearly disappointed "what are you doing here? Where's Mills' sister?"

Gabby could've asked the reason for his sudden interest. But since she had seen Elise before and knew Kelly very well, the question itself was a complete waste of time.

"She went out."

The fireman just stared at Dawson, waiting for her to elaborate the sentence.

"Is she coming back?" Severide finally asked as soon as he realized Gabby wasn't willing to share any information that easily.

"She's forgotten to bring potatoes from the diner so she went out to buy some." The paramedic explained "she should be back in a minute."

Kelly relaxed a little after that answer and pulled a chair so he could wait for her comfortably.

Dawson then decided to ignore him and continue to do her own things. But she just couldn't:

"Kelly, she's Peter's sister."

She was as straightforward as she could and hoped he would be able to understand. And he did, but preferred to pretend otherwise.

"I know that." Severide stated and then didn't say another word.

His silence bothered Gabby, mainly because she knew he had understood exactly what she had meant. She joined him in his quietness but her eyes were practically screaming.

"What?" the fireman asked playfully before those furious eyes.

"You know what." The paramedic wasn't in the mood for jokes "you can't just simply…"

"I'm so sorry for taking this long." Elise walked in "but I had to go to three different places to find these potatoes." She concluded trying to get her way with the two heavy bags she was carrying.

Kelly quickly stood up in order to help her, but Gabby was faster.

Elise laughed at their solicitude and didn't know to whom she should hand the bags.

"Let me get them for you." This time Severide acted quicker and gained a smile from Elise and a disapproving look from Dawson.

The three then headed to the kitchen to finally start to prepare lunch. Kelly knew that Gabby was always willing to help, but he also knew that that wasn't the main reason for her to be there.

"You know Dawson, you don't have to be here if you don't want to. I'm pretty sure four hands are enough." Severide teased but he was really trying to get rid of her.

The paramedic, however, pretended not to notice his innuendo:

"We're cooking for a whole battalion here. I'm sure an extra pair is always welcome." She said and waited for Elise's consent. "Right?" she then turned to face Mills' sister.

"Yeah, of course! Any kind of help is welcome."

Dawson smiled and made sure Severide could see that. When Elise got distracted fixing some other stuff, Gabby approached him:

"See, she agreed with me." She mocked.

Kelly didn't say a word and his silence was even more satisfactory.

"Truck 81, Ambulance 61. Car accident. 360, West Lower Wacker."

And suddenly the roles had changed. Now Kelly was the one with the big smile on his face, finding Gabby's silence very pleasing.

"Well, it looks like your pair of hands won't be able to help after all." He said sarcastically.

The paramedic had to fight back her almost uncontrollable desire to punch him in the face but left without saying anything.

"I guess now it's just you and me, girl." He said.

"Yeah, I think so." Elise agreed "And I was here thinking that the squad worked the most. At least, that's what Peter always says. But, apparently…" she joked and this time was Kelly who laughed.

"Well, we might work less but we're the ones who have to deal with the heavy stuff."

"Peter always says that too."

They smiled at each other. That was good, Kelly thought. They were laughing, the conversation was flowing, she was finally being more receptive…it was all going perfectly well.

"So, what do I do?" Kelly asked ready to be useful. "I'd volunteer to chop the onions but the last experience I had with that kinda made me cry." He remembered thanksgiving.

Once again, he managed to gain a smile. He admired her for a second, but her cell ringing spoiled the moment they were having.

"Hello?" she picked it up and walked away.

Severide tried to focus on the food, but he could hear pieces of conversation here and there.

A few minutes later, Elise returned. She looked serious.

"Is everything okay?" Kelly asked slightly worried.

"Yeah." She answered "but I'm afraid I'll have to leave you in charge of today's lunch."

"What?" Severide was a little scared by now.

"Elise, I have no idea what…"

"Find Peter! He'll help you out." She said already leaving "I really gotta go. I'm sorry."

Elise concluded and a second later, she was already gone.

Severide then found himself alone in the kitchen, holding a knife in his hand surrounded by piles of vegetables, meat, legume…and that damn corn.